Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: Minimal Wave is proud to present The Sound of Indifference, a rare cassette released in 1981 by Aural Indifference. Aural Indifference was a post-punk studio collective from Sydney, Australia. The two principal members were Brian Spencer Hall (the M Squared in house producer) and Kevin Purdy. The cassette album, The Sound of Indifference, was released in 1981, featuring tracks such as "Theme", "Park, and "Man Am I Progressive". Their sound ranges from minimal synth, to post-punk to quirky guitar-driven electronic folk music, some of it resembling John Maus. "Theme" appeared as the closing track on The Minimal Wave Tapes: Volume Two compilation and "Park" appeared on The Bedroom Tapes compilation. Here for the first time, we are offering a reissue of the original cassette, remastered from the master tapes and complete with original artwork, limited to 300 copies.

Review: It may be debatable whether B-sides still exist in the here and now, yet beneath the very slightly prosaic title of this compendium lurks the work of an outfit who - despite having essentially surfed along a very definitive wave of sun-dappled languour since their inception - are capable of delivering offcuts that are every bit the equal of most folks' hits. True, the Spinal Tap insult of 'the musical growth rate of this band cannot even be charted' could be applied to Beach House, but when their catalogue over the ten years of their existence esentially consists of a variety of themes on opiated bliss, we're only too happy to embark on the ride.

Review: Ill Communication, the Beastie Boys' fourth studio album, remains a hallmark of their creative versatility. Released in 1994, this groundbreaking record merges hip-hop with punk rock, jazz, and funk, marking a significant shift towards live instrumentationia progression from their previous album, Check Your Head. Co-produced by the Beasties and Mario C, the album showcases their talent for genre-blending, featuring iconic tracks like the explosive 'Sabotage,' the funky 'Get It Together' with Q-Tip, and the raw 'Do It' with Biz Markie. The album also includes jazzy breakbeat grooves such as 'Root Down' and 'The Scoop,' along with instrumental jazz-funk tracks like 'Ricky's Theme' and 'Sabrosa,' and even nods to their punk roots with 'Heart Attack Man.' With further contributions from Money Mark, Eric Bobo, and Amery 'AWOL' Smith, Ill Communication is a testament to the Beastie Boys' ability to innovate. Now available on cassette for the first time ever, it continues to resonate as one of the band's most diverse and celebrated works.

Review: Muireann Bradley is a startling new talent in country and bluegrass from County Donegal in Ireland. I Kept These Old Blues absolutely calls back to a golden age of Americana, but Bradley’s Irish lilt comes through and entwines with her faithful Southern twang to make for an endlessly charming end result. Her playing is pitch-perfect, stripped to the bone finger-picking all the better to savour the songs and the way they’re sung. This is the cassette edition of the 2023 album, which is an ideal format to enjoy these charmingly olde worlde yarns sung the way they ought to be.

Review: With the combination of band name and album title this one's always going to be a bit of a tearjerker, packed with self-reflection and self-loathing. No regrets, though, as Greg Gonzalez muses on sensuality, the loss of those we care about, the loss of self to another and the endless yearning of the human heart. Shades of Lord Huron and a wealth of gloomy shoegazers can be felt, but even though "Cry" represents a next step for Cigarettes After Sex - edging into more minimalistic territories - it's still immediately identifiable as this band, and so won't fail to instantly resonate with avid fans. Packed with an exquisite, opiate balladry at once heartfelt and heartbroken, it's hard to tell whether this is exactly what you need to hear when living through your blue period or precisely what you shouldn't listen to. Either way, it's quiet impact is immense.

Review: Cigarettes After Sex's X's presents a stunning trip through raw, emotive storytelling set to entrancing pop melodies. Centered on a four-year relationship, the album delves deep into the complexities of love and loss, offering poignant and sometimes provocative vignettes. Greg Gonzalez's songwriting captures the essence of romantic emotions, creating a cinematic experience for listeners. Departing from their earlier influences, the band embraces a 70s/80s slow dance vibe, infusing their music with a disco-era melancholy that feels both nostalgic and contemporary. With its lush, dreamy soundscapes and introspective lyrics, X's will be another well received album from their catalogue. The cassette version adds a nostalgic touch to this already exciting listening experience.

Review: Physical pro-printed magazine of interviews and art prints, QR mix from Janet Davis, Tape from Devil's Gateway with O-Card sleeve Art and A3 Poster from Francesco Goats.

