Closing out October in raucous fashion with some of the ever-so-very loudest.
Hello, Friends.
Record of the week is the second mighty return this year from Drift favourites Sunn O))) with the cataclysmic Pyroclasts. Acting very much as a companion piece to April's Life Metal LP, Pyroclasts brings in some of the lighter moments across any Sunn O))) album. The drones are still intense and the weight of the distortion is so heavy, but the breaks offer up little beams of light like sun cracking through curtains. Had the joy of listening to both albums back-to-back this week and it really is a journey through so many emotions and the shades connecting them. One of a kind.
+ Available on very limited edition "indie Shop" red vinyl.
The Livelong Day is the third full-length release from the Irish folk quartet Lankum and it's a bloody riot. It approaches folk like no other record in ages, with long drones and some unbelievably dark colours. They have the reputation of being one of the most unique and talked-about groups to emerge from Ireland in decades and this quite brilliant LP is testament to that.
In 1997, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and a handful of friends retreated to the desert of Joshua Tree, CA in order to isolate themselves from the distractions and comforts of their everyday lives. What began as a casual writing and recording session amongst friends has since become a project of legend. Spanning twelve volumes over the course of two decades, Desert Sessions has featured some of music’s most cherished icons stepping out of their comfort zones and collaborating with one another to create some of the most exciting music of their careers. After nearly sixteen years since its last entry, the longest-running mix tape in existence, Desert Sessions returns with two stunning new volumes in its already storied catalog, Vol. 11 & 12, featuring collaborations from Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Les Claypool (Primus), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters), Mike Kerr (Royal Blood), Carla Azar (Autolux, Jack White), Matt Sweeney (Chavez), David Catching (Co-founder of Rancho De La Luna studio), comedian Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Töôrnst Hülpft and newcomer Libby Grace.
A first for us this week, as we are talking about TRIPLE DINKED.
Announced just this second, we're hyped to be working with Full Time Hobby on I Was Born Swimming, the debut LP from Squirrel Flower. Dinked No.33 is super limited (hand numbered) with a transparent blue vinyl pressing, bonus 7" and a signed postcard. Up online now, don't miss out!
In the building with us today (and in VERY short supply) are a couple we've been waiting on for ages...
Mikal Cronin's fourth studio LP Seeker is a beautifully dark and jangling album of garage rock. We'll put the last few translucent green + black swirl copies online .... Now!
London's Dry Cleaning (a band we've got both eyes on!) release a special edition of their first two EPs - Boundary Road Snacks and Drinks and Sweet Princess. Can't rave about these guys enough, so hyped to have produced our Dinked Edition.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse this week release Colorado. Another of the albums this week that we've scarcely heard before it hits the racks, but on first (few) impressions... He sings beautifully, the wig outs don't overstay their welcome and he's full of fire without any of the over-preaching. In short, it's a bit of a late-career classic. Enjoying this a lot... But we all knew that would happen right?
A huge, smokey return this week from Cigarettes After Sex with their second studio LP, Cry. Simple in its delivery, it's an album of minimal gestures and long, careful sounds. It's got some spooky magic to it for sure.
+ Indie shop version LP is limited and is pressed on clear vinyl.
+ Purchase a copy on vinyl this week (including those of you who preordered) and we'll enter you into the hat to win a signed test pressing.
Western Stars – Songs From The Film is the companion album to the feature film 'Western Stars'. The collection features each of the live performances captured in Bruce Springsteen's directorial debut.
Sean O'Hagan (of the most excellent High Llamas) releases his new solo LP Radum Calls, Radum Calls on Drag City this week. Beautifully intimate, he strums, plucks and sings so gently it's really enthralling stuff. Highly recommended.
Teebs returns (after five years!!!!) to Brainfeeder with Anicca and it is so damn pretty. Features some lush guest appearances from; Panda Bear (Animal Collective), Sudan Archives, Ringgo Ancheta aka MNDSGN, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Anna Wise, daydream Masi, Former Boy, Pink Siifu, Jimetta Rose and Thomas Stankiewicz.
+ Limited Indie edition is a purple & black marbled coloured vinyl LP, with an artworked inner sleeve.
We also have new music from Petbrick on Rocket Recordings, Fink on R'COUP'D, Hieroglyphic Being via On The Corner Records, a collaborative release from Lee Scratch Perry & Peaking Lights & Ivan Lee and one time neighbour of ours Liz Lawrence releases the excellent Pity Party.
Last new one this week is leaving meaning, the return of Swans. Written and produced by Michael Gira, the album features contributions from recent and former Swans, members of Angels of Light as well as Anna and Maria von Hausswolff, Ben Frost, The Necks, Baby Dee and Jennifer Gira. We're only listening to it through now for the first time, and it is pretty magical stuff. Stripped back, naked, audacious and a pretty heartbreaking impression of modern America.
Can't wait to play this to death all weekend... feels like a pretty special album.
A proper vintage week for reissues, this one.
A set of Scott Walker re-releases this week, with Climate Of Hunter, Til The Band Comes In and Tilt getting fresh pressings, including a double LP expansion for Tilt.
Conspiracy International are reissuing Chris & Cosey's seminal first three albums (plus the later and equally highly influential Exotika LP). All four get pretty new colour vinyl pressings.
The Early EP's 4LP Box Set features very early, rare Happy Mondays tracks originally released on limited vinyl in the late 1980s by Factory Records. All four discs get translucent colour pressings and sound pretty fantastic.
Pulp's His 'N' Hers gets a double LP 25th anniversary pressing (Remastered at Abbey Road by the band's own Steve Mackey).
White Lies have produced a deluxe 10th anniversary edition of their debut To Lose My Life.
One of the very finest soundtrack curators and one of the years biggest movies... This special edition is a real beauty. Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood original motion picture soundtrack.
Super Furry Animals' most excellent Guerrilla gets a 20th anniversary edition... With a pop-up gatefold sleeve that is most impressive! Saw them tour this and had my head blown off for ever more by Northern Lites. What a band! Both CD and LP editions feature foreword by Alan McGee, sleeve notes by Ric Rawlins, and previously unseen concept art drawings by Pete Fowler.
Lastly this week, Big Star's fourth and criminally underrated In Space album. We actually quite like Pitchfork, but there is a legacy review on their site with a 5.3 score... Can't wait for that to get quietly get taken offline once this beast gets the reappraisal it deserves. The one-two-track start of Dony into Lady Sweet is just amazing, some of their finest moments. Translucent blue vinyl pressing looks super fine, do pick up a copy... We give it a 10.0.
Enjoy your weeks, we'll be playing the Monster Mash a whole bunch next week, so look forward to that eh? We just found out that we'll have a micro-restock on the Drift Halloween tote, all eyes on the site.
- Drift