Combining sensitive songwriting, memorable melodies, and the rich, wistful vocal tone of its leader Ben Gibbard, Seattle's Death Cab for Cutie quickly rose from a low-key solo project to become one of the definitive indie bands of the 2000s and 2010s. Then based in the bayside college town of Bellingham, Washington, Gibbard had a minor breakthrough in 1997 with his debut cassette, You Can Play These Songs with Chords, prompting him to put together a band that included the cassette's producer, Chris Walla.

After marrying grungy rock and bittersweet indie pop for nearly a decade, their 2005 major-label debut, the more polished Plans, propelled Death Cab for Cutie into the Top Five behind the Hot 100 single "Soul Meets Body." They followed it with another hit song, the ballad "I Will Possess Your Heart" from 2008's Narrow Stairs, which went all the way to number one on the Billboard 200. (Both records were also nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album.) Continuing a trend toward more refined production, they returned to the Top Ten with releases such as 2011's Codes and Keys (another Grammy nominee for Best Alternative Music Album) and 2015's Kintsugi (a Best Rock Album nominee). Their tenth studio full-length, Asphalt Meadows, saw release in 2022, 25 years after Gibbard's breakout cassette.

ABOUT ASPHALT MEADOWS (ACOUSTIC)
“we recorded asphalt meadows (acoustic) over four days in december 2022 with our friend andy park. our goal was to reinterpret our latest album with the most minimal arrangements possible and present the songs in their rawest, most intimate forms. some songs were able to take shapes similar to those on the proper album. others required full re-engineering to snap into focus.”

TRACK LISTING

I Don’t Know How I Survive (Acoustic)
Roman Candles (Acoustic)
Asphalt Meadows (Acoustic)
Rand McNally (Acoustic)
Here To Forever (Acoustic)
Foxglove Through The Clearcut (Acoustic)
Pepper (Acoustic)
I Miss Strangers (Acoustic)
Wheat Like Waves (Acoustic)
Fragments From The Decade (Acoustic)
I’ll Never Give Up On You (Acoustic)
The Plan

“This Is Why was the very last song we wrote for the album. To be honest, I was so tired of writing lyrics but Taylor convinced Zac and I both that we should work on this last idea. What came out of it was the title track for the whole album. It summarizes the plethora of ridiculous emotions, the rollercoaster of being alive in 2022, having survived even just the last 3 or 4 years. You’d think after a global pandemic of fucking biblical proportions and the impending doom of a dying planet, that humans would have found it deep within themselves to be kinder or more empathetic or something.

The public sphere we find ourselves re-entering after 4 years at home, in our comfort zones, is an entirely different thing than the one we knew. The restlessness, the anxiety, and the compulsion to take action— it all feels like a contradiction. On one hand, we have a legitimate platform to use which makes me want to march at every protest for social justice and devote every waking second to every single cause I believe in. On the other, I just want to go home, plant a garden, and become a distant memory to the outside world.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: Ditching their pop-punk and synth-pop sound of previous records in favour of 2000s math-infused indie, 'This Is Why' certainly represents a new chapter for Paramore. The title track takes things to 'Total Life Forever' era Foals, whilst elsewhere there is shades of early Bloc Party and 90s emo. Not gonna lie, really liking a Paramore record in 2023 certainly wasn't on my bingo card this year.

Iggy Pop is a singer, songwriter, musician, author, record producer, DJ, and actor whose epic body of work has earned him both worldwide critical acclaim and fanatic cult success.
Credited as “The Godfather of Punk”, spearheading the ‘70s punk and ‘90s grunge movements

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Iggy returns for his most incendiary, punky outing for quite some time. Brilliantly recalling both his early days and the more streamlined, produced skate-punk heft of the late 90's. With a whole host of guest start contributing to the sound too, it's clear that Iggy has easily retained his place as the undisputable king of punk. Superb.

TRACK LISTING

1. Frenzy
2. Strung Out Johnny
3. New Atlantis
4. Modern Day Rip-Off
5. Morning Show
6. The News For Andy (Interlude)
7. Neo Punk
8. All The Way Down
9. Comments
10. My Animus (Interlude)
11. The Regency

SZNZ: Autumn, the third part in Weezer’s four-EP song cycle, continues the narrative started on SZNZ: Spring and SZNZ: Summer bringing Pagan myths, Shakespeare, Catholic rituals, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and more to life. Each SZNZ EP offers its own palette of colors, creatures, and emotions to explore. They’re also being created in real time, made in tandem with the season themselves. Once they’ve all been released, however, the EPs will create an incredible collection of some of Weezer’s best songs yet, which is no small feat for a band that never leaves the Zeitgeist.

