November Program Titles Released This Week:
1349 – The Infernal Pathway CD/2xLP/Cassette (Season Of Mist)
Norwegian black metal titans 1349 return with their long awaited seventh full-length, The Infernal Pathway. Following-up 2014’s Massive Cauldron Of Chaos, the album promises a journey through chaos and madness, darkness and peril, terror and annihilation. After performing a fiery show at Norway’s Inferno festival in 2019, 1349 started recording in Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard. Thus, The Infernal Pathway was born, a sonic parallel to summoning and unleashing the beast of the abyss in all its fearsome, ferocious and powerful splendor. [Deluxe CD edition also available.]
The Almost – The Fear Caller CD/LP (Fearless)
“I feel like I do the best under pressure when things are bad,” states The Almost frontman, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Aaron Gillespie. “I need pressure and chaos to push me to be the best me. People want peace, but I don’t strive in peace.” In between his duties as vocalist and drummer for gold-certified three-time Grammy Award-nominated juggernaut Underoath, Aaron introduced The Almost on 2007’s seminal Southern Weather. Over the years, the group has shared the stage with Faith No More, Jane’s Addiction and A Day To Remember. In between The Almost and Underoath records, Gillespie also spent two years touring behind the kit for Paramore. On The Almost’s new album, The Fear Caller, storytelling takes center stage. Inspired by Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Brand New, and Dawes, Aaron delivers the masterpiece he was always meant to make, achieving an artist breakthrough on par with his influences by diving into the songwriting process like never before. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Alter Bridge – We Walk The Sky CD/2xLP (Napalm)
For over 15 years, Alter Bridge has been a band known for blurring the line between hard rock and heavy metal. Building upon the sound that has won them worldwide critical acclaim and a devoted global fan base, the group returns with their sixth studio album, Walk The Sky. The fourteen-track opus marks a creative highpoint for the quartet. From the opening vocal melody on “One Life” to the moving finale of “Dying Light”, Alter Bridge has created a formidable addition to their catalog. And songs like “Godspeed”, “Native Son” and “Walking On The Sky” are sure to be early additions to their live set. Lead single “Wouldn’t You Rather” is quintessential Alter Bridge and “Forever Falling” also marks a lead vocal return from Mark Tremonti with Myles Kennedy taking the chorus as done previously on the Fortress favorite “Waters Rising”. [Indie exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Ariel View – Until My Lungs Are Cleared CD/LP (Epitaph)
Growing up in the suburbs of Ontario, CA, sisters Harmonie and Heaven Martinez have been playing music before they could walk and songwriting since middle school. It was when the two brought a few friends into the equation that they formed what is now an indie rock band they call Ariel View. With Harmonie Martinez (vocals/lead guitar), Heaven Martinez (vocals/bass), Miranda Viramontes (rhythm guitar), and Nadina Parra (drums), Ariel View has played countless DIY and club shows across Southern California. Influenced by garage, surf, psych rock, emo, and pop punk, Ariel View make music you can dance to, party to, sing along to, or maybe even cry to if that strikes the mood.
Ali Barter – Hello, I’m Doing My Best CD/LP (PIAS America)
Two years on from her blistering debut, A Suitable Girl, Ali Barter makes her triumphant return with follow-up Hello, I’m Doing My Best. This revealing collection of songs explores her most formative relationships with her body, her instincts, her sobriety and her connections to the people she loves most. Hello, I’m Doing My Best is a sentiment almost anyone can relate to, and that universality is the undeniable pull of Ali Barter’s work. From her breakout single “Girlie Bits” to recent cut “UR A Piece Of Shit”, Barter spins sobering honesty through sugary pop songs with a one-two punch of staunch self-assurance and touching vulnerability that is uniquely her own.
Battles – Juice B Crypts CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Battles return with Juice B Crypts on Warp Records to follow their complex, mind-bending predecessors Mirrored (2007), Gloss Drop (2011) and La Di Da Di (2015). Their latest album is a sensory overload of information that throws everything you thought you knew about Battles into flux once again. Battles’ redefined line-up puts Ian Williams (keys, electronics) and John Stanier (drums) at the core of the covertly named Juice B Crypts, which was produced and mixed by Chris Tabron (Trash Talk, Mobb Deep, Ratking). Marrying synthesizer loops, cut-throat drum patterns and cyclical riffs, the album flirts with new technology, questions of authenticity and the technicalities of reinventing the wheel at the eleventh hour. [Limited translucent colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Bremer/McCoy – Utopia CD/LP+MP3 (Luaka Bop)
Danish duo Bremer/McCoy’s music is a meditative and intense blend of jazz and dub created entirely via analog process. No computers are involved; they record everything straight to tape in their own studio. These two childhood friends tour with their own sound system to ensure adequate depth in the lower frequencies. Their new album, Utopia, was recorded over two cold and windy Copenhagen weeks in sessions plagued by malfunctioning gear, the band overcame these setbacks and recorded some of the clearest melodies and conceptual passages they have put to tape. In pieces such as “Åben Bog” they draw on Danish folk music as a base from which they work from more classical composition to a free-form and trouble-free place. The album’s closing track, “Determination”, stays true to its title and is a song without hesitation, finishing what the band sets out to do.
Clipping – There Existed An Addiction To Blood CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
There Existed An Addiction To Blood finds Clipping interpreting another rap splinter sect through their singular lens. This is Clipping’s transmutation of horrorcore, a purposefully absurdist sub-genre that flourished in the mid- ‘90s. If some of its most notable pioneers included Brotha Lynch Hung and Gravediggaz, it also encompasses seminal works from the Geto Boys, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and the near-entirety of classic Memphis cassette tape rap. The most subversive and experimental rap has often presented itself as an “alternative” to conventional sounds but Clipping respectfully warp them into new constellations. There Existed An Addiction To Blood absorbs the hyper-violent horror tropes of the Murder Dog era, but re-imagines them in a new light: still darkly tinted and somber, but in a weirder and more vivid hue. The album contains interludes with hissing recordings of demonic invasions, and guest appearances from Griselda Gang’s Benny The Butcher and Hypnotize Minds horror queen La Chat. Other tracks feature contributions from noise music legends The Rita and Pedestrian Deposit.
Common Holly – When I Say To You Black Lightning CD/LP (Barsuk)
Holding fast to the emotional honesty of Playing House (2017), Common Holly’s sophomore record, When I Say To You Black Lightning, is a look outward; an exploration of the ways in which we all experience pain, fear and self-delusion, and how we can learn to confront those feelings with boldness. A swift change of course, the album couples a submergence into the dark and dissonant with its consolation in harmony and a dose of dry humor. The record is more experimental than Common Holly songwriter Brigitte Naggar’s debut. It’s rougher, looser, louder and more atonal. When I Say To You Black Lightning ditches fear without losing vulnerability, and trades in sadness for the healing powers of anger, and the strength of observing, recognizing and confronting. Through its nine labyrinthian yet catchy tracks, shaped sonically by the seriously unique visions of Devon Bate, Hamish Mitchell, and Naggar herself, the album observes the complexities of mental health, the precarity of life, and the challenges of finding strength in the face of grave misunderstanding.
