Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Black Pumas – Capitol Cuts: Live From Studio A CD/LP (ATO)
Recorded direct to acetate – all live, no overdubs – Capitol Cuts: Live From Studio A captures a powerful moment in time. After months of cancelled shows Black Pumas went to Los Angeles in Fall 2020 and laid down eight explosive tracks at the famed Capitol Studio A. The recording brims with pent up energy, nearly bursting through the grooves on the expansive and mind-blowing seven-minute rendition of “Colors”. A few weeks later the song would receive a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Guccihighwaters – Joke’s On You CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Joke’s On You is the sophomore album from singer/producer Guccihighwaters (aka Morgan Murphy) which features the poignant new single “Hold Somebody” alongside his previously released singles “Straight Jacket”, “Rope”, “Expectations”, and “Needle & Thread”. With Jokes On You, Murphy says, “basically my goal was to make it sound like me.” Members of the cloud rap community, like Powfu and Nothing, Nowhere, feature on the album, adding their voices to Murphy’s signature sound. [A limited-edition ‘merlot wave’ color vinyl pressing is also available.]
August Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
AFI – Bodies CD/LP (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. California-based rock band AFI are back with their eleventh album, Bodies. The long-standing quartet – comprised of singer Davey Havok, guitarist/keyboardist Jade Puget, bassist Hunter Burgan and drummer Adam Carson – known for their unshakeable connection with their audience is a testament to the band’s knack for reinvention, renewal, and exploration, anchored by an unblemished authenticity. A place in rock ‘n’ roll history assured by magical musical androgyny, both post-modern and timeless, AFI remains guided by the flames of determination that defined their first ten albums and are sure to drive the next ten and beyond.
Clairo – Sling CD/LP (Fader/Republic)
Associated with soft, intimate vocals, day-dreamy atmosphere, and rumination, Clairo is lo-fi singer/songwriter Claire Cottrill. Alternating keyboards and guitars as accompaniment, and often coloring her recordings with samples and sound effects, Clairo began uploading dozens of her styled, but low-key, melody-driven tunes to music-sharing sites as a young teen in 2013. Introduced by the delicate lead single “Blouse”, her second studio album Sling follows-up her 2019 debut Immunity.
The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin Companion CD/2xLP (WB)
The Soft Bulletin Companion was originally assembled by Flaming Lips management 22 years ago as a promo-only CD to accompany the band’s 1999 groundbreaking album The Soft Bulletin. It consisted of unreleased material, outtakes, early mixes, B-sides, international bonus tracks, and stereo versions of tunes from Zaireeka, and given out to family, friends, and a handful of radio programmers. Among the hidden audio treasures, “The Captain” emerged as a fan favorite rarity and never saw an official release until now.
Harmony Woods – Graceful Rage CD/LP (Skeletal Lighting)
Harmony Woods has always been about dynamics. When this Philly project began a regional rail stop away, Sofia Verbilla wrote songs about the ways people see each other on either end of disaster. Across two records that spoke to the quietest of bleeding hearts, Verbilla expanded on processing grief, trauma, and other aftermaths while her band climbed and collapsed around her, turning ordinary circumstances into visceral reflections. Graceful Rage—the band’s third LP—basks in the sheer magnitude of letting revelations and recoveries blossom on their own terms.
Ida Mae – Click Click Domino CD/LP (Vow Road)
Written primarily in the backseat of a moving car, Click Click Domino embodies all the momentum and possibility of the great American unknown, offering up a series of cinematic vignettes full of hope and disappointment, promise and regret, connection and loneliness. The songs are raw and direct, fueled by an innovative mix of vintage instruments and modern electronics, and the performances are loose and exhilarating to match, drawing on early rock and roll, classic country, British folk, and ‘50s soul to forge a sound that’s equal parts Alan Lomax field recording and 21st century garage band. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive clear vinyl edition is available.]
The Interrupters – Live In Tokyo! CD/LP (Hellcat)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Los Angeles based alt-rock quartet The Interrupters release their first-ever live album Live In Tokyo! With a set list that captures the live power that made them one of the busiest touring bands in the world, Live In Tokyo! features fan favorite songs from their three Hellcat Records albums including hit tracks such as “She’s Kerosene”, “Gave You Everything”, “Take Back The Power” and “Bad Guy”.
John Mayer – Sob Rock CD/LP (Columbia)
Sob Rock is the eighth studio album from 7x Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter John Mayer and the artist’s first since 2017’s The Search For Everything which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Launched by the 1980s-esque lead single “Last Train Home” featuring Maren Morris, the 10-track collection was produced by Mayer and Don Was and recorded at Los Angeles’ Henson Studios. “I asked myself, ‘What music makes me feel like everything’s going to be OK?’ And it’s the music I listened to growing up in the ‘80s. There’s a security-blanket aspect about that sound that reminds me of a safer time,” Mayer told the Wall Street Journal. [Includes a value-added button pack – while supplies last.]
Laura Nyro – Trees Of The Ages: Laura Nyro Live In Japan CD (Omnivore)
A member of both the Songwriters and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame, Laura Nyro not only wrote songs that became hits for acts including The 5th Dimension, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand, and many more, but has been cited as a major influence by Kate Bush, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Todd Rundgren, Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked), and countless others. She recorded ten studio albums (one released posthumously), but a live performance from Nyro was always an event. Originally issued only in Japan as Live In Japan in 2003, these 16 tracks, originally recorded in 1994 at Kintetsu Hall, include five tracks recorded at On Air West.
A Place To Bury Strangers – Hologram CD (Dedstrange)
Hologram is the first release from New York post-punk legends A Place To Bury Strangers on their own newly formed label, Dedstrange. Hologram is the follow up to their highly regarded fifth album, Pinned, and is a sonic return to A Place To Bury Strangers’ rawest, most unhinged sound. With songs addressing the decay of connections, friendships lost, and the trials and tribulations of these troubled times, Hologram serves as an abstract mirror to the moment we live in. Written and recorded during the on-going global pandemic and in the midst of the decline of civilization, Hologram is a sonic vaccine to the horrors of modern life. [Vinyl edition due September 10.]
