CDs + Vinyl:
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids – An Angel Fell CD/2xLP (Strut)
New album from cosmic jazz travelers The Pyramids, led by saxophonist Idris Ackamoor. Produced by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics, An Angel Fell was recorded during an intense week at Quatermass studios in London and is one of the deepest, richest works yet from a band reaching their highest creative peak since the early ’70s.
Arctic Monkeys – Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys return with their sixth album, entitled Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Produced by longtime collaborator James Ford and frontman Alex Turner, the highly anticipated 11-track effort was recorded in Los Angeles, Paris and London. “The first Arctic Monkeys album in five years is lush and claustrophobic at the same time – it calls to mind a guy going a little nutty in a small room in a nice house on a hill, constructing a fantasy world in his head and setting his visions to piano” (Rolling Stone). “The album’s title is a fitting one: this record feels a lot like gazing into the night sky. At first it’s completely overwhelming – you’ll be trying to connect the scattered dots on this initially impenetrable listen, and maybe even despairing when it doesn’t all come together. But when the constellations show through, you’ll realize that it’s a product of searingly intelligent design” (NME). [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Bad Wolves – Disobey CD (Eleven Seven Music)
From their massive cover of The Cranberries “Zombie”, driving anthems like “No Masters” to the syncopated Faith No More-worthy rocker “Better The Devil,” Bad Wolves’ new album Disobey showcases elements of rock, metal, hip-hop and progressive rock into a unique amalgam of music that is infectious. [Vinyl edition due May 25.]
Beach House – 7 CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Beach House released B-sides And Rarities in 2017, which served as a proverbial “cleaning out the closet” to pave way for a new creative process. Their approach in the creation of 7 was rebirth and rejuvenation. “Looking back, there is quite a bit of chaos happening in these songs, and a pervasive dark field that we had little control over. The discussions surrounding women’s issues were a constant source of inspiration and questioning. The energy, lyrics and moods of much of this record grew from ruminations on the roles, pressures and conditions that our society places on women, past and present. The twisted double edge of glamour, with its perils and perfect moments, was an endless source (see ‘L’Inconnue,’ ‘Drunk In L.A.,’ ‘Woo,’ ‘Girl Of The Year,’ ‘Last Ride’). In a more general sense, we are interested by the human mind’s (and nature’s) tendency to create forces equal and opposite to those present. Thematically, this record often deals with the beauty that arises in dealing with darkness; the empathy and love that grows from collective trauma; the place one reaches when they accept rather than deny (see ‘Dark Spring,’ ‘Pay No Mind,’ ‘Lemon Glow,’ ‘Dive,’ ‘Black Car,’ ‘Lose Your Smile’).” – Beach House
Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main CD (Arts & Crafts)
The sophomore release by pianist and composer Jean-Michel Blais is an expansive album of post-classical piano with strands of electronic detail. Blending his conservatory skill and precise pop sensibility with synthetic accompaniment, Blais creates unique environments where the piano’s intimacy can be subtly disrupted at any time. Dans ma main weaves together expressive piano with austere synths in a double-helix of acoustic and electronic arpeggiation, tethering techno, industrial, ambient, and new age music to Blais’ solo piano essence. The album explores an everyday life awash in spirituality, stemming from Blais’ interplay with music as therapy. Compelled by the cathartic air that audiences exude in his pin-drop performances, Blais considers how music has served as a tool of wellness in his own life. From his prior career in special education, to the role classical and ambient music played soothing the Tourettic symptoms he experienced as a child, Jean-Michel’s new compositions subconsciously call upon these periods of his life, reimagining a serenity he had only experienced seated at the piano. [Vinyl edition due June 8.]
The Body – I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer. CD/LP+2xMP3 (Thrill Jockey)
With each release, the duo of Lee Buford and Chip King continue to defy the constraints of what it means to be a “heavy” band, seamlessly combining composition or production approaches from hip hop, pop, classical, as well as rock and electronica resulting in a rich and utterly singular sound. On I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer The Body challenged themselves again by turning their compositional approach on its head, choosing to build the record on their own samples rather than recording the basic tracks of drums and guitars and processing those. The results carry the listener towards the brink of emotional and musical extremes. I Have Fought Against It… conjures the sublime from an unexpected and incomparable variety of sounds.
Brent Cobb – Providence Canyon CD/LP+MP3 (Atlantic)
Named after a Georgian gully that Dave Cobb often visited as a teenager, the singer/songwriter’s sophomore release Providence Canyon is an evocative, electrified album about a life lived on the run. There are road songs, half-lit drinking tunes, tributes to friends and family, and nostalgic nods to one’s younger years. There are songs about returning home and songs about getting the hell out of dodge. Gluing everything together is the unforced country croon and sharp songwriting of Cobb, who credits his recent touring history for inspiring the album’s quicker pace. On the drawling, guitar-driven “Mornin’s Gonna Come” and “Sucker For A Good Time,” Cobb battles against the temptations of the road, where the drinks are free and the nights are long. He doubles down on his commitment to his wife and daughter with “Ain’t A Road Too Long,” whose mix of Bible Belt boogie-woogie and Southern rock channels influences like The Band. Then, on the album’s breezy title track, he casts his mind back to his teenage years, when a trip to Providence Canyon was enough to remind him of life’s fleeting, precious nature.
Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son CD/LP (Fantasy)
Recorded in Hollywood, CA, and produced by Ry Cooder and his chief collaborator, drummer Joachim Cooder, The Prodigal Son is all America – our spiritual, hopeful voices, our raw cries and our sly provocations, voiced through the songs of the Pilgrim Travelers, The Stanley Brothers, Blind Willie Johnson, and Ry Cooder himself. The album’s 11 tracks, including three Cooder originals and a carefully selected collection of his favorite spirituals of the last century, share a particular resonance in this time and place, forming an unflinching look at the state of play in modern America. “I do connect the political/economic dimensions with the inner life of people, since people are at risk and oppressed on all sides in our world today,” Cooder states. “There’s some kind of reverence mood that takes hold when you play and sing these songs. ‘Reverence’ is a word I heard my granddaughter’s nursery school teacher use, a Kashmiri woman. She said, ‘We don’t want to teach religion, but instill reverence.’ I thought that was a good word for the feeling of this music.”
Del + Amp Live – Gate 13 CD/2xLP (Iot)
Del The Funky Homosapien and Amp Live – two of the most innovative and respected names in hip-hop – unite for one of the most anticipated albums of 2018. The 16 tracks on Gate 13 mix hip-hop, funk, and electronica, and feature Goapele, Eligh, Simi, Zyme, Adult Karate, Mr. Micro, and James Melo, creating a portal into something progressive, futuristic, and fun.
Denmark Vessey – Sun Go Nova CD/LP (Mello Music Group)
Denmark Vessey is a Detroit rapper and cult rap hero currently living in New York City, named after a brilliant 19th century slave-turned-carpenter who was convicted and executed for planning what would’ve been the largest slave revolt in North American history. He’s funnier than most political rappers, more political than punch line spitters, and too imaginative for regressive underground stereotypes.
Glenn Frey – Above The Clouds: The Very Vest Of Glenn Frey CD/3xCD+DVD (Geffen)
Frey’s major chart hits after The Eagles break-up, including the Beverly Hills Cop smash “The Heat Is On,” the gritty, slide-guitar-driven gutbucket groove of “Smuggler’s Blues,” the epic Miami Vice ballad “You Belong to the City,” the inward-looking poignancy of “Soul Searchin’,” and much more. [Available as a stand-alone disc and box set. Box set adds two CDs of deeper cuts and a live DVD culled from his performance at the National Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, on September 15, 1992.]
Jerry Garcia – Before The Dead 4xCD/5xLP (Caroline)
A rare collection of the earliest known performances by Jerry Garcia. From an informal and intimate 1691 performance of simple folk songs at a birthday party with future songwriting partner Robert Hunter to more polished coffeehouse gigs with old-timey and bluegrass bands through 1964, Before The Dead showcases Garcia’s deep study of the folk music tradition and its influence on his musical journey leading to the formation of the Grateful Dead.
Ghost-Note – Swagism 2xCD (Ropeadope)
Snarky Puppy members Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth return as the duo Ghost-Note. Kamasi Washington guests on “No More Silence”.
Françoise Hardy – Personne D’autre CD (Arts Music)
The French singer-songwriter and fashion icon releases her 24th studio album.
Dave Holland – Uncharted Territories CD (Dare2)
Uncharted Territories brings together a quartet of some of the best players in forward-thinking jazz. Joining Holland on this recording are saxophonist Evan Parker, drummer Ches Smith and pianist Craig Taborn. The epic-length album finds the group breaking off into various permutations, and coming back together again for quartet performances. [Vinyl edition due July 20.]
Illuminati Hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies CD/Cassette (Tiny Engines)
Despite the pluralized nom de guerre, Illuminati Hotties is the creative outlet of Sarah Tudzin – a producer and engineer hailing from the sprawl of Los Angeles. Lauded as local tenderpunk pioneers, Illuminati Hotties has perfected the blend of sweetness and ferocity, of celebration and despondency on debut album Kiss Yr Frenemies. At first listen, it is a sun-drenched, irreverent volley with the onset of adulthood, but as the listener dives deeper, they will find an earnest consideration of musical phrasing and deliberately crafted wordplay regarding the complexity of love, loss, and skateboarding.
