September Program Titles Released This Week:
Denzel Curry – Zuu CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Arriving just 10 months after the release of his critically-acclaimed breakout album Ta13oo, Zuu finds Denzel Curry returning to his South Florida roots both sonically and thematically, reflecting on the lessons his surroundings and family have taught him, while drawing influence from the deep, diverse soundscape of South Florida rap that he was surrounded by. It includes features from Kiddo Marv, Rick Ross, Tay Keith, Ice Billion Berg, and Sam Sneak and production from FNZ, Keanu Beats, Charlie Heat, Mickey De Grand IV, Tay Keith, Rugah Rahj, Plus Pierre, Jasper Harris, and Ronny J. The collection is introduced by the pair of preceding singles, “Ricky” (named after Curry’s father) and “Speedboat”. “If Zuu isn’t in your rotation, you’re sleeping.” – Exclaim!
Destruction – Born To Perish CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
German thrash battalion Destruction return with their 17thfull-length, Born To Perish. There’s some new blood in the band as drummer Randy Black (ex-Annihilator, ex-Primal Fear) and guitarist Damir Eskić joined in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Throughout most of their career, Destruction has operated as a thundering power trio and on Born To Perish, they bring a dual guitar attack for the first time since 1998’s The Least Successful Human Cannonball, though the band has outright disowned that album. Black makes his presence known with a militaristic drum opening setting the tone on title-track “Born To Perish”. Mechanized grooves meld with serrated thrash across a song that proves that after nearly 35 years since the release of their first record, Destruction remain one of the genre’s most volatile forces.
Grizfolk – The Rarest Of Birds CD/LP (Nettwerk)
Based in Los Angeles and Nashville with roots in Sweden, alternative-rockers Grizfolk’s new album Rarest Of Birds is an ode to Southern California classic rock with a 2019 spin. Dynamic, upbeat, and dreamy the band says, “Listening to Rarest Of Birds should feel a bit like looking through a kaleidoscope of fleeting moments…a glimpse into our yearning for truth and answers within and without. Written in some of the darkest times, it was a vehicle out of addiction and depression. It was a one-way ticket out of a personal hell, purchased by the heart and paid for with love, light, and dedication.” “Spoonful” channels a retro sound to deliver a dark tale of yearning for someone out of reach, while “Heavy Crown” melds a danceable bass line with jangly pianos to create an upbeat track that is sneakily about the tough subject of fighting for what’s right in today’s complicated world.
Marika Hackman – Any Human Friend CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
“Reverting the classical tropes of pop production, whether this be in melodic form or narrative structure, Hackman’s third studio album, Any Human Friend, is, to put it in her own words: ‘me diving into myself and peeling back the skin further and further, exposing myself in quite a big way. It can be quite sexual.’ Writing the album over the course of a year and recording tracks in stages with producer David Wrench (Frank Ocean and The xx), Hackman wrote a number of songs in the grips of insomnia. It is an explosive body of work, one that isn’t afraid to discuss sex and female eroticism with a microscopic lens. Peeling away the layers to reveal an intrinsically human record, it closes with the title track. Awash with rich sonic textures and brooding guitar rhythms, it’s emotive and insular, as if the artist had just her own thoughts for company during the project’s creative process. And yet, there’s a defiant sense of community in her writing, one which offers a platform to the overlooked, heartbroken souls.” – The Line Of Best Fit
Ra Ra Riot – Superbloom CD/LP (Rob The Rich Recordings)
Superbloom finds Ra Ra Riot taking a decidedly pop-minded approach to the album-making process. In shedding their inhibitions, Ra Ra Riot ultimately created an impossibly radiant album, a selection of songs powered by imaginative yet indelible melodies. At the same time, the band maintains the offbeat eclecticism they’ve embraced since first forming as a baroque-pop outfit back in the mid-2000s, embedding Superbloom’s lavish arrangements with elements of psychedelia, new wave, punk and country. “Ra Ra Riot may have held back on their natural pop tendencies in the past, but on their latest effort Superbloom, they’re going all in. The band, while from the East Coast, decided to hone in on their infatuation with all things West this time around. Vocalist Wes Miles, guitarist Milo Bonacci, bassist Mathieu Santos, violinist Rebecca Zeller and drummer Kenny Bernard are all ‘outdoorsy people,’ according to Miles, who explains their love for floral elements and desert drives. Those themes all come across in the vibrant record, which is full of lyrical growth and fresh sounds. ‘Just from the very beginning, it was a different experience for us,’ Miles shares. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind CD/2xLP (Roadrunner)
Masked metal juggernauts Slipknot return with their sixth album, We Are Not Your Kind, the follow-up to 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter. “We are taking some really cool risks musically,” said singer Corey Taylor. “We’re dipping into some evil we haven’t played with in a long time, let’s put it that way. It’s got little hints of everything we’ve ever done, but it’s got some of the heaviest stuff we’ve ever done as well.” “This is most time we’ve had to write a record, and work stuff out together,” guitarist Jim Root adds. “One of my inspirations this time around was those artists that recorded full-length albums – not just songs. While the industry is moving toward singles, Slipknot wanted to make an album experience, front to back.” “These days the art we are making comes with the highest reward, because it’s taken the most time,” notes percussionist Shawn Crahan. “Almost four years to create this emotion and temperature, and the reward now is nothing short of salvation.” [Indie-exclusive limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Ardours – Last Place On Earth CD (Frontiers)
Ardours is a new alternative gothic metal band featuring lead vocalist Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania) together with multi-instrumentalist and producer Kris Laurent.
