Latinx singer-songwriter Michi’s music blends eras into a singular sound: the nostalgia of MTV diva-era R&B meets the groove of ’70s and ’80s funk and soul. The songs on her debut album 'Dirty Talk' are about emerging from heartbreak with self-love and vitality.

'Dirty Talk’s songs are about feeling empowered to embrace femininity, sexuality, and your authentic self. The album is produced by Blake Rhein (of Durand Jones & the Indications) and Paul Cherry (Jordana, Kate Bollinger). 

TRACK LISTING

1. Intro
2. Walking Away
3. OMW
4. If You Want Me
5. Snoobie
6. There’s No Heaven
7. Memmy (Recuerdo) Ft. Gabriel Da Rosa
8. Playing Pretend
9. So Divine
10. Way I Do Ft. Kiefer

"I want nothing more than to be a loner," Emily Kempf sings early on Flower of Devotion, the new album by Chicago trio Dehd

It's a startling admission coming from a songwriter who, just a year ago on Dehd's critically acclaimed Water, wrote eloquently about the joys and pains -- more than anything, the necessity -- of love, compassion, and companionship. But then, "admission" isn't really the right word here, given the stridency of Kempf's tone. "Loner" is a declaration. The record ups the ante on Dehd's sound & filters in just enough polish to bring out the shining and melancholy undertones in Jason Balla and Emily Kempf's songwriting, even as it captures them at their most strident. Balla's guitar lines at times flirt with ticklish cosmic country, while at others they reflect the dark marble sounds of Broadcast. Kempf, meanwhile, establishes herself as a singer of incredible expressive range, pinching into a high lonesome wail, letting loose a chirping "ooh!," pushing her voice below its breaking point and letting it swing down there. When she and Balla bounce descending counter-melodies off one another over McGrady's one-two thumps, or skitter off over a programmed drum pad, they sound like The B-52s shaking off heartache.

TRACK LISTING

Desire
Loner
Haha
Drip Drop
Month
Disappear
Flood
Letter
Nobody
No Time
Moonlight
Apart
Flying

Thee Italo Disco classico and one of the tunes that inspired New Order's "Blue Monday" (true story!). Absolutely huge spin with everyone from Ron Hardy to Jamal Moss to Omar S to Kickin' Pigeon! Klein & MBO are simple the greatest electro-disco act to have graced our humble planet. Every home needs one! 

White vinyl reissue on Discoring

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Huge spin for me this one. Out of all the various versions this one is the best!

TRACK LISTING

A. Dirty Talk (European Connection)
B. Dirty Talk (European Connection) (Instrumental)

Five years on Dehd's "Water" stands as a monument in the ever evolving indie trio's catalog - It's the record that took them out of the basement and onto festival stages.

Love is everyday magic. That's the impression you get listening to Water, the new album by Chicago trio Dehd. Veterans of Chicago's increasingly fruitful DIY scene Jason Balla ( Ne-Hi and Earring) Emily Kempf (Vail and formerly with Lala Lala) and drummer Eric McGrady share a strange and inexplicable chemistry. Love rises up into the atmosphere like steam off a summer sidewalk and makes you wild. Love breaks your heart and you consider yourself lucky for it. Like water itself, it surrounds us, it supports us; it's what we're made of. It takes the shape of its container. The music is hazy and reverb-drenched, a scuzzy and hyped-up take on surf rock that could only come from the Third Coast. It's all animated by the red- lining feel- good spirit of the Velvet Underground's Loaded and the breezy melodicism of C86- era indie rock, with a dash of the Cramps' spooky- hop bop courtesy of McGrady's locomotive drumming.It's a clear- eyed look at the wild nature of everyday life that's been spun up in sugary sweet melodies and scratched-crystal sounds. More than anything, it's the embodiment of Dehd's m.o. from the start: As Kempf puts it, "Work with what you have and make it magical."

TRACK LISTING

Wild
Lucky
Baby
Do You
Wait
On My Side
Sunbeat
Push The Crowd
Love Calls
Lake
Happy Again
Long Way Home
Water

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Talk Talk’s iconic ‘It’s My Life’ album, it has been cut at Half-Speed by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, overseen by Talk Talk drummer Lee Harris and Charlie Hollis, son of Mark Hollis, giving the album a greater depth. Originally released in February 1984, ‘It’s My Life’ is the band's second album and followed the 1982 release of their debut ‘The Party’s Over’ which initially received moderate success in the UK reaching number 21 in the UK chart and finding some global success.

By the time they came to writing and recording ‘It’s My Life’ the band had gone from the four piece to a three with Simon Brenner leaving the band. The album initially found considerable international success. ‘Such A Shame', the album's first single was a top 10 hit across Europe and the album’s title track entered global Top 40’s including in the US. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: An absolute classic and a desert islands disc for Andy and me - but then so is most of Talk Talk's discography...

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Dum Dum Girl
2. Such A Shame
3. Renee
4. It’s My Life

Side 2
1. Tomorrow Started
2. The Last Time
3. Call In The Night Boy
4. Does Caroline Know?
5. It’s You

Wish On The Bone' is Why Bonnie's sophomore LP and debut for Fire Talk. It's untethered from any landscape or genre, propelled by this freedom and resulting in Why Bonnie's most catchy, hopeful body of work to- date. Ranging from twangy country infused rock jams to more intimate and lo-fi arrangements, 'Wish on the Bone' is wide-eyed and waiting. It's a coming of age film in which the protagonist rejects the forces that have tried, and failed, to shape her into something other than herself. It leaves you with a hard- fought sense of hope, which is among songwriter Blair Howerton's greatest gifts. "You owe it to the people who are experiencing the worst to just keep pushing," Howerton says. That's the throughline of "Wish On The Bone", a record that rewards with repeated listens.

TRACK LISTING

Wish On The Bone
Dotted Line
Rhyme Or Reason
Fake Out
Headlight Sun
Green Things
All The Money
Peppermint
Three Big Moons
I Took The Shot

GIRL TALK’s (aka GREGG GILLIS) third album on Illegal Art! Night Ripper is focused less on beat-fuckery and more on bringing heat to the party than previous outings. Hip hop hits, soft rock radio standards, party classics, grunge masterpieces, R&B singles, glossy club-shakers and rock anthems are all layered and placed together into one nonstop celebration of pop and excess. Night Ripper was awarded “Best New Music” by Pitchfork, and has made many proclaim Girl Talk the next Danger Mouse. “One endlessly entertaining mega mash-up”—Rolling Stone.

TRACK LISTING

Once Again
That's My DJ
Hold Up
Too Deep
Smash Your Head
Minute By Minute
Ask About Me
Summer Smoke
Friday Night
Hand Clap
Give And Go
Bounce That
Warm It Up
Double Pump
Overtime
Peak Out

Queer country rock from south of the Mason-Dixon line. High school
folkie Charles Brown teamed up with regional rural rock rascals Sleepy
Creek, triggering an unrequited inter-band love story and this album’s melancholy title track.

This 15-song LP gathers Brown’s solo and band work from 1976-’82, and Jon Freeman’s accompanying essay dissects the origin story of this private press pioneer.

