New Releases for March 9, 2018

CDs + Vinyl:

6 String Drag – Top Of The World CD/LP (Second Motion)

The veteran Americana band broadens its collective purview, incorporating classic British Invasion pop, tough-as-nails ’70s rock and punk.

Acid Dad – Acid Dad CD/LP (Greenway)

NYC’s Acid Dad have quickly established themselves as one of the tightest, tireless, and most energetic bands in the Brooklyn scene. The group “boasts an electric sound that welcomes psychedelia, garage rock, and post punk in constantly varying doses, and a rock ‘n’ roll attitude that screams NYC late ’60s (and at times Manchester late ’80s)” writes The Deli Magazine. Their eponymous debut LP was engineered, mixed and co-produced by Jonathan Schenke (Parquet Courts, The Drums, The Men) and follows-up their well received 2016 EP Let’s Plan A Robbery.

Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (Epitaph)

Digitally remastered edition of the West Coast punk rock band’s eighth album. [Limited grey colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Between The Buried & Me – Automata I CD (Sumerian)

New release from the progressive metal band – the first two parts and eighth album overall. Automata is a concept album that revolves around the concept of being able to view the dreams of others. [Vinyl edition due April 6.]

Nat Birchall – Cosmic Language CD/LP (Jazzman)

Nat Birchall charts new paths toward spiritual communion, connecting jazz with classical Indian influences guided by the wistful flow of the harmonium. Cosmic Language sees the UK-based saxophonist, composer, and arranger return to Jazzman Records with a cross-cultural approach: an exploration of the parallel musical paths of jazz and Indian ragas.

Bobby V – Electrik CD (Sono Recording Group)

Bobby V reunites with producer Tim Kelley for an epic collection of original R&B jams. The first single “Lil Bit” includes a feature performance from Snoop Dogg.

David Byrne – American Utopia CD/LP (Nonesuch)

American Utopia is the former Talking Heads singer’s first solo LP in 14 years. “If a brain in a jar could observe the world, make sense of it and churn it into a batch of songs, it would make the album American Utopia. This brilliantly analytical album is from David Byrne — an American treasure, an artistic thinker and creator responsible, in part, for the some of the most memorable and distinctive music of the past 40 years. American Utopia’s origins began with tracks from Brian Eno and it grew and morphed from there, bringing in other collaborators and musicians, including producer Rodaidh McDonald (The xx, King Krule, Adele), producer Patrick Dillett (Nile Rogers, Sufjan Stevens,) drummer Joey Waronker (Atoms for Peace, Beck), Isaiah Barr on sax (Onyx Collective) Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) on mellotron, Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) on keys and electronics, singer and pianist Sampha and Brian Eno on keys, brass, whistling, robot rhythm guitar and more. The music is intense, it’s playful and quite memorable. In a world filled with millions of songs about personal problems and love gone right or wrong, I’m thrilled to have a record that opens my eyes and widens my perceptions and helps me stop and make some sense of this inexplicable, mind-bending world of ours.” – NPR

Champion – Snapshot CD (Shotsnap)

Having first burst into the public consciousness in 2011 with a slew of anthemic UK funky tracks, Champion has been celebrated by Four Tet and has released music on labels as diverse as Hyperdub, OWSLA, and Butterz. Despite being just 27 years old, he’s been DJing and playing out since 2003 and, as a direct result of that exposure; his music is heavily influenced by the lineage of the Jamaican sound system culture in London. Elements of dub and reggae blend with dance-hall drum patterns, garage skip, and a particularly grime-influenced independent outlook all throughout Champion’s discography.

Tania Chen with Thurston Moore, David Toop, and Jon Leidecker – John Cage: Electronic Music For Piano CD (Omnivore)

New performance of rarely-recorded 1964 Cage composition from Tania Chen—a leading pianist and interpreter of Cage’s work. Recording in both London and Berkeley, California, Chen joined forces with Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), David Toop (former member of The Flying Lizards, and recording artist on Brian Eno’s Obscure label) and Jon Leidecker (aka Wobbly, who has also worked with Negativland) to create a new version of this piece helmed by Gino Robair—composer, musician, and scholar. The 60-plus minute piece contains all elements of what Cage envisioned with his work—the artist using technology to keep a piece of art current, revealing, and astounding.

Erin Costelo – Down Below The Status Quo CD (Compass)

Costelo’s 2016 album Down Below, The Status Quo (now available in the US) was nominated for a total of 12 awards in her home country of Canada, winning Producer of the Year and Solo Recording of the Year. It is a magical, moonlight-soaked reverie, filled with drama and intensity; in one moment, a defiant cry and in the next a desperate whisper. It has been described as “embodying the spirit of Nina Simone” and “conjuring the ghost of Donny Hathaway”.

Crippled Black Phoenix – Horrific Honorifics CD/LP (Season Of Mist)

The UK rockers pay homage with a set of covers of songs by Swans, No Means No, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and others, all closely bound by a subtle undercurrent of despair and deep melancholy.

Destruction – Sentence Of Death [Reissue/1984] CDEP/12” (High Roller)

Destruction – Infernal Overkill [Reissue/1985] CD/LP (High Roller)

Destruction – Eternal Devastation [Reissue/1986] CD/LP (High Roller)

Destruction – Mad Butcher [Reissue/1987] CDEP/12” (High Roller)

Destruction – Release From Agony [Reissue/1988] CD (High Roller)

Destruction – Live Without Sense [Reissue/1989] CD (High Roller)

Destruction – Cracked Brain [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (High Roller)

CD and vinyl reissues of the German thrash metal band’s early EPs and albums. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressings are also available.]

Drudkh – They Often See Dreams About The Spring CD/LP (Season Of Mist)

Drudkh’s latest albums and split-singles have drawn heavily from 20th century Ukrainian poetry for lyrical inspiration and They Often See Dreams About the Spring continues this trend. Black metal poetry at its best…timeless frozen melodies adorn an uncompromising attack, creating yet another epic work from one of the genre’s most important bands.

Mia Dyson – If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back CD/LP (Single Lock)

Mia Dyson is an award-winning guitarist and singer/songwriter based between Los Angeles, CA and Melbourne, Australia. A multiple ARIA (Grammy equivalent) and APRA winner, Dyson was recently named one of Australia’s top 25 guitarists of all time and has toured with the likes of Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Chris Issak and Stevie Nicks. Her new album, If I Said Only So Far I Take It Back, was recorded in Muscle Shoals, AL, with producer Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul & the Broken Bones), famed original “Swamper” David Hood on bass and John Paul White (The Civil Wars) on backing vocals.

