Released four years after the Talking Heads called it a day with 1988's Naked, Popular Favorites provides a thorough overview of one of the most important American bands of the '80s. From tightly wound early efforts such as "Psycho Killer" and "Don't Worry About the Government" to the seriously funky likes of "I Zimbra" and "Burning Down the House," David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, and Chris Franz grew as musicians as they stretched the original concepts of the unit to the breaking point. Over the course of two discs and 32 selections, the anthology chronicles the Heads' development from Bowery art punks (albeit of the most civil stripe) to unlikely arena stars. A smattering of unreleased tracks and notes from the original quartet nicely flesh out the retrospective.

All the ghouls, ghosts and goblins of gothic rock past, present and future have gathered on this very special 2CD Halloween-themed compilation! Includes exclusive tracks not found anywhere else by Lebanon Hanover, Buzz Kull, R. Missing, Bauhaus's David J and others PLUS classic tracks by Ministry, Christian Death, The Damned, Corpus Delicti, The 69 Eyes, Powerman 5000, Skold and more!

A group whose distinctly ethereal and gossamer sound virtually defined the enigmatic image of the record label 4AD, Cocteau Twins were founded in Grangemouth, Scotland, in 1979. Taking their name from an obscure song from fellow Scots Simple Minds, the Cocteaus were originally formed by guitarist Robin Guthrie and bassist Will Heggie and later rounded out by Guthrie's girlfriend Elizabeth Fraser, an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions.

THE THE, one of the most acclaimed and cherished bands of the last few decades, have announced details of the release of ‘Ensoulment’, their first studio album of new songs in a quarter century. This 12-song album will be released through Cinéola / earMUSIC on Friday 6th September 2024.

A long awaited reissue of The Fall's ninth full length album Bend Sinister, this edition is titled Bend Sinister/The 'Domesday' Pay-Off Triad-Plus. “Part musical hypnotist, part ranting madman, Smith was a singular figure in post-punk. His Mancunian accent, dry witticisms and plays on words were one of the Fall’s most constant characteristics. Their songs were odysseys into his ever-verbose psyche, marked by repetitive rhythms and melodies.” - ROLLING STONE. The bonus material added to the reissue includes various B-sides, Peel Session cuts, live tracks and more. If you spring for the CD version, you'll get six added tracks that are previously unreleased.

Formed whilst still at school in late 1974, The Outsiders charted their own unlikely path through the tumultuous punk era, releasing one of the very first independent ‘punk’ albums in the process and dividing opinion with their contribution to the new musical revolution. Aided and backed by front man Adrian Borland’s father, the band produced material in an adventurous range of styles (somehow becoming ‘post-punk’ during the original wave), recorded in their own private studio and released material on their own Raw Edge label. Borland and co-founder Adrian Janes, whilst tapping into punk’s energy, explored songwriting which dug deeper than much of whatever else was happening at the time, simultaneously youthful, reflective and knowing.

Limited edition of 500. Tone Set (Galen Herod and Greg Horn) was an Arizona minimal synth duo that existed from 1981 to 1983. Their early sound mixed analog synthesizers and gritty drum machines with tapes of found speech. This was the sound of their first release, a 1982 cassette called Cal's Ranch recorded with almost no vocals at The Center for Advanced Studies and released through the Zia record store in Tempe, AZ. In 1982, Tone Set contributed the track "Out! Out! Out!" to Placebo Records' Amuck compilation (PLA-103), which also featured Meat Puppets, and Sun City Girls (the duo also contributed a track called "Happy People" under their Happy People alias). Vocals started to become a more prominent part of their sound by the time they recorded their Calibrate EP, released in February 1983 on Pegna Records (peg one). The first side featured three pop songs – "Life is Busy" and "Slim," both sung by Herod, and "Living In Another Land," sung by Horn.

Fontaines D.C. release their highly-anticipated fourth album, Romance. Released via XL Recordings, Romance is the band’s first album with producer James Ford and is without doubt their most assured, inventive and sonically adventurous record yet. It’s set to build on the success of the Dublin-made, now London-based band’s acclaimed 2022 album Skinty Fia, which reached number 1 in the UK and Irish album charts and saw the band receiving a host of accolades including “International Group of the Year” at the 2023 Brit Awards.

