Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
The Aces – Under My Influence CD/LP (Red Bull)
The Aces’ music is universally relatable and yet deeply personal, showcasing a confidence only time and true friendship can bring. the band has opened for 5 Seconds Of Summer, headlined its own tour, and spent a countless number of hours documenting everything in-between (and after) into music. “These songs are truly the stories of our lives. Under My Influence means so many things to us, but above all, it means unapologetically becoming who you are.” [Indie store exclusive red and black splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Fionna Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters CD/2xLP (Epic)
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and alt-rock icon Fiona Apple returns with her first album in nearly eight years. Following up 2012’s The Idler Wheel, the raw and percussion-heavy Fetch The Bolt Cutters has earned instant acclaim as one of the best records of the 2020 and some of the finest work of her career. It takes its name from a line in the British police procedural The Fall spoken by star Gillian Anderson, but Apple explains that, “Really, what it’s about is not being afraid to speak.” She produced the adventurous 13-track collection herself and recorded it at her Venice Beach, CA home studio with drummer Amy Aileen Wood, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, guitarist Davíd Garza and Cara Delevingne singing harmonies. Biting yet buoyant, Fiona’s elastic turns of phrase are supported by intoxicating melodic hooks throughout with visceral tracks like “I Want You to Love Me”, “Shameika” and “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” serving as standouts. “Fetch The Bolt Cutters is a strange and exceptional record, even within the context of an uncommon career…whimsical and hardcore at the same time…” – The Guardian
Yaeji – What We Drew LP (XL)
NYC-via-Seoul electronic producer, DJ and vocalist Yaeji releases a new mixtape. What We Drew is titled intentionally; for Yaeji, the title captures the spirit of the project as a whole which she explains, “is so much about friendship, family, gratitude and support – support that I’ve felt, that I’ve given, and that we all share.” Produced entirely by Yaeji over the course of two years, she started writing the music for What We Drew with no specific narrative in mind, each track becoming a snippet of her life, a look into her diary.
August Listening Station Program Title Released This Week:
Arca – KiCk i LP (XL Recordings)
Produced and recorded by Arca, KiCk i defines a new era of multiplex harmony for the Venezuelan artist, singer, DJ, performer and experimental music composer. Featuring guest appearances by Björk, Rosalía, Shygirl and Sophie, KiCk i is a celebration not only of the joy Arca’s been able to find in her life, but the sometimes arduous journey it took for her to find it. Her struggles to reconcile her Venezuelan heritage and her trans Latinx identity emerge as reggaetón and pop en Español. “I don’t want to be tied to one genre,” Arca says. “I don’t want to be labeled as one thing.” [CD due July 24.]
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Just Coolin’ CD/LP (Blue Note)
A never-before-released studio date by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack, New Jersey studio on March 8, 1959, and featuring the legendary drummer – whose centennial was celebrated in 2019 – along with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, and bassist Jymie Merritt. The six-song set includes two previously unissued compositions: “Quick Trick” and “Jimerick”. “In 2020, it’s great to find more Morgan, Mobley and Timmons in their prime,” writes Bob Blumenthal in the liner notes for Just Coolin’. “The music had clearly settled in during the month that separated studio and live versions, but the fire of these six tracks has an appeal of its own.”
The Chicks – Gaslighter CD/LP (Columbia)
“The last time the Dixie Chicks reinvented themselves, it was hard to know what would come next. On their most recent album, 2006’s Taking The Long Way, the country trio wrote about being spurned by their industry, faced with uncertainty at the point when most bands on their level are finding career equilibrium. “Our last album was the most personal and autobiographical we’ve ever been,” Maines said in 2019. “And then this one is 10 times that.” She was talking about Gaslighter, the group’s long-awaited comeback record. Like so many of their best songs, from “Goodbye Earl” to “Truth No. 2,” the title track gets to the heart of matters by getting personal. Its references to broken promises and Hollywood homes suggest that Maines is addressing her recent divorce from an actor husband, but its larger points speak to the same belief that has driven the group’s work from the beginning. With its buoyant rhythm and singalong chorus, “Gaslighter” merges the open-road optimism of their early records with the sharper power-pop of Taking The Long Way. Other than their vocal harmonies—still radiant and seamless, like different strings on the same instrument—banjo player Emily Strayer and fiddle player Martie Maguire accompany Maines in subtle ways, weaving the confrontational verses into the rallying cry of a chorus. The songcraft is so compact, and their trademark sound so welcome and familiar, that its message of empowerment comes across equally jubilant and defiant.” — Pitchfork
Jimmy Heath – Love Letter CD/LP (Verve)
One month before the magisterial tenor saxophonist-composer Jimmy Heath died on January 19, 2020 at 93, he put the finishing touches on the final album of his luminous 76-year career as a professional jazz musician. Titled Love Letter, it’s a posthumous masterpiece, the first occasion on which Heath – a well-established master practitioner of the ballad genre – presents an all-ballads recital. Propelling the flow is a multi-generational all-star unit, including NEA Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron, poll-winning guitarist Russell Malone, soulful vibraphone veteran Monte Croft, New York first-call bassist David Wong, and all-world drummer Lewis Nash. Augmenting the group on separate tracks are 21st century vocal superstars Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant, and trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis. Love Letter includes Heath’s elegant arrangements of three less traveled originals culled from his enormous corpus.
Jarv Is… – Beyond The Pale CD/LP (Rough Trade)
Beyond The Pale is the debut album from Jarv Is…, featuring Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar, percussion), Serafina Steer (harp, keyboards, vocals), Emma Smith (violin, guitar vocals), Andrew McKinney (bass, vocals), Jason Buckle (synthesizer and electronic treatments) and Adam Betts (drums, percussion, vocals). This is the first original music from Jarvis Cocker since his 2009 album Further Complications. Jarv Is… formed to play a show at the Sigur Ros’s Norður og Niður festival in Iceland at the very end of 2017, conceived as a way of writing songs in collaboration with an audience. As the material they were playing was in a state of flux the band decided to record their live shows so that they could monitor how the songs were developing. After an appearance at the Desert Daze festival in California, Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak>) suggested that these recordings could be used as the basis for Beyond The Pale.
