October Program Titles Released This Week:
Binker Golding – Abstractions Of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers CD/LP (Gearbox)
Binker Golding truly is the saxophonist of the moment. A highly skilled musician, accomplished composer, and occasional conductor, Golding has performed with everyone from Moses Boyd and Yussef Dayes to Evan Parker and Denys Baptise. Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers is his first quartet album, and typically, it goes against the grain. It constitutes a departure from Binker’s more rhythm and riff-heavy collaboration with Moses Boyd as well as his avant-garde project with Elliott Galvin. With all compositions and arrangements by the band leader, there is a greater emphasis on harmonic and melodic development, harking back to the more through-composed jazz fusion of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Expect a contemporary twist in the form of London jazz scene heavyweights; Joe Armon-Jones on piano, Daniel Casimir on double bass, and Sam Jones on drums.
Beth Hart – War In My Mind CD/2xLP (Mascot Label Group)
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Beth Hart is as real as it gets on her new Rob Cavallo-produced album War In My Mind. In a music industry full of glossy production and airbrushed photoshoots, this is one artist who throws down her cards, shares her darkest secrets and invites you to join her for the ride. The sleeve shot of Beth pounding a piano below her own personal storm cloud is a fitting representation of new material that hits like a force of nature. It opens with the anti-love song “Bad Woman Blues”. A stately piano ballad that swells to an epic anthem, the title track explores the addiction-troubled years when Beth felt she couldn’t go on while the emotionally raw “Let It Grow” is “about having so much hope in the face of being hopeless.” The hedonistic groove of “Try A Little Harder” evokes the tumbling dice of the Vegas Strip and is Hart “jumping into my father’s body back in the ‘70s when he was a high-roller.” [Deluxe CD box set adds two bonus live tracks, coasters, postcards and stickers. Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Metronomy – Metronomy Forever CD/2xLP (Because Music)
The follow-up to 2016’s Summer 08, Metronomy Forever features 17 tracks. Its length is born from a desire for breathing room, from not wanting to stuff the hits together like a bouquet of petrol station roses – a modern way of listening to music. Metronomy’s innate skill for blending off-kilter funk, energizing club vibes and esoteric pop is interspersed with some mood-setting, glistening and melodic electronic tracks. The band’s leader Joseph Mount called upon a variety of inspirations for this album. Most notably, he wanted to replicate the feeling of listening to the radio, with an infinite quality, sumptuous songs of different styles, ever rolling, helping to lighten your mood. Moving away from the bustle of his former Parisian home to take up residence atop a hill in the garden of England had an impact, infusing the album with a sense of tranquility and a calm joy that reflects the relative happiness of his existence. Also influential was time spent working on Robyn’s critically adored Honey album, with a similar feeling of emotional, intense, carnal mania informing songs such as “Sex Emoji” and “Salted Caramel Ice Cream”.
Anne Michaela – Desert Dove CD/LP+MP3 (Yep Roc)
Michaela has been lauded for her timeless voice and narrative depth and Desert Dove takes that to the next level. The songwriting is confessional and unforgettable without being saccharin or self-indulgent; the tracks call to mind Michaela’s diverse influences – everything from Stevie Nicks’ powerful voice and Fleetwood Mac’s vibey arrangements to the Dixie Chick’s incredible balance of conviction and catchiness – all showcasing her stellar voice and distinct vision. Produced by Sam Outlaw and Delta Spirit’s Kelly Winrich, Desert Dove is still very much rooted in the classic country she’s come to be known for, but the record represents something of a sonic shift, incorporating more modern production elements in pursuit of a sound that owes as much influence to indie rock as honky tonk. Despite the bolder, more adventurous arrangements, Michaela’s crystalline voice remains front and center, as do her subjects: complex, three-dimensional characters who, through Michaela’s empathetic portraits, revel in exploring the gray areas between good and bad, joy and pain, love and regret. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Opeth – In Cauda Venenum CD (Nuclear Blast)
Swedish prog rock juggernaut Opeth return with their 13th album, In Cauda Venenum. “Opeth make good on their reputation of being one of the best progressive bands in the business by turning out a surgical, calculated album that’s dripping with their signature sound – only it’s better than ever. To get right to it, yes, Opeth are still prog as hell here. No, Mikael Åkerfeldt doesn’t growl on this album. What In Cauda Venenum shows is Opeth finally honing their prog rock side, providing us with a laser-etched piece of art that will likely go down as the band’s best album this decade” (Everything Is Noise). “While it might be something of a misconception or shortsightedness to assume they can do no wrong, Opeth have defied these odds time and time again. Playfully poetic, musically visceral, if the worst truly is yet to come, you won’t find it on In Cauda Venenum (Metal Wani). [Vinyl edition due October 25.]
New Pornographers – In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights CD/LP (Collected Work/Concord)
“Since their inception, the New Pornographers have often been labeled a “supergroup”. Since A.C. Newman’s voice and guitar has rarely hogged the spotlight, it’s been easy to overlook the fact that he’s very much the mastermind behind the Canadian indie rock band’s coherent, but transcendently harmonious, pop sound. As a co-producer, he’s always displayed a nearly Brian Wilson-level gift for melding the group’s dizzying arsenal of talents, from Neko Case’s clarion alto to Dan Bejar’s quirky change-of-pace songs. In The Morse Code Of The Brake Lights is the band’s second album without Bejar and original drummer Kurt Dahle. But whereas 2017’s Whiteout Conditions buzzed along in familiar New Pornos fashion, with a bright, fizzy krautrock vibe and an equitable mix of vocalists, Brake Lights is, at least by the group’s typical power-pop standards, a heavier, murkier affair, with Newman’s voice sitting front and center for much of its duration. It doesn’t sound like one of Newman’s more intimate, acoustic-focused solo albums, exactly—too many orchestral flourishes, hyperactive keyboards, and Case showcases for that—but at least half of it feels more like A.C. Newman & Friends than any of the band’s previous efforts.” – Slant
Jon Pardi – Heartache Medication CD/2xLP (Capitol Nashville)
Recognized for his “state-of-the-art blend of traditional instrumentation and progressive grooves that points to country’s future” (Rolling Stone) and as “a leader among a growing number of artists bringing back fiddle, steel and twang while still finding ways to freshen the sound” (People), Jon Pardi follows-up his breakthrough album California Sunrise with the new collection, Heartache Medication. Once again serving as co-producer, the lead single and title track showcases a taste of what is to come on the record. “The single ‘Heartache Medication’ has an ‘80s George Strait ‘Fool Hearted Memory’ feel to it, and is something people can dance to,” said Pardi. “That’s something I really wanted for this album. There really are no sad songs on this record – it covers a range of subjects, but is ultimately about moving on, and having a good time.”
