Review: The third volume of this series delivers an irresistible blend of funk and 60s-inspired grooves. Side-1 kicks off with a surf-rock-infused funk jam packed with energy and retro vibes. Following that, a swinging 60s sound that combining catchy rhythms and pop sensibilities keeps the momentum going. Side-2 shifts gears a groove-heavy track led by a soulful organ that oozes vintage charm. Closing the collection, there is a gem that features smooth, funk-driven melodies, topped off by a standout sax solo and a subtle British flair. This compilation offers a vibrant mix of styles, perfect for fans of classic funk with a modern twist.
Review: This wonderful album delivers a tight, vibing collection of traditional old-time Appalachian music. Featuring Liam Grant on guitar, Grayson McGuire on fiddle and Devon Flaherty on banjo and guitar, this debut recording brims with raw, authentic talent. It was recorded straight to cassette with no overdubs and despite the carefree atmosphere, the trio expertly channels the spirit of old-time music. Tracks like 'Dry and Dusty' and 'Taner's Farm' reflect their playful yet poignant approach by blending upbeat melodies with deeper themes of rural life and hard times. This one is a real charmer.
Review: Original Gravity strides into 2025 with this electrifying debut release from I Ragazzi. The limited 45 rpm has been crafted by the talented Neil Anderson and the title cut 'Terremoto' on the A-side bursts with funky, soulful energy that promises to keep floors moving and grooving all night long. It has big drums, crashing hits and driving Hammond organ stabs that never let up. On the flip, things get a little more laid back with 'Via Appia' which is led by more great organs, this time with swirling horn sounds and an inviting rhythm.
Review: Some six years (give or take a few months) on from the release of their superb debut album Psychedelic Disco Cumbia, self-styled 'NYC tropical supergroup' Locobeach are back! This time round, they've treated us to a genuine rarity: a rarely spotted double seven-inch EP. All four tracks have, apparently, been extensively road-tested in their live sets and become, in their words, "fan favourites". They begin in stellar fashion via a head-nodding, cumbia-powered cover of Cure classic 'Close To You' (it's genuinely great - one of the best covers we've heard for a while), before imagining a suitably tropical spy chase on the urgent and percussion-rich 'Idea Desesperada'. On 45 number two you'll find the cheeky cumbia-soul-meets-yacht-rock cheekiness of 'Isabella' and the surf-flecked, high-octane tropical fun of 'U.S Marshall'.
Review: Discos Mas kicks off their New Year with a vibrant Los Disco Duro version of the iconic 'Cumbia de Sal'. this top take blends the famous Moog cover with the original 60s version for some super fresh results. Featuring vocoder vocals, brilliantly resonant synths and funky drums, this unique cut enhances the classic cumbia beat with all-new energy. The release also includes a double A-side with a cover of 'Mexico' by the wonderful Mexican Institute of Sound. Camilo Lara's original composition is reimagined with signature Los Disco Duro elements such as vocoder vocals, synths and cumbia percussion, all of which add up to a refreshing mix of modern and traditional rhythms, nostalgia and innovation.
Review: Yoo Doo Right's third album delivers a great blend of post-rock epics and emotionally charged sonic explorations. Opening with a droning guitar barrage, the album unfolds through mantra-like repetitions, abyssal tones and carefree saturation that all serve to cement their status as Montreal post-rock royalty. Inspired by themes of patience, art commodification, AI and unconditional love, this LP draws influence from Wes Montgomery, Rachmaninoff, Neurosis and Russian Circles and was written during a snowstorm retreat in early 2023 which meant the trio aimed for cinematic, experiential significance.
Review: This All Them Witches reissue arrives with all the raw energy and atmospheric weight of the original, now pressed onto a stunning sea glass vinyl. Opening with the expansive 'Call Me Star,' the album sets a captivating tone, blending fuzzed-out rock with hypnotic melodies. 'El Centro' takes a more driving, gritty approach, while 'This Is Where It Falls Apart' brings a slower, introspective groove. The album's standout, 'Blood And Sand / Milk And Endless Waters,' is an intense, sprawling track that captures the band's signature sound. This reissue offers a fresh listen for long-time fans and newcomers alike, wrapped in a visually striking format.
