Social Media Program Title Released This Week:
Lamb Of God – Lamb Of God CD/LP+MP3 (Epic)
A true collaboration between all members of the band, Lamb Of God is an amalgam of each individual’s contributions, blended to create a singular style. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler fuel the album with a mountain of riffs, taking what Lamb Of God are known for, and unbelievably, upping the ante to new levels. The rhythm section of John Campbell, looming large as a rhythmic shadow, and drummer Art Cruz, who makes his studio debut with Lamb Of God here on this record, underpin the proceedings with passion, sweat and expansive dynamics. Vocalist Randy Blythe is as angry, insightful, and informed as ever. Never one to shrink from facing the darker aspects of our nature head-on, Blythe delivers with no punches pulled, and as only he and Lamb Of God can in 2020. [Limited red and black colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Luke Schneider – Altar Of Harmony CD/LP (Third Man)
Luke Schneider was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1980. He was named after Paul Newman’s character in the film Cool Hand Luke. He cut his teeth playing with artists like Margo Price and Caitlin Rose. A popular session player, he has, at the age of 40, taken the extraordinary step of transforming himself into a solo artist, the main attraction. Altar Of Harmony, which can justifiably be described as “new age” in the most essential sense, represents a radical new approach to the versatile and cosmic instrument of the steel guitar. The closest antecedents may be sculptural sounds of Francesco’s Cosmic Beam, or Constance Demby’s Sonic Steel Space Bass. But unlike these invented instruments, the pedal steel is steeped in tradition. This is something new under the sun, a total reinvention of an iconic instrument. Quite literally, there has never been anything else quite like it. [Limited indie store exclusive colored vinyl pressing available.]
July Listening Station Program Titles Released This Week:
Bob Dylan – Rough And Rowdy Ways CD (Columbia)
Rough And Rowdy Ways is Bob Dylan’s first album of original material in eight years and his first since becoming the only songwriter to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 2016. Its 10 tracks include the three new songs released this spring: the album’s lead-off track, “I Contain Multitudes”, the nearly 17-minute epic “Murder Most Foul”, and “False Prophet”. “This isn’t perhaps the most comforting communique to issue in the middle of a global pandemic, but then the man behind it has seldom dealt in soothing reassurance. And besides, it doesn’t matter. For all its bleakness, Rough And Rowdy Ways might well be Bob Dylan’s most consistently brilliant set of songs in years: the die-hards can spend months unravelling the knottier lyrics, but you don’t need a PhD in Dylanology to appreciate its singular quality and power. It is a testament to his eternal greatness.” [Vinyl edition due July 24.]
Ocean Alley – Lonely Diamond CD/2xLP (UNIFIED Music Group)
Australia’s funkiest musical export Ocean Alley drops their highly anticipated third album Lonely Diamond. The album draws from the nostalgia of music eras past, combining ’70s guitar rock, country and western, old school funk and synth-heavy new wave to create a deeply contemplative and atmospheric odyssey reminiscent of music legends like Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits and Pink Floyd. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks – Orange Crate Art [Reissue/1995] 2xCD/2xLP (Omnivore Recordings)
In 1966, when Brian Wilson prepared the follow up to his masterpiece Pet Sounds, he employed the services of Mississippi born Van Dyke Parks as lyricist for The Beach Boys next album, SMiLE. As history would soon document, SMiLE became the most famous unreleased album in rock history, it’s “completion” not seeing daylight until a Grammy winning box set in 2012. SMiLE’s original plan was to incorporate many different elements of American music in an avant-garde fashion, its musical format leaps and bounds ahead of anything that existed contemporaneously. As SMiLE quickly grew in legendary terms, Brian and Van Dyke each went their separate musical ways, only to reunite briefly in 1972 for The Beach Boys classic “Sail On Sailor”. So it was perhaps with great apprehension and excitement that these two musical giants should finally reunite in 1994 for some unfinished business. This time, however, the mission would be complete. Available on vinyl for the very first time, the deluxe CD package contains three previously unreleased bonus tracks as well as instrumental track versions of 11 of the album’s songs.
Neil Young – Homegrown CD/LP (WB)
When it comes to Homegrown, the long-lost album fans have wanted to hear for decades finally available on vinyl LP and remastered from the original analog master tapes, Neil Young puts it best: “This album is the unheard bridge between Harvest and W.” Recorded between June 1974 and January 1975, Homegrown was intended to come out in 1975 before Young cancelled the release. The record has remained unreleased until now, achieving a legendary status among fans in the process. It’s made up of twelve Young originals, of which seven are previously unreleased.
CDs + Vinyl:
…And Oceans – Cosmic World Mother CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Shape-shifting Finnish metal band …And Oceans return with their first new full album in 18 years. The unconventional unit sidesteps expectation yet again, and herein deliver a searing assault of orthodox symphonic black metal.
