Pop & Rock News

The first full-length album of The Fall, Live At The Witch Trials, is not actually a live album. Emerging out of a two-day studio session at Camden Sound in North West London during a sickly December of 1978, Witch Trials amounts to the sinister foundation of the band's diverse sound. Every song explores drastically different styles and wild terrain, leaving much to decipher over its eleven tracks.

"Frightened" has magnetic attraction / repulsion that shifts between Martin Bramah's skeletal guitar, Yvonne Pawlett's plastic keyboards and the lurching rhythm section of Marc Riley and Karl Burns. Mark E. Smith's mesmerizing bark and eerie lyrics warp the cosmic context with each repeated non-chorus. "Rebellious Jukebox" takes yet another turn and showcases the band's more melodic leanings.

One gets the sense that The Fall are in a time-travel hallucination (from 19th century witch trials to a scathing critique of the late-70s punk scene) where the band's snot-nosed scrabble afflicts the shape of pop to come. As Smith dictates, "We are The Fall, northern white crap that talks back."

Superior Viaduct's edition is the first time that Live At The Witch Trials has been available on vinyl in the USA since its initial release in 1979. Liner notes by Brian Turner.

Vancouver-based rock band Hot Hot Heat is proud to present details on its forthcoming, and final overall, self-titled LP. Set to be released via Kaw-Liga Records on Friday, June 24, Hot Hot Heat is the sort of final album you'd expect from the band - one that is as pop hook-heavy as it is edgy and unpredictable. Today, Noisey premiered the first single from the album, "Kid Who Stays in the Picture," a song frontman Steve Bays penned about parting ways with a best friend as well as the importance of fighting to stay young at heart and holding on to your innocence for as long as you can.
Hot Hot Heat is a celebration of the fans who have supported the band throughout their successful career. It's the final release from a band that has innovated the indie rock scene since 2002, when they shook dance floors with the release of their explosive debut album Make Up The Breakdown via legendary Seattle-based label Sub Pop Records.

"To be able to tour from 1999 to 2014 and play hundreds of shows a year was amazing," Bays says. "It changed all of our lives. It was the greatest experience I could ever imagine. I can relate to our fans and I respect our fans. They are the kind of people I'd hang out with. I'm proud of every single record, and of finding the ground between making it challenging and fresh, but also not being afraid to be entertaining and put on a crazy show. Every show we ever did was just a total high energy spectacle and that's a great legacy to have."

Written between 2011 and 2014, Hot Hot Heat moves away from the experimental sensibility of 2010's Future Breeds and looks back to their first two albums for inspiration. The idea was to be as natural as possible and get in touch with their inherent skill for songwriting. After penning a batch of songs, the band gathered in 2014 to record the 10 best with Canadian musician and producer Ryan Dahle, who worked on Future Breeds.

"We wanted it to feel cohesive and representative of the aesthetic we were into at that point," says Bays, who co-produced the album with Dahle in their adjoining studios. "We wanted it to feel like it was all the same album even though it had been written over several years. The songs are the 10 songs we were the most excited about in the moment. The idea behind the album was: If you want to try and do something great, it can only be when the inspiration hits."

There's a myth about music critics that says we are frustrated, wannabe performers. Evidence to the contrary: Vivien Goldman. Ever since she migrated from pitching editors on the little-known music of Robert Nesta Marley to becoming one of the foremost chroniclers of the perfect storm of reggae, punk, hiphop and Afro-Beat, the London-born, New York-based Goldman has made documenting music her primary life work.

Peripheral Records is proud to announce: a re-issue of the ultra-rare collaboration between JFK and the Grey Wolves, originally recorded and released on cassette in 1988 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. The music is a reflection not just on the event itself, but also on its implications and ramifications: the collective trauma and psychosis, the invasive cold war paranoia, rumours of shadow governments and the implied presence of the hidden, alien hand that guides and shapes human affairs to who-knows-what end."

Also comes with a download card, a mask, various printed ephemera ..
Dog Chocolate sound like a crowded room but are actually four individuals from London. Having played in many other bands including Yeborobo, Limn and Gasp! Cracking Eggs, united they recognise Dog Chocolate as their one true love. Abandoning notions of elegance, cred and professionalism they embrace the ramshackle, instant and fun, capturing a vivid spontaneity with their music. 'Snack Fans' is the band's debut album, following on from 2014's release 'Or', a split LP with gastronomic kin Ravioli Me Away (also released by Upset The Rhythm).
 
'Snack Fans' is comprised of 14 bite-sized nuggets high in salt and sugar content. The sound is a shabby, fast, over-excited ball of wet fur falling down the stairs, knocking over plant pots along the way and staining the carpet. With an average song time of 2 minutes, Dog Chocolate are on to the next treat before fully digesting the last. Chewing up bits of punk, post-punk, noise and pop, Matthew and Robert's guitars race around each other like wasps, pitch-shifting and phasing all over the place while Jono's rolled-up-newspaper drums chase them round the room. Andrew's occasional impressionistic keyboard flourishes add further colour to the scene, whilst Andrew and Robert take it in turns to sing with the others joining in occasionally.
 
Lyrically the album deals with themes domestic, emotional and metaphysical: purging your life of material possessions, cosmically ordering a pet, memories evoked by the tactile properties of objects, the impermanence of the body, confusion, holidays, environmental concern and hay fever. There are moments of flippancy and silliness, but also of investigation and introspection.
 
