Back in stock: Leftfield

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight split on top of outer sleeve, poster and inner sleeve damaged due to being glued to each other***


Canadian singer, songwriter and visual artists Allie X - real name Alexandra Ashley Hughes - is a great representative for the resurgent live electro-synth scene. Emerging from the Toronto indie circuit in the mid-2000s, it was a relocation to Los Angeles, a heartland for neon sounds, and early work with producers Circuit and Billboard that first saw an identity begin to form, which is as retro as it is futuristic, picking up scores of fans along the way, including Katie Perry no less. Girl With No Face is her latest long form, and sees the artist again stick her flag confidently in the ground. Tunes bounce, track, soar, step, pump and - at times - fall apart, emotionally speaking, with clear references to the likes of Ladyhawke, Madonna, Kraftwerk, Cocteau Twins and a-Ha, among others. Definitely one to watch, if you're not already.

Review: The original Bridgit Mendler soundtrack to the citrine teen drama movie of the same name sees a full version on vinyl LP this spring. Notable not only for its inclusion in the contemporary musical film, but also for its chart-topping success, the ten songs that make up the many acts of this high-school drama were destined to charm the pubescent masses, coinciding with the film's overarching theme of the school's students transcending use of after-school detention to musical effect, in order to overcome their personal struggles. Imagine Glee meets The Breakfast Club; a cabal of songwriters including Ali Dee, Maria Christensen, Bryan Todd and Jeannie Lurie lay down an array of sure-to-be hits for Mendler to perform on behalf of the cast here.