New Releases for April 15, 2016

CDs + Vinyl:

Chris Abrahams – Fluid To The Influence CD/LP+MP3 (ROOM40)

Abrahams (The Necks) charts out a divergent course through lilting piano flows, distended organ passages, thunderous electronic eruptions, and focused concrète explorations, with each movement calling forward to the next in a flowing motion that demonstrates Abrahams’s commitment to and interest in the album as an artistic form.

Shola Adisa-Farrar & Florian Pellissier Quintet – Lost Myself CD/LP (Hot Casa)

American vocalist Shola Adisa-Farrar and French pianist and composer Florian Pellissier combine their talents for the jazz exploration of Lost Myself — a musical voyage that blends New York hard-bop aesthetics and reggae-inspired elements with the jazz of today for a fresh spin on jazz classics and original compositions.

Artillery – Penalty By Perception CD (Metal Blade)

New album from the veteran Danish power thrash metallers.

Babyfather – BBF – Hosted by DJ Escrow CD (Hyperdub)

New project from Dean Blunt with contributions from Arca and Micachu. “Essentially BBF – Hosted by DJ Escrow is a definitive UK hip-hop album of the decade so far; a shadow-play of paranoid & surreal atmospheres, ambiguous juxtapositions, upfront infidelity and playful/dreadful intentions that perhaps best reflect street-view observations of the knackered, profane, pagan and pointedly archaic in contrast to supposedly progressive national values and the schizoid political and artistic double-speak of the ‘elite.’ We haven’t a clue who DJ Escrow is — quite possibly Blunt’s Quasimoto-style sped-up alter-ego, maybe his boy from home — but he’s crucial to the album; like some pop-up avatar or liminal interpreter reporting back from the zones, culminating in a passionate monologue calling for unity that’s actually undermined by the fact his voice is accelerated to cartoonish levels — perhaps as many view the situation anyway” – Boomkat. Vinyl edition due April 29.

Del Barber & The No Regretzkys – The Puck Drops Here CD (True North)

With a rockin’ Americana sound, The Puck Drops Here features new versions of hockey fan favorites like “The Hockey Theme” broadcast for decades at the start of televised games in Canada with new versions of Stompin’ Tom Connors’ “The Hockey Song” and “Flame Of Victory” (the Coach’s Corner theme), arena anthems like “Rock And Roll Part 1 & 2” (the “Hey Song” by Gary Glitter) and perennial hockey hits by Tom Cochrane, The Hanson Brothers and The Pursuit Of Happiness.

Sam Beam/Jessica Hoop – Love Letter For Fire CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam spent much of 2015 working the studio with other artists. He and Band Of Horses’ Ben Bridwell linked up to release Sing Into My Mouth, an album in which they covered the likes of Talking Heads and Spiritualized. Beam also contributed to Glen Hansard’s second solo LP, Didn’t He Ramble. Now, the Iron & Wine troubadour continues his collaborative streak with Love Letter For Fire, a full-length of duets with California singer/songwriter Jesca Hoop. The 13-track effort counts Wilco’s Glenn Kotche and multi-instrumentalist Robert Burger as special guests. Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse) served as producer.

Bear Hands – You’ll Pay For This CD/LP+MP3 (Spensive Sounds)

You’ll Pay For This is the third album from Brooklyn indie rock outfit Bear Hands. It is a potent mix of sticky ‘70s songwriting, CBGB’s and Factory Records-era post-punk guitars, and the high drive of modern pop and hip-hop. The music is intense, relentless, and totally dreamy. However, the lyrics maintain a snarky playfulness that keeps things grounded. The first single “2AM” is a groove-heavy burner, written collectively over time. In the chorus, Dylan Rau laments “Nothing good happens past 2AM.” Sonically, it’s perfectly suited for one of those personal apocalypse climax scenes in an indie flick. Lyrically, it is indicative of the band’s evolving mentality. Then there is “Boss,” which starts out whimsically before launching into a torrent of angular riffs and the semi-snarled one-liner “I’m the bitch and you’re the boss.” Meanwhile, “Too Young” features a riff written in a car driving through Belgium, and imagines the future of a precarious relationship. “Purpose Filled Life” is a song that Rau penned while alone in his railroad apartment in Brooklyn.

Bixio/Frizzi/Tempera – Magnetic Systems CD/LP (Finders Keepers)

From the same vibrant cinematic landscape of ’70s studio supergroups as Goblin, The Pawnshop, The Feedback, and The Braen’s Machine comes the Magnetic System, the Italian incognito dream-team composed of Milano prog keyboardist Vince Tempera, Cinevox sibling Franco Bixio, and video nasty maestro Fabio Frizzi (whose career it launched). Masterminded in the mid- ’70s at the apex of Italian film music’s most exciting transitional period, the Magnetic System was created to encapsulate the combined efforts of three of the country’s most prolific and adventurous soundtrack composers and retarget their lauded behind-the-scenes personas toward the Italian commercial instrumental pop market. This compilation gathers a wider selection of the trio’s compositions that fall within the stylistic parameters of the Magnetic System’s creative blueprint; culling drum-heavy synthesized psychedelic soundtracks with sympathetic leanings to the white funk/cosmic disco murmurings of the era.

Blaqk Audio – Material CD/LP (Blaqknoise)

Material is the new album from Davey Havok and Jade Pugets electronic alter ego, Blaqk Audio. Though best known for their work with multi-platinum rock band AFI, Havok and Pugets shared love of electronic music runs deep. Havok, who counts Devo’s Freedom Of Choice and Duran Duran’s self-titled debut among the first albums he owned, saw his tastes evolve over the years from the synth pop of Erasure and Pet Shop Boys to Depeche Mode and ultimately to the heavier, darker Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Front 242 and Lords Of Acid. Later, Havok immersed himself in the future-pop genre, which combined dark dance-y electronica with melodic vocals. From roughly 1999 to 2003, his contemporary musical diet consisted almost exclusively of artists falling under the industrial/EDM/futurepop/bigbeat/trance umbrella.

Megan Bonnell – Magnolia CD (Fontana North)

Megan Bonnell is an alternative folk singer/songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. Born and raised in Caledon, Ontario, she became proficient on the piano and guitar, and crafts music that carries a quiet but intense disposition led by the singer’s breathy vocal delivery.

Boosie Badazz/C-Murder – Penitentiary Chances CD (RBC)

New collaboration between rappers C-Murder and Boosie Badazz with guest contributions by Snoop Dogg, TRU-Bossalinie Records artist Vs and Calliope Bub.

Nimrod Borenstein – Suspended Opus 69 CD (Solaire)

Nimrod Borenstein’s hauntingly beautiful original score for Gandini Juggling’s 2015 4×4 Ephemeral Architectures performance. Complex rhythmical layers run on top of each other in one moment, only to give way to a thrilling tango, waltz, or Charleston in the next; in some of the most arresting moments, the pulse seems to be dying down completely, resulting in a form of glacial acoustic ambient.

Brass Bed – In The Yellow Leaf CD/LP+MP3 (Modern Outsider)

Yellow Leaf finds Brass Bed in much the same headspace as their 2013 album The Secret Will Keep You: angsty vortices of sound draped over pop idioms constructed with a grad student’s eye for abstraction and musical grammar. With the help of guitarist Ben Jones (Generationals, Youth Lagoon) and engineer Chris Woodhouse (Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees), the band rediscovered the exuberance of guitar rock and forced it to grow up.

Big Bill Broonzy – Live In Amsterdam 1953 CD (Rockbeat)

Legendary blues guitarist and singer recorded live in Amsterdam in 1953. Bill was one of the first American blues artists to play Europe, and this fine recording shows why his playing influenced a generation of players including Eric Clapton, John Lennon and Ray Davies.

Peter Brötzmann & ICI Ensemble – Beautiful Lies CD (Neos Music)

Reedist Peter Brötzmann, a grand old master of European free jazz, has created a body of music that is considered among the most influential and pioneering of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Brötzmann’s recording presented here, a 72-minute document made in collaboration with the Munich ICI Ensemble, consciously alternates between the intimacy of contemporary chamber music and virtuosic brilliance — brought together within a large-scale form designed as if agreed upon in advance, yet somehow created purely out of the present moment.

Clairy Browne – Pool CD (Vanguard)

Australian singer/songwriter Clairy Browne’s new solo album is about letting go, detaching, empowering and exploring her love for R&B music and pop music of all styles and eras. On Pool she channels a lineage of fierce women, inspired by the likes of Grace Jones, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, over 11 tracks that are stuffed with unique pop culture references, pop rhythms and big soulful ballads.

Arjun Bruggeman – Arjun Bruggeman CD (Mantralogy)

Arjun Bruggeman, world percussionist and session recording artist, is highly acclaimed for his unique hybrid of East-meets-West rhythms.

John Carpenter – Lost Themes II CD/LP (Sacred Bones)

“For Lost Themes II, Carpenter and his bandmates (namely his son and godson, both television composers themselves) still have the chops, but also show some restraint. The menacing guitars at the start of ‘Distant Dream,’ as well as the throbbing arpeggio of the synth line, suggest a panicked run through a corridor of a space station. Bombastic drums send the song hurtling along, but Carpenter and his collaborators also give the song more space, his cinematic sensibilities always favoring the kind of dread that emptiness could conjure. ‘Angel’s Asylum’ follows a similar strategy, as a minor-key motif set to ‘glass menagerie’ suddenly merges with a hard-driving backbeat that keeps gathering velocity. But just when you’d expect the three musicians to keep pushing, they peel everything back for a gentle coda marked by nylon-string guitar and airy chords. Chalk it up to their professionalism, but there’s an interconnectedness and looseness to the trio’s playing throughout Lost Themes II that allows them to change moods at a moment’s notice” – NPR. [Limited copies have been pressed on purple and white vinyl.]

Seamus Cater – The Three Things You Can Hear CD (Annihaya)

English musician Seamus Cater presents his first solo album, composed of a group of songs written and performed using a duet concertina made in 1941, which Cater found in a junk shop in Amsterdam. Cater mentions Scottish folk singer Ivor Cutler and English folk singer Peter Bellamy as influences on the album, as well as music from other cultures, chiefly African, Arabic, South American, Indonesian… his distinctive phrasing recalls at times the fragile music of Robert Wyatt’s solo releases, and at others the elaborate folk constructions of Peter Blegvad and John Greaves, particularly their surreal 1977 concept album Kew. Rhone.

Causa Sui – Return To Sky CD/LP (El Paraiso)

Causa Sui present a condensed piece of acutely experimental yet immensely engaging instrumental rock. Their music is now earthier and heavier than ever before, but its ability to absorb everything from shoegaze and vintage Italian film music to spiritual jazz, Afrobeat, and minimalism into its fabric has matured as well.

Cluster – 1971-1981 9xCD (Bureau B)

Collected reissues of all eight albums released by legendary electronic duo between 1971 and 1981, including their two collaborations with Brian Eno. Also includes a previously unreleased album of two live recordings from 1972 and 1977. [Vinyl edition due May 6.]

