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COMMON

Efterklang

Things We Have In Common

    Danish band Efterklang returns with their seventh studio album 'Things We Have In Common’, set for release on September 27th via City Slang.

    An album about friendship, belonging, faith and understanding, themes which are palpable in the music, which is gentle and uplifting, healing and rousing.

    Efterklang has become an open community with three permanent members: Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen and Rasmus Stolberg. On this album the core trio re-connected with their old friend and founding Efterklang member Rune Mølgaard who left the band in 2007 to join the mormon church, and ultimately withdrew from the church in 2022. His profound spiritual journey significantly influences the album's content and tone, on which he has co-written seven of the nine songs.

    'Things We Have In Common' coincides with the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album, and presents 2 decades of collaboration, exploration, evolution and reconnection.

    The album features contributions from a variety of international musicians. Zach Condon of Beirut, Finnish drummer Tatu Rönkkö, Venezuelan guitarist Hector Tosta and Guatemalan cellist and singer Mabe Fratti all became key collaborators. Italian award- winning mixer Francesco Donadello and South Denmark Girls’ Choir both left their indelible mark on the record, as their did with the band’s 2012 album ‘Piramida’.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Balancing Stones (feat. Mabe Fratti)
    2. Plant (feat. Mabe Fratti)
    3. Getting Reminders (feat. Beirut)
    4. Ambulance
    5. Leave It All Behind
    6. Animated Heart (feat. Sønderjysk Pigekor)
    7. Shelf Break
    8. Sentiment
    9. To A New Day (feat. Sønderjysk Pigekor)

    Common & Pete Rock

    The Auditorium, Vol. 1

      The Auditorium, Vol. 1 marks a groundbreaking collaboration between legendary hip-hop artist Common and iconic producer Pete Rock, blending years of individual success into a powerful joint effort. Common, a versatile talent known for his 15 albums, significant acting roles, and a collection of major awards including an Oscar and three Grammys, teams up with Pete Rock, whose influential production skills have shaped hits for artists from Nas to Madonna. Their paths, intertwined through decades of hip-hop evolution, have led them to this historic full-length partnership, showcasing their refined mastery over the genre.

      In this album, Common and Pete Rock capture the essence of their seasoned artistry without compromising the soul of their craft. The project breathes life into hip-hop's rich legacy while forging its future, offering listeners a unique blend of thoughtful lyricism and innovative beats. Recorded amidst the nostalgia of their earlier successes and the excitement of new creative breakthroughs, The Auditorium, Vol. 1 not only redefines the boundaries of hip-hop but invites audiences into a profound musical journey. With its intricate compositions and deep, resonant themes, this album promises an auditory experience that is as intellectually engaging as it is emotionally compelling, urging listeners to dive deep into its layers and appreciate the genius at play. 

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Dreamin’
      2. Chi-Town Do It
      3. This Man’s Arms
      4. We’re On Our Way
      5. Fortunate
      6. So Many People (featuring Bilal)
      7. Wise Up
      8. A GOD (There Is) (featuring Jennifer Hudson)
      9. Stellar
      10. Lonesome
      11. All Kind Of Ideas (featuring Pete Rock)
      12. When The Sun Shines Again (featuring Posdnuos Of De La Soul)
      13. Everything’s So Grand (featuring PJ)
      14. Now And Then
      15. Outro 

      Belong

      Common Era - 2024 Repress

        Description below from 2011.
        It’s been five years since the last BELONG long player, as the duo works slowly to organize their sound works. Both the time invested, and the wait, have been well rewarded with this return.

        Common Era shows extraordinary progression from that first album of dense, scorched earth instrumentals, hints of a new direction having been revealed on the Colorless Record EP from 2008 which contained covers of four should-have-been classics from the original psychedelic era.

        The new material has such common pop elements as “songs”, vocals and drum machines, but the results could hardly be called conventional and are like little else happening on the current “scene”. The songs themselves are akin to radio transmissions received from another time and place, just as likely to be the future as the past, or even from a contemporary alternate universe.

        They are both passionate and dispassionate, grey yet technicolor, ghostly and palpable, distant yet immediate, grainy and focused. Upon listening these conceptual contradictions are dismissed with ease, as the recordings reveal that they fit all of these descriptors simultaneously, an extraordinary balancing act. 


