CDs + Vinyl:

10,000 Manicas – Twice Told Tales CD (Cleopatra)
A full-length album of inspired interpretations of traditional British Isle folk songs. Vinyl version due May 12.

1939 Ensemble – Black Diamond Pearl CD/LP+MP3 (Jealous Butcher)
For their second album, 1939 Ensemble added a third member, multi-instrumentalist Josh Thomas, whose musicality adds a rich ostinato to Medeles and Coniglio’s dialogue. The band put together a dream team to help build the record, including John McEntire, Tucker Martine, Mark Orton, Holland Andrews, M. Ward and Michael Flinn. Black Diamond Pearl is a journey, cinematic in nature and ranging the full spectrum of emotion — a puckish romp in vivid colors, a bright trumpet peppering the ebullient rhythms, percussion-heavy songs acting as exercises in tom work, penetrating brass, ethereal vocals (provided by Like A Villain’s Holland Andrews), and industrial noise.

Ages – Malefic Miasma CD/LP (Black Lodge)
New album from the Swedish black metal band.

Craig Armstrong – Far From The Madding Crowd [OST] CD (Sony Classics)
Craig Armstrong is a composer of modern orchestral music, electronica and film scores. Since the mid-‘90s, he has created scores for both Hollywood and independent films including Love Actually, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

Robbie Basho – Twilight Peaks CD/LP (Smeraldina)
Basho’s last recordings, originally issued in 1984 on a tape label called The Art Of Relaxation. Mastered by Glenn Jones and Matt Azvedo, from the original demo tapes, provided to Jones by Basho himself. CD has two extra live tracks.

William Basinski – Cascade CD (2026)
Cascade and The Deluge are variations on the latest tape-loop and delay composition from the inimitable William Basinski. In Cascade, a single ancient lilting piano tape loop repeats endlessly carrying one along in its tessellating current. (Cascade is available now, and is currently listed as CD only. The Deluge will be available on May 26, and is currently listed as vinyl-only. Basinki’s new collaboration with Richard Chartier, titled Divertissment, is also due on May 26, and is also currently listed as vinyl-only. Of course, all of this is subject to change.)

Bell Witch – Four Phantoms CD (Profound Lore)
New release from the Seattle-based funeral/death/doom act.

Blue Blood – This Is The Life CD/LP (This Is American)
Blue Blood started as a solo project by Athens music veteran and critically acclaimed fly-fishing guide Hunter Morris. As the songs came together, Hunter teamed up with members past and present of MGMT and The Whigs to flesh out these bigger ideas which would become a sort of distant, Southern third-cousin to indie rock idols Nada Surf and The Jesus And Mary Chain.

Bluey – Life Between The Notes CD (Shanachie)
Bluey Maunick is famous as the creator and leader of Incognito, the ground-breaking funk/jazz UK supergroup. He is also famous for his collaborations with and productions of such greats as Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Maxi Priest, George Benson and many more.

Blur – The Magic Whip CD/2xLP+MP3 (WB/Parlophone)
The new album from Blur started life in Hong Kong when the band had an unexpected break in touring in May 2013, and arrives 16 years since 13, the band’s last record as a four-piece. “Familiar but also exploratory, the legendary band’s first album since 2003 is a triumph. Parklifers are thrown the bone of opener ‘Lonesome Street’. With its Britpop swagger and talk of catching ‘the 5.14 to East Grinstead,’ it’s a pleasing self-pastiche, a welcoming beckon inside. Other tracks hark back to their history – the grinding ‘Go Out’ could sit on 13 with its coruscating guitar squalls, and catchy knees-up ‘Ong Ong’ will be the new song lapped up at Hyde Park this summer, resembling a beery ‘Ziggy Stardust.’ But a crowd-pleasing recreation of past glories a la Suede’s 2013 comeback Bloodsports just wouldn’t be Blur. The fascination of The Magic Whip is in how a reanimated Blur imagine they’d have developed by 2015, and how the Hong Kong environment fed into that.” – NME

