'Big Generator' is Yes' twelfth studio album, producing fan favorite singles 'Love Will Find a Way' and 'Rhythm of Love' charting top twenty in both the US and the UK. The album saw the return of Trevor Rabin's guitar-driven sound alongside the band's progressive rock roots. Enjoy this era of Yes on Orange Coloured Vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

1. Rhythm Of Love
2. Big Generator
3. Shoot High Aim Low
4. Almost Like Love
5. Love Will Find A Way
6. Final Eyes
7. I'm Running
8. Holy Lamb (Song For Harmonic Convergence)

A 15 track compilation of Demo’s and B-sides and other unreleased tracks from 2001-2006. Only 100 copies were produced of this cassette only release to tie in with the rerelease of These were The Earlies. 

Following a thread from 'A Private Road', the 'Yes' EP is a flmic journey into, through and out of a period of lockdown, unearthing previously buried fragments and fashes of memory, set against a backdrop of night-time London streets, radio towers, northern inner-city streets, TV screen static, basement dance foors and moorland roads.

Self-produced, written and recorded in London, with the addition of bassist Ben Reed, mixer TJ Allen and artists Joviale and Fabiana Palladino and mastering engineer Noel Summerville, the EP draws on jewelled 80s pop songwriting, R&B, sampling, dance, electronic music, composition for radio and TV and soul music as memory fragments, pieced together through a characteristic use of soft and hazy modulation, reverbs, delays and EQ to create a whole picture. 'Yes' is a de-constructed and re-constructed pop record as a form of remembering and recording a thread of ever-present love.

TRACK LISTING

1. Yes
2. Deep Blue
3. Be There
4. Heavy Entertainment

With “New Yesterday”, E-Talking delivers an adrenaline-fueled and hypnotic three-tracker on his very own label, Nummer Music as we continue to feel the increased tempos and influence of trance onto modern dancefloors.

These three progressive journeys seamlessly blend the echoes of the past with modern synthesis, a skillful homage to the progressive trance scene of the late ‘90s / early ‘00s and the perfect follow-up to his “Cosmic Egg” EP released on Love On The Rocks in 2023, further defining E-Talking’s multi-layered sound. Tasty one!

TRACK LISTING

A1. No Future
B1. In Retrograde
B2. Regressive Jazz

Yesterday’s Children emerged from the vibrant mid-60s Connecticut music scene, evolving from a garage-based instrumental outfit into one of the era’s most compelling proto-heavy rock acts. As they evolved, they embraced the psychedelic and hard rock influences of the late 60s, crafting a heavier, more dynamic style.

Under the determined management of brothers Dennis (vocals) & Richard (guitar) Croce’s father, Dominic, the band gained regional popularity. Their 1970 self-titled album, recorded in New York with producer Warren Schatz, showcased a mix of ferocious originals like “Hunter’s Moon” and “Sad Born Loser” alongside inspired covers. Though the album failed to achieve commercial success at the time, it has since been rediscovered as a cult favorite, celebrated for its raw energy and ahead-of-its-time heaviness.

Known for their immersive live shows—complete with custom-built light and sound systems—the band toured the East Coast in vintage hearses, leaving a lasting impression on audiences. Despite their eventual breakup in 1972, Yesterday’s Children’s legacy endures, with their sole LP standing as a landmark in the transition from garage rock to the heavier sounds of the ’70s. A true hidden gem, their music continues to resonate with fans of psychedelic, hard rock, and proto-metal.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1) Paranoia
2) Sad Born Loser
3) What Of I
4) She’s Easy
5) Sailing

SIDE B:
6) Providence Bummer
7) Evil Woman
8) Hunter’s Moon
9) Gloria

Australia's left-field club renaissance keeps flowering, and Horatio Luna's cult 2020 debut Yes Doctor remains an essential root document. The LP welds dub-soaked bass pressure, broken-beat jack and smoky nu-jazz improv onto a house chassis—picture Moodymann deep cuts drifting through Dadawah's spiritual haze. Championed by Gilles Peterson after Luna appeared on Brownswood's Sunny Side Up compilation—where drummer Phil Stroud and synth maestro Dufresne also featured—the record was pieced together across 2019 during a run of late-night sessions while Hicks was living in the La Sape house.

La Sape's brand-new 2025 pressing (cat. SAPE00825) uses freshly cut plates and presents the full ten-track programme on 140 g black vinyl. The package features subtle touch-ups to the jacket artwork and refreshed centre-label stickers while preserving the original aesthetic. "Yes Doctor is my coming-of-age—mixing every style I could think of into house, pushing aesthetic boundaries, making 'un-boxable' music," Luna says. File next to Theo Parrish and Yesterday's New Quintet: DJs will lock onto the title track's seven-minute bruk workout, while deep-listening customers will cherish the front-to-back journey in groove alchemy.

TRACK LISTING

1. Some Like It Hot (feat. Throne Boy)
2. Yes Doctor
3. Mango & Setwun
4. Luna Landing
5. Your Love
6. Bubbly
7. Golden
8. Northern Beaches
9. Brunswick Massive
10. Brunswick Massive Pt. 2

Some bands find their groove and stick to it; others reinvent themselves constantly. Sextile belongs to the latter camp, embracing the thrill of an ever-changing roadmap. The LA duo of Melissa Scaduto and Brady Keehncraft music with a lust for life, drawing inspiration from no wave to hardstyle. Their latest album, 'yes, please.' pushes their sound into bold new territory, fusing anarchic electro fire with raw personal recollections—and enough beefed-up bass to bust a speaker or two.

'yes, please.' is an album of contrasts: a vulnerable record that bares its soul as much as it revels in excess, showing just how far you can push your sound when you shake off your inhibitions. Together, the pair betray a confidence that never wavers, making a bold splash on the speedy intro with a rave siren cut from a ‘00s New York house party or sweaty Brooklyn warehouse. By the same token, the spirit of electroclash stalks the building, flashing its ID on the cowbell-peppered thunder-bolts of 'Freak Eyes' and 'Rearrange', and turning in a scuzzy dancefloor bomb with 'Women Respond to Bass'. High on endorphins, 'Push Ups'—which features vocals from Jehnny Beth—is pure muscle music, fortified by hoover bass and fleshed out by synths that hammer as hard as lumps of hail on a glass roof. But behind the slogans, sass, and monster dance energy lies an intimacy that can only be found from opening up about painful, life-altering events. 'Hospital' and 'Soggy Newports' reflect harrowing experiences in a New York state-run facility after a near-fatal accident. 'Resist' tackles abortion rights, while 'Penny Rose' explores US education, AI, and future generations. Scaduto’s elastic vocals shine throughout, from the razor-sharp synths of 'S is For' to the trance-pop heights of 'Kids', featuring Izzy Glaudini from Automatic

'yes, please.' is an action-packed dance record stuffed with wild, heady roof-raisers but is in the same breath a testament to living, and never looking back. In opening themselves up to a new “freeing” way of making music, Sextile have whipped up their most creative offering to date. Then again, you just know they still have so much more to give

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Scathing, visceral dance music that's both full of momentum and jewelled with bursts of off-piste experimental weirdness. Bold, brilliant rave madness from the musically elastic Sextile.

