Pop & Rock News

Described by Clash as 'fast becoming an imprint to watch' Leeds label Come Play With Me's latest single featuring tracks by Her Name Is Calla and Deadwall looks set to continue the precedent it has set of highlighting the awesome diversity of great music coming out of the area following the likes of Cinerama (The Wedding Present), Harkin (Sleater Kinney, Sky Larkin), Fizzy Blood, OFFICERS, ZoZo, Esper Scout, Ceiling Demons & Maggie8.

Leeds' Her Name Is Calla make up one half of this new single with their track 'Kaleidoscoping'. A self described old band now' Her Name Is Calla have been quietly creating what NME have described as massive, pastorally apocalyptic music" for over a decade, winning accolades and fans along the way with a cluster of acclaimed albums and tours with the likes of The Twilight Sad and I Like Trains.

Despite being somewhat nomadic, with members dotted around the country, the bands heart lies in Leeds, singer Tom Morris explains We have always been a band without much of a home city and living on the outsides of different music scenes, so it's incredibly humbling to be asked to be a part of such a great project for Leeds music.'

Explaining the way Kaleidoscoping was created and the way the band collaborate remotely and stitch their ideas Tom Morris said During one half term break at the school I work in, I sat down at one of the pianos and made a little demo which would become the song Kaleidoscoping. I sent it to the rest of the band and gradually we recorded the song properly in our usual fashion, remotely tossing stems back and forth between Leicester and Leeds. A bass line here, a Theremin there, Violins rolling out across the ether, until I could stich them together into something wholly us.'

Deadwall are an ambitious band, their music venturing from alternative indie to chamber pop via some knowing nods to 90's Shoegazey College rock. Clash said of the band wonderfully dreamy pop song writing, from a group blessed with enormous imagination' A huge part of Leeds' DIY scene, Deadwall's Chris Duffin is also one of half of Xam Duo alongside Hookworms' Matthew Benn.

The bands contribution to CPWM is the driving, focussed guitar pop of The Talk. Deadwalls Thomas Gourley explained the wide ranging inspiration for the song 'The song is roughly inspired by two things, Thomas Hardy's poem 'The Walk', and the Paris Climate accord. Two pretty disparate subjects, but I guess it's just a lament over something gone or lost. Not the coolest of subjects, I know but that's how I roll these days!'

Biting Tongues were formed in 1978 to improvise a soundtrack to the screening of a 16mm experimental film of the same name at Tony Wilson's original Factory Club in Manchester. A core membership was soon established that was to last until 1984: Howard Walmsley (sax) Ken Hollings (texts), Eddie Sherwood (drums,) Colin Seddon (bass) and Graham Massey (guitar & noise). Their performances, an unpredictable 'post-punk avant-funk' mix of spoken word, percussion, random tapes, films and freeform soloing, were mostly confined at this time to clubs in Manchester and London. The release of their first three albums 'Don't Heal', 'Live It' and 'Libreville' between 1981 and 1983 widened their audience, and Biting Tongues found themselves performing more and more in theatres, arts venues and galleries.

'Still On Hawaiian Time' captures two Biting Tongues performances from this later period. The Library Theatre in the centre of Manchester was a large seated venue with an even larger stage, meaning that the group members could spread out more and incorporate additional percussion, tapes and electronic devices. It also shows Biting Tongues cutting up and rearranging themes from different recordings, allowing for the free play of existing material - the performance also anticipates their work on 'Feverhouse': their full-length experimental feature film released in 1984 by Factory Records' video offshoot IKON, together with a soundtrack album as FAC 105.

'Feverhouse' had its first London screening at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith as part of Factory's residency there in the summer of 1984. Biting Tongues had played the same venue three years previously at a time when they were beginning to expand and broaden their sound. The improved facilities available in a theatre venue, including greater space, better acoustics and more time for a sound check, meant that Biting Tongues could concentrate on the performance, producing some of their most aggressive and demanding work.

During the early 1980s Biting Tongues excelled as a live band, always seeking to challenge both themselves and their audiences. These two recordings are fascinating documents that conveysome of the immediacy and commitment of their performances - something that can still be felt in these old tapes some thirty years after they were first recorded.

Brighton folk punk band Levellers are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their timeless platinum-selling, second album Levelling The Land with a three-disc special edition package, which will be released on November 18th through their own label On The Fiddle Recordings.

Following the release, the band will be embarking on a mammoth UK tour including a performance at London's Brixton Academy for the 15th time in their career. They will be playing the classic album in full as well as other hits from their 28-year career and will be supported by Ferocious Dog and Gaz Brookfield.

The Levelling The Land special edition will be available as a 2CD & 1DVD set featuring the original album, plus a live version recorded at Brixton Academy and a DVD of that performance. There will also be a limited edition 2LP coloured vinyl set featuring the original album plus the live version.

Levelling The Land was originally released in 1991 and features the hit singles 'One Way', '15 Years' and 'Far From Home' plus 'The Game', 'Liberty Song', 'Another Man's Cause', 'Riverflow', 'Boatman' and the incendiary 'Battle Of The Beanfield'.

During that summer, Levelling The Land redefined the UK's musical landscape providing the soundtrack for a society fed up with the twin evils of Thatcherite politics, and the post-80's pre-grunge musical wasteland. Emerging victorious through the ups and downs of label deals, spats with the music press and the wear and tear of touring, the Levellers are still going strong after nearly 30 years in the game.

Formed of Mark Chadwick, Jeremy Cunningham, Charlie Heather, Jon Sevink, Simon Friend and Matt Savage, The Levellers run their own label and their own studio as well as their own festival, 'Beautiful Days'. Cherished and maligned in equal measure, they are one of Britain's finest musical exports as witnessed by the huge North American and Australian tours that precede this release and their victorious UK shows.

- Levelling The Land 2CD/DVD Album
- Levelling The Land 2LP (Exclusive Blue Vinyl)
- Police On My Back / Where The Hell Are We Going To Live 7-Inch Vinyl (2016 Mix)
- Levelling The Land Songbook
- The Difficult Second Album: How We Made Levelling The Land Booklet
- Original Tour Poster
- 1992 Levelling The Land USA Tour Lanyard and Laminate - See more at: https://levellers.tmstor.es/cart/product.phpid=30051#sthash.Qu04PilA.dpuf





















































[ZZA] C1. One Way (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZB] C2. The Game (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZC] C3. Fifteen Years (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZD] C4. The Boatman (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZE] C5. Liberty Song (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZF] C6. Far From Home (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZG] D1. Sell Out (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZH] D2. Another Man's Cause (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZI] D3. The Road (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZJ] D4. The Riverflow (Live At Brixton Academy)
[ZZK] D5. Battle Of The Beanfield (Live At Brixton Academy)n

Brighton folk punk band Levellers are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their timeless platinum-selling, second album Levelling The Land with a three-disc special edition package, which will be released on November 18th through their own label On The Fiddle Recordings.