P.P. Arnold – The New Adventures Of… P.P. Arnold CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)
Five decades after she became a ’60s icon with the timeless pop hits “The First Cut Is The Deepest” and “Angel Of The Morning”, soul singer P.P. Arnold releases a double-album of stunning new material featuring contributions from, among others, Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene’s Steve Cradock, The Specials and her songwriter son, Kodzo.
The Bamboos – By Special Arrangement CD/2xLP (BMG)
A new album of orchestral reinventions of some of the most beloved songs from The Bamboos.
Blackfoot – Road Fever 1980-1985 CD (Sunset Blvd.)
Fused with their Southern imagery and staunch Native American image, Blackfoot churned through every record sporting the clear influences of bands like Deep Purple and Sabbath. This CD contains four superb (Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Knebworth), previously unreleased, live performances by Blackfoot, recorded between 1980 and 1985.
Cornell Campbell – I Man A The Stal-A-Watt 2xCD/LP (VP)
A roots reggae journey driven by the production skills of Bunny Lee.
Annika Chambers – Kiss My Sass CD (VizzTone)
Kiss My Sass spotlights Annika’s exceptionally dynamic and powerful voice backed by a crack band that smokes through tight uptown arrangements.
Marc Cohn & Blind Boys Of Alabama – Work To Do CD (BMG)
A collaboration from critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Marc Cohn and gospel titans Blind Boys Of Alabama. Produced by John Leventhal, the unique collection combines the songwriting talents of Marc Cohn with the soul stirring harmonies of Blind Boys of Alabama and falls on the heels of more than a year of live collaborative dates. [Vinyl edition due September 27.]
The Contortionist – Our Bones CDEP/12” (E1)
The Contortionist’s blistering new EP Our Bones sees the band step outside the atmospheric storytelling of their conceptual album Clairvoyant (2017) to indulge an aggressive shadow side. More an anthology of standalone bursts of intensity, rounded out by a cover of The Smashing Pumpkins “1979”, Our Bones isn’t a mere stopover between albums. It’s both a definitive look back and an ambitious leap forward.
Paul Dianno – Tales From The Beast CD/LP (Deadline Music)
A ferocious collection of unholy career highlights from Paul The Beast Dianno, original Iron Maiden vocalist and a pivotal figure in the New Wave Of British Heave Metal movement.
Dirty Heads – Super Moon CD (Five Seven Music)
Seventh album from the Southern California-based alternative rock band. [Vinyl edition due November 15.]
Epica – Requiem For The Indifferent CD (Nuclear Blast America)
The fifth studio album from the Dutch symphonic metal band. Requiem For The Indifferent is an ambitious record where they infused choral and classical arrangements into their powerful, progressive and symphonic metal.
Filter – Title Of Record [Reissue/1999] CD/2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Expanded 20th anniversary reissue of Filter’s platinum-selling sophomore album featuring the singles “Welcome To The Fold”, “Take A Picture” and “The Best Things”. [This set marks the first time the album has appeared on vinyl.]
Janie Fricke – It Ain’t Easy – The Complete Hits CD (Real Gone Music)
Born on a farm in Indiana, Janie Fricke came up in the music business the old-fashioned, dues-payin’ way. First came commercial jingles (“Red Lobster, for the seafood lover in you” was hers), then a move to Nashville, where she became an in-demand background vocalist for the likes of Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Lynn Anderson, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, and Eddie Rabbitt.
