The Witch, 2016

The Sonics that Wailers bassist Buck Ormsby took into a small studio and unleashed on the world show a live band at the peak of its power, ready to mow down the competition without even blinking twice. Their debut long-player (originally issued on the Etiquette imprint) is reprised here with new liner notes by Norton prexy Miriam Linna in the original mono. The flame-throwing hits of "The Witch," "Psycho," "Boss Hoss," and "Strychnine" are aboard, along with versions of "Do You Love Me," "Dirty Robber," "Have Love Will Travel," and "Walkin' the Dog" that are no less potent. This long-play vinyl reissue also boasts the addition of four bonus tracks: "Keep a Knockin'" (the original B-side of "The Witch") and three selections from an Etiquette Christmas album, "Don't Believe in Christmas," "The Village Idiot," and "Santa Claus." Another important chunk of Seattle rock & roll history.

VANILLA FUDGE celebrate their 50th anniversary with another musical rock monument - ''Live At Sweden Rock 2016!'' What began in April 1967 in the Ultrasonic Studios in Hempstead/ N.Y., still possesses the same charisma a good 50 years later in a rather quiet Swedish town of Norje near Sölvesborg in front of more than 35,000 enthusiastic fans. Heavy psychedelic, slightly progressive rock, blended with classic citations and elements. With temporal and musically excessive cover versions which the band left their distinctive mark on (a heavy blues soaked steady rhythm) VANILLA FUDGE not only entered the international charts at that time. Their versions of the Tamla Motown classic ''You Keep Me Hangin' On'' (Supremes) or Junior Walker's ''Shotgun'' as well as the FUDGE's version of McCartney's ''Eleanor Rigby'' electrified a whole generation of musicians and fans alike.

An enchanting journey through nine responses to love, Banco de Gaia’s ninth studio album arrives at a time when the world needs it more than many of us may realise. Featuring special guest artists, from Pink Floyd’s Dick Parry, Zero 7’s Sophie Barker, The The’s James Eller and No-Man’s Tim Bowness, The 9th of Nine Hearts is a celebration of the spark in all of us: the concept of love itself. Fusing ambient, psychedelia, art rock and acid house, each track evolves naturally into the next, with love the starting point to them all.

Esben and the Witch have had an interesting career trajectory. Their debut, Violet Cries was a dreamy, melancholic mix of post-rock and dream pop that sat somewhere between those two genres without really being either one. It worked and worked well, and the band sounded hungry and ready for more. That was seven years ago, and the band are now preparing to release their fifth album, entitled Nowhere.