Sleigh Bells (Alexis Krauss and Derek E. Miller) have announced a new album, “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy”, and shared a new song from it, “Bunky Pop,” via a music video. “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy” is due out April 4th via Mom + Pop Music.
Miller had this to say about “Bunky Pop” in a press release: “We wanted the track to sound like a dog having the best moment of her life without any of the burden of self consciousness. ‘Bunky Pop’ informed the entire record, and Bunky Becky kind of became a character woven into every song. We wanted to give her a friend, Roxette Ric, so we could play with a little bit of autobiography and fiction as well.”
Of the album’s title, Miller adds: “‘Bunky Becky’ was a nickname for Alexis’ dog Riz, who passed away in December 2023. When she passed away, Alexis and I had been talking about writing an anthem for her. And then Alexis’ son Wilder was born, and he’s the birthday boy. Even though the title sounds a little ridiculous—and it’s totally okay to laugh at it—with a little bit of context, it’s actually life and death. We lost somebody that we love, and we gained somebody that we love.”
Sleigh Bells’ new album “Bunky Becky Birthday Boy” releases 4/4/2025 on Mom+Pop Music
L.A. Witch have always exuded an aura of effortless cool, whether it manifested as the Americana noir and laconic back-to-basics rock n’ roll of their self-titled debut or the blistering austere adventurism of their sophomore album “Play With Fire”. The band—comprised of Sade Sanchez (guitar/vocals), Irita Pai (bass), and Ellie English (drums)—began as an informal affair, but the sultry and beguiling reverb-draped songs they created caught on with the public, moving the project beyond the insular space of the band’s friends and peers in Southern California into the broader world. On their latest album, “DOGGOD”, the trio push their craft beyond their previous creative and geographical confines, opting to craft the material in Paris, recording the tracks at Motorbass Studio on the Rue de Martyrs. “DOGGOD” explores broader swaths of sonic terrain, employs a greater arsenal of tones, and probes larger existential and cosmic themes, all while retaining the band’s signature sense of the forbidden, the forsaken, and the foreboding.
“DOGGOD” is a way of tackling the universal riddle tangled in the spiritual nature of love and devotion. “I feel like I’m some sort of servant or slave to love,” says Sanchez. “There’s a willingness to die for love in the process of serving it or suffering for it or in search of it… just in the way a loyal, devoted servant dog would.” The album title is a palindrome fusing together DOG and GOD—an exaltation of the submissive and a subversion of the divine. It’s a nod to the purity of dogs and an acknowledgement of their unconditional love and protective nature that’s at odds with the various pejoratives associated with the species. “There is this symbolic connection between women and dogs that expresses women’s subordinate position in society,” Sanchez explains. “And anything that embodies such divine characteristics never deserved to be a word used as an insult.”
These conflicted explorations of love and subservience manifest themselves in L.A. Witch’s fusion of their trademark smooth and smoky garage alchemy with a newfound utilization of post-punk’s disciplined reserve and icy instrumentation. Album opener “Icicle” captures the band journeying out of the proto-punk, psychedelia, and gritty riffage of the ‘70s into the chorus-drenched guitars and forlorn minimalism of Joy Division and early The Cure. A parallel is drawn between romantic suicide and martyrdom that carries over into the second song, “Kiss Me Deep.” Here Sanchez describes a love so pure that it transcends time and carries over into multiple lifetimes. It’s a song about passion delivered in the worldly and wounded stoicism of early goth pioneers. From there, the band segues into the lead single “777,” a song about devotion to the point of death. A propulsive beat, a driving distorted riff, and Sanchez’s ethereal vocals come together to create a song that’s both dire in its fatalism and sensual in its faithful passion.