        TRACK LISTING

        A1 Come See
        A2 Never Came Close
        A3 A Walk
        A4 Perfect Life
        B1 Keep Still
        B2 Different Heat
        B3 Make Me Return
        B4 Common Era
        B5 Very Careful

        Fucked Up

        The Chemistry Of Common Life - 15th Anniversary Edition

          Fucked Up’s now classic 2008 album "The Chemistry Of Common Life" synthesizes numerous diverse impulses into an expansive epic about the mysteries of birth, death, and the origins of life (and re-living). Merging elements of hardcore songwriting with up to 70 tracks of guitars, organs, winds and vocals, (including 18 guitars on the first single, the fatalistic “No Epiphany”), the music remains iconoclastic and startling, with Pink Eyes’ vocals front and center. Guest musicians, of course, abound, notably gorgeous voices such as Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls and Toronto’s Katie Stelmanis.

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Son The Father
          2. Magic Word
          3. Golden Seal
          4. Days Of Last
          5. Crooked Head
          6. No Epiphany
          7. The Peaceable Kingdom
          8. Black Albino Bones
          9. Royal Swan
          10. Twice Born
          11. Looking For God
          12. The Chemistry Of Common Life

          Common Sense

          I Used To Love H.E.R.

            On 7" for the first time ever, one of the most important rap records ever.

            It's timeless, it's genius, it's just pure beautiful brilliance. It's Common's masterpiece.

            One of the best songs in all hip-hop history, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” was the first single from Common's eternal 1994 LP, Resurrection. He personifies hip-hop as an ode to the art form he once loved, lamenting how the genre became too commercialised and, due to a mass influx of mainstream rap in the 90s, some of the purity and freshness of the culture was being lost.

            Common uses a first-person romance narrative to detail the history of hip-hop, resulting in an extended metaphor that's sophisticated, clever, and delivers a moral message that touched millions of people and still absolutely blows minds at the song's conclusion: "'Cause who we're talkin' about, y'all, is hip-hop"

            Perfectly produced by No ID and incorporating a gorgeous, melancholic sample of George Benson’s “The Changing World”, the plaintive sonic landscape provided the ideal foundation for Common’s innovative storytelling. Almost 30 years later, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” remains one the most significant moments in hip-hop: a classic in every sense of the word.

            Common did discuss the true meaning of the track in a 1995 interview on “Yo! MTV Raps”, stating: “H.E.R. stands for Hip-Hop in its Essence is Real. And all I’m talking about his how I first came into contact with hip-hop music and how it evolved into where it is now. And it’s like all these gimmicks going on, all the phoniness, ain’t nobody being real with it. Everybody’s stressing that it’s real but ain’t nobody being true to it. I think that came about because — once it started becoming a business, then people started losing their soul and they started looking at it, taking it more as a business than an artform.”

            On the flip, we've stayed faithful to the track used for the original 12" release. And what a track it is. Destined to be overshadowed by the behemoth on the A-Side, the frenetic neck-snapping jazz-rap "Communism" has it all - those horns at the start, the lyrical dexterity, the beat. Oh my.

            So, one of the greatest pieces of music ever, in any genre. This is not merely music. It's high art. Speaking of which, we've recreated the striking original artwork from the 12" and shrunk it down to the 7" format. It looks and sounds stunning. The most important song in rap history, if you really think about it. We all miss her. We all miss hip-hop...


            TRACK LISTING

            A I Used To Love H.E.R.
            B Communism

            Viagra Boys

            Common Sense

              Some say Viagra Boys is something akin to a looking glass pointed at the absurdity of existence and misconceptions of modern society - a depraved and ferociously bass-driven judgement on western civilization, a distorted 24/7 party on the acid highway whilst the world slowly rots away. Others claim they´re more like a gross joke on masculinity, gleefully serving up escapist narratives lacking any form of self-preservation; like an obfuscated back alley door into the backwaters of the human psyche. Metaphors aside, Viagra Boys is an unapologetically raw sextet comprised of classically trained jazz musicians, karaoke loving tattoo artists and seasoned hardcore scene veterans, churning out pulsating sounds from the sub levels of contemporary rock music - a bellowing, unstoppable force majeure of latter-day punk, PTSD disco and synthetically enhanced kraut.

