Joe Henry – Blood From Stars CD (Anti)
With his work as both producer and a songwriter overlapping and informing one another, it is only natural that the blues found their way onto Henry’s latest album after most recently producing albums for Allen Toussaint and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. The album features veteran musicians including guitarist Marc Ribot and pianist Jason Moran.
Brenden Benson – My Old Familiar Friend CD/LP+7î+CD (ATO)
Brendan returns with his fourth solo album. Taking a break from writing, recording, and touring with the Grammy-winning Raconteurs, Benson went into the studio with producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Maximo Park, Foo Fighters, Gomez, etc.) and mixer Dave Sardy (Rolling Stones, LCD Soundsystem, Oasis). Also available on HQ-180 gatefold with bonus 7”, poster, and CD.
Division Day – Visitation CD (Dangerbird)
The follow up to 2007′s Beartrap Island, Visitation finds the band steering confidently into darker territory, marrying synthetic and organic textures in songs about death, transformation, and the devil.
Nathan Maxwell & The Original Bunny Gang – White Rabbit CD/LP (Side One Dummy)
Solo record from the Flogging Molly bassist. The result is a refreshingly stripped-down album that fully reconciles Maxwell s love of rock, reggae and folk music into an honest collection of songs that will appeal as much to fans of Jack Johnson, Manu Chao, and Bob Marley as it will Flogging Molly and the Pogues.
65daysofstatic – Escape From New York CD+DVD (Monotreme)
Escape From New York is a gorgeous blend of glitch-laden beats soaring guitars, stunted breaks and harmonious strings. Their dance-influenced, post-rock symphonies are epic statements of individuality, centering on tense build-ups and ecstatic releases.
The Accused – Curse Of Martha Splatterhead CD (Southern Lord)
The pioneering kings of splatter rock are back from the wrong side of the grave. The new album contains even more face ripping riffs, more brutal throat shredding, and more intestinal morbid consumption than ever before.
The Antlers – Hospice CD/LP (French Kiss)
The Antlers wildly popular debut album, Hospice, has been garnering tons of critical acclaim. NPR’s Robin Hilton ranks it as the #1 album so far this year! ”Frontman Peter Silberman is only 23, but has produced one of the most beautiful and moving works I’ve heard in a long, long time. Just astonishing.”
As Tall As Lions – You Can’t Take It With You CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (Triple Crown)
The third full-length album by New York’s As Tall as Lions, You Can’t Take It With You, is a thoughtful, textured tour de force of soundscapes, vocal harmonies, melodies and insightful lyrics about the modern world. Deluxe version includes a DVD and 4 bonus tracks.
Breathe Carolina – Hello Fascination CD (Fearless)
Juxtapositioning pounding electro pop against hardcore roots, Breathe Carolina delivers their second full-length album.
Broadway Calls – Good News, Bad Views CD/LP+MP3 (Side One Dummy)
Broadway Callsí sophomore release is a pop punk gem in the vein of The Decedents, Jawbreaker and Green Day. The band worked with Bill Stevenson at The Blasting Room.
Burnt By The Sun – Heart Of Darkness CD (Relapse)
Burnt By The Sun has returned with the staggering new and final album Heart of Darkness. Every aspect of this legendary band has been pushed to the limit: crushing riffs rain down like cement blocks, drums explode like gunfire and strident vocals howl against a modern dystopian society that besets us all, echoing the music’s sonic sentiment.
Cable -The Failed Convict CD (The End)
Why Hartford, Connecticut’s Cable are not a household name — at least in households familiar with Unsane and Quicksand — is a mystery that may never be solved. The veteran noisy rockers worked the scene for a dozen years. They entered Studio G in Brooklyn, NY in March to record The Failed Convict with Joel Hamilton (Unsane, Tom Waits, Book Of Knots).
The Cave Singers – Welcome Joy CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
The second album from Seattle’s Cave Singers is a gorgeous, rich folky stew hitting musical touchstones from Led Zeppelin III (think ìBron Yr Aur Stompî) to Iron And Wine, CCR, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and Will Oldham.
The Aaron Choulai Trio – Ranu CD (Sunny Side)
Ranu illustrates the depth of his talent and that of his Australia based trio that includes bassist Sam Anning and either drummer Ben Vanderwal or Rory Mcdugall. The recording includes four modern classics, among them, pieces by Neil Young and Radiohead.
