August Program Titles Released This Week:
John Batiste – Anatomy Of Angels: Live At The Village Vanguard CD/LP (Verve)
“In the fall of 2018, Jon Batiste played a six-night residency at the historic Village Vanguard in downtown New York City. The pianist/bandleader delivers selections from those nights under the title, Anatomy Of Angels: Live At The Village Vanguard. The release is comprised mostly of Batiste’s own compositions, which range from bluesy (“Dusk Train To Doha”) to Coltrane-esque explorations (the titular track “Anatomy Of Angels”, “Creative”.) In addition to his own works, Rachael Price from Lake Street Dive joins him for Ray Noble’s “The Very Thought Of You”. Batiste also arranged on one of the most famous works of his idol Thelonious Monk, “‘Round Midnight”. Batiste says of this recording, “The music on this release is all live, no edits or retakes. It’s a snapshot of live art.”
Carnifex – World War X CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Colossal swells erupt from a vast ocean of human suffering and universal dread and in their wake present to us the latest offering from the minds of Carnifex: World War X. Soul darkening, eye-bloodying, flesh crushing death metal is to be expected from this group of musicians, yet with the new album comes a unique notion of unavoidable hopelessness; the inevitable rot of mankind. Carnifex has stoked the coals and breathed a distinct power into World War X that boils over into subjects and sounds of human degradation. There is a noticeable gain in the complexity of song structure as they deliver you further into an audio-sensory sojourn. The title track opens the album and quickly ignites the tone of the album both lyrically and musically. Much like a conversation, the song displays multiple, cynical points of view about war, death, and certain destruction. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Tyler Childers – Country Squire CD/LP+M{3 (RCA)
Rising singer/songwriter Tyler Childers returns with Country Squire, his second official full-length effort. Produced by Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson, the album was recorded at The Butcher Shoppe in Nashville and consists of nine new originals. In addition to Childers (vocals, acoustic guitar), the long player features several world-renowned musicians including Stuart Duncan (fiddle, mandolin, banjo), Miles Miller (drums, background vocals) and Russ Pahl (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel, Jaw harp, baritone). Of the mission behind the album, Childers notes, “I hope that people in the area that I grew up in find something they can relate to. I hope that I’m doing my people justice and I hope that maybe someone from somewhere else can get a glimpse of the life of a Kentucky boy.” Ushered in by the yearning bluegrass-tinged tale, “House Fire”, Country Squire continues a series of breakout years for the promising artist, whose acclaimed debut, Purgatory – also produced by Simpson and Ferguson – landed on multiple Best of 2017 lists. [Indie store exclusive color splatter vinyl LP edition also available.]
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana CD/LP (Keep Cool/RCA)
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib first connected on their 2014 universally acclaimed collaborative album Piñata, which was celebrated on the street and by critics. The duo’s seamless collaboration juxtaposes two giant talents: Madlib, the prolific producer with a record collection from all genres and eras, an adept sampler, peer to the late J Dilla and foil for Doom with whom he created the landmark Madvillainy. Freddie Gibbs, the gravel-voiced braggadocios rapper, a vocal athlete, a star-on-the-rise knocked off course who refused to give up and has since offered some of the most compelling rap music in the past 10 years. Bandana picks up right where their first album left off, as Madlib chops up vintage samples into a complex soundscape that only a lyricist of Freddie’s caliber could match in flow and tenacity. As a pair, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib exude a natural chemistry and craft an alchemical music, appealing to everyone on the hip-hop spectrum. Boasting guest spots from Killer Mike, Pusha-T, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) and Black Thought, Bandana features the singles “Flat Tummy Tea” and “Crime Pays”.
Lettuce – Elevate CD/2xLP (Lettuce/Ingrooves)
Recorded at Colorado Sound outside of Denver with legendary engineer Russ Elevado (D’Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu), Elevate shows Lettuce touching on its past while moving full force into the future. The band explores its funk roots in the Tower Of Power-like punch of “Ready To Live” (the cover of a song by Cold Blood’s Lydia Pense), the Prince-like swagger of “Royal Highness” and the OG blues-soul of “Love Is Too Strong”, while expanded trip-hop sounds of the space age audio-scapes like “Trapezoid”, “Gang 10” and “Purple Cabbage” show the influence of sax player Ryan Zoidis’ Korg X-911 synths and Nigel Hall’s Rhodes keyboards. Other album highlights include guitarist Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff’s nod to Carlos Santana and Trey Anastasio on the Latin-flavored and playfully named “Shmink Dabby”, the spaghetti western meets ‘60s Ethiopian funk by way of the French Ethiopiques compilation albums in the focus track, “Krewe” and the Marcus King cameo vocal on the B.B. King/Al Green gospel blues of “Love Is Too Strong”. [Deluxe bone colored double-LP picture disc and red colored double-LP picture disc pressings are also available.]
Mabel – High Expectations CD/2xLP (Capitol)
High Expectations is a stunning statement of intent from Mabel. It’s a record – and a state-of-mind, in many ways – that she has worked towards her whole life. It’s an ambitious body of work from an increasingly fearless young artist, which explores the multiplicity of expectations (as a woman; in love; of others; and ultimately of yourself). What’s emerged as High Expectations is an empowering, uplifting and disarmingly candid record, which tells the next chapter not only in Mabel’s own extraordinary life-story, but – like those records which shaped her, The Writing’s On The Wall or The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill – also seeks to tell those stories of so many others.
Still aged just 23 years old, High Expectations is that rare record which feels both like a graduation and, also, just the beginning for the twice-Brit-nominated singer/songwriter. Mabel explains, “High Expectations the title says it all. It’s about the expectations I have of myself, other people’s expectations of me and vice versa, especially in relationships. The general topic of the project is the negatives and positives that come with that. I want to send a positive message to everyone that’s going to listen to it. I’ve gained so much confidence from writing this album and that’s what I want people to take from it.”
Penny & Sparrow – Finch CD (I Love You)
Beginning with 2013’s Tenboom, the staunchly DIY pair Penny & Sparrow released a series of critically lauded records that garnered comparisons to the hushed intimacy of Iron & Wine and the adventurous beauty of James Blake. NPR praised the band’s songwriting as a “delicate dance between heartache and resolve,” while The World Café raved that they’ve “steadily built a sound as attentive to detail as Simon & Garfunkel and as open to the present day as Bon Iver.”
