CDs + Vinyl:
AJR – Living Room CD (WB)
AJR has been favorably compared by Billboard to the Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel (for the harmonies), fun. and Imagine Dragons (for the electro-pop influences), and got love from the New York Post for their “sticky-sweet pop melodies with vintage barber shop vocals [and] edgier electronic samples and ‘spokestep’ [aka dubstep breakdowns derived from vocals].”
Oren Ambarchi – Live Knots CD/2xLP (Pan)
Two live realizations of the epic centerpiece of 2012 album Audience Of One. Both recordings feature the interplay between his swirling guitar harmonics and the metronomic pulse and shifting accents of Joel Talia’s DeJohnette-esque drumming.
Asleep At The Wheel – Still The King: Celebrating The Music Of Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys CD (Bismeaux Recordings)
Western swing is all things Texas, uniquely American, and loved the world-over. Nine-time
Grammy winners Ray Benson & Asleep At The Wheel have been the genre’s chief practitioners, conspirators, and caretakers for over forty years, carrying its timeless tradition well into the 21st century. Now with this collection, Benson brings together not only a legendary cast of Texas music contemporaries but also a new generation of Americana artists inspired by the Lone Star State’s favorite son, Bob Wills. Guest include: Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Lyle Lovett, Merle Haggard, Old Crow Medicine Show, Pokey LaFarge, The Del McCoury Band, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Buddy Miller, The Devil Makes Three, and many more.
Ata Kak – Obaa Sima CD/LP/Cassette (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
Ata Kak’s cassette Obaa Sima fell on deaf ears when it was self-released in Ghana and Canada in 1994. The music on the recording—an amalgam of highlife, Twi-language rap, funk and disco—is presented with the passion of a Prince record and the DIY-bedroom-recording lo-fi charm of early Chicago house music. The astute self-taught song craft and visionary blend of sounds and rhythms has made the album a left-field cult favorite.
Au.Ra – Jane’s Lament CD/LP (Felte)
Au.Ra is Tim Jenkins and Tom Crandles, two Sydney musicians who specialize in otherworldly guitar pop.
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band – Juguya CD/LP (Sublime Frequencies)
Baba Commandant is a practitioner of the Afrobeat style, drawing inspiration from the golden era of Nigerian music. Fela Kuti/Africa 70 and King Sunny Adé are big influences, as is the legendary Malian growler Moussa Doumbia.
Azealia Banks – Broke With Expensive Taste CD (Prospect Park)
“Smile, Chinese Democracy, Detox – the pop music world has never been a stranger to the frustration of the delayed album release. New York rapper and singer Azealia Banks’ Broke With Expensive Taste could have easily earned its own pedestal in such a dubious pantheon. Since she first took music blogs, dorm rooms, and block parties by storm in 2012 with the joyously vulgar earworm 212, Banks has become mired in so many Twitter feuds and record-label publicity flaps that the release of her debut album seemed increasingly unlikely by the month. Instead, she has now presented us with one of the most explosive and intriguing hip-hop releases of the year. We should hardly be surprised — Banks has always demonstrated a precocious talent for confounding expectations.” – Pretty Much Amazing
Beardyman – Distractions CD (Tummy Touch)
“Beardyman is an absolute legend in the world of beatboxing, achieving a level of success pretty much unmatched in the mainstream circuit by anyone else in the scene. Distractions is his latest studio album, and it’s an interesting and innovative listen from start to finish. It was produced using the Beardytron 5000 mkIII, designed by the man himself, which enables live recording and mixing. The result isn’t pretentious or over the top however, it is in fact a thoroughly enjoyable experience, showing that Beardyman isn’t a one trick pony, and his journey into the more leftfield, glitchy electronic setting is successful and engaging.” – Contact Music
James Blackshaw – Summoning Suns CD/LP (Important)
Summoning Suns is James Blackshaw’s tenth studio album and the first recording to feature his voice and lyrics. Drawing inspiration from ’60s and ’70s singer/songwriters, baroque and orchestral pop, and folk music, while still sounding contemporary, Summoning Suns is Blackshaw’s foray into more traditional forms of songcraft. Blackshaw sings in a gentle but assured voice while his words combine his personal experiences, neuroses, and fantasies through many layers of abstraction, poeticism, and dark humor.
Blutengel – Omen CD/2xCD (Out Of Line)
Omen is the ninth studio album from German futurepop band Blutengel. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds an eight-track bonus disc and is packaged in a digipak sleeve.
Tom Brosseau – Perfect Abandon CD/LP (Crossbill)
Perfect Abandon is the new album by Tom Brosseau. It was produced, engineered and recorded in Bristol, England by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Sparklehorse, Peggy Sue) and Ali Chant, features a two-piece drumkit, double bass and Stratocaster guitar. Themes of the songwriting include man struggles to understand divinity, betrayal of a kinsman, discovery, individualism, love.
Thomas Buckner/Claudio Parodi – Taken From A True Story CD (Extreme)
Claudio Parodi has a classical training and played jazz. He joined the improvisers’ scene after meeting Barre Phillips. Since some years he plays cheap electronics alongside his piano. For more than 40 years baritone Thomas Buckner has dedicated himself to the world of new and improvised music. In collaboration with a host of prominent composers and improvisers, Buckner continues to commission and perform numerous chamber works, orchestral pieces and song cycles, as well as improvisations, electronic constructions, and multi-media theater pieces. Taken From A True Story was recorded by Paolo Valenti at Loud Music Studio, Genova, Italia, on March 11-12, 2008.
Buxton – Half A Native CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Some places you feel like you only sort of fit in and it is this theme that permeates Houston based folk rock band Buxton’s new aptly titled album Half A Native. One of the leading lights of an emerging music scene from a city with a burgeoning youth culture, Buxton have won two Houston Press Music awards as ‘Best Houston Folk/Americana Band’ as well as ‘Best Male’ Vocals (Sergio Trevino). Their new album ventures into vast sonic territories, sometimes pairing atmospheric piano with off-kilter electric guitar, blanketed by Trevino’s heart-clenched voice and melancholic but optimist lyrics.
Ryan Cabrera – Wake Up Beautiful CD (Dynamite Music)
The first new music in nearly seven years from the pop singer/songwriter. Includes the first single “House On Fire.” Wake Up Beautiful is the precursor to a new full-length album due later in the year.
Cannibal Ox – Blade Of The Ronin CD (iHipHop Distribution)
Vast Aire and Vordul Mega (collectively known as Cannibal Ox) return with their sophomore album, Blade Of The Ronin. Here the duo is joined by MF doom, U-God of Wu-Tang Clan, Elzhi, Artifacts and others.
Brandi Carlile – The Firewatcher’s Daughter CD/LP (ATO)
The Firewatcher’s Daughter explodes with energy, urgency and pristine harmonies and represents the start of a fresh chapter for Carlile and her longtime collaborators Tim and Phil Hanseroth, also known as The Twins. “The Firewatcher’s Daughter is the evolution of Brandi Carlile, a more organic rock and roll set created around a strong sense of family. Carlile’s wife Catherine Shepherd gave birth to their first child in June and since 2012’s Bear Creek, The Twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth started their own families too. Having The Twins’ children in the studio while recording influenced the direction the album would be taking.” – AXS
Clarence Clarity – No Now CD/LP (Bella Union)
“So far, the enigmatic UK-based producer’s tracks have shown a unique approach to rhythm, combining squelchy, funk-dipped synths with crashing electronic beats and breathless, yearning vocals. His upcoming debut promises to be just as intense. ‘The No Now is my bubble of clarity,’ he has said. ‘The ongoing wow hovering in stasis, with the blinds down and the world a forgotten dream.’” – Dazed
Kelly Clarkson – Piece By Piece CD (RCA)
Piece By Piece is the seventh studio album by former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, and includes the single “Heartbeat Song.” Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
Coastal – Beneath The Snow And Streetlights CD (Words On Music)
Coastal has always incorporated elements of dream pop and the gentler side of shoegaze into its records and does so here on songs like the Spiritualized-flavored “Ashes” and “Shivering.” Beneath The Snow And Streetlights is a welcome reminder of the spellbinding simplicity and unhurried elegance which still makes Coastal a model for artists at the nexus of post-rock and dream pop.
