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Palomino is the fifth album from First Aid Kit, and once again sisters Klara and Johanna have given us an album that is warm, lovely, intimate, hopeful, and sad all at the same time. What instantly stands out when listening to Palomino is a conscious decision to take the listeners down the road of perfect pop music as it comes out of the blocks with such swagger and confidence with Out of My Head. The previous album Ruins was very much a heartbreak album, Klara was going through a difficult break up at the time and those emotions are captured within that album. With Palomino we have an album that when you listen intently to the lyrics there are some very sad moments, but overall, this is a much more uplifting and optimistic record. There are many shared emotions within the album, writing and recording Palomino during the pandemic in their home country of Sweden appears to have given Klara and Johanna time to reflect on what they have been through and in doing so have given us an album that we will all be able to relate to. Themes of self-acceptance and moving forward in life are dominant throughout Palomino. The lead single Angel is such an honest song about accepting who we are and not letting fear hold us back. I have always loved how honest First Aid Kit are in their song writing and it doesn’t get much more honest than "I' ve been afraid all of my life / Crippled with anxiety, shame and doubt / And sometimes, sometimes I'd like to shout / At the top of my lungs and just let it out". This is a feeling that so many of us will be able to relate to and will not doubt be a favourite on the live tour especially when the song highlights the importance of being able to love ourselves “Give me love and give me compassion / Self-forgiveness and give me some passion / I love you even if you don't love me.” Ready to Run gives us another helping of beautiful, timeless pop music. The harmonies are delightful, the melodies are comforting, and the lyrics are full of reflection. Turning Onto You contains one of my favourite lyrics of the year “The night holds promises that the morning can’t quite fulfil”. Fallen Snow, a funky and groovy song that you will see you tapping your foot, nodding your head and basically falling under the spell of this intriguing song which has taken influence from The Doors, “ I’m going to love you till the moon don’t shine, I’m going to love you till the waters run dry”. Wild Horses II is an acoustic led song that is the centre piece of the album. This song seems to capture life, the directions we take, the choices we make, everyday emotions, relationships, and those small moments that we all witness and experience but fail to capture or truly appreciate. I love the image of being in a car and debating whose version of a song is the best “We played Wild Horses on the car stereo / You prefer the Rolling Stones / And I like Gram’s”. The Last One manages to combine gentle moments, with an anthemic chorus that leaves us all feeling optimistic about the days that we have ahead of us. Nobody Knows has some haunting, spine tingling strings and lyrics that relate to that special person in our lives, that person who we are helpless without, that person who knows us like nobody else and who we would be lost without, “ Nobody knows me the way that you do / Nobody knows what we have been through ” “Caught in the Rain / Helpless without you”. A Feeling That Never Came has some great electric guitars, disco sounds and lyrics which are all about moving on with life and how quickly things can change “I loved you, I did, I’ve put that notion to rest”, and 29 Palms Highway is a song about falling back in love with music and feeling that connection to the thing that has helped us to live a life, helped us through good and bad times and been able to take us away to magical places. Music does all of that and more. 29 Palms Highway is about going on a road trip, listening to music, feeling connected, feeling a sense of belonging and that love we must always have for music. The album closes with the title track and sees Klara and Johanna wanting to ride off on a Palomino horse which is an apt ending for this album which has been one of freedom, one of moving on, one of accepting who we are, living life to the fullest and believing that a future holds so much to look forward to. First Aid Kit really are one of the wonders of the world, they are a band that we all need to continue to love and appreciate. With every album we feel that we get to know a bit more about them. They are never afraid to share their lives and emotions with us, they have always been true and honest to themselves, and I can’t imagine a world without First Aid Kit recording music. Many of us will be getting to the stage where we are finalising our albums of the year charts, make sure you leave space near the top for Palomino.

The book I am currently reading is the beautiful, emotional and life affirming book The Sound of Being Human by Jude Rogers. Jude writes with so much passion about music and how it evokes memories, soundtracks important moments of our lives, helps us through good and bad times and that link between music and the brain which enables us to have that deep rooted connection with the tracks we love. That got me thinking about an album that has recently turned twenty, a fact that I can’t quite believe. They say that the years go quicker as you get older, and they are not wrong. How has twenty years passed since The Libertines released their debut album Up The Bracket? Why is Up The Bracket so important? Every time I listen to Up The Bracket it has the effect on me which Jude Rogers describes in her book. I am instantly transported back to a different time in my life, memories of nights out, gigs attended, indie discos, having nights at a friend’s house with an open-door policy and where music and living life to the fullest were the only rules. This album was very much a soundtrack to those times and is one that all of us who were there at the time will always be able to listen to with fondness and evoke those memories of endless nights and a youthful optimism that anything was possible. Twenty years on, the importance of Up The Bracket really can’t be overstated. It is important to remember that the British music scene at the start of the century was not in a healthy place. We were very much in the post brit-pop hangover phase, and the nu-metal scene from America was trying its best to take over. Don’t get me wrong, if nu-metal was your thing that’s fine, but for me, someone who came of age during the nineties the Limp Bizkit’s, Papa Roach and Linkin Park’s of this world was not something I could ever get on board with. We needed The Libertines just as much, probably more so, than they needed us. Pete, Carl, John and Gary saved the British music industry at the time, every band that followed owes a great debt to The Libertines. Over the last week we have all been enjoying The Car the new Arctic Monkeys album, and rightly so it is an amazing album, however it is fair to say that the Arctic Monkeys would not exist if it wasn’t for The Libertines. The Libertines opened the doors for everyone else to follow. They made people believe that they could do whatever they wanted to. All you needed was a guitar, words, poems, literature and friendships and the world really was yours for the taking. The fan's band The band were living in between two worlds, this was the early days of the internet, there were no smart phones, no social media, pre my-space, but there were internet forums. The Libertines embraced this and would use these forums (libertines.org) to communicate with and build up the relationships with the fans. They were not untouchables; they were the same as you and I and they wanted that bond with the fans. They wanted to play gigs where no one else played. They would post on the message board about a gig in their house and invite the fans round to attend. Can you imagine that happening now? Perhaps that would be a way to fix the financial problems associated with touring, for bands to host gigs in their houses and invite fans round for a small fee. I first saw The Libertines at the Cardiff Barfly in June 2002, four months before Up the Bracket came out and even to this day it holds its place in my mind as being one of the most important gigs I have been to. It was in the week that they got their first NME cover and you really felt you were watching something special. The gig was equally chaotic and brilliant. From this gig and all the times since what I have loved about The Libertines is that feeling of togetherness. The Libertines created this fictional world of Albion and all of us at the time wanted to be a part of that world and they were more than happy for us to join them. James Endeacott who signed them to Rough Trade described them as a bunch of Artful Dodgers and he really was not wrong. As an album what makes Up The Bracket so special is its energy and rawness, it certainly is not a polished album. It got mixed reviews at the times as there were some that felt it could have been more polished however for me it is