quête:matt love

Homemade, charming folk-rock with the lovely voice of MANDY MORTON, 12-string guitars, dulcimer, mandolin, fiddle… Fabulous covers of “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme”, “Matty Groves” and more!

Formed in the early 70s, Spriguns of Tolgus evolved from the folk duo of Mandy & Mike Morton and the scene centered around their Anchor Folk Club in Cambridge. In 1974, the band (Mike and Mandy plus Rick Thomas and Chris Russon) decided to produce a recording to raise funds for new equipment. Using a small tape recorder and mixing desk, “Rowdy Dowdy Day” was recorded live in the dining room at the band’s rented house. A small number of cassettes were produced and subsequently sold at the Anchor Folk Club.

With the original cassette impossible to find now, we’re glad to present a new vinyl edition.

“We grew up in the ’60s to the sound of The Beatles; we embraced flower power and all it brought with it; and we indulged ourselves in every type of music on offer. From America came The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, and here in the UK we celebrated our own heroes, Pentangle, Fairport Convention, The Incredible String Band and later Steeleye Span” – Mandy Morton

Classic black vinyl plus bonus 7"-single with two exclusive tracks! Babydoll is the fifth Rat Columns album and, following 2021's Pacific Kiss, the second to be released on Tough Love. The recordings took place in Perth, Western Australia, partially by engineer Jason Hayles in a 1960's office building that formerly housed the secretarial pool of a successful mattress company, and partially by DW in an industrial unit, and feature the ensemble cast of Taylah McLean, Chris Grunwaldt, Scott Payne, Richard Ingham, Cohen Bourgault and, of course, DW himself. It was then mixed and mastered in Melbourne by Mikey Young and Joseph Carra, respectively. Babydoll seems to mark a return to a murkier, dirgier Rat Columns format. Distortion is fetishized again and many small amplifiers were tortured in the album's production. Tempos have drifted down and the lyrical concerns move ever inward, in an inverse bloom. The mood is dour, introspective, circular, the songs long, and short attention spans are neglected. 'Cerulean Blue' churns through a crystalline memoryscape, homaging low-brow grunge auto-fiction and a partial history of mid-period rave. 'Life In The Jungle' is a fever dream of imperialist wartime fantasy projection. 'Heavenly Assault' attempts a crushing density amid visions of transcendent devotion. 'Virtual Sweden' takes us ever northwards into the frosted tip of Scandinavian détente. 'Babydoll', like 'Cerulean Blue', homages a primarily imagined low-cosmopolitan world of alt-lit digi-poets, bedroom fantasists, underwater prisons for gorgeous, gorgeous girls. 'Bees Make Honey' lets more sophisticated music machines into the conversation, and marks the first use of vocal tuning software on a Rat Columns album, albeit in an avant-amateurist fashion. 'Jane, I Live For You' enters the space-ballad race, dreaming of synthetic folk-rockers, leaning on sampler keybeds in the half-light. 'December' is yet another tribute to fallen Stars, mansions on the hill, winter skin in cashmere sweaters, truth in education, love, faith, (im)purity. In all these respects, it is a classic Rat Columns record. Because all Rat Columns records are classic records.

The rising Tamil-Swiss artist Priya Ragu is set to release her long-awaited debut album ‘SANTHOSAM’ on October 20th.



‘SANTHOSAM’ (the Tamil word for ‘happiness’) is a standout dynamic album which takes her raguwavy sound – simmering R&B, masterful pop hooks, earthy soulful vocals, dance beats, and the warm tabla rhythms, and spiralling melodics of Tamil music – to even more adventurous heights. Defined by Priya’s contagiously positive spirit, it pulsates with gorgeously varied musical textures and urgent political themes. Once again crafted in collaboration with her brother and producer Japhna Gold, it’s an album that originates from Priya’s quest for self-discovery.



‘SANTHOSAM’ opens with ‘Ammama’s Note’, which features a voice recording in which Priya’s grandmothers is questioning why she isn’t married. Like many young South Asian women, Priya felt like she wanted to achieve much more before she settled down, regardless of other people’s preconceptions of what direction her life should take. That ability to write one’s own destiny continues the euphoric ‘School Me Like That’, set to a rumbling tambla beat and breezy synths. More universal issues are explored in the blazing anger of ‘Black Goose’, which was written in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, and ‘Let Me Breathe (Reprise)’, a spiritual call for freedom, emancipation, and peace.



Elsewhere, the record brims with highlight-after-highlight, taking in everything from the dancefloor disco energy of ‘One Way Ticket’ to ‘Power’ which features a rousing string arrangement that was written by Indian composer Bala and recorded with an orchestra in Budapest. It closes with ‘Mani Osai’, a song which continues a yearly family tradition in which Priya, Japhna and their father write a song together. Never intended to be a Priya Ragu track, it nonetheless felt like the perfect way to close the album – especially as the concluding “santhosam” chant conveys the meaning of the word with life-affirming zest.

In the late 1980s, Disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as "The Beat." Although Hip-Hop, New Wave, Gothic, Punk, and the burgeoning Modern Rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-RAVE clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed “The Beat.” This musical tapestry encompassed everything from Hip-Hop and Freestyle to Industrial, New Wave, Boogie, Miami Bass, and Techno – the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.

As House, Techno, and Raving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate – some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 – what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.

In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by “the Beat,” acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

Finally, but by no means least, we unveil the third and concluding volume of this extensive, impeccably curated chronicle of San Francisco's underground rave scene and its unique soundscape. Mirroring the same fervour and meticulous track selection as the first two volumes, 'The Beat By Spun' is nothing less than indispensable for any dedicated music enthusiast, DJ, or dancer. Once again, this collection showcases an outstanding array of tracks, featuring music from talents like Mattski, Bass Kittens, Hawke, and Deep2, all maintaining the high standards set by the previous volumes. It's a blend of rarities, classics, and obscurities, combining to deliver an exhilarating, almost transcendental experience to those who dare to immerse themselves in the sonics!

Jesca Hoop"s debut album Kismet (2007) stands out as one of those rare examples of a newcomer getting it right on the first try and winding up with one hell of a tough act to follow. September 2023 sees Kismet"s 16-year anniversary and to celebrate, Hoop is reissuing Kismet on vinyl paired with The Complete Kismet Acoustic, a live stripped back version of the album. While Kismet brims with studio wonders and the absolute joy of diving into the medium with musical giants that include Stewart Copeland, Matt Chamberlin, Blake Mills, Shawn Everett and Tony Berg, The Complete Kismet Acoustic brings us to the heart of Hoop"s character with just two acoustic guitars and three voices. Listening back-to-back is a striking experience. This double gem is the first ever vinyl pressing of both titles and is not only a must have for the collectors of Hoop"s work but an essential for those new to the realm.

