CDs + Vinyl:
Alestorm – No Grave But The Sea CD/LP (Napalm)
The heavy metal pirates are back with their fifth full length album of epic modern symphonic folk metal anthems. [CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe media book edition features the bonus disc No Grave But The Sea For Dogs.]
Sam Amidon – The Following Mountain CD (Nonesuch)
New solo album by experimental folk artist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. The Following Mountain represents a new approach for Amidon, who shifts here from his previous norm of re-working traditional folk songs and presents nine wholly original compositions, with some lyrics drawing on traditional sources. The album also features a rare guest appearance by drummer Milford Graves, known initially for his work in the 1960s with free jazz legends Albert Ayler and Sonny Sharrock.
Aquaserge – Laisse ça être CD/LP (Crammed Discs)
Coded messages, anadiplosis and automatic writing, dance music grooves peppered with rhythmical and metrical twists, shades of Italian or French film music, a dense political and poetic subtext: such are the ingredients of Laisse ça être, the new album by brilliant experimental pop band Aquaserge. The group has been a subterranean driving force in the international music scene.
Ólafur Arnalds – Broadchurch: The Final Chapter CD (Mercury Classics)
BAFTA-winning composer Ólafur Arnalds returns for the third and final season with another soundtrack of evocative and atmospheric music, deemed crucial by fans and critics alike to this poignant series. [Vinyl edition due June 30.]
Bad Company – Run With The Pack [Reissue/1976] 2xCD/2xLP (Atlantic)
Bad Company – Burnin’ Sky [Reissue/1977] 2xCD/2xLP (Atlantic)
Digitally remastered and expanded editions. The bonus disc bonus disc for Burnin’ Sky features unreleased versions of nearly every song on the album, including alternative takes and mixes of “Man Needs A Woman” and “Morning Sun,” plus the full version of “Too Bad.” The session tapes also unearthed “Unfinished Story,” a song that was completed, but never released. The bonus disc for Run With The Pack includes unreleased early mixes for “Honey Child” and “Simple Man,” as well as an extended version of the title track. There’s also the previously unreleased “Let There Be Love,” an outtake from the recording sessions. In fact, the acoustic version of “Do Right By Your Woman,” previously only available as the B-side of the single release of “Run With The Pack,” is the only song on the bonus disc that has ever been previously released.
Bobby Bare – Things Change CD (BFD)
Country Music Hall of Famer and Grammy award-winner Bobby Bare releases his first album in five years. Things Change features 10 tracks written by Bare, Mary Gauthier, Guy Clark and the producer of the project, hit singer-songwriter Max T. Barnes. It also features a collaboration with Chris Stapleton. “This is a special collection of songs to me, not just another record, said Bobby Bare. “Great songs from Mary Gauthier, a song I co-wrote with Guy Clark that turned out to be his last and a song that my buddy Hoyt Axton inspired me to write called ‘Things Change.’ That’s the title of the album and the first single. Things do change but my love for songwriters and the fans never, ever will!”
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [Reissue/1967] CD/2xCD/4xCD+DVD+Blu-ray (Capitol)
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Beatles landmark album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band has been remixed and remastered by George Martin and repackaged in a variety of configurations for the collector, including: a standard single-CD featuring George Martin’s new stereo mix; an expanded Deluxe double-disc CD featuring 18 unreleased alternate takes of the album’s 13 songs (the double-vinyl edition includes 13 of these bonus tracks), all newly mixed in stereo; and a Super Deluxe six-disc box set edition containing over 100 minutes of Sgt. Pepper sessions on discs two and three and, on the fourth CD, the original 1967 mono mix of the album and bonus tracks including three previously unreleased mixes. The accompanying Blu-ray and DVD discs feature the fully restored 1992 documentary The Making Of Sgt. Pepper, including interviews with Paul, George and Ringo and fascinating in-the-studio footage introduced by George Martin. Restored promotional films for “A Day In The Life,” “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane” are also included, as well as hi-res 5.1 surround mixes and a 144-page hardback book.
Bonsoir, Catin – L’Aurore CD (Valcour)
Since Bonsoir, Catin from Lafayette, Louisiana, burst upon the folk music scene in 2005, they have been rocking Louisiana dancehalls and festivals. Their fresh Cajun sound is a unique blend of ancient ballads, dancehall era gems, swamp pop stylings, and rock ‘n’ roll blues.
Bubblemath – Edit Peptide CD (Cuneiform)
Fifteen years in the making, Minnesota eclectic prog/avant-pop/art-math quintet Bubblemath’s sophmore sequence provides a worthwhile wait with its non-formulaic formula of lively textures, wacky and virtuosic musicianship, hypnotically robust vocals and charmingly astute attitude. Blending in-your-face intricacy with eccentric experimentation, dense and poppy harmonies, symphonic vibrancy and tongue-in-cheek foundation, Bubblemath are clever and musically intricate, but despite their loyal adherence to high information-density compositional constructs, they make serious and seriously quirky music that doesn’t take itself too seriously and allows the fun to shine through.
BULLETheight – No Atonement CD/LP (Century Media)
BULLETheight is an electronic melodic rock duo based in Berlin.
