Review: Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' has become an essential part of the holiday season. Originally released in 1994 as the lead single from her Merry Christmas album, the song blends upbeat love lyrics with festive elements like bell chimes and synthesisers. Written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, it received immediate praise and chart success, reaching number two in the UK and Japan. Over time, the track's popularity has only grown, now becoming a Christmas standard that re-emerges each holiday season. Topping charts in over 30 countries and even breaking records for the longest gap between release and reaching number one in both the US and UK. This 7" release captures the joyful spirit of the song, making it an ideal choice for spinning during the holiday season. With 16 million copies sold worldwide, it's a track that has earned its place in the National Recording Registry and in countless holiday celebrations worldwide.
Review: Carpenter embraces the holiday spirit with a playful and modern twist. A festive reimagining of her earlier work, the release brims with cheeky wordplay and shimmering pop production. Tracks like the opening number reinvent familiar holiday tropes with wit and charm, while others pair Carpenter's signature catchy melodies with a distinctly festive warmth. A rework of a seasonal classic closes the record on a high note, showcasing her vocal versatility and contemporary approach. This is a fresh and vibrant take on holiday music, as fun as it is memorable.
Review: Sabrina Carpenter's 'Please Please Please' gets a luminous vinyl 7" release, adding a tangible glow to the hit single. This limited-edition format elevates the song's country pop and yacht rock blend, with its disco-pop undertones shining through on this high-quality pressing. Produced by Jack Antonoff and written by Carpenter, Antonoff, and Amy Allen, the track flows effortlessly with its catchy hooks and breezy production. The vibrant neon-green vinyl captures the song's playful yet cinematic vibe, echoing its Bonnie and Clyde-style music video that captivated fans globally. With its chart-topping success across the US and UK, the 7" version of 'Please Please Please' is an excellent collector's item for fans, serving both as a visual and sonic treat. A nod to Sabrina's artistic evolution, this release stands out as a polished gem in her catalogue.
Review: Seven Psalms finds Australia's most imperious musical misfit Nick Cave leaving his Bad Seeds at home and teaming up with frequent collaborator Warren Ellis for a limited 10". The spoken word pieces on this record are the result of a daily song writing practice over a week during lockdown - Cave himself describes them as "small, sacred songs," set to appropriately subtle musical accompaniment. Recorded during the sessions for Cave and Ellis' 2021 album Carnage, it's a rich work in its own right that offers a different perspective on Cave's considerable gifts as a soothsayer.
Review: Ceremonie hail from France and have an '80s-inspired sound that hits differently. Their songwriting reaches new levels and draws on well-chosen, well-designed sounds with a wonderful sense of melancholy and just the right balance of drama and subtlety. After an indie-pop leaning cassette a few years ago they now land on Enfant Terrible with a contemporary take on retro new wave and synth-pop. Three of the tunes are originals, one is a cover of French 1980s new wave band Message and there is a whole new album in the works, apparently. Great stuff.
Review: 'Fast Car' was a groundbreaking song when it came out. Making Tracy Chapman a household name. The song became an international hit and entered the top ten in many countries including being number one in Canada, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands and Portugal. The single went triple platinum in UK alone. The song was lauded for being a moving account of escaping life's difficulties and achieving some material success only to fail again. Tracy's performance was riveting and the song propelled her to win three Grammy's that year including Best New Artist, Contemporary Folk Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The song was also nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The song continues to be an enduring classic having entered the charts multiple times and been covered my many artists. The song is also featured in Rolling Stones 500 greatest songs of all time.
Review: Chappell Roan's latest single, 'Good Luck, Babe!' is a nostalgic pop anthem reminiscent of a young Cyndi Lauper. The song's retro feel, highlighted by synth instrumentation, sets it apart from other modern artists, while Roan's vocals shine as she sings about unsuccessful love affairs, delivering lyrics that are relatable and empowering. The song builds to a powerful bridge, showcasing Roan's impressive vocal range and stylistic choices. Overall, 'Good Luck, Babe!' is not just a sappy breakup song but an empowering anthem that leaves a lasting impact.
Review: Chappell Roan burst onto the scene in 2020 with this viral hit which did a great job of introducing a vibrant and unapologetically queer pop sound. Co-written with Daniel Nigro, her debut album followed in the form of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and it captured the Missouri native's journey toward achieving her pop star dreams. This limited-edition 7" single features 'Pink Pony Club' and 'Naked in Manhattan', both pressed on stunning baby pink vinyl that reflects Roan's bold and heartfelt artistry. As a celebration of self-expression and musical passion, this is a must-have.
We Are The Beautiful (Spooky Extravaganja dub mix) (8:27)
Frost (4:00)
Age (3:38)
Review: In all honesty, moving straight from the rousing, slightly grinding wall of sound with which 'We Are The Beautiful' signs off, into the lunging bass of a stomping Spooky dub edit of the same track, is both unexpected and a bit jarring. The noisy end of shoegaze-leaning indie into pared back prog-hued tech house from one of the all-time masters, anyone? But then that's kind of the point we want to celebrate.
Chapterhouse may only just be getting the reappraisal they deserve now, over a decade after their last and rather brief reunion tour (with She's A Vision also hitting our shelves early-2023), but their influence on heads and artists alike was significant. Debut album Whirlpool, for example, remains for many a high point of the entire shoegaze movement. Here are three more tracks to prove that point, and one belting - if sonically isolated - remix.
Review: It sometimes only takes one great song to gatecrash your way to prominence and Australian modern punk greats The Chats managed that with the opening cut here, 'Smoko', which is an ode to the joys of the fag break: "Leave me alone / I'm on Smoko". This reissue is of their second EP that was released by Sunshine Coast label Bargain Bin records. With the first pressing going for big money, it's a welcome chance to get your hands on this classic. Despite 'Smoko' being the biggest song, it's loaded with bangers and a stroke of genius that they realised that a song about struggling to afford bus money would connect on such a wide level.
Review: A five-track EP of rarities by Alex Chilton, the American singer and songwriter best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star, but whose later efforts led to an extended ambassadorship of the US avant-garde underground. The bulk of the tracks on ‘My Rival’ originate from Chilton’s earliest days, circa. 1975; at this critical juncture, Big Star was no more, and Chilton was teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Saved by his former bandmate, but still confidant, Chris Bell, they soon found themselves re-roused by the power of music, holing up together in Chilton’s bedroom and recording this short but wild set of bluesy experiments. Easily mistaken as the early murmurations of a Big Star reunion, this project should be taken as an eccentricity unto its own, and wholly deserves its 12” debut after an initial RSD run.
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