CDs + Vinyl:
James Arthur – Back From The Edge CD (Sony)
UK X Factor winner James Arthur returns with his second album, one that displays his versatile style taking inspiration from soul, rock and hip-hop.
Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage CD/2xLP (Capitol)
11 panoramic tracks inspired by the writings of Carl Sagan and Elon Musk tied together by an Artificial Intelligence theme.
Avenged Sevenfold – The Best Of 2005-2013 2xCD (WB)
18 songs from Avenged Sevenfold’s best-selling Warner Bros. albums released between 2005 and 2013 including City Of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare and Hail To The King. The package also features a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, originally on the tribute album Covered, A Revolution In Sound as well as two original songs that Avenged Sevenfold wrote for video games: “Carry On” (Call Of Duty II) and “Not Ready To Die” (Call Of The Dead).
Matt Bianco (Mark Reilly) Meets New Cool Collective – The Things You Love CD (earMUSIC)
After a series of inspiring meetings Matt Bianco (Mark Reilly) and New Cool Collective noticed that their style of music and work were a perfect match. They sent ideas back and forth between London and Amsterdam, which first resulted in an EP containing five tracks. Four brand new songs and one remake of the well-known Matt Bianco hit “Don’t Blame It On That Girl.” They went on The Things You Love tour shortly after and due to the great success and demand for more music New Cool Collective and Matt Bianco decided to record a complete album. Five new numbers appear on the disc alongside the EP tracks: including “Cry,” the superb combi with Clean Bandit singer Elisabeth Troy, and a Matt Bianco & New Cool Collective makeover of one of NCCs own songs: The result is a swinging version of the song “Bring It On.”
Johnny Bristol – Modern Soul Classics 1974-1981 CD (Playback)
A 19-track retrospective of ‘70s soul from the sensational Motown songwriter/producer.
Kane Brown – Kane Brown CD (Sony Music Nashville)
Debut album from the country music vocalist.
Kate Bush – Before The Dawn 3xCD/4xLP (Concord)
This three-act show contains many well-known Kate Bush songs along with two song suites: “The Ninth Wave” from Hounds Of Love and “A Sky of Honey,” from Aerial. The New York Times called the performance “Dense, cathartic and physical.” NME concluded: “It is no ordinary artist that can tackle life, death, synchronicity, identity, spiritual transformation, empathy and the chaos of relationships with idiosyncratic ease in the space of a few hours,” and the UK’s Independent gushed, “Undoubtedly the most ambitious, and genuinely moving piece of theatrical pop ever seen on a British stage.”
Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love! CD (Glassnote)
In a recent interview with Billboard, 33-year-old rapper Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) explained the overall feel of his new album, Awaken, My Love!, was sourced from childhood memories of listening to his father’s favorite music. “I remember listening to songs my dad would play – albums by the Isleys or Funkadelic – and not understanding the feeling I was feeling,” Gambino says. “I remember hearing a Funkadelic scream and being like, ‘Wow, that’s sexual and it’s scary.’ Not having a name for that, though; just having a feeling. That’s what made it great.” Gambino went on to say he approached Awaken as “an exercise in just feeling and tone.” He also summarized how some people felt in the 1970s and compares it to what’s going on around the world today. “It felt like people were trying to get out of their minds, with all the things that were happening – and that are happening right now,” Gambino said. “How do you start a global revolution, really? Is that possible with the systems we’ve set up? There’s something about that ’70s black music that felt like they were trying to start a revolution.”
The Clean – Getaway [Reissue/2001] 2xCD/2xLP+CD (Merge)
2001’s Getaway may be the best illustration of whatever mercurial, inexplicable musical power animates The Clean. After the band’s initial rush of activity between 1978 and 1982, the trio lay dormant until the end of the ’80s, when a string of reunion shows inspired the Kilgours and Scott to start recording again. After three well-received albums in the first half of the nineties—1990’s Vehicle, 1994’s Modern Rock, and 1996’s Unknown Country—The Clean disappeared again until the end of the decade, when another tour inspired another record. This reissue includes the rare 2003 album Syd’s Pink Wiring System, along with the more experimental, piano-driven EP Slush Fund, from the same era.
The Miles Davis Quintet – The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions [Reissue/2006] 4xCD (Prestige)
Miles Davis’ famed quintet sessions — featuring John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones — were recorded in three sessions, over the course of a year, beginning in 1955. At the helm was the legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder, who simulated nightclub sets at his studio.