Eric Copeland – Alien In A Garbage Dump CD (Paw Tracks)
With Alien In A Garbage Dump, Brooklyn’s Eric Copeland emerges from his underground bunker, having sifted through the constant stimulation found everywhere in this 21st Century, discovering connections within our united co-existence while avoiding the prejudices we are relentlessly force-fed from the powers that be. The result is a collection of songs at once uniquely urban but still strangely universal in language.
David Daniell & Douglas McCombs – Sycamore CD/LP (Thrill Jockey)
Debut album from the duo of David Daniell (San Agustin, Rhys Chatham) and Douglas McCombs (Tortoise, Eleventh Dream Day, Pullman) is a delicate tapestry of spacious and ethereal guitar lines woven into abstract, slow-burning and multi-layered textural improvisations. The sounds blend and overlap to create richly faceted and thickly psychedelic passages. Mixed with John McEntire at SOMA Studios.
Jim Davies – Electronic Guitar CD (RED)
Jim Davies, the man who gave The Prodigy’s biggest hits a guitar shaped boot up the arse, releases his debut instrumental guitar album, which showcases his techniques that blur the line between synths and six strings.
Terry de Castro – Casa Verde CD (Scopitones North)
Solo debut from Terry de Castro, currently a member of The Wedding Present and formerly of Goya Dress. On Casa Verde, de Castro has chosen to take a wonderfully unusual course and recorded an album comprised entirely of cover versions, but these are not necessarily well-known songs by famous artists.
Dial M For Murder! – Fiction Of Her Dreams CD/LP (Tapete)
Debut full-length release by Sweden’s Dial M For Murder!. Fiction Of Her Dreams is a powerful and dark manifesto celebrating the everyday highs and lows of life in Europe’s North in the first decade of the new millennium.
Paul Dianno – The Classics: The Maiden Years CD (Hypnotic)
Dianno roars through new versions of twelve Iron Maiden classics from the albums he appeared on in his own punk/metal style.
Emmure – Felony CD (Victory)
Emmure, the band who has already shocked audiences with their scowling, punishing lyrics and vocalist Frankie Palmeri’s sinister smile, is back with their third record.
Farmer Dave Scher – Flash Forward To The Good Time CD (Kemado)
Solo record from former Beachwood Sparks and All Night Radio member. Guests include members of Entrance, VietNam, Jonathan Wilson and Devendra Banhart. The pedigree of Dave’s projects comes close in hand with his debut album, filled with gorgeous lush arrangements and jams that reflect sunny JJ Cale meets Motown lovin’.
Final – Reading All The Right Signals CD (No Quarter)
Justin Broadrick has always made music that could one day serve as a soundtrack to the end of the world. Whether with Godflesh or Jesu — themes of urban decay, corporate greed and post-modern malaise often set the bleak tone. Final, his longest running project, is no different. Includes four bonus tracks.
Flood – Native CD (Meteor City)
For fans of Sleep and Acid King.
Colin Hay – American Sunshine CD (Compass)
New album from the former Men At Work frontman.
Hot Club Of Cowtown – Wishful Thinking CD (Gold Strike)
On Wishful Thinking, we find the core group of Elana James (fiddle, vocals), Whit Smith (guitar, vocals), and upright bassist Jake Erwin reunited for their first new album in five years. Infusing their songwriting with a colorful montage of characters and perspectives, the album reveals the band deftly embracing disparate influences.
Keelhaul – Keelhaulís Triumphant Return To Obscurity CD (Hydrahead)
The record picks up on the band’s progression as if they were steadily releasing records throughout their six-year hiatus.
Kids Like Us – The Game CD (Eulogy)
Known for their energetic and all around fun live show, they set themselves apart for the majority of bands out today. They have shared the stage with bands like Down to Nothing, Terror, Reign Supreme, Slapshot, and many more.
Litmus – Aurora CD (Metal Blade)
Litmus are spacerock for the 21st century. A collection of throbbing bass, pounding drums, searing guitar, swirling keyboardes, and screeching electronics.
Lokai – Transistion CD/LP (Thrill Jocky)
Lokai is the duo of Stefan Nemeth (Radian) and Florian Kmet who are both major players in the avant-electronic music scene and have a cultish underground following. They operate with only guitar and electronics to create an album with a strong feeling of space and depth. It is expansive and yet detailed. Limited edition (1000 CDs and 500 LPs worldwide).
