Back catalogue:

Review: With a title paying homage to London's cultural epicentre for the hippie and mod movements that would serve as precursors to the punk rock revolution, The Carnaby St. EP offers up a seasoned cross-Atlantic meeting of sonic minds between two seminal punk acts on either side of the sea. With legendary UK Subs frontman Charlie Harper and long-time bassist Alvin Gibbs linking up with Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome for a balls-to the-wall blowout celebration of some of the most quintessential cuts from the British Invasion that initially put them on their life-long trajectories, here the mutual veterans tear through faithful yet feral renditions of The Rolling Stones' 'Paint It Black', The Yardbirds' 'For Your Love', and our personal favourite; 'Taxman' by The Beatles. 3 covers, 7 inches and decades' worth of punk rock legacy.

Review: Though much of the devout U.K. Subs fanbase will insist that the band's debut full-length Another Kind Of Blues is the begin and end-all of the pub-rockers turned punk icons seminal offerings to the punkosphere, both their legendary frontman Charlie Harper and guitarist Nicky Garratt have previously stated that they believe their fifth LP Endangered Species is their crowning achievement. With lyrical cynicism showcasing Harper's razor sharp wit and riffage that simultaneously reflects the burgeoning hardcore scene forming across the Atlantic in 1982 (an era that saw the first batch of albums from future legends such as Black Flag, Negative Approach and Circle Jerks) whilst furthering their own brand of homegrown rock-centric punk into frenetic new directions, the work was severely ahead of its time with regards to where punk was at and where it was heading, with bangers such as the title-track or sarcastic 'Down On The Farm' still going as hard today as they did over four decades years ago.

Review: While many a devout U.K. Subs fanatic will lay claim that the pub-rockers turned punk legends' seminal debut full-length Another Kind Of Blues is and shall always be the band's most vital contribution to the punk maelstrom, both legendary founding vocalist Charlie Harper and guitarist Nicky Garratt consider their fifth album Endangered Species to be their finest work. Boasting razor sharp lyrical cynicism and riffs simultaneously reflective of the burgeoning hardcore scene taking shape across the pond in 1982 (which saw the first slew of albums from future icons such as Black Flag, Circle Jerks and Descendents) while also pushing their own form of homegrown rock-oriented punk into aggressive new directions, the material was majorly ahead of its time in regards to where the punk scene was and where it was headed, with gems such as the title-track and sardonic 'Down On The Farm' still going as hard as they did 40 years ago. A true testament to the underrated staying power of one of the homegrown greats of first wave punk..

Review: Having recently been refused entry into the US due to their staunch anti-Trump stance, London's own pub rock turned homegrown punk icons UK Subs shall reissue their criminally underrated Japan Today for Record Store Day 2025. Originally released in 1987 and ranked letter J in the Subs' A-Z album list, this LP has been out of print for the past decade and finally returns home to wax for both longtime fans who've worn their original pressing down to PVC scraps and late to the party newcomers doing their most studious punk homework. Remastered with updated artwork, featuring both Knox and Daryl Barth wielding a double-guitar assault, the record boasts some of the band's most overlooked gems such as 'Another Cuba' and 'Thunderbird Wine'.

Review: Although the common consensus amongst the fateful UK Subs fanbase regards London's own pub-rockers turned punk heroes' classic debut LP Another Kind Of Blues as the high watermark of their output, many devout listener as well as both founding vocalist Charlie Harper and guitarist Nicky Garratt will counter-argue that the band's explosive fifth album Endangered Species (1982) is their strongest work. Complete with razor sharp cynical, lyrical insights and chunky riffage not dissimilar to the burgeoning hardcore scene formulating in tandem in early 80s USA, the material saw the Subs pushing their own form of classic rock-oriented punk into aggressive, surprising new directions, being both sonically emblematic of where the punk scene was at this time and where the future was beckoning towards, while bangers such as the title-track and the humorously sardonic 'Down On The Farm' still go as hard today as they did over four decades prior.

Review: A bumper crop of oddities and deep cuts from UK Subs' bountiful back catalogue. From opener- a bizarre cover of Khachaturian's 'Sabre Dance' to 'NRA Jingle' a charmingly cringe jingle for Bay Area's New Red Archives label, the subs show their diversity, with the almost Cramps-esque warble of tracks like 'Motivator' giving way to the borderline emo thrash of 'Postcard from LA' and the outright weirdness of jangly sketches like 'Nico'. Definitely a must for any UK Subs enthusiast looking to triangulate the band's more well-known works!

