So recorded music has hit the dumpers, has it? I can’t think of a more bumper month, as elicited by Mojo’s current (? November, they say) issue. What a bounty of riches, and even I can’t get review copies of all of them. They review new by Richard Thompson, Eels, Agnes Obel, Ezra Collective, Teenage Fanclub, Kristin Hersh, Meshell N’degeocello, the Mary Wallopers and more. This is retropath2 heaven. And expensive.
September…….
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P.S. Anyone use Chalky’s Records? Free UK postage and no obvious links to badness. Quick and cheap, seems almost too good to be true.
I’m sure I’ve bought from Chalky’s in the past.
It was always the same: July and August for summer holidays, all the records come out when term starts in September. Long before the battle of Britpop, the debut Jesus Jones and second Wonder Stuff album were released on the same day (and purchased in Reading, up the escalator – Listen Records, was it, Rij?). And, later, Nevermind & Screamadelica; Loveless & Bandwagonesque.
I used to drop into Chalky’s when they had a shop in Banbury town centre, many years ago. Fairly sure I’ve bought from them online more recently, and I don’t recall any problems.
I’ve bought from them in the past without encountering any problems. I wouldn’t say they were particularly fast though. As I remember it delivery used to take around a week or so.
I’d never heard of them. The first search of the site didn’t find what I was looking for so I randomly clicked a link for a Kimmie Rhodes album.
The description starts “Cowgirl Boudoir is the latest offering from UK singer-songwriter Rhodes Kimmie…”. The Release Date listed is March 09, 2015. I’ve a feeling there may be an overreliance on a poorly educated AI tool!
I’m not sure who’s saying recorded music has hit the dumpers, or maybe bumpers. I think it’s possibly a matter of taste as there is nothing in that list that interests me whereas I have a couple of CDs on order coming out next week; Beck and Israel Nash.
In my eclectic defence, I ordered Beck’s last week and have a review copy already of the Israel Nash.
Nowt to defend. I would rather be in your position; these days I find very little interests me enough to buy it. I probably buy as many in a year as I used to buy in a month.
In total agreement with you @retropath2 – some great new releases on the way including a new Mary Gauthier and I have the Richard Thompson free uncut cd to look forward to.
The Gauthier is superb, it being one I have already acquired; she is back to singing about bleaker subjects, hurrah!
Unfortunately I had an email saying Mojo would be delayed so I’ve not read the Thompson review, though according to Uncut (bought for the cd, HOW MUCH?) there’s extra instrumentation, I believe J Kirkpatrick plays on it. So I might give it more than the one listen I’ve given the recent ones.
Mojo has arrived I do like the illustration for the article on R Thompson and the link to The Gashlycrumb Tinies and that bit of Disney.
To return to the OP I offer a perspective from a 23-year old son. HIs own musical journey has been from jazz (Dizzy Gillespie, early Miles, Buddy Rich) through to jazzy atmospheric drum and bass – a la Bukem and Good Looking, to prog house and the fractional splinterings of d and b/house such as breakcore (2 min tracks, anonymous creators, manga images).
His view now is that new music (ie music released that year) and new artists are at the margins, a much smaller proportion of young people’s listening than it was in the eighties. Examples: him and his girlfriend spent some time burning CDs over the weekend for her, using my Blue Nile and Talking Heads cds. We regularly talk about bands who are massive on tic toc or instagram as soundtrack- most recently Cocteau Twins, but previously such unlikely figures as Billy Idol (first 30 secs of Eyes Without a Face).
From the OP I notice that only Ezra Collective could be described as a ‘new band’ – having been operating for a decade.
The Mary Wallopers would surely count as new. I initially fought shy of ordering this, as I had become a little tired of their jaded rentapaddy approach, and live appeal to drunken people. The EP and first album were good, but, already generic by album no. 2, they had gone, overnight, from entertaining to embarrassing. I think someone must have told them as, from the singles pre-released, and the press descriptions, they have knuckled down and put some effort back into this. Uncertain whether I would again brave their mosh, mind, suspecting it would be trope driven and largely fuelled by the pre-gig consumption of their fans.
I have the Agnus Obel on pre-order but I won’t be purchasing anything else this month. I made the decision a couple of months back to only buy those artists I have an abiding interest in. The rest I stream from Qobuz. I had the Beck on pre-order too but I cancelled. I may want it but I don’t need it.
From what I’ve read about the Beck LP, if you have Morning Phase and Sea Change you’ll probably already have it. Gets 5 stars in the Guardian, mind.
But that’s why I want it! (Not the Guardian bit.)
That’s why I want it too but as I said above I don’t need it. Maybe I’ll pick up a second-hand copy sometime or other.
Surely only buying records you need is the thin end of a wedge! I remember in the late 70’s a work colleague asked me when I would have enough records. I just looked at him astounded. I still don’t know the answer. Little did I know back then, I would still have all my records nearly 50 years later and have rebought many of them on CD.
Good news got next month everyone! Finally, a new album from The Church….
>Afterword rolls eyes and smiles benevolently<
Getting back to the OP: I’m afraid that this is all I have…
As mentioned above, the summer months are always fallow for new releases, but increasingly in the last few years all the major ones are squeezed into the last quarter for the Christmas market.
Nothing on your list remotely interesting to my own taste alas, but looking forward to the Roxy and Tom Petty sets and I daresay a few others will crop up.
Have ordered the Rubber Soul bluray. Intrigued to hear What Goes On in full fantabulosa surround sound
I don’t buy anywhere near as much music as I used to, but I have the Israel Nash and Mary Gauthier on pre-order alongside the 2-CD version of Rubber Soul. New Margo Cilker on the way too. Her bruised voice never fails to hit the spot.
And let’s not forget a new Eels album and not one but two new Osees records.
Upon asking Google’s AI about September 2026 Jazz Releases, this was spat out.
Top September 2026 Jazz Album Releases
Ezra Collective – Here Because of Hope (Released September 11, 2026): A vibrant blend of jazz-funk, jazz fusion, and afrobeat.
corto.alto – SOME SMALL FORTUNE (Released September 4, 2026): An adventurous mix of nu jazz, jazz fusion, and avant-garde stylings.
Moyses Dos Santos – Maria (Far Out Recordings): A confident debut bridging Brazilian tradition and contemporary jazz composition.
Steve Wilson – Enduring Sonance (Smoke Sessions Records): A modern mainstream outing focusing on thoughtfully curated, lesser-played gems.
The Holland Court Jazz Trio – Inverted Tango (Composers Concordance Records): An imaginative blend of original compositions and dynamic trio interplay.
Ezra Collective’s is the only one I’ve heard so far. I like it
Very strong West African and Carribean influences.
Ezra Collective: It’s great, isn’t it!