- THE FRETWIRE
- Posts
- THE FRETWIRE
THE FRETWIRE
The Fretwire - Issue 004
THE INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to The Fretwire
Your laid-back roundup of what’s new, what’s making waves, and what’s worth turning up. No hype, no fuzz - just the latest gear, tour news, and music talk that actually matters.
Gear, tours and talk - without the noise.
THE GEAR DROP
Standout launches and announcements from the last month
Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard - London Exclusive
Gibson have tapped into Britpop nostalgia with a limited run of Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standards, aged in the Murphy Lab and sold exclusively through Gibson Garage London. Just 25 went on sale on 21 August to commemorate Oasis Live ‘25, each hand-signed by Gallagher and accompanied by a handwritten lyric sheet from the Oasis catalogue. The batch sold out almost instantly, with fans queueing from the early hours to secure one. While the model is based on his well-worn late ’50s Les Paul Standard, the small-batch approach made this drop closer to a gallery launch than a production release. At the time of writing, no official price has been confirmed, but rumours placed each one at £15,000+. Nevertheless, they underline Gallagher’s enduring presence in Gibson’s signature roster.
More details at Gibson
Image credit: Gibson
Boss PX-1 Plugout FX
Boss have unveiled the PX-1, a compact pedal that borrows the “plug-out” concept from Roland’s synth range and applies it to effects. The unit ships with eight classic Boss effects on board and can host up to 16, with additional models downloadable via Roland Cloud. It’s built for flexibility, with stereo I/O, MIDI clock sync and tap tempo all standard, making it as much at home in a DAW-based setup as on a pedalboard. At around £229 in the UK, the PX-1 aims to bridge the gap between traditional stompboxes and software modelling, giving players a way to swap and expand effects without carrying extra pedals.
Full spec available at Boss
Grab one from guitarguitar
Image credit: Boss
Third Man × Black Mountain Roto-Echo
Jack White’s Third Man Hardware have teamed up with Black Mountain, a Canadian company known for quirky, mechanical twists on guitar accessories, to create the Roto-Echo, a delay pedal built around the cult PT2399 chip and given a unique twist: a large roller wheel designed to be moved with the foot. Players can assign the wheel to control delay time, feedback or blend, allowing for hands-free sweeps and tape-like pitch bends mid-performance. With up to 600ms of delay, true bypass switching and a rugged chassis, it combines lo-fi charm with practical gigging features. Priced at around £216 in the UK + shipping, the Roto-Echo fits neatly into Third Man’s growing range of distinctive, performance-led pedals.
For more info visit Third Man Records
Get yours from the Third Man Hardware shop at Reverb.com
Image Credit: Third Man Hardware
Mellotron Micro Module
The Mellotron Micro Module brings the cult tape-sample keyboard into its smallest and most affordable format yet. Released on 11 August, the unit, priced at £439, ditches the keys entirely in favour of a desktop or pedalboard-friendly box that still carries the same classic choir, string and flute patches. At just under half the price of the full Micro, it opens the door for players chasing vintage tones without the bulk or cost of the traditional instrument.
Read more at Mellotron
Available from Thomann
Chase Bliss Lost + Found
Chase Bliss have launched their first multi-effects unit, the Lost + Found, as part of a limited “Small Batch” release. Pre-orders ran until 31 August 2025, with shipping beginning in September, and the first run already spoken for. It combines 12 mixable algorithms ranging from reverb and delay to warped lo-fi textures, with 122 preset slots and full MIDI control - marking a bold step beyond the brand’s boutique pedal roots.
For more info visit Chase Bliss Audio
Image credit: Chase Bliss
JHS 424 Gain Stage
JHS have tapped into cassette nostalgia with the 424 Gain Stage, a dual preamp pedal inspired by the Tascam Portastudio 424. Announced on 11 August 2025, it’s designed to deliver the lo-fi crunch and saturation of home recordings from the ’90s, with two independent channels, an XLR output with ground lift, and line-level capability for direct recording. Priced at £189, it blurs the line between pedal and studio tool.
