October Program Titles Released This Week:
Herb Alpert – Music Volume 3: Herb Alpert Reimagines The Tijuana Brass CD (Herb Alpert)
On his new album, Music Volume 3: Herb Alpert Reimagines The Tijuana Brass, the beloved and prolific trumpeter Herb Alpert returns to some of his most iconic songs and transforms them with brand new arrangements, recordings, and modern production. Alpert takes material he made famous in the 1960s and infuses it with the style and musicianship that is still earning him accolades after decades of recording and performing. Includes “A Taste Of Honey”, “Whipped Cream”, “The Lonely Bull”, and many more.
Richard Ashcroft – Natural Rebel CD/LP (BMG)
As the frontman for the epic British drone-pop band The Verve, Richard Ashcroft proved himself to be a spiritual descendant of rock & roll icons like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison. Rivetingly charismatic, menacingly serpentine, and possessed of an almost shamanic intensity, he embraced and articulated the anthemic fervor of rock music with a power and eloquence unparalleled by any of his contemporaries. Ashcroft’s fifth solo studio album, Natural Rebel, features 10 new self-penned songs, produced by the singer-songwriter alongside Jon Kelly (Paul McCartney, Kate Bush) and Emre Ramazanoglu (Bobby Gillespie). “With experience comes knowledge and for me, this is my strongest set of songs to date,” notes Ashcroft. “All my favorite sounds distilled into something that will hopefully give my fans lasting pleasure. It is for them. Music is power.” [Limited indie-exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Buxton – Stay Out Late CD/LP (New West)
On their new album Stay Out Late, Houston’s Buxton deliver another set of emotionally engaging songcraft, with an organic warmth that affirms the subtle musical chemistry that’s been honed over the years of the band’s existence. Buxton’s spacious sound is ideally suited to the vivid lyrical insights of singer/guitarist Sergio Trevino, whose restless romanticism is reflected in such indelible new tunes as “This Place Reminds Me of You,” “Jan”, “Haunt You” and “Hanging On The Coast”. Trevino credits the three-year gap between Buxton albums to a bout of writer’s block he battled following Half A Native. Another key factor in Trevino’s getting back in touch with inspiration was his discovery of Talk Talk’s visionary 1991 post-rock album Laughing Stock. The album was given to Trevino by a friend while on vacation in California, and he was moved and inspired by the time he spent listening to it while surrounded by a forest full of redwoods. Throughout Stay Out Late’s 11 tracks, it’s clear that Buxton’s longstanding dedication to their craft has once again yielded potent musical results.
Cloud Nothings – Last Building Burning CD/LP+MP3 (Carpark)
Last Building Burning is the product of eight days with producer Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Wolves In The Throne Room, Boris) in Texas studio Sonic Ranch. Clocking in at just over half an hour, the eight-song album sees Cloud Nothings capture their onstage appeal with help from Dunn, who Dylan Baldi describes as “technically minded without relying on technology to perfect the live sound.” In that, Last Building Burning is a return to Cloud Nothing’s sharpest form – the unhinged, feverish, guitar-heavy sound that they explode with onstage – without their early angst. “It’s not an angry record,” says Baldi. “It’s a very joyous thing for me. And it feels so nice to scream again, especially when you know people in the crowd will be screaming along back at you.” [Limited indie-exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Disturbed – Evolution CD/LP/2xLP (WB)
Multi-platinum hard rockers Disturbed unleash their seventh full-length album. Evolution makes good on the promise of its title. Disturbed unwaveringly cling to the uncompromising spirit that solidified them as a history-making force, while boldly progressing at the same time. Reteaming with Immortalized producer Kevin Churko behind the board at the Hideout in Las Vegas, Disturbed retain their signature thunderous grooves and hypnotic heaviness as they further refine their ambitious melodies and penchant for progression, spanning the gamut of their potential. [Deluxe CD and vinyl editions include four bonus tracks.]
Don The Tiger – Matanzas CD/LP (Crammed Disc US)
Don the Tiger is the solo project of Adrián de Alfonso, the nomadic guitarist who has played with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Robert Forster and Carla Bozulich. A ubiquitous presence in Barcelona’s underground until recently, having relocated to Berlin, Don The Tiger now takes inspiration from everything he misses in that city – be it bolero, MPB, baroque fantasy, guabina, flamenco or Fania Records- and mixes it with musique concrète and video game music, delivering it all in a way that owes more to primitive rock ‘n’ roll than to anything else.
Empress Of – Us CD/LP (Terrible)
Lorely Rodriguez, the artist known as Empress Of, recorded her new album, Us, all over Southern California: Topanga Canyon, Ojai, at a recording studio “with no windows,” and at her home in Highland Park. She would later invite collaborators – Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange), L.A. production duo Sam Griesemer and Jerome Potter of DJDS, Spanish electronic producer Pional – but the resulting project remains a showcase of Rodriguez’ skill both as a lyricist and a producer. Empress Of’s debut, Me was released almost three years ago, in 2015. As the name suggests, it presented a deeply personal exploration of her emotional world. So personal, she says, it was difficult to perform. “It was, like, every day, just giving myself to the audience,” she says. With Us, Rodriguez wanted to facilitate a more equal exchange of energy between herself and her listeners, to create a “community.” “It’s not just love songs. It’s about different experiences of the heart,” she says. “I want it to be like a mirror, and [the audience] sees a little bit of themselves in every song.”
John Grant – Love Is Magic CD/2xLP+MP3 (Partisan)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. “Each record I make is more of an amalgamation of who I truly am,” declares John Grant. “The more I do this, the more I trust in myself, and the further along I go.” Even when the Michigan-born musician released his debut solo album Queen Of Denmark in 2010, Grant laced sumptuous soft-rock ballads with an array of spacey, wistful synthesizer sounds, increasingly adding taut, fizzing sequencers, nu-synth-disco settings and icy soundscapes to the mix on 2012’s Pale Green Ghosts and 2015’s Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, the latter The Guardian described as, “variously agonizing, hilarious, uplifting and moving: another bravura display from a unique songwriting talent.” Now, with his fourth solo album, Love Is Magic, Grant has continued evolving, creating his most electronic record yet, in collaboration with Benge (Ben Edwards), solo artist, analogue synth expert/collector and a member of electronica trio Wrangler. [Deluxe colored vinyl edition features gatefold sleeve packaging, a 24-page photo booklet and a 16-page hymn booklet.]
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Live From The Ryman CD/2xLP (Southeastern Records)
Live From The Ryman was primarily recorded during Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit’s six sold-out nights at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium in 2017. The double album features 13 live versions of songs from Isbell’s last three critically acclaimed, award-winning studio albums – Southeastern (2013), Something More Than Free (2015) and The Nashville Sound (2017) – including the Grammy winning tracks “24 Frames” and “If We Were Vampires” plus fellow standouts “Cover Me Up”, “Something More Than Free” and “Elephant”, fully documenting Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit’s emergence as one of the finest live bands on the road today. [Limited indie-exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Rubén Blades – Una Noche con Rubén Blades CD (Blue Engine)
Late in 2014, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis welcomed a very special guest to their Manhattan stage: nine-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and activist Rubén Blades. For one very special night music-directed by the JLCO’s bassist and “emerging master in the Latin jazz idiom” (DownBeat), Carlos Henriquez, the worlds of salsa and swing collided. Backed by one of the world’s leading big bands, Blades took the audience on a tour through his greatest hits. In their write-up of the show, the New York Times said “Mr. Henriquez’s arrangements delivered consistently… Radically beautiful.” Now, Una Noche con Rubén Blades captures this historic concert, with the Maestro singing some of his own beloved compositions, including “Pedro Navaja”, “Patria”, and “El Cantante”, as well as swinging through standards like “Too Close For Comfort” and “Begin The Beguine”.
