CDs + Vinyl:

Anderson/Stolt – Invention Of Knowledge CD/2xLP+CD (Inside Out Music)

“Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic) is a usually pretty Stoic-looking fellow. But when he appeared on the main stage of Progressive Nation At Sea, as part of the Transatlantic-cored backing band for Jon Anderson (of Yes fame), the man was beaming from ear to ear for the entire set. And with good reason – it was a magnificent performance, during which Stolt got to play guitar for one of the original creators of the genre we love, and a hero of his teenage years. Friendships and mutual admiration societies aplenty were formed that night, and this particular collaboration was suggested. Co-produced by Solt and Anderson, Invention Of Knowledge features performances by a veritable who’s who of Progressive masters, inter alia Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings, Karmakanic and The Fringe), undoubtedly one of the greatest bassists in the world, Felix Lerhrmann (also of The Flower Kings), one of the most underestimated drummers in Prog, keys men Lalle Larson (Karmakanic) and Tom Brislin (Renaissance), multi-instrumentalist Daniel Gildenlow (Pain Of Salvation), and a host of other big names.” – The Prog Report

Aphex Twin – Cheetah EP CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)

The Aphex Twin Cheetah EP uses digital sound generation techniques combined with wave sequencing technology to bring you sounds with movement and depth rarely found on records today. To assure you that your Cheetah EP will give you many years of enjoyment, please be sure to read the owner’s manual carefully before attempting to operate the Cheetah EP. All forms of Cheetah EP come encased in high gloss packaging with silver foil detailing to ensure a high-quality product experience. We sincerely hope that having battled through the programming of the Cheetah EP, you will have now become familiar with the exceptional potential of this record.

Arashi: Akira Sakata/Johan Berthling/Paal Nilssen-Love – Semikujira CD/LP (Trost)

Arashi is: Akira Sakata (alto saxophone, clarinet, voice), Johan Berthling (double bass), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums and percussion). The Wire on their previous self-titled first release as a trio, Arashi: “There are moments on this album when the energy is so furiously intense it feels like it’s going to spin out of control and take someone’s eye out.”

The Avalanches – Wildflower CD/2xLP (Astralwerks/XL)

16 years after the release of their critically acclaimed, award-winning debut Since I Left You, The Avalanches return with their second album, Wildflower. Created by the band’s core duo Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi, Wildflower is like The Beach Boys’ Smile re-imagined in the Daisy Age: a mind-bending cartoon road movie that’s best viewed with closed eyes and an open mind. Here’s what Chater has said of the 16 year hiatus: “What kept us going during the making of the record was a belief in the day-to-day experience of music as a life force – an energy capable of changing your life. Hearing a certain song on a certain morning can change your day; it can make the world look different. It can change the way you perceive light refracting through the atmosphere for the rest of the afternoon. Literally changing the colour and feeling-tone of our world.” Wildflower includes 21 tracks and features from Danny Brown, MF Doom, Toro y Moi, Camp Lo, Biz Markie, and more.

[Read more…] about New Releases for July 8, 2016

CDs + Vinyl:

American Authors – What We Live For CD (Island)

Second studio album from the American indie rock band. Well known for the single “Best Day Of My Life,” American Authors achieved worldwide recognition after that song was featured on TV shows, commercials, movies and video games. [Vinyl edition due July 22.]

Eddy Arnold – Each Road I Take: The 1970 Lee Hazlewood & Chet Atkins Sessions CD (Real Gone Music)

The countrypolitan crooner Richard Edward Arnold – better known as Eddy Arnold – scored 147 U.S. chart hits between 1945 and 2008, sold over 85 million records, and earned inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame and The Grand Ole Opry. Yet, in 1970, the superstar known as “The Tennessee Plowboy” found himself at a crossroads. That year, he released two remarkable albums ending one chapter in his career and beginning another. Love and Guitars would be his final full-length collaboration with Nashville-based producer and legendary guitar man Chet Atkins, with whom he had first worked in 1950. Standing Alone marked his first and only project with hip maverick Lee Hazlewood – a pairing which inspired some of the finest vocals Arnold ever

committed to record. Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records’ Each Road I Take: The 1970 Lee Hazlewood & Chet Atkins Sessions boasts both of these seminal, never-before-reissued albums together with Arnold’s singles from the landmark year, as well as two previously unreleased tracks produced by cult hero Hazlewood.

