Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
All Them Witches – Live On The Internet CD/3xLP (New West)
All Them Witches is known for their loud and lengthy live shows. 2020 found the band releasing their critically acclaimed album, Nothing As The Ideal. An album release from this band would traditionally be followed by a lengthy 18-month tour across the globe. Due to an international pandemic, the band’s touring plans were brought to a halt. This did not stop All Them Witches from assembling in a studio to broadcast a live set for their fans. The set was roundly received as an amazing performance and fans immediately inquired as to whether this show would be available outside of the broadcast. Live On The Internet answers this question.
Jon Batiste – We Are CD (Verve/BMG)
Batiste presents a captivating musical experience to the world rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation, and sensuality. It’s a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others. We Are celebrates Black American culture and music while exploring themes of lineage, authenticity, excellence and evolution. This album is about honoring roots and traditions, while looking forward to the future and constantly evolving.
Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse CD/LP (Century Media)
Approaching nearly 30 years since the beginning of their journey as one of Swedish black metal’s most genuine and unvarnished exemplars, Dark Funeral continue to reach for new heights to bring audiences into its otherworldly and unholy visions on the band’s seventh full-length album, We Are The Apocalypse. The new record, which was written almost entirely during the Coronavirus pandemic, sees the Satanic vanguards deliver their most aggressive and expansive songs to date. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Son House – Forever On My Mind CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)
This new Son House album of previously unreleased recordings from the legendary “Father Of The Delta Blues” features the never before recorded track, “Forever On My Mind”. The album comes from noted blues manager and historian Dick Waterman’s archives which were the first upon Son House’s 1964 re-discovery. Restored to remarkable clarity by producer Dan Auerbach for Easy Eye Sound, these recordings represent the earliest recordings of House upon his return to the limelight after 20 plus years away. [An indie store exclusive black w/ white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mattiel – Georgia Gothic CD/LP (ATO)
Red-leather-clad and pitchfork-wielding in a playful nod to Grant Wood’s celebrated painting of 1930, Mattiel’s Mattiel Brown and Jonah Swilley proffer songs which ponder the American everyday of the 2020s as they serve up an album tasting more like home than ever before. Georgia Gothic, a magic third in Mattiel’s run of full-length albums, was shaped by time spent together on the road touring the first two albums – it is this newfound sense of intimacy between Mattiel’s members that enabled the writing of Georgia Gothic not as two separate musicians, but rather as one creative entity. And it is precisely the forging of Mattiel’s distinct musical identity that Georgia Gothic signals; its members guiding each other ever-homewards not just in a geographical or sonic sense, but spiritually, too. [A red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Brad Mehldau – Jacob’s Ladder CD (Nonesuch)
Brad Mehldau’s new album Jacob’s Ladder features new music that reflects on scripture and the search for God through music inspired by the prog rock Mehldau loved as a young adolescent, which was his gateway to the fusion that eventually led to his discovery of jazz. Featured musicians on the album include Mehldau’s label mates Chris Thile and Cécile McLorin Salvant, as well as Mark Guiliana, Becca Stevens, Joel Frahm, and others. [Vinyl edition due June 4.]
Midlake – For The Sake Of Bethel Woods CD/LP (ATO)
Loss and hope, isolation and communion, the cessation and renewal of purpose. Timeless and salient, these themes echo throughout the fifth album from Midlake, their first since Antiphon in 2013. Produced to layered, loving perfection by John Congleton, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods is an album of immersive warmth and mystery from a band of ardent seekers, one of our generation’s finest: a band once feared lost themselves by fans, perhaps, but here revivified with freshness and constancy of intent. [An indie store exclusive crystal-clear vinyl pressing as well as a deluxe 180gm translucent aqua color vinyl pressing with gatefold foil jacket, custom inner sleeves and an 8.5″ x 11″ lithograph signed by the band.]
Keith Richards – Main Offender [Reissue/1992] CD/2/CD/LP/3xLP+2xCD (BMG)
1992 labor of love Main Offender served as the second solo studio album by Keith Richards. Featuring the standout tracks “Wicked As It Seems” and “Eileen”, the Rolling Stones founder teamed with Talk Is Cheap collaborator Steve Jordan and added Waddy Wachtel to the mix both in composing and producing Main Offender. Sessions with Richards’ group of musician friends known as “The X-Pensive Winos” took place in California and New York City from March to September 1992, with touring in Europe’s autumn and early 1993 in North America. [The double-CD mediabook edition adds the previously unreleased album Winos Live In London ’92. The Deluxe 5-disc box set (2xCD+3xLP) adds an 84-page book with never-before-seen photos, reproductions of a Main Offender Tour guitar pick, promotional posters, a bumper sticker, handwritten lyric sheets, and more. A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Juice Wrld – Fighting Demons CD/2xLP/Cassette (Interscope)
Fighting Demons, the fourth studio album and second posthumous album from Juice Wrld, is now available on vinyl with features from Justin Bieber, Polo G, Trippie Redd, and more.
Various Artists – One Night In Miami… (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP (ABKCO)
Tony-award and Grammy-award winner Leslie Odom Jr. performs Sam Cooke’s most celebrated repertoire in the film One Night In Miami… and on the soundtrack album including “You Send Me”, “Chain Gang”, “Good Times” and “A Change Is Gonna Come”. Apart from his performance of the Sam Cooke material, the soundtrack includes “Speak Now”, a powerful original song co-written and performed by Odom. Music from the film’s original score composed by prolific Academy Award nominee and six-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard is featured on the album.
CDs + Vinyl:
Agathodaimon – The Seven CD (Napalm)
The German dark metal band’s seventh album maintains the old-school spirit of its predecessor In Darkness (2013) but can’t be pigeonholed due to its dynamic and widespread musical styles, evoking a gloomy atmosphere fueled by sharp growls, epic clear vocals and a gripping, exceptional sonic universe.
Deborah Allen – The Art Of Dreaming CD (BFD)
The first album in 10 years from the country music star.
All Them Witches – Live On The Internet CD/3xLP (New West)
All Them Witches is known for their loud and lengthy live shows. 2020 found the band releasing their critically acclaimed album, Nothing As The Ideal. An album release from this band would traditionally be followed by a lengthy 18-month tour across the globe. Due to an international pandemic, the band’s touring plans were brought to a halt. This did not stop All Them Witches from assembling in a studio to broadcast a live set for their fans. The set was roundly received as an amazing performance and fans immediately inquired as to whether this show would be available outside of the broadcast. Live On The Internet answers this question.
April March – In Cinerama CD (Omnivore)
April March has quite the resume: an animator on Pee Wee’s Playhouse and for Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl” video, and collaborating with Brian Wilson, Jack White, LL Cool J, Jonathan Richman, Ronnie Spector, and Bertrand Burgalat. But she also has an acclaimed recording career, heavily influenced by French pop music, making a name for herself in France with her self-produced albums as well as albums with Bertand Burgalat and Aquaserge. Following a quarter century of recording, March unveiled In Cinerama as a vinyl-only release for Record Store Day in 2021. Now, In Cinerama is available on CD with updated artwork, new liner notes (both in English and en Français), printed lyrics, plus two previously unissued bonus tracks (“Goodbye” and “Friends Peculiar”).
Ronnie Atkins – Make It Count CD (Frontiers)
New release from the Danish hard rock singer/songwriter. [Vinyl edition due April 15.]
Jon Batiste – We Are CD (Verve/BMG)
Batiste presents a captivating musical experience to the world rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation, and sensuality. It’s a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others. We Are celebrates Black American culture and music while exploring themes of lineage, authenticity, excellence and evolution. This album is about honoring roots and traditions, while looking forward to the future and constantly evolving.
Blood Youth – Visions Of Another Hell CD (Rudenetworks, SNC)
Blood Youth return with Visions Of Another Hell, a showcase of the band’s talent for interposing antagonistic metal with stunning melody. [Vinyl edition due April 22.]