Formed by Monster Magnet’s John McBain and Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron & Ben Shepherd in 1993 during some downtime from their day jobs and side project Hater (who released a self-titled album in 1993), Wellwater Conspiracy set about immersing themselves in the dayglo world of sixties psychedelia, channelling the vibrations of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the 13th Floor Elevators to produce the garage lo-fi-lysergic assault on the senses that is their debut album ‘Declaration of Conformity’. Originally issued on Mudhoney’s Steve Turners Super Electro label in 1997, the album was met with critical acclaim upon its release, and Rolling Stone magazine said, “Declaration’s tinny, fuzzed-out sonics decidedly evoke the Summer of Love.” God Unknown Records are proud to be welcoming the album back into print and on all digital platforms, and this coming September 22nd will see the release of a remastered vinyl pressing with extra tracks and new artwork taking influence from Blue Note Records’ fabled artwork. From start to finish, ‘Declaration Of Conformity’ is a loving homage to the true beginnings of psychedelic rock, long before the music got harder and heavier. Songs like ‘Green Undertow’ and ‘Sleeveless’ hark back to the time when The Beatles were spinning the world on its axis with ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, Syd Barrett was the piper at the gates of dawn and Roky Erickson was introducing the world to his Texan psychedelic sounds. Wellwater Conspiracy’s music exists at that moment when pop music started to fracture and go far further out. It was still pop music, but the edges were starting to blur and the sounds were starting to fracture. This is where ‘Declaration of Conformity’ sits; at the dawn of one of the biggest cultural shifts in musical history. The Bandcamp link will also feature two bonus download-only tracks, a cover of ‘Akka Ragga’ by Shocking Blue and ‘Late Night’ by Syd Barrett. Both tracks feature Josh Homme on guitar and bass. Tracklisting A1 Sleeveless A2 You Do You A3 Trowerchord A4 Green Undertow A5 I Love You Every Day Sandy A6 Nati Bati Yi A7 Far Side Of Your Moon B1 The Ending B2 Space Travel In The Blink Of An Eye B3 6-6-5-4-3-2-1 B4 Shel Talmy B5 Lucy Leave B6 Declaration Of Conformity B7 Palomar Observatory

On her new album Queen of Time (due September 29th from Kill Rock Stars), Lou explores that quest across ten tracks of tender, heartbreakingly beautiful music.

Featuring a gamut of guests including GRAMMYr Award-winners Billy Strings and Jerry Douglas, Queen of Time celebrates love and loss, but above all, the art of living as an unattainably--a vibrant, powerful woman who can share herself with the world, and yet define a mighty sense of inner self as well.

IF you follow the smoke from the industrial work sites, wander through the empty streets of a small
town and listen after the tube amp blasting out dreams from the edge of town, you will find the spark
that started Saturday's Heroes over a decade ago. When friends get together to carry out something, it
does not matter where you are born or what type of cards you have been dealt. When the two brothers
Alex and Mikael Lachan grew up in the small town of Finspång, music was the highway and the world
was the destination. Playing together in the basement every day since they were kids, they formed a
bond that would translate into an explosive live show years later. The rejuvenated band hammers out
a sound that is energetic enough to sustain a live show revolution, talented enough to keep your
attention and welcoming enough to let your voice sing the anthemic choruses like there was no
tomorrow. Over the span of their career they have released three full length albums (soon to be four),
two EPs and multiple digital singles. They have toured Europe many times and played with bands
such as Millencolin, Street Dogs, Asta Kask and received praise from bands such as Dropkick
Murphys for their heart-and-soul-packed melodic punk rock. Now in 2023 they are back with a brand
new full length album called Wanderlust & Hardships. Recorded with the acclaimed producer Niels
Nielsen, known for his work with In Flames, Dead Soul, Ghost, and MCC, the album showcases the
band's signature sound that blends hard-hitting instrumentals with anthemic lyrics. Fans can expect a
celebratory and energetic tone that is sure to get them involved.

Originally released in September 1997 on Eternal Records and includes writing and production work from Ian Masterson and David Green, Xenomania (Matt Gray, Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennan, Tim Powell), Metro (Paul Barry, Graham Stack, Mark Taylor, Steve Torch) and DNA (Nick Batt, Neal Slateford).

This Special Edition 2LP pressed on clear vinyl, boasting the original cover design (originally by Gerard Saint), with photography by Steve Shaw. The original ten track album is presented over side A/B, while the three contemporaneous non-album cuts 'Someone New', 'Keep Up With The Good Times' and 'Coconut' are featured on the bonus 12" single sides C/D.

Packaged in a lavish gatefold sleeve with deluxe finish printing, each record is housed in a beautiful inner bag, featuring rare photographs and full album lyrics.

Rewind Forward, die neueste EP der Schlagzeuglegende Ringo Starr, enthält vier neue Songs, die von einem All-Star-Team eingespielt wurden, darunter Sir Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Steve Lukather, Benmont Tench, Matt Bissonette und Bruce Sugar. Mit eingängigen Melodien, peppigen Texten und viel Peace and Love ist diese Sammlung ein Muss für jeden Ringo-Fan.

Ab dem 13.10 als 1CD oder 1LP verfügbar.

More Than A Whisper: Celebrating The Music Of Nanci Griffith is an all-star tribute to the legacy of the GRAMMY award-winning singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Featured artists include Brandy Clark, Shawn Colvin, Iris Dement, Steve Earle, Mary Gauthier, Emmylou Harris, Sarah Jarosz, Lyle Lovett and Kathy Mattea, Ida Mae, John Prine and Kelsey Waldon, Todd Snider, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle, Aaron Lee Tasjan, and The War And Treaty covering some of Griffith’s most notable releases. ★★★★ - MOJO “More Than A Whisper is Olympic standard” 9/10 Americana UK

Even as a little boy, Johnny Cash has a feeling he was going to be famous one day. It wasn’t the kind of premonition he could go about telling people. They’d have thought dreams of fame and riches pretty far removed from the Cash’s barely-productive 40-acre cotton farm in Arkansas. Especially since Johnny had no idea how he was going to make his mark.

