CDs + Vinyl:
Ages And Ages – Something To Ruin CD/LP+MP3 (Partisan)
Something To Ruin confronts the debris of our collective failures and asks whether we might be better off letting go and starting over. With all members hailing from Portland, Oregon, the album explores what it’s like to watch your hometown implode in a frenzy of real estate development and lifestyle branding. Songs like “Kick Me Out” and “I’m Moving” describe the “manufactured wilderness” that former bohemian sanctuaries like Portland and other cities have become. The album’s lead track “They Want More,” also draws a line in the sand to confront the changing landscape of music, art, cities and lifestyles. While writing this record, the band’s leaders, Rob Oberdorfer and Tim Perry, embraced synthetic sounds and artificial textures– a marked difference from the organic and documentarian approach on their previous albums. The record is also more groove-laden, with electronic experimentation pushed to the surface. The richly layered harmonies of Sarah Riddle, Annie Bethancourt, Colin Jenkins and Oberdorfer mirror themes about the power (and impotence) of the individual and the need for community. Isaac Brock’s unmistakable, marbled baritone vocals jump out on on “So Hazy” and traces of old Modest Mouse can also be heard in the discordant guitar and mechanical noise that interrupts or ends the album’s title track and “All Of My Enemies.”
AJJ – The Bible 2 CD/LP+MP3 (Side One Dummy)
New album from AJJ, the Phoenix, AZ band formerly known as Andrew Jackson Jihad. “1.) We are not Muslims, and as such, it is disrespectful and irresponsible for us to use the word jihad in our band’s name. 2.) We no longer wish to be a living reminder of President Andrew Jackson. Interesting historical figure as he was, he was an odious person and our fascination with him has grown stale.” [Limited color vinyl edition also available.]
Aktion – Groove The Funk [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (PMG)
Reissue of an essential and influential early Afro-funk album. Lot’s of fuzz guitar and bad-ass keyboard playing. Certainly a great look into Nigerian scene.
Akwassa – La’lla [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (PMG)
Akwassa were among the best Afro-beat bands coming from Nigeria.
Ashra – Correlations Complete 5xCD (MG.Art)
Limited one-time collectors’ edition released in 2008 and previously only available from MG.Art’s mailorder. The first disc is a remastered version of the 1990 Virgin CD reissue of Correlations, recorded and mixed at Panne-Paulsen Studio, Frankfurt, in 1978 by Mick Glossop and originally released by Virgin in 1979. The second disc is the first release of Phantasus, Manuel Göttsching and Udo Arndt’s original 1978 recording and mix of the album that was partially re-recorded and totally remixed to become Correlations (Phantasus was Göttsching’s intended title, which he changed to Correlations after UK fans told him that the English can’t pronounce “phantasus”). The third, fourth, and fifth discs are The Making Of, which includes a 12-page booklet. Performed by Manuel Göttsching (guitar, synthesizer, sequencer), Lutz Ulbrich (guitar, synthesizer, piano, mellotron), and Harald Großkopf (drums, percussion, synthesizer).
Bad Omens – Bad Omens CD (Sumerian)
New album from the L.A. metal/alt rock outfit.
Bent Life – Never Asked For Heaven CD/LP (Bridge Nine)
Bent Life are Midwest Blood Fest veterans, having churned out brute-force hardcore since 2010, but they reach a special zenith on their first full-length. Never Asked For Heaven showcases the band evolving into an aggressive powerhouse with clarity and precision, capable of thudding riffs and surprisingly memorable, gutting hooks.
Steve Black – Village Boogie [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (PMG)
After starting his musical career back in 1968, the Nigerian artist, drummer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Steve Black released his fantastic and unique Afro-funk album Village Boogie in 1979.
BLO – Phase IV [Reissue/1976] CD/LP (PMG)
“Rightly regarded as the holy grail of Afro boogie, Phase IV is an extraordinary blend of highlife, rock, blues and soul that sounds just as good through headphones as it does on the dancefloor.” — Peter Moore
Blood Incantation – Starspawn CD (Dark Decent)
“I’m not one for much guitar wankery, but if done correctly my ears will smile. The opener ‘Vitrification Of Blood (Part I)’ does just that. What a killer opener that crashes through the speakers and pounds the drums straight into your face. It’s also the longest track on the album, which ain’t bad because there’s no wasted time, nor did I get a feeling like I needed them to get on with it. The guitars of Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky just shred up and down in the best way possible towards the closing. No disjointed Kerry King chaos work here.” – Kvlt Of Brewtality
Blood Orange – Freetown Sound CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)
Freetown Sound is the third full-length album from Devonté (Dev) Hynes aka Blood Orange. Written and produced by Hynes, Freetown Sound is a tour de force, a pastiche of Hynes’ past, present, and future that melds his influences with his own established musical voice. For well over a decade, Dev has proven himself a virtuoso of versatility, experimenting with almost every conceivable musical genre and working with a wide variety of artists as a writer and producer. On his solo work he has created a singular style of urgent, delicate pop music by carefully stitching a sound palette that gently recalls elastic funk, slinky R&B, and pure pop. Thematically, the album is profoundly personal and unapologetically political, touching on issues of race, religion, sex, and sexism over 17 shimmering songs.
David Brent & Foregone Conclusion – Life On The Road [OST] CD (Caroline International)
Since The Office ended in 2003, the world has been starved of David Brent (Ricky Gervais). He popped up in the American version of The Office, as well as featuring in the odd segment for Comic Relief (most recently with Doc Brown for their song “Equality Street”), but now he’s back and bigger than ever! New movie and soundtrack Life On The Road sees the former reality TV star turned rep head out on tour with his band Foregone Conclusion to try and achieve his dream of being a rock star. [Vinyl edition due September 2.]
Peter Broderick – Partners CD/LP+MP3 (Erased Tapes)
For close to a decade, Portland’s Peter Broderick has cut his own unpredictable path through the world of contemporary music. So far, his wanderings have led him from solo works into the realms of film, dance and documentary scores, as well as art installations. Now Peter takes that unpredictability one step further. For his latest album, a series of voice and piano recordings, he experiments with chance, surrendering an entire song’s composition to the roll of dice. It was John Cage’s tendency to remove himself from his music, to somehow automate his own process, which inspired the strange mechanics with which this record was created. In the words of Cage himself, “the world is teeming; anything can happen.”
Carl Broemel – 4th Of July CD/LP (Stocks In Asia)
4th Of July is the second solo album by My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel. He put together the album in Nashville between MMJ studio sessions and tour cycles. “This album is just me trying to compete with my own abilities — it was a challenge to do it on my own,” Broemel said in a statement. For the effort, Broemel collaborated with My Morning Jacket bandmates Bo Koster and Tom Blankenship, with both appearing on the LP and Koster co-writing a few tracks. Guest appearances also include Neko Case, Laura Veirs, Russ Pollard, Shelly Colvin, Richard Medek and Jordan Caress.
The Brotherhood Of Lizards – Lizardland [Reissue/1989] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
By late May of 1989, Cleaners From Venus man Martin Newell and Peter Nice aka Nelson finished their first album, Lizardland, and handed it over to upstart indie Deltic Records. Though there is a fair amount of Cleaners From Venus DNA in the mix due to the charms of the definitely lo-fi recording methods, the music of the Brotherhood Of Lizards has a sharp sound all its own.
Rhea Butcher – Rhea Butcher CD (Kill Rock Stars)
Rhea Butcher is a Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor and writer who has appeared on Comedy Central, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Buzzfeed and Funny Or Die Presents. Originally from the Midwest, Rhea grew up skateboarding the mean streets of Akron, Ohio. Her blue collar brand of cool has endeared her to audiences nationwide, both in her live appearances opening for comics like Pete Holmes, Anthony Jeselnik, Maria Bamford and Cameron Esposito in large theatre venues, or her podcast appearances on shows like You Made It Weird, How Did This Get Made? and Sklarboro Country.
The Ray Camacho Band – Reach Out [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (PMG)
Reach Out is one of the two albums by the disco outfit The Ray Camacho Band with bandleader Ray Camacho, exploring the field of the funky club dance music happening at that time.
Alex Cameron – Jumping The Shark [2013] CD/LP+MP3 (Siberia /Secretly Canadian)
“Alex Cameron is the stage name and persona played by a ‘real’ musician called Alex Cameron, who also plays in a band called Seekae. Confusing? Yes. Ironic. Yes. Hilarious if you’re in on the joke? Hell yes. As for the music, it’s actually been kicking around the antipodes since 2013. The fact that it’s being picked up by an American label three years later proves that the ‘80s electro-inspired songs on Jumping The Shark transcend irony and that maybe Americans do get irony after all.” – Tiny Mixtapes
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Hell Or High Water [OST] CD (Milan)
Directed by David Mackenzie Hell Or High Water is a heist film starring Ben Foster, Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges. Based on the infamous 2012 Black List script, the film is set in West Texas, in an area formerly known as Comancheria, and tells the story of two brothers who plan a bank robbery to save their family farm. Nick Cave and his musical partner Warren Ellis deliver a ravishing score perfectly fitting the dry and arid landscape in which the characters strive to survive.
Circadia – Advances And Delays CD (Sofa)
Circadia might be your favorite new experimental psych-impro-folk band. Their stellar line-up features guitarists David Stackenäs and Kim Myhr, bassist Joe Williamson and drummer Tony Buck from The Necks. While the pared-down acoustic instrumentation may seem to be some kind of “back-to-basics” tip of the hat to folk styles, the music is much more than that. A tight rhythmic drive coupled with a nuanced concern for timbre, texture and dynamics gives Circadia its unique sound.
Benis Cletin – Jungle Magic [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (PMG)
An acid boogie classic, Jungle Magic is a cosmic transmission from the early days of Nigerian disco.
Cocoa Leaf – Deep Marble Sunrise CD/LP (Wharf Cat)
Coca Leaf was a collaborative birthed in the hot Florida swamp years ago. Deep Marble Sunrise was sculpted from a series of brain-fried studio sessions in NYC taking place in the summer 2015. The manic ramping-up and the inevitable comedown intertwine here. A strange combination of hard funk, jazz, noise, no-wave, free improvisation, and dub.
The Color Morale – Desolate Divine CD/LP (Fearless)
Desolate Divine is the fifth album by post-hardcore/metalcore band The Color Morale. Vocalist Garret Rapp shared with Alternative Press the following about the album: “Over the years of being an artist, I’ve experienced some of the greatest reward and greatest loss in life. Desolate Divine was written in an honest and vulnerable state of self-realization that I am in a current isolated detriment. These songs are a collection of memories and truths of experiences that have led me to a state of unaccompanied strife I no longer want to carry. They are stories of damage taken and damage given the same. The only way to abandon this state of lifestyle is to convict myself, share it, and destroy it.” [Limited color vinyl edition available.]