that chaotic sound that has helped the album stand the test of time. Mick Jones was the perfect producer for this album as he did not push the band in a certain direction or suggest cleaning things up, he allowed the band to play the songs in the way they wanted and to record them as they were played. Up The Bracket is the sound of four friends together in a studio having the time of their lives and playing the songs that they love in the way that they wanted to play them. It captures that sound of youthful optimism and a belief in the songs. Twenty years later this album sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday and that really highlights the musical talent of Pete, Carl, John and Gary and also the genius of Mick Jones. The stories behind the album There are so many stories associated with The Libertines, stories from the band, and stories from those of us that lived through those times. Can you imagine a life without stories? It is through these narratives that we live and experience life and hand them down to future generations. Two of the stories that I love to hear around the recording of Up The Bracket is the moment that Carl falls asleep during the recording of Radio America. If you listen carefully, you can hear Carl hit is head on the microphone, this bump wakes him up and he continues with the recording. The story goes that Carl had a heavy night out before the recording and turned up still suffering from that night. Pete tells this story in a way that because it was Carl everyone thought it was funny, whereas if it was him they would be rushing to get him checked into rehab. The other story from this recording that I love is how Mick Jones would set an alarm for the time that Eastenders was on TV as this was his favourite show and he could not miss an episode. The band would all oblige to this request, and they would all sit round together watching Eastenders on the BBC. The album's legacy Whether it intended to or not, Up The Bracket certainly captured the time, we probably didn’t realise it at the time that this period in our history needed to be captured but we will always be grateful to The Libertines for doing exactly that. They had such a cultural impact that is still being witnessed today. From the music that followed to the fashion there is so much that can be traced back to the band. Twenty years later it continues to inspire. When I used to write for AMP Magazine and we interviewed bands we would always ask the question “If I was your 14 year old nephew what album would you give me to change my life?”. Well if I was to recommend an album to any 14 year old it would have to be Up The Bracket. I have no doubt it would still have such an important influence on the life of teenagers in the year 2022 and beyond. As we age and our memories fade, it is so important to reach out to music to enable us to feel nostalgic, to evoke memories of different periods of our lives. Twenty years on, Up The Bracket is an album that will always take me back to those days in my early twenties, days of being in a job that I didn’t enjoy but was able to escape that through music and friends. Every time I listen to Up The Bracket I will still be left with feelings of hope and a belief that anything is possible. “If you lose your faith in love and music the end won’t be long”

Spring Tide is the debut album from Liverpool band The Shipbuilders. Knowing that they are from the great musical city of Liverpool should be more than enough to pique your interest. Over the years we have had an abundance of bands from Liverpool who we have fallen in love with: The Beatles, Echo and The Bunnymen, Cast, The Lightning Seeds, The Real People, The Boo Radleys, The La’s, Shack, The Coral, The Zutons, The Stands, Alterkicks, Tramp Attack, The Sand Band; the list really is endless. I have often commented that there must be something in the water in Liverpool, culturally it really is one of the best if not the best cities in the world and you can now add The Shipbuilders to that list of bands that could only have come out of the city. If you want another reason to pick up the album Spring Tide, the fact that it is out on Mai 68 Records should be more than enough to tempt you to spend your hard earned cash as everything that comes through Mai 68 is more than worthy of your time and money. The third reason for getting this album is because musically it is simply brilliant. The record opens with Stranger’s Lament which firstly is a fantastic name for a song and secondly it is a piece of music that will draw you in to the album from the moment you hit play. The hypnotic melodies and vocals swirl around in such a colourful and timeless manner and grab your attention in such a way that any plans you had are out of the window. La Fee Verte will transport you to a dark and mysterious bar late at night where the band is playing and all those in the bar are oblivious to everything else that is going on in the world. Hanging Me at Dawn showcases the band's talent in capturing a story within the song. This is the tale of a person’s last night on earth, knowing that the hangman awaits “Oh kind maid, I don’t wish to make you weep / But I may not be of this Earth once you rise from your sleep”. The music and lyrics within this song allows the listen to lose themselves within the story of the song and what would it feel like to know this is your fate. The album is full of so many great songs, reminding us all to never forget the importance of listening to an album from start to finish and not to skip a song. Before leaving you to do exactly that I will highlight some other favourites of mine including Wild Atlantic Way. I love the way this song opens with a gentle bass guitar then leads us into the sound of a band who simply love playing music with each other. Silk Road is an explosion of creativity, the song opens with a sublime guitar instrumental then effortlessly builds into a wonderful pop song with lyrics that have a very romantic theme to them “Chasing down the fugitive tide / Our stories long, our futures untold / Safe in the warmth of the light that guides us / like the moonlight on the Silk Road. ” Northern Rose is a haunting, infectious, and beautiful four-minute song whose melodies and rhythms will be swirling around your head for a very long time to come. For someone like me who has always loved looking up at the moon I was always going to be attracted to a song called The Moon and I really was not disappointed. As with everything we have heard on this album this is another fine example of what four friends can create when they have a shared love of music and life. This song should come with a warning that you will find yourself at random times of the day and in random places shouting out “The moon, the moon, the moon / Has a halo where my love has died”. The album closes with Same Star, with drumbeats, guitars and vocals where every word is sung with meaning guaranteeing we will all be left with a feeling of positivity and optimism. The lyrics serve as a timely reminder that in a world where there can be so much unnecessary hatred and division when you strip it all down, we are all the same and all want the same things “And see how we all chase the same star / See how we all run from the same star”. If that hasn’t convinced you to spend some time with this album, then perhaps nothing will. Spring Tide is released on 180g vinyl, limited to 300 copies AND once you have your copy, you can listen along to the band's Tim's Twitter Listening Party here

As we head in to November and the nights start to draw in you'd be forgiven for thinking it's all about boxsets and reissues in the run up to the 'C word' but you'll be pleased to hear that there's still lots of new music coming this month. November sees the release of new records from Nev Cottee, Daniel Avery and Bruce Springsteen, the return of First Aid Kit, Ezra Collective and DJ Yoda and hotly anticipated soundtracks to Stranger Things Season 4 and Baz Luhrman's Elvis. This is just a small selection of our favourites, check out our preorder page for all of the month's new releases. The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land (2022 Reissue) Due 4th November 2022 2022 marks 25 years since the release of The Prodigy’s ‘The Fat of the Land’; an album so iconic it turned the sound of underground rave music into a global force; capturing the world's attention and dominating the charts. In celebration XL Recordings announces two-anniversary releases including a limited edition 2LP silver 12” vinyl package of the original album with a reimagined version of Alex Jenkin’s artwork, and a brand-new remix of “Firestarter” by drum and bass pioneer Andy C. Preorder yours here: Steve Lacy - Gemini Rights Due 4th November 2022 Following the worldwide success of Steve Lacy’s critically acclaimed album Gemini Rights, this collection is now available on vinyl. The album features Steve’s chart topping global hit, Bad Habit. Steve Lacy is a Grammy nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and musician who was born and raised in Compton, California. Steve was introduced to the music industry initially in 2015 as a