Peter Doherty – Hamburg Demonstrations CD/LP+MP3 (BMG Rights Management)
Produced, recorded and mixed by Johann Scheerer, The Libertines and Babyshambles man took to Hamburg to make the album after ‘falling in love’ with the Clouds Hill Recordings studio and moving to the German city for six months. The record also features a new recording of the Amy Winehouse tribute “Flags Of The Old Regime” (now called “Flags From The Old Regime”).
Bob Dylan – The Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert 2xCD (Legacy)
For decades, Bob Dylan’s performance in Manchester, England was incorrectly labeled. Now, for the first time, The Real Royal Albert Hall 1966 Concert!, originally recorded for a live album by CBS Records, is finally available (this show is also included in the massive 1966 Live Recordings box set). Dylan is accompanied on these recordings by Robbie Robertson (guitar), Rick Danko (bass, backing vocals), Richard Manuel (piano), Garth Hudson (organ) and Mickey Jones (drums). These recordings put a fiery exclamation point on Dylan’s great mid- ‘60s creative epoch that produced — in an 18-month span — Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde, the trilogy of album masterpieces which secured Dylan’s reputation as a songwriter and performer of unprecedented depth, power and originality while significantly impacting the course of popular music and culture. These concert recordings from the same period document Dylan’s evolution as an on-stage phenomenon whose transformative vision saw no limits.
G-Mo Skee – My Filthy Spirit Bomb CD (Majik Ninja/Ingrooves)
G-Mo Skee is one of the Bay Area’s filthiest rappers. His debut album, My Filthy Spirit Bomb, features Twiztid, D12 and Hopsin. “As far as my rap genre, like ‘filth,’ I guess it’s just my rap style. It’s what I bring to the table. I want it to be; when other people think about filth, I want them to think about G-Mo, you know?! It doesn’t necessarily have to be like, you don’t take a shower and sh*t like that, it’s just my rap style. I feel like my sh*t is horrorcore but mixed with a little bit of gangster rap, mixed with a little comedy. I don’t want people to just be like, ‘Yo he’s a horrocore rapper’ or he’s this type of rapper. I call my sh*t ‘Filth.’ I gotta stay the filthiest rapper alive because sh*t man, that’s where I started. If I was a little kid and I f**king was raised a different way or something or I was more sheltered, then maybe I would be the f**king greatest singer alive or some shit. It just turns out that the filth chose me.”
Sammy Hagar – All Night Long [Reissue/1978] CD (Rock Candy)
CD reissue of Hagar’s first live album. Features the Montrose classics “Bad Motor Scooter” and “Make It Last.” 16 page full-color booklet, 4,000 word essay with new interviews, enhanced artwork and rare photos.
Mickey Hart – Planet Drum [Reissue/1991] CD (UMe)
Planet Drum, the voice to Hart’s book of the same name, represents a musical atlas of the World Beat. This 25th Anniversary Edition features three new bonus tracks, “Sea Of Showers,” “Throat Games,” and “The Spot.” [Vinyl edition due January 20.]
Heart – Live At The Royal Albert Hall with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra CD (Eagle)
Live release capturing the veteran rock band’s first-ever live performance at the Royal Albert Hall. [Also available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray.]
Hollow Earth – Dead Planet CD/LP (Good Fight Music)
“…A damn good album, offering a strange mix between metalcore and sludge, of all things. This seemingly paradoxical mix yields a uniquely aggressive album, channeling the different and often opposite timbers of the two genres into an impossible, astral beast.” – Heavy Blog Is Heavy
Damien Jurado & Richard Swift – Other People’s Songs Volume One CD (Secretly Canadian)
Over the weekend of August 21-22, 2010, not long after Damien Jurado and Richard Swift first collaborated to produce Damien’s 2010 record, Saint Bartlett, the pair hunkered down with a 4-track recorder and one Coles 4038 ribbon microphone to record a collection of cover songs that run the gamut from John Denver to Chubby Checker to Kraftwerk. The timing was perfect. On Other People’s Songs Volume One, we can see the scaffolding of what would become a creative turning point for the pair — later seen with the release of Damien Jurado’s Maraqopa, the first record in his Maraqopa trilogy — less than two years later.
John Legend – Darkness & Light CD (Sony)
John Legend’s new 12-track album was produced by Blake Mills (Alabama Shakes), and features multiple guest collaborations including Chance the Rapper, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, and Miguel. [Vinyl edition due December 16.]
