AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
The Dust Coda – Loco Paradise CD/LP (Earache)
London-based trailblazers The Dust Coda release their latest album Loco Paradise; a pleasurable, tempestuous rock ‘n’ roll journey. Recorded during the hazy summer heat of 2022, Loco Paradise saw the band take residence together at the divinely picturesque Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, with producer Charlie Russell (Kasabian, Jamiroquai, Wargasm) at the helm. “This album really captures the band at the top of its game. We locked ourselves away in the studio together for a week to live and breathe the creation of Loco Paradise. Just six people constantly feeding off each other 24 hours a day for 7 days to give life to these songs and elevate them to a place beyond our expectations. The result is a 54-minute testimony of pure, organic rock ‘n’ roll music.”
Gus Dapperton – Henge CD/LP (WB)
Alt-pop icon Gus Dapperton’s vast and ambitious new album Henge builds a new world – tugging the listeners between night and day, socializing and solitude. The Warwick, NY native constructed the album with the concept of entering an underworld as the sun goes down and trying to get home before dawn – or risk being stuck in a time loop. Sonically the album delivers a contemporary eclectic sprawl, at times landing between ‘80s new-wave and ‘70s funk. Collaborators include Cruel Santino, Ocean Vuong, and BENEE – who Dapperton reunites with musically following their double-platinum viral hit “Supalonely”. Dapperton’s music maintains the intimacy that made his previous offerings so resonant – including the singles “Horizons”, “Wet Cement”, and “Don’t Let Me Down”. [An indie store exclusive autographed CD version and an indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing are available.]
Gabriels – Angels & Queens CD/LP (Atlantic)
Los Angeles soul trio Gabriels presents the full-length release of their debut album, Angels & Queens. The 13-track record, released via Atlas Artists/Parlophone Records, was produced by Grammy winning fellow Compton local, Sounwave. Angels & Queens Part I was released in September 2022, picking up widespread acclaim across the globe. Its release was governed by the band’s desire to push through the release of new recordings and deliver the record in two distinct chapters. The second chapter, Angels & Queens, incorporates a brand-new recording of the band’s seminal debut single, “Love and Hate In A Different Time”, and songs that have already become staples of the band’s live set including “Offering”, “Glory”, and “Great Wind”. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Grouplove – I Want It All Right Now CD/LP (Glassnote)
Los Angeles’ Grouplove blends a quirky, ’90s-style indie rock sensibility with a spirited, arena-ready roar. It’s a sound they debuted on 2011’s Never Trust A Happy Song, which spawned the number one Billboard Alternative Songs Chart hit “Tongue Tied”. They have continued to straddle mainstream and indie success, playing festivals around the globe and remaining Top 20 Billboard Alternative chart regulars with albums like 2013’s Spreading Rumours and 2020’s Healer. In March 2021, Grouplove returned with their surprise fifth album, This Is This. New album I Want It All Right Now was produced by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton [Two vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive pink w/ white and limited-edition pink.]
PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying CD/LP (Partisan)
PJ Harvey’s tenth studio album I Inside The Old Year Dying marks her first release in seven years, following her 2016 UK No. 1 The Hope Six Demolition Project. On this album, which was recorded with long-time creative collaborators John Parish and Flood, PJ Harvey builds a sonic universe somehow located in a space between life’s opposites, and between recent history and the ancient past. Scattered with biblical imagery and references to Shakespeare, all these distinctions ultimately dissolve into something profoundly uplifting and redemptive.
Hot Tuna – 3xCD Collection (Mercury Studios)
Upon achieving massive success as founding members of the Jefferson Airplane, longtime friends Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady would soon look for other ways to expand their love of traditional blues and rock, evolving into the inventive and successful Hot Tuna. One of the first jam bands of its kind, the duo has continued either acoustically or as full-tilt rockers for over five decades now, and their importance is measured by their amazing run of chart albums and concerts going back to the late sixties. 3xCD Collection features reissues of three live albums: Live At Sweetwater 1, Live At Sweetwater 2, and Live In Japan. The package features the CDs in mini jackets, housed in a slipcase with a poster of the cover art.
Local Natives – Time Will Wait For No One CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Living in L.A.: There are a lot of people looking for that one trick that will help the new them emerge fully realized, successful and happy. It’s a worthwhile, but doomed, pursuit and the best we can hope for is to be present in a moment. Local Natives’ fifth studio album, Time Will Wait For No One, comes at a moment of personal metamorphosis. Former selves melting away, some becoming fathers, some enduring periods of isolation, loss, and identity crisis. Time Will Wait For No One is a mantra of reassurance in response to relentless changes. It was recorded across famed Los Angeles recording studios with producer John Congelton. [An indie store exclusive yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Miles Miller – Solid Gold CD/LP (Thirty Tigers)
If you’re a fan of the country, Americana, and bluegrass world, it’s without a doubt you’ve already heard Miles Miller from his unwavering groove and feel, to his seamless high lonesome harmonies. Recording and touring globally with artists like Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and Town Mountain, he made a name for himself as “the” drummer for the country/Americana surge of the last decade. While drumming and singing put him on the map, playing guitar is Miles’ first love. The pandemic provided time to bring years of song ideas to life. Honing in his songwriting while slowly crafting his voice and vision, it became evident that the time had come to step away from the drum kit and create a career of his own namesake.
The Stranglers – 4xCD Collection (Mercury Studios)
The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene. This 4xCD package features reissues of four of their late ’90s albums: About Time, Written In Red, Friday The Thirteenth Live At The Royal Albert Hall, and Coup de Grace. The set features the CDs in mini jackets, housed in a slipcase.
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
No additional social media titles this week.
CDs + Vinyl:
1476 – In Exile CD/2xCD/2xLP (Prophecy)
For all those who like their music outside of genre confines and who always wanted Dante as their personal guide to the infernal depths, In Exile offers radiant paths to take into exciting worlds beyond our reality. [The double-CD hardback book edition features a bonus CD Dead Souls.]
African Head Charge – A Trip To Bolgatanga CD/LP+MP3 (On-U Sound)
New release from the psychedelic dub ensemble. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is available.]
Anohni & The Johnsons – My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross CD/LP+MP3 (Secretly Canadian)
Anohni’s sixth studio album shape-shifts through its subject matter: the loss of loved ones, inequality, alienation, privilege, denial, ecocide and the tidal power of Earth, isolation, Future Feminism, and the intention that we might yet transform our ways of thinking, our religious ideas, our societal structures, and our relationships with the rest of nature. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Caterina Barbieri – Ecstatic Computation [Reissue/2019] CD/LP (Light-Years)
Caterina Barbieri – Myuthafoo CD/LP (Light-Years)
Three years after the original release date of Caterina Barbieri’s career-defining album Ecstatic Computation, the Italian artist reissues the record on her newly found own label Light-Years. The reissue features a beautifully reworked version of the original cover art and a previously unreleased song on the CD. Caterina Barbieri is an Italian composer who explores themes related to machine intelligence and object-oriented perception in sound through a focus on minimalism. (Myuthafoo is Barbieri’s new album.]
Birds Of Bellwoods – Everything You Want CD/LP (MNRK Music)
Birds of Bellwoods’ long-awaited sophomore album, Everything You Want, is a triumph of harmony-drenched alt-rock anthems and deft lyrical empathy. The raucous yet radio-ready sophomore collection is a fearless ode to self-acceptance. Produced by multi-Grammy winner Dave Schiffman (Vampire Weekend, Haim, PUP), the album captures the effervescence of the band’s famously riotous live shows. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Blick Bassy – Mádibá CD/LP (Infiné)
Following the successes of Akö (2015) and 1958 (2019), singer and composer Blick Bassy is back with a fifth album, again sung in the Baasa language of Cameroon. Madíbá brings together twelve songs in the form of fables, dedicated to the theme of water, in which his high and angelic voice dominates, carried by delicate guitar, synthesizer melodies, and sober brass arrangements. The cuts are diaphanous and nevertheless, modernist songs, which testify to a contemporary and poetic Africanity at the crossroads of soul, folk, and electro.
Bloodbound – Tales From The North 2xCD/LP (AFM)
Tenth studio album of the Swedish power metal band. [A limited-edition smoke color vinyl pressing is available. The CD version features a bonus disc of extra tracks.]
Cindy Bradley – Promise CD (Trippin & Rhythm)
After five records with the label and nine #1 Billboard singles, trumpeter Cindy Bradley still has no peers. Still to this date the only female smooth jazz trumpet player with the arena all to herself. With Promise – Bradley’s sixth project for smooth jazz powerhouse Trippin N Rhythm Records -Cindy sequestered with mega producer Greg Manning for a change of pace and has delivered an engaging top to bottom collaboration that showcases the many sides and facets of this talented lady.