Across the entirety of “DOGGOD”, L.A. Witch never strays from their muse. On “I Hunt You Pray,” Pai lays down a hypnotic bass throb while English employs a cyclical krautrock groove and Sanchez paints a picture of an abandoned dog on the roadside, alone in the night, living as both the hunter and the hunted. On “Eyes of Love,” the band harnesses the meditative mid-tempo repetition, deconstructed chords, and esoteric ruminations on love, death, and spirituality that made Lungfish such a beloved entity. It reinforces the parallel between the unwavering love seen in the eyes of a dog and the self-sacrifice of a savior. On “The Lines,” the band takes the propulsive pulse of post-punk and adds an extra dose of chorus to the mix. “Chorus is a modern effect that comes from the idea of replicating the slight pitch discrepancies of a choir. There is a shimmering quality which ties us back into this spiritual godly feel,” Sanchez explains. Coupled with the addition of organ and applied to a brooding minor-key melody, the song simultaneously conjures both the holy and the sacrilegious. The title track “DOGGOD” bears perhaps the strongest resemblance to the material found on the previous album “Play With Fire“, pitting lean and mean guitars against a scrappy rhythm section and dreamy vocals. But whereas their previous album was a rallying cry to carving one’s own path, “DOGGOD” adheres to the album’s “til death do us part” theme, going so far as to describe a level of submission that crosses over into dangerous and unhealthy places, with Sanchez singing “hang me on a leash / ‘til I wait for my release.”
Ultimately, “DOGGOD” is a perfect encapsulation of L.A. Witch’s approach. It’s simultaneously romantic and menacing, reverent and profane, a celebration and a lament. It finds the thread between the past and present, taking familiar sounds and revamping them for the modern age. But it also heralds a new era for the band, looking beyond the Kodachrome memories of midcentury America and digging deeper into the medieval and gothic energies of Paris and beyond, all while probing inward at a sullied heart. Suicide Squeeze is proud to release “DOGGOD” to the world on April 4th, 2025.
Sade Sanchez – Vocals/Guitar/Synth Irita Pai – Bass Ellie English – Drums
“Erotica Veronica” is the third full-length album from the Californian singer-songwriter Miya Folick. Her first entirely self-produced effort, it finds Folick delving deeper into themes of intimacy and vulnerability, on a set of songs that balance sonic restraint with a lyrical boldness. For fans of boygenius or Big Thief.
After her last album, 2023’s “Roach”. The album mined the depths of the LA-based artist’s psyche amidst a sea of synths and guitar, each song landing with the weight of a film’s climactic resolution. “Exhaustion,” after such output, was inevitable, so Folick hibernated and recharged her creative energies. But then, “at some point, the ideas just started coming,” .
The result of that ideation is “Erotica Veronica” (out February 28th via Nettwerk), Folick’s third full-length album and yet another expansive exploration of what makes her tick. On “Erotica Veronica“, her primary focus is desire and embodiment. The album, which plays out like a psychosexual epic, is sonically rich, overflowing with orchestral flourishes, spiralling song structures and lived-in acoustic textures that render Folick’s clear-eyed lyricism in vivid detail.
Youth Lagoon’s fifth album, “Rarely Do I Dream“, feels like being caught in the memory of a dream: hazy, removed, and slightly disorienting. Trevor Powers’ follow-up to “Heaven Is a Junkyard” is also ripe with trickling textures, from the delicate piano runs sprinkled across “Football” to the jazzy drumming on “Gumshoe (Dracula From Arkansas).” Powers keeps Youth Lagoon’s latest sounding emotionally familiar and musically alluring. Rooted in love and childhood memoir, ‘Rarely Do I Dream’ is a triumph of American gothic imagination — where storybook innocence dissolves into a radioactive billow of teenage drifters, drug-addled hustlers, and old-world folklore.
Drifting between propulsive electronica and hallucinatory rock songs, Powers’ singular voice always glows front and centre as the neon road sign pointing home.
released February 21, 2025
“Rarely Do I Dream”. All songs written and performed by Trevor Powers (aka Youth Lagoon).
This new release has a sound more closely likened to the folk/acoustic material of the middle years than outright rockers, but it is, without doubt, classic Jethro Tull music. Anderson’s signatures are there in his soft and nuanced vocals, flute solos and Elizabethan melodies and his accompanying band do an excellent job behind him. The writing is a more personal tone than usual from Ian Anderson and he sometimes wears his heart on both sleeves, albeit not in the falsely emotional manner of standard rock and pop.
