New Releases for August 11, 2023

AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:

The Band Camino – The Dark CD/LP/Cassette (Elektra)

The Band Camino’s second studio album The Dark features 11 tracks including the singles “Told You So”, “What Am I Missing?”, and “Last Man In The World”, which were released earlier this year and emphasize the band’s infectious, unguarded and booming, guitar-driven pop sound that has resonated with audiences worldwide. The band tapped in key collaborators Andrew Goldstein, Jordan Schmidt, Seth Ennis, Geoff Warburton, Jake Torrey, and Alysa Vanderheym to create another powerhouse body of work. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]

Ryan Bingham – Watch Out For The Wolf CD/LP (The Bingham Recording Co.)

Ryan Bingham’s new EP Watch Out For The Wolf finds the Grammy award-winning artist crafting his most raw and intimate work to date. Written and recorded by Bingham in the wilderness of Montana, the haunting and evocative collection of songs seamlessly intertwine to capture a moment suspended in time, filtered through the stillness and echoes of the desolate surroundings in which they were created. Guided by his signature poetic lyricism and soulful delivery, Watch Out For The Wolf is the first project produced, performed, and mixed entirely by Bingham – carving a distinctive space in the singer-songwriter’s ever-evolving catalog. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim – Here Lies Love [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Nonesuch)

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s acclaimed 2010 album Here Lies Love receives its first-ever vinyl release to coincide with a new production opening on Broadway this summer. Here Lies Love is a double-disc song cycle – improbably poignant, decidedly surreal, surprisingly thought provoking – about the rise and fall of the Philippines’ notorious Imelda Marcos. It was conceived by David Byrne, composed by Byrne and DJ/recording artist Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B, and pop. Byrne’s taste in collaborators is as imaginative as it is impeccable, including Cyndi Lauper (who recounts, to lighthearted disco beats, Imelda’s courtship with Ferdinand Marcos), Steve Earle (as the power-hungry Ferdinand), Dap-Kings vocalist Sharon Jones (recalling Imelda’s introduction into New York society) and Natalie Merchant (as spurned Imelda confidante Estrella, anticipating the onset of martial law). Along with vocals turns from such stars as Tori Amos and the B-52’s Kate Pierson, Byrne works with rising indie rockers St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond; New York chanteuses Nellie McKay and Martha Wainwright; and dance-music divas Róisín Murphy and Santigold.

Cordovas – The Rose Of Aces CD/LP (ATO)

The story of Cordovas is one of rock ’n’ roll seekers, hammering away in search of not only their ideal freewheeling sound, but also for some greater truth about the human experience. The band has long cited influences like the Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, and The Band. And while Cordovas can certainly jam, they’ve also been known to tap into the more songwriting-oriented side of those forebears. From “Fallen Angels” onward, you can hear the band honing their craft across The Rose Of Aces.

The Flashcubes – Pop Masters CD (Big Stir)

For the past two years, The Flashcubes have been delighting global radio audiences and followers of their veteran power pop sound with a series of singles, all pursuing an ingenious gambit: covering the songs of their contemporaries while enlisting the original artists for prominent guest shots. Pop Masters collects all of these guest-star-studded singles covering the guitar pop classics of the past five decades, together with new tribute tracks (including the current single “Forget About You”). The album includes contributions from many of the original artists on these fresh versions of underground classics. Shoes, Pilot, The Spongetones, Pezband, Paley Brothers and more make the album a must for fans of power pop.

Liam Gallagher – Knebworth 22 CD/2xLP (WB)

Liam Gallagher documents his triumphant two-night Knebworth Park shows with the release of the double live album Knebworth 22. Returning to the scene of the era-defining Oasis gigs of the ‘90s, the huge audience stretched from fans who had been present some 26 years earlier right through to teenagers relishing the excitement of their first big gig. Knebworth 22 is a must-have live album for any fan who wants to relive the experience. [An indie store exclusive yellow vinyl colorway as well as a deluxe CD edition featuring a poster, two art prints, an invitation ticket, festival flag, cigarette box and wristband, is available.]

The Hives – The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons CD/LP (Disques Hives/Fuga)

Undisputed icons of rock ‘n’ roll The Hives are back, channeling the electrifying energy of the group’s greatest hits with their first new album in over 10 years. Their colossal new album, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, reignites the band’s lore in arresting fashion, exploring the disappearance of the band’s mysterious sixth member Randy Fitzsimmons. Having gone missing some time ago, the band are without their best man, and things are not well in the manor. Maybe, just maybe, the release of new music will get Randy’s attention and bring him back from the void. [Two indie store exclusive viny colorways are available: off-white opaque and violet.]

Public Image Ltd. – End Of World CD/2xLP (PiL Official)

Public Image Ltd. (PiL) release their 11th studio album, End of World. The band began writing and recording End Of World in 2018, during their 40th anniversary tour. After The Great Pause, the band regrouped in the studio and “there was just this massive explosion of ideas,” Lydon says. The result is 13 of some of the best tracks they have ever written. Celebrating their 40-year anniversary in 2018, the band is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time. With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop, and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album First Issue in 1978 through to 1992’s That What Is Not, before a 17-year hiatus. Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, touring extensively worldwide and releasing two critically acclaimed albums This Is PiL in 2012 followed by their 10th studio album What The World Needs Now… in 2015. [Two indie store exclusive vinyl colorways are available: white and red.]

Various Artists – Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)

Easy Eye Sound presents Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) – an anthology surveying the current state of the blues. Featuring exclusive recordings cut at Easy Eye Sounds’s Nashville studio, this snapshot of 21st century juke joint music captures a wide-ranging collection of voices compiled by the Billboard 2022 Blues Label of the Year and its founder Dan Auerbach. Drawing from across the blues landscape – from acoustic anthems to roiling rock ‘n’ roll – Tell Everybody! features masters like North Mississippi’s R.L. Boyce, Betonia’s Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and the Delta gospel sounds of Leo “Bud” Welch; alongside brilliant youngbloods like Detroit duo Moonrisers, Chicago’s Gabe Carter, and Korean American Kentucky native Nat Myers. Title track “Tell Everybody” highlights high-powered Louisiana singer-songwriter-guitarist Robert Finley backed by Hill Country blues legends Kenny Brown (guitar), Eric Deaton (bass) and Kinney Kimbrough (drums). [An indie store exclusive gray color vinyl pressing is available.]

PJ Western – Here I Go CD/LP (New West)

Hailing from Los Angeles with an arsenal of songs as varied as the American landscape itself, PJ Western creates music of contradictions. His tripped-out pop-rock psychedelia evokes a haze of ‘60s AM radio as heard emanating from someone else’s car window. Here I Go, Western’s debut album, recorded during the lockdown we all endured, was written in dreams. In visions. Wild but refined, classic but modern. The album is a lot like the man who wrote it: complex, celebratory, grateful. Recorded in L.A. with the help of some of the finest musicians the city has to offer, Here I Go offers a perspective of the city as heard through the ears of a precocious outsider – someone who may call the city home, but also can’t quite shake the suspicion he might not belong in the Hollywood Hills surrounding him. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]

Neil Young – Chrome Dreams CD/2xLP (Reprise)

Chrome Dreams is another of Neil Young’s legendary “lost” albums; finished albums that for various reasons Neil decided not to release at the time. The recent releases of Homegrown and Toast also fall into this category. Chrome Dreams features 12 songs recorded between 1974 and 1977. If the album was released in 1977 as originally planned, it would certainly be considered as one of the masterpieces in Neil’s long career. The album contains some of Neil’s most iconic songs: “Pocahontas”, “Like A Hurricane”, “Powderfinger”, Homegrown”, “Too Far Gone” and “Star of Bethlehem”. Most of the tracks were subsequently released on later Neil Young albums (e.g.: American Stars ‘N’ Bars, Hawks & Doves, Hitchiker, Archives Vol II), although Chrome Dreams includes unreleased versions of two much loved songs: “Sedan Delivery” and “Hold Back The Tears”.

Additional Social Media Program Titles:

D4VD – Petals To Thorns LP (IGA/UMG)

Translucent ‘black ice’ colorway. Petals To Thorns is an introduction and journey into D4VD’s identity as an artist that is unable to be boxed into a specific genre. Just one year after beginning to make music in his sister’s closet in Houston, D4VD has delivered a masterful nine-track project with familiar hits including “Romantic Homicide”, a grungy, guitar-driven breakup anthem, and “Here With Me”, a slow-building beachy ballad, plus new tracks showcasing his inimitable sound.

Destroy Lonely – If Looks Could Kill 3xLP (IGA/UMG)

Translucent purple colorway. Destroy Lonely’s highly anticipated debut album, If Looks Could Kill, features 27 songs floating over hazy electric guitar lines with blends of surrealistic melodies and stylish soundscapes. As a part of Destroy Lonely’s “Look Killa” alter ego, he embodied his character with a face mask that he creatively directed to align with the album’s story and specifically the vinyl packaging.

CDs + Vinyl:

The Band Camino – The Dark CD/LP/Cassette (Elektra)

The Band Camino’s second studio album The Dark features 11 tracks including the singles “Told You So”, “What Am I Missing?”, and “Last Man In The World”, which were released earlier this year and emphasize the band’s infectious, unguarded and booming, guitar-driven pop sound that has resonated with audiences worldwide. The band tapped in key collaborators Andrew Goldstein, Jordan Schmidt, Seth Ennis, Geoff Warburton, Jake Torrey, and Alysa Vanderheym to create another powerhouse body of work. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]

Caterina Barbieri – Myuthafoo CD/LP (Light-Years)

Italian composer Caterina Barbieri has spent the best part of a decade breaking apart the rigid structures of electronic music, using advanced, idiosyncratic techniques to build bridges between academic experimental, dance and pop landscapes. Her breakthrough moment came in 2017 with the Important Records-released Patterns Of Consciousness, a confident fusion of analogue synthesis and algorithmic compositional methodology that defined her unique voice. And when she followed it with Ecstatic Computation on the legendary Editions Mego label in 2019, wide acclaim ensued, with critics praising its potent fusion of minimalism and trance-inducing synth experimentation. Pitchfork has described her music as “a mind-altering journey” and “a dream machine for the ears.” [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]

Ryan Bingham – Watch Out For The Wolf CD/LP (The Bingham Recording Co.)

