AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
Big Big Train – The Likes Of Us CD/CD+Blu-ray Audio/2xLP (Inside Out Music)
The award-winning progressive rock band Big Big Train release their 15th studio album, marking the first full release with new frontman Alberto Bravin (ex-PFM). The anxiously awaited unveiling of The Likes Of Us follows Big Big Train’s successful recent European tour, which saw them perform 17 concerts across nine countries, concluding with two triumphant appearances at London’s Cadogan Hall. The album is a stunning piece of work that retains all the elements that make the band so special, including absorbing and memorable arrangements and first-rate musicianship. [The Dolby Atmos mix is part of the limited CD+Blu-ray Mediabook edition and contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo.]
Blind Channel – Exit Emotions CD/LP (Century Media)
Be warned, Eurovision isn’t the crux of Blind Channel’s story. Furiously fighting their way into the worldwide mainstream, the six-piece have always been embracing their influences, from nu-metal iconoclasts to pop and hip-hop behemoths, it’s all a part of Blind Channel’s DNA. That’s the key to their draw: they’re only interested in sticking true to themselves while studiously searching for the keys to unlock the doors of success. Finding their equivalent of Beatlemania in their homeland, and being the next great export, more bands popping up in Finland since their success, there’s nothing that can stand in the way of Blind Channel. Their hunger is still rumbling away, and if it’s go big or go home, it’s bigger all the way. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
BryhM – Deep Sea Vents CD/LP (Zappo Productions)
Deep Sea Vents is a collaboration between Bruce Hornsby and yMusic, who are artistically known as BryhM. The album was produced by Hornsby and Rob Moose, yMusic violinist. Guest artists are Branford Marsalis, soprano sax on “Platypus Wow” and “Phase Change” Mark Dover, clarinet on “The Wake of St. Brendan” and “Deep Blue”, and Chad Wright, drums on “Deep Blue”. BryhM explores seafaring themes, sounds and metaphors encapsulated in progressive chamber music and Hornsby’s vocals. [An indie store exclusive translucent violet color vinyl pressing is available.]
Caravan Palace – Gangbusters Melody Club CD/LP (Le Plan Recordings)
Throughout their career, Caravan Palace has consistently defied musical conventions and genres, forging their unclassifiable, hybrid pop signature sound. Embraced by multiple communities (dancers, gymnasts, gamers, video animators…) who turned their songs into viral hits, the group has achieved enormous success, accumulating several billion streams across all platforms as well as an RIAA Platinum Certified Single with “Lone Digger”. Their idiosyncratic soundscapes achieve the rare feat of being both left-field and commercial. Gangbusters Melody Club, their fifth album is a joyous jigsaw puzzle of an album and their most dancefloor-friendly to date. The aim of the band was to stay streamlined, yet the trio pack more influences than ever before into their elegant earworm songs. [A translucent tan color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project CD/2xLP (BMG)
Renowned around the world as one of the greatest and most distinctive heavy metal vocalists of all time, Bruce Dickinson releases a brand-new solo album, The Mandrake Project. It finds him reunited with long-time musical collaborator and producer Roy Z. The Mandrake Project is Dickinson’s seventh solo album and his first since Tyranny Of Souls in 2005. The Mandrake Project is a dark, adult story of power, abuse, and a struggle for identity, set against a backdrop of scientific and occult genius. [The deluxe CD edition is packaged in a casebound book and includes an exclusive preview comic with cover artwork by Bill Sienkiewicz.]
Julian Lage – Speak To Me CD/2xLP (Blue Note)
Julian Lage returns with Speak To Me, his remarkable fourth release for Blue Note, which finds the guitar virtuoso broadening his sonic palette in collaboration with esteemed producer Joe Henry who enhances Lage’s trademark melodic lyricism on this wide-ranging set of compelling new originals. In addition to Lage’s longtime trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums, the album also features contributions from saxophonist Levon Henry, keyboardist Patrick Warren, and Kris Davis on piano. [An indie store exclusive bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven CD/LP (Epitaph)
Mannequin Pussy’s music feels like a resilient and galvanizing shout that demands to be heard. Across four albums, the Philadelphia rock band that consists of Colins “Bear” Regisford (bass, vocals), Kaleen Reading (drums, percussion), Maxine Steen (guitar, synths), and Marisa Dabice (guitar, vocals) has made cathartic tunes about despairing times. “There’s just so much constantly going on that feels intentionally evil that trying to make something beautiful feels like a radical act,” says Dabice. “The ethos of this band has always been to bring people together.” Over ten ambitious tracks which abruptly turn from searing punk to inviting alternative pop, I Got Heaven is deeply concerned with desire, the power in being alone, and how to live in an unfeeling and unkind world. It’s a document of a band doubling down on their unshakable bond to make something furious, thrilling, and wholly alive. [An indie store exclusive clear w/ black smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sheer Mag – Playing Favorites CD/LP (Third Man)
Playing Favorites is Sheer Mag’s third full-length and first with Third Man Records. The band capitalize on a decade’s worth of devotion to their own collective spirit-a spirit refined in both the sweaty trenches of punk warehouses and the larger-than-life glamour of concert halls-emerging with a dense work of gripping emotions, massive hooks, and masterfully constructed power-pop anthems. This is the record the Philadelphian rock and roll four-piece has always been destined to make. [An indie store exclusive translucent orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Shane Smith & The Saints – Norther CD/2xLP (Geronimo West)
“Throughout the past four years since our last studio album, we’ve seen a huge shift in our careers and what honestly has felt like a powerful movement in the weather. It has felt like a Norther storm-front that we’ve been trying to hold on through. As a band, it took right around 10 years of heavy touring throughout the US before we caught any kind of large ‘break’; and our hope is that these 13 tracks are a perfect culmination of what makes up our unique sound. The entire album was recorded over the course of about 8 months, with only 2–3-day gaps to record at a time, in between shows and travel. We hope the sound is large enough to blur genres, while staying completely genuine to the sounds that our earliest fans keep coming back for. From honest, singer-songwriter ballads to powerful folk and Celtic-rock instrumentation; we hope there is something here that resonates with everyone.”
STRFKR – Parallel Realms CD/2xLP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Prolific and constantly evolving, Portland, OR’s STRFKR has continued to release music that consistently connects with music lovers all over the globe. The band started out in a time when a co-sign from blogs and music outlets of note were all but mandatory for new music to be heard and accepted. On their latest full-length album, Parallel Realms, STRFKR embrace a more pop-forward approach as heard on their recent single “Running Around,” while also hinting at experimentalism and the gentler textures on 2020’s heralded, Future Past Life. Tracked by the band in their home studio in Portland, with additional engineering in Joshua Tree, CA, and mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, The Drums), the new album feels exciting, cohesive, and familiar with immediate, yet diverse qualities that can only be found on STRFKR records. [A limited-edition violet & cobalt blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Faye Webster – Underdressed At The Symphony CD/LP/Cassette (Secretly Canadian)
Faye Webster’s songs are direct lines to the human subconscious, and Underdressed At The Symphony documents what happens once you begin to build a new self from the ashes of your old routines. This rebirth isn’t flashy or definitive but is instead a series of seemingly mundane moments that, scattered across weeks and months, sneak their way toward something like healing. Yes, there’s a breakup in play, but Webster is not documenting the heartbreak of a breakup so much as she’s navigating the contours of heartbreak itself. Recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas with her longtime band, Webster is accompanied on Underdressed At The Symphony by Matt Stoessel’s arcs of shimmering pedal steel, the plaintive, unhurried drums of Charles Garner, and, occasionally, additional guitarwork from Wilco’s Nels Cline. The title of the album refers to Webster’s post-breakup compulsion to visit the symphony on a whim, usually buying a ticket at the last possible second. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Who – Live At Shea Stadium 1982 2xCD/3xLP (Mercury Studios)
The Who’s 1982 tour, which was all in North America apart from two warm-up dates at the Birmingham NEC in England, was their last to feature Kenney Jones on drums and they wouldn’t tour again until 1989. The tour promoted the recent It’s Hard album, which had been released in June 1982, and the set list included several tracks from that album, some of which the band would only play live on this tour.
