Indierock | Alternative 277 Items

Sassyhiya want to take you somewhere. The journey starts in Kathy and Helen’s flat in South London. Sit down, close your eyes, and immerse yourself... You are on your way to a musical rainforest a long way from Camberwell. Explore your new surroundings, and you will find beautiful pop blooms like Let’s See What We Can Find, as bright and vibrant as The Sundays, thrusting their colourful faces up from the forest floor. You’ll find tangles of sharp-edged guitar, as if Swiss she-punks Kleenex had been left to evolve here in the rich fertile soil (I Had A Thought). You’ll find dark pools full of lyrical complexity, deceptively deep and immersive, with shimmering reflections of The Go-Betweens (Perennial). And you’ll come across delicate love songs, creeping up the trunks and branches of the bass and drums, displaying their fragile beauty (Thank You And Goodbye). And what’s that exotic striped animal prowling through the undergrowth? Actually, it’s Crayon Potato, Sassyhiya’s pet cat, the other resident of their flat in South London, taking up her role as the feline star of a lilting, singalong anthem written in her honour.

That’s what is so great about this album. You are somehow, simultaneously, exploring the most exotic forest in the world while also sitting in a flat in an ordinary, familiar English street with Sassyhiya and their cat. This album transports you without pretending the real world doesn’t exist: it doesn’t get all mystical on you (Take You Somewhere is as unlike Enya as anything you’ve heard). Sometimes you might be reminded of Girls At Our Best, and then Delta 5. You might even, on occasion, think of Echo and the Bunnymen.

The album opens with their single, Boat Called Predator: an appropriate start, inviting you to embark: insistent, almost ominous, but with a siren call of a chorus that means you can’t go back. The first single, Kristen Stewart, is here too: a bold love song to a queer icon, affirming Sassyhiya’s status as the queens (and kings) of a thriving indiepop scene. It’s joyous and it’s life-affirming. There are other love songs here too, like the jokey, wonkily flirtatious Puppet Museum. The album ends with You Can Give It (But You Can’t Take It) - a proper anthem of defiance, gently but insistently taking down the bullies and reactionaries who trample over beauty and diversity: the kind of people you might, unfortunately, bump into as you make your way back onto the streets of South London.

Sassyhiya (pronounced “Sassy Hiya”) were formed when Helen and Kathy, real-life partners and co-songwriters, joined up with Pablo and Neil (drums and guitar). Helen had previously been in Boys Forever and Basic Plumbing, collaborating with much-missed Veronica Falls musician Patrick Doyle. She and Kathy then formed Barry, a stripped-down queercore outfit, with Bart McDonagh (The Male Gays) and Mark Amura (My Executive Dysfunction). Sassyhiya feels like a culmination of all these elements, hitting the sweet spot between post-punk and indie pop. They know their way around a melody but still keep it wonky, with influences ranging from the Breeders and Broadcast to Dolly Parton.

Solventis add the roughness of an electric guitar and powerful synths to their folk sounds to weave sensitive and solar music. After a first European tour in Spring 2024, the band will release their album Alcyon with Subsound Records next autumn. Solventis is: Sol (Sophie Peyre) : composition, writing, vocals, electric guitars - Melody Morana : backing vocals, keyboards & acoustic guitars (live) A word about the album Alcyon : I wrote Alcyon following very clear visions of memories I didn't live through in this life, but which are undeniably part of me. Some songs speak directly of this experience, while others express the emotions that run through me and speak of what I'm experiencing here. Our sound has evolved for this album, with the addition of an electric guitar and synth to our usual folk music. I wanted it to be more immersive, more textured and raw on some of the songs, to better represent the intensity of certain feelings.

