News

Greetings all in Sorry State Newsletter land. It’s Super Bowl Sunday as I write, not that I have much interest in that, other than perhaps the halftime show. Earlier today I was left feeling flat as the Reds got knocked out of the F.A. Cup by Plymouth Argyle. Good on them for having their day. The prospect of giant-killing has always made the F.A. Cup a compelling competition. There’s not much like it. So, for Liverpool another chance at the quadruple has ended for this season. LoL. Still three more trophies to play for, and even if you don’t win anything, surely it’s better to be in with a chance than none. Unless you revel in misery, of course, which some do, but most of us who support a team want them to win.

Anyway, back to the Superbowl halftime show, which will have featured Kendrick Lamar performing. We sold a few copies of his new one over the weekend and I took a listen. I like the Spanish/Latin influences on it. I had a chuckle with some customers in the store, talking about how this will hopefully drive the Maga crowd mad as now that they are fully out as racists and hate Spanish-speaking people, they won’t be able to like any of it. Hell, they can’t like anything now. No Taco Tuesday for Maga now. No anything that can’t be claimed to be completely “white.” That doesn’t leave an awful lot left, does it? Certainly, music wise, the Maga record shelves will have to be very bare going forward as 99.99% of all music we enjoy has roots or influences or is played on instruments that came from people of color. Enjoy your a cappella barber shop quartet music you fuckers, because there’s not much else left for you.

For the rest of us who aren’t asshats and can appreciate people of all colors, creeds, religions and nationalities and who find that diversity enriches rather than dilutes, let’s continue and talk about some music. I spent another week adding more records to our system that we scored from the collection I mentioned last week. There is still much more great stuff to add, but so far, we have been delighting our local shoppers with the quality and the array of titles hitting the bins. This past weekend, Jeff put together some of the Rock and Metal highlights and backed them up with tons of solid copies of so many classics. It was like a field day for our shoppers, and I was psyched to see people so excited about their pick-ups. Look out for more next Friday. I expect a lot of the Jazz, Blues, Reggae and Soundtracks will feature.

I’ve been enjoying checking out so many records from this collection that I was unfamiliar with and refreshing my memory on those I was aware of. For my pick this week, it’s a combination of the two: an artist that I have loved for many years and a couple of records by him I didn’t have. I’m referring to the jazz legend Cal Tjader. Master of the vibraphone and a decent drummer also, he is best known as being the most famous non-Latino Latin musician. Born to Swedish parents in St. Louis and raised in the Bay Area of California, he spent thirty-odd years as a successful musician before passing away suddenly in 1982 from a heart attack whilst touring the Philippines. He was only 56.

His resume is long and includes his beginnings with Dave Brubeck, being a part of George Shearing’s band and embracing the Latin Jazz sound that was exploding in the early 1950s. During his time in New York, he met up with the likes of Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo and soon after formed his own group, The Cal Tjader Modern Mambo Quintet and began a long run of releasing quality albums on the Fantasy label. These records all feature top notch Afro-Cuban musician talent and really cook in places. The 1960s saw Cal switch to Verve Records, where he enjoyed his most successful period. The album Soul Source from 1964 was huge and was probably my first exposure to his music years later. The title track was a cover of a Dizzy Gillespie tune and where the term “Salsa” was coined to describe the new Latin sound.

I can’t rave about how good Cal Tjader is enough and always pick up any record that has his name on it. For a while, you could pick these up cheaply and easily, but that’s getting a little tougher now for certain titles. These records are known for being cheap heat. Records that punch way above their weight. I would add the likes of Herbie Mann and Ramsey Lewis into this camp, too. Artists that were popular and sold loads of records, but always kept the quality high, especially when it came to picking the musicians who played on their albums.

After all the success of the Fantasy Records period, a time that also saw Cal help save the Monterey Music Festival, which obviously a few years later hosted Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Otis Redding and Janis Joplin for those famous shows, and then the Verve Records era where he really took off, Tjader joined fellow musicians Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo to found Skye Records. That label only lasted a few years, but put out great records by all three of them and others, particularly the awesome soft-psych gem by Wendy & Bonnie. Come the mid-1970s and Tjader found himself back on Fantasy and there released some tasty Jazz-Funk albums. The two I picked were from that time. One called Amazonas from 1976 and the other titled At Grace Cathedral released the following year in 1977.

Amazonas features terrific playing from the Brazilian group assembled for the session by producer Airto Moreira and of course great work from Cal himself on vibes and marimba. George Duke is also on hand to help with arrangements and song writing duties. So, there is pedigree a plenty. The album was recorded in L.A., but has a strong Latin and South American feel, is funky in places and sounds great. I’m digging the cut Mindoro the most.

At Grace Cathedral is a live album recorded at the San Francisco church in May 1976 and was a benefit for the hungry. Cal was a replacement for the intended Vince Guaraldi who, like Tjader would later, had just recently passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack. Vince and Cal were close friends, and the recording is dedicated to Guaraldi, who played there himself years earlier. The album is a good one and starts strongly with I Showed Them, followed by a Milt Jackson tune called Bluesology and then on side two opens with a nice medley from Black Orpheus, a nod to Vince Guaraldi, who released Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus back in 1962, also on Fantasy Records. As with Amazonas, the musicians playing on this date are all outstanding. Long time Tjader associate Pancho Sanchez excels on the congas and Lonnie Hewitt adds some nice electric keyboards. Rob Fisher plays bass and Pete Riso is on drums.

Are either of these albums the essential Cal Tjader? Perhaps not. Those ones from the 1950s and 1960s are probably the place to start, but for lovers of good Latin inspired 70s fusion, these are highly enjoyable records to check out. Give ‘em a listen if that is your bag.

Okay, deadline approaching… I need to cut things off here. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you around these parts next time or even better in the store itself.

Cheers - Dom

Greetings to you all. Thanks for taking the time to read the Sorry State Newsletter. It’s greatly appreciated and hopefully you get some useful information out of it and a brief distraction from “other stuff” that is going on. Music and the arts in general are especially important right now and have real power to unify, to soothe, to entertain, to inspire and to communicate truth. For our small part, it is an honour to pass on information and to highlight cool shit that you might like.

Writing for the newsletter is fun and a privilege, but in the company of my colleagues can be a little tough sometimes. We boast some bona fide credentials and talent amongst the team, and attempting to pen anything as interesting as theirs is always a challenge. Speaking for myself only, but I really struggle to pull the words out of my head sometimes, and can stare at a blank screen for a while. Partly because my head is full of too many other “life” things, which makes it difficult for me to concentrate, and partly because I love music and the artists that created it so much that I don’t want to do a poor job talking about something (especially if others have done it way better) or simply “phone in” a review of a record or whatever. Believe it or not, it matters to me. As it does all of us here. You don’t work at a record store and small label thinking you’re going to be super rich. If anything, it’s the complete opposite. As Daniel says, a vow of poverty. I have committed to that philosophy over the years and have chosen records over almost everything else in my life. Clearly that has been to my detriment, but at least my soul got to take in some killer shit, and hopefully I enriched other peoples’ souls by sharing and passing on knowledge of good stuff. Whether that’s been as a DJ or as a shopkeeper, the goal has always been to evangelize and pass on and to keep alive quality human artistic expression. I’m happy to play a minuscule part in that and always will.

One of the best and most exciting parts of buying and selling records is when you score a great collection. Sorry State (touch wood) has historically had good luck with that, but we’re always looking for the next cool pick up. The holiday period cleared out the bins significantly at the store and we needed replacements. I love seeing our compatriots at other record stores picking up cool collections, but admit to getting envious sometimes. So, it was a blessing from the vinyl gods that delivered a large collection to us just recently. From the collection of a music industry insider who worked from the mid 1970s through to the late 1990s and acquired, multiple in many cases, promo copies of records he was involved with. We have tons of (mostly) un-played promo copies of cool Jazz, Rock, Pop, Country, Classical, Soundtracks and more besides, which we will work on pricing and getting into the store and listing directly to our online channels as well. The store saw the first fruits of that collection hit the bins last Friday and will see more to come over the next few weeks, but many titles will go straight up online, so make sure to scan our listings. A lot of these will be sealed or unplayed copies too.

