VIA PRESS RELEASE | Formed in 1984, Fields of the Nephilim is the creation of vocalist and front man Carl McCoy. Highly influential, especially in the world of goth, but also within the metal and electronic genres, their legacy endures to this day. You can hear their influence on bands like Swans, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky, Wolves in The Throne Room, and more.

Dawnrazor is the band’s debut album, originally released in 1987. We are happy to announce a reissue of this title, out December 12th, remastered and available on CD and colored vinyl. The vinyl is pressed on white and is expanded to a double LP for improved fidelity. Several different versions of this album were initially released, featuring different track listings depending on what country you were in. This definitive version includes all 14 album tracks on vinyl for the first time and together on CD for the first time since the five album set.

The album’s opening track contains a sample of the Ennio Morricone theme “Man with the Harmonica” from Sergio Leone’s classic 1968 western film Once Upon a Time in the West. “Preacher Man” is an epic track that is often noted as one of the greatest goth songs of all time. Louder Sound wrote about the title track, saying “Its slow, menacing pace, complete with creepy otherworldly noises and stellar musicianship from the band take this to another level.”

In a remembrance of the album in 2017, The Quietus called their sound “music that sails into the multi-coloured waters of psychedelia” and Metal Hammer wrote that they “gave the UK scene a much-needed shot in the arm, revitalizing the sound by introducing metal’s power and urgency into the sonic mix.”

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Cat Power is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her milestone 2006 album, The Greatest, with “Redux,” a three-song EP arriving digitally and on 10” vinyl via Domino Recording Company on Friday, January 23, 2026. Pre-orders/pre-saves are available now.

Recorded by GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer and longtime collaborator Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, The White Stripes) at Austin, TX’s Church House Studios with backing by Dirty Delta Blues—the all-star supergroup assembled for the world tour that followed The Greatest comprising guitarist Judah Bauer (The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), keyboardist Gregg Foreman (The Delta 72, Jesse Malin), bassist Erik Paparozzi (Lizard Music), and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three, Hard Quartet)—”Redux” includes a brand new re-recording of James Brown’s chart-topping classic, “Try Me.” The track was among those first recorded by the singer-songwriter, otherwise known as, during the original sessions that produced but were never completed.

Redux also includes a stunning rendition of Prince’s iconic “Nothing Compares 2 U,” recorded in tribute to the late, great guitarist Teenie Hodges, a legendary member of The Memphis Rhythm Band that backed Cat Power on The Greatest and with whom she formed a close bond before his passing in 2014. The EP also includes a re-imagined version of one of the many standout tracks on The Greatest, Marshall’s own “Could We,” newly recorded in the arrangement that was performed live on The Greatest Tour with Dirty Delta Blues.

Next year will see Cat Power perform The Greatest in its entirety with a very special series of 20th anniversary live shows beginning February 12, 2026, at Houston, TX’s White Oak Music Hall and then traveling North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom through early November. For updates and ticket information, please visit catpowermusic.com/#tour.

Read More »

Remembering Screaming Lord Sutch, born on this day in 1940. —Ed.

This very heavy solo debut by renowned English loony Screaming Lord Sutch (aka the 3rd Earl of Harrow) comes with some very heavy baggage. And I’m not referring to the late Lord’s Heavy Friends, who included such rock luminaries as Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, John Bonham, Noel Redding, and Nicky Hopkins.

No, I’m talking about the album’s deplorable reputation. A 1998 BBC poll crowned Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends the worst album of all time, to which I can only reply that the people polled did a grave injustice to Rick Wakeman’s The Six Wives of Henry VIII. And plenty of others have heaped scorn upon this benighted 1970 LP, which mortified just about everyone including the people who played on it.

Me, I think they’re being unfair. I rather like Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends, and not as kitsch either. The musicians who recorded the LP would go on to condemn it as a bunch of demos that should never have been released, but to my ears it sounds like rock’n’roll primitivism at its best. The album has a lovably raw-boned, one-take feel to it, and what it lacks in polish (there is no polish) it makes up for in pure bluster and monolithic garage rock raunch. If you’re a fan of “You Really Got Me,” Blue Cheer, the Troggs (and who isn’t a fan of the Troggs?), or any number of sixties garage bands, you’ll most likely dig what’s on offer here.

