October Program Titles Released This Week:
Devendra Banhart – Ma CD/LP (Nonesuch)
Ma is Devendra Banhart’s first album since 2016’s Ape In Pink Marble. Bursting with tender, autobiographical vignettes, the record displays a shift from the sonic experimentation of his previous albums to an intricate, captivating story-telling and emotional intimacy. Banhart favors organic sounds to accompany his voice and guitar here with the arrangements bolstered by strings, woodwinds, brass, and keyboards. Lead single “Kantori Ongaku” translates from Japanese to “country music” and is a nod to experimental pop legend Haruomi Hosono, a founding member of the influential electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra. Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon contributes background vocals on “Now All Gone” and Banhart’s mentor, muse, and dear friend, the folk legend Vashti Bunyan, duets with him on “Will I See You Tonight”. Notes Banhart, “Vashti is the archetype of the mother, one of the most important people in my life. It was so beautiful to sing this duet with her.”
Boy Scouts – Free Company CD (ANTI-)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. As Boy Scouts, Oakland-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Vick makes the kind of music that hits like good advice from tough emotional truths. Vick’s songs survey the damage that can come from loving other people with curiosity and grace. Her new album Free Company is a stunningly tuneful rumination on heartbreak and loss that is always galloping toward the horizon. Opener “Get Well Soon” reckons with the difficult epiphany that comes when you’ve worked overtime to help someone you love, only to realize they won’t meet you in the middle and help themselves. Her tightest and most cohesive collection of songs, Vick recorded Free Company in a tiny studio her friend Stephen Steinbrink set up inside a rented shipping container – a unique spot that ended up being perfect for her. Steinbrink plays drums, synth, and bass throughout the record in addition to singing backup.
Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles CD/LP (Polydor)
Hypersonic Missiles is the debut album from Brits Critics Choice Award Winner Sam Fender. Observational, questioning and socially engaged, Fender has an innate gift for simplifying matters of the newsworthy and topical. “I don’t have answers only questions” he clarifies, but there’s a canny simplicity here that seems to be touching and plain speaking. His words reflect conversations occurring right across the globe, amongst friends in cafes, pubs, and out on the terraces. Frustrations. Misunderstandings. Despair. Album track “Dead Boys” tackles the taboo of male suicide. Having lost close friends to the epidemic, Fender was compelled to address it head on in song. The reaction was immediate. And throughout Hypersonic Missiles there’s a sense that there are far more of those revelations still to come. It’s a brave record with some of its subject matter cutting deep into the grain.
Jeremy Ivey – The Dream And The Dreamer CD/LP (ANTI-)
Nashville-based performer Jeremy Ivey has operated in the background for years, initially performing in bands like Secret Handshake and country-soul group Buffalo Clover with his wife, celebrated country-rock luminary Margo Price. But now Ivey is ready to take a much-deserved step into the spotlight with a debut LP, The Dream And The Dreamer. Recorded in a “little bitty house studio” in Nashville and produced by Price, the nine-song album hosts a collection of homespun, deeply introspective tracks. Ivey writes prolifically and cites everyone from the Beatles to Neil Young to Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan as influences. Unlike his country-soul aesthetic in Buffalo Clover, which disbanded in 2013, Ivey’s solo material is much more straightforward yet still travels through a wide spectrum of classic folk, gently frayed psychedelia, pop, and yes, even a bit of Southern rock and Americana.
Joseph – Good Luck, Kid CD/LP (ATO)
Joseph is a bewitching band of three sisters from the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Expect honest words and genetically perfected harmonies. The Oregon-bred trio got their start playing backyard parties, and gradually amassed a devoted fanbase. Following the release of their 2016 debut I’m Alone, No You’re Not, the band performed across television from The Tonight Show to The Today Show and toured with James Bay and Amos Lee. Their sophomore effort, Good Luck, Kid is a road movie in album form, an odyssey at turns emotional, existential, and entirely literal. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Above Us Only Sky DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Above Us Only Sky traces the untold story of the making of John Lennon’s 1971 album Imagine. Utilizing never-before-seen footage of Lennon and Ono from their private archive, the documentary delves into the depth of the creative collaboration between the couple and explores how the art, politics and music of the pair are intrinsically entwined. Features interviews with the people who witnessed the period first hand including Yoko Ono, Julian Lennon, David Bailey (photographer), John Dunbar (Gallerist who introduced the couple), Dan Richter (Yoko’s neighbor and John’s former personal assistant) and Eddie Veale (studio designer), some of who have never spoken publicly on camera before.
The Lumineers – III CD/2xLP (Dualtone)
The Lumineers’ new album III is audacious: every note, every syllable, and every moment of silence in between is emotionally charged. It’s darker in tone than previous albums and is presented in three chapters, with each one centering on one main character from a fictitious family known as the Sparks, who span three generations in the album’s storyline. III’s concept began while the band was writing in the Catskill mountains, where producer Simone Felice works. Mixing raw emotional themes with their ear-catching melodies, expressive vocals and trademark acoustic sound, III moves masterly in artistic directions not yet traveled by the band. Regarding the cinematic new record, multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Fraites says, “This collection of songs worked out in a beautiful way, and I feel with this album we’ve really hit our stride.” Vocalist Wesley Schultz adds that lead single “Gloria”, “is about love between an addict and her family.”
Mike Patton/Jean-Claude Vannier – Corpse Flower CD (Ipecac)
Mike Patton and renowned French composer Jean-Claude Vannier, who is perhaps best known for his work with Serge Gainsbourg, have come together on the smoky, psychedelic-tinged 12-song album, Corpse Flower. Other musicians on the album include Smokey Hormel (Beck, Johnny Cash), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Air, Nine Inch Nails) and James Gadson (Beck, Jamie Lidell). The Parisian players are Denys Lable, Bernard Paganotti (Magma), Daniel Ciampolini, Didier Malherbe, Léonard Le Cloarec and the Bécon Palace String Ensemble. “There’s lots of Vannier in Corpse Flower, though it’s been augmented, sometimes Americanized and, with no disrespect to Jean-Claude, improved greatly by one of the most extraordinary vocalists working today. Mike Patton doesn’t call upon his full range here; he’s up close to the microphone, brooding, playful and sometimes sinister.” – The Quietus
Pixies – Beneath The Eyrie CD/LP (Infectious/BMG)
Visceral, musically cinematic, otherworldly but strangely familiar and a bit unsettling, welcome to Pixies’ seventh studio album, Beneath The Eyrie, where tales of witches, Daniel Boone, misfits and other characters fit utterly into the band’s inherent weirdness. Boasting twelve new boundary pushing songs, the album was produced by Grammy-nominated Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Royal Blood) and recorded in December 2018 at Dreamland Recordings near Woodstock, NY. Drummer David Lovering spotted an eagle’s nest (or eyrie) right above the studio hence the title. “Beneath The Eyrie sees Pixies dipping back into the mysticism that came with their first few releases. The album exudes creativity in hazy clouds of tremolo guitar and atmospheric moodiness and harkens back to a faraway time, filled with gothic storytelling of retribution and comeuppance.” – Gigwise [Deluxe CD edition is housed in a 20-page hardback book. A limited indie exclusive colored vinyl pressing is also available.]
Emile Sandé – Real Life CD/LP (Virgin)
Emeli Sandé’s third album, Real Life, represents a new sound for the globally acclaimed English artist following a period of self-discovery that resulted in a new defiant confidence. Sandé says that her vision for Real Life is to give people hope and confidence, “Especially people who have been marginalized, forgotten or kicked down by this invisible oppression that’s always there. I just want to give people this incredible superpower every time they play the album. Like a battery pack – by the end of the album they’re going to feel restored.” The album’s 11 tracks exude positivity, from the very opening track “Human”, which is followed by the acoustic guitar-led “Love To Help”. The soaring “You Are Not Alone” has the singer, flanked by a choir, marking a return to the anthemic sound that made Sandé a star. Lead single “Sparrow” is an empowering track showcasing the singer’s dynamic voice, as does the sermonic, R&B and gospel-flavored “Survivor”. The piano ballad “Honest” is one of the most emotive songs of the singer’s career, and is followed by the cinematic, string-led album closer “Free”.
