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 (out 23rd January 2026) 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 ever 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.

Originally released on Weaver’s own label Bird Records, 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.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | One of the most important events in modern music history remains the late ’80s cross-pollination when rock met hip hop.

From Aerosmith and Run-DMC’s groundbreaking collaboration, the Beastie Boys’ License to Ill use of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath to Public Enemy joining up with Anthrax, Rick Rubin, and Russell Simmons, De La Soul and Third Bass, to the 344 hip hop records that sampled Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat”—this era exemplified creative possibilities and cultural energy that defined a generation. Rap records sampled rock bands, elevating sampling into an art form and influencing all other genres of popular music.

The book When Rock Met Hip-Hop explores the many ways the fusion of rap and rock gave hope to a sense of interracial harmony, confronting sociocultural fault lines, and sparking collaborations that forever altered the course of popular music. In keeping with Steven Blush’s celebrated works—When Rock Met Disco and When Rock Met Reggae—this book illuminates the musical cross collision and cultural fallout that changed the sound and significance of popular music for the better and remains an influence today.

Steven Blush draws from decades of experience as an author, journalist, documentarian, and active participant in the culture at that time. A pioneer in chronicling musical boundary breakers, Blush offers incisive cross-genre analysis and first-person interviews with the visionaries who shaped music history. From documenting the underground hardcore movement to following the evolution of hybrid genres, Blush’s legacy shines in his exploration of the stories, sounds, and intersections that shaped generations.

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Halloween is over, and the last remnants of leftover Mars bars may still remain, but for Frank Zappa fans, every day is Halloween. Frank Zappa’s Halloween shows (which sometimes lasted more than just Halloween night) in New York, at the Palladium, are not just legendary among Zappa fans, but caused quite a stir in the music world at the time and paved the way for many others to do annual theme shows or take up annual residencies in various locales.

What unofficially began in 1972 and more or less went on (although not every year) until it unofficially ended in 1981, is now part of the Zappa mythical allure. While some entertainers are associated with Christmas, and others, like Guy Lombardo and then later Dick Clark, are associated with New Year’s Eve, Zappa became the musical ringleader for nights that brought out the freak in his fans.

This is the fourth in a series of archival Zappa Halloween releases that have included Halloween 77 (which also spawned the movie Baby Snakes), Halloween 73, and Halloween 81. For those who followed Zappa’s live Halloween concert bag of tricks, they know 1978 was the peak, making this release a real treat.

There are several editions of this new release, including an Expanded Super Deluxe Costume Box Set, which features 62 tracks across five CDs. The set comes with a pop-out mask of Zappa resembling the Devil (which was not a stretch), complete with a pitchfork and a UV light, and showcases some supernatural (or unnatural) artwork. There is also a Grimoire book, a book of spells, that includes photos and memorabilia.

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Long based in San Francisco, vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Tony Molina’s stylistic reach spans from hardcore to stripped-back home-recorded acoustic pop.

His new record, On This Day, offers 21 songs in 23 minutes and is a gem leaning to the melodic side of the spectrum, blending folk-pop, chime-pop, and baroque-pop. Molina taps into the essence of these classique sub-genres and works up a succinct, highly digestible whole that positively begs for repeat spins. On This Day is out now via Slumberland Records. The vinyl edition has sold out quickly; until there is a repress, there are compact discs and the digital option.

Many students of classic ’60s guitar pop stylistics home in on the specificity of the era’s high points, and that’s just fine. With them, every song is constructed as a full-bodied radio single that never was, and in turn, every album is loaded with potential singles. That can make for some mighty fine listening if the songs are truly up to snuff and have something to communicate in terms of inspiration over imitation.

Tony Molina can certainly conjure up the sound of ’60s pop, be it baroque, folky, or jangling, at its catchiest. On This Day attests to this, and in particular the folk-pop of “FC ’23,” the suburban garage band Bacharach of “Faded Holiday” (complete with trumpet by Ladybug Transistor’s Gary Olson), the rays of sunshine glistening on the fringes of “Lie to Kick It”’s emphatic chiming, the Brit-folk gentleness of “Despise the Sun,” and the explosive near freakbeat of “Have Your Way.”

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | A live recording of The Pogues’ timeless Christmas classic, “Fairytale Of New York” from Glasgow Barrowland’s in December 1987 has been rejuvenated by the band and the track’s original producer Steve Lillywhite. This newly released live version is available to stream now.

With the original version recently voted the nation’s favourite ’80s duet by BBC Radio 2 listeners, this unreleased live version will be available on a Limited Edition 12” Zoetrope vinyl EP featuring imagery based on the iconic “Fairytale of New York” music video. Alongside this live recording, the EP includes the original and an instrumental version of the track, and a live version of “Dirty Old Town” taken from the same show. The EP will also be available on streaming and download platforms from December 12.