Editors – Violence CD/LP+MP3 (PIAS America)

Violence is the sixth album from English rockers Editors. It was produced by Leo Abrahams (Wild Beasts, Florence & The Machine, Frightened Rabbit) and Editors, with additional production from Benjamin John Power (Blanck Mass, Fuck Buttons), and mixing by Cenzo Townshend. The muscular and dynamic collection is ushered in by lead single “Magazine” which the band describes as “a pointed finger aimed at those in power…some corrupt politician or businessman…a character, and a tongue in cheek poke at the empty posturing and playing to the masses of the power hungry.” [Limited Deluxe red colored vinyl pressing with bonus tracks also available.]

Elephant9 – The Greatest Show On Earth CD/LP (Rune Grammofon)

Often being named Norway’s best live band — surely quite rare for an instrumental band — they are equally popular in jazz and rock circles. The Greatest Show On Earth displays some truly astonishing playing and is a more dynamic, structured and focused album with all tracks clocking in around the six-minute mark. It’s also very much a trio effort where all members are equal, and not only a vehicle for a soloist.

Erasure – World Beyond CD (Mute)

Following on from the release of World Be Gone in May of 2017, Erasure release this companion piece. World Beyond is a completely re-recorded version of World Be Gone featuring classical interpretations of the tracks. Late last year, Andy Bell traveled to Brussels to re-record the album with The Echo Collective, a Belgian based classical music ensemble who have worked with A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Stars Of The Lid, Jóhann Jóhannsson and more. At the crossroads between the three classic re orchestrations of The Two-Ring Circus (1987) and the intimate acoustic formula of Union Street (2006), this album is entirely instrumented by The Echo Collective with violin, viola cello, piano, harp, vibraphone and glockenspiel. [Vinyl edition due April 20.]

Kenneth James Gibson – In The Fields Of Nothing CD/LP (Kompakt)

A piece of intricate scales and moods, by turn streaming with the quiet flow of a small meandering rill, then suddenly veering off into an oceanic kind of tumult, In The Fields Of Nothing was conceived as a proper film soundtrack with its rhythmic ebb-and-flow and deep sense of immersion, pulling the strings to an imaginary scenario where the uncanny rubs shoulders with a minute care for the immersion and deep emotional involvement of its whole. Like entangling multiple levels of consciousness through a mille-feuille of textures, piano, and strings as well as a flurry of subtly FX-soaked instrumentals, Gibson reflects on his new album — created and recorded right after The Evening Falls came out — as hugely inspired by the lushly forested mountain landscapes of his home region, the bewitching Idyllwild, California.

Albert Hammond Jr. – Francis Trouble CD/LP (Red Bull)

Albert Hammond Jr’s fourth solo album Francis Trouble explores a deeply personal topic – the stillborn death of his twin brother, Francis, and the lingering effects that event has had in his life and music. Taking a page from Bowie, Hammond Jr says: “What the music says may be serious, but as a medium it should not be questioned, analyzed or taken too seriously. I think it should be tarted up, made into a character, a parody of itself. The music is the mask the message wears and I, the performer, am the message.” Working within this mentality, Hammond Jr. created Francis Trouble, an homage to both the death of his twin and his own birth, as well as the complexities of identity that arise because of their intermingling. The number 36 became especially relevant, as he had learned more of Francis’s story at that age, and because he was born on the 9th day of the 4th month of the year. Significantly, the album is exactly 36 minutes long.

Haunt – Luminous Eyes CDEP/12” (Shadow Kingdom)

New album from the one-man project helmed by Beastmaker guitarist/vocalist Trevor William Church. Four tracks of pure NWOBHM worship.

Jimi Hendrix – Both Sides Of The Sky CD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)

Both Sides Of The Sky is the third volume in a trilogy of albums intended to present the best and most significant unissued studio recordings remaining in the music legend’s archive beginning with Valleys Of Neptune (2010) and followed by People, Hell and Angels (2013). This dynamic third release completes the spectacular recording event in epic fashion with 13 studio recordings made between January 1968 and February 1970, 10 of which have never been released. Hendrix’s desire to push the boundaries of blues music can be heard throughout and Both Sides Of The Sky additionally highlights his mastery of studio production and increasing use of these facilities as a proving ground for new sounds, material, and techniques. Many of the album’s tracks were recorded by the trio that would come to be known as Band of Gypsys: Jimi on guitar/vocals, Billy Cox on bass, and Buddy Miles on drums. For their first-ever recording session on April 22, 1969, Hendrix turned to their shared musical root, delta blues. Their previously unreleased, uptempo reworking of Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” opens the album and sets the tempo for what follows.

Haley Heynderickx – I Need To Start A Garden CD/LP+MP3 (Mama Bird)

“Many wonder if there’s a connection between Heynderickx’s last name and that of Jimi Hendrix—there’s not—though she was infatuated with the Pacific Northwest guitar hero growing up. These days her self-described “doom folk” more closely resembles the music of Joan Baez, Connie Converse, and Vashti Bunyan.” – The Portland Mercury [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Hieroglyphic Being – The Red Notes CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)

Stunning new album from Chicago’s finest electronic futurist Hieroglyphic Being aka Jamal Moss, his third for Soul Jazz following The Acid Documents (2015) and African With Mainframes’ K.M.T. (2016). In his own words the revelatory and unique collection is “A homage to the Blue Note jazz sound of Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock” fused together with the classic Chicago house and acid sensibilities of Larry Heard, Armando, and Adonisl, into a newly imagined futuristic and barrier-less musical landscape. Featuring organic and synthetic electronic instrumentation, Hieroglyphic Being here fuses real-time live instrumentation and over-dubbed technologies to dramatic effect, as analog and electronic worlds collide.

The Jazz Butcher – The Violent Years 1988-1991 4xCD (Fire)

Four seminal albums – Fishcotheque, Big Planet, Scarey Planet, Cult Of The Basement and Condition Blue – the second four-CD box set in Fire Records’ re-release program for the critically acclaimed band. “At the end of the ‘80s The Jazz Butcher had rightly earned a cult following, based on their clever lyrics mixed with a youthful melancholy and backed up with great tunes, but, as the decade began to collapse in on itself, so the band became the going concern of just one, main man Pat Fish. It was a hard time for the nation and there is a harder, freakier edge to these albums, but they are still unmistakably the work of the Butcher.” – Louder Than War

Park Jiha – Communion CD (Tak:Til/Glitterbeat)

Jiha’s main instrument is the piri, a traditional Korean instrument which is like an oboe.

