Supergroup, side project, high-school-garage-band-of-brothers-from-other-mothers, whatever its called, this band formed to play a one-off show in Big Sur and had so much fun they’re still at it. On guitar, Neal Casal (Circles Around The Sun) sticks mostly to the acoustic allowing his elegant affinity towards melodic craft to shine. Cass McCombs’s guitar wizardry and acclaimed compositions are at their peak, and his raw, mostly first-take vocals bring the core of the song to the forefront. And when asking “what the hell was that sound”—it was probably Farmer Dave, the official leader and founder of the band, his keyboard / lap steel / harmonium work is the glue that holds the flotsam together.

Dan Horne’s bass (Circles Around The Sun) and Aaron Sperske’s percussion (Beachwood Sparks) are so intertwined it sounds like each of them are both playing drums and bass at the same time.After the instant classic and record store rare find Skifflin’ (2015), The Skiffle Players are ready to release two new works. The Piffle Sayers EP ss made up of a few gems from the Skifflin’ sessions, and can be considered a companion piece to that debut LP. This foreshadows the release of a new full length album scheduled for this fall.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There's no way with this calibre of musician, that the debut release by the Skiffle Players would be anything but brilliantly executed and immensely enjoyable, and you'll be happy to hear that everyone is indeed on top form. Beautifully evocative, brilliantly written and (as expected), played perfectly. Can't wait for the full-length!

Supergroup featuring featuring Cass McCombs, Farmer Dave, Neal Casal and Dan Horne from Circles Around The Sun, and Aaron Sperske (Beachwood Sparks).

Their second album, Skiff, is a new direction for The Skiffle Players. Now, they all sing and write. There is no leader. Recorded at Infinitespin Recorders in Van Nuys CA, with engineer Matt “Linny” Linesch, the album begins with a bold opening; the Farmer Dave Scher-penned “Cara,” heavy information for the soul. Then, into classic Cass McCombs insanity on “Local Boy,” a wild ride on the run from the cops. Third is a touching tribute to a bygone companion, “Miss It When It’s Gone,” written and led by Neal Casal.

The album’s revolving perspective continues to bounce around, leaving no apparent land to stand upon. In that, it is deeply subversive. For there is nothing to defend, but the ability o transform and imagine.The album continues to unfold back to McCombs with a satire on justice, “The Law Offices Of Dewey, Cheatum And Howe.” It goes from the saloon “Long Horns, Long Necks, Long Legs,” to the rainforest “Herbamera.” Casal blasts in again with the sun-bleached rambler, “Los Angeles Alleyway.” Scher’s “Skiffleman” sings a song for everyone. McCombs plays with memory in a song about coming of age in the Bay Area on “Oakland Scottish Rite Temple Waltz.” Penultimately, “Santa Fe” is an elliptical broadside about materialism and waste. The album concludes by pushing off again, out into the familiar waters of a traditional skiffle number, “Sweet Georgia Brown,” each member taking a perhaps all-too casual solo.This is acoustic dance music at its finest. It is also refreshingly contradictory, irreverent and mystical, deeply personal and communal, and traditional and profane—the ever revolving and disintegrating ship known as Skiff.

TRACK LISTING

1. Cara
2. Local Boy
3. You'll Miss It When It's Gone
4. The Law Offices Of Dewey, Cheatum, And Howe
5. Wham!
6. Long Horns, Long Necks, Long Legs
7. Herbamera
8. Los Angeles Alleyway
9. Skiffleman
10 Harsh Toke
11. Oakland Scottish Rite Temple Waltz
12. Santa Fe
13. Sweet Georgia Brown

This is the debut album from underground post-punk group Skill 7 Stamina 12. It fuses punk, disco, krautrock and jazz influences and will appeal to fans of A Certain Ratio, Can, Gang Of Four, Massacre, Stereolab and Arthur Russell. Skill 7 Stamina 12 have strong ties with the London art scene and feature a Dutch chanteuse who sings in a range of languages, underpinned by fearsomely tight rhythmic arrangements.

Anyone who has followed Emotional Rescue knows it has always done a fine job of documenting punk and dub's early years, not least by showcasing the previously unheralded work of Skinbat Scramble. Now they back that up once more with a new compilation that puts together a selection of the band's previously unreleased recordings. It is a superb trip through a number of decades and finds core members Mark Eason and Fergus Crockford distilling slow tempos, experimental sounds, dub, and much more into leftfield rhythms for body and mind.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Submit
2. Submit (Dub)

Side 2
1. North By Northwest
2. North By Dub

Side 3
1. Skidaddle
2. Skidaddle (Daddy)

Side 4
1. Basement Voltaire
2. Pixie Boot (Dub)

Drummer and producer Tom Skinner (The Smile, Sons of Kemet) announces this lean and beautiful album, in which he edited a starry recording session into a sonorous, tuff and beguiling new shape.

The title of Tom Skinner’s first release under his own name is a reference to cellist Abdul Wadud’s ultra-rare 1978 solo album ‘By Myself’, which Skinner listened to repeatedly during lockdown. Wadud’s album was privately pressed on his own label, Bisharra, and whilst Skinner’s title uses the more conventional spelling of this common Arabic name, they both have the same intention or meaning: it translates as ‘good news’, or ‘the bringer of good news’.

This is a classic-sounding record that connects backwards to Skinner’s 2017 Hello Skinny collaboration with American composer and Arthur Russell-collaborator Peter Zummo on ‘Watermelon Sun’. It links sideways to Makaya McCraven’s beat maker-inspired treatments of jazz sessions, and it offers a musical bridge to Sons of Kemet’s most meditative moments.

TRACK LISTING

1. Bishara
2. Red 2
3. The Journey
4. The Day After Tomorrow
5. Voices (of The Past)
6. Quiet As It's Kept

In January 2023, Tom Skinner and his ensemble performed material from his recently released album Voices of Bishara at London club “mu”— a venue founded by the curators at Brilliant Corners and named after the seminal Don Cherry live album. The set was augmented by a rendition of Tony Williams’ “Red” and three pieces by Abdul Wadud, whose 1977 self-released solo cello album, By Myself, was a primary inspiration for Voices of Bishara.

The soloists featured on the album — Shabaka Hutchings and Nubya Garcia— are replaced in Skinner's live ensemble with saxophonist Robert Stillman (who also plays with Skinner in The Smile) and saxophonist / flutist Chelsea Carmichael. The extended rhythm section of Tom Herbert (double bass) and Kareem Dayes (cello) round out the lineup, with Skinner on drums. It’s clear from the jump that this band’s aim is to excavate the deep corners of this material, kicking the set off with a 15-minute rendition of Skinner’s own composition “Bishara” that employs the same relationship to rhythmic and tonal freedom found in the Abdul Wadud cello work that inspired it. That aesthetic connection is even more clear by the time the group moves into their 20-minute exploration of Waded’s “Oasis,” the stunning centerpiece of the set.

Hearing Skinner’s compositions - flexed and stretched with extended improvisation, and in context with works by Wadud and Williams - both places them and this band firmly in the creative music continuum they honor, and provides us with an unobstructed view of where that continuum is leading us.

TRACK LISTING

1. Bishara
2. Red 2
3. The Journey
4. The Day After Tomorrow
5. Oasis
6. Camille
7. Happiness

Visceral yet inherently soulful, 'Hardly The Same Snake' is the sound of the Johannesburg-born, Doncaster-raised artist Doya Beardmore finally finding his voice – both literally and figuratively. In practical terms, that involved finding the courage to foreground his gravelly baritone in these gloriously genre-agnostic productions. But it also meant branching out beyond his safety net to figure out the artist he truly wanted to be.

As Skinny puts it today, “This album is what I would have created the first time round had I rated my own voice.” The idea of forging your own path – and shedding skin, so to speak – is integral to 'Hardly The Same Snake'. Begun pre-pandemic and completed in the spring of 2021, it’s a defiantly outward-looking record contemplating family, religion and major life milestones, from parenthood to death. Where previously Skinny relied on dream diaries as his primary lyrical resource, this time he took notes at design exhibitions, using these unfiltered observations as a jumping off point for songs. If this superb second album proves anything, it’s that it doesn’t matter how much Skinny errs on the side of self-deprecation – he remains one of the UK’s most fearlessly original voices.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Skinny Pelembe's latest opus takes the perfectly manicured multi-genre mashup of 2019's brilliant 'Dreaming Is Dead Now' and pushes even further outwards into euphoric neo-soul, jazz and synthwave. It's a heady mix, and one that could only be so perfectly executed by a talent like Skinny.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Same Eye Colour
2. Hardly The Same Snake
3. Deadman Deadman Deadman
4. Don't Be Another

Side B
5. Oh, Silly George
6. Charabanc
7. Like A Heart Won't Beat
8. Well, There's A First
9. Secret Hiding Place

New album from the industrial survivors.

Influential industrial pioneers Skinny Puppy welcomed audiences into the embrace of the seminal Too Dark Park in 1990

One of the band's most influential records, it includes "Tormentor," "Spasmolytic," and more. In addition to praise from Vice and many more, Metal Hammer fittingly named it one of the "10 Best Industrial Albums," and Spin summed it up best as a "return to the bloodbath." A menacing and massive pastiche of H.P. Lovecraftstyle cosmic horror, addiction, mental disarray, and the disintegration of nature, Too Dark Park remains a cataclysmic and chaotic classic through and through.

Now available on vinyl for the first time in 30 years to celebrate the 35th anniversary since release. Legends of electronic industrial music. Restored to original art on classic black vinyl. "10 best industrial albums - metal hammer"

TRACK LISTING

Convulsion
Tormentor
Spasmolytic
Rash Reflection
Nature's Revenge
Shore Lined Poison
Grave Wisdom
T.F.W.O.
Morpheus Laughing
Reclamation

Dreamy downbeat with a psyche-pop / indie edge. Check the Bent remix on side B for extra dreamyness and some electronic sounds 'n' samples.

Are they an indie outfit playing downbeat or vice versa? Downbeat stylings with proper songs attached.

Skinshape is the project of British musician, William Dorey. The sound has roots in many genres, but in particular 1960s-70s Funk, Soul, Reggae, Psychedelic Rock, Afrobeat and Folk. Skinshape grew out of a love for old music and the way it sounded. Initially Dorey experimented with samples (especially drum breaks) to create instrumental hip-hop/trip-hop tracks, but then later started to play around with tape machines as a means to create his own 'samples'. This process gave birth to Skinshape, with all elements being recorded by Dorey since the first self-titled album, released in 2014. He released his second album Oracolo in 2015, and in 2017 he released his third album 'Life & Love.' Aside from the Skinshape project, Dorey was bassist for the band Palace from 2014-2017, and also runs a reggae label called Horus Records, based in North London. 

TRACK LISTING

1. After Midnight
2. I Didn't Know
3. Metanoia
4. Shimmer 
5. Breathe
6. Life As One
7. We Lose
8. Filoxiny

Building on the success of 2018’s ‘Filoxiny’ (listed as one of Q Magazine’s ‘354 Albums to Blow Your Mind’) and this year’s ‘Umoja’ (“a pleasure to listen to from start to finish” – Songlines magazine) – both of whose singles have peppered the playlists of BBC 6 Music and have lead to his helming of a Bandcamp takeover - Skinshape returns with the witheringly, prophetically titled ‘Arrogance is the Death of Men’. Written and recorded between November 2019 and July 2020, Skinshape bids to recreate something akin to the ‘old style’ of ‘Oracolo’ (2015) and ‘Life & Love’ (2017). With ‘Arrogance…’, Will Dorey’s blueprint points to a simple formula, aligning a bank of fresh drum breaks recorded at the end of 2019 to whatever he had to hand, for a long player recorded in the majority at home due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Forever balanced between sweetness and a sigh, as per his position ‘Behind the Sun’, the Skinshape essence, intricate yet always reachable, at times tailored in a single session and sourcing archive bric-a-brac when required, is all around on the sweetly strummed ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘The Eastern Connection’, featuring Ivan Kormanak on drums. Maintaining an incisive knowledge of global sounds that keeps him in the filmic company of Khruangbin and El Michels Affair, Dorey’s listening to vintage Vietnamese music and Asian film scores provides the basis of ‘Sound of Your Voice’ and ‘Flight of the Erhu’, starring Wan Pinchu on Erhu violin. Acutely aware of the world’s ongoing health crisis without preaching about the whys and wherefores, the title track and ‘Losing My Mind’ reflect enforced confinement as tranquil songs of both quiet consideration yet powerful release. Dorey’s guitar pieces and wraith-like soul continue to flicker with fascination as Indian Summers and fireside retreats beckon, with ‘Watching From The Shadows’ - about “standing up for yourself, and avoiding the limelight for your own good”– and ‘Outro’ gently bringing the album to rest

TRACK LISTING

A1. Tomorrow
A2. Sound Of Your Voice
A3. Arrogance Is The Death Of Men
A4. The Eastern Connection
A5. Behind The Sun..
B1. Another Day
B2. Losing My Mind
B3. Flight Of The Erhu
B4. Watching From The Shadows
B5. Outro

For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Madlib and Bonobo. Features the singles ‘It’s Real, ‘Amnesia’, and ‘The Ocean’. Will Dorey aka Skinshape has proven himself time and again a connoisseur for the cosmopolitan, across a prolific career expertly exploring understated sounds and theatrical textures. Taking his place alongside the likes of Khruangbin, Tame Impala, Bonobo and Madlib, Skinshape’s global kaleidoscopes are loaded with warmth and wisdom created on vintage analogue equipment applying a perfectionist’s touch.

As a former member of indie band Palace, he has played everywhere from Glastonbury and BBC Maida Vale to headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Speaking on his latest record Craterellus Tubaeformis, Dorey remarks, "As I continue to make albums, I always try to capture some elements of the original Skinshape style. Here I ran through albums 1-3. This record is really an echo of the "Life & Love" era of Skinshape, playful psychedelia, with punchy beats, fun surprises, and an attempt at meaningful lyrics." Named after a very specific genus of edible mushroom, Craterellus Tubaeformis shares all the attributes of its nutritious counterpart due to how difficult both are to cultivate. Skinshape’s music is the product of a highly devoted and meticulous composer who uses some of the rarest analogue equipment out there. The product is such a definitive sound heard nowhere else but so easily identified as Skinshape. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 The Pool Of Dee
A2 It's Real
A3 The Ocean
A4 The Longest Shadow
A5 Care About Me
A6 Nobody Knows
A7 Quiet
B1 Amnesia
B2 Zanzibar
B3 Ganymede
B4 The Lady
B5 Peace Piece
B6 Country Woman

With over 15000,000 (yes, fifteen million!) plays on YouTube and over 2,000,000 on Spotify we thought it was only fair that Skinshape’s most popular song was released on glorious vinyl. The track is already on the ‘Filoxiny’ album so Skinshape extended the mix and backed it with a dub version for the flip. Skinshape is the project of British musician William Dorey. The sound has roots in many genres but in particular 1960s Funk, Soul, Reggae, Psychedelic Rock, Afrobeat and Folk.

Aside from the Skinshape project Dorey was bassist for the band Palace from 2014-2017 and also runs a reggae label called Horus Records based in North London. About I Didn’t Know from Dorey himself: “This is the most 'pop' song I've possibly ever made, and possibly the most 'modern' sounding. It is about being in a difficult relationship and not knowing how to deal with it and making mistakes as a result. I wrote and recorded most of the song around the drum pattern, and created some (terrible sounding) digital orchestral parts temporarily whilst I created the body of the song. I recorded the strings and horns in the last part of the recording process before doing the final mixes. The horns were recorded separately with the help of my long-time friend (since school) and master arranger Jon Moody (of the group Franc Moody).”