Penny & Sparrow’s sixth album Finch is titled as a nod to Charles Darwin, who developed his theory of evolution in part by studying the changes that manifested over time in groups of birds that moved to different islands across the Galapagos, and it’s easy to see the connection. The album finds the band reckoning with a prolonged period of intense personal transformation, a profound awakening that altered their perceptions of masculinity, sex, religion, divorce, friendship, vanity, purpose, and, perhaps most importantly, self. Deeply vulnerable and boldly cinematic, the resulting songs blur the lines between indie-folk and alt-pop, with dense string arrangements and atmospheric production underpinning soaring melodies and airtight harmonies.
The Teskey Brothers – Run Home Slow CD/LP (Glassnote)
Honoring that old school Motown sound and working it into something of their very own, Australian four piece The Teskey Brothers stunned many in 2017 with their gorgeous debut album Half Mile Harvest – a raw combination of soul and blues. Listening to the record you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the work of Stax Records alumni in Memphis circa ‘67 rather than a group of twenty-somethings from the Yarra Valley just outside Melbourne. On Run Home Slow, avoiding genre labels is something that the band have strived for musically, incorporating elements of southern rock, Americana, psychedelia, Dixieland jazz, gospel and a surprise striking pop centerpiece. Here, The Teskey Brothers have made an album that honors their past, resonates wonderfully in the present and looks forward to a continually brighter future.
Various Artists – Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 2xCD (Third Man)
Various Artists – Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 Vol. 1 2xLP (Third Man)
Various Artists – Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 Vol. 2 2xLP (Third Man)
August 1969 might have seen another musical gathering grabbing the world’s attention, but the Ann Arbor Blues Festival has since proven a cultural milestone in its own unique right – the first American festival devoted solely to blues music. Held August 1-3, 1969 at Fuller Flatlands, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, for three days it was not unusual to find scenes like B.B. King playing his forthcoming single for Mississippi Fred McDowell, Big Mama Thornton and Junior Wells or Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Big Joe Williams catching up about grandchildren, life on the road and the recent moon landing. The family reunion backstage led to an all-star game onstage as an audience of eager young blues converts was treated to a living history of the blues from some of its inventors, innovators and greatest talents. Released on the 50th anniversary of the event, Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969 collects 24 previously unheard songs by such blues legends as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, James Cotton, Son House, Magic Sam, T-Bone Walker, Junior Wells, Big Mama Thornton, Clifton Chenier, Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Pinetop Perkins, J. B. Hutto & His Hawks, Roosevelt Sykes, Luther Allison, Otis Rush, Big Joe Williams, Charlie Musselwhite and more.
CDs + Vinyl:
Bad Company – The Swan Song Years 1974-1982 6xCD (Atlantic)
Each album on The Swan Song Years 1974-1982 has been remastered using the original multi-track tapes, including newly remastered versions of Desolation Angels (1979) and Rough Diamonds (1982) that are making their debut as part of this set. The other albums included in the collection are: Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975), Run With The Pack (1976), and Burnin’ Sky (1977).
Bad Omens – Finding God Before God Finds Me CD (Sumerian)
For fans of: Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon, Ice Nine Kills.
Cindy Lee Berryhill – Garage Orchestra [Reissue/1994] CD (Omnivore)
Cindy Lee Berryhill – Straight Outta Marysville [Reissue/1996] CD (Omnivore)
Expanded CD reissues. Anti-folk founder Cindy Lee Berryhill burst onto the music scene in 1987 with her acclaimed debut Who’s Gonna Save The World? and followed it up two years later with the Lenny Kaye produced Naked Movie Star. However, the world would have to wait until 1994 for her next release, the ambitious Garage Orchestra. Earning a 4-star review from Rolling Stone, Garage Orchestra was a departure from the more folk-rock leanings of her first two albums, with Cindy Lee’s singing and playing being augmented by instrumentation from strings, brass, woodwinds, and even toy piano, marimba, and tympani. Follow-up Straight Outta Marysville contains much of the same inventive writing and playing, with Cindy Lee’s vocals from and center.
Blue Highway – Somewhere Far Away: Silver Anniversary CD (Rounder)
A band that makes it into bluegrass’ exclusive 25-year club inevitably celebrates the thousands of one-nighters, hundreds of festivals, dozens of recordings, and uncountable road miles by taking an album off, and releasing a retrospective. But that’s not Blue Highway and not their new release. For 25 years, writing their own songs has set this highly-awarded band apart (members have racked up 28 IBMA Awards and three Grammy nominations as a band), so it’s no surprise that for Somewhere Far Away, their Silver Anniversary release, Blue Highway takes the road less traveled. The dozen new songs come from some of the finest songwriters in bluegrass, three of whom happen to be founding members – Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor and Shawn Lane.
Brownout – Brown Sabbath Vol. 2 CD/LP (Ubiquity)
Austin’s Brownout unleashed the Brown Sabbath Vol. I project garnering acclaim from outlets such as NPR (50 Best Albums of 2014), Pitchfork, hardcore Black Sabbath fans and most important of all Ozzy Osbourne himself, while staying true to their Latin funk roots. Brown Sabbath Vol. II cranks up the level, rocking harder than the original with a brew of ballistic horns, pummeling guitar-riffs underscored by a funky, driving rhythm section.
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Live At Woodstock CD/2xLP (Craft Recordings)
The first-ever official release of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s legendary Woodstock performance in its entirety. Their hour-long set took place shortly after midnight on 17 August 1969, a later-than-planned start due to the Grateful Dead’s set over-running.
Cross Record – Cross Record CD/LP (Ba Da Bing)
Cross Record’s self-titled third album begins with Emily Cross’s disembodied voice intoning from an otherworldly vacuum. In the three years since her last album, Cross has divorced, quit drinking, become a death doula, started the observational podcast What I’m Looking At, and toured and recorded with Sub Pop’s Loma, the trio she formed with Dan Duszynski on drums and Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) on guitar/vocals. On Cross Record, she guides the listener like a sonic Virgil, delivering a textured soundscape of meditative curiosity, akin to Low’s Double Negative, Broadcast’s The Noise Made By People and Radiohead’s Kid A.
Cherie Currie & Brie Darling – The Motivator CD (Blue Élan
The Runaways frontwoman and solo artist Cherie Currie and Fanny drummer and singer Brie Darling were ’70s icons who got the headlines. But they didn’t always get the credit they deserved as strong women holding their own and forging new ground in a rock & roll playing field then dominated by old-school masculine mores. Now fierce friends and cool collaborators, they’ve collaborated on new album The Motivator, a 12-song set featuring nine covers by bands including T. Rex, The Rolling Stones, Buffalo Springfield, Stevie Wonder, and John Lennon, plus three new originals.
Davina & The Vagabonds – Sugar Drops CD/LP (Red House)
Sugar Drops is distillation of bluesy barroom baritone and bravado, graveyard jazz grooves, and noir-ish confessional lyricism backed by boisterous piano, guitar, and strings.