Additional Social Media Program Title:
Abdallah Oumbadougou –2xLP (Petaluma)
Amghar: The Godfather Of Tuareg Music – Vol. 1 is he first career retrospective of the legendary, late Tuareg innovator Abdallah Oumbadougou, who is considered the Godfather of the Tuareg / Desert Blues genre and was a primary influence of current artists Bombino and Mdou Mocktar. It features 14 tracks, newly remastered by five-time Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, and includes six unreleased, never heard tracks.
CDs + Vinyl:
The Bevis Frond – Focus On Nature CD/2xLP+MP3 (Fire)
Focus On Nature is the new studio album from celebrated post-psyche singer songwriter Nick Saloman and his band The Bevis Frond. 75 minutes of glorious melodies that span ‘60s psych, English folk, Seattle art-punks The Wipers, the buzzsaw pop of Dinosaur Jr and Hendrix-esque explorations. There’s always an element of playful Englishness to their music. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Big Big Train – The Likes Of Us CD/CD+Blu-ray Audio/2xLP (Inside Out Music)
The award-winning progressive rock band Big Big Train release their 15th studio album, marking the first full release with new frontman Alberto Bravin (ex-PFM). The anxiously awaited unveiling of The Likes Of Us follows Big Big Train’s successful recent European tour, which saw them perform 17 concerts across nine countries, concluding with two triumphant appearances at London’s Cadogan Hall. The album is a stunning piece of work that retains all the elements that make the band so special, including absorbing and memorable arrangements and first-rate musicianship. [The Dolby Atmos mix is part of the limited CD+Blu-ray Mediabook edition and contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo.]
Black Nail Cabaret – Chrysanthemum CD/LP (Dependent)
The beautiful chrysanthemum in its humble white form is also known as the cemetery flower as it is often used to adorn graves for its longevity. For Black Nail Cabaret, the chrysanthemum’s blossom paves the way for our own deathbed portraits. We know that the grim reaper will come to us all and bring the end, which turns us into fear-filled jars. Our jar could be filled with so many other things, but fear permeates all. The eponymous “Chrysanthemum” of the Hungarian pop noire duo’s sixth album symbolizes an uprising against that but also acceptance. Although Black Nail Cabaret remain true to their marked penchant for sexually explicit provocation, the primal, subconscious fear of death that triggers emotions, anxiety, and the fear of letting go is also a red thread running through the album that is metaphorically named Chrysanthemum. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Blind Channel – Exit Emotions CD/LP (Century Media)
Be warned, Eurovision isn’t the crux of Blind Channel’s story. Furiously fighting their way into the worldwide mainstream, the six-piece have always been embracing their influences, from nu-metal iconoclasts to pop and hip-hop behemoths, it’s all a part of Blind Channel’s DNA. That’s the key to their draw: they’re only interested in sticking true to themselves while studiously searching for the keys to unlock the doors of success. Finding their equivalent of Beatlemania in their homeland, and being the next great export, more bands popping up in Finland since their success, there’s nothing that can stand in the way of Blind Channel. Their hunger is still rumbling away, and if it’s go big or go home, it’s bigger all the way. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Peter Brötzmann / Nilssen-Love – Chicken Shit Bingo CD/LP (Trost)
Peter Brötzmann collaborated with many artists in his career, regularly adding new compatriots into the fold, and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love became one of his staunchest allies after the percussionist joined the Chicago Tentet in 2004. They worked in various contexts, including this inexhaustible, hard-hitting duo. Most of the albums they’ve released have captured live performances, but in 2015 they made this stunning studio recording.
BryhM – Deep Sea Vents CD/LP (Zappo Productions)
Deep Sea Vents is a collaboration between Bruce Hornsby and yMusic, who are artistically known as BryhM. The album was produced by Hornsby and Rob Moose, yMusic violinist. Guest artists are Branford Marsalis, soprano sax on “Platypus Wow” and “Phase Change” Mark Dover, clarinet on “The Wake of St. Brendan” and “Deep Blue”, and Chad Wright, drums on “Deep Blue”. BryhM explores seafaring themes, sounds and metaphors encapsulated in progressive chamber music and Hornsby’s vocals. [An indie store exclusive translucent violet color vinyl pressing is available.]
Caravan Palace – Gangbusters Melody Club CD/LP (Le Plan Recordings)
Throughout their career, Caravan Palace has consistently defied musical conventions and genres, forging their unclassifiable, hybrid pop signature sound. Embraced by multiple communities (dancers, gymnasts, gamers, video animators…) who turned their songs into viral hits, the group has achieved enormous success, accumulating several billion streams across all platforms as well as an RIAA Platinum Certified Single with “Lone Digger”. Their idiosyncratic soundscapes achieve the rare feat of being both left-field and commercial. Gangbusters Melody Club, their fifth album is a joyous jigsaw puzzle of an album and their most dancefloor-friendly to date. The aim of the band was to stay streamlined, yet the trio pack more influences than ever before into their elegant earworm songs. [A translucent tan color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jacob Collier – Djesse Vol. 4 CD/2xLP (Decca)
Crafted in the famed studio beside his London bedroom, as well as various corners of the globe, Djesse has explored Jacob Collier’s wildest dreams, and Vol. 4 brings the series to a most dramatic and thrilling conclusion. While his music is proudly unclassifiable, Collier enters a distinct sonic universe with each volume, which he likens to the different phases of a day. With Vol. 4, the saga ends at the incandescent light of dawn, alchemizing a full spectrum of emotion into a massive, joyous moment of awakening and human potential. [An indie store exclusive orange w/ red smash color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bruce Dickinson – The Mandrake Project CD/2xLP (BMG)
Renowned around the world as one of the greatest and most distinctive heavy metal vocalists of all time, Bruce Dickinson releases a brand-new solo album, The Mandrake Project. It finds him reunited with long-time musical collaborator and producer Roy Z. The Mandrake Project is Dickinson’s seventh solo album and his first since Tyranny Of Souls in 2005. The Mandrake Project is a dark, adult story of power, abuse, and a struggle for identity, set against a backdrop of scientific and occult genius. [The deluxe CD edition is packaged in a casebound book and includes an exclusive preview comic with cover artwork by Bill Sienkiewicz.]
Electric Callboy – The Scene [Reissue/2017] CD (Century Media)
Electric Callboy – Rehab [Reissue/2019] CD (Century Media)
Electric Callboy – MMXX [Reissue/2020] CD (Century Media)
Formed in 2010, German post-hardcore/trancecore band Electric Callboy (formerly Eskimo Callboy) has made plenty of noise in their first decade of existence, winning awards, cracking the album charts in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK.