Elle King – Shake The Spirit CD/2xLP (RCA)
Three-time Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling alternative blues-rock artist Elle King – who the New York Times says, “has Adele’s determination and Joan Jett’s stomp, Brenda Lee’s high-voiced bite and some AC/DC shriek” – returns with her second studio album, Shake The Spirit, which documents an emotionally challenging, yet artistically productive period of her life. “I decided to call it Shake The Spirit because I was shaken to the core over the last year and a half,” King said of the record. “I was literally talking to ghosts. But making the album not only changed my life, it saved my life. It’s like when you see somebody who is struggling, you want to shake them. Putting this record out is like shaking myself awake.” The album is launched by the brassy blues-based stomper “Good Thing Gone” and the soulful, show-stopping ballad “Shame”.
Yoko Ono – Warzone CD/LP (Chimera Music)
Following 20 albums over 50 years, Yoko Ono’s Warzone is a strikingly different record from those she has previously made. Revisiting and reimagining 13 songs from her past work, spanning 1970-2009, the lyrics and messages are still pertinent perhaps even more pertinent-in 2018. Recent US presidents and many of our world leaders have never served in the military, yet they continually nourish and serve the corporate-infused military industrial complex, keeping the world in a perpetual warfare. Warzone further builds the legacy of an artist unparalleled in her unique and singular vision. With its stripped-down recordings and arrangements, and a particular emphasis on Yoko’s voice and lyrics, the content of her message rings clear and unencumbered, with wisdom and fortitude her power has intensified with time and life experience. [Limited indie-exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Doe Paoro – Soft Power CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Transforming pain into transcendence is the genius of many pop artists, but Doe Paoro brings an entirely new depth to that process. On her third album Soft Power, the L.A.-based singer-songwriter digs into her own frustration and anguish, and ultimately comes away with a newfound strength that’s profoundly inspiring. Naming Carole King among her inspirations, Doe notes that the new record’s urgent feel comes partly from reconnecting with the instinctive approach of her earliest songwriting. Throughout the album, Doe infuses her songs with a rebellious spirit. A passionately charged track about misogyny, “Guilty” blends cascading guitar lines with sharply cutting lyrics (“I know I’m not the first / that you made defend her word”). “Over” brings classic girl-group harmonies and smoldering vocal work to speak to the song’s central question: “Now that I’m older / does it get easier / to get over?” Several songs also confront the notion of setting boundaries, with “Projector” centering on “the refusal to let someone else superimpose their story onto yours” and “Walk Through the Fire” emerging as a brutal testament to the fact that “self-examination is ultimately a solo job – and there’s no easy way to do it.” The result is an album that’s undeniably potent in its emotional impact.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody [Soundtrack] CD (Hollywood)
For the first time ever, audio tracks from Queen’s legendary performance at Live Aid are being released as part of the soundtrack album to Bohemian Rhapsody, the new feature film celebrating the band, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Recorded at the historic Wembley concert in July 1985, these Live Aid songs are among the rare gems and unheard versions from the band’s rich catalogue. Alongside the show-stopping Live Aid performances of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio Ga Ga”, “Hammer To Fall” and “We Are The Champions”, the album features other rare live tracks spanning Queen’s entire career, new versions of old favorites, and a choice selection of the band’s finest studio recordings, among them some of Queen’s biggest hits. [Vinyl edition due January 2019.]
Lindsey Stirling – Warmer In The Winter CD/2xLP (Concord)
Critically-acclaimed electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling re-releases her hit 2017 holiday album Warmer In The Winter as an expanded Deluxe Edition complete with five bonus tracks and three never-before released songs. Warmer In The Winter went on to become the best-selling new Christmas album of 2017, outselling such pop music heavyweights as Gwen Stefani and Sia.
This new Deluxe Edition features last year’s renditions of holiday favorites such as “Carol Of The Bells”, “Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy” and “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” with Sabrina Carpenter, as well three holiday originals Trombone Shorty, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, and Becky G.
Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos – Rockstone CD/LP (Caroline)
Jr. Thomas & The Volcanos’ sophomore effort Rockstone is more than just a love letter to the roots of Jamaican music. It’s an actual love letter. Tom McDowall aka Jr. Thomas explains,
“I could write a musical love letter to all things I loved: my wife, my family, my friends, my band mates. I could write a song to tell me to chin-up when times were tough. I could give gratitude to the Jamaican artists that paved the way for the beautiful music we now call reggae. I could write a song about what it’s like to lose someone important to you. Or write a song to invigorate me spiritually. Music is healing and that’s the best therapy there is for me.” Rockstone isn’t just another throwback record to an era gone by. It’s a record that takes risk within the genre, but more importantly it’s a genuinely honest record. “I called the album Rockstone because true love cannot be defeated,” he adds. “It lives forever. We write tributes on our tombstones because they live on beyond our lives as a remembrance of something special and important to us.” [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Amigo The Devil – Everything Is Fine CD (Regime Music)
Danny Kiranos, better known to the masses as his musical counterpart Amigo the Devil, has been challenging the expectations of traditional folk, country music purists, and rock/extreme metal fans alike with his morbid, yet oddly romantic, take on folk. [Vinyl edition due November 23.]
Anthrax – State Of Euphoria [Reissue/1988] 2xCD/2xLP (Island)
Digitally remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary edition of the thrash metal band’s fourth album. Features a bonus disc of demos and rehearsal recordings that were made during the pre-production stage of the State Of Euphoria studio process.
Arkells – Rally Cry CD/LP (Last Gang)
Arkells have built a reputation as one of the most passionate, high-energy, live-rock authorities working today. Recorded between ongoing pockets of touring, their new album, Rally Cry, aims to best capture the unmistakable spirit and energy from their live show.
Atmosfear – En Trance [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (Mr. Bongo)
Love for Atmosfear was born out of the underground UK dance scene of the early 1980s; from nightclubs, pirate radio shows and soul weekenders. A localized scene that went on to have a global influence. En Trance is a joyous album that arguably represents the pinnacle of the Brit-funk sound.
Barenaked Ladies – Stunt [Reissue/1998] CD+DVD/2xLP (WB)
20th Anniversary Edition featuring several bonus tracks along with a DVD that includes the 1999 documentary Barenaked In America, directed by long-time fan Jason Priestly, about the band’s Stunt tour. The DVD features nearly 90 minutes of live performances and behind-the-scenes footage. [The 180gm double-LP edition includes the two bonus tracks “She’s On Time” and “Long Way Back Home.”]
Bells Into Machines – Bells Into Machines CD/2xLP (2808 Management)
Debut self-titled album from a band comprised of industrial and rock/metal veterans Paul Barker (Ministry, Puscifer, Killing Joke), Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks), Lee Popa (Pigface, Ministry, White Zombie), Hoss Wright (Nick Oliveri), Jud), Stephen Bier (Marilyn Manson), Brian Diemar (AM Conspiracy, Pig) and producer legend Toby Wright (Korn, Alice In Chains, Stone Sour). [Double LP version includes two bonus vinyl-only remixes.]
The Beta Band – The Three EPs [Reissue/1998] CD/2×12”/4×12”+CD (Because Music)
The Beta Band – The Beta Band [Reissue/1999] 2xCD/2xLP+2xCD (Because Music)
CD and vinyl reissues of the Scottish band’s 1998 EP collection and 1999 debut album. The Beta Band has been expanded with two long-form ambient tracks “Happiness And Colour” and “The Hut”. Recently released as a Deluxe four-12” colored vinyl set, a standard double-12” edition of The Three EPs is now available.
Fiona Boyes – Voodoo In The Shadows CD (Reference Recordings)
Fiona Boyes is Australia’s most successful and celebrated international Blues artist. Her 2016 album, Professin’ The Blues, received the 2017 Acoustic Album of the Year award from Blues Blast Magazine.
Brainoil – Singularity To Extinction CD/LP (Tankcrimes)
Long-running Oakland, CA sludge practitioners Brainoil – featuring within its ranks current and past members of Deathgrave, Laudanum, Graves At Sea, Stormcrow, Grimple, and Watch Them Die among others – unleash their fastest, crustiest, and most monolithic offering to date.
The Brother Brothers – Some People I Know CD/LP (Compass)
Identical twins Adam and David Moss of The Brother Brothers bring their blood harmonies and real-life observations to carry on the folk tradition for a new generation. With minimal instrumentation, meaningful lyrics, and their incredible harmony blend, the siblings draw on the energy and creativity of Brooklyn, New York, for their full-length debut album, Some People I Know.