Following the release, the band will be embarking on a mammoth UK tour including a performance at London's Brixton Academy for the 15th time in their career. They will be playing the classic album in full as well as other hits from their 28-year career and will be supported by Ferocious Dog and Gaz Brookfield.

The Levelling The Land special edition will be available as a 2CD & 1DVD set featuring the original album, plus a live version recorded at Brixton Academy and a DVD of that performance. There will also be a limited edition 2LP coloured vinyl set featuring the original album plus the live version.

Levelling The Land was originally released in 1991 and features the hit singles 'One Way', '15 Years' and 'Far From Home' plus 'The Game', 'Liberty Song', 'Another Man's Cause', 'Riverflow', 'Boatman' and the incendiary 'Battle Of The Beanfield'.

During that summer, Levelling The Land redefined the UK's musical landscape providing the soundtrack for a society fed up with the twin evils of Thatcherite politics, and the post-80's pre-grunge musical wasteland. Emerging victorious through the ups and downs of label deals, spats with the music press and the wear and tear of touring, the Levellers are still going strong after nearly 30 years in the game.

Formed of Mark Chadwick, Jeremy Cunningham, Charlie Heather, Jon Sevink, Simon Friend and Matt Savage, The Levellers run their own label and their own studio as well as their own festival, 'Beautiful Days'. Cherished and maligned in equal measure, they are one of Britain's finest musical exports as witnessed by the huge North American and Australian tours that precede this release and their victorious UK shows.

With 'Honeymooon On Mars' legendary post punk provocateurs The Pop Group open another chapter at a time when their iconoclastic contention is needed more than ever. It's a record that finds the band unwaveringly incensed and resolute in their mutative sense of innovation, as Stewart elaborates: 'it's a stand against manufactured hate, a hypersonic journey into a dystopian future full of alien encounters and sci-fi lullabies' Produced by dub titan Dennis Bovell, who worked on their seminal Y
album debut, and Public Enemy / Bombsquad legendary producer Hank Shocklee, Honeymoon On Mars represents the band's realisation of a dream twofold collaboration.
Talking about working with The Pop Group, Shocklee said: "The Pop Group sound has a level of freedom, fun and creative musicianship in their recordings that is a special and rare find in today's world. Their uncompromising spirit to be themselves and not worry about fitting into a musical box, sets them apart.' Long-time collaborator Bovell added: 'It's been a great pleasure to be working with the guys again. They are truly beyond good and evil.

Bert Jansch recorded his second album in 1965, just after his self-titled debut earlier that same year. The sessions were a step-up from the intimate, field-recording setting of his first album, although still not labored over too much in the studio.

Finally available on Vinyl! In the wake of the star-filled A Minute To Pray A Second To Die, The Flesh Eaters' frontman Chris D. assembled a leaner, meaner band to deliver his next unbound vision. Forever Came Today, the group's third full-length album, was originally released on Ruby Records in 1982 and features Don Kirk on guitar, Robyn Jameson on bass, Chris Wahl on drums, Steve Berlin on sax and Chris D.'s unmistakable voice.

CAPSULE:1999-2016 is a retrospective collection that represents a golden era for The Faint. The album includes 16 of their most beloved songs from five albums and is an excellent primer for new fans or a classic collection for those who've been nodding along since the Blank-Wave Arcade days. Noisey is running an exclusive premiere of "Skylab1979," one of two new tracks appearing on the album in addition to the recently released "Young & Realistic."

The Omaha-based band had been kicking around for four years prior to that period, but had a hard time hitting their stride. "We didn't make anything we really liked until 1999," frontman Todd Fink laughs. The Faint released some initial material that fit in with the times-reminiscent of the post-punk sounds of Fugazi and other Dischord Records bands-but wasn't anything spectacular, lacking the distinct personality that would eventually come to define them.

It was in writing "Worked Up So Sexual," the hit single from 1999's Blank-Wave Arcade, that the band struck their jackpot moment. They discovered an entirely original fusion of synth sounds over a blaring rock background, one that was as catchy as it was danceable. Just like that, the Faint captured lightning in a bottle.

"I felt lucky... like, blessed or something," Fink remembers. "By the time we'd actually recorded those songs, we were like, 'Yeah, this is where it's at.' We were excited to go play basement shows and little bars and halls and just bring the music that we hunted down, that felt like us."

Still reveling in the success of their newfound identity, the band added death metal guitarist Dapose and released their masterpiece, Danse Macabre, in 2001, one of Saddle Creek's all-time "big three" albums, right up there with Cursive's The Ugly Organ and Bright Eyes' Lifted. It was a dark and sinister work that could still be enjoyed on the dance floor. Songs like "Agenda Suicide" and "Glass Danse" forced blasts of disorienting techno beats into aggressive, almost industrial noise that leaned heavily on filthy bass lines. The album exploded, and their weirdo melange of genres brought them a sizeable audience dancing along.

Armed with their new, dynamic sound, the band released an onslaught onto unsuspecting crowds around the country-a bombastic audio/visual assault of strobe lights, keyboards, and dance-punk. At times, they were convinced that their esoteric style of punk with a fun twist was bound to turn people off, but to their surprise, the Faint began to catch on. Over the next few years, they continued to evolve on Wet from Birth in 2004 and Fasciinatiion in 2008, before taking a hiatus prior to returning for their anticipated 2014 album, Doom Abuse.

CAPSULE:1999-2016 serves to bookend this remarkable 17-year period for the Omaha vets, a time which saw them as imitable pioneers of electro-punk. In addition to highlighting songs from five of The Faint's most popular albums, CAPSULE:1999-2016 features three new songs. The recently released single, "Young & Realistic," and two bonus unreleased songs: "Skylab1979" and "ESP," all of which feature latest member Graham Ulicny (Reptar) on synth duties. The new songs give a glimpse of what's to come for The Faint, as they embark on a new chapter in their long, influential career.

is the debut album from Future of the Left's Julia Ruzicka. The album includes nine different vocalists, including Pixies' Black Francis, former Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster frontman Guy McKnight, Kristian Bell (The Wytches), Billy Mason Wood (Blacklisters), Chantal Lewis Brown (Vodun), Damien Sayell (The St. Pierre Snake Invasion) and more.

