CDs + Vinyl:
!!! – As If CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)
Combining punk abandon and tightly-coiled dance music has always been bonded into !!!’s DNA. It’s this core plus their growth and mastery of songwriting that has seen them outlive the mid-2000s ‘indie/dance punk’ tag and has allowed them to consistently grow lyrically and sonically from album to album. As If is their sixth album and their first since 2013’s Thr!!!er, and was self-produced mostly by the band, along with some help from Spoon’s Jim Eno and Patrick Ford, who have worked with them in the past. “Everyone wants us to be punk; everyone wants us to be raw,” Nic Offer said in an interview with Spin earlier this month. “Well, we want to make dance music. The kind of dance music that sounds raw is that early-’90s house records.”
Edward David Anderson – Lower Alabama: The Loxley Sessions CD (The Royal Potato Family)
Anderson returns with his second solo album — a nine-track effort is the most stripped-down and roots-based album. The resulting collection floats melodiously on rivers of fiddle and clouds of pedal steel, on gentle acoustic guitars and hints of piano, dusted with some ghostly guitar from Will Kimbrough and striking vocal harmony from Crawford’s wife, singer Savana Lee. Vinyl due November 27.
Olga Bell – Incitation CD (One Little Indian)
“After the Dirty Projectors split with Angel Deradoorian, they added Olga Bell to their lineup for 2012’s Swing Lo Magellan. But we’ve been covering Olga Bell since she was in the collaborative outfit Bell, a 2008-era Band To Watch. These days, Bell is a solo artist under her full name, releasing an album sung completely in Russian last year called Krai and following that up this year with a new EP. Maybe sharing a label with Björk inspired Bell to channel some of her head-thrown-back pathos (although Bell is already on the record as a fan). The title track ‘Incitation’ submerges dark and discordant brass under angular synths and frenzied beats. It would feel disorganized if it wasn’t for the sharp stab of her voice piercing through the noise.” – Stereoum. Vinyl version due November 27.
Birthmark – How You Look When You’re Falling Down CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Birthmark is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Nate Kinsella, who on top of releasing three previous albums under the Birthmark moniker, has collaborated with his cousins Mike and Tim Kinsella in various projects over the years (Owen, American Football, Joan Of Arc, Make Believe).
Raoul Björkenheim with Ecstasy – Out Of The Blue CD (Cuneiform)
Ecstasy is usually an all too fleeting experience offering the briefest glimpse at transcendence. But a heightened sense of consciousness and discovery manifests throughout Out Of The Blue, the transporting second album by composer and guitar maestro Raoul Björkenheim and his extraordinary Finnish quartet Ecstasy. Featuring the celebrated drummer Markku Ounaskari, the young and dauntingly prolific bassist Jori Huhtala and saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen, Ecstasy has forged more than a signature sound. Earthy, pristine and unmistakably Nordic, the music evokes the grandeur of Finnish landscapes and the hothouse intimacy of a tight-knit Helsinki scene where the musicians regularly convene to refine their volatile sound.
Doug Hream Blunt – My Name Is Doug Hream Blunt: Featuring The Hit CD (Luaka Bop)
Doug Hream Blunt learnt to play music at the age of 35, by taking an evening class in the Golden Gate neighborhood of San Francisco in the late 1980s. The class was organized by a local high school music teacher and his wife, and held in a small home-built studio of their garage. Today, Doug is starting to receive a cult following. With admirers such as Ariel Pink, Dam-Funk, David Byrne and Jamie Lidell, he has had a direct influence on the art and music of Dean Blunt, who has not only taken his name, but also created work following the steps of Doug — recording music with non-musicians and sidestepping other norms for ‘how things should be done.’
BØRNS – Dopamine CD (Interscope)
Growing up in coastal Michigan, Garrett Borns moved from one inspiration to another. His first artistic love was visual arts and then came music thanks to an eccentric piano teacher. At the age of fifteen BØRNS attended the prestigious summer program at Interlochen Center for the Arts to study filmmaking while writing songs on the side with the music majors. Playing local gigs through high school and college, BØRNS ended up in a secluded treehouse home in the Los Angeles canyons where he wrote his debut Candy EP, a set that filters the singer s naturally moody, sensual sound through an explosion of sunlight, as he puts it.
Joe Budden – All Love Lost CD (eOne)
Joe Budden, the quick-witted lyricist, has always has a knack for introspection, taking a life that he makes so public and twisting lines around it with humor and biting observations. But the New Jersey MC, known for his Mood Muzik mixtapes, his dalliances with dime pieces and a dark side, has really matured beyond his years. Guests include Royce Da 5’9, Marsha Ambrosius & Jadakiss, Eric Bellinger, Yummy Bingham & Felicia Temple, and Emanny.”
Christine And The Queens – Christine And The Queens CD (Atlantic)
Christine And The Queens’ Héloïse Letissier has already made a name on the back of her shadowy pop songs in her native France. This US edition features some translations of songs from the triple platinum French version as well as a few new songs and collaborations with Tunji Ige and Perfume Genius. “It’s challenging, Christine says, to be attempting full-scale U.S. crossover success while also combatting the norms of an industry she’s attempting to pierce, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. “The thing that bothers me is that sometimes I do interviews and they’re like, ‘Oh, so you’re like the good woman, ‘cause you’re not trivializing your body,’’ she says. ‘You’re not a whore. You’re not selling your body like Miley Cyrus.’ I love Miley! She’s punk rock, she’s crazy, she’s sexual, and that’s cool. I can be complex like that. I would love to be perceived as a male rock star. You can take a picture of me and not airbrush it. Embrace my defects” – SPIN. Vinyl version due October 30.
Claptone – Charmer CD (Different/PIAS America)
“The man with the golden-scooped beak – better known as Claptone – has lifted the lid on his hotly-tipped debut album called Charmer. With a string of break-out remixes and singles, the German producer has been building a lot of momentum” – Harder Blogger Faster. Vinyl version due October 30.
Coheed And Cambria – The Color Before The Sun CD/2xLP+CD (300 Entertainment)
Following the conceptual double album, The Afterman: Ascension and Descension, released in 2012 and 2013 respectively, The Color Before The Sun is the first non-conceptual album the band has released, making it the only Coheed And Cambria album to not be a part of The Amory Wars storyline.
Coil – Backwards CD (Cold Spring)
After the groundbreaking release of 1990’s Love’s Secret Domain album, Coil were not dormant; their main project was Backwards, which was started in 1992, updated considerably between 1993 and 1995, and transferred in 1996 to New Orleans, where it was finished at Trent Reznor’s Nothing Studios. The album saw the fruition of Jhonn Balance’s recent vocal-coaching, which produced haunting, passionate vocals while reaching new heights. Now, in 2015, 23 years after it’s initiation, these tracks have been beautifully preserved by Danny Hyde and are finally available in highest quality audio. Vinyl due November 13.
Coma – This Side Of Paradise CD/LP (Kompakt)
This Side Of Paradise is truly refined pop music that takes its cues from both sides of the musical fence. Coma don’t want to settle on whether they actually are a dance act or a pop outfit.
Counting Days – Liberated Sounds CD/LP+MP3 (Mascot)
Formed in 2014, Counting Days entwine a complex and ferocious blend of hardcore punk, thrash and British heavy metal which has already marked them out as one of the most exciting and talked about metalcore acts in Britain.
Crack The Sky – The Beauty Of Nothing CD (Aluminum Cat)
New album from the veteran prog-rock band
Cult Leader – Lightless Walk CD/LP/Cassette (Deathwish, Inc.)
Cult Leader is a band from Salt Lake City, UT that play metallic and grimy hardcore.
The dB’s & Friends – Christmas Time Again! [Reissue/1986] CD (Omnivore)
The dB’s & Friends’ Christmas Time Again! enters its third decade of holiday fun with an incredible mix of what’s been previously cherished and adds new tidings of comfort and joy. Chris Stamey (Sneakers, The dB’s) has revised this gift of seasonal music for under your tree and into your ears. Classic tracks from Stamey, The dB’s, Whiskeytown (with Ryan Adams), and Alex Chilton are joined by new performances by Yo La Tengo & Jeff Tweedy, Marshall Crenshaw, Robyn Hitchcock, and Big Star’s Third (featuring Mike Mills of R.E.M. taking lead vocals on Big Star’s “Jesus Christ”), among many others.
Dead Ghosts – Love And Death And All The Rest CD/LP+MP3 (Burger)
Love And Death And All The Rest hears the Vancouver garage rock band taking a refreshing DIY approach to recording, eschewing a standard studio in favor of a dilapidated barn on the outskirts of Vancouver. According to a press release, the self-produced album features a slightly more restrained feel, opting for a “fuller, less abrasive sound” than heard on previous releases.
Deerhunter – Fading Frontier CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)
The seventh full-length studio release for the Atlanta indie rock band was produced with Ben H. Allen III. “Cox drew an ‘influence map’ for this record, one which included R.E.M., Tom Petty, and INXS. All of these names together clarify something about Cox’s intentions: These are amongst the most agreeable rock artists to ever become stars, and Fading Frontier sounds like Deerhunter attempting to create songs that are equally enjoyable in an objective way as ‘Free Fallin’’ or ‘Need You Tonight’ or ‘The One I Love’—ones where if you hear them in a restaurant or car or house party, no one will ever ask you to turn them off. While Deerhunter’s created a number of indelible songs over their career, Fading Frontier may have their first that could conceivably blend into real-deal classic rock radio.” [BNM] – Pitchfork
Aisha Devi – Of Matter & Spirit CD/LP (Houndstooth)
Aisha Devi’s debut album Of Matter And Spirit sees the Swiss-Nepalese producer, vocalist, and label-owner resume her dark and intricate self-journey and investigation of the disconnection between matter and spirit in society, commenting upon media, consumerism, and collective mental and spiritual resistance, and finding inner peace. The album is a moving landscape of interconnected themes and experimental techniques. Using sound and vibrations to create a sense of healing and awareness, Devi’s production dilutes and skews traditional formats. Crafting vortices of haunting sounds from her vocals and production, her work is deeply self-reflective, yet simultaneously taps into the collective consciousness in order to awaken our senses.
The Edge Of Daybreak – Eyes Of Love CD/LP (Numero)
Incarcerated funk has no right to feel this free. Musical convicts and actual convicts from across the Commonwealth, The Edge Of Daybreak’s membership wrote and recorded Eyes Of Love while serving out sentences of six to sixty years. Set to tape inside Powhatan Correctional Center on the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, these intimate 1979 sessions unlock the prison gates and peer into a collective consciousness concocted by a core of four confined artists. Assembled from distant love ballads and fanciful odes to freedom, Eyes Of Love is a prison letter composed by committee recorded hastily, and circulated regionally amongst adventurous clientele willing to take a chance on these felonious talents.
Espen Eriksen – Never Ending January CD (Rune Grammofon)
The Espen Eriksen Trio, after worldwide tours that further refined their signature sound, present Never Ending January, their third album. Beautifully recorded and mixed at Propeller Studio in Oslo, the album focuses on typically Scandinavian elements such as folk music, melancholia, and the deep woods. In that respect it’s fair to say that they belong to the same tradition as Tord Gustavsen and the late Esbjörn Svensson, even Jan Johansson in some respects, but without really sounding like any of them.
ESB – ESB CD/LP (Bureau B)
In 2010 Lionel Laquerriere (Nestorisbianca, Geysir) joins Yann Tiersen’s live band. To break up the tedium of soundchecks, they begin to improvise analog synth versions of Tiersen’s songs. The concept of an all-analog project soon takes root. Convening at Tiersen’s studio, each member chooses two weapons from his analog armory and plugs in for ten days of intense, immersive, cosmic jamming. Electricity breathes life into the strange, tangled melodies. Common influences swirl around. Michael Bundt to Tim Hecker, Klaus Schulze to Fennesz, Popol Vuh to Loscil, Kraftwerk to F**k Buttons, Delia Derbyshire to Grouper, NEU! to Follakzoid.
Esmerine – Lost Voices CD/LP (Constellation)
Montréal chamber rock ensemble Esmerine return with the new full-length album. Led by co-founders Bruce Cawdron (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) on various mallet instruments and Rebecca Foon (Thee Silver Mt. Zion, Saltland) on cello, Esmerine also includes drummer/percussionist Jamie Thompson (The Unicorns, Islands, Little Scream) and multi-instrumentalist Brian Sanderson. Lost Voices can fairly be called Esmerine’s “rock” album, expanding upon the band’s celebrated prowess at deploying structure and dynamic, balancing melodic expression against methodical restraint through a diversity of stylistic touchstones while allowing for explosive crescendos of exuberant density and maximalism that most notably distinguishes this record from previous work.
