EZRA FEINBERG - 'SOFT POWER'

Formats

• TU006LP - LP

  4251804182645

Details

*REPRESS ALERT / BLACK BIO VINYL* Ezra Feinberg’s third album Soft Power sees the composer-guitarist enlist an impressive array of fellow musicians including Mary Lattimore, David Moore (Bing & Ruth), Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Robbie Lee. Defined by its abundance of melodies, repeating figures and ecstatic improvisations, Soft Power exudes an enlightened and transformative spirit to empower the listener. Feinberg, a practising psychoanalyst and former founding member of the San Francisco psychedelic collective Citay (Dead Oceans / Important Records) resides in the artistic enclave of upstate New York's Hudson River valley. Initial recordings emerged in the late summer of 2020, before added synthesis with collaborator John Thayer (Arp, Sunwatchers) during early 2021. Soft Power follows previous albums ‘Recumbent Speech’ (2020) and ‘Pentimento and Others’ (2018) The compassionate, tender-hearted opener ‘Future Sand’ deftly interweaves flutes and steady arpeggios. The Reichian pulse beneath the soaring melody is played not on the customary analogue sequencer, but on finger-picked acoustic guitar, one of the lodestars of Feinberg’s compositional approach. ‘Soft Power’, the buoyant and mesmeric title track that follows builds over a rich bed of guitars and a reverb-y Rhodes melody reminiscent of a Strata East LP, its narrative arc bountiful in energy, optimism and future dreaming, a perfect accompaniment to long days of summertide. “The most unexpected, unpredictable, and spontaneous moments in life live in the realm of softness”, quotes Feinberg. ‘Pose Beams’ blends the chamber-jazz approach of Penguin Café Orchestra with a balletic kosmische, climaxing with a galvanising crescendo and “free improv” section performed by fellow New Yorkers - Robbie Lee (piano) and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, whose granular and modular synths sprinkle particle dust over the expressive drumming of John Thayer. ‘Flutter Intensity’ evokes in part the music of Cluster as played on acoustic guitars, which ping-pong across the stereo field, providing the canvas for a plaintive vibraphone line reminiscent of TNT-era Tortoise. Instruments move in tandem, but also drift and glide allowing them the space to hang in the air, the variegated rhythms, textures, and tones all laced into the fabric of the album. At the centrefold of the albums 7-tracks is ‘The Big Clock’, a tryptic piece that evolves from pairs of stretched varying tones, creating fields of technicolour over an unabashed motorik beat, serving to offset the pastoral and ambient registers heard elsewhere. It features the first of two appearances from David Moore (Bing & Ruth) who plays lilting piano lines on the come-down. ‘There Was Somebody There’ returns to the album’s earlier wistfulness, a hard stereo-panned soundworld with lightly strummed, interlocking acoustic guitars combining to pigment a washy, painterly scene. David Moore and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma provide reviving synths, the underlying pulse that seems to simulate a life cycle; another day on Earth. The album closes with the reflective ‘Get Some Rest’ featuring Mary Lattimore, whose harp pluckings set a dreamlike tone against bare organic acoustics and flourishing flutes to create a sense of realignment and restoration. Feinberg artfully transcends the listener to an enriched place, his compositions distinguished by the deep humanity that lies at their core, plugging the listener into a state of wide eyed being, open and alive. Soft Power then is Ezra’s own mantra but also one of power giving - a colourful catharsis translated into music. Feinberg’s music always speaks to the listener, but Soft Power, in whispering, speaks loudest.

Tracks

A1. Future Sand / A2. Soft Power / A3. Pose Beams / A4. Flutter Intensity / B1. The Big Clock / B2. There Was Somebody There / B3. Get Some Rest

Press

'Album of the year - DJ Deb Grant BBC6 Music' | Gently propulsive gems that evoke the kosmische sounds of Michael Rother, Brian Eno at his most sublime - Aquarium Drunkard
| #38 CRACK MAGAZINE'S AOTY 2024

Audio & Video

THE EASTERN DARK - 'JOHNNY AND DEE DEE / JULIE IS A JUNKIE'

Formats

• GUWDM014 - 7"

  5061041821936

• GUWDM014BL - 7"

