Pop & Rock News

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- GATEFOLD SLEEVE
- HIGH QUALITY PVC PROTECTIVE SLEEVE
- 4 PAGE BOOKLET WITH LINER NOTES AND PHOTOS
- EXPERIMENTAL ART/ROCK GROUP FROM NEW YORK,
TRACKS SELECTION INCLUDE I'M WAITING FOR THE MAN',
VENUS IN FURS', HEROIN' AND MORE CLASSICS
- LIMITED PRESSING OF 3.000 INDIVIDUALLY
NUMBERED COPIES ON PINK' COLOURED VINYL

An album by The Velvet Underground needs to be in the collection of every legitimate music lover. Those who do not yet have an album from this legendary group, can now fill this gap by purchasing the new Collected.

The band, with artistic exponents of text and music writers Lou Reed and John Cale, influenced generations of rock musicians and groups. Certainly in the 70s and early 80s the cult status of this group, briefly managed by Andy Warhol, reached extraordinary proportions. The Velvet Underground was already a real punk band ten years before the rise of this music genre. This was reflected in their lifestyle, drug use and attitude'. Musically, however, you can hardly compare them with punk music. With songs like Heroin', I'm Waiting For The Man' and White Light / White Heat', they released a new definition of rock and roll.

The Collected compilation consists of 2LP's with a total of 23 songs. One of the above-mentioned classics is I'm Waiting For The Man', in which the protagonist's addiction forces him to wait for his dealer with his twenty-six dollars in hand, a number that expresses an addict in an unprecedented direct and realistic way. The chaotic and sometimes atonal music confirm the grim narrative. In addition, we will find What Goes On', Pale Blue Eyes', Venus In Furs' and many more songs from the pivotal band.

The limited edition of this unique compilation on 'pink' coloured vinyl is now available.

Recorded the day before the release of their 1993 breakout album, Siamese Dream, this magnificent radio broadcast is an acoustic record release party set from the legendary Tower Records in the group's hometown of Chicago. Amid drug addiction, internal band strife, Corgan's nearly crippling depression, claims of selling out, and massive pressure from the record label to become stars, it's hard to imagine the band could even perform together much less sound this good. A killer live acoustic set that draws mostly from Siamese Dream, but also includes two of the better tracks from their debut Gish, this radio broadcast is a must have for any Pumpkins fan.

'Eight' is not a bunch of singles thrown together. It is a collection of songs that interlock conceptually (not as a narrative story, but more in a general theme throughout the lyrics).

The concept of 'Eight' actually came to us more by coincidence than an idea at the start,as when we discussed our release strategy for 2017 we decided to run with the idea of eight songs released digitally in pairs and compiled into a vinyl at the end. After discussing this strategy, we went away with this number branded in our minds. 8. The symbol '8', the figure of 8, it just screams out to you.

As we looked more into the number 8, the correlation between the lyrics and the themes signified by the number really started to jump out at us and it all started coming together. 8 is the number of infinity, despite all that is thrown at it there is much that is intrinsically beautiful in the world. It's signifies positivity in the universe, joy, strength, balance and power in unity, which are touched upon within the lyrics of 'Eight'. At this point we decided to run with this as our concept and that remaining 3 undecided tracks would all fit into this overall concept.

In 'Eight' we are offering a way to lose yourself from it all and find an escape for a moment from all the horror and pain that is happening all around us. To embrace the ability music has to take you away from the harsh realities of daily life.

With this in mind we made a conscious decision to include elements that would tie in the tracks sonically. For example, we have used synth and guitar sounds that appear throughout 'Eight' to gel the tracks together, solidifying that these are not just a compilation of songs we have.

The artwork is also crucially interlinked with the whole 'Eight' project. Each song is represented on the individual release in their AAs where the artwork is a standalone piece. When all the songs are compiled into the EP the artwork for all 4 AAs comes together as one overall piece and each is represented as an eighth, there are also many references to Eight within each piece.

Sublime compilation of long-lost Australian indie-pop, acoustic jangle and beat happenings gathered by Melbourne-based collector and DJ Bayu and label head Moopie. Twelve tracks of singular vision spanning up- and downbeat pop, post-punk and minimal synth rarities recorded between 1982 and now. Australian twee pop royalty the Cat's Miaow shares the stage with the Cannanes and the Particles; Ya Ya Choral with Sarah Records' own Even As We Speak. Included is the previously unreleased 'Dot', by Mutant Sounds cult band Maestros and Dipsos. Full colour reverse-card sleeve with printed insert and lyrics sheet.

