The return of Gaussian Curve - Gigi Masin, Jonny Nash and Marco Sterk’s much-loved trio are back for the first time since their 2016 sophomore album 'The Distance', presenting two new tracks entitled 'Winter Sun' and 'Fever Dream'.

Both tracks originate from recording sessions that took place in Amsterdam in 2016 for 'The Distance'. Despite not finding a place on the final album and being left as unfinished sketches for six years, the tracks represent an important part of the Gaussian Curve story which the band felt compelled to complete. Coinciding with the decision to perform a handful of live shows in 2022, they finally revisited the sketches, mixing and arranging them with the goal of giving them the full release that they deserve.

The trio’s trademark sound hits from first moments of 'Winter Sun'; a lush slow builder with all the classic GC ingredients; Nash’s airy and spacious guitar lines interplay with Masin’s warm rhodes, underpinned by Sterk’s subtle use of electronics and the minimal rhythm of a CR-78 drum machine.

On 'Fever Dream', the trio subtly expand their palette; a gently building 303 bass line and 808 rhythm form the foundations of the piece, with Masin’s vocals adding to a slow-burning intensity. Arguably a fuller sound hinting at new areas of exploration for the trio, but unmistakably Gaussian Curve.

Graphic art by Qiu Yang, design by Steele Bonus.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Wow, "Fever Dream" - a heart-puncturing piece of electronic-soul futurism. Sultry and lascivious, cloaked in shimmering designer sonics and impossible to resist.

TRACK LISTING

Winter Sun
Fever Dream

The inspiration for winter Resort Music is derived from a childhood passion for Winter Sports. It's all about the spooky synths, mainlining radiophonic electronics, subconscious TV memories and an awe about what these athletes could do on the slopes when you were living in the suburbs.

Can anyone forget the glowing figure-skaters, dancing into the public consciousness? The perfect beauty that melted girl's and boy's hearts around the world. Sunday afternoons spent watching guys flying on long jumps into the endless white cosmos. Never really sure what was happening, but just thinking "I want to be in the chalets with these people, hitting the glühwein. An alien, unreachable world where fabulous people were doing fabulous things.

Portugal's Stellarays were also watching and have distilled these memories into a gloriously authentic reimagination of how those memories still reside within us. Winter Resort Music is such a potent memory bomb which takes what we know and enhances it in order to make it better. A prism of nostalgia that speaks to the purity of the whiteout.

This wonderfully handsome release with artwork by Castles in Space mainstay, Nick Taylor is a perfect artefact of library music, beautifully put together by Bruno, Centeio and Corinna.

It pains my heart to report that this is a posthumous release for dear Bruno, who we lost earlier this year at the ridiculously unjust age of fifty.

Safe travels, my friend. May your slopes be finely manicured as you head down the cresta runs to the great frozen lakes. Salut! 

Starring! Olivia Rodrigo, BKtherula, Nina Cristante, Kiko Mizuhara, Jim Goldberg, and Jim Goldberg’s goat. Plus! A big British South Asian portfolio, a report on the happiness of teenage girls, Doja Cat’s biggest fans, the word from student journalists around the country, and more fashion than you could shake a well-dressed stick at.

In celebration of Weezer’s innovative SZNZ project - a collection of four EPs matching each season that have been made and released in real time throughout 2022 - the band is thrilled to share the final instalment, ‘SZNZ: Winter’.

Like SZNZ: Spring, SZNZ: Summer and SZNZ: Autumn before, the seasonal equinox on December 21 will arrive alongside a new Weezer EP. A stripped back, acoustic-leaning body of work, SZNZ: Winter encompasses the harrowing sadness that can so easily pair with the winter months.

SZNZ: Winter, the final part in Weezer’s four-EP song cycle, continues the narrative started on SZNZ: Autumn, SZNZ: Spring and SZNZ: Summer bringing Pagan myths, Shakespeare, Catholic rituals, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and more to life. Each SZNZ EP offers its own palette of colors, creatures, and emotions to explore. They were all created in real time, made in tandem with the season themselves. Once they’ve all been released on December 21, the EPs will create an incredible collection of some of Weezer’s best songs yet, no small feat for a band that never leaves the Zeitgeist.

