CDs + Vinyl: 

9th Wonder & Talib Kweli – Indie 500 CD/2xLP (It’s Wonderful A World Music Group)

9th Wonder has established himself as hip-hop’s top educator, working as a professor at Harvard, Duke and North Carolina Central University, while Talib Kweli has become one of hip-hop’s most vocal and respected voices, who appears regularly on news outlets such as CNN and programs like HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. A collaboration between Kweli and 9th almost seemed to make perfect sense, but Indie 500 represents even more to the artists. “I’ve always been a fan of collectives, like Native Tongues and the Dungeon Family,” explains Kweli. “Indie 500 is a tribute to the spirit of unity exemplified by some of great hip-hop artists that influenced us.” The album features an all-star supporting cast, including Problem, Slug (of Atmosphere), Rapsody, Pharaoh Monch, Brother Ali, Hi-Tek, NIKO IS and more.

Josh Abbott Band – Front Row Street CD (Pretty Damn Tough)

Josh Abbott is a recording artist from Lubbock, Texas. In 2006, he formed the Josh Abbot Band with Texas Tech fraternity brother Austin Davis. Abbott’s love for Texas has permeated every aspect of his songwriting, weaving authentic character-driven tales while exploring the real-life issues that shaped his life in the Lone Star State. Front Row Seat features collaborations with heavy-hitting songwriters including Shane McAnally and Zac Brown Band collaborator Wyatt Durette who helped contribute to the album’s theatrical progression through the five acts.

Sara Bareilles – What’s Inside: Songs From Waitress CD (Epic)

Fifth album from the singer/songwriter and best-selling author. The follow-up to 2013’s The Blessed Unrest includes songs from Waitress, the new musical for which Bareilles wrote music and lyrics. “I fell more deeply in love with the writing of the musical Waitress than I had ever imagined,” says Bareilles. “It proved impossible for me to imagine handing over the songs to the show before selfishly finding a way to sing them myself. This is a deliciously self-indulgent project and I’m sorry, I’m not sorry.” Includes the first single “She Used to Be Mine.”

Boogarins – Manual CD/LP (Other Music)

Fernando “Dino” Almeida and Benke Ferraz began playing music together as teenagers in the Brazilian city of Goiania—recording psychedelic pop in their parents’ gardens, filtering their country’s rich musical history through a very modern lens. Following their 2013 As Plantas Que Curam debut, their new album, Manual, veers into far more complex territory, propelled by Dino and Benke’s dense, two-guitar interplay and an abundance of deep rhythms.

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit [Deluxe Edition] 2xCD/2xLP (Mom + Pop)

Deluxe double-CD version adds Live At Electric Ballroom In London. Includes new artwork, fold out poster, four limited edition Polaroid photos shot by Courtney, a 16-page booklet all in a matte laminated collector’s edition box set. Mixing witty, often hilarious, occasionally even heartbreaking observations with devastating self-assessment, Courtney Barnett’s debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, cements her standing as one of the most distinctive and compelling voices in indie rock. These songs reveal not only an assured songwriter and guitar player, but also an artist who in just a few years has already proved highly influential. (Limited copies available on yellow vinyl.)

The Count Basie Orchestra – A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas! CD (Concord Jazz)

William “Count” Basie (1904-1984) started his orchestra in Kansas City in 1935, and proceeded to develop and maintain one of the greatest jazz orchestras in music history. As part of their 80^th Anniversary celebration, under the leadership of director Scotty Barnhart, The Count Basie Orchestra releases their first Christmas album. On A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas! the 19-piece band is accompanied with the guest vocals of Johnny Mathis on “It’s The Holiday Season,” Ledisi on “The Christmas Song” and Carmen Bradford on “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” 

The Beatles – 1+ CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray (Capitol)

The Beatles – 1+ [Deluxe Edition] CD+2xDVD/CD+2xBlu-ray (Capitol)

With this reissue of The Beatles’ 1, all 27 videos for each song have been added on DVD or Blu-ray. Audio for DVD and Blu-ray discs has been remixed for all tracks from the analogue masters and boast new 5.1 surround sound and a new 2.0 stereo mix. Deluxe Edition adds a disc of 23 rare/alternate versions of the original videos. (Single disc 27-track stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray versions also available.)