Judas Priest – Firepower CD/2xLP+MP3 (Epic)

18th album from the legendary British heavy metal band. 14 tracks of pure and highly inspired metal.

Fritz Kalkbrenner – Drown CD (Different Spring)

On his fifth album, Kalkbrenner focusses on the pure sound of the house music that he discovered as a young man in the Berlin club scene.

Myles Kennedy – Year Of The Tiger CD/LP (Napalm)

Whenever Myles Kennedy raises that unique and bluesy voice of his, he gives us a glimpse at his soul. Whenever he plays guitar, his signature sound, showcasing influences such as Jimmy Page and John Sykes, melt into a timeless and nuanced amalgamate. Next to the landmark releases Myles created with Slash and Alter Bridge, the exceptional singer has quietly busied himself with working on his solo debut. His work on Year Of The Tiger gave Kennedy the opportunity to process his father’s death. Tracks like “Love Can Only Heal” will suck the breath out of your lungs with their raw intensity, wrapping you in soaring guitar cascades. “Blind Faith” thrives on melancholic Americana, and frenzied uptempo blues marks “Devil On The Wall.” Anthemic spirit, fragile melodies and gritty acoustic guitars don’t turn Year Of The Tiger into a sad goodbye, but rather into a celebration of survival and life in all its facets.

Oumar Konaté – Live In Bamako CD (Clermont Music)

Smoke-filled nightclub – VIP sections – seductive ladies in slinky dresses – guys strutting their stuff – Saturday night at the club – Bamako. Recorded live in March of 2017 at the Songhoy, one of the several clubs in Bamako where you can find Oumar Konaté holding court on Friday and Saturday nights. The place is packed by 1AM. Then the high-energy Afro-rock kicks into gear.

Kreator – Cause For Conflict [Reissue/1995] CD/2xLP (Noise)

Kreator – Outcast [Reissue/1997] 2xCD/2xLP (Noise)

Some great expanded reissues from this legendary German thrash band. [Limited colored vinyl pressings also available.]

Le Millipede – The Sun Has No Money CD (Alien Transistor)

Alien Ensemble’s trombone man Mathias Goetz caused quite a splash when he released his eponymous debut LP under his Le Millipede moniker back in 2015: The multi-instrumentalist’s initial offering was clearly something else, impossible to grasp, a musical vessel that carried an almost cosmic kind of song-craft. Followed by remix album Mirror Mirror (2017), it’s now time for album number two: The Sun Has No Money. Some of these melodies appear to be shadows of earlier tunes, dating back to, say, 1898 or even before that, melodies that were first registered in the Tin Pan Alley publishers’ offices back in 1912 or 1917.

Liza Anne – Fine But Dying CD/2xLP (Arts & Crafts)

Liza Anne’s debut album for Arts & Crafts is a fearless and biting exploration of her own psyche and the demons that live within it. Recorded at La Frette studios in Paris (Feist, Nick Cave) and produced by Zachary Dyke, Fine But Dying sees Liza treading new sonic territories inhabited by unforgettable pop hooks and gritty, distorted guitar licks.

Marillion –Brave [Reissue/1994] 4xCD+Blu-ray/5xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)

Both CD and vinyl editions of this expanded reissue of Marillion’s seventh album feature the new Steven Wilson remaster, and – for the first time ever – a complete recording of the band’s March 1994 performance in Paris, which has been expanded with nine unreleased tracks. Discs One and Two contain the 2018 Steven Wilson remix and the original Dave Meegan album mix of the 1994 album. Discs Three and Four contain the 2018 Michael Hunter remix of the live performance at La Cigale, 29/04/1994. Disc Five (Blu-ray with CD edition only) contains the Brave 2018 Steven Wilson remix, several hi-res 96k/24bit audio mixes, promo films, documentary and bonus track “The Great Escape” (Spiral Remake).

Freddie McGregor – Love At First Sight [1982] CD (Burning Sounds)

First time on CD. Freddie McGregor is a firm fan favorite and one of reggae’s most consistent recording and touring artists. [Vinyl reissue of Bobby Bobylon also available this week.]

Brad Mehldau – After Bach CD (Nonesuch)

After Bach comprises the pianist/composer’s recordings of four preludes and one fugue from J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, each followed by an “After Bach” piece written by Mehldau and inspired by its WTC mate.

Jeremy Messersmith – Late Stage Capitalism CD/LP (Glassnote)

A thoughtful, clever lyricist with a tender voice, singer-songwriter Jeremy Messersmith crafts songs that are catchy and relatable, and span the emotional gamut from poignancy to whimsy. His new album Late Stage Capitalism is another bold, self-assured artistic statement by a musician who continues to craft lovely, unforgettable songs packed with equal parts ecstasy and grief.

Ministry – AmeriKKKant CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

14th album by the industrial metal band. [Limited red/black swirl and white/grey swirl colored vinyl pressings also available.]

Moose Blood – I Don’t Think I Can Do This Anymore CD/LP+MP3 (Hopeless)

British rockers Moose Blood have brought emo back to the mainstream, blending thoughtful lyricism with guitar-driven choruses. Expounding on their success of 2016’s Blush, the quartet have gotten even more miserable with their new album.

Mud Morganfield – They Call Me Mud CD (Severn)

New release from eldest son of Muddy Waters. Despite growing up surrounded by music, Morganfield did not consider becoming a professional musician until after his father’s death in 1983. At that time, Morganfield was driving trucks for a living, but the strain was wearing on him. He suggested that a recurring dream of Muddy Waters performing on stage helped prompt him to begin playing the blues professionally.

Nap Eyes – I’m Bad Now CD/LP (Paradise Of Bachelors)

Acclaimed Canadians Nap Eyes return with their ambitious, allusive third album that achieves a new sonic clarity, depth, and range to match their effortless melodies and extraordinary writing. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

The Neighbourhood – The Neighbourhood CD (Sony)

Eponymous third album from the critically acclaimed L.A. based alternative rock band.

Nightwish – Decades 2xCD/3xLP (Nuclear Blast)

Comprised of 22 tracks, Decades is a compilation spanning the Finnish symphonic metal band’s prolific 20-year history.