Kansas – The Absence Of Presence CD/CD+Blu-ray/2xLP (Inside Out Music)
Legendary progressive rock band Kansas follow-up 2016’s The Prelude Implicit with the new release The Absence Of Presence. Featuring nine new originals produced by Zak Rizvi, Phil Ehart and Richard Williams, Kansas’ signature sound is unmistakable throughout. The album showcases Ronnie Platt’s towering vocals, David Ragsdale’s searing violin, Tom Brislin’s dazzling keyboards, Williams and Rizvi’s electrifying guitar riffs, Ehart’s powerful drums, and Billy Greer’s rocking bass. “We are really proud of the album” comments Rizvi. “Making a new Kansas album sets a very high musical standard that is expected from our fans. From rockers, to progressive epics, to ballads, there is something on this recording for everybody.”
Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas CD/LP (Nonesuch)
British singer/songwriter/guitarist Lianne La Havas returns with her self-titled third album, her first since 2015’s Grammy-nominated Blood. The ten songs – nine originals plus a cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes” – span the arc of a love affair, one that brought growth and newfound confidence. “This is my first completely self-produced album with my own band. I got my own way with everything – all the decisions that you hear on this album were mine,” Lianne says. “I’m a woman now, so I’m less shy and timid about saying certain things. And there’s no right or wrong when it’s your record, so I was very much embracing that fact, as well. I’ve tapped into the best and worst parts of me and while I didn’t expect this to be the direction of my new music, it’s my reality and it’s driven by emotion. I dare say that this is the closest I’ve gotten to a pure expression so far. If you’d never heard me before, I’d be happy to say, ‘This is me. This is who I am.'”
The Lawrence Arms – Skeleton Coast CD/LP (Epitaph)
Chicago bred trio The Lawrence Arms return with their first album in six years. Skeleton Coast contains the elements of the band’s sound that fans have come to love for the past two decades but re-contextualizes them in a way that somehow sounds perfectly aligned with this strange time in our collective history. Although it was written and recorded before the Coronavirus pandemic upended the world, the band’s seventh studio album sounds eerily prescient as it imagines an apocalyptic future where coyotes croon and wolf packs roam free.
Peter Manos – Do You Turn Red? CDEP (Capitol)
On the heels of his new single, “Tennessee”, acclaimed R&B artist Peter Manos drops his debut EP, Do You Turn Red?. It features new material, as well as several previously-released favorites, including Manos’ viral track “In My Head”. The New York Times called “Tennessee”, “an electronic lament, auto-tuned and steeped in James Blake and Frank Ocean; it also hints at the Beatles’ chromatic chord progressions… even as programmed arpeggios swell to support him, he’s left uncomprehending and alone, pure male angst.” Idolator, meanwhile, praised that, “this is the kind of song that casts an uneasy spell on the listener – commanding a spot on any respectable late-night playlist.” The 23-year old Dallas native has been working on an almost exclusively solo basis – as a songwriter, singer, producer, guitarist and pianist. For Do You Turn Red?, however, he turned to producer Sam Ricci (SZA, Kendrick Lamar) and mixing engineer Jeff Ellis (Frank Ocean) to hone his sound. [Vinyl edition due August 7.]
The Pretenders – Hate For Sale CD/LP (BMG)
Following up 2016’s acclaimed Alone, Hate For Sale is the Pretender’s first album to be recorded with the now long-standing touring line-up of the group. Produced by the revered Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) Hate For Sale is the Pretenders’ eleventh studio album overall and the first to be written collaboratively by Chrissie Hynde and electrifyingly dynamic guitarist James Walbourne. “I wanted to write with him since day one,” says Chrissie. “James is especially sought after and has recorded with Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Gahan, and The Rails, to name but a few.” And on the single “The Buzz”, she adds, “I think we all know that love affairs can take on the characteristics of drug addiction. It’s about that.”
The Texas Gentlemen – Floor It!!! CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Pop on Floor It!!!, the new and second full-length effort from the Texas Gentlemen, and prepare your eardrums to be hit with everything from woozy, brass-fueled Dixieland-style jazz (“Veal Cutlass”), to slinky, chicken-scratch country funk (“Bare Maximum”) to lushly orchestrated pop-soul balladry (“Ain’t Nothin’ New”) – and that’s all in just the first 10 minutes of play time. While the Gentlemen’s sound is clearly steeped in the classic roots, rock and pop music of the ‘60s and ‘70s, there’s a dreamy (the lilting “Sing Me to Sleep”), spacey (“Skyway Streetcar”) and occasionally progressive (“Dark At The End of the Tunnel”) element to what they do that seems to detach the music from belonging to any particular place and time. Add in elements of funk, soul, country, R&B, southern rock, gospel and essentially any other style that catches their musically omnivorous ears; an expansive and detailed approach to arrangement that sees the songs adorned with all manner of horns, strings and heavenly background vocals (“Hard Road”) and you have a collection of tunes that is more than just a mere album. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
The Aces – Under My Influence CD/LP (Red Bull)
The Aces’ music is universally relatable and yet deeply personal, showcasing a confidence only time and true friendship can bring. the band has opened for 5 Seconds Of Summer, headlined its own tour, and spent a countless number of hours documenting everything in-between (and after) into music. “These songs are truly the stories of our lives. Under My Influence means so many things to us, but above all, it means unapologetically becoming who you are.” [Indie store exclusive red and black splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Bryan Adams – That’s How Love Is CD (UMe)
14th studio album from the Canadian rocker – his first since 2015’s Get Up. Shine A Light‘s twelve tracks include the title track and a duet with Jennifer Lopez called “That’s How Strong Our Love Is”.
Fionna Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters CD/2xLP (Epic)
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and alt-rock icon Fiona Apple returns with her first album in nearly eight years. Following up 2012’s The Idler Wheel, the raw and percussion-heavy Fetch The Bolt Cutters has earned instant acclaim as one of the best records of the 2020 and some of the finest work of her career. It takes its name from a line in the British police procedural The Fall spoken by star Gillian Anderson, but Apple explains that, “Really, what it’s about is not being afraid to speak.” She produced the adventurous 13-track collection herself and recorded it at her Venice Beach, CA home studio with drummer Amy Aileen Wood, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, guitarist Davíd Garza and Cara Delevingne singing harmonies. Biting yet buoyant, Fiona’s elastic turns of phrase are supported by intoxicating melodic hooks throughout with visceral tracks like “I Want You to Love Me”, “Shameika” and “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” serving as standouts. “Fetch The Bolt Cutters is a strange and exceptional record, even within the context of an uncommon career…whimsical and hardcore at the same time…” – The Guardian
Bing & Ruth – Species CD/LP (4AD)
Bing & Ruth, the ever-evolving project helmed by New York composer David Moore, returns with a new 7-track, 49-minute record. While on a surface level, Species is an exploration of the sonic possibilities of the Farfisa organ, aided only by a clarinet and double bass (played respectively by founding members Jeremy Viner and Jeff Ratner), the album title is a nod to both humanity and humility – a devotion to the godly intuition with which we are all endowed, and the humbleness required of us to perceive it. It’s also about suspended time and trance; not just a steady movement from A to B, but as something that flows, meanders and eddies, like water.
