AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
Altin Gün – Aşk CD/LP (ATO)
An exuberant return to the ‘70s Anatolian folk-rock sound that characterized Turkish psych-folk innovators Altin Gün’s landmark first two albums, Aşk finds the band veering away from the electronic, synth-drenched sound of their critically acclaimed 2021 albums, Âlem and Yol, to capture all the infectious power and urgency of the Amsterdam-based band’s famously propulsive live performances. Recorded using vintage equipment and techniques, the album’s ten groundbreaking tracks all represent visionary new readings of traditional Turkish folk tunes, revealing how these ancient songs remain eternally resonant and ripe for reinterpretation. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Boygenius – The Record CD/LP (Interscope)
The Record is the debut full length album from indie supergroup Boygenius. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus formed Boygenius after booking a tour together, but the trio had subconsciously been in the works for longer than that. Through a series of tours and performances together, and chance encounters that led to friendships – including Bridgers’ and Dacus’ first in-person meeting backstage at a Philadelphia festival, greenroom hangouts that felt instantly comfortable and compatible, a couple of long email chains and even a secret handshake between Baker and Dacus – the lyrically and musically arresting singer-songwriters and kindred spirits got to know each other on their own terms. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Alex Braxe And Friends – The Upper Cuts CD/2xLP+MP3 (Smuggler’s Way)
“Simplicity, sincerity… et voilà!” If you want to understand how French producer Alain Quême (aka Alan Braxe) ended up making some of the most important house music records of the late 1990s and early 2000s, you need to understand his modus operandi. Everything must be simple; and everything must be sincere. You hear this time and again in Braxe’s music, from the golden emotional minimalism of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You”, a worldwide hit he produced with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and singer Benjamin Diamond, to the perfectly uncluttered house music strut of “Intro”, his underground anthem with Fred Falke. The Upper Cuts, originally released in 2005, is a compilation that rounded up several of Braxe’s greatest hits. This newly reissued version of that album adds seven bonus tracks. [An indie store exclusive blue w/ pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
City And Colour – The Love Still Held Me Near CD/2xLP (Dine Alone Music)
New album by this folky solo project from Alexisonfire co-vocalist Dallas Green. Dallas wrote the album following the loss of his best friend, as he explains: “The Love Still Held Me Near was born out of unimaginable loss and the subsequent journey through the grief and heartache that followed. It’s about digging deep down into yourself and attempting to unearth hope and light in the things that can comfort you through those times. For me that has always been writing and recording music, so that’s exactly what I did.” The new album was co-produced by Dallas and longtime collaborator Matt Kelly. [An indie store exclusive translucent white color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Hold Steady – The Price Of Progress CD/LP (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers)
The Price Of Progress arrives as The Hold Steady mark the 20th anniversary of their foundation bringing new ideas, sounds, and textures to a still-evolving canon of nine studio album releases that began with 2004’s Almost Killed Me. The album was produced by longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY, and mixed by D. James Goodwin. The Price Of Progress stands as their most sonically expansive record thus far, while also remaining unmistakably The Hold Steady, showcasing narrative rock ‘n’ roll tales of ordinary people struggling and surviving in a modern world. “These are some of the most cinematic songs in The Hold Steady catalog,” says Craig Finn, “and the record was a joy to make. I feel like we went somewhere we haven’t before, which is a very exciting thing for a band that is two decades into our career.” [An indie store exclusive CD and gold vinyl colorway are available.]
Korn – Requiem Mass CDEP/12” (Loma Vista)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. A selection of songs from Korn’s latest album Requiem captured live as part of an intimate ceremony in February 2022 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. The five-track set includes renditions of songs such as “Start The Healing” and “Worst Is On Its Way”. The Requiem Mass show was attended by 300 fans wearing appropriate black funeral attire and was streamed online. [Vinyl edition features an etched B-side. A limited-edition blue color pressing is available.]
London Brew – London Brew 2xCD/2xLP (Concord Jazz)
London Brew is inspired by the legendary Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, one of jazz’s greatest albums. Produced by Martin Terefe and Downtown Music UK Limited, the record reflects an emotional journey of the times, having been recorded during the pandemic after many months of isolation and the inability to collaborate in person. Recorded in December 2020 at The Church Studios in London, the recording session brings together 12 all-star London based artists including Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross, Dave Okumu, Benji B, and Tom Skinner among others. The group is collectively known as London Brew. “Sometimes the music is uncomfortable,” producer Martin Terefe describes, “other times it’s familiar and joyous and other times it’s like deep meditation.” [Vinyl edition – including an indie store exclusive maroon coloway – due April 14.]
Melanie Martinez – Portals CD/LP (Atlantic)
Melanie Martinez reemerges with the spellbinding new album, Portals. It marks the 27-year-old NYC-born singer-songwriter-filmmaker’s first full-length release in nearly four years following her RIAA Gold-certified conceptual second album, K-12, which proved a sensation upon its September 2019 release, entering the Billboard 200 at No. 3 – Martinez’s highest chart placement thus far – with further debuts at No. 1 on the Alternative album chart, and No. 1 on the Soundtrack album chart. “Portals screams death is life is death is life is death is life. A continuous loop. A circle,” Martinez shares. [Four different indie store exclusive “puzzle cover” CD versions and a limited-edition pink marbled color vinyl pressing are available.]
Scott McMicken and The Ever-Expanding – Shabang CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Scott McMicken has always thrived on switching things up. As a founding member of Philadelphia rock mainstays Dr. Dog, McMicken and his bandmates consistently explored new sounds and new ways of writing songs across 10 gleefully eclectic albums before their 2021 hiatus. While McMicken has quietly released solo projects via cassette and vinyl on his own label Press On Records, for his latest effort, he’s done something he’s only done once before: started a band. With Shabang comes the debut album from Scott McMicken and The Ever-Expanding, and he’s made some of his freest and most adventurous music yet: a wonderfully collaborative collection of songs that feel lived in and true.
Puscifer – Existential Reckoning: Re-Wired CD/2xLP (BMG)
Puscifer continue their series of album remixes with the release of Existential Reckoning: Re-Wired, a track-by-track reinterpretation of the 12 songs from 2020’s Existential Reckoning. Puscifer band members Mat Mitchell and Carina Round, along with current touring musicians Greg Edwards (Failure, Autolux) and Gunnar Olsen, reinterpret the tracks from the prophetic, electro-heavy album. Puscifer is one of the many musical projects by Maynard James Keenan, who is also a member of the rock bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. Stylistically, the band moves in the field of progressive rock, downbeat and experimental electronic music. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including indie store exclusive version and limited-edition clear.]
Samiam – Stowaway CD/LP (Pure Noise)
Samiam wouldn’t be the same without a little bit of chaos. Over their three decades together, the Oakland, CA-based band have specialized in energetic hard luck songs that are as hooky as they are relatable, so perhaps it’s fitting that the creation of Stowaway, the band’s first new album in 12 years and their ninth full-length overall, wasn’t the easiest. But there are very few bands better at capturing the feeling of stumbling only to get up again, and on Stowaway, Samiam prove exactly why they remain one of the most endearing and enduring punk bands of their generation. Stowaway seamlessly picks up where Samiam left off, with just as much energy, melody, and pathos as their classic works. [An indie store exclusive yellow w/ orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Nick Waterhouse – The Fooler CD (Innovative Leisure)
The title of the sixth album from Californian singer-songwriter Nick Waterhouse is more than just the name of one of its tracks. The Fooler is both a clue and a red herring. The Fooler is the observed and the observer, narrator and subject, truth and lie. The Fooler is the shadow and reflection of a city the artist knows sufficiently well to wander with his eyes closed, and a place which very possibly never even existed. The Fooler is not so much an unreliable narrator as a constantly shifting perspective. The Fooler is the new album by Nick Waterhouse, and it’s a lot. Recorded by Mark Neill (Black Keys; Los Straightjackets; Dave Cobb) in Valdosta, Georgia, it’s a song-cycle of sorts, the arc of the album telling a tale of a city and its denizens. The result is a record that offers up new riches and fresh perspectives with every spin. [Vinyl edition due April 7.]
The Zombies – Different Game CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
New release from the veteran psych-popsters. Different Game is the follow-up to their 2015 studio release Still Got That Hunger. This album is what the current-day Zombies were meant to make. It has the vintage qualities that made them stand out in the 1960s, yet still sounds modern and reflects their continued development as songwriters and musicians. Nine of the 10 tracks are written by Rod Argent, with the closer, “The Sun Will Rise Again”, by Colin Blunstone. Rod produced the album, which includes a small string ensemble on three tracks. The band began working on this album in 2019, shortly after their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, but it was delayed by the pandemic – they strongly prefer to record together and capture a live band performance in the studio (just as they had to do in the 1960s). They were not willing to make this album remotely. [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
Wage War – The Stripped Sessions CD/LP (Fearless)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Florida hard rock quintet Wage War deliver The Stripped Sessions, an 11-song acoustic-based collection which reimagines songs from the band’s decade-plus career. [An indie store exclusive orange swirl colorway is available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Ad Infinitum – Chapter III: Downfall CD/LP (Napalm)
Rising modern symphonic metal outfit AD Infinitum reenter the scene with their electrifying third studio album, Chapter III – Downfall. Punching, modern, even progressive riffs, addictive symphonic nuances, hooky choruses combine with Melissa Bonny’s inimitably versatile vocals.
Afflicted – Prodigal Sun [Reissue/1992] CD/LP (Century Media)
Afflicted – Dawn Of Glory [Reissue/1995] CD/LP (Century Media)
Afflicted – Beyond Redemption: Demos & EPs 1989 – 1992 2xCD/3xLP (Century Media)
Rediscover Afflicted’s ascent from fledging brutes to world-class death metal innovators.
