CDs + Vinyl:
Derrick Anderson – A World Of My Own CD (Omnivore)
Before touring with Dave Davies (The Kinks) and becoming bassist for The Bangles in 2008, Derrick Anderson (as part of The Andersons!) romped throughout Los Angeles from 1995-2004 flashing an energized, cheeky brand of pop/rock. A World Of My Own, his first solo album, draws inspiration from the Cavern Club, Brill Building and Laurel Canyon. The album opens with the upbeat “Send Me Down A Sign” and heavy-hitting “Waiting For You,” which features backing by The Smithereens (Pat Dinizio, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken and Severo Jornacion). “Happiness” features stinging guitar lines by Matthew Sweet, while “A Mother’s Love” showcases incomparably lush vocals by Bob, John, and Susan Cowsill. “When I Was Your Man” showcases Bangles’ guitarist Vicki Peterson and drummer Debbi Peterson, along with Kim Shattuck (The Muffs, The Pandoras) on guitar and vocals. The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs joins the Peterson sisters for backing vocals on two other songs: “Something New” and “Spring” – the latter also reunites him with The Andersons! guitarists Robbie Rist-Anderson and Wil O’Brien-Anderson, and drummer Marc Joseph-Anderson.
Arca – Arca CD (XL)
Arca is the first to feature the Venezuela-born, London-based producer’s untreated singing voice. He sings in Spanish – the language of his childhood home, Venezuela. It stands as a defiant, delicate statement of intent, and cements his position as one of this turbulent decade’s defining musicians. Previous work has incorporated snatches of song and Arca’s rapping, but on Arca, his voice is front-and-center on eight of the album’s 13 tracks. [Vinyl edition due May 5.]
Joey Bada$$ – All-AmeriKKKan Bada$$ CD/LP+MP3 (Cinematic Music Group)
The sophomore album from the Brooklyn emcee features guest appearances by ScHoolboy Q, J. Cole, Styles P, Meechy Darko Flatbush Zombies and members the Pro Era crew. A mix of indie and street, rapper Joey Bada$$ rose to fame by releasing mixtapes and joining the hip-hop collective Pro Era with fellow MC Capital Steez. Born in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Joey began performing under the name JayOhVee, but changed it to Joey Bada$$ before the Pro Era crew signed to the Cinematic Music label in 2012. “With his sophomore album, a new sound and a clearer outlook on the problems of the world around him, Joey Bada$$ is ready for the next level. All-AmeriKKKan Bada$$ addresses social conflict with an astuteness that recalls J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, two rappers who also broke through half a decade ago. Songs like the ironically-titled lead single ‘Land Of The Free,’ defiantly hopeful “For My People’ and the call to arms of album-closer ‘AmeriKKKan Idol’ straddle the line between justified anger and practical resistance, laying out a world view that is more balanced than reactionary.” – Billboard
Joan Baez – The Complete Gold Castle Masters 3xCD (Concord)
The Complete Gold Castle Masters collects Joan Baez’s discography on the Gold Castle label for the first time in a comprehensive three-CD set. The collection includes two studio albums, Recently and Speaking Of Dreams, as well as Diamonds & Rust In The Bull Ring, a 1988 live album recorded in Bilbao, Spain. This new reissue features extensive liner notes, newly remastered audio, and three bonus tracks.
Blaenavon – That’s Your Lot CD/2xLP (Transgressive/Atlantic)
“A bit like the mining town from which they took their name, Hampshire trio Blaenavon (that’s singer and guitarist Ben Gregory, bassist Frank Wright and drummer Harris McMillan) have an unassuming reputation. Beneath their carefree exterior, though, lies a story of evocative beauty just like the wonders of South Wales’ industrial heartland. Just without the dragons. That’s Your Lot is an album that reels you in and lulls you into a false sense of security. Side 1 is packed full of bangers and the sort of literate, smart indie pop that makes them a cut above their peers. Singles – like the positively buoyant in-the-face-of-despair ‘Let’s Pray’ and the doleful, sensual groove of ‘Orthodox Man’ – provide the sweet bait before the second half veers off into all sorts of compelling tangents. It takes a whole lot of ambition to put three six-minute-plus songs on your debut record, but ambition is something Blaenavon have pouring out of every orifice. While the music on That’s Your Lot displays depth and vitality the songs themselves are rich in imagery and a storytelling quality that place Blaenavon in the lineage of great British songwriters. At times these tales of desire, longing, and life’s cruel twists of fate are reminiscent of Jarvis Cocker and Morrissey.” – Dork
Terence Blanchard – The Comedian [OST] CD (Blue Note)
Multiple Grammy-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard has composed a sublime jazz score for the new Taylor Hackford film starring Robert De Niro and Leslie Mann.
Blood Youth – Beyond Repair CD/LP (Rude)
Beyond Repair is an unrelenting assault of punch-to-the-gut riffing and Kaya Tarsus’ impassioned vocals that both tear and soar. Brutally heavy, yet deftly accessible.
Michelle Branch – Hopeless Romantic CD (Verve)
Produced by Patrick Carney (The Black Keys) and Gus Seyffert (Beck, Norah Jones, SIA), Hopeless Romantic weaves a tale of love-lost and found. [Vinyl edition due May 5.]
JC Brooks – Neon Jungle CD (Rock Ridge Music)
“What does post-punk soul look like? Six and a half feet of raw emotion and sweat, one leather boot planted in gutsy R&B, the other in indie rock. Snarling at the crowd beneath an afro pompadour, while indulging in a sly wink, singing to you directly, and here to make you dance.”
C.F.M. – Dichotomy Desaturated CD/LP (In The Red)
Trust is hard, but trusting yourself is harder. Are the decisions you make the right ones? Is it worth taking risks if there’s no one around to talk you out of it? Is it brave to follow your arrow without knowing where that arrow will lead, or is it better to exercise caution? L.A. punk shredder Charles Moothart wrestled with some of these quandaries while making his second solo album under the CFM moniker, Dichotomy Desaturated. The Laguna Beach-raised Moothart first picked up a guitar at 12 years old and got behind the drum kit for the Moonhearts at the age of 16 with fellow Cali six-string ripper Mikal Cronin. Since then, the 27-year-old journeyman has become a fixture in the West Coast community: he’s logged oodles of studio and stage time with Cronin and Ty Segall-both on his solo albums and as part of the ultra-heavy supergroup Fuzz, the latter experience driving him to make music on his own.
Lou Canon – Suspicious CD/LP (Paper Bag)
Lou Canon has emerged as the vanguard of Toronto’s bedroom electronic movement. Her enveloping, downtempo record was co-produced by Syntoniz (Mark Lawson Arcade Fire, Basia Bulat). This is music for night time; roiling drumbeats and breathily expressive vocals will lead you through the dark corners of your innermost subconscious.
The Chainsmokers – Memories…Do Not Open CD (Sony)
Memories…Do Not Open is the debut full-length album from Grammy Award winning artist/producer duo The Chainsmokers. Comprised of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, The Chainsmokers have evolved into a dominating musical force with a diverse repertoire of songs that have led them to become today’s hottest young artist/producer duo. With a signature sound that deftly reaches across indie, progressive and pop realms, their original tracks and remixes have topped the charts throughout the world. [Vinyl edition due May 26.]
