Clay Hips

Recently, Annika Records shared a couple of videos heralding the imminent arrival of the debut Clay Hips album. Dating back to his time in The Fairways (thanks to Kris from Record Turnover for the hint all those years ago!), Not Unloved has carried a torch for the work of Kenji Kitahama. His disarmingly gentle voice never fails to move and his way with a soothing, winsome melody is a rare gift. The vinyl is pretty darned limited - 300: 150 copies on grey vinyl (which have sold out) and 150 more on black vinyl - so if the videos below charm your soul, spark up yr PayPal and head here to order before the rest of the world cottons on.

While Kenji is in my thoughts, it's worth remembering that his group with Swede Erik Hanspers, The Young Tradition, combined the adorable sparkle of prime Choo Choo Train with the heart-swelling brass of Love to create one of thee all time great pop moments that, had it been released on vinyl, would have been one of the finest 45s in the history of that medium (a bold claim, but undeniably true!):