Review: Danzig and Misfits mastermind Glenn Danzig stepped out solo for this superb cassette release that has had fans fawning. It's a suitably spectacular sequel to the first part of the Black Aria series that was originally released in 2006 and is seen as one of his most audacious ever works. It finds Danzig extends his band's already ambitious, classically-themed project with this time the infamous Lilith, the first wife of Adam, as the main theme. The cover is a super one that features an illustration by the well known Marvel comic artist Bill Sienkiewicz. All in all, a vital reissue of a metal classic.

Review: Johanna Sadonis (real name Johanna Platow Andersson) is the German Wiccan frontwoman of Swedish retro psych-doomers Lucifer. Crafted in collaboration with her regular songwriting partner and husband Nicke Andersson (of hard rock heroes The Hellacopters and death metal legends Entombed), the aptly titled V marks the group's fifth full-length and distils accessible AOR style hooks with the sleight hands of proto-metal and blues-tinged psychedelia, while lyrically delving into the occult and cosmic otherworldly rituals; elevated and brought to life by Platow's sultry, frosted and commanding presence.

Review: Returning with his redemption attempt follow up to 2020's We Are Chaos, industrial metal shock-rock provocateur Marilyn Manson seeks to skirt the numerous controversies and accusations accrued in the last few years with his most potent musical statement in decades. Signing with Nuclear Blast and enlisting the likes of Chelsea Wolfe collaborator/producer Tyler Bates to helm the project, his 12th full-length One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1 (indicating that more is sure to follow), offers up some of the heaviest and introspective material of his career to date, with cuts such as 'Nod If You Understand' harking back to the unhinged angst of Antichrist Superstar, whereas 'As Sick As The Secrets Within' breathes with the same mercurial synth-gloom as the strongest moments on Mechanical Animals. A cynical attempt to regain fan adoration, or the sound of a tortured artist finally coming to terms with his own demons and attempting to rediscover former glory and prowess, the interpretation is entirely your own to consider.

Review: Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised the latest from Glasgow post-rock pioneers Mogwai adds a new ferocity. It was, after all, forged at a time of personal loss and family trauma for several members. The opener, 'God Gets You Back', weaves hypnotic vintage synths with Autotuned vocals, building into a thrilling crescendo that sets the tone for the album's expansive soundscapes. 'Hi Chaos' begins with a folk-like delicacy, evolving into a storm of ebowed drones, thunderous drums and towering riffs, offset by swirling sci-fi synths. The interplay between restraint and eruption continues on 'Pale Vegan Hip Pain', where cavernous guitar notes bloom into intricate melodies, offering a moody respite before the intensity of tracks like 'If You Find This World Bad You Should See Some Of The Others', which brims with ominous tones and a symphony of layered guitar noise. Tracks like 'Hammer Room' bubble with intricate synth lines woven into soaring melodies, while '18 Volcanos' evokes shoegaze grandeur with its vibrant oscillations. Each piece thrives on emotional resonance, eschewing words for pure instrumental storytelling - very much the Mogwai way, in other words, just sharper and more vicious than ever.

Review: Returning with their heftiest and most malevolent work to date, Desolation's Flower marks the fourth full-length from the Oakland based queer blackened screamo-sludge two-piece Ragana. Their first effort upon signing with extreme purveyors of underground ugliness The Flenser (home to caustic noise-rock titans Chat Pile and ecstatic black metal newcomers Agriculture), the LP serves as a creative rebirth following their longest gap between projects yet, with their preceding third LP You Take Nothing arriving back in 2017. Continuing their grim excavation into hideous sonic malaise, yet with an expanded palette of grooving doom, frenetic screamo-violence and heaving sludge metal ripped right from the banks of the bayou, this is a thick, dense, murky gaze into a void that spits back eternal blackness.

Review: The Smile's Wall of Eyes is a triumph in atmospheric experimentation, bridging the delicate intensity of Radiohead's later works with a more abstract, avant-garde edge. The album is filled with a sense of mystery, its drifting, formless compositions creating a pervasive feeling of unease. Opener 'Wall of Eyes' beckons with eerie folk textures and art-pop flourishes, setting the tone for the record's dark beauty. Bending Hectic' stands as the album's crowning achievement, its near-ambient build-up exploding into a cathartic, thunderous conclusion, balancing beauty and chaos. Elsewhere, 'Read the Room' and 'I Quit' bring rhythmic complexity, adding layers of groove and intricacy. Thom Yorke's vocals, as always, are haunting, tying the record together with familiar yet fresh emotional depth. Wall of Eyes confidently charts its own path, a significant step forward from A Light for Attracting Attention, cementing The Smile as more than a side project, but a vital voice in today's alt-rock landscape.