Solventis add the roughness of an electric guitar and powerful synths to their folk sounds to weave sensitive and solar music. After a first European tour in Spring 2024, the band will release their album Alcyon with Subsound Records next autumn. Solventis is: Sol (Sophie Peyre) : composition, writing, vocals, electric guitars - Melody Morana : backing vocals, keyboards & acoustic guitars (live) A word about the album Alcyon : I wrote Alcyon following very clear visions of memories I didn't live through in this life, but which are undeniably part of me. Some songs speak directly of this experience, while others express the emotions that run through me and speak of what I'm experiencing here. Our sound has evolved for this album, with the addition of an electric guitar and synth to our usual folk music. I wanted it to be more immersive, more textured and raw on some of the songs, to better represent the intensity of certain feelings.

Ruby Wine Vinyl.Manchester UK's Space Afrika make music of what they term "overlapping moments" - oblique mosaics of dialogue, rhythm, texture, and shadow, half-heard through a bus window on a rainy night. Honest Labour, the group's first full-length since 2020's landmark hybtwibt? (have you been through what i've been through?) mixtape, expands the project's palette with classical strings, shimmering guitar, and visionary vocal cameos, leaning further into their enigmatic fusion of ambient unrest and cosmic downtempo. It's a sound both fogged and fragmented, at the axis of song craft and sound design, born from and for the yearning solitudes of life under lockdown.The album title is tiered, alluding to a legendary patriarch from co-founder Joshua Inyang's Nigerian family tree (who was lovingly called "Honest Labour" for his loyalty and resilience) as well as the nature of self-designated work, such as Space Afrika's music - a "labor of love" in its truest sense. With fellow co-founder Joshua Reid recently relocated to Berlin, the pair began sharing files last fall, piecing together poetic vignettes of looping haze and found sound, inspired by the notion of "records that leave an impression, and help the listener deal with their life." As the isolation of Covid compounded with the worsening winter, the songs skewed increasingly introspective and emotive, reflecting a mood of dissipating futures and the infinite nocturnal unknown.The artists cite two core motivations for Honest Labour: to transcend the sum of their influences, and "to show what we're capable of." Both ambitions are entirely realized. The collection's 19 tracks flow with a synergy and sophistication as rare as they are radical, untethered to the dusty dub-techno templates of Space Afrika's early years. These are interstitial anthems, expressionistic and open-ended, delirious but deliberate, attuned to the drift and dreamstate of the present moment: "Ultimately this is an homage to U.K. energy, and an album about love and loss."

"The Styrofoam Winos are that band that we love to have in our lives because they transcend the language of music, not by their individual parts, but by their oneness. On Real Time, Styrofoam Winos 2nd full length of originals for the Sophomore Lounge label, you imagine—and firmly believe—that their relationship extends beyond studios and stages. You believe they not only play music together, but eat meals together, live down the street from one another, practice three days a week because it’s fun, read the same books, and that they’ve agreed in some wordless, musical bond that this is who they are. As a listener, and inevitable fan, you wonder if they found each other by a stroke of luck or the hand of destiny. You believe that they can probably read each other’s minds and that their music is as joyous to them as it is to you. After all, this is what we love about early R.E.M. records, the brainier grooves of Pavement, and the discographies of Yo La Tengo and The Breeders. The Springwater Supper Club and Lounge in Nashville has been a dive bar since before a dive bar was a brand; a place where, in the early 2000’s, everyone would wonder if David and Dave (Berman and Cloud) would be sitting at the bar and a write-up in a weekly paper could fill the room. It seemed like everyone that bought you a beer was either in Lambchop or The Cherry Blossoms. This wasn’t a world that wanted to keep great music a secret. This was a world where great music was born and championed, when a community didn’t have metrics or boardrooms. The members of Styrofoam Winos were in elementary school back then, but they carry on this scene’s shaggy-dog torch that deserves a bigger audience. Real Time was cut live to tape at The Bomb Shelter studio by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, The Ettes, Margo Price) with few overdubs and over just 5 days, whenever the band had enough money to record. The members – Lou Turner, Trevor Nikrant, Joe Kenkel – all make wonderful solo albums on labels like Dear Life, Earth Libraries, and Spinster, as well as excellent self-releases. But unlike most bands where members compose alone before bringing a song to the table, the Winos write the music and lyrics together. Their van life, which has included tours with MJ Lenderman, has solidified this chemistry. They switch instruments in the studio, too, and allow the friend who found the seed of the song to sing the lead. Between the 3 of them (and a couple visits from pedal steel buddy, Will Ellis Johnson), Styrofoam Winos trade off on guitars, drums, bass, synths, vibraphone, percussion, and all the lovely vocals, like they’re on a cross-country road trip, taking turns behind the wheel, and singing along with each other because they all know the words. And Real Time is just that: a celebration of the present-tense and its ever-shifting moments of living. They’re going down the road, not feeling bad, but feeling. On the opener, “Angel Flies Over,” it sounds like the Styrofoam Winos wind-up a melodic memory from their 2020 all Michael Hurley covers album for their own tuneage. And then, a left turn, and the road trip detours into a feel-good head-trip with the Feelies-ish “Magic Mind.” And on “Don’t Mind Me,” the Winos crib a riff from Little Feat to indulge the tempo-shifting storm clouds mid-song. Over the course of the record, the Winos continue to step on the gas and tap the brakes until “Found Round,” an improvisational finale, where they each take turns singing us the summary, “these are the things that we found,” like they forgot we’ve been listening the whole time. And, yes: I’m wearing my bright yellow, size medium, Styrofoam Winos tee shirt as I type this."—Jerry David DeCicca, Bulverde, Texas