Nathaniel Rateliff – Red Rocks 2020 2xCD (Fantasy)
Red Rocks 2020 was recorded in an empty Red Rocks Amphitheatre during Nathaniel Rateliff’s mid-September run of socially distanced shows, which was limited to 125 attendees per night in the 9400-capacity venue. Through Red Rocks 2020, Rateliff offers this 90-minute live experience to the fans who were unable to attend his live shows last year. Red Rocks 2020 features a wide range of music from Rateliff’s celebrated career, which includes songs that had never been performed live, several tracks from And It’s Still Alright and his previously released solo albums – In Memory Of Loss, Falling Faster Than You Can Run and the Shroud EP – as well as “Still Out There Running”, a track from The Night Sweats’ beloved 2017 album Tearing At The Seams. In addition, Rateliff’s close friend Kevin Morby, who was set to open the cancelled Red Rocks dates in August 2020, joins him for a duet on Leonard Cohen’s “There Is A War”. [Indie store exclusive deluxe double-CD version includes a poster. Vinyl edition due July 30.]
Various Artists – Dark Nights: Death Metal Soundtrack CD/2xLP (Loma Vista)
To accompany the unrestrained awesomeness of DC’s Dark Nights: Death Metal comic series, executive producer/composer Tyler Bates (Guardians Of The Galaxy, John Wick) presents the Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack. Directly inspired by the comic series’ storyline, the diverse soundtrack illuminates the darkest corners of each DC character’s psyche. Featuring Mastodon, Chelsea Wolfe, Rise Against, Manchester Orchestra, Denzel Curry, Starcrawler, Idles, Soccer Mommy and more. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl edition is available.]
Wavves – Hideaway CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Featuring Nathan Williams’ most universal and urgent songs yet, Wavves new album Hideaway marks their return to Fat Possum Records. Across its brief but impactful nine tracks, the album, produced by Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, is about what happens when you get old enough to take stock of the world around you and realize that no one is going to save you but yourself, and even that might be a tall order. “It’s real peaks and valleys with me,” Williams says. “I can be super optimistic, and I can feel really good, and then I can hit a skid and it’s like an earthquake hits my life, and everything just falls apart. Some of it is my own doing, of course.” It’s this self-awareness that permeates each of Hideaway‘s songs, marking them each as mature reckonings with who he is. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl edition is available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Acid Dad – Take It From The Dead CD (Ras)
Acid Dad is an American alternative-rock band composed of singer-guitarists, Vaughn Hunt and Sean Fahey, and drummer, Trevor Mustoe. Take It From The Dead features an array of different influences ranging from 90’s neo-psych, modern post-punk and ‘70s rock ‘n’ roll. [Vinyl edition due August 13.]
AFI – Bodies CD/LP (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. California-based rock band AFI are back with their eleventh album, Bodies. The long-standing quartet – comprised of singer Davey Havok, guitarist/keyboardist Jade Puget, bassist Hunter Burgan and drummer Adam Carson – known for their unshakeable connection with their audience is a testament to the band’s knack for reinvention, renewal, and exploration, anchored by an unblemished authenticity. A place in rock ‘n’ roll history assured by magical musical androgyny, both post-modern and timeless, AFI remains guided by the flames of determination that defined their first ten albums and are sure to drive the next ten and beyond.
The Allman Brothers Band – Live At The Atlanta International Pop Festival July 3 & 5, 1970 [Reissue/2003] 2xCD (Allman Brothers Band)
Two performances recorded at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival, at the Middle Georgia Raceway in Byron, Georgia, a year before the concerts that appear on At Fillmore East.
Rodrigo Amarante – Cavalo CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Rodrigo Amarante’s (Little Joy, Los Hermanos, Orquestra Imperial, The Bottletop Band) first solo record was made during an unexpected, but very welcome, exile in a land he wouldn’t have predicted he’d linger for too long: the west of the west. But the sense of distance and his newly acquired refreshing anonymity kept him staying. Rodrigo found himself leaning on that distance, projecting onto it, the space echoing back to him with a new voice. [Two limited-edition color vinyl pressings are available: neon orange and translucent olive.]
Babymetal – 10 Babymetal Years CD (Cooking Vinyl)
Highlights from Babymetal’s three studio albums Babymetal (2014), Metal Resistance (2016) and Metal Galaxy (2019). Formed in 2010 as a subset of the Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin, Babymetal fused heavy metal and J-Pop idol styles. [Vinyl edition due August 13.]
Barenaked Ladies – Detour de Force CD (Raisin Music)
Barenaked Ladies return with their first new album in four years. The 14-track Detour de Force is the result of both pre- and post-lockdown recording sessions. The band spent five weeks at vocalist/guitarists Ed Robertson’s cabin outside Toronto pre pandemic writing and recording in a makeshift studio. During pandemic lockdown, they decided they wanted to Polish things up a bit. They returned to a Toronto studio when the lockdown lifted to rework the tracks. [Vinyl edition due August 20.]
Karen Black – Dreaming Of You (1971-76) CD/LP+7” (Anthology Recordings)
An actor, musician, visual artist and unyielding creative spirit, Dreaming Of You (1971-76) gathers for the first time the best of Karen Black’s studio and demo recordings. Produced by Cass McCombs and meticulously restored from the original tapes, the collection’s 15 tracks are a holistic depiction of Black’s dreamy, introspective, and earnest musical identity.
Black Pumas – Capitol Cuts: Live From Studio A CD/LP (ATO)
Recorded direct to acetate – all live, no overdubs – Capitol Cuts: Live From Studio A captures a powerful moment in time. After months of cancelled shows Black Pumas went to Los Angeles in Fall 2020 and laid down eight explosive tracks at the famed Capitol Studio A. The recording brims with pent up energy, nearly bursting through the grooves on the expansive and mind-blowing seven-minute rendition of “Colors”. A few weeks later the song would receive a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Cautious Clay – Deadpan Love CD/LP (Cautious Clay Music)
Deadpan Clay is the debut album from Cleveland born, NYC-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer-songwriter, and artist Cautious Clay. The album includes previously released singles “’Roots”, “Dying In The Subtlety”, and “Agreeable” – a song that warps influences from R&B, hip-hop and indie pop in Cautious’ trademark sophisticated songwriting and jazz and blues inflected instrumentation.
Chet Faker – Hotel Surrender CD/LP (BMG)
Five-time ARIA award-winning producer, songwriter and artist, Nick Murphy releases the highly anticipated new album from his Chet Faker project. In a return to making music that simply felt good, Nick Murphy revived his acclaimed billion streaming Chet Faker project in October 2020 after a six-year hiatus. The culminating result is Hotel Surrender: a self-produced, self-written 10-track LP that reintroduces the swaggering bass lines and electrifying melodies that made fans fall in love with Chet Faker the world over.
