CDs + Vinyl:
Andrew W.K. – You’re Not Alone CD (Red Music)
To party is to exist. And to exist is to party. On You’re Not Alone, Andrew W.K.’s first album of new rock songs in nearly twelve years, the party is reborn as he delivers a set of high octane, full throttle rock ‘n’ roll powered by buoyant, infectious, and triumphant melodies. [Vinyl edition due March 23.]
Apathy – Widow’s Son CD/2xLP (Dirty Version)
The Demigodz/Army of the Pharaohs MC maintains a hardcore vibe with surgically-precise writing and has brought along a who’s who of legendary hip-hop heavyweights to contribute. Conceptually, the album is steeped within the mysteries of Freemasonry, showcasing songs that touch upon subject matter that only a Master Mason could craft. Guests include Pharoahe Monch, M.O.P., Celph Titled, A.G., Locksmith, Ryu and Diabolic. Production by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Buckwild, Nottz, Stu Bangas, Chumzilla and more.
Axe – Rock ‘N’ Roll Party: The Complete Atco Recordings CD (Real Gone Music)
Formed from the ashes of Babyface, this Florida five-piece led by guitarist Bobby Barth signed with MCA in the late ‘70s for two albums, but really put the pedal to the metal when they brought in Wayne Haner as bassist and inked with Atco in 1981. At their peak, Axe offered a uniquely American answer to period Brit-rockers like Judas Priest and Motörhead with melody to burn.
Joan Baez – Whistle Down The Wind CD/LP (Concord)
The singer, activist, musician and cultural icon returns with her first new studio album in a decade. Whistle Down The Wind finds Baez offering up peerless renditions of songs by artists she holds dear including Tom Waits, Josh Ritter, Anohni, Joe Henry, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Zoe Mulford, Eliza Gilkyson and Tim Eriksen.
The Breeders – All Nerve CD/LP (4AD)
The Breeders’ first record in a decade features the classic line-up of Kim and Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson – the configuration behind their smash 1993 album Last Splash. Includes the infectious lead single “Wait in the Car.”
Buffalo Tom – Quiet And Peace CD (Scrawny/Schoolkids)
Having first made their mark with a raw, raucous approach that put the band at the forefront of the ’90s alt-rock explosion, Buffalo Tom has consistently revealed new layers of musical and emotional depth, as manifested in the bittersweet ballads, soul-searching songcraft and rousing rock tunes that make up new album Quiet And Peace.
Camp Cope – How To Socialise & Make Friends CD/LP (Run For Cover)
Camp Cope’s new album How To Socialise & Make Friends follows-up their 2016 self-titled debut and kicks off with the instantly remarkable bass line of “The Opener,” an explosive diatribe against the sexist double standards of the music industry at large. What follows the lead single are a collection of songs that anchor on the cycles of life, loss and growth through resilience and those moments of finding and being yourself. Throughout the album’s nine songs it becomes clear that if their debut was the flame, this is Camp Cope rising from the ashes, stronger and more focused than ever. For fans of Modern Baseball, Hop Along, Tigers Jaw and Waxahatchee. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Celtic Thunder – Celtic Thunder X 2xCD (Sony Legacy)
The multi-platinum Irish group celebrated their 10th anniversary with a show in Dublin, recorded on October 30th, 2017. [DVD edition also available.]
Cut Chemist – Die Cut CD (Cold Busted)
On his long-awaited second full-length solo album Die Cut, the trailblazing DJ and producer underwent a creative birth reflected in its 17 tracks. The artist augments his signature approach famously earmarked by impeccable sample selection, searing scratching, and big-screen worthy arrangements with the inclusion of A-list musicians, songwriter structure, and a whole lot of team spirit including Los Angeles producer, curator and purveyor of culture, Carlos Nino. [Vinyl edition due March 16.]
Lucy Dacus – Historian CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
This remarkably assured 10-track statement of intent finds Lucy Dacus unafraid to take on the big questions – the life-or-death reckonings, and the ones that just feel that way. It’s a record full of bracing realizations, tearful declarations and moments of hard-won peace, expressed in lyrics that feel destined for countless yearbook quotes and first tattoos. An outward flowering of dynamic, living, breathing rock and roll.
Jackie DeShannon – Stone Cold Soul: The Complete Capitol Recordings 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
All 25 sides DeShannon recorded for Capitol, including her 1971 album Songs and all of her Memphis material featuring five previously unreleased tracks.