Alberta Cross – Sinking Ships CD/LP (Amk)
A gorgeous 10-track collection of modern indie-rock including an irresistible cover of Sharon Van Etten’s “Every Time The Sun Comes Up”. Sinking Ships is at times expansive and subtly anthemic, beautifully mellow, folk-tinged and awash with a layered, maximalist sound that variously recalls The War On Drugs, Bon Iver and Phosphorescent. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Altin Gün – Aşk CD/LP (ATO)
An exuberant return to the ‘70s Anatolian folk-rock sound that characterized Turkish psych-folk innovators Altin Gün’s landmark first two albums, Aşk finds the band veering away from the electronic, synth-drenched sound of their critically acclaimed 2021 albums, Âlem and Yol, to capture all the infectious power and urgency of the Amsterdam-based band’s famously propulsive live performances. Recorded using vintage equipment and techniques, the album’s ten groundbreaking tracks all represent visionary new readings of traditional Turkish folk tunes, revealing how these ancient songs remain eternally resonant and ripe for reinterpretation. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Archetypes Collide – Archetypes Collide CD (Fearless)
Archetypes Collide deliver massive hooks soaked in atmosphere with creative energy and catchiness on their self-titled debut LP on Fearless Records. Unapologetic choruses and bang-your-head riffs collide. [Vinyl edition due May 5.]
Bambam – Sour & Sweet [Sweet Version] CD (Abyss Company)
Bambam – Sour & Sweet [Sour Version] CD (Abyss Company)
New release from the Thai rapper, singer and songwriter and member of the K-pop group GOT7.
Kenny Barron – Lemuria-Seascape [Reissue/1991] CD (Candid)
The great American pianist and composer Kenny Barron has appeared on hundreds of recordings as a leader and a sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. [Vinyl version due May 12.]
Bar Stool Preachers – Above The Static CD/LP (Pure Noise)
The twelve songs that make up The Bar Stool Preachers’ third full-length, Above The Static, were only supposed to be ideas, a guide to what the actual album would and could later become. So, in April 2021, together with producer Ben Hannah, the Brighton-based band set up camp at The Waterloo, a three-story pub/venue in the Northern seaside town of Blackpool, to begin the process that would lead to the completion of the album. [An indie store exclusive black w/ white splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]
Behemoth – Grom [Reissue/1996] CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Digitally remastered edition. The third release in the Slavonic Trilogy reissue series. Grom was originally released in 1996. [A limited-edition gray color vinyl pressing is available.]
Blood And Sun – Ochre & The Collected EPs CD/LP (Nordvis)
Blood And Sun is known for dark and haunting songs drawing heavily from Americana and neo-folk. [A moss green w/ black multicolor vinyl pressing is available.]
Botch – American Nervoso [Reissue/1998] LP+MP3 (Sargent House)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. 15th anniversary edition. Legendary Tacoma, Washington mathcore/hardcore/metal band Botch’s debut full-length American Nervoso features white-hot guitar action, scathing vocals, sweet bass moves, and torrential drums, smashing existing precepts of hardcore and redefining both the word and the music for a generation of kids and grizzled vets alike. [An indie store exclusive translucent purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Boygenius – The Record CD/LP (Interscope)
The Record is the debut full length album from indie supergroup Boygenius. Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus formed Boygenius after booking a tour together, but the trio had subconsciously been in the works for longer than that. Through a series of tours and performances together, and chance encounters that led to friendships – including Bridgers’ and Dacus’ first in-person meeting backstage at a Philadelphia festival, greenroom hangouts that felt instantly comfortable and compatible, a couple of long email chains and even a secret handshake between Baker and Dacus – the lyrically and musically arresting singer-songwriters and kindred spirits got to know each other on their own terms. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Joanne Brackeen – Snooze [Reissue/1975] CD (Candid)
American pianist and composer Joanne Brackeen has been called the “Picasso of jazz piano”, for her unique style and complex improvisations. Her work is at the forefront of what avant-garde jazz can be and she has long been one of the giants of modal, post-pop piano. [Vinyl edition due May 12.]
Alex Braxe And Friends – The Upper Cuts CD/2xLP+MP3 (Smuggler’s Way)
“Simplicity, sincerity… et voilà!” If you want to understand how French producer Alain Quême (aka Alan Braxe) ended up making some of the most important house music records of the late 1990s and early 2000s, you need to understand his modus operandi. Everything must be simple; and everything must be sincere. You hear this time and again in Braxe’s music, from the golden emotional minimalism of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You”, a worldwide hit he produced with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter and singer Benjamin Diamond, to the perfectly uncluttered house music strut of “Intro”, his underground anthem with Fred Falke. The Upper Cuts, originally released in 2005, is a compilation that rounded up several of Braxe’s greatest hits. This newly reissued version of that album adds seven bonus tracks. [An indie store exclusive blue w/ pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ane Brun – Portrayals CD/LP (Balloon Ranger)
Two decades into her career, Norway’s Ane Brun has come a long way from busking other people’s songs on the streets of Barcelona. And yet, in some respects, not that far after all. Now a much-loved singer-songwriter in her own right, with ten studio albums and multiple awards to her name, Brun continues to lend her singularly expressive voice and intuitive feel for melody to the fine art of the cover version.
Bury Tomorrow – The Seventh Sun CD/LP (Sin/MFN 24)
The Seventh Sun is the seventh studio album by British metalcore band Bury Tomorrow. The album was produced by Dan Weller. It is the first album to feature the band’s new rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell and keyboardist/clean vocalist Tom Prendergast. [A limited-edition deluxe CD version is available.]
Peter Case – Doctor Moan CD (Sunset Blvd)
On his 16th solo album Doctor Moan, triple Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Peter Case (The Plimsouls) channels spirits of jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie into exquisitely nuanced expressions.
Cave In – Until Your Heart Stops [Reissue/1999] 2xCD/2xLP (Relapse)
Digitally remastered and edition featuring the original track sequence. Until Your Heart Stops is the debut album by metalcore band Cave In, originally released in 1999. It has been regarded as a landmark release in the metallic hardcore genre. [The expanded CD version contains a bonus CD of never-before released 4-track instrumental demos. A limited-edition red w/ blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
A Certain Ratio – 1982 CD/LP+MP3 (Mute)
The British post punk/indie funk band’s new album 1982 sees Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson joined once again by long term partners Tony Quigley and Matt Steel, along with the introduction of their new collaborator and touring companion Ellen Beth Abdi. The record embraces elements of Afrobeats, funk and techno, and lends its name to a significant year for the band, 1982. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Eddie Chacon – Sundown CD/LP (Stones Throw)
Sundown is the new album from “low-key R&B legend” singer and songwriter Eddie Chacon. Across the album’s eight tracks, Eddie collaborated with producer and label mate John Carroll Kirby Sundown follows singles “Holy Hell”, “Comes And Goes”, and “Step By Step”.
Ciemra – The Tread Of Darkness CD/LP (Avantgarde Music)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Ciemra, Belarusian for “darkness”, is a black metal band from Minsk which came to life in 2019, “when five essences emerged from the abyss to the veils of night on the eve of the end times, in order to reap the living, to satisfy the hunger of darkness and to nourish the wombs of the dark gods.”
City And Colour – The Love Still Held Me Near CD/2xLP (Still/Dine Alone Music)
New album by this folky solo project from Alexisonfire co-vocalist Dallas Green. Dallas wrote the album following the loss of his best friend, as he explains: “The Love Still Held Me Near was born out of unimaginable loss and the subsequent journey through the grief and heartache that followed. It’s about digging deep down into yourself and attempting to unearth hope and light in the things that can comfort you through those times. For me that has always been writing and recording music, so that’s exactly what I did.” The new album was co-produced by Dallas and longtime collaborator Matt Kelly. [An indie store exclusive translucent white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jamie Cullum – Pointless Nostalgic [Reissue/2002] CD/LP (Candid)
Jamie Cullum quickly became a household name with this, his award winning 2002 debut album. With a mischievous and lighthearted approach that has become his calling card, it endeared him to jazzophiles and pop fans alike. And with its infectious blend of jazz standards, American songbook classics, original compositions, and hip contemporary covers, Pointless Nostalgic went straight to the top of the charts and demanded attention. [A translucent smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Charlie Cunningham – Frame CD/LP (Infectious Music)
Charlie Cunningham returns with the new album Frame. With his jaw-dropping guitar performances alongside influences from jazz and electronic music, Charlie has also honed the piano to create an eclectic and truly beautiful album. Vocal harmonies and unconventional structures make this a completely original indie-folk staple. [A limited-edition translucent smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Deerhoof – Miracle-Level CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
After 28 years, Deerhoof records their studio debut and it’s all in Japanese. Musically, Miracle-Level is vulnerable, brave, and brimming with spicy surprises. Deerhoof once again speaks in a secret code that only their fans understand, in which hooks abound, and genre is nonexistent.
DMA’s – How Many Dreams? CD/2xLP (Virgin)
How Many Dreams? is the highly anticipated fourth studio album from Australian three-piece Dma’s. Featuring singles “I Don’t Need To Hide” and “Everybody’s Saying Thursday’s The Weekend”, the album is designed to be ambitious, a sonically vast landscape.
