Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
King Buzzo – Gift Of Sacrifice CD/LP (Ipecac)
Gift Of Sacrifice is the second solo acoustic album from legendary grunge progenitor King Buzzo aka Buzz Osborne, frontman for the legendary Melvins. Buzz is accompanied throughout the record by Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas) who is credited on the album cover. A different kind of animal, Gift Of Sacrifice follow’s up Buzz’s last solo album, 2014’s This Machine Kills Artists.
Spoon – Girls Can Tell [Reissue/2001] CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Girls Can Tell served as Spoon’s stunning follow-up to 1998’s A Series Of Sneaks. The Austin, Texas indie rock outfit’s third studio album overall finds the extremely talented Britt Daniel developing into one of the most unique voices in rock ‘n’ roll with a remarkable maturity and economy to his songwriting. The perfect blend of craft and cool, Rolling Stone hailed Girls Can Tell as “A start-to-finish triumph!” Upon the album’s 15th anniversary, Under The Mag noted that, “Spoon have gone on to make some very good albums since Girls Can Tell, but they’ve never made one as great and one that expertly weaves their accessible and experimental sides quite as well.”
August Listening Station/Marketing Program Titles Released This Week:
Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings CD/LP (WB)
“This is a very forward-looking album from a personal perspective and a societal perspective,” explains frontman Simon Neil. “The title is about seeing the joy in things changing, rather than the sadness. Change means progression and evolution. You can retain everything you loved before, but let’s lose the bad shit. It’s about trying to take back control.” Sonically, Biffy Clyro playfully push the outer reaches of their sound to the extreme – often in the case of the same song. Opening track “North Of No South” hits hard before finding the space for the Johnston brothers to unleash some soaring Queen-style vocal harmonies, before “The Champ” throws piano, cinematic strings (conducted by Bruce Springsteen collaborator Rob Mathes at Abbey Road) and Biffy’s prototyped jagged rhythms into the mix without ever losing any of its sleekness. There’s the rush of “The Vertigo Of Bliss”, a detour into Sub Pop-style grunge and manic shrieks which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Liturgy record. But then it contorts again, first into ethereal orchestration and then with a final burst of violence. It’s an ending to celebrate. [Limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Fantastic Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
After winning his second Contemporary Blues Album Grammy for the acclaimed Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito is back with his new album Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? This record focuses on mental health, while providing commentary on the political and social state of America. Lead track “I’m So Happy I Cry” features fellow Tiny Desk winner, Tank, from Tank and The Bangas. Additional focus tracks include “Chocolate Samurai”, “Searching For Captain Save A Hoe (featuring E-40)” and “How Long?” which see him exploring hip-hop, R&B, and rock in a way like never before, providing a glimpse into the full versatility of Fantastic Negrito as an artist.
Gaerea – Limbo CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Cathartic outfit Gaerea challenges the archetype of black metal, coloring outside of the genre’s lines with melancholy, texture and passion. Limbo devours the listener with misanthropic catharsis and cinematic agony, delivering palpable emotion for 52 uninterrupted minutes. Lose yourself in the abyss.
Bruce Hornsby – Non-Secure Connection CD/LP (Zappo Productions)
Bruce Hornsby is on a roll. After taking the music world by surprise with his wide-ranging, critically acclaimed 2019 album Absolute Zero, the singer, songwriter, composer and bandleader returns with a follow-up that picks up where its predecessor left off. Non-Secure Connection features 10 new songs exploring a broad range of themes, from civil rights to computer hackers, mall salesmen to the tribulations of youth basketball. Hornsby plays piano, of course, but the songs on Non-Secure Connection also feature Hornsby’s electric sitar and Chamberlin, along with guitars, horns, strings and subtle samples from sources as varied as minimalist composer John Cage and Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand. Like Absolute Zero, Non-Secure Connection also features a wealth of collaborators: singer James Mercer of The Shins and Broken Bells, singer and poet Jamila Woods, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Bon Iver leader Justin Vernon and the late Leon Russell, who appears thanks to a demo that he and Hornsby recorded together more than 25 years ago. [Limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Arlo McKinley – Die Midwestern CD (Oh Boy)
Coming out of the eclectic Cincinnati music scene that has produced everyone from The National and Walk The Moon to Bootsy Collins, Arlo McKinley has washed his songs in the blood of street soul, country, punk and gospel – and tattooed them onto the underground. Filled with a weight, honesty and gritty-hope from rustbelt city life, McKinley rolled downriver to Memphis to Sun Studio where Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine) gathered a working man’s all-star band to record Die Midwestern. McKinley’s 10 original songs bleed truth and emotion from a heart scarred by wild nights and redeemed by Sunday morning confessions. “She’s Always Around”, “Suicidal Saturday Night”, “Bag Of Pills”, and “Ghost” – a song he wrote in a funeral home parking lot after carrying the coffin of his best friend – are all songs carved out in the key of life. Filled with a hardscrabble spirit akin to the late, great Johnny Paycheck, McKinley is making a name for himself that blue-collar way – humbly stacking piles of soulful acoustic songs that hurt so good. [Vinyl edition due September 25.]