              TRACK LISTING

              1. Common Sense
              2. Lick The Bag
              3. Sentinel Island
              4. Blue

              The Hardy Tree

              Common Grounds

                Frances Castle is the illustrator/owner behind the Clay Pipe record label and The Hardy Tree is her on- going musical project. Common Grounds was started during the first 2020 lock down - when time moved very slowly and travel away from home became impossible.

                The album was recorded at home by Frances, then mixed to tape with Ed Deegan at Gizzard Analogue Studios in East London. Ed plays drums on three of the tracks.

                “Like many others with nowhere else to go, I walked the streets of my neighbourhood for exercise and well-being. I rambled like I might in the country side; stopping every now and then to take in the view, or notice something I’d missed before. I took to looking up local streets in historical newspapers, and read reports of mysteries and crimes that had happened here in the past. I researched the names of the people who had lived in my flat before me, viewed old census returns from the surrounding area, and noted the birth places and livelihoods of past residents. I began to see the ghosts of these people on my walks, and notice the things that they had left behind; shapes of ancient tram tracks creeping under the tarmac, an old gas street lamp in an alleyway, a tiny metal sign indicating a culverted river. I spent my evenings writing and recording the music on this LP, and then the following day would listen to the rough mixes as I walked, the music began to soundtrack the walks, and the walks began influencing the type of music I was creating.” - Frances Castle, 2022

                STAFF COMMENTS

                Barry says: A beautiful mix of plaintive, swooning instrumental wooze and folky, off-kilter ambient business. I've been a big fan of Clay Pipe and The Hardy Tree specifically for some time now, and I think Common Grounds is without a doubt the most beautiful HT outing yet. A meditative and evocative journey.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. A Garden Square In The Snow
                2. The Spire Of St Mary's
                3. St Saviour's Through The Railings
                4. Shop Fronts And Parked Cars
                5. The New River Path, August
                6. Railway Tracks
                7. Mist On The Playing Fields
                8. Face At The Window, Seaforth Crescent
                9. Up On The Hill

                Common

                A Beautiful Revolution Pt 2

                  Common's 14th album to date and it finds the 49 year old rapper still surprising much of the hip-hop landscape with his eloquent verses and immediate but staid, adult delivery. There's collaborations to enjoy a-plenty, and for us, many of the high peaks from the artist's millenial release "Like Water For Chocolate" can be referenced here. Celebrating Black resistance and empowerment, it offers hope in an era plagued with one disaster after another - but offered up as a healing balm against troubled times. He proves it's possible to exist as a 40-something rapper without having to resort to mindless violence and battle-raps of more youthful times. 

                  Of the release Common said, “A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2 was created with hope and inspiration in mind. The spirit of the album was meant to emulate what a greater day would sound and feel like. We were in the midst of some tough political and socially challenging times. There was still hurt, anger and pain lingering, so I was thinking, “what is the next step in this revolution?” I thought about what being still in these times had brought me and that was a peace beyond understanding, a greater love for self, a closer connection with God, and more appreciation for my family, friends and the simple things in life. I wanted to write about that and create music that embodied that. What does a new day, a brighter day feel like being told through an emcee and some gifted musicians? How could this music be an example of the beautiful aspects of revolution that include joy, self-love, compassion, dreams, peace and good times? As a piece of art, I believe we took it to different places musically only to come back to the original intention. To bring joy to people’s hearts, fun to their lives and smiles to their souls.”

                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Barry says: Common's legendary flow and wonderful ear for rhythm is back, with his newest outing 'A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2' landing somewhere between funky laid-back hip-hop and late 90's downbeat, mixed with licks of purple funk, to great effect. Stunningly well written and featuring a stellar lineup of guests inc. Brittany Howard and Seun Kuti.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Intro (Push Out The Noise) Featuring Jessica Care Moore
                  2. A Beautiful Chicago Kid Featuring PJ
                  3. When We Move Featuring Black Thought And Seun Kuti
                  4. Set It Free Featuring PJ
                  5. Majesty (Where We Gonna Take It) Featuring PJ
                  6. Poetry Featuring Marcus King And Isaiah Sharkey
                  7. Saving Grace Featuring Brittany Howard
                  8. Star Of The Gang Featuring PJ
                  9. Imagine Featuring PJ
                  10. Get It Right
                  11. OUTRO (Exclamation Point) Featuring Morgan Parker

                  "A Beautiful Revolution Pt 1" is an instant hip hop classic and call to action from the modern-day renaissance man - a GRAMMY-, Emmy-, and Oscar-winning artist, activist, actor, and two time New York Times Bestselling author. The LP features seven new songs and two new interludes that catch Common at a new prime in his career. With a core band that includes Robert Glasper (keys), Karriem Riggins (drums), Burniss Travis (bass), Isaiah Sharkey (guitar), and PJ (vocals), plus features from Black Thought and Lenny Kravitz, A Beautiful Revolution Pt 1 is music meant to “uplift, heal, and inspire listeners dealing with racial injustices as well as other social injustices,” says Common.