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Just Coolin’ CD/LP (Blue Note)
A never-before-released studio date by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s Hackensack, New Jersey studio on March 8, 1959, and featuring the legendary drummer – whose centennial was celebrated in 2019 – along with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, pianist Bobby Timmons, and bassist Jymie Merritt. The six-song set includes two previously unissued compositions: “Quick Trick” and “Jimerick”. “In 2020, it’s great to find more Morgan, Mobley and Timmons in their prime,” writes Bob Blumenthal in the liner notes for Just Coolin’. “The music had clearly settled in during the month that separated studio and live versions, but the fire of these six tracks has an appeal of its own.”
Blu & Exile – Miles CD/2xLP (Dirty Science)
Blu & Exiles first new album in eight years includes features from Blu’s childhood friend and now platinum recording artist Miguel, Exile’s childhood friend Aloe Blacc, Dirty Science alum Fashawn, along with several emerging artists like The Last, Artful Dodger, Choosey, Iman Omari, and more
Bush – The Kingdom CD (BMG)
The Kingdom features some of the most potent songwriting of Gavin Rossdale’s career, highlighted by the pummeling “Flowers On A Grave”, as well as the noise hurricane “Quicksand”, which finds him showcasing a vulnerability like rarely before. And then there’s “Undone”, a heart-wrenching ballad written in a burst of inspiration that he describes as very pure and untainted. In many ways, with Bush’s new album, Rossdale is creating the type of music – and the world – he hopes to see.
Grayson Capps – South Front Street CD/2xLP (The Royal Potato Family)
Grayson Capps’ 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.
Captain Planet – No Visa CD/LP (Bastard Jazz)
The globetrotting beat maestro is back, with a truckload of tropical vibes and the irresistibly danceable soundtrack to your summer. On No Visa, he mixes rhythms and musical styles from the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, over highly danceable electronic beats, all firmly rooted in hip-hop, dancehall, and house music.
The Chicks – Gaslighter CD/LP (Columbia)
“The last time the Dixie Chicks reinvented themselves, it was hard to know what would come next. On their most recent album, 2006’s Taking The Long Way, the country trio wrote about being spurned by their industry, faced with uncertainty at the point when most bands on their level are finding career equilibrium. “Our last album was the most personal and autobiographical we’ve ever been,” Maines said in 2019. “And then this one is 10 times that.” She was talking about Gaslighter, the group’s long-awaited comeback record. Like so many of their best songs, from “Goodbye Earl” to “Truth No. 2,” the title track gets to the heart of matters by getting personal. Its references to broken promises and Hollywood homes suggest that Maines is addressing her recent divorce from an actor husband, but its larger points speak to the same belief that has driven the group’s work from the beginning. With its buoyant rhythm and singalong chorus, “Gaslighter” merges the open-road optimism of their early records with the sharper power-pop of Taking The Long Way. Other than their vocal harmonies—still radiant and seamless, like different strings on the same instrument—banjo player Emily Strayer and fiddle player Martie Maguire accompany Maines in subtle ways, weaving the confrontational verses into the rallying cry of a chorus. The songcraft is so compact, and their trademark sound so welcome and familiar, that its message of empowerment comes across equally jubilant and defiant.” – Pitchfork
Laura Cortese and The Dance Cards – Bitter Better CD/LP (Compass)
Expanding on the boundaries of what an indie-folk band can be, Laura Cortese and The Dance Cards take their extensive string music background, add their knowledge of folk and roots music, and incorporate an edgy pop sensibility to create their latest album, Bitter Better. A stunning lesson in all the ways string instruments can be played – bowed, plucked, percussively – the album showcases Cortese and multi-instrumentalist producer Sam Kassirer (Lula Wiles, Lake Street Dive) striving to capture the most adventurous approach to each moment. The result is an album that incorporates dance-worthy foundational grooves, synth, and loops to push the boundaries of the genre.
Samantha Crain – A Small Death CD/LP (Ramseur)
Crain has written an album beautifully composed and arranged, her voice sounding stronger than ever, and proving more so that she’s a brilliant songwriter who deserves to be valued, appreciated, and recognized. This monumental, life affirming, and exquisite collection is a genuine representation of Samantha Crain’s authenticity as an artist and the inspiration of her sojourn is truly remarkable.
Dark Sarah – Grim CD (Napalm)
The cinematic metal icons start an astonishing new fairytale-like storyline with their fourth studio album, Grim.
Dehd – Flower Of Devotion CD/LP (Fire Talk)
“I want nothing more than to be alone,” Emily Kempf sings early on Flower Of Devotion, the third album by Chicago trio Dehd. It’s a startling admission coming from a songwriter who, just a year ago on Dehd’s critically acclaimed Water, wrote eloquently about the joys and pains “more than anything, the necessity” of love, compassion, and companionship. But then, “admission” isn’t really the right word here, given the stridency of Kempf’s tone. “Loner” is a declaration. The record ups the ante on Dehd’s sound and filters in just enough Polish to bring out the shining and melancholy undertones in Jason Balla and Emily Kempf’s songwriting, even as it captures them at their most strident. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Emmur – Hindsight CD/LP (Sharptone)
Eighth album from the American metalcore band. Limited black & blue multicolored vinyl pressing.
The Explorers Club – The Explorers Club CD/LP (Goldstar Recordings)
The Explorers Club – To Sing And Be Born Again CD/LP (Goldstar Recordings)
A pair of new albums by the Nashville-based sunshine pop band. To Sing And Be Born Again is a set of cover songs. Features guest vocals by former Barenaked Ladies front man Steven Page, and Drive-By Truckers member, Jay Gonzalez.
