CDs + Vinyl:
Arrows Of Love – Product: Your Soundtrack To The Impending Societal Collapse CD/LP (I’m Not From London)
East London art-rockers Arrows Of Love (the five-piece led by co-writers Nima and Nuha) release their eagerly anticipated second album – an eleven-track amalgamation of blisteringly heavy guitars and earnest, heartfelt lyrics. Here, the collective weave a world which is equal parts aggressively powerful and vulnerable, where poetry meets pure punk attitude.
Bahamas – Earthtones CD/LP (Republic)
Afie Jurvanen isn’t from the Bahamas. He’s a Finnish-Canadian from Barrie – a working class town in rural Ontario. But his chosen epithet is fitting. Since 2009 he’s been making music under the name Bahamas – writing songs about sunsets, love affairs, and making out with crooked smiles. Through simple arrangements, he charts an escape route from the snow belt to the coral reefs. Afie is self-taught on guitar and has worked with such musicians as The Lumineers, Feist, Howie Beck, Jason Collett, Jack Johnson, The Weather Station, and Zeus. Earthtones is a quirky yet haunting collection of songs that touch on success, parenting, facing depression, and everything else in his life. Most of all, it’s an album about friendship and how great it is to have someone in your life that can lift you up when you’re feeling down.
Belle Adair – Tuscumbia CD/LP (Single Lock)
When Muscle Shoals four-piece Belle Adair recorded their new album Tuscumbia they leaned into their hometown’s musical legacy to create a sound unlike anything that’s come out of The Shoals region before. The result doesn’t so much update the Muscle Shoals sound as redefine it with chiming guitars, meditative lyrics and a breezy, blissed-out feel. The eleven new songs on Tuscumbia were all written by frontman Matt Green, and the album marks a massive leap forward for a band that’s already been praised by NPR for its “dreamy sound” and by SPIN for songs that “glow with a deep, dusky aura.” Both grand and intimate, far-reaching and deeply personal, Tuscumbia is a definitive declaration of identity from a band that bucks tradition in search of their own personal truths.
Black Label Society – Grimmest Hits CD/LP (E1)
Black Label Society bandleader Zakk Wylde wields his guitar like a Viking weapon, bashing out thick riffage and squeezing out expressive squeals as if the glory of his Berserker brotherhood depends upon every single note, which of course, it does. Charismatic beast and consummate showman, Wylde puts his massive heart and earnest soul on display with unbridled, unchained, animalistic passion in Black Label Society, whether it’s a crushingly heavy blues-rock barnstormer or a piano-driven ode to a fallen brother. Grimmest Hits is the band’s tenth album.
Cane Hill – Cane Hill CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
10 aggressive, fast-paced metal anthems. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Chick Corea + Steve Gadd Band – Chinese Butterfly 2xCD (Concord Jazz)
Chinese Butterfly is a reunion of two musical titans, a creative partnership that dates back to the early days of Return To Forever with Chick Corea when Steve Gadd was one of the first drummers. [Vinyl edition due February 16.]
Devin Dawson – Dark Horse CD/LP (WB)
One of country music’s rising stars releases his debut album. The up-and-coming singer-songwriter collaborated with top songwriters Luke Laird, Josh Kerr, Barry Dean, Seth Ennis and more on the project. An atypical country artist, Devin Dawson’s approach to music is not different on purpose, it’s different with purpose. He grew up just outside the gates of Folsom Prison,
drawing inspiration from Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Pulling from these influences, he began to write in a style that is definitively country.
Kit Downes – Obsidian CD (ECM)
Kit Downes’s previous ECM appearance was as pianist on the debut recording of Time Is A Blind Guide in 2015 and he’s critically-regarded as one of the UK’s outstanding young jazz talents. This recording however has little to do with “jazz”, although it could only have been made by an improviser of subtle sensibilities.
Eden – Vertigo CD/2xLP (Astralwerks)
On his 2016 breakthrough EP I Think You Think Too Much Of Me, Dublin-based vocalist-producer and multi-instrumentalist Jonathon Ng aka Eden struck a rare balance of ingenuity and intuition with its guitar-heavy take on electronic pop. With his full-length debut, Vertigo, he takes an even more instinct-driven approach to his music, a process he perceives as a form of exploration. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Tommy Emmanuel – Accomplice One CD/LP (CGP Sounds)
Accomplice One is a testament to Tommy Emmanuel’s musical diversity, the range of expression that stretches from authentic country-blues to face-melting rock shredding, by way of tender and devastating pure song playing. The songs are a mix of new takes on indelible classics and brand new originals from Tommy and his collaborators. The artists who stepped forward to join Tommy in the studio are an impressive list of some of today’s most respected performers, from across the musical spectrum – a lineup including Jason Isbell, Mark Knopfler, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Douglas, Amanda Shires, Ricky Skaggs, J.D. Simo, David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, Suzy Bogguss and many more.