The band is fresh off a banner year in 2021. First up was the critically acclaimed Ok Human featuring the hit song ‘All My Favorite Songs’ which was nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammys, reached Top 20 at Hot AC radio, and #1 at Alternative & Triple A radio, the latter of which is a first for the band! The band also released the long-awaited Van Weezer, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Rock and Alternative charts. The album featured hit single “Hero”, which reached #1 on the alternative radio charts, and “The End of the Game” which reached Top 5. The band also rocked stadiums across America last summer on the Hella Mega Tour alongside Green Day & Fall Out Boy. The tour will continue this Summer in Europe. The Grammy-nominated band have amassed a social reach of over 8M followers, earned FOUR RIAA-certified platinum albums, and have over 2 BILLION streams in the US alone!

Weezer is Brian Bell (backing vocals, guitar), Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, piano), Scott Shriner (backing vocals, bass), and Pat Wilson (drums).

Revered indie trio The Staves' debut album 'Dead & Born & Grown' is celebrating its 10th Anniversary on the 12th November 2022. To celebrate 10 years of their debut album the band will be re-pressing Dead & Born & Grown on recycled colour vinyl.

The album was produced with Glyn and Ethan Johns, who have worked with a plethora of huge artists from past and present between them, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, as well as the likes of The Vaccines, Kings of Leon and Kaiser Chiefs. The Staves are three sisters from Watford who share vocal duties in addition to some contributions on guitar and ukelele.

This special-edition recycled vinyl is made from 100% PVC recycled material, using waste material and clippings from previous pressings and are re-used. The result is that each vinyl is unique with its own colour combination therefore the colour you receive will be randomized.

TRACK LISTING

Wisely & Slow
Gone Tomorrow
The Motherlode
Pay Us No Mind
Facing West
In The Long Run
Dead & Born & Grown
Winter Trees
Tongue Behind My Teeth
Mexico
Snow
Eagle Song

Formed in Bellingham, WA in 1997, Death Cab for Cutie almost immediately entered the ranks of the era’s definitive bands, fueled in large part by the remarkable power of co-founder, vocalist, guitarist, and lead songwriter Benjamin Gibbard’s complex, often bittersweet songcraft. The band made their worldwide popular breakthrough with 2003’s RIAA gold certified Transatlanticism, later named by NPR as one of “The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings.” Plans, their 2005 Atlantic Records debut release, saw Death Cab for Cutie ascending to even greater heights, earning RIAA platinum certification and a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Alternative Album” while spawning the chart-topping singles, “Soul Meets Body” and “I Will Follow You into the Dark,” the latter of which was honored with a GRAMMY® nod for “Best Pop Performance By Duo Or Group With Vocals.” Their following albums – including Narrow Stairs (2008), The Open Door (2009), Codes and Keys (2011), and Kintsugi (2015) – all received various GRAMMY® Award nominations, bringing their total career nominations to eight overall. 

Panic! At The Disco announce their seventh studio album, VIVA LAS VENGEANCE. The upbeat, driving, anthemic title track, kicks off the new era of Panic! At The Disco.

VIVA LAS VENGEANCE shows a change in process for frontman/songwriter Brendon Urie, having cut everything live to tape in Los Angeles alongside his friends and production partners, Jake Sinclair and Mike Viola. The cinematic musical journey is about the fine line between taking advantage of your youth, seizing the day and burning out. The songs take an introspective look into his relationship with his decade plus career including growing up in Las Vegas, love, and fame.

“Viva Las Vengeance is a look back at who I was 17 years ago and who I am now with the fondness I didn't have before. I didn’t realize I was making an album and there was something about the tape machine that kept me honest.” - Brendon Urie.

TRACK LISTING

Viva Las Vengeance
Middle Of A Breakup
Don’t Let The Light Go Out
Local God
Star Spangled Banger
God Killed Rock And Roll
Say It Louder
Sugar Soaker
Something About Maggie
Sad Clown
All By Yourself
Do It To Death

Special is the highly-anticipated upcoming album from global superstar & 3-time GRAMMY® winner Lizzo, which follows her multi-Platinum selling, top-10 debut album, CUZ I LOVE YOU, released in 2019.

CUZ I LOVE YOU spent 24 consecutive weeks in the chart’s Top 10 whilst “Truth Hurts” also became the longest running #1 by a solo female rap artist in history after spending seven weeks atop the charts. In addition to gracing the cover of Rolling Stone, PEOPLE, Variety, Billboard’s GRAMMY® Preview Issue, British Vogue & Elle’s Women In Music Issue amongst others, her high-profile TV appearances include the opening performance at the 62nd Annual GRAMMY® Awards, 2019 American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards & BET Awards and she is set to return to Saturday Night Live, pulling double duty as host and musical guest. Most recently she has partnered with Logitech as the face of their 2022 “Defy Logic” campaign.

