CDs + Vinyl:
A.R. & Machines – The Art Of German Psychedelic 1970 – 1974 10xCD (BMG Rights Management)
The complete collection of Achim Reichel’s innovative avant-garde project in the early 1970s. The lavishly designed ten-CD box-set includes all five studio albums and almost five hours of rare and unreleased music, a new remix-album – Virtual Journey – as well as a hardcover book with the artist’s own liner notes.
The Adicts – And It Was So! CD/LP/Cassette (Nuclear Blast)
With their Clockwork Orange Droog attire, infectious high energy, uptempo music and unforgettable performances, The Adicts are no strangers to the scene having formed in the 1975 in Ipswich, England. Over 40 years later the punk legends are still intent on raising sonic hell with their eleventh studio album.
America – Heritage: Home Recordings/Demos 1970-1973 CD (Omnivore)
A collection of rare demo recordings and unreleased songs from the band’s early formative years.
John Balke – Siwan – Nahnou Houm CD (ECM)
New album from the international collective led by Norwegian keyboardist-composer-arranger Jon Balke.
Barenaked Ladies – Fake Nudes CD (Vanguard)
Fake Nudes finds Barenaked Ladies channeling the harmonies fans have come to love, alongside a fresh electronic-driven sound and lyrics filled with wit and empathy. That wit even comes through on the album title, a play on the phrase “fake news,” which rose in popularity when President Donald Trump took office this year. “We were making the record in January at the height of the brouhaha over the term, which kind of in my mind, appeared then,” Robertson said. “It became popularized then. It’s just so absurd in my mind. It provided the opportunity for us to make the joke about our band name that everybody else has been making for 29 years. On every show, ‘They’re not nude and they’re not women. But our new act, blah blah blah.’ It just seemed like the perfect opportunity to call our own bluff there.”
Baths – Romaplasm CD/LP (Anticon)
Less outwardly grim than the darker half of the last Baths LP, Obsidian, but twice as bittersweet,
Romaplasm reimagines approachable electronic pop songs as pieces of scaffolding that can be lived in, expanded and retracted, or torn down entirely. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Harry Bertoia – Sonambients: The Sound Sculpture Of Harry Bertoia CD+DVD (Important)
Sonambients: The Sound Sculpture of Harry Bertoia, a film by Jeffrey and Miriam Eger, was shot in 1971 and follows Harry Bertoia in performance and interview throughout his Sonambient barn deep in the Pennsylvania woods. The CD contains historic recordings made in Harry Bertoia’s Sonambient barn.
Black Sabbath – The End 2xCD/3xCD+DVD+Blu-ray/3xLP (Eagle Vision)
Black Sabbath’s final hometown concert at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on February 4th, 2017. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Karl Blau – Out Her Space CD/2xLP (Bella Union)
Out Her Space is a gorgeous, languid and hook-infested gumbo of soul, funk, some jazzy blowing and Afro-pop, to arrive somewhere else entirely. The album testifies to Blau’s studio skills, as he captures the glimmering, humid depths of those sweltering southern influences, despite his north-western heritage. Out Her Space plays with humanitarian themes, against a backdrop of self-immolating American politics. For starters, the title was equally inspired by Blau’s, “overwhelming feeling to point out that men, in general, need to listen, to stop being so assertive and to get out of her space, let her balance again.”
The Body & Full Of Hell – Ascending A Mountain Of Heavy Light CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Latest collaboration between two unique and influential forces in heavy music. Despite their obvious differences in songwriting, The Body & Full of Hell are unified by their shared aesthetic, catharsis through the manipulation of emotions transformed by visceral noise and fueled by an inescapable sense of dread.
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox – The New Classics CD (Concord)
First ever live album from Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, recorded in Las Vegas and airing later this year on PBS.
Jimmy Buffet – Buried Treasure: Volume One CD+DVD (Mailboat)
A collection of Buffett songs, recorded in 1969 in Mobile and Nashville, discovered hidden in a recording studio closet.
John Cage – Klang Der Wandlungen 3xCD (Edition RZ)
“Utterly spellbinding survey of John Cage’s late works, mostly focusing on orchestral pieces performed and recorded circa his 1990 visit to East Berlin, and including a stunning rendition of Some of The Harmony Of Maine [1978] performed by Edition RZ’s Jakob Ullmann, who coincidentally write the box’s lucubrate liner notes. If you’ve ever been intrigued by Cage but can’t see a way into his crenelated catalogue, we strongly recommend checking this set for some of the late, great thinker and composer’s most accessible and gratifying work.” — Boomkat
Call Super – Arpo CD/2xLP+MP3 (Houndstooth)
“The second album from producer Joe Seaton offers a rush of effervescence. With a childlike and immersive touch, he pulls apart and rearranges small, twinkling sounds.” [8.0] – Pitchfork
Fabrizio Cammarata – Of Shades CD/LP (800a)
With a remarkable voice, unique guitar playing style and distinctive writing, Sicil-ian songwriter Fabrizio Cammarata blends his Mediterranean roots with a contemporary sound that draws inspiration from extensive travelling and explorations of visual and performing arts.
Cavalera Conspiracy – Psychosis CD/LP (Napalm)
Fourth album from the Brazilian thrash metal brothers.
Chaos Moon – Eschaton Mémoir CD/LP (Blood Music)
Psychedelic-laced, ethereal black metal that draws upon the synth atmospheres found on Emperor’s In the Nightside Eclipse, combined with dark ambient elements reminiscent of fellow USBM legend Leviathan alongside a hint of Manes’ Under Ein Blodraud Maane. The perfect throwback to the best of the Norwegian second wave.
Cluster – Qua [Reissue/2009]CD/LP (Bureau B)
Cluster & Farnbauer – Live In Vienna 1980 CD/2xLP (Bureau B)
“Qua is an album which smoothly and consistently eludes the grasp, despite its looped repetitions; never settles long enough to invite easy comparison. From the babbling bass brooks of Gissander to the snaking, slippery shuffle of Malturi Sa , it hovers between the liquid and the gaseous.” – The Wire
John Coltrane – Chasing Trane CD (UMe)
11 tracks from the film, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary (now available on DVD and Blu-ray). Set against the social, political and cultural landscape of the time, it brings saxophone great John Coltrane to life, as a man and an artist. [Vinyl edition due January 19.]
Conan – Man Is Myth Early Demos CD/LP (Napalm)
Britain’s dirtiest doom metal-band provides insights into a secret world with this 8-track collection of unheard beasts culled from their rehearsal room and studio.
Michael Cosmic/Phill Musra Group – Peace In The World/Creator Spaces [Reissue/1974] 2xCD/2xLP (Now-Again)
Free improvisation, first touched on by messengers like John Coltrane, Sun Ra and Albert Ayler, gives us an exuberant maelstrom that rejoices in life while it shoves back at complex, unforgiving social-political environments. The ’70s Boston underground brought twin brothers Phill Musra and Michael Cosmic together with Turkish-born drummer Hüseyin Ertunç; as a trio, and with other Boston jazzers, the twins each privately issued an album which are collected here.
The Country Liners – Mary Jane Dunphe & Chris McDonnell In The County Liners CD/LP (Wharf Cat)
Whether fronting the blazing punk band Vexx or the synth-pop duo CC Dust, Mary Jane Dunphe inhabits her projects with a knurly otherworldliness — her voice contorts and screams like an alien sent to reset the planet with rock ‘n’ roll. Bedridden by an ankle injury in the winter of 2016, she teamed up with friend Chris McDonnell (Trans FX) to write a batch of country-rock songs that buck like an old pickup. Mary Jane Dunphe & Chris McDonnell In The County Liners is the first EP from The County Liners, rounded out by fellow Olympia, Washington-based musicians Mirce Popovic (Trans FX) and Riley Kendig.