On 'Emotionally Buff', Andrew tells the tale of an ill-fated band he played in called Mature and how their music was a kind-of primal scream therapy for the angst they felt at the precariousness of their living conditions. 'My bed was an increasingly mouldy futon, surrounded by towers of boxes of all of my stuff, I was awoken at 5am by a burglar, whose t-shirt was inside-out and back-to-front' admits Andrew with his often anecdotal vocal. On 'Be a Bloody River', Robert strings together a list of failures and pointless endeavours 'I'm trying to coax a sparrow into a cardboard box .... I'm stroking the mane of a concrete horse .... I'm managing a spill with a blood-stained jay cloth....' getting increasingly frustrated. Andrew tries to calm him, urging him to let his troubles wash over him 'be a river, be a bloody river', Rob responds in mock desperation 'I'm trying to be a river, I'm trying!'.
 
In just over 25 minutes the band gleefully assemble a roller-skate of sound held together with sellotape and blu-tac, just robust enough to reach it's destination as it's chucked downhill. It's an album packed with ideas and momentum, no need to set the table, Dog Chocolate are in a rush. If 'Snacks Fans' doesn't satisfy your appetite then you'll need to fix yourself a feast or something.

There's a myth about music critics that says we are frustrated, wannabe performers. Evidence to the contrary: Vivien Goldman. Ever since she migrated from pitching editors on the little-known music of Robert Nesta Marley to becoming one of the foremost chroniclers of the perfect storm of reggae, punk, hiphop and Afro-Beat, the London-born, New York-based Goldman has made documenting music her primary life work. But between 1979-82, Goldman was also a working musician, creating songs that, years later, would be sampled by The Roots and Madlib. These rare girl grooves are now collected for the first time on Resolutionary, courtesy of Staubgold Records.

Resolutionary takes us through Vivien's first three musical formations: first as a member of experimental British New Wavers The Flying Lizards; next as a solo artist, with her single 'Launderette,' featuring postpunk luminaries; and then as half of the Parisian duo Chantage, with Afro-Parisian chanteuse Eve Blouin. Goldman's synthesis of post-colonial rhythms and experimental sounds are threaded together by her canary vocal tones and womanist themes. Her eclectic musical crew included PiL's John Lydon, Keith Levene and Bruce Smith; avant- gardists Steve Beresford and David Toop; The Raincoats' Vicky Aspinall; the mighty Robert Wyatt; Zaire's Jerry Malekani; Manu Dibango's guitarist; and Viv Albertine, then of her good friends, the Slits. The majority of the tracks were produced by dubmaster Adrian Sherwood, and Resolutionary channels the history of a time when the bon-vivant voice of music was in the air, and Vivien Goldman was its eyes, ears, and mouth.

Precarious bon vivants, gifted musicians, radical guys - VON SPAR are many things,

but above all, they are one of the most amazing bands in the realms that the

British music press once baptized as Krautrock.

Sebastian Blume, Jan Philipp Janzen, Christopher Marquez and Phillip Tielsch have in past been praised even more than the revenants of the genre (in 2012, together with Stephen Malkmus, before the watering eyes of CAN founding members Irmin Schmidt and Jaki Liebezeit, they provided a reinterpretation of the album "Ege Bamyasi" at the Cologne Weekend Festival) - even if the four were inspired equally by techno, synthpop, noise, post- punk and new music.

"The concept of the collective VON SPAR seems to be to torpedo listeners' expectations from album to album," wrote the German newspaper TAZ about their last album "Foreigner". And once again, much is new on "Streetlife". Four of the eight pieces were recorded with the Canadian singer Chris Cummings, aka Marker Starling (formerly Mantler), whose fragile voice at moments recalls that of the great communist and musician Robert Wyatt.

Other pieces feature the voice of Ada (Pampa Records) and of Scout Niblett (Drag City), for whom Jan Philipp Janzen has played drums on various tours (as he has for the likes of Owen Pallett and The Field).



"Streetlife" has emerged as a heterogeneous album ranging from melodic piano disco ("Chain Of Command"), to tripped out soundscapes ("Hearts Fear"), to grandiose soft rock ("Try Though We Might"). One might call it music for a better world, if that didn't sound so lofty. Yet VON SPAR are not at all lofty, they are wide awake. This is not escapism, but life in the streets. And that's how they live it.

TROPY is a new musical project consisting of Artur Mackowiak and Bartek Kapsa of Something Like Elvis, Contemporary Noise Sextet, Innercity Ensemble or Potty Umbrella fame. They say their debut album, "Eight Pieces", was inspired by the experimental films by Pedro Fereira. The music included on the album can be said to constitute an amalgam of their previous musical experiences. The eight tracks seamlessly fuse elements of improvisation, psychedelic synths, jazz rhythms and noise-rock guitars. Even though each of the pieces tells a separate story, evoking unique moods and emotions, they definitely belong together.

Phall Fatale's line-up, for all its symmetry, is odd: two vocalists, two double bassists and a drummer. One of the singers is Joana Aderi, who also makes experimental electronica as Eiko, joining her is Joy Frempong, known for her work as one half of OY (Crammed Discs). One bassist is Daniel Sailer, previously known for performing both contemporary classical music and hardcore noise (O'Haldenramm, Krakatau, Pol, Frachter).