Apollo Brown / Philmore Green – Cost Of Living LP (Mello Music)
Westside of Chicago rap tales – Cost Of Living is a boom-bap album full of authenticity. Two colorways are available: green and indie store exclusive red.
Jackson Browne – Late For The Sky [Reissue/1974] CD/LP (Inside Recordings)
Jackson Browne – Running On Empty [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Inside Recordings)
Newly remastered. Jackson Browne’s third album Late For The Sky touches on themes of love, loss, and life itself. It includes the beautiful title track, “Fountains Of Sorrow”, “For A Dancer”, and “Before The Deluge”. Browne was joined by David Lindley and his stellar group, along with guests Dan Fogelberg, Don Henley, and J.D Souther. Running On Empty is comprised of ten live performances recorded in 1977 between August 17 and September 18 by Browne and his band. They recorded these songs in natural settings, such as a Holiday Inn hotel room, a backstage rehearsal space, on a tour bus, and on stage.
Julie Byrne – The Greater Wings CD/LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
The first album in over six years from American songwriter Julie Byrne is a testament to patience and determination, the willingness to transform through the desolation of loss, the vitality of renewal, and the courage to rise, forever changed. For nearly a decade, Byrne has moved through the world as a characteristically private artist largely outside the public eye. A self-taught musician that has committed her life to her work, she now emerges from a deeply trying and generative period with the most powerful, lustrous, and life-affirming music of her career, The Greater Wings. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jim Camacho – Beachfront Defeat CD/LP (Think Like A Key)
Expanded reissue of Jim Camacho’s remarkable 2009 album Beachfront Defeat. An album which exemplifies Jim’s unique ability to fuse pop elements with profound emotions, serving as a testament to his unwavering creativity and talent. Boasting compelling performances and dynamic delivery, Beachfront Defeat features memorable tracks such as “Is It Me”, “Long Ago”, and “Colors”. Accompanied by a distinguished ensemble of musicians and an abundance of bonus tracks, this reissue offers you the opportunity to delve into the extraordinary journey of an artist whose capabilities know no limits.
Cherise – Calling CD/LP (Cherise Adams-Burnet)
Cherise, the soul sensation, is a soul girl at heart with a bold Brit attitude, and she’s ready to make her mark with her debut album Calling. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Claustum – Claustrum CD/LP (Avantgarde Music)
Claustrum is an old school death metal trio born someplace between Trieste and Gorizia, in north-eastern Italy.
Cranes – John Peel Sessions (1989-1990) CD/LP (Dadaphonic)
Formed in mid-1980’s Portsmouth by the brother & sister duo of Jim Shaw (drummer, keyboardist, guitarist, and programmer) & Alison Shaw (vocalist, guitarist, and bassist), Cranes first appeared in 1986 with Fuse, a self-released and now highly sought-after cassette of demos. Their debut album Self-Non-Self followed in 1989, catching the attention of legendary DJ John Peel, who invited them to record two sessions for his show in 1989 & 1990, the second seeing Mark Francombe (guitarist, keyboardist, bassist) & Matt Cope (guitarist) join ranks to form the line-up who would go on to record multiple albums for Dedicated including the much-loved album, Forever.
Gus Dapperton – Henge CD/LP (WB)
Alt-pop icon Gus Dapperton’s vast and ambitious new album Henge builds a new world – tugging the listeners between night and day, socializing and solitude. The Warwick, NY native constructed the album with the concept of entering an underworld as the sun goes down and trying to get home before dawn – or risk being stuck in a time loop. Sonically the album delivers a contemporary eclectic sprawl, at times landing between ‘80s new-wave and ‘70s funk. Collaborators include Cruel Santino, Ocean Vuong, and BENEE – who Dapperton reunites with musically following their double-platinum viral hit “Supalonely”. Dapperton’s music maintains the intimacy that made his previous offerings so resonant – including the singles “Horizons”, “Wet Cement”, and “Don’t Let Me Down”. [An indie store exclusive autographed CD version and an indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing are available.]
Degreed – Public Address CD (Frontiers)
Swedish hard rockers seventh studio album Public Address sees the band delivering on the promise of earlier efforts, perfectly melding a modern rock sound with their love of classic hard rock.
The Dust Coda – Loco Paradise CD/LP (Earache)
London-based trailblazers The Dust Coda release their latest album Loco Paradise; a pleasurable, tempestuous rock ‘n’ roll journey. Recorded during the hazy summer heat of 2022, Loco Paradise saw the band take residence together at the divinely picturesque Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire, with producer Charlie Russell (Kasabian, Jamiroquai, Wargasm) at the helm. “This album really captures the band at the top of its game. We locked ourselves away in the studio together for a week to live and breathe the creation of Loco Paradise. Just six people constantly feeding off each other 24 hours a day for 7 days to give life to these songs and elevate them to a place beyond our expectations. The result is a 54-minute testimony of pure, organic rock ‘n’ roll music.”
Eternity – Mundicide CD/LP Soulseller)
Eternity is the fire burning in the blackest night, a gateway to enlightenment through blacklight illumination: timeless true Norwegian black metal. [A limited-edition translucent green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Fates Warning – Disconnected [Reissue/2000] CD/2xLP (Metal Blade)
Fates Warning – Disconnected [Reissue/2004] CD/2xLP (Metal Blade)
CD and color vinyl reissues of the progressive metal band’s ninth and tenth albums.
Fen – Monuments To Absence CD/2xCD/2xLP (Prophecy)
For the first time in their career, the East Anglian post-black metal trio has used the color red on the cover artwork of their seventh full-length Monuments To Absence. Fn describe the album as an expression of anger, hopelessness, and despair – anger at the desperate futility of a human species hell-bent on self-destruction. [A limited-edition double-CD version in a hardback book and a limited-edition red w/ black splatter vinyl colorway are available.]
Dominic Fike – Sunburn CD (Columbia)
Sunburn is Dominic Fike’s highly anticipated sophomore full-length album, and the follow up to 2020’s What Could Possibly Go Wrong. This 14-track collection finds the artist going back to Naples, Florida, as he sets out to explore his childhood, family history & the meaning of home. The album has production credits for Dominic Fike, as well as Jim-E Stack and Kid Harpoon.
Gabriels – Angels & Queens CD/LP (Atlantic)
Los Angeles soul trio Gabriels presents the full-length release of their debut album, Angels & Queens. The 13-track record, released via Atlas Artists/Parlophone Records, was produced by Grammy winning fellow Compton local, Sounwave. Angels & Queens Part I was released in September 2022, picking up widespread acclaim across the globe. Its release was governed by the band’s desire to push through the release of new recordings and deliver the record in two distinct chapters. The second chapter, Angels & Queens, incorporates a brand-new recording of the band’s seminal debut single, “Love and Hate In A Different Time”, and songs that have already become staples of the band’s live set including “Offering”, “Glory”, and “Great Wind”. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Rory Gallagher – All Around Man: Live In London 2xCD/3xLP (UMe)
All Around Man: Live In London is a 23-track live album of unreleased material taken from a previously undocumented period of one of the greatest guitarists of all-time. This exhilarating album is pulled from two nights at the Town & Country Club (now The O2 Forum) in London in December 1990. All Around Man: Live In London was recorded from the shows that supported Gallagher’s eleventh, and sadly, last studio album Fresh Evidence that was released in May 1990. This album features captivating live versions of tracks from that album as well as songs from the 1987’s Defender album plus other career favorites.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Beverly Glenn-Copeland [Reissue/1971] CD/LP (Transgressive)
Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Primal Prayer [Reissue/2004] CD/LP (Transgressive)
Beverly Glenn-Copeland is a singer and songwriter who was born in Philadelphia but has spent most of his life and career in Canada. He is a trans man. Glenn-Copeland started his career as a folk singer incorporating jazz, classical, and blues elements. Beverly Glenn-Copeland was released in 1971. After decades of intermittent releases, Glenn-Copeland returned in 2004 under the pseudonym ‘Phynix’; Primal Prayer is a wildly creative fusion of jazz, world, dance, and classical influences.
