B-STOCK: Sleeve split along the spine but otherwise in excellent condition
More Than A Love Song (4:41)
Ice Cream (Pay Phone) (3:52)
Mrs Postman (3:52)
Chronicles Of A Diamond (3:23)
Angel (5:02)
Hello
Sauvignon
Tomorrow (4:49)
Gemini Sun (4:34)
Rock & Roll (4:48)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split along the spine but otherwise in excellent condition***
Grammy-nominated Texan psychedelic-soul band Black Pumas, led by Eric Burton and Adrian Quesada, return after their 2019 self-titled debut album - leading to the pair being put up for 'Best New Artist' in 2020 - with a bold statement to break the sophomore album curse. Lead single 'More Than a Love Song' is the perfect introduction to the sound, Burtons commanding voice riding on a wave of progressively zanier instrumental patches and choir vocal samples, with a sultry deep south tone that, oddly, reminds me of CeeLo Green. Quesada's production style is quick and loose, oozing with soul - nothing more to be expected from former member of Grammy-winning funk band Grupo Fantasma. The two describes Black Pumas as an "electric church", the synths and digital organs punctuating Burton's wistful wailing perfectly. If you're looking for a soul release to close out the year, this is it.
Review: Anton Newcombe's prolific Brian Jonestown Massacre notch up their 19th studio album with Fire Doesn't Grow On Trees. It's headed up by lead single 'The Real', which shows the psych-rock lifer hasn't lost any of his inspiration this far into his career. He worked in the studio with Ricky Maymi, Ryan Calrson Van Kriedt, Hakon Adalsteinsson, Hallberg Daoi Hallbergsson, Uri Rennert and Sara Neidorf in a whirlwind 70 days of tracking new music, and this album, whittled down to 10 incendiary tracks, is the result. It's everything you want from a BJM record - a perfect addition to their monumental oeuvre.
Review: Mute and Spoon Records continue in their CAN retrospective bout, following up the first two parts of the long-lost CAN live series ('Brighton' and 'Stuttgart' respectively) with further re-releases of their best known albums. Here, their sci-fi prog masterpiece 'Monster Movie' gets a blue vinyl rerub, doing best justice yet to the band's debut after Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt left their academic careers to start the band. The twenty minute peak state 'Yoo Doo Right' sounds particularly great here, thanks to the band members overseeing the album's most recent remaster in 2004. As ever with CAN, this album has an honest, intense and raw sound.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Too Freud To Rock'n'Roll Too Jung To Die
You Gotta Keep Your Halfwits About You
Four Jehovahs In A Volvo Estate
The Dogshow Must Go On
1066 & All That
In Spungent Mansions
Me & The Jews
A Shipwrecked Song
Sol Invicto
R In The Hood
Done Myself A Mischief
Will Sergeant's Blues
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Author and musician Julian Cope, formerly of Teardrop Explodes, is a leftfield national treasure. His books contain some of the funniest and most imaginative stories ever printed and as a musician he is the essence of rock n' roll. This latest album - the follow-up to 2023's excellent Robin Hood - is Cope at his most melodic. It contains nods to the likes of spook rocker Joe Meek, Velvet Underground and Krautrock, with a smorgasbord of guitar tones, mellotron and loose Moe Tucker-esque drumming. Cope's lyrics, with plenty of humour and off-kilter references, are a joy to dive into as they're cloaked in some of the best music he's ever composed.
Review: Kuchu: The Best Of Fishmans was first released in 2005 as the indie-label (Pony Canyon) follow-up to Fishmans' first best of compilation; the blue to Universal Music's orange, this compilation was first issued on CD only, and charted at least 20 tracks' worth of both greatest hits and rarities, neither of which could possibly all fit on a single vinyl record at the time. That all changes with this retroactive vinyl reissue of the compilation, which cuts things down to just a dozen selections, hand-picked by drummer Kinichi Motegi, from the dreamy Shibuya, dub and experimental band's discography. Held in high regard for all too long, we're very happy this one's made a comeback.