SZNZ: Summer is the second instalment in one of the bands most exciting projects to date: SZNZ, a four EP song cycle of sorts and is being released as a CD on July 15th. Already mythical across the internet, SZNZ will, fittingly, be released at the start of every season. Each EP will offer its own palette of colours, creatures, and emotions to explore. They’re also being created in real time, made in tandem with the season themselves. The projects lead single “Records” is a big classic Weezer rock song, with a chorus built around thunderous drums, chunky power chords and a memorable melody about songs that get stuck in your head, which is exactly what this one is sure to do

TRACK LISTING

1. Lawn Chair
2. Records
3. Blue Like Jazz
4. The Opposite Of Me
5. What’s The Good Of Being Good
6. Cuomoville
7. Thank You And Good Night

A recap of everything Paolo has achieved to date reiterates his status as one of British music’s biggest success stories. Two of his three albums to date, ‘Sunny Side Up’ and ‘Caustic Love’, have hit #1 on the UK album charts as he amassed 8 million global album sales, 8 million UK single sales, and 1.5 billion global streams. The Ivor Novello winner and multiple BRIT Award nominee has also collected a remarkable 18 Platinum certifications in the UK alone.

‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ will only extend that phenomenal success. It’s a 70-minute epic that spans the distance from classic rock to post-punk to hypnotic Krautrock, in the process proving its value as his deepest, most varied, most accomplished, and ultimately most rewarding set so far. The insistent Motorik rhythms of new single ‘Lose It’ brings shades of early ‘70s German bands like Can and Neu!, and are a product of Paolo writing increasingly on bass guitar. At the other end of the spectrum, ‘Through The Echoes’ is a timeless classic in the lineage of Ben E. King and Otis Redding, with Nutini’s vocal delivery reminding us why he got snapped up by Atlantic in the first place.

‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ was produced by Paolo Nutini alongside Dani Castelar and Gavin Fitzjohn. It was written by Paolo, with some select co-write contributions from members of his live band.

TRACK LISTING

Afterneath
Radio
Through The Echoes
Acid Eyes
Stranded Words
Lose It
Petrified In Love
Everywhere
Abigail
Children Of The Stars
Heart Filled Up
Shine A Light
Desperation
Julianne
Take Me Take Mine
Writer

SZNZ: Spring is the first of four in the SZNZ series of EPs by Weezer and is now available on Black and Glow In The Dark Vinyl. The EP was produced by Weezer’s frequent collaborators Jake Sinclair and Suzy Shinn, as well as new collaborator Ethan Gruska.

Each EP offers its own palette of colors, creatures, and emotions to explore. Created in real time, made in tandem with the season themselves, the EPs form an incredible collection of some of Weezer's best songs yet, which is no small feat for a band that never leaves the Zeitgeist.

Weezer is Brian Bell (backing vocals, guitar), Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, piano), Scott Shriner (backing vocals, bass), and Pat Wilson (drums).

TRACK LISTING

1. Opening Night
2. Angels On Vacation
3. A Little Bit Of Love
4. The Garden Of Eden
5. The Sound Of Drums
6. All This Love
7. Wild At Heart
8. Across The Meadow**

**only Available On The Vinyl Release.

Vinyl reissue of Frightened Rabbit’s Pedestrian Verse.

Pedestrian Verse is the fourth studio album by the Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, originally released on 4 February 2013 on Atlantic Records. Produced by Leo Abrahams and the band itself, it is the only studio album to feature guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene, who departed from Frightened Rabbit following the album's accompanying tour. Partly inspired by a break-up, the album features increased song writing contributions from each member of the band.

TRACK LISTING

Acts Of Man
Backyard Skulls
Holy
The Woodpile
Late March, Death March
December’s Traditions
Housing (In)
Dead Now
State Hospital
Nitrous Gas
Housing (Out)
The Oil Slick

Most recently, Silk Sonic graced the cover of Rolling Stone’s September issue, where fans got an inside look at Mars and .Paak’s deep friendship and quest for the perfect “feel good” record. The duo coasted into the release of “Skate” on the wave of success from their debut single “Leave the Door Open,” which earned them Best Group at the 2021 BET Awards. It became the group’s first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, spending two non-consecutive weeks at #1 and 18 consecutive weeks in the top 10. They released the live version “Leave The Door Open (Live)” and serenaded audiences three times over at the GRAMMY® Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and the BET Awards.