Lite – Cubic CD (Topshelf)
Lite is a Japanese instrumental rock band known for thrilling and emotional compositions, progressive, edgy riffs and complex rhythms. [Vinyl edition due January 20.]
Bob Marley & The Wailers – The Legend Live – Santa Barbara County Bowl: November 25th 1979 CD+DVD (Trojan)
This is one of the band’s last performances before Bob Marley’s death and is considered one of their best live recordings. The DVD contains 90 minutes of concert footage, including additional tracks not on the CD (“Heathen” and “Zimbabwe”), plus a 51-minute documentary entitled Prophecies And Messages.
The Mills Brothers – Wonderful Words Of Life: Inspirational Recordings CD (Real Gone Music)
One of America’s most iconic and beloved vocal groups, Piqua, Ohio’s The Mills Brothers recorded over 2000 songs during a seven-decade career, virtually every tune in the Great American Songbook, but only a tiny sliver of their voluminous discography was devoted to gospel music. This is the first-ever full length compilation of The Mills Brothers’ inspirational sides, recordings that were, in their own way, influential on the entire genre.
Steve Moore – The Mind’s Eye [OST] CD/LP (Relapse)
“Steve Moore has history in Zombi, meaning that he’s demonstrated his talent for soundtracking spooooooky horror movies in the past. Here he applies his synth skills to The Mind’s Eye, weaving uneasy ambient passages and bombastic themes like it ain’t no thing. Plenty of tense dramatic music here that will certainly appeal to horror soundtrack aficionados.” — Norman
Alison Moyet – Alf [Reissue/1984] 2xCD (Sony/BMG Rights Management)
Alison Moyet – Raindancing [Reissue/1987] 2xCD (Sony/BMG Rights Management)
Alison Moyet – Hoodoo [Reissue/1991] 2xCD (Sony/BMG Rights Management)
Alison Moyet – Essex [Reissue/1993] 2xCD (Sony/BMG Rights Management)
Digitally remastered and expanded deluxe double-CD editions of the first four solo albums from the British vocalist and former Yazoo/Yaz member.
Night Ranger – 35 Years & A Night In Chicago CD (Frontiers)
Recorded May 7, 2016 concert at the the House Of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. [Stand-alone DVD version also available.]
The Alan Parsons Project – Tales Of Mystery And Imagination [Reissue/1976] 5xCD (Mercury)
Weaving synths, glockenspiel and guitar with vocoder, boys choir and even Orson Welles narration, producer Parsons brilliantly interpreted the chilling works of Edgar Allan Poe on this 1976 LP. The Project’s first release, it went Top 40 and notched hits with “(The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether” and “The Raven;” here’s the 1976 album and 1987 remix plus demos, unreleased ‘experiments’ and more bonus material.
Public Service Broadcasting – Live At Brixton CD+DVD/2xLP+DVD+MP3 (Test Card)
Live At Brixton features arena-level production crammed onto the stage with a 13-piece choir, five-piece string section, expanded brass section, a longer set list, Smoke Fairies guesting on “Valentina,” a surprise special guest, dancers, pyrotechnics and more as the London-based band wow a hometown crowd with this very special performance.
The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome CD/2xLP+MP3 (Interscope)
The Rolling Stones first studio album in a decade, Blue & Lonesome was recorded in just three days in London, England. The album takes the band back to their roots and the passion for blues music, which has always been at the heart and soul of their sound. [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe edition adds postcard prints and a 75-page hardcover mini-book chronicling the making of the album.]
Sister Hazel – Unplugged From Daryl’s House Club CD+DVD (Croakin Poet/Average Joe’s Entertainment)
Classic hits and new jams spanning 20 years, performed acoustically in an “unplugged” setting.
Sløtface – Empire Records CDEP (Inkind Music)
“The title-track of a new EP from the Norwegian rabble-rousers dreams of ‘working in a run-down record store’ to escape a constant cycle of sleeping in too late on Sundays, and getting stuck in a repeating loop of Netflix binges. Elsewhere on Empire Records Haley Shea also offers to play bass for fictional band Sonic Death Monkeys (from another noughties movie, High Fidelity). As well as being a pop culture dot to dot, the song sees Sløtface soaring atop crisp snares, restlessly fidgeting plunks of bass and curling, squealing guitar solos. It’s an all-out winner.” – DIY Mag
Sly & The Family Stone – Back On The Right Track [Reissue/1979] CD (Friday Music)
The legendary forefather and founder of funk Sly Stone roared back in 1979 with one of the hippest records of the year with Back On The Right Track. This Top 30 album, his first with Warner Bros., netted several hits like the smash single “Remember Who You Are” as well as the masterful funk grooves of “The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh, Makes You Cry),” and the message soul rocker “It Takes All Kinds.”