Corridor – Junior CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)
Corridor is a group from Montreal. The rock ‘n’ roll band had barely inked their record deal with Sub Pop
when they surfed into studio, racing against time to make the most dazzling, immediate and inventive album of their young career: 39 minutes of darting and dodging guitars, spiraling vocal harmonies, and the complicated, goldenrod nostalgia of a Sunday mid-afternoon. Junior is the band’s third full-length; however, while 2015’s Le Voyage Éternel and 2017’s Supermercado were made languorously, taking shape across whole seasons, Clipping offered no such indulgence while crafting Junior. This time Dominic Berthiaume (vocals/bass), Julian Perreault (guitar), Jonathan Robert (vocals/guitar/synths), and Julien Bakvis (drums) conceived six of the album’s ten tracks during a single weekend. The timelessness of the group’s straight-forward setup underpins their sound: a rock ‘n’ roll mixed with punk and pop, psych and jangle, daydream and swoon. This is music that’s muscular, exciting and full of love, its riffs a kind of medicine.
The Cure – 40 Live: Cureation-25 + Anniversary – Two Live Shows Recorded In London 4xCD+2xDVD/4xCD+Blu-ray/2xDVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
In 2018 The Cure performed two historic shows celebrating a 40-year career: Anniversary (1978 – 2018 Live In Hyde Park London) – a 29-song, 135-minute anniversary concert, and Cureation-25 (From There To Here, From Here To There) which was captured on the tenth and final night of the 25th Meltdown Festival (curated by lead singer Robert Smith) at London’s Royal Festival. For the latter, The Cure performed a song from each of their 13 studio albums in chronological order, displaying the evolution of their music live on stage. Each show is collected on 40 Live (as stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions and as a box set that adds four audio CDs). Both were directed by Tim Pope, the long-time collaborator behind many of The Cure’s music videos and their award-winning 1986 concert film The Cure In Orange.
Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2 CD/LP (WB)
Foals return with two new albums in 2019: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 (released last March) and now, Part 2. Profoundly tethered but possessing their own personalities, the two albums capture the most compelling, ambitious and cohesive creations that Foals has ever produced. “They’re two halves of the same locket,” frontman Yannis Philippakis explains. “They can be listened to and appreciated individually, but fundamentally they are companion pieces.”
Eager to break the traditional pop song structure which they felt they were becoming increasingly tapered to, the 20 tracks defy expectation. There are exploratory, progressive-tinged tracks which occasionally break the 10-minute mark alongside atmospheric segues which make the music an experience rather than a mere collection of songs. Yet the band’s renowned ability to wield relentless grooves with striking power also reaches new heights. [Indie exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Nils Frahm – All Encores CD (Erased Tapes)
All Encores collects all three installments of his Encore EP series. Whilst Encores 1 focused on an acoustic pallet of sounds with solo piano and harmonium at the core, and Encores 2 explored more ambient landscapes, Encores 3 sees Nils expand on the percussive and electronic elements in his work. “The idea behind All Encores is one we had from before (2018 album) All Melody; to separate releases each with their own distinct musical style and theme, perhaps even as a triple album. But All Melody became larger than itself and took over any initial concepts. I think the idea of All Encores is like musical islands that compliment All Melody.” Molded during All Melody but refined by his live performances, All Encores is testament to Nils’ exceptional ability to craft his art on stage.
Garcia Peoples – One Step Beyond CD/LP+MP3 (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
Welcome to the sound of Garcia Peoples at full speed. Without losing a ray of sunshine or a drop of dew, One Step Behind is the first major statement by the malleable Brooklyn sextet. The 32-minute title cut highlights the twin guitars and songwriting of Tom Malach and Danny Arakaki and, instead of pointing itself towards one possible future for the band, just zaps itself square into the thick of it. Encompassing a range of moods and scenes in one flowing arc (plus a coda), it’s less a piece of music to listen to than it is a zone to occupy, a portal for all open-eared heads. The band’s third album in a year-and-a-half, “One Step Behind” is unquestionably their boldest yet. Whether or not you thought you knew Garcia Peoples’ music, One Step Behind is something new and beautiful, for new heads and old. No matter where you stand–behind, beyond, or another plane altogether – One Step Behind is ready. For those about to get on the bus, we salute you.
Kevin Griffin – Anywhere You Go CD (The End)
Kevin Griffin formed the alternative rock band Better Than Ezra in 1988. The band had great success in the 1990s with hits such as “Good,” “In the Blood,” and “Desperately Wanting,” and has continued in the 2000s with hits such as “Extra Ordinary,” “A Lifetime,” and “Juicy.” They continue to tour and produce new recordings, the most recent of which is All Together Now, released in September 2014. Griffin has also produced, written, and co-written songs for other artists, such as Sugarland, James Blunt, Christina Perri, Taylor Swift, Train, Howie Day, Missy Higgins, Daniel Powter, Augustana, Debbie Harry, and Josh Radin. Anywhere You Go is his debut solo album. Buoyed by minimal production, sweeping vocal harmonies, and narrative lyricism, he’s penned some of his most intimate, inimitable, and irresistible tunes to date. [Vinyl edition due November 8.]
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – Cypress Grove CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)
72-year-old bluesman Jimmy “Duck” Holmes’ new album, the Dan Auerbach-produced Cypress Grove, captures the raw, explosive sound of real Mississippi juke-joint blues today. It is an aural postcard of a typical Saturday night at Holmes’ Blue Front Café, America’s longest operating juke joint. Cypress Grove is anchored by tradition – which is natural, since Holmes is the last of the original torchbearers of the rural style known as Bentonia blues – but it’s also explosive, raw, and unpredictably in the moment. Featuring an all-star cast of players including Auerbach, Marcus King, Eric Deaton and Sam Bacco, as well as Holmes’ repertoire of songs spanning nearly a century, the adventurous 11-song set is an untamed bridge between the present and the classic sounds of the Delta.
Jim James/Teddy Abrams/Louisville Orchestra – The Order Of Nature CD/LP (Decca)
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Teddy Abrams and The Louisville Orchestra release their collaborative project. With The Order Of Nature, they’ve crafted a large-scale symphonic suite that has James’ evocative songs as its foundation. Abrams built a grand orchestral house on that foundation, and the result is an explosion of music that boldly synthesizes rock and classical while taking advantage of orchestral music’s inherently cinematic nature. Featuring unreleased new songs from James as well as re-imaginings from his solo catalog, lyrically he takes a deep dive into issues vitally important to him in recent years, including equality and intolerance, human connection and acceptance. Abrams uses repeating motifs to weave the songs into a seamless whole, with the goal of capturing the idea of nature in a cinematic way and turning James’ quiet demos into a majestic tapestry that conveys The Order Of Nature’s themes of politics, the natural order, and the hopelessness of hatred.