  5061041822308

• GUWDM014R - 7" RED

  5061041822315

• GUWDM014G - 7" GREEN

  5061041822322

Details

LAST REMAINING RSD YELLOW COPIES.  REPRESSES NOW AVAILABLE OF RED, GREEN AND BLACK VERSIONS To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the passing of James Darroch, singer/songwriter/guitarist for Sydney's incredible The Eastern Dark, Grown Up Wrong! is thrilled to announce a long-awaited reissue of the band's classic single "Julie Is A Junkie/Johnny and Dee Dee". Heavily influenced by the Ramones - the band opened their first live show with 'Blitzkrieg Bop' and from then on opened with a new Ramones song every time they played, working through the band's complete catalogue in chronological order - as all manner of hyper-melodic and high energy rock. The Eastern Dark were a classic trio powered by former Celibate Rifles bassplayer James Darroch's blazing guitar and anchored by former Lime Spiders backing vocalist Bill Gibson's hard driving and melodic bass playing (and supreme backing vocals) and Geoff Milne's untouchable beat keeping. They set Sydney's Radio Birdman influenced scene alight in 1984 and quickly built an international following on the back of their classic single. Sadly, just hours after completing what would become their next release - the mini-LP "Long Live the New Flesh" - the band's life, and that of 26-year old James Darroch, was brutally ended in a road accident whilst the band was on its way to Melbourne. On the back of the tragedy, the band's music lived on and it's global impact was reflected in the influence it bore on numerous bands, from Boston's the Lemoneads to Tokyo's Teengenenete, and obviously a succession of Australian bands from the Hard-Ons through to God and the Meanies and beyond. After years of searching, surviving members Bill Gibson and Geoff Milne recently found the single's original multi-track tapes, and for the new release, the original recordings have been both remixed and remastered for maximum impact under their supervision.

Tracks

Side A: Johnny And Dee Dee
Side B: Julie Is A Junkie

Press

Audio & Video

TYONDAI BRAXTON - 'SPLAYED WERKS'

Formats

• ERATP184LP - 2xLPs

  3700551787005

• ERATP184CD - CD

  3700551786992

Details

**ON BLACK BIO DOUBLE VINYL** Even at first blush, Splayed Wrks, Tyondai Braxton’s new album, his first full-length release since the recording of his 2022 symphonic work, Telekinesis, reveals itself as unlike what came before and marks the beginning of a new chapter with UK label Erased Tapes. First off, there’s a lot more music here, 70+ minutes of pure electronics and sound design. Plus, it’s divided in a way that’s out-of-step with the longer forms the 47 year-old composer/producer has previously imagined into being. Of the album’s 15 tracks, more than two-thirds are sub-five minutes. It may be a perfect album for 2026, a time when the sonic landscape continues to fervently embrace increasingly radical hybrids, at once club soundsystem-ready, art-installation-leaning, and music-school-mediated. But also, importantly, intuitive and hand-crafted. It’s no stretch to say that Tyondai had a hand in building this world. His two decades-plus-long career has seen him co-found electronic prog-punk heroes Battles (which he’s described as “a laboratory that masqueraded as a band”); performing as a duo with Philip Glass; write numerous electro-acoustic and chamber commissions for celebrated American new-music ensembles such as Bang on a Can All-Stars, Alarm Will Sound, Third Coast Percussion, Brooklyn Rider, and Yarn/Wire; having his “part installation, part band” HIVE project appear at The Guggenheim Museum, Sydney Opera House, and a 3-night residency at Big Ears Festival; and deliver a series of technologically ambitious, at times orchestral works for lauded labels of electronic, experimental and future-music, Warp and Nonesuch Records. As a portfolio, Splayed Werks hews to the menu of a dance music meets minimalist electronic composition, a throughline that stretches from IDM absurdists like Aphex Twin and Autechre, to contemporary immersives like Mica Levi and Laurel Halo. (And, to a lesser degree, to Braxton’s comrades and occasional collaborators, Kieran “Four Tet” Hebden, Jeffrey Cantu-Ledesma and Ben Vida.) It’s a world in which the multitude of dirty rhythms strays far outside club-land’s big rooms—though one can imagine expert mixing hands and a world-class soundsystem transforming the dubwise lo-fi linearity of “Oslo” into a psychedelic wonder, while the interplay between the bass-synth and the constantly deviating shuffle on “UnFS” may qualify as a leftfield banger. And its composed beatless spaces have little to do with current ambient proclivities—the at-once aggressive and ecstatic, panning miniature, “Realistic Water” sounds like power Laraaji.

Tracks

1. Bell Smear 2. Multiplay 3. Dia 4. Vali 5. UnFS 6. Salt Point 7. Oslo 8. Realistic Water 9. Multiplay II 10. Phonolydian 11. Piiano 12. 4 Zones 13. Nimble FX 14. Clouds Of 15. K Space

Press

Audio & Video

LIAM HAYES - 'DANCING BACKWARDS'