Enslaved – Hordanes Land [Reissue/1993] CD (By Norse Music)
Remastered reissue of the Norwegian metal band’s debut EP. Features the bonus track “Enslaved”, from their Yggdrasill split with Satyricon, released in 1992. [Vinyl edition due April 20.]
Fanny Walked The Earth – Fanny Walked The Earth CD/LP (Blue Elan)
New release from this band made up of former members of pioneering female rock band Fanny.
Felt – Crumbling The Antiseptic Beauty [Reissue/1982] CD+7”/LP (Cherry Red)
Felt – The Strange Idols Pattern And Other Short Stories [Reissue/1984] CD+7”/LP (Cherry Red)
Felt – The Slendour Of Fear [Reissue/1984] CD+7”/LP (Cherry Red)
Felt – Ignite The Seven Cannons And Set Sail For The Sun [Reissue/1985] CD+7”/LP (Cherry Red)
Felt – The Seventeenth Century (Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death) [Reissue/1986] CD+7”/LP (Cherry Red)
Limited edition CD+7” box set and single-disc vinyl LP remastered reissues now available. The box sets include the original album on CD in a special gatefold sleeve, a long deleted 7″ vinyl single pertaining to the relevant year of release, reproduced gig flyers, a double-sided wall poster, and four button lapel badges.
The Fleshtones – Budget Buster: Just The Hits! CD (Yep Roc)
Released last November on limited edition colored vinyl – now available on CD. A compilation of some of The Fleshtones’ finest singles and rarities over the last 10 years, many of which are out-of-print and difficult to find (plus two unreleased tracks).
Sue Foley – The Ice Queen CD (Stony Plain)
Sue Foley is the Ice Queen, and it’s not just because she’s cool and detached, as she sings in the title track to her first solo album in more than a decade. It’s also because she’s Canadian, born and raised in Ottawa, which automatically makes her a Northerner to friends and colleagues in her adopted hometown of Austin, Texas. What’s more, she considers the late, legendary Albert “The Iceman” Collins a key influence on her bluesy guitar style. Like the Iceman, Foley plays a Fender Telecaster electric guitar. Her own quest for one perfect note is explored in the highs and lows of the new album, written after the demise of a long relationship, recorded in Austin. The tunes were recorded in the same studio as her first album (1992’s Young Girl Blues) and produced by her old pal, Hammond B3 master Mike Flanigin. Also noteworthy is the list of Texas guitar greats who made guest appearances, including Charlie Sexton, Jimmie Vaughan, and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons.
Good Lovelies – Shapeshifters CD (Good Lovelies/Fontana North)
Toronto based group has, over the course of their decade-plus career, covered plenty of stylistic ground, adding tinges of pop, roots, jazz, and even hip-hop to their country folk core. [Vinyl edition due March 30.]
Katy Guillen & The Girls – Remember What You Knew Before CD (VizzTone)
By adding a contemporary twist to the straightforward blues-rock that’s long resonated among midwest audiences, guitarist Katy Guillen, bassist Claire Adams and drummer Stephanie Williams have become one of the most reliably entertaining groups in Kansas City.
Gwenno – Le Kov CD/LP (Heavenly/PIAS America)
Written entirely in Cornish, Le Kov is an exploration of the collective subconscious, the myths and drolls of Cornwall, and the survival of Britain’s lesser known Brythonic language – explored via sumptuous electronic indie pop a la Broadcast, Cate Le Bon, and Death and Vanilla.
Hibou – Something Familiar CD/LP+MP3 (Barsuk)
Something Familiar addresses Hibou’s (Peter Michel) ongoing battle with anxiety and depersonalization the latter a disorder distinguished by feeling disengaged from the mind and body, as if someone is an outsider looking in at their own self. As a result, Something Familiar has a decidedly darker tone. Although the core elements of Hibou remain intact reverb-soaked guitars, plush keyboards, and Michel’s dreamy croon the record exudes melancholy.
Hunger – Strictly From Hunger [Reissue/1969] CD/LP (Now Again)
The definitive reissue of a late ‘60s psych-rock classic, overseen by Hunger band members: the group’s preferred, unedited, fuzz-guitar heavy version of the album, restored and remastered from a rare test press.
Ilsa – Corpse Fortress CD/LP (Relapse)
Horror-obsessed, underground cult ILSA weave together tales of depravity and devil worship on their Relapse debut. Nine tracks forged in filth with dense layers of emotionally draining sludge, murky, primordial doom and feedback-laden, crusty death metal.
