VIA PRESS RELEASE | Home recordings by the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Songwriters Hall of Famers, International Folk Music Award Lifetime Achievement honoree, and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award winner Woody Guthrie were released in the two-volume landmark collection Woody At Home – Volumes 1 & 2 on one CD, LP, digital download, and streaming release via Shamus Records, label subsidiary of TRO Essex Music Group, Woody’s publisher, on August 1.

This collection contains 22 previously-unreleased recordings, including 13 Guthrie songs not heard on any of his other recordings as well as three spoken word tracks. The collection also includes previously unheard home recordings of “Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done,” “Pastures of Plenty,” and “Jesus Christ.” These recently restored analog tapes were released alongside previously unpublished family photographs, artwork, and lyric sheets.

In audio found on these original home tapes, Guthrie himself explains: “I just want to tell you fellers that I’m awful glad sending this batch of songs to you. This sounds like about the best tape I made so far… I was here at home watching the kids by myself. So the kids tapes I’m sending you, the ones with me and the kids on them, I don’t want you sending them back or anything like that. I just want you to keep them and play them, and see the place from whence all good folk songs breed and spring.”

On July 14, Woody’s only known recording of his original song “Deportee (Woody’s Home Tape)” was released as a single. “Deportee (Woody’s Home Tape),” (also known as “Plane Wreck at Los Gatos”) was originally written in 1948 in response to a New York Times article about a plane crash in Los Gatos Canyon, California that killed 32 people, including 28 migrant farm workers.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | When both Miles Davis and Bill Evans label you their favorite drummer, you’re granted immortality that stretches even beyond the lifespan of a vampire!

But legendary stickman Philly Joe Jones gets it both ways on the must-hear title track to 1958’s Blues for Dracula, on which he does his best Bela Lugosi impression. The personnel on this album further attests to the soaring esteem in which Jones was held by fellow jazz musicians; imagine assembling a line-up of Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Garrison, Julian Priester, Nat Adderley, and Tommy Flanagan on your first record as a bandleader!

Real Gone Music has resurrected this jazz classic for a dark “coffin velvet” purple pressing limited to 750 copies. Be boppin’ this Halloween!

Celebrating Ron Strykert, born on this day in 1957. —Ed.

Say what you will about the Australian new wave outfit Men at Work—not only did they make the most famous sandwich in the history of rock’n’roll they made it out of vegemite to boot, which an Aussie fella in a restaurant not long ago told me is completely inedible and to be to be avoided at all costs unless you want your taste buds to sue for divorce.

Men at Work produced songs that were as unprepossessing as their name, were frequently jabbed at for sounding too much like the Police, and enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame at the dawn of the eighties. And if I have a mild case of affection for Men at Work while despising the Police it’s because Men at Work aren’t remotely as pretentious as the Police, although being less pretentious than the Police is child’s play. Or maybe I like them because their lead singer has a lazy eye, which made watching their videos on MTV more interesting.

Anyway, Men at Work’s 1982 LP Business as Usual went monolithic and brought in enough moolah to open a kangaroo ranch or two. And this despite the band’s tame and yes even docile exterior, about which no one has ever cried, “Men at Work got my baby!” No, Men at Work did not truck in fury and revolt but simply did their job of producing likeable songs that you can pet without losing your hand. And I for one am glad they did so, because despite being as non-threatening as your average koala, Business as Usual contains some songs I really like even if I am not likely to ever fight about them.

Let me correct that. I will fight for “Down Under,” which boasts a spritely flute, a catchy beat, and some of the weirdest lyrics you’ll ever hear. Why it oozes existential dis-ease, does “Down Under,” what with old lazy eye, or Colin Hay to you, tossing off such great lines as, “Traveling in a fried-out Kombi/On a hippie trail, head full of zombie/I met a strange lady, she made me nervous/She took me in and gave me breakfast.” I’ve spent hours mulling over these lyrics, and things only get weirder as the song goes on—we follow Hay to an opium den in Bombay, watch him get offered a vegemite sandwich by a circus strong man in Brussels, and all this time thunder is roiling and poor Hay is being told to run for cover.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Craft Latino brings salsa fans a musical parranda (party) this holiday season with the return of Asalto Navideño on vinyl. One of the most beloved Latin albums of all time, this 1970 Christmas classic features the legendary trio of Willie Colón (trombone), Héctor Lavoe (vocals), and Yomo Toro (cuatro) and includes such enduring hits as “Aires de Navidad,” “Popurrí Navideño,” and the year-round favorite “La murga.”

