Featured Titles:
Erika de Casier – Still CD/LP (4AD)
33-year-old Danish singer, songwriter and producer Erika de Casier built a cult following with her 2019 debut album Essentials, and emphatically lopped off that “cult” designation with 2021’s Sensational, her first album for 4AD. In the past few years, she’s performed at some of the biggest festivals in the world, written for pop stars (such as New Jeans) and sung on hyped dance tracks. But when she ushers you into the expanses of her third album-with a coy “Welcome… it’s gonna be a lot of fun” – she’s inviting you to leave any crass The Nordics’ Next Big Thing or Rising Alt-Pop Star epithets at the door, next to your shoes and coat. de Casier may have won a lot of new fans in the past three years, and a lot of high-profile collaborators, but as this album’s title confirms, she’s the same old Erika de Casier.
JJ Grey & Mofro – Olustee CD/LP (Alligator)
Olustee is a masterpiece of soul-shaking music. JJ’s deep Southern roots and skill as a storyteller shine through, whether he’s rocking with gospel-tent fervor or slowly winding his raspy voice around a lyric of heartbreak and loss. It’s an aggressively groove-driven record fueled by JJ’s gritty vocals and funk-infused guitar playing.
Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive CD/LP (Nonesuch)
The follow-up to their acclaimed album Life On Earth – which landed on Best of 2022 lists from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Mojo, Uncut, among others – The Past Is Still Alive sees Hurray For The Riff Raff reunite with Brad Cook, while further expanding their creative cast of collaborators. Anjimile, Conor Oberst and S. G. Goodman all join Alynda Segarra on vocals at various points throughout the LP, with a band of musicians including Cook, Libby Rodenbough, Matt Douglas, Meg Duffy of Hand Habits, Mike Mogis, Phil Cook and Yan Westerlund. Mike Mogis also mixed the album, and it was mastered by Heba Kadry. The “nature punk” of Life On Earth marked a departure for Hurray For The Riff Raff, as they contemplated surviving and thriving amidst a world in crisis. The Past Is Still Alive brings the focus back inwards, with arrangements that are raw, melodies direct and indelible, and lyrics that are personal yet largely rooted in family and community.
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME – Gloom Division CD/LP (Concord)
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME’s second album Gloom Division is a glimpse into the mind of Dallon Weekes. Produced by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT), the album is the follow-up to iDKHOW’s Razzmatazz (featuring the #1 Alternative Radio single “Leave Me Alone”), and an EP featuring the gold-certified record Choke. The most autobiographical work to date from Weekes (formerly of Panic! At The Disco), Gloom Division leaves listeners with the same sense of euphoric fascination that sparked the album’s creation.
Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer CD/LP (Metal Blade)
The iconic extreme experimental death metal lineup of Job For A Cowboy had some long-awaited unfinished business. After nearly nine long years of silence, they have awoken from their slumber, forging Moon Healer, the follow-up to their previous landmark album, Sun Eater. But why the extended wait? “I had to take a step back in the band for family. It was the catalyst that eventually created a fork in the road for all of us. We all drifted into our separate paths,” explains frontman and band co-founder Jonny Davy. “Fatherhood, additional music projects, academic degrees, and careers outside the band took priority and life’s focus,” so the band agreed on a prolonged hiatus, but with the door open for a return. “Everything lined up for us to collaborate on a new project together, it was time to cross the threshold for something new,” states Davy. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive magenta; and purple w/ black smoke.]
MGMT – Loss Of Life CD/LP (Mom + Pop)
A joyous return and everything you could want from MGMT. A very “MGMT MGMT album” which the band describes as “a group of songs about love and change, first and foremost.” Descriptors from the band include bold, flavorful, playful, sincere, optimistic, and perceptive. Loss Of Life was produced by MGMT and Patrick Wimberly (Solange, Lil Yachty, MGMT), with mixing and additional production by Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Interpol, Spoon). The album includes the first ever MGMT song with a feature, courtesy of Christine and The Queens. The album artwork has been licensed from John Baldessari’s estate and is an artwork titled Noses And Ears, Etc. (Part Two). [An indie store exclusive translucent blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner – The Good Riddance Acoustic Shows (Live) LP (Interscope)
Magenta colorway. The Good Riddance Acoustic Shows (Live) vinyl LP contains a series of songs performed live by Gracie Abrams and close collaborator Aaron Dessner during their limited run of shows last September. The songs were recorded live at the McKittrick Hotel in New York, Riverside Revival in Nashville, and the Masonic Lodge in Los Angeles.
Boys Like Girls – Sunday At Foxwoods LP (Fearless)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Multiplatinum artists Boys Like Girls released their first new studio album in over 10 years with 2023’s Sunday At Foxwoods. The album features the band’s infectious pop-rock sound that created the platinum singles “Two Is Better Than One” (feat. Taylor Swift), “Love Drunk” and “The Great Escape”. Sunday At Foxwoods has all the fun and bouncy hallmarks of their early sound with plenty of modern hooks.
Remo Drive – Mercy LP (Epitaph)
Remo Drive, the longstanding project of brothers Erik and Stephen Paulson, wants you to feel something. Following a six-year run of pristine emo-influenced rock ‘n’ roll records comes Mercy, the band’s fourth album. It’s the band’s most lyric-focused offering to date, a record about reinvention, trusting yourself, and wearing your heart on your sleeve even when it’s painful or vulnerable. Sonically, Mercy is also a major departure for Remo Drive. It’s less indebted to the emo and pop punk that foregrounded the duo’s career and instead invested in thorny, baroque indie pop byway of Father John Misty and Fleet Foxes.
CDs + Vinyl:
Allie X – Girl With No Face CD/LP (Twin Music Inc.)
Allie X’s fourth album, Girl With No Face, is a daring excavation of her identity. A maniacal journey into the mind of an artist who just spent three years in isolation, refusing any input as she became the solitary producer, writer, and creative voice for the first time in her career. Infused with early 80’s British experimentalism, with nods to The Human League and New Order, the album is a strident move away from 2020’s introspective and spare Cape God — so much faster, more threatening. [Two vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive mustard yellow; and oxblood.]
Amigo The Devil – Yours Until The War Is Over CD/LP (Liars Club)
The next chapter of Danny Kiranos, p/k/a Amigo the Devil, continues with Yours Until the War Is Over – his most disarming and singular work to date. The 13-track project weaves themes of relatable self-destruction and trauma bonding with arresting authenticity. Riddled with obscure literary references – akin to Kiranos’ maniac reading habit – the album proves that this whole Amigo The Devil thing isn’t some true crime niche. Yours Until the War Is Over is a songwriter’s record. [An indie store exclusive white/black swirl color vinyl pressing is available.]
Liam Bailey – Zero Grace CD/LP (Big Crown)
Following the success of 2020’s Ekundayo album, the tried-and-true chemistry of Bailey and producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) is on full display again as they take the sound they established and push it further. On Zero Grace they lean more into the bleeding-heart singer-songwriter side of Liam. The result, much like Bailey himself, is impulsively honest without reserve. The title Zero Grace represents his uninhibited energy. He wears his heart on his sleeve, he speaks his mind without filters, and he has little concern for formalities where his ambitions are concerned. [An indie store exclusive sea glass color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jazmin Bean – Traumatic Livelihood CD/LP (Interscope)
Traumatic Livelihood is the highly anticipated debut album from Jazmin Bean. The non-binary, London-based artist continues their evolution, by inviting listeners into their unparalleled universe of alternative, infectious pop. Traumatic Livelihood is emotionally laden, and explores themes of consent, addiction, and relationships. It pairs otherworldly visuals with music that represents the sound and spirit of Generation Z’s genderless subculture – unapologetic and impossible to define. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Can – Live In Paris 1973 CD/2xLP (Mute)
Live In Paris 1973 finds Can in magical form for a performance recorded at L’Olympia in Paris on 12 May 1973, marking the first of the live series to feature Damo Suzuki on vocals. From 1970-73 the core line up of Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit, Michael Karoli, and Holger Czukay were joined by Japanese improviser and vocalist Suzuki. They met after a chance encounter while Suzuki was busking in Munich, and several months after the Paris 1973 performance his wanderlust would take him back on the road.
