CDs + Vinyl:
Advent – Pain & Suffering CD/LP (Bridge 9)
Brutally heavy, metal-infused hardcore.
Alice Babs & Duke Ellington – Serenade To Sweden [Reissue/1963] CD (Real Gone Music)
Real Gone Music is proud to present what is probably the rarest album in the voluminous Duke Ellington discography, his 1963 date with Swedish singer Alice Babs, Serenade To Sweden. That year, Ellington was hired by the Reprise label as an A&R man, free to sign any artist he wanted and to record them. His first choice was Babs, who, in Ellington’s words, was “the most unique artist I know…She sings opera, she sings lieder, she sings what we call jazz and blues, she sings like an instrument, she even yodels, and she can read any and all of it!”
Lynn Anderson – The Definitive Collection 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
She is one of the Top Ten charting female country singers of all time, the first to win an American Music Award, the first to headline and sell out Madison Square Garden, and was a regular on TV including everything from The Lawrence Welk Show to The Tonight Show to Starsky & Hutch. The Defiinitive Collection gathers 40 tracks, 38 hits, including her classic Chart and Columbia sides, lovingly remastered by Vic Anesini at Battery Studios and annotated by Joe Marchese.
Big Wreck – Grace Street CD (Rounder)
Canadian multi-platinum-selling rockers Big Wreck continue to build on the creative momentum of their two previous JUNO Award-nominated releases, Ghosts and Albatross. New album Grace Street contains heavy grooving tracks such as lead-off single “One Good Piece of Me” and “Digging In” along with the atmospheric “A Speedy Recovery” and the epic seven-minute instrumental “Skybunk Marché.” Other tracks feature added touches, such as Miles Davis-style muted trumpet, wine glasses, a sample of a child’s heartbeat and a Leslie speaker guitar solo recorded on a mountainside adjacent to Richardson’s B.C. studio. At the core of Grace Street are live, off-the-floor performances by founding front man Ian Thornley on guitar and keyboards, accompanied by drummer Chuck Keeping and bassist Dave McMillan.
Black Sabbath – The Ultimate Collection 2xCD/4xLP (Rhino)
The 31-track The Ultimate Collection features Black Sabbath classic songs including “Paranoid,” “Iron Man,” “War Pigs,” “N.I.B.” and “The Wizard” as well other choice cuts from their discography. [Vinyl edition 180gm.]
Black Star Riders – Heavy Fire CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
New release from this hard rock band featuring Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy), Ricky Warwick (The Almighty), Damon Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Brother Cane), Robbie Crane (Ratt), and Jimmy DeGrasso (Megadeth, Alice Cooper).
Cigarettes After Sex – I. CDEP/12” (Spanish Prayer)
Formed in 2008, Cigarettes After Sex has been host to a number of different musical collaborators, working through a variety of sounds since their inception. In the spring of 2012, inspired by the Cowboy Junkies’ Trinity Session, Cocteau Twins, Red House Painters, Mazzy Star and the sound of early ’60s records like “I Love You How You Love Me” by the Paris Sisters, they recorded their first proper EP, I., live over the course of a single night in the stairway of a four-story building.
Common Kings – Lost In Paradise CD (Island Emperor)
Common Kings produce phenomenal pop hits with rock, reggae, R&B and classic soul influences.
Communions – Blue CD/LP (Fat Possum)
“In the two and a half years since they bowled us over with debut single ‘So Long Sun,’ Copenhagen pop-rockers Communions have continually honed their sparkling guitar music, signed to Fat Possum, and shared a smattering of other promising music. Along the way, we named them one of 2015’s Best New Bands. And now they’re released their full-length debut album, Blue. It’s a collection of stylish guitar music out of a different era (the Stone Roses era, specifically), a stack of hook-laden tracks that exist in the arena-sized gulf between rock and pop.” – Stereogum
Larry Coryell – Coryell [Reissue/1969] CD (Real Gone Music)
1969’s Coryell offers an intriguing blend of improvised and arranged pieces, with an all-star cast that includes Ron Carter, Bernard Purdie, Albert Stinson (“The Jam With Albert” is perhaps the highlight of the entire album), Chuck Rainey, and Free Spirits bandmate Jim Pepper. Jimi Hendrix is definitely an influence on this jazz-rock gem, but Coryell takes his axe in directions only known to him; at this time, only John McLaughlin (with whom Coryell would shortly cut the one-off Spaces) could rival him in the fusion field.