Cende – #1 Hit Single CD/LP+MP3 (Double Double Whammy)
Expanding on the catchy, power-pop songs of their debut EP, Cende’s first full-length album, #1 Hit Single, sees the band experimenting with more varied instrumentation and detailed production. The end result is a compact and emotional batch of songs that draw influence from personal relationships, bizarre dreams, and the experiences surrounding the members’ lives during three years of living downstairs in a creative and chaotic DIY space. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
The Charlatans – Different Days CD/LP (The End)
For this new album, the core quartet of vocalist Tim Burgess, bassist Martin Blunt, guitarist Mark Collins and keyboard player Tony Rogers, opened their doors to allow an enviable cast of friends to contribute to their latest work. Initially, this happened out of necessity: following the passing of founding drummer Jon Brookes in 2013. So the first call went to Pete Salisbury, the former Verve drummer. Anton Newcombe from Brian Jonestown Massacre was sent an early version of “Not Forgotten” and had sent back some thoughts within 15 minutes. The admiration for the bands’ new ideas continued, Johnny Marr dropped by for an hour but stayed for five and features on three songs including lead single “Plastic Machinery.” Similarly, Stephen Morris, of New Order, who briefly helped out on Modern Nature, extended his role on this album to seven tracks of drumming and programming. Both Ian Rankin and Kurt Wagner offer spoken word contributions. As the spirit of collaboration prospered, Burgess fast-tracked a long-discussed team-up with Paul Weller, the expansive, album finale “Spinning Out.”
College – Shanghai CD/2xLP+MP3 (Lakeshore)
College returns with its third full length album, a rich, glowing and nostalgic synth-based offering reminiscent of 2010’s “A Real Hero” (which was featured on the Drive soundtrack), but at the same time explores a unique and conceptual world. On Shanghai, College’s textural and atmospheric work gains a new dimension.
Comity – A Long, Eternal Fall CD (Translation Loss)
The French outfit deliver some of the most raucous math rock, noise rock, and tech metal on their fourth album.
Crescent – Resin Pockets CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Resin Pockets, the first album from Crescent in ten years, and nestles beautifully into a long history of visionary outsider English pop craft in the same vein as the isle’s solitary voices, all singing against the grain: the playfulness of Kevin Ayers; the grace of Vashti Bunyan; the rhapsody of Robert Wyatt; the melancholy of Epic Soundtracks; the revelations of Bill Fay.
Current Swell – When To Talk And When To Listen CD/LP (Nettwerk)
New album from the hard-working Canadian rock quartet. Like all good rock ‘n’ roll should, When To Talk And When To Listen touches on all facets of the human condition, from the heartbreak and spurned love of first single “It Ain’t Right” to songs about the loss of parents that form the emotional core of the album.
Danzig – Black Laden Crown CD (Nuclear Blast)
Following on his historic reunion with the classic Misfits lineup attended by record numbers at last year’s Riot Fest in Denver and Chicago as well as the recent confirmation of a headlining set at this year’s Blackest Of The Black festival, Glenn Danzig releases his first Danzig album of all new material since 2010’s widely acclaimed Deth Red Sabaoth. In a 2015 interview with Noisey, Glenn Danzig was asked what it is that keeps him coming back to the creative well. He responded: “It’s so many different things. There’s always stuff to write about, but I think that the whole punk thing helped a lot. If it gets boring, change it, fix it, make it exciting, make it relevant again, and that’s what I did without sacrificing the music.” [Vinyl edition due June 30.]
Justin Townes Earle – Kids In The Street CD/LP (New West)
Kids In The Street marks a decade into Earle’s recording career and follows his acclaimed companion albums Single Mothers (2014) and Absent Fathers (2015). The deeply soulful set is both emotionally riveting and effortlessly uplifting. Now embracing sobriety, marriage, and impending fatherhood, Earle is enthusiastically looking to the future. “Life has changed a lot for me in the last few years,” Earle reflects. “I got married and am getting ready to become a father, and this is the first record that I’ve written since I’ve been married. There’s definitely an uplifting aspect to this record in a lot of ways, because I’m feeling pretty positive. When I wrote songs in the past, I was looking in on what I was feeling, but this record’s more about looking outward on what’s happening, and writing about subjects like gentrification and inner-city strife. This record also has more of a soul influence to it, and it’s got a deeper connection to the blues than anything I’ve done before.”
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Works Volume 1 [Reissue/1977] CD/2xLP (BMG Rights Management)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Works Volume 2 [Reissue/1977] CD/2xLP (BMG Rights Management)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Love Beach [Reissue/1978] CD/2xLP (BMG Rights Management)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer were one of the most successful, innovative and ground-breaking British groups of the golden age of progressive rock, as well as creating spectacular live shows that incorporated advanced technology and showmanship. ELP’s fifth, sixth, and seventh albums are the latest in their ongoing remastered reissue campaign.
Hazel English – Just Give In/Never Going Home CD (Polyvinyl)
Hazel English is a 25-year-old Oakland-based artist who makes beautifully blurry indie-pop music powered by transcendent melodies and caked in layers of Californian sunshine and redolent reverb. [Vinyl edition due June 9.]
Free Throw – Bear Your Mind CD/LP (Triple Crown)
Nashville’s Free Throw has never abandoned the basement grit that characterized their DIY beginnings combining a sound of raw unfiltered energy, anthemic songs with bold choruses ready for a sing-along. “Free Throw’s unpretentious callback to the emo and screamo they grew up on, along with their affinity for pop culture, has helped broaden their reach well beyond the confines of Nashville.” – Noisey
Frenzal Rhomb – Hi-Vis Hi Tea CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
After two and half decades, eight studio albums, and their recent greatest hits record We Lived Like Kings; it is safe to say Frenzal Rhomb are Australian punk royalty. For Hi-Vis High Tea, Frenzal Rhomb pulled out all the stops, and returned to the unswerving Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at the Blasting Room to create 20 blistering tracks clocking in at just over 30 minutes.
Bill Frisell/Morgan Thomas – Small Town CD (ECM)
Small Town presents guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan in a program of duets, the poetic chemistry of their playing captured live at New York’s hallowed Village Vanguard. [Vinyl edition due July 21.]