Darkest Hour – Perpetual Terminal CD/LP (MNRK Heavy)
DC’s Darkest Hour combines the passion, energy, and soul of punk/hardcore with the style, speed, vengeance and fury of melodic speed/thrash/death metal. [A limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Erika de Casier – Still CD/LP (4AD)
33-year-old Danish singer, songwriter and producer Erika de Casier built a cult following with her 2019 debut album Essentials, and emphatically lopped off that “cult” designation with 2021’s Sensational, her first album for 4AD. In the past few years, she’s performed at some of the biggest festivals in the world, written for pop stars (such as New Jeans) and sung on hyped dance tracks. But when she ushers you into the expanses of her third album-with a coy “Welcome… it’s gonna be a lot of fun”- she’s inviting you to leave any crass The Nordics’ Next Big Thing or Rising Alt-Pop Star epithets at the door, next to your shoes and coat. de Casier may have won a lot of new fans in the past three years, and a lot of high-profile collaborators, but as this album’s title confirms, she’s the same old Erika de Casier.
Dust Bolt – Sound & Fury CD/LP (AFM)
New album from the Bavarian thrash metal band. [A limited-edition white w/ black marbled color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ektomorf – Vivid Black CD/LP (AFM)
14th album by the Hungarian groove metal band. [A limited edition dark red w/ black color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bill Fahey Group – Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow CD/2xLP (Dead Oceans)
The temptation to mythologize Bill Fay can be overwhelming; Fay was, for decades, as prolific as he was under-appreciated. Fay’s unsung-hero status has changed slowly, steadily, on the order of almost twenty-five years. With each new album comes new hosannas and evangelizers – Jeff Tweedy, Kevin Morby, Adam Granduciel and Julia Jacklin, to name just a few. The Bill Fay Group, in particular, is Fay’s most significant collaborative work; he records as a member of a larger group here, and the result summons a grander sonic scale, an elegent counterweight to Fay’s instincts for the understated. Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow brings to bear the galactic qualities of early rock, the intricacy of jazz improv, and Fay’s earthy folk magic.
Ace Frehley – 10,000 Volts CD/LP (MNRK Heavy)
10,000 volts sees Ace perform electrifying, hard-hitting, riff-heavy rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal. [Multiple color vinyl pressings are available, including indie store exclusive splatter.
Ghost Funk Orchestra – A Trip To The Moon CD/LP (Colemine)
Coming off the heels of 2022’s A New Kind Of Love, A Trip To The Moon sees GFO diving even deeper in the worlds of film music, exotica, and psychedelic surf rock. The aim is to create a layered and collaged listening experience with more elements than you could possibly pick out in a single listen. The guitars are fuzzy and flooded with spring reverb, and the horns are arranged in a studio big band fashion. It’s full of big compositions with garage rock attitude. Influences range everywhere from Eddie Palmieri and Esquivel to The Lively Ones, Dusty Springfield, and War. The tracks are tied together by real recorded transmissions from the Apollo moon missions. [A limited-edition sea glass w/ black swirl color vinyl pressing is available.]
JJ Grey & Mofro – Olustee CD/LP (Alligator)
Olustee is a masterpiece of soul-shaking music. JJ’s deep Southern roots and skill as a storyteller shine through, whether he’s rocking with gospel-tent fervor or slowly winding his raspy voice around a lyric of heartbreak and loss. It’s an aggressively groove-driven record fueled by JJ’s gritty vocals and funk-infused guitar playing.
Haystack – Doomsday Goes Away CD/LP (Threeman Recordings)
Doomsday Goes Away isn’t merely an album; it stands out as a testament to Haystack’s unwavering significance in the power-rock-noise-landscape. Its ten fearless tracks echo a mantra of raw authenticity: “No bullshit, no trends, just honesty, in your face anarchy and hope.” Conceived in a fervent four-day recording sprint, the album showcases the band’s raw spontaneity. Stripped down to its core, recorded live with minimal overdubs, there’s no hiding behind dense production this time. It’s unfiltered, pure Haystack.
Halm – Runner CD/LP (Halm Music)
Runner, the third full length album by Halm, is the result of 15 years of intense touring, a global pandemic and finding themselves in a new context, both personally and musically. Together with producer Johannes Bergenheim and engineer Roger Krieg Halm made a 10-track album of Scandinavian Americana music that flows between acoustic fragility to heavy rock riffs.
He Who Walks Behind The Rows – They Thought They Were Alone CD/LP (Heptown)
He Who Walks Behind The Rows continues to write songs based on your favorite scary movies. The album They Thought They Were Alone contains twelve new songs about evil, violence, bloodshed, and death and even though you haven’t seen all of the movies yet; they all serve their purpose once again, to introduce even more people to the glorious world of horror movies. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive CD/LP (Nonesuch)
The follow-up to their acclaimed album Life On Earth – which landed on Best of 2022 lists from the New York Times, Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Mojo, Uncut, among others – The Past Is Still Alive sees Hurray For The Riff Raff reunite with Brad Cook, while further expanding their creative cast of collaborators. Anjimile, Conor Oberst and S. G. Goodman all join Alynda Segarra on vocals at various points throughout the LP, with a band of musicians including Cook, Libby Rodenbough, Matt Douglas, Meg Duffy of Hand Habits, Mike Mogis, Phil Cook and Yan Westerlund. Mike Mogis also mixed the album, and it was mastered by Heba Kadry. The “nature punk” of Life On Earth marked a departure for Hurray For The Riff Raff, as they contemplated surviving and thriving amidst a world in crisis. The Past Is Still Alive brings the focus back inwards, with arrangements that are raw, melodies direct and indelible, and lyrics that are personal yet largely rooted in family and community.
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME – Gloom Division CD/LP (Concord)
I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME’s second album Gloom Division is a glimpse into the mind of Dallon Weekes. Produced by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT), the album is the follow-up to iDKHOW’s Razzmatazz (featuring the #1 Alternative Radio single “Leave Me Alone”), and an EP featuring the gold-certified record Choke. The most autobiographical work to date from Weekes (formerly of Panic! At The Disco), Gloom Division leaves listeners with the same sense of euphoric fascination that sparked the album’s creation.
Integrity – All Death Is Mine: Total Domination CD/LP (Relapse)
All Death Is Mine: Total Domination is a collection of rarities and unreleased tracks from the last seven years of Integrity’s domination. The album includes covers of Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead, Misfits and more. [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer CD/LP (Metal Blade)
The iconic extreme experimental death metal lineup of Job For A Cowboy had some long-awaited unfinished business. After nearly nine long years of silence, they have awoken from their slumber, forging Moon Healer, the follow-up to their previous landmark album, Sun Eater. But why the extended wait? “I had to take a step back in the band for family. It was the catalyst that eventually created a fork in the road for all of us. We all drifted into our separate paths,” explains frontman and band co-founder Jonny Davy. “Fatherhood, additional music projects, academic degrees, and careers outside the band took priority and life’s focus,” so the band agreed on a prolonged hiatus, but with the door open for a return. “Everything lined up for us to collaborate on a new project together, it was time to cross the threshold for something new,” states Davy. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available: indie store exclusive magenta; and purple w/ black smoke.]
Meiko Kaji – Gincho Wataridori [Reissue/1972] CD/LP (Wewantsounds)
Meiko Kaji’s debut album features the song “Gincho Wataridori” a theme song for the eponymous gangster film released by Toei Films in 1972 (and known outside of Japan as “Wandering Ginza Butterfly”). On the cover of the album, Meiko wears the kimono she wears in the film. The song showcases Kaji’s distinctive singing over a funky backbeat and fuzz guitar. The first of a series of five LPs produced for Teichiku between 1972 and 1974, Gincho Wataridori marks the beginning of Meiko Kaji’s fruitful career as a recording artist and is a unique testament of her singing talent.
