“I was in a dream, but now I can see that change is the only law.”

With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in consciousness brought on by personal crisis, guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland learns to embrace a changing world with unconditional love on 'News of the Universe', the new full-length from California rock band La Luz.

'News of the Universe' is a record born of calamity, a work of dark, beautiful psychedelia reflecting Cleveland’s experience of having her world blown apart by a breast cancer diagnosis just two years after the birth of her son. It’s also a portrait of a band in flux, marking the first appearance for drummer Audrey Johnson and the final ones from longtime members bassist Lena Simon and keyboardist Alice Sandahl, whose contributions add a bittersweet edge to a record that is both elegy for an old world and cosmic road map to a strange new one.

But is there any band in the world more suited to capturing the chaos of change in all its messy beauty than La Luz? Formed by Cleveland in 2012, La Luz is beloved for their ability to balance bedlam and bliss, each new record another fine-tuning of the band’s mix of swaggering riffs with angelic vocals borrowed from doo-wop and folk; a band so reliably great that it makes the huge step forward in confidence and sheer musicality that is 'News of the Universe' all the more formidable. Cleveland, also a writer and painter, has developed into a truly original songwriter with her own canon of haunted psychedelia. Yet if Cleveland has spent years writing songs about ghosts, what lurks in the shadows of 'News of the Universe' is nothing less than death itself. “There are moments on this album that sound to me like the last frantic confession before an asteroid destroys the earth,” says Cleveland.

The powerful sense of openness that permeates 'News of the Universe' is at least partially due to the fact that it is a record made entirely by women—from the performing, writing, and producing all the way through to the recording, engineering, and mastering. Working with producer Maryam Qudos (Spacemoth), the all-female environment allowed Cleveland to feel safe tapping into difficult places and expressing hard emotions women are socialized to suppress.

Unashamedly vulnerable, unabashedly feminine, and undeniably triumphant, 'News of the Universe' is another knockout record from a band so reliably great that it has perhaps led people to overlook how pioneering La Luz really are: women of color in indie music forging their own path by following their own artistic star into galaxies beyond current musical trends, always led by an earnest belief in the cosmic power of love and a great riff. Never is that more true than on 'News of the Universe', which might be La Luz’s most brutal record to date but also their most blissful.

TRACK LISTING

1. Reaching Up To The Sun
2. Strange World
3. Dandelions
4. Poppies
5. Good Luck With Your Secret
6. Always In Love
7. Close Your Eyes
8. I'll Go With You
9. Blue Moth Cloud Shadow
10. News Of The Universe
11. Moon In Reverse
12. Blue Jay

After a disparate couple of years which saw the band at their most polarised and fragmented, Madness reunited in an industrial unit in Cricklewood at the beginning of the year, where Suggs, Mark, Chrissy Boy, Mike, Lee and Woody realised that what united them was always bigger than what divided them. Emerging re energised and reinvigorated with a fresh bounce in their nutty step, the result was their most harmonious recording experience to date. For the first time ever, a brand new album came into the world that they were all completely agreed on. Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is the band's inaugural foray into self producing, working alongside engineer and mixer Matt Glasbey (Ed Sheeran, Maisie Peters, Rag’N’Bone Man).

A very special prologue running through the album is supplied by Emmy and BAFTA Awards winning Martin Freeman. A longtime fan, the relationship formed with the band when Madness’ manager found Martin in a meet and greet queue and introduced him to the members.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Despite all the signs that the great Madness were to be no more, they've returned! We've once again been blessed with the upbeat horn stabs and cheeky vocals that made them such a well-loved institution in the first place.

TRACK LISTING

1 Prologue: “Mr Beckett Sir…”
2 Theatre Of The Absurd
3 If I Go Mad
4 Baby Burglar
5 Act One: "Surrounded On All Sides..”
6 C’est La Vie
7 What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
8 Hour Of Need
9 Act Two "The Damsel In Distress..”
10 Round We Go
11 Act Three: "The Situation Deteriorates..”
12 Lockdown And Frack Off
13 Beginners 101
14 Is There Anybody Out There?
15 The Law According To Dr. Kippah
16. Epilogue: “And So Ladies And Gentlemen..”
17 Run For Your Life
18 Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
19 In My Street
20 Fin.: “Ladies And Gentlemen..” 

Album Launch - Live Q&A featuring members of the band - Night & Day Cafe, 5:30pm Friday 17th November 2023.