Gomorrah – Gomorrah CD/LP (Willowtip)
Second album from Canadian death-dealing duo. “…a pithily punchy array of eight songs which either grind, slam, chug, riff, or otherwise blast their way through everything that makes modern death metal such an appealing (and extreme) artform.” – Invisible Oranges [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Steve Goodman – Santa Ana Winds [Reissue/1985] CD (Omnivore)
Steve Goodman – Unfinished Business [Reissue/1987] CD (Omnivore)
Expanded reissues of Steve Goodman’s final recordings, continuation of the reissues of his Red Pajamas material. After the release of 1983’s Affordable Art and the live collection Artistic Hair, fans feared they’d heard the last of their favorite troubadour. But, iconic singer/songwriter Steve Goodman’s drive and creativity never wavered. In the course of less than a week, he and his band (dubbed The Amazing Eclectos) created 10 tracks that were pure-Goodman: smart, tuneful, whimsical, and introspective. Sadly, Goodman succumbed to his long battle with leukemia in 1984 before Santa Ana Winds hit the shelves the following year. 1985’s Unfinished Business is a collection of demos, outtakes, and unissued recordings lovingly compiled and curated by his longtime manager, confidant, and friend Al Bunetta.
Hawkestrel – The Future Is Us CD/2xLP (Purple Pyramid)
Hawkestrel project brings together a host of former members and associates of the Hawkwind family including longtime bassist Alan Davey, co-founder Nik Turner, original bassist Lemmy Kilmister, drummer Ginger Baker, violinist Simon House, original guitarist Huw Lloyd-Langton, Paul Rudolph and many more. [Limited purple vinyl pressing also available.]
Gregory Isaacs – Mr. Isaacs [Reissue/1977] 2xCD/LP (VP)
Ossie All-Stars – Lego Dub [Reissue/1978] LP (VP)
First released in 1977, Mr. Isaacs established the template for Gregory Isaacs’ subsequent superstar status. Conceived by Gregory and Ossie Hibbert as an album project it contained three of the Cool Ruler’s greatest hits “Smile”, “Slave Master” and “Set The Captives Free”. Re-mastered by Kevin Metcalfe this deluxe 32-track double-CD set includes more DJ cuts plus the complete companion Leggo Dub album plus the lethal Mr. Know It All version “War Of The Stars”. [Lego Dub has been reissued separately on vinyl.]
Kash’d Out – Undercover CD/LP (Law)
An incredibly strong pop-reggae album full of catchy hooks and choruses.
Little Hurricane – Love Luck CD/LP (Death Valley)
New album from the internationally touring dirty blues band hailing from San Diego.
Narnia – From Darkness To Light CD/LP (Narnia Songs)
With the musical roots remaining deep in melodic metal, Narnia has both stretched on to a modern sound where the guitars still dominate, but also allows analogue ‘70/’80s analog synthesizers to take place in the soundscape. [Two limited colored vinyl pressings are available: red and white.]
Palace – Life After CD/LP (Fiction)
With their sublime second album, Palace has pulled off a rare pop trick. Songs steeped in darkness emerge into light, from bleak situations spring fresh starts. Bathed in the band’s atmospheric alt-rock, the future feels brighter and more optimistic. Buoyed by the reception of their debut, 2016’s So Long Forever, and near two years of sold-out shows and festival slots that won them fans worldwide, the London-based trio of former Dorset school friends had a new-found confidence that they were keen to capture on record.
Phobia – Generation Coward CDEP/12” (Willowtip)
Undisputed kings of the grindcore underworld, Phobia return with a devastating new EP. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Elvis Presley – Live 1969 11xCD (Sony Lagacy/RCA)
Elvis Presley – Live At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV August 26, 1969 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
First chronicled in part on the album Elvis In Person At The International Hotel 50 years ago, Live 1969 showcases this incredibly, important phase in Elvis’ career in definitive detail – his first live shows following his triumphant, 1968 comeback for NBC after an 8-year absence from playing live. This box set features 11 complete sets from the first of his many engagements at The International Hotel (several of which are released in full for the first time, with one show entirely unreleased), allowing fans a more definitive picture of The King’s glorious return to the concert stage. [Live At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV August 26, 1969 is available as a separate double-vinyl edition.]
The Regrettes – How Do You Love? CD/LP (WB)
How Do You Love?, the sophomore LP from L.A. power-pop outfit The Regrettes, is a an album about the most universal of emotions: love. Throughout the record, 18-year-old frontwoman Lydia Night details the rise and fall of a relationship – from that first rush of butterflies, through a destructive break-up, to ultimately finding peace and closure.