                  He continues: “A Beautiful Revolution Pt 1 is affirmation. It's recognition. It's elevation. It's music to go with a movement. Because the truth is, there is still so much work to do. Regardless of the outcome of the election, we need to make sure things do not return to the status quo. The intention of the music is to channel all of our pain and outrage into something productive, inspirational, and good. It’s to help lead a movement into our next phase of the work to be done.”

                  Our first taste of the project comes with the new single “Say Peace.” This shape-shifting sonic shuffle finds Common trading bars with Black Thought and PJ, as the music mirrors the illusory search for peace that we all pursue. On the new song, Common simply says: "I found my peace, my peace through making these albums.”


                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Millie says: Common providing the Funk/Hip Hop vibes from all angles with this slick new album ‘A Beautiful Revolution’, Common has always been an artist I’ve liked but this album has elevated him to one of my favourites. If you’re into Kaytranada, Madlib or Pan Amsterdam then this is right up your street.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. (A Beautiful Revolution) Intro
                  2. Fallin
                  3. Say Peace Featuring Black Thought
                  4. What Do You Say (Move It Baby) Featuring PJ
                  5. Courageous Featuring PJ
                  6. A Place In This World Featuring PJ
                  7. A Riot In My Mind Featuring Lenny Kravitz
                  8. Don't Forget Who You Are Featuring PJ
                  9. (A Beautiful Revolution) Outro

                  Jim Ghedi

                  In The Furrows Of Common Place

                    “Instead of landscape sketches I wanted to go into more personal areas of my reality,” says Jim Ghedi of his third album In The Furrows Of Common Place. “To hold up certain aspects of society that were laying bare in front of me.”

                    Whilst Ghedi’s previous idiosyncratic take on folk has often been instrumental, exploring the natural world and his relationship to it through his music as seen on 2018's A Hymn For Ancient Land. His new album In The Furrow Of Common Place is a deeper plunge inside himself to offer up more of his voice to accompany his profoundly unique and moving compositions. “There were things I was seeing around me and being affected by in my daily life,” he says. “Socially and politically I saw defiance but also hopelessness. I wanted to be honest with the frustration and turmoil I was experiencing.”

                    The decision to include more of Ghedi’s vocals was a conscious one and driven by a need to say something. However, this isn’t a brash raging political polemic. As is now customary with Ghedi’s work, it is rich in nuance, history, poetry and allegory. Musically, the album is equally locked into this ongoing sense of evolution. Ghedi’s intricate yet deft guitar playing still twists and flows its way through the core, weaving in and out of gliding double bass, sweeping violin, gentle percussion and vocals that shift from tender solos to overlapping harmonies.

                    As with much of Ghedi’s work, there’s a rich connection between the past and the current. Musically, he continues to sit in a singular position of sounding distinctly contemporary yet also with a touch of traditional flair. This expands itself into the lyrical terrain here too. “I've been exploring contemporary issues and in that process discovering sources that correlate with similar issues in the past,” he says. “Which proves that these issues throughout history - environmental destruction, working class poverty etc - are ongoing.”

                    For all the socio-political and historical backdrop to the record it is not one that feels overwhelmed by it. Much like Ghedi’s work when it was largely instrumental - and some of it still is here - it flows and unfurls thoughtfully, with space still being utilised masterfully, creating room to pause and reflect. It’s another inimitable record from an artist that truly sounds like nobody else right now. 