Marc Bolan & T.Rex – The Alternative Singles Collection 2xCD (Easy Action)
Over the past couple of years, The Alternative Singles vinyl issues have become popular amongst fans with different recordings of each single and sometimes tracks that weren’t singles at the time being issued as such. Most of the recordings are taken from overseas broadcasts, rehearsal sessions, discarded mixes, and unused demos versions but all of them fascinating. The Alternative Singles Collection gathers all the A & B sides of those releases plus some extra bonus tracks.
Broadcast – BBC Maida Vale Sessions CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)
Archive release. Four BBC sessions recorded at the Maida Vale studios between October 1996 and August 2003.
Broadcast – Microtronics – Volumes 1 & 2 CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Archive release. Originally released as tour-only CD EPs in 2003 and 2005, those EPs have been compiled and remastered. Contains 21 instrumental tracks.
Broadcast – Mother Is The Milky Way CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Digitally remastered archive release. Mother Is The Milky Way was originally released as a tour only CD in 2009, the album has been remastered.
Burial – Antidawn CD/LP+MP3 (Hyperdub)
Recently on vinyl – now available on CD. Antidawn reduces Burial’s music to just the vapors. The record explores an interzone between dislocated, patchwork songwriting and eerie, open-world game-space ambience. In the resulting no man’s land, lyrics take precedence over song, lonely phrases color the haze, a stark and fragmented structure makes time slow down. Antidawn seems to tell a story of a wintertime city, and something beckoning you to follow it into the night. The result is both comforting and disturbing, producing a quiet and uncanny glow against the cold. Sometimes, as it enters ‘a bad place’, it takes your breath away. And time just stops.
Charli XCX – Crash CD/LP/Cassette (Atlantic)
Crash is the fifth studio album by singer and songwriter Charli XCX. Visuals for the album include “femme fatale powers and a multitude of dark spells and curses” as well as signature nods to both cars and car crashes. The release is ushered in by the single “New Shapes”, (feat. Caroline Polachek and Christine And The Queens), a huge pop tune which swaps hyper-pop for synth-pop. It’s a song built for a night out, and all three vocalists shine on the track. [An indie store exclusive gray color vinyl pressing is available.]
Cruel Santino – Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN CD (Interscope)
Nigerian multi-hyphenate Cruel Santino has returned with his sophomore album, Subaru Boys: FINAL HEAVEN. Co-produced by Cruel Santino, this 21-track conceptual album is broken up into multiple arcs, each with its own theme and navigator, guiding the listener through a sonic tale of war and glory. Joining Cruel Santino on this epic adventure are the project’s special guests including Skepta, Amaarae, Koffee, Gus Dapperton and a slew of new music darlings from the auteurial “Monster Boy” world.
Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse CD/LP (Century Media)
Approaching nearly 30 years since the beginning of their journey as one of Swedish black metal’s most genuine and unvarnished exemplars, Dark Funeral continue to reach for new heights to bring audiences into its otherworldly and unholy visions on the band’s seventh full-length album, We Are The Apocalypse. The new record, which was written almost entirely during the Coronavirus pandemic, sees the Satanic vanguards deliver their most aggressive and expansive songs to date. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Steve Dawson – Gone, Long Gone CD (Black Hen)
Steve Dawson has always been hard to pin down. A guitarist, a composer, a sought-after musical enabler, and sideman? Of course, he’s all those things and more, but none of those descriptions really do the seven-time Juno Award-winning musician justice. Since moving to Nashville in 2013, it’s been full tilt for the Vancouver native. Gone, Long Gone reflects Dawson’s mastery of songcraft and features brilliant instrumental performances from some of the finest players in roots music. [Vinyl edition due March 25.]
The Dream Syndicate – What Can I Say? No Regrets… Out Of The Gray + Live, Demos & Outtakes 3xCD (Fire)
The Dream Syndicate’s 1986 album is back on CD for the first time in 24 years. Hidden inside of Out Of The Grey are some of Steve Wynn’s strongest songs – “Slide Away” is delightful pop, “Now I Ride Alone” is moody and intense “like the hardboiled typewriting of novelists Jim Thompson, Ross MacDonald, and James Cain” that Wynn dug back in July ’85. The epic “Boston” imagines the era in which Van Morrison was holed-up in that city circa 1967-‘68 writing the songs that comprised Astral Weeks while “50 in a 25 Zone” is a vehicle for a band-driven, slow burn groove.
Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Live In NYC – 1993 2xCD/3xLP+2xCD (Inside Out U.S.)
Another Lost Not Forgotten Archives gem, Live In NYC captures a homecoming performance by New York State natives Dream Theater. Recorded at The Limelight – one of NYC’s most iconic clubs of the 1990s – in support of Images And Words, the set includes the epic fan-favorite “A Change Of Seasons” and is one of the band’s earliest live recorded performances. [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
E-L-R – Vexier CD/LP (Prophecy)
E-L-R’s sophomore full-length Vexier oscillates elegantly between velvet darkness and flaring bursts of high energy. The style of the Swiss has been dubbed ‘doomgaze’ and ‘post-metal’ and both terms apply loosely to the trio’s meandering, down-tempo doom-epics. E-L-R’s hypnotic phrases that are constantly varied and warped in repeating loops are reminiscent of shamanic rituals imbued with psychedelic colors. [A limited-edition dark green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Enuff Z’Nuff – 1985 [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (Deadline Music)
Reissue of the crucial 1994 studio album from melodic rock masters – their first to be released on an independent label after parting ways with the majors. [A blue & red starburst color vinyl pressing is available.]
Erra – Erra CD/2xLP (UNFD)
Determination and steadfast dedication have defined Erra’s path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant’s albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly self-titled Erra. As their music finds the balance between the crushingly heavy and the headily melodic, its members seek to find harmony between the needs of the individual and the natural flow of this shared reality. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive clear w/ blue & black deluxe vinyl edition is available.]
FM – Thirteen CD (Frontiers)
Thirteenth studio album from the melodic rock stalwarts. [A gold color vinyl edition is due April 15.]
Friends Of Hell – Friends Of Hell CD/LP (Rise Above)
Brainchild of former Electric Wizard bassist, Tas Danazodlou, Friends Of Hell also features the enigmatic talents of former Reverend Bizarre vocalist Albert Witchfinder.
Hal Galper – Invitation To Openness: Live At Big Twig CD (Origin)
Pianist Hal Galper disbanded his Ahmad Jamal-inspired trio in 2000 after a productive decade of steady touring and recording. Returning to ‘the shed’ for several years to work on concepts, teach and write, he came to realize that a rubato approach to time and movement-a concept he was first exposed to with Sam Rivers in the early ’60s-was where he was being led. With bassist Tony Moreno & drummer Billy Mintz, Galper found able & willing partners to explore new territories. Invitation To Openness was a brief return to the original rubato trio with Moreno & Mintz, recorded in 2008, live in upstate New York. This indomitable period of innovation, that so remarkably occurred a half century into his career, was enabled by his trio association with Marino and Mintz, so beautifully portrayed by the tracks contained within.
(G)I-DLE – I Never Die CD (Cubevision)
G)I-DLE is a K-pop quintet who construct their own musical universe with their exceptional concepts and songwriting skills – the five members of the group are Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua. Includes photo booklet, lyric paper, paper envelope, selfie photocard, stickers, poster, postcards, and a mini poster.
Colin Hay – Now And The Evermore CD/LP+MP3 (Compass)
Possessing one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices on the planet, former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay faces down struggle, loss and the existential questions about mortality on Now And The Evermore, his first collection of new material since the 2016 release of Fierce Mercy. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing and a limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing are available.]
Fred Hersch – Breath By Breath CD/LP (Palmetto)
Iconic pianist/composer Fred Hersch was an early adopter of new technologies and new ways forward when the pandemic hit in early 2020. But he’s also been among the most eager to return to live performance and collaboration now that life has begun to resume some semblance of normality. In August 2021 he returned to the studio to record one of his most ambitious projects to date: Breath By Breath, his first album ever pairing jazz rhythm section with string quartet.
