Jon Young Thropugh Native Eyes

Jon Balke’s unique solo work blurs distinctions between composition, improvisation and sound design as Discourses further develops the methodology introduced with the Norwegian pianist’s Warp album. Integrated in the resonant sound of his piano music are “layered soundscapes” of processed material which Balke describes as “distorted reflections and reverberations from the world.” Underpinning the project are some thoughts about language, and the notion of discourse and dialogue as fading concepts in an era of confrontational rhetoric. Balke: “In this work I had the framework of language with me from the beginning. As the political climate hardened in 2019 with more and more polarized speech, the lack of dialogue pointed me towards the terms that constitute the titles for the tracks.” Discourses was recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo in December 2019, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

London-based singer-songwriter, Jon Allen releases his fifth studio album, '…meanwhile' available May 21st, 2021 on OK!Good Records. The perfect blend of Jon's acclaimed output as a songwriter the new album is very much a product of the times we're living in with introspective and emotional lyrics.

Crazy Horse by another name is Molina, Talbot, Lofgren & Young, the group who released their debut All Roads Lead Home in 2023. The genesis of the album lies in the COVID-19 pandemic: isolated at home, Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot, and Nils Lofgren all wrote new material, eventually getting a chance to bring these sessions to life around the same time they supported Neil Young on his 2021 album Barn. Young is a presence on All Roads Lead Home - he contributes a live solo version of "Song of the Seasons," which debuted on Barn - but the focus is squarely on the other three members of Crazy Horse, who all contribute three songs apiece. Where other, earlier Crazy Horse albums tend to lumber as the group shoulders the burden of heavy volume, All Roads Lead Home is relatively light on its feet, relying on interplay over amplification…

Sometimes it feels like you hear a Bright Eyes song with your whole body. From Conor Oberst’s early recordings in an Omaha basement in 1995 all the way up to 2020, Bright Eyes’ music tries to unravel the impossible tangles of dissent: personal and political, external and internal. It’s a study of the beauty in unsteadiness in all its forms – in a voice, beliefs, love, identity, and what fills up the spaces in-between. And in so many ways, it’s just about searching for a way through.

In April 1989, Neil Young released the 5-track mini-album Eldorado on CD in Japan and Australia under the name “Neil Young and the Restless”. Neil (guitar & vocals) was backed by Rick Rosas on bass and Chad Cromwell on drums, with long-time Crazy Horse band-mate Frank “Poncho” Sampedro contributing guitar on the title track. Long sought after by Neil Young fans, this wonderful album and guitar tour-de-force finally gets a worldwide release on CD, and the first US release on vinyl outside of Australia. Number ORS 21 in Neil’s Official Release Series, the album comprises of 4 Neil Young compositions, plus a cover of the American standard “On Broadway”, written by Leiber, Stoller, Weil and Mann.

If you're a lesser-known artist, promotion before your debut album release is essential. Having a track picked for a national TV advert is a fantastic way of doing so. It might be luck that Jon Allen's track 'Going Home' appeared on the Land Rover advert, but take a listen to the album and you'll find that the high-level of music making is consistent throughout, if not even better. Dead Man Suit is already seeing a growing momentum and Allen's reputation is increasing with it. This 12-track album consists of racy popfolk and blues with chiselled, grainy vocals and a few self-pitying lyrics, the quality of which makes James Blunt end up sounding like his own surname. Vocally, Allen can be compared to a whole host of singers from the ruggedness of a young Rod Stewart to more recent singer-songwriters such as James Morrison.

Treasure (2007). David Helpling and Jon Jenkins are both veterans of ambient electronic music. Deep spaces punctuated by powerful grooves make this album a rewarding listening experience that is beyond words. Travel into the deep and discover the magic and wonder of treasure. The Crossing (2010). Since the release of their first collaboration, Treasure, David Helpling and Jon Jenkins have spent the past two years in the depths of deep exile carefully crafting a new recording, and are now ready to resurface with The Crossing. With this collaboration, Helpling and Jenkins embark on a fresh sonic expedition - a cinematic, powerful and deeply melodic triumph that lifts their music to new heights. More than just a follow-up to Treasure, The Crossing is a climb, a challenge and most of all a continuation of the journey; a deliberate sequel that launches from the very place that Treasure so gently released the listener three years earlier.