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MAN MAN

Cover of I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen.

Leonard Cohen

I'm Your Man

Sony

    180g vinyl repress of Leonard Cohen’s 1998 album which Includes “First We Take Manhattan” and “Everybody Knows”. His eighth LP, and one that marked the move to a more modern sound, encompassing synthesizer in many of the compositions. It reached no. 1 in many European countries, catapulting Cohen into a best-selling artist. A highly acclaimed album, right across the board, it was voted 495 in the third edition of Colin Larkin’s ‘All Time Top 1000 Albums’ in 2000.

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    Reduced Cover of Other Man's Blues by Magic Trick.

    Magic Trick

    Other Man's Blues

    Empty Cellar

    Empty Cellar is proud to release the newest album by Magic Trick, Other Man’s Blues—written and recorded while songwriter Tim Cohen split his time between two lives and two worlds, a horse ranch with his newborn daughter, and on tour or at Phil Manley’s Lucky Cat Studios in San Francisco.

    A book of songs Cohen had written while bouncing to and fro sufficed in lieu of rehearsal time with the thirteen other musicians who appear on the tracks: James Kim and James Barone (Beach House) on drums; Alicia Van Heuvel (Aislers Set) and Paul Garcia on bass; Joel Robinow (Once and Future Band / Danny James) on keys; Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang / The Muggers) on guitar; and omnipresent vocal harmonies from Alicia, Noelle Cahill and Anna Hillburg. The album is a loose, largely improvised affair, with many guest appearances and stop-ins. Allegedly tequila was centrally involved. It’s the principle that gave this project a name five years ago. Especially in this case, the players on the album define what shapes these songs take.

    A ghostly choir of female voices opens the album like a séance, with the spirit they conjure flitting about the ensuing ten tracks, from the baroque pop of “Forest of Kates” to the icy post-punk of “I Held the Ring.” There’s the air-tight R&B groove of “Startling Chimes,” the krauty “Purest Thing,” a jammy side-to-side trot that moves “First Thought” along, taking a detour into country before culminating in a glorious Grateful Dead-indebted coda. Throughout, it’s Cohen’s lyrics that are pushed to the front of the mix—collectively fleshed out, from his composition book.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. More
    2. Forest Of Kates
    3. I Held The Ring
    4. Scorpio
    5. First Thought
    6. Mockingbird
    7. Eternal Summer
    8. Purest Thing
    9. Startling Chimes
    10. Oysters

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    Cover of The Glowing Man by Swans.

    Swans

    The Glowing Man

    Mute

      After 2014’s epic To Be Kind, SWANS return with a new album, The Glowing Man, announced as the last album release of Swans’ current incarnation.
      The Glowing Man was recorded at Sonic Ranch, near El Paso, Texas, with John Congleton as recording engineer. Further recordings were made in Dallas, Seattle and Berlin.

      Swans, led by Michael Gira, formed in 1982 and, after disbanding in 1997, returned with the critically acclaimed albums My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky (2010), 2012’s The Seer and 2014’s To Be Kind.


      STAFF COMMENTS

      Barry says: Another monolithic collection from gloom-merchants Swans. Equal parts brooding and pensive, but with a rarely embraced melodic sensibility. Further evidence of their unrivalled talents.

      TRACK LISTING

      2CD
      Disc 1
      1. Cloud Of Forgetting
      2. Cloud Of Unknowing
      3. The World Looks Red / The World Looks Black
      4. People Like Us

      Disc 2
      5. Frankie M
      6. When Will I Return
      7. The Glowing Man
      8. Finally Peace

      2CD / DVD
      Disc 1
      1. Cloud Of Forgetting
      2. Cloud Of Unknowing
      3. The World Looks Red / The World Looks Black
      4. People Like Us

      Disc 2
      5. Frankie M
      6. When Will I Return
      7. The Glowing Man
      8. Finally Peace
      DVD – Swans Live 2015

      TRIPLE VINYL (With Poster)
      Side 1
      1 Cloud Of Forgetting
      2 Cloud Of Unknowing

      Side 2
      3 Cloud Of Unknowing Pt2

      Side 3
      4 The World Looks Red / The World Looks Black
      5 People Like Us

      Side 4
      6 Frankie M

      Side 5
      7 When Will I Return
      8 The Glowing Man Pt1

      Side 6
      9 The Glowing Man Pt2
      10 Finally Peace

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      Cover of Trouble Man - 180g Vinyl Edition by Marvin Gaye.

      Marvin Gaye

      Trouble Man - 180g Vinyl Edition

      Motown / UMC

        As Motown migrated from Detroit to LA, Marvin's follow-up to the spiritual consciousness of "What's Goin' On" was the soundtrack to '72 Blaxploitaion flick "Trouble Man". It's altogether a more streetwise collection of stone cold funk, earthy Curtis-esque falsetto and badass grooves that has seen it plundered by generations of beatdiggers. "'T' Plays it Cool" is one of the best tunes ever made, just ask Jazzy Jeff!!!

        TRACK LISTING

        Main Theme From Trouble Man Part 2
        "T" Plays It Cool
        Poor Abbey Walsh
        Break In (Police Shoot Big)
        Cleo's Apartment
        Trouble Man
        Theme From Trouble Man
        "T" Stands For Trouble
        Main Theme From Trouble Man Part 1
        Life Is A Gamble
        Deep-In-It
        Don't Mess With Mister "T"
        There Goes Mister "T"

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        Cover of TV Broke My Brain by Man Made.

        Man Made

        TV Broke My Brain

        SOUL KITCHEN

          Produced by Ray Man and mixed by Nick Launay (Kate Bush, Lou Reed, Arcade Fire), it was recorded at the trio's shared house over a year and a half. Every time they gigged and the songs changed, they'd re-record them. The record to them, after all, is meant to be "the menu of the live experience." "[The songs change every night] and that depends on the audience, the room and the atmosphere," Nile explains. "It shouldn't be 'we have an album, let us play it for you'. It's 'we are a band and we have recorded us playing for you'."

          TV Broke My Brain certainly captures the energy and passion that goes into the band, and presents it with its American alt-rock influences (you can hear everything from Sonic Youth to The Shins in its 11 tracks) firmly on its sleeve. Unplug yourself from the matrix of gadgets in your life and connect with Man Made instead.

          STAFF COMMENTS

          Andy says: Excellent, energetic, melodic guitar pop from these up and coming Mancunians. Recommended.

          TRACK LISTING

          Carsick Cars
          Hi Tech Low Life
          You Never Know How It Feels
          Raining In My Head
          Plastic Key To Living
          Everything We Miss
          Bring Some
          Nobody's Dreaming
          All Mine
          TV Broke My Brain
          Slowdance

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          Cover of Midwest Farmers Daughter by Margo Price.

          Margo Price

          Midwest Farmers Daughter

          Third Man Records

          First impressions matter. Especially on a debut album. Time and attention-strapped listeners size up an artist within a song or two, then move on or delve in further. Fortunately, it only takes Margo Price about twenty-eight seconds to convince you that you’re hearing the arrival of a singular new talent. “Hands of Time,” the opener on Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, is an invitation, a mission statement and a starkly poetic summary of the 32-year old singer’s life, all in one knockout, self-penned punch. Easing in over a groove of sidestick, bass and atmospheric guitar, Price sings, “When I rolled out of town on the unpaved road, I was fifty-seven dollars from bein’ broke . . .” It has the feel of the first line of a great novel or opening scene in a classic film. There’s an expectancy, a brewing excitement. And as the song builds, strings rising around her, Price recalls hardships and heartaches – the loss of her family’s farm, the death of her child, problems with men and the bottle. There is no self-pity or over-emoting. Her voice has that alluring mix of vulnerability and resilience that was once the province of Loretta and Dolly. It is a tour-de-force performance that is vivid, deeply moving and all true.

          From the honky tonk comeuppance of “About To Find Out,” to the rockabilly-charged “This Town Gets Around” to the weekend twang of “Hurtin’ (On The Bottle)”, Price adds fresh twists to classic Nashville country, with a sound that could’ve made hits in any decade. Meanwhile, the hard-hitting blues grooves of “Four Years of Chances” and “Tennessee Song” push the boundaries further west to Memphis (the album was recorded at the legendary Sun Studio).



          STAFF COMMENTS

          Barry says: Margo price's vocals soar above rich and satisfying slide guitars and plucked acoustic, lifting strings and solid bass guitar. Emotive and reflective, but beautifully reminiscent of classic country acts (Parton, Cline etc.) but brought up to date with a production sheen and melodic originality. Country has never steered away from stereotypes of locale and thematic continuity and this is no exception. A stunning example of the modern Nashville sound.

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Hands Of Time
          2. About To Find Out
          3. Tennessee Song
          4. Since You Put Me Down
          5. Four Years Of Chances
          6. This Town Gets Around
          7. How The Mighty Have Fallen
          8. Weekender
          9. Hurtin? (On The Bottle)
          10. World?s Greatest Loser

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          Cover of Song Of The Bailing Man by Pere Ubu.

          Pere Ubu

          Song Of The Bailing Man

          Fire Records

          Released in 1982, 'Song of the Bailing Man' is an ‘inspired, invigorating, confounding, disturbing... yeah, one hell of a swinging way to go. Still the futility Ubu must have felt making far sighted music in a chronically near-sighted world is pressed hard into these grooves.’ (Melody Maker, David Fricke).

          The album features in new LP box set, ‘Architecture Of Language 1979-1982’, released in March. It gathers together ‘New Picnic Time’ with its companion releases, ‘The Art Of Walking’ and ‘Song Of The Bailing Man’ plus LP of extras, ‘Architectural Salvage’. Spring dates mark the release of the box with a set list drawn exclusively from the recordings of 1975-1982. Tom Herman, guitarist from 1975 to 1979 and from 1997 to 2002, rejoins the band for the tour. The line-up is David Thomas, Tom Herman, Robert Wheeler, Michele Temple and Steve Mehlman. Wheeler and Temple have been in Pere Ubu since 1994, Mehlman since 1995. 

          TRACK LISTING

          01 The Long Walk Home
          02 Use Of A Dog
          03 Petrified
          04 Stormy Weather
          05 West Side Story
          06 Thoughts That Go By Steam
          07 Big Ed’s Used Farms
          08 A Day Such As This
          09 The Vulgar Boatman Bird
          10 My Hat
          11 Horns Are A Dilemma

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          Cover of A Man Alive by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down.

          Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

          A Man Alive

          Ribbon Music

          Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, the San Francisco-based band fronted by singer and songwriter Thao Nguyen, release their fourth album, ‘A Man Alive’, via Ribbon Music.

          Following the critical success of ‘We The Common’ (2013) - largely inspired by Thao’s volunteer work with the California Coalition for Women’s Prisoners and featuring a duet with Joanna Newsom - ‘A Man Alive’ is an evolution in both subject matter and sound. Thao says: “I wanted ‘A Man Alive’ to be beat and bass-driven - rather than guitar-based - extending and elaborating upon the hip hop influences of the previous record. ‘A Man Alive’ is more instrumental, more riff and loop-centric, and has more manipulated sounds.”