Sam Coomes – Bugger Me CD/LP (No Quarter)
Sam Coomes is probably best known as one half of the long running underground pop duo Quasi, who’ve managed to release 9 or 10 albums on labels such as Up, Domino and Touch & Go. Coomes has also toured and/or recorded with numerous other artists such as: Elliott Smith, Built To Spill, Jandek and many other less recognizable names. Bugger Me is his first solo album, and was recently described as “Suicide meets Plastic Ono era John Lennon.”
Cosmonauts – A-OK CD/LP+MP3/Cassette) (Burger)
“It’s audible, vociferous, pulverizing and bursting at the seams with trippy-ish fuzzy layers of cacophonic synchronization and disharmonic reverberation in a specifically ‘60s beatnik drug-den, is-that-purple-zebra-in-sunglasses-ally there sort of way.”
Crystalaugur – Terranaut CD/LP (Out-Sider)
“Terranaut is a rollicking, rumbling and lightly ramshackle bomb of cosmic teenage hard rock informed by an infatuation with the early rumblings of progressive rock (given a proto-punk edge by the discontent of the group’s constituents).” — Jeremy Cargill
Crystal Castles – Amnesty (I) CD (Last Gang/Casablanca)
Crystal Castles fourth album (and first in four years) is their first without original singer Alice Glass. “Amnesty (I) comes as the group’s first record since the critically acclaimed Crystal Castles (III) from 2012. Recent single ‘CHAR’ is led by frantic synths and ghastly vocals, dropping the band’s previously abrasive sound and adds a more creepy and lighter sound” – Immortal Reviews. [Vinyl edition due September 23.]
Daniel Lioneye – Vol. III CD (The End)
Daniel Lioneye’s third album is full of amazing and intricate guitarwork as they effortlessly switch gears from rock, psych metal and black metal.
Trevor Dandy – Don’t Cry Little Tree [Reissue/1970] CD/LP (PMG)
Don’t Cry Little Tree is an ultra-rare pearl of funky gospel music.
Darkher – Realms CD/LP (Prophecy)
“When you think about the month of August, what does your mind conjure up? Afternoon swims in your background pool? Grilling your favorite killed prey on the barbecue with an ice-cold beer clutched in one hand? Unbearably hot heat waves? Whatever it is, I’m sure you are not thinking of one-person doom metal. Many of you will dispute whether Realms can easily classify as a doom metal record, as there are also whiffs of Portishead and slight tinges of folk here. What’s not in dispute is just how well this album is put together. Plainly put, I’m having a difficult time putting Realms down long enough to write this review.” – Angry Metal Guy
Destroying The Void – Paramnesia CD/LP (Unique Leader)
Progressive death metal outfit Destroying The Devoid, which features Craig Peters of Deeds Of Flesh and formerly of Arkaik, release their debut full-length record.
Casey Donahew – All Night Party CD (Almost Country)
Quick to mention the Rolling Stones, Rob Thomas, and Garth Brooks as influences, Casey Donahew started out as a favorite on the Texas bar circuit. For his new album, All Night Party, he brought in an outside producer for the first time, with Josh Leo (best known for his work with Alabama, Love and Theft, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) guiding the sessions.
Effi Duke & Love Family – Mr. Love [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (PMG)
Nigeria had a unique music scene which began spreading rapidly in the 1970s. The era was based on unspoiled use of fuzz pedal, keyboards and indisputable influences of the psychedelic blues bands of the West. Effi Duke was a key part of this scene. Mr. Love shows his love for guitar-based jazz mixed with African rhythms and funky bass. Call it a funk/jazz/disco hybrid.
Dumb Numbers – Dumb Numbers II CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
Dumb Numbers is Adam Harding with a revolving cast of musical collaborators including Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr), Dale Crover (Melvins), David Yow (the Jesus Lizard/Scratch Acid), Murph (Dinosaur Jr), Kevin Rutmanis (Cows/Melvins) Alexander Hacke (Einstürzende Neubauten), Bobb Bruno (Best Coast), Bonnie Mercer (Grey Daturas) and Steve Patrick (Useless Children).
Eros And The Eschaton – Weight Of Matter CD (Bar/None)
Eros And The Eschaton’s second album is filled with the kind of shoegazer and psychedelic sounds that got them voted the Best Pop Band in Denver by the readers of Westword Magazine. It’s a Neil Young & Crazy Horse guitar-inspired album, dialing in tones akin to The Walkmen while maintaining the airy psychedelia of their debut, Home Address For Civil War. [Vinyl edition due September 2.]
Exploded View – Exploded View CD (Sacred Bones)
Exploded View is a new collaborative project helmed by the UK-born, Berlin-based political-journalist-turned-musician Anika. After playing a string of 2014 solo shows in Mexico with a backing lineup composed of local producers Martin Thulin, Hugo Quezada and Amon Melgarejo, Anika and her new bandmates discovered a chemistry that they simply had to capture on tape. [Vinyl edition due September 2.]
Factory Floor – 25 25 CD/2xLP (DFA)
Factory Floor return to DFA with their sonically striking sophomore album, 25 25. What was once a trio is now a duo, with members Gabe Gurnsey and Nik Void holding it down and co-writing and recording the new LP together. Their debut self-titled album (2013) embraced “industrial, post-punk, disco, acid, avant-garde minimalism, electro, dub and — most crucially — the dancefloor, without being beholden to any one genre” (Pitchfork). 25 25 certainly does not forego any of these genres. What it adds to it is a new level of intricate detail in the production and mixing, with hyper-attention paid to drums and percussion. Nik Void’s hypnotic/robotic vocals also take a new-found center stage on many tracks. This artificial and human adding an extra layer of alienation with barely discernible lyrics on top of rock-steady time keeping and the arpeggiated squelching synths Factory Floor became initially known for.
Faith No More – We Care A Lot [Reissue/1985] CD/2xLP+CD (Koolarrow/PIAS America)
Remastered and expanded Deluxe reissue of Faith No More’s 1985 debut album. The band arose out of a unique mingling of subcultures — hippies, punks, dancers, Satanists and more — in early ‘80s San Francisco. Anchored by the title track, We Care A Lot positioned Faith No More at the helm of hard rock’s experimental front. The album also features original vocalist Chuck Mosley, who was replaced by Mike Patton on the band’s third album, The Real Thing. This edition includes nine bonus tracks comprising demos, new mixes and live tracks. Longtime producer Matt Wallace remixed three cuts: the title track, “Pills For Breakfast” and “As the Worm Turns.” The band also included the original 8-track demos for four songs and live recordings of “The Jungle” and “New Beginnings” from a 1986 show at San Francisco’s now-defunct club, I-Beam.
Ahmed Fakroun – Mots D’Amour [Reissue/1983] CD/LP (PMG)
The Arab world back in the ’70s and ’80s gave us quite a few very interesting rock and pop acts. Ahmed Fakroun from Libya was definitely one of them. His kind of ethno pop seems to go deeper than just to the charts, where songs like “Soleil Soleil” — a typical yet outstanding synth-pop/new-wave anthem that would have gone well with David Bowie or Duran Duran in the early ’80s — would have belonged.
Falls Of Rauros – Hail Wind And Hewn Oak [Reissue/2008] CD (Bindrune Recordings)
Falls Of Rauros – The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood [Reissue/2011] CD (Bindrune Recordings)
Hail Wind And Hewn Oak was the first seed sown by these progressive US folk metallers. The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood followed in 2011 and takes the sound that they established with their debut and expands into an even more relaxed and contemplative mood, lamenting over a landscape cast aside and the spirit of wildness lost. A record for autumn grey and bleak winter days.
French Montana – MC4 CD (Epic)
Second studio album by rapper French Montana featuring guest appearances from Drake, Kanye West, Future, A$AP Rocky, Miguel, Nas, Kodak Black, Beanie Sigel, Jadakiss, and Styles P.
Johnnie Frierson – Have You Been Good To Yourself CD/LP+MP3 (Light In Attic)
A mix of spoken word and gospel songs laid down direct to cassette, these ultra-rare home recordings draw from Johnnie’s religious upbringing and his history in the music business, which was interrupted in 1970 when he was sent to fight in Vietnam.
Gallant – Ology CD (Mind Of A Genius/WB)
“Gallant was not rushed to market. Gallant is the wise, lucky beneficiary of development and time. Or we are. Zebra, the EP that Christopher Gallant released in 2014, was adrift in a stylized haze; but on Ology, the 24 year-old singer’s soulful voice is front and center, and his intent clear. This debut album is a study of his anxieties and insecurities, and musically, it walks a careful line between the feuding impulses of contemporary R&B. Some examples: ‘Episode’ edges toward disco, if Nile Rodgers were to take ‘I Don’t Feel Like Dancing’ under his wing. ‘Open Up’ has notes of James Blake. ‘Miyazaki’ pulls in a phrase from Groove Theory’s ‘Tell Me,’ with Gallant drinking from the same ’90s-flavored well as fellow Maryland natives Abhi//Dijon and other young alternative R&B acts blowing up Soundcloud. Ology is the latest example of R&B that converses with folk and rock and dub and trip-hop and Sufjan and Top 40 in the way that everybody who listens to music does, and has for their whole life, not in no PBR&B type of way, but in a way that doesn’t serve radio formats. Instead, Gallant’s music serves us” – NPR. [Vinyl edition due September 2.]
Jerry Garcia Band – GarciaLive Volume Seven: November 8, 1976 Sophie’s, Palo Alto 2xCD (ATO)
GarciaLive Volume Seven showcases the Jerry Garcia Band’s November 8th, 1976 performance at Sophie’s in Palo Alto, California. Recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson, the original master reels were only recently re-discovered, along with a few other reels dubbed the “Houseboat Tapes,” and have been remastered for this release. It was the year of this recording that Donna Jean and Keith Godchaux first joined up with the Jerry Garcia Band. Their addition, along with Ron Tutt on drums and bassist John Kahn, helped form what would be one of the most durable lineups of the Garcia Band. In fact, earlier that year Garcia commented “I haven’t been as happy with any little performing group since Old And In The Way in terms of feeling ‘this is really harmonious, this is what I want to hear.’” That harmonious vibe is especially present as well. Throughout the course of the evening, the band deftly melds gospel, rock, soul, and reggae to form their quintessential mid- ‘70’s sound. As one astute critic pointed out, “More than any other Garcia band this one allows him room to run through all his guitar styles, often within a single song.” From the opening notes of “The Way You Do The Things You Do”, the band lock into a relaxed, but confident groove with Kahn & Tutt’s deep pocket providing the foundation for Jerry & Keith’s melodic exploration rounded out by Donna Jean’s soulful harmonies.
