A Certain Ratio (Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop, and Donald Johnson) present their new 'Christmasville UK EP' on limited edition orange 12” vinyl.

This four-track release features ACR’s first-ever Christmas track, ‘Now and Laughter’ (“ACR does Christmas!” the band exclaims, “who’d have thunk it? We are big Slade fans though…”). Alongside this festive debut are three remixes from their acclaimed album 'It All Comes Down To This'. To celebrate the season, Kerr, Moscrop, and Johnson have invited some extended ACR family to contribute: Jane Weaver, their labelmate from Rob Gretton’s much-missed label in the ‘90s, remixes ‘Where You Coming From’, while long-time friend and collaborator Emperor Machine (aka Andy Meecham) delivers an extended remix of ‘Out From Under’. Adding a fresh twist, some newer friends have been invited into the fold, with London-based Jezebell bringing the Electro-Balearic party vibe to ‘We All Need’.

This limited edition orange 12” vinyl is available in a run of 500 copies.

TRACK LISTING

Now And Laughter
Out From Under (Jane Weaver Rework)
Out From Under (Emperor Machine Extended Rework)
We All Need (Jezebell's Ghost Train Mix)

Ryan Adams’ infamous cult classic album “Blackhole” is released on classic black vinyl and CD for the very first time. The album’s contents and final tracklisting have been widely speculated since its conception in the early 00’s. After nearly two decades of anticipation, Adams is now ready to unveil the official release of Blackhole. Featuring “Catherine”, heard only in live performances, alongside previously unheard material, Blackhole captures the raw, unfiltered emotion that defines Adam’s songwriting. The shelved album, first demoed in 2006, became heavily bootlegged, with fans circulating low-quality recordings and snippets from live performances, fuelling a demand for the album’s official release. This long-awaited, full-length album not only satisfies years of fan speculation, but also reclaims a crucial moment in Ryan Adam’s history. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: After nearly two decades of anticipation, Adams is now ready to unveil the official release of Blackhole. Featuring “Catherine”, heard only in live performances, alongside previously unheard material, Blackhole captures the raw, unfiltered emotion that defines Adam’s songwriting

“Don’t tell me this is wrong to enjoy all these feelings”, Freya purrs with a lip-smacking sense of relish. A song all about the conflicting feelings that can shadow a sense of empowerment, “Beast” finds Freya stepping into the shoes of Lady Justice and taking the scales into her own hands. Laden with the typically evocative imagery we have come to expect from the London songwriter, its lyrics toy with our notions of lust and love, guilt and the truth, the milk of human kindness and the poison of power; to create something exhilarating and asphyxiating in equal measures. Produced by Peter Hobbs (The Boy Least Likely To), it’s a track of unrelenting intensity that locks the listener with clenched jaws from the outset. As its spiralling arrangements hypnotise and Owain Hanford’s prowling percussives paralyse, its Freya who delivers the deathly sting in the tail with puncturing guitar barbs that will spare no-one in their path.


The latest in a string of captivating singles, “Beast” follows previous cuts “Siren” and “Calm Before The Storm”; each paving the way for one of 2021’s most anticipated new releases from one of its most defiantly uncompromising new talents. Freya Beer has earned a reputation for music that mixes poetic lyrics inspired by Charles Bukowski or Anne Sexton, with the distinctive gothic stylings of Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, or David Lynch. Highly literate in her reference points both musical and written, they shine no greater than on the obsidian sheen of her bewitching debut album: ‘Beast’. Unphased by the isolating impositions of the previous year, Freya used the period’s foreboding limitations as a means to feed her art and blossom as an artist. Using her time away from the live stage to connect with her creative impulses on a deeper level, she began to nurture and raise the debut album she had always wanted to make. Delving into the aspirations of the dreaming to the lucid nightmares of the living, the songs of ‘Beast’ find Freya blurring fiction and reality with a disorienting daze. Scouring the silver screen for nuanced narratives, many of the songs of ‘Beast’ glean initial inspiration from characters seen in classic cinema. Distorting their stories and injecting traits of her own volition, their journeys soon become very different prospects

TRACK LISTING

1. Beast
2. The Calm Before The Storm
3. Forget It
4. Secret Garden
5. Arms Open Wide
6. Dear Sweet Rosie
7. Siren
8. To The Heavens And All Their Work
9. Pure
10. Beauty
11. Put It To The Test

END OF YEAR BONUS DISC EDITION - BOTH FORMATS INCLUDE A 13 TRACK BONUS CD DISC 'A LIGHT AND A SCREAM'.

Third album from Allentown/PA three-piece Catatonic Suns: their self-released sophomore LP “Saudade” from early '22 was a feat of sonic guitar haze and grunged out pop.

The new album is a step forward in sound for the band, it sees them blend the underground psychedelia of the late 80s / early 90s Pacific Northwest with the shimmering shoegazery of Britain from the same time. Heavy and soft guitars, songs that soar, these new recordings verge on the epic.