Everything Everything – Mountainhead CD/LP (BMG)
To make the mountain bigger, they must make the hole they live in deeper and deeper. All of society is built around the creation of the mountain and a mountain religion dominates all thought. At the top of the mountain is rumored to be a huge mirror that reflects endlessly recurring images of the self and at the bottom of the pit is a giant golden snake that is the primal fear of all believers. A “Mountainhead” is one who believes the mountain must grow no matter the cost and no matter how terrible it is to dwell in the great pit. [An indie store exclusive ‘crystal lake clear’ color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ben Frost – Scope Neglect CD/LP (Mute)
Renowned Iceland-based Australian composer Ben Frost presents his first studio album in six years. Scope Neglect is an experimental and genre-shifting album forged from Frost’s admiration for metal with the mindful removal of its conventional attributes. Where the record touches aspects of the genre, it’s met with glitching electronics, immersive ambient industrial churns and deeply contemplative explorations that result in something impossible to pigeonhole.
Liam Gallagher & Johns Squire – Liam Gallagher & John Squire CD/LP (WB)
Liam (Oasis) and John (The Stone Roses) have been friends for years but when Liam invited John to join him on stage at Knebworth in 2022 it reignited a long-running ambition of writing and recording an album together. The demos were written at John’s home studio in Macclesfield and then recorded with legendary producer, Greg Kurstin and mixed by Spike Stent. Joey Waronker (Atoms for Peace, Beck, R.E.M.) plays drums on the album. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]
(GI)I-DLE – 2 (0 Ver.) CD (Cube Entertainment)
(GI)I-DLE – 2 (1 Ver.) CD (Cube Entertainment)
(GI)I-DLE – 2 (2 Ver.) CD (Cube Entertainment)
(G)I-DLE is a self-producing global K-pop girl group with members of Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, and Shuhua. The new album 2 comes in three versions, each featuring a different concept and packaging.
The Glass Hours – The Glass Hours CD/LP (Cornelius Chapel)
The Glass Hours is a duo comprised of American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera. Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk and the golden age of the 1970s.
Albert Hammond – Body Of Work CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)
Albert Hammond is one of the most prolific, versatile songwriters and performers of his or any generation. His earliest solo hits include “It Never Rains in Southern California” and “The Free Electric Band. His contributions to popular music (writing and and/or contributing to hit songs by Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias, Diana Ross, Starship, The Hollies, Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin) across genres and generations. From gutsy opener “Don’t Bother Me Babe” through the wistful “Looking Back” and closing with the reflective “Goodbye L.A.”, Body Of Work is an album for the ages, crafted with 50 years of words, experience, and wisdom.
Eric Hilton – Sound Vagabond CD/LP (Montserrat House)
Thievery Corporation co-founder Eric Hilton brings you his new album, Sound Vagabond, a stunning 14-track sonic travelogue. Hilton has spent decades merging diverse global genres into a singular music vision, and Sound Vagabond is the ultimate iteration of this ethos, each track an audio picture postcard of a place real or imagined.
Abdullah Ibrahim – 3 2xCD/3xLP (Gearbox)
Taken from Abdullah Ibrahim’s summer 2023 sold-out headline date at London’s Barbican Centre, the new album 3 follows suit and is spread across two performances – the first is recorded without an audience ahead of the concert straight to analogue on a 1″ Scully tape machine, which had previously been used by Elvis at the famous Memphis-based Sun Studios. The second recording is taken from the evening’s performance itself with Ibrahim performing in a unique trio which includes Cleave Guyton (flute, piccolo, saxophone) who has performed alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, and Joe Henderson, as well as lauded bassist and cellist Noah Jackson, both of which are members of Ekaya and featured on Ibrahim’s 2019 album The Balance.
Kid Loco Meets Soul Sugar – CD/LP (Echo Beach)
When dub and dope beats entered an open relationship in the mid-nineties and created a casual hybrid with trip hop, Jean-Yves Prieur aka Kid Loco was one of the first French people to be there. With singles like “She’s My Lover” and “Love Me Sweet” and the album A Grand Love Story, the producer proved himself to be a loverman indeed, with a knack for bedroom moods, charming little melodies and a comforting balance between minimalism and lush arrangements. As a keyboard all-rounder, Guillaume Méténier aka Soul Sugar has been featured on numerous Kid Loco productions for more than 20 years. From the synthesizer to the clavinet, from the Fender Rhodes to the Leslie organ, the “Funky Frenchman” is no stranger to any keyboard instrument.
Kula Shaker – Natural Magick CD/LP (BFD)
Featuring all four members of the band’s classic line- up for the first time since 1999, Kula Shaker’s 2024 album Natural Magick finds the band incorporating blazing psychedelic sermons, raga rave-ups, stardust-coated pop pearls and mood-enhancing mantras. [An indie store exclusive yellow w/ orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Julian Lage – Speak To Me CD/2xLP (Blue Note)
Julian Lage returns with Speak To Me, his remarkable fourth release for Blue Note, which finds the guitar virtuoso broadening his sonic palette in collaboration with esteemed producer Joe Henry who enhances Lage’s trademark melodic lyricism on this wide-ranging set of compelling new originals. In addition to Lage’s longtime trio with Jorge Roeder on bass and Dave King on drums, the album also features contributions from saxophonist Levon Henry, keyboardist Patrick Warren, and Kris Davis on piano. [An indie store exclusive bone white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme – The Original Hits CD (Real Gone Music)
A concentrated dose of Steve and Eydie hit power assembled into a 20-track collection. No matter what the genre, be it pop, Latin, rock ‘n’ roll or The Great American Songbook, this dynamic duo-who display their vocal mastery.
Leah – The Glory And The Fallen CD/3xCD/2xLP (Ex Cathedra)
Celtic fantasy metal. [A deluxe 3xCD edition featuring discs of instrumental and ambient versions is available.]
John Lodge – Days Of Future Past – My Sojourn CD (Deko Music)
New release from the former Moody Blues bassist/vocalist. [Vinyl version due April 24.]
Sean Ono Lennon – Asterisms CD (Tzadik)
Tzadik is proud to present Asterisms, a beautiful and exploratory instrumental project by Sean Ono Lennon, one of the most creative and versatile musician/composer/producer/songwriters working today. Sean has written countless songs, composed film scores, produced, and performed on dozens of albums-and here he steps out as the leader of an all-star band of Downtown luminaries. Years in the making, the music is powerful, trippy, and intensely imaginative, blending rock, electronics, jazz, and more into an exciting new musical soundscape. [Vinyl version due March 29.]
Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven CD/LP (Epitaph)
Mannequin Pussy’s music feels like a resilient and galvanizing shout that demands to be heard. Across four albums, the Philadelphia rock band that consists of Colins “Bear” Regisford (bass, vocals), Kaleen Reading (drums, percussion), Maxine Steen (guitar, synths), and Marisa Dabice (guitar, vocals) has made cathartic tunes about despairing times. “There’s just so much constantly going on that feels intentionally evil that trying to make something beautiful feels like a radical act,” says Dabice. “The ethos of this band has always been to bring people together.” Over ten ambitious tracks which abruptly turn from searing punk to inviting alternative pop, I Got Heaven is deeply concerned with desire, the power in being alone, and how to live in an unfeeling and unkind world. It’s a document of a band doubling down on their unshakable bond to make something furious, thrilling, and wholly alive. [An indie store exclusive clear w/ black smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mega Colossus – Showdown CD/LP (Cruz Del Sur Music)
High-octane melodic metal from the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ministry – Hopiumforthemasses CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Another blast of anthemic industrial metal. [A limited-edition green & yellow splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]
New Years Day – Half Black Heart CD/LP (New Years Day)
Half Black Heart “represents the duality that has always been a part of us – half red, half black; half heavy, half poppy; half dark, half fun, half metal and half rock” (New Years Day). [A limited-edition silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Obsessed – Gilded Sorrow CD (Ripple Music)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. The Obsessed is one of the earliest purveyors of Black Sabbath-influenced doom metal in the US and set the standard for the so-called Maryland doom sound.