Dan Deacon – Rat Film [OST] CD (Domino)
On Rat Film, Dan Deacon’s inspired soundtrack to the provocative essay-film of the same name, one of electronic music’s most exciting artists delivers his first full record devoted to modern composition. [Vinyl edition due December 1.]
The Doors – Strange Days [Reissue/1967] 2xCD/LP (Elektra)
Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of The Doors’ second album. This 50th Anniversary reissue includes the original stereo mix of the album on CD for the first time in a decade, with sound that’s been remastered for the first time in 30 years. The second disc features the album’s original mono mix, which has been remastered for this set and is making its CD debut. [Vinyl edition features the mono mix.]
Electric Wizard – Wizard Bloody Wizard CD/LP+MP3 (Spinefarm)
Wizard Bloody Wizard is the latest/9th studio album from Electric Wizard; produced by guitarist/vocalist Jus Oborn and guitarist Liz Buckingham and mixed by Oborn, this 6-track all-analog affair is the follow up to 2014’s Time To Die. Conceived to form a single piece of vinyl these half-dozen tracks see The Wizard pursuing a more streamlined path, maintaining the essential, revered elements of their sound while simultaneously taking a broader view, operating in a world beyond fashion, niche or cult.
Paloma Faith – The Architect CD/LP (Sony)
Whilst the music is classic Paloma – with sweeping orchestral tracks, smooth soul, sleek disco grooves and stomping electro pop all featured throughout – the lyrics raise social and political questions, and cover powerful and topical themes, such as motherhood, social anxiety, wealth inequality, technology’s impact on feelings of alienation and the future of the Western World – all within the confines of classic pop.
Lorenzo Feliciati – Elevator Man CD/LP (RareNoise)
A powerhouse recording with echoes of King Crimson, Allan Holdsworth and other prog rock icons in it’s ten tracks, this outing by the prolific bassist-composer-arranger features a rotating cast of stellar musicians, including King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto, former Holdsworth drummer Chad Wackerman, Swedish Freak Guitar shredder Mattias IA Eklundh (of the Jonas Hellborg Trio and Art Metal), Italian progressive metal guitarist Marco Sfogli (currently of the legendary Italian prog rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi, AKA PFM), trumpeter Cuong Vu and Feliciati’s Naked Truth bandmate Roy Powell on distortion-laced clavinet.
John Fogerty – Blue Moon Swamp [Reissue/1997] CD/LP+MP3 (BMG Rights Management)
20th anniversary reissue of Fogerty’s Best Rock Album Grammy-winning album (1998) featuring two bonus tracks and alternate cover art.
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest CD/2xLP+CD (Atlantic)
Charlotte Gainsbourg’s fourth studio, Rest, is a stunning eleven track collection produced by SebastiAn (Frank Ocean, Kavinsky), except the title track which was composed and co-written by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, and “Songbird in a Cage,” composed and written by Paul McCartney. Rest also features collaborations with Owen Pallett, NZ’s own Connan Mockasin, and others. SebastiAn’s background in electronic music accorded with Gainsbourg’s desire for a sound with a disquieting, mechanistic edge, inspired by Giorgio Moroder and, perhaps unsurprisingly for a revered, award-winning film actress, movie soundtracks. Lead single “Rest” is a poignant, modern lullaby-like song, steering Gainsbourg toward a forensically focused approach to lyric writing. “Those were the first words that I actually sang on the album,” she explains. “I came in with all my bunches of lyrics…It was too much, really, and Guy-Man was saying, ‘you can’t say all that, you have to simplify it,’ and he reduced it to three words! It felt so innocent in a way, but it was exactly what I needed at that time.” Rest marks Gainsbourg’s achievement of the lyrical confidence to get unprecedentedly candid, and to trust her own words’ ability to communicate universal pains of loss through personal ones.
Chris Gantry – At The House Of Cash CD/LP (Drag City)
“High on the waves of the times (mid- ‘70s), Chris had pulled apart the tropes of traditional voice-and-guitar singer-songwriting, pushing them into fevered, eclectic, entirely personal territory. He took in the scope of the freedom generation with whom he’d been riding shotgun, and turned it back out again with unhindered lyrical expressions reflecting both disillusionment and a deep sense of transformation, with deft gestures and songwriting chops nailing down the tunes. At the House of Cash stands tall with its outlaw brethren from the golden age of Nashville, and it is damn fine having it out in the open air with the rest of us at long last.”
GBH – Momentum CD/LP+MP3 (Hellcat)
The influential, long-lived punk metal band GBH rose to prominence in England during the early
’80s when hardcore punk began inching toward heavy metal. Emerging from the streets of Birmingham, England, GBH pioneered hardcore punk and thrash yet refuse to categorize themselves or their music. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Joel Gion – Joel Gion CD/LP (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
New solo album from the former Brian Jonestown antihero featuring instantly invigorating hooks presented at an unhurried pace matched with an unworried tone. A captivating collection of California calm mixed with self-command, with General Gion standing at the helm of an army of talented musicians, flutes and reverb pedals at the ready.
Godflesh – Post Self CD/LP (Shellshock)
Over two years in the making, Post Self explores the less ‘metal’ side of Godflesh; taking in the formative influences, and spitting out something more informed by late ‘70s/early ‘80s post punk and industrial than it is anything metal related. The 10-track set is thematically personal and obsessive, exploring anxiety, depression, fear, mortality, and family relationships [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Green Day – God’s Favorite Band CD/2xLP (Reprise)
22 hits spanning Green Day’s prolific 31 year career, plus a brand new song “Back In The USA” and a new duet with Miranda Lambert on “Ordinary World.”
Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From The Bodyguard CD (Sony Legacy)
A variety of live and studio recordings from The Bodyguard (many previously unreleased or unavailable), including an alternate mix of “I Will Always Love You,” which features a spoken word intro of Whitney as Rachel Marron, an a capella version of “Jesus Loves Me,” which has never been heard before and a live recording from The Bodyguard World Tour 1993-1995 of “Run To You,” which Whitney rarely performed. Also included are film and live versions of “I Will Always Love” You,” “I Have Nothing,” “Queen Of The Night” and more. [Vinyl edition due January 26.]
Iron Maiden – Book Of Souls: Live Chapter 2xCD/3xLP (Sanctuary)
New live release from the icons of British heavy metal. [Limited edition CD version is also available which adds a book.]
Sharon Jones & The Dapkings – Soul Of A Woman CD/3xCD/LP+MP3 (Daptone)
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings’ final studio album, Soul Of A Woman is a lush, orchestral masterpiece. A true testament to the life and career of Daptone’s fearless leader and one of the world’s greatest performers. In the year prior to her death from pancreatic cancer in 2016, Sharon Jones toured and performed tirelessly, and was also the subject of the acclaimed documentary Miss Sharon Jones!. The songs on Soul Of A Woman exemplify two distinct sides of the band’s sound. Side One showcases the grittier, bluesy material like “Matter Of Time” and “Sail On” giving Sharon the room to flex her vocal prowess. Side Two takes on a more sophisticated orchestral mood. Tracks like “When I Saw Your Face” and “These Tears (No Longer For You),” capture a soft vulnerability in Sharon’s vocals that draws you deep inside, and yet they remain nuanced with the signature toughness that never allow you to forget she’s steering the ship. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available. Also, a Deluxe triple-CD bundle adds her previous albums Give The People What They Want and I Learned The Hard Way.]