Family Fodder – Sunday Girls (Director’s Cut) [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (Staubgold)
The legendary first 12” EP by UK underground heroes Family Fodder, originally released in 1979, is now reissued for the first time. Sunday Girls (Director’s Cut) features the complete Sunday Girls EP, the debut Family Fodder 7” “Playing Golf (With My Flesh Crawling)” b/w “My Baby Takes Valium” (1979), the “Debbie Harrry” b/w “A ‘Version’” 7” from 1980, the 7” A-side “Warm” (1980), and two tracks from the rare Te Deum 12” (1979) by Alig Fodder’s pre-Fodder project Frank Sumatra. Family Fodder was originally formed in 1979 by Alig Pearce, with a cast of thousands joining over the ensuing three decades. They emerged from the melting-pot of ’70s/’80s London alongside This Heat, The Flying Lizards, The Pop Group, The Slits, and many others. The original formula consisted of psychedelic and new wave influences, incisive songwriting, improvisation, experimentation, and far-out dub mixing.
Flanger – Lollopy Dripper CD/LP+CD (Nonplace)
Ten years after their 2005 Spirituals album, Atom TM and Burnt Friedman have composed and produced their fifth album. Ignoring genre-limits, both artists have progressed from the considerable skills shown on their 1999 debut album as a duo, Templates — a work of intangible, mutating, jazzy electronic sound beyond the constraints of time and space.
Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp – The Island CD/LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp have earned reputations as fierce, creative artists and respected masters of their instruments (guitar & synthesizers, respectively). The Island is the second collaborative album from these Philadelphia and Brooklyn-based musicians. Rehearsals for the sessions amounted to a couple of days drinking wine, cooking, and hanging out on the beach at the Jersey Shore, and the rhythm and motion of the water seems to have had an undeniable effect on the sessions. The result is an album that despite the freewheeling nature of it’s origins, sounds thoroughly composed and song-oriented.
John Foxx – London Overgrown CD (Metamatic)
London Overgrown is a project that John Foxx has been working on for years, inspired by his own experiences of London — including an abandoned, overgrown Shoreditch in the early 1980s — futuristic visions of a derelict city dating back to the sci-fi of the Quatermass TV series (which he watched as a child), and a strong desire to propose an actual city, as John Foxx puts it.
Dan Friel – Life CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Equally at home in the DIY scene and the contemporary art world, Dan Friel has been at the forefront of a movement of musicians who create dance music with a clear affinity for the extremes of noise and metal. Life is Friel’s sophomore Thrill Jockey release following Total Folklore (2013) and was mixed by Jonathan Schenke (Parquet Courts, Liturgy). (Limited copies pressed on opaque green vinyl.)
Anthony Geraci & The Boston Blues All-Stars – Fifty Shades Of Blue CD (Delta Groove Prod.)
For almost 40-years pianist/composer Anthony Geraci has played behind some of the most influential blues musicians of the 20th century. He is an original member of both Sugar Ray & The Bluetones and Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, and has been recognized for his contributions on numerous albums by nominations from both the Blues Music Awards and the Grammys. Fifty Shades Of Blue showcases 13 of his original songs, backed by an all-star cast featuring the top blues musicians in the Boston area including Sugar Ray Norcia, Darrell Nulisch, Toni Lynn Washington, Michelle “Evil Gal” Willson, Monster Mike Welch, Michael “Mudcat” Ward, Marty Richards and Neil Gouvin.
The Glitch Mob – Piece Of The Indestructible 10” (Shoot To Kill)
Gold and black splatter one-sided 10” vinyl with etching, gold foil printed sleeve housed in a special PVC jacket. “The Glitch Mob may be a leading force in rock-electronic crossover culture, but releases like Piece of the Indestructible demonstrate the breadth of their talents beyond the bass-loving world.” – Dancing Astronaut
Gold Class – It’s You CD (Felte)
There are few voices of meaningful dissent left in rock music. Even fewer play with the savagery, subtlety and melody of Melbourne-based newcomers Gold Class. Political protest meets Australian kosmische; proud perversion rubs against lo-fi jangle, and outsider longings become rallying choruses as Gold Class play out the push-and-pull of their first album’s title.
Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs – Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda CD (Transdreamer)
The 12-song Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda boasts Holly’s unmistakable voice gracing such persuasive tunes as the raw gospel-thrash workout “Heaven Buy And Buy,” the fearsome white-trash tango “Apt. 34,” the bittersweet waltz “Jackhammer,” the heart-tugging holiday-themed “Christmas Is A Lie” and the crunching, anthemic title track. Vinyl version due November 27.
GospelbeacH – Pacific Surf Line CD/LP (Alive)
The five members of GospelbeacH possess a prestigious collective resume that includes membership in Beachwood Sparks, Further, The Tyde, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and Everest. But one listen to the quintets warmly wonderful debut album Pacific Surf Line will instantly dispel any preconceptions about supergroup self-indulgence or side-project slumming. The album which Brent and Jason co-produced with Scott Hackwith, known for his studio work with the likes of Spiritualized and the Ramones embodies an open-hearted optimism that’s reflected in the bands sunny, upbeat songcraft, and in the buoyant, organic performances that show off the quintet s uncanny, instinctive chemistry.
Grave – Out Of Respect For The Dead CD/LP (Century Media)
New album from the Swedish death metal veterans. Out Of Respect For The Dead isn’t just 50-minutes of mindless brawn and Cro-Magnon posturing. “Plain Pine Box”, “The Ominous ‘They’” and the nine-minute closing epic, “Grotesque Glory” represent Grave’s other side. They counter the relentless with the slow and creepy. Whereas Grave in full-on barbarian mode is like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, when they’re composed the Swedes are more like The Fog, strange, unpredictable, and scary.
Gun Outfit – Dream All Over CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)
On their most refined and ruefully elegant album, Gun Outfit perfect their incandescent sonic signature: a dusky, canyon-cult blues fueled by melodic dual-guitar weaving and seductive male/female incantations at zero hour. It’s the nocturnal sound of desert-damaged L.A. burnout, a soured American surrealism in rock and roll creole: white line fever, paint fume flashbacks, a stranger wading out alone into the black surf. Featuring Henry Barnes (Man Is the Bastard/Amps for Christ) on homemade sitars; engineered and co-produced by Facundo Bermudez (Ty Segall, No Age, King Tuff.)
Shana Halligan – Back To Me CD (Plug Research)
The charm and charisma of Back To Me, the new album from sultry songstress Shana Halligan, is an exploration of human sensuality told through songs of romance, heartache and personal reflection. Adding that perfectly sealed kiss of mystique, pain and hope, Halligan’s uniquely tortured voice brings back the art of classic vocal allure mixed with modern day, moody production.
Françoise Hardy – Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles [Reissue/1962 CD (Future Days)
Françoise Hardy – Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour [Reissue/1963] CD (Future Days)
Françoise Hardy – Mon Amie La Rose [Reissue/1964] CD (Future Days)
Françoise Hardy – L’Amitie [Reissue/1965] CD (Future Days)
Françoise Hardy – La Maison Où J’Ai Grandi [Reissue/1966] CD (Future Days)
Between 1962 and 1966, Françoise Hardy released one French-language album per year. Each, strictly speaking, was eponymously titled and each was collected from a series of contemporary four-track, 7” picture-sleeve EPs – pop music’s main format in France, known as le super 45. In them, we see the maturing of one of the decade’s most singular talents—a pop singer with the heart of a chanteuse, a singer/songwriter in an age before such a thing was known, and a style icon who valued privacy and modesty. Remastered from the original tapes, Future Days presents the first five Françoise Hardy albums in their original French format. Vinyl editions due early next year.
Here We Go Magic – Be Small CD/LP+MP3 (Secretly Canadian)
HWGM’s new album Be Small finds the band taking a smaller approach to production and finding more intimate soundscapes — from the live, expansive sound of 2012’s A Different Ship, produced by Radiohead’s sixth man Nigel Godrich, to Be Small‘s direct-to-board home-recorded album — it hosts no less acrobatics of musicianship and a singular sonic ambition. The album was “inpired by Brian Eno and John Cale’s Wrong Way Up and Robert Wyatt’s Shleep,” and, as frontman Luke Temple says, features “overtly major and optimistic” songs of the future pop variety.
Dave Heumann – Here In The Deep CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Here In The Deep is the debut solo album from Dave Heumann, the founder and frontman of Baltimore’s beloved Arbouretum. The album finds Heumann branching out from his work with Arbouretum, exploring new sonic textures and different songwriting styles. It was mixed by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman, Giant Sand) and features contributions from Lower Dens’ Walker Teret, Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner, drummer/percussionist Mike Kuhl, and pianist Hans Chew.
Hey Colossus – Radio Static High CD/LP (Rocket)
With the band citing — tongue presumably in cheek — inspirations as diverse as Jane’s Addiction, Fleetwood Mac (Tango In The Night-era), and Cypress Hill, they constructed songs a fierce rate, yet with a focus and intensity partly instilled by band members living hundreds of miles apart, and partly by the relentless passage of time. Songs took shape from demos, exchanged riffs, and drunken text messages alike — one such of the latter from guitarist Bob Davis to guitarist Jonathan Richards demanding an homage to Neil Young’s “Cortez The Killer” resulted in a demo to that effect a mere 20 minutes later, which eventually became album centerpiece “Memories Of Wonder.”
Jack’s Mannequin – Everything In Transit [Reissue/2005] 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
Digitally remastered and expanded deluxe edition. Includes a newly remastered version of the original album, plus a bonus disc filled with rarities. After his hard-working punk-pop quintet Something Corporate decided to take a break in the summer of 2004, Andrew McMahon found himself writing a batch of confessional piano-driven songs that explored his return home to Orange County and his attempt to reconnect with the people he had alienated when he left to tour with Something Corporate. With the help of several musician friends (which included producer Jim Wirt and Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee), McMahon began recording Everything In Transit under the moniker Jack’s Mannequin.
Bert Jansch – Moonshine [Reissue/1973] CD/LP (Earth Recordings)
With an output as far reaching as Bert Jansch’s, it’s a small wonder that the occasional gem would be overlooked. Moonshine — recorded in 1973 — is one such treasure. While the slightly more obvious (and indeed Pentangle-like) albums of ‘60s Bert are undisputedly wonderful, there is something about the gently brooding style of Moonshine that really resonates. Joined by an all-star cast (Ralph McTell, Mary Hopkin, Tony Visconti) Jansch’s eighth solo album is steeped in tradition, often giving way to a more baroque style of folk music.
Lonnie Johnson – The Lonnie Johnson Collection 1925-52 2xCD (Acrobat)
It’s no exaggeration to say that without Lonnie Johnson, blues guitar would not have developed as it did. He was one of the true pioneers and originators of the genre, and his influence resonates through the playing of later blues guitar legends, including Robert Johnson and T-Bone Walker, and B.B. King cites him as a primary source of inspiration.
Keep Shelly In Athens – Now I’m Ready CD (Friends Of Friends)
At eight songs and 45 minutes, Now I’m Ready strikes a concise, yet imposing figure, each individual effort comprised of enough peaks and valleys to bring the listener to the edge and back again. Lifted off by lead single “Fractals”, Now I’m Ready is not your typical indie effort, un-beholden to tempo and style, the album skips across genre tropes with ease, each track guided by producer R??’s singular aesthetic and vocalist Myrtha’s unmistakable crescendos. And whether you’re locked into a long road trip, careening around a city or looking over the Mediterranean, Keep Shelly In Athens bring an arresting pathos to the proceedings, felt everywhere from the breakbeat-led madness of “Hollow Man” to the ever-building, hypnotic vocal qualities of title track “Now I’m Ready”. Vinyl due October 30.
The Knew – Scmew CD (Greater Than Collective)
Throughout three LPs, three 7”s, a couple EPs, and more than enough weirdo dietary habits, The Knew now hangs their collective cap on Schmew, a rock ‘n’ roll record that is quicker than their previous releases, denser than their former efforts, and heavier than their eight hangers combined. Part rock opera, part power pop, and totally stuffed full of strip-mall solos, Schmew is fringe-rock for those that are all in. Jacob, Ty, Tim and Andy (aka: the band) hope that you are one of those listeners. Vinyl version due October 23.
Kandia Kouyaté – Renascence CD (Sterns Africa)
The Mande art of jeliya carries a long and complex tradition of fine distinctions and endless debates about the qualities that earn its hereditary poets, musicians, and soothsayers the highest accolades and honorifics. But on the subject of the great jelimusolu (female singers) of our time, there is near — unanimity regarding Kandia Kouyaté: she is a ngara, perhaps the only one of her generation. More than a skilled singer, a ngara is an extraordinary artist who possesses what many would say is a paranormal aura of majesty.