Jimmy Eat World – Surviving CD/LP (RCA)
Surviving is Jimmy Eat World’s most personal, ambitious album to date, and frontman Jim Adkins once again proves himself to be one of the most prolific songwriters in rock & roll. As Adkins himself puts it, “Surviving explores some of the different kinds of weights my ego tells me I have to carry, what I see people around me choosing to carry and what I have found to be the truth when I choose to let go.” Album track “All The Way (Stay)” extolls the virtues of letting people discover the real you while exposing your vulnerabilities. As a heady rush of guitars give way to an irresistible middle-eight, Rachel Haden’s backing vocals and a saxophone solo, “All The Way (Stay)” showcases the restless creative energy of a band at the peak of their powers. “Love Never” pits the realities against the expectations of love, a classic slice of Jimmy Eat World wrapped up in a three-minute rush of towering guitars and crashing drums. [Indie exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Cody Jinks – The Wanting CD/LP (Late August)
Cody Jinks follows up his 2018 album Lifers with two new albums: After The Fire (released last week) and The Wanting, both released via the Texas songwriter’s own label, Late August Records. A former thrash-metal singer, Jinks has become one of outlaw country’s most popular new stars, amassing a passionate base of fans who gravitate to his blue-collar brand of lived-in country music and his fierce DIY aesthetic. “I tried to play the game a long time ago, I tried to do the clean-cut thing,” Jinks told Rolling Stone of his indie approach. “I talked to some people who wanted to shelve me for a developmental deal, but it just wasn’t a route I could see myself going down. Too much hand tying.” [Two deluxe colored vinyl pressings are available: clear smoke and red smoke.]
Mark Lanegan Band – Somebody’s Knocking CD/LP (PIAS America)
From the opening bars it’s clear that Mark Lanegan’s outstanding 11th solo album, Somebody’s Knocking, was made by someone deeply obsessed with how music – with all its primal, spiritual healing power – truly penetrates the soul. As a result, there’s joy in the music, as if created from a perfect set of inspirations smashed and grabbed from God’s own record shop. From the Raw Power-esque garage metal grind of ‘”Disbelief Suspension’” to ‘”Letter Never Sent’s’” rocket-powered take on Love-era kaleidoscope-psych, through the pensive subterranean murk of “Dark Disco Jag” and on to “Playing Nero’s” sun-bleached riff on Joy Division’s “Atmosphere”, there’s the glee of infatuation running deep in the tracks. This album is less the tale of a brooding, crepuscular rock ‘n’ roll veteran and more that of someone consumed by a lifelong love of words and sound fused together. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Magpie Salute – High Water II CD/2xLP (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
When High Water I was released in August 2018, it was the sound of old friends coming together in a union of rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelic blues, rasping Americana and late-night storytelling. The Magpie Salute was pulled together by guitarist Rich Robinson and continued a storyline he began in The Black Crowes with guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Sven Pipien. Meanwhile, vocalist John Hogg shared Hookah Brown with Robinson as keyboardist Matt Slocum and drummer Joe Magistro both joined him for solo records and tours over the years. High Water II picks up where the band’s studio debut left off, much of the album was written during those early recordings at Dark Horse Studios in Nashville which is why it feels like a perfect continuation of its predecessor. Talking about the flow between the two albums Robinson explains, “Both records are part of a collective journey. I chose the sequence specifically for each record. I wanted High Water l to introduce us to the world and the world to us. With High Water ll, I wanted to get a little deeper. To take people places they may not have expected to go.”
Idina Menzel – Christmas: A Season Of Love CD (SRV Label Co./Decca)
Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel has a career that spans stage, film, television, and music. Timed to coincide with the release of Disney’s Frozen 2, which includes Idina’s unforgettable voice in the title role of Elsa, Christmas: A Season Of Love Special includes special guests Ariana Grande (“A Hand For Mrs. Claus”), Billy Porter (“I Got My Love To Keep Me Warm”), Josh Gad (“We Wish You The Merriest”) and her husband, Aaron Lohr (“I’ll Be Home For Christmas”). [Vinyl edition due November 22.]
The Muffs – No Holiday CD/2xLP (Omnivore)
“It’s been five years since the last Muffs album, 2014’s Whoop Dee Doo. That came ten years after the preceding Really Really Happy in 2004. In-between, front woman Kim Shattuck (who recently passed away on October 2nd) joined the reformed Pixies in 2013 for six months, and then participated in the Pandoras reunion in 2015. So what we’ve learned from all this is that Shattuck pretty much does things on her terms, when and if she wants. And that’s to the immense benefit of the music. ‘I wrote the songs between 1991 and 2017,’ she said in a press release. ‘We decided to have a long album and use songs that had been in my arsenal but were weeded out for super concise albums. They were all great songs and we didn’t want them to go to waste. No way!’ Nobody familiar with The Muffs will be surprised to learn that there is no filler here. Each of the 18 (!) tracks is entirely memorable, gloriously catchy and full of welcome, caustic ‘tude. It’s that magic combination of sugary sweet melodies and a bit of barbed wire that makes it all work, from the opening, over-in-a-flash ‘That’s For Me’ to the closing ‘Sky.’” – L.A. Weekly
Rachael & Vilray – Rachael & Vilray CD/LP (Nonesuch)
Rachael & Vilray is the debut album by Lake Street Dive singer-songwriter Rachael Price and composer, singer, and guitarist Vilray. The 12-song set features ten originals by Vilray, along with two covers from the era that inspired him: Cuban composer Pedro Junco Jr.’s 1943 “Nosotros” and Milton Drake/Louis Atler’s “I Love The Way You’re Breaking My Heart”, first popularized by Peggy Lee. Price and Vilray, who began performing together in 2015, recorded the album with Lake Street Dive pianist Akie Bermiss, a rhythm section, and a small complement of horns, plus a guest performance from pianist Jon Batiste on “Go On Shining”. Dan Knobler, who had worked with Lake Street Dive on the Free Yourself Up album, produced. “The voices of acoustic duo Rachael & Vilray are magical enough on their own, but when they blend in song the results are utterly sublime.”
Third Eye Blind – Screamer CD/LP (Mega Collider)
The follow up to 2018’s EP Thanks For Everything and the band’s sixth studio album overall, Screamer finds post-grunge outfit Third Eye Blind collaborating with Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells (“Screamer”), Ryan Olson of Marijuana Death Squad and Poliça (“Who Am I” and “Got So High”), and the album’s musical consigliere, Billy Corgan. “We have always been so insular,” Stephan Jenkins explains. “And on Screamer we adopted an open-door policy – come in, be musical, and follow the song where it takes us.” “My current mood resonates with rebellion, energy, courage, and risk,” Jenkins adds. “I seek to combine it with a percussive level of musical immediacy in this collection of songs to cultivate collective idealism and an unapologetic aspiration towards humanistic values.” [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Vagabon – Vagabon CD (Nonsusch)
Vagabon’s sophomore album, All The Women In Me, follows up her breakout debut, Infinite Worlds (2017), and is an artistic leap for Lætitia Tamko, who wrote and produced the entire album. Guitar-driven melodies are largely absent, replaced by hybridized analog and digital arrangements. While Infinite Worlds situated the last Vagabon project in the realm of indie rock, All The Women In Me is not easily defined. Grounded by Tamko’s expressive voice and knack for unique melodies, the album flits between genres, never lingering too long on one sensibility. Lead single “Flood Hands” exemplifies this growth; the production ebbs like a gentle tide before a cavernous drumbeat kicks in and the tone shifts completely. “‘Flood Hands’ is a track I originally produced and arranged for a well-known pop-duo to have on their album,” Tamko says. “Knowing I was writing this song for musicians I admire, allowed me this relief from my writer’s block. I used this assignment as a chance to flex my production muscles and write something I wouldn’t have written as a Vagabon song a couple years ago. The result felt like a triumph for me in my progression as an artist and I just couldn’t stand to part with the song by the time I was finished.” [Vinyl edition December 13.]