Over the weekend, I filled up a few boxes of more potential sellers for the store, but because we got busy with other things they remained in the trunk of my car, and I ended up bringing them home. The temperature has been in the 60s this weekend, so there are no worries of them being too hot or cold. However, I brought them inside just in case. That gave me a chance to pull out one or two that I didn’t know and that looked interesting to check out. The perfect way to spend my Sunday between watching the football. I only had time to listen a few of the many cool records and have gone with something new to me for my “pick” this week. I could have easily picked one of several more obviously cool and known titles. There are loads of those in this collection, and many that come with a price tag reflecting their desirability. But instead I’ve gone with a cheaper one. I have a soft spot for records that aren’t too expensive but still pack a punch and provide for some good listening. Also, like Daniel, I don’t mind having lower grade copies of records that would otherwise be a lot more expensive. If the vinyl is mostly clean and decent and plays without major noise and/or skips, I’m okay. Certainly, jackets don’t have to be spotless for me. Obviously, I prefer a nice copy without damage, but I can live with a seam split or some writing on the back, etc. Just no mold from moisture exposure. I can’t do that. The copy I am about to talk about is decent, has a punch hole and plays well. I only pulled jazz records from the collection, so if that’s not your bag, you can be excused. LoL.

Up is pianist Rupert Cobbett and a record he released in 1976 called Sensitive Cat on the independent Soul Deep label out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

I was drawn to the title first. I consider myself a sensitive cat and have a poorly sensitive cat at home currently. Then there was a cartoon sketch on the back of the jacket depicting a cat playing keyboards with the black keys spelling out progressive. Cool. That and the nature of the Soul Deep private label intrigue coupled with the photo of Mr. Cobbett on the cover and the dedication to the “Jazz Freaks” of the industry on the back all shouted out to me to drop the needle and see what sounds came out of the speakers. I’m happy to report a winner. Not an out and out classic or an essential banger, but a decent record that would appeal to anyone who likes 70s Jazz Funk and electric keyboard led music. I was a little skeptical as the first track began as it sounded mainstream, and I was fearful this might be a lame cocktail lounge record. This song called Just One Reason was hyped on the front cover as being a hit single. I don’t know about that. Maybe on the Holiday Inn bar scene it was. LoL. Although at halfway through that song, I heard some cool percussion and signs that there might be better to come. The second track, On Three Legs, quickly proves that to be the case. Producers might want to get their samplers out for elements of this track. There were some tasty beats in parts, and the piano playing was top-notch. Rupert has the chops to be spoken about alongside big names like Ramsey Lewis and Herbie Hancock when it comes to this particular period of piano based jazz.

The rest of the musicians on the date are allowed to demonstrate their talents as the album continues. The third song, Ultra Wave, gives both the drummer some and the bassist space to groove and show what they can do. Side one ends with my favorite cut so far. Called Seven Heaven, it has an Afro-Funk sort of groove going on and would appeal to fans of groups like Cymande and War, or perhaps even Mandrill. Not as heavy or overtly funky, but the song has a nice groove to it and features some tasty flute work.

Side two opens with Bad Rooster and more tasty drums that surely have been sampled (or need to be) and progresses in a Stanley Turrentine and Freddie Hubbard on CTI records sort of fashion. The drummer keeps the groove going throughout and would make Steve Gadd proud. As the song gets into a bit of a breakdown, this sweet synth sound comes in. Really cool.

The next song, Play The Game, gets into a Latin Funk light type of groove. There’s some more tasty flute and bass parts and consistent percussion and drums.

They lose me a little on the third track called Ballad Acoustics, as they take their foot off the gas a little, but it’s still a nice track in the vein of something Vince Guaraldi might play on one of the Charlie Brown TV Specials soundtracks that I love so much. Beautiful piano playing and deft bass lines.

The album closer is called What It Is, and is the only song with vocals. The song has a Caribbean sounding vibe to it and doesn’t quite fit in with everything that proceeded it. It isn’t that bad of a song, but it isn’t that great either, and seems to be an odd addition. I wonder what the thought process was behind including that, and whether it was recorded at a different time to the rest of the album.

So yeah, there you have it. Worth checking out and keeping an eye out for if you like the type of Soul Jazz that labels such as Muse or Black Jazz were releasing at the same time. You can click here for a link to listen to the song Seven Heaven and get a taste.

Rupert Cobbett released a second record on the same Soul Deep label, his own I believe, the following year in 1977 called Peaceful Morning that’s in the same vein as Sensitive Cat. Looking at Discogs, it seems like people are paying good money for a copy of that one, and the same might be said about the first one now too, although the median on that one is still at $20. I think tracks from the second album have been sampled and compiled on to mix tapes, which has raised their profile and hence has more people on the hunt which, in turn, raises the price.

I’ve checked that album online and liked it too. Maybe I’ll find a copy in this current collection we are still going through. There might be one. If he had the first, why not the second? It would make sense. Keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy listening to Sensitive Cat with my sensitive self and my actual sensitive kitty cat.

Cheers everyone. Thanks for reading and supporting us and supporting everyone else that is trying to put the good word out and do good things. We’re in this together. It’s going to be rough, but if we find community in music and other interests, then we might just make it. Keep the faith.

-Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters, what’s up?

Writing to you today on Martin Luther King Day here in the US, which is corresponding with the Inauguration Ceremony for the new President. God help us all. Thankfully, I had an excuse to get out of the house and not wallow in despair, as I had my radio show to do, and we made it all about celebrating MLK. Hopefully spinning some Soul and Gospel records and putting that good music and positive messages out into the air can be considered my act of service for the day.

One record I brought along and was glad to include on the show was the album by Arrested Development called Don’t Fight Your Demons, released in 2020.

I missed getting a vinyl copy when it first came out, but a couple of years ago it got a reissue and I made sure to snag myself one. I think around that time I was fortunate enough to see them perform live here in Raleigh at a special one-off benefit show. They were incredible, and just as memorable and impactful as they were when I first saw them some twenty-five or so years ago.

I wouldn’t claim to be a super-fan of theirs, but still have their first couple of records and a few 12”s in my collection. Their brand of socially conscious hip-hop combined with a pop sensibility and good times vibes always hits the spot.

Don’t Fight Your Demons is packed full of great tracks. I played one called Young Americans on the show today, but could have gone with any of several others that would have fitted in and been appropriate for the day. There’s a little bit of something for everyone on this record. You get the politics; this record came out in the tumult of 2020, and coincidentally at the same time as Public Enemy came out with a new record. You get the intelligence, you get humor, you get club bangers and head-nodders, all on the same record. What a good Hip-Hop record is all about. Credit to the group, in particular Speech and to producer Configa, who give the record a contemporary and current sound. Aided by some guest MCs and vocalists, the result is a very satisfying album that was perfect for the moment it was released and still sounds fresh these few years later. Arrested Development certainly do not have any expiration date. They’ve been at it solidly these past thirty years or so, releasing quality records and rocking any stage they perform on.

With what promises to be in our future these next few years, we need groups like Arrested Development more than ever. Pull this one up and give it a listen if you haven’t in a while or let it slip by you first time around.

Cheers – Dom

Hey there Sorry Staters. We hope you are all safe and well out there. Here in North Carolina, we had a minor ice storm the other night and have been experiencing some cold weather, but our hearts go out to any of you in areas affected by severe weather and particularly right now the dreadful fires in California. Just so sad to see so much devastation and poor folks losing everything they have. I get broken up thinking about all the animals killed or now displaced that might not end up living. We obviously had a tragedy here last year with the flooding, so to be seeing communities being wiped out again so soon is doubly hard to take. Just like then, it appears that a certain shit ball and his followers are using the fires to score political points. What a bunch of scumbags. Anyway, fuck them, and much peace and love to those suffering.

We hope that our 2024 round up newsletter last week made for interesting reading. I always enjoy seeing what my colleagues write about and what they rated. I wonder how much or not you agreed with us. I must stress again that all of us felt we had forgotten something or felt bad about leaving an artist, album or single off our lists. Apologies to anyone we didn’t include or mention. We weren’t trying to make definitive statements, but rather just celebrate music and the arts in general and support the scene that supports us. Music hits us all in different ways and what works for one may not work for the other. All I conclude each year when we do these things is that a lot of music is made each year and it’s only possible to listen to a fraction of it and each of our tastes are different.

A quick mention about a record that we just got in before I get into my “pick” for this week. Technically it’s a 2024 release, but for us and most folks, this year will be the first we are hearing about the group Gossip Collar and their debut LP Spinning Silk For Parasites. They’re a post-punk group from Boston and should appeal to anyone that enjoys a Deathrock edge in their music. I’ve been spinning this one and liking it. Check ‘em out.

