Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Beirut – Artifacts CD/2xLP (Pompeii)
Artifacts began humbly as a means of compiling a few early Beirut EPs for a proper physical release. However, as Zach Condon explains in the album’s excellent liner notes, reconnecting with old recordings through fresh ears turned a simple re-issue project into something much more expansive. “When the decision came to re-release this collection, I found myself digging through hard drives looking for something extra to add to the compilation,” he notes. “What started as a few extra unreleased tracks from my formative recording years quickly grew into an entire extra records-worth of music from my past, and a larger project of remixing and remastering everything I found for good measure.” Artifacts is a phylogenetic tree. A double-LP’s worth music that traces the evolution of Beirut from a 14-year-old Condon’s first attempts at bringing the music he heard in his mind to life, to the fully formed Beirut we know today.
Gerald Clayton – Bells On Sand CD/LP (Blue Note)
Pianist/composer Gerald Clayton explores the impact and abstraction of time on his ravishing second Blue Note album Bells On Sand, which features contributions from mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone, father John Clayton on bass, longtime friend and peer Justin Brown on drums, and new collaborator Maro on vocals. “Each musician on the record represents a different aspect of the axis of time and its shifting sands,” says Clayton. “My father and Charles Lloyd, who has been a mentor figure to me, reflect new permutations of my past, and the lineage of elders who have shaped my development; Justin Brown, being my contemporary and musical brother, represents my present; and Maro represents the future – she is part of the next generation, and points to a brand-new collaboration.”
Christian Lee Hutson – Quitters CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Christian Lee Hutson starts his new album Quitters with a laugh. In this follow up to his 2020 album, Beginners, Hutson moves away from the focus on growing up to the dread and complications of growing older. The laugh that announces Quitters is the kind you’ll find at the end of John Huston films, one of resignation and release, and somehow a cosmic laugh that says “California”, a place where lonely people gather like birds. Across Quitters’ 13 tracks, Hutson crafts this portrait of the place he’s from. In these short story-like songs, Hutson presents characters who carry this golden light and sinister geography inside them. It’s a place where everything in the end gets blown away and paved over with something new, where even the ocean and fires are always whispering, “One day we’ll take it all back.” This is a Los Angeles in constant transition, where childhood is lost, where home is gone and can never be visited again. [An indie store exclusive translucent purple color vinyl pressing is due April 22.]
King Garbage – Heavy Metal Greasy Love CD/LP (Ipecac)
King Garbage is the result of a 16-year friendship and collaboration between Zach Cooper and Vic Dimotsis. As Grammy-nominated Producers, KG has brought a unique perspective on American soul Music through their recordings Bangers & Ash (2013), Make It Sweat (2017), and their production offerings for The Weeknd, SZA, Travis Scott, Ellie Goulding, Ricky Reed, THEY., Gallant, The Knocks, Jon Batiste, Billy Porter, and Leon Bridges. Their sound, traces of D’Angelo, J Dilla and Marvin Gaye’s influence are easily detectable and revered. They’ve shared the stage with Leon Bridges, John-Robert, Ghostface, Raekwon, Talib Kweli and Blackalicious among others in venues and arenas around the country. [A coke bottle green and an indie store exclusive translucent white color vinyl pressing is available.]
North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Luther and Cody Dickinson started the North Mississippi Allstars in 1996 as a loose collective of like-minded second-generation musicians who shared a local repertoire and regional style. Over the years the lineup shifted by design, and each NMA record offered up a different combination of collaborators. Set Sail finds the brothers working with Jesse Williams on bass and Lamar Williams, Jr. for the first time. Set Sail, the North Mississippi Allstars’ thirteenth album, follows 2019’s Up And Rolling, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2021. Set Sail continues the band’s tradition of creating roots music that displays remarkable variety. With their latest record, NMA build upon their self-described sound of Primitive Modernism. A melding of the new and the old, traditional, and futuristic, crafted lyrics and improvisational music. [An indie store exclusive CD and color vinyl pressing – both expanded with bonus tracks – is available.]
Pup – The Unravelling Of Puptheband CD/LP (BMG)
Pup return with their fourth album, The Unraveling of Puptheband, which finds the Toronto outfit teaming up with Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties), Kathryn McCauhey (Nobro), Mel St. Pierre (Casper Skulls) and Erik Paulson (Remo Drive), as well as producer Peter Katis. “It’s hands down my favorite Pup record, and I don’t think it could’ve been made under any other circumstances,” bandleader Stefan Babcock said. “As the weeks passed, we seemed less and less rational, objective, and sane. You can hear the band start to fall off the cliff, and because of that, I think this record is our truest and most genuine to date. There is nothing more Pup than a slow and inevitable descent into self-destruction. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love CD/2xLP/Cassette (WB)
Unlimited Love serves as the L.A. funk-rockers follow-up to 2016’s The Getaway and their first with former guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. The 17-track double album is introduced by the meditative lead single “Black Summer”. Drummer Chad Smith commented on the direction of the band’s twelfth album, “John hasn’t been in our group in 10 years. That’s a long time. So of course, it’s going to sound different, but it’s going to sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but it’s different and new, and to me that’s great.” [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing as well as an RSD exclusive deluxe vinyl pressing is available. The RSD exclusive version is pressed on silver vinyl, includes a 24” x 36” poster, and the sleeve printed on silver board. In addition, a black vinyl deluxe edition featuring gatefold packaging and the poster is also available.]
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Crooked Tree CD (Nonesuch)
Recorded live at Nashville’s Oceanway Studios, Crooked Tree was produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas and features collaborations with Sierra Hall, Old Crow Medicine Show, Margo Price, Billy Strings, Dan Tyminski, and Gillian Welch. The album explores Tuttle’s lifelong love of bluegrass – a genre she first discovered though her father, a music teacher and multi-instrumentalist, and her grandfather, a banjo player. Across these thirteen original tracks, all written or co-written by Tuttle, she simultaneously honors the bluegrass tradition while also pushing the genre in new directions. [Vinyl edition due May 13.]
Vola – Live From The Pool CD/2xLP (Mascot Label Group)
In September 2021, Vola performed an intimate show in a stunning live setting. Live From The Pool took place at the swimming pool of the abandoned Auderød military camp in North Zealand near Copenhagen, Denmark. Designed by the world-famous architect Henning Larsen this defunct building has become part of the Auderød nature park. A place where nature encounters the mysteries of a once existing military base, ready to be explored. Creating a unique experience, the bands’ genre-melding music collaborates with visionary Danish audio-visual artist collective Vertigo, where light, nature, music, and concrete meet.
Additional Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Ceramic Animal – Sweet Unknown LP (Easy Eye Sound)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Strutting out of Doylestown, PA, Ceramic Animal forge glam, post-punk, psych rock and ’70s pop into an original and exciting sound. The band’s music and ambition impressed Dan Auerbach, who signed them to his Easy Eye Sound label and invited them down to Nashville to write and record their fourth album, Sweet Unknown. Together, they created an album that marries the glitter-stomp of T. Rex with the slow rush of Tame Impala and the extravagant melodicism of Todd Rundgren.
Eric Clapton – The Lady In The Balcony: The Lockdown Sessions 2xLP (Mercury Studios)
Released last November in a variety of audio & video formats – now available on yellow color vinyl. Eric Clapton’s The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions captures a unique live performance by the music legend and his stellar band filmed during lockdown earlier in 2021. The Mercury Studios release features Clapton on top form with his longtime bandmates Nathan East (bass and vocals), Steve Gadd (drums), and Chris Stainton (keyboards). They perform acoustic versions of staples from Eric’s catalog and other numbers in blues and country styles. The project came about after the enforced cancellation of Clapton’s 2021 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Cowdray House was agreed on as a suitable location for a strictly controlled lockdown performance. The only non-participant to view the proceedings was Eric’s wife Melia, watching on from the balcony to inspire the title of the recording.
CDs + Vinyl:
Aldo Nova – The Life And Times Of Eddie Gage CD (MRI Associated)
New release from the veteran rock guitarist.
Animals As Leaders – Parrhesia CD (Sumerian)
The groundbreaking, genre defying instrumental trio release their highly anticipated new album. [Vinyl edition – including an indie store exclusive orange color pressing – due April 22.]