Courage My Love – Synesthesia CD (Invogue)
Courage My Love is a high energy trio comprised of Mercedes Arn-Horn on vocals and guitar, Phoenix Arn-Horn on vocals, drums, and synth; and Brandon Lockwood on bass. Synesthesia is a 14-track new age fusion of indie, pop, rock, and dance.
Cypress Spring – Denim CD (Average Joe’s Ent.)
Cypress Spring’s music epitomizes the down home, Southern way of life with songs s about dropping a tailgate, bumping a good song on a dirt road and being proud of where you’re from.
Delaney & Bonnie and Friends – Motel Shot [Reissue/1971] CD (Real Gone Music)
Though they never achieved the popular success enjoyed by some of their peers, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett spearheaded the roots-rock revolution of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s along with The Allman Brothers and The Band, turning away from the exoticism of psychedelia towards music “rooted” in blues, country, and soul. Witness the fact that the “And Friends” that played with the pair included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Dave Mason and Bobby Whitlock….out of Delaney and Bonnie’s various aggregations arose Derek and the Dominoes and Joe Cocker’s band for the legendary Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. And for Motel Shot, the duo’s fourth studio album and their third for Atco/Atlantic, the circle of “friends” included Cocker, Whitlock, and Mason, plus appearances by Duane Allman, Gram Parsons, and John Hartford among others.
The Dig – Bloodshot Tokyo CD/LP+MP3 (Roll Call)
Third album from Brooklyn indie rockers, mixed by Richard Swift (of The Shins & The Arcs). The Dig have toured with Beady Eye, The Walkmen, Portugal the Man, Antlers, The Lumineers, Editors and She Wants Revenge.
Dominic – Goodnight, Doggies. A Collection Of Songs By Dominic CD/LP (Lame-O)
At the core of all long human relationships there are dark corners. With his solo debut, Dominic Angelella uncovers such painful discoveries with masterful and subtle execution. More importantly, he does this with an expertly alternative hand at pop songwriting, cherry picking from a vast array of influences not limited to visionaries such as Prince, Harry Nilsson, and Andre 3000.
Elbow – Little Fictions CD/LP+MP3 (Concord)
Little Fictions was recorded in Scotland and Manchester and sees the band collaborate with the string players of The Hallé Orchestra, the Hallé Ancoats Community Choir, members of London Contemporary Voices and session drummer Alex Reeves. “This album, according to Elbow’s guitarist Mark Potter, is ‘the sound of four people who love what they do, and each other’. If that seems a little too bromantic to be true, the proof is in the playing. Elbow are sometimes pigeonholed as prog-rockers, but the special ingredient in their recipe is something you won’t find in early Genesis: blokey warmth. It’s there in Garvey’s big-hearted lyrics, his beer-stained vocals, and the layers of music behind him, which tend to be intricate but emotional. When it all falls into place, an Elbow song is a thing of beauty, built to make arms sway. The producer, the band’s keyboard player Craig Potter, maintains their tunefulness while nudging it into the world of 2017, where rhythm is king. These ten songs require some patience. Only the opener, the stirring ‘Magnificent (She Said),’ grabs you right away, and the title track is a full eight minutes long. But, as so often, the effort is rewarded.” – Daily Mail [Limited color vinyl copies also available, along with standard black 180gm pressing.]
Emily Estefan – Take Whatever You Want CD (Alien Shrimp)
Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s daughter, Emily, steps into the spotlight. The 22 year-old singer/songwriter eschews stereotypes and societal expectations through thought-provoking originals, cool harmonies, and world rhythms on her debut album, Take Whatever You Want. [Vinyl edition due February 24.]
