New Releases for June 2, 2023

AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:

Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream… CD/2xLP/Cassette (WB)

Avenged Sevenfold’s new album, Life Is But A Dream, is a timeless work of art that blurs genres. Best served as a whole and consumed en masse to truly appreciate its musical breadth and sonic depth, it marks the band’s boldest statement and most revolutionary work to date. Written and recorded over the span of four years, it was produced by Joe Barresi and Avenged Sevenfold in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, PA. Inspired by Albert Camus’ The Stranger, the album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming. Immerse into this experience… [Two indie store exclusive versions are available: autographed CD featuring alternate artwork; and a limited-edition vinyl pressing.]

Beach Fossils – Bunny CD/LP (Bayonet)

Brooklyn bedroom-pop trailblazers Beach Fossils’ new album Bunny is a triumphant return for one of the 2010s most influential NYC bands. Bunny is a precise blend of the luscious dream-pop atmospheres they notoriously honed on their earliest projects, the post-punk vigor expressed on Clash The Truth, and the warm sophisticated songwriting of Somersault. Composer Dustin Payseur peppers the album equally with descriptions of the joy of fatherhood and the existential pleasure of smoking cigarettes out of a car window with friends – Bunny features Beach Fossils’ most personal lyrics to-date. A collection of new favorite tracks for fans of every era of Beach Fossils, Bunny proves to be the culmination of a decade’s worth of growth and experience. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Bully – Lucky For You CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)

Lucky For You is Bully’s most close-to-the-bone album yet. It’s an album that’s searing and unmistakably marked by its creator’s experiences, while still retaining the massive sound that Alicia Bognanno has become known for over the last decade. Her fourth album draws from personal pain and the universal struggle that is existing, learning, and moving on – and it’s all soundtracked by Bognanno’s rock-solid melodic sensibilities and a widescreen sound that’s impossible to pin down when it comes to the textures explored. These ten songs are simply the most irresistible Bognanno’s put to tape yet, making Lucky For You her greatest triumph to date in a career already packed with them.

Cowboy Junkies – Such Ferocious Beauty CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)

Such Ferocious Beauty is vintage Cowboy Junkies and another dimension from the lo-fi Canadian band comprised of, well, family. Written between the long isolating summer of 2020 and 2021, Michael Timmins would take leave of his family, travel to a cottage to focus on writing armed with books from DH Lawrence, Walt Whitman, David Whyte, the Bible, the Odyssey and a desire to make sense of this phase of his life. While these ten songs serve as aural Rorschach takes on emotions, life, even fate, an unspoken common ground unites them. From the haunted blues of “Hell Is Real” to the languishing meander of “Knives Are Drawn”, both delivered from singer to the listener, observing, cautioning, drawing back the curtain. They eventually come down to the same place: the individual and looking out into the world, asking ‘How do I fit into this? How do I keep my humanity?’ [A limited-edition green color vinyl pressing is available.]

Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom CD/2xLP (Legacy)

Shadow Kingdom finds Bob Dylan performing revelatory 21st century versions of songs from his storied back catalog – including fan favorites like “Forever Young” and “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”, and deep catalog gems like “Queen Jane Approximately” and “Wicked Messenger”. Originally reinterpreted for an exclusive streaming film event, which aired in July 2021, Shadow Kingdom will now be available for the first time on CD and as a double vinyl LP with an etching on the D-side. The album’s setlist includes 13 original songs handpicked by Dylan for his Shadow Kingdom performance plus the closing instrumental, “Sierra’s Theme”.

Ben Folds – What Matters Most CD/LP (New West)

“More than anything, I wanted to make an album that was generous, that was useful,” says Ben Folds. “I want you to finish this record with something you didn’t have when you started.” Indeed, Folds’ masterful new collection, What Matters Most, isn’t so much a statement as it is an offering, an open hand reaching out to all those wounded and bewildered by a world that seems to make less and less sense every day. Recorded in East Nashville with co-producer Joe Pisapia, the album marks Folds’ first new studio release in eight years, and it’s a bold, timely, cinematic work, one that examines the tragic and the absurd in equal measure as it reckons with hope and despair, gratitude and loss, identity, and perspective. The songs are bittersweet here, hilarious at times, but often laced with a quiet sense of longing and dread: a text message goes unanswered; an old classmate descends into the dark depths of internet conspiracies; a relationship unravels in the middle of a lake. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing as well as an autographed CD version featuring bonus tracks are available.]

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are CD/LP/Cassette (RCA)

But Here We Are is the new album from Foo Fighters and marks the band’s return after a year of staggering losses, personal introspection, and bittersweet remembrances. A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters have endured recently, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship, and family. But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the eleventh Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Council Skies CD/2xCD//LP (Orchard)

From the evocative album title to the cover art, to the lyrics themselves, Council Skies sees Noel Gallagher reclaiming his past and paying homage to his Mancunian roots. His most varied and accomplished solo record to date, Noel’s fourth solo studio album is a record framed by confidence, risk-taking, surefooted creative freedom, and great emotional depth. Council Skies was recorded at Noel’s own Lone Star Sound Recording Studios in London, with the album’s lusciously orchestrated strings recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Produced by Noel with long-time collaborator Paul ‘Strangeboy’ Stacey, the album also features performances from Johnny Marr on three tracks, including the single “Pretty Boy”. Council Skies takes its title from a book by revered northern illustrator and friend of Noel, artist Pete McKee. It covers themes of youthful yearning, and unbridled ambition. [The deluxe double-CD edition and vinyl version w/ bonus 7” each include a bonus track.]

Jorma Kaukonen – Live At The Bottom Line 2xCD (Omnivore)

Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen is a renaissance man. As co-founder of Jefferson Airplane in the mid-’60s, he was a driving force through the sounds of the Summer of Love and beyond. His side project, Hot Tuna – with Airplane bassist Jack Casady, transitioned from their initial acoustic-based repertoire and became an electric, live powerhouse. Kaukonen’s 1974 solo release, Quah, pushed his musical boundaries even further. Rolling Stone magazine named him one of their 100 Greatest Guitarists, and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. In Kaukonen’s long and storied career, he has never stopped evolving, creating, or recording. His 2002 Blue Country Heart album was nominated for a Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy. To celebrate that release, he embarked on a solo tour accompanied by Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin and Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar. One stop the trio made was at New York’s legendary Bottom Line club in 2003. Now, two decades later, that performance is available.

Necrofier – Burning Shadows In The Southern Night CD/LP (Season Of Mist)

“This is black metal done right, perfectly emblematic of the blazing new wave of the US school of black metal that has been coming back hard and fast, with a desire for blood and a vision of a demented future. It’s hard not to be thrilled with what is being done here and the unholy vision that Necrofier are unleashing upon us with the crippling sonic blows of their latest, and most wonderfully vile new album. Burning Shadows In The Southern Night is a monster for a few reasons. It’s the sheer bloodlust though that reigns above all. This is a record that revels in the twisted madness of black metal and the seething filth that makes the genre so compelling.” – Matt Bacon, TwoGuysMetalReviews

The Oh Hellos – Through The Deep, Dark Valley (Ten Year Anniversary) CD/LP (No Coincidence)

“When we first wrote Through the Deep, Dark Valley [2012], we wanted the album to flow like a narrative,” says Tyler Heath. “Ever since, it’s been a pattern we’ve found ourselves leaning into more and more with every record. To celebrate that original narrative spirit a decade later, we wanted this anniversary reissue to feel a little like a pop-up storybook that draws you in for the journey. We also enlisted the talented Charlie Kramsky to shine up our old recordings into a new Ten Year Anniversary Remaster.” Through The Deep, Dark Valley is a self-contained concept album, so for the best results should be listened to in its entirety, in order, in one sitting. [A limited-edition deluxe orange color vinyl pressing with alternate artwork is available.]

Pupil Slicer – Blossom CD/LP (Prosthetic)

Blossom is a hard science fiction/cosmic horror concept album with central themes of abject despair, reincarnation, and a fascination of hell. An intense month in the studio with producer Lewis Johns has led to a cohesive and confident sounding album that embraces ethereal singing, electronic breakdowns, and bold experimentation – without ever losing sight of their core tenets. Drawing from influences as diverse as Nine Inch Nails, Deafheaven, Radiohead, and Deftones, Pupil Slicer has molded an album that is effervescent with passion but doesn’t shy away from a good hook and a catchy chorus. Through darkness and despair, there is always – at the very least – a glimmer of light in all that they do. Blossom is an album that benefits from being digested as a whole, but within this body of work there are gems that stand out. [Two vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive blue and limited-edition blue.]