TRACK LISTING

1. Just Want To Talk To You
2. Tennessee Woman
3. Talk Too Much Blues
4. Restless
5. The Hurtin’ Kind
6. Livin’ In A Suitcase
7. Circles
8. Trouble Is
9. All The Time
10. Like A Stone (Love Without Love)
11. Where Did The Love Go?
12. Colorado (My Lady Says)
13. On The Corner
14. The Hurtin’ Kind (Demo)
15. I Just Want To Talk To You (Live

Land Of Talk emerged from the ethereal landscapes of mid-aughts Canadian indie rock with their 2006 debut Applause Cheer Boo Hiss. Led by Elizabeth Powell, they have spent the last 18 years carving their own path through the music scene, captivating audiences with their emotive soundscapes and raw vulnerability.

The EPs brings 2009's Fun And Laughter and 2021's Calming Night Partner together on vinyl for the first time, combining two distinct chapters in Land of Talk's sonic journey while offering fans a unique perspective on the evolution of their sound.

Fun And Laughter showcases the band's early experimentation with texture and tone. From the shimmering guitars of "May You Never," to the haunting melodies of "A Series Of Small Flames," each track exudes a sense of youthful energy and introspection.

Calming Night Partner is an equally mesmerizing collection of songs that delves into themes of longing and redemption. With tracks like "Leave Life Alone," and "Something Will Be Said," the EP showcases Powell's continuing evolution as a songwriter and lyricist.

This release represents more than just a collection of songs; they are a testament to the band's unwavering commitment to their craft and their unyielding passion for storytelling through music. As they continue to push the boundaries of their sound and forge new paths in the indie rock landscape, one thing remains certain: the echoes of Land of Talk will linger on, resonating in the hearts and minds of listeners for years to come.

TRACK LISTING

Fun And Laughter (Side A)
1. Sixteen Asterisk
2. May You Never
3. As Me
4. A Series Of Small Flames

Calming Night Partner (Side B)
5. Leave Life Alone
6. Moment Feed
7. Calming Night Partner
8. Something Will Be Said

Land of Talk, the influential Montreal-based outfit led by Lizzie Powell, today announced Applause Cheer Boo Hiss: The Definitive Edition, the expanded and remastered first vinyl reissue of the band’s beloved debut EP.

Applause Cheer Boo Hiss: The Definitive Edition is a collector’s dream, with bonus music spread out across two LPs housed in a gorgeous gatefold jacket with new and updated artwork. The first LP features a remastered and expanded 10-song version of the original EP, along with five additional downloadable bonus tracks of live material and remixes. The second LP features a remastered version of L'Aventure Acoustique, the limited and adored 10-track release featuring acoustic versions of all seven original Applause Cheer Boo Hiss tracks, as well as acoustic versions of “Young Bridge,” the future Land of Talk track “Some Are Lakes,” and a cover of Wintersleep’s “Weighty Ghost”—all on vinyl for the first time.

“I feel like I’m never going to be fully satisfied with anything I do, but having said that, I’m super proud of the whole EP. If that’s my legacy, I’m good,” says Powell. The urgent and raging Applause Cheer Boo Hiss opener “Speak to Me Bones” is also out today alongside a stripped-back acoustic version–one of five L'Aventure Acoustique songs mixed/engineered by Justin Vernon (who would go on to produce and play guitar on Land of Talk’s debut full length, Some Are Lakes, the following year). “[Fugazi’s] ‘Smallpox Champion’ is a song that definitely inspired the outro to ‘Speak to Me Bones,’ which is a song that I would love to play live again, especially because I wrote it long before MeToo, and since the MeToo movement a lot of people have been naming their abusers, and the abuse of powers in the music industry,” Powell explains.

TRACK LISTING

1. Speak To Me Bones
2. Sea Foam
3. Summer Special
4. Breaxxbaxx
5. Magnetic Hill
6. All My Friends
7. Street Wheels
8. Young Bridge
9. Two Ships
10. Dark Nature Places
11. Speak To Me Bones (Acoustic)
12. Sea Foam (Acoustic)
13. Summer Special (Acoustic)
14. Breaxxbaxx (Acoustic)
15. Magnetic Hill (Acoustic)
16. All My Friends (Acoustic)
17. Street Wheels (Acoustic)
18. Young Bridge (Acoustic)
19. Some Are Lakes (Acoustic)
20. Weighty Ghost (Acoustic Wintersleep Cover)

After the introduction that was their debut EP 'Hello, My Name Is', Currls now extend the invitation to explore their world even further with a 6 track EP that will leave you feeling empowered and wanting revolution. With rawness and honesty all throughout, each song poses a fresh perspective muscially and lyrically, whilst at times remaining tongue in cheek but discussing themes of angst and anxiety of the modern world. Currls remain your friends that will fight the cause and have your backs every step of the way.

Recorded in their hometown of Brighton, at Metway Studios, with finishing touches layed down at Bella Union's studio, this project has been long in the works and shows the direction in which Currls are rapidly paving, with a mighty thud every step of the way. The name of the EP comes from the idea that when we have nothing to talk about or when we think theres no common ground, we talk about the weather. Sometimes theres too much going on in our lives and in the world that talking about the weather can be our way of preventing the conversation from expanding; 'Let's Talk About The Weather' is the idea that we don't talk anymore, but there's also hope that we will; It's from the standpoint of our inner voices and collective surroundings, we experience so many heightened emotions. "Our blood, sweat and tears have went into getting this EP completed", describes Holly, "We spent so many hours tweaking it, listening to it, sitting in the garage in the freezing cold editing, we just wanted to get this into peoples ears". "We were so excited, confused and amazed that we had won the RSD competition and this is the first time we have ever had the chance to release any vinyl!", "We recorded this at the beginning of 2023 and since then, we have grown so much as a band.

This is a taste of what's to come, not only that, but this is specially exclusive just to vinyl, just for you' "We hope our song's can louden your voice, your heart and make you realise your magic is NEVER lost".

TRACK LISTING

1. Cruel
2. Weather
3. Throwback
4. Blame
5. Bad Habits
6. Still Here

The sixth album from Still Corners is “Dream Talk”. Beautifully arranged, elegant and wistful, Dream Talks is a set of ten carefully crafted classic songs. From the autumnal opener "Today is the Day" to the hot summer night finale of "Turquoise Moon", Still Corners have created a sound that is focused, stylish and seductive. Tessa Murray says, "The genesis for a lot of these songs came from dreams. Every night I would write down the dreams I could remember. While recording I would pull out my book of dreams and sing over various looped phrases Greg had been working on, the repetitive nature of the looping and singing almost felt like going into a trance. A lot of the songs came from that process, it was fun and what I thought were sort of ramblings ended up surprising us with their various meanings and imagery."

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Drifting, 50's influenced indie music that's both warmly evocative and hugely danceable. There are moments that could easily be played on a Balearic beach bar soundsystem, but soaring synth moments pull us out of the reverie and onto a swaying, undulating dancefloor.

