March Program Titles Released This Week:
Boniface – Boniface CD/LP (PIAS)
The self-titled debut from Canadian solo artist Boniface is a catalogue of his most formative coming-of-age experiences – each moment captured in diary-like detail and set against a magnificently sprawling backdrop. Throughout the album, the musician/producer otherwise known as Micah Visser reflects on falling in love and facing heartbreak whilst struggling with identity, never failing to find an ineffable beauty within all the pain. The result is a body of work both bracingly honest and powerfully exhilarating. Growing up in Winnipeg, Visser wrote the songs for the album at home throughout their late teens and early twenties, after shifts at the local coffee shop and lost nights in the city. This intimacy has been preserved on Boniface, which features production engineer Neil Comber (Charli XCX, M.I.A., Glass Animals) who helped bring Boniface’s lavish arrangements to full and dazzling life. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Albert Cummings – Believe CD/LP (Mascot Label Group)
Blues-rock guitarist Albert Cummings’ new album, Believe, features a flavorful mix of blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll. Recorded at the iconic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, Cummings takes this release to new heights with the help of Grammy-winning producer, Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana). Together, they drew inspiration from the rich recording legacy of Muscle Shoals and created a timeless album full of rhythm, funk, and soul. “You can hear the difference between this album and my others, and that is the Muscle Shoals difference,” Cummings says of the new project, “If I had recorded those same songs anywhere else, then Believe would have sounded like a completely different album.” [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Eden – No Future CD (Astralwerks)
Vocalist/producer/multi-instrumentalist Eden (Dublin-bred artist born Jonathon Ng) returns with No Future, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2018 full-length debut, Vertigo. As with all his music to date, lead single “Projector” was recorded and produced by Eden at his home studio. With its dreamlike textures and heady drum-machine rhythms, the song finds Eden’s graceful vocal work channeling a heavy-hearted surrender. “‘Projector’ is about appreciating all the ebbs and flows and accepting how things really are instead of wishing they were some other way,” Ng explains. “It started out as a very no-man’s-land kind of song, and then the lyrics ended up reflecting the concept of the death of the universe into a very personal space: this idea that no matter what’s going on in your life right now, everything eventually runs its course.” [Vinyl edition due March 13.]
David Gray – White Ladder [Reissue/1998] CD/2xLP+MP3/2xCD/4xLP+MP3 (iht Records)
David Gray’s fourth studio album White Ladder failed to chart when first released in 1998 but became an enormous success when re-released on ATO Records in 2000. The album spawned five singles including “Babylon”, “Please Forgive Me”, and “Sail Away”. This 20th anniversary reissue is available in regular and deluxe editions. The expanded deluxe edition adds a series of previously unreleased and rare White Ladder-era B-sides and demos. “What happened with White Ladder involved more than music. It was a sort of heart and soul moment of total surrender for everybody involved, for me and the audience. That was it. It doesn’t get any better than that.” – David Gray [Deluxe vinyl edition features the original LP on two white colored vinyl records and the associated tracks on two black vinyl LPs. It comes with a 40-page booklet, which includes lyrics, photos and David Gray’s personal notes on the people involved and the stories behind some of the songs and most memorable shows.]
Huey Lewis & The News – Weather CD/LP (BMG)
Featuring Huey Lewis & The News’ first new, original songs since 2001’s Plan B – plus one cover of the classic Eugene Church soul burner “Pretty Girls Everywhere” – Weather was produced in-house by Huey and the guys, just like every record they’ve made since the early 1980s. Following their previous offering “Her Love Is Killin’ Me” – a “harmonica-topped, gritty-voiced, good-natured boogie that has Huey Lewis & The News sounding like absolutely nothing has changed since the mid-1980s” (The New York Times) – “While We’re Young” delivers another preview of the patience and positivity at the core of Weather. Unaware that recording sessions were about to be cut short by a 2018 Ménière’s disease diagnosis (a rare disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes of vertigo) that could keep him from ever singing again, Lewis reflects on fleeting mortality with a rasp as uninhibited, witty, and confident as ever, backed by the same strength of smooth-sailing soul arrangements that first launched the group to international superstardom. Realized through years spent road-testing the tracks on tour, Lewis calls Weather some of the band’s best work.
Posehn – Grandpa Metal CD/LP (Megaforce)
Comedian Brian Posehn has friends in metal places. The Uncle Nick star has corralled a murderer’s row of metal and rock help for his new metal album Grandpa Metal. The album features a massive list of guest collaborators, including Fall Out Boy members Patrick Stump and Joe Trohman, Dokken’s Jeff Pilson, “Weird” Al Yankovic, Dethklok‘s Brendon Small, Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Jonathan Donais and Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor. Grandpa Metal’s first single is a thundering death metal take on A-ha‘s iconic “Take On Me”, featuring Rob Cavestany (Death Angel), Jill Janus (Huntress), Chuck Billy and Alex Skolnick (Testament) and Steve Souza (Exodus). Also appearing on the album: Gary Holt (Slayer), Pearl Aday and Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth), Michael Starr (Steel Panther), Jacob Bunton (Mars Electric) and Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Puss N Boots – Sister CD/LP (Blue Note)
Puss N Boots – the charming trio featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper – deliver their second full-length album, Sister – a fetching collection of originals written by the band members collectively and individually, mixed with loving covers of songs by Tom Petty (“Angel Dream”) and Paul Westerberg (“It’s A Wonderful Lie”). Jones, Dobson, and Popper each take turns delivering lead vocals and pick up multiple instruments throughout the album trading off on guitar, bass, and drums. “This band has always been a great adventure,” says Jones. “Sasha and Cat’s fearlessness eggs me on to try new things, be it playing guitar, drums, writing a new way or wearing an elf costume on stage. We feed off each other’s eagerness to jump in, sink or swim. And singing together feels like the most natural thing in the world. It’s a real privilege to have found this space together, try different things and to watch this band grow into what is at this moment. It is ever evolving and so fun.”