Aaron Gillespie – Out Of The Badlands CD/LP (Tooth & Nail)
Aaron Roderick Gillespie is best known for being the original drummer and clean vocalist for the metalcore band Underoath, and was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band The Almost. Out Of The Badlands is comprised of reworked songs from those bands.
Gonjasufi – Callus CD/LP (Warp)
Gonjasufi has grown vastly in his skills as a musician. The Cure guitarist Pearl Thompson plays on three of Callus’ tracks and, through close collaboration, showed Gonjasufi new ways to approach songs. In the past, Gonjasufi’s records have summoned worlds of sound, with ideas and instruments imported from across the globe. Here, he sculpts it all—synthesizer drone and sitar riffs, static walls and industrial beats—into a unified journey. In his own words, “It has to be authentic. F*ck a filter. Just throw the mic to the tape,” he says. “This is love. All the pain and misunderstanding still burns, but I’m here to pull all that into me and give something that will help everybody get through that. No one can stop it”.
Graveola – Camaleão Borboleta CD (Mais Um Discos)
Graveola’s third album is charged with socially conscious lyrics concerning the power of the internet, native Brazilian-Indian struggles and issues around marijuana legalization. Their unique brand of alt-pop sees tropicalia, samba, “rock Brasileira” and Brazilian folk rhythms cannibalize international genres to create strange hybrids. At times Camaleão Borboleta recalls Os Mutantes and Gilberto Gil, casting Graveola as torchbearers of the new alt-tropical movement in South America alongside Meridian Brothers and Juana Molina.
Hackney Colliery Band – Sharpener CD (Veki)
With echoes the sound of Moondog and uplifting anthemic arrangements, Sharpener showcases writers Olly Blackman, Luke Christie and Steve Pretty’s contrasting styles, able to switch from screaming energy to moody introspection, from cutting-edge jazz to dancefloor rave.
Lisa Hannigan – At Swim CD/LP (ATO)
Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan’s new album, At Swim, follows her second full-length album, Passenger, which NPR Music praised as “lush and beautiful,” while Rolling Stone furthered, “Her voice is light and agile, her phrasing like exquisite plumage, and her folksy songs move with deceptive power, sailing on guitars, strings and Irish drama.” At Swim was recorded in New York with producer Aaron Dessner (The National), initiated by an unexpected email. “He wrote: ‘If you want to do some writing together or you need someone to produce your record, just let me know’,” Hannigan says. “It was such a lovely email, so generous and open and enthusiastic. It was so brilliant — and slightly ridiculous. He just kept sending me all these beautiful pieces of music and we corresponded over email for ages. He’d send me something and then I’d sing or mumble along to it into my phone and send it back to him. We’d do this back and forth until we finally met up in Denmark and Hudson (in New York). It was fun — my musical pen pal. I’m so indebted to him. If it wasn’t for his email, I’d probably still be trying to write a record, completely losing my mind.”
Happy Diving – Electric Soul Unity CD/LP (Topshelf)
Electric Soul Unity, the bands fourth release in under three years, showcases Happy Diving taking their high energy soul rock to new heights. Think Dinosaur Jr, Teenage Fanclub and Swervedriver.
Heads Funk Band – Hard World [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (PMG)
Hard World is the first of three albums released by Heads Funk Band. Pure, well-crafted Afro-funk.
The Heaters – American Dream: The Portastudio Recordings CD (Omnivore)
The Heaters were one of L.A.’s hottest live acts in the late ’70s, opening for heavyweights like Talking Heads, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, and more. The Heaters’ explosive stage technique, visual smarts, and great pop songwriting—harkening back to the sound of Phil Spector mixed with the energy of punk—made them the band to see on the Sunset Strip. Sadly, their debut album (one of the most highly anticipated releases of the day) was plagued with problems and captured none of their magic. A second album “sounded” better, but met the same fate with record buyers, and the group disbanded. However, sisters Maggie and Missy Connell along with Theresa Robertson of the band kept recording on a Portastudio, concentrating on the girl-group side of their sound. American Dream is the first-ever official release of those 10 tracks from Maggie, Missy, and Theresa (under the pseudonym of Mercy)—The Heaters. Glistening girl-group harmonies drawing on the golden era of that music; the ’50s and ’60s, filtered through the ’80s.
Highasakite – Camp Echo CD/LP (Inkind Music/Propeller Recordings)
“Having broken Norwegian album chart records with their spectacular, Silent Treatment released two years ago and astonishingly still in the charts, it would have made sense for Highasakite to have repeated the tried and tested formula that worked so well to mold such stellar tracks as ‘Since Last Wednesday’ and ‘Darth Vadar’. Instead, the band seem to have made the boldly adventurous decision to go down a less acoustic but more electronic route, albeit one in which that sense of shady introspective nostalgia, so pervasive throughout Silent Treatment, has turned into a much darker outrospection mixed with moments of a more personal, contemplative nature. Camp Echo is Highaskite’s first foray into the world of voluminous synth-pop, and the many dimensional sounds they have created shimmer and sparkle so brightly as to give a golden sheen to their somewhat darker lyrical siblings. Such is the case with opener, ‘My Name Is Liar,’ a track that bubbles with frothy synths and doomy electro beats that make for a very dynamic, animated opening. The marimba-like gymnastics of the propulsive beat-driven electronica fused with Bersu’s glowering drums give this track a somewhat wall-to-wall percussive decor, the up-tempo beat of which denies the disturbing nature of the lyrics.” – The 405
D.R. Hooker – The Truth [Reissue/1972] CD/LP (Veals & Geeks)
Genuine reissue of D.R. Hooker’s The Truth from the original audio sources; new analog transfer with improved mastering. Vinyl edition 180gm. “Hooker’s arrangements are truly beautiful; a simple, swinging pop song like ‘Weather Girl’ exists somewhere between The Doors and Curtis Mayfield, whereas ‘The Bible’ . . . has the propulsive drive of a pained George Harrison ballad crushed up against some of Neil Young’s freeform, string-banging joy” — Rob Fitzpatrick. “One of the 101 strangest records on Spotify.” — The Guardian, April 24, 2013
Ayako Hosokawa – A Whisper Of Love [Reissue/1993] CD/LP (Impex)
Ayako Hosokawa was the darling of Three Blind Mice Records. Her sweet and charming demeanor was perfectly matched to a honey-dripped alto and playful interpretations. There is a special place in many jazz-vocal-lovers’ hearts for her 1993 effort A Whisper Of Love, a late hit for TBM and an enduring classic in East Asian countries. Working with top-notch American session players (Tee Carson, Jimmie Smith, Ray Loeckle and John Hettel) and recorded in her adopted home of San Francisco, Hosokawa has never been smoother or more comfortable than she is here.
Hypnopazūzu – Create Christ Sailor Boy CD/2xLP (House Of Mythology)
Hypnopazūzu is a collaboration between David Tibet (Current 93) and Youth (Killing Joke). “Transcendent, tumultuous, and tricky — the sound of two spirits skipping as one to create a sidereal glimpse into uncounted cartoons.”
Marielle V Jakobsons – Star Core CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Debut solo release on Thrill Jockey from multi-instrumentalist Marielle V Jakobsons of Date Palms. On Star Core Jakobsons has created a meditative and cosmic album, revolving around melodic synth layers with flute, violin, and vocals. “…like Earth sans metal, a dusty Morricone-on-codeine tortoise plod through dubby deserts.” — SPIN
Berkley Ike Jones – Nation Building [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (PMG)
Berkely Ike Jones is one of the icons of the Nigerian scene being the guitarist and founder of BLO, a groundbreaking band of the entire Afro-funk genre.
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – Miss Sharon Jones! [OST] CD (Daptone)
Directed by two-time Academy Award winner, Barbara Kopple, Miss Sharon Jones! follows the dynamic frontwoman through her 2013 battle with cancer and her triumphant return to the stage around the release of Give The People What They Want. Much like the film, the soundtrack gives you an intimate, candid look into the life of a woman who refuses to be defined by the challenges she faces.
Aleke Kanonu – Aleke [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (PMG)
Aleke is a criminally obscure Afrobeat/funk/jazz masterpiece featuring Buddy Williams on drums, George Davis on guitar.
Zdenka Kovacicek – Zdenka Kovacicek [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (PMG)
First ever reissue of the funky self-titled album from Zdenka Kovacicek, one of the most significant and eminent figures from the Croatian music scene. Zdenka and her team of producers combined disco funk, haunting electronic pieces, lush soulful ballads and glam oriented power-pop with a rocking edge together with one common denominator, Kovacicek’s utterly distinctive and charismatic voice.
Tory Lanez – I Told You CD (Interscope)
Debut studio album by Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. Contributors include Benny Blanco, Kanye West. Boi-1da, Play Picasso, OZ, YeX, Ed Sheeran, Cashmere Cat, Andrew Wansel, Mannie Fresh, Toro, Droc, Diplo, TM88, S.M., Cardo, Eeesk Inteel, and Vinylz.
Amos Lee – Spirit CD (John Varvatos/Republic)
Spirit’s 13 songs reflect both the critically acclaimed Philadelphia singer/songwriter’s musical journey over the past few years and his expansive sonic palette. Most notably, this is the first time, Amos acted as his own producer. Informed by everything from his performances alongside some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras to a personal taste that spans Robert Glasper, ScHoolboy Q, and Drake, this body of work boasts an aural anatomy all its own.
Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone – Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone CD (PI)
Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone draws from modern jazz, the rapping of Senegalese artist Gaston Bandimic, the underground hip-hop of HPrizm (aka High Priest of Antipop Consortium) and live electronics to create a dynamic form of urban experimentalism. Shifting rhythms, otherworldly electro-acoustic harmonies, contemporary sound design, and vocal gymnastics abound.
Eddie Levert – Did I Make You Go Ooh CD (Blakbyrd Ent.)
New album from the soul legend. As the lead singer of preeminent Philly soul group the O’Jays, Eddie Levert has handled emotion-soaked ballads, sweat-inducing dance numbers, and thought-provoking message songs for over 50 years.
Jonathan ‘Boogie’ Long – Trying To Get There CD (Louisiana Red Hot)
Young blues phenom Jonathon ‘Boogie’ Long used the crown he earned as Guitar Center’s ‘King Of The Blues’ as a push to discover himself as the complete artist we meet on his national debut release.