Silk Sonic introduced “Leave The Door Open” alongside an official music video directed by Mars and Florent Déchard with over 346 million views and counting. The track was followed by a hugely popular social media campaign, #LetSilkSonicThrive and was immediately welcomed by unprecedented critical acclaim. “What’s new, smooth as silk on the ears, and features two stars of R&B?” wrote Billboard, praising Silk Sonic as “a groovy duo” and the single as “lounge at its heart.” Consequence of Sound enthused, “Mars has a voice like a liquid whip, while .Paak raps and sings through a foggy haze. They sound like smoke on the water.”

ABOUT SILK SONIC:

The seeds of the collaboration were planted in 2017 when Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars toured together on the European leg of his 24K Magic World Tour. One late-night jam session on the road unlocked immediate chemistry. Just before the world slipped into quarantine, Bruno called Anderson: “Remember that idea we had back in 2017? Let’s do it.” One studio session grew into to a months-long collaboration, culminating the “setlist of doom.” Legendary Bootsy Collins christened Silk Sonic and came in as the “special guest host” for An Evening With Silk Sonic, their debut album.

Silk Sonic was finally set free on March 5th, 2021. Within less than a month, their debut single “Leave The Door Open” cracked over 230 million streams, and currently sits at 1.2 billion streams with over 346 million official video views. It reeled in rave reviews, including Variety who noted it “could be a Best R&B Song GRAMMY® winner from 1974.” After petitioning the GRAMMY® Awards to #LetSilkSonicThrive, they made their debut performance with “Leave The Door Open” and served up a powerful tribute to Little Richard.

TRACK LISTING

1. Silk Sonic Intro
2. Leave The Door Open
3. Track 3
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
6. Track 6
7. Track 7
8. Skate
9. Track 9

The War On Drugs first studio album in four years, ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’. Over the last 15 years, The War on Drugs have steadily emerged as one of this century’s great rock and roll synthesists, removing the gaps between the underground and the mainstream, between the obtuse and the anthemic, making records that wrestle a fractured past into a unified and engrossing present. The War On Drugs have never done that as well as they do with their fifth studio album, ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, an uncommon rock album about one of our most common but daunting processes—resilience in the face of despair.

Just a month after The War On Drugs’ ‘A Deeper Understanding’ received the 2018 Grammy for Best Rock Album, the core of Granduciel, bassist Dave Hartley, and multi-instrumentalist Anthony LaMarca retreated to upstate New York to jam and cut new demos, working outside of the predetermined roles each member plays in the live setting. These sessions proved highly productive, turning out early versions of some of the most immediate songs on ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’. It was the start of a dozen-plus session odyssey that spanned three years and seven studios, including some of rock’s greatest sonic workshops like Electric Lady in New York and Los Angeles’ Sound City. Band leader Adam Granduciel and trusted co-producer/engineer Shawn Everett spent untold hours peeling back every piece of these songs and rebuilding them.

One of the most memorable sessions occurred in May 2019 at Electro-Vox, in which the band’s entire line-up — rounded out by keyboardist Robbie Bennett, drummer Charlie Hall, and saxophonist Jon Natchez — convened to record the affecting album opener “Living Proof.” Typically, Granduciel assembles The War On Drugs records from reams of overdubs, like a kind of rock ‘n’ roll jigsaw puzzle. But for “Living Proof,” the track came together in real time, as the musicians drew on their chemistry as a live unit to summon some extemporaneous magic. The immediacy of the performance was appropriate for one of the most personal songs Granduciel has ever written.

The War On Drugs’ particular combination of intricacy and imagination animates the 10 songs of ‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’, buttressing the feelings of Granduciel’s personal odyssey. It’s an expression of rock ’n’ roll’s power to translate our own experience into songs we can share and words that direct our gaze toward the possibility of what is to come.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Already being hailed as their best record yet, main man Adam Granduciel freshens things up by welcoming more band collaboration than on previous records. Those trademark, lush, chunky drums are, of course, still present, but opening proceedings with a stark, naked ballad, indicates that change is afoot. A nice twist on a winning formula.

TRACK LISTING

Living Proof
Harmonia’s Dream
Change
I Don’t Wanna Wait
Victim
I Don’t Live Here Anymore
Old Skin
Wasted
Rings Around My Father’s Eyes
Occasional Rain

Laura Mvula’s new album ‘Pink Noise’ is set for release on July 2nd. ‘Pink Noise’ explores a side of Laura previously uncharted. As triumphant as ever, the album is a battle cry and stark reminder of the sheer talent of the critically acclaimed artist. This is Laura in a new found light - still reflecting her distinctive signature sound but showing the progression of an artist who has come into her own.