Kirlian Camera – Radio Signals For The Dying 2xCD/2xLP (Dependent)
Kirlian Camera is an ever churning maelstrom of creativity and musical innovation. Their inspirational power is both destructive when it comes to limitations of genre, style, and conventions as well as constructive for example regarding building a new sonic architecture on the ruins of the old. The Italians latest masterpiece, Radio Signals For The Dying, is no exception as a new artistic high-watermark. [A translucent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Le Sserafi – 3rd Mini Album ‘EASY’ Balmy Flex CD (Source Music)
Le Sserafi – 3rd Mini Album ‘EASY’ (Compact Ver.) CD (Source Music)
Le Sserafi – 3rd Mini Album ‘EASY’ Featherly Lotus CD (Source Music)
Le Sserafi – 3rd Mini Album ‘EASY’ Sheer Myrrh CD (Source Music)
New mini album from the K-Pop group – available in an array of collectable versions.
Corb Lund – El Viejo CD/LP (New West)
“I’ve been wanting to make a record like this for a long time. The band, Franny and I produced it ourselves in my living room with no adults present. It’s all acoustic, not an electric lick on the album… banjos and mandos and string basses and stripped-down drums. I put a ton of work into the tunes and I’m pretty proud of this batch. Had a little help from my old co-writing pal Jaida Dreyer on a couple, also wrote a good one with my screenwriter buddy, Brian Koppelman. Lots of gambling songs and lots of minor keys. And my band guys absolutely killed it too, they’re all badasses. I’m dedicating the record to my old compadre, Ian Tyson, who passed away a few months back. I’ve named the album for him as well. ‘El Viejo’, or ‘the old one’ is what our mutual friend Tom Russell took to calling him in later years. The title track is a special one for us. We had a blast making this thing, and we hope you enjoy it too.” [Two indie store exclusive versions are available: autographed CD and limited-edition autographed clear w/ black & white splatter.]
Melissa Manchester – Re:view CD (Green Hill)
This milestone release features iconic collaborations, including new versions of “Whenever I Call You Friend” with Kenny Loggins and “Midnight Blue” with Dolly Parton. Guest artists Gerald Albright and Dave Koz join the symphony of nostalgia and innovation. Immerse yourself in this musical journey where five decades of brilliance converge in a star-studded celebration.
Mick Mars – The Other Side Of Mars CD/LP (1313 LLC)
When Mick Mars stepped back from touring with Mötley Crüe – the band he co-founded more than 40 years ago – following their massive summer 2022 stadium tour, it seemed like the end of an era. Really, it was the beginning of a new one. The legendary guitarist, whose riffs, solos and overall, devastatingly heavy sound powered the L.A. icons through four decades of world-conquering, multi-platinum sonic mayhem is, as he demonstrates on his debut solo effort, still a serious force to be reckoned with. Only now, listeners are reckoning with more Mars than ever before. On the aptly-titled The Other Side Of Mars, fans get that vision in it’s full, multifarious glory.
MGMT – Loss Of Life CD/LP (Mom + Pop)
A joyous return and everything you could want from MGMT. A very “MGMT MGMT album” which the band describes as “a group of songs about love and change, first and foremost.” Descriptors from the band include: bold, flavorful, playful, sincere, optimistic, anf perceptive. Loss Of Life was produced by MGMT and Patrick Wimberly (Solange, Lil Yachty, MGMT), with mixing and additional production by Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Interpol, Spoon). The album includes the first ever MGMT song with a feature, courtesy of Christine and The Queens. The album artwork has been licensed from John Baldessari’s estate and is an artwork titled Noses And Ears, Etc. (Part Two). [An indie store exclusive translucent blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Modern English – 1 2 3 4 CD/LP (Inkind Music)
Modern English’s new album, 1 2 3 4 – produced by Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Nine Inch Nails), mixed by Cenzo Townsend, and mastered at Abbey Road – retains the intrinsic spirit of these early, post-punk days and is also a sterling sonic example of what Modern English have always done best. The album encompasses seething songs with punk bite (“Long in The Tooth”, “Plastic”), keyboard-forward melodic rockers (“Not Fake”, “Crazy Lovers”) and simmering, darkwave-meets-post-punk gems (“Exploding”, “Out To Lunch”).
Motörhead – The Löst Tapes – The Collection (Vol. 1-5) 8xCD (BMG)
Now collating all five volumes in the series in this 8xCD Box Set, you can relive Motörhead live and loud from the UK and Europe with rare, riotous sets and 97 tracks spanning the decades from: The Löst Tapes Vol 1: Live At Sala Aqualung, Madrid 1st June 1995 (2xCD) / The Löst Tapes Vol 2: Live At University Of East Anglia Norwich, 18th October 1998 (2xCD) / The Löst Tapes Vol 3: Live At KB Hallen, Malmö 17th November 2000 (2CD) / The Löst Tapes Vol 4: Live At Sporthalle, Heilbronn, 29th December 1984 (1xCD) / The Löst Tapes Vol 5: Live At Donington, Download Festival 13th June 2008 (1xCD). [The Lost Tapes Vol 5 (Live At Donnington 2008) is available this week on yellow color vinyl.]
Levy O’Donel – Simba [Reissue/1974] CD/LP (Mr Bongo)
Baltimore-born, Levy was already well regarded as one of the best up-and-coming jazz guitarists at the time of Simba‘s release. Having toured with George Benson and Jimmy McGriff, as well as featuring on McGriff’s Black Pearl album on Blue Note, he went on to sign with Sonny Lester’s Groove Merchant. A masterclass in tight yet effortlessly funk-driven rhythms, the tracks showcase these musicians at their zenith.
Plantoid – Terrapath CD/LP (Bella Union)
The cover art for Plantoid’s debut album, the jazzy, prog-rock opus Terrapath, is a desolate, misty landscape, where a massive half-vegetable, half-machine structure resembling a spaceship looms above figures shrouded in shadow. It’s weird and eerie, but it also ignites a feeling of wonder and nostalgia, like cracking open your favorite sci-fi novel as a kid. Musically, Plantoid’s cauldron harnesses multiple subgenres at once to concoct a sort of primordial soup, the molecules of which are built as much from progressive rock as they are jazz, fusion, folk, and even a bit of ’70s hard rock for good measure.
Real Estate – Daniel CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Real Estate’s sixth full-length album Daniel was recorded in an ebullient nine-day spree at RCA Studio A, in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves). In 11 compulsively tuneful songs, they connect the uninhibited wonder of their earliest work with the earned perspective of adulthood. Several days into recording, all five members of Real Estate were discussing album titles when someone suggested “Daniel,” simply because it seemed funny to bestow a human name upon a record. Was it for Daniel Tashian? Maybe. Was it a nod to The Replacements’ Tim? Possibly. Was it the sign of a band that has now been around long enough to take its music seriously without taking itself or its perception too seriously? Absolutely. [An indie store excusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Revival Season – Golden Age Of Self Snitching CD/LP (Heavenly)
Foreseen by oracles and foretold by angels, the coming together of rapper Brandon “BEZ” (B Easy) Evans and beatmaker/producer Jonah Swilley was, by their own admission, a divine appointment. Both halves musically and spiritually forged in the twin flames of Georgia’s Pentecostal churches and grassroots hip-hop scene, Revival Season tell straight-shooting tales of our golden age – chop, cops, badass bitches, self-snitches, drug-dealing, and revolution – chronicling and critiquing the culture over baselines and beats that kick squarely in the teeth with a platform boot.
Laetitia Sadier – Rooting For Love CD/LP (Drag City)
Laetitia issues a call to the traumatized civilizations of Earth: we’re urged to finally evolve past our countless millennia of suffering and alienation. Her songs score the complexities and harmonies within this directive: organ, guitar, bass, synth, trombone, vibraphone, live and programmed drums, and a vocal assembly of men and women billed as The Choir, working intricate chord/tempo/and dynamic changes, as Laetitia’s empathic presence leads the way.