Colossus – The Breathing World CD (Perennity)
New album from the Stockholm sludge trio. On The Breathing World, Colossus delivers a technical yet catchy groove with equal parts brains and heart.
Andrew Combs – All These Dreams CD/LP+MP3 (Coin/Thirty Tigers)
Andrew Combs’ second album, All These Dreams, marks a huge step forward for the Nashville-based singer-songwriter. Using his gifts for lyricism and wry observation, Combs weaves tales of love, sin and redemption on the new album, in a style that brings together classic country and contemporary pop.
Conduct – Fear & Desire CD/LP (Public Tone)
Taking musical cues from industrial, punk, and German progressive movements, Fear & Desire expounds on the inhumane nature of existence, anxiety, and the impulses behind inaction. Though there are many signifiers in Conduct’s music — be it Art Bears, Hula, or This Heat — they have synthesized a unique and slanted approach to the four-piece rock outfit. Recorded by Steve Albini, featuring guest spots from Tim Midyett (Bottomless Pit, Silkworm).
Ryan Culwell – Flatlands CD (Lightning Rod)
When asked to describe his music, Ryan Culwell says, “listening to my music is like watching No County For Old Men — all the emptiness and violence will either scare you away or you’ll find yourself alone at 3am with it on repeat.” His songs tell tales of oilfields, honky tonks, loss, fistfights, and the forgotten place that is the panhandle of Texas.
Daisyhead – The Smallest Light CD (No Sleep Records)
Debut album from the Nashville alternative band. Daisyhead formed in 2012 and is part of the emo/alternative rock revival scene. The band’s sound is reminiscent of ‘90s post-hardcore/alternative rock and early ‘00s era of Revelation Records.
Dead End – Forever Is Not Eternal CD (Vic)
New collection from the Dutch doom/death metal band.
DJ Clent – Last Bus To Lake Park CD/2xLP (Duck N Cover)
Epic, acidy, deep, driving, ferocious, soulful footwork mayhem from Chicago low-end legend DJ Clent.
Elder – Lore CD/2xLP (Armageddon)
Joining the interplay of heaviness and melody which has become the hallmark Elder sound are a host of new meanderings through uncharted kosmische territory; krautrock, prog as well as classic heavy rock and doom can all be heard unfolding throughout the record’s five songs. While Elder’s sound is now much more evolved and varied, it is still consistently based around rock and metal, originally influenced by such heavy landmark bands as Black Sabbath, Sleep and Electric Wizard.
Tav Falco & Panther Burns – Hip Flask: An Introduction To Tav Falco & Panther Burns CD (Frenzi)
A comprehensive collection by maverick American artist Tav Falco and his “wreckabilly” combo Panther Burns, including two songs from their recent album Command Performance as well as 17 classic back catalog tracks. Tav Falco & Panther Burns have been cited as an influence by everyone from Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to The Fall, Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. A permanent move to Europe in the late 1980s saw Tav based first in Paris, and subsequently Vienna, and an expansion of Panther’s Burns raw garage sound to embrace Stax, lounge and even Argentinean tango influences.
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns – The World We Knew [Reissue/1987] 2xCD (Frenzi)
Digitally remastered reissue of the third studio album by Tav Falco & Panther Burns, expanded with a previously unreleased live recording from the Babylone Club in Bordeaux from April 1987.
Forrest Fang – Letters To The Farthest Star CD (Projekt)
Letters To The Farthest Star is an ambitious and deeply personal dispatch: a far-reaching sojourn into the diverse ambient/electronic influences that helped shape the last three decades of Fang’s unique Fourth World style.
Chris Foreman – Now Is The Time CD (Sirens)
Chris Foreman is considered by his peers to be the most exciting jazz and blues organist playing today. Critics have dubbed him “heir to the throne” held by past organ masters Charles Earland, Richard “Groove” Holmes, “Brother” Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and Jimmy Smith. Now Is The Time is Chris first disc as a leader, and t includes plenty of blues and grooves.
G-Unit – The Beast Is G-Unit CD (G-Unit)
New EP from 50 and his recently reunited G-Unit crew.
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Chasing Yesterday CD/2xCD/LP (Sour Mash)
Chasing Yesterday marks a new chapter and sound for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. It’s the first album to be produced as well as written by Noel and features a much broader array of instrumentation than ever before; the result is a rich, expansive and multi-layered record, drawing from a range of disparate influences – from west coast rock to classic rock & roll and even some space jazz (!) — whilst still being very obviously a completely cohesive body of work. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus CD containing four additional tracks.
Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin CD/LP (PIAS America)
“An artist who draws on hip-hop, spoken word, electronics, jazz and goodness knows what else, Ghostpoet is in a constant state of evolution. New album Shedding Skin marks another step forward.” – Clash Music
Jenn Grant – Compostela CD (Jenn Grant Music)
Compostela is the fifth album from the singer/songwriter. Recorded by producer, musician, fellow ECMA winner and husband Daniel Ledwell in the couple’s studio built close to home in Nova Scotia, the album features flutes, harps, violins, congas, Wurlitzer, piano and lap steel, a cornucopia of instruments that enhances the depth and subtleties of her effortless singing. The album’s title, Compostela, translates to “Field Of Stars,”’ or “Star Field” –which comes from the legend that the dust of the pilgrims who walk the El Camino make up the stars that form the Milky Way. Teetering on psychedelic folk and into a balladry of melodic storytelling, Grant welcomes listeners into the heart’s cave.
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins And The Fuzztones – Live CD (Cleopatra)
A historic 1985 New York performance by R&B legend Screamin’ Jay Hawkins backed by modern garage rock heroes The Fuzztones. Color vinyl (red) version due March 17.
Gemma Hayes – Bones + Longing CD (Chasing Dragons)
The fifth studio album from the Mercury Prize nominated Irish singer/songwriter. Gemma crowdsourced funding to record Bones + Longing, with fans donating via the PledgeMusic website. She was awarded Best Female Live Artist 2012 by MTV Ireland, and continues to write beautiful music with an eclectic mix of pop, folk and electronica. Vinyl version due May 5.
Lilly Hiatt – Royal Blue CD/LP (Normaltown)
East Nashville firebrand Lilly Hiatt releases a feisty, adventurous and smart follow-up to her critically lauded debut full-length Let Down. Recorded at producer Adam Landry’s (Deertick, Diamond Rugs, T. Hardy Morris) Nashville studio Playground Sound, the twelve new tracks skirt the edges of any neat genre definitions, boldly combining sounds of Austin folk rock, Pacific Northwest indie, pre-Oasis Britpop, ‘90s alt guitars, ‘00s indie synths and New York punk circa 1977.
Hidden Intent – Walking Through Hell CD (End Of The Light)
Hidden Intent is a three-piece thrash metal band from Adelaide, South Australia.
