December/January Program Titles Released This Week:
Cattle Decapitation – Death Atlas CD/2xLP (Metal Blade)
Cattle Decapitation have never shied away from confronting the awfulness wrought upon the natural world by the human race, and Death Atlas is their bleakest offering to date. The cover art says it all, a stooped, skeletal Grim Reaper carrying the burnt-out husk of our planet on his back. “The core concept of this record is humanity’s insignificance despite what we’ve convinced ourselves,” explains vocalist Travis Ryan. “That’s kind of why this album cover takes place in space, to remind you that ‘the universe always finds a way to purge’. In the grand scheme of things, our species is merely a fleeting thought.” Backing this up with a ferocious soundtrack, Death Atlas is one of the most shocking and unflinching records of the year, demanding an emotional response, and forcing people to think about their own contributions to the devastation of the planet. [Indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin: Live At Red Rocks (feat. The Colorado Symphony & Andre de Ridder) CD/2xLP (WB)
On May 26, 2016 The Flaming Lips performed their classic album The Soft Bulletin in its entirety with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO. The band was accompanied by a 69-piece orchestra and 56-strong chorus. The performance was conducted by the internationally celebrated conductor Andre de Ridder. The Lips performed the 12-track album in its original sequence with new arrangements for each song that use the orchestra and chorus to great effect. This entire concert was produced by The Flaming Lips, Scott Booker and their long-time collaborator Dave Fridmann. The resulting live album is being released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Soft Bulletin, originally released in 1999.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – A Tuba To Cuba CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
The legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band present the soundtrack to A Tuba To Cuba, the critically acclaimed documentary directed by T.G. Herrington and Danny Clinch. The film follows Ben Jaffe of New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as he seeks to fulfill his late father’s dream of retracing their musical roots to the shores of Cuba in search of the indigenous music that gave birth to New Orleans jazz. A Tuba To Cuba celebrates the triumph of the human spirit expressed through the universal language of music and challenges us to resolve to build bridges, not walls. The New York Times said: “This joyous, wide-ranging account of a New Orleans jazz band’s 2015 visit to Cuba is crammed with fascinating facts and toe-tickling tunes.” And, from the L.A. Times: “Jaunty, at times poetic chats and drop-ins with many Big Easy and Cuban jazz artists, discussion of their music’s African lineage (the Atlantic slave trade factored in), stirring examples of native instrumentation, and pulsating performances combine with colorful, travelogue-type shots (love those old Cuban theaters) and vivid archival footage to create a vibrant and joyous portrait.”
Various Artists For Sweet Relief – If You’re Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison CD+DVD/2xLP (Fat Possum)
Mose Allison’s singular style – a unique blend of jazz and blues, his incisive humor, and knack for distilling deep themes into simple potent lyrics made him a major influence on a generation of musicians. It didn’t take much convincing for the producers to bring a host of top artists onboard for the tribute collection, If You’re Going To The City, including Taj Mahal, Robbie Fulks, Jackson Browne, The Tippo Allstars feat. Fiona Apple, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Chrissie Hynde, Iggy Pop, Bonnie Raitt, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson, Peter Case, Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin, Anything Mose!, Frank Black, and Amy Allison with Elvis Costello. Each artist chose a favorite Mose Allison song to interpret. Mose’s daughter Amy Allison teamed up with musician/producer Don Heffington to honor her father’s rich catalog of songs. “We were talking about my dad’s legacy and thinking about all the musicians who were fans, and how a tribute album featuring some of these artists would be cool, especially if it were to benefit a worthy cause.” [Vinyl edition features an etching of Mose Allison on Side D.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Jeremie Albino – Hard Time CD/LP (Cinematic Music)
Albinio’s music nods to all manner of troubadours who rambled down similar paths throughout history – he nods slyly to the legendary blues singers who inspired him, offers a soft and insightful touch with his folk songs, and stomps and swaggers through soulful rock ‘n’ roll.