Review: Japanese psychedelic rock band Kikagaku Moyo deliver a second album for Tokyo-based label Guruguru Brain, providing the band with its fifth album in as many years. Opening with the sitar-play of "Entrance" and moving into more radical free-rock of "Dripping Sun" and "Fluffy Kosmisch", there's more traditional and folky numbers to be found in "Nazo Nazo", "Amayadori" and the dream inducing "Orange Peel". There's no denying the musical ground Kikagaku Moyo are capable of covering and with other tracks "Majupose" and "Gatherings" falling somewhere in between the aforementioned, and this Masana Temples LP will appeal to appreciators of French outfit Air as much as it will to lovers of Alan Vega and Martin Rev's music.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Electric War (5:16)
Zero Sun (3:28)
Spektator (3:47)
Creaky (7:31)
’Said Soul (2:43)
Sick 8 (4:20)
My Now (5:50)
Count Of Four (6:05)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
Genre-defying trio Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto - their bassist Lewis Wharton is the third one, if you're wondering - have created an album brimming with explosive energy and diverse influences fusing rock 'n roll, deep funk, jazz, and fuzzy atmospherics. Barrie Cadogan (guitar/vocals) has played with everyone from The The to Primal Scream, but this LP moves well away from indie templates, employing a freeform approach, experimenting with tempos, volumes and textures. Tracks like 'Spektator' and 'Sick 8' showcase their ability to build subtle momentum and then let it slip back, allowing space for intricate instrumentation and lots of vivid expression.
Review: Los Jaivas' Alturas de Macchu Picchu arrives newly remastered and reissued by state51 on heavyweight wax, and it remains a landmark of South American music. Its blurring of psychedelic rock, Andean folk and Pablo Neruda's poetic power makes the album, which was recorded in exile during Chile's Pinochet era, an evocation of both the spirit and struggle of Latin America. Tracks like 'La Poderosa Muerte' and 'Sube a Nacer Conmigo Hermano' swirl with emotion and complexity to deliver a cinematic spiritual experience. Inspired by Incan ruins and resistance, Alturas is more than music-it's a cultural beacon that invites you into a timeless soundscape.
Review: Rain Parade's recent EP Last Stop On The Underground marks their notable return to the music scene, coinciding with the release of their first album in nearly forty years, Last Rays of a Dying Sun. Original members Matt Piucci and Steven Roback, who have been collaborating since 1981, continue their legacy of neo-psychedelic rock with this fresh material. The band, co-founded by the Roback brothers and Piucci, made a significant impact in the 1980s Paisley Underground scene with their debut album Emergency Third Rail Power Trip, widely regarded as a classic. Following David Roback's departure, the band's EP Explosions In The Glass Palace in 1984 maintained their high acclaim and has only grown in reputation over time. Reflecting on the creation of the new EP, Sid Griffin of The Long Ryders mentioned their recent tour with the Third Mind, which inspired Rain Parade to produce new material for their European audience. The EP features three new songs, including the title track, which incorporates elements from an older unfinished piece, and a leftover track from their latest album, creating a cohesive four-song collection. The recording process, guided by Jim Hill in familiar Oakland studios, was efficient, showcasing Rain Parade's ability to craft captivating music swiftly.
Review: A stunning fusion of rock, Latin rhythms and jazz, this 1977 album blended live performances with studio recordings to create a dynamic, immersive experience. Now reissued on vinyl, the double album - which features live and studio recordings - captures the raw energy of Santana's stage presence while showcasing Carlos and co's refined musicianship. The album's biggest hit, 'She's Not There', reinterprets The Zombies' classic with soaring guitar work and Latin percussion, turning it into a mesmerising jam. 'Flor d'Luna (Moonflower)' is a beautiful instrumental piece, filled with Carlos Santana's signature, expressive guitar melodies. 'Dawn / Go Within' opens the album with a mystical, jazz-tinged atmosphere that blends the spiritual with a musical exploration throughout the album. Live recordings such as 'Soul Sacrifice / Head, Hands & Feet (Drum Solo)' bring the band's electrifying energy to the forefront, while 'Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen' revisits their earlier hit with even more intensity. 'Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)' is another gem, a slow-burning instrumental that highlights Santana's unmatched ability to blend emotion and technical prowess. Moonflower was a commercial and critical success, reinforcing Santana's status as innovators in rock and Latin music, and even now, it's pretty obvious why.
B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition
Ogden (2:26)
Afterglow (5:33)
Long Goes & Worlds Apart (0:28)
Rene (3:50)
Song Of A Baker (3:11)
Lazy Sunday (3:02)
Happiness Stan (2:40)
Rollin Over (3:06)
The Hungry Intruder (2:17)
Journey (3:58)
Mad John (3:57)
HappyDaysToyTown (3:18)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***
Small Faces' 'Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake' album is a 1968 psychedelic pop classic that blends East End charm with studio innovation. Side one delivers punchy soul-rock gems like 'Afterglow' and the whimsical 'Lazy Sunday' while side two embarks on a more surreal journey with 'Happiness Stan,' which is narrated in Stanley Unwin's playful 'Unwinese.' The album topped the UK charts for six weeks and marked the band's creative peak and final studio album before Steve Marriott's departure. It remains a bold, genre-defying record and something of a cornerstone of British psychedelia.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.