TRACK LISTING

1. Today Is The Day
2. The Dream
3. Faded Love
4. What Is Real
5. Lose More Slowly
6. Secret World
7. Let's Make Up
8. Crystal Blue
9. The Ship
10. Turquoise Moon

Physical Education make their debut on SoSure Music with the ‘Sweet Talk EP'. Now based in Barcelona and Prague, Physical Education is the brainchild of Luke Scheybeler and David Philips. The duo’s production alias is synonymous with a soulful, jazzy, sample-heavy sound, meticulously crafted at their studio in the Pyrenees mountains. With a musical history than spans almost thirty years, Physical Education are producing music with a strong focus on musicianship and hardware-based production. Title track ’Sweet Talk’ is a smooth and superbly produced slice of jazz-influenced deep house while ‘Work On That Soon’, ‘Oscar’ and ‘Dreamsville’ (a vinyl only exclusive) are also included here and fully compliment this release to complete a standout debut EP.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Sweet Talk
A2. Work On That Soon
B1. Oscar
B2. Dreamsville

Since forming in San Francisco in 1983, Frightwig have had two objectives: Spread joy and smash the patriarchy. For 40 years, they’ve succeeded on both fronts, with a mix of in-your-face hardcore energy and a fearless activist spirit.

A formative influence on the Riot Grrrl movement and beyond, the band embrace fellow freaks, sinners, and misfits - and the coven of Frightwig devotees has only grown larger and stronger with time.” – Jeanne Fury (writer and co-author of ‘Fallopian Rhapsody: The Story of the Lunachicks’)

Produced by Eric Drew Feldmen (PJ Harvey, Pixies, The Residents, Frank Black, OK Go, Captain Beefheart).

TRACK LISTING

1. Ride Your Bike
2. What Is Love?
3. War On Women
4. Big Bang
5. Aging Sux
6. A Man’s Got To Do
7. Redistribution Of Wealth
8. Crawford’s Song
9. My Crotch Does Not Say Go
10. Crazy World
11. Hot Air Rising
12. Shine Your Light
13. The Possum

Japanese vocalist Q.i & producer Hair Kid, originally from New Jersey and now also based in Japan, are the duo known as Milk Talk. Their off-kilter brand of synth funk sits somewhere between modern funk & city pop but is sure to please fans of vaporwave, future funk, disco & deep house as well. Their recently-released album is still an elusive find outside of Japan but “Wagamama Riso,” a digital-only loosie released during the early days of the pandemic, has now been unleashed in physical form on Los Angeles-based MoFunk Records. MoFunk's head, XL Middleton, remixes the track and adds his own retro-electro/R&B flair to the leftfield boogie feel of the original version. Both versions on a single 7” make this a top choice for anyone who loves their funk loaded with analog synthesizer action.

Milk Talk's self-titled debut album was released recently in Japan and has added greatly to the buzz surrounding the group. However, the difficulty of procuring physical copies of their LP outside of Japan will surely make this 7” a desirable piece of add to any DJ or record collector's stash. Milk Talk was also recently featured on the Soul Clap Records compilation “New Directions In Funk Vol. 1,” curated by XL Middleton.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Wagamama Riso (XL Middleton Remix)
B1. Wagamama Riso (Original Milk Talk Version)

If Talk Show’s exhilarating full-length debut, Effigy, feels more like a film than an album, that’s no coincidence. The band crafted the collection to soundtrack a fictional nightclub. “One of the biggest influences on this record was the intro to the movie Blade, where this character’s being dragged through a meatpacking plant and into the vampire rave,” says frontman Harrison Swann. “There’s so much tension and anticipation and intimidation in that scene. We wanted to create the kind of music we’d play if we were performing in that club, to put ourselves into that scene and see how far we could push it.” With Effigy, Talk Show do more than just push their sound; they completely reinvent it. Produced by Remi Kabaka Jr., of Gorillaz, the record offers up a bold and exhilarating showcase for the band’s dramatic evolution, drawing on everything from The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy to Nine Inch Nails and The KLF as it taps into a raw, primal sound at the intersection of techno, electronic, industrial, and rock music. The songs are dark and gritty, fueled by blistering guitars and explosive drums, and Swann’s vocals are nothing short of hypnotic, leaning on repetition and restraint to reach for transcendence in the midst of swirling sonic chaos. The result is an immersive, multi-sensory experience, one that conjures up a dark, sweaty warehouse packed with moving bodies all radiating heat and desire, anxiety and release, ecstasy and desperation

TRACK LISTING

1. Got Sold
2. Gold
3. Panic
4. Oh! You're! All! Mine!
5. Small Blue World
6. Red/White
7. Closer
8. Catalonia
9. Oil At The Bottom Of A Drum

Korean artist and musician Jin Won Lee (이진원), otherwise known as Gazaebal, began his career in New York. Working as a sound engineer, alongside such illustrious artists as the Wu-Tang Clan and Janet Jackson, led him to develop a keen ear for dexterous audio design, melodic flair and catchy rhythm. But his true interest lay in uncovering the unique textures and synthetic qualities of electronic music. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Gazaebal focused on developing himself as a producer, synergising a uniquely potent take on club music, releasing three albums and appearing on numerous collaborations.

An established figure in the realm of contemporary art, Jin Won Lee is well-known for his hybrid, highly technological practice. In 2008, together with Jang Jaeho, he formed The Tacit Group, a collective for computer-coded art. Presenting works that manipulate audio and visuals in real-time through programming, the group has performed at the FAMS Choice selection, Lincoln Center in New York, at the Seoul branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, among many others. As a solo practitioner, he initiated in 2023, a project that examines sound as abstracted vibration. brings together Jin Won Lee’s decades long investigations into sonic experimentation and the physicality of noise.

Outside the avant-garde, Gazaebal has enjoyed mainstream success, collaborating with Big Hit Productions founder and BTS songwriter Mr. "Hitman" Bang on remixes and arrangements for K-POP albums. They also formed the two-man group Banana Girl, with Gazaebal focusing on composition while Bang handled vocals, achieving a big hit with their 2000s track ‘Butt.’

Another crucial figure in Gazaebal’s life is his wife Nine who operates as his agent and business partner. Initially released in 1999 on Nine’s independent imprint dmstrax, the titular track ‘Talk’ first appeared on techno@kr, a compilation CD of Korean electronica. Together, they co-founded G Records, which was partly absorbed into Bighit Entertainment in 2005. Appearing as the inaugural record on Bighit, the original version of 'And So On' – featuring Bang’s vocal production – was not available for re-release due to licensing difficulties. But thankfully the multitrack was well preserved. Utilising these components, Nawon Ha (AKA Korean-but-Amsterdam-based artist Naone) re-imagines the song for Betonska Records.

A combination of un- and self-released material, Talk is an album that firmly belongs to the millennium while sounding utterly outside of space and time. A cosmic trance trip that draws on rock’s steely drive, wiggy acid basslines and warbling dub, the record is presented as a mix-friendly mini-album, with the 6 tracks ideally tailored to DJ-level quality and loudness. As much suited to the psychedelic rave scene of yesteryear as they are to present-day dancefloors, Gazaebal’s productions are defined by his idiosyncrasies. Melding the sheen of tight production and pop sensibilities with a flagrant DIY spirit, his music assuages the high-commercialism of the 2000s, resulting in a style that’s as definitely punchy as it is precise.

