CDs: 

Aries – Mermelada Dorada CD/LP (La Castanya)

Isabel Fernandez Reviriego (The Charades) delivers a moving collection of hypnotic ‘60s-influenced pop gems on Mermelada Dorada. Her influences include The Left Banke, The Zombies, Jefferson Airplane and Laura Nyro, as well as J Dilla and Dead Moon. Full of Rundgren-approved multi-layered vocal harmonies, Reviriego’s lyrics provide a world where one could live forever.

Assassins – War Of Aggression CD (E1)

Assassins is a metalcore/post hardcore band hailing from Detroit, MI. Recommended for fans of August Burns Red, We Came As Romans, and Job For A Cowboy. 

Black Lips – Underneath The Rainbow CD/LP (Vice)

Atlanta’s favorite sons Black Lips present their first full length in three years. Recorded at a variety of locations over the course of 2013, the twelve songs boast a stable of studio collaborators whose pedigree speaks to how much the band has grown and sonically matured over the course of their career.

BL’AST – Expression Of Power [Reissue/1985] CD/LP (Southern Lord)

Having formed in 1982, the highly influential Santa Cruz hardcore legend: BL’AST! released their first album, The Power Of Expression in 1985. This debut album went on to become one of the highly sought after “must have” hardcore albums from the ‘80s.

Brain Dead – Menace From The Sickness CD (End Of The Light)

Brain Dead are an old school thrash metal band from Ivrea (a small town not far from Turin, in Northern Italy) inspired by the Bay Area thrash metal sound of the ‘80s (especially by Exodus, Annihilator, Testament and Slayer).

Broken Glazz – Divine [Reissue/1991] CD (End Of The Light)

Reissue of the 1991 thrash metal album from the Italian band. Includes the never released before first demo of the band. Digitally remastered.

Richard Buckner – Bloomed [Reissue/1994] 2xCD/LP+CD (Merge)

Double-disc reissue of Buckner’s 1994 debut album, expanded with a disc of radio sessions, live performances and original recordings of songs that appeared on future releases. Pitchfork called it “A traditional outsider-country record in the lineage of Townes Van Zandt. Buckner’s voice is all honey & oak, his guitar style elaborately twanging, his constant subject matter heartache.”

[Read more…] about New Releases for March 18, 2014

CDs:

311 – Stereolithic CD/2xLP (311 Music)

Eleventh album from the alt-rock quintet.

Addictive – Kick M Hard (Rebooted Edition) 2xCD (Divebomb)

Digitally remastered double-CD containing both albums from the Australian thrash metal band: Pity Of Man (1989) and Kick ‘Em Hard (1993). Combining all the best elements of early Metallica, Kreator, and Megadeth, Addictive were a band surely on the rise, but the shifting tides of the music industry unfortunately left them drifting aimlessly by the mid-’90s.

Ambrose Akinmusire – The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier To Paint CD (Blue Note)

Trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire returns an impressive and expansive new album that broadens the palette of his firebrand quintet with the addition of guitarist Charles Altura, the OSSO String Quartet, and vocalists Becca Stevens, Theo Bleckmann, and Cold Specks.

Architects (UK) – Lost Forever // Lost Together CD/LP (Epitaph)

The sixth album from Brighton, England-based metalcore outfit is a blend of brutal, thundering metal and melody-spiked hardcore with heavy riffs and intricate arrangements inspired by artists as unlikely as Sigur Ros.

Axemen – Derry Legend CD/LP+MP3 (Luxury Productions)

Digitally remastered edition of this rare album from the New Zealand indie band. Derry Legend was one of Kurt Cobain’s top NZ platters and a staple of his mixtapes. “An album simmering with background chaos worthy of prime-era Buttholes or Royal Trux. The real surprise is how Derry Legend clears room for pop chops, making it possible to see the Axemen’s relation to bands like the Clean and The Gordons.” — Byron Coley/Forced Exposure Magazine

Battleme – Future Runs Magnetic CD/LP (El Camino Media, LLC)

There aren’t a lot of frills or gimmicks surrounding Battleme’s second album Future Runs Magnetic because, simply put, the music speaks for itself. Bombastic, driving and powerful, the album is a timeless collection of rock anthems.

Bayeté (Todd Cochran) – Worlds Around The Sun [Reissue/1972] CD (Omnivore)

The music world of the early-1970s was a time of experimentation and activism. When listeners heard Santana play “Free Angela” on their classic 1973 release Lotus, few, if any knew the song was originally released by its writer, Todd Cochran, a year before. Worlds Around The Sun was recorded and issued on Prestige Records in 1972 by Todd Cochran (as Bayeté). Not only did the young protégé write all of the album’s material, he also produced and played keyboards on it, along with other jazz greats including a young Bobby Hutcherson on vibes. The combination of jazz and groove, anchored by Cochran’s pumping Rhodes and clavinet have made Worlds Around The Sun a sought-after collector’s album. 

Big Eyes – Almost Famous CD (Grave Mistake)

Sophomore full length finds Big Eyes stepping up their game with a more definitive sound and unified vision. Drawing a hard rock influence while maintaining their well-loved pop sensibility and punk edge, they are inspired by bands like Kiss and Blue Oyster Cult, as well as The Nerves and The Undertones. The trio tastefully embraces the more glamorous aspects of rock & roll without compromising the attitude and grit.