Clairo – Sling CD/LP (Fader/Republic)
Associated with soft, intimate vocals, day-dreamy atmosphere, and rumination, Clairo is lo-fi singer/songwriter Claire Cottrill. Alternating keyboards and guitars as accompaniment, and often coloring her recordings with samples and sound effects, Clairo began uploading dozens of her styled, but low-key, melody-driven tunes to music-sharing sites as a young teen in 2013. Introduced by the delicate lead single “Blouse”, her second studio album Sling follows-up her 2019 debut Immunity.
Cognitive – Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction CD/LP (Unique Leader)
Fusing all the best elements of death metal – groove, speed, brutality, technical prowess and forward-thinking songwriting – the new album from the New Jersey tech metallers has one foot planted firmly in the future and the other equally in the old school realm. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]
- Cole – Off-Season CD (J. Cole/Dreamville)
The sixth studio album from the Grammy Award winning recording artist features contributions by 21 Savage, Morray, Bas, Lil Baby and 6LACK. [Vinyl edition due August 27.]
Alice Coltrane – Kirtan: Turiya Sings CD/2xLP (Impulse!)
Archive release. Alice Coltrane is the undeniable godmother of spiritual jazz and an acknowledged influence on everyone from Flying Lotus and Kamasi Washington to Solange and Radiohead. Kirtan: Turiya Sings features Alice Coltrane at peak spirituality and is presented in this arrangement for the first time. Turyia Sings was originally released in 1982 on cassette as a collection of devotional songs including vocals, organ, strings, and synthesizers available only at Alice’s Sai Anantam Ashram.
The Courettes – Here We Are CD (Damaged Goods)
The Brazilian/Danish garage rock duo’s first two albums – Here Are The Courettes (2015) and We Are The Courettes (2018) remastered and reissued on a single CD. [Stand-alone vinyl reissues due August 20.]
Julius Eastman – Three Extended Pieces For Four Pianos 2xCD (Sub Rosa)
Alongside John Cage, Christian Wolff and Morton Feldman, Julius Eastman helped redefine the piano in New York’s hallowed avantgarde scene. But unlike his white contemporaries, Eastman never commanded the acclaim or wide appeal he deserved, only attracting global attention decades after his tragic death. This contemporary recording of “Four Pianos” is the latest tribute to a Black, gay creative mind whose impact and legacy is still being unpacked in public, as listeners and critics scramble to revise their historical lack of interest.
Jorge Elbrecht – Presentable Corpse 002 CD/LP (Republic Of Music/O Genesis)
Born in Costa Rica and raised in the US, Elbrecht’s production and collaboration credits with the likes of Sky Ferreira, Japanese Breakfast, Gang Gang Dance, No Joy, Geneva Jacuzzi, and countless others have given him a well-deserved reputation as one of the most in-demand and respected names in independent music. Presentable Corpse 002 is the inaugural full-length collection of his ongoing Presentable Corpse recordings. Elbrecht himself describes Presentable Corpse as sunshine pop that contains lyrics written from the perspective of a fictional Vietnam-era soldier at war, conveying a story of regret, homesickness, combat fatigue, and political anger.
Ron Everett – The Glitter Of The City [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Jazzman)
As private pressings go, Ron Everett’s Glitter Of The City is certainly one of the most obscure, controversial and mysterious of them all. Until now, the name Ron Everett has been practically unheard of outside his native Philadelphia, and only devoted funk and jazz enthusiasts have been aware of his album, originals of which are owned by literally just a handful of collectors scattered across the world.
The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin Companion CD/2xLP (WB)
The Soft Bulletin Companion was originally assembled by Flaming Lips management 22 years ago as a promo-only CD to accompany the band’s 1999 groundbreaking album The Soft Bulletin. It consisted of unreleased material, outtakes, early mixes, B-sides, international bonus tracks, and stereo versions of tunes from Zaireeka, and given out to family, friends, and a handful of radio programmers. Among the hidden audio treasures, “The Captain” emerged as a fan favorite rarity and never saw an official release until now.
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac Live [Reissue/1980] 3xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
Digitally remastered and expanded deluxe three CD edition and standard double-LP vinyl pressing now available. When Fleetwood Mac released its first live album in December 1980, it captured the legendary band’s most iconic lineup on stage demonstrating the full scope of their collective, creative powers. Recorded mostly during the world tour for Tusk, Fleetwood Mac Live delivered a double-album’s worth of exhilarating performances that included massive hits like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way”, “Rhiannon”, and “Don’t Stop”.
Guccihighwaters – Joke’s On You CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Joke’s On You is the sophomore album from singer/producer Guccihighwaters (aka Morgan Murphy) which features the poignant new single “Hold Somebody” alongside his previously released singles “Straight Jacket”, “Rope”, “Expectations”, and “Needle & Thread”. With Jokes On You, Murphy says, “basically my goal was to make it sound like me.” Members of the cloud rap community, like Powfu and Nothing, Nowhere, feature on the album, adding their voices to Murphy’s signature sound. [A limited-edition ‘merlot wave’ color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Cory Hanson – Pale Horse Rider CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
Lingering at the remains of a campfire before dawn, with the politics of the personal burnt into ash, running his stick through what’s left, Wand singer/guitarist Cory Hanson is reflecting on a series of moments in which he steps farther into himself, finding the ultimate big sky country on the inside of his skull. It’s a combination of songs and sounds that journey through bleak and broken territory and places of sweet, lush remove, and it adds up to the best record he’s been involved in yet: his second solo album, Pale Horse Rider.
Harmony Woods – Graceful Rage CD/LP (Skeletal Lighting)
Harmony Woods has always been about dynamics. When this Philly project began a regional rail stop away, Sofia Verbilla wrote songs about the ways people see each other on either end of disaster. Across two records that spoke to the quietest of bleeding hearts, Verbilla expanded on processing grief, trauma, and other aftermaths while her band climbed and collapsed around her, turning ordinary circumstances into visceral reflections. Graceful Rage—the band’s third LP—basks in the sheer magnitude of letting revelations and recoveries blossom on their own terms. [A limited-edition forest green color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Heaven & Earth – V CD (Frontiers)
New album from the L.A.-based international hard rock act.
Ida Mae – Click Click Domino CD/LP (Vow Road)
Written primarily in the backseat of a moving car, Click Click Domino embodies all the momentum and possibility of the great American unknown, offering up a series of cinematic vignettes full of hope and disappointment, promise and regret, connection and loneliness. The songs are raw and direct, fueled by an innovative mix of vintage instruments and modern electronics, and the performances are loose and exhilarating to match, drawing on early rock and roll, classic country, British folk, and ‘50s soul to forge a sound that’s equal parts Alan Lomax field recording and 21st century garage band. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive clear vinyl edition is available.]