Rumer – Nashville Tears CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Southern American folklore tells of song-catchers: individuals who possess a spiritual, almost supernatural, connection to the music of a culture. They gather important songs and preserve them, providing voices to give them life and ensuring they’re remembered. Rumer is such a song-catcher. On Nashville Tears, Rumer immerses herself in the catalog of Hugh Prestwood, a songwriter whose name is spoken with reverence by his colleagues. An album to savor, Nashville Tears collects 15 of Prestwood’s finest songs, many never recorded until now, revealing truths of the heart, both intimate and universal, realistic and romantic. The record is launched with the folk-rich melody “Bristlecone Pine”, a tale of becoming immortalized in death by being buried the feet of neglected but steadfast tree as old as history itself. “This is one of my favorite songs from the album,” Rumer notes. “I love the atmosphere and the imagery, and the musicians who played on the song brought so much talent and energy to it. I love songs about the natural world and I love that this is a song about a tree.”
CDs + Vinyl:
Bassnectar – All Colors CD (ATO)
Bassnectar is the brainchild of Lorin Ashton, and his open-sourced musical project is as diverse as it is imaginary, as raw as it is meticulous, and as fierce as it is stunning. Spanning the spectrum of sonic style, the music draws inspiration from every genre imaginable and supplies a synthesis of intense, wobbling basslines and hypnotic soundscapes for a devout international audience that desires the beautiful and the bestial in the same breath. Bassnectar’s new studio album, All Colors, signifies a merging of music and social change. [Vinyl edition due September 25.]
Biffy Clyro – A Celebration Of Endings CD/LP (WB)
“This is a very forward-looking album from a personal perspective and a societal perspective,” explains frontman Simon Neil. “The title is about seeing the joy in things changing, rather than the sadness. Change means progression and evolution. You can retain everything you loved before, but let’s lose the bad shit. It’s about trying to take back control.” Sonically, Biffy Clyro playfully push the outer reaches of their sound to the extreme – often in the case of the same song. Opening track “North Of No South” hits hard before finding the space for the Johnston brothers to unleash some soaring Queen-style vocal harmonies, before “The Champ” throws piano, cinematic strings (conducted by Bruce Springsteen collaborator Rob Mathes at Abbey Road) and Biffy’s prototyped jagged rhythms into the mix without ever losing any of its sleekness. There’s the rush of “The Vertigo Of Bliss”, a detour into Sub Pop-style grunge and manic shrieks which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Liturgy record. But then it contorts again, first into ethereal orchestration and then with a final burst of violence. It’s an ending to celebrate. [Limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Black Rose – Black Rose [Reissue1980] CD (Rock Candy)
Digitally remastered edition. After her split with Sonny Bono, Cher’s turbulent marriage to Gregg Allman during the ’70s brought her more attention but very little musical activity of serious note. She was, it seems, searching for a direction, which came to fruition via a relationship with renowned guitarist Les Dudek, who had been feted with praise for his astonishing six-string virtuosity. The pair not only had a romantic relationship, they also forged a musical partnership that resulted in the formation of Black Rose, a fully-fledged band operating in a, melodic, hard rock style.
Paul Brown – Ones Upon A Time CD (Woodward Avenue)
New release from the double-Grammy winner and one of contemporary urban jazz’s premiere hit makers. On Ones Upon A Time, he reimagines a batch of his favorite chart-toppers produced for himself and other artists (Boney, Bob James, Larry Carlton, Kirk Whalum, George Benson).
The Cheats – Cussin’ Crying ‘N’ Carrying On CD/LP (Screaming Crow)
Formed in the winter of 2001 out of necessity, The Cheats decided to create the kind of band that was lacking in their home town of Pittsburgh, PA – an old fashioned, late- ‘70s-style punk rock ‘n’ roll band. Led by vocalist Todd Porter (aka Todd Cheat – former frontman of Silver Tongued Devil and Eviction), the ever revolving line-up has logged many miles on tour, adopting the DIY punk attitude that is crucial to the scene.
Citrus Sun – Expansions And Visions CD (Dome)
Fourth album from the smooth jazz group created by Incognito leader/producer Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick.
Kris Delmhorst – Long Day In The Milky Way CD (Cen)
Called “bold and brilliant” by the Boston Globe and “transcendent” by the L.A. Times, Delmhorst is a veteran of the indie Americana world, with vivid songwriting, soulful delivery, and adventurous arrangements that stretch the limits of genre. She’s been compared to artists as various as Anaïs Mitchell, Lucinda Williams, and Juana Molina – though she cites Rickie Lee Jones, in all her fearless joy and complexity, as an artistic north star. [Vinyl edition due September 4.]
D.I. – Flashback Favorites CD (Cleopatra)
The bad boys of SoCal punk rock return from a long hiatus with punked-out cover versions of classics by Fleetwood Mac, The Guess Who, Kiss, Deep Purple, Blondie, Depeche Mode and more [Vinyl edition due August 28.]
Tanya Donelly and the Parkington Sisters – Tanya Donelly and the Parkington Sisters CD/LP+MP3 (American Laundromat)
Tanya Donelly and the Parkington Sisters cover some of Tanya’s favorite songs by The Go Go’s, Leonard Cohen, Kirsty MacColl, Split Enz, Linda Ronstadt, The Pretenders, Wings, Echo & The Bunnymen, and Mary Margaret O’Hara. [Limited teal colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dover – Someday You Will Miss Today CD/LP/Cassette (Cold Busted)
Recently released on cassette and vinyl – now available on CD. Dover is a self-described instrumental hip-hop artist from the Norwegian suburbs. There is a lot to delve into here as he makes his mark on the global stage of evocative beat production.