Some of the songs were laid down as instrumental demos and jams, and these have grown into fully fleshed out songs. The same musicians were used on the demo tracks as the final recordings so there is no gap in the styles and songs of the rest of the alum.
After two consecutive new Jethro Tull album releases in 2022 and 2023, another collection – ‘Curious Ruminant’ – is unleashed on the 7th March 2025. Consisting of nine tracks varying in length from two and half minutes to almost seventeen minutes, this is an album of mostly full band music. Amongst the musicians featured are former keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan, along with the current band members David Goodier, John O’Hara, Scott Hammond and, making his recording debut with the band, guitarist Jack Clark.
Jethro Tull Announce ‘The Tipu House’ – second single from ‘Curious Ruminant’
The album consisting of nine new tracks varying in length from two and half minutes to almost seventeen minutes, this is an album of mostly full band music. Following the launch of the albums title track in January, they are now pleased to reveal the second single “The Tipu House”.
Ian describes “The Tipu House” as a song of aspiration in adversity, and comments: Our societies are filled with those who have risen from relative poverty to positions of greatness in the world and their successes are a beacon of hope for the rest of us, even if “greatness” is a relative concept at the end of it all.
Ian Anderson had been saying for months following the release of “RökFlöte” that he would embark on a new project in late 2023. He waited only a few weeks before the first notions began to solidify into some drafted words of intent and in May 2024, some unfinished music recorded earlier with John O’Hara, DavidGoodier and James Duncan became the starting point for the new songs as they took shape.
Writing the lyrics and melodies for all the newly written material came very quickly once he began in earnest during June and just seemed to slot right in to the musical feel and styles of the earlier recordings.
Anderson’s writing here is often on a more personal level of lyric content than we are used to hearing. Interspersed with his usual observational descriptions are the slightly more heart-on-sleeve moments of soul-baring albeit not on the topics more often paraded by the usual I-me lyric merchants of pop and rock.
Some of the songs are developed from unfinished instrumental demos made some years ago although this does not result in a huge stylistic divide to jump out at the listener. Apart from the signature flute solos and melodies, accordion, mandolin, acoustic and tenor guitars feature on several tracks too, so the subtle backdrop of acoustic and folk rock serves to remind of the Tull heritage of the 70s.
‘Curious Ruminant’ will be available on several different formats, including a Ltd Deluxe Ultra Clear 180g 2LP + 2CD + Blu-ray Artbook & Ltd Deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray Artbook. Both of these feature the main album, alternative stereo mixes & a blu-ray containing Dolby Atmos & 5.1 Surround Sound (once again undertaken by Bruce Soord of The Pineapple Thief), as well as exclusive interview material.
The Ltd Deluxe vinyl artbook also includes in 2 exclusive art-prints. The album will also be available as a Special Edition CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g LP + LP-booklet & as Digital Album (in both stereo & Dolby Atmos).
Ian Anderson – Flute, Guitar, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Harmonica, Vocals, Jack Clark – Guitar, Scott Hammond – Drums and percussion, John O’Hara – Orchestral conductor, piano, keyboards and accordion, David Goodier – Bass guitar and double bass plus former keyboardist Andrew Giddings and drummer James Duncan.
The Small Faces’ posthumous 1969 compilation “The Autumn Stone” will be reissued in expanded form on March 28th, to kick off the 60th anniversary celebrations of Immediate Records. Curated by drummer Kenney Jones, the new reissue is a joint release with his own Nice Records.
Newly mastered by Nick Robbins, it boasts a number of previously unreleased and rare versions of Small Faces songs, including stripped-down acoustic mixes and live tracks.