Ryan Bingham’s new EP Watch Out For The Wolf finds the Grammy award-winning artist crafting his most raw and intimate work to date. Written and recorded by Bingham in the wilderness of Montana, the haunting and evocative collection of songs seamlessly intertwine to capture a moment suspended in time, filtered through the stillness and echoes of the desolate surroundings in which they were created. Guided by his signature poetic lyricism and soulful delivery, Watch Out For The Wolf is the first project produced, performed, and mixed entirely by Bingham – carving a distinctive space in the singer-songwriter’s ever-evolving catalog. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]

Jonathan Blake – Passage CD (Blue Note)

Johnathan Blake’s new album Passage is a stirring follow-up to the acclaimed 2021 label debut Homeward Bound. The drummer and composer reconvened his band Pentad featuring alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist David Virelles, and bassist Dezron Douglas. Dedicated to Blake’s father and musical mentor, jazz violinist John Blake, Jr., Passage captures the arc of personal and collective evolution: the passing from one moment to the next, from one phase into another.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)

Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You is a tale old as time. It’s an album. Its songs and music are by and for people together. For listening together. Before it gets too late. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy stands at the nexus all the kinds of music he can summon, with friends, with family and community. All roads roll though him. There can be no holding back. A million billion moments are on the line. He’s gonna tell us about a world…

David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars: The Motion Picture Soundtrack (50^th Anniversary Edition) 2xCD/2xCD+Blu-ray/2xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)

David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust, his most famous alter-ego, in front of 5000 stunned fans at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Now, the fully restored film and soundtrack will be released for the first time for the 50th anniversary of the show. [A limited-edition gold vinyl colorway and a deluxe CD version featuring a copy of the film on Blu-ray is available.]

Caskets – Reflections CD/LP (SharpTone)

New album from the metalcore band.

Concrete Cold – The Strains Of Battle CD/LP (Supreme Chaos)

Sludge death metal with ex-members from Lay Down Rotten, Milking The Goat Machine, Carnal Ghoul, Demonbreed, Red Stone Chapel and The Great Cold. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]

The Connells – Ring [Reissue/1993] 2xCD/LP (Craft Recordings)

This deluxe double-CD edition of Ring celebrates the 30th anniversary of the breakthrough album by The Connells. The biggest hit from the chart-topping album was the single “’74-’75”, which reached the Top 10 in 11 European countries, peaking at No. 1 in Norway and Sweden. The set features the remastered version of the original album, plus B-sides and previously unreleased demos, and new liner notes and interviews with the band. [A stand-alone vinyl reissue is also available.]

Hollie Cook – Happy Hour In Dub CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)

A heavenly set of dub versions to pair with Hollie Cook’s critically acclaimed 2022 album Happy Hour. Her first full dub record since 2012, Happy Hour In Dub was coaxed into being by close listening of the original album’s modern lover’s rock.

Cordovas – The Rose Of Aces CD/LP (ATO)

The story of Cordovas is one of rock ’n’ roll seekers, hammering away in search of not only their ideal freewheeling sound, but also for some greater truth about the human experience. The band has long cited influences like the Allman Brothers Band, Grateful Dead, and The Band. And while Cordovas can certainly jam, they’ve also been known to tap into the more songwriting-oriented side of those forebears. From “Fallen Angels” onward, you can hear the band honing their craft across The Rose Of Aces.

Cyanide Pills – Soundtrack To The New Cold War CD/LP (Damaged Goods)

New album from the Leeds punk band.

Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship – Otakuslam♡Animecide CD (Gore House Productions)

Otakuslam♡Animecide marks the return of the undisputed anime-slam kings, Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship. A unique and groundbreaking blend of brutal death metal.

De La Soul – Art Official Intelligence : Mosaic Thump [Reissue/2000] CD/2xLP/Cassette (Chrysalis)

De La Soul – AOI : Bionix [Reissue/2001] CD/2xLP/Cassette (Chrysalis)

Multi-format reissues of the legendary conscious hip-hop group’s fifth and sixth albums.

Gibraltar Drakus – Hommage A Zanzibar [Reissue/1989] CD/LP/Cassette (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

No shortage of colorful characters emerged from Cameroon’s bikutsi scene in the 1980’s and early ‘90s. Gibraltar Drakus is one of the most enduring and enigmatic of the artists who helped transform bikutsi into a beautifully endless fabric of triplet rhythms that eventually reached ears around the world. Following the advent of Cameroon Radio Television in 1987, bikutsi began to supplant makossa and soukous for domination of the local airwaves and the attention of cosmopolitan, thrill-seeking residents of Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé and beyond. Biktusi perfectly fused Beti traditional music and increasingly electronic, highly rhythmic guitar-based bikutsi. Mimicking the sound of village-based xylophone music by rigging a mute to electric guitar strings, bikutsi artists provided a relentlessly energetic dance format for those with a taste for music steeped in their hometown sensibility (countering the popular makossa that many felt sounded less indigenous).

The Flashcubes – Pop Masters CD (Big Stir)

For the past two years, The Flashcubes have been delighting global radio audiences and followers of their veteran power pop sound with a series of singles, all pursuing an ingenious gambit: covering the songs of their contemporaries while enlisting the original artists for prominent guest shots. Pop Masters collects all of these guest-star-studded singles covering the guitar pop classics of the past five decades, together with new tribute tracks (including the current single “Forget About You”). The album includes contributions from many of the original artists on these fresh versions of underground classics. Shoes, Pilot, The Spongetones, Pezband, Paley Brothers and more make the album a must for fans of power pop.

Liam Gallagher – Knebworth 22 CD/2xLP (WB)

Liam Gallagher documents his triumphant two-night Knebworth Park shows with the release of the double live album Knebworth 22. Returning to the scene of the era-defining Oasis gigs of the ‘90s, the huge audience stretched from fans who had been present some 26 years earlier right through to teenagers relishing the excitement of their first big gig. Knebworth 22 is a must-have live album for any fan who wants to relive the experience. [An indie store exclusive yellow vinyl colorway as well as a deluxe CD edition featuring a poster, two art prints, an invitation ticket, festival flag, cigarette box and wristband, is available.]

Hail The Sun – Divine Inner Tension CD/LP (Equal Vision)

Helmed by notable producer Kris Crummett, Divine Inner Tension finds the veteran rock band questioning everything about what it means to be here and to be alive, on both a micro level – where the importance of our existence is profound and paramount – and on a macro one – where our time on this planet is nothing but irrelevant and insignificant. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Helios – Espera CD/LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)

The catalog of American composer Keith Kenniff spans over a dozen releases as Helios and nearly as many as Goldmund since 2004. Kenniff’s music deals with subtlety, and the variance between these projects loosely follows a few signifiers; Goldmund favors post-classical piano, Mint Julep, a project with his partner Hollie, is shoegaze pop, while the lines around his Helios project are intentionally hazier. Within the alias, Kenniff glides between minimal ambient electronics and more robust instrumentation, all run through his mini-cassette recorder for a distinct wobble. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is available.]

Hell in The Club – F.U.B.A.R. CD (Frontiers)

Hell In The Club is an Italian hard rock/heavy metal band featuring members of Elvenking and Secret Sphere.

The Hives – The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons CD/LP (Disques Hives/Fuga)

Undisputed icons of rock ‘n’ roll The Hives are back, channeling the electrifying energy of the group’s greatest hits with their first new album in over 10 years. Their colossal new album, The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, reignites the band’s lore in arresting fashion, exploring the disappearance of the band’s mysterious sixth member Randy Fitzsimmons. Having gone missing some time ago, the band are without their best man, and things are not well in the manor. Maybe, just maybe, the release of new music will get Randy’s attention and bring him back from the void. [Two indie store exclusive viny colorways are available: off-white opaque and violet.]

Jungle – Volcano CD/LP/Cassette (Thanks For Your Patience Limited)

Volcano follows Jungle’s previous album Loving In Stereo, which proved to be a landmark moment for the acclaimed UK duo. This time around, the duo wanted to include a wider variety of voices within the album. In addition to Erick The Architect, they reunited with Bas (who previously featured on the “Loving In Stereo” single “Romeo”) for “Pretty Little Thing”, as well as calling on talents in the shape of Roots Manuva, Channel Tres and JNR Williams. [A limited-edition clear w/ orange splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]

Karol G – Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) CD (Bichota/Interscope)

A collection of intimate songs, Karol G’s fourth studio album Mañana Será Bonito (Spanish for Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful) reveals the Latin Grammy Award winning artist beyond her stage name, giving her fans a glimpse of Carolina’s deepest, most vulnerable emotions as she overcame heartbreak. Topping the US Billboard 200 and US Top Latin Albums charts, the production further asserts the Colombian superstar’s versatility as she continues to collaborate with iconic artists like Shakira, Romeo Santos, Sean Paul, and more. Rolling Stone stated, “Karol’s voice is open and warm, blessed with a laid-back purity that is rare in the raucous urbano field. [Like] any global diva worth her salt, Karol engineers the fickle illusion that she’s addressing you, the listener, directly – whether evoking unfulfilled desire for a past lover or compiling a list of future erotic delights.” [A clear vinyl pressing is due September 22.]