Grouplove – I Want It All Right Now CD/LP (Glassnote)
Los Angeles’ Grouplove blend a quirky, ’90s-style indie rock sensibility with a spirited, arena-ready roar. It’s a sound they debuted on 2011’s Never Trust A Happy Song, which spawned the number one Billboard Alternative Songs Chart hit “Tongue Tied”. They have continued to straddle mainstream and indie success, playing festivals around the globe and remaining Top 20 Billboard Alternative chart regulars with albums like 2013’s Spreading Rumours and 2020’s Healer. In March 2021, Grouplove returned with their surprise fifth album, This Is This. New album I Want It All Right Now was produced by Grammy-winning producer John Congleton [Two vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive pink w/ white and limited-edition pink.]
Guardian Singles – Feed Me To The Doves CD/LP (Trouble In Mind)
Now available on CD. Auckland, New Zealand post-punk group Guardian Singles return with the follow-up to 2021’s debut with Feed Me To The Doves, a ten-track socio-political burner addressing our collective spiritual chaos that pulls influence from across the history of punk and permeates it into something decidedly Aotearoan and uniquely their own in ways that are both personal and universal. [A limited-edition ‘whirlpool blue’ color vinyl pressing is available.]
PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying CD/LP (Partisan)
PJ Harvey’s tenth studio album I Inside The Old Year Dying marks her first release in seven years, following her 2016 UK No. 1 The Hope Six Demolition Project. On this album, which was recorded with long-time creative collaborators John Parish and Flood, PJ Harvey builds a sonic universe somehow located in a space between life’s opposites, and between recent history and the ancient past. Scattered with biblical imagery and references to Shakespeare, all of these distinctions ultimately dissolve into something profoundly uplifting and redemptive.
Hot Tuna – 3xCD Collection (Mercury Studios)
Upon achieving massive success as founding members of the Jefferson Airplane, longtime friends Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady would soon look for other ways to expand their love of traditional blues and rock, evolving into the inventive and successful Hot Tuna. One of the first jam bands of its kind, the duo has continued either acoustically or as full-tilt rockers for over five decades now, and their importance is measured by their amazing run of chart albums and concerts going back to the late sixties. 3xCD Collection features reissues of three live albums: Live At Sweetwater 1, Live At Sweetwater 2, and Live In Japan. The package features the CDs in mini jackets, housed in a slipcase with a poster of the cover art.
Janet Jackson – janet. [Reissue/1993] 2xCD (Virgin)
Commemorating the 30th anniversary of Janet Jackson’s seminal, Grammy Award-winning fifth studio album, this set features the original album, plus seven bonus tracks. Released in 1993, it was her third consecutive #1 album on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide. It features six Top 10 singles, including the #1 hits “That’s The Way Love Goes” and “Again”.
Mari Kalkun – Stories Of Stonia CD/LP (Real World)
With a voice that seems to speak to us from the heart of the Estonian forest, Mari Kalkun’s music is at once of a place and deeply personal. Rooted in ancient Estonian and Võru traditions, but beautifully fresh and contemporary, Stories Of Stonia reaches back to very old layers of tradition to imagine what Mari’s ancestors would have thought and sung about the world in an era of skyscraper, steel and metal. Throughout the album’s nine songs, Mari explores humanity’s controversial relationship with nature with powerfully emotive musical backdrops. One of Northern Europe’s most important folk singers Mari has created a mysterious and magical album.
Kikimora – For A Broken Dime CD (Frontiers)
Kikimora was founded in 2011 by guitarist Nikolo Kotzev (who also founded Brazen Abbot) with the vision to meld a contemporary sound and approach with classic rock influences. Recruiting a stellar cast of players has resulted in a band that delivers modern, heavy, and melodic rock performed with a high level of musicianship who has built up a significant following in their home country of Bulgaria through their frequent live shows. This is their second English language album release.
Laith – Lightning CD/LP (Fluff & Gravy)
On his debut album, Lightning, Laith carries you across state lines from L.A. to Arizona, Colorado to Espanola, Houston to New Orleans, Utah on to the Pacific northwest, tracing the path back to his childhood home on the Texas Bayou. He burns along the asphalt until there’s none left. And that’s when Laith takes us beyond, on phantom track lines through the abstract geography of his mind. He flows seamlessly between railway signs and lost trains of thought, like a true American surrealist.
Lifeguard – Crowd Can Talk / Dressed In Trenches CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
A composite of two EPs by Lifeguard. Crowd Can Talk was originally released in the summer of 2022 by Chicago label Born Yesterday, while Dressed In Trenches features five brand new and unreleased songs. Crowd Can Talk / Dressed in Trenches is also available on vinyl for the first time (A and B-sides of a 12″). Crowd Can Talk and Dressed In Trenches are closely related. They were recorded in separate sessions, but at the same studio (Electrical Audio) and with the same engineer (Mike Lust) and within the space of 12 months. Each finds the band refining its voice – honing songs that are succinct, hooky, and propulsive. There’s a newly disciplined attention to detail. Lifeguard write together through collaboration and improvisation, but they’ve learned to streamline their sound, to make each hook, beat, and gesture purposeful.
Little Dragon – Slugs Of Love CD/LP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Little Dragon, the much-loved Grammy-nominated Swedish band, return with Slugs Of Love. Recorded in the musical oasis of their Gothenburg Studio – the same studio they have worked in for almost 20 years – on Slugs Of Love they bring their distinctive blend of soulful pop, electronics and R&B – all underpinned by lead singer Yukimi Nagano’s instantly recognizable vocals – to the fore across 11 tracks that encapsulate the full range of their diverse individual musical influences. [Two vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive orange w/ black & blue and limited-edition blue.]
Lil Wayne – I Am Music CD (Young Money)
Lil Wayne’s first-ever compilation I Am Music includes his new single “Kant Nobody (feat. DMX)”, produced by Swizz Beatz. Also included on the career-spanning album are Tha Carter IV standout “6 Foot 7 Foot (feat. Cory Gunz)”, the diamond-certified “Lollipop (feat. Static Major)”, “Mona Lisa (feat. Kendrick Lamar)”, “Drop The World (feat. Eminem)”, “A Milli”, “Fire Man”, “Go DJ”, and more.
Local Natives – Time Will Wait For No One CD/LP (Loma Vista)
Living in L.A.: There are a lot of people looking for that one trick that will help the new them emerge fully realized, successful and happy. It’s a worthwhile, but doomed, pursuit and the best we can hope for is to be present in a moment. Local Natives’ fifth studio album, Time Will Wait For No One, comes at a moment of personal metamorphosis. Former selves melting away, some becoming fathers, some enduring periods of isolation, loss, and identity crisis. Time Will Wait For No One is a mantra of reassurance in response to relentless changes. It was recorded across famed Los Angeles recording studios with producer John Congelton. [An indie store exclusive yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mama Terra – The Summoned CD/LP (Acid Jazz)
The Summoned is a conceptual journey through life and the universe. This incredibly ambitious and exciting debut album closes with “Like Tears In Rain”, inspired by some dialogue from the movie Blade Runner: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Beginning with “Ruptura”, born out of turning a negative experience into a positive one, the album travels through “Sunday”, a spiritual song inspired by the ‘big bang’ and mourning those whom Marco has lost on this sacred day of rest.
Mesarthim – Arrival CD/2xLP (Avantgarde Music)
Shrouded in mystery, anonymous cosmonauts Mesarthim return with new album Arrival. Extreme metal, ethereal ambience, electronica, and cinematic bombast on a galactic scale.
Miles Miller – Solid Gold CD/LP (Thirty Tigers)
If you’re a fan of the country, Americana, and bluegrass world, it’s without a doubt you’ve already heard Miles Miller from his unwavering groove and feel, to his seamless high lonesome harmonies. Recording and touring globally with artists like Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and Town Mountain, he made a name for himself as “the” drummer for the country/Americana surge of the last decade. While drumming and singing put him on the map, playing guitar is Miles’ first love. The pandemic provided time to bring years of song ideas to life. Honing in his songwriting while slowly crafting his voice and vision, it became evident that the time had come to step away from the drum kit and create a career of his own namesake.
Mokoomba – Tusona: Tracings In The Sand CD/LP (Out Here)
Five years after the release of Luyando, Zimbabwe’s most celebrated music export returns with their long-awaited follow-up album Tusona: Tracings In The Sand. The six musicians from Victoria Falls are refining their unique sound: infectious Afro grooves deeply connected to Zimbabwe’s cultural DNA. Tusona is their most danceable album to date, a DIY production recorded in Zimbabwe. It features horns by Ghanaian highlife outfit Santrofi.