This recording of “Fairytale of New Yor” is a hugely significant moment in the history of the track. The original version was recorded in August 1987 and released on 23 November. This performance at the Glasgow Barrowland on 17 December that same year was the first time the band played it live and was the first time Kirsty MacColl had ever performed the track with them. Steve, who was married to Kirsty at the time, recorded the performance himself from the mixing desk and it oozes with the raw energy of a Pogues show.

Opening with the crowd chanting Kirsty’s name after she had just simply walked on stage, the track kicks in with that now unmistakable piano intro and Shane’s vocal, the crowd’s presence apparent throughout and then the band kick in—slightly faster than the recorded version—and then Kirsty’s brilliant opening vocal retort hits with conviction!

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | As part of its ongoing series of definitive reissues, Iodine Recordings proudly presents the 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Quicksand’s Manic Compression—a landmark of post-hardcore innovation and one of the defining albums of the 1990s. More than just a reissue, this edition restores the record’s sound and visual art in full, honoring the band’s enduring influence and the intensity that reshaped heavy music’s trajectory.

If Slip announced Quicksand’s arrival, then Manic Compression proved they weren’t just a moment—they were a movement. Released in early 1995 on Island Records, the record built upon the foundation of their debut and expanded it into something sharper, darker, and more dynamic. Its tightly-coiled songs fuse hardcore ferocity, metallic heft, and alt-rock melody into a streamlined 12-track assault that perfectly captured the tension of its time.

Opening track “Backward” throws listeners straight into the deep end with slashing guitars and rhythmic precision that set the tone for the album’s relentless pacing. Lead single “Thorn in My Side” finds Quicksand at their most immediate—raw urgency refined into anthemic form, earning heavy rotation on MTV’s 120 Minutes and carving the band’s place in the wider alt-rock landscape of the mid-’90s. Tracks like “Landmine Spring” and “Delusional” balance jagged riffs with space and atmosphere, proving Quicksand’s ability to stretch hardcore into entirely new terrain.

Upon release, Manic Compression peaked at No. 135 on the Billboard Top 200 and earned the band an invitation to the first-ever Warped Tour—milestones that carried their sound far beyond the hardcore underground and into the broader alternative rock conversation.

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Celebrating Graham Parker on his 75th birthday. —Ed.

Some guys just can’t catch a break. Especially if their name is Graham Parker, who released four stellar albums from 1975 to 1979 and never came close to making the big time. Just how good was he in his prime? The English rocker’s first two LPs (1975’s Howlin’ Wind and 1976’s Heat Treatment) made the top five of The Village Voice’s annual Pazz and Jop poll. But has your average music fan heard his music? Not so much. The guy might as well be invisible.

Parker had his own suspicions about his failure to reach the big time, and it was Mercury Records, who in his opinion did nothing to promote his music. He laid out his argument in the scathing “Mercury Poisoning” with its lines, “I got Mercury poisoning/It’s fatal and it don’t get better/I got, Mercury poisoning/The best kept secret in the west, hey the west.” It’s a great song. It never made its way on to an LP. Parker’s new label, Arista Records, planned to release it as a single in 1979, but ultimately relegated it to a B-Side. Too risky to release–Parker could turn on you next.

Parker’s voice bears a distinct resemblance to that of Elvis Costello, but he doesn’t go in for Costello’s witty wordplay. Parker’s songs address everyday concerns in everyday language that Costello’s clever songs never do. Just check out “Local Girls” (don’t bother with ‘em) and “Saturday Nite Is Dead” (“I used to know a good place to go/But now it’s nothing like it was then”).

Parker had a crack backing band in the Rumour, who would go on to release three albums in their own right. Furthermore, ace guitarist Brinsley Schwarz has gone on to record six well-received solo albums, while rhythm guitarist Martin Belmont has released a neat dozen. Keyboard player Bob Andrews, drummer Steve Goulding, and bass player Andrew Bobnar rounded out the quintet, providing more than enough coloring and backbone to fuel the hard rockers and ample subtlety to add nuances the slow ones.

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In terms of popularity, America never produced an equivalent to David Bowie. But there was Jobriath, an unfortunate victim of record label hype and consumer indifference who produced what’s easily the USA’s purest expression of glam sensibilities.

Jobriath Boone, né Bruce Wayne Campbell is one of the more fascinating casualties in rock’s colorful history. Starting out in the ultra-obscure pop-folk-psyche group Pigeon (who recorded an LP and a single for Decca in ’69) after defecting from a Los Angeles production of Hair, his demo tape was stumbled upon by ‘70s mover-and-shaker Jerry Brandt, who managed to get him signed to Elektra Records for the reported sum of $500,000.

A barrage of publicity followed, including a billboard in Times Square and an appearance on the late night TV variety program The Midnight Special. Problem was, his ’73 debut tanked commercially, setting off a media backlash that left his follow-up Creatures of the Street to wither without promotion.

His relationship with Brandt severed, Jobriath was held in the clutches of a ten year contract that kept him from recording any further material. Instead, he worked as a cabaret singer under the name Cole Berlin and lived in the Chelsea Hotel, where he died of AIDS in 1983.