Iron Reagan/Gatecreeper –Gatecreeper/Iron Reagan [Split] CD (Relapse)
East Coast crossover titans Iron Reagan and rising Sonoran death metallers Gatecreeper unite for a split recording of cranium crushing proportions. Across eight new tracks (five from Iron Reagan and three from Gatecreeper) of auditory and lyrical venom, both bands showcase why they’re two of the most talked about groups in extreme metal today.
Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette – After The Fall 2xCD (ECM)
Joined by improvising partners Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, Keith Jarrett glides and soars through classics of the Great American Songbook.
Jethro Tull – Heavy Horses (New Shoes Edition) [Reissue/1978] 3xCD+2xDVD (Rhino/Parlophone)
2018 marks 50 years since progressive folk-rock band Jethro Tull jumped onto the British music scene. The kick off of this exciting anniversary year is the 40th anniversary New Shoes Edition of Heavy Horses. This anniversary edition features the original album with nine additional bonus tracks, seven of which are previously unreleased. The New Shoes Edition also contains a live concert from May 1978, and two DVDs which feature the original, bonus and live tracks all mixed to surround sound by Steven Wilson and Jakko Jakszyk. A 96-page booklet covers a history of
the album and corresponding tour, complete lyrics, rare photos and exclusive interviews.
Kristoff Krane – Kairos Part Two CD/LP+MP3 (Fake Four Inc.)
Kristoff Krane is a Minneapolis-based rapper known for his stream-of-consciousness approach to writing, freestyling and performing.
Tory Lanez – Memories Don’t Die CD (Interscope)
Sophomore release from the Toronto rapper/singer. Features the Future-assisted “Real Thing” as well as the rapper’s previously released singles “Shooters” and “I Sip.”
Vivian Leva – Time Is Everything CD/LP (Free Dirt)
Vivian Leva’s voice is the sound of living tradition. Raised by parents who paid visits to old-time legends like Tommy Jarrell and Doug Wallin, she grew up steeped in the Appalachian and country music of her Lexington, VA home. With her debut solo recording Time Is Everything, Leva earns a spot in the lineage of great neo-traditional songwriters like Gillian Welch and Sarah Jarosz.
Lucius – Nudes CD/LP+MP3 (Mom + Pop)
This 10-song acoustic album is a collection of reimagined fan favorites including “Until We Get There” and “Tempest”, as well as several new songs and covers, all recorded at the famed Electric Lady Studios. The album features guests Nels Cline (Wilco) and Roger Waters, and includes covers of songs originally recorded by Gerry Rafferty and Tame Impala.
Jackson MacIntosh – My Dark Side CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
Jackson MacIntosh may be an alien figure to most, but his resume pinpoints him as near the epicenter of the recent explosion in fantastic pop music currently being forged in the city of Montreal and exported the world over. He spent 2016 and 2017 recording and deploying funky, percolating bass lines on the road for indie pop outfit TOPS. He recorded and engineered the last two albums for labelmate Homeshake at his now-defunct home Montreal studio and venue, Drones Club. He has collaborated with cherished L.A. weirdo Drugdealer as well as Montreal’s Bernardino Femminielli, all in addition to fronting the masterfully hooky power pop band Sheer Agony.
Johnny Mathis – Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head [Reissue/1970] CD (Real Gone Music)
Johnny Mathis – Johnny Mathis Sings The Music Of Bacharach & Kaempfert [Reissue/1970] (Real Gone Music)
Expanded reissues – the first in an ongoing series celebrating the legendary vocalist’s classic albums of the 1970s and onward, some available for the first time on CD in the US.
The Men – Drift CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
Drift is the seventh full-length by New York City rock polymaths The Men. The album’s 9 songs veer in a number of directions, but almost none of them feature a prominent electric guitar as the band brought synths, strings, sax, steel, harmonica, and tape loops into the mix. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Moaning – Moaning CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Moaning is a band defined by its duality. The abrasive post-punk trio comprised of L.A. DIY veterans, Sean Solomon, Pascal Stevenson, and Andrew MacKelvie, began nearly a decade after the three started playing music together. Their impassioned debut album comes born out of the member’s experiences with love and distress, creating a sound uniquely dark and sincere. Although the band is just breaking out of their infancy, Moaning’s sleek and cavernous tone emphasizes the turmoil of the era they were born into. One where the endless possibility for art and creation is met with the fear and doubt of an uncertain future. As a whole, Moaning drifts from sentimental to catastrophic, hiding meek and introspective lyrics within powerful droning dance songs, giving sonic nods to some of the band’s musical heroes like, New Order, Broadcast, and Slowdive. The band’s youthful attitude is met with the weight of topics like loss, routine, and mental health, reflecting the anxiety towards the status quo that much of their generation faces today.
