July Program Titles Released This Week:

Bad Books – III CD/LP (Concord/Loma Vista)

“For their first record in seven years, Bad Books made sure it was worth the wait, and not a side project worth forgetting. Helmed by singer-songwriters Kevin Devine and Andy Hull (of Manchester Orchestra), III brings their talents together and distils them into an album that’s all of a piece while preserving each writer’s own identity. In the realm of Frightened Rabbit and Volcano Choir, Bad Books offer a sometimes exuberant, sometimes somber sound that takes simple folk songs and blows them out with dramatic piano chords, churchlike choral arrangements, spacey atmospherics and digital embellishments. For all their basis in acoustic instruments, these are songs that shimmer and echo at length — not for a coffee house, but an opera house. Devine and Hull contribute five songs each, trading back and forth, track-by-track. In spite of the album’s cohesive feel, the differences between each writer’s songs are quite drastic — Devine’s are generally upbeat and full-bodied, while Hull’s are far gloomier and barren. III is a record that fluctuates between the joyous and the melancholy over and over, making those many contrasts of dark and light all the more impactful.” — Exclaim

Philip Bailey – Love Will Find A Way CD (UMG)

On Love Will Find A Way, legendary falsetto Philip Bailey proves that the atmosphere and ideas that made Earth Wind & Fire possible – a respect for genuine musicianship, a conviction that all music matters – are alive and well in 2019. Along with trusted friends like bassist Christian McBride, the iconic jazz pianist Chick Corea and drum legend Steve Gadd, the album features several of the brightest contemporary lights in jazz, R&B, pop and more: keyboardist Robert Glasper, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, rapper, musician and producer will.i.am, trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, singer-songwriter Bilal, singer-saxophonist Casey Benjamin, guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Derrick Hodge, among many others. [Vinyl edition due July 12.]

Bedouine – Songs Of A Killjoy CD/LP (Spacebomb Arc)

When you listen to the love songs of L.A.-based Bedouine, you will be reminded of Karen Dalton’s world-wise voice or the breathy seduction of Minnie Riperton’s vocals, the easy cool of French ye-ye singers, and the poetry of Joan Baez. Her folk is nomadic, wandering across time and space, and on the likes of new song “Dizzy” meander into danceable jams. On first discovery you may ask whether they’re dated to 2019, or whether you’ve uncovered some forgotten classic. It makes sense that singer-songwriter Azniv Korkejian’s arrival – both musically and personally – on her second record has been influenced by her own wanderlust, displacement, and curiosity. The 12-songs on Bird Songs Of A Killjoy contain several references to birds. It’s a soundtrack to Spring blossom, to warm air on skin, to the concept of possibility.

Black Pumas – Black Pumas CD/LP (ATO)

Black Pumas is led by the creative partnership between Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada and songwriter Eric Burton. The latter is a relative newcomer who arrived in Austin in 2015 after busking his way across the country from Los Angeles, while Quesada has a storied reputation for playing in bands like Grupo Fantasma and Brownout. After the two connected via friends in the Austin scene, they began to collaborate on a new sound that transmutes soul into something idiosyncratically modern. Reminiscent of Ghostface Killah and Motown in equal measure, this original sound ensured that Black Pumas’ weekly residency at C-Boys quickly became “the hottest party in town” (Austin-American Statesman). Produced by Quesada in his home studio and colored by Burton’s dark imagery and haunting vocals, their eponymous debut is equally as indebted to East Coast hip-hop as it is to classic funk and soul, resulting in a project that is of the moment rather than retro. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 21, 2019

July Program Titles Released This Week:

Bad Religion – Age Of Unreason LP (Epitaph)

Vinyl edition now available. Since Bad Religion’s formative years, the acclaimed Los Angeles, CA punk rock band has steadfastly advocated for humanism, reason, and individualism. Now, when these values are in decline and nationalism and bigotry are on the rise, the group’s message has never been more essential. The songs on Age Of Unreason are both furious and meticulously crafted. There are references to contemporary events; racist rallies, Trump’s election, the erosion of the middle class, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, alternative facts, conspiracy theories, as well as homages to the literary and philosophical works that have long inspired the band. This record is both a dire warning and testament to resilience. The overall message being – seek truth about the world and oneself.