Nathaniel Rateliff – And It’s Still Alright CD/LP (Stax)
And It’s Still Alright is an intensely personal ten-song album of vibrant country-blues, Badland ballads, ornate Americana and jazz-inflected R&B. Rateliff’s warm baritone, ranging from gently hushed to a guttural howl, imbues these superbly drawn character studies with raw, naked emotion. The feel of the new record, for which Rateliff had been focusing on an unraveling relationship, took a different turn in July 2018 with the death of Richard Swift. His longtime friend and producer of the two hugely-acclaimed albums by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats thus gave poignant inspiration to these ten new songs, on which, now in his solo voice, Rateliff wears his grief and doubt on his sleeve, but always retains a sense of optimism. The tracks are quieter and more reflective than the exuberant soul with which the Night Sweats made their name, but have the same urgency and indelible appeal, exploring themes of love, loss and perseverance. [Limited coke bottle green transparent colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Jake Shimabukuro Trio – Trio CD/LP (Mascot Label Group)
Jake Shimabukuro has been redefining what the ukulele is capable of for the last 20 years and he kicks off 2020 with the new album, Trio. Joining Jake on this album are bassist Nolan Verner, who has been a constant presence on stage and in the studio for the past five years, and guitarist Dave Preston, who joined the fold two years ago. From pastoral folk and traditional Hawaiian melodies to incandescent versions of beloved classics like Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”, Trio pushes the possibilities of the ukulele even further into the future. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush CD/2xLP (Interscope)
The highly anticipated The Slow Rush marks Tame Impala’s (Kevin Parker) fourth full-length album overall and first studio effort since 2015’s Grammy-nominated and BRIT Award-winning Currents. Recorded between Los Angeles and Parker’s studio in his hometown of Fremantle, Australia, the twelve tracks were all recorded, produced and mixed by Parker himself. The Slow Rush is Parker’s deep dive into the oceans of time, conjuring the feeling of a lifetime in a lightning bolt, of major milestones whizzing by while you’re looking at your phone; it’s a paean to creation and destruction and the unending cycle of life. Parker told the New York Times that, “A lot of the songs carry this idea of time passing, of seeing your life flash before your eyes, being able to see clearly your life from this point onwards. I’m being swept by this notion of time passing. There’s something really intoxicating about it.” [Limited indie store exclusive forest green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Archon Angel – Fallen CD (Frontiers)
Archon Angel is a new metal band project born from a meeting between producer/guitar player Aldo Lonobile (Secret Sphere) and former Savatage and Circle II Circle vocalist Zak Stevens during the making of Timo Tolkki’s Avalon’s Return To Eden album, of which Aldo produced and played guitar and Zak did some guest lead vocals.
The Ballroom Thieves – Unlovely CD/LP (Nettwerk)
With subject matters ranging from female empowerment and the destruction of patriarchy, to love in a committed relationship, to their fury about the current state of American leadership, The Ballroom Thieves’ Unlovely is the distillation of the band’s personal and political passions. Songs like “Vanity Trip” and title track “Unlovely” boil over with exasperation and disgust, rage and resentment running through every line in protest of today’s global status quo. Incorporating musical styles that range from Motown to classic rock and metal, Unlovely maintains the recognizable, nostalgia-tinged sound of The Ballroom Thieves’ previous outputs while pushing a heightened brashness.
Bambara – Stray CD/LP (Wharf Cat)
Stray is not merely another, better entry in a catalog full of darkly thrilling, blistering experimental rock-via-punk. Rather, early on in its conception the band made the decision to experiment with new compositions and song structures.
Beach Bunny – Honeymoon CD/LP/Cassette (Mom & Pop Music)
Honeymoon is the excellent debut album from Beach Bunny, the four-piece band out of Chicago. Recorded at the iconic Chicago studio Electrical Audio with producer Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Algernon Caldwaller), the nine songs on the LP burst with energy that capture their vital and life-affirming live show. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.
Justin Bieber – Changes CD (Def Jam)
Bieber gives the world insight into events that have taken place in his life over the past four years. From marriage to faith and his new outlook on life, he reflects on changes he’s experienced and the impact they’ve had on him. Changes marks a new chapter in his career. The album hinges on themes of personal growth through life experiences, love and commitment, creatively expressed through music, giving a candid look into his evolution as an artist and human being.
Big Scenic Nowhere – Vision Beyond Horizon CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Big Scenic Nowhere’s Vision Beyond Horizon is a collaborative effort and even greater than the sum of it’s parts. The basic riffs and song structures were done by Bob Balch and Gary Arce, but the contributions from Tony Reed, Lisa Alley, Ian Graham, Mario Lalli, Nick Oliveri, Bill Stinson, Per Wiberg, and Alain Johannes make this record what it is.
Black Swan – Shake The World CD/2xLP (Frontiers)
Vocalist Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker Group), guitarist Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, The End Machine, ex-Dokken), and drummer Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big) have joined forces in new melodic hard rock/metal band Black Swan.
Carla Bley/Andy Sheppard/Steve Swallow – Life Goes On CD (ECM)
A striking album of new music from pianist/composer Carla Bley, whose trio with Andy Sheppard and Steve Swallow is now in its 25th year. Life Goes One was realized in the Auditorio Stelio Molo Studio in Lugano in May 2019 with Manfred Eicher producing, and is comprised of three suites. This trio has a unique collective sound, reflecting – as The Telegraph recently noted – “musical mastery of a rare order.” [Vinyl edition due March 20.]
Boris – LφVE & EVφL CD/2xLP (Third Man)
Boris – Akuma No Uta [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Third Man)
Boris – Boris At Last – Feedbacker [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Third Man)
LφVE & EVφL exists as two independent works, encapsulating conflicting connotations that interweave and become intricately entangled with one another, gradually eroding before becoming utterly singular. Continuing to tinker and toil with their sound since the 2017 release of Dear, Boris has pivoted onward a more organic, non-grid literary style. In tandem with this new release, Third Man has reissued a pair of 2003 releases on CD (vinyl editions of all three albums were originally released last October).
BRKN LOVE – BRKN LOVE CD/LP (Spinefarm)
Amplifiers still blare out of suburban garages everywhere. Guitars, drums, and bass still translate the emotion and energy of a generation better than anything. No matter what prevailing opinion may be, rock music still maintains its foothold just behind the pop culture curtain – as if in the wings waiting to return. BRKN LOVE carry on this tradition.
Diabulus In Musica – Euphonic Entropy CD (Napalm)
Fifth album from the symphonic metal band.
Michael Doucet – Lacher Prise CD/LP (Compass)
Michael Doucet – the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, artist, founder of BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, and overall Cajun legend – crafts the quintessential Louisiana soundtrack to a good time on his new solo album.
Drivin N’ Cryin – Live The Love Beautiful CD/LP (Drivin N’ Cryin)
Released last summer on vinyl – now available on CD. From their days as MTV-approved radio stars to their rebirth as DIY icons of the American underground, Drivin N’ Cryin spent three and a half decades building a legacy grounded in sharp songwriting, southern stomp, and loud, life affirming shows.