(Sandy) Alex G – House Of Sugar CD/LP (Domino)
On House Of Sugar, his ninth album, (Sandy) Alex G inhabits a diverse range of musical and emotional points-of-view (often simultaneously), in turn illuminating the tension that hides in the shadow of desire. Alexander Giannascoli began writing these songs in the fall of 2017, having just finished a tour for House Of Sugar’s acclaimed predecessor, Rocket, and moved into a new apartment in Philadelphia. Whereas with earlier efforts, such as 2011’s self-released Winner or the landmark 2014 release DSU, he’d write numerous songs quickly; with House Of Sugar Giannascoli worked at a steadier pace, concentrating on fewer songs and laboring over each one more than before. As the product of extended focus and planning, House Of Sugar emerges as Giannascoli’s most meticulous, cohesive album yet: a statement of artistic purpose, showing off his ear for both persistent earworms and shifting textures. [Limited indie exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Jonah Tolchin – Fires For The Child CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Jonah Tolchin has wrestled with a wellspring of emotions in his 26 years, and in the process, has consistently found the means of integrating his sentiments into his songs. It’s been a relatively brief progression as far as his career is concerned, but the maturity and musical progression he’s tallied in that short time has been shared in sync with his coming of age. On Fires for the Cold, Tolchin lays bare the conflicts and quagmires that have engulfed him over the course of the last few years. Indeed, by his own admission, it’s been a difficult time. The ending of a marriage and an upheaval in his mindset left him shattered, confused and struggling to find the solace that had eluded him for too long a time. These experiences have yielded some of the most beautiful melodies and emotive offerings Tolchin has ever delivered throughout his steadily evolving career. Fires For The Child includes a number of notable guests — Jackson Browne and Rickie Lee Jones — both of whom lend their voices to a stunning and sublime cover of Little Feat’s “Roll Um Easy”. Sara Watkins sang on two other songs, “Supermarket Rage” and “Honeysuckle”. Several A-list players — drummer Jay Bellerose, Little Feat guitarist Fred Tackett, Pedal steel player Greg Leisz and guitarist Ben Peller — lend their efforts as well. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Twin Peaks – Lookout Low CD/LP (Grand Jury)
Twin Peaks has one defining ethos and it’s to keep pushing. They’ve embraced change ever since their 2010 formation as high school friends making scrappy basement rock ‘n’ roll to now cementing their status as one of Chicago’s most essential bands. Where their last LP, 2016’s Down In Heaven, and 2017’s Sweet ‘17 Singles compilation were adventurous and compelling updates on their youthfully raucous formula, their fourth album Lookout Low feels like a total revolution. The songs are bursting with energy, like the spidery jam-minded opener “Casey’s Groove”, a mind-melder that is reassuring thanks to Caiden Lake James’ (vocals, guitar) inviting croon. Throughout the LP, multi-instrumentalist Colin Croom wrote horn arrangements that at times evokes the soulfulness of Allen Toussaint and the burly Americana of the E Street Band. The auxiliary percussion from drummer Kyle Davis expands the already breezy and spread out compositions. [Limited indie exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Various Artists – World Spirituality Classics 2: The Time For Peace Is Now CD (Luaka Bop)
The Time For Peace Is Now compiles fourteen songs that, while recorded over four decades ago, speak now more than ever. The tracks are a subset of 1970s-era gospel, not directly talking about Jesus or God, but instead tackling how we live with ourselves and each other. These are undeniably soulful, passionate, and urgent songs from obscure 45s, dug up from a long dormancy in attics, sheds and rated across the American south. “This album is reflective of the dichotomy of the sacred and the secular. The music here is in some sense the same as the music of the club. ‘Keep Your Faith To The Sky’ could have you singing ‘Keep Your Head To The Sky’ by Earth, Wind and Fire. Listening to ‘It’s Hard To Live In This Old World’ and ‘That’s A Sign Of The Times’ imbues the pessimistic/realistic sense of what was happening. Like many blues songs, the problem must first be named before it can be solved. At the end of The Time For Peace Is Now, hope is still present. The problem is named in the beginning and a possible solution is presented.” – Pastor Keith L. Whitney
Chelsea Wolfe – Birth Of Violence CD/LP (Sargent House)
There is a core element to Chelsea Wolfe’s music – a kind of urgent spin on America’s desolation blues – that’s existed throughout the entirety of her career. Wolfe has always been a conduit for a powerful energy, and while she has demonstrated a capacity to channel that somber beauty into a variety of forms, her gift as a songwriter is never more apparent than when she strips her songs down to a few key components. As a result, her solemn majesty and ominous elegance are more potent than ever on Birth Of Violence. Every Chelsea Wolfe album introduces new unorthodox textures and approaches, and the trajectory of her creative arc has generally aimed for larger and more imposing sounds, but Birth Of Violence deliberately alters that course in favor of a more intimate atmosphere.
CDs + Vinyl:
The 69 Eyes – West End CD (Nuclear Blast)
11 up-tempo rock anthems full of heaviness, black memento mori moments and dark humor. Guests include Cradle Of Filth’s Dani Filth, Wednesday 13 and Beastö Blancö’s Calico Cooper. [Vinyl edition due October 18.]
Kris Barras Band – Light It Up CD/LP (Mascot Label Group/Provogue)
Over the last 18 months the Kris Barras Band has become one of the hottest and fastest rising rock acts in the UK. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Being As An Ocean – Proxy: An A.N.I.M.O. Story CD/2xLP (Being As An Ocean)
Wondrously cinematic, taking both band and audience deeper into an infinitely unfolding saga, Proxy: An A.N.I.M.O. Story is the sound of a reinvigorated post-hardcore band, ushering in a bold new chapter, free from preconceptions and eagerly embracing the unwritten future.
Belle And Sebastian – Days Of The Bagnold Summer CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Days Of The Bagnold Summer is the latest outside- the-box accomplishment from storied Glasgow six-piece Belle And Sebastian, comprised of Stuart Murdoch, Stevie Jackson, Sarah Martin, Chris Geddes, Richard Colburn, Dave McGowan, and Bobby Kildea. The last two years have seen them go against conventional practice by releasing a trilogy of EPs to some of the best reviews of their career, and launch and curate their own four-day music festival at sea in The Boaty Weekender, continuing the individualist streak that has characterized them from day one.
Betraying The Martyrs – Rapture CD (Sumerian)
For fans of August Burns Red, Asking Alexandria, Born Of Osiris.
Nat Birchall Quartet – The Storyteller: A Musical Tribute To Yusef Lateef CD/2xLP (Jazzman)
With 20 years passing since his first foray into recorded jazz, Nat Birchall now ranks as one of the premier saxophonists of his generation. With several highly acclaimed albums in the locker, he now returns with his most ambitious project yet: a tribute to the legend that is Yusef Lateef.
Blacktop Mojo – Under The Sun CD (Sand Hill)
A hard-driving Southern rock unit based out of Palestine, Texas, Blacktop Mojo’s fiery blend of post-grunge, classic rock, and metal falls somewhere between Soundgarden, Black Stone Cherry, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. [Vinyl edition due October 4.]
Block Buster – Losing Gravity CD (Frontiers)
Block Buster is an up and coming band from the Finnish hard rock scene.
Cain – Cain [Reissue/1992] CD/2xLP (Rise Above Limited)
Cain was an experimental metal band based in Birmingham in the early ‘90s featuring members of Doom and Extreme Noise Terror. Influenced primarily by ‘80s doom metal such as Trouble, Candlemass and St. Vitus, the band initially started writing slow, dirgy Black Sabbath inspired tracks, but soon found themselves adding more psychedelic sounds, noise and industrial influences as well as samples and soundscapes. Containing all 72 minutes of music remastered and in its original intended running order, Cain is available on both vinyl (for the first time ever) and CD for the first time in 27 years.
Alex Cameron – Miami Memory CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
Cameron’s flair for narrative and character are still on full display; yet Miami Memory’s most frequent narrator is, for the first time, Cameron himself – singing with stunning candor of his three-year relationship with visual artist and actor Jemima Kirke. Cameron reveals a striking honesty about love and sex in a time where a palpable fleetingness hangs over everything from relationships to human life on this planet – but also where constricting mores have deteriorated enough to let family life, in all its morphing forms, exist outside of social obligation. [Limited edition blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ceschi – Sans Soleil CD/LP (Fake Four Inc.)
Sans Soleil is the second installment in Ceschi’s powerful and final three-album trilogy. His music lives in some liminal space between left field hip hop, folk punk and indie rock, and has earned him a cult following within the indie rap and DIY punk communities.
Chastity – Home Made Satan CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
Home Made Satan is an emotional and political concept album from the perspective of a young man who’s spent too much time alone, inside, isolated from the world. It’s about fear, and radicalization; an intense meditation on youth and extremism in an increasingly irrational and violent Western World. The new songs are gothier and poppier than ever, recalling ’80s staples like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority [Reissue/1969] CD/2xLP (Rhino)
Digitally remixed and remastered 50th Anniversary edition. Originally released in 1969, Chicago Transit Authority topped the album chart, was certified double platinum and earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. The album also has the unique distinction of having stayed on the charts for an amazing three-year run (171 weeks); a record when it was released.