Kataklysm – Goliath CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

For almost three decades, the US/French-Canadian based melodic death metal syndicate Kataklysm has delivered unapologetic waves of powerful sound across the entire globe. The new album, Goliath, staying true to its name, is an aggressive and mean affair. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]

Les Imprimés – Rêverie CD (Big Crown)

The first thing you notice listening to Les Imprimés is the high level of musicianship. Martens plays nearly every instrument on the recordings and handles the production and arranging. He has been making records for decades, winning a Spellemann Award (aka, the Norwegian Grammy) in 2006 for producing a hip-hop album as well as getting nominations across three other genres. While awards and accolades speak to the level of his talent, this new album really shows who he is as an artist on his own terms. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Mayhem – Life Eternal CD/LP (Season Of Mist)

While the songs would eventually appear on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Life Eternal reveals how Mayhem’s first full-length album became a foundational pillar for black metal. These five rough mixes were recorded with original guitarist Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth. Attila Csihar toils with different vocal takes, especially on “Pagan Fears”, which somehow sounds even more wicked than the final version. And while it was ultimately left on the cutting room floor, the pummeling drum flurry that opens this cut of “Funeral Fog” is vintage Hellhammer. Life Eternal is a wild artifact from the most insane black metal band of all time.

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. Tusana is their most danceable album to date, a DIY production recorded in Zimbabwe.

Neal Morse – The Dreamer – Joseph Part One CD/2xLP (Frontiers)

On the heels of the Jesus Christ The Exorcist rock opera, Neal Morse has created his latest prog epic, entitled The Dreamer – Joseph: Part One. The album tells the classic story of Joseph (the one with the coat of many colors) using the medium of progressive rock as only Neal can. The story unfolds with Morse employing amazing vocalists like Ted Leonard (Spock’s Beard, Pattern Seeking Animals), Matt Smith (Theocracy) and Jake Livgren (Proto-kaw, Kansas) to sing the roles of Joseph’s brothers, as they grow dark with jealousy and throw him in the pit.

The National Jazz Trio Of Scotland – Standards Vol. VI CD/LP (Karaoke Kalk)

A kind of hush pervades throughout Standards Vol. VI, the latest release by The National Jazz Trio of Scotland, the ironically named project helmed by Falkirk’s musical polymath, Bill Wells, that is neither a trio, nor a jazz band. If this collection of ten covers probably comes closest to the latter in its late-night renditions of actual standards, the presence of long-term NJToS member and collaborator Aby Vulliamy as the record’s lone vocalist adds to its solitary air.

NMIXX – A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream CD (JYP Entertainment/Republic)

NMIXX – A Midsummer NMIXX’s Dream (Digipack Ver.) CD (JYP Entertainment/Republic)

Known for their genre-bending tracks and all-round vocal and dance skills, K-poppers NMIXX is back with a new release.

P-Lo – Stunna CD (Everywhere Like Air)

Stunna is the fourth studio album from Bay Area Heavyweight and Certified Legend, P-Lo. Known for being one of the main pioneers of the modern West Coast hip-hop sound, P-Lo assembles an all-star cast to deliver not just an album, but a frequency – an energy: Larry June, Michael Sneed, Too $hort, Lucky, Kamaiyah, ALLBLACK, 22nd Jim, E-40, & LaRussell. [Multicolor orange & yellow vinyl pressing due August 25.]

Elvis Presley – Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite [Reissue/1973] CD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)

Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite was an Elvis Presley concert that took place in Honolulu and was broadcast live via satellite to audiences around the world in 1973. The resulting live album became a #1 album for Elvis, and the TV transmission became the television event of the year worldwide. The deluxe 3xCD+Blu-ray box set features a newly remixed version of the original full-length TV broadcast concert, a rehearsal show, after-show bonus song performances, and a Blu-ray copy of the show + rehearsal concert + bonus songs. [The double-LP version contains the highlights from the Aloha 3xCD+Blu-ray box set.]

Public Image Ltd. – End Of World CD/2xLP (PiL Official)

Public Image Ltd. (PiL) release their 11th studio album, End of World. The band began writing and recording End Of World in 2018, during their 40th anniversary tour. After The Great Pause, the band regrouped in the studio and “there was just this massive explosion of ideas,” Lydon says. The result is 13 of some of the best tracks they have ever written. Celebrating their 40-year anniversary in 2018, the band is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential bands of all time. With a shifting line-up and unique sound – fusing rock, dance, folk, pop, and dub – Lydon guided the band from their debut album First Issue in 1978 through to 1992’s That What Is Not, before a 17-year hiatus. Lydon reactivated PiL in 2009, touring extensively worldwide and releasing two critically acclaimed albums This Is PiL in 2012 followed by their 10th studio album What The World Needs Now… in 2015. [Two indie store exclusive vinyl colorways are available: white and red.]

Suzi Quatro / KT Tunstall – Face To Face CD/LP (Sun)

Two generations of rock icons join forces on Face To Face, the exciting creative collaboration between KT Tunstall and Suzi Quatro. An album of original duets written by KT and Suzi, the duo covers themes of love and loss, fear, and triumph – all essential to their experiences as groundbreaking women in rock. Tracks like “Shine a Light” and “Truth Is My Weapon” showcase the dynamic flow Suzi and KT created recording together in England.

Sarayasign – The Lion’s Road CD (Frontiers)

Sarayasign is a cinematic melodic hard rock band, headquartered in Örebro, Sweden. With guitar driven roots from the late ’70s and the cinematic experience of the 21st Century, layered with strings and storytelling driven, melody-focused songs with an edge, the listener will be in for a treat.

Sham 69 – Soapy Water And Mr Marmalade [Reissue/1995] CD/LP (Secret)

Originally released in 1995, Soapy Water And Mr Marmalade featured a revitalized Sham 69, with Jimmy Pursey and Dave Parsons tapping into a rich vein of classic songwriting in the tradition of the Kinks and Small Faces.

Streetlight – Ignition CD (Frontiers)

An AOR/melodic rock band from Jonkoping, Sweden, Streetlight stays true to the genre, delivering distinctive melodies, punchy choruses, and strong hooks. Influenced heavily by bands like Journey, Toto, Kansas and Def Leppard, Streetlight creates music that is fun to listen to, melodic and guitar driven, with a sound that reminds you of the times when AOR was at its peak.

Tarja – Rocking Heels: Live At Metal Church CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)

Rocking Heels: Live At Metal Church is the document of a very special and intimate concert in the idyllic setting of Wacken Church, and the first of the six-album spanning live series Rocking Heels. This onetime-only event opened the Wacken OpenAir Festival in 2016. With piano, cello and violin as accompaniment, Tarja presents unique arrangements of rock and heavy metal standards (with a classical touch) by her favorite artists including “Numb” by Linkin Park, Rammstein’s “Ohne Dich”, Metallica’s “The Unforgiven”, songs by Joe Satriani and Slipknot as well as a Nightwish classic and Tarja originals.

Temple Of Dread – Beyond Acheron CD/LP (Testimony)

Temple Of Dread stays true to their old school course on the fourth full-length Beyond Acheron. At the same time, the East Frisians have added more dark and heavy parts as well as a healthy dash of melancholic feeling and even black metal inspired moments.

Tormentor – Seventh Day Of Doom [Reissue/1987] CD (Season Of Mist)

Tormentor – Anno Domini [Reissue/1989] CD (Season Of Mist)

Reissues of the first two albums by the Hungarian black/thrash metal band. [Vinyl reissue of Seventh Day Of Doom is due October 27.]

Tony Touch – Tony Touch Presents: The Def Tape (Official Soundtrack – Mixtape The Movie) CD/LP/Cassette (Def Jam)

After creating some of the most memorable mixtapes – such as his 50 MC’s series – hip-hop DJ, producer, and rapper Joseph Anthony Hernandez (aka Tony Touch) is back with a soundtrack unlike any other. The famed Brooklyn DJ was able to solicit hip-hop icons far and wide to collaborate for an in-depth look into hip-hop’s golden era in a film called The Mixtape which features classic tracks remixed by Def Jam stars such as Jeezy, Dave East, Teyana Taylor, Jadakiss, Fredo Bang and more.

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats – Slaughter On First Avenue 2xCD/2xLP (Rise Above)

A killer double live album from the English psychedelic rock band. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

Urne – A Feast On Sorrow CD/LP (Spinefarm)

There are times in life when it feels like darkness will consume the light. Suffering. Loss. The emptiness that follows. At a distance, we can steel ourselves against the grim inevitabilities of disease, dementia, and deterioration in old age, but when more intimately faced with their impact, it becomes easy to imagine some hidden demon gorging on the misery wrought. From such pain was birthed Urne’s savage second album A Feast On Sorrow.

Various Artists – Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)

Easy Eye Sound presents Tell Everybody! (21st Century Juke Joint Blues From Easy Eye Sound) – an anthology surveying the current state of the blues. Featuring exclusive recordings cut at Easy Eye Sounds’s Nashville studio, this snapshot of 21st century juke joint music captures a wide-ranging collection of voices compiled by the Billboard 2022 Blues Label of the Year and its founder Dan Auerbach. Drawing from across the blues landscape – from acoustic anthems to roiling rock ‘n’ roll – Tell Everybody! features masters like North Mississippi’s R.L. Boyce, Betonia’s Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and the Delta gospel sounds of Leo “Bud” Welch; alongside brilliant youngbloods like Detroit duo Moonrisers, Chicago’s Gabe Carter, and Korean American Kentucky native Nat Myers. Title track “Tell Everybody” highlights high-powered Louisiana singer-songwriter-guitarist Robert Finley backed by Hill Country blues legends Kenny Brown (guitar), Eric Deaton (bass) and Kinney Kimbrough (drums). [An indie store exclusive gray color vinyl pressing is available.]

Werewolves – My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me CD/LP (Prosthetic)

Fourth album from the death metal band. Bassist/vocalist Sam (The Antichrist Imperium, The Berzerker) says: “Here it finally is, the recording that will cement our place in the technical death metal world as some of the greatest soloists and most thought-provoking lyricists working in music today. Our ability to shape raw art from ethereal nuance is second only to our famously slow craftmanship.” [A limited-edition white w/ black & red splatter vinyl colorway is available.]