The other is John Edwards - quite a coup, given that he has worked with such avant-garde luminaries as Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann and Wadada Leo Smith, as well as performing the songs of Robert Wyatt in Comicoperando. Completing the group is drummer and driving force Fredy Studer (Joe Henderson, Miroslav Vitous, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, John Abercrombie, John Zorn, Fred Frith).

Something about Studer's playing, which runs the gamut from full-blown rock-out to subtly textural, reflects that of the group as a whole, and he is both foundation and ornament to their unique sound.

Key to weaving together all these threads is producer Roli Mosimann, an early member of Swans who has also worked with JG Thirlwell, Young Gods, New Order, The The and Faith No More - and described by Studer as the sixth member of the band.

California is the new band featuring Jason White (vocals / guitar), Dustin Clark (bass / vocals) and Adam Pfahler (drums). You know White as the other guy in Green Day and Pinhead Gunpowder. Clark was in Soophie Nun Squad. Pfahler you might remember as the other other guy from Jawbreaker. This self-titled LP is their debut album and was recorded over several months that included the birth of two children, a throat cancer diagnosis for the singer and accompanying radiation and chemotherapy treatments (long story short— he's fine). California plays power pop, rock, punk. Why California

Following her acclaimed debut 'Ett' (Editions Mego) and the subsequent Msuic EP (Peder Mannerfelt) Editions Mego is very proud to present the second full length lp by Klara Lewis.

Lewis' skill at sculpting the hermetic shines on Too as she twists her idiosyncratic vision into nine tracks of blurred rhythms and haunted backdrops. Too is a powerful statement where the individual works tread a vast landscape as dour and aggressive elements rub shoulders with warmer optimistic works. Neither looking behind nor forward these works spiral in a time of their own devising, presenting themselves as a most audacious theatre for the ear. With a strong momentum developed from an organic outset the works move into a logic of their own, forming themselves as abstract landscapes, jitered rhythms and even pop like structures.

Too is a deeply engaging display of sound and skewered sensibility which hovers the cusp of reason and eludes the concrete. The results are Lewis' boldest statement to date.

Following her acclaimed debut 'Ett' (Editions Mego) and the subsequent Msuic EP (Peder Mannerfelt) Editions Mego is very proud to present the second full length lp by Klara Lewis.

Lewis' skill at sculpting the hermetic shines on Too as she twists her idiosyncratic vision into nine tracks of blurred rhythms and haunted backdrops. Too is a powerful statement where the individual works tread a vast landscape as dour and aggressive elements rub shoulders with warmer optimistic works. Neither looking behind nor forward these works spiral in a time of their own devising, presenting themselves as a most audacious theatre for the ear. With a strong momentum developed from an organic outset the works move into a logic of their own, forming themselves as abstract landscapes, jitered rhythms and even pop like structures.

Too is a deeply engaging display of sound and skewered sensibility which hovers the cusp of reason and eludes the concrete. The results are Lewis' boldest statement to date.

This is the first vinyl rerelease of the classic Tarwater album "Silur" since 1998. One of the most important albums in german electronic music in the 90's. It was the real start of big international career of Tarwater. Now after 18 years Gusstaff Rec. is releasing the album again, as 180g heavy vinyl with downloadcode (with bonus tracks) in original cover-design. Limited to 500 copies worldwide. The Berlin-based electronic duo Tarwater (Ronald Lippok and Bernd Jestram) formed in 1995. They have produced twelve regular studio albums and various collaborations (eg with Piano Magic, Tuxedomoon, B. Fleischmann), as well as numerous film and theater scores. The Tarwater albums were released on many labels like Kitty-Yo, Gusstaff Records, Mute USA, Morr Music, Bureau B... Lippok also played in the band To Rococo Rot and Jestram in Rats Live On No Evil Star. In 2016 Morr Music has released a collaborative EP "Leaves Of Grass" between Tarwater, Alva Noto and Iggy Pop. Each of the seven featured tracks scores a poem by American wordsmith Walt Whitman. Iggy Pop contributes spoken word recordings, while Tarwater and alva noto create the music.

We're in Leeds in 1979. Kingston, 1968. Or is it Athens, Georgia in 1982 No, no, it's none of the above. Here we are in Oakland, California. The year is 2016 and The World offer the only glimmers of hope in a city rapidly transforming into a wasteland of artisanal toast and succulent shops right before our very eyes. They've awed all those who have seen them play in San Francisco basements, beach town bars, crowded East Bay lofts—who knew the sight of bongos could be so titillating And now The World is ready for the world.

Their debut 7' is all double sax attack, the tremolo of dub guitar, and those spare and sturdy drums, anchored by the gravitational pull of Amber's propulsive bass. Every member of this band feels like the secret weapon, and together, the combination is deadly, the particular alchemy of musicians (the best musicians) who voraciously consume music of all kinds.

Members have done time in Andy Human and the Reptoids, Pang, and Penny Machine—devotees of all those will find much to like here. The World's a post-punk band, sure, but they're also a dance group, a wild and revolutionary art collective, sounds from the past catapulted to the future. Today your love, tomorrow The World. Join up.

OREN AMBARCHI, STEFANO PILIA and MASSIMO PUPILLO (ZU) team up for an instrumental trip bridging post rock, drone and improvisation. "Aithein" is available as limited 180gr LP, housed in a silk-screened sleeve (artwork by SARA D'UVA) incl. DL code, and download on Karlrecords.