Cat Clyde – Hunters Trance CD (Cinematic Music)
Cat Clyde is a new artist out of Stratford, Ontario. A fresh take on the classic sounds of yesteryear, she breathes new life into the velvety vocal, tack-piano, slide-guitar style that can instantly walk you through the swinging doors of a packed saloon. With influences ranging from Etta James to Kevin Morby to Lead Belly, hers is a mix that goes down smoother than a neat glass of mellow Kentucky bourbon.
Chantal Chamberland – Serendipity Street CD/LP (Evosound)
Given her large and loyal international audience, powerhouse Canadian jazz vocalist Chantal Chamberland could easily have played it safe by delivering an album of Songbook standards sure to please the following she has built over the last two decades. Instead, a rigorous search for new and oft-unconventional material resulted in a generous collection of 13 songs for which the description ‘eclectic’ is an understatement. Temptation moves from blues, jazz, to bossa and features such classics as “I Put A Spell On You” and “I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl” nestling alongside tunes written or made famous by artists as diverse as Tom Waits, Bill Withers, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson, Rodriguez, Cher, U2, and Snow Patrol.
Cold – The Things We Can’t Stop CD/LP (Napalm)
The Things We Can’t Stop is a wonderfully varied and gripping entry in the alt-rock band’s discography. From the anti-bullying anthem “Shine” to the driving, hard grooving force that is “Without You” or the unforgettable beautiful “Quiet Now,” Cold’s new album shimmers in timeless colors.
Shawn Colvin – Steady On: 30th Anniversary Acoustic Edition CD/LP (Shawn Colvin)
Shawn Colvin’s debut album, Steady On, was released in October 1989, a stunning introduction to an artist who quickly established herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. It was lauded for its confessional songwriting and well-crafted melodies, and for Colvin’s tender and provocative vocals. To commemorate Steady On’s 30th anniversary, Colvin offers up a newly recorded, solo acoustic version.
Kenny Dorham – Una Mas (One More Time) [Reissue/1963] LP (Blue Note)
Recorded in 1963, Una Mas was the first album to feature the dynamic frontline of trumpeter Kenny Dorham and tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, a potent team that would go on to collaborate on numerous classic albums under each musician’s name including Henderson’s debut album Page One which was recorded just 2 months later. Along with a tremendous rhythm section of Herbie Hancock, Butch Warren, and Tony Williams, the quintet delivers joyous performances of three Dorham originals.
Craig Duncan – Bluegrass Swing: A Bluegrass Instrumental Tribute To The Big Band Era CD (Green Hill Productions)
Craig Duncan’s talents on violin, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, guitar, bass, and viola can be heard on numerous Nashville recordings. A graduate of Appalachian State University and Tennessee State University, Craig is a member of the North American Fiddler’s Hall of Fame and Who’s Who in Music and Musicians.
Crashdiet – Rust CD/LP (Frontiers)
Go big or go home is a phrase we’ve all muttered, shouted, or heard multiple times in our lives. For Swedish hard rockers Crashdiet, it has been the motivational catch phrase since they started out back in the beginning of 2000.
Crypt Sermon – The Ruins Of Fading Light CD (Dark Descent)
The follow up to 2015’s critically acclaimed debut Out Of The Garden, The Ruins Of Fading Light is a collection of existential meditations set to the backdrop of looming, apocryphal vestiges from a lost dark age. The lyrics explore the limits of faith and family, life and loss, strength and pride. Between thundering riffs and plaintive moments of acoustics, the music explores new territories on the landscape of epic doom and heavy metal. [Vinyl edition due September 27.]
The Cult – Sonic Temple: 30th Anniversary 5xCD/2xLP/3xLP+Cassette (Beggars Banquet)
To celebrate the anniversary of The Cult’s long out-of-print 1989 album Sonic Temple, this 30th anniversary edition is now available as five-CD set and a deluxe three-LP box which includes a cassette and ephemera. Both contain limited-release demos in addition to previously unreleased tracks. A standard double-disc vinyl reissue is also available. Sonic Temple catapulted The Cult into superstar status and remains their most commercially successful release.
The Defiants – Zokusho CD (Frontiers)
The Defiants is a band put together by Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel, and Rob Marcello. Three fabulous musicians who, as fans in the know will immediately recognize, all have ties to the popular ’80s/’90s/’00s hard rockers, Danger Danger.
Ghostface Killah – Ghostface Killahs CD/LP (Music Generation Co.)
Ghostface Killahs marks the return of Ghostface. After several side projects, GFK returns with his first true solo album in years. He is joined by fellow Wu-Tang members Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, & Masta Killa. Other guests include Harley, Sun God (Ghosts first born son), Solomon Childs, Shawn Wigs, and Eamon.
The Glorious Songs – A War On Everything CD/LP (BMG)
A War On Everything is a daring 14-track collection of “stadium-ready, dirty, sweaty rock” (Alternative Press) rife with devastating moments of vulnerability and searing insight into universal truths about anxiety, sadness and isolation in the 21st century.
Goo Goo Dolls – Miracle Pill CD/LP (WB)
Miracle Pill finds The Goo Goo Dolls at the top of their game with a collection of songs that are complete with emotion, incredible melodies and sweeping guitars. The album observes and reflects on our current landscape of instant gratification and relief that everyone seems to be seeking.
Gruff Rhys – Pang! CD/LP (Rough Trade)
A Welsh language pop album with a couple of verses of Zulu and an English title, Gruff Rhys’ Pang! Was produced and mixed by Muzi in Johannesburg, South Africa. The nine-track collection was developed unexpectedly over about 18 months and recorded in Cardiff, Wales.
The Hangmen – Cactusville CD/LP (Acetate)
Together for 30 years, The Hangmen’s combination of punk rock ferocity and country/roots music puts them in an artistic class with the likes of other Los Angeles greats X, Gun Club and Social Distortion. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
HarborLights – Isolation Ritual CD/LP (Deathwish Inc.)
HarborLights is a post-rock band from the North Shore of Massachusetts.
Hatriot – From Days Unto Darkness CD/LP (Massacre Germany)
Hatriot are back with a new album featuring grim, nefarious lyrics with subjects including the end of the world, conspiracy theories, horror icons, and a new world order.
Lee Hazlewood – 400 Miles From L.A. 1955-56 CD/2xLP (Light In The Attic)
Phoenix, Arizona 1955… a 25-year-old disc jockey and fledgling songwriter, Lee Hazlewood, is trying to break into the music industry. He takes Greyhound bus trips to Los Angeles to pitch songs, only to be rejected each time. Undeterred, Lee starts a record label called Viv Records. Running the label out of his house, Lee finds the artists, writes the songs, produces the sessions, arranges the pressings of the records and handles distribution. Recently discovered tapes in the Viv Records archive yielded an unbelievable find, the earliest known recordings of Hazlewood singing his songs. 400 Miles From L.A. 1955-56 is a collection of previously unknown intimate recordings, never intended for release.
Ty Herndon – Got It Covered CD (BFD)
A compilation album featuring reimagined hits and covers of some of Herndon’s favorite songs.
Him Lo – Da Buze Bruvaz Present: Him Lo Prince Akeem Jewelz CD (Grilchy Party)
Him-Lo returns on a mission to prove to both listeners and doubters that not only can he put together a classic album as a solo emcee but also an exceptional producer. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Hobo Johnson – The Fall Of Hobo Johnson CD/LP (Reprise)
The Fall Of Hobo Johnson is comical rapper-rocker-poet Frank Lopes Jr. aka Hobo Johnson’s third album. “It is a mix of songs and poems I’ve had floating around in my head for the last few years,” says Lopes Jr. “I’m really proud of it and hope that it makes everyone feel a little less alone and a little more like they want to stay alive.” The Fall Of Hobo Johnson is introduced by the unhinged guitar-driven anthem “Typical Story” and the spirited, horn-adorned confessional “Uglykid”.
The HU – The Gereg CD/LP (Eleven Seven Music)
The four-piece Mongolian band combines traditional Mongolian instruments with modern American hard rock to create their own style of music they call “hunnu rock”, which derives from HU, the Mongolian root word for human beings. This unique sound blends heavy rock elements with traditional Mongolian guttural throat singing, accentuated by lyrics reflecting old Mongolian war cries and poetry.
Jenny Hval – The Practice Of Love CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
At first listen, The Practice of Love, Jenny Hval’s seventh full-length album, unspools with an almost deceptive ease. Across eight tracks, filled with arpeggiated synth washes and the kind of lilting beats that might have drifted, loose and unmoored, from some forgotten mid-’90s trance single, The Practice Of Love feels, first and foremost, compellingly humane. Given the horror and viscera of her previous album, 2016’s Blood Bitch, The Practice Of Love is almost subversive in its gentleness-a deep dive into what it means to grow older, to question one’s relationship to the earth and one’s self, and to hold a magnifying glass over the notion of what intimacy can mean. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Christian Jacob Trio – The Originals CD (Wilderjazz)
Seven-time Grammy nominee Christian Jacob returns to the jazz trio setting with a captivating collection of original compositions. Joining Christian are longtime bandmates bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker.
