CDs:
!!! – Thri!!!er CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
The band explain the album title: “Over the course of many long van rides and post-coffee verbal riff sessions, Thriller didn’t merely come to represent the selling of a lot of records… it became synonymous with an artist(s)’ and/or genre(s)’ artistic high-watermark. INXS’ Kick is the Australian Thriller… Alanis’ Jagged Little Pill is the Canadian Thriller… Wham!’s Make It Big is the blow-dryer’s Thriller… every recording by the 13th Floor Elevators is the dosed-man’s Thriller… ”Sister Ray” by the Velvet Underground is the Thriller of musical fever dreams. One day at the studio, Nic [Offer, vocalist] drew Thri!!!er on a napkin and I liked it… then we made our Thriller.”
Abyssal – Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius CD (Profound Lore)
Abyssal are a mysterious trio from the UK that plays death metal in a twisted, avant-garde manner, encapsulating pure dread and inevitable doom.
Agrimonia – Rite Of Separation CD (Southern Lord)
This neo-crust/post-hardcore band could be described as the bastard child of the epic, bittersweet sounds of groups like Counterblast and Neurosis, together with the simplicity and murk of Bolt Thrower and Bathory. Vinyl version due June 11.
The Airborne Toxic Event – Such Hot Blood CD (Island)
“The Airborne Toxic Event begins their third studio album Such Hot Blood in the same way they became recognizable: a second-person perspective of the protagonist agonizing over his lost love in the middle of a dance — to the tune of epic guitars and strings galore.” – theowlmag.com
Akron/Family – Subverses CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
“Inspired by the works of artists Michael Heizer and James Turrell, Akron/Family set out to make a record about the stuff of America; dust and stone, light and space. It’s about the desert and the country that they and countless other musicians have existed in, and Sub Verses is an attempt to recreate that world through song. It’s typically hippy-ish stuff, but the infectious way in which the band tells their tales makes it believable and achievable.” – The Line Of Best Fit
Altar Of Plagues – Teethed Glory And Injury CD (Profound Lore)
Realized primarily on analog equipment in the studio, Teethed Glory And Injury incorporates more ambient, noise, and electronica elements in the signature Altar Of Plagues sound, distancing them further from the so-called post-metal movement.
Alessi’s Ark – The Still Life CD/LP (Bella Union)
“Alessi’s Ark, the vessel for singer-songwriter Alessi Laurent-Marke’s precocious talent, now has a third studio album with the release of The Still Life. The blossoming West London artist has yet to celebrate her 23rd birthday, but Laurent-Marke’s voice is striking, capable of simultaneous seduction and subversion. The singer would be a shoe-in for the kind of outwardly puzzled, yet knowing heroine you might find in a David Lynch work.” – Consequence Of Sound
Amorphous – Circle CD/CD+DVD (Nuclear Blast)
At the peak of the second decade of the musical journey, Finnish melancholic dark rock/metal masters Amorphis give birth to their eleventh mind-child. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a DVD.
Arrington de Dionyso’s Malaikat dan Singa – Open The Crown CD/LP (K Records)
You may have experienced Arrington de Dionyso’s Malaikat dan Singa as an unexpected live force, pushing up through the earth like daffodils in late winter; or maybe you’re familiar with their previous exploits in the studio, Malaikat dan Singa and Suara Naga, which burn clean with fragrant traumas. Open The Crown is similarly passion-filled, with new vistas (channeled hallucinations) exploring English (previously only the Indonesian language was employed) as their stomping ground to expand parallel themes anew.
Avantasia – Mystery Of Time CD (Nuclear Blast)
Avantasia’s newest record features Bill Byford (Saxon), Eric Martin (Mr. Big), Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Unisonic), Bruce Kulick (ex-Kiss, ex-Meatloaf), Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids), Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, ex-Vengeance) and legendary former Deep Purple, Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist Joe Lynn Turner.
Aidan Baker With Plurals – Glass Crocodile Medicine CD/LP (Latitudes)
Aidan Baker brought British tour-mates Plurals into the studio with him. The result is a gradual unfurling of intricate layers of sound, which builds and envelopes the listener over opener “Dead Foxes In The Street.” “Turning Children Into Mice” is a brooding, decidedly sinister beast, weaving a repetitive and increasingly dark threat, until it explodes into a hive of noise. Available on CD and on blue vinyl.
Beacon – The Ways We Separate CD (Ghostly International)
Beacon draw from elements of hip-hop and a wide gamut of electronic music, marrying intricate beats and subtle textures to honeyed pop melodies that belie the album’s conceptual depth. Vinyl version due May 28.
Big Country – The Journey CD (MRI)
New album from the Scottish band now featuring The Alarm’s Mike Peters on vocals and guitar and former Simple Minds’ member Derek Forbes on bass. The band also includes Jamie Watson, who joins his father Bruce Watson on guitar. The elder Watson along with drummer Mark Brzezicki are the sole remaining members of the band’s classic lineup present on The Journey.