Formats

• WV03 - LP

  5061041822001

• WV03CD - CD

  5061041822025

Details

Liam Hayes is an acclaimed American musical artist known for his songwriting and uncompromising approach to making records. He started cassette multitracking while a preteen and made his first real studio recording at twenty one. This started an obsession that ultimately led to his releasing a 7” single (Found A Little Baby/Three Quarters Blind Eyes) on a small US indie label. Those tracks garnered the attention of the UK music press, and on the strength of those songs a career was launched. The follow up was highly anticipated by critics and listeners alike, but rather than playing to expectations he delivered a highly personal album of solo piano/vocal songs (More You Becomes You). Not one to repeat himself, Hayes started off the millennium by serving up the extravagant pop/soul opus (Fed). Both records are now considered to be masterpieces.  Hayes’ songs are recognised for their exquisite melodies, poetic lyrics and distinctive vocals. He’s released seven albums, two singles and a soundtrack, and applies his craftsmanship to a variety of genres from orchestrated pop to stripped down rock. Comparisons to Brian Wilson, Laura Nyro, Carole King, Harry Nilsson, Badfinger (and even Prince) are numerous. His music takes the best of radio and stellar classic pop records of the 60’s and 70’s and brings it into the present. Along with making records Hayes has appeared on screen performing his music in High Fidelity (directed by Stephen Frears) and A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III(directed by Roman Coppola) which he also wrote the soundtrack for. In this, their first production for Hayes, are (executive producer) Terrence Washington and (multi-instrumentalist/producer/arranger) Vincent Carlo with additional contributions from Terrence’s father, legendary arranger TOM TOM 2084 (Chi-Lites, Phil Collins, Plush). His latest album, Dancing Backwards, sees Liam stepping through the shadows in his life and into a new musical day.

Tracks

1. We Need You 2. 8 Degrees 3. C-Thru 4. Dancing Backwards 5. What Is A Man 6. All In The Shadows 7. Interlude 8. Good Year 9. Bright Penny 10. Alone All Day 11. Furnace Bird 12. Final Night 13. White Bike

Press

Audio & Video

EAT LIGHTS BECOME LIGHTS - 'ROTTERDAM IS MY TOKYO'

Formats

• FC66 - BOOK W/ CD

  5061041822544

Details

**INSTOCK AND SHIPPING** This one aligns nicely in a number of ways. One of label head Dom’s final full length releases after all these years, ties in with what might just be the final one from the mighty Eat Lights Become Lights also. This is one staggeringly glorious, epic opus with which to return to the fray for Eat Lights…. Right from the start of the album’s planning stages, main man Neil Branquinho anticipated this record was to be as key on the eye as the ear. We had long since planned an accompanying book of his own photographs to be paired with the music within its packaging. However, as the record came together it soon became apparent that its length (nigh on 70 minutes) was impossible to fit onto vinyl so -hellbent on not wanting to edit down- we opted for CD. So what you have here is all nine pieces in their full entirety, free of edits and all the more wonderful for it, accompanied by the promised, equally wonderful book of photographs taken by Neil as the album was being created. Quite where I begin to describe this one… Easily the best record of his career, full of his trademark motorik, krautrock leanings certainly, but that’s just a springboard to some gigantic tangent which he then veers off. Krautrock Rave? Kosmische floor fillers? Heavy Motorik Disco? Teutonic Techno? Whatever, put simply, this is just epic and makes for quite the aural journey. That you have photographs to gaze at as you listen makes this one quite the assault on all the senses! To these ears, this could easily be presented as a box set of 9 12” singles- every track is not only a banger but more than worthy as A sides in their own rights. Following recent massively successful support slots for The Orb and Pye Corner Audio in his hometown Newcastle, if this does prove to be Neil’s final record, to go out on a bang doesn’t begin to cover it…. An edition of 250 A4 packages, be quick!

Tracks

01 The Last Of The Old Time Dancers 02 Super Surf 03 Loved Up 04 Electric:Electric 05 Slow Light Filter 06 Invocation 07 Vertical 08 Electric Lullaby 09 I Told The Stars About You

Press

Audio & Video

TOO MANY DAVES - 'WEEKEND AT DAVE'S'

Formats

• LRR085 - LP (COLOURED)

  5060462855025

Details

INSTOCK AND SHIPPING **ON TRANSPARENT PURPLE VINYL** Weekend at Dave’s, the debut album from Too Many Daves, has been out of print for thirteen years. Guess what? It’s back in press for a limited run with A.D.D. Records and here in the UK, yours truly Little Rocket records. This hidden Tamp, Punk Rock gem, was initially released in 2010 to a surprisingly great reception from fans and critics. Prior to Weekend the band released numerous singles from 2006-2009, and a six song follow up ep, to Weekend, in 2011 titled “Dawn of The Dave’s”. That drunken whimsical weekend turned into a fifteen-year vacation for the Dave’s. The world has evolved since then while the Dave’s have been in a holding pattern of arrested development. Enduring many life tests in the form of felonies, arrests, prison time, flooding, hurricanes, sobriety, health issues, and a revolving turnstile of bass players. The pandemic was seen as a revelation. Sitting around on the couch doing bong loads become passé without being able to turn that stoner logic into anthems for the disenfranchised. They went back to the lab in 2024, initially tracking new songs for a future release. A process that lasted into spring of 2026. After many delays, distractions, trepidation, and tweaks, the Dave’s will reluctantly return with the follow up to “Weekend” titled “Return of The Living Dave’s” in the fall of 2026. The impending return of the Dave’s to this dystopian landscape is on the way. In order to survive this apocalypse, you will need to break out your Too Many Dave’s handbook and take a refresher course on the classic first full length “Weekend at Dave’s”. “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius-and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein

Tracks

1. Dudes Like Us 2. Restraining Order 3. Just Fucking Kill Me 4. Couch Me If You Can 5. Curb Stomp Your Enthusiasm 6. The Ballad of Simple Jack 7. Dudes Room 8. Duderonomy 9. Snortin Smurfs by the Dashboard 10. He Who Dies with the Most Fucking Toys Still Fucking Dies 11. Cop Killer 12. This Shit Sucks 13. Hey, Fuck You Man

Press

Audio & Video

AMONG LEGENDS - 'LOSE MY GRIP'

Formats

• LRR082 - LP (COLOURED)

  5060462854851

Details

INSTOCK AND SHIPPING **ON PINK MARBLE COLOURED VINYL** Ontario’s Among Legends have been playing their own brand of energetic punk rock for nearly a decade. Formed in 2016, the band built its reputation through a run of EPs before releasing their debut full-length album Take Good Care in 2022. Since its release, the band has played consistently throughout Canada and the United States, with energetic shows and a firm belief that playing music should be a good time. After carving some time out of a busy show schedule to record, Among Legends returns with their second full-length album “Lose My Grip”, via Little Rocket Records. The new record finds the band more confident in their melodic punk rock sound, leaning into more aggressive tendencies with tighter hooks as the band reflects on both personal and external challenges. This year, Among Legends are ready to take Lose My Grip on the road, playing as many dive bars, basements, DIY spaces, concert halls and backyards as possible. “Lose My Grip” comes in a gorgeous Pink Marble vinyl, shrink-wrapped and lyric sheet, offering twelve blistering songs.

Tracks

1. H-A-C-K 2. Sound the Alarm 3. Go On 4. Back Again 5. Hollow 6. Familiar Fictions 7. Floating Here for Years 8. Open Wide 9. Band Dudes Fuck Off 10. Oversaturated 11. What?s it Gonna Be 12. The Last Time

Press

Audio & Video

ALEX DUPREE - 'TALKING TO THE DOG'

Formats

• ST73 - LP

  769152438658

Details

“Hank Williams once said that writing a song is just talking to the dog. That little piece of absurdist wisdom has become a title and guiding principle for Alex Dupree’s latest LP. “What does it mean? Hank was likely just promoting his then hit single “Move It On Over” to a radio interviewer. But Alex’s answers veer quickly into the mystical and visionary. He is a poet of rare composure and grace, and maybe for the first time in his 20+ year career, he’s found the band, the chords, and the arrangements to inject an almost inconceivable richness of color into his musical ideas. “The result is a legitimate mid-career masterpiece that announces Alex as a talent capable of equaling the brilliance of Cass McCombs, Bill Callahan, Neko Case, Ryan Davis, Joanna Newsom, Will Oldham, and other leaders of modern song. “You can throw a rock at Talking to the Dog and anywhere it lands you will find something inspired and kinetic. “Voyager Blues” channels the blurry but assured ecstasy of Jim Sullivan’s U.F.O.. “New Meaning” has a fucked up, hearty wistfulness to it that lives somewhere between the tender, booze-soaked domesticity of Music from Big Pink and the wiry, cosmic range of Gene Clark’s No Other. And “Zodiac” rides the hallucinatory astral plane that David Crosby blissfully floated on throughout If I Could Only Remember My Name. “You might think I’m crazy to compare a relatively unknown forty-something year old songwriter’s output to some of the greatest guitar-led songwriter records in collective memory. I’m crazy and I’m right. And fortunately, Alex has the talent and sheer audacity to back me up. “For all of its high-concept lyricism, nothing about Talking to the Dog feels heavy or ponderous. Quite the contrary. It sounds like a record that was made fast. Like a band in the room, learning the music together and putting it down in one or two takes. The energy is spontaneous and the music is alive to its own ideas. If songwriting is talking to the dog, then Alex is proving that he speaks dog fluently. All that’s left for you to do is to take the leap of faith and believe. “Believe in Dog.” — Matt Kivel

Tracks

1. New Meaning 2. I Could?ve Been Anyone 3. Stevie?s Fever 4. Zodiac 5. I Can See Her in Your Eyes 6. You?re a Dog, Don?t Talk to Me 7. Room for One More 8. Voyager Blues 9. On Your Own Again 10. Marseille

Press

For fans of Jim Sullivan, Gene Clark, and David Crosby?s If I Could Only Remember My Name

Audio & Video