Stugill Simpson – Sound & Fury CD/LP (Elektra)
Country singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson follows-up his Grammy award-winning 2016 album A Sailor’s Guide To Earth and 2019 theme song for Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy, The Dead Don’t Die with Sound & Fury which accompanies the new anime film of the same name based on a story by Simpson himself and made with writer/director Jumpei Mizusaki and character designer Takashi Okazaki. The 10-track effort was produced by Simpson alongside John Hill and bandmates Bobby Emmett, Chuck Bartels and Miles Miller. “We went in without any preconceived notions and came out with a really sleazy, steamy rock ‘n’ roll record,” Simpson says. “It’s definitely my most psychedelic. And also my heaviest. I had this idea that it’d be really cool to animate some of these songs, and we ended up with a futuristic, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, samurai film.” The first taste of Sound & Fury comes in the form of the distorted and driving lead single “Sing Along”. As for his inspirations for the album Simpson told Zane Lowe he “”…was listening to a lot of hip-hop, and Black Sabbath, and the Cars, and old funk records and things” [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Tegan and Sara – Hey, I’m Just Like You CD/LP (WB)
“Last year while writing our new memoir, we came across two cassette tapes with dozens of songs we wrote in high school. Defiant and melodramatic, the songs captured the exultation and grief of first loves, first losses, ecstatic kiss-offs, and psychedelic tributes to the friendships we had as teenagers. It had been over 20 years since we had heard the songs and quite honestly, we both expected to listen once, cringe, and bury them for another couple decades. But they were good. Like, really good. They were raw, and in some cases the lyrics were hard to decipher. But the melodies, the honesty in the words, and the joy listening to them after all these years was undeniable. We decided immediately that those songs were the demos we’d use to build the new Tegan and Sara record. Hey, I’m Just Like You has 12 songs, but in making those 12 songs we pulled sections from nearly 20 of those lost high school demos. We kept the original lyrics where we could, and we only wrote four new sections. For the first time ever, we share vocal duties on a handful of songs making them the first truly Tegan and Sara songs. It is also the first Tegan and Sara album produced, performed, engineered, mixed, and mastered by a team of all women.” – Tegan Quin [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Temples – Hot Motion CD (ATO)
With their third brilliantly crafted and ingeniously intricate album, Hot Motion, beloved British band Temples has found new ground and a deeper, darker creative well. A glorious technicolor infuses much of the record but there is a David Lynch-ian undertone that adds a gravity to Hot Motion’s soaring moments. “It felt like there was a darker edge to what we were coming up with and we wanted to make sure that carried through the whole record,” said bassist Thomas Walmsley. “It’s not a ten track, relentless rock record from start to finish, it’s got a lot of light and shade and more tender moments, but that heavier, darker sound is something we wanted to explore further.” Fizzing with ideas, bursting with kinetic energy and balancing an immediate impact with an enduring, timeless intensity, Hot Motion is a cohesive album in a time of stand-alone singles. Temples hasve created an aural tapestry for dark days, an inviting and warm sanctuary away from the daily churn of information overload. It’s an album of complexity, crafted for repeat listening. [Limited colored vinyl edition due October 11.]
Weeping Icon – Weeping Icon CD/LP (Fire Talk)
Listening to Weeping Icon’s debut album is to enter a dim catacomb of psychical catharsis. Urgent yet calculated riffs rip through a thunderous pummel of percussion, an anomalous blend of punk and psychedelic drumming carries the songs with an atmosphere of organized chaos Lyrically they are both serious and sarcastic, trading off vocalists to confront issues central to a generation, dosing listeners with a controlled sense of horror and humor like flavors in a dish. The band’s self-titled debut record is a collection of seven songs that archive the metamorphosis into heavier and more provocative territories. In keeping with their live performance, a sequence of dystopian sound interludes completes the album, serving as guided meditations between the candid subversive fury of the main tracks.
Whiskey Myers – Whiskey Myers CD/LP (Wiggy Thump)
Genre-bending band Whiskey Myers has played nearly 2,000 live shows since their emergence in 2008 and has sold out more than 115 headlining shows in the last year alone. As Esquire proclaims, “Whiskey Myers is the real damn deal.” USA Today describes the band led by frontman Cody Cannon as “a riff-heavy blend of Southern rock and gritty country that has earned comparisons to the Allman Brothers Band and Led Zeppelin,” with Rolling Stone noting “it’s the seminal combination of twang and crunchy rock & roll guitars that hits a perfect sweet spot.” Regarding their eponymous new record, lead guitarist said, “this was the first album we’ve produced on our own and it’s 100% authentically us, which is why we decided to self-title it Whisky Myers.” We’ve been fortunate in our careers to work with some incredible producers, but self-producing gave us the freedom to try out every crazy idea in the studio, which got us to this place where we are completely satisfied with the end result.”
CDs + Vinyl:
Anacrusis – Reason [Reissue/1988] CD (Metal Blade)
Anacrusis – Reason [Reissue/1990] CD (Metal Blade)
Anacrusis is a metal band formed in 1986 that started out playing thrash metal (1986-1990), evolving into a progressive metal band (1991-1993). Their second and third albums have been reissued on CD.
Laurie Anderson/Tenzin Choegyal/Jesse Paris Smith – Songs From The Bardeo CD/LP (Smithsonian Folkways)
The collaborative composition by avant-garde icon Laurie Anderson, Tibetan multi-instrumentalist Tenzin Choegyal, and composer and activist Jesse Paris Smith is a guided journey through the visionary text of the Tibetan Book Of The Dead, unfolding in an 80-minute ebb and flow of sound and words. Songs From The Bardo is a transporting experience, meant to draw the listener into the present moment and provide a framework for inner exploration.
The Ataris – So Long, Astoria Demos CD/LP (Kung Fu)
Witness the making of a pop punk classic. So Long, Astoria Demos includes demo versions of every song on the 2003 album plus alternate versions, rough song sketches, and untitled tracks recorded at the same time. Comes with extensive liner notes from main songwriter/vocalist Kris Roe reflecting on the creation of each song. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Beatles – Abbey Road [Reissue/1969] CD/2xCD/3xCD+Blu-ray/LP/ Audio (Capitol)
Digitally remixed 50th Anniversary edition of The Beatles’ musical masterpiece featuring a new stereo album mix, sourced directly from the original eight-track session tapes. To produce the mix, Giles Martin working with Sam Okell, was guided by the album’s original stereo mix supervised by his father, George Martin. [Deluxe double-CD set pairs the new stereo mix with versions taken from the session takes and demo recordings, sequenced to match the album’s running order. Super Deluxe triple-CD features 40 tracks total and adds a hi-res Blu-ray audio disc. Limited picture disc vinyl and triple-LP pressings are also available.]
Blood Ceremony – Blood Ceremony [Reissue/2008] CD/LP (Rise Above Limited)
Blood Ceremony – Living With The Ancients [Reissue/2011] CD/2xLP (Rise Above Limited)
Blood Ceremony – The Eldritch Dark [Reissue/2013] CD/LP (Rise Above Limited)
Blood Ceremony’s distinct style of flute-tinged witch rock evolves from an infernal marriage of occult-inspired acid folk and vintage hard-rock riffing. [Limited colored vinyl pressings are also available.]
Borknagar – True North CD (Century Media)
Norway’s avant-garde black metal pioneers and innovators arise at their most spirited and resplendent on their 11th studio album, True North. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Boy And Bear – Suck On Light CD/LP (Nettwerk)
Boy & Bear have weathered a personal and professional storm to deliver their fourth album, Suck On Light. The album takes the trademark analogue warmth of their sound and pushes it to places the Sydney quintet have never before explored.
Brötzmann /Schlippenbach/Bennink – Fifty Years After Live At The Lila Eule 2018 CD (Trost)
For the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary Machine Gun recordings at the Lila Eule in Bremen, Peter Brötzmann put together a trio with the Berlin pianist, composer Alexander von Schlippenbach and the percussionist Han Bennink, who already sat on the drums 50 years ago. They were so pleased with the music that they decided to release it and continue to play gigs as the trio. Machine Gun was originally recorded in May 1968 by an octet consisting of influential musicians of new jazz and improvised music.
Ben Caplan – In The Time Of The Great Remembering [Reissue/2011] CD/LP (Rhyme & Reason)
Ben Caplan’s 2011 debut album is a mish-mash of many styles, all of which would find their home in roadhouses and smoking dens. The album’s predominate vibe is bluesy shanties, with Caplan’s deep growl reverberating like a hybrid of Eddie Vedder and the throaty rasp of Tom Waits. His band, The Casual Smokers find themselves accompany a variety of traditional instruments veering between jugband and gypsy punk.
Capstan – Restless Heart, Keep Running CD (Fearless)
New release from the Florida-based post-hardcore band.