Since the late nineties Oren Ambarchi has been exploring new grounds as composer and multi-instrumentalist (mainly focusing on guitar), fusing a wide range of influences and inspiration from improvisation, contemporary music, modern electronics and rock, and has been building an impressive catalogue of solo or collaborative albums with acclaimed artists such as KEIJI HAINO, JOHN ZORN, OTOMO YOSHIHIDE, JIM O'ROURKE, PHIL NIBLOCK, EVAN PARKER or SUNN O))). Bassist MASSSIMO PUPILLO has gained high reputation as founding member of Italian jazz-core trio ZU and in different projects / collaborations with a.o. FM EINHEIT, MATS GUSTAFSSON, LASSE MARHAUG and both BRÖTZMANNS (PETER and CASPAR). Last but not least there's STEFANO PILIA on guitar, member of the BELFI / GRUBBS / PILIA trio, playing with MIKE WATT in IL SOGNO DEL MARINAIO and for ROKIA TRAORE and featured on collaborations with DAVID TIBET, JOHN PARISH or GIUSEPE IELASI. On "Aithein", recorded live in Bologna in april 2015, the three embark on a captivating trip that starts quietly with reductive sounds only to raise volume and intensity on its way towards an cathartic peak (or skywards, considering the album title that references different meanings of ether). Available as 180gr LP, housed in a silk-screened sleeve (artwork by SARA D'UVA) incl. DL code, or as download.

Limited to 500 on heavyweight vinyl. Sleeve has thick, reverse-board print. NON RETURNABLE
Hot Salvation Records is proud to present the second LP from Sans Pareil, titled The Future Ooze due April 29th, 2016. This release represents a culmination of almost two years collaborative work between a small group of musicians based between North London and the south coast, with roots deep in DIY punk going back more than fifteen years. Listen to two new album tracks, '(You Give Me) The Creeps' now premiering on Noisey, plus 'Codename: Tarantula':

For ten years, Pariah, now Sans Pareil, has been Thomas Dowse and John Casey. Backed by a new, larger ensemble in 2016, Dowse's downbeat narrative and feral croons weave in and out of Casey's maniacal guitar lines, like a tweaked-out Withnail and I fronting Swans. Tales of small town desperation, crime, sleeze and poverty beat down hard; there's no sleek metropolitan romanticism of London or Manchester, this is JG Ballad, this is David Cronenberg shooting a Ken Loach script... It is Chatham at 3am, a Grimsby pub-fight on a Friday night... it is bleak, grim and writhing with the parts of life you don't want to see. The pair have spent the better part of a decade creating this 'scumbag panorama' with their own illustrations and art works (they both met at art university), designs and animations to enhance your experience.

The Future Ooze is a blackened, dystopian version of burned-out garage rock, akin to The Gun Club, Chrome, Stooges, The Sound, Velvet Underground, Early SY, and even hints at the punk snarl of Rites Of Spring or Dag Nasty. The band have cut their teeth, playing select grot-box shows with the likes of The Wytches, Taman Shud, Rot In Hell, Cosmic Thoughts and Mass Lines. This convergence of hardcore and art-rock is at the center of Dowse's performance; part Jello Biafra, part Mark E Smith, his melodrama is matched only by his wit, dry sarcasm and distaste for an increasing authoritarian state that is pressing ever heavier on those of us not fortunate enough to buy-to-let, or holiday in the sun.
Follow them down the drain.....

33 years after the release of the classic Volume, Contrast, Brilliance... Vol.1' comes this wonderful collection of unreleased and rare demos. Spanning 1978 to 1991, these range from DIY to high quality studio recordings - many are real gems, but some also failed to be released or properly recorded for a variety of reasons (which are explained in the liner notes) - bad timing, odd decisions, even forgetfulness! The range of styles displayed are typical of this iconic and highly influential band - slices of their sound can be heard throughout the indie and mainstream genres of many countries.

Featured on the BBC Sound of 2016 longlist, the MTV Brand New for 2016 shortlist and nominated for Best New Artist at the NME Awards, 19-year-old Rat Boy is poised to make a major breakthrough this year.

Rat Boy's fast-growing profile will be further boosted with the release of his brand new single 'MOVE' which is available now and impacts on March 4th on Parlophone. Recorded at 13 Studio, 'MOVE' finds Rat Boy resurrecting the boisterous bounce of the big beat era for the modern age, with his British Beastie Boy rap declaring Everything's free if you want it to be / Take my MP3 illegally and MOVE!'

Normil Hawaiians have always operated as a collective of musicians rather than a band per se and for this third album, the group comprised of Guy Smith, Simon Marchant, Alun 'Wilf' Williams, Noel Blanden and Jimmy Miller. Recorded at Dave Anderson's Foel studio in Wales (sonic home of Amon Düül II and Hawkwind) in the Winter of 1985, a time and a place triangulated from political, social and geographical aspects, 'Return Of The Ranters' extended their free experiments in compelling arrhythmia and seemingly organised sound, taking a loose trajectory from their previous albums and earlier, more confrontational approach.

