Pop & Rock News

“Recording in a foreign environment like Berlin, I was inspired to experiment with more cinematic, psychedelic sounds,” says Sam Doores, “but my love for old-school New Orleans R&B, Memphis Soul & Rock n’ Roll, Detroit Motwon & Gospel, Doo-Wop, Early Blues & Folk music will probably always bleed into whatever I do. Recording this album was an opportunity to explore the space between these worlds.” With his captivating self-titled debut, Sam Doores has done precisely that. Written on-and-off over the course of several years, the collection is classic and contemporary all at once, blending traditional southern roots with adventurous sonic landscapes as it reckons with heartache and loss, love and gratitude, fresh starts and, ultimately, a whole lotta change. The performances are infectious in their ease, simple on the surface but built on foundations of deep emotional and harmonic complexity that belie their amiable exteriors.

"B002696001" Vinyl, Originally released in 1961! Very Ltd. Edition, 35 Copies! Each 5,99 £.

Horsey & Sleep Has His House come in the form of expanded DLP & 2 CD editions, remastered from the original analogue and digital master tapes, including previously unreleased mixes and versions of classic songs.

David Tibet, writer of both albums:

"Born after the Death of my father, SLEEP HAS HIS HOUSE was a Threnody and a Requiem to him and a series of blinks at the passing of TREE and BIRD. Down by the River, Beside the Water, and none of these run ETERNAL, except the Immortal Bird, as high as sky. Now, in BED with House of Mythology, C93 are OverMoon to SLEEP again."

"My one Leg was in Tokyo, and my other Leg was in London, and I watched in Horror the Horsies rage by and I flew by and the Corn waved and the Trees bowed. This was BaddenedBlackenedTime, as I watched friends spin down and fall and fall—it is hard to keep riding when the structure is sliding. So that’s what I called HorseyTime, and I can still hear their fear. Now, in SADDLE with House of Mythology, C93 are OverMoon to RIDE again with this extended reissue."

Horsey & Sleep Has His House come in the form of expanded DLP & 2 CD editions, remastered from the original analogue and digital master tapes, including previously unreleased mixes and versions of classic songs.

David Tibet, writes of both albums:

"Born after the Death of my father, SLEEP HAS HIS HOUSE was a Threnody and a Requiem to him and a series of blinks at the passing of TREE and BIRD. Down by the River, Beside the Water, and none of these run ETERNAL, except the Immortal Bird, as high as sky. Now, in BED with House of Mythology, C93 are OverMoon to SLEEP again."

"My one Leg was in Tokyo, and my other Leg was in London, and I watched in Horror the Horsies rage by and I flew by and the Corn waved and the Trees bowed. This was BaddenedBlackenedTime, as I watched friends spin down and fall and fall—it is hard to keep riding when the structure is sliding. So that’s what I called HorseyTime, and I can still hear their fear. Now, in SADDLE with House of Mythology, C93 are OverMoon to RIDE again with this extended reissue."

The 2nd album by protean, noise-folk collective Revbjelde, recorded in Berkshire, England between Aug 2017 & Nov 2019 "whilst enveloped in a post-referendum smog". Blending motorik rock, twisted glam, post-punk jazz improvisation, industrial soundscapes & acid folk. Hooha Hubbub is a rabble-rousing call to action & a lament for a country that maybe never was.

Featuring:

Peter Hope: vocals The Box, Richard H.k
Jim Lacey: drums The Magic Mushroom Band
Andy Prince: bass + chapman stick [Sham 69, Damo Suzuki]
Emma Churchley: vocals [Silvermoths]
Tim Hill: saxophones [Tongues Of Fire]
Steve Christie: vibraphone + ondioline [Prufrock]
Mordecai Smyth: Mellotron [Mega Dodo]
Jez Butler: mastering [The Twelve Hour Foundation]
Alan Gubby: acoustic, brass & wind instruments, keyboards, electronics + production [The Delaware Road]

London-based folk-psych-country band The Hanging Stars return with their eclectic third studio album, A New Kind Of Sky, due out on 21 February 2019. Carrying on their exploration of transatlantic psychedelic folk and cosmic country, the new album blends twelve-string, harmony-laden lullabies with soft rock anthems to create a guilded box of bucolic folk-rock. As well as the band’s signature wistful pastoral escapism, there are lyrical concerns about the recent past; the systematic division of people, values, facts and humanity in The West in general - and the UK in particular. The band weave the same thread they have always woven but this time with a more unified vision, creating a kaleidoscopic poncho for these times.

The Hanging Stars comprise songwriter, singer and guitarist Richard Olson, Sam Ferman on bass, Paulie Cobra on drums, Patrick Ralla on guitars, keys and vocals, and renowned pedal steel player Joe Harvey-Whyte. Returning guest Collin Hegna from Brian Jonestown Massacre plays an instrument called a Marxophone on “Choir of Criers”. They also welcome Sean Read of The Rockingbirds and Dexy's Midnight Runners, who adds horns to “Three Rolling Hills” and “I Was A Stone”.

The main bulk of the recording for the new album was done live in the studio at Echozoo in Eastbourne with Dave Lynch. For the first time, the band decided to dive straight in to the recording studio following their German tour in 2018. Having lived in each other’s pockets and playing their new songs every night, the band were as tight and primed as they could possibly be. There ensued a few, very long, days of recording, capturing the essence of the band in their element.