For fans of Screaming Trees, Nirvana, The Verve (early), Loop, Slowdive, and Ride.

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Catatonic Suns are a psychedelic three-piece hailing from Pennsylvania, USA. Having released a couple of low-key releases (the mini-album ‘Aphelion’ in 2019 and a full length ‘Suadade’ in 2022) they’ve completely blown our minds with their new self-titled album.

Featuring seven original tracks and a raucous amped-up Original Sins cover, ‘Catatonic Suns’ finds the band honing their sound to perfection. Pitched somewhere between the melodic grunge noise of Nirvana and the blissed-out shoegaze of Ride and Swervedriver, the Catatonic Suns have delivered an astonishing album.

From the psych drenched opener “Deadzone” through to the huge eight minute swirling space-rock of “No Stranger” the band have created an epic wall of sound. Tracks like “Failsafe” and “Be As One” showcase the band's melodic side (either of these wouldn’t be out of place on the Verve’s ‘A Storm In Heaven’) whilst “Fell Off” and the aforementioned Original Sins cover “Inside Out” sees lead singer / guitarist Patrick Shields practically shredding his own vocal chords. Throughout all of this the rhythm section of Caleb Strobl (drums) and Jakob Christman (bass) keep things tight allowing the swirling guitar maelstrom to ride off into the sun.

TRACK LISTING

1. Deadzone
2. Slack
3. Failsafe
4. Inside Out (Original Sins Cover)
5. Sublunary
6. Fell Off
7. Be As One
8. No Stranger

The always superb Sounds Of The City comes through here with some freshness and newness via their newly minted 'Sounds Of The City, Dark' series. It finds the French outfit Catalogue debuting on the label with a sound that brings a different perspective to the new post-punk movement. Their sound is a mixing pot of an array of different influences and what you get is music that will get you nodding to the grooves while your mind gets lost exploring synthetic elements, angular guitar riffs, robotic rhythms and lovely deep bass.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1 "Synchronized"
2. "Parallele Lines"
3. "Fragments"
4. "Suburban Girls"
5. "Houseplant"
6. "2030"

Side 2
1. "At Night"
2. "Casino"
3. "La Croix"
4. "Ageing"
5. "Kids Of The Black Hole"

A surf guitar landmark! Dick Dale’s 1962 debut LP Surfers’ Choice introduced the world to the thunderous sound of surf guitar, as pioneered by the man who invented the style. Largely recorded at Dale’s legendary Rendezvous Ballroom in Balboa Beach and featuring such tunes as ‘Let’s Go Trippin’,’ ‘Surf Beat,’ and ‘Misirlou Twist,’ this ground-breaking album forever changed the face of rock guitar.

TRACK LISTING

Surf Beat
Sloop John B
Take It Off
Night Owl
Fanny Mae
Misirlou Twist
Peppermint Man
Surfing Drums
Shake N Stomp
Lovey Dovey
Death Of A Gremmie
Let S Go Trippin
Del-tone Rock
Jungle Fever
Eight Till Midnight
Misirlou

Field Music announce ‘Limits of Language’, their first album of new music for almost four years. Back in 2022, the touring cycle for the ‘Flat White Moon’ album ended with a sense of finality. For the first time since the Mercury-nominated ‘Plumb’ ten years earlier, Peter and David had no plan for what, if anything, would come next. However, after six years of continuation, they were clear that if Field Music was to carry on then it would have to be different, in both sound and scope.

Solo projects followed with 2023 seeing the arrival of David’s quietly-jazzy ‘Soft Struggles’, the playful of electronica of Peter’s ‘Blowdry Colossus’ alongside a limited-issue brass collaboration LP ‘Binding Time’ and the vault-raiding ‘John Monroe EP’, made with original Field Music keyboard player Andrew Moore.

It was these albums that provided fresh impetus for what was to become the new Field Music record. Whilst Peter amassed the instrumental compositions which become ‘Blowdry Colossus’, he was also tinkering with a batch of songs which would form the basis of ‘Limits of Language’, songs which mixed synthesised textures with off-the-cuff flickers of guitar and layers of disorientating found-sound percussion.

These fleshed-out demos included ‘The Waitress of St Louis’, an ode to the now-closed Sunderland café ’Louis’, which featured on the cover of their 2007 album ‘Tones of Town’, and to the Maggiore family who ran this cherished institution.

David’s songs came from a different angle but leant into the same sonic palette and shared the same sense of a past becoming granulated. Album opener, ‘Six Weeks, Nine Wells’ pits the hazy ecstasies of school summer holidays against the fear and foreboding of a child peeking through into an adult world.

