Social Media Program Title Released This Week:
Lucinda Williams – Runnin’ Down A Dream: A Tribute To Tom Petty CD/2xLP (Highway 20)
Revered singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams is working to help independent music venues during this time with the announcement of Lu’s Jukebox. Scheduled as a six-episode series of mostly full-band, HD video performances in-studio, Lu’s Jukebox will feature a themed set of songs by other artists curated by the multi-Grammy award winner. Lucinda has poured her heart and soul into each of these episodes. From hand-selecting the songs to giving it her all in the studio, this series has been a journey you won’t want to miss. Tracked live by Grammy Award-winning producer Ray Kennedy, the first episode kicked off in October 2020 with Running Down A Dream: A Tribute To Tom Petty, featuring songs from his celebrated career in advance of his 70th birthday. Includes takes on “Runnin’ Down A Dream”, “I Won’t Back Down”, “Wildflowers”, “You Don’t Know How It Feels”, and “Room At The Top” among others.
Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Already well known for the level of extreme technicality they bring to every record, on Violence Unimagined, Cannibal Corpse have further upped their game. Comprised of eleven tracks, Violence Unimagined is state of the art death metal played with passion and breathless precision, making for another flawless addition to what is inarguably one of the premier catalogues the genre has thrown up. “It really follows the path we’ve been going down for a few years now,” states bassist and founding member Alex Webster. “I think we approach the writing in a similar way most every time: each of us try to write the heaviest, most memorable songs we can. We want each song to have its own identifiable character. Showing my age, I like to say you can ‘drop the needle’ on any point of one of our albums and quickly tell which song you’re listening to.” [A limited-edition indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Eric Church – Heart CD/LP (UMG Nashville)
Country hero Eric Church’s new Heart & Soul project, which is his follow-up to 2018’s Desperate Man, will be released in two installments, in quick succession. The collection was made with producer Jay Joyce and a creative team who recorded one track per day in sessions in early 2020 in the mountains of North Carolina. Speaking at the 2020 CMA Awards, Church said: “The interesting thing about this process is that Jay kept asking me the last three or four days, ‘Are we done?’ I kept saying, ‘God, this is going to be really hard. There’s a lot here. Is this a double album? And if it’s a double album, how do we leave out these five or six songs?’ I am the hardest critic on making sure every song deserves to be on the record, and I beat this thing to death going, ‘This can’t be that good. But it was just a special, special time, and a special, special project that I think will be among our best…That’s where Heart & Soul came from. That was everything we had.”
Norah Jones – Til We Meet Again Live CD/2xLP (Blue Note)
Norah Jones’ first-ever live album, ‘Til We Meet Again, presents globe-spanning performances from the US, France, Italy, Brazil, and Argentina that were recorded between 2017-2019. The first single “It Was You”, was recorded at the 2018 Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA with Pete Remm on organ, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Additional musicians featured on the album include bassist Jesse Murphy, guitarist Jesse Harris, flutist Jorge Continentino, and percussionist Marcelo Costa. The album closes with Jones’ stunning solo piano performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”, a tribute to Chris Cornell that was recorded at the Fox Theatre in Detroit just days after Cornell’s death following a performance at the same venue.
The Offspring – Let The Bad Times Roll CD/LP/Cassette (Concord)
Legendary So-Cal punks The Offspring return with their tenth full-length album – and first new offering since 2012 – the blistering and triumphant Let The Bad Times Roll. Once again produced by Bob Rock who worked on their last two studio efforts, the group describes the album as “the most cathartic thing we’ve done. The messages might be dark, but at the end what’s left is that communication is important, working through feelings is important and most of all, hope is important.” Frontman Dexter Holland explains how the title track single anchors the album, “I feel like we’re in a unique period in history where instead of our world leaders saying, ‘We’re doing our best,’ it’s more like they’re saying, ‘F**k it,’ and it’s really scary.” Guitarist Noodles adds, “Folks are saying, ‘If it’s all going to Hell, we might as well make the most out of it, or at least go out swinging,’ Let The Bad Times Roll!” [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Tom Petty – Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) CD/2xLP (WB)
Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) – the latest offering of Tom Petty music, curated with help from his loving family, bandmates and collaborators – features tracks, which were previously released on the Super Deluxe 9xLP version of 2020’s Wildflowers & All The Rest. It gathers 16 studio recordings of alternate takes, long cuts and jam versions of Wildflowers songs as Tom, band members and co-producer Rick Rubin worked to finalize the album in 1994. The release offers fans further deep access into the writing and recording of Wildflowers, as well as realizing the full vision of the project as Tom had always intended. The collection was produced by Tom’s longtime engineer and co-producer Ryan Ulyate who listened to 245 reels of 24-track tape, revealing Tom and his collaborators’ evolutionary process, and finding the group willing to do whatever it took to discover the essence and magic in the material. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
The 69 Cats – Seven Year Itch CD/LP (Cleopatra)
Second full-length album from the gothic-themed rockabilly project formed by The 69 Eyes frontman Jyrki 69 and rockabilly guitar legend and Headcat Danny B. Harvey. Guests include longtime drummer of The Damned, Rat Scabies, and Nekromantix founder Kim Nekroman. [A limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing is also available.]
1782 – From The Graveyard CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Sophmore album from the occult doom metal band. [Assorted color vinyl pressings are also available.]
Acid Mammoth – Acid Mammoth [Reissue/2017] CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Acid Mammoth – Caravan [2020] CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Acid Mammoth is a doom metal band from Athens, Greece. The band was formed in 2015 by Chris Babalis Jr. (vocals & guitars) and Dimosthenis Varikos (bass), good friends since high school, with a deep love for Sabbath and other heavy music. [Assorted color vinyl pressings are also available.]
Amigo The Devil – Born Against CD (Regime Music Group)
Amigo the Devil has become a dark folk anomaly drawing attention from everyone from the likes of Noisey, Consequence of Sound, Kerrang, and more. LA Weekly described him as Johnny Cash at his blackest, mixed with Father John Misty, if he exhumed graves at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. While Rolling Stone proclaimed, “Kiranos unflinchingly explores dark and grim subject matter from suicide to serial killers. He spins these topics into dark love songs that explode into heavy-metal catharsis.” [Vinyl edition due April 30.]