Jill Barber – Entre Nous CD (Outside Music)
On Entre nous, Jill Barber reaches a new level of intimacy with the French language. An unabashed Francophile, it all began at the Montreal Jazz Festival over a decade ago: she surprised her audience with a French translation of one of her songs, and the room exploded into applause and a chorus of bravos. Barber now releases Entre Nous, her first collection of original French songs, written with Francophone collaborator Maia Davies and produced by Montreal born, NYC based, Gus Van Go. [Limited mimosa colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Gabby Barrett – Goldmine CD (Warner Nashville)
Barrett continues to rise through the ranks as country music’s next female superstar. She has opened for Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Chris Lane, Dustin Lynch, Jake Owen, Bebe Rexha, Cole Swindell, Sugarland, and Carrie Underwood.
Beyond The Black – Hørizøns CD/2xLP (Napalm)
New album from the German symphonic metal institution.
Clint Black – Out Of Sane CD (Black Top)
23rd studio album by the country music icon. Out Of Sane features 11 new songs co-written by Clint, as well as a cover of “Everybody’s Talkin’”, which was featured in the 1969 film, Midnight Cowboy, and earned singer Harry Nilsson a Grammy in 1970. [Vinyl edition due August 7.]
Blight – Temple Of Wounds CD/2xLP (Svart)
Rising out of obscurity to share their violent, radical, and illuminating vision, Blight’s nine-song new album is a 52-minute exercise in galvanizing and relentless black metal. [Limited colored vinyl pressing with a 16-minute bonus track on the D-side is also available.]
Black Eyed Peas – Translation CD (Epic)
The Black Eyed Peas release their new album, Translation. The set integrates hip-hop, pop, dance, reggaeton, and trap and it features a slew of special guests including Tyga, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, J Balvin, Maluma, Shakira and Becky G.
David Bowie – Space Oddity [Reissue/1972] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Limited picture disc version of the 1972 edition of the David Bowie album retitled as Space Oddity. The picture disc features the iconic Ziggy Stardust era artwork and comes with a replica of the poster which was part of the package at the time. The picture disc features the 2009 40th anniversary remaster of the album which was undertaken to match as closely as possible the original vinyl issue.
Braids – Shadow Offering CD/LP (Secret City)
Unlike previous albums, Braids decided to stay close to home for the recording of Shadow Offering. Taking over a spacious sound recording studio tucked in an old warehouse, the band was able to slow down and creatively rediscover themselves. No longer riding the novelty of youth, the band deliberately took time to recommit to themselves and their craft, and channel new energy into their music. They wrote 40 songs. The band sketched and re-sketched new material for eighteen months before lucky circumstance found Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) renting out space in their studio. The four began wandering into each other’s’ rooms, curious about each other’s projects. Typically opting for a private and insular creation process, the friendship between the four saw the band sharing their songs with Walla, and naturally resulted in Walla co-producing and engineering Shadow Offering. Pushing the band out of their comfort zone, he at once broke and unified the band’s dynamic, unearthing individual creative energy long buried over the years. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Phoebe Bridgers doesn’t write love songs as much as songs about the impact love can have on our lives, personalities, and priorities. Punisher, her fourth release and second solo album, is concerned with that subject. To say she writes about heartbreak is to undersell her blue wisdom, to say she writes about pain erases all the strange joy her music emanates. Bridgers pulls together a formidable crew of guests, including the Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Christian Lee Hutson and Conor Oberst as well as Nathaniel Walcott (of Bright Eyes), Nick Zinner (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Jenny Lee Lindberg (of Warpaint), Blake Mills and Jim Keltner.
Don Bryant – You Make Me Feel CD/LP (Fat Possum)
If you turn your ears a certain way, You Make Me Feel by soul great Don Bryant can be heard as a love letter to his wife of 50 years, Ann Peebles. That killer horn riff that kicks off the album? Think of it as a fanfare preceding the reading of a royal decree; or maybe it’s a funky version of a wedding march.
Grayson Capps – South Front Street CD/2xLP (The Royal Potato Family)
South Front Street is a 16-song retrospective of the acclaimed South Alabama singer-songwriter’s career, compiled by his wife and longtime musical foil, Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer, Trina Shoemaker.
Constellatia – The Language Of Limbs CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, Constellatia is the collaborative vision of Gideon Lamprecht and Keenan Oakes, founders of well-known acts Crow Black Sky and Wildernessking respectively. The Language Of Limbs is essentially a post-metal record with black metal and progressive influences, and a healthy dose of ambience and atmosphere, always deeply engaging with a flair for the romantic and nostalgic.
Cro-Mags – In The Beginning CD/LP (Mission Two Ent.)
New release from the New York hardcore band, their first studio album in two decades.
Darker Half – If You Only Knew CD/LP (Massacre)
Heavy/power metal at its core.
