Posted in Press Releases

Various Artists
Northern Soul: 20 Original Classics Volume 2
Out 16th April 2012 on Spectrum Audio

Since its release in July 2010, Northern Soul: 20 Original Classics has sold over 74,000 o.t.c. Now two years later the same team are pleased to present volume 2.

This collection of 20 Original Northern Soul classics provides the listener with an overview of a style of black American soul music which swept across England in the late 60s & 70s. Emerging from the British mod scene in northern England, the style initially focused on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the Tamla Motown sound of the time but expanded to take on other styles.

The album features household names including The Supremes, Dusty Springfield, Ray Charles & The Temptations alongside lesser-known artists made famous by the gen...

Posted in Press Releases

With the release of her nineteenth album, Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt is starting anew. The album marks her return to studio recording after seven years; it’s coming out as the launch of her own label, Redwing Records; and it delivers some of the most surprising and rewarding music of her remarkable career, thanks in part to some experimental sessions with celebrated producer Joe Henry.

The years before and after Raitt’s last album, 2005’s acclaimed Souls Alike, weren’t an easy time for her, with the passing of parents, her brother, and a best friend...

Posted in Press Releases

Germanys thrash export no. 1, KREATOR, have revealed more details on the bands upcoming album, „Phantom Antichrist“.

The tracklist of the album reads as follows:

CD:
01. Mars Mantra
02. Phantom Antichrist
03. Death To The World
04. From Flood Into Fire
05. Civilisation Collapse
06. United In Hate
07. The Few, The Proud, The Broken
08. Your Heaven In My Hell
09. Victory Will Come
10. Until Our Paths Cross Again
11. Iron Destiny (Japan exclusive)

Limited Edition Bonus DVD:

– Conquerers of the ice – The making of Phanom Antichrist
– Harvesting the grapes of Horror
Live at Wacken Open Air in 2011 and 2008.
Mixed by Klaus Scheuermann.
Edited by Marcel Schleif and Stephan Lier
W.O.A. 2011:
01. Choir Of The Damned
02. Hordes Of Chaos
03. War Curse
04. Coma Of Souls / Endless Pain
05...

Posted in Press Releases

Three vinyl reissues – ‘Arthur’, ‘Face To Face’ and ‘Something Else’ – released April 21st on Universal

The Kinks jump on board for Record Store Day 2012 with three vinyl reissues; classic albums ‘Arthur’ (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)’, ‘Face To Face’ and ‘Something Else’, released April 21st on Universal.

Based around fictional character Arthur Morgan – a carpet-layer inspired by Ray Davies’ brother-in-law Arthur Anning – ‘Arthur’ is a canonical Kinks concept album from 1969. This 2-LP edition reissue comes on white coloured vinyl.

‘Face To Face’ was released in 1966 and represents the first full flowering of Ray Davies’ songwriting; narrative-rich, with wry social commentary...

Posted in Press Releases

On May 21st 2012, Universal is set to release the last three solo albums which Sandy Denny recorded for Island Records during her lifetime. The release coincides with a special tribute tour – “The Lady: A Homage to Sandy Denny” – which commences on May 19th.

Each of the three albums is now presented as a deluxe two-disc edition: SANDY, was released in September 1972 and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year; LIKE AN OLD FASHIONED WALTZ, from June 1974 and RENDEZVOUS which was released in May 1977, less than a year before her death in April 1978...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

The night started With Meisha. Sadly when they came on stage at 8pm the venue was almost deserted. 
To make things worse the sound was awful. The keyboards were way too prominent and this detracted from the overall sound and enjoyment.  The dozen or so fans present were vocal in their support but with so few people there was simply no atmosphere. 
The vocals were good and the  music might have been good with decent sound but its hard to tell when the sound is so bad.  By the end of their set the audience had grown to around 30 people – still an embarrassingly poor turnout. 

Next up were Suzerain, who had a much rockier sound than Meisha. They too had sound problems but these were at least resolved fairly early on...

Posted in Interviews

Ant May from Festivalphoto spoke to Paul Mahon, guitarist with The Answer shortly before their gig at Rock City in Nottingham earlier this month.

Festivalphoto: You’re currently on tour with The Union. Are there any gigs or festival appearances planned for later in the year.

Paul: At the moment its mainly European festivals, and then we’ll see whether it’s Download or Sonisphere, that’s the big question this summer.

Festivalphoto: Any preference which you’d like to play?

Paul: Happy to do either. We did Sonisphere last summer, really good, very refreshing. I think with Download it’s getting very mainstream, I think maybe they’re trying to cater to too many different tastes...

Posted in Interviews

Festivalphoto spoke to Rebecca Spinks, singer with The Mariana Hollow, before they played supporting Pythia at the Borderline in London on 29th February.

Festivalphoto: Ok for anyone who hasnt listened to The Mariana Hollow before, how would you describe your music?

Rebecca: I’d describe it as alternative metal/rock. There’s definitely a melodic edge to our music so we like to write songs that people can listen to and remember. It’s fairly dark, some people say it reminds them of the sea

Festivalphoto: Your new album, Velvet Black Sky has just been released (although I keep mis-saying it as Black Velvet sky).

Rebecca: I keep doing that as well to be honest.

Festivalphoto: Where did the album title come from?

Rebecca: To be honest I was reading a book and it was just a few of the words i...

Posted in Cd Reviews

”Emergence” is the debut album from heavy rockers The Sun Explodes. Hailing from Carlisle, they have a sound that crosses genre boundaries. At times they have a really heavy guitar driven sound, but at other times there is a very prominent use of synthesisers which gives it a totally different sound. Presonally I’m glad to see so many new bands mixing things up and not being limited by artificial genres as by mixing things up we get some interesting new sounds – sometimes it works brilliantly and at other times it doesnt work. Happily in this case it works well.

Comments on a couple of the tracks…

Title track ”Emergence starts off with some guitar and drums which gradually rise in pace and intensity for almost a minute at which point the synth kicks in and becomes the dominant sound, e...

Posted in Cd Reviews

Diana Ross, originally issued in 1976, was Diana Ross’s first full-length solo studio album in over two years. It arrived on the heels of Mahogany, Diana’s record-breaking second feature film that included her No. 1 hit, ”Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)”.
As well as the Mahogany theme, the album containts one of Diana Ross’s biggest hits – ”Love hangover”.

As well as the newly re-mastered original album, there is a second CD packed with bonus material – single-only mixes, non-LP singles, the super-rare promotional single ”Coming Home,” and new alternate mixes of nearly the entire album...