Dub Pistols – Frontline CD (Cyclone)
Frontline is the ninth studio album by Dub Pistols. Chief rabble-rousers & festival favorites, the band are known for their veritable feast of jump-up party-starting sounds, melding dub, reggae, dancehall, ska & DnB into an irresistible tonic that has seen them amass a merry band of Pistoleros across the world. For this chapter, they are joined by a stellar band of featured artists including both legendary and award-winning collaborators such as Horseman, Top Cat, The Freestylers, Myki Tuff and Chezidek alongside long-term Posse members The Ragga Twins, Lindy Layton, Natty Campbell, King Yoof and Cheshire Cat, and regular Dub Pistol frontman Seanie T. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Matt Elliott – The End Of Days CD/LP (Ici D’ailleurs)
On the ninth solo album from the French-based British musician behind Third Eye Foundation, it is near impossible not to draw comparisons to the late great bard Leonard Cohen. Elliott’s accomplished Spanish infused guitar craft further adds to the resemblance. Of course, one could file Matt Elliott in one genre or another.
Fantastic Negrito – Grandfather Courage CD/LP (Storefront)
“Grandfather Courage is the acoustic version of my album White Jesus Black Problems. It is reimagined through the lenses of my touring band.”
Elliott Fullam – What’s Wrong CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Elliott Fullam is a New Jersey artist who conjures the magic of when loneliness meets hope with his ghostly vocal melodies and gentle guitar tracks that bring a tranquil feeling to the listener. All of Elliott’s songs are recorded in his bedroom at home and mastered by the world-renowned Alan Douches of West West Side Music. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ghosts Of Sunset – Breathe CD (Deko Music)
For fans of Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, and classic ‘80s rock.
The Hold Steady – The Price Of Progress CD/LP (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers)
The Price Of Progress arrives as The Hold Steady mark the 20th anniversary of their foundation bringing new ideas, sounds, and textures to a still-evolving canon of nine studio album releases that began with 2004’s Almost Killed Me. The album was produced by longtime collaborator Josh Kaufman at The Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY, and mixed by D. James Goodwin. The Price Of Progress stands as their most sonically expansive record thus far, while also remaining unmistakably The Hold Steady, showcasing narrative rock ‘n’ roll tales of ordinary people struggling and surviving in a modern world. “These are some of the most cinematic songs in The Hold Steady catalog,” says Craig Finn, “and the record was a joy to make. I feel like we went somewhere we haven’t before, which is a very exciting thing for a band that is two decades into our career.” [An indie store exclusive CD and gold vinyl colorway are available.]
Stacy Kent – The Boy Next Door [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Candid)
Stacey Kent is a Grammy-nominated jazz singer. The Boy Next Door became Kent’s breakthrough and her biggest hit to date when it was released in 2003, establishing her as a household name in France and the UK.
Kommand – Death Age CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
Death Age maintains the armed to the teeth savage militancy of earlier material from L.A.s Kommand, now taken even further into enemy territory with more grisly war-torn brutality than ever. Like the coordinated bombardment of an entire continent, Death Age is an air raid siren for imminent cataclysm. The ominous atmosphere on Death Age heralds the single-minded concentrated objective; to batter, demolish and destroy with no quarter given. Death metal of this kind taps into the most primitive, untamed instincts, advancing like a convoy of tanks through occupied territory, heedless of whatever or whoever stands in its path. [A limited-edition silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Korn – Requiem Mass CDEP/12” (Loma Vista)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. A selection of songs from Korn’s latest album Requiem captured live as part of an intimate ceremony in February 2022 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. The five-track set includes renditions of songs such as “Start The Healing” and “Worst Is On Its Way”. The Requiem Mass show was attended by 300 fans wearing appropriate black funeral attire and was streamed online. [Vinyl edition features an etched B-side. A limited-edition blue color pressing is available.]
Marie Krüttli – Transparence CD/LP (Intakt)
The young jazz pianist Marie Krüttli hails from the French-speaking part of Switzerland and has gained an outstanding international reputation in recent years with her trio and solo work. Now she presents Transparence, her first solo piano album. After a classical education, she became more and more interested in other forms of musical expression, particularly jazz, in which she discovered music which allows a different physicality and intuition. Krüttli’s music follows an intuitive approach, with a broad harmonic vocabulary and rhythmic finesse.
Last In Line – Jericho CD/LP+7” (earMUSIC)
Frontman Andrew Freeman, bassist Phil Soussan (ex-Ozzy Osbourne) and former Dio comrades-in-arms Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard) and Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath) release their third studio album Jericho.
London Brew – London Brew 2xCD/2xLP (Concord Jazz)
London Brew is inspired by the legendary Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, one of jazz’s greatest albums. Produced by Martin Terefe and Downtown Music UK Limited, the record reflects an emotional journey of the times, having been recorded during the pandemic after many months of isolation and the inability to collaborate in person. Recorded in December 2020 at The Church Studios in London, the recording session brings together 12 all-star London based artists including Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross, Dave Okumu, Benji B, and Tom Skinner among others. The group is collectively known as London Brew. “Sometimes the music is uncomfortable,” producer Martin Terefe describes, “other times it’s familiar and joyous and other times it’s like deep meditation.” [Vinyl edition – including an indie store exclusive maroon coloway – due April 14.]
Jono Manson – Stars Enough To Guide Me CD/LP (Blue Rose Music)
A profoundly gifted writer, producer, and performer, Jono Manson weaves the disparate threads of his remarkable life into a captivating, cohesive whole on his dazzling new album, Stars Enough To Guide Me. Recorded at Manson’s own The Kitchen Sink studio in Santa Fe, NM, the collection brings together a slew of special guests from throughout Manson’s career – from Grammy-winner John Popper to American Idol finalist Crystal Bowersox – to craft an eclectic, genre-bending sound that both looks to the future and honors the past all at once.
Melanie Martinez – Portals CD/LP (Atlantic)
Melanie Martinez reemerges with the spellbinding new album, Portals. It marks the 27-year-old NYC-born singer-songwriter-filmmaker’s first full-length release in nearly four years following her RIAA Gold-certified conceptual second album, K-12, which proved a sensation upon its September 2019 release, entering the Billboard 200 at No. 3 – Martinez’s highest chart placement thus far – with further debuts at No. 1 on the Alternative album chart, and No. 1 on the Soundtrack album chart. “Portals screams death is life is death is life is death is life. A continuous loop. A circle,” Martinez shares. [Four different indie store exclusive “puzzle cover” CD versions and a limited-edition pink marbled color vinyl pressing are available.]
Scott McMicken and The Ever-Expanding – Shabang CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Scott McMicken has always thrived on switching things up. As a founding member of Philadelphia rock mainstays Dr. Dog, McMicken and his bandmates consistently explored new sounds and new ways of writing songs across 10 gleefully eclectic albums before their 2021 hiatus. While McMicken has quietly released solo projects via cassette and vinyl on his own label Press On Records, for his latest effort, he’s done something he’s only done once before: started a band. With Shabang comes the debut album from Scott McMicken and The Ever-Expanding, and he’s made some of his freest and most adventurous music yet: a wonderfully collaborative collection of songs that feel lived in and true.
Meshuggah – ObZen [Reissue/2008] CD/2xLP (Atomic Fire)
It is impossible to talk about experimental or avantgarde metal without mentioning this truly groundbreaking act: Meshuggah mix ultra-complicated rhythmic patterns with massive riffs and aggressive growls, combining death metal, mathcore, thrash, and progressive metal to create their unique style. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including an indie store exclusive black & white pressing.]
Mighty Poplar – Mighty Poplar CD (Free Dirt)
At its heart, bluegrass music is about what happens when you commit to the moment. This spirit of spontaneity is ever-present on the self-titled record from Mighty Poplar, a new all-star roots project featuring Andrew Marlin of Watchhouse, Noam Pikelny and Chris Eldridge of Punch Brothers, bassist Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon) and fiddler Alex Hargreaves (Billy Strings). Across ten songs that include bluegrass and folk classics and deep cuts from the Carter Family to Leonard Cohen, the fivesome captures the fierce and playful energy of a late-night jam between old friends. [Vinyl version due May 12.]
Molina, Talbot, Lofgren & Young – All Roads Lead Home CD/LP (WB)
Three dear, old friends and bandmates for over 50 years, Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot and Nils Lofgren, kept writing and recording songs in their homes during the ongoing pandemic and are proud to share this collection of their music. Their lifelong friend and bandmate Neil Young added a special track to complete this 10 song compilation. For friends with deep bonds, though at times on different paths, they found that, All Roads Lead Home.
Nakhane – Bastard Jargon CD/LP (BMG)
Third album from the South African multi-disciplinary artist and musician.
The New Pornographers – Continue As A Guest CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Over the past 20 years, The New Pornographers have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. They’ve constantly offered new sonic surprises with every album and Continue As A Guest is their greatest leap to date. The group’s ninth album establishes them alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. A dazzling and intriguing collection of songs that are truly built to last, Continue As A Guest finds bandleader A.C. Newman and his compatriots Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, John Collins, Todd Fancey, and Joe Seiders exploring fresh territory and shattering the barriers of their collective comfort zone. [An indie store exclusive blue w/ green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Nightwish – From Wishes To Eternity CD/2xLP (Svart)
Live archive release from the Finnish symphonic metal band recorded in Tampere, Finland on December 29, 2000.
The No Ones – My Best Evil Friend CD/2xLP (Yep Roc)
The No Ones are Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen and Frode Strømstad. Consisting of members from R.E.M., The Minus 5, The Young Fresh Fellows, The Baseball Project, and I Was A King, the bi-continental collaborators share their third collection of songs, paying tribute to the artists that inspire them and populate their turntables. Through their upbeat ‘60s-style indie sound infused with psychedelic flourishes, The No Ones honor Nick Lowe, Pamela Polland, George Harrison, Jenny Lewis, and Phil Ochs, among others. [An orange w/ violet color vinyl pressing is available.]