Ahmad Jamal – Ballades CD/LP (Jazz Village)
At the age of 88, composer and legendary jazz musician Ahmad Jamal presents Ballades, an album that sees him returning to his roots in a transcendent journey. Jamal comes from the closely-knit club of the great masters of jazz. That is why, in the manner of Coltrane and Miles, he goes back to his past as a way to overcome it. At its heart, Ballades is a solo piano album – something Jamal has never done before (double-bass player James Cammack is featured on three tracks).
Kazu – Adult Baby CD/LP (Adult Baby)
Kazu Makino, founder & leader of Blonde Redhead, releases her first solo album. “Salty” (the first single) and all of Adult Baby is teeming with contributions from significant pioneers of the global pop, electronic, rock and indie scenes such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mauro Refosco (Atoms For Peace, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Byrne) and Ian Chang (Son Lux, Landlady).
Tom Keifer – Rise CD/LP (Cleopatra)
The former Cinderella frontman and powerhouse vocalist, Tom Keifer, ascends to new heights on his second solo album.
Kokomo Kings – Fighting Fire With Gasoline CD/LP (Rhythm Bomb)
Primitive, groovy Saturday-night music made for dancing.
Korn – The Nothing CD/2xLP (Roadrunner)
Nu-metal progenitors Korn follow-up 2016’s The Serenity Of Suffering with their thirteenth studio album. Lead single “You’ll Never Find Me” exhibits plenty of the band’s signatures with its unrelenting drums, gnarly guitar work, unsettling keyboards and staggering quiet/loud dynamics. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
L’Epee – Diabolique CD/LP+CD (A. Records)
A stellar combination of the talents of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, cinematic femme fatale Emmanuelle Seigner and icecool pop provocateurs The Limiñanas, L’Epee transcend artistic and traditional borders. Named in tribute to Mario Bava’s 1968 cult classic Danger: Diabolik, it’s a musical masterclass where elements of garage, ye-ye, sleaze rock, cult soundtracks, sci-fi, spaghetti westerns, and girl-group pop noir are combined with the cut-and-thrust zeal of a band bursting with ideas and energy. [Limited ruby colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Long Beard – Means To Me CD/LP+MP3 (Double Double Whammy)
Means To Me is the second full-length under Leslie Bear’s moniker, Long Beard, and her first since 2015’s Sleepwalker. Throughout the record, Leslie explores what constitutes a home – how it extends beyond the physicality of a roof over your head to the comfort of another person. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Corb Lund – Cover Your Tracks CDEP (New West)
Covering songs from diverse artists such as Lee Hazlewood, Billy Joel, Marty Robbins and AC/DC, Lund expands on not only his favorite songs but on the range, sound and style in which those songs are delivered.
Janiva Magness – Change In The Weather – Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty CD (Blue Élan)
Janiva adds her blues-oriented, soulful style to 12 classic Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival tunes. Featuring guests Sam Morrow on the swampy “Lodi” and blues legend Taj Mahal on “Don’t You Wish It Was True”, the album reflects the timeless quality of Fogerty’s work, cutting a broad swath through rock, blues, and country, and trailblazing the eclectic, roots-based Americana genre.
Johnny Mathis – I Only Have Eyes For You/Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me [Reissue/1976/1977] 2xCD (Real Gone Music/Second Disc)
Johnny Mathis – Different Kinda Different [Reissue/1980] CD (Real Gone Music)
Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records continue their ongoing celebration of Johnny Mathis’ legendary catalog with another round of CD reissues.
Microwave – Death Is A Warm Blanket CD/LP (Pure Noise)
An amalgam of everything exhilarating about loud guitars, Microwave revel in their newfound creative abandon, colliding post-hardcore aggression with ’90s alternative sneer, and bleeding broodingly atmospheric verses into anthemic choruses.
Nightfell – A Sanity Deranged CD (20 Buck Spin)
A dark metal dirge of madness, an anthem to those immemorial and a sonic bloodletting of vitriol and contempt, this is Nightfell at its most spitefully deliberate. [Vinyl edition due September 27.]
Nitrogods – Rebel Dayz CD/LP (Massacre Germany)
A massive dose of raw and dirty rock ‘n’ roll.
Noekk – Waltzing In Obscurity CD/LP (Prophecy)
Fourth album by the German hard rock/prog duo, their first in 10 years.
Augustus Pablo Meets King Tubby – The Messenger CD/LP (Griffiths)
In 1975, Augustus Pablo began a fruitful collaboration with King Tubby. Their first album together Ital Dub is a classic. The later King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown is more than that, it is legendary. The Messenger was cut at some point in the ’70s but remained in the vaults until now. Pablo’s melodica is center stage but is counterpointed by contagious rhythms and touches of inspiration as horns and bass lines mesh in and out of view, held down by an ever-steady barrage of sturdy drums and bass and a never ceasing source of imaginative and delightful sounds. [Limited colored vinyl pressing is also available.]
Sascha Paeth’s Masters Of Ceremony – Signs Of Wings CD/LP (Frontiers)
Renowned German producer, guitarist, and songwriter Sascha Paeth launces new band, Masters Of Ceremony. Offering a wide range of styles within the metal spectrum, from aggressive and straight forward metal songs, to more melodic and symphonic tracks, this record has a bit of everything.
Pale Grey Lore – Eschatology CD/LP (Small Stone)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Blending elements of garage psych, space rock, post-punk, and stoner doom, Columbus Ohio’s Pale Grey Lore create focused, hook-driven heavy rock and roll loses no edge for its focus on songwriting. Melodic vocals and subtle harmonies echo alongside molten groove in guitar, bass and drums, taking a time-tested formula and proving it indeed to be timeless. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Papillon – Moyo CD (Naxos)
There is a new artist on the East African/Kenyan music scene by the name of Papillon. He not only writes his own music in several languages but designs and creates his own instruments. Papillon is among the first musicians in recent times to look at African musical instruments with an eye to redesign, combining and upgrading them for a new musical experience. Moyo means ‘heart’ in Swahili, and ‘life’ or ‘spirit’ in Mbeere – Papillon’s mother tongue.
The Paranoyds – Carnage Bargain CD/LP (Suicide Squeeze)
Los Angeles punk quartet The Paranoyds channel revelry and revulsion into their debut album Carnage Bargain – a raucous blend of garage rock grit, new wave swagger, horror film soundtrack campiness, and a myriad of other influences. [Limited edition blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Art Pepper – Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings 5xCD (Omnivore)
Here for the first time are the complete Artists House sessions including 19 previously unissued takes. The original albums drawn from these sessions, So In Love (1980), Artworks (1984), New York Album (1985), and Stardust (1985), have been remastered and expanded with additional takes, some having appeared previously on releases such as The Complete Galaxy Recordings (1989) and Artists House-Complete (download only), while some appear here for the first time.
Prince – The Versace Experience – Prelude 2 Gold [Reissue/1995] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Chaos And Disorder [Reissue/1996] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Emancipation [Reissue/1996] 3xCD/6xLP (Sony Legacy)
The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings continue their partnership in 2019 with the reissue of two key albums from 1996: Chaos And Disorder and Emancipation. Another key release from this era, The Versace Experience (Prelude 2 Gold), has also been reissued. All are available on vinyl for the first time as limited colored pressings.
The Rasmus – Dead Letters [Reissue/2004 2xCD/2xLP (Playground Music)
Dead Letters (sometimes known as Feeling Guilty within the US) is the 2003 album by Finnish alternative rock band The Rasmus. It was released in 2004 in the US, UK and Australia. Their previous album, Into, had been a success in some parts of Europe, particularly Scandinavia and Germany, but Dead Letters signified the band’s major break-through. In celebration of Dead Letters 15th anniversary, it has been reissued on expanded CD and green glow-in-the-dark vinyl.
Aki Rissanen – Art In Motion CD (Edition)
Art In Motion is the third album from Finnish pianist Aki Rissanen and his long-standing trio with bassist Antti Lotjonen and drummer Teppo Makynen. It finds European Classical influences with an electronic dance music aesthetic framing it with a distinctive approach to Nordic jazz.
Alasdair Roberts – Fiery Margin CD/LP (Drag City)
“Every song that’s nevermore sung / will sound again upon the Evernew Tongue.” Whether we understand the reference in the line, it sums up Alasdair Roberts’ approach as a singer and songwriter, now halfway through its third decade. Down the years, he has devoted himself to the history of traditional songs, playing them forward into our ever-evolving world as their meanings continue to evolve within him. Whether singing the auld songs, using inspiration from a line of text, or taking a time-honored air as a starting point to a new song, he has pushed the tradition ahead in ways that few other singers and writers have approached.