This album marks the first step in a considerable project Upset The Rhythm have in mind to reissue/reappraise the band's other two epic albums 'More Wealth Than Money' and 'What's Going On' that came out in 1982 and 1984 respectively, which will be accompanied by abundant liner notes, bonus tracks, rehearsal takes, rarities and singles

Outer Heaven is a massive leap forward for Toronto post-punks Greys. Delivering on the promises made on 2015's Repulsion EP, the band tempers their trademark onslaught of discordance with new textures and subtle dynamics, building a more spacious and melody-driven environment atop their noise rock foundation. They fearlessly explore every extreme, simultaneously delivering their most intense and accessible moments, often within the same song. We never want to do just one thing,' says frontman Shehzaad Jiwani. We want to incorporate as many disparate sounds as possible, yet still have it sound like the same band.' This bold approach saw them return to Montreal to record at the hallowed Hotel 2 Tango studio (Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor) with longtime producer Mike Rocha, giving the songs unprecedented atmospheric depth while never compromising the band's characteristic cacophony. Each song contains a sweet-and-sour earworm that brings singer-guitarist Jiwani's characteristically self-aware, often satirical lyrics to the forefront, and his serrated shout is almost entirely swapped for a more tuneful approach. Almost. Lyrically, his focus has sharpened, moving from inward to outward. This is best evident on first single No Star,' wherein Jiwani addresses the aftermath of the shootings at Bataclan in Paris by declaring, Don't shoot/I'm not the enemy.'Outer Heaven filters its subject matter through Jiwani's wryly incisive perception of those topics, from a news story about a group of teens barbarically murdering their classmate on album opener Cruelty,' to the advent of technological singularity on closer My Life As A Cloud.' Elsewhere, on Blown Out,' the frontman confronts his own mental health by painting it in the context of a relationship with a partner who doesn't fully understand the unrelenting complexities of depression. The climax of the song sees him wailing, I want you to see/There's something wrong with me,' which would be a harrowing moment if it wasn't the single catchiest song Greys have ever written.The young quartet stretches its limbs like never before on more delicate tracks like Erosion,' where Jiwani sings softly over Cam Graham's delicate guitar, recalling the dream pop qualities of early Deerhunter or late-period Unwound. Elsewhere, on Sorcerer,' bassist Colin Gillespie and drummer Braeden Craig launch an unrelenting yet hypnotic assault that falls somewhere between Swans and Portishead. With ten tracks at just under forty minutes, Greys raise the bar for what is expected of a punk band in the 21st century.

Outer Heaven is a massive leap forward for Toronto post-punks Greys. Delivering on the promises made on 2015's Repulsion EP, the band tempers their trademark onslaught of discordance with new textures and subtle dynamics, building a more spacious and melody-driven environment atop their noise rock foundation. They fearlessly explore every extreme, simultaneously delivering their most intense and accessible moments, often within the same song. We never want to do just one thing,' says frontman Shehzaad Jiwani. We want to incorporate as many disparate sounds as possible, yet still have it sound like the same band.' This bold approach saw them return to Montreal to record at the hallowed Hotel 2 Tango studio (Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor) with longtime producer Mike Rocha, giving the songs unprecedented atmospheric depth while never compromising the band's characteristic cacophony. Each song contains a sweet-and-sour earworm that brings singer-guitarist Jiwani's characteristically self-aware, often satirical lyrics to the forefront, and his serrated shout is almost entirely swapped for a more tuneful approach. Almost. Lyrically, his focus has sharpened, moving from inward to outward. This is best evident on first single No Star,' wherein Jiwani addresses the aftermath of the shootings at Bataclan in Paris by declaring, Don't shoot/I'm not the enemy.'Outer Heaven filters its subject matter through Jiwani's wryly incisive perception of those topics, from a news story about a group of teens barbarically murdering their classmate on album opener Cruelty,' to the advent of technological singularity on closer My Life As A Cloud.' Elsewhere, on Blown Out,' the frontman confronts his own mental health by painting it in the context of a relationship with a partner who doesn't fully understand the unrelenting complexities of depression. The climax of the song sees him wailing, I want you to see/There's something wrong with me,' which would be a harrowing moment if it wasn't the single catchiest song Greys have ever written.The young quartet stretches its limbs like never before on more delicate tracks like Erosion,' where Jiwani sings softly over Cam Graham's delicate guitar, recalling the dream pop qualities of early Deerhunter or late-period Unwound. Elsewhere, on Sorcerer,' bassist Colin Gillespie and drummer Braeden Craig launch an unrelenting yet hypnotic assault that falls somewhere between Swans and Portishead. With ten tracks at just under forty minutes, Greys raise the bar for what is expected of a punk band in the 21st century.