Apollo Ltd. – Nothing Is Ordinary. Everything Is Beautiful. CD (Residence Music)
Apollo Ltd. packs a punch with EDM drops, pulsing drumbeats and singalong choruses meant for clubs, cathedrals and coliseums.
Arcadium – Breath Awhile [Reissue/1969] 2xCD/2xLP+7” (Sunbeam)
Reissue of a British psych-prog classic originally released in October 1969. Meticulously remastered, it includes the original album as well as a startlingly different alternate mix that has only survived on a single copy of an acetate – until now.
Black Honey – Written & Directed CD/LP (Black Honey)
Written & Directed follows Black Honey’s outstanding self-titled debut released back in 2018 when the world that surrounded the Brighton four piece looked and felt like a very different place. Black Honey however is still the bad-ass, truly original band they have always been; they’ve just graduated from the intriguingly anomalous newcomers to becoming one of UK indie’s most singular outfits. Written & Directed see’s Black Honey deliver one, very singular, message – a 10 track mission statement that aims to unashamedly plant a flag in the ground for strong, world-conquering women.
Alan Braufman – Valley Of Search [Reissue/1975] CD (The Control Group)
In late 1974, India Navigation label owner Bob Cummins set up microphones in a New York City building’s storefront, documenting two short sets by the band with no alternate takes or additional cuts. These recordings became Alan Braufman’s debut album Valley Of Search. Valley Of Search has enjoyed a cult status and captures a unique and very alive historical slice of New York’s creative improvised underground.
Cabaret Voltaire – Live At The Y.M.C.A. 27.10.79 [Reissue/1980] CD (Mute)
Cabaret Voltaire – Three Mantras [Reissue/1980] CD (Mute)
Cabaret Voltaire – The Voice Of America [Reissue/1982] CD (Mute)
Cabaret Voltaire – 2X45 [Reissue/1982] CD (Mute)
Cabaret Voltaire’s late-‘70s/early’80s work provides evidence of their foundational contribution to the electronic and industrial genres that would burgeon in the ’80s and ’90s. The sound featured here is sparse and austere: Stephen Mallinder’s bass and Richard H Kirk’s guitar, supplemented with basic drum-machine beats, primitive synth, and Chris Watson’s cut-and-paste tape loops.
Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Already well known for the level of extreme technicality they bring to every record, on Violence Unimagined, Cannibal Corpse have further upped their game. Comprised of eleven tracks, Violence Unimagined is state of the art death metal played with passion and breathless precision, making for another flawless addition to what is inarguably one of the premier catalogues the genre has thrown up. “It really follows the path we’ve been going down for a few years now,” states bassist and founding member Alex Webster. “I think we approach the writing in a similar way most every time: each of us try to write the heaviest, most memorable songs we can. We want each song to have its own identifiable character. Showing my age, I like to say you can ‘drop the needle’ on any point of one of our albums and quickly tell which song you’re listening to.” [A limited-edition indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Eric Church – Heart CD/LP (UMG Nashville)
Country hero Eric Church’s new Heart & Soul project, which is his follow-up to 2018’s Desperate Man, will be released in two installments, in quick succession. The collection was made with producer Jay Joyce and a creative team who recorded one track per day in sessions in early 2020 in the mountains of North Carolina. Speaking at the 2020 CMA Awards, Church said: “The interesting thing about this process is that Jay kept asking me the last three or four days, ‘Are we done?’ I kept saying, ‘God, this is going to be really hard. There’s a lot here. Is this a double album? And if it’s a double album, how do we leave out these five or six songs?’ I am the hardest critic on making sure every song deserves to be on the record, and I beat this thing to death going, ‘This can’t be that good. But it was just a special, special time, and a special, special project that I think will be among our best…That’s where Heart & Soul came from. That was everything we had.”
Lloyd Cole – Antidepressant [Reissue/2006] CD/LP+7” (earMUSIC)
Antidepressant, originally released in 2006, is Lloyd Cole’s follow-up album to the critically acclaimed Music In A Foreign Language. It is a vivid album, recorded entirely by Cole himself, yet sounding like the production of a full band – a drastic change from the stripped-down sound of Music In A Foreign Language. Above all reigns Cole’s characteristic voice with his distinguished lyricism, ranging from the heartfelt to the sarcastic, which established him as one of the most articulate songwriters of the post-punk era.
C R O W N – The End Of All Things CD/2xLP (Pelagic)
The End Of All Things is for C R O W N what Kid A was for Radiohead: an album that nobody was expecting from them. Dark and moody; bleak and sublime; airy and crushing; mesmerizing and engrossing; bold yet unerring; strident, danceable and suffocating, all at the same time. An album oozing with tasteful, fragile hooks flirting with the abyss they hover above, encapsulated within an ingenious production.
Deine Lakaien – Dual 3xCD/2xLP/2xLP+7”+3xCD+DVD (Prophecy)
Deine Lakaien is a German cultural icon. With their 10th studio full-length, Dual, classically educated composer and pianist Ernst Horn and vocalist extraordinaire Alexander Veljanov present a conceptual double album, which connects both full lengths by a double reference. [The three-CD hardcover artbook edition features enhanced artwork and two-track bonus CD. The double-vinyl edition features one black and one white color disc. A deluxe box set edition is also available which features an exclusive transparent vinyl pressing, a bonus 7” single, a live concert DVD, art prints, and more.]
Der Plan – Save Your Software CD/LP (Bureau B)
Shrouded in myth, Save Your Software is the long-lost album by Der Plan. Back in the mid-1980s, Moritz Reichelt, Kurt Dahlke (Pyrolator) and Frank Fenstermacher initiated the Fanuks project with the aim of making themselves immortal as Mensch-Maschinen or Man-Machines.
Escape The Fate – Chemical Warfare CD/LP (Better Noise Music)
The post-hardcore band’s eleventh album features collaborative efforts with Lindsey Stirling and blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker.
The Fall – Take It To The Wire (Live 1985) CD (Ozit)
A great live recording from a radio broadcast of The Fall live on June 16, 1985 Clitheroe Castle, Lancashire.