Camouflage – Voices & Images [Reissue/1988] 2xCD (Bureau B)
Founded in Bietigheim-Bissingen by Heiko Maile, Oliver Kreyssig, and Marcus Meyn in 1984, Camouflage recorded their first demos in a home-made studio which they set up in the cellar of one of their parents’ houses. These early recordings found their way onto a local radio station via a competition which caught the attention of a small publishing company. Ultimately, this led to the band signing a deal with Metronome, a major record label. To mark the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Voices & Images, the album now earns a repackaged, limited edition reissue featuring deleted remixes, rare versions, and B-sides.
Candy – Good To Feel CD/LP (Triple B.)
Where they once dabbled in the marriage of noise and image, Good To Feel succeeds in its pull from deep cinematic wells. Utilizing the atmosphere of films such as Escape From New York and Akira, Candy’s new record grants the listener a psychotic joyride into a world one misstep away from absolute obliteration.
John Carpenter – Halloween [OST] CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
When the new Halloween movie hits theaters in October 2018, it will have the distinction of being the first film in the canon with creator John Carpenter’s direct involvement since 1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The new soundtrack pays homage to the classic Halloween score that Carpenter composed and recorded in 1978, when he changed the course of horror cinema and synthesizer music with his low-budget masterpiece. [Alan Howarth’s scores for Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers and Halloween 5: The Revenge Of Michael Myers pressed on limited-edition colored vinyl are due October 26.]
Cave – Allways CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
Chicago, IL groove masters Cave return with their first full-length album in five years, the exotic cosmic funk-rocker Allways. Loaded with space, groove, and rock.
Neneh Cherry – Broken Politics CD/LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Cherry and her collaborators continue to expand her ever-widening sonic palette to craft truly singular and potent electronic pop.
The Cranberries – Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? [Reissue/1993] 2xCD/4xCD/LP (Island)
25th Anniversary reissue remastered At Abbey Road under the supervision of the band’s Noel Hogan. Expanded with a disc of B-sides. [The four-CD deluxe box set comes in a clamshell box and features 5 demos only available on a 300 issue limited release cassette and 30 unreleased tracks including demos from the album recording sessions, early cassette demos, live tracks from ‘91–‘94 (including their first ever live recording) and John Peel and RTE radio sessions. The single B-sides are also included, alongside a sleeve note detailing the band’s rise to fame + postcards and a poster.]
Dead Rider Trio Featuring Mr. Paul Williams – Dead Rider Trio Featuring Mr. Paul Williams CD/LP (Drag City)
Whipped up by the tour dates for Crew Licks, Dead Rider was feeling hot enough to jam, and just let the tape roll. Enter the intrepid Mr. Paul Williams. An occasional producer of films and art, but also a wild card, a madman and a beautiful mind, he intoned over top of Dead Rider’s thick jams, making a hallucinatory exquisite corpse pile-up, dipped in corrosive and absinthe and still steaming from the bath.
deM atlaS – Bad Actress CD/LP+MP3 (Rhymesayers)
Growing up in a dysfunctional home in Minneapolis, there were two things Joshua Turner turned to for comfort when his parents fought: the records he’d listen to on a loop to drown out their conflict and the atlas he’d pore over to pretend he was anywhere else. Turner’s all grown up now, but his sources of childhood refuge continue to play an integral role in his life. In his spare time, he draws maps for fun, and, under the name deM atlaS, he’s composing his emotionally complex hip-hop records aimed at listeners who are in need of some sonic solace of their own.
Raheem DeVaughn – Decade Of A Love King CD (BMG/368 Music Group)
It’s often said that love makes the world go ‘round and three-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Raheem DeVaughn knows that to be the truth. With the release of his sixth studio album Raheem embraces the global theme while bringing his heart and soul into every track.
Eartheater – Irisiri CD/LP (Pan)
Eartheater (aka Queens based artist Alexandra Drewchin) distills foley-filled digital production, a three-octave vocal range, and classical composition into works suspended between obsessively detailed sonic tapestries and almost recklessly romantic and gestural electronica. Modular synth staccato plucks hammer out in arrhythmic spirals over a carefully muzzled grid of pumping kicks — unleashed in unpredictable disruptions. Technoid stabs mingle with crushed black metal.
Earthless – From The West CD/LP (Silver Current)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. A live performance recorded in San Francisco on March 1, 2018. Album tracks includes looser, rawer versions of Black Heaven favorites, a nearly 20-minute version of their instrumental titan “Uluru Rock”, and a blazing cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown”. The album jacket is also a meticulous reproduction of the band’s favorite TMOQ (Trademark Of Quality) Zeppelin bootleg.
Wendy Eisenberg – Machinic Unconscious CD (Tzadik)
Improviser, composer and songwriter Wendy Eisenberg is a graduate of New England Conservatory and a founding member of the acclaimed band Birthing Hips. For her first Tzadik CD she is joined by the dynamic rhythm section of Trevor Dunn on bass and Ches Smith on drums and performs some of the nastiest guitar you’ve ever heard. The improvisations are powerful and intense, and all styles and sounds are thrown into a cathartic blender as the trio channel an exciting new musical world.
Euringer – Euringer CD/LP (Metropolis)
Euringer is a counter-culture, surreal, psychedelic, art house, avant-garde, possibly posthumous concept project from Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence fame. Featuring guest vocals from Grimes, Serj Tankian (System Of A Down), Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance) and Chantal Claret, their eponymous record is one long song/musical/concerto, as if an underground movie was made for your ears.
Factory Floor – Metropolis CD (Heart Of Data)
Factory Floor was commissioned by curator Chris Bell of London’s Science Museum to write a live score for Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent cinematic landmark, Metropolis. The 150-minute brand new score was first performed at the Science Museum’s IMAX on April 28th 2017, coinciding with the 90th anniversary release of Metropolis and as part of the acclaimed Robots exhibition and event series.
Final Breath – Of Death And Sin CD/LP (Metalville)
Old school thrash with a strong hint of death metal – razor-sharp riffs, rich groove, aggressive vocals and melodic leads and solos.
Michael Formanek Elusion Quartet – Time Like This CD (Intakt)
One marker of bassist Michael Formanek’s creativity and versatility is the range of distinguished musicians of several generations he’s worked with. While still a teenager in the 1970s he toured with drummer Tony Williams and saxophonist Joe Henderson. Starting in the ’80s he played long stints with Stan Getz, Fred Hersch and Freddie Hubbard. Formanek is also a composer and leader of various bands. His principal recording and international touring vehicle is his acclaimed quartet with Tim Berne, Craig Taborn and Gerald Cleaver. His occasional groups include the 18-piece all-star Ensemble Kolossus, roping in many New York improvisers he works with. In assembling the Elusion Quartet, interpreting his music with these specific musicians, Formanek says he sought a more direct connection to emotions: “mine, theirs and the listener’s.”
James Francies – Flight CD (Blue Note)
22-year old Houston-born NYC-based pianist and composer James Francies makes his debut with Flight, an album that presents a bold new vision from one of the brightest young stars in jazz. Francies, who frequently sits in with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, has already performed with a wide array of artists including Chris Potter, Pat Metheny, Stefon Harris, José James, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Nas.
Ace Frehley – Spaceman CD/LP (E1)
New release from the legendary rocker and former Kiss member. Amongst Ace’s post-Kiss recorded output, Spaceman might be the closest link to his widely acclaimed 1978 solo record, both in spirit and execution. [Limited silver colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Marty Friedman – One Bad M.F. Live! CD/2xLP (Prosthetic)
“This live album is a tip of the hat to the live albums that blew my mind when I was a kid,” explains Friedman. “The musical content itself is modern and atomic-powered, but the presentation is decidedly old school. The pacing of the show, the audience participation stuff, the special live arrangements of the songs, it’s all been tweaked in such a way to give the audience the feeling that they are really getting something special, that only happens at their show, not just a recital of the songs exactly as they know them.” [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Greta Van Fleet – Anthem Of The Peaceful Army CD/LP (Republic)
Vintage Michigan rock ‘n’ rollers Greta Van Fleet offer up their highly anticipated debut album. Drawing inspiration from song-based artists like Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and stylistic comparisons to Led Zeppelin due to piercing lead singer Josh Kiszka’s uncanny resemblance to Robert Plant, epic first single “When The Curtain Falls” ushers in Greta Van Fleet’s classic rock revival.