For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Tame Impala and Bonobo. “I spent a while thinking about the title for this album; it was quite hard to pin down the feeling I felt it represented. At a certain point I realized it was nostalgia, for everything; our life passed by, childhood, moments of happiness and sadness, where we grew up”. – Skinshape.

Will Dorey aka Skinshape has proven himself time and again as a connoisseur for the cosmopolitan, across a prolific career expertly exploring understated sounds and theatrical textures. Taking his place alongside the likes of Khruangbin, Tame Impala, Bonobo and Madlib, Skinshape’s global kaleidoscopes are loaded with warmth and wisdom created on vintage analogue equipment applying a perfectionist’s touch. As a former member of indie band Palace, he has played everywhere from Glastonbury and BBC Maida Vale to headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Conversely as a solo artist Skinshape has never played live preferring to record, releasing an album a year (two in 2020’s lockdown) and keeping away from the trappings of stardom.

Full of gilded guitars, tantalizing Rhodes, languid strings and chords that fill the soul with joy - "Nostalgia" is the perfect accompaniment for road trips through the countryside and afternoon languishing by the riverside. Recommended! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A beautifully vibrant, relaxed, and heart warming album that sits alongside it's current contemporaries in fine style. Every group of friends’ve got someone who can make baggy pants and a floral shirt look good, and this album is that person!

TRACK LISTING

1. Theme For Lazarus
2. Better Chances
3. Dreams Of Panama
4. Moonlight Walk
5. Albion
6. High Tide, Storm Rising
7. Turn Away
8. Bohanon's Cornucopia
9. Bad Dreams
10. Fish & Chips
11. Dawn

Originally released in 2014 and available for the first time on CD. CD only bonus tracks ‘Surf Rider’ and ‘Rainy Dub’ Written, recorded, mixed and produced by Will Dorey, Skinshape’s self-titled debut album showcases the talents of the then 23 year old. Recorded in bedrooms, lounges and ‘The Arch’ studio in North London the trademark ‘Skinshape’ sound was already starting to emerge. Everything from psychedelia and rock to indie and dub is explored. A stunning debut for a now much loved artist.

TRACK LISTING

1 Live By The Day
2 The Place Upstream
3 Heartache
4 Shangri-La
5 Sunday Morning (feat. Aaron Taylor)
6 You Don’t Love Me
7 Stabo (feat. Anina)
8 Bonus Breaks
9 Rainy Dub (CD Only Bonus Track)
10 Surf Rider (CD Only Bonus Track)

Fifth studio album featuring Malcolm Catto, D'Alma, Idd Aziz and Modou Touré. Includes the singles Sua Alma, In The End and Afande. His most accomplished album to date Will Dorey aka Skinshape moved out of his comfort zone to create a new sound while retaining his trademark feel. While Skinshape has often been influenced by African music ‘Umoja’ directly incorporates styles and rhythms from the continent. Drawing on London’s vast talent pool from across the globe collaborators bring the essence of Senegal, Portugal, Ghana and Kenya via Norway no name but a few.

The initial plan was to travel to various African nations to record ‘Umoja’. This proved to be an unnecessary step because Skinshape's hometown of London ended up bearing many fruits. It was a challenging project for Dorey taking a year and a half of dedicated work to complete with many ideas left unfinished along the way. The album has a very global feel which was enhanced at the end of the process by a collaboration with Japanese painter Ken-ichi Omura. Fans of Skinshape’s distinctive voice will not be disappointed as he features on ‘In The End’ and ‘Sun’. Long-time friend and collaborator Jon Moody (from the band Franc Moody) wrote the album’s horn parts. 

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1 Sua Alma (feat. D'Alma)
2 In The End
3 Afande (feat. Idd Aziz)
4 Kourou (feat. Modou Touré)
5 Azon De Ma Gnin..

Side 2
6 Amigos E Inimigos (feat. D'Alma)
7 Sunny Day
8 Sudan (feat. Idd Aziz)
9 Dourlé (feat. Modou Touré)
10 Lehin Ti Aye Ba Iku

One of those underground bands from the fringe of the British progressive / psychedelic scene that never quite made it, despite the fact that they recorded some fine tracks, notably the single "Man In Black" (produced by Steve Marriot and Ronnie Lane) and the psychedelic "Time Track".

Second album on Moon Ska; the Skoidats are able to mix styles like ska, oi! and reggae, this time making the oi! rawer,the ska more skankin' and the reggae sweet as a nut. They've managed to record some of the best skinhead reggae recorded for nearly 20 years. Rounding it off with an angry punk version of Cock Sparrer's "Running Riot" for good measure.

From Guy Skornik, the composer and arranger behind Popera Cosmic and Pour Pauwels, comes the enigmatic instrumental cues that provided fellow existentialist and notorious auteur director Alejandro Jodorowsky (‘The Holy Mountain’) with the soundtrack music to what is now considered his rarest and most overlooked feature film, ‘Tusk’.

As part of Finders Keepers’ ongoing dedicated Jodorowsky soundtrack series the label presents the original film edits from the 1979 studio sessions featuring Steve Hillage (Gong) and members of Cossi Anatz.

Following his mind melting masterpieces ‘Fando & Lis’, ‘El Topo’ and ‘The Holy Mountain’, Jodorowsky’s ‘disowned’ attempt at a family film retains the director’s ongoing demand for intense, experimental film music, resulting in what is undeniably one the best kept sonic secrets from the darker corners of this coveted filmography.

Cherrypicked from pre-recorded synthesiser-fuelled cosmic pop sessions by Skornik, these compositions provided ‘Tusk’ with arabesque new age synthesis alongside fullblown ambitious electro rock, as well as classic French Fender Rhodes-driven romanticism during some of this lesser-spotted movie’s most memorable moments.

Presented here in isolation, Guy Skornik’s multifarious futurist-pop evokes worthy comparisons to Ash Ra Tempel, Eno’s Bowie and Suzanne Ciani, mapping an unlikely journey between Magma and 10cc in the process. Don’t ignore Jodorowsky’s ‘elephant in the room’ - you never know what’s hidden in the trunk.

TRACK LISTING

Goodnight Ram
Elise On The Run
Elise & Tusk Reunited
Poo Lorn 1
Crossing The River
Elise Liberates Tusk
Poo Lorn 2
Poo Lorn 3

Causa Sui drummer & El Paraiso visual designer Jakob Skøtt unleashes his most personal vision to date. His one-man-band formula of synths, drums and effects serve him as well as ever. From the avant-electro grooves of Amor Fati (2014) to his ambitious pre-fusion cosmic jazz sessions of All the Colours of the Dust (2016), this latest set is Skøtt at his most ripe: The grooves are deeper, more stripped down to its essentials, yet maintaining the vibrant seamless mix of airy timing, drowning drones & sludgy synth riffs. The album was recorded a few months after Jakob experienced a brief, yet painful spontaneous leak of brain fluid. Instrumentality draws on that corpal experience in it’s titles and artwork, as well as works it’s musical muse. It’s music that constantly dives inwards - ever repetitive, yet constantly moving. From micro movements in Skøtt’s poly-rhythms, to the 5 song cycles diving to the depths of the splintered nerves reconnecting with their natural flow. Sometimes lost but never without a sense of purpose. Welcome aboard.

"Listenin' To The Records On My Wall", is the perfect introduction to why Skream's current level of success is just the beginning. It's a joyful, ragingly energetic celebration of the last quarter decade of British street music, inspired by the hardcore and jungle records used by his older brother Hijak who was part of Grooverider's Internatty Crew. It's also a brilliant pop record that makes perfect sense to everyone who grew up surrounded by the breaks and beats of the 1990s - and to those who didn't.

This, however, is not a revival record. A natural born modernist, Skream has selected 14 tracks that cover hip hop ("8-Bit Baby", with LA rapper Murs from Living Legends), bass-wobbling dubstep (the self-explanatory "Wibbler"), dreamy electronica ("Perferated"), a dark and tribal track with La Roux, and a strong dose of euphoric jungle on "The Epic Last Tune"; a track that is inadvisable to listen to whilst driving - unless you want another six points on your licence. "Outside The Box" is the sound of an artist who is ready to take his considerable talents to a wider audience without compromising any of the raw, hedonistic, emotional, lose-yourself madness that has made him literally legendary to the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. There's the 8-bit computer game inspiration of "CPU"; the Daft Punk styled vocals of "How Real" featuring Freckles; the tuff but soothing heart-beat of "Fields Of Emotion" and the Jocelyn Brown-sampling "I Love The Way", which sees the first lady of disco pitched right down.

Known respectively for their independent work as Botany and Lushlife, Spencer Stephenson and Raj Haldar selected their collaborative mantle, The Skull Eclipses, when the album became more than just a one-plus-one combination of their individual sounds. The odd title was originally given to a demo beat that Stephenson sent Haldar back in 2014, but it quickly became apt for the subject matter and emotional tone that the album and group took on during creation. “The Skull Eclipses” refers to the philosophy of Solipsism, that nothing veri¬ably exists outside of the human mind, and dually to the idea that knowledge of one’s own mortality makes inner peace unachievable.

Happiness is “eclipsed” by the image of death, classically represented as a “skull”. Accordingly, Haldar’s lyrics are a free-associative discourse on the value of life amid a growing population, Islamophobia misdirected at non-muslims via racist assumption, poverty, pharmaceutical abuse, mortality, mental illness, international conflict, political unrest, police shootings, and the continual failure of the drug-war that began when the album’s creators were just children. Stephenson’s trademark fractalline production, noticeably more grim and aggressive than the tie-dyed psychedelia of his Botany project, provides ample space for Haldar’s shadow-self to break through. Aside from displaying a wider tempo variation than any of Stephenson’s work to date The Skull Eclipses is spun from sonic threads dark enough to border on horror. Songs are glued together with interstitial bad-trip creep-ups: melting choirs, doomsday evangelists, and the Judica-Cordiglia recordings that are purported to have captured the sounds of Russian kosmonauts burning up on reentry.

Broadly, The Skull Eclipses is a post-hip hop album that harmonizes tropes of mid 90's electronic genres-- ambient, downtempo, jungle, & trip-hop-- under a hauntological umbrella. It is the first offering from a project that's as much indebted to Broadcast & The Focus Group as it is to Pete Rock & CL Smooth, but obligated to neither. Up close however, the album is a peer into the shadows by two figures uncontent with blending into the tapestry of modern music, wholly committed to creating experiences over mere content, which is pouring in from all corners of a frustrated and distracted world. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A brilliantly effervescent mix of underground hip-hop, electronic beats, ambient interludes and thumping weirdo drone. It's a beautiful and varied beast, and one that demands your attention.

TRACK LISTING

1. Yearn In¬nite I 1:31,
2. All Fall (ft. Def Rain) 4:34,
3. Angels Don't Mind 2:41,
4. Pillars (ft. Baba Maraire & Felicia Douglass) 4:58,
5. Take My 2:44,
6. Encyclopedia 4:38,
7. Gone (ft. Open Mike Eagle) 4:10,
8. Gun Glitters (ft. Lojii) 4:00,
9. Pushing Up The Hills 3:37,
10. Yearn In¬nite II (ft. Laraaji) 1:31,
11. Spacecrafts In Rajasthan 4:22

“Massive slab of debut vinyl by a Brooklyn New York trio whose guitarist, Jason Victor, knows more than a little about the potential of psych-gush overload. In his position as the current guitarist of the Dream Syndicate, one might suppose that, by stepping into shoes formerly occupied by Karl Precoda, Mr. Victor was granted some sort of special legacy connection to the ur-root of string-excess in the post-punk era. But Jason seems to have been blowing the tops of people’s heads off with pure raunch vomona since before he ever met Steve Wynn.

“The Skull Practitioners have been active since 2013, garnering a reputation for bodacious live skronk, although the only graspable evidence of their existence has been a 2014 cassette, which was not widely distributed. Now, with the mighty In The Red empire behind them, only a sucker would think they won’t go far.

“Victor’s explosive guitar shards are the most obvious element of the trio’s sound, but bassist Ken Kenneth Levine can conjure up a throb as thick as Al Feedtime’s, and Alex Baker’s drumming mixes propulsion and motorik circularity with reckless grace. There are only vocals on half the tracks here— Gun Club-seasoned blow-outs called “The Beacon” and “Grey No More”—but I didn’t miss them on their other two tunes. The richness of the band’s psychedelic inventions obviates the need for overt human lingo. The music here communicates on a molecular level.

“Remember when Tim Leary said Peter Walker was ‘playing celestial strings on the DNA of musical being’? It’s the same here. I’ve never heard much of Jason’s studio work (often with pop engines like the Silos or Matthew Sweet), but if he plays this great, I might have to check them out. In the meantime, these four songs will be enough. For me. For you. Even for the late Tim ‘Fuckin’ Leary. C’est la.” —Byron Coley.

Hard-hitting new collection succeeds the trio’s rampaging 2019 In The Red Debut EP Death Buy! Proving once again that “power trio” isn’t just a descriptive handle from the distant past but a louderthan- God 21st-Century reality, the devastating New York band Skull Practitioners bow Negative Stars, their first full-length album for In The Red Records. The eight-track collection is the second release for Los Angelesbased trio—guitarist Jason Victor, bassist Kenneth Levine, and drummer Alex Baker—who collectively produced the record, with Ted Young engineering (and Baker handling engineering on vocal sessions). Brooklyn Vegan said, “If you dig early ’80s L.A. dusty punk like Gun Club, X and Flesh Eaters, or the many works of Jon Spencer, you will want to check out these four ripping, ripped-up tracks.” Rock And Roll Globe described the music as “Gun Club fugues played by anxious Amphetamine Reptile Records ghosts deciding they’d prefer to continue to walk the earth.” Negative Stars is the culmination of years of work in New York’s clubs and studios. “I don’t like to say the date we started working together,” says Levine, “but the second Bush was still president.” At the time, Victor had already established himself as the dazzling co-lead guitarist for Steve Wynn and the Miracle Three; when Wynn revived his ’80s L.A. Paisley Underground consortium the Dream Syndicate in 2017, Victor took the guitar chair previously occupied by Karl Precoda and Paul Cutler. Baker had only recently arrived from Cincinnati. With their album finally complete and the pandemic lifting, Skull Practitioners have begun to take to the stage more regularly: in 2022 they have played shows with Lydia Lunch, Live Skull, the Art Gray Noizz Quintet, and In the Red label-mates the Wolfmanhattan Project (Kid Congo Powers, Mick Collins, and Bob Bert). They plan to get on the road in the near future.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dedication
2. Exit Wounds
3. LEAP
4. Intruder
5. What Now
6. Fire Drill
7. Ventilation
8. Nelson D
CD-only Tracks
9. Death Buy
10. Grey No More
11. The Beacon
12. Miami

Widely available for the first time in forty-five years, featuring ‘It’s A New Day’, one of the most sample breaks in history.

Record collectors, producers and crate diggers like a good creation myth, and Skull Snaps’ self-titled ‘debut’ had it all. A mysterious funk trio, who recorded one album under a curious name, housed it in a sleeve that looked more like a proto-metal album, and released it through a label (GSF Records) that folded shortly afterwards? Everything pointed towards the Skull Snaps album as a single totemic object, packaged in a way that predicted its own disinterment almost twenty-five years later.

For those who sampled it, myth maintenance was advantageous, both for their reputations and for their consciences. Likewise, an unsanctioned 1995 reissue on Charley Records removed the credits from the inner sleeve to further sever the record from its context - or perhaps because the label couldn’t quite face using the names of artists they had no intention of paying. Either way, owning the record was a right of passage, as Amir Abdullah once wrote: “If you don’t have Skull Snaps in your collection, your collection is weak.”