Fitz and The Tantrums – Head Up High CD (Elektra)
In short, Head Up High is an album by Fitz and The Tantrums. The longer story is that this is more of a collaborative album between the band itself and its frontman, Michael Fitzpatrick, who goes by the stage name FITZ. The album was a product of FITZ’s solo work during quarantine, writing songs to fill the time after the band’s tour was canceled due to the pandemic. So, in many ways, Head Up High is as much a solo album as it is a Fitz and The Tantrums album. It’s a product of FITZ’s individual work and experience while still retaining the integrity of the band as a whole.” – UT Daily Beacon
Marty Friedman – Tokyo Jukebox 3 CD/LP (Players Club)
Marty Friedman’s presence in the world of music, the world of guitar, and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. On Tokyo Jukebox 3, Friedman takes J-Pop hits by the likes of Da Pump, Momoiro Clover Z, Sekai No Owari and Little Glee Monster, and gives them his own charismatic interpretations. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate CD/2xLP (Republic)
Described as “a bold evolution” from the band’s 2018 debut Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, Greta Van Fleet’s highly anticipated second album The Battle At Garden’s Gate came together primarily on the road or while in the studio after the runaway success of 2017’s “Highway Tune” led to the band packing up, leaving home, and eagerly soaking up new experiences on an extended road trip around the world. The melding of all these experiences opened their eyes to amazing new worlds of culture, history, philosophy and spirituality – and ushered in an entirely new way of looking at life and the approach to their music.
Hail The Sun – New Age Filth CD/LP (Equal Vision)
Hail The Sun’s highly-anticipated fifth full-length album, New Age Filth, marks the band’s most ambitious material to date, recorded over five weeks with producer Kris Crummett (A Lot Like Birds, Nova Charisma, Dance Gavin Dance). The energy and thought the band put into the release is apparent on lead single Domino, as they shine their technical prowess with instruments dancing over one another as vocalist Donovan Melero belts out his signature vocals.
Helstar – Clad In Black CDEP+CD/12” (Massacre)
New EP from the speed metal band. The CD edition includes a bonus disc containing the band’s 2016 album, Vampiro.
Holding Absence – The Greatest Mistake Of My Life CD/2xLP (Sharptone)
New album from the post-hardcore band. “Holding Absence uses the beauty in tragedy to make one of the most unforgettable experiences on their sophomore album.” – Everything Noise [A limited-edition coke bottle clear vinyl pressing is also available.]
Hypnosonics – Drums Were Beating: Fort Apache Studios 1996 CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Hypnosonics – Someone Stole My Shoes: Beyond The Q Division Sessions CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Prior to founding the band Morphine, Mark Sandman launched Hypnosonics, built around a stripped-down drum kit with no toms and a piece of plywood in place of cymbals, played by Jay Hilt. With funk in its heart, Hypnosonics was originally a five piece with Sandman on guitar and organ, Tom Halter and Russ Gershon of the Either/Orchestra on trumpet and sax, and Mike Rivard, who later founded Club dâ’Elf, on bass. After Morphine took off, Dana Colley joined Hypnosonics, Hilt added hi-hat cymbals to his kit, and the horn section started singing.
Icon Of Sin – Icon Of Sin CD (Frontiers)
Icon of Sin is a new project centered around the vocal talents of the popular Brazilian YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes. He is joined in the band by two other stellar Brazilian musicians, Sergio Mazul (Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall).
Intonate – Severed Within CD/LP (Willowtip)
Following the 2016 debut, The Swerve, Intonate’s new album presents the band’s personal catharsis and reflections on life’s dual offerings constantly struggled with. Musically, the Canadian prog metal band delivers a more uncompromisingly aggressive and honest sound, while keeping true to its roots. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Jethro Tull – A (A La Mode) [The 40th Anniversary Edition] 3xCD+3xDVD (Rhino/Parlophone)
This 40th Anniversary Collection expands Jethro Tull’s 1980 album A with Steven Wilson’s newly remixed version of the original, plus unreleased studio and live recordings, and a remixed version of the Slipstream (1981) video collection.
Joe and The Feels – Unsupervised CD/LP (Out Of The Past)
Joe and The Feels is equal parts band and coping mechanism. The only band made entirely of healthcare professionals; their music is dripping with natural, cathartic energy. Staples of the Little Rock music scene, Joe Yoder (vocals, guitar), Dave Hoffpauir (drums), Andy Warr (lead guitar), Steve Blevins (bass), and Gaines Fricke (keys) channel their highs and lows into a loud beautiful noise. Confronted with life’s most vulnerable moments, Joe and The Feel’s debut record, Unsupervised, offers the musical equivalent of a good cry, a lively cheer, and a warm bearded hug.
Norah Jones – Til We Meet Again Live CD/2xLP (Blue Note)
Norah Jones’ first-ever live album, ‘Til We Meet Again, presents globe-spanning performances from the US, France, Italy, Brazil, and Argentina that were recorded between 2017-2019. The first single “It Was You”, was recorded at the 2018 Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA with Pete Remm on organ, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Additional musicians featured on the album include bassist Jesse Murphy, guitarist Jesse Harris, flutist Jorge Continentino, and percussionist Marcelo Costa. The album closes with Jones’ stunning solo piano performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”, a tribute to Chris Cornell that was recorded at the Fox Theatre in Detroit just days after Cornell’s death following a performance at the same venue.
Sook-Yin Lee and Adam Litovitz – Jooj Two CD/LP (Mint)
An iconic Canadian media figure, Sook-Yin Lee is an award-winning filmmaker, musician, actor, visual artist and broadcaster who has immersed herself in myriad creative collaborations. Many of them were made with her life partner and frequent co-creator Adam Litovitz, including their 2015 ethereal electroacoustic album Jooj. Though Litovitz passed away in 2019, his work with Lee lives on with Jooj Two, an unapologetic dive into playful art-pop and a document of a lost language between lovers.
Liquid Tension Experiment – LTE3 2xCD/2xCD+Blu-ray/3xLP/2xCD+3xLP+Blu-ray (Century Media)
In modern-day progressive rock, it seems as though there is a new supergroup every few weeks. But long before this was the norm, and before musicians were routinely involved in more than one band, there was Liquid Tension Experiment. Back in 1997, Mike Portnoy (Transatlantic, Sons Of Apollo), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), and Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel), joined forces to create Liquid Tension Experiment. The foursome would release their iconic, self-titled debut album in 1998 and the follow-up, LTE2 in 1999, creating a dynamic, frantic, and inventive sound all their own. The incredible creativity between the collective would prompt Petrucci and Portnoy to invite Rudess to join Dream Theater, effectively marking the end of this side project. However, since that time, there have been few reunions more in demand. Now, with the world in lockdown and calendars unexpectedly aligned, the band has reunited for LTE3. [A deluxe box set edition is also available.]
