Pepe Deluxé - Queen Of The Wave
(CD/LP) Catskils RIDCD23, 2012-01-30

Queen of the Wave is the fourth record from Finnish duo Pepe Deluxé. Their first album, Super Sound, released in 1999 on Catskills Records, has aged quite much since then. Their second one, Beatitude, from 2003, saw them starting to write real songs, with arrangements to be filed between DJ Shadow, The Herbaliser and The Beatles. It was one of the major electronic album releases of the year. Pepe Deluxé came back in 2007 with Spare Time Machine, a tripped-out, psychedelic masterpiece that didn't really fit in any category anymore. So to say we were expecting this new album is no exaggeration, and this is indeed a new, in-your-face, kind of eccentric thing. From bizarre pop to 60's psychedelic rock, from science-fiction to metaphysics, from heavy drums to pastoral folk, this is an intense piece of music excellence that won't fit in the big beat/future jazz niche the band used to blend in. Favorite tracks include the prog-rock-ish Queenswave, the big-beatlesy A Night And A Day, the trip-hop ballad My Flaming Thirst and the ravaging Queen-on-peyote The Storm. Already a contender for the best albums of the year selection!

The Real Tuesday Weld - Songs for The Last Werewolf
(CD/Digital) Six Degrees Records, 2011-07-12 (US and digitally everywhere)
(Special Edition CD) Crammed Discs, 2012-01-16 (Europe)

A widescreen cinematic emotional cabaret, Soundtrack for the Last Werewolf is the sixth The Real Tuesday Weld album and follows the Sunday Times and The Independent album of the week The London Book of the Dead. It' been released by Six Degrees in the US on July 12th and internationally thereafter. It features a range of special guests including Glen Duncan, The Puppini Sisters, Pinkie Maclure and Joe Coles of Lazarus Plane Crash. A very special edition of the album with written pieces by Glen, artwork by Catherine Anyango and exclusive tracks will be released by Crammed discs in Europe in October. We've been fans of The Real Tuesday Weld's swinging chamber orchestral sunshine bitterpop for years and can't wait to see this released over here!!
Read the Paris DJs interview with The Real Tuesday Weld : in english or in french.

Lanu - Roosevelt Blues & Acoustic EP
(Digital single) Tru Thoughts TRUDD038, 2011-12-19

Out digitally on 19th December, this third single release from Lanu's acclaimed Her 12 Faces album brings the limelight to rest on the beautifully folksy Roosevelt Blues featuring Megan Washington, an infectiously fanciful and evocative song telling imagined tales of soirees spent rubbing shoulders with ghosts of gangsters and Charlie Chaplin at the eponymous LA hotel. Inspired by a US DJ tour taken by Lance Ferguson (aka Lanu), Roosevelt Blues is as much a product of the crazy urban legends and history he delighted in soaking up, as of the records he delighted in buying, digging into both the crates and the culture of America's West Coast. Perfectly complementing the leftfield folk stylings of the lead track, this release also brings a set of four absolutely beautiful new acoustic versions of other songs from the album. All voiced by Washington, the tracks reworked here include the two previous singles, Beautiful Trash and Fall; plus Hold Me Down, a modern twist on a heart-rending Bacharach-style ballad; and the delicate, lo fi indie/electronica of Wire, transformed by glorious finger-picked guitar in this incarnation. The latter three are exclusive and previously unreleased.

Mushroom - I Don't Remember Yesterday, Today It Rained
(Live at the Tip Top Inn, San Francisco March 1st, 2000)
(Limited CDR 100 copies/Digital) 4 Zero Records FZ008, 2011-07-11

Mushroom has been ranks among the top 5 psychedelic rock bands out there for so many years I've stopped counting. It's just one of my favorite bands ever, and either you're a good friend of mine and read/heard about Mushroom already, or you're not a close relative and surely never heard about them - even though that's their 17th album since 1997… This particular night was a special night for Mushroom, the band was debuting a new bass player; Jeff Palmer. Another unusual aspect of that night was the use of a 3 piece horn section helmed by trumpeter Marc Capelle (long time sideman of Mark Eitzel and American Music Club), trombonist Carroll Ashby (a veteran of Mushroom’s 1999 European tour) and Mushroom co-founder Erik Pearson on saxophone. Rounding out the line-up was keyboardist John Sanders, drummer Pat Thomas and percussionist Dave Mihaly. Mushroom’s sound is ever changing and evolving and on this night, it's evident that the band was channeling a lot of early 1970’s progressive British jazz - such as Ian Carr's Nucleus, The Keith Tippet Group, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath and Soft Machine’s Third.

Read the full review of this album by Mr. Moo
Read the extensive interview from Pat Thomas
Download Mr. Moo presents Mushroom pt.1 mix (sept 2011)
Download Mr. Moo presents Mushroom pt.2 mix (oct 2011)

Piers Faccini - My Wilderness
(CD/Digital) Six Degrees Records, 2011-10-11

Piers Faccini is a soulful and expressive singer/songwriter whose music fuses folk and West African textures. His debut album found critical acclaim in Europe and brought comparisons to classic artists like Nick Drake. His latest release, My Wilderness, adds even more colors to his musical palette with contributions from Six Degrees label-mate the French cellist Vincent Segal (whose beautiful Chamber Music release was one of last year's biggest world music hits). The record once again features Piers' completely unique mix of poetic ballads and hypnotic rhythms. Piers Faccini's world is cruel and sensuous, punctuated by drums and softened by strings and violin bows. This is a world which exists to be sung and danced to and travelled to. A wilderness of our own.