Kathleen Edwards – Total Freedom CD/LP (Dualtone Music Group)
Edwards makes her long-anticipated return to music with her fifth studio album, Total Freedom. Written and recorded in Canada and Nashville with longtime collaborator/guitarist, Jim Bryson, and Grammy-winning songwriter/producer, Ian Fitchuk, Total Freedom is both a return to form and a “hard reset,” one that empowered Edwards to write and perform entirely on her terms. For inspiration, she turned to Bob Seger, who’s “Against The Wind” struck a chord with her: “The song just reveals itself in such an effortless way. I was like, ‘That’s how I want to feel on these songs being written: that’s how I want it to feel when I play it start to finish.'”
Einstürzende Neubauten – Alles In Allem CD/LP/LP+CD (Potomak)
After more than 12 years, Einstürzende Neubauten’s long-awaited studio album Alles In Allem arks the quintessence of the band’s output, opening yet another unexpected door in 40 years of ongoing sound research by a very experimental group of musicians around Blixa Bargeld. [CD edition includes a DVD of exclusive live recordings filmed on November 3, 2004, during a special supporter gig at East Berlin’s Palast der Republik. Deluxe vinyl edition includes a bonus multi-media CD as well as a 164-page book.]
Lindsay Ell – Heart Theory CD (Stony Creek)
New release from chart topping musician, vocalist and songwriter Lindsay Ell. Heart theory is an incredibly personal concept album comprised of 12 tracks that journey through each stage of grief: shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance. Ell co-wrote 11 of the songs, enlisting help from acclaimed writers & artists including Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line and Brandy Clark among others on the project.
Eyedress – Let’s Skip To The Wedding CD/LP+MP3 (Lex)
Eyedress is an L.A. based Filipino singer, musician and producer. Let’s Skip To The Wedding is his first album since relocating from Manila to the U.S. in late 2018. A passionate exploration of the themes of love, adjusting to life in a new city, and preparing to welcome a child into this ever changing world, his unique songwriting pairs lovesick lyrics with infectious guitar hooks and his trademark, cold wave inspired, woozy synths.
Fantastic Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
After winning his second Contemporary Blues Album Grammy for the acclaimed Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito is back with his new album Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? This record focuses on mental health, while providing commentary on the political and social state of America. Lead track “I’m So Happy I Cry” features fellow Tiny Desk winner, Tank, from Tank and The Bangas. Additional focus tracks include “Chocolate Samurai”, “Searching For Captain Save A Hoe (featuring E-40)” and “How Long?” which see him exploring hip-hop, R&B, and rock in a way like never before, providing a glimpse into the full versatility of Fantastic Negrito as an artist.
Bill Frisell – Valentine CD/2xLP (Blue Note)
The debut recording of guitarist Bill Frisell’s trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston is a wide-ranging 13-song set that mixes Frisell originals new & old, jazz standards, traditional songs, and covers. Valentine explores the creative freedom of the trio format and the profound musical relationship between these three musicians after years of touring.
Gaerea – Limbo CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Cathartic outfit Gaerea challenges the archetype of black metal, coloring outside of the genre’s lines with melancholy, texture and passion. Limbo devours the listener with misanthropic catharsis and cinematic agony, delivering palpable emotion for 52 uninterrupted minutes. Lose yourself in the abyss.
Giant – Last Of The Runaways [Reissue/1989] CD (Rock Candy)
Digitally remastered edition. Last Of The Runaways is the debut 1989 studio album by the hard rock group Giant. It included the band’s biggest hit, “I’ll See You in My Dreams”, along with the other minor hit, “I’m A Believer”.
Caylee Hammack – If It Wasn’t For You CD (Capitol Nashville)
Caylee Hammack constantly felt like a “hippie in a hillbilly town” in her tiny hometown of Ellaville, Georgia. “I used to pray every night as a kid, ‘God, just please make me different. Don’t make me like everyone else,’” she remembers. Hammack is indeed refreshingly different, her stardom rapidly rising as she prepares to open a stint of Luke Bryan’s tour this summer. If It Wasn’t For You is her debut album.
Eric Hilton – Infinite Everywhere CD (Monserrat House)
After 25 years as the cofounder/writer/producer of Washington D.C. downtempo group Thievery Corporation, Eric Hilton releases his first solo record. Infinite Everywhere, a trip-hop dreamscape of beautiful melodies and wistful instrumentals, is an exploration of inner space. While Thievery genre-hops across and within their albums, Hilton’s solo debut is distilled, focused, more personal. The title and concept is remarkably prescient, conveying melancholia and optimism in equal measures. [Vinyl edition due September 25.]
