Back catalogue: Post Rock/Experimental

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Not just a clever name, At Issue takes its title from the Brooklyn venue this incredible album was recorded in, namely Issue Project Room. For those who don't recognise the musicians involved, Kim Gordon is an icon of discordant, white noise-y rock 'n' roll, best known as a member of Sonic Youth - one of the most iconic guitar acts to emerge in the 1980s.

That might be a red herring in this context, though, because at the New York address in question Gordon was joined by legendary blues minimalist maestro, Loren Connors. The result is a hybrid work that's patient, sophisticated, utterly mesmerising and - for want of a better, less fawning word - close to perfection. Profoundly moving, and masterfully arranged, we guarantee this is one for the lifetime honours list.

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.

Review: Coinciding with the "post-psych, pre-shoegaze" ingenues Loop's retrospective album, Twelves, on triple LP, this new CD version from Reactor offers a digital alternative for those proto-gaze indie heads seeking a clearer and cleaner sonic experience. Spanning the band's output in chronological order, this comprehensive set captures the evolution of Loop's hypnotic, fuzz-drenched sound, from the early '16 Dreams' demo and debut single, through 'Spinning', 'Collision', 'Black Sun' and 'Arclite', to rare contributions to Nick Drake and Neil Young tribute albums, and even a Godflesh cover from their Clawfist split. As it is with the vinyl version, The World In Your Eyes is a completist deep dive into Loop's essential non-album material.

Review: The "guitar loop" is not just a staple of modern indie and psychedelic music. It is also an access point to a timeless human necessity: the combo of dexterity and repetition. Without repeatedly using our hands to press notes and catenate chains, we would be nothing but fumbly savages. Loop knew this remarkably well, manually twisting a tight coil around the South London music scene in the late 1970s. This was at the height of the motorik rock scene, which was otherwise largely going on thousands of miles away in Germany: as critics enthused at the time, Loop were the sound of Suicide jamming with the Stooges aboard a spaceship built by Hawkwind and piloted by Can. Described by Reactor as "post-psych, pre-shoegaze" figureheads, 'Twelves' is a priceless rediscovery for electronic rock heads across the (fret, mother)board: compiling across a span of five years, '16 Dreams' and 'Spinning' originate from 1986, while 'Collision' marks their Chapter 22 phase from 1988, and 'Primsma Uber Europa 12' closes the loop in 1991. An early case of sonic cybernetic feedback; viscerally loud, intensive circulations of sound.

Review: Icelandic experiment Low Roar heard Ryan Karazija, Leifur Bjornsson and Logi Gudmundsson indulge a transoceanic collaboration, extending many a riotous yet sensual sludgeoff between indie pop and post-rock until Karazija's death in 2022. Since this sad event, subsequent records have heard the band reuse loose elements recorded by Karazija in a posthumous fashion, and House In The Woods is a brilliant new example. Pressed to vinyl quickly after an initial digital release, the album blends typical Icelandic ambient-string work with sensuous background vocals and harmonium layers, and deals in a range of subjects from decrepitude to endless love, marked by a sense of sublimity throughout.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Icelandic experiment Low Roar heard Ryan Karazija, Leifur Bjornsson and Logi Gudmundsson indulge a transoceanic collaboration, extending many a riotous yet sensual sludgeoff between indie pop and post-rock until Karazija's death in 2022. Since this sad event, subsequent records have heard the band reuse loose elements recorded by Karazija in a posthumous fashion, and House In The Woods is a brilliant new example. Pressed to vinyl quickly after an initial digital release, the album blends typical Icelandic ambient-string work with sensuous background vocals and harmonium layers, and deals in a range of subjects from decrepitude to endless love, marked by a sense of sublimity throughout.

Review: Originally released in 2005, Feral Hymns would serve as the 11th (and true final) full-length from Washington D.C. devout Dischord Records alumni Lungfish. Having released every album apart from their debut with Minor Threat/Fugazi visionary Ian MacKaye's label, they were easily one of the longest lasting on the roster when considering the longevity of their peers and labelmates in say Jawbox or Shudder To Think. Continuing their consistent aura of experimental first wave emo stripped down to caustic, murky minimalist compositions, the material sticks to their established formula but embittered by the passage of time, while the commitment to their signature style is also more illuminating in hindsight, as the group would semi-disband, or at least cease writing/recording following this release, with members branching off into other projects. While 2012's A.C.R. 1999 is often perceived as their 12th LP, that release was comprised of older recording sessions, making it technically a compilation and Feral Hymns their definitive swansong.