Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: The fourth edition in Original Gravity's Down In The Basement series, which gathers instrumental soul and swing cuts onto worthy 7" slabs, resounding the fervent 1960s decadal gap in which mod reigned supreme. With juleps flowing and kneecaps knocking, Abramo & Nestor bring newfangled electric pianistic swing with 'Dig It!', while a twinned "hit it!" injunction is heard from Floyd James & The GTs on the reissued 'Work That Thang'; James' voice is tubed and speed-delayed to terrific effect, achieving a sprung intonation. Curtis Baker brassifies the bonanza with the lively 'Fried Fish 'n' Collard Greens', while The Native Yinzer's exiting excitation 'The Hip Strip' quilts our ears with a mnemic, down-feathery Hammond-breaks bit.

Review: A double dose of dancefloor bliss is administered (subversively without doctor's orders) by Kent Soul. These two numbers have been faved by fans from several scenes and the world over: first, there's The Cheques' 'In The Groove', a longingly upbeat homage to a groovin' place by the obscure Louisianan organists. Lead organist Tony Nardi, would later go on to form the Thai funk group Salt & Pepper, famously recording 'Man Of My Word', but for then and now, this 60s manoeuvre would serve to transcend its mod origins, attracting the Northern soul crowd in the years to come. After, 'Arabian Jerk' by The Merits rehears a Goldwax production out of Memphis: mod and exotica collide in a steaming instrumental excitation of backbeat accents and parping 2-4 guitars, making a mod belly dancer's anthem.

Review: Under a full moon to commemorate Portland's official holiday on their first Dead Moon Night, Mike Lastra recorded Michael Hurley play 'Jane' live at Portland City Hall in 2017. He performed, rather wittily, this cover of Portland Oregon Dead Moon's 1991 release to the most well attended non protest event in the history of the hall. Hurley, American "outsider folk" singer-songwriter, guitarist, banjo and fiddle player, and part of the Greenwich Village folk music scene of the 1960s and 70s is not only known for his iconoclastic songs, but also his cartoons and paintings, here illustrating the single's cover. The B Side 'Go My Way' features an unreleased Range Rats track from 1986 recorded at home by Fred Cole, Toody Cole and Rolly (their Roland drum machine), covered paradoxically by Portland's own Dead Moon in 2004, giving a comforting circularity to this limited 7" on Mississippi US, a label that prides itself in supporting artists and their families when crafting ethical and respectful releases of previously overlooked music. So, if you're into the Appalatian folk troubadour tradition with an undertone of irony that has a bluesy edge, you'll love this.

Review: Nearly a decade since the Swedish trio's last full-length Casino (2014), brothers Andreas and Johan Berthling, along with Tomas Hallonsten, ease back into the fold with Preludes, a five-track collection that reaffirms their mastery of delicate, genre-blurring soundscapes. Following the promising 'Refrains' 10" in 2023, this new release is a comforting reminder that Tape's signature blend of acoustic instrumentation and electronic processing remains as singular and stirring as ever, as they continue to weave hypnotic textures that feel both ethereal and earthy. 'Opener Lights Out' is a tender folk threnody where repeating guitar patterns create a meditative haze. 'Naukluft Plateau' drifts with ruminative piano over cascading tones, while the brief 'Golden Gain' mixes huffing harmonium and subtle electronic scrums. 'Tangential Thoughts' is quintessential Tape, a dreamy two-chord motif, rustling organ and delicate percussion all evoking wistful reveries. The closing track, 'On The Accordion Bus', sways with glitch-like textures and gentle rhythms, blurring the line between transit and reflection. There's a unique warmth to their balance of melody and abstraction here, reminiscent of Aphex Twin's ambient pop or Susumu Yokota's textural elegance. Praise indeed, but sometimes the quietest returns make the deepest impact.

