Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: Having played a slew of inimitable and unforgettable television comedy characters over the past decade or so, from Toast of London's Stephen Toast to Douglas Reynholm in The IT Crowd, Dixon Bainbridge in The Mighty Boosh and Todd Rivers in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, you could be forgiven for expecting Matt Berry to use songwriting and music as another form of hilarious release. That's definitely not the case. There's plenty of release on I Gotta Limit, but this is anything other than satire. The first new music to come from Berry's 2025 album, Heard Noises, the two tracks here are pure joy, authentic and genuinely impressive on a technical level. Exchanging lines in a duet with Kitty Liv for the titular number, the vibe is part Northern Soul, part psych rock, and pretty much all completely captivating.

Review: Released almost 40 years ago, No Presents For Christmas was the ultimate anti-Christmas song from metal provocateur extraordinaires King Diamond. Originally landing in time for Chrimbo 1985, this latest 12" reissue immortalises the bizarre piece of metallic eccentricity for new generations to come, and even boasts 'Charon'; a deep cut from the band's seminal debut album Fatal Portrait, on the b-side. Elaborating on the new gaudy cover and reasoning behind the repress, the King himself has decreed: "Livia worked on the glass mansion on the cover - it's a mansion she designed that I just loved and said we must use this for something! The cover came out exactly how we wanted it to, and it looks like something you would find in the Christmas albums aisle alongside Frank Sinatra. It has the Christmas feeling, but with something dark and sinister when you examine it more closely. I look like a ghost - the ghost of trying to destroy Christmas!"

Review: A chance to own this much loved pre-album classic from King Kruke aka Southwark-raised Archy Marshall on a neat 7". The track, originally issued in 2012 on the Rinse label, has all the hallmarks that would make Marshall famous, namely a lilting, emotionally direct vocal performance, some rather nifty guitar work and some rough cut breakbeats with a lovely whiff of bedroom production about them. The flip, meanwhile, is adorned with an instrumental version, making this quite the all round desirable item.

Review: Few stadiums involve the same level of America-ness as Fenway Park. Home to the Boston Red Sox, whether or not you believe baseball to be pointless and mundane, the fast food equivalent of cricket which is, somehow, also a slow cooked nothing, it's impossible not to appreciate just how much atmosphere there is in heritage sports arenas, and how much these places mean to the town that built them. For anyone to perform a concert at Fenway, then, is a privilege that betrays status. So does the deafening noise of tens of thousands singing along to the anthems on this Noah Kahan tour recording. Born in Vermont, but with strong family ties to the Boston area, the roaring and soaring folk-pop hitmaker - whose roots are as much in rock & roll as country and bluegrass - is quite simply commanding, even heard via the replay medium of vinyl or CD. Something to remember next time you consider tickets to see him in the flesh.

Review: Percussionist and singer-songwriter Mami Kakudo returns with her latest album, Contact. A graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts' Department of Instrumental Music, Kakudo has gained recognition in Japan and internationally for her expressive use of marimba, percussion, voice and music boxes. Four years after her debut album, Oar (featuring covers of Maki Asakawa's 'My Friday' and Fishmans' 'Ikkareta Baby'), Contact showcases her signature sound again here in all its glory. Recorded with a talented ensemble-including Mugi Furukawa on guitar, Akita Goldman on bass, Wataru Mitsunaga on drums, and Yumiko Iwao on cello-Contact highlights Kakudo's ethereal voice, poetic lyrics and whimsical arrangements.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record very slightly warped***


Kaleidoscope's Tangerine Dream stands as a quintessential English psychedelic album, often ranked among the most important and influential works in the genre alongside iconic releases like Sgt. Pepper's, Forever Changes, and The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. Despite its rarity and collectability, with mint copies fetching hefty prices, the album has surprisingly lacked a proper reissue and remastering treatment for over five decades. However, after three years of determined effort, negotiations with major label executives and stroke of luck, the album is finally receiving its long-awaited official reissue. Thanks to painstaking detective work and fortunate encounters with Universal archivists, the original master tapes, previously languishing in the vaults, have been unearthed. Moreover, Sonic Boom of Spacemen 3 fame has meticulously remastered the album from these original tapes in his Lisbon studio, ensuring that it is presented to listeners as intended. This reissue will undoubtedly be a must-have for fans and collectors alike, offering the best audio quality version of the band's early psychedelic masterpiece.