‘Limits of Language’ sees Field Music continue with their astonishing, bloody-minded run of releases. A run which equates to an impressive twenty-one “Field Music Productions” in nineteen years as a band. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Field Music return with a hugely anticipated, and tremendously ambitious new album that is reminiscent of their earlier albums but with a renewed vigour, and bold sonic outlook. There are bright swathes of guitar and pummeling percussion, chugging industrial bass riffs and jagged 80's synthpop strokes. A hugely welcome, wonderfully conceived return.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Six Weeks, Nine Wells
2. The Guardian Of Sleep
3. The Limits Of Language
4. Sounds About Right
5. Absolutely Negative

Side B
1. Curfew In The Square
2. Turn The Hours Away
3. On The Other Side
4. The Waitress Of St Louis’
5. I Might Have Been Wrong
6. Between The Bridges

Grammy nominated DJ and production mastermind Paul Woolford steps up to deliver a timeless house reworking of Gabriels 'Angels & Queens'.

The title track from the trio's debut album (part 1) that took 2022 by storm. Endeared by the masses and critically acclaimed Gabriels set out a refreshing new take on soul that the world was subconsciously crying out for - an antidote to over produced pop - providing a deeper, more meaningful and heartfelt cause at its centre.

Tantalising from the outset, Woolford steps up to the plate with a hard-hitting remix that drives in straight to your centre. Punchy TR-909 drums combine with thundering bass tones and his archetypal, rising piano hooks. A combination that brings Jacob Lusk's inimitable vocals to new heights.

After a feverish reception to Paul's Instagram tease of the track, we've been itching to release this remix into the wild. It's a big one, don't miss it!

'Three supremely talented artists simply excelling at what they do' - Paul Woolford

Gerd Janson - 'Gabriels!!! - Total madness at Panorama Bar. Like it was made for the room'

TRACK LISTING

A1. Paul Woolford's Special Request Mix
B1. Original Version
B2. Paul Woolford's Special Request Radio Edit

Experimental North London alt-pop outfit Gengahr return with their anticipated new album, Red Sun Titans, produced and mixed by Matt Glasbey.

Comprising of bassist Hugh Schulte, drummer Danny Ward, lead vocals/guitarist Felix Bushe and guitarist John Victor, Gengahr first arrived in 2015 with their debut album, A Dream Outside, gathering rave reviews for its dark take on dreamy shoegaze and updated approach to British-bred indie rock.

The band promoted the record on a nationwide and European tour before getting to work on their sophomore effort Where Wilderness Grows (2017), praised by the likes of DIY and The Line of Best Fit. They returned in 2020 for their third LP, Sanctuary, capturing the magic from their debut and featuring hits ‘Heavenly Maybe’ and ‘Icarus’.

'Red Sun Titans' is Gengahr at their finest – a bold collection of indie pop that sees the beloved UK outfit continue to push the boundaries. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: Well isn't this just lovely? Gengahr are back with another collection a sun-kissed indie alt-pop that channels the likes of Wild Beasts and Bombay Bicycle Club. My 18 year old indie kid self would have LAPPED this up and, to be honest, my haggard 27 year old self can't resist it either - check it!

TRACK LISTING

1. Alkali
2. Red Sun Titans
3. From Beruit (Interlude)
4. A Ladder
5. In The Moment
6. Heels To The Moon
7. Floating In The Undercurrent (Interlude)
8. White Lightning
9. Suburbia
10. In My Way
11. The Interview
12. Haunted Spaces (Interlude)
13. Napoleon
14. Collapse

Rock Action Records are pleased to present Gentle Sinners, a project by James Graham of The Twilight Sad and....ta dah! Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap! "These Actions Cannot Be Undone" is the brilliant album from two pals who wanted to try something different musically. The outcome being an epic explorative set of songs that stands quite apart from their esteemed work with Arab Strap and The Twilight Sad.

TRACK LISTING

1 Waiting For Nothing
2 Killing This Time
3 Let Them Rot Feat. AKG
4 The Cries
5 Date & Sign
1 Rent Free
2 Shores Of Anhedonia
3 Face To Fire (After Nyman)
4 Don't Say Goodnight
5 Landfill

Following the release of her debut album, Stay Alive (2020) and the At War With The Silverfish EP (2021), Emmy-nominated artist, author, musician, activist and Against Me! founder/songwriter, Laura Jane Grace, returns with Hole In My Head - her beautiful new album featuring eleven tracks that showcase her undeniable power as a songwriter & storyteller. The album features her most personal and emotionally gripping songs of her career - stripped down masterpieces like Dysphoria Hoodie paired with blistering distorted anthems like Hole In My Head and Birds Talk Too, tracks that demand the listener’s attention with an immediacy and urgency unlike anything Grace has written before.