The Coathangers – Nosebleed Weekend CD/LP+MP3 (Suicide Squeeze)

Nosebleed Weekend kicks off with “Perfume,” a song that marries sultry pop vocals with toothy guitar riffs in a manner that would make Ann and Nancy Wilson proud. It’s hard to imagine The Coathangers writing a song this accessible in their early years, but in 2016 it fits perfectly into their canon. From there the band launches into “Dumb Baby,” which harkens back to the gritty neo-garage rock of Murder City Devils. Longtime fans who still clamor for their brash post-punk angle will be immediately satiated by “Squeeki Tiki.” And after hearing the noisy loud-quiet-loud bombast of “Excuse Me?” it’s no wonder that Kim Gordon has become an outspoken fan of the band. It’s an eclectic album inspired by life on the road, and lost loved ones. [Limited copies pressed on color vinyl.]

Phil Collins – No Jacket Required [Reissue/1985] 2xCD/LP (Rhino)

Phil Collins – Testify [Reissue/2002] 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)

Digitally remastered and expanded double-CD editions, expanded with bonus discs containing live and demo recordings and B-sides. [HQ-180gm vinyl editions are just the remastered stand-alone albums.]

Javier Colon – Gravity CD (Concord)

Javier Colon is best known for winning the 2011 first season of The Voice. His music career began much earlier, hooking up with the Derek Trucks Band straight out of college and touring for two years. He’s performed with Joss Stone, Darius Rucker, Indigo Girls, Stevie Nicks, Adam Levine and Anthony Hamilton, and being featured as a singer/songwriter for one song on Vanessa Williams’ 2009 album The Real Thing.

Current 93 – When The May Rain Comes CD/LP (Rotorelief)

“When The May Rain Comes” is a cover of a track by German trio Sand, whose work has had a profound effect on David Tibet. The track first appeared on Current 93’s 1992 album Thunder Perfect Mind. It appears here with an alternate version of the same track, originally released as a CD single accompanying the first 1,000 copies of Ultrasonic Seraphim (1996), David Tibet and Steven Stapleton’s collection of material by Sand.

East Of Venus – Memory Box CD/LP+MP3 (Omnivore)

“To give you a brief background on East Of Venus – they were (I hate having to use the past tense) Michael Carlucci (Winter Hours), Glenn Mercer (The Feelies, Wake Ooloo), Stan Demeski (The Feelies, Luna) and Rob Norris (The Bongos, Living With Elephants). We lost Michael Carlucci quite suddenly late last year, and in many ways, Memory Box reflects his influences (which were communally shared in the Hoboken music scene of that era – Lou Reed, Rolling Stones, Faces, Dylan, Television, Gene Clark, etc.). ‘Faded Pictures’ was a Winter Hours song in 1990 and performed by them prior to their break up. It’s a great, lost song that is given new life here; ‘Let’s Find A Way’ has the perfect blend of pop jangle, country runs and well, everything (and listen to that water-tight rhythm section of Rob Norris and Stan Demeski – purely natural); ‘You Started Something’ has this wonderful intensity, wrapped in a clean sound (production was by the band and helped in mixing by Matthew Davis) and ‘Who’s To Know?’ is joyfully reminiscent (to me) of a very uptempo Rain Parade. In a word – and without wanting to give it all away – every song in this collection is a delight” – Popdose. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]

Eating Snow – Eating Snow CD (Freude-Am-Tanzen)

Debut album by the duo of Douglas Greed and Mooryc. Mooryc’s unique voice joins with the melancholia and euphoria of Douglas Greed’s musical tendencies, shedding any dancefloor categorization; the full scope of the pair’s musical roots, which range from sensual indietronica to powerful house and perfectly-grooving pop moments, gives rise to a magical combination of electronic beats, melodies, and lyrics.

Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros – PersonA CD/LP+MP3 (Community Music)

PersonA is the fourth album from one of your favorite indie-folk bands. Since their founding, Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros has undergone several iterations. Most notably, singer Jade Castrinos left the band in 2014. According to lead singer Alex Ebert, this marked a transformation in the band’s music. “We had long been a social experiment first, musicians second. Over time, though, we were emerging, by virtue of hours spent, into a group of musicians who could really play together. When Jade left, that confirmed our new fate: music first.” The shift is tangible on the album. “‘No Love Like Yours’ is their first official single off PersonA. While ‘Hot Coals’ was released last year, it was not announced as the album’s first song. However, both tracks have set the tone for the album, so fans can start to gather an idea of what to expect. ‘No Love Like Yours’ is a simple upbeat sound, taking you back to the classic Beatles. On the other hand, ‘Hot Coals’ begins with a dark sound while using subtly positive notes on the piano to accompany the deep trumpets and elegant drumbeats” – Indie Shuffle. [Limited 150gm white vinyl edition also available.]

Eskimeaux – Year Of The Rabbit CD (Double Double Whammy)

Eskimeaux is the musical project of Gabrielle Smith, a founding member of Brooklyn collective The Epoch. Begun in 2007, it has served as an umbrella for everything from noise experiments to rock combos, while currently existing as a tight four-member bedroom-pop band.

The Family Of Apostolic – The Family Of Apostolic [Reissue/1968] CD/2xLP (Future Days Recordings)

The Family Of Apostolic is a utopian album inspired by global cultures ranging from Pakistani folk songs to Scottish traditional music and Chinese opera. It was made by a cast of 19, bonded by a desire to create “primitive performance art” from surrealist happenings in an open, idealist society of artists.

Foghat – The Complete Bearsville Albums Collection 13xCD (Bearsville)

All 13 of the albums Foghat released for Bearsville Records have been freshly remastered and crammed into a clamshell box. Take a day off and relive the magic, stem-to-stern.

Lita Ford – Time Capsule CD/LP+MP3 (Steamhammer)

Time Capsule is a “throwback” record that boasts identifiable voices and brilliant players jamming without any planning or pressure. Some of the album’s highlights: Billy Sheehan (bass), Rodger Carter (drums), Dave Navarro (mandolin), Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander (backing vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass).

Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 1 CD/LP (E1)

Origins Vol. 1 is a collection of 12 newly recorded classic rockers from Ace’s formative years, and features some notable guests including fellow bandmate Paul Stanley, as well as the equally leathered Slash, Lita Ford, guitarist John 5 (Rob Zombie), and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready.

F.S. Blumm and Nils Frahm – Tag Eins Tag Zwei CD (Sonic Pieces)

F.S. Blumm and Nils Frahm present their third full-length collaboration — the most soothing and life-affirming recording the two have produced thusfar; guitars and toys flow next to piano and harmonium in an organic combination, shaping nine improvisational pieces that incorporate classical, jazz, and folk influences, in a vivid portrait of two artists at the peak of their game.

Game Over – Crimes Against Reality CD/LP (Scartlet)

New album from the European thrash metallers.

Awalom Gebremariam – Desdes CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

At the age of 28, Awalom Gebremariam arrived in the United States, following a years-long journey from Eritrea. He’d made it to a refugee camp in Ethiopia several years ago and eventually attained asylum status for passage to America. But before he left his hometown, Eritrea’s capital Asmara, he made his first and only recording so far, Desdes. Awalom completed Desdes in 2007, not long before he departed Eritrea. Because Awalom left after the recording he never received any money for cassette and CD sales. But he also didn’t get to find out how much of an impact the songs have had locally. “…features traditional folk instruments—the one-string wata and the five-string krar—playing what ATFA’s Brian Shimkovitz called ‘legit modern sounds culled from relatively ancient means.’” – Resident Advisor

Grand Puba – Back From The Future CD (iHipHop Distribution)

New release from rapper Maxwell Dixon aka Grand Puba, best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian from New Rochelle, New York. Black From The Future is the emcee’s first album in seven years.

Hackensaw Boys – Charismo CD (Free Dirt)

Traditional Appalachian and Delta music lay the groundwork, but it’s injected with a heavy dose of the contemporary, good-times-roll kind of spit and vinegar the band has become known for over the years.

Bella Hardy – With The Dawn CD (Magenta Marketing)

Bella Hardy’s seventh solo album With The Dawn is her first since being named BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer Of The Year in 2014. “Ultimately, what Hardy has done here is make a folk album for people who don’t normally like folk music. In doing so, it’s both a credit to her and the genre.” — Q Magazine

PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project CD/LP (Vagrant)

The Hope Six Demolition Project draws from several journeys undertaken by Harvey, who spent time in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Washington, D.C. over a four-year period. “When I’m writing a song I visualize the entire scene. I can see the colors, I can tell the time of day, I can sense the mood, I can see the light changing, the shadows moving, everything in that picture. Gathering information from secondary sources felt too far removed for what I was trying to write about. I wanted to smell the air, feel the soil and meet the people of the countries I was fascinated with,” says Harvey. “Just as Let England Shake made use of a sense of the horror of the First World War far more than provide literal commentary on it, so the restless The Hope Six Demolition Project is more about a sense of a fractured, disordered globe, bursting with life and catastrophe, ancient cultures, new wars and old wounds. It makes you puzzle its meaning, ponder on it, burrow nagging ideas into your head. And it is another stupendous record, of the sort nobody else is making, or probably could make. Through all her changing shapes, Harvey remains one of a kind.” – Drowned In Sound

Catherine Christer Hennix – Live At Issue Project Room CD (Important)

Catherine Christer Hennix – Central Palace Music From 100 Model Subjects for Hegikan Roku CD (Important)

Catherine Christer Hennix (born 1948 in Stockholm) is an artist, poet, composer, and philosopher with a strong interest in logic and formal music theory; her interest in drone music and the meditative, trance-like state it induces is apparent in her exploration of similar music in many other cultures and traditions, including, for example, Japanese gagaku music and the 13th-century vocal music of Pérotin and Léonin. These are the first in a series of archival Hennix releases to be issued via Important Records. “She has created a sound that reliably taps into our subconscious and frees us from linear time.” –The Quietus

Hestina – Blossom Talk CD/LP (Autumn Tone)

Formed by Kimberly Vice and Michelle Ausman, Hestina is a folk-soul duo who call New Orleans home. Their Autumn Tone Records debut, Blossom Talk, is filled with beautiful harmonies that dreamily orbit around the plucking of dueling ukuleles.

Bill Hicks – Rant In E-Minor: Variations 2xCD/2xLP (Comedy Dynamics)

Rant In E-Minor: Variations is Bill Hicks’ most brilliant album in it’s raw form with no music interludes. The original release was compiled from multiple shows in Austin, Texas and other locations; this version is one of those Austin evenings, October 24th, 1993. It contains Hicks’ classic material, never-before-heard bits, and some new twists on some of everyone’s favorites.

Jane Lee Hooker – No B! CD (Ruf)

Jane Lee Hooker is a band of five women from New York City who infuse the grit and attitude of their hometown into the blues. With double lead guitars, a heavy rhythm section, and soul-scouring vocals, JLH honors the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Johnny Winter, Big Mama Thornton, and other blues greats.