Oliver – Stone Unturned [Reissue/1974 CD/LP (Guerssen)
Recording all by himself at a remote farm in Wales (within hailing distance of the real Standing Stone in the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire) and assisted by his brother Chris (a BBC engineer at that time) Oliver self-released in 1974 Standing Stone, now a cult album. Performed by Oliver using a single mic, guitars and various effects devices, follow-up Stone Unturned (recorded the same year but unreleased until now) is in the same vein as Standing Stone but even more loose and raw. Highly recommended to any acid folk / psych blues fan.
Psychic TV – Those Who Do Not [Reissue/1984] CD/2xLP (Cold Spring)
The sound of the classic period of Psychic TV – featuring Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton (John Balance) of Coil – this full show is interspersed with recordings of the Pagan marriage between Genesis and Paula P-Orridge conducted by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Allsherjargodi.
Puscifer – Existential Reckoning: Re-Wired CD/2xLP (BMG)
Puscifer continue their series of album remixes with the release of Existential Reckoning: Re-Wired, a track-by-track reinterpretation of the 12 songs from 2020’s Existential Reckoning. Puscifer band members Mat Mitchell and Carina Round, along with current touring musicians Greg Edwards (Failure, Autolux) and Gunnar Olsen, reinterpret the tracks from the prophetic, electro-heavy album. Puscifer is one of the many musical projects by Maynard James Keenan, who is also a member of the rock bands Tool and A Perfect Circle. Stylistically, the band moves in the field of progressive rock, downbeat and experimental electronic music. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including indie store exclusive version and limited-edition clear.]
Rogê – Curyman CD/LP (Diamond West)
One of Rio de Janeiro’s most exciting singer-songwriters of the last fifteen years, Rogê (pronounced haw-zheh), is now living in Los Angeles, where he stands on the verge of an overdue American breakthrough. Charismatic and scruffy, with a distinctively raspy yet boyish voice, Rogê has gained an avid following for his swinging samba-funk, tinged with Brazilian soul. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Rotten Sound – Apocalypse CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Rotten Sound have firmly established themselves as one of the leading acts of the grindcore scene. Expertly wielding the fierce brutality and massive aggression of their genre, the Finns add intelligent songwriting, effective arrangements, and musical proficiency as well as subtle death metal elements to their sound.
Samiam – Stowaway CD/LP (Pure Noise)
Samiam wouldn’t be the same without a little bit of chaos. Over their three decades together, the Oakland, CA-based band have specialized in energetic hard luck songs that are as hooky as they are relatable, so perhaps it’s fitting that the creation of Stowaway, the band’s first new album in 12 years and their ninth full-length overall, wasn’t the easiest. But there are very few bands better at capturing the feeling of stumbling only to get up again, and on Stowaway, Samiam prove exactly why they remain one of the most endearing and enduring punk bands of their generation. Stowaway seamlessly picks up where Samiam left off, with just as much energy, melody, and pathos as their classic works. [An indie store exclusive yellow w/ orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Shirley Scott – A Walkin’ Thing [Reissue/1992] CD (Candid)
1992’s A Walkin’ Thing is the last of three albums the great American organist Shirley Scott recorded for Candid, and her final recording before her passing. First and foremost, Scott was a trained pianist, and it should be noted that towards the end of her life, she gravitated more to that instrument. But here, Scott returns to form, making this recording bittersweet. [Vinyl edition due May 12.]
Spirit Possession – Of The Sign … CD/LP (Profound Lore)
Almost three years spent sharpening orthodox weapons, Spirit Possession reveal their second full length Of The Sign…, six schizo spiraling, deranged hymns of black heavy metal from a lost time.
William Tyler & The Impossible Truth – Secret Stratosphere CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Recorded live at Yellowhammer Brewing in Huntsville, Alabama, in May 2021, Secret Stratosphere finds William Tyler and fellow psychedelic dreamers The Impossible Truth refashioning prime cuts from the Nashville guitarist’s rich catalog, casting new light onto once-familiar songs. Featuring the crackling combo of Jack Lawrence (Raconteurs, Dead Weather), Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews, Country Westerns), and Luke Schneider (solo, Margo Price), the quartet stretch the dynamics of Tyler’s compositions to their fullest interdimensional potential, exposing a deep undercurrent of kosmische and post-rock influences (with the right amount of grit from the nitrous corner of the Dead Lot). [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Various Artists – Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun Compiled By Paul Hillery CD/3xLP (BBE)
Paul Hillery, an esteemed collector and vinyl hunter, presents his follow-up to the highly acclaimed We Are The Children Of The Sun. Andrew Male of MOJO Magazine calls the album “One of the most emotionally uplifting and hazily beautiful compilations of recent years.” Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun is a shimmering collection of rare finds, reminding us that we have more to connect us than to divide us. The music encompasses a broad range of sounds.
Various Artists – The Birth Of Bop: The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection 2xCD/5×10” (Craft Recordings)
The Birth Of Bop is a new collection celebrating the enduring legacy of Savoy Records Bop catalog spanning 1944-1949. It is presented in both 5×10″ vinyl and 2xCD formats with audio restoration by Joe Tarantino and new liner notes by Grammy-winning writer and broadcaster Neil Tesser. The set Includes 30 tracks from such jazz legends as Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Allen Eager, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.
Nick Waterhouse – The Fooler CD (Innovative Leisure)
The title of the sixth album from Californian singer-songwriter Nick Waterhouse is more than just the name of one of its tracks. The Fooler is both a clue and a red herring. The Fooler is the observed and the observer, narrator and subject, truth and lie. The Fooler is the shadow and reflection of a city the artist knows sufficiently well to wander with his eyes closed, and a place which very possibly never even existed. The Fooler is not so much an unreliable narrator as a constantly shifting perspective. The Fooler is the new album by Nick Waterhouse, and it’s a lot. Recorded by Mark Neill (Black Keys; Los Straightjackets; Dave Cobb) in Valdosta, Georgia, it’s a song-cycle of sorts, the arc of the album telling a tale of a city and its denizens. The result is a record that offers up new riches and fresh perspectives with every spin. [Vinyl edition due April 7.]
The Who – The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley 2xCD+Blu-ray/3xLP (Geffen)
On July 6, 2019, The Who headlined a sell-out show at the world-famous Wembley Stadium in London for the first time in 40 years. Performing many of their greatest hits, the show featured the band as they’ve never been seen before, accompanied by the 57-piece Isobel Griffiths Ltd. Orchestra. The Who With Orchestra: Live At Wembley relives that iconic show.
Rita Wilson – Now & Forever: Duets CD (Sing It Loud, LLC)
Now & Forever: Duets features singer Rita Wilson joined by musical friends like Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Keith Urban, Vince Gill, Smokey Robinson, and others.
You Me At Six – Truth Decay CD/LP (Rise)
The eighth studio album from the British rockers. Musically, Truth Decay is the sound of a band celebrating the scene that they helped to build while at the same time showing where it can go next. Lyrically, the album is a raw and honest depiction of trying to find the good moments within the bad exploring themes of growing up, relationships, overcoming insecurities, and realizing self-worth.
The Zombies – Different Game CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
New release from the veteran psych-popsters. Different Game is the follow-up to their 2015 studio release Still Got That Hunger. This album is what the current-day Zombies were meant to make. It has the vintage qualities that made them stand out in the 1960s, yet still sounds modern and reflects their continued development as songwriters and musicians. Nine of the 10 tracks are written by Rod Argent, with the closer, “The Sun Will Rise Again”, by Colin Blunstone. Rod produced the album, which includes a small string ensemble on three tracks. The band began working on this album in 2019, shortly after their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, but it was delayed by the pandemic – they strongly prefer to record together and capture a live band performance in the studio (just as they had to do in the 1960s). They were not willing to make this album remotely. [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing.]
John Zorn – The Fourth Way CD (Tzadik)
Zorn’s latest book of music for piano trio is inspired by the writings and thought of the elusive mystical figure Georges Gurdjieff. The Fourth Way is expansive, ranging from heartfelt lyricism to textural madness and is brilliantly performed by a tight trio of musical masters-treasured members of Zorn’s innermost circle. Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, and Ches Smith form a fiery, soulful unit capable of jumping from a whisper to a scream at the drop of a hat.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Various Artists – The Metal Hall Of Fame All Stars DVD+CD (Deko Music)
The Metal Hall Of Fame All Stars DVD+CD includes appearances by Tim Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteem, Iced Earth), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), Tony MacAlpine, Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow, Uriah Heep), Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater, Alice Cooper), Chris Impellitteri, Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne), Chris Poland (ex-Megadeth), Geoff Tate (ex- Queensrÿche), Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Ancient Grease – Women And Children First [Reissue/1970] LP (Sommor)
Originally named Strawberry Dust, Ancient Grease was a hard psychedelic band from Wales, connected to Eyes Of Blue and Racing Cars. They were supported by John Weathers (Eyes Of Blue) who also acted as producer and songwriter for their sole album, recorded in London. When eventually released in 1970, Women And Children First was credited to Ancient Grease instead of Strawberry Dust (one of those “great” ideas by major labels).
Barrie – 5k 12” (Winspear)
Brooklyn-based musician and producer Barrie Lindsay, known simply as Barrie, has a passion for creating left-of-center pop music. She spends her days writing songs and tinkering in Logic, stockpiling her creations in a vast archive of folders and hard drives. [An indie store exclusive colorway is available.]