Clark – Death Peak CD/LP (Warp)
Sixteen years since his debut and eight albums later, a now rightly considered cornerstone of Warp’s core artist base, Clark, lines up what is sure to amount to his most cutting edge and immaculately scored vision of varied dancefloor dynamics and richly-ground techno hydraulics with the high-rise hypnotics that make up Death Peak. Having first appeared way back in 2001 with the brain-hammering Clarence Park album, Chris Clark (as he was then known) instantly slotted in perfectly with both the old and new artists that made up the cutting-edge Warp vanguard. While his music, at times reflected a strong influence bled in from the caustic industrial puzzles of Autechre and the analogue post-jungle crunch of AFX and Squarepusher, Clark melted these influences down into a concrete vat that carried a strong influence of out and out techno. Having had the album title in his head since summer last year, Death Peak sounds a lot like you might imagine it would, albeit in your wildest hopes and dreams, given its serious title. Truly an incredible and starkly visceral series of recordings, Clark appears to take a strong influence from the battered 12”s of mid- ‘90s warehouse techno and drum & bass that litter so many of our collections, yet mixes them with the ethereal electronics and library record exploration previously unheard from him.
David Allan Coe – The Complete Hits 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
Despite having written some of the most hallowed songs in country music, tunes like “Take This Job And Shove It” and “Would You Lay With Me (In A Field Of Stone),” nobody would ever confuse Coe with a popular country artist. The man is outlaw to his core, having offended just about everybody inside (and a lot of people outside) the country music business during the course of his riotous career. But because he is such a great songwriter and honky tonk singer, he did manage score 31 chart hits despite his best efforts at career sabotage.
Cold War Kids – LA Divine CD/LP (Capitol)
On their sixth album LA Divine, Cold War Kids pay tribute to Los Angeles and all its strange glory. The follow-up to 2014’s Hold My Home, Cold War Kids’ latest is slightly tongue-in-cheek in its title. “In many ways LA is the least divine city, the most hedonistic and irreverent and disconnected from history,” says Cold War Kids singer/guitarist/pianist Nathan Willett. Still, LA Divine embodies the Long Beach-bred band’s endless fascination with their adopted hometown. “LA’s so massive, I feel like I’m always finding something new in it,” says bassist Matt Maust. “It’s an incredibly weird place, and I’m happy to have made a record that totally honors that weirdness.” With its sonic palette inspired by everything from Frank Ocean’s Blonde to Florence & The Machine to Alabama Shakes, LA Divine merges artful, hook-minded production with Cold War Kids’ classic post-punk grit. And in his lyrics, Willett offers both raw vulnerability and layered complexity, bringing his heart-on-sleeve sensibilities to songs exploring long-lasting love. [Limited purple color vinyl pressing also available.]
Andrew Combs – Canyons Of My Mind CD (New West)
Dallas native Andrew Combs, for years regarded as one of the more promising young singers and songwriters in Music City, has inked a deal with New West Records. Combs’ maiden album for the label, Canyons Of My Mind, is an 11-song set that was produced by Skylar Wilson and Jordan Lehning and recorded at Battle Tapes Studio in East Nashville. “Canyons Of My Mind is a collection of songs, all put together, that embodies the idea of a young man growing older. The album consists of the customary songs about lost love and travel, but also hits on more mature issues, such as environmental awareness, spirituality, mental illness, and political exploitation. Taking on a more introspective and controlling role in the writing and recording process, I dug deep inside my own heart and mind to create what I think is a good illustration of a man becoming more comfortable in his own skin” — Andrew Combs. [Vinyl edition due April 21.]
Deep Purple – inFinite CD/CD+DVD/2xLP+DVD (earMUSIC)
Hard rock legends Deep Purple release their 20th album, inFinite. Frontman Ian Gillan explained the inspiration for the new album’s title, “If you take it literally you may, quite reasonably, think the ‘Finite’ part of the word describes the life of Deep Purple, with a clear beginning and a nebulous end; but what of the ‘in’ bit? The word infinite is a three-dimensional double-edged sword. It describes something that goes on forever in all directions; not unlike its temporal equivalent ‘Eternal’ What’s that all about?” inFinite is classic Purple, 70’s swagger, roaring guitar riffs, that big fat Hammond organ and Ian Gillan’s instantly recognizable voice. [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a 96-minute documentary on the making of the album.]
James Luther Dickinson Featuring North Mississippi Allstars – I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone: Lazarus Edition CD/LP+MP3 (Memphis Int’l)
When Jim Dickinson died on August 15, 2009 at the age of 67, his hometown paper, The Memphis Commercial Appeal, ran a lengthy, appreciative obituary chronicling his many achievements and credits. The lead read “The North Mississippi Allstars have lost their father, Bob Dylan has lost a ‘brother,’ rock and roll has lost one of its great cult heroes and Memphis has lost a musical icon with the death of Jim Dickinson.” I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone (Lazarus Edition) is the second album culled from his Friday, June 2, 2006 concert on the stage of the New Daisy Theater on Beale Street. This edition includes unreleased tracks from that live recording and two historical live tracks featuring legendary Sun Records rhythm section band members including Roland Janes, Stan Kessler, Cowboy Jack Clement, Billy Lee Riley and J.M. Van Eaton.
Diet Cig – Swear I’m Good At This CD/LP (Frenchkiss)
Diet Cig are here to have fun. They’re here to tear you away from the soul-sucking sanctity of your dumpster-fire life and replace it with pop-blessed punk jams about navigating the impending doom of adulthood when all you want is to have ice-cream on your birthday. “Diet Cig earned our Band To Watch designation by virtue of their charmingly approachable and insightful rudimentary songcraft and their infectious live presence, exemplified on their Over Easy EP and a pair of singles, ‘Dinner Date’ and ‘Sleep Talk.’ And now, after two years of relentless touring, they’ve released their debut album Swear I’m Good At This. The first single, ‘Tummy Ache,’ is a tune that takes their formula — a few chords, a catchy melody, some reflections on the thrills and frustrations of young bohemian life — and coheres it into something sharper and fuller.” – Stereogum
Ecstatic Vision – Raw Rock Fury CD/LP (Relapse)
The Philadelphia heavy psych quartet return with their second LP. Raw Rock Fury showcases the band locking in on primordial, troglodyte Detroit rock grooves, krautian motorik sounds that recall the obscure one-time collaboration between Neu! and the MC5, grimy harmonica flourishes that evoke Beefheart at his most savage, and the Hawkwindian, primal world heavy psych their debut expertly exhibited.
Karen Elson – Double Roses CD/LP+MP3 (HOT)
First new album in seven years from the English singer/songwriter and model. Double Roses includes collaborations with Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Father John Misty, Pat Sansone (Wilco), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Laura Marling, Nate Wolcott, Paul Cartwright, and Dhani Harrison. [Limited white with smoky black swirl color vinyl edition also available.]
Evolfo – Last Of The Acid Cowboys CD/LP (MRI Associated)
Evolfo is the sound that breaks through the fuzz on the low end of your radio dial and echoes out the back door of a pink neon lit bar. Last Of The Acid Cowboys, the band’s debut LP, melts down decades worth of eclectic and bizarro records and puts on wax a house shaking mix of garage rock, psych soul, spiritual funk and ecstatic freakout.
Extremity – Extremely F**king Dead CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
Gestating in the twisted bowels of the Bay Area for six years, only now, in 2017, has Extremity dislodged itself from the musty climes of obscurity to contaminate the American death metal cesspool. From the grisly gore metal of “Crepuscular Crescendo” to the Bolt Thrower ravaged plunder permeating “Bestial Destiny”, Extremity presents a simultaneously studied and loosely devastating specter of death metal cited from the genre’s many epicenters in America, Scandinavia, the UK and beyond.
Falling In Reverse – Coming Home CD (Epitaph)
Falling In Reverse return with their fourth album. “It’s a huge left turn,” he says. “It sounds like nothing we’ve ever done. Every song is very vibey, There’s more feeling in it instead of a lot of metal.”