          Mostly recorded at Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco, ‘A Man Alive’ was produced by Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards. The songs are often punctuated by handclaps, singalong choruses and ass-shaking beats. While these songs come from a deeply personal origin, they have such an accessible quality that it is easy to imagine an engaged and participatory live audience.

          The album presents a fiercely original group sound that is rife with experimentation and playfulness. It demonstrates Thao’s development as a songwriter and it achieves that most elusive quality in music - to create an album of songs that are dark yet buoyant, tragic yet redemptive, personal yet inclusive.

          TRACK LISTING

          Astonished Man
          Slash/Burn
          The Evening
          Departure
          Nobody Dies
          Guts
          Fool Forever
          Millionaire
          Meticulous Bird
          Give Me Peace
          Hand To God
          Endless Love

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          Cover of The Man Who Sold The World - 180 Gram Vinyl Edition by David Bowie.

          David Bowie

          The Man Who Sold The World - 180 Gram Vinyl Edition

          Parlophone

            "Even though it contained no hits, The Man Who Sold the World, for most intents and purposes, is the beginning of David Bowie's classic period. Working with guitarist Mick Ronson and producer Tony Visconti for the first time, Bowie developed a tight, twisted heavy guitar rock that appears simple on the surface but sounds more gnarled upon each listen. The mix is off-center, with the fuzz-bass dominating the compressed, razor-thin guitars and Bowie's strangled, affected voice. The sound of The Man Who Sold the World is odd, but the music is bizarre itself, with Bowie's bizarre, paranoid futuristic tales melded to Ronson's riffing and the band's relentless attack. Musically, there isn't much innovation on The Man Who Sold the World - it is almost all hard blues-rock or psychedelic folk-rock - but there's an unsettling edge to the band's performance, which makes the record one of Bowie's best albums." - Allmusic.

            TRACK LISTING

            The Width Of A Circle 8:07
            All The Madmen 5:38
            Black Country Rock 3:33
            After All 3:52
            Running Gun Blues 3:12
            Saviour Machine 4:27
            She Shook Me Cold 4:13
            The Man Who Sold The World 3:58
            The Supermen 3:39

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            Cover of Wise Ol' Man EP by The Fall.

            The Fall

            Wise Ol' Man EP

            Cherry Red

              This 7 track EP features new tracks, remixes and alternate takes of songs from last year’s Sub-Lingual Tablet LP along with a reworking of ‘’No Xmas For John Quays.

              TRACK LISTING

              1: Wise Ol' Man (Edit)
              2: All Leave Cancelled
              3: Dedication (Remix)
              4: Wise Ol' Man (Instrumental)
              5: Venice With Girls
              6: Face Book Troll / No Xmas For John Quay
              7: All Leave Cancelled (X)

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              Cover of Man Made Object by GoGo Penguin.

              GoGo Penguin

              Man Made Object

              Blue Note

              It’s been an astonishing couple of years for GoGo Penguin, the UK trio of drummer Rob Turner, double bassist Nick Blacka and pianist Chris Illingworth. Their trademark mash-up of minimalist piano themes, deeply propulsive bass lines and electronica-inspired drums has seen their 2014 album 'v2.0' shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. Drawing on a heady brew of influences from Brian Eno, John Cage, Massive Attack and Aphex Twin, GoGo Penguin has created a brave new sound that is wholly their own.

              Now signed to iconic jazz label Blue Note Records the trio release their new album. 'Man Made Object is the sound of a band confidently pursuing their own path. “The title is partly inspired by my fascination with ideas of robotics, transhumanism and human augmentation,” says pianist Illingworth, a statement that begs for elaboration. “We’re recreating electronic music on acoustic instruments. It’s like a man-made object that has become humanized and it seemed like a good album title, one that also means something different to each of us, and hopefully to each listener.”

              Indeed, although they're predominately an acoustic piano trio, GoGo Penguin’s music draws from many areas of contemporary electronic music, one where you can hear arcade game bleeps, glitchy breakbeats, hypnotic Aphex-style melodies, grinding bass lines and a rumbling low-end. It has been described as “acoustic electronica”, a term which perfectly sums up their modus operandi. “Many of the songs on this album started out as electronic compositions that I made on sequencing software like Logic or Ableton,” says drummer Turner. “I’ll then play it to the band and we’ll find ways of replicating it acoustically.”

              TRACK LISTING

              1 All Res 5:16
              2 Unspeakable World 4:44
              3 Branches Break 4:23
              4 Weird Cat 5:39
              5 Quiet Mind 4:24
              6 Smarra 6:31
              7 Initiate 4:47
              8 GBFISYSIH 3:22
              9 Surrender To Mountain 3:59
              10 Protest 4:45

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              Cover of Buttered Pop Corn / Who's Lovin You by The Supremes.

              The Supremes

              Buttered Pop Corn / Who's Lovin You

              Third Man Records

                In 1959, a former amateur boxer started a record label out of his home in Detroit, Michigan. Employing the colors yellow and black and releasing any genre that could become a hit, Tamla Records and Berry Gordy laid the foundation for what would become a global empire. We are proud to announce an ongoing partnership with Universal Music to bring Tamla’s classic early Motown records back to vinyl. Tamla’s stripes label era (1959-61) produced million-sellers, debut releases from soon-to-be global icons, quasi-doowop anthems, and proto-surf experiments, all just looking for the next big thing. To say that they were successful would be an understatement. These are cornerstones of American popular music and they were all housed on this label that was headquartered at an unassuming home on Detroit’s West Grand Boulevard, which would soon become known to the world as Hitsville USA.

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                Reduced Cover of The Entertainers by Video.

                Video

                The Entertainers

                Third Man Records

                There’s no band that can lay claim to being the true best in the business, except VIDEO. Crawling from the musical wasteland that is Texas, their intentions are simple: they want to own the world. While the band features members of Bad Sports, Wiccans, Radioactivity, and the Wax Museums (just to name a few), VIDEO stands on its own as one of the most powerful and visceral bands active today. Combining equal parts snotty punk, hard rock, and melodic dissonance, VIDEO are pioneers of their own subgenre, Hate Wave. Going well beyond the confines of paint by numbers punk, and generic, flaccid garage rock, VIDEO forges a new cult like movement. So pay attention, consumers, and don’t miss out on the best thing going today. Long Live The New Faith, Long Live VIDEO.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. Opening
                2. The Entertainers
                3. New Immortals
                4. Drink It In
                5. Nothing Lasts Forever
                6. Shackles
                7. No Art
                8. Never Enough
                9. Out Of My Hands
                10. I Will Wait
                11. The End Of It All

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                Cover of Heartless Heathen by Timmy's Organism.

                Timmy's Organism

                Heartless Heathen

                Third Man Records

                Fronting some of the most original, compelling and unpredictable bands (not only in Detroit, but the world) for over two decades, Tim Lampinen’s work with the Epileptix, Clone Defects, and Human Eye has always held a rapturous cult following. Yet his work with his current trio, Timmy’s Organism, presents Lampinen (aka Timmy Vulgar) along with bassist Jeff Giant and drummer Blake Hill, ready for their close-up. With Heartless Heathen the group touches on their artistic and spiritual forbears of Captain Beefheart and Destroy All Monsters, while amply ramping up the slop culture rapture of classic punk ‘n’ roll like Chrome, Crime, and the Damned as well as contemporaries like Thee Oh Sees. There’s a reason why Lampinen won a $25,000 Kresge Grant for his work with his bands...he creates music that borders on art, live shows that border on theater. It’s high time the rest of the world takes notice. Are you ready?

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                Cover of Between Ship And Shore Part Two - Inc. A Man Called Adam Remix by BJ Smith.

                BJ Smith

                Between Ship And Shore Part Two - Inc. A Man Called Adam Remix

                NuNorthern Soul

                The first missive in BJ Smith's "Between Ship And Shore" series surfed a wave of excitement like a message in a bottle, landing softly in our hearts with its horizontal beauty. Now we're graced with more mellow magic and majesty via the second instalment, which comes complete with a remix from A Man Called Adam. JJ Cale, Terry Callier and John Martyn all influence and inspire Ben, and this is apparent in his subtle yet powerful tales. "Stars Festoon" sees the songwriter transport the listener to a bygone era with a meandering, jolly jaunt day trip to the beach, gently bobbing about in small wooden boats, as beach fires and the smell of fish and chips with salt and vinegar wafting through the air. Balearic pioneers and longstanding laid back music evangelists, A Man Called Adam add their deft touch to "Stars Festoon" and take it down a slightly off beat track between the sand dunes with electronic glitches, pops and bass sounds. Stripping it back to bare bones and isolating vocal parts to give it a slightly haunted feel, A Man Called Adam deliver a stunning revision perfect for a late night / early morning beach walk soundtrack. "If Only Sometimes" once again delivers, with its wonderful piano led opening and gentle guitar pickings allowing Ben to soothe and gently ease the listener in before enveloping them with warm harmonies and uplifting vocals, enhanced by the euphoric string section that then gives way to wonderful brass stabs and the crescendo. It's time to drift away again.

                TRACK LISTING

                A1. Starts Festoon
                A2. If Only Sometimes
                B1. Starts Festoon (A Man Called Adam Mix)

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                Cover of All A Man Should Do by Lucero.

                Lucero

                All A Man Should Do

                ATO

                  Following the release of 2012’s ‘Women And Work’, Lucero’s new album ‘All A Man Should Do’ contains some of the most resonant lyrics Ben Nichols has ever written.

                  Working with producer Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Flogging Molly) for a third time at Memphis’ Ardent Studios, the band felt comfortable enough to take some chances with a palette of new tones that sound understated yet powerful, bringing life to the stories behind the lyrics without overshadowing them.

                  For the first time the band have put a cover song on a record, with a full band version of Big Star’s ‘I Fell In Love With A Girl’. The track features Jody Stephens from Big Star singing back-up vocals.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  Baby Don’t You Want Me
                  Went Looking For Warren Zevon’s Los Angeles
                  The Man I Was
                  Can’t You Hear Them Howl
                  I Woke Up In New Orleans
                  Throwback No. 2
                  They Called Her Killer
                  Young Outlaws
                  I’m In Love With A Girl
                  My Girl & Me In ‘93

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                  Cover of The L-Shaped Man by Ceremony.

                  Ceremony

                  The L-Shaped Man

                  Matador

                  Breakup albums mark a turning point for a band: the moment when their sound completely changes and reaches a new level of emotional clarity. All that heartbreak and malaise condensed into any single record often makes for a defining piece of work, no matter the genre. The best records explore the nooks and crannies of sadness, learning it inside and out - celebrating it.

                  Ceremony's fifth studio album, The L-Shaped Man, uses singer Ross Farrar's recent breakup as a platform to explore loneliness and emotional weariness, but it is by no means a purely sad album. Rather than look inward, Farrar uses his experience to write about what it means to go through something heavy and come out the other side a different person.