Kassin – Relax CD/LP+MP3 (Luaka Bop)
A not-so funny thing happens when you get divorced: your friends ask for advice on how to deal with their own relationship struggles. Maybe that’s why Alexandre Kassin’s new album, Relax, has two songs about this incredible heartbreak. First there’s “A Paisagem Morta,” a dark bossa nova tune about those initial moments once the breakup is final, when you begin to rediscover yourself. “The lyrics are about trying to keep things happening,” says Kassin, a leading producer and instrumentalist in Brazilian music.
Mark Kozelek – Mark Kozelek CD (Caldo Verde)
The first of two albums Kozelek has planned for 2018, Mark Kozelek is comprised of 11 songs that were recorded in hotel rooms around San Francisco, including the previously released “This Is My Town” and “My Love For You.”
La Luz – Floating Features CD/LP (Hardly Art)
Los Angeles has often been described as a “dream factory” – both a mecca where dreamers converge to pursue long-held aspirations, and a topography of hallucinogenic contradictions: enchanting tangerine sunsets diffused by smog, crystal-clutching spiritualists mingling with deep-pocketed narcissists, rows of scenic palms competing with garish billboards for commuters’ attention. It was against this backdrop that La Luz conceived their third studio album. References to dreams abound on Floating Features. “Loose Teeth” catalyzes nightmare fuel into a propulsive, intentionally-disorienting collision of honeyed harmonies and Takeshi Terauchi-esque jetstreams of distorted surf guitar. “Mean Dream” unsurprisingly mines dreamstate imagery, and the lyrics and melody for “Walking Into the Sun” actually came to Cleveland during a particularly-vivid night of deep sleep. Looming over the album’s coterie of surreal figures (gargantuan cicadas, a monstrous “Creature,” The Sun King, aliens, the titular “Lonely Dozer”) is the magnificent “Greed Machine,” a skulking, insatiable engine of consumption – Nathanael West’s “business of dreams” fearsomely manifested. Only La Luz could conjure up Floating Features’ Leone-on-LSD vibes, and the album finds the L.A. band at the height of their powers – golden rebels in a golden dream.
Domenico Lancellotti – The Good Is A Big God CD/LP+MP3 (Luaka Bop)
The Good Is A Big God, by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Domenico Lancellotti, features contributions from Nina Miranda, Moreno Veloso, Pedro Sá and Sean O’Hagan. The Good Is A Big God is a collection of reflective samba partially inspired by a trip taken to a Brazilian national park called The Serra dos Órgãos.
Las Rosas – Shadow By Your Side CD (Greenway)
“Quoted as being recorded ‘during the night shifts of an enormous life dismantling’, Brooklyn rock trio Las Rosas have materialized yet again for a sophomore full-length. Shadow By Your Side brims with irresistible garage psych pop melodies and hooks delivered with authority and muscle, undoubtedly a huge step in their growth since their 2017 debut Everyone Gets Exactly What They Want. Lead single ‘Christa’ throbs with jangly glam rock tremors, strutting along Jose Boyer’s uniquely unkempt vocal delivery and some dirty guitar riff tones that’ll make those chest hairs sprout their own chest hairs. Can’t wait to the whole shebang in its entirety.” – Sly Vinyl
Little Junior – Hi CD/LP (Grand Jury)
Much of Little Junior’s full-length debut Hi sounds like a clear combination of Pixies’ lo-fi basement punk with Weezer and Carly Rae Jepsen’s penchant for cheery sing-along melody.
Sarah Louise – Deeper Woods CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
On Deeper Woods, the verdant forest that surrounds Sarah Louise’s North Carolina home can be felt with each note. Louise’s poetic depictions of nature both lyrical and musical are animated and reverent. Lauded for her work as an accomplished 12-string solo guitarist, Deeper Woods is the first album to prominently feature her voice. Louise enriches her warm singular vocal sound with a lush variety of instruments as well as layers of harmonies that together create a tapestry of texture. Steeped in Appalachian folk traditions, Louise’s influences are much broader with shades of psychedelia and experimentalism, pushing her beyond genre constraints. Incorporating both traditional and modern methods of composition, the album is a reflection on the struggle between peaceful isolation and the need for community.
Mad Professor – Electro Dubclubbing!! CD (Ariwa Sounds)
The dawn of the new dub, Mad Professor is back with a new series of releases. Recorded in London at Ariwa Studios, Electro Dubclubbing!! features an all-star class including Sly and Robbie, Aisha, U-Roy, Black Steel and Lloyd Parks. [Vinyl edition due May 25.]
Marian Hill – Unusual CD/LP (Photo Finish)
Platinum-selling electronic duo Marian Hill return after over a year’s absence with their sophomore album, Unusual. Over 10 taut tracks including lead single “Subtle Thing,” the act solidifies their position as a singular voice in modern pop – each song a unique journey into a very particular world. Samantha Gongol’s vocals are more effortlessly precise than ever as she sculpts the sound of every word with power and attitude. Jeremy Lloyd’s meticulous minimalism has grown harder and more propulsive – each beat dares you not to dance with surprises around every corner, pulling on diverse influences from jazz, electronic and hip hop while bringing to mind ‘00s Timbaland updated for the 23rd century.