The Grateful Dead – Long Strange Trip: The Story Of The Grateful Dead [OST] 2xCD (Rhino)
Long Strange Trip is an unprecedented four-hour documentary about The Grateful Dead from executive producer Martin Scorsese and director Amir Bar-Lev. It probes the creative forces, subversive ambitions, and interpersonal dynamics that drove The Grateful Dead in their 30-year career. The first biographical film authorized and supported by the band, LST includes never-before-seen archival footage (of performances, backstage, and home movies) as well as new interviews with band members and cultural critics.
The Great Harry Hillman – Tilt CD (Cuneiform)
A Swiss quartet dressed to go jogging in the 1980s, the Great Harry Hillman (derived from a triple-gold medal winner in the 1904 Olympics), makes music that’s much more serious than either their attire or name suggests. Nils Fischer (reeds), David Koch (guitar/effects), Samuel Huwyler (bass) and Dominick Mahnig (drums) built a bridge between Deerhoof and Sonic Youth, and Kneebody and Gutbucket. And like Gutbucket, this eight-year-old band is now part of the Cuneiform Records family.
Louis Hayes – Serenade For Horace CD (Blue Note)
Legendary drummer Louis Hayes makes his Blue Note-debut with a tribute album to the great pianist and bandleader, Horace Silver.
Wizz Jones, Pete Berryman & Simeon Jones – Come What May CD (Riverboat)
Come What May is the result of three musicians who have nothing to prove, getting together for a few days and playing assuredly on a few songs and tunes they all love. It’s rhythmic, melodic and relaxed, sometimes foot-tapping sometimes almost delicate.
The Junction – City Nights CD/LP (Culvert)
“‘City Nights is the perspective and self-reflection on nightlife,’ lead singer Brent Jackson tells Exclaim! ‘What is put into the party and what the party puts into you. Its ingredients are loss, detachment, world-weariness, substance abuse, apathy. But it also takes on love, empathy, and a general desire to change for the better and keep hope for the human condition.’ The album starts off on a misleadingly titled high note with ‘Rock Bottom,’ taking listeners on a spacey, groove-infused trek. From there, they get existential on cuts like ‘Who Am I,’ ‘Changes’ and ‘Do You Know Who You Are’ before bringing the record to a dramatic close on the dreamy, free-floating title track.” – Exclaim!
Kash’d Out – The Hookup CD (Law)
Armed with knowledge, experience and true passion for what they do, Kash’d Out’s focus is to put out positive energy through catchy tunes, to help the continued growth of our flourishing reggae/rock community.
Lil Yachty – Teenage Emotions CD (Quality Control Music, LLC)
Teenage Emotions merges Lil Yachty s signature gleeful sing-rap and auto-tuned transmissions with hip hop bombast, pop and eighties cultural touchstones. The 19-year-old Atlanta native is proudly genre-defying, mining hip-hop, alternative, indie sounds as well as his hometown Atlanta trap DNA to solidify his mosaic approach. The album features collaborations with Migos, YG, Kamaiyah, Diplo, Grace, Evander Griim and Stefflon Don. Producers include WondaGurl, Earl The Pearl, Burberry Perry, Digital Nas, K Swisha, Southside, 30 Roc and others.
Logic – Everybody CD (Def Jam)
“Logic has returned with what may be his most impressive and ambitious long player to date, Everybody. The album features fellow spitters Black Thought, Chuck D, Killer Mike, Juicy J and vocalists Alessia Cara, Khalid, Lucy Rose, Ansel Elgort, and Damian Lemar Hudson, as well as recurring appearances from Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tackling the topic of race and his own internal struggle with being biracial, Logic turns in an album that is filled with gems, like an exclusive J. Cole verse on ‘AfricAryaN,’ that keeps listeners on their toes.” – XXL
Moonchild – Voyager CD/2xLP (Tru Thoughts)
Voyager is the third album from the LA-based trio Moonchild – whose candid style of soul and new-school jazz has propelled them onto a swirling, emotionally charged journey of the heart.
Mumpbeak – Tooth CD (RareNoise)
Mumpbeak again conjures up memories of vintage King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gentle Giant and other prog-rock pioneers on new album Tooth. [Vinyl edition due June 9.]
Jaco Pastorius – Truth, Liberty & Soul – Live In NYC: The Complete 1982 NPR Jazz Alive! Recording 2xCD (Resonance)
This archive release captures the iconic bass innovator leading a 22-piece big band on June 27, 1982 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City as part of George Wein’s Kool Jazz Festival. Featuring a congregation of the top jazz musicians on the New York scene at the time such as Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, Frank Wess, Lew Soloff, Howard Johnson and others, along with the legendary harmonica player Toots Thielemans as a special guest.
Pet Symmetry – Vision CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Pet Symmetry is a power-pop power trio consisting of Evan Weiss, Erik Czaja, and Marcus Nuccio. Czaja and Nuccio are both founding members of Dowsing, a still-active Chicago-based group that has released three albums, two on regional powerhouse Count Your Lucky Stars and its most recent on seminal punk label Asian Man (who also released Pet Symmetry’s first album). Weiss rose to prominence as Into It. Over It., a solo recording project that morphed into a full band.
Querecus – Nightfall CD (ECM)
Folk, jazz and chamber music become one in Quercus’s world, where re-contextualizing of material is part of the process, prompting listeners to pay heightened attention even to familiar songs.
Martin Rev – Demolition 9 CD/LP (Atlas Réalisations)
Demolition 9 is New York electronic music pioneer Martin Rev’s ninth solo album, and first new material since 2009. Comprised of 34 wildly divergent vignettes — only one of which reaches three minutes in length — he describes it as autobiographical “yearning for joy and the unattainable perfection of the artistic ideal.” From violent percussion experiments to neo-classical reveries to noir-sleaze abstractions and beyond, Demolition 9 offers a radically non-linear spelunk through the dreams and distractions of one of the 20th century’s most influential sonic iconoclasts.
