CDs + Vinyl:
Patti Austin – Street Of Dreams CD (Water Music)
From queen of the jingle to the diva behind R&B’s jazziest pop, Patti Austin is one of the clearest voices in contemporary pop music. This collection of classic standards and some newer tracks showcases Austin at her best.
Eddie Baird – Hard Graft [Reissue/1976] CD (Prog Temple)
Lincolnshire, England-born multi-instrumentalist Eddie Baird is best known as a member of Amazing Blondel. This solo album is, however, far removed from that band’s renaissance folk style. A classy set of concise pop rock songs played entirely by Baird, it was recorded in Cornwall, England, in the summer of 1975 and released in 1976. It makes its long-overdue CD debut here.
Baumann/Koek – Baumann/Koek [Reissue/1979] CD (Bureau B)
Baumann/Koek is another hitherto undiscovered treasure of German electronic music, the only album by the electronic music pairing of Wolfgang Baumann and Ata Koek, both from Kempten, Bavaria, Germany. It was mixed in Conny Plank’s studio and distributed, without a label, by the duo themselves in 1978. The music owes much to the Berlin School; layered sequencer patterns, swirling chord tapestries, a computer beat here and there. Eastern elements or hints thereof add a particular charm to Baumann/Koek, reissued here for the first time.
Beacon – Escapements CD/LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
“Our very own 2011 Band To Watch honorees Beacon tinker with beat-driven, addictive electro-pop goodness that works just as well on the dance floor or in headphones, and their newest single ‘Preserve’ is no exception to the rule. The Brooklyn band start off with hard-hitting bass beats alongside a sparkling flurry of synths, driven by anchored, steadied resolution. It flits towards the more ambient-pop side of the spectrum and leans away from the likes of R&B, but its frothy beats will be hard to resist under the lights of the disco ball. “Preserve” is pulled from Beacon’s LP titled Escapements.” – Stereogum
Jacob Bellens – Polyester Skin CD (HFN)
Jacob Bellens’s Polyester Skin is sure to amaze left-field pop enthusiasts and singer-songwriter fans alike. The locally celebrated and award-winning singer-songwriter’s third solo album is a wonderful mix of heartfelt lyrics, crisp and modern pop production, and Bellens’s signature vocals, which never fail to captivate.
Billion Dollar Babies – Chemical God CD (Metalville)
New album from the Swedish hard rockers.
John Cale – Music For A New Society/M:FANS [Reissue/1982] 2xCD (Domino)
Cale’s long out-of-print 1982 masterpiece, Music For A New Society, has been remastered and is now reissued along side a radical new reworking of that critically-lauded album entitled M:FANS. (Both were released on vinyl a few weeks ago.)
Michael Cerveris – Piety CD (Low Heat)
After years of high volume punk and alternative rock, Cerveris follows up his indie-rock guest star-studded 2004 Dog Eared solo debut with a return to his southern roots for this album of lushly orchestrated, melodic Americana. Vinyl edition due March 4.
Circle Jerks – VI [Reissue/1987] CD (Real Gone Music)
Digitally remastered edition of an overlooked punk classic.
Cirque Du Soleil – Toruk – The First Flight CD (Cirque Du Soleil)
Inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar, Toruk – The First Flight, a live experience by Cirque du Soleil, envisions a world beyond imagination thousands of years before the events depicted in the film.
Jason Collett – Song And Dance Man CD/LP (Arts & Crafts)
“Song And Dance Man,” the title track from Jason Collett’s sixth full-length album, finds the singer/songwriter back at center stage, with three-minutes-and-change and a story to sing. Featuring the bright production touch of Bahamas’ Afie Jurvanen, “Song And Dance Man” covers the trials and triumphs of the modern musician with poignant poetry: If you can tweet something brilliant, you got a marketing plan. Song And Dance Man’s thirteen songs bear the wit and melody of classic Jason Collett: contemplative reflections on getting older, backed with an affinity for freewheeling ‘70s dance music. The album’s conspiring themes of love and loneliness, sun and shadows, are buoyed by its soaring sound. Each song rises into an easy, spacious groove, lead by Jason’s languid melodies and Afie’s sun-drunk bass.
Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari – Tales Of Mozambique [Reissue/1975] CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)
Count Ossie is the central character in the development of Rastafarian roots music, nowadays an almost mythical and iconic figure. His importance in bringing Rastafarian music to a populist audience is matched only by Bob Marley’s promotion of the faith internationally in the 1970s. Soul Jazz Records reissues Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation’s seminal 1975 album Tales Of Mozambique in a fully remastered edition, expanded with two bonus rare single-only tracks.
The Cult – Hidden City CD/2xLP (Cooking Vinyl)
Following up their 2012 album, Choice Of Weapon, singer Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy teamed up for the writing as the band’s only remaining original members. Explaining the concept behind the new record, Astbury said, “Hidden City is a metaphor for our spiritual lives, our intimate interior lives,” adding “I find today’s gurus are trying to peddle some cure, product or insight as if it’s a new phenomenon. My place is to respond, not react, to observe, participate and share through words and music. There is no higher authority than the heart.” The song “Dark Energy,” opens the album with a jumpy, swinging rhythm that sees Astbury’s signature croon enter shortly after. Keeping the bouncing rhythm, Duffy injects his ethereal, textured guitar playing hinting back at the band’s post-punk and goth rock days while maintaining their modern day sound.
Degraded – Degraded CD (Metalville)
Fifth album from the Swedish melodic death metal band.
Luther Dickinson – Blues & Ballads (A Folksingers Songbook) Volumes I & II CD/2xLP+MP3 (New West)
“This acoustic collection of songs interpreted simply, recorded live, solo or with a small group of friends, celebrates my relationship between music, songs, the written word and legacy. Blues & Ballads celebrates the American oral tradition of blues and folk songs, not only being passed down and evolving but being transcribed (the original recording technique) and entered into the discipline of written sheet music and songbooks. I represent the Memphis underground and the mid-south region’s music. This art is not for the masses. It is meant to wither and fade and then rise from the ashes again and again, evolving and mutating.” — Luther Dickinson 2015
DIIV – Is The Is Are CD/2xLP (Captured Tracks)
“There are plenty of bands that have served as their own worst enemies. DIIV had all the makings of a band banging on the door to stardom—hooks for days, a distinctive aesthetic in a crowded field, an edgy frontman who has acquired his own mythos. So the wait between their debut and sophomore efforts was an unwelcome wrinkle. After curating one of the finer entries into the Captured Tracks discography, the Brooklyn genre-melders hit a few snags, most notably Zachary Cole Smith’s arrest in late 2013 and drummer Colby Hewitt’s departure due to drug addiction. It all made a one-and-done affair seem like a real possibility. Is The Is Are’s opening line captures this sentiment perfectly: ‘You’re out of sight/And out of mind.’ DIIV were essentially off the grid for three years, more than enough time to be supplanted by a new rival. But rather than a distraction, the tabloid drama surrounding the band became the fodder for their new album. Is The Is Are takes everything that DIIV did well on Oshin, deepens it, broadens it, fiddles with more permutations, and does it all to excess.” – Pretty Much Amazing
Lou Doillon – Lay Low CD (Verve)
New release from the French singer/songwriter. Lou is Charlotte Gainsbourg’s half-sister, the daughter of Jane Birkin and French filmmaker Jacques Doillon. Like her famous half-sibling, Lou also dabbles regularly in both music and film.