Non Toxique Lost – Enz Rouge CD (Klanggalerie)

Non Toxique Lost are one of the most important and equally most underrated bands from Berlin’s 1980s industrial scene. In the old days, most of their albums came out on cassette only, they have later been collected onto vinyl and CDs. After the tragic loss of long-time member Steffen Schütze last year, NTL are continuing with their unique vision of music. Harsh electronic beats meet Sea Wanton’s blunt political lyrics that are screamed over industrial sounds.

Of Montreal – White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)

“Love and paranoia go hand in hand for singer-songwriter Kevin Barnes on Of Montreal’s White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood. The Athens, Georgia-based musician has often paired verbose examination of his own mental health with oblique psychedelic pop, and he’s cited the creative process as a means for coping with his depression, most directly on 2012’s exhausting Paralytic Stalks. Unease with our increasingly digital world has gradually worked its way into Barnes’s songwriting in recent years as well, and White Is Relic/Irrealis Mood cranks up his fear of a simulated reality to Philip K. Dickian levels of dread. Drawing inspiration from ’80s-era extended dance mixes, Barnes structures the album as six lengthy tracks, each with two divergent movements woven together with churning electronic or saxophone-fueled interludes.” – Slant Magazine [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Ondt Blod – Natur CD/LP (Fysisk Format)

Ondt Blod is a hardcore, almost metalcore, band from Norway. “With hard-hitting, heavy music, the temptation can be to simply focus on the most obvious elements; to make the music heavier, louder, more vicious, and assume that doing so will have the desired results and make your band stand. Whilst that can sometimes work, it’s no guarantee of success. Instead, adding some melody and brightness can be just as effective, if not even more so. It’s a lesson Ondt Blod have taken to heart on Natur, with the album mixing hardcore weight and violence with classic pop melodies and harmonies, with memorable results.” – The Sound Not The Word

Oneida – Romance CD/2xLP (Joyful Noise)

Six years after the release of A List Of The Burning Mountains, Brooklyn, NY”s Oneida release their newest studio creation, a record marked by wild eclecticism, even for a group known for its shape-shifting nature. Recorded over several years in various locales, the eleven songs on Romance are built around deeply developed long-arc rhythm/phase concepts, noise, yearning, blind guitar rage, longing, the lurch of dying electronics, and a multi-modal embrace of human fallibility and artifice.

Qntal – VIII: Nachtblume CD (Metropolis)

Qntal masterfully blends medieval melodies, languages, and instruments with elements of modern electronic music. Over the span of two decades and seven albums, the band has become one of the most popular in the medieval music scene. Their unique electro-medieval style is on display with their captivating, beautiful new album VIII.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing At The Seams CD/2xLP/2xLP+7”+MP3 (Stax)

A staggering album of rock ‘n’ soul music propelled by driving rhythms, blazing horn play, and Rateliff’s rowdy, soul drenched vocals. From anguished sorrow to ecstatic heights, Rateliff’s expressive tenor is unvarnished on the record’s tender R&B ballads and nitro-fueled rave-ups. [Deluxe 180gm 45rpm vinyl edition with exclusive photo book and special 7″ and Deluxe CD edition featuring two bonus tracks are also available.]

Roots Of Creation – Grateful Dub CD (Bombshelter)

Combining their longtime love for reggae-dub style music and the Grateful Dead, RoC reworked some of the world’s favorite Dead tunes into a new studio album.

Calum Scott – Only Human CD/LP (Capitol)

After reaching notoriety by participating at Britain’s Got Talent in 2015 and publishing few singles throughout the last two years, the breakout British artists delivers his debut album.

Shark Toys – Labyrinths CD/LP (In The Red)

“This album at times reminds one of Weirdo Rippers-era No Age on Tyvek uppers. There’s an occasional sax skronk, piano plink-plunk, and the spare synth squiggle here and there, but more often than not it’s a batch of four-on-the-floor pogo-friendly numbers that will have even the most jaded message board lurkers rethinking what the Los Angeles underground has to offer. Shark Toys are proof-positive that the local scene is a hell of a lot deeper than the L.A. River.” – Lance Barresi, Permanent Records

Krystian Shek – al-Qāhirah CD (Carpe Sonum)

A dandy, a longform slice of far-flung ethnotronica that speaks within dub’s mother tongue but jettisons the lockstep rhythmic underpinning.

Spacemen 3 – Dreamweapon [Reissue/1990] CD/2xLP (Space Age)

August 1988, Spacemen 3 embarked on one of the strangest events in the band’s already strange history. Billed as An Evening Of Contemporary Sitar Music (although consciously omitting the sitar), the group would play in the foyer of Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, Middlesex to a largely unsuspecting and unsympathetic audience waiting to take their seats for Wim Wenders’ film Wings Of Desire. Spacemen 3’s proceeding set, forty-five minutes of repetitive drone-like guitar riffs, could be seen as the “Sweet Sister Ray” of ’80s Britain. Their signature sound is at once recognizable and disorienting – pointing as much to the hypnotic minimalism of La Monte Young as to a future shoegaze constituency.

Spiny Normen – Spiny Normen CD/LP (Riding Easy)

Spiny Normen were an incredible mid-’70s Houston hard rock, progressive, psychedelic rock band that featured mellotron, Vox Jaguar, crunchy, heavy guitars, flute with echo effects, and lots more. A totally lost relic, this self-titled album was recorded at a community college and never released. The recording is very English, dark, mysterious and proggy, but also very acid-drenched.

Starkweather & Concealment – Starkweather & Concealment CD (Translation Loss)

“The coming together of Philadelphia’s Starkweather and Portugal’s Concealment is a meeting that makes sense on a number of levels. First, both bands have long, sparse histories. Starkweather is of course a somewhat groundbreaking band in the merging of metalcore and extreme metal, but has only released four full lengths and a smattering of splits and EPs over their nearly 30-year career. Concealment, while lacking their split-mates’ influential pedigree, have been around since the mid- ‘90s and have only released two albums and one EP. This is a huge release for long-starved Starkweather fans that haven’t had a taste of new tunes in seven years. It’s also a huge release for Concealment, who will hopefully get some new, very deserving ears for their music.” – Your Last Rites

Suicidal Tendencies – Get Your Fight On CD/LP (Suicidal)

This new Suicidal Tendencies 10-song EP is the second release for the band with Dave Lombardo on drums (Dead Cross, Slayer, Phantomas, GripInc), Ra Diaz on bass and Jeff Pogan on guitars and anticipates a full-length album coming this summer. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Teenage Wrist – Chrome Neon Jesus CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)

Fans of alt-rock music rejoice because Teenage Wrist are here to remind you why distorted guitars, dreamy vocals and massive dynamics never go out of style. The band – Kamtin Mohager (bass, vocals), Marshall Gallagher (guitar, vocals) and Anthony Salazar (drums) – formed in 2015 and instantly made a name for themselves with their debut EP, Dazed. The Los Angeles band’s full-length debut Chrome Neon Jesus is a timeless collection from a group of music veterans who have unequivocally dedicated themselves to their craft and evoke everyone from The Smashing Pumpkins to Sense Field in the process. The result is an album that’s inspired by the alternative heroes of the past yet retains a modern edge and is teeming with choruses so big that they stretch toward the stratosphere.