Karrin Allyson Sextet – Shoulder To Shoulder: A Centennial Tribute To Women’s Suffrage CD (E1)
A very special and timely album that celebrates the centennial of women’s suffrage. In addition to five-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson, the sextet also features Ingrid Jensen (trumpet), Mindi Abair (alto saxophone) Helen Sung (piano), Endea Owens (bass), and Allison Miller (drums). Shoulder To Shoulder features guest appearances by Madeleine Peyroux (vocals), Kurt Elling (vocals), Regina Carter (violin), Denise Donatelli (vocals), Veronica Swift (vocals), Rapsody (rap), Antonia Bennett (vocals), Emily Estefan (vocals), Pauline Jean (vocals), Olivia Culpo (cello) and a choir of over forty Women’s Rights Activists. There are several spoken word performances that re-create the debate over woman’s suffrage: Harry Belafonte performs a speech by Frederick Douglass, Rosanne Cash performs a speech by Susan B. Anthony, Julie Swidler performs a speech by Alice Paul, Lalah Hathaway performs a speech by Sojourner Truth, and Peter Eldridge performs a speech by Elihu Root.
Anacrusis – Manic Impressions [Reissue/1991] CD (Metal Blade)
Anacrusis – Screams & Whispers [Reissue/1993] CD (Metal Blade)
CD reissues of the thrash-turned-prog metal band’s last two albums.
Blaenavon – Everything That Makes You Happy CD/LP (Atlantic)
Sophomore album from the British indie rock band. “Everything That Makes You Happy is a record of great juxtaposition; largely it’s jaunty and upbeat when it comes to its sonic make-up, whilst lyrically frontman Ben Gregory burrows deep into the trauma he experienced as his world unraveled. It’s an album anchored on being vulnerable but also celebrating life and the accomplishment of overcoming its pitfalls.” – Northern Transmissions
Blood Incantation – Hidden History Of The Human Race CD/LP (Dark Descent)
A dynamic foray into the realms of progressive, brutal and atmospheric death metal.
Blue October – Live From Manchester 2xCD/3xLP (Up Down)
New live release from the alt-rock band recorded on their I Hope You’re Happy World Tour.
Child Bite – Blow Off The Omens CD/LP (Housecore)
The fifth full-length from Detroit punk/metal mutants begins with this question aimed at those who pursue happiness in the infinite bowels of the black mirror (Spoiler Alert; it’s all fake and we’re all f**ked).
Crystal Viper – Tales Of Fire And Ice CD/LP (AFM)
Crystal Viper is a female fronted heavy metal act from Poland, founded by the singer, guitarist and composer, Marta Gabriel. [Limited colored vinyl pressings also available.]
Dead Horse One – West Is The Best CD/LP (Requiem Pour Twister)
New album from the French shoegaze band. Produced by Ride’s Mark Gardener. [Limited silver colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Headland – What Rough Beast CD/LP (Agitated)
Headland is a collective of Australian musicians that compose, record and perform soundtrack music for surf films in various forms.
Vincent Herring/Bobby Watson/Gary Bartz – Bird At 100 CD (Smoke Sessions)
August 29, 2020 will mark the centennial of one of jazz’s most iconic figures, Charlie Parker. The celebration gets off to a jubilantly swinging start with an alto saxophone summit bringing together three of modern jazz’s most acclaimed voices: Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson and Gary Bartz.
Hideous Divinity – Simulacrum CD/LP (Century Media)
Relentless brutal death metal onslaught delivered with jaw-dropping technical finesse.
Yogi Lang – A Way Out Of Here CD (Gentle Art Of Music)
RPWL frontman Yogi Lang’s new solo album not only offers a colorful palette of art rock with its nine songs, but also illuminates the essentials of life with all obstacles, fears and rays of hope. A song-serving brilliant band, analog synthesizers and epic choirs provide the basis for Yogi Lang’s gilmouresque voice. [Vinyl edition due December 13.]
Jesper Lindell – Everyday Dreams CD/LP (Alive)
Engineered by Zach Anderson, of the American/Swedish band Blues Pills, Jesper Lindell’s enticing debut album Everyday Dreams is a clever mixture of rock, folk, blues and soul, performed by a 26 year old musician in love with classic pop, Stax-Volt R&B, and old time rock & roll.
Mapache – Mapache CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Close your eyes and imagine the Everly Brothers wearing tie-dyed Nudie Suits. Okay, now open them. There’s Mapache. Youngn’s Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci, the Mapache boys, are barely in their 20s and are already rising to the top of the new wave of West Coast Cosmic Americana.
Misery Loves Co. – Zero Black CD/2xLP (Black Lodge)
The first album in 20 years from the Swedish industrial metal pioneers.
Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood [Reissue/1989] CD/LP (Mötley Records)
30th anniversary CD and vinyl reissue of hard rock band’s fifth album.
The Motorcycle Boy – Scarlet [Reissue/1988] CD/LP (Forgotten Astronaut)
The Motorcycle Boy are/was an Edinburgh based band formed from the ashes of teenage upstarts Meat Whiplash (who released an amazing single “Don’t Slip Up” for the legendary Creation Records label) and fronted by ex-Shop Assistants vocalist Alex Taylor.
Anne Müller – Heliopause CD/LP (Erased Tapes)
Debut solo album from the Berlin based cellist and composer. Heliopause follows several Erased Tapes releases featuring Anne, including her celebrated collaboration with Nils Frahm titled 7fingers, appearances on Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm’s Collaborative Works, Nils Frahm’s All Melody and his acclaimed soundtrack for the film Victoria, Lubomyr Melnyk’s Fallen Trees, as well as the two bespoke solo pieces Walzer für Robert and Bel Tono for the label’s 5th and 10th anniversary box sets.
Necrophagia – Here Lies Necrophagia: 35 Years Of Death Metal CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Recently release on vinyl – now available on CD. 18 tracks spanning the long and prolific career of the underground death-dealers.
Pink Floyd – The Later Years 1987-2019 CD/2xCD/2xLP/5xCD+5xDVD+6xBlu-ray+2xLP+2×7” (Legacy)
Pink Floyd The Later Years 1987-2019 covers the material created by David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright from 1987 onwards. The period included three studio albums: A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, The Division Bell and The Endless River as well as two live albums, Delicate Sound Of Thunder and Pulse. [The Super Deluxe box set includes remixed and restored studio albums, Pulse restored and re-edited, unreleased concerts, the unreleased Endless River film, 5.1 mixes, two 7” sings, a 60-page book and more.]
Portico Quartet – Memory Streams CD/LP (Gondwana)
Portico Quartet return with their fifth studio album and one that continues the journey that first started with 2008’s Mercury nominated debut Knee Deep In The North Sea. It’s a creative path that has seen the band embrace new technology and explore ambient and electronic influences alongside minimalism, jazz and beyond. It is a process that has encouraged change.
Prince – 1999 [Reissue/1982] CD/2xCD/5xCD+DVD/2xLP/4xLP/10xLP+DVD (WB)
Digitally remastered editions of Prince’s fifth studio album, available in a variety of formats. The Deluxe double-CD edition contains 18 promo mixes and B-sides. The Super Deluxe CD and vinyl editions pull together all of the audio material that Prince officially released around 1982 along with 23 previously unissued studio tracks recorded between November 1981 and January 1983, and a complete live audio performance of the 1999 tour recorded at the late show (the second of two that day) in Detroit, MI on November 30, 1982. In addition, the Super Deluxe sets also boast a DVD containing another complete, previously unreleased concert from the 1999 tour, recorded in multi-cam live at the Houston Summit on December 29, 1982. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Prong – Age Of Defiance CDEP (SPV)
Two brand-new studio recordings and three live cuts. [Vinyl edition due December 20.]
Riverside – Wasteland: Hi-Res Stereo And Mix CD+DVD (Inside Out U.S.)
This special expanded edition of Riverside’s 2018 album includes a DVD bonus disc of hi-res and surround audio plus three video clips. Additionally, it also contains five previously unreleased acoustic tracks/versions.
RPWL – Live From Outer Space 2xCD/2xLP (Gentle Art Of Music)
The tenth album from the subtle art/prog rockers from Freising, Germany. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Showbiz & A.G. – Full Scale [Reissue/1998] CDEP (D.I.T.C.)
Diggin In The Crates (D.I.T.C.) was born out of a group of artists who began making noise in the late ’80s and into the next decade and beyond-namely Lord Finesse, Diamond D, and Fat Joe. After well-received albums, an official, wider collective was founded that also included O.C., Big L, Buckwild, and producer-rapper combo, Show & A.G. (originally known as Showbiz & A.G.). The crew proceeded to drop a run of sublime records, including Show & A.G.’s Soul Clap EP (1992), their full-length debut Runaway Slave (1992), followed by Goodfellas in 1995. Show & A.G.’s next project, Full Scale, arrived in 1998 and featured appearances from O.C., KRS-One, Big Pun, the Ghetto Dwellas and verses from members of D.I.T.C. including Diamond D, Big L and Lord Finesse. [Vinyl edition due December 6.]