Lightnin’ Hopkins – Live In Munich June 23, 1977 CD (Rockbeat)

Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins was an often recorded and highly influential Texas blues guitarist whose ramshackle lifestyle and easy going music still resonate today. Live In Munich was recorded with an electric band in 1977 in front of an appreciate and enthusiastic crowd.

J Dilla – The Diary CD (Mass Appeal)

“After nearly 15 years of label troubles, legal battles, file rescuing and sample clearing, J Dilla’s lost 2002 vocal album The Diary [finally sees] release. Originally recorded for MCA, the iconic beatmaker, who passed away in 2006, had recruited a slew of producers to help create the 14-track LP — its beats are by Pete Rock, Madlib, Hi-Tek, Supa Dave West, Bink!, House Shoes, Nottz, Karriem Riggins and, of course, Dilla himself. Though it follows a decade of posthumous releases of varying quality, Dilla estate creative director and former Stones Throw general manager Eothen ‘Egon’ Alapatt told Rolling Stone that The Diary is ‘the last record that he actually wanted out — i.e., he said, in his own words, this record should come out during his lifetime. The last one.’” – Rolling Stone

Johnny Moped – It’s A Real Cool Baby CD/LP (Damaged Goods)

UK punk band Johnny Moped, who debuted in 1978, return with new album, It’s A Real Cool Baby. Original members Johnny Moped, Slimy Toad, and Dave Berk showcase some new songs and revisit a few live favorites that never got recorded back in their heyday, including “I Wanna Die” and “I Believed Her Lies.”

Keb’ Mo’ – Live: That Hot Pink Blues Album 2xCD (Kind Of Blue Music)

Keb’ Mo’ delivers some of his best material in the most authentic form, through live recordings. Recorded throughout the past year while on tour, and produced by Casey Wasner, the double-disc album features 16 live recorded songs from Keb’ Mo’s extensive catalog.

Robert Kidney – Jackleg CD/LP (Exit Stencil)

“Robert Kidney still brings it strong at almost 70 years young if you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing him perform on stage. As a founding member and lead singer of 15-60-75 (The Numbers Band), Robert has been mastering this trade for over 45 years. Jackleg, his first solo venture, is just Kidney recorded alone with an acoustic guitar. Recorded live with just two edits by engineer Tony Maimone at Studio G in Brooklyn, New York, the dark and haunting blues album transports Kidney right into your living room. The eleven tracks found on Jackleg drips with the same depth as Johnny Cash did on his American Recordings.” – No Depression

Ash Koosha – I Aka I CD (Ninja Tune)

Wobbling electronica rhythms ‘n’ fractal sound waves from the Iranian-born, London-based composer. For fans of Arca and Burial. Vinyl edition due May 27.

Kate Le Bon – Crab Day CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)

The third full-length release for the Welsh singer-/songwriter, “Crab Day, like its predecessor (the staggering Mug Museum), is underpinned by a bold stoicism far removed from calculable, sweetened melodics. Yet, when it really sparks, as on the mesmerizing coda of eight-minute closer ‘What’s Not Mine Or We Might Revolve’ (a spare, insistent pummel that recalls the fidgety formalism of early Throwing Muses), it yields an emotional resonance that is difficult to deny and impossible to resist.” – The Skinny

Lighthouse – Thoughts Of Movin’ On [Reissue/1971] CD (Prog Temple)

Originally formed in 1968, this legendary Canadian horn-rock band spanned rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, progressive, and classical music. Released in December 1971, Thoughts Of Movin’ On was their fifth album, and appeared on the legendary Vertigo imprint in the UK. It makes its long-overdue CD debut here.

Mikael Lind – Intentions And Variations CD/LP+MP3 (Morr Music)

Iceland-based composer Mikael Lind presents an ambient work of weightless soundscapes and sound manipulation. Lind’s tracks are based on simple themes — often performed by a piano or a viola — but his compositions gradually evolve into more complex creations and mature textures as he lets the electronically manipulated sounds interact. RIYL Christopher Bissonnette, Deaf Center, Stephan Mathieu.

Eric Lindell – Matters Of The Heart CD (Red Parlor)

On Matters Of The Heart roots musician Eric Lindell continues his long-time collaboration with legendary Texas guitarist, Anson Funderburgh, whose phenomenal lead playing adds even more layers of blues and soul to the album. Another friend of Lindell’s, Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes), co-produced some of the tracks and adds some fantastic resonator slide guitar.

Lyrics Born – Now Look What You’ve Done, Lyrics Born! Greatest Hits! CD/2xLP (Mobile Home)

Greatest hits collection from one of the underground west coast scene’s most consistent and respected MCs. From the instantaneously grooving Stereo MCs remix of “I Changed My Mind,” originally taken from the 2005 Same Sh*t Different Day album, if you’re not already familiar with Lyric Born’s energetic, upbeat and classy style, you’ll be guaranteed to be hooked from this great first song. This is followed by “Callin’ Out,” from his 2003 LP Later That Day, and the funky, authentic west coast feel of this, along with Born’s incredibly melodic delivery, makes the track one that still sounds as fresh as it did when the album first dropped. If you’re not already a fan of Lyrics Born, this is a great introductory project to check out.

Barış Manço and Kurtalan Ekspres – Sözüm Meclisten Disari [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)

Originally released in 1981, this is another killer album by the Turkish legend, recorded with the same line-up as 1979’s Yeni Bir Gün. Psych/funk/progressive sounds full of heavy drums and basslines, Moog/analog keyboards, and psychedelic guitar.

Mantar – Ode To The Flame CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)

“Infernal extreme metal” from Germany.

Del McCoury Band – Del And Woody CD (McCoury Music)

You could almost say that the cover of the new release from the Del McCoury Band tells you everything you need to know: two giants of American music, both known far and wide by their first names, guitars in hand, looking out at the world with a bold gaze and a characteristic expression. But there’s a story behind Del And Woody, a collection of Woody Guthrie lyrics set to music by Del McCoury. Though it took the process years to come to fruition the result is an album that really transcends the concept of collaboration. For while Del McCoury is not quite of Guthrie’s generation, these two American masters share an unsurpassed breadth of experience, outlook, shared interests and common backgrounds. So what you hear is the simple and easy unity of these two artists.

Merzbow – Live Performance [Reissue/1985] CD (Cold Spring)

Remastered reissue of the extremely rare Live Performance cassette.

Metallica – Kill ‘Em All [Reissue/1983] 5xCD+4xLP+DVD (Blackened Recordings)

Metallica – Ride The Lightning [Reissue/1984] 5xCD+4xLP+DVD (Blackened Recordings)

Deluxe box sets of Metallica’s first two albums, each complete with a 64-page book, a Metallica logo patch, and more.

Kevin Morby – Singing Saw CD/LP (Dead Oceans)

Singing Saw is a record written simply and realized orchestrally. In it, Kevin Morby faces the reality that true beauty — deep and earned — demands a whole-world balance that includes our darker sides. It is a record of duality, one that marks another stage of growth for this young, gifted songwriter with a kind face and a complicated mind. Morby opens Singing Saw with “Cut Me Down,” a song of tears, debts and a prescient vision of being reduced to nothing. “I Have Been To The Mountain,” “Destroyer” and “Black Flowers” continue to explore beauty and freedom, seizing upon the rot that seeps into even the supposedly safest of realms; peace, family and romantic love. By the end of the record on “Water,” Morby is literally begging to be put out once and for all, like a fire that might burn all the visions away. Travels beyond his mountain walks, near his Mount Washington home in Los Angeles, inform songs like “Dorothy,” which recounts a trip to Portugal, witnessing a fishing ritual and luxuriating in the aura of a bar light-tinged reunion with old friends. The touching innocence of “Ferris Wheel” stands alone in stark simplicity amidst the lush sonic textures of the album. Here, the album is balanced by Morby’s signature sweetness and joie de vivre.

Mr. Lif – Don’t Look Down CD/LP (Mello Music)

The first album in seven years from one of hip-hop’s most pioneering and creative rappers, Don’t Look Down features Del The Funky Homosapien, Edan and more.

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers – Sacred Memories CD (Rebel)

New music from some of the top writers of bluegrass and gospel music: Jerry Salley, Paul Williams, Billy Smith and a never-before-recorded song from the late Randall Hylton. Guests include Ricky Skaggs and his wife Sharon and Rhonda Vincent.

Murray, Allen & Carrington Power Trio – Perfection CD (Motema)

The debut from the new jazz supergroup (featuring David Murray, Geri Allen and Terri Lyne Carrington is dedicated to Ornette Coleman, who passed just days before the recording. The album features (and is named after) Coleman’s never before recorded composition, “Perfection.”

Musiq Soulchild – Life On Earth CD (E1)

“It’s been a while since we heard from the soul gawd Musiq Soulchild. In fact, last time we heard from Musiq, he was rapping under his alter-ego ‘The Husel.’ Thankfully, Musiq is back to doing what he does best, crooning over chill jazzy electric piano. On his newest single ‘I Do,’ the Philly-bred singer speaks to his significant other. While admitting that he doesn’t always like her, he vows to always love and care for her. Now that’s commitment.” – Hot New Hip-Hop

Graham Nash – This Path Tonight CD/LP+MP3 (Blue Castle)

“Graham Nash’s new album, This Path Tonight, is his first collection of new songs since 2002’s Songs For Survivors. In that time, he’s entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Hollies, published his memoirs, launched two tours with CSNY and watched the group once again dissolve, and separated from his wife Susan after 38 years of marriage. That last fact was weighing most heavily on Nash’s mind when he wrote the tunes for This Path Tonight. This Path Tonight is my emotional journey at this point in my life,’ he says. ‘Many changes are happening and, as a musician, I’m trying to find the courage to face my future and grab a hold of it. … My producer Shane Fontayne and I wanted to make a funkier, more intimate feeling and started the album with the song ‘This Path Tonight.’’ The disc wraps up with ‘Encore.’ ‘No matter how many songs I’ve written, no matter how many songs I’ve sung, there’s always room for just one more,’ says Nash. ‘’Encore’ is a perfect way for me to end this album.’” – Rolling Stone

Necrot – The Labyrinth CD/LP (Tankcrimes)

“Oakland, California’s Necrot are as old-school death metal as old-school death metal gets. Their songs would have been welcome presences on early classics by Master, Bolt Thrower and Autopsy and yet, Necrot has a punk rock soul that refuses to die. This was the same spirit that one heard from Venom as they did their best to play metal songs well out of their technical reach, or from Motörhead as they kept their music short and to the point over their 40-year career.” – Invisible Oranges

Henrik Björkk Nordvargr and Margaux Renaudin – Anima Nostra CD (Cold Spring)

A collaboration between Henrik Nordvargr Björkk (Pouppée Fabrikk, Mz.412) and Margaux Renaudin. Combines the ritual aspects of Mz.412, the darkest ambience of Nordvargr, vocals, and a rising spiritual awakening. Features guest vocals by death metal mastermind Nader Sadek, recorded inside the sacred Sneferu pyramid in Cairo.