member (guitarist) of R&B group, The Internet. His previous solo work includes his debut EP, Steve Lacy’s Demo (Feb 2017), his debut album, Apollo XXI (May 2019), and The Lo-Fis (December 2020). Steve has production, writing and feature credits with artists like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Tyler, Mac Miller, The Internet, Thundercat, GoldLink, Solange, YG, Vampire Weekend, and Kali Uchis to name a few. Preorder yours here: Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant To Be Due 4th November 2022 Ezra Collective’s new era, a venture in discovered maturity and raised stakes, will be defined by the anticipated second album. Where I’m Meant To Be is a thumping celebration of life, an affirming elevation in the Ezra Collective’s winding hybrid sound and refined collective character. The songs marry cool confidence with bright energy. Full of call-and-response conversations between their ensemble parts, a natural product of years improvising together on-stage, the album - which also features Sampa The Great, Kojey Radical, Emile Sandé, Steve McQueen, and Nao - will light up sweaty dance floors and soundtrack dinner parties in equal measure. Preorder yours here: First Aid Kit - Palomino Due 4th November 2022 Columbia Records release the fifth studio album by the Swedish folk sibling duo. Released four years after their previous album Ruins, Palomino is an 11 song album and features the singles 'Angel' and 'Out of My Head'. Discussing their new album in a statement, the duo said: “this is the first record we’ve recorded in Sweden since we made our debut album The Big Black and The Blue 12 years ago. We worked with Swedish producer Daniel Bengtson at his lovely studio Studio Rymden in Stockholm. It was such a fun experience. We really let the recording take time, we didn’t want to rush it. It’s probably our most pop sounding record yet.” Preorder yours here: Daniel Avery - Ultra Truth Due 4th November 2022 Daniel Avery returns with his new album, 'Ultra Truth', a record packed with Avery's signature ambient sounds and amazing collaborations. Over to the man himself: "This is the first time I’ve brought together so many people to join me on the journey and each guest plays a crucial role. I’ve always loved Marie Davidson’s punk approach so she was an obvious choice to open the album; Kelly Lee Owens returns, ten years after being the voice of Drone Logic and now a bona fide superstar in her own right; HAAi is an amazing friend and supernova artist whose beautiful singing voice I’m incredibly proud to feature twice on the record; Matty Healy is a figure I feel isn’t afraid to publicly look into the darkness himself, despite being a huge pop star; Sherelle is probably the most exciting DJ in the world right now and someone who does things entirely on her own terms; Jonnine is the singer from HTRK, one of my favourite bands of all time - having her on Only feels like a dream; James Massiah is a poet whose words feel like they shake the floor when spoken - I needed someone to finish the record with that weight; AK Paul is a soulful force of nature in the studio and the track Ache is just one of the things we’ve been working on; James Greenwood aka Ghost Culture has been my writing/studio partner for over ten years and I’ve always wanted to get his saxophone playing on a track; Manni Dee’s inimitable, burning touch can be felt on literally every second of the record as can that of mixing genius Marta Salogni. This is a collective effort throughout." Preorder yours here: Various - Stranger Things Season 4 Due 4th November 2022 Stranger Things: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series, Season 4 will include key music covering various classic eras and styles as featured in "Stranger Things 4." The soundtrack album is conceptualized and produced by The Duffer Brothers and Nora Felder (Grammy and Emmy nominee Nora Felder has served as music supervisor for "Stranger Things" since the show's inception and was nominated for a Music Supervision Grammy the first year the category was recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences). The compilation album is produced by The Duffer Brothers and 2x Grammy nominee Timothy J. Smith. "Stranger Things 4" is scheduled to be released worldwide exclusively via Netflix's streaming service in two volumes, with the first set for May 27, 2022, and the second five weeks later on July 1, 2022. The fourth season will have nine episodes and has continued to be produced by the show's creators the Duffer Brothers, along with Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, and Iain Paterson. Preorder yours here: Nev Cottee - Madrid Due 11th November 2022 A rich musical journey comprising eleven songs, Madrid channels the chaotic charms of the Spanish capital where Nev has recently relocated. "I love the way life works here. It's organised chaos. Walking the neighbourhoods of Lavapiez and La Latina you begin to see how everything is perfectly balanced...how to eat, how to party and then how to relax! It's perfection. When it all gets too much I run away to the English countryside" Side A 'The Ring' calls to mind Cowboy In Sweden era Hazlewood while that Mustang bass, scratchy guitars and cool 60's drum fills invoke Serge and Vannier for ' Silver Screen' and title track 'Madrid'. Scott 4 is obviously a touchstone and Nev has never been one to hide his reverence for one of the greatest albums of all time. Seven minute wonder 'Under The Skin' channels Walker's brooding lyrical majesty while long time collaborator and producer Mason Neely brings Phil Spector madness to a disorientating string arrangement. Violas, cellos and violins swoop and merge in a hallucinatory finale to side A. Side B includes the 60's pop of 'A Million Years', a string quartet ode to the mysterious Angela' and 'Johnny Ray'- a driving Morricone tale of a 'Leather clad stranger/God's lonely man/A modern day Lone Ranger The album begins and ends on a reflective note as instrumental 'Maps To The Stars' guides the listener into Madrid's kaleidoscopic world while the Waits-like lullaby 'All's Well That Ends Well'bookends the journey with soft piano and cello tones. Spending time in Madrid we encounter a lust for life's undeniable, intangible magic. Preorder yours here: The Streets - Brexit At Tiffanys Due 11th November 2022 Limited 10" from The Streets of the EP 'Brexit At Tiffanys'. ‘Brexit At Tiffany’s’ also features a collaboration with grime artist MC Manga Saint Hilare titled ‘3 Minutes To Midnight’, and is closed out by a song called ‘Test of Time’. The new EP marks Skinner’s second release as The Streets this year, after linking up with Master Peace for ‘Wrong Answers Only’ in January. Last year, he celebrated lockdown ending on the ‘Who’s Got the Bag (21st June)’, and remixed Greentea Peng‘s ‘Free My People’. Preorder yours here: Bruce Springsteen - Only The Strong Survive Due 11th November 2022 Only The Strong Survive is the new album from Bruce Springsteen, and his first new album since 2020’s Letter To You. The album is a collection of soul music gems, that celebrate the legendary songbooks of Gamble and Huff, Motown, Stax and many more. Only The Strong Survive features vocals from Springsteen and instrumentation primarily from his longtime producer Ron Aniello. The album also features guest vocals from Sam Moore, as well as contributions from The E Street Horns, full string arrangements by Rob Mathes and backing vocals from Soozie Tyrell, Lisa Lowell, Michelle Moore, Curtis King Jr., Fonzi Thornton and Dennis Collins. Preorder yours here: SOHN - Trust Due 18th November 2022 Having previously lived for extended periods in Vienna and Los Angeles, London-born SOHN now resides in the pine forests of Catalunya, Spain, and it is this new environment that inspired ‘Segre’. Named for the river that feeds into the Pyrenees in Northern Catalunya, SOHN explains, “during the last years of immense change and upheaval, following that river up to our mountain home has become my way of re-centring myself.” The single’s official video was directed by and stars Spanish dance duo LOOKATHINGSDIFFERENT. Trust marks a seismic shift in perception and direction for the solo artist, echoing SOHN’s new responsibility as the father of three children. Moving from Los Angeles to the serenity of Catalunya and the experience of parenthood changed his mindset. “I felt this kind of openness I hadn’t felt before, and I realised I couldn’t do it alone anymore - I was missing community and friendship in life and the creative process,” SOHN says. For the first time in his decade-long career the producer invited others to help him bring a new album to life, returning to LA (where he recorded Rennen) to work with Yakob, Mike Sonier, Chris Tabron, Jesse Boykins III, Ryan Linvill, Noah Le Gros and Emile Mosseri. Community, intimacy, family, and openness are key themes on Trust as the British producer reflects on his past life (Vienna in ‘Figureskating, Neusiedlersee’) and present reality (‘Montardit’, ‘Segre’). By opening up his creative process to others Toph Taylor invites the listener to experience his most intimate and personal work to date. “On [debut album] Tremors it was like I was behind glass, but Trust feels like you could be sat in that room, and not just with me; you're sitting in this room with me, some musicians, some friends.” Preorder yours here: DJ Yoda - Prom Nite Due 18th November 2022 Dressed in a powder blue suit with the frilly shirt to match, DJ Yoda invites you to be his +1 for ‘Prom Nite’, his new album promising retro Americana full of daydreaming reverie, international megastar guests, trip hop acknowledging the likes of Morcheeba and Nightmares on Wax, and the turntable extraordinaire’s bread and butter of cuts, beats and rhymes. Certainly no stranger to retro sounds having famously peppered his DJ and AV sets with the unexpected the world over, and his ‘How to Cut n Paste’ mix series going all the way back to the 30s, Yoda’s harp-laden puppy love vibe spreads from the sweet and mellow sound of 2019’s ‘Home Cooking’, an album described as ‘boundary-breaking’ by Mojo upon slotting nicely into the UK’s blooming jazz canon. Think deliciously harmonised doo-wop murmuring ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’ with an eye for dreamboats en route to Makeout Point – on ‘My Energy’, Eva Lazarus takes the form of an earth angel, with Yoda on jukebox cut-ups, taking it back to starry-eyed, clean cut days of wonder (or more recently, Little Mix’s ‘Love Me Like You’). Beginning enigmatically with the assistance of Hollywood A-lister (and former next-door neighbour) Lily James, ‘Breathe’ demonstrate Yoda’s continued evolution as a musician (not to mention shrewd decision maker), with James’ vocal confidence - a little Lana del Rey to her breathiness - returning on the velvet-smooth ‘Airplane Mode’. It’s a smartly executed soundclash accentuated by LA rapper Choosey, the star of the album’s straightest hip-hop shooter ‘Harder I Rock’. Homeboy Sandman adds some kick to the prom punch with typical wordplay sent down ‘Coconut Grove’, and Liam Bailey is perfectly cast for the darkly cinematic sway of ‘Don’t Even Try It’. On an album of many talking points, the LP’s crowning glory is opening single ‘Feel Like Home’: featuring the vocal comforts of the House Gospel Choir, it’s your go–to pick-me-up when the chips are down, targeting the hairs on the backs of necks like a softer focus version of Jamie xx’s ‘Loud Places’. Extended into an alternative, equally uplifting form by Beardyman’s ‘Don’t Mean Thing’, summer festival season already has its homecoming anthem. With tongues wagging, the twists and turns step away from Heartbreak Ridge when O Love tucks into the mouthwatering shopping list funk of ‘Way Home’; and ‘Lesson 1956’, featuring Jamie Cullum and DJ Woody, jauntily pays homage to classic Cut Chemist alchemy, Yoda’s celebrated turntable tomfoolery back in full effect and extending the flavours found in ‘Home Cooking’. Again maximising the experience and enjoyment gained from recording live instruments and prioritising songs over beats, Yoda continues to progress with a mixture of risk-taking, elite musicianship, nostalgia brought bang up to date, and ultimately, good clean fun capable of stirring your soul, making ‘Prom Nite’ a date to remember. Magpie artwork supplied by London’s ENDLESS, whose signature style has tagged Liberty and Lagerfeld as but two high profile clients, Yoda again maximises the experience and enjoyment gained from recording live instruments and prioritising songs over beats. His continued progress mixes risk-taking, elite musicianship, nostalgia brought bang up to date, and ultimately, good clean fun capable of stirring your soul, making ‘Prom Nite’ a date to remember. Preorder yours here: Various - Elvis OST Due 18th November 2022 ELVIS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the music companion to the Warner Bros. Pictures biopic film ELVIS, from Baz Lurhmann. This critically acclaimed film stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The soundtrack features a sampling of original songs from Elvis’s extraordinary body of work from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, and new recordings celebrating his diverse musical influence and enduring impact on popular artists of today. ELVIS – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack includes plenty of A-list names across the musical spectrum. Starting with Elvis himself, additional artists included here are Doja Cat, Nardo Wick, Jack White, Chris Isaak, Eminem, Swae Lee, Diplo, Kacey Musgraves, Jazmine Sullivan, Tame Impala, Stevie Nicks, and many others. Preorder yours here: Panda Bear and Sonic Boom - Reset Due 18th November 2022 Although Panda Bear and Sonic Boom are no strangers to each other’s music, Reset marks their first collaborative release. When SB pitched an idea to take their working relationship to the next level, he reckoned PB might reject the proposition outright—in the nine gloriously, feverishly hook-bound tracks of Reset, though, you can hear exactly how much he loved the prospect. SB’s notion was simple enough: After lugging his records to Portugal years ago, his fascination was renewed by old favorites and standards he had not heard in years. Something struck him, the way the ornate intros by Eddie Cochran or the Everly Brothers felt largely like stage curtains, compelling in their own right even if they had very little to do with the hits that followed. SB began crafting loops from these preambles, twisting and bending the parts like scrap metal before sending them onto PB. The kernel of Reset emerged not long after international lockdowns began. If making it supplied temporary medicine for the duo, it is now permanently so for the rest of us, a reminder that sometimes playing and singing along to old favorites with friends can be enough to make the world feel a bit better. Preorder yours here: Remember these are just some of what's coming this month, you can check out the rest of November's new releases here .

30th September 2022, Liverpool Arts Club. Courting are an English post punk band formed in Liverpool in 2018. They are comprised of 4 main band members: Sean Murphy O'Neill on vocals, Michael Downes on guitar, Sam Brennan on bass, Sean Thomas on drums. There was, however, a special unnamed guest for the night on saxophone. The band emanated a raw intensity that was reflected in the crowd, the energy could almost be felt (not only metaphorically speaking, but literally too, a hot and crowded venue with little ventilation meant that even a military-grade anti-perspirant couldn’t have prevented the sweatbox that Arts Club turned into). There are always those who attempt to spoil an experience for others, however, and that night was no different – with one audience member in particular ‘going too far’. Whilst other bands might have allowed this to taint the set, Courting handled the situation with a sensitivity and decorum that you can imagine would be rare (especially with smaller, more inexperienced bands) and, after a short break, resumed the set. From this, the energy of the crowd was maintained, which only serves to reinforce the skill of the band to work a crowd. Opening with the intro to Loaded, then transitioning to Tennis (their most popular song) was a good way of throwing the audience in to the ‘deep end’ but instead of it being cold water hitting your skin, it was young adults seeing nothing but red. After a couple more songs, Courting mixed in a couple of covers to slow the tone a bit (Mama Mia, ABBA, and I Love It, Icona Pop) which was unexpected but quite refreshing. To ease back into their main discography, they played Jumper which was perfect to gradually raise the energy back up. When it came to playing David Byre’s Badside, the crowd was expecting the saxophone to be whipped out… and they weren’t disappointed. Not quite to the level of John Coltrane, although arguably close (it’d probably be pretty hard to actually argue the point, but an attempt could be made at least), it added a bit of spice to the performance as a whole which was very much welcomed. To close the set, Courting ended with the rest of Loaded - tying the performance together and offering a satisfying ending to a truly phenomenal gig. So, the moment of truth, would I recommend going to see Courting? Definitely. It was one of the best performances I have personally seen and even if you’re not a massive fan of the band I guarantee you will have a good time (just be prepared to lose about 5kg in sweat). Final rating for Courting: 9.2/10