Okay, this week I am going to write about an artist whose records I had not heard about until last week, even though they have been making music since the late 1990s. I feel almost embarrassed that I was unaware of these records, as the sound is right up my proverbial alley. Just goes to the show that the more you know, the more you find out you don’t know. The artist I am referring to here is Matt Rendon, talented multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and main man behind the Tucson, Arizona Garage band The Resonars.

My main love, music-wise, will always be guitar-based made in the golden era of Rock And Roll that was 1957 through 1977. From Elvis to The Sex Pistols, those twenty years saw the best of the best. Rock ‘N Roll, Rockabilly, Country, Blues, R & B, Merseybeat, British Invasion, Garage, Psych, Soul, Funk, Glam, Bubblegum, Prog, Krautrock, Reggae and Punk. So much quality music and those tags only scratch the surface. I particularly love that period of the mid 1960s where groups in the UK who were inspired by earlier US groups and artists were now influencing the current crop of musicians in America and then how quickly they, in turn, were again inspiring the Brits (and the rest of the world) and changing their sounds. Things progressed at such a rapid rate during that period. But I’m not here to give a history of music. You all know how it went down and have the internet to tell you more if you’re interested. The point is, I love original 1960s music and culture and all the subsequent waves of revival that followed. Any band that plays a 60s inspired style of music will always get my attention. Some I like and some I like less so, but if I see a record with a 60s Mod aesthetic and the band have a good look and there’s at least one Rickenbacker in sight, I’ll give them a listen.

So, at the store last week I was going through the bins and boxes of records we have on the back shelves, looking for titles that hadn’t sold or might get a better shot if listed online, and I came across a record that instantly caught my eye. It was the 1998 self-titled album by The Resonars on Star Time Records. It has a very 60s psych inspired look and l felt like it might be a decent Garage record. My hunches were confirmed the moment I put the needle on the record and the music burst forth. Total 60s garage pop-psych with vocals that recall a few British Invasion bands, but particularly The Hollies. Great tunes and songs, all written by Matt Rendon apart from a choice cover of The Peanut Butter Conspiracy’s Dark On You Now. I was hooked instantly and played the record at least two more times, asking myself why I had never heard of it before. As I started to research, I learned that the group was essentially Matt Rendon and assorted other players and band members rotated over the years, and that the records were mostly recorded at his own studio, Coma Cave Studios, that he has been steadily building these past twenty-odd years. I also learnt that there were a lot of records made since that 1998 debut, and that they were all good. We had a few here. Sorry, but I have snagged them. Hey, I don’t like to be one of those record store clerks who do that, but locals had a few months to buy them and although we sold one or two, these others were still here.

I’ve been playing them these past few days and have been enjoying them all. The sound on the records might change a little due to players, better equipment and instruments, and in a couple of cases different studio locations, but essentially, they stick to the blueprint of pop-psych garage. If you love The Hollies, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Electric Prunes, Big Star, Badfinger and all the rest of the Nuggets type groups then you probably will like The Resonars. If you like the kind of bands talked about in Bomp! Magazine and the bands who had records released on Big Beat, Get Hip, Norton, Dionysus, Sundazed, and Voxx, to name a few labels as examples, you’ll probably like The Resonars.

I admit I fell down a rabbit hole as I read more and more about Matt Rendon and listened to the records. For a fellow that has kept a regular job during most of his bands’ lives, he sure keeps busy. Not only writing, playing, recording and producing for his own band, but also doing the same with other local groups in the Tucson area and having a few side projects and other groups going at certain times too. He was in a band called The Knockout Pills that played a punkier style of music that has correctly been compared to the sound of Australian punk legends The Saints. That band released two albums in 2003 and 2004. Jeff and I listened to both in the store the other day and thought they were both good. I scored the first one online cheaply and easily, but the second one called 1+1+Ate might take a bit more work to find. If anyone reading this is from Tucson (or anywhere else) and can find me a copy for a reasonable price, get in touch.

I went nuts on Discogs and have now bought several Resonars albums, along with another of the side projects called The Butterscotch Cathedral, which was a one off, more psychedelic record but essentially The Resonars under a different name, plus a couple of records by a group called The Marshmallow Overcoat, who Matt was in for a while and who are part of that same Arizona scene. That last group has an interesting documentary made about them called ALL YOU NEED IS FUZZ: 30 Years In A Garage Band. Click here to watch a trailer. The Overcoat was yet another name unbeknownst to me, despite having hits and worldwide success. I really like their album from 1993 called A Touch Of Evil, which has a more of a darker, Goth-like sound to it. On that one, they dropped the marshmallow and are just The Overcoat.

If that wasn’t enough new-to-me music to discover, there are still yet other bands that Matt Rendon is or was involved with for me to check out. There’s one called Lenguas Largas who, since 2011, have four albums and a bunch of singles to their credit. This band plays in a psychedelic garage punk style with Indie Rock leanings from what I have heard so far. I’ll need to investigate further, but will most likely be seeking at least one or two of their records once I’m done.

He’s also in Freezing Hands, playing drums, who since 2014 have released four albums, described as psychedelic Garage/Power Pop, along with one of his bandmates from The Knockout Pills. As I write this, I have only listened to a few songs and watched some live video clips. I liked what I heard.

Additionally, he played in a Garage group called The Vultures, who have an album from 2004. He played in a one-off psychedelic project from 2020 called The Green Children and has recorded and appears on records by The Exbats. Then there are lots of other groups that have recorded at his studio where he produces, engineers and/or adds vocals and instrumentation. Like I said, a busy chap.

Who knew there was such a great vibrant scene coming out of Tucson? Err, lots of people Dominic, not least the good folk that live there. I am joking of course. The city of Tucson and the rest of the State of Arizona have produced countless great artists and bands throughout the years. Green On Red comes to mind straight away. I like them. Didn’t the pre- Alice Cooper garage band The Spiders come from Phoenix? Linda Ronstadt, Meat Puppets, Gin Blossoms, the list goes on.

There’s a good interview with Matt Rendon done by It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine that I would recommend you reading. In it, he briefly talks about each of the records and some of these other projects. Click here for a link.

I still need to track down copies of the last two full lengths from The Resonars, along with a few 7” singles that are out there. I’m sure I’ll get to those at some point. I’ve given them a listen to online and they all sound good. Then there are those other bands, such as Freezing Hands, whose records it would be cool to have. Maybe I’ve gone too deep down the rabbit hole, but who cares? It’s a fun trip and recommended. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite record quite yet, but the self-titled debut is a good place to start. I liked That Evil Drone from 2008 and Nonetheless Blue from 2007 and Bright And Dark from 1999. All three have good, well produced, catchy tunes. You should also for sure check out The Knockout Pills albums from 2003/4 for a more pop-punk sound. Bottom line, Tucson has a great musical heritage and if you want to travel back to a place where it’s always 1967, then choose The Resonars as your soundtrack. They’ll deliver.

Cheers and happy listening - Dom

Greetings Sorry Staters. Happy New Year to you. I can’t believe the holidays came and went already. It feels as if we only just got through with Halloween. Time flies. I hope you all had a good festive period and that 2024 was a good year for you. Totally understand if it wasn’t, or if your Christmas wasn’t so merry. I totally get that. I did my best to distract myself from my lack of Christmas cheer by watching as many holidays themed movies as I could over the festive week. That and all the Premier League games that take place over Christmas and spinning records kept me occupied. Not that I had too much free time as we’ve been busy here at Sorry State and it’s been all hands on deck. Which of course we are not complaining about. It was fantastic seeing so many folks come through the store and be excited about their records. A big thank you to any of you reading that came in or bought online and helped thin out our inventory. As I type, Daniel is out on a used record buy, already working to replenish our supply of good classic rock and pop staples. Always digging.

Okay, so 2024 is done with, but before we get stuck into the new year, it’s customary to take a quick glance back over the previous year and mention some records that we liked. We’re giving you our top ten, but like anyone else doing these types of things there’s always way more than just ten to pick from. I hate to leave so many out. We’ll have to have an honorable mentions section, too. My rules were, it had to be a record I have a physical copy of, even though I have been enjoying several albums digitally, and had I owned a vinyl copy they would have made my list. Probably top of the list for albums that many people rate as one of the best but don’t have a copy of is Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee. That’s because it doesn’t yet exist. A physical vinyl edition will finally see release in a few weeks’ time. I’ll be getting one as I really loved this album. Go investigate if you haven’t heard it yet. It’s a long one, but for those of a certain soulful disposition you’ll dig every minute.

