New releases last four weeks: Rock (All)

Notes: B.B. King spent 65 years on the road, with hardly a break for more than a few weeks' time, totalling some 18,000 performances. To say that there were some more than memorable incidents over all these years would be a massive understatement. Impossible to include all these anecdotes of the numerous dedicated musicians and companions who lived and played with the great BB King in Jon Brewer's highly acclaimed Documentary 'B.B. King : The Life of Riley' featuring Morgan Freeman, this feature documentary organically arose after the passing of King in 2015, when a legion of his past band members, family and companions reached out in an effort to share these stories from the numerous Tours over decades, recounting the journey they shared with 'B.B.' through civil unrest, historical moments in music and in stage, from 'Chitlin' Circuit to Stadiums with The Rolling Stones and U2. A cinematic pictorial feast, featuring the story-telling style that has established Brewer at the pinnacle of Documentary filmmaking.

Region code: 0 (universal)

Notes: Existing for a few short years (1984 - 1988), El records was perhaps the most 'cult' of the UK so-called 'indie' labels. El records was created in 1984 by Mike Alway. Alway was A&R man for Cherry Red, signing artists such as Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set and Felt. Alway left Cherry Red to help run Blanco Y Negro (an offshoot of WEA) but soon felt constrained by the conservativism of the commercial music sector and left to set up his own label. El was once described as 'the most innately English record label there has ever been' and yet had a global appeal. Alway must be the only record label boss to have had four songs written about him.

Alway's mercurial approach was to take complete control of the repertoire, the philosophy of the label's releases and even the titles of songs in the manner of pop impresarios of the past. Alway became a curator, selecting, shaping and overseeing the records issued on El. He employed songwriters proficient in classical pop techniques such as Nicholas Currie (AKA Momus) and Philippe Auclair (AKA Louis Philippe) who in addition to issuing their own records wrote, arranged and performed for other el artistes and used creative talentssuch as photographer Nick Wesolowski and designer Jim Phelan to create the El "look".

El had a unique flavour eschewing the traditions of rock and indie music of the mid 1980s, exhibiting instead a taste for 1960s bubblegum and chamber pop, the European chanson tradition, Latin rhythms and film scores (one of El's key players was child prodigy Simon Turner who wrote music for the films of Derek Jarman).

The ethos of the label was decidedly un-macho and many of El's key artists were female. El's first single "I, Bloodbrother Be" by Shock Headed Peters was an uncompromising gay anthem. Alway saw El as a celebration of elegance and beauty, in his own words, "a pop world beyond leather jackets and jeans". While record sales were disappointing, this unique blend was critically acclaimed in the UK and popular in America and mainland Europe while in Japan El had a profound effect, directly influencing the Shibuya-kei phenomenon that included Pizzicato Five, Cornelius and Kahimi Karie.

Bright Young Things is the first book to tell the fascinating story of El, one of the most influential indie labels of all time.

Review: Experience Pearl Jam's Binaural like never before. In honour of the 25th anniversary of the album, dive into its world with the spatial audio Blu-ray. Feel every note and lyric of tracks such as "Light Years" and "Nothing As It Seems" wrap around you in a way that's beyond amazing. Whether you're reliving the memories or discovering it anew, it's time to let the music take over.

Single Blu-ray disc contains Spatial and Hi-Res stereo mixes.

Notes: A very special live concert film by country rock legends, Poco, captured on digital video with crystal clear audio! Features founding members Richie Furay, Rusty Young and longtime Poco member Paul Cotton performing the band's best works including the hits "Crazy Love", "Heart Of The Night", "Call It Love" and more! As an extra bonus for fans, an interview and photo gallery are included.

Region code: 0 (universal)

Notes: Contents: Elliott Murphy, Bonnie Owens, Jimmie & Vella, Crack the Sky, cheap 70s glam albums, Rosie & the Originals, Bernie Torme, Claudine Longet, dinosaur rock bands go punk, wrestling and rock & roll, Jumpin' Beans & the Moustaches, Blowhole, Barbra Streisand goes experimental, Brubeck goes psych, Village People punk, Mezz Mezzrow, SST Records, and more. Issue No 2 is still available. Issue No 1 is not.

Notes: 48 page A5 zine

Printed on high quality PEFC certified recycled stock

Weird Walk present issue number eight of the irregular journal. With spring well and truly sprung, there is no better moment to be reminded of the creativity which continues to unfold in the landscape, whether through new folk forms, socially-engaged art or weird tales told on stage and screen.

With contributions from Maxine Peake, Rachel Adams, Lucy Wright, Isaura Barbe-Brown and Beccy Mccray.