Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Renowned for his seminal work with acts such as The Moody Boys, 400 Blows, and The KLF, the incomparable Tony Thorpe compiles this astutely curated, meticulous collection of 16 rare and sought-after post-punk era cuts that the maestro would regularly spin at parties, making them his personal pile of niche gems. Featuring tracks from Public Image Ltd, Mark Stewart and The Maffia, Basement 5, 23 Skidoo, and African Headcharge, to name but a small handful, Post Punk Theory arrives spread out across 2xLP and includes a 40-page fanzine booklet written by Matt Annis with photographs by Simon Pyke and Ian Brodie. A unadulterated true post-punk time capsule for both lifers and studious newcomers alike.

Review: Celebrating their 20th anniversary the only way a label knows how, Red Scare Industries: 20 Years Of Dreaming And Scheming offers up 17 new cuts from current acts, alumni and long defunct bands who had it in their aging punk hearts to reform for one last blast around the sun. Boasting contributions from the likes of The Menzingers, Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!), No Trigger, Cobra Skulls and Elway, to name just a small handful, this is a compilation covering almost each and every cornerstone of modern punk from the emo to the hardcore to the unashamed pop-centric ditties. And as the label themselves point out, the only place you'll ever be able to cop these tracks is right here, right now (or whenever payday rolls around again).

Review: Secret Superstar Sounds, courtesy of Soul Jazz, offers an eclectic and excellent collection of oddball punk and powerpop rare cuts from little-known bands from the late 70s, including but not limited to The Squares, The Meanies, The Monitors, Plummet Airline, and Krypton Tunes. Falling between the cracks of punk, new wave and post-punk, these unfairly overlooked and forgotten to time gems came from a slew of DIY ethos purists inspired by the messaging of bands like The Desperate Bicycles, Sniffing Glue fanzine and early UK punk labels like Stiff, Chiswick and Rough Trade, recording everything in-house, then sending their recordings to the likes of John Peel and labels with hopes of some airplay or recognition, little of which came. A long-lost micro-genre of unfairly forgotten underground punk (but not punk) gems awaits.

Review: A box office flop at the time of its release in 1995 - only recouping around $6million of its $25million budget - Tank Girl has since become a cult classic of the post-apocalyptic science fiction canon. Popularised thanks to its strong feminist messages and vivid construction of a universe, the foundations of which were found in a comic book series of the same namer, the soundtrack is both of its time and every bit as high impact as the flick. From Bjork's moody and abrasive 'Army of Me', to the disrupted lo-fi rock & roll of Hole's 'Drown Soda', Ice T's typically snarling and sinister 'Big Gun', and the trip hop landmark 'Roads' by Portishead, the credits read like a who's who of 1990s cool. And this emphasises just how on point Tank Girl was, even if we didn't all seem ready to acknowledge it back then.

Review: Out of print for over 15 years, the Soul Jazz distributed Do It Yourself compilation offers up a bevy of both essential and niche acts from the realms of punk, post-punk, punk-funk, dance-punk and even further afield electronic experimentations where the term "punk" becomes utterly redundant. All UK artists recorded between the late 70s and 80s, the collection sonically details the aftermath of the British punk movement in real time, complete with legacy names such as Buzzcocks, A Certain Ratio and The Last Gang to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and even Throbbing Gristle. Housed in a gatefold sleeve and spread across translucent orange vinyl 2xLP, the collection has been fully remastered and features extensive sleevenotes and photography as well as interviews with key behind-the-scene players, providing a unique insight into just how much the landscape of independent music changed after the advent of punk.

Review: There's a good reason that the Viagra Boys' latest album is self-titled. Unlike their previous album, 2022's satirical, politically-charged Cave World, the Swedish post-punkers' latest set is lyrically far more introspective, with frontman Sebastian Murphy offering (in the band's own words), a "self-deprecating exploration of his own absurdity" (or, in the case of opener 'Made of Meat', "your mom's Only Fans"). Musically sitting between energetic, horn-heavy early 80s post-punk and grunge-fired US alt-rock - with occasional nods to more tropical and melody-driven flavours - the album is heaps of fun with strong songs aplenty, not least the jaunty 'Pyramid of Health', the low-slung, synth-sporting 'Waterboy' and the surprisingly pastoral 'River King'.

Review: Many months on, Record Store Day Black Friday 2023 continues to serve up treasures and the latest is
VIRULENCE's If This Isn't A Dream album. It's a wild ride through atmospheric soundscapes and haunting melodies that immerse you in a dreamscape of ethereal textures and pulsating rhythms, blending elements of ambient, electronic, and experimental music. Each track unfolds like a surreal exploration of the subconscious, inviting introspection and contemplation with intricate layering of synths, evocative vocals, and intricate percussion. Both hypnotic and transcendent, If This Isn't A Dream is a captivating trip that is well worth hearing for fans and newcomers alike as it transports to a realm where reality blurs with imagination.