Jim James ist Sänger von My Morning Jacket und veröffentlicht Anfang Dezember sein Album voll von Coverversionen namens - Tribute to 2 auf ATO. Der erste Part - Tribute to hingegen hat ein anderes Konzept, da nur Coverversionen von George Harrison und den Beatles enthalten sind. Tage nach George Harrisons Tod - im Jahr 2009 - nahm Jim James diese sechs Stücke zu Hause auf einem Achtspur-Recorder auf. Für ihn ist es ein persönlicher Tribut an einen großen Helden, um den er trauerte.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- GATEFOLD SLEEVE
- INCLUDES 4 PAGE BOOKLET
- FEATURING THE CLASSIC HIT SINGLES WHAT THE
HELL', SMILE' AND WISH YOU WERE HERE'
- FIRST TIME ON VINYL!
- FIRST PRESSING OF 2.500 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED
COPIES ON TRANSPARENT GREEN VINYL

Goodbye Lullaby is the fourth studio album by Avril Lavigne, released in 2011. Recording sessions for the album began in November 2008, and took place over a period of almost two years, concluding in October 2010. Goodbye Lullaby is a more introspective effort and consists of mainly stripped down instruments such as the piano and acoustic guitar. Avril co-wrote every original track on the album, and took on production duties for the first time

The album debuted inside the top five in over 15 countries such as the United States and Canada, topping the charts in over eight countries, such as Australia, Greece, Hong Kong and Japan.

Three singles were released from the album. The album's lead single, What the Hell' achieved worldwide chart success, reaching the top twenty in the UK, the top ten in Europe and Australia and the top five in Asia. The following singles, Smile' and Wish You Were Here' also received chart success worldwide. The album also includes an extended version of the soundtrack single for the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, titled Alice'.

Goodbye Lullaby is now available on vinyl for the first time. This first, limited edition run is pressed on 180 gram transparent green vinyl. Only 2.500 copies are available.

Paul Weller releases a limited 12' vinyl of One Tear' remixes in November...

Sharing a seaside home and studio with fellow Brightonians The Magic Gang, the Abattoir Blues of today - vocalist Harry Waugh, guitarists George Boorman and Sam Pitman, and drummer Scott Kennedy - are a far cry from the beer-swigging, stage-smashing brutes of old. Taking equal influence from the grizzly post-punk of The Fall and the dark atmospherics of the Nick Cave album from which they take their name, their swarm of sound engulfs the senses, while drawing on a social conscience reminiscent of punk's early greats: recent singles 'Sense' and 'Fading' reflected on mental illness and the refugee crisis respectively.

You should talk about those things if that's what matters to you,' Harry states. I feel like, more than ever, there's a big apathy problem. People are so alienated by the way politics is and the way the world's run that they switch off and disassociate from things.'

It's important to encourage people to engage,' agrees George, we want to stimulate discussion.'

It's a captivating, call-to-arms take on modern punk that's drawn more than a few eager ears - that monstrous noise' was heralded by The Guardian at the start of 2016, while NME praised their abrasive post-punk that's big on atmosphere and meaning'. DIY joined them in dubbing Abattoir Blues one of 2017's most essential new acts - further nods from Noisey and Radio 1's Huw Stephens followed.

New EP 'Blinded' is the sucker-punch moment that Abattoir Blues have been building towards. The anthemic likes of 'Change Your Mind' and the record's title-track put those years of tight-knit companionship to tape, while 'Trying Everything' bites harder than they've ever dared before. Closer 'What You Mean To Be', meanwhile, is as beautiful and melodic as British punk has ever been one second, and a thrashing monster the next. Abattoir Blues thrive on that light-and-shade duality.

'Utopia' is the ninth studio album from the iconic artist Björk, out November 24th via One Little Indian Records. The album's artwork was created in collaboration of M/M, Jesse Kanda and James Merry and reflects the records sonic direction, optimism, lightness, utopia.
Of the album she explained to Dazed this Summer that, Maybe that's why it became a utopian theme - if we're gonna survive not only my personal drama but also the sort of situation the world is in today, we've got to come up with a new plan, If we don't have the dream, we're just not gonna change. Especially now, this kind of dream is an emergency.'
Björk wrote, produced and recorded the album between Reykjavik and New York, working closely with Arca and writing for, conducting and recruiting a thirteen piece flute orchestra which will be on the road with her next year.

Blending wiry post-punk with unpredictable art-rock, Drahla have garnered early critical praise with their first singles, including 'Faux Text'/'Burden of Proof' which was released via Too Pure Singles Club earlier this year and sold out its limited run of 500 copies. Formed in late 2015, Drahla quickly found their identity in Leeds' fertile music scene with their minimal yet robust bass-heavy sound, while their reputation as a fervent live act saw them sharing stages with Parquet Courts, The Cribs, Buzzcocks, Dream Wife, Menace Beach and more.