Fall Out Boy – Mania CD/LP (Island)
Mania is the follow-up album to Fall Out Boy’s platinum-certified sixth studio album American Beauty/American Psycho. Telling single “Young And Menace” has an electronica-tinged industrial rock feel and is a departure from the punky rock ‘n’ roll sound of its predecessor.
First Aid Kit – Ruins CD/LP+MP3 (Columbia)
Swedish duo First Aid Kit’s new album Ruins follows the band’s Columbia Records debut Stay Gold, a lush and ambitious 10-song collection that beautifully captured their vivid storytelling, landing the group on countless “Best of 2014” accolades. Produced by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, Laura Veirs), the album was recorded in Portland, OR where Klara (vocals/guitar) and Johanna Söderberg collaborated with top rate musicians like REM’s Peter Buck, Wilco’s Glenn Kotche and Midlake’s McKenzie Smith. Rolling Stone calls lead single “It’s A Shame,” a “Dylan-meets-Emmylou Harris shot of country-rock sunshine” while the duo note that follow-up, “Postcard” is one of the most traditional sounding songs we’ve ever written, and we wanted the production to mirror that. It’s not a resentful song, but more of a reaching out to a lover to wish them well on their journey in the midst of having to let them go.”
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac [Reissue/1975] CD/2xCD/3xCD+DVD-Audio+LP (Rhino)
Originally released in 1975, Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled release marks the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band’s lineup – the line up as it is today. Available in Regular, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe editions. Deluxe features a disc of single edits, early versions and live recordings. Super Deluxe is packaged in a 12”x12” embossed sleeve and adds a third disc of live tracks, a DVD featuring 5.1 Surround Sound and high-resolution 24/96 Stereo Audio mixes of the original album and an LP version of the original album pressed on 180gm vinyl.
Ron Gallo – Really Nice Guys CDEP (New West)
Really Nice Guys is a concept EP by Thyme Magazine’s “Man Of The Year,” Ron Gallo. The EP is another thought provoking and inspired installment, extending an already prolific calendar year by Gallo which saw the release of the critically acclaimed full-length album Heavy Meta as well as the 7” singles, “Temporary Slave” and “Sorry Not Everybody Is You.” Really Nice Guys finds Gallo exploring new sonic frontiers and instrumentation in the form of what might be called a conceptual art piece. Whatever you call it is wholly original and Gallo continues to melt faces and free minds.
Ghost B.C. – Ceremony And Devotion 2xCD/2xLP (Loma Vista)
Ceremony And Devition was recorded during the band’s critically exalted Popestar tour during the summer of 2017 and documents Ghost’s unforgettable live show in pursuit of becoming the world’s next great arena band. Ceremony and Devotion was produced and mixed by Tom Dalgety and features fan favorites spanning the band’s entire catalogue from Opus Eponymous (2010) to Infestissumam (2013) to Meliora (2015) to the Popestar EP (2016). Ghost’s most recent studio album, Meliora, and its accompanying EP Popestar, earned the Swedish rock band a Grammy Award for ‘Best Metal Performance’. Along the way Ghost have racked up both widespread critical acclaim and adoration from a legion of fans across the globe in a genre stagnated by Nü metal for nearly two decades.
The Go! Team – Semicircle CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Memphis Industries)
Unlike The Go! Team’s 2015 effort The Scene Between – which was essentially a solo project that followed the dissolution of the previous line-up – Semicircle finds leader Ian Parton collaborating with current live players Simone Odaranile (drums) and Angela ‘Maki’ Won-Yin Mak (vocals), as well as two original members, guitarist Sam Dook and rapper Ninja. Annelotte de Graaf (aka Amber Arcades), previous collaborator Julie Margat (aka Lispector), and a crew of unexpected musicians feature throughout.
Glen Hansard – Between Two Shores CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Following up 2015’s Grammy nominated Didn’t He Ramble, and his 2012 solo debut Rhythm and Repose, Glen Hansard’s third solo album Between Two Shores was produced by Hansard himself for the first time. The culmination of more than six years of writing and recording, Between Two Shores came together in only a matter of weeks. In March 2017, Hansard booked himself time at Black Box Studios in France with the original idea of taking inventory of his songbook. Working again with former Frames bandmate and producer David Odlum, Hansard was in search of a direction for his next record. As he reviewed his previous sessions, various ideas and home recordings, a sketch of an unplanned record began to take shape. The album’s title comes from Hansards ongoing love of sailing and the sea. When one is equal distance between their starting point and their destination they are in essence “between two shores.” A less than ideal time to wonder whether you should turn back or continue on, but a thought that inevitably rears its head. With Between Two Shores Hansard has managed to capture that feeling of the big soulful sound of his large touring band while still retaining the intimate introspective nature of his acoustic shows. To which way the wind will blow on his next record remains to be seen.