Marquis Hill – New Gospel Revisited CD (Edition)
New release from the fearless and formidable composer and trumpeter. New Gospel Revisited is an extraordinary live recording that reimagines his debut as a leader with a new band, a new focus and a sharpened ear as a bandleader, composer, and performer. The set is breathtakingly good with a band that sounds as inventive and creative as it reads on paper. Sharing the stage for this album, New Gospel Revisited is an A-list band including Walter Smith III, Joel Ross, James Francies, Kendrick Scott and Harish Raghavan. [Vinyl edition due May 6.]
Hot Water Music – Feel The Void CD/LP (Equal Vision)
Recorded at Black Bear Studios in Gainesville, FL, Feel The Void marks the return of producer Brian McTernan, who worked with the band on 2001’s A Flight And A Crash, 2002’s Caution and 2004’s The New What Next, often thought of as Hot Water Music’s classic period. From the moment the dark, portentous intensity of “Another Breath” kicks the record off, it’s clear that this is a band at the peak of their powers. McTernan’s involvement was incredibly instrumental in channeling that spirit and energy – the intense urgency of “Killing Time”, “Newtown Scraper” and “Scratch On”, the nervous but positive emotional energy of “Hearts Stay Full” and the title track, the soaring chorus of “The Weeds”, the surging, powerful roar of closer “Lock Up”.
Son House – Forever On My Mind CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)
This new Son House album of previously unreleased recordings from the legendary “Father Of The Delta Blues” features the never before recorded track, “Forever On My Mind”. The album comes from noted blues manager and historian Dick Waterman’s archives which were the first upon Son House’s 1964 re-discovery. Restored to remarkable clarity by producer Dan Auerbach for Easy Eye Sound, these recordings represent the earliest recordings of House upon his return to the limelight after 20 plus years away. [An indie store exclusive black w/ white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ray Wylie Hubbard – Co-Starring Too CD/LP (Big Machine)
Rogue. Poet. Rocker. Texas Texture. Ray Wylie Hubbard made such a mark with Co-Starring, his first major label outing with an all-star lineup of his vast network of friends, the always shape-shifting songwriter decided once was not enough. So, the louche beacon of cool went even wider and deeper into his coterie of confidantes, emerging with Co-Starring Too. The second set features a surprisingly eclectic and Texas-centric collection – Willie Nelson, The Bluebonnets, Band Of Heathens, The Last Bandoleros and Steve Earle, plus a Red Dirt collab with Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers and Cross Canadian Ragweed’s Cody Canada. [A limited-edition translucent green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Drone Mass CD/LP (Deutsche Grammophon)
Drone Mass was commissioned by ACME in 2015 in celebration of its 10th anniversary and was premiered by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, ACME, and Roomful Of Teeth In The Temple Of Dendur In The Sackler Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to Jóhannsson, “Drone Mass is a 60-minute contemporary oratorio which fuses the sounds of string quartet, electronics and vocals, and is inspired by texts from the Nag Hammadi library, sometimes referred to as the Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians.”
Juice Wrld – Fighting Demons CD/2xLP/Cassette (Interscope)
Fighting Demons, the fourth studio album and second posthumous album from Juice Wrld, is now available on vinyl with features from Justin Bieber, Polo G, Trippie Redd, and more.
The Legendary Pink Dots – The Museum Of Human Happiness CD/2xLP (Metropolis)
The Legendary Pink Dots has developed a devoted following over its four-decade career. On The Museum Of Human Happiness, the bands unique explorations in textural ambience, rock experimentalism, lyrical imagery, hypnotic guitar & synth washes crate a spellbinding experience. In the era of lock downs, their trademark avant-garde sound is perhaps informed by observing the state of current events.
Ronni Le Tekrø – Bigfoot TV CD/LP (TBC)
Together with his tight band, Bigfoot TV is inspired and vibrant, Ronni’s brilliant guitar is a red thread through the album, and you’ll find references to everything from TNT to Thin Lizzy, Beatles, David Bowie and his own progressive rock albums.
Little Caesar – American Dream [Reissue/2012] CD (Deko Music/Dirty Deeds)
Little Caesar is an American hair metal band founded in the late 1980s by Ron Young. American Dream is a heaping helping of hard rock, blues and soul.
Edgar Loudermilk – The Dark Side Of Lonesome CD (Rural Rhythm)
The bassist and tunesmith whose music is steeped in traditional sounds – while embracing an easygoing melodic sense that gives the performances a modern twist – releases his fourth studio album, The Dark Side Of Lonesome. 13 brand-new bluegrass tracks include “I’m Going Home”, and “The Queen Of Laramie”, as well as traditional favorites “It Is Well with My Soul” and “John Henry”. Collaborators include Reverend W.L. Hopper, Zack Autry, Scott Mehaffey, Mark D. Brinkman, and Tim Stafford.
Mattiel – Georgia Gothic CD/LP (ATO)
Red-leather-clad and pitchfork-wielding in a playful nod to Grant Wood’s celebrated painting of 1930, Mattiel’s Mattiel Brown and Jonah Swilley proffer songs which ponder the American everyday of the 2020s as they serve up an album tasting more like home than ever before. Georgia Gothic, a magic third in Mattiel’s run of full-length albums, was shaped by time spent together on the road touring the first two albums – it is this newfound sense of intimacy between Mattiel’s members that enabled the writing of Georgia Gothic not as two separate musicians, but rather as one creative entity. And it is precisely the forging of Mattiel’s distinct musical identity that Georgia Gothic signals; its members guiding each other ever-homewards not just in a geographical or sonic sense, but spiritually, too. [A red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Brad Mehldau – Jacob’s Ladder CD (Nonesuch)
Brad Mehldau’s new album Jacob’s Ladder features new music that reflects on scripture and the search for God through music inspired by the prog rock Mehldau loved as a young adolescent, which was his gateway to the fusion that eventually led to his discovery of jazz. Featured musicians on the album include Mehldau’s label mates Chris Thile and Cécile McLorin Salvant, as well as Mark Guiliana, Becca Stevens, Joel Frahm, and others. [Vinyl edition due June 4.]
Midlake – For The Sake Of Bethel Woods CD/LP (ATO)
Loss and hope, isolation and communion, the cessation and renewal of purpose. Timeless and salient, these themes echo throughout the fifth album from Midlake, their first since Antiphon in 2013. Produced to layered, loving perfection by John Congleton, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods is an album of immersive warmth and mystery from a band of ardent seekers, one of our generation’s finest: a band once feared lost themselves by fans, perhaps, but here revivified with freshness and constancy of intent. [An indie store exclusive crystal-clear vinyl pressing as well as a deluxe 180gm translucent aqua color vinyl pressing with gatefold foil jacket, custom inner sleeves and an 8.5″ x 11″ lithograph signed by the band.]
Danilo Pérez – Crisálida CD (Mack Avenue)
Incorporating multiple artistic disciplines that include works from Panamanian painter Olga Sinclair, Panamanian photographer Tito Herrera, and spoken word from his Chilean wife and saxophonist Patricia Zárate, Crisálida (“chrysalis”) is a holistic inter-disciplinary package that invites listeners to reimagine a world in which we all create our own crisálida so that our individual light and humanity radiates regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. And, in turn, we nurture that prismatic iridescence to better care for the environment and human race.
Jean-Luc Ponty – Sunday Walk [Reissue/1967] CD/LP (MPS)
Legendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean-Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie. Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, “He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone.” Born in 1942, the French violinist transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa’s urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea’s Return To Forever. On the 1967 Sunday Walk the band saunters through two blues, a waltz, and a standard before reaching Suite for Claudia which begins at a blistering pace with Ponty’s saxophone-like “brilliance and fire” playing. It then settles into a medium swing groove with Wolfgang Dauner’s infectious piano play followed by a smoldering Ponty.
