EUROPEAN RECORD LABELS
In part due to the high cost of transatlantic shipping, our label is collaborating with European labels where they are selling our records and we are offering their records for sale in the US from our website. Shipping in the US from our website for our records and the European labels is free for orders of $30 or more with the checkout code - FREESHIP.
Ghost Highway Recordings is a small DIY independent record label based in Madrid, Spain. The label was founded in 2008 with the purpose of releasing rock’n’roll, punk, punk-rock, lo-fi punk, surf and garage rock in 7" vinyl slices... and in 2011 began releasing 12" vinyl records. Ghost Highway has released records for many US artists including Jack Oblivian, Walter Daniels, Jeff Dahl, Kurt Baker, Brad Marino, Go Mod Go, Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders and the Darts. In 2022 Black & Wyatt Records co-released Serrated Cuts by Teeth if England with Ghost Highway Recordings.
Beluga Records is a Stockholm (Sweden) based independent record label and mail order company that's been running since 1994. Beluga Records began as a predominant garage/punk label but now carries a broader range of genres including power-pop. Beluga and Ghost Highway co-released the black cover edition of Lost Weekend by Jack Oblivian and the Dream Killers in 2019. This edition differs by one track from our yellow cover edition of Lost Weekend.
Head Perfume Records is located in Dresden, Germany. In 2022 Head Perfume co-released the compilation Always Memphis Rock & Roll with Black & Wyatt Records and in 2023 is co-releasing the double album Turnstyles 2 with B&W.
Heavy Medication Records is an indie label bringing real rock & roll to earthlings. “We are the rock & roll soldiers in a war against the jive.” Heavy Medication was released records from a number of Los Angeles punk/garage bands such as The Neverland Ranch Davidians, JJ & the Real Jerks and Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders.
REVIEWS
ghost highway records
All in all, this is an absolute ripper of a punk rock record. There is not a weak track in sight. 30 years in, Ingi still belts it with authority and conviction. The band's cover of Soda Fraise's "Rock´N´Rolls" will just about set your hair on fire! If you like real deal old school punk rock 'n' roll, Speed Soul Racer is not to be missed! -Faster and louder | read more
Marino really has pop sensibilities at heart though. Wake Up Baby, written with Kurt Baker, is pure Nick Lowe, a double-tracked bittersweet love song set over a rolling bass line and chiming guitars. What Comes Naturally comes from the same songbook, albeit with a slight country tinge and twang, and with a subtle piano set low in the mix, only to come out and flourish with little licks. Lead single C’Mon C’Mon C’Mon comes out like classic Ramones, a chugging rhythm over a strong beat that props up a catchy-as-hell chorus, much in the same vibe as The Queers’ Janelle Janelle. From The Start perfectly mixes that rollicking power-punk with beautiful bridges that recall Honeycrack in the way they drop into a minor key, while elsewhere Broken Record Baby adds the typical “bring it all up a tone” to great effect showing that Marino is not afraid to wear his power-pop heart on his sleeve and pull out all the tricks to keep you hooked. - Ghost Highway Records | READ MORE
… Scuzzy guitars crank up and Rooney is off, preaching at the mike. Drums thump. A glorious polyphonic din that captures all the yardsticks, primitive chops from when r’n’b meant the Pretty Things and the Stones, not some ersatz lightweight soul derivative. A crooning moan his instrument, somewhere between a more breathless Jim Morrison and a more distracted Iggy Pop, Mooney is a commanding presence. Guitars wail as they should, and all is well with the world, a banshee of harmonica sealing that truth, to close the song. - At The Barrier | READ MORE
South Filthy is a collaboration between musicians from two important centers of American music, Austin and Memphis. Furthermore, the process is part of an ongoing history of cultural exchange between the states of Texas and Louisiana. The fundamentalist preachers whose strongholds also stretch between these territories might wonder just what kind of culture is being exchanged by a band with a name like this one has, performing songs such as "Bad Girl" and "Spell of Big Tits." South Filthy, on the other hand, could simply be a cute way of describing where a particular album is located in any one of the bandmember's extensive collections of vintage rockabilly, country, blues, and soul sides. The members of this aggregation are for the most part the sort of individuals whom residents of a given town may have seen year after year in any number of local bands. If not there, then rummaging through the used record pile with only a casual interest in the family budget. "When will that guy get into a band that will go somewhere?" might be a question whispered behind the back of Mike Buck, who has drummed for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, the LeRoi Brothers, and the Texas Tornados, just to name a few. The depth of his background in terms of musical knowledge, a typical factor among the members of this group from either city, is the source of a special resonance regardless of the outcome concerning the long range career of South Filthy. "Trash culture" might be one way of describing the archival interest of players such as Buck, harmonica blower Walter Daniels, or the Memphian Jack Yarber. This image results more from the way rock bands are advertised, especially the choice of graphics. On the group's debut CD in 2002 this even included a mug shot of the horrifying Jeb Bush. In reality what the group celebrates is a view of American music that is free from prejudice, which is more than can be said for either Texas or Louisiana in general. When Buck Owens and Howlin' Wolf can groove side by side it must be surmised that an individual has risen above their social environment. Such as Tex & the Horseheads, whose former lead singer Texacala Jones also guests on the South Filthy recordings and will hopefully continue her involvement with the band. - Eugene Chadbourne