The songwriting process was even more collaborative for this album, with the usual co-writes between Richard Olson, Sam Ferman and Patrick Ralla enhanced by Joe Harvey-White’s arrangements and Paulie Cobra’s harmonies. The biggest difference is that Sam Ferman sings lead on the first single “‘(I’ve Seen) The Summer in Her Eyes”, a song about lost love and self doubt channeled through two and a half minutes of garage pastoralism.

The album’s title track “A New Kind of Sky” tells a story from the point of view of somebody who idealises a past that never existed. The band go glam-rock on the stand-out track “I Will Please You”, a tale of a cult leader/world leader and his irresistible (for some) charm from the point-of-view of his most recent victim and “Heavy Blue” is a country music tale of drunken debauchery seen through the eyes of an inexperienced young man. The triumphant trumpet-driven song “These Rolling Hills” is a minor-key tale of a journey into the hills of Marin County, California undertaken by Paulie and Richard to visit friends Asteroid No. 4, with a most interesting outcome.

The Hanging Stars released their debut album Over the Silvery Lake in 2016, which received plaudits from broadsheets such as The Times, who described it as; "An album with enough of a hazy, sun-dappled charm to make the capital's dreariest weather bearable”, as well as The Guardian, who said; “Mersey-laced harmonies and just a whiff of the Gun Club.” They picked up a good amount of support at 6 Music and “The House on the Hill” scored a much-coveted 10/10 by John Robb on Steve Lamacq’s Roundtable.

Their second album Songs For Somewhere Else in 2017 received critical acclaim from the likes of Uncut (Revelations article), Shindig (several features and 4* review) as well as The Quietus and The Line Of Best Fit, plus radio support from Gideon Coe and Bob Harris (they performed an Under the Apple Tree Session for Bob Harris in January 2019).

Whilst playing their own successful sold-out headline dates, the band were invited to share the stage with Teenage Fanclub, The Clientele, Wolf People, The Long Ryders and GospelbeacH, as well as playing festivals such as Liverpool’s International Festival of Psychedelia, Red Rooster, Ramblin' Roots, UK Americana Festival and The Long Road.

Grammy-nominated The Secret Sisters’ new album ‘Saturn Return’, produced by Brandi Carlile, Tim Hanseroth and Phil Hanseroth. “As we age, we face obstacles that are beyond our control. Some forces are internal: insecurity, anxiety, fear. Some are external: the loss of loved ones, an unjust system and the fragility of time. Yet the mark of maturity is how you respond when you realize you’re not in control. Where do you find your resilience? “This album is a reflection of us coming to terms with how to find our power in the face of an unfair world. These songs lead listeners past ‘where happy man searches, to a place only mad women know.’ We question our purpose, our relationships, our faith. Trading the fears of our youth for the dread that rages within us as mature women. “With ‘Saturn Return’, our hope is that women can feel less alone in their journey through the modern world. We need each other more than we ever have; the less competition and the more inclusiveness and understanding, the better. We are southern women in the 21st century, convicted by our beliefs.” - The Secret Sisters

Fay returns with the third (and best?) album in the celebrated second phase of his recording career. A prime Fay song is a deceptively simple thing which carries more emotional weight than its concision and brevity might imply. There are ten of these musical haikus on ‘Countless Branches’, as pointed and as poignant as anything he’s ever recorded. For decades now (it’s almost 50 years since he cut his classic albums ‘Bill Fay’ and ‘Time Of The Last Persecution’), songs like these have been Fay’s ambassadors helping rave reviews and endorsements from the likes of Jim O’Rourke (Tortoise) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) which led to a huge revival of interest in his music. He had continued to make music almost every day in the intervening decades. For ‘Countless Branches’ Bill Fay has completed new toplines over some of his cache of backing tracks, most of them 20 to 40 years old. Deluxe edition CD / 2LP formats include exclusive tracks plus a reworking of ‘Don’t Let My Marigolds Die’. Enthusiastic fans include Nick Cave, The War On Drugs, Oneohtrixpointnever, Kevin Morby, Wilco.

When psychedelia had run its course in Britain at the end of the 60s, the predominant trend was to get hairier and heavier and more long-winded. Many musicians, however, were still hung up on the trappings of psychedelia’s home-grown strain, having found a musical home in its mournful evocations of Victoriana, its village green gentility and its nods to the pleasures of suburbia. They wanted to carry on using woodwinds, cellos and melancholic melodies. As the advent of the singer-songwriter offered another possible avenue for these refuseniks, a new brand of pop was discernible - the English Baroque sound.
First compiled by writer and Saint Etienne member Bob Stanley 15 years ago, the original “Tea And Symphony” CD now sells for between £50 and £100. This new and improved edition will be the first time the title has ever appeared on vinyl and features several tracks that haven’t been reissued before; Lora Findlay’s distinctive artwork has similarly been given a fresh lick of paint.
A definitive collection of English Baroque, this compilation includes familiar classics like Colin Blunstone’s Say ‘You Don’t Mind’ and Honeybus’ ‘I Can’t Let Maggie Go’, as well Vigrass and Osborne’s original recording of the Justin Hayward hit ‘Forever Autumn’ and master of the observational, homespun pop Clifford T Ward’s ‘Coathanger’. In-demand rarities include Jon Plum’s gothic tale ‘Alice’, Mike Batt’s exquisite ‘Fading Yellow’ and Bombadil’s ‘When The City Sleeps’, a rare Barclay James Harvest spin-off single.
To the delight of people who thought the mine of great 60s and 70s 45s had been exhausted, previously undiscovered gems by the likes of Matthew Bones (the Kinks-like parlour piece ‘Two Sugars’), Erasmus Chorum (the epic ‘Mary Jane’) and Les Payne continue to be unearthed. Here are more than 20 of baroque pop’s finest moments. Make yourself a pot of tea, find yourself a comfy armchair, place a ginger cat on your lap and sit back.
Compiled and annotated by Bob Stanley. The LP is on 180g light blue coloured vinyl.