Recorded at Native Sound in St. Louis, Missouri by David Beeman and mastered by Matt Allison (Lawrence Arms, Rise Against), the album is a sonic curio cabinet containing multitudes. Featuring warm 50s-rock-influenced guitar riffs and rock style melody a la Jonathan Richman and Eddie Cochran, saved-for-later lyrics, love letters to St. Louis, dysphoria apparel, and thoughtful reflections on a punk life lived, Grace's forward vocals are backed predominately by her performances on guitar and drums but are bolstered by Drive By Trucker's bassist Matt Patton.

The record's title track Hole in My Head takes off with a driving guitar-heavy approach that will be welcome to long-time fans of Against Me! electric machinations, while first single Dysphoria Hoodie has been a staple in Grace’s setlist, and one which is as personal as it is pertinent in today’s climate.

Choice cuts I’m Not A Cop and Punk Rock In Basements are written through a post-pandemic rose-colored lens, the latter looking back on the formative underground spaces of Grace’s youth. Basement shows for decades were hallmark experiences for anyone involved in their local punk scenes, shaping movements, connections, and culture through the forced, sweaty proximity necessary to pour over raucous punk music.

Hole in My Head is a record which captures the nuances of humanity and experience in a strangely optimistic manner. The lightness of its influence and the journalistic recollection of experience set against a battered and warm folk-punk delivery from beginning to end makes Hole in My Head a fun comfort. It is a welcome embrace of life and just the start of a new chapter in Laura Jane Grace’s raucous journey.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Laura Jane Grace's journey has been a storied one, starting her career in one of the most beloved new wave punk rock bands in the late 90's, and ending up as a prolific and gifted composer, multimedia artist and writer. 'Hole In My Head' is once again a brilliantly balanced, fiery and dynamic solo outing from Grace.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Hole In My Head
2. I'm Not A Cop
3. Dysphoria Hoodie
4. Birds Talk Too
5. Punk Rock In Basements
Side B
1. Cuffing Season
2. Tacos & Toast
3. Mercenary
4. Keep Your Wheels Straight
5. Hard Feelings
6. Give Up The Ghost

DJ and producer Gratts returns to his own imprint with the third instalment of the "Balearic but bumpin'" trilogy. Here, the Belgian puts forward a captivating piece of organic, Body & Soul NY inspired deep house, assisted by Cata Mansikka-aho on vocals. As always, an instrumental is provided for maximum nightclub daydreaming. On the flipside, British duo Faze Action up the energy levels with an equally musical disco version that hits in all the right spots. Artwork once again by Mads Cooke.

TRACK LISTING

Rhythm Of Love
Rhythm Of Love (Daydreamin' Instrumental)
Rhythm Of Love (Faze Action Remix)

62 years of music, loves, losses, long summer days and longer, darker nights are vividly recalled by ‘our greatest living songwriter’, Michael Head and The Red Elastic Band as he plays out flickering scenes from his life on new album, Loophole.

12 evocative and autobiographical songs to be accompanied by the written word as Michael Head prepares his memoirs for release with an autobiography with Nine Eight Books. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Dear Scott's mellower sibling picks up where our record of the year left off, with the stunning Shirl's Ghost, and meanders beautifully through Mick's usual magical worlds before ending on his ages old, but hitherto not recorded, lost classic, Coda. Mick's only gone and smashed it again. As the maestro himself would undoubtedly say: Is Right!

TRACK LISTING

1 Shirl's Ghost
2 Ambrosia
3 Ciao Ciao Bambino
4 Tout Suite!
5 The Human Race
6 You Smiled At Me
7 A Ricochet Moment
8 Connemara
9 Merry-Go-Round
10 You're A Long Time Dead
11 Naturally It's You
12 Coda

7" - Exclusive To Dinked Edition
Side A
1. Connemara - Acoustic (Live From Hebden Bridge)
Side B
2. Tour Suite! (Live Acoustic From Hebden Bridge)

Hot Chip celebrate 20 years since the release of their seminal debut album, originally released in 2004 via Moshi Moshi Records.

“Restlessly inventive, Hot Chip have crafted a genuinely organic, proper album, and the relaxed enthusiasm that drives this debut is absurdly infectious” Uncut.

“An oddly beautiful record” Time Out “.

A dazzling debut” NME.

“Hot and very strong” Dazed. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Take Care
The Beach Party
Keep Fallin

Side B
Playboy
Crap Kraft Dinner

Side C
Down With Prince
Bad Luck
You Ride, We Ride, In My Ride

Side D
Shining Escalade
Baby Said
One One One

Side E
Hittin Skittles
Marrow
My PC
From Drummer To Driver

Side F
Defeated By Technology
Back To The Future
A-B-C

The Bonus Tracks Are:
“Hittin Skittles” *
“From Drummer To Driver” *
“Marrow”
“My PC (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)”
“Defeated By Technology”
“Back To The Future”
“A-B-C”

* These Two Have Been Available Digitally In The Past But This Is The First And Only Time They Will Be Available On A Physical Format.