The Legends – It’s Love CD (Cascine)
Released early last summer on vinyl – now available on CD. “This is The Legends’ fifth album and each one has been almost completely different than the last. Where 2009’s Over And Over covered everything in harsh feedback, It’s Love is the chillest Legends album yet, with sparse percolating drum machines, minimal guitar and keyboards, as well as heavy use of vocoder/autotune. (It all works really well with his songwriting style.)” – Brooklyn Vegan
Lewis & The Strange Magics – Velvet Skin CD/LP (Soulseller)
“This is definitely an album for fans of bands like Clutch, Kyuss, and Monster Magnet that have been looking for something that strikes a good blend of each of these sounds.” – Metal Temple
Denny Lile – Hear The Bang: The Life And Music Of Denny Lile CD+DVD/LP+DVD (Big Legal Mess)
Denny Lile was a local legend — a gifted songwriter, singer and guitarist who seemed poised for fame, but his once-rising star sputtered out in a tragic spiral that ended with his death from alcoholism at age 44 in 1995. Hear The Bang: The Life And Music Of Denny Lile blends Lile’s brilliant and visionary unreleased debut album with a documentary film that tells his ultimately tragic story. Within its fabric lie 16 songs that foreshadow the arrival of the Americana genre and were recorded at the same time as Neil Young’s foundational Harvest album. Lile’s story also stands as a broader fable. It parallels that of many other formidable regional talents who lived and died in obscurity within the sprawling landscape of American popular music.
Demi Lovato – Confident CD (Hollywood)
Racy new album from the album from pop priestess. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds two bonus tracks.
Lymbyc Systym – Split Stones CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
Brothers Jared and Michael Bell have been making music together as Lymbyc Systym since 2004. On their new album Split Stones they explore the power of disparate halves coming together to form a unique whole. The idea serves as an analogy for Jared and Mike’s relationship, Lymbyc’s sound, and the mind/body dichotomy. The album opens with “Generated Bodies,” a song that starts as a colossal instrumental rock track, but quickly evolves into spirals of chordal synths and electronic beats, mirroring the band’s metamorphosis over the past decade. Other songs like “Split Stones” and “Pulses” find the band experimenting with longer cinematic song structures, leaving behind the short “pop” song structures they’ve delivered on previous albums. The album veers into full on dance mode on “Paraboloid” before things wind down with the sunny groove of album closer “Scientific Romance.”
Machine Gun Kelly – General Admission CD (Bad Boy/Interscope)
The second album from the rapper features guest appearances from Kid Rock, Leroy Sanchez, Lzzy Hale, and more. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
Majical Cloudz – Are You Alone? CD (Matador)
Are You Alone? is the follow up to Majical Cloudz’ Impersonator; a heart-on-white sleeve statement of intent that brought Devon Welsh and Matthew Otto from the Montreal underground onto arena stages, critics’ year end lists and the hearts and minds of thousands. After the journey they’ve returned with Are You Alone? Armed with little more than the recording equipment used on Impersonator, Majical Cloudz enlisted friends and family (including Owen Pallet) for only the subtlest of studio embellishment. The record, however, immediately sounds bigger, at once more intense and more immediate — Welsh’s voice has evolved from baritone proclamation to a sweeter, almost yearning, croon. Vinyl due November 13.
The Mantles – All Odds End CD/LP+MP3 (Slumberland)
The Bay Area has a rich history of garagey, folk-rock bands and since their formation in 2007 The Mantles have carved themselves out a very unique spot in that lineage. From their roots as a loose & loud Velvets/Nuggets-bashing outfit through a series of excellent releases on labels like Siltbreeze and Mexican Summer, the band developed their sound and moved towards a more contemplative, melodic vibe.
Maritime – Magnetic Bodies/Maps Of Stone CD/LP+MP3 (Dangerbird)
Magnetic Bodies/Maps Of Bones finds the core lineup of Didier, von Bohlen, bassist Justin Klug and guitarist Dan Hinz following up the polished hooks of 2010’s Human Hearts with something a little more risky, a little weirder, a little more oblique in its sentiment but nonetheless purposeful. von Bohlen’s words, especially, are back to their old impressionism, with pathos one minute and unbridled joy another.
Melted Space – The Great Lie CD (Sensory)
Melted Space is the creation of French composer Pierre le Pape, who bears a master degree in classical music and movie scores, here creating a modern opera that takes over the classical codes, including numerous characters, scenario, powerful orchestral arrangements and varied ambiances, all set to skilled and catchy songwriting and amazing casting. The Great Lie features fourteen prestigious and unexpected singers, joined by seven talented guest musicians and The City Of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra. Includes: David Vincent (Morbid Angel), Attila Csihar (Sunn O))), Mayhem), Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity), Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon), Ailyn Gimenéz (Sirenia), Kobi Fahri (Orphaned Land), Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania), Guillaume Bideau (Mnemic), Niklas Kvarforth (Shining), Sylvain Coudret (Soilwork), Adrien Grousset (Hacride), Christine Rhoades (Jeff Loomis), Manuel Munoz (The Old Dead Tree), Arnaud Strobl (Carnival In Coal), Clémentine Delauney (Visions Of Atlantis), and Virginie Goncalves (Kells).
Steve Moore – Cub [OST] CD/LP (Relapse)
Original soundtrack to the major motion picture Cub scored by Steve Moore (Zombi). Cub is a brutal horror film from Belgium that tells the tale of a young cub-scout bullied by his troop-mates. When the kids take a scout camping trip to the woods, things get bloody quickly when a deranged poacher sets his sites on the young kids. Steve Moore’s haunting synth based score is the perfect soundscape for the film.
Youssou N’Dour & Le Super Etoile de Dakar – Fatteliku: Live in Athens 1987 CD (Real World)
October 1987. After months on the road, Peter Gabriel’s So tour drew to a close in Greece, in an open-air theatre overlooking Athens. The young singer Youssou N’Dour, already a star in his native Senegal, was still relatively unknown in the world — but his incendiary opening sets on the historic tour introduced him to thousands of Peter Gabriel fans, delighting audiences with his commanding voice and one of Africa’s greatest and nimblest bands.
Neon Indian – VEGA INTL. Night School CD/2xLP (Mom + Pop)
VEGA INTL. Night School was conceived during a period of aesthetic reinvention for Alan Palomo, as he retooled the lo-fi and spontaneous writing style he’d developed as Neon Indian by incorporating elements of the cleaner production values and dance oriented approach of his previous recording moniker VEGA, ultimately merging the two into one fast lane. Developed over a four-year period, the album brims with funk-centric guitar lines, pronounced Balearic rhythms, and the most elaborate songwriting of his career. (Limited copies pressed on double transparent yellow vinyl with bonus slipmat.)
Octagrape – Aura Obelisk CD/LP (Soundsfamilyre)
San Diego garage rockers return with their new full-length recorded with Chris Woodhouse (Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall) and Ben Moore (Hot Snakes, Pinback). Featuring Glen Galloway (Trumans Water, Soul-Junk), Ely Moyal (Trumans Water), Jason Begin, and Alexander Dausch. The band channels their over-the-top insatiable live energy into 18 new songs and a blistering cover of Swell Maps’ “Vertical Slum.”
The Oh Hellos – Dear Wormwood CD (Elektra)
The Oh Hellos began in a cluttered bedroom, where siblings Maggie and Tyler Heath (born and raised in southern Texas) recorded their self-titled EP in 2011. Their second full-length album, Dear Wormwood, is a collection of songs inspired in part by C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters and Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name Of The Wind, mythology and folklore, and apocalyptic literature. Their influences range from Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens to The Middle East and the Muppets, bending and blending styles and genres into a unique mixture of eclectic folk rock.
Omi – Me 4 U CD (Columbia)
An affable entertainer since his childhood, Clarendon, Jamaica native Omi (Omar Samuel Pasley), the son of musician Jah Ken, was discovered by Clifton “Specialist” Dillon, who has been a major factor in the careers of Shabba Ranks and Patra. Features the hit “Cheerleader.”
Bill Orcutt / Jacob Felix Heule – Colonial Donuts CD/LP (Palilalia)
Guitarist Bill Orcutt and drummer Jacob Felix Heule (Ettrick, Fred Frith, Sult) have been performing regularly around the San Francisco Bay Area since 2012, but this is their first release together. Recorded in Orcutt’s living room in the early months of 2015 and named after a chain of Oakland coffee shops, Colonial Donuts collects thirteen compact, stylistically diverse duets for electric guitar and drums, ranging from hushed, socially anxious folk to sprung electric blues to dense, pummeling free improvisation.
Eji Oyewole – Charity Begins At Home CD/LP (BBE)
A long-lost classic from the golden age of African music, from a figure who is still beginning to get his props internationally, Eji Oyewole. Eji was part of the huge craze for ‘highlife’, a generic term that in fact subsumed many different styles, united in their fusion of traditional west African forms with jazz influences and electric instruments, and in the bands’ working practices as entertainers at the nation’s numerous hotel/nightclubs. As this cracking album, recorded for EMI Nigeria at the tail end of the ’70s and now remastered, reveals, Eji’s version of highlife was even more distinctive than most, eschewing the usual emphasis on guitars for a brasher, horn-laden sound, seemingly influenced as much by American funk as it was jazz, and of course with the heavy percussive undertow central to most African music
Pagan’s Mind – Full Circle 2xCD+DVD/2xLP (Steamhammer)
The Norwegian progressive/power metal band performs live at Center Stage.
Pentatonix – Pentatonix CD (RCA)
Fourth studio album by the a cappella group – available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds bonus tracks. Vinyl due November 20. Pentatonix’s work, which is mostly in the pop style, consists of covers of existing songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material. Their music is defined by their own arrangement style, tight vocal harmonies, extensive vocal riffing, deep and steady vocal basslines, and a diverse range of vocal percussion and beatboxing.
Duane Pitre – Bayou Electric CD/LP (Important)
Bayou Electric is the final installment in an unplanned trilogy, with Feel Free (2012) and Bridges (2013) making up the first and second installments in the series, respectively. Pitre captured the field recording utilized in Bayou Electric on a late night in August, 2010, at the edge of Four Mile Bayou, Louisiana, which has been in Pitre’s family since January 14, 1922. Upon listening to what he’d captured, Pitre became enthralled by the fabric of sound that the wildlife on this waterway had created. It evoked many feelings, reminded him that his ancestors had lived among these same sounds and walked the same land, and created a powerful connection and a sense of timelessness.
Princess Century – Progress CD/LP (Paper Bag)
“Maya Postepski is a longtime member of Austra and has also been in Trust, but her latest endeavor is a solo project under the name Princess Century. Following the recent Lossy EP, she has now shared her debut full-length, Progress. Those who are familiar with Postepski’s work in Austra and Trust won’t be too surprised by the sound of these nine dark, danceable electronic tracks. That being said, Postepski strips away the pop inclinations of her other projects, leaving only the gothic disco influences.” — Exclaim
Prof – Liability CD/2xLP (Rhymesayers)
As an entertainer, Prof shows incredible diversity. Whether artistically, or characteristically, he purposefully maneuvers between the parallels of inconceivable experiences and extraordinary fantasies. On Liability, Prof describes our world; a place where a harsh environment and poor circumstances can make someone abandon their expectations and change their moral compass. The album takes the listener on a journey of incredible range, and ultimately calls attention to the often unseen conditions that lead individuals down the regrettable paths of being fighters, drunks, drug addicts – or simply put, liabilities. Features guest appearances from Tech N9ne, Waka Flocka Flame and Petey Pablo, and production by Ant (Atmosphere), Aesop Rock, Big Chocolate, Mux Mool, Curtiss King and more. (Limited copies pressed on yellow and blue vinyl.)
Raury – All We Need CD (Columbia)
Raury cites Phil Collins, Kid Cudi, Bon Iver, Andre 3000 and Coldplay as some of his musical influences. All We Need features first single “Friends” feat. Tom Morello, and will also include guest appearances from Big K.R.I.T., RZA and Key! and production by Raury, Malay, Danger Mouse, Jacknife Lee, Daytrip, and DJ Kahlil.
Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things – A New Kind Of Dance CD (482 Music)
Sixth album from this long running quartet, presenting the same deft interactive rapport between all four members. Features guest appearances from Matthew Shipp and Marquis Hill.