TRACK LISTING

1. Intro
2. Women Respond To Bass
3. Freak Eyes
4. Penny Rose
5. Push Ups
6. Kids
7. 99 Bongos
8. S Is For
9. Rearrange
10. Resist
11. Kiss
12. Hospital
13. Soggy Newports

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2025 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 12TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 14th.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2025 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 12TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 14th.

Recent FatCat signings Abdomen are a Netherlands power trio, sometimes described in the Dutch press as ‘post-grunge garage’. The name ‘Abdomen’ reflects the directness of their approach and attack - a ‘gut feeling’.

The band worked with Rasmus Bredvig (Tapetown, Aarhus, DK) on this, their new, sophomore long-player, ‘Yes, I Don’t Know’.

‘Damage Tool’ is a ditty about a panic attack, while racing through a city alone - noticing you’re breathing weirdly before regaining control. Rapid, repetitive metallic riffing that recalls ‘Atomizer’-era Big Black (back when Steve Albini was namechecking Electrifying Mojo, Detroit’s ground-breaking proto-techno radio DJ).

On ‘Numbers’, the drums are filtered and fucked with, resembling a busted drum machine. The bass is fingered furiously. The combined attack coming on like a ramped, revved up Joy Division.

‘Dazed’ is a heavy, heavy hypnotic groove. With a chanted vocal and wall of phased, psychedelic shredding, there are echoes of outfits such as Loop and Spacemen 3 - their stoned / stoner ‘aesthetics’, all be it turned up to 11. A head-banging, tranceinducing, transcendental raga, with its sights set on spiritual lift-off, the piece aims to create a path away from the negative toward a more positive way of life.

‘Weird Shapes’ is about bucking routine to create new possibilities and opportunities, and is set to breakneck bashing. ‘Neurotic’ details the shedding of strange habits, packing plenty of punk power - a point of reference is early, arty, Sonic Youth. ‘Fish I’ and ‘II’, though, are ‘ambient interludes’ - field recordings ‘harvested’ from factories and plants to convey the oppressive, depressive nature of their industrial hometown.

‘Yes, I Don’t Know’ opens with fragile, picking, floating in reverb. For a second fooling you into thinking that you’re listening to a Robin Guthrie / Cocteau Twins tune, before serrated, cyclical slashing ‘serenades’, Van Beets’ words concerned with the awful crushing, gaping hole, of a lover’s passing. ‘Good Vibes’ rails against people putting a dysfunctional label on you.

Songs such as ‘Salmon’ play with hardcore US punk. Violently stopping and starting, it tells the tale of the titular fish, exhausted by its efforts swimming against relentless opposing currents.

‘Exhale’, a furious space rock flight, as incendiary as, say, Icarus Line’s ‘Penance Soirée’, finds its protagonist taking a deep breath, knowing that something within themselves, how they’re behaving, ain’t right.

The almost funky ‘Das Kapital’ lyrics deal with the fight for acceptance, yet constantly being corrected for getting it wrong. The track alludes to both band and song being named after Karl Marx’s text on the economic structure of society.

The lyrics can sometimes be extremely personal, but the band are at pains to point out that it’s the listener’s interpretation that’s all important. In the past, Abdomen have been called ‘angry’, however, if the album has an overriding message or theme, then it’s about coming to terms with your emotions, cauterising wounds, growing and moving on.

TRACK LISTING

Damage Tool
Numbers
Dazed
Weird Shapes
Neurotic
Fish I
Yes I Don't Know
Good Vibes
Salmon
Exhale
Das Kapital
Fish II

Available for the first time on vinyl, an exploration into Yes' breakthrough 1971 fourth studio album, Fragile, remixed by Steven Wilson. Includes hits such as Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround - The Fish, and many more!

TRACK LISTING

1. I Confess
2. Jeanette
3. Sorry
4. Sole Salvation
5. Spar Wid Me
6. Rotating Head
7. Save It For Later
8. She's Going
9. Pato And Roger A Go Talk
10. Sugar & Stress
11. End Of The Party
12. Ackee 1 2 3

‘Yes, I Don’t Know, is the title track from the debut album by recent FatCat signings and Netherlands power trio Abdomen.

Opening with fragile, picking, floating in reverb, for a second, you’re fooled into thinking that you’re listening to a Robin Guthrie / Cocteau Twins tune, before serrated, cyclical slashing ‘serenades’ Peter Van Beets’ words concerned with the awful, crushing, gaping hole, of a lover’s passing. The cut climaxing in cathartic / agonised cries of ‘I can’t turn around!’

When asked about their often trance-inducing rhythms and riffs, Roel explains, “The repetitiveness, and build ups, are designed to be something to lose yourself in,” and states that this is inspired, in part, by the motorik of groundbreaking Kosmische band, Neu!.

TRACK LISTING

Yes, I Don’t Know

Toddsonic33 seems like an interesting character. Relatively new on the block in terms of productions but seems like he's in with a wealth of old school Chicago and UK talent. He first appeared on a record with Steve Poindextor (on Jamal Moss' Mathematics label), his instagram shows him hanging with heads like Boo Williams and The Mighty Zaf, and he seems steeped in the traditions of embryonic house music - born right in his home town.

This record for Hot Biscuit is as much inline with Howard Thomas and Mark Grusane as it is with Ron Hardy and Marcus Mixx. It recycles some of the most familiar tropes of the genre, as well as using one of its biggest vocals (on "Deesko Music"). There's a little bit of the drums of Jackmaster Hater's "Your Mind" (feat. Robert Owens). It also revels in chaos and discord, as did the original Chi-town innovators.

A highly intriguing and delicious addition to the Hot Biscuit tin of delights... Check! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Out of the recent slew of Hot Biscuits, this one is probably the most tracky and Muzic Box-esque - which you won't find any argument from me! Channel the spirit of big Ron with Toddsonic's outlandish approach.

TRACK LISTING

A. Yes
B1. Make Me A Woman
B2. Deesko Music

Wildly creative free-form L.A. singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist Laena Myers releases her highly anticipated debut solo album, ‘LUV (Songs Of Yesterday)’. Released on Taxi Gauche Records, the 11-track collection is the first to feature the genre-spanning composer, in-demand session player/singer and classically trained violinist putting her own name to her recordings.

Formerly known as Laena Geronimo and L.M.I. / Laena Myers-Ionita, Laena is perhaps best known as lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of critically-acclaimed and internationally touring rockers FEELS, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. She’s also known for her time as bassist for goth-punk band Numb.er as well as the Motown-inspired pop outfit The Like, and as the go-to-violinist for a myriad of artists from the L.A. music scene and beyond - contributing to released recordings by John Frusciante, Jhené Aiko, Ty Segall, Shannon Lay and The Allah Las to name a few.