Moby – Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt CD/2xLP (Mute)
Moby’s new album is a glowing tapestry exploring spirituality, individuality and the brokenness of humanity and finds the veteran electronica artist returning to his orchestral, soul, trip-hop and gospel roots. The title Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt is a reference to Billy Pilgrim’s epitaph in Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five. Featuring L.A.-based soulstress Raquel Rodriguez, the album’s first single “Like A Motherless Child” is a re-work of the well-known spiritual with origins in the slavery of the American South.
Mt. Joy – Mt. Joy CD/LP (Dualtone Music Group)
Steeped in folk-rock tradition and powered by the intuitive creative connection between Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar), the songs on Mt. Joy’s eponymous debut depict the former wrestling with his own conscience, where the mundane and the fantastic collide as he processes tragedy, society, and love.
Night Viper – Exterminator CD/LP (Listenable)
New release from the Swedish thrash metal band. Night Viper is gloriously churning out a unique blend of incisive thrash riffage through catchy hooks and stunning melodic vocals. For old school aficionados, the whole listening experience is not remote from Kill ‘Em All-era Metallica and punching ’80s heavy metal in terms of musical arrangements and attitude.
The Oak Ridge Boys – When I Sing For Him: The Complete Columbia Recordings & RCA Singles 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
Collects The Oak Ridge Boys’ three Columbia Records LPs circa 1974-1976 (The Oak Ridge Boys, Sky High, and Old Fashioned, Down Home, Hand Clappin’, Foot Stompin, Southern Style, Gospel Quartet Music.) – all of which have never been released on CD – along with singles and compilation-only tracks from that period, plus overlooked 1990-93 RCA singles.
Onra – Nobody Has To Know CD (All City)
The versatile French producer on the various aspects of a secret relationship pulling from R&B, new jack swing and funk to soundtrack the passions of attraction. [Vinyl edition due March 16.]
Pet Shop Boys – Actually: Further Listening 1987-1988 2xCD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Pet Shop Boys – Introspective: Further Listening 1988-1989 2xCD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Pet Shop Boys – Please: Further Listening 1988-1989 2xCD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Digitally remastered and expanded two CD editions. Each includes a bonus CD containing additional tracks including B-sides, edits, demos and more. [Stand-alone vinyl reissues of Actually, Introspective, and Please also available.]
Prism Tats – Mamba CD/LP+MP3 (-ANTI)
South Africa-bred L.A.-based artist Garett van der Spek aka Prism Tats’ sophomore album Mamba offers a moody but melody-driven strain of psych-inflected post-punk. It explores themes of self-inflicted isolation, working-class hopelessness, and the emotional damage of technology addiction. “Most of these new songs came from taking in what’s going on in the world today, and being afraid of the future we’re headed toward,” notes van der Spek. With its sonic complexity and understated emotional depth, Mamba has a double meaning to its title. “It’s the name of a venomous snake, and in my hometown it’s a slang term for the biggest or meanest of something,” van der Spek points out. The word ‘mamba’ ultimately embodies the sense of fear and defiance threaded throughout the record especially evident in its epic title track. “The song is partly about letting go of that fear,” he adds. “When I say ‘Give me the mamba,’ I mean ‘Give me the whole experience’: the good and the bad and everything else that might exist in between.”
Michael Schenker Fest – Resurrection CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
New album from the former Scorpions and UFO guitarist featuring collaborations with all of his previous vocalists.
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat – Riddles CD/LP+MP3 (Carpark)
On Riddles, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat (Ed Schrader & Devlin Rice) begins their new life. In search of a fresh direction, the group invited their close friend, electronic-pop maestro Dan Deacon, to expand their sound and experiment with them as the album’s producer, arranger, and co-writer. Working steadily in Dan’s studio for two years in total collaboration, the three evolving musicians pushed through an intense period of personal tumult and found purpose in the sounds they were committing to record. The result: a polished and passionate masterpiece of nuanced alt-rock. From driving opening track “Dunce” and the soaring single “Riddles” to the disarmingly gorgeous closer “Culebra,” the Music Beat unapologetically channel a personal pantheon of pop and rock Gods while growing into the band – and people – they’d previously kept caged inside.