Rancid – Tomorrow Never Comes CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)

Carrying the same raw energy since their 1991 inception, Rancid has been deemed by Stereogum as “incapable of making a bad album.” The Berkeley, California, punk stalwarts continue that streak with the release of their highly anticipated tenth studio album Tomorrow Never Comes. The 16-track collection was produced by longtime collaborator, Bad Religion guitarist and Epitaph founder, Brett Gurewitz. Their first new music since 2017’s Trouble Maker, the band introduces Tomorrow Never Comes with the exhilarating title track and lead single. Highlighting their collective ear for melodic rock hooks and catchy, sing-along choruses, the song is complete with the familiar wailing guitars and punishing punk rock rhythms that have solidified Rancid as the legends they are. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]

The Revivalists – Pour It Out Into The Night CD/LP (Concord)

The Revivalists make the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that grabs you and doesn’t let go. On their fifth full-length release, the New Orleans outfit was inspired to create a life-affirming album that in many ways connects to the original seed of inspiration for the band’s name. Introduced by the single “Kid”, Pour It Out Into The Night is a celebration of resilience, living for who you are and what you’re about. With an infectious melody and piano peeking through bright acoustic guitar, intricate layers of the band’s distinctive instrumentation power a euphoric chantable chorus: “Hey kid/ Just sing the songs that wake the dead then/ You keep them ringing in your head, yeah/ You gotta get it off your chest/ Don’t worry about the mess.” As the world came to a standstill in the years since their last album, Take Good Care, personal experiences and life challenges abounded, with band members having their first children, getting married, and navigating the mental hurdles of lockdown. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]

Rival Sons – Darkfighter CD/2xLP (Atlantic)

Rival Sons play rock ‘n’ roll in its purest form without apology or pretense. Instead, they simply plug in, turn up, and rip on a path of their own. Along the way, they’ve architected a critically acclaimed catalog, including Pressure & Time [2011], Head Down [2012], Great Western Valkyrie [2014], Hollow Bones [2016], and Feral Roots [2019]. The latter represented a creative and critical high watermark, scoring a pair of Grammy Award nominations in the categories of “Best Rock Album” and “Best Rock Performance” for the single “Too Bad.” Elevating the band to another level, “Do Your Worst” vaulted to No. 1 at Rock Radio as their biggest hit to date. Speaking to their impact, Rolling Stone attested, “Rival Sons have done their part to introduce new fans to rock.” Ultimately, Rival Sons aren’t here to tell you exactly what to think or what to feel, but they’ll give you one hell of a ride if you let them. That ride twists and turns like never before on their 2023 full-length LP, Darkfighter kickstarted by the single “Nobody Wants to Die”.

Ruen Brothers – Ten Paces CD/LP (Yep Roc)

Henry and Rupert Stansall, known as Ruen Brothers, are saddling up from their home of Scunthorpe, England to ride into unmarked territory. Inspired by their love of noir and neo-western films, their cinematic new album Ten Paces exhibits the rich, sonic versatility of the brothers, as every instrument heard on the album is performed by Henry and Rupert. The anthemic build of “The Fear” to the lonesome balladeering of “Bullet Blues” showcases these two outlaws at their creative peak. [A limited-edition yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]

Tinariwen – Amatssou CD/LP+MP3 (Wedge)

Some people have commented that Tinariwen have always been a country band, albeit a North African take on that most North American of genres. That idea is magnified on new album Amatssou, which finds the Tuareg band’s trademark snaking guitar lines and hypnotic rhythms blending seamlessly with pedal steel, piano and strings from guest musicians including Daniel Lanois, the embellished arrangements lending the songs an epic, universal application. Full of poetic allegory, the lyrics call for unity and freedom. There are songs of struggle and resistance with oblique references to the recent desperate political upheavals in Mali and the increasing power of the Salafists. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]

Rufus Wainwright – Folkocracy CD/2xLP (BMG)

Rufus Wainwrigh returns with Folkocracy, a star-studded album of folk music reinventions that sees the 2x Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter joined by a spectacular collection of friends, family members, and other special guest artists that includes Brandi Carlile, John Legend, David Byrne, Sheryl Crow, Nicole Scherzinger, Chaka Khan, Andrew Bird, ANOHNI, Susanna Hoffs, Van Dyke Parks, Madison Cunningham, and many more. Produced by longtime collaborator Mitchell Froom (Paul McCartney, Crowded House), Wainwright says “This album is almost like a recorded birthday party and birthday present to myself. I just invited all the singers that I greatly admire and always wanted to sing with.”

Roger Waters – The Lockdown Sessions CD/LP (Legacy)

The Lockdown Sessions was recorded at home during the Covid lockdown between 2020 and 2021. The collection includes five seminal tracks from across Roger Waters’ time with Pink Floyd and his solo career; “Mother” and “Vera” from The Wall; “Two Suns In The Sunset” and “The Gunner’s Dream” from Waters’ final Pink Floyd album, The Final Cut; and “The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range” from his highly acclaimed solo album, Amused To Death. Waters’ new version of the classic Pink Floyd song “Comfortably Numb”, which was recorded during the recent This Is Not A Drill tour features as the final track.

Witch – Zango CD/LP (Desert Daze Sound)

Witch was the first band in Zambia to release a commercial album – 1973’s Introduction. Blending the rock and roll sounds of UK rock bands like The Rolling Stones, Cream, and The Beatles together with more traditional African rhythms, Witch pioneered a new genre dubbed Zamrock, and during their brief yet prolific existence, Witch (an acronym for We Intend To Cause Havoc) were the most revered band in the country. Zango is the band’s eighth studio album and was recorded at the same studio where the original band’s sensational 1975 album Lazy Bones had been made some 46 years prior: DB Studios. [A limited-edition yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]

y La Bamba – Lucha CD/LP (Tender Loving Empire)

Lucha, y La Bamba’s seventh album, is a thematic narrative that explores multiplicity – love, queerness, Mexican American and Chicanx identity, family, intimacy, yearning, loneliness. Born out of isolation during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the album reflects the artist’s struggles and growth as a person and artist. The album is a battle cry to fight to be seen and accepted and is a collection of sonically sprawling and bold tracks that document the parallel trust the artist has built with herself to allow the songs to guide how they should be sung or sound.

Additional Social Media Program Titles:

Old Crow Medicine Show – Live At Third Man Records LP (Third Man)

Live LP recorded direct-to-acetate at Third Man Records Nashville’s Blue Room venue on April 22, 2023, during the band’s sold-out release show for their (then) new album, 2022’s Paint This Town.

Tom Waits – Closing Time (50^th Anniversary Edition) 2xLP (ANTI-)

2023 marks fifty years since Tom Waits released his landmark debut album Closing Time. Called “a minor key masterpiece filled with songs of late-night loneliness” by All Music Guide, Closing Time features the distinctly lyrical storytelling and blending of jazz, blues and folk styles that would come to be associated first with Waits. This 50th anniversary edition is presented on double 180gm LP cut at 45 RPM with half speed mastering by London’s Abbey Road Studios. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]

CDs + Vinyl:

Accuser – Teutonic Thrash Titans 3xCD (Brutal Planet)

Accuser – Who Dominates Who? [Reissue/1989] 2xCD (Brutal Planet)

Contemporaries with Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator, German thrash heroes Accuser became a household name in their own country in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. Teutonic Thrash Titans is a 3xCD set that includes the complete albums of The Conviction (1987) + Experimental Errors (1988) + Double Talk (1991) + Repent (1992). These four albums, along with the critically acclaimed Who Dominates Who? (1989) are the early Accuser albums that fully embraced crunchy, ‘80s thrash metal with melodic vocals in the vein of classic Metallica, Megadeth, Dark Angel, and Anthrax.

The Aces – I’ve Loved You For So Long CD (Red Bull)

In the years since The Aces released their acclaimed sophomore album, Under My Influence in 2020, the band has been on a journey of self-discovery. Faced with the realities of a global pandemic, sisters Cristal and Alisa Ramirez (lead vocals/guitar and drums, respectively), Katie Henderson (lead guitar/vocals), and McKenna Petty (bass) used quarantine as a time to reflect, confronting personal mental health issues as well as processing experiences they’d had growing up together in Provo, Utah, as part of the Mormon church. When The Aces returned to the studio, their vision – and the honesty and trust between them – felt stronger than ever. The result of this growth period is I’ve Loved You For So Long, the band’s third LP. Written and executive-produced by the group (along with Keith Varon, the sole collaborator on the project), the album is a sparkling indie-rock record that’s by far their most personal and self-assured work to date. [Vinyl edition – including an indie store exclusive pressing – due June 30.]

Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream… CD/2xLP/Cassette (WB)

Beach Fossils – Bunny CD/LP (Bayonet)

Sophie Ellis Bextor – Hana CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)

The seventh album from Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Hana was made with long-time collaborator and friend Ed Harcourt. It is their third in a trilogy of records, with each stemming around the thematic frame of a location. The collaboration began in 2014 with the critically and commercially successful Wanderlust, which was inspired by Eastern Europe, and continued in 2016 with Familia, inspired by Latin America. Hana, which Harcourt describes as “kaleidoscopic joy”, is inspired by East Asia, and began with the album track “Tokyo” and Sophie’s first trip to Japan pre-pandemic in 2020. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]

Black Sabbath – Live Evil [Reissue/1982] 4xCD/4xLP (Rhino)

When Live Evil was released at the end of 1982, it represented an accurate and powerful memento of Black Sabbath Mk2 on their second world tour. Although it was hailed by influential heavy metal magazine Kerrang! As “one of the greatest live albums of all time” in 1983, the band was never completely satisfied with the original mix. This new 40th anniversary version includes a new mix of the entire album, remixed from the original analog multi tracks by longtime associate of the band, Wyn Davis.

Buckcherry – Vol. 10 CD/LP (Round Hill Music)

10th album from the California rockers.

Bully – Lucky For You CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)

Comet Gain – The Misfit Jukebox CD/LP (Tapete)

Since 1992, the collective around David Christian has been stoically producing unique noise pop. Comet Gain are Comet Gain, a band in which the Swell Maps and the Undertones shake hands in the Wigan Casino. Admittedly, a skewed picture. But as with every outstanding band, one fails to describe the sound of Comet Gain. You just have to hear it. When the Corona shit hit the fan in 2020, David Christian, who now lives in the beautiful south of France, had the leisure to dig through the considerable Comet Gain archive and presented the astonished Comet Gain community with new compilations of outtakes, demos, live recordings and simply forgotten and never released hits every Bandcamp Friday. The Misfit Jukebox is now a compilation of these compilations, the toppermost of the poppermost from a hitherto unseen or unheard part of the CG universe.