The Shires are the biggest selling UK country music act. Formed in 2013, they are the first country act to score a Top 10 album with their debut release ‘Brave’ in 2015 and its follow up ‘My Universe’ becoming the fastest-selling British country album of all time following its release in 2016. Paving the way for British country artists, Crissie and Ben were the first UK act to have received a highly coveted award from the American Country Music Association. Their new album ‘Good Years’ has been recorded in Nashville and is set for release in March 2020, with a UK tour to follow in May. The Shires will also be taking part in the Young Voices concerts in January, across 24 arena dates, performing alongside school children from around the UK.

Tartelet Records kicks off 2020 with the re-issue of a rare Discogs gem from the early 80s by the legendary Danish composer and music educator Lotte Kærså and her band of young musicians, "Græsrodderne."

The re-issued LP entitled Jubiiilæum (Anniversary) consists of songs taken from Lotte Kærså two first albums "Jeg Har Set Det Selv" (I've Seen It Myself) from 1979 and "Hjemme I Vores Gade" (On Our Street) from 1981 - both of which have long been sought after items among
diggers and vinyl collectors.

In the nascent stages of her musical journey, Lotte Kærså's music was already imbued with a new kind of sound. Weaving genres from near and far, elements of exotic sounds such as samba, jazz funk, and dub-reggae come together with a distinctly Danish cheerfulness in the songs' lyrics.

Sam Lee is a multi award-winning singer, a folk song collector, a passionate conservationist, a highly effective environmental campaigner and he also presented acclaimed radio documentaries. 'The Garden of England’, a new interpretation of the classic traditional song, Seeds of Love. This rewrite is a celebration of folk song but also theorises that an eco-system of decay and new life is not just relevant to nature, but also to the life cycle of all creativity. New album 'Old Wow' Out 31st Jan.

Official, remastered reissue of this disco tinged, afro funk treasure and the first time the 'Karam Bani' single has been cut to 12' - maximising every ounce of highlife soul from Sidiku Buari's productions.

That undeniable US funk flavour coupled with Buari's Ghanaian rhythms bring a zest to these grooves even the tangiest of forbidden fruits couldn't draw out. Those fuzzed keys and dusty highlife guitar licks sprinkle the West African flavour, whilst drumming demi-god Bernard Purdie provides the wizardry behind the infectious, yet precision like beats that make the track so unique. Purdie's killer breaks combined with Buari's jubilant vocals give a spirituality to this cut that'll liven up any dancefloor - alongside being a gold mine for samples.

Flip it over and you're hit with the joy filled jam, 'Ye Koaba'. Tribal drums lead the way for a chorus of jubilant chants supplemented by glistening synth sounds and funk fuelled guitar riffs. It's a feel-good slice of Ghanaian sunshine, capturing that community spirit and good-hearted nature Ghana's famous for.

Two afro funk sensations sure to put a smile on your face, even when the skies are grey and you're 5000 miles away from the glorious West African coastline.

Medical Records is elated to reissue a very special vinyl collection consisting of a hand picked selection of vocoder and synth tracks by the one and only Zeus B. Held. Zeus is a well-known and acclaimed German musician and producer also made famous for producing Gina X Performance (also reissued by Medical Records). Zeus first began his musical career in the mid 1970's with the German prog rock group "Birth Control". Subsequently, he recorded three solo albums: "Zeus' Amusement (1978), "Europium" (1980) and "Attack Time" (1981). He performed a number of interesting live shows supporting the albums all over Europe using a number instruments such as Fender Rhodes, Hohner Clavinet, Hammond Organ, Poly and Minimoog, ARP sequencers and most importantly, a Sennheiser Vocoder VSM 201 among other various instruments. His musical influences ranged from Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson to Kraftwerk and Steve Reich. Zeus also was involved in a very diverse roster of collaborations with such important artists as Guru Guru, members of Can as well as French space rock groups ("Les Rockets" and "Visitors"). The tracks that make up this compilation were selected from the aforementioned solo records. Ranging from straight out cosmic disco to propulsive proggy funk to the unclassifiable, this collection is a perfect representation of his solo work. Standout tracks include the cosmic burner "Held It", the total vocoder/space jam "Musik, Music, Musique" and the amazing interpretation of Beatle's "Drive My Car" complete with vocal by Gina Kikoine herself (Gina X). This collection will appeal to fans of the synth/vocoder work and unmistakable razor sharp production of Gina X Performance as well as fans of left-field synth heavy prog and disco (a more rock based Moroder if you will). Specially remastered for this vinyl reissue. Presented on high-quality 180gram colored vinyl.