Darkstar – Civic Jams CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
On their most personal record to date, Darkstar counterbalance observations of their home with those of the community surrounding it. Civic Jams is a photonegative of a dance record shaped by a dialogue between shoegaze atmospherics and UK bass music’s ‘hardcore continuum’.
Jordan Davis – Jordan Davis CDEP (MCA Nashville)
Jordan Davis new eponymous six-song EP serves as a follow-up to his gold selling debut album, Home State. It is a bridge for his second full-length album. Jordan is nominated for the 2020 ACM Best New Male Artist Of The Year.
Bob Dylan – Rough And Rowdy Ways CD (Columbia)
Rough And Rowdy Ways is Bob Dylan’s first album of original material in eight years and his first since becoming the only songwriter to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 2016. Its 10 tracks include the three new songs released this spring: the album’s lead-off track, “I Contain Multitudes”, the nearly 17-minute epic “Murder Most Foul”, and “False Prophet”. “This isn’t perhaps the most comforting communique to issue in the middle of a global pandemic, but then the man behind it has seldom dealt in soothing reassurance. And besides, it doesn’t matter. For all its bleakness, Rough And Rowdy Ways might well be Bob Dylan’s most consistently brilliant set of songs in years: the die-hards can spend months unravelling the knottier lyrics, but you don’t need a PhD in Dylanology to appreciate its singular quality and power. It is a testament to his eternal greatness.” [Vinyl edition due July 24.]
Eye Of Nix – Ligeia CD/LP (Prophecy)
Since their formation in 2012, Seattle’s Eye Of Nix have established themselves as masters of juxtaposition. Across an EP and two full-lengths, flanked by steady touring, they have coalesced beauty and harshness by creating a signature sound that melds fervent doom, eruptive black metal and psychedelic rock. [Limited purple colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Michael Franti & Spearhead – Work Hard And Be Nice CD/2xLP (Boo Boo Wax)
Michael Franti & Spearhead continue to foster their community both on and off stage with a wish granting non-profit, Do It For The Love, founded by Franti and his wife, Sara. Do It For The Love brings those with life threatening illnesses, veterans, and children with severe challenges to concerts worldwide, fulfilling over 3,300 wishes and touching the lives of over 12,000 people to date. Amidst touring, Michael Franti & Spearhead have been in recording studios in Nashville, Los Angeles, and San Francisco working with A-list writers and producers on their new album, Work Hard And Be Nice.
Diamánda Gálás – The Litanies Of Satan [Reissue/1982] CD (Intravenal Sound Operations)
Diamanda Galás’ debut album Litanies Of Satan, originally released in 1982, has been reissued on her own Intravenal Sound Operations label. The album has been meticulously remastered from the original y Records analogue tapes and features the original classic artwork. [Vinyl edition due July 17.]
Green Carnation – Leaves Of Yesteryear CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
The earnest progressive metal group Green Carnation unveil Leaves Of Yesteryear, the first new music from the band in 14 years. Their unpretentious, punchy and smart sound appeals to broad swaths of the rock community.
The Harmed Brothers – Across The Waves CD/LP (Fluff & Gravy)
Across The Waves shines with The Harmed Brothers strongest songs to date; the collective wisdom of two songwriters beginning new chapters in their lives, working through ghosts, doom and existential hang-ups, yet somehow secure in their kinship. What is most striking here is the progression of The Harmed Brothers from a banjo/guitar duo 10 years ago, to the fully realized indie rock/Americana band that they are today.
Healing Potpourri – Blanket Of Calm CD/LP (Run For Cover)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Healing Potpourri want to create songs that make you feel good. It’s not often that we take a moment to appreciate music that specifically exists to comfort and rejuvenate – music that aims to sound as pleasant as its intentions – but that’s exactly what Healing Potpourri achieves on the new full-length, Blanket Of Calm. The album is a collection of 11 effervescent songs to soundtrack better days-and hopefully inspire more of them. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Holy Hive – Float Back To You CD/LP (Big Crown)
Homer Steinweiss, the Brooklyn based soul/funk drummer, always had a soft spot for folk music. Paul Spring, a young idealist folk singer traveling the country with his guitar, always had a beautiful falsetto in his back pocket. A family introduction would lead to Homer producing a few solo records of Paul’s, which would eventually lead to the creation of Holy Hive. Rounded out by Joe Harrison on bass, Float Back To You is the trio’s debut album. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Iron City Houserockers – Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive) [Reissue/1980] 2xCD/LP (Cleveland Int’l)
Cleveland International Records is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive) with a new expanded reissue that is available on both CD and Vinyl (bonus tracks available via a download card). Their second album found them recording in New York City with an incredible supporting cast. Cleveland International’s Steve Popovich and Marty Mooney tapped Mick Ronson (David Bowie) to co-produce the sessions, with additional input coming from Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and Steven Van Zandt (Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny).