The Monochrome Set – Radio Sessions: Marc Riley BBC6 Music 2011-2022 2xCD/2xLP (Tapete)
32 BBC recordings by one of the most demonstrably intelligent, dark, witty British guitar pop bands. The unique thing about radio sessions is that they encompass a mixture of concert and studio. Bands are freer than in studio recordings and at the same time more focused than in live performances – gems from the bands repertoire which might not have been played live are often preserved only in the radio sessions. Radio Sessions contains all The Monochrome Set’s BBC 6 sessions recorded for and hosted by the great Marc Riley from the years 2011-2022.
Art Pepper – So In Love [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (Omnivore)
Originally reissued as part of the Promise Kept: The Complete Artist House Recordings boxed set, now available separately. So In Love (originally issued in 1980) features Pepper’s takes on classics from Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter, and Hoagy Carmichael, plus a pair of originals including “Blues For Blanche.” The CD and Digital add three bonus performances from the sessions. The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow noted: “Pepper is in excellent form throughout the album, giving these songs heart-wrenching interpretations”.
Plane To Catch – Moko Jumbie CD/LP (April)
Exploring the rich exchange between West African musical traditions and Western funk and soul, this is music meant for dancing, transporting the listener to dance floors both real and imagined. Featuring warm, raw production, Moko Jumbie creates a real sense of energy and intimacy, as if the listener is in a dark club with an electric jam band.
Puscifer – Money $hot Your Re-Load [Reissue/2016] CD (BMG)
Money Shot Your Re-Load is a remix album originally released in 2016. It contains alternate versions, remixes, and reworks of the 11 songs from Puscifer’s third studio album, Money Shot. The album also features previous contributors, such as Carina Round, and new remixers, such as Tool bassist Justin Chancellor and The Crystal Method member Scott Kirkland, as remixers.
The Raven Age – Blood Omen CD/LP (Sony)
The Raven Age has established themselves as one of the finest in modern British metal, thanks to two brilliant albums, 2017’s Darkness Will Rise and 2019’s Conspiracy. The band has toured heavily across the globe with the likes of Killswitch Engage, Anthrax and Tremonti. The new album Blood Omen pushes everything further: the choruses are made for arenas, the riffs are taut, direct, and free of fat. It all makes for a grand musical stage on which the record’s concept plays out.
Sadness – April Sunset CD/2xLP (April Sunset)
New album from the US one-man depressive post-black metal/blackgaze band.
Sad Park – No More Sound CD/LP (Pure Noise)
New album from the emo punk band. Recorded across ten days at Balboa Studios in Los Angeles, No More Sound is, in fact, the sound of a band really coming into their own. It was, says vocalist Graham Steele, the most fun he’s ever had recording an album, and you can hear that in these 13 songs. [An indie store exclusive blue w/ green & white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Saint Karloff – Paleolithic War Crimes CD/LP (Majestic Mountain)
New album by heavy riffers Saint Karloff. [A limited-edition multi-color vinyl pressing is available.]
Snorlax – Snorlax CD/LP (Avantgarde Music)
New album from the one-man Australian death metal unit.
The Stranglers – 4xCD Collection (Mercury Studios)
The Stranglers are an English rock band who emerged via the punk rock scene. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 19 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene. This 4xCD package features reissues of four of their late ’90s albums: About Time, Written In Red, Friday The Thirteenth Live At The Royal Albert Hall, and Coup de Grace. The set features the CDs in mini jackets, housed in a slipcase.
Nita Strauss – The Call Of The Void CD/2xLP (Sumerian)
New album from the L.A. native. The Call Of The Void is a combination of melodic sounds and hard-hitting riffs that Strauss has become known for, proving time and time again that she has solidified her presence as one of rock’s greatest.
Stray Kids – 5-STAR [DIGIPACK VER.] CD (Jyp Ent./Republic)
After a groundbreaking year with two consecutive Billboard 200 #1 albums, Stray Kids is back with a brand-new release, 5-STAR. 5-STAR is now available in a DIGIPACK VER., which features eight different versions for each member of Stray Kids.
Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) 2xCD/2xCassette/3xLP (Republic)
The (Taylor’s Version) of Taylor Swift’s 2010 album Speak Now is now available. The album includes 22 songs, six of which are previously unreleased songs from her vault. [A limited-edition purple marble color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ten56. – Downer CD/2xLP (Out Of Line)
Culminating their abrasive sounds into one big release that might easily end up in many AOTY-lists, Ten56.’s music is the perfect representation of brute aggression, dystopian views, and an overall crushing sound. [A limited-edition double (marble white w/ marble black) colorway is available.]
Vampyroteuthis Infernalis – Vampyroteuthis Infernalis CD/LP (Avantgarde Music)
Creepy, oppressive black metal built on a muffled, suffocating sound.
Various Artists – The Endless Coloured Ways: The Songs Of Nick Drake 2xCD/2xLP/2xLP+7” (Chrysalis)
The Endless Coloured Ways is a collection of songs by legendary singer/ songwriter, Nick Drake, performed and recorded by over 30 incredible artists from a range of different backgrounds, genres, age groups and audiences. From Fontaines D.C. to Guy Garvey, Aurora to Feist, and Self-Esteem to David Gray, each artist has offered their own incredible take on a timeless classic. [A limited-edition gray color vinyl pressing with bonus 7” is available.]
Various Artists – Steel Bars: A Rock Tribute To Michael Bolton CD (Frontiers)
Compilation of covers paying tribute to famed singer Michael Bolton. Specifically, this tribute album focuses on Bolton’s earlier career, when he was known as a rock singer and features appearances by members of The Big Deal, About Us, Stormwarning, Girish And The Chronicles, Find Me, FM, and more.
Warlord – Hunt For Damien CD/LP (High Roller)
CD and vinyl reissue of the 2015 (and latest) album from the US heavy metal band. [An evergreen color vinyl pressing is available.]
Wham! – The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven CD/2xLP/12×7”+Cassette (Sony Legacy)
Celebrating 40 years of one of the biggest and best-loved pop acts of all time, this is what the fans have been waiting for – Wham! The Singles: Echoes From The Edge Of Heaven. The compilation is available on single-disc CD (16 tracks), double-LP (20 tracks) and as a deluxe 12×7” vinyl box set featuring carrying case, a hardback book, a solid metal key ring, a badge, postcards, a numbered certificate and a bonus cassette including additional tracks.
Winterage – Nekyia CD (Scarlet)
From high-pitched notes to dramatic operatic vocals, from folk instruments to the mighty orchestral sound, from furious blast-beats to extremely fast guitar riffs and solos, Nekyia is the first chapter of a passionate and grandiose tale.
Withering Scorn – Prophets Of Demise CD (Frontiers)
New group featuring guitarist Glen Drover (ex-Megadeth, King Diamond), drummer Shawn Drover (Act Of Defiance, ex-Megadeth), bassist Joe DiBiase (ex-Fates Warning), and vocalist Henning Basse (Metalium). “The four of us have been musicians most of our lives and are honed in as to what we wanted to do musically, and that is to create a 100% uncompromising heavy metal record.”
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Acid King – Acid King [Reissue/1994] LP (Riding Easy)
When Acid King pressed up their self-titled debut EP on a tape and started handing them out at shows with business cards, it wasn’t an aesthetic choice. It was 1993. And while the world was still reeling in the aftermath of grunge breaking big on rock radio, this dirty-as-hell trio founded by guitarist/vocalist Lori S. was digging into even heavier vibes. Born out of Lori’s shiftless days of wasted youth hanging around Chicago-area public parks, Acid King laughingly adopted the name from the book Say You Love Satan and its subject Ricky Kasso, a local drug dealer who killed a friend over angel dust, thereby becoming the stuff of Satanic Panic local news broadcasts all over the country.
Tony Allen / Adrian Younge – JID018 LP (Jazz Is Dead)
With each subsequent release, Jazz Is Dead continues to exalt the legacies of iconic musicians who have shaped the fabric of Jazz across generations, genres, and continents. For their latest installment, the label connected with the late great Tony Allen, best known for his foundational work as the drummer for Fela Kuti’s Africa 70, and later Egypt 80. Over the course of Allen’s recording career, he defined the Afrobeat sound, meshing funk, and jazz influences with Nigerian highlife to create a cross-cultural dialogue that has gone global. [An indie store exclusive brown color vinyl pressing is available.]
Chet Atkins – The Country Gentleman – Pick Of The Best: 1948 – 1961 LP (Acrobat)
Chet Atkins was one of the most innovative and influential personalities in country music in the post-war decades, both as a highly skilled and distinctive finger-picking guitarist, and as a record producer and session musician, helping to shape the Nashville sound which helped broaden the popularity of country music in the late ’50s. This collection focuses on his work as a recording artist, covering a period over more than a decade during which he progressed from being a journeyman country musician to one of the most respected and imitated guitarists in all popular music, not just country, with major rock artists later citing him as a key influence.