Hot Snakes – Automatic Midnight [Reissue/2000] CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Hot Snakes – Suicide Invoice [Reissue/2002] CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Hot Snakes – Audit In Progress [Reissue/2004] CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
San Diego’s influential post-hardcore all-stars Hot Snakes – boasting members of Pitchfork, Rocket From the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Earthless, Obits, Burning Brides, OFF!, The Delta 72, and more – released three of Sub Pop’s favorite rock records of the past 20 years: Automatic Midnight, Suicide Invoice, and Audit in Progress. All three were originally issued on Swami Records, with art by singer/guitarist and visual artist Rick Froberg. As we await the somewhat-later-in-2018 release of their first new album since 2004, the label is pleased to reissue this trio of classics back on vinyl.
Demun Jones – Jones In Ya Speaker CD (Select O Hits)
Blending low end hip-hop drums with lyrical paintings of a lifestyle that many in rural settings can relate. Jones shows his versatility with upbeat, almost comical tracks.
Lanco – Hallelujah Nights CD/LP (Arista)
New album from the country music outfit. Lanco’s story begins in the small towns where all five bandmates Lancaster, bassist Chandler Baldwin, multi-instrumentalist Jared Hampton, drummer Tripp Howell and lead guitarist Eric Steedly were raised. Spread across Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, they lived normal lives full of late nights, long weekends, hard lessons and young love. Alongside award-winning producer Jay Joyce, Lanco focused on capturing the spirit of their exuberant live shows, sharing the same goal to make everything sound authentic and human.
Laraaji – Vision Songs – Vol. 1 [Reissue/1984] CD/LP (Numero)
Vision Songs Vol. 1 is the Laraaji album like no other, located at the intersection of new age and gospel. It is both his outlier and magnum opus, the feel-good DIY tape of the century. Discovered busking in Washington Square Park by Brian Eno in the late ‘70s, engagement with the eternal flow has led Laraaji to, seemingly by magic, emerge as the most beloved avatar of the unstoppable new age music revival of recent years.
Moon Taxi – Let The Record Play CD/LP+MP3 (RCA)
The highly anticipated fifth studio album from the alt-rock-five-piece band from Nashville.
Of Mice & Men – Defy CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
Returning to legendary producer, Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Papa Roach, P.O.D.), Defy delivers a new era of Of Mice & Men. These songs are fast and heavy. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Joe Perry – Sweetzerland Manifesto CD/2xLP (Roman/Croshal Entertainment)
Sweetzerland Manifesto features 11 hard-rocking original songs from the legendary Aerosmith guitarist. Joining Perry is a Murderers Row of some of the baddest names in rock, including Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), who sings on the single “Aye, Aye, Aye”, David Johansen (New York Dolls), and Terry Reid. Even world-famous actor Johnny Depp gets in on the action, playing drums on “Eve Of Destruction”. Joe Perry was ranked 84th in Rolling Stone’s list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Aerosmith, and in 2013, Perry and his songwriting partner Steven Tyler were recipients of the ASCAP Founders Award and were also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Phillip Phillips – Collateral CD (Interscope)
Third album from the singer/songwriter best known as the winner of the eleventh season of American Idol.
Porches – The House CD/LP (Domino)
The third studio album by New York-based musician Aaron Maine’s Porches project. The House, a conscious effort in minimalism and honesty, includes contributions from (Sandy) Alex G, Dev Hynes, Solange collaborator Bryndon Cook, Okay Kaya, Maya Laner, Cende’s Cameron Wisch, and Porches’ father Peter Maine.
Shins – The Worms Heart CD/LP+MP3 (Sony)
The Worms Heart is a complete re-work of The Shins 2017 album Heartworms. The album offers new reworked versions of Heartworms album tracks, and the sequence is flipped as well.
Shopping – The Official Body CD/LP (FatCat)
Following on the success of their two previous albums for FatCat, which were praised on both sides of the pond as “breakneck, open-eared, positivist post-punk canter” (NME) and “direct, smart, catchy, and extremely punk” (Pitchfork) – Shopping returns to shake some asses with their new album.
