Lush archivals, big birthdays and a very naughty jukebox. Welcome to the week.

Hello, Friends.

The main event this week is the fantastic Lou Reed Words & Music, May 1965 release on Light In The Attic. Produced in cooperation with Laurie Anderson, the inaugural title in their ongoing Lou Reed Archive Series is special stuff. The set captures Reed in his formative years with a previously unreleased collection of songs - penned by a young Lou, recorded to tape with the help of future bandmate John Cale, and mailed to himself as a “poor man’s copyright” - that have remained sealed in its original envelope and unopened for nearly 50 years.

I'm Waiting for the Man, Heroin, Pale Blue Eyes… really special stuff. The packaging is also so brilliantly delivered, this really is a very high watermark for the series’ debut.

+ Available on exclusive Pink colour vinyl.
+ Available on deluxe double vinyl plus 7”.

Matador reissue the debut, self-titled Queens Of The Stone Age LP this week, restored to its original track listing and adorned by the long out-of-print original Frank Kozik artwork. Of all the great stuff the band did, this is still the best. Such great drive, sandblasted Moteriks and whispers instead of screams.

+ Available on Indie Exclusive Orange colour vinyl.

It has been a full 20 years since The Libertines arrived on the scene and shoved everything they possibly could Up The Bracket on their debut. A nice anniversary edition on Rough Trade Records with a 2002 ‘Live at The 100 Club’ bonus disc on both CD and LP formats. They did have a lot of charm amongst the chaos.

+ Available on Indie Exclusive double Red colour vinyl.

A double on All Saints Records from Djivan Gasparyan, the undisputed master of the duduk (a traditional woodwind instrument from Armenia). I Will Not Be Sad In This World was originally released in the Soviet Union in 1983 before Brian Eno came across the musician and subsequently introduced the record to Western audiences via a reissue on his Opal label. Moon Shines At Night was his exquisite second LP and amazingly this is the first ever vinyl edition. Such amazing sadness, it is gripping music.

Alex Chilton’s laid back Feudalist Tarts gets its first pressing since the mid eighties. As ever, there are moments of madness and moments of genius, all to a ‘Big Easy’ sway.



This last Saturday marked the tenth anniversary of the release of Kendrick Lamar’s major label debut, Good kid, m.A.A.d city. One of the most vital, successful, played and important albums of the last decade.

+ Available on Double Opaque Red coloured vinyl.

Lastly today, the second of Stranger Than Paradise’s superb SEX compilation series, with We Are Not in the Least Afraid of Ruins. It is such a great premise, jammed full of gems and nuggets straight from the infamous jukebox at Malcolm and Vivienne's King's Road SEX boutique. Carefully curated tracks - including Billy Fury, Winifred Atwell, Dave & Ansell Collins, The Animals, Mott The Hoople and more - that were played on rotation at 430 kings road Chelsea, throughout 1974-1976. Lush art, it really is an artefact.

+ Available on Indie Exclusive ‘Mohair Blue’ colour vinyl.

Have a good mooch, why not?

- Drift