Father John Misty – Pure Comedy CD/2xLP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)
Father John Misty is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Josh Tillman. Tillman has released two widely acclaimed albums – Fear Fun (2012) and I Love You, Honeybear (2015) – and the recent “Real Love Baby” single as Father John Misty, and recently contributed to songs by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Kid Cudi. Pure Comedy, his third album, is a complex, often sardonic, and, equally often, touching meditation on the confounding folly of modern humanity. “Joshua Michael Tillman, a.k.a. sentient-thinking emoji Father John Misty, recently performed two songs on Saturday Night Live that questioned two of the bedrocks of Western civilization: entertainment and religion. ‘Total Entertainment Forever’ and ‘Pure Comedy,’ both from Pure Comedy, are thought-provoking, tongue-in-cheek criticisms of societal opiates. Given the state of American political discourse right now, Tillman’s booking on late night’s premier stage — which typically hosts musicians much more popular than the Los Angeles-based songwriter — was a clear message from the SNL staff bookers.” – NPR
feedtime – Gas CD/LP (In The Red)
Sydney, 1978-79: against the backdrop of the burgeoning inner-city music scene, feedtime was formed. Taking notes from the incendiary live shows of X and Rose Tattoo, they created their own interpretation of the events unfolding before them, a blues-noise that was equal parts abstract minimalism and working class roots-rock. Post-punk, yet right in the thick of it; miles ahead of the pack and not many seemed to notice. Gas presents all the elements that make feedtime one of the great Australian pub rock bands. The staggering, woozy slide guitar, the thundering drums, and the relentless thrum of the bass create the atmosphere of urban panic, finding ways to smile amongst the bitter, harsh reality of life. Some make it through, some don’t.
Joey Feek – If Not For You CD (Spring House)
New solo performances from the country music darling. Available in Regular and “zinepack” editions. The limited zinepak edition features a 48-page booklet of photos, memories and stories penned by Joey, her family and husband, Rory.
The Flatliners – Inviting Light CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
Since 2002 The Flatliners have been busy touring the world over with the likes of NOFX, Bad Religion, Pennywise and Hot Water Music, as well as multiple stints on the Vans Warped Tour. Inviting Light is their fifth full-length album. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Fujiya and Miyagi – Fujiya and Miyagi CD (Impossible Objects Of Desire)
April 2017 sees Fujiya and Miyagi wrapping up a unique year-long musical project that represents one of their most adventurous to date. EP3 joins the previous two to make up this album, a carefully staged project that sees the group traverse disco, electro, pop, and the now synonymous 1970s Germany-inspired groove they so seamlessly ooze. For album number six, the result is one that simultaneously captures the fizzy energy, elongated jams and melodic intuition of previous releases, whilst still cracking un-trodden ground. [Vinyl edition due May 5.]
Fuoco Fatuo – Backwater CD/LP (Profound Lore)
Fuoco Fatuo was born in 2011, in the middle of the ghastly lakes of Varese, Italy. Starting out as an occult and oppressive death/doom band with an eerie and gloomy debut album The Viper Slithers In The Ashes Of What Remains, which followed several EPs, they explore the darkest and most desolate spaces through a sickened development of sound, like a flood of impenetrable black magma. Backwater is a massive and suffocating funeral doom opus, focused on the distressing awareness of the nothingness, transcendence in the oblivion, and feeding on the black void.
Future Islands – The Far Field CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (4AD)
With string and horn arrangements by Patrick McMinn, The Far Field is the first Future Islands record to feature live drums by Michael Lowry, who joined the band prior to their sensational performance of “Seasons (Waiting On You)” on David Letterman’s late night TV show. Blondie’s Debbie Harry also makes a guest appearance, in a duet with Herring on penultimate track “Shadows.” Across The Far Field’s twelve chest-pounding love songs and odes to the road, Future Islands brilliantly expresses the band’s central themes they’ve been exploring for the last decade: that there is power in emotional vulnerability, that one can find a way to laugh and cry in the same breath – and be stronger for it. [Limited white color vinyl pressing available.]
Gonjasufi – Mandela Effect CD/LP (Warp)
A versatile collection of remixes, covers and original music from Gonjasufi and his people. It’s a scientific concept of false memories compounding upon themselves, creating false truths. The term was coined after a collective ‘misremembering’ of Nelson Mandela’s death in prison in the 1980’s. Mandela Effect features contributions from the likes of Shabazz Palaces, Daddy G of Massive Attack, Anna Wise, Moor Mother, Innsyter, Ras G, Perera Elsewhere and a slew of his San Diego brethren.
Guided By Voices – August By Cake CD/LP (GBV Inc.)
Guided by Voices’ August By Cake is the one hundredth studio album that Robert Pollard has released since 1986’s Forever Since Breakfast. (To put that in perspective, Bob Dylan has released roughly thirty-nine studio albums since 1959. And that includes the Traveling Wilburys.) This is a highly-anticipated record, which includes the new line-up (returning GBV veterans Doug Gillard and Kevin March, virgins Bobby Bare Jr and Mark Shue) that has been wowing audience in clubs and festivals throughout 2016. It’s the most musically adept and versatile line-up Pollard has ever assembled. With thirty-two songs, this album is also GBV’s first ever double album, and song contributions from all five band members is additional icing on the cake, setting album #100 apart from the previous 99.
Krokus – Big Rocks CD (Century Media)
Full-on vintage power rock with a touch of blues and without any of the usual studio trickery.
The Lacs – American Rebelution CD (Average Joe’s Ent.)
Southern rock-infused guitar riffs combined with acoustic country offerings.
Yo Yo Ma/Chris Thile/Edgar Meyer – Bach Trios CD (Nonesuch)
An album of Bach works recorded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, mandolinist Chris Thile, and bassist Edgar Meyer. [Vinyl edition due April 21.]
Magna Carta Cartel – Goodmorning Restrained [2009] CD/LP (Lovely)
Magna Carta Cartel is a five-piece Swedish rock band, often rumored to be mysteriously connected to the highly secretive band Ghost. The band themselves describe their music like this: “Vangelis meeting Tom Petty, trying to reach U2, willing to be Joy Division, feeling like ABBA, longing to be Brian Eno, remembering Jean Michel Jarre, looking at Metallica, sleeping with Mike Oldfield, dancing to Koto, hunting the Beatles, killing Morricone in a duel, snorting to Moroder, etc.” MCC’s debut album, Goodmorning Restrained, was originally released digitally in 2009 on Sounds Of Zilence.
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – Rake It In: The Greatestest Hits CD (Fat Wreck Chords)
For the uniformed Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, consisting of NOFX frontman Fat Mike, Lagwagon frontman Joey Cape, Foo Fighting Chris Shiflett, Lagwagon drummer Dave Raun, and the unparalleled silky vocals of Spike Slawson, have been banging out other peoples’ hits for over two decades now. So, what is really left to say about punk super-group and cover band extraordinaire? After seven studio albums, a live record and too many singles to count, they’ve tackled just about every genre under the sun. Be it Motown, Country, show tunes, Japanese Pop (sung in Japanese!), these seasoned punk rock pros have triumphed on every occasion in a way only the Gimmes could. With such an extensive and wide ranging catalog, where does one begin? [Vinyl edition due May 5.]
Migos – Culture CD (300 Entertainment)
New album from the hip-hop group featuring the smash single, “Bad And Boujee (ft. Lil Uzi Vert)” as well as tracks that feature Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott and DJ Khaled.