Jobriath’s status as an openly gay musician sets him apart from his glam contemporaries. Where Bowie and others flirted with the perception of bi-sexuality, Jobriath made no bones about his sexual orientation. He described himself to the press as a “true fairy,” displaying frankness and flamboyance that surely damaged his chances with many observers hiding a closed mind in the closet, and in fact this defiant boldness situates Jobriath as an exponent of the camp theatricality that’s long been an aspect of gay culture.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Filmtrax today released the Keeper—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, featuring an original score by composer Edo Vanbreemen, available digitally beginning November 14. Known for his evocative and psychologically immersive soundscapes, Van Breemen brings his haunting, textural style to NEON’s Keeper, directed by Osgood Perkins.

For the film, Van Breemen crafted a minimal, organic score built from live acoustic recordings and bespoke sample instruments, incorporating tapping, knocking, and wooden textures that reflect the film’s eerie cabin setting. Made By Mutant will release the Keeper—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on vinyl on Tuesday, November 18. Keeper is now playing in theaters. Edo notes “I’m thrilled to announce the release of the Keeper original score. It was an honour to work on Oz Perkins’ newest film and I’m grateful for all the talented musicians who contributed to create this. It’s rare to experience such creative freedom on a project of this scale. I hope the music delights and terrifies.”

Edo Vanbreemen is a Canadian-American film composer celebrated for his evocative, immersive, and at times haunting scores. Known for his ability to craft gripping soundscapes across narrative films and documentaries, Edo often composes in solitude from a remote cabin on a small island in the Salish Sea near Vancouver, British Columbia—an environment that deeply informs his atmospheric style.

Recent work includes The Monkey, Keeper, The Track, and BRATS, as well as the upcoming The Backrooms (A24) with Kane Parsons. These projects showcase Edo’s wide-ranging mastery of synthesis and acoustic orchestration, drawing from his background as a classically trained and improvisational pianist, multi-instrumentalist, and accomplished producer. His collaboration with director Osgood Perkins on Keeper demonstrates his experimental edge—building an original sample library from bespoke live recordings to shape the film’s eerie sonic identity.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | The London Records reissue Chicken Rhythms, the debut and only album by Northside, is out now on LP and CD.

Produced by Ian Broudie (The Lightning Seeds), Chicken Rhythms was originally released on Factory Records in June 1991, charting in the Top 20, and contains the singles “Take 5” and “Shall We Take A Trip?,” which have been remixed by The Reflex and Leo Zero for a White Label 12-inch single available now. “Take 5 (The Reflex Revision)” is available digitally now. An exclusive three-track CD single ‘The 12”s’ is available with D2C album pre-orders and includes the original 12-inch mixes of “Shall We Take A Trip?,” “My Rising Star,” and “Moody Places.”

The 2025 vinyl reissue has been cut from the original Factory Records masters and comes on solid green vinyl with restored artwork by Central Station Design. The expanded CD edition includes 1990 single “My Rising Star” and “Moody Places” (AA side with “Shall We Take A Trip”), radio edits as well as the new remixes, plus a 24 page booklet with new liner notes from venerated Manchester music journalist John Robb.

From the north Manchester suburbs of Blackley and Moston, Northside were an integral part of the Manchester early nineties soundtrack. Signed to Factory Records by its visionary founder Tony Wilson, the band were the bridge between the Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, fusing psychedelic rock with Acid House.

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Remembering Gordon Lightfoot, born on this date in 1938. —Ed.

Robbie Robertson has called Canadian folk rock singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot “a national treasure,” and so he is. Canadians don’t just love their Orillia, Ontario native son, they worship him in temples that can only be entered by pilgrims clad in the holy sandals Gord wore on the cover of his 1974 LP Sundown.

And their devotion is understandable–Lightfoot has contributed many a timeless song to the world, and none other than Bob Dylan has gone on record saying that when he hears a Lightfoot song he wishes “it would last forever.”

Lightfoot wrote many a great song from 1965 to 1970 with United Artists, including “Early Morning Rain,” “Ribbon of Darkness,” and “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” to name just a few. But he recorded his best known work for Warner/Reprise Records, with whom he signed in 1970. And it’s this work you’ll hear on 2018’s aptly titled compilation An Introduction to Gordon Lightfoot.

There are other Lightfoot compilations out there, but they either include music only your hardcore fans will want to own (see 1999’s Songbook or 2019’s The Complete Singles 1970–1980). 1975’s Gord’s Gold is arguably the best comp out there, including as it does material from both his United Artists and Warner Brothers years, but it omits “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (inexcusable!) and (even more inexcusable!) includes re-recordings of the songs from Lightfoot’s years with United Artists.

All ten of the tracks on An Introduction to Gordon Lightfoot provide indisputable proof that Lightfoot is the best singer-songwriter to stand his ground in Canada (Neil and Joni and Robbie defected and never looked back), and if you’re inclined to argue this fact with the peace-loving Canucks of the Great White North they might just crown you with a hockey stick and toss you into Lake Ontario.

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