Review: Bamma Gamma returns with a sizzling slab of funk in the form of 'Omelette' via Detroit's renowned Funk Night Records. This one is a digger's dream, raw, gritty instrumental funk with break-heavy drums, tight guitar licks and basslines so greasy they practically drip off the record. True to Funk Night's underground sound, Omelette is unapologetically retro and authentic and serves up irresistible dancefloor heat that feels like a lost '70s cut that has been newly rediscovered. For DJs looking to inject some analogue soul into their sets, it's a no-brainer.
B-STOCK: Sleeve split along the spine but otherwise in excellent condition
More Than A Love Song (4:41)
Ice Cream (Pay Phone) (3:52)
Mrs Postman (3:52)
Chronicles Of A Diamond (3:23)
Angel (5:02)
Hello
Sauvignon
Tomorrow (4:49)
Gemini Sun (4:34)
Rock & Roll (4:48)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split along the spine but otherwise in excellent condition***
Grammy-nominated Texan psychedelic-soul band Black Pumas, led by Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada, return after their 2019 self-titled debut album - leading to the pair being put up for 'Best New Artist' in 2020 - with a bold statement to break the sophomore album curse. Lead single 'More Than a Love Song' is the perfect introduction to the sound, Burtons commanding voice riding on a wave of progressively zanier instrumental patches and choir vocal samples, with a sultry deep south tone that, oddly, reminds me of CeeLo Green. Quesada's production style is quick and loose, oozing with soul - nothing more to be expected from former member of Grammy-winning funk band Grupo Fantasma. The two describes Black Pumas as an "electric church", the synths and digital organs punctuating Burton's wistful wailing perfectly. If you're looking for a soul release to close out the year, this is it.
Review: Anton Newcombe's prolific Brian Jonestown Massacre notch up their 19th studio album with Fire Doesn't Grow On Trees. It's headed up by lead single 'The Real', which shows the psych-rock lifer hasn't lost any of his inspiration this far into his career. He worked in the studio with Ricky Maymi, Ryan Calrson Van Kriedt, Hakon Adalsteinsson, Hallberg Daoi Hallbergsson, Uri Rennert and Sara Neidorf in a whirlwind 70 days of tracking new music, and this album, whittled down to 10 incendiary tracks, is the result. It's everything you want from a BJM record - a perfect addition to their monumental oeuvre.
Review: Dark Shadows by Cold Sun is a stunning trip into vivid psychedelia, reminiscent of a blend between The 13th Floor Elevators and The Velvet Underground, yet possessing a distinct and unique character. Recorded in 1970 but never officially released, the album features future members of Roky Erickson's backing band Bleib Alien/The Aliens. Led by visionary lyricist and autoharp player Billy Bill Miller, Cold Sun emerged from the Austin music scene of the late 1960s, experimenting with unconventional sounds and influenced by vintage sci-fi/horror aesthetics. The album, characterized by Miller's electrified autoharp and Tom McGarrigle's massive fuzz guitar, delivers a sonic landscape dressed in feedback and futuristic lyrics. This new edition by Guerssen captures the essence of the original recording, with improved sound quality and vintage-style artwork.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Too Freud To Rock'n'Roll Too Jung To Die
You Gotta Keep Your Halfwits About You
Four Jehovahs In A Volvo Estate
The Dogshow Must Go On
1066 & All That
In Spungent Mansions
Me & The Jews
A Shipwrecked Song
Sol Invicto
R In The Hood
Done Myself A Mischief
Will Sergeant's Blues
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Author and musician Julian Cope, formerly of Teardrop Explodes, is a leftfield national treasure. His books contain some of the funniest and most imaginative stories ever printed and as a musician he is the essence of rock n' roll. This latest album - the follow-up to 2023's excellent Robin Hood - is Cope at his most melodic. It contains nods to the likes of spook rocker Joe Meek, Velvet Underground and Krautrock, with a smorgasbord of guitar tones, mellotron and loose Moe Tucker-esque drumming. Cope's lyrics, with plenty of humour and off-kilter references, are a joy to dive into as they're cloaked in some of the best music he's ever composed.
Review: Dando Shaft were a British folk rock band active during the early 70s, and at the time of the release of their debut self-titler, all seemed to be looking up. This is reflected in its sound as much, with the album combining original songwriting and a sunny acoustic disposition with regional folk musics, whether they hailed from or near their local Coventry, or the furthest-Eastern corners of the globe. Trading Places do well to reissue this one, as it's a time-honoured classic that does solid justice to Dando Shaft's cache as one of the foremost group figures in the English folk revival movement of the 1960s and 70s.
When The Apples Blossom Blooms In The Windmills Of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine (Dope Jams Kaatskill Mountain take) (5:37)
Review: This special green slab of wax brings together two Emerson, Lake & Palmer tracks, one of them with a fresh twist from a legendary US record store. The classic ballad 'From the Beginning' is rich in warm acoustic guitar and Greg Lake's evocative vocals so it stands as one of the band's most beloved and accessible moments. On the flip, 'When the Apple Blossoms Bloom...' receives a bold Dope Jams Kaatskill Mountain take, which flips it into a sprawling, psychedelic-drenched remix that infuses the instrumental with hypnotic grooves and experimental textures. With both cuts on one 12", this one is both a nod to prog rock's legacy and a bridge to new sonic frontiers.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Queen Matilda
Something Like You
And Luna
X Hits The Spot
The Prize
Undecided (reprise)
Glynys & Jaqui
It's Harvest Time
Loaded Man
Hocken's Hey
Fontilan
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
The 1998 debut record from Michael Head & The Strands was six years in the making. Having taken up refuge in a Liverpool recording studio in 1992, Head had set his Pale Fountains and Shack days aside, and was now dead-set on a new project, The Strands. Iain Templeton, Michelle Brown and Les Roberts joined in, resulting in a two-year set of recording sessions in which Head would be offered a new major label deal, muddying the proceedings at the midpoint. The record therefore only made it to the mixing studio in 1995, but perhaps the long break was needed, as the result is redolent: its pearly guitar arpeggiations and patchwork verse make for a glistening listen, one that all too readily translates to this reissue via Megaphone.