Mike + The Mechanics – Let Me Fly CD/LP (The End)
Mike + The Mechanics (Mike Rutherford, Andrew Roachford, Tim Howar, Gary Wallis, Luke Juby and Anthony Drennan) return with their eighth studio album. “In 1985, we were having the best time in Genesis,” Rutherford says in a press release announcing the album. “But after 28 years, myself [and fellow Genesis members] Phil [Collins] and Tony [Banks] wanted variety, so we ran our band and our solo careers side by side happily for many years. To be honest, it saved Genesis. The fact I’m still doing it with the Mechanics just makes me smile.” Let Me Fly is the second record to feature the current Mike and the Mechanics lineup, which coalesced around singers Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar in 2010. Keyboardist Luke Juby, drummer Gary Wallis and guitarist Anthony Drennan round out the band. Vocalist Paul Young (who sang the hit singles “All I Need Is A Miracle” and “Taken In”) died in 2000; Paul Carrack (“Silent Running,” “The Living Years”) left in 2004, around the time the band took a break. Let Me Fly is their first new studio album in six years, following 2011’s The Road.
Dominic Miller – Silent Light CD (ECM)
Miller has long been known as Sting’s right-hand man on guitar and co-writer of the worldwide hit “Shape Of My Heart,” among others. Miller has also worked with the likes of Paul Simon, The Chieftains and Plácido Domingo. The guitarist’s playing has prompted praise from Simon, who points out, in a liner note to the album, that Miller has a beautiful touch, with a fragrance of jazz and English folk. [Vinyl edition due April 28.]
Peter Mulvey – Are You Listening? CD (Righteous Babe)
“Peter Mulvey is a true musical craftsman, developing and refining his approach through genre experimentation and 25 years of hard work writing and playing all over the world. Even after 17 albums, Mulvey’s creative juices continue to flow strong. Noted singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco who has produced Mulvey’s new album says, ‘Mulvey has been honing his craft for many a decade, and it shows. He can play some badass guitar, sing to touch your heart, and write a song that will knock you down, and by knock you down, I mean lift you up.’”
The New Pornographers – Whiteout Conditions CD/LP (Concord)
“Cohesive.” It’s a word New Pornographers founder A.C. Newman still sounds a little bit surprised to say as he describes the band’s seventh album, Whiteout Conditions. It’s a quality that you wouldn’t necessarily intuitively associate with a so-called supergroup that, by its very collective nature, seems bound to have a good deal of stylistic variance built into the formula (or lack of it). Can an outfit built on the appeal of multiple frontmen and frontwomen develop a signature sound after all? Maybe, and maybe better late than never. “On other records,” says Newman, “it felt like sometimes it was very clear: oh, this is a fast one with me singing, and then the next would be a slow song with Neko (Case) singing. And I’ve always liked that in a White Album kind of way – being a band that just does whatever the hell they want from track to track. But when we did Brill Bruisers (the band’s previous album, released in 2014), it was the first time where I thought: Let’s try to make a cohesive record. Let’s try to give it a sound and see how focused we can make it. And on this record, I think we went a lot farther down that road.” [Limited white color vinyl pressing also available.]
Jeb Loy Nichols – Country Hustle CD/LP (City Country City)
Jeb Loy Nichols is an American-born singer, songwriter, musician, and artist currently living in Wales. His music combines elements of soul, country, folk, reggae, blues and even some hip-hop. The tireless troubadour is pleased to present his classic-in the-making new album Country Hustle. The potent collection features collaborations with such a diverse set of artists as Andrew Hale (Sade), DJ Shadow, Spooner Oldham (Muscle Shoals), Distance and Nostalgia 77. “Country Hustle has been, like most things in my life, a slow, meandering process,” Jeb Loy Nichols explains. “It started life three years ago when I met Andrew Hale, Sade’s keyboardist and co-writer. He invited me, when I was visiting London, to come to his studio and make some music. We recorded, over three years, thirty songs. It’s definitely a country soul record – the country music I grew up with in Missouri, mixed with the soul and hip-hop I loved in New York and London, filtered through the quiet spaces of Wales.”
Nines – One Foot Out CD (XL)
Debut studio album by the English rapper. “One Foot Out is a classic Nines project, only this time, one that elevates from mixtape raps to create superior album quality music. Nines is way more than just a sick lyricist or someone who can switch up the flows, as the stories behind his lyrics have always put him comfortably in his own lane. A clear sense of direction to those over your head bars can be found on One Foot Out, with all signs leading towards the Church Road rapper going clear in the rap game, cementing himself in the highest echelons of UK rap, if he hadn’t done so already.” – The LinkUp
The Obsessed – Sacred CD/LP (Relapse)
Doom godfathers The Obsessed return with Sacred, their first studio album in over 20 years. Led by legendary frontman Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan, The Hidden Hand), The Obsessed originally formed in 1976 and released three seminal stoner/doom albums in the early- ‘90s, including The Church Within which has been hailed as one of the important records in the genre’s history. Now, after reforming in 2016, the band showcases a renewed energy and purpose, sounding heavier and more relevant than ever before. On Sacred, The Obsessed double down on enormous, heaving riffs and pummeling low-end across 12 tracks of eternal doom. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Pentatonix – PTX Vol. IV: Classics CDEP (RCA)
New EP from the Texas vocal group including their covers of John Lennon’s “Imagine” and “Jolene” (featuring Dolly Parton).
Wilson Pickett – The Best Of Wilson Pickett II [Reissue/1971] LP (Friday Music)
Limited edition 180gm vinyl LP pressing. This 1971 set gathers definitive numbers like “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You,” “Sugar Sugar,” “I’m A Midnight Mover,” and “Hey Joe” among many more.
Rainbowlicker – I Saw The Light And Turned It Off CD/LP (Svart)
The laserpunk duo Rainbowlicker, consisting of Johan (Beastmilk) and Peps (Creepy Crawlie), has for quite some time aroused attention with their live performances, but until now the worrisome twosome hasn’t been successfully persuaded to enter the studio.
Sean Rowe – New Lore CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
“Recorded at Memphis’ immortal Sam Phillips Studio with producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell), Rowe’s latest finds the singer-songwriter following oft-cited touchstone Richard Thompson along the forking paths staked out by Madman (2014), digging bold piano and sweeping strings, Gospel-soul, pastoral folk-rock and loping country-folk into his favored earthy ground. Rowe’s rib-rattling baritone – fresh air and clean living continue to separate him from, say, Mark Lanegan – is as distinctive as ever.” – Rolling Stone
Royal Thunder – Wick CD/2xLP+MP3 (Spinefarm)
This Atlanta four-piece was once described as playing “a revved-up Southern hard rock that howls like Led Zeppelin astride a psychedelic unicorn.” [Limited 180gm coke-bottle clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Saint Pé – Fixed Focus CD/LP (Ernest Jenning)
In 2014, after 10 years of touring the world (literally every continent, but Antartica!) in Atlanta’s legendary Black Lips as well as the critically-acclaimed Diamond Rugs, guitarist and vocalist Ian St. Pe needed a change. As he put it, “The only thing you can’t change is time, so I had time change me. I loved the Black Lips Good Times Boys Club, but I needed to enjoy new environments. So I got a new bag; St. Pe.” He packed up his gear and moved to Nashville, where he settled down in a log cabin formerly owned by country legend Roy Acuff. Before long, that home had also turned into a studio, and with the help of a number of Atlanta-based friends, Fixed Focus was born.
San Fermin – Belong CD/2xLP (Downtown)
San Fermin’s third studio album marks a shift in songwriting perspective for bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Produced by Ludwig-Leone and brought to life by his fellow performers – lead vocalists Charlene Kaye and Allen Tate, trumpet player John Brandon, saxophonist Stephen Chen, violinist Rebekah Durham, drummer Michael Hanf, and guitarists Tyler McDiarmid and Aki Ishiguro – Belong unfolds in warm, intoxicating textures that both contrast and intensify that sense of unrest.