This October marks the 60th Anniversary of The Animals' self-titled debut album. Having never been reissued on vinyl before, the 60th Anniversary Edition sees the album pressed on yellow vinyl and adds the hit 'House of the Rising Sun' to the track list. Limited to 750 copies for National Album Day UK.

The Blasters are the ultimate all American Roots band fronted by the brothers Dave and Phil Alvin. Their music is a blend of rockabilly, early rock and roll, punk rock, mountain music, rhythm and blues and country. The Alvin brothers have had a fractious relationship with Dave leaving the band in 1986. Phil has led various incarnations of The Blasters intermittently since then. American Music was their debut studio album. It was released in 1980 and features the future classic “Marie Marie”. Side 11. American Music2. Real Rock Drive3. Barefoot Rock4. I Don't Want To5. Marie Marie6. I Wish You Would7. She Ain't Got The Beat8. Flattop Joint9. Crazy Baby10. Never No Mo' BluesSide 21. Buzz Buzz Buzz2. She's Gone Away3. Barn Burning4. 21 Days In Jail5. Love 24 Hours A Day6. I Fell In Love7. So Glad8. Ashamed Of Myself9. Lone Wolf

A rock'n'roll sensation from the word go, Danish-Brazilian The Courettes are back with their fourth and best album to date: "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes". And this time, they're bigger, wider and deeper than ever before as they add more to the blistering ramalama that's seen them cause pandemonium across the venues, festivals and airwaves of the UK, Europe, USA and Japan. Hitting the sweet spot that straddles garage rock, girl groups, doo-wop harmonies, heartache and all points in between, here The Courettes build on the momentum of predecessor 'Back In Mono' with a collection of songs that opens up their sonic scope while confronting dark, emotional matter to reveal 'The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes'."We didn't want to do Back In Mono 2'," stresses drummer Martin Couri.Having evolved with each album release, "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes" draws inspiration from many of the duo's numerous idols that have only previously been hinted at."We wanted to show our love of the Spector Wall Of Sound and Motown," reveals Flavia. "It was a clear mission and we've absolutely nailed it."From the glorious opening beats and stabbing fuzz honks of 'You Woo Me' to the closing emotional tugs of 'For Your Love' via 'SHAKE!''s fuzzed-up urgency and 'California''s celebratory warmth, The Courettes have broadened their sound with an increased musical instrumentation and overall sophistication that's evident in both their sound and songwriting. And crucially, they've achieved this without sacrificing any of the rock'n'roll grit that's been scraped from Flavia's guitar strings and Martin's battered and pummelled drums. And aiding them in their quest for sonic perfection are a few guest musicians and back-room wizards playing some very specific roles.While the music has opened up to include acoustic and 12-string guitars, bass, E-bows, castanets and timpani, so have the kind of emotions that might not ordinarily be associated with The Courettes.The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes is an album aime...