PJ Western – Here I Go CD/LP (New West)

Hailing from Los Angeles with an arsenal of songs as varied as the American landscape itself, PJ Western creates music of contradictions. His tripped-out pop-rock psychedelia evokes a haze of ‘60s AM radio as heard emanating from someone else’s car window. Here I Go, Western’s debut album, recorded during the lockdown we all endured, was written in dreams. In visions. Wild but refined, classic but modern. The album is a lot like the man who wrote it: complex, celebratory, grateful. Recorded in L.A. with the help of some of the finest musicians the city has to offer, Here I Go offers a perspective of the city as heard through the ears of a precocious outsider – someone who may call the city home, but also can’t quite shake the suspicion he might not belong in the Hollywood Hills surrounding him. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]

Neil Young – Chrome Dreams CD/2xLP (Reprise)

Chrome Dreams is another of Neil Young’s legendary “lost” albums; finished albums that for various reasons Neil decided not to release at the time. The recent releases of Homegrown and Toast also fall into this category. Chrome Dreams features 12 songs recorded between 1974 and 1977. If the album was released in 1977 as originally planned, it would certainly be considered as one of the masterpieces in Neil’s long career. The album contains some of Neil’s most iconic songs: “Pocahontas”, “Like A Hurricane”, “Powderfinger”, Homegrown”, “Too Far Gone” and “Star of Bethlehem”. Most of the tracks were subsequently released on later Neil Young albums (e.g.: American Stars ‘N’ Bars, Hawks & Doves, Hitchiker, Archives Vol II), although Chrome Dreams includes unreleased versions of two much loved songs: “Sedan Delivery” and “Hold Back The Tears”.

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

Accuser – Reflections [Reissue/1994] LP (Brutal Planet)

Accuser is a thrash metal band from Kreuztal, Germany that formed in the early ‘80s flying the crunchy speed & thrash metal flag with all the fervor of the most intense mosh pit imaginable. Despite not landing a contract with a major label for their early albums, the band continued to release a string of successful underground releases before disbanding for eight years.

Annie Anxiety – Barbed Wire Halo [Reissue/1981] 12’ (One Little Independent)

After a couple years of disintegrated pursuits in New York, Annie relocated to England, finding herself at the doorstep of the famed anarchro-commune Dial House headed by activist Penny Rimbaud. It was here that Annie Anxiety established herself as a singular artist and voice with her debut 1981 single Barbed Wire Halo on seminal Crass Records and forging a creative alliance with Crass members Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine. As the landscape of punk in the United Kingdom was shifting towards a more diverse, multicultural focal point, artists such as Annie Anxiety found themselves exploring musical signatures in styles such as dub reggae and rocksteady.

Any-Angled Light – Any-Angled Light LP (Never Met A Stranger)

Any-Angled Light is a suite of instrumental music featuring bass, guitar, piano, tenor saxophone, electronic synthesis, and field recordings. Mixing song-structures with open-ended ambient compositions, melodies with sound-collage, the seven individual tracks invoke a range of genres while a breadcrumb trail of sounds and motifs scattered throughout the album builds a sense of continuity, suggesting a sonic reckoning with the natural world.

Louis Armstrong – Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule LP (Verve)

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong devoted his life to “the cause of happiness,” as he once put it, giving the gift of joy whenever he put his trumpet to his lips. Since his passing, his music has become synonymous with the holiday season. Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule is the first Louis Armstrong Christmas record. This record includes a previously unheard recording of Louis reading of “A Visit From St. Nicholas”, with fellow New Orleans icon Sullivan Fortner providing a gorgeous musical underbed.

Bad Brains – Pay To Cum! [Reissue/1980] 7” (Org Music)

Color vinyl reissue. “Pay To Cum” is the debut single from the band Bad Brains, self-released in June 1980 on the band’s Bad Brain Records. The single was recorded in New York City by Jimi Quidd at his Dots Studios.

Ginger Baker – Horses And Trees [Reissue/1986] LP (Charly)

A fascinating instrumental exploration into jazz fusion, African rhythms, and world music by virtuoso drummer Ginger Baker, in company with Bill Laswell, Shankar, Naná Vasconcelos, Bernie Worrell and others. [A limited-edition white colorway is available.]

Black To Comm – Earth [Reissue/2012] LP (Cellule 75)

Marc Richter aka Black To Comm released his debut record 20 years ago. In 2023, he is still busy releasing music under various disguises and is currently signed to the Thrill Jockey label. To celebrate this anniversary his own Cellule 75 label is re-releasing some classic out-of-print vinyl albums that originally came out on the defunct Type and De Stijl labels. After releasing the critically acclaimed Alphabet 1968 on the seminal Type label (Grouper, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Yellow Swans), Richter chose De Stijl for this 2012 album. Earth is a 2009 silent film by Ho Tzu Nyen, one of Singapore’s foremost visual artists. After hearing Black To Comm’s Alphabet 1968, Ho Tzu Nyen invited Richter to accompany the film at Berlin’s Asian Film Festival, Unsound in Krakow and several other art biennials and music festivals around the world. Includes full color lyric sheet and poster.

Kris Bowers – Chevalier (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 2xLP (Hollywood)

The soundtrack to the film Chevalier (from Searchlight Pictures) features original music composed by Kris Bowers, who wrote scores for the films King Richard, Bridgerton, Dear White People and more. Also included are several pieces by the titular composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, as well as tracks by Michael Abels – who was responsible for the movie’s on-screen musical performances and created original works inspired by Chevalier’s remaining compositions.

Bun B & Statik Selektah – Trillstatik 2 LP (RRC Music)

White color vinyl pressing. Following their first collaboration on the first Trillstatik, Bun B and Statik Selektah are right back at it with the second instalment, once again creating an album from scratch in one session, with surprise guests popping up throughout the night. This time the location is Sweet Chick in New York City, and the line-up of guests features the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Dave East, Styles P, Smoke DZA, Boldy James and Paul Wall among several others. The two have crafted the perfect follow up to their first 2019 collaboration album.

Burna Boy – Twice As Tall [Reissue/2020] 2xLP (Atlantic)

Clear vinyl pressing. Burna Boy is among contemporary African music’s brightest stars and creator of an enigmatic new genre he simply dubs “Afrofusion.” After a recent conversation with Burna Boy, The New York Times went on to declare him as “a leader amid a bounty of new African pop,” before going on to make it clear that “Burna Boy hasn’t diluted his African heritage to reach his global audience. Instead, he has placed an unmistakably African stamp on music drawn from all around Africa and from across the African diaspora.”

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim – Here Lies Love [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Nonesuch)

David Byrne & Fatboy Slim’s acclaimed 2010 album Here Lies Love receives its first-ever vinyl release to coincide with a new production opening on Broadway this summer. Here Lies Love is a double-disc song cycle – improbably poignant, decidedly surreal, surprisingly thought provoking – about the rise and fall of the Philippines’ notorious Imelda Marcos. It was conceived by David Byrne, composed by Byrne and DJ/recording artist Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, and performed by a dream cast drawn from the worlds of indie rock, alt country, R&B, and pop. Byrne’s taste in collaborators is as imaginative as it is impeccable, including Cyndi Lauper (who recounts, to lighthearted disco beats, Imelda’s courtship with Ferdinand Marcos), Steve Earle (as the power-hungry Ferdinand), Dap-Kings vocalist Sharon Jones (recalling Imelda’s introduction into New York society) and Natalie Merchant (as spurned Imelda confidante Estrella, anticipating the onset of martial law). Along with vocals turns from such stars as Tori Amos and the B-52’s Kate Pierson, Byrne works with rising indie rockers St. Vincent and My Brightest Diamond; New York chanteuses Nellie McKay and Martha Wainwright; and dance-music divas Róisín Murphy and Santigold.

John Cale – Words For The Dying [Reissue/1989] LP+MP3 (All Saints)

Limited clear vinyl pressing. First-time vinyl repress of a John Cale album originally released on the Opal label in 1989, produced by Brian Eno. Words For The Dying has at its heart The Falklands Suite, Cale’s baroque if heartfelt response to the Anglo-Argentinian War, which finds him setting the poems of his beloved Dylan Thomas to music.

Chastity Belt – No Regerts [Reissue/2013] LP (Suicide Squeeze)

Black & white swirl color vinyl reissue of the Walla Walla, WA indie rock band’s – led by Julia Shapiro – debut album.

Cherry Casino and The Gamblers – Let’s Play Around [Reissue/2006] 10” (Rhythm Bomb)

Issued for the first time on vinyl is Berlin’s hot ticket for authentic rhythm and blues, Cherry Casino and The Gamblers’ Let’s Play Around.

Julee Cruise – Floating Into The Night LP (Sacred Bones)

Julee Cruise’s 1989 album Floating Into The Night is a hauntingly beautiful, critically acclaimed work that showcases her unique vocal style and the atmospheric, dreamlike music of composer Angelo Badalamenti. The album was produced by Badalamenti and David Lynch, who had previously worked together on the soundtrack for Lynch’s film Blue Velvet. Today in the wake of both Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti’s passing it’s important to honor their musical legacy and contribution to both the sonic and cinematic landscapes. [A limited-edition pink colorway is available.]

The Cult – Ceremony [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (Beggars Banquet)

Originally released in 1991, The follow up to the massive Sonic Temple marked a turning point in the band’s sound and style and it was their first without longtime bassist Jamie Stewart. The album was a commercial success, reaching No. 25 on the Billboard chart and it remains a fan favorite and an important album in The Cult’s discography. The Cult continued to develop their sound on this album, and it is heavily influenced by Native American culture. Ceremony is a testament to their ability to evolve and adapt while staying true to their roots and its songs are about spirituality, love and rebellion. [An indie store exclusive red & blue colorway is available.]

Ryan Curtis – Ain’t Ever Easy LP (American Standard)

The muscular, chooglin’ beat of the country funk heater “Can’t Take Back” opens Ryan Curtis’ sophomore album Ain’t Ever Easy. Like a steam train gliding into some high desert station, it bears the strong vintage machinery of Curtis’ “alt-country from the high country” sound. The song lopes in on oozing guitar and keys over a backbeat that pulses sexier than a breakup song has the right to be. Regret has rarely sounded this happy, but Curtis can turn love and loss into dripping hot, powerful songs.