The Lovely Feathers – Fantasy Of The Lot CD (Sparks Music)
The Lovely Feathers have remerged. Bearing the laborious fruit of hours spent at Montreal’s Studio Plateau, with the consummate Dan Legace manning knobs and such, Kupfert and company find themselves armed to the teeth with a new record. Think of it as a detonation of synth-pop, twee, shanty rock and polite-electro.
Makana – Venus And The Sky Turns To Clay: The Instrumental World Of Makana CD (Punahele)
From kinetic to meditative, Makana weaves a symphonic experience, extracting proportions of sound commonly equated with full orchestration; only here he utilizes no overdubs-nothing but one guitar on each track. The roots are Hawaiian slack key; the branches suggest hues of bluegrass, classical, blues, raga and flamenco.
Delbert McClinton – Acquired Taste CD/CD+DVD (New West)
19th album in the career of Texas roots music legend and Grammy winning artist Delbert McClinton. He doesn’t change the musical formula on the album (a juke joint blend of country, blues, soul, and rock & roll). Deluxe edition includes a bonus DVD featuring five classic performances.
Reba McEntire – Keep On Loving You CD (Valory)
New album featuring the single ”Strange.”
Jeff Merchant – City Makes No Sound CD (Mercy Music)
ìA chamber pop style that mixes acoustic guitar with warm classical instruments such as cello, French horn, and recorder on melodic, mid-tempo tunes that he tops with his pleasant, ingenuous tenor… But lest things get too chummy and childlike, the lyrics have recurrent dark tones. — AllMusic
Nathan Moore – Folksinger CDEP (RED)
Writing and recording Folksinger near his home in the Shenandoah Valley, Moore gives life to the tales of regular people, himself included, trying to find a place in the world. His empathy and honesty proves, unmistakably, the value of folk songs in a modern age. He encompasses the timeless tradition that runs from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan to Sam Beam to Conor Oberst.
Mount Eerie – Windís Poem CD (P.W. Elverum & Sun)
For Wind’s Poem by Mount Eerie, Phil Elverum spent almost two years out behind the house, at the edge of the woods, listening into the night and finding these words. Songs of impermanence, dark change, destruction, temporary blossoming, mortality, and an immense river of air tearing through the world make up the third official album by Mount Eerie.
MUTEMATH – Armistice CD/LP (Reprise)
Anointed by Alternative Press as ”the #1 band you need to see live before you die,” eclectic and inspired electro-alt MUTEMATH scored in late 2008 with ”Spotlight” on the soundtrack album to Twilight. The track now also appears on their new album, Armastice. Produced by Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, The Hives).
David Nail – Iím About To Come Alive CD (MCA Nashville)
Brand new studio release, half the songs were written by David, and some songs are co-written by Kenny Chesney, Gary LeVox from Rascal Flatts, and has vocal help by Miranda Lambert on ”Strangers On A Train.î
Otep – Smash The Control Machine 2xCD/2xCD+DVD (Victory)
This record is for the impoverished, the exploited and the working class to take notice and smash whatever control machine is in their way. Also available as a deluxe, limited edition, three-disc box set containing a bonus DVD featuring ìAngry Riversî and ìBlood Hungry Gods.î
Jack Penate – Everything Is New CD/LP (XL)
Everything Is New is Jack Panate’s second album, and itís a soul record. Recorded over twelve intense months in producer Paul Epworth’s (Bloc Party, Friendly Fires) own west London home studio, the album is a giant musical leap forward from this 24 year old Londoner’s acclaimed debut album.
Pissed Jeans – King Of Jeans CD/LP (Sub Pop)
If 2005′s Shallow was Pissed Jeans coping with moving out of their parents’ homes, and 2007′s Hope For Men their initial reaction to the mechanical lifestyle of a wage earner, King Of Jeans is their formal and uneasy acceptance of adulthood, by way of one hell of a rock record.
Ramona Falls – Intuit CD (Barsuk)
Ramona Falls is Brent Knopf’s first solo venture, but he has an extensive musical resume as part of trio Menomena. His debut release, Intuit, was written and performed by Brent, with guest appearances by 35 friends (including members of The Helio Sequence, Mirah, Loch Lomond, 31 Knots, Talkdemonic, Nice Nice, Tracker, Dat’r, Dear Reader, 3 Leg Torso, and Matt Sheehy).
