Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Dashboard Confessional – The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most [Reissue/2001] LP (Hidden Note)
Limited indie store exclusive orange/opaque colored vinyl pressing. “Of all the downtrodden intellectuals turning skate-punk into emo, Dashboard Confessional’s Christopher Carrabba is by far the most bruised. With just an acoustic guitar and some choice words, the Ben Folds sound-alike turns the concept of the love song on its head with The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most‘s torrent of poetic abuse aimed at girls who’ve taken advantage of his good nature. From “Saints And Sailors” (“This apartment is starving for an argument / Anything at all to break the silence”) to “The Good Fight” (“I claimed you as my only hope and watched the floor as you retreated”) to “Screaming Infidelities” (“So kiss me hard because this will be the last time I let you”), Carrabba is unapologetically bitter. Yet while his love life may be a tragic mess, the pure cathartic joy he derives from putting the ladies in question back in their place – evident from his venomous acoustic attacks – is unmistakable, infectious, and fantastically liberating. Wallowing in self-pity has seldom been so much fun.” – Dan Gennoe
Alain Johannes – Um CD/LP (Ipecac)
The third solo album from the Chilean-American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, who is a founding member of several bands, including the alternative rock group Eleven, and has been involved with acts such as Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, PJ Harvey, Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, Mark Lanegan and The Desert Sessions, both as a musician and as a producer.
L-Seven – L-Seven LP (Third Man)
L-Seven were a short-lived but foundational post-punk band from Detroit, MI. Active between 1980-83, L-Seven only ever officially released one 7″ on Touch And Go’s Special Forces, a division of Touch And Go Records designated for releases that were not just straight-ahead punk and hardcore. The band was formed by members of The Blind, Retro and Algebra Mothers and fiery singer Larissa Stolarchuk and are not to be confused with the similarly named L.A. grunge group L7 who would form a decade afterward. During their time together L-Seven was loved and respected by all the Detroit punk and hardcore bands. L-Seven is a collection of unreleased studio and live recordings.
The Psychedelic Furs – Made Of Rain CD/2xLP (Cooking Vinyl)
From its exhilarating opening bars, Made Of Rain – the first Psychedelic Furs album in nearly 30 years – sounds like them and them alone. It’s a joy to hear again, fresher than ever, that unique mesh of sounds and layers, that fusion of smooth and stark, of restraint and abandon, of melancholy and rage, of optimism and nihilism, of tough and tender. Their ageless charisma flows anew. The six-piece line-up has gelled into a groove-some, guileful beast. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
August Listening Station Program Title Released This Week:
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death CD/LP/2xLP (Partisan)
Barely a year after the release of their acclaimed debut album Dogrel (which charted Top 10 in the UK, earned a Mercury Prize nomination, and No. 1 Album of the Year positions for BBC 6Music and Rough Trade), Dublin, Ireland post-punk outfit Fontaines DC return with an intensely confident, patient, and complex sophomore album. A Hero’s Death arrives battered and bruised, albeit beautiful – a heady and philosophical take on the modern world, and its great uncertainty. [Limited single-disc stormy blue colored vinyl and limited deluxe double-LP cut for 45rpm featuring a photobook edition also available.]
Photay – Waking Hours CD/LP (Mexican Summer)
Waking Hours, by NYC artist Photay (aka Evan Shornstein), is a meditation on time and, more specifically, our obsessive need to fill every moment with activity. Photay’s search for calm is at the very core of Waking Hours, and while he admits that making the album was therapeutic, it should not be mistaken for some sort of healing ambient excursion. “It’s about getting back to a really simple notion of just celebrating your existence and not necessarily attaching this huge story of who you are and what you do,” he says. “It’s about finding comfort in just being.” The 10-track collection is largely electronic, but frequently verges on pop and extensively features Shornstein’s own vocals. The music is intimate and inviting, but it also suggest that Photay is perhaps at his best when he’s blurring genre boundaries.
Septicflesh – Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX 2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray/3xLP+DVD (Season Of Mist)
Captured in February 2019 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Mexico City in front of a sold out audience of 3200 metal maniacs, this unique live album/concert recording captures the brutality and bombast of the band playing in tandem with the Symphony Experience Orchestra – led by award-winning Maestro Gerardo Urbán Y Fernández – and the National University Of Mexico Children’s and Youth Choir (over 130 musicians total). Joining them for this one-of-a-kind concert experience is longtime collaborator, clean vocalist, and co-founder Sotiris Vayenas in what marks his first ever North American appearance with the band. In a white-hot set spanning their four critically-acclaimed recent albums – Communion (2008), The Great Mass (2011), Titan (2014) and Codex Omega (2017) – the trailblazing quartet unleash their full powers for their first-ever live album recording. [Vinyl edition cut at 45rpm for maximum fidelity.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Alcatrazz – Born Innocent CD (Silver Lining Music)
The hard-hitting, melodic heavy metal band return with their first studio venture since 1986’s Dangerous Game. Born Innocent is a journey into the sort of heavy, melodic and supremely articulated hard rock that is a cornerstone of the likes of Rainbow and the Michael Schenker Group, territory Alcatrazz successfully strode in the ’80s before going on hiatus.