Alexandra Savior – Belladonna Of Sadness CD/LP (Sony)
Debut album from the singer/songwriter. Includes “Mystery Girl,” an enchanting chunk of noir-pop written with Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys, Last Shadow Puppets) and co-produced by James Ford (Haim, Florence and the Machine). It’s not Savior’s first time working with Turner — she co-wrote “Miracle Aligner” with The Last Shadow Puppets.
Secondhand Serenade – Awake (Remixed & Remastered: 10 Years & 10,000 Tears Later) CD (Glassnote)
Before the explosion of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, the music industry had rarely seen a forward-thinking artist rise from the internet to find success in the mainstream. But all of that changed in the form of a lone man and his guitar. The year was 2007 when the #1 Myspace artist took the leap from the early days of social networking to the world of big box retail, releasing his first album commercially through a brand-new record label. The artist was Secondhand Serenade, the label was Glassnote Records and the album was titled, Awake. Fast forward a full decade later and the team is getting back together.
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim [Reissue/1967] CD/LP (Reprise)
In celebration of this classic album’s 50th anniversary, bonus tracks have been added and the album has been remastered. Along with Jobim’s original compositions, the album features three standards from the Great American Songbook, (“Change Partners,” “I Concentrate On You,” and “Baubles, Bangles And Beads”) arranged in the bossa nova style. [Limited 180gm blue color vinyl pressing also available.]
Slugabed – Inherit The Earth CD/LP (Anticon)
The London producer’s new strange opus plays, at times, like a dark-humored deadpan dystopia – more observation than statement, a rendering of our modern times in eerie atmosphere, rumbling bass, bright blips, laser jags, melodies that either creep or comfort, and all kinds of unpredictable, hypnotic rhythms.
The Smith Street Band – More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me CD/LP+MP3 (SideOneDummy)
New album from Australian punk rock band. More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me is chock full of big riffs, punchy choruses and their trademark earnest tales of growing up, love and technology [Limited bone-color white vinyl pressing also available.]
Steep Ravine – Turning Of The Fall CD (MRI)
Bay Area newgrass band Steep Ravine are reaching beyond expectation with their new album, Turning Of The Fall. Standing in tradition, but developing their tone to adopt a more contemporary approach, the freedom of their new material is palpable, and it appears as if confidence is at a high as grooves sit beneath bluegrass progressions, and folk production values develop a clarity of sound that makes this stuff radio friendly as hell.
Sun Ra And His Orchestra – Thunder Of The Gods CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
A new Sun Ra LP touches ground in the earthly bins, 50 years after its creation. The origins of Thunder Of The Gods are easy to pinpoint: “Calling Planet Earth – We’ll Wait For You” was discovered on tapes from Ra’s Universe In Blue, believed to be recorded in ’71. The raucous title track and “Moonshots Across The Sky” are unearthed from the ’66 Strange Strings sessions.
Sweet Spirit – St. Mojo CD/LP (Nine Mile)
Austin, TX’s Sweet Spirit return with their sophomore full-length. Recorded at Austin’s fabled Treehouse Studios, St. Mojo features a bigger, more dynamic set of songs and expands on the garage rock-meets-dance pop of the band’s debut record Cokomo.
Tamikrest – Kidal CD/LP (Glitterbeat)
Tamikrest – “a 21st century rock group who just happen to live in the middle of the desert” (Mojo) — returns with a stunning work that perfectly balances their rocking, meditative and progressive elements.
Tech N9ne – Dominion CD+DVD (Strange Music)
Tech N9ne delivers the next album from his Collabos series. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe includes three additional tracks plus a DVD featuring new and classic videos from the Strange Music vaults.
B.J. Thomas – New Looks from an Old Lover: The Complete Columbia Singles CD (Real Gone Music)
21 classic country-pop sides Thomas cut for Columbia in the ‘80s.
Timber Timbre – Sincerely, Future Pollution CD/LP (City Slang)
Timber Timbre’s music has always traced a shadowed path, using cues of the past to fuse the sound of a distant, haunted now. Its fourth record, Sincerely, Future Pollution, is the cinema of a dazzling dystopia, rattled by the science fiction of this bluntly nonfictional time. Taylor Kirk and co-composers Mathieu Charbonneau and Simon Trottier, together with drummer Olivier Fairfield, offer their most daring artistic work yet. With the palette of archetypal synthesizers at La Frette studio outside Paris, the long-time collaborators took a unique approach to Timber Timbre’s characteristic sonic invention. The first single, “Sewer Blues,” is an ironclad groove marked by plodding, heavy rhythm, cavernous delay, and a backdrop of starry synthesizers. Sincerely, Future Pollution is a romance of neoteric machines and dark, futuristic hues, with promise as beautiful as it is unsettling. Covering a spectrum of new age to popular French disco revival, the sound is synthetic, exotic, yet familiar, with Kirk’s chilling croon and the mid-apocalyptic setting of his poetry. This is Timber Timbre’s document of our generation’s degeneration and disarray: Signed and sealed. [Limited clear vinyl pressing available.]
Vieux Farka Touré – Samba CD/LP (Six Degrees)
New album from The Hendrix of the Sahara.
Trial (swe) – Motherless CD (Metal Blade)
New album from the Swedish metal band. [Vinyl edition due May 5.]
Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm – She Made My Blood Run Cold CD/LP (Southern Routes)
R&B paragon Ike Turner’s natural fact mastery, limitless capacity for incendiary grooves and towering creativity qualified him as an unstoppable musical force. As a band leader, arranger, and accompanist, he was without peer, and this rollicking compilation of Turner and his Rhythm Kings backing up the likes of Jackie Brenston, Billy Gayles and Clayton Love captures Turner’s irresistible blues hustle at its majestic, bumping peak.
The Upper Crust – Delusions Of Grandeur CD/LP (Upper Crust Ltd.)
The Upper Crust’s costumed madness sends up the aristocracy with biting sarcasm and more than a little rock guitar riffage.
Various Artists – Outlaw: Celebrating The Music Of Waylon Jennings CD+DVD (Sony Legacy)
On July 6, 2015, a collection of music’s legendary outlaws and rising superstars came together for a once-in-a lifetime concert in Austin, Texas, to celebrate the life of country music legend Waylon Jennings. This CD+DVD set includes concert performances by Chris Stapleton, Shooter Jennings, Jessi Colter, Bobby Bare, Lee Ann Womack, Buddy Miller, Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgrave, Jamey Johnson, Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, Ryan Bingham, Alison Krauss, Toby Keith, Eric Church, and Willie Nelson. DVD-only musical tracks include “Memories Of You And I” (performed by Sturgill Simpson) and “I Can Get Off On You” (performed by Willie Nelson & Sturgill Simpson) in addition to bonus interviews and other extras.
Various Artists – Resistance Radio: The Man In The High Castle Album CD/2xLP (Columbia)
A musical companion to the video series The Man in The High Castle, based on author Philip K. Dick’s award-winning book. Includes tracks by Beck, Kelis, Norah Jones, The Shins, Angel Olsen, Benjamin Booker, Karen O, Sharon Van Etten, and many more.
