Peacefrog Vinyl & CDs

Review: Vocalist Jinadu and producer Kirk Degiorgio first collaborated on the As One album "21st Century Soul" (Ubiquity Recordings) in 2001. Both have worked mainly in the electronic dance genre - recording for a wide range of labels from Mo' Wax to Bitches Brew. The Beauty Room came about through continued collaboration, with Degiorgio sending Jinadu sketches of songs with increasingly unusual progressions. Jinadu worked his magic and returned them enhanced with catchy melodies, hooks galore and layers of rich harmonies. The Beauty Room marks a notable stylistic shift for both Jinadu and Degiorgio. A debut single - a deft adaptation of Jan Hammer's classic "Don't You Know" - was recently released on Parlophone's New Religion offshoot and while it may have been a typically teasing Degiorgio hors d'oeuvre, it's in the shape of a self titled album that the Beauty Room present their full, lavish feast. Opener "Soul Horizon" sets the tone; its lulling acoustic guitar intro presaging a phalanx of Jinadu harmonies which usher in a melodic reverie of a song that could be a gently billowing outtake from the first Crosby Stills and Nash album. It's a languorous intoxication that continues as the album gathers its own mellow pace. Everywhere, Jinadu's harmonies weave, glide and plunge around the rippling guitars of (fellow Peacefrog artist) Ian O'Brien, marble smooth keyboards courtesy of Thomas O'Grady, Chris Whitten's crisp but discretely funky drums and Degiorgio's babbling electronic undercurrents. 'Holding On' is a deft, soulful Fender Rhodes ballad, with a chorus that sticks like superglue; "The Weight Of The World" nods to The Beach Boys at their most transcendent, while "Shades Of Yesterday", with Degiorgio adroitly taking care of vocal duties, is an intimate, hypnotic confessional, with a redemptive, string-caressed refrain. "Fortress", meanwhile, could very nearly be a Coldplay ballad - albeit it a spectacularly sensitive one. There's an undeniable sense of timeless urban sophistication at play here. Indeed, this album most readily brings to mind those high priests of the cerebral groove, Steely Dan. What The Beauty Room achieve here is a similar blend of sharp-creased strut and spiritual meditation, all of it laced with plenty of that most essential yet indefinable alchemical element, soul. Fans of singer/songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and the whole late sixties/early seventies West Coast scene, should also be hastily marshalled toward this beguiling distillation of downtempo eloquence, for while the overall mood is smooth and mellifluous, this is by no means lightweight music - far from it. There are lyrical stones tossed into the millpond tranquillity of a track like the string-propelled Burn My Bridges ("I retreat to your agenda/my resistance confounded") or the beguiling Visions of Joy ("Sometimes you'll try to tear off your disguise, revealing something new/The image you once loved, the lies you thought you knew."), proving that while this is undoubtedly music to chill to, it's certainly not aimed at those with either heart or brain in the deep freeze. Warm, human and - as you'll have guessed form Degiorgio and Jinadu's chosen band moniker - spaciously beautiful, The Beauty Room will take you on a journey past wonderfully familiar landmarks to a place you've never quite been before.

Review: A part-time bare-knuckle boxer in his Yorkshire youth, Findlay is no introspective wimp. Influenced by the likes of The Band, Love and all things Krautrock, Findlay's music is emotionally-driven, psychedelic, spiked with wit, blessed with a cidery traditionalism and foiled with subtle, yet noticeably modern, production from Simian's Simon Lord.

Review: With a background playing in Swedish punk bands, the potent emotional force distilled within Jose Gonzalez's music suddenly makes a lot of sense. Hearing the ten songs on "In Our Nature" is almost like a palette cleanser. Even more starkly compelling than before, his approach is identifiably patient, methodical and focused on illuminating melodic details at unexpected angles. As a guitarist, he finds accord with players like Geoff Farina, and in the finger-picking style of Cuba's Silvio Rodrigeuz. Having worked on the songs at length on his own, the album was recorded to tape in two weeks in a studio in Gothenburg. Jose (guitar and vocals) is joined by Erik Bodin (percussion), Hakan Wirenstrand (keyboards) and Little Dragon's songwriter/vocalist, Yukimi Nagamo (backing vocals).