GUNSHIP – Gunship [Reissue/2015] CD/LP (Horsie In The Hedge)
GUNSHIP – Dark All Day CD/LP (Horsie In The Hedge)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Gunship describe themselves as a neon soaked, late night, sonic getaway drive, dripping with luscious analogue synthesizers, cinematic vocals and cyberpunk values, exploding from the front cover of a dusty plastic VHS case which has lain forgotten since 1984. Dark All Day, the bands sophomore album, sees them build on the success of their 2015 eponymous long player, furthering their reputation as pioneers of the synthwave scene and continuing the ’80s retro revival theme popularized by films and series such as Drive, Stranger Things, Ready Player One and arcade games.
Connie Han – Crime Zone CD (Mack Avenue)
Next generation Los Angeles pianist Connie Han has created an edgy blend of modern and traditional jazz.
Handsome Jack – Everything’s Gonna Be Alright CD/LP (Alive)
Hailing from Lockport NY, Handsome Jack plays a powerful and emotional fusion of boogie soul rock n roll that has earned the admiration of fellow rock travelers such as Chris Robinson (CRB, Black Crowes), Zachary Gabbard (Buffalo Killers), and Ben McLeod of All Them Witches, who produced their new record. On Everything’s Gonna Be Alright the trio digs deeper into it’s soulful influences, brilliantly bringing back to life the classic sounds of Chicago, Memphis and Muscle Shoals, all rolled into one timeless record of American rock music.
How To Dress Well – Anteroom CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
A single continuous piece of 21st century psychedelic music featuring Tom Krell’s most bewitching sound experimentation to date.
Iamthemorning – Ocean Sounds CD/LP (Kscope)
New album from the acoustic/chamber progressive rock duo from St. Petersburg, Russia. Ocean Sounds is the soundtrack to their new studio film shot at and named after a remote recording studio on a Norwegian island.
The Jack Moves – Free Money CD (Everloving)
From the crummy and rude glory hole bandits of Newark’s Penn Station to the cherry blossom lovers found just north of the city, there’s a thread that stitches these disparate elements. Kids run across the boulevard as the soundtrack wafts over the streets. The few bucks forked over to the pregnant lady down on her luck could be the same notes used to cop a flavorful bouquet for a romantic conquest. The triggerman’s itchy index is used both to spill rivals and thrill lovers. The Jack Moves are what this sounds like on wax. Painted by a sound reflective of the city’s seaside soul, skate-funk punks and the Newark Jack Swing played from transistor radios and boomboxes placed on competitive window sills, The Jack Moves narrative is artfully carried out on the band’s sophomore offering. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy [OST] CD/LP (Lakeshore)
Jóhann Jóhannsson’s final work, his original score to the film Mandy, was co-produced by Jóhannsson and Randall Dunn (produced Sunn O)))) and features Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley on guitar. The album was assembled posthumously in March 2018 with the help of co-producers Pepijn Caudron (Kreng) and Yair Glotman.
Eli Keszler – Stadium CD/LP (Shelter Press)
Keszler is often mistaken for an electronic musician, but in fact his sounds are raw and natural, produced by hand. His performance with drumset and acoustic percussion are central to his work. He produces almost impossible textures through self-realized methodologies: cascading melodies, a shadow of voices, and a unique pointillist materiality.
Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa [Complete Edition] CD (WB)
Digitally remastered and expanded double-CD edition featuring a total of 25 tracks. Cowritten by Dua with various collaborators such as Stephen ‘KOZ’ Kozmeniuk (Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj), Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey, FKA Twigs), Nineteen85 (Drake, Majid Jordan) and Jon Levine (Drake, Nelly Furtado). The album was recorded between London, Los Angeles, Toronto and New York.
Los Straitjackets – Complete Christmas Songbook CD (Yep Roc)
Compiles the entirety of two Los Straitjackets Christmas albums (2002’s ‘Tis the Season For Los Straitjackets and 2009’s limited edition Yuletide Beat), a limited edition 45 single (2011’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” b/w “Silver Bells”), a song from Yep Roc’s 2007 Oh Santa! Compilation, and the live version of “Linus & Lucy” from the band’s 2015 tour with Nick Lowe. [Vinyl edition due December 7.]
Martina McBride– It’s The Holiday Season CD (Broken Bow)
Country superstar Martina McBride takes on nine holiday classics.
Minus The Bear – Fair Enough CDEP/12” (Suicide Squeeze)
With their final EP, Fair Enough, Minus the Bear closes the book on their hybrid of art-rock, indie pop, and warehouse party appeal. [Limited coke-bottle green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Musta Paraati – Black Parade CD/LP (Cleopatra)
New album from Finland’s premiere post-punk/goth rockers featuring a new lead vocalist, Jyrki 69 of The 69 Eyes. This is the first album of new material since the band’s 1984 sophomore album Käärmeet and features all of the original members with the exception of vocalist Jore Vastelin who passed away in 1993.
Mythic Sunship – Another Shape Of Psychedelic Music CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Mythic Sunship’s sound has been described as the ethos of free jazz in a doom setting. On Another Shape Of Psychedelic Music, the band goes even further and let’s saxophone burn into the mix. It’s a wildfire of ideas that travel far on a smoky haze of cosmic krautrock, stoner, doom, heavy psych, modal jazz and even drifts into Afrobeat.
Novo Amor – Birthplace CD/LP (All Points)
Wales’ Novo Amor releases his debut album after playing out a string of successful singles and releasing a collaborative album with Ed Tullet, that dropped nearly a year ago. His new single “Birthplace” is accompanied by stunning visuals that hope to raise awareness towards plastic killing off the world’s oceans. Novo Amor reveals the underlying message of his new track, “‘Birthplace’, as a song, represents change, the release of an attachment to something that defines your character. It’s a theme that inadvertently manifested during the making of the record.”
Will Oldham – Songs Of Love And Horror CD/LP (Drag City)
Songwriter Oldham, guitar and voice operating in quiet tension and ultimate accord, revisits songs that made him (that he made) and others in new versions that quiver like fresh young things in the air of today.
Papercuts – Parallel Universe Blues CD/LP (Slumberland)
Over the course of five stellar albums, Papercuts’ Jason Quever has shown himself to be a top-notch song-writer and producer, equally at home with lush, baroque textures and more stripped-down arrangements. His skill in the studio has helped him build-up an enviable resume recording, producing and playing with artists including Luna, Beach House, Cass McCombs, Dean Wareham/Dean & Britta and Slumberland’s own The Mantles. Papercuts’ new album Parallel Universe Blues reflects Quever’s recent move from long-time musical home San Francisco to Los Angeles and all of the searching and self-exploration that accompanies leaving your home, your friends and your scene. [Limited edition white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe – Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe CD/LP (A. Records)
Second full-length album from Tess Parks and Anton Newcombe (leader of long-running psychedelic collective The Brian Jonestown Massacre). “Parks’ gravelly voice, which sounds like she just woke up from heavy sedation, overflowing with so much ennui it almost seems aggressively lethargic, and Newcombe’s deft hand for masterfully subtle psychedelic arrangements – complement the other in a swirl of dark, hazy dreamscapes.” — Exclaim [Limited 180gm clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Elliott Peck – Further From The Storm CD/LP+MP3 (Blue Rose Music)
As one of the most sought-after vocalists on the West Coast, Elliott Peck has made a name for herself lending harmonies to everyone from Phil Lesh and Bob Weir to Jackie Greene and Reid Genauer. As a member of the band Midnight North, she’s appeared on bills with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and The Mother Hips and slayed festivals from Lockn’ to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Further From The Storm is Peck’s first release under her own name. She writes with a breezy vulnerability, a plainspoken and unflinching honesty that belies her songs’ subtle sophistication as she draws on classic country, blues, R&B, and jazz.
Permanent Green Light – Hallucinations CD (Omnivore)
First ever compilation of ’90s cult favorites fronted by The Three O’Clock and Game Theory member Michael Quercio. Features tracks from long out-of-print indie releases, plus three previously unissued demos.