Dr. Dog – The Psychedelic Swamp CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
“Philly’s Dr. Dog made their first record, The Psychedelic Swamp, in 2000 but never officially released it. Sure, there’ve been bootlegs, and any long-time Dr. Dog diehard can list the LP’s songs — but the collection never got a chance to really shine. Now 15 years later, the album has gotten a complete makeover. The strange thing is not that the band is returning to the first thing they ever created together, but that returning was their intention all the while. ‘The concept behind it is that we were always going to redo it and make it super-accessible pop, which was built into the concept of The Psychedelic Swamp. Part of the original record that is so unlistenable is that,” he pauses to laugh, ‘it was trapped in a psychedelic swamp.’” – Charleston City Paper
Dressy Bessy – Kingsized CD/LP (Yep Roc)
First new album from the Denver “sweet-and-tart power-poppers” (Stereogum) four-piece since 2008 – features guest appearances from e R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Wild Flag keyboardist Rebecca Cole, the Polyphonic Spree drummer Jason Garner, Young Fresh Fellows/The Minus 5’s Scott McCaughey, Apples In Stereo’s Eric Allen, and more.
Drowning Pool – Hellelujah CD (E1)
The platinum-plus conquerors from The Lone Star State deliver their heaviest batch of hell raising anthems, each burning with fiery adrenaline destined to light the radio ablaze and ignite crowds into impassioned sing-alongs.
C Duncan – Architect CD/LP (FatCat)
The son of two classical musicians, Christopher was drawn so persuasively to indie and alternative music and playing in school bands as a teen that he added guitar, bass guitar and drums to his existing repertoire of viola and piano, studying all five instruments at the same time. His debut LP for FatCat, Architect, is full of achingly personal songcraft that’s been recognized by NME, BBC Music, The Gurardian, Stereogum and most recently nominated for the UK’s Mercury Prize.
Empirical – Connection CD (Cuneiform)
New album from the forward-looking sax/vibes-led quartet. Having won a MOBO in 2010 for Best Jazz Act, Empirical have established themselves through a sharply defined sound revolving around vibist Lewis Wright’s probing chords and melodies, saxophonist Nathaniel Facey’s cutting alto lines and the propulsive interaction of bassist Tom Farmer and drummer Shaney Forbes.
Endless Tapes – Brilliant Waves CD (Hard World)
Endless Tapes is a collaboration between bassist and composer Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree, Metallic Taste of Blood, Twinscapes, O.R.k., etc.) and drummer and multi-instrumentalist Alessandro “Petrol” Pedretti. Following their eponymous 2013 EP, Brilliant Waves is the duo’s dazzling debut album. Setting out their plan for an immersive and engaging album, Endless Tapes road tested their material in early 2014 over a series of well received live dates in Italy (with the duo expanded to a full four-piece band and working in conjunction with stunning visuals by video artist Danilo di Prizio). Building on the duo’s previously released material, Brilliant Waves showcases a kaleidoscopic collection of instrumentals.
Ergo – As Subtle As Tomorrow CD (Cuneiform)
Drawing on the spirit of the avant-garde, inflections of minimalism and cutting-edge electro-acoustic techniques, Ergo mines areas of sound unique in modern jazz. With pianist/keyboardist Sam Harris, drummer Shawn Baltazor, and led by Brett Sroka on trombone and computer, the band release their fourth album, As Subtle As Tomorrow. The record documents a suite of pieces in which overlapping melodies, motifs and improvisations played by the ensemble are organically transformed into electronic elements of the music in real time — inspired by the stark intensity and hymn-like clarity of the Emily Dickinson poem it’s named after.
Fat White Family – Songs For Our Mothers CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Some will hail this hair-raising, pulse-quickening and indignant collection of glitterball disco, smacked out psych, glam funk, heart-breaking torch songs and otherworldly slabs of kraut n’ western as the shot in the arm that independent rock has been ailing after. And a shot in the arm is exactly what this album is. For if modern indie rock, DIY, alt-country – call it what you will – is sick, then the Fat Whites are the pretty nurse with Munchausen’s Syndrome by proxy, pushing down the plunger on the syringe; murdering the bed-ridden patient with a tainted injection right under everyone’s noses. They have witnessed an entire musical scene teetering on the verge of terminal irrelevancy and given it a hard shove void-wards.
Field Music – Common Time CD/2xLP+MP3 (Memphis Industries)
“The first thing to note is the title. Field Music, aka the brothers Brewis, are not known for writing songs in ‘common time’, with regular numbers of beats to the bar. Their last, quite brill album Plumb was full of tunes in wonky time signatures, just like their other three studio albums. Intelligent pop music like Hot Chip, Steely Dan and Pet Shop Boys are the models, but Field Music have a real claim on being their own genre. For all the lop-sidedness of their tunes, there are still tunes within them.” – Press PLAY
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King CD (Nuclear Blast)
New album from the Italian symphonic-death metal masters.
Josephine Foster – No More Lamps in the Morning CD/LP (Fire America)
Josephine Foster’s No More Lamps In the Morning is a new folk route, a stripped down starsailor vector connecting heller to highwater. Foster, on nylon string guitar, and husband Victor Herrero, accompanying on Portuguese guitar, together weave intimate readings of songs spanning Foster’s songwriting career.
Freakwater – Scheherazade CD/LP (Bloodshot)
“After 10 years of no new material, Freakwater have released an eighth kickass album, Scheherazade. This Kentucky-recorded album is both haunting and alluring. Scheherazade is diverse in style but consistent in talent, an album divided between fiddling murder ballads like ‘What The People Want’ and Southern-beachy-feeling tracks like ‘Velveteen Matador.’ This electric-folk album presents a track that is instrumentally upbeat, and then the next is slow-going and grave. Lyrically, Scheherazade reflects on affliction and imminent death. With distant-sounding harmonies and soothing electric-sets, Freakwater manifests the best elements of a bluesy, electric, country-folk band.” – Slug Magazine
Dori Freeman – Dori Freeman CD/LP (Free Dirt)
Dori Freeman’s eponymous debut album a gorgeous, lyrically rich country-folk record, produced by Teddy Thompson (son of Richard & Linda Thompson).