Imelda May – 11 Past The Hour CD/LP (Decca)
Imelda May’s sixth studio album, 11 Past The Hour, is a record that brims with sensuality, emotional intelligence, spirituality and intuition, marking a new chapter for the Irish star and showcasing her at her most authentic. With pals and collaborators like Ronnie Wood, Noel Gallagher and Miles Kane, and with inspired contributions from feminist thinkers and activists such as Gina Martin and Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, the album is an invigorating blast of rock ‘n’ roll, with a purpose.
Midland – The Sonic Ranch CD (Big Machine)
In 2014, Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson spent ten days in El Paso, TX at Sonic Ranch Recording Studio to record a demo album. During those days, a brotherhood was forged. A sound was established. Midland was born. Six years later, Midland is a multi-platinum selling band that has toured the world over, received two Grammy nominations and won ACM New Group Of The Year. The Sonic Ranch album collects those original recordings for first-time release.
The Network – Money Money 2020 Pt II: We Told Ya So! CD/2xLP (Joe Robot)
The Network, the not-so-secret side project of Green Day, release their new album Money Money 2020 Part II: Told Ya So!. It follows the band’s recent EP Trans Am which was released last month and is a follow up to their 2003 debut album Money Money 2020. The new record sees the trio pick up where they left off by poking fun at dystopic futures, technology, and the mind-melting abilities of culture in general over the span of 25 new songs.
The Offspring – Let The Bad Times Roll CD/LP/Cassette (Concord)
Legendary So-Cal punks The Offspring return with their tenth full-length album – and first new offering since 2012 – the blistering and triumphant Let The Bad Times Roll. Once again produced by Bob Rock who worked on their last two studio efforts, the group describes the album as “the most cathartic thing we’ve done. The messages might be dark, but at the end what’s left is that communication is important, working through feelings is important and most of all, hope is important.” Frontman Dexter Holland explains how the title track single anchors the album, “I feel like we’re in a unique period in history where instead of our world leaders saying, ‘We’re doing our best,’ it’s more like they’re saying, ‘F**k it,’ and it’s really scary.” Guitarist Noodles adds, “Folks are saying, ‘If it’s all going to Hell, we might as well make the most out of it, or at least go out swinging,’ Let The Bad Times Roll!” [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Tom Petty – Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) CD/2xLP (WB)
Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) – the latest offering of Tom Petty music, curated with help from his loving family, bandmates and collaborators – features tracks, which were previously released on the Super Deluxe 9xLP version of 2020’s Wildflowers & All The Rest. It gathers 16 studio recordings of alternate takes, long cuts and jam versions of Wildflowers songs as Tom, band members and co-producer Rick Rubin worked to finalize the album in 1994. The release offers fans further deep access into the writing and recording of Wildflowers, as well as realizing the full vision of the project as Tom had always intended. The collection was produced by Tom’s longtime engineer and co-producer Ryan Ulyate who listened to 245 reels of 24-track tape, revealing Tom and his collaborators’ evolutionary process, and finding the group willing to do whatever it took to discover the essence and magic in the material. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Saint Raymond – We Forgot We Were Dreaming CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
It’s been five years since Saint Raymond hit the Top 10 with his debut Young Blood, but the singer-songwriter hasn’t stood still. He’s been constantly refining his sound, experimenting with new ideas on the EPs A Light That Blinds and 3. That spell of evolution and self-discovery comes to a head as Saint Raymond release his long-awaited second album, We Forgot We Were Dreaming. “The album is generally about relationships – whether that be friendships or love interests. It encompasses things I have picked up from around me seeing people falling in and out of love … It’s also about the relationship we all have with ourselves and in our own minds. There are a few songs on We Forgot We Were Dreaming that are about mental health and my relationship with that.” – Saint Raymond [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Snowpoet – Wait For Me CD/LP (Edition)
Wait For Me is the compelling new album by Irish vocalist and lyricist Lauren Kinsella and producer Chris Hyson. The London based songwriters have composed a truly captivating piece of work featuring storytelling at its core. Since the release of their first EP six years ago, they have been shaping their unique sound with a series of successful releases with each release seeing the group explore and expand within genre-fluid musical territories. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Spectral Wound – A Diabolic Thirst CD (Profound Lore)
Montreal, QC black metal band Spectral Wound play virulent, searing, primal towering melancholic black metal. [Vinyl edition due April 30.]
Temple Balls – Pyromide CD (Frontiers)
Temple Balls is an energetic hard rock band from Finland.
To The Grave – Epilogue CD (Unique Leader)
One of the most hyped acts in Australian deathcore unleash a monumental opus – expanding upon the 2019 Global Warning album, To The Grave has added eight new songs to this devastating record, along with brand new artwork and remaster treatment. This is the definitive version of the band’s seminal debut full length: 19 songs of ultra-heavy, monstrous deathcore. [Vinyl edition due July 16.]
Robin Trower, Maxi Priest & Livingstone Brown – United State Of Mind CD (Manhaton)
Three UK artists with distinctive, trademark sounds and styles that dovetail and fuse together, creating an excellent whole that is full of atmosphere, allure and soul.
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Presents: Two Synths, A Guitar (And) A Drum Machine – Post Punk Dance #1 CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)
A new collection of current D-I-Y post-punk bands shaped by the mutant sounds of no wave, punk funk and New York Noise bands from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s that collided with the world of underground dance music found at the Paradise Garage, Mudd Club in NYC. Other influences include Manchester and Sheffield’s industrial 1980s post-punk sounds as well as 1970s German electronic experimentalism. Featured artists include LA D-I-Y band Automatic, Toronto’s New Fries, German Toresch, Susumu Makai from Japan/UK, Vex Ruffin, Philippines/California, and Madmadmad, Gramme, Tom of England and other UK groups.