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry/Mad Professor – Mystic Warrior [Reissue/1989] CD/LP (Ariwa Sounds)
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry/Mad Professor – Mystic Warrior In Dub [Reissue/1989] CD/LP (Ariwa Sounds)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Lee Scratch Perry coughs up impish vocals on a eight-track selection swerving from house-compatible steppers to clattering drum machine workouts.
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – The Black Album CD (Upsetter)
At 83 years of age, Lee Scratch Perry presents to the world his latest full-length solo album. An analog concoction of ultra-rare effects, sonic wizardry and deep heavy roots rhythms.
Karine Polwart – Laws Of Motion CD/LP (Hudson Recordings)
Laws Of Motion is part of an evolving series of collaborative projects across which Scots songwriter Karine Polwart has combined music and storytelling with politics and environmental-societal issues.
Mary Puce – The Drought CD/LP (Pan)
“Frederikke Hoffmeier’s voice is the thread that holds together her apocalyptic mood pieces, a cinematic take on noise that’s driven by dead-eyed focus.” — Pitchfork
R.E.M. – Best Of R.E.M. At The BBC 2xCD/8xCD+DVD/2xLP (Craft Recordings)
R.E.M. grew up with the BBC, and this historic relationship is celebrated across this collection which beautifully illustrates the career trajectory of one of modern music’s greatest bands. R.E.M. At The BBC is available as double-CD and double-LP editions, as well as a Super-Deluxe eight-CD+DVD box set edition which comprises a treasure trove of rare and unreleased live and studio recordings culled from the BBC and band archives. The double-disc editions collect 20 in-studio performances and live broadcast highlights.
The Residents – Intruders CD/LP (Cryptic Corporation)
Shifting from the physical world of train wrecks to the metaphysical realm of imaginary beings, The Residents are pleased to announce the release of Intruders, their newest studio album. Inspired by the persistence of obsession, ‘Intruders’ are seen as alternate beings stalking the corners of our consciousness.
Rise Of The Northstar – The Legacy Of Shi CD/LP (Sharptone)
The messages of hope, bravery, and revenge spread by classic ‘80s Manga characters such as Kenshiro, Seiya, or Kawato, are brought to the listener through deadly thrash riffing and a destructive flow of words.
Nile Rodgers & Chic – It’s About Time CD (Everything To Everyone)
New album from NYC disco/funk legends and their first in 26 years. Produced by founder Nile Rodgers at Abbey Road with guests including Elton John, Lady Gaga, Craig David and Anderson .Paak.
Morgan Saint – Alien CDEP (Epic)
One listen to Morgan Saint’s warm delivery, dreamy instrumentation, and lush lyrical poetry, and you’re somewhere else. The New York songstress invites you back into that world with her second EP, Alien and its seductive lead track “On Fire”. As adept at creating accessible pop soundscapes as she is at mining her more melancholic reflections, she’s woven a cathartic blend here adding colorful new layers to her thought-provoking repertoire that continues to challenge musical norms. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Martha Scanlan – River & Light CD (Rock Ridge Music)
Scanlan has appeared on Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, NPR’s World Cafe Next, Mountain Stage. She has collaborated and shared the stage with a variety of roots musicians including Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm, Ollabelle, Ralph Stanley and Norman and Nancy Blake and members of Black Prairie and the Decemberists.
Shining – Animal CD/LP (Spinefarm)
Prodigious, prolific and instinctively rebellious, Jørgen Munkeby is the unique creative force behind Norway’s legendary jazz-metal warriors Shining. Active in the amorphous musical underground since 1999, the band began life as an acoustic jazz ensemble before morphing, repeatedly and willfully, into a wild variety of new shapes and sounds, always driven by their leader’s restless spirit. From its retina-frying artwork to its relentless stream of memorable refrains, Animal is simply the ultimate 21st century party metal carnival.
Frank Sinatra – Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely [Reissue/1958] CD/2xCD/2xLP (Capitol)
Arguably Sinatra’s greatest ballads album, Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely, has been newly mixed in stereo by Larry Walsh at Capitol Studios. The album consists of a collection of torch songs, following a formula similar to Sinatra’s previous albums In The Wee Small Hours (1955) and Where Are You? (1957). Deluxe double-CD edition includes original mono mix, new stereo mix and four previously unreleased tracks. The 180gm double-LP edition features the new stereo mix.
Soulfly – Ritual CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Two decades into their storied career, Soulfly’s eleventh full-length lives up to the promise of its name with a metallic ceremony of the highest order. The iconic gold-certified quartet cast their word in bludgeoning riffs, thunderous percussion, and menacing growls.
Soundtrack – Twelfth Night [Original Cast Recording] CD (Craft Recordings)
The critically acclaimed 2018 Public Works musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night features an original score by award winner Shaina Taub that joyfully combines New Orleans jazz, funk, R&B, music hall, and disco. With a cast comprised of Tony Award-winning Broadway veterans and over 100 community performers, this enchanting comedy follows a young heroine who washes up on the shores of Illyria, disguises herself as a man, is sent to court a countess, but falls in love with a duke.
Spacemen 3 – Forged Prescriptions [Reissue/2003] CD (Space Age)
Alternate and demo versions of songs from their album The Perfect Prescription, and some previously unreleased tracks.
Summer Salt – Happy Camper CD (Epitaph)
Summer Salt is an Austin, Texas- based rock band of best pals. Self- deemed coral reef rock, they deliver a retro blend of bossa nova and ‘60s pop with a modern twist.
Uone – Balance Presents Uone CD (Balance)
Uone is a Melbourne based electronic music DJ & producer. One of the most hotly-tipped leaders of the new school, he delivers a stunning two-part mix for the Balance Series that was two-and-a-half years in the making, and is composed entirely of his own material.
Valley Lodge – Fog Machine CD (Tee Pee)
NYC power pop pros Valley Lodge are basically the best rock band that you think you’ve never heard of, but that you already totally know. The band’s wildly popular song Go is the theme song to HBO’s late-night news satire program Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.
Timmy’s Organism – Survival Of The Fiendish CD/LP/Cassette (Burger)
“I’ve been on almost every single underground garage punk label there is.” – Timmy Vulgar
Various Artists – Death Is Just The Beginning MMXVIII CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Nuclear Blast’s involvement with death metal harkens back to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s explosion of this heavy and deadly genre. The Death is Just The Beginning compilations paved the way to the introduction of many soon to become legendary acts such as Pungent Stench, Dismember, Hypocrisy, and Kataklysm.
Various Artists – A Motown Gospel Christmas CD (Motown)
A festive 9-track collection featuring holiday classics performed by the legendary label’s artist roster and extended musical family.
Various Artists – Sissle & Blake’s Shuffle Along Of 1950: Rare Archival Recordings CD (Harbinger)
Continuing with Harbinger Records’ acclaimed series of albums devoted to jazz pianist, composer, Broadway songwriter, and black music pioneer Eubie Blake, the label proudly presents the original demo to the proposed Broadway musical Shuffle Along Of 1950.
Various Artists – Stax ’68: A Memphis Story 5xCD (Craft Recordings)
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of a pivotal year for Stax Records and for American history: 1968. This period immediately follows the untimely passing of Otis Redding; it’s the year that Stax parted ways with Atlantic Records, and it’s also when Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. This set compiles every single (A and B sides) released on Stax and its subsidiary labels in ’68 – over 120 iconic songs from era-defining artists.
Various Artists – Switched-On Eugene CD/LP (Numero)
Switched-On Eugene documents the Eugene Electronic Music Collective and some of the many synthed-out figures in and around Oregon’s iconic hippie stronghold during the 1980s. Whether connected by membership, geography, or the tape trading scene, the artists in and around the EEMC shared compelling visions of the future we now inhabit, vividly captured on home-recorded tapes and distributed via zines, classifieds, and local radio. Switched-On Eugene is a deep dive into a heretofore forgotten sonic microcosm unlike any other.