Outer Heaven is a massive leap forward for Toronto post-punks Greys. Delivering on the promises made on 2015's Repulsion EP, the band tempers their trademark onslaught of discordance with new textures and subtle dynamics, building a more spacious and melody-driven environment atop their noise rock foundation. They fearlessly explore every extreme, simultaneously delivering their most intense and accessible moments, often within the same song. We never want to do just one thing,' says frontman Shehzaad Jiwani. We want to incorporate as many disparate sounds as possible, yet still have it sound like the same band.' This bold approach saw them return to Montreal to record at the hallowed Hotel 2 Tango studio (Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor) with longtime producer Mike Rocha, giving the songs unprecedented atmospheric depth while never compromising the band's characteristic cacophony. Each song contains a sweet-and-sour earworm that brings singer-guitarist Jiwani's characteristically self-aware, often satirical lyrics to the forefront, and his serrated shout is almost entirely swapped for a more tuneful approach. Almost. Lyrically, his focus has sharpened, moving from inward to outward. This is best evident on first single No Star,' wherein Jiwani addresses the aftermath of the shootings at Bataclan in Paris by declaring, Don't shoot/I'm not the enemy.'Outer Heaven filters its subject matter through Jiwani's wryly incisive perception of those topics, from a news story about a group of teens barbarically murdering their classmate on album opener Cruelty,' to the advent of technological singularity on closer My Life As A Cloud.' Elsewhere, on Blown Out,' the frontman confronts his own mental health by painting it in the context of a relationship with a partner who doesn't fully understand the unrelenting complexities of depression. The climax of the song sees him wailing, I want you to see/There's something wrong with me,' which would be a harrowing moment if it wasn't the single catchiest song Greys have ever written.The young quartet stretches its limbs like never before on more delicate tracks like Erosion,' where Jiwani sings softly over Cam Graham's delicate guitar, recalling the dream pop qualities of early Deerhunter or late-period Unwound. Elsewhere, on Sorcerer,' bassist Colin Gillespie and drummer Braeden Craig launch an unrelenting yet hypnotic assault that falls somewhere between Swans and Portishead. With ten tracks at just under forty minutes, Greys raise the bar for what is expected of a punk band in the 21st century.

We never stop reading, although every book comes to an end, just as we never stop living, although death is certain' - Roberto Bolaño, Last Evenings On Earth

Question: it's the end of the world, how are you going to spend it

Last Evenings On Earth is the apocalyptic second album by Melt Yourself Down, evangelical hawkers of DNA-rearranging post-punk exotica. Snatch your passport and let this hydra-headed serpent take you for a dizzying, continent-hopping voyage around a globe spinning ever more rapidly off its axis.

If MYD's self-titled debut was a series of feverish nocturnal visions beamed from a sub-Saharan desert, where voodoo spirits were raised from dusty catacombs, then this is an even headier trip. Here the rhythm has migrated to the city to merge with the pulses and dark currents that run through it.

Capturing the raw energy and wild-eyed intensity of the MYD live show, this is music that speaks in tongues. In both sound and aesthetic, Melt Yourself Down have celebrated migration since day one. Theirs is musical unity through movement and sound.

If this is the end of the world, the Last Evening On Earth... bring it.

Melt Yourself Down are Kushal Gaya (vocals), Ruth Goller (bass), Shabaka Hutchings (saxophone), Satin Singh (percussion), Tom Skinner (drums) and Pete Wareham (saxophone), with Leafcutter John (electronics/production).

We never stop reading, although every book comes to an end, just as we never stop living, although death is certain' - Roberto Bolaño, Last Evenings On Earth

Question: it's the end of the world, how are you going to spend it

Last Evenings On Earth is the apocalyptic second album by Melt Yourself Down, evangelical hawkers of DNA-rearranging post-punk exotica. Snatch your passport and let this hydra-headed serpent take you for a dizzying, continent-hopping voyage around a globe spinning ever more rapidly off its axis.

If MYD's self-titled debut was a series of feverish nocturnal visions beamed from a sub-Saharan desert, where voodoo spirits were raised from dusty catacombs, then this is an even headier trip. Here the rhythm has migrated to the city to merge with the pulses and dark currents that run through it.


Capturing the raw energy and wild-eyed intensity of the MYD live show, this is music that speaks in tongues. In both sound and aesthetic, Melt Yourself Down have celebrated migration since day one. Theirs is musical unity through movement and sound.

If this is the end of the world, the Last Evening On Earth... bring it.

Melt Yourself Down are Kushal Gaya (vocals), Ruth Goller (bass), Shabaka Hutchings (saxophone), Satin Singh (percussion), Tom Skinner (drums) and Pete Wareham (saxophone), with Leafcutter John (electronics/production).

Recorded in May 1978, a few weeks before DNA entered the studio with Brian Eno for the essential No
New York sessions, You & You is this legendary No Wave trio's sole single and features original lineup
with Arto Lindsay (guitar / vocals), Robin Crutchfield (keyboards) and Ikue Mori (drums). This firsttime
vinyl reissue comes with original sleeve design. Limited edition clear vinyl.

Metz teaming up with Swami John Reis is a collaboration
easy to wrap one's head around.
When Metz found themselves on tour in San Diego with
a couple of hours to spare, Reis immediately booked some
studio time in the hopes of capturing this union's glorious
noise. The four of them came up with these two songs and
now they are friends for life. The sound is reminiscent of an
army of seagulls attacking a blind sushi chef inside a burning
Benihana of Tokyo.

New recordings from Mrs Magician released on Swami for RSD 16.

The Fall's debut release from 1978. Three spiky numbers boldly announce the arrival of this
Manchester group that eschewed the cosmetic elements of punk and New Wave. This first-time
vinyl reissue and first-time domestic release comes with original sleeve design. Limited edition
blue vinyl.

The Fall's second single hit in November 1978, still pre-dating their first LP. While Mark E.
Smith's acid-tinged poetry illuminates the dour North, the band's snot-nosed scrabble afflicts
the shape of pop to come. This first-time vinyl reissue and first-time domestic release comes
with original sleeve design. Limited edition blue vinyl.

