Category Archives: Rock

MOGWAI-TEN RAPID (COLLECTED RECORDINGS 1996-1997)-RECORD STORE DAY 2018 EDITION.

Mogwai-Ten Rapid (Collected Recordings 1996–1997) Record Store Day 2018 Edition. Label: Rock Action Records. Nowadays, there aren’t many bands that stay together twenty-seven years, and release thirteen studio albums, five soundtracks and two live albums. There’s also the small matter of two remix albums and the four compilations that the Glasgow-based band Mogwai have released. The …

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DISQUES DEBS INTERNATIONAL VOLUME 1.

Disques Debs International Volume 1. Label: Strut. Release Date: ‘29th’ July 2018. Compilation Of The Week. Nowadays, Disques Debs International which was founded by Henri Debs in  Guadeloupe, in the late-fifties, is regarded by many connoisseurs as the one of the best, if not greatest of all French Caribbean labels. That is high praise, given …

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DIALI CISSOKHO AND KAIRA BA-ROUTES.

Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba-Routes. Label: Twelve Eight Records. Release Date: ‘29th’ June 2018. Just over six years ago, North Carolina-based Senegalese kora master Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba released their debut album Resonance in April 2012. Resonance featured songs about mythology, migration and justice, while Diali Cissokho and Kaira Ba combined elements of African …

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RAMSEY LEWIS-FUNKY SERENITY, RAMSEY LEWIS’ GOLDEN HITS, SOLAR WIND AND SUN GODDESS.

Ramey Lewis-Funky Serenity, Ramsey Lewis’ Golden Hits, Solar Wind and Sun Goddess. Label: BGO Records. Not many recording artists spend sixteen years signed to the same label, but bandleader, composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis had signed to Chess Records in 1956, and his band Ramsey Lewis and The Gentlemen Of Swing their debut album later …

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VAN MORRISON-THE ALTERNATIVE MOONDANCE-RECORD STORE DAY 2018 RELEASE.

Van Morrison-The Alternative Moondance-Record Store Day 2018 Release. Label: Warner Bros Records. Many critics and record buyers believe that it’s sacrilege to change a classic album in any way, and held their hands up in horror when it was announced that Giles Martin was remixing Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Steven Wilson must have …

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SPIDER-JAZZ.

Spider-Jazz. Label: Trunk Records. Anyone who grew up in the late-sixties will have fond memories of the original series of Spiderman cartoon series, which was created by Grantray-Lawrence Animation, and made its television debut on ABC-TV in 1967, just five years after the crime fighting superhero made his debut in Marvel Comics. Spiderman was created …

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SPLASHGIRL-SIXTH SENSE.

Splashgirl-Sixth Sense. Label: Hubro Music.   When Splashgirl released their fifth album Hibernation, in February 2016, their star was already in the ascendancy and the Norwegian doom jazz trio had already released a quartet of ambitious and innovative albums. Four became five when Hibernation was released to critical acclaim, and was hailed as Splashgirl’s finest hour and as …

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RANDY MEISNER-ONE MORE SONG AND RANDY MEISNER.

Randy Meisner-One More Song and Randy Meisner. Label: BGO Records. Musical history was made in September 1971, when Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and twenty-five year old Randy Meisner formed The Eagles and signed with David Geffen’s new label Asylum Records. Little did David Geffen realise that he had signed one of the biggest …

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TOM WAITS-HEARTATTACK AND VINE.

Tom Waits-Heartattack and Vine. Label: Anti. In June 1980, thirty year old Tom Waits began work on his sixth studio album, Heartattack and Vine, which was the last album he released on David Geffen’s Asylum Records. The Asylum Records’ years had been frustrating for Tom Waits, who had released his debut album Closing Time in …

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CZECH UP! VOLUME 2: WE’D BE HAPPY.

Czech Up! Volume 2: We’d Be Happy. Label: Vampi Soul. Nowadays, competition within the compilation market is fierce, and each week hundreds of compilations are released by record companies across the world and are competing for the compilation pound, dollar or Euro. However, not all compilations are equal, and some of these compilations are more …

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FRODE HALTLI-AVANT FOLK.

