Goth wave, shoegaze swirlers, and the funk and soul sounds of Linco…
We have a couple of compilations for your attention to start this new week.
Numero’s Eccentric Soul series focuses on The Linco Label, a powerhouse of funk and soul based in Greensboro, North Carolina—widely regarded as a birthplace of the civil rights movement. The Linco label (derived from the middle name - Lincoln - of founder and operator Walter Grady) put out some scorchers in the ‘60s and ‘70s and this collection really covers so much from the city's homegrown talents.
+ Pressed on double ‘Linco Silver’ colour vinyl.
Acid Jazz presents a very special compilation - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… - marking the 40th Anniversary of Countdown Records in the mid to late eighties. The label was founded by Eddie Piller, Maxine Conroy and Terry Rawlings and distributed by iconic UK independent, Stiff Records. Against a background of commercial pop dross, this is a really energetic set, with cuts from Makin’ Time, The Prisoners, The Kick and more.
Sonic Cathedral release White House Demos, the first ever recordings from legendary shoegaze band, Chapterhouse. Raw, but swimming with reverb, these recordings were made just four gigs into the band's career. Wild.
Gift (The 4AD Years) is a new retrospective of the cult Hamburg gothic punks, Xmal Deutschland. The limited-edition 3xLP boxset contains 2025 Abbey Road remasters of their two albums released with the 4AD label (the feverish Fetisch and titanic Tocsin), as well as tracks off other related releases and EPs including Incubus Succubus II and Qual.
Still loud and still weirdly modern.
+ Pressed on 3LP Transparent Red colour vinyl.
Also new, but not new; we have a 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition of John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, & Daniel Davies’ Lost Themes album on Hot Pink vinyl with a bonus 7”. Father John Misty’s excellent Mahashmashana album has a new double Yellow vinyl pressing on Bella Union. Also pressed on Yellow vinyl is Saint Etienne’s absolutely sublime The Night album from late last year, which also includes a Drift-exclusive signed postcard.