Soviet Soviet – Endless CD/LP (Felte)
Italian trio Soviet Soviet take a broad view of the post-punk genre, ignoring timestamps and geographic restrictions to assemble a specimen uniquely theirs. Endless, Soviet Soviet’s proper sophomore album, is the result of a very long, well thought out process marked by experimentation and innovation yet still tied to their instinctive style of interpreting and performing music.
Trivium – Ember To Inverno [Reissue/2003] CD/2xLP (Cooking Vinyl)
Trivium – Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio Deluxe 2xCD/5xLP (Cooking Vinyl)
Florida’s Trivium have spent the past decade-plus, building their reputation and steadily rising to prominence, becoming one of the main torchbearers of heavy metal in the modern era. With millions of albums sold globally and numerous world tours (from Ozzfest, Mayhem, and Download to opening for Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden to extensive headline treks), Trivium began their journey in 2003 with their debut album Ember To Inferno. Ember To Inferno: Ab Initio Deluxe adds 13 bonus tracks and expanded booklet.
The Trouble With Templeton – Someday, Buddy CD (Bella Union)
The Trouble With Templeton weren’t slouching on 2013’s Rookie, where frontman Thomas Calder and company wedded vibrant melodies and multifarious alt-rock flavors — epic, jangly, glam — to a core of emotive cogency. On Someday, Buddy, however, their personality emerges sharper and clearer. [Vinyl edition due December 16.]
UB40 – Unplugged CD (UMe)
Unplugged offers an inventive new spin on UB40’s early gems plus the huge hits with which they later wooed the world. Among the highlights on the album is a new version of “I Got You Babe,” featuring Ali’s 22-year-old daughter Kaya Campbell, who sings the lines originally performed by Chrissie Hynde when the track topped the UK charts in 1985.
Various Artists – The Hamilton Mix Tape CD (Atlantic)
The Hamilton Mix Tape is a musical companion to the landmark Broadway musical by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. Executive produced by The Roots’ Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter, The Hamilton Mixtape sees songs from the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical covered and remixed by a remarkable cast of contemporary artists. Superstars contributing to the one of its kind collection include Sia, Usher, Kelly Clarkson, The Roots, Alicia Keys, Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Chance The Rapper, John Legend, Regina Spektor, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Miguel, Queen Latifah, Common, Ben Folds, Andra Day, Jill Scott, Jimmy Fallon and more. The Hamilton Mixtape also includes three previously unreleased Hamilton demos.
Worm Ouroboros – What Graceless Dawn CD (Profound Lore)
With their third album What Graceless Dawn, Oakland’s Worm Ouroboros bring into existence a deep and moving work. Replete with obsessive bass lines, ambient guitar layers and overtones, the alluring vocal inter-twinings between bassist/vocalist Lorraine Rath (ex-The Gault/Amber Asylum) and guitarist/vocalist Jessica Way (Barren Harvest), and drummer Aesop Dekker’s (Vhol, ex-Agalloch / Ludicra) subtle yet procession-like percussion, this sonic vision of tragedy and despair brings the curtain down on the year with one of the most crippling and gut-wrenching releases in the realm.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Heart – Live At The Royal Albert Hall with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle)
Live release capturing the veteran rock band’s first-ever live performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
Night Ranger – 35 Years & A Night In Chicago DVD (Frontiers)
Recorded May 7, 2016 concert at the the House Of Blues in Chicago, Illinois.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Devon Allman – Ride Or Die LP (Ruf)
Released in September on CD – now available on vinyl. Son of Greg Allman, Devon Allman’s new album Ride Or Die contains twelve soulful and powerful tracks that showcase Allman’s maturity as a songwriter.
Amaranthe – Maximalism LP (Spinefarm)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A “hyper-modern, metallic beast” from the Swedish metal outfit.
Ólafur Arnalds – Island Songs LP (Mercury Classics)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The BAFTA-winning instrumentalist and producer brings you a unique and evolving audio-visual portrait of his home country of Iceland. “This project is on a scale that has never been attempted in the classical music world before.”