Peter Alexander Jobson: Musician, Composer, Performer. Ex member of Mercury nominated I Am Kloot. On occasion guitar player for Guy Garvey. On occasion bass player for Nadine Shah.

Ahead of the release of his debut album in 2022, adopted Mancunian Peter Alexander Jobson brings us this rather wonderful four track EP.

"I have been writing and recording my debut album for 50 years. It is now complete."

“When men do great things everyone knows it takes them a very long time”.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Imagine the plaintive beauty of Bill Fay, but with a wicked sense of humour. Or Richard Hawley's classicist vibes but topped with a barstool storyteller. Then you'll get some idea of the sound of PAJ. There's a real poise and deep sense of bruised beauty on display here. It's magnificent.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Holiday (Live)
2. Just ‘Cause I'm Dead
3. Please Please Please

Side B
1. Kesta

South African Warrick Sony is a ground breaking composer who was behind the Kalahari Surfers project which now gets a vital spotlight courtesy of Emotional Rescue. This compilation shows how effortlessly eclectic his sound was - from jive rhythms to jazz, tabla to political speeches and much more in between. A Hindu pacifist who was once conscripted into the South African Defense Force, he founded this group as a way out getting his ides out there, calling on other musicians as and when he needed them. It was the first radical white anti-apartheid pop in South Africa and as this vital collection shows it explored polyrhythms, slow motorik, dub sound collage and even a goofy cover of Nancy Sinatra.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Free State Fence
2. Crossed Cheques
3. Running Out Of Time
4. Beat About The Bush
5. Ten Dirty Fingers
6. Hillbrow 2

Side 2
1. Don't Dance
2. Beatle Love Song
3. I Wonder Why
4. Song For Magnus
5. Messer Im Kopf
6. Telephone
7. "Perpetual Emotion"

Alex Kassian's extended rendition of E2–E4 promises a 12-minute electronic odyssey, tailor-made for diverse dancefloors from its spiritual home Ibiza and beyond. On the flip side, Mad Professor embarks on a club-oriented version excursion, a rare gem in its own right. This reimagining breathes new life into the classic, offering fresh perspectives for music aficionados everywhere. Hot tip for release of the year!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Probably one of the most the eagerly anticipated twelves of the year. Alex Kassian and Mad Professor deliver new versions of Manuel Gottsching's epic Balearic-house-krautrock crossover monster "E2-E4". Without doubt it's the release of the year!!!

TRACK LISTING

A1. A Reference To E2-E4 By Manuel Gottsching
B1. A Reference To E2-E4 By Manuel Gottsching (Mad Professor’s Qantas Crazy Remix)

“Eggsistentialism” sees The Lovely Eggs return after a 4 year break since their Number One Independent Selling Album “I am Moron”. During that time they have made their own TV show Eggs TV (featuring Ian McKaye, Stewart Lee, Katie Puckrik, Maxine Peake, David Shrigley and more), dueted with Iggy Pop, played a load of sold-out gigs and festivals and fought a campaign to save Lancaster Music Co-op (a community rehearsal rooms and recording studio where they live).

Recorded at home in Lancaster, with production advice from Dave Fridmann, the album was mixed at Tarbox Road Studios, NY with Dave Fridmann and the band.

As the title suggests, “Eggsistentialism” explores a much more personal, introspective, and reflective side to The Lovely Eggs world and sees the Eggs explore new sounds and experiment in unventured musical territories.

“The new album is really a reflection on what has been happening to us these last couple of years, stewing up in Eggland in our own juices,” explains Holly. “It’s about loss and strength. On this album you’ll hear us at our lowest and most vulnerable. Daily life is hard. Realising everything you grew up with and loved is never coming back, alongside the responsibilities of caring for others is sometimes hard to take. The album is about life and death. Eggsistentialism. It’s about dragging yourself through all the shit to get to the other side.”

“It’s a bit of a ‘wilderness years’ album,” continues Holly. “We haven’t released a new record since 2020 and in the meantime, we’ve been here fighting shit and trying to defend a right to a lifestyle that we’ve enjoyed here in this town for the last 30+ years as working musicians who refuse to get a “normal” job and tow the line. It’s about believing in something and not letting go. But that unwillingness to give in ultimately takes its toll. It does start to destroy you and the album is kind of a documentation of that destruction and collapse as well as the strength we’ve got to get through it all. Ultimately, this is a hopeful record about survival.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Another soaring punky missive from The Lovely Eggs, rich with melodic choruses and clashing groove. Putting to the world to rights with wry politicism and instantly unforgettable instrumental hooks has always been the Lovely Eggs' bread and butter, but Eggsistentialism is without a doubt the Warburtons Toastie (the absolute best) of the Lovely Eggs' output.