Emperor – Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk [Reissue/1997] CD/LP (Spinefarm)
Emperor / Wrath Of The Tyrant – Emperor / Wrath Of The Tyrant [Reissue/1998] CD/LP (Spinefarm)
New reissues of the legendary black metal band’s second album and their compilation of songs recorded with original bassist Mortiis. [Limited color vinyl pressings are also available.]
Fenech-Soler – Zilla CD (So Recordings)
The bold, shimmering, eclectic pop of Zilla heralds a thrilling new chapter for the Northamptonshire band, now a duo comprising brothers Ben and Ross Duffy. Loaded with personality and pockets of experimentation, Zilla (named after a close friend) is chock full of positive and upbeat pop songs.
Ron Gallo – Heavy Meta CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (New West)
A few words from Ron Gallo “Heavy Meta is 11 tracks of lyrical confrontation and laughter for cynics laid down roughly on a bed of fuzz, chaotic structures and primal sounds evoked from a red Fender jaguar electric guitar — there is bass, there are drums and not much else besides the occasional icing (no artificial colors or dyes). It’s not comfortable and easily pinpointed and I’m sure that will create an issue for the desire for neat little boxes we have grown to love. I still don’t know what I’m doing and I plan on keeping it that way. Besides a couple of years of emotional and mental turmoil, loss, confusion, breakdown and internal growth what did all of that ever get me? Well, it gave me this record called Heavy Meta and it is the first few findings from my guerilla treasure hunt for bullsh*t, both outside and within. Ethos meets pathos. The only thing I do know is that I want to use music to reflect the times and as a primary outlet for me to become a total psychopath on stage, challenge myself and talk about potentially heavy real world things, call you out, then maybe we can even hug after the show.” [Limited pink color vinyl pressing also available.]
Duke Garwood – Garden Of Ashes CD (Heavenly/PIAS America)
“In the face of an apocalypse, we all need a safe house. A place for sanctuary; not to hide, but to claim for our own. On his new album, South London’s unlikely bluesman Duke Garwood has found the perfect place for us all, and says it’s time to meet in the Garden Of Ashes. ‘I am an angry man; so angry I burn myself. So angry I heat up the air around me. This is the nuclear fuel I use to make music,’ tells Duke. ‘In a world so full of pain and madness we need to be better than ever; to evolve not devolve. To become masters of our fate and stop listening to the snake talkers who would steal our last breath. It’s time to go Elvis and shoot the cursed TV.’ For an artist who claims to be angry, there’s a lot of love to be heard in Duke’s music and in the face of impeding Armageddon, just as Nick Cave claims in his film One More Time With Feeling, the only way to fight anguish is with positivity. On Duke’s sixth album Garden Of Ashes, that’s precisely the message. ‘I make beautiful music, because we don’t need angry music right now. Everyone can turn on the TV and see the horror show, they don’t need to hear it coming out the stereo. I’m trying to distil this frustrating feeling we all have right now into something more focused’” – Drift. [Vinyl edition due February 17.]
