VIA PRESS RELEASE | Jane Weaver’s illustrious career has produced an expansive library of music that has seen her journey through solo folkloric and pop-leaning beginnings through to the psychedelic synth-pop explorations of today. Celebrating her pioneering vision, Fire Records will be deep diving into her early catalogue with a new reissue series set for release in 2026.

On its 15th Anniversary, we revisit The Fallen By Watch Bird with a special expanded edition double vinyl release that will include “The Watchbird Alluminate”—featuring Demdike Stare, The Focus Group, Anworth Kirk, and Samandtheplants. The album will be performed for the first time in its entirety by Jane and the sonic sisterhood group of Septieme Soeur, including harpist Serafina Steer (Bas Jan), guitarist and singer Emma Tricca, Welsh folk artist Lisa Jen (9Bach), and guitarist Joel Nicholson (Jane Weaver Band), with accompanying storybook visuals and film.

A formative masterpiece from her ever-growing discography, The Fallen By Watch Bird is a tapestry of psychedelic femme-folk-rock drawing influences from Eastern European children’s cinema, Germanic kunstmärchen, ’70s television music, and ’80s electronic scores. Steeped in synths and mysticism, the fully realised conceptual record weaves imagery of absent sailors, telekinesis, bird messengers, and white witchcraft alongside pagan themes of death and rebirth.

Presented across seven chapters it features performances from Septieme Soeur Wendy Flower of Wendy & Bonnie folk pop duo who released 1969’s Genesis, Lisa Jen Welsh, vocalist on Gruff Rhys’ Candylion, lost American folk-pop singer Susan Christie, and Bosnian folk music singer and violinist Behar.

Read More »

Remembering Alex Harvey, born on this day in 1935. —Ed.

What the fuck is this? Glam hangers-on The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were a uniquely Scottish phenomenon, trainspotting and pronouncing the word “garage” the way Elton John does in his song “Levon.” Which is just another way of saying that hardly anybody in the U.S. of A. outside of Cleveland ever laid ears on ‘em, much less considered ‘em sensational.

And small wonder, because the Sensational Alex Harvey Band were simply too esoteric gonzo in the grand tradition of unapologetic English eccentrics for mass consumption. Pub rock heroes with progressive rock tendencies who weren’t afraid to shamelessly camp it up for the Glitter kids, SAHB liked to keep the punters guessing, as 1973’s Next demonstrates.

On the band’s sophomore LP you get some Mott rock, a faux-snakeskin swamp blues, an esoteric hoodoo jive number called “Vambo Marble Eye,” some straight-up Glam Rock, and a couple of numbers so completely over the top flamboyant they make David Bowie and Gary Glitter look like wallflowers. Fact is I’ve never heard anything like ‘em outside the canons of Jobriath, Meatloaf, and Morrissey.

All of which to say is that Alex Harvey and Company were some twisted people, as their madcap live shows proved. Superhero costumes, props, you name it–these anything goes eclectitions (a word I just made up!) put every bit as much outré energy into their stage act as Alice Cooper or Jethro Tull, and their fanatical UK cult following adored them for it.

The LP opens on a cheesy blues note with piano stomper “Swampsnake”–on which Harvey plays some very ornery harmonica and does some serious over-emoting–before taking a very “whatever were they thinking?” wrong turn with “Gang Bang,” which sounds like your standard Mott the Hoople pub rocker but flunks every known morality test with its chorus “Ain’t nothing like a gang bang/To blow away the blues.”

Read More »

PHOTOS: MATTHEW BELTER | For over four decades, KMFDM has served as the unflinching, sawtooth-edged conscience of industrial rock. Led by the inimitable Sascha “Käpt’n K” Konietzko, the band has consistently delivered a barrage of politically charged, sonically abrasive anthems that have defined and redefined the genre.

Their legacy is one of relentless innovation and fierce independence, a “dope-show” of industrial metal, pounding electronics, and sardonic commentary that has influenced countless artists. Now, with their 24th studio album, ENEMY, the band proves they are as vital and ferocious as ever.

Set for release on February 6, 2026, ENEMY arrives as a defiant statement in a world grappling with rising instability and social tension. This album is a testament to the enduring power of the current lineup. Konietzko’s visionary production and snarling vocals remain the anchor, while Lucia Cifarelli delivers her signature blend of ethereal melodies and commanding aggression.

Longtime drummer Andy Selway provides a relentlessly powerful rhythmic foundation, and the album marks the studio debut of guitarist Todor Nieddu, whose sharp, incisive riffs add a fresh layer of intensity to the band’s sound. In addition, Annabella Konietzko contributes her first songwriting credit with KMFDM, and her contribution and vocals are straight fire.