Overkill – Horrorscope [Reissue/1991] CD (BMG)
Overkill – I Hear Black [Reissue/1993] CD (BMG)
Overkill – W.F.O. [Reissue/1993] CD (BMG)
CD reissues of the fourth, fifth and sixth albums by the thrash metal band.
Fernando Perdomo / Matt Tecu – Art CD/LP (Think Like A Key)
Art is a riveting collaboration between L.A.’s virtuosos Matt Tecu and Fernando Perdomo, encapsulating the raw energy of live recording and frenetic songwriting into an electrifying studio session. Renowned drummer Tecu, known for his dynamic performances alongside legends like Neil Young and Fiona Apple, synergizes with the prodigious Perdomo, dubbed ‘the millennial answer to Todd Rundgren’ by L.A. Weekly. Their combined mastery conjures a soundscape that fuses ’70s guitar tones, mellotrons, and groovy rhythms, journeying through time to bridge nostalgic tones with avant-garde innovation.
Pissed Jeans – Half Divorced CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Pissed Jeans has never been a band that goes halfway. They’re known for their feral vocals, biting lyrics, buzz-saw guitars, and unhinged live shows, and their sixth album, Half-Divorced is no exception. These songs skewer the tension between youthful optimism and the sobering realities of adulthood, and when viewed through front-man Matt Korvette’s scowl, everything takes on a level of violent absurdity. [A limited-edition ‘Spotify lime green’ (har har) color vinyl pressing is available.]
Royal Tusk – Altruistic CD/LP (MNRK Heavy)
Alberta Canada trio Royal Tusk fuses hypnotic hooks to hard hitting riffs offset by untethered rhythms and undeniably honest lyrics. [A limited-edition silver colorway is available.]
San Cisco – Under The Light CD/LP (Nettwerk)
New album from the Australian indie trio. San Cisco has released a decade worth of music, including 2020’s breakthrough album Between You And Me.
Sheer Mag – Playing Favorites CD/LP (Third Man)
Playing Favorites is Sheer Mag’s third full-length and first with Third Man Records. The band capitalize on a decade’s worth of devotion to their own collective spirit-a spirit refined in both the sweaty trenches of punk warehouses and the larger-than-life glamour of concert halls-emerging with a dense work of gripping emotions, massive hooks, and masterfully constructed power-pop anthems. This is the record the Philadelphian rock and roll four-piece has always been destined to make. [An indie store exclusive translucent orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Shane Smith & The Saints – Norther CD/2xLP (Geronimo West)
“Throughout the past four years since our last studio album, we’ve seen a huge shift in our careers and what honestly has felt like a powerful movement in the weather. It has felt like a Norther storm-front that we’ve been trying to hold on through. As a band, it took right around 10 years of heavy touring throughout the US before we caught any kind of large ‘break’; and our hope is that these 13 tracks are a perfect culmination of what makes up our unique sound. The entire album was recorded over the course of about 8 months, with only 2–3-day gaps to record at a time, in between shows and travel. We hope the sound is large enough to blur genres, while staying completely genuine to the sounds that our earliest fans keep coming back for. From honest, singer-songwriter ballads to powerful folk and Celtic-rock instrumentation; we hope there is something here that resonates with everyone.”
The Snuts – Millennials CD/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. [An indie store exclusive yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Squarepusher – Dostrotime CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)
Dostrotime is Squarepusher-style fun. Heavy, intense, tear out experimental electronic music for the sheer exhilaration of it. In early 2020, Squarepusher had just released Be Up A Hello to huge acclaim, and was gearing up for a worldwide tour featuring some of his biggest shows to date. Then the pandemic hit, and it was all off… Devoid of distractions, naturally the artist headed to the studio to begin recording.
STRFKR – Parallel Realms CD/2xLP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Prolific and constantly evolving, Portland, OR’s STRFKR has continued to release music that consistently connects with music lovers all over the globe. The band started out in a time when a co-sign from blogs and music outlets of note were all but mandatory for new music to be heard and accepted. On their latest full-length album, Parallel Realms, STRFKR embrace a more pop-forward approach as heard on their recent single “Running Around,” while also hinting at experimentalism and the gentler textures on 2020’s heralded, Future Past Life. Tracked by the band in their home studio in Portland, with additional engineering in Joshua Tree, CA, and mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, The Drums), the new album feels exciting, cohesive, and familiar with immediate, yet diverse qualities that can only be found on STRFKR records. [A limited-edition violet & cobalt blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Suicide Angels – Profane Prayer CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
A new generation of thrash metal youngsters has risen from the ashes of Slayer, Exodus, Kreator and many more. Greek ambassadors supreme Suicidal Angels is one of the most jaw-dropping representatives of the genre. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Thunder – Live At Islington Academy CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)
Thunder – Live At Leeds 2xCD/3xLP (earMUSIC)
Live At Islington Academy captures Thunder during the touring cycle of their eighth studio album, Robert Johnson’s Tombstone. The quintet had already completed a lengthy circuit of the UK in promotion of the record when they were contacted by Planet Rock Radio to perform at the station’s inaugural Christmas Bash on December 19, 2006. A mere 800 fans were fortunate enough to witness Thunder’s storming surprise performance that night. Live At Leeds was recorded on March 3, 2015, at Live Direct Arena in Leeds. The show was part of Thunder’s arena tour in support of Wonder Days – a very meaningful tour that marked the first steps of public rehabilitation for Ben Matthews, the rhythm guitarist and keyboardist, who was recovering from throat cancer.
Walter Trout – Broken CD/2xLP (Provogue)
The fabled bluesman returns with a record that chronicles the bitter schisms of modern life while reminding listeners that hope is not lost. [A clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Roman Virgo – The Gentle Man CD (VP)
Beginning with his recording debut in 2010, fans have seen (and heard) the progression of reggae’s heir apparent to the crown of Beres Hammond and Dennis Brown before him, the genre’s greatest vocalist and interpreter of emotions in song. In an era of vocalists, Romain Virgo stands out as one of Jamaica’s purest and greatest talents. His new album, The Gentle Man is a defining point in the career and ascension of Romain as the standard bearer of reggae’s roots in R&B and soul.