Nova Express Quintet – Andras: The Book Of Angels Volume 28 CD (Tzadik)

Nova Express is one of Zorn’s most dynamic and sensitive ensembles, an MJQ-tinged quartet featuring piano, vibraphone, bass and drums. For their first foray into the world of Masada, they are joined by the ever-popular Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista to create a fabulous program of space-age bachelor pad music for the 21st century. Relaxing and unique instrumental music performed by an all-star quintet of musical masters touching upon the exotic language of The Dreamers, Les Baxter, Martin Denny, Bert Kaempfert, Afro-Cuban bop and more.

Oz Noy – Who Gives A Funk CD (Abstract Logix)

Internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer Oz Noy follows his provocative two-volume exploration and reinvention of his blues roots (Twisted Blues) with Who Gives A Funk – an examination of classic funk and R&B grooves, spiked with his uniquely unhinged improvisational instincts.

Omophagia – In The Name Of Chaos CD/LP (Unique Leader)

Omophagia is a death metal band from Switzerland and this is their second album.

Marie Osmond – Music Is Medicine CD (All Of Me)

New album from the veteran pop/country entertainer. Enlisting the expertise of veteran country/pop/Latin producer Jason Deere, Marie captures her expected contemporary style, mixing it with new flavors and notable guest artists such as Olivia Newton-John, Diamond Rio, SisQó (Dru Hill), John Rich (Big & Rich), Marty Roe, and Alex Boyé. [Vinyl version due August 5.]

Otep – Generation Doom CD/LP+MP3 (Napalm)

“Formed from the poetic marrow of creative intercourse. Otep is an art project/band/movement/revolution; Breaking ground, breaking rules, breaking barriers. Articulate. Aggressive. Pure adrenaline. ARTCore of Heavy Mental Rock.” This is how Otep Shamaya and her allies choose to describe themselves. The Californians unleash a fascinatingly meandering beast in shape of Generation Doom boasting thunderous nu-metal grooves that shapeshift into dark industrial fury that flow into hard rock melodies at any moment. [CD edition is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. Limited picture disc edition pressed for RSD 2016.]

Lucky Peterson – Long Nights CD (JSP)

As insiders know, some of the best blues and jazz is played after hours and behind closed doors. Musicians play around with technique and material. And, of course, they relax and have fun.

This is Lucky and his sidemen exploring that magical late night vibe.

The Power Quintet – High Art CD (HighNote)

This post-bop supergroup, which has honed its rapport on tour in Europe, consists of the trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, the vibraphonist Steve Nelson, the pianist Danny Grissett, the bassist Peter Washington and the drummer Bill Stewart. The band cooks up a swinging brew of mostly original tunes with a decidedly post-hard-bop influence.

Praed – Fabrication Of Silver Dreams CD (Annihaya)

Praed’s body of work explores the connections between shaabi (Arabic popular music), the mouled music played in religious trance ceremonies, and other popular music from around the world that employs forms of sonic delirium, such as free jazz, space jazz, and psychedelic rock.

Prism Tats – Prism Tats CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)

Prism Tats’ self-titled debut album is bookended by the reverb-laden “Pacifist Masochist” at the start and the back-to-back tag-team of “Haunt Me” and “Know It All” at the finish. This trio of songs recalls the ghostly throwback groove-stomp and fuzzy warmth of bands like The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Raveonettes, with frontman Garett van der Spek flexing his vocal chops in different registers.

Professor Longhair – Live In Chicago CD/LP (Orleans)

Previously unreleased live album recorded at the University of Chicago Folk Festival, February 1, 1976, and originally broadcast by WFMT-FM Chicago.

Masha Qrella – Keys CD/LP+MP3 (Morr Music)

Berlin-based musician Masha Qrella’s fifth album finds her elegantly fusing disco-pop and songwriting. Written and produced by Qrella in her studio within one year, the album’s 11 songs feature well-known elements of fragility, perfection, and understatement, while walking a fine line between laconic coolness and passionate, up-tempo melancholia.

Rarity – I Couldn’t Be Weaker CD (Rise)

Canadian pop/punk. Vinyl edition due May 20.

Maja S.K. Ratkje – Crepuscular Hour CD+DVD/2xLP+CD+DVD (Rune Grammophon)

An epic, hypnotic work for three choirs, three pairs of noise musicians, and church organ. Includes a DVD of the whole concert, beautifully directed by Kathy Hinde (DVD is PAL format, region-free, with 5.1 and stereo audio).

Rich Robinson – Through A Crooked Sun [Reissue/2011] CD/2xLP (Eagle)

Rich Robinson – The Woodstock Sessions Vol. 3 [Reissue/2011] CD/2xLP (Eagle)

Latest in a series of back catalogue reissues from The Black Crowes lead guitarist. While available on CD, most will want the color vinyl (brown and white, respectively) versions.

Sonny Rollins – Holding The Stage (Road Shows Vol. 4) CD (Sony Masterworks)

Holding The Stage (Road Shows Vol. 4) is pure Sonny Rollins it is the essence of Sonny Rollins as a musician. The music is some of his most expressive live recordings, from 1979 at the Pori Jazz festival in Finland to 2012 in Marseille and Prague.

Royce Da 5’9″ – Layers CD (Bad Half Entertainment)

After touring with PRhyme, writing and recording new music, Royce returns to his solo roots with new album, Layers. This is the first solo release since 2011 from the Detroit, Michigan MC known for Slaughterhouse, PRhyme, and Bad Meets Evil. The album features appearances by Rick Ross, Pusha T and Tiara.

Amber Rubarth – Scribbled Folk Symphonies CD (Chesky)

Backed by a string section that includes world renowned Cellist, Dave Eggar, Amber Rubarth returns for her sophomore Chesky album to follow up her successful, Sessions From The 17th Ward. Scribbled Folk Symphonies features a combination of original tunes and unique takes on classic songs, such as her rendition of R.E.M’s “Losing My Religion.”

Dino Sabatini – Omonimo CD/LP (Outis)

Omonimo is techno producer Dino Sabatini’s second full-length, following 2012’s Shaman’s Paths For Prologue. The album features a relatively slow, trip-hop-inspired aesthetic, while still retaining parts of the classic Italian deep techno sound Sabatini helped popularize alongside the likes of Donato Dozzy and Giorgio Gigli.

Sand – Golem [Reissue/1974] CD/LP (Rotorelief)

Sand – Desert Navigation CD/LP (Rotorelief)

German trio Sand’s first album, Golem, is a legendary work of cosmic psychedelic genius. Not dependent on a classic krautrock style, Sand is nevertheless part of this movement of German cosmic/psychedelic bands, in addition to being the originators of proto-industrial musics. Desert Navigation is a previously unreleased album, recorded 1973-1982.

Santana – Santana IV CD/2xLP+MP3 (Santana IV/Thirty Tigers)

Santana IV reunites the revered early- ‘70s lineup of guitar icon Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, lead vocals), Neal Schon (guitar, vocals), Michael Carabello (percussion) and Michael Shrieve (drums). The album signifies the first time in 45 years since 1971’s classic Santana III that the quintet has recorded together. “It was magical,” Santana says of the sessions. “We didn’t have to try to force the vibe – it was immense. From there, we then needed to come up with a balance of songs and jams that people would immediately identify as Santana.” The iconic guitarist adds, “When you can go back and break new ground with joy and determination – and some whoop-ass energy – it gets you going. I think we achieved something very rare. This music was screaming to come out of us. It wasn’t about nostalgia. It was about passion.”

Satin Jackets – Panorama Pacifico CD/LP+MP3 (Eskimo)

Satin Jackets deal in an original brand of diva funk and smooth disco. Panorama Pacifico is their debut album.

Say Anything – I Don’t Think It Is CD (Equal Vision)

One of the most commendable aspects of Say Anything is their willingness to grow and explore new sounds, or “challenge myself musically,” as lead singer Max Bemis describes it. Sure, the band’s rebellious message is present throughout the entire discography, and Bemis can still produce endless witticisms seemingly at random, but this album is different. I Don’t Think It Is starts with “Give A Damn,” the anthem of not caring what anyone has to say, which suits the band’s new style. The song is aggressive with loud vocals, intrusive lyrics, and edgy guitars. The third track, “Rum,” is a slower song with raspy vocals and impressive drums. Following is the 1 ½ minute upbeat, punk sounding “So Numb.” “Jiminy,” the sixth track is more melodious with rhythmic guitar riffs, emotional vocals, and laid-back beats. Vinyl edition due May 20.

Scullion – Balance And Control [Reissue/1980] CD (Prog Temple)

Formed in Dublin in 1979 by Tír na nÓg singer and guitarist Sonny Condell, vocalist Philip King, and guitarist Greg Boland, Scullion made a considerable impact in Ireland with the release of their self-titled debut album later that year. Produced by the legendary John Martyn, their second LP, Balance And Control, appeared toward the end of 1980. This is the first reissue of this wonderful set of acoustic material with a distinctive Celtic flavor, touching on pop, jazz, and more.

Ashley Shadow – Ashley Shadow CD/LP (Felte)

“Ashley Shadow is Ashley Webber, a longtime contributor to Vancover’s music scene. Besides playing bass in the early-aughts post-punk combo The Organ, she’s sung on albums including Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s ‘Lie Down In The Light,’ Pink Mountaintops’ ‘Outside Love,’ and The Cave Singers’ ‘Welcome Joy,’ landing her voice on releases by some of the world’s most prominent indie labels (Drag City, Jagjaguwar, and Matador respectively). Plus her sister is Lightning Dust leader Amber Webber. With a pedigree like that, it’s about time Webber released a project of her own.” – Stereogum

Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth CD/LP+CD (Atlantic)

A Sailor’s Guide To Earth was written-beginning to end-as a letter to his first child who arrived during the summer of 2014 and features eight original songs as well as a rendition of Nirvana’s “In Bloom.” “Psych-country songwriter Sturgill Simpson impressed fans of the genre back in 2014 with the release of his sophomore Metamodern Sounds In Country Music. In anticipation of his follow-up record, the Nashville-based performer appeared on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show to shed some light on [his new album] A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. ‘I wanted to express a lot of influences outside of country music, I think there’s a lot of room to explore in terms of sonic templates in the genre,’ he told Lowe. ‘If there was any intentional approach it was that I wanted to sort of reverse engineer the song craft this time around. In country music especially, it can get very formulaic. You have to have your verses and a chorus but a lot of these songs were written as plain and simple poetry on the road. I decided I was going to frame those poems to music in the studio. We already did Metamodern… so I didn’t want to make another psychedelic country album.’” – Exclaim

Solids – Else CDEP/12” (Topshelf)

Solids’ new EP serves as a melancholic deconstruction of the ’90s slacker ethos explored on their first LP. But it also charts the band’s transition into a wider and more experimental sound, borrowing strands from Dinosaur Jr., Hum and Unwound and coiling them into an anxious, alienated sound. [Vinyl edition is one-sided featuring an etched B-side.]