Featuring sleeve notes by Anton Spice. Licensed from Sam Culley.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One of the most legendary funk oddities of all time makes it's way as a fully licensed reissue, full of soulful grooves, heart-warming harmonies and smooth, funk power. An absolutely essential pick-up this one. Get it while you still can.

TRACK LISTING

My Hang Up Is You
Having You Around
Didn’t I Do It To You
All Of A Sudden
It’s A New Day
I’m Your Pimp
I Turn My Back On Love
Trespassing
I’m Falling Out Of Love

Never said it’d be like this, right? Skullcrusher’s 21st century rendering of The Hated’s 1985 early emo blueprint “Words Come Back” reinvents the song as subtle, ambient folk music. The flip features two versions of the original, including Dan Littleton’s home demo, cut in a maddening double groove, and housed in an elegant black and silver sleeve, with embossed braille lettering for the visually impaired. “This is my way of making a punk song,” Skullcrusher’s Helen Ballentine said, “ignoring structure and letting everything just pour out—though quite a bit quieter.”

TRACK LISTING

A1 Skullcrusher - Words Come Back
B1 The Hated - Words Come Back
B2 The Hated - Words Come Back (Piano Version)

Helen Ballentine’s spellbinding first full-length album Quiet the Room is the sound of a window opening, a barrier dissolving. Across these fourteen tracks, the outside world seeps in and the inside world crawls out. The result is a stunning and quietly moving work that reflects the journeys we take through the physical and spiritual realms of ourselves in order to show up for the world.

While writing the album in the summer of 2021, Ballentine drew inspiration from her childhood home in Mount Vernon, NY. What she set out to capture on Quiet the Room was not the innocence of childhood, as it is so often portrayed, but the intense complexity of it. Past and present merge Escher-like in this dreamlike space laced with elements of fantasy, magic, and mystery. Musically, this translates into a sound that feels somehow weighty and ephemeral all at once, like a time lapse of copper corroding.

To capture the effortless blend of electronic, ambient, folk, and rock, Ballentine and her partner and collaborator Noah Weinman brought in producer Andrew Sarlo to record at Chicken Shack studio in Upstate New York, close to where Ballentine grew up. “We wanted every song to have that little twinkle, but also a sense of crumbling,” she says. These songs thrum with moments of anxiety that boil over into moments of peace, as on lead single “Whatever Fits Together,” which chugs to a ragged start before the gears catch and ease. On “It’s Like a Secret,” Ballentine struggles to connect and let people in, recognizing that no one can ever fully know our inner worlds and that to understand each other is to cross a barrier and leave a part of ourselves behind. And yet, on closing track “You are my House,” she finds a way to reach out. “You are the walls and floors of my room,” she sings in perfect, hopeful harmony.

As the album cover invites, these are dollhouse songs to which we bend a giant eye, peering into the laminate, luminous world that Ballentine has created. Like a kid constructing a shelter in a patch of sharp brambles, she reminds us that beauty and terror can exist in the same place. The complexities of childhood are so often overlooked, but through these private yet generous songs, she gives new weight to our earliest memories, widening the frame for us—even opening a window.

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: Don't let the name fool you... Debut LP from Skullcrusher (real name Helen Ballentine), 'Quiet the Room' is a stunning mix of folk, ambient and field recordings - all wrapped up in an ethereal dreamlike bow. Reminds me of Lucy Rose mixed with Lina Tullgren - lovely stuff!

TRACK LISTING

1. They Quiet The Room
2. Building A Swing
3. Whatever Fits Together
4. Whistle Of The Dead
5. Lullaby In February
6. Pass Through Me
7. Could It Be The Way I Look At Everything?
8. Outside, Playing
9. It’s Like A Secret
10. Sticker
11. Window Somewhere
12. (Secret Instrumental)
13. Quiet The Room
14. You Are My House

Skullcrusher is, by all accounts, an exploration of the ways you become yourself when you aren’t looking - and how that feels once you start paying attention. It’s a quiet power; a hushed celebration of the tiny, understated subtleties that culminate into knowing yourself.

On her debut EP, songwriter Helen Ballentine offers an airy, intense and unflinchingly open collection of songs written about - and from - one of life’s in-between grey areas, a stretch of uncertainty and unemployment and the subsequent search for identity. Here, as Skullcrusher, Ballentine grapples with how to communicate her private self to an audience. 

The four dark, dreamy songs on her debut EP were influenced by a strange-but-fitting amalgamation of media consumed in the immediate aftermath of quitting her 9-5. There’s Valerie and her Week of Wonders, the Czech newwave film that went on to inform Skullcrusher’s aesthetic. There’s Ballentine’s love of fantasy and surrealism, her appreciation of the way fantasy novels juxtapose beauty and violence.

Skullcrusher’s understated energy radiates with the atmosphere of waking up to the quiet terror of shapeless, structureless days but it finds power in eschewing the pressures of careerism and a vapid culture of productivity. Instead, as Skullcrusher, Ballentine has the audacity to be comfortable enough with herself and to simply accept the unknown as her life.

TRACK LISTING

Places/Plans
Trace
Two Weeks In December
Day Of Show

The continuation of the audio trilogy concerning the Darkness of Aegypt: the shadow stuff from whence dark dreams come. The Triad: dark, light and the animating serpent power are delineated by the Egyptian Gods Set, Horus and the Apep serpent. The second parting of the ways, lord of the crossroads, the double horizon, the xroads of day and night, the mauve zone, the death posture. We brought back: a twilight mechanism, and hymns to the charnel ground, ashes, jackals and the bulto hyaena, pacing the departure lounges of abandoned airports. Matthew Bower & Samantha Davies West Yorks, UK Winter Solstice Evening 2017 

TRACK LISTING

A1:We Move On Points Of Shattered Mirrors
B1:Charnel Ground
B2:Departure Lounge 

‘Motto’ is the third album by Leeds trio Sky Larkin on Wichita Recordings.

Recorded with long-term collaborator, producer John Goodmanson (Girls, Sleater Kinney, Los Campesinos!) in Seattle, ‘Motto’ showcases Sky Larkin’s unshakable ability to conjure immediately satisfying, vibrant indie rock.

The album was written for the most part whilst Sky Larkin singer and guitarist Katie Harkin was on the road as a touring member of Wild Beasts, and it captures a typically varied set of themes as its inspiration.

TRACK LISTING

Motto
Newsworthy
The Loyal Beat
Treasury
Loom
Carve It Out
Tarn
Frozen Summer
Bravo Dodo
Overgrown
Italics
Que Linda (Wake To Applause)

Brand new studio album from legendary Seeds frontman, Sky Saxon. Also includes a bonus DVD featuring a live show of 15 songs including original hits plus a half hour documentary with interviews.

Included is a free 'Faithless Rituals' board game, 16 unique tarot cards, 4 Sky Valley tokens a game spinner and full instructions all housed in its own separate inner sleeve. Full download included as well.

Main CD package is a 4 panel digipack, with a 4 page booklet.

Sky Valley Mistress are 4 young upstarts from Blackburn, Lancashire, full of spit and vinegar who have delivered a ferocious, two fingered hello to rest of the world with their debut album 'Faithless Rituals'. Eight tracks of fierce passion and spirit, blistering stoner rock 'n' roll with huge riffs, buckets of fuzz and hooks guaranteed to nail you to the wall from the get go. Couple that with inciendiary playing one of the best female vocalists around ... you have one helluva debut album. In fact, SVM could easily hold their own against the likes of Jim Jones, Rival Sons, Royal Blood, BRMC or any other rockers greasy or otherwise.

Still only in their mid 20’s, you can only assume, on listening to their debut, that these young turks made that journey to those legendary crossroads and did the dirty deed with the dark one himself, such is the level of musicianship and vocal prowess on show here. The album was recorded at the legendary Rancho De La Luna, Joshua Tree, California, and co produced by, and featuring Dave Catching (Queens Of The Stone Age, Eagles Of Death Metal and Mojave Lords amongst others) and like all great rock 'n' roll it has vibe and attitude in spades. “I just wanna tell you guys a little somethin’ about this record. Somethin’ that you really need to know. I want this to perforate your eardrums, have a fight inside your head and leave a slow burnin’ fire in the darkest part of your mind. That will never let you forget what will be embedded inside you forever”

These are the words of Dave Catching (Mojave Lord, Eagles Of Death Metal, QOTSA), co-producer along with the band of the album. Dave’s intro opens ‘Faithless Rituals’, the debut album from Sky Valley Mistress. 8 tracks of full on hard, and heavy stoner rock, that is guaranteed to nail your ass to the wall from the get - go. 8 tracks of fierce passion and spirit. As Dave says … “Let it puncture your heart, bleed through your body and electrify your soul. Because this … THIS IS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL” Sky Valley Mistress are: Kayley “Hell Kitten” Davies (vocals), Sean “Starsky’ Berry (Guitar), Russell “Russell” Russell (Bass), Maxwell Harvey William Newsome III (Drums/Percussion) 

TRACK LISTING

Side A:

1. A Faithless Ritual
2. You Got Nothin'
3. Lost In Shock
4. Punk Song
5.It Won't Stop.

Side B:

1.Skull & Pistons
2. She Is So
3. Blue Desert
4. Electric Church

Aural architect Skygaze follows his 2022 ‘Astral Trip EP’ for Flumo Recordings, offering an advanced fusion of house, broken boogie, and future jazz, with five brand new reinterpretations from the extended Flumo family.

Skygaze’s diverse sound, breaking down barriers between house and techno, broken beat, jazz, ambient, hip hop, jungle, and even esoteric IDM, has been showcased across a growing catalogue of releases across Guayaba records, Riverette, Flumo and Thirty Three Circular, and remixes for Ed is Dead and Contours & Yadava; earning the producer support from the likes of Mr. Scruff, Simbad, k15, Bandcamp’s Andrew Jervis, and Gilles Peterson.

Feted singer, musician and producer Alysha Joy, rising producer Divorce From New York, ones-to-watch, Footnote and Karmasound, and Skygaze himself under his Jailed Jamie guise, joined by Lorenzo Soria, put a new spin on ‘Astral Trip’, whilst staying true to the originals’ spirit.

The multi-talented Allysha Joy, of 30/70 Collective & LCSM fame, remixes ‘’Night Heat’’, enhancing the groove with broken beats and her undeniable first-rate vocals.

Jailed Jamie & Lorenzo Soria, reshape ‘’Gimme Five’’ with rough synths and jacking bassline driven “Think” beats.

Divorce From New York boosts the tempo and infuses ‘’Wagwan’’ with Latin rhythms, perfectly balanced by high-energy synth lines.

Italian producers, Footnote and SofaTalk, delve deeper into ‘’Minor Mood’’, adding softer, retro-infused sound structures in a broken boogie mould.

Barcelona’s Karmasound explores the ruminating nature of ‘’City Cathedratics’’ and its counterbalance between broken beat and house.

The diverse but complementary set of remixes is sure to move bodies on sophisticated dance-floors this year and shed further light not only Skygaze’s production but also his talent for melody and song-writing. A feather in his and Flumo’s bow.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Night Heat (Allysha Joy Rmx)
A2. Gimme Five (Jailed Jamie & Lorenzo Soria Rmx)
A3. Wagwan (Divorce From New York Rmx)
B1. Minor Mood (Sofatalk & Footnote Rmx)
B2. City Cathedratics (Karmasound Rmx)

The Skygreen Leopards primarily focus on a surreal form of multi-layered folk-pop recorded on an old reel-to-reel housed in a moldy trailer on the back of a horse ranch. 12-string guitars, banjos, dulcimers, Jew's harps, organs, maracas, mandolins, harmonicas, ocarinas & reed flutes harmonize with the field-recorded songs of birds, barnyard animals and insects. This hedge of sounds is the backdrop for Quinn and Donaldson's mythological rants and hazy melodies.

After a parentship hiatus, Richard Zepezauer´s nsyde imprint is back to push new boundaries and save some souls. In loving memory of their dear friend who has died too early, nsyde drops a limited edition promo 12" of Mike Huckaby´s Remix of Skymark - Easy Saturday Night.

After Mike Huckaby´s tragic death nsyde had decided to postpone the release in humble respect of the mourning time for this outstanding musician, human and soul. To pay tribute to Mike Huckaby´s high sonic standards, his work its presented in the highest quality, full sided, 45rpm, 180 gram, clear Vinyl, in a limited quantity. This remix is amongst Mike Huckaby´s best productions.It touches the classic soulfulness of a Larry Heard piano and blissful vocals combined with clear hints of Basic Channel´s eternal electrifcationing waves of sound. This is a perfect testament to Mike Huckaby´s unparalleled knowledge and wide musical range, and not only those who knew him will feel his clear presence while listening to this beauty. House Nation under a Groove.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: The house music community was left mourning when Mike Huckaby died last year. Although no longer with us his spirit will continue to guide dancefloors and record boxes for some time to come. Here his remix of Skymark gets hi-fidelity, no-expense-spared treatment.

TRACK LISTING

Easy Saturday Night (Mike Huckaby Remix)

Barcelona's king of electronic jazz and synth funk, the mighty Skymark returns to his Modern Sun imprint for a brand new LP inspired by 80's / new era boogie, disco and jazz fusion. Equally in tune with the sunblushed sound of Dam-Funk (or equally Garrett) and the soulful depth of early 90s Larry Heard, Skymark patches his cerebral cortex into a packed synth rack (ARP, Prophet, Moog, Roland and Korgs) and flexes his songwriting, vocal and drum programming skills. After the cinematic sweep of the Dolby styled "Introduction" we get stuck into the groove, getting slick and soulful with the cool keys, smooth vocals and jazzy synth licks of "More Than A Friend" (major Larry Heard influence here) before bounding along to the smooth boogie bump of "This First Special Feeling" (shouts to Legacy FM on a sunday). "Yesterday's Flame" pulls in fusion tonalities and squelching synthesis (James Mason's "I Want Your Love") before "A Better Place For The Next Generation" gives us the perfect blend of club soul and rare groove. The deep, soulful and sweet sounds continue with "Insomnia" and the uptempo, latin tinged house jam "Our Shelter", before "The Center Of My Joy" hits hard for the club boogie crew. Skymark signs off in spectacular fashion with a high flying, uptempo sway through full on jazz fusion brilliance.

After the success of his ‘Backwards Light’ EP Slackk returns to R&S with another 6 tracker of instrumental grime mutations.

A figurehead of the UK scene through the influential Boxed night he runs alongside Mr. Mitch, Logos and Oil Gang, Slackk aka Paul Lynch distils the Boxed sound into his own inimitable, richly melodic style.

The six tracks on offer on this EP continue to blur the lines between genres as RA described in their glowing review of the Backwards Light EP. ‘A producer whose music is moving beyond its origins in grime to something undiscovered.”

The tracks range from the opening moody club styles of ‘Swan Filters’ and twisted bass of Mumdance and Logos favourite ‘Skeleton Crew’ to the more reserved and delicate headphone moments of ‘Replenish’ and ‘Pigeons’. ‘Hundred Flute’ returns a common Slackk inspiration source into the sampler, but the results on this one could be the best yet. ‘Returning Geese’ finishes the EP in what could be one of the producers last examples of the Japanese styles for a while.

TRACK LISTING

1: Swan Filters
2: Skeleton Crew
3: Pigeons
4: Hundred Flute
5: Replenish
6: Returning Geese

An engaging and enjoyable debut recording from Emily Slade. The twelve tracks reflect a broad musical heritage from the Irish "Carolan's Concerto" to the standard "Dream A Little Dream Of Me". The six original compositions perfectly compliment her individual vocal and guitar style.