Dean Blunt – Redeemer CD/LP (Hippos In Tanks)
Ever the mysterious figure, UK-based Blunt is one half of the Hyperdub-signed duo Hype Williams, known for their pop culture-referencing experimental music. The Redeemer promises a “notable lifting of the veil of tape hiss and blurred signifiers” of his previous work over 19 new tracks.
The Body – Master, We Perish CDEP/12”/Cassette (Sickroom)
These three brand new tracks push The Body’s experimental doomed and blackened heavy sound ever forward – a perfect precursor to their forthcoming album, which is due on Thrill Jockey autumn 2013.
Cathedral – The Last Spire CD (Metal Blade)
The Last Spire is the tenth studio album by the British doom metal band Cathedral. This will be their final album before their planned retirement.
Cayucas – Bigfoot CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
Cayucas: Pronounced “ky-yook-us”, is the monikered homage to a sleepy little seaside town in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Their debut album bears little resemblance to the sound of modern California that’s been so omnipresent over the past few years. Instead, Bigfoot possesses flirty rhythmic sensibilities both snappy and sparkling, a rosy, near-tropical warmth, and a loose and conversational feel that position you right in the line of singer/songerwriter Zach Yudin’s wry gaze.
Ceramic Dog – Your Turn CD/LP (Northern Spy)
Five years after their critically acclaimed debut release, Ceramic Dog, the power trio featuring Marc Ribot (guitar), Shahzad Ismaily (bass/electronics) and Ches Smith (drums), is back with the hard-hitting tour de force Your Turn. Time Out New York called Ceramic Dog Ribot’s “rawest band in ages” while the New York Times wrote, “The musicianship is intense regardless of the subtext, with all three players hurling themselves into their effort.”
Kenny Chesney – Life On A Rock CD (Blue Chair Records, LLC)
Co-produced with long time collaborator Buddy Cannon, Life On A Rock captures the thematic core of the 10-song set that’s been recorded and mixed in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Jamaica, Key West, London and Nashville.
Coliseum – Sister Faith CD/LP (Temporary Residence)
Coliseum’s fourth album features guest appearances from members of Boris, Cursed, Jawbox, and Sebadoh, and bristles with galvanizing melodies at the collision point between punk and noise-rock.
Coyote Clean Up – 2 Hot 2 Wait CD (100% Silk)
A sentimental, sensual odyssey blending house, R&B, and screwed up hip-hop elements. Vinyl version due May 14.
Cristal – Homegoing CD (Hand-Held)
First-time CD release of album available previously as a free digital download with the “Swedish Child” 7”. Features two unreleased bonus tracks, including a Pan American remix. The Richmond, VA trio’s sound tinges their blinged-up moniker with a healthy dose of irony, encroaching as it does upon the world of dark ambience and phantasmic soundscapes occupied by the kind of artists you’d hear on labels like Type and Miasmah.
Daughter – If You Leave CD (Glassnote)
“London singer-guitarist Elena Tonra, or Daughter, likes her single word song titles. There are 10 of them on her debut album, If You Leave, and the economy she brings to labeling is a reflection of the concentrated themes that ripple through this record. Potent images of life and death entwine with the ever-present subject of lost love. The album is a catalogue of heartbreak; a song cycle of such damaged fallout that it begs the question of who these heartless bastards just might be” – Consequence Of Sound. Vinyl version due June 25.
Daylight – Jar CD/LP (Run For Cover)
Daylight spent the past few years honing their grunge buzzing, and desperate sad sound across four EP’s, showcasing and perfecting a talent for writing both jarringly heavy and delicately emotional songs. Now the Pennsylvania four-piece deliver Jar, their debut full-length.
deadmau5 –At Play In The USA Vol. 1 (Play)
This compilation includes proven clubland monsters and dirty dancefloor bombs from the Canadian whizz, alongside some of his finest collaborations to date.
Deep Purple – Now What CD (Eagle Rock)
As one of the all-time great British rock bands, Deep Purple need no further introduction. Eight years have passed since their last studio album, Rapture Of The Deep, and they now release their latest album, Now What, produced by Bob Ezrin.
Tav Falco And The Panther Burns – Sugar Ditch Revisited/The Shake Rag [Reissue/1985+1986] 2xCD/2xLP (Stag-O-Lee)
The master of a raw and shambolic fusion of rockabilly, blues, and fractured noise, Falco was, along with the Cramps, one of the earliest purveyors of what would come to be known as psychobilly (though his version of the sound lacked the campy horror movie ambience others brought to it), and he anticipated the fractured but hard-hitting blues wailing of the Gories and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion by close to a decade. This reissue adds a previously unreleased 11-song/45-minute live show from the Messepalast Vienna recorded in 1989.