King Crimson – Sailors’ Tales 21xCD+4xBlu-ray Audio+2xDVD Audio (DGM)
Deluxe box set containing 21 CDs, four Blu-rays and two DVDs – all audio. Three CDs feature Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp stereo mixes of In The Wake Of Poseidon (1970), Lizard (1970) & Islands (1971) plus additional tracks. Six CDs feature the Islands line-ups early concerts from Germany (new to CD) and the UK (1971). Nine CDs feature live recordings (several new to CD and/or previously unreleased in any format) from the 1972 US tour, including a new stereo mix of Live At Summit Studios, Denver (March 12, 1972) and an expanded Earthbound (1972). Three CDs feature auditions for the Islands band and two further concerts from 1972 (all previously unreleased). Three Blu-ray discs contain the main studio albums in 5.1 Surround and recent stereo editions mixed by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp plus 30th anniversary masters of the original stereo albums mixes (all in 24/96 hi-res), plus extensive additional material with each disc also featuring a complete alternate album and a further selection of additional, related studio/live material in hi-res.
Talib Kweli – Radio Silence CD (Javotti Media)
The Brooklyn hip-hop artist’s new album features guest appearances from Rick Ross, Anderson .Paak, BJ The Chicago Kid, Waka Flocka, Jay Electronica, Robert Glasper, Bilal, Yummy Bingham, Amber Coffman and Myka 9; stellar production courtesy of The Alchemist, Oh No, Kaytranada, J. Rhodes and Robert Glasper. [Vinyl edition due December 1.]
Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage 2 CD (Atlantic)
The Philadelphia rapper flaunts a vision and fashion sense just as loud as his futuristic trap sound and dynamic voice.
Alex Lipinski – Alex CD/LP (A. Records)
Alex Lipinski’s caressing sympathy, full-throated resentment, and the raw rockabilly excitement of earliest Elvis have grabbed unwary listeners from the West Country to Krakow, Berlin and New York, since he first left Somerset to become a crucial habitué of Soho’s legendary, lost 12-Bar Club. Alex was recorded with older brother and fellow musician Adam Lipinski by his side at Anton Newcombe’s residential studio in Berlin.
Lords Of Acid – Heaven Is An Orgasm CD (Metropolis)
A compilation of B-sides, outtakes, and unreleased material originally available exclusively through Lords of Acid’s website.
Mike Love – Unleash The Love 2xCD (BMG Rights Management)
Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Michael Edward Love, grew up under the Southern California sun where he soaked up a life of music, surf, sand and sport. Beginning his singing career as a teenager, Mike along with his cousin, Brian Wilson, frequently sang at family get-togethers and holiday gatherings. These early influences served as the inspiration to form the legendary group, The Beach Boys, which originally consisted of Mike and his cousins, Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson along with neighbor David Marks and High School friend Alan Jardine. Love’s new album, Unleash The Love, features 13 brand new songs and 12 re-recordings of Beach Boys classics. The new tracks range from rock, gospel, R&B and pop and celebrate Love’s connection to the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his journey to find personal love and peace. [Vinyl edition due December 15.]
Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Wembley Or Bust 2xCD/2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray (Columbia)
A special release commemorating the June 24th, 2017 performance by Jeff Lynne’s ELO at Wembley Stadium in London, England. [Two Deluxe packages are available, each including the double-CD set and the concert film on either standard DVD or Blu-ray. Vinyl edition due December 1.]
Paul McCartney – McCartney [Reissue/1970] CD/LP (Capitol)
Paul & Linda McCartney– Ram [Reissue/1971] CD/LP (Capitol)
Wings – Band On The Run [Reissue/1973] CD/LP (Capitol)
Wings – Venus And Mars [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (Capitol)
Wings – At The Speed Of Sound [Reissue/1976] CD/LP (Capitol)
Paul McCartney – McCartney II [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (Capitol)
Paul McCartney – Tug Of War [Reissue/1982] CD/LP (Capitol)
Paul McCartney – Pipes Of Peace [Reissue/1983] CD/LP (Capitol)
Single-disc digipak 2011 remastered editions on CD. 180gm vinyl reissues also available along with limited quantities on colored vinyl.
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill – The Rest Of Our Life CD/LP (Sony Music Nashville)
The first collaborative album between the country music superstars and power couple.
Morrissey – Low In High School CD/LP/Cassette (BMG)
On his eleventh studio effort, Morrissey’s talent for combining political statements and beautiful melodies is more prevalent than ever as he captures the zeitgeist of an ever-changing world. Recognized as one of the most influential artists of all time, Morrissey is widely credited as a seminal figure in the emergence of indie rock and Britpop. After The Smiths, Morrissey achieved greater success as a prolific solo artist. All 10 of his solo albums have entered the Top 10 on the UK album charts, including three entries at No. 1. Releasing his debut solo album Viva Hate in 1988, he has since released a number of critically acclaimed follow-ups, including Kill Uncle, Your Arsenal and the comeback album You Are The Quarry after a five-year hiatus in 2004. Morrissey’s music acts as a rite of passage for all who discover alternative music. His lyrics, at times blunt and fearless, other times vulnerable and poignant, continue to resonate with listeners around the world with their unmatched emotional depth and theatrical, poetic delivery. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Nullingroots – Into The Grey CD/LP (Prosthetic)
Nullingroots, originally the project of sole member, Cameron Boesch, was formed in 2014 in Southern California. A debut self-titled album was released shortly thereafter, which extracted Boesch’s post-black metal style from his previous band, Solus, and incorporated lush, gazing atmospheric elements. Boesch released two more Nullingroots full-lengths before assembling his band, comprised of Deacon Blue Batchelor, from the folk band Andrew Jackson Jihad on drums, and guitarist Alex Haddad. Shortly after, the three began writing Into The Grey, an expansion of Boesch’s vision which takes what many call blackgaze to new heights and levels.
The Obsessed – The Obsessed [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (Relapse)
Originally released in 1990 and out of print for almost two decades, the now legendary self-titled debut album from doom godfathers is back in print on CD and vinyl.
Oh No – Oh No Vs. Now-Again 3 CD (Now-Again)
Third dose of Oh No’s heavy hip-hop based on samples from the Now-Again catalog.
Nick Oliveri – N.O. Hits At All Vol. 3 CD/LP (Heavy Psyche Sounds)
Third volume of various band tracks that Oliveri recorded vocals for.
Queen – News Of The World [Reissue/1977] 3xCD+LP+DVD (Hollywood)
Super Deluxe edition of Queen’s 1977 album. CD Disc 2 features raw sessions, alternate takes, demos, and rough mix versions. CD Disc 3 includes live tracks, a BBC session, and an instrumental. The DVD contains a new documentary, Queen: The American Dream, featuring never-before-seen footage from the band’s 1977 US tour, both onstage and backstage. The package comes with a hardcover booklet, press kit, posters and more.
Pete International Airport – Safer With The Wolves… CD/LP (A. Records)
Pete International Airport is the brain child of Peter G. Holmström. It’s name is borrowed from a song title by his other band, The Dandy Warhols. Safer With The Wolves… is a meticulously crafted psyche rock journey into the dark heart of electronica. The album’s 11 tracks feature guest singers from like-minded allies such as: The Black Angels, Daydream Machine, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Dark Horses, Hopewell, and more.
Reto A Ichi – The Lapse Of The Exchange CD/LP (!K7)
The Lapse of Exchange, is the sound of life as heard from a small Chinatown window in downtown Manhattan, the thunder of populism on the horizon. The album opens with music that reflects the inherent tension between the life of the artist – the self-doubt, the late nights, the aspirations – and the world outside – the hustle and bustle of a city that never sleeps, the wars abroad, the politicians at home.