Philip Sayce – The Wolves Are Coming CD/LP (Forty Below)
The Wolves Are Coming is powerful, unique, and brash. Signature fuzz tones and sledgehammer mountain-sized drum grooves with delicate, intimate, and dynamic performances. “These songs and stories came into focus during my darkest times. The Wolves Are Coming represents a bridge – a connection between despair and hope – that invites broken spirits to be transformed and healed.” – Philip Sayce.
Slade – Live At The New Victoria CD/LP (BMG)
Slade – Til Deaf Do Us Part [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (BMG)
Slade’s Live At The New Victoria is the powerful live performance taken from their London show in April 1975. The setlist features the hits “How Does It Feel”, “Gudbuy T’Jane”, “Far Far Away”, “Mama Weer All Crazee Now”, as well as longtime stage favorite “Just A Little Bit”. Following the success of 1981’s We’ll Bring The House Down Slade continued their new found resurgence with Till Deaf Do Us Part. The album features the single “Lock Up Your Daughters” as well as other tracks that were to become staples of the Slade live set over the years including “Rock and Roll Preacher” (which became the band’s new opener) as well as “Ruby Red” and “Knuckle Sandwich Nancy”.
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – of the Last Human Being CD/2xLP (Joyful Noise)
After thirteen years of hibernation, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, the most gloriously uncategorizable American band in existence, has emerged from stasis with their fourth studio album of the Last Human Being. The group has consistently evaded easy categorization, garnering accolades from across the aisles of contemporary classical music, prog rock, industrial music, metal, avant-garde improv, and more. Their music, in turns bashing and bucolic, enveloping and unsettling, tends towards long-form epics interspersed with mysterious field recordings. [Two vinyl colorways are available: gold nugget and oxblood.]
Rod Stewart with Jools Holland – Swing Fever CD/LP (WB)
Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra present the exquisite Swing Fever – a 13-track sparkling salute to the timeless songs of the big band years, reignited by two giants of their craft. – For the first time, Britain’s new partners in swing have united on record to share their peerless dexterity on a tribute to such truly great songs as “Ain’t Misbehavin”, “Frankie And Johnny”, “Sentimental Journey” and “Lullaby Of Broadway”.
Mary Timony – Untame The Tiger CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
For more than 30 years, singer-songwriter and guitar hero Mary Timony has cut a distinctive path through the world of independent music, most recently as vocalist and guitarist of acclaimed garage-pop power trio Ex Hex but also as a member of seminal post-punk band Autoclave, celebrated leader of the deeply influential Helium, multifaceted solo artist, and a co-founder of supergroup Wild Flag. Described by Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein as “Mary Shelley with a guitar” and dubbed “a trailblazer and an innovator” by Lindsey Jordan a.k.a. Snail Mail, Timony has distinguished herself as one of her generation’s most influential guitarists and songwriters. The mystical, acoustic-driven Untame The Tiger emerged after the dissolution of a long-term relationship and was bookended by the deaths of Mary Timony’s father and mother. The album was recorded during a two-year period during which she was the primary caregiver for her ailing parents. [An indie store exclusive neon pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Today Was Yesterday – Today Was Yesterday CD/LP (Music Theories)
Today Was Yesterday is the fresh and exciting new project of Angelo Barbera and Ty Dennis, two friends and veterans of the Los Angeles music industry. Their self-titled debut album showcases their talent and passion for creating timeless songs that blend catchy melodies, meaningful lyrics, and superb musicianship that is inspired by the bands that have left a lasting mark on music history. The album features guitar legends Alex Lifeson (Rush), and Robby Krieger (The Doors), who add their signature sound that helps make this release an instant classic. Today Was Yesterday is more than just a band name, it’s a statement of timeless music that transcends genres and generations. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
TWICE – With YOU-th (Blast Ver.) CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
TWICE – With YOU-th (Digipack Ver.) CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
TWICE – With YOU-th (Forever Ver.) CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
TWICE – With YOU-th (Glowing Ver.) CD (Jyp Ent/Republic)
“Known as the biggest K-pop girl group in the world, TWICE is back with a new album With YOU-th which tells the members’ tight sisterhood and unbreakable bond, providing a glimpse into their radiant youth together.
Various Artists [Reneé Rapp / Auli’i Cravalho] – Mean Girls (Music From The Motion Picture) CD (Interscope)
Based on the 2018 Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 film, the Mean Girls soundtrack features songs from several of the movie’s stars including Reneé Rapp as Regina George, Angourie Rice as Cady Heron, Auli’i Cravalho as Janis ‘Imi’ike, Avantika as Karen Shetty, and more. Also featuring the single “Not My Fault” by Reneé Rapp with rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion. [A candy floss color vinyl pressing is due April 19.]
Lenny Williams – Chill [Reissue/CD (Omnivore Recordings)
Digitally remastered edition of the 1994 release from the lead singer of Tower Of Power and lead vocalist on Kenny G’s “Don’t Make Me Wait For Love”. Chill contains originals from Williams, Glass, and other Duotones contributors, as well as covers of hits by Daryl Hall & John Oates (“Sara Smile”) and McFadden & Whitehead (“Ain’t No Stopppin’ Us Now”).
Mike Zito – Life Is Hard CD (Sono Recording Group)
Zito recorded the new album in September at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California, with Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith producing. Both Bonamassa and Smith were involved in the production of Blood Brothers, the critically acclaimed album Zito recorded with fellow label guitarist Albert Castiglia. The dozen tracks on Life Is Hard include not only several Mike Zito originals, but also his takes on a wide variety of blues songs written by such contemporaries as Tinsley Ellis, Walter Trout, Tab Benoit and Fred James.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
The Hollies – Look Through Any Window 1963-1975 DVD (Mercury Studios)
The Hollies were one of the most successful British groups of the ‘60s and early ‘70s and have continued to perform up to the present day. Look Through Any Window tells the story of their peak years, from 1963 to 1975, when the band clocked up 27 UK Top 40 singles, 17 of which were Top 10s.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner – The Good Riddance Acoustic Shows (Live) LP (Interscope)
Magenta colorway. The Good Riddance Acoustic Shows (Live) vinyl LP contains a series of songs performed live by Gracie Abrams and close collaborator Aaron Dessner during their limited run of shows last September. The songs were recorded live at the McKittrick Hotel in New York, Riverside Revival in Nashville, and the Masonic Lodge in Los Angeles.
Azymuth – Outubro [Reissue/1980] LP (Far Out Recordings)
Limited blue colorway. Following on from their seminal Light As A Feather LP, Outubro (October) was originally released in 1980 and began Azymuth’s run of prolific output for Milestone Records throughout the decade. Typifying the consummate craftsmanship of the three members’ performances – each with such distinct personality and together so perfectly balanced – their perfectionist attitude to sound is maintained across the production on the album, beautifully coloring the expressionist fusion of samba rhythm, jazz progression, funk attitude and psychedelic electronics.
Bad Brains – Omega Sessions [Reissue/1997] LP (Org Music)
Omega Sessions is a five-song EP recorded by Bad Brains in 1980 and released in 1997. The tracks were recorded and mixed at the original Omega Recording Studios in Rockville, Maryland. The EP contains early versions of songs that eventually appeared on later releases, including a reading of “I Against I”. Side B of the LP features a custom etching. [A limited-edition ‘emerald haze’ colorway is available.]
Balthazar – Applause [Reissue/2010] LP (PIAS America)
Balthazar – Rats [Reissue/2012] LP (PIAS America)
Balthazar – Thin Walls [Reissue/2015] LP (PIAS America)
Color vinyl reissues of the Belgian indie rock band’s first three albums.
Thomas Bangalter – Daaaaaali LP (Ed Banger)
Daaaaaali is the new movie from Quentin Dupieux (aka Mr Oizo). This is the original soundtrack by Thomas Bangalter.