TRACK LISTING

Another One
Spiral
Square
Talk
Gilda
And So On (Naone So Forth Remix)

When it comes to breathing new life into classic cuts Joseph Caserta is as good as it gets, proven many times on his imprint BridgeBoots. Making punchy and jackin' house sounding like it's been dipped in some secret sauce is another trick of his.

The first track on his Local Talk debut, "Hip Hop", comes in two flavours with the special sauce added on top. Both the Rap Mix and the Haus Dub got swinging drums and a meaty, stabby chord that keeps the energy tight.

On the flip, "g'Head" is a punchy and bumpy house jacker that takes a hold of you and doesn't let go. It's certainly got us bum shuffling here at Picc HQ! Recommended heat from the Local talk schtable. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Well rugged, elbows out basement house tackle that's got a bit of a Sheffield vibe about it.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Hip Hop (Rap Mix)
A2. Hip Hop (Haus Dub)
B1. G'Head (LA Mix)
B2. G'Head (Boston Dub)

Lizzie Powell has always been a risk-taker. As the creative force behind the influential Canadian outfit Land of Talk, the Montreal-based songwriter has over the past 15 years amassed a catalog of four unimpeachable albums that stretch the boundaries of indie rock. But Performances, their fifth LP, feels like a total reinvention: an unflinching statement from an artist who’s not afraid to say how they feel. Though it trades muscular guitar rock for understated piano, it’s still the most urgent, cathartic, and personal release of Powell’s career so far. “It's the weirdest, mightiest little record I've made since I used to write music on my four-track when I was 14,” says Powell. “I needed to make a love letter to my teenage self by being more vulnerable and doing all the production myself.” Here, they doggedly value their own intuition over anything else to make their most rewarding album yet. 

Performances is a defiant and resonant blow against expectations and outside pressure. It’s an LP showcasing an artist without constraints and allowing themself to be radically honest. “The album title is very literal,” says Powell. “I'm performing what's in my brain but I'm tired of performing femininity for the music industry, femininity in my life, respectability, and vulnerability. I'm trying to grow out of these and break out of these roles in my life.” Powell’s fearlessness as a songwriter has already led to Land of Talk boasting an unmistakably essential discography but with this album, they find the perfect opportunity to give themself the grace to truly double down on their own vital sensibilities. They usher the songs every step of the way from demoing to producing, imbuing each track with immense care and unfiltered feeling. 

“This is me reclaiming Land of Talk as it always has been,” says Powell. “Every record we've made has just been one step closer to me figuring out how I want to make a record myself. I might not ever make an album like this again, but I just felt like I owed it to myself to try.” 

TRACK LISTING

1. Intro (high Bright High)
2. Your Beautiful Self
3. Fluorescent Blood
4. Marry It
5. Rainbow Protection
6. Clarinet Dance Jam
7. Sitcom
8. Semi-Precious
9. August 13
10. Pwintiques 

Cititrax/Minimal Wave come together to put out this new release from the Vancouver-based synth wave duo Cosmetics, which was originally formed by Nic Emm and Aja Emma in 2008. They have been quiet over recent years but recently got back together with a new full-length called Baby that's due soon. The lead singles from it now arrive on this 7" and are full of sultry minimal sounds, moody synth craft and seductive vocals from Emma that really cut through as the clavier a dark, film-like narrative that is beautifully beguiling. A great return ahead of the much anticipated full length.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Dark and moody minimal wave / electro-noir from the infrequent recording project of Nic M (synth) and Aja Emma (vocals).

TRACK LISTING

Pillow Talk
Tell Me

Formed in 2019, Lifeguard are Asher Case (bass, vocals), Isaac Lowenstein (drums, percussion), and Kai Slater (guitar, vocals). At its core, Lifeguard is a punk band. Their music is loud and energetic. It’s also, at its core, visceral and hypnotic. For the Chicago-based trio that can include repetition and blasts of speaker cone-shredding feedback. Their songs adeptly balance melody and chaos, rhythm and drone. Hooks and noise are held to the same standard. Both have to stick.

They’re a young band, but they’ve already found a place at the forefront of an important emerging music community in their hometown. They are quite prolific. In just three years, Lifeguard has put out a full-length, two EPs, and two 7” singles.

Crowd Can Talk and Dressed in Trenches are closely related. They were recorded in separate sessions, but at the same studio (Electrical Audio) and with the same engineer (Mike Lust) and within the space of 12 months. Each finds the band refining its voice – honing songs that are succinct, hooky, and propulsive. There's a newly disciplined attention to detail. Lifeguard write together through collaboration and improvisation, but they’ve learned to streamline their sound, to make each hook, beat, and gesture purposeful.

On each record, there are echoes of underground guitar bands from decades past. This is not record-collector music, though. It’s the product of a present-day community. Lifeguard are, first and foremost, a performing band and the songs are written to stand up in that moment.

“More than old records – before that, before anything – we’re influenced by live shows and people around us,” explains Slater. “The inspiration comes from playing shows with people and having that mind-blown moment of seeing some friend play at Schubas or Book Club,” adds Lowenstein. “It’s happening on these tiny little scales of seeing kids play live and [knowing] this is something new and interesting.”

TRACK LISTING

Crowd Can Talk

New Age (I’ve Got A)
I Know I Know
Fifty Seven
Typecast

Dressed In Trenches

17-18 Lovesong
Alarm
Ten Canisters (OFB)
Shutter Shutter
Tell Me When

French producer Timothee Milton debuts on Local Talk with a killer EP that fuses electronic rhythms and soulful vocals in a way that's typical of the long standing label. Written by Angela Johnson, "Love's Gonna Get you" is a deep but big room, vocal house jam that's got some hints of the 90s Jersey sound about it as well as subtly being a bit of a voguing anthem on the sly.

To give the package an extra edge, deep house connoisseur Hugo LX and boogie-house maestro Art Of Tones are enlisted for remixes. The former strips things back to a more delicate groove; aquaplaning syths and pads all combining with the gently shaking perx to create a more sublime and serene version of the OG. The Art Of Tones remix is equally strong but goes for a more uplifting approach and puts the funk, boogie and soul front & center, with live sounding disco drums and a much more organic palette guiding proceedings. Top stuff as always from the Local Talk mob! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Soulful, sun-flecked house music from the unstoppable Local Talk camp. Three different takes on this catchy track ranging from disco, voguey house and a skitty, deep house twist.

TRACK LISTING

A. Love's Gonna Get You (Hugo LX Underwater Mix)
B1. Love's Gonna Get You (Art Of Tones Remix)
B2. Love's Gonna Get You (Main Mix)

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2023 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

Queen Talk: Live at the Left Bank is an official never-before-seen concert recording from one of the greatest female jazz organists of all-time, Shirley Scott

With George Coleman on tenor saxophone and Bobby Durham on drums completing a powerhouse trio, this hand-numbered (to 3,000), double LP set was transferred from the original tape reels and is pressed on 180- gram vinyl. It features 100 minutes of music and is packaged in a gatefold sleeve with an extensive booklet containing liner notes by acclaimed music writer A. Scott Galloway, rare photos by Don Schlitten and Raymond Ross, and memorabilia from the Left Bank archives.