“What I really like about this new deluxe edition is the Small Faces finally get to have an input. Immediate originally rushed out ‘The Autumn Stone’ compilation after we’d split into the Faces & Humble Pie. And no one spotted the big mistake on the cover or that songs had been left off! I’ve added an unreleased track and versions newly mixed that have never been heard before, a whole side of acoustic mixes that showcase Steve Marriott’s incredible voice, one side of live songs newly mastered to vinyl at the correct speed & everything is remastered from original tapes, including the Decca tracks. I’ve added songs that me, Ronnie, Mac & Steve loved working on & I got to correct all the errors with the original sound. The box set looks incredible, with gold foil lettering, 3-LPs pressed on 180-gram autumn stone and gold vinyl. There’s a 68-page hardback book which has so much in it, including sleeve notes, interviews, track-by-track details, a feature on our ‘1862’ sessions & pages of rare memorabilia, original artwork & previously unseen photos by our wonderful photographers, including Gered Mankowitz. I’m so pleased Gered is working with me on the album he originally helped design. Which means after 55 years, he’s finally put the Small Faces name on the cover!” KENNEY JONES, 2025
As well as a standard 3-CD edition, “The Autumn Stone” will be reissued as 3-LP coloured vinyl box-set including a 68-page hardback book containing detailed sleeve notes and track-by-track recording information, illustrated with rare memorabilia, original artwork and previously unseen photos by Small Faces photographers Tony Gale and Gered Mankowitz. The vinyl box-set boasts gold foil lettering, with the band’s name finally restored to the front cover, having been mistakenly left off on the album’s original 1969 release.
The vinyl package is limited to 3000 numbered copies, 750 of which are signed by Kenney Jones and Gered Mankowitz.
It’s here! The 50th-anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” lands on 28th March 2025, and it’s everything we could have hoped for—and then some. If you’re a fan of this iconic double album, this new set promises to be the definitive version, loaded with extras that dig deep into the creation, live performance, and legacy of this legendary release. Genesis’ incredible body of work, ‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’ is a landmark record, and one of the most influential progressive rock albums of all time. Originally released in November 1974, ‘The Lamb’ is celebrating its 50th Anniversary This definitive compendium was created with input from all band members involved in the record and follows the arc of the album’s creation and tour, giving fans a deep dive into the music and visual elements.
Released on 22nd November 1974, “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” marked a pivotal moment for Genesis. Sitting at the crossroads of their early prog roots and future mainstream success, the album remains a landmark in progressive rock history. With its intricate musicality, ambitious concept, and theatrical live presentation, it’s an album that has fascinated fans and critics alike for decades.
Now, 50 years on, this Super Deluxe Edition takes us back to the making of this extraordinary record while giving us new ways to experience it. Whether you view “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” as a prog rock masterpiece, a flawed experiment, or both, its influence is undeniable. The album’s ambition—both musically and conceptually—has made it a cornerstone of the genre. This 50th-anniversary edition celebrates everything that makes “The Lamb” so special while offering new ways to explore its rich history.
As Alexis Petridis writes in the liner notes: “Perhaps it makes sense that an album as complex as “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” has an equally complex history… It’s hard not to be struck by the fact that [the band members] seldom agree about it. Some think it’s the best album of their career; others see it as a brave but flawed experiment. Whatever your view, there’s every chance that The Lamb is all those things—flawed experiment, career highlight, prog masterpiece—at once.”
What’s in the Box? The 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition is available in multiple formats: A Brand-New Remaster The original album has been remastered at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell from the original 1974 analogue tapes. This new mix brings the music to life like never before. “Live at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles – January 24, 1975“,
For the first time, the complete performance from Genesis’ legendary “The Lamb” tour is available, including encore tracks “Watcher of the Skies” and “The Musical Box.”
‘The Lamb’ Dolby ATMOS mix overseen by Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks at Real World Studios; Download card featuring three never-before-released demos from the Headley Grange Sessions,
Exclusive Headley Grange Demos Three never-before-released demos from the album’s writing sessions at the legendary Headley Grange are included via a digital download card. These demos offer a rare glimpse into the early creative process of the band. Deluxe 60-Page Book This gorgeous coffee table-style book includes: Extensive liner notes by Alexis Petridis, featuring interviews with all five band members: Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, and Mike Rutherford. Rare and unseen photos by Armando Gallo, Richard Haines, and others. A deep dive into the album’s creation and live performances.
Collectible Memorabilia A reproduction of the 1975 tour programme. A replica concert ticket and promotional poster. “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway” 50th AnniversarySuper Deluxe Edition is released on 28th March 2025.