Braids – Deep In The Iris CD/LP (Arbutus)
Braids are a three-piece experimental/dream pop band from Montreal. Deep In The Iris is the band’s third album. “[Album track] ‘Miniskirt,’ is a synth-y pop number marked by jolting beats and acerbic lyrics drawn from the album’s weighty themes of ‘pornography, abuse, and slutshaming.’ Here, Braids teem with the kind of rage and frustration that can only be articulated by a woman who’s felt snuffed by a sexist society and targeted by the leering eyes of men. ‘Liberated’s what you wanna call it. How about unfairly choked?’ Standell sings in the opening moments of the song, adding, ‘I’m not a man-eater, I enjoy them like cake. But in my position I’m the slut, I’m the bitch, I’m the whore, the one you hate.’” – Consequence Of Sound

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Musique De Film Imaginé CD/LP (A. Records)
Musique De Film Imaginé (music for film imagined) is a soundtrack that pays homage to the great European film directors of the late ‘50s and ‘60s, such as François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard (to name but two), created by Anton Newcombe on behalf of the Brian Jonestown Massacre for an imaginary French film. Guests on this daring symphonic experience are French chanteuse and multi-instrumentalist SoKo and Italian actress, singer and director Asia Argento.

Zac Brown Band – Jekyll + Hyde CD (Republic)
Describing Jekyll + Hyde’s direction, Zac told Rolling Stone earlier this year that it will have “things that people will expect and things that they don’t.” “Homegrown,” the band’s highest chart debut, which is bulleted at #10 on country radio this week has earned massive fan support and early praise for its “rock feel” (Country Weekly) and “intricately arranged vocal harmonies” (Billboard); “Dress Blues,” written by Jason Isbell, is a somber and stirring tribute to members of the military who have been killed in service; and “Heavy Is The Head,” which features Chris Cornell of Soundgarden.
[Read more…] about New Releases for April 28, 2015

CDs + Vinyl:

10 Years – From Birth To Burial CD (Palehorse/MRI Associated)
From Birth To Burial, the second full-length platter issued through the band’s own Palehorse imprint, is a dark and unabashedly heavy offering from the post-grunge songsmiths.

Abiotic – Casuistry CD (Metal Blade)
Progressive metal from the not-so-progressive state of Florida.

Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color CD/2xLP+MP3 (ATO)
Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color is the follow-up to the band’s Gold-certified debut album, Boys & Girls, which earned the group three Grammy nominations, including a nod for Best New Artist. Sound & Color demonstrates the tremendous strides made by a group of musicians who had only been playing together for a few months when they recorded their first album. From the searing single “Don’t Wanna Fight” to the garage-rock freak-out on “The Greatest” to the psychedelic space jam “Gemini,” Alabama Shakes build on the soulful blues-rock base and map a surprising, innovative new direction. (Vinyl edition is available as a limited deluxe clear or regular black pressing.)

The Alchemist & Oh No – The Alchemist & Oh No Present Welcome To Los Santos CD/2xLP (Mass Appeal)
Welcome to Los Santos features fresh tracks inspired by Grand Theft Auto V’s original score, composed by The Alchemist and Oh No in partnership with Woody Jackson and Tangerine Dream to create a uniquely ambitious album. The Alchemist and Oh No weave together a musical journey that covers every corner of the fictional world of Grand Theft Auto V and features guests from across the musical spectrum – including Earl Sweatshirt, Little Dragon, Phantogram, Freddie Gibbs, Popcaan, Killer Mike, Tunde Adebimpe and Samuel T. Herring (from Future Islands).

Alesana – Confessions CD (Revival)
New album from the North Carolina rock & roll veterans.

Apocalyptica – Shadowmaker CD/LP/2xLP+MP3 (Better Noise)
New album from the Finnish cello rockers – available on both formats in Regular and Deluxe editions.