Nev Cottee is one of those musicians who has played a huge role in soundtracking our lives over the last twenty years. We first became aware of Nev through Proud Mary, a band myself and my mates just simply fell in love with. I will never forget those nights in the early 2000’s driving home from festivals and gigs singing along to The Same Old Blues album. Following his time in Proud Mary, Nev has released four solo album: Stations, Strange News from the Sun, and Broken Flowers all of which showcase the song-writing talent this man has. Following a move to Madrid Nev has taken influence from this city and released his fifth solo album, appropriately titled, Madrid. It has been released in the same week as Taylor Swift and Arctic Monkeys so we must ensure this album does not go under the radar. Music is not a competition; it is important we listen to and enjoy as much music as we can so if you do find yourself reaching for one of the big releases, please make sure you find time for Madrid as well, I promise if you do so you will be in for a real treat. Madrid is a collection of eleven songs which showcase the art and craftsmanship of song writing. The album opens with Maps to the Stars, a brooding instrumental that is incredibly charming and captivating and will instantly make you stop and pay attention. Renunciate follows with those warm and comforting vocals that are the perfect match for the delicate acoustic guitar and soft drumming and when the backing vocals enter the mix you really will be transported to your happy place. Silver Screen has a very smooth and laid-back vibe to it, with a string arrangement that gives an added bit of drama to the song. Talking of strings, The Ring follows with some beautiful arrangements and twinkling sounds which allow the heart melting vocals to take centre stage “Like a ship out of the water / stranded on the shore/ I was looking out for freedom / when you walked through the door”. Four songs into the album, and I am sure you all agree we really are in the company of greatness. If you have ever tried to write a song you'll know it is not easy so when we get to listen to artists like Nev Cottee who manage to perfectly write tracks that enthral and leave us mesmerized by the sounds we hear, we really need to take the time to appreciate how lucky we are to have musicians like this to share our world with. Rather than try and describe every song from this point on I will pick out a further few that stand out including Johnny Ray which is a classic example of characterisation and story telling. Johnny Ray comes alive in the song, listening to the lyrics you build up an image of what he looks like and the mysterious character within “Where he goes no one knows / always the stranger / gods lonely man / a modern day lone ranger / spends his days lost in time / he’s got no reasons / he’s got no rhyme”. After listening to this I think it is more than fair to use the word genius to describe Nev Cottee. A Million Years has a very cheerful guitar melody that will be sure to lift your mood. There is a Richard Hawley feel to this song and that is one of the highest compliments that can be paid. Angela is a very sweet song that will soothe the soul. All’s Well That Ends Well is firstly a great title and a perfect piece of music to end a perfect album with. Listening to this piece of music will instantly see any worries you may be carrying be lifted, you won’t feel so angry with the world. Please do not let Madrid pass you by, this is an album for anyone who loves the honesty of song-writing, loves the stories within a song, loves the way that songs can transport us to different worlds, to different times, loves an album that we can put on at the end of the day and instantly forgot any woes we may have and to escape from some of the terrible things that are going on in the world. Nev Cottee, once again, thank you for giving us all of this and more. Madrid is released on vinyl on 28th October

A debut album is the ultimate in first impressions. A band or artist's debut is like a manifesto, it sets out what you can expect from them, their sound and their intentions. When we think of those debuts that have become classics, from Oasis's Definitely Maybe and Patti Smith's Horses to Please Please Me by The Beatles and The Libertines ' Up The Bracket , there is always something that makes these records memorable. It could be a stand out song that grabs listeners there and then or something which may not have been well received at the time but has captured a moment in history; either way, an amazing debut will stand the test of time. With this year's National Album Day turning the spotlight on debut albums, we couldn't resist telling you about our favourites: Steve: Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) I first heard this album through my mate’s Walkman. I was at school, we had one headphone each during an English lesson. I only managed to listen to about a minute of ‘BRING DA RUCKUS’ before the teacher confiscated it. But it stuck with me. I bought my (first) copy on cassette from the original Applestump Records in Cwmbran. For the next twelve months I played it to death and told everyone I knew about it. I had never heard anything like it, even though I was listening to a lot of hip-hop at the time. The urgency and energy in every single track, every single lyric is to this day remarkable. I was fortunate enough to see them perform the album in Brixton Academy on what must have been their first UK tour in ’93 or ’94 and they managed to transcend every ounce of enegry from the recording onto the stage. The album was a statement. A benchmark for the numerous follow-up albums and member solo albums it spawned. Many of these too are formidable offerings, such as GZA’s ‘Liquid Swords’, Rae’s ‘ Only Built 4 Cuban Linx ’ and ‘Wu-Tang Forever’ the ensemble’s epic follow-up double LP. But for me nothing ever matched this album. The record is everything you want from a debut - a gang of mates hellbent on changing their current situation for the better through sheer grit and determination. Dani: Aim - Cold Water Music To say I love Cold Water Music is an understatement. I own two copies, one original pressing and one repress on lovely blue vinyl. In fact, both copies were bought for me as gifts, which just goes to show how much I bang on about this record to anyone who will listen. For those who don't know, Aim is Andy Turner, a DJ and producer from sunny Barrow-In-Furness, who, having honed his skills in the clubs of the North West, signed to independent record label Grand Central Records and released his debut, Cold Water Music, in 1999. Along with his own material, Turner has remixed tracks for artists as diverse as The Charlatans , Ian Brown, Lil' Kim and Texas and, after leaving Grand Central in 2005, set up his own label ATIC through which he has released the latest Aim record. I found out about this album in an unusual way, it was recommended by my mum! She was shopping in Manchester, heard it in a shop in the Northern Quarter, asked the shop assistant what was playing and then hunted down the CD for me (yes, my mother is a legend). From the minute I heard "Sail", I fell in love with the record. Kate Rogers' almost haunting vocals mixed with Aim's trademark downtempo hip hop beats are a perfect match and it was this song that pulled me in. Other stand out tracks for me are Ain't Got Time To Waste, Cold Water Music and Demonique but there isn't a song on the album that I would skip through. It's a record that moves effortlessly through hip hop, electronica and soul, drawing on samples and influences from film scores, classical recordings and little known funk gems and creating a unique sound that I think is completely faultless. For me, Cold Water Music sums up what National Album Day is all about, it's an album that needs to be listened to in its entirety from start to finish, and a record that really has stood the test of time. Don't take my word for it though, go and give it a listen and judge for yourself. Amy: Alt-J ∆ - An Awesome Wave On the 8th of May 2013, I spent £4.99 on my first ever iTunes purchase, Alt-J’s An Awesome Wave became the first album I ever (digitally) owned. Released in the summer of 2012, Alt-J’s debut album An Awesome Wave went Top 20 in the UK album charts. Initially met with mixed reviews, the album was likened to the sound of Radiohead, Wild Beasts, and James Blake, but to 13-year-old me it was like nothing I’d heard before. I had recently upgraded my hello kitty CD player to an iPod Touch, replacing my Pop Party CDs with the iTunes Store. Recommended to me by one of my friends at high school, An Awesome Wave quickly became my favourite album. I was initially confused about what I was hearing, the messy guitar, incongruous vocals, and nonsensical lyrics introduced me to a whole new world of musical genres and styles, but however weird and overstuffed it was, I knew that I liked it. I found myself listening to the album at any chance I got, on the bus to school, in the back of class, and during my breaks. I drew triangles in the margin of every one of my school books and even sprawled the lyrics to Breezeblocks across a piece of watercolored A3 for the background of a self-portrait for an end-of-year art project. Interlude 1 (Ripe and Ruin), Dissolve Me and Hand-Made are my standout tracks of the album, showcasing the nonconformity and brilliance of Alt-J’s sound. The term ‘folkstep’ was invented to describe it, the amalgamation of jazz, folk, and dubstep creating a remarkable debut for an oddball band that couldn’t of anticipated such success. Since 2012 Alt-J have released 4 equally experimental and intriguing albums, but none have stuck with me like their debut has. It remains an album that I frequently find myself reaching for, a reminder of my young adulthood and the beginning of my ever-evolving music taste.

