Remembering Muddy Waters, born on this day in 1913. —Ed.

Where to start with the music of that sly titan of 20th century music Muddy Waters? Some will advise an inquisitive newbie to invest in an exhaustive multi-disc box set that retails in the neighborhood of a Franklin, while a closet Johnny Winter-aficionado might recommend one of his late-‘70s LPs for the Blue Sky label (and that’s definitely not the place to begin.) However, the most sensible way to commence a journey into the everlasting goodness of McKinley Morganfield is to simply follow the path many thousands have already made, and it leads directly to the doorstep of 1958’s extraordinarily enlightening The Best of Muddy Waters.

While a certifiable embarrassment of great LPs have been made since the format was first introduced in 1948, they don’t all command the same level of historical respect, even from individuals that happen to hold a deep relationship to the sounds those less revered records contain. For instance, after giving the realms of heavy-duty music connoisseurship a good inspection, there is no doubt that the Best of/Greatest Hits LP continues to shoulder something of a bad reputation, with its appeal often denigrated as being directed mostly to dabblers.

These records, awarded to artists who had managed to secure a handful of creative and/or commercial highpoints either in one fast spurt or in some period of sustained longevity, are reliably frowned upon by more intense listeners as essentially being easy primers designed by cash hungry record labels with the intention of giving more casual ears a quick fix and some level of conversance (a sort of career Cliff Notes, if you will) to discographies of considerable distinction.

That’s not necessarily an incorrect assessment. But there are other elements in the scenario, as anyone who ever got turned on to Donovan through their parent’s well-worn copy of his wildly popular Greatest Hits LP can surely understand. And when handed down by older siblings as they slouched off to spend four years in a cramped college dorm, the Best of/Greatest Hits album has surely functioned as a gateway into substantial musical discoveries of all types.

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Post-punk legends The Chameleons are gearing up for a brand new full-length album due later this year—their first full-length in over 20 years! They’ve released two new EPs “Where Are You?” and “Tomorrow Remember Yesterday”—the former consisting of new material and the latter of archival material recorded with the current lineup.

Their latest five song EP “Tomorrow Remember Yesterday” is a collection of newly recorded songs whose origins harken back decades. Says Vox, “These songs were amongst the very earliest songs we got together pre-Peel session in 1981, but were discarded at the time due to them feeling unfinished.”

I sat down with vocalist/bassist Vox (fka Mark Burgess) for this episode and it was quite a ride! We talked about Peel Sessions, spotting his favorite Dr. Who on the stairs at the BBC, Steve Lillywhite, LinnDrums, ayahuasca, therapy, love, and The Psychedelic Furs.

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.

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Rough Trade Records is celebrating its formative years with the release of a limited boxset on June 20, 2025, featuring several of its key, early seven-inch singles.

Boasting eight classic 45s that followed the label’s formation out the original Rough Trade shop in West London in 1978, Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1 features the likes of Augustus Pablo, The Raincoats and Young Marble Giants.

The eight singles, which have been recreated especially for this edition, were handpicked by Rough Trade Records co-MDs, Jeannette Lee and Geoff Travis, who were key players in the DIY nexus that formed around the first Rough Trade shop in the late 1970s.

“There wasn’t much commercial thinking behind starting a label out of the first Rough Trade shop, not much planning,” recalls Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records’ beginnings. “We were just doing things out of love really.”

Reflecting this passion behind its foundation, rather than a dry definitive history of the label’s early years, the boxset represents a personal and musical history, as inspired by Rough Trade’s recent 45th anniversary, Geoff and Jeannette have selected tracks that represent moments of true creative spark from the time.

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Remembering Richard Manuel, born on this day in 1943. —Ed.

When I think of The Band, which just happens to be my favorite group in the whole wide world, it’s not “The Weight” that first comes to mind, or “This Wheel’s on Fire” or “Rockin’ Chair” or even the brilliant body of ramshackle demos they recorded with Bob Dylan in the basement of the rented house they dubbed Big Pink in West Saugerties, New York in 1967.

