Amoeba Music

Vinegar Syndrome recently restored this Hong Kong 1990 flick on 4k. It's an international espionage action movie that ends up being a mix of buddy cop (acab tho) with Peckinpah inspired violence, and a gritty realism with a sometimes Lethal Weapon feel in its comedy. Lots of bullets and comical awkwardness. Read more

Just cannot stop playing this record. Sort of like if you mixed 70's pop and country rock with some jangly guitars. Members of Bugg, Narrowhead, Bite Bite, and Happy Diving. Read more

You'll never think of Kiefer Sutherland the same way again. Read more

Dungeon dwellers from Philadelphia. Eerie Synth, Mortiis worship, death-rock, punk. Don't judge by these words, just play it and get sucked in! Read more

Watch this video of the two playing this song together and just be completely blown away. Excerpt from the movie 'Human Highway'. Read more

Pummeling hardcore. Influence of Swedish/Finnish Hardcore mixed with Bastard. Read more

13 songs in 18 minutes. Hardcore in the same vein as 86 Mentality, Gel, or Mass Arrest. Read more

The Panik from Manchester! New 12" EP version of the original from 1977. Includes a bonus track! Read more

Includes lots of rare punk from the UK! Art Attacks, Carpettes, and more! Read more

Excellent compilation with rare tracks by The Wasps! Read more

Incredible new book from photographer Melanie Nissen! Amazing photographs documenting the Los Angeles punk scene! Read more

A truly lovely album of Brazilian music by São Paulo based singer & songwriter Sergio Victor Sayeg. He co-founded neo-Tropicalia psych band Garotas Suecas. On this 2nd solo album, he continues to craft delicate, subtle pieces that nod to the intimate early works of Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim. With magical arrangements that feel both simple and complex, a tapestry of gorgeous harmony unfolds, blending samba, bossa nova, jazz, folk, and Tropicalia with some mostly mellow rhythms. Estrela Acesa strongly reminds me of the legendary self-titled 1972 masterpiece by Nelson Angelo & Joyce, another fantastic slice of mellow Brazilian folk that still sounds like little else even 50 years later. ‎Highly recommended, every track is excellent and it’s easily one of my favorite albums from 2022. Read more

Phenomenal complex jazz compositions from this exciting young vibraphone player who grew up in Chicago and eventually studied under Stefon Harris. Ross has released three albums on Blue Note, starting in 2019. This new one has an incredible flow to it, feeling a bit like one long suite, and the songs themselves are masterfully composed and beautiful both harmonically and rhythmically. Truly wonderful stuff, with a large 9-piece ensemble with 4 horns (including Immanuel Wilkins), flute, piano, bass, & drums. Killer stuff, very emotional work too… thoughtful, aching, hopeful, spiritual, and ultimately, triumphant. Top notch! Read more

Excellent new young London based Afrobeat octet led by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, who is also a member of the all-female London jazz collective Nérija (with the talented Nubya Garcia). Obviously influenced by Nigerian legend and afrobeat originator Fela Kuti and his long-time drummer Tony Allen, plus current greats in the field, such as NYC heavies Antibalas and Fela’s sons Femi and Seun Kuti, they are also inspired by jazz, soul, and groovy music of all kinds. Directly connected to the burgeoning jazz scene in modern London, this band shares members with many other groups there. They can all really play, and the tunes here are composed really well too. Nice! Read more

Fantastic new album of instrumental psychedelic electronic beats from this LA based producer who used to live here in San Francisco. Elements of trip-hop, shoegaze, krautrock, dub, and much more all blend together in a trippy retro-futurist stew that makes you want to bob your head and groove along to these excellent beatscapes. I recommend this for fans of artists like DJ Shadow, Amon Tobin, and Boards of Canada, along with labels such as Stones Throw, Mo Wax, and Ninja Tune. Super groovy stuff! Read more

Wonderful psychedelic pop ensemble with a retro flair, from Nottingham in the UK. Similar to Broadcast and Rocketship but certainly their own thing, there’s also a notable influence of the harmonies from classic Brittish folk & folk-rock groups like Fairport Convention, a bit of C86-style jangle pop and shoegaze vibes, and even some first wave US psychedelia a la Jefferson Airplane. It is mostly upbeat, decidedly groovy, and super catchy, with effects pedals and some trippy production techniques to add some texture and character. Great stuff! Read more

Syrian musician now based in the UK, who plays the Qanun, an Arabic, 81-string dulcimer-like instrument that is popular throughout the middle east. It’s a descendent of the Egyptian harp, and various forms of the qanun have been used for at least 1000 years. Traditionally only played by men, Maya has now broken this gender barrier and is making her name known around the world. On this new sophomore album, Youssef’s incredible songcraft matches her prodigious skills, and she unleashes a masterpiece that sounds both ancient and current. All songs are instrumental except for one cut, which has some lovely yearning vocals from Hamsa Mounif, another Syrian who now also lives in London. Several tracks include subtle strings, piano, and arabic percussion, but the qanun is front and center throughout. Such a unique sound, and the magical realm she creates with it is really special. Read more

Raw, uncompromising new release from this collective of Native American artists and guests, produced by Yonatan Gat of Monotonix. It’s a visceral, heavy, raucous fusion of traditional pow wow music, avant-rock, jazz, and experiemental electronic sounds and distortion. An intense experience that features an eclectic list of guests, including new age legend Laraaji, experimental improvisor Ikue Mori, vibraphone from Thor Harris, Berlin synth virtuoso Gelbart, and recently deceased trumpeter jaimie branch. This is a masterpiece of modern music, fusing thundering tribal drums, squealing guitar feedback, Native American chanting, and exploratory electronics into a powerful statement about the plight of North America’s long suffering First Nations peoples and channeling their frustration with the way they’ve been treated throughout the history of colonialism. It feels deeply spiritual and vital. Read more

Excellently curated selection of classic reggae tunes based around the theme of unity and solidarity. A lot of reggae music has been a vehicle for social protest and for espousing a sense of idealistic hope, and these 40 songs are some of the finest examples of that latter, more positive side of the equation. Trojan is of course one of the most (if not THE most) important reggae labels in existence, and this is a fine assortment of classic tracks from the golden era of Jamaican music throughout the 1960s and early to mid-70s. Every track here is a winner... so many gems, and unfortunately, these cuts reflect a still very necessary message in today’s world. Read more

Great selection of rare funky soul, disco, gospel, jazz fusion, and Brazilian grooves, curated by Miche, a young DJ from the UK. Perhaps surprisingly, most of the tracks here are from the sole release by the artists… often their only single, though a few have an actual album, but it’s incredible how rare and off the beaten track most of these artists / cuts are. There’s really no bad tracks here if you like this kind of stuff, and everything sounds nice and clean mastering wise too. Read more