Therion – Beloved Antichrist 3xCD (Nuclear Blast)

New album from the Swedish symphonic metal band inspired by the story, A Short Tale Of The Antichrist by Russian philosopher Vladimir Soloviov. Comprised of three discs, Beloved Antichrist is a metal opera spanning 46 songs with a run time of over three and a half hours. It includes performances by an orchestra, an enormous choir, and 29 different vocalists.

Thirdstory – Cold Heart CD (Verve)

Vocal trio and internet sensation Thirdstory have wrapped Chance The Rapper’s Be Encouraged Tour as members of his band, and are back with their debut album Cold Heart. Produced by OAK (Demi Lovato, Rihanna), the album features hit single “G Train (feat. Pusha T)”, and a stunning duet with Chicago-based singer/songwriter Eryn Allen Kane. [Vinyl edition due March 23.]

Three Days Grace – Outsider CD/LP+MP3 (RCA)

Sixth studio album from the multi-platinum Canadian rock band.

Tomorrow We Sail – The Shadows CD (Gizeh)

New album from Leeds-based six-piece. Building on their debut release For Those Who Caught The Sun In Flight over the course of three years, The Shadows combines perfectly the soaring atmospherics, gorgeously intertwined vocal harmonies, and dramatic shifts in tone and dynamics that have come to characterize Tomorrow We Sail’s sound.

Twitching Tongues – Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred CD/LP (Metal Blade)

While channeling a variety of hardcore and metal influences Twitching Tongues’ unique sound is esoteric and resists lazy classification, yet it is equally dynamic, powerful, and instantly gripping. The title of their fourth full-length Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred, drawn from a quote by famed social philosopher Eric Hoffer – “Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life” – reflects the band’s mentality in approaching the record: paying homage to those who supported them while belligerently responding to their detractors.

Uncle Walt’s Band – Anthology: Those Boys From Carolina, They Sure Could Sing… CD (Omnivore)

First anthology to chronicle the music of Uncle Walt’s Band, includes five previously unissued tracks. “Walter Hyatt, David Ball and Champ Hood have been an inspiration to me ever since the first time I heard Uncle Walt’s Band,” said Lyle Lovett, a journalism student at Texas A&M University when he first heard the band. “Musically, their finely crafted original compositions reflect diverse influences, while lyrically they demonstrate a sensitive, sophisticated understanding of the dignified South.” Back in the late ’70s at Austin’s famed Waterloo Ice House you could find Uncle Walt’s Band fans listening raptly in the packed venue sitting beside the likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Nanci Griffith, Jerry Jeff Walker​, or Marcia Ball. Gaining the love of Texas music fans, performing regularly throughout the state, yet unable to get the traction nationally​, in 1983 they called it quits. This long overdue collection attempts to right missed opportunities of the past and finally gain Uncle Walt’s Band the recognition they deserve.

Various Artists [Deetron] – DJ Kicks CD/2xLP (!K7)

DJ-Kicks start 2018 in fine style with another vital entry into their long running series. The latest comes from Swiss DJ/producer Deetron and showcases his timeless style and passion for the nostalgic emotions associated with Chicago and the serene machine soul of Detroit. Selected from records that have resonated with him over the years and that continue to conjure strong feelings, it also features various vocals from friends “in the style of a traditional mixtape,” explains the artist.

Various Artists – Fool’s Paradise Favorites: ’50s & ’60s Bop Slop And Schlock CD (Jazzman)

For over 20 years, your irrepressible host Rex and his legendary Fool’s Paradise radio show on WFMU has held a grudge against the whole square world. Broadcasting from an undisclosed location in rural New Jersey in a fur-lined fall-out shelter located miles below the earth’s crust, this weekly excursion to nowhere continues to proudly play nothing but greasy grooves from inane 45s; non-hit misfires, curveballs, and oddballs from the rock n’ roll era. In the tradition of free love and nickel beer, Jazzman Records has teamed up with Rex to bring together a fabulous collection of his top spins.

Various Artists – Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie In 1980s South Africa CD/3xLP (Soundway)

A new compilation of rare 1980s South African “bubblegum” and boogie. Features The Survivals, Stimela, Hot Soul Singers, Zoom, Ashiko, Monwa & Sun, Ntombi Ndaba, The Black Five, Starlight, Zasha, Sabela, Condry Ziqubu, General Peter Maringa, and Ozila.

Various Artists – Interferencias Vol. 1: Spanish Synth Wave 1980-1989 CD (Munster)

The range on this collection is impressive and the songs are evocative and sincere offerings, grounded by kilos of coherence and brimming with infectious melodies and catchy, arithmetic rhythms. Features Todotodo, Oviformia Sci, Última Emoción, WAQ,Justine, Séptimo Sello, Líneas Aéreas, MD, Lavabos Iturriaga, Vocoder, Metal Y Ca, La Mode, Aviador Dro, Kalashnikov, Tomates Eléctricos, Metropakt, El Humano Mecano, Diseño Corbusier, Los Iniciados, and Bola/Banda Electrónica. Includes an extensive booklet with liner notes by Sergio Sánchez (Jazznoize) and artist photos.

Pierre Vassiliu – Face B – 1965/1981 CD (Born Bad)

Pierre Vassiliu had always been reduced. Few were the real fans, who had explored all angles and taken the measure of the man. Maybe his rhymes weren’t that rich, the instrumentation not too lush, the production quite laid-back, and the timbre rather little demanding, but you could be sure the song would be pampered. Because Vassiliu continuously tried to remodel his career, from a chansonnier to a cunning singer, from tender to comical, to a beatnik poet, to an ethno-artist, to a venue manager, to a showman, to a barfly.