Lydia Loveless – Real CD/LP (Bloodshot)
Genre-agnostic, Lydia and her road-tightened band stretch from soaring, sing-along pop gems, roots around the edges, to proto-punk. There are many sources, but Real creates a sonic center all its own. “Her defiant tone is matched by songs that put country and punk on equal ground, unvarnished and direct.” – The Chicago Tribune
L.U.C.A. – I Semi Del Futuro CD/LP (Edizioni Mondo)
An album that embraces a new-hippie vibe, strongly pervaded by a mystical naturalism, I Semi Del Futuro has a pervasive library feel that dates back to the great Italian masters.
Walter Marchetti – Concerto For The Left Hand In One Movement CD/LP (Alga Margen)
The Concerto For The Left Hand In One Movement, for piano, is the last unpublished composition of Walter Marchetti to be performed in public before the death of the author on May 12, 2015. This performance by Reinier van Houdt was recorded on April 29, 2015, at Onder De Linden in Valthermond, Netherlands, and is presented with liner notes by Gabriele Bonomo, translated from the Italian by Philip Corner. “The pianist is obliged to hold a black umbrella opened over his head in his left hand during the whole performance of this concerto.”
Paul Martin – It Happened CD/LP (Out-Sider)
Garage anthems, jangly folk-rock and baroque pop circa 1966-’67.
Meshiaak – Alliance Of Thieves CD/LP+MP3 (Mascot)
Meshiaak bestows upon the scene an
egregiously confident, “old soul” record that evokes the magic of Ride The Lightning, Rust In Peace, South Of Heaven, and Burn My Eyes.
The Minus 5 – Monkees & Men CD/LP (Yep Roc)
An imaginative tribute to the Monkees’ legacy in music and popular culture, Monkees & Men was previously only available as a five-LP, limited edition 2015 Record Store Day release. The album features nine original songs that pay heartfelt homage to The Monkees as well as other friends and artists influential to frontman Scott McCaughey’s musical psyche.
Monolithe – Zeta Reticuli CD (Debemur Morti)
New album from the French progressive doom band.
Myrkur – Mausoleum CD/LP (Relapse)
“Bringing something new or slightly different into a long-stale genre of music is often seen as being ‘hipster’ – especially in black metal – by an assortment of basement-dwelling keyboard warriors – but this isn’t true. Names like Deafheaven and Myrkur have been branded as such simply because they don’t buy into the clichéd theatrics that prevent what is a tired genre from ever truly coming of age. It’s been just under a year since the release of Myrkur’s debut full length M as her new Mausoleum EP sees the light of day. That’s a short time, but this is a live release; a reworking of several cuts from the debut as well as a couple of new things thrown in for good measure. Not bad at all really – especially when these stripped down numbers are performed bare bones inside an actual mausoleum in deepest darkest Olso with the help of the talented Norwegian Girls Choir.” – The Monolith
The New Barbarians – Wanted Dead Or Alive: Live From Madison Square Garden 5/7/79 CD/LP (MRI)
The New Barbarians was a rock band that played two concerts in Canada and eighteen shows across the United States in April and May 1979. The group was formed and led by Rolling Stones and Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood, primarily to promote his latest LP Gimme Some Neck. The line-up included Rolling Stones member Keith Richards, bassist Stanley Clarke, former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Rolling Stones confederate and saxophonist Bobby Keys and drummer Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters. For the Knebworth show Clarke was replaced on short notice by bassist Phillip Chen, who had to learn all the songs in one day. The band played a mix of classic rock & roll, R&B, blues and country music, along with Ron Wood solo material and Jagger/Richards songs. Wood sang lead on most numbers (with Richards, McLagan and Clarke providing back-up vocals), as well as playing guitar, pedal steel, harmonica and saxophone.
NHK yx Koyxen – Doom Steppy Reverb CD/LP (Diagonal)
Kouhei Matsunaga’s second album as NHK yx Koyxen – his label debut for Diagonal — is a pixel-pill gobbling, see-sawing wave of techno emotions presenting the Japanese artist at his most rugged and damaged. As bonkers as the narwhal-cavorting-with-a-rhino artwork, Doom Steppy Reverb is the skizzo brother of new beta, a 3D spec’d rally thru some of NHK’s darkest, most driven material, done with a gangster swang in deft minor key arrangements that hint at a certain rudeboy vulnerability.
One Less Reason – Memories Uninvited CD (Tattooed Millionaire)
Deep, meaningful hard rock.
Charlie Parker & The Stars Of Modern Jazz – Christmas Eve At Carnegie Hall 1949 CD (Hi Hat)
Charlie Parker & The Stars Of Modern Jazz, live at Carnegie Hall on Christmas Eve, 1949. Regarded by many as the apex of the bebop era, this remarkable Christmas concert featured a virtual who’s-who of contemporary jazz giants, from Miles Davis and Stan Getz to Sarah Vaughan and Max Roach.
Dolly Parton – Pure & Simple CD (RCA Nashville)
Pure & Simple, Dolly Parton’s 43rd solo studio album, is a set of ten original love songs. “Musically, Pure & Simple lives up to its name: the uncluttered production gets its shine from tasteful washes of mandolin, pedal steel and strums of acoustic guitar. Parton sings the praises of a once-in-a-lifetime love in a pillow-soft coo, equating love with spiritual connection. ‘It’s so pure it’s almost sacred / Simply put, it feels divine.’ Parton’s latest collection is largely comprised of new original songs inspired by the stripped down format of a few successful one-off live performances she has given in the last couple years. Pure & Simple also includes a pair of older songs with the new offerings, including ‘Tomorrow Is Forever’ — formerly a duet from her days with Porter Wagoner. ‘That’s a song I always loved and I just did it as a solo,’ says Parton. ‘And I did a song that was actually in the Coat Of Many Colors movie: ‘Say Forever You’ll Be Mine.’ It was also from the Porter/Dolly days. Those two I took and revamped and revised and redid them in a simpler way. The rest of them are new things that I’ve just written.’” – Rolling Stone
Pill – Convenience CD/LP (Mexican Summer)
Pill is a four-piece that draw from a deep pool of influences including New York City noise, krautrock, Sun Ra modalities, telepathic dreams and all six senses.
Geraldo Pino – Boogie Fever [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (PMG)
Geraldo Pino and his Heartbeats rolled into Nigeria from Sierra Leone with slick, tight costumes, playing the latest James Brown-style funk on very expensive equipment. Fans of Geraldo’s disarmingly eloquent enunciation on early albums might be shocked by the gruff, rawer tones on Boogie Fever. It is the sound of consummate musician letting his hair down.
Pascal Pinon – Sundur CD/LP+MP3 (Morr Music)
Pascal Pinon’s third album is the Icelandic duo’s rawest and most diverse musical statement within the frame of their folk-influenced, minimalistic sound.
Powerwolf – The Metal Mass Live CD/2xLP (Napalm)
A selection of live tracks recorded at the Masters Of Rock and Summer Breeze festivals and the German metal band’s Oberhausen show from their Wolfsnachte tour last year. [Expanded DVD and Blu-ray editions also available.]
Rattle – Rattle CD/LP (Upset The Rhythm)
Nottingham based drumming duo Rattle preset their eponymous debut. Their music weaves and intertwines post-punk, minimalism and experimental rock through off-kilter rhythms, patterns and counter melodies.
Ritual Howls – Into The Water CD/LP (Felte)
Industrial rock meets cinematic country goth.
Steve Roach – Shadow Of Time CD (Projekt)
Within the 35-year orbit of Roach’s relentless dedication to sonic-art as a way of life, Shadow Of Time marks a reconnection to the touchstone of Roach’s signature sound: deep breathing atmospherics, textural healings and zen-like immersion spaces.
Roosevelt – Roosevelt CD/LP+MP3 (City Slang)
A pillow-soft hallucinatory dreamscape taking in acid funk, nocturnal reveries and a lilting sense of melancholia. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Sabaton – The Last Stand CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Swedish combat metal. [CD version is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe includes an extra track and a bonus DVD. ‘Camo’ color vinyl pressing also available.]
Pepe Sanchez y Su Rock Band – Regresión [Reissue/1976] CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
Pepe was approached by the Marfer label with the idea was to create an instrumental album based on Flamenco music and Spanish folklore but with a modern approach. Pepe recruited some of his friends, all of them top session musicians with a jazz/pop background, and produced his first solo album, Regresión.
The Scientists – A Place Called Bad 4xCD/2xLP (Numero)
With a sound that was swampy, primal and modern-urban all at once — as much in the tradition of rock ‘n’ roll and punk rock as it was a rejection of those things, The Scientists’ formula was as universal as it was specific to their own experience. The themes of getting wasted, driving around in hotted-up cars, being trapped in crap jobs, and paranoia were their subject matter. Machine throb bass and drums with jagged car-wreck guitars were their modus operandi. Fitting into no place or time they spurned all but the most rudimentary and elemental of rock structures to create a sound all their own. “The Scientists proved to me that rock ‘n’ roll could be played by gentlemen in fine silk shirts half unbuttoned and still be dirty, cool and real”—Thurston Moore. “They wrote fantastic singles and looked like they just crawled out of the ooze. What more could you ask for?” —Warren Ellis. “The Scientists turned my head around and made a man out of me! They grew hair on my palms and made my socks stink!”—Jon Spencer
Jean Schwarz – Year Of The Horse And Other Electroacoustic Works 1974-1986 2xCD (Robot)
A collection of nearly two-and-a-half hours of highly evocative surroundings from an early visionary of electroacoustic composition. Schwarz favors electronic sounds — the raw material from which he creates large architectural forms and vigorous sonic structures taking inspiration from non-European and indigenous musical forms.
[‘selvə] – eléo CD/LP (Overdrive)
Compared to their previous work, eléo focusses on darker and more introspective soundscapes, with lyrical themes inspired by personal thoughts on how vital mistakes in human relationships can consume a person’s mind little by little.
Sewercide – Immortalized In Suffering CDEP (Dark Descent)
Death/thrash from Melbourne, Australia.
Skeletonwitch – Apothic Gloom CDEP/12” (Prosthetic)
Four new tracks of what Noisey hails as “a cold blast of icy, melodic black metal with plenty of shredding.” [Aside from 180gm black, a blue color vinyl edition is also available.]
Soilwork – Death Resonance CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Rarities compilation from the Swedish metal band.