Before I start my list, here are a few other albums that came out in 2024 that I have streamed, don’t yet own a copy of, but enjoyed. Paul Weller’s 66 album continues his run of always interesting records. Tindersticks released another good one this year tilted Soft Tissue which if you follow them you should enjoy. I try to pick up any of theirs that I see on vinyl. They do a lot of soundtracks also, which are good, but this new one is a solid actual Tindersticks album. Another artist that I try to pick up anything they do is Michael Head. His current band is called the Red Elastic Band, and their latest album is Loophole. The city of Liverpool has much to boast about and Mick is someone whose name is praised highly and rightfully so.

Lo-fi Americana group Grandaddy released a new album this year called Blu Wav which I still haven’t fully listened to, but I always had a soft spot for their country-fried electronica lo-fi sound. My radio partner Matt introduced me to French pop group Juniore through our show Worldy on The Face Radio, and 2024 saw them release Trois/Deux/Un. If you like La Femme, you’ll like them just as much. Talking of whom, La Femme released a good one called Rock Machine last year, which follows on with their run of very enjoyable albums. Cool, retro-futuristic Franco pop. Oui, oui.

Lastly, I might have included another French group Alvida in my list, but unfortunately the first two pressings of their album C’est Deja L’Heure sold out before I could snag me one. Third pressing will hopefully be the charm and I can finally own a physical copy.

2024 saw new music releases from a lot of established names, some of whom hadn’t released anything in several years. So, it was a welcome back to them, as across the board, they all came back with strong releases. For fans of 80s and 90s Brit Pop etc. 2024 was a bumper year. My favorites for the year lean heavy in that direction. I’m showing bias towards bands whose music I have known and loved for years. Whatever. Just trying to be honest, but if the records hadn’t been any good, I wouldn’t be including them. It should also be noted that for the most part my year hasn’t been that great and my mood on the downside, so consequently I have found myself listening to more melancholy music and stuff with deeper themes than just let’s get wasted and party. Not that I don’t enjoy loud and dumb rock ‘n roll or pop music, but this year wasn’t the year for too much of that for me personally. No brat summer here. Although I really enjoyed watching the Olympics over the summer and found myself buoyed and feeling more upbeat during that period. I’ve seen a few good shows during the year and Liverpool finished the year top of the league, so plenty to be happy about. I won’t dwell on the sadder aspects of the year. We all know the election results here in America sucked and unfortunately as in any year we lost loved ones and heroes. We just have to keep fighting the fight and keeping the memory of those loved ones alive in whatever way we can. I’ll leave it at that.

In non-ranking order, here are my favorites from 2024.

The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
The world needed a new Cure album. We’ve been waiting years for one and now just like buses, three are apparently on the way. Robert Smith has told us that Songs is the first in a trilogy with the second album due before summer of this year. Give thanks. What a great record it is and sounding like classic Cure from the 80s. They haven’t missed a beat or lost any of their magic. There’s a reason they are so well loved by several generations of fans. The wait was worth it. Favorite song? End Song.

Gruff Rhys – Sadness Sets Me Free
If he puts out a record, then chances are it will be in my best of the year list. For 2023, he featured with a soundtrack and for 2024 his album Sadness Set Me Free became an early contender for the best of the year. Coupled with the privilege of seeing him and his band perform the record live here in town made for a good start to the year. Or was it springtime already? Maybe, but that doesn’t matter. This is a great record that deals with melancholy and heavy subject matters in some cases, but with lightness and a pop sensibility that is uplifting and comforting. Long time fans will find his usual sense of humor and wordplay in full effect. Another fine addition to his discography.

Primal Scream – Come Ahead
The group’s twelfth album and one that some fans liked, and others didn’t. I’m in the former camp, obviously. This one has production from David Holmes, an artist and producer I have a lot of time for and takes in rock, gospel, funk and pop in equal measures. It’s no Screamadelica (what is?) but it has enough merits to make it a worthy addition to their catalogue. As with my other picks, I just connected to the lyrics, politics and vibe of this one.

Bill Ryder-Jones – Lechyd Da
Former Coral man Ryder-Jones has been releasing solo music for several years now. Those earlier albums have been hard to find here stateside on vinyl, and as a result I haven’t listened to them much, but when this record was released at the beginning of the year, I was determined to get a copy as the pre-release buzz was extremely positive. That praise was deserved. This is a beautiful record that has been tugging on my heart strings all year. It’s no surprise that it has topped many best of the year lists. Any record that can begin with incorporating Rita Lee singing Baby has my immediate attention. I’ve read people comparing the album to Mercury Rev’s Deserter’s Songs from 1998 and I certainly get that, especially on songs like This Can’t Go On. If I had to pick just one record that soundtracked my year this would be it.

The Hamiltones – In Space
These upstate New Yorkers play a retro space-aged 60s surf sound a la The Ventures, etc., and released this “concept” album that was a soundtrack to a movie not yet made about moon missions, aliens and Elvis. It came packaged with secret CIA documents, a bonus 45, and ticked all the right boxes for my sci-fi geek self. These guys aren’t reinventing the wheel, but deliver an authentic take on the genre that if you told me was released fifty years ago, I probably would believe you. That is meant as a compliment to them btw.

Neutrals – New Town Dream
San Francisco based Post-Punk DIY Indie band Neutrals have a bunch of great singles and a previous album to their credit and are the perfect band for anyone wishing that Television Personalities, The Jam, and Belle And Sebastian were making records together. Smart and witty pop songs that recall late 70s and early 80s Indie and Punk with a UK slant. Another hit from the great Slumberland Records label.

The Smashing Times - Mrs. Ladyships And The Cleanerhouse Boys
Ploughing a similar turf to Neutrals are Smashing Times from Baltimore. This was their third album and again, if you dig 80s UK DIY and indie, then this should appeal. Their sound takes cues from 80s bands in love with 60s culture and comes with a Psych and Mod edge. If you like Comet Gain you would like these guys. I do and I do.

Fontaines D.C. – Romance
I still remember a cool friend and Raleigh musician telling me years ago to look out for these guys and sure enough, over the years their stature has risen to headliner status. No need for me to run down their resume as hopefully these Irish lads have appeared on your radar by this point. Romance saw them moving to XL Recordings and working with producer/artist James Ford, known for many credits but perhaps mostly as being Arctic Monkeys’ producer. Romance is more of a polished pop record than their previous, but has lost none of the wit and charm. Elton John gave them his thumbs up and endorsement, proclaiming them the best band currently around. So there you go. Certainly, the audiences at Glastonbury and Reading agreed. I just love the track In The Modern World. Massive tune.

Nala Sinephro - Endlessness
We were big fans of her first album Space 1:8 here at Sorry State, and the followup did not disappoint. Ambient Electro Jazz on Warp Records? Absolutely. Sign me up. This has been a great record to put on and read to, meditate to, and do the dishes to in equal measure. Just good mood music that would appeal to lovers of Music Library records and fans of labels like ECM from the 70s. File somewhere between your Pharoah Sanders records and Aphex Twin.

Peace De Résistance - Lullaby For the Debris
I think I included the first album by Moses Brown of Institute’s side project Peace De Resistance in a previous year’s best of list, and the follow up makes the top ten cut again this time around. I just love the 70s New York/Berlin inspired gritty Art-Rock Glam sound that is in the grooves here. Coupled with the sharp, smart lyrics, it’s an all-win situation. Lou Reed is smiling.

Honourable Mentions

I really could have chosen one of at least another two dozen records to be in my top ten, and it was hard to decide which made the cut (purely for space). Here are some more that I have been enjoying throughout the year.

Beth Gibbons – Lives Outgrown – Portishead frontwoman came out with a mature and personal album. Ten songs written over the last decade. Don’t expect a Trip-Hop album here. If you love her voice though, you’ll be drawn in and connect with this record.

Lady Blackbird – Slang Spirituals – Her sophomore album and a cool collection of Modern Soul-Jazz. Real name Marley Munroe, she made an impact with her debut album Black Acid Soul. I loved her version of the song Collage, a Joe Walsh composition that The Three Degrees covered so well back in the day. In fact, she has a knack for covers and even took her name from the Nina Simone song Blackbird. Although no one can compare to Nina, Lady Blackbird deserves your attention if you seek a contemporary soul voice who channels the spirit of the greats like Nina Simone.

