CDs:
3108 – 3108 CD/LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Hailing from London, England, Tyler Zypreska has been building up an impressive backlog of tunes that hit all the sweet spots from O.M.D. to La Dusseldorf, to Trio and the pining ennui of the teenage angst-anthems littering your Pretty In Pink and Breakfast Club soundtracks. Although his influences may lie in the discarded neon bones of the ‘80s and ‘90s there’s an infectious spark of melodic tune-smithing permeating the album’s ten tunes. Limited quantities also available on mixed color vinyl.
Aborted – Necrotic Manifesto CD (Century Media)
Aborted steadfastly honor a legacy of brutal death metal and grind core while progressing toward something slightly more disturbing and foul.
Adestria – Gilded Hearts CD (Razor & Tied)
Gilded Hearts manages to capture the intensity of Adestria’s live show with technical guitar lines, pulsing drums and thunderous breakdowns.
Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots CD/2xLP (WB)
Everyday Robots, the first fully-realized Damon Albarn solo album, features twelve songs that invite the listener into Albarn s world for a genuine “one-to-one.” They are the most soul-searching and autobiographical since his musical journey began. Albarn is first to admit he’s a restless soul when it comes to music. What’s certain is that all of the projects of his career thus far – from Blur to Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Mali Music, Monkey: Journey To The West or Dr Dee – help form this singular artist’s musical DNA. F featuring appearances by Brian Eno and Bat For Lashes.
Annihilator – Feast 2xCD+DVD (UDR)
Contains the new album Feast in a CD-sized book with extra pages in the booklet, the 15-song bonus CD Re-Kill with newly recorded Annihilator classics, plus a never-seen-before live DVD filmed at last year’s Wacken Open Air festival.
Anti-Mortem – New Southern CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Debut album by the Oklahoma natives and saviors of Southern-infused hard rock.
Archspire – Lucid Collective CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
New album from the technical death metal force.
Matt Baldwin – In The Hollows CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
Despite his busy schedule recording and touring as the bass player for Dirty Projectors, Nat Baldwin found time to write and record his most soulful and ambitious collection of songs to date. After recording the initial tracks at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, RI, Nat recruited Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Lia Ices, Espers) for drums and percussion, and Rob Moose (The National, Antony And The Johnsons, Bon Iver) to write string arrangements.
The Batman Theme – Dance With The Villains [Reissue/1966] CD (Rockbeat)
Pow! Zop! Wham! Take a trip With Batman, Robin, The Riddler, Penguin and more. Originally released in 1966 on Somerset Records, this all-instrumental album features 10 tunes all based on the Caped Crusader and his adversaries. Vinyl version due May 13.
Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band – Landmarks CD/LP (Blue Note)
As on each prior Fellowship Band release, Blade and pianist Jon Cowherd refract these impressions into their own musical poetry, with an ear to the individualistic styles of Myron Walden (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), Melvin Butler (soprano and tenor saxophone) and Chris Thomas (bass). For the recording of Landmarks, Marvin Sewell and Jeff Parker are on guitars.
Broken Twin – May CD (Anti)
Danish artist Broken Twin: the performing moniker of a young and exciting musician, Majke Voss Romme. Her 2012 self-released EP Hold On To Nothing and deeply moving live performances have already begun to cause a stir in the music press. NME declared that “Broken Twin is the most arrestingly beautiful songwriter we’ve heard in aeons,” while Pitchfork selected her for Best New Tracks and stated that “there’s something about the unaffected clarity of Broken Twin that rings true straight away.” Vinyl version due May 13.
Cannonball Adderly – The Black Messiah [Reissue/1972] 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
In 1970, Cannonball Adderley recorded a series of concerts that resulted in three cult classic live albums, of which this double-album produced, like other landmark double albums of the time like Soul Zodiac and Soul Of The Bible, by David Axelrod is the hardest to find. It captures Cannonball and the Quintet (brother Nat Adderley on cornet, Roy McCurdy on drums, Walter Booker on bass and George Duke fresh from replacing Joe Zawinul, who had left to form Weather Report on keyboards) at the forefront of the burgeoning electronic jazz-rock fusion movement, sounding at times every bit like the early ‘70s band of Cannonball’s former bandleader Miles Davis, except maybe even funkier and more out there.
Cloak Of Altering – Plague Beasts CD (Crucial Blast)
Although most known for his notorious blackened industrial/orchestral doom outfit Gnaw Their Tongues, Dutch avant-metal madman Mories is also involved in a number of projects rooted in a more recognizably “black metal” sound. One of ’em is Cloak Of Altering, started in 2011 as a continuation the band Ophiuchus. Twisted melodies seethe and swarm throughout the album, resembling a nightmare version of prog rock keyboard freak-outs, or vintage 16-bit game soundtracks fused to the gristle and graveyard stink of second-wave black metal.
Roger Clyne And The Peacemakers – Independent CD (Emmajava Recordings)
Roger Clyne And The Peacemakers are musical beacons of the Southwest. Over the last fifteen years, the Arizona-based quartet has delivered vivid lyrics, addictive guitar riffs, and a full-bodied rhythm section on more than a dozen studio and live albums. The Independent marks the group’s newest release and seventh studio effort, which raises a metaphorical glass to the road less traveled and champions the courageous.