5LP + Blu-ray Audio 4CD + Blu-ray Audio
“The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) will provide a deep dive into the music and visual elements around this seminal album and pivotal period of time for the band. The album was the pinnacle of the band’s early success and is regarded as one of the most important progressive rock records of all time. The Genesis band members have been involved in the oversight and approvals around this new Super Deluxe Edition of the album, including new liner notes. The album will celebrate its 50th Anniversary this year.
The latest issue of Record Collector is out and features on the cover John Lydon as he reveals the contents of his record collection. Remember that Capital Radio show in 1977 with DJ Tommy Vance –‘The Punk And His Music,’ it was called – in which Johnny Rotten blew us away by coming out as an unashamed fan of Peter Hammill, Augustus Pablo, Gary Glitter and more? Well, this is an updated version of that: journalist Simon Goddard and photographer John Chapple are invited into Lydon’s Malibu home to show us the music (and memorabilia) that have marked the key stages of his life, up to and including the death of his beloved Nora. It’s fascinating stuff. As is the Kris Needs feature on Tim Buckley, Lois Wilson’s chat with Andy Fairweather Low, and David Stubbs’ interview with Kevin Godley in which he reclaims 10cc from Yacht Rock hell and repositions them correctly as peers of Mothers Of Invention and Steely Dan, Van Dyke Parks and Sparks. The interest goes so much deeper…
The great rock and soul band, first known as The Young Rascals, and later, simply, The Rascals, delivered some of the great sides of the mid-to-late ’60s with such era-defining singles as “Good Lovin’,” “Groovin’,”“It’s a Beautiful Morning” and “People Got To Be Free.” Now, the group’s entire Atlantic Records output, spanning 1965-1971, is being released on May 2024, on Now Sounds via the U.K.’s Cherry Red Records, as a 7-CD box set, “The Rascals: It’s Wonderful: The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings”. The 152 remastered songs include 14 previously unreleased tracks. The first four albums are presented in both stereo and mono, along with significant single edits and foreign language versions. The collection includes a 60-page booklet with detailed notes and rare illustrations from The Rascals archives.
“Time Peace: The Rascals Greatest Hits” marked both the culmination of the former “Young” Rascals’ early career and the transition to a new beginning. More than the “best of” it was intended as, it was an effective compilation of the seminal hit singles the band amassed during its chart-topping seminal period, from 1965 throughout 1968, beginning with their first record to capture attention, “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” through to 1968’s chart-topper, “A Beautiful Morning” (A.K.A. “It’s a Beautiful Morning”).
Not surprisingly, “Time Peace”, released on June 24th, 1968, topped the U.S. album sales chart and enjoyed an extended run that lasted some 20 weeks. Just as significantly, it documented the trajectory of a group that initially made its name as a white group that could purvey pure R&B. Many didn’t realize until much later that they themselves weren’t a black band. That said, their visual image certainly didn’t lend itself to that impression, given the attempt to exploit the “rascally” persona by dressing in knickers, wide-collared shirts and caps of a schoolboy variety.
The Rascals were: Dino Danelli, Eddie Brigati, Felix Cavaliere, Gene CornishRascals keyboardist FelixCavaliere, percussionist Eddie Brigati, drummer Dino Danelli and guitarist Gene Cornish evolved and matured rapidly. Original material, mostly by Cavaliere and Brigati, the group’s primary lead vocalists, began to dominate their albums, and they started to incorporate elements of jazz, rock, psychedelia and more. The result was some of the finest popular music of its time.
Nevertheless, The Rascals were clearly more than a novelty. They became an international sensation, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and even opening for the Beatles at Shea Stadium. More importantly, they were a potent instrumental outfit. Felix Cavaliere’s trademark organ flourishes helped define their sound, while guitarist Gene Cornish proved an able resource when it came to driving them; the relentless riffing on one particular song on “Time Peace, “Come On Up,” serves as a prime example. As for Dino Danelli, suffice it to say he remains one of the most underrated drummers in the annals of rock ’n’ roll, a powerhouse performer very much in the same vein as Keith Moon.
