Latest new releases on vinyl record, CD and cassette tape

‘Serpentine Prison’ is the debut solo album from the National’s lead singer Matt Berninger. Commenced very shortly after the group’s last outing ‘I Am Easy To Find’, ‘Serpentine Prison’ feels like a natural outgrowth of that project, a collection of stately, collegiate indie-rock formed with contributions from his National bandmates, his EL VY companion Matt Sheehy and David Bowie’s guitarist Gail Ann Dorsey, on top of production from Booker T. Jones. 

J.R. Bohannon, Ben Greenberg and Ryley Walker are a trio of guitarists who have collaborated to make the sprawling improvised album ‘For Michael Ripps’. Each artist brings their own style to proceedings - Greenberg is part of noise-rock band Uniform, Bohannon makes experimental rock in Gold Dime, and Walker is known for his jazz-flecked folk. Guitars intertwine here, breaking into riffs and repetitions that demonstrate how much the musicians are in tune with each others' ideas.

A change of direction from the experimental dance music offered on his last album, British cellist and avant-garde musician Oliver Coates goes for violent, brutalist soundscapes on his latest effort, skins n slime. Forcing his string compositions through mangles of mod synths, it’s a striking listen. 

Becoming one of the best-selling albums in the UK even in the year after it was released, with the grandiose title track becoming a New Romantic anthem, Ultravox’s 1980 studio effort Vienna gets the deluxe re-issue treatment for its 40th anniversary. It arrives as a double-vinyl with a record of bonus material or a 5xCD + 1xDVD with 44 previously unreleased tracks. 

Wallows are a US alt-rock band from Los Angeles, fronted by actors Dylan Minnette and Breaden Lemasters. 'Remote EP' is the band’s first new music following their 2019 debut album 'Nothing Happens', an LP which spawned the hit 'Are You Bored Yet?' (a tune which featured singer-songwriter Clairo). More peppy pop in the Haim mode.

Legendary folk singer John Prine sadly passed away in April 2020. He recorded 18 albums between 1971 and 2018. Crooked Piece of Time: The Atlantic & Asylum Albums (1971-1980) is a CD box set which includes his first seven albums. His songwriting is revered by many and a diverse range of artists have covered his songs from Bette Midler to Evan Dando, Paul Westerberg to John Denver and Johnny Cash to Joan Baez. On Rhino.

Sam Amidon’s seventh studio album ranks as his most accomplished to date. A self-titled effort, it sees the American singer reunite with trusted lieutenants Shahzad Ismaily and Chris Vatalaro - as well as his wife Beth Orton on backing vocals - on an album of compelling originals and adapted traditionals. 

Fake It Flowers is the highly anticipated debut album from British singer-songwriter beabadoobee. Building up her massive fanbase off the back of a stream of excellent EPs since the beginning of 2018 - not to mention the viral sensation of ‘Coffee’ - Bea Kristi is one of the most promising young talents in a long time. 

The talented harp player Mary Lattimore isn’t slowing down after two great albums in consecutive years, 2018’s Hundreds of Days and last year’s collaboration with Mac McCaughan New Rain Duets. Recorded with Slowdive’s Neil Halstead, her unmistakable style now shares the spotlight with licks and flourishes of Halstead’s guitar, and the results on Silver Ladders are wonderful. 

Leeds-based label Fellow Outlaw Records presents the debut release from Bradford musician Winter Tree Industry. Providing a restful space of shelter from the collapsing world outside, ‘mirage mirror’ and ‘last’ are both gorgeous pieces of downtempo electronica which boast some beautiful flute playing to boot. 

Following records on Ninja Tune sister label Technicolour, Theo Parrish's Sound Signature, Kyle Hall's Wild Oats and Steven Julien's Apron Records. Detroit producer Jay Daniel returns with the SSD EP on his own Watusi High label. The four cuts provide something of a snapshot of Jay Daniel in the middle of an artistic transition. The first side of this 12” release sees him indulge in languid, low-bpm mood pieces, while the reverse side contains two rough-hewn yet sparkling house numbers. 

The Dead C are an art-music trio from New Zealand. They formed in 1986 and were regularly name-checked in the ‘90s by the likes of Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, which makes them alright in our book. 'Unknowns' is their nineteenth album and sees them once again experimenting with two guitars, drums, distortion and feedback. On Ba Da Bing!

