We conclude our deep dive into the Guerssen label’s recent and upcoming output with a proper inspection of two terribly scarce LPs seeing reissue on January 19 by the Nicaraguan psychedelic Latin funk supergroup Poder del Alma (“Soul Power”), their self-titled debut from 1974 and its follow-up from the following year, Poder del Alma II. Cut by an evolving lineup organized and led by Román Cerpas, the records share a dynamic sound that’s intensity and vividness is particularly sharp on the second effort. The Latin groove heat is substantial.

Poder del Alma’s roots are in the devastating Nicaraguan earthquake of December 23, 1972, which destroyed much of Managua and killed over 20,000 people. Understandably, rebuilding was difficult and international help was needed. Nearly a year later, the band Santana came to Nicaragua to play a benefit for the victims. To secure an appropriately powerhouse opening act for a crowd of 44,000 people (Nicaragua’s biggest audience ever), the concert’s promotor Alfonso Lovo Jr. worked diligently to assemble an all-star combo.

A far more thorough accounting of Poder del Alma’s development comes via Ruffy “TNT” in the booklet that accompanies these albums, but it suits this review to say the group stuck together and under the guidance of multi-instrumentalist and musical director Román Cerpas, they desired to cut a record. To do so meant traveling outside the country, as studio facilities in Managua were compromised due to the quake.

To Guatemala they went, but the studio hosting them had fewer instruments than promised, plus equipment issues and a real jerk for a producer. Still, Poder del Alma cut the record, and if not as sonically crisp as the follow-up, the first set is the more psychedelic of the two. This quality is in large part a byproduct of the acid guitar of René “Chapo” Dominguez, heard straightaway in opener “El Valle del Ayatimbo” with its wailing soaring solos.

Read More »

Cleethorpes, UK | Cleethorpes record shop sees ‘busiest month ever’ as sales of vinyl soar across the UK: Matt Driver opened Howlin’ Jacks Record Store in early 2021 and has had good business ever since – December 2023 was his busiest month ever since opening. A Cleethorpes record store has had its “busiest month on record” since opening three years ago, as the sales of vinyl continue to soar across the UK. Matt Driver, who owns Howlin’ Jacks Record Store on High Street, said he “didn’t know what to expect” when he embarked on his business venture in January 2021, but has seen a steady influx of both regular and new customers. The store was so successful that within a few months of opening, he had to move to larger premises – and in December 2023, sales were at the highest they have ever been. …Matt told Grimsby Live: “I’ve been open for nearly three years and the sales in my shop have gone up and up. December has been our best month since we opened.”

Hull, UK | How business is booming at Hull record shop as vinyl sales reach highest levels since 1990: Out Of The Attic opened the day the first lockdown lifted in 2020 and has never looked back. If you’re a music lover you may well have unwrapped a turntable or a few new vinyl records for Christmas this year as interest in the decades-old format continues to bounce back. According to the British Phonographic Industry – the trade body representing the music sector – sales of vinyl LPs have reached their highest levels since 1990 in the UK. Independent record stores and the resurgent success of the likes of high-street stalwart HMV have played a pivotal part in the demand. Though more than 80 per cent of recorded music is now heard through streaming, sales of vinyl records have increased 16 years in a row and went up by 11.7 per cent year-on-year in 2023 to 5.9 million units. Even sales of audio cassettes have held up after a recent resurgence, topping 100,000 for a fourth consecutive year.

Uxbridge, MA | Past has presence at new music store in Uxbridge: Alyssa Lincoln grew up surrounded by vinyl records, turntables and music from before her time. Lincoln’s father and grandfather both moonlighted as DJs. The the music of her childhood ranged from her grandfather’s 1930s Mills Brothers records to Amy Winehouse’s then-current but retro-sounding radio hits, which inspired her to come up with her own melodies. “I’ve been writing since I was 6 years old. I can remember writing silly songs that a 6-year-old would write about,” Lincoln said. Now 21, Lincoln is carrying on her family’s musical tradition by founding her own record store in her hometown of Uxbridge. Retro Records will hold its grand opening, set for Jan. 6. Customers will be able to browse a wide range of vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs featuring music released between the 1930s and 1990s. “A lot of people have been asking about it, interested, intrigued by what I’m doing. That makes me look forward to the opening, and I think it’ll go well,” Lincoln said.

UK | Vinyl fans and traders tell of love for LPs as sales soar: While more than four fifths of recorded music is consumed via streaming, vinyl continues to make a comeback. Sales rose by 11.7% to 5.9 million units in 2023, increasing for the 16th year in a row, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade group. BBC News spoke with traders and customers in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire about the LP’s enduring appeal. Tim Laws sifts through dozens of LPs in The Beatles section of Spin-It Records in Hull’s Trinity Market. He’s hoping the Fab Four can add some Sixties sparkle to his family’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. Established in 1993, we are in what the owners claim to be the UK’s oldest vinyl-only record shop. More than 15,000 LPs and 7,000 singles, many with weird and wonderful sleeve designs, adorn the shelves. Mr Laws says: “I’m 64 years old and I’ve loved music and records my whole life. Records are like books—they last forever.”

