I´m Not a Gun

Even though he’s a mere twenty-three years old, John Twells (aka Xela) is no ingénue, having released last year’s acclaimed For Frosty Mornings… on Neo Ouija as well as Where We’re From The Birds Sing A Pretty Song, an equally impressive collaborative outing with Gabriel Morley issued under the name Yasume. Following upon that City Centre Offices release, Twells returns with Tangled Wool, seemingly intent upon wresting the folktronica crown from Greg Davis and Kieran Hebden. Don’t be turned away by the twee song titles, as this is as perfect an example of melodic folktronica as one might hope to find, plus it’s a perfect length too, admirably succinct at eight tracks and forty minutes. One thing it’s not, however, is Rounds II as it largely eschews the propulsive beats one finds on Four Tet’s 2003 release. Instead, Twells creates sublime pastoral oases that are rooted in the shimmer of his acoustic guitar.

One of Jamaica's most consistent vocal groups, and unfortunately one of the most unsung, the Ethiopians were led by the distinctive tenor and fine songwriting skills of Leonard Dillon. Originally a trio (with Stephen Taylor and Aston Morris), most of their hits were done with Dillon and Taylor as a duo, and their close two-part harmony is a trademark of the group. Following Taylor's death in 1975, Dillon carried on the name, double-tracking and using other singers in the studio to reproduce the trademark Ethiopians sound. This two-disc set is currently the best introduction to the Ethiopians on the market, and includes all of the group's major sides plus other rarities and oddities. Dillon is an excellent songwriter, with a compelling moral center and a knack for simple yet endlessly memorable melodies, and his songs, usually written from the ghetto sufferer's perspective, are exceedingly sly and wise.

Although vintage British psychedelia is viewed by many these days as an Alice In Wonderland-style enchanted garden full of beatific flower children innocently gathering flowers or chasing butterflies, there was always a more visceral element to the scene. Pointedly free of such fripperies as scarlet tunic-wearing gnomes, phenomenal cats and talismanic bicycles, the power trio format that was popularised by the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience spawned a host of imitators. As the Sixties drew to a close and pop evolved slowly but inexorably into rock, psychedelia gave way to a sound that was harder, leaner, heavier, louder.

Although vintage British psychedelia is viewed by many these days as an Alice In Wonderland-style enchanted garden full of beatific flower children innocently gathering flowers or chasing butterflies, there was always a more visceral element to the scene. Pointedly free of such fripperies as scarlet tunic-wearing gnomes, phenomenal cats and talismanic bicycles, the power trio format that was popularised by the likes of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience spawned a host of imitators. As the Sixties drew to a close and pop evolved slowly but inexorably into rock, psychedelia gave way to a sound that was harder, leaner, heavier, louder.

Celebrating 40 years since her first release, Full Moon – the Complete Collection is a strictly limited edition and brings together all of Judie's releases since that time for the very first time along with an exclusive 24th CD that contains outtakes, alternative versions and live tracks.