Arriving on October 10, and available for pre-order, this remastered edition of Asalto Navideño features all-analog mastering and is pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Fans can also find a limited-edition “Rojo Parrandero” (Party Red) color pressing (only 300 copies) exclusively via Fania.com. Fans can also enjoy the remastered album in both standard and HD digital audio also available on October 10.

During the holidays in Latin communities (and particularly in Puerto Rican homes), it’s nearly impossible not to hear the joyful sounds of Asalto Navideño. A best-selling Latin holiday album for over five decades, this classic salsa title brings together the legendary partnership of vocalist Héctor Lavoe and trombonist/ producer/ arranger Willie Colón, along with Yomo Toro, the celebrated cuatro player (a 10-stringed guitar and the national instrument of Puerto Rico).

Asalto NavideñoH, which literally translates to “Christmas Assault,” is named for the Puerto Rican Christmas tradition, also known as a parranda. In liner notes to a 2011 reissue of the album, Colón explained, “Asalto (assault) was the perfect word, since [Lavoe and I] were already embracing a comical gangsta image. The asalto is a Puerto Rican Christmas tradition that involves being assaulted by a group of carolers. If you don’t have anything to offer, the carolers sing insults to the homeowners for being so stingy.”

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And now for something completely deviant. Robert Christgau hit the nail on the head when he wrote of the Swans’ early music, “Not only isn’t it for everybody, it isn’t for hardly nobody.”

Swans emerged from the NYC No Wave scene and made music that was brutal, ugly, remorseless, minimalist, grinding, unmelodic, and had all the charm of a very dangerous piece of industrial machinery. And the question I’ve always asked myself is, “Who could possibly like this stuff?”

Not because I think their early music is bad music, per se. I happen to think it’s good music. I simply can’t listen to it, because it’s some of the least user-friendly music I’ve ever been subjected to. And I can’t help but wonder what makes a person WANT to be subjected to it. Swans frontman Michael Gira once said, “Swans are majestic, beautiful looking creatures. With really ugly temperaments.” I get the temperament part, but I’m wondering about the majesty and beauty.

Is there beauty in the purity of purpose? Because the Swans’ music is pure, there’s no denying it. Gira talked about the “bludgeoning, single-minded violence of the music.” “Single-minded” is the keyword there. Single-minded, as in no concessions whatsoever. And can there be majesty in music that grinds you into the mud like the tread of a King Tiger tank? Can beauty be ugly? Can majesty be brutal, monstrous?

I’ve been listening to Swans’ 1984 “Young God” EP, largely because the four songs on the EP are at least three more songs than I’m psychologically prepared to listen to at one time. And I’m a NOISE ROCK GUY. The part of me that wants to survive the experience laughs when I listen to it, because it’s so over-the-top ugly, I begin to suspect the whole thing is an inside joke, shtick. Or conversely, if it isn’t a joke, it’s so over the top it’s funny, whether the band is in on the joke or not.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Beginning today, fans can pre-order the Guts World Tour Book commemorating multi-Platinum, three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Olivia Rodrigo’s worldwide tour. Pre-order the book HERE. Rodrigo performed to over 1.6 million fans over the course of 100 sold-out headline shows in 64 cities on her acclaimed Guts World Tour and headlined 18 festivals around the globe, culminating in Montréal at Osheaga Festival.

Available exclusively on Rodrigo’s store, Guts World Tour Book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tour and Rodrigo’s creative process with exclusive photos by Paula Busnovetsky, Miles Leavitt, Jesse DeFlorio, Rahul Bhatt, and Jess Gleeson. The 100+ page hardcover book with a custom die slip case also features a timeline tracing Rodrigo’s chart-topping album Guts and the subsequent tour, a comprehensive itinerary, setlist, photos of special guests and fans, details on stage and video design, and a personal note from Olivia. Exclusive extras include a double-sided Guts World Tour fold-out poster, trading cards, and two sticker sheets.

The GutsWorld Tour found Rodrigo playing 100 sold-out headline shows in 64 cities across more than 21 countries. Adding Rodrigo’s headline performances at 18 festivals around the world, the tour reached a total of 75 cities, 27 countries, and five continents. Olivia donated over two million dollars from her net proceeds from the Guts World Tour to charities around the globe. The donation was distributed via Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good—a global initiative committed to building an equitable and just future for all women and girls through direct support of community-based non-profits that champion girls’ education, support reproductive rights, and prevent gender-based violence.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Available on all streaming platforms now, UMe celebrates the legacy of one of the most quietly influential bands in history, Mother Love Bone, by reissuing the Seattle, WA group’s newly remastered edition of “Shine” EP and their seminal full-length debut Apple, originally released August 14, 1990, complete with the original bonus tracks on CD and LP.