Bruce Hornsby – Non-Secure Connection CD/LP (Zappo Productions)
Bruce Hornsby is on a roll. After taking the music world by surprise with his wide-ranging, critically acclaimed 2019 album Absolute Zero, the singer, songwriter, composer and bandleader returns with a follow-up that picks up where its predecessor left off. Non-Secure Connection features 10 new songs exploring a broad range of themes, from civil rights to computer hackers, mall salesmen to the tribulations of youth basketball. Hornsby plays piano, of course, but the songs on Non-Secure Connection also feature Hornsby’s electric sitar and Chamberlin, along with guitars, horns, strings and subtle samples from sources as varied as minimalist composer John Cage and Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand. Like Absolute Zero, Non-Secure Connection also features a wealth of collaborators: singer James Mercer of The Shins and Broken Bells, singer and poet Jamila Woods, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Bon Iver leader Justin Vernon and the late Leon Russell, who appears thanks to a demo that he and Hornsby recorded together more than 25 years ago. [Limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Ingested – Where Only Gods May Tread CD (Unique Leader)
New release from the British death metal band. Features guest appearances from Crowbar/Down guitarist Kirk Windstein, The Acacia Strain’s Vincent Bennett, and Kublai Khan’s Matt Honeycutt. [Vinyl edition due August 28.]
Into Eternity – Into Eternity [Reissue/2000] CD/LP (M-Theory Audio)
Digitally remastered and expanded 20th anniversary reissue of the rare debut album by the extreme progressive metal icons. Includes three bonus demos. [Limited colored first-time vinyl pressing of 2008’s Incurable Tragedy also available this week.]
Kamelot – I Am The Empire (Live From The 013) 2xCD+Blu-ray/2xLP+DVD (Napalm)
Symphonic metal masters Kamelot return with their newest offering – a 100 minute live set recorded on September 14, 2018.
Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky – Please Leave Your Light On CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Paul Kelly and Paul Grabowsky are each deservedly regarded as masters of their chosen crafts. Kelly is counted amongst Australia’s most lauded wordsmiths, while Grabowsky is one of our most decorated note-smiths. After their first collaborative performance at UKARIA in the Adelaide Hills in 2018, Kelly and Grabowsky have continued their creative partnership to record the new album, Leave Your Light On. It finds Kelly performing a selection of work from his extensive catalogue with new interpretations by Grabowsky on the piano. With an extensive trove of musical ingenuity, Grabowsky injects new life into the original songs without ever losing sight of Kelly’s creative vision.
Kiesza – Crave CD (Zebra Spirit)
Sophomore album from the Canadian singer/songwriter; an uplifting ’80s inspired pop record full of songs that make you want to sing and dance. Kiesza’s [Vinyl edition due September 25.]
King Buzzo – Gift Of Sacrifice CD/LP (Ipecac)
Gift Of Sacrifice is the second solo acoustic album from legendary grunge progenitor King Buzzo aka Buzz Osborne, frontman for the legendary Melvins. Buzz is accompanied throughout the record by Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas) who is credited on the album cover. A different kind of animal, Gift Of Sacrifice follow’s up Buzz’s last solo album, 2014’s This Machine Kills Artists.
The Knife – Shaking the Habitual: Live At Terminal 5 CD+DVD (BFD)
Shaking the Habitual: Live at Terminal 5 was filmed at the titular New York City venue. The film is, finally, a fitting end to The Knife’s long career, and with its dancers, costumes, and intricate stage set-ups, it celebrates all of the eccentricity that made them so great. May their legacy rest in power, and also in spandex.
Bobby Krieger – The Ritual Begins At Sundown CD/LP (Players Club)
The first solo album in 10 years from the legendary guitarist and songwriter of The Doors. The Ritual Begins At Sundown serves as his ninth solo album overall and first since 2010’s Grammy- nominated Singularity, and finds Robby once again working with long time writing partner and co-producer Arthur Barrow, a frequent collaborator of Frank Zappa throughout the ’70s and ’80s as well as Giorgio Moroder, Joe Cocker, Diana Ross and Janet Jackson. The album also features other Zappa alumni including Jock Ellis (trombone), Sal Marquez (trumpet), Chad Wackerman (drums) and Tommy Mars (keys) as well as Adrienne ‘AeB’ Bryne (flute), Vince Denham (sax), Chuck Manning (sax) and Joel Taylor (drums).
Aksak Maboul – Figures CD (Crammed Discs)
Drawing again from the multiple sources which have always inspired the band (from electronic music and pop to experimentation, jazz, minimalism, contemporary classical etc.), Aksak Maboul reconfigures them with its inimitable style. Figures was wholly written, conceived and produced by Marc Hollander & Véronique Vincent, and features contribution by the band’s current live line-up (Faustine Hollander, Lucien Fraipont & Erik Heestermans, and by guests including a.o. Fred Frith, Steven Brown (Tuxedomoon), members of Aquaserge and more. [Vinyl edition due August 21.]
Vusi Mahlasela – Shebeen Queen CD (ATO)
Vusi Mahlasela is simply known as The Voice in his home country, South Africa, celebrated for his distinct, powerful voice and his poetic, optimistic lyrics. Recorded in his hometown of Mamelodi, South Africa, this album is a tribute to township music in honor of his grandmother Ida, The Shebeen Queen.
Mali Music – The Book Of Mali CD (RCA)
Mali Music is more than a contemporary gospel artist with an R&B foundation, he is an anointed force of nature, and his expressive, soulful, and beautifully rich body of work is a testament to that. With The Book Of Mali, the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter/ musician/producer is poised for more success. The thought-provoking lead track, “Let Go”, written by Mali and produced by David D1 Grant, Jr., tackles the everyday temptations people face and how the power of God can help overcome them.