Yishak Banjaw – Love Songs 2 LP (Terenga Beat)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Yishak, composer and keyboard player from Addis Ababa known to his country for his innovative compositions and unique sound. His ability to transform traditional Ethiopian songs into spacey minimal-wave gems creates an ultra-hypnotic and psychedelic atmosphere, a sound that you have never experienced before. A genuine talent who carried the long tradition of Ethiopia into another level.
Beck – Odelay [Reissue/1996] LP+MP3 (Interscope)
Beck – Sea Change [Reissue/2002] LP+MP3 (Interscope)
Beck – Guero [Reissue/2005] LP+MP3 (Interscope)
Vinyl reissues of Beck’s second, seventh, and eighth albums.
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow – Live In Germany 3xLP (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
In June 2016, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore made his much-anticipated return to rock music as Ritchie Blackmor’s Rainbow played three concerts in Europe, two in Germany and one in England. Recordings from the two German shows at Loreley and Bietigheim make up this live album.
Boston – Boston [Reissue/1976] LP (Sony Legacy)
Limited 40th anniversary 150gm picture disc vinyl repress of Boston’s debut album.
The Byrds – Sweetheart Of The Rodeo [Reissue/1968] LP (Friday Music)
Limited gold color vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket.
Alex Dingley – Beat The Bubble LP+MP3 (Birth)
Debut album by the Welsh singer/songwriter, produced by Cate LeBon and Tim Presley. For fans of early Stiff Records.
Willie Dixon with Memphis Slim – Willie’s Blues [Reissue/1960] LP (Acoustic Sounds)
The Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis & Johnny Griffin Quintet – The Tenor Scene [Reissue/1961] LP (Acoustic Sounds)
Eric Dolphy – Out There [Reissue/1961] LP (Acoustic Sounds)
Gil Evans – Gil Evans & Ten [Reissue/1957] LP (Acoustic Sounds)
Part of the ultimate audiophile Prestige stereo reissues from Analogue Productions — 25 of the most collectible, rarest, most audiophile-sounding Rudy Van Gelder recordings ever made. 200gm pressings.
Einstürzende Neubauten – Greatest Hits 2xLP (Potomik)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Einstürzende Neubauten have discovered sounds beyond the pain barrier, the beauty of dissonance and the aesthetics of the scrapyard. They are regarded as the most important engines in the development of new musical strategies; Hardly another German band has characterized the music landscape as lastingly. Their influence on the music world was, and is, as great as their timeless character. Once fully set in motion in the early 1980s, Einstürzende Neubauten have pressed on regardless.
Enya – Shepherds Moon [Reissue/1991] LP (Reprise)
Vinyl reissue of the third album by the Irish new age singer/songwriter/musician.
Erasure – Tomorrow’s World [2011] 2xLP (Mute)
Erasure – Snow Globe [2013] LP (Mute)
First-time vinyl editions now available.
The Fall – Room To Live [Reissue/1982] LP (Superior Viaduct)
The Fall – Hex Enduction Hour [Reissue/1982] LP (Superior Viaduct)
On Room To Live, The Fall take the hurried, all-or-nothing approach of their preceding Kamera Records releases to extreme ends. Forged via Mark E. Smith’s continual disassembling of players and focus on previously unrehearsed material, the album collects The Fall’s most experimental and improvisational recordings. Hex Enduction Hour was originally conceptualized as the death knell for The Fall. Beleaguered by career uncertainty and guided by vague premonitions of collapse, Mark E. Smith declared that one full hour was needed to thoroughly and perhaps finally state his case with The Fall. This framework resulted in a true classic of the post-punk era and an album that gave The Fall their first taste of album chart success, thankfully removing surrender from the equation.
The Flat Five – It’s A World Of Love & Hope LP (Bloodshot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Flat Five is a Chicago-based pop vocal supergroup comprised of Kelly Hogan, Nora O Connor, Scott Ligon, Casey McDonough, Alex Hall — five in-demand musicians who individually spend much of their time touring and recording with bands like Neko Case, NRBQ, The Decemberists, Andrew Bird, Mavis Staples, Iron And Wine, Jakob Dylan, Robbie Fulks, Alejandro Escovedo, The New Pornographers, and many other heavy hitters. Their debut album features 12 irresistibly catchy, instantly hummable, and sweetly twisted pop songs written by longtime Chicago fixture Chris Ligon.