Keith Richards – Main Offender [Reissue/1992] CD/2xCD/LP/3xLP+2xCD (BMG)
1992 labor of love Main Offender served as the second solo studio album by Keith Richards. Featuring the standout tracks “Wicked As It Seems” and “Eileen”, the Rolling Stones founder teamed with Talk Is Cheap collaborator Steve Jordan and added Waddy Wachtel to the mix both in composing and producing Main Offender. Sessions with Richards’ group of musician friends known as “The X-Pensive Winos” took place in California and New York City from March to September 1992, with touring in Europe’s autumn and early 1993 in North America. [The double-CD mediabook edition adds the previously unreleased album Winos Live In London ’92. The Deluxe 5-disc box set (2xCD+3xLP) adds an 84-page book with never-before-seen photos, reproductions of a Main Offender Tour guitar pick, promotional posters, a bumper sticker, handwritten lyric sheets, and more. A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
The Duke Robillard Band – They Called It Rhythm & Blues CD (Stony Plain Music)
For a lifetime Duke Robillard has been playing the jazzy corners of the blues. He was a founder of Roomful Of Blues in the early 1970s and replaced Jimmy Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds in the 1990s and was a core member of the New Guitar Summit through the 2000s, in addition to releasing an astounding 37 albums on his own. He is credited with taking the blues to a new level for multiple generations of blues guitarists.
Rosalía – MOTOMAMI CD (Columbia)
MOTOMAMI is the new album from Grammy Award winning recording artist, producer, and songwriter Rosalía. The album has been declared as “One of the Most Anticipated Albums of 2022” by multiple global press outlets including BBC, El Pais, NME, NYLON, Pitchfork, TIME and Wall Street Journal amongst others. Rolling Stone en Español wrote, “It’s a brave record… Genres are a thing of the past; there’s room for everything here… what modern music should be: art and flavor, dembow, champeta, flamenco, bachata, hip-hop, piano melodies… …MOTOMAMI feels like a freight train from the future, hurtling right at us at full speed and no brakes. Rosalía is the power source behind it all.”
Sanhedrin – Lights On CD (Metal Blade)
Brooklyn power trio Sanhedrin do metal the old school way, channeling the greats that preceded them to create something that is instantly familiar yet with a new, modern energy to it.
Shining Black – Postcards From The End Of The World CD (Frontiers)
Shining Black is a melodic metal band featuring vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire, Royal Hunt) and guitarist Ölaf Thorson (Labyrinth, Vision Divine).
Slaegt – Goddess CD/LP (Century Media)
Danish black metallers Slaegt is one the most vital and exciting bands to come out of the Scandinavian metal scene. New album Goddess features 6 songs/40 minutes of atmospheric musical darkness in high energy execution.
Sonic Youth – In/Out/In CD/LP+MP3 (Three Lobed)
A collection of underheard Sonic rarities from the legendary band’s 2000-2010 era, most for the first time on any physical format. Essential for the band’s hardcore fans and for enthusiasts of instrumental rock. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive maroon color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sophisticated Boom Boom – Sophisticated Boom Boom [Reissue/1982] CD/LP (Tapete)
Vinyl reissue of Sophisticated Boom Boom’s self-titled album originally released in 1982. When a band names itself after one of the best songs of one of the best bands of all time, namely “Sophisticated Boom Boom” by the Shangri-Las, that’s quite a statement. Or rather a promise. And Sophisticated Boom Boom keep this promise on their singular self-titled album from 1982 originally released on Off Course Records, the label run by Swiss new wave royalty Grauzone and Stefan Eicher. Sophisticated Boom Boom transported the Brill Building/red bird/girl group sound from the sixties into the new wave year of 1982.
Stengah – Stengah CD/LP (Mascot/Provogue)
New album from the French tech-metal mavericks.
Stray Kids – Oddinary [Mask Off Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
Stray Kids – Oddinary [Scanning Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
Stray Kids – Oddinary [Frankenstein Ver.] CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
New release from K-pop boy band sensation – available in three collectable versions.
Týr – A Night At The Nordic House (With The Symphony Orchestra Of The Faroe Islands) 2xCD+DVD/2xLP (Metal Blade)
The Faroe Islands’ Týr provide even more irrefutable evidence that they stand at the vanguard of Scandinavian metal. Týr delivers a stunning achievement; a diverse setlist brilliantly performed live with the Symphony Orchestra of the Faroe Islands. This special event was recorded at The Nordic House in Tórshavn, the Faroes on February 8th, 2020. [The CD edition includes a copy of the show on DVD.]
Various Artists – Tanamur City CD/LP (Cultures Of Soul)
Compiled by Munir Septiandry of the influential Indonesian DJ collective Midnight Runners, Tanamur City collects some of the high points of the latter part of the revolutionary government of President Suharto – which could be described as a dictatorship – conjuring up a world of humid nights in packed discos, no-holds-barred genre blending, fun, fashion and funkiness of a kind never seen in Southeast Asia… and seen rarely since.
Various Artists – The Women Of Def Jam 2xCD/3xLP (Def Jam)
Take a journey through time with the Women of Def Jam. This unique and groundbreaking Def Jam Recordings collection features the female artists that dominated hip-hop and R&B from the ’90s to the present day. This project celebrates timeless classics that have reshaped the culture, featuring hits from Nikki D., Foxy Brown, Ashanti, Chrisette Michelle, Teyana Taylor, Alessia Cara, Rapsody, Danileigh, 070 Shake, Kaash Paige, Jhene Aiko, and more.
Various Artists – Life Between Islands – Soundsystem Culture: Black Musical Expression In The UK 1973-2006 2xCD/3xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Soul Jazz Records’ Life Between Islands collection is inspired by the launch of Tate Britain’s exhibition of the same name, exploring the links between Caribbean and British art and culture from the 1950s to now. The album focuses on the most important Black British musical styles to emerge out of the distinctly Caribbean world of sound systems, featuring an all-star line-up including Dennis Bovell, Shut Up and Dance, Cymande, Digital Mystikz, Brown Sugar, Funk Masters, Janet Kay, Ragga Twins ‘ a lightning-rod journey across roots reggae, jungle/drum & bass, jazz-funk, lovers rock, jazz and dubstep.
Veonity – Elements Of Power CD (Scarlet)
New album from the Swedish power metal band.
David Wertman & Sun Ensemble – Wide Eye Culture [Reissue/1983] 2xCD/3xLP (Barely Breaking Even)
BBE Music delivers the first ever reissue of jazz bassist David Wertman’s rare 1983 Sun Ensemble LP Wide Eye Culture, carefully remastered, and presented as a deluxe expanded edition with 8 bonus tracks.
Hailey Whitters – Raised CD/2xLP (Big Loud)
Following up her critically acclaimed album, The Dream, Hailey Whitters returns with her new 17-track-record, Raised. Showcasing the heart and soul of small-town America with Whitters’ eventual journey to Nashville, Raised is the roots behind the wings of The Dream. [A limited-edition crystal-clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Donovan Woods – Big Hurt Boy CDEP (Meant Well Inc.)
At their core, Donovan Woods songs are for and about everyone. That’s particularly apparent on this EP. Trying to capture more of an “undone” quality, Woods wanted his latest songs to “get back to the feeling that my early recordings had.” You hear that in the spare, subtle ache of “No Time Soon”, an acoustic monologue Woods describes as “the story of my whole life.”
Yumi Zouma – Present Tense CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Yumi Zouma, the collaborative long-distance project originally created between friends online, have been self-producing their infectious blend of delicate pop tapestries by way of home recordings since the release of their debut EP in 2014. Composed of vocalist Christie Simpson, bassist / vocalist Josh Burgess, guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Charlie Ryder, and drummer Olivia Campion, Yumi Zouma has returned with Present Tense, the band’s fourth and most comprehensive studio album. On Present Tense, Yumi Zouma bolster their sonic palette with an arsenal of live drums, grand pianos, orchestral strings, and woodwinds, to develop a sonic confidence that has grown with the release of 2017’s Willowbank and 2020’s Truth Or Consequences. [A clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Frank Zappa & The Mothers – The Mothers 1971 8xCD (Zappa Records)
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mothers Of Invention’s ’71 line-ups, the complete Fillmore tapes are showcased with every note played over four shows, including the John Lennon/Yoko Ono encore, majority of tracks are newly mixed. Additionally, the full concert from the Rainbow Theatre in London where FZ was infamously pushed off the stage is newly mixed by Eddie Kramer. The box also features a bonus hybrid concert from Harrisburg and Scranton, PA, 1971 and extensive liner notes and packaging.