Josh Ritter – Sermon On The Rocks CD/2xCD/LP+MP3 (Pytheas)
“On Josh Ritter’s most recent album, 2013’s The Beast In Its Tracks, the singer/songwriter dredged through the battered ruins of his own post-divorce psyche. As such, the record looked relentlessly inward — to forgiveness and spite, to recovery and despair — as Ritter labored to examine his failed relationship from every angle. For his eighth full-length album, Sermon On The Rocks, Ritter takes a turn in the opposite direction — outward, toward other perspectives entirely. As its title suggests, the album is Ritter’s foray into what the singer himself calls ‘messianic oracular honky-tonk,’ often dispensed via a kind of traveling-preacher/snake-oil-salesman persona. Which means, in turn, that Sermon On The Rocks is lighter than usual on the sincere rumination that has marked many of its predecessors. ‘Birds Of The Meadow,’ which opens the record, isn’t Ritter’s first examination of the apocalypse, but it’s surely his fiercest” – NPR. “I wanted to make something grand. I wanted it to swing hard. I wanted to peek through deaths keyhole. I wanted my monster to run” – Josh Ritter. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a home-recorded version of the album. (Limited copies pressed on opaque blue vinyl.)
Rival Consoles – Howl CD/LP+MP3 (Erased Tapes)
Howl is the new album by Rival Consoles, London-based electronic producer Ryan Lee West. The album explores a wide range of emotions; from the dissonance eruptions and primal rhythms in “Howl,” to the mournful improvisations of “3 Laments,” which features a sample of his own voice. Alongside his performances on Moog, Prophet, tape delay and guitar, West enlisted the help of drummer Fabian Prynn for “Low” and cellist Peter Gregson for “Walls,” both long-time collaborators of Erased Tapes peers Douglas Dare and Michael Price. (Limited copies pressed on red vinyl.)
Satan – Atom By Atom CD (Listenable)
New studio album from British heavy metal veterans. Vinyl due October 30.
Semi Hendrix – Breakfast At Bansky’s CD/LP (Mello Music)
Semi Hendrix is the acid inside the headband and the fork inside the electrical socket. It’s hard-core hip-hop. Guest spots include Brothers Voodoo, Cee-Lo and Raheem DeVaughn, Teedra Moses, Kurupt, Montego Meli, and Alice Russell.
Senking – Closing Ice CD (Raster Noton)
Senking follows his 2013 album Capsize Recovery with Closing Ice, drawing listeners back into the depths of his musical creativity. The album’s nine tracks are intently dedicated to Senking’s distinctively bass-heavy and atmospheric compositions, forming trips into the dark recesses of the human psyche. The mid-tempo grooves leave plenty of room for his sawing, war-declaring sounds that unfold into expressive soundscapes, gloomy yet also warm.
Maia Sharp – The Dash Between The Dates CD/LP (eOne)
Maia Sharp on her new album The Dash Between The Dates: “It’s not a concept album, but I was trying to look at things with a wider-angle lens and bring more breadth to the songs without sacrificing the intimacy. Maybe that’s the concept.” In a career that spans two decades, the California native has established a reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter, possessing a seamless sense of craft as well as an uncanny knack for cutting straight to the heart of complex emotional issues. In the process, she’s won a passionate grass-roots fan base, while seeing her compositions covered by artists from across the musical spectrum. Sharp co-produced the new album with multi-instrumentalist and longtime collaborator Linda Taylor. In addition to Sharp’s vocals, guitar, keyboards and saxophone, and Taylor’s guitars, bass, keys and programming, The Dash Between The Dates features notable contributions from Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart, who co-wrote and plays guitar on “Maybe Tonight;” acclaimed solo artist Lizz Wright, whose distinctive tones enrich “You Know Where I’ll Be” and “I Don’t Want Anything To Change;” singer/songwriter Gabe Dixon, who sings on “Underneath;” legendary vocalist Arnold McCuller, who adds his voice to “Nothing But The Radio,” “Phoenix” and “Real Love.”
Small Black – Best Blues CD/LP+MP3 (Jagjaguwar)
Coming full circle from the group’s hazy, lo-fi beginnings and more streamlined, clean recent releases, Best Blues offers a fusion of structure and ambience. Colored by singer Josh Hayden Kolenik’s poetic, stream-of-consciousness lyrics, the freewheeling and atmospheric music offers listeners an electronic pulse and an intimate connection. Small Black stretches out on Best Blues and takes a step forward, showcasing an evolved sound that’s both more refined and aggressive.
So Hideous – Laurestine CD (Prosthetic)
New York-based four-piece So Hideous blends metal, ambient and classical sounds on their second LP, Laurestine. Vinyl version due October 30.
Sonar – Black Light CD/LP (Cuneiform)
Sonar is a progressive, post-minimal, instrumental band from Switzerland. Their music is played live without any sequencers, loops or computers using a minimum amount of equipment: two guitars, a bass guitar, three small amplifiers und a basic drum kit. No effects are used to keep the music as clear, direct and immediate as possible. The group is very concerned about timbres, tension and release, group dynamics and instrumental interplay.
Son Little – Son Little CD (ANTI-)
Blending elements of acoustic blues, vintage soul, and conscious hip-hop into a mixture that’s expressive yet deeply personal, Son Little is the alias of Aaron Livingston, a singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter who divides his time between his own music and collaborating with others. “The Philadelphia soul artist has already logged collaborations with The Roots and RJD2, but the vocalist-guitarist can by all means stand on his own merits, and with the politically-minded new single ‘O Mother’ he doesn’t just stand tall, but marches against injustice. In step with Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On,’ ‘O Mother’ blends a sunlit, upbeat soul sound with lyrics that beckon at the very core of injustices. Little’s pleas ‘Why do they treat me like I’m not a man? I wonder does anybody know just who I am?’ may read as just another turn on self-centered angst, but given the timing of the track’s release, just days after a damning report on racist policing in America, the scope of Little’s lines grow massive. Soul music has always held hands tightly with the push for Civil Rights in America, and at the heart of any Civil Rights movement is the simple dream of fair human treatment and dignity” – Okay Player. Vinyl version due November 27.
Soundtrack – Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Mix Vol. 1 (Music From The Animated Television Series) CD (Hollywood)
A collection of 12 songs featured in the show’s first season. Includes hits such as Blue Swede’s “Hooked On A Feeling,” Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” and Thin Lizzy’s “Boys Are Back In Town.” Cassette version due November 20. Vinyl version due 2016.
Soundtrack – The Winding Stream: The Carters, The Cashes And The Course Of Country Music CD (Omnivore)
There is a stream that courses through American roots music. Its source is in the Appalachian foothills in a place called Maces Spring, Virginia. It was there that A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and his sister-in-law Maybelle began their careers as three of the earliest stars of country music. From their earliest days as Victor recording artists to their international success via the phenomenon of Border Radio, the Original Carter Family made their mark on the history of American recorded music. Beth Harrington’s documentary about this saga has played festivals and won awards and accolades across the globe. With original tracks from the iconic Original Carter Family, through performances by legends George Jones and Johnny Cash, and into the present with John Prine and Rosanne Cash, The Winding Stream takes you through the history of the music we now know as “country,” how it came to be, and how it endures today.
State Champs – Around The World And Back CD (Pure Noise)
Keeping in fashion with their previous releases, The Finer Things and the EP, Overslept, the five piece continues to play captivating and addictive pop rock. Vinyl version due November 13.
Stryper – Fallen CD (Frontiers)
Eleventh studio album from the Christian hard rockers. Vinyl version due December 4.
Supersuckers – Holdin’ The Bag CD (Acetate)
The Supersuckers’ trademark balance of take-no-prisoners swagger and hard-headed introspection is reflected throughout Holdin’ The Bag. The album’s eleven songs find them in typically rocking form, while tapping deeply into the band’s longstanding affinity for country music, which has grown increasingly prominent in their output since 1997’s Must’ve Been High.
Tempel Of Baal – Mysterium CD (Agonia)
“With this new opus, this French Black/Death Metal band delivers a new take on issues of spirituality, expressing themselves through a myriad of styles and soundscapes which are flawlessly amalgamated into a brooding yet brutal onslaught” – Metal Temple. Vinyl version due October 30.
This Gift Is A Curse – All Hail The Swinelord CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
The Swedish blackened metal/crust quartet holding nothing back as they swarm you with tortured screams of agony, dissonant riffing, and furious drumming.
Thou – Ceremonies of Humiliation 2xCD (Gilead Media)
Released last year on triple-vinyl LP – now available on CD. Ceremonies Of Humiliation is a two-disc collection of out-of-print material from splits and EPs released prior to the band’s third full-length, Summit. Over two hours of music, all remastered.
Thy Catafalque – Sgùrr CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
“Thy Catafalque, a Hungarian one-man band based in Scotland, play a form of experimental and progressive metal that exists on the outer fringes of extreme metal. Bristling with radical guitar leads, sharp and heavily distorted foundational riffs, hyperactive drum machines, keyboards, and laser-noise accents, Thy Catafalque’s new album, Sgùrr, can sometimes sound like 2015’s Mortal Kombat soundtrack. Other times, Thy Catafalque sound like one of the best progressive blackened doom bands in existence” – Stereogum. (Limited vinyl version features etched side.)
together PANGEA – The Phage CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
“Give ’em a year and they’ll come back louder. That’s sound advice, no pun intended, yet also the vibrant truth for Los Angeles garage rockers together PANGEA. After teasing demos, touring Europe, and sharing a bill with The Replacements, the scorched lungs of William Keegan and his raucous band of misfits have returned in chummy style with a new EP…” – Consequence Of Sound
Trader Horne – Morning Way [Reissue/1970] CD/LP (Earth Recordings)
Originally released on Pye’s alt-label Dawn, Trader Horne’s Morning Way is widely agreed to be one of the unsung musical treasures of the ’70s. Judy Dyble (ex-Fairport Convention, Giles, Giles & Fripp, amongst others) and Jackie McAuley (Them) formed Trader Horne in 1969, naming their group—so the legend goes—after John Peel’s Nanny. By turns folk (“Jenny May”), pop (“Sheena”) and something altogether more esoteric (“Velvet To Atone”), Trader’s only album is a shining example of the cult British psychedelic era.
Trembling Bells – The Sovereign Self CD (Tin Angel)
“A glorious collage of musical artistry, drawing from darker regions than did any of its predecessors, it’s a work of extraordinary ambition, integrating aspects of Classical Greek tragedy, unorthodox religious imagery and some of the more jagged, acid-tinged pastoralism of drummer-vocalist Alex Neilson’s late 1960s psych-folk heroes the Incredible String Band.” – The Line Of Best Fit
The Twilight Sad – Òran Mór Session CD/LP (FatCat)
Captured live at Glasgow’s infamous Òran Mór, a converted 19th century church, by the band’s longtime live engineer Andrew Bush, these versions strip away the sonic fury to leave the songs vulnerable in acoustic arrangements that highlight the quiet beauty that lies beneath Twilight Sad records. The result is a new look at the songs that made up Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave paired with an emotional cover of Arthur Russell’s classic “I Couldn’t’ Say It To Your Face.”
Ugly Kid Joe – Uglier Than They Used Ta Be CD/LP (Metalville)
After a 19-year hiatus, raucous rockers Ugly Kid Joe return with Uglier Than They Used Ta Be. The album, which was recorded at JT Studios and Balance Studios in Louisiana under the helm of producer and UKJ guitarist Dave Fortman (Slipknot, Godsmack, Evanescence). Uglier Than They Used Ta Be boasts a collection of well-crafted rock tunes, from the riff driven “Let The Record Play” to the hard-hitting “She’s Already Gone” and “Hell Aint Hard To Find.”
Christina Vantzou – No3 CD/2xLP (Kranky)
Album No3 from Christina Vantzou is the result of a two-year process of composing, arranging, re- arranging, experimenting, and melding classical instruments with synths and electronics. Recorded in Belgium with a 15-piece ensemble of strings, horns, woodwinds and micro-choir, the tracks vacillate between orchestral, ambient soundscapes and more structured works that the composer refers to as “pillars.” The internal core of the record, however, is unwavering. All tracks head in the direction of otherworldly drones surrounded by soft, subtle and sometimes intense veils or points.
Various Artists – Gazing With Tranquility: A Tribute To Donovan CD/LP (Rock The Cause)
Nonprofit label Rock The Cause Records have been offering up their unconventional brand of charitable entertainment for almost a decade. Through their dedication and unwavering work, they have become internationally recognized as the preeminent nonprofit organization that combines advocacy and activism with music. With Gazing With Tranquility: A Tribute To Donovan, a select group of artists (including Sharon Van Etton, and The Flaming Lips) have teamed up to re-contextualize Donovan’s already timeless tracks into modern-day indie marvels. Proceeds will be donated to Huntington’s Hope. As Huntington’s disease is genetic, families often exhaust their financial resources on medical costs, leaving their children with little to no funds to pursue a secondary education. Huntington’s Hope gives children of those with Huntington’s disease financial support for their college years and hope for a brighter future.