Iron Maiden – Life After Death [Reissue/1985] 2xCD (BMG)
Iron Maiden – Rock In Rio [Reissue/2002] 2xCD (BMG)
Live After Death is a live album by heavy metal outfit Iron Maiden recorded at Long Beach Arena, California and Hammersmith Odeon, London during the band’s World Slavery Tour. Rock In Rio was recorded at the Rock In Rio festival, Brazil in 2001 on the last night of the Brave New World Tour.
Kall – Brand CD/LP (Prophecy)
“The Velvet Underground of black ‘n’ roll.” – Cvlt Nation [Limited edition neon orange colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Lamb Of God – Lamb Of God CD/LP+MP3 (Epic)
A true collaboration between all members of the band, Lamb Of God is an amalgam of each individual’s contributions, blended to create a singular style. Guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler fuel the album with a mountain of riffs, taking what Lamb Of God are known for, and unbelievably, upping the ante to new levels. The rhythm section of John Campbell, looming large as a rhythmic shadow, and drummer Art Cruz, who makes his studio debut with Lamb Of God here on this record, underpin the proceedings with passion, sweat and expansive dynamics. Vocalist Randy Blythe is as angry, insightful, and informed as ever. Never one to shrink from facing the darker aspects of our nature head-on, Blythe delivers with no punches pulled, and as only he and Lamb Of God can in 2020. [Limited red and black colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Peggy Lee – Ultimate Peggy Lee CD/2xLP (Capitol)
As a salute to the music legend, and celebrating Peggy’s landmark 100th birthday, comes the career-spanning collection, Ultimate Peggy Lee. The 22-track album features hits and signature songs including “Fever”, “It’s A Good Day”, “He’s A Tramp”, “Big Spender”, “I’m A Woman” and the previously unreleased “Try A Little Tenderness”.
Lunar Aurora / Paysage D’Hiver – A Haudiga Fluag / Schwarzä Feus & Schwarzäs Isä 2xCD/LP (Kunstall Produktionen)
Paysage D’Hiver – Das Gletschertor / Das Schwarze Metall-Eisen LP (Kunstall Produktionen)
Swiss black metal.
Bruno Major – To Let A Good Thing Die CD/LP (Harbour)
A beautifully crafted tapestry of stories interwoven with timeless narratives of human relationships, love and heartbreak, and existential musings. With this in mind, Bruno imbues his craft with contemporary perceptiveness both sonically and lyrically, which ground the record in the present – classic tales for a modern age.
The Moon And The Nightspirit – Aether CD/LP (Prophecy)
As forerunners of a new generation of heavenly folk music that takes its cues from Dead Can Dance as much as its immediate surroundings, Hungarian duo The Moon And The Night Spirit filter their time-honored mixture of richly layered sounds, shamanistic chants and multiple instruments from different periods through masculine powers, maintaining both their graceful delicacy and peerless inventiveness. [Limited translucent violet colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mark Morton – Ether CDEP/12” (Rise)
New EP from the Lamb Of God guitarist. Includes musical assistance from Mark Morales, John Carbone, Lzzy Hale, and Howard Jones.
Mushroomhead – A Wonderful Life CD/LP (Napalm)
For the better part of the past five years, masked metal machine band Mushroomhead has been crafting the epic follow up to their monumental 2014 full-length album, The Righteous & The Butterfly. The band makes its prodigious return with A Wonderful Life, the Cleveland collective’s eighth release of their benchmark career. [Limited deluxe CD edition includes bonus tracks.]
New Found Glory – Forever And Ever x Infinity CD/LP+MP3 (Hopeless)
The pop punk legends return with their ninth studio album. Harking back to the days of Nothing Gold Can Stay and the band’s self-titled album, Forever And Ever x Infinity is full of fast, punk laced drums and the most emo of lyrics revolving around the ups and downs of falling in love. [Limited green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ocean Alley – Lonely Diamond CD/2xLP (UNIFIED Music Group)
Australia’s funkiest musical export Ocean Alley drops their highly anticipated third album Lonely Diamond. The album draws from the nostalgia of music eras past, combining ’70s guitar rock, country and western, old school funk and synth-heavy new wave to create a deeply contemplative and atmospheric odyssey reminiscent of music legends like Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits and Pink Floyd. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mark Olson & Ingunn Ringvold – Magdalen Accepts The Invitation CD (Fiesta Red)
This third collaboration between Americana pioneer Mark Olson (Jayhawks) and Norwegian singer/multi-instrumentalist Ingunn Ringvold mines a Death Valley isolation chamber folk/pop sound awash with dramatic darkness and vivid light. While continuing along the Americana-cobbled roads they took on their first two albums, the husband-and-wife duo here explore lesser traveled musical territories here. [Vinyl edition due June 26.]