Loreena McKennitt – Lost Souls CD/LP+MP3 (UMe)
Loreena McKennitt’s first release of original material since 2006, Lost Souls is a rich tapestry of contemporary thoughts woven with threads from the Celts to the Bedouins, stitched with the sounds of a diverse collection of musical voices, including nyckelharpa, a military band and flamenco guitar.
John Mellencamp – Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
“Try to keep it as plain spoken as possible…” those are some of the first words the viewer hears in Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre. A self-narrated musical journey, the film encapsulates the sound and soul of John Mellencamp. Stepping outside the boundaries of a concert film or documentary, Plain Spoken blends highly personal voice-overs from Mellencamp with live footage of him performing with his full band at the historic Chicago Theatre, just 250 miles from his native Indiana. He tells us the story of his Midwestern upbringing, the trials, turns and triumphs of his career, and his overall outlook on life while the music plays, supporting his stories. The result is the essence of John Mellencamp, delivered fully on-screen.
The National Reserve – Motel La Grange CD/LP (Ramseur)
Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Sean Walsh, The National Reserve mine an archetypal musical seam, marrying gutbucket R&B, Laurel Canyon lyricism, New Orleans funk workouts, late night soul, and boozy rock ‘n’ roll to create their own timeless brand of American music.
Newcleus – Teknology: The Third Millennium Remixes CD (Jam-On Recordings)
New compilation of remixes of the Newcleus electro classic “Teknology”. Features the classic original recording, as well as remixes from Phill Moffa, Intelligentsia, Binalog Frequency, Gods Of Technology and many more.
The Nonce – 1990 CD/LP (Family Groove)
Reissue of an important milestone recorded during the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.
Organectomy – Domain Of The Wretched CD/LP (Unique Leader)
Organectomy’s unique brand of slamming brutal death metal incorporates aspects of old school death metal, melodic death metal, brutal death metal, atmospheric death metal, technical death metal, and slam into a twisted amalgamation of pure, sickening brutality.
Our Solar System – Origins CD/LP+MP3 (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
Swelling, Swedish cosmic collective Our Solar System’s third full-length is perhaps their most transparent and revealing, unobstructed by anything beyond the group’s now-masterful commitment to eclipsing the expected. On Origins, the music is at once rapturous, intense and mysterious.
Buck Owens and The Buckaroos – The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967-1970 CD (Omnivore)
Newly remastered, and featuring liner notes from Scott B. Bomar, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967–1970 presents the golden age of Buck Owens in an entirely new way. This is the second in a series chronicling every one of Buck’s historic Capitol singles from the ’50s, ’60, and ’70s. Taken from the original mono and stereo masters, The Complete Capitol Singles: 1967–1970 collects the A- and B-side to all 18 singles from that period, including 14 Top Ten hits, in their original, chronological form. These are the records that made Buck Owens a legend and defined the Bakersfield Sound. “The reason my Capitol records sounded the way they did—real heavy on the treble—was because I knew most people were going to be listening to ’em on their AM car radios. At the time, nobody else was doing anything like that, but it just seemed like common sense to me. And it was one more reason that you knew it was a Buck Owens record as soon as it came on the radio—because it just didn’t sound like those other records…” – Buck Owens
Potatohead People – Nick & Astro’s Guide To The Galaxy CD (Bastard Jazz)
Comprised of Vancouver producers and multi-instrumentalists Nick Wisdom and Astrological, Canadian duo Potatohead People boast a number of noteworthy accolades thanks to a their signature sound drawing influences from ‘90s boom-bap, future soul, classic jazz, deep house and boogie/funk. [Vinyl edition due May 25.]
Phill Pratt / Bobby Kalphat – The War Is On – Dub Style [Reissue/1982] CD/LP (Pressure Sounds)
Phil Pratt had an illustrious career in Jamaica stretching back to the rocksteady years of the ’60s, but by the ’80s was increasingly working on productions in London. Easy Street was a low budget studio with professional but fairly limited equipment – a Soundcraft TS24 mixing desk, a Roland RE301 Chorus Echo, an AKG BX5 reverb, and an MXR flanger/doubler – and a speedy way of working which suited the incoming rush of reggae producers. A sought-after dub album unavailable since its early 1980s release, it typifies Phil’s working methods in those days, with the backing tracks recorded at Joe Gibbs’ Studio in Jamaica, and overdubs and mixing done in London.