Review: Jose Gonzalez (of Argentine origins but living in Sweden) released his debut album in 2006 and received critical acclaim all over Europe. "Veneer" is a striking collection of hushed indie pop bedroom songs that sits elegantly on the hi-fi end of the lo-fi spectrum. This Peacefrog release can't be missed.

Review: By the time he released debut album Bump Talkin' in 1995, Paul Johnson was already an established figure on the Chicago house scene. He'd already released all manner of bumpin', forthright fare on such legendary labels as Cajual, Dance Mania and Djax-Up Beats, leading UK label Peacefrog to offer him an album deal. While many of his early singles were undeniably slamming, Bump Talkin' was an altogether more musically rich affair, with Johnson offering up a selection of warm, rich, jazz-flecked deep house cuts that have stood the test of time superbly. This vinyl reissue - the first since the original album release - emphatically proves the timeless nature of the music. Relatively few copies are available so don't hang around if you want to snag one.

Review: Gothenburg, Sweden, is a hotbed of diverse and escalating musical talent, now boasting the dynamic, organically soulful pop sounds of Little Dragon. Featuring radiant vocalist Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrick Kallgren (bass) and Hakan Wirenstrand (keyboards), Little Dragon stepped into the spotlight with releases on Peacefrog. "Little Dragon" is their debut album.

Review: Moodymann's oeuvre continues to yield new gems on a yearly basis, but sometimes you've got to take it back to the classics. "Forevernevermore" was a landmark when it first landed in 2000, building on the promise of his earlier LPs to deliver an immaculate trip through the dreamiest corners of his idiosyncratic deep house vision. From the incantations of "Meanwhile Back At Home" to the early morning freak haze of "The Set Up", the quintessentially KDJ 'in-the-room' vibe of "The Thief That Stole My Sad Days" to the heavy edit funk of "Tribute" this is gold-standard Detroit house start to finish from one of the best to ever do it.

Review: Peacefrog's reissue series continues with another classic deep house album. Moodymann's Mahogany Brown first hit stores back in 1998, and arguably did more to define his trademark deep house sound than the album that preceded it, 1997's Silentintroduction (even if that did include the phenomenal "I Can't Kick This Feeling When It Hits"). Dusty, jazzy, warm and immaculately produced, Mahogany Brown is full of soft focus dancefloor gems. Tracks such as "Sunshine", "Me & My People's Eyes", the jazz guitar-laden "On The Run" and ultra-deep, gospel-driven "Black Sunday" remain amongst Kenny Dixon Junior's finest moments, and that's saying something. Basically, you need this in your life.

Review: For an artist whose practise is so entrenched in the history of black music (one of his most famous antics saw him deck out an Detroit home with purple drapes and decor, as a tribute to Prince) Moodymann is an unmatched force. This latest clear vinyl reissue of his 2003 classic 'Silence In The Secret Garden' hears the grilled house trickster's best album in its best light, showing off all its string-laden, sax-improvving and roller disco-house angles. Originally released to much critical acclaim for its intelligence and no-fuss vignette style, choice bits like 'Backagainforthefirsttime?' and 'Shine' nail Moodymann's advanced production style, sexy in its reluctance to reveal itself straight away.