Sampa The Great – The Return CD/LP (Ninja Tune)
A characterful record, The Return reference points range from classic hip-hop to ancient Southern African sounds. Built on four years of personal and musical soul-searching, it’s an assured statement, the product of meaningful musical connections and of Sampa having to redefine her self-identity away from the comforts of family and old friends.
Sicko – In The Alternate Timeline CD/LP (Red Scare)
If there was any justice, Sicko would’ve been just as popular as all those huge punk bands that emerged in the 1990’s. While much of the West Coast stuff that dominated the scene was macho and bedecked with wallet chains, Sicko was contemporaries with classy bands like MTX, Jawbreaker, and J-Church. They were nerds, and they were our nerds. Our champions. After four LPs, the band dissolved in 1998 and, true to form, the members went on to pursue tech careers and attend Oxford. In The Alternate Timeline is comprised of 19 remastered songs, hand-picked by the band, and accompanied by some cool art and fun liner notes.
Sinner – Santa Muerte CD/LP (AFM)
After having delivered a top-notch album with Tequila Suicide in 2017, the band centered around mastermind Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Voodoo Circle, Rock meets Classic, and more) has created another all-killer-no-filler album.
Sleep On It – Pride & Disaster CD/LP (Equal Vision)
Pride & Disaster is the follow-up to 2017’s Overexposed, and features production by Mike Green (All Time Low, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Set It Off) and Kyle Black (State Champs, Pierce the Veil, All Time Low). With Pride & Disaster, Sleep On It harnesses the strength and vulnerability of the human spirit. Over the course of ten songs, they make a case for enjoying life, even when times are tough, and never shying away from your truth.
The Souljazz Orchestra – Chaos Theories CD/LP/Cassette (Strut)
Always known for their uncompromising social and political messages, the Canadian collective hit harder than ever on nine new tracks, outing the hypocrisy of modern-day politics, police brutality and the everyday struggle of the working man. Led by chief songwriter and arranger Pierre Chrètien, the band continue to evolve their sound, drawing on a broad palette from their trademark Latin, Afro and Caribbean styles to some of the UK’s political sounds of the early ’80s, the era of The Clash, The Police, 2-Tone and frontline reggae.
Kyle Sowashes – I Don’t Know What To Tell You CD/LP (Anyway)
Kyle Sowash has been toiling in the fields of everyman indie rock since a period the archeologists now describe as the ‘90s. Singing songs about the highs and lows of the day-to-day, Mr. Sowash and his band of namesakes have put a melody to the mundane. Backed by a who’s-who of stalwarts from the Columbus, OH indie scene, his newest album, I Don’t Know What To Tell You, unapologetically rocks.
Spacemen 3 – Live In Europe 1989 [Reissue/1995] CD (Space Age)
Recorded over four nights in Germany during what turned out to be Spacemen 3’s final tour, Live in Europe 1989 is far better than the more ragged earlier Spacemen 3 live album, 1988’s Performance. The album’s also notable for documenting the group’s short-lived quartet line-up, with bassist Willie Carruthers and drummer Jon Mattock. Despite the change in rhythm sections, the focus is, as always, on guitarists Pete Kember and Jason Pierce, who by this point in the group’s career aren’t even pretending to be interested in standard verse-chorus-verse structure.
Leeroy Stagger – Strange Path CD/LP (True North)
In making Strange Path, Stagger surrounded himself with some of the best players in the business, including drummer Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Elliot Smith, Los Lobos), longtime collaborator Tyson Maiko, Paul Rigby (Neko Case, Garth Hudson, Jakob Dylan), Ryland Moranz and Michael Ayotte. The album was mixed by five time Grammy winner Ryan Freeland (Ray Lamontagne, Bonnie Raitt, Rodney Crowell) Brad Barr of The Barr Brothers shared producer’s chair with Leeroy on four of the eleven tracks.
Starset – Divisions CD (Fearless)
The concept of Starset is a multimedia experience with a cinematic rock band at the center, set in a near future and centered around showcasing the positive and negative effects of technology on society – futuristic on one side, post-apocalyptic on the other. Think Tron meets Mad Max. [Vinyl edition due October 25.]
Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup [Reissue/1996] 2xCD/3xLP (Warp)
Stereolab – Dots And Loops [Reissue/1997] 2xCD/3xLP (Warp)
Stereolab – Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In the Milky Night [Reissue/1999] 2xCD/3xLP (Warp)
The continuation of Stereolab’s seven album reissue campaign when 1996’s Emperor Tomato Ketchup, 1997’s Dots And Loops and 1999’s Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In the Milky Night are reissued, via Warp Records and Duophonic UHF Disks, as expanded and re-mastered editions on vinyl and compact disc. Each album has been re-mastered from the original 1/2′ tapes by Bo Kondren at Calyx Mastering and overseen by Tim Gane. Bonus material will include alternate takes, 4 track demos and unreleased mixes. These reissues follow 1993’s ‘Transient Random Noise-Bursts With Announcements’ and 1994’s ‘Mars Audiac Quintet’ which received Expanded Editions earlier in 2019.
Subhumans – Crisis Point CD/LP (Pirates Press)
Subhumans is one of the most influential bands from the UK Anarcho-Punk scene of the ‘80s, filed right alongside Crass and Conflict, and just as relevant today as they were during the darkest days of Thatcher’s Britain. This is their first new music in 12 years – ten new songs about terror/pollution/mind control and similar reflections on a world in crisis.
Surf Curse – Heaven Surrounds You CD/LP (Danger Collective)
Surf Curse is the indie rock recording project of Los Angeles based songwriters Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck. Seeing Surf Curse live has become a rite of passage for disaffected adolescence in the South-West while Rattigan and Rubeck have spent their formatives years between Las Vegas, Reno, and Los Angeles. Their new record, Heaven Surrounds You, is a coming of age epic, inspired by the many cult films they’ve cherished throughout their young adulthood that are referenced across the album’s tracklist. Surf Curse’s songwriting and instrumental orchestration has matured on their third full length LP, adding layers of Polish to their traditionally rough and visceral sound.
Ebo Taylor – Palaver CD/LP (BBE)
A long-lost, previously unreleased 1980 album from the Ghanaian guitarist/songwriter. If Fela Kuti was the king of Nigerian Afrobeat, then Ebo, 83 and still playing hard, is the king of Ghana Funky-Highlife. No doubt whatsoever. Much of Ebo’s beautiful ‘70s and ‘80s output has been reissued, as more and more Afro music lovers are being converted to his unique pan-West African sound.
Termanology/Dame Grease – Set In Stone CD (Brick)
Termanology has been creating classic streetwise boom-bap hip-hop since the late ‘90s. One of the most prevalent figures of the worldwide underground rap scene, Termanology has earned widespread critical praise and garnered a cult-like following through his music, and has performed with acclaimed legends such as Kool G. Rap, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and DJ Premier, and is a frequent collaborator with his Showoff Radio (on Sirius XM Radio s Shade 45) co-host DJ Statik Selektah. Dame Grease, an NYC native, first made waves when he produced several songs on The Lox’s Bad Boy Records debut album, Money, Power & Respect, including the hit “We’ll Always Love Big Poppa” featuring Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. He followed that with work on Mase’s quadruple platinum album Harlem World and on DMX’s debut It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, on which he produced 13 of its 19 tracks.
Tiny Moving Parts – Breathe CD/LP (Hopeless)
Tiny Moving Parts has always been a vehicle for catharsis, and that’s nothing new on Breathe. The fifth full-length by the Benson, Minnesota, trio sees vocalist/guitarist Dylan Mattheisen and his cousins, brothers Matt (bass) and Billy (drums) Chevalier, tackle issues such as mental health, anxiety and mortality while also expanding their sound. Recorded with longtime collaborator Greg Lindholm and established pop producer John Fields (Jimmy Eat World, Goo Goo Dolls, All Time Low), Breathe is a valuable reminded that we’re all in this together, channeled through the band’s trademark blend of math-rock, pop-punk and emo, albeit with a few new musical tricks (including some electronic flourishes and a banjo).
Various Artists – Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) 2xCD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Recently released as a five-CD box set – abridge double-CD and double-vinyl editions are now available. “If you write the truth and you’re writing about your life, it’s going to be country. It’ll be country ’cause you’re writing what’s happening. And that’s all a good song is” (Loretta Lynn). Country Music, the eight-part, 16-hour film by Ken Burns, chronicles the creation of a truly American genre of music through the songs and stories of its greatest trailblazers. Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) includes more than 100 timeless classics on the 5xCD edition and 31 tracks on the double-vinyl edition. Includes songs by The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many more.
War Of Ages – Void CD/LP (Facedown)
New album from the Christian metal band.