Johansson & Speckman – Mask Of The Treacherous CD (Vic)
Pure old school death metal project featuring underground DM master Rogga Johansson on guitars and bass (Paganizer/Ribspreader, The Grotesquery) and true extreme metal legend Paul Speckmann on vocals (Master, Death Strike, Abomination).
Lady Lamb The Beekeeper – After CD/2xLP (Mom + Pop)
Lady Lamb The Beekeeper is the recording project of Maine-based singer-songwriter Aly Spaltro. “To many, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper (aka Aly Spaltro) is an enigma. Her songs are at once intimate and unbridled — both deeply personal and existentially contemplative. Spaltro is a fearless performer who can command a pitch-black stage with nothing more than her voice. Yet, when the band bursts in and the lights come up, what began as a demonstration of restraint shifts seamlessly into an emphatic snarl.” – Hear Ya
Gill Landry – Gill Landry CD/LP (ATO)
Gil Landry is the third solo album by the member of Old Crow Medicine Show. Landry’s solo work finds him crafting country-folk tunes that are sparser than his day gig and that would not be out of place in the 1970’s Texas singer/songwriter movement. Here Landry is joined by a number of guests, including singer Laura Marling, trumpeter Nick Etwell (Mumford & Sons), singer/songwriter Robert Ellis and harmonica/fiddle player Odessa Jorgensen.
Dom La Nena – Soyo CD (Six Degrees)
New album from the Brazilian vocalist and cellist.
Leviathan – Scar Sighted CD (Profound Lore)
Scar Sighted marks the long-awaited return of notorious and infamous black metal entity Leviathan — solely commanded by Wrest aka Jef Whitehead. Wrest conspired with engineer Billy Anderson (Swans, Agalloch, Pallbearer, Red House Painters, Melvins) in Portland, Oregon, to manifest the crushing and dark-sounding album. Special boxed CD edition with artwork inserts painted by the artist.
The Living Eyes – Living Large CD/LP (Agitated)
Taking their cues from the likes of The Easybeats, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Saints and The Hard Ons, The Living Eyes stand true to the vitriolic punk brash and sharp garage crunch of their self-titled debut whilst crafting some damn sweet power-pop hooks. For Fans Of: Jay Reatard, Citadel Records, The Kinks, Waterfront Records, The Ramones, In The Red Records, High Voltage-era AC/DC.
Mangled – Through Ancient Times CD (Vic)
Mangled was one of the first Dutch death metal bands, formed in 1989 and disbanded in 2006. They released three full-length albums, two demos and two EPs. Alumni Harold Gielen (guitar) now plays in Legion Of The Damned. Through Ancient Times compiles all of Mangled’s works from their earliest period in 1992 up through 2004, along with exclusive radio edits, live and pre-production tracks.
Manifest – And For This We Should Be Damned CD (Vicisolom Production)
New release from the Norwegian metal heads.
Les McCann – Invitation To Openness [Reissue/1972] CD (Omnivore)
McCann’s 1972 masterpiece, expanded and reissued. Featuring new liner notes by Peter Relic, who interviewed the key participants of this album (including producer Joel Dorn before he passed on), drummer Donald Dean, and bassist Jimmy Rowser.
MC5 – Kick Out The Jams Motherf*cker! CD/LP (Cleopatra)
A compilation of career highlights from the Motor City quintet. Features the band’s uncensored version of their signature hit “Kick Out The Jams” as well as classics such as “Shakin’ Street,” “I Can Only Give You Everything,” “Baby Please Don’t Go,” and more. Released on digipak CD and red, white and blue splatter vinyl with an authentic 12-page replica of an official 1969 press release.
Momus – Turpsycore 3xCD (American Patchwork)
The Scottish singer/songwriter spent much of 2014 preparing a two-headed cabaret at London’s Cafe Oto, a tribute to his two favorite songwriters, Howard Devoto and David Bowie. Turpsycore, a voluptuous triple-disc set named after the Greek goddess of dancing and delight, is a record of the covers plus a fresh Momus album recorded in Osaka in the winter of 2014.
Mooch Da Player – The Ghetto Storyboard CD (Fo’ Way Entertainment)
Produced entirely by Doyle Johnson, the all-star guest lineup on The Ghetto Storyboard makes for a quality Bay Area album, including E-40 and Yukmouth, San Quinn, 3XKrazy, Clyde Carson, Turf Talk, former Roc-A-Fella artist Allen Anthony and others.
Moon Duo – Shadow Of The Sun CD/LP+7” (Sacred Bones)
Moon Duo began work on their latest album during a period in which they faced a curious new reality. Freed from deadlines and expectations, and suddenly off the road for a stretch, the duo found them each experiencing strange shifts in their perceptions of reality. Shadow Of The Sun is the result of a few months of Moon Duo wrangling with a new and unsettling way of being. Working both in a dark basement in Portland, and above ground in sunny San Francisco, these new sounds and songs veered dramatically from groove to groove, revealing sonic textures the duo had not previously explored. (Vinyl version includes a bonus 7” of lead single “Animal” and the vinyl-exclusive B-side “Fadeaway.”)
Motörhead – England 1978 CD (Cleopatra)
Newly remastered reissue of this classic 1978 live album. Vinyl version due March 17.
Nancy Nova – Akiri Non Stop: Complete Derby Recordings 1978-81 CD (Beatball)
A collection of remastered late ‘70s/early ‘80s recordings from the UK new wave disco and avant pop artist. British born singer/actress Nancy Nova had her first release with “No Way” in 1978. Later that year she also recorded the theme song for an Italian T.V. show Akiri Non Stop and even appeared in a few episodes. Its follow-up “Heaven” was her debut into the electronic spacey disco style in her super high pitched warble. Back in the UK she received massive radio play for her single “The Force” which became a huge disco hit.
of Montreal – Aureate Gloom CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
“A golden despondency” is how Kevin Barnes translates the meaning behind Aureate Gloom, the title he gave of Montreal’s thirteenth full-length album. The oxymoron is one Barnes says best describes the overall state of his life and mental outlook while working on the record — penning lyrics so personal they sound like entries ripped from a journal that should be permanently kept under lock and key.
Palmomben II – Palmomben II CD/2xLP (RVNG Int’l/Beats In Space)
Debut album of Kai Hugo’s studio project. Acid house foundations filtered through his hardware diet and monastic recording regimen.
Pointed Sticks – Three Lefts Makes A Right [Reissue/2009] CD/LP (Northern Electric)
Pointed Sticks were formed in 1978, in the first wave of the emerging Vancouver punk rock scene. Along with their contemporaries, such as D.O.A., The Dishrags, Subhumans, Modernettes, and others, the PS were an integral part of a local music explosion that has long been commented on and admired by critics worldwide. Released a full 29 years after the release of their legendary debut album, Perfect Youth, Three Lefts Make A Right features 13 (new) songs and contains the trademark classic hooks and harmonies that have made this band and have sustained their following all these years.
Purity Ring – Another Eternity CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)
“Given the gauzy, atmospheric sound of Purity Ring’s debut album (2012’s Shrines) and their presence on 4AD (the label that came to prominence in the ‘80s on the backs of ethereal, proto-shoegaze groups like Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance), the Canadian duo would probably be easiest classified as dream-pop. What the twosome’s second album Another Eternity makes clear, however, is that at heart, Megan James and Corin Roddick are far more interested in the pop side of that genre equation” – Spin. (Limited quantities pressed on clear vinyl.)