Caitlyn Smith – Starfire CD (Monument/Sony Music Nashville)
Some artists are bred of and for Music Row, forever confined to the narrow lyrical and sonic cutouts which spring from country radio’s trend chasing. Others are singers and songwriters who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and pour out their hearts three minutes at a time–screaming to be heard by anyone and everyone willing to give them a chance. Caitlyn Smith is the latter.
Starcrawler – Starcrawler CD/LP (Rough Trade)
What do you get when you combine elements of the Cramps, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne and The Runaways? You get Starcrawler, a Los Angeles, CA rock band who formed in 2015. Starcrawler’s eponymous debut was recorded by Ryan Adams on analog tape at his PaxAm Studio. Ryan’s love for the band and his excitement about the album has been well documented in his many posts from the studio.
Bobo Stenson Trio – Contra la indecisión CD (ECM)
The great Swedish trio of Bobo Stenson takes a stand against indecision in a decisively beautiful new album. As ever, the trio draws upon a wide range of source materials. A yearning title song by Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, Bartók’s adaptation of a Slovak folk song, a piece from Mompou’s Cançons i Danses collection, and Erik Satie’s Elégie are integrated into the program, alongside original compositions by Stenson and Anders Jormin and group improvising. So strong is the group’s character and the musical identity of each of its members that the integration of this material always feels organic and logical. Stenson’s lyrical touch, Jormin’s folk-flavored arco bass and Jon Fält’s flickering, textural drumming well-displayed on Contra la indecisión, the trio’s first new recording in six years.
Thomas Strønen/ Time Is A Blind Guide – Lucas CD (ECM)
Norwegian drummer/composer Thomas Strønen presents a revised edition of his acoustic collective Time Is A Blind Guide, now trimmed to quintet size, and with a new pianist in Wakayama-born Ayumi Tanaka. Tanaka has spoken of seeking associative connections between Japan and Norway in her improvising, a tendency Strønen seems to be encouraging with his space-conscious writing for the ensemble, letting in more light. As on the group’s eponymously-titled and critically-lauded debut album there are excellent contributions from the string players – the quintet effectively contains both a string trio and a piano trio – and Manfred Eicher’s production brings out all the fine detail in the grain of the collective sound and the halo of its overtones.
Sun Ra – Of Abstract Dreams CD/LP (Strut/Art Yard)
A previously unreleased radio session most likely recorded at the WXPN FM radio studios in Philadelphia, PA in 1974-75.
John Surman/Nelson Ayres/Rob Waring – Invisible Threads CD (ECM)
Saxophonist and clarinetist John Surman is often characterized as a quintessentially English improviser and composer, and hints of folk music and a pastoral ambience are attributes of his music on well-loved albums like “The Road To Saint Ives” or “Saltash Bells.” Yet he also has a long history of working with musicians from other countries and cultures, players united by such invisible threads as a shared feeling for melody that transcends the idioms. John Surman
met pianist Nelson Ayres – known to aficionados of Brazilian jazz for his work with Airto Moreira, Milton Nascimento and Banda Pau Brasil – while on tour in South America. In Oslo, Surman came to know and appreciate the playing of Rob Waring, expatriate US vibraphonist (recently heard on ECM with Mats Eilertsen). The three musicians come together to play a new program of Surman originals – plus Nelson Ayres’s “Summer Song” – in a session recorded at Oslo’s
Rainbow studio in July 2017, produced by Manfred Eicher.
Television Personalities – Beautiful Despair CD/LP (Fortuna Pop)
Vinyl and CD edition of Television Personalities’ unreleased album. It was originally recorded in 1990 by Jowe Head at his flat in Glading Terrace, Stoke Newington (shortly before it was demolished), over a number sessions on a portable 4-track cassette-tape machine. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
They Might Be Giants – I Like Fun CD (Idlewild)
They Might Be Giants’ remarkable new album I Like Fun jumps with surprises, vitality, and the startling point of view of these Brooklyn originals. Over a year in the making, songwriters and band founders John Linnell and John Flansburgh draw on themes of dread, death, and disappointment and set them to their driving, hyper-melodic music. The results will leave even the most heavy-hearted among us with a renewed sense of wonder. Fresh and sonically adventurous, the band’s command of the studio and the song is in rare form from beginning to end. On I Like Fun, the spotlight is also on the band’s formidable long-standing live lineup; drummer Marty Beller, bassist Danny Weinkauf and lead guitarist Dan Miller. While the group enjoys a reputation for delivering one of the liveliest shows around, the album accomplishes the rare feat of capturing that ecstatic intensity on LP. Co-produced with and mixed by Patrick Dillett (St. Vincent, Donald Fagen, The National, Mary J. Blige), I Like Fun was tracked and mixed at the brand-new Reservoir Studios – site of the legendary Skyline Studios where TMBG recorded their platinum-selling album Flood. [Vinyl edition due February 9.]