Ani DiFranco – No Walls Mixtape CD (Righteous Babe)
“So here is my mixtape for you, like the kind that I would make you on cassette if it was, like, 1993 and I was really into you. It’s a flight of Ani songs that I took the liberty of revisiting, solo stylie, 20… (30?!) years later, songs that factor (either literally or figuratively) into my memoir, No Walls And the Recurring Dream. These songs take the same stumbly trip through my formative years that the book takes – except for ‘To The Teeth’. ‘To The Teeth’ has nothing whatsoever to do with the book; I just wanted to include it.”
Finsterforst – Zerfall CD (Napalm)
The Germans’ emotional brand of post black metal gives vent to endless rage with pounding riffs and astonishing orchestral elements.
The Mick Fleetwood Band – Something Big [Reissue/2004] CD (Sanctuary)
Something Big is the fifth album by Mick Fleetwood, originally in September 2004. The album features several guest musicians, including Fleetwood Mac’s John McVie, Jeremy Spencer a member of the original Fleetwood Mac, and singer-songwriter Jackson Browne.
Föllakzoid – I CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
The long-awaited fourth full-length by Föllakzoid isn’t merely a recalibration for the band. It is a multidimensional reconsideration of what the process of songwriting, performance, and creating a work of recorded music can be. Unlike past Föllakzoid records, that were done in single takes with the full band, this record took three months to construct out of more than 60 separate stems – guitars, bass, drums, synthesizers, and vocals, all recorded in isolation. Producer Atom TM, who was not present for recording, was then asked to re-organize the four sequences of stems without any length, structural restrictions or guidelines. Those sequences ultimately became the four long tracks that appear on I. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ross Golan – The Wrong Man CD (Interscope)
From the mind of multi-platinum songwriter Ross Golan, The Wrong Man is a one-man musical, animated film, and now concept album centered around a love affair gone terribly wrong. With his lush voice and gentle chords, Golan deftly conveys the despair and frustration of those who experience injustice. [Vinyl edition due September 20.]
Humanity’s Last Breath – Abyssal CD/2xLP (Unique Leader)
Third album from Sweden’s leading modern death metal outfit. Abyssal is a genre shattering, claustrophobic nightmare, equally invoking Meshuggah, Ulver, Emperor and something entirely unique. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Iamthemorning – The Bell CD (Kscope)
“Kscope specializes in post-prog, meaning that the music is progressive, but takes the elements to new places. Iamthemorning certainly does this. On The Bell particularly, they really focus on atmosphere and ambiance, expanding their vision possibly even outside the chamber setting and more into the concert hall sound. Some of the songs feel like something out of a macabre dream, hovering around your mind like haunting visions of another life.” – The Prog Mind [Vinyl edition due August 9.]
Peter Laughner – Peter Laughner 5xCD/5xLP+MP3 (Smog Veil)
Peter Laughner was a singer/songwriter from Cleveland like no other. Before his untimely death in 1977, he played in numerous bands, most notably Rocket From The Tombs and Pere Ubu, and also as a solo performer. He wrote for a variety of weekly newspapers and Creem, where he was a contemporary of Lester Bangs. He famously told Jane Scott of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he wanted to do for Cleveland what … Brian Wilson did for California and Lou Reed did for New York. In many ways, Peter did in fact put the Cleveland underground on the map. [Limited black and white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Lewis Express – Clap Your Hands CD/LP (ATA)
Primarily based in Leeds, The Lewis Express is comprised of many of the musicians that have graced previous ATA releases. Clap Your Hands is heavily influenced by the classic soul jazz recordings of The Young Holt Trio / Young Holt Unlimited, and Ramsey Lewis, from who this group take their name. As with many of the classic Ramsey Lewis cuts this album was recorded live, capturing the rich inter-relationship between the players and leaving in some of that chunky room noise.
Seiko Matsuda – SekioJazz2 CD (Verve)
Seiko Matsuda has had an extensive career as a pop singer and actress, with a nearly forty year singing career in Japan.
Linda McCartney – Wide Prairie [Reissue/1998] LP (Capitol)
Wide Prairie, the posthumous solo album from Linda McCartney, was compiled by Paul after Linda’s tragic death. Among its 16 tracks are 13 original songs written by Linda and three cover versions. Paul, who produced the album, sings backing vocals and plays a variety of instruments. A personal set of songs, Wide Prairie provides a glimpse into the varied aspects of Linda McCartney, from “Cow” and “The White Coated Man”, where she stands up for animal rights, to the fun feel of “Seaside Woman”.
- Mcfarlane Reality Guest – Ta Da CD/LP (Night School)
Ta Da is the debut full length from J. McFarlane Reality Guest, the collective name for the trio headed by the eponymous Julia McFarlane. As a member of the group Twerps, McFarlane has traversed guitar-centric, melodic pop music for some years while honing a highly unique, personal musical language. This is the first recorded unveiling of her affecting, oblique songwriting panache, originally released in her native Australia.
My Morning Jacket – The Tennessee Fire [Reissue/1999] 2xCD/3xLP+MP3 (Darla)
20th anniversary deluxe, expanded edition of the debut album by My Morning Jacket with 16 previously unreleased bonus tracks selected from the archives by Jim James. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing available.]
Nérija – Bloom CD/LP (Domino)
Blume sees Nérija – comprised of contemporary jazz luminaries, Nubya Garcia (tenor saxophone), Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet), Cassie Kinoshi (alto saxophone), Rosie Turton (trombone), Shirley Tetteh (guitar), Lizy Exell (drums) and Rio Kai (bass) – build upon their effortlessly beautiful sound and compositional style, sprawling in scope and depth, confirming their position as one of the most exciting bands to have come from London in recent years.
Neurosis & Jarboe – Neurosis & Jarboe [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Neurot)
When two independent and distinct spheres overlap, the resulting ellipse tends to emphasize the most striking and powerful characteristics of each body. Such is the case with this particular collaboration between heavy music pioneers Neurosis and the multi-faceted performer Jarboe (who performed in Swans and who has collaborated with an array of people from Blixa Bargeld, J.G. Thirlwell, Attila Csihar, Bill Laswell, Merzbow, Justin K. Broadrick, Helen Money, Father Murphy, the list goes on…) The musicians pull from one another some of the most harrowing and unusual sounds ever heard from either artist at the time-a sentiment which also rings true to some fifteen years later.
The New Roses – Nothing But Wild CD/LP (Napalm)
The German band has recently supported the Scorpions and got invited by KISS to their very own cruise, but with fourth album Nothing But Wild they climb the rock Olympus themselves.