Chris Staples – Golden Age CD/LP (Barsuk)
“Chris Staples has been at it in some form or another for about two decades. He led the late ’90s/early ’00s emo band Twothirtyeight, who collaborated with Chris Carrabba on their second album and also put out a split with the post-Carrabba Further Seems Forever in 2002. After the demise of that band, Chris led the indie rock band Discover America, and he’s currently focusing on his solo career. His new solo album, Golden Age, is proof that he still has plenty more to say. He’s currently based in his label’s hometown of Seattle, and the kind of music he’s making now is right up the alley of prime-era Barsuk. Album single “Park Bench” should be instantly satisfying to anyone who wishes Death Cab still sounded like their pre-Plans period.” – Brooklyn Vegan
The Stargazer’s Assistant – Remoteness Of Light CD/2xLP (House Of Mythology)
David J. Smith’s The Stargazer’s Assistant continue their exploration of worlds beyond earthly light with this new four-track full length album. As with previous releases, Remoteness Of Light eschews and subverts genre identification, instead drawing the listener into an unfamiliar, richly atmospheric, and elemental sound world populated by bursts of freeform percussion, spectral melodies and seething, haunted airs.
Stevo – Musica Negra [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (PMG)
Musica Negra is a missing link, a real lost gem of the Atlanta funk music scene.
The Stormmers – Lovers Song [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (PMG)
“Lovers Song was recorded in Nigeria and the UK and released in 1981, a time in Nigeria when oil prices were falling, beats-per-minute were rising and clubbers wanted to party like there was no tomorrow. The urgent, salacious sounds of The Stormmers suited the mood perfectly.” — Peter Moore
The Stray Birds – Magic Fire CD/LP (Yep Roc)
“One track in and I’m sold, sucked in by the high wailing vocal harmonies straight out of the mountains and overlaid on a bed of solid rock. ‘Shining In The Distance’ is as good an example of roots music I have found recently, a good song made great by a mix of old and new which is as much Goose Creek Symphony as it is The Dillards and a whole string of rock and country-rock and what used to be called newgrass bands of the past few decades. There is mountain in the voices, heads-back-and-reaching-for-the-sky voices, and when The Stray Birds throw in old country-style fiddle on the break it is hard to not soar with the highs. I hear the ghosts of The Stanley Brothers and The Delmore Brothers as much as Goose Creek and Heartsfield and Doyle Lawson and Seldom Scene in the music, the rock side dominant, and what an excellent combination it is.” – No Depression
Kiefer Sutherland – Down In A Hole CD (Warner Music Nashville)
The actor says of Down In A Hole: “It’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a journal or diary. All of these songs are pulled from my own personal experiences. There is something very satisfying about being able to look back on my own life, good times and bad, and express those sentiments in music. As much as I have enjoyed the writing and recording process, I am experiencing great joy now being able to play these songs to a live audience, which was something I hadn’t counted on.”
Tall Heights – Neptune CD (Masterworks)
Neptune is the major label debut album from Boston progressive folk duo. The Wall Street Journal has compared their emotive harmonies and poignant lyrics to the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Sigur Ros and Bon Iver. [Vinyl edition due September 9.]
Tanzwut – Schreib Es Mit Blut CD (AFM)
Medieval rock featuring catchy melodies, bagpipes, hard guitar riffs and German lyrics.
Tobacco – Sweatbox Dynasty CD/LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
“This may be Tobacco’s most unintentionally psychedelic and left-field creation yet, full of rhythms that start and stop like a tractor on its last piston, resonating melodies made to fuel transcendental meltdowns, and vocals that hiss, gurgle, and growl.” [Limited beige and blue color vinyl LP pressing also available.]
Trapt – DNA CD (Crash Collide/The End)
Sixth album from the hard rock band.
Twiztid – The Green Book [Reissue/2003] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Majik Ninja)
Twiztid’s The Green Book was originally released in 2003 and has been out of print for 5+ years. The album features Tech N9ne, E-40, Insane Clown Posse, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Esham, Lazie Bone, ABK, & Bushwick Bill from the Geto Boys. This reissue features new artwork and an updated booklet. [Limited green vinyl edition also available.]
Mary Afi Usuah – African Woman [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (PMG)
A trained opera singer who spent 13 years touring Europe with artists like Duke Ellington and Deep Purple, Usuah is often considered one of the greatest female singers the African continent has produced. From the Tina Turner stomp of “What’s A Woman To Do,” to the Aretha-style musings of the title track, African Woman, one of Usuah’s two albums, serves as her legacy.
Various Artists [Carl Craig + Sonja Moonear] – In The Mix 2xCD (Cocoon)
A perfect package for 2016’s Ibiza season assembled by DJs Sonja Moonear and Carl Craig.
Craig selected a fine list of tracks for his mix by fellow legends like DJ Pierre (remixed by Ricardo Villalobos) and Luciano (remixed by Dennis Ferrer). Carl Craig created a perfect mix with power and deepness at the same time. Moonear includes some real house lover’s delights by artists like Elbee Bad, Ralphie Rosario’s Energy Factor and Franck Roger (with D’julz). What looks and sounds like a deep and housey collection develops to a freaky and technoid mix.
Various Artists [Gerd Janson] – Fabric 89 CD (Fabric)
Frankfurt’s Gerd Janson is one of electronic music’s most genuine and humble characters. For Fabric 89, he selected records that he’s played a lot in a party context and mingled them with exclusives and “up-and-coming” tracks. Through this mix he explores a space between cosmic disco and acid house — never too hard, nor too soft — it makes for the perfect soundtrack to a sunrise or a sunset alike. Features: Todd Terje, Luke Abbott, John Talabot, Traumprinz, Shan, Boddika & Joy Orbison, Mateo Murphy, Geeeman, Catz ‘N Dogz, Q-Burns Abstract Message, Glenn Underground, Inner Sense, Mike Ash, Nick Höppner, The Black Madonna, HMC, Joe Claussell, Roger van Lunteren, Scott Grooves, Caribou and Prins Thomas.
Various Artists – Curiosity Shop: A Rare Collection of Aural Antiquities and Objets d’Art: Volume Four 1966-1969 CD (Particles)
A colorful collection of obscured and exuberant pop nuggets recorded in the British psychedelic period when the world was changing color.
Various Artists – Dustin E Presents … Cornflake Zoo: Episode Three CD (Particles)
A captivating collection replete with archival imagery, a loving touch of restoration and a simple (minded) narrative. Twenty tracks all dating from 1966 to 1969, by artists including: Zen, Petards, The Jet Stars, The Elements, The Fourmyula, The Motions, Ronnie Bird, The Ro-D-Ys, The Kingsmen, Annaabee-Nox, After Tea, The Shoes, Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, 14, Wayne Versage, Science Poption, The Floor, Sir Henry and The Klan.
Various Artists – Electri_City 2 CD/LP (Groenland)
Various Artists – Electri_City 2 + Electri_City 2xCD/2xLP (Groenland)
Just like Memphis and rock ‘n’ roll, Düsseldorf is regarded as the Mecca for electronic music. The capital of North Rhine-Westphalia became the center of an analogue electronic movement from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. These compilations offer an overview of the early German electronic music scene.
Various Artists – Permanent Vacation Four CD/LP (Permanent Vacation)
Permanent Vacation’s fourth installment in their ongoing compilation series is dedicated to the more beachy side of the dancefloor. Includes tracks by Hi And Saberhägen, Young Marco, Benedikt Frey, Man Power, Suzanne Kraft and more.
Various Artists – Randy’s Studio 17 Sessions 1969-1976 CD/LP (Voice Of Jamaica)
In 1959, Vincent Chin opened a small record shop on the corner of East St. and Tower St., in downtown Kingston named after Randy’s Records in Gallatin, Tennessee, an emporium where many of the Jamaican sound systems used to send their mail order records. Two years later, the shop moved to more spacious premises at 17 North Parade in the heart of Kingston’s commercial district, where Randy’s Record Mart rapidly established itself as Jamaica’s leading retail and wholesale outlets. Vincent also produced records. This is an exemplary selection of Bunny Striker Lee’s recordings at Randy’s Studio 17, compiled for this release. While some were recorded entirely, others are the products of Bunny’s legendary mix and match approach with rhythm tracks laid at Randy’s and the vocals done elsewhere. Features: Delroy Wilson, Pat Kelly, Bob Marley, Cornell Campbell, John Holt, Slim Smith, Owen Grey, Eric “Monty” Morris, Max Romeo, Johnny Clarke, Ronnie Davis, Doreen Schaeffer and Freddie McGregor. CD version includes two bonus tracks from The Clarendonians and Cornell Campbell.
Vex – Sky Exile CD (Eihwaz/Bindrune)
New album from the Central Texas dynamic death metal group.
Tom Waits – Paradise Theater, Boston MA WBCN FM CD (Rox Vox)
Tom Waits, live at the Paradise Theater in Boston, MA on October 5th, 1977. Tom Waits finally made his commercial breakthrough with the release of Small Change in the Fall of 1976. Thereafter he assembled a band and toured widely. This superb live set dates from shortly after the release of Foreign Affairs in September 1977 and features material from it and its predecessor, as well as earlier classics.
Riley Walker – Golden Sings That Have Been Sung (Deep Cuts Edition) CD/2xLP (Dead Oceans)
The preceding years have been extraordinary for Ryley Walker. In March, his second album, Primrose Green, emerged to critical hosannas from the likes of NPR, Village Voice, Uncut, and Mojo — in the process, earning admiration of musicians who had chalked up no shortage of turntable miles in Walker’s life. Robert Plant declared himself a fan — as did double-bass legend Danny Thompson, with whom Ryley would later embark on a British tour. A sprawling tour around Primrose Green presented a perfect chance to workshop ideas for what would eventually become his third studio album, Golden Sings That Have Been Sung. On the album, “The Roundabout” represents a symbolic return to Chicago, while other songs are directly wedded to Ryley’s actual return there. Perhaps more than any other song on the record, the somnambulant sun-dappled intimacies of opening track “The Halfwit In Me” most audibly bear the imprint of Ryley’s improvisational sessions with Wilco multi-instrumentalist, Chicagoan and producer Leroy Bach, while “Funny Thing She Said” is an unflinching study of separation set to a shimmeringly supple ensemble performance. Soft, slo-mo explosions of melody intermittently burst through the distant thunder of the verses on “A Choir Apart.” Intriguing, surreal images are meted out by “I Will Ask You Twice,” like a malfunctioning slide projector; and, perhaps best of all, the stunning finale, “Age Old Tale,” which spiders out from an Alice Coltrane-inspired reverie into a sustained rapture. [Limited ‘pink frost and sea foam’ color vinyl pressing also available.]
Scott Walker – The Childhood Of A Leader [OST] CD (4AD)
Scott Walker’s soundtrack to Brady Corbet’s dramatic film The Childhood Of A Leader. It is Walker’s first soundtrack work since his remarkable score for Pola X in 1999. His dramatic contribution is at the heart of the film, a tense semi-fictional film, inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre’s short story of the same name, that follows the complicated formative years of young boy growing in France in 1918 who witnesses the signing of the Treaty Of Versailles. [Vinyl edition due September 2.]