TRACK LISTING

I Want A Dog
Iambic Pentameter
Basketball
Sheraton Commander
Dark Enough To See The Stars
The One That Got Away
The Deep And Dreamless Sleep

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary Edition of Olafur Arnalds For Now I Am Winter, the album has been remastered for vinyl and pressed in a limited edition clear colour with exclusive art prints inside.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Sudden Throw
Brim
For Now I Am Winter
A Stutter
Words Of Amber
Side B
Reclaim
Hands, Be Still
Only The Winds
Old Skin
We (Too) Shall Rest
This Place Was A Shelter
Carry Me Anew

There was plenty of genuine discontent in Britain at the tail end of the 1970s, and it had little to do with bin strikes or dark rumours about overflowing morgues. In the world of popular music, the most liberating after-effect of the Sex Pistols was that anyone with something to say now felt they could make a 7” single. “Winter Of Discontent” is the sound of truly DIY music, made by people who maybe hadn’t written a song until a day or two before they went into the studio. It’s spontaneous and genuinely free in a way the British music scene has rarely been before or since.

“Winter of Discontent” has been compiled by Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, the latest in their highly acclaimed series of albums that includes “The Daisy Age”, “Fell From The Sun” and “English Weather” ("really compelling and immersive: it’s a pleasure to lose yourself in it" - Alexis Petridis, the Guardian). The era's bigger DIY names (Scritti Politti, TV Personalities, the Fall) and the lesser-known (Exhibit A, Digital Dinosaurs, Frankie’s Crew) are side by side on “Winter Of Discontent”. Mark Perry’s Sniffin’ Glue command – “Here’s one chord, here’s another, now start a band” – was amplified by the Mekons and the Raincoats, whose music shared a little of punk’s volume, speed and distortion, but all of its obliqueness and irreverence.

The discontent was with society as a whole. No subject matter was taboo: oppressive maleness (Scritti Politti); deluded Britishness (TV Personalities); gender stereotypes (Raincoats, Androids of Mu); nihilistic youth (Fatal Microbes); alcoholism (Thin Yoghurts); self-doubt and pacifism (Zounds). The band names (Thin Yoghurts!) and those of individual members (Andrew Lunchbox!) had enough daftness to avoid any accusations of solemnity.

“Winter Of Discontent” is the definitive compilation of the UK DIY scene, and a beacon in grim times. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: A soundtrack to a generation of discontent in the late 70s. DIY music that spontaneously smashed through the British music scene in the wake of the punk revolution.
Mark Perry’s Sniffin’ Glue command, “Here’s one chord, here’s another, now start a band” was the fuse and these tracks are the light that shone through those dark days.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE ONE
1. WHERE WERE YOU? – The Mekons
2. VIOLENCE GROWS – Fatal Microbes
3. THE TERRAPLANE FIXATION – Animals & Men
4. WORK – Blue Orchids
5. SMALL HOURS – Karl’s Empty Body
6. SOMEBODY – Frankie’s Crew
SIDE TWO
1. CONFIDENCE – Scritti Politti
2. DRINK PROBLEM – Thin Yoghurts
3. LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT – Anne Bean & Paul Burwell
4. BROW BEATEN – Performing Ferret Band
5. NO FORGETTING – The Manchester Mekon
6. FAIRYTALE IN THE SUPERMARKET – The Raincoats
SIDE THREE
1. CAN’T CHEAT KARMA – Zounds
2. BORED HOUSEWIVES – Androids Of Mu
3. IN MY AREA (Take 2) – The Fall
4. THE SIDEWAYS MAN – The Digital Dinosaurs
5. ATTITUDES – The Good Missionaries
6. THE WINDOW’S BROKEN – Human Cabbages
SIDE FOUR
1. KING AND COUNTRY – Television Personalities
2. IN THE NIGHT – Exhibit ‘A’
3. NUDES - Performing Ferret Band
4. DIFFERENT STORY – Tarzan 5
5. THE RED PULLOVER – The Gynaecologists
6. PRODUCTION LINE – The Door And The Window

Talking about the single, Bob Stanley said:

We love Christmas, as you probably know, and it feels like it's been a while since our last really Christmassy Christmas record. But I think Pete has done a properly beautiful, icy, frosted, festive job on 'Her Winter Coat’. Alasdair's film for it is the icing on the yule log. I hope you love it as much as I do. We're really looking forward to playing it live!

