The essential purchase for weeks 18 and 19 I'm at a loss with. I've been so dam busy that I haven't had time to even think about buying music. You should go and buy the Big Pink 7" VELVET though which I've recently discovered as it's a sublime piece of music from a band that are rather hyped by the NME etcetera but we'll forgive them that as they can't help it. So connected it hurts. Check it out on their myspace page or have a listen on spotify as both tracks on the 7" are on that crazy piece of music free-ness.

http://www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink

In regards to week 20 well there are two things you should be getting your pay cheque out for.


The new album from the Manic Street Preachers was released this week entitled JOURNAL FOR PLAGUE LOVERS. I wouldn't normally give a Manic Street Preachers album a second look these days as after Richey disappeared the band mutated from one of the greatest, visceral, intelligent and challenging bands of the 90s into, well, safe middle of the road indie / rock.

BUT this is the album where they have gone back to Richey's last notebook that he gave the band before disappearing and made an album from his words. Plus they got Steve Albini in to press record. And they've got Jenny Saville to the art a la The Holy Bible. I even bought the NME this week to get a better understanding of what the band thought Richey was writing about here I was that excited. And for the first time in a long time I went out and bought an album on the day of release.

I headed straight for the limited edition book edition so I could get my hands on the Richey Edwards lyrics and imagery plus 2 x cds - one of the finished album and one of the demos. Bizarrely the secret track BAG LADY that features on the standard issue cd doesn't feature on the limited edition version. VERY STRANGE!

Anyways for those that go out and get the book edition and want to hear the secret track I've posted it here for download along with the lyrics. Nice, eh.

I am not dead
I demand I know my rights
I know my rights
You cover illness with flowers
And flowers die
And flowers die

Waking I feel
I follow mirrors that
Make sense to me
Make sense to me
Never let yourself out, I did
It ruined me
It ruined me

To be morally good
Are we ready to love?
A devil pretending to be a god
Love's written on paper,
and paper burns
Eternity is not sunrise

Waking I feel
I follow mirrors that
Make sense to me,
Make sense to me
Never let your self out, I did
It ruined me
It ruined me

To be morally good
Are we ready to love?
A devil pretending to be a god
Love's written on paper
and paper burns
Eternity is not a sunrise

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8wud4h

Anyways the album is worth your hard earned in a major way. There are also a few remixes of key tracks floating around too. Journal For Plague Lovers (An Optimo Espacio Mix) is an absolute killer remix and the Horrors mix available from NME.com is worth a listen. There's an Andrew Weatherall Mix of Peeled Apples which I haven't heard yet but I'm definitely keen to hear.

Speaking of Andrew Weatherall we got his remix of Detachments H.A.L. back last week and it's absolutely HUGE. Watch out for that later in the year as we may put the remix out as a limited promo at somepoint....


The other big release this week is from the magnificent new band PARALLELS. Their debut 3 track EP Ultralight is out on 12" this week on Thisisnotanexit and we are incredibly excited about this band - they feature Cam Findlay who was in Crystal Castles, the wonderful Holly Dodson on vocals, and Joey Kehoe and hail from Toronto in Canada.

They’ve shared billing with established bands like Glass Candy, Fan Death and Sebastien Tellier (Mod Club) and performed for a capacity crowd at The Toronto Fashion Week Closing Finale.

They also of course remixed Detachments The Flowers That Fell which will be out on vinyl in a few weeks time.

Anyways the Ultralight EP is out on 500 only 12" this week available from the usual independent stores around the world. Apart from Piccadilly Records in Manchester who didn't like it. To say they stock Crystal Castles, Kate Bush, Madonna and various 80s italo records - as well as being an independent store apparently supporting independent music and labels - well this does strike me as rather odd but such is life. My favourite store Phonica also refused to stock it as well. So they're no longer my favourite store. I will now be taking my custom to Rough Trade and Juno. I advise you to do the same. If you can't find a 12" then just drop us a line and we'll sort you out.

Enough moaning - here's a mix that Parallels did for us that really does want me to get the Delorean out of the garage and go for a spin down to some 80s sci fi discos.


Parallels - Mix for Thisisnotanexit Records

1. Tangerine Dream - Astral Voyager
2. Roni Griffith - Spies
3. Parallels - Midnight Voices
4. Padded Cell - Far Beneath London
5. Gino Soccio - Remember
6. Ladies Choice - American Man
7. George McCrae - Don’t You Feel My Love (12 Inch Version)
8. Magenes - Back to Singapore
9. Severed Heads - Petrol
10. Parallels - Ultralight
11. Tuxedomask - Illuminati
12. Kate Bush - Watching You Without Me

Get it here:

http://www.divshare.com/download/7458767-45d

Next up on Thisisnotanexit is the promo remix 12" of Detachments The Flowers That Fell which features Parallels, Capracara, Thee Four Horsemen and Max Moreau Quartet. Only 200 have been pressed so they'll literally come and go just like that.

If you're in Germany or Switzerland then check your local paper (or probably more easier Detachments myspace) as the band are currently out there in a van touring around playing shows before finishing their debut album over the summer.

We have the next release from Spectral Empire in June time called LIFE AFTER FUTURE. It features exclusive DJ tool KM-50 Spectral Assault Mix and the absolutely huge cosmic disco waltz through the mirrors INNERFEARENCE CHATEAU FLIGHT REMIX. So huge it hurts. You can watch the video for Life After Future here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjhBHMG87M

This is just the beginning people.

If you're in London town then They Came From The Stars I Saw Them will be debuting some new songs on Saturday night at Cargo in Shoreditch in support of disco disco disco FAZE ACTION. Get your groove on - and there are literally the last few copies of the Moon Song 2 x 12s available in the shops at the moment - the warehouse is now empty of these so grab one quickly. We have literally less than 5 of each and then they're gone forever.

Finally here's some myspace free music to soundtrack your weekend to:

http://www.myspace.com/houndsofhate

http://www.myspace.com/trailertrashtracys

http://www.myspace.com/theconqueringsociety

Oh and watch out for a mix from Spectral Empire that we'll post up in the next week or so. In this day and age of mixes being ten a penny this really is one for the spotters as I couldn't name a single track on it when I heard it.

Oh and honest this is the final thing. We have some limited edition Detachments t-shirts available. Only 50 printed and then we're going to do a different colour and design. Check the thisisnotanexit shop. They're a design classic.

http://www.thisisnotanexit.net/shop.htm

Adios.