Describing herself as “An awkward, shy kid who played in the Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra of California and wore headphones blasting NIN, The Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth all the time”, Laena cut her teeth in a busking band, performing purely improvised material on street corners in Hollywood and spent the entirety of her young adulthood as a supporting player in countless L.A. bands - at times as many as five simultaneously, while working full time and sleeping in her car during lunch breaks.

Inspired as much by the soft weight of Hope Sandoval and Patsy Cline’s dramatic powers, Patti Smith’s poetic punk and Nico’s avant-garde musings as she is by contemporaries like Angel Olsen, Aldous Harding and Cate LeBon, her musical roots run deep. She is the daughter of American drummer Alan Myers (DEVO, Skyline Electric, Jean Paul Yamamoto) and Romanian singer/songwriter and visual artist Greta Ionita (Babooshka).

As a solo artist, Laena's punk background of guitar-based songwriting and swagger merges with her innovative classical/experimental roots and love for singing ballads, and this is shown throughout ‘LUV (Songs Of Yesterday’), leading to a depth of emotion that cuts to the heart of even the most hardened, revealing a more tender side to her vocal and lyrical prowess over lush string arrangements.

The album’s opening track ‘LUV’, with it’s only lyrics “When I say I’m in love you best believe I mean love L.U.V.” is a nod to The Shangri-Las and New York Dolls, and was used to evocatively soundtrack fashion brand CELINE’s Spring 2020 campaign. “Half the songs on the album are about relationships in which I thought I was in love - true love - but it turned out to be something else”, Laena explains, “so ‘LUV (Songs of Yesterday)’ seemed a fitting title: sounded like love, looked like love, but it wasn’t real love.”

“The overarching theme of the album is strength in vulnerability” Laena explains, “it’s a collection of songs that were too personal and dreamy for FEELS, songs of haunted love, melancholy and hope, selected and woven together with instrumental segues and field recordings into a whole experience.”

The record’s first single, ‘Give ‘Em Hell’, written six months after her father passed away, is about keeping the flame alive and having the courage to believe in yourself. “We were very close” she says. “One night before I got on stage he stopped me and said “Give ‘em hell, kid”, and this phrase has become a mantra to me, to not hold back and give it my ALL. Many of these songs come from heavy times”, she continues, “but there is always the glimmer of a brighter tomorrow. Reach out when you need to, move through the gears and you’ll come out the other side.”

The songs contained in ‘LUV (Songs Of Yesterday)’ are picked from over the course of a decade, written purely from a place of honest expression and filled with texture, depth, and meaning. They were recorded between tours mostly in sweltering summer bedrooms by friend and co-producer Scott Cornish (Angel Olsen, Big Thief, No Age), and mixed during the pandemic. The album features Laena’s vocals, guitar, bass, and violin playing and huge-sounding, lush string arrangements supplemented with drums and percussion by Nick Murray (Cate Le Bon, White Fence, Thee Oh Sees), synths by Jeff Fribourg (Numb.er, Froth), lap steel by Cole Berliner (Kamikaze Palm Tree), and sax by Gabe Flores (Grave Flowers Bongo Band), as well as field recordings — birds singing at daybreak, footsteps and bells making their way into a cave, the wind on a peak in Angeles National Forest. 

TRACK LISTING

1. LUV
2. Pulsar
3. Bouquet
4. Give Em Hell
5. Reflectors
6. Strong
7. The Choir
8. Splendour
9. Kitchen Humming
10. About A Thing
11. I Wouldn’t Mind

Shades of Yesterday is a brand newcovers record from 2 x Grammy Award-nominated producer, musician + songwriter, DJ Harrison.

DJ Harrison produced and played almost every instrument on the record himself, making it a truly personal tribute.

Shades of Yesterdayis made up of some of Harrison’s favourite tracks, which represent fond memories of his upbringing in Richmond, VA, andtime spent with musicians over the years.

The album includes several reimaginings of songs by The Beatles, Steve Wonder, Ohio Players, Donald Fagen + many more!

TRACK LISTING

1. You Were Too Good To Be True
2. Galaxy
3. IGY
4. Lil Birdie
5. Contusion
6. Sweet Sticky Thing
7. Ebony Moonbeams
8. Together
9. Tomorrow Never Knows Ft. Chris Manak
10. L’Anthropofemme
11. Pling 

Like the water that runs like a current through ‘Snow From Yesterday’, the album is fluid, versatile, and powerful. Represented in all its forms, from glacial mountains, to rivers, and even the smallest drop into watercolour, the album is about journeys and the stages of life that may change you, but also links you to others, in other times and other places. A flowing, tangible energy connects each track to its subject matter, and each track to one another. What’s important on ‘Snow From Yesterday’ is how the highs are grounded in very real, personal moments. It can at once tackle mammoth climate issues, while conveying moments of incredible intimacy. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Modern People
2. Little Heritage
3. Polar Bear
4. Paintings On The Wall
5. Ode To Earth
6. Stay Afloat
7. Immersion
8. Slow-Mo Moving River
9. Oxygen
10. Docklands
11. Snow From Yesterday 

Eventually crowned Queen of the Norfolk Sound, Barbara Stant was just a teenager when she auditioned for Shiptown impresario Noah Biggs in 1970. A dozen sides were tracked throughout the decade, producing a body of work that stretched from deep soul to northern soul to sister funk. By 1978 disco was in overdrive, Noah Biggs was in the ground, and Stant’s career on hold. My Mind Holds Onto Yesterday is what remains.

TRACK LISTING

1. My Mind Holds On To Yesterday
2. I ’m Going To Outfit You Baby
3. Hung On
4. That Man Of Mine
5. Unsatisfied Woman
6. Shadow In Your Footsteps
7. (You’ve Got To) Try It Again
8. (I Found Me A) Real Man
9. He’s Still Your Man
10. You Know I Love You
11. Baby I Love You

On his 2000 debut, Da Abtomatic Meisterzinger Mambo Chic , Megira channels the optimism of post-war America, narcoleptic surf, and the Twin Peaks soundtrack into a lo- fi lo-rider masterpiece all his own. Sung in both Hebrew and English, Mambo Chic moves at a deliberate pace, unconcerned by the traffic of the modern world and wrapped in a blanket of Tascam 4-track hiss. On “Tomorrow’s Gone” Megira achieves the feat of being so far back in time that he’s somehow living in the future and waiting for the rest of us to arrive. Hear our 2 favorite cuts in back- saving, crate-flavoring 7” format ripe and ready the dive bar soundsystem hosting your favorite BYOV night.

Together with Universal Music, Yello is now looking back on their complete works and releasing the first six studio albums as exclusive 2LP bundles consisting of the original albums as black vinyl re-issues, each combined with a coloured vinyl bonus LP with rare bonus versions of their most famous songs, from the original albums.