Only those who read all the credits on record liner notes will know the full details: Areski is of course Brigitte Fontaine's partner in life, but also her creative alter ego, and the composer of the music of most of her songs. Even though it was his wife Brigitte and not him who wrote the lyrics, Areski is a poet in his own right. Furthermore, he is polyvalent: composing, arranging, singing, improvising, playing every possible instrument and even acting! Areski, to sum up, is the perfect mix of the tradition of Munir Bashir with the European sophistication' of someone like Jean-Claude Vannier, one foot permanently in Versailles (where he was born) and the maghreb. Areski, is left bank French songs without the stylistic effects, revised and updated through contact with arab-andalusian music. He is a Living Theatre style happening with a dose of cosmic free jazz, surrealist poetry viewed through the prism of Kabyle culture... All that and a lot more!

Areski honed his talent observing the stars of traditional chaâbi, testing it out in bars and dives before meeting, during military service, the singer Jacques Higelin with whom he would record his first cult album, and who would present him to his wife-to-be, Brigitte Fontaine. Between 1969 and 1980, with her, Areski would contribute an essential chapter to French underground music including classics such as Comme à la radio (with the Art Ensemble of Chicago), Je ne connais pas cet homme, L'Incendie, Le Bonheur and Vous et nous. For all that, Areski has never really tried to have a career under his own name, in spite of the wonderful Un Beau matin first published in 1970, and which it is high time to de (re)discover (better late than never). Those already in the know will not be surprised to see, especially, Jean-Charles Capon, author of the inspired L'Univers-solitude, Brigitte Fontaine of course, or Daniel Vallancien, author of a no-less inspired duo with saxophonist Philippe Maté. All contributing to an acerbic poetic universe, concerned but never militant, and open to worldwide influences long before they became a fashion.

Inspired, poetic, in a word essential: Un Beau Matin is one of the best albums of the French underground produced by Pierre Barouh on his label Saravah, alongside those by Maurice Lemaître, Catharsis, Claude Yvans, Mahjun, Barney Wilen, Cohelmec Ensemble et Michel Roques.

It's been 20 years since I Am Shelby Lynne, the album which earned her a Best New Artist Grammy nod. This time, Shelby Lynne, her debut Thirty Tigers release, removes the I Am and gets direct to the heart of the singer-songwriter-instrumentalist who gives it her name. This is an album of mostly solo, spare but emotionally rich, original torch songs done the only way this idiosyncratic artist knows how at once tortured and vulnerable, with intimate feelings laid bare, but ultimately offering hope that there’s a light in the darkness. Recalling her 2008 Dusty Springfield tribute, Just a Little Lovin, recorded with the late Grammy-winning producer Phil Ramone at the same Capitol Studios where the new album was mixed, the soulful Shelby Lynne is her most personal, autobiographical statement yet on the dual, push-pull nature of love: at once close enough to touch, but also a frustrating tease that can both seduce and abandon. The album itself proceeded from a collaboration between Lynne and lyricist/director /screenwriter Cynthia Mort that morphed into an unreleased, full-length feature film, When We Kill the Creators, featuring several live recordings made right on the set of the production, which explains their raw immediacy. Starring Lynne representing not just her alter ego, but all endangered musicians and artists, the movie makes a strong case for the ever-going conflict between art and commerce, and how dangerous it can be to muzzle creativity for the corporate buck. Songs like the opening, ominous Strange Things (with lyrics by Mort), the aching Revolving Broken Heart and the climactic self-declaration Here I Am (another collaboration with Mort) all recorded live during filming take on a narrative arc that exists on its own. really a new Shelby Lynne album, she explains about this set of songs, her first solo release since 2015. Her collaboration with Cynthia Mort is the first time she’s done something like this since working with Ron Sexsmith on several songs for her previous disc, I Can’t Imagine. When we met, I wanted to go someplace else with my writing, get out of my own head. She came along and I just loved her words, her landscape, her mind, the visions I got. I found songs and stories in her lyrics. They drove me to different musical places. It’s been a fun journey. The Detroit-born Mort, a lifelong music fan best known for creating and producing the HBO series Tell Me You Love Me, wrote the original screenplay for the film and the lyrics for Here I Am before she ever met Shelby.

‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is the new studio album from The White Buffalo, the touring and recording persona of Jake Smith – US singer, songwriter, guitarist, teller of tales; the Emmy nominee whose voice – a timber-shakin’ baritone of gravitas and gravel – seems fuelled by a greater truth. Of the half-dozen albums thus far released under The White Buffalo banner, this latest 11-tracker – a loosely linked collection of dark thrills produced by Shooter Jennings, who also provides piano and keys – is the most collaborative and organic, the most sonically round.

‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is available to pre-order from February 21st, signalling the start of a new worldwide relationship with Snakefarm Records, a young label within the Universal Music Group spotlighting roots, country rock, blues & Americana. From the beginning, Oregon-born Smith has wilfully side-stepped genre, touching on a variety of musical threads – from Americana to punk, from brooding folk to driving rock ‘n’ roll – whilst maintaining a strong, signature style. His spontaneous delivery and narrative lyrics are at the coal-black heart of it all, instilling the songs – effectively, mini-movies – with a cinematic, hand-crafted quality, and this very much holds true for ‘On The Widow’s Walk’. “I was floored by Jake’s voice and his lyricism,” recalls Shooter. “It was intimidating. But we had a really good time igniting our inspirations together. Jake is one of the best out there.