Geraint Watkins – Rush Of Blood CD/LP (Last Music Company)
For many years a keystone of the bands of Nick Lowe, Van Morrison, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Dave Edmunds and countless more, Geraint Watkins is also a revered creator of his own sublime music, much of which has already been perfectly captured in a handful of solo albums. For 2019’s Rush Of Blood, Geraint found a new and unlikely collaborator in the form of Simon Ratcliffe of The Basement Jaxx to push his boundaries even further.
Wolfram – Amadeus CD/LP (DFA)
Wolfram makes his triumphant return to DFA with Amadeus, a newly refined take on the Euro-disco pop he’s become known for over the past several years. Here, Wolfram zeroes in on the most earworm-y aspects of his past work, concentrating it down until we’re left with succinct, dopamine-inducing bangers.
Workshed – Workshed CD/LP (Rise Above Limited)
Emerging from the shadows after more than 25 years in the sonic wilderness, former Cathedral members Adam Lehan and Mark Wharton return as Workshed. The project’s self-titled debut album is a relentless onslaught of scything riffs, verbal vitriol and oppressive aggression.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Above Us Only Sky DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Above Us Only Sky traces the untold story of the making of John Lennon’s 1971 album Imagine. Utilizing never-before-seen footage of Lennon and Ono from their private archive, the documentary delves into the depth of the creative collaboration between the couple and explores how the art, politics and music of the pair are intrinsically entwined. Features interviews with the people who witnessed the period first hand including Yoko Ono, Julian Lennon, David Bailey (photographer), John Dunbar (Gallerist who introduced the couple), Dan Richter (Yoko’s neighbor and John’s former personal assistant) and Eddie Veale (studio designer), some of who have never spoken publicly on camera before.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Adrenalin O.D. – The Wacky Hi-Jinks Of Adrenalin O.D. [Reissue/1984] LP (Beer City)
Restored and remastered for the album’s 35th anniversary. 15 original tracks of blazing speed-punk/hardcore (and dare we say thrash) and sarcastic lyrics.
Aerosmith – Live Bootleg [Reissue/1978] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Aerosmith – Nine Lives [Reissue/1997] LP (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissues of Aerosmith’s 1978 live double-LP and their twelfth album, 1997’s Nine Lives.
Archies – The Definitive Archies – Greatest Hits & More! LP (Real Gone Music)
The first vinyl compilation in 30 years from everybody’s favorite back-of-the-cereal-box band. Brainchild of Don Kirshner, the man behind The Monkees, The Archies, for all their manufactured image, was the result of a remarkable collection of talent. Holding down production duties was Jeff Barry, whose songwriting collaborations with then-wife Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector had yielded such classics as “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Be My Baby”, and whose previous production credits included The Shangri-Las (“Leader Of The Pack”) and The Monkees.
Atomic Forest – Disco Roar LP (Now Again)
The re-discovered third album by India’s best known psychedelic-rock ensemble, presented in its entirety.
Batmoth – Bones Of Brian Jones b/w Ghouls Boogie 7” (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Batmoth is a three-piece garage rock band from Portland, OR.
Berlin – Transendance LP (Cleopatra)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Bold new album of superb, highly danceable, and powerful new music from reunited ’80s new wave band.
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Indestructible [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)
Drummer Art Blakey recorded Indestructible – his final album for Blue Note – in 1964 with a powerful sextet line-up of The Jazz Messengers featuring Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Cedar Walton (piano), and Reggie Workman (bass).
Bleed – Womb [Reissue/1993] LP (Combat)
Bleed was an overlooked industrial death metal band.
François Bonnet & Stephen O’Malley – Cylene 2xLP (Editions mego)
First time outing from two ardent explorers of peripheral sound tactics. Cylene is the first collaboration by François J. Bonnet (Kassel Jaeger) and Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O)))). Stephen and François deal in those moments and instants that happen after the violence, and the ugliness and the mess. Their music is about chaos being summoned and ordered. It is about the noise that nurtures your ears after a long heartbreaking pain.
Boris The Sprinkler – Vespa To Venus LP (Beer City)
The first new Boris The Sprinkler album in almost 20 years. 16 daisy-fresh, newly-recorded, bouncy-ass punk tunes that’ll have you tapping your head and scratching your toes to the consternation of your neighbors and other sources of oppression.
Jens Carelius – Opsi LP (Jansen Plateproduksjon)
Fourth album by the renowned Norwegian singer/songwriter.
The Chats – The Chats LP (Burger)
The Chats is a pub-punk shed-rock band from Queensland, Australia. They’ve toured with Australian punk legends Cosmic Psychos, US rock heavyweights Queens Of The Stone Age, and fellow pisswrecks Pist Idiots.
Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight LP (Cleopatra)
The leading lady of classic country shines on this limited edition vinyl featuring 12 beloved treasures.
Cock Sparrer – Back In San Francisco 2xLP+DVD (Pirates Press)
Recorded at Pirates Press’ Fifth Anniversary Party last November (2009) in San Francisco, this is really a party in a custom die-cut gatefold jacket. Colored vinyl pressing.
Code Of Honor/Sick Pleasure – Fight Or Die/Dolls Under Control [Reissue/1982] LP (Radiation Deluxe)
Long-awaited vinyl reissue for one of the hidden gems of California punk rock.
Alice Cooper – The Breadcrumbs EP 10” (earMUSIC)
New EP released in advance his forthcoming Bob Ezrin-produced 2020 album.
Lynda Dawn – At First Light LP (Akashik)
Lynda Dawn is a vocalist, producer and songwriter from London. Exploring the sonic spectrum between soul, funk and jazz she draws upon her musically inclined upbringing to deliver a distinctive style of storytelling. Dawn’s nostalgia-tinged tracks embody her early influences via captivating grooves and celestial vocals.
Entombed A.D. – Bowels Of Earth LP+CD (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nobody can cheat death. And nobody can cheat at death metal either. Flying the flag for balls-out and murderous death metal since 2014, Entombed A.D. return with one of 2019’s most devastating, deathly statements.
Evil United – Serpent LP (Combat)
New release from the Texas-based metal band.
Ghost – Opus Eponymous [Reissue/2010] LP (Rise Above Ltd.)
Limited edition gold sparkle colored vinyl reissue. A daringly beautiful combination of Satanic rock music with an almost unthinkable pop sensibility, 2010’s Opus Eponymous is where it all began for the beautifully dark global phenomena, Ghost.
Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi – There Is No Other 2xLP (Nonesuch)
Special double vinyl LP pressing. Includes four previously unreleased tracks and new liner notes. Tracing the overlooked movement of sounds from Africa and the Arabic world and their influence on European and American music, There Is No Other illuminates the universality of music and the commonality of the human experience. It primarily features only Giddens and Turrisi playing one or two instruments together.
half•alive – Now, Not Yet LP (RCA)
The music of half•alive breathes, evolves, grows, and changes alongside the lives of the Long Beach trio – Josh Taylor [vocals], Brett Kramer [drums], and J Tyler Johnson [bass]. Encompassing R&B, funk, pop, rock, soul, and more under a glow of disco ball bliss, the experience iterates in a fresh form every time. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Freddie Hubbard – Hub-Tones [Reissue/1962] LP (Blue Note)
Recorded in 1962, Hub-Tones stands as one of the most significant artistic statements of Freddie Hubbard’s formidable career, and also features one of Reid Miles’ most iconic album cover designs. Presenting the trumpeter at the helm of an excellent quintet with James Spaulding (alto saxophone & flute), Herbie Hancock (piano), Reggie Workman (bass), and Clifford Jarvis (drums), the album opens with a breathtaking performance of the standard “You’re My Everything” followed by four Hubbard originals.
Illdisposed – Reveal Your Soul For The Dead LP (Massacre Germany)
11 songs of straight-up, groovy and melodic death metal.
Indian Summer – Giving Birth To Summer LP (Numero)
The fourth leg on the early emo table of Rites Of Spring, Moss Icon, and Cap’n Jazz, Indian Summer’s Giving Birth To Thunder compiles their complete discography. Emo’s second wave crashed into the Bay Area in the summer of 1994 in a rage-filled capsule of quiet and loud, octave chords, angry sons, Spock haircuts, and screaming. At the eye of this pissed-for-the-hell-of-it storm were Indian Summer.
Rebecca Jade & The Cold Fact – Running Out Time LP (The Redwoods Music)
The second full-length by Rebecca Jade and The Cold Fact sees the San Diego supergroup build on the distinct brand of West Coast soul it developed on their 2016 debut. Anchored by vintage tones and tightly knit grooves, Running Out Time fills a modern rock meets R&B space previously staked out by Alabama Shakes and Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. [CD edition due September 27.]
