CDs + Vinyl: 

Brian Adams – Reckless [Reissue/1984] CD/2xCD/2xCD+DVD+Blu-ray Audio (A&M)

Brian Adams’ 1984 smash (with the hits “Run To You,” “Summer Of ’69,” “Kids Wanna Rock,” etc.) has been digitally remastered and expanded with seven bonus tracks. Available in Regular, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus 12 track live CD. Super Deluxe version features the live disc plus Reckless: The Movie on DVD and a copy of the album on hi-res Blu-ray audio. 

Angrepp – Libido CD (Unexploded)

Sophomore album from the Swedish metal band — eight new songs with black metal with thrash and punk influences.

Attila – Guilty Pleasure CD (Razor & Tie)

“It’s been far too long since a heavy metal band could get the party started the way Attila can. Drinks will be pounded down, blunts will be blown, panties will be thrown, and everyone will have the time of their lives once they hear the Atlanta quintet’s sixth full-length album.”

Iggy Azalea – Reclassified CD (Def Jam)

Updated reissue of the Australian rapper’s debut album New Classic expanded with five bonus tracks. Guests include Rita Ora, Charli XCX, Ellie Goulding and Jennifer Hudson

Baring Teeth – Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins CD (Willowtip)

Immersive, hypnotic, and haunting, Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins melds seemingly opposing characteristics — streamlined songwriting and dizzying technicality, ambience and brute force, density and angularity, order and chaos — into a fully realized, cohesive listening experience.

Beyoncé – Beyoncé [Platinum Edition] 2xCD+2xDVD (Sony)

Expanded four-disc edition of the R&B/soul superstar’s 2013 album includes the original 14 track album and 17 track DVD plus a bonus CD containing six additional tracks — including new songs, ”7/11” and ”Ring Off” plus four new and unreleased remixes with some superstar collaborators — and a live performance DVD that chronicles the year-long ”Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.” Also includes a mini version of the official 2015 Beyoncé calendar, and more. 

Maurizio Bianchi – Untitled 1980 CD (Important)

CD reissue of cassette-only Untitled 1980 by Italian pioneer of noise and industrial music, paired with a 2013 re-working of the original material into four entirely new compositions.

Bjork – Biophilia Live 2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray (One Little Indian)

Biophilia Live is a concert film by Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland that captures the human element of Bjork’s multi-disciplinary multimedia project: Biophilia. Recorded live at Bjork’s show at London’s Alexandra Palace in 2013, the film features Bjork and her band performing every song on Biophilia and more using a broad variety of instruments some digital, some traditional and some completely unclassifiable. The film premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival and has appeared at Festivals around the Globe since.

The Brand New Heavies – Sweet Freaks CD (Eagle Rock Entertainment)

Tenth album from the London-based acid jazz innovators and expert purveyors of funky grooves and incredibly soulful harmonies.

Buffalo Killers – Fireball Of Sulk CD/LP (Sun Pedal Recordings)

“Cincinnati’s favorite bearded, bohemian brethren, Buffalo Killers are back and are producing cool rocking music at a speed that would make Bob Pollard blush. Their newest release from Sun Pedal Recordings is called Fireball Of Sulk and is a 6-track bookend-like follow-up to their album Heavy Reverie which just came out this past Spring. Heavy Reverie marked a huge turning point for the band in many ways: not only was it their first time working with Sun Pedal, but the band chose this moment to expand their sound by adding slide-style maestro Sven Kahns on both guitar and lap-steel.” – WVXU

[Read more…] about New Releases for November 25, 2014

CDs + Vinyl:

Acid Baby Jesus – Selected Recordings CD/LP (Slovenly)

Representing the primitivism of Athens, Greece, steadily fornicating with the modern humps of the most ancient civilizations hitherto, Acid Baby Jesus has finally assembled a collection of recordings from their past two years on the rotation. The experiments on Selected Recordings were formulated while spending many of those moments on a secluded island in the Mediterranean sea, populated by a(n) (r)evolutionary cast of travelers, all starving for an heady atmosphere and a delicious salad. Many records were played on record players at these assemblages.