Review: This analogue-driven masterpiece sets a high bar for exciting music in 2025. The ten-track album, crafted by the Gothenburg duo (featuring members of Fontan and Ultra Satan), blends intricate soundscapes with emotional resonance, offering a listening experience that is both reflective, thought-provoking yet at times, challenging. Vind explores the intersection of rhythm and emotion, creating an atmosphere that feels timeless and innovative. The first single, 'Montilla', embodies the album's ethos. With its downtempo pace and broken beat structure, the track feels like a sonic odyssey. Psychedelic elements and exceptional guitar work add layers of complexity, while leftfield textures make it stand out. The result is a piece that's unique, grounded but also otherworldly. 'Medvind Part 1' is a great example at the ability of the band to create an outstanding blend of various styles of music such as Latin, ambient and folk music along with many others. Vind is a rewarding journey for all who cherish inventive music.

Review: French electronic duo KaS Product were proper enigmas. Their first decade of activity, from 1980 to 1990, was marked by carving out their own niche within a fertile and noisy corner of music close to punk, early cold and minimal wave, and indie-electro. Compared by some to Kaleidoscope-era Siouxsie and The Banshees, Soft Cell and Suicide, it's no stretch to say that without this pair -the late Spatsz (Daniel Favre) and Mona Soyoc - the likes of Prinzhorn Dance School would sound different. By Pass was up there with their finest hours and most defining creations. Arriving in 1983, it's packed with a kind of dark, back-room-of-a-dive bar venue edge that is at once anarchistic, surreal, and beautiful. 'Tina Town', for example, will raise the hair on the back of your neck, 'W Infatuation' seems to belong in some batshit Broadway musical, 'Mingled & Tingled' is all about groove and seduction. Excellent all round.

Review: Originally released in 2009 and celebrating its 15th anniversary with this half-speed remaster on lush red marbled vinyl, Night Is The New Day serves as a genre-bending meander through progressive Scandinavian metallic sonics whilst pulling on elements of gloomy doom rock and synth-laden coldwave. Often spoken in the same breath and with equal credence paid to the likes of Opeth, Ulver and Porcupine Tree, the album is a work of sublime, depressive beauty with ever-shifting pieces like the bombastic-turned-mercurial 'Forsaker' offset by the post-folk vulnerability of 'Idle Blood', leading many to consider the eighth full-length in the Katatonia catalogue to be the finest summation of their expansive vision. The work would also notably be the last to feature the Norrman brothers handling rhythm guitar and bass duties.

Review: Formed in 2018, Dream House Quartet has been reshaping the boundaries between classical and contemporary music. The group consists of pianists Katia and Marielle Labeque, both renowned for their versatility across genres, along with Grammy-winning guitarist Bryce Dessner of The National and composer-producer David Chalmin on guitar. Their repertoire spans radical commissions and essential works from the past 50 years. After releasing their self-titled digital EP in 2023, the quartet now unveils their latest project, Sonic Wires, coinciding with a November 2024 tour. The album features pieces by Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Bryce Dessner, Sufjan Stevens and Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

Review: Returning with their highly anticipated follow up to 2019's Atonement, while marking the sixth overall full-length to feature original vocalist Jesse Leach (who re-joined following the departure of his initial replacement Howard Jones for 2013's Disarm The Descent), the ninth album from melodic metalcore heavyweights Killswitch Engage serves as a triumphant victory lap of their sonic saga thus far. Self-proclaimed to be their most collaborative endeavour to date, the seasoned veterans deftly balance their complex, chugging anthemics and pioneering lead lines of the incomparable Adam Dutkiewicz with saccharine hooks and earnest bombast, while Leech's frenetic switching from gravel-throated shouts to vulnerable clarity add poignancy to cuts such as the triumphant lead single 'This Consequence' tackling "everything the past five years has thrown at us as a band, as humans, and society as a whole". Be prepared for a glorious return to form from one of the genre's most integral foundation builders..

Review: The label that's putting this out, Reverberation Appreciation Society, curates LEVITATION (formerly Austin Psych Fest) and anyone familiar with said festival will know that they put on arguable the best curated psych fest in the world. Their catalogue appears to specialise in live releases with the likes of The Dandy Warhols and Moon Duo having had live releases through them. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard is another top-drawer 70s-influenced psychedelic rock band with a longstanding relationship with the label. The Aussie band are among the most hard-working on the planet, with a stunning live reputation thanks to their improvisational wig outs, which channel Led Zeppelin at their most exploratory and Krautrock legends Can at their most hypnotic. This live set extends to eight discs because it's recorded over two nights in Queens, New York City, and songs often stretch beyond ten minutes, since they lean into those instrumental wormholes with full commitment. And, to their credit, their sets have that effect on a listener that's most possible when listening to the very best players - that transcendent journey into a parallel world where the ills and woes of the daily grind feel far away.