Faye Webster – Underdressed At The Symphony CD/LP/Cassette (Secretly Canadian)
Faye Webster’s songs are direct lines to the human subconscious, and Underdressed At The Symphony documents what happens once you begin to build a new self from the ashes of your old routines. This rebirth isn’t flashy or definitive but is instead a series of seemingly mundane moments that, scattered across weeks and months, sneak their way toward something like healing. Yes, there’s a breakup in play, but Webster is not documenting the heartbreak of a breakup so much as she’s navigating the contours of heartbreak itself. Recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas with her longtime band, Webster is accompanied on Underdressed At The Symphony by Matt Stoessel’s arcs of shimmering pedal steel, the plaintive, unhurried drums of Charles Garner, and, occasionally, additional guitarwork from Wilco’s Nels Cline. The title of the album refers to Webster’s post-breakup compulsion to visit the symphony on a whim, usually buying a ticket at the last possible second. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Wheel – The Wheel CD/LP (Lakeshore)
Avram Brown, professionally known as The Wheel, is a Portland, Oregon-based recording artist and producer. Brown’s earliest musical inspiration was his parents’ ’60s- and ’70s-heavy record collection. With folk music roots that ran deep, poetry and songwriting came early in life, but soon gave way to a fascination with improvised psychedelic rock, jazz, experimental, devotional, and avant-garde music. Combining his melodic vocal-driven song-craft with kaleidoscopic production and guitar textures, The Wheel spins open an interdimensional portal that weaves indie folk-rock into psychedelic dreamscapes on his debut self-titled album. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Who – Live At Shea Stadium 1982 2xCD/3xLP (Mercury Studios)
The Who’s 1982 tour, which was all in North America apart from two warm-up dates at the Birmingham NEC in England, was their last to feature Kenney Jones on drums and they wouldn’t tour again until 1989. The tour promoted the recent It’s Hard album, which had been released in June 1982, and the set list included several tracks from that album, some of which the band would only play live on this tour.
Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia CD/LP? (Republic)
Where’s My Utopia? is the follow up to the Leeds band’s critically acclaimed debut album The Overload which arrived in January 2022. Written in snapshots of time between a relentless touring schedule and produced jointly by the band and Gorillaz’ Remi Kabaka Jr, the quartet’s second act is a giant leap forward into broad and playful new sonic waters. Across the record, influences ranging from Fela Kuti to Ennio Moricone via Spiller’s ‘00s pop smash “Groovejet” make themselves known. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Zakk Sabbath – Doomed Forever Forever Doomed 2xCD/2xLP/Cassette (Magnetic Eye)
Celebrating more than 50 years of Birmingham’s most famous four, the ‘inventors’ of heavy metal are being honored by the preeminent tribute trio led by guitarist and singer Zakk Wylde with the double album Doomed Forever Forever Doomed. [Two limited-edition double-LP colorways are available: purple and red.]
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Accept – Too Mean To Die [Reissue/2021] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Black vinyl repress of the metal band’s 16th album. Releasing music for over 40 years, Accept not only helped launch the genre that became known as metal but contributed staples like “Balls To The Wall”, “Metal Heart”, and more.
Kay Adams – Little Pink Mack LP (Sundazed)
Pink colorway. Little Pink Mack collects Kay Adams’ live studio cuts from the Buck Owens Ranch Show. Along with Tammy, Patsy and Loretta, Kay was one of country’s first female artists who elevated women in the genre. Gritty and country-to-the-bone.
Cannonball Adderley – Know What I Mean? [Reissue/1960] LP (Craft Recordings)
Know What I Mean? was originally released in 1960 as a collaboration between jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley and legendary pianist Bill Evans, along with the rhythm section of the Modern Jazz Quartet, Percy Heath (bass) and Connie Kay (drums). This new edition is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series and is pressed on 180gm vinyl at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and presented in a tip-on jacket.
The Allman Brothers Band – An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band – First Set [Reissue/1992] 2xLP (Friday Music)
Double black w/ blue swirl colorway. This stunning release featured many of their rock radio classics like “Melissa”, “Southbound”, “Dreams”, and “Get On With Your Life”. Augmented with superior improvisational jamming with founding members Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, plus three exciting new band members – Warren Haynes (guitar), Allen Woody (bass) and Marc Quinones (percussion), this essential Allman Brothers live recording truly resonates as one of the finest in their phenomenal career.
Benediction – Scriptures [Reissue/2020] LP (Nuclear Blast)
Black vinyl repress. At its core Scriptures is death metal, a subgenre Benediction helped popularize and perfect, fused with the punk rock anger and attitude.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers – Caravan [Reissue/1963] LP (Craft Recordings)
Originally released in 1963, Caravan is Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers’ first album for Riverside Records. Featured in addition to Blakey are Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Wayne Shorter (sax), Cedar Walton (piano) and Reggie Workman (bass). This new edition is released as part of the Original Jazz Classics Series and is pressed on 180gm vinyl at RTI with all-analog mastering from the original tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and presented in a tip-on jacket.
John Bromley – Sing [Reissue/1969] LP (Think Like A Key)
John Bromley’s sole album, 1969’s Sing, remains a cherished chapter in the British popsike narrative, five decades on. This first ever vinyl reissue revisits its legacy and features four additional tracks, all meticulously remastered by Prof. Stoned. Backed by the talents of Les Fleur de Lys, Bromley’s unique blend of freakbeat and sunshine pop melodies come alive, encapsulated by the restored original artwork. Whether a long-time fan or a newcomer, Sing invites you to journey into the heart of a time when music was as experimental as it was expressive.
Carnifex – Necromanteum LP (Nuclear Blast)
New neon green/purple split colorway of 2023 release. Necromanteum is a musical journey through the darkness to speak with death itself. With its blast beats, blackened riffage, heavy breakdowns and epic orchestral arrangements, it’s a visceral experience that only Carnifex can deliver.
Quentin Collins All Star Quintet – A Day In The Life LP (Chasing The Dragon)
A new unrehearsed album by the jazz trumpeter, recorded and cut live.
Brittany Davis – Image Issues 2xLP (Loosegroove)
Double pink and black color vinyl pressing. Brit’s concept is to create an “audio movie”, so that listeners can “watch” the movie the way that Brit “watches” movies. The “Treadmill Memories” pieces both tie all the songs together, but also tell the story of Brit’s past, struggles and internal voices. Brit’s honesty is brutal and incredible.
The Donnas – Early Singles 1995-1999 LP (Real Gone Music)
Purple colorway. 14 non-LP sides. Blessed with a formidable front woman in Brett Anderson, a guitar heroine in Allison Robertson, and a pummeling rhythm section in bassist Maya Ford and drummer Torry Castellano, The Donnas were one of the greatest punk bands of the ’90s.
Echo & The Bunnymen – Spare Us The Cutter – Live At Tiffany’s, Glasgow, Scotland, 11th July 1983 FM Broadcast LP (Dear Boss)
Archival live radio broadcast recording. [A pink colorway is available.]
Booker Ervin – Tex Book Tenor [Reissue/2005] LP (Blue Note)
Tone Poet series release. Following sideman appearances with pianist Horace Parlan in the early 1960s, Booker Ervin cut two stellar Blue Note records as a leader in 1968 including Tex Book Tenor which had to wait nearly 40 years until 2005 for its first standalone release. With a sleek post-bop quintet featuring trumpeter Woody Shaw, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Jan Arnet, and drummer Billy Higgins, the Texas-born saxophonist slices through a set of compelling bandmember originals including Barron’s sinuous tune “Gichi” and Shaw’s lilting waltz “In a Capricornian Way”, as well as Ervin’s lovely ballad “Lynn’s Tune” and the hard-swinging “Den Tex”, named for his hometown of Denison.
Charles Esposito – Accidental Music 1987-1991 LP (Choon!!)
A career retrospective of the experimental composer from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. The cinematic and the sacred swirl around on Accidental Music, which gives new life to intriguing self-released tapes that Esposito put out in the 1980s and ‘90s. Heard by few on its original release, the music featured on this compilation ranges from Palace Of Lights percussive sonics to an almost minimal techno palette, a meeting of pop and twisted electronics with the hypnotic immediacy of ancient ritual.