Beth Hart – Fire On The Floor CD/LP+MP3 (Provogue)
“In every generation, there are a handful of female blues vocalists that rise far above the common ground. Names such as Bessie Smith, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Tina Turner, and Billie Holiday are forever etched in the world’s psyche. For the past two decades, Beth Hart has been climbing that stairway to musical immortality. Her new album, Fire On The Floor, is a prime example why.” – American Blues Scene
Dave Hause – Bury Me In Philly CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
“A beautifully written piece of work. Dave Hause has always been blessed with a purity of songwriting craft that sets him apart from the punk troubadour pack. This collection is no exception – the misery-tinged love letter of opener ‘With You’ setting the tone for an album which deals in both human triumph and defeat with beautifully observed skill. As the lusty porch-side reminiscence of ‘The Ride’ gives way to the anthemic, titular homage to Hause’s hometown of Philadelphia, he once again cuts to the core of the human condition. It adds up to another deft, mature and utterly addictive release” – Rock Sound. [Limited color clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Homeshake – Fresh Air CD/LP+MP3 (Sinderlyn/Captured Tracks)
Homeshake is the pseudonym and solo project of Edmonton-born, Montreal-based musician Peter Sagar. “Former Mac DeMarco bandmate Peter Sagar introduced us to his Homeshake project with In the Shower, then took us to the kitchen for a Midnight Snack. For his next offering, though, he’s taking things outside with a new album titled Fresh Air. The 14-track finds Sagar taking his breezy R&B-infused sound in a ‘slightly funkier direction.’ A press release notes that the new record aims to evaporate negativity in the minds of listeners with its collection of ‘smokey, laid-back love songs and airy productions.’” — Exclaim
Horisont – About Time CD/LP (Century Media)
New album from the Swedish heavy prog traditionalists.
Iron Reagan – Crossover Ministry CD/LP (Relapse)
“Crossover deviants Iron Reagan call upon thee to join the holy order of thrash on their latest full-length, Crossover Ministry. Across 18 tracks and 30 minutes of frantic, punk-metal fury, Iron Reagan mix a blitzkrieg of relentlessly catchy riffs and irresistible, mosh-ready grooves with punchy, thrash gallops and hardcore punk attitude.”
Wyclef Jean – J’ourvert CD (Urban/E1)
J’ouvert is a 10-track precursor to Wyclef’s forthcoming full length album aptly titled Carnival III: Road To Clefication dropping next summer on the 20th anniversary of Wyclef’s critically acclaimed debut The Carnival – and album that established himself as a producer and solo artist whose work draws from elements of pop, country, folk, disco, Latin, and electronic music.
Judas Priest – Turbo 30 3xCD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Digitally remastered and expanded triple CD edition of the metal band’s 10th studio album, originally released in 1986, reissued to coincide with its 30th Anniversary. Includes
two bonus discs that feature the audio from the show Live At The Kemper Arena, Kansas City. [Single disc vinyl pressing also available.]
Jim Kweskin – Relax Your Mind [Reissue/1955] CD (Real Gone Music)
After a couple of albums on Vanguard Records established Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band as a major force in the folk scene, their leader had something different in mind for his first LP without the group. Billed to Jim Kweskin, 1965’s Relax Your Mind gave him the opportunity to, as he puts it in Richie Unterberger’s liner notes, record “music that was a little more meaningful to me personally.” With accompaniment by the Jug Band members Fritz Richmond on washtub bass and Mel Lyman on harmonica, Kweskin delivered a set just as diverse as his records with the full Jug Band, encompassing traditional folk standards, blues, gospel, African music, and more.
Less Than Jake – Sound The Alarm CDEP/12” (Pure Noise)
New release from the Gainesville, Florida-based ska/punk band.
Reba McEntire – Songs Of Faith & Hope 2xCD (Nash Icon)
The country music vocalist’s new double-disc project highlights traditional hymns of faith throughout the first 10 songs while more contemporary tracks of hope round out the back half. [Vinyl edition due March 31.]
The Menzingers – After The Party CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
For their fifth full-length After The Party, The Menzingers set out to make the quintessential jukebox record: an unstoppably melodic album primed for bar-room sing-alongs. Delivering anthemic harmonies, furious power chords, and larger-than-life melodies, the Philadelphia-based garage-punk four-piece amply fulfills that mission while achieving something much more deeply nuanced. [Limited red vinyl pressing also available.]
The Mist – Phantasmagoria [Reissue/1989] CD/LP (Greyhaze)
The Mist was a Brazilian thrash metal band, formed in 1986 and split-up in 1997.