CDs + Vinyl:
a-ha – Minor Earth | Major Sky [Reissue/2000] 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
a-ha – Lifelines [Reissue/2002] 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
When a-ha took a seven-year break after their fifth album Memorial Beach was released in 1993 each of the members, Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy, pursued their own interests and arts until they were invited to perform on the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo. a-ha performed two songs and were suddenly back and in perfect time for the millennium when they released their spectacular No. 1 album Minor Earth | Major Sky in 2000. They hit the ground running with a well-received world tour before taking flight once again with 2002’s Lifelines.
Ray Alder – What The Water Wants CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Debut solo album from the Fates Warning vocalist. [Vinyl edition due October 25.]
Darin and Brooke Aldridge – Inner Journey CD (Rounder)
Rounder-debut album for the award-winning husband and wife duo. Featuring songs such as “When You Love Someone” (Bryan Adams), “Teach Your Children” (Crosby, Stills, and Nash), and “Emmylou” (First Aid Kit), Inner Journey is the next career milestone for Darin & Brooke who, dynamic in their artistry, offer sweetly unique renditions to a broad spectrum of classic songs.
Align The Tide – Dead Religion CD/LP (Cleopatra)
The Maltese metal band release their debut album filled with monster riffs, thundering drums and dark, heavy lyrical themes that both shock and inspire.
Anbaric – Anbaric CD/LP (Thunderstruck)
Anbaric was founded in Borås, Sweden 2016 by guitarist and composer Kimmo Komulainen. The name itself means electric and this is what Anbaric is all about; straight forward, energetic hard rock with a twist.
Axe – Final Offering CD/2xLP (Deko Music)
Axe was formed in 1977 out of the ashes of Babyface, a hard rock band burdened with a top 20 hit… but on the Adult Contemporary Charts. The melodic rock outfit was brought together by leader Bobby Barth who has led the charge through many ups and downs and now delivers Axe’s aptly titled last record, Final Offering.
Nicolas Bearde – I Remember You CD (Right Groove Rekkids)
Nicolas Bearde sings the timeless hits of Nat King Cole, highlighted by fresh arrangements and production by Josh Nelson, and featuring guest performances by legendary tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander.
Stephen Bishop – We’ll Talk About It Later In The Car CD (BMG)
New album from the multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter, whose timeless hits include “On And On”, “Save It For A Rainy Day”, “It Might Be You” and who wrote the Oscar-nominated song “Separate Lives.” Bishop says that the record contains “songs that should have been hits 40 years ago,” originally started as a demo project of tracks he wrote at the beginning of his career, but as he kept recording the idea of turning it into a proper album took shape. [Vinyl edition due November 8.]
Busy Signal – Parts Of The Puzzle CD/LP (VP)
Busy Signal is one of the hottest names in reggae and dancehall. He’s a proven hit-maker with a long and growing list of street anthems to his name.
The Carter Family – Across Generations CD/LP (Reviver)
Between 1927, and their disbanding in 1943, the original Carter Family recorded over three hundred songs. A.P. Carter, his wife Sara Carter, and Sara’s first cousin Maybelle Carter were the first country band to be inducted as Members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. These are recently discovered recordings between Sara and Maybelle from the ‘60s with John Carter Cash adding to them.
Cold Weather Company – Find Light CD/LP (Deko Music)
Steadily building their artistic style and audience over the past five years, New Jersey-based alternative folk band Cold Weather Company produces a diverse sound, rich with harmonies and instrumental builds. For their third full-length album Find Light, they’ve roped in several friends and contemporaries on percussion, bass, cello, violin, trumpet, flute, sax and clarinet, creating a soundtrack that moves far beyond the lean sounds of 2015’s Somewhere New and 2016’s A Folded Letter.
CoreLeoni – II CD/2xLP (AFM)
CoreLeoni is a project by Leo Leoni founder of the Swiss band Gotthard. His sound is rooted in classic rock with a modern edge.
Cornelius – Point CD/2xLP (Matador)
Following the 2016 reissue of 1997’s Fantasma, Japanese sonic-wunderkind Cornelius presents a remastered and expanded edition of 2001’s Point. The album was a departure from the sample heavy, cut and paste production style of Fantasma to a fluid and organic aesthetic. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dream State – Primrose Path CD/LP (UNFD)
Dream State is a Welsh post-hardcore band from South Wales.
Electric Guest – Kin CD/LP (Atlantic)
Kin marks Electric Guest’s first LP in two years as well as the duo’s first new music since Taccone earned a 2019 Grammy award for co-writing and co-producing Portugal. Co-produced by Lars Stalfors (St. Vincent, Health, Foster the People), Kin sees Taccone and Compton pushing modern pop towards their own unique worldview, melding sunshine soul grooves and sugar candy hooks with ambitious production and a subversive lyrical power.
Face To Face – Live In A Dive CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
The ninth edition of Fat’s Live In A Dive series captures the veteran punk band blasting through 12 songs from their storied career in just 39 minutes.
Fastball – The Help Machine CD/LP (33 1/3)
Fastball once again demonstrates the distinctive songwriting, expressive vocals and inventive melodic sensibilities of Miles Zuniga and his bandmate Tony Scalzo. With drummer, Joey Shuffield completing the longstanding lineup, the trio’s time tested creative rapport is a potent as ever.
Fieh – Cold Water Burning Skin CD/LP (Verve)
Fieh is an eight-piece band from the forest of Norway, playing groovy nu-soul. They are gifted instrumentalists who hark back to the age of smoky clubs, passionate fans, and musicians who lived and breathed their craft.
Floating Points – Crush CD/LP (Ninja Tune)
Fresh off the release of his compilation of lambent, analogous ambient and atmospheric music for the esteemed Late Night Tales compilation series, Floating Points’ first album in four years twists whatever you think you know about him on its head again. A tempestuous blast of electronic experimentalism whose title alludes to the pressure-cooker of the current environment we find ourselves in.
Florida Georgia Line – Acoustic Sessions CD/2xLP (BMX)
Acoustic remix versions of 17 of their chart-topping hits.
Roberto Fonesca – Yesun CD (Mack Avenue)
Combining jazz sensibility and deep roots in the Afro-Cuban tradition, Yesun is the Havana-born artist’s ninth solo album. The record delves into the music of Fonseca’s homeland of Cuba while keeping its sights set firmly on the future, weaving in electronic beats, spoken word, retro-modern keyboards, Fonseca’s vocals and more. [Vinyl edition due October 25.]
Freaks And Clowns – Freaks And Clowns CD/LP (Metalville)
Founded in 2017 by Astral Doors founding member Johan Lindstedt and the very popular Swedish singer Chrille Wahlgren, Freaks And Clowns convinces on their debut with 11 straightforward songs. Catchy ‘80s metal riffs complement current sounds and concise hook lines. Joining Johan and Chrille on their debut album are Astral Doors members Mats Gesar und Ulf Lagerström.
GA-20 – Lonely Soul CD/LP (Karma Chief/Colemine)
GA-20 was formed by friends Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs in Boston, MA in 2018. The project was born out of their mutual love of heavy traditional Blues, R&B, and Rock & Roll of the late 50s and early 60s. Faherty and Stubbs bonded over legendary artists like Lazy Lester, J.B. Lenoir, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Junior Wells. Feeling a void in current music, the duo has set out to write, record and perform a modern version of this beloved art form. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On Live CD/2xLP (Motown)
What’s Going On Live features Marvin Gaye’s legendary concert – the only live performance of his iconic 1971 What’s Going On album in full – recorded in February of 1972 at the Kennedy Center in his Washington, D.C. hometown, and notable as Marvin’s first concert after a four-year hiatus.