Pete Wiggs added:

To complement 'Her Winter Coat', Sarah and Gus Bousfield have come up with the incredibly catchy 'A Kiss Like This', laden with swirling hibernal synths, and for a touch of Cold War frost we have the brooding melancholy instrumental 'Lillehammer' to complete the package. Hope you love 'em all!

TRACK LISTING

1. Her Winter Coat (edit)
2. Lillehammer
3. A Kiss Like This
4. Her Winter Coat 

Not many heavy metal bands have tried their hands on Christmas songs. Last year, Greek power metal band Silent Winter decided to give it a try, and recorded 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas' in full blown metal style, including high pitched yet melodic vocals and, of course, guitar solos. Given the more than 20.000 views of thei video, it did indeed find an audience in the metal community. And now the song found its way to vinyl, as B-side to Silent Winter’s single for the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club. Songwriter and guitarist Kiriakos Balanos took up the challenge to write a new Christmas metal song, and came up with 'Holy Land Of Fire And Snow', the A-side of the single. It's five-and-half minute of fast paced power metal, that couples sleigh bells, an angel choir and church bells with heavy guitars, ultra fast solos and blast beats. The sometimes melodic and sometimes screaming vocals of Mike Livas tell the tale of this holy land of fire and snow, where Santa reigns, who doesn't seem to be as peaceful as we have been told, as he travels through the black and starry sky with his burning sleigh, causing panic and destruction along the way.

Silent Winter was originally formed in the mid-1990s in the Greek city of Volos, recorded two demo's and broke up in 2001. In 2018 the band reformed and now in 2020, Silent Winter consists of singer Mike Livas (also in Maidenance and Keepers of Jericho), guitarists Kiriakos Balanos and Vaggelis Papadimitriou, bassist Vaggelis Tsekouras and drummer John Antonopoulos. In 2019, Silent Winter recorded its first full length, 'The Circles Of Hell' for Sonic Age Records, to good reviews. Their 2020 lathe cut 7" 'Nightfall', sold out on the day of release.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Holy Land Of Fire And Snow
B1. We Wish You A Merry Christmas

The power of a Winter song is hard to describe, like how the delicate world building of a good book can be more compelling than real life. There's a make-believe, fairy tale surrealism that sets Winter's blend of shoegaze and psychedelia apart while existing in the same universe as the ethereal dream pop of Cocteau Twins and Melody's Echo Chamber.

Samira Winter grew up in Curitiba, Brazil, where her Brazilian mother filled their home with the gentle melodies of MPB (música popular brasileira), and her father introduced her to the distorted sounds of American punk. At 18, she moved to Boston where she first released music as Winter, eventually moving to LA's Echo Park. Winter has built a cult following with a stream of bilingual releases and national tours supporting Boogarins, Broncho and Cherry Glazerr, not to mention dates in Mexico, South America and Europe.

“Winter’s breathy voice is pretty magical.” Brooklyn Vegan. 

“Winter makes cosmic dream-pop fit for stargazing. The languid motion of their soaring tunes are filtered through fuzzy sounds of slowly writhing guitar work.” AudioTree.

TRACK LISTING

Between You & I
Endless Space (Between You & I)
Here I Am Existing
Healing
In The Z Plan
Say
Bem No Fundo (feat. Dinho Almeida)
Constellation
Memoria Colorida
Wherever You Are
Pure Magician

Christmas is a time to spend with family and to feel a bit nostalgic, and exactly these two aspects of Christmas come together on the single the Swedish acid folk duo Us And Them recorded for the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club. In 'When The Stars Are Brightly Shining', the fragile vocals of singer Britt Rönnholm recapture the get-together with friends and family on Christmas Eve, the return to the place where you have spend your youth and the memories it all brings back. Multi-instrumentalist Anders Håkanson uses a wide range of instruments to built an atmospheric soundtrack to Britt's meanderings. Their version of Tori Amos' 1992 single 'Winter' is much in the same vein. In the song, Tori remembers the winters of her childhood and the bond she built up with her father during her youth. Us And Them replace the intensity of the original with the same nostalgic mood that can be found on the A-side, making the songs on this single sound as the family they are.