There’s no denying Sutch was a fascinating character, and that the world was a far more interesting place with him in it. He may have had no more connection with the peerage than the infamous Nazi broadcaster and English traitor Lord Haw-Haw, but during his time on this planet he recorded a whole slew of timeless horror rock classics (“Jack the Ripper,” “Murder in the Graveyard”), basically invented Alice Cooper’s shock-schlock stage act, and ran for Parliament innumerable times, both as a representative of the National Teenage Party and as the proud founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party (that he never won a Parliamentary seat is a sad commentary on the intelligence of your average English voter).

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | One year ago, on November 25, 2024, legendary vocalist Colin Blunstone returned to London’s Union Chapel for a once-in-a-lifetime concert. Performing his landmark 1971 debut solo album One Year in its entirety…including “Say You Don’t Mind,” “Misty Roses,” and “Caroline Goodbye” alongside career favorites, Blunstone was joined by a full ensemble, featuring bandmates from the current Zombies lineup and former Strawbs, plus the Q Strings quartet for a spellbinding evening that instantly became part of his legacy.

Blunstone relates “On the 25th of November 2024 I performed my first solo album “One Year” live in its entirety for the first time at London’s Union Chapel. Looking back this was not an undertaking to be taken on lightly knowing that “One Year” encompasses so many different genres of music. With very little rehearsal time my solo band (Dave Bainbridge, Søren Koch, Chas Cronk and Steve Rodford) and the incredible Q Strings took on the challenge without a moment’s hesitation.”

Now, to honor that unforgettable night, Gonzo Distribution proudly presents Colin Blunstone: One Year And More – Live from Union Chapel, a strictly limited collector’s edition box set, available November 21, 2025. Pre-order the box set and more here.

This exquisite release is designed for true connoisseurs: a 2CD set + full concert DVD, capturing the complete Union Chapel performance in pristine audio and video. It features a luxurious gold foil–embossed box with a gold satin lining, and an exclusive 24-page booklet with never-before-seen photographs of the concert that brought One Year full circle. Each set includes an autographed and numbered certificate, underscoring its scarcity and value.

Read More »

They’ve been described as Toronto’s “evil supergroup.” A foreign reviewer wrote of their, er, blasphemous band moniker, “the name is simple—this is like the best sex that you ever had, only better.” Lo-fi savants, keyboardists Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh produce clamorous, rhythm-heavy electronic rock without the use of laptops or programmed backing tracks—you won’t hear any looping or splicing, for example—preferring to use real drummers and bassists. They don’t practice. They’re more fun than a barrelful of gut-shot high-tech synthpop gadgetry.

Holy Fuck is a great rock ’n’ roll band.

And the proof lies in 2007’s LP, a non-stop thrill ride, or rather a series of thrill rides, which makes the album an amusement park. The price of admission is cheap. The rides are fast, melody plays second fiddle to punk rock propulsion, and Krautrock blitzkrieg “No sleep ‘til Warsaw” get-up and go, and the real drummers (Matt Schulz and Loel Campbell) and bass player (Michael Bigelow) keep things sounding organic. This band operates less on electricity than motor oil and elbow grease, although you never forget you’re listening to machines—it’s just that they’re all fuzz and sizzle, gadgets with dirty faces.

This is noise rock, cataclysm in chains, mayhem in harness, the frazzled dead end of unsanctified sound. You can practically smell the burning.