Dale Watson And His Lonestars – Live At The Big T Roadhouse Chicken S#!+ Bingo Sunday CD/LP (Red House)
Considered Austin, Texas’ official musical spokesman, Dale Watson has built a worldwide legion of fans one gig at a time, from US honky-tonks to Tokyo performance halls and all points in between. Backed by his immensely talented band, His Lonestars, Dale’s original songs include country classics, heartfelt ballads, dance hall two-steppers, and Tex-Mex canciones; a Dale Watson show is a high-energy mix of music framed by Dale’s hilarious between-song banter.
Drake White – Spark CD/LP (Dot)
Every reaction begins with a catalyst, some initial event that sets things on their inexorable course. For Drake White, it goes back to something raw and elemental in his debut album Spark.
“I learned how to play guitar and keep people’s attention around a fire,” explains the Hokes Bluff, Alabama native. “A spark can start a fire that can keep you alive and sustain you. So this is the beginning for me. This is the first strike of the flint.” The first sound on Spark — before the pulse-quickening “Heartbeat” kicks into gear — is the voice of White’s late grandfather speaking from the pulpit. Several of these ghostly transmissions from the past appear on Spark, all extolling the virtues of love, brotherhood and nature. It’s a touch of the surreal that nods at White’s fondness for Pink Floyd’s psychedelic masterpiece The Wall, but also a deeply personal gesture that matches his vision perfectly. With his gospel-derived, passionate delivery, White seems to have inherited his grandfather’s ability to touch crowds with a sermon — his divine vocal improvisations at the end of the honky-tonk flavored “Story” will undoubtedly get butts out of seats. White stresses that he isn’t a preacher, but doesn’t see a problem with putting his own methods for surviving the world out there.
John Paul White – Beulah CD/LP (Single Lock)
“Eight years may be a long interval between solo albums, but in the case of John Paul White’s Beulah, it was frankly worth waiting for. White, of course, hasn’t been idle in the intervening period. His recent recording collaborations include work with Jason Isbell, Candi Staton, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, among others. It also goes without saying he was one-half of the four-time Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars, partnering with Joy Williams to create two outstanding albums before their much-publicized parting in 2014. Beulah is a diverse collection of swampy southern rock, folk balladry and dark acoustic pop, songs that came unbidden to White, who wasn’t entirely welcoming of them at the time. ‘Honestly, I tried to avoid them, but then I realized the only way I was going to get rid of them was if I wrote them down. I got my phone out, and I’d sing these little bits of melody, then put it away and move on. Eventually, I got to a place where it was a roar in my head, and that pissed me off. Then one day I told my wife, ‘I think I’m going to go write a song.’ She was as surprised as I was. I went and wrote probably eight songs in three days. It was like turning on a faucet.’” – FRUK: Folk & Roots Music Webzine
Xiu Xiu – Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
After selling out the Record Store Day exclusive pressing and landing on the Billboard Top 200, Xiu Xiu return with a wider release of Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks. The album has been heralded as Xiu Xiu’s best in years, with the band’s interpretation of Angelo Badalamenti’s classic television score earning praise from the likes of Pitchfork to The New Yorker and Noisey to the Village Voice. [Vinyl edition is pressed on 180gm white and clear vinyl and packaged in gatefold jackets.]
Thalia Zedek Band – Eve CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Zedek’s latest features her bluesy, gritty guitar work and distinctive vocals that, when juxtaposed with graceful viola and piano, give the songs a compelling tension.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Powerwolf – The Metal Mass Live 2xDVD+CD/2xBlu-ray+CD (Napalm)
Three live shows, filmed at the Masters Of Rock and Summer Breeze festivals and the German metal band’s Oberhausen show from their Wolfsnachte tour last year. DVD and Blu-ray editions include all of their previous video clips and two documentaries.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Almamegretta – Ennenne 2xLP (Goodfellas)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Almamegretta are masters in combining a wide range of elements such as dub, funk, reggae, world and electronica, all filtered through their own deep southern Italian roots.
Dorothy Ashby – Dorothy Ashby [Reissue/1962] LP (Doxy)
“A jazz harpist is a rare thing… This is not hard jazz. This is an album that says jazz can, after all, be melodic, that a thing can be gentle without being weak and can be sweet without being saccharine.” — Jim Rockwell, Station WKMH, Detroit (from original liner notes)
William Basinski – 92982 [2009] 2xLP (2062/Temporary Residence)
Recorded in 1982 and eventually released in 2009 on CD via William Basinski’s own 2062 label, 92982 has become one of Basinski’s most celebrated works. Finally available on vinyl for the first time, the album has been remastered from the original tapes, and packaged in an exquisite custom die-cut package with interchangeable heavyweight inner sleeves featuring previously unpublished artwork and photographs from 1982.
Big Search – Life Dollars LP (/30th Century/Columbia)
Big Search is the ever-present alter ego of Matt Popieluch as he continues to make his way through Californian life, channeling the cross-currents of romance, upheaval, and casual adventure. After over a decade of making music in various bands like Foreign Born and The Cave-Ins, and assisting in bands Papercuts, Fools Gold, Glasser, Cass McCombs, Taken By Trees and Sky Ferreira, Big Search has been steadily uncovering the music being revealed to him in flow-states. “Life Dollars are accrued by attending matinees and barbecues, taking stoned naps, water sports, romantic escape and all the other things you think you haven’t earned. Big Search rejects the monetizing of self-worth, thus Life Dollars cannot be measured by numbers, only vague piles,” says Matt Popieluch of the reasoning behind the title of his new LP Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Records. [Limited color vinyl pressing.]
Big Star – #1 Record [Reissue/1972] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Annual reissue of the seminal debut album from the quintessential American power pop band, originally released in 1972, now available on 180gm purple vinyl.
Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony [Reissue/1991] LP (Motown/UMe)
Boyz II Men – II [Reissue/1994] LP (Motown/UMe)
Standard weight vinyl reissues now available.
The Builders And The Butchers – Salvation Is A Dark Well [Reissue/2009] LP (Jealous Butcher)
First time on vinyl since 2009. The Builders And The Butchers entered the studio with acclaimed and beloved PDX musician & producer Chris Funk (Decemberists) to craft Salvation, replete with over 50 different musicians ranging from the Portland Flash Choir, a gospel choir, Portland Cello Project, string quartets and even horn sections. “The band is devoted to the creation/destruction dichotomy, along with an American roots music aesthetic and punk attitude.”—Prefix
William S. Burroughs – Curse Go Back LP (Paradigm Discs)
Curse Go Back is divided in two sections, which in their original form lasted for over an hour and first appeared in 1998 under the name Electronic Revolution as a free CD with Issue One of the French magazine Crash. This edition is edited down to 46 minutes and comprises the core of the original recording. It employs the now familiar techniques of random drop-ins and cut-ups of readings. Transparent vinyl.
Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes – Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes LP (Super Secret)
Drawing influences from Sonic Youth, Shellac, Hot Snakes, and Unwound, Carl Sagan’s Skate Shoes taps into the sonic fury of early ’90s noise rock and post-hardcore and blend it with their own interpretation and swagger, creating walls of sound full of melody and dissonance.
Sebastian Casanova – Cloudy Others 12″ (Platon)
Sebastien Casanova’s early attraction to jazz and movie scores drove him to enroll at the “Conservatoire de Paris” where he dedicated himself to learning piano. Realizing the rigorous teachings of classical music helped him explore the freedom of jazz improvisation. Percussions, string recordings and the search for sound design are essential parts of his mind set. Concrete sounds and field recordings are inherent qualities that make his music so singular. Cloudy Others is a soundscape reminiscent of Ethiopian records, Mulatu Astake or certain Duke Ellington melodies — a misty atmosphere, in the wait of an endless day.
The Celibate Rifles – Five Languages [Reissue/1984] LP (Bang!)
First vinyl reissue of The Celibate Rifles’ second album, originally released in 1984. Remastered to sound as originally intended. With Five Languages, The Celibate Rifles reconfirmed their place as one of Australia’s most influential bands, alongside Radio Birdman and The New Christs. With Kent Steedman on guitar and a rock-solid rhythm base, Damien Lovelock guided the band with his personal voice and vocals. Absolutely necessary to understand high-energy rock all the way from Detroit to Sydney.
John Coltrane – Within & Without Miles Live 1960 LP (Doxy)
The Miles Davis Quintet’s 1960 European tour featuring John Coltrane marked the end of the most dynamic front line partnership since Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. This album features John Coltrane performing with the quintet right before leaving and with his new group started immediately after leaving the quintet. Our Man In Paris is the quintet’s complete April 8, 1960 performance at Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland with Miles and Trance backed by Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.
Elizabeth Cotten – Volume 2: Shake Sugaree [Reissue/1965] LP (Folkways)
Elizabeth Cotten – Volume 3: When I’m Gone [Reissue/1965] LP (Folkways)
Limited yellow and blue color vinyl reissues now available. A pair of essential American folk gems showcasing Cotten’s idiosyncratic, self-taught upside-down left-handed guitar playing.
Ani DiFranco – Ani DiFranco [1990] 2xLP (Righteous Babe)
Double 140gm vinyl LP pressing of the singer/songwriter/guitarist/poet’s debut album (aka First Album) housed in a gatefold sleeve with etched D-side featuring the image that inspired the Righteous Babe logo.
Expo 70 – Exquisite Lust [2006] 2xLP+MP3/Cassette (Sonic Meditations)
“Gorgeous drifting ethereal krautrocky ambience is what Expo ’70 is all about, and eyes closed, you’d be hard pressed to not think this was some Ash Ra Tempel disc or some long lost A.R. and The Machines lp. Crafted entirely from guitars, sitar and Moog, each track here is some sort of lengthy, mesmerizingingly blissed out minimal drone jam. Guitar figures are looped into hypnotic cycles, over shimmery whirls of fuzzy sound and distant drones, the looped riffs slowly shifting and gently changing shape. It’s almost like some sort of new age space rock Steve Reich.” — Aquarius Records
Funkadelic – Funkadelic [Reissue/1970] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Annual vinyl reissue of the Detroit funk band’s debut album, this time on clear & red starburst color wax.