beluga records
this is a band with discipline and a focus: simple, no-bullshit, melodic rock. What makes All Dahled Up such a great album is the band feels it. The themes may be classic rock themes, the riffs may be classic rock riffs, but the songs are performed with such energy and sheer delight that it all sounds fresh and new, like a teenage crush or a mid-life crisis - Altrockchick | READ MORE
Listening to their back catalog, Autogramm has no trouble crafting immediately accessible, infectious synth power pop, and on this album the tunes are a perfect mix of the simple power pop of 2018’s What R U Waiting 4? and the new wave of 2021’s No Rules… Right away you know the hooks will sink deep. Autogramm cooks in the same kitchen as The Tubeway Army, melding synths with rock and pop and the second track WannaBe is as hooky as it gets for a song with a repetitive chorus sung over an electronic dirge.- 50 Third and 3rd | READ MORE
…It's also one of the band's best releases to date -- combining the more "pop" feel of its first two albums with the energy and harder edge of its third and fourth long players. This is the sort of album I will never tire of: a killer punk rock record with great hooks. It delivers a satisfying mix of high energy punk rock bangers ("Small Time", "I Want You Back", the title track), quintessential punk/pop tracks ("Let Them Talk", "I Remember You"), pure pop songs ("Anecdotes"), and kick-ass rockers ("Born Into This"). - Faster & Louder | READ MORE
The comfort of familiarity, strength built upon longevity, and yes, constant practice, as The OhNos thrive in a style where practice is a must. It’s clear right away in Waving From Hades’ opening title track, which is raw and hard driving but fully-formed melodically, with touches of echoey-dreamy ’60s flair amid an extended lyrical cop from the Violent Femmes’ first album. - The Vinyl District | READ MORE
The Mike Bell Cartel's production doesn't sound like a typical British influence when listened to on record, nor does it sound like an American imitation, above all it doesn't sound authentically Finnish. Or for a moment, it sounds like - all of the above. As a whole, "Cartel & I" is at the same time borrowed from the cursed, yet a more autonomous way of expressing oneself can be sought. Each of the 1960's needs that the orchestra has picked up in its stylistic spectrum has always existed and many other bands have been aware of them - only a few have previously been able to use the same weapons as insightfully to their advantage.
However, "Cartel & I" is not just playing around with sounds. You can tell from everything that Siira has really invested in her songs both in the writing and in the implementation phase. Although he has recorded a lot of his own production over the years, it seems as if he had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time and diligently. The soloist's charge is palpable, it is transmitted most strongly with minor melancholic numbers that fit seamlessly to his slightly nasal voice, such as No Turning Back and Shadow, both of which could just be Del Shannon's lost studio treasures from the mid-1960s.
Still, Siira has not been in the studio alone. It wouldn't be a band without Laine's over-and-under guitar solos, Samuel Abaijón's addictive organ parts, Ari-Pekka Heinonen's bass and Ville Särmä's drums. Viisikko has named itself aptly, it is specifically a cartel that is naturally connected to each other. Pyhä liitto is completed by Timmion Records' Jukka Sarapää, who was the recording artist, and Pepe Deluxé's James Spectrum (Jari Salo) and Liam Watson, who handled the mixing, and confirmation from London's Toe Rag Studios, incensed by the roots circles. - Blues News | READ IN FINNISH
… They ramp things up more on tracks like A Song Called Jayne & A Lie Called Love, putting them more in line with the current crop of powerpop purveyors, and something more akin to those classics from The Knack with its whipcrack beats and groove. They drop things back at the start of Shoulda Known before drifting in with a Tom Petty-like melody, reaffirming clearly their roots. Across the whole album, they drench the songs in 70’s guitar sounds and harmony with pure abandon while also, on the title track, bringing in a funkier 80’s pop vibe…and even a sly wink across the fourth wall with their question of what happened to love and understanding, only cutting out the peace. - Louder than War | READ MORE
They mix up elements of alt rock with garage and a little punk and they call to mind a number of other Just Some Punk Songs featured artists such as The Mysterines, Jo-Jo & The Teeth and Soap Girls. - Just Some Punk Songs | READ MORE
Talk of the Town is a difficult record for me to describe. In a way, it's the perfect power pop record. In another way, it finds The Speedways moving past the bounds of power pop. So here's how I'll put it: if you loved Just Another Regular Summer and Radio Sounds, you'll love Talk of the Town. That's a guarantee. But there are also people who might not generally describe themselves as fans of power pop or who have never even heard of power pop who will love this record as well. This is an album for anyone who enjoys melody-driven pop and rock and relates to songs about love, loss, jealousy, and heartbreak. Yes, it's a vintage Speedways album. But it delivers a sound that's bigger and (in the words of the band) more cinematic than ever. - Faster & Louder | READ MORE // Beluga Records
head perfume records
DJ Cramer from Dresden is just a music fanatic who has played in many clubs in his hometown, but also nationally in Berlin, Bremen, Leipzig, Weimar, Meißen, Wustermark and Bautzen (to name just a few.) DJ also has a regular radio show running. On the two parts of "Wildblumenblues" he lets his great love for German punk rock (and other sub-genres) run free in many different variations. On two CDs (which are also available on vinyl) and a total of thirty songs from almost as many bands, there is a lot going on here (up to the psycho punk track) and all conventions are ignored... meaning the conventions studiously left out before.