Beirut – Artifacts CD/2xLP (Pompeii)
Artifacts began humbly as a means of compiling a few early Beirut EPs for a proper physical release. However, as Zach Condon explains in the album’s excellent liner notes, reconnecting with old recordings through fresh ears turned a simple re-issue project into something much more expansive. “When the decision came to re-release this collection, I found myself digging through hard drives looking for something extra to add to the compilation,” he notes. “What started as a few extra unreleased tracks from my formative recording years quickly grew into an entire extra records-worth of music from my past, and a larger project of remixing and remastering everything I found for good measure.” Artifacts is a phylogenetic tree. A double-LP’s worth music that traces the evolution of Beirut from a 14-year-old Condon’s first attempts at bringing the music he heard in his mind to life, to the fully formed Beirut we know today.
Bronze – Absolute Compliance CD/LP (Castleface)
Bronze are real-deal weirdo kings of San Francisco and their spell is not easily dissipated once cast. Hypnosis, memorization, and brain trickery are some of the results of deep listening, and it is a suggestive, ritualistic and dreamlike vibe that Bronze ooze like pheromones all over their excellent new record.
Carpenter Brut – Leather Terror CD/LP (Virgin)
After 2018’s Leather Teeth, Carpenter Brut returns with Leather Terror, the second of his imagined “Leather” trilogy. It continues the story of Bret Halford, who seeks revenge on the men who caused his trauma, the men who once stood between him and his high school cheerleader Kendra. Influenced by martial, industrial, and metal sounds – while leaving room for more pop and atmospheric parts – Carpenter Brut is the instigator of violence, the soundtrack to Bret’s relentless revenge. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Paul Cauthen – Country Coming Down CD/LP (Velvet Rose)
Paul Cauthen first earned his reputation as a fire-breathing truth-teller with the acclaimed roots rock band Sons Of Fathers, but it wasn’t until the 2016 release of his solo debut, My Gospel, that he truly tapped into the full depth of his prodigious talents. Vice Noisey dubbed it “a somber reminder of how lucky we are to be alive,” while Texas Monthly raved that Cauthen “sound[s] like the Highwaymen all rolled into one: he’s got Willie’s phrasing, Johnny’s haggard quiver, Kristofferson’s knack for storytelling, and Waylon’s baritone.” Two albums and six years down the road, Paul delivers the highly anticipated new studio effort Country Coming Down. Produced by Paul, Jason Burt and Beau Bedford, this new collection of tracks is packed with attitude and attention to detail. [An indie-store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Chains Over Razors – Chains Over Razors CD (Deko)
For fans of Deadset Society, Cold Kingdom, and heavy metal.
Gerald Clayton – Bells On Sand CD/LP (Blue Note)
Pianist/composer Gerald Clayton explores the impact and abstraction of time on his ravishing second Blue Note album Bells On Sand, which features contributions from mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone, father John Clayton on bass, longtime friend and peer Justin Brown on drums, and new collaborator Maro on vocals. “Each musician on the record represents a different aspect of the axis of time and its shifting sands,” says Clayton. “My father and Charles Lloyd, who has been a mentor figure to me, reflect new permutations of my past, and the lineage of elders who have shaped my development; Justin Brown, being my contemporary and musical brother, represents my present; and Maro represents the future – she is part of the next generation, and points to a brand-new collaboration.”
Confidence Man – Tilt CD/LP (Heavenly)
In this world, nothing is certain except taxes, death and Confidence Man. They are unstoppable, unquenchable, undeniable, and if you get in their way, you’re gonna get hurt. Not even a global pandemic could stop Janet, Sugar, Reggie, and Clarence from producing an album so fierce, flirty and full of anthems that you might need to sit down before you hit play. Welcome to Tilt, Confidence Man’s second album.
Joy Crookes – Skin CD (Epic)
Skin is the debut album and hugely personal body of work from one of the UK’s boldest and brightest young talents, Joy Crookes. A collection of songs built and honed throughout her adolescence and into her early 20s, it weaves through topics such as mental health, relationships, and politics all with grace and sensitivity.
Cryptics – Paintstroke CD/LP (Pine Hill)
Tucked away since early 2020, Paintstroke was completed and held from release until the band was able to continue touring again. This pandemic-hidden platter marks growth in sound, structure, and style since it’s’ predecessors. While not straying too far from their roots, the group takes their sound to the next level. The band’s catchy, melodic, yet sometimes dark signature shines through in new setlist staples such as “Inchworm”, “29 Years” or “Sentinel”. The alchemy continues with their first ever ambient instrumental interlude track “Between The Tides”. In The Cryptics timeline Paintstroke serves as a crucial steppingstone connecting what came before with what lies ahead.
Doris Day – Early Day: Rare Songs From The Radio 1939 – 1950 CD (Real Gone Music)
This 24-track collection carefully culls Doris’ finest and rarest performances from over a decade of appearances on the radio, where her star first really began to shine.
Elway – The Best Of All Possible Worlds CD/LP (Red Scare)
11 new bangers from the Colorado indie-punk quartet.
Evil Invaders – Shattering Reflection CD/LP (Napalm)
Third album from the Belgian metal band.
Franz Ferdinand – Tonight [Reissue/2009] CD (Domino)
CD reissue of the Mercury Prize-winning Scottish band’s third album.
Field Works – Stations CD/LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
What does the Earth sound like? In Stations, the 10th volume in the Field Works series, producer Stuart Hyatt approaches that question with a team of scientists working on the EarthScope experiment. Using sophisticated ground recording devices, Field Works has created a new type of music in which human voices sing along with the actual voice of the Earth. Stations features an all-star ensemble of vocalists and instrumentalists, including Hanna Benn, Janie Cowan, Masayoshi Fujita, Stuart Hyatt, Laraaji, Qasim Naqvi, and Brad Weber. [The deluxe vinyl edition includes a bonus digital album of peer reviews by Deantoni Parks, Green-House, Olga Wojciechowska, Afrodeutsche, Nathan Fake, Ben Chatwin, Sophia Loizou, Amulets, Penelope Trappes, and Alva Noto.]
Daryl Hall – Before After 2xCD (Sony Legacy)
Drawing from 35 years of recordings, Before After unites highlights from Daryl Hall’s five studio albums and his groundbreaking Live From Daryl’s House performance series. Compiled and sequenced by Hall, its 30 songs paint a deeply soulful self-portrait of the artist, exposing the emotional depth at the core of his every musical impulse.
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Remaining Titles Vol. 1 (1950-1961) CD (Document)
Born in Centerville, Texas, Hopkins learned the blues during his youth in Buffalo, Texas from Blind Lemon Jefferson and his older cousin, country-blues singer Alger Texas Alexander. Hopkins recorded prolifically in Texas. Occasionally traveling to the Midwest and Eastern US for recording sessions and concert appearances, it has been estimated that he recorded between 800 and 1000 songs during his career.
Horojo Trio – Set The Record CD/LP (Stony Plain Music)
Horojo Trio is the soul-rocking rhythm and blues trio that won Best Band at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Drummer Jamie Holmes, singer/keyboardist Jeff Rogers and guitarist/singer JW-Jones have individually helped to create music that reached the Top 10 Billboard Blues Charts and have performed in live music venues internationally.
Christian Lee Hutson – Quitters CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Christian Lee Hutson starts his new album Quitters with a laugh. In this follow up to his 2020 album, Beginners, Hutson moves away from the focus on growing up to the dread and complications of growing older. The laugh that announces Quitters is the kind you’ll find at the end of John Huston films, one of resignation and release, and somehow a cosmic laugh that says “California”, a place where lonely people gather like birds. Across Quitters’ 13 tracks, Hutson crafts this portrait of the place he’s from. In these short story-like songs, Hutson presents characters who carry this golden light and sinister geography inside them. It’s a place where everything in the end gets blown away and paved over with something new, where even the ocean and fires are always whispering, “One day we’ll take it all back.” This is a Los Angeles in constant transition, where childhood is lost, where home is gone and can never be visited again. [An indie store exclusive translucent purple color vinyl pressing is due April 22.]
Incantation – Blasphemy [Reissue/2002] CD (Shadow Kingdom)
Digitally remastered edition of the death metal band’s sixth album. One of the most important bands ever to emerge in the death metal genre, Incantation is often imitated but never equaled.