Carminho – Maria CD (Nonesuch)
Acclaimed Portuguese fado singer Carminho presents her new album. London’s Evening Standard called her voice “strong and sculptural,” and London Jazz News called Maria “a beautifully realized, remarkably varied yet uniformly gorgeous album.”
Kristin Chenoweth – For The Girls CD (Concord)
Emmy & Tony award-winner Kristin Chenoweth’s new album, For The Girls, is a heartfelt tribute to the great female singers throughout history, particularly some of Kristin’s heroes and friends. Guest artists include Ariana Grande, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Hudson and Reba McEntire. Produced by Grammy-winner Steve Tyrell, the album includes Chenoweth’s personally charged interpretations of classic songs identified with such iconic artists as Barbra Streisand, Lesley Gore, Linda Ronstadt, Dinah Washington, Dolly Parton and many more.
The Cigarettes – You Were So Young CD/2xLP (Optic Nerve)
Complete 22-track collection of The Cigarettes entire recorded output. The rock band from Lincoln, UK was active from 1978-1989.
John Coltrane – Blue World CD/LP (Verve)
In 1964, the National Film Board of Canada asked John Coltrane to record the soundtrack for a French-language film titled Le Chat Dans Le Sac (The Cat In The Bag). In June of that year, Coltrane’s classic quartet entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio and recorded five previously-recorded Coltrane originals. For many years, viewers of the film who recognized the music thought that they were listening to the original recordings, though in fact they were new and had never been heard.
Alessandro Cortini – Volume Massimo CD/LP (Mute)
In his solo work and as a member of Nine Inch Nails, Alessandro Cortini’s music casts the listener into an intricately rendered vortex of emotive dynamics, where he expertly maximizes the boundaries of contemporary electronic music. Volume Massimo combines his fondness for melody with the rigor of experimental practice. It follows on from 2017’s universally acclaimed album Avanti. [Transparent turquoise colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Creeping Death – Wretched Illusions CD/LP (E1)
Creeping Death quickly ascended to the top of the modern death metal pile with sheer determination, single-minded focus, bludgeoning heaviness, and breakneck intensity.
Crypt Sermon – The Ruins Of Fading Light CD (Dark Descent)
A 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. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Cynic – Traced In Air Remixed CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
In 2008, after a 15-year hiatus, the legendary Cynic reemerged with Traced In Air. An album of sublime beauty, it blended their renowned musical prowess with splendor and grace. Now, a decade later, the trio usher forth a renewed edition featuring new tracking by virtuoso bassist Sean Malone and a vibrant new remix/remaster by Periphery’s Adam Nolly Getgood (Animal As Leaders, Devin Townsend, Haken).
Alan Davey’s Psychedelic Warlords – Hal Of The Mountain Grill Live (London 2014) CD/LP (Purple Pyramid)
Former Hawkwind bassist Alan Davey revives the Psychedelic Warlords, including frontman Craig High, keyboardist Zoie Green and guitarist Simon Wilkins, for an acid trip down memory lane on this spectacular live recording [Limited orange colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dayseeker – Sleeptalk CD/LP (Spinefarm)
Expansive fourth LP from the post-hardcore band.
Dead Express – Brain Damage CD/LP (Dead Express David)
What is rock ‘n’ roll? For some, it is raw energy and spontaneity. For others, a mood-enhancer. Rock ‘n’ roll can mean loud shows, smoke and fire or sex and drugs. For Dead Express it is all about sweat and suffering; a lifestyle that means believing in yourself. Dead Express’ music has always been about spontaneity, but this time it has been strengthened by planning and dedication.
The Dead South – Good Company CD/LP (Six Shooter)
A rock band without a drummer, a bluegrass band without a fiddler. To the gentlemen of The Dead South, a self-styled 4-piece string band from Regina, Saskatchewan, it’s about how, not what, you play. The Dead South’s combination of cello, mandolin, guitar and banjo has all the hallmarks of a group tuned to bygone times, but with their signature sleight of hand, The Dead South find distinctly modern bathos in this old time rigging.
Diamond Dogs – Recall Rock ‘N’ Roll And The Magic Soul CD/LP (Wild Kingdom)
New album from the Swedish rock ‘n’ roll band.
DragonForce – Extreme Power Metal CD/32xLP (Metal Blade)
DragonForce’s eighth full-length was produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited and also recorded, in part, on guitarist Herman Li’s livestream channel on Twitch with participation from the fans. Following the departure of Vadim Pruzhanov from the band in 2018, keyboards were performed by Coen Janssen of symphonic metal titan Epica, bringing a new dimension to DragonForce’s sound. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Early November – Lilac CD (Rise)
The Early November’s first album since 2015’s Imbue and fifth full-length effort overall, Lilac represents a shift towards a more pop-centric sound while preserving the raw vulnerability that the band has become known for. [Vinyl edition due October 4.]
Efterklang – Altid Sammen CD/LP (4AD)
Seven years after their last album release, Efterklang make a welcome return with a fifth studio record Altid Sammen (meaning always together). It’s deep and sonorous, steeped in the sonic experimentation that has long been their trademark since Tripper, the Danes’ 2004 debut. As bold and ambitious in scope as their last collection of songs, Piramida, Efterklang has taken another creative U-turn, this time fusing baroque instrumentation with their signature expansive sound. For perhaps the first time in the band’s history, they took a less-is-more approach, engaging on a more primal and emotional level.
E-L-R – Maenad CD/LP/Cassette (Prophecy)
On their debut full-length Mænad, Swiss post doomers E-L-R offer a new perspective on panoramic musical vistas. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Esbe – Late Night Headphones Vol. 1 [Reissue/2010] CD (Cold Busted)
Originally released on Dusted Wax Kingdom in 2010, Late Night Headphones Vol. 1 is the first part of a three-part series from multi-genre producer Esbe. Esbe is based in Los Angeles, and through releases on Dusted Wax Kingdom, Cult Classic, and Cold Busted (which issued his acclaimed album Bloomsday), he’s proven his sublime beat-making acumen. Esbe’s forte is atmospheric instrumental production, incorporating cut-up jazz and soul samples mixed into an intricate and tasty sonic stew. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Euclid – Heavy Equipment [1970] CD/LP (Magic Box)
Comprising former members of New England faves The Cobras and Lazy Smoke, hard-hitting quartet Euclid formed in 1970 and featured no fewer than three lead guitarists. Their sole album consists of bludgeoning post-psychedelic hard rock.
Firebreather – Under A Blood Moon CD (Riding Easy)
Fire is what happens when a carbon based object is consumed by oxygen. That chemical reaction is fitting to the sound of Firebreather: the riffs are suffocating, the rhythms fast-moving and all-consuming. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
.gif from god – approximation_of_a_human CD/LP (Prosthetic)
.gif from god describe themselves as serious yet playful, practicing a cold, calculating blend of grind and metalcore absurdity designed to act as a vehicle for their ominous propaganda.
Girl Band – The Talkies CD/LP (Rough Trade)
The Talkies deals with the phenomenon of sound, as artistic communication becomes sensory rather than cognitive. Lyrically, the language is de- contextualized, allowing it to rock seamlessly between the absurd and the every day. “This one is a return to their all-consuming form, and it’s gnarly, acetic underbelly makes most other indie rock feel like child’s play.” – Stereogum
Grateful Dead – Saint Of Circumstance: Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford NJ 6/17/91 3xCD/5xLP (Grateful Dead)
Widely considered one of the most exciting, inspired, and greatest shows of the Dead’s final decade of performing, the magnificent 6/17/91 show features relentlessly excellent performances, and is filled with surprises. Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick join Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart & Bill Kreutzmann to round out the stellar line-up.
