Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Jade Bird – Different Kinds Of Light CD/2xLP/Cassette (Glassnote)
Acclaimed young British singer-songwriter Jade Bird returns with her sophomore record, Different Kinds Of Light. The RCA studios in Nashville and the North American country/alt-rock music scene feature heavily in the life cycle of this new album as that’s where Jade recorded most of it with powerhouse producer Dave Cobb. In the studio with Cobb, the two let Jade’s sound find its groove, joining tough ‘90s alt-rock and the melodicism of Blur and Oasis at their sweetest to the taut rattle of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”. There’s also the spirit of Fleetwood Mac’s pop epics. Stevie Nicks’ “Storms” inspired Different Kinds Of Light‘s title track, written in summer 2019 while Jade toured the US with Jason Isbell and Father John Misty.
Jungle – Loving In Stereo CD/LP/Cassette (Caiola)
Jungle’s new album Loving In Stereo is the soundtrack for a summer quite unlike any other. The British producer duo has created a huge disco record for the post-social distancing age, with a life-affirming, dancefloor-igniting, sun-kissed celebration of all the things that make music irresistibly joyful. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing, and value-added sticker sheet are available.]
Ben Platt – Reverie CD (Atlantic)
Revierie is “a collision of the many sides to Ben Platt. Tales of romantic turbulence are told with emotional availability, spotlighted with dramatic production and showered with unapologetic pop sensibilities that feel wonderfully euphoric. Enthused, Ben says; ‘Reverie refers to sort of a daydream, and when I think of daydreams, it’s often subconsciously. They’re often about something that you aren’t necessarily processing in your normal life, or that you aren’t able to name yet in the kind of literal way. It’s like you are kind of dreaming in a way that’s out of your control.’ There’s something enchantedly trance-like to Reverie. The vocal often becomes distorted and the tempo gracefully rises and falls like a beating heart. Slick, silky soundscapes leave amble space for exploration, allowing listeners to dive in and explore Ben’s imagination, his anxieties, and his hopes and dreams.” – Clash Music [Vinyl edition due next year.]
Watchhouse – Watchhouse CD/LP (Tiptoe Tiger Music)
Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse – the critically acclaimed roots music duo who until recently were known as Mandolin Orange – deliver their new self-titled album. With the change of name comes an artistic rebirth: While still firmly rooted in poetic Appalachian folk, there’s a sonic adventurousness informed by American primitivism and ambient soundscapes that gives Marlin and Frantz’s songs a new, unknowable allure. Watchhouse is audacious, spectral music that wrestles with and finds magic in the relationships we build with our families, our society, our planet, and ourselves. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Pachyman – The Return Of Pachyman CD/LP (ATO)
The Return Of Pachyman is a supernatural force from a brave new world that’s a little bit San Juan, a little L.A., and a whole lot of Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica. Designed to be a resurrection of sound systems from the past through which we can celebrate a post-Trump future, the record shows that blasting off into reggae’s deep space has never gone out of style. [A limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Snoh Aalegra – Temporary Highs In The Violent Skies CD (Roc Nation)
Snoh won Best New Artist at the 2020 Soul Train Awards and Best New R&B Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. The artist is also a known commodity in the fashion space having worked with some of the biggest brands and designers in the world. [Vinyl edition due August 27.]
Afterlife – Part Of Me CD/LP (Hopeless)
Sophomore album from the metalcore four-piece. [A limited-edition yellow with red splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]
alexalone – ALEXALONEWORLD CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
The sounds of alexalone will usher you into warm, fuzzy, lonely spaces, then shock you alive with pulsing energy. Musically, they draw inspiration from Low, Boris and Yo La Tengo, among other bands who tease out paradox through sound, and who continually seek new creative terrain. [A limited-edition burgundy and black color vinyl pressing is available.]
Anaal Nathrakh – When Fire Rains Down From The Sky, Mankind Will Reap As It Has Sown [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Anaal Nathrakh – Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here [Reissue/2007] CD/LP (Metal Blade)
CD and color vinyl reissues of the first EP fourth full-length album by the British extreme metal duo.
Paul Anka – Making Memories CD (Green Hill)
The legendary singer/songwriter and pop music icon presents all-new recordings of some of his signature songs as well as newly minted classics.
Joan Armatrading – Consequences CD/LP (BMG)
Consequences, Joan Armatrading’s new album, is one of her most intimate and direct releases yet and one that wears its conscience and its heart on its sleeve. Her 22nd studio effort to date, it ably illustrates the fact that Armatrading never likes to repeat herself. It is a very different follow-up to 2018’s Top 30 hit “Not Too Far Away”. With her heartfelt, direct and melodic trademark vocal style and lyrics that tell it exactly how it is and a strong rhythmic flow throughout, Consequences is an album of some surprises for sure but couched in a passionate intensity that benefits from listening to it straight through from start to finish. A complete aural experience and an uncompromising tour de force that engages and gets better with every listen.
Devendra Banhart / Noah Georgeson – Refuge CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Last spring, Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson started to make a record that was like nothing they had made before – an ambient album that would be both a haven from a suddenly terrified world and a heartfelt musical dialogue between two men who have been friends and collaborators for over two decades. Refuge is an album of profound meditative beauty which offers the listener a much-needed sense of peace and renewal. But while it was recorded in 2020 its roots go back much further – all the way to the start of their friendship and, beyond that, to the shared sounds and ethics of their childhoods. [A limited-edition ‘seaglass wave’ color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bendigo Fletcher – Fits Of Laughter CD/LP (Elektra)
Debut album from the Louisville, KY band. On Fits Of Laughter, frontman Ryan Anderson crafts the patchwork poetry of his lyrics by serenely observing the world around him. When matched with the band’s gorgeously jangly collision of country and folk-rock and dreamy psychedelia, the result is story-songs graced with raw humanity, wildly offbeat humor, and a transcendent sense of wonder.