Silvertomb – Edge Of Existence CD/LP (SPV)
Formed in the wake of Type O Negative and Seventh Void, Silvertomb is the latest musical endeavor of Kenny Hickey (Type O Negative, Seventh Void), Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Danzig) and Hank Hell (Seventh Void, Inhuman). This time teaming up with New York hardcore veteran Joseph James (Agnostic Front, Inhuman) on guitar and Aaron Joos (Awaken The Shadow, Empyreon) on keys, guitar, and backing vocals, the band builds on musical influences like Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath to form a bone crushing, mind blowing, sonic journey into the underbelly of human emotion.
Sonar and David Torn – Tranceportation Vol. 1 CD/LP (RareNoise)
The music created by Stephan Thelen (tritone guitar), Bernard Wagner (tritone guitar), Christian Kuntner (tritone bass), Manuel Pasquinelli (drums, percussion) harnesses elements of rock, jazz and contemporary classical minimalism and fuses them to create a distinctive musical language. Their partnership with David Torn began with their 2018 release, Vortex. Initially brought in as producer, such was Torn’s enthusiasm for the quartet’s music he couldn’t help but add his flowing brand of effusive, vivid soloing and textural layering across the breadth of the record. While that was a spontaneous, off-the-cuff reaction to music that had been composed for a quartet, for Tranceportation the music has been specifically composed with Torn in mind from the very beginning.
Stereolab – Sound-Dust [Reissue/2001] 2xCD/3xLP (Warp)
Stereolab – Margerine Eclipse [Reissue/2003] 2xCD/3xLP (Warp)
The final two releases in Stereolab’s year-long CD/vinyl reissue campaign of their Elektra/Duophonic UHF Disks catalog. The bonus disc for Sound-Dust features demos (with an etching on the vinyl pressing’s D side); Margerine Eclipse‘s bonus disc is heftier, with all the tracks from the triple vinyl 7” release Instant 0 In The Universe and the tour 7”/CD Rose, My Rocket Brain!.
Syztem7 – Evolving CD (SPV)
A unique fusion of industrial, metal and experimental.
Tribulation – Alive & Dead At Södra Teatern 2xCD+DVD (Metal Blade)
First live album from the Swedish death metal band.
June Tyson – Saturnian Queen Of The Sun Ra Arkestra CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Undoubtedly the most sublime constellation in the Sun Ra cosmos, June Tyson’s voice is the perfect guide through one of the most challenging and varied musical legacies ever to be encountered. Capable of strong, fierce, and emotive vocalizations as well as intricate weavings, her voice transcends genre. This first ever collection affirming June Tyson’s unassailable gravity in Sun Ra’s realm features previously unissued cuts.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To A World Of Guitar CD (World Music Network)
Undoubtedly the most versatile of all instruments, the guitar’s unrivalled cross-cultural popularity has made it synonymous with musical genres far and wide. From Congolese soukous to Calcutta slide guitar, this collection features kindred creative spirits who have harnessed its limitless expressive potential.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Blues Divas CD (World Music Network)
The 1920s ‘classic era’ of recorded blues was dominated by women who lived and performed in the cities. This Rough Guide explores its glitzy heyday when singers such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey became the first real stars of the blues.
The Wedding Present – George Best [Reissue/1987] CD/LP (PIAS America)
The Wedding Present – Tommy [Reissue/1987] CD/LP (PIAS America)
The Wedding Present close out 2019 with a pair of CD and vinyl LP reissues – the band’s celebrated debut George Best and the chronologically connected compilation Tommy. Stalwarts of the flourishing independent scene from the mid-eighties onwards and continuing to impact to this day, the band were avidly championed by BBC Radio One’s John Peel and successive early evening DJs.
Emily Jane White – Immanent Fire CD/LP (Talitres)
White’s new album juxtaposes a heavy melancholy with an intimate touching lightness through her singular alto voice backed by orchestral percussion, soaring strings, heavy guitars, a choir of voices, and an overall cinematic presentation of dynamic songwriting.