Ellen Allien – AurAA CD/2xLP (Bpitch Control)
Nine new tracks from the Berlin-based techno producer.
Jon Anderson – 1000 Hands: Chapter One CD/2xLP (Blue Élan)
The fifteenth studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician originated from sessions that Anderson had been recording with Brian Chatton in around 1990. Chatton wrote most of the music, played keyboards and also sang. Anderson asked his then Yes bandmates Chris Squire and Alan White to play on the project. Other guest musicians include Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain, Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, Rick Derringer, the Tower Of Power horn section, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and pianist Chick Corea.
Blue In Green – Gravity CD/LP (Cold Busted)
Residing in Tokyo, Blue in Green specializes in a downtempo, beat-driven combination of bossa nova, jazz, and hip-hop styles all accented by his masterful guitar work.
Brandy – B7 CD/LP (Urban Inspirational)
Seventh album from the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning R&B/pop singer-songwriter and actress. Includes the lead single “Baby Mama” featuring Chance The Rapper.
Mojo Buford – Mojo Workin’ CD (Americana Anthropology)
Bluesman George Mojo Buford started blowing the harmonica in his teens, eventually linking up to tour with fellow Mississippian Muddy Waters. Adopting his nickname from ravenous crowds requesting Muddy’s “Got My Mojo Working”, Buford gained the attention of some gifted young rockers (including lead guitarist of The Trashmen), who steered him into the studio for three smokin’ ’69 sessions – the results of which comprise this archival release. [Vinyl edition due August 28.]
Anne Clark – To Love And Be Loved CD/LP (Flying Dolphin Administration)
For Anne, To Love And Be Loved represents a sensitive mixture of acoustic and electronic ideas. In her opinion it is her most successful attempt to combine commercial and experimental ideas on a very rounded album.
Shirley Collins – Heart’s Ease CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Heart’s Ease follows 2017’s Lodestar, Shirley Collins’ first record in 38 years, and one that brought Shirley’s widely missed voice back to fans. An album broader and brighter in tone than Lodestar, it finds Shirley exploring warmer themes and features three songs less rooted within the folk tradition.
CPR – CPR [Reissue/1998] CD (BMG)
CPR – Just Like Gravity [Reissue/2001] CD (BMG)
CD reissues of the first two (and only) albums released by the trio comprised of David Crosby, Jeff Pevar, and James Raymond.
Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void CD (Roadrunner)
The follow-up to their debut album Eternity, In Your Arms, Sex, Death & The Infinite Void is a concept album which loosely mirrors frontman Will Gould’s life. Boy moves to new city, goes off the rails, meets new girl, falls in love and the world as they know it ends. The band has reshaped their joy and the spirit through the lens of the colorful and sentimental Americana of Bruce Springsteen and Roy Orbison, with the theatrical glam of Marc Bolan and T-Rex. [Vinyl edition due August 7.]
Charley Crockett – Welcome To Hard Times CD/LP (Son Of Davy)
After undergoing open heart surgery that saved his life, Charley Crockett said he considered calming down for a bit, but once he recovered he “wanted to make an album that would change the entire conversation about country music.” That album is Welcome To Hard Times, an aptly named collection that perfectly fits these troubled days even though it was made just before the pandemic hit.
Dizzy – The Sun And Her Scorch CD (Royal Mountain)
In bringing their sophomore album, The Sun and Her Scorch to life, Juno Award winning band Dizzy tapped into their increased sense of closeness and confidence, an element that Katie Munshaw attributes to their frequent touring over the past few years (including stints opening for artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Oh Wonder, Tokyo Police Club, and U.S. Girls). Describing the process as “totally challenging and completely rewarding,” the band took an entirely self-directed approach to every aspect of the album’s creation, introducing a more kinetic energy into their sound through their lavish use of live instrumentation. [Vinyl edition due August 7.]
DK-Zero – Cyber Sex Inc. CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Comprised of producer/musician D-Punk & massively popular steampunk model Kato, DK-Zero combines energetic electronic soundscapes with provocative and titillating lyrics. [Limited colored vinyl pressinga are also available.]
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death CD/LP/2xLP (Partisan)
Barely a year after the release of their acclaimed debut album Dogrel (which charted Top 10 in the UK, earned a Mercury Prize nomination, and No. 1 Album of the Year positions for BBC 6Music and Rough Trade), Dublin, Ireland post-punk outfit Fontaines DC return with an intensely confident, patient, and complex sophomore album. A Hero’s Death arrives battered and bruised, albeit beautiful – a heady and philosophical take on the modern world, and its great uncertainty. [Limited single-disc stormy blue colored vinyl and limited deluxe double-LP cut for 45rpm featuring a photobook edition also available.]
Ganser – Just Look At That Sky CD/LP (Felte)
An assured, fully realized triumph of a record from an art-punk band that’s figured out how to focus on making great art, even if everything else around them falls apart. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Bobbie Gentry – The Delta Sweete [Reissue/1968] 2xCD/2xLP (Capitol Nashville)
Bobbie Gentry’s 1968 brilliant conceptual masterpiece and second studio album The Delta Sweete has been given the deluxe treatment. This expanded reissue features the original mono mix alongside a new stereo mix of the album (sourced directly from the surviving four-track and eight-track tapes), plus 10 bonus tracks including a previously unreleased original demo “The Way I Do” and a special instrumental version of “Okolona River Bottom Band”.