F**k – Pretty…Slow [1996] LP (Vampire Blues)
Originally released on CD in 1996, Pretty…Slow was a fanboy wet dream: a hand-numbered, limited-edition small cardboard box stuffed with candy, tiny toys, crayons and a coloring book. The music, like the packaging, showed the same DIY anything-goes attitude—lyrics like “She came home to runaway…” are completely upended by the demented howl of a brutalized violin on “Monkey Does His Thing,” while “Shotgun Hours” is like a Lou Reed meets Townes Van Zandt death-song.
Eilen Jewell – Boundary County LP (Signature Sounds)
Eilen Jewell’s country-blues flavored folk on Boundary County will remind listeners of many new, talented women singer/songwriters without ever seeming like a copy. Like Jolie Holland, she slurs her muffled vocals on a series of original songs and accomplishes the neat trick of evoking tradition.
The Joy Formidable – Hitch 2xLP (C’Mon Lets Drift)
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.”
Kid Rock – The History Of Rock [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (WB)
Kid Rock – Rock N Roll Jesus [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (WB)
The History Of Rock is comprised of dramatically reworked tracks from the artist’s The Polyfuze Method (1993) and Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp (1996) albums. His seventh(ish) album, Rock N Roll Jesus, is also back in print on vinyl.
Madonna – Music [Reissue/2000] LP (WB)
Madonna – American Life [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (WB)
Vinyl reissues of Madonna’s eighth and ninth studio albums.
The Magnetic Fields – Distant Plastic Trees/The Wayward Bus [1994] 2xLP+MP3 (Merge)
The Magnetic Fields spectacular first two albums (released in 1991 and 1992, respectively, and combined as a twofer on CD in 1994) have never been released on vinyl. That is, until now. Distant Plastic Trees, the Magnetic Fields’ first album, was originally released in England and Japan in 1991. To the amusement of frontman Stephin Merritt, who composed and recorded the album electronically with virtually no live instruments, Distant Plastic Trees was called “a contender for album of the year” by Folk Roots magazine. The second album, The Wayward Bus, features a plinky, orchestral sound in tribute to pop producer Phil Spector and his Wall of Sound. Both are essential.
John McEuen – Made In Brooklyn LP (Chesky)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder’s new album is a time capsule of American roots music and features guest performances from Steve Martin, David Bromberg, David Amram, John Carter Cash, and a dozen other well-known stars of the genre.
Melissa Menago – Little Crimes LP (Chesky)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Philadelphia based singer and songwriter, Melissa Menago is known by many as the lead vocalist for rock group, June Divided. With a combination of original work, classic covers, and unique medleys, Little Crimes shows off her incredible songwriting and creativity to match her timeless voice.
MIA – AIM 2xLP (Interscope)
Released in September on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth (and reportedly final) album from London-born, Sri Lankan-raised rapper Maya Arulpragasam. “It’s my last record so I wanted it to be happy. There’s no complains on it. [It’s] another side to me completely. I don’t know if people know [about] that.” “MIA’s always been an artist to make a point. But if this is her last action, then it’s an uncharacteristically blunt set of knives. Maya says she’s omitted the views on politics, gender, race and substituted them with warm thoughts and love.” – Loud And Quiet
Kyle Morton – What Will Destroy You LP (Bug Hunt)
The lead singer of Portland’s indie-orchestra Typhoon releases his debut solo album. Cream color vinyl.
Pink Floyd – Animals [Reissue/1977] LP (Pink Floyd/Sony)
180gm vinyl reissue of Pink Floyd’s tenth studio album.
The Pleasure Seekers – What A Way To Die LP (Sundazed)
The archetype for the ’60s-era girl group was etched indelibly into stone, like a commandment: three pretty girls with matching outfits and bouffant hairdos would sing, with musical backing supplied by a bunch of guys standing in the shadows. The Quatro sisters shattered that archetype forever with The Pleasure Seekers, an all-girl teenage rock & roll group who played all the instruments themselves and were fully capable of wiping the stage with any male band that crossed their path. Released on CD in 2011, this collection of early and rare tracks is now available on vinyl.