Weakened Friends – Common Blah CD/LP+MP3 (Don Giovanni)
Weakened Friends is a low pressure outlet for emotionally volatile music. On Common Blah, the Portland, ME trio use volume – instrumental and emotional – to reassert a sense of control in a time when daily life has slid out of tune. The album also features guest shredding by peer and kindred spirit J Mascis on the song “Hate Mail”.
Whitesnake – Unzipped CD/2xCD/5xCD+DVD/2xLP (Rhino)
A collection of unplugged and acoustic-based performances recorded over the past 20+ years. Available Regular, Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions. Deluxe double-CD and double-LP versions add live concert recorded on 7/5/97 in Tokyo, Japan. Super Deluxe adds live performances recorded in Warsaw, Stockholm, Cologne, Paris, New York along with rehearsal versions, demos, videos, and more.
CeCe Winans – Something’s Happening! A Christmas Album CD (Pure Springs Gospel)
Pristine vocals surrounded by lush orchestral arrangements.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Elvis Presley – The Searcher DVD (Sony)
Following his creative journey from childhood through the final 1976 Jungle Room recording sessions, Elvis Presley: The Searcher includes never-before-seen photos and footage from private collections worldwide, stunning atmospheric shots taken inside Graceland, Elvis’ iconic home, and more than 20 new interviews with Priscilla Presley and the many artists, session players, producers, engineers and directors who knew him or who were profoundly influenced by him.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Alkaline Trio – Is This Thing Cursed? LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
According to Alkaline Trio, new album Is This Thing Cursed? is a cousin or sibling to 1999’s Maybe I’ll Catch Fire. Dan Andriano explains, “the songwriting process is almost like what it was back in the day. We would just kind of write a song, be excited about it, then move on. We wrote in that spirit in the studio. I really feel like we made a record that the old school fans are going to dig.”
Arion – Life Is Not Beautiful LP (AFM)
Arion are newcomers to the Finnish metal scene. The band – around mastermind and guitarist Iivo Kaipainen – is seen as a legitimate successor to their compatriots Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica. [Limited translucent blue colored vinyl pressing also available. CD version due October 26.]
Atom Rooster – Death Walks Behind You LP (Purple Pyramid)
Deluxe limited starburst colored vinyl reissue of the 1970 masterpiece by UK prog rock heroes Atom Rooster.
Born Ruffians – Red Yellow & Blue [Reissue/2008] LP+MP3 (Warp)
10th anniversary vinyl repress of the acclaimed 2008 debut album by the Canadian trio. Produced by Rusty Santos, the New York mixer behind Animal Collective and Panda Bear, Red, Yellow & Blue exemplifies the Ruffians’ brand of self-described ‘hootin and hollarin’. The album was described at the time by Pitchfork as “One of this new year’s most engaging and endearing indie-rock debuts” and “A blast of anxious, giddy energy” by SPIN.
Broncho – Bad Behavior LP (Park The Van)
If Tom Petty wrote dystopian pop songs with enough reverb to drown out the dismay of the dying world around him, it might sound a lot like Bad Behavior’s third track “Boys Got To Go”. There’s something immediately classic and groovy about this song that will have you belting it out of your car window.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Jazz Impressions Of Eurasia [Reissue/1958] LP (Cornbread)
In 1958 the Dave Brubeck Quartet traveled to Europe and Asia on a State Department-funded tour to promote jazz music across the continents. They played 80 concerts in 14 different countries and this album is directly informed by that tour. Brubeck’s compositions here draw from the folk idioms of the countries that they toured and incorporate them into a jazz structure. All the compositions here were written by Brubeck while on that tour and as soon as they returned the group, featuring of course on alto sax the wonderful Paul Desmond, entered the studio to get them down on tape. Featuring early explorations into Indian and Middle Eastern musical forms within the jazz genre, this album often does not get the credit due it for helping to expand the musical palate of jazz. 180gm vinyl.
Jeff Buckley – Live At Sin-é [Reissue/2003] 4xLP (Sony Legacy)
First time on vinyl – 34 Songs recorded live during Jeff Buckley’s café days in the summer of 1993.
Eugene Chadbourne – Solo Guitar Volume 1-1/3 LP (Feeding Tube)
Eugene Chadbourne is one of the great guitar players of the modern era. At the time he began recording in Canada in 1975, his music was a unique syncretic formulation. While its most obvious component was free improvisation in a style then most widely associated with English and European players, his music also contained elements of jazz, country, folk, blues, psychedelic and international sounds, referencing these threads in ways that were so diverse and intensely personalized it would take scholars decades to decode them. Volume 1-1/3 is the first of four LPs devoted to documenting some of the music Dr. Chadbourne was creating during the years he was based in the provinces of Canada, while avoiding the constrictive powers of Richard Nixon and his ilk.
Loren Connors – Unaccompanied Acoustic Guitar Improvisations Vol. 10 LP (Blank Forms)
Before the spectral, romantic electric guitar miniatures for which he is celebrated today, Loren Connors recorded a string of nine solo acoustic guitar improvisations under the name of Loren Mazzacane between 1979 and 1980. The records feature Loren’s contorted impressions of Delta and country blues, persistently kneaded into sidelong guitar excursions entangled with wordless, mournful vocal utterances, hummed and moaned in imitation of the dogs that often howled outside his window. Unaccompanied Acoustic Guitar Improvisations Vol. 10 provides a welcome addition to the canon of Loren’s early solo releases and is the first contemporary vinyl publication of material from his Daggett Street period.
Sam Cooke – The Best Of Sam Cooke [Reissue/1962] LP+MP3 (RCA)
Vinyl reissue of Cooke’s second greatest hits album which contains most of his most well-known hits from 1957 to 1962.
Crossfaith – Ex_Machina LP (UNFD)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth full-length album from Crossfaith the Osaka, Japan-based heavy metal band.
The Dears – Missiles [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Dangerbird)
Tenth anniversary vinyl reissue. Recorded quickly, 2008’s Missiles is a feast of stripped-down arrangements and raw emotion served up like a rustic meal, its songs polished but still containing traces of the rough soil from which they were born.
DJ Krush – Cosmic Yard LP (Gamma Proforma)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. DJ Krush’s latest album sees the abstract hip-hop pioneer step back to his instrumental roots. Sinister beats, sci-fi tinged keys, and collaborations from long-time cohort Toshinori Kondo come together to form an album that while referencing the past looks the future straight in the eye. Also features Yukihiro Atsumi, Syuzan Morita, and Binkbeats.
Helena Deland – From the Series Of Songs “Altogether Unaccompanied” Vol. III & IV LP (Luminelle Recordings)
“Montreal singer-songwriter Helena Deland continues her Altogether Unaccompanied series with Vol. III & IV. It’s a hazy, tender rock lullaby of a record, following Vol. I & II, released earlier this year. Deland embraces sadness, insecurity and love on this record, with both fear and confidence.” – Exclaim!
Fad Gadget – Fireside Favourites LP (Mute)
Fad Gadget aka Frank Tovey was at the forefront of the Electronic Movement of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s and is recognized as one of the most influential acts of the last twenty years. The first signing to Mute, Fad Gadget released his debut single, the groundbreaking, “Back To Nature” in October 1979. Recorded using a drum machine and synthesizer, the debut album Fireside Favourites was released in 1980 and is now being re-released as part of Mute’s 40th anti-versary celebration. For fans of Cabaret Voltaire, Silicon Teens and Depeche Mode. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Fapardokly – Fapardokly [Reissue/1967] LP (Guerssen)
Vinyl reissue of Farpardokly’s self-titled release, originally released in 1967. Fapardokly is probably regarded as the most important release in Merrell Fankhauser’s long career, and an absolute collector’s item. The band recorded about 30 tracks in a small studio in Palmdale, California, from 1965 to 1967, when the owner of the studio decided to release an album with some of these tracks. With such different recording dates, you find here different sounds — organized ’60s pop, jangly folk-rock, psychedelia — a truly fantastic album that finally gets, for the first time, a legit vinyl reissue and with the original artwork. Comes with an insert featuring photo from Merrell’s personal archive, and liner notes by him as well.
Galaktlan – En Garde LP (Seksound)
Galaktlan’s En Garde is a masterpiece of Estonian electronic music. Taavi Laatsit has been active in the Estonian electronic music scene for 20 years already. During that time, he has released 8 full length albums as a member of different groups (Uni, Kismabande, Kulgurid) and also as a solo artist (Galaktlan, Vonsuck).