The Runaways – The Runaways [Reissue/1976] CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
The Runaways – Queens Of Noise [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
After snatching a record deal due to the brute strength of a single rehearsal, The Runaways proceeded to change the face (and gender) of rock and roll with the release of their 1976 eponymous debut. Full of tough, snarling tales of misbehavior and anthems of offbeat adolescence, the album established these juvenile idols and remains a source of inspiration for the next generation of rebels. Arriving mere months after their initial assault, The Runaways cranked up the intensity on their dominant second album Queens Of Noise, painting stark pictures of teenage rebellion across a stunning set of originals.
Silence In The Snow – Break In The Skin [Reissue/2016] CD/LP (Prophecy)
Silence In The Snow – Levitation Chamber CD/LP (Prophecy)
Oakland’s Silence In The Snow, the dark ethereal collaboration of guitarist/vocalist Cyn M., and drummer Trevor DeSchryver (Wolves in the Throne Room, Lycus, Dispirit, ex-Deafheaven) present a reissue of their 2016 debut album and their new sophomore record. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Soundtrack – Blinded By The Light CD (Sony Legacy)
Blinded By The Light brings together 12 essential Bruce Springsteen performances ranging from greatest hits and fan favorites (“Born To Run”, “Dancing In The Dark”, “Hungry Heart”, “Because The Night”) to previously unreleased tracks, including the long-sought-after studio recording of “I’ll Stand By You”. Also, for the first time on album, Blinded By The Light: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack presents two live rarities: the debut live performance of “The River” (from No Nukes ’79 – Madison Square Garden, NYC – September 21, 1979) and an acoustic solo performance of “The Promised Land” (Concert For Valor – The National Mall, Washington DC, November 11, 2014). [Vinyl edition due August 30.]
Strung Out – Songs Of Armor And Devotion CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
If you listened to Songs Of Armor And Devotion with no prior knowledge of Strung Out, you probably wouldn’t guess that the California punk band has been together for almost 30 years – such is the intensity and fresh energy of these 13 songs.
Suicidal Angels – Years Of Aggression CD/LP (Noiseart)
Suicidal Angels shows how multi-faceted an uncompromising thrash metal should sound in 2019. Nine songs driven by irrepressible rage.
Theatre Of Tragedy – Remixed CD/2xLP (AFM)
Remix collection from the disbanded Norwegian electropop/industrial rock act. Features Das Ich, Icon Of Coil, VNV Nation, and others. [Two colored vinyl pressings are also available: Red and white.]
Thief – Map Of Lost Keys CD/LP (Prophecy)
Thief is the brainchild of Dylan Neal, a dulcimer player for the critically acclaimed experimental black metal band Botanist. Deeply inspired by sacred Christian vocal music, Gregorian chants and the limitlessness of electronic music, Neal began to connect the dots between the new and ancient; the past and sonic expressions of the future. This involved crate digging for strange medieval hymns and melding them with electronic and black metal elements. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Tusks – Avalanche CD/LP (One Little Indian)
Avalanche follows Tusks’ debut album Dissolve, which saw the band draw comparisons to Explosions In The Sky, Sigur Ros, Daughter and Cinematic Orchestra.
Unruly Child – Big Blue World CD (Frontiers)
After disbanding around 1993, the original members of the legendary melodic hard rock quintet Unruly Child has reunited to produce a brand-new album. Borne from electronic beginnings, Emily Underhill’s new material encompasses a greater wealth of influences, ahead of the curve as it arrives yet, at its core, emanating the familiarity of a Tusks record. “I got really into My Bloody Valentine, Foals, Marika Hackman, Wolf Alice and a lot of female-led grungy guitar music,” she says.
Various Artists – Mashed Potato Records Vol. I CD/LP (Mashed Potato Records)
Various Artists – Mashed Potato Records Vol. II CD/LP (Mashed Potato Records)
Mashed Potato Records is a New Orleans-based label run by Duff Thompson and Sam Doores (The Deslondes, Hurray for the Riff Raff). Recorded on reel-to-reel in various improvised locations throughout the city, it captures the unique feel and energy of a tight-knit community of musicians and songwriters.
Matthew Whitaker – Now Hear This CD (Resilience Music)
18-year-old pianist/organist Matthew Whitaker has appeared on The Today Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as receiving praise from Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Blind since birth, he has created a truly remarkable album combining original compositions and covers of songs that have influence him throughout his life.