Eric Benét – A Day In The Life [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Rhino)
Double black ice color vinyl pressing of the second studio album by the R&B singer.
The Black Dahlia Murder – Unhallowed [Reissue/2003] LP (Metal Blade)
The Black Dahlia Murder – Miasma [Reissue/2005] LP (Metal Blade)
The Black Dahlia Murder – Nocturnal [Reissue/2007] LP (Metal Blade)
New multi-colorways of the first three albums by the melodic metal band.
Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry [Reissue/2014] LP (Debemur Morti Prod.)
Blut Aus Nord – s Deus Salutis Meæ [Reissue/2017] LP (Debemur Morti Prod.)
New colorways: limited gold & black and black smoke, respectively of two albums by the French black metal innovator.
Boys Like Girls – Sunday At Foxwoods LP (Fearless)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Multiplatinum artists Boys Like Girls released their first new studio album in over 10 years with 2023’s Sunday At Foxwoods. The album features the band’s infectious pop-rock sound that created the platinum singles “Two Is Better Than One” (feat. Taylor Swift), “Love Drunk” and “The Great Escape”. Sunday At Foxwoods has all the fun and bouncy hallmarks of their early sound with plenty of modern hooks.
Brownsville Station – Yeah! [Reissue/1973] LP (Friday Music)
New translucent red colorway. Celebrate five decades of Brownsville Station’s classic power rock masterwork Yeah! Featuring the global hit single “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” Original Big Tree LP cover artwork restored. Also includes the tracks “Sweet Jane” “Love, Love, Love” “Lightning Bar Blues” and “Take It Or Leave It”.
BTS – Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’ [Reissue/2018] LP (Bighit Music/Hybe)
White colorway. For the first time ever, BTS’ highly successful mini album Love Yourself 轉 ‘Tear’ is now available on vinyl.
Betty Carter – The Modern Sound Of Betty Carter [Reissue/1960] LP (Verve)
This 1960 album’s inventive Richard Weiss arrangements combine with Carter’s uniquely masterful – and modern – vocals for fresh takes on standards. Highlights include a lively run through “What A Little Moonlight Can Do”, inspired scatting on “On The Alamo” and a beautifully tender take on “There’s No You”.
Catch Your Breath – Shame On Me LP (Invogue)
Two colorways: ‘butter cream’ and ‘peach sorbet’. Catch Your Breath is a fresh, burgeoning alt-rock band based out of Austin, Texas. The band’s highly anticipated album Shame On Me cultivates a relatable story, as Mowery takes fans and new listeners on a life-long journey. The record hones in on crafting a tale of trauma and mental health. Each track is laced with vulnerability connecting with the band’s fanbase as they explore revelations of triumph through the passion of music.
Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Karl Berger, Bo Stief, Aldo Romano – Live At The Liederhalle In Stuttgart May 12, 1966 LP Modern Silence)
The legendary Don Cherry with his great 1966 quintet featuring Gato Barbieri on tenor sax, Karl Berger on piano, Bo Stief on bass and Aldo Romano on drums. This quintet can also be heard on three releases on ESP-Disk’, three volumes titled Live at Café Monmartre 1966 (ESPDISK 4032CD, 4043CD and 4051CD) and with the New York Total Music Company in 1968. This recording is taken from an excellent radio broadcast.
Colouring – Love To You, Mate LP (Bella Union)
“I’ve always been on the side of writing up scenarios rather than being really honest about my life,” says Jack Kenworthy of Colouring about his second album Love To You, Mate. “This is the first time I’ve been able to do that. I’ve not been scared of it because it’s not my story. It’s a shared one.” The Nottingham-based songwriter and producer’s life was upended in February 2021, months before the release of his debut album, Wake, when his brother-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. What followed was the most “unbelievable” year of togetherness when life seemed set on fracturing the life of a young man. Colouring has been a solo project since Wake, an album influenced by the ‘00s post-Britpop greats (early Coldplay, Elbow, Keane) but taking electronic and rhythmic cues from Radiohead and James Blake.
Conway The Machine – Conductor Machine LP (Near Min)
Demond Price, known professionally as Conway The Machine, is an American rapper. Alongside his paternal half-brother Westside Gunn and cousin Benny the Butcher, Conway was a member of Griselda Records. Joining forces with Grammy Winning Griselda producer Conductor Williams and Near Mint Records he is here to showcase a side of artistic hip-hop outside of his usual lane.
The Cult – Dreamtime [Reissue/1984] LP (Beggars Banquet)
The Cult released their debut album Dreamtime in 1984. To celebrate its 40th anniversary two new editions are available: standard black; and an indie store exclusive oxblood colorway. While the origins of The Cult began a few years earlier, Dreamtime was an epic start to The Cult’s long and amazing career. The album has become legendary amongst fans and marks the beginning of their definitive sound. Goth and psychedelic leaning, Dreamtime was included by Kerrang in a list of essential goth albums you need to know and “Spiritwalker” is a radio staple.
The Dead Weather – Horehound [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Third Man)
The Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards [Reissue/2009] LP (Third Man)
The Dead Weather’s full length debut LP Horehound is a double-album dose of black magic riffs, fuzzed-out guitorgan, and painful peons to the devil-knows-what. The Dead Weather’s sophomore effort Sea Of Cowards is as feral and unrelenting as their debut. Released in May 2010, the lead-off track “Blue Blood Blues” would become one of the band’s most loved songs. Sea Of Cowards is noteworthy for being the first record in history to contain songs hidden underneath the center labels of the disc.
Olivia Dean – Messy LP (Island)
UK soul-pop star Olivia Dean’s long-awaited debut album Messy features the singles “Danger” and “UFO”. The album cements Dean as one of the most original and versatile voices in UK pop. Crafting classic yet conversational hooks with genre-fluid tinges, she’s honed a way of exploring universal themes of love, loss, and everything in between with razor-sharp but open-hearted storytelling.
Jerry Douglas – Traveler [Reissue/2012] LP (Dualtone Music Group)
Available for the first time on vinyl. With Traveler, Jerry has finally recorded an album that will even further elevate his already impressive stature from super-sideman to a bona fide front-rank creator of musical Americana. Produced by Russ Titelman and recorded in New Orleans, Nashville, and London, this ambitious collection of vocals and instrumentals enlists a truly awesome cast of characters in support of an epic vision that combines Country/Bluegrass, R&B, and even a ballad with roots in the British Isles. [An indie store exclusive dark blue with white swirl colorway is available.]
Erick The Architect – I’ve Never Been Here Before LP (Architect)
White colorway. I’ve Never Been Here Before is Erick the Architect’s highly anticipated solo debut. The album features 16 tracks, a deeply personal and powerful work that explores themes of fearlessness, Black resilience, beauty in darkness and unity over a thrilling mix of hip-hop, soul, dub, psych and beyond. Several years in the making, Erick crafted it in his Los Angeles home studio, and it features several longtime collaborators and new friends: Joey Bada$$, Westside Boogie, George Clinton, Channel Tres, Kimbra, Lalah Hathaway, RÜDE CÅT, Boy Boy, Pale Jay and FARR. Also known as the main producer and founding member of influential Brooklyn rap group Flatbush Zombies, Erick worked with several producers including several tracks with celebrated electronic musician James Blake. The result is a statement-making collection of razor-sharp songs from an artist set free by being his authentic self, and embracing the vulnerability that comes with it.
Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – Souvenirs LP (Mississippi)
The first vocal album by beloved Ethiopian nun, composer, and pianist Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – profound and deeply moving home cassette recordings made amidst political upheaval and turmoil. These songs, recorded 1977-1985, are different from anything previously released by the artist. Rich with the sound of birds outside the window, the creak of the piano bench, the thump of Emahoy’s finger on the record button, they create a sense of place, of being near the artist while she records. Emahoy dreamt of releasing this music to a larger audience before her passing in March of 2023.