Cowboy Junkies – Such Ferocious Beauty CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)

Jackson Dean – Greenbroke CD (Big Machine)

Fast-rising singer/songwriter Jackson Dean is earning a reputation for his old-school, gritty, outlaw style of Country following a breakout year that landed him on Pandora’s Ten for 2023 All Genre, Spotify’s Hot Country Artists to Watch 2023, CMT Listen Up Class of 2023, as well as a slew of other artist-to-watch lists. [Vinyl version due July 7.]

Desmond Dekker – Essential Artist Collection CD/2xLP (Trojan)

Long before Bob Marley’s rise to pre-eminence, the title of the world’s leading reggae performer rested firmly with another young singer from Kingston, Jamaica: Desmond Dekker. Between 1967 and 1970, Desmond enjoyed a succession of international hit singles, breaking new ground with singles such as “007”, the first Jamaican-produced single to break into the UK top twenty, and “Israelites”, the first reggae single to reach the Number One spot in Britain and to breach the US chart. Further triumphs followed thereafter, with major chart hits including “It Mek”, “Pickney Gal”, “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Sing A Little Song”, all of which cemented his place in history as Jamaica’s first global superstar.

Detritus – Perpetual Defiance [Reissue/1991] CD (Retroactive)

Detritus – If But For One [Reissue/1993] CD/LP (Retroactive)

Tossing aside the by-the-numbers thrash, Detritus catapulted into one of metal’s most innovative outfits.

Dieth – To Hell And Back CD/LP (Napalm)

Death thrash force Dieth features the line-up of Grammy-winning bassist David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Swedish Grammy-nominated guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Miranda (ex-Entombed A.D.) and drummer Michał Łysejko (ex-Decapitated).

McKinley Dixon – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? CD/LP (City Slang)

Blurring the lines between the personal and the political,” (Fader) McKinley Dixon calls the late Toni Morrison the greatest rapper of all time; and the way he tackles topics like survival, violence, and religion within the expansive landscape of the Black experience, evokes her novels. It is from the title of Morrison’s Beloved trilogy where he finds the title of his album: Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is available.]

Dr. John – Dr. John: The Montreaux Years CD/2xLP (BMG)

Dr John: The Montreux Years is a musical trip for fans, who can immerse themselves in the unique styles and recordings of one of music’s greatest icons. With references to New Orleans boogie piano, the record begins with “Professor Longhair Boogie” and “You Ain’t Such A Much”. Delving further into Dr. John’s iconic repertoire, Dr. John: The Montreux Years includes the 1973 top 10 “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Makin’ Whoopee”.

Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You CD/LP (Heavenly)

Musician, writer, and Renaissance man Baxter Dury returns with his seventh studio album, I Thought I Was Better Than You, and with this new era comes a new character. “Faux-confrontational,” Baxter calls him. Here, not only is he recounting his childhood, but he’s also reckoning with it. Instead of just swinging at his past blindfolded with a baseball bat, he talks openly about the toxic cocktail of being born into unfortunately fortunate circumstances, with a persuasive surname but no structure or sense of responsibility with which to reap the rewards of it. “Really, it’s about being trapped in an awkward place between something you’re actually quite good at, and somebody else’s success.” [An indie store exclusive pink color vinyl pressing is available.]

Bob Dylan – Shadow Kingdom CD/2xLP (Legacy)

Electric Enemy – Electric Enemy CD/LP (Circular Wave)

Sitting somewhere between the classic rock of the Foo Fighters with a touch of Oasis, and newer acts like Des Rocs, Muse and Royal Blood, Electric Enemy are setting out to make rock music with a mission. Combining introspective lyrics with compelling melodies and dynamic musicianship, the band has cracked a formula that has made them a need-to-know act in the UK and beyond. [Both CD and vinyl editions include a Electric Enemy patch. Two colorways are available on vinyl: orange and glow in the dark orange.]

Eluvium – (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality – Volcanic Earth CD/LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)

New album by Eluvium – the renowned moniker of prolific modern composer, Matthew Robert Cooper. Taking initial inspirations from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and Richard Brautigan’s All Watched Over By Machines Of Loving Grace, (Whirring Marvels) inherently deals both with humankind’s need for meaning, and the emergence of algorithms reflecting the feedback loops of humankind’s interactions with machines themselves. This complicated relationship that we have with technology, automations, and algorithms – and the influence they in turn have on shaping our image of the world – is the mechanized heart and soul of an album that almost instantly establishes itself as a peak in Eluvium’s inimitable catalog. [A limited-edition ‘volcanic earth’ color vinyl pressing is available.]

Enhypen – Dark Blood (Engene Ver.) CD (Belift Lab)

Enhypen – Dark Blood (Full Ver.) CD (Belift Lab)

Enhypen – Dark Blood (Half Ver.) CD (Belift Lab)

Enhypen – Dark Blood (New Ver.) CD (Belift Lab)

New album from the K-pop band. Available in various collectable versions, each featuring unique ephemera.

Ben Folds – What Matters Most CD/LP (New West)

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are CD/LP/Cassette (RCA)

Steve Forbert – Streets Of This Town: Revisited CD/LP (Blue Rose Music)

After 28 years, Steve Forbert’s 1988 album, Streets Of This Town, was his first opportunity to record and release an album after several years of a legal impasse with CBS. Moving to NYC from his native Mississippi, Forbert bust on the scene with “Romeo’s Tune” in 1979 and put out several more albums with his label, CBS, before reaching an impasse with them. The songs on Streets Of This Town were written during his 1984 to 1988 during this period, giving him years to develop and road test the material. He moved from Greenwich Village to Nashville, continuing to write and tour with his band, The Rough Squirrels, and caught the ear of E Street bassist Garry Tallent, who brought the band into his Long Branch, NJ studio to produce Streets Of This Town. The songs chronicle the the trials and tribulations of four years of recording-artist purgatory and became Forbert’s first album for Geffen Records. [Includes bonus track.]

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Council Skies CD/2xCD//LP (Orchard)

Generationals – Heatherhead CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)

As Generationals, Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner have been stretching the boundaries of pop music for over a decade. From Con Law, their ebullient 2009 debut, to their adventurous and groove-infused LP from 2019 Reader As Detective, the New Orleans based duo have made songs that are consistently immediate and memorable. Even though their music always sounds effortless, they approach their songwriting with an auteur-like perfectionism: constantly tweaking and fine-tuning their craft. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]

Gloryhammer – Return To The Kingdom Of Fife 2xCD/2xLP (Napalm)

New album from the power metal titans. [The double-CD version includes a disc of orchestral versions.]

Marcia Griffiths – Essential Artist Collection CD/2xLP (Trojan)

Arguably the greatest female singer in the history of Jamaican music, Marcia Griffiths first made her mark the Jamaican music scene with several popular singles during the late ‘60s, before finding international fame in 1970 alongside her long-term friend and sometime collaborator, Bob Andy. Bob & Marcia’s uplifting reggae version of Nina Simone’s inspiring song, “(To Be) Young, Gifted & Black” hit number 5 in the UK pop chart, with the single proving to be the first of two British chartbusters, with their exuberant interpretation of Pied Piper’ just missing out on a Top 10 placing the following year. Soon after, Marcia became a member of Bob Marley’s famed backing group, the I Threes, while also continuing to enjoy solo success with numerous Jamaican hits for a variety of record producers throughout the remainder of the Seventies and well beyond.

Half Moon Run – Salt CD (BMG)

New release from the Montreal, Canada-based folk-rock band. The musical chemistry of Devon Portielje, Conner Molander, and Dylan Phillips is a continued source of wonder, even to the band, and even now – a decorous decade on. Half Moon Run’s collaborative power has remained constant and unsuppressed, Salt sees them revisiting the site of their bond’s first forging, bringing visions to light that’ve been there in waiting since the beginning.

Ben Harper – Wide Open Light CD/LP (Chrysalis)

“Wide Open Light is a family of songs I’ve written. I’ve selected them with the care one might put into a personal photo album. To that effect, I’d call it a sonic family photo album, each track a close relative to the next. The story behind this record is simple. I have been writing songs now for over 30 years. It’s what I long to do, love to do, and at times feel I need to do, and hope to continue doing until the ink runs dry and the notes fade. But for now, Wide Open Light. Deliberately minimalist, the songs themselves do as much of the heavy lifting as the production (produced by myself, and my longtime collaborators Danny Kalb and Jason Mozersky). Featured guests on the album include Jack Johnson guitar, vocals on ‘Gone For Good’, Shelby Lynne vocals on ‘8 Minutes’, and Piers Faccini vocals on ‘Wide Open Light’. – Ben Harper

Eric Hilton – Present Past And Future CDEP/12” (Montserrat House)

On Eric Hilton’s Present Past And Future EP, the Thievery Corporation co-founder takes the listener from inner city sidewalks of the 1970s to the edges of the Universe. And back. Sonically, Present Past And Future shifts between jazz-tinged drum ‘n’ bass and laid-back urban funk, with a dusty ambience throughout that will tick the “trip-hop” genre box for many. [A limited-edition milky clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Hollywood Vampires – Live In Rio CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray/2xLP (earMUSIC)

In 2015, American supergroup Hollywood Vampires played probably their biggest and one of their most legendary concerts in front of over 100,000 fans. Rock In Rio is not only one of the most famous festivals, but also the origin of the Hollywood Vampires’ first live album. With Alice Cooper as frontman, Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp, Aerosmith legend Joe Perry and producer and songwriter Tommy Henriksen, this band already has a top-class line-up. Still, the list of superstars doesn’t end there. Joining them on stage are Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Matt Sorum (Velvet Revolver) and Bruce Witkin (Grammy nominated producer). Special guests include Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) and Zak Starkey (The Who / Oasis).