I’m honoured that I got the chance to make this record come to life with him and his band. They let me into the fold and we made some fine music together. Long live the Jelly Crew!” The ’Jelly Crew’ in question, in addition to Smith, comprises drummer Matt Lynott and bassist Christopher Hoffee, also responsible for many of the guitar parts. They recorded as live and as first-take as possible, using violin and pedal steel where required. With an eclectic history to his illustrious name, Shooter simply has no interest in playing it safe; he sides with a diverse selection of talent, and his collaboration with The White Buffalo has produced a special body of work that is stripped and spiritual and sounds just like the artist.

At one point, the idea of a concept album was considered, but Smith didn’t want to leave out quality songs just because they might not fit a specific concept; hence, ‘On The Widow’s Walk’ has water and the ocean as underlying rather than dominant themes, a sense of longing too, something reflected in songs such as ‘Sycamore’, ‘River Of Love And Loss’ and the title track; it’s there in the front cover artwork, too – a portrait of Smith by UK artist Jack Browning. Other subjects tackled include living for the moment (‘Problem Solution’ / ‘No History’), the soulless march of technology (‘Cursive’), the indiscriminate force of mother nature (‘Faster Than Fire’), plus what happens when the moral compass spins wildly out of control (‘The Rapture’, also lead single and lyric video).

“It’s a twisted, primitive tale of an unrelenting thirst for blood,” explains Smith. “With ‘The Rapture’, I wanted to blur the lines between animal and man, to create a tension of moral restraint and unbridled evil.” From sinister through to plaintive, the overall feel is of all parts supporting a wider view under the album’s intriguing title, first mentioned by Lynott. “We were driving through an East Coast seaport town and I asked what the little balconies were on top of the buildings,” recollects Smith. “Matt explained that the wives of the sailors would pace around on the roof-tops longing for their husbands to come home safely.

There’s so much romance in that, the Widow’s Walk, plus of course the possibility of disturbing and dramatic things taking place. “I guess what I’ve tried to do with this new album is to represent a broad range of emotions. There’s dark moments here, more uplifting moments, questioning moments, it’s not just one thing. Also, I like to put some confusion into my songs, which is a very human element, I think.”

‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is a compelling, gimmick-free statement from an artist, now based in Southern California, whose activity between the musical lines has seen his star very much on the rise, playing to a million followers worldwide, achieving over 200 million streams to date, and securing a Top 10 spot in the TV / Film Syncs Chart for 2019. And Smith will once again be taking his unique vision live; the following shows are on sale for spring 2020, with more to follow:-

‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is the new studio album from The White Buffalo, the touring and recording persona of Jake Smith – US singer, songwriter, guitarist, teller of tales; the Emmy nominee whose voice – a timber-shakin’ baritone of gravitas and gravel – seems fuelled by a greater truth. Of the half-dozen albums thus far released under The White Buffalo banner, this latest 11-tracker – a loosely linked collection of dark thrills produced by Shooter Jennings, who also provides piano and keys – is the most collaborative and organic, the most sonically round.

‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is available to pre-order from February 21st, signalling the start of a new worldwide relationship with Snakefarm Records, a young label within the Universal Music Group spotlighting roots, country rock, blues & Americana. From the beginning, Oregon-born Smith has wilfully side-stepped genre, touching on a variety of musical threads – from Americana to punk, from brooding folk to driving rock ‘n’ roll – whilst maintaining a strong, signature style. His spontaneous delivery and narrative lyrics are at the coal-black heart of it all, instilling the songs – effectively, mini-movies – with a cinematic, hand-crafted quality, and this very much holds true for ‘On The Widow’s Walk’. “I was floored by Jake’s voice and his lyricism,” recalls Shooter. “It was intimidating. But we had a really good time igniting our inspirations together. Jake is one of the best out there.

I’m honoured that I got the chance to make this record come to life with him and his band. They let me into the fold and we made some fine music together. Long live the Jelly Crew!” The ’Jelly Crew’ in question, in addition to Smith, comprises drummer Matt Lynott and bassist Christopher Hoffee, also responsible for many of the guitar parts. They recorded as live and as first-take as possible, using violin and pedal steel where required. With an eclectic history to his illustrious name, Shooter simply has no interest in playing it safe; he sides with a diverse selection of talent, and his collaboration with The White Buffalo has produced a special body of work that is stripped and spiritual and sounds just like the artist.

At one point, the idea of a concept album was considered, but Smith didn’t want to leave out quality songs just because they might not fit a specific concept; hence, ‘On The Widow’s Walk’ has water and the ocean as underlying rather than dominant themes, a sense of longing too, something reflected in songs such as ‘Sycamore’, ‘River Of Love And Loss’ and the title track; it’s there in the front cover artwork, too – a portrait of Smith by UK artist Jack Browning. Other subjects tackled include living for the moment (‘Problem Solution’ / ‘No History’), the soulless march of technology (‘Cursive’), the indiscriminate force of mother nature (‘Faster Than Fire’), plus what happens when the moral compass spins wildly out of control (‘The Rapture’, also lead single and lyric video).