Various Artists – Vodou Drums in Haiti 2: The Living Gods of Haiti – 21st Century Ritual Drums & Spirit Possession CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)
A stunning collection of trance-like rhythms and beats traditionally used to induce spirit possession in the Vodou religion. “This record, which consists entirely of recordings of vodou drumming made in Port-Au- Prince, is one of a series of Soul Jazz releases exploring Haitian music, all of which are worth your attention. Nonetheless there’s something about the intensity and virtuosity of this particular drums-based album that’s particularly transportive. It captures the extraordinary complexity and sophistication of these ceremonial rhythms, which shift, interlock and switch angle of attack with a logic that’s near-indecipherable as a listener unable to see visually how they unfold. These drum rituals are central to Haitian vodou, their power to awe and mesmerise isn’t dimmed through being relatively unfamiliar with the traditions that underlie them; these recordings are dynamic and riveting in their intricacy and power.” — Quietus
Johnny Guitar Watson – Stressin’ The Strings CD/LP (Southern Routes)
Johnny Guitar Watson’s stone cold blues instinct and dazzling technical facility were nothing less than revolutionary. A critical link between T-Bone Walker and Jimi Hendrix, Watson’s stunning originality, expressive power, and driving, modern approach made for some of the most exciting blues records of his day. Ahead of the curve and always wildly entertaining, this collection of Watson classics is an unbeatable delight.
Wear Your Wounds – WYW CD/LP (Deathwish Inc.)
Wear Your Wounds is the product of years of Lo-fi solo recordings by Converge founder Jacob Bannon. On WYW he is joined by guest musicians Kurt Ballou (Converge), Mike McKenzie (The Red Chord, Stomach Earth, Unraveller), Chris Maggio (Sleigh Bells, Trap Them, Coliseum), and Sean Martin (Hatebreed, Cage, Kid Cudi, Twitching Tongues).
The Weeks – Easy CD/LP (Lightning Rod)
Rising Nashville-via-Mississippi band The Weeks recorded their new album Easy over the course of two weeks at Memphis, TN’s Ardent Studios with producer Paul Ebersold. The band left Nashville to record in order to disassociate themselves from their everyday routines in the city, and to find a halfway point between their two homes old and new, Mississippi and Nashville. “Memphis has always been the capitol of North Mississippi to us,” says guitarist Sam Williams. “We went there to be at Ardent. We knew Paul had learned everything from John Frye and John Hammond so we figured that was the spot. It’s important to keep those historic studios alive and not let them become museums.” Of the record, frontman Cyle Barnes says, “We called it Easy because every time I make music with these guys, it’s easy. It feels good.” Thematically, Easy explores new ground for the band. Bassist Damien Bone explains, “We just wanted to make a rock record. We weren’t as concerned making it a southern rock record. The southern thing is always going to part of what we do.”
Western Daughter – Driftwood Songs CD (Take This To Heart)
“The emo kids have finally found country, and it makes complete sense. Both genres—though seemingly disparate—intersect in their pursuit of the truth. Underneath the rhinestone luster, classic country music is trying to make you uncomfortable. Pinegrove made this marriage palatable to the blogosphere, by injecting pop-punk sing-alongs with tenuous country twang. But they did this from the sequestered, east coast vantage point of Montclair, New Jersey. The gang in Boise, Idaho’s Western Daughter live it. Like early Modest Mouse or Mt. Eerie, Western Daughter’s music feels heavily informed by—and inextricable from—its environment.” [Vinyl edition due April 21.]
White Reaper – The World’s Best American Band CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Boasting textured melodies, layered guitars and more seasoned lyrics, The World’s Best American Band finds Louisville, KY’s White Reaper busting out of the basement sound established on their previous full length (2015’s White Reaper Does It Again) and setting their sights on the arena. Armed with a record that celebrates rock in all its glory, they are poised to satisfy crowds whether they are packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the “standing room only” pit or kicking back in the cheap seats. White Reaper guitarist/vocalist Tony Esposito explained the boastful album title in a press release: “Because we are the best. Just like Muhammad Ali was the greatest, you gotta say it out loud for people to believe it.” “The album’s title track is a pretty great slice of all American power-pop, with a scoop of ice cream on the top” (Under The Radar). “Ushered in by a jubilant round of applause, (the title track is) a cut that succeeds in its lofty arena-ready aspirations. There are handclaps, bouncy and rubberized bass, and guitar riffs that slice and zigzag at all the best moments” (Consequence Of Sound).
The Wild Reeds – The World We Built CD/LP (Dualtone Music)
“It’s somewhat rare to find three singers so in sync as The Wild Reeds’ Kinsey Lee, Sharon Silva and Mackenzie Howe. Rarer still is the trio’s songwriting skills; think Crosby, Stills and Nash. The band’s sophomore release, The World We Built, is underpinned by brash guitar textures, harmonium and a killer rhythm section.” — NPR
Wire – Silver/Lead CD/LP (Pink Flag)
Silver/Lead is the fifteenth studio album from musical pioneers Wire. It arrives on the 40th anniversary of their debut performance. Yet it’s about as far from nostalgia as you could get. This is the sound of a uniquely addictive 21st century psychedelic post-punk. Colin Newman and Matt Simms’s guitar work is alternately jagged and luminous, while bassist Graham Lewis’s ear-catching lyrics are vivid yet oblique. Meanwhile, drummer Robert Grey provides a virtual masterclass in percussive minimalism.
Wooden Sky – Swimming In Strange Waters CD/LP+MP3 (Nevado Music)
Wooden Sky’s fifth album is a sonic maelstrom that sees the band exploring unchartered waters, where textural psychedelia inspired by the Paisley Underground movement melds into quiet, acoustic cyclical guitar melodies, before once again transforming into a bombastic, Johnny Cash-esque rally against the XL Keystone pipeline in Canada.
Yorkston/Thorne/Khan – Neuk Wight Delha All-Stars CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Yorkston/Thorne/Khan are songwriter James Yorkston (from East Neuk), bassist/composer Jon Thorne (from Isle Of Wight) and sarangi player/singer Suhail Yusuf Khan (from New Delhi). Neuk Wight Delhi All-Stars follows the band’s debut album, Everything Sacred, a collection of traditional Indian and UK folk songs, beautiful originals and idiosyncratic covers. Self-produced, this album comes after a period of steady touring including main stage performances at Green Man, Celtic Connections and Edinburgh International Festival, and tours in India, Spain and Ireland.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
50 Cent – Best Of 2xLP (Aftermath)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. 18 of 50’s biggest songs.
All – Pummel [Reissue/1995] LP (Porterhouse)
180gm vinyl reissue of the punk band’s 15 song major label debut.
Angel Witch – Angel Witch [Reissue/1980] LP (Real Gone Music)
One of the first records that helped launch the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement has been repressed on white color vinyl.
Cameron Avery – Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Cameron Avery has arrived as a new breed of nocturnal crooner, a train-wreck romantic creating timeless, ambitious music for the modern age. Utilizing his soulful wit, shrewd arrangements, and a deep, husky baritone, Avery harnesses the dark power and humor of artists like Nick Cave, Scott Walker, and Tindersticks to expertly walk the fine line between vulnerable and venerable. Melancholic machismo is written into the very DNA of Ripe Dreams, Pipe Dreams. From the classical, finger-picked guitar on the opener “A Time and Place” and the orchestral vamping of “Do You Know Me By Heart?” to the bombastic, self-assured swagger of “Dance with Me.” He takes an emotive page from the Leonard Cohen songbook-of-longing on “Big Town Girl” just as naturally as he thumbs an aggressive note of Bad Seed strut and Cramps rut on “Watch Me Take It Away.” And by the time he purrs that earnest refrain of “Baby, it’s you” on the album’s closer “C’est Toi,” Avery has surely mastered that drunken tightrope dance. Now a resident of New York City, Avery looks to continue his search for the ultimate sensations from a fresh vantage point.
Bambara – Swarm LP (Arrowhawk)
Despite the band’s Southern roots, Swarm is strongly informed by the noise-rock trio’s gritty Brooklyn digs. Songs describe a grimy city, filled with fragmented images of unhinged, unstable characters — including one inspired by the landmark Polish short story collection, The Street Of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz. The music perfectly complements the bleak atmosphere of the lyrics, with Reid’s Rowland S. Howardlike guitar lines taking the foreground more than in past Bambara releases, and the pulsing rhythm section driving the songs to ever more depraved depths.