Christopher Bissonnette – Pitch, Paper & Foil CD/LP (Kranky)

“The music is experimental, with the focus on chance, risk & error creating a beautifully natural, organic sound. It’s a stunning album, its snaking lines of synth radiating with inner warmth, its prism reflecting a thousand sharp colors.” — Fluid Radio

Rolando Bruno – Bailazo CD/LP+CD (Voodoo Rhythm)

This is full blast psychedelic Latino Cumbia garage with a very cheesy touch of a ‘70s supermarket.

Sam Butler – Raise Your Hands CD (Severn)

Former Blind Boys of Alabama guitarist Sam Butler releases his first solo recording — an Americana compilation of bluesy spirituals penned by traditionally secular artists (Springsteen, U2, Clapton, etc.).

Paul Butterfield Blues Band – Complete Albums 1965-1980 14xCD (Elektra)

Paul Butterfield was the first white harmonica player to develop a style original and powerful enough to place him among the true blues greats. His initial recordings from the mid-‘60s featuring the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band were eclectic, ground breaking tracks fusing electric blues with rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelia, jazz and even Indian classical music. He released 12 studio albums over his career as well as an array of live albums and compilations with his most famous compositions being “Born In Chicago,” “Love March” and “Our Love Is Driftin’”.

[Read more…] about New Releases for November 6, 2015

CDs + Vinyl:

Bryan Adams – Get Up CD/LP (UMe)

New release from the Canadian AOR/melodic rocker. Bryan Adams’ 13th studio album is a solid collection of rock songs, from the fast and furious uptempo tracks such as lead song “Brand New Day,” ‘You Belong To Me,” and “Thunderbolt,” to the gentler songs such as “Don’t Even Try” and “We Did It All.” Produced by Jeff Lynne (ELO, Traveling Wilburys).

Ryan Adams – 1989 CD (Pax Americana/Blue Note)

Produced by Adams, the first news of this reinterpretation of 1989 was revealed last month on the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter’s Instagram (misterryanadams) with the post “Taylor Swift 1989 full album cover night 1. As played by the Smiths.” Several subsequent posts of song snippets revealed much more range than that including a take on “Bad Blood” that Vanity Fair called “a lovely Heartbreaker-era style version” referencing Adams’ classic debut, a string quartet-enhanced version of “Blank Space,” what Adams promised to be the “guaranteed saddest version of ‘Welcome To New York’ ever — or your tears back,” and more. Vinyl and cassette editions due December 11.

Alberta Cross – Alberta Cross CD/LP (Dine Alone)

“For the better part of a decade, Alberta Cross was the creative outlet for friends Petter Ericson Stakee and Terry Wolfers. However, following the release of 2012’s Songs Of Patience, Wolfers found himself tied up in several other projects, leaving Stakee to soldier on by his lonesome. He did just that, setting up shop recently in an abandoned church to write and record Alberta Cross’ self-titled third album. Stakee calls the visceral number ‘Isolation’ a return of sorts to the ‘rawness of the way I started out, my first mini-album The Thief & The Heartbreaker.’ He adds that the song is ‘the perfect example of the sound and feel of the whole record,’ one that ‘was inspired by a series of late night jams we had in New York City prior to recording. I really wanted to capture that live soulful organic sound.’ – Consequence Of Sound 

All Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets His Maker CD (New West)

Heavy, heady and hypnotic, All Them Witches concoct a powerful and potent psychedelic sound that fuses bluesy soul, Southern swagger and thunderous hard rock. “There are undoubtedly some throwback vibes to their sound, but ATW sound like they have bigger goals in mind than simply being a retro band. Album single ‘Dirt Preachers’ has clear production and the kind of big, catchy melodies that could’ve broke on the radio just as easily in 1975 as 2005. It probably won’t now though, which says more about rock radio than it does about the strength of this song” – Brooklyn Vegan. Vinyl version due November 20.

Trey Anastasio – Paper Wheels CD/2xLP (Rubber Jungle/ATO)

Tenth solo album from the Phish guitarist. Recorded at The Barn and inspired by the immediacy of Stax-era recordings, Trey Anastasio recorded the songs for Paper Wheels live, often in one or two takes. The Trey Anastasio Band on this album includes Ray Paczkowski on keyboards, Tony Markellis on bass, and Russ Lawton on drums, with a horn section consisting of trombonist / vocalist Natalie Cressman, trumpeter / vocalist Jennifer Hartswick, and instrumentalist James Casey. The horns add a jazzy funk vibe to the songs, while the rhythm section provides a tighter feel than what you’d expect from Phish. The jamming is nice and focused, with Trey shining on guitar. (Available on CD and on HQ-180gm 45rpm double-LP splatter vinyl in a die cut gatefold package with six unique sleeves.)

