Review: Ghost Box present the CD edition of their latest record by freakish scene-dazzlers Beautify Junkyards, Nova. Despite the record's immediate imagism bringing together news clipping collage, and connotations of scrapheaps and salvaging indicated by the band's name, the sound of the record is anything but adjacent to these themes. The six-piece psychedelia/acid folk band command a wide foundry of instruments, smoothening any rough edge into a shared, sonically doughy dream, beautifying a well-sifted haul of believably, formerly scrapped instruments into a pristine assemblage. Though it builds on motifs heard in 60s and 70s film soundtracks, echoing spaghetti Westerns and early sci-fi, the record's best moments are its seemingly impossible electronica syntheses, such as the unassailed critical mass of trickling drum machine, spring reverb, tonal murmur and near-atonal noise reached on 'Raridade De Contrastes'.
Review: Following the triumphant success of their 50th Anniversary celebration, BLUE OYSTER CULT is gearing up for the release of the eagerly anticipated "50th Anniversary Live - Second Night." This electrifying performance, which includes the band's second album "Tyranny and Mutation" performed back-to-back is is a spectacular follow-up to the band's historic three-night stint at Sony Hall in NYC.
In September 2022, BLUE OYSTER CULT enthralled fans with a unique trilogy of sold-out shows, each dedicated to one of their first three albums. Founding member Albert Bouchard made a special appearance on all three nights, adding a nostalgic touch to the historic milestone.
For nearly three hours each night, the band delivered a spellbinding set, weaving through the entirety of their classic initial trilogy of albums and treating fans to a mix of fan favorites, deep cuts, and classic hits.
Review: Boris's Amplifier Worship, first released in 1998 and now reissued by Third Man Records, stands as a monumental testament to the band's uncompromising vision of heavy music. This album showcases their ability to push metal to its extreme boundaries, blending doom-drone, psych-sludge, and unrelenting noise. It's an intense, chaotic, and visceral experience, not for the faint of heart. The remastered version brings new life to this brutal classic, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket and pressed at Third Man Pressing for a high-quality vinyl experience. Boris's signature sonic landscapes are rich with mythic weight, as tracks shift from slow, crushing doom to explosive bursts of sound. The group's bullish experimentation, combined with their powerful live performances, has earned them a devoted fanbase worldwide. This reissue is essentialia timeless blueprint for Boris's expansive future.
Please Call To Book (Le'ts Write A song Project) (4:41)
Review: As the title suggests, Broadcast have collected all their demo recordings made between 2000 and 2006 and compiled them onto a single 14-track record. But that's not the main piece of news: sadly, this one marks the end of releasing from the band, tying the bow on an game-changing career to say the least. Many of these tender tidbits were worked into finished productions appearing on Haha Sound, Tender Buttons and The Future Crayon; it's an impressive flex to be able to flaunt your one-offs and pack them onto a single recorded finale. What's more, the connotations aroused by form - demos - as well as the sonic content of these gems plays nicely up to Broadcast's now well-established aesthetic, which is one for the ages, to be sure. The album also includes two songs discovered by James after bandmate Trish's passing: 'Come Back To Me' and 'Please Call To Book' which was her response to Broadcast's 2006 'Let's Write A Song' project, where fans were asked to submit lyrics on a postcard which would then be worked into a finished song.
Please Call To Book (Le'ts Write A song Project) (4:41)
Review: Broadcast's Collected Demos collections span era-defining moments that dot the band's career. One of several new demo compilations to mark the band's sad closing knell, Distant Call is one such record, and comprises fourteen demos that were worked into finished productions appearing on Haha Sound, Tender Buttons and The Future Crayon. Though most of these are tenderer versions of these songs of yore, two cuts here - 'Come Back To Me' and 'Please Call To Book' - are formerly unheard originals, both of whose songwriting is credited to the band's own Trish Keenan, discovered shortly after her passing in 2011. Full of dusty deuteragonies and gothic, tape-hued waltzes, this is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime, stripped back snapshot of the band's cutting room floor.
Review: Discodelic comes correct again with a new 7" that features a pair of rather lesser-known and brilliantly obscure Latin psych-rock gems. Conjunto Raza' 'African Dream' is all crackly and immediately nostalgic because of it, with noodle acoustic guitar sounds making way for a more upbeat and driving 60s garage rock sound but all in loveable lo-fi. Add in a red-hot vocal and you have a flame cut full of funk. On the reverse, The Scepters 'Message' is another well-aged jam that brings rawness and emotion in equal measure.
