It’s a week full of wows whichever direction you look in. (It really is good!)
Hello, Friends.
What a way to start the week! Pulse of the Early Brain is the fifth instalment in the Switched On compilation series from our most favourite art-poppers, Stereolab.
The new set gathers material not found on the studio albums right across their formidable career, with the earliest tracks dating back to 1992 and right through to the band's recording hiatus in 2008. It is a comprehensive portrait of their developments and flows superbly from the whipping and cracking motoriks through to the more experimental ambience. Seriously, what a band. What a band!
+ Available in a very limited and exclusive Mirriboard sleeve.
Something very special for you on Light In The Attic this week with Earl’s Closet: The Lost Archive of Earl McGrath 1970–1980, a deep dive into the literal closet of art dealer, jet-setter and record man, Earl McGrath. We'll paraphrase the story to get you interested and ready to follow the path for yourself, but following McGrath's death in 2016, celebrated journalist Joe Hagan was invited to the estate and discovered a literal cache of reel-to-reel tapes squirrelled away in a closet.
The results are this fine double album, including unheard music by Daryl Hall and John Oates, David Johansen, Terry Allen, Delbert McClinton, Warhol “Superstar” Ultra Violet, Detroit sax legend Norma Jean Bell, Jim Carroll and an eclectic cast of undiscovered gems artists across folk, rock, country, funk and R&B that virtually no one has heard in decades. A proper time capsule and just such a vibe. Very highly recommended.
+ Available on Indie Exclusive double Clear colour vinyl.
The Two-Piers label (the folks behind the acclaimed ‘Pop Psychédeliqué) release a beautifully curated set this week called Music for the Stars (Celestial Music 1960-1979), a collection of laid back, late night bangers for laying back and drifting off into the cosmos. Gene Clark, Fred Neil, Kevin Ayres... They couldn't have pitched it more at the Drift stereo if they tried! Made with care, plays out beautifully.
+ Available on limited double Amethyst colour vinyl.
Pure magic from Mr. Bongo with The Quintet, an absolute peach from 1969 and the Horace Tapscott Quintet. Produced by the iconic Bob Thiele, pianist and composer Horace Tapscott was regarded as one of the most unique and important figures in LA's jazz world and this deep set pays testament to that. It floats through a remarkable sonic landscape and gets up to quite the drive. Lush new artwork, this really is highly recommended for any of you that got the chills from Floating Points.
Also this week; we have a very limited last few copies of David Sylvian's solo Manafon album, Bowery Electric's quite extraordinary Beat on Kranky and a Neon and Pink colour vinyl pressing of the Heartbreakers enduring L.A.M.F album.
Earl’s Closet aside, Light In The Attic are in particularly Light In The Attic-ishy form today with three essential slabs of new but not-new wax.
Firstly, Haruomi Hosono's all-time delicious Hosono House receives a special 'Pink Glass' pressing. It's not been around for quite a few months so strike while it's hot on this, one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music; the energy is just so fine.
Following May's first ever reissue of the infamous Nancy & Lee debut duet album, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood's iconic set gets a really wild and very limited pressing on 'Psychedelic Sands Orange & Red Vinyl'. There is something about this handsome thing that really fits the music, great stuff! We also have a limited restock on the Black LP and CD editions, here.
And lastly for today - and being played with quite the gusto on the stereo as we write to you - a superb compilation called I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969–70. Originally released in 2014, the compilation focuses on the limited Sly Stone singles released on the Stone Flower label, collecting together all five of the Stone Flower-produced releases, plus ten previously unissued alternate versions, outtakes, and prototypical cuts from the label archives. Pressed on very limited UK Indie shop exclusive Purple colour vinyl. This really is the trip.
- Drift