Jacques Greene – Dawn Chorus CD/LP (LuckMe)
If the Canadian artist’s 2017 debut album Feel Infinite was the soundtrack to a dream pregame amping you up to lose yourself in the club, then Dawn Chorus resides in the post-rave reflective moment. A time of heightened sensuality and latent possibility.
Rob Halford with Family & Friends – Celestial CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Celestial marks Halford’s second album of Christmas music, re-made in a heavy metal style.
Hollow Coves – Moments CD/LP (Nettwerk)
The Australian alternative folk duo’s debut album is a collection of warm, introspective songs that reflect the pair’s travels across the globe and their deeply felt experiences along the way.
Holy Fawn – Death Spells CD/LP (Triple Crown)
Holy Fawn describe themselves as four creatures making loud, heavy, pretty music which vaguely encompasses their sound. It’s a darker shade of shoegaze with elements of post rock’s engulfing wall of sound. They rely on strong lyrical imagery of nature along with atmospheric guitars reverberating in a swirl to create vast sonic landscapes that transports the listener to otherworldly realms; outside and within.
Homeboy Sandman – Dusty CD/LP (Mello Music Group)
The Queens virtuoso delivers 15 soul-assessing confessionals that sweep the entropy and daily static, the distortion and psychic silt of modern life onto wax. This is sacred dust, alchemical practice to convert anxiety into the highest form of creativity.
Hovvdy – Heavy Lifter CD/LP+MP3 (Double Double Whammy)
Charlie Martin and Will Taylor met at a baseball game while on tour drumming for different bands. Back home in Austin, the two Texas natives discovered both held batches of compatible songs, intended for solo projects. They merged as Hovvdy instead. Charlie and Will create like satellites on the same orbit, combining bedroom recordings into a singular worn-in sound. Their downtempo rock found an audience in the Austin and New Orleans scenes, elevated by support from small indie Sports Day Records. Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Illenium – Ascend CD/2xLP (Astralwerks)
Third studio album by American DJ and producer.
Infected Rain – Endorphin CD/LP (Napalm)
Otherworldly vocals, lethally groovy riffs and mesmerizing, psychotic elements.
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit [Reissue/2009] CD/LP (Southeastern)
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit [Reissue/2008] CD/LP (Southeastern)
Four-time Grammy Award winner Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit reissue two of the group’s earliest albums – 2009’s self-titled Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit and 2011’s Here We Rest – both remixed by Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and remastered by Pete Lyman. An Alabama native, Isbell comes from a tradition of Southern music and proudly embraces his roots, which shines through in his songs and even in the title of the album.
Chris Jansen – Real Friends CD (Warner Nashville)
The new album from the country singer/songwriter features hit single “Good Vibes” and a special guest appearance from superstar and fellow Grand Ole Opry member Blake Shelton.
Jethro Tull – Stormwatch: The 40th Anniversary Force 10 Edition 4xCD+2xDVD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Stormwatch is the twelfth studio album by the progressive rock group Jethro Tull, released September 1979. It is considered the last in the trilogy of folk-rock albums by Jethro Tull. Among other subject-matters, the album touches heavily on the problems relating to the environment, oil and money. This set expands the legendary album with Steven Wilson’s newly remixed version of the original, plus studio outtakes, an unreleased concert recorded in 1980, and more.
Kneebody – Chapters CD (Edition)
For years, Kneebody has been at the forefront of progressive, genre-bending jazz music. Since their formation back in 2001, the group has amassed an impressive collection of works that showcase their adventurous approach to songwriting and unapologetically fiery style. [Vinyl pressing due November 15.]
Mark Korven – The Lighthouse [OST] CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern horror masterpiece The Witch, comes the hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. The Lighthouse stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe and marks composer Mark Korven’s second collaboration with Eggers. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Kublai Khan TX – Absolute CD (Rise)
New album from the metalcore band. [Vinyl edition due November 1.]
Jake La Botz – They’re Coming For Me CD/LP (Hi-Style)
Jake La Botz brings a lifetime of unconventional stories crackling to cinematic life on his new album. They’re Coming For Me deftly ties threads from La Botz’s background in Chicago blues, gospel, early rock ‘n roll, American folksong traditions, and a dash of country twang into a grooving knot of warm-timbred Americana.
The Lacs – Rise And Shine CD (Dirt Rock Empire)
New album from the country hip hop duo.
Massive Ego – Church For The Malfunctioned 2xCD (Out Of Line)
Built on solid ’80s electro pop foundations, Church For The Malfunctioned combines Industrial elements alongside gothic tones and euphoric highs. Includes bonus remix disc.
Michael Monroe – One Man Gang CD/LP (Silver Lining Music)
One Man Gang, the former Hanoi Rocks frontman’s brand new offering, is all about letting your hair down (or up) for a dirty, dangerous, damn good time, and embracing a total escape into the rock ‘n’ roll dream.
Necronomicon – Unus CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
With an attack honed by three decades of toil and triumph, Montreal’s Necronomicon deliver vicious death metal that harnesses both ultramodern extremity and the dark magic of their name. On their new album Unus, the veteran trio (led by stalwart guitarist/vocalist Rob Tremblay) build on their deathly assault with ruthless blackened riffing and epic stabs of orchestral glory.
Negator – Vnitas Pvritas Existentia CD/LP (Massacre)
Negator’s new album will close a cycle that began in 2003 and will bring the band’s history so far to a conclusion, using occult and ritualistic themes.
David Newbould – Sin & Redemption CD (Rock Ridge Music)
David Newbould’s voice embodies a high and lonesome state of being, evoking winds that blow through valleys of fear and over plains of wistful peace.
Ohio – Upward Broken Always CD/2xLP (12k)
Ohio is a project comprised of 12k founder Taylor Deupree and long-time label-mate and collaborator Corey Fuller. The genesis of Ohio, besides the desire to work on a full album together, was them realizing they were both born in the state of Ohio, not far from each other, and spent their earlier years crafting young memories there before moving away. This ended up being a simple, but interesting point of departure for the project because these early, hazy memories might provide compelling conceptual roadmaps for the album as well as become inspiration for the song titles.
Psychopunch – Greetings From Suckerville CD/LP (Massacre)
On Greetings From Suckerville, Psychopunch decided to go back in time for a little bit more raw rock ‘n’ roll/punk rock ‘n’ roll kick-ass sound.
Refused – War Music CD/LP (Spinefarm)
Fifth full-length album from the Swedish punks. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Rimfrost – Expedition Darkness CD (Ferocious)
Blackened death metal from Sweden.
Matana Roberts – Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis CD/2xLP (Constellation)
Matana Roberts returns with the fourth chapter of her extraordinary Coin Coin series – a project that has deservedly garnered the highest praise and widespread critical acclaim for it’s fierce aesthetic originality and unflinching narrative power. The first three Coin Coin albums, issued from 2011-2015, charted diverse pathways of modern/avant composition – Roberts calls it panoramic sound quilting – and ranged sequentially from large band to sextet to solo, unified by Roberts’ archival and often deeply personal research into legacies of the American slave trade and ancestries of American identity/experience.