Marlowe – Marlowe 2 CD (Mello Music Group)
Marlowe is a collaborative alt-rap project from North Carolina-based hip-hop producer L’Orange and rapper Solemn Brigham. Their unique blend of quick-fire vocals and dusty breakbeats is most well-known on tracks such as “Lost Arts” and “Tales From The East”. [Vinyl edition due August 28.]
Marsicans – Ursa Major CD/LP (Killing Moon)
Tipped by The Guardian in their 50 Best New Artists for 2020, Marsicans (MAR-sick-anz) is a fast-rising UK indie band.
Arlo McKinley – Die Midwestern CD (Oh Boy)
Coming out of the eclectic Cincinnati music scene that has produced everyone from The National and Walk The Moon to Bootsy Collins, Arlo McKinley has washed his songs in the blood of street soul, country, punk and gospel – and tattooed them onto the underground. Filled with a weight, honesty and gritty-hope from rustbelt city life, McKinley rolled downriver to Memphis to Sun Studio where Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine) gathered a working man’s all-star band to record Die Midwestern. McKinley’s 10 original songs bleed truth and emotion from a heart scarred by wild nights and redeemed by Sunday morning confessions. “She’s Always Around”, “Suicidal Saturday Night”, “Bag Of Pills”, and “Ghost” – a song he wrote in a funeral home parking lot after carrying the coffin of his best friend – are all songs carved out in the key of life. Filled with a hardscrabble spirit akin to the late, great Johnny Paycheck, McKinley is making a name for himself that blue-collar way – humbly stacking piles of soulful acoustic songs that hurt so good. [Vinyl edition due September 25.]
The Milk – Cages CD/LP (Wah Wah)
New album from the UK southern soul group.
The Mr. T Experience – …And The Women Who Love Them [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (Sounds Rad)
The first in a complete series of reissues by The Mr. T Experience-carefully remastered for the best sound possible. …And The Women Who Love Them is a funny and witty record that charmed the pants off old and new fans alike-laying the groundwork for some of the band’s most popular releases just a few years later.
Nihiloxica – Kaloli CD (Crammed Discs)
Kaloli is the debut full-length LP from Kampala’s darkest electro-percussion group Nihiloxica. The album marries the propulsive Ugandan percussion of the Nilotika Cultural Ensemble with technoid analog synth lines and hybrid kit playing from the UK’s pq and Spooky-J. The result is something otherworldly. [Vinyl edition due August 28.]
Mo Pitney – Ain’t Lookin’ Back CD/LP (Curb)
The country music singer/songwriter’s second album features 7 songs co-written by Mo, and was produced by Jim “Moose” Brown, and contains additional co-writing contributions from a powerhouse list of some of the best in the business. Pitney, who has been named to multiple “Artists To Watch” lists by the likes of Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Huffington Post, Bobby Bones, and Spotify, among others, is influenced by traditional country music, bluegrass, blues, and singer/songwriters like Randy Newman and James Taylor.
Primitive Man – Immersion CD/LP (Relapse)
True to Primitive Man’s ethos, every moment on their extreme, terrifying and confrontational new album Immersion is overwhelming; from the sonic pummeling on the album opener “The Lifer” to the brooding, unnerving guitars whirring throughout “Entity,” Immersion builds and builds. The tension throughout the record is palpable – hair raising tracks such as “Menacing” push and pull constantly, shifting from passages of harsh doom to an endless corridor of horrid screaming, blast beats, and a formidable low end.
Reb Fountain – Reb Fountain CD/LP (Flying Nun)
Over the span of her illustrious career as an independent singer-songwriter, Fountain has become well-known for her earnest and honest approach to storytelling, garnering a close following of fans around the world and in her home, New Zealand. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Kat Riggins – Cry Out CD (Gulf Coast)
It is at the request of Kat Riggins that this collection of contemporary blues songs (produced by Mike Zito) inspires you, the listener, to be an active participant in life.
Rumer – Nashville Tears CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Southern American folklore tells of song-catchers: individuals who possess a spiritual, almost supernatural, connection to the music of a culture. They gather important songs and preserve them, providing voices to give them life and ensuring they’re remembered. Rumer is such a song-catcher. On Nashville Tears, Rumer immerses herself in the catalog of Hugh Prestwood, a songwriter whose name is spoken with reverence by his colleagues. An album to savor, Nashville Tears collects 15 of Prestwood’s finest songs, many never recorded until now, revealing truths of the heart, both intimate and universal, realistic and romantic. The record is launched with the folk-rich melody “Bristlecone Pine”, a tale of becoming immortalized in death by being buried the feet of neglected but steadfast tree as old as history itself. “This is one of my favorite songs from the album,” Rumer notes. “I love the atmosphere and the imagery, and the musicians who played on the song brought so much talent and energy to it. I love songs about the natural world and I love that this is a song about a tree.”
Shadow & The Thrill – Sugarbowl CD/LP (Deko Music)
Shadow & The Thrill is a modern blues infused, groove laden, hook filled melodic rock band that comes from the streets of Los Angeles and New Orleans bringing songs of salvation to soothe your soul.
Sylvie Simmons – Blue On Blue CD/LP (Compass)
The new album by renowned singer, writer and ukulele-player Sylvie Simmons is seamless and beautiful, with its memorable songs and spacious, unexpected arrangements. Once again it highlights her intimate vocals and intelligent lyrics that at first listen, seem dreamy and gentle but hold hidden barbs and pain.