Heaven Knows Magnolia is the third album from By The Sea, a band from The Wirral who you all should know and adore. Their first two albums, the self-titled debut and follow up Endless Days, Crystal Skies were full of beauty, joy, romance and wisdom that had all of us who had the pleasure of hearing these albums falling head over heels in love with the band. If for some reason those first two albums passed you by, then please get yourself a copy of Heaven Knows Magnolia, the bands latest masterpiece which has been produced by Bill Ryder-Jones. I guarantee the world you live in will improve in an instant. ESP opens the album in such a soothing, dreamlike manner that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling. The song opens with a big warm hug, the opening thirty seconds has some lovely, hushed vocals and contains some fantastic lyrics; “Walk the earth until you’re tired, find yourself some warmer climate, and sleep until the crowd get quiet”. The song then has a mini crescendo with some wonderful sounds that will uplift your mood. Heaven Knows Magnolia comes at you with some infectious rhythms, melodies and incredibly craftsmanship that highlight the fact that By The Sea are a band who are so comfortable with each other and love nothing better than being together and creating music. The lyrics will be swirling around your head for quite some time “If heaven knows we’re here then what’s the use”. Desire Paths is a big dose of sunshine pop that will brighten up even the darkest of days. Let’s face it, we have had plenty of dark days over the last few years, we need music now more than ever to help us feel good about life and to escape from the darkness. Desire Paths does all of that and more. Harry and Stevie is a timeless pop song. This is one of those songs that has that sound that is unique to Liverpool, it is a sound that I have loved so much over the years, a sound that you can’t fully describe but when you hear songs like this you instantly know that it has been written by a band from Liverpool. Listening to Harry and Stevie a lyric jumped out as being full of nostalgia and romance and made me smile: “I took a walk down to your place / I’m skimming stones there everyday”. Bedbound Melodies has been co-written by the legend that is Bill Ryder-Jones, and there really are no words that I can say to fully do this song justice. It is such a powerful, emotive song that the entire world has to hear. The gentle guitar melodies allow the vocals to take centre stage, and these really are lyrics that you have to listen to “Tell God that I can’t sleep without a phantom for some company”. Anywhere You Like has a stadium filling sound to it. Isn’t it strange how the music industry works at times? How do certain bands get to fill stadiums and others don’t? This song would not sound out of place echoing around stadiums and arenas throughout the world. As the title suggests Carl’s UFO has another world feel to it and that is exactly what we need from our music. This is a song that you can listen to, close your eyes and just find yourself drifting away to a galaxy far far away. Love Letter is yet another perfectly put together song with lyrics that takes us back to days gone by. Mt. Pleasant has some glorious chiming guitars, talks of trying to do all you can for someone else and leaves us feeling positive and hopeful. “I’ll climb a mountain for you and fall back down into the water”. The Let Downs closes the album in such an atmospheric, haunting, and triumphant way. By The Sea have always been a band we can’t live without. Heaven Knows Magnolia further emphasises how important this band are. This is a must own album, get yourself a copy as soon as you can. Heaven Knows Magnolia is released on 21st October and is available to preorder now:

Welcome back to our round up of new music for the coming month. As we head in to Autumn there are some great new vinyl releases heading our way. We've got the hotly anticipated live recording of Muddy Waters and The Rolling Stones 1981 Checkerboard Lounge gig, new music from Tim Burgess and The Amazons, the debut record from Marcus Mumford and classic reissues by House of Pain and Blur. Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones - Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981 Due 2nd September 2022 On November 22nd, 1981, in the middle of their mammoth American tour, the Rolling Stones arrived in Chicago prior to playing 3 nights at the Rosemont Horizon. Long influenced by the Chicago blues, the band paid a visit to Buddy Guy’s club the Checkerboard Lounge to see the legendary bluesman perform. It didn’t take long before Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Ian Stewart were joining in on stage and later Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Lefty Dizz also played their part. This 2LP package is pressed on 140-gram Red Opaque (LP1) and White Opaque (LP2) vinyl and is packaged in a gatefold sleeve. Preorder your copy here... Stealing Sheep And The Radiophonic Workshop - La Planète Sauvage Due 2nd September 2022 René Laloux’s celebrated 1973 sci-fi animation ‘La Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet)’, is overhauled with a re-imagined soundtrack by electronic modernists Stealing Sheep and legendary sound innovators The Radiophonic Workshop. This exclusive release is part of Fire Records’ re-imagined score series. “No institution has had a greater impact on the development of electronic music than the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.” - The Vinyl Factory. It’s a real pre-Avatar conundrum that Stealing Sheep, with the help of Bob Earland, Dick Mills and Roger Limb from the Radiophonic Workshop, unravel. Creating an ethereal excursion that’s narrated by Roger Limb; like a futuristic Martin Denny, or Dr Who gone ambient techno, with a hint of Forbidden Planet 50 years on. It’s an analogue swirl set in an off-world paradise; a field recording from the future. This is a creative, generation-spanning, union brought together to score this unique cult film. A must for fans of psyche electronica and Stealing Sheep’s formidable ‘Big Wows’ album. “Stealing Sheep devour a broad range of styles, incorporating everything from the dark dance-pop of Grace Jones to the experimentations of Radiophonic Workshop pioneer Delia Derbyshire and John Carpenter soundtracks.” The Guardian // ‘La Planète Sauvage’ is a thing of ambient beauty punctuated with electronic earworms that switches from intensely ominous to otherworldly dream like moments. Preorder your copy here ... House of Pain - Fine Malt Lyrics (30th Anniversary Edition) Due 2nd September 2022 "Tommy Boy Records celebrates "30 Years" of House of Pain's debut album House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) with remastered, limited-edition and standard versions. Everlast, DJ Lethal & Danny Boy formed House of Pain while attending high school and were signed to Tommy Boy Records after fashioning themselves as rowdy Irish-American hooligans, hitting the local rap & alternative music scene House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) went multi- platinum and the self- titled debut album spawned the successful producer DJ Muggs, who produced the single "Jump Around". The song was also remixed twice by Pete Rock, one version featuring a verse from him and one without. "Jump Around" became a hit in 1992, reaching number 3 in the United States. A 1993 re- release of the song in the United Kingdom, where the initial release had been a minor hit, peaked at number 8. "Jump Around" was featured at position 580 on Q Magazine's "1001 Best Songs Ever," number 24 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s," number 66 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop," number 325 on Blender's "500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" and number 47 on NME's "100 Best Songs of the 1990s." The song is popular among dancehall DJs and is widely regarded in the United Kingdom as a club classic. The album also featured Cypress Hill member B-Real on "Put Your Head Out" and Funkdoobiest's Son Doobie on "House and the Rising Sun", both members of the musical collective Soul Assassins. Q magazine "…their music is of the dense, hard- hitting school of hip hop...the group have absorbed black rap's musical lessons and create a satisfying platform for their above average deliveries..." The Source "…a very solid and at times exceptional album...imagine if Licensed to Ill wasn't an upper middle class Jewish thing but rather a working class Irish thing...the atmosphere is like that of a cross between a frat party and a bar room brawl..." Preorder your copy here... The Amazons - How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? Due 9th September 2022 Following two huge Top 10 records and sold out shows across the globe, one of the UK’s most exciting bands, The Amazons, release their stratospheric, anthem-packed new album How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? - on Fiction Records. The third record is both a love letter and a rallying cry. Expansive, uplifting, sun-drenched singalongs produced by Jim Abbiss (Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Adele), and featuring co-writing collaborations with the likes of Maggie Rogers and Jamie Hartmann, find the Reading 4-piece emerging from the darkness of 2019’s Future Dust full of lust for life and post-pandemic hope. Preorder your copy here... KT Tunstall - NUT Due 9th September 2022 KT Tunstall burst onto the music scene with her 2004 multi-platinum debut, Eye to the Telescope, which spawned the global hits "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See." These songs established Tunstall as a captivating, must-see performer, as well as a Songwriter with a singular knack for balancing introspective folk and propulsive rock. "I feel there are two immediate, recognizable pillars of my style," she says. "I have this troubadour, acoustic guitar-driven emotional side. Then there's definitely a rocker side of me with sharper teeth." In the last few years, the Grammy-nominated Scottish Musician has expanded on these musical selves by focusing on a trilogy of records, where each album zeroes in on a single concept: soul, body and mind. The first, 2016's KIN, was the soul record; 2018's WAX was the body record, and the new NUT is the mind record. Produced by Martin Terefe, who co-wrote her 2005 global hit "Other Side of the World," NUT draws on Tunstall's love of percussive West African grooves as a metaphor for the learning patterns of the mind and is an eclectic album that seamlessly weaves together disparate styles. She found her writing mojo thanks to "Canyons," a song propelled by a grimy, heavy rock riff. In keeping with NUT’s theme, the song's lyrics are about the canyon-like physiology of the brain, and explore the parallels between humans developing unique identities and the way nature evolves and is shaped over time. Elsewhere, NUT’s lyrics and sound delve into KT’s own personal evolution, and the way we all evolve through the repetition of behaviors and our reactions to life experiences. "Private