                    STAFF COMMENTS

                    Barry says: An intoxicating mix of traditional folk, hazy psychedelia and classic rock progressions all enriched with Ghedi's distinctive vocal affectations. It's a heady and transportive affair, and one that will reward richly on repeated listens. Gorgeous.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    1. Common Thread
                    2. The Lamentations Of Round Oak Waters
                    3. Mytholm
                    4. Stolen Ground
                    5. Ah Cud Hew
                    6. Beneath The Willow
                    7. Beneath The Willow Part II
                    8. Son David

                    John Prine

                    Common Sense

                      Common Sense was John Prine’s fourth studio album, and final album released with Atlantic Records before moving to Asylum. Produced by Booker T. & the M.G.’s guitarist and songwriter Steve Cropper, the album features a number of headline collaborators such as Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne and Glenn Fray; as well as Steve Goodman continuing to feature with Prine. Tracks such as “Forbidden Jimmy” and “Saddle In The Rain” show a slight change in Prine’s sound with Cropper’s production. The album also features a cover of Chuck Berry’s “You Can Never Tell.”

                      John Prine, who passed away in April, was one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of his generation and recipient of the 2020 Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award. Considered a true folk-singer, Prine was known for his raspy voice and equally admired for his unique songwriting ability. His career spanned over five decades, during which he created witty and sincere country-folk music that drew from his Midwestern American roots and incorporated sounds from rockabilly, R&B and rock 'n' roll.

                      In addition to earning the Lifetime Achievement Award this year, Prine also won Grammy® Awards for The Missing Years (1991) and Fair and Square (2005). His songs have been recorded by a long list of well-respected artists, including Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, George Strait, Norah Jones, John Denver, Miranda Lambert, The Everly Brothers, Bette Midler, Paul Westerberg, Tammy Wynette and Dwight Yoakam.


                      Despite almost three decades of active audio duty, Common remains at the cutting edge, and his 12th solo LP, "Let Love" is yet another example of his golden age brilliance. This brand new album includes the new single "Hercules”, as well as recent JAM! “HER Love” featuring Daniel Caesar, special guest Dwele, and an unreleased beat from J mother fucking DILLA. The likes of Jill Scott, Swizz Beats and A-Trak offer assistance on the lovestruck affair, while Common updates his conscious style with shout outs to Cardi B, ASAP Rocky, and Tyler The Creator. This is an album of pure positivity, a place of light in these dark times, and another winner from this legendary artist.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Good Morning Love (feat Samora Pinderhuges)
                      2. HER Love (feat Daniel Caesa)
                      3. Dwele's Interlude
                      4. Hercules (feat Swizz Beatz)
                      5. Fifth Story (feat Leikeli47)
                      6. Forever Your Love (feat BJ The Chicago Kid)
                      7. Leaders (Crib Love) (feat A-Trak)
                      8. Memories Of Home (feat BJ The Chicago Kid & Samora Pinderhuges)
                      9. Show Me That You Love (feat Jill Scott & Samora Pinderhuges)
                      10 My Fancy Free Future Love
                      11 God Is Love (feat Leon Bridges & Jonathan McReynolds)

                      The Common Cold

                      Shut Up! Yo Liberals!

                        The Common Cold's debut album is titled "Shut Up! Yo Liberals!" is released on legendary Preston label Action Records (who released albums by The Fall, The Boo Radleys, and Dandelion Adventure) It's a stunning debut that sees the band drink from the same magick musical fountain as The Fall, Kaleidoscope, Neu!, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and yet retain their own style.

                        Formed by Ajay Saggar and Mark Wareing (who were members of John Peel favourites "Dandelion Adventure"), the band features a double drummer attack (the recording features former members of Cornershop and The Fall), who propel the songs forwards with a crisp crunch, but giving enough space to the heavy melodies that spin in your head all day long. The lyrics are intelligent, funny and acerbic and take the listener on a euphoric transcendental journey.

                        Sun Kil Moon

                        Common As Light And Love Are Red Valleys Of Blood

                          “‘Common As Light And Love Are Red Valleys Of Blood’, for the most part, captures events from January to August of this year and how I processed it all while traveling.

                          “[…] I’m blessed to have met the very talented Justin Broadrick and to have made these beautiful albums with him.

                          “These two new albums capture more than my reactions to mass murders or the passing of beloved heroes like David Bowie or Muhammad Ali. The Sun Kil Moon and Jesu/Sun Kil Moon albums are also full of love, humor, and my gratitude

                          Common

                          Nobody's Smiling

                          The 2014 release of "Nobody's Smiling", executive produced by No ID, commemorates the 20th anniversary of Common’s breakthrough album Resurrection (1994), with his signature tracks, “Resurrection” and “I Used To Love H.E.R.” "Nobody's Smiling" is Common’s first new album since 2011’s The Dreamer/The Believer.