Guided By Voices – English Little League CD/LP (GBV Inc.)
The fourth album from the reunited “classic” Guided By Voices lineup of Robert Pollard, Tobin Sprout, Greg Demos, Mitch Mitchell and Kevin Fennell hums like angry birds along the full spectrum of rock’s highways and byways (especially the byways), from rock to roll and back again. Pollard’s rebus system of songwriting (sounds made visible, abstract concepts symbolized) strung like fairy lights from the opening song “Xeno Pariah” to the galvanic closer “With Glass In Foot,” kettles along at full steam throughout, punctuated by the airier constructs of Sprout (“The Sudden Death Of Epstein’s Ways,” with its sweet/creepy emphatic refrain of “Jesus,” is a particular standout).
Cheick Hamala Diabate – Prudence CDEP (Electric Cowbell)
Destined to become a world-class burner, Prudence highlights an ancient-to-the-future aspect of Cheick Hamala’s breadth as a genre-bending experimental artist who has one foot firmly planted in a roots tradition with a keen, focused eye on limitless possibilities of cross-cultural exchange via global collaboration with artists outside of his legacy as a musician and a historian in the West African griot tradition of the Republic of Mali. Vinyl version due May 7.
Hands – Synethesia CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
“Burgeoning L.A. indie dance-rockers Hands have been causing a bit of a fuss stateside, with support slots alongside Foster The People, shows at SXSW and Time magazine ranking them in their ’11 Bands You Don’t Know (But Should)’ list. They’ve been likened to Hot Chip or Tanlines, and their new single ‘Trouble’ is a delirious combo of funk-bass, needlepoint guitar and hazy synths that all blend to make a deliciously infectious sound.” — thefourohfive.com
Hanni El Khatib – Head In The Dirt CD/LP (Innovative Leisure)
Head In The Dirt has cut-to-the-bone rhythm ‘n’ blues and over-cranked, Stooges-style stompers, as well got bottomless Black Sabbath riff-outs and dub-a-delic garageland rockers that summonthe spirits of The Clash.
The Haxan Cloak – Excavation CD/2xLP (Tri Angle)
Excavation is awash with serrated beats and cavernous sub-bass, meshing with classical drones and ghostly details. For Fans of Tim Hecker, Raime, and Andy Stott.
Head East – Raise A Little Hell CD (CME Records & Film)
New album from the classic good-time rockers, best known for their signature song “Never Been Any Reason” (which was popularized by the film Dazed And Confused).
Heaven Shall Burn – Veto CD/2xCD (Century Media)
The German technical metalcore group’s brutal new album is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus live disc.
The Heliocentrics – 13 Degrees Of Reality CD/LP (Now Again)
The Heliocentrics continue to search for an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and “ethnic” music all revolve around.
Hessian – Manegarmr CD (Southern Lord)
A furious blizzard of cold black metal violently crashing into a maelstrom of ultra-metallic dark hardcore. Vinyl version due June 11.
HIM – Tears On Tape CD/CD+DVD (Razor & Tie)
“The Finns’ formula remains as distinctive as ever on their eighth studio album, their cobwebbed melodies, lovelorn pathos and grubby metallic crunch all intact. A vast improvement on 2010’s anaemic Screamworks, Tears On Tape harks back to the incisive crowd-pleasing of 2003’s Love Metal, wherein every song boasted an irresistible, radio-friendly chorus, but the riffs still left a bruise or two” – The Guardian. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus DVD featuring videos.
Human Eye – 4: Into Unknown CD (95 Gone)
Full of Sabbath-esque sludge-bass, trash-incinerating guitars and blown-out organs, 4: Into Unknown will convince any would-be aficionado that the throbbing heart of rock & roll is alive and well in Detroit. Vinyl version due May 14.
Iggy And The Stooges – Ready To Die CD (Fat Possum)
Better 40 years later than never, Ready To Die is the follow-up to the first record ever to bear the Iggy & The Stooges logo — the immortal proto-punk masterpiece Raw Power. Vinyl version due May 14.
Tom Keifer – The Way Life Goes (ADA)
Tom Keifer’s (Cinderella) debut solo album ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for Cinderella.
Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavalle – Perils From The Sea CD (Caldo Verde)
Debut collaboration by The Album Leaf’s multi-instrumentalist Jimmy LaValle and Sun Kil Moon singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek. For the album LaValle chose a more minimalist approach to the music than TAL’s large sonic soundscapes. Kozelek’s storytelling narratives playing against LaValle’s hypnotic synth sounds and drumbeats should come as a pleasant surprise to fans.