Various Artists – Sound Storing Machines CD/LP (Sublime Frequencies)
Sound Storing Machines gathers some of the first commercial recordings from Asia made in Japan in 1903 – Japanese gagaku, shakuhachi, shamisen, storytelling, folksong and more – collected and compiled by sound artist Robert Millis. This was the beginning of Japan’s homegrown record industry, including a few sides taken from Japan’s notorious bootleg 78rpm industry.
The Vintage Caravan – Monuments CD/LP (Napalm)
Fifth album from the Icelandic hard rock band. Virtuosic ’70s rock guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of astonishing modern elements and classic psychedelic/progressive rock trademarks.
While She Sleeps – Sleeps Society CD/LP (Spinefarm)
New release from the British metal band. Sleeps Society includes guest vocal turns from Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) on “Nervous” and Deryck Whibley (Sum 41) on “No Defeat For The Brave”. [Two limited-edition vinyl pressings are available: glow in the dark and ‘gold nugget’.]
Lucinda Williams – Runnin’ Down A Dream: A Tribute To Tom Petty CD/2xLP (Highway 20)
Revered singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams is working to help independent music venues during this time with the announcement of Lu’s Jukebox. Scheduled as a six-episode series of mostly full-band, HD video performances in-studio, Lu’s Jukebox will feature a themed set of songs by other artists curated by the multi-Grammy award winner. Lucinda has poured her heart and soul into each of these episodes. From hand-selecting the songs to giving it her all in the studio, this series has been a journey you won’t want to miss. Tracked live by Grammy Award-winning producer Ray Kennedy, the first episode kicked off in October 2020 with Running Down A Dream: A Tribute To Tom Petty, featuring songs from his celebrated career in advance of his 70th birthday. Includes takes on “Runnin’ Down A Dream”, “I Won’t Back Down”, “Wildflowers”, “You Don’t Know How It Feels”, and “Room At The Top” among others.
Lainey Wilson – Sayin What I’m Thinkin’ CD/LP (Broken Bow)
Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ is the hotly anticipated new album from buzzed-about newcomer and “one of Country music’s most promising young stars” (Whiskey Riff). The honesty-driven body of work is her first album as a signed artist and a statement of who Lainey Wilson is, what she believes in and the power of authenticity. In addition to being a lifelong custom for the Louisiana native, the album title serves as a wink to the candor that was infused in her songwriting process, as Wilson’s playful, clever, sassy, soulful, strong and unbridled nature is on full display throughout the project.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Abiotic – Ikigai LP (The Artisan Era)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Having written Ikigai over the course of the last couple of years and finishing this record during a pandemic, technical death metallers Abiotic brings out pain, grief, desperation, and perseverance in every note, every chord, and every word. With lyrics touching on topics of suicide, depression, addiction, climate change and the struggle of finding a reason for being, Abiotic makes this record real and relatable in every sense.
Apparat – Soundtracks 4xLP (Mute)
Soundtracks is the complete set of Apparat’s (aka Sasha Ring) four film score chapters, released digitally across 2020 and now available for the first time on vinyl. The box set comprises the successive releases Capri-Revolution, Stay Still, Dämonen and Equals Sessions. Capri-Revolution, the Italian-language directed by Mario Martone, won Best Soundtrack at the Venice Film Festival alongside a David di Donatello, the Italian equivalent of an Academy Award. Stay Still is an independent German/Italian film directed by Elisa Mishto. Based on a theatrical production of Dostoevsky’s Demons, Dämonen was originally performed live by Ring and frequent collaborators, Philip Thimm and Christoph Hamann. The tracks were later re-arranged for Apparat’s second collaboration with director Sebastian Hartmann after Krieg und Frieden (Tolstoy’s War and Peace). Equals Sessions, from the American film Equals, stars Kristen Stewart directed by Drake Doremus, and premiered at the 72nd Venice Film Festival in 2015.
The Armed – Ultrapop LP+MP3 (Sargent House)
Limited clear vinyl pressing. The Armed return with their first new album in over three years. Ultrapop reaches the same extremities of sonic expression as the furthest depths of metal, noise, and otherwise “heavy” counterculture music subgenres but finds its foundation firmly in pop music and pop culture. As is always The Armed’s mission, it seeks only to create the most intense experience possible, a magnification of all culture, beauty, and things.
Benediction – Scriptures 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Limited clear vinyl pressing. At its core, Scriptures is death metal, a subgenre Benediction helped popularize and perfect, fused with the punk rock anger and attitude. The heavy metal powertrain riffing that’s become a staple for the band, aggressive monster vocals from Dave Ingram, and that groove that sets them apart others in their field.
Jello Biafra and The Guantanamo School Of Medicine – Tea Party Revenge Porn LP (Alternative Tentacles)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Hear the inimitable Mr. Biafra skewer the place the country has put itself in like no one else would-or could-as he and The Guantanamo School Of Medicine capture the full power of their live shows on disc as never before.
Brother Brothers – Calla Lily LP (Compass)
Green color vinyl pressing. “Intimate acoustic folk anchored by butter-smooth close-harmony vocals and minimalist-yet-sophisticated arrangements” – Rolling Stone Country
Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight: The Essentials 2xLP (Cleopatra)
Limited pink color vinyl pressing. A comprehensive career retrospective of country and pop legend.
Mitch Davis – Bear The Cold 7” (Arbutus)
Mitch Davis is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Dedicated to a DIY ethos throughout his music career, Davis has used the pandemic year of 2020 to get started with new projects, reinventing his sound in the vein of classic multi-instrumentalists such as Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, Sly Stone, and Paul McCartney. Bear The Cold, his debut 7”, features two cuts locked down by bass, uplifted by sax, driven by drums, and sweetened with Rhodes, clavinet, piano, synth – all while feeling glued, natural and whole.
Lucky Daye – Painted LP (RCA)
Painted is the debut studio album by American singer Lucky Daye. The album received a nomination for Best R&B Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards, while the album’s lead single “Roll Some Mo” received nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance. Album cut “Real Games” received a nomination in the Best Traditional R&B Performance category.
The Dan DeChellis Trio – Moving Mountains LP (Deko Music)
A genre-defying performer, dedicated educator, and omnivorous listener, Dan DeChellis has lived his musical vision for over 40 years, leveraging strict classical training into deep-dive explorations of modern classical improvisation, free improvisation, jazz, rock, and ambient music. Moving Mountains is the third full release by The Dan DeChellis Trio and features Dan DeChellis – piano, Scot Hornick – bass, and Steve Decker – drums.