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.

Victor Wainwright – Victor Wainwright And The Train CD (Ruf)

The name of Victor Wainwright’s new band – and the sleeve image of their debut album – is also the most fitting of metaphors. In music folklore, the train might have associations with the freight-hopping bluesmen of yore, but with this restless boogie-woogie innovator stoking the furnace, this project is a charging locomotive – surging forward, crashing through boundaries of genre, sweeping up fresh sounds and clattering headlong past the doubters. [Vinyl edition due April 6.]

Tom Waits – Closing Time [Reissue/1973] CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)

Digitally remastered reissue of Tom Waits’ 1973 debut record. Closing Time foreshadows the distinctly lyrical storytelling and original blending of jazz, blues and folk styles that would come to be associated with him. [180gm vinyl pressing also available.]

Wedge – Killing Tongue CD (Heavy Psych Sounds)

Power trio, untypical arrangements and instruments like electric sitar, clavinet, and harpsichord among others, are accompanying especially some of the new psychedelia soaked tunes.

What So Not – Not All The Beautiful Things CD/LP+MP3 (Counter)

Debut full-length album by Australian artist. With guest features including Skrillex, Toto, Daniel Johns, Michael Christmas and many others, this album proves What So Not is a versatile and dominant force in electronic music.

Andy Wickett & World Service – Creatures Of Love CD (Cleopatra)

New album from original vocalist for new wave icons Duran Duran. Wickett has built a solid music career in his hometown of Birmingham recording and performing both as a solo artist and with his band World Service. This release comes hot on the heels of last year’s monumental release of the original 1979 demos Duran Duran cut with Wickett prior to the entrance of Simon Le Bon.

Megumi Yonezawa/Masa Kamaguchi/Ken Kobayashi – Boundary CD (ESP-Disk’)

Recorded at Park West Studios on June 4, 2017 by Jim Clouse. Personnel: Megumi Yonezawa – piano; Masa Kamaguchi – bass; Ken Kobayashi – drums. Cover art by Kiichiro Adachi. Liner notes by Matthew Shipp.

Young Fathers – Cocoa Sugar CD/LP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)

Written and recorded throughout 2017 in the band’s basement studio and HQ, Cocoa Sugar sees Young Fathers operating with a newfound clarity and direction, and is without a doubt their most confident and complete statement to date. It follows-up the group’s previous two albums; 2014’s Mercury Prize-winning DEAD and 2015’s White Men Are Black Men Too. Just like their previous standalone single “Only God Knows” (written for the Trainspotting T2 film and described by director Danny Boyle as “the heartbeat of the film”), lead cut “Lord” provides an enticing glimpse of what to expect from Young Fathers’ third full album; something typically unique and exhilarating, but leaner, more muscular and self-assured than ever before. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]

ZNR – Traité De Mécanique Populaire [Reissue/1978] CD (RER Megacorp)

The second and last release by this most exquisite and eccentric of groups, who hardly touched the world of working bands, and whose existence was tenuous, flickering, mythological – and yet who managed, to find its way to legendary status — rather like Duchamp’s fountain, by leaving an indelible trace in recorded form of their verifiable existence. If Captain Beefheart had been Erik Satie…

DVDs + Blu-ray:

Iggy Pop/Joshua Homme – American Valhalla DVD (Eagle Rock Entertainment)

Growing up listening to Repo Man on his boom box, Joshua Homme idolized Iggy Pop. He was the reason why Joshua picked up a guitar in the first place. So, when he received a text out of the blue from Iggy asking if he’d like to collaborate on some music, he froze. Filled with child-like fear, Joshua drafted several replies before settling on “that would be wonderful.” It marked the start of an unexpected musical affair between two mavericks of American rock: the front man of Queens of the Stone Age and the Godfather of Punk. American Valhalla candidly explores the relationship from text to tour via the recording of Iggy’s final album, Post Pop Depression.

Muddy Waters – Live At Rockpalast 2xDVD+2xCD (Made In Germany)

Muddy Waters had a great ear for talent and accordingly the formation which you will hear on this DVD was one of the very best: The pianist Pinetop, the drummer Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith, the bass player Calvin Jones, the two guitarists Luther ‘Guitar Jr.’ Johnson and Bob Margolin and the harmonica player Jerry Portnoy. At the Rockpalast recording on December 10, 1978 at Westfalenhalle Dortmund Muddy Waters still was at the height of his creative power, his mighty vocals and his splendid charisma on stage fascinated the audience.

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

Anmls – Anmls LP (Slovenly)

A crude combat booted kick to the temple in the grand tradition of confrontational units like Eskorbuto and Black Flag. These muchachos must have worn out copies of the entire Black Flag discography, because some tracks sound very much inspired by their early EPs, while other tracks have a darker and heavier Rollins-era sound. This self-titled LP is a 100% Spanish language gang-vox shot of ripping speed-garage-punk soundtrack music for a punk house toilet brawl that’ll rearrange your face for simply existing. Tough sounds for tougher times, born of a pack of rabid jackals disgusted with socio-political realities.

Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria LP (Sumerian)

Released last December on CD – now available on vinyl. Recorded producer Matt Good, Asking Alexandria’s self-titled fifth album is an unbridled celebration of acceptance, of the strength of diversity and the freedom of “leaning into the crazy” (as vocalist Danny Worsnop puts it), instead of struggling for conformity.

Tony Banks – 5 LP (BMG)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a member of Genesis (2010), 5 is Tony Banks’ tenth album outside of the band and his third orchestral album following the releases of Seven: A Suite for Orchestra (2004) and Six Pieces for Orchestra (2012). 5 is a collection of five compositions written by Banks and produced by long-time collaborator Nick Davis. Nick Ingman, renowned orchestrator and conductor, agreed to be involved in the project immediately after hearing the demos played to him personally by Banks. Ingman has worked with a plethora of artists and musicians from David Bowie and Oasis to the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The recording was built up over various sessions, the first in London’s Angel Studios where solos and percussion were recorded before a transfer to Prague for a week where concentrated sets of three sessions a day with the orchestra and choir. Recording section by section is a more rock/pop method and seen as unorthodox for an orchestral album, but this method allowed Banks, who also played all of the piano parts, to use his vast musical experience and give himself greater creative control.