Toto Bona Lokua – Bondeko CD/LP (No Format)
The first album in 13 years from the acclaimed trio. Martinican Gérald Toto, Cameroonian Richard Bona and Congolose Lokua Kanza – three voices that are equal, three singular careers, three quite distinct universes with one thing in common, like a nutritive sun, more or less distant: Africa.
tUnE-yArDs – I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life CD/LP (4AD)
Thematically, I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life tackle race, politics, intersectional feminism and environmental prophecies head on. But in the billows of intense subject matter, the album arrives as tUnE-yArDs’ (now a duo) most immediate and upbeat music yet – this is music to dance to. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Various Artists – Classic Delta And Deep South Blues From Smithsonian Folkways CD (Smithsonian Folkways)
As a shared art form, the Mississippi Delta blues tradition also extends across the river into Arkansas—running north from Helena through West Memphis, Marianna, Forest City, Hughes, and Blytheville—into Steele and Caruthersville, Missouri; on to St. Louis; then over the bridge into East St. Louis, Illinois, and eventually Chicago; and on the Tennessee side into Memphis, Brownsville, Ripley, and Jackson. This broadly constitutes the range of the Delta-based blues tradition and the orbit of the musicians who work in that regional style.
Various Artists – Something Got A Hold On Me: The Ru-Jac Records Story, Volume One 1963-1964 CD (Omnivore)
Various Artists – Get It Right: Get Right: The Ru-Jac Records Story, Volume Two 1964-1966 CD (Omnivore)
The Baltimore soul/R&B label Ru-Jac Records was founded in 1963 by local promoter Rufus Mitchell and investor partner Jack Bennett (their names forming the Ru-Jac name). The label primarily released regional soul/R&B singles from 1963 until the mid-1970s, when Mitchell stepped away to focus on another business venture. All four volumes o The Ru-Jac Records Story (the first two available now, the third and fourth available in February) collects for the very first time the audio history of Ru-Jac Records. Each volume is produced by the Grammy-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski and Kevin Coombe, East Coast soul historian. Coombe provides liner notes detailing the rise and eventual closure of the label, and its close ties to the segregated beaches and performance spaces of the region. Rare photos and ephemera will be included in each volume to help illustrate and trace the history of the label. Utilizing original tapes, extremely collectible 45s, and acetates, all four volumes underwent extensive restoration and mastering by Grammy® Award winning engineer, Michael Graves. Volume One, 1963–1964 contains 28 tracks, 10 of them previously unissued. The other 18 tracks chart the history of the first 45s issued by the label and includes songs by Winfield Parker, Flattop Bobby & The Soul Twisters, and Brenda Jones among others.
The Vibrators – Past, Present, And Into The Future CD/LP (Cleopatra)
New album from legendary British punk band. Past, Present, And Into The Future features a unique line-up with contributions from former and current members including founders Knox, Eddie, and John Ellis along with V2 era bassist Gary Tibbs (Roxy Music), current bassist/vocalist Pete, guitarist Darrell Bath and production by original bassist Pat Collier. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Walking Papers – WP2 CD (Loud & Proud)
Walking Papers’ music is instantly familiar, yet profoundly forward-thinking, blending impactful singer/songwriting, ‘90s alternative and classic rock into a transcendent amalgam of breathtaking sounds and melodies. Featuring Jefferson Angell (The Missionary Position), Benjamin Anderson (The Missionary Position), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), and Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees, Mad Season), the band unleashes their moody and carnal second album WP2. [Vinyl edition due February 16.]
Colter Wall – Imaginary Appalachia CD/LP (Young Mary’s)
A native of Swift Current, Saskatchewan Canada, Colter Wall’s sound is comprised of resonate and raw baritone vocals, folk and bluegrass style guitar and banjo picking, steady kick-drum stomping, and visually provoking, storytelling lyrics.
Whitesnake – The Purple Tour CD/CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray 2xLP (Rhino)
Whitesnake puts their distinctive spin on several songs from Coverdale’s studio albums with Deep Purple.