The Attack – Strange House LP (Guerssen)
London psychedelic rock. All tracks recorded in 1968, except B5 recorded in 1969 and featuring Richard Shirman backed by various members of The Attack.
Joshua Bassett – Sad Songs In A Hotel Room 12” (WB)
Second EP from American singer-songwriter-actor, Joshua Bassett.
Been Stellar – Been Stellar 12” (So Young)
Color vinyl pressing. Been Stellar is what you get when you leave the youth alone in a metropolis; they grow up. They make noise. Their songs are formed and lived somewhere on Broadway, on Hester, on 34th, in Union Square, on the bridge, in the gutter, and under your shoe. The trivial street scenes lipsticked by well-loved decades are fully recognized in Been Stellar’s hail of guitar tones and insistent lyrical earnestness. Crackly, bright and distorted – stories of violence, love, and a new, un-glamorous, New York City.
Ben Quad – I’m Scared That’s All There Is LP+7” (Wax Bodega)
Multicolor vinyl pressing. Oklahoma emo band Ben Quad release their debut album, I’m Scared That’s All There Is. The band takes cues from the knotty riffage of ’90s emo, the spit-shined hooks of early 2000s pop punk, and the quirkier vibes and fresh perspective of fourth and fifth wave emo.
Bettie Serveert – Palomine [Reissue/1993] LP+7”+MP3 (Matador)
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Bettie Serveert’s debut, Matador Records has released a limited transparent orange LP+7″ of Palomine. Heralded in its original four-star review by Rolling Stone as “untamed and free as pop gets,” the ’90s classic will sees first pressing by Matador since the album’s original release in 1993. The LP package is accompanied digitally by the release of four previously unavailable era-appropriate tracks on streaming (three of which can be found on the accompanying “Brain-Tag” 7″) and newly remastered versions of the “Kid’s All Right”, “Palomine”, and “Tomboy” music videos on YouTube. Palomine is featured as the first installment of Matador’s Revisionist History catalog series in 2023.
Body Count – Manslaughter [Reissue/2014] LP (Sumerian)
Two colorways are available: red and indie store exclusive black w/ yellow. Vinyl reissue of Body Count’s fifth studio album, Manslaughter. Fronted by Ice-T, the legendary rapper, producer and actor delivers the band’s signature blend of rap-fueled metal with rage-driven lyrics that can’t be ignored.
Bruise – The Skyline LP (Foundation Music)
A deeply authentic record, it weaves cinematic influences and touchstones of dance music’s rich history to stunning effect, the result overflowing with new ideas and fresh takes that can be enjoyed equally inside or out of the club.
Caamp – Lavender Days [Reissue/2022] LP (Mom + Pop Music)
Caamp – By & By LP (Mom + Pop Music)
By & By is the new album from the latest Midwest folk rock sensation, Caamp. The band formed when childhood friends Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall bonded over a shared love for Ohio and music. By & By includes key tracks “Penny Heads Up”, “No Sleep”, “By and By” and “Peach Fuzz”. (Their 2022 album Lavender Days is also available this week on color vinyl.]
Sonny Clark – Sonny Clark Trio [Reissue/1958] LP (Blue Note)
The supremely swinging pianist Sonny Clark hit the Blue Note scene in 1957 with a burst of creativity recording three albums in three months including the sublime Sonny Clark Trio, a six-song set of bebop themes and standards featuring bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet series.
The Coasters – What About Us: Best Of 1955-61 LP (Acrobat)
The Coasters were one of the key vocal groups of the ’50s and early ’60s who successfully bridged the gap between the doowop and R&B eras of the early ’50s through to the rock ‘n’ roll explosion and beyond, with a run of hits that extended into the 1960s.
Comet Gain – The Misfit Jukebox 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.
Converge – Jane Live 2xLP (Deathwish Inc.)
Multicolor vinyl pressing. Jane Live is the classic Jane Doe album performed and recorded live in its entirety at Roadburn Festival in The Netherlands. The set was mixed by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou at God City Studio and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege.
Gal Costa – India [Reissue/1973] LP (Mr Bongo)
Gal Gosta is one of the all-time greats. An inspirational, iconic figurehead in Brazilian music, her outstanding career ran from 1967 up until 2022 (the year she died). Making her mark initially as one of the principal figures in the Tropicália movement of the ‘60s, she remained a trailblazing beacon that lit the way for decades to come. India is a post-Tropicália masterpiece that was originally released in 1973 on the Philips record label. It features a stellar line-up of musicians including Gilberto Gil, Arthur Verocai, Dominguinhos, Rogério Duprat and Tenorio Jr. among others.
Cradle Of Filth – Damnation And A Day [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Century Media)
Damnation And A Day (subtitled From Genesis to Nemesis…) is the fifth studio album by English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth. [Two limited-edition colorways are available: indie store exclusive gray; and yellow.]
Sienna Dahlen & Bill Coon – Balladextrous LP (Cellar Live)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Se balader”: a French verb meaning to stroll, wander or roam. In other words, a slow and easy movement through time. Musically speaking, this is what Sienna Dahlen and Bill Coon set out to experience in early January of 2020 under a misty evening sky in Vancouver, BC. There was really no end goal, only the moment to honor, as living in a jazz ballad means remaining open and vulnerable while navigating silence and shaping time.
Jackson Dean – Greenbroke LP (Big Machine)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 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.
The Del-Vikings – Come Go With… (The Hits Collection & More) LP (Acrobat)
The Del-Vikings were the first successful integrated doo-wop vocal group who’s hugely promising career was blighted by contractual and personnel issues. Despite this they had major landmark R&B and pop hits like “Come Go With Me”, “Whispering Bells” and “Cool Shake” along the way.
Deimos Dawn – Anthem Of The Lost LP (MDD)
Fresh German thrash metal.
Danny Elfman – Big Mess – Deluxe Box Set 4xLP+MP3 (ANTI-)
This stunning collector’s edition of Danny Elfman’s 2021 album Big Mess contains four LPs on exclusive color variants, along with unreleased remixes and vocal features. Each record is held in its own unique jacket featuring a 3D lenticular print on the cover and is accompanied by a 60-page, hardcover art book featuring never before seen renderings of Sarah Sitkin’s uniquely unsettling digital sculptures of Elfman. The package also includes a beautiful life-sized light up model of Danny’s peculiar hand, a 20-page stitched soft cover lyric booklet, and a 12″ x 9″ art print signed by Danny himself. A code which provides an exclusive link to a behind the scenes documentary on the making of Big Mess, and downloadable digital audio files, also included. Everything is housed in a high quality two-piece box with liquid embossed cover and spot gloss embossing on the cover and sides.
Elias Hulk – Unchained [Reissue/1970] LP (Guerssen)
Newly remastered edition of the classic 1970 album by the UK progressive/hard rock band. Adopting a hard-edged progressive rock approach (akin to acts of the era such as High Tide and May Blitz), Elias Hulk began performing on the UK underground live circuit and came to the attention of producer Miki Dallon who signed the band to his small independent Youngblood label in the Autumn of 1970. Issued at the end of November the same year, Unchained was greeted with acclaim by the press, but failed to sell in any significant quantities.
Bill Evans – Waltz For Debby [Reissue/1962] LP (Craft Recordings)
Waltz For Debby, the fourth and final album by one of the most influential groups in jazz history, the Bill Evans Trio, was originally released in 1962 as a companion to Sunday At The Village Vanguard.
Fen & De Arma – Towards The Shores Of The End LP (Nordvis)
Limited edition gold color vinyl reissue of Fen & De Arma’s 2011 split album Towards The Shores Of The End. The album showcases a variety of atmospheric and melody-driven black metal with elements of post-rock and hypnotic waves of synthesizers. A must-have for fans of Forgotten Woods, Armagedda, Lönndom, and 90s Katatonia. [CD version due July 21.]
Fit Of Body – Far From The Rhythm LP (2MR)
Ryan Parks aka Fit Of Body is a true multi-hyphenate as a mix-media artist, solo song auteur, and CEO of the critically robust cassette tape label, Harsh Riddims. He reunites with label 2MR to deliver a celebration of the halfway point between the after-party and the house. Between last night and the morning after. The late-night phone call asking a friend, “Are you here? I just pulled up,” as he says on “In Spirit Of”. On the title song, “Far From The Rhythm”, he says “I’m over it” almost in playful contrast to the lighthearted neo-new romantics-esque backing track. This declaration is only made sense by the “it’s all good in the end” outro chant which plays into the track’s triumphant feel. Far From The Rhythm, as a whole, mines the reflective chasm that hopefully befalls one as they approach peak adulthood (the first of many peaks probably).
