Record Makers

Expanded 30th Anniversary Edition of Kristin Hersh’s Stunning Debut Album. The album plus b-sides and string versions. Also includes lyrics and sleeve notes by Kristin. In 1994, the arrival of a solo album by Kristin Hersh seemed somewhat redundant. After all, Throwing Muses—the band she co-founded with stepsister Tanya Donnelly—had come to be defined by Hersh's singular vocals and songwriting style, both of which moved in unpredictable directions that were wholly unique and intensely evocative. It was Hersh's artistic dominance in the Muses that led to Donnelly leaving the band in 1991 to join the Breeders, then, later, form Belly to play her own, more traditionally hook-oriented take on indie rock. The first Donnelly-less Muses album, Red Heaven, found the band working as a trio, with Hersh's presence even more dominant. The follow-up—University—was recorded soon after, but was temporarily shelved for Hersh to record and release Hips and Makers. Initially viewed as a "get it out of my system" album, Hersh recorded it in fits and spurts over the summer of 1993, tapping Lenny Kaye to produce. Although she very much takes an unaccompanied guitar-and-voice approach to this material, the cavernous recording style combined with Hersh's individualistic approach to composition and tempo make this anything but typical coffee shop material. Vivid lyrics ("Don't kill the God of Sadness/ Just don't let her get you down" on "The Letter," for instance, or "press your palm to your snow-coated thought cage" on "Beestung") are both sharply focused and deeply impressionistic, and none of the songs here appear to have anything resembling a traditional chorus.

"It all started few years ago when 'Top Audio' organizer Piero Dametti asked me to put together a traditional jazz band to play during his well known hi-fi show. Being well acquainted with all the specialist musicians of this kind, I had no trouble forming a New Orleans type outfit to fulfil his request.

Sheffield rock ‘n’ rollers Reverend & The Makers have announced a compilation of their most loved tracks, spanning their career so far. Titled the ‘Best of Reverend & The Makers’, the double album offers a huge variety and includes fan favourite from their debut ‘Heavyweight Champion Of The World‘ and their most recent single ‘Black Flowers‘. Rounding the release is two new songs, especially recorded for this compilation titled ‘Elastic Fantastic’ and ‘Te Quiero Pero.’ It is set for release on September 20th.

Turn on any classic rock station and you'll soon hear a song that Ken Scott worked on.