“It’s a twisted, primitive tale of an unrelenting thirst for blood,” explains Smith. “With ‘The Rapture’, I wanted to blur the lines between animal and man, to create a tension of moral restraint and unbridled evil.” From sinister through to plaintive, the overall feel is of all parts supporting a wider view under the album’s intriguing title, first mentioned by Lynott. “We were driving through an East Coast seaport town and I asked what the little balconies were on top of the buildings,” recollects Smith. “Matt explained that the wives of the sailors would pace around on the roof-tops longing for their husbands to come home safely.

There’s so much romance in that, the Widow’s Walk, plus of course the possibility of disturbing and dramatic things taking place. “I guess what I’ve tried to do with this new album is to represent a broad range of emotions. There’s dark moments here, more uplifting moments, questioning moments, it’s not just one thing. Also, I like to put some confusion into my songs, which is a very human element, I think.”

‘On The Widow’s Walk’ is a compelling, gimmick-free statement from an artist, now based in Southern California, whose activity between the musical lines has seen his star very much on the rise, playing to a million followers worldwide, achieving over 200 million streams to date, and securing a Top 10 spot in the TV / Film Syncs Chart for 2019. And Smith will once again be taking his unique vision live; the following shows are on sale for spring 2020, with more to follow:-

Originally released in 1978, Music By William Eaton is a private-press album from the accomplished experimental stringed instrument builder. The atmospheric recording techniques, mixed with a hint of Fahey/Takoma-lineage make for a listening experience akin to the mountainscape drawing represented on the album cover. The experience may seem simple at first, but like any great trip in nature, new details consistently reveal themselves upon each listen.

“When I started building instruments, playing guitar took on a whole new dimension. From the conception to the birth of each instrument, new layers of meaning unfolded. Cycles, connections and interdependencies became apparent as I contemplated the growth of trees from seed to old age, and the transformation from raw wood to the building of a musical instrument. I sought out quiet natural environments to play and listen to the “voice” of my 6 string, 12 string, 26 string (Elesion Harmonium) and double neck quadraphonic electric guitar. Deep canyons contained a beautiful resonant quality and echo. A starlit night with a full moon provided all the reflection and endless space by which to project music into the cosmos. The sound of a bubbling stream and singing birds added a natural symphonic tapestry to a melody or chord pattern. As I perceived it, everything was participating in a serendipitous dance. Everything was part of the music.

During this time, I decided to record an instrumental album of music. The idea was simple; it would be a series of tone poems with no titles or any information attached, only the words ‘Music by William Eaton.’ While some of the songs evolved out of composed chord progressions, most of the songs were played spontaneously, only on the occasion of the recording. These improvised songs haven’t been played since.” -- William Eaton

Recommended for fans of John Fahey, Harry Partch, Robbie Basho, Laraaji

We'd like to draw your attention to half Dutch, half Turkish combination Altin Gun, to be released on Bongo Joe records in the near future. Properly done psych funk that really does sound as though it's been made in 70's Turkey (no, really!)

Ashley’s brand new album ‘Never Will’ will be released on the 3rd April. ‘Never Will’ follows on from Ashley’s debut album ‘Girl Going Nowhere’. Ashley has been nominated for two 2020 Grammy Awards, ‘Best Country Solo Per-formance’ and ‘Best Country Song’.

Ashley recently sold out headline shows at the Shepherds Bush Empire, Manchester Academy and Queen Margaret Union - Glasgow.

The second song released on the 13th January was ‘Martha Divine’. ‘Hang In There Girl’ will be released on the 31st January. The videos for ‘One Night Standards’, ‘Martha Divine’ and ‘Hang In There Girl’ are a trilogy series.

Hound Gawd! Records freut sich, Benedicte Brændens neue Single mit dem Titel "Can't Feel My Heart" und der B-Seite "Raging River" anzukündigen. Dies ist die erste Single des kommenden Albums, das Ende 2020 veröffentlicht wird. Die limitierte EP, die auf durchsichtigem Vinyl erscheint, wird ab dem 17. April 2020 erhältlich sein. Benedicte Brænden aus Elverum, Norwegen, liefert ausgefallenen Americana - ein origineller Sound mit einer einzigartigen Mischung aus Country Noir und einem Hauch von Rockabilly, versetzt mit der charakteristischen Stimme von Benedicte.

Jethro Tull released Stormwatch in September 1979, completing a folk-rock trilogy the band started with Songs from the Wood in 1977 and continued the following year with Heavy Horses. Stormwatch was also the final album to feature the classic late-1970s Jethro Tull lineup, which included Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, John Glascock, John Evan, David (now Dee) Palmer and Barriemore Barlow.

Back in November Rhino released Stormwatch (40th Anniversary Force 10 Edition), a 4CD/Blu-ray deluxe collection. Featuring on this deluxe edition, we will release the 1LP breakout of the original album Stormwatch, newly remixed by Steven Wilson.

Stormwatch marked the end of an era for Jethro Tull. Due to his deteriorating health, bassist John Glascock missed most of the sessions for the album and only appears on three of its songs (“Flying Dutchman,” “Orion” and “Elegy.”) Tragically, Glascock died shortly after the album was released. The lineup changed even more.