Frode Haltli-Avant Folk. Label: Hubro Music. Release Date: ‘15th’ June 2018. Album Of The Week. Frode Haltli was born in Levanger, in the municipality of Trøndelag, on the ’15th’ of May 1975, and by the time he was seven, had already started to play the accordion. The young  Frode Haltli proved to be a prodigious …

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BOB STANLEY AND PETE WIGGS PRESENT PARIS IN THE SPRING.

Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present Paris In The Spring. Label: Ace Records. People across Europe were shocked when they saw the pictures in newspapers and reports on television of the civil unrest in May 1968, and couldn’t believe that Paris was burning and at one point, it looked as if the French government was about to …

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KRONIKI FILMOWE: POLISH LIBRARY MUSIC 1963-1978.

Kroniki Filmowe: Polish Library Music 1963-78  Label: GAD Records. Over the last few years, there’s been a resurgence of interest in library music, with British and European independent record labels releasing lovingly curated compilations that are welcomed by a coterie of musical connoisseurs who have a passion for library music. This includes DJs, producers and …

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OLA KVENBERG-STEAMDOME.

Ola Kvernberg-Steamdome.  Label: Grappa. Release Date: June ‘8th’ 2018. Three years after award-winning Norwegian fiddler Ola Kvernberg released his critically acclaimed album The Mechanical Fair, he will return with the much-anticipated followup Steamdome, which will be released by Grappa on June the ‘8th’ 2018. Steamdome is another album of innovative and imaginative music from Ola …

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CUASARES-AFRO-PROGRESIVO. 

Cuasares-Afro-Progresivo. Label: Pharaway Sounds. In 1972, a new Argentinian band Cuasares, entered the recording studio and began work on what became their debut album Afro-Progresivo. This was the latest project that was masterminded by arranger, composer and pianist Waldo Belloso who previously, had been a member of Los Abrodo Brothers and recorded a sexploitation soundtrack …

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DON ELLIS-SHOCK TREATMENT AND DON ELLIS AND HIS ORCHESTRA AUTUMN.

Don Ellis-Shock Treatment and Don Ellis and His Orchestra-Autumn. Label: BGO Records. Bandleader, composer and trumpeter Don Ellis’ life was changed forevermore in 1974, when he was diagnosed with an abnormal heart condition, and a year later, in 1975, suffered his first heart attack which very nearly cost him his life. Fortunately, Don Ellis recovered …

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NUKE THE SOUP-DEEPER.

Nuke The Soup-Deeper. Label: Meteor Records. Released Date: ‘30th’ of May 2018. Singer, songwriter and musician Mark Davison founded Cubic Feet in the eighties, and his new band released their debut single Across The River in 1989, which was the start of a recording career that spanned three decades and saw the band enjoy a …

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SHIRLEY DAVIS AND THE SILVERBACKS-WISHES AND WANTS.

Shirley Davis and The Sliverbacks-Wishes and Wants. Label: Tucxone Records. Two years after Shirley Davis and The Sliverbacks released their critically acclaimed debut album Black Rose in March 2016, the London-born soul diva her backing band return with their much-anticipated sophomore album Wishes and Wants which has just been released by Tucxone Records. The release of …

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STEVE TIBBETTS-LIFE OF.

Steve Tibbettss-Life Of. Label: ECM Records. Although Minnesota born composer and guitarist Steve Tibbetts signed to ECM Records in 1981, the  pioneer of sound-forming has only released nine albums for Manfred Eicher’s Munich-based label. This includes Life Of which has just been released by ECM Records, and is the much-anticipated followup to Natural Causes, which was …

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MOTOWN FUNK 2-RECORD STORE DAY 2018 EDITION.

Motown Funk 2-Record Store Day 2018 Edition. Label: UMC. By 1959, Detroit based songwriter, producer and future musical impresario Berry Gordy Jr had already discovered The Miracles and started to build a successful portfolio of recording artists. There was only one problem, what would Berry Gordy Jr do with these talented artists and groups? It …

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