Johnny left the farm to go into the Air Force — and in his travels he acquired first, a wife — and secondly, a guitar. Assigned to Germany and forced to leave his wife behind, Johnny found a faithful companion in his guitar. The boys in his barracks seem to like his “pickin’ and singin'” and gradually the plan for a career began to take shape. He would be a singer — a country singer.

When he got back from service, Johnny was not so modest about his plans for the future. He let his Memphis friends know he was going to be a singer — a good singer, a famous singer — a singer who would revolutionize country music. No matter how long it took — he was determined!

As it happened, Lady Luck inclined her face toward Johnny almost immediately. His releases on the Sun label were instantly acclaimed, and in 1956, one year after Johnny Cash launched his recording career, he was named the most promising country and western artist of the year in four separate polls.

After the success of “I Walk the Line” as a simultaneous C & W and popular hit, it was indicated the course Johnny’s career should take. Though always identifying himself as a singer for the country fans — a favorite entertainer on the Grand Ole Opry — Johnny Cash with “Ballad of a Teen-Age Queen” came to be a top selling artist in the pop recording field.

Almost reluctantly, Johnny evolved a pop-county style in arrangement and instrumentation, evident in such hits as “Guess Things Happen That Way” and “The Ways of a Woman in Love” to supply the demand for Cash records by fans of both types of music. It is ironic that Johnny Cash caused more of a revolution in pop music than in country music, as was his aim, by being one of the first C & W artists exposed on national “general entertainment” TV shows; and the first C & W artist to capture the LP market with one great release (Sun 1220).

Johnny Cash — in his voice, looks and demeanor — carries a certain aura of “specialness.” He is a very dramatic figure — tall, muscular, with blue-black hair. He looks the part of a folk singer — a 20th century wandering minstrel. And his fatalistic style, both in composing and singing, has a quality of monotone, but of “emotional monotone” that defies analysis, but which is genuinely powerful.

Johnny Cash is one of those persons endowed with an exceptional talent which has to express itself. And being expressed, his talent has been uniquely recognized and applauded by many loyal fans, who will enjoy this reminiscent album of the songs which to date are landmarks in the career of the one and only Johnny Cash.

Repress on a new colour - Red/clear half-and-half vinyl with black splatter. Kingston-upon-Hull’s The Black Delta Movement return with their stunning new album ‘Recovery Effects’ – 8 tracks of immersive, groove-heavy garage rock released April 21st 2023 on Fuzz Club Records. Determination and a commitment to musical development are writ large across Matt Burr’s personal and artistic journey as the main creative force behind The Black Delta Movement. His most collaborative work yet, ‘Recovery Effects’ sees Matt recruiting highly lauded UK guitar-slinger and Little Barrie frontman Barrie Cadogan and bandmates Lewis Wharton (Bass) and Tony Coote (Drums) to provide musical backing on the album. With legendary producer, The Heliocentrics’ co-founder and drummer extraordinaire Malcolm Catto also helming production duties. “The album’s a love letter to the band and all the emotions that come with it,” explains Matt when talking about the period of adversity that led to its creation. Finding himself without his former bandmates following the release of their highly-praised 2018 debut ‘Preservation’ and that record’s subsequent live shows, the pandemic-induced lockdown periods throughout ’20 and ’21 initially gave time for reflection before proving to be a time of productivity. Giving Matt the breathing space to fine-tune the new songs alongside Cadogan before hitting the ground running when entering the studio in late 2021 – the band cutting the basic tracks live and Malcolm Catto providing invaluable input when it came to moulding the music you hear contained throughout. The results of this creative melting pot of such talented and seasoned musicians see The Black Delta Movement delivering that ring thing: a layered, honest and deeply entertaining rock’n’roll record. There are a myriad of moods and textures, whether on the garage-blues grooves of opener and first single ‘Fourth Pass Over The Graveyard’, follow-up single ‘Zip-Tie’ which explodes from its moody intro into punk-rock motorik, or the psychedelic slow-burn of ‘Hiding In The Tall Grass’ which manages to channel the likes of The Doors and Spacemen

Jacob Bellens’ new solo Off My Meds took shape over two turbulent years in Jacob’s life. Several major life events happened back to back in a very short time, and it ended up breaking him down to a point of total exhaustion. The energy needed to uphold the outer self we all need to function was no longer there, and his inner actual beliefs and values began to show themselves one by one, which was not pretty to look at. Change was inevitable, simply because the price of not changing would be much higher in the long term.

The album is a pop-poem about accepting the premise of the life given to you. It is an ode to the perils of modern existence and our birthgiven right to love, laugh and cry, whatever hand we may have been dealt to begin with. Lyrically it is centered around self care and the courage to love someone and be loved in return. About taking responsibility for everything in your life instead of using your life history as an excuse for not living, no matter how tragic or unique your situation might be or seem to yourself.
Musically it draws upon an eclectic mix of influences and genres, while still maintaining a distinct underlying red thread throughout the album. It is a melancholic funk hybrid with a positive DNA, and though it sounds like pop music in the best sense of the word, it doesn’t quite look and feel like pop music. It is rather a collection of sounds and feelings put into words that are deeply personal - but personal for all.

Classic Soul album! If this 1972 record for the Paula Records was the sum total of Dallas, Texas soul man, Bobby Patterson’s career, then he would still be a cult figure among R&B fans.

This is a stone soul masterpiece, full of grit and groove with a breathtaking stylistic breadth from funky soul to romantic soul balladry.

Re-issued for the first time on virgin black vinyl

Every soul-searcher needs this one.

Skarra Mucci is a Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall artist born in Kingston. Known as the "Dancehall President", his career counts 7 solo albums, including the essential "Return of the Raggamuffin" (2012) and countless classics and cult collaborations, such as the hit "My Sound" from the album "Greater Than Great" (2014) which exceeds 15 million cumulative Spotify and YouTube streams and the critically acclaimed album "Dancehall President" (2016) with its tour of more than 100 dates around the world, from Mexico to China.

5 years after the release of "Skarra Mucci & The One Love Family" (2018), this essential figure of Jamaican music, with his versatile flow and recognizable voice, announces a new studio album with multiple influences "Perfect Timing", which is scheduled for release on September 29, 2023.

The album opens with a hybrid roots-tinged hip hop riddim. Brass and percussion resonate throughout the track as Skarra Mucci gives way to a mesmerizing voice sample that gives the track “Here I Come” all its depth.