Various Artists [Lee Perry] – Mr Perry I Presume CD/2xLP (Pressure Sounds)
Sixteen lovingly restored nuggets of Upsetters Black Ark magic. Saving the world with music Scratch embarked on seemingly never ending conveyor belt of rhythmic mayhem.
Various Artists [Prins Thomas] – Paradise Goulash 3xCD (Eskimo)
Prins Thomas tips his cap to Paradise Garage, the original New York nightclub, with this three-disc compendium, a marathon adventure into his ingenious and groundbreaking style mischievously titled Paradise Goulash. Each disc is a gentle wandering through his musical mind with tracks from Robert Hood, Actress, Marcellus Pittman, Young Marco, I: Cube, Hieroglyphic Being, and many more. Vinyl due October 30.
Various Artists [Seth Troxler] – DJ Kicks CD/2xLP+CD (!K7)
Over the past decade, Seth Troxler has become a visionary and authentic voice in dance music, his jovial personality cutting through the noise and continually playing by his own rules. Growing up between Detroit and Chicago, his musical education carries enviable credentials, with his step dad a local radio personality who championed the early sounds of house music. “For my DJ Kicks mix I wanted to do something that was honest,” explains Troxler. “I went out in the morning, micro-dosed myself and did all these errands around town. Then I came home at night and did the mix one take. I wanted to curate something for people to easily listen to, that was nice, and funny and got you in the mood to do your homework, or drive that hour long trip when you need to go somewhere. I see this mix as a gay man named Rodney. Or a big black woman named Birtha.”
Various Artists – Bali 1928 IV: Music for Temple Festivals CD (World Arbiter)
Volume Four of the Bali 1928 recordings includes kebyar with sung poetry, ancient ritual angklung, and solo flute. All lyrics receive English translations in the liner notes, with an extensive text by Edward Herbst included as a .pdf file. Performances by Gamelan Gong Kebyar Belaluan, Denpasar; Gambuh of Sesetan, Denpasar; Gamelan Angklung Klentangan of Sidan, Gianyar; Gamelan Angklung of Pemogan, Denpasar; Gamelan Angklung of Banjar Bun, Denpasar; and Suling of Ubud, Gianyar (I Klingeng Buta and Ida Bagus Pegug).
Various Artists – Joe Bussard Presents: The Year Of Jubilo – 78 RPM Recordings Of Songs From The Civil War CD (Dust-To-Digital)
“The recordings heard in this collection all come from the shelves of Joe Bussard of Frederick, Maryland. A lifelong lover of old-time music (and early blues and jazz besides), Joe is famous among record buffs for his single-minded passion for finding and preserving old discs, his hospitality to visitors who want to hear them, and his generosity in making them available for reissue so that they can be enjoyed by succeeding generations. But thanks to his homemade radio programs, which he continues to make and which can be heard on several stations, and to the hugely entertaining documentary Desperate Man Blues, Joe has become known far beyond the tight little community of collectors, and is recognized all over the world as a true American one-off, a man for whom the music of the past lives again every time he puts on a record” – Tony Russell, from The Year Of Jubilo liner notes.
Various Artists – µ20 3xCD (Planet Mu)
Trailblazing UK label Planet Mu celebrates 20 years of music with this three-disc compilation. The set features both old music and unreleased tracks from the label’s history, with Discs One and Two featuring “colorful, broad and adventurous” music primarily from the current decade, with artists including Kuedo, Machinedrum, Jlin, RP Boo, John T. Gast and more. Disc Three focuses on the “older guard” of the ‘90s and ‘00s, with Jega, Neil Landstrumm, Speedy J, Shitmat, Leafcutter John, Hrvatski and more featured alongside music from label founder Mike Paradinas aka µ-Ziq. The compilation also comes with a 100-page book written by The Wire’s Rory Gibb charting the label’s history, complete with insight from key artists and label staff.
Various Artists – The Ultimate Acid Dreams Collection: US Psychedelic Punk 5xCD (Rubble)
Every recording that has ever been issued under the Acid Dreams banner (over 90 tracks, including many from 45s that go for upwards of a thousand dollars) has been brought together on this five-CD collection that captures the sound of frustrated ’60s American youth in it’s rebellious glory — either revved upon on teenage angst, tripping, stoned, or all three at once.
VI – De Praestgiis Angelorum CD/LP (Agonia)
VI is a French black metal trinity, made of current and ex-members of Aosoth and Antaeus. Their debut full-length album, De Praestgiis Angelorum, bestirs within the characteristic black metal niche developed by the said bands, with the addition of expanded guitar work, choirs and subtle sample parts. VI describes their music as “extreme, devoted black metal with illuminated chaos.”
Chris Walla – Tape Loops CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Trans)
Chris Walla has said little publicly about his 2014 departure from Death Cab For Cutie, a band that he co-founded and called home for 17 years. He begins to break his silence with Tape Loops, a full-length album that doesn’t so much provide answers or explanations, but invites the listener into the instrumental landscapes of his inner world. Sidestepping the specificity of narrative songwriting in favor of immersive aural topographies, Chris Walla’s Tape Loops offers up a quietly dynamic listen that is as beautiful as it is masterful. Leaning into the constraints of analog loop-based recording, Walla’s virtuosity as a composer and producer shines.
Wax Idols – American Tragic CD/LP (Collect)
“[Wax Idols] is aloof and commanding, with an expertly honed sense of how far to take the tension it builds before offering relief. Listeners generally don’t enjoy being messed with in such an aggressive fashion, and it says a lot about where Fortune’s songwriting talents are at this point that she can pull off such a feat” — Pitchfork. You could say that a lot has happened since the release of Wax Idols’ critically well-received 2013 album, Discipline + Desire, and if you’re steeped in the shorthand of music criticism go-to narratives, it would be dangerously easy to get reductive about what happened next: The band’s singer/songwriter, Hether Fortune, supported the album as best she could, spent some time in 2014 as a touring player in White Lung, went through a divorce, and then sat down to make American Tragic – the band’s third album. But that’s not exactly how it went. “Divorce is a part of this record, yes, but this is not an entirely sad album,” Fortune explains. “The whole spectrum of grief is represented here — shock, pain, anger, loneliness, and then finding a way to work through all of that and not only survive, but thrive. That’s what I was going through. I was trying to save myself.” (Very limited copies pressed on electric blue vinyl.)
We Hunt Buffalo – Living Ghosts CD/LP (Fuzzorama)
We Hunt Buffalo create songs with hard hitting fuzz rock grooves and psychedelic overtones. “Indeed this is a headbanger’s paradise.” — Exclaim
White Out w/ Nels Cline – Accidental Sky CD (Northern Spy)
New York radical innovators White Out and transplanted Los Angeles legend Nels Cline share a long musical history, having played together for over a 15-year period. They play a kind of improvised chamber music. Their tightly cohesive interplay the sonic consequence of years spent developing their highly personal electro-acoustic language. Accidental Sky represents their first official release, and their first attempt at recording in a studio together. The album does not disappoint. Accidental Sky runs the full gamut of artistic expression. Vinyl version due November 27.
Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators – Happiness In Every Style CD/LP (Timmion)
Nicole and the Soul Investigators offer upbeat modern soul and embrace sophisticated melodies alongside their highly evolved raw funk sound, whose wares share vinyl shelf space with fans of Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley.
With The Dead – With The Dead CD/LP (Rise Above)
With The Dead were formed by the founding rhythm section of occultist doom overloads Electric Wizard: guitarist/bassist Tim Bagshaw (also a current member of Serpentine Path) and drummer Mark Greening, a pair once notorious for the sheer brute heaviness of their bowel-shaking sound and early extra-curricular activities that involved excess, injury and low-level criminality. Both have also played together in Ramesses. Completing the triangle is frontman Lee Dorrian, co-founder of doom pioneers Cathedral, former frontman with grindcore legends Napalm Death. Check out the sneering, sardonic “Living With The Dead” as it moves through a series of darkening moods or the primordial slithering musical morass of hellish opener “Crown Of Burning Stars” that wants nothing less than to rip out your jugular with jagged riffs that snarl against a drum-quake that sounds like the falling columns of crumbling temples. (Limited HQ-180gm colored/ purple and black splattered vinyl LP pressing comes in laminated flipback sleeve with lyric insert.)
Wildhoney – Your Face Sideways CD/LP (Topshelf)
Wildhoney chooses to use songwriting and melody as primary vehicles on their pop excursions, a traditional approach they first proposed on Sleep Through It and wholly celebrate on Your Face Sideways.
Yacht – I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler CD/LP (Downtown)
I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler is a sweeping and visionary critique of the 21st century. It reveals the band at it’s most self-assured: critical, funny, tough, and musically diverse, crafting an infectious and hyperactive conceptual pop that seems to seep through the walls of an alternate universe. Yacht’s knowing references to technology, feminism, and media are layered in complex arrangements in songs about holograms and phones, police violence and identity, sex and the future. The album draws from a weird well of ADD influences: ‘80s Japanese electronic reggae (Sandii & The Sunsetz, Haruomi Hosono), ’70s and ’80s post-punk and no wave (Family Fodder, The Waitresses, Suburban Lawns, Killing Joke, A Certain Ratio, Devo), Norwegian disco (Todd Terje, Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas), and Grand Royal Records-era alternative music (Cibbo Matto, Luscious Jackson, Money Mark). (Limited copies pressed on white vinyl.)
Young Rival – Interior Light CD/LP (Paper Bag)
Working with producer Graham Walsh — whose work they had admired on records by Viet Cong, Metz and Alvvays — Young Rival never stopped ripping at the seams of these songs, as though figuring out what made them tick. Interior Light doesn’t sound like the culmination of ten years’ worth of hard work. Instead, it sounds like a new start: a springboard for further experimentation and exploration.
Yppah – Tiny Pause CD/LP (Counter)
The artist known as Yppah (pronounced yip-ah) returns with another dose of his signature blend of electronic, psychedelic and rock influences. Tiny Pause finds Yppah adopting an enormous technical shift in his writing process, moving away from largely software-based production and live instrumentation to modular synthesizers and samplers.
Zebrahead – Walk The Plank CD (Rude)
Zebrahead formed in Orange County, California in 1996. The band have released 11 studio albums to date is known for the eclectic musical style that incorporates punk rock, rap, and alternative rock.
Zombi – Shape Shift CD/2xLP+MP3 (Relapse)
Shape Shift sees the space rock overlords in “live band” mode, a fitting return to their roots after their successful North American tour with the legendary Goblin in 2013 and a triumphant headlining appearance at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in April, 2015. (Limited copies pressed on blood red colored vinyl.)
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The Alchemist/Oh No (Gangrene) – You Disgust Me 2xLP (Mass Appeal)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Producers extraordinaire Alchemist and Oh No have been working together as Gangrene since 2010. The duo’s seventh collaborative project in five years, You Disgust Me, features guest contributions by Havoc, Sean Price, Action Bronson, Chuck Strangers, Your Old Droog, and more.
The Allman Brothers Band – Shades Of Two Worlds [Reissue/1991] LP (Friday Music)
BB followed-up their 1990 comeback album Seven Turns — their first in almost a decade and first with integral new additions Warren Haynes (lead guitar/vocals) and Allan Woody (bass) — with the same revitalized line-up and the accomplished Shades Of Two Worlds a year later. HQ-180gm.
Richard Band – Puppet Master: The Music Collection LP (Full Moon Features)
There are but a handful of composers toiling in terror that fully understand how to manipulate an image. Max Steiner, Bernard Hermann, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, Riz Ortalani, Danny Elfman, Christopher Young; all of these visionary artists helped define not only how we watch horror and dark fantasy films, but how we listen to them as well. We can easily add Richard Band to that list of heavy sonic hitters. But perhaps no other work defines Band’s genius than the haunting soundtrack he created for his brother Charles Band’s immortal 1989 thriller Puppet Master and its many sequels.
Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Surprise sixth LP comes less than two months after Depression Cherry. “It was recorded at the same time as Depression Cherry, but for us, it’s very much a different record. All of its songs were written after the DC songs. Along the way we realized that we didn’t want it to be released in the traditional manner. Mainly, we just wanted our listeners to hear it first.” CD version due October 30.
Beechwood – It’s Not Wrong b/w Uptown Daughter 7” (Lefse)
There are no reviews for this single.
Blackalicious – Imani Vol. 1 2xLP (Black Mines)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ten years after 2005’s The Craft comes Blackalicious’ self-release, Imani, Vol. 1. Three years in the works, the album stays true to rapper Gift Of Gab’s clever tongue-twisting wordplay and DJ/producer Chief Xcel’s unique beats. First volume of a trilogy.
