Come Saturday (Searching For The Now version) (3:23)
Ramona (3:46)
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (2:53)
Side Ponytail (2:01)
Higher Than The Stars (3:48)
103 (2:03)
Falling Over (3:12)
Twins (3:19)
Say No To Love (3:49)
Review: Suave timing for this release as The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, who had been roughly five years disbanded, are back out on the road in 2025 touring Europe. The Brooklyn band, who are fronted by founder Kip Berman, are best known for their 2009 self-titled debut and a lot of their other best songs were scattered. To condense the companion material from that era into one place gives listeners the opportunity to further understand what a richly creative time it was for the indie group. Of the highlights, here 'Kurt Cobain's Cardigan' from their 'Higher Up The Stairs' EP is a snappy number up there with the very best of jangle pop greats. And 'Say No To Love', which was available on 7", is surely going to be a staple in their upcoming live shows and what better way to refamiliarise with it than having it on rotation here next to some belters.
Review: This noise pop group's impeccable debut album is being re-released as part of its 15th anniversary celebrations. The Kip Berman-led band burst out of the 00s Brooklyn indie scene and onto global cult success when it was released thanks to their idiosyncratic style and nods to the likes of pre-Creation My Bloody Valentine, The Pastels and Black Tambourine. The record shows an aesthete's ear for producing stylish guitar tones and drum sounds as they conjure a dreamy, atmospheric wall of sound, which strikes the right balance between shoegaze and jangle pop. With music as taut, melodic and viscerally enveloping as this, it's no wonder Berman's life changed irrevocably after its release. Rarely do debut albums gain this level of acclaim and honouring it with an anniversary edition and tour is the righteous thing to do.
Review: Influential Hamburg band Palais Schaumburg's self-titled 1981 album takes some beating. It is one of German alternative music's most accomplished and critically acclaimed works, with hardcore prasie from those who know. Fusing rock, new wave and experimental across 10 timeless track, it mixes tight post punk rhythms with dubbed out vibes and avant-garde ideas. This deluxe reissue of Holger Hiller, Thomas Fehlmann, Ralf Hertwig and Timo Blunck's best record includes all tracks from the original album on a nice red slab of wax with a new insert
Review: Electronic duo Pale Blue releases their highly anticipated second album 'Maria' on Crosstown Rebels. With eight captivating tracks, the long-player takes listeners on an immersive electronic journey. Mike Simonetti (Italians Do It Better) and Elizabeth Wight (Silver Hands) formed the outfit in 2015, gaining acclaim with their debut album. It showcases Wight's personal experiences and thoughts through her lyrics, accompanied by techno-infused melodies that lean towards rock influences. From dreamlike melodies to haunting productions, the album seamlessly blends electronica with pop touches.
Review: Britain is on the very cusp of the post-Thatcher era, mistakes not necessarily learnt from the past 11 years, but certainly evidence mounting for the failure of individualism and the importance of communities. Change is needed, and change is what the next decade would bring. Some of which began with this album, unveiled in 1989, now regarded among the best shoegaze outings of all time. The label doesn't sit that well with us, though. There's just too much else happening with Pale Saints' pacy, expansive and utterly compelling debut. Post punk accents, eruptions into (and introductions based on) pure noise, and surrealist dream pop. Presented here in a new collector's edition, featuring recordings from the band's seminal John Peel session and demos, we couldn't think of a band so deserving of being discovered by a new generation, and re-celebrated by those who were there at the time.
Review: This expanded edition of Pale Saints' third and final album Slow Buildings is a real doozy for fans of the English alt-rock and shoegaze outfit. The original is a long-out-of-print classic that has been sympathetically remastered here after originally arriving back in 1994. The album captures their transition into more open, melodic territory while retaining the dense guitar textures and experimental spirit of their earlier work. Meriel Barham's vocals shine as caller as always, particularly on standout single 'Fine Friend,' which was adapted from Persian Rugs' 1981 track. This two-disc reissue includes the Fine Friend EP and a curated trove of unreleased demos and tracks that make it an essential addition for completists.
A Thousand Stars Burst Open (Brass Band version) (3:09)
Revelation (Brass Band version) (2:33)
Review: 4AD turn back the clock to take a look at Pale Saints' breakthrough album, In Ribbons. Striking a note between the prevalent shoegaze of the era and 4ADs earlier ethereal sound, this is a record which absolutely conjures a specific moment in time and yet has aged very well. In the bittersweet pop nous of tracks like 'Thread Of Light' you can hear contemporaries like Lush, but equally Meriel Barham's vocal delivery reaches through time and lands with as much conviction now as it did back then. With a smart balance between bruising riffs and dreamy atmospherics, In Ribbons sounds in rude health on this remastered, commemorative edition and any shoegaze or early indie fan should be all over it.
Review: Fabiana Palladino's long-awaited debut album brings plenty of smooth and high gloss sound back to the fore. Following the end of a significant relationship, Palladino uses the album to delve into themes of love, loneliness, and relationship norms and in the process crafts a ten-track album that superbly blends r&b, soul, pop, and disco influences from the 80s and 90s with a contemporary twist. Self-produced and featuring collaborations with notable musicians like Jai Paul, Pino Palladino, Rocco Palladino, Steve Ferrone, and Rob Moose, the album is a classy journey through shapeshifting sonics and intimate introspection, marking a significant milestone in Palladino's musical journey.
Review: In most cases, a World Of Hassle is certainly not something you want, but we're sure you'll make an exception for this debut solo album by Alan Palomo, best known as the leader of the synth-pop band Neon Indian. Thoroughly on-brand for Palomo, this surprise LP flaunts just ten swanky, funky vocal disco cuts, tinged with the legacy of glam and jazz, and glimmering with the overzealous egoism of history's most volcaninc rockstars. Alan's versatile voice and neon-strobed production skills remaining present as ever, though despite the throughlines, the album marks a departure from his previous work with Neon Indian, which was more experimental and lo-fi.
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