To celebrate the release of their new album, we are delighted to welcome Suggs and Mike from Madness to Night & Day, for a live Q&A.

Doors - 5:30pm
Q&A - 6pm - 7pm

Tickets for this event are available exclusively from Piccadilly Records as LP/CD Ticket bundles or standalone tickets.

** Please note, physical tickets will not be issued for this event, all names will be on the door. Please bring your order confirmation, either printed or on your phone, to gain entry.**

NB: NIGHT & DAY CAFE IS AN 18+ ONLY VENUE. ID WILL BE REQUIRED.

After a disparate couple of years which saw the band at their most polarised and fragmented, Madness reunited in an industrial unit in Cricklewood at the beginning of the year, where Suggs, Mark, Chrissy Boy, Mike, Lee and Woody realised that what united them was always bigger than what divided them. Emerging re energised and reinvigorated with a fresh bounce in their nutty step, the result was their most harmonious recording experience to date. For the first time ever, a brand new album came into the world that they were all completely agreed on. Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’Est La Vie is the band's inaugural foray into self producing, working alongside engineer and mixer Matt Glasbey (Ed Sheeran, Maisie Peters, Rag’N’Bone Man).

A very special prologue running through the album is supplied by Emmy and BAFTA Awards winning Martin Freeman. A longtime fan, the relationship formed with the band when Madness’ manager found Martin in a meet and greet queue and introduced him to the members.

TRACK LISTING

1 Prologue: “Mr Beckett Sir…”
2 Theatre Of The Absurd
3 If I Go Mad
4 Baby Burglar
5 Act One: "Surrounded On All Sides..”
6 C’est La Vie
7 What On Earth Is It (You Take Me For?)
8 Hour Of Need
9 Act Two "The Damsel In Distress..”
10 Round We Go
11 Act Three: "The Situation Deteriorates..”
12 Lockdown And Frack Off
13 Beginners 101
14 Is There Anybody Out There?
15 The Law According To Dr. Kippah
16. Epilogue: “And So Ladies And Gentlemen..”
17 Run For Your Life
18 Set Me Free (Let Me Be)
19 In My Street
20 Fin.: “Ladies And Gentlemen..” 

As the opening track to De La Soul's seminal debut album 3 Feet High And Rising, "The Magic Number" sets an early tone for one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time.

The song's main melody is a sample of Bob Dorough's "Three Is A Magic Number" which soundtracked the 1971 pilot episode of the long-running children's show Schoolhouse Rock! De La Soul drew on the playfulness and good humour of the sample and made both elements central to the album.

Ushering in the D.A.I.S.Y. Age (Da Inner Sound, Y'all), the track also includes samples from Johnny Cash's "Five Feet High and Rising" and James Brown's "Funky Drummer."

TRACK LISTING

The Magic Number
The Magic Number (Instrumental)

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2022 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

'The Red Queen Kills Seven Times' blurs the line between thriller and horror. The cult success it enjoys can be attributed to its aesthetics that encapsulate the essence of the Italian thriller. Bruno Nicolai's score for The Red Queen Kills Seven Times flawlessly brings together the pop and underground music sensitivity of the 1970s with the gothic nuances of the plot thanks to a clever use of harpsichords. The result is a pivotal score, not just because of the importance of the film itself, but for the whole golden age of the soundtrack genre. Exquisite, sweet and sensual lounge tracks are counterbalanced by tense, deranged and suspense-filled dodecaphonic highlights and by obstinate bass lines that become the perfect soundtrack for the Red Queen's murders or the victims' desperate getaways.

The album is part of CAM Sugarís PAURA, a series of standalone soundtrack releases that follow the same-titled compilation which explores rare and unreleased horror gems from the label archive. This new limited 50th anniversary blood-red vinyl edition of this cult, sought-after soundtrack - a masterpiece of Italian Giallo cinemaóis fully remastered from original tapes, includes two bonus tracks and is destined to become a staple for the collectors of the genre and for the fans of the golden age of Italian and horror cinema, making it an essential release of Record Store Day 2022.

The Threshold HouseBoys Choir was a project by Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson. Operating out of Bangkok, Thailand, the Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV founding member started this audio and visual endeavour following Coil's end.