An introduction that sets the tone for an album tinged with a mix of genres by Skarra Mucci and his team of top producers brought together by Undisputed Records. "Perfect Timing" is indeed an ode to Reggae of all eras, full of nods to the Sound System culture, from its beginnings to the present day. From the choice of the featurings to that of the producers, nothing is left to chance to offer us a journey through the highlights of this rich culture which has never ceased to evolve, without any period being left behind.

For his 1st single, it is with a major player in the current Reggae scene that Skarra Mucci has chosen to announce the release of his 8th solo album by inviting the Martiniquais Yaniss Odua on the title "Roots Rock Reggae".

Accustomed to albums teeming with successful collaborations, "Perfect Timing" is obviously no exception to the rule. We find in particular on the title "Street Dance" the essential French producers of L'Entourloop, with whom he released the very successful EP "Golden Nuggets" (2019, 6 titles, 17M cumulative streams Spotify and YouTube) to drop once again a banger between Hip-Hop and Dancehall in line with their huge 2013 hit “Dreader Than Dread” (38M combined Spotify and YouTube streams).

Jamaican legend Johnny Osbourne also takes part in the celebration for a version of his classic of the digital era "What A La La", with Skarra Mucci on the Stalag riddim replayed for the occasion by the beatmaker specialist in the matter: Manudigital.

Skarra Mucci continues his exploration of various styles and influences with the very groovy "Dancehall", produced by the musicians of Dub Akom, in which he lets us perceive all his class and his swing. We also find the massive “Who Fool Them”, a UK stepper track produced by Evidence Music, but also the future Dancehall classic “Rappa Pam Pam”, or the huge “Misty Babylon” in a much more Roots register.

The album "Perfect Timing" ends with the eponymous title, on a riddim and Lovers Rock melodies carried by a joyful piano and a groovy bass. A finale in the form of a declaration of love for Reggae, this music which gave him so much and to which he gave everything.

See you on September 29, 2023 to discover "Perfect Timing", Skarra Mucci's new album.

Das siebte Studioalbum von US-Ausnahmemusiker:in LP, erscheint am 29. September 2023 bei BMG. Auch mit dem Nachfolger zu Churches (2021) widmet sich LP der Komplexität menschlicher Erfahrung und vertont ein sehr viel klarer umrissenes Selbst- und Weltbild als je zuvor.

Das neue Album vereint insgesamt zwölf Tracks, die tiefe Einblicke in LPs bisherige Lebensgeschichte erlauben, wenn es immer wieder auch um zurückliegende Beziehungen geht - romantische Beziehungen, familiäre Beziehungen, auch um die Beziehung zu sich selbst.

Unterstützung bekam LP von Ashton Irwin (5 Seconds Of Summer), Andrew Berkeley Martin (Palaye Royale) sowie vom GRAMMY-nominierten Produzenten und Songwriter Matthew Pauling. Das Resultat ist ein fesselndes, extrem emotionales Werk, das vor allem zeigt, wie sehr LP gewachsen ist - und was sie alles auf ihrem Pfad der Selbstfindung herausgefunden hat. Love Lines verknüpft LPs unverwechselbare Stimme, aufrichtiges Storytelling und unverblümten Rock & Roll mit so viel emotionalem Tiefgang, dass LP selbst von einem essentiellen Meilenstein spricht.

Blues Lawyer is back on Dark Entries with a new 7” EP of summery alt-pop. Fresh off the heels of their critically acclaimed Dark Entries debut, Sight Gags On The Radio expands the Blues Lawyer universe, one where lovelorn millennials struggle to find their place. The four songs were recorded one afternoon by Rob I. Miller, Blues Lawyer co-founder and chief songwriter, in the band’s Oakland rehearsal space. It was recorded just days before Elyse Schrock (singer, songwriter, drummer, and music video creator) would be leaving the Bay Area – her home for the past decade – due to the soaring cost of living. The first single, “Have Nots,” shows the band moving away from the rapid chord changes that characterized their earlier work towards hazy guitar textures. It is accompanied by a tender music video portrait of the band reuniting in Portland, where Schrock now resides. The video documents the band’s touring life: playing pizza parlors and billiard clubs, sleeping on floors, and killing time between gigs. These touching images are elevated by Schrock’s trademark animations and editing style. Blues Lawyer also experiment with new songwriting configurations on this EP. “True Love’s Only Name,” was musically developed by Blues Lawyer guitarist, Ellen Matthews, lyrically by Miller, and sung by Schrock. Sight Gags On The Radio captures the essence of the band's sound but also reflects their development as songwriters. The outcome is Blues Lawyer’s most compelling artistic proclamation to date. Each 7” is housed in a warm orange toned jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring lyrics on the back. Blues Lawyer - Sight Gags On The Radio 7” EP releases Friday, September 29th via Dark Entries days before the band embarks on their first tour of Europe and the United Kingdom.

The only album to soundtrack both late-'70s Minneapolis lounges and a Travis Scott x Dior fashion show. Recorded in a host of living rooms with only a Fender Rhodes piano, a Donca Matic Mini Pops drum machine, and Senrick's wide-eyed, 20-year-old voice, the 1977 LP disappeared into the wild and joined the Wendigo in Minnesota lore. A provocative mix of marina soul, easy listening, and loner folk, Dreamin' is a sanguine sliver of the American private mind garden. Harsh winters coupled with a relative lack of interest amongst siblings allowed Chuck Senrick years of unfettered access to the family piano in their Farmington, Minnesota, home. Learning both by ear and by instruction, Senrick began gigging professionally at age 15, joining John Zimmer and the CR4 for a weekly rundown of Allman Brothers, Blind Faith, and Cream covers at the Sea Girt Inn in Lake Orchard. Tapping into James Taylor's pop-chart achievements in songwriting and enunciation, Senrick composed the bulk of the songs featured on Dreamin' before graduating from Farmington High School. At 20, Senrick migrated 30 miles north to the Twin Cities to pursue music full-time. Using borrowed equipment and borrowed living rooms, a string of informal recording sessions generated the quarter-inch tape for Dreamin'. "I didn't know how to do it," Senrick says about producing an album. "I just knew it could be done." Constructed with vocals, Fender Rhodes, and an assortment of rhythm presets on his Donca Matic Mini Pops drum machine, a mere 200 copies of the private-press masterpiece were stamped and sleeved and sold hand-to-hand at performances. Chuck's wife Lesli illustrated the album cover_a pen-to-paper portrait of her husband against the backdrop of the Minneapolis Skyline, she and their newborn son situated on a nearby knoll. Any plans for a re-press were quashed when producer Bruce W. Hansen lost the reels during a messy divorce. "I was a kid with big ideas and not much hope to do anything but play," Senrick said of the Dreamin' era. "It still amazes me that people are interested in it."