Bob Baldwin – The Brazilian-American Soundtrack CD (Red River Entertainment)

The Bob Baldwin love affair with Brazil began with his love of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto and Sergio Mendes as a child. His love elevated when he witnessed the marriage of American funk/jazz and the samba/bossa nova sound which was later explored by the likes of Djavan, Ivan Lins, Elaine Elias, George Duke, Maurice White and Pat Methany. Fast forward, Baldwin follows up his popular Brazil Chill (2004) disc with more flavors from Rio, with covers by the aforementioned Djavan, Jobim and Lins. The result is a 20-song plus soundtrack through the eyes of this American… musically celebrating the year of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

Bat For Lashes – The Bride CD/2xLP (WB)

The Bride is a concept album that follows the story of a woman, whose fiancé dies in a car crash on the way to their wedding. The album follows her as she decides to go on the honeymoon alone and her emotions as she deals with the tragedy.

Brook Benton – Rainy Night In Georgia: The Complete Reprise & Cotillion Singles A’s & B’s 2xCD (Real Gone Music)

He’s one of the all-time great soul balladeers, with 58 pop and 38 R&B hits to his credit, and his beautiful baritone is one of the most recognizable voices in all of pop and soul music, but Brook Benton has never had any kind of collection devoted to his last great body of work, the Jimmy Bowen-produced sides he recorded for Reprise and the Arif Mardinproduced material he recorded for Cotillion during the late ’60s and early ’70s.

James Blake – The Colour In Anything CD (Republic)

New album from the UK singer/songwriter/producer with co-writing help from Frank Ocean and additional production by Rick Rubin. 17 tracks including “I Need A Forest Fire” featuring Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver. [Vinyl edition due August 5.]

Blink 182 – California CD/LP+MP3 (BMG Rights Management)

Seventh album from the punk-pop band, their first to feature Matt Skiba — who replaces original member Tom DeLonge — alongside Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.

David Bowie – 1966: The Pye Singles CD (Sanctuary)

Digitally remastered 50th Anniversary edition of this mini album with new cover art. This set features the A and B-sides of the singles that David Bowie released on Pye Records in 1966. On that year when Bowie signed to Pye, The Monkees — and sole British member Davy Jones — had become popular so he switched from his birth name of David Jones to David Bowe.

[Read more…] about New Releases for July 1, 2016

CDs + Vinyl:

The Aggrovators – Dubbing At King Tubby’s 2xCD (VP)

Freshly sequenced and remastered, Dubbing At King Tubby’s showcases the mixing skills of King Tubby, Prince Jammy, Scientist, Phillip Smart and Pat Kelly on a drum and bass heavy selection of groundbreaking Bunny Lee dubs. [Vinyl edition due July 15.]

Alma Afrobeat Ensemble – It’s Time CD/LP (Slow Walk Music)

The third album from Barcelona-based Alma Afrobeat Ensemble, their first with Nigerian singer Joe “Olawale” Psalmist singing in English, Yoruba, and Broken English. It’s Time featuressongs that hearken back to the origins of Afrobeat: extended, elegant arrangements, socially and politically charged lyrics, and danceable grooves. Add in a dose of trance, some unique improvisational solos and a modern feel, and you have It’s Time.

Anderson/Stolt – Invitation Of Knowledge CD (Inside Out U.S.)

New duo comprised of Yes vocalist Jon Anderson and prog rock veteran Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic). 

Augustines – This Is Your Life CD (PIAS America)

“Despite our constant collective quest for The New, we’ll always return to those musicians who imbue their work with only themselves, vulnerability and popularity be damned. On This Is Your Life, Augustines continue to mine adversity for glimmers of hope. There’s more of an electronic presence and more influence drawn from outside the indie-rock sphere, but it remains resolutely an Augustines record. If you’ve been on the fence about the band thus far, this isn’t going to change your mind, but they continue to grow in sound and scope, with each LP bringing bigger ambitions and production that could comfortably be labelled bombastic. With each record the band releases, they inch further from the tragedy and pain that initially threatened to define them. It’s still there, but sits comfortably alongside thankful depictions of events which led them to this point. No longer having to scream to be heard, they’re able to imbue their music with the elegance necessary to create the truest representation of its message: it’ll be okay” – Drowned In Sound. [Vinyl edition due July 8.]

The Avett Brothers – True Sadness CD (Republic)

Seth Avett says that True Sadness is a patchwork quilt, both thematically and stylistically. Wherein a myriad of contrasting fabrics make perfect sense on the same plane, the album draws upon countless resources from its writers and performers. He cites pervasive and cornerstone influences such as Queen, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimmie Rodgers, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Gillian Welch, Aretha Franklin, Walt Disney, Pink Floyd, Kings Of Convenience, calypso of the 1950s and country of the 1930s. Most importantly, he assures, “Throughout the album, we stitched together the boldest red and the calmest green, polka dots and stripes, the roughest denim and the smoothest velveteen. They came together because they are the best patterns we have and because each of us brought our own fabric to the quilting frame.” 

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 24, 2016