De()t – Think Of Your Future – Raleigh/Richmond all-star band that finally came out with their debut record. Snappy synth-punk, good songs and a nice sounding record. Cool.

Kula Shaker – Natural Magick – Britpop stars reformed and releasing a fun “classic” sounding Kula Shaker album. That being, a 90s take on 60s Eastern influenced psych with a pop edge. This is a good record. Nothing “new” maybe, but good tunes and true to their original style and spirit.

The Libertines - All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade – The second album of the reunion period. The Likely Lads returned with a decent, if not great record. Worth checking out if you are a fan. Perhaps not the best endorsement, but it was never going to be like it was twenty-five years ago. A lot of drugs have gone under the bridge and pies eaten since then. Still, for those of us who loved the early ‘Libs and Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things, it was good to hear the lads back together again. Again, my biases showing through. Perhaps I’m too forgiving. I didn’t think it was such a poor record despite less than stellar reviews. Not sure about Pete’s tash though.

The Jesus And Mary Chain – Glasgow Eyes – Another strong album late in the game for these guys. I was on the fence about whether to include this record over fellow Glaswegians Primal Scream’s album. I love both groups equally and as Bobby Gillespie started in JAMC back in the day, they still kind of got my vote.

Jack White – No Name – This was another good album. I admit to getting diminishing returns from some of his solo albums but still love the man. He’s truly a national treasure and has done more for the good of music than can be listed here. This album had more of the straight-ahead garage rock sound of the White Stripes, and I liked it. Favorite track – That’s How I’m Feeling.

Straw Man Army – Earth Works – The third in a trilogy of albums from this NYC duo that takes a good look at the state of America. It’s post-punk in a 90s vein that could well have been released on Dischord back in the day. That’s a very simple description, but the music and lyrics are far from simple. There’s a lot going on here. This is a mature and accomplished album, and if I had been living with it a little longer probably would have made my top ten.

Johnny Marr & The Healers – Boomslang – Technically not a new record, it originally came out in 2004, but never received a vinyl pressing. That was corrected in 2024 with a nice deluxe double disc release that included equally strong tracks that were left off the album. I can’t praise Johnny Marr enough. He’s the coolest dude ever, and this record is a good one. Check it out if you haven’t heard it.

Okay, I had better end there. Apologies for everyone that was left out. Like I’m sure Billy Strings is crying because I didn’t include his album or Thee Retail Simps are going to be mad because I forgot them. Doubtful, but just in case, sorry chaps, I liked your records too. 2024 was a great year for music. Just too much to include all of it, and we didn’t even get in to the ton of great albums and music on compilations that saw a reissue.

Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting us and all the artists and bands and labels that helped produce these records. Music is the great healer and will always be one of the most important non-important things in life. Enjoy whatever you enjoy and if between all of us here at Sorry State we steered you towards some good stuff, then we’ll consider our jobs well done.

Cheers to you all and here’s to 2025, whatever that may bring.

Dom

Hi there Sorry Staters. Here we are with a newsletter coming out on the eve of the US election. Is this the eve of destruction or the beginning of a new era of hope and positivity? I’m feeling election anxiety and fear for the future. As a legal resident but non-citizen (yet) of the United States, I unfortunately do not have the right to vote, although I get to pay taxes. Let’s hope that enough of the people that can vote do and the world can finally be rid of the orange scum that has been poisoning our lives for the last ten years or so.

I missed the deadline for the Halloween week newsletter last time out, but am writing this on Halloween day here at the store, where Jeff has a custom themed video playlist set up with a TV screen on the counter so customers can shop and watch and listen to cool horror videos. Nice. For the record, my favorite horror character is Dracula. I like the Hammer House Of Horror films best, but also love horror comedies like Shaun Of The Dead and Young Frankenstein.

For my pick this week I’d like to recommend The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy: Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury album released in 1992. I’ve been listening to it recently, inspired by the current political and social landscape and because we recently had a used copy come through the store. What a great mix of hip-hop and rock this record is. Perhaps you’ll remember the MTV “hit” Television, The Drug Of The Nation, which continued from where Gil Scott-Heron left off with his The Revolution Will Not Be Televised from two decades previously. Both songs were ahead of their time and stand up equally today as they did when first recorded.

Heroes consisted of Michael Franti and Rono Tse, who formed after the end of their previous group the Beatnigs, which were an experimental industrial group who also fused rock with hip-hop. Michael Franti, of course, became more widely known with his next band, Spearhead.

Undoubtedly, the brilliant Television track stands out as a highlight of the album, a song they brought with them from The Beatnigs, but they cover other social and political issues across the other cuts on the record. Racial identity and sexual identity are subjects tackled and done well. Many people have written that they were inspired and changed after hearing these songs. I’ve read that college professors would quote lyrics from the album to demonstrate a point that they were trying to get across to their students. Certainly, one could still learn a lot from playing this album. Music, be it hip-hop or punk or whatever else, can be like a newspaper or a textbook teaching us and informing us. As a dumb white kid coming up during this era, I can certainly vouch for the educational benefit of listening to records like this.

There is also a cover on the album. A nice working of Dead Kennedys’ California Über Alles updated to reference the then Governor of California Pete Wilson. Added to some copies of the album was an additional one sided 12” with the track Rock The Vote (Exercise Your Rights), which was to encourage voter turnout in the 1992 elections. It’s a bangin’ cut and hopefully influenced some would-be voters. I’m not sure whether the track targeted the US elections or worldwide, but the 12” and vinyl editions of the album only appeared in the UK and Europe. As far as I can tell, there is no US vinyl pressing. Although I remember buying the album on CD when it came out, I can’t recall hearing the Rock The Vote track until I found a vinyl copy years later.

The group, although being critically well received, didn’t break through to big commercial heights, although as mentioned before, the track Television was a minor hit. During this period, they toured with a lot of big groups and opened for U2 on their Zoo TV tour and featured prominently. They also opened for Nirvana and Rage Against The Machine.

Fans of guitarist Charlie Hunter might know that he got his professional start with the group. He’s featured on the album and played for a while in their touring band before moving on to his own projects.

If you dig sample based hip-hop from the golden age with a production value like the Bomb Squad or Public Enemy mixed with Alternative Tentacles vibes, then this album will be right up your street. If you aren’t already familiar, of course. Even if you are familiar, now is a good time to pull this one off the shelf and give it a spin or to dial it up on your preferred streaming platform. I’ve added a couple of YouTube links there for you to check out and will leave you with a great clip taken from the Save Our Cities Rally in Washington, D.C. back in 1992, which has the group play Rock The Vote, California Uber Alles and Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury, another key cut from the album. Click here to watch that.

Alright, that’s all from me. The rest of the world, please pray for us all over here in America that our national nightmare ends this Tuesday. Probably going to be a shit show, but wish us luck anyway.

Cheers - Dom

Hi Sorry Staters. Fall greetings to you. Thanks for clicking on the newsletter this week. Plenty of exciting things that we must tell you about. New releases and upcoming shows keeping us all busy. Don’t even get me started with the state of the world and my own personal life.

We have been busy though, and I’m fighting the deadline to get my submission in for this week’s edition. As I don’t have the time and research done for a deep dive over one record or artist, I thought I would quickly highlight some records that we are stocking that I have been digging this week.

I have always admired the work done by the folks at Numero Group. They have released tons of great records over the past couple of decades. Be it obscure singles and albums, unreleased recordings, reissues of underground classics… you name it, they have done it. I have a good many of their compilations and reissues in my collection. The benchmark of quality is so high that you can pretty much buy any of their releases unheard with satisfaction guaranteed. I know I am sounding like their hype man right now, but I am not getting paid to promote them. I just like what they do. A recent addition of another distributor being used more often and with Daniel’s kind permission I ordered in a few of the Numero titles we hadn’t stocked before. It was a handful of newer and older releases in their catalog. Cool stuff like this soul compilation Beehive Breaks, which I’ll definitely be wanting myself. There are singles on this one that would cost you three figures easily if you could find them for sale. Nice packaging too.

If you are into cool old country, then you should check out Sanford Clark and his album They Call Me Country. Originally a series of singles released during the 60s but collected as an album it’s great. Highlight for John Scott and I is the song It’s Nothing To Me. A tune I had known for years but by another name that was covered by Johnny Winter and now more recently added to Billy Strings’ repertoire.

Lovers of sixties girl groups and sunshine pop might want to check out Margo Guryan and her album Take A Picture. Such a lovely record that begins with Sunday Morning and closes with a cool psych groover called Love at the end. Great stuff.