Goblins Blade – Of Angels And Snakes CD/LP (Massacre)
Debut album from the power metal in the vein of Metal Church, Judas Priest, Omen and Savage Grace.
Eddie Henderson – Shuffle And Deal CD (Smoke Sessions)
New release from one of today’s top and most original jazz trumpet players. Henderson first got worldwide recognition for his jazz-trumpet playing from the popular recordings he made with Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi group during the early ’70s.
Steve Howe – Love Is CD/LP (BMG)
17th solo record from the legendary Yes/Asia guitarist.
Imperial Triumphant – Alphaville CD/2xLP (Century Media)
Being one of the fastest rising stars in avant garde metal music, Imperial Triumphant proudly presents their fourth studio album, Alphaville. On it, the metal trio from New York once again prove their matchless technical excellence and breathtaking musical craftsmanship.
Alain Johannes – Um CD/LP (Ipecac)
The third solo album from the Chilean-American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, who is a founding member of several bands, including the alternative rock group Eleven, and has been involved with acts such as Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, PJ Harvey, Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, Mark Lanegan and The Desert Sessions, both as a musician and as a producer.
Katalepsy – Terra Mortuus Est CD (Unique Leader)
New release from the Russian death metal band. [Vinyl edition due August 21.]
Madeline Kenney – Sucker’s Lunch CD/LP+MP3 (Carpark)
Oakland artist Madeline Kenney bounds toward the unknown on her third album, Sucker’s Lunch, expanding on the idea of what a love song could be “a little more cautious than exuberant, more nuanced than blazing devotion.” Sonically, the album expands upon Kenney’s guitar-driven sound – a definitive step forward from an artist adept at communicating universal sentiments in a voice unmistakably her own. To help realize her vision, Kenney enlisted Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, previous collaborators and friends. Stack and Wasner’s rhythm section trace circles around Kenney’s off-kilter guitar, with verdant curls of synths, saxophone, and complex harmonies. Lambchop’s Kurt Wagner lends his distinctive tenor to lead single “Sucker”.
Land Of Talk – Indistinct Conversations CD/LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)
Indistinct Conversations follows 2017’s acclaimed Life After Youth – at the time Land Of Talk’s first album in seven years. The release saw praise from Pitchfork, Paste, The AV Club, and NPR Music, among others. All 11 songs on Indistinct Conversations were written by Elizabeth Powell (vocals/guitar/keys), and share the hallmarks of the Land Of Talk sound: her silvery vocals; masterful, at times cacophonous guitar playing; and a stream-of-conscious lyricism-here perhaps at her most emotionally vulnerable and honest.
Lantern – Dimensions CD/LP (Dark Decent)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Finland’s Lantern return with their third full-length of timeless death metal.
Lionheart – The Reality Of Miracles CD/LP (Metalville)
A new album of timeless, powerful, melodic hard rock from the British hard rock veterans.
Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul – Men Without Women [Reissue/1982] CD+DVD (UMe)
E-Street Band guitarist Little Steven made his spectacular debut with 1982’s Men Without Women. This CD reissue is paired with the 1982 Rockpalast live concert DVD.
Lothar And The Hand People – Come Along: The Exodus 1966 CD/LP (Beatrocket)
This 1966 live recording provides the first evidence of Lothar And The Hand People’s previous life as a feral gang of rough-hewn, guitar-based garage rockers. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Paul McCartney – Flaming Pie [Reissue/1997] 2xCD/2xLP/3xLP/5xCD+2xDVD (Capitol)
Digitally remastered edition of the 13th release in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, personally supervised by McCartney and remastered at Abbey Road Studios. Originally released in 1997, the critically acclaimed and universally beloved solo album was produced by Paul, Jeff Lynne, and George Martin, featuring a supporting cast of family and friends including Ringo Starr, Steve Miller, Linda McCartney, and son James. [Expanded double-CD edition features 21 bonus tracks. The triple 180gm vinyl LP edition features the remastered album cut at half-speed, packaged in a gatefold sleeve with exclusive artwork & booklet, plus one LP of unreleased home recordings in hand-stamped white label sleeve, both housed in a slipcase. The deluxe five-CD + double-DVD box set edition features a wealth of bonus material, including the In The World Tonight documentary, original music videos, EPKs, interviews, performances and behind-the-scenes material, a 128-page book containing previously unpublished images by Linda McCartney, expanded album artwork from the archives and the story behind the album, hi-res 24bit 96kHz audio, and more. A 180gm double-vinyl reissue (also cut at half-speed) of the original album is also available.]
Mac McNally – Once In A Lifetime CD (Mailboat)
Singer-songwriter, producer, Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band mainstay and Country Music Association Musician Of The Year award-winner for the last dozen years, Mac McAnally embarks on something entirely new on his fifteenth solo album, Once In A Lifetime. To reflect the intimacy of his concerts, he arranged most of the material around guitar and percussion – yet he acknowledges that several of its tracks outgrew that simple set-up. And while many of the songs are new, he chose to include a few originals dating back to the early 2000s that seemed like a good fit.
