Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
David Coverdale – North Winds [Reissue/1978] LP (Eagle)
Limited edition opaque white color vinyl pressing. D David Coverdale’s first solo album after his departure from Deep Purple, Whitesnake (which gave his subsequent band its name) hit the UK in May 1977, but he found it hard to get his head into gear to promote it as he’d already cut the follow-up North Winds, a far superior product. Micky Moody was once again the catalyst for the project and Roger Glover was back as producer. Released in the UK in 1978, the ballads sound sincere while the heavier numbers rocked but in a bluesier way than Coverdale’s Deep Purple styles. Coverdale gets funky on the lively “Keep On Giving Me Love”, eases back with the heartfelt “Time & Again” and album highlight “Only My Soul” and rocks out on “Queen Of Hearts”.
Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Jon Batiste – We Are CD/LP (Verve)
We Are represents a completely new sonic chapter for Grammy-nominated artist Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. We Are is a captivating musical experience rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation and sensuality. It’s a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others.
Steve Earle and The Dukes – J.T. CD/LP (New West)
On August 20, 2020 the world lost an amazing light with the passing of Justin Townes Earle. Justin was a vibrant songwriter who could play the blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll all in the same song. In his short career, Justin released eight albums and one EP that all manage to sound classic and yet inventive. Justin’s father, Steve Earle, pays tribute to his son by recording an album of songs written by Justin titled, J.T. The album consists of ten Justin Townes Earle songs as well as one song written by Steve. J.T. features such fan favorites as “Harlem River Blues”, “Far Away In Another Town” and “Champagne Corolla” along with lyrically heavy songs like, “The Saint Of Lost Causes” and “Turn Out My Lights”. J.T. is a loving tribute to a loved son and beautiful songsmith who left this earth too early. But in his wake, Justin left a wealth of beauty. All proceeds from this release will be put into a trust for Justin’s daughter, Etta.
ERRA – ERRA CD/LP (UNFD)
Determination and steadfast dedication have defined ERRA’s path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant’s albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly self-titled ERRA. As their music finds the balance between the crushingly heavy and the headily melodic, its members seek to find harmony between the needs of the individual and the natural flow of this shared reality. ERRA, as a band of brothers and creative force, strive to live in alignment with the present moment. ERRA, the album, represents redemption for the band, who emerged from the creative process with renewed focus, confidence, and certainty of self. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Fleet Foxes – Shore CD/2xLP (ANTI-)
Fleet Foxes return with their fourth full-length album Shore, bringing the dark sophistication of 2017’s Crack-Up to new heights with a soulful, sun-shined hue and fresh rhythmic vitality. The songs have dark themes of loss and struggle, but contain an uplifting lyrical power and sense of musical joy that remind us we can make it through the toughest of times. The 15-song, 55-minute album was initially inspired by frontman Robin Pecknold’s musical heroes such as Arthur Russell, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guebrou and more who, in his experience, celebrated life in the face of death. “I see “shore” as a place of safety on the edge of something uncertain, staring at Whitman’s waves reciting ‘death,'” commented Pecknold. “Tempted by the adventure of the unknown at the same time you are relishing the comfort of the stable ground beneath you. This was the mindset I found, the fuel I found, for making this album.” [A limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is also available.]
Valerie June – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers CD/LP (Fantasy)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Produced by Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, John Legend) and Valerie June, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers achieves a transcendent effect thanks in no small part to the splendor of its sound, an exquisitely composed tapestry of folk, soul, gospel, country, blues, psychedelia, and time-bending symphonic pop. The result is a selection of songs both ornate and elegant, each moment crafted with a profound awareness of what’s most essential in creating enduring beauty. The follow-up to June’s widely adored The Order Of Time – a 2017 effort that earned the admiration of Bob Dylan and landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Rolling Stone and the New York Times – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is a potent catalyst for that kind of magic. With her spellbinding vocals and infectious sense of wonder, Valerie June gently eases the listener into a far more charmed state of mind, one that quickly restores a powerful feeling of joyful possibility.
Loretta Lynn – Still Woman Enough CD/LP (Legacy/Sony)
The American music icon’s 50th studio album (excluding her ten studio duet collaborations with Conway Twitty), Still Woman Enough celebrates women in country music. From her homage to the originators, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Family (via her cover of “Keep On The Sunny Side”) through a new interpretation of her very first single, “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl”, Loretta Lynn acknowledges her role in the continuum of American country music while her duets with Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood (“Still Woman Enough”), Margo Price (“One’s On The Way”) and Tanya Tucker (“You Ain’t Woman Enough”) find her sharing the musical torch with some of the brightest lights and biggest stars in contemporary pop-country. The album premieres 13 new Loretta Lynn recordings, intimate and electrifying performances of a career-spanning selection of songs illuminating different aspects of her repertoire.
Painted Shield – Painted Shield CD/LP (Loosegroove)
Rather than sounding like a tentative identikit of musical styles, Painted Shield is a brilliantly conceived, bold and cohesive portrait of its creators – chiefly Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, singer-songwriter Mason Jennings and drumming star Matt Chamberlain – and a clear-eyed statement of purpose. Driven by pulse-racing electronic and live drums, bursting with gritty and sometimes psychotic guitars that weave in and out of luxurious keyboard soundscapes, and brimming with glorious melodies that fill the senses and hang on tight, everything about the album – a genre-bending mix of roots rock, electronica and contemporary folk-pop – feels so effortlessly assured.
Janet Simpson – Safe Distance CD/LP (Cornelius Chapel/Symphonic)
Safe Distance, the new album from singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Janet Simpson, isn’t a concept record, but it does take a journey. From Nashville to Reno (well, almost), to running away from demons, retreating from your troubles, hiding in plain sight, and returning liberated – ready to skip away again while your past looks on with a dropped jaw. But nothing here rambles aimlessly: Simpson’s characters long to get free (and succeed) while navigating it all with confident purpose. They are reflective but never middling. They hurt but move to healing – or take the time to care for others. And they don’t shy away for a good time – even if they’re having too much of one.