Charlie Puth – VoiceNotes CD (Atlantic)
VoiceNotes is the sophomore studio album from American pop singer-songwriter and producer Charlie Puth. “Charlie Puth’s silky falsetto made him a global star with the pop ballad ‘See You Again’, but his roots, he is quick to point out, are in jazz. Puth spent a year and a half writing and revising his second album, VoiceNotes, [which has finally been released after a delay]. Despite warnings that it was not commercially viable, he found himself repeatedly turning to jazz. But it’s not as if his fans will think he’s gone in a drastic new direction. Instead, Puth hears jazz in the warm chord progressions of the keyboards hidden under the pop texture. VoiceNotes — whose first single, ‘Attention’, is driven by a gently strummed guitar line and funky bass — harks back to the retro production of songwriters such as Babyface and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who Puth sees as heirs to the jazz tradition. ‘The whole album is jazz disguised as pop music,’ Puth told a news conference in Los Angeles. ‘I’ve established a vibe where my music, it might lean adult in a way, but I still have 12-year-olds, teenagers, pre-teenagers — they are all singing the music.’” – Gulf News Music
RSO – Radio Free America CD (BMG)
Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer Richie Sambora Teams with Female Guitar Goddess Orianthi (who has shared stages with the likes of Michael Jackson, Santana, Prince, and ZZ Top, and was the first female member of Alice Cooper’s band) for a collection of new music mixing blues, pop, rock, country and many more genres. Sambora and Orianthi’s voices and guitars effortlessly blend together, and their indelible melodies and uplifting lyrics create an album filled with warmth, heart and a whole lot of rock ‘n’ roll. Most of Radio Free America was recorded with legendary songwriter/producer Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi) at Sambora and Orianthi’s Los Angeles home over the past two years, where they have built a recording studio in their kitchen, complete with studio-size speakers, keyboards, computers, and mics. There are amps in the dining room, the living room overflows with racks of guitars, and the home theater has been converted into a drum room. At home, the two have created an inviting world filled with love, friendship, laughter, and passion for music that seeps into these songs.
The Sea And Cake – Any Day CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
The Sea And Cake deliver a refreshingly intimate collection of elegantly arranged, singular pop songs. Any Day is testament to the group’s artistry, song craft, and utterly unique sound. The heart of the album’s instrumentation is Prewitt’s intriguing choice of guitar effects, sparingly used to enhance his counter melodies. The combinations create a wealth of textures from surprisingly few instruments.
Sevendust – All I See Is War CD/LP (Rise)
Twenty-four years into their career and still with all of their original members intact, veteran heavy rockers Sevendust offer up their twelfth studio album.
Simian Mobile Disco – Murmurations CD/LP+MP3 (Wichita)
Simian Mobile Disco return with their fifth album and, never a pair of men to rest on their laurels, James Ford and Jas Shaw have switched things up this time by choosing to collaborate with London’s all-female, Deep Throat Choir. The end result is lush and sumptuous. Murmurations combines SMD’s unparalleled production talents across layers of synths and percussion with Deep Throat Choir’s unique brand of choral vocals.
Skinless – Savagery CD/LP (Relapse)
Death metal veterans Skinless return with their pulverizing sixth studio offering, aptly titled Savagery. Recorded by Tom Case at Doomsday Bunker Studio in New York and by Dave Otero (Primitive Man, Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage) at Flatline Audio in Colorado, Savagery embodies ten slabs of rotting, aural remains across 37 minutes of titanic slams, untouchable grooves, mauling riffs and blood-thirsty, bestial growls. It sees Skinless at the top of their game, more than 25 years into an untouchable reign of terror. Features stunningly sick cover art by renowned tattoo artist Jesse Levitt. For fans of Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Broken Hope, Devourment, Gatecreeper, Aborted and Obituary.
Strung Out – Black Out The Sky CDEP/12” (Fat Wreck Chords)
While Strung Out has made their name on intense, frenetic slabs of metal-influenced tech-punk, there is more to the band than meets the eye. It might come as a shock to learn that the band’s new eight-song EP, Black Out The Sky, is an acoustic affair, but as vocalist Jason Cruz explains, it’s not nearly as surprising for the band members. “Every song starts on an acoustic guitar for the most part,” Cruz notes. “If it’s a good song, it can be played acoustic. For about the past five years, I’ve been pushing the band to release a record in this format.”
Tents – Deer Keeps Pace CD (Badman)
Debut release from the Portland, Oregon based comfort-pop quartet.
U-Roy – Talking Roots CD/LP (Ariwa Sounds)
Toasting pioneer U-Roy has re-united with the Ariwa production team to record and release the new studio album Talking Roots which features production from Mad Professor and contributions from Sly & Robbie, Lloyd Parks, Black Steel, Leroy Mafia, Nadine Sutherland, Carroll T and Aisha.
Gin Wigmore – Ivory CD/2xLP (Interscope)
Ivory is the fourth album from New Zealand folk-pop singer-songwriter and follow-up to 2015’s acclaimed Blood To Bone, her third straight chart-topper on the Official New Zealand Music Chart. All adorned with Gin’s trademark soulful rasp, the album is preceded by the compelling singles “Hallow Fate,” “Beatnik Trip,” “Dirty Mercy,” “Cabrona” and “Girl Gang.”