Ariel Pink – Pom Pom CD/2xLP (4AD)

Across its 17 tracks and 69 minutes, Pom Pom is unfiltered Ariel Pink, featuring infectious tales of romance, murder, frog princes, and Jell-O. The album sees the L.A. native strike it out alone, returning to the solo moniker he has adopted for well over a decade.

Baby Bash – Ronnie Rey All Day CD (Empire Distribution)

New album from the Mexican-American rapper featuring guest appearances from Paul Wall, Frankie J and Ray J.

Lee Bannon – Caligula Theme Music 2.7.5 CD (Chillectro)

Sac Town based producer, Lee Bannon, follows up his 2012 EP, Caligula Theme Music with the sequel, Caligula Theme Music 2.7.5. Ten mostly instrumental tracks with vocal appearances from Rokamouth, Kirk Knight, Chuck Strangers, Matt Stoops, and more.

Karl Berger – Gently Unfamiliar CD (Tzadik)

One of the most versatile and active proponents of creative music, Karl Berger is a living legend who has been expanding the jazz language since the mid-’60s. A pianist, vibraphonist, composer, arranger, conductor and educator of astounding energy and creativity, Karl has worked with many of the greatest names in new music: Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Anthony Braxton, Bill Laswell and countless others. Following up on his gorgeous 2010 release of solo piano etudes Strangely Familiar, the second CD of Berger’s Tzadik trilogy presents his distinctive piano stylings in a trio format with a sensitive and supportive rhythm section.

Brandt Bjork And The Low Desert Punk Band – Black Power Flower CD (Napalm)

Brandt Bjork, as cult figure of the Palm Desert scene, was founder/drummer of the now defunct stoner-rock legends Kyuss and is a permanent member of Vista Chino (formerly Kyuss Lives!). Now, he is sailing under his own flag, proving once again that his multi-instrumental skills know no creative boundaries. With his excellent occupied Low Desert Punk Band, Bjork lets the scorching heat of Nevada shimmer in his songs. He also scrubs his guitar through all sorts of psychedelic effect pedals and skillfully mixes stoner rock, blues and doom-bonds to a feverish hazy brew.

Black Taxi – Electro Death Grip CD (No Shame)

Most of the songs on Electro Death Grip are danceable pop jams with heavily funked-out guitar lines a-la Nile Rogers and Daft Punk. The tracks are fun and rhythmic, but at the same time, laced with the dark, sarcastic lyrics for which Black Taxi is known. The album is introspective and retrospective in its lyrical content, and futuristic in its production. Moog synths, fat trumpet lines, and jangly tambourines pay their respects to 1970s-era funk and disco records while deep, punchy drum production gives the album an ultra-modern feel.

David Bowie – Nothing Has Changed 3xCD/3xCD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)

Nothing Has Changed (named after a lyric from the Heathen album opener “Sunday”) compiles tracks from every period of Bowie’s career from his earliest incarnations with “Liza Jane” and “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” right up to James Murphy’s “Hello Steve Reich Mix” of “Love Is Lost” from last year. CD version is available in Regular double-disc and Deluxe triple-disc editions. Vinyl is HQ-180gm.

Nathan Bowles – Nansemond CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)

The second solo album from Black Twig Pickers member deploys banjo, percussion, piano, and voice to explore the rugged country between the poles of Appalachian old-time traditions, and ecstatic, minimalist drone. Features Tom Carter.

Brutality – Orchestrated Devastation: Best Of CD/2xLP (Ceremonial)

Nestled beneath the balmy breezes and palm trees of Tampa Bay, Florida, lies the most extensive and far-reaching death metal music scene in North America. It was there in 1986 that the band Brutality came together in their first incarnation. Orchestrated Devastation a compilation of Brutality’s greatest tracks, taken from their three studio releases as well as various demos and EPs, bundled alongside vast retrospective liner notes and band photos.