Chad VanGaalen – World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener CD/LP+ MP3 (Sub Pop)
2020 was a terrible year for gardening. It was terrible for peppers, it was terrible for tomatoes, it was terrible for the condition of the soul. But Chad VanGaalen somehow raised a garden all the same: carrots and sprouts and broccoli and a revivifying new album, all of them grown at home. He likes to eat directly off the plant, he says – “I get down on my knees and graze. It’s nice to feel the vegetables in your face” – and the 13 songs on World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener were harvested with just such a spirit: in their raw state, young and vegetal, at the very moment, they were made. What that means is that the Calgary songwriter’s new album is a psychedelic bumper crop. A collection of tunes that does away with obsessiveness, the anxiety of perfectionism, in favor of freshness and immediacy – capturing the world as it was met while recording alone at home over a period of years. “Don’t overthink it,” VanGaalen told himself again and again, despite the push/pull love/hate of his relationship with songwriting. “I’m always trying to get outside of the song – but then I realize I love the song.” This is a record that gleams with VanGaalen’s musical signatures: found sound, reverb, polychromatic folk music that is by turns cartoonish and hyperphysical – like ultra-magnified footage of a virus or a leaf.
Morgan Wade – Reckless CD/LP (Ladylike)
Morgan Wade has figured out that when you grow up in Floyd, VA, where bluegrass sustains everyone like the Blue Ridge Mountain air but you hear other sounds like pop and punk in your own head, singing for yourself is the way to become the artist you were always meant to be. Produced by Sadler Vaden – Jason Isbell’s longtime guitarist – Wade’s debut Reckless is a confident rock ‘n’ roll record that introduces a young singer-songwriter who is embracing her strengths and quirks as she continues to ask questions about who she is – and who she wants to be. Her voice, a raspy soprano that can soothe liltingly or growl, is on brilliant display. But when Wade began to write her own songs, country radio was dominated by svelte voices like Shania Twain and Faith Hill – and Wade couldn’t hear herself in any of them. With Reckless, Wade is ready for her voice to be heard.
CDs + Vinyl:
AOR – The Best Of Paul Sabu CD (Perris)
Paul Sabu is a rock legend. For over 30 years he has done it all, from singer and songwriter to coveted guitarist, producer, and recording engineer. He has created smash hits, chart-topping albums, and an arsenal of top artists, and his numerous awards and accomplishments make him one of the most influential and bestselling artists in AOR history.
Arab Strap – As The Days Get Dark CD (Rock Action)
“It’s about hopelessness and darkness,” says Aidan Moffat. “But in a fun way.” The Arab Strap frontman is speaking about the band’s seventh studio album and their first since 2005’s The Last Romance. The band who bought you the classic and legendary “The First Big Weekend” return with new music for the first time in 15 years. “It’s definitely Arab Strap, but an older and wiser one, and quite probably a better one,” he adds. As the band’s Malcolm Middleton told the Guardian newspaper when they profiled the band upon news of their return, “There’s no point getting back together to release mediocrity.” [Vinyl edition due April 2.]
Jon Batiste – We Are CD/LP (Verve)
We Are represents a completely new sonic chapter for Grammy-nominated artist Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. We Are is a captivating musical experience rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation and sensuality. It’s a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others.
Michael Beach – Dream Violence CD/LP (Goner)
Dream Violence, Michael Beach’s fourth full-length, is an epic album that explores the duality of the human condition. Or, as Beach himself puts it, the album is about “human futility, passion, desire, anger, frustration, and the struggle to maintain hope in a somewhat hopeless time.” Dream Violence unfolds like a revelation, filled with sonic tumbleweeds that reference Neil Young’s On The Beach, Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, the Velvet Underground’s Loaded, and the Go Betweens’ Before Hollywood. Influences ranging from the enigmatic outlier Charlie Megira to Glenn Branca to the Oblivians are combined to create a new, exhilarating sound, part of the path that Beach has been on since 2008’s Blood Courses. [A limited color vinyl pressing is also available.]
The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker [Reissue/1990] 3xCD/4xLP (American Recordings)
This expanded Super Deluxe edition includes the original album, remastered; three never-before-heard studio recordings; and two unreleased demos from the band’s early incarnation as Mr. Crowe’s Garden; B-sides, and a high-energy 14-song unreleased concert recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, GA in December 1990.
The Blue Stones – Hidden Gems CD/2xLP (Entertainment One Music)
From Windsor, Ontario, Canada; The Blue Stones duo is built on an electrifying blues-rock sound with alternative rock accents. Although The Blue Stones was always more than a blues-rock duo, that’s especially true on Hidden Gems. [A limited edition ‘cotton candy’ color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Boise Cover Band – Unoriginal Artists [Reissue/2006] CD/LP (Ernest Jenning)
In 2002 while Built to Spill was on hiatus, Doug Martsch was inviting various local musician friends to his home studio for improvised jam sessions. Eventually he settled on guitarist John Mullin, long time BTS Soundman Ian Waters on drums and his former Treepeople bandmate Scott Schmaljohn on guitar. The band’s sole album includes covers of David Bowie, Captain Beefheart, The Pretenders and more. [A limited color vinyl pressing is also available.]
The City Champs – Luna ’68 CD/LP (Big Legal Mess)
Luna ‘68 marks the return of the Memphis soul/funk/jazz trio The City Champs. Members, Al Gamble (St. Paul & The Broken Bones), George Sluppick (Chris Robinson Brotherhood) and Joe Restivo (Don Bryant) have been secretly concocting these tasty, solar expanding nuggets since their last output in 2010.
Harry Connick Jr. – Alone With My Faith CD (Verve)
New faith-based album from the jazz and pop musician/vocalist.
Chris Cornell – No One Sings Like You Anymore CD/LP (A&M)
A posthumous collection of ten cover songs which Chris Cornell personally selected and sequenced to celebrate artists and songs that inspired him. Recorded by Cornell in 2016, the album, which is his last fully completed studio album, features his renditions of John Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels”, Ghostland Observatory’s “Sad Sad City”, Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into The Fire”, Carl Hall’s “You Don’t Know Nothing About Love”, Electric Light Orchestra’s “Showdown”, Terry Reid’s “To Be Treated Rite”, Lorraine Ellison’s “Stay With Me Baby” (originally released for HBO’s show Vinyl), “Get It While You Can”, popularized by Janis Joplin, “Patience” originally by Guns N’ Roses, and a new studio recording of “Nothing Compares 2 U”, written by Prince.
Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club CD/LP (Interscope)
Chemtrails Over the Country Club marks Lana Del Rey’s sixth studio album and follow-up to 2019’s Norman F**king Rockwell. Del Rey spoke about the project in Interview Magazine, “From the top, we knew what Norman was. But with Chemtrails, it was like, ‘Is this new folk? Oh, god, are we going country?’” [The deluxe CD box set edition includes a 12-page photobook, six lithos, and an embroidered iron-on patch.]
Depths Of Hatred – Inheritance CD/LP (Prosthetic)
With a new vocalist, Depths Of Hatred has lost none of the technical edge that made them stand out from the death metal pack. A progressive slant to their rejuvenated sound means that they have stayed true to their definitive death metal roots, yet allowed themselves the opportunity to open up and explore metalcore and beyond. [A limited color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Distant – Dusk Of Anguish CDEP (Unique Leader)
Distant is a six-piece “crushing downtempo slam-infused deathcore band” and hail from Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Bratislava, Slovakia.” Dusk of Anguish is the second instalment of the dreadful story of Tyrannotophia – the realm of the doomed and the sound of the world’s damnation.” – Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life
Craig Duncan – Bare Necessities: Instrumental Bluegrass Renditions Of Disney Classics CD (Green Hill)
Instrumental bluegrass renditions of classic Disney songs performed by the bluegrass fiddle player. Guests include Wanda Vicks, David Spicher, and Zander Wyatt.
DVNE – Etemen Ænka CD/2xLP (Metal Blade)
Dvne is a band of great contrasts, weaving titanic heaviness and intricate gentleness together, complex lyrical ideas with engaging storylines, and this has only been expanded upon and concentrated on second album Etemen Ænka. [A limited edition colored vinyl pressing is also available.]
Steve Earle and The Dukes – J.T. CD/LP (New West)
On August 20, 2020 the world lost an amazing light with the passing of Justin Townes Earle. Justin was a vibrant songwriter who could play the blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll all in the same song. In his short career, Justin released eight albums and one EP that all manage to sound classic and yet inventive. Justin’s father, Steve Earle, pays tribute to his son by recording an album of songs written by Justin titled, J.T. The album consists of ten Justin Townes Earle songs as well as one song written by Steve. J.T. features such fan favorites as “Harlem River Blues”, “Far Away In Another Town” and “Champagne Corolla” along with lyrically heavy songs like, “The Saint Of Lost Causes” and “Turn Out My Lights”. J.T. is a loving tribute to a loved son and beautiful songsmith who left this earth too early. But in his wake, Justin left a wealth of beauty. All proceeds from this release will be put into a trust for Justin’s daughter, Etta.
ERRA – ERRA CD/LP (UNFD)
Determination and steadfast dedication have defined ERRA’s path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant’s albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly self-titled ERRA. As their music finds the balance between the crushingly heavy and the headily melodic, its members seek to find harmony between the needs of the individual and the natural flow of this shared reality. ERRA, as a band of brothers and creative force, strive to live in alignment with the present moment. ERRA, the album, represents redemption for the band, who emerged from the creative process with renewed focus, confidence, and certainty of self. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Andrew Farriss – Andrew Farriss CD/LP (BMG)
While the name Andrew Farriss resonates in industry circles alongside his band INXS and the many hits he penned while they topped the charts, he is rightfully considered one of Australia’s most prolific songwriters, having written, produced and performed music for acts such as Yothu Yindi, Tom Jones, Tania Kernaghan and Jenny Morris. In recent years, he has been co-writing with some of the biggest names in Nashville, including the likes of Grammy-award winning songwriters Gordon Kennedy and Paul Overstreet, as well as veritable country music songsmiths Frank J Myers, James Dean Hicks and Bruce Wallace to name a few. [A limited edition vinyl LP picture disc pressing is also available.]
Fleet Foxes – Shore CD/2xLP (ANTI-)
Fleet Foxes return with their fourth full-length album Shore, bringing the dark sophistication of 2017’s Crack-Up to new heights with a soulful, sun-shined hue and fresh rhythmic vitality. The songs have dark themes of loss and struggle, but contain an uplifting lyrical power and sense of musical joy that remind us we can make it through the toughest of times. The 15-song, 55-minute album was initially inspired by frontman Robin Pecknold’s musical heroes such as Arthur Russell, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guebrou and more who, in his experience, celebrated life in the face of death. “I see “shore” as a place of safety on the edge of something uncertain, staring at Whitman’s waves reciting ‘death,'” commented Pecknold. “Tempted by the adventure of the unknown at the same time you are relishing the comfort of the stable ground beneath you. This was the mindset I found, the fuel I found, for making this album.” [A limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is also available.]
Gentleman’s Dub Club – Down To Earth CD/LP (Easy Star)
Consistently breaking genre boundaries, the eight Gents have delivered inimitable reggae, dub, ska, jazz, and electronica since 2006, and now, 14 years into their journey, they’re returning back Down To Earth with a brand-new mix of beats and bass to kick start the New Year.
Guided By Voices – Propeller [Reissue/1992] CD/LP/Cassette (Scat)
Propeller was the fifth album by Guided By Voices, and was intended to be the group’s last. Released as a limited edition of 500 LPs in 1992, the album featured handmade covers and blank labels to keep expenses as low as possible. Their other albums hadn’t sold much, why would this one? Robert Pollard had a family to support and his musical aspirations had not exactly been a boon to their bank account. As fate would have it, the band wound up releasing an album chock full of gems Pollard had stockpiled, and for the first time sounded distinctly like the band that fans have since come to love. Propeller also marks the return of Tobin Sprout to the GBV fold, along with an increased songwriting presence.
Valerie June – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers CD/LP (Fantasy)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Produced by Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, John Legend) and Valerie June, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers achieves a transcendent effect thanks in no small part to the splendor of its sound, an exquisitely composed tapestry of folk, soul, gospel, country, blues, psychedelia, and time-bending symphonic pop. The result is a selection of songs both ornate and elegant, each moment crafted with a profound awareness of what’s most essential in creating enduring beauty. The follow-up to June’s widely adored The Order Of Time – a 2017 effort that earned the admiration of Bob Dylan and landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Rolling Stone and the New York Times – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is a potent catalyst for that kind of magic. With her spellbinding vocals and infectious sense of wonder, Valerie June gently eases the listener into a far more charmed state of mind, one that quickly restores a powerful feeling of joyful possibility.