Inner Stream – Stain The Sea CD (Frontiers)
Inner Stream blends elements of different sub-genres and styles like symphonic metal, electronic, goth, and nü metal, among others. Pushing musical boundaries, their songs hold rich varieties of climates and textures, heavy riffs, powerful melodies, and emotional moments.
The Interrupters – Live In Tokyo! CD/LP (Hellcat)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Los Angeles based alt-rock quartet The Interrupters release their first-ever live album Live In Tokyo! With a set list that captures the live power that made them one of the busiest touring bands in the world, Live In Tokyo! features fan favorite songs from their three Hellcat Records albums including hit tracks such as “She’s Kerosene”, “Gave You Everything”, “Take Back The Power” and “Bad Guy”.
In The Woods… – HEart Of The Ages [Reissue/1995] CD/2xLP (Soulseller)
In The Woods… originally started out as the death metal band Green Carnation, until lead member (main composer/guitarist Tchort) left to join the black metal legends Emperor. After Tchort’s departure, the remaining band members formed In The Woods…, releasing their first demo in 1993. They released their much praised first full-length album, HEart Of The Ages, in 1995. [A limited-edition purple with white color vinyl pressing is also available.]
The J Ann C Trio – At The Tan-Tar-A [Reissue/1966] CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Growling and prowling like a more playful Wanda Jackson, Ann Delrene leads this trio down avenues of jazz, rockabilly, and folk, all from the comforts of a Missouri resort. [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing is also available.
Jodi – Blue Heron CD/LP (Sooper)
Jodi is the project of New Jersey-raised, Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Nick Levine, whose soft-spoken songs deliver a series of intimate world building moments capable of shattering a listener’s temporal and emotional boundaries. It is a type of gentle yet deeply powerful songwriting for fans of artists like Jason Molina, Mount Eerie, Karen Dalton, Julie Doiron, and Duster. [A metallic silver color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Gary Kemp – In Solo CD (Sin UK)
In Solo is the second solo album by Spandau Ballet songwriter and Saucerful Of Secrets guitarist and co-lead vocalist, Gary Kemp. As the songwriter and guitarist in one of the most iconic bands of the ‘80s, Spandau Ballet, Gary became one of the most commercially successful writers of the decade. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Hollie Kenniff – The Quiet Drift CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
On The Quiet Drift, Hollie Kenniff wholly escapes from such pop-culture feedback loops into transcendent, shimmering realms, and she brings the listener along with her. In this age in which we have all been called to reevaluate our relationship to indoor spaces, and seek refuge in the great outdoors, The Quiet Drift provides an apt soundtrack for such rebalancing.
KSI – All Over The Place CD/LP (BMG)
As the biggest-selling UK breakthrough Artist of 2020 with his debut LP Dissimulation and scoring six Top 10 singles including collaborations with Rick Ross, Trippie Redd and Tion Wayne, alongside latest hits with Craig David, Anne-Marie and YUNGBLUD, KSI – Olajide ‘JJ’ Olatunji releases his highly anticipated second studio album. All Over The Place includes all three previously released singles – “Really Love”, “Don’t Play” and “Patience” as well as new tracks with features from rappers Future and 21 Savage, musician Jay1, singer Gracey and more.
The Legendary Pink Dots – Curse [Reissue/1983] CD (Metropolis)
The Legendary Pink Dots – Island Of Jewels [Reissue/1986] CD (Metropolis)
1983’s Curse marks an intersection of styles and influences that form The Legendary Pink Dots sound: a deft balance between pop arrangements and sonic experiments, ornamented imagery, somber double-entendres, gothic yet witty arrangements, experimentalism, and psychedelics. 1986’s Island Of Jewels is a more serious release, with themes of war and politics and ranks among the more accessible releases in their vast catalog. [Vinyl editions due August 6.]
John Mayer – Sob Rock CD/LP (Columbia)
Sob Rock is the eighth studio album from 7x Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter John Mayer and the artist’s first since 2017’s The Search For Everything which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Launched by the 1980s-esque lead single “Last Train Home” featuring Maren Morris, the 10-track collection was produced by Mayer and Don Was and recorded at Los Angeles’ Henson Studios. “I asked myself, ‘What music makes me feel like everything’s going to be OK?’ And it’s the music I listened to growing up in the ‘80s. There’s a security-blanket aspect about that sound that reminds me of a safer time,” Mayer told the Wall Street Journal. [Includes a value-added button pack – while supplies last.]
Dave McMurray – Grateful Deadication CD (Blue Note)
Dave McMurray made his Blue Note debut in 2018 with Music Is Life, an album that focused largely on his own assertive original tunes. Now, the saxophonist returns with Grateful Deadication, a covers album that turns one of the most celebrated catalogs in rock songwriting into a vehicle for his own jazz expression. McMurray transforms Grateful Dead favorites like “Dark Star” and “Franklin’s Tower”. He is joined by vocalist Bettye LaVette and Bob Weir and Wolf Bros. on a sublime version of “Loser”.
John R. Miller – Depreciated CD (Rounder)
John R. Miller is a true hyphenate artist: singer-songwriter-picker. Every song on his thrilling debut solo album, Depreciated, is lush with intricate wordplay and haunting imagery, as well as being backed by a band that is on fire. Miller is somehow able to transport us to a shadowy honkytonk and get existential all in the same line with his tightly written compositions. Miller’s own guitar-playing is on fine display here along with vocals that evoke the white-waters of the Potomac River rumbling below the high ridges of his native Shenandoah Valley. [Vinyl edition due July 23.]
Laura Nyro – Trees Of The Ages: Laura Nyro Live In Japan CD (Omnivore)
A member of both the Songwriters and Rock & Roll Halls of Fame, Laura Nyro not only wrote songs that became hits for acts including The 5th Dimension, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand, and many more, but has been cited as a major influence by Kate Bush, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Todd Rundgren, Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked), and countless others. She recorded ten studio albums (one released posthumously), but a live performance from Nyro was always an event. Originally issued only in Japan as Live In Japan in 2003, these 16 tracks, originally recorded in 1994 at Kintetsu Hall, include five tracks recorded at On Air West.