Jah Cure – Royal Soldier LP (VP)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Jah Cure is a musical adventurer, exploring rhythms, moods and meaning with his latest album Royal Soldier, his first since The Cure in 2015. Jah writes songs about love and consciousness and reality and his music moves between classic roots and smooth R&B and often challenges the boundaries of the reggae genre. The 14-track collection includes the previously released tracks “Telephone Love”, “Risk It All” and “Marijuana” and features guest appearances by Melanie Fiona, Mya, Phyllisia Ross, Popcaan, Damien ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley and Tory Lanez, among others.
Jónsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps [Reissue/2009] 2xLP+12” (Krunk)
Known primarily for his haunting falsetto and other-worldly presence as the singer in Sigur Rós, Jon Thor Birgisson aka Jónsi has, together with his partner Alex Somers, been exhibiting artwork and staging exhibitions under the name Riceboy Sleeps for years now.
Jungle Brothers – Straight Out The Jungle [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Traffic Ent.)
Jungle Brother’s debut album was largely recorded without the use of a sampler (with the exception of the tracks “On The Run”, “What’s Going On”, “Because I Got It Like That”, and “I’m Gonna Do You”). Instead, they would lay down a beat straight off the records they were using as source material, in the words of Afrika Baby Bam: “looping it around by hand, eight bars at a time, until you had six minutes on tape, so there’d be enough music to do your rhymes before it ran out…I just had one copy of each record. That’s the way most of the album was done.” In addition to being the first Jungle Brothers album, this was noteworthy for being Q-Tip’s first appearance on LP, on the track “Black Is Black”.
Kak – Kak [Reissue/1969] LP (Mad About Records)
Recorded in 1968, the lone album by the group known as Kak is a beloved masterpiece, full of the inspiration and promise associated with the California psychedelic dream.
Lacuna Coil – Comalies [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Century Media)
Vinyl reissue of the third studio album by the Italian gothic metal band. [New album, Black Anima due October 11.]
Lemmy & The Upsetters with Mick Green – Blue Suede Shows/Paradise [Reissue/1990] 12” (Cleopatra)
Motörhead frontman Lemmy meets British rock guitarist Mick Green (The Pirates, Van Morrison, Paul McCartney) on this double-A side 12” single. Limited edition blue colored vinyl.
Little River Band – Greatest Hits [Reissue/1982] LP (Friday Music)
180gm vinyl pressing. Eagles founding member, the late Glenn Frey, hit the nail right on the head when he dubbed Australia’s Little River Band the best singing band in the world. Throughout the ’70’s and ’80’s, LRB enjoyed huge chart success with multi-platinum albums and chart topping hits.
Lord Echo – Curiosities [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Soundway)
Originally released in 2013, Curiosities is available here as a DJ-friendly double-LP for the first time. The entirely self-produced album blends jazz with disco-tinged neo-soul, reggae, and classic Afro-beat in effortless manner.
Lord Raja – Amadeus LP (Young Heavy Souls)
On Amadeus, the latest effort from New York’s Lord Raja, the shapeshifting producer answers his own question with a cunning, childlike purity not felt since he started tinkering with Fruity Loops aged six. Though his means of music-making have matured since then, on Amadeus he utilizes an arsenal of drum machines along with synthesizers and an Allen & Heath analog mixer slammed through for extra crunch.
The Magic Mumble Jumble – Live At The Burg Herzberg Festival 2xLP (Herzberg)
Eight-piece Netherlands band The Magic Mumble Jumble’s unique blend of jazz, pop, indie and folk, translates their sense of connection to any audience. With his charismatic stage presence and live-to-love attitude, bandleader Paul Istance is on a mission to make the shows a magic experience, in which the gap between audience and band disappears completely.
Modern English – I Melt With You [Reissue/1982] 7” (Blixa Sounds)
In 1982, “I Melt With You” not only dominated New Wave radio, which had become a huge national radio format, but also dominated MTV, which was a huge video format. It seemed like you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing this song. In addition to heavy radio airplay and heavy video airplay, “I Melt With You” was featured in the classic ‘80s film Valley Girl and has also been in several television commercials, including Burger King, M&M’s, Ritz Crackers, Hershey’s Chocolate, GMC, T-Mobile and Vicks. This specially released 7″ single is remastered from original tapes and features new artwork from original 4AD artist Vaughan Oliver.
NF – The Search 2xLP (NF Real Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. NF’s fourth LP features hip-hop, pop and cinematic elements, of which are evident in tracks such as “When I Grow Up”, “Returns”, title track “The Search”, and lead single “Time”.
The Nuns – Decadent Jew [Reissue/1978] LP (Blank Recording Co.)
The Nuns were part of the very first wave 1970s punk rock coming from San Francisco. A three prong vocal attack led by the charismatic Jennifer Miro, alongside Jeff Olener and Richie Detrick, rounded out by future Rank And File member Alejandro Escovedo, Pat Ryan and Jeff Raphael. The Nuns legend would be cemented in punk rock history by being on the bill for the very last Sex Pistols show at Winterland along with The Avengers.
Matsuo Ohno – Roots Of Electronic Sound [Reissue/1975] LP (Survival Research)
Futuristic synthesizer specialist and sound designer Matsuo Ohno was responsible for the sound design of a broad range of film, television, and radio soundtracks, most famously the animation series Astro Boy which he began working on in 1963 together with his assistant, Takehisa Kosugi. Originally released on the ALM label in 1975, Roots Of Electronic Sound is comprised of brief tape experiments.
Diamond Ortiz – Certified LP (Needle To The Groove)
Known for his modern funk slappers, Ortiz has become a staple in the L.A. underground street funk scene. On his newest LP, Certified, he continues to showcase his musical talent by handling all the instruments, mixing, arranging, producing & vocals.
Piano Magic – Low Birth Weight [Reissue/1999] LP (Rocket Girl)
London based Piano Magic reissue their third album Low Birth Weight on vinyl. It is their second full-length album and followed a string of brilliant singles released on Che, Lissy’s, Darla, Wurlitzer Jukebox and Piao labels. Over the course of numerous albums and singles, Piano Magic’s music evolved from lo-fi instrumental noodling to pop-electronica trickery, and then again into a lush vocal and orchestral pastiche.
Pine – Pine LP (No Sleep)
Ottawa outfit Pine is a heartbeat – the ultimate longing clawing at your chest. Off the heels of their first EP Pillow Talk, the four-piece avowed to no longer find themselves lost in the lush, melancholy of heartbreak. Instead, they’re embracing the impermanence with wistful nostalgia, bright harmonies, and twinkling guitars.
Portrayal Of Guilt – Suffering Is A Gift LP (Closed Casket Activities)
“Last year, the Texan hardcore band Portrayal Of Guilt released the raw, ferocious, genuinely astonishing debut album Let Pain Be Your Guide. On that album, Portrayal Of Guilt turned late-’90s screamo dynamics into a straight-up battering ram, playing them with death-metal levels of precision and brutality. And if anything, they’ve increased their ferocious power since then. New EP Suffering Is A Gift is an absolute mother**ker.” – Stereogum
The Rain Parade – Emergency Third Power Trip [Reissue/1983] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited yellow and red colored vinyl pressing. Though there are a number of worthy contenders – Dream Syndicate’s The Days Of Wine And Roses, The Bangles’ All Over the Place, Green On Red’s Gas Food Lodging among them – The Rain Parade’s 1983 release Emergency Third Rail Power Trip places at worst in a tie for first among the greatest albums to emerge from the early ’80s L.A. Paisley Underground scene. That’s because the band – and the album – were probably the most transparent in their influences and probably the most successful in transcending them.
Red Mass – Bored b/w Ecstasy Of The Fire Snake 7” (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Red Mass’ Roy Vucino has been a staple in the city’s punk & experimental scenes as a member of internationally acclaimed garage punk groups CPC Gangbangs, Les Sexareenos and PYPY. Created by Roy Vucino with Hannah Lewis as part of the ‘Free Creative Enterprise’ TA DA arts collective, Red Mass has become a gathering of musicians, agent provocateurs and artists, from around the globe. Incorporating techniques of automatic creation and chaos magic in the creation of it’s music, the band has amassed more than 100 participating artists and musicians in it’s ranks including Mike Watt, Mac DeMarco, Evan Dando, Rick Froberg (Hot Snakes/Drive Like Jehu), producer/musician Martin Bisi and King Khan as well as members of Fly Pan Am, The Black Lips, Duchess Says and Godspeed! You Black Emperor among others.
Rise Twain – Rise Twain LP (Inside Out U.S.)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Rise Twain is a Philadelphia-based project helmed by Brett William Kull (Echolyn/Francis Dunnery’s New Progressives) and J.D. Beck (The Scenic Route). Offering material that ranges from anthemic to plaintive and grand to intimate, the forward-thinking duo have created a truly mesmeric debut release.