Royal Blood – How Did We Get So Dark? CD/LP (WB)
In November 2016, Royal Blood vocalist/bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher, along with producer Jolyon Thomas, spent six weeks in a studio in Brussels which featured a warehouse of antique gear. How Did We Get So Dark? was subsequently completed after a final session in London with their debut album’s co-producer Tom Dalgety. The album’s first single “Lights Out” ups the ante on their first outing with a wrecking ball of a groove cemented by Thatcher’s thunderous rhythms, while Kerr wrangles the twisted invention of his bass riffs to a whole new level. Their patented two-man artillery of carefully constructed melodic aggression is prevalent throughout, especially in “I Only Lie When I Love You,” which is a compelling cowbell-assisted reminder of the power of a stop-start riff and a strident chorus. There are times when Royal Blood are more visceral than ever – notably the gargantuan introduction to “Hook, Line and Sinker” and also the intense denouement that brings “Look Like You Know” to a close. [Limited edition clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Bob Seger – I Knew You When CD/LP (Capitol)
Bob Seger returns with his 18th studio album, which is dedicated to the memory of his friend Glenn Frey. Recorded in Nashville and Detroit, the 10-track set finds Seger paying tribute to further music legends like Lou Reed with a cover of “Busload of Faith” and Leonard Cohen with a cover of “Democracy.” [CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.]
The She’s – All Female Rock And Roll Quartet CD/LP (Empty Cellar)
With their respective tongues in their respective cheeks, Sami Perez, Hannah Valente, Eva Treadway, and Sinclair Riley of The She’s proudly present their second album. This time band is behind the wheel, self-producing with counsel and encouragement from tUne-Yards’ Merrill Garbus. Tonally, All Female Rock And Roll Quartet strays a bit from earlier releases. Drawing inspiration from Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Sleater-Kinney, and tUne-Yards, the bands have officially leveled up in terms of sonic experimentation and eccentricity.
Nadia Sirota – Tessellatum CD/LP (Bedroom Community)
“Composed by Donnacha Dennehy and performed on viola by Nadia Sirota and viola da gamba by Liam Byrne, Tessellatum is an impressive, sweeping work of drones and overdubbed strings.” — Pitchfork
Soundtrack – Saturday Night Fever [Reissue/1977] 2xCD/2xCD+2xLP+Blu-ray (Capitol)
The era-defining soundtrack album, remastered and expanded to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The remastered deluxe edition features the original soundtrack which spawned four No. 1 singles for the Bee Gees plus tracks from artists including Yvonne Elliman, Kool & The Gang and KC & The Sunshine Band. The second disc includes four new mixes by Serban Ghenea. The Super Deluxe version includes the double-vinyl LP along with the director’s cut of the film on Blu-ray.
Spirit Fest – Spirit Fest CD/LP+MP3 (Morr Music)
Bewitching avant-pop album from impromptu supergroup built around acclaimed Japanese duo, Tenniscoats.
Mavis Staples – If All I Was Was Black CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Mavis Staples has again joined forces with songwriter-producer (and Wilco frontman) Jeff Tweedy for his new album If All I Was Was Black. The history Mavis recalls from her early years touring with her family as The Staple Singers, the prejudice, ugliness and danger; well it’s all still here. In response, the singer has delivered 10-songs about contemporary America today, a present day filled with ghosts of the past. Despite all this, the mood ring on Mavis’ new album is set to love, which runs through and over the fury and despair. The songs move less like a hammer and more like the tide, with Mavis countering the anger with an eye toward the work that is required to bring change. She is singing the world as it is, but also a way forward. Mavis is sure that the answer is to lift each other up. She’s not embracing the anxious hesitation of respectability politics but the possibilities of love.
Throbbing Gristle – Second Annual Report [Reissue/1977] 2xCD (Mute)
Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats [Reissue/1979] 2xCD (Mute)
Throbbing Gristle – The Taste Of TG: A Beginner’s Guide To the Music Of Throbbing Gristle [Reissue/2004] CD (Mute)
Remastered reissues of the second and third albums by the English industrial music pioneers along with their 2004 compilation. [CD editions add a disc of bonus tracks. Remastered vinyl reissues due November 24.]
Various Artists – Black Man’s Pride CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)
A collection of deep righteous reggae featuring Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, The Gladiators, Sugar Minott, The Heptones, Freddie McGregor, Cedric Brooks and more.
Various Artists – Hyperdub Presents: Diggin in The Carts – A Collection Of Pioneering Japanese Video Game Music CD (Hyperdub)
For anyone with a sweet, 8-bit tooth, this is a goldmine of goodies; packing in 34 brief bursts of hyper-colored energy with not a millisecond or bit spared from future baroque complexity or funk between the cascading arpeggios, the darkside Carpenter style grind, or the squirming techno-phonk.
Various Artists – Pop Ambient 2018 CD/LP (Kompakt)
Another batch of hand-picked recordings from genre veterans and newcomers alike.
Various Artists – A Tribute To Dan Fogelberg CD (BMG)
A Tribute To Dan Fogelberg features new takes on some of his best-known songs, with the Eagles covering “Part of the Plan,” as well as their new recruit Vince Gill delivering “Longer” with Amy Grant. The LP also contains recordings by Garth Brooks, Train, Boz Scaggs, Jimmy Buffett, Zac Brown, Michael McDonald, Donna Summer, and others. Fogelberg, who died in 2007 after a three-year cancer battle, was acclaimed for merging rock, pop, folk, jazz and classical music into his work. He’s best known for his hits “Longer,” “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne,” all of which were released in the early ‘80s.
Various Artists – Vanity Of Vanities – Tribute To Connie Converse CD (Tzadik)
Connie Converse was a remarkable composer who worked in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1974, depressed over her lack of recognition and success, she packed up her belongings and drove off never to be heard of again. Little known in her lifetime, she is now viewed as a pioneer of the modern singer-songwriter genre. This exciting compilation collects fifteen of her most unique and soulful songs performed by an all-star group of contemporary singer-songwriters.
Hans Zimmer – Blade Runner 2049 [OST] CD (Epic)
Original soundtrack to the 2017 motion picture composed by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch. [Vinyl edition due December 15.]
John Zorn – Hermetic Organ – Philharmonie De Paris CD (Tzadik)
John Zorn returns to his original instrument with a new volume of organ improvisations recorded at his infamous Weekend in Paris in April 2017. The organ at the Grand Salle Pierre Boulez is one of the most powerful and versatile in France, and Zorn approaches it with great sensitivity and wild abandon. Includes both the full 40-minute concert recording, and over 30 additional minutes of Zorn alone at the manuals in rehearsal the same day.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary DVD/Blu-ray (10 Spot)
Re\Set against the social, political & cultural landscape of the time, Chasing Trane brings saxophone great John Coltrane to life, as a man & an artist. The film is the definitive look at the boundary-shattering musician and composer whose influence continues to resonate around the world. 158 minutes.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The 6ths – Wasps’ Nests [1995] LP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
Originally released in 1995 on CD and 7” box set, Wasps’ Nests is the acclaimed, tongue twisting debut from the 6th’s – the side project of The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt featuring guest vocal appearances by a who’s who of ‘90s indie rock royalty including Dean Wareham (Luna), Georgia Hubley (Yo La Tengo), Mark Robinson (Unrest), Lou Barlow (Sebadoh), Mary Timony, Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly/ Talulah Gosh), Robert Scott (The Bats), Chris Knox, and more. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Jhené Aiko – Sail Out [Reissue/2013] 12’ (Def Jam)
Limited edition picture disc of Aiko’s 2013 EP that features appearances by Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar.
Alvarius B./Sir Richard Bishop – Strange Fruit 10” (Unrock)
Limited edition four-track split vinyl 10″ featuring legendary Sun City Girls Alan and Richard Bishop, celebrating Unrock’s 25th anniversary. It features the first new recordings by Sir Richard Bishop since his 2015 Tangier Sessions and two exclusive pearls by Alan Bishop, aka Alvarius B. All tracks are exclusive to this “Unrock 25” release.
Amenra – Mass VI LP (Neurot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Contrasts have always been deep and at the very heart of Amenra, who have been uttering prayers and holding masses for eighteen years. Tormented darkness has always coexisted alongside luminous beauty, and thunderous impacts instantly follow frail, delicate subtleties. Songs that engulf everyone in the world suddenly feel whispered inside a solitary womb. Mass VI is here, and more than any other album in the band’s past, it highlights those contrasts.