Despite the name, it was a solo project which relied heavily on computer generated vocals. The name was derived from a play on words, combining the terms houseboy, house of boys, boys' choir, and Threshold House, which was Coil's own label. "Form Grows Rampant" is the soundtrack of a film shot by Christopherson (a video capture at the GinJae Vegetarian Festival in the south of Thailand) and his first major musical project since the tragic death of John Balance and the subsequent demise of Coil.

The music is a suite of lengthy dense atmospherics that combine shuddering electronics with sampled vocals, eerie digitalia, buried melodies and sinister undercurrents hinting at a gleaming heart of darkness, with a joyful melodic progression that sounds positively triumphant towards the end of the disc. It's both Coil-esque and quite different, and undoubtedly is the worthy successor of the legendary group that Christopherson created with his partner John Balance.

First released in small quantities in 2007 as a CD/DVD set, this is the first time it is released on vinyl, CD and digital. This reissue has been mastered from original files by Sidney Claire Meyer at former Deutsche Grammophon studios Emil Berliner in Berlin, using the half speed mastering process, and pressed on heavy vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - Part One: A Time Of Happening
A2. The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - Part Two: Intimations Of Spring
B. The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - Part Three: So Young It Knows No Maturing
C. The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - Part Four: So Free It Knows No End
D. The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - Part Five: As Doors Open Into Space

René Laloux’s celebrated 1973 sci-fi animation ‘La Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet)’, is overhauled with a re-imagined soundtrack by electronic modernists Stealing Sheep and legendary sound innovators The Radiophonic Workshop. This exclusive release is part of Fire Records’ re-imagined score series, and is released on Delia Derbyshire Day 2021.

It’s a real pre-Avatar conundrum that Stealing Sheep, with the help of Bob Earland, Dick Mills and Roger Limb from the Radiophonic Workshop, unravel. Creating an ethereal excursion that’s narrated by Roger Limb; like a futuristic Martin Denny, or Dr Who gone ambient techno, with a hint of Forbidden Planet 50 years on. It’s an analogue swirl set in an off-world paradise; a field recording from the future. This is a creative, generation-spanning, union brought together to score this unique cult film.

A must for fans of psyche electronica and Stealing Sheep’s formidable ‘Big Wows’ album.

‘La Planète Sauvage’ is a thing of ambient beauty punctuated with electronic earworms that switches from intensely ominous to otherworldly dream like moments.

“No institution has had a greater impact on the development of electronic music than the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.” The Vinyl Factory

“Stealing Sheep devour a broad range of styles, incorporating everything from the dark dance-pop of Grace Jones to the experimentations of Radiophonic Workshop pioneer Delia Derbyshire and John Carpenter soundtracks.” The Guardian.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
A1 Opening Credits
A2 The Chase
A3 Saved/Captured
A4 The Bracelet
A5 Council Of Draags Pt.I
A6 Terr & Tiwa
A7 The Knowledge Pt.I
Side B
B1 The Fight
B2 The Knowledge Pt. II
B3 The Initiation
B4 Escape
B5 The Big Tree
B6 The Ritual
B7 The Duel
Side C
C1 Theft/Zarek
C2 The Bird
C3 The Free Oms
C4 The Purge
C5 The Journey To Ygam
Side D
D1 The City Of Free Oms
D2 Robot Attack
D3 The Fantastic Planet
D4 The Final Battle
D5 Terr C6 Council Of Draags Pt.II
D6 End Credits

The Zephyr Bones’ psychedelic rock expands in a precise and determined sophomore album. A warm and accessible record that speaks about love, self-affirmation, loss and hope.

RIYL: Tame Impala, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Spacemen 3, TOPS.

A quicksilver track that glides on a buoyant bassline and glistening melodic interplay, “No One” is the sound of joy. While it’s easy to pigeonhole it as a dreampop track, there’s undoubtedly hints of psych, funk and Kraut all nestled in there, The Zephyr Bones blurring the lines with ease in this intoxicating track that shows growth in their sonic heft without losing their feathery lightness.
Beats per Minute

"No One" opens up like a traditional indie dance track, with sparkling guitars and a vibrant synth lead reminiscent of a cut from The Strokes or Tame Impala. But it progresses in a fascinating way, bringing in a crunchy psychedelic guitar solo and a funky instrumental breakdown at the end. This track has a variety of sounds, but it's prog rock more than anything, as the dynamic instrumentation sticks out the most. Every layer here is not only an excellent piece to the larger puzzle while also being technically impressive on its own. Despite these nods to the more experienced rock nerd, what's the most fascinating is how accessible the tune really is. The wild drum beats, dense synth layers, and lightning-quick guitars demonstrate the true cerebral chemistry of the group. The sheer musical talent doesn't hurt either.
Earmilk