Barbara Eden – Miss Barbara Eden [Reissue/1967] CD/LP (Real Gone Music)
CD and vinyl reissue of the lone solo album from the I Dream Of Jeannie star. Eden got her start performing while singing in the church choir and studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music long before the camera found her. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Edwrds – Loverboy CD (Deko Music)
Edwrds is a multitalented artist from Long Island, New York who has been entertaining fans with his dynamic stage performances since a very young age. His music embodies a mixture of dance and hip-hop and the daily struggles in his life, as well as the people he has met along his journey.
Eyelids – The Accidental Falls CD (Jealous Butcher)
On The Accidental Falls, Portland, OR’s Eyelids, one of rock’s best-kept secrets, step firmly out from the considerable shadow cast by the band members’ second-to-none pedigrees earned from time spent in Guided By Voices, The Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus and Elliott Smith. Featuring lyrics written by poet and frequent Tim Buckley collaborator Larry Beckett that span over four decades and produced by R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, it features a bountiful cacophony of gorgeously shimmering riffs and songs so delectably crafted that all who value the electric guitar as a source of joy should find themselves awash in goosebumps once under this record’s spell. [Vinyl edition due February 28.]
Flatfoot 56 – Toil [Reissue/2012] CD (Ollie Mob Worldwide)
Flatfoot 56’s 2012 album has been reissued. Some have suggested that Toil would be less raucous than previous albums, but the band’s well-noted hardcore-tinged sound is still present. [Vinyl edition due February 28.]
Erroll Garner – Up In Erroll’s Room [Reissue/1968] CD (Mack Avenue)
Eighth album in the The Erroll Garner Octave Remastered Series. Each represents an artist in his prime, with full creative and commercial control of his output following his break with Columbia Records.
Katie Gately – Loom CD/LP (Houndstooth)
Following remix work for Björk and Zola Jesus, productions for Serpentwithfeet, Gately returns with her sophomore album Loom, dedicated to her mother, who passed away in 2018. “My mother’s voice is in this record, her picture’s in the sleeve notes. This record is for her,” says Katie. Where her debut album Color, (2016) deployed fractured rhythms, fierce licks, bold samples and her signature paintbox pop hooks, Loom reveals crepuscular textures. Her voice is more forward in the mix, often densely layered in choral laments above a coarse foundation of hard and brittle sound design, the latter of which is rooted in her film school training.
God Fahim – Lost Kingz CD/LP (Nature Sounds)
Known for impressive lyricism and streetwise wordplay set to dusty soul and jazz loops, Atlanta native Tha God Fahim has defied expectations for hip-hop from his city, and his steady stream of output continues to draw attention.
Godthrymm – Reflections CD/LP (Profound Lore)
Godthrymm was formed in 2017 by vocalist / guitarist Hamish Glencross (ex-My Dying Bride / Vallenfyre / Solstice) and sees the respected UK metal luminary returning to his doom metal roots, creating the music he helped forge with Solstice (on the legendary New Dark Age album) and especially with the heralded My Dying Bride during the 2000 – 2014 time period.
Grafvitnir – NâHásh CD/LP (Concilium)
Originally released in 2012 in extremely limited quantities, NâHásh humbly began Grafvitnir’s ascent from the underground into modern black metal royalty.
Great American Ghost – Power Through Terror CD/LP (E1)
Extreme music is aggressive by nature, but Great American Ghost may be the angriest sounding band of their ilk.
Bobby Hatfield – Stay With Me: The Richard Perry Sessions CD (Omnivore)
Unfinished lost 1971 album from former tenor of blue-eyed soul duo The Righteous Brothers featuring Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann and Al Kooper.
Heart Bones – Hot Dish CD/LP (Love Online)
Heart Bones is a rare thing-a new band with a long history-which heightens both expectations and standards. Sabrina Ellis and Sean Tillmann (Calvin Krime, Sean Na Na) are obviously both tirelessly bustling and juggling and geographically separated by the entire height of the middle of the country. But put on their debut album Hot Dish and as soon as Sabrina’s first line enters, completing the inversion of Sean’s first line which has just spun your head around, the collaboration feels inevitable.
Heliocentrics – Infinity Of Now CD/LP (Madlib Invazion)
The UK’s cosmic, psychedelic-funk ensemble issue their first album on maverick producer Madlib’s label, Madlib Invazion. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry’s turned-on musique concrète, and Can’s beat-heavy Krautrock, Heliocentrics have, over the course of their career, pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia
Highly Suspect – MCID CD/2xLP (300 Entertainment)
Highly Suspect’s third album, MCID, is an adventurous new chapter for the Grammy-nominated trio spanning rock, hip-hop and pop, and featuring guest appearances by Young Thug, Tee Grizzley, Gojira, and Conor Mason from Nothing But Thieves.
Hollywood Undead – New Empire, Vol. 1 CD/LP (BMG)
Sixth full-length studio album from the California hard rock band. Produced by Matt Good (Sleeping With Sirens, Asking Alexandria), the high-energy nine track collection finds the band embracing a heavier hard rock sound. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ihsahn – Telemark CDEP/12” (Spinefarm)
The first Telemark EP represents the dark, brutal, and aggressive side of Ihsahn’s compositional identity. With three new original songs and two ferocious cover versions, it represents a celebration of the defiant spirit that first inspired him to follow a creative path and to form Emperor three decades ago.
Jason Kui – Naka CD (Prosthetic)
Guitar maestro, Jason Kui, returns with Naka, his second studio album comprising of a diverse and exciting collection of songs that show off his eclectic prowess.
Kvelertak – Splid CD (Rise)
New album from the Norwegian metal outfit. One hour of catchy riffs, punk rock, and heavy metal influenced by a world in discord. [Vinyl edition due March 13.]
Bill Laurance – Live At Ronnie Scott’s CD (Flint Music Limited)
Recorded live at the world-renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club during the 2018 International Piano Trio Festival, Bill Laurance Trio’s new album strikes a delicate balance between honouring a longstanding tradition, and outlining a creative vision for its development.
Lynyrd Skynrd – Last Of The Street Survivors Tour Lyve! 2xCD+DVD (Skynyrd Partners)
Recorded live at the band’s hometown performance in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 2, 2018 during the venerable Southern rock groups’ farewell tour.
Mackenzie Nicole – Mystic CD (Strange Music)
Exploring an entirely new and original sound, Mackenzie Nicole partners with producer Michael “Seven” Summers to chronicle an odyssey of mental breakdown and recovery in her sophomore album Mystic. From deep cuts like “A Cut Rose in Tap Water” to the more ethereal “The House above the World”, Mystic is the premiere of Mackenzie’s full artistic freedom and creative control as a lyricist and vocal performer.