S.G. Goodman – Old Time Feeling CD/LP (Verve Forecast)
S.G. Goodman was raised in Western Kentucky on the Mississippi River Delta in a strict church going family of row crop farmers. Her debut solo album, co-produced with fellow Kentuckian Jim James, showcases S.G.’s otherworldly voice, which soars above a sonic blend of gritty guitars, bottomland grooves and plaintive balladry.
Eli Goulding – Brightest Blue CD/2xLP (Interscope)
Ellie Goulding’s highly anticipated fourth studio album release, Brightest Blue, is split into two sides to showcase both her artistic depth and commercial success – lead by platinum singles “Close To Me” and “Hate Me”.
Jimmy Heath – Love Letter CD/LP (Verve)
One month before the magisterial tenor saxophonist-composer Jimmy Heath died on January 19, 2020 at 93, he put the finishing touches on the final album of his luminous 76-year career as a professional jazz musician. Titled Love Letter, it’s a posthumous masterpiece, the first occasion on which Heath – a well-established master practitioner of the ballad genre – presents an all-ballads recital. Propelling the flow is a multi-generational all-star unit, including NEA Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron, poll-winning guitarist Russell Malone, soulful vibraphone veteran Monte Croft, New York first-call bassist David Wong, and all-world drummer Lewis Nash. Augmenting the group on separate tracks are 21st century vocal superstars Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant, and trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis. Love Letter includes Heath’s elegant arrangements of three less traveled originals culled from his enormous corpus.
Jana Herzen/Charnett Moffett – ‘Round The World CD (Motema Music)
Quirky, smart, sophisticated duo album from acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist Jana Herzen and innovative, world-renowned bassist Charnett Moffett. Herzen and Moffett capture lightning in a bottle on ‘Round The World, finishing each other’s musical sentences and setting a dreamy vibe that evokes a warm fireplace with a glass of wine and an old friend. Includes reinterpretations of songs by Kermit, Men At Work, Roberta Flack, Darkthrone, The Beatles and more.
Jarv Is… – Beyond The Pale CD/LP (Rough Trade)
Beyond The Pale is the debut album from Jarv Is…, featuring Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar, percussion), Serafina Steer (harp, keyboards, vocals), Emma Smith (violin, guitar vocals), Andrew McKinney (bass, vocals), Jason Buckle (synthesizer and electronic treatments) and Adam Betts (drums, percussion, vocals). This is the first original music from Jarvis Cocker since his 2009 album Further Complications. Jarv Is… formed to play a show at the Sigur Ros’s Norður og Niður festival in Iceland at the very end of 2017, conceived as a way of writing songs in collaboration with an audience. As the material they were playing was in a state of flux the band decided to record their live shows so that they could monitor how the songs were developing. After an appearance at the Desert Daze festival in California, Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak>) suggested that these recordings could be used as the basis for Beyond The Pale.
Kansas – The Absence Of Presence CD/CD+Blu-ray/2xLP (Inside Out Music)
Legendary progressive rock band Kansas follow-up 2016’s The Prelude Implicit with the new release The Absence Of Presence. Featuring nine new originals produced by Zak Rizvi, Phil Ehart and Richard Williams, Kansas’ signature sound is unmistakable throughout. The album showcases Ronnie Platt’s towering vocals, David Ragsdale’s searing violin, Tom Brislin’s dazzling keyboards, Williams and Rizvi’s electrifying guitar riffs, Ehart’s powerful drums, and Billy Greer’s rocking bass. “We are really proud of the album” comments Rizvi. “Making a new Kansas album sets a very high musical standard that is expected from our fans. From rockers, to progressive epics, to ballads, there is something on this recording for everybody.” [Limited ‘spring green’ colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Kennélmus – Folkstone Prism [Reissue/1995] CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Maybe it’s their proximity to all that funny-tasting cactus, but Arizona has produced more than its share of mind-bending rock combos and Kennélmus might just be the wildest of the bunch. The Chantays sandwrestling with the Electric Prunes, refereed by Captain Beefheart almost certainly does justice describing their mind-bending sound.
Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas CD/LP (Nonesuch)
British singer/songwriter/guitarist Lianne La Havas returns with her self-titled third album, her first since 2015’s Grammy-nominated Blood. The ten songs – nine originals plus a cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes” – span the arc of a love affair, one that brought growth and newfound confidence. “This is my first completely self-produced album with my own band. I got my own way with everything – all the decisions that you hear on this album were mine,” Lianne says. “I’m a woman now, so I’m less shy and timid about saying certain things. And there’s no right or wrong when it’s your record, so I was very much embracing that fact, as well. I’ve tapped into the best and worst parts of me and while I didn’t expect this to be the direction of my new music, it’s my reality and it’s driven by emotion. I dare say that this is the closest I’ve gotten to a pure expression so far. If you’d never heard me before, I’d be happy to say, ‘This is me. This is who I am.'”
The Lawrence Arms – Skeleton Coast CD/LP (Epitaph)
Chicago bred trio The Lawrence Arms return with their first album in six years. Skeleton Coast contains the elements of the band’s sound that fans have come to love for the past two decades but re-contextualizes them in a way that somehow sounds perfectly aligned with this strange time in our collective history. Although it was written and recorded before the Coronavirus pandemic upended the world, the band’s seventh studio album sounds eerily prescient as it imagines an apocalyptic future where coyotes croon and wolf packs roam free.
Lettuce – Resonate CD/2xLP (Round Hill Music)
Resonate comes on the heels of Lettuce’s 2019 Grammy-nominated album Elevate. “Resonate is a definite continuation of the vibe of Elevate,” said the band via a press release. “There’s brand-new tracks on it along with some stuff that we’ve only played live at shows. When listening Resonate, we hope you can feel the groove, be moved to dance and allow it to shine a bright, positive light on any lingering negative vibes.”
Little Steven – Voice Of America [Reissue/1984] CD+DVD (UMe)
Digitally remastered edition of the classic 1984 album now available with a bonus DVD of the full live concert Live At Rockpalast 1984.