Lights – Siberia Acoustic CD (Last Gang)
When electro-rock sensation Lights first hit the music scene in 2008, she was just a songwriter with a synth and a dream. Her name may have been pluralized but Lights Poxleitner was a one-woman show who played and programmed her own instruments and sang her own lyrics. Siberia Acoustic is a stripped-down re-imagining of her 2010 album removing the skittering beats and synths to reveal the pretty melodies at the core of her heart wrenching and emotional songwriting.
LL Cool J – Authentic CD (Savoy Jazz)
The rapper’s 14th album features guest appearances by Brad Paisley, Seal, Eddie Van Halen, Snoop Dogg, Fitz & The Tantrums, Monica, Earth Wind & Fire, Travis Barker, Tom Morello, Charlie Wilson, Fatman Scoop, Melody Thornton, Bootsy Collins, Z-Trip and Mickey Shiloh.
Melvins – Everybody Loves Sausages CD (Ipecac)
13-track covers album featuring tracks originally by he album features covers of songs by Venom, The Stooges, The Jam, Divine, and more.
Method Of Defiance – Nahariama 4th Column CD/LP (M.O.D. Technologies)
The second instrumental offering from Method Of Defiance, Bill Laswell’s international music collective of interchangeable columns. Nahariama features cornetist, Graham Haynes (son of jazz icon, drummer, Roy Haynes), keyboardist Robert Burger (John Zorn, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson), Senegalese master percussionist Aiyb Dieng, and DJ Krush.
Scott Morgan – Three Chords And A Cloud Of Dust 3xCD (Easy Action)
This triple-disc, career-spanning anthology of Detroit guitar legend Scott Mogan’s key tracks spanning his 40+ years as a songwriter/performer. From his years as a member of Sonic Rendezvous Band, The Hellacopters, and The Hydromatics, the set contains many unreleased tracks including studio cuts from the short-lived Guardian Angel and rare recordings of 7″ singles.
Neon Neon – Praxis Makes Perfect CD/2xCD/LP (Lex)
Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip) present their new album and follow-up to 2008’s Mercury Music Prize nominated Stainless Style. Praxis Makes Perfect is a musical biopic of Italian publisher, Giangiacomo Feltrinelli’s colorful life viewed through the lens of Gruff Rhy’s highly original song writing and Boom Bip’s shimmering synth-heavy production. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a four-track EP.
Carla Olson – Have Harmony, Will Travel CD (Busted Flat)
New album from The Textones singer/songwriter consists of twelve cover songs, each featuring a duet with a guest vocalist — Richie Furay (Poco, Buffalo Springfield), Juice Newton, John York (Byrds), Peter Case, James Intveld, Rob Waller and more.
Pan American – Cloud Room CD/LP (Kranky)
With percussionist extraordinaire Steven Hess (Locrian) now a full-fledged member, Mark Nelson and Pan American deliver their first album since White Bird Release from 2009. Begun with the duo rehearsing for a series of shows, these songs were written together as a group to be played live. Bobby Donne (Labradford/Cristal) plays bass on multiple tracks, further emphasizing the live band feel. Mark Nelson’s deft production touches abound, while Hess shows a mastery of understated rhythms.
Ola Podrida – Ghosts Go Blind CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
David Wingo is a busy man. In the years since the release of his last record as Ola Podrida, he’s written and recorded soundtracks for several movies including Take Shelter (winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2011), MUD (starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon), and Prince Avalanche (starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch and co-composed with Explosions In The Sky).
Os Mutantes – Fool Metal Jack CD (Varese Sarabande)
New album from psychedelic legends Os Mutantes, the group originally formed in the ‘60s, and currently kept alive by founding member Sergio Dias.
Charlie Poole With The Highlanders – The Complete Paramount & Brunswick Recordings, 1929 CD (Tompkins Square)
Archival recordings from one of the most popular rural string bands from 1926-30, remastered Christopher King with notes written by old-time musician and scholar Kinney Rorrer.
The Postelles – …And It Shook Me CD (+1 Records)
The sophomore album from the New York-based indie band, …And It Shook Me, is the follow-up to The Postelles’ 2011 self-titled debut album which they co-produced with The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr.
Rainbow – Live In Munic CD (Eagle Vision)
This concert from their European tour in 1977 features the line-up responsible for the Long Live Rock N Roll album released later that year, including vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Cozy Powell. 211 minutes. Also available on stand-alone DVD.
R.A. The Ragged Man – Legends Never Die CD (Ingrooves)
Legends Never Die is the much anticipated follow-up to the Long Island, New York rapper’s critically acclaimed 2004 album, Die, Rugged Man, Die. It features Tech N9ne, Talib Kweli, Brother Ali, Hopsin, and Vinnie Paz (of Jedi Mind Tricks).
Randy Rogers Band – Trouble CD (MCA Nashville)
Teaming up for the first time with producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Cage the Elephant, The Wallflowers), the Texas five-piece vocalist/guitarist Randy Rogers, guitarist Geoffrey Hill, bassist Jon Richardson, fiddle player Brady Black, and drummer Les Lawless dove headfirst into songs of loss, love and, above all, truth.