                  In order to tell Farrar's story, Ceremony have almost completely stripped back the propulsive hardcore of their previous records, turning every angry outburst into simmering despair. "We've always tried to be minimalists in writing, even if it's loud or fast or abrasive," says lead guitarist Anthony Anzaldo. "It's really intense when I hear it. Not in a way where you turn everything up to ten. Things are so bare, you're holding this one note for so long and you don't now where it's going-to me, that's intensity." That intensity is apparent on "Exit Fears," the first full song on the record. It meticulously pairs Justin Davis' loping bassline, which pulls the track along, with Anzaldo's icy, minimal guitar work. It brings to mind some alternate version of Joy Division that hasn't quite lost all hope. It gets close to exploding, but instead plays the shadows, never quite rising above a nervous simmer.

                  "A lot of the content has to do with loss, and specifically the loss of someone who you care deeply about," Farrar says. "There is no way for you to go through something like this artistically and not have really strong emotions of loss and pain. There's not really any way to hide that." Farrar, for his part, is singing with a new kind of intensity, his baritone swooping and retreating from stressed angst to unsettling near-mutter as he sings, "You told your friends you were fine/ you thought you were fine too..." and later, "nothing is ever fine/ nothing ever feels right/ you have to tell yourself you tried." It's the first of many lyrically direct moments, and it should be hard to listen to, but Ceremony have so effortlessly nailed the sound of sadness that it feels great to live inside for awhile.

                  The sound is abetted by producer John Reis, who honed his sound in seminal bands like Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes. Much of the gravelly aggression he experimented with in those bands is present on The L-Shaped Man.

                  There's a story behind the title too. "I was speaking to our driver Stephen while on tour," Farrar says. "We were talking about men in general and what shape they are...their body type. I said, 'I guess men are in the shape of an L. The torso is straight. Vertical. And then you have the little feet at the end.' There's this painter named Leslie Lerner who was living in San Francisco in the '70s and '80s and made these beautiful paintings. He died on my 21st birthday. A lot of the record is about the similarities in our ideas. In what we're trying to make. Things that have to do with love and losing love."

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Hibernation
                  2. Exit Fears
                  3. Bleeder
                  4. Your Life In France
                  5. Your Life In America
                  6. The Separation
                  7. The Pattern
                  8. Root Of The World
                  9. The Party
                  10. The Bridge
                  11. The Understanding

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                  Cover of A Comfortable Man by Cathal Smyth.

                  Cathal Smyth

                  A Comfortable Man

                  The Phoenix Rising

                    From Skinhead to Renaissance Man…

                    Perhaps better known to many as Chas Smash of the much loved national pop institution Madness, Cathal Smyth releases his debut solo album. Recorded at Sarm, Iguana and The Premises studios in London with producer Charlie Andrew (Alt-J), the album was mixed by longtime Madness collaborator, the renowned Alan Winstanley.

                    An honest, moving and deeply human record about discovery and ultimately recovery, the gestation of the album goes back to 2005 when Cathal found himself in the Cottonwood rehabilitation facility in Tuscon after the break up of a 28-year relationship.

                    The 12-track album also features string and choral arrangements from Royal Academy Of Music trained composer Joe Duddell, who has previously worked with Elbow, Richard Hawley, Jimi Goodwin and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, amongst others.

                    Features ‘Do You Believe In Love’, ‘You’re Not Alone’ and ‘Are The Children Happy?’.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    You're Not Alone
                    Shabat She Comes
                    A Comfortable Man
                    Goodbye Planet Earth
                    Do You Believe In Love?
                    Love Song No.7
                    She's Got The Light
                    A Requiem For Common Sense
                    Are The Children Happy?
                    Love Song No.9
                    All My Lovin’
                    The Wren's Burial

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                    Cover of Dark Bird Is Home by The Tallest Man On Earth.

                    The Tallest Man On Earth

                    Dark Bird Is Home

                    Dead Oceans

                    Dark Bird Is Home, the fourth album from The Tallest Man On Earth, doesn’t feel like it came from one time, one place, or one tape machine. The songs and sounds were captured in various countries, studios, and barns, and they carry a weather-worn quality, some dirt and some grit.

                    Early in Dark Bird, toward the end of the opening track, we hear other voices and sounds backing Kristian Matsson’s own. One of them, later credited in the liner notes with Angel Vocals, shows up several times throughout the record, adding new color to the familiar palette. And so the story grows and expands. That first song has horns and a piano, keyboards, synthesizers, and other modern noisemakers . . . and by track two you’ve got The Tallest Man on Earth as full-throttle rock and roll.

                    While Dark Bird is The Tallest Man at his most personal and direct, deeper and darker than ever at times, it’s also an album with strokes of whimsy and the scent of new beginnings — which feels fresh for The Tallest Man on Earth, and well timed. Reliably, the melodies and arrangements are sturdy and classic, like old cars and tightly wound clocks. The lyrics and their delivery are both comforting and alarming, like tall trees and wide hills.

                    The other musicians and layers on this recording put a wide lens on familiar themes. Fear and darkness, sleep or lack of it, dreams in the dark and in the light. Moving, leaving, going. Distance and short stops, long straight lines, temporal places. More hopefully, a grateful nod to a traveling partner, a healing mind. Maybe a little forgiveness needed. Definitely some things to forget.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    01. Fields Of Our Home
                    02. Darkness Of The Dream
                    03. Singers
                    04. Slow Dance
                    05. Little Nowhere Towns
                    06. Sagres
                    07. Timothy
                    08. Beginners
                    09. Seventeen
                    10. Dark Bird Is Home

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                    Cover of I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself / Who's To Say by The White Stripes.

                    The White Stripes

                    I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself / Who's To Say

                    Third Man Records

                      Remember Vault Package #19 with those 4 coveted clear vinyl White Stripes 7" singles from the Elephant era? Surprise! The black vinyl versions are now available! The four singles ("Seven Nation Army," "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," The Hardest Button to Button," and "There's No Home For You Here") feature badass non-album b-sides, 3 of which are covers of songs from some of Detroit's turn-of-the-millenium best and brightest (Brendan Benson, Jason Falkner, Dan Miller (Blanche), Soledad Brothers), and one of which is a live White Stripes medley of "I Fought Piranhas" and "Let's Build a Home," recorded at New York's legendary Electric Lady Studios.

                      Most of these tracks have been remastered from the original analog sources, and the artwork on all the singles has been improved upon by the Third Man Creative Hive. 

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                      Cover of Would You Fight For My Love? by Jack White.

                      Jack White

                      Would You Fight For My Love?

                      Third Man Records

                        The 7" single "Would You Fight For My Love?," the second single off Jack White's second album Lazaretto with non-album B-Side "Parallel".

                        Front Cover Photographer: Angelina Castillo; Model: Elle Long

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                        Cover of Bathtub Love Killings by Olivia Jean.

                        Olivia Jean

                        Bathtub Love Killings

                        Third Man Records

                        Bathtub Love Killings is the debut solo LP from Olivia Jean, the multi-instrumentalist who cut her teeth in the Third Man stable backing folks as varied as Karen Elson, Wanda Jackson and Jack White in addition to fronting the much-loved Black Belles. Jean has accrued a lifetime of experience in a few short years, from highlight performances on The Colbert Report, Conan, Late Show With David Letterman and the Grand Old Opry stage to having one of her songs used as the theme for the television series Elvira’s Movie Macabre.

                        Produced by Jack White, Bathtub Love Killings showcases Jean as a songwriting force to be reckoned with. Playing damn-near every instrument she could get her hands on, the result is a well-rounded, catchy record that’s chockfull of ear worm moments.

                        • Olivia Jean was lead singer, guitarist, main songwriter of the Black Belles (also released by Third Man Records)
                        • produced by Jack White, who also plays guitar on “Cat Fight”
                        • drums on “Deadly Hex” and “Cat Fight” by Patrick Keeler (the Raconteurs, the Greenhornes)
                        • “Green Honeycreeper” features songwriting contribution by Coco Hames (The Ettes, The Parting Gifts)

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                        Cover of Extension Of A Man by Donny Hathaway.

                        Donny Hathaway

                        Extension Of A Man

                        Rhino

                          Ranging from inner-city soul to orchestral grandeur to a bluesy ballad to easy-listening pleasantries, 'Extension Of A Man' was Donny Hathaway's most ambitious LP, the justly titled capstone to his phenomenal career. Coming, however, from one of soul music's most widely talented figures, this wasn't exactly a surprise; both of his previous studio full-lengths, 'Everything Is Everything' and 'Donny Hathaway', treated soul as merely a starting point to express his multitude of ideas concerning music and arrangement, song and performance. First up is six-minute orchestral piece "I Love the Lord; He Heard My Cry, Pts. 1-2." Arranged and orchestrated for 45 musicians by Hathaway himself, it applied the buoyant optimism of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" to a religious context, and segued smoothly into the transcendent "Someday We'll All Be Free," one of Hathaway's most beloved songs. Elsewhere we get chart hits "Love, Love, Love" and "Come Little Children".


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                          Cover of Carousel Of Sound by The Man.

                          The Man

                          Carousel Of Sound

                          Hozac Records

                          "ARE YOU WIRED TO GET HIRED? Let’s get this straight, nobody likes to be pushed around by THE MAN. With all of the corporate involvement in the music industry these days, it’s finally time to grab those smug CEOs and thrust them onstage and see what comes out when you really stick ‘em. And nothing is more satisfying, both financially and fiscally responsible, than to let THE MAN do their thing, because they will walk all over you and you will love every minute of it. With a panicky/riveting/down-sizing guitar crunch, merging with the heavy dose of anxiety-riddled bass throb, over-worked, stress-wrenched drumming, and all slathered in “workplace harassment”-style vocals, your long-term relationship with THE MAN is one “meeting” you just can’t opt out of and still come away with your promotion intact. Resistance is futile, projections seem grim, and your mental and fidooshiary well-being depend on nothing more than your complete and utter submission to THE MAN, in all of it’s holdings and territories, as declared in their mission statement, thumbtacked to your forehead." - VictimofTime.com.

                          Recommended for fans of Baseball Furies, Wire, Reatards, Persuaders, Guilty Pleasures

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                          Cover of Lazaretto by Jack White.

                          Jack White

                          Lazaretto

                          Third Man / XL

                            Jack White announces the release of Lazaretto, the follow up to his debut album, 'Blunderbuss'. The new album is highlighted by the lead single and title track, "Lazaretto."

