Back catalogue:

Review: In the latter half of the 1990s, the lines between indie-rock, Britpop and dance music became increasingly blurred, indie club DJs being blessed with all manner of heady, high-octane treats to enjoy - including notable big beat, trip-hop and techno reworks. This four-disc set from Cherry Red does an excellent job in celebrating this fertile musical period via a mix of chart-bothering faves (Norman Cook remixing Pierre Henry and Cornershop), heavy club revisions (the Chemical Brothers taking on Bomb The Bass and the Charlatans), bona-fide dance classics (Leftfield, Orbital, Basement Jaxx), quirky rock-rave (Black Grape, the Prodigy), big beat workouts (Indian Ropeman, Death In Vegas, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Lo Fidelity Allstars), and eccentricities (the All Seeing I, Jimi Tenor, Future Sound of London).

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


A full Twilight soundtrack reissue campaign is well underway, once again bolstering the staying power of the teen emo-gothic vampire brand. As with the entirety of the series, the score for the first edition in the film franchise was overseen by music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, with its original elements composed by Carter Burwell and also featuring curated songs from the likes of Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park and The Black Ghosts.

Review: Few labels in the 80s embodied such a distinct and artful vision as El, the short-lived yet profoundly influential London stable founded by Mike Alway in 1984. The Rubens Room compilation serves as both an introduction and a tribute to the label's uniquely curated aestheticieschewing rock conventions for a sophisticated blend of chamber pop, 60s bubblegum, European chanson, Latin rhythms and cinematic soundscapes. Alway's hands-on approach shaped El's musical direction, working with songwriters like Nicholas Currie (Momus) and Philippe Auclair (Louis Philippe), whose compositions helped show the label's meticulous pop craftsmanship. Simon Turner (The King of Luxembourg), Dean 'Speedball' Brodrick, and producer Richard Preston contributed to a sound that was deliberately theatrical and often satirical, evoking a world of elegance and artifice. This was pop that borrowed from the pastiechoing Ennio Morricone's film scores, Gainsbourg's wit, and the romanticism of forgotten music hallsiyet remained forward-thinking in its stylistic fusions. Among the label's defining artists were the Would-Be-Goods, Anthony Adverse, and Bad Dream Fancy Dress, whose narratives often explored themes through a distinctly un-macho, female gaze. Unlike much of the indie scene of the era, El's output was a celebration of refinement, wit and melodrama. The influence of this approach extended far beyond the UK, particularly in Japan, where it directly inspired the rise of Shibuya-kei artists like Pizzicato Five, Kahimi Karie, and Cornelius. While El never achieved mass commercial success, The Rubens Room reaffirms its legacy as one of Britain's most inventive labels, where pop was not just music but a world of sound, style and storytelling.

Review: Recorded in 1992 in London and New York, Voyager 1 is a unique live album by UK outfit The Verve-then known simply as Verve-that was cunningly designed to resemble a bootleg but was officially released to introduce the band to US audiences via Virgin's indie label Vernon Yard. It actually predates their debut album A Storm in Heaven, but the set captures the band's raw, psychedelic energy - we're well before the Britpop years, when Ashcroft and co were in a decidedly more sonically swampy, shoegaze groove - with standout versions of 'She's A Superstar,' the hypnotic early single 'Gravity Grave' and 'Slide Away.' Also included is 'South Pacific,' which remained unreleased in studio form for decades, proving to be a swirling, oceanic closer, faithfully remastered from analogue tapes at Abbey Road Studios.

Review: The Stockholm punks are back with their follow-up to 2022's Cave World. This fourth album of theirs was launched with the lead single 'Man Made Of Meat', which recalls English upstarts The Cool Greenhouse, Boston icons The Modern Lovers and 1977-era UK punk. Viagra Boys have been further teasing the album with new songs now making it onto their live set and 'The Bog Body' has become a fan favourite, as it's bombastic enough to spark circle pits. The mighty Pelle Gunnerfeldt (The Hives, Refused) is a frequent collaborator and remains the co-producer meaning there's no drastic changes in direction. Released via their own newly-launched record label, Shrimptech Enterprise, this self-titled effort is set to be a potent fertilizer for their popularity, as they continue to march around the globe, earning the public's respect as one of the century's best live punk bands.

Review: There's no two ways about it: Viagra Boys will go down in history as one of the great Swedish success stories, alongside The Hives, Refused and ABBA. And they've done it without a squeaky clean image, which is refreshing in modern times - this is a band your mum probably wouldn't want you listening to as a kid. In terms of strengthening their status as modern titans of punk and rock n' roll in their country and globally, this fourth studio album is going to do just that. Lead single 'Man Made Of Meat' sets them up perfectly, it's like a sequel to The Stranglers' 'Peaches' in the verses and there's a rabble rousing chorus that you can't help but want to shout-a-long to. What's interesting sonically is they've been indulging in studio effects to twist guitars to sound like synths, meaning they've broadened their sound a lot compared to when they burst onto the scene with 'Sports'. That drive to innovate makes them all the more alluring, but they've not lost any of their character or feral sensibilities.