Slugdge – Esoteric Malacology CD/2xLP (Willowtip)
“A band that writes songs exclusively about murderous, hyper-violent slugs from space should not be successful, but the Lancaster, UK-based band Slugdge has become one of the critical darlings of the underground metal world,” writes Invisible Oranges. Expanding on the experimental death metal duo’s (Kev Pearson (guitar/bass) and Matt Moss (vocals)) technical, melodic, and progressive metal sound, Esoteric Malacology showcases brilliant, catchy songwriting rarely seen in the genre. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Sonny Smith – Rod For Your Love CD (Nonesuch)
Produced by Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach and recorded in Nashville, Rod For Your Love roots itself in old-school, guitar-fueled rock & roll. These are love songs built for the garage and the dance floor, with big-hearted melodies and thick harmonies. It’s the stuff you might’ve heard in the ’60s, back when groups like the Kinks and the Velvet Underground were making left-field pop songs that celebrated the form while still bending the rules.
Soccer Mommy – Clean CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Sophie Allison aka Soccer Mommy’s debut Clean is an emotional album, heavy on themes of growth, isolation, and change, but balanced by a lightness of touch, and with hooks to spare. “Still Clean” is a stunner of an opening track, with the signature warmth of Allison’s voice coupled with one of her best refrains. Her growth as a lyricist is most evident on “Cool,” a sharply observed character study describing an aloof stoner girl, so cool and untouchable, and the agony she inflicts on her boyfriend. “Flaw” is the comedown from a song like “Cool.” A melancholy ode to lovesick self-loathing that finds ecstasy in sadness. “Scorpio Rising” crystallizes these themes of identity, jealousy, and the desire to be someone else. Clean – the cohesive record Allison dreamt of making – is a true step forward, a strong and mature album from an artist just coming into her power.
Dick Stusso – In Heaven CD/LP (Hardly Art)
With his sophomore LP In Heaven, Dick Stusso’s numbered human days are on his mind. Without stumbling into pomposity, Dick has taken back the wheel on his life and is doing a bit of hotdogging. The album sounds so assured, you’d never guess the whole endeavor was almost completely down the tubes. “I was about 75% done with the album and then my apartment got burgled,” Stusso explains. “They took it all.” Having laid it almost exclusively to tape, there weren’t even files to pull from. But what seemed like another sour turn for Dick ended up being a little lemon zest in his G&T. He ended up teaming with psych visionary producer Greg Ashley in a defunct old church, making for a leap in fidelity on In Heaven. The new peacock strut to Dick’s vague longing and malaise suits his countrified T. Rex sound quite well. Exhibit A: album standout “Modern Music” is a sort of State of the Union and State of the Soul all set over a warm, gauzy glam bass line. Employing deft songcraft, which includes a wide open ambient midsection to really get you thinking about The Void, Dick manages to take down both capitalism and the bullshit conditions of human mortality without sounding all that put out by either.
Superorganism – Superorganism CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Superorganism is a sprawling, multi-limbed collection of international musicians and pop culture junkies. They number eight in total – recruited from London, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – seven of whom now live together in a house/DIY studio/band HQ in East London. Self-produced, written and recorded, their spectacularly confident debut record beams with a sense of wonky fun, a kaleidoscopic riot of sound and visuals. Influenced by the world-building depth of artists like Devo, Beck and The Avalanches, Superorganism soundtracks the band’s rapid trajectory from shared house side project to global audiovisual powerhouse and features previous singles “Something For Your M.I.N.D.” and “It’s All Good / Nobody Cares” as well as their brand new single “Everybody Wants To Be Famous.”
Suuns – Felt CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
“As alluded to by its title and neon-warm album art, Suuns’ Felt is gonna make you feel things. You’re gonna learn something about your body listening to cuts like on DJ Shadow-leaning, head-bobber “Look No Further” or “Make It Real,” which could be a radio signal of a lost Silver Apples cut – that is, before it becomes a doomsday siren breakup song. These four gentlemen could be making beats for 21 Savage or Migos. But for now, lucky for you, they’re ruthlessly set on being one of the planet’s finest, bravest bands.”
Tech N9ne – Planet CD (Strange Music)
Eleventh album from the rapper. Includes features from fellow Strange Music artists Mackenzie Nicole, Krizz Kaliko, Darrein Safron and Joey Cool. A Deluxe CD edition featuring three bonus tracks and a pendant is also available.