Does this band really need any introduction? Slapshot put Boston Hardcore back on the map in 1985, and are continuing to do so today. This 22 song enhanced CD has all the classics re-recorded, plus two new original songs. Songs like "Hang Up Your Boots", "Day My Thoughts", "Step On It" and "Back On The Map" are now available on one disc, and are just as hard as when they were originally recorded.

Slapshot are one of the best bands to emerge from the hardcore scene around Boston, and "Sudden Death Overtime" is one of the albums that affirmed their position. These guys know how to play (listen to their heavy version of the Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" for proof) and are suprisingly melodic at times. Features two extra live tracks.

This is a very special show by a very special band! Slapstick were one of the biggest punk rock bands to come out of Chicago. They broke up in 1996, at a time when every major label wanted them. The band re-united in 1997 for a one off reunion show and this is it. Featuring 14 tracks, rare photos and interview clips.

Following the force of their introductory singles 'Tabernacl' and 'St Agatha', the band return with an invitation to explore their landscape of violent poetry and gothic propulsion to the fullest extent yet. Prepare to be lulled under their spell once more with the slow-burn of forerunning single, 'Remoter Heaven'.

Produced by long-time collaborator Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard's Tom Rees. It begins in a dream state of hypnotic repetition that mounts in intensity, with vocalist Jack Shephard presiding over it all with his distinctive, poetic drawl. His protagonist is revisiting a memory of the pain inflicted by a thorn as a child; "I was awake with feeling", he confesses, before the song takes on the momentum that feels like a triumph over the numbness attendant to adulthood.

Of the track, Shephard shares: "I liked the idea of writing a very simple narrative to a big, epic song - something as modest as the story of a child playing in some flowers and then bursting into tears when a thorn pricks their leg. The words are an ode to that sensitivity we embrace when we are young. Then, when we become adults, we insist on subjugating all of that wonderful, absurd rage."

'Remoter Heaven' follows on from 'Tabernacl' and 'St Agatha' which earned Slate rave write-ups and support from publications including NME, CLASH, So Young, DIY, Buzz Magazine, The Most Radicalist and more, as well as early radio plays from the likes of Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music, Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1, John Kennedy on Radio X and Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1.

Emerging from the depths of Cardiff’s burgeoning music scene and heirs to their country’s lineage of storytellers, Slate are barely touching their twenties, but together, they have command of post-punk which rings with the gravitas of a death knell; a grasp of atmosphere and melody which touches on the ethereal.

Their debut EP, Deathless, is their most ambitious act of storytelling so far. Recorded in one take, the narrative of its six tracks takes place within a single room - or, perhaps, one mind. It begins with what the band feel is some of the darkest material they will ever write, to reaching, in its second half, a place of transformation and epiphany. On the EP's vinyl edition, the lyrics are written out like a diary entry, each one penned in another member's hand. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Fantastic six track Ep from Cardiff's Slate. Lead track "Remoter Heaven" is 7 minutes plus of pure bliss, revisiting the epic extended grooves of 'A Storm In Heaven'-era The Verve.

TRACK LISTING

1. Remoter Heaven
2. The Heir
3. Sun Violence
4. Deathless
5. Shade In Me
6. Hailstone 

I kept on visualizing a body, suspended just at the point where gravity took over, and the figure was falling from their feet to the floor. Frozen at this midpoint, there wasn’t much to say which way they were going - suspended between collapse and recovery, they could almost be getting back to their feet. Perhaps I was punch drunk from 2019, however I noticed very soon the zero-gravity feeling of being suspended between these two points was all around me; the impression of a caring democracy hamstrung by 2D visions of old empires; the climate in it’s seemingly terminal demise and the ever emboldened ideas for a functioning future looming from the smog; the suspension between the immortality of my 20s and the strange feeling when everyone starts to get sick more; the feeling that everything is suspended between collapse and recovery, and I am unsure which way it’s heading.

The record was made just before the pandemic started, working closely with the distinct feed-backing Dorophone sounds of Hildur Guðnadóttir, Yair Glotman’s thunderous double-bass, James Ginzburg’s devotion to precise form and muting my reverb stems, the microtonal brass and woodwinds of Hilary Jeffrey and Sam Dunscombe and the infinite intimacy of Icelandic singer-songwriter JFDR. From Berlin, I would flag sounds I loved; some twitching strings, the stolen alto voice from an abandoned English chorale, some words from a climate scientist fleshed into a poem. These email attachments struck up a sort of sonic pen-pal program, with each person sending a sound, some words, some creative parameters and responding in turn. It became an exercise in receptivity, in which openness itself became a creative voice, hushing my tendency to micromanage every detail. These interactions were pulled together in late 2019 into a single piece written for two sides of a single 12” vinyl; one side describing collapse (Darn!) and the other, recovery (Kintsugi). Influenced by the 70s concept prog records of my childhood, the album loops without ending, so you were never really allowed to rest in safety, or wallow in the mess for too long.

Although my 20-year-old self would loathe it, I find myself tired of people believing their own creative voices are the most interesting or that creativity needs another self-aggrandizing voice. I thought of this as a project about restoring balance, the immense power to be found in collaboration, receptivity and the belief that if I am going to contribute to the world in 2022, it should be from a position of openness. It should be kind rather than vulgar. It should be constructive, not destructive. I do not wish to be known as a Vandal.

Working with visual artist Theresa Baumgartner and Dancer / Choreographer Lukas Malkowski the simple visual imagery of a body resisting gravity was realized as an Audio-Visual installation, which will be premiered in May 2022. “I do not wish to be known as a Vandal” uses high speed cameras which compensate for gravity’s pull at 3000 frames per second, suspending an unclothed body in space as it moves from feet to floor and back again. The result is a simple, framed figure of a body moving through space, duelling with inevitably and the cycle of collapse and recovery, set to generative interpretation of the record.

Wythenshawe's finest Slaughter And The Dogs on TKO's "Ringside" live series "A Dog Day Afternoon" is the live album documenting t'Dogs historic first ever US tour. They're all here from 1976's "Cranked Up Really High" to tracks from their 2001 LP "Beware Of Slaughter And The Dogs". Don't forget your rabies vaccines.

Based in Los Angeles, Slauson Malone 1 is the musical project and performance piece of artist Jasper Marsalis. Following two critically acclaimed prior releases - 2019’s A Quiet Farwell, 2016-2018 (Crater Speak) and 2020’s Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak) - Marsalis returns with EXCELSIOR, his 18 track debut album with Warp Records.

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Weather
A2. House Music
A3. Undercommons
A4. Olde Joy
A5. New Joy
A6. Arms, Armor
A7. Fission For Drums, Piano And Voice
A8. Love Letter Zzz
A9. Half-Life

B1. The Great Wedge
B2. I Hear A New World
B3. No! (Geiger Dub)
B4. Destroyer X
B5. Voyager
B6. Divider
B7. Challenger
B8. Decades, Castle Romeo
B9. Us (Tower Of Love)

Thanks to their sweary rants about modern England, Nottingham duo Sleaford Mods have been called "The world's greatest rock 'n' roll band" by Iggy Pop and "the soundtrack to post-Brexit Britain" by the Guardian.

Jason Williamson, a former chicken factory worker and father of two, his band mate, beatmaker Andrew Fearn, and their manager Steve Underwood, avant-garde bedroom label owner and former bus driver, have won over fans with their brutally honest lyrics and DIY ethos.

Following them on their two-year journey from Sherwood to chart success, award-winning music documentary Bunch of Kunst tells the story of three guys taking on the music business on their own terms.

"This documentary film is the perfect antidote to those sexy, racy, rock’n’roll yawns most bands hide behind. We are indeed, a Bunch Of Kunst.“
- Jason Williamson, Sleaford Mods .

The CD was recorded at SO36 Berlin on June 19th, and features the complete unedited performance, originally released in an edited form as a vinyl LP on
Harbinger Sound (HARBINGERUSA001)

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The Mods are back with their long awaited Documentary, featuring footage up to today from their meteoric rise to success, this is an essential artifact for any fan, and also comes with a CD version of the highly regarded 'Live At SO36'.

TRACK LISTING

1/ Silly Me
2/ Bunch Of Cunts
3/ Live Tonight
4/ No-Ones Bothered
5/ Middle Men
6/ Jolly Fucker
7/ A Little Ditty
8/ Mcflurry
9/ Fizzy
10/ Routine Dean
11/ Bronx In A Six
12/ Tiswas
13/ Tied Up In Nottz
14/ Jobseeker
15/ 6 Horsemen (The Brixtons)
16/ Tarantula Deadly Cargo
17/ Tweet Tweet Tweet

Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn stepped out of 2019 with a Top Ten album under their belt, Eton Alive, their biggest sold out tour to date and the swagger of a band that have never been more relevant, topically challenging and downright entertaining.

Sleaford Mods are set to continue their onslaught into 2020 with the release of All That Glue, a collection of songs spanning the last seven years of the bands career; an array of crowd pleasers, B sides, unheard tracks and rarities for fans and the curious, released via Rough Trade. Over the past few years Sleaford Mods have become one of the most intractable British pop stories. One of its best. Their music is drawn at a flawless fault-line of anger, tenderness and humour, a triumvirate of raw energy which frequently jostles in the space of a cadence for supremacy. On record you can hear their sinews, live you can touch their veins.

Ahead of All That Glue's release the band will be making available fan favourite Jobseeker for the first time. In addition, footage from the duo's acclaimed sell out show last year at the Eventim Apollo, will be released for the first time and kicks off with an incendiary performance of Tweet Tweet Tweet.

Limited edition independent store-only double white vinyl includes a 16-page A5 booklet - a précis in the inimitable style of Jason Williamson - documenting Sleaford Mods inexorable rise since their inception in 2011 to the present day, together with praise from the incomparable Iggy Pop.

Allying strong words and minimal electronics, Sleaford Mods’ second ‘proper’ album (or sixth if you go back through the early CD-R efforts) the self-released Divide and Exit was not only Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson’s most effective artistic expression to that point, it also truly captured the taste of a land souring by the day.

This reissue offers a chance to fully appreciate a band hitting their artistic stride while acknowledging and commiserating that many of the dark forces that inspired its creation linger on. Once again though it is possible bathe in the hopeful anger that underpins Sleaford Mods’ blasts of outrage and electro.

“Where our previous album Austerity Dogs barked a directionless yet solid form of anger, Divide and Exit then carried this basic form of class consciousness,” says Williamson of the vision behind the record, both musically and lyrically.

“After the release of Austerity Dogs we realised we had seemingly created a formula,” he adds. “Andrew just took the formula and ran with it and his music started to sound much more compact and urgent.”

“Listening to it now, Divide and Exit is perhaps the most punk record we have done,” says Williamson, reflecting on how Sleaford Mods felt out ahead, covering fresh ground alone at the time, before going on to inspire a raft of post-punk-infused artists to follow their lead in the album’s aftermath. “Each song falls out of the last like an extension or whatever. There wasn’t anyone in the country doing what we were doing at that point, it feels like it was 30 years ago, but it’s only been 10. Mad as fuck.”

TRACK LISTING

Air Conditioning
Tied Up In Nottz
A Little Ditty
You're Brave
Strike Force
The Corgi
From Rags To Richards
Liveable Shit
Under The Plastic And N.T.C.
Tiswas
Keep Out Of It
Smithy
Middle Men
Tweet Tweet Tweet

Once dismissed around their native Nottingham as "two skip rats with a laptop" the Sleaford Mods have simply knocked all their distractors clear out of the way.

Divide and Exit was originally released in 2014 and contains 14 tracks, and it is as immediately in your face as its vicious predecessor. Whilst Fearn's beats and loops will pull you up into the urgency of Sleaford Mods they also allow you to run the gauntlet from delibrate clumsy dance-floor swaggers to full-on punk throwabouts with them. Williamson is let free to spit out his unempathic litany of bile and anger towards the bloated and tedious. His verbal salvos and side-swipes are often savage and brutal , yet at turns, hilarious, but always spot on as Sleaford Mods rage and despair as the country sinks deeper into a cesspool of its own idiocy. It's an album that doesn't have the privilege of luxury, indulgence or extravaganza and it will strike a resonant chord with many because it simply refuses to compromise.

TRACK LISTING

1. Air Conditioning
2. Tied Up In Nottz
3. A Little Ditty
4. You're Brave
5. Strike Force
6. The Corgi
7. From Rags To Richards
8. Liveable Shit
9. Under The Plastic And N.C.T.
10. Tiswas
11. Keep Out Of It
12. Smithy
13. Middle Men
14. Tweet Tweet Tweet

The album was recorded at Steve Mackey’s (Pulp) West Heath Garage studios in London. Jason Williamson discusses ‘English Tapas’: "Andrew walked into some random pub and saw "English Tapas" scrawled on the menu board. Underneath this beautiful coupling of words were it's components, half a scotch egg, cup of chips, pickle and a mini pork pie" It says everything about this fucking place. It's comedy, it’s make do, it's ignorant and above all, it's shit"

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Sleaford Mods hit us hard with another voracious and aggressive commentary on modern life with their trademark combination of wit and vitriol, backed by a thumping but decidedly downplayed backline. Snarling, punky spoken word passages and gritty dusty drum machines. If you like the Mods, this one won't change your mind. If you don't, it just might.

TRACK LISTING

1. ARMY NIGHTS
2. JUST LIKE WE DO
3. MOPTOP
4. MESSY ANYWHERE
5. TIME SANDS
6. SNOUT
7. DRAYTON MANORED
8. CARLTON TOUTS
9. CUDDLY
10. DULL
11. BHS
12. I FEEL DO WRONG

Sleaford Mods are one of the most important, politically charged and thought-provoking duos currently making their mark on the UK music scene and beyond. They are now poised to release their fifth studio album entitled ‘Eton Alive’ in February 2019. The album, which features 12 new tracks from the prolific artists, was recorded in Nottingham. The record will be the first release on Jason and Andrew’s newly formed label ‘Extreme Eating’ and their first album since parting ways with Rough Trade Records.

“Eton Alive speaks for itself really. Here we are once again in the middle of another elitist plan being digested slowly as we wait to be turned into faeces once more. Some already are, some are dead and the rest of us erode in the belly of prehistoric ideology which depending on our abilities and willingness, assigns to each of us varying levels of comfort that range from horrible to reasonably acceptable, based on contribution. So after the digestive system of the Nobles rejects our inedible bones we exit the Arse of Rule, we fall into the toilet again and at the mercy of whatever policies are holding order in the shit pipe of this tatty civilisation. It is here our flesh regenerates as we rattle into another form, ready, and ripe for order”. – Jason Williamson.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The Mods return once again for another politically charged slice of snarling vocal fire and wry social commentary. This time we get a more momentous charge towards post-punk minimalism, drum machines and distorted bass taking a back seat to the increasingly effective two-part baying of Williamson & Fearn.