Ed Askew – A Child In The Sun – Radio Sessions 1969-1970 LP (Drag City)
“If you, the discerning record collector, has even a passing interest in the posthumously named genre ‘acid folk’, surely the name Ed Askew is in your golden pantheon. Ed unearthed four reels of radio sessions taped in 1969–70, performing songs from his first two albums (and the totally previously unreleased track, “Green Song”). The tapes were meticulously studied by Galactic Zoo Disk honcho Plastic Crimewave (of Galactic Zoo Dossier, er, fame), and the best versions were extracted for this release.”
Bad Daddies – Over 30 Singles LP (Emotional Response)
A 30-song career spanning compilation from this long-running female fronted Bay Area punk band. Bad Daddies run the gamut from hard-core noise-bursts, to ’90s-style rock through to straight up pop-punk sensibilities.
The Beatles – A Taste Of Honey: Live At The Star Club, Hamburg 1962 LP (Wax Love)
Part one of two historical live recordings that were originally issued in 1977.
Bitchin Bajas – Bajas Fresh 2xLP/2xCassette (Drag City)
“While flowing towards a wholeness, the four sides of Bajas Fresh feature distinct approaches, approaching the ephemeral with subtle tweaks from new angles. Eschewing the grainy expansiveness of the self-titled album, this new one has an almost monolithic approach, whether spitting forth with Harmonia-styled data riffs, finding Denny-esque South Pacific exotica within a classic Sun Ra piece or teasing out almost imperceptible inflections inside the epochal fizz and whir with glassy-eyed, glacial patience.”
The Black Heart Procession – The Waiter Chapters I-VIII LP (Robotic Empire)
Originally pressed as a limited tour only CD in 2008 with seven songs (The Black Heart Procession – The Waiter Chapters 1-7), now available on vinyl for the very first time. Tracks 6 and 7 cannot be found on any studio album and the collection now includes a brand new, never released Waiter song, track 8 Hailing from the sun-drenched shores of San Diego, California, The Black Heart Procession has sought to bring their unique dream of winter to life for nearly two decades. Over the course of six full length albums and numerous ancillary offerings, they have captured the essence of heartbreak, the tragedy of discord and the exultation of redemption.
Mary J. Blige – What’s The 411? [Reissue/1992] 2xLP (Motown)
Double-vinyl reissue of the debut album by R&B artist.
Tracy Bonham – Modern Burdens LP (Second Motion)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Instead of the aggressive grunge production of Bonham’s 1996 debut release, The Burdens Of Being Upright, 2017 remake Modern Burdens features more experimental, stripped down, often slower versions of the songs. Contributors include Tanya Donelly (of Belly, the Breeders, and Throwing Muses), Kathryn Calder (of the New Pornographers), Rachel Yamagata, Kay Hanley (of Letters To Cleo), Australian pop songstress, Angie Hart, Nicole Atkins and Sadie Dupuis (of the band Speedy Ortiz).
Anouar Brahem – Blue Maqams 2xLP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Recorded in New York’s Avatar Studios in May 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher, Blue Maqams brings the Tunisian oud master together with three brilliant improvisers: Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, and British pianist Django Bates.
Brainbombs – Inferno LP (Skrammel)
Eight brand new BRAINBOMBS songs recorded in the end of 2016. “…Well, while their guitar-bass-drums setup is at least as much ‘rock’ as ‘noise’ in its approach, at this point they are veterans in the annals of intemperate foulness. First assembling in the mid- ‘80s, claiming frequently banned American writer Peter Sotos as their chief inspiration, the Swedish band went on to amass a catalogue of paeans to brutal psychopathy and the men who commit it, soundtracked by slurring, dizzy and utterly meat-fisted reductions of Stoogean proto-punk, heavy metal and accidental avant-garde.” – The Quietus
bvdub – Heartless 2xLP (n5md)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. It’s the prolific ambient producer’s fourth full-length for Oakland-based imprint N5md, following A History Of Distance, Born In Tokyo and All Is Forgiven. Heartless is also the first bvdub record that is available on wax. The label says that the album is “far more monolithic” than his previous ambient works but contains the “warm washes of sound below the soulfully angelic vocals that Van Wey often gravitates to.”
The Carpenters – Ticket To Ride [Reissue/1969] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Close To You [Reissue/1970] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – The Carpenters [Reissue/1971] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – A Song For You [Reissue/1972] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Now & Then [Reissue/1973] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – The Singles 1969-1973 [Reissue/1973] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Horizon [Reissue/1975] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – A Kind Of Hush [Reissue/1976] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Made In America [Reissue/1981] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Passage [Reissue/1982] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Voice Of The Heart [Reissue/1983] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – Lovelines [Reissue/1989] LP (A&M)
The Carpenters – The Vinyl Collection 12xLP (A&M)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissues.
Suzanne Ciani – Help, Help, The Globolinks! LP (Finders Keepers)
Originally written and performed in 1968, and gaining worldwide acclaim throughout the 1970s, Gian Carlo Menotti would update and revise his play for the turn of the ’80s which called for a new approach to the music and sound effects—all of which would make their world premiere in New York high school theaters in April of 1980. For Help, Help The Globolinks!, Ciani would give Menotti’s well-traveled aliens a brand new voice and with reinvention she communicated with a young audience keen to hear the genuine sounds of the future while retaining melodicism and personality.
Judy Collins – Golden Apples Of The Sun [Reissue/1962] LP (Wax Love)
A classic of the ’60s folk revival back in print on vinyl.
Contributors – Contributors LP (Monofonus Press)
Last spring Monofonus invited Dan Melchior to Austin to record with local idiots Spray Paint. Over a week or so beers were drank and songs were hammered out. The result is a Krauty-Crazy Horse-y blending of these two prolific and distinct artists. This is the second in a series of Spray Paint collaborations that will be coming out on different labels.
Daphni – Joli Mai 2xLP (Jiaolong)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Extended versions of the tracks Daphni (aka Caribou, aka Dan Snaith) included on his recent Fabriclive mix plus new track “Vulture.”
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley & Company [Reissue/1962] LP (Wax Love)
A stunner of classic R&B influenced rock and roll that’s essential for any Diddley fan.
Dirtstyle – Limited Edition Hard To Find Rare Dirtstyle Record – 25th Anniversary Edition 7” (Dirtstyle)
A limited edition 7” version of this breakbeat classic in celebration of Dirtstyle’s 25th anniversary. DJ Qbert and the Dirtstyle crew thrash out some rare-ass break and DJ tool action to send your routine through the scratch ceiling. The shit you never thought you’d get your needles on, now ready for maximum groove shredding.
Doctor Pablo & The Dub Syndicate – North Of The River Thames LP (On-U Sound)
Hauntological dub taking the mystical eastern melodica scales pioneered by Augustus Pablo and applying them to a unique mix of re-versioned cult themes and roots rockers.
The Dwarfs Of East Agouza – Both Sides of The Curtain LP (Unrock)
Delicate improvised freeform recorded live in Beirut in spring of 2017.
Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan [Reissue/1962] LP (Wax Love)
Back in print with a redesigned cover.
Brian Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets [Reissue/1974] LP (Astralwerks)
Brian Eno – Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) [Reissue/1974] LP (Astralwerks)
Brian Eno – Another Green World [Reissue/1975] LP (Astralwerks)
Brian Eno – Before And After Science [Reissue/1977] LP (Astralwerks)
Single disc vinyl reissues now available.
Roger Eno – This Floating World LP (Recital)
Roger Eno’s first new album since 2008 is a rustic and melancholic piano work, as grey and mossy as a country cottage.