Deftones – White Pony (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 4xLP (WB)
On June 20, 2000, Deftones released their third studio album, White Pony, which was immediately acclaimed as a masterpiece by fans and critics alike. Fueled by the successful singles “Change (In The House Of Flies)” and “Digital Bath”, the album won the 2001 Grammy for Best Metal Performance for the song “Elite”. In the twenty years since release, White Pony has continued to grow in stature and influence. Inspired by DJ Shadow’s Entroducing…, Deftones had the idea to have DJ Shadow reimagine the entire White Pony album and call it Black Stallion. 20 years later, Deftones hand-picked a diverse and brilliant collection of artists, including DJ Shadow, to make that idea a reality.
Delta Rae – Coming Home To Carolina 2xLP (Cleopatra)
Limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing. Available on vinyl for the first time Coming Home To Carolina is an electrifying concert album from one of the premiere artists in contemporary Americana music.
Demon King – The Final Tyranny LP (The Artisan Era)
Hailing from Nashville, TN, Demon King aim to be one of the reigning champs of the death metal world.
DUCKWRTH – SuperGood LP (Republic)
Limited translucent violet color vinyl pressing. The second full-length studio release for the Los Angeles rapper features guest appearances from BAYLI, Jean Deaux, Kyle Dion, Earthgang, G.L.A.M., KIAN, Alex Mali, Radio Ahlee, and Julia Romana.
Eve – Scorpion [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Interscope)
20th anniversary vinyl reissue of rapper/Ruff Ryder’s first lady Eve’s critically acclaimed and landmark platinum-selling album, Scorpion.
Fuoco Fatuo – Obsidian Katabasis LP (Profound Lore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With their latest opus Obsidian Katabasis, Italian doom metal cult Fuoco Fatuo has implemented their most towering, suffocating, darkest and most abstract work yet. Elements of a dreadful nature which find cohesion for a rich and thick sound manifest into a visionary descent though multi-layered guitars, skull-crushing low-tuned chords and sepulchral tremolos filtered through analog sounds for wider landscapes marred with obsessive drumming and infernal growls.
Greg Foat – Dark Is The Sun LP (Jazzman)
Recorded in Sweden, Dark Is The Sun is a concept album based on themes and variations by British pianist/composer/arranger Greg Foat, who has created an intriguing blend of non-contemporary jazz sounds with classic scoring techniques. An exotic array of unorthodox instrumentation was utilized, including harpsichord, tubular bells and a 15-piece choir. With musical reference and influence from such luminaries as Bruno Nicolai, Michel Legrand and Serge Gainsbourg as well as a firm nod towards UK jazzmen Michael Garrick, Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw, the result is highly listenable, enduring and fulfilling for those who like real music played with real instruments.
Garage A Trois – Slow Down Cologne LP (The Royal Potato Family)
Garage A Trois return in the form from which they were born 22 years earlier with a new studio album, Calm Down Cologne. Comprised by guitarist Charlie Hunter, saxophonist Skerik and drummer Stanton Moore, OG GAT released its debut album Mysteryfunk to wide acclaim in 1999. The band evolved over the pursuant years in various configurations before eventually going on hiatus following its 2015 album, Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil.
Sam Gendel – DRM LP (Nonesuch)
The follow-up to his Nonesuch debut, Satin Doll, released earlier this year, DRM features Gendel’s solo musical experiments with vintage instruments such as a forty-year-old Electro Harmonix DRM32 drum machine, antique synthesizers, and a sixty-year-old nylon-string guitar-accompanied by his voice. While Satin Doll was a futuristic homage to classic jazz, DRM includes just one cover song: Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”, which Gendel interprets as an instrumental, playing the melody on an old German analogue synthesizer.
Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac – Stranger Blues – Live 5xLP (London Calling)
Limited five LP box set containing live recordings from the original Fleetwood Mac fronted by guitarist Peter Green.
Guster – Goldfly [Reissue/1997] LP (Nettwerk)
Since forming at Tufts University in 1992, Guster has become one of the leading indie/alternative bands, releasing eight critically acclaimed albums in 25 years. Their 1997 album Goldfly is back in-print on black vinyl.
Norman Haines Band – Den Of Iniquity [Reissue/1971] LP+CD (Magic Box)
Featuring legendary Birmingham keyboardist Norman Haines (ex-Locomotive) and recorded at London’s legendary Abbey Road studio, this progressive classic was originally issued in September 1971. Includes CD with six bonus tracks.
Havok – Point Of No Return [Reissue/2012] 12” (Spinefarm)
Limited translucent brown and opaque yellow splatter color vinyl pressing of the 2012 EP from the metal band.
Hudson Mohawke – Hudson’s Heeters Vol. 1 12”+MP3 (Warp)
Hudson’s Heeters Vol. 1 is the debut mixtape by Hudson Mohawke. This seminal release caught the eye of Warp and led to his eventual signing to the label. This marks the first time Hudson’s Heeters Vol. 1 has ever been released on vinyl.
Inkswel – Astral Love LP (Atjazz Record Company)
Being one of the finest exports Australia has to offer, Jules ‘Inkswel’ Habib has become very well respected the world over for his excellent musical output and undying dedication to his art. Countless Inkswel recordings, remixes, and collaborations circulate the airwaves and internet as project after project surges through with an unstoppable force.
The Jam – This Is The Modern World [Reissue/1977] LP (Vinyl Lovers)
Limited clear vinyl pressing. This Is The Modern World is the second studio album by The Jam, originally released in November 1977. The album hit #22 on the UK Albums Chart. The only single from This Is The Modern World was the censored version of “The Modern World”, which peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart.
Keith Jarrett – Budapest Concert 2xLP (ECM)
The second complete show to be issued from Keith Jarrett’s 2016 European tour, following the acclaimed Munich 2016 concert. This double album documents the pianist’s solo performance at Budapest’s Bela Bartok National Concert Hall. Jarrett, whose roots go back to Hungary, saw it as a homecoming; the context inspired much creative improvisation. His later concerts are comprised of independent movements, each a marvel of spontaneous resourcefulness and creative energy.