Five CD set bringing a comprehensive, big-tent look at the early years of punk rock in the US and Canada. Over six hours of music. Includes benchmark tracks by the scene's most influential bands plus many rare singles making their first appearance on CD. This five CD includes influential NYC bands - Patti Smith Group, The Ramones, Television, Blondie, The Voidoids, etc. - as well as the scene's other pioneers such as Pere Ubu and The Dead Boys (both Cleveland, Ohio), Dead Kennedys and Crime (San Francisco), Devo (Akron, Ohio), The Germs and The Weirdos (Los Angeles) and Mission of Burma (Boston, Massachusetts). Blank Generation offers a deliberately broad definition of punk, encompassing contributions from such outré acts as Suicide, The Cramps and The Residents through to new wave/power pop combos (Sneakers, Chris Stamey & the dB's, etc.). While the US punk scene was arguably always more diverse musically than that of the UK, the music evolved quickly, as evinced by the choices heard on Discs 4 and 5. Many of the acts here such as X, The Replacements, The Feelies, Redd Kross, The Dream Syndicate, The Gun Club and Minor Threat would make an even greater impact as the 1980s wore on. It's hard to overestimate the seismic shocks caused by the music on 'Blank Generation', not only on everything in alternative music which followed in North American, from the 80s hardcore scene and the music heard on the whole alternative college radio network through to grunge and beyond. And yet this era has never before been treated to a comprehensive retrospective of this kind.

Compiled by noted Australian music writer and historian David Nichols, ‘Closed Circuits’ looks at what happened in Australia when the machines started taking over in the wake of punk in the late 70s.

Deliquescence is a 2XCD live album recorded in 2016/17, documenting the final Swans tour of this configuration of the band. It shows the Swans live set generally as it stands now (though, as always, the set continues its transformation along the way as the tour progresses). It contains two (long) pieces that have never been, and never will be, recorded elsewhere. In addition it contains a lengthy, unfinished and discarded work in progress. As usual, the pre-existing material used in the live set is subject to constant revision/expansion.

U.S. BROADCAST RECORDING FROM THE CURE’S 1984 TOP TOUR
The Cure had been gradually building their U.S. fan base when they embarked on their third American tour to promote their 1984 studio release, The Top. This broadcast recording was made on that tour, and features the band during their most defining musical period. • Coming off the success of hits like "Let's Go To Bed" and "Boys Don't Cry," Robert Smith and the band had finally come to the point where they could take The Cure's eccentric, characteristically dark sound and combine it with a more radio-friendly approach. At the same time that he was working with The Cure, Smith was also playing with Siouxsie and the Banshees. Musically, however, his true home was always with The Cure - a fact made more than apparent on this recording. • The Cure would eventually go through a number of musical and personal upheavals, but most agree this was the time when they were at their musical peak. Highlights of this set include "Let's Go To Bed," "Boys Don't Cry." and the track borrowed to name this live document “Happy The Man”. They end this noteworthy gig with a live rendition of "Killing An Arab." • For diehard fans or curious listeners, this show offers an impeccable live recording of one of the '80s biggest groups in their prime.

The highly anticipated debut from London's Savages, an all-female four-piece who play music with scything energy and brutal power. Recorded with Rodaidh McDonald (The xx), the album is an 11-track, 38-minute masterpiece. Limned in black and white but containing a swell of different emotions within its self-imposed strictures, the songs cover topics from masochism ("Hit Me"), urban dread ("City s Full"), materialism, possessiveness and the experience of being a woman ("Husbands," "I Am Here"). Every one is delivered with fierce conviction and concision. Japanese Edition contains four bonus tracks.

Crystal clear vinyl. Picture labels. Housed in a top opening printed transparent sleeve. "Made in Germany" sticker applied directly.
Picture inner sleeve of top opening paper. The design layout allows the printed elements to be seen through the outer sleeve. Hype sticker applied to an outer wrap. Copies may come with a further two stickers applied to the wrap indicating colourway plus exclusive retailer, depending on territory.

First and Last and Always is the debut studio album by English rock band The Sisters of Mercy. It was released on 11 March 1985, through record labels Merciful Release and WEA.