Fanny – Fanny [Reissue/1970] LP (Real Gone Music)
Orange colorway. It’s hard to overstate the importance of Fanny’s 1970 debut album. For the first time, a group of women (sisters June and Jean Millington, Alice de Buhr and Nickey Barclay) wrote and sang their own songs, played their own instruments and, perhaps most importantly, rocked just as hard as any male band out there. And, as the first all-female band signed to a major label (Reprise) and with superstar producer Richard Perry at the board, these four women became perhaps L.A.’s biggest “buzz band,” landing repeated bookings at the Whisky-a-Go-Go with a who’s who of rock’s glitterati in attendance.
Roberta Flack – Lost Takes 2xLP (Rebublic Of Music)
A collection of tracks recorded by Roberta Flack in the sessions leading up to the recording of her seminal debut album First Take. The music has never been released on wax before and is presented here as a double LP in a beautiful midnight blue gatefold sleeve and pressed on heavy-weight 180gm black vinyl with sleeve-notes from Harmony Holiday. This album marks the third instalment of the series of special reissues from the storied archives of the Atlantic Jazz archive and personally curated by DJ and Broadcaster Gilles Peterson. Hear Roberta’s take on several jazz classic’s including Peterson favorite “Afro Blue” at one of her creative peaks.
Grateful Dead – Dick’s Picks Volume Two: Columbus Ohio 10/31/71 3xLP (Real Gone Music)
Limited edition of 3500 hand-numbered copies with a surprise on Sde 4.
Josh Groban / Annaleigh Ashford – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2023 Broadway Cast Recording) 3xLP (Reprise)
Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning score performed for the first time since the original production with Jonathan Tunick’s original orchestrations and a 26-piece orchestra. Album produced by four-time Grammy winner Alex Lacamoire, and co-produced by Thomas Kail, starring Josh Groban as Sweeney Todd and Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett.
Hardline – Double Eclipse [Reissue/1992] LP (Real Gone Music)
Orange colorway. Neal Schon… unchained. That’s what you get to hear on this 1992 album, as the Journey and Bad English guitarist, freed from the corporate confines of his previous bands, throws down the heavy metal thunder along with future brothers-in-law Johnny and Joey Gioeli on guitars and vocals and a killer rhythm section of bassist Todd Jensen and drummer Deen Castronovo.
John Hassell – Surgeon Of The Nightsky Restores Dead Things By The Power Of Sound [Reissue/1987] LP (Intuition)
American trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Jon Hassell was an international legend despite never having managed a popular breakthrough. Hassell was a musical visionary and pioneer, one who was inspired by ambient sounds and new music. He appreciated the music of avant-gardists such as Stockhausen, in whose Cologne school he also studied. 1987’s, Surgeon Of The Nightsky Restores Dead Things By The Power Of Sound is undoubtedly one of his best works.
Nitai Hershkovits – Call On The Old Wise LP (ECM)
With Call on the old Wise Nitai Hershkovits delivers an entrancing solo album. In this largely improvised solo rendering, the pianist draws from broad influences, ranging from his extensive work in jazz contexts and cutting-edge contemporary explorations to his background in classical music. This immaculate balance of idioms gives rise to an abundance of colours and timbres, explored by a pianist, who has successfully forged his very own voice as improviser and shape-designer.
Hollow Coves – Nothing To Lose LP (Nettwerk)
Blue colorway. Hollow Coves are a dynamic indie-folk duo of Matt Carins and Ryan Henderson, who are brimming with their passion for travel and observing different shades of the world. The group’s tender melodies and poignant lyrics have resonated with fans around the world. On their sophomore album Nothing To Lose, the earthy acoustics and breezy rhythms provide a soundtrack to the feeling of change. [CD version due March 29.]
Insomnium – One For Sorrow [Reissue/2011] LP (Century Media)
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate [Reissue/2016] LP (Century Media)
Vinyl reissues (including a new translucent green colorway of One For Sorrow) of the fifth and seventh albums by the Finnish melodic death metal band.
Into It. Over It. / Hikes – Reciprocity [Reissue/2022] LP (Storm Chasers Ltd.)
Into It. Over It. – 15 Years LP (Storm Chasers Ltd.)
Into It. Over It. – Intersections (Live At Narwhal Studios) LP (Storm Chasers Ltd.)
Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Chicago, Into It. Over It. is an indie rock powerhouse that has been enchanting audiences since its inception in 2007. Fronted by the prolific singer-songwriter Evan Thomas Weiss, the band’s emotionally charged lyrics and dynamic sound have garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated global following.
Keith Jarrett / Jan Garbarek – Luminessence [Reissue/1975] LP (ECM)
Mysterious, dramatic, and alluring, Luminessence comes from a peak period in the creative association between Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek. Recorded in 1974 immediately after their vibrant Belonging album, Luminessence features shimmering orchestral frameworks to spur Garbarek to some of his most concentrated, impassioned, and expressive playing.
Janis Joplin – Little Girl Blue: Early California Sessions LP (Destination Moon)
One of the best-known rock singers of the 1960s, Janis Joplin made a lasting impact with a powerful mezzo-soprano voice and an electrifying stage presence, drawing on blues, country, and gospel. Little Girl Blue gathers some of her earliest performances, dating from just after she ditched her native Texas for the San Francisco Bay Area; recorded at the Folk Theatre in San Jose and at SF’s Coffee Gallery, the awesome power of her voice is already apparent on a cover of Ma Rainey’s “Leavin This Mornin” and “Daddy Daddy Daddy,” the latter written with future Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen.
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Live At Bonnaroo ’22 2xLP (Org Music)
Red & green colorway. Live at Bonnaroo ’22 captures Melbourne psych-rockers King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard at their most freewheeling and ferocious.
Linkin Park – Lost Demos LP (WB)
Lost Demos is a 14-track compilation of fully realized songs and works in progress that were recorded before and during the sessions for their landmark second album Meteora. Although the release title includes the word ‘demos’, the first three tracks are songs that were completed during the Meteora recording sessions but were not included on the final album. “Lost” was released to promote the Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition) and became a hugely successful single globally. Fan favorites “Fighting Myself” and “More The Victim” round out the trifecta of unearthed studio treasures.
The Marshall Tucker Band – A New Life [Reissue/1974] LP (Ramblin’ Records)
Limited blue smoke color vinyl pressing. A New Life is the second album by The Marshall Tucker Band, originally released in 1974. It was recorded in Macon, Georgia at Capricorn Studios. Guest musicians include Charlie Daniels and Jaimoe from The Allman Brothers Band.
Jahari Massamba Unit – Yhwh Is Love LP (Law Of Rhythm)
Madlib and Karriem Riggins are Jahari Massamba Unit, a collaboration between two beacons of modern music joined by an unwavering passion for pushing the boundaries of traditional music. Beginning as a genuine friendship and mutual admiration for one another’s craft, Jahari Massamba Unit became a project with no rules or guidelines. The result is an extraordinary fusion of creativity, an embrace of artistic freedom, and a testament to what music can be when given the chance to roam beyond convention.
Master Peace – How To Make A Master Peace LP (PMR)
Yellow colorway. Peace Okezie, the brainchild behind Master Peace, does not mince his words. He needs to get things out and embodies the phrase, “If you’re going to say it, just say it.” While never careless or unsympathetic with his words, the phrase is an affirmation that fuels him. Lucky for us, his energy is on par with the idiosyncratic, effervescent, and most importantly, extremely good music he makes with intention and a keen ear. Master Peace’s music is about inviting people into the weird, wonderful, and cacophonous world he’s created. Attracting listeners who crave rebelliousness and divergence from the norm. [CD version due April 19.]