Keiji Haino/Jim O’Rourke/Oren Ambarchi – In the past only geniuses were capable of staging the perfect crime also known as a revolution Today anybody can accomplish their aims with the push of the button CD/2xLP (Black Truffle)
For its 50th release, Black Truffle presents the ninth album from one of the label’s core ensembles, the power trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi. Drawn from a November 2015 performance at Tokyo’s now-defunct SuperDeluxe, the record’s opening piece drops us immediately into the maelstrom, abruptly cutting into an extended episode of Ambarchi’s pummeling drums, O’Rourke’s fuzzed-out six-string bass, and Haino’s roaring guitar and electronics.
The Heartbreakers – Yonkers Demo 1976 CD/LP (Cleopatra)
A collection of the first recordings from the influential NY-born garage punk band The Heartbreakers, who would live on as the support band behind ex-NY Doll Johnny Thunders. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Heaven’s Club – Here There And Nowhere CD (Profound Lore)
Formed in Oakland, CA, Heaven’s Club began as the project of Shiv Mehra during downtime while off tour with his band Deafheaven. It then expanded to include Deafheaven drummer Dan Tracy, Nadia Kury, Chris Natividad, Ross Peacock and Luis Mayorga. Finding ground in introspective lyricism and progressive, ethereal sonics, they achieve a careful balance between punching urgency and distant atmosphere. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Hecker – Inspection II CD (Editions Mego)
Florian Hecker’s latest CD release continues his work with computational techniques for analysis and re-synthesis. Throughout Inspection II, you hear the progressive reconstruction of original source material using algorithms based upon human hearing and designed to capture timbral characteristics of sound. As the source is iteratively extracted from featureless noise, a complex ongoing dialogue commences between formal model and empirical experience of sound.
Hellyeah – Welcome Home CD/LP (Eleven Seven Music)
Hellyeah’s story took a tragic twist on June 22nd, 2018, when world-renowned drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott passed away to once more be reunited with his beloved brother, Dimebag Darrell. Dauntless, the heartbroken Hellyeah bravely soldiered on to complete the album Vinnie had already recorded his drum parts for – the outfit’s sixth offering, Welcome Home.
Kristin Hersch – Crooked [Reissuce/2009] CD/LP+MP3 (Fire)
Following a special vinyl release for this year’s Record Store Day celebrating its tenth anniversary, Crooked is reissued on black vinyl and CD. ‘A figurehead for feminist indie rock’ (Classic Rock), Kristin Hersh achieved a music and publishing first when her eighth solo album was initially released as a multi-media book in 2009. Hersh’s “poetic, provocative and puzzling songcraft” (The Washington Post) makes Crooked a stunning record.
High Command – Beyond The Wall Of Desolation CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Worcester, MA-based crossover outfit High Command set out on a warpath to create the heaviest work they have produced yet on their first full-length.
The Hussy – Looming CD/LP (Dirtnap)
16 tracks of trash-pop that run the entire gamut of punk rock ‘n’ roll.
Elmore James – The Sky Is Crying: The Ultimate Collection 3xCD (Sunset Blvd.)
Elmore’s last great recordings occurred in the 1960s when he was signed by New York producer/label-owner Bobby Robinson (Fire, Fury & Enjoy Records). Unlike many of his contemporaries, James seemingly got better as the years progressed. These recordings have surfaced on so many different compilations – all with varying levels of sound quality. Fortunately, to make things easier we have this three-CD 58-song box set rounding up at least one extant take of everything Elmore recorded with Robinson at the helm.
Joey Cool – Old Habits Die Hard CD (Strange Music
New album from the emcee featuring Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, King Iso, JL, Emilio Rojas, Ubiquitous, Godemis, and more.
Will Johnson – Wire Mountain CD/LP (Keeled Scales)
Wire Mountain is Johnson’s second album recorded with Britton Beisenherz at his Austin studio Ramble Creek Recording and together they further develop new palettes and textures for Johnson’s songs, this time enlisting fellow Austinites Thor Harris (of Swans and Thor & Friends) and minimalist folk-duo Little Mazarn to help shape and define them.
Jack Klatt – It Ain’t The Same CD/LP+MP3 (Yep Roc)
Part balladeer and part bluesman, Jack is a dedicated songwriter and finger-style guitarist based in Minneapolis, MN. His sound pulls from a wide range of American music. From Rhythm and Blues and early Rock N Roll, to country and folk music, Jack brings his own voice to all of his songs. In the words of Americana Roots UK, Jack doesn’t rely on other writers for his diversity, he can write in pretty much any musical style of his choosing.
KMFDM – Paradise CD (Metropolis)
Blending techno innovation, punk snarl, metal aggression, Paradise is an impactful set of dance beats, crunching guitars, and the dual vocal attack of founder Sascha K. & Lucia Cifarelli. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Led Bib – It’s Morning CD/LP (RareNoise)
Led Bib has long been renowned for its skronky, livewire fusion of exploratory jazz improvisation with the brute force of heavy rock and the labyrinthine architecture of prog. It’s Morning retains an identifiable sense of adventure and virtuosity while marking a vast departure from previous recordings, veering into the realm of elusive, poetic narrative and lysergic beauty.
Tove Lo – Sunshine Kitty CD/LP (Island)
Like a personal fantasy, Tove Lo invites you close enough to see, hear, and feel the moment just before it evaporates back into the ether once more. In 2018, she officially relocated to Los Angeles and dove headfirst into creating her fourth full-length, Sunshine Kitty. It represented a new season for Tove marked by a reclamation of confidence, hard-earned wisdom, more time, and a nascent romance. It starts with the confident and catchy single “Glad He’s Gone”.
John Lodge – B Yond: The Very Best Of CD (BMG)
John Lodge is bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the iconic Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2018 inductees, The Moody Blues. B Yond: The Very Best Of features three new recordings, two new remixes, and other tracks chosen by John Lodge himself from the very best of his career. [Vinyl edition due November 15.]
Mahalia – Love And Compromise CD (Atlantic)
Mahalia is a 21-year old R&B/soul artist based in London, England. Featured on Rudimental’s 2015 anthem We The Generation, Mahalia has a rich sound that recalls the likes of Erykah Badu, Sade, and Lauryn Hill. Her debut album Love And Compromise features the UK hit “Do Not Disturb” and “Simmer” featuring Burna Boy.
Majeure – Mass Flashbacks CD/Cassette (Holodeck)
Reviving the essence of Krautrock and classic horror soundtracks, veteran composer and multi-instrumentalist AE Paterra is back with his latest cinematic full-length as Majeure. Naturally gravitating towards the creativity and virtuoso style of ‘70s and ‘80s prog, metal and classic rock, Paterra excelled at percussion and developed a high level of musicianship by the time he moved to Pittsburgh to attend college. [Vinyl edition due October 4.]
Lloyd McNeill – Soul Jazz Records Presents Llloyd McNeill: Elegia CD/LP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Originally released on the McNeill’s own private press Baobab label in New York in 1980, Elegia is a serious collectors piece; a heavyweight and fascinating fusion of deep spiritual jazz with Brazilian rhythms and melodies.
Moon Duo – Stars Are The Light CD/LP+MP3 (Sacred Bones)
Stars Are the Light, the luminous seventh album by the American psych explorers Moon Duo, marks a progression into significantly new territory. From a preoccupation with the transcendental and occult that informed Ripley Johnson and Sanae Yamada’s guitar-driven psych rock, and reached its apotheosis in the acclaimed Occult Architecture diptych, Stars Are The Light sees the band synthesize the abstract and metaphysical with the embodied and terrestrial. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mortem – Ravnsvart CD/LP (Peaceville)
Before Arcturus there was Mortem. Bringing together members of Arcturus, Mayhem, Thorns, & 1349 for a masterwork of eerie black metal, Peaceville proudly presents the brand-new debut studio album of the newly reformed Norwegian legends.