Saariselka – The Ground Our Sky CD/LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Saariselka is inspired by the meeting of earth and light, where slowly moving land masses merge with enveloping light fields. This sonic collaboration between composers Marielle Jakobsons (Fender Rhodes, organ, synthesizers) and Chuck Johnson (pedal steel guitar and treatments) is as expressive as it is enigmatic. On their debut album, The Ground Our Sky, a kind of new ambient Americana is unearthed and explored.
Saint Deamon – Ghost CD/2xLP (Spinefarm)
An unexpected and astonishing comeback by one of Scandinavia’s most acclaimed bands; Ghost is a versatile, epic melodic metal album which ranges from anthems to uptempo smashers and a few progressive notches. [Limited silver colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Screaming Females – Singles Too CD/LP+MP3 (Don Giovanni)
Singles Too is a complete collection of the New Jersey indie rock trio’s non-album recordings, gathering the band’s early 7” singles, digital-only B-sides, rarities, and one pretty great remix. The digital version also gathers six cover songs, including the New Jersey trio’s re-works of songs by Neil Young, Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow, and Patti Smith.
Secret Chiefs 3 – Book Beri’ah Volume 10: Malkhut CD (Tzadik)
Around since the mid-1990s, Secret Chiefs 3 is one of the most popular instrumental ensembles working today, with a devoted cult following and a constantly changing lineup of stellar musicians. Featuring one of the best groupings they have ever had, in Malkhut they turn their hand to twelve tunes from Zorn’s Book Beri’ah. Years in the making, SC3 mastermind Trey Spruance considers this to be one of his most ambitious and involved CDs to date.
Sorry Girls – Deborah CD/LP (Arbutus)
Think your new favorite album couldn’t possibly pair earnest songwriting, irreverent danceable pop, and a synth-harmonica solo played over a collage of cinematic sound fx? Think again.
Sports Team – Making Hay CDEP/12” (Bright Antenna)
The new EP from Kingston’s Sports Team features five tracks (vinyl edition has an etching on the B-side). “Here It Comes Again,” produced by Burke Reid (Courtney Barnett), immediately radiates the frenetic, addictive energy of the band’s live shows and previous recordings that have helped the band build a dedicated following in the UK.
Stone Temple Pilots – Purple [Reissue/1994] CD/2xCD/3xCD+LP (Atlantic)
Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition version of the 1994 album. Deluxe double-CD edition Includes a newly remastered version of the original studio album, plus unreleased versions of album tracks and rarities, along with an unreleased full concert recording from 1994. The Super Deluxe version adds another CD of rarities and a copy on vinyl.
Pat Travers – School Of Hard Knocks [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (Purple Pyramid)
Digitally remastered reissue of the 1990 studio album from blues rock maestro. Includes all new artwork plus three bonus tracks on the CD version. [Limited edition yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents Paris Café CD (Putumayo World Music)
Be transported to the bistros of Paris with this collection of classic French songs. Features the French cocktail recipe Pépa (named for the 1920s starlet Pépa Bonafé).
Vida Blue – Crossing Lines CD/2xLP (Friends & Family)
Vida Blue is a trio featuring Page McConnell (Phish), with Oteil Burbridge (The Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit, Dead & Company), and Russell Batiste (The Meters).
Wasted – Electrified CD/LP (Denomination)
New album from the Danish old-school heavy metal band.
White Reaper – You Deserve Love CD/LP (Elektra)
Recorded with producer Jay Joyce in Nashville, Tennessee, You Deserve Love marks White Reaper’s Elektra Records debut and follows their celebrated 2017 album, The World’s Best American Band. The album is a collection of smart, sharply written songs of doubt, dislocation, and elusive and often complicated love.
Yungblud – Underrated Youth CDEP (Geffen)
New mini-album from the buzzy British singer-songwriter/punk rocker. Deluxe edition also available. [Vinyl edition due December 6.]
John Zorn – The Hermetic Organ Volume 8: For Antonin Artaud CD (Tzadik)
Accused of being a flagrant occultist, it took many years before Zorn was able to perform an organ recital in the former Yugoslavia. Finding churches completely unavailable, Zorn performed this volume of The Hermetic Organ at Gallus Hall during his residency at the Ljubljana Jazz Festival.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
The Cure – 40 Live: Cureation-25 + Anniversary – Two Live Shows Recorded In London 2xDVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
In 2018 The Cure performed two historic shows celebrating a 40-year career: Anniversary (1978 – 2018 Live In Hyde Park London) – a 29-song, 135-minute anniversary concert, and Cureation-25 (From There To Here, From Here To There) which was captured on the tenth and final night of the 25th Meltdown Festival (curated by lead singer Robert Smith) at London’s Royal Festival. For the latter, The Cure performed a song from each of their 13 studio albums in chronological order, displaying the evolution of their music live on stage. Each show is collected on 40 Live (as stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions and as a box set that adds four audio CDs). Both were directed by Tim Pope, the long-time collaborator behind many of The Cure’s music videos and their award-winning 1986 concert film The Cure In Orange.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The 69 Eyes – West End CD (Massacre/Nuclear Blast)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.
Andrew W.K. – I Get Wet [Reissue/2001] LP (Island)
Vinyl reissue of the debut studio album by musician Andrew W.K. It is well-known for its controversial artwork, name and hit singles “Party Had” and “She Is Beautiful”. Originally released in 2001, the album was intended to sound like a party.
Archspire – The Lucid Collective [Reissue/2014] LP (Season Of Mist)
Vancouver’s Archspire unleashed an insane attack of blistering technical death metal on 2014’s The Lucid Collective. Reissued on limited brown colored vinyl.
Atmosphere – Headshots: Se7en [Reissue/2005] 3xLP (Rhymesayers)
After their debut album Overcast! was released, Atmosphere was still insatiably hungry. Slug and Ant wasted no time getting back to work, and quickly returned with Headshots: Se7en, a project that went down as an early classic in their discography. Recorded between 1997-1999, Headshots: Se7en was initially released on cassette-only as a contribution to Rhymesayers’ infamous Headshots tapes, a series of cassettes featuring 4-track recordings from all the various artists in the crew at the time.
Bad Omens – Finding God Before God Finds Me LP (Sumerian)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For Fans Of: Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon, Ice Nine Kills.
Bassnectar – Reflective (Part 4) LP (ATO)
The theme is the interactivity of inspiration: how our minds and imaginations ricochet off each other; our ideas, our thoughts and dreams all reflecting in a constantly escalating cycle of creativity. Collaborative interaction is at the core of our musical ethos, and we welcome the likes of Telefon Tel Aviv, Hailo, Born I, Peekaboo, Jantsen, Sunru, Kyrian, and the UK’s own RD.
Bruno Bavota – Get Lost LP (Temporary Residence)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On his new album Get Lost, Bavota explores the sounds around the piano – the resonance, the silence, and the acoustic ambience of the living, breathing space in which the piano resides. He employs an array of outboard effects pedals and processors to not just capture those sounds that are often overlooked, but to sample, loop, and reposition them as central figures in a story. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Behavior – Spirits & Embellishments LP (PPM)
Spirits & Embellishments is a brush fire, hungry for oxygen, choking the dry air with lavender, sage, and melting plastic. The tools are simple, the atmosphere is stark, the space is literal. These are tactile rock n roll songs, shaped at root by the extreme techniques of punk in all it’s groping permutations. These songs are lengths of multichrome climbing rope coiled like snakes, brought to life by way of melodrama, and contemporary in their free association. They were conceived with irreverence for the distinction between Crass and The Rolling Stones, to leverage the evaporating space of antagonism between first wave post-punk and it’s commercially unambivalent counterparts.