Northlane – Alien CD/LP (UNFD)
Alien is the fifth studio album from ARIA award winning band, Northlane, an abrasive collection which merges the worlds of metal and electronic music into one intense, pulverizing whole. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Karine Polwart – Karine Polwart’s Scottish Songbook CD/LP (Hegri)
Award-winning songwriter and folk singer Karine Polwart reimagines a clutch of beloved songs that cut across fifty years of Scottish pop. ‘80s classics from Deacon Blue, The Waterboys and Big Country sit alongside the stadium balladry of Biffy Clyro, while maverick legend Ivor Cutler rubs shoulders with the electro pop of Chvrches and the immaculate song craft of John Martyn.
Possible Humans – Everybody Split CD/LP (Trouble In Mind)
Everybody Split’s nine tracks jangle and clang with that urgent, nervous energy felt in some of the best DIY/underground rock from the past three decades, R.E.M., GBV, Feelies et al, but also absolutely of the NOW, swooning with a smoothed, amber patina of melancholy and longing. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Pretty Boy Floyd – Stray Bullet CD/LP (Deadline Music)
A collection of rare demo recordings from the early ’90s that was to be the band’s follow-up to their major label debut album Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz. Also includes the entire 1998 EP A Tale Of Sex, Designer Drugs, And The Death Of Rock N’ Roll plus three bonus tracks.
Prurient – Garden Of The Mutilated Paratroopers 2xCDEP (Profound Lore)
A limited double-EP of airborne electronics for the 75th anniversary of Screaming Eagles Radio and 82nd Neptune Death Row. Adrenaline drones, memorial distortion, windy feedback, loud speaker vocals with a heavy influence from the naked and neither fact-nor-fiction black humor drama forgotten style of Aquifer Sodality and Slaughter Productions.
Russian Circles – Blood Year CD/LP (Sargent House)
With their new album Blood Year, Russian Circles forsake the sonic crossroads of divergent musical paths found on albums like Guidance and Memorial to offer up the most direct and forceful collection of songs in their discography – an album that fully embraces the most forceful aspects of their repertoire, retaining the dexterity, multi-faceted techniques, and dramatic compositions that have been a trademark of Russian Circles since day one.
Saxon – The Eagle Has Landed 40 (Live) 3xCD/5xLP (Militia Guard Music)
Since the 1970s Saxon has consistently showcased an ability to take rock ‘n’ roll and give it an electrifying edge, cementing their status as pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal along the way. The band celebrate four dominant metal decades with The Eagle Has Landed 40 (Live). Featuring 40 of the band’s most iconic tracks spanning their entire career thus-far, the selection was personally curated by front man and founder Biff Byford, who selected the best live performances from an array of international shows over the last twelve years.
Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller’s Parlour Game – Parlour Game CD/LP (The Royal Potato Family)
When two of the indie-jazz scene’s foremost instrumentalists unite for their debut co-writing collaboration that intermingles panoramic Americana-infused arrangements with a Brooklyn jazz pocket, the result is as ambitious as only violinist Jenny Scheinman and drummer Allison Miller could envision. Parlour Game features a compositional sisterhood of two innovators redefining American music.
Ty Segall – First Taste CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
First Taste is an introspective set for Segall after the extroversions of 2018’s Freedom’s Goblin. Lines of struggle wind through the songs as Segall reflects on family, re-encountering pasts, anticipating futures. He skates through oneness, self-esteem, the parents – all the joys of a rain-filled childhood – while reaching outward in the here and now, feeling for a shared pulse.
Skillet – Victorious CD (Atlantic)
On the heels of 2016’s gold-certified Unleashed, hard rock outfit Skillet return with a new album. Victorious’ lead single “Harmonies” features otherworldly keyboards and wiry, blues-inspired guitar give way to kicking percussion before the song explodes with a hummable hook punctuated by hypnotic harmonies.
Slaughter Beach, Dog – Safe And Also No Fear CD/LP (Lame-O)
Across the previous Slaughter Beach, Dog albums, guitarist/singer Jake Ewald (Modern Baseball) has crafted a specific sound. It’s one that incorporates pop music, indie-rock, folk, and just the faintest dash of punk in order to create something that’s accessible but still artistically rich. With Safe And Also No Fear, the band’s third album, Ewald has abandoned his usual practices in service of creating something that, try as one might, isn’t so easy to describe.
Spoon – Everywhere At Once: The Best Of Spoon CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Spanning a career well into its third decade, Spoon has announced a greatest hits compilation to coincide with their enormous North American amphitheater tour alongside Beck and Cage The Elephant. In addition to the 12 classics assembled onto this collection, Spoon enters a new classic into the canon: “No Bullets Spent.”
Sunz Of Man – Rebirth CD/LP (Cleopatra)
The dramatic return of the first official Wu-Tang Clan affiliated group that launched the careers of SOM founders Prodigal Sunn and Killah Priest along with longtime members Heaven Razah (formerly Hell Razah) and 60 Second Assassin. Features guest appearances by Wu-associate Cappadonna as well as underground superstars Planet Asia, LA The Darkman, Shaka Amazulu The 7th and more.
Garry Tallent – More Like Me CD/LP (D’Ville Record Group)
More Like Me is Garry’s (The E-Street Band) homage to the sound of the mid- ‘60s; the sounds he grew up and learned by ear on his cheap guitar.
Television Personalities – Some Kind Of Happening: Singles 1978-1989 CD/2xLP+7” (Fire)
Television Personalities – Some Kind Of Trip: Singles 1990-1994 CD/2xLP (Fire)
A comprehensive remastered collection of all the Television Personalities’ groundbreaking single releases. A further celebration of the songwriting of outsider’s outsider Dan Treacy, sequenced in chronological release order including every track and remix, embracing a host of pop culture threads from art, music and writing with all the ironic wit and wisdom of a master tunesmith – a veritable L-shaped room of pop desire.
Various Artists [Hernan Cattaneo] – Balance Presents Sunsetstrip 2xCD+MP3 (Balance)
Lovingly referred to as “El Maestro” by his legions of adoring fans, Hernan Cattaneo has, over the last 30 years, carved a career that eclipses all others. Fascinated by the synth-pop and post punk of the ’80s, Hernan quickly discovered the futuristic sounds of dance music coming from Detroit and Chicago. Completely consumed by his new-found love, he progressed naturally to DJing.
Various Artists – Jumping With Mr. Lee CD/LP (Kingston Sounds)
The period of 1967-1968 when rocksteady was in full flow, would also be a turning point for Bunny Striker Lee, when he became a producer in his own right. Many of the great tunes during this eventful year came out of his stable and initially saw the light of day on his own imprint label Lee’s. Jumping With Mr. Lee has been assembled from some of those fine tunes and tells the story of reggae in what was a stellar time for both reggae and Mr. Bunny Lee.