If you want to catch up with what Manchester electronica label have been up to over the past five years then Age in Decline with give you a flavour alongside offering a smattering of new work for the pleasure of those already in the know. Artists include the likes of Prequel Tapes, Galaxian, Chrome Corpse and DJ Warzone. I've barely heard of anyone on this but isn't that part of the fun? 

Frozen Dust is the latest studio album from Japanese producer Teruyuki Kurihara. His fifth record overall and released on the German techno and electronic label Mille Plateaux is inspired by nature, particularly the cycles of “destruction and creation”, and is characterised by industrial and experimental music cast in minimalist fashion. 

Not seen the name Mille Plateaux bandied about much of late (or am I not paying enough attention?). The latest album from Thomas Koner appears on the legendary imprint and as you may suspect is a collection of splintered and near undanceable electronic music. Koner experiments in producing music free of rhythm and timing and wonders aloud whether anyone could ever dance to this. 

Producer Glenn Astro has previously released beats and fuzzy textures on the likes of Ninja Tune and Apollo, but for his latest album he wanted to change tack somewhat from his earlier work. The electronic meditations and modern-day electro tones of 'Home Spun' saw the artist working to tight, self-imposed deadlines. What results is an eclectic work that contains homages to J Dilla, jungle and dub among its ten tracks. 

La Noche De Los Dioses is the first album since 2017 by 96 year old Mexican jazz drummer Tino Contreras. Contreras has been making music since 1940 and has shared the stage with the likes of Art Blakey, Louis Armstrong and Dave Brubeck. Despite his age, this album is one filled with contemporary jazz and fresh ¾ rhythms. 

Nordhem is the third album, and final part of a trilogy, by Swedish pianist Henrik Lindstrand. It follows 2017’s Leken and 2019’s Nattresan and like those two well-received albums, is a beautifully woven and soothing soundscape that seamlessly blends a number of genres into one complete piano work. Nordhem translates as North Home and the album honours his scandanavian roots.

Recorded via a long-distance exchange of demos between Carl Coleman and Caspar Hesselager while the former was living in Tenerife last winter, ...Keep Dreaming, Buddy is the third studio album from Palace Winter. Drawing down on hip-hop rhythms and soulful hooks for inspiration, it’s a beautiful listening experience. 

Beastie Boys - as you may know already - made music, and so 'Beastie Boys Music' is as good a title as any for this greatest hits collection. The album stretches from their early-days, VW badge-stealing bangers like 'Fight For Your Right' and 'No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn' to hits such as 'Intergalactic' from their later, more critically-acclaimed period. We miss 'em but this is a great place to start for those curious about Beastie Boys, or if you simply want all their best tunes in one place. 

Anamanaguchi might not be the easiest name to say after a week on the X Box but they are the purveyors of 8 bit behind the soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim video game. Originally released in 2013, Endless Fantasy is a joyous splurge of instrumental music made using broken Nintendos and Game Boys alongside proper instruments. 

With the coronavirus preventing live shows from happening and Daniel Ek needing more product in order to pay bands half a penny for every thousand streams on Spotify then it's not surprising bands have been forced to put out hodge-podge collections to keep the coffers flowing, This interim release from Blossoms is half filled with covers and reworks recording in lockdown plus a live set recorded in their native Stockport. 

What is that on the sleeve? A coagulation of pig like creatures made out of fondue icing. This is the new album from the UK producer after the Heaters For the Seaters mixtape and featuring a bunch of collaborations with folk I'm too old to have even heard of. It's kind of a gothic and industrial influenced take on modern R&B from the Brixton based producer. 

London’s epic indie-rock band Palace follow their 2019 album life After with an EP, Someday Somewhere. All the songs come from the Life After sessions. It includes the single I’ll Be Fine and  bonus track, Trouble on the Water, which was previously available on Hoxa Sessions EP. On Fiction.

Better Person is the music-making alter-ego of Adam Byczowski, a Berlin-based musician who makes music influenced by power ballads, sophisticated pop ala Prefab Sprout/Talk Talk and Europop. All this might make 'Something To Lose' sound like a bit of a joke but it is performed with such sincerity and craft it turns any notions that this is a spoof record on its head. Produced by Ben Goldwasser of MGMT. 

