CDs + Vinyl:

Gboyega Adelaja ‎– Colourful Environment [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (Livingstone Studio)

Fresh from touring with Hugh Masekela — The Boy’s Doin’ It (1975) — Gboyega Adelaja went into the lab to drop heavy keyboard science on his Moog and Fender Rhodes. It’s Joe Sample meets the Afro funk of BLO. With names like Jake Sollo on guitars, Mike Odumusu (BLO, Osibisa) on bass guitar, and Gasper Lawal on percussion, this is a top quality, Afro funk — an all-stars affair that shines from the inspired interventions, masterly arrangements to the sublime production.

The Alarm – Equals CD/2xLP (Twenty First Century Recording Company)

Equals is The Alarm’s first mainstream album release since 2010’s Direct Action, a barnstorming collection of 11 songs that act as a retrenchment of old values and a poignant reflection of the tough times Mike Peters and his wife Jules have been through in recent years. Having recovered from lymph cancer in 1996, Mike was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia in 2005 and, after an initial recovery, he suffered a relapse in 2015. To compound an already terrifying situation, Jules, who plays piano and sings backing vocals, was diagnosed with breast cancer just after. All band activity was put on hold as the pair underwent treatment and it is only now, with both in remission, that The Alarm are firing on all cylinders again.

Dave Alvin – King Of California [Reissue/1994] CD (Craft Recordings)

CD reissue of the best-selling critically acclaimed solo album from Dave Alvin of The Blasters.

America – Live On Soundstage CD+DVD (BMG)

A unique and intimate performance from the legendary group who defined the early ‘70s folk sound and ruled the Top-10 charts with their evocative harmonies and acoustic-styled musicianship.

Bernice – Puff: In The Air Without A Shape CD/LP (Arts & Crafts)

Following the release of 2017’s maximalist Puff EP produced by Grammy Award-winner Shawn Everett, Toronto-based experimental pop group Bernice present its minimalist follow up, Puff: In The Air Without A Shape, with which the band continues its enigmatic exploration of pop, jazz, R&B, and more. Sitting between Enya, Julia Holter, and Deerhoof where clear vocal melodies fly kites over spare arrangements, Bernice’s new album attempts to mimic the playful intimacy of the band’s live show.

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 29, 2018

CDs + Vinyl:

The 4th Movement – 4th Movement [Reissue/1980] CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)

Death’s For the Whole World To See was a revelation of early punk music from the mid- ‘70s that didn’t see release until 2009. The true sequel to Death’s then-unreleased album – channeling both the punk-inflected rock and the introspective spirituality that began with Death.

Cyrille Aimée – Cyrille Aimée Live CD (Mack Avenue)

Recorded at a typically lively and engaging performance at New York City’s (Le) Poisson Rouge in August 2017, the album finds the acclaimed vocalist bidding a fond adieu to her long-standing band and looking forward to a brand-new phase in her life and career. The August performance marked the band’s final show together, saying goodbye to this configuration of Aimée’s band.

Arp – Zebra CD/2xLP (Mexican Summer)

NY-based artist/producer/DJ Alexis Georgopoulos (aka Arp) is no newcomer to the scene. An experimentalist who never loses sight of the generosity of pop, with Zebra, the fourth Arp long-player, Georgopoulos has boldly stepped into vastly new musical territory reinventing the project’s paradigm once again, blurring the lines between electronic and acoustic, between the experimental impulse and an addictive pop sensibility.

Arstidir – Nivalis CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)

These eclectic Icelanders have never easily fit into any stylistic drawer and hence attracted a particular long list of attempts of a musical definition that ranges from indie rock via progressive rock, indie folk, chamber folk and pop, neo-classical to minimalism. Nivalis features string work (violin & viola) from Viktor Orri Árnason (Of Monsters And Men), drums from Magnús Trygvason Eliassen (Damien Rice) and cello from Hallgrímur Jónas Jensson (Olafur Arnalds).

Jill Barber – Metaphora CD/LP (Outside Music)

Evolving over the course of many albums from folk to jazz, R&B and pop, Jill’s success is defined not by genre, but by her undeniable songwriting chops and distinctive voice. Metaphora is a continuation of her musical story that confidently tackles everything from issues of empowerment, sexual politics, the complications of love, and depression. [Limited turquoise colored vinyl pressing also available.]

Binker & Moses – Alive In The East CD/LP (Gearbox)

Binker Golding and Moses Boyd are trailblazers in the current London jazz explosion. Ten new tracks featuring a wealth of talent, including UK free jazz legend Evan Parker.

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 22, 2018

CDs + Vinyl:

5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood CD/LP (Capitol)

On their third studio album Youngblood, Australian band 5 Seconds Of Summer (hailed as the “biggest new rock act in the world” by Rolling Stone) expands its musical parameters while retaining the hooks and trademark DNA that’s always been a massive part of the group’s appeal. Vocalist/guitarist Luke Hemmings explains, “Growing up is what we had to do on Youngblood. Seven years as a band may seem like a long time, but we were teenagers when we started. We had to look at each other and say, ‘Are we going to stop now, or do this forever? Because if we continue, then we have to go farther than we ever have before.’” On lead single “Want You Back”, Hemmings’ passionate yearning for lost love finds him breaking into a searing falsetto on the infectious chorus. The soaring production and upfront bass line, meanwhile, finds the band exploring grooves and emotions in fresh new ways.

Actress x London Contemporary Orchestra – Lageos CD/2xLP (Ninja Tune)

Producer Darren Cunningham aka Actress, joined by the London Contemporary Orchestra, premiere new material as well as expanded arrangements of their dark and brooding electronica. On this new collaboration, commissioned and curated by Boiler Room and the London Contemporary Orchestra with support from Arts Council England, the London Contemporary Orchestra bring a new dimension to Cunningham’s choice of sounds. With the producer in effect using them as a new instrument, matching his electronic loops with precise manipulation of their acoustic instruments, together they form a heightened kind of chamber music.

Christina Aguilera – Liberation CD (RCA)

The eighth studio album by pop/R&B vocalist and her first in six years. Liberation finds her having her way with R&B and hip-hop (Kanye West produced two tracks). The first single “Accelerate” features Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz. The album’s second single “Fall in Line” features Pop vocalist Demi Lovato.

The Allman Brother’s Band – Cream Of The Crop 2003 4xCD (Peach)

Four-disc collection features 36 tracks in all, culled from live performances recorded between July 25 and August 10, 2003 in Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Darien Center, NY, Hartford, CT, Charlotte, NC, and Raleigh, NC. The 2003 lineup of the group included founding members Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe, plus Warren Haynes, Marc Quiñones, Oteil Burbridge and Derek Trucks.

Ammar 808 – Maghreb United CD/LP (Glitterbeat)

Deep TR-808 bass meets pan-Maghreb beats, timeless voices, and futurist visions.

[Read more…] about New Releases for June 15, 2018