Chip Z’Nuff – Perfectly Imperfect CD (Frontiers)
New album from one of the co-founders of popular Chicago rock band Enuff Z’Nuff. The album includes guest appearances from Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Steven Adler (Adler’s Appetite, ex-Guns ‘N Roses), Daxx Neilsen (Cheap Trick) and Daniel Hill (Enuff Z’Nuff).
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Tool – Opiate2 Blu-ray (Tool)
Opiate2 is a special limited-edition package, that includes a reimagined and extended version of the classic 1992 Tool track. The song is presented on a Blu-ray that features a groundbreaking short film directed by Dominic Hailstone. Bonus features include insight and observation from special guests, and this Blu-ray disc comes in a special 46-page hardcover art book that includes behind the scenes and making of photos.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Alien Sex Fiend – The Manic Nightmare Of Alien Sex Fiend: The Singles 1983-1985 LP (Radiation Deluxe)
Channeling goth, ‘positive punk’ and industrial, Alien Sex Fiend are experimental pioneers whose output defies easy categorization. Formed at London’s goth epicenter, the Batcave, in 1982, the Fiends’ early use of loops, synth sheens and a dub sensibility yielded a deal with Anagram and rapid chart success; this vinyl compilation draws from six early singles.
Mose Allison – I Don’t Worry About A Thing [Reissue/1962] LP (Modern Harmonic)
This classic album, known as the moment Mose hit his stride in transitioning from iconic pianist to iconic beat-esque vocalist, features the first versions of two of his sharpest pieces (“Your Mind Is On Vacation” and the title track), bluish versions of standards, instrumentals, and more. [A gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bad Luck. – Summer Of Pain LP (Take This To Heart)
Released last August on CD – now available on vinyl. After spending the better part of a decade honing their craft, Bad Luck. presents the best version of themselves to date with Summer Of Pain. The twelve-song collection serves as a bridge between childhood ambition and adult realism by exploring the underlying tension of romanticism in our modern world. It’s a record about love and sadness that aspires to give listeners a much-needed reality check.
Carola Baer – The Story Of Valerie LP (Concentric Circles)
The discovery of a cassette of Carola Baer’s early ’90s private home recordings was like finding a needle in a haystack. Made as a one-off mixtape of newly recorded songs, and given to a long-since forgotten recipient, this cassette was found in 2017 at a Goodwill “bins” location in Portland, Oregon. These chaotic, by-the-pound thrift stores contain thousands of unsorted items in constant flux, which are only available for the public to buy for a limited time before they are discarded. The prospect that this obscure relic would be rescued from its untimely fate is nothing short of a miracle. As this tape was the only one in existence, with no back up versions of many of the songs, it’s more than likely that this music would have been lost forever. The Story Of Valerie is made up of songs culled from that cassette, with a few additional tracks from the time, and is the first time Carola Baer’s solo material has been heard by the public.
Meg Baird and Mary Lattimore – Ghost Forests [Reissue/2018] LP (Three Lobed)
Limited-green color vinyl repress. Ghost Forests musical conversations between Meg Baird and Mary Lattimore are intimate, fluid, effortless and spontaneous. They’re filled with the euphoria of creation, and, at times, they articulate hard truths and tangled emotions with an ease only trusted friends can manage. The songs alternate between extended ethereal instrumental excursions, gauzy and dreamy pop, blown-out Bull Of The Woods heavy haze, and modern re-imaginations of epic traditional balladry all while touching on the strange and otherworldly places between these stations.
Gregor Barnett – Don’t Go Throwing Roses In My Grave LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Gregor Barnett, guitarist/co-vocalist for The Menzingers, delivers his debut release Don’t Go Throwing Roses In My Grave. Written and recorded in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Don’t Go Throwing Roses In My Grave is a sonic departure from Barnett’s more punk-leaning work with The Menzingers, drawing on the gritty, off-kilter Americana of Tom Waits or Warren Zevon as it faces down loss and doubt in search of relief and redemption. “It was this perfect storm,” says Barnett. “The band couldn’t tour, I was going through a really difficult time, and I was stuck at home watching my family struggle with illness and death and hardship. The only thing I could do was write my way through it.” [A limited-edition indie store exclusive clear w/ black smoke color vinyl pressing is due March 25.]
Beyond Grace – Our Kingdom Undone LP (Prosthetic)
Released last September on CD – now available on orange color vinyl. Following their critically well received debut album, Seekers, in 2017 – Our Kingdom Undone sees Beyond Grace refining and redefining their sound into something that’s simultaneously more intricate and more intense than ever before, combining conceptually ambitious songwriting and high-octane heaviness in equal measure. Our Kingdom Undone‘s gestation period took place under a pall of social unrest and political uncertainty the world over, so it’s perhaps no surprise that each of these eight songs is a cathartic scream of raw emotion and primal poetry.
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite – 100 Years Of Blues LP (Alligator)
2020 album now available on vinyl. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica great Musselwhite join forces for a fun and historic collaboration of front porch blues.
Blushing – Possessions LP (Kanine)
Cloudy clear vinyl pressing. Shoegaze lovers rejoice in the sounds coming from Blushing’s new album Possessions. With lead single “Blame” featuring Miki Berenyi of the great ‘90s shoegaze, indie pop band Lush and currently of Piroshka, along with Mark Gardener of Ride lending a hand on mixing and mastering, Possessions serves as a 1990s transport. Complete with charismatic vocals, dreamy guitar hooks and swirling bass lines, it is an album filled with dream pop intensity.
The Breathing Process – Labyrinthian 2xLP (Unique Leader)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Fourth album from the blackened deathcore band. Labyrinthian is a majestic and nightmare fueled journey deep into blackened death metal done how it’s supposed to be. Featuring guest vocals from David John Simonich (Signs Of The Swarm), Jamie Graham (Viscera) and a monumental mix and master from Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Rivers Of Nihil).
Bo Burnham – Inside (The Songs) 2xLP (Imperial Distribution)
Recently released on standard black vinyl and cassette – an indie store exclusive coke bottle clear color vinyl pressing is now available. Critically acclaimed soundtrack to Bo Burnham’s Netflix musical comedy special Inside. Features all the music from Inside, including “All Eyes On Me”, “Welcome To The Internet” and “Bezos I”. Shot and performed by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of a very unusual year. Nominated for six Emmys including best variety series, writing, directing, song, musical direction and editing.
Andrés Miguel Cervantes – The Crossing LP (Speakeasy Studios SF)
Andrés Miguel Cervantes is a Mexican American singer songwriter based in San Francisco and San Diego, California. Known to fans and fellow musicians primarily for his live performances, The Crossing marks an exciting debut for an incredibly talented singer, songwriter, and finger-picking guitar player.
Shemekia Copeland – Uncivil War LP (Alligator)
Copeland’s 2020 album Uncivil War is now available on vinyl. Celebrated blues, R&B and Americana vocal powerhouse delivers the eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s America’s Child, winner of the Blues Music Award for Album Of The Year. The new album is again produced by Will Kimbrough and features guest performances and/or songwriting by Kimbrough, Jason Isbell, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Orphan Brigade, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy and Shawn Mullins. Uncivil War finds Shemekia blazing an exhilarating roots music trail, with many of the songs reflecting the spirit of our turbulent times.
James Cotton – Mighty Long Time [Reissue/1991] LP (Texas Music Group)
180gm purple color vinyl pressing of the blues harmonica performer’s 1991 album.