In an elaborate state-of-the art process, the old original tapes were remastered in the highest possible resolution to reproduce the sound as authentically as never before. In addition to the cult debut "Solid Pleasure" (1980) with the hit "Bostich", the albums "Claro Que Si" (1981), "You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess" (1983), the Top 1 breakthrough "Stella" (1985), including the mega hit "Oh Yeah", the legendary follow-up "One Second" (1987), from which the single "The Rhythm Divine" emerged, as well as the electro-pop milestone "Flag" from 1988, including the pop anthem "The Race" in a completely new sound shine.

Screaming suburban blues straight from the pages of HeartattaCk magazine, Current exploded out of the early-’90s Midwestern emo scene in a fit of D.C. hardcore-inspired rage. Spread across three LPs, Yesterday’s Tomorrow Is Not Today compiles the quartet’s lone album, two EPs, split 7”s with Indian Summer and Chino Horde, miscellaneous compilation debris, and nine previously unissued alternates, including the infamous KLXU radio show. Remixed and mastered from the original tapes, Current’s complete discography is annotated in Leor Galil’s exhaustive survey, illustrated with period photos, flyers, and cut-n-paste sleeve art across 24 pages.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1 Representation
2 Dial
3 Pave
4 Bag Of Threads
5 Two And A Dime
Side B
1 Ruin
2 Outside Is Better
3 Coliseum
4 She Can’t Write
5 Hark
6 Member
Side C
1 Basis
2 Repetition
3 Continued Rantings
4 Leech
5 Bastille
6 Frayed Ends
7 Overbearing
Side D
1 Member (Demo)
2 A Place
3 Past Time
4 Key
5 Monument
Side E
1 Could I
2 Slivered Lead
3 Come Down
4 Left At The Right
5 Happy As I Am
6 The River
Side F
1 Chairtied
2 Bag Of Threads (Instrumental)
3 Hark (KXLU Session)
4 Key (KXLU Session)
5 Monument (KXLU Session) 

Two major soul sides, one from the Twinight catalogue, one from Capsoul. Velma Perkins is the sister of guitarist, songwriter and producer Al Perkins (whose Atco 45, ‘Nothing Is Impossible’, was a big Northern sound). A successful songwriter in her own right under her married name Vee Allen, ‘Yes, My Goodness, Yes’ was the flipside of her only Twinight single, her 1970 debut 45 ,‘I’ll Always Love You’.

With more than a touch of Diana-era Supremes, it’s a gorgeous uptempo groove with typical Twinight horns and a funky guitar that could well be Al himself lending a hand. It’s a super rare 45 that never seems to come up for sale these days. Cut with Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum and Durr’s debut single for Capsoul, ‘You Can’t Blame Me’.

Signed to the label by DJ and singer Bill Moss (his ‘Sock It To ‘Em Soul Brother’ on Pama is a corker) as The Revelations, the band changed name and cut two 45s before disappearing. A super soulful funky mid-tempo tune that lets all five (even though there are just four names in their chosen name) vocalists lay down a super plush soundtrack. Punctuated with strings, it’s a magnificent full-on sound that goes for over £30 on seven inch.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Velma Perkins - Yes, My Goodness Yes
B1. Hawkins Johnson, Tatum & Durr - You Can't Blame Me

Not all new starts offer a fresh beginning.

While it might seem branching out with a solo album after a decade in a band would provide that clean start, in reality, more time must pass before the real change, movement and progress can occur. “With the last record (Now That I’m a River, 2018), I didn’t really know what I was doing - I just wanted to make something that felt like me,” reflects Charles, as he prepares to release his second solo album YES.

Out went major keys, swampy reverb, gloomy imagery and the kind of layered production which characterised Now That I’m a River. In their stead - lyrics of joy, minor keys, and a direct, stripped back approach Watson had always shied away from. “I think it’s about having the confidence to be myself,” he says. “The confidence to simplify things, to strip back where I would have added more, to be more direct.”

In addition, Watson was buoyed by the positivity directed at certain songs from Now That I’m a River - the title track, particularly. “I felt like I had been hiding for so long, behind reverb, behind certain effects and tricks, and that was a hang-up from when I was in Slow Club,” he explains. “And now, I’ve arrived at a place of not wanting to carry my insecurities on to a record. I want to project the purest form of what I want to say. I feel like I’ve come so far in the space of two albums and can already see I’m not the person I was when I was writing this album, just as I’m no longer the person I was when I made the first album. This record is the start of untangling all of those feelings and stepping forward.”

Alongside his solo career, Charles is known for his work as one half of the band Slow Club and as a member of the garage-rock super group The Surfing Magazines. In recent years Charles has worked as a composer, writing the music for acclaimed Netflix & Channel 4 production 'Feel Good' which led to the show's creator, Canadian comedian Mae Martin, becoming a fan. Charles has also recently composed the score for 'Youngstown', the forthcoming indie feature film from director Pete Ohs (Everything Beautiful is Far Away) due for release in late 2021.

TRACK LISTING

1. Figure Skater
2. All My Mountains
3. Reared In The West
4. I Was Sent Here To Love You
5. Afghan Hound
6. Spectator Sports
7. Beauty Contest
8. Going Places
9. It Must Be Night
10. People Run Towards People

Yesterday Park’ is an album about nostalgia, that feeling of looking back, not to one specific time or place but rather the feeling associated with the hazy blur of childhood and teenage memories. The songs cover a lot of different themes, but at their heart they all stem from formative memories. When writing we considered how our understanding of past experiences had shifted through the many different retrospective lenses we have. Life has become more complex and we wanted to capture that feeling of looking back, finding the beauty in those simple moments that exist as silver-linings in our memories. That reflection also brought us to think differently about the complexity and challenges of life today. It inspired us to consider the importance of taking responsibility for the harm that the world is doing to itself, at the same time as needing to take more responsibility in our own lives.

We had the majority of the album written just before everything shut down in March last year, but, since taking that enforced pause, the songs have grown to take on new significance for us. Nostalgia is a feeling that has become more relevant for everyone in the last year, with more time and space to reflect on past experiences. We regrouped in the summer in a strange, semi-locked-down London to record ‘Yesterday Park’. Although we’d always previously self-produced our music, we wanted to expand our sound for this record in order to best capture that feeling we wanted to create, and we began working with producer Mikko Gordon (Thom Yorke, Arcade Fire). We stepped away from some of our old approaches and brought in new ideas, experimenting with more complex production that we had previously shied away from. Introducing new textures, instrumentation and recording techniques allowed us to better create that reflective feeling we were aiming for. We drew a lot of influence from the 90s, and particularly beat-driven 90s hip-hop which inspired a lot of the grooves in the album.

After being apart from each other for months, away from any chance to perform, hunkering down in our hometown and focusing in on making ‘Yesterday Park’ was a really intense experience for us, and emphasised that cathartic feeling of reflecting on the past.