As time went on, the Rascals began to veer away from the R&B covers that had helped sustain them early on. While several early offerings that were penned by others had a prominent place on “Time Peace” specifically their first big hit, “Good Lovin’,” and the perennial soul standards “Mustang Sally” and “In the Midnight Hour” the album also effectively documents the evolution of the Cavaliere/Eddie Brigati songwriting team. (Brigati, who initially sang lead and took the fore on “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” eventually ceded that role to Cavaliere and settled instead for backing vocals and percussion.)
The two made their mark as co-writers, with several of the songs on this collection—“You Better Run” (later a hit for Pat Benatar), “Love Is a Beautiful Thing,” “A Girl Like You,” “How Can I Be Sure,” “It’s Wonderful,” “It’s a Beautiful Morning” and, of course, “Groovin’”.
Those songs also reflected the fact that, at this point, the Rascals could be considered more than a mere a pop band. “Love Is a Beautiful Thing,” “Beautiful Morning” and “A Girl Like You” found them expanding their instrumental arsenal with brass and orchestration. (Listen to the inventive combination of harps and horns that embellish the latter.) They incorporated jazz influences as well, soliciting contributions of such renowned musicians as flutist Hubert Laws to place them on the periphery of a more progressive sound.
On the other hand, the selections credited solely to Cavaliere, “Come Up Up” and “(I’ve Been) Lonely Too Long,” dealt mainly with courtship, love and occasional heartbreak, but managed to do so in a way that was as personal as they were poignant. It was a theme echoed early on with “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” and later through any number of other songs in this collection, including “You Better Run,” “Love Is a Beautiful Thing” and “How Can I Be Sure.”
So while “Time Peace” could be considered a document detailing the end of an era, it also marked a makeover. The album that preceded it, “Once Upon a Dream“, was an attempt to break from their commercial constraints and offer instead a conceptual offering that Cavaliere wistfully referred to as an attempt at a “Sgt. Pepperish” production. They would continue in that vein long after Time Peace as well, releasing a string of ambitious epochs—”Search and Nearness, See, Peaceful World” and “The Island of Real” well into the early ’70s.
Incredibly, the group’s “People Got To Be Free,” was released as a single in July but wasn’t included on the “Time Peace” album, which had been issued just a week earlier. It became the band’s third song to reach #1. (It was included months later on their 1969 album, “Freedom Suite“.)
From the label’s announcement: In the mid-1960s, the Rascals fused the best of rock and soul and they remain one of the most beloved of acts of that era. The electrifying quartet of Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati, Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli defined the term blue-eyed soul. As the hits mounted up, the group expanded their musical horizons and revealed a powerful songcraft with introspective originals “Groovin’” [one of the group’s three #1 singles] and “How Can I Be Sure,” both future standards.
Although the Rascals are principally remembered for their singles, their albums were also studded with gems, and showcased not just their signature rock and R&B styles but also a progressive exploration of jazz, Eastern modes, psychedelia and other diverse styles. This set presents the full complement of their cornerstone Atlantic recordings, featuring the band’s seven LPs for the label—the first four in both mono and stereo variations—along with assorted non-LP singles, foreign language versions and, for the very first time on a Rascals reissue, 14 previously unreleased tracks.
It’s Wonderful is the definitive compendium of the group’s first five years 1965-1971, charting their growth from New York club band to international superstars. Compiled and suitably remastered by Alec Palao, this major refurbishment of their catalogue leaves no stone unturned. A nearly 10,000-word essay by Richie Unterberger provides an in-depth account of their career, and is supplemented by an extensive session history and copious illustrations from the Rascals Archives. All housed in a deluxe, handsomely appointed box art directed and designed by Steve Stanley.
Stevie Van Zandt heaped a ton of praise on the Rascals when he inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. If you think he was being hyperbolic, you probably haven’t heard the group, which likely means you weren’t around in the mid- and late 1960s.
“It’s Wonderful” includes a 60-page book with a 10,000 word essay penned by Richie Unterberger, and tons of rare photos from the Rascals Archives.
The Fat Angel Sings 
