Social Media Program Title Released This Week:

The Jayhawks – XOXO CD/LP (Sham)

XOXO is the eleventh studio release from the Twin Cities based band since the release of their first self-titled and genre defining album in 1986. Featuring writing and lead vocal contributions from all four members, XOXO signals a sharpening of focus for the band, an elevation in understanding of who they are and what they do best. In classic Jayhawks fashion, the songs here mix the influence of American roots music with British invasion and jangly power-pop, but there’s a newfound vitality at play, as well, an invigoration of confidence and energy that could only come with the injection of fresh blood. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]

August Listening Station Program Titles Released This Week:

Gerald Clayton – Happening: Live At The Village Vanguard CD (Blue Note)

Pianist Gerald Clayton makes his Blue Note debut with Happening: Live At The Village Vanguard. An example of musical gambles taken on stage, the exceptional quintet (tenor sax-Walter Smith III, bassist-Joe Sanders, drummer-Marcus Gilmore) deliver dynamic performances at NYC’s legendary venue including four Clayton originals and Billy Strayhorn’s “Take The Coltrane”. He then pares down to a trio for the lively version of Bud Powell’s “Celia” and a stunning rendition of “Body And Soul”.

Sarah Jarosz – World On The Ground LP (Rounder)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Three-time Grammy winner Sarah Jarosz returns with World On The Ground, her first new album in four years. The soulful and gorgeous collection – produced by John Leventhal (Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello) and recorded in his Manhattan home studio – follows Jarosz’s Grammy-winning 2016 release Undercurrent. World On The Ground is a collection of stories both real and imagined exploring the tension and inertia of small-town living. Jarosz, a native of Wimberley, TX (pop. 2,626) and current NYC resident, explores the desire for escape set against the ease of staying put. The album is populated by sensitive souls, aimless wanderers, and back-porch daydreamers.

[Read more…] about New Releases for July 10, 2020

Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:

Black Sabbath – The End: Live From the Genting Arena, Birmingham 2017 3xLP (Eagle Records)

The End is a celebration of Black Sabbath’s final hometown concert at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on February 4, 2017. This unforgettable farewell show from one of the biggest bands in the world marks the closure of a monumental chapter in rock history. With a hit packed set list that includes “Iron Man”, “Paranoid”, “War Pigs” and many more, this 17-track limited colored vinyl set finds the trailblazing band delivering the most emotionally charged show of their career. The End captures a once-in-a-career performance, an essential snapshot of musical history, and a fitting farewell to true innovators and original heavy metal icons, Black Sabbath. Featuring Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar) and Geezer Butler (bass), with Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards, guitar).

Sparks – A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip CD/2xLP (BMG)

Brothers Ron and Russell Mael aka art-pop outfit Sparks return with their 24^th studio album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip. Since storming into the charts, minds and airwaves in 1974 with “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us” from their third album Kimono My House, the musically vital pop pioneers have created a unique legacy both on record and in their live performances. A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip follows Sparks’ 2017 album Hippopotamus, an extraordinary record which saw them return to the Top 10 and was universally acclaimed with many critics declaring it to be one of the finest albums of the year and the pinnacle of the band’s career – until now. Includes the bombastic, tongue-in-cheek new single “Self-Effacing.” [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

The Who – Live In Hyde Park 3xLP (Eagle Records)

Filmed and recorded on June 26, 2015 as The Who celebrated their fiftieth anniversary, this stunning show from London’s famous Hyde Park is a triumphant return to their home city. On a glorious summer evening the band delivered a brilliant performance of all their greatest hits in front of a 50,000-strong crowd. With a series of stunning backdrops making full use of the screens surrounding the stage and an exceptional light show, this is a Who concert on a grand scale but as Pete Townshend says at the start of the show, “You’re a long way away…but we will reach you!” He’s absolutely true to his word. Includes thrilling takes on “My Generation”, “Pinball Wizard”, “Baba O’Riley”, “Pictures Of Lily”, “I Can’t Explain”, “You Better You Bet”, “Who Are You”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “Join Together”, “The Kids Are Alright”, and “I Can See For Miles”.

[Read more…] about New Releases for July 3, 2020

Social Media Program Title Released This Week:

Becca Mancari – The Greatest Part CD/LP (Captured Tracks)

Expanding beyond the homespun rootsiness of her critically acclaimed debut to incorporate a grittier, more experimental palette, Becca Mancari’s captivating new collection, The Greatest Part, lives in a liminal space between grief and joy, pain and forgiveness, sorrow and liberation. The record, produced by Paramore drummer Zac Farro, marks a significant sonic and emotional evolution, balancing unflinching self-examination with intoxicating grooves and infectious instrumental hooks fueled by explosive percussion and fuzzed out guitars. [Limited coke bottle clear vinyl pressing also available.]

July Listening Station Program Titles Released This Week:

Carach Angren – Frankensteina Strataemontanus CD/2xLP/Cassette (Season Of Mist)

Following the mythos of the “real” Dr. Frankenstein, Johann Conrad Dippel, who served as the inspiration for the famed novel by Mary Shelley, Carach Angren’s Franckensteina Strataemontanus delivers a bombastic symphonic cacophony of necromancy and mad science. Interwoven with haunting keyboards, majestic orchestrations, and a perfect balance of melodic brutality, the new album serves as the most theatrical offering from the horror metal masters to date. [Deluxe CD edition also available.]

Thad Cockrell – If In Case You Feel The Same CD (ATO)

Thad Cockrell returns with his first solo album in over a decade. If In Case You Feel The Same taps into the tremendous depth of expression Thad has brought to co-writing for such artists as Joy Williams (on her Grammy-nominated 2019 album Front Porch), Joseph, Devon Gilfillian and Mathew Caws of Nada Surf, as well as his much beloved band Leagues. Buoyed by the support of Brittany Howard, whom he first met over a 4 a.m. pitcher of homemade margaritas, Cockrell set to work on his first solo effort in over a decade: an album that exposes his deepest insecurities and weaknesses, all for the sake of creating a transcendent connection with the audience. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing due July 24.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 26, 2020