Alanis Morissette – Such Pretty Forks In The Road CD/LP (Epiphany Music)
Alanis’ first original album since 2012’s Havoc And Bright Lights.
Mounika. – I Need Space CD/LP (Iot)
Mounika. returns with a new electro-chill project.
NOFX – West Coast Vs. Wessex CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Split album featuring five Frank Turner tracks covered by NOFX and five NOFX tracks covered by Frank Turner.
Romare – Home CD/2xLP (Ninja Tune)
Romare’s music has always sat comfortably in both the dancefloor world and a more relaxed environment, Home being no exception.
Ohmme – Fantasize Your Ghost CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
There’s an obvious chemistry emanating throughout Ohmme’s music that’s so tangible it can only come from a decades-spanning friendship. Songwriters Sima Cunnningham and Macie Stewart formed their unbreakable bond performing throughout the fringes of Chicago’s many interlocking communities, collaborating with titans from the city’s indie rock, hip-hop, and improvised worlds. But together, along with drummer Matt Carroll, they’ve stretched the boundaries of what guitar music can do starting with the band’s experimental 2016 self-titled EP and their adventurous debut 2018 LP Parts. Now their longstanding partnership culminates with the stunning and muscular follow-up Fantasize Your Ghost. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
OXP – Swing Convention CD/LP (All City)
Onra, music producer from France and Pomrad, composer and multi-instrumentalist from Belgium come together as OXP for their first full-length. Hailing from different backgrounds, the pair share similar musical influences, starting with a love of hip-hop and R&B to a wide range of anything jazz or funk & more.
Photay – Waking Hours CD/LP (Mexican Summer)
Waking Hours, by NYC artist Photay (aka Evan Shornstein), is a meditation on time and, more specifically, our obsessive need to fill every moment with activity. Photay’s search for calm is at the very core of Waking Hours, and while he admits that making the album was therapeutic, it shouldn’t be mistaken for some sort of healing ambient excursion. “It’s about getting back to a really simple notion of just celebrating your existence and not necessarily attaching this huge story of who you are and what you do,” he says. “It’s about finding comfort in just being.” The 10-track collection is largely electronic, but frequently verges on pop and extensively features Shornstein’s own vocals. The music is intimate and inviting, but it also suggests that Photay is perhaps at his best when he’s blurring genre boundaries. [Limited transparent blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mike Polizze – Long Lost Solace Find CD/LP (Paradise Of Bachelors)
The debut solo album by Mike Polizze finds the erstwhile Purling Hiss frontman and Birds of Maya shredder stepping out from behind the wall of guitar noise into the bright sunshine. Performed entirely by Polizze with longtime friend Kurt Vile (largely live and acoustic) and recorded by War on Drugs engineer Jeff Zeigler, this intimate Philadelphia affair clarifies the bittersweet earworm melodicism of Dizzy Polizzy’s songwriting, revealing bona fide folk-pop chops. Long Lost Solace Find finally harvests the wild local honey from the buzzing hive of Hiss.
Poltergeist – Feather Of Truth CD/LP (Massacre)
New album from the Swiss speed/thrash legends.
The Psychedelic Furs – Made Of Rain CD/2xLP (Cooking Vinyl)
From its exhilarating opening bars, Made Of Rain – the first Psychedelic Furs album in nearly 30 years – sounds like them and them alone. It’s a joy to hear again, fresher than ever, that unique mesh of sounds and layers, that fusion of smooth and stark, of restraint and abandon, of melancholy and rage, of optimism and nihilism, of tough and tender. Their ageless charisma flows anew. The six-piece line-up has gelled into a groove-some, guileful beast. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Max Richter – Voices 2xCD/2xLP (Decca)
56 minutes (10 tracks) of material featuring orchestra, choir, solo soprano, solo violin, solo piano and electronics. The narrated text has been adapted from the UN Declaration and is read by acclaimed US actor Kiki Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk). Also featuring the 1949 recording of the preamble to the declaration by Eleanor Roosevelt.
Septicflesh – Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX 2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray/3xLP+DVD (Season Of Mist)
Captured in February 2019 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Mexico City in front of a sold out audience of 3200 metal maniacs, this unique live album/concert recording captures the brutality and bombast of the band playing in tandem with the Symphony Experience Orchestra – led by award-winning Maestro Gerardo Urbán Y Fernández – and the National University Of Mexico Children’s and Youth Choir (over 130 musicians total). Joining them for this one-of-a-kind concert experience is longtime collaborator, clean vocalist, and co-founder Sotiris Vayenas in what marks his first ever North American appearance with the band. In a white-hot set spanning their four critically-acclaimed recent albums – Communion (2008), The Great Mass (2011), Titan (2014) and Codex Omega (2017) – the trailblazing quartet unleash their full powers for their first-ever live album recording. [Vinyl edition cut at 45rpm for maximum fidelity.]
- Shankar – Chepleeri Dream CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Revered violin player and vocalist L. Shankar presents his newest album featuring a host of guest artists including Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Tony Levin, Scott Page of Supertramp & Pink Floyd, Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, Norwood Fisher of Fishbone, and others. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dee Snider – For The Love Of Metal: Live! CD+DVD+Blu-ray/2xLP+DVD+Blu-ray+MP3 (Napalm)
The Twisted Sister frontman, actor and radio personality has combined behind-the-scenes footage, interview clips, insightful personal commentary and electrifying live performances to create an entertaining experience for old-school metal fans.