Eli Cook – Primitive Son CD (Cleopatra)
The young blues renegade launches his first nationwide release with this brand new studio album featuring a ton of heavy hitting guest stars such as Pat Travers, Leslie West, Vinny Appice, Tinsley Ellis, Artimus Pyle, Rod Piazza, and members of Gov’t Mule, Double Trouble, Canned Heat, and more.
Count’s 77 – Count’s 77 CD (Shrapnel)
Count’s 77, a hard rock band from Las Vegas is led by lead singer Danny ‘Count’ Koker, star of History’s hit series Counting Cars. With musical roots as diverse as Thin Lizzy, Foghat, The Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin, Count’s 77 stands poised to to be one of the leaders of the new classic rock revival.
Death – Leprosy [Reissue/1988] CD/LP (Relapse)
The sixth installment in Relapse’s exhaustive reissue campaign of Death’s immensely influential catalog is the band’s titanic second album. Originally released in 1988 Leprosy was a pioneering album, building upon the thrash sounds of Metallica and Slayer but adding a previously unheard level of raw extremity.
Down To The Bone – Dig It CD (Trippin’ & Rhythm)
With millions of records sold worldwide the purveyors of sides steeped in funk and groove, DTTB, the brainchild of producer Stuart Wade swings for the fences once again with this assemblage of fresh new cuts that accentuate the fat and funky, with grooves so thick that you fall right into them. Trademark tight rhythm and horn sections provide the underbelly of all of the compositions, woven tightly with the right solos in the right places.
Dwntwn – Dwntwn CDEP (Inkind Music)
Self-titled EP from the L.A. indie pop band, perfect for fans of Ellie Goulding, Postal Service, Two Door Cinema Club and Of Monsters and Men.
Edguy – Space Police: Defender Of The Crown CD (Nuclear Blast)
Tenth studio album by the German power metal band.
Ex-Cult – Midnight Passenger CD (Goner)
Recorded by Doug Easley in January 2014, Midnight Passenger delivers ten songs meant to be heard together, each one following a different, damaged storyline. The buzz-saw guitars, krautrock rhythms and sneering vocals are all still present, but with Midnight Passenger, Ex-Cult adds a few layers of psychedelic slime to their sound. Vinyl version due May 13.
Fake Idols – Fake Idols CD (Lifeforce)
This Italian band is driven by love and dedication for catchy songs in between hard rock and metal.
Fennesz – Becs CD/LP (Editions Mego)
Eschewing the more drone-oriented works of Black Sea, Becs (pronounced “baeetch”) finds experimental guitarist/producer Christian Fennesz returning to the more florid pop mechanisms as deployed on Endless Summer.
The 5th Dimension – Earthbound: The Complete ABC Recordings [Reissue/1975] CD (Real Gone Music)
Earthbound’s use of synthesizers marked a real departure for The 5th Dimension and moved them in a new, funky direction; it also marked a highly anticipated reunion and final collaboration with legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb (“Up, Up And Away”), as Webb produced and arranged the record and wrote half of its songs. Remastered.
Floor – Oblation CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
On their first new album in over 10 years, the drop-tuned, down-tempo trio mine the power of the riff, with their signature melodies and patented “bomb-string” attack,
Frameworks – Loom CD/LP (Topshelf)
Frameworks are a melodic hardcore band from Gainesville, FL. Forming in early 2011, they released their debut EP Every Day Is The Same, in October 2011. They incorporate elements of post-hardcore and screamo/skramz together, promoting their own brand of melody driven hardcore.
Framing Hanley – The Sum Of Who We Are CD (Imagen)
A collection of modern alternative rock infused with undeniable pop hooks, heartfelt lyrics and huge choruses, The Sum Of Who We Are is the band’s third album, and their boldest artistic statement to date. Vinyl version due June 17.
Jim Gaffigan – Obsessed CD/2xLP (Comedy Central)
Jim Gaffigan bursts back on the scene with this eagerly anticipated fourth comedy special. Dubbed the “King Of Clean Comedy” by The Wall Street Journal, Jim’s obsession with all things food comes to fruition on Obsessed as he tackles a cornucopia of new food topics from fruit to seafood to donuts. Get ready for 70 minutes of non-stop laughs at Jim’s twisted-yet-enlightened observations on the seemingly mundane topics that have made him a fixture in the comedy world for audiences of all ages. Also available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray.
Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger – Midnight Sun CD/LP (Chimera Music)
Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger is Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Midnight Sun is a guided tour of bold, shape-shifting sonic murals and evocative lyrical panoramas. Plucking musical ingredients from all over the map, the album has a highly imaginative and distinct feel. It celebrates the unusual and the grandiose but fundamentally just rocks hard and feels good. With an infectious sense of adventure akin to Beck and Flaming Lips, and several years of touring and recording under their belt, the GOASTT takes their creative and savvy approach to psychedelia to new extremes.
Mason Henry – Chameleon CD (Concord Jazz)
The lead composition, “Chameleon,” from Herbie Hancock’s 1973 landmark Head Hunters serves, in part, as the signifying reference for Harvey Mason’s new album. Not only did Mason provide the rhythmic spank for the jazz-funk staple, he co-wrote it with Hancock along with several other bandmates Paul Jackson and reedist Bennie Maupin.