Peter Manos – Do You Turn Red? CDEP (Capitol)
On the heels of his new single, “Tennessee”, acclaimed R&B artist Peter Manos drops his debut EP, Do You Turn Red?. It features new material, as well as several previously-released favorites, including Manos’ viral track “In My Head”. The New York Times called “Tennessee”, “an electronic lament, auto-tuned and steeped in James Blake and Frank Ocean; it also hints at the Beatles’ chromatic chord progressions… even as programmed arpeggios swell to support him, he’s left uncomprehending and alone, pure male angst.” Idolator, meanwhile, praised that, “this is the kind of song that casts an uneasy spell on the listener – commanding a spot on any respectable late-night playlist.” The 23-year old Dallas native has been working on an almost exclusively solo basis – as a songwriter, singer, producer, guitarist and pianist. For Do You Turn Red?, however, he turned to producer Sam Ricci (SZA, Kendrick Lamar) and mixing engineer Jeff Ellis (Frank Ocean) to hone his sound. [Vinyl edition due August 7.]
Massive Wagons – House Of Noise CD/LP (Earache)
Fifth album from the British rockers.
Mounika. – I Need Space CD/LP (Iot)
Nine tracks of “electro chill”.
Angela Munoz – Introspection CD/LP (Linear Labs)
Angela Munoz, a 18-year-old Los Angeles native, debuts her hypnotic voice with her new album, Introspection. Her captivating voice carries strength and prowess, cultivated by a myriad of first-hand experiences and training in the art of sound.
No Age – Goons Be Gone CD/LP (Drag City)
Effortlessly raw and extravagant in one practiced swoop, No Age set their live/bedroom internal clock and get out early into a glorious windtunnel of naked beats and sunbaked guitars, forming a wave from with they hang eleven tunes. Goons Be Gone is a perfectly balanced set, ranging from their classic punk and indie to ever-evolving soundscapes.
The Pretenders – Hate For Sale CD/LP (BMG)
Following up 2016’s acclaimed Alone, Hate For Sale is the Pretender’s first album to be recorded with the now long-standing touring line-up of the group. Produced by the revered Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) Hate For Sale is the Pretenders’ eleventh studio album overall and the first to be written collaboratively by Chrissie Hynde and electrifyingly dynamic guitarist James Walbourne. “I wanted to write with him since day one,” says Chrissie. “James is especially sought after and has recorded with Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Gahan, and The Rails, to name but a few.” And on the single “The Buzz”, she adds, “I think we all know that love affairs can take on the characteristics of drug addiction. It’s about that.”
Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
A sting in the summer blossom, Ultimate Success Today is Protomartyr’s fifth full-length album. Following the release of Relatives In Descent, the band’s critically acclaimed headlong dive into the morass of American life in 2017, Ultimate Success Today continues to further expand the possibilities of what a Protomartyr album can sound like. The album was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studios, a late 19th century church, in upstate New York and co-produced by the band and David Tolomei (Dirty Projectors, Beach House) with mixing by Tolomei. Featured guest musicians on the album include Nandi Rose (vocals), jazz legend Jemeel Moondoc (alto sax), Izaak Mills (bass clarinet, sax, flute), and Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello).
David Ramirez – My Love Is A Hurricane CD/LP (Streetworld)
My Love Is A Hurricane is an ode to love from an exhausted heart. Written as a transformative relationship began ripping apart at the seams, the lyrics and storytelling of once heart-broken and cynical singer/songwriter David Ramirez sit upon dreamy, psychedelic landscapes that evoke genre-melding contemporaries from Michael Kiwanuka to Grizzly Bear. In facing his pain and self-doubt head on, Ramirez turned My Love Is A Hurricane into a story of potential, survival, hope, and encouragement.
Rebelution – Dub Collection CD/LP (Easy Star)
16 years into an effervescent career, California reggae rock band and touring juggernaut Rebelution remain abundantly creative, whether on the road or in the studio.
Rev. Greg Spradlin and The Band Of Imperials – Hi-Watter CD/LP (Out Of The Past LLC)
Noise-damaged funk and gospel-possessed blues rumble. Swampy yet sophisticated. Greasy yet refined. Baptized in Hammond organ and rippling rock & roll guitar.
Max Romeo – Revelation Time CD/LP (17 North Parade)
Max Romeo is one of the most iconic voices of reggae’s golden period. He is still singing and touring internationally in 2020. This collection pays tribute with some of his most iconic songs in collaboration with producer Clive Hunt.
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.]
Christian Sands – Be Water CD/2xLP (Mack Avenue)
Christian Sands’ new album captures and establishes him as a forceful leader in composition and conceptual vision. With Be Water, the music is akin to the element which has no form of its own, taking on the structure of whatever musical composition and performance in which it finds itself and is a universal necessity. For this recording, Sands has reunited with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and is joined by trumpeter Sean Jones, trombonist Steve Davis, guitarist Marvin Sewell, and drummer Clarence Penn.
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.
Spice – Spice CD/LP (Dais)
At its core, Spice’s eponymous album is wired together by brawny and brittle guitars, lock-groove rhythms, and vocals announce each moment and mood. Formed in 2018 and based across California, the band’s sound pulls from the sense of melody and drive inherent to Bay Area pedigree, peppered with modernity and awash with an anthemic haze. Traversing guitar-driven indie-pop and call-to-action impulse, Spice balances their urgency by interspersing violin melodies and layers, creating depth without oversaturating the heart of each song.
Strike Anywhere – Nightmares Of The West CD/LP (Pure Noise)
Nightmares Of The West is the band’s first studio recording in a little over 10 years. Still political and socially-active as always, the new EP stays true to the classic Strike Anywhere sound. [Limited colored vinyl reissues of their Jade Tree albums Change Is A Sound (2001) and Exit English (2003) are also available.]
The Texas Gentlemen – Floor It!!! CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Pop on Floor It!!!, the new and second full-length effort from the Texas Gentlemen, and prepare your eardrums to be hit with everything from woozy, brass-fueled Dixieland-style jazz (“Veal Cutlass”), to slinky, chicken-scratch country funk (“Bare Maximum”) to lushly orchestrated pop-soul balladry (“Ain’t Nothin’ New”) – and that’s all in just the first 10 minutes of play time. While the Gentlemen’s sound is clearly steeped in the classic roots, rock and pop music of the ‘60s and ‘70s, there’s a dreamy (the lilting “Sing Me to Sleep”), spacey (“Skyway Streetcar”) and occasionally progressive (“Dark At The End of the Tunnel”) element to what they do that seems to detach the music from belonging to any particular place and time. Add in elements of funk, soul, country, R&B, southern rock, gospel and essentially any other style that catches their musically omnivorous ears; an expansive and detailed approach to arrangement that sees the songs adorned with all manner of horns, strings and heavenly background vocals (“Hard Road”) and you have a collection of tunes that is more than just a mere album. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Thundermother – Heat Wave CD/LP (AFM)
13 tracks, all killer no filler rock & roll; a more sophisticated version of an AC/DC/Motörhead sound, with fresh modern hard rock elements and a rich ‘70s groove. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Too Slim and The Taildraggers – Remedy CD (Vizz Tone)
Too Slim is a monster guitarist and unabashed blues-rocker. This hard driving album is the follow up to the band’s acclaimed High Desert Heat, which was nominated for a 2019 Blues Music Award in the Blues Rock Album category.