TRACK LISTING

1. Death Grip Kids
2. Nothing/Everything
3. Meeting Friends At Night
4. People TV
5. My Mood Wave
6. I Don't Fucking Know What I'm Gunna Do
7. Memory Man
8. Things
9. Echo You
10. I Am Gaia

Following on from 2020's debut album 'Are You Happy Now?', Manchester's Nile Marr returns with Self Care, the first track off his sophomore LP 'Lonely Hearts Killers'.

"I wanted to this one to feel different to my previous album. Songs came out quickerand I mostly recorded it at night in the Mill, I just tried to go with the late night vibe" says Marr.

"I got back into listening to all the bands that made me want to write songs in the first place, like the Lilys and Neil Finn. I guess the whole album was trying to focus on song writing, and because I couldn’t play live during lockdown, I focussed more on song writing rather than ‘I know this works at our live shows', so I feel like this one differs in every wayfrom my previous album".

For fans of Broken Social Scene, Big Star and Elliott Smith

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Nile Marr is back! This time sees him partially eschew the soaring britpop indebted groove of 2020's 'Are You Happy Now?' in favour of a more distinguished and broad palette of sounds, veering towards west-coast sunshine pop and jangling, grand stadium rock.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Lonely Hearts Killers
A2 The Rush
A3 Self Care
A4 You Pull Me In
A5 Birdsong
B1 Eyes Like Deer
B2 Skin
B3 Late Night Champion
B4 Two Words
B5 The Easiest Game
B6 Run The Last Mile

Jenifa Mayanja is a favourite amongst true deep house heads. Her work is smoky, jazzy, and emotive, and has come on labels like Underground Quality before now. Here she arrives on the sixth EP from fledgling but already cultured label Sole Aspect and shows off her sophisticated sound once more. 'Rise To The Top' is full of elegant harmonies and jazz melodies that dance on pulsing rhythms, 'Like A Dream' brings spiritual vocals to bold chords and dusty drums while 'Our World' has piano lines floating high over the languid drums and bass. 'Rose Colored Glasses' has fresh melodies and challenging synths that defy usual genre norms and bring all new ideas to deep house. This is music that elevates mind, body and soul.

TRACK LISTING

Rise To The Top
Like A Dream
Our World
Rose Colored Glasses

Growing Bin switches back into reissue mode with an off-kilter obscurity from Austrian eccentrics Molto Brutto. Equal parts amateur funk, indie jangle, art rock and idiot pop, "2" is a real weird bastard with a whole lot of charm. As the Bin continues to grow in all directions, there's plenty of space for new sounds to take root. Alongside patches of Ambient, Balearic, Kosmische and Jazz, Hamburg's audio allotment now stretches to accommodate the strange waves of Molto Brutto.

Basso dug their first LP a decade back in Stuttgart's Second Hand Records, embracing their abrasive style of sandpaper sonics and experimental urges. Interest piqued, he made the journey through their DIY catalogue, capturing excellent collaborations under the Ganslinger alias before bumping into the second of their two LPs. Originally released on their Golfdish imprint in 1988, "2" walks into the pub with an air of accessibility, but quickly unravels into glorious chaos - pissing in the corner and passing out on the bar. Pop structures are suggested then subverted.

Pints of Paisley slosh out of a broken Glass, tape loops spool onto shabby Material, and indie janglers are just a couple of stamps short of a Postcard.

Turning you tipsy, this loveable rogue starts to tell you his life story, but you're going to have to fill in some blanks. They miss 'Blackie', but who is he - a dog? What happened on the 'Deadly Vacation'? Is that song really about a 'Goldfish', or did they find out the name of America's horse? Words repeat until they lose all meaning, awkward poetry masks a lost laureate and a drunken Wurlitzer sends the room into a spin.

The pubs are shut, so get happy drunk with Molto Brutto.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Chant
A2. Sadman
A3. Blacky
A4. Deadly Vacation
A5. Smalltalk
B1. Time
B2. Secret Life
B3. No Monkey No Work
B4. Go Ahead Goldfish
B5. Psychobilly

Nourished By Time won the hearts of everyone at Piccadilly HQ last year with his debut LP "Erotic Probiotic", which later appeared in many other End Of Year lists (we're were there first though ;) - Ed).

The "Catching Chickens EP" - marking his signing to XL Recordings - sees the singular Baltimore artist further cement his stylistically eccentric; lyrically poignant brand of songwriting even further with five tracks that could only have emanated from his own astral plane.

Written between 2022 - 2023 in his home studio in Baltimore, "Catching Chickens" takes inspiration from the iconic scene in Rocky II where his trainer makes him chase and catch chickens as a test of agility. With tracks like “Hell of a Ride”, in which Nourished By Time contemplates the fall of the American empire and late-stage capitalism loneliness, and “Had Ya Called”, which deals with the frustrations of growing distance in friendships, Nourished By Time chronicles his own test of agility as he weaves through the motions of his newfound notability.