Owen – The Avalanche CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Owen is the solo project of Chicago’s Mike Kinsella. As a departure from over a decade of work playing in a variety of bands – Cap’n Jazz, American Football, and T/T/T to name a few – Owen became Kinsella’s way of finally exercising complete creative control over all aspects of a project, including songwriting, recording, and overall artistic direction. Owen’s musical output as evolved from sparse acoustic offerings to lush, string-filled arrangements. Kinsella often exposes family relationships and personal experiences with lyrics that are at times clever, witty, raw, and biting.
The Oz – Forced Commandments CD/LP (Massacre)
Roaring guitars, kick-ass solos, catchy lyrics, a driving rhythm section and powerful, sometimes high-pitched vocals will catapult you straight back to the good old days of classic heavy metal.
Paranormales – Contra CD/LP (Cleopatra)
New album from Barcelona-based post-punk band.
Rose City Band – Summerlong CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
It is impossible to talk about modern psychedelic music without mentioning Ripley Johnson. As bandleader of Wooden Shjips and half of Moon Duo, Johnson has continually charted new cosmic paths that expand on the language of the genre. With Rose City Band, Johnson’s songwriting and beautiful guitar lines take center stage. While his vocal treatment would be recognizable to any Wooden Shjips fan, the sparseness of the instrumentation lays bare the beauty of his writing. Shimmering guitar lines are free to shine, buoyed by driving rhythms. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Luke Schneider – Altar Of Harmony CD/LP (Third Man)
Luke Schneider was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1980. He was named after Paul Newman’s character in the film Cool Hand Luke. He cut his teeth playing with artists like Margo Price and Caitlin Rose. A popular session player, he has, at the age of 40, taken the extraordinary step of transforming himself into a solo artist, the main attraction. Altar Of Harmony, which can justifiably be described as “new age” in the most essential sense, represents a radical new approach to the versatile and cosmic instrument of the steel guitar. The closest antecedents may be sculptural sounds of Francesco’s Cosmic Beam, or Constance Demby’s Sonic Steel Space Bass. But unlike these invented instruments, the pedal steel is steeped in tradition. This is something new under the sun, a total reinvention of an iconic instrument. Quite literally, there has never been anything else quite like it. [Limited indie store exclusive colored vinyl pressing available.]
Ron Sexmith – Hermitage CD/LP (Century Media)
New album from the Canadian singer/songwriter. Hermitage is the follow-up to his 2017 album The Last Rider. Ron worked with producer Don Kerr to create this album; the two set up in Ron’s living room to record where Ron played all the instruments for the album, with the exception of the drums. The result is the songwriter’s most self-assured collection, still charmingly subtle yet increasingly full of musical vigor.
The Soft Pink Truth – Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase? CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
The Soft Pink Truth is Drew Daniel, who also forms one half of acclaimed electronic duo Matmos. Started as an outlet to explore visceral and sublime sounds that fall outside of Matmos’ purview, it draws on knowledge of rave, black metal, and crust punk obscurities to subvert and critique genre expectations. On Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?, Daniel takes a bold and surprising new direction, moving beyond simple plunderphonic sampling and opening up a genuine dialogue with other musicians, Daniel left room in his compositions for moments of genuine surprise, capturing the freeform, communal energy of a DJ set or live improvisation session more than a recording project. It feels ethereal but full, both ambiently hypnotic, and deliciously danceable.
Stray Kids – Go Live [Limited Version] CD (JYP Entertainment)
New album from the K-pop boy band. Includes two post cards, a photobook, mini figure, poster, and more.
Sunbuzzed – 17J1123000930 CD/LP (Triptych)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Pulling from their combined eclectic influences, Sunbuzzed creates a fresh and genre blending mold of heavy, dark psychedelia. In just two years, their distinct sound and imagery, both particularly reflective of their shared Tejano culture and interests in occultism, astrology, and esoteric art forms made them a coveted presence in Texas’ blooming heavy psych music scene. Their live performances have grown notorious for a loaded experience encompassing music, magic and motion.
The Sword – Chronology: 2006 – 2018 3xCD/3xLP (Craft Recordings)
A compendium of The Sword’s greatest hits, fan favorites and rarities Chronology: 2006 – 2018 culls the retro-metal four-piece’s complete studio recordings. 52 tracks (12 previously unreleased).
The Third Mind – The Third Mind CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Standard edition. 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.
Vile Creature – Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! CD/LP (Prosthetic)
With a determination to push back against apathy, Vile Creature has confidently molded a five-track missive that is teeming with conviction and visceral emotion and is streaked through with an emerging glow of optimism. Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! remains embedded in the oppressive sounds of doom and metal, only now the album is enclosed in a luxurious veil of majestic embellishment, given room for growth, light, and air to reach the darkest, grimiest corners of the band’s psyches.