Game Theory – Lolita Nation [Reissue/1987] 2xCD/2xLP+MP3 (Omnivore)
This expanded reissue of Game Theory’s ambitious fourth album adds a disc of alternate mixes, live recordings, and radio sessions – 48 tracks total. “Game Theory leader Scott Miller has never made much of a secret of his fondness for Big Star, but while Real Nighttime favored the sound of #1 Record and The Big Shot Chronicles suggested the harder-edged tone of Radio City, Lolita Nation sounded like Game Theory’s variation on the themes of Big Star’s masterfully damaged swan song, Third/Sister Lovers. Certainly Game Theory’s most ambitious album, Lolita Nation was a two-LP set that combined some of Miller’s most user-friendly power pop with dark, moody ruminations on betrayal, failed love, and mortality, bursts of avant-garde noise, and fragments of unclassifiable studio doodling, all thrown into a sonic Cuisinart through Miller’s aggressive use of aural montage.” – AllMusic
GoGo Penguin – Man Made Object CD (Blue Note)
GoGo Penguin’s trademark mash-up of minimalist piano themes, deeply propulsive bass lines & electronica-inspired drums has seen them shortlisted for the Mercury Prize w/ their last album v2.0 & has fuelled their exhilarating live shows around the world. Vinyl version due March 4.
Josh Groban – Stages Live CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray (Reprise)
2015 live set as seen on PBS in promotion of Groban’s seventh album, Stages, which has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
Buddy Guy – I’ll Play The Blues For You – Live CD (Klondike)
WHCN-FM broadcast of Buddy Guy live from The Sting in Connecticut on January 9, 1992. Professionally remastered original broadcast with background liners and rare archival photos.
Herbie Hancock – Live In Chicago 1977 CD (Hi Hat)
By 1977 Herbie Hancock was firmly established as America’s leading purveyor of jazz-funk. This superb performance at the Ivanhoe Theater in Chicago on February 16, 1977, finds him playing with Weather Report’s legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius, as well as Bennie Maupin (tenor sax, bass clarinet) and James Levi (drums). Broadcast on the local WXRT-FM, it offers a setlist anchored in Hancock’s Head Hunters (1973) era, but also includes a track from Maupin’s superb Slow Traffic To The Right album (1977).
Randy Hansen – Funtown CD (Jazzhaus)
Randy Hansen’s first studio album release in over 11 years surprises with spherical sounds à la Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa, as well as innovative sounds à la Jimi Hendrix.
Michael Head & The Strands – The Olde World CD/LP (Megaphone)
The Olde World collects previously unreleased tracks and remixes from the sessions of the classic 1997 album The Magical World Of The Strands, co- produced by Oasis producer Mark Coyle. “An absolutely magnificent record – full of vim and vigour and a hazy kind of folky introspection. The Magical World is near perfection; The Olde World runs it very close.” – Norman Records UK
Hey Marseilles – Hey Marseilles CD (Shanachie)
Breaking out of the fertile Seattle music scene, where they have been quite popular, Hey Marseilles has won critical acclaim with their distinctive “chamber pop” sound. “The now five-piece group have traded some of their sweeping, orchestral arrangements for more succinct, pop production techniques courtesy of Grammy-winning hip-hop producer Anthony Kilhoffer.” – Sun Times
High Highs – Cascades CD/LP (PIAS)
Cascades, the title of the second record from the Brooklyn group High Highs, could be read in a number of ways. It could be taken as a nod to the group’s hometown — the coastal Australian city of Sydney, which rests against the beautiful, blue Pacific Ocean. Or it could be a nod to the record’s sound, which retains the broad scope of the group’s debut, Open Season, but feels bigger, and grander sheets of sound, raining down softly. In reality, though, the title is a memory a moment Jack Milas and Oli Chang remember while driving through the Cascade Mountains on tour. The song it comes from, also called, “Cascades,” is bright and expansive, silver threads of guitar laced through soft layers of synths. It builds softly and steadily, Milas voice swooping up to an aching falsetto on the chorus, synths pooling gently beneath him. More than anything else, the song is an indication of how far the group has come in a short period of time from working together in a recording studio in Australia to opening for Sky Ferreira and Vampire Weekend.
Anna Homler and Steve Moshier – Breadwoman & Other Tales CD/LP (RVNG Intl.)
“Brooklyn label RVNG Intl. has really earned a reputation for digging up essential reissues in recent years, putting out all manner of avant-garde obscurities and cult experimental records we never knew we needed, from Kerry Leimer’s ‘artificial band’ Savant to ‘70s psych-folk artist Bobby Brown. The next vintage record to be given a second life on the label is a curious relic from Los Angeles’ 1980s art scene, an exercise in DIY myth-making by multi-disciplinary artists Anna Homler and Steve Moshier. Breadwoman & Other Tales is the collected recordings of their unique collaboration, which pairs performance artist Homler’s far-out vocalese with music composed, mixed and engineered by Moshier.” – Fact Mag
The Hound Of Love – Careful Houndy CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
Infectious solo pop debut from Eans Wilder of The Mean Jeans. “For the most part, Careful Houndy explores the various sub-genres of ’80s synth pop. Album opener ‘Action Sequence’ balances the bopping dance cadence of an ’80s club along with the darker undercurrents of the then-rising goth scene, creating an instrumental that could have fit on the more threatening Flock of Seagulls tracks. On ‘ParabolsebalouieGOAL’ the dystopian, cold sounds of Tubeway Army are explored across a buzzing instrumental that could have fit in Blade Runner.” – PunkNews.org
The Ides Of March – Vehicle [Reissue/1970] CD (Real Gone Music)
When The Ides Of March’s “Vehicle” roared up to #2 in the spring of 1970, it might have seemed to most of North America that the band had come out of nowhere, so swift and sudden was the single’s rise up the charts. In fact, however, the groups had been recording and performing since the mid-1960s, putting in years of honing their craft in both the studio and Chicago-area gigs before the big payoff. The horn-driven soul-rock of “Vehicle” might have been what first caught the ears of many listeners, but the band’s extensive experience in all forms of rock music was reflected in the Vehicle album itself, whose diverse material also encompassed folk-rock and extended progressive workouts.
The James Hunter Six – Hold On! CD/LP (Daptone)
“In early 2013, the James Hunter Six’s long-awaited release, Minute By Minute, a collaboration with producer Gabe Roth of Daptone Records fame, was released via Fantasy Records although Daptone secured the vinyl issue rights. Now, the two entities have gone even deeper as the James Hunter Six’s new album, Hold On!, is a full-on Daptone release. Across ten tracks, their signature sound—one they call retrogressive—is instantly recognizable. With a thump of bass and warm horns adorned throughout, it’s easily just as good as their previous album, which was one of the highlights in all of 2013” – Wax Poetics. “The UK’s best soul singer.” – Mojo
Elton John – Wonderful Crazy Night CD/LP (Island)
33rd album from Elton John — co-produced by Elton and T-Bone Burnett. In addition to working again with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin and producer Burnett, Wonderful Crazy Night finds John reuniting with some vital band members for the first time in nearly a decade: Drummer Nigel Olsson and guitarist Davey Johnstone, who first performed alongside John in the late- ‘60s and early- ‘70s, respectively, both appear on an Elton John album for the first time since 2006’s The Captain & The Kid. Percussionist Ray Cooper, bassist Matt Bissonette, keyboardist Kim Bullard and percussionist John Mahon round out the Wonderful Crazy Night crew. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds two bonus tracks.