My main pick of the bunch is one that was recently introduced to me, and which sold out within minutes of me putting it out on the floor. It’s an Afro-Beat Disco record from 1979 by The Lijadu Sisters called Horizon Unlimited. They were twin sisters from Nigeria and released records throughout the 1970s, this being their fourth and final. Original copies or reissues of their records command top dollar, so it’s nice to have this one available at an affordable price. There was a Soul Jazz label compilation from 2012 that collects highlights from their discography, but even that is hard to find and not cheap. Might be time to get that one back in print again, perhaps. We should have this Numero reissue back in stock by the end of the week hopefully, but here is a taste to keep you going: lead off track Orere Elejigbo.

I’m going to try bringing in some other interesting titles like this, so watch the webstore for new additions, and of course if you are shopping in person at our store, just ask us for directions and suggestions.

Okay, that’s going to have to be it for this week. See you next time. Have fun exploring new music.

Cheers - Dom

Greetings Sorry Staters. Another week of world crazy and another week where the only thing that just about makes sense is music. I think I’d go mad if I was anywhere else than surrounded by records right now. My sanity owes a lot to having the privilege of being a part of the Sorry State family. Daniel might argue that his sanity is put into question with the weight of responsibility that comes with being the skipper of the good ship Sorry State, but he’s doing a brilliant job and we all love him so much. He takes such good care of us that it’s truly an honor and a pleasure to work here.

I’m sure one of my colleagues will write elsewhere this week about the new hot nugget from our friends Yellowcake titled A Fragmented Truth, but let me add my two thumbs up. I was really impressed with this one. The group has brought some new ideas into the mix with some interesting guitar stuff going on and other textures and sounds. Not that previous releases have been lacking, but this one really has progressed in leaps and bounds. Nice job folks. Go check it out and grab a copy.

At the store recently, several of the recent collection buys have had good blues records in them. Locals into quality blues have been snatching them up, but we still have plenty more bangers in the bins and a few that have yet to hit the floor. For those of you not within travelling distance to our store who might want to pick up a nice blues record, we have a few new reissues up on our webstore. I recently stocked a great collection by legend Otis Rush, which I would like to recommend to you today. It’s a nice gathering of his sides recorded in the 1950s for the Cobra label that also includes a few bonus cuts of alternative takes.

I’ve been a blues music fan for as long as I can remember. As a kid getting into Elvis, Johnny Cash and other rockabilly and country stars, it was an easy step to Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters et al. The blues had a baby, and they called it rock ‘n’ roll. Over the years, I have collected a sizable number of blues records (and CDs) covering recordings made literally over the last one hundred years. Although I like the older acoustic country Blues records, my preference is for electric blues, especially Chicago blues, that was cut between the mid 1950s and 1970s. If it gets funky like the stuff Lowell Fulson did, that’s great. If it gets psychedelic like on Muddy Waters’ Electric Mud album, even better.

In the 1980s I was a big fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan and he, along with another hero, Jimi Hendrix, both always mentioned Otis Rush and how big an influence he was on their style. Stevie went as far as naming his band Double Trouble after one of Otis’s Cobra singles. Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green and Eric Clapton were also disciples. With such heavy endorsements, I had to check out Rush and have picked up his records over the years as I found them. He has a lot of good ones. During the 1990s, he released a good modern blues record called Ain’t Enough Love Comin’ In, which included Small Faces keyboard man Ian McLagan. A few years later, when living in New York, I got the chance to see him play live, and he was great. Sadly, soon after, he suffered a stroke and retired from touring. In 2016, he appeared on stage in Chicago for a festival and although he didn’t play, he was honored by the mayor of the city who declared June 12th to be Otis Rush Day in Chicago.

With such a long career, I will leave you to pull up his Wiki page for full details. To summarize, though, he left his birthplace in Mississippi and followed in the footsteps of other Delta bluesmen and made his way to Chicago, where he formed his own band and performed in clubs around the city. Between 1956 and 1958 he cut eight singles for Cobra before they went bankrupt, and it is these recordings that form the core of his legacy. He moved to the Chess label in the sixties and cut a couple of sides for them and one for the Duke label. Towards the end of the decade, spurred by the blues revival on both sides of the Atlantic, he cut a killer record titled Mourning In The Morning at Fame studios for the Cotillion label, an Atlantic Records subsidiary, that had a nice soulful feel to it. I really like that one.

His style is a little different, and like my hero Jimi Hendrix he played left-handed with his guitar strung uniquely to give himself a distinct sound. Vocally, he’s a strong tenor and like a lot of singers learned his craft singing gospel in church and brings that into his sound.

His first single for Cobra was I Can’t Quit You Baby and could be said to have defined his style for the rest of his career. It was the label’s only national hit too, and of course would end up being covered by a certain rock band from England on their debut a decade plus later. Backing Otis on most of these Cobra sides were the cream of Chicago bluesmen, which included names like Willie Dixon and Little Walter. Ike Turner also features on guitar on many of the recordings.

It’s all killer stuff, and at the time only came out on singles. He didn’t record an actual album until the aforementioned one on Cotillion, released in 1969, but collected here on this edition you couldn’t ask for a better blues album.

Here at Sorry State, blues has historically not had many fans amongst the staff, but since John Scott began working here, I have found a buddy who loves it as much as I do. With his additional interest in country and bluegrass as well, I have found myself listening to and rediscovering tons of great records both familiar and new to me. We were jamming this Otis Rush collection the other day at the store, and it got the thumbs up from several of our customers, not least from our good friend Mike, who knows a thing or two about a good riff and solid axe work. Trust, if Mike gives a record the seal of approval you can buy with confidence. This is blues you can use.

You can click here to see a great clip of Otis Rush from the 1960s playing his signature song live taken from the awesome American Folk And Blues Festival archives.

Thanks for reading and see you next time.

Cheers- Dom

Hi everyone. Thanks for clicking on our newsletter. Hopefully things are well with you. As you can imagine, we are still trying to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the terrible flood damage that our brothers and sisters here in the mountains of western North Carolina (and other places) endured last weekend. I’m sure you have seen the pictures and videos. It’s just terrible. So very sad. Our hearts go out to the residents of Asheville, Boone and all the other communities whose lives have been forever changed by this catastrophic weather event.

We all need to come together now and help in whatever way we can. Of course, the quickest and easiest way to help is to donate funds. As a former American Red Cross worker, I can vouch for the good work they do in disaster responses as one option for a donation, but there are many other charities and organizations that are out there helping, and I encourage and urge you to find one that works for you.

By the time you read this, I will have been a part of a twelve-hour marathon DJ event here in Raleigh that was organized to raise funds for the Kamala Harris campaign and to help with voter registration, but was tweaked in the aftermath of the storm to include raising funds and accepting donations of needed items for those affected by the storm. As I write before the event, I will assume that all went well, and that we raised a lot of money. Fingers crossed. If nothing else, though, I hope we provided a good time and much needed fun and a break from all the gloom and doom.

Back in the world of records and music, here at the store we are continuing to do our best to keep the bins filled with as many great records as possible. We have bought some good collections recently, filled with lots of cool and interesting records, and I have been enjoying learning about records I was unfamiliar with and nerding out on all the details. Often when going through collections we have bought, there are records that aren’t in the best of shape and not really fit for sale. It obviously doesn’t matter when the records are perennial bargain bin fodder to begin with, but it can sometimes be a bummer when you find a good record but beat to crap. I like to do my best to resurrect the ones that still have life in them. Sometimes a couple of passes on the vacuum cleaner can make all the difference. Also, I can still value a record if at least the key tracks play decently. As a DJ, you can get lucky that way. The money track plays fine whereas the rest has skips, pops, etc. Of course, sometimes the reverse is the case, and the only good cut will have a massive scratch over it. Anyway, I have been checking out some of these beaters and one that I thought was cool is a record that came out in 1967 on World Pacific Records by an artist known as Kali Bahlu. The album is titled Cosmic Rememberance.

It’s a real trip. The record is just four long tracks and isn’t easily classified, but is based on Indian sounding sitar music mixed with spoken word poetry and psychedelic elements. It’s the only record the female singer is credited with and not much is really known about her. The record label World Pacific had Ravi Shankar on their roster and released an album by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, so it kinda makes sense. Other label mates included Chet Baker, who was releasing Mariachi Jazz records. Ms. Bahlu has been described as a kindergarten teacher reciting verse to a class of hippies coming down from an acid trip. That’s just about right. LoL.