Boogie Belgique – Nightwalker Vol. 1 CD/2xLP (Le Plan)
A nostalgic mélange of trip hop, nu jazz and electro, Boogie Belgique is the recording project of Belgian producer/DJ Oswald Cromheecke. Boogie Belgique’s music can be described as a fusion of old and new, vintage yet innovative music that you can play on a dance floor or in your living room.
Jade Bird – Different Kinds Of Light CD/2xLP/Cassette (Glassnote)
Acclaimed young British singer-songwriter Jade Bird returns with her sophomore record, Different Kinds Of Light. The RCA studios in Nashville and the North American country/alt-rock music scene feature heavily in the life cycle of this new album as that’s where Jade recorded most of it with powerhouse producer Dave Cobb. In the studio with Cobb, the two let Jade’s sound find its groove, joining tough ‘90s alt-rock and the melodicism of Blur and Oasis at their sweetest to the taut rattle of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”. There’s also the spirit of Fleetwood Mac’s pop epics. Stevie Nicks’ “Storms” inspired Different Kinds Of Light‘s title track, written in summer 2019 while Jade toured the US with Jason Isbell and Father John Misty.
Camouflage – Meanwhile [Reissue/1991] 2xCD/2xLP+12” (Bureau B)
30th anniversary remastered edition, expanded with extended versions, B-sides, remixes and demos. Founded in the southern German city of Bietigheim-Bissingen by Heiko Maile, Oliver Kreyssig and Marcus Meyn in the year 1984, Camouflage scored an unexpected international hit with their debut album Voices & Images in 1988. Their sophomore album Methods Of Silence, released just a year later, was an even bigger success. Songs like “The Great Commandment” and “Love Is A Shield”, went on to become perennial classics of the synth pop genre. For the production of their third album Meanwhile Heiko Maile and Marcus Meyn (Oliver Kreyssig has left the band by then) were striking a new path. They recorded the songs with a band lineup with real drums, bass, guitar and keyboards.
Joey Cape – A Good Year To Forget CD (Fat Wreck Chords)
A Good Year To Forget, a record that was written during a year that saw singer-songwriter Joey Cape lose his father, separate from his wife of 20 years, contract COVID, and move back in with his parents as a result of a livelihood lost. Pretty heavy themes here but all extremely relatable. [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Chrome – Scaropy CD/LP (Cleopatra)
13th studio album from the influential experimental rock band and surrealistic proto industrialists. [A limited-edition silver color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Sheryl Crow – Live From The Ryman And More 2xCD (Valory)
A 27-song set captured live in 2019 at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ cutting-edge Ace Theatre and the legendary Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. [Vinyl edition due September 3.]
Dan + Shay – Good Things CD/LP (Warner Nashville)
The first studio album from the country music duo since 2018’s Dan + Shay. Includes the singles “Glad You Exist”, “I Should Probably Go To Bed”, and more.
Def3 & Late Night Radio – Weddings & Funerals CD/LP (Urbnet)
Weddings & Funerals juxtaposes the rush of togetherness and new life with loss and grief. The album came together over a two-year period, during which time LNR and Def3 consistently pushed each other to develop their niche sound. Notably, during production Def3 also became a father and re-located to Vancouver, BC. The album title holds literal meaning for Def3, who celebrated his wedding and buried his grandfather in the same week, but it is also a metaphor for deeper themes and intangible disruptors.
Destruction – Live Attack 2xCD+Blu-ray (Napalm)
Since their debut EP, Sentence Of Death (1984), German foursome Destruction has turned heads and broken necks with their incredibly honest and uncompromising thrash metal power.
El Michels Affair Meets Liam Bailey – Ekundayo Inversions CD/LP (Big Crown)
There has always been a reggae influence in the music of El Michels Affair. From their cover of “Hung Up On My Baby” done in a reggae style, to the general sound and approach that permeates Leon’s production techniques. While recording Bailey’s 2020 Ekundayo album, they did some straightforward reggae tunes inspired by different eras alongside some modern R&B tracks that would fit more comfortably next to Frank Ocean than Jacob Miller. It is this same notion that old and new can live so comfortably together that birthed the idea of Ekundayo Inversions. [A limited-edition translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Enhypen – Border : Hakanai [Standard Edition] CDEP (Geffen)
Enhypen – Border : Hakanai [Limited Edition A] CDEP+DVD (Geffen)
Enhypen – Border : Hakanai [Limited Edition B] CDEP (Geffen)
Debut Japanese single by the K-pop group – available in a variety of collectable configurations.
Explorer Tapes – Explorer Tapes CD/LP (Omnivore)
The story of Explorer Tapes is a classic tale of popular music. Two guys from the Dallas/Fort Worth area take a lifelong friendship and decide to start a band. They gather some additional talented musicians from the surrounding area, write some songs, play some shows, make some videos, then pack everyone in a van and drive to Los Angeles with the hope of getting signed to a publishing company, a record label, or even better, both. This is, in fact, what happened to the group.
Foxing – Draw Down The Moon CD/LP (Hopeless)
An album about cosmic insignificance that was inspired by games such as Dungeons And Dragons and Zork, Draw Down The Moon was produced by Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra. [A hot pink color vinyl pressing was release last week.]