Jackie McLean – Action [Reissue/1967] LP (Blue Note)
Tone Poet series release. Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean’s 1960s output ran the gamut from hard bop to the avant-garde with his 1964 post-bop dates It’s Time! and Action splitting the difference. Trumpeter Charles Tolliver had appeared alongside McLean in the horn frontline on It’s Time! And returned once again for Action the next month, with McLean opting for Bobby Hutcherson’s vibraphone in place of piano, as well as Cecil McBee on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums.
Mini Trees – Burn Out 12” (Run For Cover)
Burn Out – the latest release from Mini Trees – is a defiantly euphoric EP with the sonic and emotional bandwidth of a full-length record packed neatly into five new songs from Los Angeles-based songwriter Lexi Vega. Inspired by a relentless touring schedule that followed the release of her 2021 debut album Always In Motion, the songs of Burn Out confront questions of identity, exhaustion, and how to navigate creating art in an industry fixated on commodifying it.
Thelonious Monk Quintet – 5 By Monk 5 [Reissue/1959] LP (Destination Moon)
Clear vinyl pressing. An innovative and idiosyncratic pianist, Thelonious Monk has been hailed as one of be-bop’s founding figures, with unexpected melodic shifts and dramatic hesitation hallmarks of his work. 5 By Monk 5 is one of the lesser-known sessions recorded for Riverside in the late 1950s and is one worthy of a wider audience; it features the bright swing of the new “Jackie-ing” and the more dissonant “Played Twice”, alongside engaging revisits of “Straight No Chaser”, “I Mean You” and “Ask Me Now”, the interplay between Monk, cornetist Thad Jones and saxophonist Charlie Rouse especially noteworthy.
Next Morning – Next Morning [Reissue/1971] LP (Survival Research)
During the late 1960s, when guitarist Scipio Sargeant left his native Trinidad for New York, he hooked up with another Trinidadian guitarist, Bert Bailey, for a psychedelic rock project, with Sargeant relegated to bass, Bert’s brother Herb on drum duties, fellow Trinidadian Lou Phillips as frontman, and African American keyboardist Earl Arthur on prog-like organ. Impacting the club circuit, they were nearly signed by Columbia, but wound up cutting their sole LP for Calla in one brief afternoon. The result is a hard-rocking trippy set with echoes of the Chambers Brothers, Hendrix, and Sly Stone.
Penny Carson Nichols – Trinidad Seed [Reissue/1988] LP (Yoga)
Wise, wistful, and darkly humorous, the ten home-recorded songs of Penny Carson Nichols appeared as a private cassette release for friends in 1988 but remained unknown to the world until their recent rediscovery in a Colorado thrift store by archivist Lisa Wheeler. With liner notes by Wheeler and remastering by Chris Cohen, Penny’s laconic style will undoubtedly appeal to all fans of Sibylle Baier, Connie Converse, Molly Drake, and Vashti Bunyan.
Abdallah Oumbadougou –2xLP (Petaluma)
Amghar: The Godfather Of Tuareg Music – Vol. 1 is he first career retrospective of the legendary, late Tuareg innovator Abdallah Oumbadougou, who is considered the Godfather of the Tuareg / Desert Blues genre and was a primary influence of current artists Bombino and Mdou Mocktar. It features 14 tracks, newly remastered by five-time Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, and includes six unreleased, never heard tracks.
Dan Penn – Unheard Demos LP (Last Music Company)
As a songwriter, Dan Penn ranks highly as an elder statesman of the classic southern soul genre and needs no further introduction to anyone who digs the real stuff. As a solo performer, his rare concert appearances are rapturously welcomed by fans eager to hear his classic repertoire in its raw form, performed by its creator. These ten demos (recorded in 2004) provide a unique look behind the curtain at some fine examples of the creative process of songwriting featuring Dan’s soulful voice at its best.
Placebo – Placebo Live 2xLP+CD+Blu-ray (So Recordings)
An extensive collection of career-spanning performances captured in Mexico, Spain and London. Remarkably, more than 25 years in their career, the set includes the first live album that band has ever released – Collapse Into Never: Placebo Live In Europe 2023. Placebo Live also marks the first time that any live performances from the band have been made available on vinyl. Across the whole collection, clear vinyl, Blu-ray and CD formats are catered to from three special live sets titled Collapse Into Never, This Is What You Wanted and Live From The White Room.
Punchlove – Channels LP (Kanine)
For the five members of Punchlove – multi-instrumentalists Jillian Olesen, Ethan Williams, Joey Machina, Ian Lange-McPherson, and visual artist Viz Wel–moving into a maze of a house in Brooklyn together was the transition that created the album they had been writing their whole lives. Quietly evolving from a bedroom project to a headlining live phenom, Punchlove has geared up a densely layered bed of emotionally serrated pain-pop songs that coalesce around a digitally stimulated, emotional brand of modern neo-shoegaze.
Queen Latifah – Ladies First (Feat. Monie Love) b/w Come Into My House 7” (Tommy Boy)
Opaque red colorway. The third single off her seminal 1989 debut album, Ladies’ First remains one of Queen Latifah’s signature songs. Featuring Monie Love, “Ladies First” became an anthem of women’s empowerment. This 7″ also includes a B-side of “Come Into My House”, originally released in 1990 as the fourth single.
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – Up From Below [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (BMG)
Vinyl reissue of the debut full-length album by the alternative/indie/folk Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. [An indie store exclusive blue w/ black colorway is available.]
Linda Smith – Nothing Else Matters [Reissue/1995] LP (Captured Tracks)
Charlotte Mew, Linda Smith – I So Liked Spring [Reissue/1996] LP (Captured Tracks)
Color viny pressings (green and white, respectively). A pioneer of the home recording movement, Linda Smith released several collections of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette in the 1980s and 90s. The 2021 release of Till Another Time: 1988-1996 has helped bestow rightful critical acclaim to the ahead-of-her-time artist. Now, dive deeper into Smith’s catalog with the release of two full-length companion albums, Nothing Else Matters and I So Liked Spring, available for the first time on vinyl.
Stick Men – Tentacles [Reissue/2022] LP (Moonjune)
Silver colorway of 2022 release by the prog band featuring Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Markus Reuter (formally members of King Crimson).
Teenage Jesus And The Jerks – Teenage Jesus And The Jerks [Reissue/1979] LP/Cassette (Radiation Reissues)
During the late 1970s, after No Wave pioneer Lydia Lunch met saxophonist James Chance, she began setting her angry and disjointed poetry to anti-music, founding her ground-breaking band Teenage Jesus and The Jerks with Lunch’s shouted lyrics matched by her non-conventional use of electric guitar. The group’s self-titled debut EP is a fast and furious affair, produced by Robert Quine of the Voidoids/Lou Reed, with future Nick Cave drummer Jim Sclavunos on bass and Bradley Field on minimalist percussion; steeped in aggression and audacity, it’s an awesome disc that rebuffs punk’s easy cliches and refuses to be categorized.
Their / They’re / There – Their / They’re / Three LP (Storm Chasers LTD)
Their / They’re / There is an American indie rock band renowned for their intricate melodies, introspective lyrics, and technical prowess. Formed in 2013, the band has captivated audiences with their unique blend of math rock, emo, and punk influences. Always comprised of three exceptionally talented musicians, Their / They’re / There has consistently pushed the boundaries of their genre, delivering music that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.