Review: Julian Cope's My Nation Underground is an album ready for rediscovery and it now gets reissued as a faithful replica of the original 1988 Mercury Records UK release and pressed on high-quality 180g vinyl. Following the success of Saint Julian, Cope surprised fans by changing his band lineup and blending funk with Krautrock with veteran producer Ron Fair at the helm. The album includes three singles, mostly notably 'Charlotte Anne' which was a minor US hit. The opener, '5 O'Clock World', is a cover of a 1965 Vogues song and is upbeat and poppy, while the seven-minute title track uniquely combines go-go beats with post-punk elements.
Review: Acid casualty, the guy who slashed his own chest with a broken microphone in a shocking on-stage act of self-mutilation. Recluse. Genius. Julian Cope has been called many things by public and press alike, often unfairly and without much to really back up the red-top headlines. Dig deeper, and we find someone who has been woefully misunderstood and - to be honest - was ahead of their times, or maybe just out of sync with the time-space continuum we're familiar with. Saint Julian, his third solo album, is a record that has less of the outright experimentation of Cope's exploits up to that point, and would spawn what remains his best-selling single of all time - 'World Shut Your Mouth' (also the title of his first LP). In this instance, the sound is resolutely mainstream without being cheesy and sticks a flag in the ground for high energy rock & roll with high concept parts. Enough to garner positive reviews across the board when it first landed.
Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - "Indian Rope Man" (3:23)
Brian Auger & The Trinity - "Black Cat" (3:24)
Review: Heavy Jazz Records have fully licensed this brilliant reissue of one of the biggest Hammond Mod dancefloor-fillers of all time. It comes in the form of a hugely limited edition 7" with Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity's 'Indian Rope Man' on one side. It's a real bomb, its driving chord work and fizzing guitar licks all topped with raw, passionate vocals that add great intensity. On the flip is another standout gem for Mod lovers with 'Black Cat' racing along under more hard edged vocals and raw brass, scintillating drums and epic chord work. A real pair of heavy hitters from the vaults here.
Review: Straop yourself in and prepare for a cosmic trip on psyched out cosmic polyrhythms with kosmische overtones at the hands of newcomer Glass Beams. This debut on Research Record is a stunning one from the enigmatic producer but will have you googling t find out as much as you can while you get lost in the sliding bass and transcendent synthwork. It's tinged with a certain retro charm and 70s prog magic but also feels decidedly new and fresh. Masterful.
My Guitar Is A Spaceship (bonus tracks - live In Edinburgh, 2024)
All Clocks Reset
Tiny Galaxies
Musica Per Aprirci La Mente, Musica Per Aprirci Il Cuore
Lunar Invocation
Choose Your Goddess
Review: Gong's Unending Ascending represents the third album from the current lineup, handpicked by Daevid Allen before his passing. Following Rejoice! I'm Dead! and The Universe Also Collapses, this release continues to explore the boundaries of psychedelic space rock while carving out its own identity. This album shifts away from the Canterbury sound and Daevid Allen's trademark whimsy, focusing instead on a spacey, progressive rock journey. With a runtime of less than 40 minutes, it maintains a brisk pace, offering a series of well-crafted tracks that blend modern influences with echoes of Gong's classic era. Tracks like 'Tiny Galaxies' and 'My Guitar Is A Spaceship' highlight the band's ability to merge catchy hooks with cosmic themes. 'All Clock's Reset' evokes the spirit of Gong's past while integrating new elements, and 'Choose Your Goddess' delivers a funky, riff-driven groove. The band's musicianship is commendable, and their dedication to continuing Gong's legacy is evident. Though the absence of a dynamic frontman leaves a slight void, the album's blend of innovation and homage to Gong's roots provides a compelling listen. Unending Ascending is a worthy continuation of their evolving legacy - even for the most discerning Gong fans.
Review: The Groundhogs' debut album, Scratching The Surface, stands as a milestone in the British blues movement of the late 1960s. Released in 1968, this record captures the raw energy of the era, blending blues authenticity with a distinctive edge. Unlike their later works, such as Thank Christ for the Bomb and Split, this album sticks closely to the classic blues format, heavily influenced by the sounds of early Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown. Featuring the original lineupiTony McPhee, Peter Cruickshank, Ken Pustelnik, and harmonica player Steve Ryeithe album has both McPhee's original compositions and Rye's blistering contributions. Rye's 'Early in the Morning' and 'You Don't Love Me' are standout tracks, while the reworking of Muddy Waters' 'Still A Fool' is fierce and memorable. Newly remastered, this vinyl reissue restores the album's rootsy, moody blues sound with remarkable clarity.
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