D4VD – Petals To Thorns LP (IGA/UMG)

Translucent ‘black ice’ colorway. Petals To Thorns is an introduction and journey into D4VD’s identity as an artist that is unable to be boxed into a specific genre. Just one year after beginning to make music in his sister’s closet in Houston, D4VD has delivered a masterful nine-track project with familiar hits including “Romantic Homicide”, a grungy, guitar-driven breakup anthem, and “Here With Me”, a slow-building beachy ballad, plus new tracks showcasing his inimitable sound.

Adam Deitch – Take Your Time LP (Golden Wolf)

Adam Deitch, Grammy-nominated artist and world-renowned drummer of Lettuce and Break Science has released his latest producer album Take Your Time. This is Adam’s third full-length producer album and showcases the multi-talented musician’s production prowess and beat-making abilities. The record offers a heavy dose of drumming (of course), but the tunes soar to new heights with dreamy electronic beats as the backdrop and genre-spanning undertones- hip-hop, soul, R&B, and funk to name a few. This release is sure to delight both fans of Adam’s multiple other projects and new electronic listeners alike.

Destroy Lonely – If Looks Could Kill 3xLP (IGA/UMG)

Translucent purple colorway. Destroy Lonely’s highly anticipated debut album, If Looks Could Kill, features 27 songs floating over hazy electric guitar lines with blends of surrealistic melodies and stylish soundscapes. As a part of Destroy Lonely’s “Look Killa” alter ego, he embodied his character with a face mask that he creatively directed to align with the album’s story and specifically the vinyl packaging.

DJ Harrison – Monotones [Reissue/2013] LP (Jellowstone)

10-year Anniversary of Monotones, the first release of DJ Harrison’s studio and record label Jellowstone based in Richmond, Virginia. For DJ Harrison, Jellowstone is a sound, a movement, and a home. Its nucleus is Harrison’s fascination with vinyl records, along with traditional recording methods. Using a vast collection of tube microphones, vintage keyboards, reel-to-reel recorders and more, Jellowstone continues to honor the textures of vintage sound.

Fabiano Do Nascimento – Das Nuvens LP/Cassette (Leaving)

Los Angeles-based Fabiano Do Nascimento is a multi-string guitarist and songwriter who melds the traditional idioms of his native Brazil (i.e., samba, choro) with the more contemporary and experimental strains of jazz, pop, and electronic music. Das Nuvens (“The Clouds”), is a crisp, frequently blissful, and deceptively groove-oriented showcase from a consummate musician – a rich and varied collection of songs, all of which seem to prioritize, and thrive in, the soft and intentional spaces between notes.

The Donnas – The Donnas [Reissue/1997] LP (Real Gone Music)

The Donnas – American Rock ‘N’ Roll Machine [Reissue/1998] LP (Real Gone Music)

Color vinyl reissues of The Donnas first two albums. The Donnas were an American rock band who formed in Palo Alto, CA. Having played together since 1993 (initially as Ragady Anne), the earliest Donnas releases (on Radio X and Super*Teem) were as a garage rock side-project of their main band Electrocutes; after moving to Lookout!, The Donnas kept aspects of the concept, but moved in their own direction as a rock & roll band, signing to Atlantic in 2001. Their final studio album was released in 2007 and they disbanded around 2012.

Drunken Kong – I Want To See 12” (Drumcode)

The residents at Tokyo’s legendary Womb have a distinct sound signature, as dreamy melodic and vocal elements rub shoulders with the pair’s trademark groove-orientated rhythms to create hypnotic techno outings that span the breadth of the genre, from heads down rollers to peak-time pleasure.

Electric Wizard – Come My Fanatics [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Rise Above)

Green color vinyl pressing of the skull smashing drugged doom metal classic.

Embryonic Autopsy – Prophecies Of The Conjoined LP (Massacre)

Red color vinyl pressing. Prophecies Of The Conjoined offers some of the most intense and uncompromising extreme music you can imagine, proving that Embryonic Autopsy is eager to bring back the guttural and raw force of early ‘90s death metal the way it was meant to be.

Jake Ferguson – Emotions Run Dry LP (Madlib Invazion)

From The Nesta Vaults, Jake Ferguson & Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics) take on cosmic funk and psychedelic jazz. Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. Multi-track files are available upon request for key projects. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat. This is the second volume in the series.

Lupe Fiasco – Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Atlantic)

Lupe Fiasco, 12-time Grammy nominee and winner, has the spirit of brilliant thinkers, impassioned activists, and unapologetic rebels.

William Fitzsimmons – Covers, Vol. 2 LP (Nettwerk)

Gold opaque vinyl. You can piece together the life of William Fitzsimmons with the songs he chose to record for Covers, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 (Vol. 1 was released last November). For the Illinois-based singer, songwriter, and producer, some tunes recollect joyful moments at home as a kid, and others recall his high school days. A handful of tracks address heartbreak head-on without apology, while a few reflect his inclination to embrace youthful wonder and creativity. No matter what, his voice carries these words straight from the heart.

Flux Of Pink Indians – Neu Smell [Reissue/1981] LP (One Little Independent)

Formed in 1981, Flux – as they later became known – were contemporaries of Crass and synonymous with the strict vegan, anti-capitalist, anti-Thatcher, anarcho-punk scene of the time. The Strive line-up comprised Colin Latter (vocals), Derek Birkett (bass guitar), Kevin Hunter (guitars), and Martin Wilson (drums). Birkett later went on to form the One Little Indian label.

From Ashes To New – Blackout LP (Better Noise Music)

Limited ‘black ice’ colorway. From Ashes To New utilize their outlier perspective to break boundaries. The Lancaster, PA band churns out an anthemic hybrid of hard rock, hip-hop, electronic, and alternative with enough energy to inspire you to get up, move forward, and maybe even make a change.

Freddie Gibbs – Freddie [Reissue/2018] LP (Esgn)

First-time vinyl pressing of the fourth studio album from acclaimed rapper, Freddie Gibbs. One of the most consistent and polished artists from the blog era, Freddie Gibbs has yet to release an album that does not achieve widespread acclaim, proving that he’s able to compete in any era. At 10 tracks, Freddie comes at a blistering yet concise pace, showcasing his raw and energetic flow over thundering trap-influenced beats. Aside from a tasteful appearance from 03 Greedo, Freddie Gibbs mainly relies on himself to carry the album, and features production from hip-hop heavyweights such as Kenny Beats, Dupri, RichGains and more.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message [Reissue/1982] LP (Rhino)

Limited Bronx ice colored vinyl pressing. Celebrate hip-hop at 50 with this definitive rap classic. The genre-defining debut studio album features the powerful title track “The Message”.

GREA8GAWD – Snowday LP (RRC Music)

Over the last few years upstate NY has been breeding some stone-cold killers in the rap game, and the mysterious natural-born storyteller GREA8GAWD is one of the standout names, turning people’s heads with his cold-blooded rhymes and catching the attention of many legends in the game getting co-signs from the likes of Roc Marciano and Benny The Butcher among many others. Gritty tales of street life viciously delivered over productions by Merc Betz, who curated the entire album with GREA8GAWD himself, as well as Whip Beats, Thanos Beats, Inkwelltwowords, Sypooda, Alcatracks, Agallah, Nomass, Big Skoon, and guest appearances by Hell Rell, Joey Majors and Rellion.

Green Jellÿ – 333 [Reissue/1994] LP (Say-10)

Featuring Maynard from Tool, 333 was the follow-up album to the Cereal Killer Soundtrack. It had songs featured on the Dumb And Dumber soundtrack as well as the Maximum Carnage video game on the Super Nintendo. The album was too metal for the majors, so it was considered a flop at the time of its original release.

Lionel Hampton All Stars – Black Forest Vibes LP (Made in Germany Music)

Recorded in 1977, Lionel Hampton and his All Stars were really into this gig; it brought the audience in the Black Forest, known as rather reserved, to a frenzy, especially after the break. The old master worked his magic on the vibraphone, of course, but also played drums and piano and sang with an irrepressible sense of rhythm as one who had unmistakably internalized swing. The top trumpeter Cat Anderson was another internationally known musician in the eight-piece all-star band with which Hamp toured Europe at the time.

Herbie Hancock – The New Standard [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Verve)

Originally released in 1996 (and available for the first time on vinyl), The New Standard features songs by Stevie Wonder, Prince, Sade, Nirvana and more getting creative, inspired, and swinging jazz takes from Herbie and a world class band; Michael Brecker (sax), John Scofield (guitar), Dave Holland (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) and Don Alias (percussion).

Harms Way – Posthuman [Reissue/2018] LP (Metal Blade)

Limited green colored vinyl pressing of the fourth studio album by hardcore band Harm’s Way, originally released in 2018.

Emma Hewitt – Ghost Of The Light LP (Black Hole)

Hewitt was the lead singer of the Australian rock band Missing Hours, with whom she released an eponymous debut album in October 2008 through Sony Australia. The band that she formed with her brother Anthony is no longer active; in 2010, she and her brother were based in Europe and writing electronic dance music.

Hot Mulligan – Why Would I Watch LP (Wax Bodega)

Purple w/ white color vinyl pressing. Produced by longtime collaborator Brett Romnes, Why Would I Watch is Hot Mulligan at their loudest, their poppiest, and, ultimately, their most poignant.

Houseghost – Another Realm LP (Rad Girlfriend)

Houseghost from Dayton, OH delivers a powerful dose of dark themed, sing along spooky punk on their highly anticipated sophomore release, Another Realm.