Soundtrack – Hardcore Henry [OST] CD (Masterworks Broadway)

The music for Hardcore Henry is as frenetic as the action in the movie. Recalling many memorable moments from the film, the soundtrack features songs from The Sonics, The Temptations, Devendra Barnhart, The Drums and The Stranglers, along with songs written for the movie from writer/director Illya Naishuller’s band, Biting Elbows, and Dasha Charusha, who also appears in the film.

Spectres – Dead CD/2xLP (Sonic Cathedral)

Tracks from Bristol band Spectres’ 2015 debut Dying, remixed by Mogwai, Factory Floor, Hookworms, Richard Fearless (Death In Vegas), Andy Bell (Ride), Robert Hampson (Loop), and many more.

Marcus Strickland’s Twi-Life – Nihil Novi CD (Blue Note)

Strickland’s desire to preach above and beyond the jazz choir is rooted in his affinity toward a multitude of musical styles. Growing up in a household which encouraged the arts, Strickland’s musical palette had been vast long before his professional endeavors. This broad creative range, along with his emergence as a singular voice on his instrument, helped Strickland land his first recording deal as a leader with the Fresh Sound label, soon after the Miami native graduated from New York’s esteemed New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music; a breeding ground for many who would become today’s most relevant figures in jazz.

Surgical Meth Machine – Surgical Meth Machine CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

New project from Al Jourgenson (Ministry). According to Jourgensen, the sound of Surgical Meth Machine’s debut release leans heavily on the aggressive side, but fans can also expect to hear a few surprises. “There’s a couple of real poppy things on there, which brings me full circle, because, literally, I don’t give a f**k anymore,” he said. “So I’m actually almost acknowledging that first horrible pop record I did in 1983. I’m crooning on some songs, I’ve got some pop songs on there, and then there’s just brutal assault for the rest of it.”

Suuns – Hold/Still CD/LP+MP3 (Secretly Canadian)

“Suuns’ third proper album exists at the intersection of 20 Jazz Funk Greats and Kid A — a serpent’s hiss that is also yearning and hot-blooded. Its contents are the proof as to why Suuns absolutely deserve to be listed next to the names of dark groove adventurers like Stott, Forest Swords, Arca and Haxan Cloak.” 

James Tatum – Contemporary Jazz Mass/Live At The Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theatre [Reissue/1974/1980] CD (Jazzman)

James Tatum – Contemporary Jazz Mass [Reissue/1974] LP (Jazzman)

First reissue of James Tatum’s stunning, spiritualized Contemporary Jazz Mass, a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz inspired by Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, originally privately released in 1974. [CD version adds Live At The Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theater (1980), Tatum’s independent second release and another breathtaking long-form vocal jazz composition.]

Trupa Trupa – Headache CD (Blue Tapes & X-Ray)

Polish quartet Trupa Trupa present a work of exquisitely executed tension-and-release rock music sharp as a migraine and twice as psychedelic. “Always clever, often beautiful, and at times very angry guitar music that defies definition… Razor-edged no wave rumblings, anguished Bad Seed shanties, sopping wet blue-eyed soul ballads — Trupa Trupa touch on it all… This is incredible work.” –The Quietus

Various Artists [Ragnar Johnson] – Sacred Flute Music From New Guinea: Madang/Windim Mambu [Reissue/1977]1979] 2xCD (Idealogic Organ)

First combined release of Ragnar Johnson and Jessica Mayer’s Sacred Flute Music From New Guinea LPs, originally released in two volumes by David Toop’s Quartz Publications in 1977 and 1979. Includes recordings of men in the Madang region of Papua New Guinea blowing sacred flutes to make the cries of spirits, pairs of long bamboo male and female flutes played for ceremonies in the coastal villages near the Ramu river, Ravoi flutes from Bak accompanied by two garamut (carved wooden slit gongs), Jarvan flutes from Awar accompanied by a shell rattle, Mo-mo resonating tubes recorded in the Finisterre Range, and more.

Various Artists [Charles Maurice] – AOR Global Sounds 1975-1983 Volume 2 CD/LP (Favorite)

DJ and producer Charles Maurice follows 2015’s AOR Global Sounds 1977-1982 with Volume 2, digging even deeper lost international productions for eight forgotten, rare tracks produced between 1975 and 1983 around the globe. At the end of the ’70s, many artists all over the world were deeply influenced by such AOR stars as Steely Dan and their classic 1977 Aja LP and strove for the same attention to sound production and detail; this specific West Coast style mixed with pop rock standards, soul, disco, and jazz influences.

Various Artists – Curiosity Shop: A Rare Collection of Aural Antiquities and Objets d’Art: Volume Three 1968-1971 CD (Particles)

The third volume in the Curiosity Shop series, a colorful variety of rare and obscure pop nuggets recorded from 1968-1971.

Various Artists – Various Artists: Every Song Has Its End: Sonic Dispatches From Traditional Mali CD+DVD/2xLP+DVD (Glitterbeat)

Bamako-based producer/educator Paul Chandler has been documenting the sonic and cultural complexities of traditional Malian music for more than a decade and Every Song Has Its End is and out-of-time, visceral collection of sounds from Chandler’s unparalleled archive. Includes a DVD featuring 11 mini-documentaries profiling the musicians and their culture.]

Victims – Sirens CD/LP (Tankcrimes)

New album from Stockholm’s d-beat champions.

Rick Wakeman – Starship Trooper CD (Cleopatra)

A collection of live performances, including a rendition of Tool’s “Sober,” plus several more cover songs of The Who, Pink Floyd, and The Doors.

Muddy Waters – Live ’76 At Paul’s Mall, Boston CD (Echoes)

Complete radio broadcast of Muddy Waters and his band performing live at Paul’s Mall in Boston, MA, on June 15, 1976.

Wild Belle – Dreamland CD/LP+MP3 (Sony)

The duo that forms the core of this Chicago based group are siblings Elliott and Natalie Bergman, and have created a sound known for infusing it’s psychedelic pop sound with grooves based on reggae and ska. Their new album, Dreamland, features the single “Throw Down Your Guns” that, according to the siblings, started out as a love song, but ultimately found the group riding a roughed up rhythm track with Natalie delivering a more emphatic lyricism than ever before. The song features Natalie Bergman’s dusty yet joyous vocals over a bass heavy dance rhythm and a Jamaican pop-esque instrumental hook. 

Don Williams – Don Williams In Ireland: The Gentle Giant In Concert CD (Don Williams Music)

Country Music Hall of Famer and CMA/ACM award winner Don Williams, who became one of the biggest country stars known as the “Gentle Giant” with his relaxed songs and 6-foot-1-inch frame, is retiring after six decades of making music and entertaining crowds. This is his last recording. [Also available on stand-alone DVD.]

Anthony Wilson – Frogtown CD/LP (Goat Hill Recordings)

Wilson enlisted Grammy-winning producer/bassist Mike Elizondo and a cast of musicians including legendary drummer Jim Keltner, violinist Petra Haden, and iconic saxophonist Charles Lloyd, to help him realize his vision. Virtuosic guitar and ensemble work, well-crafted songs, and intimate vocals drive this album, rooted deeply in jazz while summoning an array of diverse influences.

Jeff Zagers – All For The Love Of Sunshine CD/LP (Wharf Cat)

All For The Love Of Sunshine is a departure from Zagers’ debut of original compositions, Still/Alive. The collection of covers from the American songbook is as much a salute to the singers and songwriters of past generations as it is a reminder that our travails in matters of the heart are nothing new. It asks these questions in their original voice and answers them to the tune of Zagers’ distinct brand of ambient/industrial Americana.

The Zenith Passage – The Solipsist CD/LP (Unique Leader)

Los Angeles death metal unit The Zenith Passage features within its ranks current and former members of The Faceless, Fallujah and All Shall Perish. The Solipsist is their debut full-length. Across forty minutes of music, the band examines the idea of solipsism, a philosophical theory that the self is all that can be known to exist, anything else outside of one’s own mind is uncertain. The Zenith Passage builds upon this foundation, expanding into themes of nonexistence and a computer-generated fictional reality experienced by all of humanity. Solipsist demands that listeners join the band on their voyage to explore the unsettlingly complex and improbable world they’ve uncovered in this bold experiment, this gut-wrenching visceral transmission of disturbing intellectual revelation.

DVDs + Blu-ray:

Don Williams – Don Williams In Ireland: The Gentle Giant In Concert DVD (Don Williams Music)

Country Music Hall of Famer and CMA/ACM award winner Don Williams, who became one of the biggest country stars known as the “Gentle Giant” with his relaxed songs and 6-foot-1-inch frame, is retiring after six decades of making music and entertaining crowds. This is his last recording.

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

Agnes Strange – Strange Flavour [Reissue/1975] (Radiation Deluxe Series)

Originally released in 1975 on the BirdsNest label, the sole album by boogie stompers Agnes Strange is an obscure hard rock gem begging to be rediscovered. Formed in Southampton, UK, in the mid- ’70s by Alan Green (bass), Dave Rodwell (drums), and John Westwood (guitar, vocals), Agnes Strange failed to reach any glory or fame, but their legacy of heavy rock riffs, raw leads, and tough attitude — with a spacey Hawkwind-esque touch here and there — helped them reach cult status among ’70s rock fanatics.

Aurora – All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend LP (Glassnote)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 2015 was a big year for Norwegian teenager Aurora Aksnes; aside from releasing the Running With The Wolves EP and the “Murder Song (5,4,3,2,1)” single, she scored a surprise hit with her cover of Oasis’ “Half The World Away.” Recorded as the music for UK retailer John Lewis’ coveted Christmas advert, “Half The World Away” gave Aurora her first UK Top 10 hit. Her debut album, All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend, features previous singles “Runaway,” “Running With The Wolves” and “Murder Song (5,4,3,2,1)” as well as “Conqueror” and eight other brand new tracks. “Conqueror” is uplifting and anthemic in equal parts, a tale of yearning and independence, showcasing Aurora’s uncanny ability to write a hook.

Albert Ayler – My Name Is Albert Ayler [Reissue/1964] LP (Jeanne Dielman)

Originally released in 1964, My Name Is Albert Ayler is the debut album by the legendary free jazz saxophonist. Recorded in Copenhagen with a Scandinavian rhythm section, this album sets the stage for the sheer brilliance that was to come. Although the backing band plays fairly straight-ahead bop and feels out of place at times, it doesn’t detract from the program as a whole, as Ayler’s singular sound shines through.

Battleme – Habitual Love Songs LP+MP3 (El Camino Media, LLC)

Portland by way of Austin indie sensation Battleme (the musical alter ego of Matt Drenik) has survived a deadly autoimmune disease, torn up SXSW stages, and written no small number of wicked tracks to soundtrack FX’s less than lovey dovey hit show Sons Of Anarchy. Esquire even described one Battleme song as, “If The Flaming Lips had written an original song for Dark Side Of The Moon.” So it’s surprise, new album Habitual Love Songs is full of sexually charged, slithery, Stones-like blues rockers. Billboard even compared first single, “Shake Shake,” to Queens Of The Stone Age. HQ-180gm.