Review: Kent Soul continue in their efforts to 100% faithfully replicate the works of old soul greats from the 60s and 70s, sustaining the everlasting flame of Northern soul and its various splinter hubs across the UK. Now Cincinnatian blues legend Albert Washington gets his due: a highly productive recording artist, active from the 60s all the way through to the 90s, Washington's 'I'm The Man' seizes the a short window moment in which a new spinster might be met with an opportunistic proposition after a bad breakup. "You don't have nobody to call your own / darlin', I'm the man / I share your pain, I do / I can make all your dreams come true / now, come on / yessir, you need me..."

Review: "I'd prefer it to be called just a country album," said TORRES of her collaboration with Baker, nearly a decade in the making, "but I'm proud to have made a 'queer country' album." TORRES had the initial idea to turn to the genre, inviting Baker to collaborate not only because of her shared southern roots but also because she'd also had a similarly religious upbringing that ultimately saw sexual orientation judged and condemned. The result is some deeply autobiographic songwriting on tracks like 'Tuesday', about a traditional family's rage at discovering their daughter was gay, the lilting 'Sylvia' and 'Sugar In The Tank', with pedal steel meeting acoustic guitar strum and very intimate sounding vocals. Bound to cause controversy in certain areas of the US, but it's got the quality and distinctive flavour to stand its ground.

Review: Rhode Island post-metal avant-garde duo The Body have made a name for themselves due to their caustic maelstrom of harsh, brutalist experimentalism as well as their prolific output and collaborative nature, releasing collab albums with the likes of Full Of Hell, Thou, Uniform, and most recently, Dis Fig. Their latest endeavour sees the pair link up with another duo of musical extremity, Toronto, Canada's recently reformed industrial two-piece Intensive Care. Was I Good Enough? has been on the cards since the artists first began making plans as far back as 2018, trading, warping and ruining mutual sessions with layers of loops, distortion, samples and even dubs, constantly striving to find the ideal haunting balance between both of their sonically hideous, oppressive worlds. For all of our ears' sakes, they just might have succeeded.

Review: The chemistry between Jimmy Page and The Black Crowes, caught here live in AL in 1999, produces a dynamic performance that brings fresh life to classic rock anthems. Tracks like 'Celebration Day' and 'What Is & What Should Never Be' are delivered with incredible precision, each riff from Page cutting through the mix, while the Crowes' rhythm section provides a perfect backdrop. Chris Robinson's vocals are raw and commanding, particularly on 'Heartbreaker,' where he channels the energy of the original while adding his own emotive twist. The blues covers, like 'Sloppy Drunk' and 'Mellow Down Easy,' show off the band's versatility, giving a loose, electric vibe that contrasts beautifully with the more structured Zeppelin classics. A live performance that captures both the spirit of the originals and the fire of the setting.

Review: This 3LP set commemorates 25 years of South Park, recorded live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. Featuring creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, alongside Primus and Ween, the album includes the most memorable songs from the show, a special highlight among which is the guest appearance by Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, who perform 'Closer To The Heart' with Primus and Matt Stone. The set is pressed on black vinyl, capturing a landmark celebration of the show's legacy.

Review: Before Marc Bolan's untimely passing in 1977, T. Rex was a cultural whirlwind, an electric force that blurred the lines between glam rock and larger-than-life mythology. The band's influence during the early 70s reached levels that not only defined a generation but also cultivated the feverish phenomenon known as "Trextasy," rivaling even the mania of Beatlemania. Amid the hits that catapulted them into superstardom, hidden on the flipsides of their most famous singles, were some of Bolan's most vivid and unpredictable musical momentsitracks that now stand as an alternative narrative to the T. Rex story. This collection brings together 27 of these gems, charting a journey from the swaggering energy of 'Telegram Sam' to the reflective tones of 'Celebrate Summer.' These B-sides, often overlooked in favour of their A-side counterparts, show a different side to Bolan's genius. Many of these tracks, such as 'Cadillac,' 'Thunderwing,' and 'Lady,' could have easily stood on their own as hit singles, their impact only diminished by their position as B-sides. 'Born To Boogie' gets a newly discovered single mix, while 'Sunken Rags' offers an introspective side of Bolan that feels like a hidden treasure. The inclusion of Gloria Jones adds a fresh layer of soul to the proceedings, her voice a perfect foil to Bolan's otherworldly swagger. These tracks, strung together in one place, feel like an alternative history of T. Rex, highlighting the artistry that was often buried beneath the mainstream success. They not only reaffirm Bolan's stature as a visionary, but they also open up new pathways for the listener, offering an alternative lens through which to understand the full depth of his music.

