The Limiñanas ‎– Costa Blanca (2013)

Style: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Format: CD, Vinyl
Label: Trouble In Mind

Tracklist:
01.  Je Me Souviens Comme Si J’y étais
02.   My Black Sabbath
03.   Alicante
04.   Votre Coté Yéyé M’emmerde
05.   Cold Was The Ground
06.   I Miei Occhi Sono I Tuoi Occhi
07.   La Mercedes De Couleur Gris Métallisé
08.   Rosas
09.   Barrio Chino
10.   BB
11.   La Mélancolie
12.   La Mediterranée
13.   Liverpool

Credits:
Bass, Guitar, Organ, Banjo, Bouzouki, Percussion – Lionel Limiñana
Drums, Percussion – Marie Limiñana
Lacquer Cut By – Jason Ward
Mastered By – Luis Mazzoni
Producer – The Limiñanas
Recorded By – Lionel Limiñana

French pop in its purest form hasn't really got its groove back since the 60s, but, wisely, it's this very era that this Perpignan duo mine, marrying fuzzed-out psychedelia and agreeably rambling rock with the pop sweetness of that decade's chansons. The ghost of Gainsbourg is felt most keenly in Votre côté yéyé m'emmerde, a softly spoken-word litany of icons and celebrities. Not hero worship, though, but an eye roll at the cute-ification of the past; its title translates to something like "your yé-yé view annoys me", or, more literally, "enshittens me". It is, in other words, a perfectly Gallic "bof" of a pop song.

Hermione Hoby / The Guardian

The Limiñanas ‎– Crystal Anis (2012)

Style: Garage Rock
Format: CD, Vinyl
Label: HoZac Records, Because Music

Tracklist:
01.   Salvation
02.   Longanisse
03.   AF3458
04.   Kinam Baby
05.   Hospital Boogie
06.   Bad Lady Goes To Jail
07.   Crystal Anis
08.   Belmondo
09.   Betty And Johnny
10.   Une Ballade Pour Clive
11.   I'm Dead (Instrumental)

Credits:
Backing Vocals – Giom, Marie, Nadège
Drums, Vocals – Limiñana Marie
Guitar, Bass, Organ, Ukulele, Percussion – Limiñana Lionel
Producer – The Limiñanas
Recorded By – Lionel Limiñana
Recorded By (Drums And Vocals) – Giom Picard

Crystal Anis is the latest LP from the French underground band The Limiñanas. This hook laden dreamy fuzz felt pop owes a big nod to the Velvet Underground which Lio and Marie Limiñana make no secret of. Lush garage rock and folk-pop with plenty of tambourine, jangly guitars and hooks to keep you off your chair, you can’t go wrong. 

The music has a simplicity that works on many levels, from looping ukulele openings (AF3458) to the great Velvet Underground sounding tribute on Kinam Baby. Sultry female vocals call to mind the likes of Mazzy Starr and Nico which really go to work on the breathy Hospital Boogie. Male vocals also feature on the likes of Bad Lady Goes to Jail whose combined tambourine percussion calling to mind the early Stones whilst the title track shines with fuzzy guitars and organ and Serge Gainsbourg inspired male / female spoken parts. 

This has got to be one of the most overlooked albums of 2012, it’s brilliantly constructed and executed…scatter the cushions on the floor and get the liquid light show ready.

Alex Gallacher  / Folk Radio

The Limiñanas ‎– The Limiñanas (2010)

Style: Lounge, Garage Rock, Chanson
Format: CD, Vinyl
Label: Trouble In Mind

Tracklist:
01.   The Darkside
02.   Down Underground
03.   Je Ne Suis Pas Très Drogue
04.   Funeral Baby
05.   Chocolate In My Milk
06.   Tigre Du Bengale (Instr.)
07.   Mountain
08.   Je Suis Une Go-Go Girl
09.   Berçeuse Pour Clive
10.   Tears
11.   Tigre Du Bengale
12.   Got Nothin' To Say

Credits:
Drums, Percussion – Marie Limiñana
Guitar, Bass, Sitar, Melodica, Piano, Organ, Percussion – Lionel Limiñana
Mastered By – Luis Mazzoni
Mixed By – Raph Dumas
Producer – The Limiñanas
Written-By – L. Limiñana

VA ‎– Fool's Paradise Favorites - '50s & '60s Bop Slop & Schlock (2018)

Style: Parody, Novelty, Garage Rock, Rhythm & Blues
Format: CD, Vinyl
Label: Jazzman Record Co. Ltd.