In The Woods… – Omnio [Reissue/ 1997] CD/2xLP (Soulseller)
In The Woods’ 1994 debut Heart Of The Ages is a classic of the Norwegian black metal scene, and saw the band go on to explore more progressive terrain by the end of the ‘90s, resulting in the release of 1997’s Omnio and 1999’s Strange In Stereo. They split in 2000, and were reformed in 2015 by Anders Kobro, Christian and Christopher Botteri and joined by James Fogarty. X: Botteri and C.M. Botteri left the band in 2016. 2016’s Pure and 2018’s Cease The Day bring the band’s catalog up to date.
Skip James – “Live” – Bloomington, Indiana 30/3/1968 Part 1, Volume 2 CD (Document)
Recorded live when James was aged 65 and in great form (considering that he had recently been hospitalized) and previously unreleased, this very enjoyable concert captures all of his charisma, and it is an absolute must for all collectors of acoustic blues.
Tom Jones – Surrounded By Time (The Hourglass Edition) 2xCD (BMG)
Expanded double-CD edition of the Welsh vocalist’s 2021 album includes bonus CD that contains non-album tracks, live recordings, and an interview.
Devon Kay & The Solutions – Grieving Expectation CD/LP (Pure Noise)
A collection of maximalist pop punk songs pulling from every genre imaginable. Masking nihilistic musings with sugar in your teeth pop music has become a mainstay for Devon Kay & The Solutions and with Grieving Expectation they’ve expanded on that idea tenfold. [An indie store exclusive translucent white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Killing Joke – Lord Of Chaos CDEP (Spinefarm)
Killing Joke’s new EP features two brand-new recordings, plus two reworkings of songs from their 2015 album, Pylon.
King Garbage – Heavy Metal Greasy Love CD/LP (Ipecac)
King Garbage is the result of a 16-year friendship and collaboration between Zach Cooper and Vic Dimotsis. As Grammy-nominated Producers, KG has brought a unique perspective on American soul Music through their recordings Bangers & Ash (2013), Make It Sweat (2017), and their production offerings for The Weeknd, SZA, Travis Scott, Ellie Goulding, Ricky Reed, THEY., Gallant, The Knocks, Jon Batiste, Billy Porter, and Leon Bridges. Their sound, traces of D’Angelo, J Dilla and Marvin Gaye’s influence are easily detectable and revered. They’ve shared the stage with Leon Bridges, John-Robert, Ghostface, Raekwon, Talib Kweli and Blackalicious among others in venues and arenas around the country. [A coke bottle green and an indie store exclusive translucent white color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Longest Johns – Smoke + Oakum CD/LP (Decca)
In a few short years, Bristol’s The Longest Johns have gone from singing sea shanties in a kitchen to playing international festivals, tours, TV appearances, and gaining a huge online following. Their first album, Between Wind And Water spawned the global viral hit, “Wellerman”, which gave the band their first Top 40 single. Now, The Longest Johns return with a rollicking set of new songs and shanties.
Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s Star One – Victims Of The Modern Age [Reissue/2010] 2xCD/4xLP (Inside Out U.S.)
Expanded reissue of the second studio album by Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s progressive metal project/supergroup Star One, originally released in 2010. The album continues the style introduced on Star One’s previous studio album by mixing progressive metal and space rock. Like on their previous album, the themes of the album’s songs are based on science fiction movies or TV series, however it is focused on dystopian or post-apocalyptic movies. The title of the album is a quote from Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange.
Meshuggah – Immutable CD/2xLP (Atomic Fire)
Full of surprises and yet instantly recognizable as the work of metal’s most idiosyncratic force, Immutable redefines and redesigns the Swedish progressive metal band’s sound across more than an hour of the most stimulating and absorbing music. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Luther and Cody Dickinson started the North Mississippi Allstars in 1996 as a loose collective of like-minded second-generation musicians who shared a local repertoire and regional style. Over the years the lineup shifted by design, and each NMA record offered up a different combination of collaborators. Set Sail finds the brothers working with Jesse Williams on bass and Lamar Williams, Jr. for the first time. Set Sail, the North Mississippi Allstars’ thirteenth album, follows 2019’s Up And Rolling, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary Blues Album in 2021. Set Sail continues the band’s tradition of creating roots music that displays remarkable variety. With their latest record, NMA build upon their self-described sound of Primitive Modernism. A melding of the new and the old, traditional, and futuristic, crafted lyrics and improvisational music. [An indie store exclusive CD and color vinyl pressing – both expanded with bonus tracks – is available.]
Nunslaughter – Red Is The Color Of Ripping Death CD (Shadow Kingdom)
Sixth studio album from the death metal band. Nunslaughter require no introduction. Since 1987, these Ohio natives have prolifically perfected their own brand of Devil Metal: an evil blend of classic death metal and hardcore punk.
Pastor Champion – I Just Want To Be A Good Man CD/LP (Luaka Bop)
“My name is Wiley Champion. I was born and raised in Louisiana, now I live in Palo Alto, California. I drive up and down in the West, preaching and playing my electric guitar. A lot of things have happened in my life, perhaps enough for four men, but I don’t really want to talk about them, not because I’m secretive, but because they make me sad. I never thought about making a record before, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. They call me Pastor Champion, I just want to be a good man.”
Pattern-Seeking Animals – Only Passing Through CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Pattern-Seeking Animals, the California-based band featuring Ted Leonard (lead vocals & guitars), Jimmy Keegan (drums & vocals), Dave Meros (bass) and John Boegehold (keyboards), release their third studio album. [Vinyl edition is due April 29.]
Port Noir – Cuts CD/LP (Despotz)
Sweden’s ground-breaking rock act returns with their brand-new album, Cuts. It brings together elements of their past, in both style and sound, while embracing the energy and passion of their live shows. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing in a gatefold jacket is available.]
Pup – The Unravelling Of Puptheband CD/LP (BMG)
Pup return with their fourth album, The Unraveling of Puptheband, which finds the Toronto outfit teaming up with Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties), Kathryn McCauhey (Nobro), Mel St. Pierre (Casper Skulls) and Erik Paulson (Remo Drive), as well as producer Peter Katis. “It’s hands down my favorite Pup record, and I don’t think it could’ve been made under any other circumstances,” bandleader Stefan Babcock said. “As the weeks passed, we seemed less and less rational, objective, and sane. You can hear the band start to fall off the cliff, and because of that, I think this record is our truest and most genuine to date. There is nothing more Pup than a slow and inevitable descent into self-destruction. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love CD/2xLP/Cassette (WB)
Unlimited Love serves as the L.A. funk-rockers follow-up to 2016’s The Getaway and their first with former guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. The 17-track double album is introduced by the meditative lead single “Black Summer”. Drummer Chad Smith commented on the direction of the band’s twelfth album, “John hasn’t been in our group in 10 years. That’s a long time. So of course, it’s going to sound different, but it’s going to sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but it’s different and new, and to me that’s great.” [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing as well as an RSD exclusive deluxe vinyl pressing is available. The RSD exclusive version is pressed on silver vinyl, includes a 24” x 36” poster, and the sleeve printed on silver board. In addition, a black vinyl deluxe edition featuring gatefold packaging and the poster is also available.]
Thomas Rhett – Where We Started CD/Cassette (Valory)
Inspired by his return to the road – after foregoing live fan-filled arenas across the globe for his living room in Nashville like so many – Where We Started marks a similar return to Thomas Rhett’s in-the-moment mix of tempo, transcendent romance, and tip-of-the-spear sonic trailblazing. On the album, country’s resident good-life philosopher shakes away a year-plus of off-stage dust. Featuring 15 songs, all but one co-written by Rhett, the project highlights his signature infusion of country tradition with kinetic romantic energy. [Vinyl edition due September 30.]
Catherine Russell – Send For Me CD (Dot Time)
Send For Me is a follow up to Russell’s 2019 release Alone Together, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album and landed on the JazzWeek year-end radio chart as the #1 most played album. Send For Me features a baker’s dozen of newly recorded tunes on her eighth album as a leader, meeting a simple exacting standard.