The Wraith – Gloom Ballet CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Less than three years since forming, Los Angeles-based dark punk band The Wraith unleash their debut full-length. Twelve infectious tracks drenched in the band’s ’80s UK post-punk (Death Cult, Killing Joke, Chameleons) and SoCal deathrock (T.S.O.L., Samhain) influences.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Bryan Adams – Wembley 1996 Live 3xLP (earMUSIC)
Recorded July 27, 1996 in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium on his 18 ‘Til I Die Tour in support of the multi-platinum album of the same name.
Art Alexakis – Sun Songs LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Some 25 years into his career as a recording artist, Art Alexakis – best-known as the singer, guitarist and sole songwriter behind alt-rock outfit Everclear – starts a new chapter in his career, now as a solo artist. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
American Grim – Ultra Black LP (E1)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. American Grim conjure the rich history of theatricality found in cinematic horror and dark literature, with the unrelenting energy of traditional hardcore, the massive propulsive hooks of post-industrial, and the unashamed weirdness of classic nü-metal.
The Avengers – American In Me 7” (Superior Viaduct)
Formed in San Francisco during 1977’s Summer of Hate, The Avengers swiftly ascended to the top of the West Coast scene and earned the coveted support slot for The Sex Pistols’ final concert in January 1978. The original White Noise EP version of “The American In Me” is paired with “Uh-Oh,” featuring Jones on piano and bravely demonstrating Me Too sentiments four decades earlier. Comp-only track “Cheap Tragedies” closes this reimagined lost-single set.
Beat Happening – We Are Beat Happening 7xLP (Domino)
This vinyl box set collects Beat Happening’s entire recorded output: seven LPs that showcase how the band created an international network of underground pop entirely on their own terms. Working from a sonic template of the Cramps, Trouble Funk, Young Marble Giants, and messianic blues, Beat Happening confounded and often incited violence from audiences weaned on hardcore punk.
Abramis Brama – Dansa Tokjävelns Vals [Reissue/1999] LP (Black Lodge)
Abramis Brama is a Swedish rock band that started in mid-1997. Their music has its background in the Swedish progressive group, but also has great influences from bands such as Black Sabbath and Kyuss. Their back catalog is being reissued on vinyl (one album per month over the next year).
Judy Collins – Both Sides Now: The Very Best Of LP (Wildflower)
A vinyl collection from the magnificent Judy Collins featuring 10 timeless classics showcases both sides of her extraordinary talent as an extremely gifted songwriter (The Blizzard) as well as a skilled interpreter of other’s songs.
Edith Crash – Frenzy LP (Stormy Wave)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The one-woman-band hailed as an “intense French blues exile” by The Guardian is back with a fourth album, Frenzy. The collection offers more of Crash’s multifaceted solo work with her on drums, synths, guitar, vocals and found noises along with collaborations. Crash cites Portishead, Sisters Of Mercy and Dead Can Dance as major influences, but the voice and musical chops driving Frenzy are all uniquely her own.
Crime – San Francisco’s First And Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Band 2×7”+DVD (Superior Viaduct)
One of the most savagely cool and confrontational punk acts in history, Crime famously dubbed themselves San Francisco’s First And Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Band. This inflammatory claim was supported by unpredictable live shows that often ended in riots. In 1978, film producer Larry Larson captured Crime in their natural habitat, the dimly-lit nightclub Mabuhay Gardens. This is the first-time official release of the 35-minute movie on DVD and a double 7” of its soundtrack.
Darkthrone – Old Star LP (Peaceville)
Limited vinyl picture disc pressing. The longstanding duo of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto return with their first studio album since 2016’s Arctic Thunder. Old Star displays a mastery of the art of the riff, with its six epic tracks taking in the best of the old school of heavy and extreme metal combined with a large dose of doom channeled through the grime of the underground.
Dave B – Bleu LP (Crane City Music)
A choir kid-turned-rapper-and the legit son of a preacher, Seattle’s Dave B blends elements of hip-hop, R&B, jazz and funk with conscious-driven vocal versatility, soulful melodies and memorable production. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dhidalah – Threshold LP (Gurugurubrain)
Since 2013, Dhidalah has hailed from the Tokyo underground as a space rock power trio. The band name derives from the Japanese legend of the Giant Gods – known as the creators of mountains, lakes and islands. Dhidalah plays improvisational music performances inspired by various genres from stoner/doom to kraut rock.