Majid Jordan – Majid Jordan CD (OVO Sounds)
Majid Jordan is an emerging Toronto record producing and performing duo comprised of Jordan Ullman and Majid Al Maskati. Their self-titled debut album includes the song “My Love” featuring Drake.
Junior Boys – Big Black Coat CD/LP+MP3 (City Slang)
Big Black Coat is a rich, direct, synth-pop record that introduces a new side to Junior Boys. It finds their signature sound counterbalanced by a new minimal approach. The second half of the album embraces a boiled down simplicity, incorporating elements of industrial and dubstep, reminiscent of long nights on the dance floor.
Charles Kelley – The Driver CD (Capitol Nashville)
Stepping outside of Lady Antebellum, Kelley explores new territory with a raw sound that pushes his vocals into a lower, grittier key. Includes a cover of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents” featuring Stevie Nicks.
Sammy Kershaw – Anthology – Rare Masters 1958-1969 2xCD (Cleopatra)
A treasure trove of 50+ vintage unreleased studio recordings and demos by Cajun country and folk legend Doug Kershaw performing both with his brother Rusty and solo.
King Mud – Victory Motel Sessions CD (Alive)
Vinyl version due February 19. “Los Angeles isn’t exactly a hotbed for blues rock — most would suggest journeying south for that — however, that didn’t keep King Mud from pulling together a record that sounds as though it was born deep in the Mississippi Delta.” – Consequence Of Sound
Lighthouse – One Fine Morning [Reissue/1971] CD (Prog Temple)
Originally formed in 1968, this legendary Canadian horn-rock band spanned rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, and classical music. Released in June 1971, One Fine Morning is their fourth album, and its title-track became an international hit. Originally issued on the legendary Vertigo imprint in the UK, it makes its long-overdue return to CD here.
The London Suede – Night Thoughts [Deluxe Edition] CD+DVD (Rhino)
This Deluxe edition of The London Suede’s seventh album includes a bonus DVD containing a film based on the album. “The mark of a successful relationship is if its parties can evolve together. Britpop luminaries Suede proved theirs could be built to last when they reunited after a decade apart for Bloodsports in 2013, and lord knows they faced challenges during their ’90s heyday: industry pressure, member turnover (founding guitarist Bernard Butler acrimoniously left after 1994’s Dog Man Star), a frustrating name change (a lounge singer’s early ’90s lawsuit forced them to be billed as ‘The London Suede’ in the US), rampant drug abuse, and, ultimately, burnout. But breaks can lead to happy reunions, and on their second album post-comeback, Night Thoughts, the glam-rock revivalists again sound physically rejuvenated despite carrying an emotional albatross.” — SPIN
Gary Lucas’ Fleischerei featuring Sarah Stiles – Music From Max Fleischer Cartoons CD (Cuneiform)
Next to Walt Disney, Max Fleischer is one of the best known cartoonist of the 20th century, creating the one and only Betty Boop. In addition to creating Betty, Fleischer Studios brought the newspaper comic Popeye the Sailor and the cast there to (animated) life. Guitarist Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley) has long been a fan of Fleischer’s work and has long wished to develop a band to present the music that was used in these cartoons (some of it written for the cartoons, but most of them standards of the ‘20s and ‘30s). With Fleischerei, he has done exactly that.
Mass Gothic – Mass Gothic CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)
Mass Gothic is led by former Boston-based band Hooray For Earth singer Noel Heroux. “If you’ve spent any time around rock and roll, you know that some great music has come out of depression, oftentimes when the musician explores it alone. In attempt to get back to his four-track days, Heroux made an album of weird synth-rock largely on his own, under the moniker Mass Gothic. It’s a surprising album, mostly in its ability to sound buoyant and tense simultaneously; its first single, ‘Nice Night,’ is the apex of the latter.” – Vulture
Mikkel Metal – Resemblance CD (Echocord)
Mikkel Metal was the first artist on Echocord and the main reason for the label’s inception. After many releases, he returns to Echocord in 2016 with his first full-length album since 2008’s Peaks And Troughs. Bypassing dub-techno as the starting point, this is music clearly consistent with his earlier output. Its ten tracks evolve around a melancholic melodic framework, and while there is clearly a nod to Detroit and another to dub-techno, the overall impression is consistently and unmistakably of Mikkel Metal himself. A hypnotic, very enjoyable, and thorough return from the Danish artist.
Nap Eyes – Thought Rock Fish Scale CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Recorded live to tape, with no overdubs, on the North Shore of Nova Scotia, Nap Eyes’ quietly contemplative sophomore record refines and elaborates their debut, offering an airier, more spacious second chapter, a bracing blast of bright oceanic sunshine after the moonlit alleys of Whine Of The Mystic. But the briny, cold Atlantic roils beneath these exquisite, literate guitar pop songs, posing riddles about friendship, faith, mortality, and self-doubt. For fans of The Only Ones/England’s Glory, The Modern Lovers, The Clean, The Verlaines, The Go-Betweens, Bedhead, and all things Lou Reed.
Nothing But Thieves – Nothing But Thieves CD (RCA)
Hailing from Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England, Nothing But Thieves make passionate guitar-based rock that balances indie rock artfulness with a pop sensibility.
Obscura – Akróasis CD/2xLP+MP3 (Relapse)
“It has been five years since the release of Obscura’s universally acclaimed Omnivium album. Now the progressive metal masters return with their strongest and most dynamic release to date. The aptly named Akróasis (Greek for ‘hearing’ or ‘listening’) draws on all the various elements of Obscura’s signature sound and combines those qualities into a cohesive and mind-blowing whole. Produced by the band and V. Santura (Triptykon, Pestilence) Akróasis is eight songs diverse enough to serve as a near-comprehensive introduction to all of extreme metal. Packed to the gills with virtuosic musicianship, compelling themes, and airtight songwriting, Akróasis will undoubtedly breathe new life into death metal, progressive metal and beyond.” – Blabbermouth
The Pines – Above The Prairie CD/LP (Red House)
“Reminiscent of Ryan Adams, Alpha Rev and even some latter-day Bob Dylan, the pride of Minneapolis goes full-bore reflective in this bluegrass, country and Americana record that is deep in mood and lyric alike.” – The Washington Times
Porches – Pool CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Pool marks a major step forward for Porches frontman Aaron Maine—as an evolving singer/songwriter, and as a nascent producer. Written and recorded almost entirely in his Manhattan apartment, Pool is an elegant set of gorgeous synth-driven pop songs. The album is a fully immersive listening experience highlighting Maine’s insightfully filtered melancholy. “Musical and romantic partner Greta Kline of Frankie Cosmos lays her vocals like a cool sheet on ‘Hour,’ the album’s reflective first listen, a calming salve to Maine’s ragged loner stonerisms…” – SPIN
Product Of Hate – Buried In Violence CD (Napalm)
This five-piece honed their brutal and groovy thrash sound/NWOAHM on tour with bands Lamb Of God, Meshuggah and Job For A Cowboy.
Prong – X: No Absolutes CD/2xLP+CD (Steamhammer/SPV)
Tenth album from the American thrash metal icons.