Review: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's August 2024 Detroit performance strips back their usual high-energy psychedelia to reveal a more intimate, acoustic side. The recording captures reworked versions of their tracks with precision and depthi'Theia' finds new resonance in its gentler arrangement, while 'Ambergris' breathes with delicate percussion and restrained guitar work. The interplay between instruments feels exploratory, creating an atmosphere that's simultaneously familiar and fresh. It's not just a concert captured on vinyl but a reimagining of their sound that allows the nuances of their songwriting to shine through.

Review: King Pari is an LA-via-Minneapolis duo who creatively blend influences from Prince and psychedelic dub into a new sound they have described as "bedroom funk." Their infectious lo-fi tracks are rich in emotion and brimming with funky grooves so make for a catchy listen. This group actually picked up props from Prince himself before the late Purple genius passed in 2016 and since then jazz innovator Kamasi Washington has also annoyed himself as a fan. This full length is only sure to win the pair ever more accolades for this new take on classic funk.

Review: This Record Store Day special for 2024 is an unreleased live recording of the legendary BB King, captured by the French Radio and Television Office on October 7, 1977. It is a full-length concert with an electric vibe that allows a superb glimpse into the great blues singer-guitarist's powerful working band of the era. If you think you know the man's sound, this might well open your ears to some new perspectives. Released by Zev Feldman's Deep Digs label it comes with a set of rare photos by Thierry Trombert, Val Wilmer, and Jan Persson, plus some excellent liner notes by French author Jean Buzeline.

Review: Originally released in 1996, Ear Candy would serve as the sixth full-length from often unfairly slept on progressive metal-oriented hard rock titans King's X. Following on from the commercial success of their 1994 predecessor Dogman, the album would be the band's last for Atlantic Records as it failed to hit the same numbers, yet that blessing in disguise would eventually give them a new lease on life with Metal Blade. Long out of print, the wonderful people over at Music On Vinyl have given the record its overdue flowers with their reliable numbered 180-gram audiophile treatment on lush purple wax, restoring the highly technical yet accessible fluidity of bangers such as 'Sometime' and 'Picture', with the latter being an updated version complete with new lyrics of an older cut titled 'The Door' originally written under their previous moniker Sneak Preview, while 'A Box' features guest vocals by Glen Phillips of California jangly alt rockers Toad The Wet Sprocket.

Review: Erland Oye and Eirik Grambek Boe have a lengthy history together. Long before they formed Kings of Convenience the pair were in the same class at school, writing comedic raps about their teacher then founding Skog ("forest"), their first joint stab at 'serious' music. Today, the duo have a string of gold and silver certified albums behind them. This is one. Originally released in 2009, 15 years on Declaration of Dependence still sounds as calmly breathtaking as it did back then. Quiet, soft, gentile, yet anything but twee, the sound straddles the line between indie pop and indie folk, and also represented the start of a new era in music distribution - getting its initial release as an exclusive for subscribers of a certain streaming platform, but that's another story.

Review: Riot On An Empty Street, originally released in 2004, captures Kings of Convenience at their most captivating, effortlessly merging folk, indie and pop into a serene, harmony-rich soundscape. With standout tracks like 'Homesick', 'Misread', and the Feist collaboration 'Know-How', this album became a treasured gem for fans. Now reissued on vinyl, the delicate acoustics and introspective lyrics are revived in full warmth, offering listeners a chance to reconnect with the album's timeless appeal. Perfect for lovers of understated, melodic songwriting that resonates long after the last note fades.

Review: The latest album from Michael Kiwanuka continues his exploration of soul, folk and jazz, with production from Danger Mouse and Inflo. Following the path set by his previous work, the album offers a familiar yet comforting sound, blending rich soul vibes with subtle jazz influences. The opening track, 'Floating Parade', sets the tone with its dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere, while 'Lowdown' - a two-part track - channels 70s Afro-rock with a laid-back vibe. Kiwanuka's introspective lyrics reflect themes of self-reflection and gratitude, with tracks like 'One and Only' and 'Stay By My Side' offering heartfelt messages to his family. Musically minimalist, the album emphasises warmth and simplicity, as seen in 'Live For Your Love', where Kiwanuka expresses regret and appreciation for his wife's patience. The album's standout moments draw from 70s soul and afro-rock influences, bringing a fresh twist to Kiwanuka's signature sound. Overall, this album provides a comforting, soulful experience, showcasing Kiwanuka's growth both musically and personally, offering listeners an intimate and reassuring journey through his life and musical evolution.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Michael Kiwanuka's eagerly awaited fourth studio album, Small Changes, is set to continue the journey started with his critically acclaimed Kiwanuka. Once again, he collaborates with Danger Mouse and Inflo, the dynamic team behind his previous successes, Kiwanuka and Love & Hate. The album was recorded across London and Los Angeles, featuring contributions from music legends such as Pino Palladino and Jimmy Jam, enhancing its depth and texture. Kiwanuka's songwriting remains as profound as ever, blending lush grooves with introspective lyrics. He maintains his signature styleisimple yet evocative melodies that invite deep emotional engagement. The album has a soulful and timeless quality that marked his earlier work while exploring new artistic avenues. As Kiwanuka reflects on his music, he sees it as a form of communication and healing, continuing his tradition of melding personal insight with universal themes. Small Changes is poised to reinforce Kiwanuka's place as a uniquely talented and deeply relatable artist.