Rixton – Rixton CD (Interscope)
Debut album from the Manchester, England-based a capella foursome. Let The Road includes their platinum-selling single, “Me And My Broken Heart” along with the tracks “Wait On Me” and “Hotel Ceiling,” which was co-written by Ed Sheeran.
Jeff Rosenstock – We Cool? CD/LP (Side One Dummy)
For the better part of a decade, Jeff Rosenstock served as the mastermind for New York punk collective Bomb The Music Industry!. Following the band’s disbandment in 2014, however, he started a new band called Antarctigo Vespucci and released a handful of 7” singles. Now, the Long Island native releases his solo album, We Cool?, which serves as a much-needed alternative to the over-bloated rock star faux-indie bullshit that seems to be overwhelming today’s music scene. The album is loaded with undeniable power pop anthems from start to finish that will make you dance around your living room while simultaneously causing you to have an internal emotional breakdown.
Sannhet – Revisionist CD/LP (The Flenser)
Sophomore album from the Brooklyn avant-post-metal outfit (the word “sannhet” means “truth” in Norwegian). Continuing where Known Flood leaves off, Revisionist is an epic, trance-inducing concoction of math-metal intricacy, prismatic pop shimmer, and dense metallic crush. Dynamic indie rock-isms and the metal-gaze sound of like-minded combos Deafheaven or Alcest are distilled into concise song structures. At the same time, Sannhet offers the powerful emotiveness of instrumental post-rock acts like Explosions In The Sky or Godspeed You! Black Emperor, packing just as many musical ideas and majestic heights into a compact blast.
Scorpions – Return To Forever CD/LP (Sony Music Germany)
“Across the 12 tracks (16 on the deluxe edition) you get a good mix of classic Scorps, some tracks come over much better than others (not sure how well the sleaze fits in to some). Anyone else I’d say ‘lose the cheese,’ but a thick slice of cheddar is OK once in a while. This is a class way of celebrating 50 years and if they really do bow out now, the heads are still held high.” – Metal Talk
Sons Of Texas – Baptized In The Rio Grande CD (Razor & Tie)
Sons Of Texas was spawned in McAllen Texas, a valley town without the music legacy of Austin or Arlington. The scene vibes music for music’s sake with metalcore bands, blues-rock bands, and straight up rock & roll bands swapping members and sharing bills. Baptized In The Rio Grande is an album for raising hell and enduring hard times. The record spans good old bad boy anthems like “Texas Trim” and “Baptized In The Rio Grande,” the stately ballad territory of the haunting “September,” and the dead-end job frustration of “Pull It And Fire.” The standout track, “Blameshift,” showcases the band’s modern rock radio potential without sacrificing heft for hooks.
Amy Speace – That Kind Of Girl CD/LP (Windbone)
That Kind Of Girl is an intimate, heart-wrenching exploration of a love affair and its aftermath, the dangerous addictive dance of love and alcohol, and the sobering journey out of it. Recorded live in three days to capture an emotional immediacy, rife with stirring strings, weeping pedal steel and full of melancholy, these songs are not only an exorcism of the soul but an exploration of the impossible secrecy of “the other woman.” The album was recorded in East Nashville and features producer Neilson Hubbard on drums, guitarists Will Kimbrough (Rodney Crowell, Todd Snider) and Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket), Eamon McLoughlin on strings and mandolin, Danny Mitchell on keys and horns, and Dean Marold on upright bass.
The Staple Singers – Freedom Highway Complete [Reissue/1965] CD/LP (Epic)
Freedom Highway Complete is a newly remixed, remastered and expanded edition of the live concert masterpiece recorded by the Staple Singers in April 1965 in support and celebration of that year’s historic civil rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama. Featuring previously unreleased performances, the spiritually uplifting service, “Pops” Staples’ Intro and Outro and more, Freedom Highway Complete puts the listener right in the church, with the Staples, the choir, the band, and the congregation.
The Stones – Three Blind Mice CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
New compilation by the under-appreciated New Zealand indie band. The Stones were birthed by singer/guitarist Wayne Elsey’s decision to quit Bored Games to start a band that sounded like The Clean. The band debuted in 1981 at an Otago University a gig headlined by Bored Games (Shayne Carter) and new comers The Chills and The Verlaines. Elsey’s vision for a band that sounded like The Clean didn’t really come to fruition. The Stones were too bright not to create their own sound one wrapped in braggadocio and swagger. Fast, aggressive guitars, driving rhythm section with a knack for fluid pop structures.
The Storyteller – Sacred Fire CD (Black Lodge)
New album from the Swedish metal band.
Swervedriver – I Wasn’t Born To Lose You CD/2xLP (Cobraside)
Swervedriver return with their first new album in 18 years. I Wasn’t Born To Lose You features the classic Swervedriver sound — the liquid distortion of shoegaze combined with the swagger of Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. (Vinyl version includes two bonus tracks.)
Jessi Teich – Twisted Soul CD (Madame Freak)
New album from the powerhouse vocalist. Jessi calls Twisted Soul is “a crossover record with a jazz spinal cord,” with a sequenced “poperatic” story arc of cathartic metamorphosis overcoming tragedy through change and growth.
Torchure – Essence [Reissue/1993] CD (Vic)
Digitally remastered edition of the second album from the German death metal band including two bonus tracks plus booklet containing liner notes and rare photos.
Transmetal – Peregrinacion A La Cabeza De Cristo CD (End Of The Light)
Peregrinacion A La Cabeza De Cristo (“Pilgrimage To The Head Of Christ”) is the 33rd album by Mexican death metal band Transmetal since they formed 27 years ago.
Carter Tutti – Carter Tutti Plays Chris & Cosey CD/2xLP (CTI)
Reinterpretations and re-workings of classic Chris & Cosey songs from the 1980s-1990s.
Tuxedo – Tuxedo CD/LP+MP3 (Stones Throw)
The two Grammy-nominated artists have teamed up as Tuxedo. Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One are descendants of the one-word moniker family of funk, where you will find groups such as Chic, Shalamar, Plush and Zapp. The Tuxedo collaboration began with an exchange of mixtapes back in 2006. The fruits of a long-standing kinship were three tracks that mysteriously showed up on Internet doorsteps nearly two years ago. In between personal projects, these three tracks became a full album s worth of Tuxedo. The album was mixed by original disco don dada John Morales at his home studio in South Plainfield, New Jersey.
UFO – A Conspiracy Of Stars CD (Steamhammer)
New album from the veteran British metal band — available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus track and foldout poster.
Vanilla Fudge – Spirit Of ’67 CD (Cleopatra)
A collection of covers including The Box Tops “The Letter,” Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade Of Pale,” The Who’s “I Can See For Miles,” Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’” and more.
Various Artists – Immortal Randy Rhoads: The Ultimate Tribute CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (UDR)
A collection of 11 classic Rhoads co-written songs performed by twenty artists, including Serj Tankiann, Tom Morello, Vinny Appice, Tim (Ripper) Owens, Chuck Billy, Alexi Laiho, George Lynch, Gus G., Bruce Kulick, Doug Aldrich, Dweezil Zappa, as well as old friends and performing partners Rudy Sarzo and Frankie Banali, his Brother Kelle Rhoads and more. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus DVD. Also available on white vinyl.
Various Artists – The Magical Mystery Psych-Out CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Modern psychedelic rock bands cover the Beatles, including Electric Moon, The Ruby Suns, The KVB, The Underground Youth, The Vacant Lots, and more.