Marta Gabriel – Metal Queens CD/LP (Listenable)
Marta Gabriel is known as the front woman of heavy metal power force Crystal Viper, who recently released a brand-new studio album The Cult. She’s also a seasoned session musician, and either was a a guest on albums, or appeared on stage with acts as Vader, Manilla Road, Jack Starr’s Burning Starr, Majesty and Witch Cross.
Gang Of Four – 77-81 4xCD (Matador)
CD edition now available. 77-81 is a stunning, limited edition box set gathering Gang Of Four’s influential early work. Includes digitally remastered editions of Entertainment! (1979) and Solid Gold (1981) plus a CD compiling the non-album singles and a fourth CD featuring an unreleased 1980 live show. The 100-page book details the history and legacy of the original Gang Of Four with never before seen photos, contributions from surviving original band members, rare posters, ephemera, flyers, essays, artwork, liner notes and more. It also marks the first official publication of their lyrics
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 2—Carousel 2-14-68 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
“The Grateful Dead’s Valentine’s Day 1968 performance at the Carousel Ballroom in San Francisco was only one of the many live and studio sources for Anthem Of The Sun, an elaborately edited and overdubbed effort the assembly of which stretched over many months.” – William Ruhlmann
Luke Hemmings – When Facing The Things We Turn Away From CD (Arista)
Luke Hemming’s debut solo album features the single “Starting Line”, which showcases Luke’s introspective and reflective songwriting alongside a driving beat and otherworldly guitar that takes hold as the track builds with production from Luke’s collaborator and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Sammy Witte (Maggie Rogers, Jessie Ware). [Vinyl edition due November 12.]
Jennifer Hudson – Respect [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] CD/2xLP (Epic)
Original soundtrack to the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect starring Jennifer Hudson. Features 18 tracks: 17 Aretha Franklin covers and one original, all performed by Jennifer Hudson.
Joy Orbison – Still Slipping Vol. 1 CD/LP (XL Recordings)
Joy Orbison’s new long-form project – a 14-track mixtape titled Still Slipping Vol. 1. – is a deeply personal project featuring close family members alongside a roll call of perfectly curated musical collaborators.
Jungle – Loving In Stereo CD/LP/Cassette (Caiola)
Jungle’s new album Loving In Stereo is the soundtrack for a summer quite unlike any other. The British producer duo has created a huge disco record for the post-social distancing age, with a life-affirming, dancefloor-igniting, sun-kissed celebration of all the things that make music irresistibly joyful. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing, and value-added sticker sheet are available.]
The Killers – Pressure Machine CD/LP (Island)
The Killers’ seventh studio album, Pressure Machine, is about the small town of Nephi, Utah where frontman Brandon Flowers spent his youth. The songs are extremely personal and cover a spectrum of emotions in connection to growing up in a rural setting. The album was co-produced by the band, Shawn Everett, and Jonathan Rado (Foxygen), all of whom worked together on 2020’s Imploding The Mirage. When the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the promotional run and worldwide tour for Imploding The Mirage, “everything came to this grinding halt,” says Flowers. “And it was the first time in a long time for me that I was faced with silence. And out of that silence this record began to bloom, full of songs that would have otherwise been too quiet and drowned out by the noise of typical Killers records.”
Hus Kingpin – Portishus CD/LP (The Winners)
Hus Kingpin is an underground fixture whose evocative, understated music fits firmly within the lane that fellow Long Island native Roc Marciano blazed a decade ago.
Nicki Minaj – Beam Me Up Scotty CD (Republic)
This reissue of Minaj’s third mix tape (originally released in 2009) has been updated with the outtake “Boss Ass Bitch (Remix)” with PTAF and Chi-Raq with G Herbo, as well as three brand new tracks “Seeing Green” with Drake & Lil Wayne, “Crocodile Teeth” with Skillibeng and “Fractions”.
Pachyman – The Return Of Pachyman CD/LP (ATO)
The Return Of Pachyman is a supernatural force from a brave new world that’s a little bit San Juan, a little L.A., and a whole lot of Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica. Designed to be a resurrection of sound systems from the past through which we can celebrate a post-Trump future, the record shows that blasting off into reggae’s deep space has never gone out of style. [A limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ben Platt – Reverie CD (Atlantic)
Revierie is “a collision of the many sides to Ben Platt. Tales of romantic turbulence are told with emotional availability, spotlighted with dramatic production and showered with unapologetic pop sensibilities that feel wonderfully euphoric. Enthused, Ben says; ‘Reverie refers to sort of a daydream, and when I think of daydreams, it’s often subconsciously. They’re often about something that you aren’t necessarily processing in your normal life, or that you aren’t able to name yet in the kind of literal way. It’s like you are kind of dreaming in a way that’s out of your control.’ There’s something enchantedly trance-like to Reverie. The vocal often becomes distorted and the tempo gracefully rises and falls like a beating heart. Slick, silky soundscapes leave amble space for exploration, allowing listeners to dive in and explore Ben’s imagination, his anxieties, and his hopes and dreams.” – Clash Music [Vinyl edition due next year.]