Review: Soft Machine and Gong founder Christopher David "Daevid" Allen came of age under the influence of the Beat Generation writers while working in a Melbourne bookstore around 1960. The Australian psychedelic visionary then travelled to Paris, where he stayed at the infamous Beat Hotel, before heading to England, where his musical career really began. The point being, he was incredibly committed to exploring art forms like jazz and performance poetry. And a then-nascent field of synthesised sounds. Ten years after his death, Now Is The Happiest Time of Your Life gets a timely repress to confirm it remains his Magnus Opus. A brave and incredibly unusual collection of tripped-out folk storytelling, curious garage guitar stuff, strangely naive and innocent weird pop, and progressive rock. One to keep diving into and still find new bits to love.
Review: This is the latest album from Berlin-based French producer Cosmo Vitelli and California-based Dutch experimental electronic musician Truus de Groot, who is well known for her work with Plus Instruments. Following their successful collaboration on Vitelli's 2022 album Medhead which featured de Groot's lyrics and vocals on several tracks, the two artists decided to join forces once more and the result is a blend of Vitelli's production skills and de Groot's distinctive voice and lyrical style. It is another fresh, experimental approach to modern electronic music.
Review: Yet another addition to Rhino Records’ Start Your Ear Off Right series hears a reissue of prog metal band Dream Theater’s fifth studio album and first ever concept album. A sequel to the thrillingly titled Metropolis-Part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper, this record builds an intensive recollective sonic theatre out of the mosaic themes of memory and depersonalisation. Themed around the subject of a young man undergoing past life regression therapy, the record is a compelling, initially psychotic howl into the night, and yet it proves an ultimately integrative, recursive experience, adding themes of murderousness and prophetic fate.
Review: This work by Alf Emil Eik is a serene and soothing soundtrack for moments of relaxation, meditation or peaceful ambience. Eik's ethereal melodies transport listeners to a realm of inner peace and timeless beauty. Each track blends intricate layers of sound and evokes serenity and wonder while the harmonies resonate deeply within your soul. Uplifting yet introspective, the music invites reflection on the beauty of life and the mysteries of existence. A fusion of classical, ambient and new age influences abound here and prove Eik to be a master composer.
Review: Well that's flown by! It's more than 20 years ago that Franz Ferdinand released their debut album and established themselves as one of the best live bands on the planet. It was a flawless debut, but the band never rested on their laurels and have built a strong back catalogue in their time. This is their sixth studio album and has already spawned two fantastic singles. 'Audacious' is off-kilter indie at its finest, with singer Alex Kapranos as charismatic as ever and there's uplifting choruses that nods to a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound. The other single, 'Night Or Day', is classic Franz Ferdinand, hitting all the right notes for long-time fans, whilst still pushing into new directions and aesthetics. An exciting start to their third decade for sure.
Review: Franz Ferdinand made a perfect debut album. The Glasgow indie rockers could have called it a day way back then and we'd still be listening to them now. But somehow they've retained their magic and are now onto their sixth studio album and 20th year as a band. Alex Kapranos and co. teamed up with the same producer as they had for their fourth album, Right Words, Right Action (Mark Ralph) and that spawned some absolute bangers, so expectations are high for this. Despite having to adjust to new members in the group - it's the first album to feature drummer Audrey Tait and guitarist Dino Bardot - they've come up with the goods on the singles. 'Night Or Day' has the contagious Franz Ferdinand groove that gets crowds bouncing at festivals. And 'Audacious' is perfect for the holiday season - majestic, lush and full of galvanising lyrical sentiments that can't help but unite people. Surely, this album will go to number one.