Marco Benevento – The Story Of Fred Short LP (The Royal Potato Family)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For his new album, Marco Benevento cites everything from LCD Soundsystem, Harry Nilsson, Manu Chau and Gorillaz as inspiration. Divided into two sides, The Story Of Fred Short oozes with Marco’s relentless creative spirit in songwriting, performance and production. Side A is stuffed with mesmerizing dance rock gold. Marco doubles down on the groove, using a rare Casio drum machine that’s become a recurring muse in addition to a live drummer. The B Side tells the real and imagined story of Fred Short in seven chapters of wild, heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Fred Short was a Native American man known for throwing musical bacchanals on the property Marco now lives on, in Woodstock, NY.

Bombino – Azel LP (PTKF)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. After a brief 25-hour delay in Morocco on his way from Niger, Bombino arrived in Woodstock, New York to record his 2016 album at Applehead Studio with Dave Longstreth (Dirty Projectors). Longstreth proved to be a fantastic match for Bombino as this album’s producer. He has a deep respect for the Saharan music tradition and guided their sessions with a gentle but skilled hand. Fans of Bombino and Tuareg music in general will notice a few remarkable innovations on Azel.

The Bonnevilles – Arrow Pierced My Heart LP (Alive)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Great garage punk blues in the style of Left Lane Cruiser, Black Keys, and James Leg.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – La Façon Dont La Machine Vers l’Arrière 7” (Hoga Nord Rekords)

Necessary evil activities — messy but clean — from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Here, they deliver dark organic beats with “La Façon Dont La Machine Vers L’Arrière.” On the B-side, Al Lover — San Francisco’s own DJ Shadow — takes the listener on a remixed space odyssey.

Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett – The White House Sessions: Live 1962 2xLP (Impex)

Two remarkable visionaries at the peak of the powers, Dave Brubeck and his quartet and Tony Bennett (both with his group and with Bennett with trio) give hot performances of some of their biggest hits: Brubeck’s revved up “Take Five,” Tony Bennett’s soulful “I Left My Heart In San Francisco,” and both together on the hard-swinging “Lullaby Of Broadway.” Playing the popular White House Sessions concert on the Washington Mall for President John F. Kennedy, these titans of popular jazz have a great time informing, joking and playing the lights out.

Tracy Bryant – Subterranean LP+MP3 (Burger)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Tracy Bryant, frontman and founder of L.A.’s post-punk experimentalists Corners, debuted his first solo effort in 2014, the split cassette with Billy Changer, appropriately called 2 In 1. Since then, Bryant has been busy mastering and touring with Corners, or so we thought. In January of 2015, Bryant escaped to the Arizona desert to start working on his next album Subterranean with a little help from The Resonars’ Matt Rendon. Cut live with Froth’s Joo-Joo Ashworth and Jeremy Katz, and drummer Cameron Gartung of Mystic Braves, the album was his way of exploring musical boundaries and elaborating on his own prolific style.” – What Youth

R.L. Burnside – Sound Machine Groove [Reissue/1981] LP (Highwater)

Limited 150gm vinyl LP pressing of the seminal first studio recording by the legendary R.L. Burnside. Recorded by folklorist David Evans for High Water Records in 1979 and 1980, these are Burnside’s first recordings with electric guitar and also his first with a band.

Glen Campbell – Ghost On The Canvas [Reissue/2011] LP+MP3 (Surfdog)

Glen Campbell – See You There [Reissue/2013] LP+MP3 (Surfdog)

Limited edition picture disc vinyl reissues of Glen Campbell’s final two studio albums (Ghost On The Canvas is a set of original songs, while See You There is a collection of updated versions of his past hits).

Johnny Cash – I Walk The Line [Reissue/1964] LP (Friday Music)

Johnny Cash – Man In Black [Reissue/1971] LP (Friday Music)

Limited HQ-180gm translucent color (gold and blue, respectively) vinyl LP represses in gatefold jackets.

Cavanaugh – Time And Materials LP (Mello Music)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Avant-garde MC Open Mike Eagle teams up with Chicago comedy rapper legend Serengeti to create something creatively absurd and socially poignant. “Time And Materials tackles sociological themes that would be sledgehammer-obvious in less-nuanced hands. But the duo draws you in by skimping on or misdirecting details. Serengeti disappears deeper into his lyrical role than Mike does—understandable from an MC who’s been known to do half a live set in the guise of a cranky, bellowing 50-year-old. But for his first full-length production job, Mike sets a tone as raw-nerved and abrasively contemplative as the concept demands.” – Pitchfork

The Chainsmokers – Bouquet 12” (Sony Legacy)

2015 EP from the DJ duo consisting of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall. The Chainsmokers were formed as an EDM DJ duo in 2012 in New York City. They started out by making remixes of indie bands.

The Church – Priest=Aura [Reissue/1992] 2xLP (Plain)

HQ-180gm vinyl reissue of The Church’s eighth LP. This sprawling, psychedelic, surreal album is a creative peak for the band with a richly detailed widescreen production courtesy of producer Gavin Mackillop.

Stelvio Cipriani – Tentacles [OST/1977] 2xLP (Dagored)

A fabulous, jazzy, psyched-out score with extremely ’70s vibes and high-energy mood composed by the maestro Stelvio Cipriani (Concorde Affaire ’79) for Tentacoli (Tentacles), a 1977 thriller directed by Ovidio Assonitis and starring a bunch of Hollywood stars including Shelley Winters, John Huston, and Henry Fonda. This is the first-ever release of the complete soundtrack on vinyl. Two transparent LPs in deluxe embossed gatefold sleeve.

Leonard Cohen – Toronto ’88 2xLP (Rox Vox)

By 1988 Leonard Cohen had undergone something of a renaissance in North America, propelled by the success of Jennifer Warnes’ 1987 Famous Blue Raincoat album. He supported his widely acclaimed synthesizer-heavy I’m Your Man album (1988) with a tour of Europe, the US, and his native Canada. This superb performance at Massey Hall in Toronto on November 9, 1988, was broadcast live on CBC Radio and is now available on HQ-180gm vinyl.

Dalhous – Composite Moods Collection 1: House Number 44 2xLP (Blackest Ever Black)

Like the Scottish duo’s previous work, House Number 44 concerns itself with mental health, centering around the protagonist’s co-habitant who “appears distinctly unwell—detached, isolated, often feeling helpless and unable to influence the world around them.” The album tackles this with individual mood pieces meant to “convey a bipolarity of mood, each movement contradicting or erasing what came before, making progress impossible.” “This album is one of those slow-burning, dark-ambient/broken-techno synthesizer albums that crawls forward with a destination in mind, but takes the long way through some sketchy back alleys to get there.” – Slug Magazine

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night Of The Soul [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Parlophone)

Second repress – HQ-180gm. Dark Night Of The Soul features a wide range of collaborators, including James Mercer of The Shins, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, Black Francis of the Pixies, Iggy Pop, Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, David Lynch and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel and The Gerbils; these singers also had a hand in composing and producing the work.

Alex Dezen – California b/w Iowa (That’s Who We Are) 7” (Rock Ridge)

You know Alex Dezen as the the lead singer for The Damnwells. His resume is pretty impressive.

Dixie Chicks – Wide Open Spaces [1998] 2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)

Dixie Chicks – Fly [1999] 2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)

Dixie Chicks – Home [2002] 2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)

Dixie Chicks – Taking The Long Way [2006] 2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)

First time on vinyl!

Bob Dylan – New Morning [Reissue/1970] LP (Mobile Fidelity)

Second Mo-Fi repress of a sublime Dylan album.

Ellison – Ellison [Reissue/1971] LP (Guerssen)

Blastin’ underground hard rock from Canada, 1971. Ultra-raw guitars and lots of attitude. Think Black Sabbath and Elias Hulk.

Rino de Filippi – Oriente Oggi [Reissue/1973] LP (Cinedelic)

Rino de Filippi is one of those undercover maestros of library music that Italy is so good at producing. Oriente Oggi (a collection dating from 1972) finds him producing with an ‘Oriental’ theme in mind.

The Fine Machine – Habitat [Reissue/1972] LP (Cinedelic)

The Fine Machine were Oscar Lindok (Giacomo Dell’Orso), Donimak (Nico Fidenco), and Proluton (Gianni Dell’Orso). Their sole LP, 1972’s Habitat, simply exemplifies the variety and quality of Italian library music and its impeccable interpreters, with all the elements that characterize the unique style of the sound produced in Italy at the beginning of the ’70s. There are a bunch of breakbeats, lots of percussion, and liberal use of flute, piano, organ, and electric guitar.

Flight Facilities – Live With The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 3xLP+MP3 (Future Classics)

Australian producer duo Flight Facilities present Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, recorded under the stars at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia, on October 17, 2015. That night 12,000 fans witnessed Flight Facilities recreate their journey from their first DJ mix in 2009 to the release of their acclaimed debut album Down To Earth in 2014. The 15-track performance was captured live and mixed by ARIA-winning engineer Eric J Dubowsky; it features musical guests Touch Sensitive, Surahn, Kurt Kristen, Owl Eyes, Katie Noonan, George Maple, Reggie Watts, and Emma Louise.

The Frames – Longitude 2xLP+MP3 (ANTI-)

Irish band The Frames celebrate their 25th anniversary with the release of Longitude. The record is a stirring compilation of songs chosen by the band, including new recordings of favorites “Revelate” and “Fitzcaraldo” as well as a brand new composition recorded just for this set.

Free Cake For Every Creature – Talking Quietly Of Anything With You LP+MP3 (Double Double Whammy)

Free Cake For Every Creature started as a secret collection of home-recordings by Katie Bennett on a four-track. Encouragement and nagging from friends persuaded her to share her songs with them. Two years later, after self-booked tours around the country, several solo and full-band self-recorded tapes, and a move from upstate New York to Philadelphia, the band went back upstate to record their first record, Talking Quietly of Anything With You, with Chris Daly (Fraternal Twin, Porches., PWR BTTM, Long Beard) at Salvation Recording Co. The album is a collection of quiet pop songs that explore topics like moving to a new city, looking for answers in books, making muffins, and being in love.

Patty Griffin – 1000 Kisses [2001] LP+MP3 (ATO)

First-time vinyl edition of Patty Griffin’s third studio album, 1000 Kisses, which features guest background vocals by Emmylou Harris and also contains Patty’s version of “Stolen Car” by Bruce Springsteen.

Arlo Guthrie – Alice’s Restaurant [Reissue/1967] LP (Pure Pleasure)

HQ-180gm vinyl reissue of the folk singer/songwriter’s debut album.

Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex – Denver LP (Drag City)

This nine-song set follows the “rock ‘n’ roll alchemy” of more recent vinyl singles, employing “the modding-up of ethnic idioms from regional traditional American sounds and the refitting of these rhythms with expressions of new youth, reckless within the contemporary lifestyle.” More directly, Denver features a mix of beats supporting the “gnarl of Neil’s classic guitar playing.” [Available on standard LP, limited edition LP (with hand-painted cover art), and alternate cassette mix.]