Eric Prydz – Opus 2xCD (Astralwerks)
From the golden-age of Swedish techno that dragged him into club culture, to the synth-pop of the 1980s that sparked his love affair with electronic music, Opus reveals the influences that have shaped Prydz’ style.
Rhapsody Of Fire – Into The Legend CD (AFM)
Into The Legend is an album full of epic metal, enchanting sound landscapes, (real) orchestra and huge choirs. Available in Regular and Deluxe (digipak) editions. Deluxe adds two bonus tracks.
Rival Choir – I Believe, Help My Unbelief CD (Facedown)
Formerly known as Mouth Of The South, Rival Choir is the beginning of a new chapter for this Texas band. I Believe, Help My Unbelief provides continuity of sound for the band, showcasing their hardcore and metal roots.
Steve Roach – Emotions Revealed CD (Projekt)
Discovered serendipitously in 2015, these lost tracks created just prior to the Structures From Silence era (1984) represent two then-emerging sides of Steve’s artistic muse. “Emotion Revealed” is a mesmerizing, yearning sequencer exploration connected to the German school of electronic music. “Firelight’ was his first long-form atmospheric composition of emotional introspection stillness, silence, and solitude. Two essential touchstones of Steve’s sonic origin.
Renee Rosnes – Written In The Rocks CD (Smoke Sessions)
Canadian jazz pianist and composer Renee Rosnes has enjoyed an expansive career, having toured and recorded with many legendary artists including Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, JJ Johnson, Bobby Hutcherson, James Moody, Ron Carter, and was an original member of the SFJAZZ Collective. As a leader, Rosnes has released twelve recordings, four of which have garnered Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy. On her new recording Written In The Rocks, Rosnes features an inspired quintet of frequent collaborators including vibraphonist Steve Nelson, saxophonist/flutist Steve Wilson, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Bill Stewart.
S.R.B.M. – Desert Hellfire CD (New Density)
A three-track CD from from experimental dark folk project S.R.B.M., aka Sonoran Rebel Black Magick. Western folk combined with influence of doom and ambient black metal performed by Andrew Markuszewski of Avichi, Nachmystium and Lord Mantis fame.
Seven Sisters Of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hags CD/2xLP+MP3 (Relapse)
A venomous mixture of doom, death metal, black metal, d-beat and grind from the infamous Southern California quintet.
Sidestepper – Supernatural Love CD/LP (Real World)
“The Anglo-Colombian troupe led by Richard Blair have been pioneers of the electro-Latin sound, mixing beats with Colombia’s loping, accordion-led cumbia. Here, Sidestepper take a contrary turn with an essentially acoustic set shot through with unobtrusive electronica and led by melodic female vocals.” – The Guardian
Elliott Smith – Heaven Adores You Soundtrack CD (UMe)
Heaven Adores You is the soundtrack to the 2014 documentary about the life and music of indie singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. In addition to having at least one song from each of his albums, the track listing contains over a dozen previously unreleased Elliott Smith songs, spanning the length of his career. Vinyl edition due March 18.
Stanley and The Ten Sleepless Knights – Quelbe! Music Of The U.S. Virgin Islands CD (Smithsonian Folkways)
Stanley Jacobs and The Ten Sleepless Knights wrap the old-time Virgin Islands quelbe sound of squash (gourd rasp), steel (triangle), flute, and banjo uke, in the contemporary trappings of electric keyboard, drum set, conga, and electric bass. The distinctively Caribbean, yet uniquely Virgin Islands, sound of quelbe music is an old but new dance music. Declared the “official” music of the United States Virgin Islands, classic songs such as “Queen Mary” and “LaBega Carousel” tell of historical events on the island of St. Croix, while other pieces accompany the local traditions of quadrille dance.
Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys – The Complete Jessup Recordings Plus! 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
This 34-track double-CD collection brings together all three albums that Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys cut with Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, plus both albums they recorded for the Jessup Label.
Stephen Stills & Manassas – Bananafish Gardens, NY CD (Air Cuts)
This superb set at the Bananafish Garden in Brooklyn on April 16, 1973, took place shortly before the release of Stephen Stills & Manassas’ second album, Down The Road, in May of that year, and features material from both of their LPs, as well as material by Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, and CSNY. The complete WBCN-FM broadcast is presented here in digitally remastered sound with background notes and images.
Sultans Of String – Subcontinental Drift CD (Century Media)
The award-winning Sultans of String create “energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn” according to Maverick Magazine. Thrilling their audiences with their genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, Cuban and South Asian rhythms, the group celebrates musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenco guitar, while bass and percussion lay down unstoppable grooves. Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound, while world rhythms excite audiences to their feet with the irresistible need to dance.
Sunflower Bean – Human Ceremony CD/LP (Fat Possum)
“As a band, Sunflower Bean have grown exceptionally fast. On the heels of strong live shows around their Brooklyn hometown and festivals like CMJ, the three-piece dropped an EP earlier this year. Since then, they’ve nailed down tours with the likes of Wolf Alice, DIIV, Best Coast, and others, leading to a staggering 100 performances in the span of just one year. That’s a lot for a fresh outfit. Recorded in just seven days, Human Ceremony sees them refining their psych rock ways into something with a bit more of a fuzzy pop edge, with a press release referencing influences like The Cure, The Velvet Underground, and The Feelies.” – Consequence Of Sound
SWV – Still CD (Mass Appeal/E1)
“It’s been 24 years since teenaged singers Cheryl “Coko” Clemons, Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George and Leanne “Lelee” Lyons—better known as SWV (Sisters With Voices)—released their 1992 debut It’s About Time, but the women are still doing their thing on the road and in the studio. Although SWV originally disbanded in 1998 (a year after the release of their third and least favorite album Release Some Tension, featuring production from Missy Elliott and Sean “Puffy Combs), they’ve been back together since 2005. Still features the singles ‘Ain’t No Man’ (a wicked mid-tempo tribute to the loves in their lives) and ‘Man Crush Everyday’ (a beautiful bubble bath ballad). Recorded in Miami between tour dates, the women worked with producer/songwriter Cainon Lamb (Beyoncé, Keyshia Cole).” — Ebony
Textures – Phenotype CD (Nuclear Blast)
“Dutch metalcore band, Textures, has been delivering complex and experimental music since 2001. Melding progressive, melodic, and metalcore, Textures is at last spewing forth Phenotype, their fifth album and part one of their musical diptych, with the second half, Genotype, releasing in 2017. Short, gorgeous in the right places, metal in others, Phenotype is an album that coalesces your love for all rock genres into one collection of audial art.” – Rock Revolt Magazine
Traitor – Venomizer CD (Soulfood)
The second album by Swabian thrashers Traitor will not disappoint fans of Teutonic metal.
Various Artists [London Orion Orchestra] – Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here Symphonic CD (Decca)
This new symphonic reworking of Wish You Were Here was recorded at Abbey Road Studios where Pink Floyd recorded the original, and marks the 40th anniversary of the original album release. The diverse line-up of contributors features Alice Cooper (vocals), Dave Fowler & Stephen McElroy of the Australian Pink Floyd Show (guitars), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and the London Orion Orchestra with Peter Scholes (conductor and arranger).