Holy Fuck have released four albums since LP, but I maintain that it’s the best of them—all raw power, with one plugged-in flamer setting fire to the next, social niceties and subtlety be damned, although it can’t be said that its nine songs are devoid of nuance—even the appropriately titled “The Pulse,” an almost six-minute gallop to the finish line that basically just pushes everything in front of it out of the way, has its little twists in turns, including a couple of brief slowdowns and what sound like some echoing vocals in the middle. And live opener “Super Inuit,” a straight-up Krautrock rave-up if ever I’ve heard one, stops for some breath and what sounds like vocals on its otherwise V2-fast flight towards the center of your mind.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | “You don’t have to be a Michelin-starred chef to know when you are eating a spectacular meal. And you don’t need a doctorate in music theory to enjoy Bach, Eric Dolphy, or Stravinsky. In this beautifully written book, Craig Havighurst reminds us that with an active ear, we all have the potential to participate in the flight of great music.” —Béla Fleck

Music journalist and broadcaster Craig Havighurst is proud to announce his new book, Musicality For Modern Humans: How To Listen Like An Artist, published this week through independent publisher The Sager Group. Inspired by more than 25 years of reporting on music and musicians in Nashville, Havighurst’s guide to the pursuit of musicality will inspire and inform readers of all levels, redefining music appreciation for the 21st century.

Musicality is a self-enrichment book about the inner game of sound-based art for curious people who wish they could get deeper into music, including those who feel confused, overwhelmed, or intimidated. It’s for anyone looking to shake up their habits, get free of algorithms, and listen for more in music across all genres and time periods.

For the past nine years, Craig has been Editorial Director at NPR affiliate WMOT 89.5 FM, where he hosts The String, a thought-provoking weekly interview show covering American roots music. He has reported on Americana music for NPR, The Tennessean, No Depression, Bluegrass Unlimited, Acoustic Guitar, The Wall Street Journal, and other leading outlets.

Read More »

Celebrating Joni Mitchell on her 82nd birthday. —Ed.

After reports that her death was imminent in 2015 after she had an aneurysm, Joni Mitchell has risen, phoenix-like, to resume a somewhat normal life and even make public appearances, although she has difficulties walking.

Through Rhino Records, Mitchell has now embarked on the most ambitious and thus far fruitful archival reissue series of her long and illustrious career. She has never been a fan of greatest hits or archival releases, as she feels they can lead to a halt in sales of individual albums.

The initial batch of archival releases included Live At Canterbury House 1967 as a three-album vinyl set, recorded in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Early Joni as a single vinyl album; and Joni Mitchell Archives – Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963–1967), which included radio, television, live recordings, tapes, demos, and more previously unreleased material as well as the Live at Canterbury House 1967 performances available as a 5-CD set. There has also been the “Joni Mitchell Blue 50 (Demos & Outtakes)” Digital EP Flac release, which includes five previously unreleased recordings from the 1971 Blue sessions.

The latest release is Joni Mitchell The Reprise Albums (1968 – 1971) available as either a 4-CD set, or a limited edition of 10,000 copies, four-LP vinyl box set. The limited edition vinyl box set is beautifully packaged in a slip-case and features authentic gatefold replicas of her first four albums on 180 gram vinyl: Song To A Seagull (1968), Clouds (1969), Ladies Of The Canyon (1970) and Blue (1971).

Mitchell’s debut album is presented in a brand-new mix by Matt Lee, overseen by Mitchell, and all the albums have been remastered by Bernie Grundman. The cover art of the outer box is by Joni Mitchell and there is an essay included by Brandi Carlile. Carlile will actually be performing the entire Blue album at Carnegie Hall on November 7th. She has done this once before in Los Angeles at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2019.

Read More »

I recently caught up with Tytti Roto, who’s been a big part of the Helsinki underground for years—you might know her from Rosettes, Modem, Plastic Tones, or Ty Roxy.

I met Tytti back in September when we played the same Synthicide night, and I was completely blown away by her and her band Modem. They’re a synth-pop duo she started with Ville Valavuo in 2020, drawing on their shared love of the electronic sounds of the ’80s.

When we talked, Tytti was in the studio working on the new Plastic Tones record—her first band—while Modem had just dropped their second full-length, Interface. And knowing her, I’m sure something’s cooking for Ty Roxy too.

Go check it all out: Modem via Don Giovanni Records, Ty Roxy via Fonal Records, and all things Tytti on Instagram.