TRACK LISTING

1. Octopus
2. Everyone's The Same
3. Do You Remember The Times
4. Young Days
5. We Use To Talk
6. Yesterday Park
7. By Your Side
8. The Lines We Follow
9. When I Gave You My Heart
10. This Part Of Town
11. My Brother
12. The Way We Love

ULNA’s OEA is a “bar-rock getting sober record.“ The first full length solo record of ULNA, aka Adam Schubert of Cafe Racer, OEA is an ode to reinvention. Along with the release comes a rebranding--formerly Ruins, Shubert’s new pseudonym ULNA is a reference to a pivotal moment in his childhood. At the age of 14, Schubert shattered the bone on the inside of his forearm in a skating accident, and took up the guitar. “That’s what made me serious about playing music,” says Schubert.

This name change also accompanied Schubert’s shift towards sobriety--OEA was created right as Schubert reconfigured his life without drugs or alcohol. With the exception of the final track, “Dead Friends,” the whole album was written while in a recovery program. “You have to reinvent your whole personality, you have to be a different person,” says Schubert.”Who am I if I’m not the crazy drunk dude who’s doing drugs in the bathroom?”

OEA is an intensely personal record, in subject matter but also quite literally--Schubert plays every instrument, though the record feels far from a home-demo, recorded and mastered by Robby Hanes at Strange Magic Recording in Chicago’s Logan Square. Schubert’s songs are ambling and full of picked guitar and retro harmonies, a stylistic sensibility he attributes to a love for the Beatles and “acoustic rock with a weird punk edge,” a-la Big Thief and Kurt Vile. Though instrumentally sunny, his vocals hint at something else - there’s an underlying ache. OEA is an easy listen, but with a depth of emotion that demands listeners’ attention.

OEA explores the range of emotions experienced in the transition to sobriety, from fear to backslide to self doubt. At first listen, “Turn The Record On” feels almost like a love song, with a chorus of “turn the record on/ you’re my favorite song,” but in actuality the song is the story of an empty encounter rather than romance. “It’s kind of about this sad hookup with someone else who is equal in your addiction, you’re just using each other because you don’t want to be alone in your using,” says Schubert. “We both have this problem and we can have fun in it together because we both understand. They know the score.”

While “Turn The Record On” speaks to a moment of shared addiction, other tracks examine what comes after sobriety. “And I took the pill like I should / and I stayed clean just like I said I would,” begins “Last Song,” which Schubert cites as one of the hardest tracks to write. “I got sober and I take medication and - I’m doing all this stuff now but nothing’s changed,” says Schubert. “ I think that’s pretty common in people who get sober. I did all this stuff and now what?”

The penultimate track on the album, “Last Song” fades into a noisy interlude that gives listeners the feeling of motion, like entering a tunnel and emerging into a quieter, lo-fi recording, the closing track “Dead Friends.” The only non-studio track, “Dead Friends” was recorded in Schubert’s home, and carries with it a warm intimacy. “I wanted it to sound like you’re outside somewhere, you're walking, and you step inside somewhere that feels safe,” says Schubert.

This closing track embodies the mood of OEA- warm but with a melancholy edge, like coming in from the cold but still feeling a lingering chill. It’s an album that feels comfortable and cohesive--though individual tracks stand alone, OEA works best when listened through start to finish. It’s a record to put on while cooking dinner and let sink in. 

TRACK LISTING

1. I Was A Monster
2. Been So Far
3. Borrowed Time
4. Ocean Ridge
5. Too Loud
6. Turn The Record On
7. Last Song
8. Dead Friends

Perfectly riding between jangling ‘80s indie, ‘60s girl group bittersweet harmonies, catchy pop melodies, and personal/political punk lyricism. Portland, US-based three-piece The Crystal Furs have made their most honest and honed album yet in Beautiful and True. Technically their third long player the band see this as a second debut, coming as their first album ‘out and living as our real selves’. Getting a limited release on CD and digital through SubJangle in 2020 the album has been remastered and is coming to vinyl for the first time through Reckless Yes in 2021. Writing melodic, textured songs about anxiety, architecture, lesbians, and queer feels The Crystal Furs’ Beautiful and True is loud music for quiet hearts. Press and radio coverage for The Crystal Furs “Had The Crystal Furs been around in the late 80s – early 90s there is a possibility they would have been signed to Sarah Records, home of OG jangle pop bands like The Field Mice and The Reckless Yes

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A

1. Comeback Girls
2. Expo 67
3. Pretty Mind
4. Panther City Pariah
5. Too Kind To Be Cruel
6. Like You

SIDE B

1. Burn Us Down
2. Hey Maxine
3. Artoria
4. Drag You Away
5. The Robber Barons Of Lombard Street
6. Second Time Around

Songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist, Jason McNiff releases his 7th full length album, Dust Of Yesterday. Produced and engineered by Roger Askew (Joe Strummer, Wilko Johnson, Christy Moore) the album was recorded throughout the summer and autumn of 2020 in Roger's home studio in Eastbourne, UK. It features McNiff's signature acoustic guitar work throughout with significant contributions from Beth Porter (of Eliza Carthy's band) on cello and Basia Bartz (most London based folk bands) on violin.

His first album since leaving London - McNiff is now based in Hastings - Dust of Yesterday is an elegy on moving away from a beloved place and a lament for lost youth. We are treated to a musical tour of McNiff's life to date, from his 8-year residency as a Flamenco guitarist in a Spanish bar in Waterloo (Damaged Woman) to hopping the northbound train from King's Cross, hiding in the lavatory up to Nottingham (A Load Along). All the songs on Dust of Yesterday, in one way or another, speak of the past. But it is not bleary-eyed nostalgia.

"I read somewhere that it is possible to literally change the past and I became very interested in this idea. It so happened around the same time that I discovered the Greek/Egyptian poet, Cavafy. In his poems he would talk about the past, but the memory is not a thing of the past, but something that is still part of him in the present. I could relate to that. "

Musically, Jason is influenced by the British acoustic guitarists (Jansch, Graham, Wizz Jones) and the great folk/rock troubadours of the 60s and 70s. He loves Mark Knopfler in the early days; the English teacher turned reluctant rock star, singing about Leeds and Newcastle and sounding like JJ Cale. For McNiff, the lyrics are central, and he has been especially captivated by those considered poets and writers as well as musicians. He loves literature and cites Hemingway, Chekhov and the aforementioned Cavafy, as major influences in his work. ( He has 'translated' Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' into a song on a previous album, 'Nobody's Son')

Jason McNiff was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1974 to an Irish father and Polish mother. Academically gifted, he did well at school and went to the University of Nottingham to study French and Russian. He fell in with the Folk & Blues scene in that city before moving to London in the mid-nineties to do another degree in English Lit. He was just in time to catch the Bert Jansch residency at the 12 Bar club. For 6 months, every Wednesday night, McNiff would be in the front row of Soho's tiny club learning fingerstyle from the master. He would later sign his first record deal with Snowstorm Records, a label run by Bert's brother-in-law and found himself opening for Bert on numerous occasions. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This wonderful collection shines with the sort of understated beauty and accomplished but uncomplicated melodic phrasing you'd hear in a Jansch record, but brought to the modern day with unhurried production and brittle, tender vocals. Beautiful.