Gatefold white vinyl LP!A rock'n'roll sensation from the word go, Danish-Brazilian The Courettes are back with their fourth and best album to date: "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes". And this time, they're bigger, wider and deeper than ever before as they add more to the blistering ramalama that's seen them cause pandemonium across the venues, festivals and airwaves of the UK, Europe, USA and Japan. Hitting the sweet spot that straddles garage rock, girl groups, doo-wop harmonies, heartache and all points in between, here The Courettes build on the momentum of predecessor 'Back In Mono' with a collection of songs that opens up their sonic scope while confronting dark, emotional matter to reveal 'The Soul Of The Fabulous Courettes'."We didn't want to do Back In Mono 2'," stresses drummer Martin Couri.Having evolved with each album release, "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes" draws inspiration from many of the duo's numerous idols that have only previously been hinted at."We wanted to show our love of the Spector Wall Of Sound and Motown," reveals Flavia. "It was a clear mission and we've absolutely nailed it."From the glorious opening beats and stabbing fuzz honks of 'You Woo Me' to the closing emotional tugs of 'For Your Love' via 'SHAKE!''s fuzzed-up urgency and 'California''s celebratory warmth, The Courettes have broadened their sound with an increased musical instrumentation and overall sophistication that's evident in both their sound and songwriting. And crucially, they've achieved this without sacrificing any of the rock'n'roll grit that's been scraped from Flavia's guitar strings and Martin's battered and pummelled drums. And aiding them in their quest for sonic perfection are a few guest musicians and back-room wizards playing some very specific roles.While the music has opened up to include acoustic and 12-string guitars, bass, E-bows, castanets and timpani, so have the kind of emotions that might not ordinarily be associated with The Courettes.The Soul Of_ The Fabulous...

The Gates of Slumber return with a new album out in November on Svart Records

“I never intended to pick up with The Gates of Slumber ever again in 2014. While I did start the band and wrote most of the first album it was never intended to be a one man show.” -Karl Simon, 2024

Indiana’s True Doom Metal legends The Gates of Slumber return with their sixth album out in November via Svart Records. The self-titled album is the band’s first full length offering since The Wretch from 2011.

The Gates of Slumber was formed by Karl Simon in 1998. Various people were in and out of the group between 1998 and 2001, when the Blood Encrusted Deth Axe demo was recorded with Jamie Walters aka Dr. Phibes/Athenar (Boulder, Midnight) on drums and bass. In 2003 Jason McCash took over the bass duties and was a long-time member of the band until his untimely demise in 2014, after which Simon decided it was time to call it quits. That was until 2019 when the renowned metal festival Hell Over Hammaburg wanted to bring the band back on stage to perform at the festival’s 2020 edition. Simon reformed the band with its original member Chuck Brown on drums and Steve Janiak on bass and got back to work. “We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs.”, states Simon.

After a reunion tour was finished, Covid kicked in to slow down the process. Half of the album was already written but the remaining half took its time, and the songs were left to stew in their juices. With bastard heavy songs honoring the Doom Metal greats Saint Vitus and Penance, straight forward bangers, lyrics inspired by the Black Death and John Carpenter’s The Fog, The Gates of Slumber is a truly crushing album and a must listen to any Doom Metal fanatic.