“Hand On Me”, complete with music video shot by Josh Renaut, explores paranoia that corrodes love and trust in a traumatic relationship. As he puts it, 'the video is about being reminded that you’re an angel by other angels, featuring a surrealist commentary on celebrity culture'.

As we've quickly come to expect, NBT has no problems laying bare his own truth with painstaking honesty; and thankfully he's seen no desire to change the production process on this outing, with a DIY take on freestyle, soul, RnB and boogie built around a humble collection of synths and drum machines. It's a beautifully succinct, well-rounded follow up to "Erotic Probiotic" which should see him expand his cult adored fan base and rachet up a whole heap of accolades as the year progresses. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Highly antipated by us all here at Picc HQ. One of the hottest acts of 2023 follows up with a killer EP further cementing his unique songwriting prowess. We love you Marcus!

TRACK LISTING

1. Hell Of A Ride
2. Hand On Me
3. Poison-Soaked
4. Had Ya Called
5. Romance In Me

2024 is the 30th anniversary of the Sinéad O’Connor Single, You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart. The track was written by Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer for the soundtrack to the 1993 film In the Name of the Father. The song was produced by English musician Tim Simenon (Bomb The Bass) and Gavin Friday and does not appear on any of O’Connor’s studio albums, but in 1997, it was included on her first compilation album, So Far… The Best Of.In the Name of the Father is based on the true story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings that killed four off-duty British soldiers and a civilian. O’Connor’s heart wrenching, powerful vocal was the perfect way to deliver the track’s devastating emotional message with lyrics written by Bono. In a 2023 interview with Steve Pafford, Gavin Friday talked about the recording of the track: “We showed Sinéad a rough edit of the film, after which I spent sometime with her going through the lyrics the next day in STS Studios in Dublin. And with the phenomenal talents of producer Tim Simenon we recorded Sinéad’s breathtaking vocals. All she asked for was the room to be candlelit, and within two takes she had made her magical mark on the song……. what Sinéad captured within that song spoke as loud as the bombs that opened the film and as deep as the pain The Troubles had wounded our nation” This exclusive release for Record Store Day 2024 is on clear vinyl and pulls together the versions of the track released in 1994 as well as the B-Side, The Father and His Wife The Spirit performed by Sinéad and Gavin Friday.

Tel Aviv's Elado has put out a fine run of eight releases in just two years on the likes of GAMM, Barefoot Beats and Bonfido Disques, but for his next move, he branches out with his own reissue label. Its aim is to "focus on uncovering lost gems" with the original paired with his own remixes. The first one is a 1983 private press from the Canadian pair OUI. 'Circle Of Love' is a big disco banger with flashy synth work and rugged arps, with a pair of Elado's mixes making it even more dancefloor ready. 'You Make Me High' is a more sentimental 80s pop sound. A fine start to life for this new label.

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: One for fans of euro pop soundalikes and big, borderline cheesy disco tunes. This 12" has got it all - 3 versions plus a bonus number for those who like it extra kitschy, what more could you ask for!

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Circle Of Love (Elado Remix)
2. Circle Of Love (Original)

Side 2
1. Circle Of Love (Elado Remix Instrumental)
2. You Make Me High

It’s two years since CONNECTIVITY (2021) smashed into the top 40 and debuted at #1 in the UK download chart, propelling the fiercely independent voice of GRACE PETRIE from critics’ choice to the main stages of major festivals across The UK and Ireland, Australia and Canada.

For a seasoned road dog who spent almost 15 years clocking up tours with the likes of Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Hannah Gadsby, the COVID lockdowns were like a cage for Petrie and when restrictions lifted, she hit the road harder than ever, armed with her most searing and successful record to date, and determined to make up for lost time. Sell-out headline tours across the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand followed, with audiences from Melbourne to Toronto mesmerised by the ferocity of her socially urgent lyricism and the barnstorming power of her live show. But travelling the globe hasn’t diminished her laser focus on the political issues plaguing the UK, with two more Prime Ministers, endless blunders and evermore division seen since she last swapped microphone for pen and paper.

Now the songwriter is back - stronger, older and a whole lot angrier than ever before. As right wing ideologues trade in suspicion and cynicism, tearing communities apart against a backdrop of crumbling public services, the ordinary folk of Britain continue to suffer the consequences of corruption and individualism.

From within this maelstrom of despair comes BUILD SOMETHING BETTER - the new, uncontainable album from Grace Petrie.

Recorded raw and unflinchingly with folk-punk legend Frank Turner in the producer’s seat, BUILD SOMETHING BETTER is a return to blistering protest form for Britain’s most relevant political songwriter, a decade after being hailed as “a powerful new voice”, (The Guardian) and “a millennial’s Billy Bragg” (Huffington Post). In a world that seems to make less sense than ever, these are songs made to both holler along to from the crowd barrier and to tear up with on a lonely latet night train. A record for everyone whose broken heart beats for, and whose boots stomp in time with, the hope a brighter tomorrow.