Jordan Moser – Long Night CD/LP (Keeled Scales)
Jordan Moser’s label debut Long Night is witty, literary folk-country in the vein of the Texas outlaw greats, with nods to folks like John Prine and Guy Clark.
Oddarrang – Hypermetros CD (Edition)
Hypermetros is the fifth album from Finnish sound sculptors and creators of atmospheric epics, Oddarrang. The album is rooted by bold hooks and melodies, and molded with raw, emotive themes; the title references the Greek word meaning “beyond measure”, which perfectly reflects the band’s ambition and vision. [Vinyl edition due October 4.]
Of Mice & Men – Earthandsky CD/LP (Rise)
New album from the hard rock/metal band.
Otava Yo – Do You Love CD (Arc Music)
The band Otava Yo was born spontaneously around 2003 from a group of professional folk musicians in St. Petersburg, Russia. They wanted to create new interpretations of Russian folk music, lpen to everyone with open ears, and to revive neglected tunes from bygone times. They’ve been called modern buffoons and the music has been described as communal groove. Both are true. Otava Yo play their music in a vigorous manner with uninhibited humor, mixing fierily-played traditional Russian instruments with a look straight out of Gogol- one which simultaneously frightens and attracts tourists.
Charlie Parr – Charlie Parr CD/LP (Red House)
“Taking acoustic blues and folk to the darkest edges of town via driving arrangements which emphasize steam-driven tempos and a doom-slinging attitude over spit and Polish studio shine, Parr nonetheless manages to sound both breathtakingly immediate and authentically antiquated at the same time.” – No Depression
Pencey Sloe – Don’t Believe, Watch Out CD/LP (Prophecy)
With Don’t Believe, Watch Out, Pencey Sloe unroll a rather distinct carpet of weightless guitars and ethereal singing onto a familiar foundation of shoegaze and dream pop. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Ramones – It’s Alive 4xCD+2xLP (WB)
Super Deluxe 40th anniversary reissue of The Ramone’s first live album. Remastered and expanded with three unreleased concerts from the same tour.
Red River Dialect – Abundance Welcoming Ghosts CD/LP (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Red River Dialect peer back at Red River Dialect’s British folk and folk-rock forebears, from Fairport Convention and Jackie Leven to Talk Talk. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Josh Rennie-Hynes – Patterns CD/LP (Soundly Music, LLC)
With the influx of change in Nashville, TN, the story of an artist’s move to Music City with the hopes of chasing a dream is not unheard of. Josh Rennie-Hynes, however, is not your typical Nashville transplant. Music is, and always has been number one. When the opportunity presented itself for him to make the move and focus solely on creating his next album, the distance from Australia to Nashville seemed like nothing. With that, the transition and growth that came from the move became an embedded inspiration on his stunning new album, Patterns.
The Replacements – Dead Man’s Pop 4xCD+LP (WB)
Dead Man’s Pop features the group’s Don’t Tell A Soul Album mixed as it was originally intended and expanded with previously unreleased studio and live recordings, including a session with tom waits and a complete 1989 concert. Although Don’t Tell A Soul ultimately became the group’s best-selling effort, The Replacements were unsatisfied with the sound of the record. The box features a newly completed mix of the album by Don’t Tell A Soul producer Matt Wallace (based on his 1988 Paisley Park mix); a disc of unreleased recordings (including a session with Tom Waits); plus the band’s entire June 2, 1989 show at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In total, the box includes 60 tracks – 58 of which have never been heard before.
Kenny Roby & 6 String Drag – Tired Of Feelin’ Guilty: 25 Years Of Kenny Roby CD (Schoolkids)
Roby is a songwriter’s songwriter. He has been championed worldwide in the press, radio and by other songwriters such as Steve Earle, Neal Casal, Citizen Cope, Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) and even had his songs covered by roots music legend Michael Hurley who was an integral part of the Holy Model Rounders and was signed to Moses Asch to Folkways Records in the 1960s.
SeeYouSpaceCowboy – The Correlation Between Entrance And Exit Wounds CD/LP (Pure Noise)
Combining the MySpace-era grind sound they loved as teenagers with more modern takes on the heavy music genre, SoCal five-piece SeeYouSpaceCowboy has risen to become one of the most exciting bands in the underground scene’s new wave. They’ve done so not only through a devastatingly heavy and dexterous hardcore sound, but also razor-sharp lyricism at the hands of frontwoman Connie Sgarbossa.
Special Request – Offworld CD/2xLP (Houndstooth)
Offworld started with the question: what if Jam & Lewis signed to Metroplex? Offworld is the third of four albums from Special Request in 2019. Paul Woolford, aka Special Request, has a BBC Radio 1 Residency show.
Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules CD/LP (Steel Panther Inc.)
California’s greatest export and renowned feminist supporters Steel Panther recently took a break from working with NASA scientists on a multiple orgasm inducing guitar pedal to record their fifth studio album.
Mick Stern + Jeff Lorber Fusion – Eleven CD (Concord)
Grammy Award-winning keyboardist/composer/producer Jeff Lorber teams up Guitar Player magazine’s Certified Legend, Mike Stern. Over the years each has staked out his respective musical territory – Lorber, the electric maestro from Los Angeles, pioneering the post-fusion sound of contemporary jazz with his radio-friendly, groove-oriented instrumental music; Stern, the esteemed six-stringer from New York, lending his considerable chops to bands led by Jaco Pastorius and Michael Brecker.
Billy Strings – Home CD/2xLP (Rounder)
Billy Strings has been hailed as the future of bluegrass, transcending tradition and genre with his high velocity, flat-picking guitar technique and intense, confessional songwriting. Home, Strings’ remarkable second studio album, is undoubtedly the Michigan-born, Nashville-based artist’s bravest excursion thus far, reshaping bluegrass into his own exceptional form, completely rewiring the aesthetic with elements of punk, country, folk rock, and genuine psychedelic exploration to fashion something altogether original and all his own.
Telefon Tel Aviv – Dreams Are Not Enough CD/LP (Ghostly Int’l)
The return of storied Southern Gothic electronic entity Telefon Tel Aviv is as unexpected as it is impressive. Their three influential albums of the 2000’s-Farenheit Fair Enough, Map Of What Is Effortless, and Immolate Yourself-charted an increasingly turbulent and textured vision of post-IDM synthetic songcraft, until the sudden passing of founding member Charlie Cooper in 2009 ceased the project, presumably forever. During the decade since, co-founder Josh Eustis has performed with, produced, mixed, and mastered countless artists, from high-profile institutions (Nine Inch Nails, Puscifer, Apparat) to underground fixtures (Belong, Vatican Shadow, Drab Majesty, Tropic Of Cancer), in addition to his own solo and collaborative work in Sons Of Magdalene and Second Woman. But years of reflection and processing gradually seeded in him a desire to revive TTA and venture a fourth full-length, in the spirit of what they started: Dreams Are Not Enough.
Telescopes – Stone Tape [Reissue/2017] CD (Cold Spring)
Released in 2017 on vinyl – now available on CD. “The tenth album from The Telescopes is full of wall-to-wall psychedelic drones, swaying chants, trance-inducing shoegaze, and suspended-in-space magnificence” (Julian Cope).
Thigh Master – Now For Example CD/LP (Goner)
Brisbane (via Melbourne), Australia-based quartet Thigh Master are back with the long awaited second album Now For Example – the follow up to their 2016 debut Early Times. Following a string of sold-out singles as well as tours of U.S., Japan and Europe, the guitar-pop-guardians of the Brisbane underground deliver this latest, a 12-song hook-laden exertion, filled with imperious string bends and riffage framing witty tales of lethargic social observation, concocted by band leader Matthew Ford.