Glen Hansard – A Season On The Line 12”+MP3 (ANTI-)

New EP from the celebrated principal songwriter and vocalist/guitarist for the influential Irish group The Frames.

Françoise Hardy – La Question [Reissue/1971] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)

Françoise Hardy – Et Si Je M’En Vais Avant Toi [Reissue/1972] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)

Limited vinyl reissues of a pair of albums from the French singer/songwriter/actress. La Question remains one of her finest and most distinctive efforts. Initially considered a departure from her more commercial hits from the ’60s, La Question has become a virtual calling-card for Hardy and has proven to be extremely influential on the modern French pop scene. Temporarily sidestepping her familiar French pop sound in favor of a country-blues flavored feel, Hardy penned most of the laid-back mellow Et Si Je M’En Vais Avant Toi herself.

The Dave Harrington Group – Become Alive LP (Other People)

Dave Harrington (of Darkside with Nicolas Jaar) debuts his first solo endeavor, The Dave Harrington Group, with Become Alive. Inspired by the classic jazz albums of the late ’60s and early ’70s, which experimented with contemporary studio recording techniques and effects, Harrington assembled about a dozen players and recorded days of improvised material, later manipulating it into something that, while fundamentally live, takes full advantage of Harrington’s penchant for electronic manipulations of organic sound, applying the same conceptual approach he takes with his heavily effected live-sampling guitar work.

Honeycutters – On The Ropes 2xLP (Organic/Select-O-Hits)

“Fitting in at country honky-tonks and hard-scrabble bars alike, the Honeycutters have built a reputation for high energy shows coupled with tight harmonies and wistfully delicate lyrics of longing, heartbreak, and the American experience” — Alan Cackett. [CD version due May 20.]

Japanther – Instant Money Magic LP (Bufu)

Veteran DIY art-punk duo Japanther return to their roots with the gleeful Instant Money Magic, their 12th LP in 13 prolific years. With an ever steady backbeat and a wall of fierce fuzz guitar, the group pounds out a stream of quick bites, like mouthfuls of pop rocks that crackle in the ears with an acidic sweetness. Pairing their noisy tendencies and speedy grooves with infectious, bang-along melodies, the group balances their improvisational, oft-kilter tendencies with an accessible, almost jubilant, pop sensibility to an irresistible, effect.

The Jefferson Airplane – Crown Of Creation [Reissue/1968] LP (Friday Music)

Limited HQ-180gm clear vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket including poster.

The Jesus & Mary Chain – Automatic [Reissue/1989] LP (Plain Recordings)

Plain Recording’s second reissue of JAMC’s 1989 album – this time on green vinyl.

Elton John – The Thom Bell Sessions [Reissue/1979] 12” (Mercury)

The Thom Bell Sessions (internationally titled as The Thom Bell Sessions ’77) is an EP recorded by Elton John in the second half of 1977, but was not released by MCA Records until June 1979. The project was a departure for John at the time. Up until that time, he had worked almost exclusively with lyricist Bernie Taupin and record producer Gus Dudgeon. Also, John’s band was not used at these sessions. This project brought Elton John together with R&B songwriter and producer Thom Bell, who had previously worked with such artists as The Stylistics, The Delfonics and The Spinners.

Fletcher C. Johnson – Lesson In Tenderness LP+MP3 (Burger)

Hailing from Southern Vermont and now residing in Brooklyn, NY, garage pop-rock wunderkind Fletcher C. Johnson returns with new album, Lesson In Tenderness. Includes the infectious lead single “Wilder Than Me.” Noisey sums it up this way: “For those of you too young to ever savor the experience of driving up the coast in the mid- ‘60s summer sun with nothing but some buds, beers, and a busted radio… now’s your chance to get in on the feeling.”

The Joy Formidable – Hitch LP (C’Mon Lets Drift)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Welsh trio The Joy Formidable return with their highly anticipated new album Hitch. Once described by Rolling Stone as “wickedly bracing and Himalaya-huge,” the fantastic live band went to work on their third studio album with one mission: to make sure their unique live performance and energy was captured on record. “We realized we needed to build a space and do it ourselves, go back to being three people in a room again” said Ritzy Bryan regarding the band’s decision to self-produce Hitch. Following suit with their decision to take the reigns on the record, The Joy Formidable chose to “work with people who feel as strong as we do about the music, who listen to albums, love the art and let that take control.” One such early supporter was the legendary Alan Moulder (The Killers, Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins) who mixed the album. The band states “on this album, we’ve been lucky enough to feel that same enthusiasm from everyone involved.”

Ben Katzman’s Degreaser – Venus In Pisces LP (Bufu)

The undeniably fun Miami-via-Boston “basement glam” rockers Ben Katzman’s Degreaser have been making a name for themselves in the garage rock community over the past couple years, bouncing between Florida and Massachusetts (and soon to be home of New York), bringing their signature “chillin’ hard” attitude with them everywhere they go. There’s the unabashed Kiss, Van Halen and Judas Priest worship, the never ending quest for the ultimate shred, a deep love for astrology, and a good deal of homage to Grease and the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle of the past. It’s all very tongue-in-cheek, but in the case of Katzman’s DeGreaser, it’s also quite genuine and sincere.

Keyes/Wearing Thin – Wearing Thin/Keyes [Split] 7” (Tragic Heros)

Limited (some on color vinyl) split 7” release, dropped in conjunction with a tour by these two melodic indie/punk bands.

King Khan – America Goddamn b/w Mule Train 7”+MP3 (Khannibalism)

King Khan – Never Hold On b/w A Tree Not A Leaf I Am 7”+MP3 (Khannibalism)

King Khan returns on his own Khannibalism imprint with four songs from the motion picture soundtrack to The Invaders. Each pressed on color vinyl (neon orange and ‘military marijuana’, respectively).

Okkyung Lee and Bill Orcutt – Live At Café Oto LP (Otoroko)

The full recording of the first meeting between Bill Orcutt (USA) and Okkyung Lee (South Korea). Individually these players have focused on an idiosyncratic approach to their chosen instruments and technique. Okkyung is one of the most singular voices to compromise the cello’s ‘classical’ origin, whilst Orcutt has spent many years developing a unique abstraction of traditional guitar blues. HQ-180gm.

Little Green Cars – Ephemera 2xLP (Glassnote)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. When Ephemera was completed in 2015, its theme became clear. A dozen exquisitely-crafted, exceptionally-sung, sumptuously-produced songs shimmered with the myriad of emotions the band had been through – restlessness, regret, love, heartbreak, hope and acceptance among them. Vivid lines of lyrics began to stand out. You won’t have your heart tugged harder this year than when Stevie depicts the disintegration of his relationship on “You Vs Me.” The death of Adam’s dad inspired the almost unbearably beautiful “Brother” – written by Adam, sung sensationally by Faye. The death of Stevie’s grandmother gave birth to “The Garden Of Death,” a number with breathtaking harmonies in which the singer seeks beauty in the afterlife.

Menomena – Friend And Foe [Reissue/2007] LP+MP3 (Barsuk)

Limited vinyl repress in a gatefold jacket. “Friend And Foe has all the hallmarks of an underground classic that’s here to stay” — NME. “No filler, not one outtake, Friend And Foe succeeds in living up to the hype of Menomena’s first LP by growing wiser with every loop of sax and blast” — Austin Chronicle. “Best New Music” [8.5] — Pitchfork

Charles Mingus – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus [Reissue/1964] LP (Jeanne Dielman)

Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus is bassist and composer Charles Mingus’s legendary experiment in a large group setting. Featuring an 11-piece group with new arrangements of some of his best-known compositions, this album is one of Mingus’s most timeless and influential releases. Originally released in 1964, the album is an essential title from one of jazz’s most enduring figures.

Augustus Pablo – Original Rockers [Reissue/1979] 2xLP (VP)

Deluxe double-vinyl repress of a quintessential dub reggae classic. 23 tracks total.

Pacific 231 – Ethnicities LP (Rotorelief)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ethnicities is a collection of previously unreleased recordings from Pacific 231’s post-industrial period. Successive and consecutive cuts were made before the artist put together the concept of the album as a plural-cultural diversity of sounds, with tropical steams, exotic journeys, electronic manipulations, urban dins, and industrial mazes. An unexpected psychedelic patchwork from Pacific 231.

Parachute – Wide Awake LP (Vanguard)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Parachute returns with this decidedly infectious collection of pop-rock anthems chocked full of the sticky sweet melodies and indelible hooks that have become their stock-and-trade.

Paradise Lost – In Requiem [Reissue/2007] LP (Century Media)

Paradise Lost’s monumental latter day 2007 album In Requiem finds the band simultaneously revisiting their gothic metal roots and daringly transcending them. [Limited copies pressed on color vinyl.]

Jorginho Pessanha – To Muito Na Minha [Reissue/1971] LP (Soul Patrol)

Remastered limited-edition reissue of this 1971 Brazilian samba/jazz rarity.

Pinact – Stand Still And Rot LP+MP3 (Kanine)

A lot of bands are compared to the likes of Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Dinosaur Jr., but very few are capable of living up to the billing. Enter Pinact, whom has harnessed the spirit of Glasgow’s music scene incredibly. Green color vinyl.

Placebo – Sleeping With Ghosts [Reissue/2003] LP (UMe)

Placebo – Meds [Reissue/2007] LP (UMe)

Placebo’s fourth and fifth albums, remastered and reissued as part of the series celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut album.

Puce Mary – The Spiral LP (Posh Isolation)

The Spiral binds the listener in a tight web of sharp synthesizers, hammering percussion, obscured vocals, field recordings, and blistering noise. Intimidatingly personal, though never allowing the introspection to become aimless, Puce Mary manages to honor the history of industrial music and noise while simultaneously transforming it.

Purple – Bodacious LP (PIAS America)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The gritty Texas trio, Purple, whose music encompasses reggae, funk, pop, rock and hip-hop seamlessly, are back with their sophomore album, Bodacious.

Rustie – EVENIFUDONTBELIEVE 2xLP+MP3 (Warp)

“Rustie pummels the subs along with the best of contemporary bass assailants, yet the beats are contorted so that they can live alongside emotive, often psychedelic melodies. While last year’s Green Language featured the likes of Danny Brown and Gorgeous Children, EVENIFUDONTBELIEVE is designed as a vehicle for Rustie to more intimately connect with all who dare challenge themselves with these dynamics. This third full-length effort is rife with all the chaos associated with underground bass culture, but without any of its aggressive underpinnings. If the colorful cover art isn’t enough of an indicator of Rustie’s light-hearted approach, the ambiance and aquatic samples of opener ‘Coral Elixrr’ properly set the mood.” – Consequence Of Sound

Santana – Live At The Rynearson Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI, 25th May 1975 LP (Klondike)

Santana’s appearance at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, MI, on May 25, 1975, was originally broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show. Opening with an inspired pairing of Peter Green’s “Black Magic Woman” and Gábor Szabó’s “Gypsy Queen,” Santana display an explosive showcase of virtuosity and improvisational flare throughout the show, with familiar material from the band’s earlier repertoire receiving a rapturous response. HQ-180gm.