Alien Transistor and Tokyo-based label Afterhours release a vinyl-version of tenniscoats' masterpiece "music exists", which consists of 4 LPs in total.

Disc 3 reunites the couple with their old friends and collegues, the swedish musicians from Tape, they concentrate once more on their very own language of making music, and give us another collection of essential tenniscoats-songs.

With the forth LP, there will be a strictly limited box available, either for putting your already purchased other 3 records in, or as the whole glorious 4-LP-package.

Tenniscoats have devoted followers allover the world, but their releases were always hard to find outside of Japan. Except for their album "Tokinouta", which saw a very limited run on vinyl, and the seminal "Two Sunsets", their collaboration with the Pastels (and a small handfull of 7"s), there were never any vinyl-releases, and also the CDs were hard to get for any-one, who doesn't speak or read japanese.

So, this is the chance to dive deep into the beautiful, unique world of the tenniscoats and their opus magnum "music exists".

"It may even be their greatest ever music, essential plus" Monorail Music, Glasgow

"Whatever's ailing you, Tokyo's Tenniscoats have got something for that" Boomkat, Manchester

Alien Transistor and Tokyo-based label Afterhours release the vinyl-version of Volume 4 of tenniscoats' masterpiece "music exists" and therefore eventually accomplish this magic quadruple release by the Japanese experimental folk luminaries.

Tenniscoats have devoted followers allover the world, but their releases were always hard to find outside of Japan. Except for their album "Tokinouta", which saw a very limited run on vinyl, and the seminal "Two Sunsets", their collaboration with the Pastels (and a small handfull of 7"s), there were never any vinyl-releases, and also the CDs were hard to get for any-one, who doesn't speak or read japanese.

So, this is the chance to dive deep into the beautiful, unique world of the tenniscoats and their opus magnum "music exists".

‘If You’re Dreaming’ was tracked with producer Sam Evian in his
home studio in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York. Where
the first album had been a rush of inspired songwriting followed by a
drawn-out process of arrangement and mixing, Burch and Evian
worked with self-imposed time limitations to establish a sharper focus
and get to the core of the new songs. The work was swift but
somehow more relaxed, locking into a groove of tracking the basic
elements and then expanding on the arrangements with overdubs
and auxiliary instrumentation. The end goal was to present not just
an assortment of new songs but craft an album that moved
dynamically through an interconnected emotional arc.

With recurring themes of isolation, weariness and longing, these
songs deliver that emotional arc with a delicate but uncompromising
execution. Burch’s intrinsically catchy songwriting dials down the
urgency of her debut a notch, taking a turn towards airy, jazz-voiced
chords, floating reverb and an expansion of the sonic palate with
unexpected instrumentation. The soft-rock bass grooves and
understated saxophone lines of ‘Not So Bad’ push an impressive pop
structure into exciting new territory and the sweetly melancholic Tell
Me What’s True centres around muted electric piano, its languid but
metered vibe recalling the gentler side of Carole King.

The nuance of arrangements that could sometimes get buried on
debut ‘Quit The Curse’ rises to the surface on patient, opulent tunes
like ‘Every Feeling’ and in the twelve-string guitar hooks of ‘Party’s
Over’. The album drifts dreamily as much as it hones in with a
sharper clarity on some of Burch’s most personal songs.

Even at its most introverted, ‘If You’re Dreaming’ is always warm and
present. It’s a deliberately drawn chapter of Burch’s work, trading in
the wild-eyed and sometimes neurotic party hopping of ‘Quit The
Curse’ for a more solitary walk after midnight. Daring and clearheaded, these songs cut deeper in their subtleties. ‘If You’re
Dreaming’ moves with intention, taking its time revealing new layers
of sophistication and growth in Burch’s always charming songcraft.
Initial LP pressing on purple vinyl with digital download code in spot
varnish sleeve.

Iron & Wine performed and recorded an absolutely captivating live set of songs in the Blue Room venue at Third Man Records in Nashville. Armed with spartan set-up of a guitar, microphone and his minimal backing band in front of a soldout audience, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam ambled through his discography, on touchstones like Naked As We Came from classic album Our Endless Numbered Days, The Trapeze Swinger from Around the Well and Winter Prayers from Ghost on Ghost. It was a heartfelt experience without sacrificing any charm, personality or gestalt crowd connection.

Originally recorded in 1977, following a limited release in 1979, Ghédalia Tazartès debut album, Diasporas, introduced listeners to the surreal, mysterious and truly unclassifiable statement of Tazartès and his out-of-time place in the French avant-garde canon. Born in Paris in 1947 to Judaeo-Spanish parents of Greek descent, Tazartès spent his early career as an autodidact utilizing his knowledge of repetition and collage, coupled with his Ladino linguistic heritage, to create some of the most unique recordings of the late 20th century. Interest in the works of Tazartès truly sparked when artist Steve Stapleton included his follow up album, Tazartès' Transports, in his famed "Nurse With Wound List," thus adding endless curiosity to the folklore behind Tazartès and his mystical entrée.