Andrew Hung – Deliverance LP (Lex)

180gm red colorway. Andrew Hung is an artist known for his collaborations (F*** Buttons, Beth Orton), film soundtracks (The Greasy Strangler, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn) and his own music (Realisationship, Devastations). Hung’s third album Deliverance follows the critically acclaimed Devastations. Deliverance is the aftermath of celestial collisions, where life sparks and shadows roam. His deeply emotive voice is cocooned by whirlpools of soaring electronics, distorted guitars and driving rhythms sounding like the last bastion of hope crying through waves of Technicolor noise.

Hurry – Don’t Look Back LP (Lame-O)

Translucent purple with blue splatter color vinyl pressing. Hurry has grafted the best qualities of ’90s bubblegum power pop-the pitch-perfect songwriting, the pop-rock sheen, the borderline saccharine vocal melodies-onto something far more raw and emotionally resonant. Don’t Look Back is striking in its tenderness and candor-approximately half of the lyrics on the record concern the deterioration of an 11-year relationship Scottoline was in, with the other half being a celebration of new love.

The Ides Of June – Rising Tide LP (Ides Of June)

Shifting away from the early grunge blues sound and defying genre specificity, the band embraces a more mature sound and shows their diversity.

The Innocence Mission – We Walked In Song [Reissue/2007] LP (Badman)

With eleven songs, plus two bonus demo versions, that are memorable and genuinely moving, We Walked In Song, originally released in 2007, continued Innocence Mission’s progression toward intimate recordings where each note played and sung seems essential.

Chris Janson – The Outlaw Side Of Me 2xLP (BMLG)

Recently released on CD – now available on orange color vinyl. Multiplatinum-selling artist Chris Janson is known for his unabashed and raucous style both as a songwriter and performer. His free-spirited approach has captivated country music’s newest generation.

Karol G – Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) CD (Bichota/Interscope)

A collection of intimate songs, Karol G’s fourth studio album Mañana Será Bonito (Spanish for Tomorrow Will Be Beautiful) reveals the Latin Grammy Award winning artist beyond her stage name, giving her fans a glimpse of Carolina’s deepest, most vulnerable emotions as she overcame heartbreak. Topping the US Billboard 200 and US Top Latin Albums charts, the production further asserts the Colombian superstar’s versatility as she continues to collaborate with iconic artists like Shakira, Romeo Santos, Sean Paul, and more. Rolling Stone stated, “Karol’s voice is open and warm, blessed with a laid-back purity that is rare in the raucous urbano field. [Like] any global diva worth her salt, Karol engineers the fickle illusion that she’s addressing you, the listener, directly – whether evoking unfulfilled desire for a past lover or compiling a list of future erotic delights.” [A clear vinyl pressing is due September 22.]

Mats Karlsson – Mood Elevator LP (MK Music)

Mood Elevator is a collection of songs written in the last 3-4 years. It’s a little funkier and more of a rock album than the previous album. There’s a wide variety of songs featured here and something to suit everyone who is into rock.

Khruangbin / Men I Trust – Live At RBC Echo Beach LP (Dead Oceans)

It’s only fitting that Khruangbin’s first-ever official live releases would be albums paired with their tourmates: artists whose music they love and admire, friends who’ve become family along the way. Khruangbin’s series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band’s flight plan through the years: it’s a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages, and nights. Each release comes with a limited-edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording’s home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Most of all, this series ignites both sides of the band’s magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances.

Killah Priest – Mystery Channel 12” (600 Block)

Killah Priest’s Mystery Channel EP features two original productions from Tusk57, an amazing Tall Black Guy Productions remix, and instrumentals of all three tracks.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Live Around The Globe: Part III LP (Blind Rope)

Limited translucent yellow color vinyl pressing. Hardly any indie band from Down Under has managed to make headlines – and charts – worldwide beyond their continent in recent years. Formed in Melbourne in 2010, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are the famous exception to the infamous rule. 24 studio albums in 10 years also speak a clear workaholic language, and show that the group has enormous fun in what they do.

Lead Into Gold – The Eternal Present LP (Artoffact)

As a longstanding member of seminal, multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated rock act Ministry, Paul Barker has spent the better part of 17 years working on programming, production and remixing the most influential songs and albums in Industrial history. His new Lead Into Gold release, The Eternal Present, is no exception, and will raise the bar on gnarly, bass-driven industrial for years to come.

John Legend – Love In The Future [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)

John Legend’s fourth studio album Love In The Future celebrates its 10th Anniversary. Featuring the smash hit, “All Of Me” and an additional 15 tracks with appearances from Rick Ross and Stacy Barthe.

Lights – dEd LP (Fueled By Ramen)

New release from the Canadian singer/songwriter.

The Lox – Money, Power & Respect [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Bad Boy)

Limited double black & white color vinyl pressing including an etched D-side. Includes chart topping title track “Money, Power & Respect” featuring DMX & Lil Kim, plus the powerful Notorious BIG tribute “We’ll Always Love Big Poppa”.

Lush – Spooky [Reissue/1992] LP (4AD)

Lush – Split [Reissue/1993] LP (4AD)

Lush – Lovelife [Reissue/1996] LP (4AD)

Vinyl reissues (including indie store exclusive clear pressings) of the UK shoegaze band’s sole three albums.

Magic Carpet – Broken Compass LP (FPE)

Magic Carpet came together for this purpose years ago, some twenty summers and falls. At the core, six guys from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, who set out to perform various traditions, bring old sounds into now, music enabling rapid travel. Maybe as an educational project? Perhaps, but also a weekly gig at an Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago. Over time they came to know each other musically, lock in, and their sounds flowed joyously through house parties, block parties, street festivals. The tunes wear different masks, from straight-up funk (“Aum U Wah”) through smooth jazz-inflected bliss (“Flow”), to the West African grunge of “Touareg Fever” and “Rumba Gnawa”.

Harold McKinney – Voices & Rhythms Of The Creative Profile [Reissue/1974] LP (Now-Again)

Now-Again presents the definitive Tribe Records reissues. Voices & Rhythms Of The Creative Profile is the influential Detroit pianist’s sole 1970s album.

Ayalew Mesfin – Wegene (My Countrymen) LP (Now-Again)

Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend 1970s Ethiopia. The music he created with his Black Lion Band is amongst the funkiest to arise from Addis Ababa.

Meshuggah – Immutable 2xLP (Atomic Fire)

Limited-edition color vinyl pressing. Full of surprises and yet instantly recognizable as the work of metal’s most idiosyncratic force, Immutable redefines and redesigns the Swedish progressive metal band’s sound across more than an hour of the most stimulating and absorbing music.

The Muffs – New Improved Kim Shatuck Demos LP (Omnivore)

Red colorway. During the period leading up to 2004’s Really Really Happy, The Muffs had been keeping a busy schedule of live performances as well as working through an ever-increasing list of songwriting demos from singer/guitarist Kim Shattuck. Once this group of songs was narrowed down, the band set to recording them for the album.

The Kody Norris Show – Rhinestone Revival LP (Rebel)

The kinetic, almost combustible energy that The Kody Norris Show brings to every performance is only matched by the enthusiasm of their fans. Their approach to music beckons the voices of years gone by, clearly evoking inspiration from bluegrass icons like Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, and the Stanley Brothers. Described as one of the busiest, hardest working, and most entertaining bands in bluegrass, The Kody Norris Show brings back to the stage, old school suiting swagger with their custom matching suits, harkening visual spectaculars like those who donned the legendary western wears of designers like Nudie and Manuel.

No Vacation – Intermission [Reissue/2017] 12” (Topshelf)

No Vacation – Phasing [Reissue/2019] 12” (Topshelf)

Color vinyl reissues. No Vacation combines the novel sounds of college nostalgia and surf-tinged bedroom pop. What began as a sunny San Francisco dorm-room duo in early 2015 by front-woman Sabrina Mai, quickly evolved into a band as Marisa Saunders and Nat Lee entered the fold.

Nym Lo x Statik Selektah – Straight From The Horse’s Mouth 2xLP (Surface Noise/Ruffnation)

Straight From The Horse’s Mouth sounds like new age Harlem and success. The project perfectly showcases 183rd and Nymlo’s energy and chemistry. 183rd’s old school samples with boom bap drums backing Nym Lo’s silky smooth witty bars. Nym makes you feel like you’re with him walking through the streets of Harlem, counting money, reflecting on career growth and change. The album is accompanied by high caliber features from frequent collaborators Benny The Butcher, Smoke Dza, Jay Worthy and OT The Real.

Ovlov – Am [Reissue/2013] LP (Exploding In Sound)

Limited purple color vinyl pressing. Since 2009, Ovlov’s transmissions have been sporadic, but they’ve always been impactful. The band’s early run of EPs established the Connecticut four-piece as a modern update on a certain strain of northeastern indie-rock. By the time the band’s debut album Am was released in 2013, Ovlov was getting comparisons to Dinosaur Jr. And Sebadoh tossed in their direction, and while those elements were certainly present in their sound, Ovlov always let catchy pop hooks slip into the mix too.

Pawz One – Persona Non Grata LP (Below Systems)

Persona Non Grata is the new musical middle finger from L.A.’s Pawz One. A nine-song statement to his surroundings and the music business with various producers. The album’s only guests are Los Angeles hip-hop legends Ras Kass and MC Eiht.

The Penny Arkade – Not The Freeze [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Sundazed)

A sunshine pop delight with equal parts psych, folk-rock, and even a little garage.

Peter and The Teste Tube Babies – Keep Britain Untidy – Live LP (Secret)

Live archive release from the iconic British punk band, recorded at The Coronet London August 29, 2004.

Pierce The Veil – Selfish Machines [Reissue/2010] LP (Equal Vision)

12 tracks of catchy pop hooks paired with metal-tinged guitars and aggressive vocals that only Pierce the Veil could meld together so flawlessly.

Pink Siifu – Gumbo’! LP (Pink Siifu)

Pink Siifu’s latest release Gumbo’! is another sprawling Afrocentric vision from one of the boldest voices in contemporary rap. Overall, it reflects an intense desire for self-expression and creative growth, one which he shares with many of his influences. Like Outkast, Sun Ra, Baraka, or Bad Brains, his unique soundscapes re-imagine a genre without restrictions, breaking new ground in search of artistic and personal freedom.