Diego Money – Green LP (X-Ray/Cleopatra)
The newest full-length album from one of the strongest young voices in hip-hop with guest contributions by longtime collaborator Famous Dex.
Al Divino/Raticus – Cryptex: Murderous Materials LP (Tenement Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Raticus quest to continue to contribute to the hip hop culture, leads him up the I-90, where hip-hop is alive and well represented by Al Divino. Al Divino and Raticus combine to create a hip-hop stew with rugged rhymes and melodic tracks. Pushing the boundaries of underground hip-hop on this project, Al Divino continues to show he is on a different level, different wavelength carving a new path, a new standard of hip-hop.
Thomas Dolby – The Golden Age Of Wireless [Reissue/1982] LP (Echo Label Limited)
Iconic synthesist/songwriter Thomas Dolby’s breakthrough 1982 record has been reissued on colored vinyl. “Dolby’s fresh sonic approach blended layers of electronic sound over a conventional guitar, piano, bass and drums backing. Dolby’s music heavily featured synths, samplers, sequencers and drum machines, but displayed none of the chilly alienation that many of his contemporaries were so adept at. His quirky uptempo singles lit up radio, MTV and the dance clubs; yet his deeper album cuts revealed him as a classic songwriter in the mold of some of his early influences such as Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell. The lyrics were warm and personal, and the melodies unforgettable, while many of his sonic soundscapes had an ethereal, almost cinematic quality.” – Drowned In Sound
Electric Wizard – Dopethrone [Reissue/2000] LP (Rise Above Limited)
Annual colored vinyl repress of the doom metal classic. This time around: gold sparkle.
Dominique Fils-Aimé – The Red EP 12” (King Underground)
Dominique Fils-Aimé is a Polaris Music prize-nominated singer-songwriter from Montreal who draws inspiration from soul icons of the 40’s and 60’s such as Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Nina Simone. While her musical roots are grounded in early soul and jazz, her sound transcends contemporary urban soundscapes.
Freaks And Clowns – Freaks And Clowns LP (Metalville)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.
Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Listenable)
Limited picture disc vinyl reissue. Shifting ever-so-slightly from the eco-friendly orchestra of impending doom on 2005’s From Mars To Sirius to the band’s new message of the equally uncontrollable inevitability of death, The Way Of All Flesh melds the open and airy progressive passages Gojira has become famous for with the sonically dense sounds and bludgeoningly heavy rhythms that makes the band an equally intelligent force as it is unmatchably heavy.
Grant Green – Sunday Mornin’ [Reissue/1962] LP (Slow Down)
Limited 180gm audiophile vinyl pressing. Grant Green was a Blue Note mainstay and is a jazz icon. Sunday Mornin’ was his fourth record and first with a pianist, Kenny Drew.
Green Jellÿ – Guiness Book Of World Record Holding Grammy Award LP (Enjoy The Ride)
The official soundtrack of the documentary Green Jellÿ Suxx Livë for the first time on limited edition colored vinyl.
Sean Henry – Jump From The High Dive LP+CD (Double Double Whammy)
Sean Henry’s newest collection is a departure from the more straightforward garage rock found on 2018 release Fink. But the signature Sean Henry moments are still there – simultaneously innocent, in-your-face and endearingly strange.
King Hannibal/Lee Moses – Truth [Reissue/1973] LP (Tidal Waves Music)
James Shaw (aka The Mighty Hannibal aka King Hannibal) was an American R&B, soul and funk singer, songwriter and record producer known for his showmanship and outlandish costumes. Several of his songs often carried deeper social or political themes. Expect mad funky soul classics and intense dirty tracks backed by energetic musicians from the likes of Lee Moses, George McCurn (The Staple Singers) & Herman Hitson (Jimi Hendrix).
Fela Anikulapo Kuti And Roy Ayers – Music Of Many Colours [Reissue/1980] LP (Knitting Factory)
Music of Many Colours is a joint album between Roy Ayers and Fela Kuti, recorded after a three week tour of Nigeria’s major cities in 1979, during which Ayers performed as the opening act for Fela’s band.
John Lodge – B Yond: The Very Best Of LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.
Merzbow – Pulse Demon [Reissue/1996] LP (Relapse)
Pulse Demon is one of the most celebrated releases of Masami Akita’s storied four decade long career. Composed entirely by live noise concrete and the use of a fuzz box, Pulse Demon eschews all overdubs and studio trickery, laying Merzbow bare. What follows in these recordings is the pure essence of unfettered noise.