Booker Ervin – The Song Book [Reissue/1964] LP (Analog Productions)
Totally audiophile 200gm vinyl reissue. Of Booker Ervin’s nine Prestige albums, The Song Book is special because it presents him exclusively in the contexts of standard songs. Ervin’s aggressiveness, his ferocity, his incomparable Texas spaciousness of sound and style, are undiminished. But the compositions provide familiar guideposts by which to track his explorations, which were unfailingly full of adventure and daring. In his only recorded appearance with Ervin, pianist Tommy Flanagan balances the music with his customary elegance. On bass and drums are Ervin’s frequent recording companions Richard Davis and Alan Dawson.
Fergie – Double Dutchess LP (Dutchess Music/BMG Rights Management)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Second solo album from the Black Eyed Peas member. The album includes collaborations with YG, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and Fergie’s son Axl Jack.
Aretha Franklin – First 12 Sides [Reissue/1961] LP (Wax Time)
These very early recordings with the Ray Bryant group are beautiful jazz vocal stylings in the manner of Sarah Vaughan or Ella Fitzgerald.
Fujiya & Miyagi – Transparent Things [2006] LP (Impossible Objects Of Desire)
Over the last decade or so Brighton’s Fujiya & Miyagi have been steadily building a vast body of work that explores ’70s Germany-tinged beats, whip smart electronica, intoxicating disco, shimmering pop and generally concocting an idiosyncratic blend of dance music that sounds utterly and uniquely their own. The group have decided to revisit their 2006 classic, Transparent Things, and for the first time release the full album on vinyl. Transparent Things managed to look deeper and further beyond the zeitgeist whilst simultaneously remaining in it.
Dizzy Gillespie – Dizzy On The French Riviera [Reissue/1962] LP (Wax Love)
Produced by Quincy Jones, and featuring piano and arrangements from Argentinian master Lalo Schifrin, Gillespie shines here alongside underrated reed man Leo Wright. A great early ’60s Dizzy group absolutely slaying live to a receptive audience.
The Green – Marching Orders LP (Easy Star)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Green returns with their first full-length release since 2013’s award-winning Hawaii ‘13. Mostly recorded on the island of Oahu, Marching Orders promises is an all-encompassing affair, with guitarist/vocalist Zion Thompson assuring, “this album truly is diverse. There’s roots, dancehall, pop rock and of course love songs.” The album also features collaborations with producer/writer Brian Fennell (Ryan Tedder, One Republic, The Fray, Third Eye Blind), as well as guest appearances by Grammy-nominees J Boog and Eric Rachmany (of Rebelution), Jamaican dancehall superstar Busy Signal, and Island music veterans Fiji and The Mana’o Company. Lead track “I Will” aspires to give hope and strength to the willpower of the downtrodden. Lyrically, the song calls on the importance and value of life, as well as the interconnectedness of each individual. This message is meticulously encapsulated in the bridge’s reminder: “Don’t lose your strength, somebody needs you today / Don’t lose your way, somebody needs you.”
The Hacker – Le Théâtre des Opérations 2xLP (Dark Entries)
Passionate about avant-garde techno, The Hacker has taken his influences and crafted a potent homage to the power of the synthesizer. Songs veer from gritty, raw EBM to dark, subterranean electro, effortlessly channeling the strains of the Michel’s musical DNA: Front 242, Jeff Mills, Dopplereffekt, and Drexciya.
Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi – This Dazzling, Genuine “Difference” Now Where Shall It Go? 2xLP (Black Truffle)
Over the course of four LP sides, the October 2014 concert documented here ranges from rock power trio dynamics to maelstroms of analog electronics.
Charles Hayward/Thurston Moore – Improvisations LP (Care In Community)
Earlier in 2017 iconic artists Charles Hayward (This Heat) and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) spent an afternoon improvising. Charles Hayward on drums and Thurston Moore on guitar.
Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band – Adiós Señor Pussycat LP (Violette)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Formerly of The Pale Fountains and then Shack, the fate which has somehow gathered him is that of a generation’s lost muse, one who can still walk down any UK street like a ghost – a remarkable, if more bitter than sweet status even for a nation that so fiercely keeps its heroes at arm’s length. Adiós Señor Pussycat is the Liverpudlian’s first new work since Shack’s 2006 finale On The Corner Of Miles & Gil (his work with The Strands was re-issued to rapturous acclaim in 2014), one undoubtedly which, after such a long absence, might have a lot riding on it were his avuncular profile much higher. Instead, unburdened by much more than a natural garrulousness and the traces of addictions past, its thirteen songs are a confident, frequently joyous statement as a whole, and fascinating examples of a master songwriter’s craft once unpacked individually.” – Live4Ever
I The Mighty – Where The Mind Wants To Go / Where You Let It Go LP (Equal Vision)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “We don’t want people to just listen to our music on a surface level. We want people to dive into the songs and dissect them and to really feel them” explains Brent Walsh, vocalist for Bay Area alternative rock innovators, I The Mighty. Since their 2007 inception, the band has developed a cult international following due to their dynamic sound, seamless chemistry and explosive live show. Over the course of the band’s previous three full-lengths and four EPs, they’ve continually progressed as artists, with each release serving as a snapshot of where the band was at in their very impressive career. I The Mighty’s new Casey Bates-produced album, Where The Mind Wants to Go / Where You Let it Go is heralded by the ethereal lead single “Silver Tongues” which features Tilian Pearson of Dance Gavin Dance.
Vijay Iyer Sextet – Far From Over LP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Far From Over features a sextet of virtuoso improvisers with horn players Graham Haynes, Steve Lehman and Mark Shim alongside rhythm partners Stephan Crump and Tyshawn Sorey leveraging a wealth of jazz history even as it pushes boldly forward. The music ranges from the thrillingly explosive (“Down To The Wire,” “Good On The Ground”) to the cathartically elegiac (“For Amiri Baraka,” “Threnody”), with melodic hooks, entrancing atmosphere, rhythmic muscle and an elemental spirit all part of the allure.
Wanda Jackson – There’s A Party Going On [Reissue/1961] LP (Capitol Nashville)
There’s A Party Goin’ On bridged the gap between rock and country and was the first of its kind in the ‘50s. With a career spanning five decades, Wanda Jackson sounds better than ever on vinyl. Now available as a single LP on standard weight vinyl in celebration of Capitol Records’ 75th anniversary.
Robert Johnson – Drunken Hearted Man LP (Wax Love)
A collection of the finest moments of the only two known recording sessions by the King of Delta Blues.
Eyvind Kang – Plainlight LP (Abduction)
A gorgeous set of new tracks by the brilliant composer and multi-instrumentalist. Plainlight features an array of spiritually intoxicating instrumentation: tamboura, electric guitar, organ, trumpet, oboe, trombone, and Korean traditional instruments.
Felix Kubin – Takt Der Arbeit LP (Editions Mego)
Originally developed as a film score, Takt Der Arbeit is inspired by a handful of industrial and instructional films from the early 1960s until the early 1990s that portray different forms of work. Felix Kubin translates these historic documents into a musical poem of conceptual depth.
Lau Nau – Poseidon LP (Beacon Sound)
Finnish artist Laura Naukkarinen returns with her fourth album. Poseidon is a suite of delicate, wise songs that exist in a world all their own, treading the line between chamber folk and experimental pop with a distinctly Scandinavian melancholy. Centered around Laura’s beautiful voice and piano (with lyrics sung entirely in Finnish), the album also includes a small cast of guest musicians on electronics, cello, bowed lyre, clarinet, harmonium, and more.
Peggy Lee – Is That All There Is? [Reissue/1969] LP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissue of the 1969 studio album by Peggy Lee, featuring arrangements by Randy Newman.