U.D.O. – We Are One CD/LP (AFM)
This elaborate concept album combines U.D.O.’s hard-rocking heavy metal sound with a 60-piece orchestra. [Limited colored vinyl pressings are also available.]
The Vibrators – Energize [Reissue/2002] CD (Deko Music)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition. Headed up by founding members Knox (lead vocals/guitar) and John ‘Eddie’ Edwards (drums) and joined by Robbie Tart (bass), Energize was produced by original bassist Pat Collier. Its greatest virtue isn’t the fact that it’s glorious business as usual, but the implausibility of that business still being glorious.
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 translucent green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Wilderun – Veil CD/2xLP (Century Media)
Wilderun is based out of Massachusetts, playing variations on metal, prog, folk and orchestral music. With this slightly different approach to creating music, Veil Of Imagination transforms and expands upon Wilderun’s already indefinable style, resulting in an album that is at once beautiful and fierce. Clean vocals transform into deathly growls as the band alternates between exquisitely-composed orchestrations and savage metal, all executed with technical prowess. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Wire – 10:20 CD/LP (Pink Flag)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Originally scheduled for RSD 2020 Pink Flag has decided to make 10:20 a regular release. A glimpse into Wire’s working practices, when Wire play live there are different three classes of pieces that are performed: new songs, old songs and new old songs. The latter often involves taking something that existed on a previous release and re-working it, very often evolving a stage highlight from it. There also pieces that have never seen a major release but for some reason never fitted on an album. The best of these ideas were recorded in two sessions – one relating to Red Barked Tree but recorded in 2010 and another relating to Wire’s latest album Mind Hive released earlier this year. The album divides in to two halves – the 2010 side and the 2020 side – hence the title.
Zombi – 2020 CD/LP (Relapse)
Zombi’s first new album in five years, 2020 showcases the songwriting prowess that has pushed the duo of Steve Moore (synthesizers, guitars, bass) and A.E. Paterra (drums) to evolve throughout their storied, 20-year career. A truly therapeutic loop of immersive instrumental rock.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The Allman Betts Band – Down To The River LP (BMG)
Limited double clear vinyl LP pressing of the Allman Betts Band’s 2019 debut album. Led by Devon Allman, son of founding Allman Brothers Band keyboardist and singer, Gregg Allman, and Duane Betts, son of founding Allman Brothers Band guitarist and singer, Dickey Betts, Down To The River was recorded at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studios with producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley). The beginning of the partnership between Devon Allman and Duane Betts goes back to the Gregg Allman tribute show at the Fillmore in San Francisco. It was time, in that historic venue, to pass the spirit to the next generation. It was time to take all the lessons of the past, all their collective experiences, and make something new.
Arca – KiCk i LP (XL Recordings)
Produced and recorded by Arca, KiCk i defines a new era of multiplex harmony for the Venezuelan artist, singer, DJ, performer and experimental music composer. Featuring guest appearances by Björk, Rosalía, Shygirl and Sophie, KiCk i is a celebration not only of the joy Arca’s been able to find in her life, but the sometimes arduous journey it took for her to find it. Her struggles to reconcile her Venezuelan heritage and her trans Latinx identity emerge as reggaetón and pop en Español. “I don’t want to be tied to one genre,” Arca says. “I don’t want to be labeled as one thing.” [CD due July 24.]
Genevieve Artadi – Dizzy Strange Summer LP+MP3 (Brainfeeder)
On Dizzy Strange Summer, Genevieve Artadi offers a window into her ad-lib creativity and the L.A. community where it’s been nurtured. This is the vocalist, composer and producer’s second solo album, and it sees her stake out her own ground outside of her other groups Knower (with Louis Cole), Expensive Magnets and Everything’s Under Control. She brings her own slant to the DIY L.A. scene that she’s grown up in, melding influences from jazz, psychedelia, bossa nova and avant-garde electronics.
Kenny Claiborne And The Armed Gang – The Armed Gang [Reissue/1983] LP (Espacial Discos)
Vinyl reissue of an Italo/boogie/funk/synth holy grail. Offering an overdose of street funk – catchy and foxy – Armed Gang were going against the current trends that dominated the Italian disco scene at that time. Moving away from the crescent influence of British synth-pop as well as from the ubiquitous shadow of the Nile Rodgers sound – both essential to Italo disco – they opted for a sound closer to boogie, a genre that was getting bigger & bigger in the USA.
Conflict – Increase The Pressure [Reissue/1984] LP (Cleopatra)
Vinyl reissue of the sophomore album from the hardcore punk icons.
Curren$y, Trademark Da Skydiver & Young Roddy – Plan Of Attack LP (Babygrande)
While many consider Curren$y, Trademark and Young Roddy to be the most beloved paper plane pilots in the game, they are also proving to be the most consistent with each subsequent release. Their new collaborative album, Plan Of Attack, features production from long-time collaborators Monsta Beatz, Cookin Soul and Sledgren, with additional production from Djay Cas, 206derek, B-Eazy the DJ, Seth From Above, DZY, Guala Beatz and more.
Depeche Mode – Violator | The 12″ Singles 10×12” (WB)
Limited box set containing ten 12” 45rpm vinyl singles. This set showcases the singles “Personal Jesus”, “Enjoy The Silence”, “Policy Of Truth”, “World In My Eyes”, and key B-sides and mixes contemporaneous to Depeche Mode’s watershed Violator (1990) album.
Dion – Blues With Friends 2xLP (KTBA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Blues With Friends is packed with a great batch of songs written during a productive time coming off his latest release. When the legendary Joe Bonamassa was eager to be involved, it inspired Dion to invite others to join the project. He says, “I wanted the best musicians alive like Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Van Morrison and more to take them in unexpected directions. Wayne Hood, my producer, brought out the best of them.”
Bob Dylan – Rough And Rowdy Ways LP+MP3 (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.”