Hardcore Matinee is an ode to the budget punk rock compilations that informed
a young John Reis, Swami Records head honcho / overlord. While
many of these LPs were disposable—they favored quantity over quality,
cramming 40 or 50 unknown groups onto records that crackled and popped
with tinny sound and infantile graphics—their cut-rate aesthetic has actually
weathered the passage of time relatively well. Call it nostalgia or perhaps
a testament to how truly ugly the world has become, but these records can
now be enjoyed as curious oddities of a bygone era. It was with this inspiration
that Hardcore Matinee was assembled.
The compilation features 22 of San Diego's most exciting groups and
covers the wide range of current punk music. From well-established bands
such as Hot Snakes (with their first new recording since 2004 and featuring
both drummers on the same recording), Pinback (their final recording before
disbanding and then reforming) and Gary Wilson (off his recent collaboration
with The Roots) to up-and-coming bands Octagrape (ex-Truman's
Water), Death Eyes (hardcore supergroup with members of Rat's Eyes and
Death Crisis) and Schizophonics, this record's varied styling is a jarring ride.
The Swami Records harem is represented by the reformed Sultans (first recording
since 2003), Beehive and The Barracudas (first new recordings
since 2008), Mrs. Magician (an outtake from their soon-to-be-released second
album Bermuda) and The Heartaches (first new recording since their
Too Cool For School LP). Other artists include The Loons (featuring Mike
Stax of Ugly Things), Rob Crow, Teenage Burritos (Burger Records), Plateaus
(Art Fag Records), Creepy Creeps (Dionysus Records), The Widows
(Route 44 Records), Ale Mania (Volar Records), Ghetto Blaster (ex-Fishwife
and The Let Downs), WHA (ex-Tourettes Lautrec), The Shake Before
Us, The Lumps (both on Tower Bar Records) and the debut of The Soaks.
In order to stay true to the original compilations' aesthetic, it was important
to keep the music fresh and moving quickly. All of the bands recorded
new and previously unreleased material and kept their contribution as brief
as possible. Hardcore Matinee showcases a cross-section of some of Swami
Records' favorite, current San Diego noise and presents it in a blurred collection
high on energy and momentum. The result is a whole record greater
than the sum of its parts.
Equally important was to keep the spirit of regional punk rock alive
for future generations. As a result, proceeds from Hardcore Matinee will be
donated to The Museum School in San Diego and be used exclusively for
their music department. The Museum School is a tuition-free, public charter
school that serves students from all over San Diego in Kindergarten through
8th grade.

The members of Future Punx have all played in punk bands of every stripe, and are now squeezing that punk experience into a rather retro conception of the future. Synth-pop basically. This Is Post Wave is released as an LP packaged in a sleeve powerfully reminiscent of a 1980's CD release of some academic computer music found only in libraries

Teenage Jesus and the Jerks began to formulate their visionary brand of aural catharsis sometime during the first half of 1977, amidst the sordid ruins of a then fully down-and-out Lower Manhattan. The mastermind behind this juggernaut of sonic libertinage was a barely pubescent but world-weary runaway who called herself Lydia Lunch. Influenced strongly by the Marquis de Sade and Henry Miller, Lunch shrewdly decided to graft the existential horror of her own writing onto harsh, atonal music after being exposed to the room-clearing live output of other contemporary rock-music deconstructionists like Suicide and Mars. With an agenda of conjuring nightmarish intensity in lieu of technical instrumental ability, Teenage Jesus instantly made the supposedly nihilistic' and raw' current wave of so-called Punk acts sound like slick, good-timey pop music by comparison. Teenage Jesus and the Jerks were The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, lisa, She Wolf of the SS, and Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, transliterated into a blatant mockery of the increasingly tired, basic rock-band format. Posthumously, there have been numerous reissues of the primary Teenage Jesus corpus, namely the first side of the Lydia Lunch double compilation album Hysterie (CD Presents, 1986), a very incomplete anthology titled Everything (Atavistic, 1995) and Shut Up and Bleed (Cherry Red/Atavistic, 2008), which also featured Beirut Slump tracks. These less-than-fastidious documents contained reverb-laden transcriptions of the studio cuts directly from vinyl copies, as well as random live tracks of mediocre fidelity. This particular collection about to be released on Other-People is meticulously edited and mastered from rare bootlegs taped during the initial 1977-1979 period of classic band, and only one title (Crown of Thorns from January 17,1979) has been legitimately released to date, albeit in a completely different sound quality.

- Added to Radio 1 C-List & XFM Evening.
- Sold out both London Scala show dates. Playing the Brixton Academy in December.
- Festivals: Glastonbury - John Peel stage, Great Escape - NME Stage, Reading & Leeds, Truck Festival, Standon Calling, Bestival, Summer Sonic, 6 Music Fest.
- Two track 7' includes Sockets & In Dog Years Your Dead on Heavyweight 7" vinyl

The stunning debut album from 2005!

The Danish 3-piece band from Copenhagen founded in 2003 is playing a mix of no-wave, punk-funk and sneeky covers. Who Made Who are: Tomas Barfod (drums and electronic noodling), Tomas Hoffding (vocals) and Jeppe Kjellberg (guitar).