Left Behind – Blessed By The Burn LP (Unbeaten)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. West Virginia’s Left Behind follow-up their 2016 debut Seeing Hell, which found the group augmenting their brand of hardcore with sludge and thrash influences, with their second album Blessed By The Burn.
LP – Lost On You LP+MP3 (Vagrant)
Released last May on CD – now available on vinyl. “It took Laura Pergolizzi nearly a decade to find her footing as a solo artist under the initialed name LP. After struggling through the label scene, she ended up turning to writing songs for other musicians just to stay in the game. She wrote or co-wrote tracks for the likes of Backstreet Boys (‘Love Will Keep You Up All Night’), Christina Aguilera (‘Beautiful People’), and Rihanna (‘Cheers (Drink to That)’), eventually earning enough clout to gain attention from Warner Bros. The label signed on for the release of her 2014 album Forever For Now, an LP that finally gave LP the attention she deserved for her unique vocal and musical abilities. Now, she’s gearing up to keep her momentum going with a new record.”
Bob Marley – The Legend Live: Santa Barbara – County Bowl – November 25th 1979 3xLP (Trojan)
The cream of Bob Marley’s now legendary concert at the Santa Barbara County Bowl on colored vinyl.
Vic Mensa – The Autobiography 2xLP (Roc Nation)
Mensa draws inspiration from 1990s hip-hop. His major label debut features guest appearances by Chief Keef, Pharrell, Saul Williams, Weezer, Syd of The Internet, Joey Purp, The-Dream and Ty Dolla $ign. White colored vinyl pressing.
Björn Meyer – Provenance LP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. There is a distinguished tradition of solo bass albums on ECM, but Provenance is the first to be devoted to the electric bass guitar. Björn Meyer, Swedish-born and Swiss-based, has shaped a unique voice for his instrument inside the most diverse contexts, working alongside Persian harpist and singer Asita Hamidi, Swedish nyckelharpa player Johan Hedin, and Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem.
Jason Mraz – Waiting For My Rocket To Come [2002] 2xLP (Elektra)
First-time vinyl edition of the first major-label album and fourth overall by the singer-songwriter.
Nine Inch Nails – Broken [Reissue/1992] 12”+7” (Nothing)
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Nothing)
Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile [Reissue/1999] 3xLP (Nothing)
Nine Inch Nails – The Fraglie: Deviations 1 4xLP (Nothing)
“We want to present the catalog as it was intended to be, with no compromises,” Reznor said of the NIN vinyl reissue series. “That means a careful remastering of the audio from the original sources, a painstaking recreation of the artwork, pristine materials, some surprises and an insane attention to detail.”
Nine Inch Nails – Add Violence LP (Nothing)
Nine Inch Nails – Not The Actual Events LP (Nothing)
The first new Nine Inch Nails music since 2013’s Hesitation Marks, 2016’s Not The Actual Events ushers in a new era of the band and is the inaugural installment in a three-part EP series which also includes 2017’s Add Violence. Recorded with now official band member Atticus Ross, the 5-track EP is heavy, textured and mercurial and includes guest appearances by Dave Grohl (drums) on “The Idea Of You, ” Dave Navarro (guitar) on “Burning Bright (Field On Fire)” and wife Mariqueen Maandig (vocals) on “She’s Gone Away.” 180gm pressing.
Palberta/No One and the Somebodies – Chips For Dinner LP (Wharf Cat)
Born in the kitchen of some stranger’s house and conceived of over many bowls of pasta and lentils, Chips For Dinner is the gurgling brain child of New York’s weirdest. Palberta and No One and the Somebodies (NOATS) feel right at home together, joyously dishing out sonic absurdities and displaying a clear mutual influence on each other’s work. Four brothers from Westchester County and three thick-as-thieves friends living in the Hudson Valley have concocted a real musical treat for all lovers of the playful and strange.
Panopticon – Autumn Eternal [Reissue/2015] 2xLP (Nordvis)
Limited orange colored vinyl pressing.
Paternoster – Paternoster [Reissue/1972] LP (Now-Again)
A terrifying album, a collection of songs that traverses the sublime, and thus necessitates a bowel-loosening acceptance of beauty too complicated to merely admire, bowing under the weight of a tremendous atmosphere, accentuated by Gothic organs and scorching fuzz guitar, punctuated by wailing vocals detailing visceral, Bosch-like images, and carried by enveloping bass and syncopated, mixed-well-too-loud-and-thankfully-so drums.
Les Paul and Mary Ford – Les and Mary [Reissue/1955] LP (Capitol)
Les and Mary is a studio album released by Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1955 on Capitol Records. The album features ten vocals by Mary Ford. The songs contained in the album are noted for their diversity. Now available as a single LP on standard weight vinyl in celebration of Capitol Records’ 75th anniversary.
The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde [25th Anniversary Edition] 2xLP/2xLP+3×12” (Craft Recordings)
Released last week on CD – Regular and Deluxe vinyl editions now available. Listening to 1992’s Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde 25 years after its release, its sense of timeliness is unmistakable. Every song on the album inverts a hoary hip-hop cliché. With classics like “Oh Sh*t,” “Otha Fish,” “Ya’ Mama,” and the now-ubiquitous “Passin’ Me By,” Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde remains essential and enduringly unique – a rite of passage for any serious hip-hop fan. Featuring brand-new liner notes by leading music writer Jeff Weiss (Pitchfork, Passion Of The Weiss), this Deluxe 25th Anniversary of the gold-certified album features the original album in its entirety, plus an entire disc of bonus material featuring rare cuts, remixes, and a capellas.
Pink Floyd – A Collection Of Great Dance Songs [Reissue/1981] LP (Pink Floyd Records)
Pink Floyd – Delicate Sound Of Thunder [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Pink Floyd Records)
Back in print on vinyl.
Playboi Carti – Playboi Carti LP (AWGE/Interscope)
Vinyl edition of the eponymous debut commercial mixtape by the rapper.
Portugal. The Man – Waiter: “You Vultures!” [Reissue/2006] LP (Fearless)
Portugal. The Man – Church Mouth [Reissue/2007] LP (Fearless)
First two records by Portugal. The Man – back in print on vinyl.
Project Mama Earth – Project Mama Earth 12” (Provogue)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut EP from the all-star Mama Earth lineup of Joss Stone (vocals), Nitin Sawhney (guitar), Jonathan Joseph (drums), Étienne M’Bappé (bass/guitar) and Jonathan Shorten (keyboards). The project started when British soul singer Joss Stone and her former musical director Jonathan Joseph hit on the Mama Earth concept of an album driven by the dynamic rhythms of Africa.
Razz – Time Frames LP (Emotional Response)
Razz are a reminder that simple rock & roll chord structure does not necessarily equate to unoriginal. Intricate pop disguised as big rock tunes.
Lou Reed – Transformer [Reissue/1972] LP (RCA)
Lou Reed – Berlin [Reissue/1973] LP (RCA)
Lou Reed – Rock N Roll Animal [Reissue/1974] LP (RCA)
Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby [Reissue/1975] LP (RCA)
Lou Reed – Street Hassle [Reissue/1978] LP (RCA)
Lou Reed – Blue Mask [Reissue/1982] LP (RCA)
Digitally remastered vinyl reissues now available.
Ritual Knife – Hate Invocation LP (Fallen Empire)
Searing black punk from Atlanta.
Sannhet – Known Flood [Reissue/2013] LP (The Flenser)
A vinyl reissue of Sannhet’s long-out-of-print debut album. Originally released on Sacrament in 2013, this album set the tone for the band’s signature blend of instrumental transcendent black metal and post-metal.
Silver Apples – Contact [Reissue/1969] LP (Jackpot)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. The 1969 follow up to Silver Apple’s debut found the duo digging into the far reaches of their songwriting psyches for a darker and more emotionally charged set of songs.