The Beths – Aukland, New Zealand, 2020 LP+MP3 (Carpark)
Purple color vinyl pressing. The Beths’ Auckland, New Zealand, 2020 begins with crowd screeches and bellows. It’s a collective exhalation, in one of the few countries where live music is still possible. The album title, and film of the same name, deliberately include the date and location. In a mid-pandemic world, playing to a heaving, enraptured home crowd feels miraculous.
Andrew Bird – I Felt A Funeral, In My Brain b/w The Twistable, Turnable Man Returns 7” (Loma Vista)
“I Felt A Funeral, In My Brain” is a rare duet in Andrew Bird’s deep discography. He and Phoebe Bridgers join forces to share a haunting reimagination of the Emily Dickinson poem of the same name. Sparse and spectral, the arrangement pairs chilling, swelling shrieks of strings with the slight strum of guitar as they trade verses and soar in harmony over Dickinson’s words. Paired with a B-side rarity, “The Twistable, Turnable Man Returns”, Bird’s tribute to the Shel Silverstein poem.
Bloodbound – Unholy Cross [Reissue/2011] LP (AFM)
Bloodbound – Stormborn [Reissue/2014] LP (AFM)
Bloodbound – Rise Of The Dragon Empire [Reissue/2019] LP (AFM)
Multi-color vinyl reissues of the fourth, sixth and eighth studio albums by the Swedish power metal band.
Jake Blount – The New Faith 2xLP (Smithsonian Folkways)
Released last September on CD – now available on vinyl. The New Faith tells an Afrofuturist story set in a far-future world devastated by climate change. Jake Blount and his collaborators embody a group of Black climate refugees as they perform a religious service, invoking spirituals that are age-old even now, familiar in their content but extraordinary in their presentation. These songs, which have seen Black Americans through countless struggles, bind this future community together and their shared past; beauty and power held in song through centuries of devastation, heartbreak, and loss.
The Blow Monkeys – Animal Magic [Reissue/1986] LP (BMG)
Digitally remastered edition. Animal Magic is the second album from The Blow Monkeys, originally released in 1986. It gave the group their commercial breakthrough after their debut album, Limping For A Generation, had won critical acclaim but had only sold modestly.
David Bowie – Moonage Daydream: A Brett Morgan Film 3xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. Original soundtrack to the 2022 documentary. The companion album to Moonage Daydream features songs spanning Bowie’s career and includes previously unheard material, unique mixes created for the film and this release, along with dialogue from Bowie himself.
The Boyfriends – Wrapped Up In A Dream LP (Reminder Recorsd)
Arising from the ashes of The Poppees, a four-piece Merseybeat/Brit Invasion “Pop Revival” band, the core of the Boyfriends began to coalesce around the emerging Cavern Club of the Bowery: Hilly Krystal’s CBGB’s. Inspired by the heavier sounds of the Heartbreakers and Ramones, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Paddy Lorenzo and lead guitarist Bobby Dee Waxman ditched their mohair suits for a more austere look and a more stripped-down, street-level sound. Adding Jay Nap on bass and Lee Crystal on drums, the original line-up of the Boyfriends was set. Thankfully, this criminally underrated group may now finally be getting the break that they’ve been waiting over forty years for as this compilation collects the band’s two singles as well as studio material and demos, remastered from the original tapes and available on vinyl for the very first time.
Boylife – Gelato LP (Youth Biking Global)
Gelato is ambitious, an album that wears its admiration for geniuses like Prince and D’Angelo on its sleeve. It gathers up the very particular experiences of a Gen Z kid from L.A. who inherited his restless, wide-roaming musical taste from his Korean immigrant father. It’s an album that delights in discovering new sounds and feelings, for attempting the colossal task of pinning down those difficult-to-name emotions that hide between words.
Ben Burgess – Tears The Size Of Texas LP (Big Loud)
Ben Burgess is the pride of East Dallas, a renaissance man with a golden pen. After landing his first career cut with Jonas Brothers’ “Chillin’ In The Summertime”, he packed up a blossoming career born on Austin’s 6th Street to chase dreams in Los Angeles, but quickly relocated to Nashville shortly thereafter when his twang got a little too loud for the West Coast.
Bush – The Kingdom [Reissue/2020] (BMG)
The Kingdom features some of the most potent songwriting of Gavin Rossdale’s career, highlighted by the pummeling “Flowers On A Grave”, as well as the noise hurricane “Quicksand”, which finds him showcasing a vulnerability like rarely before. And then there’s “Undone”, a heart-wrenching ballad written in a burst of inspiration that he describes as very pure and untainted. In many ways, with Bush’s new album, Rossdale is creating the type of music – and the world – he hopes to see.
Sam Bush – Radio John: Songs Of John Hartford LP (Smithsonian Folkways)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. Radio John: Songs Of John Hartford is Sam Bush’s heartfelt tribute to his hero and mentor, John Hartford. With dedication, admiration, and love, Bush takes on personal favorites from Hartford’s vast catalog, including songs he played with Hartford on stage and in the studio in the 1970s. Bush plays every instrument on nearly every cut, pouring himself into the performances. Radio John is a testament to the impact Hartford had on American traditional music as a songwriter, an instrumentalist, and, most importantly, someone who fostered the careers of musicians like Bush and countless others reinventing roots music in the last half of the 20th century.
DC Cardwell – Pop Art [Reissue/2015] LP (Think Like A Key)
Irish-born, Tasmania-based singer-songwriter DC Cardwell’s 2015 album Pop Art is an excellent starting point for those unfamiliar with his music as well as a much-appreciated addition for its fans. DC has gathered devoted listeners around the globe with his smart, tuneful songs, affecting voice and skillful, inventive guitar playing.
Cavetown – Animal Kingdom [Reissue/2019] LP (Sire/London/Rhino)
Cavetown – Sleepyhead [Reissue/2020] LP (Sire/London/Rhino)
Cavetown – Worm Food LP (Sire/London/Rhino)
Vinyl pressings of three albums from British singer/songwriter Robin Skinner aka Cavetown. [An indie store exclusive green colorway of 2022’s Worm Food with alternate cover is available.]
Cluster – Cluster II [Reissue/1972] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Cluster – Zuckerzeit [Reissue/1974] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Cluster was the pioneering German duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. Formed on the cusp of the 1970s, they were a part of West Germany’s nascent Kosmische Musik scene. The group would use restrained improvisational techniques similar to Gruppo Nuova Consonanza, working with both electric and acoustic instruments (organ, guitar, tone generators, cello, etc.) to create a singular sound that Julian Cope called “a huge beating heart, planet-sized and awesome.”
Alice Coltrane Featuring Pharoah Sanders – Journey In Satchidananda [Reissue/1971] LP (Verve)
One of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Alice Coltrane’s fourth Impulse! album finds her on piano and harp in the company of saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. “Almost 50 years after [it] was released, the album remains a vision of universal healing, spiritual self-preservation in times of trouble and the god that appears when you seek her out.” (NPR). This reissue is part of Verve’s Acoustic Sound Series featuring transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Crown Lands – Fearless 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Nine tapestries of tone, where atmospheric swathes morph into strident guitars, dexterous polyrhythms and gnarly basslines. [A limited-edition red and orange color viny pressing with an ‘animated’ Zoetrope D-side is available.]
Darkspace – Dark Space I [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Darkspace – Dark Space II [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Darkspace – Dark Space III [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Deluxe vinyl pressings of the Swiss ambient black metal band’s first three albums.
De’Wayne – My Favorite Blue Jeans LP (Hopeless)
Translucent blue color vinyl pressing of the sophomore album from the hard-driving alt-rocker.
Dogs – The Melodies Massacre Years LP (Reminder Records)
It took Rouen, France over five-hundred-years to find an act as fiery as the execution of Joan of Arc, but they finally found one in the Year Of Our Lord 1977: Dogs. The absolute picks-of-the-litter and best-in-French-new-wave-rock-show, Dogs (no ‘the’), over the course of nine albums, two dozen singles and EP’s left behind an undeniable legacy, none fiercer than on their first recordings for the Melodies Massacre label.
Eric Dolphy – Outward Bound [Reissue/1960] LP (Survival Research)
Outward Bound is the debut album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy, released in 1960. It is oriented towards straight bebop, and slightly less adventurous than most of his later recordings. The album was recorded at Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey and features Dolphy in a quintet with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, pianist Jaki Byard, bassist George Tucker and drummer Roy Haynes.
Brett Eldredge – Songs About You LP (Warner Nashville)
Songs About You is the seventh studio album by country music singer Brett Eldredge, originally released in 2022.
Elephant Gym – Dreams LP+MP3 (Topshelf)
Released last September on CD – now available on orange color vinyl. The 12 songs that constitute Dreams, the third full-length from the Kaohsiung trio Elephant Gym, explore the deep spacetime continuum that consciousness cannot capture. Beyond the trio’s staple instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums, Dreams blends in wind instruments, traditional drums, and Taiwanese narrative. Through collaboration with Hakka singer-songwriter Lin Sheng Xiang and pop musician 9m88, notable for their accomplishments in jazz, soul, and R&B, Dreams is a sweeping narrative about a fantastical dream that crosses the boundary.
Exploratorium – Exploratorium LP (Independent Project)
Solo ambient guitar home recordings by Savage Republic, Scenic, and Independent Project Records founder Bruce Licher. The first three tracks were recorded in July 1997 on a cassette 4-track and consist of layered effected guitars and bass which sat unreleased for almost a decade. Transferred to digital and mixed in April 2006 by Michael Krassner and Bruce Licher, these three tracks were originally released as a mini-CDr format in a signed and numbered edition of 300 copies.