Produced by Hookworms' MJ, Third Article documents Drahla's progression from promising DIY outfit to a formidable and distinctive band who've built on the early support from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music, DIY magazine and Loud & Quiet. Third Article makes its intention clear with EP opener 'Form of Luxury', an ice-cool yet spiky slab of noise-rock. 'Silk Spirit' and 'Circuit' typify Drahla's sonic trademarks, where sharp, off-kilter guitar riffs juxtapose with singer/bassist Luciel Brown's composed, self-assured vocal. Guitarist Rob Riggs takes lead vocal on the caustic EP closer 'New Living Creation', which also adds saxophone for an erratic yet purposeful statement of intent.

Begun on a whim in 2010 by Enablers vocalist Pete Simonelli (words, vocals) and Lynn Wright of And the Wiremen (guitar), Molecular has seen a broad cast of musicians come and go in its highly rotational flux of instrumentation and musicianship in performances around New York City, England and Spain. It is a "feel" oriented collection of players whose ideas evoke a steady yet shape-shifting spirit of improvisation.

Warmest Regards is the culmination of a short week-long tour throughout England. This live recording is taken from a very lively, intimate set on a wintry Sunday night at New River Studios in London. The line-up includes Simon Goff (And the Wiremen) on violin, Algis Kizys (ex-Swans, Of Cabbages and Kings) on bass, and Sam Ospovat (Enablers, Ava Mendoza) on drums. It documents the progressive cohesion of the band after six straight nights of entirely improvised music. Over the course of these six shows, the poems, rants, and music were never delivered the same way twice. On that basis alone, we just took the thing and let it kick us each and every way possible until the egg timer chimed and the set would then conclude. There were no foundations, no arrangements, and there was never any solid plan. The only rule we followed, as is ever the case with improvisation, was listening to each other.

The legendary sophomore album of the Steve Wynn's band released in 1984, one of the pillars of the PAISLEY UNDERGROUND sound. After all the buzz that followed the release of the first album The Days of Wine and Roses, and all the comparisons to the Velvet Underground, the band was then sent into the studio for five months with Sandy Pearlman, best known for producing and managing Blue Öyster Cult as well as orchestrating the Clash's second album, Give 'Em Enough Rope. Partly due to the influence of touring outside of the confines of the L.A. music scene, partly due to a hard-rock producer helming the boards and partly due to Wynn's insistence at trying something new, the Dream Syndicate wound up turning in an album that was so different from its debut, it might have been the oil to the preceding record's water. It showed an affinity for Neil Young and Crazy Horse, flirting with an American Gothic style of songwriting as well, with a particular influence of Southern writers such as William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor in the lyrics. A true gem from 1980's California.

Since forming in 2015 as a college art school project, Dream Wife - a name chosen as commentary on society's objectification of women - have become one of the foremost up-and-coming bands out of the U.K. They have garnered praise for their early releases and their ferocious live shows, which saw them sell out venues across U.K. and Europe, tour the U.S. with the Kills, and play festival stages all over the world. Now the band are gearing up to release Dream Wife on January 26th, 2018 via Lucky Number.

How a boy from the Sri Lankan jungle formed the greatest post-punk band you've never heard. Re-issue of Glorious Din's second full-length album from 1987.

Fronted by an intense singer with an oblique songbook and a mysterious past Glorious Din were unlike any other group to emerge from San Francisco's '80s underground. With singer Eric Cope, the chosen persona of a Joy Division-obsessed Sri Lankan boy who travelled halfway around the world to follow his punk dream.

The multifaceted nature of the '80s scene - encompassing everything from three-chord thrash punk to garage-band pop, experimental art rock and atonal noise, all created by bands with overlapping memberships - can seem baffling to outsiders. Of the many acts clamouring for attention, Glorious Din was perhaps the best, their mesmerising sound instantly getting under the skin via their non-standard drum patterns, eastern-sounding guitar melodies, a melodic bass in pole position, and a dissociative foreign singer who intoned prophetic poems in a trance. The enigmatic group acted as a catalyst too, helping total unknowns to gain recognition and being the uncommon glue linking Faith No More, the Dead Kennedys and Michael Franti, as well as R.E.M and the Cocteau Twins, such is the reach of their influence.