Aloe Blacc – Lift Your Spirit CD/LP (Interscope)

Brand new album from the soul singer/songwriter features the hits “The Man” and an acoustic version of “Wake Me Up.”

Black Hat – Thought Of Two CD/LP (Hausu Mountain)

Composed within an intricate system of digital processes and synth hardware, Black Hat’s debut LP is the culmination of the project’s tonal explorations and structural decisions. Sophisticated rhythmic grids and detailed lead voices, congealing and conflicting in unpredictable fashion, propelling each track through diverse atmospheres and textures.

[Read more…] about New Releases for March 11, 2014

CDs:

American Authors – Oh What A Life CD (Island)

American Authors bring their own influences and experiences to the table, creating pop-flavored alt rock sprinkled with four-part harmonies, spirited lyrics, and contagious optimism.

Bill Anderson – Life CD (Red River Entertainment)

New album from the country music legend, featuring guest appearances by Willie Nelson, John Anderson, Vince Gill, Joey + Rory, and Dailey & Vincent.

Arthur Beatrice – Working Out CD/LP (Harvest)

New album from the London band ironically named after the star of The Golden Girls. Their debut single, “Midland,” drew comparisons to the xx, Warpaint, and the Sundays and the band went on to feature in the The Guardian’s ‘Bands To Watch’ column.

Ashanti – Braveheart CD (E1)

Fifth studio album from the Grammy- winning R&B star.

Ava Luna – Electric Balloon CD/LP (Western Vinyl)

After years of writing and performing, Ava Luna has refined their doo-wop soul meets punk-as-f##k aesthetic into something bold and glaringly defiant in today’s indie music landscape.

Axxa/Abraxas – Axxa/Abraxas CD/LP (Captured Tracks)

Axxa/Abraxas is the music and art project of Ben Asbury, a 23 year old from outside Atlanta, GA. His experiences as a record collector and music obsessive from a very young age are easily evident in his debut release. Going full circle from being introduced to ‘60s pop as a kid, through his foray into punk rock at an early age, into post-rock and Elephant Six indie, right back into ‘60s psychedelia, Ben has honed his influences (Neil Young, Television Personalities), into a cohesive blend to adapt his own take on psych-influenced art-pop.

John Baizley/Nate Hall/Mike Scheidt – Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. 2 CD (Neurot)

Neurot Recordings presents the second installment of praise to the great artist and his brokenhearted love songs and gloom-ridden tales, which now emerge through John Baizley (Baroness), Nate Hall (U.S. Christmas) and Mike Scheidt (YOB, VHÖL), in this beautifully dark tribute.

Bear’s Den – Without/Within CD/LP (Communion)

Of the new music Andrew Davie (vocals, guitar) notes: ‘‘the songs were in many ways our most personal yet and also our most ambitious sonically. Joey’s playing is particularly beautiful to me and his guitar and banjo melodies carry the songs so perfectly at times. Kev was experimenting more with synth bass and piano on top of drums before anyone else even picked anything up. I was experimenting for the first time in my life really on electric guitar and with delayed and reversed guitar loops. We all had our own responsibilities within this record and we all had complete belief and trust in each other. We wanted to push ourselves so that we could grow into the songs on the road and hopefully push ourselves to become a better live band because of it.”

Blutengle – Black Symphonies CD/CD+DVD (Out Of Line Music)

An exquisite selection of Blutengel hits and classics, reinterpreted in symphonic form. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus live DVD containing the best moments from the Gothic-Meets-Klassik-show in Leipzig and as a strictly limited fan box.

Kris Bowers – Heroes And Misfits CD (Concord Jazz)

24-year-old Kris Bowers, winner of the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, releases his debut Concord jazz recording.

Carla Bozulich – Boy CD/LP+MP3 (Constellation)

Carla Bozulich, an art-punk heroine with almost three decades of exceptional, iconoclastic musical activity under her belt, presents the third record of her storied career to be issued in her own name. Boy is Carla’s self-proclaimed pop record and is a refreshing and much-needed reminder of what pop can mean in the hands of a ferociously commanding singer/lyricist who has cut her teeth on genre-bending, genre blending, and DIY production for 25 years. It is unmistakably a pop-influenced album by way of punk, avant rock and lo/mid-fi.

Stanley Brinks – Gin CD/LP+MP3 (Fika Recordings)

New release from the singer/songwriter formerly known as Andre Herman Dune. On Gin, Brinks is joined by UK trio The Wave Pictures for their third album together.

Gary Burton – Seven Songs For Quartet & Chamber Orchestra [Reissue/1973] CD/LP (ECM)

Sounding as fresh today as it did in 1973, Seven Songs places the Gary Burton Quartet in an orchestral context, with compositions of Michael Gibbs inspired by Messiaen and Charles Ives as well as Miles and Gil Evans and exceptional soloing by Mick Goodrick, Steve Swallow and Burton himself. The production is exemplary: Seven Songs set a new standard for recordings of orchestral jazz.

[Read more…] about New Releases for March 3-4, 2014