When The Zephyr Bones first burst into the scene they crushed everything that got in their way. Their music slapped us like a wave when it reaches shore. It took us by surprise and left us asking yearning for more. They coined their style “beach wave”. All this became a first album titled Secret Place, something like the sonic coordinates of a sunny place with a soundtrack of guitars with reverb and intoxicating melodies. You can’t tell whether you’ve been there or not, but you definitely want to go back.
In Neon Body they are the same people, but it hits differently. Their melodies and suggestive guitar riffs are on point. They are able to take you back to places. You will never finish these 10 tracks in the same place where you were when you first hit play. Speaking of The Zephyr Bones is speaking of pure freedom. And yet, in this second album we get to know them in a different way, more determined and with a renewed intensity. The landscape has also changed and now the tone reminds us of the twilight, and in some songs you can even feel the reflection of neon light on your skin.

But let’s not lose the point. What matters here are the songs, and in this album you can find pretty damn good ones. “No One”, the first single, is an excellent entry into the universe created in Neon Body. Addictive and irresistible, it will instantly get you dancing and singing along. “So High” is a dizzying and fast-paced first track. By the time “Verneda Lights” arrives, you have fully surrendered to Brian Silva (vocals, guitar and synthesizers), Jossip Tkalcic (guitar and vocals), Marc López (drums) and Carlos Ramos (bass). “Sparks” shines with its own light: it is a controlled fire until the final part of the song makes everything burn again. “Plastic Freedom” goes all-in with an infallible riff. “Velvet” is as elegant as its title suggests, and “Rocksteady” hits the bullseye again with a chorus that hits like a poisonous dart. “Neon Eyes’’ lifts you up with heavenly back up vocals and “Afterglow” keeps you with your feet on the ground – Why? Because begs you to dance. And then comes “Celeste V”, a song that speaks about loss that puts an end to the recording. 

TRACK LISTING

1. So High
2. Verneda Lights
3. No One
4. Afterglow
5. Sparks
6. Neon Eyes
7. Plastic Freedom
8. Rocksteady
9. Velvet
10. Celeste V

It’s going off and The Chisel are back to cause a bit of bovver. Following a trio of explosive singles, the band finally bring us their debut full-length album, Retaliation, on the London-based punk institution La Vida Es Un Mus.

Having formed in early 2020 and featuring a crew of members with long-term associations to the London punk scene, The Chisel quickly secured a reputation as one of the most exciting bands from a pool of contemporaries that includes Chubby & The Gang, Stingray and Big Cheese. Their sound is rooted firmly in Punk but with influences that run across the board to create a distinctive blend of Oi!, anarcho, UK-82 and hardcore. Retaliation is an unmistakably British record that draws a line from 1982 up to the present day, pushing its way into your collection and torching your stereo.

Opening with the agitated force of ‘Unlawful Execution’, the tone is firmly set by a song that addresses the brutality of the Met Police (“Tell me what’s the difference between right or wrong / When a copper gets to blast a lad who did nothing wrong”). ‘Come See Me’ is a ferocious ode to camaraderie in the face of mouthy boneheads and bellends. ‘Shit Life Syndrome’ is a poisoned reference to the same cynical phrase used by physicians to describe the effects of people living under poverty and in the grips of substance abuse (“How can you expect people to act nicely, they’ve all been left on the edge of society”). It’s one of many songs influenced by singer Cal’s experiences of growing up in the working-class town of Blackpool. Cal states: “Blackpool as a town is often overlooked or even looked down upon, I wanted to write lyrics which gave the people of my town a voice”. With tunes like these The Chisel show that they’ll never pull any punches. However, beyond the fury and the swagger there’s another side that plays to an additional strength; the ability to write a memorable hook. Songs like ‘Retaliation’, ‘Tooth & Nail’ and ‘Not The Only One’ could be described as modern day anthems (the latter has become a fan favourite since the arrival of their first live shows) and cement their identity as a band not to be defined by their influences.