Various Artists – Signature Sounds 20th Anniversary Collection CD (Signature Sounds)
A collection of rare and previously unreleased recordings from leading New England roots label Signature Sounds, featuring Josh Ritter, Crooked Still, Jeffrey Foucault, Parsonsfield, Winterpills, Lake Street Dive and many more.
Various Artists – Ultra High Frequencies: The Chicago Party CD+DVD/2xLP+DVD (Numero)
For 23 straight Saturday nights of 1982, The Chicago Party dance show assaulted Chicagoland UHF eyeballs with Spandex, Southside fly guys, tender tenderonies, magicians, contortionists, prismatic video gimmickry, and lip-synched singles by a rising regime of local post-disco casualties. Unfettered nightlife and outlandish humor poured out of oddball outpost The CopHerBox II and onto TV screens, presented here as a 100 minute video mixtape on DVD. Its companion compilation features five previously unreleased tracks, joined by music culled from a trove of self-released 45s and small-time 12”s.
Vessels – Dilate CD (Bias)
Vessels emerge into the light with a brave and brilliant new sound, masterfully fusing the widescreen builds and elegant breakdowns of their previous work with altogether more physical electronic rhythms. With their new album Dilate, Vessels are firmly focused on the euphoria of the dancefloor.
Joanna Wallfisch With Dan Tepfer – The Origin Of Adjustable Things CD (Sunnyside)
Hailed by the great Fred Hersch as a real discovery — a first-rate musician in every way, British vocalist Joanna Wallfisch has built an impressive profile since her move to New York from London in 2012. She takes a bold step forward in her creative journey with The Origin Of Adjustable Things, a stark and expressive duo album with rising piano master Dan Tepfer.
Jerry Williams – Gone CD (Real Gone Music)
First scheduled for release in 1979, Jerry Williams’ debut album for Warner Brothers Records was pulled from distribution before it ever made the record stores, victim of a dispute with the label. Gone was going to be the breakthrough album for Williams. Produced by Chris Kimsey as his first project following the production of the Rolling Stones smash Some Girls album, Gone offered a totally unique mix of rock and soul, and featured players like bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, drummer Jeff Porcaro and guitarist Steve Cropper.
Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase. CD+DVD-Audio/Blu-ray-Audo+MP3+Flac/2xLP+MP3 (K-scope)
The fourth solo album from the prolific songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and producer, Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree). Hand. Cannot Erase. is a dynamic 11-song conceptual set, bringing together diverse aspects of his expansive sonic history. Recorded in September 2014 at AIR Studios London, the album features the guitar-driven power, infectious melodies, and progressive sensibility of Wilson’s sprawling body of work. Available in a wide variety of formats. Blu-ray-Audio edition adds seven additional tracks including alternate and radio mixes, and includes download codes for MP3 and FLAC versions of the songs.
Young Buffalo – House CD/LP (Votiv Music)
There’s nothing typical about the Oxford, Mississippi-based rock act Young Buffalo or the story behind their debut album, House. Although the group’s songwriters Ben Yarbrough and Jim Barrett didn’t begin playing under the Young Buffalo moniker until 2009, they started writing music together as teenagers and never ceased evolving. The band — which now also features drummer Tim Burkhead, bassist Andrew Guinn and keyboardist Will Eubanks — couldn’t be more excited to share their debut album, an 11-track effort produced by Dave Schiffman (Haim, Weezer) that establishes the five-piece act as a band that s as unique as the town where they were conceived.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Agnostic Front – No One Rules LP (Radio Raheem)
A collection of long lost material from New York’s legendary hardcore band, including 34 tracks across two different recording sessions from the famous Don Fury Demos, the first 1983 session predating the United Blood 7” and the second 1984 session recorded just before the Victim In Pain LP.
Oren Ambarchi – Quixotism LP (Editions Mego)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Quixotism takes this aspect of Ambarchi’s recent work to the next level: the entirety of this long-form work is built on a foundation of pulsing double-time electronic percussion provided by Thomas Brinkmann.
Oren Ambarchi & Jim O’Rourke – Behold LP (Editions Mego)
Second collaborative release, following their 2011 LP Indeed. Behold seamlessly blends field recordings, electronics, guitar, drums, and other acoustic instruments into a subtle combination of krautrock, minimalism, and classic free flowing electronics.
Bayside – Cult (White Edition) 2xLP (Hopeless)
In celebration of their 15th Anniversary, Bayside will also be reissue their newest and highest charting album Cult as a special edition double LP. Cult (White Edition) features four bonus tracks, including a brand new song “Dancing Like An Idiot” and “Indiana” from the band’s Record Store Day 2014 exclusive 7”.
Beach Slang – Cheap Thrills On A Dead End Street 7” (Tiny Engines)
Philadelphia, PA’s Beach Slang have been the talk of the scene this year making a big splash with their powerful debut EP, Who Would Ever Want Anything So Broken?. A supergroup of sorts, featuring James Snyder of Weston, JP Flexner of Ex-Friends, and Ed McNulty, formerly Of Nona, currently of Crybaby, Beach Slang’s seamless mix of indie, emo and pop/punk is the perfect punk rock soundtrack.
Beech Creeps – Beech Creeps LP (Monofonus Press)
Beech Creeps, a rock & roll Chimera (the kind that breathes fire) will shake you up their self-titled LP. Their eponymous album captures the glory of the Creepsound—at times sublime, crusty, swirling and headbanging. It’s like Mötörhead kicking Superchunk’s ass and Soundgarden cheering them on. Or the Melvins eating the Cure.
Black Star Riders – Killer Instinct LP (Nuclear Blast)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Fresh from the critically acclaimed debut album All Hell Breaks Loose in 2013, Black Star Riders release their sophomore studio album The Killer Instinct. In October 2014 the band gathered in Nashville, TN and entered the studio with Grammy award winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Mastodon) to record the album. Hard rock in the classic tradition.
Blaxxx – For No Apparent Reason LP 12XU)
Blaxxx is a collaboration between Lamont ‘Bim’ Thomas (Obnox) and OBN III frontman Orville Neeley and Tom Triplett (also of OBN III and The Energy). In just a few hours the trio managed to record four brilliantly distorted and warped tracks that are sure to delight any lo-fi, garage rock fan.
Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears 3 [Reissue/1970] LP (Friday Music)
BS&T’s sound was new and exciting, the songs were thrilling, their horns meshed with rock & roll, fusing a brand new vibe, which continued successfully on their third album Blood, Sweat & Tears 3. Featuring a treasure trove of smash hit singles and FM radio deep track favorites, the LP soared to the top of the charts back in the day. HQ-180gm clear vinyl with gatefold jacket.
Bored Youth – Are You Alive LP (Alona’s Dream)
Captured at the band’s zenith, Are You Alive finds Bored Youth unleashing their unique blend of UK-inspired Midwest hardcore punk across ten tracks originally engineered by then-Necros bassist and Touch And Go Records honcho Corey Rusk in 1982. The B-side sees an early incarnation of the band as a three-piece in 1981. Live at the legendary Detroit venue Nunzio’s, the trio is no less powerful as they blaze through a set of future hardcore classics and throw in a few fundamental punk covers along the way.
Breakfast In Fur – Flyaway Garden LP+MP3 (Bar/None)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The debut full length album from New Paltz, NY’s Breakfast In Fur is indie rock loaded with psychedelic textures, nods to ’90s electronica, ’60s pop song-craft, and ecstatic punk energy.