Jamie Saft/Steve Swallow/Bobby Previt with Iggy Pop – Loneliness Road CD (RareNoise)
Over a career now spanning nearly thirty years, Jamie Saft has established himself as one of the visionaries of contemporary American music. As a composer, pianist and keyboard innovator, and collaborator of music icons such as Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, the B-52s, Donovan, John Adams and John Zorn, he has been fearless in his pursuit of spiritual elevation through music that both seeks to embrace the whole American canon, and also transcend it, by seamlessly assimilating genres, traditions, idioms and timelines. [Vinyl edition due September 8.]
Shaggy 2 Dope – F.T.F.O.M.F. CD (Psychopathic)
New solo release from Insane Clown Posse founding member. Packed with dope beats courtesy of Psychopathic Records’ own DJ Clay, F.T.F.O.M.F. is Motor City hip-hop as only a founder of
ICP could deliver – a high octane collision of old school and contemporary beats mixed with Shaggy 2 Dope’s trademarked energetic rhyme flows.
Mishka Shubaly – How To Make A Bad Situation Worse CD/LP (Invisible Hands)
Ever contemplate suicide at Happy Hour? Do you laugh at alcoholic despair? Then this ray of bright black sunshine is for you.
Sólstafir – Berdreyminn CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
“I admire Sólstafir. For a band that has rarely deviated from the sound that they have found best categorizes them, they are a band that has rarely set a foot wrong. There’s something about that fusion of post-rock sound with their own atmospheric and darker elements – like the love child of Muse or Queens of the Stone Age with Katatonia – that just breathes along with the listener. While not ones to deviate from the recipe that has worked for them for so long, their latest album Berdreyminn takes that sound that fans know and loves, and pushes it to the next level” – Metal Wani. [CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe digibox Includes two bonus tracks, an expanded booklet, earplugs with Sólstafir storing pouch, a pin and a patch.]
Joss Stone – The Soul Sessions [Reissue/2003] LP (Virgin)
The Soul Sessions is the debut studio album by English singer & songwriter Joss Stone, released 2003. The album consists of cover versions of soul songs from the 1960s & 1970s, in addition to a cover of The White Stripes’ 2001 song “Fell On Love With A Girl.”
Suffering Hour – In Passing Ascension CD/LP (Blood Harvest)
Theirs is a death metal that defies most modern paradigms, safely eluding prevailing trends whilst driving deep into the heart of timeless death metal art, evoking mysticism as surely as molten crush, songwriting class as surely as hideous chaos, with a serpentine flow like no other.
Swarming Branch – Surreal Number CD/LP (Sofaburn)
For Swarming Branch’s new LP, the group has temporarily suspended some of its formal experimentation to create a straightforward collection of ten songs. Over Lon Leary’s spare yet danceable drumming, we hear folk songs that move beyond the boundaries of four-chord strum, brief yet satisfying references to early-‘70s British glam rock, and quite a bit of improvisation. RIYL: Cate Le Bon, White Fence, Steely Dan, The Velvet Underground, T. Rex.
Ron Thal – Hermit [Reissue/1997] CD/2xLP (Shrapnel)
Guitar Wizard Ron ”Bumblefoot” Thal has been prolifically shredding for more than two decades. In a career that has brought his six-string prowess to millions, both as a solo artist and a longtime member of Guns N’ Roses, it was his first two Shrapnel Records era releases, when he was still known simply as Ron Thal, that quickly solidified his epic status. Now comes the first-ever vinyl release of the debut album The Adventures Of Bumblefoot, along with a newly remixed and remastered version of his second album Hermit on CD and vinyl.
Thunder Dreamer – Capture CD (6131)
Located on an oxbow in the winding Ohio River, Evansville, IN doesn’t immediately spring to mind as a musical center the way New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C., or Austin does, nor was it the birthplace of a specific scene like Chapel Hill, Omaha, or Athens. But for the members of Thunder Dreamer, the city has imbued them with a fierce Midwestern work ethic alongside this sense of Midwestern pragmatism, a steely resolve to put down their heads in dogged pursuit of their dreams. And in this artistic isolation, the band creates expansive, evocative rock music with melodies as sinuous as the river that runs past their hometown. Singer-guitarist Steven Hamilton writes of struggle, heartbreak, destructive tendencies, family, and the inherent selfishness of mankind across the eight heartfelt, searching songs on the band’s new album, Capture. [Vinyl and cassette editions due June 9.]
Vandoliers – The Native CD/LP (State Fair)
An alt-country band with punk roots, Vandoliers formed in 2015, bringing together a group of Dallas-Fort Worth musicians led by frontman Joshua Fleming. Fiercely proud of their homeland, Vandoliers put their own spin on the Texas country tradition.
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents: Cuba! Cuba! CD (Putumayo World Music)
A captivating collection of Cuban classic and contemporary songs that will have you dancing the night away.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Jug Blues CD (World Music Network)
The original jug bands had their origins in the 1890s amongst African-Americans, and were then known as ‘spasm bands’. This ‘do it yourself’ approach to their instrument-making gained immense popularity in America during the 1920s and early 1930s, and became closely linked to the development of the blues. This collection goes to show how during its heyday this not-often-talked-about genre was a highly influential and most vibrant of musical styles in the history of the blues.