Gama Bomb – Give Me Leather 7” (AFM)
7” vinyl pressing of this single lifted from the Irish thrash band’s recent album Speed Between The Lines.
Haerts – New Compassion LP+MP3 (Arts & Crafts)
Haerts is a New York-based folk-pop band exploring lush organic sounds, undeniable hooks, and soaring melodies. The duo pairs the energy of Lucius and First Aid Kit with the mesmerizing vocals and rich production of Fleetwood Mac.
Beres Hammond – Never Ending LP (VP)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. 14 new recordings from the reggae artist in collaboration with top studio talents including Willie Lindo, Kirk Bennett, Handel Tucker, Errol ‘Flabba’ Carter, Leroy & David Heywood aka “Mafia & Fluxy”, Winston ‘Bopee’ Bowen, Dean Fraser and Robbie Lyn among others.
Hobo Johnson – The Rise Of Hobo Johnson LP (WB)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Real name Frank Lopes, Hobo Johnson plays what he describes as a kind of “Sad Boi Hip-Hop”, which is an accurate descriptor. From his slam-poet-rapped vocals, emo influences, hip-hop production, minimal and ambient instrumentation, overly dramatic themes, and bluntly honest lyrics.
HOK – Home Bound [Reissue/1994] LP (Magik Ninja)
HOK (House of Krazees) was the original name of the Detroit hip-hop band that became Twiztid. Standard weight blue colored vinyl with white splatter.
Illingsworth – You’re No Fun LP (Mello Music Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Innovative Detroit producer Illingsworth makes his Mello Music Group debut with the new release You’re No Fun. Mostly instrumental, the album finds clever ways to be new and exciting. Featuring Open Mike Eagle, Denmark Vessey and Illingsworth himself rapping, the record moves naturally in and out of lush instrumentals and alternative musicianship. “A perfect introduction into another side of the Detroit hip hop underground that rarely gets a shine” — Fact Magazine
Insecure Men – Karaoke For One: Vol. 1 LP (Fat Possum)
A covers record from Saul Adamczewski of English rock band Fat White Family and formerly of Metros. The spirited ten-track collection includes takes on the likes of Bruce Springsteen (“Streets Of Philadelphia”), Van Morrison (“Madame George”), The Carpenters (“Rainy Days And Mondays”) and The Pogues (“Rainy Night in Soho”) among others.
The Jackson 5 – Moving Violation [Reissue/1975] LP (LMLR)
Vinyl reissue of The Jackson 5’s final album on Motown Records and final album under the name The Jackson 5. iming at the developing disco market, the group’s funk-based version of Diana Ross & the Supremes’ 1968 single “Forever Came Today” was a club hit, while the single’s B-side, the R&B ballad “All I Do Is Think Of You”, became a popular and frequently covered song.
Jewel – Greatest Hits 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
A career-spanning collection that includes a single recorded specifically for this release, as well as reinterpretations of two classic hits with guest vocalists: “Foolish Games” with Kelly Clarkson and “You Were Meant For Me” with the Pistol Annies.
King Diamond – Deadly Lullabyes (Live) [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Metal Blade)
Limited picture disc vinyl reissue – Part of Metal Blade’s King Diamond vinyl picture disc reissue campaign.
Yusef Lateef – The Centaur And The Phoenix [Reissue/1960] LP (Cornbread)
Recorded in 2 days in October of that year, The Centaur And The Phoenix is one of reeds player Lateef’s most innovative early albums. Featuring modal and hard bop material, arrangements from a young Kenny Barron, and accompaniment from Curtis Fuller, Clark Terry, Joe Zawinul, and more, the album marks a bit of a turning point for Lateef as he expanded his sound, vision, and composing talents. With songs and arrangements clearly influenced by Charles Mingus’ contemporaneous work, The Centaur And The Phoenix is a near-perfect album from one of the most innovative jazz players of the mid-20th century. 180gm vinyl.
Leah – The Quest 2xLP (Inner Wound)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from Celtic metal songstress.
Drew Mcdowall – The Third Helix LP (Dais)
McDowall reaches into concept, ritual, and immersion, in an exercise of unravelling the DNA of hallucination. The Third Helix is McDowall’s product of deconstructive exploration, twisting the fibers of being into new structure, shape, pattern, and pulse, without reconstituting its inscribed template.
Donna Missal – This Time LP (Harvest)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rising New Jersey singer/songwriter Donna Missal’s mighty set of pipes fit somewhere between the smoky pop softness of Lana Del Rey, the soulful strength and grit of Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard and the retro rocker howl of Janis Joplin. The songstress’ trifecta appeal carries her with a lighted torch to the forefront of today’s crowded musical landscape. Her striking debut single, “Keep Lying”, blew up after it premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1. About the Tim Anderson (Solange, BANKS, Halsey) produced follow-up “Girl”, Lowe said, “I love the modern production, the feel of it. But it also has like a timeless, latter-day Prince vibe to it.”
Monuments – Phronesis LP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the UK prog metal band. For fans of Meshuggah, Karnivool, Periphery. [Limited 180gm colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Willie Nelson – Make Way For Willie Nelson [Reissue/1967] LP (Friday Music)
Limited translucent gold and blue swirl audiophile vinyl pressing. Out of print for decades on vinyl, Willie Nelson’s pre-outlaw era 1967 RCA Victor release, Make Way For Willie puts the music legend’s versatile interpretation skills on full display with eleven countrypolitan covers of pop and country favorites to go along with the lone original “One In A Row”. Teaming up with Elvis Presley producer Felton Jarvis, Willie’s rich and breezy vocals are front and center throughout, helping establish him as not just a go-to songwriter but a gifted performer in his own right.
N*E*R*D – Seeing Sounds [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Interscope)
N*E*R*D’s (Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley) third album, Seeing Sounds is a blistering mash-up of booming hip-hop beats and rollercoastering rock riffs, rumbling crunk rhythms and scintillating soul music. Whereas their first album, In Search Of…, was an imaginative, exploration of identities, and their second album, Fly Or Die, sought out the range of genres and sounds that have influenced the group Seeing Sounds grinds everything together, evoking a sound that is untethered by preconceptions and convention.
Doris Norton – Artificial Intelligence [Reissue/1985] LP (Mannequin)
Mannequin Records concludes its trilogy of reissues from the avant-garde Italian-born producer Doris Norton with Artificial Intelligence. Apple’s first music endorsement (Norton was also later a consultant for IBM) and early Roland affiliate, Doris Norton is one of the most important women pioneer in the use of synths and in the early electro/computer music.
Omnium Gatherum – Burning Cold 2xLP+CD (Century Media)
Limited double 180gm colored vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket including bonus CD edition. A dark, heavy and vivid adventure through the troubled human psyche and the turbulent world around us, but it’s also an exhilarating and big-hearted celebration of the rejuvenating power of gloriously bombastic heavy music.
Polaris – The Mortal Coil LP (Sharptone)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. “A nice hybrid game between melodic metalcore and progressive metalcore – think Architects and August Burns Red by way of Underoath and Bring Me The Horizon.” – New Noise
Eliane Radigue – Jouet Electronique/Elemental I LP (Alga Marghen)
New edition of Eliane Radigue’s Jouet Electronique (1967) for feedback on magnetic tape and Elemental I (1968) for feedback of natural sounds on magnetic tape. This LP was first issued in 2010, and it’s now presented for the first time with its own specific artwork and layout.
Riot – ThunderSteel [Reissue/1988] LP (Metal Blade)
30th Anniversary colored vinyl reissue of the sixth album by legendary American hard rock/metal act.
Rise Against – Career 8xLP (Hip-O)
Eight album career box set pressed on 180gm vinyl and including exclusive oral history and never before seen photos from the band. The collection includes: The Unraveling, Revolutions Per Minute, Siren Song Of The Counter Culture, The Sufferer & The Witness, Appeal To Reason, Endgame, The Black Market, and Wolves.