Richie Spice – Together We Stand CD/LP (VP)
Richie Spice is always on the mission to keep roots rock reggae alive through the teachings and judgement of the most High and also the encouragement of self-value for Africans at home and abroad and all other people of the world.
Spoon – Girls Can Tell [Reissue/2001] CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Girls Can Tell served as Spoon’s stunning follow-up to 1998’s A Series Of Sneaks. The Austin, Texas indie rock outfit’s third studio album overall finds the extremely talented Britt Daniel developing into one of the most unique voices in rock ‘n’ roll with a remarkable maturity and economy to his songwriting. The perfect blend of craft and cool, Rolling Stone hailed Girls Can Tell as “A start-to-finish triumph!” Upon the album’s 15th anniversary, Under The Mag noted that, “Spoon have gone on to make some very good albums since Girls Can Tell, but they’ve never made one as great and one that expertly weaves their accessible and experimental sides quite as well.”
State Champs – Unplugged CDEP/12” (Pure Noise)
A six-track EP of stripped down versions of four brand new songs as well as two fan-favorite tracks from their Living Proof release.
Whitney – Candid CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Secretly Canadian)
Following their acclaimed sophomore album Forever Turned Around, Whitney return with Candid, a 10-song collection of covers of songs by Kelela, David Byrne, John Denver, Labi Siffre, and more.
Young Jesus – Welcome To Conceptual Beach CD/LP+MP3 (Secretly Canadian)
Young Jesus artfully balance the wandering riffs of previous records with irresistible hooks, woven into their characteristic swathes of improvisation to create a shimmering, molten tapestry. Indeed, Welcome To Conceptual Beach elucidates the balance between many contrasting forces: the individual and the collective, the rational and the emotive, the tame and wild. It transforms the complex musicality of much post- and math-rock into a radical, crystalline practice, vibrant and light-casting.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The 69 Eyes – Angels [Reissue/2007] LP (Svart)
The kings of Finnish goth-metal returned in 2007 with their most darkly compelling release to date. Filled with pulse pounding riffs, evocative melodies and dramatic arrangements, Angels is the sequel to The 69 Eyes’ international 2004 hit album Devils. This is the first time Angels has been pressed on vinyl. For fans of HIM, Type O Negative, My Chemical Romance, AFI and Aiden.
Ahtme – Mephitic LP (Unique Leader)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ahtme is a five-piece death metal group out of Kansas, City, MO. They come at you with nearly a decade of experience, and intense groove oriented rhythms.
Black Marble – I Must Be Living Twice 12” (Sacred Bones)
Chris Stewart aka Black Marble returns with a new EP of cover songs. On I Must Be Living Twice, Stewart takes on tracks from Wire, Grouper, Robert Palmer, the Field Mice, and Lives Of Angels. Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.
Blue Öyster Cult – Don’t Fear The Reaper: The Best Of Blue Öyster Cult [Reissue/2000] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm red colored vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. A collection of thinking-man’s metal, including the hits “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, “Burnin’ For You”, “In Thee”, “Shooting Shark”,’ and more.
Bon Jovi – Cross Road (The Best Of Bon Jovi) [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Island)
Double vinyl LP pressing. Bon Jovi’s first hits collection was issued in 1994, recapping a 10-year career of massive hits including such #1’s as “Livin’ On A Prayer”. The album also featured a then-new song, Always, which became a global top 5 hit. This release marks the first time Cross Road is available on standard black vinyl in the US and includes a bonus track, “Never Say Goodbye”, not on the US CD.
The Butterfield Blues Band – Live At Woodstock 2xLP (Run Out Groove)
The mid- ‘60s saw a surge of interest in the blues on both sides of the Atlantic; in England, people like John Mayall led the charge, while in America, Paul Butterfield was the great champion of electric blues. The iconic Chicago harmonica player led a storming blues band throughout the ’60s and ’70s that drew on rock, psychedelia, jazz and Indian classical styles and became a big influence on the San Francisco jam band scene. Their incendiary live set at Woodstock on August 18, 1969 is finally getting the vinyl treatment for the first time as a deluxe double-LP set, remastered with lacquers cut at Sam Phillips Recording Studio and featuring all new artwork adorning the gatefold tip-on jacket packaging.
Robert Calvert – Over The Moon 7” (Cleopatra)
A limited edition 7” featuring an ultra-rare recording by former Hawkwind alum Robert Calvert uniquely remixed by indie electronic icons Xiu Xiu and ’80s new wave legends A Flock Of Seagulls. Available in four colors: pink, white, purple, or red.
Alison Chesley, Steve Albini, Tim Midyett – Music From The Film Girl On The Third Floor 2xLP (Touch & Go)
A double LP of music from the film Girl On The Third Floor; creepy instrumental music as described by co-creator Steve Albini. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
C418 – Minecraft Volume Beta 2xLP (Ghostly Int’l)
As C418, composer and producer Daniel Rosenfeld designs sounds to resonate in both physical and pixelated realms. Best known for his original soundtracks to Minecraft, the single best-selling video game of all time, he’s developed a discography of instrumental music over the last decade that traverses electronic pop patterns, neo-classical dreamscapes, and sparse ambient motifs. [Limited lenticular cover edition and limited colored vinyl pressing also available].