Filter – The Amalgamut [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Filter’s third studio album, The Amalgamut, is available for the first time on vinyl in celebration of the title’s 20th anniversary. Following the success of the band’s platinum-selling 1999 release, Title Of Record, 2002’s The Amalgamut spawned singles “Where Do We Go from Here” and “American Cliché”.
Finntroll – Nattfödd [Reissue/2004] LP (Svart)
A diabolical marriage of metal and Nordic folk, Finntroll sounds like nobody else in metal. The band’s career was nearly cut short in 2003 when the vocalist left, and guitar player Somnium died accidentally. Eventually the others decided to carry on with the band and released Nattfödd (“Nightborn”) in 2004. The album is in many ways the ultimate Finntroll record, a definite high point in their 20-year career: an eccentric, catchy and relentless barrage of folkish metal.
Fire From The Gods – Soul Revolution LP (Better Noise Music)
Released last October on CD – now available on color vinyl. Soul Revolution, the newest album from Austin-based rockers Fire From the Gods, was produced, engineered, and mixed by Erik Ron (Godsmack, Motionless In White, Panic! At The Disco). The release masterfully blends feelings of inspiration and aggression with the feeling of soul searching.
Fu Manchu – Fu30, Pt. 3 10” (At The Dojo)
Limited purple color vinyl pressing pressed at 45rpm. The third and final instalment in Fu Manchu’s 30th Anniversary vinyl 10″ series, Fu30, Pt.3, includes two new original Fu Manchu songs, as well as a cover of The Plimsouls’ “A Million Miles Away” featuring Clutch’s Neil Fallon on vocals.
Jerry Garcia – Reflections [Reissue/1976] LP (ATO)
New 2023 pressing on pink vinyl. Originally released in early 1976, Reflections features a diverse mix of roots-oriented styles with contributions from Garcia’s two primary vehicles of musical expression – the Grateful Dead and the Jerry Garcia Band. As writer Steve Silberman noted while Reflections was effectively two half-albums in one, “it’s one of Garcia’s most artistically unified statements of harmony, affirmation and joy.”
Jerry Garcia – GarciaLive Vol. 14: January 27th, 1986 – The Ritz [Reissue/2020] 2xLP (ATO)
GarciaLive Vol 14 showcases a buoyant acoustic performance from Jerry Garcia andlongtime friend John Kahn during the middle of a rare duo tour recorded on January 27, 1986, at The Ritz in NYC.
Ghetto Kumbé – Ghetto Kumbé Clubbing Remixes 2xLP (ZZK)
Translucent yellow color vinyl pressing. There’s no denying the power of the drum. It’s primal, it cuts across borders and most importantly, it makes you want to move. Ghetto Kumbé don’t just understand that-they celebrate it, and it’s why the tambor was at the heart of the Bogotá-based trio’s 2020 self-titled debut album. Rooted in mysticism and the Afro-Caribbean rhythms they’d grown up with all their lives, the critically acclaimed LP thrillingly updated the traditional Latin template, folding in elements of modern hip-hop, house and bass music while also delivering a transportive Afro-futurist vision. On Clubbing Remixes, that vision has been further amplified, as Ghetto Kumbé – who were already one of Colombia’s most prominent alternative acts – have now gone fully global; enlisting an all-star roster of artists from four different continents, they’ve put together a fresh version of their debut album that’s been specifically geared to the world’s diverse slate of dancefloors.
Al Green – Al Greene Explores Your Mind [Reissue/1974] LP (Fat Possum)
Al Green Explores Your Mind is the eighth album by soul singer Al Green, originally released in 1974. Includes the US #7 hit “Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)” and the original version of “Take Me to the River”, later covered by Talking Heads.
Mark Guiliana – The Sound Of Listening LP (Edition)
2022 album from one of the most influential, virtuosic and commanding drummers of our time, featuring Shai Maestro, Jason Rigby and Chris Morrissey.
Steve Gunn & David Moore – Let The Moon Be A Planet LP+MP3 (RVNG Int’l)
Let The Moon Be A Planet marks the first volume of Reflections, a new series of contemporary collaborations, and documents an inspired exchange between guitarist and songwriter Steve Gunn and pianist and composer David Moore of Bing & Ruth. The album is an invitation to relive the intimate moments shared between two artists finding their way along a single path, and into a world where the most subtle of gestures can eternally ripple.
James Holden – Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities 2xLP (Border Community)
Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities follows up 2017’s The Animal Spirits. Lead single “Contains Multitudes” is an almost ten-minute long joyful synth and tabla jamboree that breaks down seamlessly around the midway mark into bold piano flourishes and trembling violin, setting out the stall and yet barely scratching the surface of Holden’s latest journey.
Holyname – Holyname 2xLP (Facedown)
Recently released on CD – now available on double black and white color vinyl. Holyname’s watchword is preachcore, and their self-described sound of “holy drone violent worship” makes a lot of sense when you hear their songs. The album is essentially a love letter to Christ and a tribute to the history of eastern orthodoxy.
I Set My Friends On Fire – You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter [Reissue/2008] LP (Acrobat Unstable)
You Can’t Spell Slaughter Without Laughter shipped in October 2008, complete with “Crank That”. Despite its allegiance to the genre’s themes du jour-relationship troubles flipped into comic mischief, a ticked box next to “Flip Video-ready dance track,” running the Art of Screaming highlight reel – the LP was widely panned. Critics slammed the band’s kitchen-sink approach, including a half-star flipped bird from Alternative Press. Less prolific writers latched onto the album’s intentional ridiculousness, but it’s bizarre why the big wigs missed it. It’s all right there on track one. After a packed show, Matt and Nabil head backstage, where they’re greeted by an alien. The E.T. convinces the band to play a show on their home planet, the band agrees because there’s no shittalkers there. See, music journalists: they’re not laughing with you.
Jasper – Liberation [Reissue/1969] LP (Trading Places)
Before joining Dick Cuthell in jazz fusion act Trifle, keyboardist Alan Fealdman and drummer Chico Greenwood formed Jasper with bassist Jon Taylor, guitarist Steve Radford, and singer/harmonica player, Nick Payne. On sole LP Liberation, released by Spark in 1969, Jasper skirts psychedelia, proto-prog, and blues rock, an unusual hybrid with a fluid sound that’s difficult to place. Along with unusual arrangements of “Baby Please Don’t Go”, “St. Louis Blues”, and Donovan’s “Cuttin’ Out”, there are Baroque motifs of the title track, repeated at varying intervals. For fans of multidimensional prog and cutting edge blues-rock.
Jonesy – Keeping Up… [Reissue/1973] LP (Trading Places)
Formed in 1971 by guitarist John Evan-Jones and his bassist brother Trevor, obscure British prog-rock act Jonesy had a shifting line-up and unusual elements, Chicago-born Jimmy Kaleth’s battery of keyboards including a Mellotron. Sophomore set Keeping Up… saw Trevor return to the fold, along with drummer Plug Thomas, fresh from sessions with Supertramp; guitarist Ray Russell’s lush string arrangements and Alan Bown’s plaintive trumpet and flugelhorn add extra musical dimensions. Capturing the group at their most eclectic, Keeping Up… is a must for Mellotron fans and all lovers of pop, jazz, and blues-tinged prog.
Damien Jurado – Sometimes You Hurt The Ones You Hate LP (Maraqopa)
Sometimes You Hurt The Ones You Hate by Damien Jurado is a gorgeous, richly diverse and compact album and his third full-length on his label Maraqopa Records. The eight tracks are heavy with emotion and feature a wide spectrum of Jurado’s continuously developing talents as a songwriter.
Joe Keithley – Stand LP (Sudden Death)
After forty-five years of leading legendary punks D.O.A., the man they call Joey Shithead aka Joe Keithley, has a new solo album. On Stand, one gets a wide array of Keithley’s talents: from his vocals that have never covered such a wide range, to his sterling guitar playing to his powerful songwriting ability.
KMD – Bl_ck B_st_rds [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Rhymesayers)
Following their 1991 debut album, Mr. Hood, KMD shed one member leaving two remaining – Subroc and his brother, Zev Love X (better known today as MF DOOM). Originally scheduled for release in 1994, their sophomore album Black Bastards showed clear progression from their debut. It was a truly amazing record, both sonically and lyrically, full of youthful creativity and tinged with the stresses of growing up as Black men in urban America. Songs like the lead single “What A N*gga Know”, the slippery, bass-driven “Get U Now”, and the album’s title track explore Black consciousness viewed through young-but-experienced eyes. Musically alternating between bouncy and raw, the tracks gave the MC’s the springboard they needed to express themselves clearly. [A limited-edition red colorway is available.]
Adam Lambert – High Drama LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Renowned for re-imagining songs from American Idol to his stirring viral hit with Cher’s “Believe”, Adam Lambert – the Grammy-nominated pop icon, LGBTQ trailblazer and Queen front man – brings you High Drama, a wonderfully diverse collection of covers with a twist, held together by Adam’s once-in-a-generation voice and trademark flair. Songs range from the more recent, Pink’s “My Attic”, Billie Eilish’s “Getting Older”, an epic rock re-imagining of Lana Del Rey’s “West Coast”, to the beautiful interpretation of Noel Coward’s classic “Mad About The Boy”. Two more standout tracks are the atmospheric take on Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World”, and a gloriously camp, glam rock version of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero”.