Rittz – The Life & Times Of Jonny Valiant CD (Strange Music)
Debut album from the Southern rapper and Tech N9ne/Yelawolf affiliate. The Life & Times Of Jonny Valiant features guest appearances from Mike Posner, Krizz Kaliko, Big K.R.I.T., and Yelawolf, while producer credits go to DJ Burnone, Matic Lee, and Posner.
Xenia Rubinos – Magic Trix CD/LP (Ba Da Bing!)
An oblique assemblage of uncommon rhythms, forceful singing and dance-’til-you-puke styles combine to make Magic Trix one of the most exciting debuts in years.
Alice Russell – To Dust CD/2xLP (Tru Thoughts)
“The British Invasion of the 1950s brought the groovy mod sounds of British boy bands that changed the landscape of music in America. Fifty years later we find ourselves in the midst of a new invasion. Unlike the former, these new British artists are making their mark on R&B and soul music. Singers like the late Amy Winehouse and Adele, just to name a few, have burst onto the music scene with their brand of British Soul and have taken the world by storm. Add to that list Alice Russell. Her voice is equally as powerful as the aforementioned singers, but it possesses a little more flavor.” – irockjazz.com
The Saints – King Of The Sun CD (Highway 125)
“Chris Bailey is revered around the world as a punk legend on the strength of The Saints scathing first three albums, released 1977 – 1978 and spawning such era-defining songs as ‘I’m Stranded,’ ‘Demolition Girl’ and ‘Know Your Product.’ King Of The Sun is a collection of throbbing, pulsating, mostly mid-tempo songs that remind us how much we need artists like Bailey to reconnect us with the true drive behind creating for it’s own sake – not for fame or money, but for art, because the artist has something to say.” – magazine.100percentrock.com
Secret Circuit – Tactile Galactics CD/LP (RVNG International)
Secret Circuit is the guise of Eddie Ruscha Jr. (Medicine). His music is derived from a dance lineage promoting feel over form; rhythmically explored without abandon (or audience) in mind by the krautrock fringe, put to the slow motion disco test at Daniele Baldelli’s Cosmic Club, jacked into a House format via the Chicago imprint Trax and honored today via peer psychonauts like Hieroglyphic Being and Lindstrom.
Sharks – Selfhood CD/LP+CD (Rise)
Selfhood is the follow up to their striking 2012 offering No Gods, which NME called, “joyous blue-collar punk from Leamington Spa… a starry-eyed celebration of yearning on a US factory floor, as idealised by British spa town punks.”
The Shivas – Whiteout CD/LP (K Records)
Like their Burger Record cassette-mates Thee Oh Sees before them, The Shivas’ sweet harmonies and sunbaked sound harkens back to the origins of surf rock, and are too compelling for the physical senses to refuse.
Sister Crayon – Cynic CDEP (Fake Four, Inc.)
An off and on recluse, Terra Lopez spent countless hours in her Northern California bedroom each day recording hundreds of gritty, personal demos with her classical guitar and MPC. Staring at the ceiling of her apartment, she taught herself how to sing by studying vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Jeff Buckley. It was during this time that Lopez started to form the sound and scope of what would become Sister Crayon.
Solar Bears – Supermigration CD/LP (Planet Mu)
A real sense of drama runs through Solar Bears’ music, and Supermigration, their second album following 2010’s critically lauded She Was Coloured In, is full of all kinds — from the intimate to the psychedelic, from the chase to the suppression.
Sole – No Wising Up, No Settling Down CD (Black Canyon)
No Wising Up, No Settling Down features collaborations with Goldpanda, Sean Bonette of Andrew Jackson Jihad, The Hood Internet & Shapers, Man Mantis, Dosh, Loden, Cars & Trains, Skyrider, Spencertron and Snubluck. A decent chunk of the production is handled by DJ Pain 1, who’s produced tracks for Young Jeezy, Gucci Mane and 50 Cent.
Spin Doctors – If The River Was Whiskey CD (Ruf Records)
The Spin Doctors, one of the little alt-rock bands to break out big in the early ’90s, are back with a new blues-inspired album.
Streetlight Manifesto – The Hands That Thieve CD (Victory)
The oft-delayed new album from the New Jersey-based ska/punk band finally sees the light of day.
Colin Stetson – New History Warfare 3: To See More Light CD/2xLP (Constellation)
New History Warfare 3 signals the full flourishing of Stetson’s unique talents as both composer and performer, pressing his arsenal of virtuosic saxophone techniques into the service of vivid, impassioned and conceptually astute songcraft. Features vocal contributions from Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) on four songs.