Soft Palms – Soft Palms CD/LP+MP3 (Everloving)
New album from the brainchild of wife-and-husband duo Julia Kugel (The Coathangers, White Woods) and Scott Montoya (formerly of The Growlers). Soft Palms is a feast of rich sounds and simple, comforting melodies threading together sock hop rock n’ roll, scrappy dream pop, and ethereal torch songs into a sultry, spacey, and sublime journey towards brighter horizons. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Sung Song – This Ascension Is Ours CD/LP (Night Time Stories)
Sung Song has a hypnotically unique sound that is strangely anthemic, coming on like a space-age girl-group transmitting directly from Jupiter
Charles Tolliver – Connect CD (Gearbox)
Jazz trumpet legend, founder of the uber-cool Strata East label that spawned Gil Scott Heron, is back with his first studio album in 13 years. Connect features the Charles Tolliver All-Stars, comprising some of the most experienced jazz musicians of New York: Jesse Davis on alto saxophone, Keith Brown on piano, Buster Williams on double bass, and Lenny White on drums. The album also bridges together New York and London by featuring leading British saxophonist Binker Golding on two tracks, (Binker & Moses, Moses Boyd Exodus, Zara McFarlane). [Vinyl edition due August 28.]
Various Artists – Black Riot: Early Jungle, Rave And Hardcore CD/2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
A brand-new collection of heavyweight ragga-influenced hardcore jungle tracks from the early 1990s. Dark and heavy. This is the third collaboration between writer Paulo Parisi and Soul Jazz Records.
Various Artists – Girl In Gold Boots [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] CD+DVD/LP+DVD (Modern Harmonic)
A mad menagerie of grindhouse go-go grooves. Includes a DVD of the entire film with lots of extras.
Warkings – Revenge CD/LP (Napalm)
The mighty Warkings enter the battleground and face ghoulish demons with a formidable weapon made of pure heavy metal. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Carol Welsman – Dance With Me CD (Justin Time)
Highlights from the new album by the internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and pianist include English versions of famous Cuban boleros, cha cha chas that have never before been adapted for English audiences, plus great American Songbook standards with salsa and mambo rhythms.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Poppy Ajudha / Skinny Pelembe – Blue Note Re:imagined – Watermelon Man b/w Illusion 7” (Blue Note)
Blue Note Re: imagined is a brand-new collection of classic tracks, reworked and newly recorded by a selection of the UK scene’s most exciting young talents today. On this 7”, Poppy Ajudha brings to life a new version of Herbie Hancock’s track “Watermelon Man”. On the flip side, South African indie kid Skinny Pelembe reinterprets “Illusion”, originally by American pianist Andrew Hill.
Alastis – The Other Side [Reissue/1997] LP (Listenable)
Alastis – Revenge [Reissue/1998] LP (Listenable)
Alastis – Unity [Reissue/2000] LP (Listenable)
Alastis is a derivation of Alastor, the executioner of hell. Starting as a raw black metal band, much like their fellow countrymen Samael, gothic and industrial musical elements played an important role in their sound during their later career. The band’s last three albums have been repressed on limited edition colored vinyl.
Lou Barlow – Emoh [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Merge)
From Lou Barlow: “Emoh was released in January 2005, within a day or two of my first child, Hannelore, being born. I put my real name on it, and it felt like the beginning of a new, more confident era. At the same time, I was asked to rejoin Dinosaur Jr, so, instead of spending the next year touring in support of Emoh, I started a Dinosaur Jr reunion that continues to this day.”
- Bravo – Cosmic Mind 12” (Bastard Jazz)
Songs for dancing, having fun, and vibing out, B. Bravo’s latest EP brings listeners to the dancefloor by way of a healthy dose of talk-box, retro synths and irresistible boogie grooves.
Between The Buried And Me – The Silent Circus [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
This sophomore album from Grammy-nominated progressive metal five-piece Between The Buried And Me was their first release after catching the attention of Chicago powerhouse Victory Records. The Silent Circus features the single “Mordecai”, which is still a fan favorite to this day. Originally notable for being the only album of the band’s not to be produced by Jamie King, King came back to remaster this new vinyl reissue.
Bigwig – Stay Asleep [Reissue/1999] LP (Kung Fu)
The sophomore album from the NJ hardcore punk band is back in-print on vinyl. For the uninitiated, Bigwig has played and/or toured with such bands as Pennywise, Less Than Jake, Blink-182, The Ataris, The Vandals, New Found Glory, No Use for a Name, NOFX, The Suicide Machines, Agnostic Front, Lagwagon, and Reel Big Fish.
Blut Aus Nord – Ultima Thulée [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Blut Aus Nord – The Work Which Transforms God [Reissue/2005] LP (Spinefarm)
Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta II – Dialogue With The Stars [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Limited colored vinyl reissues. Blut Aus Nord is a black metal band from Mondeville, France. The band started in 1994 as a solo project, with Vindsval playing all instruments under the name Vlad. The band has been instrumental in forging the sound titled as blackgaze (extreme shoegaze).