The music of the '80s counterculture thrived in peripheral spaces, and part of Glorious Din's appeal was their mysteriousness: a quartet of mismatched musicians not necessarily playing their chosen instruments, with the obscure lyrics of their intense frontman near impossible to decipher. The group imploded after only three years, but their cult appeal has lasted far longer through their two albums and related material on their Insight label.

Glorious Din's second album, Closely Watched Trains, had a very different sound from its predecessor. Eric was listening to a lot of Nick Drake, so they mixed the vocals and guitar much louder than the other instruments. Nevertheless, the album showed a growth and maturity on the band's part. Paget plays a metal dobro on some numbers, which adds a sheen of folk to the post-punk proceedings, as heard on the opener 'Stilt Walkers'. '1651 Map' has Cope seemingly recounting a colonial uprising or an industrial dispute over a sparse rhythm led by Paget's minimal guitar, and early number 'Voices Everywhere' is here reprised as a joyous blast, the lyrics speaking of a pending arrival.

Paget is well-represented with 'Red Dirt', which has fantastic modulated bass from Heeschen, 'Circle Star', another freedom track inspired by his wanderings, and the melodious 'Blood', which closes out the set. Cope's songs have repeated references to trains, hence the album's title. But by the time the album surfaced, the band had already broken up. Now exactly 30 years later Closely Watched Trains is still a more than rewarding listen and a vivid document of the times.

2023 Repress

This the first time this title has been available on vinyl . At the risk of further labouring a rather obvious point, with Thank God for Mental Illness, their third collection of absolutely stunning music in 1996, the Brian Jonestown Massacre parallels the prolific and effortless brilliance of the Rolling Stones at their fevered late-1960s peak, the sheer scope of their achievements is stunning — rarely are bands quite so productive, or quite so consistently amazing. Thank God is the BJM's down-and-dirty country-blues outing, all 12-odd tracks supposedly recorded on a single July day at a cost of just $17.36 .The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a psychedelic rock band originally from San Francisco, California, led by guitarist/singer Anton Newcombe. Since 1995 The Brian Jonestown Massacre has released numerous albums, first for Bomp! Records, the label which gave them their start, and later for TVT and Tee Pee. BJM has been essential in the development of the modern U.S. garage scene, and many LA and SF musicians got their start playing with Newcombe, including Peter Hayes of The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.Originally Newcombe was heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones' psychedelic phase - the name comes from Stones guitarist Brian Jones combined with a reference to cult leader Jim Jones, but his work in the 2000s has expanded into aesthetic dimensions approximating the UK Shoegazing genre of the 1990s and incorporating influences from world music, especially Middle Eastern and Brazilian music.

Hope are in the Black Phase. Everything around them is obscured. Every lyric and every spark of music, every photograph and every recording is drenched in black.
It's not the black of Wave or Gothic bands, but the unpretentious black of Portishead or Talk Talk. A black arising from a wound and at the same time covering the wound, burying it. A scab.
A black letting you forget the Jazz, the academics, and the provinces that Hope has come from. In Germany, Jazz, academics and the provinces are very close, and Hope had to live through most painful experiences, play many unnoticed concerts, and remain unloved to find the love for themselves and their music.
Only this explains the dark stringency and consequence of their self-titled debut album (produced by Olaf Opal), featuring monolithic songs like CELL, KINGDOM and RAW. Songs, sounding rather like dystopic infinity than a light-hearted debut album. Songs, compressed to one word, as if the listener should not waste any time with reading, but start listening. Listen and dive into the endless Hope wave of sound, vehemence and black.
And yes, during all of this, the iconic singer Christine Börsch-Supan is naked. We can only guess her contours - it is too dark.

2LP STD
Standard weight 2xLP black vinyl
Packaged in printed art sleeves and 2-panel
5mm spine matte printed jacket
Includes download card

Ein Schauer aus Fuzz und Punkrock, aus verträumtem Grunge und Seele entblössenden Texten, das ist das zweite Album der kalifornischen Punkrocker Monster Treasure. Stell dir vor, Blondie spielen unbekannte Nirvana-Cover im CBGB's der frühen 1980er, als es Grunge noch nicht gab, und du kommst annähernd dorthin, wo Monster Treasure stehen. Mit regenbogenfarbenen Spritzern coloriertes Vinyl.

* 180 gram audiophile vinyl
* Includes insert

100 broken Windows is raw, rough edged punk yet traditional in lyrics with tight raging tracks. These 4 Scots neglected everything that was happening in the music business at the time and went down their own path, producing intense rock songs about growing up in the working class inspired by the greats from late 80s and early 90s such as Nirvana and REM, Sonic Youth and The Pixies.

This album definitely deserves a prominent place in any discerning music-lover's collection.