Jess Williamson – Cosmic Wink CD/LP (Mexican Summer)
Williamson’s sophomore album Heart Song marked a dramatic departure from debut Native State, bristling beyond the confines of folk to question the comforts of home. On Cosmic Wink, her third album and first for Mexican Summer, Williamson emerges with another self, part of an even wider consciousness. A self that bears wise evidence of past lives, but also feels new and unfamiliar, if at times from a different artist entirely.
Luke Winslow-King – Blue Mesa CD/LP+MP3 (Bloodshot)
Luke Winslow-King’s new album is an example of craftsmanship at the highest level, radiating a warmth and timeless elegance. Adept at mixing country, blues, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, and folk influences intuitively and masterfully, Luke shapes a mood from many sources and shepherds it to a unifying place of acceptance and hope. Blue Mesa is both stately and approachable, manifestly proficient but deeply personal. “The record opens with a bluesy track featuring gospel backup singers. ‘You Got Mine’ was co-written with Lissa Driscoll who was a fixture in New Orleans and sadly, passed last year after her diagnosis with cancer. This track and the other track co-written with Driscoll, ‘Chicken Dinner’, are beautiful memories of Luke’s musical relationship with Lissa. These tracks perfectly display the warmth that he brings to his music and highlight the importance of his collaborations. By the time you get to the third and title track, ‘Blue Mesa’, you’ve already experienced the richness and diversity that comes with the album.” – Get It On Vinyl
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin – Awase 2xLP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Awase, a term from martial arts, means “moving together” in the sense of matching energies, a fitting metaphor for the dynamic precision, tessellated grooves and balletic minimalism of Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. Six years have passed since the last release from the Swiss group. In the interim, trimmed from quintet to quartet size and with new bassist Thomy Jordi fully integrated, Ronin has become a subtly different band. Bärtsch speaks of a new-found freedom and flexibility in the approach to the material, with “greater transparency, more interaction, more joy in every performance.”
Bicep – Opal 12”+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
A fresh remix by Four Tet, plus exclusive new B-side “Helix”.
Carla Bozulich – Quieter LP (Constellation)
An enchanting collection of previously orphaned and one-off tracks, a couple left over from the bountifully productive Boy sessions, others featuring collaborations with the likes of Marc Ribot, Sarah Lipstate (Noveller), Freddy Ruppert, Shahzad Ismaily and more.
Miles Davis – Miles Davis’ Greatest Hits [Reissue/1969] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Limited vinyl LP repress including digital download. This Greatest Hits collection checks in with Davis in 1969 and collects career highlights recorded from 1955 to 1965 including landmarks like “So What,” “‘Round Midnight,” “E.S.P.,” “All Blues” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” among others.
Jerry Granelli feat. Robben Ford, Bill Frisell, and J. Anthony Granelli – Dance Hall LP (Justin Time)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Featuring guitar greats Robben Ford and Bill Frisell, the material on Dance Hall reflects Jerry Granelli’s deep gratitude to the artists who originally wrote and recorded these great songs, and at this point in his life the sheer joy of playing the drums. “The key was not doing covers, but finding songs that were personal to my journey. We kept it as open and spontaneous as possible; it’s about the joy of finding the freedom in the form.”
J Dilla – Dillatronic 2xLP (Vintage Vibes)
Over 40 rare instrumentals that showcase Dilla’s undeniable electronic influences.
Eminem – Revival 2xLP (Aftermath/Interscope)
Released last December on CD – now available on vinyl. Eminem’s ninth album features guest contributions from Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Alicia Keys, X Ambassadors, Skylar Grey, Kehlani, P!nk, and Phresher.
Enigma – MCMXC a.D. [Reissue/1990] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – The Cross Of Changes [Reissue/1993] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! [1996] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – The Screen Behind The Mirror [2000] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – Love Sensuality Devotion (The Greatest Hits) [2001] 2xLP (Vertigo)
Enigma – Voyageur [2003] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – A Posteriori [2006] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – Seven Lives Many Faces [2008] LP (Vertigo)
Enigma – The Fall Of A Rebel Angel [2016] LP (Vertigo)
Limited import-only color vinyl pressings.
Everlast, Damien Marley, DJ Muggs – Jump Around 25 Year Remix 12” (Soul Assassins)
To commemorate the 25-year anniversary of House Of Pain’s hit single “Jump Around”, the song has been re-recorded with a new verse from HOP’s Everlast with guest appearances from Damian Marley and Meyhem Lauren.
Grateful Dead – Cornell 5/8/77 5xLP (Grateful Dead Production)
The forces aligned for the Dead on May 8, 1977, at Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; for what many hail the pinnacle performance of their 30-year career. So revered is the performance, that an audience recording of this show joined Prince’s Purple Rain and Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colors as 2012’s inductees into the National Recording Registry of the US Library Of Congress, an honor bestowed upon music/songs that “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important.”