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective Volume Two [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (A. Records)
Includes the second half of the double-CD Tepid Peppermint Wonderland: A Retrospective remastered for vinyl. Continues to mine the period of 1995-2004 and includes key tracks from all albums as well as live recordings and many otherwise unreleased tracks.
Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Get On Down)
By the time Busta Rhymes hit with his second solo album, When Disaster Strikes, he was already cemented as one of the most powerful voices in the rap game.
Carlton Melton/Kandodo 3 – Kandodo 3/Carlton Melton LP (Creepy Crawl)
“This is the Melton soaring into the stratosphere with their own toke on spaced travel via olfactory motion. Many would simply say ‘psych,’ we say ‘space’ and ‘no frontiers!’ fly on brothers. Kandodo 3 is the new ‘nom de plume’ for Simon Price’s (The Heads) Kandodo project, having roped in fellow Heads’ Wayne Maskell (drum patterns and rhythm driving) and Hugo Morgan (bass throb and guidance) to record under the name Kandodo 3. They take up their whole side with one looping soundscape that jitters and skitters into and around patterns of dub and space, this exhilarating take on an already pre-determined trajectory is as awesome in its scope as it is in its journey, catch a ride!”
John Coltrane – The Paris Concert [Reissue/1979] LP (Fantasy)
Culled from a set of live performances recorded in Paris during 1962, John Coltrane’s Paris Concert finds the tenor virtuoso stretching out and flashing his improvisational prowess on a 25-plus minute version of ‘Mr. P.C.’ buoyed by the supple combo of McCoy Tyner (piano), Jimmy Garrison (double bass), and Elvin Jones (drums).
Loren Connors – Blues: The ‘Dark Paintings’ Of Mark Rothko LP+MP3 (Family Vineyard)
Originally released in a hand-made edition of around 300 copies on his own St. Joan label in 1990 under the name Guitar Roberts — this album has been unavailable in any form until now. Distilled the blues form into bleak, minimalist lines and tone; a compound of influences spanning Louisiana guitarist Robert Pete Johnson to painter Mark Rothko.
Cornershop – Hold On It’s Easy LP+MP3 (Ample Play)
In 1993 Cornershop went into the studio to record their first album proper. Given the praise the album is getting now, especially in America, it’s hard to believe the group had to dispense with the producer half way through, but with the financial restraints of being based on a small label in the basement of the Rough Trade Record Shop off Portobello Road they had to persevere to get it finished. This was the Riot Grrrl era and Cornershop were the only all-male band to be a part of it. Hold On It’s Easy is an instrumental, easy listening re-make of their 1993 album, Hold On It Hurts.
Alessandro Cortini – Forse 3 2xLP (Important)
Alessandro Cortini (Nine Inch Nails/How To Destroy Angels) composed the Forse series using a Buchla Music Easel. Forse, meaning “maybe” In Italian, is a series of three double-LP releases Cortini recorded for Important to release in 2013.
Crocodiles – Crybaby Demon b/w U Sexy Thing 7” (Zoo Music)
The first single from Crocodiles’ forthcoming album Boys offers a gaze into the salsa-punk existence the band lived while recording in Mexico City. It is the sound of helado and cervezas; bottles smashing against heads in Cuauhtémoc bat-caves.
Sarah Davachi – Barons Court LP (Students Of Decay)
Barons Court is the debut full-length album by Canadian electroacoustic composer Sarah Davachi. Trained at Mills College, Davachi’s academic approach to synthesis and live instrumentation unites with a preternatural attunement to timbre, pacing and atmosphere. While the record employs a number of vintage and legendary synthesizers, including Buchla’s 200 and Music Easel, an EMS Synthi, and Sequential Circuit’s Prophet 5, Davachi’s approach to her craft here is much more in line with the long-form textural minimalism of Éliane Radigue than it is with the hyper-dense modular pyrotechnics of the majority of her synthesist contemporaries.
DRKWAV – The Purge LP (The Royal Potato Family)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. DRKWAV is Skerik (saxophones), John Medeski (keyboards) and Adam Deitch (drums). The three master musicians have come together for The Purge, an entirely uncompromising debut album that delves deep into the psychedelic corners of the human psyche.
Charles Earland – Black Talk! [Reissue/1970] LP (Fantasy)
Formidably talented organist Charles Earland converted the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” into an anthem called “Black Talk” and came up with one of the huge soul-jazz hits of the early seventies. In this album, Earland worked the same magic with two other pop songs, “Aquarius” and “More Today Than Yesterday,” giving them the urgency and forward movement of R&B but managing to inject them with jazz values.
Energy Gown – Evening Molasses 7” (Alona’s Dream)
“Evening Molasses” finds Energy Gown’s bad vibe/outsider psych in full force, diving deep down into the darkest droned out corners of Japanese psych weirdness, crawling up through the analog wasteland of art damaged krautrock and resurfacing somewhere in the most menacing strung-out corners of the late ‘60s US/UK lysergic garage rock scenes.
Lawrence English – Viento LP (Taiga)
A work composed from field recordings of extreme winds in Patagonia and Antarctica.
Escavels – Lonely Sea b/w You Should Know 7” (Alona’s Dream)
The Escavels were more than just part of the Chicago garage band explosion of the early 1960s: their influence stretches into some pretty heavy gigs, from garage legends to major label blues-boogie bands to 1970s cult psychedelic albums. This single is from their lone session at Recordings Unlimited in Chicago where they cut two original songs direct to an 8-inch lacquer coated aluminum disc. The first was an original: “Lonely Sea,” a moody surfer’s lament largely influenced by the band’s love of the Beach Boys. On the other side was “You Should Know,” an upbeat garage stomper. Members later went on to join Pacific Gas & Electric.
Evensong – Evensong [Reissue/1973] LP (Beatball)
Originally released in 1973 on Philips, Evensong’s self-titled album is a high-prized UK folk-pop artifact released to critical acclaim and strong sales. The duo’s fragile, harmony-drenched songs are given instrumental muscle by seasoned session players Clem Cattini, B. J. Cole and Herbie Flowers, and ornate string arrangements courtesy of former Spencer Davis Group guitarist Ray Fenwick. HQ-180gm.
Foghat – Live [Reissue/1977] LP (Real Gone Music)
38 minutes of blues-rock bliss, remastered for HQ-180gm vinyl
Gaussian Curve – Clouds LP (Music From Memory)
Collaboration between Italian ambient pioneer Gigi Masin, Land Of Light’s Jonny Nash, and Marco Sterk (Young Marco). “The eight songs here, all instrumentals, feel less like standalone pieces than variations on a common theme. They share similar instrumentation, and they’re all uniformly limpid and languid. Masin sets the tone, and the pace, with slow-moving chords on acoustic piano or Rhodes keyboard, while Nash and Sterk flesh out the songs with gently meandering electric guitar, wispy synthesizer pads, and, occasionally, trumpet and melodica. Given the trumpet, the music often brings to mind Jon Hassell’s Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street.” – Pitchfork
The J. Geils Band – Bloodshot [Reissue/1973] LP (Real Gone Music)
Despite a couple of previous worthy studio efforts to their name, when Bloodshot came out in 1973, the J. Geils Band was best known for being a smokin’ hot live act, a reputation bolstered by the success of their previous album, Live Full House, which was their highest-charting record to date. But Bloodshot changed all that here was a studio record that captured all the raucous energy of their concerts, but tailored it into nine songs that maintained the band s hard-rockin’ R&B virtues while also displaying a rapid artistic maturation. Red vinyl.