Jim White and Marisa Anderson – The Quickening CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
The Quickening is an improvised work guided by emotional intuition and an ability to spin collective experience into music of potent and boundless beauty. Jim White and Marisa Anderson instrumental voices are unmistakable and spellbindingly lyrical. Anderson unravels global guitar traditions into atmospheres all their own through improvisations and transforming melodic lines. While White implements an array of sticks, brushes, and techniques that imbue each rhythmic percussion passage with it’s own distinct personality. Together their melodic flourishes cascade and twist upon one another, at times trading conversational exchanges, and at others drifting in unison as if lost in the same train of thought. [Limited green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Whitesnake – The Rock Album CD/2xLP (Rhino)
Whitesnake brings together the hardest-hitting songs of its multi-platinum career on this collection featuring remixed and remastered versions of the group’s best rock songs. The Rock Album features the debut of “Always The Same”, a previously unreleased song that was recorded during the 2019 sessions for Flesh & Blood. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks – Orange Crate Art [Reissue/1995] 2xCD/2xLP (Omnivore Recordings)
In 1966, when Brian Wilson prepared the follow up to his masterpiece Pet Sounds, he employed the services of Mississippi born Van Dyke Parks as lyricist for The Beach Boys next album, SMiLE. As history would soon document, SMiLE became the most famous unreleased album in rock history, it’s “completion” not seeing daylight until a Grammy winning box set in 2012. SMiLE’s original plan was to incorporate many different elements of American music in an avant-garde fashion, its musical format leaps and bounds ahead of anything that existed contemporaneously. As SMiLE quickly grew in legendary terms, Brian and Van Dyke each went their separate musical ways, only to reunite briefly in 1972 for The Beach Boys classic “Sail On Sailor”. So it was perhaps with great apprehension and excitement that these two musical giants should finally reunite in 1994 for some unfinished business. This time, however, the mission would be complete. Available on vinyl for the very first time, the deluxe CD package contains three previously unreleased bonus tracks as well as instrumental track versions of 11 of the album’s songs.
Neil Young – Homegrown CD/LP (WB)
When it comes to Homegrown, the long-lost album fans have wanted to hear for decades finally available on vinyl LP and remastered from the original analog master tapes, Neil Young puts it best: “This album is the unheard bridge between Harvest and W.” Recorded between June 1974 and January 1975, Homegrown was intended to come out in 1975 before Young cancelled the release. The record has remained unreleased until now, achieving a legendary status among fans in the process. It’s made up of twelve Young originals, of which seven are previously unreleased.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Ivan Ave – Double Goodbyes LP (Mutual Intentions)
A 36 minute long master piece boasting Ivan’s jazzy and soulful trademark sound, heavily infused by the mid-‘80s jazz-funk, AOR and yacht rock sounds.
Bad Cop / Bad Cop – The Ride LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
The third album from the all-girl Southern California pop punk band. [CD due July 3.]
Dee Dee Bridgewater – Afro Blue [Reissue/1974] LP (Mr. Bongo)
Recorded in Tokyo in 1974, Afro Blue features an exquisite collaboration of American and Japanese musicians, such as Cecil and Ron Bridgewater, Motohiko Hino and producer Takao Ishizuka. The result is a sublime deep soul-jazz masterpiece [CD edition due June 26.]
Cam’ron – Purple Haze 2 LP (Killa Entertainment)
Cam’ron’s seventh studio album includes features by Wale, Jim Jones, Max B, Mimi, Shooter, Disco Black, and a standout lineup of producers. The project is true to the spirit of classic Cam’ron evoked in the mid- ‘00s. The vinyl comes with a pack of limited edition rolling papers.
Ruthie Collins – Cold Comfort LP (Curb)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ruthie Collins wears her heart on her sleeve, and pretty much always has a sparkle in her eyes. Raised on a farm in Fredonia, NY, Collins blends the vulnerable, the volatile, and the serene in her music. Her songs straddle the line between Americana, bluegrass, and modern country, upheld by buoyant and agile vocals reminiscent of her musical icons, Patty Griffin and Emmylou Harris. Collins’ music features some upright bass and traditional bluegrass instrumentation in a style that’s both old-fashioned and completely modern.
Confide – Recover [Reissue/2010] LP (Tragic Hero)
Limited tenth anniversary colored vinyl pressing of a quintessential metalcore album.
Deerhoof – Future Teenage Cave Artists LP/Cassette (Joyful Noise)
Like a lot of the music they have released over the last quarter-century, the Deerhoof of Future Teenage Cave Artists stitches together fragments of R&B and classic rock and transforms these genres into a new language of revolution, forgoing verse-chorus structures for dream logic and blind intuition. But what makes this album different is its intimacy – the blues riffs and slide guitars are joined by rusty pianos and whispered three-part harmonies. In this sense, FTCA inverts the formula of Deerhoof’s last album, Mountain Moves, which invited a wide community of collaborators to band together in an open celebration of solidarity. The new one, on the other hand, is borne of self-isolation and deprivation. It’s the sound of a sparkling, manic musical intelligence being disconnected from a nourishing public and devouring itself inside its own cocoon, attempting metamorphosis. [Limited blood red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Kenny Dorham – Trompeta Toccata [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
Kenny Dorham’s 1964 album Trompeta Toccata would be the final album that the great underrated trumpeter and composer would record as a leader, and it stands as a fitting testament to his prodigious talent. The album featured a stellar quintet with Dorham and his frequent collaborator Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone along with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert Tootie Heath.