Review: The follow up to Nouvelle Vague's big debut album. "Melodic, sophisticated, a stroke of genius... one of the years most interesting albums" - The Telegraph. In 2004 Nouvelle Vague's eponymous debut introduced French duo Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux's singular take on post-punk nuggets by the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Tuxedo Moon and The Undertones, recasting them as svelte, sophisticated bossa nova-inflected chansons, given wing by a succession of breathy-voiced guest Left Bank chanteuses. A hit album all over Europe and beyond (concerts in over twenty countries, several tracks given virtual ubiquity courtesy of seriously smitten TV advertisers), Nouvelle Vague spent much of the ensuing year touring in support. On stage, singers Melanie Pain, Camille and Phoebe Killdeer helped flesh out sets with songs not on the album, like Buzzcocks' 'Ever Fallen In Love', New Order's 'Blue Monday' and The Sound's 'I Can't Escape Myself', proving that Nouvelle Vague is no novelty one-off, but rather a vibrant springboard for further reassessment of the darker musical '80s. Those songs, along with eleven other mesmerising reinterpretations, now grace 'Bande à Part', Nouvelle Vague's second album; the next chapter in their beguiling, retro-futurist odyssey. Included are a European gothic-meets-Haitian voodoo take on Bauhaus' vampiric 'Bela Lugosi's Dead', sung with eerie restraint by Phoebe Tolmer and a beautifully soulful swing through Yazoo's 'Don't Go', with Gerald Toto's Aaron Neville-like pipes swathed in lavish strings. Echo & The Bunnymen's 'The Killing Moon' is casually relieved of it's gothic grandiosity, Billy Idol's onanistic 'Dancin' With Myself' given an unlikely '40s jump band swing and The Cramps' 'Human Fly' defrocked of its horror-billy trappings (instead sounding like Juliet Greco covering Peggy Lee), there's more than enough Gauloise smoke atmosphere, lilting acoustic guitars and rouge-lipped Left Bank sexiness to keep aficionados blissfully happy. The limited edition CD version has 3 extra tracks and special artwork. "An inspired collection of potent songs... a cult gem" - The Guardian "Unquestioningly beautiful... will set Latin flames surging through the coldest post-punk blood" - Mojo "A sultry riot... a compendium of unsettling surprises" - Uncut "Full of yearning, poise and the quiet tears of a gently aching heart" - NME "The summer's sassiest and surprising album" - iDJ " A unique and haunting sound - a beautiful and charming album" - Clash "Destined to close club nights across the country this summer" - Metro

Review: The follow up to Nouvelle Vague's big debut album. "Melodic, sophisticated, a stroke of genius... one of the years most interesting albums" - The Telegraph. In 2004 Nouvelle Vague's eponymous debut introduced French duo Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux's singular take on post-punk nuggets by the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Tuxedo Moon and The Undertones, recasting them as svelte, sophisticated bossa nova-inflected chansons, given wing by a succession of breathy-voiced guest Left Bank chanteuses. A hit album all over Europe and beyond (concerts in over twenty countries, several tracks given virtual ubiquity courtesy of seriously smitten TV advertisers), Nouvelle Vague spent much of the ensuing year touring in support. On stage, singers Melanie Pain, Camille and Phoebe Killdeer helped flesh out sets with songs not on the album, like Buzzcocks' 'Ever Fallen In Love', New Order's 'Blue Monday' and The Sound's 'I Can't Escape Myself', proving that Nouvelle Vague is no novelty one-off, but rather a vibrant springboard for further reassessment of the darker musical '80s. Those songs, along with eleven other mesmerising reinterpretations, now grace 'Bande à Part', Nouvelle Vague's second album; the next chapter in their beguiling, retro-futurist odyssey. Included are a European gothic-meets-Haitian voodoo take on Bauhaus' vampiric 'Bela Lugosi's Dead', sung with eerie restraint by Phoebe Tolmer and a beautifully soulful swing through Yazoo's 'Don't Go', with Gerald Toto's Aaron Neville-like pipes swathed in lavish strings. Echo & The Bunnymen's 'The Killing Moon' is casually relieved of it's gothic grandiosity, Billy Idol's onanistic 'Dancin' With Myself' given an unlikely '40s jump band swing and The Cramps' 'Human Fly' defrocked of its horror-billy trappings (instead sounding like Juliet Greco covering Peggy Lee), there's more than enough Gauloise smoke atmosphere, lilting acoustic guitars and rouge-lipped Left Bank sexiness to keep aficionados blissfully happy. The limited edition CD version has 3 extra tracks and special artwork. "An inspired collection of potent songs... a cult gem" - The Guardian "Unquestioningly beautiful... will set Latin flames surging through the coldest post-punk blood" - Mojo "A sultry riot... a compendium of unsettling surprises" - Uncut "Full of yearning, poise and the quiet tears of a gently aching heart" - NME "The summer's sassiest and surprising album" - iDJ " A unique and haunting sound - a beautiful and charming album" - Clash "Destined to close club nights across the country this summer" - Metro