TRACK LISTING

1) For The First Time
2) Try For The Sky
3) Wherever I Choose
4) Mary Jane
5) Dust Of Yesterday
6) Tom
7) If You Could See Me Now
8) Damaged Woman
9) A Load Along

Enter Yes Grasshopper, taking you on a trip into the unexplored depths of their collective mind, a place of daring rescue missions and uncanny swamp monsters, all imagined through the lens of a playful B-movie aesthetic.

Emerging from England's unforgiving northern coast, this dynamic duo present a wholly unique take on noise rock, with crushing riffs, white water rhythmic twists and barking intertwined vocals making way for heinously catchy hooks you'll find yourself whistling at the most unexpected of times. And with the lyrics spinning esoteric tales over such a compelling foundation, Yes Grasshopper won't let your undivided attention slip for a single second.

Their universe is one where both rage and joy jostle side-by-side, one moment buzzing with all the fury of a swarm of pissed-off hornets/mozzies, the next inviting the whole lot round for an unforgettable afterparty. Call it metal. Call it punk. Hell, call it hardcore-acid-math-crustcore if you want. What's so striking is that it doesn't deal in the usual palette of oppressive blacks and greys those genres invariably paint with, instead imagining a more kaleidoscopic and perhaps even welcoming landscape. And despite the heavy-as-heavy-can-be riffery and hammer-blow grooves, there is somehow an air of levity permeating the whole thing.

Giving the likes of Hella, Lightning Bolt and John (times two) a run for their money in the 'how much noise can two people make?' stakes, the respective halves of this newly established duo have been nourished on a diet of music's more extreme offerings, with the mischievous demons within intent on shredding hard. Live shows consist of the slicing of mustard and people losing their socks.

Technological force-of-nature Leafcutter John teams up with fellow stalwarts of idiosyncratic electronica Border Community for the release of his masterful seventh artist album: the small-yet- perfectly formed joyously utopian artefact ‘Yes! Come Parade With Us’.

Interweaving layers of lyrical modular synth and occasional guest drums (from Tom Skinner and Sebastian Rochford) with a set of field recordings collected during his sixty mile walk along the Norfolk coastal path during the summer of 2017, these seven bright-eyed folk anthems sing with positivity and a sense of place and see Leafcutter John on career-defining form.

TRACK LISTING

Doing The Beeston Bump
Yes! Come Parade With
Us
Pillar
Elephant Bones
Stepper Motor
This Way Out
Dunes

Psychic Yes and Tech Startup founder Rafael fortuitously met on a Berlin dance floor in late 2017. A long period of digital correspondence followed between Berlin and Seattle, culminating in the inaugural release of the Seattle-based Tech Startup label: "TS000001". The project is comprised of 5 tracks built up from initial recordings of percussion, trumpet, and synthesizers honed into drum-focused dance pieces in the melancholy Berlin winter of 2018. Split in function between the two sides, Side A features dancefloor-ready tracks with Side B containing introspective songs geared towards a home-listening environment.

Field recordings of Scottish stone slates mark the opening track "Stone Sound", a tribal-leaning dancefloor cut highlighted by syncopated, pounding percussion and discreet melodies. "Spacemaker" features organic, sparse breakbeats cloaked in bright, hazy melodies. "Delicated" is a track that delights as a series of melodic characters move around one another in a foggy electronic atmosphere. "Aldhini Theme" emerges as the standout track on Side B commencing with undulating sequenced bloops and bleeps that slowly build into a hypnotic slow-burner that resolves on a melody.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Stone Sound
A2. Spacemaker
B1. Delicated
B2. Aldhini Theme
B3. 12059

Yes Lawd! Remixes, is a new reworking of the critically acclaimed debut album from NxWorries. Knxwledge continues a Stones Throw tradition started by Madlib, by remixing his own album, adding a new interpretation to the tracks featuring Anderson .Paak’s vocals. “Two artists working at the absolute height of their talents” – Pitchfork “One of the best albums of 2016” – Complex “Yes Lawd! is an album that feels alive, a living and breathing object that nods to the past while staying in the present” - The FADER “The inspired combo of Paak’s soulful rasp and Knxwledge’s cratedigging sample...makes this album something special in a year that’s already filled with strong R&B LPs”

TRACK LISTING

1. Alltype
2. Livvin
3. Wngs
4. Best 1
5. Kutless
6. Lyk Dis
7. Idntrembrwell
8. HAN
9. $cared
10. Best 2
11. Suede
12. Reali(the)nd

Following the success of last years Playgroup ‘Previously Unreleased’ album and its critically-acclaimed run of nine weekly 12” vinyl EPs, Trevor Jackson has compiled a second volume of 20 tracks (11 unheard and 9 previously vinyl only) released as a Limited Edition Double CD.

The music featured is a collection of reworked demos and unreleased recordings. A hedonistic mix of raw Disco, Dub, Funk, Dancehall. Electro, New Wave & Post Punk that all still sound as relevant today as they did when initially recorded for the debut PLAYGROUP album during 1997 - 2001.

TRACK LISTING

CD1
1. Dirt Biter
2. Memory Per Voice
3. P.C.H
4. Don’T Stop (Dub)
5. Don’T No…
6. Like This
7. Butt Wot?
8. C’Mon C'Mon
9. Sold Out
10. Omni Corp

CD2
1.See Yourself
2. Long System
3. Do It
4. No Lube
5. What Does It All Mean
6. Work It
7. Kill Dem
8. In Riddim
9. Tunnel Vision
10. Stand Down (Dub)

A gradual crescendo of spirit-lifting gospel introduces "Yesterday's Gone", perfectly fitting for the debut longplayer from the young master of 'confessional hip hop'. Indeed as Ben Coyle-Larner spits sombre bars over "The Isle Of Arran"s soulful grooves, the South Londoner touches on family, bereavement and religion, all with the same intricate flow and honest delivery. It's a sound that's at odds with the current slew of mumbling, stumbling, gangtas who dominate the charts and mixtapes, celebrating gold, diamonds and designer footwear as they breeze through meme-references and barely decipherable hooks. Rather, Loyle Carner takes his cues from Mos Def, Talib Kweli and London's own Roots Manuva, delivering conscious rhymes over gentle, jazzy grooves. Intimate, intricate and tough to imitate, Loyle Carner is entirely relatable as he treats us to everyday tales of family, food, romance and regret, laying his growing pains bare across a dozen tracks and a couple of well placed skits. If the recent ATCQ LP's put you in the mood for some proper hip hop, then this is your new jam.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Isle Of Arran
2. Mean It In The Morning
3. +44
4. Damselfly (Ft. Tom Misch)
5. Ain't Nothing Changed
6. Swear
7. Florence (Ft. Kwes)
8. The Seamstress (Tooting Masala)
9. Stars & Shards
10. No Worries (Ft. Rebel Kleff And Jehst)
11. Rebel 101
12. No CD (Ft. Rebel Kleff)
13. Mrs C
14. Sun Of Jean (Ft. Mum And Dad)

Flock Of Dimes is Jenn Wasner. Wasner is one half of Wye Oak as well as Dungeonesse.