Exilent – Beyond Remedy LP (Halvfabrikat)
Fierce and extreme anarchy political hardcore punk/crust from Hannover, Germany.
Fabolous – Summertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever 2xLP (Def Jam)
Fab was among the first of a new breed of New York City rappers who were able to cross over among multiple markets without losing street cred. Summertime Shootout 3 is “a blend of music meant to be like a playlist. The album reflects the feeling of summertime being good and bad for some people, specifically New Yorkers.” Producers, collaborators and features list includes Jeremih, Davido, Tory Lanez, Chris Brown & Teyana Taylor.
Havok – V LP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth studio album by the thrash metal band.
Andrew Hill – Smoke Stack [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)
On his second Blue Note album Smoke Stack, pianist and composer Andrew Hill used an unusual line-up of two bassists (Richard Davis and Eddie Khan) along with the masterful Roy Haynes on drums. The seven Hill compositions that the quartet explore here contain all the rare beauty to be found in his music.
King Diamond – Them [Reissue/1988] LP (Metal Blade)
King Diamond – Conspiracy [Reissue/1989] LP (Metal Blade)
King Diamond – Eye [Reissue/1990] LP (Metal Blade)
Limited colored vinyl reissues of heavy metal band’s third, fourth, and fifth albums.
KVAEN – Funeral Pyre LP (Black Lion)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Viking/black metal project of Jakob Björnfot (guitarist of Swedish death metal band The Duskfall).
Kvelertak – Splid 2xLP (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Double black and white colored vinyl pressing of the fourth studio album by the Norwegian heavy metal band.
Bob Marley & The Wailers featuring U-Roy – My Cup Runneth Over LP (Tsosume)
Doctor Dread, the sole surviving member of The Wailers, was inspired to go into the studio and have U-Roy rework Marley tracks that Lee Perry had produced.
The National – High Violet [Reissue/2010] 3xLP (4AD)
Deluxe and expanded tenth anniversary purple and clear marble colored vinyl pressing. Includes a third LP which includes tracks never before available on vinyl.
Other Lives – Tamer Animals [Reissue/2001] LP (ATO)
Vinyl reissue of the second album by the Stillwater, Oklahoma-based indie rock band.
Pharoahe Monch – Internal Affairs [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Trescadecaphobia/War Media)
Double red and orange colored vinyl pressing – available for the first time on vinyl since its original release in 1999 on Rawkus Records. Internal Affairs features production from DJ Scratch, Diamond D, and The Alchemist with verses from Canibus, M.O.P., Busta Rhymes, Common, and Talib Kweli.
Poolside – Low Season LP (Poolside)
Low Season is the first Poolside LP in three years and since the band’s sophomore album Heat was released in 2017. It features members of the Poolside live band as well as collaborations with Panama, Amo Amo and Ben Browning (Cut Copy).
Pumpkin Witch – Final Strike Of The Pumpkin Witch 2xLP+MP3 (Deathbomb Arc)
Pumpkin Witch’s deeply incognito approach to the dungeon synth genre feels more like all your Halloween decorations on the lawn have come to life amidst a green fog of evil, than they do the soundtrack to a subterranean adventure.
R.A. The Rugged Man – All My Heroes Are Dead LP (Nature Sounds)
The hip-hop artist’s new album features an all-star lineup of hip-hop heavyweights, including Atmosphere, Chuck D, Ghostface Killah, Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz, Ice T, M.O.P., Kool G Rap, Brand Nubian, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Chris Rivers, Onyx, Inspectah Deck, A-F-R-O, Masta Killa, and more.
Johnny Ramone – Final Sessions 12” (Cleopatra)
Limited edition red 12” vinyl single featuring the final recorded studio performances punk legend Johnny Ramone cutting loose with Lemmy of Motörhead, Stray Cat Slim Jim Phantom and Rockat Danny B. Harvey.
Red – Declaration LP (Red Entertainment)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Grammy-nominated Red return with their seventh studio album, Declaration. Working with long-time producer Rob Graves, the album sees the band return to their purest origins, blending nu-metal and alternative hard rock with elements of classical and orchestral as akin to debut and sophomore albums, End Of Silence and Innocence & Instinct, as any album of recent years.