Review: Often unfairly forgotten in the pantheon of alphabetical A to Z records from homegrown punk legends UK Subs, Flood Of Lies would arrive in 1983 on the heels of Endangered Species and mark both a shift in line up as well as a creative change of course. Enlisting early Subs bassist Steve Slack, drummer Steve Jones and guitarist Captain Scarlet, this new stable would help incomparable punk lifer and legendary frontman Charlie Harper to strike a balance between remaining faithful to their core punk ethos whilst experimenting with more accessible mid-tempo tracks recalling their early pub rock days yet far more refined. Forget what any middling review or closed minded fanboy said four decades ago, corner any tried and tested Subs devotee and they'll sing the praises of Flood Of Lies for days.

Review: Curated by none other than the distinguished DJ and cultural curator Luke Una. Known for his eclectic tastes and deep connections in the music world, Luke brings his expertise to Everything Above The Sky (Astral Travelling with Luke Una), a collection designed to evoke late-night, introspective soundscapes.
This compilation reflects Luke's ongoing quest to find music that transcends the everyday, making astral travel through sound a tangible experience. Drawing from his vast knowledge and numerous conversations with record shop owners, tastemakers, and music enthusiasts, Luke has meticulously selected tracks that offer a subtle, soulful journey. The music flows gently, never overwhelming, instead inviting listeners into a space where simple, heartfelt melodies can lead to profound reflection and escape. Everything Above The Sky is a snapshot into Luke Una's ability to craft soundscapes that resonate deeply, offering an immersive listening experience that transports beyond the mundane.

Review: There's so much to admire about the borderless musical inclinations of the one and only Luke Una. A longstanding standard-bearer for nocturnal eclecticism, he's made an art out of pigeon-hole dodging, via event series like Electric Chair/Elephant and Homoelectric, his Worldwide FM residency, and E Soul Cultura compilations. His latest comp sees him explore sonic transcendence, selecting a body of musical curios based on their ability to transport the listener to higher realms. As expected, the album bursts with delightful, lesser-known morsels that make it more than worthy of attention. Opening with the psychedelic guitar swells of John Martyn's masterful 'Small Hours' before meandering into the blissful meditations of Stephen Whynott's 'A Better Way', drifting into the staccato whimsy of Sylvain Kassap's 'Plancoe' and arresting with the aching soul of Michael Gregory Jackson's 'Unspoken Magic', there are too many standouts to mention. This is an album to savour from start to finish, a means of cultivating inner peace and astral escapism. When it comes to digging chops, there aren't too many who measure up to Luke, and this selection serves as a case in point.

Review: In this collection, Luke curates music with the perfect blend, inviting listeners on an esoteric journey of enlightenment through sound. Exploring late-night, after-hours musings; Everything Above The Sky (Astral Travelling with Luke Una) is a new compilation by the enigmatic DJ, promoter, and cultural curator. Following the E Soul Cultura phenomenon, this compilation comes at a pivotal moment in Luke's career as he travels the globe. Avoiding any chance of his sound being pigeonholed, Luke has assembled a tracklist that feels transcendental, stepping off the grid and back to source. Luke's Everything Above The Sky manifesto describes the music as Astral Travelling in the meadowlands with acid folk, spiritual jazz, midnight hocus pocus, cosmic psychedelic soul, magical whirling love songs, Brazilian ballads of light into machine soul gospel dreaming, Balearic bossa and Outer Space ancient African drums. Expect something different and highly unique with this listen.

Review: With the tireless work ethic from the folks at The Numero Group constantly resulting in phenomenal relics from soul to emo to post-rock being repressed and re-introduced to an entirely new generations of fans, it was only a mere matter of time before they set their restoration sites on some classic hardcore. Out of Annapolis/Baltimore, Maryland, Universal Order Of Armageddon only lasted from 1992 to 1994, yet during this brief tenure, delivered a slew of tightly constructed, cathartic and venomous post-hardcore releases whilst making a name for themselves due to their notoriously unhinged live shows. Since their small live reformation in 2010, there has been notable silence from the members until this stellar new partnership with The Numero Group, resulting in this definitive remixed/remastered compilation of the band's Gravity, Vermin Scum, and Kill Rock Stars recordings (including City, The Switch Is Down and S/T) all housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket complete with a 24-page booklet packed to the brim with photos, notes, and iconography from their poignant and prolific 1993-'94 era.