Each of the ten songs on This Becomes Us was written by Julia on bass guitar, before enlisting Ian Wilson (Art Brut) on guitar and Jack Eggleston (drums). A raw and wiry collection of songs, This Becomes Us rumbles with spontaneity while bending to the unique talents of each of the albums vocalists.

This Becomes Us is released on November 11th via Prescriptions Music. The warped lead track 'Painter Man Is Coming' featuring Black Francis can be streamed now:

Since 2000, Julia has recorded seven studio albums as a bassist, firstly as a member and co-founder of cult London based post-punk/hardcore band Million Dead before joining Welsh stalwarts Future of the Left in 2010. Sixteen years since coming to the UK from Australia (and fourteen years since her visa was meant to expire), This Becomes Us is Julia's first venture as the creative lead of a musical project. She says: I have loved and still love the role I play in my bands creatively, on bass, but as time passed throughout various writing periods for all kinds of records, I started to stockpile ideas on bass, and just wanted to see some of the embryonic ideas written on bass turn into fully realised songs.'

The vocalists who feature on This Becomes Us are largely connections Julia has made through touring or met via musical circles. Not only did the vocalists contribute vocals, but each wrote the lyrics to their songs, giving each a more personal and natural feel. Some of the singers she had in mind for certain tracks, including Black Francis, who she wanted to feature on the album's fourth song. Julia says: It was an incredible outcome. I wrote the song with him in mind, being someone who has been listening to his music for a long time. To actually have the person singing on your song that inspired that piece of music is quite an incredible event and feeling.'

Jess Williamson's Heart Song is a brave record. It explores the strength in vulnerability, the power in
silence and empty space. The recordings bristle with energy and confidence while maintaining the
intense intimacy Williamson is known for. Like the visceral desert landscape that inspires her, she
knows when to let her vocals drift across the song, light like a tumbleweed, and when to, like the
fiercest of Texas storms, unleash thunder and lightning with her band.
Williamson's sophomore album, Heart Song, questions the structures of support inherent in the
comforts of home and showcases the rare kind of artistry that is the hardest to achieve after early
success: change.
On the opener Say It', Heart Song eases the listener into a groove before the song cracks open and
floods the landscape with squall and noise and thunder, announcing that Heart Song is not the same
album as it's predecessor, that this work is not only the next logical step in Williamson's evolution, it is
also a leap forward for her as an artist.
On the album's centerpiece and title track Williamson wonders aloud, Will I grow into my body' but no
one listening to her music, her poetry, will doubt her growth.
Heart Song was recorded direct to tape in Austin, TX by Eric Wofford (The Black Angels, Bill Callahan)
at Cacophany Studios and by the band in Jess's house. It was mixed by Larry Crane (Elliott Smith,
Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power) at Jackpot Recording in Portland, OR.
For fans of: Laura Gibson, Alela Diane, Angel Olsen, Wovenhand, Jessica Pratt, Cat Power, Palace
Brothers

After locking themselves in studio for the month of March, the group's time and spirit lead to the collection of songs that make up TERRAFORM.  Roberts explains, Terraforming is the concept of going to another planet and making it viable and livable for humans. But in a sense, for this record it can be seen as planting the seeds for that sort of renewal in your own life - that regardless of how much you have broken the parts of your life along the way, there is always a chance to start over.' TERRAFORM is the sixth full-length album release since 2015's COUNTING THE DAYS EP and 2014's album LO-FANTASY. Roberts believes the key to the band's longevity is their steadfast enthusiasm to stick to their artistic guns and consistently work to make a better album each time.  Roberts emphasizes, I think the challenge for our band is to still deliver the music with a sense of spontaneity, a sense of urgency and I think that when we go into a new record, we sort of loosen the grips of other people's expectations and our own expectations.
 The lead single If You Want It' is already a chart-climbing success currently in the top 5 at Alternative radio and counting.  The tune captures what Sam Roberts Band does best, creative instrumental melodies and memorable lyrics that allow their listeners to interpret their own meanings from the songs.  And in Sam's own words: "It's about a trip to Hell... And hopefully back...' The acclaimed Montreal based five-piece band includes Sam Roberts (lead vocals, guitar), Dave Nugent (guitar), Eric Fares (keyboard, guitar), Josh Trager (drums), and James Hall (bass). 

!!Limited Edition 180g Colour Vinyl + Giant Poster + Download Card!!

With 'Honeymoon On Mars' legendary post punk provocateurs The Pop Group open another chapter at a time when their iconoclastic contention is needed more than ever. It's a record that finds the band unwaveringly incensed and resolute in their mutative sense of innovation, as Stewart elaborates: 'it's a stand against manufactured hate, a hypersonic journey into a dystopian future full of alien encounters and sci-fi lullabies'Produced by dub titan Dennis Bovell, who worked on their seminal Y album debut, and Public Enemy / Bombsquad legendary producer Hank Shocklee, Honeymoon On Mars represents the band's realisation of a dream twofold collaboration.Bovell produced the bulk of the sessions while Shocklee took the helm on City Of Eyes, War Inc. and Burn Your Flag.Talking about working with The Pop Group, Shocklee said: "The Pop Group sound has a level of freedom, fun and creative musicianship in their recordings that is a special and rare find in today's world. Their uncompromising spirit to be themselves and not worry about fitting into a musical box, sets them apart.Long-time collaborator Bovell added: It's been a great pleasure to be working with the guys again. They are truly beyond good and evil.

2 x CD BOXSET !!

With 'Honeymoon On Mars' legendary post punk provocateurs The Pop Group open another chapter at a time when their iconoclastic contention is needed more than ever. It's a record that finds the band unwaveringly incensed and resolute in their mutative sense of innovation, as Stewart elaborates: 'it's a stand against manufactured hate, a hypersonic journey into a dystopian future full of alien encounters and sci-fi lullabies'

Produced by dub titan Dennis Bovell, who worked on their seminal Y album debut, and Public Enemy / Bombsquad legendary producer Hank Shocklee, Honeymoon On Mars represents the band's realisation of a dream twofold collaboration.
Bovell produced the bulk of the sessions while Shocklee took the helm on City Of Eyes, War Inc. and Burn Your Flag.

Talking about working with The Pop Group, Shocklee said: "The Pop Group sound has a level of freedom, fun and creative musicianship in their recordings that is a special and rare find in today's world. Their uncompromising spirit to be themselves and not worry about fitting into a musical box, sets them apart.'