Thunder – Greatest Hits CD/LP (BMG)
A comprehensive, cohesive and career-spanning collection, taking in material from every single Thunder album since the debut that propelled them onto the world stage, 1990’s Backstreet Symphony which hit number 21 in the Charts. That first salvo was followed by Laughing On Judgement Day which hit No. 2 in 1992, and then Behind Closed Doors which was another Top 5 hit in 1995.
Tito & Tarantula – 8 Arms To Hold You CD/LP (It Sounds)
Tito & Tarantula is the U.S.-American Chicano rock/blues rock band formed in Hollywood, California in 1992 by singer/songwriter/guitarist Tito Larriva.
Trentemøller – Obverse CD/2xLP (In My Room)
Trentemøller returns with his fifth studio album. Anders Trentemøller is a well-known multi-instrumentalist, but perhaps the one he’s most adept at is the studio itself. Obverse is the result of him expanding that skill even further. It’s a work method that yielded great results for the legendary German kosmiche/motorik experimentalists of the 1970s.
Various Artists – C’mon! C’mon! 5xCD (Particles)
With over 125 rare tracks, C’mon! C’mon! represents the first ever boxed anthology of Scottish beat music. Tracing the roots of the Scottish pop and progressive music scenes during it’s halcyon 1963-1969 period, the collection highlights a lesser-known history that would richly contribute to the more widely acknowledged British 1960s music scene overall.
Various Artists – Garland Records: Pacific Northwest Fuzz Box CD/LP (Beatrocket)
Various Artists – Garland Records: Pacific Northwest Stash Box CD/LP (Beatrocket)
From the thriving hotbed of sixties garage and psychedelia of the Pacific Northwest and Salem’s orphic Garland Records comes these potent caches of rare and previously unreleased recordings. Chiefly composed of moody and mellow folk rockers and ethereal groovers, there are also a few far-out, heady reconstructions of familiar faves.
Various Artists – International Pop Overthrow: Volume 22 3xCD (Omnivore)
A three-CD compilation featuring 69 tracks by artists from all over the world who have played the International Pop Overthrow festival—along with some who haven’t.
Various Artists – Kompakt Total 19 2xCD/2xLP (Kompakt)
As per usual, Total is a collection of the past year’s biggest tunes, the crème de la crème of Kompakt’s steady output of 12-inches.
Various Artists – Red Scare Industries: 15 Years of Tears And Beers CD/LP (Red Scare)
Red Scare Industries: 15 Years Of Tears And Beers features new, previously-unreleased songs including Brendan Kelly (covering The Lillingtons), Broadway Calls (covering The Menzingers), the first new Sundowner song in years, the first new Lippies song since they reunited, as well as tracks by Sincere Engineer, The Copyrights, Elway, The Bombpops, Tightwire, Ramona, MakeWar, Billy Liar, and more.
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents Studio One DJ Party CD/2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
The latest installation from the mighty Studio One Records catalogue, a wicked new collection of the finest DJs and toasters ever to inhabit the world of reggae ‘ seminal Jamaican artists including Prince Jazzbo, Dillinger, Dennis Alcapone, Michigan & Smiley, Lone Ranger as well as a host of lesser known artists and rare cuts from Studio One.
Various Artists – Strut My Stuff CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
For every successful hit act that cracked the charts in the early ‘50s to mid- ‘60s, there were thousands of obscure artists exhibiting genuine country numbers free from mainstream oversight. Strut My Stuff rounds up such enigmas as the hectic hillbilly bopper “You’ve Been Honky Tonkin”,’the shotgun-wedding scenario of “My Inlaws Made An Outlaw Out Of Me”, and many more farm-raised rarities.
Various Artists – Treasure Isle Ska Rarities 3xCD (Trojan)
Based on the acclaimed 2017 7” singles box set of the same name, this hugely generous three-CD set comprises the original 20 tracks from that collection bolstered by 64 rare and unreleased bonus tracks, all recorded for Duke Reid’s legendary Treasure Isle catalogue between 1964 and 1966. Of the 84 romping ska tracks, 15 are previously unreleased, 44 make their CD debut and over 20 are have been officially unavailable for over a decade.
Vintersea – Illuminated CD/LP (M-Theory Audio)
Fronted by Malaysian-born singer Avienne, whose vocal range spans from haunting melodies to fierce growls, the Portland, OR-based Vintersea delivers heavy, emotionally powerful and technically intriguing music that is undeniably inspired by the majesty of America’s Pacific Northwest.
Patty Waters – Live CD/LP (Blank Forms)
Patty Waters is a visionary avant-garde vocalist and composer, best known for her groundbreaking 1960s recordings for the legendary free jazz label ESP-Disk. Captivated by the music of Billie Holiday, she sang with Bill Evans, Charlie Mingus, Chick Corea, and Herbie Hancock before coming to the attention of Albert Ayler, who introduced her to ESP-Disk’s Bernard Stollman. The rest is history. Live is a release of her Blank Forms concert on April 5th, 2018 in New York.
The Wedding Present – Live 2010: Bizarro Played Live In Germany CD+DVD (Scopitones)
The Wedding Present, recorded and filmed at the Atomic Café, Munich, on October 24th, 2010. This double-disc release includes both a CD and a DVD of the concert. DVD includes bonus track. Of the original Bizarro release, AllMusic says: “The Wedding Present’s second proper studio album, Bizarro, cut down a bit on the frenetic jangle the band was known for in it’s early days and replaced it with healthy doses of darkness and power. Adding some fuzzy, crunchy distortion to give the guitars some hefty impact, slowing the tempos down to speeds that allow vocalist David Gedge to squeeze more heartbroken despair and bleak sarcasm out of every line, and generally upping their game in every way, the album was the fullest realization of The Wedding Present’s sound yet.”
Wednesday 13 – Necrophaze CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
The Duke of Spook has returned once more from beyond the grave to unleash Necrophaze, the latest full length offering from the ghouls of Wednesday 13. Heavily influenced by the real life night terror occurrences of Wednesday himself, historical serial killers, and a slew of ‘80s horror films, the ideas behind Necrophaze are bizarrely familiar, frightening, and a hell of a lot of fun. To top it off guest appearances are made by the likes of Alice Cooper, Cristina Scabbia, Jeff Clayton and Alexi Laiho. [Limited mint green/purple swirl colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Wind Rose – Wintersaga CD (Napalm)
“We don’t write songs we smith them against the anvil”. That’s power metallers Wind Rose in a nutshell.
Marcus Scott – Back 2 Da Soul CD/LP (E1)
For fans of: Tower of Power, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Otis Redding, Al Green, Sam Cooke.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Rhymesayers)
Atmosphere – Seven’s Travels [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Rhymesayers)
Vinyl reissues of the Minneapolis hip-hop group’s third and fourth albums.
Avishai Cohen/Yonathan Avishai – Playing The Room LP (ECM)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Playing The Room bears testimony to the long musical friendship of Avishai Cohen and Yonathan Avishai who explored jazz as teenagers in Tel Aviv and have continued to play together over many years. Their first duo album begins with music composed by the trumpeter and by the pianist and concludes with a touching interpretation of Israeli composer Alexander Argov’s cradle song “Shir Eres”. Along the way, Avishai and Yonathan improvise – freely, playfully, soulfully – on themes from jazz tradition.
Beak – Life Goes On 12” (Temporary Residence)
Less than a year after the release of their breakthrough third album, the renowned UK out-rock trio Beak returns with the a new EP. Life Goes On features the recently released single, “We Can Go”, which the band says is the most normal song we have ever written.