No, what I think about is the scene in 2003’s Festival Express—a documentary about the financially ill-fated but fun for all involved 1970 rock tour that crossed Canada by train—where Rick Danko leads a lounge car full of rock stars (including Janis Joplin and Jerry Garcia) in a wonderfully wasted rendition of “Ain’t No More Cane (On the Brazos).” Danko is so gloriously fucked-up, and his crazed smile and arm-waving performance so full of joy, that it seems the embodiment of the spirit of The Band itself, whose ensemble playing brimmed over with high spirits, camaraderie, and the sheer joy of making music.

The Band—whose country and Motown-tinged roots rock and wonderful songs filled with colorful characters conjured up the topsy-turvy spirit of a mythical and long-lost America—released only one live album during its original incarnation, 1972’s double-live Rock of Ages. Recorded during a triumphant four-night stint at NYC’s Academy of Music as 1971 came to a close, Rock of Ages featured The Band supplemented by a five-piece horn section arranged by New Orleans’ Allen Toussaint, as well as a guest appearance by Bob Dylan. It remains one of rock’s greatest live albums, along with Bob Dylan at Budokan… er, make that Live 1966: The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert and Killdozer’s The Last Waltz, which is not to be confused with another album bearing the same name by a band I can’t think of at the moment.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Bob Moog’s invention of the analog Moog synthesizer ignited an explosion of creativity across the music spectrum. On the classical side, there was Isao Tomita and Wendy Carlos; on the more avant-garde side, such artists as Mort Garson and Craig Leon used the new technology to explore the limits of sound production while rockers like Keith Emerson incorporated the technology into their music.

And, of course, there was also a silly pop side to the synth mania, or “moogsploitation” as some wags put it; albums by The Moog Machine, The Happy Moog, and other similarly-entitled acts provide good examples of that. But the one man straddling all these camps was Gershon Kingsley. Kingsley studied with John Cage before making a pair of groundbreaking albums with fellow electronic music pioneer Jean-Jacques Perry (their “Baroque Hoedown” was the theme for the Main Street Electrical Parade attractions in Walt Disney theme parks).

Kingsley then embarked on a solo career and scored an instant hit with this album, 1968’s Music to Moog By, and its signature track, “Pop Corn.” “Popcorn” (one word) became an international smash for Hot Butter four years later, but Music to Moog By also caught consumer ears with its blend of originals, classical, and especially versions of Beatles tunes (though you will have to excuse the egregious misspelling of “Paperback Writer” as “Paperback Rider”)!

Ever in pursuit of pop music’s most eccentric manifestations, we at Real Gone are proud to reissue Music to Moog By for the first time in the US, complete with the 8-page “The Book of Moog” that was inside some original copies.

Guitarist Mike Baggetta, bassist Mike Watt, and drummer Stephen Hodges comprise the trio mssv. Their latest LP is On and On, available now on vinyl in an edition of 500 copies and digital through BIG EGO Records. The digital release offers eight tracks and the LP adds six band-improvised link pieces to the eight selections to create two continuous and sweetly psychedelic album sides. The vividly twisted cover art by John Herndon of Tortoise complements these atmospheres very nicely. mssv is currently touring and play tonight 4/3 in Washington, DC at the Pearl Street Warehouse.

mssv describe themselves as a post-genre power trio. This essentially means they roam around a lot stylistically, which fits given the band’s diversity of background. Baggetta comes from the jazz scene where he’s part of a contemporary guitar renaissance of sorts. Hodges has recorded extensively as a session drummer with recurring credits in the discographies of Tom Waits and Mavis Staples. And Watt is the highest profile member of mssv, having played a crucial role in the Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and the reunited Stooges plus solo work and additional band projects and session gigs of his own.

Naturally, there is some overlap in the backgrounds that’s pertinent to the formation of mssv. Hodges was one third of the band that recorded Watt’s 1997 album Contemplating the Engine Room. Guitarist Nels Cline completed the Engine Room trio; he joined mssv for a 2-song 45 released in 2022. Most importantly, in 2019 Baggetta and Watt cut the Wall of Flowers album with Jim Keltner on drums. Keltner doesn’t tour, so Hodges stepped in for the live shows, which resulted in Live Flowers, a 2019 CD credited to main steam stop valve (or mssv for short).