Lies – Lies 2xLP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Metallic silver color vinyl pressing. Only a glance at the vast catalogs of cousins Mike and Nate Kinsella shows how wide their musical interests have always been, from the idiosyncratic experiments of Nate’s Birthmark and his time in the great Make Believe to Mike’s twisting path among Cap’n Jazz, Joan Of Arc, Owls, and Owen. But at least right now, Nate and Mike’s most recognizable work together may be their contributions to American Football, a band that entered it’s celebrated second act after a 14-year absence. Lies, the new Kinsella cousin duo, represents the first time they have written together without anyone else. What’s more, their gripping self-titled debut, Lies, rewrites the way Nate and Mike are expected to sound, breaking free of what could have come to define them. Pulling from influences such as My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Robyn and others, the album is full of explosive but intricate pop songs, their striking hooks nested in glorious composites of keyboard melodies and digital textures, powerhouse rhythms and sweeping strings.
Nick Lowe – Labour Of Lust [Reissue/1979] LP (Yep Roc)
Originally released in 1979 and long-out-of-print, Nick Lowe’s Labour Of Lust album has been remastered to its original glory and now includes both the UK-only track “Endless Grey Ribbon” and the US-only track “American Squirm”, along with the bonus B-side “Basing Street”. Hailed by Trouser Press as “a brilliant piss-taker that pairs sprightly pop and savage lyrical wit” and by Rolling Stone as “… a hookfest full of barbed wit,” the album features Nick Lowe’s worldwide mega-hit “Cruel to Be Kind” amongst other fan-favorites.
Marsh – Endless 2xLP (Anjunadeep)
Few artists exude as much passion for, and dedication to, their craft as Tom Marshall aka Marsh. Since he first emerged on the electronic music scene in the mid- ‘10s, Marsh has sculpted a uniquely soulful sound. Endless comprises eleven memorable tracks, including collaborations with vocalists Jodie Knight, Leo Wood, and Mariel Beausejour. Drawing on influences as diverse as the rich trance sounds of the 2000s that soundtracked his teenage years, and the musicality of crossover drum & bass acts like Pendulum, this album is perhaps his most expansive in scope.
Bob Mazurek & Exploding Star Orchestra – Lightning Dreamers LP (International Anthem)
Lightning Dreamers is a new work by composer, trumpeter, post-rock and avant-jazz legend Rob Mazurek (Isotope 217, Chicago Underground), who wrote the music for a compacted version of his long-running Exploding Star Orchestra. The album is dedicated to the late artist jaimie branch (who was a protégé of Mazurek’s), and features guitarist Jeff Parker, vocalist Damon Locks, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and pianists Angelica Sanchez and Craig Taborn, among others. [CD version due April 21.]
Don McLean – Classics LP (Curb)
Classics is a ten-track collection that features some of the singer-songwriter’s biggest hits, including “American Pie”, “Vincent”, “Crying”, and “Since I Don’t Have You”, ” as well as a new version of “American Pie”.
Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains LP (Republic)
The follow-up to his 2018 full-length debut, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, Heroes & Villians includes features from John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Thug, A$AP Rocky, Gunna, and the late Takeoff.
MF Doom – Operation: Doomsday [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Rhymesayers)
Underneath his mysterious metal mask, MF Doom hides the cachet underground legends are made of. After his first group KMD’s sophomore album Black Bastards was shelved by Elektra in 1994, and his blood brother Subroc – one half of the sibling rap duo – passed away, surviving frontman Zev Love X slowly mutated into the supervillain MC known as MF Doom, and the rap world is better for it. The 1999 release of Operation: Doomsday marked MF Doom’s official debut, reintroducing a mysterious figure who would soon become one of underground rap’s greatest voices. Within its 19 tracks, Operation: Doomsday reveals the confluence of DOOM’s tragic past, personal interests and daring creativity. His clever rhymes and remarkable schemes stood out against the landscape, and every sound he touched – from cartoon theme songs, to ’80s soul, to rap classics and more – got reinterpreted into something brand new and surreal.
Midlake – Antiphon LP (ATO)
Limited red, yellow and green splatter color vinyl pressing housed in a gatefold jacket. The fourth album from Midlake released in 2013 marked “a return to brighter, more breezily melodic territory” per MOJO. Long out of print on vinyl.
Mac Miller – Lue Slide Park [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (Rostrum)
Double transparent splatter color vinyl pressing in die-cut gatefold jacket. 10th Anniversary edition of Mac Miller’s debut studio album Blue Slide Park. Features a recreation of 2011’s Blue Slide Park US tour poster.
Moss Icon – Lyburnum Wits End Liveration Fly [Reissue/1993] LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly was the one and only full-length album by experimental post-punk innovators, Moss Icon. Recorded in 1988, Lyburnum would not be released until 1993 – several years after Moss Icon’s demise. Originally released on Vermiforn – the esoteric noise label founded by Sam McPheeters of Born Against – the vision that Moss Icon’s Tonie Joy had for Lyburnum failed to manifest in its finished product. An uphill battle that involved misplaced photos, misunderstood instructions and increasing apathy, Lyburnum ended up being an “it-is-what-it-is situation”. Despite these challenges and shortcomings, Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly was instantly cherished as a feral masterpiece – a singular entity that would become a defining influence on post-hardcore and emo in the 1990s and beyond. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Nickelback – Get Rollin’ LP (BMG)
Released last November on CD – now available on translucent orange color vinyl. Get Rollin’, the Diamond-certified, multi-platinum selling Canadian rockers’ tenth studio album and first in five years, comes introduced by the thumping saga “San Quentin” which was inspired after frontman Chad Kroeger met a real-life warden from the notoriously high-security California prison. “We’ve spent the last few years making a record at a pace that gave us the freedom to create and we can’t wait for everyone to hear the new music,” says the band. “We’ve missed the fans and look forward to bringing the new songs to life on stage, so let’s Get Rollin’!”
Pink Sweat$ – Pink Moon LP (Atlantic)
New release from the R&B singer/songwriter. The album features guest appearances from 6LACK, Blxst, Kirby, Tori Kelly, and Sabrina Claudio.
Isaiah Rashad – The House Is Burning LP (WB)
The House Is Burning is the third studio album by rapper Isaiah Rashad, originally released in 2021. The album features production from numerous producers, including Devin Malik, Hollywood Cole, J. Lbs and Kenny Beats, among others.
Raven – All For One [Reissue/1983] LP (Culture Factory)
Two colorways (split red/black and full red) of the British heavy metal band’s third album.
The Rolling Stones – Aftermath [Reissue/1966] LP (Abkco)
180gm vinyl pressing. 1966’s Aftermath represented a milestone for The Rolling Stones as it was the first to consist solely of Jagger/Richards original songs. The US version was fleshed out with hit single classics like “Paint It Black”, an eerily insistent #1 hit graced by some of the best-ever use of sitar (played by Brian Jones). Aftermath also strongly features the baroque charm of “Lady Jane.”
Nim Sadot – Nim Quartet [Reissue/2018] 2xLP (KingUnderground)
In celebration of a KU special double LP repress, Nim-Sadot reflects on his 2018 debut album, Nim Quartet. At the time of making the album, Sadot hadn’t quite found a steady rotation of players to make up a band, which speaks to having three different drummers on the project. However, he did have a clear vision in his head for where the melodies should land and thought they would be communicated best on trumpet. An instrument that is a constant on every composition, except for one track on the record, “Good Cat, Bad Cat”, written by keyboardist, Hamish Balfour. The trumpet doesn’t feel missing, but it is maybe the biggest shift in feel on the project and having the knowledge that it’s only one of two tunes on Nim Quartet not composed by Sadot, you can certainly hear a different voicing in the music.
Sister Grotto – Songs For An Unborn Sun LP (Profound Lore)
Time is a major element in this group of recordings. Tracks were played in real time, slowed down, and played on top of, repeatedly, and has been referred to as an ambient sludge record. Components like the Casio SK-1, endless loop cassettes, delay and pitch shifters distort the passage of time – layers, repetition, and analogue delay fold it back in on itself.
Solence – Hope Is A Cult LP (Hopeless)
Solence sonically conjoin elements of metal, electronic, alternative, and pop, the Swedish group also appeal to an expansive swath of personalities with a universal message. Equally suitable for the mosh pit or Coachella, the band – Markus Videsäter [vocals], David “Viking” Vikingsson [drums], David Strääf [guitar] and Johan Swärd [keys] – rally around a familial energy meant to be shared as loudly as possible. Teal blue colorway.
Snap! – World Power [Reissue/1990] LP (BMG)
Limited picture disc vinyl pressing. World Power launched the incomparable careers of Frankfurt-based producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti, aka Benito Benites and John “Virgo” Garrett III, who joined forces as Eurodance sensation Snap! in 1989. World Power features some of their biggest hits, including the iconic “The Power”, “Ooops Up”, “Cult Of Snap!” and “Mary Had A Little Boy”.
Britney Spears – …Baby One More Time [Reissue/1998] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Oops… I Did It Again [Reissue/2000] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Britney [Reissue/2001] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – In The Zone [Reissue/2003] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Greatest Hits: My Prerogative [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Blackout [Reissue/2007] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Circus [Reissue/2008] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Femme Fatale [Reissue/2007] LP (Sony Legacy)
Britney Spears – Britney Jean [Reissue/2013] LP (Sony Legacy)
Black vinyl reissues of the pop star’s first eight studio albums and her 2004 hits collection.
Statik Selektah & Termanology Feat. Mac Miller – 82 92 7” (Mass Appeal)
Green color vinyl. This track, from Massachusetts duo 1982 (MC Termanology and DJ Statik Selektah) was left off the 2010 album of the same name.
Steel Pulse – True Democracy [Reissue/1982] LP (Law)
Yellow w/ green & red splatter color vinyl pressing of the 1982 album by the reggae band. True Democracy peaked at No. 120 on the Billboard 200.