Satan – Earth Infernal CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Earth Infernal is a product of the times that birthed it and could only be the work of Satan. Having churned out cutting edge heavy metal throughout the’ 80s, and reunited in 2011, their sixth full-length maintains the high standard they long ago set. It is perhaps their timeliest release. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sir Reg – Kings Of Sweet Feck All CD/LP (Despotz)
Sir Reg is an energetic seven-piece act from Sweden. With songs about everything from the issues of modern-day society to finding the right bar on a Saturday night, their new album – Kings Of Sweet Feck All – continues the story of the tales and struggles of ordinary men and women fighting to make their voices heard and opinions count, while not losing their spirit and ability to enjoy the simpler things in life – like hanging out with friends at their favorite bar on a Saturday night. [An indie store exclusive vinyl edition is available.]
The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble – Step Down CD/LP (Colemine)
SFSE use their music to beautifully paint a picture of societal woes, but also points toward the solution and a better world. Heavy cinematic soul, spiritual jazz-funk, upbeat Afro-funk, and deeply introspective rare-groove cuts lace this ten-track transmission. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Crooked Tree CD (Nonesuch)
Recorded live at Nashville’s Oceanway Studios, Crooked Tree was produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas and features collaborations with Sierra Hall, Old Crow Medicine Show, Margo Price, Billy Strings, Dan Tyminski, and Gillian Welch. The album explores Tuttle’s lifelong love of bluegrass – a genre she first discovered though her father, a music teacher and multi-instrumentalist, and her grandfather, a banjo player. Across these thirteen original tracks, all written or co-written by Tuttle, she simultaneously honors the bluegrass tradition while also pushing the genre in new directions. [Vinyl edition due May 13.]
Tygers Of Pan Tang – New Heartbeat CDEP/12” (Mighty Music/SPV)
New EP rom the veteran British heavy metal band.
Various Artists – Black Lives – From Generation To Generation 2xCD (Jammin’colors)
25 musicians from the United States, Caribbean, and Africa each compose a song to fight against systemic racism in the world. The 25 composers are between 20 and 80 years old and are known for their work as leaders but also their collaboration with world-famous artists from the ‘60s until today (D’Angelo, Fela Kuti, Meshell Ndegéocello, Salif Keita, Marcus Miller, Roy Hargrove, Erykah Badu, Steve Coleman, Joe Zawinul, The Headhunters, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding). They draw on many influences, such as African music, hip-hop, jazz, funk, rock, fusion, rap, jungle, nu-jazz, soul, blues, Caribbean jazz, opera, classical music, poetry.
Various Artists – The Others – Lustmord Deconstructed 2xCD/3xLP (Pelagic/Ipecac)
Berlin-based music label Pelagic Records commemorates the work of electronic music pioneer Lustmord with the release of The Others, based around his tenth studio album [Other], originally released in 2008 and to date his lone album with guitars on it, performed by Adam Jones (Tool), King Buzzo (The Melvins) and Aaron Turner (Isis). A set of Lustmord tracks reinterpreted by some of the spearheads of the contemporary heavy music scene – and beyond, The Others – Lustmord Deconstructed is a celebration of the fearless attitude of being different and the expression of unique ideas which have never existed before. Half of the tracks are ambient reworks by a variety of artists such as Ihsahn and Zola Jesus, while the other half features more extensive full band performances from groups like The Ocean and Godflesh. Also featuring Enslaved, Ulver, Steve Von Till, Mono and more.
Versus The World – Versus The World [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (Kung Fu)
CD and blue color vinyl reissue of the 2005 debut album from Vans Warped Tour veterans.
Vola – Live From The Pool CD/2xLP (Mascot Label Group)
In September 2021, Vola performed an intimate show in a stunning live setting. Live From The Pool took place at the swimming pool of the abandoned Auderød military camp in North Zealand near Copenhagen, Denmark. Designed by the world-famous architect Henning Larsen this defunct building has become part of the Auderød nature park. A place where nature encounters the mysteries of a once existing military base, ready to be explored. Creating a unique experience, the bands’ genre-melding music collaborates with visionary Danish audio-visual artist collective Vertigo, where light, nature, music, and concrete meet. [A mint green color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Waltz – Looking-Glass Self CD/LP (Labelman)
If The Waltz were a drink, it’d be a slamming cocktail of Panoramix’s magic potion, mixed with Red Bull, some coffee and a strong Belgian Tripel beer. Young, eager and firmly rooted in the present, The Waltz present an eclectic sound best described as post-punk larded with a heavy dose of noise and a hint of pop. [A limited-edition yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Emily Wells – Regards To The End CD/LP (This Is Meru)
Wells, a multi-instrumentalist who comes from a classical background in violin, often thinks in terms of an ensemble while composing. Along with a roster of contributors including her father, a French horn player and former music minister, she builds the songs on Regards To The End from deliberate strata of vocals, synths, drums, piano, string instruments (violin, cello, bass), and wind instruments (clarinet, flute, French horn). The music is numinous in part because the listening experience is a resoundingly bodied one. Life – unsanitary, beautiful, persistent, brief – swells inside of every note.
Wiki – Half God CD/2xLP+MP3 (Wikset Enterprise)
Wiki has become a fixture of New York City hip hop since, at 17 years old, he founded the boundary defying group Ratking, whose aggressive style represented a new generation of city kids and artists, hungry for innovation and raw energy. Half God is produced entirely by Navy Blue, one of the most refreshing young, acclaimed rapper/producers to break out in recent years, for a project that pushes each of their talents to new heights. Wiki’s storytelling as the city’s young OG has never been more vivid and Navy Blue’s production pushes further into every sonic corner he’s explored today, providing a perfect canvas for Wiki’s signature voice. There is also guest features from Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, Duendita, Navy Blue, Jesse James Solomon and Remy Banks.
Wolf – Shadowland CD/LP (Century Media)
Swedish heavy metal masters Wolf strike back with their ninth studio album. Ten intense and addictive headbanger anthems. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing with poster is available.]
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls [Reissue/2012] LP (ATO)
RSD Essentials ‘black & white explosion’ color vinyl pressing of Alabama Shakes’s debut album. Produced and mixed by the band members, Boys & Girls is a vibrant fusion of swampy, dirty South rock, blues and soul delivered with punk rock fervor.
Allen Stone – Allen Stone [Reissue/2012] LP (ATO)
RSD Essential Indie Colorway gold nugget vinyl pressing of soul/R&B singer’s sophomore album.
Antigen/ Socialstyrelsen – Sense Of Dread LP (Halvfabrikat)
Split release between Czech anarcho/crust punk band Antigen and Swedish punk band Socialstyrelsen.
Lloyd Banks – The Course Of Inevitable 2xLP (Tuff Kong)
The Course Of The Inevitable serves as Lloyd Banks’ first studio album in over a decade. For the most part, Banks flys solo on COTI, with only five of the eighteen tracks including featured artists. On that front, we’re looking at appearances from Roc Marci, Benny The Butcher, Styles P, Sy Ari Da Kid, and Vado. Other than that, however, the stage is largely set for the Punchline King, who has much to say on his fourth studio album.
The Beau Brummels – Two Days ‘Til Tomorrow: The Warner Bros. Non Album Singles 1966-1970 LP (Hanky Panky)
For the first time on vinyl LP, The Beau Brummels’ non-album Warner Brothers 45s in their original mono mixes, plus all sides from Sal Valentino’s rare solo singles Includes illustrated four-page insert with track-by-track annotation and commentary from band members and producer Lenny Waronker.
Behemoth – I Loved You At Your Darkest [Reissue/2018] 2xLP (Metal Blade)
Silver color vinyl pressing. A crushing salvo of black metal majesty replete with hellish riffs, thundering drum cannonades and soaring liturgical choirs reminiscent of classic horror cinema.
Blood Feast – Kill For Pleasure [Reissue/1986] LP (High Roller)
Blood Feast – Face Fate [Reissue/1987] 12” (High Roller)
Limited-edition color vinyl reissues of the New Jersey thrash metal band’s first two releases.
Colin Blunstone – One Year [Reissue/1971] 2xLP (Sundazed)
Expanded 50th Anniversary Edition of Blunstone’s (founding member of, and singer in The Zombies) post Oracle opus. Featuring several members of his former band, One Year is an album that somehow manages to be both lush and sparse at the same time and always deeply intimate.