Andre Gibson – Apart: Demos (1980 – 1984) LP (Numero)
Recorded in various basements and professional studios around Chicago between 1980 and 1984, the Apart Demos documents 12 intimate and stripped-down sketches, demos and unreleased tracks by Andre Gibson and the Universal Togetherness Band as they pivoted to solo careers. From heartfelt tributes to lovers adorned by a silky Fender Rhodes to disco party-starters about spiritual gratitude, Andre Gibson universally lets us into his heart and brings it all together in the end. [A limited-edition white colorway is available.]
Ill Biskits – Chronical Of Two Losers [Reissue/1995] LP (Real Gone Music)
Clear vinyl pressing. Ill Biskits was a one-and-done, German-born, Virginia-based hip-hop duo composed of Deeda and Kleph Dollaz (R.I.P.) whose undeniable abilities on the mic and introspective, deep rhymes were mixed into hypnotic beats courtesy of D.I.T.C. producer superstars Buckwild and Lord Finesse.
The Invisible Teardrops – Spell Caster LP (Arkam)
When you think of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, you get hit over the head with great soul music. This crew is from there, but this is not that kinda music. This is rock steady garage/punk under the soft glow of Halloween lights, the eerie Vox organ drawing you into the mystic world of The Invisible Teardrops… think of the Sir Douglas Quintet, Burning Spear, the Real Kids, soft vinyl crooners from forgotten doo-wop worlds stirred up in a rock and roll blender designed to make up the spider web fabric of this garage sound.
Jadu Heart – Derealised LP (VLF)
Jadu Heart is Diva-Sachy Jeffrey and Alex Headford, from London and Huddersfield respectively. Following in the footsteps of cult boy/girl bands before them such as Pixies, My Bloody Valentine and Belle and Sebastian, they have grown outside of the music industry slowly building their own world and crafting their own unique perspective. Having moved from electronic shoegaze to psych-rock to grungy lo-fi across their two EPs and two albums it’s hard to guess where they will go next sonically but their army of cult-like followers have learned to trust them.
Etta James – A Poonful Of Peaches 1955-62 LP (Acrobat)
Etta James’ approach to both singing and life was one akin to riot and rebellion that included violence, drug addiction, armed robbery, and highly impulsive behavior. She sang with unrivalled emotion and a pain that can leave the stoniest listener in emotional turmoil. The ferocity of her voice reflected her traumatic life… a neglected child, a teen drug addict, a woman constantly entering bad relationships and an artist raging against an industry and a society that had routinely discriminated against her. Over a career spanning more than half a century Etta ‘Peaches’ James has become a true blues icon. Widely acknowledged as one of the most important and influential female blues and R&B singers of the post-war era, she has been cited by critics, peers, younger artists whom she influenced, industry insiders and consumer aficionados, as one of most versatile and expressive blues singers. Effortlessly bridging the divides between pure blues, rhythm and blues, rock n’ roll, sophisticated pop and jazz with an intensity and passion rarely matched.
Peter Jeffries – Closed Circuit [Reissue/2001] LP (Grapefruit)
Peter Jefferies, a living legend of New Zealand underground music, from his seminal bands Nocturnal Projections and This Kind Of Punishment, to his collaborative efforts in bands such as Plagal Grind and Two Foot Flame, is perhaps best known for his solo work on masterpieces such as The Last Great Challenge In A Dull World (1990) and Electricity (1994), as well as Elevator Madness (1996). All these albums came out on vinyl but one of the best was the singular Closed Circuit (2001) which, unfortunately, only came out on compact disc and was somewhat lost to time until now.
The Krewmen – The Adventures Of The Krewmen [Reissue/1986] LP (Radiation Reissues)
British rockabilly combo The Krewmen had several distinct phases during the 1980s; beginning in 1982 as a rockabilly trio, they moved in a blues direction for their first 45s and after temporarily disbanding, reformed as a psychobilly quartet for this sought-after debut LP. Songs like “Night Of The Living Dead”, “Wild Dogs Of Zorberon” and “Hell Train” have a delicious B-movie aesthetic and “Don’t Give A Toss” and “Guy Fawkes” are keen Brit takes on the form. A must-have for Cramps and Meteors fans, and all psychobilly devotees.
David Kushner – Footprints I Found LP (Virgin)
Limited silver metallic with brown/yellow splatter color vinyl pressing. Footprints I Found is a collection of stories written and performed by David Kushner. The seven-song EP deals with topics on loss, love, mental health, hope and new beginnings. Amidst viral success of single “Daylight”, the vinyl release brings you deeper into Kushner’s world in the lead up to his upcoming album.
Christina La Veneno – Veneno Pa Tu Piel 12” (Dark Entries)
Cristina Ortiz fled her home in Almeria at age 13. While working as a sex worker in the Parque del Oeste in Madrid, she was discovered by the TV program Este Noche Cruzamos el Mississippi. Her acerbic wit and candid descriptions of life as a sex worker (including graphic use of the microphone as a visual aid) struck program host and director Pepe Navarro, who recognized a star when he saw one. As a regular on the show, La Veneno (The Poison) became a TV sensation and an icon for the trans community. Her music career began in 1996 with the release of “Veneno Pa Tu Piel”, a sassy but mournful Eurobeat number about forbidden love with her johns. The flipside features “El Rap de la Veneno”, a house track over which Veneno improvises some of her famous catchphrases, including her iconic “Digoooo!”.
Lebanon Hanover – Sci Fi Sky 2xLP (Fabrika)
Spanning an epic journey across ten tracks that wander through industrial landscapes, and ascend beyond the atmospheric aether, Sci-Fi Sky is Lebanon Hanover’s most cohesive artistic statement to date. With their icy hearts on their sleeves, this is the culmination of a decade’s worth of musical creativity radiating from the minds of both Iceglass and Maybelline, and altogether an otherworldly beacon of hope in a time of sheer darkness.
Love Battery – Confusion Au Go Go [Reissue/1998] LP (Bang)
Confusion Au Go Go is the final studio album by the Seattle rock band Love Battery. It was originally released in 1998 on C/Z Records (Seattle) and only on CD format. Now it is finally released on vinyl and it has been remastered by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden…) in order to get the purest sound. Love Battery were one of the most original bands to come out of the Seattle “grunge” scene, and one of a kind when it comes to alternative rock bands. AllMusic wrote: “The addition of Dan Peters (Mudhoney) on drums definitely tightens the screws, and the reinvigorated rhythm section provides the perfect foundation for guitarist Kevin Whitworth’s inspired flights of fancy, including, as on Dayglo, some of the best slide guitar work in alternative rock.” Martin C. Strong called Confusion Au Go Go “certainly a notable album,” writing that “the band seemed to be in full swing and willing to push their boundaries.”
Machine – Wave Cannon LP (Majestic Mountain)
The seventh album by your favorite Dutch noise makers.
Harry Marte – Extra Brut 2xLP (Crosscut)
Austrian singer/songwriter Harry Marte recorded his vinyl album Extra Brut with an acoustic trio line-up. All songs were performed live in the studio and recorded with absolutely no overdubs. Great poetry meets musical purity.
Donny McCaslin – I Want More LP (Edition)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. I Want More by Donny McCaslin is a groundbreaking and visionary album that challenges traditional boundaries and sets new standards in the world of jazz.
Mimikoto Project – Spirals LP (Pinyonbay)
A unique fusion of acoustic and electronic genres of historic and contemporary club music.
Nicki Minaj – Queen Radio: Volume 1 3xLP (Republic
Queen Radio: Volume 1 features Nicki Minaj’s biggest hits to date, all on one album, including her latest Billboard Hot 100 #1 “Super Freaky Girl”.
Hank Mobley – A Caddy For Daddy [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley had been recording for Blue Note for a decade when he made his excellent 1965 album A Caddy For Daddy featuring a first-class sextet with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, McCoy Tyner on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series.
Montoya – El Nido LP (ZZK)
Third album by Italy-based Colombian producer Montoya; five instrumental tracks and six collaborations with Latin American artists, including Colombians Nidia Góngora on “Soñé”, Montañera on “Sierra”, and Pedrina on “Nubecita”. It also features Mexican artist Pahua on “Flor del Mar”, the Peruvian Lara Nuh on “El Faro” and the Franco-Venezuelan La Chica on “Palosanto”. Starting from the name itself (“The Nest”), an evocation of home, El Nido is also a Filipino municipality on the island of Palawan, a place that turned out to be Montoya’s last live experience before the pandemic.