Moon Duo – Occult Architecture Vol. 1 CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
Meaning all things magick and supernatural, the root of the word occult is that which is hidden, concealed, beyond the limits of our minds. If this is occult, then the Occult Architecture of Moon Duo’s fourth album — a psychedelic opus in two separate volumes released in 2017 — is an intricately woven hymn to the invisible structures found in the cycle of seasons and the journey of day into night, dark into light. Offering a cosmic glimpse into the hidden patterning embedded in everything, Occult Architecture reflects the harmonious duality of these light and dark energies through the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang. In Chinese, Yin means “the shady side of the hill” and is associated with the feminine, darkness, night, earth. Following this logic, Vol. 1 embraces and embodies Moon Duo’s darker qualities, released appropriately in the heart of the northern hemisphere’s winter. [Limited red and black color vinyl pressing also available.]
Muna – About You CD/2xLP (RCA)
Debut album from the L.A. pop band. “Listening to MUNA forces you to remember why they call it a hook. Great pop songs always have one: a huge and prickly soaring moment that sticks in your brain and draws your memory back to the moment. A hook is a musical curveball, something unexpected that feels endlessly familiar. It fools you with trajectory, coaxing you back around the same smooth path again and again, like a lap around a track. Nearly all of Muna’s tracks launch with a huge hook, incorporating soul, funk, pop, and rock, each grappling with emotions that feel like they’ll endure longer than eternity” – Stereogum. [Limited opaque pink color vinyl pressing also available.]
New Gen – New Gen CD (XL)
An album bringing together the best of the UK’s underground grime and rap scenes with collaborations between 17 young artists “anchored in the half space between trap, grime and new wave R&B, the melting pot which has typically come to represent the New Gen sound.” [Vinyl edition due February 17.]
Art Pepper – Art Pepper Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 1: Sonny Stitt 2xCD (Omnivore)
Art Pepper – Art Pepper Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 2: Pete Jolly CD (Omnivore)
Originally issued as Groovin’ High and Atlas Blues: “Blow! & Ballade” by Sonny Stitt And His West Coast Friends in 1980, these two releases are now available as Art Pepper Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 1, which presents the material recorded in July of that year with Stitt and Art Pepper on sax, Russ Freeman and Lou Levy on piano, bassists John Heard and Chuck DeMonico, and Carl Burnette on drums. Art Pepper Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 2: Pete Jolly collects Pete Jolly And His West Coast Friends’ 1980 album Strike Up The Band, which was recorded in February of that year with Jolly on piano, Art Pepper on sax, bassist Bob Magnusson, and Roy McCurdy on drums. In addition to a track found on 2001’s The Hollywood All-Star Sessions boxed set, this CD also contains a previously unissued take mixed from the original multi-tracks, and new liner notes from Laurie Pepper.
Leann Rimes – Remnants CD (Thirty Tigers)
16th studio album from the world-renowned vocal powerhouse, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter and artist who debuted as the youngest Grammy recipient of all time. On Remnants, LeAnn reaches back into her Mississippi-born soul and truthfully delivers piece-by-piece who she is now as a woman: a wife, a stepmother, a daughter, a friend, an artist, a songwriter and a survivor.
Sampha – Process CD/LP (Young Turks)
Sampha hails from Morden, south London and has spent the last six years generously dividing his musical talents across solo and collaborative work. Equally in demand as a songwriter, singer, producer and player, Sampha has been sampled by and produced for Drake (“The Motion” and “Too Much ft Sampha”), Kanye West (“Saint Pablo ft Sampha”), Beyonce (“Mine ft Drake”), Katy B (“Play ft Sampha”) and FKA twigs (LP1 standout “Numbers”). He also remains a frequent collaborator in the Young Turks family and beyond; from remixing The xx and Chairlift to experimenting in sonics and structure as half of production duo Short Stories (alongside Koreless).
Soen – Lykaia CD/LP+MP3 (UDR)
Soen, the progressive group featuring the otherworldly driven drumming of Martin Lopez (formerly of Amon Amarth and Opeth) and the dynamic voice of Joel Ekelöf, plus bassist Stefan Stenberg, new guitarist Marcus Jidell (ex Avatarium) and new keyboard/guitarist Lars Åhlund have been taking another trip into uncharted waters for the past few months at Ghostward and Deepwell Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.