Opeth – Blackwater Park [Reissue/2001] CD/2xLP (Sin UK)
20th anniversary edition. Two decades in and still a breath- taking piece of work, Blackwater Park is dense with extraordinary melodic moments, spine-tingling atmospherics and agile but crushing heaviness, and one that saw the Swedish metallers kick open prog’s ornate doors, fed death metal through the cosmic kaleidoscope and introduced a generation of music nerds to a world of limitless musical possibilities. [Deluxe hardcase CD comes furnished with an updated artwork booklet complete with new liner notes, never seen before memories from the band, and exclusive content provided by the Opeth fanbase. A double black smoke color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Paradise Lost – At The Mill CD+Blu-ray/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Recorded live near the band’s hometown in England, At The Mill spans the band’s 33 year career. [CD edition includes the concert on Blu-ray. A limited-edition orange marble color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Pessimist – Slaughtering The Faithful [Reissue/2002] CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
On their third record, Pessimist put forth another brutal lesson in raw, unrefined blackened death metal. ‘Slaughtering the Faithful’ is gritty, blasphemous, and a revered gem in the early American death metal scene. [Several limited-edition color vinyl variants are also available.]
Pharoah – The Powers That Be CD (Cruz Del Sur Music)
The long-running American metallers Pharaoh emerge with a nine-song offering of challenging melodic metal featuring a guest solo from Voivod’s Daniel Chewy Mongrain. [Vinyl edition due August 20.]
A Place To Bury Strangers – Hologram CD (Dedstrange)
Hologram is the first release from New York post-punk legends A Place To Bury Strangers on their own newly formed label, Dedstrange. Hologram is the follow up to their highly regarded fifth album, Pinned, and is a sonic return to A Place To Bury Strangers’ rawest, most unhinged sound. With songs addressing the decay of connections, friendships lost, and the trials and tribulations of these troubled times, Hologram serves as an abstract mirror to the moment we live in. Written and recorded during the on-going global pandemic and in the midst of the decline of civilization, Hologram is a sonic vaccine to the horrors of modern life. [Vinyl edition due September 10.]
Powerwolf – Call Of The Wild CD/2xCD/LP (Napalm)
Eighth album from the German heavy metal band. [A deluxe double-CD media-book edition is also available.]
Nathaniel Rateliff – Red Rocks 2020 2xCD (Fantasy)
Red Rocks 2020 was recorded in an empty Red Rocks Amphitheatre during Nathaniel Rateliff’s mid-September run of socially distanced shows, which was limited to 125 attendees per night in the 9400-capacity venue. Through Red Rocks 2020, Rateliff offers this 90-minute live experience to the fans who were unable to attend his live shows last year. Red Rocks 2020 features a wide range of music from Rateliff’s celebrated career, which includes songs that had never been performed live, several tracks from And It’s Still Alright and his previously released solo albums – In Memory Of Loss, Falling Faster Than You Can Run and the Shroud EP – as well as “Still Out There Running”, a track from The Night Sweats’ beloved 2017 album Tearing At The Seams. In addition, Rateliff’s close friend Kevin Morby, who was set to open the cancelled Red Rocks dates in August 2020, joins him for a duet on Leonard Cohen’s “There Is A War”. [Indie store exclusive deluxe double-CD version includes a poster. Vinyl edition due July 30.]
Rey Sapienz & The Congo Techno Ensemble – Na Zala Zala LP (Nyege Nyege Tapes)
When Rey Sapienz was eight years old, the Democratic Republic of Congo was plunged into the Second Congo War. The conflict last five years and was the bloodiest since World War II, leaving an indelible mark on East Africa and creating mass displacement and loss of life. But Sapienz endured, cutting his teeth as a young rapper at twelve, first performing to celebrate Congo’s Independence Day. For his debut album, Sapienz embarks on an ambitious project that travels beyond the avant beatscapes of his early material. Alongside traditional percussionist, vocalist and dancer Papalas Palata and rapper Fresh Doggis, he has formed The Congo Techno Ensemble, utilizing their skills and experience to offer a statement that speaks to the past, present and future of the DRC.
Savoy Brown – Bring It Home [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (Deadline Music)
Deluxe remastered reissue of the 1994 studio album from one of the architects of the British blues rock. Led by superstar guitarist Kim Simmonds, Bring It Home is one of the band’s most scorching albums, a mix of original tunes and blues classics. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Erik Shicotte – Miss’ry Pacific CD (Black Country)
New album from the Midwest country songwriter.
Matt Sweeny & Bonnie Prince Billy – Superwolves CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
They look like we do and may live somewhat the same. Yet, they are multiplied. Where once was Superwolf, now are Superwolves. What world, REALLY are Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from? A place of all-music, knowing no borders, no morals other than natural tribal lines to be violated in the name of love and light, for all together.
Tedeschi Trucks Band featuring Trey Anastasio – Layla Revisited (Live At Lockn’) 2xCD/3xLP (Fantasy)
Layla Revisited (Live At Lockn’) captures Tedeschi Trucks Band at their incendiary best, together with Phish’s renowned guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio. Recorded on August 24, 2019, the performance of Derek and the Dominos’ hallowed 1970 album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs in its entirety was kept secret until the moment the band took stage. [Vinyl edition features an etching on Side F.]
Thor – Alliance CD/LP (Deadline Music)
The heavy metal heroes return with an epic new studio album. [A limited-edition picture-disc vinyl pressing is also available.]
Thronehammer – Incantation Rites CD/LP (Supreme Chaos)
Sophomore album from the UK/German based doomed crossover outfit. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Times Of Grace – Songs Of Loss And Separation CD (Wicked Good)
Songs Of Loss And Separation, the sprawling second album from Times Of Grace is insistent in its bluesiness, bleeding distortion and emotion, weaving effortlessly between pensive, heavy, midtempo rock riffs and atmosphere. The band’s sophomore effort and first since 2011 channels a haunting romanticism and deep spiritual yearning that collide in beautiful melancholy. The vocal interplay of Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach makes for a rich, dense, and enthralling concoction, powering through various trips through dark nights of the soul and mind-expanding excursions into the wild. [Vinyl edition due August 20.]
Tones And I – Welcome To The Madhouse CD (Elektra)
Welcome To The Madhouse stands out as a deeply reflective and personal body of work for Tones And I, with the Australian singer-songwriter overseeing the entire album by herself and co-producing every song.
Trick Or Treat – Unlocked Songs CD (Scarlet)
Uplifting heavy metal for dark times.
Tina Turner – Foreign Affair [Reissue/1989] 2xCD/2xLP/4xCD+DVD (Rhino/Parolophone)
Tina Turner’s classic album Foreign Affair is celebrated with a new expanded edition, featuring the original album fully remastered, alongside a collection of B-sides, remixes and a previously unreleased demo of “The Best”. [A deluxe four-CD+DVD box set adds a live show from Barcelona in 1990 along with accompanying video of the performance on DVD along with six music videos.]