Formerly the bassist in Fat White Family and They Came From The Stars I Saw Them, Taishi Nagasaka crafts an excellent solo statement with 'Misekake'. An album blending the chaos of garage-punk with the exploratory escapism of psychedelia sung in Japanese, it sees him truly make something stamped with his own personality. 

Moral Panic is the third album by Southend rock band Nothing But Thieves. The two singles from the album, Real Love Song and Is Everybody Going Crazy? have been getting some serious airplay on Radio 1. The album was produced by Mike Crossey who has helmed albums by Arctic Monkeys, Wolf Alice and The 1975, a man who knows how to make hit albums. On RCA.

Dawn Chorus And The Infallible Sea are a US trio who make minimal music that blends guitar-led drone and modern classical music. Their influences include Windy & Carl, Auburn Lull and Stars of the Lid. Liberamente, their sophomore record, is an album that seems simple at first, but with repeated spins rewards the listener with depth and complexity.

Formed from hours of first-take, improvised jams laid down in a remarkable session back in early March 2020, The Disciple of Assent sees Sun River musician Martin Rude work with Causa Sui percussionist Jakob Skøtt gleefully colour outside the lines to make something that lies between jazz, psychedelia and folk. 

I'd better get on the blower to my dad as there's a new Bruce Springsteen album on the edge of town. A Letter to You is the first album he's made with his legendary E Street Band. It was made in just five days and contains nine new songs and three taken from his 1970s era of leaving his best work in the can. There's nothing like the E Street Band on full throttle so this should delight his fanbase. 

Arkansas-based doom metal band Pallbearer deliver their fourth studio album. In contrast to the complexity that characterised their last effort Heartless two years ago, Forgotten Days is a comparatively simple affair, emphasising meaty hooks and heavy grooves in an album thematically concerned with family, and its ups and downs. 

Lucidvox (no relation to Ultravox) are a big name in the thriving Russian underground rock scene. They are known for a mixture of psych-rock, heavy riffing and traditional music from their native land. They've already conquered their home city of Moscow and the environs of their country, 'We Are' - their first international LP drop - now brings them to the attention of the rest of the world. 

'Once Upon A River' is a film directed by Haroula Rose which she adapted from the novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell. It’s a story about a Native American teen who goes on search for her mother. The film's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features a slightly dreamy, slightly folksy score composed by Death Cab For Cutie keyboard player Zac Rae along with songs by JD Souther, Will Oldham, Bridget St. John and Rodney Crowell.

Swedish guitarist and vocalist Henrick Palm is known for his work with bands such as In Solitude, Ghost, Pig Eyes and Södra Sverige, and he is held in high esteem by the likes of Converge and Repulsion. Palm is a bit of a musical shapeshifter, with his sound taking in eclectic influences such as Trouble, Celtic Frost, Throbbing Gristle, My Bloody Valentine and raw punk. 'Many Days' is his debut solo album.

Two years ago the only place you could buy 'We’re Where We Were' by Tornado Wallace was on CD from a particular clothes shop in Japan. Now the producer’s psychedelic Balearic beauty, which is split into two side-long parts, is getting a worldwide vinyl release as his debut release on Mule Musiq. That's nice of them.

Scottish musician Chris Thompson uses the name The Bathers to make a sweet brand of chamber-pop that has made him a bit of national treasure in his homeland. 'Kelvingrove Baby', the third Bathers album, originally came out in 1997 and runs with the sophisti-pop style of its two predecessors. The record features Thompson's pal, James Grant of Love & Money, on guitar and backing vocals. 'Kelvingrove Baby' is reissued via Marina (Der Plan, Josef K).

'Sunpowder' is the second LP by The Bathers and is the chamber-pop project of Scottish musician Chris Thompson. Originally released in 1995, 'Sunpowder' follows the lead of other Bathers albums by taking inspiration from a bunch of classic songwriters - Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie etc. Featuring the vocals of the Cocteau Twins’ Liz Fraser on two tracks, this 'Sunpowder' reissue is out via Marina.

The Bathers is the name that Scottish musician Chris Thompson gives to his chamber-pop project. He takes his inspiration from the likes of Van Morrison, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Tim Hardin and Leonard Cohen. 'Lagoon Blues' was the Bathers first album, originally released in 1993. Features Isobel Campbell on cello and comes reissued on Marina Records.