Klaus Johann Grobe – Im Sinne der Zeit CD/LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Debut full-length from the Swiss duo. With the ability to conjure up the ghosts of Neu!, Bob James, Marcos Valle, Shuggie Otis and Stereolab in the span of a single tune — this is the kind of album that sounds and feels like it’s floating off the grooves, alternately swaying between the fluid, jazzy, and (yes) funky rhythms and cool, deliberate mechanized grooves that squeal and squiggle with the pulse of an electronic heart. Also available on limited edition mixed color vinyl.
Howlin Rain – Live Rain CD (Agitated)
Recorded in various locations on the 2012 worldwide tour, Live Rain features vintage Howlin Rain originals including “Roll On The Rusted Days,” “Dancers At The End Of Time” and “Hung Out In The Rain,” plus “Phantom In The Valley” and an eleven-plus-minute version of “Self-Made Man,” both off their most recent full-length The Russian Wilds. Vinyl version due May 6.
The Human Beinz With The Mammals – Nobody But Me [Reissue/1967] CD (Rockbeat)
The Human Beinz were a rock band from Youngstown Ohio who are most famous for their soul rock tune ”Nobody But Me” which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. The tune has been featured in many films (The Departed, Kill Bill) and television (The Office). This album, originally released on the Gateway label, features 5 tunes from the Human Beinz along with six songs from Pittsburgh based band The Mammals. Vinyl version due May 13.
Insomnium – Shadows Of The Dying Sun CD (Century Media)
Sixth release from the Finnish metal group.
Isis – Panopticon [Reissue/2004] CD (Ipecac)
The classic sophomore release from Isis, remastered with new packaging and artwork. On Isis’ third full-length, the unblinking eye of counter-insurgency is exposed with mesmerizing stereophonic clarity. Ultra dynamic sound-design takes on the heightened dimensions of institutionally induced anxiety, and the carefully constructed artifice of an omniscient predatory apparatus becomes the paradigm of surveillance culture.
Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibus – Spirit Knife CD (Small Stone)
Imagine, if you will, Jeff Buckley jamming with Can, and you’ll have a fair gist of the fantastic voyage that awaits the armies of the Spirit Knife: an album that finds JIRM rekindling their time-traveling communion with vintage psychedelia and Krautrock.
Johnnyswim – Diamonds CD (Big Picnic)
Diamonds is the full-length debut from Johnnyswim, the duo fronted by singer-songwriters Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudan Ramirez. Recorded in Nashville, and infused with the LA-based duo’s ”undeniable chemistry” (Billboard), the album celebrates a return to the husband-and-wife team’s roots.
Jackiem Joyner – Evolve CD (Artizen)
“Music evolves, including jazz. Evolve captures the change in my musical mind and how I have evolved as an artist,” explains award-winning saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Jackiem Joyner about his fifth album and first collection on which he wrote, produced and arranged all eleven songs.
Kalbata & Mixmonster – Congo Beat The Drum CD/LP (Freestyle)
Kalbata (Ariel Tagar) is a techno and 2-step producer who previously released on labels such as Soul Jazz, Brownswood and Greenmoney. Kalbata did a string of high profile remixes for artists such as Fat Freddy’s Drop, Spank Rock, The Count & Sinden and Roll Deep, collaborated with Warrior Queen and is also the man behind reissue labels Fortuna and Spring Hill Records. Mixmonster (Uri Wertheim) is the man behind funk band The Apples as well as a member of cut-n-paste duo Radiotrip.
Eyvind Kang – Alastor: The Book of Angels Volume 21 CD (Tzadik)
World traveler, nomad, mystic and violist, Eyvind Kang turns his hand to ten tunes from Zorn’s remarkable Book Of Angels. Featuring spectacular orchestral arrangements and brilliant studio techniques, Eyvind has put together a CD unlike anything on the Angels series, highlighting the spiritual side of the Angels project, the singular lyricism of Zorn’s compositions and his own richly inventive musical imagination.
Sd Laika – That’s Karakiri CD/LP (Tri Angle)
It isn’t often an artist seems to materialize from nowhere with a sound so disinterested in following any conventional rules that it inspires equal measures bafflement and stunnedness, but in 2012 with the release of the Unknown Vectors EP, Sd Laika did just that. Taking the already alien sounds of grime music as a starting off point and abrasively twisting them into something even more unknowable, Laika had developed a sound that defied any easy categorization.
Ray LaMontagne – Supernova CD (RCA)
LaMontange’s fifth album was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. Vinyl version due May 6.
Lira – Rise Again CD (Shanachie)
South African singer / model Lira is a platinum-selling star in Africa and like Sade before her, blends R&B, Jazz and African elements into a sensual, appealing pop music sound with global appeal.
Ramona Lisa – Arcadia CD/LP (Terrible)
“Caroline Polachek took a break last year from her synth-pop band Chairlift to work on her solo project, Ramona Lisa, and record an album. Arcadia was crafted solely on a laptop by Polachek, manipulating MIDI samples and singing directly into the laptop’s mic. Though the recording may have been cloistered and intimate, the result is a pastoral, loose, and sunny collection of songs.” — Stereogum
Little Hurricane – Gold Fever CD/LP (Death Valley)
The commitment to organic, unadorned sound is evident in the Little Hurricane’s live experience, which has graced major festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits in recent years. The stripped-down but amped-up two-piece dynamic also goes a long way in maintaining Little Hurricane’s beautifully brutal energy, even on the more intricate and melody-soaked arrangements heard throughout Gold Fever.
Tommy Malone – Poor Boy CD (M.C.)