Review: This album wonderfully celebrates Flatland Cavalry's ten-year journey while setting the stage for their future. It is an essential listen with more than 15 reimagined fan-favourites from their acclaimed releases including 'Come May', 'Humble Folks', 'Homeland Insecurity', 'Welcome to Countryland', 'Songs to Keep You Warm', and 'Wandering Star' alongside four brand-new tracks that showcase the band's signature style. Along the way, these tunes span everything from heartfelt ballads and energetic jams to timeless songwriting and always with masterful musicianship on show. Its mix of nostalgia and fresh energy means Flatland Forever captures the essence of the band's journey so far.
Review: Astonishingly, seven years have now passed since the release of Franz Ferdinand's most recent studio album, the dancefloor-fired colour of Always Ascending. Reuniting the Glaswegian post-punk rockers with former mixer/engineer Mark Ralph (who this time steps up to produce), The Human Fear has been trailed as a kind of extended lyrical meditation on prejudice and fear. It's a notably grown up and musically varied affair, with opener 'Audacity' joining the dots between the jagged guitars and energy of the band's earliest recordings and the inventive, try-different-things arrangements made famous by the Beatles in their golden 1966-67 period. Compare and contrast this with Night Or Day', where fuzzy 70s synths and jangling piano riffs squabble for sonic space with metronomic drums and bass, and the fizzing nu-rave/indie dance revivalism of 'Hooked'.
Often They Came To Visit, Even Just To See How She Was (M1) (2:53)
In More Turbulent Times, She Managed To Take The Perfect Shot (M4) (2:13)
What's Really Important She Wanted To Know (M6) (part 1) (4:25)
What's Really Important She Wanted To Know (M6) (part 2) (3:49)
What's Up Is Not What's Real Most Of The Time (M5) (3:41)
When They Came Closer She Realised They Were Alien Creatures (M3) (3:48)
The Shine Of Gold Was Too Strong (M8) (3:27)
When She Curled Up They Started Dancing (M2) (2:48)
He Was Painting Her Face With Colours She Had Never Seen (M9) (1:11)
I Is One (M10) (4:06)
Review: This is the debut solo album by Italian-born, London-based composer, bassist and vocalist Ruth Goller. It was originally released in 2021 on Bex Burch's Vula Viel Records but quickly sold out with its detuned bass harmonics and dense vocal arrangements. Skylla introduced a sound both otherworldly and unplaceable and Goller's reputation soared as a result. That led to the critically acclaimed 2024 album Skyllumina on International Anthem while Skylla remains the genesis of her distinct style as it evokes the experimental energy of 1980s Downtown NYC or a Bjork-adjacent Icelandic project.
Review: Those who have ventured to the West Yorkshire town of Todmorden will be able to hear the slate grey, downpour-threatening winter skies of the Calder Valley and south Pennines in the gentle choruses and verse, and soft, harmonious notes of Cold Blows The Rain. It's a corner of the North known for several things, like pub-club and record label The Golden Lion, and the most UFO sightings per person per year than anywhere else in England. A place where creativity seems to flow in the pipes. Out of this, Bridget Hayden's voice is as delicate and soothing as it is commanding and melancholic, invoking visions of ethereal encounters of barren moorlands as much as the blues musician's experience. Instrumentally, it's closer to the former, by a proper country mile, but really this is something else entirely. A kind of experimental traditionalism, dreamy, tranquil, hypnotic and utterly engrossing.
Review: Onsen Music isn't just the title of Shoko Igarashi's second album, but rather a manifesto of sorts. The name refers to a "genre" of music the saxophonist, flautist, and vocalist has created. A strange, bouncy-yet-angular corner of the electronic music universe that feels like it's inviting you to a party thrown by Mr Soft and a flying unicorn. Sounds extend themselves, curve, wobble, warp, float, glitter, and do everything else in their power to make sure you know this is a safe listening space that's equally danceable. Ever bubbly and colourful, 'Rainy' represents the full blown nu disco end of the record's vast spectrum, while the likes of 'Ukigusa' come over far closer to Ryuichi Sakamoto's clean, crisp and cuddly pop excursions - staunchly leftfield and out there, but strangely familiar and universally likeable.
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