Review: Said to be two decades in the making, this record features two tracks by Makode Linde, the visual artist and musician who has long been a friend and frequent cover designer for Sweden's most eccentric dance label, Studio Barnhus. 'Never Getting Over Me' features Makode's poignant vocals on a quirky, sun-drenched rhythm while 'Professional Help' delivers bossa nova brilliance with a graceful, flute-driven backdrop which reflects the protagonist's lament over his old flame's aversion to therapy. With exquisite songwriting and charming lo-fi appeal, these songs are brilliant dance-pop fusions with a great message and plenty of irresistible grooves.
Review: Graham Massey and Nice Swan Records came together by chance at Glastonbury's legendary Block 9 in 2022. It was that meeting which lead to this coming together of Malady and rave legends 808 State. Round The Bend is indie-dance with big guitars, yearning male vocals and stepping almost drum &bass style rhythm. It then gets reworked by the mask wearing acid house outfit. First they layer in the 303s, speed up the drums and making it into a crashing, powerful workout for electrified dance floors. There is also an instrumental and a bass lead Malady remix.
Review: Before the release of their highly anticipated new full-length, 'Please Don't Take Me Back'; set to drop this October, Durham City's favourite emo/pop-punk outfit, Martha, offer a taster of what's to come with this 7" single, featuring the upcoming LP's opening cut, 'Beat, Perpetual'. While a sonically light-hearted yet earnest ode to the road and world of touring, the lyrics weigh up the isolated nature of the past two years that completely changed the core members working dynamic and livelihoods, while the b-side boasts a rapturous cover of 'Dreaming Out Loud', by Wisconsin indie group Tenement. A short sweet single to wet beaks and fan anticipation before the real deal arrives come autumn.
Review: Originally released at the dawn of the new millennium in the 2000th year of our Lord, The 'Miracle Of Shame' was an EP from Berkley, California 80s pop-punk legends The Mr T Experience. Their only project to feature bassist Gabe Meline as an official member following his studio contributions to the preceding years' full-length Alcatraz (their final work with Joel Reader handling bass duties), the credits also cite Erik Noyes on Hammond organ as an official member, as he'd previously recorded with the band on 1997's Revenge Is Sweet & So Are You as well as Alcatraz but had never been considered an official member. Reissued on a 1-sided etched green vinyl 12" (like any true punk EP should be), the material gives the almost guaranteed nod to The Ramones they've become known for (on 'Mr. Ramones'), while the beautifully titled closer 'I Don't Know Where Dan Treacy Lives' is easily one of the greatest punk song titles of the 21st century. No, we will not back that up.
Review: Violin extraordinaire and singer Andrew Bird teams up with an Americana icon, whose star has risen and is continuing to rise - Madison Cunningham. Bird says of Cunningham that she is one of the most talented musicians he's ever encountered. Together they've covered the 1973 album Buckingham Nicks - Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's pre-Fleetwood Mac LP and done a brilliant job of it. Buckingham Nicks was a flop commercially when it was released and despite the duo's subsequent success it was never remastered or re-released digitally, so hard to come by. Thankfully, Cunningham and Bird bring this underrated gem into the limelight and do so in style. "The best reason to cover anyone is that little part of you that thinks you might do it better. This album epitomizes excess and confidence and it only made sense to embody that spirit ourselves," says Bird in a press release. And he's quite right - there's no misplaced arrogance here - they've nailed this homage to a classic.
Review: Moving away from their two-tone tingles and sauntering silliness, 'The Madness' was a thorough rebrand for the band - exploring a new name, a new sound, a rejumbled lineup, and all the new electronic music tech that te late 80s had to offer. Sounding more like Duran Duran than Madness as we know them, 'The Madness' hears a smattering of guest musicians join the party, including The Specials' Jerry Dammers on piano. It was this LP that caused such a furore at the band's Madstock festival in 1992, that a small earthquake erupted at 4.2 on the Richter scale in the London locale of Finsbury Park. Now you can relive said tremors of excitement with this reissue.
Review: Los Angeles-based alt-synthpop duo Magdalena Bay are by far the best in their lane right now - something they already established with their highly popular debut album Mercurial World back in 2021, with 'Chaeri' and 'You Lose!' striking a serious chord with fans of Charli XCX, Grimes and similar alt/electro-pop darlings. Paired with striking so-bad-it's-good visuals rife with overt effects and editing, it's really the combination of Mica Tenenbaum's distinctive, ethereal vocal performance and Matthew Lewin's textural and multilayered production you will stay for.
Imaginal Disc, sharing its name with structures in insect larvae that develop into adult forms later on in life, is a tale of discovering the essence of humanity after the protagonist's body rejects a CD that aliens attempted to implant in them. The album sees Lewin firing on all cylinders, the duo honing so closely on their specific sound that it's incomparable to anything else. Lead single 'Image' is a marvel, danceable in all the right places, moody and chord-striking when it needs to be. Magdalena Bay are cementing themselves as a must-know name in the 2020s.
Review: Mansun's The Dead Flowers Reject, originally conceived as an insurance policy against label rejection of their experimental album Six, emerges as a hidden gem in the band's discography. Recorded concurrently with Six, this album offers a slightly less eccentric selection of songs, showcasing a more conventional sequencing approach. Frontman Paul Draper describes it as possibly his favorite Mansun album, capturing the band's live essence. Fans will relish the opportunity to experience this essential piece of Mansun's legacy in its full glory. Mansun's influence on the late 90s British music scene is undeniable, and The Dead Flowers Reject adds another layer to their iconic status. With its newfound availability on vinyl, this album solidifies its place as a crucial component of Mansun's innovative journey.
Review: Possessed of one of those 'sing the phone book' voices that could extract gravely gravitas even from the back catalogue of Black Lace if he tried, Mark Lanegan might have been forgiven for resting on his considerable laurels, yet instead he's forged foward across each album with innovation and fortitude both - 'Gargoyle', aided and abetted once again by Rob Marshall and Alain Johannes, expands on the electronic textures and handsome melancholy of 2014's 'Phantom Radio', yet roots them in a bluesy grandeur amidst tales of lost love and redemption. With a lightness of touch balanced out against an effortless charisma of delivery, this is proof positive that Lanegan's gloomy charms render him a talent for the ages.
Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn remix) (4:08)
Josh Homme - "Lavatory Lil" (2:46)
When Winter Comes (Anderson Paak remix) (2:18)
Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN remix) (11:26)
Long Tailed Winter Bird (Idris Elba remix) (2:43)
Review: McCartney III was the18th solo album by legendary musician and former Beatle Paul McCartney. Imagined is the remix version that came digitally back in April and now lands on vinyl. The artists chosen to remix were all selected by McCartney himself and are said to feature "friends, fans, and brand new acquaintances." The record has picked up plenty of positive reviews already and that should be no surprise given the heavyweights included. The likes of Beck, Khruangbin, Dev Hynes, Ed O'Brien, Damon Albarn, Josh Homme, Anderson .Paak, Robert Del Naja, and Idris Elba all make for a contemporary mix with diverse results.
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