Loretta Lynn – Still Woman Enough CD/LP (Legacy/Sony)
The American music icon’s 50th studio album (excluding her ten studio duet collaborations with Conway Twitty), Still Woman Enough celebrates women in country music. From her homage to the originators, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Family (via her cover of “Keep On The Sunny Side”) through a new interpretation of her very first single, “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl”, Loretta Lynn acknowledges her role in the continuum of American country music while her duets with Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood (“Still Woman Enough”), Margo Price (“One’s On The Way”) and Tanya Tucker (“You Ain’t Woman Enough”) find her sharing the musical torch with some of the brightest lights and biggest stars in contemporary pop-country. The album premieres 13 new Loretta Lynn recordings, intimate and electrifying performances of a career-spanning selection of songs illuminating different aspects of her repertoire.
Austin Meade – Black Sheep CD/LP (Snakefarm)
Austin Meade and his music sprung up from the Texas and Oklahoma Red Dirt music scene, as he deftly fuses country and rock ‘n’ roll in a DNA-distinct way. On Black Sheep, Meade’s influences – musical and otherwise – are as varied and rich as the small-town Texas soil that nurtured his talent and yielded these 12 stellar songs ranging from multi-layered musicality and storytelling to dark alt-pop to new age and Sabbath-inspired. [Limited edition translucent red color vinyl pressing also available.]
Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Today We’re The Greatest is the Sydney-based rock trio’s follow up to their award winning debut album Lost Friends (2018), a record which earned support slots with The War On Drugs, Local Natives and Cold War Kids. Moving away from lyrics of a more conceptual nature, Today We’re The Greatest is the uninhibited product of fearless collaboration. Showing a new vulnerability, lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy pulled directly from her own experiences and broke down barriers she had previously set for herself.
Mint Julep – In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
Created slowly over a years-long span that encompassed the recording of 2019’s Stray Fantasies, wife and husband duo Hollie and Keith Kenniff deliver In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep, a distinctly hazier chapter of their technicolor pop venture Mint Julep. Where the former album bore a crystalline latticework of defined pop structure, the latter blunts the sharpness and softens the glare, striking a balance between songcraft, and Hollie’s solo material, as well as Keith’s output as Goldmund. In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep assumes a more aerated form, exuding a heavy fog of shoegaze sensibility, though the infectious pop know-how of its precursor remains firmly intact.
Painted Shield – Painted Shield CD/LP (Loosegroove)
Rather than sounding like a tentative identikit of musical styles, Painted Shield is a brilliantly conceived, bold and cohesive portrait of its creators – chiefly Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, singer-songwriter Mason Jennings and drumming star Matt Chamberlain – and a clear-eyed statement of purpose. Driven by pulse-racing electronic and live drums, bursting with gritty and sometimes psychotic guitars that weave in and out of luxurious keyboard soundscapes, and brimming with glorious melodies that fill the senses and hang on tight, everything about the album – a genre-bending mix of roots rock, electronica and contemporary folk-pop – feels so effortlessly assured.
Popa Chubby – It’s A Mighty Hard Road CD/2xLP (Dixiefrog)
With this new album New York City blues inventor Popa Chubby is back in full force to celebrate his career of 30 years. Fifteen magnificent titles: tender and bestial Popa, full of rage and love, electricity and emotion. It’s A Mighty Hard Road is a real treat because it goes through the whole range of emotions and sentiments that can be put into song, including love, of course. [A deluxe double smoke color vinyl pressing as well as a translucent color vinyl pressing are available.]
Rivals – Sad Looks Pretty On Me CD/LP (Smart Punk)
Rivals’ new album, Sad Looks Pretty On Me, exists in two worlds. The Los Angeles quartet – vocalist Kalie Wolfe, bassist Sebastian Clarke, guitarist Micket Woodle, and drummer Josh Alves – draw a wobbly line between blossoming pop-rock and wilting post-hardcore, often alternating between sides for earth-shattering effects. By wearing their inspirations proudly (and enlisting the help of contemporaries), Rivals clamor for the attention of both radio listeners and bedroom moshers. Eventually, their explosive live act – which has garnered the attention of audiences nationwide – will wear this new set of songs.
Saxon – Inspirations CD/LP (Militia Guard Music)
An 11-track covers album of classic rock songs that influenced Biff Byford & the band. From the crunching take on The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and the super-charged melodic romp of The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” to their freeway mad take on Jimi Hendrix’s “Stone Free”, Saxon show their love and appreciation with a series of faithful, raw and ready tributes.
Janet Simpson – Safe Distance CD/LP (Cornelius Chapel/Symphonic)
Safe Distance, the new album from singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Janet Simpson, isn’t a concept record, but it does take a journey. From Nashville to Reno (well, almost), to running away from demons, retreating from your troubles, hiding in plain sight, and returning liberated – ready to skip away again while your past looks on with a dropped jaw. But nothing here rambles aimlessly: Simpson’s characters long to get free (and succeed) while navigating it all with confident purpose. They are reflective but never middling. They hurt but move to healing – or take the time to care for others. And they don’t shy away for a good time – even if they’re having too much of one. [Limited turquoise color vinyl pressing also available.]
Paul Stanley’s Soul Station – Now And Then CD/2xLP (UMe)
KISS frontman/Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Paul Stanley has spent the last few years developing a project close to his heart. Soul Station is a band gathering some of today’s leading musicians to pay tribute to the greatest artists and songs from the R&B and soul catalog to keep this vital music current.
Ringo Starr – Zoom In CDEP/12” (UMe)
Ringo’s new five-track EP includes guest contributions from Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Ben Harper, Dave Grohl, Sheryl Crow, Chris Stapleton, Jenny Lewis, Lenny Kravitz, Corinne Bailey Rae, Eric Burton, Yola, Finneas and Benmont Tench.
