Alternative

Artist: Beach Fossils Label: Captured Tracks

Artist: the Thermals Label: Sub Pop (Cargo Records)

Artist: the Thermals Label: Sub Pop (Cargo Records)

Artist: Mogwai Label: Rock Action Records

180g Vinyl + CD. Birdmen time-travelers, a tale of an unhappy girl named Louise, the story of a schizophrenic banned from paradise, celestial radio, oceanic dream therapy, reflections on death, a letter to the moon, madness, and euphoria. The Soft Hills' new album, Chromatisms, features ten new songs that explore these subjects and other ruminations on the human relationship with the unconscious and the emotional.Seattle indie group The Soft Hills were formed in 2007 by singer-songwriter Garrett Hobba. The current line-up consists of Hobba on guitar and vocals, Randall Skrasek on drums and moog, Matthew Brown on lapsteel and guitar, and Brett Massa on bass and vocals. With an appreciation for experimentation and harmony, their songs draw from a wide range of influences from folk to psychedelic to ambient, drawing on literary influences, and incorporating experiences from dreams and visions. The Soft Hills released their debut album The Bird Is Coming Down To Earth on Tapete Records in January 2012, which was followed by a European tour in May. Their new record Chromatisms is a study in contrasts - of light and shadow, yin and yang, birth and death. The album combines the delicate immediacy of folk with the power and majesty of post-rock, arrangements that nod to the classic era of 60's rock while looking forward with intertwining synths where beautiful harmonies sit on top of layers of feedback, and lyrics dig deep into the unconscious, trying to make sense of the magical and the real, the place between madness and euphoria. Compositionally, the band utilizes a diverse palette of colors, blending together reverbed guitars with moog textures, fuzzy riffs with mellotrons, lyrical bass lines against thunderous drums and delicate lapsteel weaving around vocals to create lush collages of sound. The music reveals a band in transfiguration, a group moving towards darker realms of sonic and lyrical exploration. The record was mixed by Erik Blood (Thee Satisfaction, Moondoggies, Shabazz Palaces) and produced by Matthew Brown (Trespassers William, Memphis, The Walkabouts). Record Label: Tapete Style: Indie-Pop

Fire Records are delighted to announce that they will be releasing the brand new solo album from Australian songwriting legend Tom Morgan, best known for his contributions to SMUDGE and THE LEMONHEADS. "Orange Syringe" includes ten perfectly formed stripped-back pop songs saturated with Aussie charm, with just the right amount of jangle and an instantly comforting hook. The album showcases Morgan's skills as a master storyteller and lyricist, delving in to complex and personal subject matter, while never forsaking the hooks, leaving the songs swathed in melodic hues and moods ranging from the bright to the very, very dark. The man who wrote iconic songs like "It's A Shame About Ray" and "Outdoor Type" delivers line after line of tongue-in-cheek genius, with darkly funny twists like "the outcome is bleak, the second time in a week" and "I'm not broke, I'm just not working" along with casual flirtations, winking as he delivers "this beauty before me, she's a bit of alright" and smiling through his days of holding back on the bus fare when a pretty girl sleeps over and remembering his full family history while picking up the bottle of wine for dinner at his mother's. Tom Morgan has played in a plethora of bands, including fronting Aussie stalwarts SMUDGE, a tremendous 'slacker pop' trio who he formed in 1991 with drummer Alison Galloway (immortalized in THE LEMONHEADS "Alison is Starting to Happen"). They quickly became known for Morgan's melodic, mini-pop masterpieces with his colourful lyrics and the band's low-fi approach to recording, releasing three albums (plus a collection of B sides and unreleased covers), a mini-album, a handful of singles, and appearing on several compilation albums. Fire has recently reissued their stellar "Real McCoy", "Wrong Sinatra" and "Manilow" records. Long established as one of the finest lyricists of a generation of Aussie tunesmiths, Morgan was brought to wider attention when he paired with LEMONHEADS frontman Evan Dando for the albums "It's a Shame About Ray" and "Come on Feel The Lemonheads". With Tom's lyrical dexterity and ear for a perfect pop song, their meeting bore immediate spoils, inspiring Evan to global acclaim as he began the more 'pop' direction of his career. He was so taken with Tom's tunes that he even covered some of Smudge's songs, with great commercial success. Following passing a guitar back and forth with Evan, Tom and SMUDGE continued in various guises before finally splitting in 1999, only to get together a few years later to play periodic shows. A prolific writer, he has been continuously working and creating, and is finally ready with a proper solo album, seeing him recording with his wife Leticia and producing some of the very best work of his career. It is clearly time to sit up and take notice of the pop songwriting masterclass that is "Orange Syringe", where finally Tom Morgan can take centre stage and receive the recognition he deserves Style: Independent

Artist: Autre Ne Veut Label: Software Recording Co.

Artist: Woodpigeon Label: Fierce Panda

Artist: the Bad & the Zugly,the Good Label: Fysisk Format (Cargo Records)

Artist: Jacco Gardner Label: Trouble in Mind (Cargo Records)

"First-ever reissue of this rare collector's item, featuring fully remastered audio and restored artwork + Licensed from, and produced in collaboration with, songwriter and head Ripper Ed Bankston + A share of the proceeds will be donated to the Wounded W Record Label: Paradise Of Style: Country

Record Label: Tapete Style: Alternative Rock

Record Label: Ed Banger Style: Electronic

Artist: Various Artists Label: Alive Records

Artist: Pissed Jeans Label: Sub Pop

Artist: Chatham County Line Label: Yep Roc

Artist: Arctic Monkeys Label: Domino (rough trade)

Record Label: Tapete Style: Alternative Rock

Artist: She & Him Label: Merge (Exclusive)