Luke Bryan – What Makes You Country LP (Capitol Nashville)

Released last December on CD – now available on vinyl. Sixth album from the four-time Entertainer of the Year winner and CMA Entertainer of the Year Nominee.

Deadbolt – Tijuana Hit Squad [Reissue/1997] LP (Pig Baby)

For almost 30 years, Deadbolt has been a working, touring band. Their most iconic ’90s studio records were never put on vinyl. Pig Baby has taken on the task of beautifully remastering their back catalog. First up is their 1997 iconic record Tijuana Hit Squad. Look for more Deadbolt remastered reissues from Pig Baby Records in the upcoming future.

Drowse – Cold Air LP (The Flenser)

After a severe mental breakdown, Kyle Bates of Portland, Oregon’s Drowse was prescribed a plethora of antipsychotic drugs. Several unmedicated years later, anxiety resurfaced and he turned to Klonopin and alcohol – it was during this time that he wrote and recorded this second full-length album, Cold Air, marked by fanatical self-exploration and expansive detuned instrumentation.

Dwarves & Sloths – Dwarves Meet The Sloths 7” (DC-Jam)

The Dwarves team up with garage pioneers the Sloths for a super limited split 7” pressed on blue vinyl.

The Galileo 7 – Tear Your Minds Wide Open! LP+CD (Damaged Good)

This Kentish quartet have now been kicking out keen psych-pop nuggets since 2010.

Happy Mondays – Best Of Live In Barcelona LP (Secret)

Choice cuts from Happy Mondays’ 2004 performance now on vinyl.

The Herbaliser – Bring Out The Sound 2xLP (BBE)

After a five-year hiatus (and almost twenty-one years to the day since releasing their hallmark trip-hop album Blow Your Headphones), The Herbaliser return with a new album.

Hiromi/Edmar Castaneda – Live In Montreal 2xLP+MP3 (Telarc)

Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. When Hiromi met Edmar Castaneda at The Montreal Jazz Festival last year, she found him so amazing musically that she knew at some point they should collaborate.

IAMX – Alive In New Light LP (UMG)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Following a metamorphosis, a time when IAMX was no longer what he was but had no idea what he was becoming, Alive In New Light is huge in more ways than one. Besides covering the breaking free from a depression, you can hear massive instrumentation that indicates a drive to create, create, create, along with a new area of storytelling in a way no electronic rock album has before.” – Indie Band Guru

Milt Jackson & John Coltrane – Bags & Trane [Reissue/1961] 2xLP (ORG Music)

Double 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a Stoughton case-wrapped gatefold jacket. Mastered at 45rpm from the original master tapes. Vibraphonist Milt Jackson and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane make for a surprisingly complementary team on this 1959 studio session, their only joint recording.

Peter Lemer Quintet – Local Colour [Reissue/1968] LP (ESP-Disk’)

British pianist Peter Lemer studied with Jaki Byard, Paul Bley, and Bill Dixon. His lengthy and distinguished career has found him in a wide variety of settings. As an avant-garde jazz pianist, he recorded with Spontaneous Music Ensemble; in the jazz fusion realm, he was a member of Gilgamesh and Paraphernalia; as a progressive rock keyboardist, he played with Gong, Baker Gurvitz Army, the Mike Oldfield Group, Seventh Wave, and In Cahoots.

Los Lichis & Pakito Bolino – Savage Lichis Religion: El Ultimo Grito LP (Feeding Tube)

Unbridled live match-up, recorded in November 2016 in an Oaxacan gallery, pitting Mexico’s most brutal art collective (Los Lichis) against the fractured French brain behind le Dernier Cri (Pakito Bolino).

Freddie McGregor ‎– Bobby Bobylon [Reissue/1979] LP+MP3 (Studio One)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Freddie McGregor is a firm fan favorite and one of reggae’s most consistent recording and touring artists. McGregor’s 1979 Studio One debut, Bobby Bobylon, is considered one of the key ingredients for a great reggae record collection. It was helmed by Studio One founder Clement Dodd, who produced, tutored, and nurtured an astounding number of top reggae stars – past and present – including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Marcia Griffiths, the Skatalites, Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Toots & the Maytals, Horace Andy, Sugar Minott, and many more. Now, more than 35 years later, Bobby Bobylon is back in print with the original ten tracks and eight additional singles.

Brett Nauke – The Mansion LP (Spectrum Spools)

The Mansion is a fine mixture of contemporary concrète structure interlaced with tightly crafted melodic arrangement and hi-fidelity electronic exploration. A fresh array of meticulously composed psychotropic tapestries. Themes based on a childhood home, now a distant memory, reveal a mysterious narrative in mind-bending sonic detail. These complex ideas fuse conflicting states of tension and beauty with an organic acumen, each track a piece of the greater whole.

N.E.R.D. – No_One Ever Really Dies 2xLP+MP3 (Sony)

Released last December on CD – now available on vinyl. The new album from N.E.R.D – their first since 2010 – includes the hit single “Lemon” (featuring Rihanna). Other guest artists include Kendrick Lamar, Future, Andre’ 3000, M.I.A., Gucci Mane, and Ed Sheeran. [A random sampling of the production run will have the second disc of the 2 LPs be colored translucent orange.]

A Perfect Circle – The Doomed b/w Disillusioned 10” (BMG Rights Management)

Limited edition 10” featuring two new tracks, “The Doomed” and “Disillusioned”, from the band’s upcoming new album. Includes dual groove technology and screen-printed B-side.

Grant-Lee Phillips – Windershins LP+MP3 (Yep Roc)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “I’m drawing from the urgency of the moment,” says acclaimed Nashville-based singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips, of Widdershins, his ninth solo album. Inspired by “the things that eat away in the late hours,” Phillips invests the insight, nuance and wit in a riveting dissection of today’s fraught social landscape. Recorded over four days at Sound Emporium in Nashville, the 12-track set was produced by Phillips (guitar, vocals, keyboards) and cut largely live in the studio as a trio with Jerry Roe (drums) and Lex Price (bass). Mixed by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, The Decemberists) and engineered by Mike Stankiewicz, the album delivers its poetic truths in Phillips’ peerless melodic sensibilities, relayed via vocal performances that balance intensity and vulnerability.

Porcupine Tree – In Absentia [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Kscope)

Porcupine Tree – Deadwing [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Kscope)

Limited gatefold 180gm colored/clear vinyl reissues of Porcupine Tree’s seventh and eighth studio albums.