Thundercat – Apocalypse [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Brainfeeder)
Special deluxe edition of Thundercat’s album Apocalypse, celebrating ten years since its original release in 2013. The new edition features special rainbow holographic artwork housed inside a transparent PVC outer sleeve with holographic skull print. Additionally, there are two previously unreleased tracks: “Before I Loved Myself ‘I’ Pooped My Ankles (true)” (with Austin Peralta and Taylor Graves) and “Paris” (with Mono/Poly). Translucent red colorway.
Tr3 – Watch It LP (MRI Associated)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With a career spanning more than forty years, two-time Grammy nominee and sonic innovator Tr3 featuring Tim Reynolds is lauded as one of the most dynamic and unrivaled instrumentalists in recent history. Best known for his seemingly effortless guitar virtuosity, masterful command of melody and timing, and uncanny improvisational prowess, Reynolds’ unequivocal contributions to jam-rock outfit Dave Matthews Band and bevy of namesake ventures continue to garner worldwide acclaim. A striking tapestry of funk, jazz, and rock varieties, Watch It boasts a troth of innovative arrangements that defy classification.
Uncle Walt’s Band – Anthology: Those Boys From Carolina, They Sure Enough Could Sing… LP (Omnivore Recordings)
Back in the late ’70s at Austin’s famed Waterloo Icehouse you could find Uncle Walt’s Band fans listening raptly in the packed venue sitting beside the likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Nanci Griffith, Jerry Jeff Walker, or Marcia Ball. Now, you can experience why everyone was there. This long overdue collection attempts to right missed opportunities of the past and finally gains Uncle Walt’s Band the recognition they deserve.
Various Artists – Eccentric Soul: The Tragar & Note Labels [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Numero)
Atlanta’s original Eccentric Soul labels, Jesse Jones’ Tragar & Note concerns captured critical regional R&B, soul, and funk from 1968-1976. Compiling 34 tracks and sprawled across two LPs, this 15-year anniversary deluxe edition appears on vinyl for the first time. Featuring rare-as-hens-teeth 45s by Eula Cooper, Tee Fletcher, Richard Cook, Frankie & Robert, Tokay Lewis, Nathan Wilkes, Chuck Wilder, Bill Wright, Sonia Ross, Sandy Gaye, Four Tracks, Young Divines, and several others we can’t fit on a hype sticker. [A limited-edition orange colorway is available.]
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes [Reissue/1983] 3xLP+7″ (Craft Recordings)
Expanded 40th anniversary deluxe edition of Violent Femmes’ self-titled debut featuring the remastered album, plus B-sides, live sessions, and rare demos. Housed in a lift-top box with die-cut darkened window detail revealing the box contents, the set includes three 180gm LPs plus a replica 7″ single, along with a book featuring new liner notes by journalist David Fricke and interviews with the band. Includes the classic anthems “Blister In The Sun”, “Please Do Not Go”, “Gone Daddy Gone”, and “Add It Up”.
Vivabeat – The House Is Burning: The Best Of Vivabeat LP (Rubellan Remasters)
Marbled blue colorway. Vivabeat was a Los Angeles based new wave band that formed in 1978 and continued making music into the mid- ‘80s. The House Is Burning: The Best of Vivabeat is a new compilation including three tracks from their 1980 album Party In The War Zone, several archive recordings from a previous compilation making their first vinyl appearance, and two additional previously unreleased songs that are exclusive to this LP.
Zbonics – Keep On Walkin’ LP (Color Red)
Zbonics, the group led by Zak Najor (Greyboy Allstars), features an all-star cast including Karl Denson (Rolling Stones), Robert Walter (Roger Waters), Rebecca Jade (Aubrey Logan), and Greyboy.
The Zeros – Right Now! [Reissue/1999] LP (Bang)
The Zeros is an American punk-rock group formed in 1976 in Chula Vista, California. The band was originally formed with Javier Escovedo (vocals/guitar), Robert Lopez (guitar), Héctor Penalosa (bass) and Baba Chenelle (drums). Often referred to as “the Mexican Ramones,” they were just one of many contributors to the city of Los Angeles’ punk explosion in the late ’70s, although they never received the acclaim like their contemporaries Black Flag, Circle Jerks, or Germs and Wipers. They have more followers and fans outside of the United States, especially Europe and Spain in particular. The label “the Mexican Ramones” did not consider their other revealing influences: pre-punk and garage-rock bands. The Zeros make it evident on this album, releasing covers of New York Dolls among others.
Cassettes:
Lydia Lunch – Queen Of Siam [Reissue/1980] (Radiation Reissues)
Queen Of Siam is the debut solo album American artist Lydia Lunch, originally released in 1980. It features Jack Ruby on bass, Douglas Bowne on drums, and Pat Irwin on saxophone, piano and everything else. The Billy Ver Planck Orchestra (Jazz For Playboys, Jazz For Playgirls) perform on four of the tracks.
Teenage Jesus And The Jerks – Teenage Jesus And The Jerks [Reissue/1979] (Radiation Reissues)
Teenage Jesus And The Jerks – Live 1977-1979 [Reissue/2015] (Radiation Reissues)
No wave legend Teenage Jesus And The Jerks created a confrontational sound, with a shifting line-up as a platform for Lydia Lunch’s shouted vocal shocks, accompanied by her jagged guitar noise, non-melodic bass, and minimalist drums.
STRFKR – Parallel Realms (Polyvinyl)
Prolific and constantly evolving, Portland, OR’s STRFKR has continued to release music that consistently connects with music lovers all over the globe. The band started out in a time when a co-sign from blogs and music outlets of note were all but mandatory for new music to be heard and accepted. On their latest full-length album, Parallel Realms, STRFKR embrace a more pop-forward approach as heard on their recent single “Running Around,” while also hinting at experimentalism and the gentler textures on 2020’s heralded, Future Past Life. Tracked by the band in their home studio in Portland, with additional engineering in Joshua Tree, CA, and mixed by Chris Coady (Beach House, The Drums), the new album feels exciting, cohesive, and familiar with immediate, yet diverse qualities that can only be found on STRFKR records. [A limited-edition violet & cobalt blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Faye Webster – Underdressed At The Symphony (Secretly Canadian)
Faye Webster’s songs are direct lines to the human subconscious, and Underdressed At The Symphony documents what happens once you begin to build a new self from the ashes of your old routines. This rebirth isn’t flashy or definitive but is instead a series of seemingly mundane moments that, scattered across weeks and months, sneak their way toward something like healing. Yes, there’s a breakup in play, but Webster is not documenting the heartbreak of a breakup so much as she’s navigating the contours of heartbreak itself. Recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in Texas with her longtime band, Webster is accompanied on Underdressed At The Symphony by Matt Stoessel’s arcs of shimmering pedal steel, the plaintive, unhurried drums of Charles Garner, and, occasionally, additional guitarwork from Wilco’s Nels Cline. The title of the album refers to Webster’s post-breakup compulsion to visit the symphony on a whim, usually buying a ticket at the last possible second.
Zakk Sabbath – Doomed Forever Forever Doomed (Magnetic Eye)
Celebrating more than 50 years of Birmingham’s most famous four, the ‘inventors’ of heavy metal are being honored by the preeminent tribute trio led by guitarist and singer Zakk Wylde with the double album Doomed Forever Forever Doomed.
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