Pop Smoke – Faith CD (Victor)
Faith is the second posthumous studio album by rapper Pop Smoke. It serves as the follow-up to Pop Smoke’s commercially and critically successful debut studio album, Shoot Tor The Stars, Aim For The Moon (2020). The album features guest appearances from Kanye West, Pusha T, Rick Ross, The-Dream, 42 Dugg, 21 Savage, Takeoff, Lil Tjay, Swae Lee, Future, Chris Brown, Dua Lipa, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, Quavo and Kodak Black, among others.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise – RKS! Live From Athens Georgia 2xCD/3xLP (Elektra)
Genre-defying, Nashville-based quintet Rainbow Kitten Surprise release their first official live album, RKS! Live From Athens Georgia. The 25-song collection was recorded during a two-night stand at The Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA, on the band’s 2019 sold out North American tour. [Vinyl edition features an etched D-side.]
Jack Russell’s Great White – Great Zeppelin II: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin CD/LP (Deadline Music)
Powerhouse vocalist Jack Russell leads a re-re-reformed Great White through a second salute to Led Zeppelin. [A limited-edition silver & red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Samia – Scout CDEP (Grand Jury)
Following the huge success of her The Baby and The Baby Reimagined albums, Samia’s brand new EP Scout showcases her diverse musical palate, traversing the plains of gloriously infectious pop and atmospheric indie before serving up a winsome ballad and a cover of When In Rome’s “The Promise” with Jelani Aryeh.
Scritti Politti – Cupid & Psyche 85 [Reissue/1985] CD/LP (Rough Trade)
Scritti Politti – Anomie & Bonhomie [Reissue/1999] CD/2xLP (Rough Trade)
Despite the series of radical shifts that underpinned its creation, Scritti Politti’s second album Cupid & Psyche 85 achieved the virtually impossible. While everything was scaled up – the ambition, the sound, the audience – the singular artistic vision that drove the group not only remained intact and undiluted in these bigger surroundings, but became more inventive, more adventurous and, ultimately, more beloved. The group erupted back into life with 1999s Anomie & Bonhomie. Recalibrated, re-evaluated, re-imagined and, eventually, rewarded. Anomie & Bonhomie is the heady results of this artistic rebirth. Illuminated by the band’s stylish pure pop spotlight, collaborations with Mos Def, Lee Majors and Wendy Melvoin give the record a neon-lit, nocturnal shimmer.
Slaughter To Prevail – Kostolom CD (Sumerian)
New album from the deathcore band.
$uicideboy$ – Long Term Effects Of Suffering CD (G59 Records LLC)
New album from the hip-hop duo comprised of Ruby da Cherry and $lick Sloth.
Sun Ra – Lanquidity 2xCD/4xLP (Strut)
The definitive edition of Sun Ra’s classic Lanquidity album from 1978 with brand new 2xCD and 4xLP box set editions. Recorded overnight at Bob Bank’s Blank Tapes on July 17, 1978 after the Arkestra had appeared on Saturday Night Live, the album is unique in the Ra catalogue. “Most critics felt that it was more of a fusion-inspired record,” explains Michael Ray. As the name suggests, the album is liquid and languid. Bob Blank continues, “Musically, it was very ad hoc and freeform. There were horn charts, but most tracks came out of improvised jams. Sun Ra just did his thing.”
Trash Boat – Don’t You Feel Amazing? CD/LP (Hopeless)
After a year of silence UK based band Trash Boat returned in February with their new single “He’s So Good”, a song about familial ties being destroyed by people not being able to accept LGBTQ members of their family. The song set the stage for Trash Boat’s new album Don’t You Feel Amazing?, which was produced by Grammy award winning producer Jason Perry (Molotov, Don Broco, McBusted). The album tackles more serious issues (sexuality, drugs, hate) than their previous two releases and sonically expands from their pop punk roots bringing in influences that range from metal to hip-hop.
The Ugly Kings – Strange, Strange Times CD/LP (Napalm)
The Melbourne, Australia based gritty alternative rockers release their bombastic sophomore album. Equal parts darkened power blues and raw punk with a metallic rock edge, The Ugly Kings channel the flavor of groups like Queens Of The Stone Age and The White Stripes while preserving razor sharp, daringly introspective control with clever lyricism and addictive riffage.
Suzie Ungerleider – My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider CD/LP (MVKA Music)
Two-time Canadian Juno Award nominee Suzie Ungerleider officially opens a new chapter of her already distinguished and highly successful career with the release of her new album. My Name Is Suzie Ungerleider bursts with trademark evocative melodies and trenchant lyrics.
Unreqvited – Beautiful Ghosts CD/LP (Prophecy)
Pop music basically has one universal topic: love, which is probably the very reason why metal bands generally shy away from that subject like the plague. With his sixth Unreqvited album Beautiful Ghosts, driving force and sole member 鬼 has set out to fearlessly explore this for headbangers rather scary emotion. According to the multi-instrumentalist there are strong themes of love, passion, and devotion on this record.
Various Artists – Rip It Up: The Best Of Specialty Records CD/LP (Craft Recordings)
Rip It Up: The Best Of Specialty Records brings together some of the most important tracks to be released on the notable Los Angeles record label. Founded in 1945 by Art Rupe, Specialty Records made a giant impact in the fields of gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, and R&B. With legendary artists including Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Sam Cooke and Roy Milton – this compilation features 18 tracks that helped to shape R&B as we know it.
Watchhouse – Watchhouse CD/LP (Tiptoe Tiger Music)
Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz of Watchhouse – the critically acclaimed roots music duo who until recently were known as Mandolin Orange – deliver their new self-titled album. With the change of name comes an artistic rebirth: While still firmly rooted in poetic Appalachian folk, there’s a sonic adventurousness informed by American primitivism and ambient soundscapes that gives Marlin and Frantz’s songs a new, unknowable allure. Watchhouse is audacious, spectral music that wrestles with and finds magic in the relationships we build with our families, our society, our planet, and ourselves. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Wolf Jaw – Starting Gun CD/LP (Listenable)
New album from the raging, fuzz-fueled, groove-firing riff machine.