Jazz heads can also find interviews with jazz organ icon Joey DeFrancesco, Scott’s former bandmate saxophonist Tim Warfield, and pianist Monty reminiscing about drummer Bobby Durham. The set is co- produced by label owner musician Cory Weeds and renowned archival recording producer Zev Feldman.

The show was recorded at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore Maryland on August 20, 1972 and hasn’t ever been previously available. Philadelphia- born Scott rose to fame in the late 1950s playing the Hammond B-3 organ influenced by blues and gospel evolving into '60s soul jazz. She recorded numerous albums for Prestige, Impulse!, Atlantic, Cadet and Candid performing with countless jazz legends including Stanley Turrentine, Oliver Nelson and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.

Local Talk present a live recording with Soulphiction & Netzer from 2018, recorded live just a month before the official release of "Bizzness" the first of several releases Soulphiction and Local Talk released together.

"Bizzness" is by many considered a classic and had all the trade marks of a Soulphiction tune with its dusty soul and funk-infused house ingredients.
This live version really shows the vision and forward thinking of Michel Baumann using his Soulphiction moniker.

Also included on this release is a - as far as we know it - unreleased track called "Dileila Emergency Dub".

A track built around a heady deep house theme that captures the sweaty, back-in-the-day feel we all love to hear in a track.

TRACK LISTING

A. Bizzness Live @ BIX
B. Dileila Emergency Dub Live @ BIX

‘They Only Talk About The Weather’ is an album of acute emotional exploration. It’s Arny’s coming-of-age journey, from writing in school, staring out of dorm room windows, being on the road, to today. With poetic proficiency and a knack for composing melodies that bury themselves deep into the subconscious, Arny writes of loneliness and existentialism with stark relatability. There’s a quiet confidence that comes from these tracks; crystal clear in their conception, completely honest, and masterfully arranged. She walks us through her relationships growing up and her realisations about other people as well as herself. We listen as she unpacks herself to a backdrop of vividly painted natural landscapes.

The album’s relationship with weather is noteworthy. Examining her surroundings is how Arny puts to words her feelings. The sparsely populated and confined Westfjord peninsula in north-western Iceland is its own character here, and the bitter but playful snow colours her deeply personal prose across the whole LP. In this sense, ‘They Only Talk About The Weather’ can be a warming comfort to those who need it most as ice forms outside and nights fall earlier in the evening. She tells us; “I like to use the weather, in one of my songs I even make it a person, I sing “I am blinded by the light of winter, but it comes and goes away, I don't like her very much, you can't depend on anything she'll say”.

Musically she draws inspiration from folk and blues roots, utilising a less-is-more approach to convey openness, choosing to rely mostly on the delicate strumming of acoustics and her dulcet voice. On two tracks, ‘cold aired breeze’ and ‘ties’, Arny plays with a full band for the first time on record, adding layers of shuffling drums, soaring lap steel and synth padding to emphasise impact. Elsewhere on the album minor flourishes reveal themselves constantly, rewarding repeat listens.

Arny’s also gained a great deal of experience in a short space, being an active touring artist for the first time. She says “It's hard, but it’s really nice as well. I’ve learned a lot from each show, every crowd is different. I haven’t travelled much either so it’s been cool to see all these different places. With this album, I feel like I’ve gotten further. There’s so much here about the past, and some of it’s newer, so it feels a little like I’ve revisited some stuff and blended it with me right now. Going over things, wishing I’d done things differently, thinking a lot about what’s happened. But in the end, it’s brought me here.”

She cites influences from the likes of Andy Shauf, Phoebe Bridgers, Bon Iver, Leif Vollebekk and Gregory Alan Isakov. Born and raised in a small town called Ísafjörður, she attended music school from the age of 6 learning to play the piano and gradually taught herself guitar. She recorded the album at studio Hljóðriti in Hafnarfjörður and will continue to make her mark globally with her intimate and affecting live performances. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Whatever It Means
2. Cold Aired Breeze
3. Balcony
4. Sníglar
5. Wind Was Blowing
6. The World Is Between Us
7. They Only Talk About The Weather
8. Ties
9. Untitled
10. Abandoned 

Touch The Ground, the new EP by rising UK post-punk band Talk Show was produced by Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Al Doyle (Hot Chip/LCD Soundsystem).

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1. Track 1
2. Underworld
3. Cold House
SIDE B
1. Dirt In The Keyboard
2. Leather
3. 6

The Paranoyds are Southern California DIY rock royalty. Fueled by the fiery energy of their live shows paired with raw lyricism and subtle societal commentary, The Paranoyds are unafraid and unapologetically in perpetual pursuit of a good time. The four-piece is made up of Laila Hashemi (keyboardist-vocals), Lexi Funston (guitars/vocals), Staz Lindes (bass/vocals) and David Ruiz (drums, vocals) who together masterfully blend light-hearted playfulness with sharp sincerity over fuzzy guitar, dreamy vocals and punchy, punky rock-n-roll.

Talk, Talk, Talk, the sophomore album from The Paranoyds gives the band space to expand, evolve and above all, have fun. Over 11 tracks, the band experiments with sounds that span an eclectic array of genres–from jazz, to lo-fi punk-rock, to groovy R&B–that melt together showcasing the innovative range of The Paranoyds.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE 1
1. BWP
2. Lizzie
3. Nissan Overdrive
4. Typing
5. Single Origin Experience
6. Freak Out
SIDE 2
1. Andrew
2. Over And Done
3. 6th Street Bridge
4. LA 2032
5. Sunburn

2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the debut album of one of the most critically-acclaimed and pioneering bands to come out of the UK. Talk Talk’s The Party’s Over was a start of a journey for Mark Hollis (vocals), Simon Brenner (keyboards), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass) who constantly evolved throughout their career from synth-pop beginnings into pioneering avant-garde post-rock in the latter stages of the band, being a large influence on artists such as Radiohead, St. Vincent and many more.

Talk Talk launched with the release of the single Mirror Man in February 1982, followed by Today and the eponymous single Talk Talk, with the latter two charting #14 and #23 in the UK respectively. The Party’s Over was produced by Colin Thurston, the former engineer for David Bowie but was better known for producing Duran Duran's first two albums. Charting in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and USA, The Party’s Over is classic synth-pop teamed with lyrical depth that went on to be synonymous with lead singer, Mark Hollis. Earlier this year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of these singles, many of the B-sides were made available digitally for the first time such as Strike Up The Band and ? (aka Question Mark).

TRACK LISTING

Side A:
Talk Talk
It’s So Serious
Today
The Party’s Over
Side B:
Hate
Have You Heard The News
Mirror Man
Another Word
Candy

Weaving in and out of R&B, 80’s synth pop, jazz and indie, NYC-based collective Michelle is refreshingly predominated by queer and POC members, showcasing a transformative era in pop music. The album announcement and new track follow a string of celebrated singles as well as their 2018 debut album Heatwave, which came together in just two-weeks and received praise from NME, The fader and more.