Boillat Thérace Quintet – Boillat Thérace Quintet [Reissue/1974] LP (We Release Jazz)
Official reissue of the rare soul-jazz and modal gem from Switzerland.
James Booker – Classified [Reissue/1982] LP (Craft Recordings)
A deeply complex character, Booker only released two studio albums in his lifetime. However, Classified – his unintended swan song – offers one of his greatest commercially released performances. Recorded in 1982, it is primarily the result of a whirlwind, four-hour session. In addition to several originals, the album includes a jaunty repertoire of mainly local fare, including Fats Domino’s “One For The Highway” and Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”.
Captain Planet – No Visa LP (Urbnet)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The globetrotting beat maestro is back with a truckload of tropical vibes and the irresistibly danceable soundtrack to your summer.
Margaret Chavez – Into An Atmosphere LP (State Fair)
Margaret Chavez’s new folk-rock opus, Into An Atmosphere, is a headphone masterpiece. From the very first track, it is clear why Consequence Of Sound, Mojo and Uncut have all been extolling the many virtues of project mastermind Marcus William Striplin; the music is undeniably ambitious, mixing Latin freak-folk rhythms with a topicality the micro-genre has never dared to approach, even in it’s heyday.
Code Orange – Underneath LP (Roadrunner)
Fourth album from the Pittsburgh-based metalcore band.
Creux Lies – The Hearth [Reissue/2018] LP (Cleopatra)
Limited white colored vinyl reissue of the debut full-length album from dark melodic post-punk band out of Sacramento. For fans of Drab Majesty, Soft Kill, Ritual Howls, Clan Of Xymox, The Chameleons, and The Cure.
Dashboard Confessional – The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most [Reissue/2001] LP (Hidden Note)
Limited indie store exclusive orange/opaque colored vinyl pressing. “Of all the downtrodden intellectuals turning skate-punk into emo, Dashboard Confessional’s Christopher Carrabba is by far the most bruised. With just an acoustic guitar and some choice words, the Ben Folds sound-alike turns the concept of the love song on its head with The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most‘s torrent of poetic abuse aimed at girls who’ve taken advantage of his good nature. From “Saints And Sailors” (“This apartment is starving for an argument / Anything at all to break the silence”) to “The Good Fight” (“I claimed you as my only hope and watched the floor as you retreated”) to “Screaming Infidelities” (“So kiss me hard because this will be the last time I let you”), Carrabba is unapologetically bitter. Yet while his love life may be a tragic mess, the pure cathartic joy he derives from putting the ladies in question back in their place – evident from his venomous acoustic attacks – is unmistakable, infectious, and fantastically liberating. Wallowing in self-pity has seldom been so much fun.” – Dan Gennoe
Dirty Projectors – Flight Tower 12”+MP3 (Domino)
Dirty Projectors present the next in a sequence of five EPs to be released this year. Each EP features a different band member on lead vocals – Maia Friedman, Felicia Douglass, Kristin Slipp and Dave Longstreth – with everyone trading verses on the fifth and final installment. On Flight Tower, Felicia is in the captain’s chair.
Dover – Someday You Will Miss Today LP (Cold Busted)
Recently released on cassette – now available on vinyl. Dover is a self-described instrumental hip-hop artist from the Norwegian suburbs. There is a lot to delve into here as he makes his mark on the global stage of evocative beat production. [CD edition due August 14.]
Clint Eastwood – Rawhide’s Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites [Reissue/1962] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited red colored vinyl LP pressing. Clint Eastwood has demonstrated a deep love and aptitude for music as both an actor and a director during his entire career, and here you catch him right at the beginning of it, fresh from his success on the TV series Rawhide, crooning (and quite competently so) on a collection of country & western favorites. A little-known side of one of Hollywood’s biggest icons.
Errol Dunkley – Darling Ooh! [Reissue/1979] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited root beer colored vinyl pressing of the debut album from the Jamaican reggae musician.
Eyedress – Let’s Skip The Wedding LP (Lex)
Eyedress is an L.A. based Filipino singer, musician and producer. His unique songwriting pairs lovesick lyrics with infectious guitar hooks and his trademark, cold wave inspired, woozy synths.
Jack Garratt – Love, Death & Dancing 2xLP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Love, Death & Dancing is British artist Jack Garratt’s highly anticipated new album and first new music since 2016. The deeply personal collection contains 12 tracks produced by Garratt with additional production on several tracks by Jacknife Lee, long-time friend James Flannigan, and Brett Cox. Musically, Love, Death & Dancing reflects its lyrical content, moments of mellifluous beauty and calm giving way to outbreaks of cacophonous anxiety and manic energy.
Ghengis Tron – Dead Mountain Mouth [Reissue/2006] LP (Relapse)
Ghengis Tron – Board Up The House [Reissue/2008] LP (Relapse)
Vinyl reissue of the lone two albums by the experimental metal trio. Genghis Tron had neither a drummer or bassist, but instead achieved their unique sound with the use of computer drum programs and synthesizers.