Across all of her projects Jenn balances experimentation with craft, unafraid to be vulnerable - from 10+ years co-creating the novel, guitar-driven Wye Oak repertoire to purposefully putting out several two-at-a-time 7”s as Flock Of Dimes or exploring electronic textures as Dungeonesse.

Wasner wrote, performed and self-produced the record, with help from frequent collaborators Mickey Freeland in Baltimore and Aaron Roche in NYC. It was mixed in Dallas by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Angel Olsen).

“‘Semaphore’ is a song for people who make better art than they do small talk. In spite of all of the chaos behind the song, though, its sound feels comforting and triumphant. Through each verse, Wasner gets stronger.” - NPR

A.Dyjecinski is an enigma wrapped up in a ball of gently mysterious wool. He is originally from Canada; 'The Valley of Yessiree' is his first album as a solo artist: A self-recorded autobiographical concept record on failure in the pursuit of loneliness and the ghosts that occupy his mind.

TRACK LISTING

1. Goad By A Valley
2. Dead Horses
3. I'm The Woods
4. The Fight
5. Dry Bread
6. Yessiree
7. The Resurrection
8. Grenades
9. Hunger
10. Ivorm

MANIMAL GROUP is excited to announce the sequel to YOKO ONO’S critically acclaimed 2007 collaboration record Yes, I’m A Witch (Astralwerks).

'Yes, I’m A Witch Too' features new collaborations and remixes pairing ONO with Death Cab For Cutie, Peter, Bjorn and John, Sparks, tUnE-yArDs, MiikeSnow, Cibo Matto, Portugal The Man and more. 

TRACK LISTING

1: Walking On Thin Ice
2: Forgive Me My Love
3: Mrs. Lennon
4: Give Me Something
5: She Gets Down On Her Knees
6: Dogtown
7: Wouldnit
8: Move On Fast
9: Soul Got Out Of The Box
10: Approxmately Infinite Universe
11: Yes, I'm Your Angel
12: Warrior Woman
13: Coffin Car
14: I Have A Woman Inside My Soul
15: Catman
16: No Bed For Beatle John
17: Hell In Paradise 

Perfect Pussy are one of the boldest and most intriguing projects to surface in recent years, garnering widespread critical acclaim following the release of a four song EP, titled I have lost all desire for feeling. Veiled beneath layers of exquisitely abrasive noise, frontwoman Meredith Graves’ lyrics are disarming, brutally honest and poetic, possessing a feverish intensity that can only be matched by Graves’ electric stage presence. Hailing from Syracuse, New York, the band is comprised of members from the local punk and hardcore community.

Since releasing their 4 song demo cassette I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling in late 2013, Perfect Pussy have taken the music world by storm. Their harsh yet refreshing lyrics paired with the assaulting vocals of singer Meredith Graves drew in audiences from all crowds. While often muffled by the wall of sound built buy the guitar, bass, drums and synth, it is the brutal truths of Graves’ lyrics and the power of her live delivery that has had everyone from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork to The New York Times praising the power of this rising band. With Say Yes to Love Perfect Pussy have begun to hone their sound while retaining the rough around the edges noise that first drew listeners in. The first track, “Driver”, grabs the listner and drags them into the chaotic world of this brief but powerful album. The songs kick and punch but it is the dense, honest lyrics that will make the listener feel the most. Filled with conflict and confidence and despare and desire, these are songs that stay with the listener long after the album has ended.

“These punk kids from the mean streets of Syracuse, New York, deliver high-energy slabs of mayhem-friendly post punk noise, a wall of guitar and Casio. Meredith Graves knows how to run her mosh pit like a dictator runs a birthday party.” Rolling Stone.

“In just four short songs, Perfect Pussy has spoken more truths than many artists with 20-year-spanning discographies, and with news of a debut full-length in the works, now is probably a good time to start bracing yourselves. It might get a little uncomfortable, but trust me, the shake-up is worth it.” Complex.

“One of the boldest new rock bands.” Pitchfork.

TRACK LISTING

1. Driver (2:16)
2. Bells (1:41)
3. Big Stars (2:19)
4. Work (2:08)
5. Interference Fits (3:30)
6. Dig (1:23)
7. Advance Upon The Real (5:04)
8. VII (4:36)

"You wanna know something? Every now and then say, "What the fuck." "What the fuck" gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future." Risky Business 1983. Inspired by a "What the fuck” philosophy, "Loosen The Lead And Spoil The Dogs" is a throwback to days when artists crafted records to be listened to as albums.

This third full-length from Colossal Yes (a project masterminded by Comets On Fire drummer Utrillo Kushner) embraces unhinged power pop, bleary-eyed classic rock, and channels the late-night, art with meaning vibe, of early 70’s singer-songwriters. The result is an album that rides high with optimism like an unscratched lottery ticket. Lyrics are placed in the forefront of the action drawing inspiration from various literary and pop culture topics. When all assembled the end product is a canon of lyrical imagery and sun-soaked open-ended possibility.

The ten songs that comprise "Loosen The Lead..." concentrate on thought and a groove, ultimately ending up with the only acceptable conclusion... "What the fuck." Joining Kushner in this recording were friends and cohorts including Ben Chasney (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets On Fire, Raganda), Ben Flashman (Comets On Fire), Noel Von Harmonson (Sic Alps, Comets On Fire) as well as members of Aisler's Set, East Bay Grease, Howling Rain and many others.

TRACK LISTING

1. Lacroix’s Run
2. Sterling Drums
3. The Deputy’s Game
4. Vomit On Your Blue Suede Shoes
5. Crowing Over Scraps
6. Lacroix’s Divide
7. Backbiter Blues
8. Young Horus
9. Romeo’s Reinvention
10. Lacroix’s Return

Formed in Columbus, Ohio in early 2010, Way Yes is the musical collaboration of Glenn Davis & Travis Hall. With the addition of multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer Max Lewis, the band set out to make music about good times, or at least making it through the bad ones.

Their latest EP, Walkability (being released via Lefse Records 26/03/12) hides heavy lyrical content under positive tropical vibes. The album addresses everything from death of loved ones to the daily grind. They make masterful use of sonic space, keeping the instrumentation sparse and the reverb heavy to provide a deceivingly introspective experience. With layered Afro-Latin rhythms, whimsical guitar lines and dreamy electronic touches, Way Yes makes sure you’ll never think of Ohio the same way again.