Volbeat – Rewind, Replay, Rebound CD/2xCD/2xLP (Republic)
Volbeat’s seventh album, Rewind, Replay, Rebound finds the Danish/American hard rockers building upon the distinct, psychobilly, punk-tinged rock ‘n’ roll sound they’re known for, while reaching for new creative summits. [Deluxe double-CD edition featuring non-album tracks and demo versions also available.]
Yes – Yes 50 Live 2xCD/4xLP (Rhino)
Yes 50 Live features 13 live performances of key songs that helped make Yes one of the most enduring, ambitious, and virtuosic progressive bands in rock history. Much of the album was recorded in Philadelphia, a show where 10 members of Yes were on stage during the encore (current members) Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Alan White, Billy Sherwood and Jon Davison, Jay Schellen, plus (former members) Tony Kaye, Patrick Moraz, Tom Brislin and Trevor Horn.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Àbáse – Invocation LP (Cosmic Compositions)
A collection of seven songs recorded during a two-year period in different locations, capturing Àbáse collaborating with some of the most talented musicians from the buzzing Budapest music scene with special guest performers from Africa and Brazil.
Abstract Orchestra – Dilla [Reissue/2017] LP (ATA)
Led by Saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra seeks to reflect the diversity of music sampled by hip-hop producers by presenting music that has the complexity of jazz, framed within the simpler structures of hip-hop. Dilla is a tribute to the work of the highly acclaimed and influential producer.
The Accused – Murder In Montana LP (Pig)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Archival live set recorded in 1983. The Accused blast through more than a half-hour of gritty, pissed-off three-chord-punk songs; all while poking, instigating and shouting at the crowd of bewildered rednecks.
The Allman Brothers Band – Where It All Begins [Reissue/1994] LP (Friday Music)
Two limited 180gm colored vinyl pressings available: black and blue and gold. After breaking up in 1981, the Allman Brothers’ four surviving original members – Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe – reunited for a 20th anniversary tour in 1989. 1994’s Where It All Begins marked the band’s fourth post-reunion release and second to last studio effort to date. It would also serve as the band’s last with Betts.
Bones UK – Bones UK LP (Sumerian)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For London-bred band Bones UK, every song is a chance to speak their minds, and to shed light on the disconnect between the status quo and the far more glorious world inside their heads. On their self-titled debut album, vocalist Rosie Bones and guitarist Carmen Vandenberg confront everything from the beauty industrial complex to toxic masculinity to music-scene sexism, embedding each track with choruses primed for passionate shouting-along. Bones UK offer up an album that’s both provocative and endlessly exhilarating, even in its most outraged moments. True to the L.A.-based band’s anti-conformist spirit, Bones UK unfolds with an entirely uncontainable sound, a riff-heavy collision of rock-and-roll and rough-edged electronic music. On opener “Beautiful Is Boring”, Bones UK bring artful riffs and sinister grooves to a feverish statement against societal expectations of beauty. [Half black/half clear vinyl pressing.]
Boogie Belgique – Volta [Reissue/2016] LP (Cold Busted)
Limited gold colored vinyl pressing. Nostalgic, soulful and, of course, boogie-woogie. That’s how Belgian DJ producer Boogie Belgique (aka Oswald Cromheecke) describes the enticing combination of styles and sources from different decades that make up his music. Taking vintage inspirations, most notably from swing and jazz eras, and merging them with contemporary beats and textures is the young producer’s forte.
Brown And Roach Incorporated – Brown And Roach Incorporated [Reissue/1955] LP (Down At Dawn)
Recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles in August 1954, this is the first Emarcy recording of the legendary Brown & Roach Quintet featuring the great Harold Land on tenor sax, Richie Powell on piano, and George Morrow on bass. Under the direction of two modern jazz masters such as trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach the quintet shines through a fine set of classic standards.
Molly Burch – Ballads 7” (Captured Tracks)
Following the release of her critically acclaimed sophomore album, First Flower, last October, Texan chanteuse Molly Burch returns with two heart-stopping tracks. Entitled “Ballads” in homage to the strong and powerful female vocalists that she admires, this 7” EP embodies what Burch loves to do and what she does best: crafting music with emotion, drama and romance, giving her voice all the room it needs to burn bright.
Teddy Charles/Idrees Sulieman/John Jenkins/Mal Waldron – Coolin’ [Reissue/1959] LP (Down At Dawn)
An obscure and excellent 1957 session produced by master Rudy Van Gelder and originally released on Prestige Records. A tight sextet with a distinctive sound run by vibraphonist Teddy Charles, featuring great pianist Mal Waldron and some fine and often underrated musicians, such as Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, John Jenkins on alto saxophone, Addison Farmer on bass, and Jerry Segal on drums. The album consists of one standard and five originals, all based on complex melodies and hard swinging rhythms.
CFM – Soundtrack To An Empty Room LP (In The Red)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Charles Moothart is releasing his third album under the moniker CFM. Moothart is a frequent contributor on many of Ty Segall’s solo ventures but also as a co-conspirator in bands like the blazing jam unit Fuzz, and a fantastic monster of a group called GØGGS, which throws Segall and Moothart in with Chris Shaw of Ex-Cult. Something that’s immediately apparent on Soundtrack To An Empty Room is that it’s a harder record than its predecessors.
Sheila Chandra – ABoneCroneDrone [Reissue/1996] LP (Passat Continu)
Few albums have treated human voice and drone as a whole entity like ABoneCroneDrone, the third in a trilogy for Real World Records that this record closed back in 1996. In Sheila Chandra’s own words: “it was about the gateways between vocal techniques from different cultures and how it was possible to cross between them within a single word or phrase.” With the help of bagpipes, didgeridoos and guitars, ABoneCroneDrone puts drones under the microscope and encourages listeners to retrain their ears to hear the nuances that musicians have always heard in them.
Chase Atlantic – Phases LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Chase Atlantic’s new album Phases is fueled by their obsession with creation, songwriting, and beat-making and refusing to conform to any one sound as their spotlight only continues to grow.
Mike Cooper – Rayon Hula [Reissue/2004] LP (Room40)
Rayon Hula is one of Mike Cooper’s finest works. Recognized by Prix Ars Electronica in 2005 as a seminal vision of expanded exotica, the record has since gone on to gather a rather substantial cult status. Now over a half a decade since its original limited edition release on Hipshot, Room40 makes Rayon Hula widely available for the first time, as an extended and completely re-mastered edition.