El Michels Affair – Dhuaan b/w Sha Na Na 7″ (Big Crown)
EMA follow-up their recent foray into psychedelic, Turkish-inspired, Bollywood funk with a pair of hypnotic Himalayan-influenced tracks. [New album, Yeti Season, is due out this year.]
Entry – Detriment LP (Southern Lord)
Entry is a hardcore punk band from Los Angeles, California. Detriment is a 15 minute barrage of hardcore about coping, control, and anger.
Fallout Boy – Believers Never Die [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Island)
Vinyl reissue of the first greatest hits album by the alt-rock band. Believers Never Die contains all the songs the band had released as singles to that point in their career, in chronological order, as well as two new songs and two rarities that debuted as a part of the original collection.
Felt – Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Rhymesayers)
In celebration of the tenth anniversary of Murs & Slug’s third collaboration under their Felt moniker, Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez has been pressed on a limited edition double-LP blue & white ‘galaxy effect’ vinyl, with one of three limited bonus die-cut picture discs featuring exclusive remixes.
Fu Manchu – Fu30, Pt.1 10” (At The Dojo)
Limited transparent orange colored vinyl pressing. The first instalment in Fu Manchu’s 30th Anniversary vinyl 10” series, Fu30, Pt.1 includes two new original Fu Manchu songs, as well as a cover of The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets”.
Marvin Gaye – Every Great Motown Hit Of Marvin Gaye: 15 Spectacular Performances [Reissue/1983] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye – His Classic Duets LP (Motown)
Every Great Hit Of Marvin Gaye: 15 Spectacular Performances is a platinum-selling 1983 compilation which covers Marvin Gaye’s career, from his key 1960s hits through the multi-chart # 1, “Got To Give It Up”. His Classic Duets is an update of Marvin Gaye’s 1970 collection Marvin Gaye & His Girls. The vinyl album sleeve (cover and back) artwork is based on the original. 14-tracks featuring duets with Tammi Terrell, Mary Wells, Kim Weston and Diana Ross.
Girlschool – Demolition [Reissue/1980] LP (Cleopatra)
Red colored vinyl reissue of the debut album by the all-female British heavy metal band.
The Go-Go’s – Beauty And The Beat [Reissue/1981] LP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album by the California new wave bands. Beauty And The Beat was preceded by the single and signature song “We Got the Beat”. It also includes the hit single “Our Lips Are Sealed”.
Grizzly Mighty – Confetti Teeth LP (Freakout)
Grizzly Mighty is a rock & roll trio hailing from Seattle WA, with a tremendous live show and a sound that gives homage to the gritty musical history of the Pacific Northwest while seamlessly melding classic inspirations with modern psychedelia. Contagiously energetic, they rumble the stage with an undeniable swagger and hooks that dig in and stay with you long after the music fades.
Heerlens Percussie Ensemble – Biologic Music [Reissue/1986] LP (Hot Mule)
Recorded in a school over two days, 1986’s Biologic Music sees masters of their craft exploring uncharted territories using vibraphones, bells, marimbas, electronic drums, balafons and Tibetan prayer wheels, among others. Mixing jazz, Latin, African, Brazilian, modern, and minimal music, the ensemble’s penchant for fusion, improvisation and program music, lead them to create a deeply mesmerizing and timeless album.
Peter Hook & The Light – Closer Live Tour 2011: Live In Manchester Volume One [Reissue/2017] LP (Cleopatra)
Recorded live at The Factory in Manchester England, the same club where Joy Division rose to prominence along with Cabaret Voltaire, The Durutti Column and others.
Sam Hunt – Southside LP (MCA Nashville)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A propensity for songs that don’t drag on has long been a strong point for Sam Hunt and not one song on Southside lasts longer than 3:55 minutes long, and that’s the first song on the record. ‘Let It Down’ has a twangy, sing-a-long feel to it and while it doesn’t really say too much, it’ll work well in Sam’s live show and could very well become a radio hit with its programmed drums mixed with bluegrass harmonies and instrumentation. ‘Sinning With You’ was a digital preview track a little while back and while it really didn’t feel like something a modern radio station would play, it did show a different time and sound to Sam Hunt, the same thing which can be said about ‘Breaking Up Was Easy In The ‘90s’, a song which blends sounds of R&B, ‘90s country and 2020s production techniques to give me the sense of what could become another big hit for Hunt on the radio. Sam Hunt is a unique star in country music and in a world of sameness, it’s nice that he’s around making records like Southside.” – Roughstock
Joy Division – Closer [Reissue/1980] LP (WB)
Joy Division – Transmission [Reissue/1979] 12” (WB)
Joy Division – Atmosphere [Reissue/1980] 12” (WB)
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart 12” (WB)
Limited 40th anniversary edition of Joy Division’s sophomore album Closer, pressed on crystal clear vinyl. Also available: four album-era 12” singles, repressed on 180gm vinyl. Closer is the second and final studio album by English rock band Joy Division. Produced by Martin Hannett, it was released two months after the suicide of the band’s lead singer and lyricist Ian Curtis.
Kllo – Maybe We Could LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
New release from the electronic pop collaboration of Melbourne cousins Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam. Ten tracks pairing the rhythms of dance music to emotive chords and melodies; revealing two artists at their strongest yet most vulnerable, operating as their truest selves, honest with each other and their craft. Limited colored vinyl pressing.
Jacknife Lee – The Jacknife Lee LP (Slow Kids)
Producer Jacknife Lee (The Killers, Regina Spektor, U2, R.E.M., Empire Of The Sun, Jack Garratt, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Snow Patrol) releases a new project (the first under his own name). The Jackife Lee features contributions from Genesis Owusu, Earl St Clair, Beth Ditto, Sneaks, Haviah Mighty, Petite Noir, Muthoni Drummer Queen, Bibi Bourelly, Barny Fletcher, Aloe Blacc, and Open Mike Eagle.
Jens Lekman & Annika Norlin – Correspondence LP (Secretly Canadian)
For the first time since the digital release, Lekman’s collaboration with Swedish songwriter Annika Norlin (Hello Saferide, Säkert!) has been released on vinyl. An epistolary novel in the form of twelve folksongs.
Nick Lowe – Lay It On Me 12” (Yep Roc)
This limited edition vinyl EP features two new originals from Lowe, “Lay It On Me Baby” and “Don’t Be Nice To Me”, plus a cover of Dorsey Burnette’s “Here Comes That Feeling” (made famous by Brenda Lee). Nick’s wordplay and razor-sharp lyrics shine bright with the twang-friendly tones of Los Straitjackets behind him.