Her voice could be a little annoying to some ears, and that is the main “instrument” being heard over the gentle sitar and tabla backing. The poetry is a mix of space cadet wonderings and cosmic consciousness. You’ll either be charmed or annoyed by it. I’m not sure how many listens one would give this record over the course of owning it, but I enjoyed giving it a couple of turns on the ol’ rekkid player. The “best” track is probably the fourth and last called A Cosmic Telephone Call From The Angel Liesle And The Buddha. How’s that for a title? The forest children were definitely taken on a journey of cosmic remembrance.

The record comes in a great painted slightly psychedelic cover featuring Kali Bahlu and some of her pals and cosmic children. Inside the gatefold we get an essay from the artist explaining her thoughts regarding the album and a nice full-size photo of her looking very 60s girl cool.

I’m certainly curious about what else she did as an artist and what her story was after this record and before it. I shall try to find out, but for now we shall just have to leave it there. If mystical sixties hippie shit does it for you, then keep an eye out for this one next time you are digging through the bargain bins. Although having said that, it seems that folks will pay over $20 for a decent copy of this record, but it has been reissued and with a couple of bonus cuts, apparently. Click here for a sample.

Take away? Apparently, the Buddha drinks coffee.

Cheers everyone - Dom

Hi Sorry Staters, I hope you are doing well? Thanks for clicking on our newsletter again this week. It’s been quite the few weeks since we last graced your inboxes. We had a busy weekend at the store during the Hopscotch festival and hooked many of you up with some of the great records that Lord Daniel brought back from Denver. Not content with that, he hit the road again last week for an out of state record buy and came home with a nice haul full of all sorts of goodies. We’ll be working on that collection next week, and you’ll start seeing the highlights appear soon. Not that you need to wait to pay us a visit. Our bins are packed with great records right now and there are plenty more waiting to take their place.

This week I want to highlight a record that I am embarrassed to say had been sitting on my shelf here at the store for weeks without getting a spin. It was personally dropped off to me one day when I wasn’t working, and I feel bad for forgetting about it and not giving it any attention since then. Not that I would ever talk about a record out of guilt of not listening to it or because we are trying to hype it or something. This one is good, and I have been enjoying it.

It’s the second album from Silver Scrolls titled Mind Lines and released by Three Lobed Recordings.

Fans of local North Carolina heroes Polvo are probably already hip to Silver Scrolls as the band is made up of two members of that highly influential group. Namely singer and guitarist Dave Brylawski and drummer Brian Quast. In Silver Scrolls they are assisted by unofficial third member Greg Elkins, who besides mixing and engineering the recording is credited with organ and other incidental sonics. Brian Q also takes on bass duties and adds vocals and additional guitar. It’s a collaboration similar to their first album from 2020 called Music For Walking.

I am not a big fan of some of the genre tags that Polvo got lumped with. Honestly, nothing sounds more unappealing to me music wise than “Math Rock.” And “Post Rock” is not much better. No offense to any bands who fall into those categories. It’s my ignorance and lack of sophisticated taste that makes me feel that way. That being said, I’m not a complete luddite and can appreciate music with a progressive bent.

Looking across the internet, I found Silver Scrolls being tagged as Indie Rock, Pysch Rock, Post Rock and even Classic Rock, but thankfully no one seems to say you need a calculator and protractor to listen to Mind Lines. There are a lot of rock genres on the record. Not so that you would automatically classify it as one or the other, but rather if you enjoy listening to a variety of guitar-based music then you’ll recognize and appreciate and (one would hope) enjoy those on display here. It’s all done subtly though, and doesn’t bash you over the head with anything too obvious. Some songs have a classic kind of verse, chorus structure, verging on being catchy pop songs and the others have a more soundtrack kind of vibe. Then in other songs they rock harder. To my ears at least. For an old fart like myself, I can hear elements of Neil Young, Tortoise, Lou Barlow, 80s Alternative, Sub Pop, right through to more recent instrumental groups like Budos Band. It’s these, sorta, and a whole lot more. Call it what you want, but just don’t call it the M word Rock. One thing’s for sure, it’s American music. Sounds from the last fifty or so years filtered through the minds of the players and carefully arranged in a new but familiar fashion. And I would say done in an authentic to them way. These aren’t two dudes who think they’re in The Family Stone or playing Civil War Reenactment dress up as their favorite bygone musical style. It’s just them with no pretense playing some good tunes and riffs. Plus, they have a song called Indoor Cat. Nice one chaps.

Kudos to all involved in the recording, mastering and manufacturing process too. My “Mental Clarity Red” vinyl sounds great. I’ll post a link here for you to take a listen and in the meantime bug Daniel and the band to drop off a copy or two for the store so you guys can grab one. Hopefully they haven’t sold out already. Thank you BQ for bringing me a copy.

A quick addition to mention before I go. We just got in the first vinyl pressing of the 2003 album called Boomslang from Johnny Marr & The Healers. This great album was the first real steps Johnny made towards establishing himself as a solo artist. It only came out on CD at the time and the project didn’t last too long. They played a few shows, and I was able to catch the New York appearances. The album is like a lost 90s Brit Pop album that, had it come out five or six years before 2003, would easily be held in much higher regard. Perhaps now with 90s Manchester nostalgia peaking and Johnny’s solo career in full steam more people will get hip to this record.

The deluxe reissue comes with a second disc of extra tracks that were recorded at the time but didn’t make the cut for the album or were used as single B-sides. There’s no filler there (other than the chunk of vinyl debris that was in my copy and scratched my record as I removed it). If you are a fan of Johnny’s guitar playing, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Okay, back to work. These records won’t price and clean themselves. Cheers and thank you as always for your support.

-Dom

What’s the story Sorry Staters? Are you doing okay out there? We’re glad to be back with another newsletter. Lots and lots going on as usual. There are new titles on our label upcoming and several highly anticipated releases on other labels that we will be sending your way asap. Not content with the number of used records we were sourcing from the immediate area, Daniel travelled to Denver last week and brought back a nice collection of Indie Rock, Pop Punk and Alternative albums. We’re working as fast as we can to have them ready for the Hopscotch Music Festival weekend that is just around the corner. Not that we are short of great used records to offer you currently should you walk in the door. It warms my heart seeing the joy in your eyes when you come in the shop and snag that prize. That’s what it’s all about. There are few things in life that can inspire, satisfy, unify and save us as well as music does.

The big news (for some) in music this week was the announcement of the Oasis reunion. The brothers have buried the hatchet and next year will see a series of concerts across the UK. Tickets went on sale this week and a few people I know were lucky enough to score theirs. Good luck to all hoping to get in. If things go well with these shows, then there is no reason to assume that other countries won’t get dates. Love ‘em, hate ‘em or could care less, there’s no arguing that the band has a global fanbase and after fifteen years since they split, people are eager to see them. Again, some of you reading may be thinking why? Especially here in the US where the band, definitely and not maybe, has their haters. As a Brit living in America more than half my life, I can see both sides of the argument over the merits of Oasis. Are the later records that good? Not so much, but the first two albums and the singles and B-sides released during those first few years are good. They’re way better than just good of course, and to many are rightly considered great and cherished records. Perhaps you had to be around at the time and tuned in to all the happenings, but as someone who did witness the 90s firsthand, they were a big deal. The impact Oasis had on the music scene in Britain cannot be underestimated. The Britpop years were fun times for the most part, and Oasis were central figures during those heady mid-90s years.

Although I was working on the ships and out of the country for most of the time, I was always catching up on the news in the music press and had friends send me videos of TV shows where bands would perform. The early hype about Oasis was real and organic and happened because people who saw them instantly knew that they were different, with a clear star in their frontman, Liam. Any time I was on leave I would try to see as many shows and concerts as possible, and managed to catch Oasis live during those first couple of years. The first time was in a small pub venue where Liam and Noel had a ruck on stage, as I remember. Next was at their Earls Court shows, which were a lot of fun. That was at the height of Britpop and their popularity. The atmosphere around those shows was amazing. I missed going to Knebworth, the big outdoor gigs, and after that didn’t get to see them until years later in America. The very last time was in New York, but that time I only got to say hello to them at the stage door. I was friendly with the guitarist in the support band, and he had promised me a ticket and came through, but didn’t make it a plus one for the missus. I was trying to get another ticket and waiting when Oasis pulled up. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get both of ourselves past security with just the one ticket and so I gave it to a girl who was also there ticketless. My good deed. The wife and I went and had dinner instead, I think.