Rivers Of Nihil – Where Owls Know My Name [Reissue/2018] 2xLP (Metal Blade)
Whereas The Conscious Seed Of Light (2013) and Monarchy (2015) were thematically centered around spring and summer, respectively, 2018’s Where Owls Know My Name represents the fall. And although that season is usually associated with death, for Rivers Of Nihil, the autumn serves as a rebirth. Now rounded out by guitarist Jon Topore and drummer Jared Klein the Reading, PA quintet delivers an album which is often just as punishing as its predecessors while assimilating ingredients from musical genres as varied as electronica, jazz, alternative, folk, and the golden age of Shrapnel Records.
Ronen Arkestra – Sonkei LP (Albert’s Favorites)
Led by producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive Lowe, Tokyo’s Ronin Arkestra brings together some of the most supreme and innovative players in Japan’s jazz and electronic scene, featuring members of Kyoto Jazz Sextet, WONK, Cro-Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81 and Kyoto Jazz Massive.
- Sage – Catch A Blessing LP+MP3 (Geographic North)
Catch A Blessing shows Matthew Sage in an impulsive light. Where past work existed in space that was cerebral, meditated, and composed, the music here is more natural, playful, and effort-less. Opting for chance and the unknown rather than rules and conceptual rigor, Sage practiced an amorphous technique that led to profound moments of accidental, unplanned beauty.
Sly Stone – Family Soul Sessions – The Rare 45 Rpms ’63-’66 LP (Northern Soul)
A collection of rare studio tracks from funk legend Sly Stone pressed on yellow colored vinyl.
Sonata Arctica – Talviyö 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. 10th studio album from the Finnish melodic metal titans.
Subhumans/Restarts – Split 7” (Pirates Press)
When two punk bands independently submit tracks for a split 7” that address the very same issue (unaware of what the topic the other band was addressing) it’s surely a testament that we have a huge problem with the imbalance of wealth and power in society today.
Dudley Taft – Simple Life LP (Bugalo)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Sixth indie solo album from the singer/songwriter/guitarist and producer. Simple Life includes musical assistance from drummers Walfredo Reyes JR. [Santana, Chicago, Steve Winwood], Summer Rain collaborator Mike Taponga, and newcomer Chris Ellison. Kasey Williams laid down the bass.
Transatlantic Bunnies – Surrender b/w This Is Where The Strings Come In 7” (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Michel van der Woude, known for his participation in The Pooh Sticks and International Language has created this the second single by Transatlantic Bunnies. The A side features Angela Won-Yin Mak, ex-Go! Team on lead vocals on a ravishing 4:45 minutes of a Phil Spector treatment of Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” that will make Rick Nielsen very proud.
Twin XL – How To Talk To Strangers 12” (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Twin XL is an alt-pop trio from Los Angeles. The seven songs on mini album How To Talk To Strangers examine issues we have all dealt with in one way or another, like social anxiety, vices, and the difficulties of adulthood. While doing so, they manage to exude an enthralling and mellow vibe that you can’t help but to bob your head and tap your foot to.
Keith Urban – Keith Urban [Reissue/1999] LP (Capitol Nashville)
Keith Urban – Defying Gravity [Reissue/2009] LP (Capitol Nashville)
Two of the Australian country music singer’s albums celebrate their 20th and 10th anniversaries, respectively, with a vinyl repress.
Jim Van Der Zee – Starting Engine LP (Butler)
Inspired by his father, who played him bedtime songs when he was really young, Dutch singer/songwriter Jim van der Zee started making music at a very early age. Later on, when he was studying at the Amsterdam Academy of Music, he spent his summers travelling through Europe, playing his songs on the street. Starting Engine is comprised of a dozen new songs built on his love for soul, jazz, blues & folk.
Vatican Shadow – Byzantine Private CIA 2xLP (Hospital Productions)
Vatican Shadow’s impossible to find early tapes finally arrive on vinyl, kicking off a completist series of new Dubplate & Mastering remasters with a first volume featuring: Byzantine Private CIA (2010), Mural Of Saddam (2011), and Yemeni Commandos (2011).
Von Pea – City For Sale LP (Hipnott)
“City For Sale is a breakup album. A relationship album. Instead of a woman it’s about my hometown… YOUR hometown… your old way of living. Growing apart from a place, from people, from who you once were, because I’m from a currently gentrifying city that theme is on the surface of the album but the overall narrative is for any person that feels unfamiliar in a space that was familiar to them. This album is me finding my new comfort zone because I have to. This is the first time I’ve produced an entire album on my own including making every beat.”
Vulcans – Star Trek [Reissue/1972] LP (Real Gone Music)
In 1972, the production team of Joe Sinclair, Webster Shrowder and Des Bryan placed classic Trojan instrumental riddims in the hands of prog-rocker Ken Elliot (formerly of the group Second Hand), who proceeded to lay down utterly twisted ARP-2600 synthesizer lines over them. The intent was to cash in on the strong, early ’70s easy listening market a la Switched On Bach, but the result, like so many like-minded commercial concept albums, turned out to be several parsecs weirder than the original intent. The combination of electronic music and reggae walks the tightrope between cheesy and cosmic, like a B-movie soundtrack listened to on laughing gas.
Warish – Down In Flames LP (Riding Easy)
Imagine if Incesticide-era Nirvana were crossed with Static Age-era garage-punk Misfits-a sinister low-budget horror rock with a visceral, twisted weirdness and bludgeoning riffs. Some might call it nightmarish, Riding Easy call it Warish.
Wendy & Bonnie – Genesis [Reissue/1969] LP (Sundazed)
One of the most remarkable unheard albums of 1969, Genesis, the sole release by San Francisco-based sisters Wendy and Bonnie Flower, has emerged as an acclaimed pop-psych touchstone. Brimming with melodic confections and laced with radiant, sisterly harmonies, the set’s breezy Brazilian splashes and soft-rock strains convey a sophistication that belies the artists’ tender ages (Wendy, 17; Bonnie, 13). Limited white colored vinyl pressing.
Witch Vomit – Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave LP (20 Buck Spin)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On new album Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave, Witch Vomit moves toward perfecting the surgical fusion of the driving Scandinavian-style violence and subconscious terror they’ve previously established, and a now gore-obsessed smashing of their American forbears. Subtlety is abolished for savage attack, imprinted on the listener’s withering mind like an impulsive stab to the throat from a crazed stranger, while all the while a dreadful sense of eerie melody rings throughout the album. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Pete Yorn – Musicforthemorningafter [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Columbia Legacy/Shelly Music)
Pete Yorn – Day I Forgot [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Columbia Legacy/Shelly Music)
Pete Yorn – Nightcrawler [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Columbia Legacy/Shelly Music)
The singer-songwriter’s first three albums have been reissued on vinyl.
Zombie-Chang – Petit Petit Petit LP (Toothpaste)
Zombie-Chang is the moniker of 25 year-old Tokyo-based singer and songwriter Meirin Yung. Having already morphed from her Moldy Peaches-inspired anti-folk first recordings to the embrace of electronic sounds and synthpop (which Meirin called anti-EDM) on 2016’s Zombie-Change and 2017’s Gang!, Petit Petit Petit introduces the sound of a cohesive band to perfectly frame Meirin’s strongest batch of songs yet. Limited edition transparent blue colored vinyl pressing.
Cassettes:
The Souljazz Orchestra – Chaos Theories (Strut)
Always known for their uncompromising social and political messages, the Canadian collective hit harder than ever on nine new tracks, outing the hypocrisy of modern-day politics, police brutality and the everyday struggle of the working man. Led by chief songwriter and arranger Pierre Chrètien, the band continue to evolve their sound, drawing on a broad palette from their trademark Latin, Afro and Caribbean styles to some of the UK’s political sounds of the early ’80s, the era of The Clash, The Police, 2-Tone and frontline reggae.
Miscellaneous:
I See You: A zine by Crack Magazine curated by Thom Yorke (XL)
Crack Magazine and Thom Yorke have collaborated on a limited-edition zine, titled I See You.
It comprises interviews with eight artists, activists and musicians chosen by Yorke, who answer questions set by him. The zine is prefaced by Thom answering the questions himself. It features pioneering electronic music composer Laurie Spiegel, writer and environmentalist George Monbiot, Edinburgh poet Harry Josephine Giles, New York contemporary artist Amy Cutler, fashion designer Jun Takahashi, director and screenwriter Luca Guadagnino, experimental musician Kali Malone and Brooklyn-based visual artist Christian Holstad. Thom Yorke has decided to donate any profits from I See You to Greenpeace.
Notice the scare quotes; Snowden is instinctively careful about entering anything about himself into the permanent record of “Permanent Record.” The man who emerges from such “personal disclosures” seems consequently guarded and meticulous — ideal traits for a spy or a whistle-blower.