Out Today: Ride - Interplay

 Ride have released their 7th studio album titled Interplay. It was written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and produced by the band and Richie Kennedy. Prior to the album release, the band already released three singles with the latest single "Monaco" below.

Ride - Peace Sign (Single)

Ride has unveiled their comeback single, "Peace Sign," signaling the arrival of their 10th studio album titled "Interplay," scheduled for release on March 29th.

Next Wave: Close Encounter

 Close Encounter is a Seattle based music band consisting of Bill Darksoft (Guitar/Vocals), Bobby Sydney (Guitar/Vocals), and Cameron Lambert (Drums). Their music is a perfect blend of shoegaze, jangle pop and psychedelic rave recalling some great genre masters, including Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. 

The band released their debut 'First Light' in 2017 and 'Lost Time' in March this year, both via Look Up Records. 'Lost Time' combines jangley disco, dark 80s pop, and 90s shoegaze incorporating diverse textures and a wide range of moods, dealing with heartbreak, and the loneliness of modern communication.
The album is available for purchase online via independent record label Look Up Records, as well as in all record stores in Seattle (Everday Music, Silver Platters, Easy Street, and others).

https://closeencounterband.bandcamp.com/

Instant Hit: Mekons - Ghosts of American Astronauts

Mekons released "Ghosts of American Astronauts" in 1988 and it was taken from their sixth album So Good it Hurts and the only song released by them in that year. It was backed by "Robin Hood" and issued on Cooking Vinyl in the UK.

Felt's First Five albums to be Reissued

Chery Red has announced the reissue of first five albums by the English post-punk band Felt. This reissue includes all their albums from the debut release 'Crumbling the Antiseptic Beauty' (1982) to 'Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death' (1986) and each album will be available either on 12-inch vinyl or as a CD plus seven-inch single boxset. All five albums were revisited and remastered by Kevin Metcalfe and Lawrence and they will be released on February 23rd 2018.

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/crumbling-the-antiseptic-beauty-remastered-12-vinyl-edition/

WAW: Talking Bush- Overgrow

Great new music coming from St Petersburg in Russia. There is not much info about the artist other then that his name is Nikita and that he writes music. You can hear that his music was influenced by The Smiths and that he himself sounds like Morrissey. For now, two songs are available for your listening pleasure through his Soundcloud and there is some info about an upcoming EP.

The Wake Release 'Testament'- Best of Compilation

Factory Benelux has released 'Testament', a comprehensive 'best of' collection by influential Glasgow group The Wake. 'Testament' includes tracks recorded for cult labels Factory and Sarah Records. It combines key album tracks with singles including "On Our Honeymoon", "Something Outside", "Talk About the Past", "Of the Matter" and "Crush the Flowers". 

Also included are a previously unreleased 7" edit of 'Pale Spectre' and 2012 studio outtake Clouds Disco. The vinyl edition includes an exclusive 54 minute bonus CD featuring 21 early live and demo recordings from 1981/82, preserved in the tape archive of Joy Division/New Order manager Rob Gretton. Among these priceless lost recordings are 7 songs never before heard even on bootlegs. 

The matt reverse board artwork is based on the artwork for an unreleased cassette edition of 'Here Comes Everybody', designed by Peter Saville. 

Follow the link for the track lists and additional information

www.factorybenelux.com/testament
 

The Ocean Blue- New Album Announced

The Ocean Blue is back! The band’s highly anticipated new record, the first full length in 10 years, is scheduled for release on January 15, 2013 on Korda Records. The band will have two new songs on the Korda Kompilation which is out this week (November 27th)and they will playing the Korda Records label show in Minneapolis January 12th and their own show in Chicago on January 13. More shows and news coming in 2013.  

www.theoceanblue.com
 

Instant Hit: Microdisney- Pink Skinned Man

"Pink Skinned Man" was the second single release for the Irish indie pop group Microdisney. It was released in 1983 through Kabuki and featured the wonderful and acoustic "Fiction Land" as a b-side. Perfect soundtrack to the late summer. 

 

Out This Week: Wild Nothing- Nocturne

The American dream pop duo Wild Nothing fronted by Jack Tatum have released their second album entitled 'Nocturne' this week. This is a follow up to their debut album 'Gemini' which was released two years ago, both out on Captured tracks. Their latest single 'Paradise' is also out this month. 