From the onset of Diasporas, looping incantations seemingly pile up at the behest of Tazartès. In almost a prayer-like decree, Tazartès chants to the gods in an undefined whail that is both haunting and spiritually divine. Tazartès unique use of tape loops to capture the disappearing traditions of his family's past creates an atmospheric texture that unexpectedly complements his cut-up, manipulated vocal experiments. While contemporaries within the French avant-garde maneuvered academic theory and rigid tradition, Diasporas strays away from these boundaries, working in Tazartès' invented practice of 'impromuz', a method in which he endlessly records for hours and edits only the moments that display any sense of spontaneous enlightenment. Further emboldening the obtuse nature of Diasporas are the seemingly random recitation of poet Stéphane Mallarmé and the traditional 'Parisian-style' piano accompaniment of experimental composer Michel Chion.

Since its initial release over 40 years ago, both Dais Records and Alga Marghen have released reissues of Diasporas in various formats, all of which quickly fell out of print. Dais Records presents an official reissue, newly remastered by Josh Bonati, utilizing the original artwork of Diasporas in its sole album form, for the first time in over four decades.

Thirty Tigers artist Brian Fallon's new album Local Honey. The lead singer of beloved heartland-punk band The Gaslight Anthem, Brian Fallon steps away from that sound and into a stripped-down Americana space on his third solo album, Local Honey. Produced
by Grammy-award winning producer Peter Katis (The National, Frightened Rabbit, Death Cab for Cutie), the album showcases Fallon's songwriting in small vignettes, from a loving devotional
for his daughter to a vengeful murder ballad.

Forever Just Beyond is the first Clem Snide record to be released in 5 years. It was produced by Scott Avett of The Avett Brothers. Clem Snide will be touring in 2020 with Scott Avett. More info and official bio to come soon.

DANA GAVANSKI / YESTERDAY IS GONE ‘I’m learning how to say goodbye / to let you go and face the tide / to wrap my feelings in a song,’ sings Dana Gavanski on the title track of her debut LP, Yesterday Is Gone. To wrap her feelings in a song: this is the task Dana has dedicated herself to with this record.

It’s a goal common to many songwriters, but few approach it with such aplomb. By turns break-up album, project of curiosity, and, as Dana puts it, ‘a reckoning with myself’, Yesterday Is Gone is her attempt to ‘learn to say what I feel and feel what I say’: an album of longing and devotion to longing, and of the uncertainty that arises from learning about oneself, of pushing boundaries, falling hard,
and getting back up.


BBC 6 Music A-list from 30th Dec 2019 - 19th Jan 2020 Support tour with Damien Jurado in Feb 20 Headline tour in April 20 The Great Escape Festival confirmed for May 20 End of the Road and Moseley Folk Festivals confirmed for Sept 20.

Nap Eyes’ latest full length, ‘Snapshot Of A Beginner’, is proof that sometimes the late bloomers bloom brightest. Eight years and four albums into it, the artistic arc of Nap Eyes finds itself tracing a line alongside frontman Nigel Chapman’s daily tai chi practice. Those first
years and albums are the cold mornings in the park: the measured movements, the joint aches, the self-doubt. With each new release,
an incremental and invigorating step forward. And with the end of
each album and tour, a return to the beginner’s practice. And now,
‘Snapshot Of A Beginner’ - Nap Eyes’ boldest, most concentrated and
most hi-fi album to date - a study of that repeated return and all that
it can teach you.
Almost all the songs of Nap Eyes are whittled into their final form
from Chapman’s unspooling, 20-minute voice-and-guitar free-writing
sessions. Each member - drummer Seamus Dalton, bassist Josh
Salter or guitarist Brad Loughead - then plays a crucial role in song
development, composing around the idiosyncratic structures and
directing the overall sound and feel of the songs. Until now, that final
song construction and recording has been mostly done live in a
room. But for ‘Snapshot Of A Beginner’ the band went to The
National’s neuvo-legendary upstate NY Long Pond Studio, working
with producers Jonathan Low (Big Red Machine, The National) and
James Elkington (Steve Gunn, Joan Shelley), the latter of whom also
did pre-production arrangement work with the band.
It took Nap Eyes a long time and a long practice to reach this artistic
zen but one gets the feeling throughout ‘Snapshot Of A Beginner’
that this balance is going to hold.

Tré Burt is the newest artist to sign to John Prine’s Oh Boy Records, following a serendipitous discovery, Oh Boy’s Jody Whelan found Tré Burt’s music and was immediately enamoured. Following Burt’s showcase at Americana Fest in Nashville he has now become one of only two artists who have been signed to Oh Boy Records in the past 15 years, both signings in 2019.

Thirty Tigers artist Dave Simonett's new album Red Tail is a solo outing––his first––that puts a brand new batch of his original nuggets on brilliant display. “There was a special window when I didn’t know if I was making an album––I was just going to record some songs,” Simonett says. “So there wasn’t a lot of weight put on it. The whole thing just felt kind of smooth.” Red Tail benefits from that initial freedom from expectations. The eight-song collection is anchored in that same hardy acoustic rock that has made Simonett so beloved around the world, with additional layers of moody sonic dreamscapes that somehow feel both lush and sparse. It feels sacrilegious to suggest pulling Simonett away from his bands that he and we love so much, but if magic like Red Tail is what happens when he carves out slivers of time to create independently, even the most devout TBT and Dead Man Winter fans will beg for more sidebars.