Brandee Younger – Somewhere Different CD (Impulse!)
Brandee Younger is a performer, composer and educator. She leads her own ensemble and has worked with such musicians as Pharaoh Sanders, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, and Common. Somewhere Different was recorded in New York City and at the legendary Van Gelder Studios. The record evokes nostalgic black soul, informed by pioneering harpists Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby as well as ’90s R&B groups like SWV and Xscape. The album features appearances by legendary bassist Ron Carter, and Tarriona Tank Ball.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
7 Seconds – The Crew [Reissue/1984] LP (Trust)
This vinyl reissue of the Nevada punk band’s debut album features remastered audio as well as extensive liner notes including an oral history of the band and reflections by Ian MacKaye, Jello Biafra, Keith Morris, Damian Abraham, Brian Baker, Fat Mike, Roger Miret, BYO founders Mark and Sean Stern, and others.
Acid Dad – Take It From The Dead LP (Ras)
Recently released on CD – now available on translucent yellow color vinyl. 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.
Charli Adams – Bullseye LP (Ultra)
After writing for artists like Chloe Moriondo, Peach Pit and Valley, Charli Adams delivers her debut record Bullseye featuring guests Ruston Kelly, Nightly and Novo Amor. The album title is inspired by a nickname Justin Vernon gave her playing darts at a Nashville dive bar. Bullseye came to represent her more liberated self after a toxic, conservative, upbringing in Alabama where Adams was captain of the cheer team and a worship leader at church before leaving it all to pursue music in Nashville at age 17.
Francisco Aguabella – Hitting Hard [Reissue/1977] LP (Ubiquity)
Hitting Hard originally is widely regarded as one of Aguabella’s seminal works, with its street-style rare groove fusing Brazilian, salsa, Latin jazz, and funk flavors. Playing with a talented cast of heavyweights including San Francisco vibist Nerio de Gracia, the dynamic Cedric Deon Bi on vocals, and percussion great Armando Peraza.
Tori Amos – Under The Pink [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Featuring the unforgettable “Cornflake Girl”, Under The Pink entered the UK charts at #1 upon its 1994 release, and “God” topped the US modern rock charts. This edition has been recut by producer Jon Astley and delivers the original track listing across two LPs.
Astral Doors – Requiem Of Time [Reissue/2010] LP (Metalville)
White color vinyl reissue of the fifth studio album by the Swedish hard rock legends.
Babymetal – 10 Babymetal Years LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Recently released on CD – now available on color 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.
Black Light Collective – Black Light Collective LP (Ropeadope)
Black Light Collective is Dave McMurray – producer and saxophonist and original member of Was (not Was) and his hand-picked band of Detroit natives. Rayse Biggs, Luis Resto, Larry Fratangelo (Parliament/Funkadelic), Kenneth Gill, Allen Dennard, and more come together with a solid tribute to the jazz of the ‘60s and ‘70s, when music had a groove and a message: Musicians had something to say and weren’t afraid to say it.
Caterina Barbieri – Fantas Variations 2xLP (Editions Mego)
“Fantas” is the epic opening track on Caterina Barbieri’s acclaimed 2019 release Ecstatic Computation. The original “Fantas” laid out a magical path of patterns leading the listener on a journey into the sound itself. Fantas Variations maps out eight new potentials sprung from this initial path as constructed by a diverse mix of artists lending to a wide spectrum of new works extrapolated from the original work. For this project Barbieri invited friends and longtime collaborators from a variety of musical backgrounds to create a more sustainable and inclusive landscape in terms of stylistic, geographical, gender and generational balance.
Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine – No More Selfies / The Ghost Of Vince Lombardi 7” (Alternative Tentacles)
Limited-edition 7” single from the psychobilly project led by Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys).
Caskets – Lost Souls LP (Sharptone)
Yellow & black color vinyl. It was Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington that first ignited the spark in Caskets vocalist Matt Flood. The parallels are clear. Caskets’ sound builds around Matt’s dynamic vocals, honed through a range of previous musical endeavors, and perfectly complimenting the band’s mastery of heavy and soft. But it’s their forward-thinking attitude that better aligns both bands, Matt’s vocal hero paving a new path for melody and metal, and Caskets now set to further reinvent expectations of metalcore and post-hardcore.
Cerebral Rot – Excretion Of Mortality LP (20 Buck Spin)
Ascending from the odious decay of their first album, Cerebral Rot passes from animal to human contagion with a new more purulent virus on Excretion Of Mortality. A return of such festering decrepitude and anatomical canker as befits the true adherents of vile and sick underground death metal. Soaked in the swamp of radioactive sewage, Cerebral Rot’s tumor like growth on this release bludgeons with a hammering heaviness that few can manage or survive. [A limited-edition multi-color violet/red pressing is available.]
Lucinda Chua – Antidotes LP+MP3 (4AD)
Lucinda Chua is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and singer-songwriter based in South London with British, Malaysian and ancient Chinese heritage. She predominantly uses her voice, cello, effects and piano to write stunning pop ambient songs.
Chunk! No Captain Chunk! – Gone Are The Good Days 2xLP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! ‘pull off a magic trick’ on their fourth album by staying true to their pop-punk/metal path while finding new avenues to travel down.