Crowded House – The Very Very Best Of Crowded House [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Capitol)
An institution in their homeland, a two-album wonder in the US, and, during the last half of their ten-year career, bona fide stars in the UK and most of Europe, Crowded House recorded some of the best pop music of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Leader Neil Finn’s carefully crafted songs, meticulous eye for lyrical detail, and gift for melody are matched by few other songwriters.
Crystal Lake – Helix LP (Sharptone)
Released last February on CD – now available on vinyl. Formed in Japan in 2002 and initially influenced by mid- ‘90s hardcore bands, Crystal Lake’s style has evolved into a more chaotic, metal sound.
Dead Sound – Dead Sound LP (1-2-3-4 Go!)
The guitar-driven power pop quartet’s sound is reminiscent of bands such as The Replacements, Hold Steady, Dinosaur Jr., Husker Du, and Teenage Fanclub.
Donwill – One Word No Space LP (Hipnott)
One Word No Space which serves as the MC’s first full length solo outing since Don Cusack In High Fidelity (2010). Clocking in at 35 minutes, the album is a jarring jaunt with high replay value and features that include Quelle Chris, Paul Barman, Theory Hazit, Von Pea, ilyas, Rob Cave and several other Lessondary spitters.
The Dennis Dreith Band – Reunion [Reissue/2015] LP (Everland)
The Dreith Band features a collection of world class musicians who may not be well known to the public, but are legends in music industry having recorded with Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Lady Gaga, The Beach Boys, Barbara Streisand, Steely Dan, Elvis Presley, Phil Collins, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and countless others. Sounding like a full jazz orchestra, The Dennis Dreith Band serves as a blueprint for new acts like Snarky Puppy, Lettuce, Vulfpeck and similarly jazz influenced young groups. Everland Jazz has now carefully prepared the first ever vinyl release of the Reunion LP, a seminal and timeless jazz masterpiece.
Jonny Drop – In The Pocket LP (Kingunderground)
A library record containing 16 drum breaks; compositions with stems and miscellaneous percussion.
Erin Durant – Islands LP (Keeled Scales)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Erin Durant’s stunning second album Islands, produced by TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone, is a full, carefully arranged epic that has drawn comparisons to Joanna Newsom, Joni Mitchell, and Julie Byrne. It’s a sprawling, full album featuring varied instrumentation and overarching narratives with Erin’s strong, clear voice cutting through.
Electric Funeral – The Wild Performance 2xLP (Sommor)
Ear-splitting hard-rock/proto-doom-metal from the early ’70s, Electric Funeral was a pioneering Swiss hard-rock band who sadly never registered any studio recordings at the time. Formed in the late ’60s, they were influenced by bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. Famous for their loud (they played behind giant stacks of Marshall amps) and powerful shows, their sound was too heavy-sounding for a regular label to offer them a contract. The Wild Performance is comprised of private live and rehearsal tapes recorded in 1970 – very raw and lo-fi – but it’s the only testimony of their brutal sound.
Fennesz – Agora LP (Touch)
Released last March on CD – now available on vinyl. Agora is Christian Fennesz’s first solo album since Mahler Remix and Bécs (both released in 2014). He uses guitar and computer to create shimmering, swirling electronic sound of enormous range and complex musicality. His lush and luminous compositions are anything but sterile computer experiments. They resemble sensitive, telescopic recordings of rainforest insect life or natural atmospheric occurrences, an inherent naturalism permeating each piece.
Flamin’ Groovies – Flamingo [Reissue/1970] LP (Culture Factory)
Limited opaque bright pink vinyl pressing of the second studio album by the garage rock band. Following the group’s departure from the Epic record label, it was the first of their two albums for Kama Sutra Records.
Flotsam And Jetsam – Live In Phoenix LP (Cleopatra)
Thrash metal pioneers Flotsam & Jetsam perform their best songs live on this limited edition red colored vinyl LP. Recorded live in 2003, the show included F&J’s career defining compositions such as “Hammerhead” and “No Place For Disgrace”.
Jerry Garcia Band – Electric On The Eel, August 10th 1991 4xLP+MP3 (ATO)
The first official Jerry Garcia Band live release to be pressed to vinyl, Electric On The Eel: August 10th, 1991 features two complete, previously unreleased sets captured at French’s Camp on the Eel River in Piercy, California. The release consists of the familiar Jerry Garcia Band line-up, which was in peak form, jamming through a diverse songbook. This 4LP set pressed onto 180gm vinyl features an etching derived from Thos Chapman’s original show poster on Side H.
The Giraffes – Flower Of The Cosmos LP (Lightyear)
New release from the cult band from Brooklyn that plays a signature mixture of heavy rock, punk, metal, surf and whatever else they find interesting. Loud, agile, dangerous, funny, sick, complex and satisfying, The Giraffes have been thinking people’s bad decision soundtrack of choice since 1996.
Grizfolk – The Rarest Of Birds LP (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Based in Los Angeles and Nashville with roots in Sweden, alternative-rockers Grizfolk’s new album Rarest Of Birds is an ode to Southern California classic rock with a 2019 spin. Dynamic, upbeat, and dreamy the band says, “Listening to Rarest Of Birds should feel a bit like looking through a kaleidoscope of fleeting moments…a glimpse into our yearning for truth and answers within and without. Written in some of the darkest times, it was a vehicle out of addiction and depression. It was a one-way ticket out of a personal hell, purchased by the heart and paid for with love, light, and dedication.” “Spoonful” channels a retro sound to deliver a dark tale of yearning for someone out of reach, while “Heavy Crown” melds a danceable bass line with jangly pianos to create an upbeat track that is sneakily about the tough subject of fighting for what’s right in today’s complicated world.
Tommy Guerrero – From The Soil To The Soul [Reissue/2006] LP (Be With)
Tommy Guerrero’s much-loved fourth album – the smooth West Coast classic From The Soil To The Soul – gets its first-ever vinyl release.
Hard-Ons – Dickcheese [Reissue/1988] LP (Taang!)
Aussie punk rocker’s 1988 pop laden metal masterpiece Dickcheese is back in print courtesy of Taang! Records. The follow-up up to 1986’s Smell My Finger helped set the Hard-Ons blueprint of DIY spirited messy pop-punk with metal and psychedelia flourishes.
The Harmaleighs – She Won’t Make Sense LP (Nettwerk)
Nashville indie duo The Harmaleighs (Haley Grant and Kaylee Jasperson) present their new full-length album. She Won’t Make Sense is a stark contrast from their previous releases, having evolved from their acoustic beginnings to a fuller sound involving synths, strings and drums.