Amy Dabbs might be one of the hardest working artists in the game right now. Making it in the current electronic music landscape is not an easy thing, which might be why this talented artist is so heavily invested in her musical output. With releases on Aus Music, Shall not Fade and her own Dabbs traxx, a monthly residency on Rinse FM and a tour schedule that seems to get busier by the minute, we’re happy to see her hard work is paying off. Add to that some support by artists such as Special Request, The Blessed Madonna, Jaguar and Cinthie and you know this Berlin-based artist is right where she belongs: in the spotlight.

With a love for all things high energy – including, but not limited to house music and breaks – Amy knows how to set fire to a dancefloor (or record for that matter). Her music has been described by Resident Advisor as “Elegant and soulful drum & bass, that’ll still catch the ears of house heads.” So here you go, house heads: Amy Dabbs on Heist. The ‘Only breaks can love your heart’ EP is packed with feelgood energy and comes with a Dam Swindle remix that has the duo laying down some pleasantly unexpected breakbeats on an altogether rush-inducing record.

Right from the start, you know you’ve got an anthem on your hands with ‘Everything alright’. The gorgeous vocals by Aika Mal give you that right amount of emotive, ravey energy and come wrapped in a package of solid breaks and mesmerizing chords. With a hint of acid and a couple of meticulously crafted breakdowns you’ll be singing along with this track before you know it.

The Dam Swindle remix drops the tempo a little bit, but with its 140 bpm, warm broken beat and UK bass, the duo delivers a curveball of a track with a lot of crossover appeal. They went for a more stripped back approach that combines introverted percussion with bouncy keys that complement the vocals perfectly for an altogether irresistible remix.

‘Crush’ is a signature Amy Dabbs tracks, with driving 909 percussion, female vocal chops, ethereal pads and classic strings. It’s a warmhearted affair laced with Amy’s feelgood DNA. On the flip you’ll find ‘Eleven eleven twenty two’; a classic deep house track with subtle hints of UKG in its sampling and bass. The pads and leads are moody and the skippy percussion gives this track the kind of energy you’d welcome when pulling an all-nighter.

Rounding off the EP, we’ve got the ep title track ‘Only breaks can love your heart’; another showcase of Amy’s knack to make house aficionados dance to drum and bass. There’s a certain contrast in pace – raging drums versus dreamy chords that makes you feel at ease listening to a fast-paced track like this. The vocals are equally hazy with a subtle 90’s and 00’s RnB feel. Bassface guaranteed on this one!

Discover the emblematic first album of the Africanism All Stars collective led by Bob Sinclar and featuring, among others, Matin Solveig,DJ Gregory,Lego and Eddie Amador... Includes the hits : " Tourment d"Amour ", " Block Party " and " Edony (Clap Your Hands

KAU (previously KAU trio.) is an instrumental trio based in Brussels. Representing various European backgrounds, the Belgian capital and melting pot proves to be a never ending source of inspiration for the band. Taking influences from jazz, groove and dance music, their aim is simple but straightforward: to make your heads bob. The formula they use to do so has been the same since their early days: improvisation, never ending jam sessions and an open-mindedness towards various genres and styles. This gives their music an organic and vibrant feel. Furthermore, the three boys' long-lasting friendship is at the heart of it all, always relying on what brings them together: their love for music. The KAU cycle is bound to repeat itself and to birth something new - over and over again.

"The Cycle Repeats" is KAU's debut album, due on September 22 on SDBAN Ultra, the home of ECHT!, Black Flower, Glass Museum, STUFF. and more. It represents a milestone in the band's musical journey: it's their firm decision to present a strong and unified trio playing music that stands out through the combination of 80's synths, acoustic drums and electric bass. Moreover, the album succeeds in capturing the energy of their infectious and legendary live shows.

Highlights are album opener "Kampala", which has a throbbing bassline, jazzy synths and heavily modified arpeggiators at its core. The album's first single "Little Steps" starts with a strong hip hop groove, morphing into Herbie Hancock-style chords. "Amulet" is inspired by breakbeats, fast paced grooves and pentatonic bass lines. Both "Kautokeino" and "Alaska" are an invitation to travel to the utmost remote places of this earth, using intense sequencing and suffocating subbasses into an epic finish, probably demonstrating the trio in its most sincere form.

In short: with André Breidlid on drums, Matteo Genovese on bass and Jan Janzen on synths, KAU are a trio of childhood friends with a pan-European identity, whose music reflects the city they grew up in: unapologetic, richly diverse and with a spontaneous groove underlining it all. With their new album "The Cycle Repeats" they directly aim for your dancing shoes and souls.

Originally released on Rocket Girl in 2000, Piano Magic’s third album proper heralded a seismic and surprising shift away from its more electronic predecessors, ‘Popular Mechanics’ and ‘Low Birth Weight.’ ‘Artists’ Rifles’ is Piano Magic’s first band-band album and marks their debut, actual recording studio appearance. Improvised on the spot and produced/recorded over just five days by John A. Rivers (Dead Can Dance, Felt), at his Woodbine St Studios in Leamington Spa, stylistically, the record could feasibly be described as the first (only?) baroque post-rock record, utilising as it does, consciously or otherwise, influences as broad as Bach and Codeine.
For ‘Artists’ Rifles’ the core of Glen Johnson (vocals/guitars/keyboards), John Cheves (guitars), Paul Tornbohm (bass) and Miguel Marin (drums/percussion) were augmented by guests Caroline Potter (vocals) and Adrienne Quartly (cello).
The success of ‘Artists’ Rifles,’ particularly in Spain, kickstarted a wealth of touring possibilities and over the next 16 years, the band toured all over Europe. It also caught the attention of 4AD Records, for whom they signed to the following year.
This 2023 vinyl re-pressing honours the original (Matt Dornan) sleeve design and beautiful photography of Royal Artillery Memorial (Hyde Park, London), by John Cheves of the band.
“Classic English folk music for the 21st century” – Record Collector
“Glen Johnson and cohorts explore a doomed English romanticism, boldly linking contemporary romantic mores with the lost generation of 1914 – 18…. strangely it works….” – The Wire
“Another endearingly odd record, drifting along the seawall between the macabre and melancholy. This is the work of 4AD obsessives who have learnt to love electronica.” - Q

The set uses newly remastered audio with lacquers cut by Jeff Powell. The packaging includes expansive liner notes by producer Jim Rooney and critic/ writer Holly Gleaso and the booklet includes rare photographs.