Long-time collaborator Bovell added: It's been a great pleasure to be working with the guys again. They are truly beyond good and evil.'

STANDARD CD !!
With 'Honeymoon On Mars' legendary post punk provocateurs The Pop Group open another chapter at a time when their iconoclastic contention is needed more than ever. It's a record that finds the band unwaveringly incensed and resolute in their mutative sense of innovation, as Stewart elaborates: 'it's a stand against manufactured hate, a hypersonic journey into a dystopian future full of alien encounters and sci-fi lullabies'

Produced by dub titan Dennis Bovell, who worked on their seminal Y album debut, and Public Enemy / Bombsquad legendary producer Hank Shocklee, Honeymoon On Mars represents the band's realisation of a dream twofold collaboration.
Bovell produced the bulk of the sessions while Shocklee took the helm on City Of Eyes, War Inc. and Burn Your Flag.

Talking about working with The Pop Group, Shocklee said: "The Pop Group sound has a level of freedom, fun and creative musicianship in their recordings that is a special and rare find in today's world. Their uncompromising spirit to be themselves and not worry about fitting into a musical box, sets them apart.'

Long-time collaborator Bovell added: It's been a great pleasure to be working with the guys again. They are truly beyond good and evil.'

Liset Alea has the name of chance. Chance that is tossed in the air like the roll of dice, following her footsteps like destiny brimming with surprises and unexpected possibilities. She has lived a thousand lives: born in Havana to an impulsive country man who was working in Fidel's kitchen and from whom he often stole the occasional piece of meat for the family and a literature major mother who has published some of her erotic poetry. At an early age, she already mastered the art of escape, the immigrant's task of learning how to leave behind one's home, family, friends, language, comforts and survive in an unfamiliar place.

At 15 she begins to study the voice with America Crespo, a Cuban opera legend known as the Callas of Cuba. In order to pay for her lessons, she cleans homes on the weekend with her mother. She also studies Musical Theater at Miami's New World School of the Arts. Then She moves to New York, a waitress by night, she enters the New School Jazz Conservatory for Vocal Jazz and buys her first guitar. She becomes the front woman of the electronic band Etro Anime, cowrites their first album which is released through V2. After witnessing the Trade Center fall before her eyes, she decides it's time to leave the United States and moves to Amsterdam with the band. They embark upon a tour supporting Kosheen and later Llorca where she meets Alexkid with whom she writes and records 'Come with Me' on his Mint' album. Come with Me' becomes an instant electro club and radio hit and she joins Alexkid's band for a 46 dates European tour.

Seduced by the European way of life, she settles in London for a while, travels to Milan, Athens, Madrid, Berlin for songwriting sessions, many of these collaborations entered the charts in their respective country.

London based newcomers M O S E S will release their debut single 'Leave Leave Leave' on September 16th via Cross Town Recordings. Comprised of front---man Victor (a Bucharest native), long haired South Korean guitarist Juno, bassist Zakk (a genuine East Londoner) and County Tyrone---born drummer Matt, the music of M O S E S is destined to become a crucial soundtrack for 2016's prescient indie generation, with 'Leave Leave Leave' being their first call to arms.

Recalling Kasabian at the boisterous, urgent, early best, 'Leave Leave Leave' is an effortlessly cathartic, instantly familiar anthem with which people will be singing along to for years to come.

Over the coming months you'll have every opportunity to see M O S E S in the environment in which the flourish most-in front of an audience. Lead by the angelic, charismatic Victor, they'll be playing support to The Enemy, Jimmy Eat World and Ash on their upcoming tours, as well as appearing at the Hackney Wonderland Festival and playing headline shows in London and Brighton.

Marching Church, the onetime solo project and now bona fide big band formed by singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt, has followed its leader's muse everywhere from their early days of 4-track lo-fi tapes, to Sam Cooke-tinged soul on This World is Not Enough, to outré free jazz on their most recent Coming Down 12".

For Telling It Like It Is, Rønnenfelt and his bandmates have foregone much of their past proclivity for wild stylistic swings in favor of thematically unified, complicated, but fundamentally cohesive song arrangements, the studio itself at times acting as an auxiliary band member. The result is the most focused vision of Marching Church yet, but one that has lost none of its swagger, and none of its power to enthrall. We have here one world united under the sparks of one enormous disco ball hanging over us like the moon,' Rønnenfelt elaborates. In one fleeting moment in the light of its mirrored surface we see human endurance, in the next we see doom.' The light and shade he finds in this worldview permeate the songs on Telling It Like It Is. Rønnenfelt describes the new work an album which raises multiple flags,' and the sound of individualism stuck in the center of the modern world, swimming with and against the current.'

The band in 2016 comprises Rønnenfelt and his frequent collaborator and Iceage bandmate Johan S. Weith (on electric viola and guitar here), Lower's rhythm section of Kristian Emdal and Anton Rothstein, trumpet player Jakob Emil Lamdahl, and Hand of Dust's Bo Høyer Hansen. Augmenting these sessions are Maaike Van der Linde and Thora Sveinsdottir of the Stargaze Orchestraon flute and strings, and Sonja La Bianca of Choir of Young Believers on saxophone. The obvious chemistry among these players makes this the most cultivated Marching Church album to date, unveiling the full spectrum of capabilities and musical dexterity of each player. Telling It Like It Is taps into a debauched lunacy that teeters equally on the verge of exhaustion, and the charged sensuality rooted in our loins that keep us going.