Joyce Street – Tied Down LP (Numero)
A ’70s homemaker stuck between the studio and a getting dinner on the table, Joyce Street eked out an arresting countrypolitan discography in the margins of an otherwise traditional American life. With lyrics drawn from the pages of her diary, Street’s stirring Mississippi warble led her into the fly-by-night world of custom studios, cutting tracks for upstart country concerns like Reena, Sonobeat, Revelation, and Arc. Channeling the honky tonk angel energy of Bobbie Gentry, Lorretta Lynn, and Jeannie C. Riley, Tied Down compiles a decade’s worth of melodies disguised as lottery tickets. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Surf Curse – Buds [Reissue/2013] LP (Big Joy/Surf Curse)
Surf Curse – Nothing Yet [Reissue/2017] LP (Danger Collective/Surf Curse)
Surf Curse – Heaven Surrounds You [Reissue/2019] LP (Danger Collective/Surf Curse)
Surf Curse – Magic Hour 2xLP (Atlantic)
Surf Curse is the indie rock recording project of Los Angeles based songwriters Nick Rattigan and Jacob Rubeck. Seeing Surf Curse live has become a rite of passage for disaffected adolescence in the South – West while Rattigan and Rubeck have spent their formatives years between Las Vegas, Reno, and Los Angeles. Now’s your chance to snag their first four albums on vinyl.
Symphony X – Iconoclast [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Symphony X – Underworld [Reissue/2015] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Color vinyl reissues (green and blue, respectively, of the eighth and ninth albums from the New Jersey metal band inspired by Dream Theater and Fates Warning.
Winston Surfshirt – Sponge Cake [Reissue/2017] LP (BMG)
Limited cream color vinyl pressing. Loosey-goosey funk-pop ‘n’ sunkissed hip-hop from the Northern Beaches sensations. For fans of Koi Child and J Dilla.
Cristobal Tapia de Veer – The White Lotus (Soundtrack From The HBO Original Limited Series) 2xLP (WRWTFWW)
Soundtrack of HBO hit series The White Lotus by Chilean born composer, arranger, music producer, multi-instrumentalist Cristobal “Cristo” Tapia de Veer. This limited-edition release is packed with 28 tracks, showcasing the complete music score of the cult series’ first season. Shamanic, feral, mysterious, sexual, sometimes very danceable, sometimes slightly frightening (in the best ways), and always insanely enjoyable, The White Lotus soundtrack is a roaring beast of its own and one of the most visceral listening experiences in recent memory. [Three cover art variants are available.]
They Might Be Giants – John Henry Demos [Reissue/2018] LP+7” (Idlewild Recordings)
Collection of demos from They Might Be Giants’ fifth album, John Henry. John Henry Demos consists of full-band studio demos of every song from John Henry presented in album order, except for “Stomp Box” (which did not have a demo recorded).
Tink – Pillow Talk LP (BMG)
Purple & white galaxy color vinyl pressing. In what may be her most honest and vulnerable album to date, Tink blesses fans with the soft and sexy, Pillow Talk. At 16 tracks, Tink’s third studio album, which is executive produced by Hitmaka, features the two singles, “Cater (feat. 2 Chainz)”, & “Goofy”, and boasts additional appearances from rappers Russ, G Herbo, Fabolous & Toosii, and singers Muni Long & Layton Greene.
Tomahawk – Tomahawk [Reissue/2001] LP (Ipecac)
Tomahawk – Oddfellows [Reissue/2003] LP (Ipecac)
Tomahawk is the debut studio album by American experimental rock band Tomahawk, originally released in 2001. Recorded after a meeting between vocalist Mike Patton and guitarist Duane Denison, the album features members of Faith No More, The Jesus Lizard, Helmet and Melvins. Two indie store exclusive colorways are available: brown and purple. The band’s fourth studio album, Oddfellows, was recorded live in the Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief period of rehearsal. Guitarist Duane Denison favored the location as its cheaper studio costs allowed for longer periods of songwriting.
Toxik – Breaking Clas$ [Reissue/2017] 12” (Massacre)
Mini album with six tracks from the New York based prog thrashers. First time available on vinyl.
Tanya Tucker – Greatest Country Hits LP (Curb)
Greatest Country Hits highlights a combination of songs from Tanya Tucker’s earliest chart entries in the ’70s – “Lizzie And The Rainman”, “San Antonio Stroll”, and “Texas (When I Die)” – along with those recorded for Liberty in the ’80s, “One Love At A Time”, “I’ll Come Back As Another Woman”, and “Love Me Like You Used To”.
Turkuaz – Apollyon 2xLP (Techne)
Turkuaz – Paradiso 2xLP (Techne)
Two new albums from the Brooklyn-based funk band.
Úlfúð’s – Of Deathless Violence LP (Dark Descent)
Championing their personal blend of black and death metal (with emphasis on the former), the band’s debut album Of Existential Distortion uniquely captures the desolate vastness of the volcanic wastelands like only Icelanders can. It is a masterclass in songcraft, showcasing a stunning balance of entrancing atmosphere, haunting melody, and deathless violence.
The Veils – Nux Vomica (Nick Launay Mixes) LP (Ba Da Bing!)
Composer Victoria Kelly’s soaring string arrangements play an integral role in bringing the songs to life, as do musicians Cass Basil (bass), Dan Raishbrook (lap steel, guitar), Liam Gerrard (piano), Joseph McCallum (drums), the NZTrio and special guests the Smoke Fairies on backing vocals. The Veils have toured consistently throughout their twenty-year history and garnered a formidable reputation as one of the world’s greatest live bands. They have also been praised by film directors Paolo Sorrentino, Tim Burton and David Lynch who have all used their music on their soundtracks.
Rick Wakeman – A Gallery Of The Imagination 2xLP (Madfish)
New concept album keyboard legend Rick Wakeman. The idea of A Gallery Of The Imagination began at the age of five. Rick’s childhood piano teacher, Mrs. Symes, taught him that musicians with instruments are like artists with paint; something that Rick carried through his life, creating sonic paintings through his composition. Just as you might find a vast array of styles in an art gallery, Wakeman presents a plethora of musical aesthetics throughout the record. Inspired by the menagerie he created; Rick recalled the advice of his beloved teacher & has presented these tracks as pictures in a gallery. [A limited-edition silver color vinyl pressing, and a deluxe box set edition is available.]
The Wasps – Punkryonics LP (Radiation Reissues)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing. East London punk pioneers The Wasps were part of the first wave of punk acts that exploded in early 1976. After extensive touring across the UK, debut single “Teenage Treats” was championed by John Peel and follow-up “Can’t Wait Till ’78” was also well-received; singing to RCA in 1979, “Rubber Cars” made an instant impact before being canned by the label, shortly before the band’s fatal rupture. Punkryonics gathers those 45s with previously unreleased demos.
Mike Watt / Charles Plymell – Live In Fish Town LP (Feeding Tube)
On a hot night in Philly – Saturday August 9, 1998 – Brooke Sietsons’s backyard hosted the No More Bush tour. The line-up that evening was Zaïmph, Jack Rose, MV+EE, Tom Carter & Willie Lane, 50 Foot Women with Axolotl, and the sole known appearance of the Mike Watt/Charles Plymell duo. You might not have been there, but thanks to the recording made by Laki Vazakas and the pics taken by Dan Cohoon, you can now lie and say you were.
Westing – Future LP (Riding Easy)
Late in 2021, Slow Season announced they’d become Westing, and that Ben McLeod (also of Nashville’s All Them Witches) was now in the four-piece on lead guitar alongside guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Daniel Story Rice, bassist Hayden Doyel and drummer / recording engineer Cody Tarbell. Their new LP, Future, is not coincidentally titled. “Future looks forward with the benefit of the lessons learned across three prior full lengths (and the accompanying tours) while offering the kind of freshness that comes with a debut.” – JJ Koczan, The Obelisk
Willlow – <COPINGMECHANISM> LP (Roc Nation)
Limited neon green color vinyl pressing. Willow’s fifth album deals with heartbreak the best way she knows how: through catchy hooks rife with angst against crashing cymbals and sharp bass riffs, leaning into a grittier sound than its predecessor. Co-produced by Chris Greatti, it features “It’s My Fault”, “Hover Like A Goddess” and more.
La Monte Young / Marian Zazeela – 31 VII 69 10:26 – 10:49 PM / 23 VIII 64 2:50:45 – 3:11 AM Volga Delta [Reissue/1969] CD/LP (Superior Viaduct)
Seeing reissue for the first time since its initial 1969 release, Young and Zazeela’s first full-length album is often referred to as “The Black Record” due to Zazeela’s stunning cover design, complete with Young’s original liner notes in magnificent calligraphy. “La Monte Young is the daddy of us all.” – Brian Eno
Frank Zappa – Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich 2xLP (Zappa Records)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich combines two historic performances from the 1980 spring/summer tour. The first is a set at FZ’s favorite NYC nightclub, the famous Mudd Club, presented from a hi-res transfer of the original master tape. The second, from Olympiahalle in Munich, is the first-ever direct-to-digital live stereo recording of Zappa. Mastered by Bernie Grundman in 2022, with photography and memoir from George Alper, and liner notes from Arthur Barrow, Steve Vai & ‘Vaultmeister’ Joe Travers.
Frank Zappa – Zappa: ’80 Munich 3xLP (Zappa Records)
This historic 1980 Munich concert has the distinction of being the first-ever live, direct-to-digital stereo recording of Zappa. The show was the last of the spring/summer tour with the group playing at peak performance. The package features photography and memoir from George Alper (who worked for Frank Zappa), along with liner notes from Arthur Barrow and ‘Vaultmeister’ Joe Travers.
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