Review: Recorded in 2021, The Road to Tibooburra marks The Winged Heels’ second album: an eclectic, inspired collection of Steve Kilbey’s songs, loosely converging in the middle of outback Australia. Originally conceived as a musical during Kilbey’s journey through the backblocks, four intense days in the studio later conceived an album as the mode of choice, whereafter the band would commit their signature fusion of pop-rock to ancient, medieval, and classical troubadour influences. Kilbey’s 12-string and vocals form the album’s core, with additional bass and electric guitar on select tracks; Gareth anchors much of the bass work, alongside classical and resonator guitar, while Roger provides keyboards and cello.
Review: The epic twists, turns and trysts of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard continue apace as they mint their 21st album. For a band who formed in 2010, that's a lot of work, and yet somehow these precociously talented pscyhonauts never miss. There's a breezy, joyous lilt to this latest opus as 'Mycelium' opens up proceedings, setting us off on a jammed-out journey through seven pieces built around the seven Greek modes (musical scales). If you're already hip to the freewheeling sound of these modern day freak-beaters, then you know you're going to love this one already. Long live the kings!
Review: Ultra lo-fi stereo funkage from L'Eclair, the latest signage to Swiss label Rock This Town. 'Cruise Control' is a muddy and smoggy six-track instrumental disco-funk EP, with seven members laying down parts on wah-wah, space horn, and synth. It sounds as if a mega-talented disco troupe were performing in the next building, but they could only be heard through thick insulation or some kind of muffling foam. The tone is ultimately pleasing, blurry and cloudlike, as if this were disco beamed to us from heaven as opposed to the material world. The softest cuts, such as 'Safari In D', are our highlights.
Review: Leaf Hound have been a staple of the heavy rock scene for decades, but this offering feels like a rebirth. A band often heralded as the pioneers of metal, their journey started in the early 70s, but it's their ability to keep evolving that stands out here. More than 50 years since their debut, the London-based band is back with their first studio album in over 15 years. And while many might think you can't teach an old dog new tricks, Leaf Hound have a few surprises left. The opening track, 'Burn The House Down,' feels like the start of a fire that only gets hotter as the album progresses. The kind of heavy, groovy riff that gives you a sense of nostalgia for the glory days of stoner rock, it's clear that the band still has that bite. As you hit the upbeat 'Yippee Ki Yay' and the harder-hitting 'Bold 'n' Easy,' it's impossible to ignore the fire in their belly. Sure, the lineup has changed over the years, but with Peter French still at the helm, the powerful vocals that originally defined Leaf Hound continue to ring out loud and clear. By the time you get to tracks like 'Thought Police' and 'Watching Life's Wheels,' the album begins to speak to the turbulent times we live in. There's no pretension here - just hard-hitting rock for hard-hitting times. Closing with the anthemic 'High Danger,' it's evident that Leaf Hound still have a lot to say and are far from fading away into obscurity.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Diamond Jubilee
Glitz
Baby Blue
Dreams Of You
All I Want Is You
Dallas
Olive Drab
Always Dreaming
Wild One
Flesh & Blood
Le Machiniste Fantome
Kingdom Come
Demon Bitch
I Have My Doubts
Til Polaritys End
Realistik Heaven
Stone Faces
Gayblevision
Dracula
Lockstepp
Government Cheque
Deepest Blue
To Heal This Wounded Heart
Golden Microphone
If You Hear Me Crying
Darling Of The Diskoteque
Don't Tell Me I'm Wrong
What's It Going To Take
Wild Rose
Durham City Limit
Crime Of Passion
24/7 Heaven
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Superior Viaduct and W.25TH present Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee, now available in a deluxe 3xLP format with a collectible poster. Lauded across the board and shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize, Diamond Jubilee showcases Patrick Flegel's unique blend of haunting melodies and raw emotion. Crafted over years in studios from Toronto to Montreal, this album delivers timeless reflections on love and longing, backed by sticky hooks and immersive soundscapes that cement Cindy Lee's reputation as a standout in experimental pop.
Review: Les Rallizes Denudes' live recording from Yaneura, September 1980, brings their raw, avant-garde sound into sharp focus. The CD format captures every detail of the distorted guitars, hypnotic basslines, and feedback-soaked atmospheres that defined their performances. Tracks such as 'Enter the Mirror' stretch into lengthy, chaotic soundscapes, blending haunting vocals with relentless, repetitive rhythms. The balance of noise and melody is uncompromising, creating a listening experience that feels as challenging as it is immersive. A rare opportunity to delve into the intensity of the band's live presence.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Electric War (5:16)
Zero Sun (3:28)
Spektator (3:47)
Creaky (7:31)
’Said Soul (2:43)
Sick 8 (4:20)
My Now (5:50)
Count Of Four (6:05)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Genre-defying trio Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto - their bassist Lewis Wharton is the third one, if you're wondering - have created an album brimming with explosive energy and diverse influences fusing rock 'n roll, deep funk, jazz, and fuzzy atmospherics. Barrie Cadogan (guitar/vocals) has played with everyone from The The to Primal Scream, but this LP moves well away from indie templates, employing a freeform approach, experimenting with tempos, volumes and textures. Tracks like 'Spektator' and 'Sick 8' showcase their ability to build subtle momentum and then let it slip back, allowing space for intricate instrumentation and lots of vivid expression.
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