Various Artists – Winston Riley’s Rock Steady & Early Reggae 1968-1969 CD/LP (Dubstore)
Winston Riley started his production career as a singer with an enviable track record, having formed the Techniques in 1962 and hitting the top of the charts two years later with the splendid “Little Did You Know” for Duke Reid’s esteemed Treasure Isle label. When the frantic ska beat slowed down and turned into rocksteady Winston remained the only permanent component of the Techniques, arguably Jamaica’s finest vocal group. As the beat changed yet again from rock steady to the faster reggae format, Winston’s thoughts turned to production, and he decided to create his own Techniques label. A serious man with a serious work ethic, the quality of his music was apparent from the start as he released hit after hit, producing and singing as part of the different combinations of singers and vocal groups that he worked with.
The Wedding Present – Home Internationals EP CDEP (Primavera Sound)
The Wedding Present release a four track instrumental EP. “Wales” is taken from The Wedding Present’s recent and critically acclaimed album Going, Going… while the other three tracks have been specially written and recorded for the new release.
White Nails – First Trip CD (Magnetic Eye)
Hailing from Qubec, White Nails delivers a brand of no-nonsense hard rock, complete with infectious riffs.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
The Rolling Stones – Olé Olé Olé! A Trip Across Latin America DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Olé Olé Olé! A Trip Across Latin America follows The Rolling Stones on their 2016 tour through ten Latin America cities whilst at the same time trying to stage their first ever concert in Havana, Cuba. 155 minutes.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
14 Iced Bears – 14 Iced Bears [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Optic Nerve)
14 Iced Bears – Wonder [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (Optic Nerve)
The 14 Iced Bears formed within a vibrant indie scene in Brighton in 1985 by Robert Sekula and drummer Nick Emery, with a punky, DIY pop ethic that held melody as key and technical expertise as less of an issue. They wrote catchy pop songs, recorded with a ramshackle charm that reflected their passion for ’60s garage and psychedelia. Inspired by bands like The Byrds, and Velvet Underground this set them apart from their C86 contemporaries. Limited color vinyl reissues.
Tony Allen – A Tribute To Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers 10” (Blue Note)
Those who’ve studied Tony Allen’s distinctive drumming style often cite Art Blakey as an influence, so it’s little surprise to find him paying tribute to the legendary jazz drummer on this superb album. Joined by his regular band, Allen covers a quartet of tracks written and recorded by Blakey and his band, the Jazz Messengers. The results are predictably impressive, with Allen’s loose and polyrhythmic percussion providing a rock-solid foundation for the horns, piano and double bass that sits atop. It’s naturally closer to all-out jazz than to Afrobeat, but still bristles with the kind of punchy horns and life-affirming playing that characterizes Allen’s work.
Below – Upon A Pale Horse LP (Metal Blade)
New album from the Swedish epic doom metallers. [CD edition due June 9.]
Big French – Stone Fish LP (Wharf Cat)
Big French have returned with a 16-track sophomore full-length that sees bandleader Quentin Moore’s energetic bursts of post-punk composition transformed by boutique, reel-to-reel production to fantastic ends, filtering established pop sensibilities through eclectic idioms of free-expression.
Big Star – Complete Third: Volume 3: Final Masters 2xLP+MP3 (Omnivore)
Complete Third: Volume 3: Final Masters contains every released master recording from all officially released versions of the original Third on three sides of vinyl. As an added bonus, the CD boxed set’s hidden track (a previously unissued strings/vocals-only mix of “Thank You Friends”) takes its place on a specially etched D-side.
Dave Catching – Shared Hallucinations Pt.1: Sonic Salutations From The Venerable Vaults of Rancho de la Luna 1972-1984 LP (Dine Alone)
As an original member of Queens Of The Stone Age, founder of stoner-rock band Earthlings? and current guitarist of Eagles Of Death Metal, Dave Catching – owner and resident of famed Joshua Tree, CA recording studio Rancho de la Luna – is lucky to call the most talented people in the industry friends. Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop and PJ Harvey have all recorded at Rancho, as well as others too numerous to list. So it makes sense that Catching would be inspired to collaborate there with some of his most talented friends for his solo debut.
The Chainsmokers – Memories…Do Not Open LP (Sony)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.
Suzanne Ciani – Lixiviation – Ciani / Musica Inc. 1969-1985 LP (Finders Keepers)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 16-track collection of unexposed electronic experiments from the American-Italian composer.
DragonForce – Reaching Into Infinity 2xLP (Metal Blade)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Reaching Into Infinity continues where DragonForce left off with Maximum Overload, the band’s faster material becoming even faster still, while the melodic parts head even further in that particular direction.
The Durutti Column – Domo Arigato V2.0 [Reissue/1985] 2xLP+7” (Factory Benelux)
An expanded vinyl edition of the acclaimed live album by Manchester ensemble The Durutti Column, recorded in Tokyo in April 1985. Domo Arigato followed on the heels of ambitious ‘modern classical’ album Without Mercy a year earlier, and saw composer/guitarist Vini Reilly and percussionist Bruce Mitchell augmented by John Metcalfe on viola and Tim Kellet on trumpet.
Earth Wind & Fire – Spirit [Reissue/1976] LP (Speaker’s Corner)
The wise saying “spiritus ubi vult spirat” (the spirit blows where it wills) is interpreted by Earth, Wind & Fire with impressive clarity on this 1976 LP. Gentle sounds and modest gestures are foreign to the colorful Afro group, who in their live performances welded together ancient Egyptian Pharaonic mysticism with urban street life. That this Spirit, which is found in the album title and blows all the way through it, was guaranteed not only by the exuberant wind section in the group’s early years. With regard to rhythm, too, the band rolls out almost everything to pave the floor with powerful disco patterns, not forgetting the elegant and finely controlled falsetto, which adds further pep. Out of all this came the highly cultivated and expressive vocals as in “Imagine,” carefully balanced ballads (“Burnin’ Bush”), as well as a powerful sound that is so good for dancing to, as in the memorable number “Saturday Nite.”