Tracey Thorn – Record CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
As ever, the personal has often been political in Tracey Thorn’s work. Across four decades, her songs and writing have offered up a clear-eyed woman’s view of the immediate world around her, from the acerbic teen love songs of her first early ‘80s band Marine Girls through sixteen years as one-half of articulate duo Everything But The Girl, to her recent acclaimed memoirs and journalism. On her new solo album, Record, the synth-driven tracks arrive and leave with a punchy sub-three-minute directness. f the album is in part about freedom and disenthrallment, “Queen” is the opening broadside, all personal fire and desire. “Air,” featuring backing vocals and synths from Shura, addresses identity and gender stereotypes, while “Smoke” looks at Tracey’s fear that her love of London and its freedoms are being eroded. “Guitar” is a celebration of that instrument as a tool of a teenage girl’s liberation. Ewan Pearson peppers them all with fizzing analogue synths and smart mirror-ball beats. For all its no-fuss pop brevity, the album revolves around “Sister,” a dubby nine-minute Compass Point-style disco jam featuring an all-female crew as Tracey is backed by Warpaint’s rhythm section and joined by Corinne Bailey Rae on glorious backing vocals. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Titus Andronicus – A Productive Cough CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
In a move that may infuriate the black-denim-and-PBR set, A Productive Cough finds Titus Andronicus setting aside the leadfooted punk anthems of yesteryear in favor of a subtler, more spacious approach that pushes Stickles’ soul-baring songwriting to the fore, creating a conversational intimacy between artist and audience with which previous Titus Andronicus efforts had only flirted. This new restraint sacrifices none of the band’s singular intensity, from the merciless lyrical onslaught of “Number One (In New York)” to the blistering guitar solos which accompany the swaggering horseplay of rock band workouts “Real Talk” and “Home Alone” to the disarmingly passionate commuter hymn “Mass Transit Madness (Goin’ Loco’).” Even the surprisingly groovy “Above the Bodega (Local Business)” hides, beneath its loose and spontaneous facade of zesty brass and propulsive congas, a pained admission of secret shame, despairing the challenge of keeping the dark side concealed before the ever-judgmental eye of the big city.
Turbonegro – Rocknroll Machine CD/LP/Cassette (Burger)
It’s been over six years now since the word got out that the titans from Oslo, Norway were re-resurrected for a second time since their grimy beginnings back in 1989. Of Turbonegro’s ninth album, Rocknroll Machine, vocalist Tony Sylvester had this to say: “We’ve spent the past years honing our skills. The music we are releasing now is more distilled, more refined, more pointed, more powerful; we traveled to the future and this is what we heard on the radio!”
UB40 – Real Labour Of Love CD (UMe)
New covers album featuring Barrington Levy’s “Here I Come”, Ken Boothe’s, “Moving Away”, Gregory Isaac’s “Hush Darling” and more.
Various Artists [Charles Maurice] – French Disco Boogie Sounds 3 CD/2xLP (Favorite)
The third edition of its acclaimed French Disco Boogie Sounds compilation series. Like on prior volumes, the complete track list is selected by label head honcho, Charles Maurice (aka Pascal Rioux), who’s unearthed 13 more forgotten and hidden tracks, all produced either in France, in French, or by French artists between 1977 and 1987. With most of these titles now very hard to find in their original edition, and unknown by many, this compilation is a must have for any disco boogie-funk music lover and collector.
Various Artists – Tani Disco: Rumba & Flamenco Boogie 1976-1979 CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
Various Artists – Rumbita Buena: Rumba Funk & Flamenco Pop CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
Tani Disco: Rumba & Flamenco Boogie 1976-1979 features 12 disco-rumba-flamenco-boogie
bombs, a time machine to the Spanish boîtes and discotheques of the late ’70s and the perfect soundtrack to an imaginary “Kinki” cinema soundtrack. From the archives of the legendary Belter and Discophon labels, essential to understand the birth of the Catalan rumba and flamenco-pop genre in Spain, Rumba Funk & Flamenco Pop features 14 dance-friendly tracks taken from overlooked LPs and 45s.
Anna von Hausswolff – Dead Magic CD/LP+MP3 (City Slang)
With the stately sound of Copenhagen’s Marmorkirken church organ as its center piece, Dead Magic calls upon an unlikely array of influences and inspirations – including Yma, Sumac, Sunn O))), Gyorgi Ligeti, Swans and Nils Frahm.
Whiskey Wolves Of The West – Country Roots CD (Rock Ridge)
Debut album from the Nashville-based country/Americana outfit.
Barrence Whitfield & The Savages – Soul Flowers Of Titan CD/LP+MP3 (Bloodshot)
Titan is the largest moon orbiting Saturn, a planet which astrologically symbolizes pain, struggle and hard knocks on the human path to wholeness, and liberation among many other things. It is a forbidding, poisonous place with mountains, rivers and oceans of methane and ammonia, cloaked in a dense shroud of gases. The kinds of flowers that would grow there would be the hardy beasts that survived to make this strange bouquet. Soul Flowers Of Titan is a collection of songs representing cosmology, struggles and influences. People shooting guns, separating, coming home (someday), in love, running around, leaving this earth, going crazy, drinking coffee, and thinking about Sun Ra. It’s a wild, electric phantasmagoria of blues, rock, garage, and soul; it blasts off into diverse orbits only to come back together into a singular Savage cosmology.
Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds CD/2xLP (Bella Union)
Jonathan Wilson describes Rare Birds as a “maximalist,” high-density album more influenced by ‘80s British production than anything to do with Southern California in 1970s. It’s a dynamic new approach for Wilson that calls to mind one of Peter Gabriel’s early solo albums or even mid-period Kate Bush. “This album is a hell of a lot more Trevor Horn than anything, you know, Laurel Canyon-related,” he notes. Of Rare Birds as a whole, Wilson adds, “I want my music to hit people like an emotional tidal wave. With my songwriting it’s never about a clever couplet or smug turn of phrase, it’s about the intensity, the impact. Besides, we’re all fishing downstream from Townes Van Zandt anyway, so the only thing left to do is go BIG.” The set features backing vocals from Lana Del Rey, Father John Misty, fellow Roger Waters backing band member Lucius, and Brian Eno collaborator Laraaji.
Charles Wright – The Best Of The Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band LP (Varese Sarabande)
Charles Wright headed one of the great funk groups of the late ’60s and early ’70s, behind the pop and soul classics, “Do Your Thing,” “Love Land,” and “Express Yourself” (one of the most sampled funk tracks ever for hip-hop and rap groups). He oversaw this new hits collection, which also includes two recently recorded bonus tracks.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Celtic Thunder – Celtic Thunder X 2xDVD (Sony Legacy)
The multi-platinum Irish group celebrated their 10th anniversary with a show in Dublin, filmed on October 30th, 2017.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Alessandro Alessandroni – Romance and Drama LP (Transversales Disque)
Alessandroni at his best: very refined Italian cinematic sound, tense 12-string guitar themes, synth sequences, beautiful sound of chamber classical music mixed with psych choir.
The Beach Boys – Sounds of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys [2003] 2xLP (Capitol)
30 tracks – nearly every US Top 40 hit of The Beach Boys’ career.
Blackfoot – Train Train: Southern Rock Live! LP (Purple Pyramid)
Limited edition vinyl LP pressing of a concert event by multi-gold and platinum-selling southern rockers.
Milano Constantine – The Way We Were LP (Slice Of Spice)
Milano Constantine has made a name for himself showcasing his art alongside other great NYC emcees such as Big Pun and the D.I.T.C. camp. Since 2000, the Harlem native has released a handful of solid projects, but now the time has finally arrived for his anticipated full-length, The Way We Were. The album was produced by two of the dopest and most consistent producers in today’s hip-hop landscape; Marco Polo (Masta Ace, Pharoahe Monch, Talib Kweli etc) and DJ Skizz (M.O.P., Your Old Droog, Roc Marciano). Both producers give Milano the backdrop needed to tell his stories in head-nodding, scrunchy-face fashion.
Current Joys – A Different Age LP (Danger Collective)
Current Joys is the enigmatic solo project of 25-year-old Henderson, Nevada-born songwriter Nicholas Rattigan. In addition to his minimal two-piece band with Jacob Rubeck, Surf Curse, Rattigan has been releasing a prolific catalog of heart-wrenching no wave ballads via Bandcamp under a handful of names (including The Nicholas Project and Tele/Visions), eventually choosing Current Joys as the permanent moniker, based on a song by folk-artist Liam the Younger of the same name. [CD and cassette editions due March 16.]
Phyllis Dillon – One Life To Live [Reissue/1972] LP (Real Gone Music)
As the only album ever released by the leading female singer of the entire rocksteady movement, One Life To Live is a crucial document of the era and genre. Limited colored vinyl reissue.
Fred Eaglesmith – Standard LP (Independent Label Services)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Eaglesmith is known for his songs about hard working folks and his endless touring. Country superstars Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, and others have had hits recording Fred’s songs.
The Faceless – In Becoming A Ghost LP (Sumerian)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A tasteful blend of eerie melodies and harmonies combined with fast-paced drums and blast beats.
INXS – Kick [Reissue/1987] 2xLP (Atlantic)
INXS – The Very Best Of [2011] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Vinyl reissue of INXS’s sixth studio album, Kick, remastered and cut at half speed over two LPs which play at 45rpm.