Hannah Georgas – For Evelyn LP (Dine Alone)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Polaris Prize long-listed indie pop artist Hannah Georgas returns with her third full-length effort, For Evelyn. “With each release, the Ontarian has gotten more adventurous with her compositions, playing with syncopations and experimenting with new instrumentations. [Album single] ‘Waste,’ indicates that she’s gone even farther down the rabbit hole. ‘Waste’ was originally structured as a piano ballad, but producer Graham Walsh (Holy F**k) heard something different in the track. He added a turned the keys into an ’80s cop-show stalker and layered in squealing, funky horns that should make the ears perk up on fans of early Menomena. But for all the track’s hectic, danceable energy, there’s a thread of defeat that still carries over from the original mood of the song. ‘All I really really wanted was to hear from you,’ Georgas sings on the bridge into the chorus. ‘At least I’m more of aware of it now/ At least I know I’ll never ever, never gonna do right in your eyes.’” – Consequence Of Sound
Get Dead – Honesty Lives Elsewhere LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. No shtick. No posturing. Just straight up, from the heart, punk rock.
Dexter Gordon – Our Man In Paris [Reissue/1963] LP (Doxy)
This 1963 date is titled for Dexter Gordon’s living in self-imposed Parisian exile and recording there with two other expatriates and a French native. Along with Gordon, pianist Bud Powell and Kenny “Klook” Clarke were living in the “City of Lights” and were joined by the brilliant French bassman Pierre Michelot. Gordon is at the very top of his game here. His playing is crisp, tight, and full of playful fury.
Thom Sunny Green – High Anxiety 2xLP+MP3 (Atlantic)
Alt-J’s maverick drummer Thom Sonny Green is the first of the Mercury Prize winning gang to release a solo album. High Anxiety showcases his long abiding interest in cerebral, idiosyncratic electronica — by turns warm yet experimental, playful yet considered, superficially accessible yet simultaneously deep. “An ambitious, chaotic project that straddles the line between electronic and experimental.” – The Line Of Best Fit
Guerilla Toss – Jeffrey Johnson [Reissue/2012] LP (Feeding Tube)
Guerilla Toss – Live In Nashville LP (Feeding Tube)
Color vinyl reissue of the debut LP, Jeffrey Johnson, by the young Boston-based quintet who hit with all the Dionysian power of a young Harry Pussy, squared and electronified. Live In Nashville captures the unpredictable ecstasy of the band in live performance.
Herbie Hancock – Inventions & Dimensions [Reissue/1964] LP (Doxy)
For his third album, Inventions & Dimensions, Herbie Hancock changed course dramatically. Instead of recording another multifaceted album like My Point Of View (1963), he explored a Latin-inflected variation of post-bop with a small quartet.
Odetta Hartman – 222 LP (Northern Spy)
Recently released on CD and cassette – now available on vinyl. Odetta Hartman is a young woman keeping the spirit of Old New York alive. With a heart-stopping voice and wide-ranging instrumental talent, she carries cowboy soul into a new era where country can clash with computers, and bluegrass isn’t afraid of bass. With her first strictly solo record, 222 — an experimental, bedroom-produced hybrid of folk, musique concrète and psychedelia — Odetta Hartman and her partner, sound artist and producer Jack Inslee, have created something completely original and unsettling: badass banjos, detuned violins, superstitious stories and eerie soundscapes all give backing to beautiful vocal stylings that range from sensual to spooky.
Henry Cow – Western Culture [Reissue/1978] LP (ReR)
Western Culture is one of the experimental rock group’s best albums. Tracks “Industry,” “The Decay Of Cities,” and “Falling Away” hurl the listener into a dark world of additive time signatures, spooky organ interludes, and complex instrumental textures. The invigorating blast of energy suggests a new vision of part classical, part industrial, part Brechtian rock chamber music. Like a minimal, concentrated re-vision of the old Henry Cow, Western Culture prefigures the terrifying structures of iconic ‘80s iconic rock group This Heat
Scott Hirsch – Blue Rider Songs LP (Scissor Tail)
After many years spent as a steadfast and inventive collaborator—not only playing bass and producing four albums with Hiss Golden Messenger, but in large part forging that band’s sonic signature—multi-instrumentalist, recordist, and audio engineer, Scott Hirsch has finally made a solo album. These recordings feature notable, and notably subtle, contributions from Jade Hendrix (harmony vocals), Thomas Heyman (pedal steel)—Hirsch’s old bandmate from The Court And Spark; and HGM stalwarts Phil Cook (organ & harmonica) and Matt Douglas (saxophones), among others.
Holy Ghost! – Crime Cutz 12″ (DFA)
The first new original Holy Ghost! music since the NYC-based duo of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel released their sophomore album Dynamics three years ago. As with most of their catalog, Crime Cutz benefits from Holy Ghost!’s insistence on tactile instrumentation with live drums recorded over the track to accelerate its tempo. The duo are quite methodical in their output –shimmering bursts of disco, synth-pop, and lingering grooves.
Etta James – Tell Mama [Reissue/1968] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Gold color vinyl reissue – in glorious mono. Produced by Rick Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama Tell Mama is a stone cold soul blues classic from start to finish.
Jesu/Sun Kil Moon – Jesu/Sun Kil Moon 2xLP+CD (Caldo Verde)
Released earlier this year on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut collaboration between Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon) and Justin Broadrick (Jesu), and featuring guests Will Oldham aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, members of Low, Rachel Goswell of Slowdive and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse.
Joan La Barbara – Tapesongs [Reissue/1977] LP (Arc Light)
Joan La Barbara is a composer, performer, sound artist and actor, renowned for her unique vocabulary of experimental and extended vocal techniques, which have influenced generations of composers and singers. Tapesongs makes use of early electronics, and multi-tracked tape techniques to manipulate La Barbara’s signature extended vocal techniques. It includes two essential pieces: John Cage’s “Solo For Voice 45” and a burning take-down of Cathy Berberian in “Cathing.”
Mary Lattimore & Maxwell August Croy – Terelan Canyon LP (Constellation Tatsu)
Having never met before going into the studio together, harpist Mary Lattimore and koto player Maxwell August Croy recorded an album in less than 48 hours, all live with zero overdubs. Terelan Canyon is a “new” sound built on interplay and improvisation that explores space and form, with virtually no ego, filled with sonic imagery and a tapestry of emotions. Epic and beautiful, this recording is a special moment captured in time
Jerry Lee Lewis – Jerry Lee Lewis [Reissue/1958] LP (ORG Music)
180gm vinyl reissue of the self-titled debut album by the rock and roll pioneer, originally released in 1958 by Sun Record Company. Produced by legends Jack Clement and Sam Phillips, the album features songs written by Lewis, his contemporaries at Sun Records (including Elvis), the traditional “When The Saints Go Marching In,” and Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya.”
Charles Mingus – Right Now [Reissue/1964] LP (Doxy)
With Clifford Jordan on tenor, John Handy on alto, Jane Getz on piano, and Dannie Richmond on drums, Charles Mingus went into San Francisco and whipped up a storm. “Mingus changes the mood as he sees fit, and one would describe these different styles as avant-garde (in 1964), blues, flamenco, and straight-ahead jazz.” — All About Jazz
Madonna – Erotica [Reissue/1992] 2xLP (Rhino/WB)
Madonna – Bedtime Stories [Reissue/1994] LP (Rhino/WB)
180gm vinyl reissues of Madonna’s fifth and sixth albums.
Moloken – All Is Left To See LP (Temple Of Torturous)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. “Moloken clearly has no intention of being trapped in any corner of genre-fascism, but rather working with an ‘anything goes’ attitude, which is a fresh breeze in an otherwise stale metal scene.”
Money Chicha – Echo En Mexico LP (Vampisoul)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Money Chicha is an Austin, Texas-based group featuring members of the Grammy-award winning Latin orchestra Grupo Fantasma and its offshoot funk outfit Brownout. They perform a fuzzed-out, reverb-drenched and percussion-heavy style of music inspired by the sounds of Peru and Colombia in the ’60s and ’70s.
Morta Skuld – Dying Remains [Reissue/1993] LP (Peaceville)
First-time vinyl reissue of the Milwaukee death metal band’s debut album.
Mos Generator – Abyssinia LP (Listenable)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “If there’s such a thing as fusing some soul into a doom palette, Mos Generator has achieved that. Seldom will you hear an unambiguous merge between the two outside of Black Sabbath’s “Sabotage.” Tony Reed, Scooter Haslip and Shawn Johnson have tapped into a loud vibe featuring sinister and coarse nuances yet with something revealing far more heart.” – Blabbermouth
Musk – Musk 2: The Second Skumming LP (12XU)
Musk was an idea long before it was a real band. Ringleader Chris Owen and punker scribe Mitch Cardwell had the notion of starting an Aberrant records-style band—hairy knuckled Oz punk with very few chord changes—called Musk. Musk 2 amplifies and expands on themes that made Musk a favorite amongst misanthropes and collector skum alike.
Nawkish – Mythic Tales Of Tomorrow II LP (Guruguru Brain)
Psychedelic tunesmith and game developer from Karachi, Pakistan, Nawkish produces music from a fantasy future world called Ceratyl, putting elements of L.A.’s beat scene, 2010’s new age atmospherics, 2000’s neo-psychedelia such as Animal Collective & Warp Records techno into a salad bowl and mixing them together to produce an abstract, experimental ambient pop album.
Neblung – mistelteinn 12″ (Temple Of Torturous)
When ten years ago Nebelung released its debut Mistelteinn on the now defunct Dresden label Eis Und Licht – known for its genre defining releases in neofolk – it received wide attention despite all its technical imperfections. Sold out soon after its initial release, and never re-released, the album has been partially rearranged and completely rerecorded as a new vinyl-only edition.
New Order – People On The High Line 7”/12″ (Mute)
Fourth single from last year’s Music Complete. [Two editions: 12” white vinyl and a ‘shaped’ 7” picture disc.]
Niagara – S.U.B. [Reissue/1970] LP (PMG)
Vinyl reissue of Niagara’s (aka Klaus Weiss) second album. S.U.B. plays off the tightly woven web of rhythms of his self-titled album, but adds a full rock-outfit and a few brass instruments. From time to time the guitars fire off a memorable steaming riff on top of the rhythm pulse and the horns answer the call for arms. A masterpiece of funky and utterly unleashed rock music from the early ’70s.
Nico – Nico’s Last Concert – Fata Morgana [1994] LP (PMG)
Recorded June 6th, 1988 at Planetarium der Wilhelm-Foerster-Sternwarte, Berlin, Germany.
Orb – Alpine Diskomiks / Sin in Space Pt.2 12” (Kompakt)
“Alpine Diskomiks – Sin In Space Pt. 2 deserves credit for taking The Orb’s recent single in every direction possible. The titular ‘Diskomiks’ version spans 11-plus minutes of the robust bounce-and-clap and spacey touches synonymous with Prins Thomas and his Oslo peers; ‘Simpler Tool For DJ Fools’ whittles that down to seven and a half beefed-up minutes of club thump; ‘Short Yoga Break Version’ is the shortest and prettiest, toying with the details of the original track’s curious atmospherics.” – Resident Advisor
Art Pepper – Intensity [Reissue/1963] LP (Doxy)
Intensity is the final album of altoist Art Pepper’s early period, originally released when he was serving a long prison sentence due to his addiction to heroin. Assisted by pianist Dolo Coker, bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Frank Butler, Pepper was just starting to show the influence of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman in his style, freeing up his playing and displaying a greater intensity during his improvisations.
