September Program Titles Released This Week:

Ghostland Observatory – See You Later Simulator CD/LP (Trashy Moped)

“It’s called See You Later Simulator,” Aaron Behrens says of Ghostland Observatory’s first new album in eight years. “I’ve always been on the sci-fi edge of things, which is just a reflection of being a child of the ‘80s and growing up with video games and computers, but also remembering a time before those things were common. I think all of that comes into play on this record. It’s a real comment on what’s going on right now, and on trying to figure out what’s reality and what’s a simulation.” See You Later Simulator finds Behrens and longtime partner Thomas Ross Turner bouncing back from an extended hiatus to create music that ranks with their most ambitious and timely work with tracks like “Paradise Lost”, “Permanent Vacation” and “Miss Abyss” delivering both uplifting electro-dance-rock and a loose but absorbing storyline.

Paul McCartney – Egypt Station CD/2xLP (Capitol)

Sharing a title with one of Paul McCartney’s own paintings, Egypt Station is the first full album of all-new McCartney music since 2013’s NEW. True to the inspiration behind its title, Egypt Station’s 14 songs combine to convey a unique travelogue vibe. Between the opening and closing instrumentals “Station I” and “Station II”, each song finds Paul capturing a place or moment before transporting the listener seamlessly to the next destination. Stops along the way include an acoustic meditation on present day contentedness (“Happy With You”), a timeless anthem that would fit on virtually any album of any McCartney era (“People Want Peace”), and an epic multi-movement closer clocking in at seven minutes with a song suite structure harkening back to the days of Paul’s previous combos (“Despite Repeated Warnings”). The result is a kaleidoscopic journey through myriad musical locales and eras, yet firmly rooted in the here and now – with Paul’s singular unmistakable melodic and lyrical sensibility serving as a guide. [Deluxe 180gm vinyl pressing with concertina trifold six-panel gatefold packaging also available.]

Pig Destroyer – Head Cage CD/LP (Relapse)

After six long, harsh years of absence, the mighty Pig Destroyer has reassembled to eradicate eardrums and split skulls with their highly anticipated sixth full-length opus, Head Cage (named after a grisly medieval torture device). A visceral vortex of animalistic rage and extreme sonic brilliance, Head Cage is a true work of extreme metal art, that with the addition of a bass player, is one their most dynamic and heaviest recordings. Across 12 tracks, Pig Destroyer weave together harrowing tales of philosophical dualities, touching on mortality and depression, fear and violence, and the darkest complexities of the human condition, all told through the distorted lens of delightfully transgressive vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes. Musically, the band continues to push the boundaries of metal, grindcore, noise and punk, ramping up the intensity and leaving you bludgeoned in a state of utter shock, all in less than 33 minutes.

The Posies – Frosting On The Beater [Reissue/1993] 2xCD (Omnivore)

Double-CD reissue remastered from original tapes and expanded with 31 bonus tracks—15 previously unissued. “We began our career exactly 30-years prior by releasing a home-recorded cassette called Failure, which to our complete surprise became an instant favorite around the Northwest, earning us critical accolades, radio airplay, and major label interest, all in a very short time. We were lucky to find ourselves living just a few doors down the road in Seattle from Arthur “Rick” Roberts and Mike Musburger, who agreed to join our band on bass and drums, respectively. Signed to Geffen Records, we recorded three releases, 1990’s Dear 23, Frosting On The Beater in 1993, and Amazing Disgrace in 1996. The trio of albums remain beloved by our fans; our most popular, most often cited, most requested works. However, over the years, they have either been long out of print or not issued at all depending on the territory. [Vinyl edition due October 5.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for September 7, 2018

September Program Titles Released This Week:

Alice Cooper – A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris 2xCD/2xLP (earMUSIC)

Alice Cooper is known as one of rock’s greatest entertainers with a career spanning over 40 years. A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris – recorded during Alice’s recent 2017 European Tour – gives listeners the chance to witness one of these fine and legendary theatrical performances on record. Supported by his outstanding band, the ‘master of shock rock’ takes the audience on a thrilling journey through the darkness, performing big hits like “Poison”, “School’s Out” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy” as well as the new classic “Paranoiac Personality” off of his latest studio album Paranormal. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Idles – Joy As An Act Of Resistance CD/LP (Partisan)

Joy As An Act of Resistance is the follow up to Bristol, UK five-piece Idles’ debut album Brutalism, self-released in 2017. Produced by Space and mixed by Adam Greenspan and Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Kate Bush, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), the 12-track collection takes aim at everything from toxic masculinity, nationalism, immigration, and class inequality – all while maintaining a visceral, infectious positivity. Singer Joe Talbot summarizes: “This album is an attempt to be vulnerable to our audience and to encourage vulnerability; a brave naked smile in this shitty new world. We have stripped back the songs and lyrics to our bare flesh to allow each other to breathe, to celebrate our differences, and act as an ode to communities and the individuals that forge them. Because without our community, we’d be nothing.” [Limited pink colored vinyl edition also available.]

Iron And Wine – The Weed Garden CDEP/12”+MP3 (Sub Pop)

Iron & Wine follow up their 2018 Grammy-nominated full-length Beast Epic with Weed Garden, a collection of material that began about three years ago. The six-song EP features songs that were part of the writing phase for Beast Epic but went unfinished. They were part of a larger narrative for principal songwriter Sam Beam, who ran out of time to get them where they needed to be for inclusion on Beast Epic. Weed Garden also includes the fan favorite “Waves Of Galveston”. While on tour last fall, the final pieces of material took shape and a sense of urgency prevailed in bringing these characters full circle. To resolution. To completion. In January, Beam and company hunkered down in Chicago at The Loft recording studio to capture these six songs. No more, no less.

The Kooks – Let’s Go Sunshine CD/2xLP (Lonely Cat/Awal Recordings)

The Kooks bold new long-player Let’s Go Sunshine distills their timeless sound into its purest form while pushing it forward into a more expansive and mature space. It’s a moving, energizing and timelessly melodic record that’s incisive in its portrait of modern British urban life. The heart and soul of the album lies in its hymns of lost innocence, fading relationships and the process of break-up and recovery. It’s the sound of an ambitious, confident band stepping out and making a statement with their definitive album. Let’s Go Sunshine sees the band cement their status as true bastions of British guitar pop and take their rightful place at the table next to the celebrated bands that influenced them in their infancy, over a decade ago. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for August 31, 2018