                            NB: The vinyl edition is the "ULTRA LP" version:
                            *180 gram vinyl
                            *2 vinyl-only hidden tracks hidden beneath the center labels
                            *1 hidden track plays at 78 RPM, one plays at 45 RPM, making this a 3-speed record
                            *Side A plays from the inside out
                            *Dual-groove technology: plays an electric or acoustic intro for “Just One Drink” depending on where needle is dropped. The grooves meet for the body of the song.
                            *Matte finish on Side B, giving the appearance of an un-played 78 RPM record
                            *Both sides end with locked grooves
                            *Vinyl pressed in seldom-used flat-edged format
                            *Dead wax area on Side A contains a hand-etched hologram by Tristan Duke of Infinity Light Science, the first of its kind on a vinyl record
                            *Absolutely zero compression used during recording, mixing and mastering
                            *Different running order from the CD/digital version
                            *LP utilizes some mixes different from those used on CD and digital version.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            "Ultra LP" Vinyl Tracklisting:
                            Side One:
                            1. Three Women
                            2. Lazaretto
                            3. Temporary Ground
                            4. Would You Fight For My Love?
                            5. High Ball Stepper

                            Side Two:
                            6. Just One Drink
                            7. Alone In My Home
                            8. That Black Bat Licorice
                            9. Entitlement
                            10. I Think I Found The Culprit
                            11. Want And Able

                            CD Tracklisting:
                            1. Three Women
                            2. Lazaretto
                            3. Temporary Ground
                            4. Would You Fight For My Love?
                            5. High Ball Stepper
                            6. Just One Drink
                            7. Alone In My Home
                            8. Entitlement
                            9. That Black Bat Licorice
                            10. I Think I Found The Culprit
                            11. Want And Able

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                            Cover of Intoxicated Man / Pink Elephants - Remastered by Mick Harvey.

                            Mick Harvey

                            Intoxicated Man / Pink Elephants - Remastered

                            Mute

                              Mick Harvey is set to release a double collection of his two Serge Gainsbourg albums, ‘Intoxicated Man’ and ‘Pink Elephants’, through Mute.

                              ‘Intoxicated Man’ (1995) and ‘Pink Elephants’ (1997) are Mick Harvey’s interpretations of the songs of legendary singer, songwriter and poet Serge Gainsbourg and are the first major works translating Gainsbourg’s influential work from French to English. The collection will include two unreleased tracks, ‘Dr. Jeckyll’ and ‘Run From Happiness’.

                              Originally Harvey embarked on the project as a result of his own curiosity about the songs and particularly the lyrics. At the time of the original recordings Gainsbourg was little known outside classic works such as ‘Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus’ (‘I Love You… Nor Do I’), ‘Lemon Incest’, ‘Harley Davidson’, ‘Initials B.B.’ and ‘Bonnie & Clyde’. On this collection these classic works are presented alongside some of Gainsbourg’s lesser known compositions.

                              The vocal parts originally sung by Gainsbourg’s muses Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot and daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg are here sung by longtime collaborator Anita Lane. Guests on the albums include Bertrand Burgalat, Warren Ellis and David McClymont.

                              The reissues follow Mick Harvey’s 2013 album, ‘FOUR (Acts Of Love)’, which was the former Bad Seed and PJ Harvey collaborator’s sixth solo studio album, and the follow up to 2011’s ‘Sketches From The Book Of The Dead’.

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                              Cover of American III: Solitary Man - Back To Black Edition by Johnny Cash.

                              Johnny Cash

                              American III: Solitary Man - Back To Black Edition

                              UMC

                                Arguably the best of the American Recordings series.
                                Once again Cash worked with Tom Petty on a couple of tracks including the Neil Diamond-penned "Solitary Man".
                                The album also includes stunning covers of Bonnie Prince Billy, Nick Cave and U2.

                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                Laura says: The Rick Rubin produced American Recordings totally rejuvenated Cash's career, and they're all great. This one just edges it for me with amazing covers of Bonnie Prince Billy, Nick Cave and (suprisingly) U2.

                                TRACK LISTING

                                I Won't Back Down
                                Solitary Man
                                That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven All Day)
                                One
                                Nobody
                                I See A Darkness
                                The Mercy Seat
                                Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone)
                                Field Of Diamonds
                                My Time
                                Country Trash
                                Mary Of The Wild Moor
                                I'm Leavin' Now
                                Wayfaring Stranger

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                                Cover of Live At Third Man Records by Rory Scovel.

                                Rory Scovel

                                Live At Third Man Records

                                Third Man Records

                                  A few months back we hosted one of our favorite comedians in the Third Man Blue Room, hand selected by Jack White to appear. Rory Scovel came, saw and destroyed any and all bad vibes within a 5 mile radius with an improv set of some of the best live stand up we've seen in years. Seriously, the man far exceeded even our lofty expectations for hilarity. Since then Rory has had a bumper few months, appearing on Conan O' Brien in a tuxedo performing uber-classy comedy with live LIberace-style piano accompaniment, co-starring on new TBS comedy Ground Floor and generally ruling the school and jettisoning jocularity into the universe in every town and festival he visits on tour.

                                  Well if you missed his now legendary Third Man live show, fear not and save your tears, it is now available on LP and available in finer record retailers everywhere.

                                  Oh, and one last thing for our UNUSUAL FORMAT collectors and fans… The sleeves and labels feature the track list all in braille. That's right. Braille. Trust us, it'll all make sense when you hear the album. It's another meta-comedy first from Third Man Records and Rory Scovel!

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                                  Cover of Get Stoned Ezy by High Speed And The Afflicated Man.

                                  High Speed And The Afflicated Man

                                  Get Stoned Ezy

                                  Guerssen

                                    In 1982, the mysterious Steve Hall, a self-proclaimed “hippie-punk” who had previously released a couple of D.I.Y basement-punk albums with his band Afflicted Man, recorded one of the most obscure, underrated and KILLER heavy-psych albums of all time.

                                    Credited to High Speed & Afflicted Man, “Get Stoned Ezy” consists of three long tracks of late 60s / early 70s influenced psychedelic hard-rock. A fuzz-wah assault of epic proportions in the style of other guitar-damage Gods like Human Instinct, Wicked Lady, Hendrix, High Rise, Sabbath, Stooges, etc, all played with a real acid-punk attitude.

                                    We present the first ever legit reissue of this lost masterpiece, licensed by Steve Hall.

                                    Remastered sound, insert with detailed liner notes by Chris Stigliano (Black To Comm) and rare pictures.

                                    "High energy post-Stooges, wah-guitar brain-melt of the highest/lowest order. One of the great lost albums of the 80's. Fucking essential." - Ripley Johnson (Moon Duo / Wooden Shjips).

                                    “What is Steve Hall? He’s the pinnacle of psych!” - Chris Stigliano (Forced Exposure / Black To Comm).

                                    “Too freaked out for punks, too punked out for freaks, 'Get Stoned Ezy' is a bloodbath of pedal stomping carnage” - Tom Lax (Siltblog).

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    Get Stoned Ezy
                                    Zip Ead
                                    Sun Sun

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                                    Cover of Live At Third Man Records by King Tuff.

                                    King Tuff

                                    Live At Third Man Records

                                    Third Man Records

                                      At long last the Live at Third Man LP from hyper enigmatic rock n roll pop guitar god King Tuff hits the shelves. Recorded back on lucky Friday the13th of July, 2012, we are super excited to have this epic set as a part of our live series of records from Third Man available to and for the people.

                                      Check the shred-tastic groover "Just Strut" right here and now and try and tell us it doesn't make you wanna spray paint "Tuff Enough" on your locker and then kick-flip off the back of an AMC Ambassador and skate off into nighttime oblivion… Get revved up for the mighty King Tuff!

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      1. Dancing On You
                                      2. Keep On Movin'
                                      3. Wild Desire
                                      4. Just Strut
                                      5. Baby Just Break
                                      6. Bad Thing
                                      7. Connection
                                      8. Anthem
                                      9. Freak When I'm Dead
                                      10. Stranger
                                      11. Kind Of Guy
                                      12. Hit & Run
                                      13. Sun Medallion

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                                      Cover of Pillow Talk by Man Like Me.

                                      Man Like Me

                                      Pillow Talk

                                      Cartoon

                                        London duo Man Like Me release their new album ‘Pillow Talk’. The album has been mixed by Mike Skinner, who is also credited as executive producer after re-launching his label tBeats to release the record. Skinner helped co-produce and mix the new album which includes last summer’s electro smash, 'Squeeze' and new single, 'Wallow' - a concoction of carnival drums and whistles, muddled electronics, big bass and an insanely infectious chorus.


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                                        Cover of Alagbon Close / Why Black Man Dey Suffer by Fela Kuti.

                                        Fela Kuti

                                        Alagbon Close / Why Black Man Dey Suffer

                                        Knitting Factory

                                          Though preceded by the more-than-promising Gentleman and Afrodisiac in 1973, 'Alagbon Close', with the benefit of hindsight, marks a quantum leap for Kuti, Allen and Afro-beat. Most of the elements which make the disc so compelling can be heard on earlier albums, but on 'Alagbon Close' Kuti and Tony Allen pull them all together to devastating effect, in the process creating the definitive Afrobeat paradigm.

                                          Africa 70 plays with unprecedented fire: the four-piece horn section was never more majestic; the nagging riffs and ostinatos of the tenor and rhythm guitars never more insistent. Allen is a lithe-limbed colossus, his soon-to-be signature rhythms at times pushing the band forward with extraordinary percussive power, at others drawing it back like a coiled spring, only to unleash it again. Three conga drummers support him. Kuti's screaming multi-octave glissandos on the organ climax an incantatory solo, and the track's concluding drums and horns passage is Africa 70 at its most epic.

                                          'Why Black Man Dey Suffer' is a more formative affair. It's one of a series of early 1970s' albums which made the transition between the highlife and jazz blend of Kuti and Allen's first band, Koola Lobitos, and the turbulent magnificence of mature Afrobeat. Trumpeter Tunde Williams, baritone saxophonist Lekan Animashaun and first conga player Henry Kofi, from later line-ups including that on Alagbon Close, are also in place.

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                                          Cover of Anthology by The Telephone Man.

                                          The Telephone Man

                                          Anthology

                                          Temporary Residence Ltd.

                                          In 1992 Louisville, KY was home to a unique and diverse punk rock scene that was fast becoming a highly influential underground mecca, and for every Slint and Rodan there were a half dozen brilliant and forward-thinking bands that went virtually unnoticed – most of whom were guilty of more than a little self-sabotage. Plenty of cities across the world have these kinds of musicians, the ones who are cherished in worn-out mixtapes and increasingly unbelievable stories of historic local live shows. The Telephone Man were one of those, and one of the best ones to ever fall through the cracks of Louisville music history.

                                          With a maturity and level of execution that betrayed their youthful age, they were the missing link between the introverted slow burn of Slint, the angular aggression of Bitch Magnet, and the emotional expressiveness of early 90s DC punk. It was a unique combination at the time, and twenty years later sounds downright prescient. Less than 75% of this collection ever saw the light of day, and even that was limited almost exclusively to short-run handmade cassettes passed around at live shows and sold at local record stores.