Carl Perkins – Dance Album Of Carl Perkins [Reissue/1957] LP (ORG Music)
Originally released by the legendary Sun Record Company in 1957, The Dance Album Of Carl Perkins is as good as rock & roll gets, containing most of Perkins’ anthems: “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Movie Magg,” “Gone, Gone, Gone,” “Honey Don’t,” “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” “Matchbox,” “Boppin’ the Blues,” and “All Mama’s Children.” These tracks provided some of the toughest, rawest rockabilly, powered by Perkins’ dynamic, gutsy guitar and earnest voice.
Porcupine Tree – Nil Recurring [2007] LP (Kscope)
Limited edition (first time) 180gm clear vinyl pressing. Nil Recurring is a 29-minute mini-album written during the Fear Of A Blank Planet sessions.
Pow Wows – Hey Doctor b/w Killing Floor 7″ (Hidden Volume)
Toronto’s very own garage/psych/power wailers hit hard with two epic length tunes.
Elvis Presley – Roustabout [OST/Reissue/1964] LP (Friday Music)
Limited edition 180gm translucent orange vinyl reissue of the original soundtrack to the 1957 motion picture staring Elvis Presley.
Mark Pritchard – Beautiful People 12″ (Warp)
The single “Beautiful People” (featuring Thom Yorke) is backed with alternative instrumental edits exclusive to this vinyl edition.
Prodigy X Alchemist – Albert Einstein [2013] LP (Vodka & Milk)
First-time vinyl edition of the 2013 thug rap collaboration between Mobb Deep’s Prodigy and his partner The Alchemist, with guest appearances from Roc Marciano, Action Bronson, Havoc, Raekwon and Domo Genesis (Odd Future).
Psychic TV – Force The Hand Of Chance [Reissue/1982] LP (Angry Love Productions)
Force The Hand Of Chance remains one of Psychic TV’s most seminal albums boasting classic tracks such as “Just Drifting” and “Ov Power” as well as a vocal feature by Marc Almond of Soft Cell on the haunting “Guiltless.” Back on vinyl for the first time in over 25 years.
Ras Michael – Promised Land Sounds – Rockin’ Live Ruff N Tuff [Reissue/1980] LP (Dug Out)
Rockin live ruff and tuff’, Promised Land Sounds is the untrammelled counterpart to Dadawah’s Peace And Love – Wadadaso, six years later in 1980, fresh from the Black Ark: free, rawly spiritual trance-music; a full-force nyabinghi freak-out.
Robbie The Werewolf – At The Waleback [Reissue/1964] LP (Out-Sider)
Pretty much unsurpassed in its level of incredible strangeness, this ultra-rare private press album from the early ‘60 California coffeehouse circuit is like no other. Robbie is a folksinger of the frantic variety with a fetish for monsters.
Walter Schreifels – An Open Letter To The Scene [Reissue/2010] LP+7” (Run For Cover)
Limited color vinyl reissue of the debut solo album from the singer/songwriter and former member of Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Rival Schools and Quicksand. Drawing influence from many classic British artists such as Elvis Costello and Syd Barrett, An Open Letter To The Scene embraces Walter’s politically and socially charged past, with stripped down covers of Agnostic Front’s “Society Suckers” and CIV’s “Don’t Gotta Prove It” (a song Walter wrote himself in ’95), and seamlessly blends them in with his own tracks on topics ranging from matters of the heart and the life of celebrity.
Stringtronics – Mindbender [Reissue/1972] LP (Fifth Dimension)
Reissue of one of the most sought-after library LPs, a work that transcends its genre, incorporating funk, jazz, exotica, Latin, rock, and electronic music. Second pressing on blue-yellow splatter vinyl.
Tribulation – The Horror [Reissue/2009] LP (Century Media)
180gm vinyl reissue of the Swedish death metal band’s debut album.
McCoy Tyner – Nights Of Ballads & Blues [Reissue/1963] LP (Doxy)
As the title implies, this McCoy Tyner release is a low-key, after-hours affair. Far removed from the intensity of work with then-boss John Coltrane, Tyner stretches out on a fine mix of standards and bebop classics.
Until We Are Ghosts – Detach Me From You LP (InVogue)
Hardcore for fans of Counterparts, Capsize, and Hundredth.
Various Artists – Re:works 2xLP (Decca)
Selections from the vast Decca classical music catalogue have been interpreted by a select plume of electronica artists/producers, including: Solomon Grey, Ulrich Schauss, Faultline, Starkey, Henrik Schwarz, Mr. Scruff, Fort Romeau, Thomas Gandey, Martin Buttrich, Patrice Baumel, Alterto Bof, and others.
Sarah Vaughan – After Hours [Reissue/1961] LP (Pure Pleasure)
This Roulette Records’ 1961 Birdland Series LP of Sarah Vaughan’s After Hours was the first ever album by ‘Sassy’ to feature just her voice with bass (George Duvivier) and guitar (Mundell Lowe) in a program of mostly ballads, with Miss Vaughan crooning quietly in a rarely used style. A true jazz classic of considerable beauty, with George and Mundell perfectly complementing ‘the Divine Sarah’ as she runs through a set of carefully chosen (yet unrehearsed) favorites, all songs one might’ve heard her perform in a smoky club well After Hours. 180gm.
Rocky Votolato – Makers (10th Anniversary Edition) [Reissue/2006] LP (Barsuk)
This 10th Anniversary reissue pressed on high-quality 180gm vinyl with a newly designed gate-fold sleeve. Makers‘ title, whether it references a vague existential preoccupation or perhaps a certain brand of American whiskey, captures the mood of its 12 songs perfectly. Take half an hour in a dim room with this album at the end of a hard day, and read the lyrics while you sip your beverage of choice; it may break you down a little at first, but it will lift you up in the end. “A surpassingly great exercise in raspy, folky minimalism with the hushed and placid feel of a mid-period Simon & Garfunkel record.” – No Depression
T-Bone Walker – T-Bone Blues [Reissue/1960] LP (Rumble)
A collection of ’50s Atlantic sides from one of the most influential blues guitar players ever.
Josh White – Josh At Midnight [Reissue/1956] LP (Ramseur)
Recorded with a single microphone by Elektra founder Jac Holzman over two nights in a converted Manhattan church in late 1955, Josh At Midnight finds White delivering spare, impassioned performances of a dozen spirituals and blues numbers. 180gm pressing.
Robert Pete Williams – Louisiana Blues [Reissue/1966] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Over 50 years since his discovery by ethnomusicologists Dr. Harry Oster and Richard Allen in the prison farm of Angola, Louisiana, what is it that makes the blues as sung and picked out by Robert Pete Williams such a singular listening experience, unequalled elsewhere in that musical form? As Peter Guralnick, in his Feel Like Going Home book writes: “It’s difficult to approve the banalities of most blues singers after listening to Robert Pete Williams. More than anyone else he shatters the conventions of the form and refuses to rely upon any of the clichés, either of music or of lyric, which bluesman after bluesman will invoke. Instead he sings blues which reflect a unique and personal vision; he makes each song unmistakably his own.” Limited edition “bottleneck brown” color vinyl reissue.
Zomby X Burial – Sweetz 10” (Hyperdub)
Longtime mutual admirers, Zomby and Burial get together for this one-sided white label 10” taken from Zomby’s forthcoming album Ultra.
Cassettes:
Lori E Allen – Tears Of The Material Vulture (The Tapeworm)
Lori E Allen is an unemployed prehistoric archaeologist from middle America, b. 1975, now living and working between London and Berlin as an experimental composer and video artist.
Black Spirituals – Black Treatment (Sige)
This limited cassette combines material from studio and live recordings, including a track from Seattle sessions with producer Randall Dunn (Earth, Sunn O))), etc.).
Cosmonauts – A-OK CD/LP+MP3/Cassette) (Burger)
“It’s audible, vociferous, pulverizing and bursting at the seams with trippy-ish fuzzy layers of cacophonic synchronization and disharmonic reverberation in a specifically ‘60s beatnik drug-den, is-that-purple-zebra-in-sunglasses-ally there sort of way.
Expo 70 – Exquisite Lust [2006] (Sonic Meditations)
Originally released on CDr by Kill Shaman in 2006, Sonic Meditations presents a first time vinyl and cassette edition of this classic Expo 70 album. Newly mastered after being out of print since 2009, the album finally graces two LP’s and cassette, both in limited editions.
Kid Millions – 100 Disciplines (Thrill Jockey)
Kid Millions (aka John Colpitts) is the man behind the kit in Oneida, Man Forever and People Of The North and is one of New York’s most versatile and critically lauded collaborators. 100 Disciplines originally premiered at the Brooklyn Museum of Art as part of a concept Colpitts formulated in partnership with Red Bull Music Academy. The piece features an incredible variety of percussion instrumentation including five different sized timpani, an assortment of Thai nipple gongs, amglocken, crotales, vibraphone and more, as well as four singers.
Mára – Surfacing (Sige)
Mára is Faith Coloccia of Mamiffer/Barnett & Coloccia, etc., operating here as solo performer. “Each tune manages to sound immediate as a first draft, yet rich enough to bear repeated visits. …it achieves its beauty by burrowing through places where darkness and light are both indispensable.” — The Wire
Scraps – TTNIK (Not Not Fun)
Brisbane “dehydrated disco” producer Laura Hill explains her faded headspace of dazed electro-wave as: “bogans in the Queensland sun – so dehydrated cause the water tastes like shit.” The latest Scraps full-length, TTNIK, draws from a persuasive moodboard of ‘80s hairdresser magazines bleaching in the desert, cubist synth-pop, and disaster fascination.
Ssaliva – Mercury Coast (Not Not Fun)
Belgian shapeshifter Francois Boulanger has traversed several spheres of liquid electronics and mutated beat music across his half-decade of activity as Ssaliva, but in the winter of 2010 he holed up in an old historic house in the town where he grew up, Chaudfontaine, with a partially broken Tascam 4-track to pursue a different muse, on a different wavelength. The 22 grainy guitar instrumentals comprising Mercury Coast slide through a fractured prism of moods, reveries, daydreams, and deliriums, from paranoid surf (“Borys,” “Health”) to opiate lullaby (“Cloud Gap,” “Hyperreal,” “Weav”) to smeared haze (“School Rave,” “Trave”) and beyond.
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