Read more and order at JHS Pedals
Image credit: JHS Pedals
THE VOCAL TRACK
New music, podcasts, and featured conversations
Gorillaz unveil ninth album during “Mystery Show”
Gorillaz closed their House of Kong residency at London’s Copper Box Arena with a phone-free “Mystery Show” on 3 September, debuting ten tracks from their forthcoming ninth album. The secret set capped a four-night run where the band performed their first three albums in full - Gorillaz, Demon Days and Plastic Beach - before leaving fans guessing about the finale. The gamble paid off: the curtain dropped on a bold, orchestral-backed performance featuring world instrumentation, dramatic staging and guest appearances from Johnny Marr and Anoushka Shankar. Phones were locked away, pushing the focus entirely onto the music and the spectacle. Damon Albarn confirmed the album is planned for release in 2026, and hinted at more global “House of Kong” events to follow, suggesting the project is as much about immersive experience as it is about new songs. For a group built on visual identity and reinvention, this may stand as their most ambitious statement since Plastic Beach.
Read more at Consequence (4 Sept)
Tame Impala announce the Deadbeat Tour and share new music
Kevin Parker has confirmed that Tame Impala will return this autumn with the Deadbeat Tour, a short North American run tied to their upcoming fifth album Deadbeat which is to be released 17 October. The tour opens with back-to-back nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on 31 October and 1 November before heading across major US cities. To mark the announcement, Parker also unveiled two new tracks: “End of Summer,” first heard at Primavera Festival, and “Loser,” both accompanied by new music videos. The latter features a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from Beck - a playful nod to his 1994 hit of the same name. It’s the first glimpse into how Deadbeat might expand on Parker’s sonic legacy, and an early sign of how the new material could take shape live.
Get the full story and tour dates from the New York Post
Radiohead announce first tour in seven years
Radiohead have confirmed their return to the stage for the first time since 2018, announcing a UK and European arena tour beginning in November 2025. The run includes four nights at London’s O2 Arena alongside major stops in Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam, marking their most extensive live commitment in years. The news arrives after a quiet spell in which members focused on side projects - from Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood’s The Smile to Ed O’Brien’s solo work - fuelling speculation that new Radiohead material may be on the horizon. While no album has been announced, anticipation around the tour has dominated late-summer headlines
Read the full story at Pitchfork (3 Sept)
David Gilmour returns to the spotlight with live projects and studio plans
David Gilmour is stepping back into the spotlight with a string of new projects lined up for the autumn. An IMAX concert film, Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome, will arrive in September, documenting last year’s shows at the historic venue, followed by a live album in October under the title The Luck and Strange Concerts. In a recent interview, Gilmour suggested that fresh studio material is also in the works, with early sessions already underway. For one of rock’s most distinctive guitarists, the combination of archive celebration and hints of new music signals a major moment in his ongoing career.
Book tickets at IMAX
Read more at musicradar
Wisp releases debut album If Not Winter and announces UK/Europe tour
Shoegaze newcomer Wisp released her first LP If Not Winter on 1 August via Interscope/Music Soup. Drawing on dream-pop and nu-gaze textures, the record layers reverb-heavy guitars with airy vocals to create an atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Early reviews have praised its ability to balance intimacy with scale, and it has quickly marked her as one of the most talked-about new voices in the genre. With a UK and European tour lined up for later this year, If Not Winter looks set to carry her beyond cult attention into a much wider audience.
Read the full review by Flood Magazine
Stream on Spotify
Big Thief reflects on the upheaval behind Double Infinity
Big Thief spoke with Pitchfork about the creative and personal challenges that shaped their sixth album, Double Infinity. Recorded at New York’s Power Station with ambient composer Laraaji guesting, the sessions leaned heavily on improvisation and vulnerability, resulting in one of the band’s most open and exploratory records to date.
Find the full interview at Pitchfork
PODCAST PICK
Tape Notes - TN156: Air
In this 1 hour 50 minute episode of Tape Notes, host John Kennedy sits down with Nicolas Godin - one half of French electronic duo Air - to unpack the meticulous process behind their debut masterpiece Moon Safari. Godin walks listeners through how tracks like “Sexy Boy,” “La Femme d’argent,” and “Kelly Watch the Stars” came to life, illuminating creative decisions around melody, texture, and production. It’s an intimate, gear-conscious conversation where he discusses using instruments like the AKG C414, Moog Minimoog and Roland Juno, capturing the art and craft of atmospheric studio-making.