The Cold Stares – Heavy Shoes LP (Mascot)
Limited gold color 180gm vinyl pressing. Dirty fuzzed-up rock and roll meet blues, garage, desert rock and a Southern Gothic sensibility, an intense amalgam of Led Zeppelin meets Free, Soundgarden meets Black Crowes. [CD edition due August 27.]
Cub Scout Bowling Pins – Clang Clang Ho LP (Guided By Voice)
Recently released on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Cub Scout Bowling Pins hop in the Magic Taxi, turn on the AM radio and time travel 40 to 45 years back in time. The project is mysteriously presented, but it’s a thinly veiled alias of the ridiculously prolific and talented Guided By Voices. Minus the usual punk and prog influences, there are strong whiffs of bubble gum, psych and soft rock with sugary doses of ornate baroque pop.
Declaime – The Last Stand 2xLP (SomeOthaShip)
Declaime takes a stand with his newest release, The Last Stand, which is sure to grab your attention. The album features a host of producers and artists incudling Latoiya Williams – who has enhanced many artists (Snoop, Jay-z, Kurupt, etc.) – and Joseph “Lovedragon” Liemburg aka the Ice Lord.
John Denver – Poems, Prayers & Promises [Reissue/1971] LP (Sony Legacy)
John Denver, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and Poet Laureate of Colorado, released over 20 studio albums in his three-decade career; 12 Gold and 4 Platinum to go along with a string of Gold singles. Poems, Prayers & Promises is arguably the album that put Denver on the map. Featuring his first worldwide hit and signature song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” the album also includes the enduring classics “Sunshine On My Shoulders”, “I Guess He’d Rather Be In Colorado”, and the title track “Poems, Prayers and Promises”.
Erasure – The Neon Remixed LP (Mute)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. This 18-track album includes all new remixes from Kim Ann Foxman, HiFi Sean, Octo Octa, Paul Humphreys (OMD), Saint, Brixxtone, Theo Kottis, Matt Pop, Armageddon Turk, 808 Beach, Gareth Jones + Andy Bell, GRN, Stella Polaris and Can Love Be Synth.
GosT – Rites Of Love And Reverence LP+CD (Century Media)
The greatest artists are restless souls, in constant need of fresh inspiration. Once again, in 2021, the dark soul known as GosT is undergoing another dazzling transformation. When touring plans were shelved during 2020’s pandemic fall-out GosT simply returned home and dedicated himself to evolving his skills in a variety of digital media. As a result, the arrival of new album Rites Of Love And Reverence coincides with the holistic expansion of his vision. It offers an immersive journey fueled by dystopian chaos and shrouded in futuristic mystery.
Grateful Dead – Grateful Dead (Skulls & Roses) Live 2021 Remaster 2xLP (Grateful Dead)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For the Grateful Dead’s second live album, released in 1971 and two years after its predecessor Live/Dead, the band delivered an equally magnificent, but entirely different sound. Whereas Live/Dead was a perfect sonic encapsulation of the band at the peak of their primal Dead era, Skull & Roses captures the quintessential quintet, the original five piece band, playing some of their hardest hitting rock ‘n’ roll (“Johnny B. Goode”, “Not Fade Away”), showing off their authentic Bakersfield bona fides (“Me & My Uncle”, “Mama Tried”, “Me & Bobby McGee”), and some originals that would be important parts of the Dead’s live repertoire for the next 24 years (“Bertha”, “Playing In The Band”, “Wharf Rat”).
Hildegard – Hildegard LP (section 1)
Hildegard is the new project from experimental singer-songwriter Helena Deland and multi-instrumentalist and producer Ouri. On their self-titled debut album, Deland’s folk background balances against Ouri’s world of electronic and dance music.
Wayne Horvitz – Dinner At Eight [Reissue/1986] LP (Abstrakce)
Reissue of this amazing 1986 album where drum machines meet improv jazz. Horvitz gathers his drum machine and synths along with his talented friends – Elliot Sharp included- for this original record that is both composed and improvised. An obscure gem by one of the most spirited musicians to populate NY ‘80s avant-garde, a golden era for vanguard attitudes and sounds.
Nick Jaina – Credo LP (Fluff & Gravy)
Nick Jaina started recording Credo in November of 2019 at Fluff and Gravy Studios in Portland, Oregon. Nick had been living mostly in his car, and then hit a cow with that car in Utah and was without any possessions. He used the instruments in the studio to piece together these songs, one by one, testing mics, trying guitar pedals. Soon after, a flood hit the studio and a pandemic hit the world, and Nick was in his home with no one else around to finish the job. “Take the guitar solo myself? Well, okay, if I must!”
Lil Skies – Unbothered LP (Atlantic)
Minted as a rising star, Lil Skies named his 2019 chart-topping and now RIAA certified gold debut album, Shelby, after his mother. As a father himself now, the multiplatinum Waynesboro, PA rapper goes harder than ever on his second full-length offering, Unbothered.
Limina – Hidden Spaces LP (Sonic Ritual)
The debut album from the new project from film and game score composer Tyler Durham comprises six pieces that, taken together, reflect on the ways in which inspiration eases into existence and, through collaboration among muse, body and technology, wrangles its way into being. Combining ideas drawn from ambient electronic music, contemporary classical, and new age, the album openly explores transitive passages and the very nature of the creative process.
Lionheart – The Reality Of Miracles LP (Metalville)
Purple color vinyl pressing of the NWOBHM supergroup’s latest album.