Burial Hex – The Hierophant CD/LP (Handmade Birds)

The Hierophant is the final Burial Hex album, a project whose closure has been calculated from its inception. Burial Hex is a pioneer of the horror electronics movement and over the past decade has released albums on Cold Spring, Aurora Borealis, Brave Mysteries, Blackest Rainbow, and Turgid Animal. Available on CD and HQ-180gm “ox blood red in milky clear” vinyl.

Buzzcocks – The Way CD/LP/Cassette (1-2-3-4 Go!)

The Way is the follow up to 2006’s Flat – Pack Philosophy LP and is the band’s ninth studio album since their formation in Manchester in 1976. These 10 tracks penned by the group’s long-standing core of Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle were recorded this year in London, and were produced by the band and Dave M. Allen (best known for his production work with The Cure, Depeche Mode and Neneh Cherry). The Way packs the same classic UK pop punk punch they’ve been known for over nearly four decades. Available on CD, cassette and on white vinyl.

[Read more…] about New Releases for November 18, 2014 

CDs + Vinyl:

2:54 – The Other I CD/LP+CD (Bella Union)

From the expansive, tempo-shifting opener “Orion” and the pining roots of “The Monaco” to the ambient haunts of “Tender Shoots” and the shape-shifting tour de force of “Raptor,” new album The Other I widens significantly the net beyond the achievements of 2:54’s self-titled debut.

The Rance Allen Group – Celebrate CD (Tyscot)

“You don’t reinvent yourself; you get better with what you do” — Bill Cosby. Like the comedy legend, The Rance Allen Group knows a thing or two about getting better with time and their new release, Celebrate, proves it. The group’s trailblazing legacy in Gospel music shines even brighter as their signature vocals, coupled with hot new music production, created the infectious radio hit “A Lil’ Louder (Clap Your Hands).”

…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – IX 2xCD (Superball Music)

“On their ninth album …And You Will Us By The Trail Of Dead are steadily continuing their journey towards being a normal rock band, but remain unable to quite finish it. As far back as their first album they’ve been touring the various hotspots of psychedelia, punk, classical and world music, all with a maniacal, effervescent touch. Accuse them of failing at some of these stylistic endeavors, fine – but to their immense credit, they’ve never been mere genre dilettantes. Nor is IX a reactionary ‘back-to-basics’ attempt at shedding their excesses; it’s confirmation that TOD haven’t forgotten how to write exemplary, robust rock songs.” – The Quietus

Anatomy Of Habit – Ciphers + Axioms CD/LP (Relapse)

The Chicago post-metal/noise rock unit unveils their Relapse debut. Fronted by noise icon Mark Solotroff of Bloodyminded, Anatomy Of Habit boasts an all-star lineup featuring drummer John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea And Cake, Gastr Del Sol etc.), guitarist Will Lindsay (Indian, Wolves In The Throne Room etc.), percussionist Theo Katsaounis (Joan Of Arc) and bassist Kenny Rasmussen (ex Radar Eyes). 

Antemasque – Antemasque CD/LP (Nadie Sounds)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala of At The Drive-In and the Mars Volta launch a labyrinthine new project called Antemasque with help from drummer Dave Elitch and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea.

Antony & The Johnsons – Turning CD+DVD (Secretly Canadian)

Turning is a double-disc concert film documentary captured during the critically acclaimed tour of Europe during the fall of 2006.

Andrea Belfi – Natura Morta CD/LP+MP3 (Miasmah)

Belfi mixes influences from both Italian minimalism and the electro-acoustic contemporary scene. Natura Morta fits somewhere between the electronics of Keith Fullerton Whitman, the percussive repetitions of Jon Mueller, and the atmospheric sensibility of Pan American.

Anguish – Mountain Jewel CD (Dark Decent)

Anguish’s brand new album, Mountain Jewel, sees the band expanding upon their oppressive brand of doom metal. The follow-up of 2012’s Through The Archdemon’s Head is stripped down from its predecessor, clocking in at 48 minutes (eight tracks) but injects more variation.

[Read more…] about New Releases for November 10 & 11, 2014