Jelly Roll – Whitsitt Chapel CD/LP (BMG)

Multi-genre phenomenon and current three-time CMT Music Awards nominee Jelly Roll releases his highly anticipated album Whitsitt Chapel. Titled after the church the Antioch-native grew up attending, the album features 13 tracks, including the single “Need A Favor”.

Jay-Jay Johanson – Fetich CD/LP (20 Music)

Fetish marks a new era for the iconic Swedish artist. With this new album Jay-Jay Johanson explores the melancholic, aerial atmosphere that makes the DNA of his music with a cinematographic view. On the other side he offers songs made for the most elegant dancefloors with “Stars Align” and “Jeopardize” with their electronic hypnotic melodies.

Jack Johnson – In Between Dub CD/LP (Republic)

In March 2020, Jack Johnson reached out to Lee “Scratch” Perry to produce a dub remix album based on Jack’s most loved recordings. On August 29, 2021, the project was brought to a halt as Scratch departed this physical world. In 2022, Jack and Subatomic Sound System, Perry’s band of the last decade, connected directly and discovered they had all the pieces to bring Lee “Scratch” Perry’s three creations to completion. In Between Dub also features dubs from Dennis Bovell, Scientist, Mad Professor, Nightmares On Wax, and more. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]

Norah Jones – Little Broken Hearts [Reissue/2012] CD/2xCD/LP/3xLP (Blue Note)

Norah Jones defied expectations with her fifth studio album Little Broken Hearts, a striking collaboration with Danger Mouse that arrived a decade after her debut Come Away With Me, prompting SPIN to call it “the 2nd essential record of Norah Jones’ career.” [The Deluxe Edition – on CD and vinyl – features an expanded 31-track set curated by Jones with rare bonus tracks, alternate versions, remixes, and a previously unreleased live version of the album recorded for Austin City Limits in 2012.]

Jorma Kaukonen – Live At The Bottom Line 2xCD (Omnivore)

Lanterns On The Lake – Versions Of Us CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)

Lanterns on the Lake follow up 2020’s Mercury Prize nominated Spook The Herd with their self-produced fifth studio album, Versions Of Us. Radiohead’s Philip Selway joined the band to provide drums and percussion after the departure of Oliver Ketteringham. The nine songs on Versions Of Us are existential meditations examining life’s possibilities; facing the hand we’ve been dealt and the question of whether we can change our individual and collective destinies.

Necrofier – Burning Shadows In The Southern Night CD/LP (Season Of Mist)

The Oh Hellos – Through The Deep, Dark Valley (Ten Year Anniversary) CD/LP (No Coincidence)

“When we first wrote Through the Deep, Dark Valley [2012], we wanted the album to flow like a narrative,” says Tyler Heath. “Ever since, it’s been a pattern we’ve found ourselves leaning into more and more with every record. To celebrate that original narrative spirit a decade later, we wanted this anniversary reissue to feel a little like a pop-up storybook that draws you in for the journey. We also enlisted the talented Charlie Kramsky to shine up our old recordings into a new Ten Year Anniversary Remaster.” Through The Deep, Dark Valley is a self-contained concept album, so for the best results should be listened to in its entirety, in order, in one sitting. [A limited-edition deluxe orange w/ yellow color vinyl pressing with alternate artwork is available.]

Ozric Tentacles – Paper Monkeys [Reissue/2011] CD/2xLP (Kscope)

Digitally remastered edition. Paper Monkeys is the 2011 studio album from UK underground legends, Ozric Tentacles. It is the band’s follow-up to 2009’s The Yum Yum Tree. That album proved that despite being over 25 years into their career the band were still a force to be reckoned with Classic Rock Prog stating, “There are enough moments of brilliance here to make this the best thing the band have committed to tape since Jurassic Shift in 1993.”

Evan Parker – NYC 1978 CD (Relative Pitch)

Evan Parker made his first trip to North America as a performer in the fall of 1978 touring solo in the US and Canada. His landmark solo record Monoceros had been recorded in April. This is a recording of his first solo performance in New Your City. While it may lack the sonic fidelity of Monoceros, its raw passion makes a statement to the New York audiences lucky to have been at Environ that October evening.

Protomartyr – Formal Growth In The Desert CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)

Since their 2012 debut, Protomartyr has mastered the art of evoking place: the grinding Midwest humility of their hometown, as well as the x-rayed elucidation of America that comes with their vantage. The group’s sixth album, Formal Growth In The Desert, was recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, TX with producer Jake Aron. “The desert is more of a metaphor or symbol,” singer Joe Casey says, “of emotional deserts, or a place or time that seems to lack life.” The “growth” came from a period of colossal transition for Casey, including the death of his mother. But life does go on, and Casey describes the great theme of Formal Growth In The Desert as an embrace and acknowledgment of that fact: a 12-song testament to “getting on with life,” even when it feels impossibly hard. [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Pupil Slicer – Blossom CD/LP (Prosthetic)

Purr – Who Is Afraid Of Blue CD/LP (ANTI-)

An indie pop duo whose music has a cool retro vibe buoyed by smooth melodies, a naturalistic sound, and warm harmonies, Purr is a collaboration between songwriters, musicians, and longtime friends Eliza Barry Callahan and Jack Staffen. The two previously worked together as Jack + Eliza, but while that project emphasized spare and stripped-down accompaniment, Purr’s recordings feature a fuller sound with a larger palette of instrumental flavors that often references ’60s pop. Purr introduced themselves to the world with a 2018 single, “Bad Advice” b/w “Painted Memory”, that showed off their talents as both writers and vocalists, and they further refined their style on their first full-length album, 2020’s Like New and continue that on new album Who Is Afraid Of Blue?.

Rancid – Tomorrow Never Comes CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)

The Revivalists – Pour It Out Into The Night CD/LP (Concord)

Rival Sons – Darkfighter CD/2xLP (Atlantic)

Angelica Rockne – The Rose Society CD/LP (Fluff & Gravy)

California songstress Angelica Rockne releases her second album, The Rose Society. Rockne began garnering attention with her startling debut, Queen Of San Antonio. Released back in 2017, that album led to L.A. Weekly heralding her as Best Country Singer of 2019. Uncut Magazine made her debut album one of their Americana Albums of The Month and have just featured the opening track of her forthcoming album on Volume 6 of their iconic and influential Sounds Of The New West series of covermount CDs.

Kenny Rogers – Life Is Like A Song CD/LP (UMe)

A collection of unreleased songs from Kenny Rogers’ archives that tells the story of the love, life, loss and faith between Kenny and his wife, Wanda, and their two children. The album features the long sought after “Goodbye” written by Lionel Richie, interpretations of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” and “I Wish It Would Rain” originally recorded by The Temptations, and “Tell Me That You Love Me” a lost duet between Kenny and Dolly Parton.

Ruen Brothers – Ten Paces CD/LP (Yep Roc)

Scatered Few – Sin Disease [Reissue/1990] CD (Retroactive)

A decade after its release, HM Magazine called Sin Disease “the record that decisively ended the ’80s” (for Christian music) and “Christian music’s best punk album ever.”

Jake Shears – Last Man Standing CD/LP+MP3 (Mute)

On Last Man Dancing, Jake Shears turns his lifelong love affair with club culture into his most ambitious pop music to date. The album was brought to vivid life by Jake Shears and a close crew of collaborators, including head-turning features from Kylie Minogue, Jane Fonda, Iggy Pop, Amber Martin, and a pre-Renaissance turn from the iconic Big Freedia. The album is a life affirming record for anyone who has felt lost – out of love, on a night out, or in the modern world – but kept moving anyway. [Two vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive orange marbled and limited-edition clear.]

Smoulder – Violent Creed Of Vengeance CD/LP (Cruz Del Sur Music)

Violent Creed Of Vengeance espouses an all killer, no filler ethos. The band followed the roadmap of Omen, Blind Guardian, Chastain, Rainbow, and Tales of Medusa – acts renowned for writing albums with front-to-end bangers. Smoulder applied this approach, hauling out seven songs that capably merge the fist-bumping bangers of Hester and the arcane and obscure numbers from Vincent. The songs are more nuanced but still enmeshed in Smoulder’s now-patented blend of speed, power, and doom metal, capped off by Sarah Ann’s captivating vocals.

Stray Kids – 5-Star (Limited Ver.) CD (Jyp Ent./Republic)

Stray Kids – 5-Star (Ver. A) CD (Jyp Ent./Republic)

Stray Kids – 5-Star (Ver. B) CD (Jyp Ent./Republic)

Stray Kids – 5-Star (Ver. C) CD (Jyp Ent./Republic)

After a groundbreaking year with two consecutive Billboard 200 #1 albums, K-poppers Stray Kids is back with brand new release. Available in four collectable editions.

Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown – Our Version CD/LP (Switchfoot)

2023 marks the 20th anniversary of Switchfoot’s seminal album, The Beautiful Letdown. The triple-platinum record included the chart-topping hits, “Meant To Live” and “Dare You To Move”, and changed the lives of the band members and a generation the world over. To celebrate 20 years of the The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot is releasing “their version”, a new re-recorded edition of the album, on both CD and LP. [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing is available.]