Going back to those early years and the 90s, one thing I remember was how music was bringing people together. A lot of the tribes were coming together and blending. We were all listening to a lot of different things and turning each other on to new and old stuff that we were hearing. I know my world view definitely expanded in the 90s, and that was due in no small part to all the different music genres I was being exposed to and the cultures and places and people that music came from. It was cool doing so much travelling then and working alongside so many different nationalities of people. I took full advantage and soaked up as much knowledge and experience as possible. Wherever I was in the world and whoever I was with the one thing, if nothing else, that we could communicate on was music. Many of my treasured memories from this period are centered around music. I’m sure that’s the case for most of us. It’s no surprise that the announcement of the Oasis reunion and shows has been met with such interest as nostalgia for the 90s is still running high. I think in no small part because of the shit show of the last few years that we have all had to live through. People are yearning for a time of togetherness and freedom and being able to party and to have fun however they want. Like the line lifted from the film Wild Angels and used by Primal Scream for Loaded: “We wanna be free. And we wanna get loaded. And we wanna have a good time. And that’s what we’re gonna do.”

It was a time of togetherness back then, at least among some of the youth cults that had been so separate up to that point. Perhaps it didn’t last long, but for a while it seemed that punks and mods and soul boys and rockers and ravers and heads could have a good time together. Not that Oasis represented all these audiences. They were themselves, but their spirit and swagger was something that anyone could see was cool and so lots of different people liked them. It got a bit laddish and boorish from the audience side of things fairly quickly unfortunately, but you are always going to get knobs in any scene. However, the atmosphere of excitement around the band through those early years was real and something that can’t be bought or manufactured. It helped that they had some good tunes to go with the look and attitude. Say what you will about the later records. It can’t be argued that the first two albums and those singles weren’t bangers and anthems. If the likes of Rock ‘N’ Roll Star, Columbia and Cigarettes & Alcohol don’t get you fired up, then you need to check your pulse. Songs like Slide Away and Live Forever were instant classics. Then there were all the non-LP sides that came out on B-sides or stand-alone singles. Literally enough good songs to make an entire album. The Masterplan collection stands as just a good an album as Definitely Maybe or What’s The Story Morning Glory.

Interestingly, their 5th single, Whatever, that came out before Christmas 1994, didn’t make it to the Masterplan album. I always liked that one. Released between the two albums, it is a classic slice of Britpop featuring a singalong chorus and a string quartet section which became almost de rigueur for a minute back then. Lyrically, the song is uplifting and positive and actually more apt for today’s times than then. The B-side (It’s Good) To Be Free continues the theme and makes for a good pairing. My 12” copy adds on Slide Away from the debut album and the CD single also included the Noel acoustic song Half The World Away that later would be used for the theme to the TV show The Royale Family. A very funny show that featured the sadly departed Caroline Aherne, a fabulous comedic actress who passed away too early from cancer.

Anyway, with all the Oasis talk going on this week I thought I’d listen to some of their records that I have in my collection. I haven’t pulled them off the shelf in a while, I’ll be honest, but I enjoyed playing the first two albums and those early singles. The nostalgia washed over me big time. Was it really that long ago? I also gave a spin to their demo tape recordings that I have on a bootleg LP. That legendary tape with the image of the Union Jack flag swirling down a plug hole and with the Oasis name over the top contains confident versions of songs that would be massive and a couple that never made it to proper recorded versions. It’s to their debut as the Spunk album was to the Sex Pistols and their Never Mind The Bollocks album. Kinda.

I ‘ll leave it there. No need to go on any more about a group that everyone knows and that probably half of you reading our newsletter don’t care for. That’s okay. For those that do like them and were trying for tickets, I hope you got lucky.

Cheers all. See you next time.

-Dom

What’s up, Sorry Staters? I hope you are all well. It’s been another week with plenty going on in the news and here on the East Coast of America we have had to deal with Hurricane/Tropical storm Debby that just passed through. We didn’t get hit too badly here in Raleigh, just lots of rain, but other parts of the state experienced tornado touchdowns and damage from the wind and rain. We certainly hope that any of you along the storm path were not affected badly.

I’ve been completely submerged in the Olympics again this week and have really loved watching the events and catching the great atmosphere in the crowds. Paris has done a fabulous job and there has been so much to cheer for and enjoy no matter where in the world you live. Being here Stateside, the coverage is obviously slanted towards Team USA, but I have been happy to see some medals going to Team Great Britain as well. I sadly didn’t get to any of the pre-season friendly games that Liverpool played over here. I know, not a real fan, but I at least got to watch them on TV. We won all our games too, and in front of record crowds. Only a fortnight away from the beginning of the English Premier League, so that’s exciting.

Anyway, with all this sport to watch, my listening time for music has been reduced significantly from normal. Thank goodness I work in a record store so that at least for the hours spent here I can get my fix. Even being here eight plus hours a day isn’t enough time to get through all the things I want to check out, whether it’s new stuff or old records. I do my best.

You would think that when someone works in a record store, they would be able to get their hands on any release that they wanted. That’s not always the case. A store can’t deal with every label and distributor out there, and when things must be imported from overseas, it sometimes makes it cost prohibitive. The point being that I have lots of records that I would like to get for myself and the store, but can’t always find for a decent price. Occasionally I’ll check our one stop major label distributor and see whether on the off chance they have random titles. Such was the case this week as I was able to order a copy of a record I had been keeping eyes out for, but hadn’t seen available for sale locally or from US sellers online. I’d like to make it my pick for this week and if you end up being curious and dig it and want one too, I am hoping that Sorry State can bring in a few copies for you guys. The record is a reissue of a 1992 album that only saw a cassette and CD release at the time, which finally got a vinyl release a few years back. I’m talking about the band Ffa Coffi Pawb and their album titled Hei Vidal.

Who the hell are they you ask? What language is that? It’s Welsh, and the band features future members of Super Furry Animals and Gorgy’s Zygotic Mynci. Formed in the late 80s by teenage friends Gruff Rhys and Rhodrii Puw in Bethesda, Wales over a love of 70s Glam, Krautrock, Power-pop, and Shoegaze, the band would release a couple of cassette albums before Hei Vidal, but it was on this third where everything gelled. Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals main man) would say that they were influenced by all the B’s—Bolan, Bowie, Big Star and Badfinger—sounds of the 70s that SFA would perfectly blend a few years later with their debut on Creation. On Hei Vidal, they are almost there and the album now in retrospect serves as almost another SFA album. A pre-quill if you like. That title and their name especially are little inside jokes. Translated, their name says Everybody’s Coffee Beans but said phonetically in Welsh it reads as Fuck Off Everyone. Nice one. The album title is more clever word play and references Vidal Sassoon hair guru and Gore Vidal the TV pundit, both names in the news and popular culture at the time.

The album came out on Ankst, an independent Welsh label that would go on to release SFA’s first couple of singles. However, some funny business with a song publisher who apparently disappeared meant that the album remained out of print for years until a compilation CD in the early 00s gathered this and other Ffa Coffi Pawb tracks together. This 2021 pressing is its first time on vinyl. As I don’t listen to CDs that much (only in the car), I had not listened to this in years, and it was quite refreshing to hear it again and especially on wax. Clear vinyl no less.

Musically, it still stands up. Even if you are not a Furries fan or a Gruff solo follower like I am, I strongly believe that there is plenty for anyone to enjoy here. Regardless of whether you understand Welsh, these are great songs with mature levels of songwriting from the young fellows. The playing is also accomplished and shows clear signs of the great stuff to come later when Gruff and the rest of SFA hit their stride. Two perfect examples of songs that sound like fully formed Furries tunes are Dilyn Fy Nhrwyn and Colli’r Goriad. Gruff’s unmistakable vocals and harmonies along with the glam sounding guitar make it very clear who you are listening to. Assuming, of course, that you are familiar with SFA and their music. If you aren’t, I can only advise you start checking them out. As anyone who reads our newsletter regularly knows, I am a fan and will gladly talk anyone’s ear off about how great Super Furries are and what a generational talent Gruff Rhys is. A Welsh national treasure who deserves an MBE or something from the King for all his contributions to music and culture. At the very least, a plaque on his house saying Gruff Rhys lives(d) here.

You can click here to listen to the record and check back with us next weekend if you liked it, as we should have a copy or two. Thanks everyone.

Cheers - Dom