For example, the Martial Art N****** rumble through the few minutes of "Working For The Man" with distorted vocals, making it a true delight for punk rock hearts. The Sex Gods (who are even represented with two tracks) set the dominant tone right from the start and the immediately following psycho punk in the form of "Kill Happiness" by The Spamchords steps down on the gas pedal (and the madness) even further. In contrast, Duesenjaeger's melodic German punk, friendly to the Toten Hosen, sounds almost as friendly as a bouquet of colorful flowers. Mad Man's Milk (whom we recently introduced to you in the form of their album Back To Tomorrow) are also cool here , although the tempo is rather medium-paced. Goldner Anker also belongs to the more melodic faction, while Two Laughing Idiots contribute an acoustic guitar song from the rehearsal room (at least it sounds like it).
On this first CD (or LP) every Punk Rock friend will probably find something that he likes particularly, moderately or maybe not so much. As already mentioned, the bands involved are very differentiated in terms of their approach and style. What the listener can again notice when enjoying the swinging The Roaring 420s, the cool rocking "Stop Walking On My Nerves" or the lightning-fast old school punk of the Damnation Kids' "No Fashion". Then the almost forty minutes of the first part are already over.
Part 2 is then opened again by The Roaring 420s with a clear surf element. Wonderful and always refreshing how many different styles are mixed up on these two CD or four LP sides. Jack Oblivian makes a strong impression with "Mass Confusion" before it really gets going again with Paisley's "More Time". Purple Dawn (who are one of the few acts to be heard twice here) can't hide certain country influences on "Ponies & Peaches" and the Damnation Kids are also represented a second time in the form of "Holiday In Hell". Of course, the Lombego Surfers (also influenced by country and surf) or Monkey Motel as a stark contrast with "She Broke My Heart" sung to the (initially) acoustic guitar should not go unmentioned. The acoustic then changes to the electric in the middle, but there is no other instrument.
"Wildblumenblues" and "Wildblumenblues No. 2" represent a cool potpourri of bands and varying styles, each representing different variants of punk rock or at least related genres. Of course, everyone can (and must) choose their own favourites, but what is certain is that there is a lot to discover and that each of the approximately forty minutes always seems to be over in no time at all. These two compilations were originally released in 2014 and 2016, but two new compilations by DJ Cramer were announced in 2021. - Rocktimes | READ IN GERMAN
heavy medication records
The first bars of opening track At The Gospel were a real shock to my senses. A primitive drum rhythm overlayed by gritty, grungy guitars painted a wild scene – somewhere in an Australian jungle, maybe – and I was captivated. This wasn’t what I was expecting…
Built on a choppy, fuzzy guitar riff, lead single Rat Patrol is a more basic slice of no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll. Crude but enticing, it suggested to me an idea of what Creedence might have sounded like when they took a first run-through of a new song – yes – it sounds that fresh. Despite the proud, self-applied, “defiantly bassless” tag, Tex picks up a bass to add a little depth to the excellent Fat Back. Max once again excels in the engine room as Tex and Will weave interesting guitar patterns and, if you can think of any rhymes for the words “fat” and “back,” I can guarantee you that they’re used in the song’s lyrics. - At The Barrier | READ MORE
This group is rubber band tight, with the drums and bass setting up a gnawing, rapid-fire percolation upon which the tangy mayonnaise of rock’n’roll is slathered. It’s kinda like as if somebody quit CH3 and got replaced by someone from the Devil Dogs, or maybe Cheetah Chrome, or some other heavily contrived situation of that nature. I think the real statement of differentiation between JJ&TRJ and similar self-identified “punk’n’roll” outfits is that the guitar often works smarter and not harder here: Instead of just continually spraying testicular excretions everywhere, the guitar is occasionally used as a clever embellishment, almost like the Buzzcocks (if such a story can be believed). This lets the vocals, drums, and bass dictate the terms, while the guitar darts hither and yon whacking the non-believers. Don’t look at me, guitar! I, for one, welcome our new guitar overlords! Bonus points for the minimalist sax tooting. It gives the rest of the woodwinds hope. BEST SONG: “Built to Blast” or maybe “Lost Souls Pub” because of the minimalist sax tooting. BEST SONG TITLE: “Built to Blast.” FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: The title “Ten Cent Beer Night” is in reference to a disastrous 1974 baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the artist currently known as the Cleveland Guardians. –Razorcake | READ MORE