Midnight Oil – Breathe Tour ’97 2xLP (Culture Factory)
Recorded live on January 19, 1998 in Pleasure Island Walt Disney World Orland Florida for the Big Bang Radio Broadcast concert series. Colored vinyl pressing.
Mono/Poly – Monotomic LP (Hit & Run)
Mono/Poly – AKA Charles Dickerson – has become a staple in the electronic music community over the last +10 years. Known for his unique blend of interstellar, synth-driven, and textured experimental electronic music, he is inspired by everything from ambient to acid house, G-funk, and R&B. Blue and white swirl colored vinyl pressing.
Roy Montgomery – Scenes From The South Island [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Yellow Electric)
Expanded reissue of New Zealand guitar pioneer Roy Montgomery’s rare and revered full-length debut. Recorded on both coasts on a pair of Tascam 4-tracks, the album is alternately wistful, windswept, skeletal, shredded, and strange. Solo guitar figures flow and fray through echo and empty space, evoking loss, long roads, and low-lit landscapes.
Mooch/Raticus – New York State: The Renaissance LP (Tenement Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Mooch continues to shine lyrically with one of the standout voices in the rap game. Raticus provides the soundscape with his turntables and MPCs setting the tone for the journey through the streets.
Necrovorous – Plains Of Decay [Reissue/2017] LP (Dark Decent)
Known for their undying adoration for everything sleazy, macabre and genuinely disturbing, death metal band Necrovorous has rose from their crypt in 2017 after years of hibernation.
Fred Neil – Fred Neil [Reissue/1966] LP (Sundazed Music)
New York folk artist Fred Neil’s eponymous second album may not have been a sales smash, but it inspired countless contemporaries, from Jefferson Airplane to Crosby, Stills & Nash, to Harry Nilsson. Clear colored vinyl pressing of a moody NYC masterpiece from The Village circa ’66.
Of Mice & Men – Earthandsky LP (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the hard rock/metal band.
Opeth – In Cauda Venenum 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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). [Two pressings: English version and Swedish version.]
Panphage – Drengskapr [Reissue/2016] LP (Nordvis)
Limited transparent blue with black streaks colored vinyl pressing. Panphage blends Swedish folk music with a significantly wild and furious blackened style of metal.
Parson Jones – Clear As Day 12” (Underdog)
The band Parson Jones is singer-songwriter Joshua Hollenstein and multi-instrumentalist and producer Kerry Fogarty. On their debut single, one can hear a mixture of soul and psychedelic pop, a meeting between OutKast and Grizzly Bear. [CD edition due December 13.]
Person L – Initial [Reissue/2008] LP (Enjoy The Ride)
In 2006, Kenny Vasoli from The Starting Line wanted to explore new musical ventures and created the band Person L to achieve this goal. Remastered by Dave Marino for the vinyl format from the original recordings, Initial is a musically adventurous album featuring a multitude of styles.
The Prime Movers Blues Band – The Prime Movers Blues Band LP (Modern Harmonic)
Formed in the summer of 1965 by brothers Michael and Dan Erlewine, The Prime Movers Blues Band’s dedication was the stuff of legend. Refusing to adopt a faux British Invasion look and turning down an offer from Motown, they played their style of Chicago-inspired blues relentlessly around the Detroit area. Featuring the ‘raw power’ of a young James Osterberg on drums (who also lends vocals on their sizzling styling of “I’m A Man”), this is the first-ever collection of The Prime Movers Blues Band’s recordings. [CD edition due December 13.]
Red Death – Sickness Divine LP (Century Media)
Washington D.C. crossover thrashers return with their third album. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available. CD edition due December 6.]
Keith Richards – Main Offender [Reissue/1992] LP (BMG)
Vinyl reissue of the Rolling Stones guitarist’s second solo album.
Stan Rogers – Greatest Hits 2xLP (Borealis)
The world lost Stan Rogers, one of Canada’s best folksingers and composers, in a fire on Air Canada flight # 797 at the Cincinnati, Ohio airport on June 2nd, 1983. His music continues to amaze, amuse and inspire people from all walks of life, and has been referred to as one of the touchstones of modern Canadian history.