Sting – Duets CD/2xLP (A&M)
Throughout his long and accomplished career, Sting has collaborated with a musically diverse list of artists – from Algerian Raï singer-songwriter Cheb Mami to rock icon Eric Clapton, to the best-selling R&B artist, Mary J. Blige. Sting collects these beloved musical partnerships in the new album, Duets. The 17-track offering includes some of Sting’s most acclaimed collaborations, including his chart-topping single with Mami, “Desert Rose”, off his Grammy Award-winning 1999 LP, Brand New Day, and the 1992 hit “It’s Probably Me”, featuring Clapton. A rendition of Sting’s multi-lingual “Fragile” with Julio Iglesias, meanwhile, comes off the Spanish star’s 1994 album, Crazy.
Storm Keeper – Guns Don’t Cry CD/LP (SPV)
New album from the nautical folk metallers.
Sun Kil Moon – Welcome To Sparks, Nevada CD (Caldo Verde)
“Welcome To Sparks, Nevada is yet another great album from Mark Kozelek under the Sun Kil Moon name. Again, some tracks are very long, and it’s not going to be the most accessible listen or the best introduction to Sun Kil Moon’s music. But I have to congratulate Mark for writing another challenging record with unpredictable storytelling, and that just seems to continue with every new release of his.” – Album Of The Year
Veronica Swift – This Bitter Earth CD/2xLP [Mack Avenue)
Veronica Swift flips the script on This Bitter Earth, the captivating follow-up to her 2019 album Confessions. Whereas Confessions played out like pages from her personal diary, on the new album, the 27-year-old singer and master song interpreter looks outward while addressing social ills that plague the world today. This Bitter Earth takes on the song-cycle characteristics of such classic LPs as Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love, and Mary J. Blige’s My Life.
Serj Tankian – Elasticity CDEP (BMG)
Serj Tankian’s new solo EP features songs originally conceived for another System Of A Down record, but have now been fully realized as a solo release. [Vinyl edition due April 30.]
Teno Afrika – Amapiano Selections CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
The past five years have seen amapiano, South Africa’s electronic music movement born in the townships of the country’s Gauteng province, evolve from an underground sound to a nationwide mainstream staple. Amapiano Selections, the debut album by DJ and producer Teno Afrika, gives listeners outside the movement’s online release economy an insight into the high-burn nature of amapiano that has spawned a distinct typology under its larger umbrella.
Ten Years After – A Sting In The Tale [Reissue/2017] CD (Deko Music)
Over 50 years since the release of their eponymous debut album in 1967, Ten Years After returned in 2017 with a new studio album. This Deluxe Edition adds four live tracks.
Devin Townsend – Devolution Series #1 – Acoustically Inclined, Live In Leeds CD/2xLP (Century Media)
Devin Townsend brings to you the Devolution Series: a grouping of oddities and interesting material that he would like people to hear, but that aren’t necessarily a ‘major release’. The series will include all the quarantine songs and concerts, as well as various live shows from the past few years. The first release, Devolution Series #1 – Acoustically Inclined, Live In Leeds, is a remixed and remastered version of the Live in Leeds show that was originally included on the Empath: Ultimate Edition as a video asset.
Tanya Tucker – One Night In Tennessee CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Country music legend Tanya Tucker presents a concert album revisiting some of the most magical moments of her storied career. Features live performances of her hit singles “(Without You) What Would I Do With Me”, “Soon”, and guest appearances by T. Graham Brown and Delbert McClinton. [A limited pink colored vinyl pressing is also available.]
Chad VanGaalen – World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener CD/LP+ MP3 (Sub Pop)
2020 was a terrible year for gardening. It was terrible for peppers, it was terrible for tomatoes, it was terrible for the condition of the soul. But Chad VanGaalen somehow raised a garden all the same: carrots and sprouts and broccoli and a revivifying new album, all of them grown at home. He likes to eat directly off the plant, he says – “I get down on my knees and graze. It’s nice to feel the vegetables in your face” – and the 13 songs on World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener were harvested with just such a spirit: in their raw state, young and vegetal, at the very moment, they were made. What that means is that the Calgary songwriter’s new album is a psychedelic bumper crop. A collection of tunes that does away with obsessiveness, the anxiety of perfectionism, in favor of freshness and immediacy – capturing the world as it was met while recording alone at home over a period of years. “Don’t overthink it,” VanGaalen told himself again and again, despite the push/pull love/hate of his relationship with songwriting. “I’m always trying to get outside of the song – but then I realize I love the song.” This is a record that gleams with VanGaalen’s musical signatures: found sound, reverb, polychromatic folk music that is by turns cartoonish and hyperphysical – like ultra-magnified footage of a virus or a leaf.
Morgan Wade – Reckless CD/LP (Ladylike)
Morgan Wade has figured out that when you grow up in Floyd, VA, where bluegrass sustains everyone like the Blue Ridge Mountain air but you hear other sounds like pop and punk in your own head, singing for yourself is the way to become the artist you were always meant to be. Produced by Sadler Vaden – Jason Isbell’s longtime guitarist – Wade’s debut Reckless is a confident rock ‘n’ roll record that introduces a young singer-songwriter who is embracing her strengths and quirks as she continues to ask questions about who she is – and who she wants to be. Her voice, a raspy soprano that can soothe liltingly or growl, is on brilliant display. But when Wade began to write her own songs, country radio was dominated by svelte voices like Shania Twain and Faith Hill – and Wade couldn’t hear herself in any of them. With Reckless, Wade is ready for her voice to be heard.
The Wedding Present – Locked Down And Stripped Back CD/LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
The Wedding Present recorded a full acoustic and stripped back album during the lock down from COVID-19 featuring classic Wedding Present hits and deep cuts and new tracks like “We Should Be Together” which is a duet with Louise Wenner of the Britpop band Sleeper.