Wilder Woods – Wilder Woods CD/LP (Atlantic)
Wilder Woods is the alias of NeedToBreathe’s lead vocalist Bear Rinehart. Through Wilder Woods, Bear is confidently breaking new ground, blazing his own distinctive trail through uncharted territory with comfort and style. His eponymous debut album is a mystifying concoction of classic soul, infectious R&B, and modern alternative pop. It explores patience, forgiveness, and self-love in a world that’s woefully short on all three.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Alessandro Alessandroni – Spontaneous [Reissue/1974] LP (Four Flies)
Vinyl reissue of a rare LP from the king of Italian library music. Jazz, mellow-funk, downtempo breaks, and incredible rock makes this record a refined portrait of the ‘70s American way of life viewed through the fully Italian lens of Alessandroni’s sensitivity.
Aura Noir – Aura Noir LP (Indie Recordings)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. A band geared towards thrash connoisseurs with active minds and mean spirits, Aura Noir stand at the fore of metal’s definitive genre in an age where the underground is utterly besotted with bands.
Avicii – Tim LP (Geffen)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Tim is the posthumous third studio album by Swedish DJ Avicii. He had been working on the album before his death, with collaborators enlisted to help finish the work. A team of writers and producers made an album described as containing elements of psychedelia, Arabian music, sounds of the Caribbean and more. All profits from sales of the album will go towards the Tim Bergling Foundation, set up following Avicii’s suicide, for mental health awareness.
Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth For Christ Choir – “Do Not Pass Me By” Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth For Christ Choir Sings! [Reissue/1973] LP (Numero)
The sequel to Pastor Barrett’s landmark 1971 masterpiece Like A Ship…, Do Not Pass Me By finds the young Chicago preacher and his Youth for Christ Choir continuing their genre-bending spiritual journey. Heavy drums, soaring falsettos, euphoric tambourines, sharp horns, and Barrett’s unwavering devotion dance around a 40-piece choir, working together to form sanctified slab of gospel funk.
Bonobo – Animal Magic [Reissue/2000] 2xLP+MP3 (Tru Thoughts)
Since first emerging at the tail end of the ’90s, Simon Green aka Bonobo has become downtempo music’s most marketable star. Animal Magic is still fresh with Green’s signature beats encouraging a state of relaxed bliss that begs to be basked in.
Burning Point – Feeding The Flames LP (AFM)
Limited clear yellow colored vinyl pressing. Finnish power metal band Burning Point is an active part of the European metal scene since the late ’90s.
Donald Byrd – Ethiopian Knights [Reissue/1972] LP (Blue Note)
Over two days in August 1971, Donald Byrd brought a powerful band into A&M Studios in Los Angeles to record the jazz-funk exploration Ethiopian Knights, continuing his evolution from top-flight hard bop trumpeter to pioneer of R&B/funk fusion.
Wild Billy Childish & CTMF – Brave Protector LP (Burger)
Childish’s decades long quest for the “ever essential bones of pop” bears fruit and remains true to his opening gambit back in 1977. “We write the songs, produce the songs and determine what constitutes success.” Billy describes the CTMF group as the epitome of modern and their sound as the sound of yesterday, tomorrow.
Corrosion Of Conformity – No Cross No Crown 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Two new limited colored vinyl pressings of CoC’s 2018 album are now available: orange & purple and brown & purple. “It’s been a dozen years since C.O.C. recorded new material with vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan at the helm. In that time, there have been rumors, whispers and outright allegations that the legendary Southern rock outfit would reunite to blow the doors off the whole damn scene again. In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup Down, Keenan reconnected with the core C.O.C. trio of Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean and Reed Mullin to hit the road hard and write and record the band’s highly anticipated tenth album, No Cross No Crown.”
Crumb – Crumb/Locket LP (Crumb)
Crumb is the collaboration of Brooklyn-based musicians Lila Ramani (guitar, vocals), Brian Aronow (synth, keys, sax), Jesse Brotter (bass), and Jonathan Gilad (drums). The friends came together in 2016 with the goal of developing and recording a collection of songs Ramani had written in high school and college, the work ultimately resulting in the band’s first two EPs, 2016’s Crumb and 2017’s Locket.
Cherie Currie and James Williamson – Leader Of The Pack LP (Cleopatra)
Two true rock rebels unite for the first time on this excellent new rendition of The Shangri-Las’ teen melodrama classic, Leader Of The Pack.