Ulrich Schnauss – Far Away Trains Passing By [Reissue/2001] 3xLP (Scripted Realities)
Ulrich Schnauss – A Strangely Isolated Place [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Scripted Realities)
Ulrich Schnauss – Goodbye [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Scripted Realities)
Ulrich Schnauss – A Long Way To Fall – Rebound [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Scripted Realities)
Ulrich Schnauss – No Further Ahead Than Tomorrow [Reissue/2016] 2xLP (Scripted Realities)
Ulrich Schnauss, the highly respected German electronic music composer (known for his unique production aka ‘schnound’), has taken the opportunity to remaster his entire back catalog as a solo artist, having recently had all his recording rights returned to him. All are reissued on his own Scripted Realities label.
The Shivas – You Know What To Do [Reissue/2014] LP (Tender Loving)
First-time vinyl pressing of a garage rock classic.
Stonewall Noise Orchestra –Deathtripper LP (Transubstans Sweden)
The Swedish notorious groove machine once again delivers a solid piece of high-quality heavy rock. [Limited green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Socialstyrelsen – Med Radsla For Livet LP (Halvfabrikat)
The most promising band from Sweden right now. The harsh vocals, the piercing guitars and the thundering d-beat drumming combined makes this release stand out from the rest. Think M:40, Protestera and Massmord and you have sort of an idea on what to expect.
Leni Stern – 4 LP (Leni Stern)
Guitarist-vocalist Leni Stern – “dubbed a genre-defying adventurer” by Guitar Player magazine – has been on an evolutionary road over the past decade-plus, fusing her long-honed contemporary jazz sound with a deeply felt exploration of West African styles.
Sweet Spirit – Trinidad LP+MP3 (Merge)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Trinidad is a pop record made by punk rockers – sonically happy but lyrically bitter. Lustful, sassy, and passionate. Touting inspirations as varied as Prince, T. Rex, William Onyeabor, ABBA, Roy Orbison, Shintaro Sakamoto, Francoise Hardy, and Robyn, Sweet Spirit has created an album that pulsates with more LinnDrum and synth than guitar.
Pat Travers – Black Betty LP (Deadline Music)
Legendary hard rock guitarist Pat Travers presents this collection of killer cover tunes featuring the classic blues rock tune “Black Betty” plus AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie”, Skynyrd’s “Gimme Back My Bullets” and lots more. Limited colored vinyl pressing.
Twice A Man – On The Other Side Of The Mirror LP (Ad Inexplorata)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. “Twice a Man are not only one of Sweden’s first electronic acts; they are also one of the few bands that has bridged the gaps between new wave, progressive rock and experimental music. Fast forward twenty or so albums, jumping over excursions into music for theater and dancefloors, and we find the band On The Other Side Of The Mirror. With Jocke Söderqvist joining the core duo, as he has for the past few releases, Twice A Man have found their optimal formation.” – Coldwar Nightlife
Various Artists – Cash Money: The Instrumentals 2xLP (Cash Money)
A collection of the label’s greatest beats, primarily produced by the enigmatic and prolific Mannie Fresh.
Wailin Storms – Rattle LP (Gilead Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Drenched in rapid, vigorous, and genre-crushing noise-rock, Wailin Storms passionately divulges stories of folklore, mysticism, inner torment, love, death, and tantrums of overwhelming anxieties within the eight tracks of Rattle. Bracing the elements head-on and wearing influences of grunge, doom, punk, rock, and blues on their sleeves, Wailin Storms create a unique perfect storm of unhinged sophistication and moody textures laced within each seductively psychedelic, country-twanged vignette.
We Versus The Shark – Goodbye Guitar LP (Ernest Jenning)
New album from the math rock foursome.
Larry Young – Into Somethin’ [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
On 1964’s Into Somethin’, Larry Young made it abundantly clear that he had his own unique approach to the Hammond B-3 organ. Young explored a more modal territory over the course of his six Blue Note albums including this tremendous session featuring tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, guitarist Grant Green, and drummer Elvin Jones.
Jeremy Zucker – Love Is Not Dying LP (Republic)
Love Is Not Dying is the highly anticipated debut album from singer, songwriter and producer Jeremy Zucker. The 13-track project is an intensely personal body of work, where even at times Zucker speaks through his lyrics to his loved ones and his fans.
Cassettes:
Deerhoof – Future Teenage Cave Artists (Joyful Noise)
Like a lot of the music they have released over the last quarter-century, the Deerhoof of Future Teenage Cave Artists stitches together fragments of R&B and classic rock and transforms these genres into a new language of revolution, forgoing verse-chorus structures for dream logic and blind intuition. But what makes this album different is its intimacy – the blues riffs and slide guitars are joined by rusty pianos and whispered three-part harmonies. In this sense, FTCA inverts the formula of Deerhoof’s last album, Mountain Moves, which invited a wide community of collaborators to band together in an open celebration of solidarity. The new one, on the other hand, is borne of self-isolation and deprivation. It’s the sound of a sparkling, manic musical intelligence being disconnected from a nourishing public and devouring itself inside its own cocoon, attempting metamorphosis. [Limited blood red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
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