A.A. Williams – Songs From Isolation CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
Following her 2020 debut album, Forever Blue, A.A. Williams presents Songs From Isolation, a nine-track album of covers. The project began at the beginning of the UK’s nationwide lockdown in March, when A.A. Williams took songs suggested by fans and created a series of videos presenting the tracks with stripped-down instrumentation, recorded and filmed from her home in North London. The album represents a continuation of the project into a full collection of recordings and features cover versions of The Cure, Pixies, Deftones, Nick Cave, Gordon Lightfoot, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and more. [A limited black and white color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Neil Young – After The Gold Rush (50th Anniversary Edition) LP+7” (Reprise)
Originally released in September 1970, Neil Young’s seminal After The Gold Rush has rightly been acknowledged as one of the finest albums ever made. The second of three consecutive masterpieces Young recorded between 1969 and 1972, After The Gold Rush captures the vibes, emotions, and cautious optimism of the era better than any album of its time. This 50th Anniversary Edition features the album pressed on 180gm vinyl plus an exclusive 7″ single featuring two versions of album outtake “Wonderin'” and a 12” x 12” litho print.
John Zorn – Teresa de Ávila CD (Tzadik)
Preceded by Nove Cantici Per Francesco d’Assisi and Virtue (For Julian Of Norwich), Teresa de Ávila is the third and final CD in Zorn’s trilogy inspired by towering figures of Christian mysticism. Written for the all-star acoustic guitar trio of Bill Frisell, Julian Lage and Gyan Riley whose performances are steeped in a feeling of love and mutual respect, the music is both beautifully simple and strangely complex, drawing equally on classical modernism, bluegrass, jazz, Jewish and renaissance music.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
BENEE – Hey u x LP (Republic)
New album from New Zealand’s platinum sensation – now available on limited red color vinyl. Fueled by one off-kilter bop after another, Hey u x sounds like the perfect lost Gen X classic made for Gen Z. Blending, bending and breaking genres like only BENEE can, the album boasts an all-star cast of collaborators, including Lily Allen, Grimes, Flo Milli, Gus Dapperton, Mallrat, Kenny Beats, Bakar and Muroki.
Blink 182 – Buddha [Reissue/1995] LP (Kung Fu)
Limited tri-color (yellow/green/blue) vinyl pressing of the demo album from pop punk superstars Blink 182 that kicked off their meteoric rise into the mainstream music stratosphere. These raw, early recordings showcase all the passion and verve of songwriting duo Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus.
Candy and The Kisses – The Scepter Sessions LP (Sundazed)
Limited butterscotch yellow colored vinyl pressing. Sugar-dusted girl group confections concocted on impulse of three Staten Island girls who just wanted the attention of some high school boys. This poly-vinyl pastry collects all the Candy and The Kisses soulful Scepter sides and some originally unissued bonbons.
Eric Church – Carolina [Reissue/2009] LP (EMI Nashville)
Eric Church – Chief [Reissue/2011] LP (EMI Nashville)
Limited clear (Carolina) and blue (Chief) color vinyl reissues of the country star’s second and third albums. [New album, Soul, due April 23.]
David Coverdale – North Winds [Reissue/1978] LP (Eagle)
Limited edition opaque white color vinyl pressing. David Coverdale is the former lead singer of Deep Purple and the founder of Whitesnake. On his second studio album, North Winds, Coverdale continues in the style of blues rock that he touched on for his debut album, White Snake. North Winds was released in 1978 – the same year that Coverdale formed Whitesnake. The combination of blues rock, R&B-based rock, and hard rock with Coverdale’s voice perhaps at its best makes for an essential album in any hard rock/Deep Purple/Whitesnake fan’s collection.
Sarah Davachi – Cantus, Descant [Reissue/2017] 2xLP+MP3 (Late Music)
Gold vinyl reissue of Sarah Davachi’s 2017 album. Featuring a suite of extended pieces for strings, voice, organ, and piano, Cantus, Descant is said to hover “somewhere between the conscious and the unconscious, barely there and indisputably present.” – Pitchfork
Demilich – Nespithe LP (Svart)
Demilich – Em9t2ness of Van2s1ing – The Demo Tapes LP (Svart)
“Just as rock ‘n’ roll has its shadow canon, the Trout Mask Replicas and SMiLEs that offset the Revolvers and Blonde On Blondes, extreme metal has an alternate universe Hall of Fame. The 1993 collection Nespithe, the only LP released by the eccentric Finnish death metal band Demilich, is one of these… It’s unmistakably a death-metal record, but compared to what else hit the market around the time of its 1993 release – the year death metal went major label via Morbid Angel’s bar-raising Covenant, and a deal between Earache and Columbia that yielded landmarks such as Carcass’s Heartwork and Entombed’s Wolverine Blues – the record’s match of labyrinthine, riff-drunk composition and burp-like vocals registers as outsider art. Even stacked up against fellow Finnish groups Convulse and Demigod, each of whom issued potent debuts filled with relatively orthodox death metal in ‘92, Nespithe sounds like the work of brainiac obsessives.” (Pitchfork)
Dialect – Under~Between LP (RVNG Int’l)
Dialect’s Under~Between unfolds with the hopeful energy of seedlings springing forth from soft earth. The longstanding project of Liverpool-based artist Andrew PM Hunt, Dialect’s cross-pollination of acoustic and synthetic ensembles with human voice on Under~Between grows into a joyous ecosystem of delicate sound and intimate, unexpected melodies, yielding a strange yet delectable fruit.
Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (XL)
English rapper/producer Dizzee Rascal’s brash, bold debut album, Boy In Da Corner sounded like the future when it won the Mercury Prize in 2003, and it still does today. Often teetering on the brink of either cracking a smile or bursting into tears while delivering his boastful, wistful, and dread-filled rhymes, the hormonally charged voice of East London’s Dizzee Rascal is instantly recognizable. It seems as though Dizee was rewriting the UK underground rulebook, slipping from hip hop into to garage with ease. With prototype distorted electronic kid 606 beats, to an array of distorted beats and wobblying basslines, grime was here to stay
The Explorers Club – Rarities Volume 1 LP (Goldstar)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nashville-based sunshine pop band, The Explorers Club, present the long awaited 11-track collection of Rarities Volume 1 from the vaults, including the long-lost Suites EPs featuring rare covers and early mixes from the Grand Hotel album. These were previously only available via download bundles. Also featured are rare singles previously only available as limited downloads.
Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump ….. On A Wooden Piano LP (Dangerbird)
Modesto, CA’s influential indie-rock group Grandaddy celebrates the 20th-anniversary of their classic second LP, 2000’s The Sophtware Slump with a brand-new solo piano recording of the album by principal songwriter Jason Lytle. The candid arrangements reveal new layers of meaning embedded in The Sophtware Slump’s melancholy and touching vision of the future.