Bent Knee – You Know That They Mean LP (Deadline Music)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. A band occupying sonic territory entirely their own, Bent Knee continues to break ground with each successive album. The Boston outfit’s myriad influences are distilled into a deeply moving art-form that defies categorization, merging texture and style into music that’s thrilling, addictive, and unapologetically original. You Know What They Mean, the band’s fifth full-length, is a prime example how to unite rock, pop, minimalist, and avant-garde spectrums in a seamless and captivating experience. [Limited 180gm clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Black Box Recorder – Life Is Unfair 3xLP+2xCD+DVD (One Little Indian)
New vinyl box set (CD edition released last year) dedicated to the wonderful Black Box Recorder. It is the first time that The Facts Of Life (2000) and Passionoia (2003) have been on vinyl. The vinyl boxset also contains the Live Is Unfair CD, which is a full audio recording of their 1999 show at the London Astoria. The packages include albums never pressed on vinyl before, previously unreleased material and a DVD containing live footage and official music videos.
Blacker Face – Distinctive Juju LP (Sooper)
Blacker Face is a Chicago quintet fronted by gospel singer turned firebrand punk vocalist, Jolene Whatevr. After years of collaboration, Whatevr called on a core of longtime friends to reify a truly idiosyncratic and politically forward-thinking musical vision. Blacker Face earned a reputation in Chicago’s DIY punk scene for their first-class musicality and high-energy performances. Their unique fusion of provocative lyricism and transgressive musical arrangement has been labeled Afropunk, Afrofuturist, and experimental.
Jaimie Branch – Fly Or Die II: Bird Dogs Of Paradise LP (International Anthem)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Fiery and fluent front-line dispatch on dystopian Americana folds distorted forms of blues jazz and punk into outer space dub and alien disco.
Bullet Boys – Rocked & Ripped [Reissue/2011] LP (Deadline Music)
Limited edition vinyl pressing (only 100 made) of this covers album from the bad boys of glam rock. Includes versions of songs made famous by Mötley Crüe, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, and Journey.
Combichrist – The Joy Of Gunz [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Out Of Line)
Combichrist – Everybody Hates You [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Out Of Line)
Double colored vinyl LP pressings of the first and second full-length studio albums by the aggrotech/industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua.
The Comet Is Coming – Death To The Planet LP (Leaf)
The ghosts of ‘70s Harlem, via the warehouses of Chicago and Manchester, presided over by Sun Ra. The sound of total planetary destruction produced with laser-guided accuracy and aimed directly at the dancefloor.
Daebull – Intimate Fonk 12” (Roche Musique)
Back from tour in Mexico, Dabeull then toured in Europe as support of FKJ. It is during this period that all his talent as a doctor fonk a was brought to light with his vintage lab, his ‘80s sounds and its undisputed mastery of his talk-box table.
Dead Soft – Big Blue LP+MP3 (Arts & Crafts)
Dead Soft is a Canadian trio that traffic in a fuzz-drenched, hook-laden sound that recalls everything from grunge to classic ’80s alternative to power-pop.
F5 – A Drug For All Seasons [Reissue/2005] LP (Deadline Music)
First ever vinyl pressing of the hard-hitting album of melodic heavy metal from Megadeth co-founder, David Ellefson. Limited white colored vinyl.
Fister – Decade Of Depression LP+CD (Listenable)
Hailing from the confluence of infectious disease, arbitrary violence, and rivers of industrial filth that is St. Louis MO, Fister has been sublimating their brutally toxic environment into a deliberate and belligerent challenge to the eardrums since 2009.
Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five [Reissue/1995] LP (Plain)
Limited colored vinyl pressing. Ben Folds Five’s eponymous 1995 debut is full of Tin Pan Alley showmanship, with a touch of Something/Anything? era Todd Rundgren meets Look Sharp! era Joe Jackson and an alternative rock sensibility. Witty, offbeat, piano-based songs helped Ben Folds Five deliver five singles and receive universal praise.
From Ashes Rise – Concrete And Steel LP (Southern Lord)
Formed in Nashville, Tennessee during the mid- ‘90s American crust punk surge, later relocating to Portland, Oregon, the infectious, downtuned From Ashes Rise sound became a staple in the scene, and alongside bands like Tragedy and His Hero Is Gone.
G Flip – About Us LP (Future Classic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut studio album by Australian indie pop singer. About the album, G says: “I thought about releasing my own album a lot growing up. I would sit in the lounge room holding Dad’s record collection in my hands in awe. I was intrigued, I wanted my own. It’s a big moment, I’m super stoked to drop my debut. Some of these songs I’ve had for years and it’s time to get them out. I’m excited for this step to be accomplished and to tick it off the list. I’m pretty excited for what’s to come next too…”
The Highwomen – The Highwomen LP (New Elektra)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Highwomen is a new, highly anticipated, collaborative movement formed by Brandi Carlie, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. “Anyone can be a Highwoman,” Belinda Carlile notes. “Itss about banding together, abandoning as much ego as humanly possible, holding one another up and amplifying other women every chance we get. Shoulder to shoulder. One push, one love.” Continually demonstrating the importance of inclusion and collaboration, The Highwomen are joined by several guest musicians, vocalists and songwriters across their eponymous album. The project features Sheryl Crow (background vocals, bass), Yola (vocals, background vocals), Dave Cobb (acoustic/electric guitar), Jason Isbell (acoustic/electric guitar), Phil Hanseroth (bass, background vocals), Tim Hanseroth (guitar, background vocals), Chris Powell (drums) and Peter Levin (piano and keyboards) with songs written by Carlile, Hemby, Morris, Shires, Isbell, the Hanseroth twins, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna, Miranda Lambert and Ray LaMontagne among many others.
Hollywood – Close To You LP (Braveheart)
New album from Norwegian super group Hollywood consisting of Jonas Alaska, Mikhael Paskalev, and Billie Van.
HXXS – Year Of The Witch LP (Captured Tracks)
A sonic roadmap to resilience. Electronic noise punk for the fake news generation. Built on haunting loops and frantic, insistent vocals, Year Of The Witch navigates uneasiness with razor-sharp precision. There is anger, to be sure, but it’s never without purpose.
Issues – Beautiful Oblivion LP (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Beautiful Oblivion takes the band’s signature cocktail of metallic groove, hip-hop aplomb, alternative echoes, and edgy pop appeal a step further.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock ‘N Roll [Reissue/1981] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Joan Jett – Bad Reputation [Reissue/1981] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissues of rock legend’s first two albums.
Jonathan Fire*Eater – Tremble Under Boom Lights [Reissue/1996] LP (Third Man)
In a world chock full of flame-outs, coulda-been contenders and great white hopes, the band Jonathan Fire*Eater are among the ‘almost-est.’ Widely praised as the mid-Nineties next-big-thing, they are largely credited with being the earliest purveyors of the ‘New York City Rock and Roll Revival’ circa 2001. Which would be great, if only the band hadn’t imploded by 1998. This vinyl reissue of Tremble Under Boom Lights features the running order of the Japanese pressing which includes the bonus track “In the Head”. Touted by the band members as the last song they ever recorded, it is wincingly brilliant, the most artful, dudes-in-their-early-twenties version of a swan song that one may ever hear.