Tracklist:
01.   Premiers - Shawnee
02.   Charlie and the Bank Job - Al Katraz
03.   Jules Blattner - 500 Pound Canary
04.   The Flock Rocker - Chinese Rick n Roll
05.   Bob Strauss - Nameless
06.   Hurricane Harry - Last Meal
07.   Glenn Willings - Me Tarzan, You Jane
08.   The Bobby Borda Five - Mad
09.   Dick Summer - The Goatee’s Gotta Go
10.   Wigland - Side A Outro
11.   The Renaults - Rockin' With Joe
12.   Wee Willie & The Soulettes - Pulp Wood Charley
13.   Billy Duke and the Dukes - Roland
14.   The Orbits - Knock Her Down
15.   Dan Kubiak - Finding You
16.   King Sid - Unh Uh Baby
17.   Arnie Ginsburg - Pal Mal Rock
18.   Sidney & Chimps - Blah
19.   Stringbeans - Stop Your Cryin'
20.   H & A - Side B Outro

Notes:
Compilation of tracks from Rex Doane, host of WFMU's 'Fool's Paradise' radio show.

Candeias ‎– Sambaiana (1976)

Style: Bossa Nova, Fusion, MPB, Latin Jazz 

Format: CD, Vinyl

Label: Disques Espérance, Dare-Dare

Tracklist:

B1.   Sambaiana

B2.   Casas De Invierno

B3.   Palmeiras

A1.   El Tren De Tom

A2.   Paolinho

A3.   Zimbao

A4.   Managua

Credits:

Bass – Darci Soave

Drums, Percussion – Carlos Carli

Guitar, Electric Guitar – Agustin Pereyra Lucena

Piano, Electric Piano, Guitar, Producer, Mixed By – Guillermo Reuter

Mixed By – Jorge Da Silva

Producer, Mixed By – Jacques Subileau

Guadalcanal Diary ‎– Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man (1984)

Style: New Wave, Rock & Roll
Format: CD, Vinyl, Cass.
Label: Elektra

Tracklist
A1.   Trail Of Tears
A2.   Fire From Heaven
A3.   Sleepers Awake
A4.   Gilbert Takes The Wheel
A5.   Ghost On The Road
B1.   Watusi Rodeo
B2.   Why DoThe Heathen Rage?
B3.   Pillow Talk
B4.   Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man (Part 1)
B5.   Kumbayah

Like R.E.M., the B-52's, and Pylon, this fine band hailed from the unlikely independent-rock hotbed of Athens, GA. The long jangle pop shadow of R.E.M. is extremely strong on this release, with seven of the ten tracks showing either full or partial influence of that group. Fortunately, the songs here are excellent, exhibiting much variety within this style. "Trail of Tears," a haunting antiwar number, sounds the most like their Athens counterparts. "Fire From Heaven" is more up-tempo, intense, and dynamic, while "Sleepers Awake" is an ominous, slowly unfolding song. "Ghost on the Road" is primarily a fast country-punk number that saves its R.E.M. stylings for its yearning chorus. "Gilbert Takes the Wheel" and the title track are jangly instrumentals, the former being a fast rocker with a thudding beat, the latter being a lengthy slow-tempo selection exhibiting noticeable psychedelic traits. Other territory is touched on as well. "Pillow Talk" is a winsomely energetic Everly Brothers-influenced song. The brilliant "Watusi Rodeo" is a jumpy pop number sporting over-the-top surf guitar licks and inspired hilarious-yet-uncomfortable lyrics about "Ugly American" cowboys in Africa. There's also an eccentric cover of the missionary hymn "Kum Ba Yah," complete with appreciative background audience shouting, an energetic drum solo, and extreme contrasts of loud and soft dynamics (sometimes within the same verse line). This odd yet strong album is well worth hearing.