Ride The Fire is the upcoming fifth studio album from Icelandic alternative rock outfit Mammút. Boasting some striking Storm Thorgerson-esque artwork and with Árni Árnason of The Vaccines behind the production desk, the band lay down more of their trademark dense, atmospheric soundscapes. 

Possibly the best day of my life was when I heard Horace Andy's distinctive voice coming out of what I thought was a sound system at a reggae festival in Leeds only to look up and find the man himself stood on a nearby stage. Even if you aren't into your reggae and dub you'll know that quiver from various  Massive Attack records. This box set contains the records he cut in the '70s with Bunny Lee and sees his magnificent voice sitting above dub originals and recuts of his earlier standards. 

Following two blisteringly powerful studio LPs of post-hardcore, Belgian trio Brutus announce their first live album. Recorded at Handelsbeurs in May 2019, the double-album package 'Live In Ghent' showcases the band in their natural setting, with virtually every song in the setlist equalling or bettering their studio equivalents. 

The debut LP from Savannah, Georgia's Baroness sent shockwaves through the extreme metal community upon its release in 2007. A stunning blend of gruff sludge-metal riffing and progressive rock, the group eschewed the belligerent, repetitive riffery of most groups in the sub-genre to offer a technical and psychedelic record. The guitar leads are buttery and smooth, the vocals are powerful and grizzly, the drumming is smart and intricate - fans of Mastodon, Kylesa, Red Fang, Torche and High On Fire will love 'Red Album'.

Continuing the theme of incredible sleeve illustrations from frontman John Dyer Baizley - and also that of naming their albums after a colour - 'Blue Record', the second LP from progressive metallers Baroness, picked up where 'Red Album' left off. It's a slightly more melodic affair than 'Red', with Baroness tightening up their sound and increasing the duel riffing and use of soaring vocals. It features many fan-favourite singles which they often play live - 'Jake Leg', 'A Horse Called Golgotha', 'The Gnashing' and 'The Sweetest Curse'. An essential sludge-/post-/prog-metal record.

Producer and Aus Music label head Will Saul pays tribute to one of his favourite records with this cover of ‘Your Time Is Up’, an underground smash in 1990 for Yolanda on the Underground Resistance label. This 12” single is accompanied by remixes from Move D and Space Dimension Controller as well. 

The fact that it's on Echocord should tell you that this is in the minimalist dub techno field. Mathimidori is the alter ego of one Mathias Kaden who has used an assortment of collaborators on this long player which has that hazy dubbed out instrumental sound we all enjoy from the likes of Deepchord and Fluxion. One for a late night drive. 

The second collaboration album as Sleeper & Snake between former Terry bandmates Al Montfort (also of Total Control and The UV Race) and Amy Hill (of Primo! and Constant Mongrel). Fresco Shed exudes the same dreamy, escapist atmosphere as their exceptional debut from last year, Junction And High. 

Arizonan death metal band Gatecreeper are back with ‘Deserted’. This is an LP which incorporates sounds from all stages of death metal’s evolution, from the nascent scene in 1980s Florida via the Scandinavian sound of the ‘90s to the modern-day, through some vicious riffs and a thundering rhythm section. Unsurprisingly given that roll call, ‘Deserted’ recalls the likes of Bolt Thrower and Crowbar. Produced by the band along with Ryan Bram and mixed by Kurt Ballou from Converge.

The members of Warp Records luminaries Red Snapper present us with Number, a vital new project drawing together P Funk, twitchy disco arrangements, and skeletal dub. What's not to love? Their debut album 'Binary' is a barnstorming collection of tunes that would satisfy any fan of A Certain Ratio, Parliament, or The Brides of Funkenstein. Out on Sunday Best. 

I don't know what those things on the sleeve are but I know I'm not going to sleep tonight. La Locura de Machuca tells the story of Rafael Machuca a one time lawyer who released some of the most out there African music of the 1970s via his label Discos Machuca. This compilation picks seventeen of the strangest cuts from the back catalogue giving new listeners a flavour of whatever the hell he was up to. 

'Two Gather In The Waiting Room' is the first collaboration between Scottish composer and sound artist Michael Begg and legendary German electronic musician Hans-Joachim Roedelius, known for being a founding member of Harmonia and Cluster. The album sees the artists blending the best of elements of each other’s sound.