TRACK LISTING

1. Unlawful Execution
2. Retaliation
3. Come See Me
4. So Do I
5. Common As Muck
6. Nation's Pride
7. Not The Only One
8. Shit Life Syndrome
9. Tooth & Nail
10. Crocket
11. Sit And Say Nothing
12. Force Fed
13. What Was Mine
14. Will I Ever See You Again?

Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna) returns with his first new songs in seven years, a politically-minded collection of indie guitar beauty. Produced by Jason Quever (Beach House, Cass McCombs). Eight songs by Wareham, plus covers of "Duchess" by Scott Walker and "Under Skys" by obscure Massachusetts late-60s band Lazy Smoke.

TRACK LISTING

The Past Is Our Plaything
Cashing In
The Last Word
Robin & Richard
The Corridors Of Power
As Much As It Was Worth
Under Skys
Red Hollywood
Duchess
Why Are We In Vietnam?

La Realidad De Los Sueños means “the reality of dreams” – and there is no title more fitting for this unbelievable box-set. This represents a dream come true for the many, many loyal fans of progressive alternative rock giants, The Mars Volta, across the world.

Working intensely with Omar Rodríguez-Lopéz, Clouds Hill has brought out an all-encompassing and wonderfully designed vinyl box-set.

The box-set, limited to 5000 copies worldwide, includes 18 LPs (180 grams, black vinyl). 

The vinyl only set, (there are no CDs, downloads, or streaming) contains the following albums (remastered specifically for vinyl) and products: - Tremulant EP - De-Loused In The Comatorium - Frances The Mute - Amputechture - The Bedlam In Goliath - Octahedron - Noctourniquet - Landscape Tantrums (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium) - A Plague Upon A Hissing Children & Eunuch Provocateur (Unreleased Version From The De-Loused In The Comatorium Session) on double etched vinyl - A book of exclusive behind the scenes photography - 2 pins

TRACK LISTING

Disc 1 - Side A 1. Cut That City / 2. Concertina

Disc 1 - Side B 1. Eunuch Provocateur

Disc 2 - Side A 1. Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of) [Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium] / 2. Son Et Lumière (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium) / 3. Inertiatic ESP (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium) / 4. Drunkship Of Lanterns (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium) / 5. Eriatarka (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium) / 6. Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium)

Disc 2 - Side B 1. This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium) / 2. Televators (Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium)

Disc 3 - Side A 1. Son Et Lumière / 2. Inertiatic ESP / 3. Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)

Disc 3 - Side B 1. Tira Me A Las Arañas / 2. Drunkship Of Lanterns / 3. Eriatarka

Disc 4 - Side A 1. Cicatriz ESP / 2. This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed

Disc 4 - Side B 1. Televators / 2. Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt

Disc 5 - Side A 1. Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus / 2. The Widow

Disc 5 - Side B 1. L' Via L' Viaquez

Disc 6 - Side A 1. Miranda That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore

Disc 6 - Side B 1. Cassandra Gemini

Disc 7 - Side A 1. Tarantism

Disc 8 - Side A 1. Vicarious Atonement / 2. Tetragrammaton

Disc 8 - Side B 1. Vermicide / 2. Meccamputechture

Disc 9 - Side A 1. Asilos Magdalena / 2. Viscera Eyes

Disc 9 - Side B 1. Day Of The Baphomets / 2. El Ciervo Vulnerado

Disc 10 - Side A1. Aberinkula / 2. Metatron / 3. Ilyena

Disc 10 - Side B 1. Wax Simulacra / 2. Goliath / 3. Tourniquet Man / 4. Cavalettas



Disc 11 - Side A 1. Agadez / 2. Askepios / 3. Ouroborous

Disc 11 - Side B 1. Soothsayer / 2. Conjugal Burns

Disc 12 - Side A 1. Since We've Been Wrong / 2. Teflon

Disc 12 - Side B 1. Halo Of Nembutals / 2. With Twilight As My Guide

Disc 13 - Side A 1. Cotopaxi / 2. Desperate Graves

Disc 13 - Side B 1. Copernicus / 2. Luciforms

Disc 14 - Side A 1. The Whip Hand / 2. Aegis / 3. Dyslexicon

Disc 14 - Side B 1. Empty Vessels Make The Loudest Sound / 2. The Malkin Jewel / 3. Lapochka

Disc 15 - Side A 1. In Absentia / 2. Imago / 3. Molochwalker / 4. Trinkets Pale Of Moon / 5. Zed And Two Naughts

