Shadow Show, “Aunt Maizy”
This all-female power trio from Detroit are already experts at conjuring up some hard, retro sounds amidst the sort of powerful pop harmonies that wouldn’t seem out of place during a set on Top of the Pops, circa 1966. From the kick of a jangly Rickenbacker to the steady backbeat, Shadow Show's Kate Derringer, Ava East and Kerrigan Pearce have mixed a comfortably fizzy concoction. -- Amy Hughes
Idles, “Tangk”
The pre-release buzz for Idles’ fifth album might have been consumed by the eeriness of the band’s Coldplay music video recreation, or puzzlement over the meaning and proper pronunciation of that title. But the most important thing is that Bristol quintet sounds as powerful and unvarnished as ever, with producer Nigel Godrich helping unearth the sincerity and pathos beneath the band’s tumult. -- Andrew Barker
James Brown, “We Got to Change”
Released in conjunction with the A&E Original James Brown: Say It Loud, this special edition EP contains the unreleased song “We Got to Change,” recorded in August 1970 at Criteria Studios in Miami. The recording is framed as a crossroads for Brown, as the members of his longtime James Brown Orchestra had walked out on him. The A&E documentary focuses on how Brown grafted his one-of-a-kind persona onto a much deeper, richer and funkier landscape. -- A.H.
James Brown - We Got To Change
"New Guitars In Town: Power Pop 1978-1982"
It’s a guarantee that for every one band you recognize on this 75-track, three-CD compilation – the Boomtown Rats, Squeeze, the Vapors, Rich Kids – there are four more that need to be recognized. As the fine folks at UK’s Cherry Red Records do so well, there are nuggets galore from an era that is still relevant today. Whether it’s Neon Hearts barreling through “Popular Music,” the Planets' slinky vocals on “Iron For The Iron” or Backseat Romeos with a boppy “Zero Ambition,” the entire collection will have you rummaging through the closet for padded shoulder shirts and neon jackets. -- A.H.
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