Back catalogue: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: Mushroom Pillow have tapped up the maverick Jacques Renault here and asked him to tap into a whole new world of influence away from his colourful house fair. It is the rich heritage of Latin underground sounds he leans on most as he threads together his own edits of classics from that world into two steamy new jams. His vibrant rhythms come peppered with mystic flutes and Latin vocals, psyched-out guitars and soulful melodies that make for truly captivating listening. The originals were chosen for their historical significance and cultural impact and have been sympathetically touched up here.

Review: A collaborative EP between 2 Australian rock giants, this limited one-sided collectors disc comprises the 19 minutes long 'Satanic Slumber Party' split into three sections. 'The Chairman's Portrait' intro is a dark, heavily distorted spoken-word piece backed by dark rumbling guitars that explodes into the head-banging electronic banger 'Midnight in Sodom'. The angry lyrics are paired with awesome melodic guitar solos and chiptune noises, before shifting into noise rock territory. 'Hoof and Horn' takes up most of the runtime at a hefty 12 minutes, in which ambient drone begets experimental sound effects that are reminiscent of the liquid bass and synths favoured by producer SOPHIE. The track evolves into a demonic lullaby that wouldn't feel out of place in an episode of American Horror Story, and fans of 2 Mello's 'Atmospheric Horror Music Vol.1' will greatly appreciate this track. The EP is all-in-all a camp experience. An Avante-Garde, quintessentially fun blend of two incredible groups.

Review: It's hard to side with anyone that goes in hard on enigmatic epic metallers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. When a band releases 24 studio albums you know they're sure of themselves and cult followers are almost guaranteed to support every release. When those releases come with names like PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation you also know the band don't really care for people who take things too seriously. There's always been an interesting juxtaposition between the Gizzard's tongue in cheek persona - even the band name smacks of wry humour - and the music itself, though, and this outing is no different. Sprawling guitar-fuelled arrangements that owe as much to post punk as psychedelic and prog reign supreme, making for another powerhouse outing you can love or feel indifferent towards, but never legitimately hate.

Review: Tame Impala'a Slow Rush album is certainly deserving of this special deluxe treatment which packages the record in an "off lid" artwork box on double red vinyl. The artwork is new for this one and as well as the original tracks there are two new remix 12" featuring 'One More Year (NTS Extended Version)' and 'Patience (Maurice Fulton Remix)' as well as the original version of 'Patience' and Four Tet's take on 'Is It True' plus 'Breathe Deeper (Lil Yachty Remix)' and others. As well as all the music this version includes a deluxe booklet and the Slow Rush 2050 Calendar.

Review: Originally established as an outlet for founder and core member John Dwyer to explore home recordings, The Oh Sees soon grew into a full live band, who quickly picked up acclaim not just for their excellent musical abilities - straddling garage, post punk, noise, art rock and more - but also aesthetic wit, prolificacy, and deft ability to keep switching things up without looking like they were lost.
In 2013, it was announced that a hiatus was coming, but this lasted very little time at all - a record followed in 2014, and the group toured as a three-piece, sans Dwyer, for a little while. He then rejoined in 2015, driving that when something is good it's hard to say no. Skip to today, and they've released well over 20 LPs, but while studio work is quality, it's the live shows that really make an impact. Here's one, which proves exactly what we mean.

Review: Vinyl Lovers brings you the reissue of Traffic's 'Mr Fantasy'. Riding fairly high on the success of their singles, the band, whose members included Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Dave Mason, released its 1967 debut LP, which also soon shot up to the number 16 slot on the UK albums chart. Aided by their use of unusual instruments (Winwood played the organ, Wood played flute and Mason the sitar) they created a hybrid of pop/blues rock with a sound that was somewhat unique for the time and which soon made them international superstars. This deluxe reissue includes 5 bonus tracks and a poster.

Review: Much contemporary and so-called cosmic American music lacks true cosmic essence, appearing more as imitation than innovation. Trummors' fifth album, 5, defies this norm with refreshing originality and exquisite execution. With lyrics akin to Robert Creeley's poetry and melodies that feel timeless, songs like 'Hey Babe' captivate with fatalistic beauty. Lerner and Cunningham's harmonies, complemented by skilled musicianship, create a captivating atmosphere and subtly blend genre conventions. Despite its rapid creation amidst uncertainty, 5 exudes both weight and airiness, ancient resonance and contemporary charm. Trummors' achievement in transcending tradition with confidence and immediacy is truly remarkable.

Review: Where do you start with 'Wild' Billy Childish? A true enigma, and a figurehead of the eccentric, anti-establishment British arts scene known for advocating amateurism, non-conformity and free emotional expression through creativity since the 1970s, co-founder of the Stuckism figurative painting movement, concerned with supposed Remodernist ideals which push back against the post-modern, it's almost easy to forget about his recording career in and among the book publishing, exhibitions, poems and Super 8 movies.

Thankfully, then, we have The Fighting Tameraire in our new releases pile to remind us that he's fundamentally a deft hand at writing, arranging, singing and performing lo-fi semi-traditional garage folk stuff that has one foot in the English pubs of bygone ages and another in contemporary alternative rock. This collection is rousing, emotive, witty, and thoroughly human in a way that feels increasingly rare today.

Review: "What's a girl like you, doing in a place like this?" Zappa croons with audible debauchery as 'The Mud Shark' falls effortlessly into 'What Kind of a Girl Do You Think We Are', making it clear that Fillmore East: June 1971 is the kind of live album that quickly makes you feel as though you're right there front and centre watching this rock 'n' roll icon delivering his legendary live show.

But there's much more here than simply a recording from a gig. The record is as much a concept album as anything else, offering a skew-eyed look at the life of a guitar outfit on the road, spinning yarns about - among other things - staying in a motel where guests can fish directly from their room, 'negotiating' sex with groupies and girlfriends, essentially representing the tongue-in-cheek, satirising Zappa in all his glory.