Betcha – Falling LP (Atlantic)
Irreplaceable chemistry transpires between four musicians. The tried-and-true configuration of a four-piece rock band unlocks an endless array of possibilities. Nashville-based Betcha not only recognizes such limitlessness, but they also leverage it. Ultimately, the quartet breathe new life into this traditional ideal. On their debut album, Falling, expansive vibes encompass sweetly stoned rock, electronic-backed alternative, and punchy anthems, evoking the power of four.
Big Blood – Daughter’s Union LP (Feeding Tube)
Big Blood puff themselves up like a most splendid glam rock peacock, fairly bursting with readymade-riffs and inspirational high kicking energy bursts.
Boys Of Fall – Better Moments LP (Invogue)
Detroit, MI’s Boys Of Fall offer up an expanded edition of their breakout 2018 album Better Moments featuring new songs and B-side versions of a couple of fan favorites.
Canned Heat – Canned Heat [Reissue/1967] LP (Sundazed Music)
Limited gold colored vinyl pressing of Canned Heat’s eponymous 1967 debut LP, released shortly after their attention-getting performance at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival introduced the band’s audacious synthesis of blues tradition and electrified boogie.
Chastity Belt – Chastity Belt LP (Hardly Art)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. With the luxury of spending several weeks in the studio with Jay Som’s Melina Duterte, Chastity Belt was able to experiment on their fourth record. The new self-titled collection is the work of the band playing “old songs, and trying new things on top of it,” like adding more dynamic harmonies and violin. Lydia Lund, Gretchen Grimm, and Julia Shapiro all share lead vocals on different tracks on the album as well. The result is their most sonically developed and nuanced record yet; one that’s not only a product of, but a series of reflections on what it means to take what you need and to understand yourself better. Chastity Belt. Many of Chastity Belt’s signature dynamics, from the silly to the sincere, have read as feminist gestures: the cool slut DGAF-iness, the shrugging off of the “women in rock” press gargle, the fundamentally punk act of creating music on your own as a woman, and being lyrically forthright. The band has tapped into a deeper tradition of women making art on their terms: the act of self-preservation in favor of the long game. [Cassette version due October 11.]
Colter Wall – Colter Wall [Reissue/2017] LP (Young Mary’s)
Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, Colter Wall’s eponymous 2017 album was recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A. Wall’s sound is comprised of resonate and raw baritone vocals, folk and bluegrass style guitar and banjo picking, steady kick-drum stomping, and visually provoking, storytelling lyrics.
Brian Crook w/ The Renderers – The World Just Eats Me Up Alive LP (Ba Da Bing!)
While recording a group of songs that would end up being part of This World Just Eats Me Up Alive, Brian Crook took a break outside with his bandmates. A small girl nearby ran up to a woman saying “Mommy, mommy! There’s a vampire here!” The mother asked how the girl knew it was a vampire, and the girl said, “He talks like this, and proceeded to do a growling impression of a New Zealand accent”. At the time, Brian was in a dark suit and had super long hair, and was playing badminton. Crook’s new solo album comprises eight years of recording, so perhaps his undead appearance is not surprising; it comprises a span of inspiration that seems almost vampiric, with themes suggested by Greek mythology, a favorite 1960s author, to the abstract electronics of Aphex Twin and Arca as influences.
Dick Dale and The Del-Tones – Surfers’ Choice [Reissue/1962] LP (Sundazed Music)
Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available of a surf guitar landmark.
El Ten Eleven – El Ten Eleven [Reissue/2004] LP (Joyful Noise)
The music of El Ten Eleven has been embraced by fans of many genres – from math rock, to jazz, to lo-fi hip-hop. The duo’s sound is sharply evocative in mood and feeling, yet simultaneously abstract and meditative.
Foghat – Fool For The City [Reissue/1975] LP (Friday Music)
Foghat’s first platinum album, Fool For The City is classic meat-and-potatoes ’70s rock with killer slide-guitar solos, crunchy leads, driving rhythms, and soaring vocals. [Limited colored red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Aretha Franklin – Aretha’s Gold [Reissue/1969] LP (Atlantic)
Released in 1969, Aretha’s Gold is the chart-topping greatest hits compilation that features her biggest hits from her early Atlantic albums: “Respect”, “Think”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, “Chain of Fools”, and more.
Ace Frehley – Anomaly [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (E1)
Limited 180gm colored vinyl pressing of the Kiss frontman’s 2009 solo album featuring embossed artwork and three bonus tracks.
Ghost – Prequelle Exalted 4xLP+7” (Loma Vista)
Deluxe colored vinyl single box set includes bonus 7” with two brand new original songs, a 60-page arena tour photo book hardbound and wrapped in black gator skin, four 12 x 12 live photo prints, exclusive die-cut Prequelle artwork with 12-page booklet featuring brand-new, mind-blowing illustrations, and Ghost 7” vinyl adapter. Released last year, Prequelle is the fourth studio album by the Swedish rockers. The album’s theme focuses on Medieval times and the Black Death along with more modern themes.
Goldfrapp – Black Cherry [Reissue/2003] LP (Mute/BMG)
Originally released in April 2003, Black Cherry has been unavailable on vinyl for many years. This reissue is pressed on purple colored vinyl and includes an exclusive 12″ x 12″ art print.
The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike [Reissue/2004] LP (Memphis Industries)
The Go! Team burst onto the scene back in 2004 with their debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike putting the disco in discordant & red limiting all the levels. They scored Pitchfork Best New Music, a Mercury nomination and from a small bedroom concern in Brighton emerged to take on the world. Now lovingly restored to its original glory, Thunder, Lightning, Strike is reissued on limited edition silver colored vinyl.
David Hasselhoff – Open Your Eyes CD/LP (Cleopatra)
The Hoff takes on a grip of covers including The Lords Of The New Church’s “Open Your Eyes”, Modern English’s “I Melt With You”, Echo & The Bunnymen’s “Lips Like Sugar”, Bowie’s “Heroes” (with verses sung in German) and many more. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Illvilja – Livet LP (Halvfabrikat)
Think Acursed, think Martyrdöd. This is the debut by this crustpunk band, deriving from Lidköping, Sweden.
Interpol – Antics [Reissue/2004] LP (Matador)
Limited white colored vinyl pressing of Interpol’s second album. With Antics, Interpol has delivered a disc even more engaging than its celebrated predecessor, Turn On The Bright Lights, without sacrificing any of the depth that has made them such an important band for so many.
Peter Jefferies – The Last Ticket Home LP (Grapefruit)
Peter Jefferies, a living legend of New Zealand underground music, from his seminal bands Nocturnal Projections and This Kind Of Punishment, to his collaborative efforts in bands such as Plagal Grind and Two Foot Flame, is perhaps best known for his solo work on masterpieces such as The Last Great Challenge In A Dull World (1990) and Electricity (1994), as well as numerous other albums of his singular songcraft. The Last Ticket Home collects rare singles, both released and unreleased, radical live interpretations, and a wealth of never released material dating from 1991-2019.
Kaleta & Super Yamba Band – Mèdaho LP (Ubiquity)
Debut album from the Brooklyn based Afro-funksters. Fronted by Afrobeat and Juju veteran Leon LiganMajek AKA Kaleta-a native of Benin Republic-Mèdaho draws on the group’s shared reverence for the raw, psychedelic afro-funk sound that captivated Kaleta as a music loving kid in 1970s Benin. [CD edition due October 11.]
Konstrukt/Ken Vandermark – Kozmik Bazaar LP+MP3 (Karlrecords)
Turkish free jazzers Konstrukt continue their series of exciting collaborations with Ken Vandermark, one of the key figures of Chicago’s vivid jazz scene.
Le Butcherettes – Live At Clouds Hill LP (Clouds Hill)
The band, founded in 2007 by Teri Gender Bender, captivates with a mixture of noisy songs which are always catchy enough to stay in the listener’s head. How wild the live shows can be, the band showed during their gig in the Clouds Hill Studios.