TRACK LISTING

1. Into The Payzone
2. Kebab Spider
3. Policy Cream
4. O.B.C.T.
5. When You Come Up To Me
6. Top It Up
7. Flipside
8. Subtraction
9. Firewall
10. Big Burt
11. Discourse
12. Negative Script

Housed in a gatefold sleeve designed by Steve Lippert, mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy. Everything else was done by Sleaford Mods. From Original Press Release 2015 “Key Markets was a large supermarket bang in the centre of Grantham from the early 1970's up until around 1980,” explains Jason Williamson. “My mum would take me there and I'd always have a large coke in a plastic orange cup surrounded by varnished wood trimmings and big lamp shades with flowers on them. Beige bricks with bright yellow points of sale and large black foam letters surrounded you and this is why we called the album 'Key Markets'. It's the continuation of the day to day and how we see it, the un-incredible landscape.” “The album was recorded in various periods between summer 2014 through to October of that year. We worked fast as we normally do, the method was the same as the other albums and like the other two, the sound has naturally moved itself along. 'Key Markets' is in places quite abstract but it still deals heavily with the disorientation of modern existence. It still touches on character assassination, the delusion of grandeur and the pointlessness of government politics. It's a classic. Fuck em

TRACK LISTING

1/ Live Tonight
2/ No One's Bothered
3/ Bronx In A Six
4/ Silly Me
5/ Cunt Make It Up
6/ Face To Faces
7/ Arabia
8/ In Quiet Streets
9/ Tarantula Deadly Cargo
10/ Rupert Trousers
11/ Giddy On The Ciggies
12/ The Blob

Fresh from supporting Blur at Wembley, Sleaford Mods return with a EP of six new tracks. Emerging from the same environment that created the duo's Top 3 album UK GRIM, the songs of More UK GRIM share the incisive lyrical vision and forward-thinking electronics that won acclaim for the LP. Tracks including Under The Rules, Old Nottz and Big Pharma not only continue Mods' era of dancefloor dominance, but with insight and wit, outrage and compassion, they critique yet celebrate our turbulent times.

TRACK LISTING

1. Under The Rules
2. Old Nottz
3. Big Pharma
4. PO Crazy
5. My 18hr Girdle
6. Old Nottz (Alt Mix) 

This is the band’s first new music since last year’s top 15 album “English Tapas” The EP was recorded in Spring 2018 in Nottingham, and features five new tracks including lead track “Stick in a Five & Go”. The band are confirmed to play two nights at London’s Roundhouse on September 21st & 22nd 2018 and also their biggest hometown show at Nottingham’s Concert Hall on September 30th. They also play their biggest Paris show too at Le Triannon on 26th Sept, some Scottish dates in November with shows in Copenhagen and Amsterdam planned for November too.

The band are currently in the studio in Nottingham working on tracks for a new album planned for March 2019.

Jason Williamson says about the new songs “the lead tracks are mostly full of violent tendencies that only transpire through imagination. People are powerless under the political monster and the intense anger and frustration morphs into illusions of attacking each other through the bravado of social media, depression and paranoia.”

TRACK LISTING

Stick In A Five And Go
Bang Someone Out
Gallows Hill
Dregs
Joke Shop

It is frustrating that in a country beset by unfolding social and economic trauma, caused in large measure and plain view by an entitled elite in service of their own ambitions and with a population gaslighted by their friends in the media, that there has been little or no kickback from what has, in the past, been a reliable source, contemporary music. That it's taken a couple of fortysomethings to pick up punk's combative baton and run with it is telling, but at least someone is doing it. It's a testament to their energy and commitment, and the biting wit with which it is delivered, that Spare Ribs, their 11th album, still sounds this sharp. With its broader palette adding funk and hip hop influences to the paired back bleep punk, and the scathing social commentary accompanied by childhood hurt and recovery, it is also, maybe, their finest hour. So far. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Sleaford Mods have one of the most rabid fanbases of all and 'Spare Ribs' is further proof as to why. Wry takes on modern issues and the politics, pitch-perfect commentary and delivered in their usual no-holds-barred way. Every bit the continuation of their rightfully enduring legacy.

TRACK LISTING

The New Brick
Shortcummings
Nudge It (feat. Amy Taylor)
Elocution
Out There
Glimpses
Top Room
Mork N Mindy (feat. Billy Nomates)
Spare Ribs
All Day Ticket
Thick Ear
I Don't Rate You
Fishcakes

Jason Williamson discusses TCR: “The idea behind the TCR video was to show and use the actual 1980’s toy racing kit in its original environment which would of most probably been the living room floor for most kids at that time It's a pretty crap device and I thought it married perfectly to the idea of life's (at times) rotating dross. The narration/vocal over the song is just that, an account of a bloke reacting to what he feels is a routine laden existence by 'escaping' for the night to the pub only to realize this is also a limited experience and in turn all options kind of merge into a circular experience of never ending repetition that he tries to navigate.”

TRACK LISTING

TCR
I Can Tell
Britain Thirst
Dad's Corner
You're A Nottshead

Jason Williamson discusses TCR: “The idea behind the TCR video was to show and use the actual 1980’s toy racing kit in its original environment which would of most probably been the living room floor for most kids at that time It's a pretty crap device and I thought it married perfectly to the idea of life's (at times) rotating dross. The narration/vocal over the song is just that, an account of a bloke reacting to what he feels is a routine laden existence by 'escaping' for the night to the pub only to realize this is also a limited experience and in turn all options kind of merge into a circular experience of never ending repetition that he tries to navigate.”

TRACK LISTING

TCR
I Can Tell
Britain Thirst
Dad's Corner
You're A Nottshead

“In times of complacency, what we really need is a band to rock up and tell everyone to fuck off.” NME. “Stream-of-consciousness tirades that conjure up a world of sticky cafe table-tops, grinding hangovers, and the cold comfort of consumerism.” The Guardian

It’s been an utterly insane year for SLEAFORD MODS. Once dismissed around their native Nottingham as "two skip rats with a laptop", their last two albums, ‘Austerity Dogs’ in 2013 and this year’s ‘Divide And Exit’, both on Harbinger Sound, have achieved the kind of critical acclaim that less inspired bands could only dream of. Equally, their live gigs have become rapid-fire, explosive, cathartic performances, drawing in endless sold-out crowds of people blown away to finally witness something that matters and actually has something to say.

November 24th heralds the arrival of some highly-anticipated new music from front gob Jason Williamson and music master Andrew Fearn in the shape of the ‘TISWAS EP’. Released through Invada Records (the Bristol label responsible for BEAK>, DROKK and numerous soundtracks including Drive / OldBoy), the ‘Tiswas EP’ features four brand new studio tracks alongside ‘Tiswas’, lifted from the ‘Divide And Exit’ album.

It is released on both yellow and orange Tiswas coloured vinyl (3000 units in total – 1500 of each variant) and sees Sleaford Mods pushing and developing their bile and style.

As the Nottingham duo's most dancefloor friendly release to date, UK GRIM is an urgent and sage-like look at life, living and the gritty reality of our era. 

Truly the sound of now, not only in terms of the ideas and issues Jason Williamson's strong words invoke, but also thanks to the innovative and immersive production of Andrew Fearn, which on this release has seen the pair collaborate on songs with Jane's Addiction's creative powerhouse, Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro, and with Florence Shaw, the distinct and vital voice at the heart of British band Dry Cleaning. Speaking of the forces that have triggered the poetic protest at the heart of this record, as with their musical forebears like The Clash or The Jam, Sleaford Mods reveal that the outrage they feel is underscored by love for the people and places around them, making ‘UK GRIM’ as much a celebration of individuals and the idealists as it is an attack on ruling classes who pursue their own self-serving agendas with increasing desperation.

“Maybe we are proud of the country. Maybe we are proud to be English,” explains Williamson. “Maybe I’m proud of the horrible grey streets and the shit weather and the stupid fashions I find myself investing in. It’s just that the English we’re proud of being is absolutely nothing like the English the authorities want to try and promote.” Angry yet artful, innovative yet possessing an instinctual energy that irresistibly moves bodies and minds, ‘UK GRIM’ is an erudite electronic vision that truly engages with times that have been anything but 'precedented'.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: We've already heard Sleaford Mods getting shouty on the new Orbital single in the past couple weeks to whet our appetite, and now we get a new fully-fledged LP of gritty garage beats and punky, aggressive lyricsm. While it's full of the snarling stomp they've become known for, their productions increasingly veer into more subtle melodic sections and impressively diverse stylistic swerves on 'UK Grim', and show the skills of a band at the peak of their game.

TRACK LISTING

UK GRIM
D.I.Why
Force 10 From Navarone – Ft. Florence Shaw
Tilldipper
On The Ground
Right Wing Beast
Smash Each Other Up
Don
So Trendy – Ft. Perry Farrell & Dave Navarro
I Claudius
Pit 2 Pit
Apart From You
Tory Kong
Rhythms Of Class

Sleater-Kinney has announced their eleventh studio album, Little Rope, which will be released via Loma Vista Recordings. Recorded at Flora Recording and Playback in Portland, Oregon with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton, Little Rope is a powerfully honest and soul-baring album by one of modern rock’s most vital bands.

Little Rope is one of the finest, most delicately layered records in Sleater-Kinney’s nearly 30-year career. To call the album flawless feels like an insult to its intent – it careens headfirst into flaw and brokenness – a meditation on what living in a world of perpetual crisis has done to us, and what we do to the world in return. On the surface, the album’s 10 songs veer from spare to anthemic, catchy to deliberately hard-turning. But beneath that are perhaps the most complex and subtle arrangements of any Sleater-Kinney record, and a lyrical and emotional compass pointed firmly in the direction of something both liberating and terrifying: the sense that the only way to gain control is to let it go.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Little Rope is by far the most emotionally intense Sleater-kinney outing to date, but it's on tracks like 'Hell' that SK really shine. Perfectly juxtaposing near-weightless arty post-punk with clashing, punky mayhem. A beautifully written, cathartic milestone for the band, and a great addition to any collection.

TRACK LISTING

1. Hell
2. Needlessly Wild
3. Say It Like You Mean It
4. Hunt You Down
5. Small Finds
6. Don’t Feel Right
7. Six Mistakes
8. Crusader
9. Dress Yourself
10. Untidy Creature

‘Live In Paris’ is the first official record of Sleater-Kinney’s famously blistering stage performance.

The thirteen track album, which features Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss and touring member Katie Harkin, was captured on March 20th, 2015 at the Paris’s historic La Cigale venue during the band’s sold out international tour in support of their acclaimed eighth album, 2015’s ‘No Cities To Love’.

‘Live In Paris’ includes songs from nearly every Sleater-Kinney album, including ‘No Cities To Love’, ‘The Woods’, ‘One Beat’, ‘The Hot Rock’, ‘Dig Me Out’ and ‘Call The Doctor’.

The recording was mixed by John Goodmanson at Avast and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I know live records can sometimes get a bit of a tough rep, but this one has none of that shaky sound or hefty interval nonsense associated with it, it sound like their trademark technical melodic indie fare but with the overwhelming energy and vibes of a live show. If you like Sleater-Kinney, it's an essential, only slightly more essential that if you simply like a good old-fashioned rock-out.

TRACK LISTING

Price Tag
Oh!
What’s Mine Is Yours
A New Wave
Start Together
No Cities To Love
Surface Envy
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
Turn It On
Entertain
Jumpers
Dig Me Out
Modern Girl

“We sound possessed on these songs,” says guitarist / vocalist Carrie Brownstein about Sleater-Kinney’s eighth studio album, ‘No Cities To Love’. “Willing it all - the entire weight of the band and what it means to us - back into existence.”

The new record is the first in 10 years from the acclaimed trio - Brownstein, vocalist / guitarist Corin Tucker and drummer Janet Weiss - who came crashing out of the 90s Pacific Northwest riot grrrl scene, setting a new bar for punk’s political insight and emotional impact.

Formed in Olympia, WA in 1994, Sleater-Kinney were hailed as “America’s best rock band” by Greil Marcus in Time Magazine and they released seven searing albums in 10 years before going on indefinite hiatus in 2006.

However, the new album isn’t about reminiscing. It's about reinvention, the ignition of an unparalleled chemistry to create new sounds and tell new stories. “I always considered Corin and Carrie to be musical soulmates,” says Weiss, whose drums fuel the fire of Tucker and Brownstein’s vocal and guitar interplay. “Something about taking a break brought them closer, desperate to reach together again for their true expression.” The result is a record that grapples with love, power and redemption without restraint.

Produced by longtime Sleater-Kinney collaborator John Goodmanson, who helmed many of the band’s earlier albums including 1997 breakout set ‘Dig Me Out’, ‘No Cities To Love’ is indeed formidable from the first beat.

Sleater-Kinney’s decade apart made room for family and other fruitful collaborations, as well as an understanding of what the band’s singular chemistry demands. “Sleater-Kinney isn't something you can do half-assed or half-heartedly,” says Brownstein. “This band requires a certain desperation, a direness. We have to be willing to push because the entity that is this band will push right back.”

“The core of this record is our relationship to each other, to the music, and how all of us still felt strongly enough to about those to sweat it out in the basement and to try and reinvent our band,” adds Tucker. With ‘No Cities To Love’, “we went for the jugular.”

TRACK LISTING

Price Tag
Fangless
Surface Envy
No Cities To Love
A New Wave
No Anthems
Gimme Love
Bury Our Friends
Hey Darling
Fade

“Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band” - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘All Hands On The Bad One’ is the fifth studio album by Sleater- Kinney, originally released on May 2, 2000 by Kill Rock Stars.

The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1999 to January 2000 at Jackpot! Studio in Portland, Oregon and John & Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington.

Upon release, ‘All Hands On The Bad One’ reached number 177 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart and number 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.

‘All Hands On The Bad One’ appeared on several end-of-year lists and received a nomination for Outstanding Music Album at the 12th Annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Awards.

The Village Voice placed it at number 10 in its 2000 ‘Pazz & Jop’ Critics' Poll.

“The band's most melodic, playful, sarcastic, and punchy album to date” - Brent DiCrescenzo, Pitchfork (8.3).

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

The Ballad Of A Ladyman
Ironclad
All Hands On The Bad One
Youth Decay
You're No Rock N' Roll Fun
#1 Must Have
The Professional
Was It A Lie?
Male Model
Leave You Behind
Milkshake N' Honey
Pompeii
The Swimmer

“Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band” - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘Call The Doctor’ is Sleater-Kinney’s second studio album. It was produced by John Goodmanson and released on March 25, 1996 by Chainsaw Records.

The album is often considered to be Sleater-Kinney's first proper album because Tucker and co-vocalist and guitarist Carrie Brownstein left their previous bands, Heavens to Betsy and Excuse 17, at the time of its recording.

The line-up featured Corin Tucker (vocals, guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar, vocals) and Lora Macfarlane (drums, vocals).

‘Call the Doctor’ appeared at number three in The Village Voice's ‘Pazz & Jop’ critics' poll for 1996.

In 2010, the album was ranked number 49 in the list of the 100 greatest albums of the nineties by the editors of Rolling Stone.

“Trades sex-worker role-playing, doll parts, gender-bending, and other common female-rock tropes for stories of everyday struggle [...] Sleater-Kinney proves that punk still offers new ways to say no" - Johnny Ray Huston, SPIN

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

Call The Doctor
Hubcap
Little Mouth
Anonymous
Stay Where You Are
Good Things
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
Taking Me Home
Taste Test
My Stuff
I'm Not Waiting
Heart Attack

“Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band” - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘Dig Me Out’ is the third studio album by Sleater-Kinney, originally released on April 8, 1997 by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1996 to January 1997 at John and Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington. ‘Dig Me Out’ marked the debut of Janet Weiss, who became the band's longest-serving and last drummer.

‘Dig Me Out’ made several publications' best album lists. The album appeared at number four in The Village Voice's ‘Pazz & Jop’ critics' poll for 1997.

In 2001, Spin placed it at number 19 on its list of ‘50 Most Essential Punk Records’.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 272 on Rolling Stone's list of ‘The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time’.

In 2005, the album was ranked number 24 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005".

In 2012, Spin also ranked it at number 74 on their ‘125 Best Albums of the Past 25 Years’.

In 2008, the song ‘Dig Me Out’ was ranked number 44 in Rolling Stone's ‘100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time’.