Bolt Thrower – Realm Of Chaos [Reissue/1989] LP (Earache)
Bolt Thrower’s classic Earache debut (originally released in 1989) is now available again on (Full Dynamic Range) vinyl. 12 blistering tracks of heavy death metal.
Boss Hog – Brood X LP (In The Red)
Boss Hog returns from the wild with their most subversive record — this is the seductive soundtrack for the second coming of militant rock ‘n’ roll, and the groove has never been stronger. Brood X — emerging from the dirty streets of New York City after seventeen years of gestation — is a futuristic brew of 21st century blues, toxic punk rock beat music, and hyper-focused, outer-space psycho assaults. Thermonuclear chanteuse Cristina Martinez blisters the hypocrites, the haters, the heartless, and the clueless hangers-on with a full-tilt microphone attack. A sex-bomb salvo for troubled times, Martinez gives voice to America’s pain while pulling no punches. [CD edition due April 21.]
Gary Burton/Chick Corea – Crystal Silence [Reissue/1973] LP (ECM)
The Chick Corea/Gary Burton duo was brought together by producer Manfred Eicher, and Crystal Silence (recorded in 1972) brought a new chamber music sensibility into jazz improvisation, distinguished by an effervescence of melody and countermelody, with synchronized cascades of sound in continually changing harmonic movement.
Circle – Paris Concert [Reissue/1972] 2xLP (ECM)
Circle was a band on fire with creativity. Chick Corea and Dave Holland had just left Miles Davis’s band, keen to explore all parameters of new music in an improvised context. Anthony Braxton, equally inspired by Stockhausen and Coltrane, brought in new directions from the AACM. Barry Altschul’s resumé included extensive work with Paul Bley. Together they were, for a while, matchless. Corea called the Paris Concert (recorded 1971) the realization of a dream.
Cliterati – Cliterati 7” (Tank Crimes)
From Portland, Oregon ex-members of Voetsek, Poison Idea, and Murderess unleash their debut. 5 tracks of hardcore, d-beat, queer punk, party crust. Color vinyl.
Connoisseur – Over The Edge LP+MP3 (Tank Crimes)
A blend of punk, hardcore, grindcore, and sludge with all subject matter on the topic of cannabis. Color vinyl pressing.
Die Tödliche Doris – “ ” [Reissue/1982] LP (Etats-Unis)
Die Tödliche Doris was born out of West Berlin’s lively post-punk community in the early ‘80s. Along with Einstürzende Neubauten, Malaria, Sprung Aus Den Wolken and Frieder Butzmann, Die Tödliche Doris ranks amongst the Geniale Dilletanten – which roughly translates as “ingenious dilettantes” – who sought to democratize cultural productions beyond the grip of both Western capitalism and GDR socialism. The Geniale Dilletanten became synonymous with a free-for-all approach to music, film, painting and performance where participants encouraged raw expression through provocation and experimentation. For her debut album – originally released on Zickzack in 1982 and playfully titled ” “ (that is, blank space surrounded by quotation marks) – Doris most closely entertains the notion of a typical rock band with drums, bass and guitar. Produced by Neubauten’s Blixa Bargeld, the thirteen songs presented here are disquieting lullabies of profound anxiety, savage and primitive deconstructions of German polka and manic lacerations of punk minimalism: all reflections of the many and fractured personalities of Doris. Clear vinyl pressing.
Jan Garbarek – Places [Reissue/1978] LP (ECM)
Recorded in 1977 in Oslo, Places was an important album for Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, and — with its stellar line-up including Americans Jack DeJohnette and Bill Connors — one that also drew significant attention in the US.
Brantley Gilbert – The Devil Don’t Sleep 2xLP (Valory Music Co.)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “They say art imitates life, and Brantley Gilbert is applying that prophecy to his new album, The Devil Don’t Sleep. The new album reflects Brantley’s life experiences over the past couple of years since the release of his last album, 2014’s Just As I Am. With past hit songs like ‘Country Must Be Country Wide,’ ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,’ ‘Bottoms Up’ and ‘The Weekend’”—the lead single from his new album—Brantley maintains a certain party-boy-rocker style, a sound that fans have come to expect from the Georgia native. ‘We’re staying in that vein,’ said Brantley about his fourth studio album. “I always go back and listen to all my old records and listen through my whole entire catalog—even before I start writing a new record—because a lot of times, like I said, you’ll find some unfinished ideas that may have not fit the last chapter but fit it now’.” – Nash Country Daily
Allen Ginsberg – Reads Kaddish – 20th Century American Ecstatic Narrative Poem [Reissue/1966] LP (Real Gone Music
Limited edition red vinyl reissue.
Hauschka – What If LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Since 2004 Volker Bertelmann aka Hauschka has steadily earned a remarkable reputation as a purveyor of imaginative, distinctive, prepared piano music. While engaging with his trademark technique of utilizing unusual objects — art erasers, for example — to treat (or ‘prepare’) the piano, Hauschka also programs parts for player pianos, exploiting the speed at which they could play, manipulating the resulting sounds, and building layers to emphasize a composition’s meter. What If is overflowing with haunting melodies, mysterious sounds, and complex patterns.
Kristin Hersh – Wyatt At The Coyote Palace 2xLP (HHBTM)
Wyatt At The Coyote Palace is the 10th solo album from Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses/50 Foot Wave) since her solo debut Hips & Makers in 1994. WATCP is a 24-track double album that was written over the last five years during a turbulent period of her life while also being inspired by her son Wyatt and his fascination with an abandoned apartment building that was inhabited by coyotes.
David Holland Quartet – Conference Of The Birds [Reissue/1973] LP (ECM)
It had been preceded by ECM duo albums with Barre Phillips and with Derek Bailey as well as the cooperative band Circle’s great Paris Concert, but Conference Of The Birds, recorded in 1972, was Dave Holland’s first album as a full-fledged leader. An album of driving, progressive jazz it is also of historical significance as the only occasion when Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton, two of the music’s most strikingly original saxophonists, recorded together.
Keith Jarrett – The Survivors’ Suite [Reissue/1977] LP (ECM)
The Survivors’ Suite, recorded in 1976, is the crowning achievement of Keith Jarrett’s “American Quartet” with Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, and one of the all-time enduring masterpieces in the ECM catalogue.
Joe Jones – In Performance [Reissue/1977] LP (Etats-Unis)
After studying with composers John Cage and Earle Brown, Joe Jones became a prominent figure in Fluxus, contributing to the movement’s first “yearbox” alongside La Monte Young, György Ligeti and Nam June Paik. Beginning in late 1961, Jones began constructing his own music machines – drawing inspiration from the calliopes, automata and orchestrions of the 19th and early 20th century to create self-playing ensembles of stringed instruments, percussion and woodwinds – “played” through an elaborate (yet decidedly lo-tech) system of rubber bands, balls and tin foil. Christened the Tone Deaf Music Company, this battery of automated musical instruments generates the sounds on In Performance (originally released in 1977 on the Harlequin Art imprint). With exacting conceptual precision and varied subtleties of natural motion – not unlike Harry Bertoia’s sounding sculptures – Jones’ machines produce richly-textured strata of sound and serve as engines of paradox. While bringing the figure of the artist-composer to the foreground, the machines ultimately dispense with the need for the performer entirely – a cunning subversion of the fetish for virtuosity and individual genius. Clear vinyl pressing.