The Damned Things – High Crimes LP (Nuclear Blast)
Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing. Nine years ago, Scott Ian – guitarist and co-founder of the legendary thrash metal outfit, Anthrax – took a meeting with Joe Trohman (guitarist and co-founder of Fall Out Boy). Sharing a love for Thin Lizzy and catchy, dirty rock ‘n’ roll, Joe and Scott hit it off and started making songs together. With the help of drummer Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy) and the sensual yet sardonically irreverent vocals of Keith Buckley (Every Time I Die) The Damned Things were formed. The band’s well-received debut album Ironiclast was issued in 2010. Cut to nine years later and the band (now with the Alkaline Trio’s Dan Andriano on bass) returns with its Jay Ruson-produced follow-up High Crimes.
John Di Stefano – For The Moment LP (Concentric Circles)
A collection of barely-released and unreleased recordings from John Di Stefano, spanning the years 1982-1996. Combining knowledge of modular synthesis with a background in percussion, his early releases were a uniquely human approach to electroacoustic music, with flourishes of post punk in the mix.
Dödläge – Hostile Regression LP (Phobia/Halvfabrikat)
Sophomore album from the d-beat hardcore/raw-punk band from Portland, Oregon.
Dog Police – Dog Police LP (Toxic Toast)
Dog Police was a new wave band from the 1980’s that was on the cusp of breaking into the mainstream, but never quite made it. They made waves on the MTV show Basement Tapes with their very Deveo like synth-based new wave rock and creative lyrics.
Lou Donaldson – Alligator Bogaloo [Reissue/1967] LP (Blue Note)
Alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson scored a hit with “Alligator Bogaloo”, the jaunty and memorable lead cut and title track of his 1967 soul jazz classic, an album that brims with funky grooves from start to finish.
Dragged Into Sunlight – Widowmaker [Reissue/2012] LP (Prosthetic)
Bleak, ugly, barren, and scorched are words that don’t paint a pleasant picture, which is why they’re all perfect to describe the sound of the UK’s Dragged Into Sunlight. The band, who have been compared to the likes of Eye-Hategod, Godflesh and Neurosis, and who appear masked in photos, play in near-total darkness and smoke and do not publicize their individual names. 2012’s Widowmaker is a grueling three-track, 40-minute release described by the group as a concept album from beginning to end.
Evergrey – Monday Morning Apocalypse [Reissue/2006] LP (AFM)
Two pressings: expanded red or white colored vinyl reissues of the Gothenburg, Sweden dark melodic metal band’s 2006 album.
Folkal Point – Folkal Point [Reissue/1972] LP (Beatball)
Vinyl reissue of a very rare British folk album.
Gwakasonné – Vwayajé LP (Séance Centre)
Gwakasonné is the ecstatic articulation of Robert Oumaou’s artistic and political vision, a unified expression of his interests in American jazz, pre-colonial rhythms, Guadeloupian independence, and Créole poetics.
Haunt – Luminous Eyes 12” (Shadow Kingdom)
Vinyl reissue of the 2048 album from the one-man project helmed by Beastmaker guitarist/vocalist Trevor William Church. Four tracks of pure NWOBHM worship.
Iamthemorning – The Bell LP (Kscope)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. “Kscope specializes in post-prog, meaning that the music is progressive, but takes the elements to new places. Iamthemorning certainly does this. On The Bell particularly, they really focus on atmosphere and ambiance, expanding their vision possibly even outside the chamber setting and more into the concert hall sound. Some of the songs feel like something out of a macabre dream, hovering around your mind like haunting visions of another life.” – The Prog Mind
Illvilja – Livet LP (Phobia/Halvfabrikat)
Debut album by the crustpunk band from Lidköping, Sweden.
Jagwar Twin – Subject To Flooding LP (Atlantic)
Coke bottle clear vinyl pressing. Roy English, the driving force behind Jagwar Twin, emerges as a spiritual monk warrior with a powerful voice and prophet-like poetry paired against a landscape of ‘60s style guitars, gritty hip-hop break beats, and flipped MPC samples reminiscent of Dark Fantasy-era Kanye West.
Jefferson Airplane – Woodstock Sunday August 17, 1969 3xLP (Real Gone Music)
Limited 50th Anniversary “New Dawn” blue colored vinyl edition. According to Paul Kantner, “We were supposed to go on at 10:30 at night and we’d been up and down about four or five times on acid that night, getting ready to go on, and then everything was delayed for whatever reasons. So, we didn’t get on until like 7:00 the next morning and everybody was pretty much burned out.”
Billy Joel – River Of Dreams [Reissue/1993] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm red colored vinyl pressing of Billy Joel’s last studio album to date as a performer. Released in 1993, the doo-wop influenced pop offering rose to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was showered with multiple Grammy nominations in 1994.