U-Roy – Solid Gold CD (BMG)
An originator of the chatty rhythmic vocal style known as toasting – a key foundational element in the development of rap in its nascent stages in the 1970s – U-Roy left behind an unmatched legacy which is clearly on display on Solid Gold. Guests include Ziggy Marley, Shaggy, Mick Jones of the Clash, Santigold, Sly and Robbie, David Hinds of Steel Pulse and more. [Vinyl edition due December 17.]
Various Artists – Dark Nights: Death Metal Soundtrack CD/2xLP (Loma Vista)
To accompany the unrestrained awesomeness of DC’s Dark Nights: Death Metal comic series, executive producer/composer Tyler Bates (Guardians Of The Galaxy, John Wick) presents the Dark Nights: Death Metal soundtrack. Directly inspired by the comic series’ storyline, the diverse soundtrack illuminates the darkest corners of each DC character’s psyche. Featuring Mastodon, Chelsea Wolfe, Rise Against, Manchester Orchestra, Denzel Curry, Starcrawler, Idles, Soccer Mommy and more. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl edition is available.]
Various Artists – Iconic Women Of Country CD (MCA Nashville)
This special compilation was the official soundtrack to the PBS Special of the same name that aired in June 2020. Featuring 15 tracks from Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette and 10 other iconic country superstars.
Various Artists – Pacific Northwest Pandora’s Box CD/LP (Garland)
Rare and unissued Pacific Northwest hard rock. Featuring four blistering tracks from Eclipse (the PNW’s answer to Kiss right down to the face paint), the thundering Thor’s Hammer, insane originals, and a couple turned-to-11 takes on Hendrix tunes. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Various Artists – Space Jam: A New Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) CD (Republic)
The soundtrack to the mega-anticipated, animated/live-action film. The first single, “We Win (Space Jam: A New Legacy)” debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart and unites multiplatinum Grammy Award-nominated rapper Lil Baby with 16x Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum gospel icon Kirk Franklin over a beat from Just Blaze (Eminem, Jay-Z).
Wavves – Hideaway CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Featuring Nathan Williams’ most universal and urgent songs yet, Wavves new album Hideaway marks their return to Fat Possum Records. Across its brief but impactful nine tracks, the album, produced by Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio, is about what happens when you get old enough to take stock of the world around you and realize that no one is going to save you but yourself, and even that might be a tall order. “It’s real peaks and valleys with me,” Williams says. “I can be super optimistic, and I can feel really good, and then I can hit a skid and it’s like an earthquake hits my life, and everything just falls apart. Some of it is my own doing, of course.” It’s this self-awareness that permeates each of Hideaway‘s songs, marking them each as mature reckonings with who he is. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl edition is available.]
Willow – Lately I Feel Everything CD/LP (Roc Nation)
On Lately I Feel Everything, singer Willow Smith explores a pop-punk sound, inspired by Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, and Paramore. Guests include Travis Barker on “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l” and Avril Lavigne on “Glow”. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Wizardthrone – Hypercube Necrodimensions CD (Naplam)
Traversing vivid sci-fi multiverses in the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft via comprehensively established technical death/power/symphonic/black metal, Hypercube Necrodimensions is a bombastic journey through hyperspace and otherworldly realities. [Vinyl edition due August 20.]
Mike Zito – Resurrection CD (Sono Recording Group)
On Resurrection, Zito showcases his strengths as a composer with original songs that sparkle, as well as an interpreter of other compositions, with scintillating and influential takes on tunes from JJ Cale, Eric Clapton, and Willie Dixon.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Atheist – Piece Of Time [Reissue/1989] LP (Season Of Mist)
Atheist – Unquestionable Presence [Reissue/1991] LP (Season Of Mist)
Atheist – Elements [Reissue/1993] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited-edition color vinyl reissues of the first three albums by the Florida tech metal band.
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band – Expansions LP (Big Crown)
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the mysterious steel pan outfit hailing from Hamburg, Germany has amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7”s and two critically acclaimed full-length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering.
Beastie Boys – Some Old Bullshit [Reissue/1994] LP (Capitol)
Some Old Bullshit compiles several of Beastie Boys’ early EPs, recorded in the early 1980s. These recordings present a sound radically different from that of the hip-hop sound generally associated with the band. Instead, these songs represent the band’s part in the early New York hardcore scene.
Braids – Native Speaker [Reissue/2011] LP (Kanine)
Debut album, Native Speaker, from Montreal based Braids marks its 10-year anniversary with limited edition canary yellow and spring green deluxe vinyl pressing. Upon the album’s release, Braids quickly became one of Canada’s bands to watch. Mixing pop, electronic and indie music together with Raphaelle Standell Preston’s distinctive voice, their unique sound earned them heaps of praise.
Ron Carter – Golden Striker (Live At Theaterstübchen, Kassel) 2xLP (In & Out)
For around seven decades, the clever and sympathetic double bass player from Ferndale, Michigan, has been considered one of the most important, most creative and brilliant representatives of his profession and as the most recorded bass player in jazz history with over 2,221 albums on which he has performed. With his philosophy of absolute professionalism and reliability, he rose to become a model for entire generations of jazz musicians.
Cavetown – Cavetown [Reissue/2015] LP (Many Hats Dist.)
Cavetown – 16/04/16 [Reissue/2016] LP (Many Hats Dist.)
Cavetown gained popularity on YouTube for his frequent ukulele covers of popular songs, as well as original content.
Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman – Live! LP (Cleopatra)
Color vinyl pressing of a live album from the original modern R&B diva and Rock Hall Of Fame nominee.
Cinderella – Live At The Key Club LP (Cleopatra)
Limited-edition sequentially numbered die-cut keyhole gatefold jacket purple color vinyl pressing of the 1998 performance of hard rock heroes Cinderella performing at The Key Club in Los Angeles.
Cochemea – Vol. 2: Baca Sewa LP (Daptone)
The Dap-Kings’ electro-sax space warrior returns with a groove-heavy sequel to All My Relations, an expressive, transcendental voyage through the archive of his indigenous roots and beyond. [CD edition due August 6.]
Luke Combs – The Trilogy 10” (SME Nashville)
The new EP from the country superstar features a trio of love songs written about his wife: “Beautiful Crazy”, “Better Together” and “Forever After All”.
DDG x OG Parker – Die 4 Respect LP (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New collaboration between rapper DDG and producer OG Parker. Includes features by Lil Yachty, YoungBoy Never Broke, Coi Leray, Tyla Yaweh, and 42 Dugg.
