The gap of 36 years between albums, does not help the Boomtown Rats to create something great.
There have been a number of bands in recent years who have begun playing with this style once again, but Ptolemea are among the few who dare to explore and stretch the genre to its breaking point.
This March 27, Elektrafied- The Elektra Years 1979-1982 brings together the three albums recorded for Elektra by historic power pop outfit Shoes
Fontaines D.C are the subject of a new documentary Sold For Parts, a fly on the wall view into the recording of their debut masterwork Dogrel.
From Big Stir Records comes a new compilation in the digital singles series. The Fifth Wave brings the best of global power pop bands and labels together.
On April 18th, RSD will mark the return of the debut studio album by Scottish legends the BMX Bandits. C86 is an album worthy of the title masterpiece, which will see a release on white vinyl with a brand new remaster.
The French band returns with an excellent Jim Diamond-produced sophomore effort.
Featuring former Church guitarist Marty Willson-Piper and his Noctorum partner Dare Mason, One Day will find fans among those who appreciated Pink Floyd’s instrumental send-off The Endless River or Mike Oldfield’s classic Tubular Bells.
In all honesty, the record follows the usual rules: intro, head, solos, return to the head – it’s what jazz is built on. But describing the record’s mechanics belies the brilliance that lies in its tracks.
A hive of activity has kicked off surrounding the influential, and totally indispensable Buzzcocks. With a new single “Gotta Get Better”, comes news of a new box set on May 29th spanning the ’91 and onwards work of the band.
On March 6th, The Domestiques debut lands, The Domestiques Vol.1 is a well-structured and expertly crafted work of noise art
For music nerds that follow such things, Music from the Early 21st Century presents a dream team of post-fusion improvisers.
Zilla With Her Eyes Shut is a brilliantly bold and provocative record that proves something can have commercial appeal without once sacrificing experimentation or artistic integrity.
Patterson Hood and company wrestle with despair over the state of the world today.
On March 6th, Futureman Records release Garden Of Earthly Delights ~ An XTC Celebration. An album featuring a plethora of talent covering songs by XTC and crew. This is something really special.
On May 22, Throwing Muses return with a new album Sun Racket, and here is the first track to drop “Dark Blue”.
Not only has Talk in Code always had a way with a great pop tune they have also always been smart enough to move with the times. I remember watching them in their earliest incarnation where they could easily have been found on a bill opening for the likes of Coldplay or Travis, which was exactly right for those times. Talk Like That is exactly right for these times.
With only seven songs, Setz manages to cover a lot of territory and themes with Metamorfosis, and she emerges as one of the most innovative new singer-songwriters precisely because of her commitment to originality and self-satisfaction.
Skillfully put together by Esoteric Recordings, a deep dive into the crucial period of experimentation by Eric Burdon & The Animals.
UK producer Steve Whitfield and Fabrice Nau come together to form electronic outfit Scenius, and release their debut slice “Glass Rain”.
The good nature of Southern California comes to the fore in the latest album Under The Tidal Wave by Blaine Campell
The Hillbilly Shakespeare as heard on the radio in 1951.
The sound itself may not be exactly modern, but it should easily find a home with both 70s prog and 90s alt rock fans.
Triggers and Slips – A Band Breathing New Life in to the Roots Rock and Alt-Country.
The leader of Austin’s long-running pop/rock outfit Moonlight Towers, James “JM” Stevens knows how to craft a good song.
Jack Whites’ Third Man Records is set to release a batch of albums by the late French starlet France Gall
Four: Three clocks in at three songs in eleven minutes of new wavy pop glory.
Back after a bit of a hiatus, The Judex come roaring back into the public ear with a sonic slice of retro-rock meets b-movie horror anthem.
For twenty years, Clay Walton and John Wilkins have been wielding acoustic guitars in service of scorched ambience as FiRES WERE SHOT.
The latest by Dot Dash Proto Retro, is an album that went under the radar but is a worthy work of investigation
Scrap the Valentine’s Celebrations, as The Forty Nineteens return with the double digital download of Tell Me b/w It’s For Fun
Home Leigh Goth Daughter: finding their own voice and place in the Beehive State and in the post-riot grrrl scene.
Adam Franklin’s Drones & Clones, his fourth and most interesting is getting a much appreciated vinyl release on March 27.
Vinyl fans without a need for a boxed set of the full Police catalog can now choose from four individual remastered LPs.
AIR has been remarkably consistent over its near-two decade career, and Eternal keeps its winning streak going.
Having missed this band their first time around, I am glad to have come across Criteria now. Years is the title of their first release after a fifteen year hiatus. Stephen Pedersen spent some time in Cursive before departing and eventually forming Criteria.
Storie Grubb is a wet dream waiting to be discovered by those who will spend hours searching through Bandcamp for secret DIY gems, and The Void Struggle proves itself to be the creation of an artist with a truly singular and original identity.
On April 17 this year, Welsh act The Cosmic Array are set to unleash their latest work Goldilocks. A blending of styles that creates a rewarding piece of work for the listener to indulge in.
The son of Chicago, Illinois, multi-instrumentalist Ricky Mirage released this Ep a while back, but it remains deserving of some attention
Michael Simmons of the legendary power pop zeitgeist sparkle jets UK presents Playlist 2020: The Originals. Twenty-one tracks, written and performed by students of Huntington Beach High School.
On January 31st, Neneh Cherry releases a 30th anniversary edition of her iconic 1989 release Raw Like Sushi.
Although smaller in stature than her debut, Fern is undoubtedly Resurrection Fern’s greatest statement yet as a musician.
Missing-in-action pop royalty resurfaces with a sophomore masterpiece.
The Tor Guides have made an excellent album in Backwards In Reverse, moving forward with ideas with a nod to the past
The 2016 release Golden State by KT Tunstall gets a well deserved vinyl release.
The group’s first collection of new material after a six-year hiatus is a feeling or wavelength pronounceable and describable on the user’s own elated terms, much like OOIOO’s namesake.
Writer Kevin Burke explores one of the most interesting punk releases of last year by Japanese outfit The Vertigos.
Writer Kevin Burke discusses the latest video-single by Boy One, the brainchild of Irish music legend Brian Foley, “Broken Skies” is a tribute to the climate activists of the world
The exceptional King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have just unleashed three live albums on Bandcamp. With 100% profits going directly to the Australian Bushfire Relief fund.