Van Williams – Countries CD/LP (Fantasy)
Just a couple years ago, Van William thought he had life figured out. Having toured the world from age 20 – first with his band Port O’Brien, followed by his second group Waters – he had met and cultivated a tight knit community of fellow musicians, embarked on a serious romantic relationship, even found time to spend his summers on Kodiak Island, Alaska working on his father’s commercial fishing boat, as he’d done all his life. When, in short order, his musical projects and relationship dissolved, and his father announced his retirement, Van reached an inflection point. “I was freaked out,” the songwriter recalls, looking back on the most tumultuous year of his life. “But with that freak-out came a renewed sense of purpose.” And a new musical direction, heralded by the arrival of Countries, Van’s vivid and open-hearted solo debut full length album. BuzzBands.LA called the album centerpiece “The Country” – “the sound of a man turning the page, classic songwriting ferrying yesterday’s melancholy and tomorrow’s hopes on vessels of indelible melodies and poignant lyrics.” Anchored in Van’s love of melodic song craft and infused with melancholy, the eleven new, original songs on Countries don’t belong to any specific style. Call them American Heartache, music that stirs up forgotten memories and feels eternal and fresh, pulling the past into the present as a way of navigating loss. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Arcade Fire – Creature Comfort 12” (Sony)
Limited 180gm white 12” vinyl pressing of this single taken from the album Everything Now. Includes “Comfort My Sleng Teng” (Geoff Barrow Mix/12″ Vinyl Version).
Axegrinder – Rise Of The Serpent Men [Reissue/1988] LP (Peaceville)
Rise of the Serpent Men was recorded at Lion Studios in Leeds in 1988 and released the same year. Axegrinder’s strong Amebix-like grind sensibility appealed to punks and metal-heads alike, and the band’s first and only album featured artwork created by Jeff Walker (of UK metal masters Carcass).
Baphomet – The Dead Shall Inherit [Reissue/1992] LP (Peaceville)
Baphomet’s debut album was originally released by Peaceville Records imprint Deaf Records in 1992. Revered as a cult classic of pulverizing heaviness, Baphomet developed a strong profile alongside fellow New Yorkers Suffocation and Immolation, shaping the brutal end of the vibrant early ‘90s death metal scene.
Belle and Sebastian – How To Solve Our Human Problems (Part 1) 12”+MP3 (Matador)
The second installment of three new EPs. The How To Solve Our Human Problems EP project is the latest installment in a career that has always pursued a singular and delightful vision of what pop represents and what it can achieve, a career that has seen them triumph against the odds to win a Brit award, be one of the first bands to curate their own festival, and play at the London residence of the US ambassador. Belle and Sebastian’s new music has the timeless blend of joy and melancholy that has always characterized them.
BOYO – Me, Again LP (Danger Collective)
BOYO is the pseudonym of 20-year-old singer-songwriter Robert Tilden. Tilden’s been kicking around the L.A. DIY scene since he was 16 years old, spending the better part of it fronting the garage band Bobby T. and the Slackers. Me, Again, the follow up to his debut Control, taps into his sense of vulnerability, taking on themes of isolation, addiction, and regret. The album is a jagged collection of garage rock and soft DIY indie and noisey pop music, channeling everyone from Ty Segall to Elliot Smith to Deerhunter. [CD edition due February 2.]
Atmos mix and high-resolution master, all housed in 12” x 12” box with 60-page book also available.]
Corrosion Of Conformity – No Cross No Crown 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. “It’s been a dozen years since C.O.C. recorded new material with vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan at the helm. In that time, there have been rumors, whispers and outright allegations that the legendary Southern rock outfit would reunite to blow the doors off the whole damn scene again. In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup Down, Keenan reconnected with the core C.O.C. trio of Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean and Reed Mullin to hit the road hard and write and record the band’s highly anticipated tenth album, No Cross No Crown.”
Damu The Fudgemunk & Raw Poetic – The Reflecting Sea (Welcome To A New Philosophy) LP (Redefinition)
The Reflecting Sea revisits sonic textures of yesteryear combined with Damu The Fudgemunk & Raw Poetic’s distinct ears for music. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic’s lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevant. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album’s content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Limited colored pressing also available.
The Dears – End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story [Reissue/2000] LP (Paper Bag)
Paper Bag Vintage reissues a remastered edition of The Dears’ debut album End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story. The Dears, a critically acclaimed “orchestral-pop-noir-romantique” rock ‘n’ roll band from Montréal, is the lifework of Murray A. Lightburn. Son of a jazzman-turned-preacher, Lightburn’s attunement to songwriting was shaped equally by ’90s rock and a broad tableau of gospel, soul, and pop music.