Blackmore’s Night – All Our Yesterdays 2xLP (Frontiers)
All Our Yesterdays is Blackmore’s Night ninth studio album. Despite Ritchie Blackmore’s past as a guitar player in Deep Purple and Rainbow, he is now in another stage of his musical life, concentrating on modern folk, renaissance and progressive rock music. Besides Ritchie’s talents, the other selling point for Blackmore’s Night is vocalist Candice Night, wife of Ritchie Blackmore who could be described as a younger, and folksier, version of Stevie Nicks. CD available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a DVD featuring two music videos and an extensive interview with Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night on the making of the new album.
Mal Blum – You Look A Lot Like Me LP (Don Giovanni)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In many ways, You Look A Lot Like Me is a mental health record, written when Mal was at a low point, and re-worked and polished at a high one. It turned out to be essential in helping get out of a dark period of depression and Mal Blum hopes others will connect with these songs on a similar, personal level.
Bolt Thrower – The IVth Crusade [Reissue/1992] LP (Earache)
Recorded at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, the aptly titled The IVth Crusade served as the legendary British death metalers’ second to last effort on Earache and it finds the band continuing their quest to create their own unique style of music identifiable as only Bolt Thrower. A relentless set of doomier sounding tunes with mega production form Colin Richardstone (Slipknot, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth), the band also decided to break from their usual fantasy artwork here and instead used a classical painting by Delacroix.
Apollo Brown – Grandeur LP (Mello Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In recent years, Apollo Brown has become an institution of Detroit hip-hop. For his newest album, Grandeur, Brown has assembled an all-star cast of MCs including Sean Price & Reks, Freddie Gibbs, MOP, Evidence, Oddisee, Vinnie Paz, Masta Ace, Rapper Big Pooh and more.
Campsite – 2 Fotographic LP (Anticon)
New project from Raleigh Moncrief. As Campsite he feels able to relax a little bit, and consequently throws out seven little tracks in less than twenty minutes, giving this debut a great bouncy pace. 2 Fotographic will suit fans of electronically-led odd-pop down to the ground.
Carcass – Necroticism – Descanting The Insalubrious [Reissue/1991] LP (Earache)
Carcass’ legendary breakthrough third album, Necroticism: Decanting The Insalubrious, is back in print on vinyl. This is expansive gore with mammoth production from Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth) to boot. The unnerving medical lyrics are still prevalent but a much more precise musical approach is in evidence here as well thanks to the addition of guitarist Michael Amott (Arch Enemy) who makes his Caracass debut.
John Carpenter – Lost Themes Remixed LP+MP3 (Sacred Bones)
Eight pivotal contemporary electronic artists were moved to reshape the original songs on Lost Themes in tribute to one the genre’s great pioneers. Several of the remixes were released as part of the digital deluxe edition of the album, but Lost Themes Remixed marks the first time any of the tracks have been on vinyl.
Tom Carter – Long Time Underground 2xLP (Three Lobed)
Long Time Underground is the new album from Tom Carter (one half of the long-running and influential underground duo Charalambides). Despite a lengthy career, Long Time Underground is Carter’s first full length solo album recorded in a proper studio. “At the heart of Tom Carter’s music lies a fascination with the acoustical possibilities of the guitar — not as a single instrument, a single voice, but as a multitude of voices, all waiting to be discovered through a little expert handiwork.” — Fragil.org
Chain Of Flowers – Chain Of Flowers LP (Alter)
Debut from Welsh band is a dense eight-track opus of heavy shoegaze sonics and urgent post-punk.
Childbirth – Women’s Rights LP+MP3 (Suicide Squeeze)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Childbirth is a “supergroup” in the sense its members are all in other hit bands (Julia Shapiro of Chastity Belt, Bree McKenna of Tacocat, Stacy Peck of Pony Time) and also that they do good for the world while in costume. Their new album, Women’s Rights, is piss-your-pants funny — subject matter includes a trashy friend bringing coke to a baby shower (“Baby Bump”) characteristics that warrant an instant “swipe left” on Tinder (“Siri, Open Tinder”) and dating vapid IT douches (“Tech Bro.”). Yellow vinyl.
John Cleary – GoGo Juice LP (FHQ)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. GoGo Juice is the new album from one of New Orleans’ premier musical ambassadors, Jon Cleary. Made in collaboration with multi-Grammy winning producer John Porter (B.B. King, Keb Mo, Ryan Adams, Los Lonely Boys) each one of the carefully crafted songs is a delicate balance of the smooth and the rough; instantly hooks over a set of sophisticated and soulful arrangements. The tracks were recorded over several days deep in the bayou country of Louisiana and subsequently honed in his studio in the old Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. A blend of musical intelligence with direct, accessible pop simplicity that draws from tradition and yet is distinctively separate from it, these songs represent the many aspects of Cleary’s musical personality as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter.
The Coolies – Kaka LP (Feeding Tube)
“The Coolies have been blurting out random batches of high order avant garage spew since 1997. Sjionel Timu and Tina Pihema are the core of the band. Formed in the sprawl of South Auckland while they were still teens, The Coolies were ostensibly a ‘punk’ unit, but their sound was never doctrinaire. Through sheer weirdness and strength of vision, they created music that paralleled aspects of underground noise from the forests of Olympia Washington, the squats of West London, and the basements of Dunedin. The tunes on Kaka (the title refers to either Maori slang for ‘sh*t,’ or the name of an indigenous NZ parrot, depending on how you ask) were recorded in a couple of long jam sessions, then teased and smooshed into ‘shape’ over the course of a year or so. The results are both propulsively fetching and utterly fried.” – Byron Coley
Martin Cooper & David Hughes – C.H.U.D. LP (Waxwork)
Never before released in any format, Waxwork has tracked down the original master tapes with the effort’s of C.H.U.D.’s composers Martin Cooper and David Hughes. Released in 1984, C.H.U.D. has gained a devoted cult following amongst B-movie horror fans and the film is widely referenced in pop culture to this day via The Simpsons, Archer and more. Pressed on HQ-180gm toxic waste puddle vinyl and packaged in gatefold jackets.
Aliester Crowley – Evil Beast LP (Cleopatra)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing with chipboard, silk screened, sequentially numbered jackets. Contains creepy intonations of black magic rituals as well as ruminations on topics from the sinking of The Titanic to American independence. The collection features all of Aleister Crowley’s wax recordings including, “Call Of The First Aethyr (Enochian),” “The Pentagram,” “Excerpts From The Gnostic Mass.” File under: Christmas/Holiday.
Damu The Fudgemunk – Public Assembly, Volume 2 LP (Redefinition)
A second installment of quality instrumentals in his signature style. The release unites sought after rarities, unreleased compositions, archived demos and fan favorites, all gathered on two variations of LP in gold (limited) or black vinyl.
Denki Udon – In Zdb LP+7”+MP3 (Three Four)
Debut from Norberto Lobo, Giovanni Di Domenico, and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto (both frequent Jim O’Rourke collaborators) recorded at Galeria Ze dos Bois in Lisbon on November 14, 2014. Three relatively young players with phenomenal technical skills and strong musical background, Lobo, Di Domenico, and Yamamoto are mainly demonstrative in their playing. Even though the 37 minutes are improvised, there is a great coherence between all tracks. From a minimalistic approach, to noisy part and ending with a groovy mood, the trio shows a great symbiosis and cohesion.
Disclosure – Caracal 2xLP (Capitol)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Disclosure has traded in its debut’s hook-heavy, nonstop good time for a more relaxed follow-up designed for respectability beyond the EDM world — as if dance music couldn’t possibly be enough.” – Billboard
Anderson East – Delilah LP (New Elektra)
Released last summer on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album by the southern blues/rock artist from Athens, Alabama.
Eat The Gun – Howlinwood LP (Steamhammer/SPV)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “’Howlinwood,’ the title track, is an excellent choice for kicking off this album. Downtuned guitars with a certain stoner appeal gets you into the album. Eat The Gun wouldn’t be Eat The Gun if they wouldn’t combine their crispy rock with catchy melodies. Again they succeeded and added a chorus to this tune that sticks to your mind immediately.” — Markus’ Heavy Music Blog
Emery – The Question [2005] LP (Tooth & Nail)
Emery’s 2005 sophomore effort The Question found the band undeniably passionate and more fully realized than ever. Arguably the band’s most cherished offering among fans, the record is finally making it’s fitting debut on the vinyl format for the very first time. Red vinyl.
John Fahey – The Transfiguration Of Blind Joe Death [Reissue/1967] LP (4 Men With Beards)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissue of John Fahey’s seventh album, originally released on the Riverboat label in 1967. This reissue includes a reproduction of the 30-page booklet “Notes to: John Fahey’s The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death” by Charles Holloway, Esq.
Fountainsun – Music Today LP (Gnome Life)
Fountainsun is the new work of Daniel Higgs and Fumie Ishii. Their debut LP, Music Today, is a bright and expressive blend of percussion, strings, flutes, voices, and a tumult of poetry rumbling out from the very center of The Big Bang, traversing eons of song.
Funkadelic – America Eats Its Young [Reissue/1972] 2xLP (4 Men With Beards)
Limited HQ-180gm opaque turquoise and translucent purple colored vinyl LP pressing in a deluxe tip-on gatefold sleeve. The 4th album from George Clinton’s funk/psych/rock outfit, originally released in 1972, is a double LP of epic proportions. Deep and heavy grooves propelled by the always amazing guitar, bass and keyboard work of Eddie Hazel, William “Bootsy” Collins, and Bernie Worrell, respectively. Equally sleazy, political, heartfelt, and just plain bizarre, America Eats Its Young was, and remains, one of the few double albums of the 1970s that warranted every single minute of wax.
Further Seems Forever – The Moon Is Down [Reissue/2001] LP (Tooth & Nail)
White vinyl reissue of the 2001 debut from the emo rock band featuring Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba.
Jerry Goldsmith – Legend [OST/1985] LP (Silva Screen)
Ridley Scott’s 1985 cult fantasy film Legend famously starred a young Tom Cruise, had two soundtracks and was represented by one of the most iconic looking horror bad-guys in the history of cinema, known as “Darkness”. The original Jerry Goldsmith score was preferred by Scott and was used in the Director’s Cut (2002) including several songs: “My True Love’s Eyes,” “Living River,” “Bumps And Hollows,” “Sing The Wee” and “Reunited.” The extended version of the soundtrack makes its vinyl debut on this Special Edition release, using amazing original artwork by artist Vance Kelly.
Graveyard – Innocence & Decadence 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Swedish rockers Graveyard release their fourth full-length album. The band noted: “It’s gonna be an album filled to the rim with a little bit of this — and for all of those who might wonder or worry, there will be quite a lot of that on it as well.”
Patti Griffin – Servant Of Love LP+MP3 (Thirty Tigers)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Servant Of Love is the Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter’s tenth album, and her first to be released on her new self-owned imprint in conjunction with Thirty Tigers. On the album, Patty Griffin digs deep into folk and roots tradition with its grounding in the experience and rhythms of the everyday, but she also writes in the vein of another tradition, less often mined: the transcendentalism of writers like Emerson and Whitman. Grounding itself in the natural world and finding patterns there which speak both to human experience and to the call of the spirit, Servant Of Love weaves an elemental spell out of the stuff of life.
Halestorm – Halestorm [2009] LP (Atlantic)
Blood. Sweat. Tears. Rock ‘n’ roll. That’s what Halestorm’s made of. The band, guitarist Joe Hottinger, bassist Josh Smith, drummer Arejay Hale and singer/guitarist Lzzy Hale churn out uncompromising rock ‘n’ roll anthems on their self-titled Atlantic debut.
Hammercult – Built For War LP (Steamhammer/SPV)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Two years after the release of Steelcrusher, the Israeli thrash metal war machine return to the front.
Grant Hart – Ecce Homo [1995] LP (Bang)
Grant Hart’s acoustic live album Ecce Homo, recorded in Seattle in 1994 and released only in the USA on CD in 1995, is now available on vinyl for the first time. A truly intense and deeply passionate acoustic performance, with a selection drawing from Hart’s solo career, his band Nova Mob, and, of course, Hüsker Dü.
Daniel Higgs & Michael Zerang – Daniel Higgs & Michael Zerang LP (Lake Paradise)
Two of the USA’s apostles of music come together for an intense session of banjo and frame-drum shredding, with a touch of tambourine and throat. Hypnotic reverence burns the tape, smells good.
