WAW: Private World - Hypnagogia

The Cardiff based Private World have revealed the video for their first single "Hypnagogia" which is going to be taken from their debut album Aleph to be released end of August through Dais Records. This very stylish video was directed by Sion Thomas.

Deacon Blue Return with a New album in March

Deacon Blue will return this year with a brand new album 'City of Love'. This will be their 9^th studio album in more than 30 years of band's existence. The album will contain eleven new tracks out of which "City of Love" is already promoted as lead single. Following the release, the band will embark on tour which will include UK, Netherlands and Germany. 'City of Love' will be released March 6th and available to pre-order now from www.deaconblue.com.

Thirty years ago, in January 1990, "Queen of the New Year" entered the UK charts. 

Retrovision: The Ocean Blue- Between Something and Nothing

Retrovision: Curiosity Killed the Cat- Down to Earth

Born somewhere on the crossroads between 1986 and 1987, Curiosity Killed the Cat made their chart debut in the UK with "Down to Earth" reaching #26. This Prefab Sprout inspired sound with jazz and funk influences was becoming more and more popular among bands of that time and they contributed to the sound that would eventually become popular as Sophisti-Pop.
Welcome to 1987!

Azure Blue to Release their Third Studio Album in June

Azure Blue have announced the release of a brand new album the next month. The new album will be entitled 'Beneath the Hill I smell the Sea' and it will be the third album release for Tobias Isaksson's Azure Blue which will also close the the trilogy that started with 'Rule Of Thirds' in 2011 and continued with 'Beyond The Dreams There’s Infinite Doubt' in 2013. The album releases was preceded with the release of the Every Ending Story EP, released in April which also included track remixes by Marsheaux. The album is expected to be released on June 15th. 

Prefab Sprout Announce a New Album for October

It's official, a new Prefab Sprout album will be released this year, on October 7th. The title of the album is 'Crimson/Red'. It is being released by Icebreaker Records, and distributed by Warner ADA. We hope to get more info as well as the artwork, as soon as the official info is out.

The track list is as follows:
1. The Best Jewel Thief In The World
2. The List of Impossible Things
3. Adolescence
4. Grief Built The Taj Mahal
5. Devil Came A Calling
6. Billy
7. The Dreamer
8. The Songs Of Danny Galway
9. The Old Magician
10. Mysterious

Johhny Hates Jazz Return with a New Album in May

Johnny Hates Jazz will release a brand new album on May 6th. The album is entitled Magnetized and it is their first studio album since 1991. The album will be preceded by the single of the same name which will be released on April 29th. The duo recorded the album by teaming up with the fabulous folk at PledgeMusic. A percentage of the proceeds from this album will also go to our chosen charity cause, the World Society For The Protection Of Animals.

  www.johnnyhatesjazz.com

Next Wave: Ice Choir

A Brooklyn based musician Kurt Feldman, originally a member of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, has a new band project called Ice Choir. Ice Choir's smooth and glossy retro synth-pop reminds of Scritti Politti, late OMD and even Johnny Hates Jazz. Just close your eyes to their music and you will dream of 1985.  

Ice Choir is from Brooklyn, it was formed in 2010 and consists of Kurt Feldman, Raphael Radna, Avery Brooks and Patrick South. Their debut album 'Afar' was released on July 31st and it is available on CD and LP.

More info here:
www.icechoir.com
http://www.facebook.com/theicechoir
 

Everything But The Girl To Reissue The First Four Albums

The British sophisti pop duo Everything But The Girl will reissue first four albums which were originally released from 1984-1988. The expanded, two-disc editions of Eden (1984), Love Not Money (1985), Baby the Stars Shine Bright (1986) and Idlewild (1988), come repackaged in case bound, book-style packaging with new liner notes from the duo and all original lyrics. It will also feature bonus discs littered with excellent treats for hardcore fans, including single-only A and B-sides. EBTG albums are reissued by Edsel/Demon and will be available from May 28th.  

http://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk

China Crisis- 'Ultimate Crisis'

China Crisis will release a 34-track double CD compilation entitled 'Ultimate Crisis'. This is their first compilation since 1998 when they released 'The Best of China Crisis'. 'Ultimate Crisis' follows the China Crisis story from 1982's "African And White", the first release on the local 'Inevitable' label that caught the attention of Virgin Records, throughout their singles chart career. The compilation album is out on March 12, 2012 on Virgin Records. Available on Amazon and all the big online music stores.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Crisis-China/dp/B006ZGDC0I

Next Wave: Azure Blue

Azure Blue is a new side project by Tobias Isaksson, an established artist, talented songwriter and a colorful profile on the Swedish pop scene. His musical project is named after the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean as a paraphrase of Dennis Wilson's 'Pacific Ocean Blue'. Supplementing the blue colour come the summery, gentle and sentimental tones of his music. His debut album 'Rule of Thirds' will be released on November 17th 2011. "Catcher in The Rye" is one of the first single releases from the album.

http://www.facebook.com/azurebluesuedeshoes

The Catcher in the Rye by Azure Blue

Elisa Waut

Elisa Waut was a Belgian band which was formed in Bruges in the early 80's. The band consisted of the singer Elsje Helewaut her brother Hans and the bass player Cheri Derycke. Their music is a clear uptempo pop with distinct influence of Jazz, always poetic and sensitive in a shape of melancholic songs. 