Mercyful Fate – The Beginning [Reissue/1987] LP+MP3 (Metal Blade)
Mercyful Fate – Nuns Have No Fun [Reissue/1982] 12”+MP3 (Metal Blade)
Limited colored vinyl reissues of two early releases from the legendary Danish black metal band.
Ingrid Michaelson – Human Again [Reissue/2011] LP (Spirit Music Group)
Ingrid Michaelson – Lights Out [Reissue/2014] LP (Spirit Music Group)
Vinyl reissues of the singer-songwriter’s fourth and fifth albums.
Karl Morgan – Hidden Cymbals (Bass & Drum Library) LP (King Underground)
The King Underground Recorded Music Library series blends influences from new school sample libraries like the Kingsway Music Library, as well as iconic labels of the ‘70s, such as de Wolfe and KPM. With Hidden Cymbals, they’re sticking to those high standards, using high-end gear, recording equipment, and top of the range studios. You get quality and bang for your buck with seven compositions, instrument stems, fills, one shot hits, and 15 bonus breaks perfect for producers and DJ’s, or musicians that would like to play along or use in their own productions. The drums are crispy, and the bass is thick; two important factors with this release.
NSYNC – No Strings Attached [Reissue/2000] LP (Sony Legacy)
Limited 20th anniversary picture disc vinyl LP pressing of the second studio album by the boy band. Contributions to the album’s production came from a wide range of producers, including group members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez and collaborators Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Rami, Teddy Riley, Kevin She’kspere Briggs, Richard Marx, Veit Renn, Babyface, and Guy Roche.
N8NoFace – Just Here To Die LP (Hit & Run)
New album from the synth punk band. Just Here To Die focuses on the dim concepts of mortality and existential grappling with life’s finiteness. Haunting images of love, sex, blood, authority & struggle are slashed across the canvas in prototypical N8NoFace style.
Palm Haze – Reve Bleu LP (Young Heavy Souls)
Originally founded in Ilhabela, Brazil and now based in Vancouver, Canada, Palm Haze is a duo that blends alternative rock, shoegaze, and trip-hop influences to create a sound that’s both heavy and smooth – think of fuzzed guitars and soothing vocals under a palm tree shadow.
Pluralone – Nowhere I Am b/w Directrix 7” (Org Music)
Pluralone (pronounced ‘plural one’) is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Josh Klinghoffer, whose debut album To Be One With You was released in November of last year. This single is the third in a series of B-side releases from those album sessions. Klinghoffer is joined by former bandmate Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and drummer Jack Irons on “Nowhere I Am”, but takes on all other duties himself across both songs.
QThree – Deaf Ray LP (Grilchy Party)
A well-balanced blend of soulful/vocal sample heavy, sci-fi cinematic, graphic novelistic, and luxurious jazz fusion material in the post modernized chop style of production.
Lou Reed – When Your Heart Is Made Out Of Ice LP (Easy Action)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Superb quality recording from the unique Sally Can’t Dance tour in New York and Dayton, October 1974.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Aussie rock/pop outfit Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s second record Sideways To New Italy sees the band interrogate their individual pasts and the places that inform them. In clicking the scattered pieces back into place, they have crafted for themselves a new totem of home to carry with them no matter where they end up. The album is inspired by New Italy – a village near New South Wales’s Northern Rivers – the area drummer Marcel Tussie is from. A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pit-stop of a place with fewer than 200 residents, it was founded by Venetian immigrants in the late-1800s and now serves as something of a living monument to Italians’ contribution to Australia, with replica Roman statues dotted like souvenirs on the otherwise rural landscape.
Strike Anywhere – Change Is Sound [Reissue/2001] LP (Jade Tree)
Strike Anywhere – Exit English [Reissue/2003] LP (Jade Tree)
Limited colored vinyl pressings of the melodic hardcore band’s first two albums.
Alfie Templeman – Happiness In Liquid Form 10” (Chess Club)
Yellow & ‘berry’ splatter colored vinyl pressing. “An infectiously charming new track, ‘Happiness In Liquid Form’ sees Alfie building on his previous sunshine-soaked genre-blending style introduced in his previous releases, proving just why he continues to be one of British indie’s shiniest new stars.” – DIY Mag
Various Artists [Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad] – Jazz Is Dead LP (Jazz Is Dead)
Under Jazz Is Dead, younger artists are elaborating upon conversations started decades ago; jazz icons are utilizing vintage equipment to create new masters with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad; the same equipment that recorded their coveted catalogs. The vitality embedded in the new masters epitomizes our quest for new life in music: Jazz Is Dead. This compilation features legendary artists Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Doug Carn, Joao Donato, & Brian Jackson, who will each have their own individual release, working alongside Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Various Artists – Troubled Troubadours LP (Iron Mountain Analog)
16 seismic slices of misfortune, desperation, woe and plain high-weirdness – delivered by a stellar cast of country music luminaries and a host of valiant battered journeymen. Limited colored vinyl pressing.
Violent Soho – Everything Is A-OK LP (Pure Noise)
The fifth full length album from the Australian rock band.
The Winter Passing – New Ways Of Living LP (Counter Intuitive)
Armed with a deluge of influences, from Sonic Youth, No Doubt and American Football to a collective fascination with film photography, Irish colloquialism, and rural seaside towns, Dublin’s The Winter Passing return with their second album; a classic mix of Midwestern emo-influenced indie punk rock.
Yaeji – What We Drew LP (XL)
NYC-via-Seoul electronic producer, DJ and vocalist Yaeji releases a new mixtape. What We Drew is titled intentionally; for Yaeji, the title captures the spirit of the project as a whole which she explains, “is so much about friendship, family, gratitude and support – support that I’ve felt, that I’ve given, and that we all share.” Produced entirely by Yaeji over the course of two years, she started writing the music for What We Drew with no specific narrative in mind, each track becoming a snippet of her life, a look into her diary. Yellow colored vinyl pressing.
Cassette:
Dover – Someday You Will Miss Today (Cold Busted)
Dover is a self-described instrumental hip hop artist from the Norwegian suburbs. There’s a lot to delve into here as he makes his mark on the global stage of evocative beat production. [Vinyl edition due July 31.]
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