Svarte Greiner – Black Tie CD/LP (Miasmah)
Split into two distinct movements, “Black Tie” and “White Noise,” we are exposed to the yin and yang of Erik Skodvin’s (Deaf Center) patented acoustic doom, and all the gravitas that it might contain. “Black Tie” stops time around its creaking cello, plucked strings and whispering ambience. On “White Noise” he allows panoramic synthesizer drones to take control while Middle Eastern strings chime in the distance.
Toxic Holocaust – From The Ashes Of Nuclear Destruction CD (Relapse)
“On this collection, [Toxic Holocaust] culled 22 tracks’ worth of rough, primitive blackthrash, D-Beat, speed metal, and just a little sleazy rock‘n’roll from his extensive catalogue, and thrown them to the wolves as both a gift to the diehards and a history lesson for the newbies.” — Pitchfork
Valleys – Are You Gonna Stand There And Talk Weird All Night? CD/LP (Kanine)
Dreamy sound captures the guitar essence of ‘90s Creation Records legends Slowdive, while their synths and Moogs bring strong connections to Kraftwerk.
Vandaveer – Oh, Willie, Please… CD/LP (Quack!)
Latest effort from the folk collective is a re-imagining of age-old murder ballads and songs of self-ruin plucked almost entirely from the public domain. The result is a spacious, honest album that balances reverence and respect for the source material with a healthy coat of contemporary color.
Various Artists [Maceo Plex] – DJ Kicks CD/LP (!K7)
Texas bred deep house don, Maceo Plex, has an earnest sound and an honest tongue. Born Eric Estomel, his first DJ-Kicks mix arrives this week; an aural concoction that goes down smoothly with its sharpness while maintaining the cloudy haze of a dirty martini. Blending old-school disco cohorts with deep basslines effortlessly, the whiz of heart-wrenching productions draws crowds thirsty for skilled sound manipulation.
Various Artists – John Morales Presents The M+M Mixes Volume 3 3xCD (BBE)
Various Artists – John Morales Presents The M+M Mixes Volume 3 Instrumentals 2xCD (BBE)
This superb triple-CD presents some of John’s finest works, and takes the M+M Mix legacy to yet a higher level. Discs One and Two feature some of the greatest tracks of all time, from Barry White’s “Never, Never Gonna Give You Up,” to the classic rework of Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You.” Disc Three features some of the best from the vaults of the Salsoul and West End labels, anthems like Loleatta Holloway’s “Hit & Run” to legendary Paradise Garage favorite Loose Joints “Is It All Over My Face?” Double-disc instrumentals version also available.
Various Artists – Ethnic Minority Of Southern China CD (Sublime Frequencies)
Fifth volume in Laurent Jeanneau’s amazing Sublime Frequencies documentation of vanishing indigenous music of the rural Asian frontiers. Supremely infectious vocal styles and folkloric instrumentals.
Various Artists – Imaginational Anthem Vols. 1-5 6xCD (Tompkins Square)
Since 2005, Tompkins Square label’s Imaginational Anthem compilations have featured some of the greatest acoustic guitarists in the world, with recordings spanning five decades. More than mere samplers, these albums have served as state-of-the-art dispatches from the front lines of the art form. This set collects the first five volumes in the series, and adds an exclusive live disc from William Tyler (Lambchop), entitled Elvis Was A Capricorn.
Various Artists – Imaginational Anthem Vol. 6 CD (Tompkins Square)
If American Primitive Guitar begins with John Fahey and the Takoma School, then the actual origins of this sound is found within this collection of fourteen classic solo guitar performances. Recorded between 1923 to 1930, this set is the “Rosetta Stone” of style and repertoire tapped into deeply by Fahey, Basho & Rose, among many others. Sam McGee, Riley Puckett, Bayless Rose, Sylvester Weaver, Lemuel Turner, Frank Hutchison and Davey Miller are the rural artists included in this anthology.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To African Disco 2xCD (World Music Network)
As the 1970s dawned, the all-glittering, all-dancing sounds of disco were reverberating right around the globe. Creative scenesters put their own spin on the disco sound, mashing together the rhythmic pulse of funk, soul and Latin with African grooves; soukous, Afrobeat, township jive and more. Dig the far out sounds of Osibisa, Tony Allen, Mango Groove and Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Latin Psychedelia 2xCD (World Music Network)
During the 1960s and 1970s in Latin America, revolution was in the air youth subculture was breaking its bonds, minds were expanding and music was turning inside out. This Rough Guide features a lovingly re-mastered selection of classic cuts by Joe Cuba and Johnny Rivera alongside contemporary psychedelic pioneers Brownout and Ocote Soul Sounds.
The Weeks – Dear Bo Jackson CD/LP (Serpents & Snakes)
Drawing inspiration from such iconic works as The Band’s Music From The Big Pink, The Weeks enriched their well-seasoned sonic stew with the classic flavors of soul, R&B, funk, and heavy boogie to create their own unique take on contemporary Southern rock.