After waiting 12 years to get a new solo recording by subdues’ Tommy Malone he has released his second within a year. In the course of these 11 songs old flames get recalled, destructive friendships get ended, and true love gets rekindled. There’s room for serious reflections, sharp observations and pure fun. The spirit of his New Orleans home can be heard between the lines. And as always, Malone displays a master songwriter’s knack for making these personal tales sound universal.
Lord Mantis – Death Mask CD (Profound Lore)
Over the years, Chicago doom/noise band Lord Mantis have made a name for themselves within the underground metal scene alongside fellow local metal bands like The Atlas Moth and Yakuza. Their last album, Pervertor (Candlelight Records), brought them recognition within doom and even black metal circles, assisted by the fact that the band features current and former members from Indian, Nachtmystium, Abigail Williams and Avichi.
Many Arms – Suspended Definition CD (Tzadik)
Many Arms, the Philadelphia and New York-based trio is joined here by the Toronto saxophonist Colin Fisher for a hardcore shredfest that will burn your eyebrows off. Blending the intensity of Pharoah Sanders with the speed of Mick Barr and the improvisational sensitivity of Joe Morris, this is a fabulous new release by a cutting edge band of intrepid musical explorers.
Maria Minerva – Histronic CD/LP (Not Not Fun)
Estonian expat Maria Minerva may have found her footing in the cultural battlefield of Brooklyn, but her recent music continues to confound easy assimilation, crawling further into the crevices between karaoke fantasy, hall-of-mirrors pop and meta dancefloor mind-games.
Miss May I – Rise Of The Lion CD/LP (Rise)
Miss May I is currently regarded by industry elite as one of the hardest working bands in the metal genre, and are touted by rabid fans across the globe as the “next big thing” in the heavy music scene.
Muuy Biien – D.Y.I. (Do Yourself In) CD/LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
A band that is about to make the lazy comparisons of the past – to Savages, to Iceage, to Joy Division, to The Fall – seem ridiculous. It may be all anger and brutality on the surface, but there’s a pop sensibility at its heart, buoyancy that TIWYMI lacked. That album was a pure laser beam of black amd white rage, but DYI finds the band slowing down ever so slightly and allowing things into the songs – melody, vulnerability, dynamics, hooks – that up till now you had to look closely to find.
The New Dimensions – Deuces And Eights [Reissue/1963] CD (Rockbeat)
Formed in Beverly Hills in 1962, Deuces And Eights is New Dimensions’ debut album as was released by Sutton Records in 1963. Featuring classic surf and hot rod instrumentals, the original release is a revered and highly collectable title among fans of surf music. Vinyl version due May 13.
New Radiant Storm King – Singular No, Article [Reissue/1998] CD (Darla)
New Radiant Storm King – Winter’s Kill [Reissue/2002] CD (Darla)
Singular, No Article not so subtly titled to clarify the band name as they were often called The New Radiant Storm Kings, was intended for release on major indie Grass Records who dropped interest in the fiercely independent New Radiant Storm King and refocused all attention solely on new signing Creed. Two bonus tracks from the period have been added. All material has been remastered.
No:Carrier – Wisdom & Failure CD (Electric Heresy)
New album from the German/Californian electro noire duo. Wisdom & Failure explores the connection between these two complex feelings. This is singer Cynthia Wechselberger and keyboardist/producer Chris Wirsig’s third album after the critically acclaimed My Own Dream in 2004 and Between The Chairs in 2010.
Andre Obin – Ways Of Escape CD/LP (Sky Council)
Following the success of his critically acclaimed debut, The Arsonist, the electronic music artist and producer, Andre Obin returns with another album of fascinating songwriting and production. Ways Of Escape is a lush, modern take on classic electronica with a nod to the atmospheric depths of Boards of Canada and strong vocals that make it distinctly AO.
The Ohio Express – Beg Borrow & Steal: The Complete Cameo Recordings CD (Real Gone Music)
Collects all the tracks recorded by this legendary bubblegum band for the Cameo label, including the entire Beg Borrow & Steal album, three single sides and two unreleased tracks. ABKCO engineer Teri Landi has lovingly compiled all 16 songs from the original analog tapes; Jim Allen provides the liner notes. A must for ’60s bubblegum and garage fans.
Old 97’s – Most Messed Up CD/LP (ATO)
Most Messed Up finds the Old 97’s at their raucous best, all swagger and heart, and just a little bit tipsy. Titles like “Wasted,” “Intervention,” “Wheels Off,” and “Most Messed Up” hint at the kind of narrators Miller likes to inhabit, men who possess an appetite for indulgence and won’t let a few bad decisions get in the way of a good story. (Limited quantities in an “orange bootleg” edition are available on vinyl.)
Kris Orlowski – Believer CD (Kris Orlowski Music Group)
New release from the Seattle-based indie folk singer/songwriter and his band. Shedding the lush sounds of a 17 piece orchestra for more traditional rock and pop arrangements, the cinematic Believer is more punch-y and experimental than their earlier folk-infused traditions.
Ought – More Than Any Other Day CD/LP (Constellation)
Ought has been burning with a strong and steady flame since flickering to life in Montreal just before the inspired months of the Quebec student general strike in 2012. The mass mobilization against neo-liberal austerity measures indelibly shaped the emerging sound, vision and social mandate of Ought. Then band’s earnest, stately and exuberant post-punk is dexterous, deliberate, unfussy and fluid, with debts to Cap’n Jazz, The Feelies, Lungfish, Gang Of Four and early Talking Heads, among many others.