                                          Though its members would move on to more notable endeavors – guitarist/singer Matthew Ronay is now a world-renowned artist based in NYC, while others continued to pursue music in a diverse array of bands, including Guilt, Ink & Dagger, The Metroschifter and Weird Weeds – this beautifully remastered anthology fills in a little-known but enlightening piece of the legendary Louisville music puzzle.

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          1. Automatic Pilot (4:46)
                                          2. Castner (4:11)
                                          3. Douglass Boulevard (6:34)
                                          4. Let Me Tell You How Much I Love You So You Can Treat Me Like Shit (3:57)
                                          5. Rain = Flood (5:20)
                                          6. Kelly (2:41)
                                          7. Muldoon (3:53)
                                          8. Whole Man, Half Man (4:13)
                                          9. I Will Follow You (6:41)
                                          10. Grandfather (8:42)
                                          11. Camaro (2:40)
                                          12. Inspector 29 (1:58)
                                          13. Nothing (3:11)
                                          14. Rebel Yell (4:12)

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                                          Cover of The Tallest Man On Earth EP by The Tallest Man On Earth.

                                          The Tallest Man On Earth

                                          The Tallest Man On Earth EP

                                          Gravitation

                                            It’s impossible to discuss The Tallest Man On Earth’s music without acknowledging Bob Dylan. The seemingly effortlessness, the melodic sensibility and the deft lyricism all recall Dylan’s early years. But when you witness the Tallest Man on Earth perform live, you are watching a man possessed. The energy pours out with every word. Full of intensity and raw emotion, he paces the stage, bringing the audience into the palm of his hand, completely lost in his songs.

                                            This is a reissue of his debut EP.

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                                            Cover of There's No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth.

                                            The Tallest Man On Earth

                                            There's No Leaving Now

                                            Dead Oceans

                                              Hugely anticipated, The Tallest Man On Earth returns with ‘There’s No Leaving Now’.

                                              The sense of urgency that fuelled his previous work remains, and the results are paralyzing – drums, piano, baritone guitar, woodwinds and pedal steel combine with songwriting so detailed and captivating.

                                              Since his last album, ‘The Wild Hunt’, The Tallest Man On Earth has sold out Shepherds Bush Empire two months in advance of the show, performed on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ and now lands at the start of this campaign with a sold out London Hackney Empire show, with fans desperate to hear his new material.

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                                              Cover of The Bravest Man In The Universe by Bobby Womack.

                                              Bobby Womack

                                              The Bravest Man In The Universe

                                              XL Recordings

                                                Bobby Womack is a funk and soul legend with more hits under his belt than we can count. 'The Bravest Man In The Universe' is his first album for 18 years. It was recorded and co-produced by Damon Albarn, which came about when he did guest vocals for The Gorillaz's 'Plastic Beach' album, and XL label boss Richard Russell who was behind the controls on Gil Scott Heron's final album 'I'm New Here'.

                                                Recorded at Albarn's Studio 13 in west London and New York's Manhattan Center between October and December 2011, the album occupies a similar space to Russell's work with Gil Scott-Heron, letting Womack's heart-rending soul vocals ride over more contemporary electronic backing tracks. The album also features vocal contributions from African singer Fatoumata Diawara and Lana Del Rey.


                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                Philippa says: Bobby Womack's first album in 18 years, co-produced by Damon Albarn. Soul with a downbeat edge. Includes vocal contributions from Fatoumata Diawara and Lana Del Rey.

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                                                Cover of Vol. 1 by Young Man.

                                                Young Man

                                                Vol. 1

                                                BMG Rights Management

                                                The new album for the US artist Young Man aka Colin Caulfield with guitarist Emmett Conway, bassist Joe Bailey, drummer Dylan Andrews and synth player Jeff Graupner - produced by John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea And Cake a.o.)

                                                Before he was even finished with the debut Young Man EP Boy, singersongwriter Colin Caulfield already knew what he wanted to do with this one, the 9-track album Vol. 1. First conceived in Caulfield’s college dorm room in 2009, Young Man is a concept project about youth -- about how that fleeting phase when you're emerging into adulthood can feel like reliving two decades of highs and lows in just a couple years. "I wanted all the things to come out in succession," Caulfield says, "because the series documents what happened to me when I was writing them. The whole project more or less portrays the trajectory of a young musician, first starting out, making mistakes, then growing up.

                                                He's growing in leaps and bounds, turning out a more muscular, focused sound on 'Vol.1,' where songs such as "21" and "Fate" bend the dreamy atmospherics Caulfield has been exploring since his first EP into lean, pliable melodies. Vol. 1 is the first Young Man effort to feature a full band. He is supported here by guitarist Emmett Conway, bassist Joe Bailey, drummer Dylan Andrews and synth player Jeff Graupner, most of whom have been playing live with Caulfield for the past couple years on tours with Cold War Kids, Givers, Grouplove and Fanfarlo, among others. "I always envisioned this as a full band project," Caulfield says. "Experimenting with a group of musicians in a way that you can't when you’re alone is much more appealing for me, but I had to teach myself how to record the songs on my own first."

                                                Vol 1 is also Caulfield's first project to be recorded in a studio -- Chicago's Soma Studios, where Young Man spent several weeks last year with producer John McEntire, known for his influential work with Nineties indie rock heavyweights Tortoise and The Sea And Cake, as well as production/engineering credits for Broken Social Scene and Stereolab. "I had a very good idea of what each song should sound like in my head before we went to the studio," Caulfield says. "They came out sounding different than I thought they were going to, but a lot of the album is about being happy with that. We almost called the album Damon & Division, which are the cross streets where Soma is, because the studio itself was such an important instrument on this record."

                                                Beyond any one instrument, Caulfield says the biggest influence on Vol. 1 was his longtime attraction to progressive rock. "It’s such geeky music," he says. "But the musicianship is something I really get behind. Sometimes I find myself using the same chords and rhythmic concepts, but those influences always push me to do something new as much as I'm able - making music technical in clever ways without letting it get too selfindulgent."

                                                Yet Caulfield also notes that the real writing of this record coincided with his beginning to develop a real taste for pop music again, for the first time since his early teens. "I got more interested in songwriting, and I learned to embrace pop music like Kelly Rowland and Nick Drake. I resented that music for so long, for some reason. I don’t think it’s negative anymore to write a good hook and have it repeat. For the longest time I wanted to make music that had parts that moved in and out, that didn’t follow standard pop conventions. I guess I finally realized it’s cool to do both." Prog pop? Yes. Finally.

                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                1. Heading
                                                2. Thoughts
                                                3. By And By
                                                4. Do
                                                5. Fate
                                                6. Wasted
                                                7. 21
                                                8. Wandering
                                                9. Directions

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                                                Cover of Ike Turner - Real Gone Rocket - Session Man Extraordinaire - Selected Singles 1951-59 by Various Artists.

                                                Various Artists

                                                Ike Turner - Real Gone Rocket - Session Man Extraordinaire - Selected Singles 1951-59

                                                Jerome

                                                  Besides being an excellent boogie pianist and guitarist supremo, Ike Turner shone as a top-notch composer, producer and talent scout. It's a fact that Ike was at the same professional level as some of the biggest names of the day, whom he worked with on a number of occasions. This new 45’s compilation shines light on this little-known aspect of his artistic career as the genius-behind-the-curtains in several recordings by other artists. Included are R&B essentials such as - My Real Gone Rocket or “I Ain’t Drunk” by the legendary Jackie Brenston and Lonnie the Cat, as well as obscure numbers - never re-issued till now - such as “Nobody Seems to Want me” by Jessie Knight, “Would You Rather” by Kenneth Churchill, the Starrs’ amazing cover of “Ain’t Got No Home” or Chuck Bernard’s “Calling Your Name”. Liner notes and discography/sessionography by Fred Rothwell.

                                                  Does the world need another compilation featuring ”Rocket 88”? Probably does, but it’s not included here.


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                                                  Cover of Travelin' Man by Still Flyin'.

                                                  Still Flyin'

                                                  Travelin' Man

                                                  Highline

                                                    ‘Travelin’ Man’ is a beautifully uplifting 80s influenced indie synth pop laced with melancholy and longing.

                                                    The B-side ‘Plastic Heart’ is a jilted love song packed with 80s noir bass grooves and darkly catchy guitar riffs.

                                                    Led by Sean Rawls of Masters Of The Hemisphere, Still Flyin’s 2009?s much loved ‘Never Gonna Touch The Ground’ established the band?s fun-loving credo, and saw them touring the world 15- members strong, with a little help from the likes of Isobel Knowles (Architecture In Helsinki), Mark Monnone (Lucksmiths), Gary Olson (Ladybug Transistor), Josephine Olausson (Love Is All) and Yoshi Nakamoto (Aisler Set).

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                                                    Cover of Love Interruption / Machine Gun Silhouette by Jack White.

                                                    Jack White

                                                    Love Interruption / Machine Gun Silhouette

                                                    Third Man

                                                      Oh yes, indeed! Jack is BACK! "Love Interruption" is the first taste of Jack White's debut album, Blunderbuss, out April 23 on Third Man Records/XL.

                                                      Features non-LP B-side "Machine Gun Silhouette".

                                                      Produced by White and recorded at his own Third Man Studio in Nashville, Blunderbuss has been described by White as "an album I couldn't have released until now. I've put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs feel like they could only be presented under my name. These songs were written from scratch, had nothing to do with anyone or anything else but my own expression, my own colors on my own canvas."


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                                                      Cover of The Big Three Killed My Baby / Red Bowling Ball Ruth by The White Stripes.

                                                      The White Stripes

                                                      The Big Three Killed My Baby / Red Bowling Ball Ruth

                                                      Third Man Records

                                                      This is a reissue of the decade-plus out of print only single off the White Stripes self-titled debut album. The A-side is Jack White's tempered screed against the monopoly of American auto companies against the accented thud of Meg's pounding drums. The B-side "Red Bowling Ball Ruth" is exclusive to this single and overflows with AC/DC-inspired rock riffs. Re-mastered direct from the original analog masters!

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                                                      Cover of Lord Send Me An Angel / You're Pretty Good Looking For A Girl (Trendy American Remix) by The White Stripes.

                                                      The White Stripes

                                                      Lord Send Me An Angel / You're Pretty Good Looking For A Girl (Trendy American Remix)

                                                      Third Man Records

                                                        Another classic single from the White Stripes archives.. originally released as part of the White Stripes Japan-Australia-New Zealand "Three Island Tour" in October 2000, and now these songs are back in print for the first time in over a decade. The A-side is a cover of Blind Willie McTell's "Lord, Send Me an Angel" with parts of his classic "Ticket Agent" thrown into the mix for good measure. Pay attention to Jack White's update of the lyrics to reflect his own geographical location. The flipside is an Auto-Tuned (before they called it that) remix of "You're Pretty Good Looking" that's a peculiar novelty to say the least. Both tracks are re-mastered directly from the original master tape.

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                                                        Cover of Nobody's Man by Nucular Aminals.