Iron Butterfly – Live At The Galaxy 1967 LP (Purple Pyramid)
Limited 180gm colored vinyl LP pressing. A live document of the early days of the great Iron
Butterfly recorded live at the historic Galaxy Club located in the heart of the Sunset Strip during it’s heyday.
Janis Joplin – Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits [Reissue/1973] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissue of the 1973 compilation of hit songs by legendary rock vocalist.
Legend Of The Seagullmen – Legend Of The Seagullmen LP (Dine Alone)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Legend Of The Seagullmen is a genre-destroying supergroup featuring Danny Carey of Tool, Brent Hinds of Mastodon, director Jimmy Hayward (Jonah Hex, Horton Hears A Who) on guitar, and Pete Griffin of Zappa Plays Zappa and Dethklok on bass, and a few other rippers. Joining forces to make cinematic psychedelic rock, The Seagullmen sing of shipwrecks and giant mutant squid, crafting conceptual rock ‘n’ roll hymns of epic proportions on their self-titled full-length debut. Engineered by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business) and mastered by Gavin Lurssen (Queens Of The Stone Age), Legend Of The Seagullmen sees the band unveil massive sonically pulverizing slabs that decimate expectations since Rolling Stone excitedly leaked two demos back in 2015.
Annie Lennox – Diva [Reissue/1992] LP (RCA)
Annie Lennox – Medusa [Reissue/1995] LP (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissues of the first two solo albums by the Eurhythmics member.
Necrophobic – Mark Of The Necrogram LP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Eighth album from the Swedish extreme blackened metallers.
The Nomads – Showdown! (1981-1993) 3xLP (Bang)
Singles and rarities spanning 1981-1993, originally released in 1994 as a double-CD, now available as a remastered deluxe triple-LP edition.
Roy Orbison – Sings Lonely And Blue [Reissue/1961] LP+MP3 (Monument)
Roy Orbison – Crying [Reissue/1962] LP+MP3 (Monument)
Roy Orbison – In Dreams [Reissue/1963] LP+MP3 (Monument)
Vinyl reissues of Orbison’s first three albums.
Pastel Ghost – Abyss [2015] LP (Cleopatra)
Limited purple colored vinyl LP pressing of the debut album from the Bay Area dreamrave artist.
Luis Pérez – Ipan In Xiktli Metztli 2xLP (Mr. Bongo)
A precursor to a new musical genre followed by a generation of young Mexican musicians – ethno-rock, ethno-jazz, ethno-experimental and the like.
Pet Shop Boys – Please [Reissue/1986] 2xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Pet Shop Boys – Actually [Reissue/1987] 2xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Pet Shop Boys – Introspective [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Remastered vinyl reissues of the Pet Shop Boys’ first three albums.
Erik Phillips – One LP (Joy Void)
10 songs about nameless characters, equal parts real and fictional, and things Erik has seen or imagined seeing over the last two years. Included is everything from tulips growing on the side of the road between Fredericksburg and Richmond to tractor trailer cabs burning a few miles north along the same road (which did happen on two separate occasions, by the way).
Ryuichi Sakamoto – async remodels LP (Milan)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A dozen remixes of async tracks by a who’s-who of experimental giants – everyone from late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Arrival, Sicario) to Oneohtrix Point Never (composer of Good Times) to Arca (producer of Bjork’s numerous releases) and Andy Stott – have gotten their hands dirty remixing Sakamoto’s work. Even reworks by the Canadian synthpop duo Electric Youth and Austin-based synthwave legends S U R V I V E are included.
Septic Flesh – The Great Mass [Reissue/2011] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited red colored vinyl LP pressing of a symphonic masterpiece that constitutes a quantum leap in the art of amalgamating orchestral music with heavy metal.
Sun Ra & His Astro Infinity Arkestra – Sun Embassy LP+MP3 (Roaratorio)
Consisting of recordings from Sun Studios (aka Ra’s house in Philadelphia) from 1968-1969, Sun Embassy features nine tracks: six compositions which have never been heard before in any form, plus fresh coats of paint on such 1950s classics as “Sunology” and “Ancient Aiethiopia”, and an early rendition of “Why Go To The Moon”.
Cassettes:
Turbonegro – Rocknroll Machine (Burger)
It’s been over six years now since the word got out that the titans from Oslo, Norway were re-resurrected for a second time since their grimy beginnings back in 1989. Of Turbonegro’s ninth album, Rocknroll Machine, vocalist Tony Sylvester had this to say: “We’ve spent the past years honing our skills. The music we are releasing now is more distilled, more refined, more pointed, more powerful; we traveled to the future and this is what we heard on the radio!”
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