Elvis Presley – Wonder Of You: With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 2xLP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. As with last year’s If I Can Dream, The Wonder Of You focuses on Elvis’ unmistakable voice with lush new orchestral accompaniment recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London with producers Don Reedman and Nick Patrick. The Wonder Of You features Elvis’ most dramatic original performances augmented with lush new arrangements by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and spans a variety of musical styles that Elvis embraced, from rock and gospel to country and ballads.
Todd Rundgren & Utopia – Live At The Old Waldorf 1978 2xLP (Real Gone Music)
This 17-song live set includes four songs from Utopia’s 1977 album, Oops! Wrong Planet and seven songs that did not appear on Rundgren’s 1978 solo album, Back To The Bars. Limited edition gold color vinyl pressing.
Saint Motel – saintmotelevision LP (New Elektra)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Saint Motel is an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, whose music has been described as everything from “dream pop” to “indie prog”.
Simple Minds – Simple Minds Acoustic 2xLP (Caroline)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. As a group who formed in the punk era and found their mojo through a shared love of Bowie, Kraftwerk and electronic dance, Simple Minds are not natural acoustic adventurers, but they have done a remarkable job here adding fresh nuance to brilliant songs.
Spectrum – Forever Alien [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (1972)
When Spacemen 3—the seminal, drone-indulgent English psych duo comprised of Peter Kember and Jason Pierce — split in 1991, Pierce shuffled off to acclaim in Spiritualized. Meanwhile, Kember charted a less predictable course. As Sonic Boom, he released Spectrum in 1990, then, after taking a liking to that handle, released Soul Kill (Glide Divide) as Spectrum in 1992. Kemper alternated between those monikers and Experimental Audio Research (E.A.R.) throughout the 1990s, building a rich, probing catalog of synth and electronic explorations of which 1997’s Forever Alien is an undeniable highpoint.
Telefon Tel Aviv – Fahrenheit Fair Enough [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Ghostly International)
The late 1990s was a fertile time in the American electronic underground. At the convergence of hip-hop, electronic, and soul music, these artists sought to carve out their own lane. In September 2001, New Orleans’ Telefon Tel Aviv, high school friends Joshua Eustis and the late Charles Cooper, joined the conversation with their debut album, Fahrenheit Fair Enough, released by Hefty Records. A labor of love, Fahrenheit was an attempt by the pair “to contribute something meaningful” Eustis says today, “something definitely American, and kinda southern too.” Living in New Orleans in the late 1990s, Eustis and Cooper were in the thrall of two musical orbits: black America — New Orleans’ bounce, Detroit’s techno, Chicago’s house — and British electronica — Autechre, Aphex Twin, Jega. Recorded over the course of a year in Eustis’ childhood bedroom in the Riverbend neighborhood of New Orleans, Fahrenheit mapped out a potential for American electronic music in a time of hope.
Frank Turner – Campfire Punkrock [Reissue/2006] 10” (Xtra Mile)
Vinyl reissue of the first EP by the English folk/punk singer/songwriter. Includes a live version of “The Ballad Of Me And My Friends.”
Keith Urban – Golden Road [2002] 2xLP (Capitol Nashville)
Keith Urban – Get Closer [2010] LP (Capitol Nashville)
Keith Urban – Fuse [2013] LP (Capitol Nashville)
First time vinyl editions of the country superstar’s third, seventh, and eighth albums.
Stevie Wonder – Talking Book [Reissue/1972] LP (Motown)
Vinyl reissue of the fifteenth album by Stevie Wonder. Includes “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life,” and “Superstition.”
For the Holidays:
Joseph – Merry Christmas To You [Reissue/1983] LP (Numero)
Joseph Washington Jr.’s 1983 holiday LP puts a soulful, funky, suave ribbon on nine frosty Christmas cuts. In that season of music’s traditional descent into threadbare schmaltz, Merry Christmas To You restores joy and wonder to a blizzard of bland. Under this tree, find undiscovered classics for our cynical age: the buoyant “Jesus’ Birthday,” the hot and bothered soul of “Merry Christmas,” the ridiculously catchy wallet-opener “Shopping.” The world of records produces just a precious few yuletide keepers: Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You; Fahey’s The New Possibility; Guaraldi’s indelible Charlie Brown Christmas. Down another nog and file Joseph Washington Jr. comfortably next to those.
Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton – Once Upon A Christmas [Reissue/1984] LP (Friday Music)
Once Upon a Christmas is a 1984 Christmas album by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. The album was accompanied by a Christmas television special titled Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember, which originally aired on CBS on December 2, 1984. White color vinyl pressing.
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