Listen to this episode and more on the tapenotes website.
THE LIVE WIRE
The latest tour announcements and upcoming shows
Tame Impala - Kicking off with two headline nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on 31 October & 1 November, followed by shows in major U.S. cities, the Deadbeat Tour supports their upcoming album Deadbeat (17 October). Tickets go on sale 12 September
The Weeknd - The ongoing After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour extends with new dates spanning April to August 2026. Highlights include a massive 22 August 2026 concert at Dublin’s Croke Park, with Playboi Carti supporting.
Radiohead - The band will embark on a UK and European tour starting November 2025, with four shows at London’s O2 Arena among stops in Paris, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Berlin. Fan pre-registration is required via the official Radiohead website, and ticketing involves a charitable contribution.
Def Leppard - As part of their 2026 European tour, Def Leppard will play Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on 26 June 2026. The lead-up tour starts in Sweden, wraps in Dubai, and includes support from Extreme. Pre-sales began 2 September
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Their EU/UK tour starts 31 October in Manchester and continues through to 15 November, featuring a unique structure alternating "rave" sets with orchestral performances - an intriguing contrast for fans of experimental live experiences.
Royel Otis - The rising Australian duo will play their biggest UK shows to date, including 21 October at O2 Academy Brixton (London), 25 October at O2 Academy Glasgow, and 28 October at O2 Victoria Warehouse (Manchester). The run marks their first major step up to academy-sized venues.
THE DEEP CUTS
Unexpected finds and sonic oddities
Unexpected Find: Squid - Cowards
Brighton art-rockers Squid’s third album, Cowards, subtly abandons their post-punk roots in favour of fevered, surreal soundscapes. Critic Cal Cashin described it as “a Pet Sounds, except all of the pets are scorpions, and tarantulas, and maybe some stick insects too,” perfectly capturing its strange beauty. With dense, impressionistic tracks that explore themes like human evil, cannibalism, and moral decay, the album feels like a dark fairytale made audible - rewatching the band’s trajectory in real time is part of its charm.
Read the full review at The Quietus
Listen to the album in full on Spotify
Sonic Oddity: Samia - Bloodless
Shifting into deeper, cinematic territories, Samia’s third album Bloodless combines theatrical songwriting with raw emotional edge. Paste Magazine calls it “wayward and painfully sharp,” while Under the Radar calls it “angrier, stranger, and more ambitious.” Co-produced by Caleb Wright and Jake Luppen, the record pulls listeners into ellipses of metaphor, religious allusion, and self-surgery - sonically and narratively daring.
Read the reviews at Under The Radar and Paste
Listen on Apple Music
THE ENCORE
Deep dives and top-shelf picks personally selected by the editor
Editor’s Pick: Nick Drake - Pink Moon
At just 28 minutes, Pink Moon is an album that feels both impossibly slight and infinitely deep. Recorded over two nights in 1971, it’s the sound of Nick Drake stripped of everything but guitar, voice and a single piano overdub. There’s no lush string arrangement as on Five Leaves Left, no fuller band backing like Bryter Layter - just the stark intimacy of a man alone with his songs.
What makes Pink Moon endure is its paradox: fragile yet unshakable, withdrawn yet universal. Tracks like “Place to Be” and the title cut manage to capture isolation without melodrama, sadness without indulgence. Best heard alone in the small hours, it’s music that whispers rather than shouts, yet its impact has grown louder with every passing decade.
Rediscovered in the years after Drake’s death, Pink Moon became a touchstone for songwriters and listeners alike - proof that simplicity can outlast noise, and that sometimes the quietest records echo the longest.
Listen now on YouTube Music
THE SIGNOFF
If you enjoyed The Fretwire, you can support us on Ko Fi
Got thoughts, suggestions, or something you’d like to see in the next issue? We’d love to hear from you. Just hit reply or email us at [email protected]
Interested in affiliate links or sponsorships? Reach out via [email protected]
We’ll be back next month with more gear, tours, and talk.
Until then - stay wired.