Eyes" grew out of Tunstall's brush with the vampiric downside of fame, while "Three," summarizes the arc of the trilogy, inspired by a journal practice where she would write multiple entries on one topic from the different perspectives of mind, body and soul. "It was necessary in the circumstances to make NUT completely differently from any other record I’ve made," Tunstall says. "But I was excited and ready for that. The reason I pursued music was because I had to avoid a repetitive job. I need to feel a constant sense of exploration in life. I've realized you can easily fall into repetition even in this job. And so for NUT, I was like, 'Come on, let's do what we said we were going to do. Let's push into something new.' What’s always most important is making an exciting, meaningful record that I love, and to have fun while I’m doing it." Preorder your copy here... Manic Street Preachers - Know Your Enemy (2022 Remix) Due 9th September 2022 Manic Street Preachers release a radically reimagined version of their 6th album ‘Know Your Enemy’. The new version of the album has been entirely remixed and reconstructed to form two separate albums as originally planned. This deluxe release includes two previously unheard ‘forgotten’ tracks: ‘Studies in Paralysis’ and ‘Rosebud’, which is available online today (22nd July 2022). Beginning all wiry and cracked, ‘Rosebud’ soon opens out into a stuttering Hammond organ riff, a pensive rhythm track and a lyric that regrets “most things I never finished”. A Kieran Evans directed video for ‘Rosebud’ is online now. Following the success of 1998’s’ This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours’, Manic Street Preachers planned an ambitious follow-up to be released as two distinct albums: an aggressive, rapid fire return to their roots called ‘Solidarity’ and ‘Door To The River’, a more conciliatory, reflective collection. During the recording sessions, the trio got cold feet and settled on a single album that forced often conflicting ideas to sit side by side on the same record. ‘Know Your Enemy’ was launched in February 2001 with a show at Teatro Karl Marx in Havana in front of the Cuban leader and charted at No.2 in the UK the following week, going on to see over half a million copies worldwide. The singles taken from the album: ‘So Why So Sad’, ‘Found That Soul’, ‘Ocean Spray’ and ‘Let Robeson Sing’ all reached the Top 20. Whilst going through the band’s archive to put together an anniversary version of ‘Know Your Enemy’, Nicky Wire found the original tapes of ‘Solidarity’ and ‘Door To The River’ that he’d made up in the studio during recording. When he put forward the idea of recreating those records, James Dean Bradfield agreed on the condition that he could remix the entire record with the band’s longtime studio partner Dave Eringa. The new mixes would bring a clarity to each record, losing extraneous studio effects and digital noise from the ‘Solidarity’ songs and stripping away unnecessary orchestration and embellishment from the tracks that made up ‘Door To The River’. Author and long-term band collaborator Robin Turner explains in his expansive sleeve notes that this release is “the Director’s Cut of ‘Know Your Enemy’. The picture has been painstakingly restored, cleaned up, brightened. Although it doesn’t aim to replace the original, it most certainly enhances it.” Preorder your copy here... Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years Due 16th September 2022 2022 marks 20 years since the passing of the legendary Joe Strummer. While best known as the frontman for The Clash, between 1999-2002 Strummer produced some of his most exciting work alongside The Mescaleros. Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years is the first comprehensive collection highlighting this intense period of creativity and brings together the albums Rock Art and the X-Ray Style (1999), Global A Go-Go (2001), the posthumous Streetcore (2003), and Vibes Compass, a brand-new compilation of 15 B-sides and rarities, including never before heard tracks like 'Ocean of Dreams' (featuring Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols on guitar) and early demos of some of the Mescaleros best-loved tracks (“The Road To Rock 'N' Roll,” “X-Ray Style” and more), through to some of the original recordings from Joe's last ever sessions (“Coma Girl (Outtake),” “Fantastic” and “Get Down Moses (Outtake)”), all in one complete boxset. All albums are remastered by Grammy Award winner Paul Hicks (The Beatles / The Rolling Stones / John Lennon / David Bowie) and are packaged in a richly curated boxset, featuring extensive new liner notes and interviews with Joe's friends, collaborators and The Mescaleros band members, plus never-before-seen handwritten notes, lyrics, and drawings by Joe taken from the Joe Strummer Archive. Both the 4CD and 7LP boxes include four reproduction lyric sheets and chord charts, and the LP box includes an exclusive 12”x12” art print. Joe Strummer 002 serves as a loving tribute to Strummer’s final musical output, released in celebration of what would have been his 70th birthday year. Preorder your copy here... Marcus Mumford - (self-titled) Due 16th September 2022 The debut album from Marcus Mumford, frontman of Multi-Platinum, Grammy, & Brit Award winning band Mumford & Sons. The 10 track album features collaborations with Clairo, Phoebe Bridges, Brandi Carlile, & Monica Martin. Includes the lead tracks; ‘Cannibal, ‘Grace’, & ‘Better Off High’. Preorder your copy here... Suede - Autofiction Due 16th September 2022 Suede return with their ninth studio album Autofiction, set for release on 16th September 2022 via BMG. As Suede began work on the songs that would become Autofiction, they decided to go back to basics. In a move that recalled their most formative days, Brett Anderson, Mat Osman, Simon Gilbert, Richard Oakes and Neil Codling schlepped to a rehearsal studio in deserted Kings Cross to collect a key, hump their own gear, set up and start playing. Speaking about Autofiction, Brett Anderson said: "Autofiction is our punk record. No whistles and bells. Just the five of us in a room with all the glitches and fuck-ups revealed; the band themselves exposed in all their primal mess." First single ‘She Still Leads Me On’ is the track that reconfigured what the album could be. A beautiful song written from Brett to his late mother. As its title suggests, Autofiction is one of Anderson’s most personal records yet. Reflecting on the process of writing acclaimed works of memoir Coal Black Mornings and Afternoons With The Blinds Drawn helped Brett get a newfound perspective on himself as a performer and singer in the public eye, much of which has bled into the lyricism of Autofiction. Preorder your copy here... Death Cab For Cutie - Asphalt Meadows Due 16th September 2022 Formed in Bellingham, WA in 1997, Death Cab for Cutie almost immediately entered the ranks of the era’s definitive bands, fuelled in large part by the remarkable power of co-founder, vocalist, guitarist, and lead songwriter Benjamin Gibbard’s complex, often bittersweet songcraft. Asphalt Meadows is their tenth studio album and finds them exploring further into their own unique sound, evidenced by jagged lead single Roman Candles. Preorder your copy here... Turin Brakes - Wide-Eyed Nowhere Due 16th September 2022 Wide-Eyed Nowhere is Turin Brakes’ ninth full studio album, a set of new songs emerging 21 years after their seminal debut. It's no easy feat maintaining an optimistic attitude through the turbulence of the years, but the band found their own method down in deepest Tooting to produce this lean, bittersweet collection. The South London 4-Piece comprising Olly Knights, Gale Paridjanian, Rob Allum and Eddie Myer recorded this new set of songs at Twin Palms - Olly's garden studio - over the summer of 2021, choosing to let time infuse into the music and mature in a way it couldn’t in a pressurised commercial studio setting. Turin Brakes released Mercury Prize shortlisted the Optimist in March 2001 (achieving gold status in the UK), followed up by 2003’s Ether Song which featured the top 5 hit single "Pain Killer (Summer Rain)". The band has since moved on to rack up seven top 40 singles, seven top 40 albums and over a million record sales worldwide. Preorder your copy here... Blur - Bustin' + Dronin' Due 23rd September 2022 After a successful Record Store Day release, Bustin’ + Dronin’ will now be released on 2LP Black vinyl. Originally released in 1998 in Japan-only, this compilation features remixes of tracks from their 1997 eponymously titled, number one album. Originally only available as a 2-CD set including a Radio 1 John Peel session, only a handful of copies made their way over to the UK on import. Bustin’ + Dronin’ features nine remixes (note: no Peel Session) by William Orbit (tracks 1, 6, 7 & 9), Adrian Sherwood (2 & 8), Moby (4), Thurston Moore (5) and John McEntire (7) Please note unlike the RSD edition the 2LP Black vinyl will not include the original OBI-strip or replica insert. Preorder your copy here .. . Tim Burgess - Typical Music Due 23rd September 2022 Has there been a busier musician over the last two years? A more prolific artist? More creative? More heroic? Tim Burgess – as self-effacing a band leader, solo star, label runner, repeat memoirist and all-round caffeinated can-do kid as you’ll find – would certainly shrink from the latter accolade. “A hero??” he’d likely mutter with a shake of his boyish mop. “For playing some records?” Yes, Tim, we would say that. And not just because with the May 2020, mid-lockdown appearance of I Love The New Sky, his fifth solo album, he undauntedly pushed on with releasing an album that brought much-needed sunshine to a world enveloped in gloom. Over the course of the first year of the pandemic, Tim’s Twitter Listening Parties were a lifeline to many. At a time when the world shut down, we all retreated indoors, alone, and cancelled gigs were the least of our worries, the North Country Boy’s idea of utilising social media to unite us round a digital turntable was inspired. Meanwhile, Burgess was writing. And writing. And writing. From September 2020 to summer 2021, ideas poured out of Burgess. He’d been encouraged by Simon Raymonde, boss of his record label Bella Union ¬– and, of course, a former Cocteau Twin. He applied a musician’s logic: if you can’t tour your last album, write a new one. Then, when you can tour again, you’ll have two albums’ worth of songs to play. Well, now, arguably, Burgess has three albums’ worth of songs to perform live. Typical Music is a 22-track double, a blockbuster set of songs that are as expansive and diverse as they are rich. As fun as they are funky. That embrace heartache and love. That run the gamut, from ABBA (in the shape of guest vocalist Pearl Charles, whose own brilliant Magic Mirror album is the sound of the magic Swedes doin' disco) to Zappa (free-form studio experimentation is go!). Preorder your copy here ... Remember these are just some of what's coming this month, you can check out the rest of September's new releases here .