Soundtrack – The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh [Reissue/1979] CD (Real Gone Music)
The 1979 cult favorite film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh featured an all-star team from the worlds of basketball and Hollywood – for Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Meadowlark Lemon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry Tarkanian, Stockard Channing, Jonathan Winters, Flip Wilson, Debbie Allen, Harry Shearer, and more – for its fantastical tale of a struggling Pittsburgh basketball team that beats the odds with a little help from the heavens. The movie’s soundtrack was equally illustrious. Pop-soul maestro Thom Bell, renowned for his work with The Spinners, The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and Johnny Mathis, wrote, produced, arranged, and conducted his very first motion picture score, and the result was a soul symphony incorporating funk, disco, and jazz rhythms, and of course, Bell’s trademark luscious balladry.
Surfer Blood – Snowdonia CD/LP+MP3 (Joyful Noise)
Surfer Blood is one of the best young indie-rock bands around, and their fourth album, Snowdonia, is one of their most ambitious efforts. Overcoming adversity, the band has artistically grown and thrived. Following the departure of bassist Kevin Williams and guitarist Thomas Fekete (tragically lost to cancer in May), singer/guitarist John Paul Pitts and drummer Tyler Schwarz have rebuilt a talented lineup with guitarist Michael McCleary and bassist Lindsey Mills, all four alumni of the same high school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Pitts wrote specifically with the new band’s talents in mind: “When I was writing I was thinking more about background vocals and harmonies. Lindsey and Michael are great singers, and I really wanted that to show in the songs. There are layers of vocals on almost every track, and the call-and-response parts between Lindsey and I are something totally new.” [Limited white color vinyl pressing also available.]
Ten Fé – Hit The Light CD/LP (Some Kinda Love/PIAS America)
Debut album release by Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan, aka Ten Fé. Recorded in the studio built into the Berlin HQ of Kompakt Records in Berlin with Ewan Pearson (Jagwar Ma, M83, The Rapture), Hit The Light is a highly accomplished album with a captivating concoction of styles. The record seamlessly fuses intricate contemporary electronics and the band’s signature energetic mix of Americana, Manchester baggy and soulful vocals.
Ralph Towner – My Foolish Heart CD (ECM)
After critically-lauded projects with trumpeter Paolo Fresu (Chiaroscuro) and with fellow guitarists Wolfgang Muthspiel and Slava Grigoryan (Travel Guide), Ralph Towner returns to solo guitar for My Foolish Heart. Whether on classical guitar or 12-string, Towners touch is immediately identifiable. He has recorded for ECM since the label’s inception in 1973.
Wilson & Fairchild – Songs Our Dads Wrote CD (BFD)
Wil & Langdon have brought a refreshing new appeal to some songs of the Statlers from long ago. They chose nine songs their dads (Harold & Don Reid) co-wrote over the years and presented them with a front porch, rootsy, acoustic charm.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Mumford & Sons – Live From South Africa: Dust And Thunder DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
Live From South Africa: Dust And Thunder chronicles the meeting of South Africa with their long-standing favorites, Mumford & Sons. A British band in huge demand, and a country extremely excited to welcome them. With a coachload of their close musical friends brought along for the ride, this exquisitely shot film captures the tour’s conclusion with two nights in the beautiful Pretorian outback.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Avalanches – Since I Left You [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (Astralwerks)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album from the Australian electronic outfit. Playful, twisted, psychedelic, sampledelic, delirious and infectious, it’s the sound of six men who spent most of adolescence rummaging through bargain bins in Melbourne’s record shops, constructing their own post-modern disco-pop amalgam from rubbish ’50s rejects and saccharine ’60s pap.