This reissue is a testament to the enduring impact of Mother Love Bone’s music and a must-have for any serious music collector. On September 26, both “Shine” and Apple will be available in multiple physical configurations, including CD, standard black vinyl, or limited-edition color vinyl variants available exclusively at independent retailers, Discover, and The Sound of Vinyl. A limited-edition, newly remastered Japan-exclusive Mini-LP/SHM-CD that includes both the “Shine” EP, as well as the debut full-length album Apple, will also be available on October 10. Pre-order HERE now.

The CD version of the “Shine” EP includes “Capricorn Sister (Album Version)” as a bonus track, which is not included on the LP. The “Shine” vinyl formats feature a 4-song track list repeated on both sides and are available in three options: standard black vinyl, a limited-edition “Purple Haze” vinyl, and a limited-edition “Skyblue” vinyl LP.

Fully remastered for the 35th anniversary, Apple is officially being released for the first time since 1990. The CD version includes two bonus tracks not included on the vinyl format: “Gentle Groove” and “Mr. Danny Boy.” At the same time, the vinyl formats will be available in standard black vinyl, a limited-edition “Red Alert” color vinyl, or a limited-edition “Apple Habanero” color vinyl.

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Remembering Bill Evans in advance of his birthdate tomorrow.
—Ed.

The vinyl refreshing of the Original Jazz Classics series by Craft Recordings continues with Waltz for Debby by the Bill Evans Trio. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard with Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motion on drums, it documents the most celebrated of pianist Evans’ numerous three-piece bands, a union cut short by LaFaro’s untimely death by car accident a mere ten days after this recording was made. The circumstances deepen the record’s stature, intensifying the mystery of what might have been, but the music’s brilliance endures on its own merits. It is a top-tier masterpiece.

Amongst his many creative strengths, Bill Evans excelled at the trio, a tricky configuration when the instrumentation is keyboard, bass and drums, as too often a pianist will dominate the proceedings with autopilot lyricism with the bassist and drummer falling back into the role of support instead of interacting as equals.

Due to the piano trio’s proliferation over time, the above statement can easily be wielded with malice. It’s a flat fact the sheer volume of the recordings in the style can be intimidating of not fatiguing, particularly if the thrust of a recording leans toward standards and ballads in a straight-ahead bop framework. The speculation is that if the approach is too accessible in its exploration of tradition, the sounds will be lacking in the substantial.

As a distinguished extender of jazz tradition, Bill Evans complicates this premise with gusto. His music as a leader spills forth with a warmth unlikely to ruffle the feathers of anyone other than the moldiest of figs or the most obstinate of avant-gardists, and yet his playing is incredibly vigorous in its relationship to composition, improvisation, and interaction.

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PHOTO: DEAN CHALKLEY | Gina Birch has been creating groundbreaking sound and images for nearly five decades. Best known as a founding member of the pioneering post-punk band The Raincoats, Birch helped shape a musical vocabulary that was raw, self-determined, and unconcerned with the rules.

Formed in 1977 with Ana da Silva while at Hornsey College of Art, The Raincoats became a touchstone for artists from Kurt Cobain to Bikini Kill—valued as much for their fearless experimentation as for their songs. Birch’s creative life has always extended beyond The Raincoats. She’s made music with Dorothy and The Hangovers, directed videos for New Order and The Libertines, and built an amazing visual art practice consisting of video work and painting. Her piece “3 Minute Scream” was part of the Tate Britain’s “Women in Revolt!” exhibition in 2024, and her work has been shown in galleries worldwide.

Her solo work, produced by Youth of Killing Joke, includes 2023’s I Play My Bass Loud and her latest release, Trouble (2025), all in stores via Third Man Records.

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.

Retro-eighties Euro-synthpop lifestyle got you down? Skinny tie suddenly feels like an albatross around your neck? Tired of listening to Gary Numan’s “Cars” in cars? Howard Jones beginning to sound as dull as a blizzard-forced stay at an Erie, Pennsylvania, Howard Johnson? Maybe it’s time to move on to something new and completely different, by which I mean the Mongolian folk metal band The Hu!