Tinariwen – Amatssou CD/LP+MP3 (Wedge)

Toosii – Nau’Jour CD (South Coast Music/Capitol)

Born Nau’Jour Lazier Grainger in Syracuse, NY, Toosii tells jarringly honest tales of street life and lost love, detailing his journey from a lost kid surrounded by tragedy to a national sensation full of promise. Now based in Raleigh, NC, the 23-year-old was hailed by Complex as “One of music’s brightest stars” and Teen Vogue said, “if you’re not in his orbit yet, you need to tap in.” Ebony noted, “[Toosii] shows a vulnerability in his music which he embraces wholeheartedly.”

Tanya Tucker – Sweet Western Sound CD (Fantasy)

Sweet Western Sound is Tanya Tucker’s first album of new music since 2019’s 2x Grammy Award-winning, While I’m Livin’, the re-introduction that revitalized her career and brought her music to a new generation of fans. While that album’s stripped-down, singer-songwriter approach leaned toward the acoustic side, Sweet Western Sound‘s framework is more muscular, evoking, at times, the vintage West Coast country-rock productions of the ’70s and ’80s. Produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings. [Vinyl version due September 8.]

Kassi Valazza – Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing CD/LP (Fluff & Gravy)

There is a cult-like fascination growing around Kassi Valazza following the self-release of her 2019 debut album Dear Dead Days and her surprise 2022 EP Highway Sounds. She is seated squarely at the vanguard of new American songwriters strengthening and broadening the sound of country music as she tours with celebrated acts such as Melissa Carper and Riddy Arman. The Southwestern native resides in Portland, a hotbed of songwriters producing albums that both bear the torch and bend the arc of American roots music. Valazza’s new album, Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing, is a spellbinding collection of songs that dangle like protective magic talismans, catching dreams and glinting light.

Various Artists – Yo! Boombox – Early Independent Hip Hop, Electro And Disco Rap 1979-83 2xCD/3×12”/3×12”+7”+MP3 (Soul Jazz)

Yo! Boombox is the new instalment of Soul Jazz Records’ Boombox series on the early days of hip-hop on vinyl, featuring some of the many innovative underground first-wave of early rap and disco rap records made in the USA between 1979-83. The album includes the first releases of seminal groups such as Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and The Funky Four Plus One More, through to rarities and little-known obscurities such as the Carver Area High School band’s “Get Live 83”, an awesome record made at a Chicago high school. [An indie store exclusive pressing featuring a bonus 7” is available.]

Rufus Wainwright – Folkocracy CD/2xLP (BMG)

Roger Waters – The Lockdown Sessions CD/LP (Legacy)

Witch – Zango CD/LP (Desert Daze Sound)

The Wolfe Brothers – Livin’ The Dream CD/LP (BMG)

The brothers from Tasmania are back with album number six. Tom and Nick Wolfe shot to fame in 2012 on Australia’s Got Talent. Six Golden Guitars later and Three #1 ARIA Country Albums, they are one of the most awarded country rock duos ever in Australia.

Wytch Hazel – IV: Sacrament CD/LP (Metal Blade)

For many all-time-great rock bands in the ascendant, the fourth album is often the point where youthful years of febrile creativity and progressive momentum culminate in a masterwork for the ages, setting the seal on an early signature sound while opening it up to future possibilities. From enchanting 2016 debut Prelude, through 2018’s assured II: Sojourn, to 2020’s wizardly III: Pentecost, each Wytch Hazel album has embodied that old-fashioned notion of unstoppable progress, and the glittering treasure chest that is IV: Sacrament proves eminently worthy of rising to the toughest challenge.

y La Bamba – Lucha CD/LP (Tender Loving Empire)

Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Lucha, y La Bamba’s seventh album, is a thematic narrative that explores multiplicity – love, queerness, Mexican American and Chicanx identity, family, intimacy, yearning, loneliness. Born out of isolation during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the album reflects the artist’s struggles and growth as a person and artist. The album is a battle cry to fight to be seen and accepted and is a collection of sonically sprawling and bold tracks that document the parallel trust the artist has built with herself to allow the songs to guide how they should be sung or sound.

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

Accuser – Confusion Romance [Reissue/1994] 12” (Brutal Planet)

Accuser – Taken By The Throat + Scribe EP [Reissue/1995] LP (Brutal Planet)

Accuser – Agitation [Reissue/2010] LP (Brutal Planet)

Accuser – Diabolic [Reissue/2013] LP (Brutal Planet)

Contemporaries with Sodom, Destruction, and Kreator, German thrash heroes Accuser became a household name in their own country in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. [Color vinyl pressings are available.]

Alkaline Trio – From Here To Infirmary [Reissue/2001] LP (Vagrant)

From Here To Infirmary is the third album by Alkaline Trio. It was their first album for Vagrant Records.

Kelsea Ballerini – Subject To Change LP (Black River Entertainment)

Released last year – now available on double yellow color vinyl. The two-time Grammy nominee previously teased Subject To Change in April, and said that the ’90s-tinged “Heartfirst” set the tone for what’s to come. “There is a lot of nostalgia to this record,” she said. “It does sound really ’90s-inspired, ’90s country and ’90s pop… I just wanted to start this next chapter with something that feels good. It’s breezy, it’s happy, and I hope people hear that.” [An indie store exclusive autographed vinyl edition is available.]

Björk – Fossora LP/Cassette (One Little Independent)

Fossora is Björk’s tenth album – originally released last year and is now available on standard black vinyl and cassette. The album was partially inspired by the 2018 death of Björk’s mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir, particularly the songs “Sorrowful Soil” and “Ancestress”. The album features contributions from American singer Serpentwithfeet, Björk’s two children Sindri and Ísadóra, Indonesian dance duo Gabber Modus Operandi, and a bass clarinet sextet.

Blues Traveler – Live And Acoustic: Fall Of 1997 2xLP (Friday Music)

Double blue color vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. Includes slipmat. Live And Acoustic: Fall Of 1997 is an exciting selection of many highlights from their legendary tour 25 years ago that produced the only acoustic sets John, Chan, Brendan, and Bobby ever played on tour.

Donald Byrd – Slow Drag [Reissue/1967] LP (Blue Note)

Donald Byrd’s 1967 album Slow Drag was one of the last pure hard bop records the trumpeter would make before his music began evolving towards fusion. Byrd flies high on this gratifying set featuring alto saxophonist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker & drummer Billy Higgins. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series featuring all-analog remastering and luxe packaging.

Carnivore – Carnivore [Reissue/1985] LP (Flying Dolphin Administration)

Carnivore – Retaliation [Reissue/1987] 2xLP (Flying Dolphin Administration)

Two color vinyl pressings (clear and neon orange, respectively). Carnivore is a unique band. Their eponymous debut album was their introduction to larger-than-life vocalist/bassist Pete Steele, and even though Type O Negative’s epic brand of gothic metal was still just a glimmer in his eye, in retrospect one can already recognize the fascinating range of creative contradictions that would always characterize the 6’7″ man’s work.

Chiodos – All’s Well That Ends Well [Reissue/2005] LP (Equal Vision)

Vinyl reissue of this 2005 release by the post-hardcore band.

Clutch – Sunrise On Slaughter Beach 6×7”+CD (Weathermaker Music)

Limited box containing six 7″ singles and CD. Sunrise On Slaughter Beach is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Clutch, originally released in 2022.

Bruce Cockburn – O Sun O Moon 2xLP (True North)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while earning high praise as an exceptional songwriter and a revered guitarist. He remains deeply respected for his activism and humanist song lyrics that thread throughout his career. On all his albums Cockburn has deftly captured the joy, pain, fear, and faith of human experience in song.

Jordan Davis – Bluebird Days LP (MCA Nashville)

Released earlier this year on CD – now available on vinyl. The second album from country music’s Jordan Davis features 17 songs including the #1 double-platinum CMA Song of the Year, “Buy Dirt” feat. Luke Bryan.

Speech Debelle – Sunday Dinner On A Monday 2xLP (Monday Sessions)

Mercury Prize-winning British rapper Speech Debelle returns with a new album. Sunday Dinner On A Monday is an examination of family, friends, lineage, and ancestral DNA, through the lens of Afro-futurism. “It’s about how we imagine and then create our own futures”, says Speech.

Deep Purple – Whoosh! [Reissue/2020] 2xLP+CD+DVD (earMUSIC)

Deep Purple – Turning To Crime [Reissue/2021] 5×12”+DVD (earMUSIC)

Deluxe box set editions of Deep Purple’s 21^st and 22^nd studio albums.

De La Soul – Stakes Is High [Reissue/1996] 2xLP/Cassette (Chrysalis)

Stakes Is High is the fourth studio album by De La Soul, originally released in 1996. Stakes Is High was critically lauded for its music, lyricism, and its overall message concerning the artistic decline rap music began to face in the mid- ‘90s. The title track and first single was produced by J Dilla and the album’s second single, “Itzsoweezee (HOT)”, with only Dave on vocals, was accompanied by a creative music video. The album spawned a third single “4 More”, featuring Zhane. The album did provide a launching pad for future star rappers and actors Mos Def, who appeared on the track “Big Brother Beat” and Common who is featured on “The Bizness”.

Deliverance – Weapons Of Our Warfare [Reissue/1990] LP (Retroactive)

Limited-edition vinyl picture disc. Metallica created Master Of Puppets, Slayer bludgeoned the world with the classic Reign In Blood, Flotsam & Jetsam had Doomsday…, and Exodus boasted Bonded By Blood – all albums that would create the standard for all other speed metal releases. Weapons Of Our Warfare was that album for Deliverance. It cemented the band’s place as iconic speed metal royalty.