Contrasting confessional lyricism with compelling and infectious synth pop, ‘Pink Noise’ feels completely and uniquely Laura. Her artistic prowess knows no limits - take the neo-soul meets art pop of ‘Remedy’ for example, or the darker, pulsating ‘Conditional’ that injects bombastic funk into indietronica. She feels rejuvenated too, especially on electro pop stunners ‘Magical’ and ‘Before The Dawn’. This is Laura Mvula at her most ambitious to date, leaving no stone left unturned in this cosmic new realm.

As one of the most exciting musical talents to come out of the UK, Laura has previously won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Album, has been nominated for the Mercury Prize (not once but twice), BBC Sound Poll, the BRITs Critics Choice Award, two BRIT Awards in 2014 (British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act) and won an incredible two MOBO’s in 2013 (Best Female and Best R&B/Soul).

Having caught the attention of her musical hero Prince while performing for the first of two times on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, Laura has gone on to travel the world, selling out shows and captivating crowds at every destination. Crowned “Queen of the Prom” and given a five star review from the Evening Standard for her Proms 2014 Late Night performance at the Royal Albert Hall, Laura’s critically acclaimed career has led her to work with real-life inspirations Nile Rodgers and touring with David Byrne.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Laura Mvula returns for a neon distillation of her wonderfully flexible vocal talents, with 80's reverbs and swooning synths cutting through the perfectly crafted basslines and flawlessly produced grooves. Rich and evocative, it's a new direction for Mvula, and one which she does without missing a step.

TRACK LISTING

Safe Passage
Conditional
Church Girl
Remedy
Magical
Pink Noise
Golden Ashes
What Matters
Got Me
Before The Dawn

It’s a decade since The Staves self-released their first EP and a lot has happened since then. Their third album Good Woman was written and recorded amid major upheaval, heartbreak and bereavement. The new-found boldness, loudness and lyrical directness on this record are indicative of lives forced to become a serious concern.

In early 2020 the band resumed touring, unveiling their expansive and exhilaratingly powerful new sound, and previewing these emotionally affecting songs in intimate venues across the country; with tickets selling out in seconds. They ended the tour with a triumphant homecoming appearance at the 6 Music Festival.

The Staves’ first album in five years is an accumulation of everything that life has thrown at them in that time.

Emily: “You find strength in the vulnerability and you find beauty in the sadness and magic in the despair. We lost so much, but we found so much. And while the album is not all about mum, something shifted in us when she died that made us make the record in the way that we made it. We became more fearless.”
Camilla: “It feels more about trying to take ownership of these events and not letting sadness or trauma rule you.”
Jessica: “It’s a record about sisterhood, motherhood and daughterhood; love, loss, change and trying to be a good person, a good woman.”

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Good Woman
2. Best Friend
3. Careful, Kid
4. Next Year, Next Time
5. Nothing’s Gonna Happen
6. Sparks

Side B
7. Paralysed
8. Devotion
9. Failure
10. Satisfied
11. Trying
12. Waiting On Me To Change

Over the course of her trailblazing career, Charli XCX has earned critical acclaim for her forward-thinking musical output and refreshing entrepreneurial spirit that has seen her carve her own lane on the global pop circuit. A singer, songwriter, video director, documentary maker, radio host and record label boss, Charli’s story is one of an artist continuing to succeed without compromise.

Now in 2020, Charli is already breaking boundaries - this year has seen her first BRIT nomination for British Female Solo Artist, marking a huge moment of validation from a mainstream audience that Charli has built on her own terms. In reaction to the global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Charli has proven herself to be one of the most adaptable artists working today; initially providing programs of Instagram live sessions that invited various guests to spark conversation, share insight, or simply entertain fans across the world who are currently practicing social distancing. Charli’s vision then expanded further, leading her to announce ‘how i’m feeling now’ - a new album to be written, recorded and released in 39 days, completely in self-isolation. The creative process was also to push her collaborative stream in a unique way; opening up the recording, writing, artwork, music videos and more to fans for feedback and contribution - she also further inspired her fans’ creativity, allowing them access to song stems to create remixes and greenscreen footage to be edited using their own imagination.

‘how i’m feeling now’ has given further spotlight to Charli’s status as one of the most adaptable, exciting pop artists working today, and through it’s uniquely collaborative approach, provided a shared space for those who listen to feel safe enough to express themselves however they wish at a time when they need it most.