* 180 gram audiophile vinyl
* Includes insert

Hope is important is Idlewood's debut album recorded in 1998, the first full length release filled with distortion, Roddy Woomble's screeching vocals and utter chaos. This transitional album marks the beginnings of boys becoming men. A raw emo-punk album full of energy, laying out the path this band is going to go on in the future.

A 30-song career spanning compilation from this long-running female fronted Bay Area punk band. BAD DADDIES (aka B.D.), run the gamut from hard-core noise-bursts, to '90s-style rock through to straight up pop-punk sensibilies. This compilation takes in a smattering of tracks from their 2011 self-released uber-rare debut singles, (editions of just 83 copies and 137 copies), to 2016's self release demo cassette (edition of 70 copies). Initial copies of this LP include an extensive zine, with band interviews, original artwork and track by track commentary. RIYL the Bags, the Urinals, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill, Melt Banana.

Night Shop is the new solo project from Justin Sullivan, drummer for Kevin Morby, The Babies and Flat Worms. His debut 12-inch was recorded at comp-ny Studios in Los Angeles, engineered by Drew Fisher (Kevin Morby, The Babies, Girl Pool) and is chock full of world-weary, melancholy songs with trace elements of optimism. He is joined by Will Ivy on electric guitar and Tim Hellman (Thee Oh Sees) on bass

A shotgun marriage of '80s jangle pop and nervy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics are the wedded bliss of SOB STORIES' eponymous debut EP. Lead singer and songwriter JOEL CUSUMANO never met a hooky chord progression, or a dark turn of phrase, he didn't like. Prior to forming Sob Stories, Cusumano played with Oakland power-poppers TALKIES—after recording with Terry Six (Exploding Hearts) and releasing a full-length cassette on Burger Records, he parted ways with the group to form Sob Stories. Other Bay Area pop pros (members of RAZZ, COCKTAILS) fill out the Sobs' lineup. The band's debut is a whirlwind of guitar pop tunes that all clock in under 2:30, and cover the rock geek milieu—heartbreak, regret, and baked Alaska.

tenebrous LIAR developed as the result of a musical urge felt by photographer Steve Gullick in 2005, much frantic sound bending & home recording resulted in an album released by Fire records the following year. It quickly became apparent that Gullick needed a band in order to perform live, he enlisted the help of an eclectic & ever evolving line-up of friends who made a further five albums in as many years and played shows with a very diverse selection of artists including Scout Niblett, Josh T. Pearson, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Foo Fighters, Duke Garwood, Oxbow, Soulsavers, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Ed Harcourt & Cindytalk.
In 2016 tenebrous LIAR (Brendan Casey on bass, Ben Edgar on drums & Steve Gullick on guitar & vocals) set about writing & recording their new album in Coventry rehearsal rooms & in Gullick's home, the idea was to record improvisations to create a freer sounding record, the band channeled psychedelic era Miles Davis, early PIL & their love for Neil Young's 'Dead Man' to create 'The Cut'.

Emotional Response are proud to announce a compilation of home grown talent, featuring two songs each from eight current Arizona pop acts. ELECTRISAD, LIL BOBBY JR, GENE TRIPP, AMATUER HOUR, THE ENGLISH TEETH (BOYRACER), NANAMI OZONE, CEREAL MILK, and DINERS. Limited edition of 300 copies with insert and download.

EVANESCENCE return this fall with SYNTHESIS, their fourth studio album, slated for a Fall 2017 release. The group today, August 14, announced the Synthesis Live' tour will launch this fall beginning October 14 on the west coast (confirmed dates below). Like the album, Synthesis Live' will feature a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE's best-loved songs with the spotlight on full orchestra, electronics combined with the band and Amy Lee's virtuoso piano and voice.

This is a total passion project for me. There are so many layers in our music, underneath the huge drums and guitars,' explains AMY LEE of EVANESCENCE. I've always wanted to shine a light on some of the gorgeous David Campbell arrangements and programming elements in our songs, and that idea snowballed into completely re-doing them with full orchestra, not just strings, elaborate programming and experimentation. This will be our first time touring with orchestra and I'm so excited to perform this way-really focus on the vocals, and the emotion and the story we've built over the years. I'm also really excited about the new material on the album. Besides the two new songs, there are some really beautiful instrumental in-between moments. The whole thing flows like a big, dynamic soundtrack.'

The two-time, GRAMMY® Award-winning group is currently in the studio finishing the new album through August with producers Will Hunt and orchestra arranger and composer David Campbell. In addition to the re-imagined catalog songs, the forthcoming SYNTHESIS album will feature two new EVANESCENCE songs.