Julius Eastman – Femenine [Reissue/2016] 2xLP (Frozen Reeds)

Recorded live on Wednesday, November 6, 1974, at Composers Forum in Albany, The Arts Center on the Campus of the Academy of the Holy Names, Albany, New York.

Cleveland Eaton – Half And Half [Reissue/1973] LP (Be With)

Like the winged half-man/half-bull that dominates its outrageous cover, Cleveland Eaton’s Half And Half is a mutant bass-heavy monster that absolutely slays. Incredible jazz-funk from 1973, it’s been largely overlooked for decades, and unfairly so. This is just sensational music – a crate digger’s delight. It’s super funky throughout, with lots of layers, jazz breaks for days, dripping with style and gritty class. This is the first reissue of what has been a hard-to-find record for many years; it’s long overdue. Joyous music for mind, soul, and body.

Enforced – War Remains LP (Century Media)

Firing up audiences on tour with the likes of At The Gates, Obituary and Municipal Waste as well as European festivals including the UK’s Bloodstock, Richmond Virginia’s Enforced take their spot as torchbearers for crossover thrash with War Remains.

Entombed – Uprising [Reissue/2000] LP/LP+Slimpat (Threeman Recordings)

Originally released in March 2000, Uprising is widely regarded as one of Entombed’s best albums, and a welcome return to their heavier death ‘n’ roll sound. [A limited-edition version featuring an Uprising slipmat is available.]

The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Memphis Industries)

“One sick party record bursting with overdriven guitars, triumphant trumpet lines, and battling drum assaults that seem to break through walls with the barreling force of a thousand Kool-Aid men” (Pitchfork 8.7 BNM). The Go! Team burst onto the scene back in 2004 with their debut album Thunder, Lightning, Strike putting the disco in discordant abd red limiting all the levels. They scored Pitchfork Best New Music, a Mercury music prize nomination and, from a small bedroom concert in Brighton, UK, emerged to take on the world, lighting up stages on every continent. Nineteen years later The Go! Team, led by main man Ian Parton and MC Ninja, are still releasing brilliant, ever more eclectic albums.

Cory Gunz x David Bars – Gunz x Bars LP (DITC)

Two of the Bronx’s most skillful emcees have paired up for one of the most promising collaborative albums of 2023. Appropriately titled, Gunz x Bars, the boogie down’s own Cory Gunz and David Bars have joined forces with Respect the Vision (RTV) under the watch of DITC Studios, the label and recording studio akin to one of hip-hop’s most revered crews, comprised of Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Big L, O.C. Fat Joe, Buckwild, Showbiz and A.G. And as you’d expect, the result is top tier lyricism over a soundscape that epitomizes the essence of New York hip-hop.

Heilung – ᛞᚱᛁᚠ = Drif 2xLP (Season Of Mist)

2022 release – now available on double clear vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. Evading all conventional genre tags and the confines of any specific labels, Heilung aptly self-describe their sound as “amplified history”, emphasizing their ability to connect modern society with the rudiments of humanity’s beginnings through music. Heilung once again journeys back in time with new chapter ᛞᚱᛁᚠ = Drif, an album which explores great ancient civilizations.

He Is Legend – Endless Hallway LP (Spinefarm)

Deluxe black ice color vinyl pressing. Like a true American classic at this point, He Is Legend resemble an old, dog-eared novel or nearly worn-out VHS tape that you dust off in order take a familiar ride and get thrilled at the same time. Their alchemy of reckless rock ‘n’ roll grooves, heavy metal unpredictability, and downright indefinable magic continues to enchant, enthrall, and enrapture a devout fan base, quietly bordering on cultlike fascination. The band roars back with their seventh full-length offering, Endless Hallway.

Humanoid – Sweet Acid Sound 12” (De:Tuned)

180gm red color vinyl. Humanoid returns with a new four-track EP of classic acid jams.

JFB – Jammy Fader Breaks 12”/7” (Woodwurk)

JFB needs no introduction, an absolute monster on the turntables and x3 DMC World Champion, he has nothing left to prove on the battle scene or club circuit. However, here is a first from this legend in the game: JFB’s first ever battle break record. [A limited-edition 7” version on silver color vinyl is available.]

Eric Johnson – The Book Of Making LP (Blue Élan)

Eric Johnson – Yesterday Meets Today LP (Blue Élan)

During the pandemic, some people baked, others indulged in TV binge-watching. Eric Johnson emerged with two albums – The Book Of Making and Yesterday Meets Today – featuring nine songs on each LP. The Grammy-winning, multi-genre guitarist took inventory – both emotionally and musically – delving into the many unfinished tracks, outtakes, demos, and sonic ideas in his archive to compile the 18 songs that ultimately ended up on the albums.

Kalan. FrFr – 222 2xLP (Roc Nation)

Kalan. FrFr – TwoFR 2 2xLP (Roc Nation)

Kalan. FrFr’s first and second projects with Roc Nation includes the songs “Light Breeze” and “No Stoppin'” featuring Blxst, “Never Lose You” and “Scoring” and featuring artists such as Lil Durk, Mozzy, Stunna4Vegas, and Maeta.

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Demos Vol. 3 + Vol. 4 2xLP (Oglio)

Limited-edition double swamp green and red splatter colored vinyl pressing. King Gizzard introduces a new collection of demos to the bootlegger series, showing off their creative process spanning many of the most recent releases including the microtonal “KG” and “LW”. This collection also features two versions of the epic “Dripping Tap”, dubbed, “Music To Eat Pond Scum To” and “Music To Die To”.

Kingpin Skinny Pimp – King Of Da Playaz Ball [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Hypnotize Minds)

Skinny Pimp is one of the best rappers to ever be affiliated with Three 6 Mafia. King Of Da Playaz Ball features the production work of DJ Paul and Juicy J and includes guest contributions by DJ Paul, Juicy J, Lord Infamous, Gangsta Blac, Koopsta Knicca, the Prophet Posse and more.

Rob Crow & Kramer – Hymns 7” (Shimmy Disc)

Eerie Kramer & Kramer – Preludes 7” (Shimmy Disc)

“In 2022, the pandemic seemed to be receding to the point where artists could work together again, literally side by side. So, as a kind of ‘follow-up’ to my Joyful Noise 2020 Artist-in-Residence box set, I revisited the notion of a limited-edition vinyl box celebrating the joys of collaboration. I thought about it for a good long while, and eventually, it felt good. I then put the idea under a microscope and found that it felt even better when I minimized the project to six 33rpm EP’s on 7″ vinyl.”

Laraaji & Kramer – Baptismal LP (Shimmy Disc)

Crystal clear vinyl pressing. “As one of the very few true godfathers of ambient music, Laraaji has forged a unique path forward (always, always forward) since his groundbreaking 1980 LP for Eno’s Ambient label, Ambient 3: Day Of Radiance. It remains one of the eternal pillars of the genre. His extraordinary contributions to modern music over the course of four decades highlight his lifelong dedication to the belief that Peace can be achieved through audio serenity. Kramer’s work in ambient music is less universally known, but no less pioneering. His most recent Shimmy-Disc LP, Music For Films Edited By Moths, suggests that his immersion in the genre is now complete. Cerebral yet simple, intoxicating yet tranquil, Kramer’s newest and more elusive body of work gently heralds what lies ahead. His commitment to quiet music is complete.” – Psychedelic Baby Magazine

Lemon Demon – Spirit Phone 2xLP (Oglio)

Spirit Phone is a collection of 14 deviously catchy pop songs that lightheartedly explore such macabre topics as haunted mansions, confectionery cannibalism, Lovecraftian romance and 1980s economics. Bringing to mind the playfully ghoulish work of new wave acts like Oingo Boingo, the album presents its dark themes with mischievous relish. Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop included it in his Best of 2016 list with an 8/10 rating, praising its clever lyrics, high energy, and catchy songwriting.

Los Mohanes – La Tumbia LP (Moli Del Tro)

This work is the result of a musical exploration between Joseph Muñoz and Faunes Efe where their principal influence was the traditional rhythms of Colombian Caribbean territory like Cumbia, Porro and Vallenato, merging it with other musical styles like IDM, ambient, industrial, techno, drone, field recordings, no wave and everything they felt like to listen. The recording process of this album was made by processing acoustic percussion, voices, samples, and field recordings of the Atlantic coast in Sucre, Colombia.

Los Mundos – Eco del Universo LP+MP3 (Little Cloud)

Green color vinyl pressing. Eco del Universo is the eighth studio album by Los Mundos (Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico). The album was composed in the middle of the pandemic, which is why it conveys mixed feelings on the subject. Eco del Universo is a progressive and melancholic album, with extensive themes and deep lyrics where nature is taken as inspiration. The band explores with modular systems, zithers, gongs, drones, acoustic guitars and uses unconventional song structures.

Hannah Macklin – Mu LP (Hope Street)

Hannah Macklin’s debut LP Mu is a glittering piece of cosmic orchestral neo-soul. Jazz-informed vocals & production merge triphop and prog influences and join the dots between Homegenic era Björk or Portishead and contemporary artists like Solange.

Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday…Roman Reloaded [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Republic)

Roman Reloaded is the sophomore album from Nicki Minaj, the most successful female rapper of all time. Released in 2012, it was her second consecutive chart-topping album and has been certified double platinum. It features the Top 5 hit, “Starships” and the singles “Right By My Side (feat. Chris Brown)”, “Beez In The Trap (feat. 2 Chainz)”, “Pound The Alarm”, and “Va Va Voom”.