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | The two records industrial/metal/glam outfit Orgy released on the Elementree label (started by Korn’s Jonathan Davis) at the turn of the century remain among the most requested albums of the era for vinyl release. Here they are at last, each remastered for LP and issued with lavish gatefold packaging.

Orgy was the first act signed by Korn’s Jonathan Davis to his Elementree imprint, and the move paid off right away with their 1998 debut, which went Top 30 and scored a huge hit with its cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday.” Somehow, though, this enduring late-‘90s favorite has eluded a vinyl release…till now! With the full cooperation of the band, we’ve had it remastered for vinyl (by Mike Milchner of Sonic Vision) and placed this platter inside a beautiful gatefold jacket. Clear with red and yellow swirl pressing.

Orgy welcomed the new millennium with another smash album replete with sci-fi themes appropriate to the epochal period of its release (and no doubt influenced by the previous year’s unveiling of The Matrix). Our debut vinyl issue includes the bonus track “The Spectrum” that only appeared on the first 1,000 copies of the CD, and comes in a dazzling gatefold jacket. Remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner of Sonic Vision, and pressed in red and yellow “plasma” vinyl.

Joni Mitchell’s career hit a high-water mark with Blue in 1971. The album, her fourth and last release on Reprise, defined the confessional singer-songwriter album genre and still resonates forcefully as a major work today. Mitchell would expand her sound after this monumental release and move to Asylum Records. This box set focuses on For The Roses, Court and Spark, and Hissing of Summer Lawns, her first three albums on Asylum, although there is plenty of material here (mostly live) from earlier albums.

For The Roses further fleshed out the folk, art-song and folk-rock of previous albums, but Court and Spark was a richly-drawn commercial breakthrough and perhaps her popular peak. Hissing of Summer Lawns was the album that first drew some unwarranted criticism and questioning of Mitchell’s musical direction, but the jazz, experimentation, and rhythmic explorations had already been hinted at on previous works. The mostly male, rock critic mafia of the day either failed to recognize how she had been introducing these sounds into her previous works or simply wanted to see Micthell remain just another “chick” singer-songwriter.

There are a lot of live recordings here and they’re wonderful to hear. There are also lots of demos, alternate takes, and unreleased sessions. Some of the real gems include two tracks from the For The Roses sessions with Graham Nash and David Crosby, sessions with Neil Young and the Stray Gators, and tracks with vocal assistance from James Taylor. Of special note is Mitchell on two versions of “Raised On Robbery,” which would appear on Court and Spark, and which were recorded on sessions for the Graham Nash solo album Wild Tales, one of which also includes Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers.

All of the studio material was recorded at A&M Studios in Hollywood, except the Nash/Crosby sessions and some of the For The Roses sessions which were recorded at Wally Heider Studios in Hollywood, as well as the Wild Tales sessions which were recorded at Rudy Records Studios, in San Francisco.

Read More »

Our spotlight on the Guerssen label’s autumn 2023 releases continues with considerations of two sets by The Artwoods, Art Gallery and the 2LP singles collection I Take It All (both in mono), the 2LP retrospective covering The Daily Flash The Legendary Recordings 1965-1967, Pulse’s self-titled album, Sabattis’ Warning in the Sky, and John St. Field’s Control. All six releases are out now.

For heavy-duty aficionados of 1960s UK Beat rock and Mod R&B, The Artwoods (originally The Art Woods) likely need no introduction, if only as a footnote. Formed by vocalist Art Wood, younger brother of Ronnie Wood, after the dissolution of the Art Wood Combo (Art also briefly sang in Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated), The Artwoods’ lineup cohered around lead guitarist Derek Griffiths, organist Jon Lord (later of Deep Purple), bassist Malcolm Pool, and drummer Keef Hartley (later of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and his own band); Hartley was later replaced by Colin Martin.

The Artwoods’ discography consists of the Art Gallery LP reissued here, plus a handful of singles and a four-song EP “Jazz in Jeans” that are compiled onto I Take It All, a 2LP set. Nearly everything The Artwoods released was originally issued by Decca, but with the exception of “I Take What I Want,” which rose to No. 28 on the UK pop singles chart, The Artwoods never had a hit. However, as detailed in Mike Stax’s typically strong liners, The Artwoods were a working band that toured up and down the UK playing to enthusiastic crowds.

I’ll confess to being a sizable fan of ‘60s Beat-Mod sounds, so I Take It All lands right in my zone. The Artwoods have sometimes been downgraded for a lack of original material and additionally for not transforming their sources a la “House of the Rising Sun” or “Go Now,” but I Take It All is the core Beat-Mod stuff. Furthermore, the band evolves as these songs unwind, as there are jazzy excursions.

Read More »

VIA PRESS RELEASE | New Model Army are to celebrate the arrival of their 16th studio album Unbroken in UK independent record stores with a short run of three Q&A appearance in its week of release. Justin Sullivan (vocals/guitar), Dean White (guitar/ keys), and Ceri Monger (bass) of New Model Army will be in attendance at the events to discuss the new record and the revered history of the band.