Katatonia – Discouraged Ones [Reissue/1998] LP (Peaceville)
Vinyl reissue of the Swedish band’s pinnacle of dark, gothic rock/metal excellence combined with ethereal, trance-like intensity.
Ruston Kelly – Halloween LP (Rounder)
Halloween is Ruston Kelly’s debut solo project and a fan favorite, met with critical praise when it was first released digitally in 2017. Now, for the first time, it is being released on vinyl.
Kreator – Dying Alive 2xLP (Back On Black)
Dying Alive is a 2013 live release from German kings of Teutonic thrash Kreator featuring the band’s sold out homecoming show in Oberhausen, Germany on December 22, 2012 after an extensive 45-day European tour in support of their highly successful 2012 album Phantom Antichrist.
Luie Luie – Touchy [Reissue/1974] LP (Toxic Toast)
In the 1970’s, an outsider multi-instrumentalist known as Luie Luie created a conceptual album titled Touchy. The album consists of instrumental tracks each containing their own monologue that connects them to the concept of Touchy through dance or emotions. Luie plays every instrument on the album in his unique style that mixes jazz, Latin, and funk for a very unique sound that cannot be easily described. His performances are very raw and unpolished, and his performances are at times very unconventional. Gold colored vinyl pressing.
Mashrou’ Leila – The Beirut School LP (Republic Of Music)
Mashrou’ Leila described as ‘The voice of their generation’ and ‘The Arab world’s most influential independent band’ by CNN and The Financial Times respectively mark their 10th anniversary with the release of The Beirut School – a compilation of their classic tracks and new material. The album brings together the key songs from their first four albums, and also features three new songs
Vaughan Mason And Butch Dayo – Feel My Love [Reissue/1983] LP (Be With)
If ever an album could transport one to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, or could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches magic hour in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it’s Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic, it’s a masterpiece of funk love music.
Mini Mansions – Guy Walks Into A Bar… LP (Spinefarm)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A record that examines the kind of hip-swaying rock ‘n’ roll you’d find on a dive bar jukebox, Mini Mansions’ third album Guy Walks Into A Bar… sounds happily disaffected by trend, time or place, like the titular joke itself. There are a hundred different kickers to that joke, but this time around the joke is on them. A guy walks into a bar only to face reality. “It started off as a joke because it is a joke,” says Shuman of the title. “It’s a way to start off the story of a relationship that ends up getting much deeper.”
The Monkees – Greatest Hits [Reissue/1969] LP (Friday Music)
180gm audiophile translucent gold limited anniversary edition.
NAV – Bad Habits 2xLP (XO)
The second studio album by the Canadian rapper features guest appearances from Gunna, Lil Durk, Meek Mill, The Weeknd, Future, 88Glam and Young Thug.
Ossie All-Stars – Lego Dub [Reissue/1978] LP (VP)
Originally released in a plain sleeve on Trevor ‘Leggo’ Douglas’ Cash & Carry label, Leggo Dub is the (instrumental) dub companion to one of the most important albums by reggae great Gregory Isaacs, the 1976 recording Mr. Isaacs. These rhythm tracks are some of his most familiar reggae riddims from the roots era, performed by The Revolutionaries with early dub effects courtesy of Mr. Hibbert – classic roots rockers.
Panopticon – Social Disservices [Reissue/2011] LP (Nordvis)
Vinyl reissue of the 2011 release from the black metal band.
Pink Turns Blue – If Two Worlds Kiss [Reissue/1987] LP (Dais)
Pink Turns Blue – Meta [Reissue/1988] LP (Dais)
Founded in Cologne, Germany in 1985, Pink Turns Blue’s blend of atmospheric pop informed by European post-punk contemporaries and buzzing punk dissonance of Hüsker Dü (the band is named after the Zen Arcade song) immediately tapped into a new canon of sound that was foundational to the emergence of darkwave.
Elvis Presley – Loving You [Reissue/1957] LP (Friday Music)
Audiophile 180gm gold colored vinyl pressing.
Steve Roach – The Magnificent Void [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Hearts of Space)
A Magnum Opus of pure oceanic sound and Roach’s most sophisticated atmospheric work to date.