Johnny Mathis – The Island CD (Real Gone Music)
Johnny Mathis has recorded many romantic albums over the past seven decades, but none quite like The Island. Recorded in 1989 but unreleased for decades, The Island transported listeners to Brazil, with all of its mystique and magic.
Tim McGraw – The Biggest Hits [Reissue/2018] LP (Curb)
Vinyl pressing of this 2018 collection by the country music superstar.
The Men – Mercy CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
New York’s The Men have always been genre-morphic and unpredictable, but on their eighth album Mercy they have truly done something new as a band. For the first time since forming, they have now created three straight records with the same lineup, and the result is a sound that feels developed and continuous despite running the gamut of mood, in true Men fashion. [Limited purple colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mint Julep – Stray Fantasies CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Stray Fantasies marks a deepening of the discography of wife-and-husband duo Hollie and Keith Kenniff under their collaborative moniker Mint Julep, an expertly manicured electric-pop venture that stands in stark contrast to the nebulous and experimental Helios and Goldmund outputs for which Keith Kenniff is known.
Katy Moffatt – Chrysalis 2xCD (Sunset Blvd.)
Moffatt is one of the seminal voices in the alt-country & Americana movement. This double-CD collection features the best of Moffatt’s ’80s & ’90s recordings.
Monsta X – All About Luv CD/LP (Epic)
Monsta X has taken the US by storm with a list of hits permeating the air waves including the fifth single, “Middle of the Night”, from their new record All About Luv, the first all English-language album released by a K-pop group. The single takes another step towards merging them into the pop scene as the first Korean group to seamlessly integrate fully. Hinging on a hummable groove, glistening production and thick beats reverberate throughout the dance-driven ballad alongside impressive vocal performances. [CD is available in a variety of collectable editions featuring exclusive photo cards. Limited colored vinyl LP pressing includes poster and booklet.]
Monstrous – World Under Siege CD (Metal Bastard)
Monstrous is a darkened metal band tastefully adding onto the rich legacy of Swedish-American metal with their uniquely heavy and gritty sound.
Necrowretch – The Ones From Hell CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Deadly French trio Necrowretch return with a vicious black metal attack – an orgy of blasphemy and savage metal muscle that delivers pure, unrefined sacrilege.
Tami Neilson – Chickaboom! CD/LP (Outside Music)
Neilson is an artist with real range, whose powerful voice can take on big ballads, golden-age country, heartfelt gospel, soul-infused R&B, Western swing, even old-style rock ‘n’ roll.
Not My God – Not My God CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Two leaders of underground industrial – Tim Skold (ex-Marilyn Manson, Shotgun Messiah) and Nero Bellum (Psyclon 9) – combine forces on their eponymous debut album as Not My God. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Maceo Parker – It’s All About Love [Reissue/2018] CD/LP (Leopard)
To celebrate his 75th birthday (February 14, 2018), soul and funk icon Maceo Parker released It’s All About Love, his first studio album since 2006.
Carly Pearce – Carly Pearce CD/LP (Big Machine)
Pearce was 2018’s Radio Disney The Freshest! Country Best New Artist winner and a 2019 ACM Awards New Female Artist of the Year and iHeartRadio Music Awards Best New Country Artist nominee. Carly Peace is her sophomore album.
Michel Petrucciani – Colors CD/LP (Disques Dreyfus)
Michel Petrucciani died on 6th January 1999. His death left an emptiness that will never be filled among jazz enthusiasts – and among many others. It goes without saying that Michel Petrucciani stands out today as a great lyrical and very prolific composer, having written around 140 tracks. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his death, five legendary musicians – Charles Lloyd, Ahmad Jamal, Marcus Miller, Lenny White, and Steve Gadd – share their testimonies, revealing the pianist’s legacy and topicality of his music.
Phantom Blues Band – Still Cookin’ CD (Vizz Tone)
Since the early 1990’s, the Phantom Blues Band has been touring the world as the two-time Grammy winning band for Taj Mahal, and appearing as a world-class allstar band on their own. The band members have a long list of credits as touring artists and top-call studio musicians for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, and many more.
Post Animal – Forward Motion Godyssey CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
The sophomore full-length from Post Animal, Forward Motion Godyssey unfolds with a frenetic momentum, mercurial and unhinged and gloriously volatile. In a bold leap forward both artistically and sonically, the Chicago-based alt-prog band sets their existential questioning to a wildly kinetic sound, mining inspiration from genres as divergent as electronic and psych-rock and-at one particularly sublime point-achieving both stoner-metal brutishness and dreamy R&B elegance in the very same instant. [A vinyl reissue of 2018’s When I Think Of You In A Castle is also available this week.]
Psychotic Waltz – The God-Shaped Void CD/2xLP+CD (Century Media)
The progressive metal pioneers return with their highly anticipated fifth studio album and first new music in 23 years.
Riki – Riki CD/LP (Dais)
Riki is the Los Angeles based dark synth-pop outfit commandeered by the mysterious Niff Nawor, a visual artist and musician active in the deathrock / anarcho-punk scenes of the California bay area (formerly a member of Crimson Scarlet), before founding her solo endeavor as Riki in 2017. For her self-titled debut album for Dais, Riki explores courage, physicality, and romance across eight timeless synth pop anthems. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also avialble.]
Sasha’s Bloc – Club Rendezvous CD (Label Logic)
Sasha’s Bloc is a collective created by Alexander Gershman, delivering a sound that is big, boisterous, and full of spirit. They encapsulate everything that makes jazz an American phenomenon.
Seven Spires – Emerald Seas CD (Frontiers)
Seven Spires is an American metal quartet, and Berklee College Of Music graduates, specializing in melancholic tales and tenebrous grandeur. Part bittersweet melodic metal anthems, part apocalyptic melodic death and black metal, and part Romantic Classical poets, they are storytellers who draw from across the traditional spectrum of metal and beyond to weave tragedies of demons, death, love, and the peculiarities of human condition.
Shopping – All Or Nothing CD/LP (Fat Cat)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. With their new album All or Nothing Shopping take a big leap into a vibrant and punchy production style that is closer to pop than anything they’ve ever done.
Skeletal Spectre – Succubus Of The Night CD (Metal Bastard)
Moving and powerful, mysterious and serpentine, the music of Skeletal Spectre has always been somewhat of a mystery to nail down. Too brawny to be black metal, yet too melodic to be purely death metal, the band has carved a path all its own with their unique sound and undeniable songwriting prowess.