This is a true pleasure: The new, the third album by Maurycy Zimmermann aka Mooryc is finally here and it is much more poppy than its predecessors, in places almost folky-dreamy, but one thing especially: delightfully and downright personal. Wiped Out' fits Sonar Kollektiv's repertoire just perfectly and will probably be one of the most respected releases of the Berlin based label this year. When the Pole's first two LPs were mainly electronic affairs and targeted straight at the dance floor, then we have to prepare ourselves now for a cozy listening deeply moving our souls. The blessed and academic trained musician cut eleven genuine, timeless pop jewels for Wiped Out'. You Will Go' is a sugar-sweet ode to goodbye recited in a delicate manner like a wisp of wind. Only on a few tracks (- One Day oder - Bad Luck ) a beat plays a part at all. In this case all the more sophisticated and smarty-pants, so you notice even after all that Mooryc has also released records on the state of the art Jena based techno and house label Freude am Tanzen.
Most of the time it's simply a guitar and the thirtysomething's wonderously magic voice though, which make these songs shine so bright. The title track is one of the many fine examples why this album should be always within easy reach during the imminent winter time. Songs like - Inconceivable or - Who Are You Now air this decent warmth and this tremendous comfort which are more than welcome in these days now when the nights get longer again than the days.

arachute is proud and excited to release art rock unit Starfuckers' legendary "Sinistri" LP, remastered and pressed on vinyl for the very first time since its original version in 1994 on Underground Records.
Formed in 1987, Starfuckers is an Italian avant-garde band primarily from the 1990s, considered a notable part of the experimental rock scene and one of the more "out there" acts during their active tenure. Originally inspired by '80s post-Stooges noise and New York City No Wave, Starfuckers eventually carved their path to their own distinctive sound by following in the footsteps of Xenakis, John Cage, Maderna and Stockhausen - all without ever abandoning their own attitude and raw personality.
n incredibly important record for us here at the label, "Sinistri" feels just as fresh in 2016 as it did in 1994.

Amidst their stellar discography, The Renderers are best known for their album A Dream Of The Sea, released in the mid-nineties by Siltbreeze, and now issued for the first time ever on vinyl in a gatefold jacket on the band's own label. Various forces were at work - a revered label, increased attention towards New Zealand artists - but the greatest achievements were within the band itself. Maryrose and Brian Crook reached a new level of insight and honesty with their lyrics, forming a wave of insight and metaphor that is as forceful today as when first written. Songs draw from ghostly sea tales and personal demons, where the specters as much rise from the waters as emerge from within oneself.

Chicago born Jeff Liberman is a guitar player in the best tradition of 70s guitar Gods like Hendrix, Trower, Clapton or Zappa. The perfect mix between virtuosity and feeling with a gift for brilliant songwriting. Between 1975 and 1978, Liberman self-released three albums on his own Librah label which were some of the first private pressings to gain recognition amongst psych collectors in the 80s.

Jeffery Liberman' is his first one, released in 1975 and recorded at PSR Studios in Chicago. Heavy guitar psych with plenty of fuzz-wah, phasing, effects, mystical / moody vocals, acid-blues, mellow folkie tracks, West Coast vibes and even some crazy synth /electronic / experimental excursions.

Featuring the 8+ minutes psych opus Phenaphen No. 3' and more.
RIYL: BOB SMITH, D.R. HOOKER, TERRY BROOKS, BEVIS FROND, ROBIN TROWER, CREAM, BOB DESPER...

*Remastered sound
*Insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic Baby)
*First ever legit vinyl reissue
*Includes digital download coupon

...You have to look to the best of DR Hooker to find something as good...Underrated and very cool, you need to check this out' - Aaron Milenski (Acid Archives)

Chicago born Jeff Liberman is a guitar player in the best tradition of 70s guitar Gods like Hendrix, Trower, Clapton or Zappa. The perfect mix between virtuosity and feeling with a gift for brilliant songwriting. Between 1975 and 1978, Liberman self-released three albums on his own Librah label which were some of the first private pressings to gain recognition amongst psych collectors in the 80s.

Solitude Within' is his second album, released in 1975. A heavy guitar psych / West Coast /acid rock classic with plenty of acid soloing drenched in fuzz-wah plus treated vocals, effects, hard-blues and even some cool mellow folk grooves and experimental excursions.

RIYL: BOB SMITH, TERRY BROOKS, ROBIN TROWER, HENDRIX, DR HOOKER, BEVIS FROND...


*Remastered sound
*Insert with liner notes by Klemen Breznikar (It's Psychedelic Baby)
*First ever legit vinyl reissue
*Includes digital download coupon

Far better than most LPs of its type, this is highly recommended to guitar fans' - Aaron Milenski (Acid Archives)

Gatefold Orange Vinyl 180g LP with song book, A1 poster, download card. 500 only.

Un-defined by genre, Ravioli Me Away's high energy, dangerously ambitious and delusional jazzy-post-pop-punk-hip-funk sound with stylistically schizophrenic motifs span all-known past, present and future human cultures and sub-cultures. This is social realism soaked through with a heady dose of fantasy, idiosyncratic poetics, keyboard flurries and vocal vicissitudes described as 'vintage drag-queen Bananarama Youtube footage played with twice the sass and in double time with an incredulous broadband connection reflected in the eyes of a much overworked and downright exhausted Julie Burchill on acid.'
 Ravioli Me Away are Sian Dorrer, Rosie Ridgway and Alice Theobald and more recently, have recruited Monika Kroll as an intermittent member.
Since forming in January 2013, they have performed extensively at various events, venues, festivals and galleries in the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Czech-Republic and Holland. They have also recorded and released records and appeared on radio shows on 6 Music, Resonance FM and NTS Radio.
Theobald, Dorrer and Ridgway have a mutual interest in identity, politics, human relationships, love, gender, class and current affairs, and use performance, art and music as a means to explore, debate and express such interests using of metaphor, clichés pop references and repetition. To date they have together written and produced up to 30 songs and have performed over 80 concerts, each high-energy and curated to reflect a different theme or character inspired from everyday life ie. City workers, beauty queens, painter and decorators, sportsmen and beatnik poets to more abstract interpretations of everyday life such as luggage, snacks and e-bay. These themes are evident in costume, visuals and stage presence. More recently they have been developing their own individual alter-ego/characters for their performances.
***Ravioli Me Away see and explore symptoms of society. We see ourselves as agents that point out phenomenon and respond to it. We try to sift though it and respond to the surface by challenging audiences perceptions and expectations.***

Kilwater was formed in Poznan in 2011. Initially, the band played cover songs and their own, surf-rock styled compositions. After several member changes, in 2014 a five-person (previously associated with various formations from Poznan) line-up was established: Marcin "Boogie" Wieczorkiewicz - guitarist, leader and author of most compositions (also known as DJ Boogie, former member of Danse Macabre, Brakdanych and Hellow Dog), drummer Adam Nastawski (Plum, a.k.a DJ Czlowiek), bassist Grzegorz Ksiazkiewicz (Snowman), keyboardist Marcin Szczesny (since 2014, also a Snowman member) and saxophonist Michal Fetler (Tsigunz Fanfara Avantura, TonyTony). Debut album was created in Albert Hofmann's Studio (ahstudio.pl), in Poznan. It was recorded, mixed and mastered by Bartlomiej Frank. The album consists of eleven instrumental pieces and two songs, featuring Gosia "Siara" Witkowska and Peter J. Birch. The band describes their music as a psychedelic movie surf rock. On the calm surface of rock'n'roll basin, Kilwater encounters a storm of progressive rock and jazz improvisations. Guitar sails - supported by a solid, rhythmic mast - are being tossed by the squall force of saxophone and synthesizers. Psychedelic wailing sirens and nymphs can be heard in the musical depths of Kilwater music, which is often backed by funky echoes of 70s action TV series.