                                                        Nucular Aminals

                                                        Nobody's Man

                                                        K Records

                                                        Nucular Aminals squeeze a lot onto their new 7”. This is the first single released off of their S/T full-length [KLP233] and it shifts smoothly from surf to pop to rock and back again. The amount of fun you find yourself having while listening to these tracks is equal to at least two full-length albums, maybe four, but de¬finitely not ¬five, that would be crazy talk. These Portland based Aminals (Robert Comitz, Erin Schmith, Jheremy Grigsby, and Wiley Hickson) bring a combination of talents to the mix here that they’ve gained from previous musical endeavors. Cormitz has previously played with Hornet Leg, and Schmith and he are both formerly of San Francisco’s Marriage + Cancer. The band is touring the U.S now in support of their album and have upcoming dates in Seattle and Portland. This PNW band is used to cloudy days and drizzle, but their music is nothing but blue skies. If general happiness isn’t enough for you, then maybe the promise of dancing will win you over. Put this little toot of a 7” on while you’re doing some sort of task, and before you know it your toes will be tapping, shoulders will be rolling. Hell, you may even find yourself doing that snapping and pointing dance that’s been made popular by moms and aunties at wedding receptions. No, no. You’ll do far better. I can tell just by looking at you.

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        Side A:
                                                        1. Nobody’s Man

                                                        Side B:
                                                        2. Kill Your Dogs
                                                        3. Garrison + Phillips/Garrison Phillips

                                                        [ + ]
                                                        [ - ]
                                                        Cover of Breaks From The Border by The New Mastersounds.

                                                        The New Mastersounds

                                                        Breaks From The Border

                                                        Tallest Man

                                                        "The New Mastersounds release their first ever US-recorded album, 'Breaks From The Border'. 'Breaks...' marks a new era in the band's sonic landscape by topping their unique syncopated grooves with group vocal stylings. Band tested, fan approved. After a major US festival tour, instead of flying home to England, they diverted to El Paso, Texas, from where they made the short journey to the outskirts of the border town of Tornillo. Sonic Ranch is a residential studio in the middle of a huge pecan orchard, and this was the setting for the band’s seventh studio album, Breaks from the Border. “This group was one of the few bands to draw the festival’s jam, funk and hipster crowds to one stage.” - Jambands.com.

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        01. Take What You Need 3:11
                                                        02. Run The Gauntlet 4:20
                                                        03. On The Border 4:11
                                                        04. Free Man 3:20
                                                        05. Freckles 3:43
                                                        06. Passport 4:44
                                                        07. Walk In These Shoes 5:50
                                                        08. Josus 4:56
                                                        09. Can You Get It? 7:20
                                                        10. Turn It Up 3:08
                                                        11. Up In The Air 3:38

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                                                        [ - ]
                                                        Cover of Let's Shake Hands / Look Me Over Closely by The White Stripes.

                                                        The White Stripes

                                                        Let's Shake Hands / Look Me Over Closely

                                                        Third Man Records

                                                          Amazingly, these records still blow the roof off, reissues of the first two White Stripes singles, originally released in another millennium, lets hear what Wiki say: '"Let's Shake Hands" is the debut 7" single of Detroit-based American garage rock band The White Stripes. It was released in March 1998, and marks their first recording. A live recording of the song is featured on Under Blackpool Lights as well as Under Great White Northern Lights. "Let's Shake Hands" showcases the early garage punk sound of the band in its infancy. The single is backed with a cover of "Look Me Over Closely," a song written for Marlene Dietrich by folk musician Terry Gilkyson. The first edition was 500 copies on clear red vinyl. A second edition of 1,000 copies was pressed on black vinyl in 2002. The cover for this repressing was a better quality version of the original photo. There was a "secret" third pressing in 2008 with a stenciled version of the original cover art by Dion Fischer. It was pressed on black vinyl and 1,000 hand-numbered copies were produced. Highly coveted among diehard fans, this 7" remains one of the rarest and priciest items in The White Stripes' entire discography.'

                                                          Exactly.. a very essential reissue...

                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          Side A:
                                                          Let's Shake Hands

                                                          Side B:
                                                          Look Me Over Closely

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Lafayette Blues / Sugar Never Tasted So Good by The White Stripes.

                                                          The White Stripes

                                                          Lafayette Blues / Sugar Never Tasted So Good

                                                          Third Man Records

                                                          Amazingly, but not unsurprisingly, these records still blow the roof off, reissues of the first two White Stripes singles, originally released in another millennium: This is a reissue of their second 7" release, two tracks, the B-side is 'Sugar Never Tasted So Good', an essential 45!!

                                                          The jacket is a special double-sided, tri-fold sleeve.

                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          Side A:
                                                          Lafayette Blues

                                                          Side B:
                                                          Sugar Never Tasted So Good

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Up So Fast by Young Man.

                                                          Young Man

                                                          Up So Fast

                                                          Chess Club

                                                          Colin Caulfield, aka Young Man may already be familiar to some of you for his reworkings of his favourite song, including a cover of Deerhunter's "Rainwater Cassette Exchange" which Bradford Cox described as "fantastically superior to the original". An accolade indeed!
                                                          Now Young Man brings us his debut UK single "Up So Fast" which is a lovely uplifting dream-pop number. Kicking off with simple stripped back guitar strums and vocals, the drum rhythm - a series of mini drum rolls, gradually builds to create a shimmering pop haze before it changes direction once again as it winds down to a finale.
                                                          Fans of Altas Sound, Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Panda Bear etc should take note.
                                                          Pitchfork: "acoustic guitars that give off the whiff of sunscreen, sun-baked loops, easygoing percussion, vocals blanched in reverb, and lyrics that take an 'aw shucks' wistfulness to growing up."

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of You've Got The Wrong Man / Stubborn Ghost by Gentleman Jesse Smith.

                                                          Gentleman Jesse Smith

                                                          You've Got The Wrong Man / Stubborn Ghost

                                                          Hozac Records

                                                            Atlanta's favourite son, Gentleman Jesse Smith is back in a big way after he turned the modern pop world upside down with 2008's debut single and LP that immediately raised the bar for contemporary power pop recordings. We've been waiting for this release since 2007 and it's finally here. This year has seen Gentleman Jesse & His Men touring like crazy with a new single on Douchemaster along with this one right here, ushering in the second wind we've all been waiting for from this much-adored pop pioneer. This songwriting well isn't even close to running dry, and if the two tracks contained on this new single are any indication of the follow-up LP's magnitude, it may just be time to roll over and declare Jesse the modern 'King of Pop,' as we all know Michael fucking Jackson sure isn't holding onto it anymore. First pressing 500 black editions.

                                                            [ + ]
                                                            [ - ]
                                                            Cover of Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird by The Tallest Man On Earth.

                                                            The Tallest Man On Earth

                                                            Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird

                                                            Dead Oceans

                                                              The Tallest Man On Earth released "The Wild Hunt" this year to widespread acclaim. The live reaction that the Tallest Man On Earth (aka songwriter Kristian Matsson) generates from his fans is a sight to behold. He has performed around the world, headlining Euro festivals and selling out prestigious club venues.

                                                              Matsson is the rarest of performers, charismatic and captivating. At many of the Tallest Man on Earth shows this year, Matsson closed his set with a new song titled ‘Like The Wheel’. It quickly became a fan favourite, with YouTube videos spreading virally, and the sets closing on a high note night after night.

                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                              Darryl says: A five track mini-album and another example of his superb widescreen late night Americana songwriting skills.

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. Little River
                                                              2. The Dreamer
                                                              3. Like The Wheel
                                                              4. Tangle This
                                                              5. Trampled Wheat
                                                              6. Thrown Right At Me

                                                              [ + ]
                                                              [ - ]
                                                              Cover of The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man On Earth.

                                                              The Tallest Man On Earth

                                                              The Wild Hunt

                                                              Dead Oceans

                                                                When fans lined up to see the sold-out Bon Iver performances at New York City's Town Hall in late 2008, few of them went with any expectations of the opening act. But the audience that night, and on every other night of Bon Iver's tour that December, were introduced to something special, something unforgettable: The Tallest Man on Earth. This was the first of several tours for the Tallest Man on Earth (aka Kristian Matsson), with obsessive crowds growing each step of the way.

                                                                It is impossible to discuss The Tallest Man on Earth's music without acknowledging Bob Dylan. The seemingly effortlessness, the melodic sensibility and the deft lyricism all recall Dylan's early years. But when you witness the Tallest Man on Earth perform live, you are watching a man possessed. The energy pours out with every word. Full of intensity and raw emotion, he paces the stage, bringing the audience into the palm of his hand, completely lost in his songs.

                                                                This brings us to the reason you are reading this. With unbridled excitement, we bring you The Tallest Man on Earth's second LP, "The Wild Hunt". It is all here: The words. The voice. The melodies. Ten perfect songs. "The Wild Hunt" picks up where "Shallow Grave" left off, with Matsson doing what he does best. It is unmistakably The Tallest Man on Earth, from the urgent strums of "You're Going Back" and the sweet melodies of "Love is All," to the playful lyricism of live favourite "King of Spain" and the subtle hook on "Burden of Tomorrow". "The Wild Hunt" isn't just another folk album; this is acoustic rock 'n' roll from a man with a story to tell.

                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                Darryl says: Ace singer/songwriter with a desolate, stripped down acoustic Americana vibe that brings to mind early Dylan.

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                                                                [ - ]
                                                                Cover of Angry Young Man by Get Well Soon.

                                                                Get Well Soon

                                                                Angry Young Man

                                                                City Slang


                                                                Having released an album on Nude Records back in 2008, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Konstantin Gropper returns with "Angry Young Man", taken from the forthcoming album "Vexations".
                                                                Gropper is also a composer of film scores; his latest being for Wim Wenders’ (Paris, Texas / Buena Vista Social Club) film Palermo Shooting (nominated at the Cannes Film Festival 2008).
                                                                The B-Side of this limited 7” "Your Teenage FBI" is taken from a film score of a 2010 released film by German cult regiesseur Detlev Buck.


                                                                [ + ]
                                                                [ - ]
                                                                Cover of The Man Machine - 2009 Digital Remaster by Kraftwerk.

                                                                Kraftwerk

                                                                The Man Machine - 2009 Digital Remaster

                                                                Mute

                                                                A bold new look, sound and concept for Kraftwerk. Over supple processed rhythms which predate the rise of European techno and trance, they address automation and alienation, space travel and engineering, the seductive allure of urban landscapes and the vacant glamour of celebrity. Clipped and funky, "The Robots" adds another dimension to Kraftwerk's ultra-dry sense of humour. Behind its intoxicating melodic pulse, "The Model" is a highly prophetic satire on the beauty industry, so ahead of its time that it only becomes a UK chart-topper by accident three years later. And "Neon Lights" is Kraftwerk's most achingly romantic song to date, a sci-fi lullaby for cities at twilight. Pure magic.