E.S.G. – Step Off [Reissue/2002] LP+MP3 (Fire America)
Limited pink vinyl color vinyl LP pressing of this 2002 release. Pumping their way out of the South Bronx of New York in the early ‘80s, this rhythm and dance-punk outfit made unforgettable funk that was also unusually rooted in post-punk. This is band-approved reissue of Step Off includes artwork from award nominated illustrator Hannah Alice, who recently gained critical praise for her work on the Bert Jansch reissue of Avocet. [CD reissue courtesy of Soul Jazz due June 16.]
Fleetwood Mac – Mirage [Reissue/1982] LP (Reprise)
Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night [Reissue/1987] LP (Reprise)
Digitally remastered 180gm editions. The 13th studio album by Fleetwood Mac, released in June 1982, found the band venturing further into radio-friendly soft rock than it had in any of its previous incarnations. The band returned five years later with Tango In The Night which currently stands as the final studio album released by the quintet of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks.
Galley Beggar – Heathen Hymns LP (Rise Above)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. To reduce Galley Beggar’s allure down to a simple matter of folk rock revivalism would be foolish. With a sound that incorporates all manner of unexpected elements while always celebrating the mischievous spirit of folk music across the centuries, these Kentish chameleons have been steadily earning a formidable reputation since forming back in 2009. [Limited purple vinyl pressing also available.]
Goatmoon – Stella Polaris LP (Werewolf)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Goatmoon is a Finnish romantic black metal band founded in 2002 in Helsinki by BlackGoat Gravedesecrator.
Cameron Graves – Planetary Prince LP (Mack Avenue)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Cameron Graves is a musical genius. He has an innovative approach to the piano that is completely unique. Cameron’s new album Planetary Prince is an amazing and almost unbelievable combination of modal jazz, romantic era European classical music, and mathematical death metal. A style so cool that it deserves its own genre. Cameron’s music has been inspiring me since I was thirteen years old and it still does today! I’m so glad he’s sharing it with the world!” — Kamasi Washington.
Murray Head – Say It Ain’t So [Reissue/1975] LP (Culture Factory)
Say It Ain’t So is the second studio album by Murray Head, who was previously known for having played with Yes, Detective and Badfinger as well as with David Bowie. 180gm vinyl reissue.
Hellsingland Underground – Hellsingland Underground [2008] LP (Wild Kingdom)
Digitally remastered, first-time vinyl edition of the classic 2008 debut album from Hellsingland Underground. The band quickly drew a lot of fans and attention from fans of both classic rock, southern rock, and country fans from around the world.
Ides Of Gemini – Woman LP+MP3 (Rise Above)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Limited purple color pressing also available. “Dominated by the haunting, high-rising vocals of Sera Timms, Ides Of Gemini appear to be a good match for Lee Dorrain’s Rise Above Records. Dorrain’s knack for signing up-and-coming female-fronted bands notwithstanding (The Oath and Purson instantly come to mind), Ides of Gemini’s psychedelic genre-bending shows they are capable of squeezing through whatever corridor is left of ‘70s haze rock and primal doom. On their third and subsequent best album, Women, Ides Of Gemini have attained the measure of consistency they were threatening everyone with on their previous efforts. As indicated by its album and song titles, each song here is about a woman, whether mythological or real, with Ides even coming up with the stroke of genius to allow the fantastic Emma Ruth Rundle to appear on ‘She Has A Secret.’ Such things all lead into what is Ides Of Gemini’s most convincing expression to date, an album without boundaries, easily capable of drawing anyone in.” – Dead Rhetoric
Incantation – Primordial Domination [Reissue/2006 LP (Hell’s Headbangers)
Long heralded as one of the heaviest, sickest and most uncompromising death metal bands in the world, New Jersey’s Incantation has forged a legacy of brutality unmatched by any other American group. The band’s cornerstone 2006 album Primordial Domination is being reissued on vinyl in a gatefold cover with gold hot foil print and liner notes on a printed inner sleeve.
Incubus – 8 LP (Island)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Incubus’s first album in six years, 8 was co-produced by Dave Sardy (Slayer, Helmet, Trouble) and Sonny Moore, better known as Skrillex.
King – We Are King LP (King Music)
Released earlier this year on CD – now available on vinyl. Twins Paris and Amber Strother and musical sister Anita Bias are dream-pop trio King. In 2011, King independently released their debut EP to much acclaim – the songs made up the three-piece introduction to their carefully crafted sound. Fueled by word of mouth excitement and social media posts from supporters including Prince, Gilles Peterson, Erykah Badu, Solange, Nile Rodgers, Sam Sparro, Janelle Monae, Questlove and a host of others, their story and songs have spread wide and made new fans of many.
The Kooks – The Best Of… So Far 2xLP (Virgin EMI)
The Best Of…So Far marks the return of British Indie icons The Kooks. Celebrating over 10 years since their five-times platinum selling debut album Inside In/Inside Out, this 18 track album features the much loved “Naïve,” “She Moves In Her Own Way” and “Ooh La” as well as new singles “Be Who You Are” and “Broken Vow.”
The KVB – Fixation/White Walls 12” (Invada)
Like a hazily remembered dream, UK duo The KVB blend reverb-soaked shoegaze with minimalist electronic production to create their delicate and ephemeral sound.
John Mayer – The Search For Everything 2xLP+MP3 (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In his first release since Paradise Valley back in 2013, The Search For Everything (rolled out in a series of four “Waves”) sees John Mayer come back strong with several nods to his roots.
Mortician – Darkest Day Of Horror [2002] LP (Hell’s Headbangers)
Mortician’s 2002 album is available for the first time on vinyl. Heinous horror-lords Mortician reanimate the golden age of low-budget splatter here, hammering home gruesome anti-music. Darkest Day Of Horror is pure sonic zombification as terror-filled atmospheres, hyperspeed rhythms, subterranean blower bass and Neanderthal-like vocals annihilate with no concern for subtlety or musical nuance.