Wolf People – Fain CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)
Recorded in an isolated house in the Yorkshire Dales, Fain is the sound of a band at the peak of their creative powers. It’s an honest and natural album that allows its stories and melodies to breathe. The album draws on more traditional English and Scottish folk melodies than anything they’ve done before, but not straying from the dropout fuzz-rock route they’ve made their own.
Youngblood Hawke – Wake Up CD/2xLP (Universal Republic)
Inspired by the Herman Wouk novel of the same name, Youngblood Hawke was born out of late night creative musings between longtime friends Sam Martin and Simon Katz. The L.A. indie pop band’s first single, “We Come Running,” has become a ubiquitous anthem in its own right. With danceable cadence and a massive refrain, the song resounds with arena-ready energy.
Zs – Grain CD/LP (Northern Spy)
The two side-length tracks (coming in at a total of 42 minutes) bear the marks of their sound — repeated phrases, looped or played in situ; buried drones and harsh electronic tones — but it does sound very much like a new band.
DVD + Blu-ray:
The Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet – Concert For Fukushima Wels 2011 DVD (Pan Rec)
A film by Pavel Borodin featuring the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet benefit concert at the 2011 Music Unlimited festival in Wels with guests Toshinori Kondo, Michiyo Yagi, Yoshihide Otomo and Akira Sakata. 105 minutes.
The Eagles – History Of The Eagles 3xDVD/3xBlu-ray (Jigsaw Productions)
History Of The Eagles explores the band’s creation and rise to fame in the ‘70s through their breakup in 1980, then from their 1994 reunion though the Hell Freezes Over tour to the present day. Includes an exclusive concert filmed Live at the Capital Centre in March 1977.
Rainbow – Live In Munic DVD (Eagle Vision)
This concert from their European tour in 1977 features the line-up responsible for the Long Live Rock N Roll album released later that year, including vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Cozy Powell. 211 minutes. Also available on stand-alone CD.
Vinyl:
Adventure – Weird Work LP (Carpark)
Weird Work remains in the same sonic space as Lesser Known but abandons its sing-alongs. It’s the result of Adventure’s 8-bit tendencies running free in an IDM landscape built on Aphex Twin and early Warp Records.
Bone Sickness – Alone In The Grave 12” (20 Buck Spin)
The maelstrom of death metal savagery Bone Sickness conjures on Alone In The Grave recalls Repulsion’s Horrified LP and early Master/Deathstrike recordings, and exhumes Napalm Death when still commanded by domineering, barbaric drummer Mick Harris. No Incantation worship or goats ’n’ gasmasks posing; just American death metal disfigured by grindcore.
Broderick & Broderick – Broderick & Broderick 10”+CD (Team Love)
Broderick & Broderick is internationally renowned multi-instrumentalist and composer/songwriter Peter Broderick and his father Stephen Broderick. The self-titled release is comprised of six songs, mostly instrumental, with a vocal contribution by Peter’s sister Heather Woods Broderick.
Child Bite – Vision Crimes/Monomania LP (Joyful Noise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. This album collects Child Bite’s two sibling EP’s into one brutal package. For years, we have watched Child Bite change, contort, and rearrange itself in to the gnarly powerhouse that exists in its current period. Since the inception of their now steady relationship with JNR, the sounds have become more abrasive then their spastic avant-pop beginnings.
Loren Connors – The Departing Of A Dream [2002] LP (Family Vineyard)
Vinyl reissue of master guitarist Loren Connors’ modern classic — the first of what would become a three volume series based loosely as tribute to Miles Davis’ He Loved Him Madly. This album finds Connors exploring slowly churned darkened hues each collapsing onto themselves like echoes of Miles’ muted trumpet and Connors’ signature ghost melodies.
Damon & Naomi – Wondrous World Of Damon & Naomi (Bootleg Edition) LP (20|20|20)
In 1995, Damon & Naomi went into the studio with Galaxie 500 producer Kramer to record their debut for Sub Pop. Not everything went according to plan, however; or rather, it turned out Kramer and Damon & Naomi each had a different plan for what should result. This version is comprised of different mixes and track sequence. Limited-edition vinyl pressing, with official bootleg art.
Dead Can Dance – In Concert 3xLP (PIAS)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Last year, Dead Can Dance embarked on a world tour behind Anastatis, their first album in 16 years. In Concert is a collection of live tracks taken from their massive trek.
Field Report – Field Report LP (Partisan)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Field Report is the creation of Chris Porterfield, who cut his musical teeth with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and the members of Megafaun in the band DeYarmond Edison. The result is a haunting set of songs that’s crafty, lyrical, and poignant.