Various - ¡Chicas! - Spanish Female Singers 1962-1974
(CD/2xLP) Vampisoul VAMPI130, 2011-07-11

An irresistible collection of ye-yé, rock & roll, twist, beat, garage, rhythm & blues, soul and Latin sounds! From the early 60s and a difficult political and social context, Spanish female singers - and those who moved to Spain- disregarded conventions and overcame all barriers to be part of a music movement that shook the Spanish society of the period. For a while now, various compilations have been released in Spain documenting styles, scenes and artists belonging to such happening decades (creatively speaking) as the 50s, 60s and 70s, and nevertheless, there hasn't been one featuring only female contributions to the cause. Because we could never thank them enough for their effort, Vampisoul brings you this first volume of ¡Chicas!, showing how this exquisite group of Spanish girls covered with talent, class and glamour the period ranging from 1962 to 1974.

Jonti - Twirligig
(CD/LP/Digital) Stones Throw STH2270, 2011-10-18

Multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and vocalist, Jonti, began assembling music after his departure from South Africa to Australia. Spending countless hours studying records like they were books, processing each song, this became Jonti's music school, testing his theories on a 4-track recorder. Jonti has now recorded with Mark Ronson, Santigold, Sean Lennon and the Dap-Kings, as well as producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile). For Jonti's debut album, coming this fall on Stones Throw, he went the opposite route, doing everything himself, start to finish. The album, Twiligig draws inspiration from many of Jonti's favorite artists: Madlib, Stereolab, Free Design and The Beach Boys. But Twirligig's main inspiration came from cartoonist/ filmmaker Norman Mclaren. Jonti explains, "His films are complex, but they're still fun. You can feel his enthusiasm for techniques and experimentation. I try make simple pop songs with that same enthusiasm." Although Jonti describes his music as simple, label head Peanut Butter Wolf sees it as anything but that. "I understand the pop references because his music is so catchy, but the arrangements blew me away. I couldn't figure out how the hell he did what he did. That he did it all on his own at such an early age kinda scared me. I knew right away I needed to add him to the roster." You will soon understand why Stones Throw is proud to present it's first Australian signing Jonti as a new member of the family.

Fink - Perfect Darkness / Berlin Sunrise
(promo CD/Digital Single) Ninja Tune ZENDNLS303, 2011-10-03

As his highly anticipated autumn tour draws near, enigmatic folk-rocker Fink announces the release of double A-side Perfect Darkness/Berlin Sunrise. Produced by Billy Bush the smoldering atmospheric passion and melancholy of Perfect Darkness is beautifully matched with the uplifting and seductive Berlin Sunrise. Both songs have already become firm live favourites, and feature on Fink's recently released and critically acclaimed album Perfect Darkness. Hotly tipped vocalist and Ninja Tune label-mate Andreya Triana has recorded a stunning version of Perfect Darkness. Having previously worked with Fink on her 2010 album, Lost Where I Belong, the highly talented South London singer-songwriter lends a beautiful smoky soul to the bewitching Fink album opener, transforming it into an ethereal, dreamy lights-down anthem. Perfect Darkness has also been remixed by the upcoming, widely acclaimed producer Lapalux who has reworked the track into a five minute blaze of gloriously glitchy electronica reminiscent of Flying Lotus and James Blake. Legendary MyMy producer and Berlin-based DJ Lee Jones has been on remix duties for track Berlin Sunrise, lending a laid back, deep house groove and an understated euphoria to the intoxicating original vocal line.

AM & Shawn Lee - Celestial Electric
(CD/Digital) Eighteen Street Lounge Music ESL184, 2011-09-06

The L.A. to London, transatlantic musical collaboration between AM and Shawn Lee was conceived after AM heard Lee's Music And Rhythm album on the radio in Los Angeles and reached out to him via email. The two became quick friends sharing a love for vintage grooves and 60's and 70's soundtrack music and decided to embark on making an album 21st century style. With AM in Los Angeles and Shawn Lee in London the two began bouncing tracks back and fourth resulting in Celestial Electric; a musical match made in cyberspace propelling the duo into their best work yet. AM's honeyed vocals ride a driving percussion section straight into walls of shimmering guitars and glassy keyboards pulling elements as disparate as Gary Numan, Jorge Ben, and Ariel Pink into perfect future pop.

Jono McCleery - There Is
(CD/Digital) Counter Records COUNTCD41/COUNTDNL41, 2011-09-05

At last, after a long and careful gestation, Jono McCleery is ready to release his first album with Counter Records, There Is. Jamie Woon recently described him in The Observer as "a really fantastic… singer-songwriter", but There Is proves there's much more to him than that. McCleery has taken his wonderful, timeless voice and the sheer skill of his songwriting and, with producer Fybe's talent for electronics, and Matt Kelly's arrangements, made a startlingly beautiful and contemporary record. Jono McCleery completed his first album, Darkest Light, in 2008. The record was self-produced and funded by fans, including folk-star Vashti Bunyan and BBC radio DJs Tom Robinson and Fiona Talkington. Jono has toured with the likes of Gil Scott Heron, Jamie Woon, Bonobo, Fink, Jose Gonzales, Little Dragon and the Portico Quartet and cites his main influences as John Coltrane, Nick Drake, Bill Withers, Jeff Buckley, John Martyn and Nina Simone. With There Is he has made a record of real soul and subtlety, one which fully showcases his wonderful voice but also works in its own right as a scintillating collection of music.