Grimez – Absolute Existence LP (Chiefdom)
Grimez has dug deep into what made the classic instrumentals of soul, funk, rock and dub music so good of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Applying those simple, but overlooked recording technics and sonic passion of live instrumentation, to create surreal realms of melodies, chunky grooves and hard hitting original drum breaks.
Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? – From Finland With Love 2×7” (Sympathy 4 The R.I.)
This double-7″ contains four tracks (one exclusive to this single) of insanely glorious and deeply infectious commotion that just may give you something to smile about and we all could use something to smile about.
Hollywood Undead – Swan Songs [2008] 2xLP (Interscope)
In 2008, Hollywood Undead’s explosive, platinum selling debut album Swan Songs rose from the streets of Tinseltown, delivering a raw, edgy mix of rock, hip-hop and metalcore. First-time vinyl pressing.
Alice Ivy – I’m Dreaming LP (Last Gang)
Few artists arrive with a debut album as fully formed as Melbourne-based beat-maker and electrifying musical force Alice Ivy’s. I’m Dreaming is the product of a life spent playing and studying music – a life that has turned the 24-year-old, née Annika Schmarsel, into something of an auteur, self-reliant but with a love of collaboration. Playing guitar in soul bands in her formative years, it was only when she moved to Melbourne that she started mastering the editing suite. From producing beats, writing music and lyrics and to singing on the record, Alice pulled all the strings for this shimmering album.
Alan Jackson – Precious Memories Collection 2xLP (EMI Nashville)
Originally issued on CD in 2015 and available on vinyl for the first time as a double-LP set, Alan Jackson’s Precious Memories Collection gathers his pair of beloved traditional gospel albums Precious Memories (2006) and Precious Memories Volume II (2013), along with a pair of unreleased songs.
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Polygondwanaland (Fuzz Club Version) LP (Fuzz Club)
Priding themselves on high-quality vinyl pressings, Fuzz Club has created a must for audiophiles and record collectors alike. The lacquer was cut at half-speed by engineer-extraordinaire Miles Showell (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who) over at Abbey Road Studios, which means that every tiny little detail of King Gizzards wonky, hedonistic sonic prowess has made its way into the record’s grooves. With alternative artwork, the limited colored LP is housed in a deluxe tip-on gatefold jacket with printed inner-sleeves and glued-in 16-page booklet featuring lyrics and a bunch of reworked illustrations taken from the original artwork provided by the band. [Fuzz Club CD edition due June 1.]
Tory Lanez – Memories Don’t Die 2xLP (Mad Love/Interscope)
Memories Don’t Die finds Tory Lanez reflecting on his past – ruminating on the death of his mother and exploring how success has changed his life – as well as looking to the future and promising the world to his newborn son. With features from 50 Cent – an homage to the part of his adolescence spent in Jamaica, Queens – Future, Wiz Khalifa, Fabolous, NAV and more, the album highlights Lanez’s versatility, as quick to croon a chorus as he is to deliver a rap verse.
MC5 – Kick Out The Jams Motherf**ker! LP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition red, white & blue splatter vinyl pressing of this stellar compilation of career highlights from the baddest Motor City quintet of all-time.
Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives Remixes: Part 1 12”+MP3 (Warp)
Mount Kimbie – Love What Survives Remixes: Part 2 12”+MP3 (Warp)
After a stellar 2017 return with Love What Survives, Mount Kimbie hand the reigns of the album over to a stacked lineup of dance floor favorites for a pair of 12″s that belong in the must spin bag of any proper selector. Nina Kraviz, Ellen Allien, Marcel Dettmann and Gerd Janson lend their talents to the tracks and expand the collaborative universe of Mount Kimbie in the process.
Mr. Airplane Man – I’m In Love b/w No Place To Go 7” (Sympathy 4 The R.I.)
After a 13-year break legendary two-woman garage blues combo Mr. Airplane Man is back with their sexiest, most sublime, soul-bending grooves yet.
Night Beats – Fuzz Club Sessions LP (Fuzz Club)
Seattle garage-rock outfit Night Beats’ brand of bluesy, psychedelic rock & roll has seen them achieve a cult-like status at an unfathomable pace. The trio is seen by many as cutting edge garage rock innovators, which is quite a feat when it’s so common to see modern garage-rock bands fall into the trap of being overly nostalgic to their R&B forefathers, to the point of unoriginality. London imprint Fuzz Club invited the band to spend a day at Lovebuzz Studios, an analogue studio in South London, and record a live session. The result is the first installment in the Fuzz Club Session series. Raw, unkempt rock, recorded straight to tape in one take using totally analogue equipment.