Liset Alea has the name of chance. Chance that is tossed in the air like the roll of dice, following her footsteps like destiny brimming with surprises and unexpected possibilities. She has lived a thousand lives: born in Havana to an impulsive country man who was working in Fidel's kitchen and from whom he often stole the occasional piece of meat for the family and a literature major mother who has published some of her erotic poetry. At an early age, she already mastered the art of escape, the immigrant's task of learning how to leave behind one's home, family, friends, language, comforts and survive in an unfamiliar place. At 15 she begins to study the voice with America Crespo, a Cuban opera legend known as the Callas of Cuba. In order to pay for her lessons, she cleans homes on the weekend with her mother. She also studies Musical Theater at Miami's New World School of the Arts. Then She moves to New York, a waitress by night,
she enters the New School Jazz Conservatory for Vocal Jazz and buys her first guitar. She becomes the front woman of the electronic band Etro Anime, cowrites their first album which is released through V2. After witnessing the Trade Center fall before her eyes, she decides it's time to leave the United States and moves to Amsterdam with the band. They embark upon a tour supporting Kosheen and later Llorca where she meets Alexkid with whom she writes and records 'Come with Me' on his Mint' album. Come with Me' becomes an instant electro club and radio hit and she joins Alexkid's band for a 46 dates European tour.
Seduced by the European way of life, she settles in London for a while, travels to Milan, Athens, Madrid, Berlin for songwriting sessions, many of these collaborations entered the charts in their respective country.
In 2012, she decides that Paris will be her new home' and from then on will be touring extensively with Nouvelle Vague as a lead vocalist, with Yasmine Hamdan and Elodie Frégé (a chanson française major figure for whom she also co-writes) as an instrumentalist (bass, percussions, guitar).
While not on the road she starts working on what will become Heart-Headed', her new album co-produced with Marc Collin. Months in the making, HeartHeaded' displays a balance of craft and emotion and exhibits the refined craftsmanship of her writing.
Her voice, reminiscent at times of Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields), Marianne Faithfull or even a Cuban Lana del Rey, is set against string and flute arrangements, vintage synthesizers and urgent guitars.
The first single Hunter & Tiger', heralds Heart-Headed' as an album that comes straight from the heart but remains grounded in the early Rock'n'Roll era echoing Wanda Jackson's Hard Headed woman.

Following extensive touring behind What For, his fourth studio album as Toro Y Moi, acclaimed musician Chaz Bundick brought the band to the middle of the Mojave Desert in April 2016 to play a special concert.

Live from Trona documents this experience, recorded live beneath the geological wonders known as the Trona Pinnacles, which formed thousands of years ago in what used to be a prehistoric lake. The album features unique live arrangements of songs from across the band's catalog, new music, and an expanded band line-up. On the congas, Bay Area multi-instrumentalist Brijean Murphy adds a layer of rhythm, switching between propulsion and deep atmosphere. And for a brand new song, 'JBS,' the group is joined by tourmates The Mattson 2. This collaboration between Bundick and the Mattson twins takes on a classic groove with a jazz fusion approach.

For the film, nine-time Vimeo Staff Pick director Harry Israelson chose to break the fourth wall, revealing the filmmaking process by making equipment, lights, and crew visible at all times. With no audience in attendance and a spectacular natural environment that feels otherworldly, the film pays homage to rock films of a previous era. As the sun sets behind the pinnacles, the supernatural setting seamlessly weaves together with the 13 psychedelic tracks, all recorded on site over the course of an entire day. Through the use of hand-drawn animations and behind-the-scenes VHS footage, Live from Trona offers viewers a surreal concert experience, placing them front row at a private Toro Y Moi show.

With the help of her producer Day Wave's Jackson Philips, they collectively head San Franscisco's current lofi indie explosion. We're just about to get started on her first proper release -a 5-track EP called 'Never Going Home'- but she's already clocked up well over a million plays by herself as an unsigned artist on soundcloud and has never been far from the top end of Hype Machine without so much as a single press release.

The summery-sounding title track announces English's exciting new presence as a songwriter. Brisk drum work and a ringing guitar melody propel the song forward while English's hazy vocals infuse it with refreshing sincerity and an aching, yearning sweetness. 

Speaking about "Never Going Home", English states: "The song is about moving overseas, the feeling of being drawn to California, and really finding myself here."

Released in 2016, It’s Immaterial found Black Marble refining its coldwave and synth-pop foundations into a warmer, more melodic expression of isolation, longing, and quiet resilience. Guided by Chris Stewart’s unmistakable baritone and a palette of analog synths, pulsing basslines, and minimalist rhythms, the album feels simultaneously nostalgic and forward-leaning. Its songs drift between shadowy introspection and subtle hope, creating a cinematic atmosphere that’s both intimate and hypnotic.
With It’s Immaterial, Black Marble deepened its signature sound, offering a collection that resonates like a faded memory—soft, hazy, and endlessly replayable.

"Melodies twist inward and out of the comfort zone, but never overstep their boundaries or demand extra attention they don’t deserve. The fragments that have been found, from beginning to end, click and fall into place almost effortlessly. It’s surprising how nothing feels forced." - Drowned in Sound

Galvanized by Tampa hardcore and inspired by its miscreant noise, 'A Corpse Wired For Sound' signals a new chapter for Merchandise.

Their second for album 4AD, Merchandise have stripped back to the core of Carson Cox (vocals, electronics), Dave Vassalotti (guitar, electronics) and Pat Brady (bass) to make 'A Corpse Wired For Sound'.

The trio travelled to Rosà, Italy to start proceedings, recording half in a studio there and the rest at home, in Tampa as well as in Cox's newly adopted bases of New York and Berlin.

The album's metallic title is inspired by a science fiction short story by JG Ballard but equally sums up the band's current state of mind, We were 'reborn' as a rock band for our last record ('After
The End),' says Vassalotti, and then we straight-up died again. It couldn't last. The result is this distended corpse responding to you from both sides of the Atlantic, forever singing in spite of
everything.'