Suicide Silence – Become The Hunter CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
The impact of southern CA’s Suicide Silence on extreme metal is undeniable. Since the band’s inception in 2004 and the subsequent release of genre defining tracks like “You Only Live Once”, “Unanswered” and “You Can’t Stop Me”, Suicide Silence took deathcore to enormous crowds selling hundreds of thousands of records and playing enormous stages around the world. [Limited bone/black splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Temu – Relic Of The Mothership CD/LP (The Sleepers Recordz)
Award winning singer, dancer, producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and all around 21st century renaissance man, Temu Bacot, was given the gift of music as a child, and has been tearing it up on stages around the world ever since. Temu’s style moves effortlessly from mellow soul to raged-filled rap, from to talk-box P-funk to sophisticated ballads – covering an astonishingly varied musical landscape in performances that are tightly focused, yet warm and human.
Tennis – Swimmer CD/LP (Mutually Detrimental)
Tennis is an indie pop duo comprising husband and wife Patrick Riley (guitar, keyboards, production) and Alaina Moore (vocals, keyboards). The band wrote their new album Swimmer on land and sea; on their sailboat traveling around Baja California, Mexico and in their recording studio they built in Denver. Alaina and Patrick were driven to elevate their songwriting and experimented with different instrumentation, time changes, and a focus on lyrical storytelling. The band experienced many life-changing occurrences over the last two years that influenced their writing – from loss to illness and renewed bonds.
Third Mind – Third Mind CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Dave Alvin, Victor Krummenacher (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven), Michael Jerome (Toadies, Better Than Ezra) and David Immerglück (Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven) form the core of this group of seasoned musicians, who have joined forces to take a trip back to the psychedelic folk/rock sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They put their own spin on songs made famous by Alice Coltrane, 13th Floor Elevators, Fred Neil and others, plus an original song.
Mo Troper – Natural Beauty CD/LP (Tender Loving Empire)
Mo Troper’s third solo record, Natural Beauty, was recorded in the uneasy yet fertile time after the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist returned to his hometown of Portland, OR from two brief, failed experiments of living elsewhere: first in Los Angeles and then in New York. Instead of the “snot-nosed pwnage” of his earlier music (so said Pitchfork in their review of his debut solo album), this new record presents the salient details of Troper’s life without the juvenile editorializing that has, at times, kept listeners at arm’s length.
Ut – In Gut’s House [Reissue/1988] CD/2xLP (Out)
Radical No Wave pioneers Ut reissue their critically acclaimed In Gut’s House album—their second studio album originally released in 1988 on Blast First Records, now fully remastered with original cover artwork, song lyrics and band photos. It made the year’s NME ‘Top 50 Albums’.
Various Artists – Jamaica All Stars CD/LP (Studio One)
Jamaica All Stars combines two rare and long-out-of-print releases from the archives of Studio One, Jamaica All Stars Vol. 1 (1972) and Vol. 2 (1974). The albums featured early performances from some of the most legendary reggae artists of all time, including Alton Ellis, John Holt, Horace Andy, Burning Spear and more.
Robert Vincent – In The Town You’re Owned CD/LP (Robert Vincent Music)
“People say you should just stick to music and keep your opinions to yourself but I find that entirely the opposite of what songwriting should be,” explains award winning singer-songwriter Robert Vincent of his third album, In This Town You’re Owned, “but we should be the ones that are bothered by what goes on in society.” Vincent returns here with his most relevant album to date, produced by Brit Award winning Ethan Johns – who has won acclaim for his production work with, amongst others, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne and Laura Marling.
Waiting For Monday – Waiting For Monday CD (Frontiers)
Waiting for Monday is a new melodic rock band formed by vocalist Rudy Cardenas and guitarist/singer August Zadra. Musically, you can expect classic chart topping melodies ala Journey, Styx, and Foreginer, but with a decidedly modern approach.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Lynyrd Skynrd – Last Of The Street Survivors Tour Lyve! Blu-ray (Skynyrd Partners)
Recorded live at the band’s hometown performance in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 2, 2018 during the venerable Southern rock groups’ farewell tour.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Marc Almond – Chaos And A Dancing Star LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. An iconic and influential figure with a career that spans almost 40 years and more than 30 million sales, Marc Almond has enjoyed a fresh renaissance in recent years. 2017’s retrospective Hit & Pieces saw him return to the Top 10 of the album charts, and it was followed by the critically acclaimed Shadows And Reflections set, which became the highest-charting solo album of his career so far. He also reunited with David Ball to say goodbye to Soft Cell with an emotional sold-out show at London’s O2. New album, Chaos And A Dancing Star, was made in collaboration with producer, songwriter and pianist Chris Braide (Sia, Lana Del Rey, Halsey), who also worked on 2015’s The Velvet Trail. The duo started writing for the album three years ago, their initial plan for a prog-rock album evolving into something leaning more towards strident pop melodies.
Ash – Teenage Wildlife – 25 Years Of Ash 2xLP (Echo Label Ltd.)
Sharing its title with the documentary which depicted Ash’s rise from local school heroes to all-conquering band that topped the charts with their debut album 1977, Teenage Wildlife traces the band’s recording career from exuberant debut “Jack Names The Planets” through to “Buzzkill” and “Annabel” from 2018’s Top 20 album Islands. Teenage Wildlife also includes a brand new song “Darkest Hour Of The Night” alongside thirteen Top 40 singles amid an array of the band’s recorded history. [CD edition due March 6.]
Bohen & Der Club Of Gore – Patchouli Blue 2xLP (Ipecac)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. German darkjazz outfit Bohren & Der Club of Gore – who Pitchfork aptly describes as a combination of “lounge jazz, dark ambience, the languorous adagios of classical-music requiem, and the saturated romance of Italian film soundtracks” – return with their first new album in six years and ninth overall. The band shares: “Dear friends of music where hardly anything happens, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore is happy and proud, to announce their new album. You may have already given up hope, but miracles happen: Patchouli Blue – instrumental, slow, uneventful – as always. Love it, hate it, listen to it.”