Having toured with Pentagram, Reverend Bizarre, Cathedral, Slough Feg, Earthride, and Weedeater in addition to getting praised by Decibel Magazine such as “The Gates of Slumber have quietly gone about the business of becoming one of the best heavy metal bands in the world.”, it’s safe to say The Gates of Slumber play some of the heaviest metal on this planet.

The Gates of Slumber return with a new album out in November on Svart Records

“I never intended to pick up with The Gates of Slumber ever again in 2014. While I did start the band and wrote most of the first album it was never intended to be a one man show.” -Karl Simon, 2024

Indiana’s True Doom Metal legends The Gates of Slumber return with their sixth album out in November via Svart Records. The self-titled album is the band’s first full length offering since The Wretch from 2011.

The Gates of Slumber was formed by Karl Simon in 1998. Various people were in and out of the group between 1998 and 2001, when the Blood Encrusted Deth Axe demo was recorded with Jamie Walters aka Dr. Phibes/Athenar (Boulder, Midnight) on drums and bass. In 2003 Jason McCash took over the bass duties and was a long-time member of the band until his untimely demise in 2014, after which Simon decided it was time to call it quits. That was until 2019 when the renowned metal festival Hell Over Hammaburg wanted to bring the band back on stage to perform at the festival’s 2020 edition. Simon reformed the band with its original member Chuck Brown on drums and Steve Janiak on bass and got back to work. “We’d been asked several times to play Hell Over Hammaburg. But there was no “we” to play. The germ of the idea started. We started re-learning songs from the first LP. It wasn’t too long into the rehearsals that we started coming up with new songs.”, states Simon.

After a reunion tour was finished, Covid kicked in to slow down the process. Half of the album was already written but the remaining half took its time, and the songs were left to stew in their juices. With bastard heavy songs honoring the Doom Metal greats Saint Vitus and Penance, straight forward bangers, lyrics inspired by the Black Death and John Carpenter’s The Fog, The Gates of Slumber is a truly crushing album and a must listen to any Doom Metal fanatic.

Having toured with Pentagram, Reverend Bizarre, Cathedral, Slough Feg, Earthride, and Weedeater in addition to getting praised by Decibel Magazine such as “The Gates of Slumber have quietly gone about the business of becoming one of the best heavy metal bands in the world.”, it’s safe to say The Gates of Slumber play some of the heaviest metal on this planet.

Wollongong (Australia) trio 'Miners' create a heady form of driving guitar music and showcase it on their most melodic and varied release yet, sophomore album To a Healthy Future on Earth. From the shoegaze sounds of their first release, the Pala EP in 2015, to the more noisy and punk oriented sounds of their self titled album in 2021, Miners second album roams more expansively than the previous. To a Healthy Future on Earth contains 10 songs weathered and brushed by elements of shoegaze, indie slacker pop, emo, country rock, and found sound. Melodies confidently swing and twist in a hazy blanket of fecund noise, evoking the dynamic of an Unwound or Swervedriver and local artists Sandpit and Love of Diagrams. The electric tension and release of the album is beautifully preserved by Mikey Young's master, and elevated by vocals from MFV's Maggie Fletcher, all aiding to lift this gem into daylight where it can refract and dazzle. This album will be released on October 18th, 2024 as a joint release with Kitty Records in Australia.

The Proclaimers, formed by twin brothers Charlie and Craig Reid emerged in 1987. The duo are renowned for their singing style with a distinct Scottish accent and their infectiously melodic songs about love, politics, and life in Scotland. Well-known for their most memorable songs "Sunshine on Leith", "I'm On My Way", "Letter from America" and of course, the hit single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)”.

This Is the Story is the debut studio album from The Proclaimers, originally released in 1987 and celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It contains the Gerry Rafferty-produced full band version of "Letter from America", which reached number 3 in the UK Single Chart.

The Silver Abduction release their debut self-titled album. Following on from two singles, Quarter To Two and Castle Rock, the album is released on August 30th. The Silver Abduction is a collaboration between singer Allison Brice (The 18th Day Of May, Lake Ruth) and musician/producer Andy Dragazis (Blue States). The Silver Abduction's history dates back to 2006. Instantly taken by Brice's haunting voice a musical friendship blossomed - with Brice's sweet, haunting melodies and Dragazis's dense and lush orchestration.