There's a Light Beyond These Woods' is Griffith's debut album and was recorded ive to two-track in 1977 and 1978. All but two of the nine songs were penned by Griffith.

Poet In My Window' is Griffith's second album, released in 1982. All but one track are written by Griffith.

Once in a Very Blue Moon', Griffith's third album, was released in 1984 and had more of a country sound than her previous work. This album is different from her previous in the inclusion of more instrumentation; musicians Béla Fleck, Mark O'Connor, Pat Alger, Lloyd Green, and more appear on this record. The title song was covered by Dolly Parton in 1985.

The Last of the True Believers' was released in 1986, and Griffith continues her turn into a more country- oriented sound. It also includes "Love at the Five and Dime" and "Goin' Gone," which were later hits for Kathy Mattea. This album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Dunkelgrünes Vinyl. Vor einigen Jahren, irgendwo in einem Tour Van in Idaho, wurde den Chastity Belt Mitgliedern Julia Shapiro, Gretchen Grimm, Lydia Lund und Annie Truscott zu langweilig und sie fanden eine recht ungewöhnliche Beschäftigung: Sie fingen an einander Komplimente zu machen, sehr detailliert und umfangreich. Das mögen wir an dir am Liebsten; Deshalb lieben wir dich. An dieses Bild denke ich die ganze Zeit, die Vier, wie sie sich den anderen gegenüber auf diese Weise offenbaren, freiwillig. Es fällt schwer sich vorzustellen, dass das andere Bands tun würden. Jenseits ihrer doch recht omnipräsenten Social Media Seiten mit tonnen von Duck Face Schnuten, der ,I don't care" Attitüde, liegt ganz am Grund eine Ehrlichkeit und Intimität als auch eine emotionale Brillanz, die alles was Chastity Belt kreieren, verschmelzen lässt. Simple ausgedrückt: Sie sind witzig aber auch in der Lage sehr verletzlich zu sein. Giant Vagina und Pussy Weed Beer, zwei Highlights ihres 2013er Debüts No Regerts, wurden prompt gefolgt von dem großartigen aber leicht zu übersehenden Happiness. Bei dem 2015er Time to Go Home habe ich ständig meine jüngere, unstetere Version vor Augen gehabt. Der kommende Juni markiert die Veröffentlichung von I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone, ihr drittes und bisher bestes Album. Mit dem Produzenten Matthew Simms (Wire) live im Juli 2016 in Portland / Oregon (Geburtsstätte einiger ihrer favorisierten Elliot Smith Alben) aufgenommen, ist es ein dunkles und ungewöhnlich schönes Set aus Moody Post Punk, dass die Gefühlsbreite der Band aus Seattle in vollem Ausmaß und nicht durch Humor gefiltert zeigt. Da ist keine Ironie im Titel: Bevor sie Chastity Belt gründete, sah sich Shapiro klar als einsamen Wolf. Das ist keine kleine Geste. Ich kann dieses Album so sehr nachempfinden wie in meinen 20ern: Das ist ein mutiges und oft berauschendes Gewirr aus gemischten Gefühlen und quälenden Melodien, die atemberaubende Angst (This Time of Night) mit schimmernder Erkenntnis (Different Now) und hauchdünner Ungewissheit (Stuck - geschrieben und gesungen von Grimm) verbindet. Es ist eine ernste Platte. Shapiro definiert es wahrscheinlich am besten selbst: ,I wanna be sincere." Als ich die Band frage, wie dieser Text hier werden soll, war ihr einziger Anspruch, dass er kurz, ehrlich und ohne Übertreibung sein soll, Als ich mehr erfahren will sagt Truscott: "Just say that we love each other. Because we do." So sind sie, deshalb liebe ich sie. - David Bevan (Pitchfork), Februar 2017

Andres Klein alias Ackermann hails from beautiful Stuttgart and has been in the music producing biz for about 20 years. He's been running is own imprint Traktor records for a long time, churning out House, Techhouse, Techno and anything in between. His tune „I Got My Man“ got remixed by italian Mattia Borriello aka M.I.T.A. for Marco Faraone's Uncage label. This tune got heavy play by quite a few A-list Techno DJs around the globe, one of them Answer Code Request who couldn't stop dropping that diva drama belter in his sets in „The Big House“ in East Berlin. That's where it caught All That Jelly label head Mr. Fonk's ear and so it had to get pressed on hot waxxx! The 12“ is accompanied by two equally cheerful Techno slammers with a groovy House edge. You're gonna love 'em!

Balishark will be finally out on earth physically, on twelve with a pretty handprinted cover with love. This record is something very special for us, its a bunch of eternal "souvenirs" of smile, light, sun, fun.... with our friend, this beauty man on the back cover, sunbeams filled!! !! ! !

Five songs compose this album, the first one, balishark is a proper "pièce sonore", its a lot of Pierre Sharki's field recordings he did in the wonderland of Balì, they, with Guitos Samba, Jonas Taupe Gun and Grand Matthias fixed a composition from this atmos sound in La Cabane, studio in Lyon. "Jawabarat" is a pure interpretation of west java gamelan rhythm and logic. And the B face are jams only, excerpt from early mornings! A multi world sounds around our friend Guitos Samba :)

Trumpeter, bandleader and composer Matthew Halsall announces landmark new album An Ever Changing View, an expansive, immaculately conceived project which presents Halsall’s signature blend of jazz, electronica, global and spiritual jazz influences.

An Ever Changing View will be released on September 8th on Gondwana Records (the label Halsall founded 15 years ago) ahead of a landmark show at The Royal Albert Hall in London on September 21st and UK and EU tour dates.

Halsall who has been hailed as one of the leading figures of the UK jazz renaissance has never seen himself as part of any one sound or scene: he builds his own sonic universe instead. An Ever Changing View finds him at his most experimental yet, once again expanding his sound and production techniques to create his unique brand of deeply meditative music.

During the album's creation, he was staying in both a beautiful architect’s house with breath-taking sea views and a striking modernist house, where he composed what he saw “like a landscape painting”. In these new environments, Halsall wanted to capture “the feeling of openness and escapism” and to approach making music again from scratch. “I hit the reset button and wanted to have complete musical freedom,” he says. “It was a real exploration of sound.”