TRACK LISTING

Mess U Made
Expiration Date
Pose
Syncopate
No Signal (feat. Isa Reyes)
Talking To Myself
50/50
Looking Glass
End Of The World
Fire Escape
Hazards
Layla In The Rocket
Spaced Out, Phased Out
My Friends

Lily We Need To Talk Now is a record Konigsberg has been slowly chipping away at since 2016, revising and re-recording the songs over the years. The eleven-track collection is her first proper full length, following her anthology of EPs and unreleased tracks, The Best of Lily Konigsberg Right Now, released in 2021 by Wharf Cat Records. The new record is catchy the whole way through, like much of her poppy and plainspoken indie rock output that’s made her a fixture of the NYC underground in recent years. Her voice twists and turns and dashes around her clever wordplay in new ways; there are hints of power-pop, pop-punk, and downtempo introspection, all dotted with easter eggs of winking humor.

True to its title, this collection of songs is like a check in with herself. “On “That’s The Way I Like It,” with backing vocals from longtime collaborator Paco Cathcart, she reflects on the feeling of “struggling with someone you love, and how you can get all evil about it, like a brat, like a baby.” On “Proud Home”, she sings one of the records boldest earworm hooks (“You’ve got a lot of fucking things to be proud of!”) and tries to comfort a friend who has a crush on her mom. “I really cracked myself up with the lyrics,” she says. “It’s kind of a Stacey’s Mom riff. I decided it’s a dedication to Adam Schlesinger [of Fountains of Wayne].” “Roses, Again” is a new take on a familiar Lily tune (originally on Good Time Now) re-recorded at the request of her current live band, who have evolved the song on the road.

TRACK LISTING

1 - Beauty
2 - Sweat Forever
3 - That’s The Way I Like It
4 - Alone
5 - Don’t Be Lazy With Me
6 - Proud Home
7 - Hark
8 - Bad Boy
9 - Roses, Again
10 - Goodbye
11 - True

BADBADNOTGOOD return with their highly anticipated album, "Talk Memory", the sixth full length excursion from this Canadian trio if you count their collaboration with Ghostface Killah amongst their discography. Collaborators include legendary composer Arthur Verocai and contemporary icons such as Terrace Martin, Karriem Riggins and Laraaji.

It's high octane, ambitious and noisy, modern jazz set firmly in present times and holding no punches with its delivery. The boys can play, make no mistake, effortlessly drifting from languid passages to all-out throttle. Considering there's only three of them, it's a full and realized sound; slightly gritty but sophisticated in its execution; with each musician challenging the next to out-better themselves. As the songs swirl into a mighty cresendo you can almost picture them trying to compete with each for dexterity and flair... I'm sure they'd be an amazing prospect live.

Favourite moment for me is the opener of disc two, "Love Proceeding", featuring Arthur Verocia, which glides in on optimistic and cinematic sax before erupting into an explosion of augmented 7s and frenzied drums; the ultimate example of jazz's fusion of tension and release; a formular that's executed with aplomb throughout the album.

Advanced and highly accomplished, "Talk Memory" finds these bastions of modern jazz in exquisite form. Recommended. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: BadBadNotGood return for their first LP for XL Recordings, with their trademark enthusiastic jazz fusion sound in full force, bolstered with a number of huge music industry names. It's yet another groundbreaking juxtaposition of loungey downbeat jazz and rhythmic hip-hop, both innovative and warmingly familiar.

TRACK LISTING

1. Signal From The Noise
2. Unfolding (Momentum 73) Featuring Laraajii
3. City Of Mirrors Featuring Arthur Verocai
4. Beside April Featuring Karriem Riggins, Arthur Verocai
5. Love Proceeding Featuring Arthur Verocai
6. Open Channels (physical Only)
7. Timid, Intimidating
8. Beside April (Reprise) Featuring Arthur Verocai
9. Talk Meaning Featuring Arthur Verocai, Terrace Martin And Brandee Younger

Pure X is the last band, has always been the last band. Not that there won’t be future acts, more that Pure X understands that all this pageantry, this civilization is wrapping up. It burned hot and bright like thermite used to bust a safe open, but now is the age of radiating waves, each one buckles the foundation more than the last. Rare Ecstasy 2009-2019 is a collection of recordings and rarities that span the more than a decade career of the Austin underground legends. Referred to by Pitchfork as the ‘druggy, wall-of-sound escapism that put them on the map’. These 12 tracks embody the Pure X sound, breaking it down and offering up a raw emotive portrait that cycle the Band’s expansive output. A must have addition to the collection of any Pure X fan.

TRACK LISTING

Pressure Drop
Alexandria
One Day At A Time
I Don’t Wanna Make Love (With Anyone Else But You)
Make It Look So Easy
Valley Of Tears
Baby
Making History (Instrumental)
Utopia
Streets Are Haunted
Crazy Lust
Please Please Please

Initial copies of the coloured vinyl edition include an exclusive 11" x 11" art print whilst stocks last.

The duo consists of Camila de Laborde and Daniel Hermann-Collini and met in London’s global melting pot. Originally they hail from Mexico City and Munich respectively and now call Lisbon home. Produced + mixed by Peter Kember (Sonic Boom, Spacemen 3, Spectrum) who has mixed bands such as Panda Bear, Beach House and MGMT Camila Fuchs creates experimental electronic pop with spectral vocals and avant-garde sensibilities. Currently based in Lisbon, the project was formed by Camila De Laborde (Mexico City) and Daniel Hermann-Collini (Munich) in London in 2012. The band released their debut album Singing From Fixed Rung in 2016, followed by 2018's Heart Pressed Between Stones on ATP Recordings. Met with international praise, Camila Fuchs has performed at numerous well-regarded festivals including Mutek Mexico, Primavera Sound and All Tomorrow's Parties Festival. They have also supported and shared the stage with Plaid, Actress, Aleksi Perälä, Starcrawler, Charles Hayward, William Basinski, Braids and The Orb.

Kids Talk Sun is the duo's third full-length album. It was produced and mixed by Peter Kember. With an imaginative, child-like approach, Camila Fuchs have managed to harness a transformational space of exploration and experimentation. Filled with a youthful sense of wonder, Kids Talk Sun is a meditation on childhood, as well as the exchanges between humans, between humans and nature, and within nature itself. A textural, drumless offering, "Sun" opens the album with a slow-tempo arpeggiation guided by Laborde's transporting voice. The words “heat me up, heat them up” conjures warmth that radiates throughout the album. “There was no way, no need to be careful,” Laborde sings in “Moon Mountain.” Mirroring the lyrics in approach, the band taps into a playful psychedelia with dense, hypnotizing instrumentation. Synths contract and swell punctuated by bleeps, bloops, and spaced-out effects beautifully articulated by Kember's production.

A step into darker territory, "Come About" shows the band's breadth of range with Laborde's voice soaring over a driving downtempo rhythm, pleading for love and dedication to be taken and received, with a haunting effect. Kids Talk Sun was recorded near the sea and wilderness outside of Lisbon, with the band shifting back and forth from the natural world to the studio. The result is an ecosystem of complex, ever-evolving sounds working together, with generosity given to the process itself; the biomimicry of plants, insects, the sun and moon, earth, seasons, and cycles gorgeously reimagined in sonic form. There is a sense of multiplicity, a reassurance on change deeply rooted in transformation, on things disintegrating, decomposing, and something new coming to ground us, arms open, and ready for hope.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Camila Fuchs' previous releases have always indicated towards a multi-faceted psychedelic electronic powerhouse, but nly on 'Kids Talk Sun' has that possibility become quite so crystal clear. Texturally rich but imbued with the sort of avant-pop spirit of 70's psych or the octaved drive of Italo-disco. Absolutely astounding work.