Various Artists – Soul Sok Séga CD/2xLP (Strut)
Séga is the traditional music of Mauritius (a small island off the coast of Madagascar) and is known as the “blues” of the Indian Ocean. The music was born during the 17th to 19th centuries by African slaves seeking relief from harsh conditions in sugar cane fields and on colonial land by dancing to improvised music incorporating rhythms from their homelands in West Africa, Mozambique, Zanzibar or Madagascar. From these diverse African influences sprang a new, insular dance and music, the séga.
Various Artists – The Red Bird Girls Very First Time in True Stereo 1964 – 1966 CD (Real Gone Music)
Founded in 1964 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and run by George Goldner, Red Bird is considered to this day as the girl group label of the ‘60s, and this collection features the biggest stars on the label roster, and sources its first-time stereo mixes straight from the original master tapes.
Various Artists – Why The Mountains Are Black – Primeval Greek Village Music: 1907-1960 CD/2xLP (Third Man)
Double-disc collection of primal and unhinged Greek village music that at times sounds more like free jazz or doom folk, feral and trance-like as it is. After years of research, fieldwork and collecting, Christopher King—Grammy-winning producer, sound-engineer, curator and writer—has gathered together from his private 78 rpm archive the most mind expanding and libido inducing song and dance music from the rural hinterlands of mainland Greece and its islands. Recorded between 1907 and 1960, this collection contains the first and the last—the alpha and the omega—of Greek demotika—or folk music.
Trixie Whitley – Porta Bohemica CD (MRI/IUnday)
“Based in Brooklyn, the Belgian-American multi-instrumentalist Trixie Whitley delves into dark, bluesy rock that sits adrift more sinister-sounding undertones. [Album track] ‘Soft Spoken Words’ simmers and boils in angry waters, the shadowy instrumentation of guitars billowing under Whitley’s own soulful vocals, both doing well to balance the other. It’s fearless and unwavering, the content of the lyrics anything but soft.” — Stereogum
Lucinda Williams – The Ghosts Of Highway 20 CD/LP (Highway 20)
We’ve all heard about the iconic vibe of Route 66, the neon lights on Broadway and the ocean air of the Pacific Coast Highway. But there are untold stories emanating from countless blue highways across the land like Interstate 20, which cuts a 1500-mile swath from South Carolina to Texas, and cuts deep into the spirit of those who’ve spent their lives traversing it. Lucinda Williams is one of those people, and with the expansive, enveloping The Ghosts Of Highway 20, she brings those stories to life and gives listeners a remarkably vivid look at how the highway has been a literal and figurative backdrop throughout her entire life.
Johnny Winter – Live Bootleg Series Vol. 12 CD (Friday Music)
The never-ending cavalcade of rare live sets from the late blues-rock guitarist rolls forth, unabated, into its twelfth hour.
Erik Wøllo – Visions – A Collection Of Music By… CD (Projekt)
This budget-priced collection brings together standout tracks from the twelve Projekt releases by this renowned Norwegian electronic artist. Visions highlights the cascading melodic and consonant lyrical side of Erik’s intuitively-crafted soundworlds. On these eight expressively performed and immaculately produced instrumentals, his luscious sense of harmony and narrative mix with insistent electronic rhythms.
Daniel Zamir – Forth & Back CD (Jazzhaus)
Over the past decade, 35-year-old saxophonist and composer Daniel Zamir has become one of the most important virtuosos in Israel. With his 11th CD release — and his first with a German label — comes the opportunity to get to know this amazing representative of Jewish jazz.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Slash – Raised On The Sunset Strip DVD/Blu-ray (UMe/Shout Factory)
A revealing and insightful documentary on the legendary hard rock guitarist. 90 minutes.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Beat Connection – Product 3 LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Regular black vinyl edition of a late- 2015 release. What began as a party-starting DJ duo at the University of Washington, has since blossomed into a four-piece that brings the beats with an incandescent, sample-heavy sound that has quickly evolved to a rock fan’s fantasy of exactly what a live electronic show should be. Their latest single “So Good” has been garnering rave reviews in the blogosphere where JOVM.com calls it “a breezy, pop-confection that seems to subtly channel Junip and classic ‘80s synth pop where shimmering guitar chords… and swirling electronics are paired with an effortlessly soulful voice and an incredibly catchy, arena-friendly hook.” Product 3 also features “Another Go Around”, which COS calls “peppered with the wondrous echo of groovy sitar strings, the track is equal parts funk jam and breezy pop ballad. They may be from one of the nation’s most overcast cities, but their bubbly electropop is a sunny afternoon jam of the highest order.”
Birds In Row – You, Me, & The Violence LP (Deathwish, Inc.)
Released late last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut studio album by the French hardcore punk band.
Cloudland Canyon – An Arabesque LP (Medical Records)
While past recordings on Holy Mountain and Kranky flirted with drone and krautrock modes, An Arabesque skews in a more rhythmic direction with shades of naive disco and new age.
Philip Corner – OM Entering, And Once Enterd LP (Kye)
The latest LP from veteran fluxus composer Philip Corner. OM Entering, And Once Enterd comprises four previously unreleased recordings with the Barton Workshop, taken from performances in the Netherlands, and South Korea, between 2000-2007.
Current 93 – Moons At Your Door LP (The Spheres)
Gnostic cartoon supergroup Current 93 present their 93rd (!) album, The Moons At Your Door. The work consists of two long tracks, “The Moons At Your Door” and “There Is A GraveYard That Dwells In Man,” and reveals, yet again, an unexpected sidereal shift in C93’s vision and voice. This album follows the January 2016 publication of David Tibet’s The Moons At Your Door: An Anthology Of Strange Tales, of whom this album is the sister. Opaque white LP in black gatefold sleeve bearing outer and inner artwork by David Tibet, including back cover art unique to the vinyl version.
Deletions – Hungers LP (FDH)
Deletions offer up a genre bending sound on their first full length record. Maximum Rocknroll called them “smart and swampy keyboard driven raw garage punk.”
Endon – Mama LP+MP3 (Hydra Head)
Grindcore. Black metal. Harsh noise. Many fans of these genres tend to gravitate towards them because they push the boundaries of sound, testing our limits of how sonically extreme it is possible to go. And Endon is fighting to lead the offensive. Self-described “catastrophic noise metal,” the Japanese quintet have harnessed the most severe aspects of the aforementioned genres on their six-song, 40-minute LP Mama.
Fennesz – Mahler Remix 2xLP (Touch)
Mahler Remix was recorded live at RadioKulturhaus, Vienna, in May 2011. This recording is mostly based on samples taken from Gustav Mahler’s symphonies. The performance also includes an early version of “Liminality” from the Becs album, released in 2014 on Editions Mego. Mahler Remixed was a commissioned work performed together with the visual artist Lillevan. The piece was only performed live three times, at Radio Kulturhaus in Vienna, Carnegie Hall in New York City, and Borusan Music House in Istanbul.