The Simpkin Project – Beam Of Light LP (Dub Rocker)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Hailing from Huntington Beach, the six-piece rock reggae band Simpkin Project put a distinct California feel into their work. From the electric guitar accents from group founder and lead singer Phil Simpkin, to the smooth vocal harmonies created with co-founder Sean Kennedy, the sound is at once familiar and refreshing. Having a strong knowledge and respect for roots reggae, the songs blend their favorite influences from Jamaica and California, including Latin percussion.
Sleep On It – Overexposed LP (Equal Vision)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Chicago pop-punk favorites.
Sob Stories – Debut 12” (Emotional Response)
A shotgun marriage of ’80s jangle pop and nervy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics are the wedded bliss of Sob Storie’s eponymous debut EP.
Joe South – Introspect [Reissue/1968] LP (Capitol)
A country-soul southern rocker with a trippy album cover? It wasn’t shocking that it failed to find its audience back in ’68. Yet time and it’s influence (Elvis and Tony Joe White certainly took notice) have carved it out as a classic.
Sun Ra – Space Is The Place [Reissue/1973] LP (Jackpot)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. In the endless ocean of Sun Ra recordings, 1973’s Space Is The Place ranks among the very best but more importantly stands as the most immediately understandable of his records. This masterpiece touches flawlessly on elements of many of Ra’s multiple phases and provides both a mission statement for and a gateway to his immaculate body of work.
Sun Ra and His Arkestra – Featuring Pharaoh Sanders & Black Harold [Reissue/1976] LP (Superior Viaduct)
After its first release in plain or hand-decorated covers in 1976, Featuring Pharoah Sanders And Black Harold remained an exceptionally rare item in the El Saturn discography, known to a few lucky collectors.
Suspect Parts – Suspect Parts LP (Oops Baby)
Buzzsaw punk/powerpop, a cotton candy-meets-razorblade concoction that goes down surprisingly smooth.
SZA – Ctrl LP (RCA)
Released last June on CD – now available on vinyl. “SZA has proven herself to be a talented storyteller between harmonious melodies.” — Vibe
Utzalu – The Loins Of Repentence LP (Vrasubatlat)
The debut full length and fourth proclamation of scornful revenge by Utzalu: The Loins Of Repentance. Formed in the corridors of wretch, this album employs the visions of Emile Zola in tangent with anecdotal tales of depravity in unhinged desires. The Loins Of Repentance focuses on the evolution (or lack thereof) of merciless lust and the longing for the hubris that may never come. The transcendence of self-destruction and the desire to beckon the fall. The lust for revenge and the ecstasy from visions of torn and rotten loins.
Various Artists – The Amazing Singing Record – Arizona Pop Compilation LP+MP3 (Emotional Response)
A compilation of home grown talent, featuring two songs each from eight current Arizona pop acts. Electrisad, Lil Bobby Jr., Gene Tripp, Amateur Hour, The English Teeth (Boyracer), Nanami Ozone, Cereal Milk, and Diners.
David Virelles with Román Díaz and The Nosotros Ensemble – Gnosis 2xLP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In this vivid and exciting project, the Santiago-raised and New York-based pianist-composer David Virelles looks towards one melting pot from the vantage point of another. A far-reaching work with deep cultural roots, Gnosis speaks of transculturation and traditions, and of the complex tapestry of Cuba’s music the sacred, the secular, and the ritualistic but the works shapes and forms could only have been created by a gifted contemporary player thoroughly versed in the art of the improvisers. Strings, woodwinds and percussion all have their roles to play in Gnosis, viewed by Virelles as several families functioning within one unit: this dynamic symbolizes multicultural interaction.
Weather Warlock/Quintron – Headless Faction LP+MP3 (Rhinestone)
The Weather Warlock is a musical instrument built by New Orleans artist and musician Quintron. The instrument is a large analog synthesizer which is controlled, via a set of outdoor sensors, by the changes in weather. The circuitry employs sun, rain, wind, temperature, moon, and lightning to affect a major-chordal drone with special sonic events occurring at sunrise and sunset. The base recordings for this, the second Weather Warlock album, were made in Abu Dhabi during a live performance on Saadiyat Island.
Andre Williams – Bacon Fat: The Fortune Singles 1956-1957 LP (Wax Love)
The earliest – and dirtiest – years of Williams’ five-decade-long career. All of his singles from 1956-1957 for the legendary Fortune Records label.
Lucinda Williams – This Sweet Old World LP (Highway 20)
Limited edition pink colored vinyl pressing available November 17 – part of this year’s Ten Bands One Cause pink vinyl campaign in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and Gilda’s Club NYC Produced by Lucinda Williams and Tom Overby, This Sweet Old World – recorded to mark the 25th anniversary of the original 1992 album Sweet Old World – features all-new renditions of the record’s 12 songs, some of which have been dramatically rearranged and rewritten.
Cassettes:
The Adicts – And It Was So! (Nuclear Blast)
With their Clockwork Orange Droog attire, infectious high energy, uptempo music and unforgettable performances, The Adicts are no strangers to the scene having formed in the 1975 in Ipswich, England. Over 40 years later the punk legends are still intent on raising sonic hell with their eleventh studio album.
Bitchin Bajas – Bajas Fresh (Drag City)
“While flowing towards a wholeness, the four sides of Bajas Fresh feature distinct approaches, approaching the ephemeral with subtle tweaks from new angles. Eschewing the grainy expansiveness of the self-titled album, this new one has an almost monolithic approach, whether spitting forth with Harmonia-styled data riffs, finding Denny-esque South Pacific exotica within a classic Sun Ra piece or teasing out almost imperceptible inflections inside the epochal fizz and whir with glassy-eyed, glacial patience.”
Ekin Fil – Inflame (Helen Scarsdale Agency)
The Istanbul drone-pop producer turns her sites to the big screen for the first soundtrack in her impressive catalogue of recordings.
Morrissey – Low In High School (BMG)
On his eleventh studio effort, Morrissey’s talent for combining political statements and beautiful melodies is more prevalent than ever as he captures the zeitgeist of an ever-changing world.
Stelzer/Murray – Connector (Helen Scarsdale Agency)
New collaboration from two stalwarts of the Boston noise/experimental scene over the past two decades. On Connector, Stelzer brings to the table an array of mangled and partially demagnetized tape; and Murray brings his knack for compacted harmonics, obfuscated field recordings, and long-view compositional strategies.
Holiday:
Pentatonix – A Pentatonix Christmas LP (RCA)
2017 edition of this festive 2016 album featuring bonus tracks and pressed on vinyl for the first time.
Sia – Everyday Christmas CD (Atlantic)
The Australian pop singer’s first-ever Christmas album includes 10 original festive songs, including “Santa’s Coming For Us,” “Puppies Are Forever” and “Ho Ho Ho.” [Vinyl edition due December 15.]
Various Artists – Bloodshot Records’ 13 Days Of Christmas CD/LP (Bloodshot)
Bloodshot’s 13 Days of Christmas is a-you guessed it-thirteen-song compilation of off-kilter original Christmas songs and unlikely covers by Bloodshot artists and friends like Murder By Death, Jon Langford, Kelly Hogan, and Ha Ha Tonka. The collection runs the gamut of garage rock, doo wop, honky tonk, surf, and more. From the traditional to the subversive, there’s something for everyone’s stocking. “The people have been barkin’ up our chimney about a holiday release for a long time, and we finally pulled up our stockings and got tinkering in the workshop.”
Various Artists – A Capitol Christmas Volume Two CD (Capitol)
Part of the on-going celebration of Capitol 75 – includes key tracks by Glen Campbell, Dinah Shore & The Beach Boys singing Christmas classics. [Vinyl edition due December 1.]
Various Artists – Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You [OST] CD (Epic)
Soundtrack to the new animated film based on a young Mariah Carey’s lust to own a puppy.
Leave a Reply