The January 2024 dates, times, stores and ticket links are: 27th Resident, Brighton—2:220 PM, 28th Jumbo Records, Leeds—2:00 PM, 30th Rough Trade, Bristol—6:30 PM. In Brighton and Bristol the Q&As will be hosted and led by acclaimed author Cathi Unsworth, while BAFTA winning documentary director Matt Reid, who created the New Model Army film Between Dog and Wolf: The New Model Army in 2012, will interview the band in Leeds.

Entry to the Q&As will be strictly by advance purchase of the new album, available online and in-store ahead of the event. The band will complete a signing of the albums with fans after each Q&A. Unbroken will be released on CD hardcover mediabook, heavyweight black LP gatefold, limited heavyweight red LP gatefold, and via digital.

New Model Army have also announced an extensive UK and European tour for early 2024 with shows starting on February 17th. Tickets are on sale now.

Celebrating Van Dyke Parks in advance of his 81st birthday tomorrow. —Ed.

Van Dyke Parks is easily one of the most eclectic and engaging musical minds of the last fifty years. Largely known for his involvement as lyricist in the resurrected phoenix that is The Beach Boys’ Smile, he’s also put his stamp on an array of important works, none better than his own 1972 masterpiece Discover America.

Please consider for a moment the impressive range of Van Dyke Parks. Yes, in addition to Smile there is his arranging for “The Bare Necessities” from Disney’s animated classic The Jungle Book. He’s also served as a producer and/or arranger for records as diverse as the debuts of Randy Newman and Ry Cooder, Phil Ochs’ Greatest Hits and Joanna Newsom’s Ys, and contributed as a player to Tim Buckley’s first album, The Byrds’ Fifth Dimension, Linda Thompson’s Fashionably Late, and Vic Chesnutt’s Ghetto Bells. The guy even composed music for TV commercials, including work for Datsun automobiles and the figure skating mayhem known as the Ice Capades.

But to really crack the delicious and nourishing nut that is Mr. Parks, inspection of his solo work is an absolute must. Song Cycle, his 1967 debut is in obvious retrospect one of the truly amazing introductory statements in all of 20th Century music. I say obvious because hardly anybody bought the thing when it came out. This was due in part to his low profile. While he’d released a couple singles on MGM, he wasn’t exactly stormtrooping the era’s cultural radar.

But the main reason Song Cycle was destined for a second life as a cherished cult magnum opus lies in how Parks’ thoroughly non-trite baroque pop and gently psychedelic sensibilities synched-up with both his uncommonly deep and diverse interest in the history of popular song and the man’s shrewd ear for value in the contemporary (the record featured covers of both Newman’s “Vine Street” and Donovan’s “Colours”). With tenuous ties to the rock scene and a lack of capital with the rising tide of youth culture, it’s really no surprise Song Cycle took four years to recoup its admittedly large for the era $35,000 budget.

Read More »

Based in Catalonia, Spain, the Guerssen label, which includes subsidiaries Out-sider Music, Pharaway Sounds, and Sommar, had a productive 2023. We begin the new year by throwing a multi-part spotlight onto a handful of recent Guerssen releases; the first five are Pete Fine’s On a Day of Crystaline Thought, Asgard’s For Asgard and eponymous records by Heavy Rain, Blind Willie, and Majic Ship, all available now and given proper consideration below.

Pete Fine’s On a Day of Crystaline Thought is a wildly ambitious slab of symphonic rock with prog, psych, and folk elements. It was recorded in NYC in 1974, privately pressed in an edition of 100 copies and is therefore totally scarce. In addition, this album is effectively Fine going solo, as he was previously in The Flow, a solid but equally obscure heavy psych band (think Blue Cheer and Cream) who cut a one-sided album, The Flow’s Greatest Hits in ’72 that was given an expanded reissue on CD by Shadoks Music a couple decades back. Guerssen delivered a repress on wax in August of 2023 with copies still available.

One song, “Bijinkes,” made the transition from The Flow to Crystaline, but overall, any similarities are hard to detect. Of course, when dudes in heavy bands fall under the sway of Anton Bruckner there are serious reasons to worry, but Fine had the skills and the organizational smarts to productively realize his flights of imagination. The title composition is a four-part suite loaded with flute, guitar strum and a legit string section; its sweep is lilting rather than ponderous. Even better, the singing across the record adds value, especially the gal vocals by Sam Hardesty on the folkier second side.

While Crystaline doesn’t radiate strong “private press” vibes, neither does it succumb to the sort of slick maneuvers that would’ve surely been thrust upon it by production pros, even those employed by a smaller label. The job in this case was handled by Fine and Hardesty, who captured a sound that is bright, full-bodied, and at times quite intense.

Read More »

We’ve closed the HQ for the holidays!

While we’re away, why not fire up our Record Store Locator app and visit one of your local indie record stores? Perhaps there’s an interview, review, or feature you might have missed? Catch up and we’ll see you back here, next year—Tuesday 1/2.