Parallax – Depth Perception 12” (Ill Adrenaline)
Parallax is a conscious rapper/producer from Winchester, UK. Being an East London native since a teenager he has been immersed and driven to push the art form, focusing on powerful lyrical content and hard-hitting beats with a jazzy and soulful touch. He has already received credit from legendary artists such as Raekwon, Afu-Ra, La Coka Nostra and Lewis Parker as well as supporting artists such as Rodney P & Skitz, Skinnyman, Split Prophets, and many more.
John Prine – The Tree Of Forgiveness LP (Oh Boy)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson) The Tree Of Forgiveness serves as legendary singer/songwriter John Prine’s first album of all original material since his 2005 release Fair & Square. Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the album includes ten new songs written by Prine along with co-writers Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, Dan Auerbach, Keith Sykes and Phil Spector. In addition to Prine (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Cobb (acoustic guitar, mellotron, claps, kazoo) and Prine’s longtime band, the album features special guests Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires. The highly anticipated collection is introduced by the heartfelt “Summer’s End” which is classic Prine.
Ras_G – My Kinda Blues LP (Ghetto Sci-Fi Music)
A staple of the Los Angeles left-field scene as one of the founders of Poo-Bah Records and a member of the Brainfeeder Records clique, Ras G’s innovative beatmaking falls into the same stony, psychedelic style of instrumental hip-hop as fellow L.A. DJ/producers Madlib and Flying Lotus.
Rhi – Reverie LP (Tru Thoughts)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Reverie is the debut album from Canada-born, London-based producer, singer and songwriter Rhi aka Rhiannon Bouvier. She finds influence in electronic fields near and far, experimenting with gothic sound beds and woozy hip hop beats, and pushing electronic frontiers by melding lo-fi effects and contorting her own glimmering vocals as part of honing a sophisticated, minimal style. Limited purple colored vinyl pressing.
Rejjie Snow – Dear Annie 2xLP+MP3 (BMG)
Debut album from the Brooklyn-based, Irish-born rap sensation. Produced by Rahki (Kendrick Lamar).
Soundtrack – Black Panther: The Album (Music From & Inspired By…) 2xLP (Interscope)
Released in February on CD – now available on vinyl. Soundtrack to the Marvel film, curated by & featuring Kendrick Lamar on five tracks plus SZA, James Blake, Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, Anderson Paak, The Weeknd and more.
Soulive – Cinematics Vol. 1 12” (Soulive Music Inc.)
These five dynamic new tunes from Soulive are guaranteed to turn the backs of your eyelids into a vibrant, action-packed movie screen as the band transforms their infectious blend of soul-jazz, hip-hop, funk and rock into a series of soundtracks for the movies of your mind.
Spacemen 3 – Playing With Fire [Reissue/1988] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Spacemen 3 – Recurring [Reissue/1990] LP (Space Age/Superior Viaduct)
Spacemen 3 – Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Superior Viaduct)
Proper artist sanctioned vinyl reissues of Spacemen 3’s third and fourth albums, along with a repress of the collection Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To. [These titles have also been reissued by Space Age on CD.]
Stasis – Fromtheoldtothenew [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Peacefrog)
Growing up as a teenager in East London, break-dancing and writing graffiti with B12’s Mike Golding, Steve Pickton’s musical education moved along a familiar path, from hip-hop to electro and onto techno. Schooling himself in music theory and purchasing a sampler, Pickton set about making his own music. Fromtheoldtothenew saw him slip off his earlier techno shackles and head for uncharted electronic waters.
Paul Thorn – Don’t Let The Devil Ride LP (Perpetual Obscurity)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Don’t Let The Devil Ride collects soulful songs originally cut by black southern gospel groups, and features guests Blind Boys Of Alabama, the McCrary Sisters, the Preservation Hall Jazz Horns, and Bonnie Bishop.
Tom Waits – The Heart Of Saturday Night [Reissue/1974] LP (ANTI-)
Tom Waits – Night Hawks At The Diner [Reissue/1975] 2xLP (ANTI-)
180gm vinyl reissues. Limited colored pressings also available. The Heart Of Saturday Night is Waits’ second studio album. Recorded in front of a live audience at the Record Plant recording studio in Los Angeles in 1975, Nighthawks At The Diner debuts some of Waits’ greatest classics like “Warm Beer, Cold Women” and “Eggs And Sausage” with a crack jazz ensemble
backing him up and some of the greatest stage patter ever committed to record.
Cassettes:
Illuminati Hotties – Kiss Yr Frenemies (Tiny Engines)
Despite the pluralized nom de guerre, Illuminati Hotties is the creative outlet of Sarah Tudzin – a producer and engineer hailing from the sprawl of Los Angeles. Lauded as local tenderpunk pioneers, Illuminati Hotties has perfected the blend of sweetness and ferocity, of celebration and despondency on debut album Kiss Yr Frenemies. At first listen, it is a sun-drenched, irreverent volley with the onset of adulthood, but as the listener dives deeper, they will find an earnest consideration of musical phrasing and deliberately crafted wordplay regarding the complexity of love, loss, and skateboarding.
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