It was hearing jazz on the dancefloor as a teenager that first opened up new possibilities in Halsall’s mind and his music has long drawn on his love for the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders and contemporary electronica from the likes of Warp Records and Ninja Tune. An Ever Changing View melds those forms in a way that feels heady and, at times, even otherworldly. One of the album’s starting points was Halsall’s ever-expanding box of percussion, from congas and kalimba to various clusters of seeds, bells and chimes, which he sampled and looped to use as a foundation for the songs – a first for him and his band. Elevating, charming, totally modern jazz tracks jostle with deft warm magic realism; and laid back grooves with hand percussion, deep bass and the gorgeous glisten of the Fender Rhodes meet hip-hop beats. Halsall himself sparkles, illuminating his beautiful tapestries of sound with lithe, glistening elegiac trumpet.

Trumpeter, bandleader and composer Matthew Halsall announces landmark new album An Ever Changing View, an expansive, immaculately conceived project which presents Halsall’s signature blend of jazz, electronica, global and spiritual jazz influences.



An Ever Changing View will be released on September 8th on Gondwana Records (the label Halsall founded 15 years ago) ahead of a landmark show at The Royal Albert Hall in London on September 21st and UK and EU tour dates.



Halsall who has been hailed as one of the leading figures of the UK jazz renaissance has never seen himself as part of any one sound or scene: he builds his own sonic universe instead. An Ever Changing View finds him at his most experimental yet, once again expanding his sound and production techniques to create his unique brand of deeply meditative music.



During the album's creation, he was staying in both a beautiful architect’s house with breath-taking sea views and a striking modernist house, where he composed what he saw “like a landscape painting”. In these new environments, Halsall wanted to capture “the feeling of openness and escapism” and to approach making music again from scratch. “I hit the reset button and wanted to have complete musical freedom,” he says. “It was a real exploration of sound.”



It was hearing jazz on the dancefloor as a teenager that first opened up new possibilities in Halsall’s mind and his music has long drawn on his love for the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders and contemporary electronica from the likes of Warp Records and Ninja Tune. An Ever Changing View melds those forms in a way that feels heady and, at times, even otherworldly. One of the album’s starting points was Halsall’s ever-expanding box of percussion, from congas and kalimba to various clusters of seeds, bells and chimes, which he sampled and looped to use as a foundation for the songs – a first for him and his band. Elevating, charming, totally modern jazz tracks jostle with deft warm magic realism; and laid back grooves with hand percussion, deep bass and the gorgeous glisten of the Fender Rhodes meet hip-hop beats. Halsall himself sparkles, illuminating his beautiful tapestries of sound with lithe, glistening elegiac trumpet.

"Paul, Rick and River" is a programmatic title for the new album from Munich-based Paul Brändle Trio, a Modern Jazz group led by the eponymous 31-year old guitar player and band leader. Playing together for years and across continents, this recording manifests the trio's current state of matter, focusing on a no-gimmicks approach and a classic, melodic style of musical world-building.

The latest project by "El Gusano", a moniker of the elusive Pablo Arrangoiz, aka Dj Fitness, Bauzer Vep, Señor Faxwater, Glue Boy, Goiz and too many more to list (seriously, check out his Bandcamp/discogs). Arrangoiz is a Mexican native based in Miami, known as much for his ever varying aliases as he is for his scrupulous production and sui generis live and DJ sets. Focused on incorporating Latin ritmos with contemporary elements of his other influences such as house, techno, free jazz, German new wave, electro, Miami bass, noise, and more, Arrangoiz’s production, much like the artist himself, is one of a kind.

Saka La Bolsita", the inaugural release on Impacto, the new label and love child of Miami powerhouse producers Nick León and Jonny From Space, is a sonic conglomeration of acid cumbia with slivering jazz chords, microtonal reggaetón constructed with a tuning system made by finding the overtones of air conditioners, demonic dembow with a dash of house, Autotune Festival sex music, and all out pure ratchet core with an El Chavó sample. Including collaborations with lifetime friend Matt Angel AKA "El Descarao".

Don Cherry's downtown Paris funk masterwork produced in 1985 by Ramuntcho Matta and originally released by Barclay in France only, finally gets a worldwide release on Wewantsounds. Featuring French post-punk muse Elli Medeiros, avant garde poet Brion Gysin and cult Senegalese drummer Abdoulaye Prosper Niang (Xalam), this is a unique soundbite of Paris in the early 80s at its coolest when funk, jazz and new wave were mingling with sounds from Africa, Jamaica and Latin America. Newly Remastered, the album is augmented by a second LP worth of bonus tracks and a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a new essay by French journalist Jacques Denis (Liberation).

RIYL: Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Bark Psychosis, Caspian, Mogwai, This Will Destroy You. Exclusive vinyl colour (Opaque Mix Hellfire), limited to 1000 copies, and features a gatefold jacket, printed two-sided Euro sleeves, four art prints, and download code. Breaking from the strange monotony and abnormal norms that took hold during two years of pandemic life, Hammock returns with Love in the Void, an album that looks to the future, seizes the present, and unabashedly relishes the experiences and bonds that bring meaning to our days. Known for crafting orchestral works of stirring cinematic ambience, on Love in the Void the Nashville-based duo of Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson bring guitar-forward, heart-pounding urgency to songs that shout through and shatter the static of complacency. Since forming as Hammock in 2003, Byrd and Thompson have released 14 critically-acclaimed albums and are renowned for their unique talent for bringing inexpressible emotion to life. The Covid-19 pandemic followed closely after one of Hammock’s career-defining works, the Mysterium, Universalis, and Silencia trilogy that chronicled the incomprehensible loss of Byrd’s 20-year old nephew. At their homes and apart, Byrd and Thompson then recorded Elsewhere, an album of shimmering ambience that channelled alienated longing and displacement into avenues that gave way to worlds and possibilities yet realized. Shaken awake and needing to break free of frustrations and longings, Love in the Void pulses with an unbridled spirit for action and experience and a burning desire for connection. Across songs that hammer home the keenly felt emotions of life’s highs and lows, Byrd and Thompson crest soaring crescendos awash in reverb and delve to keenly felt moments of quiet introspection, with unflinching lyrics on tracks like “Undoing” and “Denial of Endings’’ that weigh choices made and circumstances that can’t be changed. Lush and dramatic string orchestration from Matt Kidd (Slow Meadow) and emphatic drumming from Jake Finch heighten the stakes in play, and Christine Byrd’s (Lumenette) ethereal vocals leave mysteries lingering in the haze. Love in the Void is Hammock’s loudest album to date, embracing daring and vulnerability with palpable vitality at its core, and moving into an unknown future without fear.