Us And Them are the Swedish duo of multi-instrumentalist Anders Håkanson and singer Britt Rönnholm (who also happen to be a married to each other), that came together in 2006 when Anders, who had been playing in bands since being a kid, realized that he wanted to do something different. Influenced by British folk, baroque pop and the softer side of psychedelica, he started recording songs with Britt on vocals, and this developed into Us And Them. Since the start of the group, Us And Them have released singles EP's and albums on labels like Fruits De Mer and Mega Dodo. Most records feature a mixture of covers and originals, all in the distinct dreamy, fragile and otherwordly Us And Them style, an update of the sound of psychedelic acid folk for the 21st Century.

TRACK LISTING

A1. When The Stars Are Brightly Shining
B1. Winter

Los Angeles rock band Livingmore’s Christmas single is one in a tradition of American Christmas 45’s that started in 1949, 70 years ago, when the first Christmas 45’s were released. ‘Show Me Light and Love’, the A-side of their single released as part of the 7th edition of the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club, was written by lead guitarist Spencer Livingstone and singer Alex Moore. According to Alex, the lyrics were inspired by ‘my grandmother and all the ladies out there taking care of Christmas’, who are keeping that part of the Christmas tradition alive. The song is a catchy rocker, carried by Alex’s crystal clear vocals and great guitar work by Spencer, and, of course, sleigh bells. For the flipside, the group recorded an acoustic version of one of the greatest American seasonal songs of all time, ‘Winter Wonderland’. Livingmore, with Alex and Spencer sharing the vocals, adds another great version to the many versions that exist of this song that was written 85 years ago by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith.

Livingmore was formed in Los Angeles by singer/songwriter's Spencer Livingston and Alex Moore, after they met through mutual friends in 2014. Alex and Spencer, who are responsible for all the songs of the band, were then joined by drummer Mike Schadel and, since 2017, bassist Rodrigo Moreno. In 2017, Livingmore had an indie hit with their single ‘Really Mean It’, and in 2018 released it on a 7” for the bands appearance on South By Southwest. The band released their debut album ‘Ok To Land’ on Nomad Eel Records last year and followed it up with 3-song 7” ‘It’s All Happening’ in December 2018. With influences as diverse as Garbage, The Kinks, Belle And Sebastian and Roy Orbison, Livingmore have been described as a mixture between Blondie and The Everly Brothers.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Show Me Light And Love
B1. Winter Wonderland

Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts. It’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once.

As a heavy band, their songs aren’t anchored to riffs, but rather riffs come and go in waves that surface throughout the band’s meditative, entrancing songs. It’s a hypnotic sound, with orchestral structures that often build tension and intrigue before turning the song on its head — not by simply getting louder or heavier, nor by just layering elements. They expertly subvert the implied heaviness of a part, dissecting it and splaying the song's guts out to seep across the sonic spectrum.

Now, having toured together extensively following the band’s wildly-successful breakout self-titled debut in 2018, Blackwater Holylight has honed their sound and identity to a powerfully captivating beast. Their live set is all about the slow build, seeming to combine the melodic tension of early Sonic Youth crossed with the laconic fever-dream blues of the first Black Sabbath album, and wiry experimentation of post-punk and krautrock.

The lineup on this album is Allison (Sunny) Faris (bass/vocals), Laura Hopkins (guitar/vocals) and Sarah McKenna (synths), with new guitarist Mikayla Mayhew and drummer Eliese Dorsay fleshing out their sound in exciting ways.

“The process of this album was vastly different from our first record,” says Faris. “One, because we recorded it over the course of a few weeks, whereas the first record was over the course of about a year. And two, this album was a true collaboration between the five of us. Each of us had extremely equal parts in writing and producing, we all bounced ideas off each together, and we all had a say in what was going on during every part of the process.”

“One of our favorite things about this album is that because it was so collaborative, we didn't compartmentalize ourselves into one vibe.” She continues. “It’s heavy, psychedelic, pop, shoegaze, doom, grunge, melodic and more. The whole process was extremely organic and natural for us, we were just being ourselves.”