Mountaineer – Sirens & Slumber LP (Lifeforce)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. “Cranking up the level of melancholy to 11, we have Bay Area’s Mountaineer and their debut full-length release Sirens & Slumber. The band, formed by ex-Secrets of the Sky’s guitarist Clayton Bartholomew, continues to further develop their highly atmospheric sound by moving into Katatonia-esque territories. Delivering nine brilliant tracks, this is definitely one of the releases to get in 2017 if you are a fan of deeply melancholic music. Opening with the lush dreaminess of ‘Foam,’ the band sets a very ethereal mood, while following track ‘Coma Fever’ leads with ripping doom riffs and the contrasting vocals of Miguel Meza. The album continues with this lively pace on tracks like ‘Measured Breaths’ and ‘Womb,’ wrapping a ton of atmosphere around heavy doomy riffs.” – Infernal Masquerade
Roberto Nicolosi – L’Occhio Nel Labirinto [1972] LP (Four Files)
First ever official release for this unbelievable giallo score by Roberto Nicolosi, composed for the experimental thriller by Mario Caiano in 1972. Previously issued on the Fontana label in 1973 with the title Atmosfera, this is certainly one of most sought-after Italian jazz LPs.
Chris Potter – The Dreamer Is The Dream LP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For his third ECM release as a leader, Chris Potter presents a new acoustic quartet that naturally blends melodic rhapsody with rhythmic muscle. The group includes superlative musicians well known to followers of ECM’s many recordings from New York over the past decade: keyboardist David Virelles, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Marcus Gilmore, who each shine in addition to the leader on multiple horns.
Hugo Race/Michelangelo Russo – John Lee Hooker’s World Today LP+MP3 (Rough Velvet)
New collaboration between ex-Wreckery/Bad Seeds member Hugo Race and Italian artist/musician Michelangelo Russo, recorded in Berlin paying tribute to John Lee Hooker, delivered with an avant-garde/blues/electronic/ambient twist.
serpentwithfeet – Blisters LP (Tri Angle)
Given that he credits both Brandy and Bjork as inspirations, it’s not surprising that serpentwithfeet treads a fine line between emotive gospel and more left-of-center stylings. With his own gloriously outré personal style and penchant for the dramatic, it also makes sense that the music Josiah Wise makes would be so remarkably unclassifiable.
Sia – Some People Have Real Problems [2008] 2xLP (Monkey Puzzle/Hear Music)
First-time vinyl edition of the fourth studio album by the Australian singer.
Sóley – Endless Summer LP+MP3 (Morr Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Endless Summer sees the acclaimed musician from Iceland explore the more optimistic, sun-drenched corners of her songwriting. Comprised of eight songs, it is an album that’s grounded in fertile wisdom. Not just an ethereal dream of love and light, but a subtle, accumulative wisdom, a conscious choice to cling to vitality. One might say that one of Sóley’s signatures is the childlike wonder in her lyrics, and Endless Summer delivers the same wonder, but with a kind of reverence for it, for she’s no longer a wanderer in a nightmare, but an enchanted lover of mystery.
Sparks – No. 1 In Heaven [Reissue/1979] LP+CD (Repertoire)
Sparks – Terminal Jive [Reissue/1980] LP+CD (Repertoire)
Sparks – Angst In My Pants [Reissue/1982] LP+CD (Repertoire)
Limited 180gm color vinyl reissues. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael from Los Angeles, USA have been making diverse music since 1969 under various incarnations of Sparks. In 1979 they ditched the guitars and keyboards of glam geek rock and started working with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, beginning a love affair with electronic music.
Becca Stevens – Regina LP (Ground Up Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Stevens is a Brooklyn-based jazz composer with a background in Appalachian folk and classical guitar, and she stitches that eclectic background together with alarming precision. That’s to say nothing of a voice that tangles beauty with terror in a way that would give Shakespeare the shivers. ‘Queen Mab’ is the first single from Stevens’ new record Regina and she lifts the lyrics directly from the Shakespearean speech it is named after. Her musical treatment has all the ephemeral qualities a poem about a nymph of dreams should evoke. But rather than float into overly dainty territory, Stevens drops down into a grimy beat… then presses notes against each other–notes that feel like they want to soar, but are stuck in the sort of crunchy jazz chords that grasshopper wings might make if they tried to flutter under water. It all swells into a vocal round of Shakespearean verse that is as intoxicating and disorienting as the presence of Queen Mab herself. — NPR, Songs We Love
The Strollers – Tough Hits LP (Low Impact)
Formed in 1992 The Strollers quickly made a reputation of being one of the wildest and hardest garage rock acts in Scandinavia. They started playing small clubs in Örebro (Sweden) and soon they went to do festivals and toured most parts of Europe. But the wild living and internal fights took its toll and in 2001 the story was over. Or so everyone thought… The Strollers had a brief reunion in 2006. Now, many years later, the original lineup crawls back up from the grave. After a much-appreciated appearance at garage rock legend Jens Lindberg’s (The Maharajas) 50th birthday party the band has now decided to reform.
Harry Taussig & Max Ochs – The Music Of Harry Taussig & Max Ochs LP (Tompkins Square)
Album commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Contemporary Guitar Spring ’67 LP on Takoma Records, which featured Max Ochs, Harry Taussig, John Fahey, Bukka White and Robbie Basho.