Pattern Is Movement – Pattern Is Movement (Hometapes)
Counting among its touchstones everything from Drake, Fred Hammond, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, Prince, Bollywood, Outkast, Springsteen, and Werner Herzog to peers like Bon Iver, Candy Claws, Beirut, and Thundercat, Pattern Is Movement unearths an entirely modern artifact right under our feet. It’s beautiful and pulsing. It’ll make you sweat.
Pink Mountaintops – Get Back CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)
Pink Mountaintops might not be the best-known band ever to make rock & roll, but in Get Back they just might have written its scripture — an exploration and celebration of what, exactly, rock & roll can be. When the aliens touch down and they don’t know rock & roll, you can play them Get Back start to finish and that’ll be all they need.
Pixies – Indie Cindy CD/2xLP+MP3 (PIAS)
The reunited Pixies sans Kim Deal release their first studio album since 1991’s Trompe Le Monde. Produced by longtime Pixies/Frank Black collaborator Gil Norton with artwork by legendary 4AD designer Vaughn Oliver. Free lithograph with purchase – while supplies last!
Prescott – One Did CD (Slowfoot)
Prescott is the brainchild of former Stump bassist, Kev Hopper. Hopper’s distinctive bass style was one of the most striking elements of Stump’s sound during the 1980s; since then he has produced numerous solo albums and more experimental work with the laptop quartet, Ticklish – but the all-instrumental Prescott signals a halt to Hopper’s, abstract, atmospheric electronica and a return to working with a full band.
Eli Paperboy Reed – Nights Like This CD (WB)
Eli Paperboy Reed is an emerging talent who already has two albums under his belt, including Roll With You and Come & Get It, which earned the soul singer an especially loyal fan following in Europe so much so that Reed was nominated as “Breakthrough Artist Of The Year” by Britain’s Mojo Magazine. For Nights Like This, Eli took his affinity for classic Chicago soul and blended it with a newfound respect for modern pop music. The result is a collection of songs that extend far beyond his neo-Motown roots.
The Revelations – The Cost Of Living CD/LP (Decision/Red River)
For The Revelations, their latest offering is a labor of love years in the making. Since they first came on the scene in 2008 with their Deep Soul EP, Brooklyn, NY’s The Revelations have represented a twenty-first-century take on classic soul—one which shows reverence for the masters, but with a uniquely modern sensibility—a sound The New York Times’ Jon Pareles calls “revivalism without poses or quotation marks”. The Revelations continue their tradition of presenting blues topics with soul music’s urgency.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Phosphorescent Harvest CD/LP (Silver Arrow)
Phosphorescent Harvest is a treasure trove of 10 songs — including several the band road-tested over the last few years–that advances the band’s kaleidoscopic sound, which is deeply soulful, rootsy and spacey all at once. There’s strong songcraft here, with a free-flowing delivery; it is music that is in no hurry to reach its destination but firmly knows where it is going.
Rodrigo y Gabriela – 9 Dead Alive CD/CD+DVD/LP+MP3 (ATO)
9 Dead Alive sees Rodrigo y Gabriela playing face to face, guitar versus guitar, bursting with melodic energy and rhythmic invention. Recorded at their Pacific Coast hideaway in late summer, the album captures the warmth and spontaneity of two great musicians locked in together; perfectly distilled into nine new songs teeming with desire, elegance and gusto. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions on CD. Deluxe adds a bonus DVD. Also available on clear red vinyl with download card
Saliva – Rise Up CD (Rum Bum)
Saliva’s first album with new singer Bobby Amaru is a bold record full of big hooks, swagger and plenty of guitars.
Secret Colours – Positive Distractions CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Secret Colors)
Secret Colours have taken a decidedly different direction with Positive Distractions. After two original members left in 2013, the band have emerged much leaner four-piece. “Secret Colours manages to produce a perfectly balanced neo-garage-pop album with subtle but electrifying surprises scattered throughout.” – CMJ
Curtis Stigers – Hooray For Love CD (Concord)
A seamless combination of old and new songs recorded with jazz musicians and a jazz sensibility. Tracks include George and Ira Gershwin’s”Love Is Here To Stay,” Steve Earle’s “Valentine’s Day” and Curtis’s own, self-penned title track. Newcomer, French chanteuse Cyrill Aimee, does a duet with Curtis on “You Make Me Feel So Young,” a tune made famous by Frank Sinatra.
Lindsey Stirling – Shatter Me CD (Lindseystomp Music)
New release from the violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer.
Strange Talk – Cast Away CD/2xLP (Wind-Up)
Commanding, crisp, and perfect for summer: Cast Away is the highly anticipated debut album by Melbourne, Australia’s electro-pop charmers Strange Talk. Also available on white vinyl.
The String Cheese Incident – The Song In My Head CD/2xLP (Loud & Proud)
Produced by Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads, This Song In My Head is the jam band’s first album of new material in nine years. Free lithograph with purchase – while supplies last!
Styles P – Phantom And The Ghost CD (Empire Distribution)
Yonkers native, Styles P gained fame from his earlier work with the breakout group, The Lox. Having garnered the attention of Diddy, The Lox soon became a household name within hip-hop circles. In 2002, Styles P broke out on his own and released his first solo project, A Gangster And A Gentleman. His new album, Phantom And The Ghost, features guest appearances from Lox members, Jadakiss and Sheek Louch, Rocko, and Raheem Devaughn.
