REISSUES EXTRA

Kid Baltan and Tom Dissevelt

★★★★

The Fascinating World Of Electronic Music WE ARE BUSY BODIES. LP

From 1959, early electronics from Netherlands sound lab atomsmashes exotica, oscillator-wibble, cosmic drift, and more. Features earliest synth-pop-tune candidate Song Of The Second Moon. IH

Sam Lee

★★★★ Old Wow+ COOKING VINYL. CD/DL

An extension pack for last year’s set of resonant folk, fusing ancient traditions with modern climate crisis dread. Of six additional tracks, Awake Awake Sweet England and John Barleycorn are both relocated to Stonehenge for Lee’s recent project for English Heritage, Songs Of England. JB

Pretenders

★★★★★ Pretenders RHINO. CD/DL/LP

Chrissie Hynde-curated 3-disc edition of their textbook radio rock debut from 1979 (1981’s great Pretenders II gets the same treatment). Adds B-sides, demos, BBC sessions and a previously vinyl-only live set from the Paradise Theater, Boston, 1980 (oddly, no Brass In Pocket here or on the original live album). JB

Echo And The Bunnymen

★★★★★ Heaven Up Here RHINO. LP

In its 40th birthday year, the Liverpool quartet’s first masterpiece, all emotive thunder and geometric cool, gets a 180g remaster in blue vinyl. Ditto the classic era’s other LPs: Crocodiles (yellow), Porcupine (white), Ocean Rain (eternal transparent blue). KC

Jackie Leven

★★★★

The Mystery Of Love Is Greater Than The Mystery Of Death COOKING VINYL. CD/DL/LP

Prolific Kirkcaldy troubadour’s 1994 solo debut. His experience of violence and drug addiction play out in heavy-lovely songs that showcase his folk guitar, gentle baritone and self-knowledge. Highlights: Call Mother A Lonely Field; Snow In Central Park. JB

Static

★★★ Toothpaste And Pills THIRD MAN. LP

“Glam-punk demos and live recordings 1978-1981” from Negative Approach and Laughing Hyenas’ John Brannon, who found his high school band’s tapes in a cupboard at his mum’s. Well worth hoarding, it’s top punk rock grot, exemplified by Stoogian creepy crawl, Punk

Nation. JB

Everything But The Girl

★★★ Eden CHRYSALIS. LP

Thorn and Watt’s 1984 debut on half-speed mastered vinyl. Before hook-ups with Massive Attack and Todd Terry, theirs was a world of literary and jazz-pop cool: slightly dour social realist lyrics set to breezy boss nova percussion and sleek horns. JB

The Mam’ Selles

★★★

It’s A Bubblegum World SUNDAZED. CD/DL/LP 1969 guitar-free private pressing of Buffalo, NY trio Sharon Walker and Janice and Pat Plinzke. Steady voiced and soulful, they instrument-swap organ, drums, bass, trumpet and percussion across garage-cabaret covers and one original. Their medley of Get Ready and Let The Sun Shine In is Peanuts soundtrackworthy weird. JB

Various

★★★★

Blues Classics From The 1920s-1940s Vol. 19 BLUESIMAGES.COM. CD

Accompanying next year’s Classic Blues Artwork From The 1920s calendar, a selection of restored 78s from big guns of the blues such as Memphis Minnie, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Bessie Smith, plus nine newly-discovered Leadbelly radio performances from 1945 and 1949. IH