Veils of Winter opens with fuzzed-drenched, drop-tuned bass and baritone guitar leading a dirge riff on “Seeping Secrets.” Faris’ lilting and funereal vocals drop in, adding to the mournful atmosphere until a short turnaround progression hints at changes to come, as Faris and Hopkins harmonize eerily and the tune suddenly turns into a krautrock charge. “Motorcycle” kicks off deceptively with a heavy grunge riff building up for about 40-seconds before the song abruptly shifts gears into a synth-led post-punk harmony, sounding something like Lush meets Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. “Death Realms” is perhaps the poppiest track, based around soaring shoegaze guitars and interwoven light vocal harmonies. Soft piano notes, occasional woozy whammy bar dives and a driving tom-tom beat solidify its hooks. “Spiders” is a creepy-crawly guitar riff and counterpoint keys, while “Moonlit” explores prog-structures with a shredding guitar solo crescendo. The penultimate track, “Lullaby” is exactly that, a lulling, expansive tune exemplifying Blackwater Holylight’s genre smashing sound as it subtly moves across a vast sonic landscape atop a hypnotic 6/8 beat and repetitive 3-note motif. Throughout the album, their songs shirk traditional verse-chorus-verse structure in favor of fluid, serpentine compositions that move with commanding grace.

TRACK LISTING

Seeping Secrets
Motorcycle
The Protector
Daylight
Death Realms
Spiders
Lullaby
Moonlit

The two members of The Lowest Pair - Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee - release solo albums. Kendl Winter grew up in Arkansas, but fell in love with Olympia, Washington even before she moved there after high school. Her musical adventures have wandered from finger picking to electric guitars to old-time roots and bluegrass banjo, and back again; with her earliest pursuits in punk and string bands, and solo work released on Olympia’s own label K. She is currently one half of the banjo/guitar duo known as The Lowest Pair (Team Love), with Palmer T. Lee.

Comparisons have been made to Karen Dalton, Gillian Welch, and Iris DeMent, but Kendl’s voice is all her own. 

Davey Woodward has been a prolific songwriter with his bands The Brilliant Corners and The Experimental Pop Band. An indie pop legend to some, obscure outsider to most. He approaches his fourth decade making alternative music with the same enthusiasm and single mindedness as he did in the first. Julian (guitar) had not been in a studio for over a decade. Steve (drums) was playing in a million other bands but found time. Steve knew Mark who was a guitarist. Davey said well he can play bass and piano then! Davey played them the songs. The band said they liked the songs. They told Davey the songs sounded very personal, were they? They said it reminded them of English Folk, Courtney Barnett, The Velvets, The Band and Johnny Cash. 

Nowadays is the much anticipated follow-up to Palace Winter’s acclaimed debut album.

Palace Winter are Copenhagen-based Australian Carl Coleman and Dane Caspar Hesselager. Their debut single was released in 2015, followed by an EP and in the summer of 2016, their debut album, ‘Waiting for the World to Turn’ had arrived. All released via Copenhagen-based label Tambourhinoceros.

The support that followed was widespread. Number 1 on Hype Machine and overwhelming reviews from heavy hitters like The Guardian, NME and Line of Best Fit. Radio support came from Guy Garvey, Lauren Laverne and Tom Ravenscroft at BBC 6 Music, KCRW, KEXP, Norway’s P3 and Denmark’s P6.

The band have successfully brought their cinematic psych-pop to the stage. With an increasing number of sold out live shows under their belts, fans have not been left disappointed by their hypnotic and mind-blowing live sets. Having already supported Noel Gallagher and played Guy Garvey’s Meltdown, Roskilde, Green Man, Sziget in Budapest, Latitude and Secret Garden Party, amongst many others, Palace Winter are well placed to blow the roof off 2018.

TRACK LISTING

Birth
Take Shelter
Pursuit Of
The Ballroom
Empire
Baltimore
Come Back (Left Behind)
The Accident
Demon
Acting Like Lovers
Kenopsia

Pantha du Prince's new EP 'The Winter Hymn' features the titular album cut along with the exclusive track “Post Human Palisades (feat. Bendik & Kassian)” and an extended mix of the album track “Dream Yourself Awake".