F***cked Up – The Chemistry Of Common Life [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Matador)
15th anniversary orange colorway. F***ed Up’s now classic album The Chemistry Of Common Life synthesizes numerous diverse impulses into an expansive epic about the mysteries of birth, death, and the origins of life (and re-living). Merging elements of hardcore songwriting with up to 70 tracks of guitars, organs, winds, and vocals, (including 18 guitars on the first single, the fatalistic “No Epiphany”), the music remains iconoclastic and startling, with Pink Eyes’ vocals front and center. Guest musicians, of course, abound, notably gorgeous voices such as Brooklyn’s Vivian Girls and Toronto’s Katie Stelmanis.
Stan Getz – Previously Unreleased Recordings [Reissue/1974] LP (Verve)
Stan Getz and Bill Evans are about as close as musicians can get in terms of artistry, musical philosophy, and technique. These sessions, recorded in 1963 with drummer Elvin Jones and bassists Ron Carter (Side A) and Richard Davis (Side B), perfectly blend their strong individual styles and collaborative sensibilities, with both artists at the peak of their creative powers.
Ghost – Ghost [Reissue/1990] LP (Drag City)
Ghost – The Second Time Around [Reissue/1992] LP (Drag City)
Ghost – Temple Stone [Reissue/1994] LP (Drag City)
Color vinyl reissues of the Japanese experimental rock and improvisation group’s first three albums. Formed in 1984, Ghost burgeoned slowly, blowing open the gate in 1990 with their eponymous debut. Opening with a vast spirit-plosion – shards of antique light and clouds of centuries-old, dust-laden airs escaping from a primeval tomb – they settle into the deep feeling. A variety of mostly acoustic instruments aids their projection of traditional sounds from space and time, troubadours of unknown, an enigma of eternal trippiness all about them.
Debbie Gibson – Electric Youth [Reissue/1989] LP (Friday Music)
Red colorway. Electric Youth is the second studio album by singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson, originally released in 1989.
Astrid Gilberto – Look To The Rainbow [Reissue/1966] LP (Verve)
1966’s Look To The Rainbow is one of the jewels of Astrud Gilberto’s catalog and of the bossa nova canon. Teaming with arranger Gil Evans and producer Creed Taylor, the orchestral backing perfectly complements Astrud’s whispery, understated voice, especially on the title track and the sweet ballad, “I Will Wait For You”.
Glitterer – Rationale LP (ANTI-)
Offering fuzzy grunge-pop with doses of shimmering synths and emo angst, Ned Russin co-fronted Title Fight before halting in 2018 and Ned began playing music as Glitterer. Now a full band, Glitterer returns with Rationale, combining ‘90s grunge, capital-R riffs a la The Stooges, and a keyboard lead that gives self-deprecating melodrama.
Guava – Out Of Nowhere LP (Guava Noise)
Guava is the moniker for Bradley Hutchings, a British producer, composer, multi-instrument performer and DJ based in Berlin. Following up on a string of celebrated club-centric releases, Guava unveils his first solo album, Out Of Nowhere. This confident and explorative debut sees Bradley Hutchings embrace new directions, gracefully blending the best in UK underground club sounds with an electronica feel.
Hellhammer – Apocalyptic Raids [Reissue/1984] LP (Noise)
Apocalyptic Raids is an EP by the Swiss extreme metal band Hellhammer, originally released in 1984. The record was a major influence on the then-emerging death metal and black metal genres. It has served as an inspiration to such varied and respected bands as Napalm Death and Sepultura, both of whom recorded cover versions of “Messiah”.
Hungover – When It Touches The Heart, Everything Resolves LP (Smartpunk)
Hungover delivers the long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed EP Wilt with their debut full length entitled When It Touches The Heart, Everything Resolves. The band teams up with long time collaborators Sean Dolich and Alan Reitman, along with the help of Alan Douches (Fall Out Boy, Mayday Parade), to push the boundaries once again of what it means to be a pop rock band. The Orlando natives expand their patented take on guitar-driven popular songs to incorporate elements of emo and pop punk; resulting in a polished record that bends the genres that the band has long been associated with.
King Diamond – Masquerade Of Madness 12” (Metal Blade)
Beige colorway. “Masquerade Of Madness” was originally released as a digital single on November 8th, 2019. Now, it is available for the first time on vinyl. The 3-track EP adds the tracks “Welcome Home (Live at Graspop)” and “Arrival (Live at Graspop)”. Includes a collectable paper mask.
Kix – Blow My Fuse [Reissue/1988] LP (Friday Music)
Limited red color vinyl pressing. Blow My Fuse is the fourth album by the glam metal band Kix, originally released in 1988. The album features the power ballad “Don’t Close Your Eyes”,
Fela Anikulapo Kuti* & Afrika 70 – Ikoyi Blindness [Reissue/1976] LP (Knitting Factory)
Fḛlá Anikulapo-Kuti – Original Sufferhead [Reissue/1982] LP (Knitting Factory)
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti & Egypt ’80 – O.D.O.O. (Overtake Don Overtake Overtake) [Reissue/1990] LP (Knitting Factory)
New colorways for four albums by the Afrobeat godfather.
Luiza Lian – 7 Estrelas – Quem Arrancou O Ceu? LP (ZZK)
“My music is a landscape for you to enter your own journey,” sings Luiza Lian’s crystalline voice after the ceasing of a sonic collage that blends a lament on the keyboard, church bells, hummed vocals, distorted speeches, syncopated beats, and a striking bass line. “Minha Música” (My Music) is our first encounter with 7 Estrelas – Quem Arrancou O Ceu? (7 Stars Who Ripped The Sky Down?), the fourth album of the São Paulo-based artist, and her third collaboration with French/Brazilian music producer Charles Tixier. Nearly five years after the celebrated Azul Moderno, the duo returns to the scene they materialized before a period of darkness that rewrote Brazil’s history.
Lil Wayne – I Am Music 2xLP (Young Money)
Tranclucent ruby red colorway. Lil Wayne presents his first-ever career-spanning compilation album, I Am Music. The 18-track collection boasts his latest single “Kant Nobody” [feat. DMX] produced by Swizz Beatz, Tha Carter IV standout “6 Foot 7 Foot” [feat. Cory Gunz], and other hits including the diamond-certified smash “Lollipop” [feat. Static Major], “Mona Lisa” [feat. Kendrick Lamar], “Drop The World” [feat. Eminem], “A Milli,” “Fire Man,” “Go DJ,” and more.
Skip Mahoaney & The Casuals – Your Funny Moods [Reissue/1974] LP (Numero)
As the empowerment of the ’60s gave way to the societal bankruptcy of the ’70s, a turned-on Black music emerged to soundtrack the agony of America at a crossroads. Tracked at DB Sound in Silver Spring, Maryland by producer R. Jose Williams, Your Funny Moods is built around the rhythms and keys of drumming wiz James Purdie. Remastered here from the original analog tapes, this 50th anniversary edition is peak group harmony soul from the Chocolate City. [A limited-edition green colorway is available.]
Mama Zu – Quilt Floor LP (Cosmic Twin)
Mama Zu is Jessi Zazu Wariner and Linwood Regensburg of Those Darlins. Quilt Floor is an album recorded during Wariner’s treatment for cervical cancer before she passed at the young age of 28 in 2017. Those Darlins were a staple of the Nashville indie community from 2006 – 2016. They released three critically acclaimed albums and toured with bands like Dr. Dog, Best Coast and Drive-By Truckers.
Rita Marley – Harambé [Reissue/1982] LP (Shanachie)
Rita Marley, as wife of Bob Marley, key member of his I-Three backing vocal group, and long-time recording artist in her own right, was dubbed “The Queen of Reggae” in the wake of Bob Marley’s passing in 1981. She scored a massive crossover hit with the single “One Draw”, which projected her into the international limelight. Harambé is Rita Marley’s second solo album, released after the massive success of her first album and the hit single “One Draw”, as well as her first international solo tours.