Green Day – Insomniac: 25th Anniversary 2xLP (Reprise)
This 25th anniversary double vinyl reissue includes a bonus LP (with etched B-side) featuring eight rare or never previously released live tracks from the Prague stop of the Insomniac world tour on March 26, 1996 plus cover art printed on prismatic silver foil. The Berkeley pop-punks’ 1995 album served as the band’s highly anticipated fourth release overall and follow-up to their breakthrough major label debut Dookie from the year prior. With Insomniac the group took everything that was great about its predecessor, i.e. its simplicity, hooks, lack of pretension and disdain for authority, and upped the ante with darker motifs and heavier songs. It resulted in yet another quality collection of uncompromising punk rock with breakneck drumming, pounding bass, catchy riffs and snot-nosed vocals.
Haken – Affinity [Reissue/2016] 2xLP+CD (Century Media)
Vinyl reissue of the fourth album from the British prog metal band.
Heretical Sect – Rapturous Flesh Consumed LP (Gilead Media)
Heretical Sect exists as an entity to communicate the unique perspective of the American Southwest. But not in sound or sonic style, instead by focusing on the historical, personal, and cosmological narratives of the region and coupling those perspectives with death-doom and ferocious black metal. Haunting lead melodies guide the listener to a path of tortured guitar work and pummeling rhythm as each passage builds into an atmosphere of total anguish, underscored by vocals torn from other dimensions and channeling generations of suffering.
Valerie June – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers LP (Fantasy)
Released last week on CD – now available on 180gm vinyl with a with 11″ x 22″ poster insert. Produced by Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, John Legend) and Valerie June, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers achieves a transcendent effect thanks in no small part to the splendor of its sound, an exquisitely composed tapestry of folk, soul, gospel, country, blues, psychedelia, and time-bending symphonic pop. The result is a selection of songs both ornate and elegant, each moment crafted with a profound awareness of what’s most essential in creating enduring beauty. The follow-up to June’s widely adored The Order Of Time – a 2017 effort that earned the admiration of Bob Dylan and landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Rolling Stone and the New York Times – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is a potent catalyst for that kind of magic. With her spellbinding vocals and infectious sense of wonder, Valerie June gently eases the listener into a far more charmed state of mind, one that quickly restores a powerful feeling of joyful possibility.
Kelsey Karter – Missing Person LP (BMG)
While the fantastically warped wonderland of Kelsey Karter’s debut full-length album, Missing Person offers a much-needed escape from the everyday, the sonic world that the L.A.-based Kiwi artist has created serves an even greater purpose, providing a safe space for listeners to discover their own self-acceptance.
Cody Jinks – Adobe Sessions [Reissue/2015] 2xLP (Cody Jinks Music)
“In 2015 a great crop of fresh faces in country and Americana arose on many people’s radars,” writes Country Perspective. “Hands down one of the best artists to emerge amongst this group was Cody Jinks…[His] 2015 album Adobe Sessions felt like the awaited breaking out of the next big star in the independent country scene. The album is full of traditional country, plenty of steel guitar and ballads on life and love.”
Miami Horror – Illumination [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Nettwerk)
Miami Horror, which began as a solo project by producer Benjamin Plant, extract ethereal melodies from down-tempo nocturnal soundscapes punctuated by a funky strut, echoes of guitars, glossy electronics, and luminous pop. [A deluxe vinyl edition is also available.]
Donald Miller – Transgression!!! LP (Vin Du Select Qualitite)
Limited color vinyl pressing. On Transgression!!!, Donald Miller, guitar icon known for destroying worlds in the great Borbetomagus, takes the listener on an unexpected journey through the 12-string acoustic guitar. Utilizing his occult kinetic picking style, Miller reveals undiscovered universes with nothing but a slide and a spell to guide you. Playing a blues that bristles against structure while transmitting ineffable mastery, Transgression!!! is a modern guitar album like no other.
Meg Myers – Thank U 4 Taking Me 2 The Disco, I’d Like 2 Go Home Now LP (Sumerian)
Two Meg Myers releases presented in one color vinyl package with gatefold jacket, full color inner sleeve and 5” x 8″ card. Side A includes the Thank U 4 Taking Me 2 The Disco EP while Side B features the I’d Like 2 Go Home Now EP. These two EP’s are comprised of seven B-sides from sessions from Meg’s previous 2018 album Take Me To The Disco plus three new songs, “Grizzly”, “I Hope You Cry”, (a duet with her friend Morgxn) and “Any Way You Wanna Love”, (the lead single from the project).
New Order – Be A Rebel 12” (Mute)
“Be A Rebel” serves as the first new music to emerge from New Order since 2015’s Music Complete. Available 12″ vinyl, it also features previously unreleased additional remixes from the band’s own Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris. “In tough times we wanted to reach out with a new song,” says Sumner. “We can’t play live for a while, but music is still something we can all share together. We hope you enjoy it…until we meet again.” [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Oddisee – Traveling Man LP (Mello Music Group)
As a musician, life is often lived on the road. Each city leaves its imprint on the artist as they develop their craft. Touring, recording, and keeping up with friends and family took Oddisee beyond his hometown of Washington DC to Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. From cities like East Africa’s Khartoum in Sudan, to cosmopolitan jaunts like Paris and Tokyo. The influence of these travels can be heard on every one of the 24 tracks included on Traveling Man. Each track was produced while Oddisee stayed in the city it was titled after.
Pierce With Arrow – Shatter LP (Dais)
The collaborative debut of American minimal techno pioneer Troy Pierce and Colombian audiovisual artist Natalia Escobar aka Poison Arrow was conceived in reverse: first they created a collection of shadowy surrealist videos, then wrote music inspired by them. This inverted process proved remarkably fruitful. Shatter is a simmering, slow-burn noir odyssey inspired by the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus, traversing subtle shades of sleepwalker dub, metallic lament, broken beats, and erotic negative space. [A limited edition silver color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Michael Schenker – Ride On My Way LP (Metal Bastard)
Ride On My Way features classic rock guitar-driven songs that highlight legendary artist Michael Schenker’s distinctive and dynamic guitar playing. Musically and lyrically, this best of long-player shows a reenergized guitarist at the top of his game, surrounded by some of the best musicians in rock including Pete Way (UFO), Chris Slade (AC/DC) and Herman Rarebell (Scorpions). [A limited color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Gregorio García Segura – Harlem Pop LP (Quartet)
Premiere release of killer library Spanish music from the ‘70s, mostly written for films, that is a huge catalog of disco music, funky, soul, and Blaxploitation sound.