Championed by Foals’ lead singer Yannis Philippakis and a former member of Great Eskimo Hoax and Trophy Wife, London-based artist Andrew Halford - better known as Lake Turner - releases his debut album. Videosphere is a gorgeous blend of ambient music, disco and techno that will appeal to fans of Caribou and Four Tet. 

Zazou Bikaye were a band that fused various traditional sub-Saharan African musical styles with analog electronics - their first album saw them favourably compared to Brian Eno and David Byrne’s 'My Life In The Bush of Ghosts'. Their second LP 'Mr. Manager', which was released in 1985, saw them blending electronics and afro-funk to not-dissimilar effect. Reissue on Crammed Discs.

Featuring guest contributions from Corey Wilkes, Tomeka Reid and the late Hamiet Bluiett, 'America The Beautiful' is a heartfelt yet excoriating musical analysis of the divisions and crises besetting the U.S.A. by Kahil El’Zabar. Fusing various jazz modes - spiritual, Latin, post-bop - 'Kahil El'Zabar's America the Beautiful' is both urgent and melodic, hitting a new level of artistry for this immensely talented multi-instrumentalist. 

Juanitia Stein is best known for fronting Australian indie band Howling Bells. Snapshot is her third solo album. It was recorded as a reaction to the sudden death of her father - the person who instilled a love of music in her from a young age. The subject matter is sad and heavy, but Stein’s soothing voice makes it endlessly listenable. It was produced by Ben Hillier who has worked with Blur, Doves and Nadine Shah and features her brother, Joel, also from Howling Bells, on guitar.

Can you imagine an album where Susan Sarandon, Tim Curry, Richard O’Brien, Meat Loaf and members of Procol Harum all collaborate? No? Well, what about the 1975 cult favourite 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' soundtrack? This glam-rock tidbit is forty-five years old now, and as such is getting an anniversary vinyl reissue - on picture disc, no less!

Unavoidably recalling some of the greatest voices in soul music’s rich history such as Al Green and Sam Cooke, Michigan-born Napoleon Demps is an incredibly exciting new presence. ‘Norma Jean’, presented here on 7” vinyl with an instrumental version on the B-side, is a perfect demonstration of his talents. 

Recorded in just five days immediately off the back of an exhausting period of touring that lasted almost a year, 'Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters…' (title intended to be repeated ad infinitum!) shows Frankie and the Witch Fingers in blistering, road-hardened form. More intense and ambitious than anything they’ve recorded before, their psych-garage sound goes from strength to strength here. At its most rabid ‘Monsters Eating People Eating Monsters’ resembles Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs while groovier numbers like ‘Cavehead’ verge on Goat.

Finally some good news - Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton have reunited as Arab Strap! Aside from a few festival appearances in 2016 we've heard nerry a peep out of the winsome Scottish duo for fifteen long years. Here they give us the single 'The Turning of Our Bones', a track which is fearsome and foot-tapping in equal measure - sort of like a more noirish version of The Magnetic Fields. Comes backed with a B-side exclusive to this 7”.

Ela Minus is a Colombian musician with roots in hardcore punk in her home country before moving to the USA. She majored in jazz drumming and synthesizer design at Berklee College of Music in Boston. This, coupled with her love of club culture has culminated in Acts of Rebellion, her debut album. It details her manifesto which is broadly about living every day to the full, atop accomplished retro dance beats.

Glaswegian jazz outfit Nimbus Sextet are formed around long-term collaborators Joe Nichols, Alex Palmer and Mischa Stevens, later joined by James Mackay, Martin Fell and Euan Allardice. Dreams Fulfilled represents yet more freshness being injected into Britain’s flourishing jazz scene, full of naggingly addictive hooks and locked-tight grooves. 

Singer / songwriter-turned-composer Keaton Henson has returned to his roots as a singer / songwriter with Monument. His gentle voice sings lyrics about grief and how to deal with it, whilst sparse electronic backing is fleshed out with a full band and, at one point, a full orchestra. Philip Selway of Radiohead, guitarist Leo Abrahams and composer and musician Charlotte Harding all lend a helping hand.