Declaime – In The Beginning Vol. 1 LP (Someothaship)
A remastered collection of rare beat/hip-hop tracks circa 1993 – 1996 from Madlib’s childhood friend Dudley Perkins aka Declaime.
Ani Di Franco – Revolutionary Love LP (Righteous Babe)
Limited color vinyl pressing. The transcendent new album from Ani Di Franco, Revolutionary Love marks the latest proof of one of her most powerful gifts as an artist: a rare ability to give voice to our deepest frustrations and tensions, on both a personal and political level.
Digitalism – JPEG_Complete 2xLP (Magnetism)
Fourth album from the Hamburg-based electronic music duo. Since forming in 2004, Digitalism has become synonymous with unique electronic productions, a crossover sound with roots in both indie, techno and pop.
Dot Hacker – Divination 7” (ORG Music)
Double mint color vinyl pressing. “Divination” is the first new recording from Dot Hacker since their 2017 album, N°3. The song was written and recorded remotely during quarantine. Included on this 7” is also a pre-production version of the song, which is the original demo by Josh Klinghoffer.
Eddie 9V – Little Black Flies LP (Ruf)
All his life, Eddie has acted on instinct. At the tender age of 15, this old soul turned away from the age-old traditional path of school and jobs to attack his native Atlanta, Georgia’s blues club circuit. Flash forward to 2019, and for his debut album, Left My Soul In Memphis, the prodigious multi-instrumentalist simply powered up the amps in his mobile trailer and with his brother/co-writer/producer, Lane Kelly, laid down one of the year’s breakout releases. Little Black Flies is the 24-year-old’s most impulsive move to date.
Gorguts – Colored Sands [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Limited-edition color vinyl pressing. From their beginnings as one of the most-acclaimed bands in the genre’s first wave, through their growth into a unique and wildly progressive entity, Gorguts cast a long shadow of influence over extreme metal that reverberates to this day. On 2013’s Colored Sands, which served as the Montreal-based quartet’s first new album in almost twelve years, the band (helmed by founder Luc Lemay) builds off the groundwork laid by its earth-shattering, genre-milestone Obscura (1998).
Jon Hopkins – Piano Versions 12”+MP3 (Domino)
Presented as the sister record to 2014’s Asleep Versions, Piano Versions is a collection of ambient piano cover versions. The songs on the EP, originally by Roger & Brian Eno, Thom Yorke, Luke Abbott and James Yorkston, are presented in a completely new context to their initial form. On these versions, Hopkins used his upright piano as the centerpiece of the EP, whilst recording the ambient, environmental elements around it.
The Intruders – The Best Of The Intruders LP (Sony Legacy)
The Intruders are an American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they were a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.
Ashton Irwin – Superbloom: A Live Experience LP (Ashton Irwin Music)
Live performance of Ashton Irwin’s debut album. Includes the singles “Skinny Skinny”, “Have U Found What Ur Looking For”, and “Scar”, plus his powerful version of Nirvana’s “Heart-Shaped Box”. Also known as the drummer of 5 Seconds Of Summer, Ashton has justified his ambition of making one of the best rock albums of 2020.
Paul Kuhn With John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton – The L.A.Session [Reissue/2013] LP (In & Out)
Easy-going, relaxed, smart and full of surprises, German pianist, bandleader and singer Paul Kuhn responds to two swing luminaries and deploys all his skills and dexterities. “Working with Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton was a wonderful experience,” he says. “Hamilton is an unbelievable drummer with a magic capacity for dynamics. And Clayton has an elegant style; he could also be a good cello player.” All this sums up a sublime session, full of colors.
Lipstick Jodi – More Like Me LP (Quite Scientific)
Translucent red color vinyl pressing. Lipstick Jodi’s debut album More Like Me celebrates the struggle, heartache, and trauma of leaving one life for another-embracing everything that comes with it. Double-stuffed synth-pop highlighted by vocals that move across the album hauntingly, triumphantly, sorrowfully, and sometimes just want to make you dance and punch the air.
Love And Death – Perfectly Preserved LP (Blind Tiger Ent.)
Love And Death harness soaring melodies and crushing riffs, weaponizing them like a supernatural dagger to strike at the blackened heart of disillusionment from both within and without. With an instantly recognizable relatability, for anyone who has felt discarded or without value, the band crafts invigorating anthems filled with earnest pleas for mercy and certainty amidst the chaos of an uncertain world. This is heavy music to vigorously confront depression, heartbreak, and pain.
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – The Best Of Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes LP (Sony Legacy)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes were an American soul and R&B vocal group. One of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s, the group’s repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco.
Charles Mingus – Mingus At Carnegie Hall [Reissue/1974] 3xLP (Rhino)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With jazz music on the wane commercially back in 1974, Atlantic Records decided to release Mingus At Carnegie Hall with just two encore songs featuring guest artists Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Charles McPherson, and John Handy. But lo and behold, discovered among the many rows of tapes at the Warner Vaults, were several analog reels containing 74 minutes of previously unreleased live performances of the Charles Mingus Group featuring Don Pullen, Jon Faddis, George Adams, Hamiet Bluiett and Dannie Richmond at Carnegie Hall on January 19, 1974. After almost 50 years, jazz fans will get the special opportunity to hear the complete concert as it was originally played and in the correct sequence, by this ground-breaking group of musicians.
Oddisee – The Iceberg [Reissue/2017] LP (Mello Music Group)
The prolific MC, producer and musician’s 2017 album The Iceberg is a plea for humanity to dig deeper in search of understanding and common ground. Oddisee’s third release in just 12 months, The Iceberg is a distillation of stereotypical tropes in hip-hop and beyond; 12 tracks about money, sex, politics, race and religion that appear superficial until his multi-dimensional lyrics unfurl to expose the complexities of individuality and identity: how we see ourselves and how others see us. Deeply soulful, and shot through with jazz, go-go, gospel, thick R&B and hard beats, the album is a timely, poetic statement.
The O’Jays – The Best Of The O’Jays LP (Sony Legacy)
The O’Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and in 2013 they were inducted into National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.
The Ossuary – Oltretomba LP (Supreme Chaos)
The Italian word ‘Oltretomba’ stands for the underworld but is also a tribute to the golden age of Italy’s cinematic culture in the ‘70s and ‘80s with horror films by Fulci, Argento, Bava and the music of Morricone. The magical, strong-willed and at the same time obscure attraction is also inherent in the third album of The Ossuary. The album tells of the various abysses of the human being, sometimes touching occult realms. The quartet creates their own niche in hard rock, pairs the classic twin guitars with an earthy sound, classic rock elements with a certain proximity to the prog of the ‘70s are celebrated here with fresh power. [A limited-edition brown color vinyl pressing is also available. CD edition due August 20.]