A Silent Film – New Year CDEP (MTheory)
Recorded in a rustic studio on a pecan farm just outside El Paso Texas, the new EP from A Silent Film expands on the cinematic alternative rock of 2012’s Sand & Snow and 2010’s The City That Sleeps. Lead single “Tomorrow” marries the anthemic power of Joshua Tree-era U2 with driving synths, setting up a soaring chorus that is destined to become an unforgettable moment in their live set.

As It Is – Never Happy Ever After CD (Fearless)
New album from the Brighton-via-Minneapolis pop-rockers. Vinyl version due May 4.

The Atomic Bitchwax – Gravitron CD/LP (Tee Pee)
New Jersey’s legendary, riff-centric power trio The Atomic Bitchwax return with gargantuan riffs and jaw-dropping psych sonics on their sixth full-length LP, Gravitron. Now featuring two members of Monster Magnet bassist/vocalist Chris Kosnik and drummer Bob Pantella alongside shred-tastic gunslinger Finn Ryan, the band has perfected its unique style of NYC hard rock that High Times appropriately tabbed, “thunder-boogie.”

The Ballroom Thieves – Wolf In The Doorway CD (Blue Corn Music)
Tapped already for their adept melding of roots, indie folk and symphonic strains, Ballroom Thieves — comprised of Martin Earley (guitar), Devin Mauch (percussion) and Calin Peters (cello), (they all sing) — push it even further with an album’s worth of new material wherein no two tracks sound the same, but represent a palpably confident identity. Vinyl version due June 2.

The Beautiful Ones – Jaded Love CD/LP (6131)
At first blush, it might seem easy to dismiss The Beautiful Ones as yet another in a long line of current hardcore bands aping late ’80s NYHC conventions. Upon further investigation, a deeper and more genuine aesthetic becomes apparent, as evidenced on their new full length, Jaded Love. The NYHC elements are undeniably present, yet a broader spectrum of influences stand out as well, from such opposite ends of the spectrum as Alice In Chains to Slowdive.

Beauty Pill – Things As They Are CD/LP+MP3 (Butterscotch)
A deeply personal and political album, Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are is an expansive production that incorporates the acclaimed live band with layers of beats and electronics. The LP showcases the band’s evolving interests in blending rock, hip-hop, ambient and jazz elements into an unexpectedly coherent and unique sound.

George Benson – The Ultimate Collection 2xCD (Rhino)
This album contains all the massive hits including “The Greatest Love Of All,” “20/20,” “Love X Love,” “Lady Love Me (One More Time),” “Give Me The Night” and “Never Give Up On A Good Thing.” This double-disc also contains various in demand duets including “Love Will Come Again” featuring Chaka Khan, “When I Fall In Love” featuring Idina Menzel and “Moody’s Mood” featuring Patti Austin.

Jerry Bergonzi – Rigamaroll CD (Savant)
Revelling in the company of long-time partners bassist Dave Santoro and drummer Andrea Michelutti, Jerry also brings Pasadena-born pianist Bruce Barth into the studio. Jerry doesn’t often record with a pianist – when one cuts their musical teeth with a pianist like Dave Brubeck the titan’s shadow must loom large over the keyboard – but he and Bruce have become muy simpatico over the years and their interplay here is remarkable indeed. With Jerry’s imaginative compositions and his intense approach to music making, this is jazz that cuts you no quarter.

Big Mike – Young Man Old Soul CD (Black Market Blue)
Much more than a music producer, Big Mike is a versatile musician whose talents include the acoustic, electric and bass guitar as well as vocal arrangement and production. The genre bending musicianship and overall composition of Young Man Old Soul features the lively, jazz themed composition “Groove Me Tonight” as well as special guests Wayman Tisdale, Elan Trotman, Lin Rountree and many more.
[Read more…] about New Releases for April 21, 2015