Buñuel – Killers Like Us LP (Profound Lore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Buñuel is the sound of a difficult situation made worse by an unwillingness and an inability to play nice. If slotting it in a genre makes it easier for one to understand, just so one has something to file it under, mark it down as Heavy. With a capital H. But not heavy that’s in any way predictable; Buñuel ‘s amalgam of angular rhythms, drum salvos, fast attack guitars and vocals is arty as in avant-garde noise.
Can – Monster Movie [Reissue/1969] LP (Mute)
Can – Soundtracks [Reissue/1970] LP (Mute)
Color vinyl reissues of the legendary and highly influential Krautrock band’s first two albums.
Capricorn – For The Restless LP (Wild Kingdom)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. 10 tracks of burning rock ‘n’ roll.
Catbite – Nice One LP (Bad Timing)
“It can be argued that Catbite is the first real Bad Time Records band. When I started the label in 2018, I knew I wanted to reissue my own band’s EP on vinyl, but beyond that… honestly, I had no clue. When I first saw Catbite come along with some covers on social media, I instantly knew that they were exactly the type of band I wanted to work with; talented as hell, putting their own spin on ska, and serious about their music but with a healthy sense of humor and skepticism about genre definition.”
Ceramic Animal – Sweet Unknown LP (Easy Eye Sound)
Recently released on CD – now available on translucent blue smoke color vinyl. Strutting out of Doylestown, PA, Ceramic Animal forge glam, post-punk, psych rock and ’70s pop into an original and exciting sound. The band’s music and ambition impressed Dan Auerbach, who signed them to his Easy Eye Sound label and invited them down to Nashville to write and record their fourth album, Sweet Unknown. Together, they created an album that marries the glitter-stomp of T. Rex with the slow rush of Tame Impala and the extravagant melodicism of Todd Rundgren.
Quelle Chris/Chris Keys – Innocent Country 2 [Reissue/2020] LP (Mello Music Group)
If Quelle Chris and Chris Keys’ Innocent Country 2 sounds like an antidote for a moment of surreal anxiety, the same could be said of it a decade from now. It’s an album best understand in a dialogue with the first volume of the series. Released in 2016, the initial Innocent Country focused on isolation, pessimism, and the notion of finding peace within pain. At a time when those feelings convey the mood of the moment, Quelle and Keys have responded with a soundtrack that offers soothing light in a bleak timeline. A hopeful record in a hopeless moment, precisely when it’s needed most. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Churchburn – Genocidal Rite LP (Translation Loss)
Third album from the doom metal band.
Eric Clapton – The Lady In The Balcony: The Lockdown Sessions 2xLP (Mercury Studios)
Released last November in a variety of audio & video formats – now available on yellow color vinyl. Eric Clapton’s The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions captures a unique live performance by the music legend and his stellar band filmed during lockdown earlier in 2021. The Mercury Studios release features Clapton on top form with his longtime bandmates Nathan East (bass and vocals), Steve Gadd (drums), and Chris Stainton (keyboards). They perform acoustic versions of staples from Eric’s catalog and other numbers in blues and country styles. The project came about after the enforced cancellation of Clapton’s 2021 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Cowdray House was agreed on as a suitable location for a strictly controlled lockdown performance. The only non-participant to view the proceedings was Eric’s wife Melia, watching on from the balcony to inspire the title of the recording.
Com Truise – Galactic Melt [Reissue/2011] 2xLP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
Black and orange color vinyl 10th Anniversary Edition featuring five bonus tracks. A decade ago, the static signal of “Terminal” booting-up sounded and Galactic Melt launched into the atmosphere for the first time; Seth Haley’s Com Truise project arrived in full. A graphic designer based in New Jersey at the time, Haley found a sound on his synthesizers that sparked an immediate nostalgia response, tapping into classic sci-fi and proto-electro in a way that felt early ’80s in scope, but also remarkably weird – stutter-step proggy and intoxicatingly psychedelic.
Crippled Black Phoenix – Ellengæst [Reissue/2020] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited-edition red color vinyl pressing. Ellengæst has the difficult task of following 2018’s profound and moving Great Escape. This new release, though, does not make any attempts in pairing with or succeeding its predecessor. Circumstances largely prevented it anyway. On the day tracking started for Ellengæst, Crippled Black Phoenix found themselves without a male lead vocalist and keyboardist. Whereas events of a similar thread would spell doom for most bands, CBP leader Justin Greaves took it as an opportunity to tap into his deep network of musician friends. Before he knew it, several prominent guest vocalists were secured, ready and able to lend their considerable talents to: Anathema’s Vincent Cavanagh, Gaahls Wyrd’s Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal, Coliseum / Fotocrime / one-time Crippled Black Phoenix touring bassist Ryan Patterson, up-and-coming U.K. solo artist Suzie Stapleton, and Tribulation’s Jonathan Hultén.
Cro-Mags – The Age Of Quarrel [Reissue/1986] LP (Astor Place)
Cro-Mags is one of the fundamental names for the birth of the so-called “crossover thrash” subgenre, which synthesized thrash metal and hardcore punk. Cro-Mags’ first full-length, The Age Of Quarrel, released in 1986, is one of the first albums where the unadulterated energy of hardcore punk is filtered through the aggression and the fury of thrash metal.
Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Regatta LP (SRFSCHL)
When Curren$y, Smoke Dza and Harry Fraud got together at a Times Square recording studio one night in the summer of 2013, they didn’t know that they would be recording The Stage EP in one session. However, once they got into the room together, they locked the door and didn’t come out until they had laid down four heaters, all over classic Harry Fraud style beats. The trio immediately knew they had something special and enlisted the services of French Montana and Big K.R.I.T. to round out their masterpiece. Turning an impromptu studio session into the foundation for a full collaboration project is nothing new to these industry vets, with Curren$y and Harry Fraud creating/recording their Cigarette Boats EP in similar fashion. Regatta collects both of these EPs.
Daggerboard & The Skipper – Daggerboard & The Skipper LP (Wide Hive)
Daggerboard is Throttle Elevator Music’s Gregory Howe, Erik Jekabson, Michael Hughes and Ross Howe. On nine new songs they join forces with Black Jazz Records legend Henry ‘The Skipper’ Franklin on bass. Features beautiful strings, soaring trumpet, and Mads Tolling on violin and Roger Glenn on vibes.
Doris Day – My Heart [Reissue/2011] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited green vinyl color vinyl pressing. By far the most unexpected hit record of 2011 was the 29th and final studio album from an 89-year-old Doris Day. The heart of My Heart is a series of songs recorded by Doris in the mid- ’80s as background for scenes featuring her with various animals on the Doris Day’s Best Friends television show, many of them written by her son, Terry Melcher, whose production credits, of course, include The Byrds and The Beach Boys.
Dayseeker – Sleeptalk [Reissue/2019] 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Deluxe double clear vinyl pressing. Sleeptalk, the fourth studio album from Southern California’s Dayseeker, has effectively positioned them as one of the scene’s most formidable forces and a band that is primed to take its next big leap. This set features the original 2019 breakthrough album, plus four brand-new studio tracks.
Dissidente – The War On Two Fronts LP (Bad Time)
The War On Two Fronts is aggressive in speed, style, and tone, taking aim at corrupt politicians and systematic oppression as fiercely as it blends riff-laden metal with crack-rocksteady offbeats. Chris’ signature growl conveys years of of pent-up aggression, but with enough melody to keep the tracks swirling through your brain for days… while the rhythm section combines forces for a veritable cross-genre masterclass. The few breaks on this album take you through atmospheric interludes with eerie piano and prescient audio samples… a pallet cleanser for the speed and ferocity yet to come.
Doomriders – Darkness Come Alive [Reissue/2009] LP (Deathwish Inc.)
Translucent purple color vinyl reissue of the second album from the Salem, Massachusetts-based metal/hardcore band.
Dream Death – Journey Into Mystery [Reissue/1987] LP (High Roller)
Color vinyl reissue of the debut album from the Pittsburgh, PA metal band’s doom/thrash debut.
