1 April is a very nice week for new releases. If you don’t often buy instrumental rock albums, there are two coming out this week which are essential: Explosions In The Sky return with their first studio album for some time. Hundred Records favourite Black Mountain’s new album, IV, is unashamedly ambitious which is as…
Pre-sale of the week is Cleopatra, the second album from platinum-selling Denver trio The Lumineers – the follow up to their multi-Grammy-nominated self-titled debut. There is something timeless about this band that links their songs to 18th century pastorals, 19th century work songs, 20th century folk narratives and 21st century post-modern cinematic soundscapes. Success hasn’t…
Amongst the small but perfectly formed new releases for the 25th March is Bob Mould’s Patch the Sky, which boasts that rarest of things, a lovely balance of bright melody and dark story; talking of darkness, Birdy’s Beautiful Eyes has been described as about overcoming the dark, and it does a fine job of that.…
Pre-sale of the week is The Bride, the fourth album from Bat For Lashes, which follows the story of a woman whose fiancé has been killed in a crash on the way to the church for their wedding. Written as the soundtrack to an imaginary film, The Bride is Natasha Khan’s most ambitious work to date,…
First of the recommended releases for 18 March is Iggy Pop’s collaboration with Josh Homme, which stands proudly alongside anything either have done in the past. Underworld’s Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future has no right to be irresistible and relevant, but it is. Primal Scream’s Chaosmosis is hugely ambitious and well worth a…
Leading off the new releases for 11 March is Pete Yorn, with some simply gorgeous songwriting, next up our in-store stars for 12 March at 1.30pm, Breabach, with their innovative and invigorating new album of modern folk, Astar. Emmy The Great’s third album is a beguiling mixture of old and new that will entrance you,…
First up for 4 March is a debut album by a band called Mexrissey, an album of Morrissey covers done with a full mariachi band, and it’s brilliant! Nada Surf’s first for 4 years captures the indie rockers at the height of their considerable powers. The Cat Empire have delivered a lovely, danceable jazzy album…
There are some great releases coming out on 26 February. First, Emitt Rhodes returns with his first album for 40 years, and its a triumph! Look him up if you’re not familiar with his story. Bonnie Raitt releases Dig In Deep, which is a gutsy blues-rock follow-up to her Grammy-winning Slipstream, noisy Australian hard rockers…
First up for 19 February are The Fall with their latest: if you haven’t heard them, do try it. Wolfmother return with their third hard-rocking album. On a completely different note the legendary Mavis Staples releases a fine album called Livin’ on a High Note. For those of you whose memory goes back to Transvision…
There are some unusual and fine releases for 12 February: Freakwater’s Scheherazade is neither folk, bluegrass or blues but somehow a mix of all three; Rokia Traoré’s beautiful Né So (‘Home’) is a great introduction to world music if you haven’t yet dipped your toe in that water; Fay Hield has produced a captivating, compelling…