Ani DiFranco – Ani DiFranco [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Righteous Babe)
Originally released in 1990, Ani DiFranco’s first album is so revolutionary that the purveyors of status quo install women’s music sections in the dusty corner of their stores in order to hide it. Dorm rooms coast to coast transform into audio dub houses where young women with aching arms scratch out handwritten labels and personal letters like “you have to hear this.” These quasi-booking agent and pirate distributors work long into the night purchasing greyhound tickets for a certain young Folksinger to come play at their school. Today. Folk and poetry prevail. Vulnerable stories arm themselves as powerful songs on Ani DiFranco’s self-titled first solo record.
Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Master Of Puppets – Live In Barcelona (2002) 2xLP+CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Train Of Thought Industrial Demos (2003) 2xLP+CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Dream Theater, the two-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling legends of progressive music, recently launched the Lost Not Forgotten Archives. These releases see the virtuosic quintet’s long-standing Ytsejam Records catalogue reissued, alongside some brand-new additions.
Ecko Bazz – Mmaso LP (Hakuna Kulala)
Since the appearance of his cult breakthrough debut Tuli Banyo released in 2018, Ugandan conscious rapper and MC Ecko Bazz has challenged perceptions of East Africa’s burgeoning rap scene. His style is hard to categorize blending elements of grime, dancehall, and US hip-hop and twisting politicized lyrics in Luganda that explore violence, religion, drug abuse or the poverty in the Ugandan slums.
E-L-R – Mænad [Reissue/2019] LP (Prophecy)
Orange color vinyl reissue. On their debut full-length Mænad, Swiss post doomers E-L-R offer a new perspective on panoramic musical vistas.
Flamin’ Groovies – Now [Reissue/1978] LP (Liberation Hall)
Flamin’ Groovies Now isn’t quite as cohesive as Shake Some Action, the album that preceded it, but in many respects the band sounds at once tighter and more relaxed, with some time on the road firming up the rhythm section while giving the songs a bit more room to swing.
Future Teens – Deliberately Alive LP (Take This Too Heart)
New album from the Boston emo pop band. Open on a slice of East Coast life, sprinkle in some anxiety and self-facing critique, and let the band surge beneath.
Gang Of Youths – angel in realtime. 2xLP (WB)
Recently released on CD – a limited-edition white color pressing and an indie store exclusive pink color vinyl pressing are now available. Gang Of Youth’s new music fuses their knack of soaring melodies, indelible hooks, and dynamic rock uplifts with a love of neoclassical, minimalist composers, and experimental sampling. They’re embarking on the most vital phase of their career so far. Although the album is eclectic – influences range from American minimalism and contemporary classical, to drawing upon the legacy of Britain’s alternative/indie scenes, from drum ‘n’ bass to the most transcendent moments of Britpop – it’s equally rooted in David Le’aupepe’s Samoan heritage, with most tracks featuring samples from David Fanshawe’s recordings of indigenous music from the Polynesian islands and the wider South Pacific.
Girish & The Chronicles – Hail To The Heroes LP (Frontiers)
Recently released on CD – now available on limited-edition clear vinyl. New album from the buzzworthy Indian hard rockers.
Wendell Harrison – Farewell To The Welfare 12” (Now-Again)
Here we have a first-time vinyl reissue of Tribe Records co-founder Wendell Harrison’s lost album, recorded in 1975, rumored to exist no more. Mastered from the original tapes and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff “Chairman” Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century.
Heaven Shall Burn – Deaf To Our Prayers [Reissue/2006] LP (Century Media)
After the release of Antigone back in 2004, Heaven Shall Burn spent almost every weekend on the road, playing numerous festivals and shows all over Europe including a headlining tour in fall 2004. In autumn 2005, the first and highly successful edition of the Hell On Earth Tour (also featuring As I Lay Dying, Evergreen Terrace, Agents Of Man, End Of Days and Neaera) saw them triumph in the co-headlining position. Upon returning home, the band started working on new material, which later became the band’s highly acclaimed album and genre classic Deaf To Our Prayers.
Hypocrisy – Worship 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Limited-edition purple w/ black color vinyl pressing of the new album from the melodic death metal band. With governments finally admitting that UFOs do in fact exist, and humanity attempting to heal from a state of recent crisis, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate for Worship. Aptly titled, the album cover shows a mass of humans reaching up mindlessly to the sky as glowing spaceships shaped like the Hypocrisy crosses sigil beam down to descend upon earthen civilizations and Mayan temples.
Insomnium – Argent Moon 12” (Century Media)
Released last September on CD – now available on vinyl. New EP from the Finish melodic death metal band.
Invent Animate – Everchanger [Reissue/2014] LP (Tragic Hero)
Limited clear color vinyl pressing of the 2014 and 2020 albums from the metalcore band.
Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet [Reissue/1955] LP (Blue Note)
Vibraphonist Milt Jackson was a frequent presence on Blue Note sessions in the bebop era. As part of the fabled 1500 Series begun in 1956, the label issued the 12” compilation Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet which expanded Jackson’s 10” LP Wizard Of The Vibes with tracks from 1948 and 1951 dates led by Monk. The album cover was the first designed by Reid Miles. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180gm vinyl at Optimal.
Samara Joy – Samara Joy LP (Whirlwind Recordings)
Released last August on CD – now available on color vinyl. Samara Joy is a singing star in the ascendancy. The young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she’s joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy’s reputation as one of America’s most promising young jazz vocalists.
Kazi & Madlib – Blackmarket Seminar [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (Tuff Kong)
Kazi’s Blackmarket Seminar was entirely produced by Madlib and boasts guest features from MED, Wildchild, Declaime (Dudley Perkins) and Oh No. The album was recorded in 1996 but not released until 2014.
Lindisfarne – Back And Forth [Reissue/1978] LP (Renaissance)
180gm vinyl reissue of the 1978 comeback album by the English rock band. Released in nine countries on three record labels, it reached position 22 on the UK album charts and contained the successful single “Run for Home”.
Lycia – A Day In The Stark Corner [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Avantgarde Music)
Originally released in late 1993, A Day In The Stark Corner is the second studio album by darkwave masters Lycia (third, if you take into account the 1989 EP Wake). Despite being one of the most praised and influential releases in the field, as well as one of Projekt Records most sought-after titles, the album never received a vinyl treatment.
Mac Dre – Thizzelle Washington [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Thizz Ent.)
Double glow in the dark green and yellow color vinyl pressing. The late Mac Drizzelle’s (Mac Dre) 2002 classic features a gang of the S.F. Bay Area’s best rappers, including Yukmouth, Da’ Unda’ Dogg, Dubee, Andre Nickatina, Mac Mall and others. Produced by Johnny Z, Da’ Unda’ Dogg, Psycho, Rick Rock and Mac Dre.
Matt Maltese – Good Morning It’s Now Tomorrow LP (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On Matt Maltese Good Morning It’s Now Tomorrow, his third album, the singer-songwriter re-establishes himself as cultural moment, with sharp and humorous lyrics and sincere declarations of love and togetherness.
The Mars Volta – Landscape Tantrums – Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium LP (Clouds Hill)
Color vinyl pressing. Lost for two decades, the recent rediscovery of Landscape Tantrums the first attempt at recording the music that would become The Mars Volta’s De-Loused In The Comatorium revealed an important and hitherto missing chapter in the group’s evolution. Self-recorded by Omar at Burbank’s Mad Dog Studios within a head spinning four days, Landscape Tantrums captures De-Loused in somewhat embryonic form, though much of what would make The Mars Volta’s debut album such an electrifying, sublime experience was already in place: the fearless invention, the fusion of futurist rock elements and traditions from outside of the rock orthodoxy, the sense of virtuosity working in service of emotional effect.
Moon Duo – Mazes LP (Sacred Bones)
Limited pink color vinyl pressing of the 2011 long-player from psych prodigies Moon Duo. For just over two years now Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips) and Sanae Yamada have been burning up the scene with their propulsive beats and compelling acid washed shows. Formed in San Francisco, the duo recently relocated to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This record, however, was cut in Berlin. Certainly, the most pop-oriented batch of songs the band has ever delivered, Mazes reveals a more accessible vocal delivery and song structure that is sure to appeal to a wide audience not necessarily well-versed in the psych underground.