The Frozen Autumn – Time Is Just A Memory LP (Dark Entries)
A six-track overview of songs from the Italian darkwave band’s first three albums. Characterized by a blend of melancholic vocals, atmospheric gothic-wave and 1980s-style electropop, the duo call their style “frozen wave.” The Frozen Autumn have stated that labelmates Clan of Xymox have been their main source of inspiration over the years. Other influences include Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, The Sisters of Mercy, Xmal Deutschland, David Sylvian and Depeche Mode.
Jesse Fuller – Working On The Railroad With Jesse Fuller 10” (Secret Seven/Mississippi)
Secret Seven and Mississippi Records have joined forces to re-release Jesse Fuller’s debut EP, available for the first time in its original 10″ vinyl format in sixty years. Working On The Railroad includes six of Jesse Fuller’s finest recordings, including the original version of “San Francisco Bay Blues” which has been covered by Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and many others. Includes an insert with recently uncovered photos of The Lone Cat.
Grimes – Geidi Primes [Reissue/2010] LP (Arbutus)
Geidi Primes has a strange air of being created unconsciously while the artist herself was asleep. It is a vastly intriguing set of pop tunes highlighted by its amazing fifth and sixth songs: “Avi” and “Feyd Rautha Dark Heart,” which are each frighteningly reminiscent of an unaccountable psychic experience you may have never had. It seems like an album made for very tall people about what it’s like to be very small. It calls to mind the glowering of a child king amidst the many vestments and decorations of his coronation. Listening to Geidi Primes is what its like to suddenly realize you are being watched while taking a cold shower… on the moon.
Hanz – Reducer LP (Tri Angle)
With a penchant for the cinematic, Georgia-born, Durham, North Carolina-based producer Brandon Juhanz cuts blasted, abstract beats on post-punk textures, resulting in a sound that somehow manages to echo RZA, Rammellzee, This Heat and PIL, whilst carving out a unique identity all of his own.
Geneva Jacuzzi – Technophelia LP (Medical Records)
To say Jacuzzi is a multifaceted artist would be an understatement. She is well known for her uncompromisingly obtuse synth-driven pop and one-of-a-kind performance art that is comprised of one time only spectacles and installations. Her works have been presented in famous art institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA and numerous other venues across the globe. She has developed a very focused cult following in the art and music scenes. Technophelia is the culmination of a hybrid of DIY and professional studio recordings (with the help of esteemed producer Chris Coady) that resulted in this exquisite album.
King Cyst – King Of New York LP (Underwater Peoples)
King Of New York by King Cyst is a 42-minute odyssey about the limits of carnal adventure in New York City. Songs weave together circuitous paths, dead-ends and social impasses; the humanism of it’s heroes and heroines is strained by their undying libidos. Seductive in the same way a disproportionate painting might be, King Of New York is candid series of portraits. Luka Usmiani is the principal storyteller on the album. Usmiani, who adopted the moniker King Cyst for his madcap debut Real Pussy on Underwater Peoples in 2012, is a rueful vocalist with a baritone reminiscent of Kevin Ayers, and a guitar player of unlimited range.
Kode9 – Nothing 2xLP+MP3 (Hyperdub)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. Nothing is Kode9’s first solo album and throws horror soundtracks, sampled library and j-pop records into a no man’s land between grime, early dubstep and Chicago footwork. Mostly instrumental, it zigzags between hypnotic, downcast loops, growling drones, and jagged cut- ups of androids gone haywire, threaded through twitchy, transatlantic rhythms and sub-bass inaudible through your laptop speakers.
Laser – Night Driver LP (Foreseen)
“The sweet and subtle sounds from Laser’s new album Night Driver are spectacular. Band members Lisa Lobsinger (who you may recognize from popular indie band Broken Social Scene), Paul Pfisterer, and Martin Kinack have formed an electronic meets pop style of music that will have you feeling relaxed and tranquil.” – Lithium Magazine
Last Exit – Iron Path [Reissue/1988] LP (ESP-Disk)
Reissued last June on CD – now available on vinyl. A pioneering hybrid of abstract heavy metal, unsettling ambient music and free improvisation from Last Exit: Sonny Sharrock (guitar), Peter Brötzmann (saxophone) Bill Laswell (bass), and Ronald Shannon Jackson (drums).
Lemons – Hello, We’re The Lemons LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
“Hello, We’re The Lemons is in the running for Most Charming Chicago Release of 2013. Not only are the songs cute, funny, weird and quirky…they’re also expertly recorded (and I mean that in the most DIY/lo-fi way possible) and instantly memorable. The good times are palpable on these recordings and, just like their live shows, the sound of this band is like a pure nitrous oxide hit straight to the dome…it makes you smile, feel stupid and want to hug the next person you see (especially if the person is dressed up like a giant teddy bear). It’s bubblegum completely unleashed in the happiest, catchiest way possible. Group vocals, tasty licks, infectious melodies shine through a veritable cornucopia of production styles.” – Why Pick On Me
Milk ‘n’ Cookies – Milk ‘n’ Cookies 3xLP+Book (Captured Tracks)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Milk ‘n’ Cookies are the stuff of legends — or would be legends. Forming in the early ‘70s in Long Island, New York, this power pop group was originally signed to Island Records and seemed destined for greatness. Yet, through many cases of “wrong place, wrong time,” the band never managed to break. The core line-up of the band was made up of Ian North, Justin Strauss, Sal Maida and Mike Ruiz and, in their time, they played classic NYC venues like CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. They shared bills with everyone from Talking Heads to The Ramones and have amassed a cult following, influencing the likes of Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Debbie Harry (Blondie). After working extensively with the band members, Milk ‘n’ Cookies is a lavish reissue of the group’s entire recorded output. HQ-180gm colored vinyl with accompanying book.
The Moody Blues – The Other Side Of Life [Reissue/1986] LP (Friday Music)
Limited edition 30th Anniversary HQ-180gm colored audiophile vinyl LP pressing housed in a gatefold sleeve.
No Use For A Name – All The Best Songs 2xLP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Originally released on CD in 2007 — now available on vinyl with two additional tracks. Twenty-eight song best-of collection commemorating NUFAN’s 29 years as a band. Melodic, ‘90s skate-punk from a Fat original.
Nuel – Hyperboreal LP (Further)
Italian DJ and producer Manuel Fogliata hasn’t released a lot of records since emerging in 2006, but the few he has put out have all been worth tracking down. Perhaps best known for his work alongside Donato Dozzy in creating the much sought-after Aquaplano records at the tail-end of the 2000s, Nuel has been just as consistent and impressive on his solo outings. Whether taking on metallic electro or syrupy, bass-heavy ambience, Nuel’s attention to detail and his keen ear for a groove have made each release something to treasure.