TRACK LISTING

1. Walkability
2. Important
3. Singing
4. Gino
5. Ties
6. Walkability, (Rimar Remix)
7. Important (First Person Shootr Rework)
8. Singing (RUMTUM Remix)
9. Gino (Larry Gus Remix)
10. Ties (Monster Rally Remix)

New Build are a fresh alternative pop band from London formed by Al Doyle (LCD Soundsystem / Hot Chip), Felix Martin (Hot Chip) and Tom Hopkins (engineer and producer). The band meld the world of dance music with subtle soulful pop beautifully. For fans of Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Human League, Robert Wyatt and Hot Chip.

TRACK LISTING

1. Introduction
2. Medication
3. Misery Loves Company
4. Miranda, Be My Guide
5. Behind The Shutter
6. Schism Of The Mind
7. Do You Not Feel Loved?
8. The Third One
9. Mercy
10. Finding Reasons
11. Last Gasp
12. Silence And The Muttering

Love Inks' debut album ‘E.S.P.’ was conceived and recorded with strict, direct motives. No frills, tears through extravagant side roads, indulgent solos, certainly no jamming, and no extra instrumentation. The sounds captured within these 10 tracks are simply an electric guitar, a bass guitar, an old drum machine, at special moments a Moog Satellite and, most importantly, the simple yet poignant vocals of Sherry LeBlanc. The combined sound is minimalist dream-pop; imbued with raw emotion, sexuality, and splashes of electronic colour. Focus is placed primarily on the voice, which is direct and honest and real.

"I don't even like rhythm, assonance, all that stuff. You just go on your nerve. If someone's chasing you down the street with a knife you just run." – Frank O’hara

“Our heroes are masters of simplicity and tact” explains Sherry. “This sometimes leads to uncomfortable situations, but we never get caught by the blade.”

Self-recorded in their own homes, Austin, Texas, and mixed by a friend; the idea was to get the purest signals from all instruments and feed them through an 8 track reel-to-reel, immediately warming the sounds and weaving it all together. This process was drawn out on a piece of paper in schematics before recording with the concept being: the less digitized, the better. In March of 2010, Love Inks started the process with fifteen or more songs, and by June they were down to a solid ten.

The songs featured on ‘E.S.P.’ were written to showcase the essence of emotion behind each instrument. It started as an exercise and became the only way to do it, forever. With the guitar and bass, Love Inks found there is a way to drop it perfectly into the song, in between everything, so that the vocal can exist in its own world, floating independently above the song.

For the lyrics, Sherry channels the intensity and love between Yoko Ono and John Lennon. The art of Ono, inherently Japanese, is concise and inspired John Lennon to follow suite: "Try shaving it all off and getting down to the nitty gritty- - that's what I always try to write. I'm not interested in describing a fucking tree. I'm interested in climbing it or being under it." Give it to them straight, with honesty. Sherry is also a firm believer in positivity. Her lyrics are never abusive or cynical. “We are a family, and in some ways stronger because we are always supportive. The album reflects a time and place for everyone in the band. A time to pear down to what is necessary, essential. Cut out complexity, and you'll find a deeper layer that is thicker and stronger. Like the human body, you'll eventually end up at a nerve; once it's hit, that's when we know we're there, and that's when we press the record button.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Wave Goodbye
2. Blackeye
3. Leather Glove
4. Can’t Be Wrong
5. Skeleton Key
6. Down And Out
7. Too Wild
8. Rock On
9. In My Dreams
10. Too Late

Laura are an amazing six piece collective/band from Melbourne, Australia who create noise and beauty unlike anyone else out there today. They definitely have sipped from the same cup as their older brethren the Dirty Three, but yet also go way beyond that in their peaks, valleys and fury while incorporating so much more than the post rock blueprint sometimes can offer. "Yes Maybe No" is the culmination of the bands evolutionary path to this point that has seen them release a very strong first album in 05' followed by a stunning second record in "Radio Swan is Down" in early 07. This record incorporates everything about the band that makes them heavy, passionate and absolutely beautiful. There are spots on the record where the music takes you in very different directions than you would expect. The band entered the studio in April with outlines and certain structures loosely mapped out but it really took shape in the studio to the point the EP started to grow almost into album length. The material was really leading the way so everyone just let the music direct them and "Yes Maybe No" is the result. We feel Laura are quite simply one of the most passionate, powerful, melodic and more unique bands out there today. They take their intensity and meld it with some of the best in what the post rock world has to offer and yet create something that is wholly their own. It's deep, dark, powerful and almost magical in its beauty.

"I'm Not Entirely Clear How I Ended Up Like This" is the debut UK release for Dublin/Berlin beat combo Michael Knight and represents the logical progression in their ongoing musical argument that influences as diverse Beethoven, Bach and Bacharach can make compelling bedfellows. The result is 11 slices of the most irresistibly sophisticated pop music and, as further evidence of their genius, the album has been released with instrumental and vocal versions of each song. Imagine Modesst Mussorgsky backing Jens Lekman and you're halfway there. The presence of Brian O'Shaughnessy (The Clientele, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine) on mixing duties should give an indication of the sonic palette on offer: sweeping strings, haunting harmonies and dramatic mood swings.

The debut release for local label Otisburg brings together 3 bands; The Beagles' "Pocket Symphony" is an upbeat indie rocker; "Shoot Me" by Delphin marries a taut blues groove to a stoned mantra that gives way to some rock action; and final track "All the Colours" by People in the Bassment is a laid back number featuring some sparkling guitar and introspective vocals.

Great album from this unsigned band that bring to mind the Beta Band.

Mannhai formed in 1999 with guitarist Ilkka Laaksomaa, bassist Oppu Laine, drummer, Junior Pietinen and ex-Xysma frontman Joanitor Muurinen. This debut album "The Sons Of Yesterday's Black Grouse" was recorded in Helsinki and has come to be regarded as one of the best stoner rock debuts of the new century. The opening track "Gazers Of The Red-Hot Stones" sets off with a stunning riff and the band never lets the excitement, tension and power flag for a second.

One of the most successful of the 70s progressive rock groups, Yes began their career with this adventurous debut album. Influenced by the explosion of new pyschedelic prog rock bands like Pink Floyd, Cream and the Nice (who weren't afraid to mix rock idioms with classical music) "Yes" was issued in November 1969 it featured Jon Anderson's distinctive vocals, Chris Squire's huge bass sound, Peter Banks' angular guitar and Tony Kaye's keyboards which were underpinned by Bruford's remarkable drumming that managed to be both complex and effortless. It was their first step on the path to prog rock success.

Loud aggressive debut from this band from Portland, Oregon. Typical of an In The Red release, this is classic rock'n'roll with all the influences you'd expect - Stooges, Stones, Cramps, Beefheart, New York Dolls and 60s / 70s punk.

Effortlessly blending downer, emocore lyrics with poppy hardcore backings this new Lookout Records outfit has what it takes to make you happy as they get more depressed. Oh so young to be sooo cynical. Great stuff.