Constant Elevation – Freedom Beach 7” (Revelation)
Limited 7” colored vinyl pressing. Constant Elevation started in 2018 as a project between singer-songwriter Vinnie Caruana of The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche, and Peace’d Out, and drummer Sammy Siegler of Youth Of Today, Rival Schools, and many more.
Clear Soul Forces – Forceswithyou LP (Fat Beats)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Every element of hip-hop is on display, from the battle rap influenced intro “Gimmie The Mic”, to the groove inducing single “Chip$”.
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory [Reissue/1970] LP (Craft Recordings)
Limited half-speed remastered 180gm 50th anniversary pressing of iconic studio album from one of America’s greatest rock and roll bands; first released in 1970 at the peak of Creedence’s prolific career. Includes the hits “Who’ll Stop The Rain”, “Run Though The Jungle”, “Up Around The Bend”, “Looking Out My Back Door” and more, plus a cover of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”.
Fredfades & Jawn Rice – Luv Neva Fades LP (Mutual Intentions)
To say Fredfades and Jawn Rice are House music producers would be sneering at their efforts across genres like hip-hop, soul, and jazz. The collaborators have forged a sound together in classic house, siphoning a myriad of influences through their intricate constructions in the studio as solo acts since first meeting in 2007. Shimmering melodies, hazy harmonies and boisterous beats draw Fredfades and Jawn Rice out of the jacuzzi and onto the dance floor, moving under shimmering stars, where the duo cement what they started with Luv Neva Fades.
FSQ – Reprise Tonight LP (Soul Clap)
The debut long player from FSQ (Funk Style Quality), a production team committed to creating original funk music across various styles (northern soul, disco, house music) with supreme quality. Features guest appearances from a heavy list of funk legends: George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Nona Hendryx, Fonda Rae, Denise King, and Dolette McDonald.
Jerry Garcia/John Kahn – GarciaLive Volume 14: January 27th, 1986 The Ritz 2xLP (ATO)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. GarciaLive Volume 14 showcases a buoyant acoustic performance from Jerry Garcia and longtime friend/bassist John Kahn during the middle of a rare duo tour. Recorded on January 27, 1986 at The Ritz in New York City, Garcia and Kahn deliver two exquisite sets featuring Grateful Dead favorites (“Ripple”, “Friend Of The Devil”, “Dire Wolf”, and “Bird Song”, among others), spirited takes on Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and “Simple Twist of Fate”, and more from Garcia’s songbook.
The Gaslamp Killer – HeartMath 10” (Cuss)
After a short hiatus, The Gaslamp Killer has returned with turbulent, moody, and gorgeous symphonies on his third full-length album, HeartMath. An intense and emotional masterpiece, it reaffirms why he remains one of the best DJs and instrumental hip-hop producers of his generation.
Goldfrapp – Supernature [Reissue/2005] LP (Mute)
Limited translucent green colored vinyl pressing. Described by The Guardian as “a brash, beautiful celebration of love and dancing” whilst Rolling Stone declared Supernature “toxic and delicious and will make you do bad things – and like it.”
Richie Hell – The Gumbo Limbo Experiment LP (Sweat)
Richie Hell – an avid record collector, DJ, and musician since his teens – mixes and merges musical elements from across the space-time continuum: Afro & Balkan beats, traveling blues, future soul, ’90s house, Spaghetti Western sounds, samples and field recordings, mermaid calls and mantric chants. With homages to jungles, cannabis, inner strength, and other life forces, it makes sense that his music comes across as spiritual.
In This Moment – Blood [Reissue/2012] LP (Century Media)
Vinyl reissue of the fourth studio album by the heavy metal band. As had been the case with prior In This Moment albums, Blood has a different sound, dropping many of the traditional metalcore elements in favor of electronic samples and further experimentation.
Into Eternity – Incurable Tragedy [Reissue/2008] LP (M-Theory Audio)
First-time vinyl edition of the 2008 album by the extreme progressive metal icons. Lavender colored pressing.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard feat. Mild High Club – Sketches Of Brunswick East [Reissue/2017] LP (ATO)
Limited yellow and blue colored vinyl LP pressing of the eleventh studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and the third by Mild High Club. The title is a reference to the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick East and Miles Davis’ 1960 LP Sketches Of Spain, which inspired the album’s jazz-oriented sound. The album is a collaboration with Mild High Club, and is prominently jazz-based. It was nominated for Best Jazz Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2017.
Liturgy – H.A.Q.Q. LP (YLYLCYN)
The fourth studio album by transcendental black metal band features their characteristic yearning guitar harmonies, epic song structures, and intense drumming. H.A.Q.Q. boils over with harp, piano, gagaku ensemble, pitched percussion, strings, and digital manipulation.
Luciano Michelini – Morte Sospetta Di Una Minorenne (Suspicious Death Of A Minor) [OST] LP (Four Flies)
For the first time on vinyl another top level score for the Italian slasher/crime flick directed by Sergio Martino. The entire soundtrack sounds somehow Goblin-esque, thanks to the prog rock and funk action themes that are used for chases, murders, and suspense scenes.
Pink Martini – Non Ouais! (The French Songs Of Pink Martini) [Reissue/2018] LP (Heinz)
First-time vinyl pressing. All of Pink Martini’s French songs from its entire discography collected on one très sympathique compilation, the perfect gift for the Francophile, French student, or Paris-bound traveler in your life.