Review: The New Zealand-born, Portland-based Ruban Nielson initially made a name for himself by marrying psych rock and lo-fi styles in a messy, Beefheartian manner, with jam-band wig-outs vying for attention with expressive songcraft. On 'Multi Love', however, he's both reined in the excesses of yore and sharpened up his songwriting, and the result is a veritable tour de force. Pop-tinged melody and emotional candour make for impressive bedfellows on these nine expansive and inventive ditties, which take as much inspiration from Prince or Janelle Monae as they do The Grateful Dead or Zappa. 'Multi Love' marks the place where Nielson genuinely makes his presence felt as a modern-day psychedelic visionary.

Review: Logic runs through the Unknown Mortal Orchestra back catalogue, even if that's just in terms of what the records are actually called. V, then, is album number five, a double-sized and long-awaited package that represents the first long form outing from Ruban Nielson and Co since 2018. In modern music, that's a hell of a long time. Rest assured, though, it seems like time was well spent honing crafts, polishing ideas, and coming out with 14 incredibly interesting and compelling songs.

In many ways V isn't a huge departure from IV, but - maybe because of that extended gap - you still can't shake the feeling this is you meeting the Orchestra for the first time. Packed full of surprises, running the gamut between blissed out, stargazing stuff, lo-fi funk steppers, and a kind of stoner pop-blues, it's love at first play. Again.

Review: New Zealand-born, Portland-based Ruban Nielson is well known for mixing up lo-fi, indie rock, psychedelic sounds and plenty of trippiness into unique and beguiling sound worlds. V is said to be the band's most definitive album yet and it was written between the dry freeways of Palm Springs in California and the much more lush coastlines of Hawai'i. As such it is drawn from a world of West Coast AOR, classic hits, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music. This is the first double album in the artist's discography and it is well worth the extra playtime.

Review: New Zealand-turned-Portland neo psych sorts Unknown Mortal Orchestra have made a name for themselves with vocal-based records. But they occasionally turn their hand to purely instrumental music and come up trumps. IC-02 Bogota follows their only previous instrumental album, 2018's IC-01 Hanoi. The rhythm of the album brings you to the chaotic hustle and bustle of the Colombian capital, which is where the album was recorded. It's music that appears born out of collaboration; the single 'Earth 1' is an 11-minute jam that has a lot in common with jazz in terms of knowing the moment when to make way for an extended solo. This is a superb detour and a series that we can only hope UMO keep going.

Review: Unsane's self-titled debut album was made instantly famous for its inclusion of a horrifically gory image on its front cover. It's a time-honoured method of achieving quick success, if the blueprint provided by Norwieigan church-burners Mayhem was anything to go by. Let's not let that distract us, though, because this isn't black metal. Rather than bathing in atmosphere, Unsane embraces noise, distorted vocals, classic rock progressions, doomy riffs, and fill-heavy rhythm tracks. Officially reissued in 2022 but flying off our shelves now, be sure to catch this utmost-quality remaster while you still can.

Review: Founded in Tumwater and Olympia, the latter, amazingly, is the Washington state capital, Unwound enjoyed 14 years of unfettered creativity between 1988 and 2002, and yet you'd probably struggle to find many outside the US, even in rock clubs, that would cite them in a list of favourites. Thankfully, A Single History presents the case for reappraisal this group deserve. Not that they ever wanted to court attention and reverence. Often categorised as post-hardcore, Unwound make the kind of angular, gritty, dissonant rock that celebrates unusual guitar tones, walls of sound, and garage-y rhythms. There are elements here that betray just how much they helped paint the scene into which grunge emerged, there's plenty owed to punk in the truest sense, while the pared back minimalism contrasting louder moments speaks to post punk and art rock. Analysis aside, it's all just so good.

Review: The output from cult label Emotional Response is always varied and always vital. This time out the focus turns to Useless Users, who offer up a standout nine-track debut here. The band features former Sarah Records alumni including members of Action Painting! and Secret Shine as well as featuring Even As We Speak. The music they make is pop but with bold adventure at its heart. There are dreamy elements, big bold chords and stunning vocal deliveries as well as a few twists and turns along the way. It's a real gem with nods to sixties psyche amongst others.