We all have bands we cherish, bands who for some unexplained reason have not gone on to sell millions of records or captured the hearts and devotion of people throughout the world. El Goodo, in my view, were one of those bands who should have conquered the world, they were without a doubt one of the most creative and most imaginative bands to grace Planet Earth over the last twenty years, however life does not always work out the way we think it will. From El Goodo guitarist to solo artist El Goodo came to an end after the release of their last album Zombie in 2020, an album that helped me a lot during that very strange year. Thankfully we have not had to wait long for music to arrive from guitarist and songwriter Pixy Jones who has released his debut solo album Bits n Bobs and it is already a firm favourite in my household. Why do we love Bits n Bobs? The album opens with I’m Not There and we are instantly transported back to the 1960’s, the production and overall sound are very evocative of days gone by. There are many lyrics within this song that we can all relate to, we have all had times in our lives where our bodies have been present but our minds are drifting away, “I sit and stare, nothing much is getting my attention”. The combination of sounds and vocal harmonies sees Pixy harmonising with himself, giving added weight to the argument that Pixy Jones is one life’s great singer songwriters. I Got Lost follows and instantly draws you in with catchy melodies, rhythms and vocals that firmly hold the listeners attention. Hold Your Tongue is a great example of how to craft a pop song, a pop song that should be played on every available radio frequency. Confusion is a beautiful, sweet song that has dreamy melodies and vocals that will see you falling head over heels in love with this song. Around the 1:48 mark the song takes a twist that Paul McCartney would have been proud of, the twist would not have been out of place on Sgt. Pepper. ‘Bits n Bobs’ is truly a solid launch to any solo career. - Hive Magazine Bad Throat captures all those feelings that we have when we have concerns around our health, we contemplate our future, and any life changes that we need to make. “I woke in the morning and the sun didn’t shine, I got up early with the weight on my mind, explained to the Doctor I got a lump in my throat.”. This is a great reflective song about navigating the health system, the song has a happy ending and is one that will provide a comfort to many of us. As an added bonus Sweet Baboo pops up here to make what is already a perfect album that bit more special. Pixy Jones has given us an album that can be enjoyed by everyone, get yourself a copy, get one for your parents, grandparents, great grandparents. Bits n Bobs is an album that unites generations.

We all have bands who enter our lives at a certain moment, who we instantly fall in love with and remain committed to for the rest of our lives. Bands that enable us to fully embrace life and live in the moment. Bands that make us nostalgic for the past whilst excited for the future at the same time. For me Ash certainly falls in to that category. I was 16 when Ash released their mini album Trailer, now 28 years later my life has changed a great deal and Ash have been present through many of these big life moments. That transition to adulthood, nights out with friends, falling in love, having a family. Life changes and responsibilities arrive however music and bands like Ash provide consistency and whether you are 16 or 44 listening to this band always makes me feel that anything is possible. I always remember John Peel talking about his love and passion for Teenage Kicks by The Undertones and how this was his favourite song of all time. When I think of Ash I am always drawn to these comments by John Peel and for me Girl From Mars is probably my version of ‘Teenage Kicks’. Girl From Mars is the perfect pop song. Tim was 16 when her wrote this song, and it captures perfectly what it is like to be a 16-year-old boy. Whenever I listen to that song all the troubles in this world instantly disappear, pop music has always had the power to do this and Girl From Mars is quite simply the perfect pop song. Why am I writing this article, and declaring my undying love for this wonderful band from Northern Ireland? Well, in case you haven’t noticed there is a re-release of the band’s third full length album ‘Free All Angels’ hitting the shelves. After reading the first two paragraphs I am sure it will come as no surprise to you to hear how much I love ‘Free All Angels’. If you can think of a more powerful word than perfect, then please insert it here as that really would sum up how great I think this album is. There was a lot of pressure on Ash at the time of this release, as the second full length album Nu Clear Sounds did not have the same success as 1977. Tim, Rick, Mark and Charlotte obviously weren’t overly concerned with the pressure as they knew how great they are as a band, their ability to put together songs and to perform as a band always comes across as so natural and easy. It is interesting to think about the word success when it comes to music. We all read reviews, articles, listen to music and form opinions and views but what is success? Is it selling millions of records, it shouldn’t be. I think that is the approach that Ash have always taken, they have always been confident in their own abilities, confident in who they are, have a belief and determination in the music that they write and put it out their knowing that it will resonate with people, it will find a place in people’s lives. It is hard to believe that 21 years have passed since Free All Angels was first released. As Tim sings on Sometimes “ Whole years are lost in the blink of an eye”, life really does feel like that, and time just drifts by. I have listened to Free All Angels a lot over those 21 years, so it feels a bit disingenuous to say the album feels as fresh now as it did on the day it came out but it really does, this is one of those timeless albums that manages to not age whilst at the same time feels as relevant today as it did on the day of release. The album manages to combine exhilarating pop songs: Burn Baby Burn, Shark, World Domination with some beautiful, tender moments: Shining Light, Candy, Someday, Sometimes, and Walking Barefoot. To sum up Free All Angels I don’t think it would be an overstatement to say that it was one of the most important albums since Definitely Maybe. It reminded us all as we were entering a new decade that there were bands left over from the ‘Brit Pop’ era that still mattered, bands that still cared, bands that would continue to deliver great albums, bands that would never let us down. Ash certainly have never let us down. I am sure I am not alone in these feelings towards Ash as a band and Free All Angels as an album. This article is for all of us that have loved Ash for a lifetime to feel nostalgic, whilst at the same time this article is hoping to capture the heart and mind of at least one person who may read this and discover Ash for the first time through Free All Angels. If you are someone that is new to Ash I am so envious of you as you are about to have your life changed.

2022 marks 20 years since the passing of Joe Strummer. While best known as the frontman of The Clash, between 1999 and 2002 he produced some of his most exciting work with The Mescaleros. Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years is the first comprehensive collection highlighting this intense period of creativity and brings together the albums Rock Art and the X-Ray Style (1999), Global A Go-Go (2001), the posthumous Streetcore (2003), and Vibes Compass, a brand-new compilation of 15 B-sides and rarities, including never before heard tracks, all presented in a gorgeous 7LP boxset including four reproduction lyric sheets and chord charts, it really is a beautiful thing. Don't just take our word for it though, we thought you'd like to see for yourselves so we asked one of our regular customers, Mike, to take us through it. Over to you Mike...