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble – NOW LP (International Anthem)
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble’s previous album, their 2018 debut Where Future Unfolds, had a best new music in Pitchfork, was a Top 50 Album of the Year in Wire Magazine, and was BBC DJ Gilles Peterson’s unequivocal Favorite Album of the Year. NOW is the band’s much anticipated follow- up, which carries on their unique brand of choir-fronted hip-hop-meets-gospel/jazz liberation music, very much a modern-day echo of the Harlem Freedom Singers and/or Eddie Gale’s Black Rhythm Happening. It is a bit heavier on the beats and drum machines, sounding almost like Public Enemy/Bomb Squad working with ESG.
Los Mac’s – GG Session LP (Munster)
Vinyl reissue of the second album by Chilean beat pioneers The Mac’s, recorded in 1967. The band was heavily influenced by the British Invasion sound, as evidenced by their covers of The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Hollies, etc.
Roy Montgomery – That Best Forgotten Work LP (Grapefruit)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For Roy Montgomery, a pioneer of the NZ underground, believes there is always new sonic terrain to investigate. His latest series of albums for Grapefruit marks 40 years of rigorous exploration in which he’s managed to navigate disparate genres, scenes, and atmospheres, always at the forefront of experimental independent music. To commemorate, Grapefruit will be releasing four new Montgomery albums in 2021. The first installment, Island Of Lost Souls, arrived to great acclaim in January. The second and latest album, His Best Forgotten Work, features Montgomery’s rare, brooding vocals across nine gorgeous tracks recorded from his home in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Nadja – Luminous Rot LP (Southern Lord)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nadja is a duo of multi-instrumentalist Aidan Baker and bassist Leah Buckareff – active since 2005 – and making music which can be described as ambient doom, dreamsludge, or metalgaze. Nadja’s signature sound combines the atmospheric textures of shoegaze and ambient/electronic music with the heaviness, density, and volume of metal, noise, and industrial. For their new album, Luminous Rot, the duo retains their overblown/ambient sound, and explore shorter and more tightly structured songs reflecting their interests not only in metal, but post-punk, cold-wave, shoegaze, and industrial.
Obijuan & Philanthrope – Saxred Gin 12” (Bad Taste)
Raw, uncompromising hip-hop created during a time of intense frustration.
Tom Odell – Monsters LP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Brit Award and Ivor Novello award-winning songwriter and platinum-selling, chart-topping artist Tom Odell delivers his fourth album, Monsters. After a dark period of mental health stalked most of his 2018 and 2019, Odell wrote his way through it, eventually letting down his guard and pouring his feelings into new music. The album feels like both a daring creative rebirth and a solidifying of Odell’s strengths.
Os Mutantes – A Divina Comédia Ou Ando Meio Desligado [Reissue/1970] LP (Vinyl Lovers)
Limited 180gm vinyl reissue of Os Mutantes’ A Divina Comédia Ou Ando Meio Desligado, originally released in 1970. This was the third album from Os Mutantes, the geniuses of wacked out Brazilian psychedelic rock. They may have been trying to pay homage to their better-known icons back in the States, but in doing so they created something that went beyond all that until, 30 years later, they became the ones that everyone was trying to imitate.
Pearl Jam – No Code [Reissue/1996] LP (Epic)
Vinyl reissue of Pearl Jam’s fourth album. No Code was more diverse than what the band had done on previous releases, incorporating elements of garage rock and worldbeat.
The Poets Of Rhythm – Discern/Define [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Daptone)
As pioneers in the burgeoning modern funk scene of the ’90s The Poets of Rhythm created new standards, transcending the parameters lesser groups were defined by. With Discern / Define the Poets took their brand of classic funk to the next level by blending elements of rock, psychedelia, afro-beat, jazz and heavy, heavy drums to create a wholly original brand of transcendent, funky soul.
Portico Quartet – Terrain LP (Gondwana)
Terrain is a three-part suite drawing on American minimalism and ambient music alongside their own rich heritage as they explore new musical vistas.
Elvis Presley – His Hand In Mine [Reissue/1960] LP (Friday Music)
Celebrating his lifelong, fundamental love of church music, Elvis Presley’s platinum-certified 1960 gospel classic His Hand In Mine was recorded with the vocal quartet The Jordanaires in October of 1960 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, TN. Propelled by a lofty production courtesy of Steve Sholes, Elvis lets his young, flexible voice swing sonorously here, lightly and airily there, all the while supported by the top-notch Jordanaires.
Pronoun – OMG I Made It 12” (Wax Bodega)
The new EP from Pronoun – the nom de plume of emo-pop auteur Alyse Vellturo – hits like a much-needed catch-up with an old friend you hadn’t seen since all of this happened. Five sparkling songs encapsulating the life of the Brooklyn-based indie label manager by day, bedroom artist by night who’s toured with your favorite formative emo bands.
Corinne Bailey Rae – Corinne Bailey Rae [Reissue/2006] LP (Capitol)
Limited 180gm vinyl pressing. Includes bonus track. Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled debut album features four Top 40 singles including “Like A Star”, “Trouble Sleeping” and “Put Your Records On”.
Ricky Reed – The Room LP (Nice Life Recording Company)
The Room is Ricky Reed’s first artist album since becoming a household-name producer and launching his own label. The project features Leon Bridges, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Dirty Projectors, Terrace Martin, Duendita, Ayoni, Lido Pimienta, St. Panther & John-Robert and more. The music is an invitation to share experiences, commiserate, rejuvenate, and offer hope. It is upbeat in places, meditative always, and has real soul to it.