“An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer” - The New Yorker.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Best Country In The World
2. The House Always Wins
3. King And Country
4. Meanwhile In Texas
5. Next Episode Starts
6. Start Again
7. Earthwire
8. Cynicism Free
9. If I Were To Outlive You
10. English Culture
11. Fixer Upper

Serial collaborator and poducer / DJ Regularfantasy rallies long-standing friends Cecile Believe (PC Music) and Priori (NAFF) for a 6-track release on Canada-based imprint Specials. Rich in the producer's big and wobbly aesthetic yet with a deep rooted pop sensibility running throughout; these are tune to soundtrack your power hour gym workout as much as they are driving down the highway on a Friday evening and getting ready for a Big Night Out.

Hooky, with proper melodies and vocal lines; there's still a weight and futuristic shine which lends itself to club play as much as radio broadcast. In short it's a tour de force of modernism, celebrating the diversity of dance music in 2023. With Cecile Believe and D.Tiffany's contributions equally satisfying, there's plenty to love about this superb mini album. Highly recommended! 

TRACK LISTING

1.So Sweet
2. Maybe Nevermind
3. Hot Gossip
4. Not Real
5. So Sweet (Cecile Believe's Pixie Mix)
6. Maybe Nevermind (D.Tiffany's Late Night Mix) 

It was in December 2022 that The Staves celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut album Dead & Born & Grown – a strange and beautiful period in the lives of sisters and band members Jessica, Camilla and Emily Staveley-Taylor, making their fourth album All Now with the same organic vulnerability as that first record: except now everything was different, and they kind of were too.

All Now emerges, bold and bright, from a period of quiet, which followed a period of chaos, for the band. When Good Woman was released in 2021, to positive reviews, it felt like “an echoing silence” to share such a cathartic album with a world shut down. So The Staves had to retreat, again, and actually wrestle with everything they had been through.

The result? An album as rich and honest as all the most profound music by The Staves scattered across albums for the last decade, calcified here into something special.

But the most thrilling part of this album, is that the hardest pills to swallow, here, almost have a sweeter taste. Once you’ve survived the climb to the top, learned from the journey, you may as well enjoy the view. “When you sing about hesitation and fear, there’s a lot of power in not making it sound fearful and being quite steadfast instead,” says Camilla. “It feels like an act of taking control.” With All Now, there’s no letting go. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Though it's the vocal interplay between Jessica and Camilla Stavely-Taylor and the relative instrumental minimalism that first comes to mind when you think of The Staves, their formula works just as well when transplanted onto a hefty backdrop of soaring synths and throbbing basses, and 'All Now' is the perfect display of a more hi-nrg version of their trademark sound.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
All Now
I Don’t Say It, But I Feel It
Fundamental Memory
Make A Decision
The Echo
Side B
I’ll Never Leave You Alone
After School
Great Wave
Recognise
So Gracefully
The Important One
You Held It All

WAREHOUSE FIND!!!!

As a companion piece to the 100th Issue of CRACK Magazine, which featured Thom Yorke on the cover, the magazine have worked with Thom on a limited edition zine, entitled I See You.

Centred around resistance, pressure and panic in 2019, Crack Magazine and Thom Yorke have collaborated on a special limited-edition zine which unites the thoughts and messages of eight artists and activists chosen by Thom. All eight are asked the same set of questions written by Thom and the disparate answers are presented together alongside a patchwork of visual fragments from each interviewee’s world.

The zine features pioneering synth legend Laurie Spiegel, prominent global warming activist George Monbiot, Edinburgh poet and writer Harry Josephine Giles, New York contemporary artist Amy Cutler, fashion designer Jun Takahashi, director and screenwriter Luca Guadagnino, experimental musician Kali Malone and Brooklyn-based artist Christian Holstad.

Featuring an exclusive foreword note from Thom, as well as artwork from Stanely Donwood and Dr Tchock the zine serves as an expansion on the themes explored in his cover story for Issue 100 of Crack Magazine – an assessment of anxieties, futures, sustainability and opposition.

All profits from the zine go to Greenpeace. Approx 100pg.

Zy The Way hails from Taiwan and are a jazz ensemble that interlaces their dynamic sounds with ancient Chinese poetry compiled by Confucius. They also bring in more contemporary compositions which results in an utterly original sound and great gateway to some of the world's oldest literary works. They recently finished a debut full-length album and now the single 'Blue Collar' from it comes on limited edition vinyl. The track tells the ancient tale of young scholars in love with a powerful narrative and moving melodies. The one and only DJ Spinna steps up on the flip to offer his own classy deep-house remix.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
Ten Acres

Side 2
Ten Acres (MdCL Remix)