Ruins – Marea/Tide [Reissue/1984] LP+7” (Music From Memory)
Vinyl reissue of the lost Art record from Italian wave duo Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna aka Ruins.
Seiche – Demo Press [Reissue/1981] LP (Jackpot)
Seiche formed in Chicago as a recording project to show off the skills of the musicians and the engineer. The resulting record: Seiche – Demo Press LP was a hard psych prog record released in 1981, that sounded like it came straight out of 1973, but was mostly unavailable, due to it’s extremely limited release (50 printed copies). Inspired by Psychedelic Rock and fresh out of high school, Seiche melded the often-disparate worlds of histrionic hard rock soloing with some of the more skewed elements of full-blown psychedelia.
Shaggy 2 Dope – F**k Off! [Reissue/1994] 12” (Psychopathic)
First-time vinyl pressing of the debut EP by one-half of Insane Clown Posse.
State Faults – Clairvoyant LP (No Sleep)
State Faults’ new record, Clairvoyant, was produced/recorded by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor) at Atomic Garden in Oakland, California. Their follow up to 2013’s Resonate/Desperate, was written over the last four years as the band quietly plotted their return.
Strigoi – Abandon All Faith LP (Nuclear Blast)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album from the new band from Paradise Lost guitarist Greg Mackintosh.
Gabor Szabo – The Best Of Gabor Szabo [Reissue/1968] LP (Modern Harmonic)
Limited red colored vinyl pressing. Gabor Szabo’s singular style and authentic sound is on full display across a set of originals and choice covers highlighted by unusual instrumentation and ingenious arrangements. Gabor Szabo was one of the most original guitarists to emerge in the 1960s; mixing his Hungarian folk music heritage with a deep love of jazz and crafting a distinctive, largely self-taught sound.
Various Artists – A Factory Box Set: Factory Communications 1978–92 8xLP (Rhino)
A dynamic tribute to the iconic Factory Records as well as a dedication to its founder, the late Tony Wilson. The project celebrates one of the most important labels in UK pop history, collating rare and obscure tracks from a diverse range of acts. The vinyl eight-LP box set covers 15 years of the Manchester-based label across 63 tracks and includes cuts from the likes of New Order, Joy Division, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Electronic, A Certain Ratio, Section 25, OMD, James and Cabaret Voltaire among many more.
Weeed – You Are The Sky LP (Halfshell)
You Are The Sky finds the Portland, OR quintet shedding much of their sonic past to offer an introspective, self-loving narrative. Their music a nod to Can, King Gizz, Faust, and Spacemen 3.
Aaron West And The Roaring Twenties – We Don’t Have Each Other [Reissue/2014] LP (Hopeless)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing of the debut album from Aaron West (Wonder Year’s lead singer, Dan Campbell) and The Roaring Twenties, a fictional NJ man turned folk singer, traveling through the US to escape his demons and play music for the dive bar crowd.
We The Kings – We The Kings [Reissue/2007] LP (Enjoy The Ride)
First-time vinyl pressing. Originally released in 2007, the Florida pop punk band took the world by storm after posting a handful of songs to the then-popular website PureVolume.
Whispering Sons – Image LP (Cleopatra)
Vinyl pressing of the 2018 debut album from dark and atmospheric Belgian post-punk band.
Andrew W.K. – The Wolf [Reissue/2003] LP (Enjoy The Ride)
First-time vinyl edition of Andrew W.K.’s sophomore full length which features the positive party epic, “Never Let Down”, as well as, “Long Live The Party”, “Tear It Up”, and “Your Rules”.
Pete Yorn – Musicforthemorningafter [Reissue/2001] LP (Shelly Music)
Pete Yorn – Day I Forgot [Reissue/2001] LP (Shelly Music)
Pete Yorn – Nightcrawler [Reissue/2006] LP (Shelly Music)
Vinyl reissues of the New Jersey singer/songwriter’s first three albums. Yorn first gained international recognition after his debut record, Musicforthemorningafter, was released to critical and commercial acclaim in 2001. He is known for playing the bulk of the instruments on his records and is often credited with helping to usher in the singer/songwriter resurgence of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.
Zackey Force Funk – 4×4 Scorpion LP (Hit & Run)
Another collection of bonafide gangster funk with classic synth lines and bright funky textures.
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