Poldoore – Street Bangerz Vol. 6: Playhouse [Reissue/2015] LP/Cassette (Cold Busted)

Color vinyl pressing. Street Bangerz Volume 6: Playhouse comes from Belgium resident Poldoore, an instrumental immaculate album blending elements of funk, soul and lounge. “Shrooms” kicks things off with a feel-good vibe and beats at about 96BPM, a smooth bumping sub bass line, funky horns, and soulful vocal samples, resonating and charming. “Banana Hammock” is a unique tune with reggae dub influences; a crooning reggae singer sings sweetly over a velvety generous bassline and high staccato notes, and an easy going beat all bring appeal.

Vanessa Racci – Jazzy Italian LP (Zoho)

Vanessa Racci combines a tart, brassy, catch-in-the-throat sound with Italianate ardor, dramatic flair, and swing. On Jazzy Italian, Vanessa revisits songs associated with many of the Italians and Italian-Americans who have left their mark on jazz.

Recoil – Unsound Methods [Reissue/1997] 2xLP+MP3 (Mute)

Recoil – Liquid [Reissue/2000] 2xLP+MP3 (Mute)

Recoil – subHuman [Reissue/2007] 2xLP+MP3 (Mute)

Recoil is the musical project of former Depeche Mode member, Alan Wilder, and Mute has reissued the project’s last three albums Liquid, Unsound Methods and subHuman on standard black vinyl (CD versions and color vinyl versions were released last November). Originally a solo venture for Alan’s more experimental work outside of Depeche, Recoil became his primary music project after he announced his departure from the band in 1995.

Reverend Bizarre – In The Rectory Of The Reverend Bizarre [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Svart)

In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend is the 2002 debut album by Finnish doom metal band Reverend Bizarre. [A limited-edition purple colorway is available.]

Rezn & Vinnum Sabbathi – Silent Future LP (Blues Funeral)

On Silent Future, Chicago atmospheric psych-doom outfit Rez teams up with Mexico City cosmic conceptualists Vinnum Sabbathi for a true union of heavy exploration.

Charlie Rich – I Hear Those Blues: Rich In Stereo LP (Sun Records)

Before his massive country pop success in the 1970s, Charlie Rich got his start at Sun Records, playing piano to accompany his velvety voice. Hear early Charlie Rich as he has never been heard before; this collection features rare, multi-track stereo mixes remastered from the Sun Records archives. Saccharine sentimentality meets brooding blues on tracks like “Sittin’ And Thinkin'”, “Midnite Blues”, and more as Rich develops his signature sound that would later earn him multiple number-one hits.

Oscar Rocchi – Alchemy In Jazz [Reissue/1979] LP (Holy Basil)

Besides being a leading session musician in Milan’s jazz scene between the ’60s and ’90s, Italian pianist Oscar Rocchi created several exquisite library albums in the pop-jazz genre. These include among others Erbe Selvatiche, Pop-Paraphrenia and Woman’s Colours (the latter cowritten with his friend Giancarlo Barigozzi) as well as Alchemy In Jazz.

Rudimentary Peni – Farce [Reissue/1982] LP (One Little Independent)

“This London hardcore trio from the Crass family always stood apart from the generic anarchist legions, more like a UK counterpart to the Minutemen. The eponymous 7” EP is rough going, as the band is tight but tuneless; Nick Blinko’s screeching vocals obscure heartfelt lyrics skewering complacency. A bit of rhythmic variety suggested promise, however, and the second EP Farce benefits from better production, fascinating sleeve artwork and some mini masterworks of alienated vitriol.” – Trouser Press

Rüfüs Du Sol – Atlas [Reissue/2013] LP (Sweat It Out!)

Limited 180gm white colored vinyl pressing of Rüfüs Du Sol’s debut Atlas. The album was a testament to the band’s passion, work ethic and DIY approach to music, featuring the much-loved singles “Take Me” and “Desert Night”. Atlas was originally released in 2013 and Rüfüs Du Sol has since emerged as one of the world’s preeminent live electronic acts, with performances throughout the world.

Sadistic Vision – Destroyer Of All Dreams LP (Boris Records)

Formed in 1989, Sadistic Vision released two demos in the early ’90’s during the first wave of death metal. Shortly after, they disbanded but returned in the 2000’s as a trio. They released an EP in 2016 and their first full-length in 2020. With Destroyer Of All Dreams, they bring five tracks of down-tuned, down-tempo death metal that will snap necks and explode livers.

Ty Segall & Emmett Kelly – Live At Worship LP (Drag City)

A sunny night from July of 2022 as Hello, Hi was just about to drop: in advance of the album release shows at L.A.’s mighty Teragram Ballroom, Ty and Emmett staged a spontaneous acoustic show at a Highland Park clothing boutique. With the packed crowd drawing magnetically toward the players, their performance elevates to the roof, intimate in nature, but epic in response to the audience’s open-hearted enthusiasm.

The Selecter – Human Algebra LP (Republic Of Music)

New release from the British ska legends. Human Algebra is a word from the wise – from questioning ‘fake news’ (“Big Little Lies”), to pointing the finger at keyboard warriors (“Armchair Guevara”), and the scourge of knife crime (“Human Algebra”). Human relationships are also touched upon (“Boxing Clever”), along with a touching tribute to the late great Ranking Roger from The Beat (“Parade The Crown”).

Wayne Shorter – Footprints Live! 2xLP (Verve)

This live album (released on vinyl for the first time) is made up of three European dates in 2001 and introduced Shorter’s “Footprint Quartet” – pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. All are in top form, especially on challenging reimaginations of the title track and “Masquelero”, both from his time with the 1960s Miles Davis Quintet.

Sigh – Shiki LP (Peaceville)

Cult Japanese black metal legends Sigh formed in 1989/’90, featuring mainman Mirai Kawashima, Satoshi Fujinami & Kazuki Ozeki. Following initial demos, Shinichi Ishikawa was brought into the band, & Kazuki removed from the line-up. With a journey through the strange and the psychedelic, incorporating a whole eclectic mix of genre styles & experimentation throughout their career, Sigh has remained a vital creative force in the avantgarde field. However, at its core, Sigh has always remained true to its roots of old school metal.

Reuben Vaun Smith – Da Cuckoo Yaya LP (Ubiquity)

Since he made his debut three years ago with sun-soaked first album Warm Nights, Reuben Vaun Smith has grown and evolved as an artist. His aims, objectives and musical output have changed, too – something that’s evident from the opening bars of his third full-length, Da Cuckoo Ya Ya, which also marks his first appearance on Californian institution Ubiquity Records. The album not only showcases Smith’s sharpened musicianship and his growing love of Eastern exoticism and wide-eyed psychedelia, but also features guest spots from friends.

The Smiths – The Smiths [Reissue/1984] LP (Rhino)

Arriving in an era dominated by Synthpop and gloomy Post-Punk, The Smith’s eponymous debut was the beginning of a new era. Johnny Marr’s inventive songwriting and ringing guitars were catchy and melodic and were made all the more original by Morrissey’s vocal style and lyrics. Although The Smiths continued to improve over the course of their career, the songs here are vital and alive, making sure that their debut remains startling and exciting to this day.

Something Weird – Hey Folks! It’s Intermission Time! LP (Modern Harmonic)

Yellow color vinyl pressing. Welcome to the sweet-but-savory, suspiciously sticky, and slightly sinful world of old-school movie theater intermission messages. It’s where big-band jazz, psychedelic rock, sequin-bedecked disco, virgin vanilla orchestrated pop, and more are pressed into service, with your satisfaction as the solitary goal.

Son Lux – Alternate Forms LP (Joyful Noise)

White color vinyl pressing. Alternate Forms is a track-by-track reworking of Academy Award and BAFTA nominees Son Lux’s critically acclaimed breakthrough 2013 album Lanterns.

Soul Tune Allstars – The Soul Of The Viking LP (Soul Tune)

Strong soulful vocal tracks by Carlton Jumel Smith and Maria Sanchez mixed with powerful instrumental tracks that are full of feeling and that recall early blaxploitation soundscapes; something that this record wants to pay homage to.

Speakers Corner Quartet – Further Out Than The Edge 2xLP+MP3 (Otih)

The journey of South London collective Speakers Corner Quartet to where they are today has been a self-less, community driven calling. Starting as the house band at the legendary Brixton spoken word and hip-hop night Speakers Corner in 2006, they spent the following decade backing up other artists and helping them shape their visions – both in live performances and in the studio. The list is extensive, but notable collaborations include Sampha, Kae Tempest, Tirzah, Dean Blunt, the late MF DOOM, and Lianne La Havas. This period honed their craft and versatility as multi-instrumentalist producers, but also shaped their values, building profound long-term relationships in music that comes full circle on their debut album, Further Out Than The Edge.

Subhumans – Crisis Point [Reissue/2019] LP (Pirates Press)

Subhumans are one of the most influential bands from the UK Anarcho-Punk scene of the 80’s, filed right alongside Crass and Conflict, and just as relevant today as they were during the darkest days of Thatcher’s Britain. Take your choice in how to label them – Punk, UK82, Crusty, etc., – there lies the attraction and consequent reason for their popularity, the band epitomizes non-conformity and connects with people in many different scenes. In 1985 Subhumans broke up, citing the usual musical differences, although had managed to release a third, maybe ironically entitled, LP Worlds Apart. The band reformed in 2019 and released Crisis Point.

Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good [Reissue/1988] LP (One Little Independent)

Life’s Too Good is the debut studio album by Icelandic alternative rock group The Sugarcubes. It was released in April 1988 by One Little Indian in the UK and Europe and in May 1988 by Elektra Records in the US. The album was an unexpected success and brought international attention for the band, especially to lead singer Björk, who would launch a successful solo career in 1993. Consisting of veterans of Reykjavík’s early 1980s rock culture, the band took elements of the post-punk sound that characterized the scene, intending to create a humorous take on pop music’s optimism, which is reflected in the album’s title.