Originally intended to become an experiment between brother and sister, the band took shape after they teamed up with the bass player Cheri Derycke who was in the punk & coolwave band Red Zebra before joining Elisa Waut. The band got its first recognition after they won the major Belgian talent contest in 1984 which was not a small accomplishment, considering the peak in Belgian pop music that was happening at that time. During the1985 the the group made their debut releasing a 6 track self titled EP which was followed by two single releases on Ariola, "It Should Be You" and "Growing Pain".

In 1987, Els releases a poetry book "Het arme huis van gisteren", but it also means a breakthrough to the general public with the song "Sailor's don't cry" by "Elsje & Raymond". This song is produced for the soundtrack to the movie of the same name my Belgian director (and rock journalist) Marc Didden. The song is a cooperation between Els and Raymond van het Groenewoud.

In the same year they also released their first full album 'Commedia'. Another album followed in 1989 but none of these albums really generated a major upheaval, big records sales or smash hits : it are just four testimonies of a growing band, ever becoming better a their "thing". The exception to this rule is Japan, where the group was welcomed as the next big thing and the blond figure of Else generated a lot of enthusiasm.

Read the whole story here

The Lotus Eaters- No Sense of Sin Reissue

'No Sense of Sin', the debut album by the British group the Lotus Eaters has been reissued by Cherry Red. The album was originally released in 1984 and featured the hits "The First Picture of You" and "You Don't Need Someone New". The band are still very active, having given an extremely well received performance at the Liverpool Philharmonic Theatre in 2009 and currently putting the finishing touches to a new album.

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/cherryred/artists/lotuseaters.php#cdmred433

The Mary Onettes- Islands

The long awaited new album by the Swedish group The Mary Onettes has been released in the USA today, November 3, 2009. This is the follow-up to their self-titled debut album from 2007. The second album is entitled 'Islands' with the title track "Puzzles" which was released as a single in September. Two songs from the 'Dare' EP are also included on the album.

www.myspace.com/themaryonettes

http://www.themaryonettes.net/

WAW: The Mary Onettes- Islands

The second album by the Swedish indie pop group is about to be released on November 4, 2009. The album is entitled 'Islands' and will be available worldwide. Earlier this year they released the 'Dare' EP with three tracks. The first single from the album "Puzzles" was released on September 30, 2009. Watch the video for it!


The Mary Onettes 'Puzzles' from Labrador Records on Vimeo.

Instant Hit: H2O- I Dream To Sleep

"I Dream To Sleep" was a minor hit for H2O in 1982/83. It was released in England and Germany and appeared on the album Faith from 1984. Their biggest success was as they opened up for Kajagoogoo on their UK tour with this song which reached number #17 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1983. The album has been reissued by Cherry Red Records and includes all songs from the album plus bonus tracks.

Retrovision: The Blue Nile- Tinseltown In The Rain

Instant Hit: Cee Farrow- Lost And Memorized

Cee Farrow was one of the most underrated 80's stars led by Christian F. Kruzinski. They released their only album Red and Blue in 1983 and a year before that the famous Cee Farrow song "Should I Love You" for which they also recorded a slick music video. Cee Farrow tried a comeback in the early 90's, but failed to gain any success. Christian sadly passed away in 1993 due Brain disease attributed by Aids. "Lost and Memorized" was never released as a single, but remains as one of the unforgettable and most played Cee Farrows tunes.

Next Wave: The Mary Onettes

The Mary Onettes is a Swedish band which was formed in 2000. The band was under influence of some 80's music groups including Echo & the Bunny Men and The Cure. After some line up and label changes, they were finally settled with the Swedish indie label ‘Labrador’ which really understood their artistic vision. After releasing few EP’s in the recent years they finally released their self-titled album The Mary Onettes

www.themaryonettes.net
http://www.myspace.com/themaryonettes

Instant Hit: A Drop In The Gray- A Place For You

 The American New Wave group A Drop in The Gray released their debut "All the Same" through Geffen records in 1984. The single was backed by "Fall and Cry" and both songs were included on band's only album Certain Sculptures which was released in 1985. Sadly after another single release the band split.