Bastille – Doom Days CD/LP (Virgin)

London outfit Bastille’s third full-length album Doom Days sees the Grammy nominated and BRIT-winning four-piece stretch out into new territories and marks something of a shift in perception from its widely acclaimed predecessor Wild World, which confronted the world and the actions of those in power. Doom Days captures the need to temporarily switch off and escape whilst taking the listener on a big night out in search of distraction from the surrounding apocalypse. Be that screaming along to the radio in the back of an Uber careering through the city (“Quarter Past Midnight”), getting loved up in the company of good friends (“4AM”), a casual hook-up (“Another Place”) or the end-of-night longing to be with somebody (“Those Nights”). It also revels in the bad decisions we make both personally in our relationships and collectively on a macro scale (“Bad Decisions”), tells a relatable tale of being cornered into a deep discussion about the world’s problems when all you want to do is have a good time (“Million Pieces”), and wryly confronts modern anxieties, taking side-swipes at phone addiction, porn addiction, fake news and climate change denial. [ Indie store exclusive vinyl pressing available.]

Calexico/Iron & Wine – Years To Burn CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

Calexico and Iron & Wine first made an artistic connection with In the Reins, the 2005 EP that brought Sam Beam, Joey Burns and John Convertino together. The acclaimed collaboration introduced both acts to wider audiences and broadened Beam’s artistic horizons, but it was the shared experience of touring together in the tradition of Bob Dylan’s “Rolling Thunder Revue” that cemented the bond. Their metaphorical roads diverged in the years that followed, but they kept in touch and cross-pollinated where they could. Although they often talked about rekindling their collaboration in the studio and on stage, it wasn’t until 2018 that their schedules finally aligned. While Beam wrote all the songs for In the Reins, this recording features contributions from both Beam and Burns. While the two may have taken differing approaches to songwriting, the spirit of collaboration was alive and well in the studio; Sam shared demos ahead of time and was ready for the others to contribute with arrangement ideas and instrumental parts, while Joey spontaneous as ever, came in with concepts and an eagerness to improvise.

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 14, 2019

June Program Titles Released This Week:

As Cities Burn – Scream Through The Walls CD (Equal Vision)

For Scream Through The Walls, As Cities Burn turned to a familiar collaborator in producer Matt Goldman (Underoath, Meg & Dia, The Chariot) to help capture the signature frenetic energy of their live show. Goldman proved a wise decision, providing sonic clarity without sacrificing the rawness and honesty the band wanted to instill in the record. While this was the band’s most collaborative record to date, primary songwriting duties remained with Cody Bonnette and his personal growth since the last record shines through on how progressive and open the album is lyrically. It deals with the destructive tendencies and emotional crutches we rely on, both on a personal level and from a larger cultural perspective. As Cody puts it, the 10-tracks on Scream Through The Walls seek to be “like a good counselor, asking the right questions to allow the listener to work through their issues on their own terms.”

AURORA – A Different Kind Of Human (Step II) CD/LP (Glassnote)

The latest album by Norwegian synth-pop musician AURORA follows the release of her sophomore release, Infections Of A Different Kind (Step I), which was named one of A Bit Of Pop Music’s 20 Best Pop Albums of 2018. “Though still part of the Different Kind series, Step II finds AURORA traversing more experimental territory. The location where the LP was recorded helped to inform this new, unconventional sound; the artist set up shop ‘in a more lo-fi space than before,’ one described as a French chateau that’s ‘beautiful and dreamy’ and ‘far away.’ Much of Step II is said to focus on the ecological crisis plaguing society. We hear this on the album’s latest single, ‘The Seed’, in which AURORA reflects on the toxic ways we treat nature and those around us. ‘People say ‘live like you don’t care’ or ‘party like you don’t care’, but I like to care,’ AURORA remarked. ‘I think people do, too, now more than ever, for example when Trump was elected people became more involved politically because they were frustrated. It’s a time of open ears and open eyes’.” – Consequence Of Sound

Chon – Chon CD (Sumerian)

On their self-titled third album, Chon find themselves at the confluence of a great push and pull. Their debut full-length, 2015’s Grow, established their mathy, forward-thinking take on the genre, while 2017’s Homey furthered that sound while incorporating brand-new influences like effect-pedal-heavy elements of electronic music and trip-hop. Now, with Chon, the trio once again have kicked down their musical guardrails – but in a way that balances their more eccentric impulses with a steadying dose of clarity and restraint. The album is brimming with some of the most forward-thinking, intricate musings the band have ever attempted, from the deep progressive propulsion of first single “Peace” to “Spike”, which spins the band’s youthful tech and metal influences together into a flashy riff-athon. All at once, Chon respects the trio’s current listeners while inviting a broader swath of new ones in – the rare progressive rock album adroit enough to straddle that line. [Vinyl edition due July 12.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 7, 2019