Ravage – The End Of Tomorrow CD (Metal Blade)
Ravage is a young, energetic, talented and experienced heavy metal band hailing from Boston, that create a unique and seamless blend of late-ë80s thrash and ë90s power metal.
Jay Reatard – Watch Me Fall CD (Matador)
Highly anticipated new album from this indie artist. For-panel digipak CD. Documentary about Jay’s eventful career coming in August. ”A songwriter hitting an unstoppable stride” – Pitchfork. ”Snarky, snarling, and soaring, this kind of derangement rarely sounds so sweet.” – Dusted
Sirens Sister – Unspeakable Things CD (The Control Group)
The band’s sophomore album album is at once loud, dynamic, bold, and yet, also incredibly intimate and romantic. ”Even though Sirens Sister sound absolutely huge on record, they never let the size of their rock overshadow its substance. Driven by hopeful lyrics and choruses that could fill canyons. …the kind of confident, comforting rock record destined to bring people together.” – Alternative Press
Sister Hazel – Release CD (Rock Ridge Music)
Features twelve new songs, written or co-written by all band members, including guests Pat McGee and Stan Lynch (Tom Petty).
Take It Back – Rumors Of Revolt CDEP (Facedown)
The band takes inspiration from bands such as Verse, Have Heart, Blink 182, Set Your Goals, Modern Life Is War, and more. Limited edition (1000) digipak CD. Features three new tracks and two covers.
Third Eye Blind – Ursa Major CD (Megaforce)
The band’s first full length in six years. An emotional, reflective, aggressive, and sometimes outwardly political new album.
Richard Thompson – Walking On A Wire (1968-2009) 4xCD (Shout Factory)
The definitive career-spanning collection in a deluxe four-disc set covers every phase of Richard Thompson’s career. The songs chosen for this selection of his box set were carefully assembled and cover a wide range of styles: rock & roll with folk, jazz, rockabilly and the odd waltz and soundtrack theme thrown in for good measure. Compiled by Thompson himself.
Various Artists – Ultra Trance Anthems CD (Ultra)
The biggest trance hits from around the world — a fresh and funky mix of massive trance anthems, including tracks from many of the worlds’ top trance DJs.
Loudon Wainwright III – High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project 2xCD+Booklet (2nd Story Sound)
Loudon Wainwright III, together with producer Dick Connette, has created one of the most ambitious projects of his career — a grand gathering of songs, both old and original, revisiting the life, times and recorded legacy of legendary singer and banjo picker Charlie Poole (1892-1931).
DVDs
Old Crow Medicine Show – Live At The Orange Peel And Tennessee Theatre DVD (Nettwerk)
Directed by Lee Tucker who also directed the bands videos for ìWagon Wheelî and ìTell It To Me,î Live At The Orange Peel And Tennessee Theatre was recorded over two nights last December and features performances of 20 songs 15 of which are from the bands three studio albums OCMS , Big Iron World, and Tennessee Pusher.
Vinyl
Destroyer – Bay Of Pigs 12″ (Merge)
Bay Of Pigs is the longest of Destroyer songs and Destroyer’s first foray into ambient disco. The song was recorded throughout the winter of 2009 with Destroyer collaborators/members John Collins and David Carswell at JCDC Studio in Vancouver.
The Flaming Lips – Soft Bulletin 2xLP+CDEP (Reprise)
Now available on double HQ-180 vinyl. Includes a bonus three song CDEP in a Babypak.
Green Day – International Superhits! LP (Reprise)
Now available on limited edition (1500) purple vinyl.
Mew – No More Stories LP (Columbia/DMZ)
Vinyl now, CD due August 25. On their 5th album, Mew pushes their artfully weird and epic sound labyrinthine arrangements of overlapping, unexpected harmonies and sugary heaven bound vocals into a warm, accessible collection of songs with more stick in your head hooks than words in its extensive album title.
Modest Mouse – No One’s First And You’re Next LP (Sony)
Now available on vinyl.
Spoon – Got Nuffin’ 12″+MP3 (Merge)
Now available on vinyl. Limited to 1000 copies. Includes a download card with access to the bonus track found on the CD single, but not on the 12″.