June McDoom – With Strings 12” (Temporary Residence)
My first EP, June McDoom, was hugely inspired by the minimal sound of the ‘60s and ‘70s folk era. I wanted to reimagine a couple of those songs more stripped down as a follow up to that first EP. Judee Sill’s songwriting and arrangements have impacted me deeply, and so I hoped to honor the music she made by recording a version of her song, “Emerald River Dance” – one of my favorite songs for many years and a song I still sing at most of my shows. The first time I heard “Black Is The Color” was Tia Blake’s version that she recorded in 1971, and then Nina Simone’s performance inspired me to try and record a rendition of my own. While writing “On My Way” and “The City”, I always imagined versions of those songs stripped down with three-part harmonies, which I was finally able to do here with dear friends, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Kate Davis, who have both been big inspirations to me throughout the years. [A limited-edition crystal-clear pressing is available.]
Motörhead – The Lost Tapes Vol 5 (Live At Donnington 2008) 2xLP (BMG)
Yellow colorway. The fifth volume in this series, takes you on a visit to the spiritual home of British hard rock Donington, to bring you the band’s thunderous live set from the legendary Download Festival in June 2008. Featuring surviving members Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee as well as a guest appearance from Würzel on Ace of Spades/Overkill, it’s a welcome addition to this fascinating collection of Motörhead live performances and a must have for completists to new fans everywhere.
Neck Deep – Life’s Not Out To Get You [Reissue2015] LP (Hopeless)
Blood red colorway. Life’s Not Out To Get You is Neck Deep’s second full length album. Featuring everyone’s favorite tracks “December”, “Can’t Kick Up the Roots”, and “Gold Steps”.
Art Pepper – Smack Up [Reissue/1960] LP (Craft Recordings)
Saxophonist Art Pepper was considered one of the best altos of his time, just behind Charlie Parker. This 1960 recording, whose album’s title presages the addiction that would soon offline the self-taught musician’s career, features compositions written by fellow saxophonists (including Ornette Coleman’s “Tears Inside” and Buddy Collette’s “A Bit of Basie”). Finding Pepper at his finest, most limber form, his own composition “Las Cuevas de Mario” is a particular standout in 5/4 time and would pop up on his set lists in subsequent years.
Poison Idea – Tribute To G.I.S.M. 7” (American Leather)
Japan’s hardcore punk pioneers G.I.S.M. was a band whose influence reached the remotest corners of underground music the world over, shaping the look, sound, and approach of generations of punk, hardcore, metal, and other extreme music acts for the last 40 years. Chief among their early Western champions was America’s own Hardcore Punk trailblazers, Poison Idea.
Post Malone – The Diamond Collection 2xLP (Republic)
Global superstar Post Malone holds the record for most RIAA Diamond-certified singles in history. The Diamond Collection is a compilation of his top hits to date, including “Congratulations (feat. Quavo)”, “Sunflower” with Swae Lee, “White Iverson”, and more. The physical release includes the Diamond-certified hits as well as additional tracks. 2xLP set on metallic silver vinyl.
Prince – The Vault – Old Friends 4 Sale [Reissue/1999] LP (Sony Legacy)
The Vault – Old Friends 4 Sale is a collection of previously unreleased songs from Prince’s legendary vault that was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1999, shortly before the release of his studio album Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic with the brief liner note: “The enclosed material was written during the period beginning 1/23/1985 and ending 6/18/1994 and was originally intended 4 private use only.”
The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers [Reissue/2006] LP (Third Man)
The Raconteurs – Consolers Of The Lonely [Reissue/2008] LP (Third Man)
Serving as most fans introduction to the band, Broken Boy Soldiers is the home for such canonical classics as “Blue Veins”, “Hands” and the anthemic “Steady, As She Goes.” Consolers Of The Lonely, recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, was surprise released in March 2008 to widespread acclaim. The album would go on to win the 2009 Grammy award for Best Engineered album, non-classical and continues to be considered a high-point example of modern-day rock and roll.
The Red Alert – We’ve Got The Power [Reissue/1983] LP (Radiation Reissues)
Limited yellow color vinyl LP pressing. Released in 1983 yet still retaining much of it’s Oi! impact intact, the debut album and last before a split that would last several years by No Future luminaries, Sunderland’s Red Alert is a lesser-known classic in punk history.
Steve Reich – Live At Berkeley University Museum, July 11th, 1970 LP (Modern Silence)
A live performance of four early works by Steve Reich: “Four Organs”, “My Name Is”, “Piano Phase”, and “Phase Patterns”. This 1970 performance marked an important moment in San Francisco Bay Area new music history with the triumphant return to the East Bay by Reich, who studied at Mills College with Luciano Berio and performed the 1964 world premiere of Terry Riley’s seminal In C at the San Francisco Tape Music Center. The resonant acoustics of the University of California at Berkeley Museum’s concrete interior were especially appropriate for “Four Organs”, with its long additive sustained chords over a maraca pulse.
Remo Drive – Mercy LP (Epitaph)
Remo Drive, the longstanding project of brothers Erik and Stephen Paulson, want you to feel something. Following a six-year run of pristine emo-influenced rock ‘n’ roll records comes Mercy, the band’s fourth album. It’s the band’s most lyric-focused offering to date, a record about reinvention, trusting yourself, and wearing your heart on your sleeve even when it’s painful or vulnerable. Sonically, Mercy is also a major departure for Remo Drive. It’s less indebted to the emo and pop punk that foregrounded the duo’s career and instead invested in thorny, baroque indie pop by way of Father John Misty and Fleet Foxes.
Stan Rogers – Songs Of A Lifetime 5xLP (Borealis)
It is testament to Stan Rogers’ impact as a songwriter that 40 years after his sudden tragic death at the young age of 33 – people young and old are still singing his songs and celebrating his influence. His songs “Northwest Passage”, “Barrett’s Privateers” and “The Mary Ellen Carter” are woven into the fabric of North American Maritime culture. An essential item for any traditional folk music fan, Stan Rogers, Songs Of A Lifetime is a limited edition collectible box set that includes the entirety of his songwriting in a beautifully designed songbook of sheet music with notation and introductions written by Stan and those who worked with him. The book is packaged together with 49-recordings from three albums on five vinyl discs including the rare re-release For The Family first issued only months after his passing, and for the first time ever on vinyl, Coffee House To Concert Hall and Home In Halifax.
Sandwell District – Where Next? LP (Point Of Departure)
Where Next? is a compilation of singles from Sandwell District history featuring tunes by Function, Silent Servant, Regis and more, some of which have never previously been released.
San Lucas Band – Music Of Guatemala LP (Disques Bongo Joe)
First reissue of these cult 1974 recordings of a Mayan brass band playing funeral dirges and popular songs in its distinctive extended harmonic and rhythmic style. The members of the San Lucas Band lived in the mountain village of San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, playing local events of both religious and social nature. The pride of their town since 1922, the band represented a fast-disappearing musical tradition when these recordings were originally released in 1975. Their unique sound derived from an unusual combination of instruments, a repertoire including pieces dating from more than fifty years before the recordings were made to more recent ones, and above all from the highland Maya style of their playing, which is characterized by a preference for freer rhythmic structures and a wider variety of pitches than Western scales allow.
See You Next Tuesday – Distraction LP (Good Fight Music)
Limited-edition translucent pink colorway. “It is more or less about looking back at your life and basically being in mourning for the moments of your life that you’ll never get to relive as you are ultimately aging, slowly moving towards your own death alone and becoming less and less relevant to the world. I struggle heavily with the idea of death and growing old and fixate on it a lot which I express a few times on this album. At times I am devastated by remembering and realizing the moments I should have cherished more at the time that they were happening. And then I get back to reality where I’m there by myself and separated by years from that moment.”
Sam Shure – Regency 12” (Habitat)
Sam Shure drops the Regency EP – a DJ favorite embraced by Mind Against. The title track, “Regency”, pulsates with relentless beats, while “Heir Of Snare” explores rhythmic depths. “Magnus” climaxes with melody and cutting-edge sound design. Shure’s EP resonates with innovation and emotion, an electrifying journey for the dancefloor.