The Litter – Distortions LP (Sundazed)
Pure, unfiltered ‘60s garage rock pressed on colored vinyl.
Louis Moholo Octet – Spirits Rejoice! [Reissue/1978] LP (Otoroku)
One of the most legendary free jazz records ever produced, Spirits Rejoice! Is a high achievement in the movement of the era as it soars beyond oppression with a raucous and spiritually uplifting surge of movement and melody.
Roy Montgomery/Emma Johnston – After Nietzsche LP (Aguirre)
New album by New Zealand composer and guitarist Roy Montgomery in close collaboration with Emma Johnston. After Nietzsche is a response to Nietzsche’s assertion in Twilight Of The Idols (1889) that without music, life would be a mistake.
Mudhoney – Morning In America 12”+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Morning in America consists of seven songs that were recorded during the sessions for Mudhoney’s 2018 album, Digital Garbage (“… an astute, politically relevant and commendably fired-up garage punk belter of an LP,” – The Quietus).
Nosaj Thing – Drift [Reissue/2009] LP (Timetable)
An entire decade has passed since the release of Nosaj Thing’s critically acclaimed masterpiece of an album, Drift. In listening to how effortlessly this album has held up over the past 10 years, it is evident that Jason Chung is nothing shy of an exceptionally talented record producer, composer, and is proud to finally reissue this classic.
Omophagia – 646965 LP (Unique Leader)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The follow up to their sickeningly ferocious album In The Name Of Chaos, which Dead Rhetoric called “intense, visceral, and sure to leave your head spinning after the first play-through,” 646965 sees Omophagia pushing their brand of sonic devastation to new levels of technicality, ruthless extremity, and mosh pit inducing songwriting power.
One True Painting – One True Painting LP (Domino)
Tom Fleming, former Wild Beasts songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist is back with a new project, One True Pairing. This idea and the expanding themes – male identity, class, taste – are its cornerstones. This seething blend of difficult emotions is explored in One True Pairing’s palette of taut and clipped guitar that flickers between new wave and even at times ‘80s MOR titans Dire Straits, looming synths, trickling melodies.
Amanda Palmer – There Will Be No Intermission 2xLP (Cooking Vinyl)
Limited pink colored vinyl pressing. There Will Be No Intermission, Amanda Palmer’s third solo effort and first in more than six years, is the multi-faceted artist’s most powerful and personal collection to date, with songs that tackle the big questions: life, death, grief and how we make sense with it all. While the themes may be dark, the album’s overall sonic and lyrical mood is one of triumph in the face of life’s most ineffably shitty circumstances.
Pinback – Summer In Abaddon [Reissue/2004] LP (Touch & Go)
Hailing from San Diego, Pinback is a band comprised of two principal players: Armistead Burwell Smith IV (Zach) and Rob Crow. Pinback started as a part-time endeavor back in 1998, when Zach’s band 3 Mile Pilot went on an extended hiatus and Rob found time away from his other musical interests (mainly Thingy and Heavy Vegetable). After recording their self-titled debut in 1999, Pinback became a fully realized project.
John Prine – In Spite Of Ourselves [Reissue/1999] LP (Oh Boy)
Limited pink colored vinyl pressing. Star-studded 1999 duets album featuring Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless & others.
The Rockin’ Ramrods – The Rockin’ Ramrods LP (Beatrocket)
The perfect proto-punk blend of melody and aggression by The Rockin’ Ramrods put a stranglehold on the mid 60s Boston rock scene.
The Roots – Things Fall Apart [Reissue/1999] 3xLP (Epic)
Deluxe triple clear vinyl pressing. Regarded as their breakthrough album, The Roots’ Things Fall Apart was recorded during the infamous Soulquarian recordings at Electric Lady Studios resulting in legendary collaborations from the collective. With all-star features from Erykah Badu, Common, Mos Def, Jay Dee, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Dice Raw, Eve, Beanie Segal, Jill Scott, Lady B, and Ursula Rucker, it received numerous accolades and awards.
SadhuGold – The Gold Room LP (Nature Sounds)
With a sound he describes as the soundtrack to the subconscious of the space-time continuum, Philadelphia producer SadhuGold has emerged as one of hip-hop’s most exciting new sonic architects. Specializing in raw, dusty vibes with an otherworldly feel, SahduGold has crafted tracks for acclaimed artists like Mach-Hommy, Westside Gunn, Tha God Fahim, Your Old Droog, and more. His latest project is The Gold Room, a brand new instrumental album conceived as the score of a prequel to Stanley Kubrick’s classic film The Shining.
Silversun Pickups – Carnavas [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Dangerbird)
Silversun Pickups – Pikul [Reissue/2009] 12” (Dangerbird)
Silversun Pickups – Swoon [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Dangerbird)
Silversun Pickups – Neck Of The Woods [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Dangerbird)
From the moment they burst onto the vibrant Silver Lake scene in 2002, Silversun Pickups has been a force to be reckoned with. 20 years into a career that has racked up 10 Top 20 hits on Billboard’s Alternative Songs and a 2010 Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist, Dangerbird Records is proud to celebrate the band’s enduring legacy and equally exciting present with gorgeous colored vinyl pressings of Silversun Pickups’ four label-era releases.
Status Quo – On The Level [Reissue/1974] LP (Culture Factory)
Translucent orange colored vinyl pressing of Status Quo’s eighth album.
Various Artists – Hitsville: The Making Of Motown [OST] LP (Motown)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Original soundtrack to the 2019 Showtime documentary. The Making Of Motown tells the story of the legendary Motown Records, told through new and exclusive interviews with the label’s visionary founder, Berry Gordy, and many of its superstar artists and creative figures. The soundtrack features a selection of songs from the film by Motown artists including The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Jackson 5, The Isley Brothers, Four Tops & others.
Various Artists – Institute Of Sonology 1959-1969 2xLP (Sub Rosa)
Early electronic music from 1959 to 1969 produced by the Institute of Sonology/Instituut voor sonologie, in Utrecht, Holland. Works composed by Dick Raaijmakers, Frits Weiland, Ton Bruynel, Konrad Boehmer, Gottfried Michael Koenig, and Rainer Riehn.
Various Artists – Visible & Invisible Persons Distributed In Space LP (Numero)
Ten incredible albums culled from the deepest, weirdest co-op of record enthusiasts ever gathered under one banner. This unwieldily titled collection documents ten successful experiments in privately-issued sci- fi soul music, lonely transmissions from a planet in a state of cultural fugue. Packaged in a one-way portal to the further limits of expression.
Wishbone Ash – Pilgrimage [Reissue/1971] LP (Culture Factory)
Limited translucent orange colored vinyl reissue of Wishbone Ash’s second studio album.
Youn Sun Nah – Immersion CD (Arts Music)
Tenth album from the Korean jazz diva.
XLNT – High Tide 12” (DFA)
Christened High Tide after the sudden rising of the L.A. River basin during a particularly epic and rare rainfall, this cosmic slop funk jam was born from the minds of Devin Flynn (Pixeltan) and Eddie Ruscha (Secret Circuit), two individuals with a deep connection to Los Angeles tap water sources.
Cassettes:
E-L-R – Maenad (Prophecy)
On their debut full-length Mænad, Swiss post doomers E-L-R offer a new perspective on panoramic musical vistas.
Majeure – Mass Flashbacks (Holodeck)
Reviving the essence of Krautrock and classic horror soundtracks, veteran composer and multi-instrumentalist AE Paterra is back with his latest cinematic full-length as Majeure. Naturally gravitating towards the creativity and virtuoso style of ‘70s and ‘80s prog, metal and classic rock, Paterra excelled at percussion and developed a high level of musicianship by the time he moved to Pittsburgh to attend college
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