Sun Ra – Standards [Reissue/2001] LP (Org Music)

Gold colorway. Sun Ra, the extraordinary, outlandish, and sometimes controversial pianist, is often described as an “acquired taste”, with a massive and diverse catalog. This release is a good place to start for uninitiated or dismissive listeners. The album showcases Ra’s grounding in the jazz tradition, with unique takes on standards like “Time After Time”, “Easy To Love”, and “But Not For Me”.

Sweet Gloom – Reverie LP (Asian Man)

Debut album from the Los Angeles punk and power-pop band.

Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown (Our Version) LP (Switchfoot/Org Music)

Limited-edition ‘swimming pool clear’ vinyl colorway. 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”. The underdog success story of The Beautiful Letdown exemplifies Switchfoot’s iconoclast, grassroots approach- defying the odds of major labels and mainstream media. To celebrate 20 years of the The Beautiful Letdown, Switchfoot is releasing “their version”, a new re-recorded edition.

They Might Be Giants – Flood [Reissue/1990] LP (Idlewild Recordings)

Flood is the third studio album by Brooklyn-based alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, originally released in January 1990. It generated three singles: “Birdhouse In Your Soul”, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”, and “Twisting”. The album is generally considered to be the band’s definitive release, as it is their best-selling and most recognizable album.

Tolerance – Anonym [Reissue/1979] LP (Mesh Key)

Legendary debut album by Junko Tange (mystery woman who showed up on the NWW list), originally issued by Osaka’s Vanity Records in 1979. Dadaesque recitations and sparse guitar, piano and electronic meanderings combine for a beguiling, hypnotic dreamworld. Anonym showcases Junko’s quietly unnerving style of electro-acoustic, country-folk and avant-lounge jazz shadowplay that quietly reserves the right to sting nerves with hypnic jerks of atonality. It’s one of those records that most palpably evokes the Lynchian sensation of inhabiting someone else’s dreams, replete with the feeling that one maybe shouldn’t be there, but we’ll certainly stick around to see what happens.

Don Toliver – Heaven Or Hell Reissue/2020] LP (Cactus Jack/Atlantic)

Houston trap/contemporary R&B recording artist Don Toliver released his debut album Heaven Or Hell on Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack label.

Piero Umiliani – Temi Descrittivi Per Piccolo Complesso [Reissue/1976] LP (Holy Basil)

Originally released in 1976 as part of the Background Music series on Piero Umiliani’s own Liuto Records, Temi Descrittivi Per Piccolo Complesso is a real gem in the maestro’s vast and intricate catalogue. Flutes and horns alternate with pianofender to create some magical, sweet, and intimate atmospheres, crafting an abstract and mysterious soundscape that could reminisce of medieval times as much as some distant galaxies.

U.S. Highball – No Thievery, Just Cool LP (Run For Cover)

Swirl color vinyl pressing. No Thievery, Just Cool is the fourth album in as many years from Glaswegian jangle-pop outfit U.S. Highball, comprised of lifelong friends Calvin Halliday and James Hindle. This time around, the boys decided to put the neighborhood to work, enlisting a host of friends and external collaborators to beef up their characteristically propulsive pop nuggets. Whether crafting breezy college rock rippers or 80s-indebted slices of eccentric new wave, in the universe of U.S. Highball, the chorus is king.

Various Artists – Eccentric Northern Soul LP (Numero)

Northern soul floor fillers of the Eccentric variety. Compiling 17 handpicked gems from across the Numeroverse, this album keeps the faith for both newcomers and veterans alike. Soaring vocals, driving beats, and syrupy strings… expect a blend of classic Motown-inspired sounds with a unique British flair that is sure to get your feet moving. The only northern soul record you’ll ever need.

Various Artists – Jah Thomas Presents – The Highest Grade 2xLP (Burning Sounds)

A collection of top notch vocal, deejay and dub tracks adding to the growing body of music from a time often dismissed by commentators and critics, and includes vocalists and Deejays Anthony Johnson, Bobby Melody, Junior Moore, Nemo, Triston Palmer, Early B, General Trees, Lee Van Cliff, Lone Ranger and Ranking Trevor, with backing from The Roots Radics & The Midnight Rock Crew Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare.

Tessa Violet – My God! LP (Many Hats Dist.)

Over the last year, Tessa Violet has released several standout singles – “Yes Mom”, “Breakdown”, and “Kitchen Song”, and created several of her own trends on TikTok, giving her the ability to test and create demand for new music before release. My God! is her sophomore album. Two colorways are available: yellow and pink.

Wardress – Metal Till The End LP (MDD)

Wardress was originally formed in Nürtingen in 1983 and has been dedicated to ‘80s NWOBHM ever since but failed to cement their status with an album release in their early years. Sawing riffs with surprising breaks and anthemic melodies alternating with exploding solos, complemented by bitingly ironic lyrics.

XXXTentacion – Members Only IV [Reissue/2019] 2xLP (Members Only)

Members Only is a group XXXTentacion formed as he was still bubbling beneath the surface of the mainstream. Group members have included Ski Mask the Slump God, Kid Trunks, Craig Xen, Killstation, Coolie Cut, Bass Santana, Flyboy Tarantino, Tankhead and Kin$oul. Following the release of their fourth project, Members Only IV, the collective has gone on an indefinite hiatus, with some of its most prominent members such as Craig Xen and Wifisfuneral exiting the group. Three former members including XXXTentacion have died.

Your Old Droog – The Return Of Sasquatch 7” (Nature Sounds)

Known to keep a low profile and cause pandemonium with each reemergence, rhyme writer extraordinaire Your Old Droog is debuting the appropriately titled single “The Return Of Sasquatch”, a collaboration with legendary producer Madlib. A brash, kinetic masterpiece, the track marks a historic encounter between two of the biggest names in independent hip-hop.

Zounds – Can’t Cheat Karma / War / Subvert [Reissue/1980] LP (One Little Independent)

“Peace-driven anarcho-punk.”

Cassettes:

The Band Camino – The Dark (Elektra)

The Band Camino’s second studio album The Dark features 11 tracks including the singles “Told You So”, “What Am I Missing?”, and “Last Man In The World”, which were released earlier this year and emphasize the band’s infectious, unguarded and booming, guitar-driven pop sound that has resonated with audiences worldwide. The band tapped in key collaborators Andrew Goldstein, Jordan Schmidt, Seth Ennis, Geoff Warburton, Jake Torrey, and Alysa Vanderheym to create another powerhouse body of work.

De La Soul – Art Official Intelligence : Mosaic Thump [Reissue/2000] (Chrysalis)

De La Soul – AOI : Bionix [Reissue/2001] (Chrysalis)

Cassette reissues of the legendary conscious hip-hop group’s fifth and sixth albums.

Gibraltar Drakus – Hommage A Zanzibar [Reissue/1989] (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

No shortage of colorful characters emerged from Cameroon’s bikutsi scene in the 1980’s and early ‘90s. Gibraltar Drakus is one of the most enduring and enigmatic of the artists who helped transform bikutsi into a beautifully endless fabric of triplet rhythms that eventually reached ears around the world. Following the advent of Cameroon Radio Television in 1987, bikutsi began to supplant makossa and soukous for domination of the local airwaves and the attention of cosmopolitan, thrill-seeking residents of Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé and beyond. Biktusi perfectly fused Beti traditional music and increasingly electronic, highly rhythmic guitar-based bikutsi. Mimicking the sound of village-based xylophone music by rigging a mute to electric guitar strings, bikutsi artists provided a relentlessly energetic dance format for those with a taste for music steeped in their hometown sensibility (countering the popular makossa that many felt sounded less indigenous).

Fabiano Do Nascimento – Das Nuvens (Leaving)

Los Angeles-based Fabiano Do Nascimento is a multi-string guitarist and songwriter who melds the traditional idioms of his native Brazil (i.e., samba, choro) with the more contemporary and experimental strains of jazz, pop, and electronic music. Das Nuvens (“The Clouds”), is a crisp, frequently blissful, and deceptively groove-oriented showcase from a consummate musician – a rich and varied collection of songs, all of which seem to prioritize, and thrive in, the soft and intentional spaces between notes.

Jungle – Volcano (Thanks For Your Patience Limited)

Volcano follows Jungle’s previous album Loving In Stereo, which proved to be a landmark moment for the acclaimed UK duo. This time around, the duo wanted to include a wider variety of voices within the album. In addition to Erick The Architect, they reunited with Bas (who previously featured on the “Loving In Stereo” single “Romeo”) for “Pretty Little Thing”, as well as calling on talents in the shape of Roots Manuva, Channel Tres and JNR Williams.

Poldoore – Street Bangerz Vol. 6: Playhouse [Reissue/2015] (Cold Busted)

Street Bangerz Volume 6: Playhouse comes from Belgium resident Poldoore, an instrumental immaculate album blending elements of funk, soul and lounge. “Shrooms” kicks things off with a feel-good vibe and beats at about 96BPM, a smooth bumping sub bass line, funky horns, and soulful vocal samples, resonating and charming. “Banana Hammock” is a unique tune with reggae dub influences; a crooning reggae singer sings sweetly over a velvety generous bassline and high staccato notes, and an easy going beat all bring appeal.

Tony Touch – Tony Touch Presents: The Def Tape (Official Soundtrack – Mixtape The Movie) (Def Jam)

After creating some of the most memorable mixtapes – such as his 50 MC’s series – hip-hop DJ, producer, and rapper Joseph Anthony Hernandez (aka Tony Touch) is back with a soundtrack unlike any other. The famed Brooklyn DJ was able to solicit hip-hop icons far and wide to collaborate for an in-depth look into hip-hop’s golden era in a film called The Mixtape which features classic tracks remixed by Def Jam stars such as Jeezy, Dave East, Teyana Taylor, Jadakiss, Fredo Bang and more.