Martin Simson’s Destroyer of Death – Eternal Reign LP (Jono)
Now available on vinyl Classic, melodic metal.
Snuts – Millennials LP (Snuts Partnership)
The Snuts present Millennials: a sharp, snarling 10-track run of firecrackers. From start to finish, top to bottom, Millennials has been made entirely to The Snuts’ script. The result: a tight, taut, fat-free masterclass in songwriting and production. The Snuts have three albums under their belts, songs that attack subjects affecting the youth of today, and an arsenal of adoring fans up and down the country. As these four lads from Whitburn, West Lothian vowed four years ago, The Snuts wanted to be risky. And with Millennials, The Snuts have followed through on that promise. [An indie store exclusive 180gm yellow colorway is available.]
Keith Sweat – Make It Last Forever [Reissue/1987] LP (Elektra)
Limited dice game color vinyl pressing. Make It Last Forever is the debut album by R&B artist Keith Sweat, originally released in 1987. The album went to number one on the Top R&B Albums chart for three weeks (and topped the Billboard Year-End R&B chart for 1988), and number 15 on the Billboard 200.
Serj Tankian – Elect The Dead [Reissue/2007] LP (RHR Cat)
Serj Tankian – Harakiri [Reissue/2012] LP (RHR Cat)
New colorways (gray and translucent red, respectively) of the debut and third solo albums by the System Of A Down frontman.
Teethe – Teethe [Reissue/2020] LP/LP+7” (Winspear)
Teethe – Tag b/w Lucky 7” (Winspear)
Teethe is a band from Texas. The members of Teethe met while attending the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, a small college town outside of Dallas with a fertile music scene. Recorded over the course of 2020, Teethe’s eponymous debut album is a collection of songs pieced together over time – a sonic collage of fragmented recordings and half-finished tracks made whole during isolation. Initially self-released in November of 2020 with little fanfare, the album’s warm, lo-fi aesthetic and slow, calming songs spread by word of mouth. [An indie store exclusive green colorway including the “Tag” b/w “Lucky 7” is available.]
Thou – Blessings Of The Highest Order LP (Sacred Bones)
Blessings Of The Highest Order compiles all of Thou’s Nirvana covers, originally recorded and released piecemeal on various EPs, splits, and tributes from 2009 – 2018. The songs feature guest appearances from Emily McWilliams (Silver Godling), Melissa Guion (MJ Guider), Rebecca Levy (Turboslut), Isidore Grisoli (High), and Jennifer Murphy (that one Thou tote). The record features artwork by New Orleans’ underground, BDSM, xerox freakaleek Trashboy. [A limited-edition white colorway is available.]
The Trashmen – The Best Of The Trashmen LP (Sundazed Music)
White colorway. The Trashmen’s defining moment, 1963’s “Surfin’ Bird,” is perhaps the ultimate lightning-in-a-bottle record. Their first true studio recording, it captures the group’s interminable energy and mastery of live performance. But it also is the culmination of spirit and experiment that turned it into something new and, from the perspective of 50 years, unique. This collection shows them to be variously a first-rate surf band, a great protopunk outfit, solid rockers with the raw essence of the earliest originators of the sound, and adept enough to work in some comedy and country.
TV On The Radio – Dear Science [Reissue/2008] LP (Touch & Go)
180gm white colorway. TV On The Radio’s story is one of synchronicity, of serendipity, of epiphany. TVOTR began with Tunde Adebimpe (vocals) and David Sitek (multi-instrumentalist and production kingpin) being roommates, drinking way too much coffee, making art: comics, movies, paintings. They started trading tapes of each other’s four track recordings and thought it’d be fun to try to make “a real record” out of all that stuff. The band’s third studio album released in 2008, Dear Science, opened with vintage TVOTR, but the nostalgia does not last. With Dear Science, the band continued to push the limit with sonic experiments that fill out the rest of the album.
Van Halen – Live: Right Here, Right Now [Reissue/1993] 4xLP (Rhino)
Van Halen’s first live album – 1993’s double-platinum Live: Right Here, Right Now – now available on 180gm black vinyl. Recorded in May 1992 as the band was wrapping up their massive world tour in the support of their classic, triple-platinum album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, the collection finds singer Sammy Hagar, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony firing on all cylinders and delivering over two hours of Van Halen’s signature hits.
The Veldt – Illuminated 1989 LP (Little Cloud)
This is the original 1989 full-length record produced by Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie, previewed by the lead track “The Everlasting Gobstopper” and the single “Aurora Borealis” with Elizabeth Fraser making a cameo appearance on backing vocals towards the end, plus a B-side remix, created by The Veldt. Guthrie also remastered the album for vinyl earlier this year. While originally intended to be the band’s first album, their label Capitol Records shelved the recording and sent them back into the studio with producer Lincoln Fong (Moose), resulting in their first album being released with the title Marigolds.
Ella Washington – Ella Washington [Reissue/1969] LP (On High)
Ella Washington was born and raised in Miami, FL where she still makes her home as a pastor. Her family background wasn’t a particularly musical one, although one of her sisters was Audrey Royal who recorded briefly for Spector International in the ‘70s. Like so many singers of her generation Ella started her career singing in local clubs and it was at one of those, the Birdland, where she encountered two of Miami’s greatest soulmen, Clarence Reid and Paul Kelly. Under their helpful guidance Ella began her path as a recording artist.
The Waterboys – This Is The Sea [Reissue/1985] LP (Chyrsalis)
This Is The Sea is the third album by The Waterboys. Released in September 1985 and includes the classic single, “The Whole Of The Moon”, along with other tracks, “Don’t Bang The Drum”, “The Pan Within” and “Old England”. Considered by critics to be the finest album of their early rock-orientated sound, described as “epic” and “a defining moment” in the band’s ongoing career.
Jack Wilson – Ramblin’ [Reissue/1966] LP (Friday Music)
Produced by Jack Lewerke (Jack Wilson) and mastered by Joe Reagoso (Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Tommy Bolin, Billy Cobham), Ramblin’ features the 1966 jazz hit “Ramblin'”. More hip selections include: “Stolen Moments”, “Pensativa”, “Impressions”, and the bonus track: Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder”. Featured musicians: Jack Wilson, Roy Ayers, Varner Barlow & Monk Montgomery.
Wynonna – Wynonna [Reissue/1992] LP (Curb)
Wynonna – Tell Me Why [Reissue/1993] LP (Curb)
Color vinyl pressings (pink and ruby red, respectively). Wynonna is the debut solo studio album by Wynonna Judd, originally released in 1992. Before the release of Wynonna, she recorded alongside her mother, Naomi, as The Judds, a duo which charted more than 20 country singles in the 1980s and early 1990s until hepatitis forced Naomi to retire. Tell Me Why is the second solo studio album by Wynonna, originally released in 1993. Features the hit singles “Only Love”, “Is It Over Yet”, “Rock Bottom”, “Girls With Guitars”, and the title track, all top ten hits on the Billboard country music charts.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Dume 2xLP (Reprise)
Dume is a 16-song album by Neil Young with Crazy Horse from 1975, recorded during the Zuma recording sessions. It includes tracks and outtakes from Zuma. This album is included as CD #8 CD in Neil Young’s Archives Volume II. [An indie store exclusive version w/ litho is available.]
Cassette:
Ghost Funk Orchestra – A Trip To The Moon (Colemine)
Coming off the heels of 2022’s A New Kind Of Love, A Trip To The Moon sees GFO diving even deeper in the worlds of film music, exotica, and psychedelic surf rock. The aim is to create a layered and collaged listening experience with more elements than you could possibly pick out in a single listen. The guitars are fuzzy and flooded with spring reverb, and the horns are arranged in a studio big band fashion. It’s full of big compositions with garage rock attitude. Influences range everywhere from Eddie Palmieri and Esquivel to The Lively Ones, Dusty Springfield, and War. The tracks are tied together by real recorded transmissions from the Apollo moon missions.
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