Disc 15 - Side B 1. Vedamalady / 2. Noctourniquet

Disc 16 - Side A 1. Eunuch Provocateur

Disc 17 - Side A 1. A Plague Upon Your Hissing Children

Disc 18 - Side A 1. Mr. Muggs

Disc 18 - Side B 1. Mr. Muggs

On La Vita Olistica (their second-and-a-half album!?), The Orielles take last year’s stellar Disco Volador and bring it back down to earth, reimagining it as a soundtrack which draws as much from la nouvelle vague as New York’s new wave music scene. Full of instrumental detours, maverick synth-led twists, and more pop hooks than you can shake a disco stick at, it’s a less “produced” affair than its shimmering predecessor - those virtuosic guitars, drums à la Can school of jazz-punk-groove, dream-laden vocals, and understated bass gymnastics are all still here though, just clearer and tighter than ever before. There’s something so classic and charismatic about the way they write songs too, calling to mind - but never imitating - the greats of indie songwriting: Edwyn Collins, Laetitia Sadier, Bradford Cox, et al. La Vita Olistica shows the mighty O’s at their most inspired yet - and it’s a beautiful thing to watch.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Eschewing the more dancefloor-ready elements of last years' 'Disco Volador', the Orielles return with the lysergic smudged atmospheres and hazy psychedelic groove of 'La Vita Olistica'. A brilliantly immersive and impeccably performed outing from a band showing their wide range of influence, as well as their deftness crafting those influences into something new and exciting.

L.A. Salami is back after releasing two EPs in 2019/20 with his third album ‘The Cause of Doubt & a Reason to Have Faith’. This isn’t the music of a virtuoso: it’s explorative, daring, meditative and sometimes wild. For the first time, Lookman has embraced the world of multi-tracking, though the record still retains a raw energy and an integrity. Lookman has translated a whole album of raw emotion and philosophical musings for your delectation. As a testament to a unique and thrilling talent, this record is a beacon of hope in troubled times and L.A. Salami’s most complete vision so far. In short: We need this record right now. L.A. Salami will be embarking on a 6 date German tour in August. Previously championed by QC rising star, Sunday Times Culture, Brooklyn Vegan etc.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Cause Of Doubt & A Reason To Have Faith
2. When You Play God (The 2018 Copyright Blues)
3. Thinking Of Emiley
4. Dear Jessica Rabbit
5. Things Ain't Changed
6. The Cage
7. The Talis-Man On The Age Of Glass (Redux)

Following her unexpected new single ‘People, I’ve been sad’ earlier this month, Christine and the Queens today unveils a surprise new EP. La vita nuova - a prospect for a new life - draws strength from extreme vulnerability. 

La vita nuova arrives with an accompanying short film of the same name, imagined by Christine and featuring the EP’s five new songs in as many sequences. The 14 minute film is an inward journey that sees the artist invest Opéra Garnier, the world famous Paris opera house, filling it with stories of ghosts and mythical creatures. Through the lens of long-time collaborator Colin Solal Cardo (Robyn, Charli XCX) and with choreography by Ryan Heffington (VMA Award 2014, Grammy Award nominated), Christine and her dancers appear in succession on the Opéra rooftop, its grand stage and most secret recesses, culminating into a feverish moment with Caroline Polachek, a collaborator on the EP’s title track.

TRACK LISTING

CD
1. People, I’ve Been Sad
2. Je Disparais Dans Tes Bras
3. Mountains (We Met)
4. Nada
5. La Vita Nuova (feat. Caroline Polachek)
6. I Disappear In Your Arms (Bonus Track)

Vinyl
Side A
A1. People, I’ve Been Sad
A2. Je Disparais Dans Tes Bras
A3. Mountains (We Met)
Side B
B1. Nada
B2. La Vita Nuova (feat. Caroline Polachek)
B3. I Disappear In Your Arms (Bonus Track)

The Jay Vons have toured all through the United States and internationally, opening for such legends as Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley & The Extraordinaires, Lee Fields & The Expressions; recorded all of their original tracks at Daptone Studios, Dunham Sound Studios, and Diamond Mine Studios with producers Wayne Gordon and Tommy Brenneck; and, while making a name for themselves, have been backing up Greg Cartwright as Reigning Sound.

The gentlemen who enjoy a fine slice, a fine libation, and an even finer haircut are known as The Jay Vons. The Word showcases how this rhythmic tour-de-force blends their love for ‘60s rock and soul with a deftness born from decades of obsessive record collecting and delivered by countless hours of writing and performing.