Gemini Lion – Adoration 12” (House Of Silk)
Portland vocal house roots duo Gemini Lion is an ongoing collaboration between soul-singer J. Green and Silk staple producer A. Kalin (Temples, Polonaise, Finesse). Adoration, their debut, pickpockets from various downtown wardrobes for a multi-culti vibe that’s equal parts party monster, ballroom strut, and melancholic sweat.
Rhiannon Giddens – Tomorrow Is My Turn LP (Nonesuch)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rhiannon Giddens, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of Carolina Chocolate Drops, makes her solo recording debut with the T Bone Burnett-produced Tomorrow Is My Turn, which features a broad range of songs from genres as diverse as gospel, jazz, blues, and country.
Jonny Greenwood – Inherent Vice [OST/Score] LP (Nonesuch)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Original score to Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood.
The Griffith Harter Union – Progress b/w House In The Country 7” (Alona’s Dream)
Reissue of the only single from fabled Chicago garage rock band. These sides, originally recorded at Chess Studios, represent the only audible remains of the band which played frequently in Chicago’s burgeoning “Old Town” music scene. The record was originally released in an edition of a few hundred on the Chicago label JIM-KO in 1967. The searing lead guitar on the A Side “Progress” is a tough Chicago garage take on a song made popular by The Pretty Things and features the very early use of a wah-wah pedal, which was only invented in late 1966.
Hauschka – The Prepared Piano [Reissue/2005] LP+MP3 (Karaoke Kalk)
Vinyl repress of Hauschka’s 2005 album. On The Prepared Piano, Hauschka focused on just one piano, a smattering of synthesizer, and bass and drum, though it sounds as if there is an entire orchestra accompanying him. Includes a download of album plus two bonus tracks.
Howard – Religion LP (Fashion People)
Folktronica from Brooklyn, NY.
JJ-180 – Talk Talk b/w Classroom 7” (Alona’s Dream)
JJ-180 got its start in 1977 when a group of teenagers came together around the art and music that had influenced them growing up in the ‘70s in Santa Cruz. Their music was a hybrid of the then emerging punk sound as well as ‘60s surf, garage and psychedelic music. The band was a keystone of the Santa Cruz punk scene and organized many important early punk and new wave shows in their hometown. After establishing a local following, they released a single and a few songs on compilations. This is that very single.
Elle King – Love Stuff LP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album from singer Elle King. Love Stuff follows her acclaimed self-titled EP in 2014. Collaborating with the likes of Mark Ronson, Jacknife Lee, Eg White, and Jeff Bhasker, King delivers a selection of blues and rock & roll-inspired pop tracks.
King Crimson – Live At The Orpheum LP (Discipline Global Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Comprised of 41 minutes of material by the newest incarnation of the band fronted by the line-up’s formidable three-drummer setup, Live At The Orpheum features a mixt of new and old King Crimson material — some being performed live for the first time.
Los Piranas – Salvemos Nuestro Folcor 7” (Alona’s Dream)
Bogota, Colombia’s Los Piranas blend tropical rhythms, punk attitude and modern electronics with nods to everything from surf music to Afrobeat to no wave. Their songs are marked by pulsing basslines with driving drums and other worldly guitar.
Lotic – Heterocetera 12” (Tri-Angle)
In 2014, Damsel In Distress, a free mixtape album created by 23 year old J’Kerian Morgan, aka Lotic, garnered universal praise from all who heard it. Consisting of all original material and mind-warping edits of smash hits like “Drunk In Love” by Beyoncé, the mixtape was lauded as an ‘important turning point’ in regards to where electronic music could go next. Heterocetera is Lotic’s first official release since the unveiling of Damsel In Distress and marks the producer’s debut on Tri Angle.
Harvey Mandel – Cristo Redentor [Reissue/1968] LP (Cleopatra)
The 1968 debut solo release from guitar legend Harvey Mandel reissued on a deluxe 180gm vinyl.
Mastodon – Blood Mountain [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Reprise)
Solid yellow/transparent green colored vinyl reissue.
Bruno Nicolai – The Red Queen Kills Seven Times [1976] LP (Dagored)
Bruno Nicolai met Morricone when they were both studying at Rome’s Santa Cecilia music academy. Nicolai was the conductor on many of the maestro’s scores from For a Few Dollars More onwards, but also found himself with plenty of composing work of his own throughout the ’60s and ’70s. Nicolai became almost as prolific as the maestro himself, particularly within the western and giallo genres. The Red Queen is a great example of his giallo work. It has a distinctive and memorable main theme, and a second ascending piano-led theme that accompanies some of the suspense sequences.
No Age – Weirdo Rippers [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (FatCat)
Tracking down all of No Age’s early 7-inches on the cheap might be a tall order these days, so the punk band has done vinyl fans a solid and repressed their 2007 singles compendium, Weirdo Rippers.
Null – Almost LP (Acephale)
Dense, saturated synthesizer lines evoking CJ Bolland or Josh Wink weave into lush, euphoric textures reminiscent of Orbital and Underworld. Massive, dusty breakbeats flirt with classic drum machines and found, ambient sound recalling DJs Krush and Shadow.
Ohio Players – Observations In Time [Reissue/1969] LP (Cleopatra)
The 1969 debut album by R&B legends has been reissued on vinyl with the original artwork and detailed liner notes.
Riz Ortolani – Cannibal Holocaust [1980] LP (Mondo)
Considered one of the most notorious films ever released and banned in over 50 countries for many years, Ruggero Deodato’s most brutal film (and surely one of the first ‘found footage’ films) still retains the power to shock to this day, it charts a team of documentary filmmakers as they go deep into the jungle to find and film the indigenous tribes of the area. First time on vinyl. HQ-180gm.
Suggie Otis – Live In Williamsburg LP (Cleopatra)
The vinyl companion to Shuggie’s first-ever live album recorded at The Music Hall Of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY on his comeback tour.
Maceo Parker – Us [Reissue/1974] LP (Get On Down)
Maceo Parker was one of the most revered and loved members of James Brown’s famed J.B.’s band from the late ‘60s to the mid-1970s. Alongside his instantly recognizable alto saxophone solos, he occasionally performed as comedian before James Brown shows, in addition to playing MC. He was a true renaissance man.
Parquet Courts – Live At Third Man LP (Third Man)
Recorded live direct to acetate from their performance at Third Man Records in Nashville.
Places To Hide – Wild N Soft 7” (Tiny Engines)
“Throwing out the “band is maturing” phrase can sometimes be a death knell for what you loved about them in the first place. Barely two years into their formation, Atlanta indie/punk band Places To Hide are assuredly growing up. Still wild, but softer, dare we say more mature.”
Porcupine Tree – Up The Downstair [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Kscope)
Porcupine Tree’s 1993 classic comes is reissued as double HQ-180gm heavy-weight red color vinyl pressing with gatefold sleeve, and features the 2004 remix/remaster of Up The Downstair/Staircase Infinities, plus the bonus track “Phantoms” (taken from the Stars Die anthology).
Powerdove – Arrest LP (Sickroom)
Abstract in certain ways, poetic in nature, collage-like collaborations of sound and disjointed melodies that all reflect an array of emotions that emanate from our chaotic, beautiful, universal voyage through this wonderful modern universe. This record is one of a kind and definitely worth a listen.