"Now [delivers] the punch their words describe...If [Sleater-Kinney] wanna be our Simone de Beauvoir, ‘Dig Me Out’ proves they're up to it”. - Ann Powers, SPIN (9/10)

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

Dig Me Out
One More Hour
Turn It On
The Drama You've Been Craving
Heart Factory
Words And Guitar
It's Enough
Little Babies
Not What You Want
Buy Her Candy
Things You Say
Dance Song '97
Jenny

“Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band” - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘One Beat’ is the sixth studio album from Sleater-Kinney, originally released on August 20, 2002 by Kill Rock Stars.

It was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded between March and April 2002 at Jackpot! Studio in Portland, Oregon.

The album peaked at number 107 in the United States on the Billboard 200 and entered the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number five.

"[Sleater-Kinney’s] sharpest statement yet" - Caryn Ganz, SPIN (#12 in SPIN’s Albums Of The Year 2002).

“Years at the top haven't dulled their willingness to take risks, and that's just what they do, spectacularly, on ‘One Beat’” - Brendan Reid, Pitchfork (9.1). · The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

One Beat
Far Away
Oh!
The Remainder
Light Rail Coyote
Step Aside
Combat Rock
O2
Funeral Song
Prisstina
Hollywood Ending
Sympathy

Sleater-Kinney's 10th studio album was recorded in Portland, Oregon during the summer of 2020 ' against a backdrop of social unrest, devastating wildfires, and a raging pandemic. It's music for an imagined togetherness. This marks the first Sleater-Kinney album produced by the band members themselves.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This newest Sleater-Kinney outing presents a band completely comfortable with their considerable powers, ranging from grooving country-tinged rock to more upbeat groove-led numbers echoing the dynamism of their early years but infused with the anxieties of a changed world, and all the better for it. It's a warmingly familiar but not at all staid sound, and one that they clearly excel at.

TRACK LISTING

Path Of Wellness
High In The Grass
Worry With You
Method
Shadow Town
Favorite Neighbor
Tomorrow’s Grave
No Knives
Complex Female Characters
Down The Line
Bring Mercy

“Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band” - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘Sleater-Kinney’ is the first effort from the group, recorded by Nick Carrol at 486 Victoria Street in Melbourne, Australia, and produced by Tim Green and the band at the Red House in Olympia, Washington.

The album was originally released in 1995 by the independent queercore record label Chainsaw Records.

The line-up featured Corin Tucker (vocals, guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar, vocals) and Lora Macfarlane (drums).

“While their same-sex one-on-ones aren't exactly odes to joy, they convey a depth of feeling that could pass for passion” - Robert Christgau, Consumer Guide (Grade: A-).

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

Don't Think You Wanna
The Day I Went Away
A Real Man
Her Again
How To Play Dead
Be Yr Mama
Sold Out
Slow Song
Lora's Song
The Last Song

'Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band' - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘The Hot Rock’ is the fourth studio album by Sleater-Kinney, originally released on February 23, 1999 by Kill Rock Stars.

It was produced by Roger Moutenot and recorded at Avast studio in Seattle, Washington in July 1998.

‘The Hot Rock’ reached number 181 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and number 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, becoming the first Sleater- Kinney album to enter the charts.

‘The Hot Rock’ appeared at number 23 in The Village Voice's ‘Pazz & Jop’ critics' poll for 1999.

Similarly, Spin placed The Hot Rock at number 18 in its list of 'The Top 20 Albums of 1999'.

In 2002, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 17 on its list of 'Women in Rock: The 50 Essential Albums'.

“The expansive new sound gives Sleater-Kinney room to experiment with their Husker Du-style storytelling... They've earned the right to keep reinventing themselves” - Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone.

“Tucker explores what her voice can do when it's not in overdrive, stretching vowels like a religious supplicant or spewing prosody like Patti Smith. At the same time, Brownstein blossoms as a singer herself [...] braiding lines with Tucker so artfully the result sounds like the voicings of a single restless mind” - Will Hermes, Entertainment Weekly (Grade A).

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

Start Together
Hot Rock
The End Of You
Burn, Don't Freeze!
God Is A Number
Banned From The End Of The World
Don't Talk Like
Get Up
One Song For You
The Size Of Our Love
Living In Exile
Memorize Your Lines
A Quarter To Three

'Sleater-Kinney is America's best rock band' - Greil Marcus, Time (2001)

Sleater-Kinney is an acclaimed American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington in 1994.

The band's core lineup consists of Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar), Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), and Janet Weiss (drums).

Sleater-Kinney were known for their feminist, left-leaning politics, and were an integral part of the riot grrrl and indie rock scenes in the Pacific Northwest.

‘The Hot Rock’ is the fourth studio album by Sleater-Kinney, originally released on February 23, 1999 by Kill Rock Stars.

It was produced by Roger Moutenot and recorded at Avast studio in Seattle, Washington in July 1998.

‘The Hot Rock’ reached number 181 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and number 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart, becoming the first Sleater- Kinney album to enter the charts.

‘The Hot Rock’ appeared at number 23 in The Village Voice's ‘Pazz & Jop’ critics' poll for 1999.

Similarly, Spin placed The Hot Rock at number 18 in its list of 'The Top 20 Albums of 1999'.

In 2002, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 17 on its list of 'Women in Rock: The 50 Essential Albums'.

“The expansive new sound gives Sleater-Kinney room to experiment with their Husker Du-style storytelling... They've earned the right to keep reinventing themselves” - Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone.

“Tucker explores what her voice can do when it's not in overdrive, stretching vowels like a religious supplicant or spewing prosody like Patti Smith. At the same time, Brownstein blossoms as a singer herself [...] braiding lines with Tucker so artfully the result sounds like the voicings of a single restless mind” - Will Hermes, Entertainment Weekly (Grade A).

The album has been freshly remastered by Greg Calbi for this release.

TRACK LISTING

Start Together
Hot Rock
The End Of You
Burn, Don't Freeze!
God Is A Number
Banned From The End Of The World
Don't Talk Like
Get Up
One Song For You
The Size Of Our Love
Living In Exile
Memorize Your Lines
A Quarter To Three

Naarm alchemists Sleep D's revelatory new synthetic 'Electronic Arts' is ready for circulation.

Having released 4 EPs of mind-altering club tackle since 2019's 'Rebel Force', the duo overcome second album syndrome, boiling down their chaos with a more developed sense of songwriting. Never banging one drum, 'Electronic Arts' mirrors the anything goes mania of their DJ sets, tactfully shifting through different sounds and styles. Tempos intensify and decelerate, at times pushing the threshold to 150 bpm from docile canine dreamscapes to full tilt Space Invaders in AR mind games.

Largely built on road tested material from their live performances, the album is a tangible Butter Sessions gathering, busting out the gate with Martian rave initiation Planet Waves, Outdoor System's polyrhythmic beatdown and the Orb-like hero dose affirmations of Sunrise In The Crater (I Exist). While 'Electronic Arts' is otherwise a self-dependent effort, Punch Drunk is brewed ever more potent by the hypnagogic vocals and lucid trumpet cycles of former futsal team member YL Hooi. Their unified energy incidentally manifests a profound matrix of ambient techno, motorik, Don Cherry and Everything But the Girl.

Also touching on apocalyptic doof and minimal, the album is not exclusively peak time with Maryos Syawish and Corey Kikos' specialty curveballs also playing their part. From Village To Empire finds the duo rooting down in Syawish's heritage with a tapestry of purposefully deployed Iraqi and Syrian ethnographic samples and field recordings, dubbed within range of Muslimgauze and On-U Sound. As minimal techno finale Textile trails off into footsteps wandering back to base camp with a satisfied exhale, one wonders where Sleep D's existential pathfinding could possibly take us next?

TRACK LISTING

1. Planet Waves
2. Outdoor System
3. Sunrise In The Crater (I Exist)
4. Strange Sounds
5. From Village To Empire
6. Punch Drunk (feat. YL Hooi)
7. Textile
8. Happiness
9. Hector (Dreaming)
10. Hockey

The London based country-infused rock quintet Sleep Eaters are ready to unveil their debut EP Holy Days on August 9 via Stockholm’s PNKSLM Recordings (home to ShitKid, Les Big Byrd, Magic Potion and more). Having become one of London’s most talked about new acts for their country-infused take on garage rock, Sleep Eaters have spent the past year honing their craft on stage and in the studio, recently supporting Drahla on their UK tour while drawing praise from the likes of So Young and Clash. Holy Days was recorded with Euan Hinshelwood of Younghusband and will be followed by UK and EU live dates during the summer and fall, including dates with L.A. Witch and Froth.

TRACK LISTING

1. Don't Sell Your Soul
2. Valley Of Dogs
3. Life Of Sin
4. Bad Love

Naughty bootleg r'n'b - house refixes here for the club kids and terrace freaks. "Never Leave" takes the genre into dizzy new heights as it samples turn of the millennium, one-hit-wonder, Lumidee's r'n'b classic of the same name. Seriously, this is gonna cause the terrace to collapse when this one drops. Pairing the seductive vocal to a jacking house beat seems like the lowest common denominator when you're sat behind a computer screen; but neck three strong garies and get out amongst the scantily clad boys and girls and I challenge you not to shake your shit to this jam!

RIYL: Shir Khan's Black Jukebox, Artwork, Hammer etc.

Limited one off pressing. 

Dopesmoker remastered from original master tapes for the first time ever. 

Notes from the 2012 Southern Lord Issue:
Formed as a Bay Area hc/punk rock band called Asbestosdeath, the band changed their musical direction and name and debuted as Sleep with their Volume One album in 1991. After Justin Marler left the band, the core lineup of Al Cisneros, Matt Pike and Chris Hakius went into the studio to record a demo cassette that they sent to Earache Records. The recording was released in November of 1992 (exactly as received by the label!) under the name Sleep’s Holy Mountain and went on to forever alter the musical landscape. Countless current bands cite Sleep’s Holy Mountain as a major inspiration, and the unique sound and style of the record can be heard in many subsequent releases by bands from all over the world.

Sleep’s Holy Mountain created such a humongous buzz that major label London Records signed the band. Unfortunately, the label lacked the vision necessary to actually follow through and release the album that Sleep recorded, mostly because it took the not-radio-friendly form of a Single song — a 63 minute long ode to weed — called Dopesmoker. Sleep returned to the studio and edited the track down to 52 minutes and re-titled it Jerusalem, but it was again rejected. London Records shelved the record and dropped the band, leading to their dissolution.

Dopesmoker was recorded by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Melvins) at Record Two Studio in Comptche, California. While recording the song, it began to form differently than the band had originally envisioned. Pike stated that “The song was getting slower and slower and then it got weird. We started tripping out and second guessing ourselves.” Recording the album was difficult. Pike recalled that “There was so much to memorize for that album, and we had to do it in like three different sections because a reel-to-reel only holds 22 minutes. It was really cool, but it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in in my life.” Sleep were in the studio for one month then went home to rehearse and returned for another month. Pike noted that they ended up with two or three different versions of the song.

In the aftermath of the breakup of the band, four versions of the album were released. In 1999, Jerusalem came out with a running time of 52 minutes and is a single composition split into six identically-named tracks. There are 3 different versions/releases of Jerusalem: (1) a rare London Records promotional disc, (2) a bootleg with cover art by Arik Roper, and (3) the Rise Above/Music Cartel Records release. All three of these versions are edited and considered unauthorized versions. The version of the album titled Dopesmoker was released on April 22, 2003 by Tee Pee Records on compact disc and vinyl with a 63-minute running time. That version is the only version the band considers to be “authorized” and worthy of release. Dopesmoker stands as one of the towering achievements in recent metal history... a mesmerizing, intoxicating, and incredibly complex song that is still unrivaled in the annals of (stoner) metal.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dopesmoker (1:03:29)
2. Hot Lava Man (8:25)

While Sleeper & Snake pairs up the great Al Montfort (Total Control, The UV Race, Dick Diver) and Amy Hill (Primo!, Constant Mongrel), who’ve both found themselves in league as band mates in Terry, this album isn’t quite the pop pairing that it seems on the surface. Accompanying the strums, jangles, and geniality there’s also present offbeat electronics and free jazz fizz.
Sleeper & Snake are Amy Hill and Al Montfort. As members of Terry and innumerable other vital acts from the Aus-underground, you might be expecting some strummy pop slap from this relatively new project, but Sleeper & Snake is a more subtle, intriguing and experimental endeavour. Homespun vignettes of warbled keyboards, fizzed improv interludes, shifting layers of skewed harmony and wistful yet pointed lyrical pep is their measure. The duo still lock into a mordant lo-fi mode but there’s a delicacy at play here too with cello, harmonica and even sarangi being employed in the foundation of these frothy concoctions of outsider folk and post punk hodgepodge.

Following on from last year’s ‘Junction and High’ debut, new album ‘Fresco Shed’ unfurls with the same floating free atmosphere. The record launches with an uncanny field recording before being drawn onward by the coalescing alto and tenor saxophones of ‘Miracles’. ‘Flats Falling’ is a crystalline assembly of cello, drum machine and plucky bass which freewheels around, curlicues of sax sparking off amid the duo’s matter-of fact vocal parade: “Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer. The place has a curse.” Deceptively catchy and barbed with hooks, Hill & Montfort stick to their strengths with this first single from the album. Comparably buoyant, ‘Shoot Through’ also conceals inner depths in wraiths of wild melody and memory. It’s never as comfortable a listen as you first think with Sleeper & Snake.

‘Rokeby’ is more of a serenade into the wind, showcasing the duo’s love of alliterative wordplay: “wish I would wake, wake up in the wash, wish for fail, wish for friends”. ‘Reach Out’ strolls down a similar path, only pursued by bursts of Wurlitzer: “reach out for rent and riddle more, riddle with rats, keep your cards racked.” Hill and Montfort’s vocals are mirrored in unity but still retain their ability to wrong-foot expectation. For instance, ‘Lock Up The Loose’ is reminiscent of a cosmic, country ballad, only written for a children's party. The song’s jejune delivery belying lyrical concerns around the notion of incarceration.

‘Fresco Shed’ takes its title from a line in tremulous, keyboard ponderance ‘Lady Painter’, a track that spins its ‘colour wheel’ around ‘paupers in palaces’ and ‘farmers full of feeling’. An acoustic guitar and cello mark the decentred rhythm here, in contrast to the clustering synth-lines and sax breezes that tangle throughout ‘Piles’. An interplay of saxophones alone builds ‘New Togs’ heady ambience, with multiple horns weaving through each other’s reverb trail, this is dauntless, spry music, no resting on laurels allowed. ‘Declare’ closes the album with a whirl of melodies that stretch to their limits before vanishing into thin air. Like the best magic trick, it’s over in the wink of an eye and you can’t see how they got there. ‘Fresco Shed’ is transportive, ludic, humane and homemade, ruminative and resourceful. It’s an album that’s as light on its feet as it’s heavy with meaning, a total triumph of substance over style from an endlessly creative duo determined on surprising all (themselves included) with each new song.

TRACK LISTING

01. Miracles
02. Flats Falling
03. Rokeby
04. Lady Painter
05. Piles
06. Shoot Through
07. Lock Up The Loose
08. New Togs
09. Reach Out
10. Declare

"The Modern Age" is Sleeper's first album in 21 years. It wasn’t meant to happen. In fact, the band had promised each other it never would. “We had no plan to get back together. Sometimes life throws you a massive curve ball. You end up jumping off the cliff, just to see what it feels like.”, says singer, Louise Wener

The band spent summer 2018 recording The Modern Age with their long-time producer, Stephen Street - a relationship that clicked into place again right away. They tracked live at Metway studios in their adopted city of Brighton, before decamping to Street’s studio in West London to add the finishing touches. The Modern Age is the outward looking sound of a band revitalized and refreshed. Covering subjects from motherhood and social media to personal loss and, inevitably, relationships. The Modern Age retains Sleeper’s classic pop sensibilities with a shiny, new, contemporary feel.