Gravetemple – Ambient/Ruin 2xLP (Ideologic Organ)
Gravetembple was formed in 2006 as a side-project of Sunn O))) by Oren Ambarchi, Stephen O’Malley and Attila Csihar. Elements of tape collage, concrete, and field recordings blend within a strong suite of heavy minimalist/maximalist music, black/death metal and drone.
Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – Musica Su Schemi [Reissue/1976] LP+MP3 (Superior Viaduct)
In the early 1970s, Franco Evangelisti assembled Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, a collective of Italian composers that included Ennio Morricone on trumpet. Gruppo aspired to revolutionize composition through group improvisation and — like their peer, Karlheinz Stockhausen — musique concrète, aleatory (controlled chance) techniques and early electronic music. One significant influence in the studio was their use of chess to define key parameters of their music.
Helado Negro – Invisible Life LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Press play on Invisible Life and you lose your season. Roberto Lange AKA Helado Negro is talking to you in Spanish. He’s talking to you, perhaps with more volume, in the language he’s been teaching us all over the past three years through the lessons of the seductive full-length Canta Lechuza, the sub-narrative exploration EP Island Universe Story One, and the all-in collaboration, OMBRE, with Juliana Barwick. This immersive curriculum, paired with our own capacity for feeling, will make Invisible Life visible. At least as much Roberto Lange wants us to see of himself.
Koji – Crooked In My Mind LP (Run For Cover)
This is Koji’s most soulful and tuneful yet album yet. His voice brittle and bold all at the same time, tapping into the same poignancy Elliott Smith conjured at this best. Twanging acoustic guitar chimes with powerfully rhythmic drums and delicate, singing strings in a downright mesmerizing and moving way. CD version due May 14.
Rilo Kiley – Rkives 2xLP (Little Record Company)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rkives is a collection of unreleased songs, B-sides, and rarities spanning Rilo Kiley’s decade-long career.
Panabrite – Sub-Aquatic Meditation LP (Aguirre)
Solo project of Norman Chambers, utilizing analog synthesis, vintage drum machines, various effects and occasional guitar. The outer space and the deep blue sea collide into two sides of spellbinding adventures reminiscent of the early work of Oneohtrix Point Never and Dolphins Into The Future.
Ty Segall + Chad & The Meatbodies – Ty Segall + Chad & Meatbodies: LAMC Vol. 7 7” (Famous Class)
Split between the San Francisco psych wunderkind Ty Segall and the heavy, groovy, psychedelic Chad & The Meatbodies.
Slava – Raw Solutions LP (Software)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Raw Solutions is the debut full-length by Slava. Following his 2012 EP Soft Control, Raw Solutions finds Slava exploring the darker, denser corners of Chicago House and Footwork in an ever-broadening context.
Songs: Ohia – Hecla & Griper [1998] LP (Secretly Canadian)
Secretly Canadian is proud to announce the 15th Anniversary reissue of a Songs: Ohia classic, the Hecla & Griper EP, now appearing for the first time on vinyl with previously unreleased bonus material.
Sorcerer – Step Pyramid/Universal Vision 12” (Catune)
Dan Judd (Windsurf) is Sorcerer. Side A’s “Step Pyramid” works perfectly on dance floors keeping the melodies minimal, but with bright synth sounds and vocal cut up loops lock you into a breezing groove, and also features a remix by Traks Boys. Side B’s “Universal Vision”, also a DJ friendly cut, features vocals and synth, and a remix by The Beat Broker.
Whiles – Somber Honey LP+MP3 (Anyway)
Somber Honey displays frontman Joe Peppercorn’s strong sense of melody and sharp song craft, with orchestral arrangements courtesy of violinist Samantha Kim (Ghost Shirt). The album recalls hints of Colin Blunstone’s finest work, Eric Matthews and the pop sensibilities of Tommy Keene, early Cat Stevens and The Byrds.
Denison Witmer – Denison Witmer LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
Denison Witmer is Denison Witmer, a culmination of a story that started at the birth of independent music in the early 2000s. He began his career in 1998 with Safe Away. Three albums, dozens of hard, long tours, and several years later, Denison released his most popular record Are You a Dreamer? in 2005. The industry changed quickly though — losing its focus on singer/songwriter folk music. Instead of bowing to the pressure to follow musical trends, Denison continued to refine his sound, becoming more confident in creating something subtle and sublime.
Cassette:
The Body – Master, We Perish (Sickroom)
Three brand new tracks push The Body’s experimental doomed and blackened heavy sound ever forward. Also available on CD and vinyl. New album on Thrill Jockey due Autumn 2013.
Daniel Higgs – Surrender To Love (Wild Sages)
Wild Sages presents Daniel Higgs hypno-poetry Surrender To Love and the door opts to open and blow off the hinges revealing the Milky Way. Drone riffs and banjo tide pools are the musical instrumentation amidst reverbs and vintage Depression-era EQs. Two-sided cassette.