TRACK LISTING

01. Sun
02. Moon’s Mountain
03. Gloss Trick
04. Roses
05. Sandstorm
06. Silenced By Hums
07. Come About
08. Mess
09. Pool Of Wax

Crawling Up The Stairs is the sophomore album from Austin underground luminaries Pure X, re-issued on 180 gram vinyl by Fire Talk.

The anticipated follow-up to debut ‘Pleasure,’ the new record places Nate Grace’s ragged vocals upfront in the mix with more clearcut, refined production choices, while still imbued with the jagged sexual tension and undercurrent of catastrophe that has won them fans across the world.

More accolades from the press followed, notably Pitchfork calling the record ‘sophisticated and self aware,’ lending a further upward trajectory to the band’s steadfast cult status. The duality of vocals from Grace and Jenkins for the first time evoke an even more enthralling immediacy to Pure X’s continued evolution of their nightmarish visions, a spellbinding combination that will find appeal in old fans and new listeners alike.

TRACK LISTING

Crawling Up The Stairs
Someone Else
Written In The Slime
I Fear What I Feel
Things In My Head
Shadows And Lies
I Come From Nowhere
Never Alone
How Did You Find Me
Thousand Year Old Child
Rain At Dawn
All Of The Future (All Of The Past)

Pure X is the last band, has always been the last band. Not that there won’t be future acts, more that Pure X understands that all this pageantry, this civilization is wrapping up.

It burned hot and bright like thermite used to bust a safe open, but now is the age of radiating waves, each one buckles the foundation more than the last. Recorded live in single takes in the Texas hill country by Danny Reisch (Shearwater), this is their clearest, most focused work to date. The rhythm section is locked in--a night train through the desert. There is more singing, the weary wisdom of the lyrics ringing like Tibetan bowls. In 38 minutes, Pure X weave a culmination, all the delays and distortion, the grinding mortar of touring, the low-tide pulling them out from a cult band, to a legacy band, it’s here, understood and forgiven.

The album’s cover (designed by long time collaborator Christopher Royal King) depicts a coffin necklace set against a wide open blue sky. It’s as if we carry our mortality like a pendant on a chain. Learning to own up and accept ourselves through self reflection. It would be understandable to express such forbidden fatalism in a brittle, harsh nihilism, the stark echo of a stone rattling down an endless well. But on this album, their fourth and first in six years, there is a predawn kindness. It may be funereal, but it is a Viking pyre ablaze in the middle of a river, one of those moments when the water seems to pause and reflect the clouds blooming like smoke from an invisible glass pipe.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Searing walls of guitar swooning around the heartfelt vocals and slo-mo percussive stomp, Pure X is a cacophony of noise, but shifting quickly enough to form chords above the tuned dirge and heady vocal soar. Melodic shoegazing for the hypnotised.

TRACK LISTING

Middle America
Hollywood
Angels Of Love
Free My Heart
Making History
Fantasy
Man With No Head
How Good Does It Get
Slip Away
Grieving Song
Stayed Too Long
I Can Dream

"This time working solely with Steve Lillywhite, the Furs introduce a brighter, poppier side to their underground rock edge, with smashing results throughout. The group produces some powerful songs, even more rough-edged than before. Especially striking is "Dumb Waiters," with its queasy, slow-paced arrangement that allows both Kilburn's sax and Ashton's guitar to go wild. However, the six still create some undeniable pop classics. Most well-known is the lead track, "Pretty in Pink," inspiration for the iconic John Hughes film years later and re-recorded as a result. The original is still where to go, though, with Butler's catchy description of a romantically unsure woman matched by a killer band performance. Similarly lighter numbers on the record call to mind a rockier version of Roxy Music's output in later years: elegant, romantic angst given a slightly rougher edge in both music and vocals. "She Is Mine" is especially fine as a gently swinging number with some of Butler's best, quietly ruminative lyrics. Straight-up anthems abound as well, the best being the amazing "Into You Like a Train," which mixes the blunt desire of the title with a sparkling Ashton guitar line and a fast rhythm punch. Talk Talk Talk ends on another high with "All of This and Nothing." A soft, acoustic guitar-sax-rhythm combination introduces the song, then fades away for the main section to begin; Butler details bits and pieces from a lost relationship over a sharp full-band performance, and a final drum smash leads into a reprise of the start -- a fine way to end a fine record." All Music.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1:
1. Dumb Waiters - The Psychedelic Furs / James Brown
2. Pretty In Pink
3. I Wanna Sleep With You
4. No Tears
5. Mr. Jones

Side 2:
1. Into You Like A Train
2. It Goes On
3. So Run Down
4. All Of This And Nothing
5. She Is Mine

Two more of our favourite cuts from The Sylvers first album, produced by Jerry Butler, Keg Johnson and Michael Viner, written by the hugely talented Leon Sylvers III. ‘I Know Myself’ was sampled by 9th Wonder for his ‘Easy’ track.

Talk Talk's musical journey took them from early 80s synth-pop to early 90s post-rock resulting in a diverse and stimulating legacy. This 1982 release showcases the synth-pop/new wave side to the band. After supporting Duran Duran on their 1981 tour, they released the single Mirror Man, as well as their two UK Top 40 hits Today and Talk Talk – all of which are included amongst other great songs on the album.

Their debut album, The Party's Over was released in 1982 and produced by Colin Thurston, who was a former engineer for David Bowie but was better known for producing Duran Duran's first two albums.

A product of its time, the album is classic synth-pop teamed with lyrical depth that went on to be synonymous with lead singer, Mark Hollis.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1) Talk Talk
2) It’s So Serious
3) Today
4) The Party’s Over

Side 2
1) Hate
2) Have You Heard The News
3) Mirror Man
4) Another Word
5) Candy

The band’s breakthrough record It’s My Life saw the arrival of producer and multi-instrumentalist Tim Friese-Greene, who became a significant creative force in the band and an unofficial fourth member for the remainder of its existence.

It’s My Life saw the band seek a less synthesized sound and less New Romantic image, which included keyboardist Simon Brenner leaving the band. The new sound gave the band commercial success, with the title track becoming a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It went on to be covered by No Doubt in 2003 reaching number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the chart for 28 weeks.

The album also contained the single "Such a Shame" (a song inspired by the book The Dice Man) which became a Top 10 hit across Europe. A third single, "Dum Dum Girl", was also a success in Europe and NZ in particular.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1:
1) Dum Dum Girl
2) Such A Shame
3) Renée
4) It’s My Life

Side 2:
1) Tomorrow Started
2) The Last Time
3) Call In The Night Boys
4) Does Caroline Know
5) It’s You

Talk Tight is Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s first release, and it was originally released on CD in March of 2016 on Ivy League Records in the band’s home country of Australia. Talk Tight – a mini-album, or extended EP, if you will – garnered the band critical acclaim in their home country and in the US, where Pitchfork gave the record an 8.0 and described it like so:
Seven rip-roaring tracks that move by their own logic, any one of which could be a single and all of which leave you wanting more in the best way possible... Listening to these seven tunes, you can easily trace a national lineage: the relentlessness of Radio Birdman, the pop literacy of the Go-Betweens, the rambunctious energy of the Easybeats, and the belief—shared with Courtney Barnett—that guitars are not just crucial to the message but might very well be the message themselves.