                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                1. The Robots (2009 Digital Remaster)
                                                                2. Spacelab (2009 Digital Remaster)
                                                                3. Metropolis (2009 Digital Remaster)
                                                                4. The Model (2009 Digital Remaster)
                                                                5. Neon Lights (2009 Digital Remaster)
                                                                6. The Man Machine (2009 Digital Remaster)

                                                                [ + ]
                                                                [ - ]

                                                                Jack White

                                                                Fly Farm Blues

                                                                Third Man Records

                                                                "Fly Farm Blues" is a song written on the spot by Jack White at the request of film director Davis Guggenheim while filming the impressive new guitar documentary 'It Might Get Loud'. The film features in-depth looks at Mr. White, The Edge, and Jimmy Page's relationships with the six-stringed instrument. Jack recorded the song immediately to two-track, all while being filmed for the documentary in the attic of the Fly Farm. Some astute viewers may recognize this attic room as the same used by Jim Jarmusch in his video for the Raconteurs' "Steady As She Goes".

                                                                [ + ]
                                                                [ - ]

                                                                British Sea Power

                                                                Man Of Aran

                                                                Rough Trade

                                                                  British Sea Power have written and recorded a new soundtrack for the 1934 film "Man Of Aran". This package includes two discs - the re-scored Man Of Aran DVD, plus the soundtrack by itself on CD.
                                                                  'It's a wonderful film', says BSP guitarist Noble. 'The images vary between huge drama and a brilliant kind of ridiculousness - check out the amazing foot-wide bobbled berets that the fishermen wear. It's a great look, like a 1930s Irish version of Jack White or Kraftwerk. It's a film that's also relevant to the current era – a time when the idea of living a simpler life is in the air. The film shows something I'd like to think I could do, but know I never will'. 'Man Of Aran' is a powerful and provocative dramatised documentary from the late American filmmaker Robert J Flaherty. In a series of startling black-and-white sequences the film presents daily life on the inhospitable Aran islands on the west coast of Ireland. The film was both celebrated and controversial on its release.

                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                  [ - ]

                                                                  Little Man Tate

                                                                  I Am Alive

                                                                  Skint

                                                                    Indie-rockers Little Man Tate return with a brand new single. The track was exclusively written for the Yorkshire Sports Awards after the band were invited to write the official awards theme by the BBC! This limited edition 7" only release includes new track "Little Chicago" on the B-side.

                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                    [ - ]

                                                                    Little Man Tate

                                                                    Hey Little Sweetie

                                                                    Yellow Van / Skint

                                                                      Following the band's belting return with single, "What Your Boyfriend Said" in June, Sheffield's Little Man Tate unleash the second single, and long-standing live favourite, "Hey Little Sweetie". In typically explosive style, "Hey Little Sweetie" is a bruising, jaunty guitar-punch, with vocalist Jon Windle's assured tales of a female student's deviant extra curricular activities. The single precedes the release of the band's second album, "Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy", a record made under trying conditions, but one that Little Man Tate are rightly supremely confident in.

                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                      [ - ]

                                                                      Ox Eagle Lion Man

                                                                      The Lay Of The Land The Turn Of The Tide

                                                                      Transgressive

                                                                        Following from their sold out limited 7" debut on Transgressive and their buzz laden trip to SXSW, Ox... present their first widely available release. Formed by "Fred Les" of Les Incompetents fame, the band have already amassed a die-hard fan base.

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]

                                                                        Radioactive Man

                                                                        Growl

                                                                        Control Tower

                                                                          Keith Tenniswood, Andrew Weatherall's partner in crime in Two Lone Swordsmen, is back with a new solo album under his Radioactive Man moniker, his first since 2003's "Booby Trap". As with his previous offerings, the album is a mixture of electro and techno, all with plenty of funk in the rhythms and smeared in a layer of greasy distortion. The set moves into 80s inspired post-punk electrock'n'roll fusions on tracks like "Nothing At All" (featuring Dot Allison on vocals) and "Double Dealings" (featuring Weatherall at the mic).

                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                          [ - ]

                                                                          The Takovers

                                                                          Little Green Onion Man

                                                                          Off Records

                                                                            This freaky little beast, the new Takeovers EP, "Little Green Onion Man, is a nice mini-movie comprised of four songs (three of which are unreleased Robert Pollard compositions) that warmly straddle the loosey-goosey psych-pop sounds of their first album, "Turn To Red", as well as the white-knuckled rock pomp of their second, "Bad Football". From the spooky freak-beat of "Rich Man's Girl" to the Ann Arbor beating that "Wigstomper 07" dishes out, you might not want to listen to this in the dark. Also along for the tight little visit of their twisted, lop-sided tuneage are John Moen of Stephen Malkmus/the Decemberists, Sam Coomes of Quasi/Blues Goblins and Brian Berg of 44 Long.

                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                            [ - ]

                                                                            The Cinematic Orchestra

                                                                            Man With A Movie Camera

                                                                            Ninja Tune

                                                                              Originally written for a one off live performance to accompany Dziga Vertov's classic 1929 Russian silent film 'Man With A Movie Camera', some of these tracks ("Evolution", "All Things"), and their 70s free-jazz inspired style went on to become the backbone of the "Everyday" sessions. Finally J Swinscoe and Co have gone into the studio and recorded the tracks (live) for this proper soundtrack LP.

                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                              [ - ]

                                                                              Man In Formaldehyde

                                                                              Ultraviolet Overdrive

                                                                              Pointy Bird

                                                                                "Ultraviolet Overdrive" is the follow-up to Man In Formaldehyde's "Copper Sulphate Crystals". A lot has changed since that 2003 release: The melodic core is still there but the production trickery has been dropped in favor of stripped down, pure composition. Meditational and intimate, "Time-Lapse Flower 1" starts with solo church organ untraditionally stripped of it's grand cathedral-filling reverberations, leaving it warmer and more fragile. Its world weary drone counterbalanced by a beautiful oboe melody and shimmering vibes. Violins and pianos weep. Harps and vibes cast magic spells and time slows down to a crawl.

                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                [ - ]

                                                                                Sister

                                                                                Satellite / Gambling Man

                                                                                Regal Singles Collection

                                                                                  Formed two years ago in East London, Sister - Gemma (vocals, guitar) Alzy (guitar) Steve (bass) Jamie (keys) Matt (drums)- honed their intense, stripped down rock'n'roll in a squatted disused warehouse in East London, home to an artists collective and a graveyard for old industrial machines (and where the "Satellite" video was filmed). There they created a sound that is by turns, beautiful and explosive - think Velvets' "Sunday Morning" meets Mazzy Star and you'll be pretty close.

                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                  [ - ]

                                                                                  Ray Davies

                                                                                  Working Man's Cafe

                                                                                  V2

                                                                                    Eighteen months after releasing his first ever solo album, Ray Davies is back with what promises to be one of the best albums of his incredible career. While last year's "Other People's Lives" was a lifetime in the making, this new album happened relatively quickly. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, "Working Mans Café" features 12 stellar songs written by Ray Davies and co-produced with Ray Kennedy. They assembled a crackerjack band of top musicians who breathe life into a wonderful collection of songs. The 12 new songs are vintage Ray Davies and bear all the hallmark classic musical and lyrical insights we have come to expect from him. The album is infused with a transatlantic sound befitting Ray's close ties to the American south coupled with his well respected Englishness. From the first upbeat notes of the lead track "Vietnam Cowboys", it is clear Ray has never sung better. "Working Mans Café" is a wistful, humorous and poignant look at today, just what we have come to expect from one of Britain's greatest songwriters. Highlights are many and include the Preservation Jazz Hall sway of "Morphine Song", the painful longing of "Imaginary Man" and the haunting emotion of "One More Time".

                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                    [ - ]

                                                                                    Tin Man

                                                                                    Parallel Lives

                                                                                    Nr One

                                                                                      Norwich band Tin Man are the new incarnation of the band C/O/R/D. Calling their new sound 'cyber indie', Tin Man deliver volleys and power punches of sweet melodic indie rock, "Parallel Lives" is a laser-paced track with an interplanetary groove.

                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                      [ - ]

                                                                                      Little Man Tate

                                                                                      About What You Know

                                                                                      V2

                                                                                        In just eighteen hugely eventful months since forming, and less than a year after signing a record deal, this four piece have chalked up three exhilarating top 40 singles, completed a string of riotous sold out tours, including show-stealing performances at the Reading and Leeds Festivals and their biggest headline show to date at Sheffield's 1600 capacity Octagon. As the title suggests, this hotly anticipated debut album is lead singer Jon Windle's masterclass in autobiographical storytelling. Oozing heart and soul, the album is full of true stories and a cast of colourful characters, combining a touch of Steel City realism with a healthy does of suburban hedonism.

                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                        [ - ]

                                                                                        Man Like Me

                                                                                        Wine And Dine - Williams Remix

                                                                                        Non Stop

                                                                                          Having wowed us all with the ace "Oh My Gosh", Man Like Me returns with live favorite "Wine And Dine". On the flip the grind-tastic grime groove of the original is whisked up into a fierce and frolicsome slice of electrohouse by Tsuba boy Williams.

                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                          [ - ]

                                                                                          Ghostly Man

                                                                                          Capital

                                                                                          Tape Recordings

                                                                                            Formerly one half of Electroclash pioneer's Alpinestars, Glyn Thomas is an experienced producer and recording artist. When Alpinestars split up (late 2004) Glyn felt free to return to his first love of traditional song writing and created the Ghostly Man moniker. Described by some as the 'Serge Gainsburg' of Manchester, Ghostly Man's first single (from his forthcoming album) "Capital" b/w "Advice From Strangers" has been mixed by Valgeir Sigurdsson (Bjork, Sigor Ros) and is released on Tape Recordings (previously home to Stephen Fretwell).

                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                            [ - ]

                                                                                            Jacks The Man

                                                                                            Jacks The Man

                                                                                            Frantica

                                                                                              This CD and booklet package is the culmination of a years work from Jack The Man, a collection of free rhythms and words put together on a beach in Wales in front of a roaring fire!

                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                              [ - ]

                                                                                              Cartwheel

                                                                                              Man: In Love With Machine EP

                                                                                              Valentine

                                                                                                Cartwheel have been together since 1998, playing gigs around Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide alongside noteworthy bands such as Ninetynine, The Lucksmiths and Architecture in Helsinki. This is their first release for Valentine and features four tracks of skewed, down-beat electro-pop which slips somewhere between Stereolab and Lali Puna - with a touch of old-school 909 action along the way.

                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                [ - ]

                                                                                                Oil Red O

                                                                                                Cutshaw

                                                                                                Mer-r-r-r-man

                                                                                                  Oil Red O's debut 7" single, "Cutshaw" is released on their own label Mer-r-r-r-man Records. Oil Red O are an instrumental three-piece that encompass sharp angular sound, ever changing dynamics, thrashy rock sequences and a sense of playfulness that bears comparison with US post-hardcore bands like Slint and Shellac.

                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                  Cover of Milk Man by Deerhoof.