Behind Closed Doors – Exit Lines: The Brief History of Behind Closed Doors LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Behind Closed Doors was a young hardcore band from Baltimore, MD. Formed in 1996 and disbanded by 1998, they quickly became renowned in the Baltimore/DC region for their unusually long, dynamic songs and alarmingly unhinged live shows. Pressed onto opaque red with black splatter color vinyl featuring a custom laser etching that includes the album’s lyrics etched directly into the LP.
Dragonette – Royal Blues LP (Virtual Label)
Fourth album from Toronto electro-pop darlings. “At the very end, “Future Ghost” shows off a darker side, almost reaching the weird intensity of a Nite Jewel or Zola Jesus number. And therein lies the real question: do Dragonette want to be a cool niche act, or a cool pop group? The answer seems to be the latter, and I salute them.” – Drunken Werewolf
The-Dream – Love Hate [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Vinyl reissue of The-Dream’s debut album. Love Hate features layered production incorporates spacious beats, oscillating keyboards, throbbing synths, and baroque elements such as synthetic strings and harpsichords. Continuing with its Respect The Classics campaign, UMe will be reissuing this classic on standard weight 2LP for the first time in 10 years.
Eluvium – Talk Amongst The Trees [2007] 2xLP (Temporary Residence)
Eluvium – Copia [2007] 2xLP (Temporary Residence)
Originally released on CD and Digital formats only, Talk Amongst The Trees and Copia were eventually available on vinyl exclusively as part of the Life Through Bombardment Vol. 1 box set. Each is now available separately in full-color widespine jackets with dual heavyweight full-color inner sleeves.
Roy Lee Johnson And The Villagers – Roy Lee Johnson And The Villagers [Reissue/1973] LP (Stax)
Recorded at the legendary FAME Studious in Muscle Shoals,Alabama this 1973 10-song masterpiece from Georgia born and bred guitarist, bandleader, vocalist and composer Roy Lee Johnson is a true lost gem. A veteran journeyman in the music business who actually penned a 1962 track called “Mister Moonlight” a song later covered by The Beatles; this would be Johnson’s lone Stax recording. The Villagers were Johnson’s backup outfit featuring Pete Carr on guitars, Michael James on bass, Roger Hawkins on percussions, Barry Beckett on clavinet, Ed Logan on flute, The legendary Memphis Horns and a wonderful trio of backup vocalist including Sandra Chalmers, Charlie Chalmers, and Donna Rhoades round out this funky affair.
JoJo – Mad Love. LP (Atlantic)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. JoJo’s first new album since 2006 sees the talented singer/songwriter partnering with a number of top pop producers including Max Martin/Wolf Cousins’ Oscar Holter (P!nk, Haliee Steinfeld, Tori Kelly), Whiskey Water (Nick Jonas Feat. Demi Lovato), and songwriter Justin Tranter (Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Gwen Stefani).
Ben Lee – Freedom, Love And The Recuperation Of The Human Mind LP (Gold VE)
Guests include Grant Lee Phillips and Sara Watkins. “Like all the songs on the album, this recording began at my home studio in Laurel Canyon CA, with a live guitar and vocal – no click track, no tuning, no funny business. Just me singing this song, from my heart. It was a beautiful thing to see it take life as I brought in other musicians to add to it, culminating in the incredible Sara Watkins adding her harmonies.” – Bee Lee
Madonna – Confessions On A Dance Floor [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Rhino)
Pink vinyl reissue of the pop diva’s 10th studio album.
The Steve Miller Band – The Joker: 40th Anniversary LP (Capitol)
1973’s The Joker is the legendary breakthrough for the band previously known for their winding improvs and spacey jams. Steve Miller and company honed the songwriting skills churning out a good vibes album that is full of hits. The album features the singles “Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ But Trash,” “The Joker,” “Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma,” and “Evil.”
Miracle Fortress – Five Roses [2007] LP+MP3 (Secret City)
“Miracle Fortress is getting some serious blog-love these days from such esteemed hot spots as My Old Kentucky Blog, and for good reason. I’m really digging anything that has a distinct Brian Wilson influence these days, so this is right up our alley” (Gorilla Vs Bear, April, 2007). “Miracle Fortress just completely knocked me upside the head with a handful of great songs. The band is pretty much just Graham Van Pelt’s (Think About Life) solo project. He combines beautiful melodies and great hooks with instrumentation that ranges from sparse to downright curious” (You Ain’t No Picasso).