Skyway Man – The World Only Ends When You Die LP (Mama Bird)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. James Wallace – singer, songwriter and producer behind Skyway Man – presents The World Only Ends When You Die, a fine example of cosmological country and sci-fi gospel blues. The album was conceived as a tragédie lyrique – a cinematic psych-folk opera about a person rendered incapable of coping with an uncertain reality following a near death experience. Under a spell of mixed wisdom by several “trickster guides” hailing from the future, they leap back into the world of the dead only to spend a hero’s journey climbing out, finally returning to the strange American existence of 2020.
Slickaphonic – Slickaphonic LP (Albina Trust)
A previously unreleased reel-to-reel session by Slickaphonic, a nine-piece powerhouse in Portland’s lost funk scene. Recorded in 1975 at Recording Associates by engineer Bob Stoutenberg (The Wipers, Baba Yaga, Mel Brown), this carefully restored collection places the listener in the thick of a watertight disco-funk session.
Slow Crush – Aurora [Reissue/2018] LP (Quiet Panic)
Slow Crush is a compelling and abrasive shoegaze band out of Belgium, dealing with the aesthetics of contrasting sounds. Heavy like a gloomy dream yet soothingly vibrant, the vulnerable soft floating voice of Manchester, UK’s Isa Holliday appears underneath layers of grungy shoegaze soaked noise-pop. Their 2018 debut is back in-print via two color vinyl pressings: ‘purple rain black splatter’ and ‘moon phase purple rain’.
Sam Smith – Live At Abbey Road Studios LP (Capitol)
To celebrate the release of his latest album Love Goes, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Sam Smith returned to the iconic Abbey Road Studios for a world exclusive livestreamed performance. Serving as his only live performance of 2020, Sam sang tracks old and new including “Stay With Me”, “Lay Me Down”, as well as treating viewers to the world premiere of new music from his (then) eagerly anticipated third album, Love Goes. Live At Abbey Road Studios also features special guest performances from co-collaborators, including Labrinth, who appears here on the Love Goes title track.
Still Corners – The Last Exit LP+MP3 (Wrecking Light)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Building on 2018’s Slow Air, Still Corners return with an album about the myth and folklore of the open road. In a world where everyone thinks all the corners of the map are filled in, Still Corners believe there’s something beyond what we see and feel, something eternal in the landscape of those never-ending drives. With the shimmering desert noir sound the band has become known for, The Last Exit takes you on a hypnotic journey, one filled with dilapidated towns, mysterious shapes on the horizon, and long trips that blur the line between what’s there and not there. The Last Exit consists of eleven beautifully crafted songs with organic instrumentation, clean-toned guitar, spacious drums and the smoky croon of Tessa Murray.
Stormwind – Reflections [Reissue/2001] LP (Black Lodge)
Digitally remastered and expanded 20th anniversary edition of the Swedish metal band’s 2001 album. Stormwind is a supergroup featuring members of Therion, Yngwie Malmsteen, Candlemass, Royal Hunt, Dionysos and others. [A limited blue marbled color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Teyana Taylor – The Album 2xLP (G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam)
Teyana Taylor’s third full-length, The Album, features a high-profile collection of guest artists, including Rick Ross, Erykah Badu, Quavo, Missy Elliott, Future, Lauryn Hill and Big Sean, and marks Taylor’s follow-up to her acclaimed 2018 LP, KTSE (Keep That Same Energy).
Teenage Halloween – Teenage Halloween LP (Don Giovanni)
Often pinned as a band that has a lot going on,’ Teenage Halloween has crafted a sound rooted in abundance. Luke Henderik’s rare and universal lyrics, and the precise ear of engineer Evan Bernard, this newest collection of songs is full of surprises that humbly aims to redefine the modern DIY punk scene. Predominantly a queer identifying band, the songs reflect this experience holistically with lyrics that grapple with vulnerability, community, extreme existentialism, mental illness, and gender euphoria. [A limited edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Nik Turner’s Sphynx – Xitintoday [Reissue/1978] LP+CD (Purple Pyramid)
Vinyl picture disc reissue of the 1978 experimental ambient album from Hawkwind co-founder Nik Turner featuring recordings made inside one of the great pyramids in Egypt. Includes a full-length CD with a bonus track of Turner’s raw 30 minute flute recording from deep within the Egyptian pyramid.
Ally Venable – Heart Of Fire LP (Ruf)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The pandemic might have silenced the music scene, shuttered the live circuit and divided artists from their fans. But with Heart Of Fire, Texas’s favorite new gunslinger Ally Venable is coming off the ropes swinging. Defying dark times and rolling up the amps, this fourth release from the acclaimed singer-songwriter is a record to rattle your speakers and signpost better times ahead.
Karmina Walker – Waking The Dreaming Body LP (Keeled Scales)
Tucson artist Karima Walker has long nurtured a duality within her work as a musician, developing her own sonic language as a sound designer in tandem with her craft as a singer/songwriter. The polarity within her music has never been as articulately explored, or imbued with as much intention, as on her new album, Waking The Dreaming Body.
Cassette:
Guided By Voices – Propeller (Scat)
Available for the first time on cassette. Propeller was the fifth album by Guided By Voices, and was intended to be the group’s last. Released as a limited edition of 500 LPs in 1992, the album featured handmade covers and blank labels to keep expenses as low as possible. Their other albums hadn’t sold much, why would this one? Robert Pollard had a family to support and his musical aspirations had not exactly been a boon to their bank account. As fate would have it, the band wound up releasing an album chock full of gems Pollard had stockpiled, and for the first time sounded distinctly like the band that fans have since come to love. Propeller also marks the return of Tobin Sprout to the GBV fold, along with an increased songwriting presence.
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