2017 promises to be the biggest year for EVANESCENCE yet, as their intense live performances and timeless songwriting combined with a powerful live orchestra and electronics will truly deliver a transcendent experience.

Award-winning Swiss producer, electro-innovator and cycling enthusiast, David Langhard celebrates the rhythmic rush of life on two wheels with the release of HOGOFOGO. A four-strong live band, a 15-date UK and European Tour, including a date at The Social, London is announced to coincide with the release.

Inevitable comparisons with Kraftwerk aren't shyly rejected, but recognised and warmly embraced by Langhard, who cites the band's 1981 album, 'Computer World' as one of the best albums to cycle to, alongside up-tempo tracks by Pixies, The Specials and the canon of classic 1950s rock and roll. Renowned and praised for his work underpinning the recordings of fellow Swiss export, Klaus Johann Grobe, Langhard's work as an innovative producer is matched by his own, artistic restlessness. A diverse and energetic career has seen Langhard awarded the Winterthur Kulturpreis, acclaimed by city officials in September 2017 for being an experienced, stylish and versatile musician, whose influence and charisma reaches far beyond Winterthur.'

Touring Europe as a member of Howlong Wolf and Admiral James T, Langhard's work on the fifth studio album from Neutral Zone extends a trip into synthesised sound that started in 1995 with nothing more than classic Casio SA-5 and Intersound PK-380 keyboards and a tape recorder. The growth of his own DALA Studios in his home city, alongside an ever-developing collection of vintage, analogue recording equipment (alongside the racing bikes) has seen a personal side project take to the fast lane and now, 22 years later, he presents an underground masterpiece.

Youth) spent an afternoon improvising. Charles Hayward on drums and Thurston Moore on guitar.

This LP is the result.

Improvisations is a vinyl only release, limited to 500 copies worldwide.

The seven tracks are unnamed but are identified by the side and order in which they appear ie., A1-3 and B1-4.

This was the third time Hayward and Moore played together. The session was recorded at Lynchmob studios through the famous 1969 Neve console originally built for the BBC.

Charles Hayward has been a prominent figure in British music over the last 40 years: Gong at 19 years of age, Quiet Sun with Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno, Camberwell Now and of course the revered This Heat now touring the world in its phoenix-like rebirth as This Is Not This Heat.

Thurston Moore spent thirty years fronting the groundbreaking and massively influential Sonic Youth, in addition to numerous collaborative and experimental side-projects and running the SYR imprint as well as his own Ecstatic Peace label.

CCFX are a new trio from Olympia, Washington, featuring Mary Jane Dunphe (Vexx, CC Dust), David Jacques (CC Dust) and Chris McDonnell (TransFX). Collectively coming from a background of punk, new wave and shoegaze, all three members embody Olympia's historical ethos of DIY and join forces for a record that is a showcase of what is currently coming out of the Pacific Northwest.

Recorded and mixed with Captain Tripps, the release is a testament to the nostalgic properties of 80s UK chiming and melodic guitar parts that counter and complement Mary Jane's emotional vocals. Undeniably indebted to the sounds of The Cure, New Order, The Smiths and My Bloody Valentine, Chris McDonnell has made much of the kinship he feels between Olympia, Washington and Manchester, England. CCFX strike that delicate balance between heartfelt and gloomy but there is an earnest sincerity to these tracks that sets the band apart.

The timbre of the music is warm and just slightly fuzzed out and the expressive quality of Mary Jane's voice is pushed to the front. These four songs allow access to suppressed and forgotten feelings from youth - punk's not dead and neither are its descendants. This is the stuff indie dance nights are made of.

Grammy® Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Green Day will release Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band on 17th November. The playlist includes 20 hits spanning the band's prolific 21 years as a band, plus a brand new song called Back In The USA' and a new duet with award-winning Country Music superstar Miranda Lambert on Ordinary World.' Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong previously collaborated with Lambert at the 56th annual Grammy® Awards in 2014 for a live duet in tribute of the late Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers.

On 22nd March, God miraculously came down to the Ed Sullivan Theatre to introduce Green Day as God's Favorite Band' on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. When God speaks people listen, and he granted Green Day the title: Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band. The collection chronicles the sonic journey of one of the most essential and dynamic rock bands in recent history. Formed in 1986 in Berkeley, CA, Green Day achieved breakout success with 1994's Dookie which has sold over 10 million copies to date in the U.S. alone. Widely credited with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock, Green Day would go on to release Insomniac (1995), Nimrod (1997), and Warning (2000). In 2004, Green Day released the rock opera American Idiot which captured the nation's attention and sold more than six million copies in the U.S. Mojo declared It's exhilarating stuff, the kind of record that sets new parameters as to what is possible from a punk rock'n'roll band in the 21st century.' In 2010, a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway. The band went on to release the critically acclaimed 21st Century Breakdown (2009) and the album trilogy Green Day ¡Uno!, Green Day ¡Dos!, and Green Day ¡Tré (2012).