In This Moment – Mother 2xLP (Roadrunner)
Released last March on CD – now available on vinyl. Seventh album from the heavy metal band. The album features Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless, and Joe Cotella of Ded. [Limited translucent red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Thanya Iyer – Kind LP (Topshelf)
Crucial questions around healing, cultural identity, and disability are among the many subjects visited by Thanya Iyer’s sophomore album, Kind. Although represented by a concise title, Kind explores an expansive universe where Iyer and her band examine interpersonal relationships, ideas of home and destination, and our collective responsibilities to one another. To aid in this journey of big, difficult questions, Iyer enlists the help of a huge cast of musicians, with guest features ranging from brass trios, vocal sextets, flautists, and harpists. Underscoring its explorative nature, the constant movement of Kind melds the sounds of experimental pop and improv into a magical amalgam that teems with flashes of jazz and nuanced electronics. I [CD edition due August 14.]
Judiciator – Let There Be Nothing LP (Prosthetic)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth album from the power metal band. Let There Be Nothing is a concept album, steeped in historical references and tales of the past. However, the blood pumping through the veins of the music is rich with human emotion and rooted in universal experience, regardless of what era your fortune has dictated you dwell within.
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.
L-Seven – L-Seven LP (Third Man)
L-Seven were a short-lived but foundational post-punk band from Detroit, MI. Active between 1980-83, L-Seven only ever officially released one 7″ on Touch And Go’s Special Forces, a division of Touch And Go Records designated for releases that were not just straight-ahead punk and hardcore. The band was formed by members of The Blind, Retro and Algebra Mothers and fiery singer Larissa Stolarchuk and are not to be confused with the similarly named L.A. grunge group L7 who would form a decade afterward. During their time together L-Seven was loved and respected by all the Detroit punk and hardcore bands. L-Seven is a collection of unreleased studio and live recordings.
Man – Revelation [Reissue/1969] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited purple colored vinyl pressing. This Welsh band displays the twin guitar attack of Roger Deke Leonard and Mike Jones that led them to be compared to Quicksilver Messenger Service. But Clive John’s Hammond organ gives Man’s sound an extra texture that pushes them a bit in a prog direction.
Moka Only – It Can Do LP (Urbnet)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The instrumental aspect of It Can Do is a clear nod to the future of where the artist is heading to, suggesting that instrumental composition is at the very heart of Moka’s being. The album offers musically fragmented repetition that conjures an airy, wide-open, freedom, not often heard in contemporary rap.
Moon Tooth – Violent Grief: Acoustic Selections LP (Pure Noise)
New acoustic EP from Long Island rockers comprised of four songs from the band’s critically-acclaimed 2019 release Crux, which was chosen by Rolling Stone as one of their Top 50 Albums of 2019 while garnering acclaim from outlets like Pitchfork, Guitar World, Revolver, Invisible Oranges, Metal Injection and more.
Alison Mosshart – Rise b/w It Ain’t Water 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Best known as one-half of acclaimed duo The Kills, Alison Mosshart is releasing music under her own name for the first time. “Rise” is a a searing, slow burner while “It Ain’t Water”, is a melancholy acoustic lament of a B-side.
Mr. Carmack – Viista LP (Forward Thinkers)
Mr. Carmack, super-producer and member of the illustrious Soulection collective, releases his first vocal album. Guests include Kehlani, Rexx Life Raj, Connor Pearson, Bobby Saint, and Drew Banga.
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.
Augustus Pablo – Rockers Come East [Reissue/1991] LP (VP)
Augustus Pablo – One Step Dub [Reissue/1991] LP (VP)
Two vinyl reissues from the reggae/dub legend.
Photay – Photay [Reissue/2014] 12” (Astro Nautico)
Fusing catchy melodies with unusual textures, this is invigorating music that speaks an ancient language. It is vibrant, dynamic, and beautifully unexpected.
Zoe Polanski – Violent Flowers LP (Youngbloods)
Violent Flowers is a glistening collection of experimental dream pop from Israeli singer, songwriter, and film composer Zoe Polanski, written in collaboration with renowned Tel Aviv producer Aviad Zinemanas. In its totality, Violent Flowers finds a serene intersection between ethereal sensibilities and cinematic storytelling, calling on Polanski’s experience as a film composer to weave dynamic ruminative stories of lost love and hopeful daydreams. Using her tranquilizing voice as a guide across vibrant circular rhythms and shimmering shoegaze guitar melodies, each song opens a door inward worthy of vivid exploration.
Rebel Wizard – Magickal Mystical Indifference LP (Prosthetic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Aussie black/trash one-man band.
SiR – Seven Sundays [Reissue/2015] LP (Fresh Selects)
Now a member of Top Dawg Entertainment (alongside Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and more) and signed to RCA, SiR’s independent debut Seven Sundays features early appearances from both Anderson. Paak and Sir’s brother D Smoke (now the winner of the Netflix show Rhythm & Flow), as well as production from Knxwledge, Iman Omari, Chris Daddy Dave, Tiffany Gouché and more.