Survival Knife – Loose Power CD/LP (Glacial Pace)
Debut full-length from Unwound bandmates Justin Trosper and Brandt Sandeno.
Brian Sutton – Into My Own CD (Sugar Hill)
Renowned bluegrass guitarist and producer Bryan Sutton delivers his fourth Sugar Hill album.
Timeflies – After Hours CD (Island)
Boston duo Timeflies combine pop songwriting styles with the studio tricks and big sound of EDM.
Tiny Empires – Weird Headspace CD/LP (Null Records)
Tiny Empires exists at the peak of sheer volume and progressive melodies, making their home somewhere between Joy Division and Archers of Loaf. Featuring members of O Pioneers and New Bruises, there is an instant familiarity to their new album’s inventive instrumentation that allows them to explore newer, weirder headspaces.
Toto – 35th Anniversary Tour: Live From Poland CD (Eagle Rock)
This live concert sees Toto celebrating their 35th Anniversary at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland during their 2013 World Tour. Also available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray.
Upon This Dawning – We Are All Sinners CD (Artery)
Hailing from Brescia, in Northern Italy, the sextet has been making a melodically metallic racket in its home country since 2007.
Chad VanGaalen – Shrink Dust CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Shrink Dust is the fifth album by Calgary, Alberta’s Chad VanGaalen. The album is, in Chad’s view, a country record. It is also partially a score to Chad’s soon-to-be released, animated, sci-fi feature, Translated Log Of Inhabitants “It’s like Bob and Doug McKenzie in space,” says Chad). The album is infused with pedal-steel guitar; themes of death, transformation, fear, benign evil, and the eccentricity of love; and the influences of The Flying Burrito Brothers, and the sci-fi mysticism of the 1980s graphic novel The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius.
Vanilla Fudge – Complete Atco Singles CD (Real Gone Music)
19-track collection is the first dedicated to Vanilla Fudge’s classic singles for the Atco label, all here in their (mostly mono) original single versions, over half of which have never been reissued.
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents: Music Of The Andes CD (Putumayo World Music)
Putumayo continues its 20th anniversary celebrations with this collection of enchanting music celebrating the company’s Latin American roots.
Vittoria Fleet – Acht LP CD/LP (n5MD)
Debut album from Berlin based duo Vittoria Fleet. Acht LP shows the duo refining their tenet of aural and emotional contrast. Dark elastic experimental beatwork pulsate around Giada’s slithery emotive vocal delivery. IDM, bits of nostalgic trip-hop and some of the best sound design in some time all make the album a rewarding a treat for the ears.
Rick Wakeman – White Rock [Reissue/1977] CD (Real Gone Music)
Reissue of the soundtrack that Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman composed for Tony Maylam’s documentary about the 1976 Winter Olympic games in Innsbruck, Austria. A must-have for fans of vintage keyboard sounds, White Rock is a treasure trove, with the moog, clavinet, mellotron, Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes all prominently featured.
Ben Watt – Hendra CD/LP+MP3 (Unmade Road)
Ben Watt, former co-leader of Everything But The Girl, respected DJ, and label head of Buzzin’Fly Records, returns to recording with his first solo album in over 25 years. Described by Watt as “simply a folk-rock record in an electronic age,” Hendra continues Watt’s groundbreaking work in a genre he helped pioneer with his partner Tracey Thorn in Eveything But the Girl through the ‘80s and ‘90s. Album features guest appearances from key artists including Bernard Butler, Ewan Pearson, and David Gilmour. Vinyl edition includes download code for four additional bonus tracks.
Whitechapel – Our Endless War CD (Metal Blade)
A ruthlessly honed album that refuses to compromise on brutality, it is also by far their most streamlined, atmospheric, and emotionally powerful release.
Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys – Riding Your Way: The Lost Transcriptions For Tiffany Music 1946-1947 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
In 1946 and 1947, Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys cut nearly 400 full songs for Tiffany Music, Inc., recordings that came to be known as the Tiffany Transcriptions. These recordings were distributed only to radio stations on 16-inch transcription discs, and were intended for airplay as part of a syndicated radio show featuring Wills and the Playboys. However, the transcriptions proved to be a financial failure, and Tiffany Music, Inc. folded by the end of the ‘40s, seemingly relegating the Tiffany Transcriptions to obscurity (and leaving over 200 songs in the can).
Cassandra Wilson – Blue Light ‘Til Dawn [20th Anniversary Expanded Edition] CD (Blue Note)
Cassandra Wilson’s landmark album Blue Light ‘Til Dawn helped to define a new style of jazz when it was released two decades ago. It went on to sell nearly one million copies and earned Cassandra the title of ”America’s best singer” from Time magazine. This digitally remastered and expanded 20th anniversary edition of the album adds three previously unreleased live recordings from Wilson’s 1994 European tour.
The Winery Dogs – Dog Treats (Special Deluxe Edition) 2xCD (Loud & Proud)
Expanded edition of The Winery Dogs includes a bonus CD of demos from 2012’s The Winery Pups, a DVD of interviews and music videos, custom Winery Dogs dog chains, a wine bottle topper and more.