DWNTWN – Racing Time LP (Jullian)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Hailing from Los Angeles, DWNTWN was formed by singer Jamie Leffler and guitarist Robert Cepeda before later being joined by Daniel Vancieri on drums. Following the success of the song “Til Tomorrow” from the DWNTWN EP, the band was likened to such artists as Ellie Goulding by the UK newspaper, The Guardian. Their blend of acoustic and electric guitar work, combined with prevalent drums surrounding Leffler’s vocals place their sound in the esteemed company of The Veronicas, Varuca Salt and Tegan and Sarah. Oscillating between emotionally-charged ballads and dancey indie jams, often within the same song, Leffler displays her impressive talents as both singer and songwriter with such sun-bleached tracks as “Drowning” and “Sticks And Stones” – a song which belongs on the playlist of every memory-making beach party of the summer.
Diamanda Galás – At Saint Thomas The Apostle Harlem 2xLP (Intravenal Sound Operations)
Released last April on CD – now available on vinyl. At St. Thomas the Apostle Harlem documents Galás’ volcanic May 2016 performance at St. Thomas the Apostle church in Harlem, NY, described by the New York Times as “guttural and operatic, baleful and inconsolable, spiritual and earthy, polyglot and wordless, nuanced and unhinged.”
Golden Smog – Weird Tales [Reissue/1998] LP (Rhino)
First time vinyl pressing of Golden Smog’s second album. At the time the band featured members of the Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Run Westy Run, and Wilco. Green colored pressing.
Great Lake Swimmers – Great Lake Swimmers [Reissue/2003] LP (Paper Bag)
Great Lake Swimmers have hugely affected the music world with their ambient-independent-folk sound. Paper Bag Vintage are pleased to reissue the Canadian indie darlings’ debut self-titled album on colored vinyl. Originally released in 2003, the haunting collection was recorded over several months in an abandoned grain silo in Southern Ontario and exhibits their familiar thematic threads of beauty in the natural world, environmental issues and explorations of close personal ties that hold us together.
Lalah Hathaway – Honestly LP (8th Floor Production)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Seventh album from the Grammy-winning soul vocalist, the daughter of the legendary Donny Hathaway.
Thee Headcoatees – Punk Girls [Reissue/1997] LP (Damaged Goods)
This classic 1997 LP was originally released on Sympathy For The Record Industry and has been out-of-print for a good many years. Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.
Maroon 5 – Red Pill Blues LP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Sixth album from three-time Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum band.
Masta Killa – Loyalty Is Royalty LP (Nature Sounds)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. With production handled by the likes of 9th Wonder, Illmind, P.F. Cuttin, RZA, True Master, and Dame Grease, Loyalty Is Royalty delivers the kind of classic hip-hop experience fans have come to expect from Wu-Tang Clan’s Masta Killa.
Mayhem Lauren X DJ Muggs – Gems From The Equinox LP (Soul Assassins)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Meyhem Lauren’s Gems From The Equinox is the crown jewel of modern NY rap. A future classic soundtracked by legendary producer DJ Muggs who has redefined dusty hip-hop production into a polished and dark, psychedelic world. The album features include the likes of Action Bronson, B-Real, Roc Marciano, Sean Price, Conway, Mr. Muthaf**kin’ eXquire and more.
Moka Only – Concert For One LP (Urbnet)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Daniel Denton is something of a super hero. An iconic artist in Canadian hip-hop, based out of Vancouver, performing musical feats under any one of his mysterious aliases. Guised as Ron Contour, Torch, or most notably, as Moka Only, his delivery is consistent and unmatched. He is an acclaimed underground champion, and a true storyteller with an unfathomable collection of stories to tell.
Moon Duo – Jukebox Babe b/w No Fun 7” (Sacred Bones)
Features covers of Alan Vega’s “Jukebox Babe” and The Stooges’ “No Fun.”
Mudhoney – Lie LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Recorded live during their 2016 European tour at shows in Germany, Croatia, Sweden, Austria, Norway, and Slovenia LiE is the first unlimited-edition, non-bootleg live Mudhoney album to date. New album to be released sometime this year.
Gary Numan – The Dance [Reissue/1981] LP (Beggars UK)
Limited double purple colored vinyl reissue of the electronic pop pioneer’s fifth album.
Dan Penn – Do Right Man [Reissue/1994] LP (Rhino)
Upon its release in 1994, Do Right Man was master songwriter Dan Penn’s first album in 20 years.
Petite Biscuit – Presence LP (Petite Biscuit)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album from classically-trained French artist.
John Prine – Diamond In The Rough [Reissue/1972] LP (Atlantic)
John Prine – Sweet Revenge [Reissue/1973] LP (Atlantic)
Vinyl reissues of the bluegrass and country singer-songwriter’s second and third albums.