Review: Small Changes is the eagerly-anticipated follow-up to Michael Kiwanuka eponymous third LP, Kiwanuka. Produced alongside soul, hip-hop and pop production legends Danger Mouse and Inflo, Small Changes was recorded between London and LA, with this core triumvirate nonetheless expanding further into an assembly of session musical delegates, including legendary bassist Pino Palladino, as well as Jimmy Jam of the iconic Jam And Lewis songwriting and production duo. A welcome return for one of Britain's most talented songwriters, vocalists, and guitarists.

Review: Michael Kiwanuka's eagerly awaited fourth studio album, Small Changes, is set to continue the journey started with his critically acclaimed Kiwanuka. Once again, he collaborates with Danger Mouse and Inflo, the dynamic team behind his previous successes, Kiwanuka and Love & Hate. The album was recorded across London and Los Angeles, featuring contributions from music legends such as Pino Palladino and Jimmy Jam, enhancing its depth and texture. Kiwanuka's songwriting remains as profound as ever, blending lush grooves with introspective lyrics. He maintains his signature styleisimple yet evocative melodies that invite deep emotional engagement. The album has a soulful and timeless quality that marked his earlier work while exploring new artistic avenues. As Kiwanuka reflects on his music, he sees it as a form of communication and healing, continuing his tradition of melding personal insight with universal themes. Small Changes is poised to reinforce Kiwanuka's place as a uniquely talented and deeply relatable artist.

Review: Kentucky metallic hardcore heroes and now with the release of 2024's You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, easily the heaviest and most abrasive act to ever be nominated for a Grammy, Knocked Loose have been on a remarkable upward trajectory over the past half-decade thanks primarily to 2019's sophomore declaration of venomous intent A Different Shade Of Blue. Building off the beatdown blueprint of their 2016 debut Laugh Tracks, their sophomore follow-up dialled the controlled chaos up to maximalist levels with more frenetic compositions, bowl-rupturing breakdowns and a haunting atmosphere reminiscent of modern arthouse horror cinema, with internet circles dubbing their style as "A24-core", inspired by the film production house of the same name. Led by the despairing, throat-shredding howls of vocalist Bryan Garris and his macabre, esoteric lyricism that makes cuts such as 'Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory', 'Mistakes Like Fractures' and 'And Still I Wander South' so simultaneously poetic yet anxiety-inducing, their underdog success story seems so unlikely and bizarre. From performing at Coachella to appearing as the live act on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, the shape of punk to come is here and more uncompromising than normies could have ever expected. At six years old, revisiting their second full-length serves as a reminder that they've always been this mean and unwilling to accommodate for more delicate sensibilities.

Review: Izumi Kobayashi's fourth ambient solo album, Ik I, was produced by German visionary Holger Hiller and is now getting a long-awaited reissue. Originally released in a rare Netherlands-only pressing after Kobayashi's move to the UK in 1989, this album captures her unique blend of ambient soundscapes with Hiller's innovative production techniques. It's a real hidden gem of atmospheric music and intriguing Eastern Melody, dainty string patterns and exotic percussive sounds that celebrate Kobayashi's groundbreaking work and are sure to connect with a whole new generation of fans.

Review: Shoegaze is undergoing an unstoppable resurgence in the US, which is led by fans and in online spaces such as Reddit and labels are just trying to catch up. Whilst late 80s and early 90s trailblazers of the genre are having an unexpected growth spurt in popularity, there are newcomers in this new wave of American shoegaze bringing fresh energy. And Kraus is one of the most respected in the new wave, often spoken about in the same breath as My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields. After having moved from Dallas, Texas to study music at NYU in New York, Kraus would go on to remain in the city and hone his craft as in his one-man band. This album is Kraus having landed at his most nuanced work to-date, having mastered the careful balance between blissed out and blisteringly tight. There's a meticulousness to his craft that makes his saturated sonic images feel like each line in there is key to its beauty as a whole.