Read More »

Lulu Lewis, the duo of vocalist-songwriter Dylan Hundley and multi-instrumentalist-songwriter Pablo Martin, has amassed an impressive studio discography over the last decade, blending elements of synth-pop, post-punk, and electro pop into an edgy, danceable whole. On February 6, a welcome performance document arrives, as Lulu Lewis release Salon Lulu – Live at The Bridge via Ilegalia Records through Bandcamp.

That same evening, the group is playing live at the O+ Exchange Space at 334 Wall Street in Kingston, NY, and on February 20, they will be at the Strummer Bar venue for their debut in Buenos Aires. More on the latest from these erudite globetrotters below.

Salon Lulu – Live at The Bridge has a photo of a venue as its cover, and that’s sweet. But that space, the Two Bridges Luncheonette, is not where this live set was recorded. The locale was instead The Bridge Studio in Brooklyn, with the tight, robust performance captured with high-quality gear in crisp audio, taking place on May 10 of last year with an appreciative audience in attendance.

Why the Two Bridges Luncheonette? That was the Dimes Square venue and snack spot (no longer extant) that hosted the nine-week residency that evolved into the ongoing Lulu Lewis events program Salon Lulu. The Bridge Studio performance is described by Hundley as the culmination of the extended flow of musical expression and community building that began at Two Bridges Luncheonette and continues to thrive as Salon Lulu.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | The Spirit of Ani is a captivating journey of intimate reflections with Ani DiFranco, a pathbreaking, highly original artist of our time. In this powerful collaborative work, the legendary folk-rock star and feminist icon is in conversation with author, artist, and cultural anthropologist Lauren Coyle Rosen.

In these exchanges, Ani is remarkably open about her creativity, spirituality, personal experiences, and evolving consciousness. She is vulnerable and unapologetic, offering an unprecedented window into her fiercely prolific journeys.

Expanding on themes from her best-selling memoir, Ani also offers fascinating reflections on contemporary popular culture—ranging from gender and queer politics, to the music industry in the virtual age, to climate change. The book includes previously unpublished photographs and journal entries, song-birth sheets, paintings, and the lyrics for some of her most treasured songs.

The coauthors explore how Ani’s music and art are profoundly tied to her experiences of the interconnectedness of all consciousness and tuning in to receive creative inspiration. Ani’s striking openness produces a book that is both meditative and activating. This is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the dedication, intuition, and vision that drive Ani’s lifelong journey of creating art that not only reflects, but also empowers, transforms, and heals.

Three recent releases, two reissues, and one soundtrack album spotlight guitar gods who, in varying degrees, fuse rock, jazz, and blues to create their own unique musical vision.

John McLaughlin remains one of the most innovative and relevant guitarists to first emerge in the 1960s. In fact, his guitar prowess, insatiable search for new sounds, and penchant for playing music that seems light-years ahead of his peers may have been matched only by Jeff Beck in the 21st century. Like many British guitarists, he began in the London blues scene. Unlike his contemporaries, however, he detoured away from the rock god road and pursued a jazz journey.

His work with Miles Davis, his solo albums, and his formation of both the Mahavishnu Orchestra, which defined the jazz-fusion movement, and Shakti, which, while crossing jazz and Indian music, were forerunners of world music, are peerless. Now, McLaughlin tackles another musical realm with startling results. His latest release, Music for Abandoned Heights, is the soundtrack album for a movie that never happened.

As a standalone album, it’s a rare gem. Influenced by the Miles Davis soundtrack for the 1958 Louis Malle film Elevator to the Gallows, Abandoned Heights began in 2019 and, unlike the Paris-set Malle film, was set in New York. McLaughlin began working on the score, which was eventually recorded in London, after reading the script, even before he saw any film footage.

Read More »

Celebrating John Steel on his 85th birthday. —Ed.

In addition to The Beatles and Stones, the British Invasion produced numerous other noteworthy groups, and one of the most successful was The Animals. A serious-minded bunch led by that brawny-throated student of American blues and early rock ‘n’ roll Eric Burdon, they persist in the modern memory mainly for their hit singles. But on the subject of albums, they also had a few very good ones, though differing US and UK editions have frustrated collectors on both sides of the Atlantic for years. Of the two versions of their 1964 debut The Animals, the Brit issue may not be the best, but it does give a deep glimpse into what this no-nonsense, solidly rocking band was initially all about.

Eric Burdon seems like the kind of cat who’d rather keel over dead than quit singing. Nearly fifty years after his first album came out he’s still out there doing it on stages, and like the R&B legends that provided him with his formative inspiration, his continued activity comes without a whole lot of pomp and circumstance. Because he played an enjoyably quirky role in the landslide of ‘60s psychedelic rock by fronting a later incarnation of The Animals and proceeded from that to get his fingers nice and funky on a pair of albums in collaboration with the California groove merchants War, Burdon’s profile has easily transcended the outfit that began in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1962, when he joined up with a group then called The Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo.