Enslaved – Vikingligr Veldi [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (By Norse Music)
Gold color vinyl pressing. Enslaved’s first full-length was co-produced with the legendary Pytten in Grieghallen, Bergen, Norway and is dedicated to Mayhem’s Euronymous whose label Deathlike Silence Productions originally released the album in 1994 following his murder by Varg Vikernes. This album has lyrics in Icelandic, and is a tribute to the Norse landscape, history, and mythology. The songs are matching these themes with long horizontal songscapes, dense atmospheres and winds from the past.
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On [Reissue/1971] 2xLP (Motown)
50th Anniversary Edition. This premium vinyl release features direct-to-analog mastering from the original primary album tape reels by acclaimed engineer Kevin Gray, one of the first times this has been done since 1971, offering an undeniably authentic listening experience. The What’s Going On: 50th Anniversary edition includes a bonus LP which opens the album’s writing and production palette. Featured are four rare cuts making their vinyl debut, highlighted by a previously unreleased “stripped” version of the title song, plus all six original mono single mixes and their B-sides, with all those 7″ versions on vinyl for the first time since their original releases.
The Glitch Mob – Revisions 2xLP (Shoot To Kill)
The gripping 22-track Revisions features reimagined cuts from The Glitch Mob’s acclaimed albums Drink The Sea, Love Death Immortality, See Without Eyes and beyond. “Enjoy the 88-minute continuous trip through our archives. Revisions is a hybrid of a DJ mix and an album into something more like a journey,” shares the trio. Color vinyl pressing with poster contained in a special silver foil printed overbag.
God’s Hate – God’s Hate LP (Closed Casket Activities)
Color vinyl pressing. “Life is hard – be harder.” That’s the driving ethos behind God’s Hate, one of the hardest hardcore bands in the land. Co-founded by Colin Young of Twitching Tongues and vocalist/Ring Of Honor professional wrestler Brody King, God’s Hate set out to re-establish the mantle of hardness created by East Coast HC titans Merauder, Hatebreed and the seminal Troy-core scene of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Grateful Dead – Dicks Picks Vol. 19: 10/19/73 Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Arena Oklahoma City, OK 6xLP (Real Gone Music)
Limited-edition six-LP box set. 4,500 copies worldwide. A missing link in the Dicks Picks series: 1973.
Guided By Voices – Devil Between My Toes [Reissue/1987] LP (Scat)
Devil Between My Toes is the debut album by Guided By Voices, originally self-released by the group in February 1987 in an edition of 300 copies. Disillusioned by the lukewarm reception to the band’s debut EP the previous year, Robert Pollard resolved that this record would be conceived for an audience of one: “(it) is strictly for me and me only. Because no one’s going to buy it, no one gives a f***, but I’m still gonna do it. So, I might as well put only what I want on it, for me. An album for me.”
Mayer Hawthorne – Man About Town [Reissue/2016] LP (Vagrant)
On 2016’s Man About Town, Grammy-nominated artist Mayer Hawthorne is back to handling the lion’s share of production. He also played damn near every instrument on the album and penned every track. His songwriting pulls from his life and observations, his heartache and joy. Sometimes it’s groovy, other times he’s vulnerable and sincere. It’s the shit people listen to when they wanna get drunk and stoned and sentimental. The reason? Mayer Hawthorne continues to make that timeless, soulful, baby-making music.
High Spirits – Another Night [Reissue/2011] LP (High Roller)
Color vinyl reissue of the Chicago metal band’s debut album.
Illvilja – Mörkret 10” (Halvfabrikat)
Crust punk from Lidköping, Sweden.
Tito Jackson – Under Your Spell LP (Sono Music Group)
Released last August on CD – now available on vinyl. California-based Tito Jackson is supported on his debut blues album by an array of superlative special guests – George Benson, Joe Bonamassa, Marlon Jackson, Eddie Levert, Kenny Neal, Bobby Rush, and Stevie Wonder, who all add their special talents to the proceedings. Above it all though, Jackson’s innate abilities as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and arranger shine through brilliantly, creating a spectacular record that is destined for airplay and rave reviews in several formats.
The Jackson 5 – Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 [Reissue/1969] LP (Motown/Elemental)
RSD Essential Indie Colorway orange vinyl pressing of the debut album by The Jackson Five.
John 5 & The Creatures – Sinner LP (Big Machine)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. An eclectic showman and horror-obsessed pop culture maverick, John 5’s tastes and talent are as vast and diverse as his renowned collection of guitars and as robust as his expansive discography. Sinner is ten tracks of pure John 5, summoned with the same mix of vibrant energy and passionate emotion beloved by fans of his work as guitarist for Rob Zombie and David Lee Roth. [A picture disc vinyl edition is due April 29.]
Jungle Brothers – Out Of The Jungle [Reissue/1988] LP (Warlock)
RSD Essential clear w/ smoke color vinyl reissue of the hip-hop group’s debut album. Out Of The Jungle was largely recorded without the use of a sampler (with the exception of the tracks “On The Run”, “What’s Going On”, “Because I Got It Like That”, and “I’m Gonna Do You”). Instead, Jungle Brothers would lay down a beat straight off the records they were using as source material, in the words of Afrika Baby Bam: “looping it around by hand, eight bars at a time, until you had six minutes on tape, so there’d be enough music to do your rhymes before it ran out…I just had one copy of each record. That’s the way most of the album was done.”
Killing Joke – In Dub Rewind (Vol One) 2xLP (Cadiz Music)
Green and yellow color vinyl pressing. Heavily influenced by dub back in the band’s early days Youth has re-imagined some of the greatest Killing Joke songs and remixed them dub style, bringing a whole new sound and dimension to the classic Killing Joke sound.
Killing Joke – Total Invasion: Live In The USA LP (Cadiz Music)
Long known for their ferocious, uncompromising, and electrifying studio releases, Killing Joke also have a well-deserved reputation for taking a sonic force forged in fire, brimstone, and magic one step further on stage. Total Invasion: Live In The USA was recorded at the PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina on November 24th, 2019, and features a killer set of nine classic tracks.
Kylesa – Spiral Shadow [Reissue/2010] LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Kylesa – Ultraviolet [Reissue/2013] LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Kylesa – Exhausting Fire LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Multiple color vinyl pressings of the heavy rock band’s fifth, sixth, and seventh albums.
The Lion’s Daughter – Skin Show LP (Season Of Mist)
White color vinyl pressing. Skin Show could serve as the soundtrack to Times Square in the 1970s – the epicenter of sin and salacious misdeeds; a haven for sex, drugs, and crime beneath the inviting glow of neon signs from sleazy adult video stores; a place one would not dare walk alone after midnight unless tempted by devil himself. It’s deviant, raw, nasty, disturbing, and yet, the most lively, evolved, and polished version of the trio yet.
L’Orange – The World Is Still Chaos, But I Feel Better LP (Mello Music Group)
Released last September on CD – now available on vinyl. Simultaneously a tribute to depression and wellness, L’Orange’s The World Is Still Chaos, But I Feel Better shows a musical and emotional growth from the North Carolina producer. Tension is built and released throughout the 23-track album. The album features guest narration from comedian Nish Kumar and Jeremy Scott (CinemaSins) as well as musicians Marc Rebillet, Solemn Brigham (Marlowe) and Jeremiah Jae.
Bill Loose – Russ Meyer’s Cherry & Harry & Raquel (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP (Real Gone Music)
A western film noir mixed with softcore sex scenes and a Reefer Madness-style warning about the perils of marijuana – it’s all there in Cherry & Harry & Raquel, one of Russ Meyer’s wackiest romps. But composer William ‘Bill’ Loose is up to the task of bridging some yawning gaps in style and plot. Pressed on your choice of purple or white w/ black swirl color vinyl, each mastered at 45rpm for maximum fidelity.