John Lee Hooker – The Country Blues Of John Lee Hooker [Reissue/1959] LP (Craft Recordings)
John Lee Hooker’s debut on Riverside Records is perhaps the truest to his Mississippi roots. Unaccompanied and playing acoustically instead of his usual amplified guitar, he turned in a wonderfully varied set of deep Delta blues, moans, boogies, one field holler, and even a bit of hokum. Some songs are autobiographical, others reworkings of blues standards-all stamped with the hauntingly personal Hooker touch.
Idles – Mercedes Marxist 7” (PTKF)
Two previously unreleased tracks from Idles’ critically acclaimed album, Joy As An Act Of Resistance.
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Live From Twist & Shout 11.16.07 LP (New West)
Now available on vinyl LP for the first time, Live From Twist & Shout 11.16.07 is a 2008 released live EP from singer/songwriter Jason Isbell and his backing band, The 400 Unit. The six track collection was recorded live during an in-store at Denver, Colorado’s Twist And Shout Records in 2007 and features thrilling versions of “Hurricane And Hand” and “Outfit” plus a moving cover of Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic”.
Jackson 5ive – Skywriter [Reissue/1973] LP (LMLR)
Opaque bronze colored vinyl pressing of the sixth studio album by the Jackson 5.
Jade Imagine – Basic Love LP (Marathon Arts)
Jade Imagine burst out of the bubbling music scene of Melbourne, Australia, with their debut album, Basic Love. Emotionally dictated by the wit and noir of Jade McInally (vocals, guitar, synths) and propelled by a band that seamlessly fuses synthwave and art-rock, this album is an impressive culmination of Jade Imagine’s signature style of bleak pop and contemplative new-wave. Limited pink colored vinyl pressing.
K, Le Maestro – Lab Sounds LP (Street Corner Music)
Debut LP from UK by way of the Congo’s young prodigy, K, Le Maestro. Ranging from gritty grime to sunshine, all the tracks are rooted in heavy drums with a variety of emotions layered in between.
Lacrimas Profundere – Bleeding The Stars LP (SPV)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Comeback album by the German gothic metal rockers.
Logg – Logg [Reissue/1981] LP (Be With)
The undisputed Godfather of boogie, Leroy Burgess’ Logg project is his masterpiece. Logg is one of the greatest albums of the post-disco era featuring breezy grooves, undulating synths, funk-drenched bass, and life-affirming lyrics delivered with gospel-derived vocals and harmonies.
The Magnificent Tape Band – The Subtle Art Of Distraction LP (ATA)
The Magnificent Tape Band are the alter egos of ATA Records founders Neil Innes and Pete Williams, who were the creative driving force behind the debut album by The Sorcerers, for which they wrote and produced all the tracks as well as contributing bass and guitar performances. Sheffield born, Rachel Modest developed her unique vocal ability within the churches and gospel choirs of her local community. Now based in Leeds she has developed a powerful and soulful vocal style that takes inspiration from artists such as Madeleine Bell, Dee Dee Warwick, Dusty Springfield and at times delivers a performance that resembles the falsetto of The Delfonics William Hart.
Donny McCullough – From The Heart [Reissue/1981] LP (Everland)
Straight out of high school the singer and multi-instrumentalist Donny McCullough was hired as a staff writer for Motown Records. While there, Donny learned from the best as how to write, arrange and produce music. After leaving Motown Donny started his own independent label EMC Records at the young age of 24 and recorded his very own album From The Heart.
Dan Melchior Band – Negative Freedom LP (In The Red)
Recorded in Philadelphia in late 2016, Negative Freedom encapsulates the moment when the horrible truth was just beginning to sink in. “Everything got broken while I was looking the other way” sings Dan Melchior on “Negative Freedom” and perhaps that’s a relatable sentiment. Elsewhere Melchior’s ever-withering gaze settles on prima donna self-Googlers in “They Insulted Me In Mojo” and self-serving promoters get their own anthem in “A Nice Holiday”— “Be careful of enthusiasts who want you to play their island” sings Melchior, with a sense of weary experience that makes the song seem like it might just be autobiographical.
Pharoahe Monch – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) [Reissue/2011] LP (War Media)
Producers Exile, Marco Polo, M-Phazes, Fatin, Diamond D, Mike Loe, Samiyam, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno & Pharoahe Monch himself help shape W.A.R. into what has been deemed Monch’s greatest work to date.
Moon B – Udaya [Reissue/2017] LP (Hoop Sound)
Eight cuts of slick, lo-fi boogie that emanate with a smoky warmth.
Nate Morgan – Journey Into Nigritia [Reissue/1983] LP (Outernational)
A major statement from a crucial figure on the Los Angeles jazz underground – Journey Into Nigritia is pianist Nate Morgan’s spiritualized deep jazz classic.
Normil Hawaiians – What’s Going On [Reissue/1984] LP+MP3 (Upset The Rhythm)
Vinyl reissue of the UK post-punk band’s sophomore album.
Overland – Colossal Book Of Mathematics LP (Driftless Recordings)
Overland’s productions are fast, infectious, and fused with an unwavering sense of social activism. From her base of operations in Vancouver, Canada, she’s gradually attracted the attention of international labels with original productions rooted in the sonic cultures of places like Detroit, New York, and The United Kingdom. Her DJ sets are mesmerizing, ranging from banging warehouse techno, fast-cut acid breaks, and bass-driven industrial music.
Paces Lift & Ben Bounce – Quick Trigger [Reissue/2014] LP (Wax Thematique)
What began as competition between two hip hop producers turned into a 30-day beat making challenge from Seattle’s Paces Lift and St. Louis’ Ben Bounce. This became the framework for their collaboration LP, Quick Trigger. Two years of fine tuning, mixing and mastering and their masterpiece was finally ready for consumption. The result is fourteen lo-fi, psychedelic, beat driven tracks sprinkled with bits of spaghetti western and old vinyl crackle.
Elias Rahbani – Mosaic Of The Orient (Näi, Buzuk & Guitar) [Reissue/1972] LP (Right Track)
Beautiful mix of eastern sounds and western rhythms, with haunting melodies, nice drum breaks and using traditional Arabian instruments alongside organs and drums.
Ziad Rahbani – Abu Ali [Reissue/1978] 12” (Wewantsounds)
Ziad Rahbani’s mythical disco 12” is back in-print on vinyl. Fabulous New York-meets-Beirut disco ecstasy, developing over two 13-minute tracks.
Jay Reatard/Sonic Youth – Hang Them All b/w No Garage [Reissue/2009] 7” (Matador)
Originally released in 2009 as a limited edition Record Store Day exclusive, this 7” is now back in print to help celebrate the upcoming (August 4th) 10-year Anniversary of Jay’s second studio album and Matador debut, Watch Me Fall.