The Psychedelic Schafferson Jetplane – The Psychedelic Schafferson Jetplane [Reissue/2010] LP (Bym)
From the first listen, The Psychedelic Schafferson Jetplane brings the revival of the neo-psychedelia from the nineties as represented by bands like The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3, Love and Les Big Byrd, amongst others. Although this is happening in Chile 10 years later, it means that this kind of music, a song created by a simple chord in a Spanish guitar, is still important in different parts of the world, even more in Chile and the psych scene occurring in the past years (i.e. Föllakzoid, La Hell Gang, The Holydrug Couple). Lo-fi recording settings, unconscious directed jams; with an acid bluesy style creates the unique sound of the record.
Rites Of The Accused – Innocence [Reissue/1984] 7” (Alona’s Dream)
Reissue of the classic debut EP by the legendary Chicago hardcore punks. Cut originally in 1984, the long out of print Innocence EP captures all of the energy and attitude the band became known for at their over the top live shows.
Joanne Robertson – Black Moon Days LP+MP3 (Feeding Tube)
Robertson’s second LP proceeds from the avant-folk tradition first explored on The Lighter, reminiscent of Sibylle Baier’s deepest darkness, but also includes rougher electric material, with open chord squalls of quiet brutality leavened by sweet vocals and lulling cadences.
Stovebolts – Late In The Day LP (Blahll)
In your face, no frills rock & roll from Mississippi.
Terminal Fuzz Terror – Volume 0: In The Shadow Of The Mountain LP+MP3 (Robotic Empire)
On their debut, Terminal Fuzz Terror unleashes raw rock & roll fury sifted through the filters of punk, psychedelia and blues. Pummeling percussion and wailing riffs accompany vocals channeling an obliterated Jim Morrison at the height of religious revelry.
Jacky Terrasson – Take This LP (Impulse!)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Pianist/composer Jacky Terrasson makes his Impulse! label debut with this sparkling new album that captures the quintessence of his multifaceted musical makeup, which often draws upon modern post-bop, pop, hip-hop, European classical, and African and Afro-Caribbean rhythms and melodies.
Texas – Texas 25 LP (PIAS America)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Scottish chart-toppers Texas celebrate their 25th Anniversary with Texas 25, which contains four brand new songs and highlights from the band’s greatest hits completely re-recorded and re-worked with acclaimed NYC soul outfit Truth & Soul (Amy Winehouse, Adele).
Various Artists – Strategies Against The Body: A Contemporary Survey LP (DKA)
This seven-track overview celebrates the dramatic resurgence of industrial music and culture that has been sweeping the globe the past few years. Together, the artists featured on this compilation present an incisive look at the depth and span of the genre while also moving the form forward into bold new shapes. Touching on filthy synthpunk, expansive pop, primitive Body Music and clattering techno, this compilation is exclusively composed of previously unreleased music from High-Functioning Flesh (Dais/DKA), Tannhäuser Gate (Gooiland Elektro), RedRedRed (Dark Entries), Xander Harris (Rock Action/Not Not Fun), DVA Damas (Downwards), and DKA’s own Tifaret and Twins.
Rick Wakeman – The Six Wives Of Henry VIII [Reissue/1972] LP (A&M)
Rick Wakeman – The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table [Reissue/1975] 2xLP (A&M)
Wakeman’s first and fourth albums get the deluxe vinyl reissue treatment.
John Wiese – Deviate From Balance 2xLP (Gilgongo)
John Wiese’s long-awaited Deviate From Balance is the artist’s first album since 2011’s Seven Of Wands (Pan). Recorded throughout Europe/UK, Australia, and the US, the album includes scored ensemble pieces including over 20 musicians on each, recorded in Melbourne and Portland, as well as audio documentation of installation pieces “Wind Changed Direction,” a four-channel sound piece presented in the garden of the Getty Center (curated by Liars), and “Battery Instruments,” an eight-channel piece presented at HSP in New Zealand, now heard for the first time. Also included are various collaborations and recordings from live performances.
Xetas – The Redeemer LP (12XU)
“Twelve months after debuting, the local trio of guitarist/vocalist David Petro, bassist/vocalist Kana Harris, and drummer Matt Buie bows an LP on 12XU Records. The Redeemer recalls an adrenaline-spiked version of Eighties punk outcasts the Wipers with agile riffing, prominent hooks, and dire sentiment.” – The Austin Chronicle
Dwight Yoakam – Hillbilly Deluxe [Reissue/1987] LP+MP3 (Warner Music Nashville)
Vinyl reissue of the second album by the country music singer/songwriter. Released in 1987, it was Yoakam’s second consecutive #1 album on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Four tracks were released as singles with each becoming Top 10 hits on the Hot Country Singles chart in 1987 and 1988. The vinyl was mastered at Capitol Mastering by Ron McMaster from original analog sources.
Cassettes:
Ata Kak – Obaa Sima (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
Ata Kak’s cassette Obaa Sima fell on deaf ears when it was self-released in Ghana and Canada in 1994. The music on the recording—an amalgam of highlife, Twi-language rap, funk and disco—is presented with the passion of a Prince record and the DIY-bedroom-recording lo-fi charm of early Chicago house music. The astute self-taught song craft and visionary blend of sounds and rhythms has made the album a left-field cult favorite.
Fluoride – Material (Bayonet)
Experimental project consisting of Dustin Payseur (Beach Fossils) and Rene Nunez (Herzog Rising). Pounding rhythms and blown-out electronic soundscapes with dual vocals.
Navastrau – The Navastrau Tapes 1980-1982 (Alona’s Dream)
Navastrau consisted of Rick Gallo and vocalist Gretchen Witte; they were part of the Disturbing Records crew. Navastrau was known for its unique techno sound and its reluctance to perform live (they only played live once at the Exit in 1980 in Chicago). This cassette culls their first two 45s (Vergess Mir Nit and American Fitness) with two additional unreleased tracks.
Red Sea – In The Salon (Bayonet)
As of late, Red Sea’s influences are said to have stemmed from tropicalia, funk, classical and gamelan music.
Warehouse – Tesseract (Bayonet)
Warehouse finds its inspirations in Brazil’s bossa nova and tropicalia movements. Tesseract is a slight departure from some of their earlier new wave material, highlighting more classic rock elements, matched by Elaine’s guttural vocals.
Delayed?
[3/24/15] Björk – Vulnicura CD/LP (One Little Indian)
Vulnicura is the eighth studio album from Icelandic artist Björk. The album was written, produced and recorded in collaboration with Venezuelan producer Arca and British musician The Haxan Cloak. Of the album’s nine tracks, six are written by Björk with two co-written with Arca and one co-written with Spaces. Six songs are produced by Björk and Arca, one by Björk, Arca and The Haxan Cloak and two by Björk. All string arrangements are by Björk. The album was mixed by The Haxan Cloak, except two songs mixed by The Haxan Cloak and Chris Elms, and mastered by Mandy Parnell.
[3/17/15] Modest Mouse – Strangers To Ourselves CD/2xLP (Glacial Pace/Epic)
“As of 2007, Modest Mouse had released five studio albums in eleven years since their conception. They were bonkers and ever-changing, but their studio output was reliable. It’s been eight years since that year’s album We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. A break of this length between studio albums is almost exclusively labeled with the ‘hiatus’ tag. In Modest Mouse’s situation though, calling this time period as a break of any kind would be an injustice, and in fact it’s potentially been the most interesting and compelling near-decade of their existence. The result brings together every line-up change, potential collaboration, cancelled tour and old/new song that hasn’t yet found home on a full-length, and whatever Strangers To Ourselves brings, it’s bound to be as obtuse and unusual as Modest Mouse have made their name for being.” — DIY
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