Billy Paul – The Best Of Billy Paul LP (Sony Legacy)
Paul Williams (December 1, 1934 – April 24, 2016), known professionally as Billy Paul, was a Grammy Award-winning American soul singer, known for his 1972 No. 1 single “Me And Mrs. Jones”, as well as the 1973 single and album War Of The Gods, which blends his more conventional pop, soul, and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences.
Teddy Pendergrass – The Best Of Teddy Pendergrass 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Legendary soul singer Teddy Pendergrass, the first male African American artist to record five consecutive platinum albums, originally rose to fame as the lead singer of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.
Lou Rawls – The Best Of Lou Rawls LP (Sony Legacy)
Lou Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums and sold more than 40 million records over his career.
Rosetta Stone – Adrenaline [Reissue/1993] LP (Cleopatra)
Two color vinyl pressings (red and blue) of goth rock band Rosetta Stone’s 1993 compilation album.
Rotting Christ – Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy [Reissue/2013] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited color vinyl pressing. With their eleventh full-length, 2013’s Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, Rotting Christ created a stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Theogonia (2007) and AEALO (2010) albums. The legendary Greek band adds an unmistakable native element to the musical and lyrical concepts while skillfully augmenting the proceedings with female vocals, piano, bagpipes, and horns.
Jesse Royal – Royal LP (Easy Star)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Modern reggae featuring socially conscious lyricism and a classic style.
The Same – Sync Or Swim [Reissue/1981] LP (Freedom To Spend)
Before there was Rimarimba, Suffolk-born, Felixstowe-based musician and home recording enthusiast Robert Cox assembled a cast of friends, some musicians and some not so much, for an experiment in group exploration and ecstatic expression under the name The Same. Sonically and gravitationally defined by Cox’s collaboration with guitarist Andy Thomas (a partnership which formed in 1976 to record as General Motors), Sync Or Swim, The Same’s one and only album, also featured keyboards by Florence Atkinson and Paul Ridout, and vocals by Robert’s sister Rebecca.
Jan-Peter Schwalm and Markus Reuter – Aufbruch LP (RareNoise)
Clear vinyl pressing. Aufbruch, the debut collaboration between electro-acoustic composer J. Peter Schwalm and guitarist Markus Reuter, translates as departure or emergence. Either definition offers an evocative interpretation of the powerfully immersive soundworld they’ve conjured together, but even more suggestive is the ambiguity between the two meanings.
Brian Setzer – Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy [Reissue/2003] LP (Surfdog)
Limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing. A musician’s musician who’s credited with continually taking chances with innovative and daring musical styles, Brian Setzer took two forgotten genres, rockabilly and swing, added his own blend of gunpowder and rockin’ style, and completely reinvented and single-handedly resurrected them in the process. Available on vinyl for the first time, his deeply personal 2003 solo effort Nitro Burnin’ Funny Daddy finds the music icon offering up a lean and varied collection sans horns and touching on themes of love, faith and death with his signature guitar playing leading the way.
Shadows Fall – Of One Blood [Reissue/2000] LP (M-Theory Audio)
Limited-edition color vinyl pressing of the seminal breakthrough album from the Grammy-nominated NWOBHM pioneers.
Shinedown – Leave A Whisper [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Shinedown – Us & Them [Reissue/2003] LP (Atlantic)
Shinedown – The Sound Of Madness [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Shinedown – Threat To Survival [Reissue/2015] LP (Atlantic)
Limited-edition color vinyl reissues of the Florida hard rock band’s first, second, third and fifth albums.
The Time – The Time [Reissue/1981] 2xLP (Rhino)
Double red and white color vinyl pressing of the debut album by Morris Day’s band, The Time, written and produced with, and performed almost entirely, by Prince with vocals from Day.
Twin Shadow – Twin Shadow LP (Cheree Cheree)
Twin Shadow, the fifth album under George Lewis’s musical moniker of Twin Shadow, brims with joy. These ten songs are imbued with the same energy and curiosity that compels someone to first pick up an instrument and noodle around, not because they harbor aspirations to write a hit but rather for the thrill of hearing- and feeling-what’s capable of happening when a string is plucked or a hand brushes over a snare.
Uptown Bones – Time To Die LP (Sister Raygun)
Philly’s pre-indie darlings travel from dorm-room teen-jangle to bar-room sludge-rock bombast to basement psych and back again on this remastered sampler compiled from long-lost tapes.
Various Artists – Pride 2021 LP (Rhino)
Limited rose-color vinyl pressing. Offering a multi-faceted LGBTQ+ experience, this stellar set brings together old classics and new anthems for the most fabulous musical accompaniment to the summer of 2021.
Velvet Insane – Rock ‘N’ Roll Glitter Suit LP (Wild Kingdom)
On their new album, the Swedish rockers goes wam bam glam and wrings the clock back to 1973. Rock ‘N’ Roll Glitter Suit brings back memories of a time when Slade, T. Rex, David Bowie and Roxy Music were topping the charts.
The ZZ Quartet – Midnight In Europe LP (In & Out)
This third outing by the ZZ Quartet, co-led by guitarist Ratko Zjaca and accordionist Simone Zanchini, finds the intrepid improvisers and virtuosos on their respective instruments stretching and exploring in separate live settings last year. Recorded in pre-pandemic times at the Milestone Jazz Club in Piacenza and at the Cantina Bentivoglio during the 2019 Bologna Jazz Festival, Midnight In Europe finds Zjaca and Zanchini taking liberties with some of their own tunes they had previously recorded on two previous studio recordings, 2010’s “The Way We Talk” and 2013’s “Beyond The Lines”.
Cassettes:
Cory Hanson – Pale Horse Rider (Drag City)
Lingering at the remains of a campfire before dawn, with the politics of the personal burnt into ash, running his stick through what’s left, Wand singer/guitarist Cory Hanson is reflecting on a series of moments in which he steps farther into himself, finding the ultimate big sky country on the inside of his skull. It’s a combination of songs and sounds that journey through bleak and broken territory and places of sweet, lush remove, and it adds up to the best record he’s been involved in yet: his second solo album, Pale Horse Rider.
Matt Sweeny & Bonnie Prince Billy – Superwolves (Drag City)
They look like we do and may live somewhat the same. Yet, they are multiplied. Where once was Superwolf, now are Superwolves. What world, REALLY are Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy from? A place of all-music, knowing no borders, no morals other than natural tribal lines to be violated in the name of love and light, for all together.
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