Mac Miller – K.I.D.S. [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Rostrum)
The first-ever physical release of Mac Miller’s seminal mixtape K.I.D.S. Double LP with three sides of music and one silkscreen side. Gatefold jacket packaging.
Mux Mool – Skulltaste II LP (Young Heavy Souls)
Staying true to the eccentric song titles and fluid genre-exploration people know and love from Mux Mool, Skulltaste II hosts 13 unique tracks. This sonically improved sequel features fewer samples and more original soundscapes, skilled finger drumming and a sharper streamlined vision.
QThree – Death Ray LP (Grilchy Party)
A well-balanced blend of soulful/vocal sample heavy, sci-fi cinematic, graphic novelistic, and luxurious jazz fusion material in the post modernized chop style of production.
Ramones – It’s Alive [Reissue/1979] 2xLP (Rhino)
2019 remaster on double vinyl. This Ramones 1977 New Year’s Eve show from the Rainbow Theatre in London draws material from the band’s first three studio albums, Ramones (1976), Leave Home (1977), and Rocket To Russia (1977). It is the last album to feature all four original band members: Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, and Tommy Ramone. Originally released in 1979.
Jonathan Richman – I, Jonathan [Reissue/1992] LP (Craft Recordings)
As a founding member of the influential proto-punk band The Modern Lovers, Richman built a reputation for conveying authentic emotions and storytelling with his music. Stepping out as a solo artist in the ‘80s, he continued this aesthetic with simple and sparse rock and roll arrangements, and straightforward lyrics about mundane topics. 1992’s I, Jonathan includes the fan favorites “I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar”, “That Summer Feeling”, and “Parties in the U.S.A.”.
Sareem Poems & Newselph – The Art Of Living LP (Illect Recordings)
11 tracks of mix of thought-provoking lyrics and thumping beats.
Lindsay Schoolcraft – Martyr LP (Lindsay Schoolcraft)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Lindsay Schoolcraft is a Juno nominated, ethereal gothic rock artist best known for her vocals, songwriting, and electric harp playing. She is also known by her work with former band Cradle Of Filth. Her debut solo album, Martyr, features Rocky Gray (former-Evanescence).
Shallou – Magical Thinking LP (Island)
Shallou (Joe Boston) is an L.A.-based artist, record producer and environmentalist. The Maryland native utilizes his unique sound to create music that portrays the beauty of the great outdoors and the complexity of emotions through soft textures as opposed to the typical hardness and aggression found in dance/electronic music.
Slaughter – Stick It To Ya [Reissue/1989] LP (Friday Music)
After providing their musical expertise with former Kiss guitarist’s Vinnie Vincent Invasion, heavy metal veterans Mark Slaughter (lead vocals/guitars) and Dana Strum (bass guitar) decided to branch out on their own and form the group Slaughter. Their success was immediate upon release of their debut smash hit Stick It To Ya. Two limited 180gm colored vinyl pressings: gold and yellow.
Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did It Again [Reissue/2000] LP (Sony Legacy)
Limited 20th anniversary vinyl picture disc pressing.
Static X – Project Regeneration 1 LP (Otsego Entertainment)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New release from the industrial metal band. Project Regeneration 1 is the first of two volumes featuring the last recordings of the late founder, Wayne Static. This is the band’s first studio album in 11 years following Cult Of Static (2009), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band’s career.
Tenacity – Inspired By True Events LP (Street Corner Music)
When Tenacity was writing the album he was going through a lot of changes personally. Both negative and positive transitions. He was doing a lot of walking and a lot of sleeping on couches. A lot of exploring and alot of encounters and conversations with strangers, both good and bad. During the process he grew into himself. He would have shitty days and write about them. He would have great days and write about them to the same beat. He created songs that were inspired by the good and bad that surrounded him.
Timbuktu & Ollie Teeba – Million Pound Note LP (Urbnet)
Combine one-part Timbuku and equal parts Ollie Teeba, along with a pinch of features from Ghettosocks, Savillion, Chokeules, and Nilla, and the awaited result the eight-track LP Million Pound Note.
Tink – Hopeless Romantic LP (Winter’s Diary)
Recently released on CD – now available on hot pink colored vinyl. New album from the Chicago bred R&B artist.
Tenille Townes – The Lemonade Stand LP (SME Nashville)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The debut album from the country singer-songwriter was produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town) and consists of seven new songs as well as all five songs from Townes’ Road to The Lemonade Stand EP, which includes hit singles “Somebody’s Daughter” and “Jersey On The Wall (I’m Just Asking)”.
The Toy Dolls – Absurd-Ditties [Reissue/1993] LP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition yellow colored vinyl reissue of the seventh album from the British Oi punk heroes.
Steve Vai – Passion And Warfare [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Friday Music)
Double 180gm red and gold colored vinyl pressing of the second studio album by the virtuoso guitarist.
The Vandals – Live Fast Diarrhea [Reissue/1995] LP (Craft Recordings)
Limited explosive brown splatter vinyl pressing of The Vandals’ breakthrough 1995 studio album.
Cassette:
Whitney – Candid (Secretly Canadian)
Following their acclaimed sophomore album Forever Turned Around, Whitney return with Candid, a 10-song collection of covers of songs by Kelela, David Byrne, John Denver, Labi Siffre, and more.
Leave a Reply