This release is the first time Talk Tight has been available worldwide, and the first time it is available on vinyl anywhere. The band released their Sub Pop debut, The French Press EP, in March of 2017, and they are currently working on their first full-length album.

TRACK LISTING

1. Wither With You
2. Wide Eyes
3. Heard You’re Moving
4. Clean Slate
5. Tender Is The Neck
6. Write Back
7. Career

The new band from Al Monte from Total Control, UV Race, Dick Diver etc.

Second Pressing on CLEAR VINYL, 300 only... 

Terry is getting ready, combing his hair, buttoning his jacket, turning the key in the door. “I’m doing fine” sings Terry out loud, he knows. Divide him into four and you get Al Montfort (UV Race, Total Control, Dick Diver etc.), Amy Hill (Constant Mongrel, School Of Radiant Living), Xanthe Waite (Mick Harvey Band) and Zephyr Pavey (Eastlink, Total Control, Russell Street Bombings).

Inevitably, Terry likes to make a noise. Drums, guitars and all his voices come into play, making a solid raft for Terry’s melancholic musings to navigate the languid rapids. This all unravels at its own pace, conducting a conversation with the commonplace. ‘Talk About Terry’ marks the band’s first venture into the recorded domain collecting together three of the greatest misshapen glam pop tunes Melbourne, Australia has to offer. Let’s sit up at the table. Let’s start the dialogue now, as Terry is well on his way.

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.

Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock, the group’s 1991 final album, took a year to make, and yet it has required decades to fully appreciate. Following up on the abstract 'Spirit of Eden', which sufficiently alienated pop fans of the band’s earlier material, 'Laughing Stock' took spaces in recorded music to new extremes, with layers of silence breathing through strings, woodwinds, percussion and Mark Hollis’s delicate vocals.

The record exists as one complete thought, albeit with jagged diversions and tangents. Hollis’s and producer Tim Friese-Greene’s goal from the beginning was to create an album that completely enveloped the listener. During recording, microphones were placed at distances as far as 30 feet from the instruments they were recording, and passages were captured with no clear intention as to where they would finally be placed. Before ProTools made the cut-and-paste, drag-and-drop process standard in songwriting, Hollis and Friese-Greene were in the studio with flugelhorn and viola players, capturing notes and phrases they collected and combined into the six tracks that became 'Laughing Stock'. Everything was recorded straight from the original instruments, as Hollis continued reacting against the synth artificiality of his past. It was released on jazz label Verve, further declaring that 'In A Silent Way' was a greater influence than any pop group to which Talk Talk had been compared in the past. 'Laughing Stock' grows like vines in a garden out of any speakers. The full power of the music is as engrossing as it is oblique, like wrapping oneself in a blanket of thoughts. Talk Talk’s music is unapologetic in its obscureness, caressed in the gentle beauty of subtlety and warmth.

TRACK LISTING

1 Myrrhman 5:33
2 Ascension Day 6:01
3 After The Flood 9:27
4 Taphead 7:01
5 New Grass 9:46
6 Runeii 4:59

Talk Talk’s classic albums ‘Spirit of Eden’ and ‘The Colour of Spring’ get re-issued on 180g heavyweight vinyl cut from the original analogue master, together with a DVD featuring the album delivered as a 96kHz/24 bit LPCM stereo mix. The DVDs both feature one extra track … ‘Spirit of Eden’ has the ‘b’ side ‘John Cope’ while ‘The Colour of Spring’ includes the ‘b’ side ‘It’s Getting Late In The Evening’.

Also released on CD with updated artwork - art directed by Mark Hollis - 'Spirit of Eden', 'The Colour of Spring', 'It's My Life' and 'The Party's Over'.

‘Sweet Talk’ is the first EP from Australian duo Kito & Reija Lee. Kito provides the catchy, bass-heavy production skills, which blend perfectly with Reija Lee's crisp vocals and absolutely massive hooks. The two have been friends since childhood, and previously collaborated on ‘LFO’, which appeared on Kito's EP for Skream's Disfigured Dubz label, but this is their first proper release together. Kito & Reija Lee take dubstep in the perfect pop-crossover direction, doing it with class and flair. In a dubstep scene dominated by men, Kito & Reija Lee have managed to bring a decidedly female perspective to the table while staying true to the genre's roots. Kito's production is sexy and intelligent, rough in the right places, and supremely catchy. The EP's title track might be the best example, taking equal turns at being sultry, hard and mysterious, while Reija's manipulated vocals tell her boy to get his shit straight. ‘Broken Hearts’ is the poppiest cut, with Reija shouting an in-yr-face hook that will be stuck in your head way beyond first listen. ‘On The Jam’ features Kito cleverly twisting Reija Lee's vocals into autotuned heaven, and ‘This City’ rounds out the EP on a mellow edge with yet another huge catchy chorus.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Sweet Talk
A2. Broken Hearts
B1. On The Jam
B2. This City

Men, the Brooklyn-based band & art/performance collective, consists of core members JD Samson (Le Tigre), Michael O'Neil (Ladybug Transistor) & Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR). This is their debut album release on IAMSOUND, via Columbia Records. The band focus on the raw energy of live performance & the radical potential of dance music. Musical styles merge between guitar-laden dance-floor funk & funky electronica, with a lyrical bite!

Taken from their forthcoming debut album "More Money Less Grief", "Talk About It" is a three minute blitz through the wonderful world of The Metros. Bottled down it is essentially a rhythmic, anthemic, schizoid punkoid stream of tourettes-iousness that fits as much sound tracking mischief on the streets of their native Peckham as on any in this Fair Isle. This summer's most wonderfully belligerent sing-a-long is here. Produced by their mate Baxter Dury, "More Money Less Grief" avoids the clichéd one dimensional formula often adopted by young bands today; incorporating and invoking pop hooks, thrashy punk rock, hummable choruses, tongue-in cheek humour, frank pub-crawl tales of teenage sex and adventure, whilst still capturing the youthful exuberance that makes them uniquely The Metros.

Sam Hutchinson is a singer-songwriter based in Nottingham, England. "Don't Want To Talk EP" is the 19-year-olds' third commercial release as a solo artist. He is influenced by the likes of Nick Drake, Elliot Smith and Ben Christophers and has been compared with artists as diverse as Doves and Leonard Cohen. For his third release, Sam spent two months recording and mixing five songs of pristine guitar and understated vocal harmonies.

Two tracks form their "Make Up The Breakdown" album: "Talk To Me, Dance With Me" and "Oh, Goddamnit" along with a live version of "Le Le Low". Jerky punk funk guitar rhythms, percussive drums and half chanting half wailing vocals. Add to that fun, catchy tunes and you've got some damn fine pop songs!