Releases both new and old to get the new year rolling.
Hello, Friends.
Our first Record of the Week for ‘23 is FIM, the debut EP from Canadian songwriter Joyeria. Produced by Dan Carey and released on his esteemed Speedy Wunderground label, FIM (‘fuck, I missed!’) is a surprisingly experimental collection of songs behind a hugely enthralling and natural baritone voice. Dark existential humour and such exuberance to the songs, it all rattles along brilliantly. Smart, fun and full of minute little gestures to keep discovering.
+ Joyeria hand-painted us a test pressing and we’ll be popping it randomly into one of your orders.
EVERY LOSER is the new LP from rock and roll icon Iggy Pop and he’s clearly having loads of fun. It’s both witty and irreverent as he snarls and laughs, savouring how his unmistakable voice has aged and gnarled. Supported by a team of veteran rockers from bands like Guns N’ Roses, Jane’s Addiction, blink-182, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus some of the last sessions from late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
+ Available on limited ‘Apple Red’ colour vinyl.
As this first week back is relatively light, we thought we’d also tell you about the week’s Best New Reissues to give you a more meaty end-of-week read.
Ahead of his forthcoming Turn The Car Around LP, Gaz Coombes reissues his second - Matador - and third - World’s Strongest Man - solo albums this week with limited colour vinyl pressings. Regular readers know well that we are big Supergrass fans and there are some really glorious moments on these solo sets, he’s a phenomenally human songwriter.
Decca released a superb compilation a couple of years back called Journeys In Modern Jazz: Britain, focusing on the burgeoning British jazz scene of the 60s and early 70s. This week, under the same banner, we have two absolutely glorious reissues from artists who featured.
Tales of the Algonquin is led by saxophonist John Surman and pianist John Warren at the front of a 16-piece band. It twists and turns with real grace and for all the scale there are some really lush little gestures. Really special stuff.
Flare Up is the first record as bandleader from British trumpeter Harry Beckett. Such great drive and some real funk energy in the abstract improvisations. This is the first time it has been reissued and the audio has been lovingly remastered by Gearbox from the original master tapes. It really does sound rich, a proper treat.
Both albums are reissued on vinyl as a limited print run with thick card ‘flip-back’ laminated sleeves and include 12” x 12” inserts with new, in-depth liner notes by Tony Higgins.
Lots of action in the Pre Order section already this year (we already told you about De La Soul), with The Hold Steady announcing their new The Price Of Progress album, plus superb reissues to include; Ogassa Original on Acid Jazz from Benin’s Ogassa, essential Maytals and Skatalites compilations on Trojan, Horace Parlan and Jackie McLean under Blue Note / Decca’s Classic Vinyl Series, Alfa Mist, The International Submarine Band (#nowplaying fyi) and a really poppin’ (and limited) Splatter vinyl edition of The Pharcyde’s seminal Bizarre Ride II.
All this and more, here.
We’re busy getting geared up for a surprisingly full January release schedule and we’ll have some other exciting bits to tell you about pretty soon too.
Have a great end-of-week, it’s nice to be back!