Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: The story of this one revolves around San Diego native Anthony "Antone" Williams. He was one day alone in a studio, messing about with the gear and before he knew he it lay down the haunting rhythm that underpins the tune now presented here by the good folks at Athens of the North. It's a sinister, restless one that got released as a hugely limited 7" on Unity Records with otherworldly soul production and a pained vocal up top. Post punk soul, some call it, and that's a fitting descriptor. A remix appears on the flip but the allure of the original is hard to beat.

Review: KC

Review: Thundercat hasn't released any new music in some three years. This first new tune in a while comes alongside fellow cult favourite Tame Impala and is a limited edition, single-sided cheetah screenprint 7". The song is a perfect coming together of the two with lyrics musing on a doom relationship and real melodic synchronicity elevating the tune. A slew of new and much anticipated new live dates follows the release of this tasty new single and will see Thundercat play with the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes.

Review: Due to persistent demand and soaring prices for the original pressing, this reissue of 'Why Don't You Go Home' on striking red transparent vinyl could not be more essential. Featuring the dynamic vocals of Diane Ward, the title track delivers a powerhouse performance echoing the King and Federal r&b sound. On the flip side, 'Cocktail De Medianoche' serves up a delightful blend of Boogaloo and Northern Soul, a cherished favourite among aficionados of Latin grooves and Uptempo Soul. With two phenomenal tracks, this reissue promises a perfect double-sider experience! for lovers of soul.

Review: Tame Impala's breakthrough album 'Lonerism' celebrates its tenth anniversary with a special edition reissue. Through tracks like 'Elephant', 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards' and 'Endors Toi', the album is known for introducing psychedelia to a new generation of hungry music fans in the early 2010s, and features Kevin Parker's distinctive falsetto vocals and intricate guitarwork throughout. The reissue here includes various bonuses, demos and "assorted sketches", casting renewed light on an important record for both the music-loving public, and an Aussie band/project destined for stardom.

Review: When members of mega-bands work with relatively obscurer artists, we're always intrigued. But a potential trapping factor is in thinking Jarak Qaribak, for example, is more of a Jonny Greenwood album than a Dudu Tassa one, when in fact the exact opposite is the case. Tassa, an Israeli singer-guitarist who fuses Middle Eastern stylings with contemporary rock, lends a challenging structural terrain to the Radiohead member's electric guitar licks, with the former's Arabic and Hebrew lyrics moving atmospherically against them. A star cast of fellow Israeli artists accompany the pair, as serene vocal beat-driven movements plod and swell away in an appealingly nu-proggy fashion.

Review: Australian soul rockers The Teskey Brothers are back with their third studio album, The Winding Way. It’s a smouldering, simmering masterpiece of classically informed, blue-hued songwriting that evokes such titans as Otis Redding without ever sounding derivative or overwrought. Just listen to the stirring, swooning ‘Take My Heart’ and you’ll hear exactly what we mean - you can’t fake soul like that. It’s no wonder it shot to the top of the Aussie charts upon release, but now it’s set for a whole new level of appreciation as Decca carry it to the wider world.

Review: Record Kicks presents Keep It To Yourself, the new album by premier Dutch soul band The Tibbs. Produced by Paul Willemsen (Michelle David) and mastered in Nashville by soul veteran Bob Olhsson, who used to cut vinyl for Motown back in the day, the new album is the band's third Long Play. It contains 12 fresh 'n vibrant tracks that once again will take you back to the golden days of soul music. From the very first note, The Tibbs' musical prowess exudes a soulful, funky energy that is nothing short of mind-blowing. Among the twelve new ones, we find the first single 'Ain't It Funn', a high-energy stomper that sets the tone for the entire album, the New Orleans funk inspired 'Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks' and 'Chicken Bones, 'In Orbit', an emotional and heartfelt love ballad that allows the velvety vocals of singer Roxanne to take center stage or the northern soul belter 'Give Me A Reason'. Lyrically, Keep It to Yourself is a poetic wonderland, delving into the depths of love, heartache, but also social issues and the need to preserve the world we're in.

Review: Club scene doyen, dance music veteran, and rave culture hero Johannes Auvinen opts to depart from the dance floor, at least for the time being, and deliver Arles - an ode to the other side of the electronic-acid scene, those sounds that make most sense after the chaos and carnage of a party have subsided and you're safely home on the couch with you and yours and all dearest.
And it works as well as it should, with the experience both of living in that world and making anthems for it clearly evident in the overall production quality and ideas. Arles is a warm blanket, that friendly therapist, an album that understands where you've been because it was there too. Remarkably, despite what that may suggest, this is not ambient or particularly leftfield stuff. Instead, it's rhythmic, pop-infused electronica goodness, for want of a more succinct, less awkward turn of phrase.

Review: Acclaimed Japanese artist Yuji Toriyama's self titled album has long been hard to find. It now gets its first ever official issue outside of Japan and what a joy it is. The man was known for his work on TV, film and game sound design but also dropped this one in 1993 and it is a sublime fusion of Japanese jazz-rock with smooth melodies and catchy grooves. A perfectly retro-future record full of 80s nostalgia and ripe for sun drenched beaches and lounge bars alike. Whether you're a die-hard fan or this is the first time you have been enchanted by the sounds of Toriyama's music, you will keep on coming back for more this summer and beyond.