6 May brings us Prince’s final album, Hit ’n’ Run Phase Two – full of life, and brassy, buoyant and as cheeky as only Prince seemed to be able to get away with! Blair Dunlop takes folk into new territory on Gilded, the follow-up to his much-lauded House Of Jacks, The Duke Spirit return with…
Pre-sale of the week is Fallen Angels by Bob Dylan, out on 20 May. Fallen Angels is the 37th studio album from Bob Dylan. Featuring 12 classic American tunes written by some of music’s most acclaimed and influential songwriters – including Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Sammy Cahn and Carolyn Leigh – the album showcases Dylan’s…
Although it’s only one day before Record Store Day, 15 April is a startling good week for new releases. A mere 45 years since the classic Santana line-up last recorded together, here they are with IV, simply its everything you’d think it would be. The unstoppable Hawkwind forge relentlessly on with The Machine Stops, a…
First up of the new releases for 8 April is Ronnie Spector’s engaging English Heart. Frightened Rabbit, who should really be more popular than they are, release a fine fifth album, Painting of a Panic Attack, and The Lumineers’ follow-up to their first album is as timeless as you would expect. The fantastic Bellowhead are…
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…
The exclusive releases for this year’s Record Store Day, on 16 April 2016, have been announced! It’s an monster list once again, with more than 550 items exclusively available, a wealth for music lovers of all descriptions. These are strictly limited editions and will only be available in participating shops. If there is any particular release…