Lovey was the Lemonheads fourth album and their first for Atlantic. It was the first album that really showcased their songwriting talents and is full of lovely plaintive pop such as Half the Time, Stove and Ride With Me. It was their final album with founding member Jesse Peretz as the Lemonheads became purely Evan Dando's thing thereafter.

The Frenz Experiment was the 10th album by The Fall and first came into this world in 1988. It’s now getting the expanded reissue treatment. The expansion includes a previously unreleased BBC session and their version of The Beatles’ classic A Day In The Life. The original album includes a cover of The Kinks’ Victoria, which The Fall released as a single at the time. Cracking stuff. On Beggars Arkive.

This Is The Kit were steadily building a fanbase until 2018’s breakout LP 'Moonshine Freeze' earned them a whole host of new fans. The band meant to follow up 'Moonshine Freeze' almost immediately, but project mastermind Kate Stables got distracted by an invitation to join The National (as you do). 'Off Off On' proves to be well worth the wait though - this is a collection of idiosyncratic, slightly folkish indie-rock tunes which will appeal to fans of Jeffrey Lewis and Big Thief.

Matt Sweeney (Chavez, Iggy Pop, Bonnie Prince Billy) was hired to produce the Songhoy Blues album, Optimisme. His mission was to make a real rock record that captured the band’s live energy. The band also wanted to make an album that got the crowd jumping. Judging by Led Zeppelin-esque lead single Badala it would seem that they accomplished their mission.

Self-Surgery is the result of a collaboration between musicians Chelsea Wolfe and Jess Gowrie, released under the name Mrs. Piss. Cooked up while the two were touring together behind Wolfe’s 2017 album Hiss Spun, it pulls together the entirety of their experience in genres as disparate as folk and doom metal to create something urgent and wild. 

Dojo Cuts are a heavy funk / soul band from Australia. Having been one of the first bands to release a single on Colemine Records, they’re back on the label with it’s 89th release, Rome. If you love Amy Winehouse or Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, this 45 is absolutely your bag. Rome is backed with Falling In Love Again. Both tracks are taken from the LP, Tomorrow’s Gonna Come.

A timely re-issue of this 1973 era protest song which advocated the impeachment of Richard Nixon. Little did anyone know back then what we'd end up with in the White House. Though the vibes are bang on for these times, the song is famous for more than just a slogan. The drum break has been sampled to death...take a listen and hear where it all started. 

My Echo is singer / songwriter Laura Veirs 11th solo album. It details the struggles of her ailing marriage - although at the time of writing the songs she didn’t necessarily know that. As the album was being finished, Viers and her husband, Producer Tucker Martine had separated. Some of the songs started life as poems she had been writing for a monthly poetry group. Guest appearances include Jim James, Bill Frisell, Karl Blau and M. Ward.  

Fo Sho b/w Inner City Blues are the first new songs in two years from the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio and will whet the appetite for their next album. The band play funky organ-led jazz that will please fans of Jimmy Smith, Soulive, New Mastersounds, Khruangbin and other artists in that musical sphere. On Colemine.

'Karma & Desire' is the eighth studio LP by electronic musician Actress (aka Darren J Cunningham of Wolverhampton). Coming hot on the heels of '88', his self-released effort from earlier on in 2020, 'Karma & Desire' is a moody collection of edge-of-the-dancefloor beats and synthetic abstractions reminiscent of Funkineven and Hype Williams. The record includes collaborations with Zsela, Sampha, Aura T-9, Vanessa Benelli Mosell and Christel Well. 

Northampton metal band Raging Speedhorn return with Hard To Kill their second album since their 2014 reformation and sixth album in overall. This time out they have a new line-up. Drummer Gordon Morison and guitarist Jim Palmer are joined by singer Dan Cook, bass player Andy Gilmour, formerly of Hundred Reasons and Dave Leese on guitar. The Speedhorn sound you know and love is still very much intact.

As we await the release of their self-titled debut album, Yorkshire’s bright young things Working Men’s Club reveal another single release from it. Opening track ‘Valleys’ is the selection, accompanied by an instrumental version and remixes from Confidence Man and Graham Massey. 

Penelope Trappes is a singer and producer from Australia. Her music recalls the sound of the classic days of bands signed to the 4AD and Kranky labels. The title of her album, Eel Drip, is a reference to the Phantom Queen Morrigan - a mysterious figure from Irish mythology who is a goddess of war, destiny and fate.

