staff picks - bryan

[ Stephen Duffy Music / 2 CD ]

Release Date: Wednesday, 23 December, 2009

An anthology of Stephen Duffy and the Lilac Time, compiled by Stephen Duffy and re-mastered from the original tapes.

The 36-track set includes 2 previously unreleased songs -- one a brand new piece and the second a radical reworking of his biggest hit "Kiss Me". The initial release of the album comes in a beautiful digipak cover with an expanded lyric booklet,...

[ Shock Records / CD ]

Release Date: Monday, 15 February, 2010

'The Alphabet of Hurricanes' is McRae's most ambitious album to date, recorded over three years in studios, hotel rooms, and backstage areas both in the US and UK.

Having set up his own studio, Gunpoint, in East London, McRae has taken charge of the production once again, with his haunting melodies and poetic lyrics given a new sonic palette in an eclectic...

[ Brille / CD ]

Release Date: Monday, 12 October, 2009

The debut solo album from Lucas Renney features Midlake as backing band and is produced by Bella Union's Simon Raymonde.

"Like a hand grenade hidden in mashed potato, the genius -- and make no mistake, songs such as "These Same Stars" are genius -- of this singer/songwriter's debut, is that beneath the plucked acoustic melodies and above the lush Cohen-esque...

[ Slumberland Records / CDEP ]

Release Date: Tuesday, 22 September, 2009

Not content to rest on the laurels of having one of the best and most talked-about albums of 2009, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are back with four brand new songs, typical of what they do best -- indie-pop with exuberance, charm, and, of course, quality....

[ Fantastic Plastic / CD ]

Release Date: Monday, 2 November, 2009

Luke Haines is variously described as a national treasure and one of Britain's greatest living songwriters. He may be equally at home writing about teenage sex, terrorism, pop/film stars, child murder or broken love affairs, but Luke's excelled himself on this -- his fifteenth album as a principal songwriter!...

[ Spunk! / CD ]

Release Date: Monday, 8 February, 2010

Since the release of their critically acclaimed 2007 debut 'All Hour Cymbals', Yeasayer has been around the world and back again. While their first record was conceived in total artistic isolation, constant touring forced Yeasayer to finally engage with their contemporaries. If 'All Hour Cymbals' was Yeasayer's attempt at global and ambient cultural mash-up...