Lush - Gala [12", LP]

This is a LUSH album i've been looking for for a long time, and i finally found it a few weeks ago at the Utrecht record fair. GALA is actually a compilation album. It contains 3 EP's, and 2 bonus tracks that can only be found on this release. Side A covers the Sweetness And Light and Mad Love EP's, while side B has the whole Scar EP and the beforementioned bonus tracks on it.

Hey Hey Helen is an Abba cover, by the way.

The album has some great (and typical 4AD-style) artwork, with two printed innner sleeves:

Furthermore, the inside of the outer sleeve is printed as well. Quite peculiar. I tried to make a picture but that wasn't too easy:

Label: 4AD

Cat.nr.: CAD 0017

Year of release: 1990

SIDE A:

01. Sweetness And Light

02. Sunbathing

03. Breeze

04. De-Luxe

05. Leaves Me Cold

06. Downer

07. Thoughtforms

SIDE B:

01. Baby Talk

02. Thoughtforms

03. Scarlet

04. Bitter

05. Second Sight

06. Etheriel

07. Hey Hey Helen

08. Scarlet (new version)

Esben And The Witch - Violet Cries [12", LP]

First time i heard about ESBEN AND THE WITCH was when some online zine wrote something about their 33 EP. Can't remember which one but I think it was voted their Demo Of The Week or so. I listened to the tracks on the band's Myspace and decided i just had to have this; i hadn't heard a new band that good for a long time. When i wanted to order a physical copy from the band, i got the message they were all sold out, but then a few days later i got a mail from frontman Daniel Copeman saying it was available as a free download from their Last.fm page. Since then we kept in touch occasionally, and i've seen them live a couple of times and went for some drinks after their shows. Really nice people.
Anyway, VIOLET CRIES came out in January 2011 and it was very well-received. It contains two re-recorded songs from their demo (Eumenides and Marching Song) and eight other songs. Haunting nightmare pop, as they called it themselves, and the icy cover artwork fits perfectly with the album. An excellent debut.

Label: Matador
Cat.nr.: OLE 939-1
Year of release: 2011

SIDE A:
01. Argyria
02. Marching Song
03. Marine Fields Glow
04. Light Streams
05. Hexagons IV

SIDE B:
01. Chorea
02. Warpath
03. Battlecry / Mimicry
04. Eumenides
05. Swans

Lush - Sweetness And Light [7"]

This is the 7" edition of the SWEETNESS AND LIGHT single by LUSH. One track less than the 12", which i described earlier. The title track is a great catchy tune.

Label: 4AD
Cat.nr.: AD 0013
Year of release: 1990

SIDE A:
01. Sweetness And Light

SIDE B:
01. Breeze

Sleepy Sun - Spine Hits [12", LP]

SPINE HITS is the brand new album by SLEEPY SUN, and the first one without Rachel Fannan after she'd left the band in 2010. I was curious to hear what it would sound like, as to me she was one of the key figures in the band; both on record and live. But i must say that this album pleasantly surprised me. Solid bluesy psychedelic rock, a bit more uptempo in general than on their previous albums and less "swampy". And vocally actually sometimes even pretty close to Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell (listen to the song Creature for example). Which i see as a plus, by the way.
Without the female vocals it's simply not the same band as it used to be, but certainly not a worse one. They probably would have been though, if they'd stuck 100% to the same musical formula. Glad they didn't.

Label: ATP Recordings
Cat.nr.: ATPRLP45
Year of release: 2012

SIDE A:
01. Stivey Pond
02. She Rex
03. Siouxsie Blaqq
04. Creature
05. Boat Trip
06. V.O.G.

SIDE B:
01. Martyr's Mantra
02. Still Breathing
03. Yellow End
04. Deep War
05. Lioness (Requiem)

M83 - Saturdays=Youth [12", 2LP]

With SATURDAYS=YOUTH, M83 got a poppier sound that made Anthony Gonzalez & co break brough to a wider audience. Morgan Kibby's vocals can be heard for the first time on this album and she'd become a steady band member for the live shows ever since. Her vocals in Skin Of The Night (and throughout the whole album actually) are stunning. I can actually listen to this album over and over without getting bored.

Label: Mute
Cat.nr.: 9384-1
Year of release: 2008

SIDE A:
01. You, Appearing
02. Kim & Jessie
03. Skin Of The Night

SIDE B:
01. Graveyard Girl
02. Couleurs
03. Up!

SIDE C:
01. We Own The Sky
02. Highway Of Endless Dreams
03. Too Late

SIDE D:
01. Dark Moves Of Love
02. Midnight Souls Still Remain

The Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore [7"]

The Adore album by THE SMASHING PUMPKINS i've learned to love over the years, but when it came out i was pretty much disappointed. AVA ADORE is one of the singles from that album and especially when this song is played live by the band i like it a lot. "Limited" pressing; around 10000 numbered copies.

Label: Hut Recordings
Cat.nr.: HUT 101
Year of release: 1998

SIDE A:
01. Ava Adore

SIDE B:
01. Czarina

Curve - Blindfold EP [12"]

One of my crate-digging finds at the Utrecht record fair a few weeks ago. Not an EP i'd been particularly looking for, but it wasn't very expensive and while i have most CURVE releases on CD as well, this BLINDFOLD EP i don't. Well spent money for that matter.

Label: Anxious Records
Cat.nr.: ANX T 27
Year of release: 1991

SIDE A:
01. Ten Little Girls
02. I Speak Your Every Word

SIDE B:
01. Blindfold
02. No Escape From Heaven