Jeezy – The Recession 2 2xLP (Def Jam)
The sequel to his 2008 classic, The Recession, The Recession 2 features guest contributions from Yo Gotti, E-40, Rick Ross, Ne-Yo, Demi Lovato and Lil Duval. The album deals with pain and pressure that the everyday black or brown people deals with especially within inner cities. It is an inspiration to be motivated to make it out, be successful, and achieve your goals.
Kashmere Stage Band – Our Thing [Reissue/1969] LP (Endless Happiness)
Our Thing is the debut album of the performing Houston unit known as Kashmere Stage Band. The Texas student band came together at the Kashmere High School and under the direction of musical director Conrad O. Johnson, released a series of cult album on Kram Records, before disbanding in 1978. Raw funk, that’s basically what they’ve been playing and clearly there was a blaxploitation feel all over the place, but their drive was quite unique. Rediscover the myth.
Mat Kerekes – Amber Park 12” (Many Hats)
White, purple, blue tri-color vinyl. Mat Kerekes is the frontman of Citizen with a vibrant solo career of his own. After Ruby, Kerekes has struck out on his own again with the release of Amber Park. Amber Park was written and recorded during isolation through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Koopsta Knicca – Da Devil’s Playground: Underground Solo [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (D.Evil Muzik)
After the Three 6 Mafia hit album, The End proved that Memphis Rap was commercially viable, DJ Paul and Juicy J released Koopsta Knicca’s classic gangsta rap album, Da Devil’s Playground. The album featured older remixed, edited and remastered Koopsta Knicca solo material that had only been released to a small underground audience long before the rapper saw fame via his membership in Three 6 Mafia. It was an instant hit.
Zara Larsson – Poster Girl LP (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Poster Girl is the third studio album by Swedish singer Zara Larsson.
Lawrence – Birds On The Playground LP (Mule Musiq)
Birds On The Playground features deep pulsating music that unfolds it’s true absorbing character when the auditor listens carefully to the detailed storytelling of Lawrence. Like always, his tunes have a special, radiant pulse, that somehow is a signature sign of most of his productions. Playful cosmic grooves, light-hearted, crafted with love and yet freshly unsettling in some moments. His arpeggiated melodies remind partly on the music of Hans-Joachim Roedelius. In other seconds, they display a jazzy spiritual character and drift into meditative areas, that sound to a degree like long forgotten Japanese folk music spheres.
Leon III – Antlers In Velvet LP (Monosonic)
This is a new label project called Monosonic (mono like Spanish for monkey, not mono like mono) which marries an ongoing musical project of Andy Stepanian – Leon III – with the growth and trajectory of his Howler Brothers surf/outdoor lifestyle clothing brand. Antlers In Velvet includes a stellar cast of characters (William Tyler, Matt Pence, Kai Welch, Dana Colley from Morphine) and the whole affair was produced by Mark Nevers. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Donna Lewis – Now In A Minute [Reissue/1996] LP (Real Gone Music)
25th anniversary limited orange color vinyl pressing. Welsh-born singer-songwriter Donna Lewis released an utterly charming album that blended disarmingly personal lyrics and dream pop production.
The Living – 1982 LP (Loosegroove Inc.)
Limited color vinyl pressing of a previously unreleased punk album recorded in 1982. The Living features Duff McKagan (of Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) and Greg Gilmore on drums (of Mother Love Bone).
Lo Talker – A Comedy Of Errors LP (Arts & Crafts)
A Comedy Of Errors is a lush, intricate and quirky album of expansive noisy folk rock augmented by the psychedelic whirr of fractured tape loops. It documents the American panorama of the last few years, jumping from lamentations on the brutality of living, to co-dependent relationships, to the fall of the American empire, and through the Trump presidency. They have a gift for writing observational moments with unexpected verve, and sometimes some much-needed humor.
Low Island – If You Could Have It All Again LP (Emotional Interference)
“Oxford art pop quartet Low Island has been steadily building momentum on the back of some truly impressive singles over the years, fusing together icy shades of electronic art pop, warm tones of indie rock, and avant-garde experimentalism.” – Art Pop
Mirah – Advisory Committee [Reissue/2002] LP+MP3 (Double Double Whammy)
Mirah – C’mon Miracle [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Double Double Whammy)
Limited color vinyl reissues. Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn has been creating incorruptible independent pop music since the late ‘90s.
Junior Murvin – Police & Thieves [Reissue/1977] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Limited gold colored vinyl pressing. Police & Thieves is a roots reggae classic by Junior Murvin which was produced by Lee Scratch Perry (who also wrote or co-wrote many of the songs) at his legendary Black Ark Studios with The Upsetters. The title song was memorably covered by The Clash in a very different arrangement than Murvin’s. Perry’s imaginative and groundbreaking production surrounded Junior’s falsetto vocals and the musicians in a dense, echo heavy, spaced out sound to create one of the great songs, and albums, of the roots era.
Nino Nardini & Roger Roger – Jungle Obssession [Reissue/1971] LP (Farfalla)
Official reissue of the classic library album from 1971. Jungle Obsession is one of the true masterpieces of pop exotica. Nino Nardini & Roger Roger present here their own musical vision of The Jungle Book.
Natural Information Society feat. Evan Parker – Descension (Out Of Our Constrictions) 2xLP (Eremite)
Rich in musical associations yet utterly singular in its voice, joyous with an inner tranquility, the music of Natural Information Society is unlike any other being made today. Descension (Out Of Our Constrictions) is the first to be recorded live, featuring a set from London’s Cafe OTO with veteran English free-improv great Evan Parker, and the first to feature just one extended composition. The 75-minute performance, inspired by the galvanizing presence of Parker, is a sustained bacchanalia of collective ecstasy. You could call it their party album.
Nunofyrbeeswax – Stratotoaster LP (Youth Riot)
Nunofyrbeeswax formed in 2016 in Berlin as a duo with a common love for Beat Happening, minimalism, and rock ‘n’ roll. Their sound has been described as an idiosyncratic blend of garage rock, post-punk and proto indie.