The Promise Ring – 30° Everywhere [Reissue/1996] LP+MP3 (Epitaph)

Vinyl reissue of the influential Milwaukee emo/indie rock band’s 1996 debut. The Promise Ring were formed in 1995 in Milwaukee by guitarist Jason Gnewikow, drummer Dan Didier and bassist Scott Beschta. The band was eventually rounded out by frontman Davey von Bohlen, who at the time was a new enlistee into Midwest darlings Cap’n Jazz but gave The Promise Ring their crucial missing piece. In 1996, the group signed with Jade Tree and released their debut, 30° Everywhere: a powerful introduction that distilled the spirit and vigor of some of the members’ punk and hardcore backgrounds and spit-shined it with von Bohlen’s tastefully angsty melodicism. Limited clear pressing also available.

Punkemon – Punkemon 7” (Sounds Rad)

A ripping two-song single by members of MTX, the Phantom Surfers, Peechees, and Hi-Fives. Limited purple colored vinyl pressing.

The Salsoul Orchestra – The Stars Of Salsoul 2xLP (Salsoul)

The Salsoul Orchestra played on, shaped, crafted and executed numerous classics since their inception in 1975. As Salsoul Records’ in-house band they were quite literally, instrumental, in the personality and sound of one of dance music’s most famous and respected labels. This hugely enjoyable bumper selection of some of the orchestra’s highlights is pretty much essential, featuring some classic mixes and edits from the likes of Danny Krivit, Walter Gibbons, Larry Levan, Shep Pettibone, John Morales, Frankie Knuckles and Tom Moulton. An essential package for the die-hard disco aficionado.

Michael Schenker Fest – Resurrection LP (Nuclear Blast)

Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the former Scorpions and UFO guitarist featuring collaborations with all of his previous vocalists.

Silver Dick – Silver Dick LP (Feeding Tube)

Fantastic debut LP by a Manchester trio who stand at the vanguard of Britain’s new-new thing. Playing this record, we recall the raw excitement we felt a quarter century ago when bands like Skullflower, A Band, R!!!S!!!, and the Shadow Ring were reinventing the shape of the UK sub-underground.

Simply Saucer – Cyborgs Revisited [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (In The Red)

Simply Saucer’s Cyborgs Revisited is an explosive time capsule from one of the great Canadian cult rock ‘n’ roll groups. Formed in Hamilton, Ontario, these sci-fried proto-punks created a sound fusing Hawkwind, The Kinks, Pink Fairies, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, and the omnipresent Velvet Underground. Originally recorded from 1974-1975, the album became a critically revered classic when it was finally unearthed in 1989 by Mole Records. Now, In The Red is proud to release the definitive, remastered double album edition featuring new liner notes by band biographer Jesse Locke, unseen images, and the complete live recordings available as a second album for the first time ever.

Solomon Grey – Human Music LP (Mercury)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A collection of intricately crafted songs, delving into themes of choice, love and loss – written by the band at the time singer Joe Wilson’s mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Human Music was influenced by her passing. Solomon Grey explain, “The album is fundamentally about exploring loss and finding out how integral it is to life. That’s where it started for us but as with all of these things it can mean whatever you want it to.”

Soundtrack – Babylon Berlin 3xLP+2xCD (BMG)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Babylon Berlin is a German period drama television series which premiered in October 2017 on Sky 1, a German-language entertainment channel broadcast by Sky Deutschland. The first series is made up of eight episodes and is set in the Berlin of the 1920s. It is based on novels by Volker Kutscher, the plots of which span from 1929 to 1934. “Babylon Berlin is one of the most innovative scores I heard this year; Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer used very few sounds and instruments but combined them in fascinating ways both as sound and as pace. Both modern and retro, this score kept me interested from start to finish for a very rewarding standalone listening experience.” – Soundtrack Dreams

Soundtrack – Lady and the Tramp LP (Walt Disney)

Limited picture disc vinyl LP pressing of the soundtrack to Disney’s 1955 animated classic.

Sweet Slag – Tracking With Close-Ups LP (Acme/Lion Productions)

Formed in 1969, this UK outfit went on to record only one ultra-collectable album in 1971 for President Records. Originally the album was going to be titled Guerilla Jazz Rock, but came instead to be renamed Tracking With Close-Ups, which is a good thing, as this is certainly not a jazz rock album. A unique heavy dark psychedelic aspect runs through the album; it almost borders on proto-metal on several tracks, as well as having some darker progressive elements and Beefheart and Zappa moments.

UB40 – Real Labour Of Love LP (UMe)

Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. New covers album featuring Barrington Levy’s “Here I Come”, Ken Boothe’s, “Moving Away”, Gregory Isaac’s “Hush Darling” and more.

Letitia VanSant – Gut It To The Studs LP (Letitia VanSant)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In a time when embracing the heart and soul of humanity is at a critical moment, Baltimore’s Americana songstress Letitia Vansant releases a poignant collection of songs.

Various Artists – The Mississippi Blues 1927-1940 [Reissue/1963] LP (Origin Jazz Library)

180gm exact repro reissue, originally released in 1963. 16 rare sides by: Bukka White, Willie Brown, Kid Bailey, Robert Wilkins, Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, William Harris, Skip James, and more.

Various Artists – Progressive Rock Translation LP (Music Brokers Arg)

A limited edition album that includes the work of many of the essential artists of the genre, including Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator, Focus, Peter Hammill and Soft Machine.

Various Artists – Reggae Roots Vibration LP (Music Brokers Arg)

A limited edition album that include the work of most of the pioneers of the genre including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Toots & The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Isaacs, among others.

Visigoth – Conqueror’s Oath LP (Metal Blade)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Standing in staunch opposition to any presumptuous notion of ‘reinventing the wheel’ or ‘redefining the genre’, Visigoth instead dedicate themselves to worshipping at the ageless altars of heavy metal with a singular focus on writing music inspired by their favorite records. Whether whipped into a frenzy ignited by classic USPM or NWOBHM anthems, or pensively meditating on traditional epic heavy metal or weighty doom-inspired moments, these Salt City hessians wear their influences proudly on their sleeves.

Bobby Wright – Blood Of An American b/w Everyone Should Have His Day [Reissue/1974] 7” (Melodies International)

Two stripped-back, reflective pieces of US folk soul. This single is released in it’s original 7″ format alongside a 16-page Melozine, featuring words from Abu Talib, social studies professor Paul Rekret and much more.