Radar features discussions with artists and industry leaders who are creators and devotees of music and is produced by Dylan Hundley and The Vinyl District. Dylan Hundley is an artist and performer, and the co-creator and lead singer of Lulu Lewis and all things at Darling Black. She co-curates and hosts Salon Lulu which is a New York based multidisciplinary performance series. She is also a cast member of the iconic New York film Metropolitan.

Celebrating Roy Wood in advance of his 79th birthday tomorrow.
—Ed.

This is what fans of The Move call a masterpiece? You might it expect it to be, seeing as how it’s the product of the bizarre mind of professional eccentric Roy Wood, future co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra and founder of the glam rock band Wizzard. And that’s the major flaw of 1970’s Shazam–despite the presence of Wood, the album isn’t eccentric enough.

The Move take a scattershot approach on Shazam, delving into art rock, classical rock, raga rock, and proto-metal, while also taking stabs at The Beatles and sixties folk rock. But their most important influence is the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and that’s where things fall apart. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band kept whimsical tongue firmly planted firmly in dada cheek, but on Shazam The Move want to have it both ways. They wander into Stanshall/Innes territory on a couple of cuts, but for the most part they play it straight. Shazam is a case of a split personality, and it’s too late for it to seek therapy.

“Cherry Blossom Clinic” makes the comedy grade, what with its light-hearted treatment of “they’re coming to take me away ha ha” lunacy, but the song is ruined for me by the extended foray into the music of Bach and Paul Dukas. Sure, it’s all in fun, but I don’t enjoy being classically gassed–if I wanted to listen to the likes of Bach I’d have to become a different person, because the person I am is bored stiff by the stuff.

Far less funny is the opening of the tender and very serious “Beautiful Daughter,” in which the band takes the same “talk to the man in the street” approach the Bonzo Dog Band employ in their masterpiece of absurdity “Shirts.” Trouble is, with the exception of the old women who responds to the question of whether she likes pop music by saying, “Well, it’s nice in its way, you know some of it, not uh, not when they go naked,” the Q and A just ain’t that funny. One laugh line doesn’t not a comedy classic make.

Read More »

WORDS AND IMAGES: DANA WALSH IN AUSTIN, TX | It was a night of nostalgia, energy, and pure joy as Devo and The B-52s took the stage at Germania Amphitheater in Austin. From the stormy build-up to the electric atmosphere inside, the evening was a rollercoaster of emotions that culminated in unforgettable performances by two iconic bands that helped define an era. Whether you were there to shimmy to “Love Shack” or lose yourself in the chaotic brilliance of “Whip It,” this show was a celebration of bold, unapologetic music that still feels as fresh and fun as ever. Curious how the night unfolded? Let me take you through the highs, the surprises, and the moments that made it magical.

Let me set the scene. The drive to the venue was a stormy adventure—rain on and off for nearly an hour and a half. When I finally pulled in (a solid three hours early), the sky looked ominous, heavy clouds rolling with flashes of lightning in the distance. Dread started to creep in, but I tried to stay hopeful.

About an hour before showtime, the storm hit full force. Then it stopped. Then it threatened again. So, we all waited it out in our cars, refreshing social media for updates. I got a text saying the show was delayed and that they’d keep us posted. A little relief, but still that nervous “what if” feeling. Half an hour later, I noticed a few people walking toward the stairwell where we were supposed to enter. I got out and crossed the lot to check with security. I’d barely been standing there thirty seconds when someone came over the guard’s radio: “They’re letting people in.”

Instant excitement. From our spot, you couldn’t see the main entrance, so it felt deserted—like maybe the storm had scared everyone off. Nope. Once inside, the place was packed. The air was electric, the crowd buzzing with relief and anticipation. The speakers blasted tracks straight out of my high school years, and the nostalgia was real. The anticipation built, and I couldn’t help thinking how much The B-52s and Devo had really helped shape that era. They were bold, bizarre, and utterly unapologetic about being different. We could use more of that today.

Read More »