The lead single, “The Word,” is a veritable blueprint for The Jay Vons’ sound: spooky organ, undeniable groove, tasteful guitar, forlorn lyrics, all seasoned generously with handclaps and percussion. Just imagine if The Brothers of Soul (Bridges, Knight, Eaton) produced a session by The Young Rascals and you’re getting warm. “Night (Was Stealing from the Sun)” picks up the tempo with a fervor reminiscent of The Jam at their best — punchy drums and sweet harmonies transform this earnest tale of a misaligned affection into a dance-friendly feast for the soul. “Changing Seasons” finds the band dialing it back a bit, settling into a breezy, mid-tempo groove. The string arrangement and soft, pleading vocal give way to an explosive, anthemic chorus whose hook-heavy horn line enriches the melody, creating a perfect piece of mid-sixties pop. Other highlights include: the gorgeous ballad, “Never Take Me Back”; the full-throttle assault of “Keep On Moving”; and the flute-kissed hit “Did You See Her.” This album is an exercise in how to channel the past without ever being trite. This is no facsimile. This is The Jay Vons.
Although their roots stretch from New Jersey, Manhattan, and Long Island, their meeting was no accident. Mikey Post and Michael Catanese have been writing and playing music together since high school. They would later befriend Benny Trokan while living in Brooklyn, where Mikey would join Robbers on High Street. While all three were playing in various groups in New York, the guys wanted to start a new band together. They knew they needed that extra something. A man of speed, a man of action, a man that denies these times: Dave Amels. They would later find him on Lorimer Street, just taking in the views. 

Hasta La Victoria comes just one year after Entranced Earth, and serves as its perfect companion piece. And yet, not a moment of the albums thirty-seven minutes ever feels even remotely rushed, or anything short of natural.

Indeed, in the best possible way, Hasta La Victoria sounds like The Myrrors couldnt be doing anything else. Perhaps its not the victory in the albums title that focuses the bands attention perhaps its the until. Throughout Hasta La Victoria, the band sounds utterly propelled by an invisible force, by the indelible impression that their actions as a band, as artists, as people have an impact, and that impact should continue until victory.

Be here now or be here later, theres little doubt that The Myrrors will be continuing to walk the path when you get here.

TRACK LISTING

Organ Mantra
Somos La Resistencia
Tea House Music
El Aleph
Hasta La Victoria

The creation of and the Anonymous Nobody has been several years in the making. De La Soul wanted to make another sample-based album in the vein of 3 Feet High and Rising. In order to do so, and avoid the legalities of sample clearance, they spent a few years recording more than 300 hours of live music, converging everything from bossa nova, soul and hip-hop to funk, disco and reggae, creating their own sample library. The body of work is a concept and continuous story, even down to the transitions of songs with sound effects and instrumentals. The features-based record is mixed by Bob Power, Morgan Garcia and De La Soul, and was produced by De La Soul and Dave West. Guest appearances include Snoop Dogg, Usher, 2 Chainz, Damon Albarn, David Byrne, Jill Scott and more. “This album is about lending to the scape of music in 2016, trying to give something, not for the sake of we want to balance what's going on or fix hip-hop. We just want to say something to the creative aspects of music," says Dave.

TRACK LISTING

Genesis (Intro)[feat. Jill Scott]
Royalty Capes
Pain (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Property Of Spitkicker.com (feat. Roc Marciano)
Memory Of... (feat. Estelle & Pete Rock)
CBGBS / Lord Intended (feat. Justin Hawkins)
Snoopies (Feat. David Bryne)
Greyhounds (feat. Usher)
Sexy Bitch
TrainWreck
Drawn (feat. Little Dragon)
Whoodeeni (feat. 2chainz)
Nosed Up
You Go Dave (A Goldblatt Presentation)[Skit]
Here In After (feat. Damon Albarn)
Exodus (Outro)

As La Sera, Katy Goodman turned an aching heart into two marvelous, alluring yet bittersweet break-up albums (2011’s self-titled debut and 2012’s Sees the Light). On her latest, though, the former Vivian Girl is through crying.

Hour of the Dawn sees Goodman waking up, throwing open the bedroom windows and welcoming the day.