Wold – Post Social CD (Profound Lore)
The five elongated tracks on Postsocial comprise some of the most intriguing work ever from blackened noise terrorists Wold. Residing on the alien fringes of the harsh black metal, noise and experimental realms, the band’s music is an intimidating yet transcendental barrage of unforgiving white noise steeped in occult and esoteric dogma.
Wye Oak – Shriek CD/LP (Merge)
Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack of Wye Oak have spent most of their lives in Baltimore, MD. But after two years of constant touring with Civilian, their lauded 2011 album, they landed on opposite sides of the country with an unforeseeable future. Despite this newfound uncertainty, the two embraced their physical distance, passing ideas back and forth, allowing work to evolve in their respective solitudes. Shriek is Wye Oak’s fourth full-length and the culmination of their intent to express the emotional and intuitive self by acting out animalistic exclamations through cathartic release.
X – Under The Big Black Sun [Reissue/1982] CD (Real Gone Music)
Remastered edition expanded with five bonus tracks. A lot of people consider 1982’s Under The Big Black Sun to be X’s best album. And even those people who don’t think it’s their best album still consider it one of the best albums of the ‘80s. That’s because it s their most personal and fearless record.
DVD + Blu-ray:
The Allman Brothers – The Allman Brothers Band 40: 40th Anniversary Show Live At The Beacon Theatre 2xDVD (Peach Records Associates)
Recorded on March 26, 2009, which marked the exact 40th anniversary of the first time Duane, Gregg, Jaimoe, Butch, Berry and Dickey played together. 155 minutes.
The Clash – The Rise And Fall Of The Clash DVD (Shout! Factory)
The only up-close and personal film about the juggernaut band The Clash, and their meteoric trajectory through rock & roll history, The Rise And Fall Of The Clash features previously unseen footage of the band at work and at play as well as interviews with the individual band members and with those who knew them well. 90 minutes.
Jim Gaffigan – Obsessed DVD/Blu-ray (Comedy Central)
Jim Gaffigan bursts back on the scene with this eagerly anticipated fourth comedy special. Dubbed the “King Of Clean Comedy” by The Wall Street Journal, Jim’s obsession with all things food comes to fruition on Obsessed as he tackles a cornucopia of new food topics from fruit to seafood to donuts. Get ready for 70 minutes of non-stop laughs at Jim’s twisted-yet-enlightened observations on the seemingly mundane topics that have made him a fixture in the comedy world for audiences of all ages. Also available on stand-alone DVD.
Toto – 35th Anniversary Tour: Live From Poland DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock)
This live concert sees Toto celebrating their 35th Anniversary at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland during their 2013 World Tour. 150 minutes.
Vinyl:
Ian Anderson – Homo Erraticus 2xLP (K-Scope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The 2014 conceptual masterclass from Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson reunites him with Thick As A Brick lyricist Gerald Bostock for the first time since 1972. Homo Erraticus is a wonderfully ambitious fusion of folk, rock and metal stylings.
William Basinski – Melancholia [2003] LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Originally released a year after the increasingly iconic The Disintegration Loops, a decade later, Melancholia still stands as William Basinski’s second most beloved album. To commemorate its 10-year anniversary, Temporary Residence presents the first-ever vinyl edition of this otherworldly piece of music.
Black To Comm – Providence LP (Dekorder)
Volume 7 in Dekorder’s series of highly limited Hybrid-Vinyl 12″ releases to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the label.
The Both – The Both LP (Superego)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Both is Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. Building on a friendship forged while they were on tour together last year, it was Leo’s solo sets that piqued Mann’s interest in getting on stage with him and writing music together. Of the project, Mann notes, “Honestly, I feel like for the first time, I’m part of a rock band.”
Creation Rebel/New Age Steppers – Threat To Creation [Reissue/1981] LP (Anthology Recordings)
This 1981 collaboration between two acts on Adrian Sherwood’s nascent On-U Sound label captures, like few other records of the day, the dubbed-out pressure of living in Thatcherite London, pounded flat by class warfare amd left to fend for oneself. Threat To Creation channels the raw earth blues through pounding rhythms and left-field sonic anachronisms, amd reclaims dub reggae as a music defined by the struggle.
The Dandy Warhols – 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia: Live At The Wonder 2xLP (The End)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. After a highly successful national US 13th anniversary tour for Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia, The Dandy Warhols follow-up with an exclusive live recording of their hometown show at The Wonder.
Dead In The Manger – Transience 12” (20 Buck Spin)
A mix of depressive black metal and grind (which seemed on paper an impossible combination) and that their intention is to instill feelings of unease and despondency in the listener.
Divino Nino – Pool Jealousy LP (Native Sound)
This dreamy, psychedelic dream pop band, which utilizes world percussion inspired by their Latin American roots, also experiments with washed out reverb, dynamic vocal ranges, and lush soundscapes.
Doss – Doss LP (Acephale)
Doss bursts forth into our reality by stepping sideways from one where the ‘90s boom never ended – an alternate Earth of curved, shining surfaces and strobing colors. As a producer and singer exploring electronica as a concept, Doss sidesteps the revivalist tag by reaching across genres, from trip-hop and trance to liquid drum & bass and Eurodance, and warping them into something simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic.
Excepter – The Stand LP (Dekorder)
Volume 6 in Dekorder’s series of highly limited Hybrid-Vinyl 12″ releases to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the label.