David Cleary / AllMusic

Fatima ‎– And Yet It's All Love (2018)

Style: Hip Hop, Funk / Soul
Format: CD, Vinyl
Label: Eglo Records, P-Vine Records

Tracklist:
01.   Dang
02.   Westside
03.   Attention Span Of A Cookie
04.   I See Faces
05.   Take It All (feat. Roc Marciano)
06.   Somebody Else
07.   Caught In A Lie
08.   Waltz
09.   So Rite
10.   Movie
11.   Note To Self
12.   And Yet It's All Love

It only takes a couple of listens to start singing along with And Yet It's All Love, the second album from the Eglo artist Fatima. Where her breakthrough LP, Yellow Memories, impressed with its unorthodox approach to modern soul, the follow-up lands on a more modest, immediate sound that still oozes personality. She's assembled a mostly fresh production team for her latest LP, though she's retained the hip-hop beatmaker Flako. Having contributed two tracks to Yellow Memories, his increased prominence on And Yet It's All Love helps give the LP a more modern-sounding palette. There aren't flashy maneuvers like there were on "La Neta," which switched tempos and time signatures, stuffing 20-minutes' worth of ideas into six. The level of musicianship here is still high, but the focus is on making moving, memorable songs.  

All great singers, or rather, the ones who write their own music, have musical trademarks. There are motifs that crop up in many of Fatima's vocal melodies. What makes them uniquely hers is their jazzy ambiguity—instead of simple minor or major keys that might reference single-note emotions, her weird harmonies often suggest a tense counterbalance of conflicting feelings. "Attention Span Of A Cookie" is sexy, sassy and even a little sad, with strange minor intervals offset by a fun bassline. When a songwriter gives voice to that tension—not just multiple emotional notes but the semitones between them—that's when you start to hear the messy magic of real life.  

The LP has a wide range of moods, painting a lively and dynamic portrait of Fatima as a person. There are the hooky singalongs that DJs will love, like "Westside," "Caught In A Lie" and "Attention Span Of A Cookie," which benefit from the album's bass-boosted production. There are moments of audacious self-empowerment ("So Rite"), slow-burning sensuality ("Dang"), manic energy ("I See Faces") and clear-headed confidence ("May I"). There are curveballs where the album gently swerves off-piste, such as "Waltz," which is indeed a waltz, with its pum-pum bassline and sparkly fairytale synths. She closes out the album with the title track, and it's Fatima at her most virtuosic—not only does she have style and grace, but the vocal chops to bring all of her notes to life.

Max Pearl / Resident Advisor

thatmanmonkz ‎– Columbusing (2016)

Style: House
Format: CD
Label: Delusions Of Grandeur

Tracklist:
01.   Air [With] – Khalil Anthony
02.   Jus Anutha Wunna Deez
03    Boogie Down [With] – Erik Rico
04.   Sum Ol' Nex' Ish
05.   A Fly New Tune [with] – Ta'Raach
06.   Turn It Out[With] – Dave Aju
07.   Another Night Under The Glitterball
08.   I Can Hardly Breathe (With A Brother Is...)
09.   For Bae 6:30
10.   Moon On The Hill [With] – DJ Kali
11.   Vampires 3:51
12.   Baked [With] – Malik Ameer
13.   Take U 2 My House [With] – Khalil Anthony
14.   For Those I've Lost Along The Way

Credits:
Bass Guitar – Pete Simpson
Keyboards – Bennett Holland
Keyboards [Keys] – Antonio Salviato
Percussion – Xander Wright
Saxophone – Enrico Crivallero

Shriekback ‎– Oil And Gold (1985)