Lovotic – Lovotic 2xLP (Analogue Foundation)
Written and conceived by Stephan Crasneanscki, Lovotic is a concept album by Soundwalk Collective, composed in collaboration with lauded actress and singer/songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg. Featuring veteran techno stalwart AtomTM, rising singer/composer/performance artist Lyra Pramuk, celebrated actor Willem Dafoe, and writer/philosopher Paul B. Preciado, the album was inspired by a relatively new field of research that seeks to explore and develop the possibilities of sexual and emotional relationships – and even love – between humans and robots. Lovotic interrogates the impulses, ideas, and needs underlying this phenomenon. The project ventures into a future where sex, intimacy, and desire are reformulated through the connection of humans, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
Lycia – Simpler Times 7” (Avangarde Music)
US darkwave pioneers Lycia are back with a new 7′ less than a year after the acclaimed Casa Luna EP. It appears Mike VanPortfleet, Tara Vanflower, John Fair and David Galas are living an extremely inspired new youth, as these two tracks convey very lively, spry vibes, yet in the usual dark, melancholic tones which are trademarks of the band.
Jackie McLean – Tippin’ The Scales [Reissue/1979] LP (Blue Note)
Recorded in 1962 (but not released until 1979), Jackie McLean’s album, Tippin’ The Scales, found the Blue Note stalwart leading a quartet with Sonny Clark, Butch Warren, and Art Taylor through a stellar set of hard bop including originals by McLean, Clark, and Vernon Duke’s “Cabin in the Sky.” Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered, and pressed on 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Messiah – Extreme Cold Weather [Reissue/1987] LP (Deadline Music)
Color vinyl reissue of the Swiss death/thrash metal band’s 1987 album.
Midnight Oil – Resist LP (Sin/Australia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Resist serves as Midnight Oil’s fifteenth studio release since they first exploded out of the post-punk scene back in 1978, blazing a singular trail of blistering gigs from Australia’s pubs and clubs to arenas and festivals around the world. It is a fitting, forward looking, statement for a band whose clarion call has always been “it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees”.
Milly – Our First Four Songs + Wish Goes On LP (Dangerbird)
Milly is a rock band from Los Angeles, California fronted by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brendan Dyer. Their sound melds together elements of classic shoegaze, slowcore, and lo-fi indie rock, coalescing into an intense, singular musical impression.
Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Fire LP (Mom + Pop Music)
Released last October on CD – now available on orange splatter color vinyl. Following the 2018 release of his most ambitious album yet, The Atlas Underground, legendary musician and two-time Grammy winner Tom Morello returns with his latest project – a follow-up album entitled The Atlas Underground Fire. Morello’s remarkable guitar playing is on full display on the record fusing rock, alternative and electronic music together with collaborations from a mix of music icons and cutting-edge artists. The acclaimed list of collaborators includes Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Chris Stapleton, Mike Posner, Damian Marley, and others.
Opprobrium – Beyond The Unknown [Reissue/2008] LP (High Roller)
Color vinyl reissue of the Louisiana death/thrash metal band’s second album.
Dolly Parton – Run Rose Run LP (Butterfly)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Run Rose Run is released at the same time as the publication of a novel co-written with famed author James Patterson sharing the title, Run Rose Run. The 12 songs were inspired by the book’s storyline and feature country and bluegrass artists such as Joe Nichols, Rhonda Vincent, The Isaacs, and Dailey & Vincent.
Hayden Pedigo – Greetings From Amarillo LP+MP3 (Driftless)
Blue color vinyl pressing. The 23-year-old guitarist Hayden Pedigo’s new album, Greetings From Amarillo, is “a tribute to the landscape of Amarillo, Texas and the different spaces I’ve discovered here,” he says, including not just solo guitar but also ambient synth tracks. It’s also tribute to other heroes of the Panhandle, including Terry Allen, who closes out the album with his voicemail musings.
Madeleine Peyroux – Careless Love [Reissue/2004] 3xLP (Craft Recordings)
Triple 180gm black and gold marble color vinyl pressing. This Deluxe Edition of Madeleine Peyroux’s acclaimed 2004 album, Careless Love, includes the original album plus a previously unreleased live set captured in its entirety in 2005 at Spain’s Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz. The package includes recently unearthed photos and new liner notes from Grammy Award-winning journalist Ashley Kahn.
Praise The Plague – The Obsidian Gate LP (Lifeforce)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Active since 2017, Praise The Plague (comprised of former members of Earth Ship and Ånd) create a robust blend of black, doom and sludge metal.
Phil Ranelin – Vibes From The Tribe [Reissue/1976] LP (Now-Again)
The Tribe label, one of the brightest lights of America’s 1970s jazz underground, receives the Now-Again reissue treatment. This is your chance to indulge in the music and story of one of the most meaningful, local movements of the 20th Century Black American experience, one that expanded outwards towards the cosmos. In the words of the collective themselves, “Music is the healing force of the universe.” The Tribe co-founder Phil Ranelin’s masterpiece Vibes From The Tribe lacquered directly from his master tapes in an all analog transfer by Bernie Grundman. The definitive reissue of this Spiritual Jazz album, one of the most sought-after artifacts of the 1970s jazz underground.
Sonny Red – Out Of The Blue [Reissue/1960] LP (Blue Note)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Sonny Red’s Out Of The Blue is a gem of the Blue Note catalog and deserving of much wider recognition. The alto saxophonist’s lone album for the label was recorded in two sessions with Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones, and Paul Chambers on bass, plus Roy Brooks and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Part of Blue Note Tone Poet Series which features all-analog, remastered sound.
Bebe Rexha – Better Mistakes LP (WB)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha’s sophomore album features guest contributions by Doja Cat, Travis Barker, Lil Uzi Vert, Lunay, Ty Dolla $ign, Rick Ross and more “Better Mistakes is by far the most challenging yet fulfilling project I have ever worked on. I wrote, recorded, re-wrote, re-recorded and then repeated that process in order to deliver an album that truly reflects who I am as a singer, songwriter and most importantly as an artist. I want to give listeners a journey of pop paradise fused with elements of rock and hip-hop. It’s important to me that my music continues to recognize ongoing themes of vulnerability, the cycle of self-destruction & self-realization, and female empowerment.”
Rhye – Home 2xLP (Loma Vista)
Double gold and purple marbled color vinyl pressing. Rhye’s fourth studio album, Home, is familiar in its synthesis of propulsive beats, orchestral flourishes, piano ruminations and sultry, gender-nonconforming vocals, but they have never sounded more cohesive or alive. Written throughout 2019 and early 2020, it was mixed by Alan Moulder.
Rise Against – Nowhere Generation LP+7” (Loma Vista)
Deluxe Edition of the punk band’s 2021 album includes a distinctive spinning wheel gatefold jacket with die-cut front cover. Plus, a 12-page album art booklet insert, a bonus 7″ single featuring two “Nowhere Sessions” versions of album standouts “Nowhere Generation” and “Broken Dreams, Inc.” LP is pressed on red vinyl and bonus 7″ single is pressed on red/black splatter vinyl.
Linda Ronstadt – Greatest Hits [Reissue/1976] 2xLP (Elektra)
Linda Ronstadt – Greatest Hits Volume Two [Reissue/1980] 2xLP (Elektra)
Linda Ronstadt’s Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits Volume Two have been reissued on 180gm vinyl with special textured jackets for International Women’s History Month.
Roxy Music – Roxy Music [Reissue/1972] LP (Republic)
Roxy Music’s self-titled seminal debut album, released in 1972, firmly put Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno at the forefront of the art-rock movement. Their penchant for glamour was showcased in the lyrics and immortalized in the 1950sstyle album cover. This vinyl reissue is mastered at half-speed and cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. It also features revised artwork with a gloss laminated finish.
Signals Midwest – Dent LP (Lauren)
Dent is the fifth LP from Cleveland, OH rock band Signals Midwest, recorded by J. Robbins (Against Me!, Jets To Brazil, The Promise Ring). Inspired by a stolen and ultimately totaled van, the album confronts the uncertainty of a world at halt and transmits the shaken-up-soda-can energy that fueled its writing process. With a feedback squeal and a quick four-count, Dent hits the ground running, and what follows is just over a half-hour’s worth of big songs about little moments, ominous futures, the lure of nostalgia, and finding shards of peace in an almost all-consuming wreckage.
Skeggs – 50 Push Ups For A Dollar 12” (Loma Vista)
Limited baby blue color vinyl pressing. 50 Push Ups For A Dollar is a six-track EP by Australian surf music and garage rock band, Skegss. Features the singles “Fun” and “Eat It”. Cover art designed by Jack Irvine of Space 44.