To date The Silver Abduction have had radio play from John Kennedy on Radio X, BBC Radio Wales, RTE 2XM, Amazing Radio amongst others. They have press reviews confirmed for Mojo and four star review in Shindig.

At the end of their US tour in June 1985 The Sisters of Mercy effectively split up. Returning in November 1987 with ‘Floodland’ (UK #9), and still aided by the trusty Doktor Avalanche, Eldritch hired former Gun Club and Fur Bible bassist Patricia Morrison to complete the new line-up. Featuring the hit singles ‘This Corrosion’ (UK #7), ‘Dominion’ (UK #13) and ‘Lucretia My Reflection’ (UK #20), production duties were shared with none other than famed Meat Loaf writer Jim Steinman. Available for National Album Day on 1LP black ice galaxy vinyl for a limited run. Limited to 3000 copies for National Album Day UK.

It’s abundantly clear from the first bars of their 5th studio album Through Other Reflection, that this is, and could only ever be, The Soundcarriers. From the enchanting vocal duets of folk-bidden Chanteuses Leonore Wheatley and Dorian Conway; to the precise bass lines of Paul Isherwood and the limber, jazz-cool, Hal Blaine-esque drums of his his co-songwriter Adam Cann; from the fairy-like flutes, 60s-garage guitars and organ sounds pilfered from the archives of exotica - listening to the Soundcarriers resembles a rediscovery of all the most prized, esoteric corners of the 1960s, all bundled up, warped and refracted through the quartet’s astutely modern cultural lens. Channelling Tropicalia, Middle Eastern psychedelic Jazz/Funk, The French Library sounds of Nino Nardini, and a whole host of lavish obscurites beside, Through Other Reflection delivers another sonic adventure from one of the most unique and distinctive voices of British Psychedelia.

It’s abundantly clear from the first bars of their 5th studio album Through Other Reflection, that this is, and could only ever be, The Soundcarriers. From the enchanting vocal duets of folk-bidden Chanteuses Leonore Wheatley and Dorian Conway; to the precise bass lines of Paul Isherwood and the limber, jazz-cool, Hal Blaine-esque drums of his his co-songwriter Adam Cann; from the fairy-like flutes, 60s-garage guitars and organ sounds pilfered from the archives of exotica - listening to the Soundcarriers resembles a rediscovery of all the most prized, esoteric corners of the 1960s, all bundled up, warped and refracted through the quartet’s astutely modern cultural lens. Channelling Tropicalia, Middle Eastern psychedelic Jazz/Funk, The French Library sounds of Nino Nardini, and a whole host of lavish obscurites beside, Through Other Reflection delivers another sonic adventure from one of the most unique and distinctive voices of British Psychedelia.

Originally released in 1981, La folie is the 6th studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. Available for National Album Day on 1LP translucent pink vinyl for a limited run of 3000 copies.

The Telescopes are an all embracing concern that began in 1987, the only constant being sole composer/instigator, Northumbrian born Stephen Lawrie. The band"s line-up is in constant flux, there can be anywhere between 1 and 20 members on a recording.The Telescopes were initially signed to Cheree Records then moved on to What Goes On Records where they became regulars at the top of the indie charts before gaining more mainstream success on signing to Creation Records. The Telescopes music has constantly pushed at it"s own boundaries, it overlaps many genres following its own course, inspiration led. Time has shown The Telescopes music not only withstands repeated listening but also reveals something new with each listen, a thread consistent throughout a highly influential body of work spanning over 30 years. The Telescopes have been cited as an influence on many artists across genres, around the world.