Jorja Smith / Ezra Collective – Blue Note Re:imagined – Rouge Rose b/w Footprints 7” (Blue Note)
Blue Note Re: Imagined is a collection of classic tracks, reworked and newly recorded by a selection of the UK scene’s most exciting young talents today. This 7” single features award-winning artist Jorja Smith’s recent version of the St. Germain track “Rose Rouge”. The stunning rendition takes its cues from the classic soul, jazz and reggae, perfectly capturing the aesthetic. Also includes Ezra Collective’s recent funk-driven version of the Wayne Shorter classic composition, “Footprints”.
Soul Asylum – Let Your Dim Light Shine [Reissue/1995] LP (Cleopatra)
Limited coke clear with blue swirl colored vinyl pressing of Soul Asylum’s seventh album.
Stonewall Noise Orchestra – Deathtripper LP (Transubstans)
Recently released on CD – now available on green colored vinyl. The notorious Swedish groove machine once again delivers a solid piece of high-quality heavy rock.
Sun Ra – Celestial Love [Reissue/1984] LP (Modern Harmonic)
Orange colored vinyl reissue of a rare Sun Ra album from 1984.
Sweet Meg – Under The Moonlight LP (Dala)
Recorded entirely live to analog tape in two days, Under The Moonlight invites you into the world of traditional jazz and country while showcasing the virtuosic talents of Sweet Megg and her band, The Wayfarers.
Irma Thomas – After The Rain [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Irma Thomas continues to reign as the Soul Queen of New Orleans. Reissued on vinyl for the first time, After The Rain was recorded in Louisiana only months after Hurricane Katrina. A majority of the songs were chosen prior to the hurricane, but the album’s prophetic themes offer a message of hope. The album earned Thomas her first Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Remixed and remastered audio.
William Tyler – Music From First Cow LP+MP3 (Merge)
In First Cow, Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America. William Tyler composed the music for First Cow almost entirely on several of his guitars and a dulcimer.
U.D.O. – We Are One 2xLP (AFM)
We Are One combines the legendary metal band’s hard rocking sound with a 60-piece orchestra. [Two colored vinyl pressings – limited translucent red and limited silver – are available.]
Various Artists – Ghostly Swim 3 LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
14 tracks in total, this is a choose-your-own-adventure showcase befitting [adult swim]’s bold
programming mission. Dynamic, freeform body music as kinetic therapy, as entertainment, as a triumph courtesy of up-and-comers and established talents affiliated with techno, electro, breaks, and the uptempo unclassified et cetera.
Various Artists – Nuleaf LP (Numero)
As the rift between academic jazz, new age, and pop narrowed in the 1980s, D.I.Y. practitioners of metronome driven riffs found new growth in a burgeoning managerial middle class, a commercial audience held captive in dentist offices and waiting rooms across America. Session players took to midi-banks stocked with every instrument imaginable and delivered on a road rage-induced demand to stay cool, relaxed, and focused all at once. The extra-wide cuts packaged here will be mint for years to come. Go ahead, break the seal on a fresh pack of Nuleafs. There’s only one sensation this smooth.
Wilco – Ode To Joy LP+MP3 (dBpm)
Originally only available through the Wilco store, the Ode To Joy deluxe vinyl box set features a limited-edition hand-numbered slipcased pop-up art book which includes: A 180gm pressing of the album packaged in a jacket and inserts exclusive to this edition and a 22-page clothbound hardcover embossed book printed on 100 point archival paper autographed by the band.
Wye Oak – No Horizon 12”+MP3 (Merge)
Wye Oak’s new EP was originally composed in a tight, concentrated timeframe at the end of 2018 and early 2019, and then performed at New York’s Merkin Hall as part of Ecstatic Music Festival in collaboration with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. No Horizon is beautiful and strange: distinctly and recognizably Wye Oak, while simultaneously unlike any other of the band’s studio work. Eerie and dreamy, a complicated, unpredictable amalgamation of thoughtful lyrics, steely glints of synths and effects, lithe guitar lines, and the depth of Jenn Wasner’s voice, it all unfurls with the ease of any Wye Oak song, built out by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus’ presence, their tangle of crystalline voices presenting like an orchestral arrangement.
Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Roy Ayers – Jazz Is Dead 002 LP (Jazz Is Dead)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Eight original compositions written collaboratively by Younge, Shaheed Muhammad & Roy Ayers and recorded at Younge’s Linear Labs in Los Angeles. Roy Ayers sounds both like an unearthed an unreleased album from Ayers’ classic period in the 1970s.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens – Back To Earth 2xLP+5xCD+Blu-ray [Reissue/1978] (BMG)
Long overdue for re-evaluation, this Super Deluxe Edition box set reissue of Back To Earth features the original album (remastered at Abbey Road), along with demos, unreleased tracks, and material from UNICEF’s 1979 Year Of The Child concert, the singer’s last live performance as Cat Stevens. The special edition 12″ x 12″ box also includes a Blu-ray of the UNICEF Year Of The Child Concert and the high res original album remastered plus hardcover book and memorabilia.
The Zombies – The Zombies [Reissue/1965 LP (Craft Recordings)
The Zombies – I Love You [Reissue/1967] LP (Craft Recordings)
The Zombies – R.I.P. [Reissue/2015] LP (Craft Recordings)
While these LPs appeared in a box set and as a special edition in recent years, this constitutes their first ever widely available release in the U.S. and Canada.
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