Welcome to May, the month where the bank takes a holiday thrice. I guess those bankers deserve it, right?
Hello, Friends.
Erased Tapes start off the week’s new-not-new with a dive into the vaults of Montreal collective Bell Orchestre. As Seen Through Windows, the band’s second album, originally released in 2009, retains all of the dreamy cinematics of their debut, but working with producer John McEntire (he of legendary Chicago post-rock band Tortoise), there was a new-found momentum that really takes this one somewhere. The mix is pretty masterful, full but never bloated. Great stuff.
+ Available with new and reimagined artwork and also on a limited Clear vinyl pressing.
As the rules go, you do have to be pretty smokin’ to title any aspect of your album Smokin’. Guitarist Wes Montgomery and the Wynton Kelly Trio are indeed, Smokin’ on Smokin’ At The Half Note. The trio - Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb - were Miles Davis’ rhythm section between 1959–1963 and are so graceful in giving Montgomery suitable space to illustrate why he was such a revered live player.
It’s released as part of Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series and features transfers from analogue tapes. Remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
In The Red reissue a superb title from the John Dwyer line this week, with Thee Oh Sees’ Warm Slime from 2010. Even all the way back then, it was the tenth album from the ever-prolific band (the fourth to be released under the name Thee Oh Sees) and is one of the key points in their progression towards a more garage sound. It was all recorded live with no overdubs and the energy is key; breezy but focused. The title track alone is pure magic, a free-flowing banger!
+ Available on Orange Hi Melt coloured vinyl.
Also this week; City Slang have repressed the debut 2020 Tell Me Your Mind And I'll Tell You Mine LP from King Hannah, we have an expanded 10th Anniversary Edition of Rudimental's landmark debut LP, Home, and at long last, we have a restock on the astounding Trevor Beales’ Fireside Stories (Hebden Bridge circa 1971-1974) LP on Basin Rock. You may recall it was our December 2022 Record of the Month, so we’re hyped to have that one back in the racks and straight back on the stereo.
Talking of which, we hadn’t forgotten that the clock struck May on Monday, so a new Record of the Month will be announced shortly.
And lastly today, we kicked off this new week with the announcement of a custom Dinked Archive Edition to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Boo Radleys’ landmark Giant Steps LP. It’s a proper fan package for an album that is missing from many record collections, so don’t dilly-dally too long on that one.
Take it easy out there.
- Drift