Mountaineer – Giving Up The Ghost LP (Lifeforce)
The fourth album of the post-metal sextet is rich in contrast and tension, with distinctive, hooks and vocals.
Muslimgauze – Muhammadunize 2xLP (Slaalplaat)
Muhammadunize is a good dense collage atmosphere. From everywhere shoots drums, Palestinian word-scraps give the total radio play-character. One feels when hearing this release as if the Gaza-strip is mastered from an outsize echo-appliance.
Ohio Players – Skin Tight [Reissue/1974] LP (Friday Music)
The Ohio Players came into musical prominence in the 1970’s as pioneers of street funk and underground R&B. After signing with Mercury Records in 1974 the Ohio Players landed three consecutive platinum albums with Skin Tight, Fire and Honey. Seen as their commercial breakthrough, Skin Tight boasts a fuller production and more prominent horns as exemplified on the hit title cut and fellow single “Jive Turkey”.
Alan Parsons – One Note Symphony: Live In Tel Aviv 3xLP (Frontiers)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A stunning live performance from Alan Parsons and his incredibly skilled band of musicians and with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Carl Perkins – Carl Perkins: The King Of Rockabilly LP (Sun)
Celebrate the golden era of Carl Perkins with Sun Records’ 70th Anniversary collection of his remastered hits, The King of Rockabilly. Boasting an alternate version of “Honey Don’t”, as well as an extended, never-before-released version of “Y.O.U.” which features a spoken-word bridge section by Carl Perkins. The album also includes the classic hits “Put Your Cat Clothes On” featuring Jerry Lewis, “Boppin’ the Blues”, and “All Mama’s Children”, co-written with Johnny Cash.
Pinetop Perkins – Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie [Reissue/1992] LP (Texas Music Group)
180gm red color vinyl reissue of this classic Antone’s Records blues title.
Popa Chubby – The Fight Is On [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Dixiefrog)
Popa Chubby – Back To New York City [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (Dixiefrog)
Popa Chubby – Universal Breakdown Blues [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Dixiefrog)
Three vinyl reissues from the modern blues singer-songwriter.
Bud Powell – Time Waits: The Amazing Bud Powell [Reissue/1958] LP (Blue Note)
The fourth volume of The Amazing Bud Powell series, recorded in 1958, found the brilliant bebop piano master in particularly fine form on an ebullient set of his original tunes including “Buster Rides Again”, “Monopoly”, and “John’s Abbey”. Powell’s inventive solo flights shine in a trio setting with Sam Jones on bass and “Philly” Joe Jones on drums. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180gm vinyl at Optimal.
The Pretty Reckless – Going To Hell [Reissue/2014] LP (Craft Recordings)
Going To Hell is the second studio album from American rock band The Pretty Reckless. Originally released in 2014, the album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, making this the band’s first Top 10 album on the chart. [An indie store exclusive purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Raincoats – The Raincoats [Reissue/1979] LP (Kill Rock Stars)
The Raincoats, seminal post-punk band, ‘godmothers of grunge’ and inspiration to a generation of riot grrrls, formed in the late 1970s when Gina Birch met Ana da Silva, becoming one of the most important underground bands Britain has ever produced. Ana and Gina, along with the various musicians who flowed in and out of the band’s many formations, created a sound that, while inspired by punk and rock music that had come before, was uniquely and uncompromisingly powerful and female, and which has held a fascination over all those lucky enough to have stumbled across it.
Resina – Speechless LP (Fat Cat)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Warsaw-based cellist/composer Resina (Karolina Rec) returns with a first standalone album in three years, taking a big step forward on a bold and brilliantly expansive record that explores ideas about language, the voice, and the unpredictability of nature. Recorded by Resina and Michał Kupicz, with striking additional mixing and production work by Daniel Rejmer (Ben Frost, Bjork, Foals, Girls Names), Speechless is fluid and muscular, with wide dynamics and a dark and powerful dramatic weight. An amalgamation of noise, rock, ambient, choral, and classical elements, Speechless shifts from gossamer beauty to glowering threat; from pulsing minimalism to full-bore propulsive blow-outs.
The Rumjacks – Brass For Gold LP (Four Flies)
Grounded by the eclectic Celtic punk sound that The Rumjacks have become synonymous with, Brass For Gold sees the band dig deeper into their ska and hard rock influences, all the while holding onto the defiant energy that ignites their sound.
Santana – Blessings And Miracles 2xLP (BMG)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Multi-Grammy Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana returns with the star-studded, masterful new album, Blessings And Miracles. The record’s dazzling first single, “Move”, sees the music legend and guitar icon reteamed with Matchbox 20 singer Rob Thomas. Blessings And Miracles is one of the most ambitious, inspired and magical albums of Santana’s storied career, on which the legendary guitarist aims higher than ever. In addition to Thomas, Blessings And Miracles sees Santana collaborating with a diverse host of brilliant artists, writers and producers including Chris Stapleton, G-Eazy, Diane Warren, Steve Winwood, Chick Corea, Rick Rubin, Corey Glover, Kirk Hammett, Ally Brooke, American Authors and Narada Michael Walden, among others, on genre-bending, hook-filled knockout musical celebrations. The record also features bravura performances from members of Santana’s touring band (including drummer Cindy Blackman Santana and singer Tommy Anthony), as well as impeccable vocals and keyboards by the guitarist’s son, Salvador Santana, and stunning lead vocals by daughter, Stella Santana.
Savatage – Hall Of The Mountain King [Reissue/1974] LP+7” (MRI Associated)
Digitally remastered edition of the space rock classic that is generally regarded as the best in band’s discography. The lineup of the band was spearheaded by Lemmy Kilminster (later of Motörhead) on guitar and Simon House’s monstrous keyboard work. Includes five bonus tracks that did not appear on the original 1974 LP.
Raymond Scott – The Jingle Workshop: Midcentury Musical Miniatures 1951-1965 LP (Modern Harmonic)
Clear vinyl pressing. In addition to being a pioneer of early electronic music, Raymond Scott generated hymns to hunger, odes to pudding and pilsner, and crafted carols for countless other products, elevating the form of advertisement to an art. If Frank Zappa had written music for commercials, it’s not hard to think his approach would have been similar.
Rejjie Snow – Baw Baw Black Sheep LP (Honeymoon/+1 Rec.)
Lifting hip-hop up to a psychedelic realm, Rejjie Snow raps in technicolor, painting in broad strokes with hypnotic hooks, artfully crafted bars, and otherworldly production.
Sojourner – The Shadowed Road 2xLP (Avantgarde Music)
New album from the black/doom metal band. In the band’s own words, “an all-consuming labor of love for us,” The Shadowed Road is a new journey through “the bittersweet moments of life, the challenges that can break people down and facing those endings no matter the cost.” Not focused on a single topic, The Shadowed Road is a canvas on which Sojourner painted a whole world, it’s nature and its intertwined connections.
SonnyJim & Buckwild -Coke Le Rock LP (Tuff Kong)
Legendary DITC producer Buckwild teams up with UK rap majesty SonnyJim for their collaboration full-length Coke Le Roc. With the album title being a tribute to the first MC to ever bless a mic, the two couldn’t come up with better material to honor his name with Buckwild’s signature touch providing the perfect background to SonnyJim’s lavish pen.
Springtime – Springtime LP (Joyful Noise)
Released last November on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Gareth Liddiard (Tropical F*** Storm / The Drones), Jim White (Dirty Three / Xylouris White) and Chris Abrahams (The Necks) are Springtime – a new endeavor that is as much a tonal experiment as it is a meditation on modern-day absurdity. Springtime’s self-titled debut combines free jazz, poignant lyricism crafted alongside renowned Irish poet Ian Duhig, and improvisation to craft austere portraits of a world paralyzed by shellshock.