Santana – Borboletta [Reissue/1974] LP (Friday Music)
After some hot live performances and subversive jaunts made in the aftershock of Woodstock, Santana and his band entered the calm atmosphere of the recording studio in 1974 to make their sixth album Borboletta. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
John Scofield – Hand Jive [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Blue Note)
In 1993, guitarist John Scofield teamed with elder jazz-funk pioneer and saxophone great Eddie Harris and a tremendous band featuring Larry Goldings on organ and piano, Dennis Irwin on bass, Bill Stewart on drums, and Don Alias on percussion to lay down his soul jazz opus Hand Jive. Produced by Lee Townsend, the album featured 10 groove-based Scofield originals.
Don Slepian – The Sea Of Bliss [Reissue/1980] LP (Numero)
First ever vinyl edition of the landmark 1980 cassette by synth wizard Don Slepian. Utilizing the fabled and notoriously complex Alles digital synthesizer at the Bell Laboratories scientific research center, Sea Of Bliss features two transcendent cascading sidelong tracks, to easily qualify as one of the ultimate pinnacles of the new age genre. Cut with care using the Direct Metal Mastering process, and featuring cover artwork by visionary artist Jonathan Meader.
Brent Snyder – Cumulus LP (Morning Trip)
Recorded in a Toronto apartment in 1985, Cumulus is an ultra-rare private-press ambient cassette release which was circulated amongst a small group of friends within the avant-garde theatre scene at the time. Brent Snyder’s interest and discovery of Frippertropics and Brian Eno inspired him to set up a 4-track tape recorder in the corner of his dining room to create the two slow-evolving guitar loop-based pieces that make up Cumulus.
Spike F**k – Smackwave 12” (PTKF)
Spike F**k describes her music and attitude as a whole (for the sake of classification and utility) as smackwave – a blend of late ‘80s new wave and late ‘70s post-punk with a dash of country music/singer/songwriter sensibilities delivered in Las Vegas Ballroom karaoke vocal style.
Stonefield – Bent LP (ATO)
Limited red colored vinyl pressing. The Australian psych-rock group returns with their King Gizzard-produced fourth album. Comprised of four sisters, the fellow Melbourners share the Gizz’s penchant for dramatic, zoned-out riffs that take the listener far from earth, with their record boasting aid from members of Black Mountain and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
The Strangeloves – I Want Candy [Reissue/1965] LP (Real Gone Music)
A one-off slice of classic ‘60s pop-rock, reissued on red colored vinyl.
Ulver – Bergtatt – Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler [Reissue/1995] LP (Century Media)
Ulver – Kveldssanger [Reissue/1996] LP (Century Media)
Ulver – Nattens Madrigal – Aatte Hymne Til Ulven I Manden [Reissue/1997] LP (Century Media)
Vinyl reissue of the first three albums by the Norwegian black/folk metal band.
Vintage Trouble – Chapter II EP II CD (McGhee Entertainment)
Released last May on CD – now available on vinyl. The second set of Vintage Trouble EPs includes five new studio tracks and five live recordings. Bringing some L.A. polish to the gritty soul and blues in their rock sound, Vintage Trouble has earned raves for their high-powered shows (including opening slots for AC/DC) and their earlier releases including their 2015 Blue Note album 1 Hopeful Rd. Keyboards, horns and a shinier pop sound arrive on these 10 tracks.
Susan Wong – Close To Me LP (Evo Sound)
Throughout this project, Wong maintains her trademark style of sultry vocals over smoothly adapted cover versions.
Wormwood – Nattarvet LP (Black Lodge)
Wormwood blends genres like the changing of seasons, be it black metal, ‘80s rock, traditional Swedish folk and more.
Yellow Magic Orchestra – Public Pressure [Reissue/1980] 2xLP (Great Tracks)
Yellow Magic Orchestra – Technodelic [Reissue/1981] 2xLP (Great Tracks)
Originally released in 1980, Public Pressure is Yellow Magic Orchestra’s third release and their first live album. This collector’s edition box set includes Public Pressure pressed on two vinyl LPs at 45 rpm, replica track sheets and studio ephemera, and a deluxe booklet with newly written liner notes and interviews. Some of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s most forward-thinking music can be heard on Technodelic, released in 1981 only a few months after their masterwork BGM. Incorporating minimal and ethno elements to their signature mix of techno pop, electro and dub, Technodelic stands alongside BGM as their most fully realized album in their discography.
Yes – The BBC Recordings 1969-1970 2xLP (Purple Pyramid)
Early recordings for the BBC radio program by legendary progressive rock band. Blue colored vinyl.
Young Jeezy – TM: 103 Hustlerz Ambition [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Vinyl reissue of the third and final album in the rapper’s Thug Motivation series, along with Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005), and The Inspiration (2006).
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