Anathema – A Sort Of Homecoming 2xCD+DVD (Kscope)

Directed by Lasse Hoile (Steven Wilson, Katatonia, Opeth), A Sort Of Homecoming is a concert film of Anathema’s homecoming show on March 7, 2015 in the spectacular setting of the Liverpool Cathedral. The concert was described by Prog magazine as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience that words can barely do justice.” Also available on stand-alone Blu-ray disc.

Apparat – Multifunktionsebene, Tttrial And Eror. Duplex 3xCD/3xLP (Shitkatapult)

Apparat’s first three albums, originally released in 2001, ’02, and ’03, are reissued as a deluxe box set. Hardly any other musician at the interface between electronic and pop is as greatly cherished and passionately admired as the Berlin-based Apparat. He merges the inexhaustible sound- worlds of electronic music with the emotional depth of indie. He makes music to rock out to and to drift away to, to sing along to and to dive into.

Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm – Collaborative Works 2xCD (Erased Tapes)

Comprises three vinyl EPs Loon, Stare, and Life Story Love And Glory as well as seven new songs from their Trance Frendz studio film.

Maki Asakawa – Maki Asakawa CD/LP (Honest Jon’s)

Japanese jazz singer and cult icon Maki Asakawa released dozens of albums and worked with musicians like Ryuichi Sakamoto before her death in 2010 aged 67. This new retrospective collects some of Asakawa’s work from the 1970s, revealing a smoky, noirish style that recalls Nico and Scott Walker as well as Nina Simone and Billie Holliday.

Babes – Untitled (Five Tears) CD/LP (Barsuk)

Babes—the pop-rock family five-piece from Los Angeles—release their full-length debut with Untitled (Five Tears). Noisey premiered the lead single “I’ve Got A Reason To Keep On Living,” saying it “crests a sunny surf-pop wave. Yet there’s an element of obsession lurking in these beachy grooves.”

Jaye Bartell – Loyalty CD/LP (Headway Recordings)

“There are some musicians that cannot be casually heard. For the music of Jaye Bartell, background listening just will not do. His is an ethereal folk aesthetic with a misleading simplistic charm. And if your lazy ear is not careful, the result may bring a plague upon your house. The haunting baritone vocal and its poetic delivery derives more from literary sources than musical ones. Combined with slow and pensive song structures, Bartell’s work calls to mind anything from romance, beauty, trust and hope; to fear, envy, sexuality and violence. For fans of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Angel Olsen, Neil Young, Skip Spence.” – Noise Trade

The Beach Bullies – We Rule The Universe [Reissue/1980] CD/LP+MP3 (Manufactured Recordings)

In January of 1980, James Smith’s band, The Containers (which, at one time, featured his friend Robyn Hitchcock of The Soft Boys on guitar) suddenly broke up and he was left on his own. Armed only with his guitar, a drum machine and his flatmate’s girlfriend, Jill Fricker, to sing backup vocals, he forged ahead with his new project: The Beach Bullies. The Beach Bullies somehow managed to sound simultaneously classic and exceptionally ahead of their time, characterized by alternating vocals and a minimal aesthetic reminiscent of their contemporaries The Television Personalities and Young Marble Giants, as well as acts that would come later, such as The Vaselines, The Pastels, and Small Factory. This LP presents their long out of print original album, along with a digital download of previously unreleased demos and rough mixes intended for a follow-up release that never came to fruition. 

Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Surprise sixth LP comes less than two months after Depression Cherry. “It was recorded at the same time as Depression Cherry, but for us, it’s very much a different record. All of its songs were written after the DC songs. Along the way we realized that we didn’t want it to be released in the traditional manner. Mainly, we just wanted our listeners to hear it first.”