Mongo Santamaria – Watermelon Man! [Reissue/1963] LP (Cornbread)
Featuring his brilliant cover version of Herbie Hancock’s classic title track, along with numerous compositions of his own, this is one of Santamaria’s most famous and coveted albums. From the iconic cover to the brilliant grooves contained within, this album has the whole package. Excellent Latin jazz and Latin-soul groovers from a Cuban hero, and one of the most famous performers, full stop, of the middle 20th century. 180gm vinyl.
Schammasch – Contradiction [Reissue/2014] LP (Prosthetic)
Second pressing of Contradiction from Switzerland’s Schammasch. Produced by Triptykon/Celtic Frost guitarist V. Santura, this monolithic double album is a challenging, forward-thinking black metal work of significant importance and one of the defining extreme metal records of 2014.
Side On – Magic [Reissue/1982] LP (Be With)
Vinyl reissue of a certified UK boogie bomb, originally released in 1982, and coming hot on the heels of the Pink Rhythm reissue campaign. Side on was a one-off UK soul dream team, consisting of Peter Maas, Everton McCalla and Rick Clarke.
Silicon Teens – Music For Parties [Reissue/1980] LP (Mute)
Silicon Teens was one of the world’s first manufactured electronic pop bands. The group were publicized as a quartet with members named Darryl, Jacki, Paul and Diane, but in reality these individuals did not exist and for media interviews their parts were played by actors, with the band’s lead singer Darryl portrayed by musician Frank Tovey.
Simon & Garfunkel – Wednesday Morning 3 A.M. [Reissue/1964] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds Of Silence [Reissue/1966] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme [Reissue/1966] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends [Reissue/1968] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water [Reissue/1970] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Limited 180gm vinyl reissues of Simon & Garfunkel’s five studio albums.
Size – Nadie Puede Vivir Con Un Monstruo LP (Cleopatra)
The first ever official release for this lost 1984 album by the legendary new wave band from Mexico City. White colored vinyl pressing.
Skull Snaps – Skull Snaps [Reissue/1973] LP (Mr. Bongo)
Vinyl reissue of the mysterious funk trio’s self-titled 1973 album.
Jerry Solomon – Past The 20th Century [Reissue/1971] LP (Modern Harmonic)
Jerry Solomon – Virginity For All! Private Press 45s 1966-1969 2xLP (Modern Harmonic)
Seemingly unable to find an immediately-available niche in the outside world, Jerry Solomon spent the ’60s & ’70s carving his own niche and world into the grooves of records. Gone are the wobbly rock ‘n’ roll beats of Jerry’s earlier contributions, and in their place are droning minor-key melodies, irregular percussive jabs, toy piano strums, and impenetrable lyrics delivered in a self-overdubbed and echo-laden style.
Steady Hands – Truth In Comedy LP (Lame-O)
What is now the 7-piece folk-punk powerhouse Steady Hands began as a folk troubadour side-project for Sean Huber, the drummer of Modern Baseball. Inspired by Billy Bragg, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Turner and other classic punk influenced singer-songwriters, Huber began thrashing his way through Philadelphia bars and basements in 2012. Over the past 6 years, Huber and his band has perfected the art of crafting songs that found the perfect blend of polished rock and soulful punk, the happy medium between pretty and gritty.
Sundays & Cybele – On The Grass LP (Guruguru Brain)
Sunday’s & Cybele (Cybele no Nichiyobi) is a four-piece psychedelic band formed in Hokkaido, Japan in 2004. Tsubouchi is the main guy who writes all the music derived from 60’s/70’s Japanese psych rock. On The Grass is Sundays & Cybele’s fourth full length record. Rather than a retread of the ’60s psych vibe or ethnic tones of their last LP Chaos & Systems, Tsubouchi’s signature melancholic sounds are now realized in layers of synthesizer and drone. The result finds them leaning towards progressive rock and marks the end of neo-psychedelia.
Tears Run Rings – Always, Sometimes, Seldom, Never [Reissue/2008] LP (Deep Space)
Limited black and gold colored first-time vinyl LP pressing. Dense wall-of-sound arrangements and aggressive, distorted guitars brimming with layers of boy-girl vocals inspired by the harmonies of ’60s groups such as The Lennon Sisters and The Caravelles.
Calvin Valentine – Keep Summer Safe LP (Mello Music Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Calvin Valentine, aka the Bong Mayer, is one of this generations new breed: producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and emcee. Having already produced for legends like De La Soul and Nas, along with complete albums for Illa J, Calvin now adds his name to production credits in the pop realm with Disney Star/Interscope signee Ryan Beatty’s entire new album being helmed by him.
Velvet Crush – In The Presence Of Greatness [Reissue/1991] LP (Glass Modern)
Repressed on 180gm turquoise colored vinyl and repackaged in a new sleeve with photographs from the original session by Michael Lavine. In The Presence Of Greatness was recorded and mixed on eight tracks by Matthew Sweet in his basement in Princeton, New Jersey 1990-91. “In The Presence Of Greatness sounds like Big Star’s #1 Record updated for a new decade. The general air of mildly anguished wistfulness is the same, as are the jangly guitars and high harmonies, but Velvet Crush plays with a post-punk sprightliness and a less overtly British Invasion-inspired melodic sense.” — AllMusic
Voivod – The Wake 2xLP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Currently celebrating their 35th anniversary, Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators Voivod mark the occasion with new album, The Wake. Drummer Michel “Away” Langevin, who also provided the artwork, notes, “The music is like a futuristic prog thrash metal trek with many twists and turns, and the story involves the usual Voivodian topics: disasters, chaos, conflicts, strange plots and alternate consciousness.”
Watain – Lawless Darkness [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Limited gold colored vinyl LP pressing. As any black metal fan knows, Sweden’s Watain have stormed from the hellish pits of the underground onto the covers of the biggest metal magazines worldwide. Combining severe blackness with melodies and beauty of the darkest kind, Watain kept that raw underground spirit burning with their 2010 masterpiece Lawless Darkness.
Weedeater – … And Justice For Y’All [Reissue/2010] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. Featuring the notorious “Dixie” Dave Collins – formerly of Bongzilla and Buzzoven – Cape Fear’s own Weedeater are like no other heavy band. With a style and presence that is unfiltered, unrefined, and unruly, the notorious North Carolina trio have burned through the heavy rock underground for two decades.
James White And The Blacks – Sax Maniac [Reissue/1982] LP+MP3 (Futurismo)
Limited 180gm colored vinyl LP pressing including bonus track. This fantastic Redux version of one of James’ most revered records showcase his anarchic saxophone and deconstructionist approach to rock ‘n’ roll through avant-garde arrangements and a blending of contemporary jazz with a true punk ethos.
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – Secret Boy [Reissue/2016] LP (Run For Cover)
Through a unique and extensive discography that features a diverse range of sounds, inspirations, and collaborators, Wicca Phase Springs Eternal has become an influential pioneer in a vital new direction of underground music. Adam McIlwee continues to advance his innate gift with words and melody while also creating the perfect gateway for the uninitiated. McIlwee’s instinct for innovation dates back to his time in Tigers Jaw, the trailblazing band he spearheaded before walking away in 2013 to embark on another ambitious new chapter. 2016’s Secret Boy (reissued by Run For Cover in anticipation of a new album in 2019) is a mix of dark electronics, trap rhythms, and alternative music.
Wilco – Wilco [Reissue/2009] LP (Nonesuch)
Limited picture disc vinyl LP pressing of Wilco’s seventh release.
Wolves In The Throne Room – Two Hunters [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Southern Lord)
Wolves In The Throne Room – Black Cascade [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Southern Lord)
Wolves In The Throne Room – Celestial Lineage [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (Southern Lord)
Coinciding with Southern Lord’s 20th anniversary in 2018, the label has reissued of all three of their acclaimed albums from Cascadian black metal band Wolves In The Throne Room.
Cassettes:
Cave – Allways (Drag City)
Chicago, IL groove masters Cave return with their first full-length album in five years, the exotic cosmic funk-rocker Allways. Loaded with space, groove, and rock.
Timmy’s Organism – Survival Of The Fiendish (Burger)
“I’ve been on almost every single underground garage punk label there is.” – Timmy Vulgar
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