Aztec Camera Reissues Announced for August 27th

Demon Music Group have announced the reissue of all six albums from the Scottish indie-pop act Aztec Camera. The reissue pack includes six albums originally released between 1983 and 1995 which will be reissued in 2CD or in single-disc expanded editions, each featuring an assortment of bonus cuts including non-album singles, B-sides and remixes. The album reissues are announced for August 27th in the UK. 

www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk

Instant Hit: Felt- My Face Is on Fire

"My Face is on Fire" was the third single for British group Felt which was issued by Cherry Red in 1982. The single was issued as a double A-side and also featured "Trails Of Colour Dissolve". The songs were written and by the lead singer Lawrence whose surname was never listed in any credits or press. 

Instant Hit: One Thousand Violins- Locked Out Of The Love-In

The Sheffield based group One Thousand Violins which was mostly active in the second half of the 80's released three albums and several singles. They made their debut in 1985 with the single "Halycon Days" and two years later, in 1987, they released "Locked Out Of The Love-In" through 'Dreamworld' label. Like most of their singles, this song entered the UK indie charts.

Next Wave: Northern Portarit

Northern Portrait is an indie pop group which was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark in the summer of 2007. The band consists of Rune Reholt, Caspar Bock Sørensen, Stefan Larsen, Jesper Bonde and Michael Sørensen. Northern Portrait is a band who’s raison d’être is the making of sophisticated pop music. The band lists a few 80’s bands among the influences including Echo And The Bunnymen and The Housemartins and most important of all, the new celebration of the Smiths.

Their debut album 'Criminal Art Lovers' has been released this year.

www.myspace.com/northernportrait

Instant Hit: Pulp- My Lighthouse

Pulp, one of the best 90's bands, really struggled to gain prominence in the early 80's with the release of their debut album It. Most of the songs on this album were acoustic, romantic pop songs influenced by Leonard Cohen. The debut single "My Lighthouse" is the perfect example for it. It was released in 1983 though the Red Rhino Records.

Instant Hit: The Room- New Dreams For Old

"New Dreams For Old" was the last single release for the English group from Liverpool, before they disbanded in 1985. They released three albums and five singles. Most of their music was released on Red Flame label including the 7" and the 12" inch versions of this song.

Microdisney

Microdisney was an Irish group which began recording in their native town of Cork, Ireland, producing a muted, heavily melodic, atmospheric sound. The group consisted of: Cathal Coughlan, vocals/keyboard, Sean O'Hagan, guitar, Jon Fell, bass and Dave Galvin, drums. They released several albums and singles during the mid and late 80's.

Their first few singles, including 1983's "Pink Skinned Man" were produced by Dave Feeley and released on small indie labels like Kabuki. After relocating to London, they signed to Rough Trade and tapped John Porter (producer of The Smiths) to produce their debut album, 'Everybody's Fantastic'. At this time the band became acquainted with John Peel, who championed their music and gave them the first of several Peel Sessions which also gave Microdisney a wider audience.

Soon after, bassist Jon Fell and drummer Tom Fenner were added as a permanent rhythm section, Microdisney's sound gradually became more commercial and chart oriented, as heard on their 1985 release, 'The Clock Comes Down the Stairs', and its corresponding single "Birthday Girl". Despite this stylistic shift, Coughlan's lyrics grew increasingly sardonic and scathing. They wrote about people- the people who let it all happen. They peered deep into the human soul and found fear, insecurity, ignorance, greed, apathy. Sometimes they still even had time to laugh. They wrote about love, about sex, about lifestyle, about politics and usually it took just one 3 minute song to cram it all in. A song about nuclear war "Town to Town" was a rock-along sing song about yuppies attempting to live normal lives amid a nuclear holocaust. Their 1987 single "Singer's Hampstead Home" is often described as an attack on Boy George (of Culture Club fame) and the media circus that surrounded his post Culture Club years.

In 1988, with chart success and mainstream acceptance having continually eluded them, Microdisney disbanded. After they disbanded Coughlan formed The Fatima Mansions and O'Hagan formed The High Llamas, retaining Jon Fell. Post break up two further compilations were issued of previously released material - 'Big Sleeping House' a Collection of Microdisney's Finest Moments, and the 'Peel Sessions' which has most of their collected BBC John Peel sessions apart from the last one.