Orchid – Sign Of The Witch 12” (Nuclear Blast)
“While it’s become increasingly common for bands like Witchcraft and Graveyard to distance themselves from overt Sabbath worship by retreating into the broader confines of ‘70s-inflected rock in general, San Francisco stalwarts Orchid continue fighting the good fight: their latest EP, Sign Of The Witch, is a lean four songs in 18 minutes, any given one of which unapologetically narrows the band’s influences down to two: Osborne and Iommi.” – Metal Injection
The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde [Reissue1992] LP (Bicycle Music)
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde is the debut album from The Pharcyde. The album was produced entirely by J-Swift with easily some of the tightest and most inventive beats of the era, and features only one guest appearance — provided by little known Los Angeles rapper Buckwheat (who would become known as ‘Bucwheed’ from The Wascals). Released during the dominant Gangsta Rap era of the West Coast, the music was described as ‘refreshing’ due to its playful, light-hearted humor and lush, jazzy production.
Pizza Time – Todo LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
Todo is the third and final studio album from Denver-based group Pizza Time which began as a kind of bubblegum band with weird, introspective lyrics, and a tendency to play really short guitar solos. Through the years, their sound has developed into a strange mix of pop rhythms, chill acid house, glam atmospheres, Latin American trash art moves, often all at the same time.
The Prettiots – Funs Cool LP+MP3 (Rough Trade)
With their debut album, Funs Cool, The Prettiots reveal themselves to be a powerhouse: led by Kay Kasparhauser, a ukulele shredder (?!) who writes some of the sharpest lyrics in the indie pop world right now, with Lulu Prat’s bass and vocal harmonies bringing serious rock muscle into the equation.
Marty Robbins – Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs [Reissue/1959] LP (Real Gone Music)
Extremely limited HQ-180gm pressing of the long-unavailable mono edition comes housed in the original iconic ‘quick draw’ cover art.
Doug Sahm And Band – Doug Sahm And Band [Reissue/1973] LP (Real Gone Music)
After The Sir Douglas Quintet concluded its contract with Smash/Mercury, Jerry Wexler convinced Sahm to sign with Atlantic and brought him to New York for the sessions that were to become Doug Sahm and Band.
Ánde Sombe – Yoiking with the Winged Ones LP (Ash International)
Yoiking With The Winged Ones is a vinyl record with yoiks yoiked by Ánde Somby and recorded and mixed by Chris Watson. Yoiking is the ancient chanting practice of the Sámi people, the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic area of Sápmi, today encompassing the far north of Europe. Yoiking’s origins date from time immemorial — legend has it that it was the fairies and elves of the Arctic lands who gave yoiks to the Sámi. Yoiking was an important element of the religious rituals in pre-Christian times and has survived Christianity, imperialism, and the confiscation of Sámi areas by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. As you would expect, Ánde Somby is deeply rooted in the yoik tradition.
Two Inch Astronaut – Personal Life LP+MP3 (Exploding In Sound)
“Maryland’s Two Inch Astronaut may have a name that brings to mind outer space, but their sound is rooted in the filth and sweat of post-hardcore acts like Jawbox and Nomeansno.” – Consequence Of Sound
Uncle Funkle – Supernatural LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
Fans of Ween take note. White Fang’s Unkle Funkle is a producer and songwriter from Portland, Oregon who creates surreal and often hilarious music. You will believe in the unbelievable when you hear Unkle Funkle’s amazing electronic magic pop odyssey Supernatural.
Various Aritsts – Music Of Xinjiang: Kazakh And Uyghur Music Of Central Asia LP (Sublime Frequencies)
Xinjiang (Eastern Turkestan) is China’s biggest province. The musical landscape here is one of the world’s richest. The Uyghur and the Kazakh are the two main ethnicities represented on these recordings made by Laurent Jeanneau and Shi Tanding in June of 2009. The Kazakh (nomadic) and Uyghur (agricultural) have multiple linguistic ties. Much of this music shares many influences from the Arab world, Turkey, and Persia. The sound is that of the Islamic tradition stretching from Turkey to the most eastern frontier of the Chinese empire. These recordings and performances feature some of the area’s greatest musicians playing instruments like the satar, tanbur, dotar, rawab, rushtar, and dongbra, among many others.
Various Artists – Outlier: Recordings From Madagascar LP (Sublime Frequencies)
This collection is an impeccable and crystalline assortment of beautiful music from the deep southwestern provinces of Menabe and Tulear in Madagascar, recorded and assembled by Charles Brooks. Brooks has made many friends in these lesser-travelled regions since the 1990s. Outlier: Recordings From Madagascar represents a compilation of his encounters from 2011-2012.
Wolfsheim – The Sparrows And The Nightingales [Reissue/1991] 12” (Dark Entries)
Wolfsheim’s musical style takes cues from the 1980s New Romantics, new wave, synthpop, and darkwave.
Cassettes:
Dire Wolves / Head Of Wantastiquet – Head Of Wantastiquet / Dire Wolves (Pome Pome Tones)
Dire Wolves’ thick freerock krausen borne of a deep history of electronic folk experimentation paired with Head Of Wantastiquet’s overblown kosmische folk improv.
The Hound Of Love – Careful Houndy (Burger)
Infectious solo pop debut from Eans Wilder of The Mean Jeans. “For the most part, Careful Houndy explores the various sub-genres of ’80s synth pop. Album opener ‘Action Sequence’ balances the bopping dance cadence of an ’80s club along with the darker undercurrents of the then-rising goth scene, creating an instrumental that could have fit on the more threatening Flock of Seagulls tracks. On ‘ParabolsebalouieGOAL’ the dystopian, cold sounds of Tubeway Army are explored across a buzzing instrumental that could have fit in Blade Runner.” – PunkNews.org
Lemons – Hello, We’re The Lemons (Burger)
“Hello, We’re The Lemons is in the running for Most Charming Chicago Release of 2013. Not only are the songs cute, funny, weird and quirky…they’re also expertly recorded (and I mean that in the most DIY/lo-fi way possible) and instantly memorable. The good times are palpable on these recordings and, just like their live shows, the sound of this band is like a pure nitrous oxide hit straight to the dome…it makes you smile, feel stupid and want to hug the next person you see (especially if the person is dressed up like a giant teddy bear). It’s bubblegum completely unleashed in the happiest, catchiest way possible. Group vocals, tasty licks, infectious melodies shine through a veritable cornucopia of production styles.” – Why Pick On Me
Mass Gothic – Mass Gothic (Sub Pop)
Mass Gothic is led by former Boston-based band Hooray For Earth singer Noel Heroux. “If you’ve spent any time around rock and roll, you know that some great music has come out of depression, oftentimes when the musician explores it alone. In attempt to get back to his four-track days, Heroux made an album of weird synth-rock largely on his own, under the moniker Mass Gothic. It’s a surprising album, mostly in its ability to sound buoyant and tense simultaneously; its first single, ‘Nice Night,’ is the apex of the latter.” — Vulture
Uncle Funkle – Supernatural (Burger)
Fans of Ween take note. White Fang’s Unkle Funkle is a producer and songwriter from Portland, Oregon who creates surreal and often hilarious music. You will believe in the unbelievable when you hear Unkle Funkle’s amazing electronic magic pop odyssey Supernatural.
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