Picard is the latest spin-off from Star Trek and features Patrick Stewart in the titular role. The soundtrack for season one has been composed by Jeff Russo, who also composed scores for Fargo, The Night of and The Umbrella Academy, among others. Russo has been nominated for several Emmy awards, winning once.

Jazz legends Horace Tapscott & Michael Session scaled the lofty heights of spiritual jazz in Avignon, France, 1989, by utilising minimal arrangements playing pieces typically reserved for larger ensembles and challenging 'each others abilities'. A tantalising throwback to a bygone sonic age... Out on The Village. 

Gray were a band featuring celebrated New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who played his guitar with a metal file and filmmaker Michael Holman who played masking tape and ball bearings. Shades Of… is an anthology featuring songs from their limited self-release, previously unreleased tracks and remixes by the likes of Todd Rundgren, Hank Shocklee, Sal P of Liquid Liquid among others.

'Live From Austin, TX' by Drive-By Truckers was recorded whilst they were touring their eighth album 'Brighter Than Creation’s Dark' in 2008. The band was on top form at that point, so it’s lucky it was all recorded, really. As live performances go, this one was right up there from the Americana oddballs. 

Taking inspiration from alternative music both modern and classic, Bedroom is the hotly anticipated full-length debut from Hull/Leeds band bdrmm (pronounced the same as the album title). Loosely conceived around a plotline of a disintegrating long-term relationship set against a backdrop of the highs and lows of your early twenties, it’s set to be one of the best British guitar debuts of 2020. 

A moving soundtrack essaying the joys and regrets of living a lifestyle orientated around clubbing and nightlife, Bass Clef’s 2011 cassette-only release Inner Space Break Free gets a small re-issue on vinyl. Inspired by his decision to quit his job and pursue music full-time, and the freedoms and anxieties that brings, there’s huge emotional clout to proceedings. 

The Bachelor Pad were an indie band from Glasgow whose career lasted from 1986 -1991. Meet The Lovely Jenny Brown EP is being reissued by Emotional Response. The band played music that didn’t quite fit the C86 scene of that era, but were excellent, melodic and chaotic nonetheless. The EP includes a previously unreleased, stripped-back version of the title track.

Functionally titled 1, this EP on green 12” vinyl is the first of many new collaborations from British hip-hop heavyweights, Lee Scott and Jehst, that will be unveiled in the coming months. Recording as GROUP, the four tracks here are accompanied by instrumental equivalents on the flip side, and feature a guest appearance by newcomer Lord Apex. 

Originally a collaboration with Bronx duo Camp Lo around a decade ago, 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s was clinching proof that iconic producer Pete Rock had the longevity to stay relevant. 80 Blocks Instrumentals, containing the beats shorn of the lyrics, is a dazzling memento of his enduring talents. 

Formed by two stalwarts of the British indie scene in Rob Pursey and Amelia Fletcher, European Sun release their self-titled debut album on white vinyl. Informed strongly by C86, paisley underground and twee pop - unsurprising, since Pursey and Fletcher’s work together dates back to their time in Talulah Gosh - European Sun is strictly about classic sounds and themes. 

Just before lockdown, the ever-industrious John Darnielle assembled the current line-up of The Mountain Goats in Sam Phillips’ legendary studio in Memphis for six days of recording. The result is Getting Into Knives, the band’s 19th studio album, capturing the sound of a great songwriter at his loosest and most spontaneous. 

A collaboration we didn’t even know we wanted but which we definitely need, ‘United Girls Rock ‘n’ Roll Club’ is a joint venture from Madrid-based indie quartet Hinds and Tokyo’s pop-punks CHAI. Featuring lyrics sung in English, Spanish and Japanese, it’s accompanied by a clip of the bands exploring Madrid, and presented on transparent violet 7” vinyl. 

After the global pandemic prematurely ended Big Thief’s tour the band's singer, songwriter and guitarist Adrianne Lenker decided to make some new music. 'songs and instrumentals' is two separate albums being released as a double-LP and double-CD. The 'songs' bit features - guess what - eleven new songs, whilst 'instrumentals' features - that's right - two instrumental pieces. Both records were written and recorded in April 2020, the early days of lockdown, and both exhibit the incredible balance of strength and fragility that has seen Lenker proclaimed as something of a modern-day Leonard Cohen.