Hollywood Vampires – Hollywood Vampires 2xLP (UMe)
In 1969 the Hollywood Vampires were born in the upstairs bar at the Rainbow Bar & Grill. “To join the club, one simply had to out drink all of the members,” says Alice Cooper, a founding member of the Vampires. “I would walk in on a typical night” Alice says, “and John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, Bernie Taupin, Jim Morrison and Mickey Dolenz would be there.” Three years ago, Alice and good friend Johnny Depp got together and decided the spirit of the Hollywood Vampires should live again (minus the drinking).” Joining Alice and Johnny for this new incarnation is a wide range of leathered veterans: Joe Perry, Perry Farrell, Dave Grohl, Sir Paul McCartney, Slash, Joe Walsh, Kip Winger, and many others.
Inventions – Blanket Waves 12” (Temporary Residence)
When Explosions In The Sky’s Mark T. Smith and Eluvium’s Matthew Cooper united as Inventions last year, the expectation was a sound that married Smith’s iconic, emotional compositions with Cooper’s introspective, occasionally noisy ambiance. For the most part, their debut album delivered on that promise. However, their quick follow-up, Maze Of Woods, exploded those sounds and smeared them into a rich, abstract space where comfort and confusion coexist. The duo’s individual identities dissolved into a fluid, ever-changing landscape of mechanical rhythms, vocal samples, and indeterminate instrumentation. It was uniquely haunting, and brilliantly executed. Blanket Waves continues in the direction charted on Maze Of Woods increasingly malleable, and even farther-reaching in its blurring of dream and reality.
Iron And Wine – Archive Series Volume No. 2 7”+MP3 (Black Cricket Recording Co.)
Collects two cover versions of classic songs found in Sam Beam’s early home recorded cassettes and presents them on limited edition colored (pink/lemon-lime) 7” vinyl. Side A features a cover of Neil Young’s “Albuquerque” while Side B features a cover of “It’s The Same Old Song” by the Four Tops.
SK Kakraba – Songs Of Paapieye LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. SK Kakraba is master of the gyil, Ghanaian xylophone made of 14 wooden slats strung across calabash gourd resonators. The buzzy rattle emitted with each note comes from the silk walls of spiders’ egg sacs stretched across holes in the gourds, called paapieye in Lobi language. The gyil’s earthy sound can be heard in parts of Upper West and Northern Regions of Ghana, as well as Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and beyond, where it goes by other names. The characteristic buzzing timbre might sound odd to foreign ears. But this distortion is just one of the beautifying sensibilities crucial to SK’s gyil music, which he learned as a child from elders in his Lobi community in the far northwest reaches of Ghana.
Kankick – Seeing Spirits [Reissue/2005] LP (Vinyl Digital)
Kankick (also spelled Kan Kick) grew up in the city of Oxnard, along with several fellow hip-hop musicians including Madlib, Oh No, DJ Romes and Dudley Perkins. In the early 90’s he was an integral part of Lootpack, appearing on several of their tracks. He has also produced some of The Alkaholiks’ early tracks. Later he went on to produce a number of solo instrumental albums, as well as collaborate with several rappers and producers such as Planet Asia, Declaime and DJ Babu. This reissue features new cover artwork by Georgia Anne Muldrow.
Mick Karn – More Better Different [2003] LP (Kscope)
Probably best known for his work with Japan, Mick played plenty of other music, including Dalis Car, his band with Peter Murphy from Bauhaus. His sixth solo album More Better Different is now available on vinyl for the first time. The album sees Karn utilizing guitars, clarinet, samples and spoken word in nine mood pieces, which swing from the winningly funky “The Jump” to the cinematic noodling of “The End Gag” to the wah guitar and ‘80s sci-fi soundtrack stylings of “Atyan B-Boot.”
King Crimson – USA [Reissue/1975] LP+MP3 (DGM)
Limited HQ-200gm vinyl LP pressing — the seventh in a series of King Crimson high quality vinyl reissues. USA was recorded towards the end of King Crimson’s final US tour of the ‘70s in June 1974. It was issued as an epitaph for the band in Spring 1975 as a single album, at a time when doubles or even triple live albums were more considered the norm for live releases.
King Khan – Hurtin’ Class 7” (Ernest Jenning)
A track that Khan created with Ian Svenonious (of Chain & The Gang) which is on the soundtrack for the film The Invaders (all of which was composed by Khan). “Hurtin’ Class” premiered via Noisey, who called it “a killer cut of funk-inflected punk…that will surely fit well on an experimental label like Khannibalism.”
Sonny Knight And The Lakers – Do It Live LP (Secret Stash)
Released last June on CD – now available on vinyl. Live R&B reminiscent of the tightly orchestrated performances of James Brown, Sam & Dave.
Knxwledge – Anthology 2xLP+MP3 (Leaving)
Originally released on double cassette by Leaving Records in 2013, Knxwledge’s Anthology is now available on gatefold double vinyl. This collection contains a total of 53 tracks compiled from Knxwledge’s Bandcamp releases from 2009-2013. Knx, aka Knxwledge, is a beatmaker raised in central New Jersey and Philadelphia, now dialing-it-in at home in Los Angeles.
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa ‘70 – Alagbon Close [Reissue/1964] LP+MP3 (Knitting Factory)
Music Of Fela – Roforofo Fight [Reissue/1972] LP+MP3 (Knitting Factory)
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa ‘70 – Na Poi [Reissue/1972] LP+MP3 (Knitting Factory)
Fela & Africa ’70 – Everything Scatter [Reissue/1975] LP+MP3 (Knitting Factory)
Fẹlá & Afrika ‘70– Fear Not For Man [Reissue/1977] LP+MP3 (Knitting Factory)
Fela Kuti & Egypt 80 – Beasts Of No Nation [Reissue/1989] LP+MP3 (Knitting Factory)
Knitting Factory continues rolling out vinyl reissues from the seemingly bottomless well of the undisputed king of Afrobeat.
Leaves Eyes – King Of Kings LP (AFM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Again returning to Norwegian roots, the gothic/symphonic metal band has woven an elaborate Viking concept story on King Of Kings. Red vinyl.
Mahavishnu Orchestra – Whiskey A-Go-Go 27.03.72 2xLP (Klondike)
The original, complete and fully-remastered live FM broadcast from 1972 on HQ-180gm vinyl.
Malevolent Creation – Dead Man’s Path 2xLP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Twelfth album from the Florida death metal veterans.
Man Or Astro-Man – 1000X [Reissue/1997] 10”+MP3 (Touch & Go)
After years of searching, deep in the depths of space, Touch & Go found enough moon goo to send out another wave of these 10″ vinyl space anomalies. Any group whose ultimate complot centers around escape and exodus from the Planet Earth and conquest of all it’s indigenous life forms would obviously not release even a minute, trivial link to their master plan. Yet most understandably, the higher-ups of Astro-Tech Inc. Realize the need to perpetuate certain conquest propaganda procedures, and thus the possibility of this select Astro-info downlink.
Brad Mehldau – 10 Years Solo Live 8xLP (Nonesuch)
The set is culled from 19 live recordings made over a decade of the pianist’s European solo concerts and is divided into four thematic subsets of four sides each: Dark/Light, The Concert, Intermezzo/Rückblick, and E Minor/E Major. CD version due November 20.
Mild High Club – Timeline LP (Circle Star)
Mild High Club is the home for the musical output of Alexander Brettin, a jazz-schooled musician transplanted from the Midwest to Los Angeles. Premiered originally via Stereogum, they write of the blissed out psych track, “it feels like a lost ’60s tune, each note sustained with a twirl of vibrato creating an elongated nonchalant West Coast vibe… it’s sweet, in all senses of the word.”
Mishka – Roots Fidelity LP (Mishka Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Mishka is a true icon of modern reggae music. Roots Fidelity is his seventh full length album and the first for his own Mishka Music imprint. The album is a return to the more traditional singer/songwriter smooth reggae style that gained Mishka thousands of fans including superstars like Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, and Jimmy Buffett.
Morbid Angel – Blessed Are The Sick [Reissue/1991] LP (Earache)
Morbid Angel – Formulas Fatal To The Flesh [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Earache)
Vinyl reissues of the second and fifth albums by the godfathers of death metal.
Ennio Morricone – I Pugni in Tasca [1965] LP (Dagored)
For Marco Bellocchio’s masterpiece debut film I Pugni in Tasca (Fists In The Pocket), Ennio Morricone composed some mysterious and obsessive music for soprano voice, harp, harpsichord, and strings, alternating with lounge music of the period, swing, and jazz to create a great contrast with the dark mood of the movie. Blue vinyl.
Motion City Soundtrack – Panic Station LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Panic Stations was named after nautical structures that act as warning posts in the oceans. The music itself is invigorated and propulsive. “Lose Control” builds into an intense, emotionally raw chorus that mirrors Pierre’s plea to relinquish control while “TKO” pares the music down to it’s lively rock ‘n’ roll core, focusing on the deft combination of guitars and rhythms and revealing the fervor of MCS’ live performance. “Over It Now,” a raucous standout, amps up that performance energy, reminding fans of the band’s infectious enthusiasm for the stage, which the band bought on tour recently for their successful 10-year anniversary tour of Commit This To Memory.
New Order – Republic [Reissue/1993] LP (Rhino)
New Order – Get Ready [Reissue/2001] LP (Rhino)
New Order – Waiting For The Siren’s Call [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Rhino)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissues of New Order’s sixth, seventh, and eighth albums.
Northwind – Sister, Brother, Lover… [Reissue/1971] LP (Beatball)
The sole album from Scottish rock band Northwind reissued officially for the first time in over 40 years. Originally issued by Regal Zonophone in 1971, this highly sought after release has never been reissued on LP officially. The band’s sound has been likened to that of the twin lead guitar style of Help Yourself/early Wishbone Ash with refined vocals. The songs are spiced with tasteful organ/piano and additional percussion throughout.
Phantom Horse – Different Forces LP (Umor Rex)
Different Forces is the second album by Hamburg-based duo Phantom Horse, following their acclaimed self-titled album debut on Dekorder. These polyrhythmic vehicles are driven under the influence of Cluster and Harmonia, that venerable school of out-there German explorers; the tuneful ghost of Moondog can also be seen on the rear-view mirror, while the landscape rushes by with the hypnotic pulse of 1960s minimalism.
Pixel – Golden Years LP (Cuneiform)
“A golden age is usually defined in retrospect, discerned from a comfortable distance of decades or centuries. For the award-winning Norwegian jazz quartet Pixel, the urgency of their music allows for no such hesitation. The band is in the vanguard of a jazz scene brimming with exceptional young musicians, charting an exhilarating, improvisation-steeped path infused with the cathartic energy of rock. This is an exciting time in jazz’s evolution, as it expands to embrace other popular musics worldwide. Pixel stands out in this phenomenon, as no one else is melding jazz with the song structure and accessibility of pop and indie rock as they do.” – Neufutur Magazine
Pyrrhon – Growth Without End LP (MRI Associated)
“Growth Without End sees Pyrrhon further stripping back the death metal constituents of their sound, opting for a style that is now primarily mathcore. Save for the infrequent use of death growls, you’ll notice far more parallels with The Dillinger Escape Plan, IDYLLS and Jane Doe-era Converge than you will with Gorguts, Artificial Brain, or any other tech-death band of the ‘dissonant’ persuasion.” – Sputnik Music
Spencer Radcliffe – Looking In LP (Run For Cover)
Recently released on CD and cassette – now available on vinyl. Looking In, recorded in solitude at Queen Mary’s Lighthouse in Chicago, encompasses all corners of Radcliffe’s songwriting style, leaving no part of his sonic map uncovered. Guitars and carefully outlined drums accentuate his pop craft on tracks such as “Mia” and “Yankee.” Traditional songwriting methods come apart naturally elsewhere through tumbling Rhodes piano, modified electronics, and brass in disarray. The one instrument that stitches the album’s atypical patchwork together is Radcliffe’s voice, allowing listeners to draw up their own impressions of his often equivocal work.
Ramming Speed – No Epitaphs LP (Prosthetic)
Packed to the brim with galvanizing riffs, breakneck solos and thunderous blastbeats comes No Epitaphs, the new release from Richmond-based rebels Ramming Speed.
Scale The Summit – V LP+MP3 (Prosthetic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Scale The Summit is commonly referred to as an instrumental rock band, and falls into this category often. When experiencing them though, there is no denying, there is a strong metal influence. This drives the band to create special and monumental pieces that bridge the gap between rock and metal in a way that abandons the ‘rock rules’ and ventures into passages that were made for those who desire more than simple hard rebellious music” – Metal Injection. (Limited color vinyl copies were pressed.)
Serial Butcher – Brute Force Lobotomy LP (Unique Leader)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Serial Butcher return with their forth studio release of audio carnage with Brute Force Lobotomy. The full-length album brings technical, catchy and memorable slabs of musical technique that only Serial Butcher are known for again keeping their sound fresh and original. Brute Force Lobotomy is a must have for fans of traditional, well, written and produced death metal.