Tracked in 1977, this bundle of never-before-released basement demos throw Harris’ beloved Philadelphia Sound into an unfinished root cellar, pelting it with Clavinet attacks, disco skats, and infectious hooks. Named for the street address of its underground uptown genesis, 1514 Oliver Avenue (Basement) is James “Jimmy Jam” Harris’ first foray into songcraft and an organic Minneapolis-vintage alternative to a late ’70s Prince songbook gone increasingly synthetic.

Tracked in 1977, this bundle of never-before-released basement demos throw Harris’ beloved Philadelphia Sound into an unfinished root cellar, pelting it with Clavinet attacks, disco skats, and infectious hooks. Named for the street address of its underground uptown genesis, 1514 Oliver Avenue (Basement) is James “Jimmy Jam” Harris’ first foray into songcraft and an organic Minneapolis-vintage alternative to a late ’70s Prince songbook gone increasingly synthetic.

'Ain't Ever Easy' is the best example to date. The muscular, chooglin' beat of the country funk heater "Can't Take Back" opens Ryan Curtis' sophomore album 'Ain't Ever Easy.' Like a steam train gliding into some high desert station, it bears the strong vintage machinery of Curtis' "alt-country from the high country" sound. The song lopes in on oozing guitar and keys over a backbeat that pulses sexier than a
breakup song has the right to be. Regret has rarely sounded this happy, but Curtis is capable of turning love and loss into dripping hot, powerful songs. Over the last decade the various styles of country have become Curtis' stock-in-trade. With a gravelly growl he paints cinematic pictures of picaresque people from the Midwest and the badlands; down and out townies, bar room drifters, forlorn lovers, and resilient loners fill his visionary tales, mournful subject matter he turns into country gold.

2023 Repress Blue Vinyl

- Eagerly anticipated follow up to 2014 debut - number 7 in Mojo's best albums of the year.
- LP jacket is gloss laminate with front & back folds on the outside.The back panel is uncoated/matt varnish - 300 gsm card and 180g vinyl. Digital Download included.
- EU tour coming in April with Summer festivals later in 2017.

Sometimes it can take years to find your calling. Not so, for wanderer Julie Byrne, whose power of lyrical expression and melodic nous seems inborn. But often, what comes naturally demonstrates against speed. Julie's second album Not Even Happiness has taken time to evolve, but as it spans recollections of bustling roadside diners, the stars over the high desert, the aching weariness of change, the wildflowers on the coast of California and the irresolvable mysteries of love. Her new album archives a vivid world that would've otherwise been lost to the road and in doing so, Byrne exhibits her extraordinarily innate musicality.

In fact, some of the album's songs took two years of fine tuning to get where they needed to be. And if you were to ask her why the follow up to 2014's Rooms With Walls And Windows has taken so long, you'd only be greeted with a bemused smile as though it's the strangest question she's ever been asked, Writing comes from a natural process of change and growth. It took me up to this point to have the capacity to express my experience of the time in my life that these songs came from.'

Having counted Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Northampton, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Seattle, New Orleans as her home in recent years. For now, Julie has settled in New York City where she moonlights as a seasonal urban park ranger in Manhattan. Whether witnessing the Pacific Northwest for the first time ('Melting Grid'), the morning sky in Colorado after staying up through the night at a house party in the mountains of Boulder ('Natural Blue'), recording the passage of freight trains on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York ('Interlude'), or a journey fragrant with rose water, reading Frank O'Hara aloud from the passengers seat during a drive through the desert of Utah into the rainforest of Washington State ('All The Land Glimmered Beneath'), Not Even Happiness is Julie's beguilingly ode to the fringes of life.

Self-taught on the guitar after picking it up when her father became ill and could no longer play the instrument himself, Julie readily admits she can't read music and doesn't even listen to it all that much - the first vinyl she owned was indeed, her own. Recorded with producer Eric Littmann (Phantom Posse), Julie laid down the new album in her childhood home in western New York state and offers an altogether bigger picture to its predecessor through a wider, yet subtle, exploration of instruments and atmospherics, Not Even Happiness reveals an artist who has grown in confidence over time.

Byrne's debut album was released back in January 2014 on Chicago based DIY label Orindal after initially being as two separate cassettes releases. Rooms With Walls and Windows went onto become a true modern-day word of mouth success story (it would have to be for an artist who shuns all forms of social media) and ended the year being voted number 7 in Mojo magazine's best albums of the year, with the Huffington Post calling it "2014's Great American Album". A collection of hushed intimate front porch psych-folk songs, that unknowingly recalled the greats, but felt very much for our time. It saw her travel to Europe over two summers playing the Green Man festival and End Of The Road, as well as lesser trodden tour paths around Europe.

Julie Byrne will take the songs from Not Even Happiness (the first release on a new record label Basin Rock, based in the Lancashire / Yorkshire border town of Todmorden) on the road throughout 2017.

"One Sunday afternoon in 1990, I had a phone call from Keith saying that Sarah Records had received the demo cassette the two of us had recorded on a 4-track in a friend's shed and were interested in putting out two of the songs as a single. T

hey were Clearer and Alison. Delighted by this news, we booked some recording time with a studio we'd regularly used in our previous incarnation as Feverfew, the White House in Weston-super-Mare.

This was the first time we'd ever played a note of music that was using someone else's money, so the pressure was being felt. We recorded Clearer, Fearon and Chelsea Guitar, with Clearer becoming Sarah 55, the first of eight singles for the band across two labels. At that time, we were still toying with a name for ourselves and had settled with the Art Bunnies.

While driving us back home from Weston, though, I declared that I really couldn't see how people would take us seriously with a name like that. Disappointed, Keith (Girdler) then got out a piece of paper upon which he'd written several other contenders. These included Opal Trumpet, the Smiling Monarchs and (thankfully) Blueboy."

A Colourful Storm presents Blueboy's singles collection and the band's final retrospective release. Beautiful gatefold sleeve designed by Sarah Records' own Matt Haynes with original artwork insert, postcard and liner notes by Paul Stewart.

Their second LP, Astral Plains, arrives on via We Are Busy Bodies. While the group's 2021 debut Noteland was described as "akin to getting stuck in a sensory deprivation tank with Keith Jarrett", in itself by no means a bad scenario, by contrast Astral Plains opens up, offering spacious and blue- sky arrangements and production. Perhaps it's closer to laying in a prairie field looking for animals in the clouds with Mark Hollis.