The Telescopes are an all embracing concern that began in 1987, the only constant being sole composer/instigator, Northumbrian born Stephen Lawrie. The band"s line-up is in constant flux, there can be anywhere between 1 and 20 members on a recording.The Telescopes were initially signed to Cheree Records then moved on to What Goes On Records where they became regulars at the top of the indie charts before gaining more mainstream success on signing to Creation Records. The Telescopes music has constantly pushed at it"s own boundaries, it overlaps many genres following its own course, inspiration led. Time has shown The Telescopes music not only withstands repeated listening but also reveals something new with each listen, a thread consistent throughout a highly influential body of work spanning over 30 years. The Telescopes have been cited as an influence on many artists across genres, around the world.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Therapy's Troublegum album , this 2LP set contains the original album pressed on 180g silver vinyl plus a further 14 tracks rounding up B-sides and bonus tracks of the era pressed on 180g lavender vinyl



By the time Therapy? released Troublegum in 1994 they were already well established, but it was the first time many had encountered the group's intensely melodic blend of hard rock and indie, an arresting combination of old and new, striking in its immediacy.



Formed by schoolfriends in Larne, Northern Ireland, Therapy? consistently pushed the rock trio to its limits, often saying that their use of feedback was their fourth instrument. Singer, guitarist and writer Andy Cairns, bassist Michael McKeegan and drummer Fyfe Ewing had been playing together since 1989, and were signed to indie label Wiiija the following year on the strength of their live reputation. After two albums with Wiiija, they were signed to A&M Records, and their 1992 album, Nurse, reached the UK Top 40. The group paired with Mission producer Chris Sheldon and went to Chipping Norton Studios to record a follow-up. The results were stunning.

Lead single "Screamager" (on the Shortsharpshock EP) reached the UK Top 10 in March 1993; follow-up "Turn" made the Top 20. By the time Troublegum was released in February 1994, it contained both singles, plus "Nowhere" and "Trigger Inside", further hits from the album. Troublegum is warm and powerful, showing that grunge was not just the preserve of bands from the western seaboard of the US. Mixed without any discernible gaps between tracks, the album offers 45 minutes of attack. Amid the originals, the band's post punk roots are shown by their storming cover of Isolation by Joy Division. Widely acclaimed, Troublegum reached No 5 in the UK charts, went Gold and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. It sounds as fresh today as it did in 1994.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Therapy's Troublegum album , this 2LP set contains the original album pressed on 180g silver vinyl plus a further 14 tracks rounding up B-sides and bonus tracks of the era pressed on 180g lavender vinyl



By the time Therapy? released Troublegum in 1994 they were already well established, but it was the first time many had encountered the group's intensely melodic blend of hard rock and indie, an arresting combination of old and new, striking in its immediacy.



Formed by schoolfriends in Larne, Northern Ireland, Therapy? consistently pushed the rock trio to its limits, often saying that their use of feedback was their fourth instrument. Singer, guitarist and writer Andy Cairns, bassist Michael McKeegan and drummer Fyfe Ewing had been playing together since 1989, and were signed to indie label Wiiija the following year on the strength of their live reputation. After two albums with Wiiija, they were signed to A&M Records, and their 1992 album, Nurse, reached the UK Top 40. The group paired with Mission producer Chris Sheldon and went to Chipping Norton Studios to record a follow-up. The results were stunning.

Lead single "Screamager" (on the Shortsharpshock EP) reached the UK Top 10 in March 1993; follow-up "Turn" made the Top 20. By the time Troublegum was released in February 1994, it contained both singles, plus "Nowhere" and "Trigger Inside", further hits from the album. Troublegum is warm and powerful, showing that grunge was not just the preserve of bands from the western seaboard of the US. Mixed without any discernible gaps between tracks, the album offers 45 minutes of attack. Amid the originals, the band's post punk roots are shown by their storming cover of Isolation by Joy Division. Widely acclaimed, Troublegum reached No 5 in the UK charts, went Gold and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. It sounds as fresh today as it did in 1994.