Experimental Audio Research – All Things Being Equal LP (Dekorder)
Volume 5 in Dekorder’s series of highly limited Hybrid-Vinyl 12″ releases to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the label.
Mammatus – The Coast Explodes [Reissue/2007] LP (Holy Mountain)
Back in print on vinyl. Mammatus’s second album straddles the line between psychedelia and hard rock while introducing more progressive aspects. The music is heavily influenced by both the power and complexity of the natural world and the ongoing battles of light and darkness.
Ziggy Marley – Fly Rasta LP (Tuff Going)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With his recent Grammy win for Best Reggae Album (Ziggy Marley In Concert), Ziggy Marley is back with his fifth studio album, Fly Rasta. Produced by Ziggy Marley with additional production by Dave Cooley with contributions by The Melody Makers.
Brett Naucke – Seed LP (Spectrum Spools)
New album from the Chicago-based underground synth experimenter. Each track’s complex arc points towards a mind rooted in academic electronic processes, keenly trying to surprise and disarm by prying open new textures, rhythms and structures. But Naucke has struck a perfect balance that unites this avant-garde intuition with a compositional sophistication — bringing each unique molecule of sound into cohesive songs and further still into a supremely listenable and closed album that operates entirely on its own logic
N.E.R.D. – In Search Of [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Virgin)
HQ-180 vinyl reissue of N.E.R.D.’s 2002 debut. “The electro-powered grooves of the writing-production team the Neptunes have abetted fine-to-great tracks by everyone from Jay-Z and Ol’ Dirty Bastard to Britney Spears. On their debut as performers, they display an irresistible knack for hooky tracks rooted in the eclectic listening habits they developed while growing up in the multiracial Virginia Beach, VA, neighborhoods they still call home.”
Nickel Creek – A Dotted Line LP+CD (Nonesuch)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The bluegrass trio officially reunites for the first time since its 2007 self-described “indefinite hiatus” with a new album.
The Shivvers – The Shivvers LP (Sing Sing)
In the spirit of Badfinger and The Raspberries with a heavy dose of Girl Group soul, get ready for the three-minute magic of The Shivvers. Classic pop from an age of plastic fops, it’s taken over 30 years for this album to see the light of day.
Old Smokey – Wester Easter LP (Cloud Recordings)
Old Smokey is a unique five piece ensemble featuring Jim Willingham on banjo, Jason Trahan on lap steel, John Fernandes on violin/clarinet/bass clarinet, Jacob Morris on cello, and Rob Lomax on drums. Their quixotic and sometimes haunting sound has developed organically; the way the instrumentation of the band blends is both complementary and evocative. This distinctive unit began playing together over two years ago. For fans of Bruce Langhorne, Abner Jay, Bollywood steel guitar music, and The Monks.
Evan Ønly – No Matter What 12” (Underwater Peoples)
A highly-evolved pop record with human progress in its sights and soulful electropop as its means. Produced by Ice Choir’s Kurt Feldman, these nine kinetic anthems alchemize the DNA of Ønly’s preferred architects of sound — Prefab Sprout, Pet Shop Boys, The Associates, and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance — into an astute psychological pop adventure for a future-facing generation.
Rush – Rush [Reissue/1974] LP+MP3 (Mercury)
Vinyl reissue of the original Moon Records (pre-Mercury) release of Rush, as part of Universal’s reDISCovered vinyl series. Housed in a sturdy, custom box with a lift-off top, this landmark album is pressed on HQ-200gm audiophile grade vinyl, from the original 1974 analog stereo masters, cut to copper plates using the Direct Metal Mastering (DMM) process at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.
Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra – Hang On To Each Other 12”+MP3 (Constellation)
Following their acclaimed F**k Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra dust off an old chesnut from their 2005 album Horses In The Sky and coat it in glitter and shards of glass; not remixes really, but brand new recordings that use set-closing live favorite “Hang On To Each Other” as a launching point for some rather glorious dancefloor excursions.
Swans – Burning World [Reissue/1989] LP (1972)
The Burning World is an excellent curio in Swans’ already eclectic discography. 1987’s Children Of God confirmed that Swans could indulge delicacy alongside immersive swathes of sound. In 1989, bandleader Michael Gira co-produced The Burning World alongside multi-instrumentalist Bill Laswell and continued to refine his songwriting without compromising power. Jarboe’s inimitable vocal presence enhances the overall tunefulness while Gira’s own weary-but-resilient declamations ascend to towering intensity at precisely the right moments.
William Tyler – Lost Colony 12”+MP3 (Merge)
This limited-edition vinyl-only 12” features a new song “Whole New Dude,” a full-band re-working of “We Can’t Go Home Again” from Impossible Truth, and “Karussell,” a cover of a Michael Rother (Neu!) song.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Atmos 12” (Kranky)
Vinyl-only 12” single from the neo-classical/ambient collective comprising Stars Of The Lid founder Adam Wiltzie and L.A. composer Dustin O’Halloran.
Cassettes:
Secret Colours – Positive Distractions CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Secret Colors)
Secret Colours have taken a decidedly different direction with Positive Distractions. After two original members left in 2013, the band have emerged much leaner four-piece. “Secret Colours manages to produce a perfectly balanced neo-garage-pop album with subtle but electrifying surprises scattered throughout.” — CMJ
*NOTE GBV 7” vinyl titles due next week (Midheaven)?
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