The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Rockin’ Rudolph LP (Surfdog)
The rockabilly king throws down a Christmas/Holiday album.
Shopping – Why Choose LP (FatCat)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Shopping’s debut album Consumer Complaints drew a flurry of press for their spot on divining of post-punk’s driving force, dubbing them as a “band you need to hear” by NME and “Artist To Watch” by SPIN. The band evokes revered touchstones The Slits, Delta 5, Gang Of Four and ESG, though as Pitchfork reminds, “they never sound particularly dated or like a carbon-copy, a testament to the group’s songwriting abilities.” Rather, they embody the spirit of experimentation, social upheaval, (without becoming didactic) clashing gender politics and ethical change that defined their ‘70s counterparts and still ring true today. Clear vinyl.
Snapcase – Designs For Automotion [Reissue/2000] LP (Victory)
Out of press for on vinyl for over 15 years, Victory Records is pleased to reissue Designs For Automotion back on the format once again.
Snowgoons – German Cuts LP (Vinyl Digital)
The meeting of the German and US Underground Rap Titans — who else could done it than the Goons? Ft. Morlockk Dilemma, Ill Bill, Retrogott, Edo G, Wise Intelligent, O.C. (D.I.T.C), Curse, Amewu, Rasco, Simon Says, Defari, Nico Suave, Maylay Sparks, Pal One, Virtuoso, Apathy, Amewu, Absztrakkt, Antihelden (Abroo & Dra-Q) and Torch.
Soundtrack – Back To The Future [Reissue/1985] LP (Geffen)
Picture disc vinyl reissue. Be sure to pick up two copies: one to frame and one to wear out by playing “The Power Of Love” over and over again until you pass out and reawaken in 1985.
Soundtrack – The Wizard Of Oz [1939] LP+MP3 (Watertower Music)
Limited black vinyl LP pressing of the original soundtrack to the legendary film includes digital download access to alternate version of “If I Only Had A Brain.”
The Stops – Nameless Faces LP (Dirt Cult)
Debut release from The Stops—self-described as “five girls playing punk.” Nameless Faces definitely adds to Portland’s reputation for dark melodic punk (see also: Observers, Red Dons). The Stops have cultivated a unique sound—combining seemingly disparate influences of the Wipers, Adolescents, and early Go-Go’s. They kind of come off like an American counterpart to Terrible Feelings—except they’re more straight-forward punk rock and not quite as bleak.
Summer Twins –LP+MP3 (Burger)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown weave together modern pop, ‘50s sock hop melodies and wild ‘60s garage rock, topped with dreamy harmonies and a tinge of sunny psychedelia. “Everyone knows a good indie rock song can be made even better with twee organ sound running through the whole thing,” said Austin Town Hall of single, ‘Demons.’”
Sunflower Bean – Show Me Your Seven Secrets LP (Fat Possum)
Colored vinyl. “The third track on Sunflower Bean’s debut EP is a revealing introduction to the New York band’s sound. ‘Tame Impala,’ a dizzying, Sabbath-like tribute to Kevin Parker’s band, is the record’s most immediate song and has bassist and singer Julia Cumming yelping ‘You always say what’s on your mind’ over heavy riffs. (Tame Impala’s 2012 album Lonerism included a bonus track called ‘Led Zeppelin’). The other five songs more than justify the buzz around the trio (completed by guitarist Nick Kivlen and drummer Jacob Faber), melding wandering psych with glimmers of metal and post-punk. ‘Somebody Call A Doctor’ is largely instrumental, Kivlen’s chiming guitars wrapping around Cumming’s dancing bassline, and ‘OK Mr Man’ has a glint of Joy Division to its whirling noise. Astonishingly good.” – NME
Sweet Talk – Double Perfect LP (12xU)
Doubling down in their efforts for blown out pop perfection, Sweet Talk, spent the better part of a year experimenting with ideas, training their bodies, and preparing their minds. What you get is a band with whip-smart songwriting, an ace rhythm section, and epic rock ‘n’ roll leads pulling out all the stops and going for broke. Warbling between a freak mix of ‘70s classic rock, early ‘80s alternative, and unmistakable Texas punk grit, Sweet Talk navigate their influences well while creating something unmistakably their own.
Teebs – AV – ESTR Outtakes/Remixes LP (Hit & Run)
This new twelve song vinyl-only album by Teebs represents a collection of ideas from 2014-2015 that was previously spread out between his works both in the visual world and through music label Brainfeeder. AV – ESTR Outtakes/Remixes contains music heretofore released only on cassette format in 2014, plus new songs recorded circa creation of his ESTARA album, and three remixes that came about organically during that time from Co. Fee, Odd Nosdam and Hominid. Limited copies on red vinyl.
Tempel – Moon Lit Our Path 2xLP (Prosthetic)
Release last June on CD – now available on vinyl. After making waves with their debut album On The Steps Of The Temple, Arizona-based instrumental duo Tempel return with their sophomore album, The Moon Lit Our Path. The release consists of five colossal tracks that fuse haunting blackened post-metal melodies with progressive accents and atmospheric tinges.
Trans FX – Into The Blu LP (K)
The Trans FX project features hard edge Olympia, WA music alumns Scott Young (GAG) and Chris Mcdonnell (Family Stoned) with appearances by Hayes Waring and Dave Harvey (Sex/Vid, BTPNLSL, Tight Bros From Way Back When). Recorded by the seminal Olympia engineer Captain Tripps Ballsington (Milk Music, Cairo Pythian), Into To The Blu continues the Olympia tradition of a singular artist blazing trails for others to soon follow.
Various Artists – Clarks In Jamaica LP (VP)
Clarks In Jamaica is a photo essay bv reggae historian Al Fingers that explores the longstanding love affair that Jamaicans have with Clarks brand shoes. The Clarks In Jamaica album, compiled by Al Fingers presents twenty dancehall classics demonstrating how Clarks are an integral part of the reggae lifestyle.
Wilco – Star Wars LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Limited white vinyl LP pressing in gatefold sleeve, with digital download that contains exclusive bonus live material. Wilco’s ninth studio album and it’s first since 2011’s The Whole Love. “Because Wilco sounds about 85% committed to a truly new idea, Star Wars is their strongest record in a decade; and if Wilco have another truly great one in them, history strongly suggests it’ll be devoted to sounding nothing like Star Wars.” – Pitchfork
Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention – One Size Fits All [Reissue/1975] LP (Zappa Records)
Originally released in 1975, One Size Fits All was Zappa’s final album with the Mothers of Invention line-up, featuring guest vocals by Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson on two tracks, “San Ber’dino” and “Andy.” HQ-180gm.
Zelienople – Show Us The Fire LP (Immune)
Zelienople exist as a unique entry in the pantheon of Chicago musicians pushing the boundaries of genre. The quartet takes basic song-structures and textural palates of folk and rock and infuses them with the spontaneous fluidity of jazz and the shimmering haze of ambient music, emphasizing subtle facets of each genre to create their own individual style. Zelienople have been an active part of Chicago’s rich musical landscape for nearly fifteen years.
Cassettes:
Beach Slang – Here, I Made This For You (beach Slang Mixtape Vol. 1) (Polyvinyl)
“I’ve always been sort of clumsy. Mostly meaning socially. That’s tricky business when you’ve got a big, gooey heart. But, yeah, when I can’t quite figure out how to say a thing to someone, I make tapes for them. I need them to really know I mean it, you know? That’s what this is: me letting you know how much I mean it. Every drunk sing along, every sweaty hug, every shirt you wear, record you grab, letter you write, thing you say…it’s a really wild heart-sweller. Thank you for all of it. For Volume I, I landed here. I mean, lots of songs mean something to me. These six mean a whole lot. I hope they will to you. If you already know them, play them loud and remember it all. If you don’t, I hope they feel like something you’ve been waiting for”—James Alex. Includes digital download.
Andrew Bernstein – Cult Appeal (Hausu Mountain)
Member of Horse Lords continues to redefine the capacity of the modern interdisciplinary musician, exploring the intersections of ecstatic saxophone performance and academic electronic music. His solo material contextualizes these impulses into discrete pieces informed by the contemporary classical, minimalist, and avant-garde traditions.
Sasha Conda – Bronco (Not Not Fun)
A linear seven-song cycle of decadent casino fusion boogie, neon waterfall two-step, sci-fi new wave, and spherical synthesizer dirge – fantasy-as-escape meets escape-as-fantasy.
Cult Leader – Lightless Walk (Deathwish, Inc.)
Cult Leader is a band from Salt Lake City, UT that play metallic and grimy hardcore.
The Latter – Ivorics (Empty Cellar)
A decade before he surfaced as a San Francisco garage icon, Tim Cohen (frontman for The Fresh & Onlys and Magic Trick) spit fire under the alias Feller Quentin in hip-hop collective The Latter. This cassette, Ivorics, contains over a dozen original hip hop tracks by the group, written and recorded between 1998 and 2003. The beats are dope (by Feller Quentin and Eddie Vic). The lyrics are fresh. The styles are incomparable.
Mr. Bronson – Trans Pacific (100% Silk)
Melbourne hardware flatliner Mr. Bronson (aka Andrew Broughton) strips tracks back to their strobing skeletons, lean sequences of poly-synth and 707, a spiraling infinity window across Oceania.
Nackt – Virex (100% Silk)
Over a decade of Bay Area nightlife and warehouse culture has boiled Johnny Igaz’s production methodology as Nackt down to its rubbery, resinous husk. Virex captures the project in its most stripped and purist form, all live, all hardware, traced in strict acid.
Roche – Dawn Of The Next Cycle (100% Silk)
Ben Winans’ work as Roche resists niches and deadzones, threading through various outer rings of electronic trance, proto-techno, and unnamed house. His latest logbook of tracks, Dawn Of The Next Cycle, spirals as deep as ever into red-eyed trips of pulsing, gaseous patterns, electric body music reflections on “a world at war, a world that is falling apart, or perhaps reforming.”
Sebadoh – KCRtroubleyou (Shrimper)
Classic 1999 live recording of Sebadoh on air getting into it with the DJ and hitting the seldom seen highs and lows of live music on the air. Liner notes by and artwork by Lou Barlow.
Soundtrack – Showgun Assassin [1980] (Cinewax)
Released to the grindhouse film circuit in 1980, Shogun Assassin is a martial arts Easts-meets-West culture mashup. Recutting scenes from the swashbuckling Japanese series Lone Wolf And Cub for the British and American markets, the film sold on its brutal action and frequent decapitations. Producer RZA was a big fan and let the soundtrack shape his work on his bandmate’s solo LP. The film’s soundtrack blends eastern melodies chiming out of futuristic synths, electronic beats, and bouncing disco bass lines introduced by a child’s ominous voiceover.
Soundtrack – Slime City [1988] (One Way Static)
Slime City is the debut film by cult horror director and author Gregory Lamberson. The film debuted in 1988 and spent months in the NY midnight movie circuit, at the tail end of the grindhouse era. Lamberson creatively made a great film with intense special effects with very limited money and a small crew of dedicated movie fans. A huge part of what makes Slime City so fantastic is its wildly creative score, which was composed by the now PhD, and current Music Director of the Beloit Janesville Symphony, Robert Tomaro. Rob’s score is unlike any horror soundtrack past or present.
STRFKR – Retillians [2011] (Polyvinyl)
On STRFKR’s second full-length, Reptilians, a lyrical obsession with death is expressed musically via vibrant crescendos, explosive drum beats, and layered synth melodies. Written almost entirely by principal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Hodges and produced by Jacob Portrait (Wampire, The Dandy Warhols), Reptilians is a blissfully buoyant affair that will have you dancing to songs about death while having the time of your life. Includes digital download.
together PANGEA – The Phage Cassette (Burger)
“Give ’em a year and they’ll come back louder. That’s sound advice, no pun intended, yet also the vibrant truth for Los Angeles garage rockers together PANGEA. After teasing demos, touring Europe, and sharing a bill with The Replacements, the scorched lungs of William Keegan and his raucous band of misfits have returned in chummy style with a new EP…” – Consequence Of Sound
Various Artists – Shrimper 25th Anniversary Cassette (Shrimper)
Celebrating 25 years of Shrimper whose first cassette came out way back then. Features exclusive, brand new recordings by Calexico, The Babies, Simon Joyner, John Davis, Woods, Refrigerator, Franklin Bruno, WCKR SPGT, Liz Gilbert, Dump & Paste. Hand numbered/colored edition. Folded in the Callaci home by some of yer fave Shrimper recording artists. Proceeds donated to EarthBagNepal for victims of Nepal earthquake.
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