David Bowie – Alabama Song 7” (Rhino/Parlophone)
7” picture disc vinyl pressing. Originally released in the UK in February 1980. “Alabama Song” was initially written as a poem by Bertolt Brecht in 1925 and was put to music by Kurt Weill for the 1927 play Little Mahogany. David Bowie was a longstanding Brecht fan and included the song in the set list for his 1978 Isolar II tour. The studio version of “Alabama Song” on the A-side of this release was recorded in July, 1978. The AA-Side features two previously unreleased tracks; live renditions of Heroes track “Joe The Lion” and “Alabama Song”, both recorded on July 1st, 1978
Moses Boyd – Dark Matter LP (Xodus Productions)
Dark Matter is an album by a young auteur, threading several thrilling musical traditions into a bold new tapestry: the raw energy of grime and Afrobeat and the rolling club rhythms of the London underground, combined with the freewheeling creativity and collaborative spirit of his jazz training. The project is deviating even more away from jazz; leaning towards electronica and relying on hip-hop production. [CD edition due March 13.]
Randall Bramblett – The Meantime [Reissue/2009] LP (New West)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In 2009, Randall Bramblett released the critically acclaimed album The Meantime via his Blue Ceiling label. The recording marked a departure for the highly acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who is best known for his contributions on saxophone with Steve Winwood, Traffic, Levon Helm, Sea Level, Widespread Panic and more. The record was produced by Bramblett, who performs primarily on acoustic piano, organ, and lead vocals, and features 12 original tracks, including some of Bramblett’s earliest songs such as “Sacred Harmony”, “Witness For Love”, and “One More Rose” as well as newer, unreleased compositions. Limited colored vinyl pressing.
Charly Bliss – Supermoon 12”+MP3 (Baruk)
The Supermoon EP is a collection of songs written during the sessions for Charly Bliss’ 2019 critically acclaimed sophomore LP, Young Enough. It includes the previously released single “Heaven”, which Pitchfork awarded their coveted Best New Track distinction and called “expansive pop-rock that demands repeat listens.” [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Cindy Lee – What’s Tonight To Eternity LP (W.25th)
Cindy Lee’s fifth long-form offering, showcases the project’s most entrancing strengths: ethereal snowdrift pop and sly nods toward classic girl-group motifs.
Alice Coltrane – Africa Live At The Carnegie Hall LP (Alternative Fox)
This mesmerizing performance, held at Carnegie Hall four years after husband John Coltrane’s untimely passing as part of a benefit event for Swami Satchidananda’s Integral Yoga Institute, comprised a stunning and largely improvised rendition of Coltrane’s Africa, with Alice’s subtle piano and harp expressions excellently framed by the wailing saxes of Pharaoh Sanders and Archie Shepp, Cecil McBee and Jimmy Garrison trading non-standard bass lines, a dual drum onslaught from Clifford Jarvis and Ed Blackwell, along with members of the Institute on harmonium and tamboura.
Contemporary Jazz Quintet – The Black Hole LP (One Eighty Proof)
Previously unreleased recording from the seminal jazz group.
Poppy Jean Crawford – JeanJeanie 12” (31st Century)
Poppy Jean Crawford’s EP JeanJeanie, is the first release via her new label home, Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records. Her sound is somewhere between shoegaze, goth rock and alternative, with shifting dynamics that find moments of beauty in dissonance.
Jean Dawson – Bad Sports LP (Handwritten)
Pulling from all corners of the musical spectrum from hip hop to jazz and indie rock, to electronic music and darkwave, Bad Sports is an astoundingly mature and nuanced collection of tracks that will linger in your mind long after the album comes to a close.
Deee-Lite – Infinity Within [Reissue/1992] 2xLP (Get On Down)
For their sophomore record Infinity Within, Deee-Lite opted to venture in a different direction of sorts. The club-embracing disco-funk sounds and groovy vibes of1990’s World Clique were ever present, but while that record contained themes of global togetherness, Infinity Within took a more socially aware route, with politically charged themes of environmentalism, sexual liberation, voting rights, and critique of the judicial system.
Celine Dion – Courage 2xLP (Sony)
Double 140gm translucent ruby colored vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. Celine’s 2019 album Courage is a mix of beautiful ballads and edgy up-tempo tracks. It is also her first English album in six years.
D.I.T.C. – The Official Version [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (D.I.T.C.)
The Diggin’ in the Crates Crew, commonly abbreviated as D.I.T.C., is a hip-hop collective from New York City. It was founded by Diamond D and Showbiz and its name is from the art of digging for records to sample for production. D.I.T.C., The Official Version is an alternative version of D.I.T.C.’s self-titled album D.I.T.C. which was not officially available on vinyl upon its initial release via Tommy Boy when it became apparent that group maintained vinyl rights of the album.
Drama – Dance Without Me LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
There is lush lovelorn affliction blended into the tracks on Dance Without Me, Drama’s debut record, which is remarkably refined for a young band [CD edition due February 21.]
Dr. Rubberfunk – My Life At 45 2xLP (Jalapeno)
Having established himself in funk, soul, blues and jazz circles with a ton of high caliber releases, the good doctor holds a reputation for quality productions, with a hands-on approach, both in front of, and behind the mixing desk, as an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and producer. My Life At 45 brings together stunning vocals from John Turrell, Izo FitzRoy and Stephanie Whitelock, whilst the instrumental tracks showcase the talents of long-time collaborators Jim Oliver, Jonathon James and Ben Castle.
Endangered Species – Intangible [Reissue/1999] LP (90’s Tapes)
Endangered Species’ Intangible was an underground classic released in 1999 on cassette in a very limited run, when word got out this music somehow spread from Calgary throughout Canada to Chicago, Australia, Europe & beyond. The producer / MC combo of Nohow & Infinite P produced the record on the ASR-10 in their dusty home studio using records & a Roland digital 8 track. Limited white colored vinyl pessing.
Ether Coven – Everything Is Temporary Except Suffering 2xLP (Ether Coven/Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. An often melodic and mystical, often bludgeoning communion of musical extremes as challenging to the senses as it is utterly fulfilling in its scope and message.
John Fahey – Live In Sausalito 1973 LP (Alternative Fox)
This beautiful 1973 performance, delivered in the sleepy town of Sausalito, California, comprises most of Fahey’s Fare Forward Voyagers LP (1973), as well as some earlier material.
HAAi – Systems Up, Windows Down 12” (Mute)
Limited orange colored vinyl pressing. A need for experimentation, exploring new sounds and new ways of making music are the inspirations driving Australian born London based DJ HAAi.
Daryl Hall & John Oates – Our Kind Of Soul [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Friday Music)
Starting out as two devoted disciples of earlier soul greats, Daryl Hall & John Oates are soul survivors in their own right as exhibited on 2004’s Our Kind Of Soul which finds the dynamic duo churning out 14 covers of soul hits of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s plus a trio of strong originals.