System Exclusive – System Exclusive LP (Castleface)
Recently released CD – now available on vinyl. “Often when music is constructed with synths and other electronically generated sound makers, their level of exactitude and control is such that the vocalist will either wittingly or otherwise seek to emulate the relative artifice of the soundscape. This is often done to great effect, think Kraftwerk. But what if there was a unit whose music was synth-generated but the vocals were coming from a hot-blooded, singing-for-the-cheap-seats approach? If done well, it’s a case of two great tastes that taste great together, which brings me to System Exclusive.” – Henry Rollins
Telethon – Swim Out Past The Breakers LP (Take This To Heart)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth full-length record from the Wisconsin power-punk group. Swim Out Past The Breakers comprises 16 tracks that ride the cracks between the violent, overwhelming intensity and self-importance of young adulthood, and aging-out into a sort of comfortable submission to our conditions. It’s a monumental, maximalist work that spans punk rock, folk, bedroom pop, country, and power pop, all meandering familiar streets together, drunk on nostalgia.
Termanology & Shortfyuz – Goya 3 LP (Tuff Kong)
Termanology continues to build his legacy with his new project Goya 3. Produced entirely by Shortfyuz, this release is the third installment in the series from the MC and producer combo, following up 2013’s Goya and the 2014 self-released Mas Goya. Goya 3 is packed with dope rhymes and powerful production all the way through.
Maylee Todd – Maloo LP (Stones Throw)
Limited clear vinyl LP pressing. Maylee Todd’s debut album Maloo is a concept record revolving around a fictional world where empathy, mental health and creativity are the core elements for survival. The album’s themes will be bolstered by additional video content created by Maylee herself, including a VR video, original music videos, animated videos, a Graphic Novel Origin Story for socials and NFT platforms, and digital fashion designed and modelled by Maylee.
Tower – Shock To The System LP (Cruz Del Sur Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On their first studio album in five years, New York City’s Tower kick out the jams with vintage metal appeal and classic rock persuasion that brings the old-school into today.
Twiztid – Unlikely Prescription 2xLP (Majik Ninja)
Released last September on CD – now available on double black w/ blue color vinyl. Twiztid has been no strangers to mixing rap and rock. After an appearance on the final Warped Tour in 2018, Twiztid hit the ground running with ideas to release a more rock-centered album. Unlikely Prescription is the result of those thoughts and plans. Working with artists like Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes To New, and Dani Filth, as well as drummer/producer Drayven, the duo has compiled an album sure to pique the interest of long time Twiztid fans as well as a brand-new generation of rock fans.
Steve Vai – Inviolate LP (Mascot Label Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Vai’s newest and 10th solo album, Inviolate, is a nine-song opus that pushes the boundaries of instrumental guitar music. For the recording, Vai invented not just a new guitar, but also a new guitar-playing technique. “An inviolate inspiration is one that comes to you completely pure,” Vai explains. “It appears almost in its completeness, and there’s a recognition of it as being right for you – perfectly right for you. There’s no excuses in it. There’s no fantasy in it. There’s just a recognition of ‘yes.’ And then you capture that in a way that’s authentic to your unique creativity. Hopefully, that’s what I’ve done with this record.”
Various Artists – One Night In Miami… (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP (ABKCO)
Tony-award and Grammy-award winner Leslie Odom Jr. performs Sam Cooke’s most celebrated repertoire in the film One Night In Miami… and on the soundtrack album including “You Send Me”, “Chain Gang”, “Good Times” and “A Change Is Gonna Come”. Apart from his performance of the Sam Cooke material, the soundtrack includes “Speak Now”, a powerful original song co-written and performed by Odom. Music from the film’s original score composed by prolific Academy Award nominee and six-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard is featured on the album.
Various Artists – Songs For Tres LP (Sacred Bones)
Clear vinyl pressing. On the tribute album Songs For Tres, Psychic Ills band members come together to commemorate the late Tres Warren who passed away just as the world turned upside down in March of 2020. Isolated, feeling helpless and lost by the death of her musical soul mate and collaborator of 18 years, bassist Elizabeth Hart found making music to be her only outlet in a time where people were unable to be physically together to mourn. So, she reached out to Adam Amram, Jon Catfish DeLorme and Brent Cordero, the main players in the Ills line up since the release of their last full length album Inner Journey Out (2016), to ask if they would embark on this cathartic journey with her. This was a different kind of production endeavor for Hart driven solely by “the aching need and urgency” to do something to honor her friend.
Bella White – Just Like Leaving LP (Rounder)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Just Like Leaving bears a powerful authenticity that prompted Rolling Stone to praise White’s songwriting as sublime Appalachian heartbreak. In sculpting the album’s sparse but lushly detailed sound, White worked with a lineup of musicians she encountered through years of making the rounds at roots-music festivals, including Reed Stutz on mandolin/vocals; Julian Pinelli on fiddle/vocals, and Robert Alan Mackie on bass.
Adrian Younge/Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Jazz Is Dead 3: Marcos Valle LP (Jazz Is Dead)
The third release from Jazz Is Dead pays tribute to Marcos Valle, one of the greatest and most important composers, arrangers, writers, and performers in Brazilian history. A jack of all trades, Valle has produced works in many musical styles, including bossa nova, samba, and fusions of rock, soul, jazz, and more. Composed and produced by Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad and recorded in the Linear Labs analog studio.
Adrian Younge/Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Jazz Is Dead 4: Azymuth 2xLP (Jazz Is Dead)
The instrumental trio Azymuth modernized the sound and style of Brazilian jazz with their electronic instruments, angular arrangements and ingenious synthesis of jazz, funk, rock, and samba. After the passing of founding keyboard player José Roberto Bertrami in 2012, Alex Malheiros (bass) and Ivan “Mamão” Conti (drums) recruited synthesizer samurai Kiko Continentinho to the trio as it continued to build on their sound, now in their fifth decade of pushing the boundaries of their beloved samba. On this unique Jazz Is Dead recording with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the trio once again demonstrate their ability to elevate their collaborators while also showcasing their distinctive sound, continuing to redraw the boundaries of Brazilian jazz, futuristic funk, and their beloved samba.
Young Fathers – Dead [Reissue/2014] LP+MP3 (Big Dada)
Dead, the winner of the UK’s 2014 Mercury Prize, is the debut album from Young Fathers. Against a backdrop of creative resurgence in ‘indie’ rap, Young Fathers make the sort of uncompromisingly leftfield, forward thinking hip-hop that has nothing to do with artiness and everything to do with brilliance, all with grain silo production and genuine pop hooks. Early adopters have included Johnny Marr, Diplo, Ghostpoet, and Alt J.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers – Live At Fillmore East, June 1971 [50th Anniversary] 3xLP (Zappa Records)
Frank Zappa & The Mothers – Live At The Rainbow Theater 3xLP (Zappa Records)
Live At Fillmore East, June 1971 gets expanded for its 50th Anniversary. Featuring the original single LP, newly remastered, with two additional vinyl discs of period-perfect vintage mixes from the vault. Includes the John Lennon and Yoko Ono encore and the original “Billy The Mountain.” Live At The Rainbow Theater is the infamous final show of the Flo & Eddie line-up with The Mothers in its entirety. The show was a success until FZ was shockingly pushed off stage by a concert attendee, resulting in grave injuries for FZ causing the cancellation of the tour and ultimately the band.
Cassettes:
Charli XCX – Crash (Atlantic)
Crash is the fifth studio album by singer and songwriter Charli XCX. Visuals for the album include “femme fatale powers and a multitude of dark spells and curses” as well as signature nods to both cars and car crashes. The release is ushered in by the single “New Shapes”, (feat. Caroline Polachek and Christine And The Queens), a huge pop tune which swaps hyper-pop for synth-pop. It’s a song built for a night out, and all three vocalists shine on the track.
Juice Wrld – Fighting Demons (Interscope)
Fighting Demons, the fourth studio album and second posthumous album from Juice Wrld, is now available on vinyl with features from Justin Bieber, Polo G, Trippie Redd, and more.
Sonic Youth – In/Out/In (Three Lobed)
A collection of underheard Sonic rarities from the legendary band’s 2000-2010 era, most for the first time on any physical format. Essential for the band’s hardcore fans and for enthusiasts of instrumental rock.
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