Matthewdavid – On Mushrooms 12” (Leaving)

Leaving Records founderperson Matthewdavid presents the On Mushrooms EP, a primer for the Mycelium Music album to be released Q2 2023. Both works are expressed from the same ecosystem, cut from the same cloth.

Robin McKelle / Kenny Barron – Impressions Of Ella LP (Naïve)

From country music to rhythm and blues, Robin McKelle has made an entire career exploring the rich vastness of American music. With Impressions Of Ella, McKelle returns to her traditional jazz roots and finds herself right at home with Kenny Barron on piano.

Mild High Club – Timeline [Reissue/2015] LP (Stones Throw)

Mild High Club is the solo project and live band helmed by Alex Brettin, a Los Angeles-based musician originally from Chicago. Influenced by AOR and jazz, Brettin began working on Mild High Club material in 2012 by himself, using guitars, keyboards, computers, and a four-track recorder, while shuttling between Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles.

Mister T – Synchronized Roots LP (Cold Busted)

Mister T., the renowned Greek purveyor of beats, returns with Synchronized Roots, another fantastic album encompassing the many styles of the prolific producer. With a heavy dollop of funk providing the main ingredient, Mister T. deftly throws generous pinches of reggae, soul, hip hop, and electronica into his rhythmic concoctions.

M’lumbo – The Summer Of Endless Levitation LP (Hell Yeah)

Color vinyl pressing. Legendary New York band M’lumbo distill experiences from their pre-pandemic shamanic travels into their stunning new album The Summer Of Endless Levitation. The eight-track vinyl LP is an avant-garde take on folk music informed by painter and sculptor Jean Hans Arp’s ‘Biomorphic’ works and it serves as a sonic renewal of self.

Thelonious Monk – The Classic Quartet LP (Candid)

This recording is the audio portion of a television show recorded in Tokyo during Monk’s 1963 tour of Japan. Not to be confused with the live album of that same 1963 tour, Monk In Tokyo, released on Columbia Records. It also should be noted that the recordings here were previously released as Thelonious Monk 1963 Japan, at various times, by various labels. This version has been remastered by Award Winning Engineer Bernie Grundman. It is the first time this album has been released on vinyl in over 35 years.

Nanna – How To Start A Garden 2xLP (Republic)

Nanna, best known for her success as a writer, producer, vocalist, and guitarist in the chart-topping band Of Monsters And Men, is embarking on a new path with her solo project. Her debut album, How To Start A Garden is a wistful, evocative and ultimately romantic offering from an already accomplished artist, musician, producer, and songwriter. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Neil Frances – There Is No Neil Francis LP (Nettwerk)

Released last year on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Neil Frances’ signature sound is beat driven pop infused with a more organic warmth than most modern music. Putting special emphasis on their enthralling live sets – the group quickly developed a reputation as a must-see stage artist opening for SG Lewis, Jungle, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Nothing, Nowhere. – Void Eternal LP (Fueled By Ramen)

Nothing, Nowhere. is the musical endeavor of Vermont songwriter, singer and guitarist Joe Mulherin, and Void Eternal is his boldest offering yet; 12 tracks that journey into the darkness – a path that he walks down as far as it will go.

Old Crow Medicine Show – Live At Third Man Records LP (Third Man)

Opeth – Orchid [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Candlelight)

Opeth – Morningrise [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Candlelight)

Opeth – My Arms, Your Hearse [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Candlelight)

There are few bands that can, or will, match Sweden’s Opeth. Since forming in the tiny Stockholm suburb of Bandhagen in 1990, they have eclipsed convention, defiantly crushed the odds, and crafted 12 stunningly beautiful, intrinsically intense albums to become one of the best bands on the planet. They have received massive critical acclaim for their combination of progressive influences and annihilating Swedish death metal. A must-have for fans and collectors alike, these 140gm LP reissues, in a variety of colors, have been loving remaster by none-other than Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia, Amorphis, Sepultura), with the guidance from Opeth frontman, Mikael Åkerfeldt. The have been cut at half-speed at the infamous Abbey Rd studios by Miles Showell (ABBA, Beatles), and artwork was carefully restored by Dan Capp; designed how the band originally intended.

Palette Knife – New Game+ LP (Take This To Heart)

Released earlier this year on CD – now available on vinyl. New Game+, the sophomore LP from Columbus, Ohio’s Palette Knife, encompasses a vast array of rock/emo tunes that are reminiscent of scene stalwarts Into It. Over It, Tiny Moving Parts or a more intricately guitar based Modern Baseball.

Passion Pit – Gossamer [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (French Kiss)

Double color vinyl pressing (including an indie store exclusive pressing). Gossamer is the second studio album by electropop band Passion Pit, originally released in 2012. Recorded in 2011 in Los Angeles and New York City, the album was produced by Chris Zane and lead singer Michael Angelakos.

Pennywise – Unknown Road [Reissue/1993] LP+MP3 (Epitaph)

Translucent orange color vinyl pressing. On Unknown Road, Pennywise steps up their songwriting, maintains all their fury and intensity, and lays out their philosophy of independence and the importance of daring to live every moment to its fullest. This album featured several songs that played on tons of skate, surf and snowboarding videos, making this, and other PW records to come, the soundtrack to the exploding extreme sports board scene.

Poets Of The Fall – Signs Of Life [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Playground Music)

Signs Of Life is the debut album by Finnish alternative rock band Poets Of The Fall, originally released in 2005.

Raveena – Lucid [Reissue/2019] LP (Moonstone Recordings)

Raveena Aurora’s debut album was released on Empire in 2019. As she wrote on social media the evening of its release, “What a dream to be able to give u this piece of my soul.” The album features twelve songs exploring themes of sexuality, womanhood, and her Indian heritage. Raveena cites Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae, Minnie Riperton, and Indian singer, Asha Puthli, as inspirations.

Reverend Bizarre – In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend [Reissue/2002] LP (Svart)

In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend is the 2002 debut album by Finnish doom metal band Reverend Bizarre.

John Rocca – Reflections Of The Sun LP (Pink Rhythm)

Pink color vinyl pressing. Reflections Of The Sun is a collection of new music that sees John Rocca experiment with a more laid back side to his musical personality. John is best known in jazz funk circles for his 1980s self-funded, self-produced and self-released Brit funk classic “Southern Freeez”, and as the band Freeez’s founder.

Scatered Few – Out Of The Attic [Reissue/1991] LP (Retroactive)

Scatered Few – Grandmother’s Spaceship [Reissue/1998] LP (Retroactive)

Scatered Few – Omega No. 5 [Reissue/2002] LP (Retroactive)

The audacity of believers doing punk in the early ’80s is unequivocally ballsy. These were short yet authentic punk songs informing a decade and a half of starch-in-the-collar industry types what they could expect, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, for another musical revolution. Apart from the first Barnabas album, Circle One, a young U2, and some fringe UK bands, nothing came close to the fire Scaterd Few was igniting. And nothing came within a country mile of the punk vibe of these primal songs.

Si Begg – Energie Electrique 12” (Central Processing)

an esteemed veteran of British beat tracks, Begg’s name has become synonymous with quality club productions ever since he burst onto the scene three decades ago. Begg’s casual mastery of his sound is shown off by the fact that he doesn’t over-egg the pudding of the Energie Electrique EP. Rather than doing sonic cartwheels to get people’s attention, Energie Electrique is characterized by the way Begg adds or subtracts elements to sturdy grooves. It’s an approach which makes for a collection of tunes that manage to bring the boogie from the off while they also hide all sorts of aural Easter eggs amidst the mix.

A Skylit Drive – She Watched The Sky [Reissue/2007] 12” (Tragic Hero)

Post-hardcore veterans A Skylit Drive jumpstarted their careers with their debut EP She Watched The Sky in 2007 under Tragic Hero Records. The album featured heavy vocals predominately comprised of screaming compared to the more melodic sound found on later releases.

Helene Smith – I Am Controlled By Your Love LP (Numero)

Teenage melancholy from the original Miami Sound Machine. Backed by the infamous FAMU Marching 100 Band and Frank Williams’ crack shot players The Rocketeers, I Am Controlled By Your Love compiles sides from Helene Smith’s ’60s tenure with the Deep City, Lloyd, Reid, and Blue Star labels. A sweltering album of twelve deeply soulful, alternate universe hits from the First Lady of Miami Soul. [A limited-edition metallic silver color vinyl pressing is available.]

Patti Smith – A Wing And A Prayer: Live At The Boarding House, San Francisco 15th February 1976 – KSAN FM Broadcast LP (Mind Control)

Live show recorded February 15th, 1976 at the Boarding House, San Francisco.

Sorry Girls – Bravo! LP (Arbutus)

Color vinyl pressing. Sorry Girls have danced out of the darkness into the light. Since forming in 2015, the Montreal duo of Heather Foster Kirkpatrick and Dylan Konrad Obront have transformed an eerie, dreamlike sound into lush, pleasure-seeking pop. Expanding upon their debut album, Deborah, the band’s deftly arranged sophomore LP, Bravo!, sings to the back rows of the stadium, drawing listeners inward with a newfound focus on personal lyrics.