Jung Jae Il – Parasite [OST] LP (Sacred Bones)
Original soundtrack to the seventh feature film by Korean director Bong Joon Ho and winner of Best Picture (among others) at this year’s Academy Awards.
Insane Clown Posse – The Tempest [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Psychopathic)
Juxtaposing a violent storm as a roller coaster, The Tempest is a story of life, death, sin and redemption, conducted in the clouds.
Kedama – The Complete Collection 3xLP (Castleface)
Three thick LPs of hot jellied kraut-prog heavies from the 1970s Swiss-German based band.
Kraftwerk – Live Paris ’76 & Utrecht ’81 LP (On Loop)
Side A was recorded live in Paris during the Autobahn tour; Side B was recorded live in Utrecht in 1981 shortly after the release of their prophetic Computer World.
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow [Reissue/2010] LP (Season Of Mist)
Kylesa – Ultraviolet [Reissue/2013] LP (Season Of Mist)
Deriving their name from the Buddhist concept of “kilesa mara” meaning delusionary states of the mind, critically acclaimed Savannah, Georgia heavy rock outfit Kylesa cites acts like Neurosis, Kyuss, early Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath as influences, while critics have compared them to metal masters like Baroness and Mastodon. The band’s fifth and sixth LPs have been repressed on limited colored vinyl.
Le Butcherettes – Don’t Bleed 12” (Rise)
Produced by the mysterious entity Violeta Félix, Le Butcherettes’ new Don’t Bleed EP was recorded in the band’s home base of El Paso, TX and follow’s up their 2019 bi/MENTAL LP. Don’t Bleed is a delicate relationship of a woman having a dialogue with God, translating to Be Strong.
Alev Lenz – 3 LP (Sa Recordings)
A collection of twelve almost completely acapella songs exploring relationships, empowerment, motherhood, and the patriarchy.
Lordi – Killection LP (AFM)
Limited turquoise colored vinyl pressing. Killection is a fictional compilation album containing songs that the hard rock/heavy metal band would have recorded between the early ‘70s through to the mid- ‘90s.[CD and picture disc vinyl editions due February 21.]
Magic In Threes – III [Reissue/2016] LP (KingUnderground)
The music would make the perfect fit in movies like the Dolomite revamp and Black Dynamite. But it doesn’t fit into a Blaxploitation soundtrack style box alone. You could imagine iconic rappers like Ghostface or Black Thought using these soundscapes. III would even fit comfortably next to classic KPM or De Wolfe library releases from the mid- ‘70s, just as well as indie trio, Khruangbin.
Georgia Maq – Pleaser LP (Run For Cover)
Georgia McDonald has established herself in recent years as the singer and guitarist of Melbourne, Australia indie rock band Camp Cope, whose sophomore album How to Socialise and Make Friends (Run For Cover/Poison City Records) won widespread acclaim, topping a slew of 2018 end of year lists including NPR, Pitchfork, Billboard, Bandcamp, Stereogum, The Guardian, and Brooklyn Vegan. Using her formidable voice to fight for the betterment of the music industry and rally against sexism, racism and all forms of structural inequality, she has never shied away from the uncomfortable and difficult topics that dominate the news cycle. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Maximum Joy – Station M.X.J.Y. [Reissue/1982] LP (1972)
A focal point for the unique punk-funk that was coming together in Bristol as the bridge from the ’70s to the ’80s arrived, Maximum Joy was formed by Glaxo Babies multi-instrumentalist Tony Wrafter and 18 year-old vocalist Janine Rainforth. Soon they drafted in additional Glaxo Babies in the form of drummer Charlie Llewellin and bassist Dan Catsis, along with guitarist John Waddington, fresh from The Pop Group. The group set about making a one-of-a-kind mix of funk, punk, pop, jazz, dub, soul, Afrobeat and reggae; creating a brilliant burst of danceable tunes wrapped around elastic basslines and complex percussion, punctuated by melodic horns and stabs of guitar, all of it highlighting Rainforth’s naturally enthusiastic vocal style.
Personality Cult – New Arrows LP (Dirtnap)
What started as a solo project for North Carolina’s Ben Carr has evolved into a full-band supergroup of sorts, featuring past and present members of Paint Fumes, Last Year’s Men, Natural Causes, Bass Drum Of Death, Missing Pages, Mind Spiders, Sweet Talk, Sweet Knives, and probably a bunch more.
Bobby Patterson – The Storyteller [Reissue/1982] LP (Tidal Waves)
Bobby Patterson – My Thing Is Your Thing – Jetstar Strut From Bobby Patterson LP (Modern Harmonic)
Dynamic Dallas soul singer Bobby Patterson cut some seriously sizzling sides in the mid ’60s, which are collected on My Thing Is Your Thing. 1982’s The Storyteller is perfect blend of soul, funk and blues.
Post Animal – When I Think Of You In A Castle [Reissue/2018] LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Like most bands in Chicago’s inclusive music community, Post Animal got their start playing DIY basements and small rock clubs. With their wavy and warped first project 2015’s Post Animal Perform The Most Curious Water Activities EP and then 2016’s memorable singles collection The Garden Series, the band showcased mesmerizing and infectious pop melodies. Between their impressive early releases and their wild live shows which feature the band members sharing lead vocal duties, Post Animal have unquestionably solidified themselves as one of Chicago’s most exciting up-and-coming acts.
Sam Phillips – Fan Dance [Reissue/2001] LP (Run Out Groove)
Released in 2001, Fan Dance was Sam Phillips’s first all-new studio recording since Omnipop in 1996. Unlike her more elaborately produced previous efforts, Fan Dance is unadorned, with the feeling of an intense, look-you-in-the-eye, late-night conversation. The Boston Globe called it “a stunning work of intimacy and emotional range…Phillips digs deeply within to chart romantic yearning and spiritual fulfillment.”
Elvis Presley – Good Times [Reissue/1974] LP (Friday Music)
Audiophile 180gm translucent gold and blue swirl colored vinyl pressing. Good Times served as the second album released from Elvis Presley’s famous 1973 sessions at Stax studio in Memphis, TN. Capturing the King near his late-career peak and serving as one of his finest outings of the era, it finds a fully engaged Elvis in fine voice traversing rock & roll, soul, country and gospel sounds with consummate backing from longtime associates James Burton and Norbert Putnam.