                                                                                                  Deerhoof

                                                                                                  Milk Man

                                                                                                  ATP

                                                                                                    Milk Man is the sixth album by the band Deerhoof, released in 2004. It is something of a concept album, based on a character (the "Milk Man" shown on the cover of the album), created by Japanese artist Ken Kagami, a friend of the band.

                                                                                                    This album is their first to feature conventional songs, but fear not, they're still constructed in their typically unconventional manner.

                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                    [ - ]

                                                                                                    Franc

                                                                                                    Baby You're A Rich Man

                                                                                                    Ultimate Dilemma

                                                                                                      Debut release from the newly signed singer-songwriter on Ultimate Dilemma. Cute pop with a distinctly 60s feel.

                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                      [ - ]

                                                                                                      Various Artists

                                                                                                      Underground Screams

                                                                                                      Asian Man

                                                                                                        "Underground Screams" is a collection of new Asian Man artists from around the world. Asian Man owner Mike Park listened to over 600 demos of underground acts and chose everything from ska, punk, mod, hardcore and indie and shoved it on this compilation. Features tracks by Pama Intl (London), The Common Place(Minneapolis), Clarendon Hills (Berkeley, Ca), Dead Letter Dept. (Toronto) and loads more.

                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                        [ - ]

                                                                                                        Since By Man

                                                                                                        We Sing The Body Electric

                                                                                                        Revelation

                                                                                                          Since By Man have the intensity of Converge and Poison The Well plus the melodic sensibility of emocore. From Milwaukee USA, Sam Macon (vocals), Justin Kay (guitar), Kevin Herwig (guitar), Jon Kraft (drums) and Bryan Jerabek (bass) have created a storm of an album. Together this five-piece form a cohesive, powerful unit "We Sing The Body Electric" has a maturity unusual in a debut full-length with a genuine power and desperate passion.

                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                          [ - ]

                                                                                                          Dan Potthast

                                                                                                          Sweets And Meats

                                                                                                          Asian Man

                                                                                                            Best known for his work with MU330 Dan Potthast has made quite a name for himself with these oddball, quirky stripped down songs. Strong melodies, intelligent lyrics, and great musicianship. Fans of Weezer, MU330, and anything inbetween will go crazy over this.

                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                            [ - ]

                                                                                                            One Man Army

                                                                                                            Rumors And Headlines

                                                                                                            BYO

                                                                                                              One Man Army's sound can be described as punk rock'n'roll and this, their third full length album just goes to affirm this even more.

                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]

                                                                                                              Various Artists

                                                                                                              Asian Man Records Presents - Mailorder For The Masses

                                                                                                              Asian Man

                                                                                                                29 great songs for £4.99! COME ON! Here's the latest Asian Man Records sampler, tracks from Link 80, Alkaline Trio, MU330, Colossal, The Lawrence Arms, The Chinkees and all the usual Asian Man suspects.

                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                [ - ]

                                                                                                                Nicotine

                                                                                                                Samurai Shot

                                                                                                                Asian Man

                                                                                                                  Japan's Nicotine have been playing their punk rock sound since 1993. It's high octane, deft Nippon niftiness. Asian Man Records bring you a compilation of tracks from their Japanese releases, over 70 minutes of music altogether. Influenced heavily by the likes of NOFX (same instrumentation - two guitars, bass and drums) this is no holds barred hardcore punk.

                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                  [ - ]

                                                                                                                  EE

                                                                                                                  Tinyspot

                                                                                                                  Asian Man

                                                                                                                    EE hails from San Francisco, California and features Soo Young Park from Seam on guitar / keyboards and Tobin Mori ex-Korea Girl on guitar / lead vocals. The sound is very reminiscent of Seam in many ways. It's not the usual sort of Asian Man skacore sound, being more in a emo style with slow burners developing into epic rockers.

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                                                                                                                    [ - ]

                                                                                                                    The Chinkees

                                                                                                                    Searching For A Better Future

                                                                                                                    Asian Man

                                                                                                                      From San Jose, California comes the third full-length release from Asian Man's best skacore outfit The Chinkees. "Searching for a Brighter Future" is a forceful mix of rock-steady, ska, and punk rock. Dealing with a plethora of topics from enforced prostitution of Korean women in World War II to family struggles and racism, the band combines political energy with the smooth sound we've come to expect from this class act.

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                                                                                                                      [ - ]

                                                                                                                      Bone-Box

                                                                                                                      Working The Ribald Ratio

                                                                                                                      Ugly Man

                                                                                                                        Great debut album from Bone-Box. Sleazy swamp blues mixed with a lazy alt-country groove. Recommended!

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                                                                                                                        MU330

                                                                                                                        Ultra Panic

                                                                                                                        Asian Man

                                                                                                                          MU330's seventh full length release is chock full of their own distinct brand of high energy skacore. "Ultra Panic" has the band playing more ska than any of their previous albums. With the help of organist Chaz Boy and saxophonist John Paul Camp III lending their talents, it is obvious after one listen that this is perhaps one of the finest ska releases in the last ten years.

                                                                                                                          [ + ]
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                                                                                                                          Shai Hulud

                                                                                                                          A Profound Hatred Of Man

                                                                                                                          Crisis

                                                                                                                            Aaaaargh gasphetti! Three tracks to engorge your hippocampus.

                                                                                                                            [ + ]
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                                                                                                                            The Plus Ones

                                                                                                                            It's A Calling

                                                                                                                            Asian Man

                                                                                                                              New Asian Man signing featuring ex-Mr T Experience singer Joel Reader and ex-members of the Pansy Division. Pretty much straight up rock with the characteristic Californian sound of ringing guitars and a big drum / bass sound similar to Weezer.

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                                                                                                                              Dboy

                                                                                                                              Wonder, Miracle Man

                                                                                                                              Superhero

                                                                                                                                Debut EP from Dboy. Four melancholic acoustic tracks.

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                                                                                                                                Potshot

                                                                                                                                A Go Go

                                                                                                                                Asian Man

                                                                                                                                  Fancy a dose of crazy Nipponese ska core? Well this is the one for you. This is Potshot's fourth full-length release on Asian Man Records. The album has been out for almost a year in Japan and has sold over 100,000 copies. More of that pop sound that makes everyone smile, as well as lots of oohs and ahhs to go with that big brassy ska sound.

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                                                                                                                                  Fraternity Of Man

                                                                                                                                  X

                                                                                                                                  San Francisco Sound

                                                                                                                                    An oddity even by the hippy / trippy standards of late 70s San Francisco. It's not all love, peace and poetry here my friends with one of the Fraternity Of Man's magnum opus's having the immortal lines "Fuck her, that's all she's good for"... mmmm nice sentiment boys.

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                                                                                                                                    Loudon Wainwright III

                                                                                                                                    Last Man On Earth

                                                                                                                                    Evangeline

                                                                                                                                      If one artist has maintained a rich quality and autobiographical commitment in his songwriting throughout his career then it has to be Loudon Wainwright. As angst ridden and relevant as ever he sings of despair, loss and depression but with a wit and humanity that has never paled over the years. While some singer songwriters have lost their eloquence or ability to touch their listeners on a personal level, Loudon Wainwright merely adds more broken relationships, more personal losses (his Mum died recently which naturally sent him into a tailspin) into his lyrical brew. "Last Man On Earth" stands as one of the finest works from this brilliant songwriter.

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                                                                                                                                      Alejandro Escovedo

                                                                                                                                      A Man Under The Influence

                                                                                                                                      Bloodshot

                                                                                                                                        Wonderful new album from guitarist Alejandro Escovedo. Performed by his band who include members of Son Volt, Freakwater and Superchunk amongst others. Also includes contributions from ex Whiskeytown members Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary.

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                                                                                                                                        The Frightened Prisoners Of The Kraken

                                                                                                                                        Man Car Plane

                                                                                                                                        Artists Against Success

                                                                                                                                          Strange, surreal album, that sounds like a cross between Half Man Half Biscuit and Captain Beefheart.

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                                                                                                                                          Slapstick

                                                                                                                                          Live From Chicago's Fireside Bowl

                                                                                                                                          Asian Man

                                                                                                                                            This is a very special show by a very special band! Slapstick were one of the biggest punk rock bands to come out of Chicago. They broke up in 1996, at a time when every major label wanted them. The band re-united in 1997 for a one off reunion show and this is it. Featuring 14 tracks, rare photos and interview clips.

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                                                                                                                                            Coquettish

                                                                                                                                            Coquettish

                                                                                                                                            Asian Man

                                                                                                                                              Asian Man Records new signing - Coquettish are a punk rock quartet from Yokohama, Japan. Blistering hardcore with hints of ska and add a dash of Hi Standard.

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                                                                                                                                              Various Artists

                                                                                                                                              10 Minutes To Ogikubo Station - A Gathering Of Independent Music Videos

                                                                                                                                              Asian Man

                                                                                                                                                Classic videos from the Asian Man stable all gathered together on this one tape. Promo clips from the likes of MU330, Alkaline Trio, Blue Meanies, Korea Girl, Slow Gherkin, Lawrence Arms, Link 80, Honor System, Slapstick, The Chinkees and more. Also included is bonus live footage from Skankin Pickle, Alkaline Trio and Bruce Lee Band (featuring Mike Park and Less Than Jake).

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                                                                                                                                                Travis

                                                                                                                                                The Invisible Man

                                                                                                                                                Independiente

                                                                                                                                                  Third album from the Travis boys, and it's packed full of chart bound hits that you'll be seeing for ever more on MTV.

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                                                                                                                                                  Beaver

                                                                                                                                                  Mobile

                                                                                                                                                  Man's Ruin

                                                                                                                                                    Hailing from the Netherlands, this awesome quartet are becoming one of the most popular bands on Man's Ruin. This cannot be simply labelled "Stoner Rock", there is more depth and diversity at play here.

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                                                                                                                                                    MU330

                                                                                                                                                    Live. Oh Yeah!!

                                                                                                                                                    Asian Man

                                                                                                                                                      Just check the insert: page after page of gig after gig after gig. This Asian Man band are tour-addicts now you can witness the energy, the excitement and the non stop fun of the mighty MU330 live show! They have been rockin' and touring together since their debut in 1988---100% commitment.

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                                                                                                                                                      Lumen

                                                                                                                                                      The Man Felt An Iron.....

                                                                                                                                                      Temporary Residence

                                                                                                                                                        Complex polyrhythmic insrumentals for the acoustic guitar, accordian, upright bass and drum kit. The instrumentation lends itself to be a quieter album, but the subtle dynamic shifts and loud drumming makes for an incredible rock-out. Will appeal to fans of Papa M, Rex, Directions In Music etc.

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                                                                                                                                                        Pushover

                                                                                                                                                        Logic And Loss

                                                                                                                                                        Asian Man

                                                                                                                                                          This 5 piece band (ex-Mealticket) play a sweet blend of punk and pop melodies breaking down music "barriers" between "scenes". Echoes of the Foo Fighters and the Knack but very much their own brand of simple, direct power pop on the always listenable Asian Man label.

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