Mystic Prophecy – Vengeance [Reissue/2001] LP (Roar! Rock Of Angels)
Mystic Prophecy – Regressus [Reissue/2003] LP (Roar! Rock Of Angels)
Mystic Prophecy – Never Ending [Reissue/2004] LP (Roar! Rock Of Angels)
Vinyl reissues (including limited-edition translucent orange and gold colorways of Never Ending) of the first three albums by the German power metal band.
Nico – Chelsea Girl LP (Endless Happiness)
Chelsea Girl is the debut solo album and second studio album by German singer Nico. It was released in October 1967 by Verve Records and was recorded following Nico’s collaboration with the Velvet Underground on their 1967 debut studio album. It was produced by Tom Wilson, who added string and flute arrangements against the wishes of Nico. The title is a reference to Andy Warhol’s 1966 film Chelsea Girls, in which Nico starred. Much of the album features instrumental work and songwriting credits from Velvet Underground members Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, and John Cale. The song “I’ll Keep It with Mine” was written by Bob Dylan, while three songs are by Jackson Browne, who contributes guitar.
Oculto – Penumbra LP (Things From Beyond)
Oozing with sludgy basslines and tribal drum beats, Mexico City’s Oculto drag you into the dark, doomy abyss with Penumbra. Heavy with occult themes, this fuzzy, psychedelic trip is a down tempo, cryptic narrative of existential dread and celebration of the macabre.
Odonis Odonis – Icon 12” (Felte)
Red color vinyl pressing. Odonis Odonis have proven time and time again that they’re not interested in doing the same thing twice. Since their beginnings, the Toronto outfit led by core duo Constantin Tzenos and Denholm Whale, have put out five full-length albums, and played countless shows and festivals across North America and Europe, all while following their musical instincts. In the past eleven years, they’ve thrillingly explored genres including post-punk, EBM, industrial, shoegaze, pop, and surf rock.
Orang-Utan – Orang-Utan [1971] LP (Guerssen)
An often considered psychedelic, acid/heavy/hard rock group from London, England, Orang-Utan’s only album was originally released in the US exclusively.
Overkill – I Hear Black [Reissue/1994] LP (BMG)
Overkill – W.F.O. [Reissue/1994] LP (BMG)
Vinyl reissues of the sixth and seventh albums by the American thrash metal band.
Owsley – Owsley [Reissue/1997] LP (Real Gone Music)
Tan color vinyl reissue. You probably heard Alabama-born multi-instrumentalist Will Owsley before you heard of him; he was a mainstay in the bands of Amy Grant and Shania Twain during the mid- ’90s. He then pulled a Tom Scholz of Boston-style maneuver and recorded his own album, which he shopped to the major labels as a take-it-or-leave-it deal. The Giant label bit, as well they should have; Owsley is one of the better power pop albums of the ’90s and certainly one of the best power pop debuts ever to come down the pike (that this self-recorded album got a Grammy nom for best engineered album is further testimony as to Owsley’s many talents). You’ll hear a little Cars, a little Todd Rundgren, and a healthy helping of Owsley’s former bandmate Ben Folds, but the crunch of Owsley’s guitars makes sure the “power” gets as much play as the “pop.”
Carl Perkins – Dixie Fried: 1955-62 LP (Acrobat)
It would be easy to dismiss Carl Perkins as a one-hit wonder who only merits a footnote in the annals of popular music, but his contribution to the development and popularization of rock ‘n’ roll and his influence on artists who themselves shaped the future of pop is indisputable. He is, of course, best-known for his landmark 1956 hit “Blue Suede Shoes”, which rapidly became a ubiquitous staple of the repertoire of every rock ‘n’ roll band around the globe, passing into the universal language of rock ‘n’ roll and, in the UK at least, is guaranteed to be heard at pub gigs in every town around the country on a Friday night. This 17-track LP gives the listener a great overview of Carl Perkins’ career featuring the best singles and album tracks from his 1955 debut on Sam Phillips’ Flip label, through his time with the Sun and Columbia labels.
Pink Spider – Freakazoid LP (Pure Noise)
2023 release, the fifth album from the Nashville-based rockers. Pink Spider’s first record in five years overflows with mesmerizing hooks and dance-floor ready anthems. [An indie store exclusive black w/ pink color vinyl pressing is avaliable.]
Plainride – Plainride LP (Ripple Music)
Plainride is back with their third full-length; groovy, rocking, funky and bluesy.
Pony Poindexter – New Orleans Fire: Live 1969 LP (HGBS Blue)
In Munich, Pony Poindexter met two young Czech musicians who had a stopover there after the end of the Prague Spring before starting their successful jazz careers in the US: Jan Hammer and Jiri (George) Mraz. Together with them, as well as the German drummer Michael Dennert (1935-2016), the US saxophonist recorded this live record in 1969, on which the four musicians move in expressive playing mood in the footsteps of their musical ancestors from New Orleans. Hammer and Mraz already show their extraordinary brilliance and maturity.
Pool-Pah – The Flasher LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited black w/ white ‘night sky’ color vinyl pressing. 1973: the sexual revolution was on, streaking was taking college campuses by storm, and Deep Throat was edging pornography ever closer to the mainstream. Against this backdrop, a talented New York band with the unlikely moniker of Pool-Pah teamed up with up-and-coming singer-songwriter, musician, and arranger Rupert Holmes to write and record an unforgettably far-out soundtrack (renamed The Flasher) blending rock, psychedelia, jazz, prog, pop, and electronica.
Bernard Purdie – Soul To Jazz 3xLP (Act)
When Bernard Purdie is not helping some big star the likes of Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway, and B.B. King to create a fantastic studio sound, the drummer pursues his own projects such as Soul To Jazz, two albums he recorded in 1996 and 1997. Released on CD back then (and now out-of-print), the two recordings have a cult factor today and sound as fresh as they did back then. Now both albums are released together for the first time as a 3xLP Set. These recordings are peppered with lots of prominent star guests from jazz and soul, from Eddie Harris, Michael Brecker and Nils Landgren to Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine, and Cornell Dupree.
Pyramaze – Bloodlines LP (AFM)
Multicolor orange w/ blue color vinyl pressing of the new album by the Danish power metal band.
Chuck Ragan – The Flame In The Flood [Reissue/2016] LP (Robotic Empire)
On vinyl for the first time since 2016, Robotic Empire is pleased to bring this spectacular album back into print. The Flame In The Flood is described by its makers as “a journey through the backwaters of post-societal America.” The album is a collaboration between Chuck Ragan (guitarist and vocalist of Hot Water Music) and independent game studio, The Molasses Flood, from Cambridge MA, with their first video game The Flame In The Flood.
The Residents – Not Available 7” (Cryptic Corporation)
In 1978, as The Residents’ star ascended, Ralph Records excavated the group’s 1974 X Is For Xtra tapes and reprocessed them, eager for a new release to satisfy the growing market for product. Whether or not The Residents themselves were involved in this process remains the subject of debate (spoiler: they weren’t. Probably), but the end result, Not Available, was, and still is, a masterpiece. Along the way, Ralph produced a shortened, work-in-progress ‘demo’ of their efforts to present to The Residents (who ignored it). Previously unreleased, that 1978 version is heard here for the first time, just as it rolled off the tapes.
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Live From Joshua Tree LP (WB)
A live album and film shot and recorded in the sprawling desert plains of Joshua Tree, California. First released in March 2020, the release of the film was a turning point for the group, catapulting them to stardom as one of the most in-demand live acts in the world. Available on vinyl for the first time, listeners can experience this seminal moment in the band’s history and savor the music that emerged from this unforgettable performance. Comprised of members Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George, and James Hunt, RÜFÜS DU SOL occupy the intersection of entrancing indie music and intelligent electronica. [An indie store exclusive blue colorway is available.]
Saloli – Canyon LP (Kranky)
Portland pianist Mary Sutton second’s full-length for Kranky delves deeper into her roots as a Cherokee Nation citizen (Saloli, pronounced like “slowly,” is the Cherokee word for “squirrel”). The album is intended to evoke “a day in the life of a bear in a canyon in the Smoky Mountains,” with each track channeling a different emotion or experience in its daily explorations. As with her 2018 debut, The Deep End, the entirety of Canyon was composed and performed live on a Sequential Circuits MultiTrak synthesizer – but this time routed through a delay pedal. This refraction adds a lyrical spatial quality, as though “echoing off canyon walls.” It’s music both gentle and adventurous, curiously rooting through soils and streams, in a sustained state of discovery.