The Lilli Lewis Project – We Belong LP (Louisiana Red Hot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Lilli Lewis Project professes itself a pan-genre, pan-generational cult of radical decency, and their debut album seeks to inspire connection in a divided time. As one listener puts it Lilli Lewis is one of the best for pure emotional impact and sincerity in her artistry. If you haven’t heard her then do yourself a favor and become enthralled.
Phil Lewis – More Purple Than Black [Reissue/1999] LP (Deadline Music)
The first ever vinyl pressing of the 1999 solo album from the L.A. Guns vocalist.
Light The Torch – Revival LP (Nuclear Blast)
Limited vinyl reissue of the metalcore band’s 2018 album.
The Lords Of The New Church – Open Your Eyes [Reissue/1982] LP (Cleopatra)
First commercial release of this rare and highly sought after ’80s bootleg album recorded in New York in 1982. Pressed on red colored vinyl.
George Lynch – Lost Anthology [Reissue/2005] LP (Deadline Music)
A rarities/career retrospective from the former Dokken axeman.
M:40 – Arvsynd LP (Halvfabrikat)
Arvsynd is a natural continuation from earlier records: heaviness combined with d-beat madness, desperate outbursts and controlled eerie darkness.
Meadow’s End – Grand Antiquation LP (Black Lion)
Released last March on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Swedish symphonic/melodic death metallers. [Two colored vinyl pressings are available: red and blue.]
Netherbird – Into The Vast Uncharted LP (Eisenwald)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth album from the Swedish melodic black/death metal band. Into The Vast Uncharted’s seven tracks blaze a trail of Scandinavian fury by way of blistering tremolo, scorching solos and battle-ready percussion.
Nightfell – A Sanity Deranged LP (20 Buck Spin)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.
OMD (Orchestral Manoevres In The Dark) – Souvenir 3xLP (Republic)
New collection from the British synthpop duo spanning their 40-year career.
Oranssi Pazuzu – Live At Roadburn 2017 2xLP (Roadburn Productions)
Not meant for genre purists, Oranssi Pazuzu are on a trip all their own; modern electric pioneers on an expedition to unlock the keys to the hidden spaces all around and inside us. In 2016, Roadburn introduced them as “a giant that stalks these mostly otherwise untrodden lands,” referring to the Finnish extreme psych scene that invaded Tilburg with such remarkable results and called them “a true beacon of experimentalism and innovation.” Those descriptors rang even more true on their return performance in 2017. [CD edition due November 1.]
Roy Orbison – A Black & White Night 30 2xLP (Rhino)
Black & White Night 30 is a re-imagined, re-edited, remastered and expanded version of the original 1988 HBO television special. Re-edited by Roy’s youngest son Alex Orbison, the program has been restored to reflect the correct set order as the audience who attended the show saw it.
Rick Ross – Port Of Miami 2 2xLP (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The tenth studio album by the rapper features guest appearances from Meek Mill, the late Nipsey Hussle, Drake, Swizz Beatz, Wale, Teyana Taylor, Jeezy, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Denzel Curry, among others.
Amber Rubarth – Sessions From The 17th Ward [Reissue/2012] LP (Chesky)
One of Chesky Records’ most popular titles of this millennium, Sessions From The 17th Ward served as the introduction to many for folk singer-songwriter and actress Amber Rubarth. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Rüfüs Du Sol – Solace Remixed 2xLP (WB)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In celebration of Rüfüs Du Sol’s universally acclaimed third studio record, Solace, comes the new reimagined remix album, Solace Remixed. The collection features a sonically diverse amalgamation of reworks from some of electronic music’s most influential figures including Audiofly, Adam Port, and Hot Since 82. The package reimagines the story of Solace into club-ready portraits spanning from brooding techno to cerebral house.
Smith & Mudd – Tea With Holger 12” (Be With)
Holger is of course Holger Czukay and this LP is dedicated to Smith and Mudd’s time spent with him and Ursa Major at Can’s famous Inner Space Studio in Weilerswist, near Cologne. When not recording it seems they spent a great deal of time sat around being entertained by Holger’s stories and drinking many cups of different sorts of tea from all over the world. These moments provide some their fondest memories of their visits: Looking back, it was pretty incredible that we spent part of our lives with Holger in one of the most magical places we’ve ever known, Inner Space Studio.
Songhoy Blues – Meet Me In The City 12” (Fat Possum)
Songhoy Blues present their new EP which features two versions of “Time To Go Home”, one mixed by Blake Mills (Grammy-nominated producer of Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color, John Legend’s Darkness And Light, and Perfume Genius’ No Shape) and the other by David Ferguson (known for his sound engineering work with Cowboy Jack Clement and on Johnny Cash’s American Recordings).
Marty Stuart – Pilgrim [Reissue/1999] 2xLP+CD (MCA Nashville)
Double vinyl LP pressing plus bonus CD containing eight alternate and demo versions of tracks from the album. The Pilgrim is the tenth studio album from Marty Stuart, originally released in 1999. A concept album, it tells the story of a man (The Pilgrim) from Marty Stuart’s hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Marty plays the role of the Pilgrim, as well as other roles. The album features many country/bluegrass legends as guest stars, including Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, George Jones, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs and Marty’s old boss, Johnny Cash.
Turbonegro – Ass Cobra [Reissue/1996] LP (Indie Recordings)
Turbonegro – Apocalypse Dudes [Reissue/1998] LP (Indie Recordings)
The legendary Turbonegro played their first ever concert in Copenhagen in February 1989; therefore, this year sees the 30th anniversary of this extraordinary band. These vinyl reissues coincide with the start of the band’s anniversary tour which kicks off with a series of Scandinavian dates.
Ursula 1000 – Esoterique 2xLP (Insect Queen Music)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Ursula 1000 has major credits in the groove, chill, lofi and electronic world including seven studio LPs, a pair of DJ mix albums, remixes for celebrated peers from Quincy Jones to Felix Da Housecat. Having performed in more than 30 countries, Ursula 1000 is fluent in the international language of dance. New album Esoterique features special guest stars Fred Schneider of The B-52s, Isabelle Antena, Loredana Grimaudo of Swingrowers, Qypthone, The Gentle People and remixes by Jazzanova and Fantastic Plastic Machine.
Cassettes:
1349 – The Infernal Pathway (Season Of Mist)
Norwegian black metal titans 1349 return with their long awaited seventh full-length, The Infernal Pathway. Following-up 2014’s Massive Cauldron Of Chaos, the album promises a journey through chaos and madness, darkness and peril, terror and annihilation.
Corridor – Junior CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)
Corridor is a group from Montreal. The rock ‘n’ roll band had barely inked their record deal with Sub Pop when they surfed into studio, racing against time to make the most dazzling, immediate and inventive album of their young career: 39 minutes of darting and dodging guitars, spiraling vocal harmonies, and the complicated, goldenrod nostalgia of a Sunday mid-afternoon.
No Vacation – Phasing (Topshelf)
Phasing is the latest collection of songs from the wavy-gravy dream-pop group. [Vinyl edition due November 1.]
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