Featuring the tracks 'Flower Of Sex' and 'End Of The Week', 'A Corpse Wired For Sound is available on CD and LP.

LP format includes digital download code.

Galvanized by Tampa hardcore and inspired by its miscreant noise, 'A Corpse Wired For Sound' signals a new chapter for Merchandise.

Their second for album 4AD, Merchandise have stripped back to the core of Carson Cox (vocals, electronics), Dave Vassalotti (guitar, electronics) and Pat Brady (bass) to make 'A Corpse Wired For Sound'.

The trio travelled to Rosà, Italy to start proceedings, recording half in a studio there and the rest at home, in Tampa as well as in Cox's newly adopted bases of New York and Berlin.

The album's metallic title is inspired by a science fiction short story by JG Ballard but equally sums up the band's current state of mind, We were 'reborn' as a rock band for our last record ('After
The End),' says Vassalotti, and then we straight-up died again. It couldn't last. The result is this distended corpse responding to you from both sides of the Atlantic, forever singing in spite of
everything.'

Featuring the tracks 'Flower Of Sex' and 'End Of The Week', 'A Corpse Wired For Sound is available on CD and LP.

LP format includes digital download code.

* 'Slugger', the debut LP from Sad13 a.k.a. Sadie Dupuis, prioritizes self-possession in every sense. Sadie, who fronts the dynamite grunge-pop band Speedy Ortiz, forewent her usual modes of collaboration on Slugger, writing and producing the record herself-'to exorcise my control-freaky demons,' she says.

* After Sadie moved to Philadelphia in early 2016, Slugger quickly began to take shape: 'I wrote and played and recorded almost all of it in the two weeks I was subletting a friend's tiny bedroom,' she says. Fittingly, directness, self-determinism, and intimacy are the bedrocks of Slugger's overall tone. Sadie maintains her dignified wit even in less-than-ideal entanglements, as on the album's opening track, '<2,' styled to resemble the level of affection of which a heart is capable when it's been twisted out of shape. 'I'm in less than two with you,' sings Dupuis, her crystalline voice steadfastly delicate and assured, recalling self-proprietary forebears like Liz Phair and Fiona Apple.

* Imitating the reflexive wordplay of Slugger's lyrics, Sad13's bedroom recordings are largely about bedroom-based themes. She chews on what it means to give and receive consent, sexual and romantic autonomy, finding new modes of enjoying love and boning after destructive partnerships, shredding joyously past misogyny and other exclusionary gender politics, and so many more exploratory, non-exploitative areas of love. Throughout Slugger, Sadie makes her motives and desires invitingly clear. As she sings on the song 'The Sting' , 'You don't know how I'd like to say yes'—but she intends to tell you, and to be heard in kind.

* Slugger-produced by Dupuis, mixed by Gabe Wax (Beirut, Wye Oak, Boots) and mastered by Emily Lazar (Sia, HAIM, Sky Ferreira)-is less rock-principled than Sadie's other projects, but the talented guitarist makes intelligent work of her instrument throughout the record. The guitar lines are layered with synth melodies written on her laptop and are, occasionally, joined by live drums from Julian Fader (currently of Ava Luna; formerly bandmates with Sadie in Quilty).
This matches Sadie's penchant for bright, tricky assonance and Wilde-style wit, her verses like sailors' knots tying her instrumentation carefully in place. Her MFA in poetry from—and stint teaching writing at—UMass Amherst are apparent. This is also true of the rapper, producer, and PhD student Sammus's guest appearance on the album's final track, 'Coming Into Powers,' where she raps, 'I'm a star/ I'm a pulsar.' The song closes the loop on a thought ribboning around Slugger on the whole: As Dupuis sings, 'I want a life where I can be who I like / Look at me, looking back at me, recognizing who I see.' Slugger identifies an artist and person who, throughout this record, is her own best company.

* 'Slugger', the debut LP from Sad13 a.k.a. Sadie Dupuis, prioritizes self-possession in every sense. Sadie, who fronts the dynamite grunge-pop band Speedy Ortiz, forewent her usual modes of collaboration on Slugger, writing and producing the record herself-'to exorcise my control-freaky demons,' she says.

* After Sadie moved to Philadelphia in early 2016, Slugger quickly began to take shape: 'I wrote and played and recorded almost all of it in the two weeks I was subletting a friend's tiny bedroom,' she says. Fittingly, directness, self-determinism, and intimacy are the bedrocks of Slugger's overall tone. Sadie maintains her dignified wit even in less-than-ideal entanglements, as on the album's opening track, '<2,' styled to resemble the level of affection of which a heart is capable when it's been twisted out of shape. 'I'm in less than two with you,' sings Dupuis, her crystalline voice steadfastly delicate and assured, recalling self-proprietary forebears like Liz Phair and Fiona Apple.

* Imitating the reflexive wordplay of Slugger's lyrics, Sad13's bedroom recordings are largely about bedroom-based themes. She chews on what it means to give and receive consent, sexual and romantic autonomy, finding new modes of enjoying love and boning after destructive partnerships, shredding joyously past misogyny and other exclusionary gender politics, and so many more exploratory, non-exploitative areas of love. Throughout Slugger, Sadie makes her motives and desires invitingly clear. As she sings on the song 'The Sting' , 'You don't know how I'd like to say yes'—but she intends to tell you, and to be heard in kind.

* Slugger-produced by Dupuis, mixed by Gabe Wax (Beirut, Wye Oak, Boots) and mastered by Emily Lazar (Sia, HAIM, Sky Ferreira)-is less rock-principled than Sadie's other projects, but the talented guitarist makes intelligent work of her instrument throughout the record. The guitar lines are layered with synth melodies written on her laptop and are, occasionally, joined by live drums from Julian Fader (currently of Ava Luna; formerly bandmates with Sadie in Quilty).
This matches Sadie's penchant for bright, tricky assonance and Wilde-style wit, her verses like sailors' knots tying her instrumentation carefully in place. Her MFA in poetry from—and stint teaching writing at—UMass Amherst are apparent. This is also true of the rapper, producer, and PhD student Sammus's guest appearance on the album's final track, 'Coming Into Powers,' where she raps, 'I'm a star/ I'm a pulsar.' The song closes the loop on a thought ribboning around Slugger on the whole: As Dupuis sings, 'I want a life where I can be who I like / Look at me, looking back at me, recognizing who I see.' Slugger identifies an artist and person who, throughout this record, is her own best company.