Boz Scaggs – Hits [Reissue/1980] LP (Friday Music)

Limited HQ-180gm clear vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket.

Sia – This Is Acting 2xLP+MP3 (RCA)

Released in January on CD – now available on vinyl. “On her seventh LP, Sia reclaims songs that Adele, Rihanna and others turned down. This Is Acting opens with two songs that Sia hoped to land on Adele’s 25. Her approximation of the phrasing and tone of the world’s most beloved singer over the roiling piano on ‘Bird Set Free’ is uncanny, while ‘Alive’ is a throwback soul crusher that would’ve been the hardest-hitting thing on that blockbuster LP. ‘Footprints’ is an orphan from a Beyoncé writing session with refrigerator-magnet-level lyrics (comparing a relationship’s progress to ‘two footprints in the sand’) that Bey [passed] on. The high point is ‘One Million Bullets,’ the only song she wrote with herself in mind. Against a dusky minor-key piano, Sia offers herself as her lover’s protector, muse and martyr – her voice cracking perfectly in the chorus as she asks if they’d take a shot for her too. If this is acting, it’s the kind of performance that hits as hard as life itself.” – Rolling Stone

Frank Sinatra – All The Way [Reissue/1961] LP (Capitol)

Limited vinyl LP 55th Anniversary repress. Originally released on Capitol Records in 1961, All The Way features the Oscar-winning title track, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard singles chart, while the album reached #4 on the album chart. It is the fourth Capitol compilation album of Sinatra singles and B-sides from the period 1957 to 1960.

Small Faces – The Autumn Stone 7” (Snapper)

Originally planned as a single in 1968, the mono mix of Steve Marriott’s “The Autumn Stone” was never released due to Immediate label boss Andrew Loog Oldham’s dislike of the song (the title of which he later used for the final Small Faces album).

Sourvein – Aquatic Cult LP (Metal Blade)

Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Doom-laden Southern noise featuring guest performances from D. Randall Blythe (Lamb Of God), “Stig” Miller (Amebix), Keith Kirkum (Weedeater), Dean Berry (Iron Monkey), Dave Capps (All Tore Up), Chris Holcombe and Joel Martin (Subrig Destroyer), and Kevin Rochelle (Sea Of Tyrants).

Soundtrack – Hamilton [Original Broadway Cast Recording] 4xLP (Atlantic)

Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. The original Broadway cast album of Hamilton, a fusion of hip-hop and pop-driven musical theater, is now available as a quadruple LP set.

Strawberry Girls – French Ghetto [2013] LP (Tragic Hero)

“Strawberry Girls have walked a fine line between being really ***ing cool and incredibly cheesy since their beginnings in early 2011. On one hand this power trio possesses the knack for writing fast-paced progressive jams similar to ‘The Fall Of Troy’ and on the other, a desire to make covers of Carly Rae Jepson’s ‘Call Me Maybe.’ Call it what you want this is band eager to try new things (even though their lead guitarist has already released about a dozen full-length solo albums). [It is] An effort from a band that, when at its best, is capable of creating some uniquely catchy songs with tremendous playback value.” – Sputnik Music

Suicide Silence – The Cleansing [Reissue/2007] LP (Century Media)

Limited color vinyl reissue of the Suicide Silence’s 2007 debut, expanded with two bonus tracks.

Sun Ra – The Saturn Singles Vol. 1: 1954-1958 LP (Jeanne Dielman)

Essential early Sun Ra performances and productions from 1954-1958. Though the genres showcased here are more pop than the world has come to expect from Sun Ra, the vibe and feel is purely cosmic, producing some of the wildest, strangest R&B ever created this side of the sun.

Logan Takahashi – NoGeo LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)

As half of Teengirl Fantasy, Logan Takahashi is best known for making glassy, expansive tracks. On his debut solo album, NoGeo however, he creates an intimate world of fertile, furtive rhythms. Throughout the album, techno-tinged patterns unfurl with zeal and digital melodies slowly rise and fall.

Tee Mac – Nepa Oh Nepa LP (Hot Casa)

Dr. Tee Mac Omatshola Iseli aka Tee Mac is a Nigerian multi-talented maestro flutist with cross-cultural Itsekiri and Swiss roots. This best-of collection gathers seven beautiful and rare tracks from his albums Party Fever (1978), Mixed Grill (1979), and Night Illusion (1980), with top musicians individually displaying their skill and collectively delivering a classic repertoire.

Johnny Thunders – Critics Choice/So Alone 10” (Easy Action)

“Critics Choice,” recorded with The Chesterfield Kings (& Stevie Klasson and Jamie Heath) in New York March 1991, is possibly the last ever recording Johnny made. “So Alone” is an unknown recording from the mid- ‘70s, predating The Heartbreakers live version from 1975 but postdating the Actress version. Quite possibly Thunders’ first solo recording. Translucent blue color 10”.

Tiamat – Wild Honey [Reissue/1994] LP (Century Media)

Limited red vinyl LP repress of the Swedish metal band’s fourth album.

Pierro Umiliani – Effetti Musicali [Reissue/1968] LP (Cinedelic)

Piero Umiliani’s self-released 1968 Effetti Musicali LP exposes his art and his versatility; among his keyboards and other implements, Umiliani creates overlapping sounds and situations with full artistic autonomy, free from the influence of any outside producer. The result is a stunning psychedelic experiment.

Various Artists [Coilectif] – In Memory Ov John Balance & Homage To Coil LP (Rotorelief)

An alchemical, magical, mystical homage to the legacy of Coil, featuring works by Ilitch, Pacific 231, Vivenza, Vox Populi!, Étant Donnés, and more.

Various Artists – Jean-Luc Godard: Bandes Originales 1959-1963 LP (Jeanne Dielman)

A selection of tracks from some of Jean-Luc Godard’s earliest and most memorable films including À Bout De Souffle (Breathless) (1960), Une Femme Est Une Femme (A Woman Is a Woman) (1961), Vivre Sa Vie (My Life To Live) (1962), and Le Mépris (Contempt) (1963). With works by legendary composers Martial Solal, Michel Legrand, and Georges Delerue, this is an essential collection of music from the films of one of the most important directors of the French New Wave.

Various Artists – Loma Volume Three – A Soul Music Love Affair: Sad, Sad Feeling 1964-68 LP (Future Days)

Various Artists – Loma Volume Four – A Soul Music Love Affair: Sweeter Than Sweet Things 1964-68 LP (Future Days)

From late 1964 until late 1968, Loma stood as the subsidiary of Warner Brothers Records aimed directly at the singles market. During its four-year lifespan, the label released over 100 singles and a handful of albums, the vast majority of which reflected the collective taste of the men that guided Loma and thereby the evolution of a distinctive art form: soul music. Viewed objectively, it would be incorrect to compare Loma to the other great R&B repositories of the mid- 1960s. It was strictly an adjunct of a bigger label, a commercially-minded operation that threw product at the wall hoping for a hit to stick.

Various Artists – The Music Of David Lynch 2xLP (Communion)

Limited edition double vinyl release The Music Of David Lynch benefits the David Lynch Foundation which promotes the use of transcendental mediation in every day life and in treating traumatic stress. Musical Director Rob Mathes leads a wide array of special guests across multiple genres and decades including long-time collaborator Angelo Badalamenti (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive), Chrysta Bell, Donovan, Duran Duran, Jim James, Karen O, Lykke Li, Moby, Rebekah Del Rio, Sky Fereira, Tennis, Twin Peaks, Wayne Cohyne, Steven Drozd and Zola Jesus. HQ-180gm.

Various Artists – Rockabilly Rebels Volume 3 LP (Icehouse)

Various Artists – Rockabilly Rebels Volume 4 LP (Icehouse)

If country and hillbilly music were the soundtrack of the rural South, rockabilly was the equivalent in the white urban south, a music that seemed to follow the migrations of its creators and fans, with one foot in the country they left behind and one in the city they had moved to. The classic era of rockabilly was fairly brief, encompassing the years from 1954 to 1960, but those years produced quintessential American records and artists that remain American icons, and helped lay the foundation for rock & roll. These sets collect a solid representation of that historic scene with cuts from some major players. HQ-180gm yellow color vinyl.

Sid Vicious – Live At The Electric Ballroom London August 15^th 1978 LP (Radiation Reissues)

Backed by the likes of original Pistols’ bass player Glen Matlock, Rat Scabies from The Damned, and Steve New from The Rich Kids, this is Sid Vicious last UK performance before leaving for the US and his ultimate demise. Recorded at the Electric Ballroom in London, 1978 and featuring all the classics from his solo repertoire, this is a limited edition yellow vinyl with red and black splatter release, hand numbered to 300 copies only.

Vivisick – Nuked Identity LP (Tank Crimes)

Japanese hardcore punk – released last September on CD – now available on vinyl.

Wax Witches – Memory Painting LP+MP3 (Burger)

The third long player from Australia’s Wax Witches, the solo recording project of Bleeding Knees Club frontman Alex Wall. Following up the well received Celebrity Beatings (2013) and Centre Of Your Universe (2014), Memory Painting offers up more outer space pop punk madness ushered in by the album’s catchy lead single “Habit.”

The Gary Wilson Trio – Another Galaxy [Reissue/1974] LP (Feeding Tube)

Before releasing You Think You Really Know Me in 1977, Gary Wilson released his first album as the leader of a jazz trio in 1974. Playing both bass and piano, Gary cut four tracks with his band that have lain pretty far out of the public’s reach for the last 42 years. This is shockingly brilliant jazz-qua-jazz that will slap the faces of anyone who thinks of Wilson as a vocal artist.

Markus Wormstorm – Figure In Field LP (M=Maximal)

Markus Wormstorm presents his second solo album, Figure In Field, a work characterized by an electrifying urban combination play with African voices, percussion, and classical instruments. He experiments with downtempo pulses, Bernard Herrmann-style compositions, anime sampling, Xhosa rapping, and more, leading the listener simultaneously into both his fantasy world and the reality of modern South Africa.

Cassettes:

Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex – Denver: Approved For Indica Mix (Drag City)

Alternate cassette-only mix. This set follows the “rock ‘n’ roll alchemy” of more recent vinyl singles, employing “the modding-up of ethnic idioms from regional traditional American sounds and the refitting of these rhythms with expressions of new youth, reckless within the contemporary lifestyle.” More directly, Denver features a mix of beats supporting the “gnarl of Neil’s classic guitar playing.”

Kate Le Bon – Crab Day (Drag City)

The third full-length release for the Welsh singer-/songwriter, “Crab Day, like its predecessor (the staggering Mug Museum), is underpinned by a bold stoicism far removed from calculable, sweetened melodics. Yet, when it really sparks, as on the mesmerizing coda of eight-minute closer ‘What’s Not Mine Or We Might Revolve’ (a spare, insistent pummel that recalls the fidgety formalism of early Throwing Muses), it yields an emotional resonance that is difficult to deny and impossible to resist.” – The Skinny