Rock (Of Heltah Skeltah) – Rockness A.P.: After Price 2xLP (Digital Déjà vu)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. After the death of his partner Sean Price in 2015, Rock, of legendary Brooklyn hip-hop duo Heltah Skeltah, releases his first ever solo album. Features appearances from fellow Boot Camp Clik alums, Buckshot, Tek & Steele (Smif-n-Wessun), Wu-Tang’s Raekwon, Method Man and Inspectah Deck, Kuniva (D12), Young Noble (The Outlawz), Ras Kass, Ron Browz and M.O.P.
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs LP (True North)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The legendary folk singer-songwriter and tireless activist introduces new songs and revisits her classics.
Samiyam – Pizza Party LP (Stones Throw)
Advancing the unfolding legacy of instrumental hip-hop at Stones Throw is Pizza Party: 24 minutes of off-kilter mobster music mixed with a warm soul sound that is unmistakably L.A. producer and beatmaker Samiyam.
The Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group [Reissue/1980] LP (Chrysalis)
The Michael Schenker Group – MSG [Reissue/1981] LP (Chrysalis)
The Michael Schenker Group – Assault Attack [Reissue/1982] LP (Chrysalis)
The Michael Schenker Group – Built To Destroy [Reissue/1983] LP (Chrysalis)
Two pressings: regular black and limited-edition picture disc. The Michael Schenker Group was fronted by the former UFO and Scorpions guitarist.
Scour – Red LP (Housecore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Scour is a supergroup comprised of Pantera’s Philip H. Anselmo, Pig Destroyer’s John Jarvis, and Cattle Decapitation’s Derek Engemann.
ShitKid – This Is It 12” (Pnkslm)
New EP from the Swedish grunge pop act, the project of 23-year-old musician Åsa Söderqvis.
Sunny Day Real Estate – The Rising Tide [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
In 1997, Sub Pop approached an inactive Sunny Day Real Estate for help in compiling a rarities album. Because there were so few usable tracks, band founders Jeremy Enigk and Dan Hoerner agreed to get together and write some new material to augment the archival songs, but they wound up crafting an entire new album in a matter of days. Without Nate Mendel, who remains with the Foo Fighters to this day, Sunny Day reunited to record third full-length How It Feels to Be Something On in 1998. Epic 2000 follow-up The Rising Tide, their final LP to date and easily one of their finest, boasts sweeping production from Lou Giordano (Goo Goo Dolls, Live), anthemic songs galore and impassioned performances throughout.
Therion – Of Darkness… [Reissue/1991] LP (Peaceville)
Swedish act Therion originated in the late-80s. Following a couple of demos in 1989, the band’s style evolved out of an effective and raw mix of thrash/death metal.
Richard & Linda Thompson – Shoot Out The Lights [Reissue/1982] LP (Rhino)
Vinyl reissue of the sixth and final album by the British husband-and-wife rock duo.
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra – Paradise Has No Border LP (Nacional)
In the late-80s, a group of musicians rose from the Tokyo street/club scene, and called themselves, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (TSPO). Ever since, the band has been pursuing its unique sound of “Tokyo Ska,” blending and redefining musical genres to the delight of fans in and out of Japan. That authentic musicality is brought to new heights on their new Nacional Records album Paradise Has No Border which features songs sung in Japanese, Spanish and English and collaborations with Los Autenticos Decadentes and Inspector.
Tourist – Wash 12” (M-Theory)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The follow up to Tourist’s 2016 debut album U which earned him critical acclaim and a legion of tastemaker fans around the world. Featuring the single, “We Stayed Up All Night” (featuring Ardyn) from Grammy-winning, writer-producer William Phillips.
Vangelis – Blade Runner [OST] LP (Atlantic)
Vinyl reissue of Vangelis’ soundtrack to Ridley Scott’s 1982 film.
Xiu Xiu – A Promise [Reissue/2003] LP+7+MP3 (Graveface)
Deluxe colored vinyl LP pressing of the experimental band’s second studio album, including a bonus 7” single and digital download featuring some incredible drunk commentary by Jamie Stewart.
Cassettes:
The Go! Team – Semicircle (Memphis Industries)
Unlike The Go! Team’s 2015 effort The Scene Between – which was essentially a solo project that followed the dissolution of the previous line-up – Semicircle finds leader Ian Parton collaborating with current live players Simone Odaranile (drums) and Angela ‘Maki’ Won-Yin Mak (vocals), as well as two original members, guitarist Sam Dook and rapper Ninja. Annelotte de Graaf (aka Amber Arcades), previous collaborator Julie Margat (aka Lispector), and a crew of unexpected musicians feature throughout.
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