Spy Glass Blüe – Shadows [Reissue/1996] LP (Retroactive)

Spy Glass Blüe – Loud As Feathers [Reissue/2001] LP (Retroactive)

Allan Aguirre is best known as the front man for the punk band Scaterd Few. He formed Spy Glass Blüe as a side project, to serve as his “artistic outlet” and to function as more of a ministry band. The group became his focus for a brief interim (1995-1998) during which Scaterd Few was defunct. Shadows shows strong influence of general market artists like David Bowie, Bauhaus, The Cure, and Peter Murphy and so was immediately identified as a rare example of Christian goth music.

Summer Salt – The Early EPs LP (Miscellaneous)

Trop-pop duo Summer Salt – singer/guitarist Matthew Terry and drummer Eugene Chung – spent many years building towards their latest album, Sequoia Moon (2021), ever since jettisoning their Dallas, Texas, hometown for the arts-and-culture oasis of Austin. The band quickly rose through the ranks of the local Austin scene with their 2014 debut Driving To Hawaii, teeming with both the escapism and recklessness of youth and the composure and charm of ’60s-era pop, doo wop and bossa nova.

Surprise Chef – Friendship 12” (Big Crown)

Friendship is a six song 12″ EP that picks up where the last album left off and pushes their sound in new directions as they take on different energies and make them their own. The EP opens with “Rosemary Hemphill”, a gorgeous yet haunting tune that takes the listener through a myriad of musical changes and moods. “Friendship Theme” is a bouncy and energetic number with an infectious and driving topline that is sure to move dancefloors around the globe. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Swamp Dogg – Gag A Maggott LP (Alive)

Limited transparent vinyl pressing of this 1973 soul album classic includes an insert with liner notes by Swamp Dogg and rare archival photos.

Syrup – The Questions LP (Melting Pot)

The British-German jazz rap super group Syrup return with their second album.

Tigerclub – The Perfume Of Decay LP (Loosegroove)

The Perfume Of Decay is Tigercub’s third album but first since signing with Stone Gossard’s label Loosegroove Records.

Tomakawk – Mit Gas [Reissue/2003] LP (Ipecac)

Tomakawk – Anonymous [Reissue/2007] LP (Ipecac)

Vinyl reissues (including indie store exclusive colorways) of Tomahawk’s second and third albums. Tomahawk is an experimental alternative metal/alternative rock supergroup from the United States. They formed in 2000 when Fantômas, Mr. Bungle and Faith No More singer Mike Patton and The Jesus Lizard guitar player Duane Denison started swapping tapes with the intention of collaborating. Duane Denison then recruited ex-Helmet drummer John Stanier (also playing with Battles), while Mike Patton brought Melvins/Cows bass player Kevin Rutmanis into the fold.

The Tragically Hip – Yer Favourites Volume 1 [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (UMe)

The Tragically Hip – Yer Favourites Volume 2 [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (UMe)

For the first time ever, The Tragically Hip’s best-selling Yer Favourites compilation is released on vinyl. Originally released as a 2xCD set in 2005, this vinyl release will be split into two 2xLP sets.

Tina Turner – Private Dancer [Reissue/1984] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)

Tina Turner’s Private Dancer spurred one of pop’s greatest comebacks – or perhaps “coming out” is a more appropriate description for the set that once and for all pulled the performer from the shadow of ex-husband Ike Turner. As inspiring as its backstory of female empowerment is, the collection’s huge success (it was certified 5x Platinum in the US alone) was all about the music. The album shows Turner embracing slicker production without sacrificing any of her passion as a singer, and it includes such Top 40 hits as “Better Be Good To Me”, “Let’s Stay Together”, the title track and “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, which topped the Billboard singles chart in 1984. A year later those songs earned four Grammy Awards, and Private Dancer has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of the 1980s.

Molly Tuttle – but I’d rather be with you [Reissue/2020] LP (Compass)

Pink color vinyl pressing. In March 2020, Nashville-based artist Molly Tuttle experienced the devastating tornado that tore through much of East Nashville, followed by the global pandemic. Tuttle, who grew up in California and has toured as a solo artist for years, suddenly found herself – along with the rest of the musician community – sheltering at home. She found solace in revisiting favorite songs to “remind myself why I love music.” She conceptualized an idea for a record with renowned L.A. producer Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers, Andrew Bird) to be recorded over 2,000 miles apart. Tuttle taught herself how to use Pro Tools, recorded and engineered all of her parts alone at home before sending them to Berg in Los Angeles, who enlisted legendary session musicians to add instrumentation in their respective home studios. The result is 10 tracks that cross the musical spectrum and the decades, from FKA Twigs to Cat Stevens, from Rancid to Karen Dalton.

McCoy Tyner – Time For Tyner [Reissue/1969] LP (Blue Note)

On his third Blue Note album, pianist McCoy Tyner assembled a quartet with Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Herbie Lewis (bass), and Freddie Waits (drums) for an album rich in ethereal textures that deliver visceral performances of three expansive Tyner originals and three radically reinvented standards. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series featuring all-analog remastering and luxe packaging.

Unruly Child – Unruly Child [Reissue/1992] 2xLP (Real Gone Music)

Red color vinyl pressing. Not only did the 1992 debut from L.A. band Unruly Child never come out on vinyl here in the U.S., but when it was originally issued on LP in Europe, the powers-that-were decided to stuff this approximately 54-minute record on to a single platter. This edition – released as originally intended, showcases the band’s unique brand of melodic metal spearheaded by vocalist Marcie (formerly Mark) Free, who first gained fame singing with Carmine Appice in King Kobra.

Veldt – Entropy Is The Mainline To God LP (Little Cloud)

Performing since they were children, the Chavis brothers’ musical roots lead back to the church and southern juke-joints, and listening to music that included gospel, Motown, and Pink Floyd. The Veldt formed in the late ‘80s in Raleigh amongst the legendary North Carolina music scene of the time, initially signing with Mammoth Records – leading to a chain of major-label relationships (and major-label failures) that took the group across Europe and the US playing shows with the likes of Throwing Muses, Pixies, Cocteau Twins, and Jesus & Mary Chain. The band returned with the The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur – The Drake Equation EP, and have been steadily releasing singles and EP’s since. With a headlining tour beginning in August, and the release of the new full-length Entropy Is The Mainline To God, Veldt is demonstrating that they have no intention of slowing down. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Vulture Feather – Liminal Fields LP (Felte)

Bone white color vinyl. Vulture Feather is a post/pre/future punk band formed from the mountains of northern California featuring members of the Baltimore band Wilderness. These songs are amorphous vessels encapsulating the dream-like, liminal fields that all of us as beings are passing through from one moment to the next. The spaces in between the events that seem to be arising incessantly from the powerful projector that is our mind. Beyond the reaches of time, neither remaining nor departing.

Tom Waits – Closing Time (50^th Anniversary Edition) 2xLP (ANTI-)

Eleri Ward – A Perfect Little Death LP (Ghostlight)

Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Eleri Ward is a New York City-based actor, singer, and musician. In early 2021, she recorded, produced, and released her first full-length indie-folk Sondheim album to much critical acclaim. Now Eleri is back with her second album of indie-folk Sondheim covers, Keep A Tender Distance. The album “captures in her performances is the vast, unquenchable longing at the heart of the master’s work” (The New York Times).

Juan Wauters – Wandering Rebel LP (Captured Tracks)

Blue color vinyl pressing. There’s freedom to be found in consistency. Until recently, Juan Wauters may not have agreed with this statement. As a touring musician and multinational citizen, transience had always come naturally to him. Circumstance, however, recently prompted him to reconsider the benefits of staying in one place. His most introspective work to date, Wauters’ sixth solo album Wandering Rebel finds the artist taking stock of how he’s changed, how the world sees him, and what he wants out of life. Written mostly during an extended break from touring, the songs on Wandering Rebel are candid reflections on subjects like career (“Wandering Rebel”), romantic commitment (“Amor Amor”), mental health (“Nube Negra”) and the personal toll of touring (“Let Loose”).

Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – Wicca Phase Springs Eternal LP (Run For Cover)

Clear w/ black splatter color vinyl. Wicca Phase Springs Eternal has been the moniker and creative persona of Pennsylvania-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Adam McIlwee for over a decade. The name is as enigmatic as McIlwee’s work, a fittingly esoteric umbrella for his ever-growing and ever-evolving catalog of music that’s been released at a stunning quality and pace. So, it’s with great intention that the name is now also the title of McIlwee’s latest full-length: Wicca Phase Springs Eternal offers the musician’s most finely honed and welcoming songs to date, but it’s more than just a self-titled album-it’s a portal, an entryway into an entire world.

Link Wray – Sings And Plays Guitar [Reissue/1964] LP (Sundazed)

Pink color vinyl pressing. Unquestionably one of the most iconic rock guitarists of all time, Link Wray rumbled out of the gates with a string of instrumental hits starting in the late ’50s. This album presents another side of Link with nary an instrumental in sight, this time pairing his blistering fretwork with vocal tunes perfectly suited for the teen hops that Link and company tirelessly played for years.

Cassettes:

Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream… (WB)

Beach Fossils – Bunny (Bayonet)

Björk – Fossora (One Little Independent)

Fossora is Björk’s tenth album – originally released last year and is now available on cassette. The album was partially inspired by the 2018 death of Björk’s mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir, particularly the songs “Sorrowful Soil” and “Ancestress”. The album features contributions from American singer Serpentwithfeet, Björk’s two children Sindri and Ísadóra, Indonesian dance duo Gabber Modus Operandi, and a bass clarinet sextet.

Bully – Lucky For You (Sub Pop)

De La Soul – Stakes Is High [Reissue/1996] (Chrysalis)

Foo Fighters – But Here We Are (RCA)

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