Slightly Stoopid – The Longest Barrel Ride [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Stoopid Records)
Blue color vinyl pressing. Slightly Stoopid’s Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald were signed to Sublime mastermind Brad Nowell’s Skunk imprint while still in high school, and made two albums for the label, Slightly Stoopid in 1996 and The Longest Barrel Ride two years later. SoCal skate punk influenced by thrash elements and copious amounts of weed.
Slink Moss Explosion – Floating Ghost Hotel LP (Hi-Style Enterprises)
Conjuring the dynamic energy of ‘80s neo-rockabilly bands like The Shakin’ Pyramids, The Rockats, and The Stray Cats, the occult macabre of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, the avant-garde of early new wave, and the outsider punk ethos of The Violent Femmes, Slink Moss Explosion’s spectral sounds will bring you a little closer to the otherworld.
Socialstyrelsen – I Krossade Speglars Skärvor LP (Halvfabrikat)
New album from the Swedish punk/d-beat band.
Spineshank – The Height Of Callousness [Reissue/2000] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited red cloud color vinyl pressing. With producer GGGarth (Melvins, L7, The Jesus Lizard) behind the board, L.A.-based Spineshank took a more industrial tack on their 2000 sophomore album, and it paid off, as The Height Of Callousness charted and sold over 150,000 copies. But it’s never been released on vinyl until now.
Edwin Starr – War And Peace [Reissue/1970] LP (Motown/Gordy)
RSD Essential Indie Colorway orange vinyl pressing of the singer/songwriter who gained notoriety for his single “War” (the opening track on his 1970 War And Peace).
Styles P X Havoc – Wrecking Manner LP (Ruffnation)
New project from two hip-hop legends. Both Havoc and Styles P have collaborated with several artists in recent years. Havoc released joint albums with Alchemist, Flee Lord and Dark Lo. His last solo album was in 2014, the same year as the last Mobb Deep album. Styles has teamed up to release projects with Talib Kweli, Berner and Dave East in recent years. In addition to new music from The Lox, Styles P has released at least one new album every year since 2018.
Televisionaries – Mad About You LP (Hi-Tide Recordings)
Debut LP from Televisionaries, the rockin’ Rochester combo obsessed with NRBQ, Nick Lowe and The Kinks. Recorded analog in New York City with minimal overdubs, Mab About You captures the bloody harmonies, pop hooks, and intricate instrumentation that has won over audiences worldwide performing on stage with Robert Gordon, Los Straitjackets, Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, and more. A Nu-Tone Recording.
Testament – The Formation Of Damnation [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Double white with blue and green marbled color vinyl pressing. Digitally remastered and expanded edition including three bonus tracks. The Formation Of Damnation is the 10th studio album by thrash metal band Testament, originally released in 2008.
The Threshold Houseboys Choir – Form Grows Rampant [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Musique Pour Danse)
The Threshold Houseboys Choir was a project by Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson. Operating out of Bangkok, Thailand, the Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV founding member started this audio and visual endeavor after Coil’s conclusion. Despite the name, it was a solo project relying heavily on computer generated vocals. The name was derived from a play on words, combining the terms houseboy, house of boys, boys’ choir, and Threshold House, which was Coil’s own label. Form Grows Rampant is the soundtrack of a film shot by Christopherson (a video capture at the GinJae Vegetarian Festival in the south of Thailand) and his first major musical project since the tragic death of John Balance and Coil’s subsequent demise. [CD edition due April 15.]
Tsjuder – Legion Helvete [Reissue/2011] LP (Season Of Mist)
Silver and black color vinyl pressing of the Norwegian black metal cult band’s 2011 comeback album. Next to Dimmu Borgier, Satyricon and Immortal, Oslo’s Tsjuder are one of the very few bands that manage to keep their roots in the harsh sounds loved by the underground but at the same time being able to write catchy melodies and great songs that make them appeal to the general metal scene.
Tanya Tucker – While I’m Livin’ [Reissue/2019] LP (Fantasy)
Limited black, pink, and blue splatter color vinyl pressing of the 25th studio album by legendary country music singer Tanya Tucker and her first album of original material since 2002. Released in 2019, the album was produced by Brandi Carlisle and Shooter Jennings and garnered Tanya her first Grammy Award for Best Country Album.
Tanya Tucker – Live From The Troubadour 2xLP (Fantasy)
Limited black, pink, and blue splatter color vinyl pressing. 15 songs performed live the Troubadour on October 16, 2020.
USERx – USERx 12” (Atlantic)
USERx (comprised of singer/songwriter Matt Maeson and producer/designer Rozwell) release their introspective, self-titled debut EP USERx. The EP release follows USERx’s debut single “Waterman” and collaborations “Above” with Masego and West Banks and “Headsick” with Manchester Orchestra.
Various Artists – Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (The Movie Soundtrack) 2xLP (Capitol)
Double vinyl picture disc pressing. Released in 2008, the big-screen adaptation of the ABBA musical, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, revisits the much-loved characters from the first film ten years on, as they prepare for the grand reopening of Hotel Bella Donna.
Various Artists – Ragtime: The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) 3xLP (Masterworks)
Triple 180gm red, white, and blue color vinyl pressing in a hardbound slipcase with individual jackets, along with a 20-page stitched booklet. The oversized booklet includes a new essay and track-by-track commentary from the Tony-winning songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, a new interview with Brian Stokes Mitchell, recording session and production photos and the complete recording libretto.
Various Artists – Rip It Up: The Best Of Specialty Records LP (Craft Recordings)
Yellow color vinyl pressing. 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 completion features 18 tracks that helped to shape R&B as we know it.
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents: Studio One Rockers [Reissue/2001] 2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Various Artists – Studio One Dub [Reissue/2004] 2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Studio One Rockers features many legendary Studio One tracks brought together for the first time by Soul Jazz Records. From the beginning of Reggae, when the Skatalites developed a new sound of Ska in 1962 up until today, Studio One has been the number one innovator in Jamaican music. Eighteen years on from its original release Studio One Dub (back in-print on orange color vinyl) remains super-hard hitting featuring classic and rare dub tracks from Studio One, many available on vinyl for the first time in over thirty years.
Carmen Villain – Only Love From Now On LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Carmen Villain’s Only Love From Now On weaves together field recordings, an extensive assortment of instruments, and healing sonics. Villain describes the album as “wishing to maintain a sense of careful optimism for the future, while on the cusp of something unknown.”
Watain – Lawless Darkness [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
White color vinyl reissue. As any black metal fan knows, Sweden’s Watain has stormed from the hellish pits of the underground onto the covers of the biggest metal magazines worldwide. Combining severe blackness with melodies and beauty of the darkest kind, Watain kept that raw underground spirit burning with their 2010 masterpiece Lawless Darkness. With the hellishly seductive title track, the Swedes shed another snakeskin to reveal an eerie beauty underneath.
Inon Zur – Syberia: The World Before (Original Game Soundtrack) 2xLP (Decca)
Multi-color translucent brown/aqua color vinyl edition of the original soundtrack the fourth installment in the cult adventure video game series Syberia. This soundtrack stands alone as a stunning and romantic suite for orchestra and solo pianist, featuring intricate, highly melodic orchestral works by Emmy-award winning composer Inon Zur, and featuring Grammy-nominated Emily Bear on piano.
Cassettes:
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love (WB)
Unlimited Love serves as the L.A. funk-rockers follow-up to 2016’s The Getaway and their first with former guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s Stadium Arcadium. The 17-track double album is introduced by the meditative lead single “Black Summer”. Drummer Chad Smith commented on the direction of the band’s twelfth album, “John hasn’t been in our group in 10 years. That’s a long time. So of course, it’s going to sound different, but it’s going to sound like the four of us because we do have this special chemistry together. It sounds like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but it’s different and new, and to me that’s great.”
Thomas Rhett – Where We Started (Valory)
Inspired by his return to the road – after foregoing live fan-filled arenas across the globe for his living room in Nashville like so many – Where We Started marks a similar return to Thomas Rhett’s in-the-moment mix of tempo, transcendent romance, and tip-of-the-spear sonic trailblazing. On the album, country’s resident good-life philosopher shakes away a year-plus of off-stage dust. Featuring 15 songs, all but one co-written by Rhett, the project highlights his signature infusion of country tradition with kinetic romantic energy.
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