"I wanted the new La Sera record to sound like Lesley Gore fronting Black Flag," Goodman says. "I didn't want it to be another record of me sad, alone in my room. I wanted to have fun playing music and writing songs with a band." To back her nimble basslines and enchanting vocals, Goodman assembled a new band helmed by guitarist Todd Wisenbaker.

"We started playing faster, louder and more aggressively," Goodman says. "I wanted to get that energy onto the album."

The forceful new La Sera line-up set about fleshing out Goodman’s melodies and lyrics into strapping rock anthems, debuting them to enthusiastic crowds on tour, and refining them with a newfound obsession to detail.

After a year of perfecting their new material, La Sera was ready to commit it to tape. In the summer of 2013, the group decamped to a sweltering studio in East Los Angeles with engineer Joel Jerome and banged out the ten songs that would become Hour of the Dawn—an album that never walks, but runs, a collision of unleashed punk and ‘80s power-pop.

"We wanted to make a classic American record," Wisenbaker says. "The album was inspired by a lot of bands: The Pretenders, Minor Threat, X, The Smiths, The Cars and more."

The sound that emerged from these disparate influences combined hardcore energy with tuneful harmony, as exemplified by opening track “Losing to the Dark.” Title track "Hour of the Dawn," meanwhile, rides a steady groove towards a long horizon of sunrise. It’s the record's thematic center: a final wave goodbye to a messy past and the beginning of a new day. In a burst of bright, immediate and jangly Smiths-inspired pop, "Fall in Place" captures La Sera at an emotional and musical crossroads.

Hour of the Dawn, as its title suggests, heralds the beginning of a radiant and energetic new chapter in La Sera’s evolution—the summit of Goodman’s steady ascent to rock and roll queendom.

"Hello there. We are husband and wife duo, Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou. This November we will be releasing our third album in consecutive years. Our first duo record, after the break up of our band Indigo Moss, was self-titled and came out in 2010 on independent UK folk/Americana label Loose Music. The second was entitled ‘Quality First, Last & Forever!’ released on Heavenly Records (Co-op/Universal) in 2011, and this, our third, is self-produced and self-released by our very own Anglophone Recording Company.

The Anglophone Recording Company began life in 2009, as a field-recording and archiving device based around our London folk club. It soon became a moniker for our short film and tour documentary making which continues with our forthcoming film of the making of this album. The APRC now has its first official album release.

We recorded ‘La Ferme De Fontenaille’ entirely on our Tascam 246 4-track cassette recorder in a barn in the Pay De La Loire, journeying into rural France in our British Leyland campervan to spend ten days committing to tape our newest set of songs, live and uninterrupted.

This album has been made in the spirit of rebellion, and we intend to release it with such. Self-produced and released, and distributed only through independent record stores." - Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou.

"1,2,3,4" is two minutes of pure pop and roll perfection: multi-voiced, harmony stacked and bursting at the seams with Friday-night fun. The AA-side "Put Your Guitar Where Your Mouth Is" is the snarling sugar-crash of the morning after, featuring fighting talk and duelling guitars. The latest single from London's sassiest doo-wop dollies is a no-prisoners battle cry against all pretenders to their all-girl all-action crown.

This is the first time these session recordings, from between 1987 and 1990, have been made officially available, and given that Lee Mavers turned up, played on them, allowed them to be broadcast and didn't go round telling everyone not to listen to their radios, we can assume that the mystical Scouser was actually happy with these versions! He's only done one LP so you may aswell bag this too, because, well: it's brilliant! Ironically, the only duffer is a rather clangy, rigid "There She Goes", but everything else probably surpasses the album versions. You also get the superb "Calling All", a huge song which was going to give the debut album its title, until it was mysteriously dropped at the eleventh hour. Basically, if you love The La's then you need this CD. Is right!

This third album from Silver Mt. Zion, is by far the most melodic album released by any Godspeed You Black Emperor project. On this release, they expand on their core six piece line-up, to include guests on drums and a couple of dozen folk on choral duty! Dense layers of strings collide, blend and differentiate against a backdrop of ragged repeating guitar figures and noise treatments. Their long instrumental passages are there as ever, but there's a much stronger vocal presence than before.

Second album that finds the band expanded to a six member core. The addition of cello, second violin and second guitar has allowed them to develop a much broader sound with more vocals and guitar. Think of a sound somewhere between Godspeed.., Spiritualized and Rachels. Fantastic stuff!!!!!