The Silence have just released Metaphysical Feedback, their newest exploration of progressive music that totally rocks! With psychedelic elements, jazz tangents, and classic rock excursions, Metaphysical Feedback is an absolute must listen for anyone with an ear towards timeless music. Masaki Batoh's group may call themselves The Silence but these sounds are meant to be played loud - not just on record but live, too! In fact, The Silence have shows coming up in Japan just next week - in Tokyo and Osaka... (read more)

Shepherd In A Sheepskin Vest is the triumphant and gentle return to form for clever crooner, Bill Callahan! Steeped in sentimentality, dripping to the depths with anecdote and advice, and reflective on life and death, it's a uniquely steadying record for these unstable times. And it ain't all serious business, either - Callahan slings one-liners for laughs with unusual ease! Unsurprisingly, all of this translates to the stage with the greatest of ease, and with the first round of US-touring under his belt, Bill... (read more)

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy stays busy - in the past five years he has released albums of previously-recorded songs by Susanna Wallumrod, Mekons, Merle Haggard; even himself) and a collaborative record with Bitchin Bajas! The only thing he hasn't done is a new album of Bonny originals - in case you weren't counting, 2011's Wolfroy Goes To Townwas the last one. That's from the first half of the Obama presidency, for chrissakes!

Things happen for reasons that are often... (read more)

Alasdair Roberts' tendency to explore nuanced historical arcana in his music is blessedly paired with an ability to do so compactly in song - turning, say, a 1000-year-old Irish text on the mysteries of creation and apocalypse, or the peregrinatory journal of a medieval English mystic, into something with which we can all sing along. With his latest single "A Keen", Ali marks the span of a life through the ritual use of song and utterance, from cradle croon to wooing charm... (read more)