Kelela – Hallucinogen [Reissue/2015] 12”+MP3 (Warp)
Kelela’s Hallucinogen EP exists in the interzone of mutable R&B, chart pop, and grime-inflected production, with behind-the-boards work coming from names like Arca, Kingdom, and MA, but more than ever it’s the artist herself who appears front and center on the release, with her biggest and most powerful hooks underpinned by next-gen, hyper-sensual studio moves.
Jack Kerouac/Steve Allen – Poetry For The Beat Generation [Reissue/1959] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited black and white “beatnik smoke” color vinyl reissue.
Zara Larsson – So Good 2xLP (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Swedish singer Zara Larsson is a postmodern popstar. She’s like a Rihanna-doting teen gatecrashing a tropical house party, gun fingers blazing.” – The Guardian
Le Forte Four – Bikini Tennis Shoes [Reissue/1975] LP (Etats-Unis)
The origins of Le Forte Four are those of the Los Angeles Free Music Society itself. Chip Chapman joined forces with Rick Potts (and shortly thereafter Tom and Joe Potts), taking up the LAFMS name in 1974. Ultimately baptizing themselves Le Forte Four, they began threading imagined lines between John Cage and The Residents, Cecil Taylor and Henry Cow – generating sounds completely unlike any of these and anything since. The inaugural release on the eponymous LAFMS imprint with only 200 copies pressed originally, Bikini Tennis Shoes is a staggering piece of anti-music that remains as refreshingly ground-clearing today as it was when it first appeared in 1975. Clear vinyl pressing.
Calvin Love – Ecdysis 12” (No Roads)
Calvin is a self-proclaimed student of David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch soundtracks which clearly bleeds through his songs that explore the darkest corners of the human psyche while still maintaining a pop gloss.
Loreena McKennitt – The Book Of Secrets [1997] LP (Quinlan Road)
First time vinyl pressing. In a recording career spanning nearly two decades, McKennitt’s ‘eclectic Celtic’ music has won critical acclaim worldwide and gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales awards in fifteen countries across four continents.
Opeth – Still Life [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Peaceville)
Still Life is Opeth’s fourth studio release and its first outing for Peaceville. Featuring the extraordinary voice and poetic lyrics of Mikael Akerfeldt, Still Life‘s moods range from brutal passages of extreme metal to predominantly acoustic passages and prog. Limited edition double-picture disc vinyl pressing.
P.S. Eliot – Living In Squalor 12” (Salinas)
Living In Squalor features some of P.S. Eliot’s most aggressive material, and was previously released on a limited run of 7”s in 2010.
Question Mark And The Mysterians – 96 Tears [Reissue/1966] LP (Real Gone Music)
ailing from Saginaw, Michigan, this group of Mexican-American teenagers had all the bona-fides collectors of ‘60s cool cherish—the name, derived from a Japanese horror film; the sound, an insistent, three chord beat powered by that unmistakable Vox organ tone; and, of course, the sunglasses-shod Question Mark himself, who claims to have been born on Mars and lived among the dinosaurs in a past life. Orange vinyl pressing mastered at 45rpm.
Rihanna – Music Of The Sun [2005] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Rihanna – Rated R [2009] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Rihanna – Loud [2010] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Rihanna – Talk That Talk [2011] LP (Def Jam)
Rihanna – Unapologetic [2012] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Five of Rihanna’s studio albums are available on vinyl individually (all were previously collected in her discography-spanning 15xLP vinyl box set released last December).
Elliott Smith – XO [Reissue/1998] LP (Geffen/UMe)
Elliott Smith – Figure 8 [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (Geffen/UMe)
140gm vinyl reissues of Elliott Smith’s fourth and fifth albums.
Soundtrack – Gimme Danger: The Story Of The Stooges LP (Rhino)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 14 tracks from Jim Jarmusch’s Stooges documentary — two from Iggy’s pre-Stooges combos The Iguanas, & The Prime Movers, a selection of songs from The Stooges two Warner Music Group albums, including some outtake tracks, plus three tracks from the Iggy & The Stooges Raw Power album (again, including outtakes), plus a classic from their big brothers in the MC5.
STRFKR – Vault Vol. 1 LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
A collection of rare, previously unreleased songs that up until now have never been heard by anyone except STRFKR. Some of these songs were written for STRFKR albums, some were written before or in-between, but they all played a role and influenced what was released under that name. Red color vinyl pressing.
Syd – Fin LP (Sony)
Fin is the first solo album from The Internet frontwoman and producer Syd. The album features production from Melo X (Lemonade), Hit Boy, Haze, and Rahki, and is full of dark R&B bravado anchored by Syd’s smooth-as-silk voice.
Adam Torres – I Came To Sing The Song 12” (Fat Possum)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Follow-up EP to the critically acclaimed 2016 debut Pearls To Swine which was included in NPR’s Bob Boilen’s Top 10 Albums of The Year. “Upon pressing play, your heart will be stirred, and you may begin to picture tumbleweeds blowing in your midst.”—Stereogum
Ralph Towner – Solstice [Reissue/1975] LP (ECM)
Solstice, recorded in 1974, belongs to the great early production projects of ECM, with a new band formed in the studio. It’s the first of Ralph Towner’s recorded encounters with the European players, and this US-Norwegian-German quartet has a character all its own. Ralph’s synthesis of classical guitar technique and jazz improvisational skills inspired all participants.
Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale [Reissue/1974] LP (Motown)
Stevie Wonder – Hotter Than July [Reissue/1980] LP (Motown)
Directly from Stevie Wonder’s string of classic albums, FFF, originally released in 1974, was the follow-up to Innvervisions. It was a No. 1 hit for several weeks, led by the No. 1 single “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” and “Boogie On Reggae Woman.” Following the nearly all-instrumental “detour album,” Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, Hotter Than July was a return to classic form. Released in fall 1980 It was a top 3 pop album and No. 1 R&B for more than three months, led by the hit singles “Master Blaster (Jammin’),” “Lately” and “I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It,” and the now-classic album cut, “Happy Birthday,” a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
Woods Of Ypres – Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light [2012] LP (Earache)
Vinyl reissue of the 2012 release from the Canadian metal outfit.
X-Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents [Reissue/1978] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited “radioactive green” vinyl reissue of one of the signature albums of the early British punk movement.
Zucchero – Black Cat LP (Wrasse)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Zucchero is one of the best-selling Italian artists worldwide and a Grammy nominee. His new album, Black Cat, was produced by T-Bone Burnett, Brenden O’Brien and Don Was, and includes collaborations with Bono and Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits). The first single, “Turn The World Down”, was written by Elvis Costello.
Cassettes:
Father John Misty – Pure Comedy (Sub Pop)
Father John Misty is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Josh Tillman. Tillman has released two widely acclaimed albums – Fear Fun (2012) and I Love You, Honeybear (2015) – and the recent “Real Love Baby” single as Father John Misty, and recently contributed to songs by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Kid Cudi. Pure Comedy, his third album, is a complex, often sardonic, and, equally often, touching meditation on the confounding folly of modern humanity.
Future Islands – The Far Field (4AD)
With string and horn arrangements by Patrick McMinn, The Far Field is the first Future Islands record to feature live drums by Michael Lowry, who joined the band prior to their sensational performance of “Seasons (Waiting On You)” on David Letterman’s late night TV show. Blondie’s Debbie Harry also makes a guest appearance, in a duet with Herring on penultimate track “Shadows.”
White Reaper – The World’s Best American Band (Polyvinyl)
Boasting textured melodies, layered guitars and more seasoned lyrics, The World’s Best American Band finds Louisville, KY’s White Reaper busting out of the basement sound established on their previous full length (2015’s White Reaper Does It Again) and setting their sights on the arena.
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