The first single to be taken from the album is Look at You Now – released on Dec 5th and available on all digital platforms. Initially it appears to be referencing Sleeper’s comeback, but it’s a protest song at heart: a howl for the politically homeless in a landscape where reasoned debate has given way to vitriol.

Sleeper enjoyed huge critical and commercial success in the mid-90s: achieving 8 Top 40 singles across 3 Top 10 albums with well over 1,000,000 sales. Their music was characterized by astute, observational lyrics and big, hook driven melodies. Wener was an iconic front-person, heading up a movement that brought women center stage in guitar music. Sleeper split In 1998 and walked purposely away from the limelight. Wener carved out a career as a successful novelist. Drummer Andy Maclure and John Stewart - Sleeper’s guitarist - both became lecturers in music studies. Sleeper’s current line-up are joined by former Prodigy bassist Kieron Pepper.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Sleeper are back! With an appropriately titled nod to the modern age, they have brought their impeccable ear for melodies and propulsive indie thrust into the 21st century with smooth production and crisp, satisfying melodies.

TRACK LISTING

LP
A1. Paradise Waiting
A2. Look At You Now
A3. The Sun Also Rises
A4. Dig
A5. The Modern Age
B1. Cellophane
B2. Car Into The Sea
B3. Blue Like You
B4. More Than I Do
B5. Big Black Sun

CD
1. Paradise Waiting
2. Look At You Now
3. The Sun Also Rises
4. Dig
5. The Modern Age
6. Cellophane
7. Car Into The Sea
8. Blue Like You
9. More Than I Do
10. Big Black Sun

Stripped-down, unblighted, bedroom pop songs... about girls. "Women Of Your Life" is the intimately facile sophomore album from indie-slackers Sleeping Bag. The Bloomington, Indiana based trio is spearheaded by Dave Segedy, who is the group's drummer, songwriter and primary vocalist (that's right: a drummer who writes and sings all the songs!). Specializing in simple and honest songwriting, Malkmus-deadpan vocal delivery, and unusually addictive melodies, Sleeping Bag craft songs that are at once familiar and fresh. The band's debut s/t album was released on Joyful Noise in August 2011, receiving praise from Under The Radar, Impose Magazine, Village Voice, RCRD LBL, and My Old Kentucky Blog.

With their second album, the trio have matured in the ways one might expect: songs are a bit longer, lyrics a bit more personal, and arrangements more developed. But all of Sleeping Bag's signature elements are well represented throughout: the heartfelt ("In The Pocket", "Still Life"), the playful ("Allison Cole", "Saturday Night") and the unbelievably catchy ("Soccer Ball", "Walk Home"). Segedy's effortless melodies, accompanied by the distinctively jangling guitar work of Lewis Rogers and the tastefully minimal bass of David Woodruff, combine to form a sound that summons the energy and earnestness of 90s rock, while sidestepping throwback territory. Familiar influences are organically reconstructed into relevant,
captivating pop. These are instantly accessible songs which gain surprising depth with each obsessively repeated listen.

TRACK LISTING

1. Women Of Your Life
2. Soda You
3. Soccer Ball
4. Allison Cole
5. In The Pocket
6. Nightmare
7. Saturday Night
8. Coco
9. Still Life
10. Walk Home..

Spawned in the same creepy corner of the Pacific Northwest, from the remains of the fantastically under-appreciated The Hunches, Eat Skull and The Hospitals, are the Sleeping Beauties.

Big basement rock opens up “Bobby and Suzie” with its gluey, flypaper tempo changes bringing to mind Alex Chilton’s “Like Flies on Sherbert” and the Electric Eels mashed into a ball. Rhythm piano played with an icepick is next on “Meth” and though it may be a tale of warning, the track adds allure to having “got a weekend sack and it’s Saturday / Sunday my life is crumbling.” Under the moss-covered tremolo glam of “Wheeler” is a map to one of the catchiest choruses of the record. The smell of bleach in the bathroom leads to “Potter’s Daughter” with an invitation to relax and go “swimming in tampons” but in the last minute Rod Meyer’s and Rob Enbom’s scraping guitars peel back the skull again.

Sounding poppy, primal and carsick at once, drug mules and biblical references tiptoe sweetly onto the bus on “Merchants of Glue.” The windows steam up in the Rocket from the Tombs-eque “Slumber Party” as the garbage boogie slides into an early Butthole-Surfers-like stream of unconsciousness. “Hands Across America” continues to showcase singer Hart Gledhill as one of the most distressing throats since Captain Beefheart while competing with guitar solos louder than Teengenerate. These burns are soothed on “Southie,” evoking some kind of 13th Floor Elevators groove followed by the sad, warped, almost country-tinged “Addicted to Drugs.” This respite is short lived, however; the terrific push-pull / future-primitive rhythm section kicks in on “50’s Haircut / Gold Shoes.” After a while, the gutter puzzles start to make sense, like a schizophrenic does if you actually sit down and listen. When the last sands gently, mercifully slide through the hourglass on “South Eugene,” it’s over too soon.

It is exciting to see a new band in 2016 sing about their unique pain and pleasure, not hidden by delay pedals and not seeming to care if you like it or not. This record probably makes you smarter for listening to it, and the only problem is it erases your mind as well. - Lars Finberg, 2016.

TRACK LISTING

1. Bobby & Suzie
2. Meth
3. Wheeler
4. Potter's Daughter
5. Merchants Of Glue
6. Slumber Party
7. Hands Across America
8. Southie
9. Addicted To Drugs
10. 50's Haircut / Gold Shoes
11. South Eugene

Punk pioneers Crass continue their vinyl reissue series ‘2 by 2 And Back Again’ with reissues from Sleeping Dogs and Lack of Knowledge. Sleeping Dogs were one of only two American bands to release on Crass Records, and in 1982 their sardonic and sludgy, but politically sharp, hardcore made up the ‘Beware’ EP. They were first formed under the moniker Arsenal by the late artist, and designer of the iconic Crass logo, David King. ‘Beware’ showed the originality and potential of Sleeping Dogs, even as Crass’s Penny Rimbaud and Crass guitarist Phil Free augmented the band’s sound for the studio session. The front cover of the single featured its own striking image, courtesy of King. Sleeping Dogs disbanded shortly after, reemerging briefly under the new guise of Brain Rusta few years later. Distorted, biting, and beat-driven, the collection is a well-researched and poignant expose of Western imperialism.

TRACK LISTING

Same Old Story
Concrete
Suzy’s Song
(I Got My Tan In) El Salvador
Soldier

The Sleeping Years is the new project from Dale Grundle, formerly of the Catchers. Now signed to innovative indie-label Rocket Girl, the debut album "We're becoming Islands One By One", is a gorgeous exploration of melody and melancholy. A gifted lyricist, Dale's exquisitely crafted songs tell of people trying to stay connected in a world seemingly designed to keep them apart. He is heavily influenced by the language and culture of his home in Ireland, providing a distinct character to this highly personal collection of songs.

A 4/20 surprise release from stoner rock progenitors SLEEP. This 180g 12" single, originally issued in 2014, features one fully-immersive song "The Clarity" on the A side and a new etching by artist Dave Kloc on the B side.

'...stunning opener "Marina", a mix of twin guitar fuzz, ghostly folk melody and bravura Afro-Latin breakdown' - Uncut
'Although the album is full of brilliance, "Marina" stands headstrong above the others in terms of scope an grandeur' – Clash
''Marina' could be Hendrix tuning up for the star spangled banner before Rachel Fannan asks it to be floated down west of the lazy river in sweet and sexy folk tones.' - Subbacultcha.

"Marina" is the first single to be taken from Sleepy Sun's critically acclaimed album "Fever" released in May this year. (4/5 Mojo, 4/5 Uncut, 9/10 Clash). Sleepy Sun is a California band from many Californias. They hail from the rolling oak and sage hills of Sierra Gold Country, The San Francisco Peninsula, where Kesey raged and the Dead were once Warlocks, and the forever-sunshine climes of the Southland. They came together—young and garage strutting in the coastal Northern California crucible of Santa Cruz. And there they birthed the Sleepy sound—dead blues shaken alive, razor sharp and ramblin’, soul, sonic science and dead-on pop surgery. Wooden, earthy, stratospheric, and swinging…California music of beautiful contrasts for conflicted times.

A band working, and a working band—Sleepy Sun’s soaring and soul-stirring live shows are already mowing down audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. They’ve opened for Autolux and Mudhoney, rocked Primavera and Treasure Island, and relentlessly toured the capitals and humble hamlets of North America and Europe. And in their path, the converts are fast becoming legion.

The band of brothers known far and wide as Sleepy Sun don't sit still for long. Though they remain real and spiritual citizens of the Northern California hive that birthed the band in the latter half of the last decade, Sleepy Sun is a rambling band- a certifiably vagabond unit that built a reputation among American and European audiences as fine-tuned, ironclad locomotive and candy sweet heavy pop machine. Barnstorming the Great Plains....stealing afternoons from the unsuspecting on the European festival- go-round...hooking the uninitiated opening for the Arctic Monkeys, Black Angels, and Low Anthem, they've done yeoman's work, sparked the party, and made the music sound young again.

Sleepy Sun's miles, months, and days in the van are a tangible presence in Spine Hits, an LP of whimsy, restlessness, and urgency that leaps nimbly from landscape to landscape with ease, irreverence, and a catch-em-before-they-ain't changeling nature. For the most part, the sprawling Zeppelin-esque epics that defined much of Embrace and Fever have been traded in for a potent pop-compact framework. But never at the expense of the dodging, juking, and downshifting instincts that set their older long form pieces apart from a thousand other psychedelic drone warriors.

Recorded under the big skies of the California high desert with Queens of Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal alumnus Dave Catching, the jams on Spine Hits are alternatingly precision whittled and moodily muscular. Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss' guitars adroitly move from steamroller heavy to beachside airy and bouncing to interstellar- tinkering with texture and dynamics like never before. Vocalist Bret Constantino sings with a road-toughened, husky soul yowl and hush that occasionally betrays a society-weary frustration but more often hints at a way out. The rhythm section of drummer Brian Tice and Jack Allen is a super - cohesive, tricky, and tough-as-hell unit that keeps the Sleepy train on track as it teeters, creeps and runs wild across the land.

To any seasoned Sleepy Sun listener the new destinations will be surprises and revelations. "V.O.G." hints at a backstage conspiracy hatched on the Arctic Monkeys tour - buoyant and tight as a wire. "Boat Trip" moseys with a Lou Reed offhandedness - a postcard from Brian Wilson's forgotten vacation with the Velvets. "Still Breathing" is an elegiac nod to the band's early alignment with the Verve's dreamworlds.

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Sleepy Sun return with an album that struts along the indie-psyche-rock sidewalk. From the heavier sun-bleached guitar onslaughts to their more mellow moments the pace is wonderfully languid, all topped off with vocalist's Bret Constantino's soulful howl.

TRACK LISTING

1. Stivey Pond
2. She Rex
3. Siouxsie Blaqq
4. Creature
5. Boat Trip
6. V.O.G.
7. Martyr's Mantra
8. Still Breathing
9. Yellow End
10. Deep War
11. Lioness (Requiem)

Sleigh Bells, Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss, have announced their first new album in three years. Entitled Jessica Rabbit, the album was produced by the band and mixed by Andrew Dawson (Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator); and for the first time ever they brought someone outside of the band into the creative process, working with Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Fiona Apple) to shape five of the band’s favourite tracks on the album.

The result is an album that does not sound like anything Sleigh Bells has ever done - or anyone has ever done, for that matter. It is the sonic equivalent of firing synapses, with melodies zigzagging in different directions in a beautiful and ever-modulating controlled chaos. It is playful but darkly so; flirtatious but caustic; ebullient but downright sinister. It is a record that is wholly unique in sound and purpose, an unabashed and unafraid statement from a band that has made offending rote conceptions of pop music their signature and greatest strength.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There is more than a hint of shoegaze here, dream-pop melodies and serene floating vocals segue into ambient passages before flourishing into aggressive electronics. Elswehere, 80's tinged melodies and sing-along anthemic rock chords and twinkling arps take the forefront. Glow-sticks out everyone.

TRACK LISTING

1. It’s Just Us Now
2. Torn Clean
3. Lightning Turns Sawdust
4. I Can’t Stand You Anymore
5. Crucible
6. Loyal For
7. I Can Only Stare
8. Throw Me Down The Stairs
9. Unlimited Dark Paths
10. I Know Not To Count On You
11. Rule Number One
12. Baptism By Fire
13. Hyper Dark
14. As If

Sleigh Bells’ sixth album Texis is the sound of the duo letting go of all hang-ups and inhibitions and allowing themselves to embrace making the sort of loud, colorful, genre-melting music only they could make. “We stopped worrying about whether or not we’re in or out of our comfort zone, or if we were being repetitive or formulaic,” says guitarist and composer Derek Miller. “In the past we were pretty obsessed with tearing up the rule book and starting from scratch for every record as a means to do something new or different,” he says. “For Texis we didn’t worry about any of that stuff, we just pushed the first domino and hoped that something exciting and inspiring would happen.”

That first domino would be “Justine Go Genesis”, a song that lands at the unexpected intersection between Metallica, Spice Girls, and ‘90s drum and bass. The wild maximalism of the track opened the floodgates for the songs to come, like the exuberant cheerleader metal of “Locust Laced” and “Tennessee Tips,” which whips dramatically between thrash riffs and spacey shoegaze sections. Miller and Sleigh Bells singer and co-writer Alexis Krauss didn’t go “back to basics” by emulating the sound of their landmark debut Treats, but they did reconnect with that record’s brash, speaker-rattling energy. The result is an album that’s the most fully actualized version of the band, merging the more refined pop craft and deeper emotional palette of their 2016 album Jessica Rabbit with the dopamine-blasting bangers of their earlier days.

"Far From Nowhere" was produced by the legendary Ed Stasium (Ramones, Pennywise, 7 Seconds, Talking Heads) and delivers 12 fast, fun and melodic punk rock songs from SoCal punk band Slick Shoes. It's not only their shoes which are slick, these songs slip out like a glib indiscretion with clever, cheeky lyrics that reveal an underlying heartache.

This is a licensed release of the impossibly rare and very much in demand Run Fattie by The Slickers. It was initially released in 1969 on Trojan Records. It has never been released on a single since and it is simply not on sale anymore. This is yet another exciting song that combines Rocksteady harmonies with a mid-tempo early Reggae beat plus rather cryptic lyrics about the poor Fattie running all over town… Cracking! The B-side is a licensed reissue of the very rare 7" vinyl single track Hoola Bulla. It was originally released as the B-side of Run Fattie on the 1969’s 7inch vinyl single and it has never been repressed on 7” until now. This lovely “hot shot” combines an infectious rhythm infused with Caribbean percussions along with sweet group harmonies, an instant and unstoppable hit. A perfect flip for this killer double sider.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Another rare-as-hens-teeth rocksteady double header from 1969 Jamaica. Again, following the genre's development into reggae, these never before reissued tracks are stupendously important figureheads in the history of Jamaican music.

TRACK LISTING

Run Fattie
Hoolla Bulla

SLIFT’s ILION is a towering work of rock music, a steamrolling record that starts at the highest peak and never lets up. If that sounds overwhelming, trust that this Toulouse trio have you in good hands. Their third full-length feels massive and oceanic, merging the furious intensity of metal and the wigged-out guitar heroics of psych rock with post-rock’s epic sense of scale. ILION is the kind of music where you listen to it and think to yourself, “This came from only three people?” It sure did, and SLIFT’s utter ferocity is way more than a tempest in a teacup. It reaches outwards for miles and creates new zeniths within unforeseen horizons of rock.