                          As noted on his website, the album title "Nobody's Smiling" was inspired by Common’s troubled hometown of Chicago, "I'm honored to team up with No ID and be a part of the Artium and Def Jam family. Creating this album and signing to Def Jam feels like a new beginning for me. I feel like a new artist because I created this album with the purpose to give back to my city and to the culture of hip hop. Def Jam is part of the foundation of hip hop and being able to work with No ID was returning to my foundation now with new energy and new hunger."

                          TRACK LISTING

                          1. The Neighborhood 3:58
                          2. No Fear 3:13
                          3. Diamonds 3:54
                          4. Blak Majik 3:19
                          5. Speak My Piece 3:52
                          6. Hustle Harder 3:58
                          7. Nobody's Smiling 4:16
                          8. Real 3:23
                          9. Kingdom 6:22
                          10. Rewind That 5:22


                          Various Artists

                          RSD13 @ Common Bar

                            THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2013 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                            Exclusive tape, produced in conjunction with Common Bar and Piccadilly Records was lovingly put together to celebrate RSD. All the bands on this tape played at Common Bar in Manchester during the day of April 20th 2013. Limited to just 50 hand numbered copies. Featuring  Horsebeach, Bernard + Edith, Jonnie Common and Emperor Zero, two tracks by each band.


                            TRACK LISTING

                            Side A:
                            Horsebeach - What Problem
                            Bernard + Edith - Strings
                            Jonnie Common - Shark (Acoustic)
                            Emperor Zero - Heart Of Iron

                            Side B:
                            Horsebeach - Even
                            Bernard + Edith - Wurds
                            Jonnie Common - Shopping List
                            Emperor Zero - Mental Health Cafe

                            Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

                            We The Common

                            Ribbon Music are set to release ‘We The Common’, the third full-length album from critically acclaimed artist Thao & The Get Down Stay Down.

                            The album was produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Bill Callahan, The Walkmen, Explosions In The Sky) and features a duet with Joanna Newsom on the track ‘Kindness Be Conceived’.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            We The Common (For Valerie Bolden)
                            City
                            We Don’t Call
                            The Feeling Kind
                            The Holy Roller
                            Kindness Be Conceived
                            The Day Long
                            Every Body
                            Move
                            Clouds For Brains
                            Human Heart
                            Age Of Ice

                            Polar Bear With Jyager

                            Common Ground

                              "Common Ground" is a collaboration between Sebastian Rochford’s Polar Bear and young London hip-hop MC Jyager. This nine-track, 25-minute mini album is the follow up to the highly acclaimed fourth Polar Bear album "Peepers", their first for The Leaf Label. "Common Ground" strips down original tracks from "Peepers", using samples taken from a vinyl copy of the original album to build new compositions, and then adding Jyager’s unique flow.


                              Fucked Up

                              The Chemistry Of Common Life

                                Known by bizarre aliases, the band employ creative methods of spreading information & misinformation, spurning MySpace and a band website in favour of Wikipedia and an oblique blog. Basic facts are constantly in flux. Some things have become clear during the course of the band's early existence. Their musical influences are varied and deep: singer Pink Eyes' record collection is one of the more noteworthy assemblages of independent vinyl in Canada. The band has a deep affection for twee English pop, while the live shows are theatrical events. Their new album, "The Chemistry Of Common Life", is an expansive epic about the mysteries of birth, death, and the origins of life (and re-living). Merging elements of hardcore songwriting with up to seventy tracks of guitars, organs, winds and vocals, (including eighteen guitars on the first single, the fatalistic "No Epiphany"), the music remains iconoclastic and startling, with Pink Eyes' vocals front and centre. Guest musicians, of course, abound, notably gorgeous female voices such as Brooklyn's Vivian Girls and Toronto's Katie Stelmanis. Though Fucked Up remain punks at heart, they have created a great, weird, heavy record that stubbornly sticks in your brain and your heart.

                                Waterson Carthy

                                Common Tongue

                                  This first family of folk have done more than any other to popularise and keep the folk traditon alive, particularly in England. It is the English folk canon that provides all the songs and tunes on this definitive and immense recording from 1997. In their element on these tracks, Martin Carthy his wife Norma Waterson and their daughter Eliza Carthy produce performances now regarded as classics.


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