Green Day is one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. The group has won five Grammy Awards. On April 18, 2015, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of the 2015 class in what was their first year of eligibility for induction. Green Day's 12th studio album Revolution Radio was released on 7th October, 2016 and debuted at No. 1 on the UK Official Album Chart. Upon its release, People proclaimed: The punk vets still have a tattooed finger on the national pulse.'

Christa Päffgen aka Nico has been a femme fatale extraordinaire, a woman always searching for and always running from something. She began her career as a model and actress, but soon got addicted to music and all kinds of unhealthy relievers for her spiritual pain, which in the end caused a bad health and helped to generate the circumstances for her untimely death at the age of 50 in 1988. A few months prior to her passing due to a bicycle accident on the Spanish isle Ibiza, she performed her last show with mostly new and unheard tracks, plus one classic tune from her proto-gothic album The end' (originally released in 1974). If you are familiar with her avantgarde type music you may guess what awaits you here but I think I should explain it to all those who have never heard of Nico before. She had one of the most captivating and outstanding voices in the whole music scene during her active years, with an utterly dark and manic expression even while performing her vocals absolutely flawless. Besides her unique voice, Nico also performed as a supermodel, which flatened her path to the hearts and music of several well known artists from that time, like Andy Warhol, Brian Jones, Bob Dylan, Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, Jackson Browne, Jimi Hendrix, Danny Fields, Iggy Pop and Alain Delon. Andy Warhol connected Nico to Lou Reed, who's band THE VELVET UNDERGOUND she joined for the first album as a singer on Warhol's wish. Her later backing band THE FACTION created a thick carpet of pulsating melodies and rhythms with a spacey feel and a morbid atmosphere. Peter Murphy of BAUHAUS once called Nico's albums The marble index' (1968) and The end' (1974) to be the first ever true GOTHIC style records and he was right. Even twenty years after her first records Nico still had this gloomy but majestic charme and the older she got, the better and more intense her music became. With these accessible but still mind twisting songs on Nico's last concert: Fata Morgana' we get a rough idea where she wanted to go. All in all this is one of those cult albums from the 80s dark psychedelic music scene, which certainly deserves to be heard by current generations for it easily stands the test of time. Just phreakin awesome.

- Playing Cal Jam 17 with a swag of swell bands on October 7th
- Long deleted on vinyl
- Original artwork faithfully reproduced

First album originally released in 1990 by BABES IN TOYLAND.

Spanking Machine was recorded in Seattle by now legendary Jack Endino at the now equally legendary Reciprocal Recording Studio.

Spanking Machine was the record that kicked down many doors for BABES IN TOYLAND.

Personally asked by Thurston Moore to support Sonic Youth on their European tour promoting Goo, appearing in the documentary 1991: The Year Punk Broke, fixtures on the John Peel show among much more.

Damo Suzuki in performance with Château Laut, recorded at Ausland, Berlin, 30.iv.2010 by Stephan Laackman. Mastered for cassette format by Mark Van Hoen.

Illustration - SavX.


Château Laut's Stefan Fähler writes: "I contacted Damo in 2009. He didn't reply immediately and at one point I just forgot about it... So, it was a huge surprise when he replied, exactly a year to the day later, explaining his email's calendar was weird and he had only just now received my mail. Quickly, we arranged all details for our concert-to-be.

We first met a couple of months later, at the airport. We picked him up in the morning and were stoned just an hour later in our kitchen. The energy for the whole day was so peaceful and warm. On the way to soundcheck we saw barricades and police vans on the streets in readiness for 1 May - a date famous in Berlin for rioting and protest. We joked about this "predictable riot", marked in calendars for all to see.

The gig at Ausland proceeded organically. We shared many beautiful moments, both on and off stage. Damo was so much into the atmosphere and the crowd that, after our main set, we went on-stage a second time. Afterwards, we crashed at our place, downing a couple of whiskeys before going to sleep, happy.