Because what could be cooler than a bunch of bona fide Mongolians combining throat singing and traditional Mongolian instruments like the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), tumur khuur (Jew’s harp), baigali tovshuur (lute), and tsuur (end-blown flute) with electric guitars and drums to produce a sound that will cause you to throw that cheap synthesizer (you were never going to form that Soft Cell tribute band, Soft Sell, and you know it) and gleefully blow the speakers Land of the Eternal Blue Sky style!

How to describe the music of the Hu (which is pronounced “who” and means “human beings”), who joined forces at the Mongolian State Music and Dance Conservatory and decided to try their hand at heavy metal, which, not too long before, had actually been banned in the world’s most sparsely populated sovereign state?

Well, imagine the portentous guitar crunch of Metallica (sans the frilly playing) combined with in-your-face vocals that incorporate old Mongolian war cries and poetry in the Mongolian language, although you’d be excused for sometimes thinking they’re singing in Finnish. Then throw in some cool morin Khuur to give them this almost Kansas feel. And they have a catchy pop edge too, which is in full display on “Triangle.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s non-violent political activism, influential peace and protest anthems, and the couple’s early years in New York City, following their migration from the British countryside to the cultural hotbed of Greenwich Village, which reinvigorated them as artists and galvanized them as activists, will be explored and celebrated in a massive new 12-disc boxed set and digital collection entitled Power To The People (Super Deluxe Edition), releasing via Capitol/UMe on October 10, one day after John would have been 85.

Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and his 5x GRAMMY® Award-winning team, who together took home the 2025 GRAMMY Award for Best Boxed Set Or Special Limited Edition Package for the innovative and elaborate, bar-raising boxed set, John Lennon’s Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection (Super Deluxe Edition), Power To The People (Super Deluxe Edition) is an exhaustive, lovingly compiled 123-track collection, including 90 never-before-heard and previously unreleased tracks, that chronicles John and Yoko’s most political era.

The set spans from Plastic Ono Band’s 1969 Bed-In anti-war anthem “Give Peace A Chance,” to a new version of their pivotal and polarizing 1972 album, Sometime In New York City, and that year’s historic One To One Concerts at Madison Square Garden in NYC—John’s only full-length concerts after leaving The Beatles and also the last concerts John & Yoko ever performed together. It also boasts a wealth of unreleased demos, home recordings, jam sessions, live cuts, unique mixes, and much more.

“That Madison Square Garden gig was the best music I enjoyed playing since The Cavern or even Hamburg,” John Lennon told NME in 1972. “It was just the same kind of feeling when The Beatles used to really get into it.” “The One To One concert was our effort in Grassroots Politics,” writes Yoko Ono Lennon in the Preface to Power To The People. “It embodied what John and I strongly believed in—Rock for Peace and Enlightenment. And this one in Madison Square Garden turned out to be the last concert John and I did together. Imagine Peace. Peace is Power. Power To The People!”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | To celebrate two decades since its initial release, King Creosote’s landmark album, KC Rules OK, will be reissued on September 26, 2025 and will be made available as a 1LP white vinyl and a 2CD Deluxe edition. The collectible white vinyl will be the first time this album has been available on vinyl since its original 2005 release.

Originally released in the UK on September 19, 2005, KC Rules OK quickly became a fan favourite, solidifying King Creosote (aka Kenny Anderson) as a unique voice in British indie folk. The album spawned several notable singles, including “Bootprints,” “Favourite Girl,” and “678,” all of which showcased Anderson’s distinctive songwriting.

The 2CD Deluxe edition pulls together a collection of B sides, songs and remixes, many from the fabled Chorlton And the Wh’Earlies unreleased promo CD including four songs that are completely commercially unreleased and are currently unavailable digitally. KC Rules OK was King Creosote’s debut album for Warner Music, and in December 2009, ranked #6 in The Skinny’s “Scottish Albums of the Decade” poll.

Regarding the 20th anniversary reissue, Anderson says, “I’ve reached a point in life where nearly everything good is in the rear view mirror. When in spring 2005 the Earlies adopted King Creosote to record a 4 track EP for “Names On Records,” the brief outlined a look back on a decade’s worth of unreleased homespun recordings, dig up a few gems worthy of polishing. Two heavily flawed diamonds—‘Marguerita Red’ and ‘Bootprints’—were buried deepest below several failed bands and a 2:1 in late 80s Electrical Engineering.

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