Style: New Wave, Synth-pop
Format: CD, Vinyl, Cass.
Label: Arista, Island Records,

Tracklist
A1.   Malaria
A2.   Everything That Rises Must Converge
A3.   Fish Below The Ice
A4.   This Big Hush
A5.   Faded Flowers
B1.   Nemesis
B2.   Only Thing That Shines
B3.   Health And Knowledge And Wealth And Power
B4.   Hammerheads
B5.   Coelocanth

Oil and Gold is surprising for several reasons. For one, the departure of singer/guitarist Carl Marsh midway through produced no noticeable dip in the record's quality. For another, live drums appear for the first time on a Shriekback album, thanks to Martyn Barker, a longtime associate who was added to the band at the tail end of the Jam Science sessions. Most surprising, though, is how much this album rocks out, particularly on the songs featuring ex-Damned guitarist Lu Edmonds. It even yielded an out of left field hit single in "Nemesis," which not only uses the word "parthenogenesis," but rhymes it successfully, and does so in the chorus. In truth, Oil and Gold is six-tenths of a great album. It leads off with the rip-roaring one-two-three punch of "Malaria," "Everything That Rises Must Converge," and "Fish Below the Ice," all featuring Marsh on vocals. These are followed by "This Big Hush" and "Faded Flowers," two tremendously beautiful slow numbers sung by Barry Andrews, who took over for Marsh as lead vocalist. The B side (vinylly speaking) begins nicely with "Nemesis" and quickly falls apart, with the nadir being the clunkers "Health and Knowledge and Wealth and Power" (sung by Marsh) and "Hammerheads" (sung by Andrews). Still, Oil and Gold's highlights make it a rewarding listen.up, Inc.

Bill Cassel / AllMusic

Killing Joke ‎– Night Time (1985)

Style: Post-Punk
Format: CD, Vinyl, Cass.
Label: EG, Polydor, Virgin

Tracklist:
A1.   Night Time
A2.   Darkness Before Dawn
A3.   Love Like Blood
A4.   Kings And Queens
B1.   Tabazan
B2.   Multitudes
B3.   Europe
B4.   Eighties

Credits:
Bass – Paul Raven
Drums – Paul Ferguson
Guitar – Geordie
Keyboards, Vocals – Jaz Coleman
Producer – Chris Kimsey

Marking the full return from the band's out-of-nowhere hiatus in 1982, Night Time, following after a couple of test-the-waters EPs, finds the reconstituted Killing Joke, with Paul Raven in on bass but otherwise unchanged, caught between their earlier aggression and a calmer, more immediately accessible approach. This turned out to be the band's Achilles heel in the end, with later albums in the '80s evidence that the group had turned into an unbelievably boring, generic modern rock band. At this point, however, the tension between the two sides had a perfect balance, and as a result Night Time is arguably the quartet's freshest album since its debut, with a warm, anthemic quality now supplementing the blasting, driving approach that made the band's name, as songs like "Kings and Queens" demonstrate. Geordie Walker pulls off some jaw-dropping solos amid his fierce riffs -- check out his turns on the title track -- while Paul Ferguson mixes and matches electronic beats with his own very well (perhaps a little less intensely than before, but not by much). Jaz Coleman's experimentation with keyboards -- chopped-up vocal samples, calmer and sweet lead melodies -- is paralleled by his own singing, now mostly free of the treatments and echoes familiar from earlier days. He's got a great singing voice as it stands, and it's a treat to hear him let it flow forth without forcing it. "Eighties" turned out to be the retrospectively most well-known song, due to a surprising and not always remembered example of Killing Joke's influence -- Nirvana, of all groups, thoroughly cloned the watery guitar line at the heart of the track for "Come as You Are." "Love Like Blood" was the breakthrough single in the U.K., although -- and for good reason -- it managed the bizarre trick of slotting alongside Duran Duran for mainstream radio airplay while still sounding like nobody other than Killing Joke. A pity the group then spent some years doing pallid clones of the song.

Ned Raggett / AllMusic