Brilliant new Ltd 7" single taken from their third album "Get To Heavern" which charted Top 5. The follow up to "Distant Past" & "Regret", this single is set to follow onto radio playlists across all major networks, plus ad campaign. Backed with exclusive track "Live Intro".

The definitive English post-punk band? Probably! Formed in Manchester in 1976. The band has existed in some form ever since, and is essentially built around its founder and only constant member Mark E. Smith. Initially associated with the punk movement of the late 1970s, the group's music has gone through several stylistic changes over the years, but is often characterized by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, and is always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics.

This live album has been collated from various gigs over the last three years.

TRACK LISTING

1: Wings (With Bells)
2: Auto 2014 Chip Replace
3: Amorator
4: Jetplane
5: Irish
6: Cowboy George
7: Chino
8: Sir William Wray
9: Fifty Year Old Man
10: Wolf Kidult Man
11: Reformation
12: What About Us

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

EXCLUSIVE WHITE VINYL RSD FORMAT HAND NUMBERED!

Limited to 250 copies.

For Now I Am Winter is Ólafur Arnalds’ third full-length studio album. His earlier albums, soundtracks and EPs, have been released through the Berlin based cult label Erased Tapes.

Building and expanding on his previous more minimalist work, Arnalds’ new album is his first to involve a full orchestra (coarranged by Nico Muhly) and a vocalist (Agent Fresco lead singer Arnór Dan) on selected tracks, making it his most broadly appealing work to date.

With his previous recordings, extensive touring activities and prominent synch placements of his music he has managed to build up a dedicated fan base in Europe, North America and China.

TRACK LISTING

1. Sudden Throw - Ólafur Arnalds
2. Brim - Ólafur Arnalds
3. For Now I Am Winter - Ólafur Arnalds, Arnor Dan
4. A Stutter - Ólafur Arnalds, Arnor Dan
5. Words Of Amber - Ólafur Arnalds
6. Reclaim - Ólafur Arnalds, Arnor Dan
7. Hands, Be Still - Ólafur Arnalds
8. Only The Winds - Ólafur Arnalds
9. Old Skin - Ólafur Arnalds, Arnor Dan
10. We (Too) Shall Rest - Ólafur Arnalds
11. This Place Was A Shelter - Ólafur Arnalds
12. Carry Me Anew - Ólafur Arnalds

A masterwork of minimalism, 'Winter Lady' - Alicia Merz's sophomore solo effort as Birds Of Passage sees an return to the desolate and melancholic soundcscapes of her highly acclaimed debut, 'Without The World'. With 'Winter Lady', Alicia presents us with an endearing invitation into her fragile world, a captivating through the landscapes of her emotional euphoria and agony, a further commitment to musical experimentation, a worthy addition to the oeuvre of Birds Of Passage. The cold minimalist-drones, distorted field recordings, and sparse instrumentation, illustrate an icy, desolate and dark. It's as if we are listening to the sound of winter itself; an audio exposure to the unforgiving elements of winter. With allusions to dark-pop and classic broken-folk, the reverb drenched instrumentation, metaphorical fairytale lyrics, and anti-climactic compositionsi remind us that Alicia Merz is a singer songwriter for people who don't like singer songwriters. With 'Winter Lady', Alicia re-establishes herself as a true musical maverick - who is able to capture the imaginations of audiences as diverse as those of Sigur Ros, Grouper and Zola Jesus. In short, Birds Of Passage's ''Winter Lady' is an album of authentic experimentation, masterful minimalism, immense tragedy, and glacial beauty. It is not surprising that already after the first album Nils Frahm and Peter Broderick (Efterklang) belonged to the fanbase of Birds Of Passage.

TRACK LISTING

1. Fatal Melody
2. Highwaymen In Midnight Masks
3. Away With The Night
4. Disaster Of Dreams
5. Hollow
6. The Monster Inside You
7. Waltz While We Sleep

Cats For Peru's latest EP "We Had This Problem Last Winter" follows on from their debut album "Attack of the Pitching Machine" released at the end of 2009. The EP feature 4 news songs full of texture and emotion.

