'Steve Gunn has been at the vanguard of American experimental and guitar-oriented rock music for over a decade. Following a trio of acclaimed albums on Matador Records, Gunn will release his seventh studio album, Daylight Daylight, on November 7 via No Quarter—his first in four years, and a testament to an artist still moving forward with purpose and vision. This past August, Gunn released Music for Writers, his first official solo instrumental album, on Three Lobed Recordings. The release highlights his ongoing exploration of tone, atmosphere, and composition. Spanning a wide range of collaborations and influences, Gunn’s career includes a rich body of solo, duo, and ensemble recordings on labels such as Three Lobed Recordings, Paradise of Bachelors, and RVNG. His work continues to mark major milestones in contemporary guitar music and innovative songwriting. Even after more than a decade, Gunn is still moving along—shaping his influences into a unique and ever-evolving output.'

Often regarded as Japan’s first female singer-songwriter, Sachiko Kanenobu created an enduring legacy with Misora, a timeless classic of intricate finger-picking, gently soaring melodies, and rustic Laurel Canyon vibes. Originally released in 1972 on URC (Underground Record Club), one of Japan’s first independent record labels, the Haruomi Hosono-produced album remains one of the most beloved works to come out of Japan’s folk and rock scenes centered around Tokyo and Kansai areas in the early 1970s. Born and raised in Osaka in a large, music-loving family, Kanenobu picked up the guitar as a teen just as the “college folk” boom swept through university campuses in the Kansai area in the mid-60s. The Pete Seeger and American folk-leaning scene didn’t appeal much to her, however, and instead gravitated towards the British sounds of Donovan and Pentangle, teaching herself guitar techniques by listening to their music. Kanenobu made her songwriting and recording debut as part of Himitsu Kessha Marumaru Kyodan, whose sole single was released on URC in 1969. After years of being pushed aside by the label in favor of newer male artists who were more “folky” in a traditional sense, it was her friendship with the groundbreaking band and labelmate Happy End that ultimately helped her secure the opportunity to record a solo album. With Haruomi Hosono on board as producer, Kanenobu spent seven days recording the songs that would become Misora, with most songs recorded in a single take. By the time Misora released in September 1972, Kanenobu was gone. She had left for America, eager to start a new life with Paul Williams, a music writer who had founded Crawdaddy Magazine in 1966. Without the artist to promote it, “Misora was asleep for a long time,” she said. Meanwhile Kanenobu settled near Sonoma in Northern California, retiring from music and concentrating on raising her two children. It wasn’t until Philip K. Dick, the famed sci-fi writer and family friend, heard Misora and encouraged her to get back into music, that Kanenobu felt the urge to pick up the guitar again. Soon new songs started flowing, and Dick helped finance a single for Kanenobu in 1981. He was committed to producing a full length when he died unexpectedly in 1982. While she enjoyed success (especially in Germany) with her hard-hitting group Culture Shock in the 1980s, and continued to release albums in American and in Japan in the 1990s, it’s Misora that keeps coming back to her. Every few years a new generation of fans discover the album. Devendra Banhart, Jim O’Rourke, Steve Gunn, and many others continue to tout its greatness. Kanenobu played a series of sold-out homecoming shows in Japan in 2018, playing Misora in its entirety. Surviving members of Happy End came out to support, some even playing in her backing band. In celebration of Misora being reissued by Light In The Attic in 2019 she performed in New York for the first time, playing two sold out shows at Union Pool and Central Park Summerstage where she was backed by members of Yo La Tengo and Steve Gunn’s touring band. Audience members included old and young, some young enough to be her grandchildren. “I love it,” she said. “They love Misora, they’ve heard it so many times. And here it rose from death...because for them, they can’t believe it—she’s still alive!” In 2023 her 1998 album “Fork In The Road” was remixed by Makoto Kubota (Les Rallizes Denudes, Sunset Gang) with new overdubs by members of modern day psych-rockers Kikagaku Moyo. A vinyl pressing was distributed in the U.S. that fall via the Temporal Drift label. In 2024 her song “Aoi Sakana (Blue Fish)” from Misora was streamed over 3 million times, bolstered by a featured appearance on the soundtrack to Wim Wenders’s Oscar-nominated film ”Perfect Days”. 2024 also saw the live debut of Sachiko Kanenobu’s Big Sky Band, featuring members of Philadelphia’s Florry, Friendship and Honey Radar, who performed an enthusiastically received East Coast fall tour featuring unforgettable guest appearances from the Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian and new age legend Laraaji. At age 77, Sachiko Kanenobu continues to perform, inspire and delight audiences all over the world