From there, mssv has cut three studio full-lengths, Main Steam Stop Valve (2020), Human Reaction (2023), and now, On and On. Two additional 45s, “Media Kittens” b/w “When the Hoarding Has Ended” (2020) and “The Scott Aicher EP” (2021) complete the mssv discography. Baggetta, Keltner, and Watt also released a second album, Everywhen You Go (2022).

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings announce deluxe reissues for Blade and Blade II, from prolific composers Mark Isham and Marco Beltrami. Debuting on vinyl for the first time, both soundtracks—equally celebrated as unique contributions to the film canon—will be released in multiple unique color variants.

Releasing on May 16th and available for pre-order today, these classic scores will be pressed on “Bloodbath” red vinyl exclusively via Barnes & Noble, and “Blood Splatter” clear and black translucent vinyl in a limited-edition run of 500 on the Varèse Sarabande store. Both scores will be available as 2-LP gatefold packages with brand-new artwork by acclaimed illustrator Micha Huigen. Directed for the big screen by effects artist turned filmmaker Stephen Norrington (Death Machine) and written by Dark City’s David S. Goyer (with uncredited assistance from David Fincher, who originally intended to direct), 1998’s Blade tapped into the Goth Avenger vein of the adaptations of The Crow and Spawn.

Like those undead superheroes out to decimate their killers, Blade moved in the shadows of a big city built from eerily sleek visuals and Hong Kong—influenced action, as powered by the relentless beat of the era’s youth-appealing indie, grunge, and electronica bands.

At first offered to The Prodigy, Blade’s score eventually went to Mark Isham, whose origin as a jazz trumpeter didn’t suggest the most predictable fit. It was, though, Isham’s Southwestern gothic score for 1986’s The Hitcher that marked him as a musician worthy of this daunting task.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Following the Eagles’ groundbreaking residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Rhino will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Don Henley’s Inside Job with a newly remastered version on May 23. Henley’s fourth solo album will be reissued in multiple configurations, including a 180g 2-LP, 1CD, and digital versions. Pre-order/pre-save HERE. Giving audiences a preview of what to expect, the newly remastered version of “Taking You Home” is available today, digitally.

Inside Job initially arrived on May 23, 2000. Upon release, it bowed at #7 on the Billboard 200, notching Henley’s highest debut as a solo artist. The album went on to earn a Platinum certification from the RIAA. The lead single, “Taking You Home,” catapulted to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and remains one of the album’s signature songs. Henley co-produced Inside Job with longtime collaborator Stan Lynch, delivering standouts such as “Everything Is Different Now” and “For My Wedding.” The reissue of Inside Job follows 2024 reissues of I Can’t Stand Still (1982), Building The Perfect Beast (1984), and Cass County (2015).

Best known as co-founder of the legendary rock band, the Eagles, as well as an influential solo artist, Don Henley has maintained an extraordinary commitment to music and various philanthropic efforts throughout his career, including a dedication to environmental issues and artists’ rights. Raised in a small East Texas town, Henley was drawn to the sounds of exotic music broadcast from distant radio stations in New Orleans, Nashville, and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. These stations introduced him to the blues, bluegrass, gospel, jazz, and rock and roll, paving the way for his future as an artist.

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My Morning Jacket has been building a following for years and must now be considered one of the few great rock bands with any real visibility on the scene today. While rock seems to continue to wither and die, My Morning Jacket is only growing stronger.

Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky in the late ’90s, the group recorded two albums for the indie Darla label before moving to ATO with It Still Moves in 2003. After three more albums, ATO became part of Capitol, which released the group’s The Waterfall album in 2015. It would be five years before Waterfall II, which was quickly followed the next year by a self-titled album. The group’s main singer and songwriter Jim James also released other albums in that period, including four idiosyncratic and artsy solo albums between 2013 and 2018, with two of them released in 2018.