The second album from 2009 mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road studios. The Quotes: "Focused and brilliant" (i-D), and "WhoMadeWho return with all the dancefloor straddling guitar grooves of their debut" (MusicWeek)

The Danish 3-piece band from Copenhagen founded in 2003 is playing a mix of no-wave, punk-funk and sneeky covers. Since then the group supported Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax and Justice! Who Made Who are: Tomas Barfod (drums and electronic noodling), Tomas Hoffding (vocals) and Jeppe Kjellberg (guitar).

"The band combines three completely different musical characters and merges them into a fresh new whole: Jeppe Kjellberg - the walrus bearded guitar player, has been part of the New Yorks experimental Rock and Jazz scene for years. He has even recorded a mini album with David Tronzo - guitar player of the legendary Lounge Lizards. Tomas Høffding - the bass man with the falsettovoice, has his roots in the Scandinavian Garage Rock scene (but always has been in love with fat discobasslines). And Tomas Barfod aka Tomboy is not only the drummer of the band but he's also known for producing some of the hottest Advanced Electro/ House music of the moment for labels such as Turbo, Kitsune and Get Physical. Now, here's the band's new album. 13 songs that are the perfect example for a band who uses a tiny production budget to widen, expand and multi-colorize their sound without losing their soul. There's a sexual and sensual authenticity to the breathed echoes of their first album. 13 songs which, when heard by Christian Wright - the legendary engineering-maestro at London's Abbey Road studios - lead to the point that he at all costs wanted to master this record by himself. The Danish guys created a brand new pop sound influenced by early 70ies Progrock as well as the complex side of disco music, with a very rough DIY pop approach and some well integrated electronic bits and drum sounds."

In autumn 2015, Swedish dream-pop duo Korallreven bid us all farewell by releasing the "round-the-world-in-a-day" sounding final single Here In Iowa, alongside memorable shows in New York City and Scandinavia. Now, they return for one last time with a disco dub dream remix of said song by the mighty Peaking Lights. This forms part of a 12" EP released by Be With Records. The record - limited to just 500 copies - will see its worldwide release for Record Store Day on 16th April 2016.

The 12" will also, for the first time on vinyl, include Korallreven's breathtaking cover of Guns & Roses' November Rain from 2014 as well as Shine On, the duo's rework of their own 2010 single Honey Mine, featuring Taken By Trees' Victoria Bergsman.

From the guys:

"Hard to say if Here In Iowa was an end or a start of something new. You'll see! Whether or not, we hold it as one of our highest heights and, after this beautiful season, we truly deeply madly felt that it was worth some extra limelight. And hey! Thanks for the remix, Peaking Lights! It's so wonderful! Life surely is."

Endlich wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich! Turbostaat pflegen ihre Ausnahmestellung wider Willen, bespielen das ganze Land mit stetig wachsendem Erfolg und verweigern sich dennoch auf allen Wegen konsequent dem Konsens. Nach ihrem nicht nur in Fachkreisen euphorisch gefeierten 2010er Release "Das Island Manöver", diversen ausverkauften Tourneen und unerhört energetischen Auftritten auf dem Hurricane/South Side-Festival, dem Berlin Festival, dem Area 4 Festival und vielen anderen, folgt nun der nächste Schritt: "Stadt der Angst". Die Platte zur Krise. Zur wirtschaftlichen, zur gesellschaftlichen. Zur persönlichen sowieso. Mit "Stadt der Angst" fügen Turbostaat ihrem Wirken eine weitere Konstante hinzu und untermauern eindrucksvoll ihren Status als eigensinnigste, spannendste Formation im Bereich der deutschsprachigen Rockmusik.

Killer punkrockdub album from 1983 finally reissued via the consistent Light In The Attic label. HUGE tip!!
Political post-punk trio This Heat dissolved at a turbulent time in the UK. Margaret The Iron Lady' Thatcher was in power, and her budget-cutting, ultra-conservative influence was felt strongly in-among many other places-the cultural melting pot of Brixton, South London, where This Heat had their origins. Dusting himself off after the collapse of the band in 1982, guitarist/vocalist Charles Bullen united with Julius Samuel to form Lifetones and embraced the sounds of the local West Indian community to fuse reggae flavor to the kind of propulsive, rhythmic, and experimental music made by This Heat.

Deceit, This Heat's 1981 album, had seen them work with David Cunningham, who had already helped mesh dub reggae with new wave pop on The Flying Lizards' 1979 single, Money (That's What I Want Want).' Even so, For A Reason was a great leap, one that created a strange, unsettling mood as Bullen's multi-tracked, chant-like vocals met dub beats and Krautrock-informed repetition. Where Deceit dealt with the nuclear threat, For A Reason was less reactionary, even quoting Bob Marley in its lyrics: you love the life you live, you live the life you love.'

Just six tracks and half an hour long, the album was recorded at Cold Storage studio and released on Bullen's own Tone Of Life Records. It has become a sought-after collector's item that changes hands for hundreds of dollars a time. As a solo artist, Bullen was not prolific-it was 15 years until, in 1998, he released Internal Clock under the name Circadian Rhythms-but like the rest of his band, he has enjoyed a long, enriching career in unending pursuit of new sounds.

Even though This Heat had no commercial success to follow up on, For A Reason was an album created with no intention of hitting the charts. Reissued on Light In The Attic, Lifetones' single album retains a timeless quality and perhaps-on tracks such as Good Side'-a futuristic sound that nobody else ever caught up to.