Ron Thal – The Adventures Of Bumblefoot (And Other Tales Of Woe) [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Shrapnel)
Guitar Wizard Ron ”Bumblefoot” Thal has been prolifically shredding for more than two decades. In a career that has brought his six-string prowess to millions, both as a solo artist and a longtime member of Guns N’ Roses, it was his first two Shrapnel Records era releases, when he was still known simply as Ron Thal, that quickly solidified his epic status. Now comes the first-ever vinyl release of the debut album The Adventures Of Bumblefoot, along with a newly remixed and remastered version of his second album Hermit on CD and vinyl.
Umphrey’s McGee – ZONKEY LP (Nothing Too Fancy Music)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. Umphrey’s McGee has been arranging and performing original mashups live for over eight years. It was only a matter of when, not if, some of those innovative concoctions would find their way into a studio. And that when has arrived. ZONKEY is an album of 12 unique mashups, conceived, arranged and executed by the band. It is as seamless as it bizarre, playful as it is razor sharp. Bits and pieces of classic songs are culled from 40+ years of popular music from ‘70s reggae to ‘80s pop to ‘90s metal and everywhere in between. From Radiohead mashed with Beck, The Weekend with Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads with Bob Marley, Metallica with Gorillaz… nothing is off limits. “ZONKEY clearly pays homage to some of our favorite artists and songs. While we’ve tried to reproduce the spirit of the original compositions and recordings, we’ve also tried to have some fun with the structure as we’ve often combined seemingly dissimilar musical elements to create a new vibe altogether,” notes keyboardist Joel Cummins.
Underworld – Beaucoup Fish [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (UMe)
Following the success of the single “Born Slippy (NUXX)” from its use in the film Trainspotting, Beaucoup Fish was Underworld’s most anticipated release. It spawned several successful singles, including “Moaner.” “Push Upstairs” and “Jumbo” were both hits on the dance charts and in clubs. Beaucoup Fish was well-received critically (one review calling it “electronica’s The Dark Side Of The Moon) and remains Underworld’s most successful album.
Melvin VanPeebles – Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song [Reissue/1971] LP (Fantasy)
Performed by a then-unknown Earth Wind & Fire with contributions by Van Peebles, who also composed the soundtrack, the music is funky, slippery, gritty, and soulful. Featuring a combination of hymn-based vocalization and jazz rhythms, Van Peebles created a sound that foreshadowed the use of sampling in hip-hop music and captured the spirit of the time. Consistently hailed as a landmark, genre-defining album, MOJO Magazine recently rated Van Peebles’ eclectic, grooving opus #32 on their top 1000 Soundtracks of all time. This brand new vinyl edition features new in-depth liner notes.
Various Artists – Afrosonique, Vol. 1 LP (African Seven)
The ideal installment of a series of compilations bridging African tracks from the’70s and ’80s with the most talented artists of today into a remix and re-edit series. Compiled by veteran UK producer Tony Thorpe (Moody Boyz, KLF), one of the most important figures of the UK dance underground movement, the album brings together a rich ensemble of producers and artists from different genres and music scenes. From Warp’s long-time signee Plaid, DJ Food, top DJs John Talabot & Pional to broken beat legend IG Culture, the compilation promises to bring a modern twist to Africa’s most iconic tunes.
Various Artists – Rough Guide To Rare Cuban Groove LP+MP3 (World Music Network)
Quite a few compilations have mined the rich reserves of 1960s and 1970s post-revolution music from Cuba, with several concentrating on the areas of funk, jazz, disco and rare groove in general. Others have dug deep into the vaults in Miami, where a young generation of children of Cuban exiles created an exciting stew of rock, funk and Cuban styles. This collection aims to be different and digs deeper, serving as a rough guide to Cuban-flavored rarities made outside of the island in the post-Castro diaspora, by a mix of Cuban and non-Cuban musicians from yesteryear and today.
Suzanne Vega – Solitude Standing [Reissue/1987] LP (A&M)
Solitude Standing is the critically acclaimed sophomore album from Suzanne Vega. Released in 1987, it was a story of songs in which some of them had been written as far back as 1978. Singles like “Tom’s Diner” and “Luka” were major hits.
Violence To Fade – Unstoppable Force LP (Triple B)
Taking pointers from the reverb drenched sound of the late ‘80s NYHC scene, Violence To Fade bring to mind the classic styles of Killing Time, Rest In Pieces, and Sick Of It All.
Dinah Washington – At Newport ’58 LP (Vinyl Passion)
Dinah Washington skirted the boundaries of blues, jazz and popular music, becoming the most treasured black female recording artist of the ’50s along the way. This excellent recording from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island finds Dinah in fine form flanked by the likes of Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Sahib Shihab (baritone saxophone), Terry Gibbs (vibraphone), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul West (bass) and Max Roach (drums).
Watsonian Institute – Master Funk [Reissue/1978] LP (Culture Factory)
Deluxe red vinyl LP pressing with original label, printed inner sleeve, gatefold cardboard jacket with album sticker. 1978 album from the outfit best known as the backing band for Johnny Guitar Watson. The album was produced and arranged by Watson so that funky groove that you would expect is very evident on this album.
West Coast Experimental Pop Band – Vol. 3: A Child’s Guide To Good & Evil [Reissue/1968] LP (Jackpot)
Released in July 1968 on Reprise Records, Vol.3: A Child’s Guide To Good & Evil is considered to be the band’s most accomplished work and a masterpiece of the psychedelic genre. Released just nine months after Vol. 2, the band explores their incredibly creative psychedelic pop song writing with an accomplished mastery of studio techniques.
Cassettes:
Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else – Enjoy The Great Outdoors (Run For Cover)
Cassette edition now available. With the backing of Everyone Else, Radcliffe’s songwriting is at its finest on Enjoy The Great Outdoors. These ten tracks blend slowed down indie rock with folk and a slight alt-country twang that recalls the slow-brewed sound of The Silver Jews, The Microphones and early Wilco.
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