OPTO S – Human Indictive/Live LP (ESP-Disk’)
OPTO S formed in early 2018 in Brooklyn, but the genesis was almost ten years in the making. Argelis Liriano (The Boonies, Last Ones, Ghost Beaters) and Diana K (Hamish Kilgour Band, Giggle The Ozone, Ghost Beaters) befriended each other at Brooklyn basement psych-punk shows and had already been jamming for eight years within the confines of various rehearsal spaces when Diana responded to a social media post by Charles Dodson (Pelvi$$, Ghost Beaters) putting out feelers for a synth-driven new band that would draw on influences such as Sun Ra, Suicide, Oneida, and Silver Apples, to name a few. Charles and Diana had met separately through shows, and all three later determined they had been to many of the same shows, whether they knew each other or not at the time. They found that they were all native New Yorkers. The chemistry was instantaneous, and the first few shows were booked within months.
Dima Pantyushin & Sasha Lipsky – Peshekhod LP (RVNG Int’l)
The debut album from Dima Pantyushin & Sasha Lipsky oscillates through an immaculate synth-pop ecosystem in which every shift feels both accurate in its absurdity and divinely danceable. A window into the inner life of a wandering Muscovite, Peshekhod is a picaresque in miniature, a record that explores the stations of the day in deft detail with a distinctly dry Russian wit.
Caroline Polachek – Standing At The Gate: Remix Collection LP (Caroline Polachek)
Caroline Polachek has already lived an extraordinary life in music: her previous band Chairlift formed in 2006 whilst Caroline was still in art school; and in 2008 the band was thrust into the spotlight when Bruises was synched in an iPod commercial as the Brooklyn indie scene peaked as an international export. Caroline’s idiosyncratic vocal style and synth textures quickly became their sonic trademark and continued to evolve through their three critically acclaimed albums into a new, more modular kind of pop experimentation.
Pupil Slicer – Mirrors LP (Prosthetic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Hailing from London, Pupil Slicer combine all the sharp edges of angular mathcore with the bone crushing intensity of grindcore. [A limited-edition blood with black swirl color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Pye Corner Audio – Black Mill Tapes 5xLP (Lapsus)
In the beginning, there was just a box of tapes and Fate’s Gentle Hand. It was the autumn of 2010, and an anonymous figure known only as the Head Technician, an employee of Pye Corner Audio Transcription Services (Magnetically aligning ferrous particles since 1970), found himself at an auction in the village of Coldred, pop. 110. He was on the hunt for tobacco pipes when he chanced across a trio of boxes listed in the auction catalog, which described their contents only as archived magnetic recordings. The sole bidder, he won the lot, and upon receipt of his purchase took possession of an unspecified number of mouldering cassettes and 1⁄4 reel-to-reel tapes. The collection contained no identifying information save for a single phrase scrawled on each box: Black Mill Sessions. And so, armed with razors, eyedroppers, and a bevy of solid-state circuitry, the Head Technician sat down at his machines and got to work.
Max Romeo & The Upsetters – War Ina Babylon [Reissue/1976] LP (4 Men With Beards)
War Ina Babylon by Max Romeo & The Upsetters was produced by Lee Scratch Perry at his Black Ark Studio. With backing by his superb band, The Upsetters, this record has Perry’s trademark gritty, swampy sound while the socially and politically conscious songs, and the musician’s performances show all involved at the height of their powers. This is a classic of the roots era and an essential record for reggae fans.
Slow Pulp – Ep2/Big Day [Reissue/2017/2019] LP (Miscellaneous Records)
Do you remember being small in a big confusing world? Do you remember feeling excitement for the first time or being cognizant of how clothes fell on your body for the first time? Not many people do, or most of us don’t dare to think back on it. For shoegazey Madison rockers Slow Pulp, this is not the case.
Stortregn – Impermanence LP (The Artisan Era)
With a downpour of eight cosmic tracks, crafted with stellar riffs, thundering blast beats and violence, Stortregn unleash their fifth album.
Sun Ra – Astro Black [Reissue/1973] LP (Modern Harmonic)
One of a handful of albums Sun Ra released on the legendary Impulse! label in the early ’70s, Astro Black provides a comprehensive picture of where the Arkestra was around the time, drawing to the end of their ultra-free period and beginning to investigate more traditional jazz forms, and even the fringes of funk.
There Were Wires – Somnambulists [Reissue/2003] LP (Iodine)
There Were Wires were an underground hardcore/metal band from Boston, MA, that formed in the late ’90s. They quickly gained notoriety in New England for their intense and chaotic live shows.
Toro y Moi – Underneath The Pine [Reissue/2011] LP+MP3 (Carpark)
Limited 10th anniversary color vinyl reissue. Columbia, South Carolina’s Chaz Bundick (aka Toro y Moi) rose to the fore of the music blogosphere in summer 2009 when he and a few peers made their hazy bedroom recordings the most talked-about sound of the season. His second album for Carpark, Underneath The Pine, is an album evocative of R. Stevie Moore’s homespun ruminations, David Axelrod’s sonic scope, Steve Reich-ian piano phrasing, and the pervasive funk of his first record. Underneath the Pine announces a new phase for an artist whose talent defies classification.
Various Artists [Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge] – Jazz Is Dead 6: Gary Bartz LP (Jazz Is Dead)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. There’s early work with Eric Dolphy and McCoy Tyner in Charles Mingus’ Jazz Workshop, work with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln, a stint in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, and also one with Miles. There’s his groundbreaking and highly influential Ntu Troop albums of the early ‘70s and his jazz-funk work including two classic albums with the Mizell Brothers, one of which supplied A Tribe Called Quest with a sample that was smooth like butter. That’s not to mention appearances on beloved albums by Pharoah Sanders, Donald Byrd, Norman Connors, Roy Ayers, Gene Ammons, Phyllis Hyman, Jackie McLean and many others. This is what Gary Bartz brings to the Jazz Is Dead project and as can be expected, his questing spirit fits the JID style like a glove and has produced an album that’s a cutting-edge addition to his immense canon as he effortlessly interfaces with a new generation.
Witch – Lazy Bones [Reissue/1975] LP (Now-Again)
Part of Now-Again’s Zambian Archival Reissue series, this LP release covers Zamrock legends Witch’s third album, Lazy Bones. Packaged in an exact duplication of the original Zambian issue of this album, Witch’s unique blend of American and UK hard rock and psychedelia and native Zambian folk rhythms and melodies shines through in this, their masterpiece.
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