Speaking about the new EP, Ad from the band said: "Since the album, guitars have given me terrible nightmares; so I bought a synth and played that instead. This meant we had even more scope to, not to change direction as such, but to spout off like a musical tree."

TRACK LISTING

1. Open House
2. Duck In The Oven
3. Sleeping On Tightropes
4. Fear Of Better Things

PE Hewitt was just 16 years old when he recorded and released his debut album "Jawbones", in a run of just 50 copies. By the time he sold out of the 100 press of his third album, "Winter Winds", he was approaching the ripe-old age of 20. The three albums he and his group of young compatriots wrote, recorded, pressed and - in a sense - distributed are some of the very best late 60s / early 70s jazz records you could hope to hear. That’s why, despite a 40 year gap and the tiniest of private presses couldn’t suppress their re-emergence. Rather than offer us just an anthology Now-Again decided to give us all three albums as they were made, out of respect for Hewitt’s monstrous achievements. The label have recreated the albums as they were released, down to the hand-painted covers. Also included is a 44-page booklet which includes the original liner notes, an essay on Hewitt and his career, an interview with him and never-seen-before photos.

TRACK LISTING

Disc One – Jawbones
1. Free
2. Ihadmyheadoverthechickensouppot
3. Mary
4. Don’t Judge Your Brother
5. Cat House Blues
6. The Ones Left Behind
7. Betrayed
8. Bullheads In My Shoes Blues
9. Karen

Disc Two – Since Washington
1. Alone And Watching
2. Sad Sunday
3. Now Is Here
4. Donna
5. 3am
6. It Doesn’t Matter…Yes It Does…But I Can’t Stop
7. Tender Morning

Disc Three – Winter Winds
1. I’m Wondering Why
2. More Than Anything
3. It’s Got Two Names And That’s Alright
4. Ill Love Song
5. Oma Rakas
6. Bada Que Bash
7. Tuija

"Everything Last Winter" is the debut album from Fields, and it features re-recorded versions of their singles "If You Fail We All Fail" and "Song For The Fields". It also contains some of the most visually arresting artwork to grace a musical release in recent times. In keeping with the tone of the rest of their work the band have eschewed hiding behind computer trickery and all other mod cons and chosen to work with a real human being, a pen and a pad of paper.

"Gadzooks!" is the first album by new 6-piece experimental group The Broken Blackbird Ensemble. It features James and David from Big Eyes, but there the comparison ends. TBBE feature players previously and currently immersed in noise / sound experimentation, klezmer, folk, classical and acid-rock, but this, their first album, contains nothing that could be specifically classified under any of these categories. The album was recorded and improvised in one day (in September 2004), with some tracks from the vaguest principle, others conceived from scratch. Theirs is the sound of creaking wood, gothic ragas, horrored drones, a choir of pipes and oh-so hushed melody. Is free-folk the right term? Who knows, but there is definitely some music common ground between the New Weird America artists and TBBE.

James Green is a member of the Manchester / Leeds / Sheffield ensemble Big Eyes who've previously released stuff on Pickled Egg. "Tempers" is James' first solo outing and comprises of 14 delicate instrumental guitar pieces. All are first or second take and are either solo guitar or two tracks maximum. The CD is limited to 250 copies, and comes beautifully packaged in a lino-print sleeve. A must for fans of John Fahey, Bert Jansch, Jack Rose and The Dirty Three.

She's been described by Q magazine as 'West Country's first lady of noirsh guitar blues', and who are we to argue with that!!!

This Canadian outfit might be named after a Thomas Hardy novel, but they are a very long way from genteel. Their searing full length debut is a dissonant, driving, metal edged nightmare cut through with moments of dark, fragile and subtle beauty - ever changing riffs, crunching rhythms and a vocal style that ranges from entrancing, discordant harmony to visceral, desperate, spastic screaming. For fans of Converge and Cave In, and anyone else who gets off on intensity.

The moody NYC angst-pop duo Parker & Lily compose simple melanchic indie rock melodies, similar to Galaxie 500 and Stephen Merritt's Magnetic Fields, with dreamy atmospheric woozy instrumentation. Comparisons have been made to both Tindersticks and Mazzy Star's noir-ish pop and Arab Strap or Broadcast's smoky minimalism.