SLIFT is made up of brothers Jean and Remí Fossat, and Canek Flores, who first met the brothers Fossat at school. After the band formed in 2016, they quickly made their 2017 debut EP, Space Is the Key, which merged stoner rock’s heaviness with the sugar-rush qualities of garage rock. From there, things only got weirder: The trio experimented with faster tempos and bongos(!) on the following year’s full-length La Planeté Inexploreé, and in 2019, their KEXP session recorded at the Trans Musicales festival in Rennes became a viral sensation, racking up more than 1.4 million YouTube views.

UMMON from 2020 represented SLIFT’s pivot towards the celestially crushing confines of psych-metal, marked by Remí’s rolling basslines and Flores’s relentless skin-pounding. But nothing in their catalog could prepare you for ILION, a huge and melodically dense record that at once recalls Godspeed! You Black Emperor’s perpetually uplifting surge, the passionate burn of post-hardcore legends …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Led Zep’s psychotic blues-rock mysticism, and the psychedelic swirl of Swedish greats Goat.

But reducing ILION to a list of reference points would be missing the point—specifically, that you have to sit down and experience this thing and let it take over your ear space. Over eight tracks and 75+ minutes, SLIFT unleash the fury with walls of guitar and multi-part song structures that make you feel as if you’re being taken on a true journey—from the pure oblivion of ILION’s title track and the abandon of centerpiece “Weavers’ Weft” to the intense climax of the epic “The Story That Has Never Been Told.”

But what is this journey? Joseph Campbell would be proud of the thematic path laid out before the listeners on ILION, which is named after the Ancient Greek word for the city of Troy and, conceptually speaking, picks up where UMMON left off. The band explains: “Where the two records differ is that ILION is about human emotions and feelings, whereas UMMON was telling an epic story with a distant view. ILION represents the fall of humanity and the rebirth of all things in time and space.” Heavy shit, to be sure—but fear not, because you don’t need a 12-sided dice and a copy of The Odyssey to get what SLIFT dishes out on ILION. All you need are two ears, an open mind, and the willingness to be truly blown away.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Though Slift's hefty slabs of guitar and off-kilter time signatures initially remind me a heavier Om (no bad thing), it's tracks like Nimh and the crushing title track that show how taut these pieces can get. Smouldering synths burst into action, rendering swathes of distortion and tightly coiled riffs around the intense percussive backbone before fading again into the ether. Brilliant.

TRACK LISTING

1. Ilion
2. Nimh
3. The Words That Have Never Been Heard
4. Confluence
5. Weavers' Weft
6. Uruk
7. The Story That Has Never Been Told
8. Enter The Loop

“This set was recorded and filmed at the Cemes laboratory, in Toulouse, south of France. The place is called "La Boule", and the structures you see behind us are the top of an old particle microscope. The sound turns infinitely in this sphere of aluminum. We wanted to confront our songs with this environment full of endless echoes and noises. Thank you very much to our crew, Levitation, and all the good people at Cemes, it was an intense sonic and physical experience for us, we hope you'll enjoy watching it. Can't wait to play for ya'll in real life, but until this day arrives... We salute you, from the deep space and the night !” - SLIFT

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Ummon
2. Thousand Helmets Of Gold
3. It's Coming...
4. Citadel On A Satelite

Disc: 2
1. Lions, Tigers & Bears
2. Hyperion
3. Heavy Road
4. Altitude Lake

SLIFT return with their phenomenal space rock album, UMMON. Composed during endless tours across Europe in 2019, conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary film; UMMON is a dreamlike odyssey staging the Titans, their exile to the outer reaches of space in search of their creators and the return of the Titan Hyperion to Earth.

Beyond music and lyrics, it's about "all these questions to which we'll never have answers", which dig their furrows in the humans heart.

« For sulfur guitar lovers, Prog from beyond the grave and blip blup blop of old synthesizers. Blitzkrieg fuzz and geyser Free. Bass escaping from the Minas Morgül's dungeons, and Nostromo’s drums travelling at the speed of light. Vicious solos and assassins bends. Acid krautrock and cosmic-comics jazz. There are distant echoes and reveries, celestial choirs illuminating space. And r r e e p p e e t t i i t t i i o o n n. Ancestral voices and ancient extraterrestrial rites. Abyssal doom and apocalyptic noise. There's chaos. And there's silence. »

The three guys come from Toulouse, south of France, and their first EP was released in June 2017 via Howlin Banana (fr) and Exag 'records (be). His name is Space Is The Key. Inspired by Alain Damasio's science fiction novels and the work of French illustrator Pierre Ferrero.

In September 2018, they released "La Planète Inexplorée", (Stolen Body Records) with the engineer/producer and guru of the French garage sound, Lo Spider. The album was mastered by producer Jim Diamond (The GO, Fleshtones, Sonics, White Stripes ..) king of the regretted Ghetto recorder in Detroit. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Ummon
2. It’s Coming…
3. Thousand Helmets Of Gold
4. Citadel On A Satellite
5. Hyperion
6. Altitude Lake
7. Sonar
8. Dark Was Space, Cold Were The Stars
9. Aurore Aux Confins
10. Son DÔng’s Cavern
11. Lions, Tigers And Bears

Slim Media Player returns to Pacific Rhythm with a wonderfully original EP, "Quicksand", his first new material since 2016’s "Rhythms Of The Pacific Volume 3". The EP is the product of Slim Media Player & DJ D.DEE culling through 20+ hours of live jams recorded in Vancouver at Deep Blue Studios from 2016 to 2018.

The EP opens with the records namesake "Quicksand", a playful piece of peak-time material that’s quirky, uplifting, and dare we say a touch heart-warming. "Mouthfeel" comes through swinging but plays a touch more koi than the opener, serving as an effective tension-builder on the dancefloor that builds into a thoughtful groover with some light at the end of tunnel.

On the b-side S.M.P explores deeper territory with "Memory Bias (Nostalgia Mix)", an aquatic roller blanketed with warmth and a contemplative aire that stretches for nearly 9 minutes. The EP fades out with the gentle drift of "Tschüs", a warm swaddle that will quell your anxieties and affirm that there are indeed some things that are right in this world, this track being one of them.

TRACK LISTING

01. Quicksand
02. Mouthfeel
03. Memory Bias (Nostalgia Mix)
04. Tchüss

Nomadic, London-born MC Slim Papi follow up to his ‘Châteauneuf-du-Papi Vol. 1’ EP - which saw support from Clash, COLORSXSTUDIOS, BBC6 Music, Iggy Pop, Huey Morgan, Jyoty (Rinse FM), Shy One (NTS Radio) BBC Introducing, Amazon ++ - with Vol. 2 in his ‘Châteauneuf-du-Papi’ EP series.

This time he once again brings along Westside Gunn/Madlib collaborator Sonnyjim along for the ride, as well as his New Jersey rap twin Crimeapple (fresh off the back of appearance on Rosnerberg's 'Real Late' comp alongside Ghostface Killah & Jim Jones) and Lunch Money Life/Touching Bass’ Poison Zcora, for a 4-track travel-rap opus.

Slim Papi (Noonian Soong) levels up his bars celebrating lifes wins and luxuries. Rolls out some of his most high grade references of cuisine ("Steamed bream with creamed beans in a limousine, I'm eating langoustines and tangerine's in Aberdeen"), travel ("I back flip off a catamaran in Kazakhstan, the man with the plan is stuck in Milan in a traffic jam) and cultural touchstones ("iridocycltis”) over largely self produced cuts. The result is a confident, mature and unique offering for rap music from British shores, bridging the worlds of funk, electornica and rap and packaged as some of the best London music has to offer.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Second, BUY ON SIGHT 7" from my favourite up-and-coming UK wordsmith Slim Papi. Seriously, big T I P on this - still proper unknown. These 7"s are gonna be well collectable when he breaks big. Really strong video game and personality to boot; this anti-gansta who prefers the finer things in life to slinging mediocre street drugs and knife fights is destined to become a household name.

TRACK LISTING

A1: David Lynch Ft. Crimeapple
A2: Rod Serling (produced By Poison Zcora)
AA1: Harry Dean Stanton (produced By Sonnyjim)
AA2: Steve Buscemi

London's Slim Papi follows up his critically acclaimed 'Excellent Adventure' EP with the first drop from his forthcoming 'Châteauneuf-du-Papi' project. Described as 'somewhere between Anthony Bourdain and Action Bronson...’

The 4-track project sees the orator trade lyrics, recipes and wine recommendations alongside Westside Gunn collaborator Sonnyjim and Blah! Records stand out Jam Baxter over production from Goya Gumbani collaborator, Kiina & Tru Thoughts producer Forest DLG.

Ridiculously limited copies – think there’s about 40 for Europe, 100 in total! Move quick! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Seriously, seriously good. With all the flamboyant swagger of Action Bronson, the wordsmithery of Your Old Droog and the playful experimentation of Ratking. Remember Jesse From SE – similar London centric flow on this cat. You might not know Slim Papi yet, but it's certainly this UK-based rapper's time.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Emidio Pepe Ft. Sonnyjim
A2. Le Corbusier Ft. Kiina
AA: Cosmo Kramer Ft. Jam Baxter

London lyricist Slim Papi returns for the 3rd and final release in his ‘Châteauneuf-du-Papi’ series with this 4-track EP.

Following collaborations with the likes of Crimeapple, Sonnyjim & Jam Baxter, this time London’s Slim Papi teams up with the Madlib-cosigned Chris Crack, who makes a rare appearance singing his way through the Max-B reminiscent hook as well as handling a 16 bar verse. Crack appearing fresh off the back of his latest ‘Free Sex’ LP and fellow wine-afficinado Griselda/Alchemist affiliate, Willie The Kid.

Continuing the trend set through his ‘Chateauneuf-du-Papi' EP series, the EP once again sees artwork courtesy of Dublin’s Johnny Brennan and includes tracks named after cult a movie directors, iconic restaurants and highly coveted bottles of plonk. The Jon Phonics produced lead single ‘Wim Wenders’ also features Luke Mills-Pettigrew of psychedelic-jazz experimentalists, Lunch Money Life, on bass guitar. Making the 4 track opus a truly all star cast.

Continuing the self proclaimed ’travel rappers’ world hopping theme (his last ‘I’ve Long & Prosper’ project written & recorded during a stint in Brazil) the EP was written during a short stint working the harvest at a friends vineyard in Portugal’s Douro valley, working 16 hour shifts, breaking only to cook twice a day. A vibe summarised in Papi’s effortless lyrics - “Precipitation, maceration, elevation, information highway generation, microphone mathematics, fry the amoratics” - and a work ethic translated to the music we hear. With his trademark themes of vintage vehicles, water sports and the finer things in life, the guest verses from Willie The Kid & Chris Crack match this energy with a little more bravado to spare.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: 3rd instalment from one of my favourite UK wordsmiths at the moment. Deliberately under-the-radar and apart from the Rap Soap Opera (man's got wine to make!), he's a breath of fresh air amongst all the fake gangsters and aggro rappers.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Wim Wenders Ft. Chris Crack
A2. Barolo Serralunga
AA1: River Cafe Ft. Willie The Kid
AA2: Mysteria 

DFA Records are proud to announce the new album from Slim Twig.

‘Thank You For Stickin’ With Twig’ is to date the most sonically immersive album in Twig’s discography.

Where some records have focused explicitly on sample-based songwriting, while others have been completely live-recorded, the new album arrives at a perfectly produced fusion of fidelities. Twig flirts here with a variety of vibes, most often opting for a three-dimensional approach whereby a warped tape aura is overlaid with colourful laser-cut keyboard and guitar melodies. A fetishization of analogue texture is married to a digital approach.

It's a fuzz-heavy psych-pop fest with hints of early Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. 

TRACK LISTING

Slippin’ Slidin’
A Woman’s Touch (It’s No Coincidence)
She Stickin’ With Twig
Textiles On Mainstreet
Stone Rollin’ (Musical Emotion)
Roll Red Roll (Song For Steubenville)
You Got Me Goin’…
Fog Of Sex (N.S.I.S)
Fadeout Killer
Trip Thru Bells
… Out Of My Mind
Live In, Live On Your Era
Cannabis

Slint established its earliest roots when, in 1981, at the ages of eleven and twelve, guitarist Brian McMahan and drummer Britt Walford began playing together in Louisville, KY. In 1984, Britt Walford and guitarist David Pajo started collaborating musically at the ages of fourteen and sixteen. 1985 saw the origination of Slint itself, the band then comprising Britt Walford, David Pajo, and bassist Ethan Buckler. Brian McMahan joined the following year. In 1987, Ethan Buckler departed and was replaced on bass by Todd Brashear. 

In 1990, Slint recorded the landmark Spiderland album in Chicago with Brian Paulson both engineering and mixing. This album was such a revelation in musical style, that it acted as a precursor to whole musical movement that would be known as 'post rock'. Hugely influential and still sounding fresh today.

Spiderland is the second and final studio album by the American rock band Slint. It contains six songs played over 40 minutes, and was released by Touch and Go Records in 1991. Slint's lineup at the time of recording were Brian McMahan on vocals and guitar, David Pajo on guitar, Todd Brashear on bass guitar and Britt Walford on drums. Spiderland was engineered by Brian Paulson and recorded over four days in August 1990. The music and vocal melodies were written over the summer of 1990, with lyrics composed in-studio. Formed in 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky, having met as teenagers playing in the Midwestern punk scene, they soon diverged from their hardcore roots. By the time they recorded Spiderland in late 1990, the band had developed a complex, idiosyncratic sound characterized by atypical rhythmic meters, harmonic dissonance and irregular song structures. McMahan's vocal delivery alternates between spoken word, singing and shouting. The lyrics are presented in a narrative style, covering themes and feelings of unease, social anxiety, loneliness, and despair. Slint broke up shortly before the album's release. Spiderland is widely regarded as foundational to the 1990s post-rock and math rock movements, and is cited by critics as a milestone of indie and experimental rock, inspiring numerous subsequent artists.

TRACK LISTING

1. Breadcrumb Trail
2. Nosferatu Man
3. Don, Aman
4. Washer
5. For Dinner...
6. Good Morning Captain

"I first heard Slint before they were called that, but the difference between them and their contemporaries was already in concrete. From the outset they made music to suit themselves, not an audience, and their dogged pursuit of the sound of their imagination is still utterly unique. Tendrils of continuity between the doom of heavy metal, the drama of modernist classical music, and the rude musk of punk may not be apparent at first glance, but they glow like a web when illuminated by the fire of Slint’s muse. Nobody thinks about their music, or music itself, like Slint. Love this fucking band." Steve Albini, 2014.

Produced by Brian Paulson at River North Recorders in Chicago and released by Touch and Go Records in April of 1991, the six songs on Spiderland methodically mapped a shadowy new continent of sound. The music is taut, menacing, and haunting; its structure built largely on absence and restraint, on the echoing space between the notes, but punctuated by sudden thrilling blasts of unfettered fury. It is a sound that no one had heard before and that no one will ever forget. The eerie, now-iconic black and white cover photo of the four-band member’s heads breaking the surface of the water was taken by their friend Will Oldham. Spiderland spawned a whole new genre, frequently called PostRock, and came to be regarded as one of the most important and influential records of the past thirty years.

SLINT broke up shortly before Spiderland was released. Band members went on to play in Tortoise, the Breeders, Palace, The For Carnation, Papa M, Evergreen, Interpol, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A:
1. Breadcrumb Trail
2. Nosferatu Man
3. Don, Aman
Side B:
4. Washer
5. For Dinner…
6. Good Morning, Captain