We kept in touch. He became something close to a spiritual mentor for me. He gave us contacts around the globe for travels and put me in touch with many nice people. He once said to me, one of the most important things in life is to travel. We were glad he stopped by our place on his journey." - Stefan Fähler, Berlin, 23.viii.2017

Martin Kohlstedts Opus »Strom« ist ein Handstreich der Unbarmherzigkeit, das Klavier den Elementen auszusetzen. Im Fluss der 9 Stücke löst sich der Komponist auf und macht Musik in ihrer ureigensten Dynamik erfahrbar. Man wird Zeuge davon, wie sich Nähe und Intimität zu Weite und Gewalt wandeln, sowie Schönheit in alledem zu finden ist - vor allem aber im Vergehen. Konsequent entwickelt »Strom« dabei verschiedenste Formwelten, erscheint neblig gefährlich, dann wieder ganz direkt, fast verspielt, bis hin zum Erstarren vor der eigenen Größe. Dabei wurden für »Strom« keine Pointen erdacht und keinerlei Maß genommen. Stattdessen wirkt es so, als ob Martin Kohlstedt es geschafft hätte, der Intuition ein Monument zu bauen.

Dabei sind unabänderliche Denkmäler gar nicht Kohlstedts Spezialität, ganz im Gegenteil. Bekannt geworden ist der Thüringer vor allem für die Energie und Unberechenbarkeit seiner Konzerte. Nach zwei Solo-Piano Alben legte er Schablonen für das Instrument ab und entwickelte seine eigene Selbstverständlichkeit, Elektronik und Effekte so zu spielen, als seien sie nur weitere Tasten auf der schwarzweißen Klaviatur. »Strom« ist Martin Kohlstedts drittes Studioalbum und ebenso ein Destillat dieser Entwicklung wie auch ein Blick in die Zukunft: Bevor der Komponist auf sein Publikum trifft, prallt er in diesem ersten aller Räume mit sich selbst zusammen. Inszenierung ist hier fehl am Platz. Sound und Struktur treten hinter den Wunsch, mit der Musik andere Orte zu erreichen. Man hört dem nach - seinen Händen - die all die Arbeit verrichten, feinfühlig und größenwahnsinnig zugleich. Und bleibt doch ganz bei sich, wie auf seinen Konzerten. Mehr braucht man über Martin Kohlstedt nicht zu wissen.

The New Faith release their debut album 'Me On You' on 27th October. With a distinctly British sound evoked by a yearning heart and the dizzy inertia of youth, TNF's uproarious soundtrack to growing up is the product of small town dreams, failure, control and loss. Balancing melodic genius with lyrical brilliance, their grandiose yet melancholic sound features gospel choirs and orchestral strings, laced with an addictive pop sensibility that is at once haunting, beautiful, uplifting and heartfelt. The album follows two singles, 'Fritter Away' and TNF's debut release, 'Too Sad To Be Young', an evocative exploration of music making that was well received in the media (see quotes below).

Hailing from Brighton, TNF is fronted by singer and songwriter Will Charlton, whose sublimely controlled baritone croon sits a-top a wall of guitar and the orchestral arrangements of a band whose sound flits between tender and grandeur. Based around family, love and personal battles, youth and adulthood, and co-written with guitarist Sam Baldwin, the record's fourteen reflective songs narrate Charlton's different relationships as he relocated between towns and territories. Describing the content of 'Me On You', he states that "The tracklisting reflects the story. From beginning to end, I moved to Berlin to follow a European dream, had a break up and moved to Brighton not knowing where I really wanted to be. I wanted to write songs to close the chapter. The idea is that as well as being a narrative of the past, the album is also an account of my relations with other people." 

The opening track, the anthemic 'There, There', is about being young and naive, "all those things you're warned about in your youth that you inevitably become,' continues Charlton, with 'Look The Other Way', 'Berlin' and 'Sometimes Are' being  the most telling and representative of the album's theme, each about a different person, a different place and a different time, trying to come to an understanding of how things always seem to turn out the same.' The new single 'Fritter Away' "is written as a letter to my nephew to warn him what happens as you get older, the transition between youth and adulthood and the emotions he is still too young to understand,' while 'Thirst For The Living Water' Parts 1 to 3 bookend a letter written in a more reflective tone, "from the fallout of excess to ending up where you didn't ever want to be.'

'Me On You' is mixed and produced by Dave Izumi, who's flair and flavour comes from his beautifully crafted Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne.  It's full of reel to reel tape machines, old synths, steinway pianos, a rhino's head, a mousse's head and Tony Visconti's old mixer..." and sees the band reproduce their highly original songs, handpicked from late night sessions and hours of bedroom recordings and demos. Two years and a day since Dave first heard the band and called saying he wanted to take on the album, The New Faith have created a peerless union of relatable lyrics, traditional songwriting and audacious arrangements, a stunning song-book filled with variety and colour.