Review: British conspiracy thriller Utopia follows a group of young adults who, after discovering a mysterious comic book - The Utopia Experiments - embark on a manic quest for corporate restitution and prophetic fulfilment. As a shadowy government organisation detects their plans and resolves to track their every move, we watch an empathic but deadly game of cat-and-mouse; and Cristobal Tapia de Veer's acclaimed score only heightens the tension. This new 2xLP edition includes such instantly recognisable motifs as 'Brainwave Playground', 'Satan's Waltz' and 'The Monarch's Pyramid', capturing the series' eerie and intense atmosphere. The score continues to resonate to this day, following Tapia de Veer's success with The White Lotus and Babygirl.

Review: Brighton-based Australian vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Penelope Trappes shares her fifth album, requiescing ten captive ambient soundscapes, all of which share the aim of integrating dreamsand nightmares, grief and personal empowerment. Through the use of carnal, transcendent cello drones, Trappes explores historical and generational traumas in a chilling piece of gothic experimentalism. In a residential prelude, Trappes trapped herself in Scotland, eking remote studio solitude as a cranny in which to unleash personal demons, exploring and transmuting familial chaos and history. Raw and spiritually charged, the album offers a powerful meditation on loss; its threat, its meaning, and the process of coming to terms with it.

Review: Brighton-based Australian vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Penelope Trappes drops her fifth full length album and invites us on a bare bones, spiritual journey. Making herself incredibly vulnerable in the process, these are the kind of tracks that induce meditative and psychedelic trains of thought, haunting and beautiful, blissful and tense. Cello drones, gothic aesthetics, a king of futurist folk, at least some of the inspiration for which has come from time spent in isolated corners of Scotland. You can almost feel the wind blowing through the room as A Requiem lures and entices, breaks and mends hearts. Ambient, neo-classical, trance inducing works of wonder. This is the kind of record that can help make you see the world for what it is, and realise just how lucky we are to be here at the same time.

Review: London-based Australian vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Penelope Trappe has always made immersive, enveloping and deeply atmospheric that sidesteps convention. It was that uniquely haunting and emotive approach to ambient and electronica that earned her deals with Optimo Music and Houndstooth, amongst others. Now signed to One Little Independent, Trappes has pushed the boat out further on Requiem, a mournful and bittersweet musical meditation in which her distinctively sweet-but-drowsy vocals rise above manipulated cello textures, hushed field recordings, ambient textures and intriguing electronic sounds aplenty. It's bold, beautiful and at times breathtakingly brilliant, once again marking Trappes out as an artist with a genuinely unique musical vision.

Review: William Tyler stands as one of the most influential solo American guitarists of this century. Having played with Silver Jews and Lambchop, he's carved out a singular space for himself, with albums weaving country roots and classical influences with postmodern experimentation; he melds field recordings and static drifts for a sense of imminent boundlessness, recoverable just over the hill. Drawing on inspirations from Chet Atkins to Gavin Bryars, from electroacoustic abstraction to hypnotic boogie, Time Indefinite - his first solo album in five years - hears Tyler reimmerse himself in said sound, reflecting on the hiss, distortion, and rawness of a turbulent era. With eerie loops and luminous melodies, Time Indefinite is an essential soundtrack for fostering resilience.