John Frusciante steps out of the confines of his Trickfinger alias to release his first electronic/dance record under his own name. Released through Aaron Funk (Venetian Snares)' Timesig label, 'Maya' sees the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist delve into 1991-'96 UK breakbeat hardcore and jungle. Given that his music in Trickfinger has gradually morphed from Rephlex-sounding IDM, acid and ambient techno into something which hints at drill and bass, this one's set to be a lively affair.

Following an acceleration of demand in the wake of the band’s Mercury Prize nomination for their 2020 album Every Bad, Memorials of Distinction is re-issuing Porridge Radio’s 2016 debut Rice, Pasta And Other Fillers. Recorded in a shed, barely after the group had begun expanding from being Dana Margolin’s bedroom project, it’s a lo-fi DIY classic. 

Sen Morimoto is a rapper out of Chicago who has already toured with the likes of Sleater Kinney and Durand Jones. He produces young people-friendly emotional narratives about his day and the stuff that happens to him over an amalgam of guitar, synth and sax. He did literally everything on this  - producing, writing, releasing it on his own label even down to telling me what to write on this blurb. 

Singapore Sling are an Icelandic rock band led by Henrik Björnsson. Their sound blends guitar fuzz, goth rock, dub and big band jazz all underpinned by a drum machine, although Björnsson will tell you that the main influence here is old rock ‘n’ roll. Good Sick Fun follows the 2019 album Killer Classics. On Fuzz Club.

Frankie Reyes is the alter-ego of Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker, an L.A.-based electronic musician who also records under the name GB. 'Originalitos' is his second album for Stones Throw and follows his debut 'Boleros Valses y Mas', an LP of Latin American standards recorded using a synth and Reyes’ unique stripped-back and emotional style. Sonically this one's in a similar vein - this time, though, the tracks are all written by Reyes using his Puerto Rican roots as inspiration.

Californian stoners Fu Manchu have dusted off a couple of classic EPs, combined them and added some previously unreleased early recordings. Godzilla’s and Eatin' Dust were two of the band’s most popular 10” singles due to fan favourites such as 'Mongoose' and 'Eatin’ Dust'. The four previously unreleased tracks include three tracks that were recorded for 1997’s The Action Is Go and a cover of 'Jailbreak', originally by Thin Lizzy. On At The Dojo.

The Moons are led by Andy Crofts - who, as well as being a singer / songwriter in his own right, earns his corn in Paul Weller’s backing band. Pocket Melodies is the band’s latest album, It features one track, Tunnel of Time, which was co-written by Paul Weller. Features the singles Riding Man and Today.

Elisa Ambrogio, Pete Nolan and John Shaw return with new Magik Markers music for the first time in over half a decade, at what seems like an apt time for them to bring their inspired noise-rock back. 2020 is heart-swallowingly urgent and ragingly loud, a perfect soundtrack for times of emergency and ignorance. 

Esteemed composer William Basinski and his studio assistant Preston Wendel deliver their debut studio album as Sparkle Division. To Feel Embraced sees a man associated with tape loops and ambient music widen his palette to include elements of jazz and disco, with guest vocals from Leonora Russo and Xeli Grana. 

Written and produced alongside composer Adrian Younge and former ATCQ member Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Marcos Valle is a collaboration with the Brazilian legend of the same name, released on the Jazz Is Dead label. Working in many styles across his six-decade career, including bossa nova, samba, and fusions of all sorts, Marcos Valle is one of the most respected Brazilian artists of all time. 

Secretly Canadian presents the debut EP from songwriter Helen Ballentine, a self-titled effort under the name Skullcrusher. The four tracks that make up Skullcrusher are preoccupied with coming to terms with the fear of going it alone and doing things yourself, which Ballentine discovered after giving up her job to conduct her music career full time and whose themes are similar to our lockdown lives. 

'Empty' is an album of intimate piano pieces by Nils Frahm (what isn't these days?) that were initially written for a short film he’d made. He was tinkering with the pieces before he broke his thumb and decided to work on new music that became his 2012 album 'Screws'. 'Empty' was released digitally earlier in 2020 but now we have the CD and vinyl versions for your delectation. On Erased Tapes.