* Shining Bird, an experimental-pop group from Austinmer on the south coast of NSW, was originally founded by Dane Taylor and brothers Russell and Alastair Webster. Now a six-piece, the band released their 'Shade of the Sea' EP in 2012, followed by their acclaimed debut album 'Leisure Coast' on Spunk Records in 2013. The album received widespread acclaim for its unique brand of Australiana-infused dream-pop. On the back of strong reviews from credible publications such as Rolling Stone, Russh and Sydney Morning Herald, along with an Album of the Week on ABC's Radio National, 'Leisure Coast' helped propel Shining Bird towards a broad and loyal bunch of listeners. Touring extensively to promote the release of 'Leisure Coast', the band's live shows earned them a finalist nomination for 'Best Live Act' in FBi Radio's Sydney Music, Art & Culture Awards (SMAC) in 2014.* After much anticipation by fans, the band emerged late 2015 with a premier of Rivermouth' (which premiered on The Music), a track steeped in Australian bush and coastal imagery, with a vision that recalled the widescreen sweeping vistas of The Triffids. The song reflected a maturity of songwriting and production, filled with layers of detail that offer a different journey on every listen. * Mixed by Russell Webster and Tim Whitten (The Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus), new album 'Black Opal' was written and recorded over the past two years in the Blue Mountains of NSW. Trekking to remote lookouts and watching classic Australian films fueled the creative process. The album art was painted by Australian artist Luke Sciberras, and the record also includes a collaborative effort with didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon (80's Australian pioneers Gondwanaland).* Having played alongside acts such as Kurt Vile, Franz Ferdinand, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Drones and Father John Misty, and appeared at numerous festivals including Fairgrounds Festival, Secret Garden, Sydney Festival, Melbourne Music Week and Newtown Festival - Shining Bird is now gearing up to take their music further both sonically and geographically. The group will tour consistently from now until the end of the year, including an appearance at this year's BIGSOUND industry showcases in September, and the Yours & Owls Festival in October with a full national tour and international tour dates released shortly.

* Shining Bird, an experimental-pop group from Austinmer on the south coast of NSW, was originally founded by Dane Taylor and brothers Russell and Alastair Webster. Now a six-piece, the band released their 'Shade of the Sea' EP in 2012, followed by their acclaimed debut album 'Leisure Coast' on Spunk Records in 2013. The album received widespread acclaim for its unique brand of Australiana-infused dream-pop. On the back of strong reviews from credible publications such as Rolling Stone, Russh and Sydney Morning Herald, along with an Album of the Week on ABC's Radio National, 'Leisure Coast' helped propel Shining Bird towards a broad and loyal bunch of listeners. Touring extensively to promote the release of 'Leisure Coast', the band's live shows earned them a finalist nomination for 'Best Live Act' in FBi Radio's Sydney Music, Art & Culture Awards (SMAC) in 2014.* After much anticipation by fans, the band emerged late 2015 with a premier of Rivermouth' (which premiered on The Music), a track steeped in Australian bush and coastal imagery, with a vision that recalled the widescreen sweeping vistas of The Triffids. The song reflected a maturity of songwriting and production, filled with layers of detail that offer a different journey on every listen. * Mixed by Russell Webster and Tim Whitten (The Go-Betweens, Hoodoo Gurus), new album 'Black Opal' was written and recorded over the past two years in the Blue Mountains of NSW. Trekking to remote lookouts and watching classic Australian films fueled the creative process. The album art was painted by Australian artist Luke Sciberras, and the record also includes a collaborative effort with didgeridoo player Charlie McMahon (80's Australian pioneers Gondwanaland).* Having played alongside acts such as Kurt Vile, Franz Ferdinand, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Drones and Father John Misty, and appeared at numerous festivals including Fairgrounds Festival, Secret Garden, Sydney Festival, Melbourne Music Week and Newtown Festival - Shining Bird is now gearing up to take their music further both sonically and geographically. The group will tour consistently from now until the end of the year, including an appearance at this year's BIGSOUND industry showcases in September, and the Yours & Owls Festival in October with a full national tour and international tour dates released shortly.

First complete Sonic Youth album is one of Thurston Moore's favorites. Includes live cover of The Stooges' I Wanna Be Your Dog'. Vinyl includes digital download. Originally slated to be a 7' to follow up their self-titled debut, Sonic Youth's Confusion Is Sex blossomed into the band's first album: a brain-bludgeoning, completely fried endeavor of dissonance and disarray, a perfect soundtrack for running from a chain-wielding gang near the SIN Club. This was the sound of 1983 New York City, nothing like the jangly roots of college radio rock starting to formulate in Athens, Georgia. It sounded like no one else on Earth, for that matter. The raw, Wharton Tiers 8-track production is dark, the Kim Gordon- scrawled cover figure art of Thurston Moore is dark, Lee Ranaldo's back cover photo-collage and Catherine Ceresole's crumpled-xeroxed images that adorned the inside are dark. It's an album that moves Sonic Youth forward from their first EP almost by devolving backwards into true ugly, lo-fi primitivity. The bareboned arsenal of junkpile guitars and implementation of alternate tunings was growing, and so were the songs that matched the individual attributes of each instrument: certain ones groan and growl a specific way that the band started to realize itself could become the compositional germ of a song. Herein is the threshold of a new explosion of the band's creativity, replacing the comparatively cleaner buzz of the Sonic Youth EP with guitars that spew fractured, uglier chunks of sound everywhere, held down by menacing minimalist basslines (actually played by Thurston on half of this LP, and for the only time ever on Protect Me You,' Lee) and the brutal-yet-controlled metronomic drumming of Jim Sclavunos, augmented with replacement drummer Bob Bert's notable bashing on Making the Nature Scene' and grotty no-fi live rendition of I Wanna Be Your Dog.' Hearing the crashedwindow intro of Inhuman' and subway-brake screech of The World Looks Red,' you can attest that while Sonic Youth's guitars are not quite yet being utilized in the totally controlled, lyrical fashion seen later on albums like Evol, Daydream Nation et al., they were well aware of the colors and tonalities that were unfolding and the possibilities presented. Also, they were getting a grasp on adding colors to the chaos with tempered, simmering moments like Gordon's Shaking Hell' and Renaldo's chimy, home-taped Lee is Free.' Making the Nature Scene' and The World Looks Red' even toss in glints of hip-hop vocal approach way ahead of its time, albeit through a blender. While its confrontationalism might have put off some critics, time has rewarded Confusion with a truly distinctive air and atmosphere in the Sonic discography, enough to have Moore declare it his fave along with the band's swan-song The Eternal. Brian Turner, WFMU.