Rot Away – Nothing Is Good LP (Target/Last Mile)
On Nothing Is Good, the Danish hardcore band has shifted to a heavier and more metallic sound. “A solid metallic hardcore album that wraps things up in a tight 10 tracks, running just over 24 minutes.” – Angry Metal Guy
Patrice Rushen – Straight From The Heart [Reissue/1982] 2xLP (Strut)
Straight From The Heart is the biggest-selling release from versatile artist Patrice Rushen. Originally issued on Elektra in 1982 (her fourth LP for the label), it’s a funk/soul/disco tour de force, with Rushen co-producing, co-writing and arranging all nine tracks.
Ryuichi Sakamoto / David Toop – Garden Of Shadows And Light LP (ThirtyThree)
Garden Of Shadows And Light is the first collaboration between Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Toop, presenting the entirety of a concert performed in London in August 2018. The album’s title takes inspiration from the aesthetics of Japanese gardening, and the spatial metaphor this suggests is apt, as listeners can imagine themselves wandering through a subtly changing environment, chancing on beautiful details and admiring them before moving on.
Joan Shelly – Ginko [Reissue/2012] LP (No Quarter)
Joan Shelly – Electric Ursa [Reissue/2014] LP (No Quarter)
Color vinyl pressings. Originally released in 2012 and long elusive to fans, Ginko is the starting point for Shelley, now revered for her songwriting, “dazzling poetic imagery” (The Guardian) and “radiant sense of calm” (NPR Music). Electric Ursa was recorded out of the spotlight in Louisville, Kentucky. A quiet, 8-song record which brought her to the national stage, prompting Pitchfork to state that “while the album isn’t Shelley’s debut, it is her absolute arrival.”
Silverstein – When Broken Is Easily Fixed [Reissue/2003] LP (Craft Recordings)
Yellow color vinyl pressing of Silverstein’s debut album; a jarring mixture of emo’s earnest determination, elements of hardcore, catchy melodic hooks and even heavy metal.
Strapping Young Lad – SYL [Reissue/2003] LP (Listenable)
Limited-edition color vinyl reissue. Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. Their music was characterized using polyrhythmic guitar riffing and drumming, blast beats and wall of sound production.
Tha God Fahim x Your Old Droog – Tha Wolf On Wall St. 12” (Fat Beats)
New York rapper Your Old Droog and Atlanta rapper/producer Tha God Fahim present their latest collaboration. While Fahim trades in brass-tacks metaphors, Droog leans more toward punchlines and pop culture-laden double-entendre.
Theatre West – Bow To The People [Reissue/1976] 2xLP (Strut)
Formed by DJ/producer Jimmy Gray in Richmond, VA, and following in the footsteps of other influential black-owned independent labels like Strata-East and Tribe, the foundation of Black Fire coincided with saxophonist James “Plunky” Branch returning to Richmond from New York to form Oneness Of Juju. The band’s African Rhythms (1975) was the perfect fusion of jazz, deep African polyrhythms and empowering lyrics. It set the tone for a series of landmark releases on the label including Oneness Of Juju’s Space Jungle Luv (1976) and debuts from soulman Wayne Davis (1976) and early go go pioneers Experience Unlimited (1977). Gray continued to use his influence and strong A&R instincts to bring in more key artists – great jazz players like Byard Lancaster and Hamiet Bluiett, Ghanaian master percussionist Okyerema Asante and talented collectives including Southern Energy Ensemble and music/drama troupe Theatre West.
The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army (The Glitch Mob Remix) 7” (Third Man)
In 2011, The Glitch Mob created an unofficial remix of “Seven Nation Army” which has amassed unground acclaim including an unforgettable feature in the record-shattering trailer for Battlefield V in 2018.Ten years after its unofficial release, the track is available on 7” vinyl. The B-side is an etching of the Third Man logo.
Leslie Winer – When I Hit You-You’ll Feel It 2xLP (Light In The Attic)
When I Hit You-You’ll Feel It spans Winer’s three-decade-long musical career: from her groundbreaking solo work in the early ’90s to her latest inspired projects. Featuring musical contributions from Jon Hassell, Helen Terry, Jah Wobble, Renegade Soundwave’s Karl Bonnie, and others, the collection also spotlights Winer’s diverse collaborations, and unearths previously unreleased recordings. [CD edition due August 27.]
Yes – Songs From Tsongas – 35th Anniversary Concert 4xLP (earMUSIC)
Recorded in May 2004, the classic Yes line up Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White, joined forces to celebrate their historic career.
Cassettes:
Jade Bird – Different Kinds Of Light (Glassnote)
Acclaimed young British singer-songwriter Jade Bird returns with her sophomore record, Different Kinds Of Light. The RCA studios in Nashville and the North American country/alt-rock music scene feature heavily in the life cycle of this new album as that’s where Jade recorded most of it with powerhouse producer Dave Cobb. In the studio with Cobb, the two let Jade’s sound find its groove, joining tough ‘90s alt-rock and the melodicism of Blur and Oasis at their sweetest to the taut rattle of Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”. There’s also the spirit of Fleetwood Mac’s pop epics. Stevie Nicks’ “Storms” inspired Different Kinds Of Light‘s title track, written in summer 2019 while Jade toured the US with Jason Isbell and Father John Misty.
Clairo – Sling (Fader/Republic)
Green-tint color cassette version. 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.
Jungle – Loving In Stereo (Caiola)
Jungle’s new album Loving In Stereo is the soundtrack for a summer quite unlike any other. The British producer duo has created a huge disco record for the post-social distancing age, with a life-affirming, dancefloor-igniting, sun-kissed celebration of all the things that make music irresistibly joyful.
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