Prince And The Revolution – I Would Die For You [Reissue/1984] 12” (WB)
Limited 12” vinyl reissue of this single lifted from the funk/R&B singer/songwriter’s 1984 album Purple Rain.
Max Richter – On the Nature Of Daylight – Music From The Film Arrival 12” (StudioRichter)
This is the first record released on Max Richter’s brand new label StudioRichter — a 12” vinyl edition of On The Nature Of Daylight, which is the title track from the soundtrack to Denis Villeneuve’s hotly-tipped new movie Arrival. Includes the original quintet recording and the later recording for full string orchestra.
Soft Machine – Live At The Paradiso LP (Real Gone Music)
Soft Machine was one of the first prog-rock bands, but if your vision of prog-rock consists of musicians wreathed in pot smoke airily singing of fairies and wizards, it will be summarily dispelled by this fantastic “authorized bootleg,” which captures the band in March 1969 at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, playing material that was to be released six months later on Soft Machine: Volume Two. Limited “soft purple” color pressing.]
Stereophonics – Word Gets Around [Reissue/1997] LP (UMe)
Stereophonics – Performance And Cocktails [Reissue/1999] LP (UMe)
Stereophonics – Just Enough Education To Perform [Reissue/2001] LP (UMe)
Stereophonics – You Gotta Go There To Come Back [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (UMe)
Stereophonics – Language.Sex.Violence.Other? [Reissue/2005] LP (UMe)
180gm vinyl reissues of the South Wales alt-rock band’s first five albums.
Train – A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat LP (Sony)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat is Train’s first album without lead guitarist and founding member Jimmy Stafford. Although he is not on the new album, he is currently still partially involved with the band, as he continues to play with them at some live performances and events. It marks the band’s first new music since their 2014 album Bulletproof Picasso. The album’s first single “Play That Song” borrows the central melody from the 1938 single “Heart And Soul” by Howard Hoagland “Hoagy” Carmichael.
Tuxedomoon – Half-Mute LP (Crammed Disc)
“At no less than 36 years of age, the warped synths and humming basslines of Half-Mute by Tuxedomoon return to the fore on vinyl with Crammed Discs. The experimental new-wavers from San Fran helped kick off the 1970s punk rock revolution, and this offering is largely responsible for establishing the outfit’s cult status.” – Norman UK
Unwound – Fake Train LP (Numero)
After the Pacific Northwest grunge raids of the early ’90s that saw Nirvana, Mudhoney, and even the Melvins hoisted up the major label flagpole, Unwound’s 1993 debut came as a welcomed reprieve for underground noise-niks everywhere. A pulsing cluster of wiry feedback, lurching bass, and single stroke rolls, Fake Train entangles the energies of frustrated backpack emo, faded Riot Grrrl back issues, and their own dash of teen spirit and unleashes it all in an earsplitting 10-song assault. “Comes on like an homage to Wire’s ‘1 2 X U’ as filtered through Minor Threat and a broken bottle of Robitussin” (Pitchfork). “It’s no contest: Unwound is the best band of the ’90s” (A.V. Club).
Matteo Vallicelli – Primo LP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
Matteo Vallicelli is an Italian drummer and composer, best known as the live drummer of The Soft Moon, Death Index, and as a founding member of many renowned Italian punk bands.
Young Thug – Jeffery 2xLP+MP3 (300 Ent)
2016 mixtape from the Atlanta-based rapper. Jeffery – titled after Young Thug’s real name, Jeffery Williams — features the hits singles “Pick Up The Phone” with Travis Scott featuring Quavo and “Wyclef Jean”. Known for his unconventional vocal style, fashion, and persona, he first received attention for his collaborations with fellow Southern rappers.
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