In addition to Burdon and organist/keyboardist Price, the other members were Hilton Valentine on guitar, John Steel on drums, and Bryan “Chas” Chandler on bass. Rechristened as The Animals and following the advice of Yardbirds’ manager Giorgio Gomelsky, who obviously saw something in the band’s early stage act that was comparable to the act under his supervision, they moved to London and quickly hit the big time.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Latino honors the legendary late bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri with a reissue of his 1971 masterpiece, Vámonos pa’l monte. A landmark title in both the Latin jazz and salsa canons, the album features such timeless tracks as “Revolt/La libertad logico,” “Comparsa de los locos,” and “Vámonos pa’l monte,” and boasts an all-star line-up, including Charlie Palmieri, Nicky Marrero, Ronnie Cuber, and Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros.

Long-out-of-print, Vámonos pa’l monte returns to its original format on March 20th, with pre-orders live now and featuring all-analog (AAA) mastering from the original tapes. The album is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a replica of its original Tico Records jacket. Palmieri fans can also find a limited-edition “Barro & Humo” (Clay & Smoke) color pressing (only 300 copies), as a stand-alone or bundled with a collectible Tico Records T-shirt, exclusively via Fania.com. Fans can also enjoy the remastered album in both standard and HD digital audio available now on digital music platforms.

Multiple GRAMMY® Award–winning bandleader, composer, arranger and pianist Eddie Palmieri (1936–2025) was a larger-than-life musical figure. Known for his percussive, highly physical piano technique and his innovative blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz, Palmieri was a pivotal force in shaping the sound of Latin music.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | Beck is sending us all a very special Valentine’s Day gift in the form of Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime, a beautifully crafted eight-song mini-album collecting some of his most beloved standalone singles and soundtrack contributions, eclectic cover versions and a couple of exclusive previously unreleased recordings.

Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime is of course named for Beck’s version of the Korgis’ dusty gem that first stole hearts on the soundtrack to 2004’s The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and has since remained a frequent fixture of Beck’s live shows, especially his orchestral performances of the last few years. Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love’”and The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes for You” receive faithful and reverent renditions, as do tributes to John Lennon (“Love”) and Caetano Veloso (“Michelangelo Antonioni”).

The beguiling “Ramona,” from the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World soundtrack, is the sole Beck original here, while never-before-recorded versions of two of Beck’s signature reinterpretations—Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and Daniel Johnston’s “True Love Will Find You in the End”—round out this formidable Valentine’s Day mixtape.

Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime is available now across DSPs, and will see its physical release on February 13th on opaque red vinyl, which can now be pre-ordered HERE.

Celebrating Lol Tolhurst on his 67th birthday. —Ed.

How close-minded am I? I’ll tell you. When my girlfriend asked me about The Cure I told her I wasn’t really familiar with much more than their megahits. When she went on to suggest I’d like them, I told her, “Sure, about as much as I’d like to have railroad spikes driven into my eyes.”

But love is blind—having railroad spikes driven into your eyes will do that—so I agreed solely on her behalf to give the legendarily mopey Robert Smith, who has always struck me as Morrissey minus the saving sense of ironic wit—and Company a listen. And gosh darn it if I didn’t find I liked them. They weren’t the unremitting bummer I expected, which I should have known from having heard the great “Just Like Heaven” and “Friday I’m in Love.”

Sure, Smith can be a downer. But the Cure weren’t just jauntier than I anticipated; they were also tougher. The introspective Smith may be the least likely pugilist this side of Brian Eno, but his braggadocio on “Fight,” the closing cut of 1987’s double LP Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, proves he knows his way around a pair of brass knuckles. The same goes for the king snake of a tune that is “The Snake Pit,” a savage and ponderous drone of a tune that will slither right off the stereo and bite you, as well as for the guitar-heavy opening cut “The Kiss,” on which Smith spits bile and vitriol, mostly to the effect of “I wish you were dead.” Which rhymes wonderfully with “Get your fucking voice out of my head.”

As I mentioned, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me is a double LP, and like most double albums contains its share of filler. Like the “funky” “Hot Hot Hot!!!,” which one critic cryptically labeled “a tragedy of trenchfoot” before concluding that even he knew Smith has “better stuff hidden in that mop of his.” Meanwhile, the vaguely Indian-tinged “Like Cockatoos” is a bore, while the exotic drums and sax of “Icing Sugar” promise much but fail to deliver. As for “Torture” it’s aptly named, and not even its big drug thump and all Smith’s warbling and wailing can hide its lack of a catchy melody.

Read More »