My Morning Jacket’s music is hard to describe. The group has a somewhat expansive psychedelic sound and an organic and improvisational live-in-the-studio approach that has appeal for lovers of jam bands. Like such old-school American cult faves as the Grateful Dead, R.E.M., and the Flaming Lips, which turned into popular legends by creating their own self-sustaining musical communities, the group is focused on making music on its own terms and slowly building a following. Unlike those groups, it has had a consistently changing lineup, that now includes only two original members, James and Tom Blankenship.

The band’s passionate, idiosyncratic, and heady sound makes for serious listening, but its newest album, its tenth and first in four years, seems like a bid for a larger audience with the production work of Brendan O’Brien. While the group has worked with the likes of John Leckie and Joe Chiccarelli in the past, this seems like their most focused studio effort. There were three singles that preceded the album, which is unusual for the group, and the final ten songs were whittled down from 100 demos. All the songs were written by James.

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On April 4, veteran UK post-punkers The Nightingales, led as ever by vocalist Robert Lloyd, return with The Awful Truth, an appropriately bent reaction to the sorry state of the world. It’s available on red vinyl and compact disc from Fire Records. Joining Lloyd in The Nightingales are Andreas Schmid on bass, Fliss Kitson on drums, and James Smith on guitar.

Formed in 1979, The Nightingales rose from the ashes of The Prefects, an exquisitely amateurish first wave punk outfit noted for their inclusion on the White Riot tour of The Clash and for playing with UK punk heavyweights Buzzcocks, The Damned, The Fall, and The Slits. The Prefects didn’t get a record out until after they’d broken up, but The Nightingales managed three full-lengths, three EPs, and seven singles during the first stretch of their existence, which lasted until 1987 amid a slew of personnel changes. Recommencing activity in 2004, the sole constant has been vocalist Robert Lloyd.

In their initial run, The Nightingales pulled off an impressive feat, increasing in competence without softening their sound for the mainstream, instead leaning into a bold strain of post-punk, often with a raw, wild edge, and with nods to indie pop and the UK DIY scene. This made them John Peel favorites. All three of the ’80s full lengths, Pigs on Purpose (1982), Hysterics (1983), and In the Good Old Country Way (1986) have been reissued by Fire subsidiary Call of the Void.

The Nightingales haven’t floundered in their return to action (Lloyd seems to have gotten the misstep out of his system with a 1990 major label solo album Me and My Mouth). And this second stretch of Nightingales action has reinforced similarities to fellow punk-era survivors with an edge The Membranes and The Mekons. Deepening a connection to The Mekons, The Awful Truth’s opener “The New Emperor’s New Clothes” is a spirited stomper with viola in the mix.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “A triumph of creativity, imagination, and spirit.” —Classic Rock Magazine

Few albums in Gong’s discography capture the band’s whimsical, irreverent take on life’s complexities and the enigma of death as vividly as 2014’s I See You. Now, the legendary psychedelic collective mark a decade since the release with a brand-new 10th Anniversary Edition on Kscope. Set for release on Kscope on May 9th, the new edition has been remixed from the original multi-track recordings by Frank Byng, producer and sound engineer of the last four Gong albums.

This milestone reissue celebrates not only the existential beauty of Gong’s music, but also the enduring legacy of frontman and visionary Daevid Allen, whose boundless creativity continues to resonate with fans worldwide. I See You was the final studio album featuring Daevid Allen before his passing in 2015 and stands as a testament to his vibrant spirit and revolutionary ethos. Infused with the anarchic energy that defined Gong’s origins in the 1968 Paris counterculture movement, I See You takes its place as one of the finest gems in the band’s heroic catalogue.

“Daevid Allen’s final album, I See You is such a transitional Gong record in so many ways, not that any of us realised it at the time. Work on the album had just commenced around the time I was asked to join and Daevid was in fine health but by the time we were at the mixing stage he was undergoing intense treatment for his cancer which would ultimately prove unsuccessful.”

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