Satanico Pandemonium – Espectrofilia LP/Cassette (Things From Beyond)
Blue color vinyl pressing. Heavy, fuzzy, psychedelic doom from Mexico City. With resin-soaked riffs, acid strewn guitar solos, and prophetic lyrics exploring occult and apocalyptic themes, this sophomore LP from Mexico’s Satanico Pandemonium is a cryptic trip into the dark underground of the worldwide doom metal scene.
Screaming Females – Ugly [Reissue/2012] LP (Don Giovanni)
Screaming Females – Rose Mountain [Reissue/2015] LP (Don Giovanni)
Color vinyl reissues (white and red, respectively) of the New Jersey punk trio’s fifth and sixth albums.
Sementales Salvajes – Umbral III LP/Cassette (Things From Beyond)
A power-trio hailing from Durango, Mexico, Sementales Salvajes create instrumental, psychedelic, atmospheric doom metal dipped in desert rock. Produced during the pandemic, Umbral III is a rare combination of heavy riffs, acid-laced solos, and dynamic arrangements that will appeal to fans of all metal subgenres.
Skrillex – Don’t Get Too Close LP (Atlantic)
Don’t Get Too Close sees Skrillex stretching his multi-hyphenate prowess even further with an intricate and beautiful pop structured album offering up some of his most vulnerable and intimate work to date. After spending much time during the pandemic at Rick Rubin’s Shari-La Studios and traveling around Europe endlessly collaborating with some of the most forward thinking and avantgarde voices in music, Skrillex was inspired with this project and delivered something completely open, brave and organic that is unique not just for him but for the music landscape at large and can be felt from the title track where he sings alongside close collaborator Bibi Bourelly.
Structural – Decrowned LP (ViciSolom Productions)
Structural deliver an intense and mind-blowing fist of technical death metal, adding layers of fantastic melody on top. Soaring riffs, violent rhythm patterns and the unmistakable deep growl from Nadav Zaidman combined, is balm for the soul of any death-metal lover out there and the extreme quality of the product simply cannot be ignored.
Sun Ra – Saturn XIII 10” (Press Pop)
A limited-edition Sun Ra 10” EP cut at 45rpm. Four tracks, two unreleased. The live recording Of “Just Friends” was only issued on a rare 1982 Saturn album entitled Just Friends. Few copies were pressed that album track (released here) is almost unknown to Ra fans. This is the first reissue of this track in any format. The location and actual date of the recording are unknown. It sounds like a home rehearsal, and probably dates from the 1970s.
Terry Gender Bender – Catspeak 12” (Clouds Hill)
Terry Gender Bender – Outsiders 12” (Clouds Hill)
It is simply impossible to label Teri Gender Bender within a specific genre. This doesn’t come as a surprise looking at her musical accomplishments so far: Primarily known for her exceptional performances as frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist of Mexican garage punk band Le Butcherettes, she has also contributed vocals on numerous records for Omar Rodríguez-López, as well as collaborating with musical luminaries such as Melvins and Iggy Pop. As a solo artist, Teri has outgrown any kind of categorization, presenting herself gender-fluid, cheeky and colorful. She has moved far beyond common genre boundaries, inviting us to embrace and celebrate oneself’s weirdness and quirkiness.
Unicorn – Uphill All The Way [Reissue/1971] LP (Trading Places)
Getting their start in the mid-1960s as a covers band, the Surrey-based group that began as The Late and who would be forced to take the name Unicorn mid-way through the recording of this excellent debut LP soon understood that originals made better sense, pointed in that direction by the success of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Given greater depth by Gerry Rafferty’s producer, Hugh Murphy, Uphill All The Way makes for superb listening, the musical craftsmanship yielding intricate textures beneath Ken Baker’s dreamy lyrics, the intelligent folk rock complete with country and western underpinnings. A must for UK folk rock fans.
Unloved – Killing Eve’r – Ode To The Lovers LP (Heavenly)
Unloved’s music perfectly set the mood for the groundbreaking BBC show Killing Eve. Over the show’s four series, their tracks helped build the world which Villanelle and Eve moved through; their sound was distinctive enough as to almost become another character. Ode To The Lovers collects together all of the Unloved tracks featured on the soundtrack to Killing Eve series 1 – 4 that have never before been released on vinyl. This collection is mesmerizing and strange, full of timeless music that swoons and seduces. Whether you watched Killing Eve or not, this is a sound made for lovers, wherever they may be.
Vortex – Häxan 2xLP (Cyclic Law)
In 1922 Benjamin Christensen’s film Häxan was unleashed. In celebration of this 100th anniversary, German ritual formation Vortex has developed a brooding, percussive and complex musical work evoking hidden energies and abyssal spirituality.
Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt [Reissue/2013] LP (Don Giovanni)
Limited cerulean blue color vinyl pressing. On her second full-length record as Waxahatchee, former P.S. Eliot singer Katie Crutchfield’s compelling hyper-personal poetry is continuously crushing. Cerulean Salt follows American Weekend – a collection of minimal acoustic-guitar pop written and recorded in a week at her family’s Birmingham home. On this record, Crutchfield’s songs continue to be marked by her sharp, hooky songwriting; her striking voice and lyrics that simultaneously seem hyper-personal yet relentlessly relatable, teetering between endearingly nostalgic and depressingly dark. Whereas before the thematic focus of her songcraft was on break ups and passive-aggressive crushing, this record reflects on her family and Alabama upbringing. American Weekend was mostly just Crutchfield and her guitar, Cerulean Salt is occasionally amped up, with a full band and higher-fi production.
Will Haven – VII LP (Minus Head)
Seventh album from Sacramento noise metallers,
Wipper – Meddle With Metal LP (Arkham)
This is the type of metal born from denim and Marshall stacks, streetwise theater for streets filled with rats. Wipper has been playing and performing on the punk underground for 30 years, perfecting their sound without a trace of nu-metal. Here is an ode to Cliff Burton and early Maiden from the heart of the South.
Witch Cross – Axe To Grind [Reissue/2013] LP (High Roller)
Blue/ white mixed vinyl. Following in the footsteps of the one and only Mercyful Fate and along with some considerably more obscure acts such as Alien Force, Randy and Crystal Knight, Copenhagen’s own Witch Cross must rate as one of the best Danish heavy metal bands ever. Axe To Grind is the band’s sophomore album, released almost 30 years after their 1984 debut Fit For Fight.
Yot Club – off the grid LP (Many Hats Dist.)
Yot Club – Santolina 12” (Many Hats)
Limited color vinyl pressings of the 2022 debut album and latest EP from Yot Club, following the breakout viral hit “YKWIM?”. The first pressing of off the grid sold-out in three months, and this is the first time in retail. Yot Club has toured the US with Skeggs and Penelope Scott. New album out this fall on Amuse.
Yuksek – Dance’o’Drone 2xLP (BMG)
Imagine a Dance’o’drome: some dastardly mixture of a David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, perhaps, and a giant colorful tube-socked festival ala Electric Daisy Carnival. Whatever inspired French producer and DJ Yuksek to envision such a coinage, we’d like to know. This new full-length project from the artist contains 12 tracks of walloping sunset disco, colorful experiments house and funk, and guest appearances by Breakbot, Queen Rose, Polo & Pan and more. The album is described as “a tribute to the dancefloors of the world” and “a celebration of freedom and joy”.
Zombiekrig – Våld LP (GMR Music Group)
New album from the Swedish thrash metal band.
Cassettes:
Satanico Pandemonium – Espectrofilia (Things From Beyond)
Heavy, fuzzy, psychedelic doom from Mexico City. With resin-soaked riffs, acid strewn guitar solos, and prophetic lyrics exploring occult and apocalyptic themes, this sophomore LP from Mexico’s Satanico Pandemonium is a cryptic trip into the dark underground of the worldwide doom metal scene.
Sementales Salvajes – Umbral III (Things From Beyond)
A power-trio hailing from Durango, Mexico, Sementales Salvajes create instrumental, psychedelic, atmospheric doom metal dipped in desert rock. Produced during the pandemic, Umbral III is a rare combination of heavy riffs, acid-laced solos, and dynamic arrangements that will appeal to fans of all metal subgenres.
Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (Republic)
The (Taylor’s Version) of Taylor Swift’s 2010 album Speak Now is now available. The album includes 22 songs, six of which are previously unreleased songs from her vault.
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