Beach Slang – The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)

“Beach Slang frontman James Snyder has been a staple on the Philly punk scene for just about forever. Now in his forties, Snyder used to front the journeyman pop-punk band Weston. He is not exactly the sort of guy you expect to see leading a buzzy new band, and yet he is doing exactly that. Beach Slang, Snyder’s new band, plays full-throated and hooky classic rock through a punk lens. They make road-trip ragers that will make you think of both Springsteen and the Descenedents, and they sound absolutely full of life in the same way that Japandroids do.” – Stereogum

Birds And Arrows – Edge Of Everything CD (Birds And Arrows)

Birds and Arrows have been an integral part of the North Carolina Triangle music scene for going on 10 years, Andrea and Pete Connolly define their sound through intertwining vocals and impeccable collaborative song craftsmanship. This seventh release is the follow up to 2013’s Coyotes. Edge Of Everything was produced and recorded by Chris Stamey of the dB’s plus a wonderful cast of musicians.

Cilla Black – The Hit Singles CD/LP (Varese Sarabande)

Next to The Beatles, Cilla Black was Brian Epstein’s greatest success story. Between 1963 and 1971, she had 11 Top Ten hits in the UK, with two reaching #1. Produced by George Martin, her biggest chart success in the US was “You’re My World.” She had a huge following in the States because of her association with The Beatles. Lennon and McCartney wrote two of her biggest singles, “It’s For You,” and “Step Inside Love.” This new collection features all of her biggest and best-loved recordings.

Blond:ish – Welcome To The Present CD/2xLP+CD (Kompakt)

Flexing the psychedelic and spiritual influences that informed their Lovers In Limbo EP (2012), Inward Visions (2013), and Wunderkammer (2014), this material presents itself not so much as the collection of DJ-ready peak-time bangers that some would’ve expected, but as what one might admiringly call a total trip. Here, each track is part of a bigger story, accomplishing its role in a vibrant, colorful mix of electronic moods, field recordings, traditional instruments, and polyglot vocals.

[Read more…] about New Releases for October 30, 2015

CDs + Vinyl:

5 Seconds Of Summer – Sounds Good Feels Good CD/LP (Capitol)

“An expert fusion of pop, radio-rock and punk” – The Guardian. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. 

Amberian Dawn – Innuendo CD (Napalm)

New album from the Finnish symphonic metallers.

Laurie Anderson – Heart Of A Dog [OST] CD (Nonesuch)

The complete soundtrack recording of Laurie Anderson’s newest piece, Heart Of A Dog. Anderson was recently commissioned by the European TV network Arte to create a feature film—her first in 30 years. Her response was a personal essay entitled Heart Of A Dog — a work encompassing joy and heartbreak and remembering and forgetting, at the heart of which is a lament for her late beloved dog Lolabelle.

Apprentice Destroyer – Glass Ceiling Universe CD/LP (Castle Face)

Recorded one track at a time at Guitar Center, completely in secret, Apprentice Destroyer’s debut Glass Ceiling Universe transcends its intriguing concept to highlight a hyperactive and omnivorous talent within. These wide-ranging, kaleidoscopic instrumental compositions veer from the disorienting complex to the achingly and delicately beautiful, all the while maintaining a metallic, misanthropic edge. It’s almost as if computers were playing to each other across the sales floor, laughing at the puny humans attempting to create harmonics in air when they can do so perfectly in the vacuum of binary. Lifestyle music for all the cyborg assassins out there.

Julien Baker – Sprained Ankle CD/LP (6131)

For years, Baker and a group of close friends have performed as the band Forrister (formerly The Star Killers), but when college took her four hours away, her need to continue creating found an outlet through solo work. The intent was never to make these songs her main focus, yet the process proved to be startlingly cathartic. As each song came into shape, it became more apparent that Baker had genuinely deep, surprisingly dark stories to tell from her thus far short life (she turns 20 this Fall). Tales of her experiences are staggering, and when set to her haunting guitar playing, the results are gut wrenching and heartfelt, relatable yet very personal. There’s something wonderfully hypnotizing about Baker gently confessing her soul with such tremendous honesty.

Basement Jaxx – Junto Remixed CD (PIAS America)

Junto is Basement Jaxx’s seventh studio album, originally released last year. Junto Remixed is an eclectic collection of remixes courtesy of some of the most exciting and forward thinking producers including The Martinez Brothers, Wayward and Luciano among others.

[Read more…] about New Releases for October 23, 2015