REO Speedwagon – The Hits [Reissue/1988] LP (Friday Music)
Audiophile 180gm colored vinyl pressing. Formed in 1967, REO Speedwagon gained cult-like popularity in the 1970s with mainstream success coming in the 1980s. Their album Hi Infidelity, released in 1980, included four Top 40 hits and is certified nine times platinum. Those classic charters include “Keep On Loving You”, “Take It On the Run”, and “Don’t Let Him Go”, all featured prominently on 1988’s Hits.
Victor Rice – In America [Reissue/2003] LP (Badasonic)
Victor Rice has a dub style distinct from that of early dub pioneers such as King Tubby and Augustus Pablo. While he employs many of the standard delay, echo, and reverb effects, he works with much faster-paced rhythms, often recorded in a straight ska style, rather than the traditional roots reggae rhythms found in Jamaican dub.
Saint Vitus – C.O.D. [Reissue/1992] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited silver colored vinyl pressing of the doom metal band’s sixth album.
Mariana Semkina – Sleepwalking LP (Kscope)
Following the success of four highly-praised albums with Iamthemorning, lyricist, singer and co-songwriter Marjana Semkina (also known as Mariana) releases her spellbinding debut solo album, Sleepwalking. Characterized by her composed and unique voice, complex melodic lines and poetic lyrics with literary references, Semkina has often compared favorably with Kate Bush. The new material draws from the Iamthemorning soundscape but exists fully in Marjana’s world; a compelling mixture of alternative folk, pop, drama, beauty and emotionally purging lyrics. [CD edition due February 28.]
David Shea – The Tower Of Mirrors [Reissue/1995] LP (Sub Rosa)
25 years ago, David Shea released a crafty piece of complex philosophical and narrative audio collage: The Tower of Mirrors. Composed and produced in New York City, during September-October 1995, it includes 24 tracks, and features guests such as David Morley on analog synthesizer programming, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Zeena Parkins on piano and prepared piano, and Jim Pugliese on percussions.
ShitKid – Duo Limbo / “Mellan Himmel å Helvete” LP (Pnkslm Recordings)
In the spring of 2019 ShitKid – Åsa Söderqvist and Lina Molarin Ericsson – headed over to the US for a couple of shows at the SXSW festival in Austin, TX but ahead of the festival they managed to squeeze in a couple of days in the studio ‘ first in L.A. with the legendary the Melvins and then in Austin with Paul Leary of Butthole Surfers. The new album Duo Limbo / “Mellan Himmel å Helvete” collects the recordings from these two sessions, half of which are ShitKid’s first recordings in their native Swedish.
Sign Libra – Sea To Sea LP+MP3 (RVNG Int’l)
On Sea To Sea, Sign Libra drifts between the cerebral and celestial, arranging, and then rearranging, the complex and magnificent systems of our immediate and greater cosmos into her own graceful and eccentric sound patterns. As the moon illuminates in different ways on different days, Sign Libra leaves Sea To Sea open like an ocean to interpretation and imagination.
Ringo Starr – Ringo The 4th [Reissue/1977] LP (Friday Music)
Once the Beatles split for good in 1970, Ringo Starr got right back in the saddle and made a sequence of fine albums in his own right throughout the remainder of the decade. 1977’s disco embracing Ringo The 4th features the singles “Wings” and “Drowning In The Sea Of Love” plus the Allen Toussaint cover “Sneaking Sally Through the Alley”. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Svart Crown – Wolves Among The Ashes LP+CD (Century Media)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the French extreme metallers. [Clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Townes Van Zandt – Townes Van Zandt: 50th Anniversary 1969-2019 LP (Fat Possum)
Townes Van Zandt’s eponymously titled third recording from 1969 is an early guitar-and-voice singer-songwriter classic laden with memorable originals.
Various Artists – King Tubby’s Prophecies Of Dub LP (Pressure Sounds)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. King Tubby’s Prophecies Of Dub almost looks like an album that was designed to confuse collectors and dub enthusiasts. Firstly, the record carries nearly the same title as a slightly earlier release, also produced by Vivian Jackson aka Yabby You. Secondly, King Tubby is named in the title, but the rear sleeve states that the album had ‘Pat Kelly at the control’. This is more understandable, as the record was mixed at Tubby’s studio and carries its signature sound.
Various Artists – Taiwan Disco LP (Aberrant)
Due to its extremely complex history, Taiwan in the ’70s saw the creation of some incredibly special music in which the sounds being created at the moment from the West collided with the special sensitivity of Taiwanese musicians, creating a delicious mixture you’ll need to hear to believe. Taiwan Disco shines a light on the music created by Taiwanese women during those years (’70s and early ’80s) to present a mindblowing collection of songs with sounds ranging from wild funk to apace glam, exotic disco or fuzzed-out soul.
Chris Webby – Wednesday After Next CD (EightyHD)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The latest volume in the Connecticut rapper’s Wednesday series. Produced by JP On Da Track, Wednesday After Next includes features from Dizzy Wright, Alandon, Vincent Pastore, Jitta On The Track, Justina Valentine, Skrizzly Adams, ANoyd, Krizz Kaliko, Bennett, Locksmith, Sway Calloway, Bria Lee, Merkules, Lil Windex, Snak The Ripper, Mark Battles, R-Mean, Beanz and Jelly Roll.
The Wonder Years – Burst & Decay (Volume II) 12” (Hopeless)
This new EP features stunning string arrangements from Little Kruta String Quartet and guest vocals on ?We Look Like Lightning” from Alex Maniak of the band Shortly.
The Wood Brothers – Kingdom In My Mind LP (Honey Jar)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Wood Brothers’ new studio album Kingdom In My Mind represents a reckoning of sorts, examining circumstance, mortality and human nature. Finding strength in accepting what lies beyond our control, the material on Kingdom In My Mind hones in on the bittersweet beauty that underlies doubt and pain and sadness with vivid character studies and unflinching self-examination. While the lyrics dig deep, the trio draws from across a broad sonic spectrum to create a set of songs that although thoughtful and inward looking is ultimately transportive and effervescent.
Zhu – Came For The Low LP (Astralwerks)
Zhu is a unique voice making a name for himself in the electronic sphere. He is an inspiration to the entrepreneurial millennials who shun the status quo in favor of cultural exploration and game changing creationism. Whether it’s avant-garde fashion, live music performances or art installations, Zhu fans never know what to expect next.
Cassettes:
Beach Bunny – Honeymoon (Mom & Pop Music)
Honeymoon is the excellent debut album from Beach Bunny, the four-piece band out of Chicago. Recorded at the iconic Chicago studio Electrical Audio with producer Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Algernon Caldwaller), the nine songs on the LP burst with energy that capture their vital and life-affirming live show.
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