Jeff Rosenstock – I Look Like Sh*t LP (Polyvinyl)
Limited 180gm colored vinyl pressing. Originally released in 2012, I Look Like Sh*t is the debut solo record from Jeff Rosenstock, a collection of frequently blown out/occasionally tender home recordings from 2010-2012, written during the twilight of his former band Bomb The Music Industry! Rosenstock notes that “the majority of this record is about fear and death.”
Joel Ross – KingMaker LP (Blue Note)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album from an incredible young artist who has been omnipresent on acclaimed recent albums by Makaya McCraven (Universal Beings), Walter Smith III (In Common), Marquis Hill (Modern Flows, Vol. 2), and James Francies (Flight). Milt Jackson was a formative influence, Bobby Hutcherson passed him some sage advice, and Stefon Harris was his mentor and teacher. Now Joel carries the Blue Note vibraphone legacy into the future on an album that finds him exploring the formative stuff.
Sakamoto + Deupree – Live In London LP (ThirtyThree)
Trailblazing Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto is joined by revered electronic musician Taylor Deupree on this live recording, documenting their collaboration at St John-at-Hackney Church in 2014, part of ThirtyThree’s flagship concert series St. John Sessions.
Santana – Supernatural [Reissue/1999] 2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissue of the eighteenth studio album by the Latin rock band.
Scud Mountain Boys – Pine Box [Reissue/1995] LP (Mapache)
Back in late 1993, early 1994, it was cold. Stephen Desaulniers, Joe Pernice, and Bruce Tull recorded a bunch of beautiful songs with one microphone in Tull’s kitchen in Northhampton, MA. Originally released only on cassette, the Massachusetts label Chunk made this album available in 1995. Pine Box contains beautiful, delicate original acoustic songs as well several covers.
Sensations’ Fix – Fragments Of Light [Reissue/1974] LP (Vinyl Magic)
Sensations’ Fix was a project founded and directed by Franco Falsini. Often associated with the sound of Tangerine Dream and the so-called German ‘cosmic couriers’, Sensations’ Fix were much more than mere clones of something already existing at the time. [Limited edition blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Sessa – Grandeza LP (Boiled)
The debut album by Sao Paulo’s Sessa points to new, subtle directions for modern Brazilian music – a deep, minimalist, almost insinuated use of the rich textures that define the songwriting history of Brazil, one which Sessa now joins among its most promising new voices.
Archie Shepp – Attica Blues b/w Quiet Dawn [Reissue/1972] 7” (Mr. Bongo)
A powerful mix of psychedelic soul & jazz that retains Shepp’s political sentiment of his earlier works. “Attic Blues” is a huge funk-soul composition, referring to a mass shooting of inmates at Attica Prison. Henry Hull’s vocal sits on top of bass, layered percussion, wah-wah guitars, plus large horn and string sections to create a massive sound. The big band, almost soundtrack-esque, “Quiet Dawn”, is sung by the composer’s 7-year old daughter. She floats on top of piano, strings, drums and rich layers of percussion.
Skeleton Beach – Ritual LP (Grief Thief)
Ritual is the product of a series of live late night ambient recording sessions, focusing track-by-track on different themes and aspects of witchcraft. From the opening drone of Blood Moon until the very last melodic notes of Ritual, it’s intent is to transport your mind to another place.
Skyy – Here’s To You [Reissue/1980] LP (Be With)
In 1980, Randy Muller’s Skyy dropped the monumental “Here’s To You”, comfortably one of the greatest dance singles of all time. Released on Salsoul, “Here’s To You” is now exceptionally hard to find in its original form. On this special double-header, the label presents the sought-after 12” mix and back it up with the strutting “You Got Me Up”, which has never been on a 12” before.
Slapshot – Sudden Death Overtime [Reissue/1990] LP (Taang!)
In 1988, with the youth-crew movement in full swing, hardcore band Slapshot (named after the classic 1977 hockey film) was just breaking out in Boston, MA. Fronted by Jack Choke Kelly of Negative FX and Last Rites fame, they took the straight edge theme and put a much more negative spin on it than what was going on in New York and Connecticut and had a decidedly more punk sound to boot. 1990’s Sudden Death Overtime, the band’s second full-length effort, offers up a volatile mixture of fast, maniacal hardcore with angry street punk.
Sly & The Family Stone – Anthology [Reissue/1981] 2xLP (Friday Music)
Two audiophile colored 180gm vinyl pressings are available: Black, white & gray and translucent red. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Grammy Hall Of Fame inductees Sly & the Family Stone laid down a template that not only inspired an era of youthful rebellion and independence as the ’60s turned into the ’70s, but also had (and continues to have) a potent effect on the course of modern music in general.
Sol Power All-Stars – We Push On 12” (Soul Clap)
It’s not often that a record has a powerful political message and also works on the dancefloor, but Sol Power All-Stars’ We Push On EP does that work. The Washington DC based Afro/Latin/house super-group drop a 12” of summer slappers to move your spirit and your butt.
Sphere – Inside Ourselves [Reissue/1974] 2xLP (One Eighty Proof)
While little is known about Sphere as a stand-alone group aside from it’s contributors Larry Nozero, Eddie Nuccilli, Keith Vreeland, Jimmy Peluso, John Dana and producer Bug Spangler, Inside Ourselves is a quality jazz rarity.
Chris Strandring – Best Of Chris Strandring Remixed LP (Ultimate Vibe)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With the help of hipster producers Rodney Lee and Matt Cooper, Chris Standring presents eleven of his most popular songs (plus bonus mix) completely reinvented and remixed with a fresh urban club vibe, yet retaining his unique soul-jazz hypnotic flavor.
Sublime With Rome – Blessings LP (Red Music)
With Sublime bassist and co-founder Eric Wilson anchoring the group, Sublime With Rome are armed with a new album. Produced by Rob Cavallo, who has worked with Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and many more, this release is an expression of three musicians who truly get each other and who communicate seamlessly through their instruments.
Sweet Valley – SV [Reissue/2003] LP (Ghost Ramp)
Available for the first time on any physical format, Ghost Ramp is proud to present the limited edition vinyl re-issue of Sweet Valley’s 2013 album, SV. The duo of brothers Nathan Williams (WAVVES) and Joel Williams (Spirit Club) deliver another classic set of weed-warped rap instrumentals. This reissue also includes a brand new remix and is pressed on pink vinyl.
Johnny Thunders – L.A.M.F. – Live At The Village Gate 1977 LP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition white colored vinyl pressing of this live recording of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers recorded at the peak of their high.
Traffic – The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys [Reissue/1971] LP (Friday Music)
Renown for or it’s progressive fusion of space rock and jazz, Steve Winwood and Co. Delivered a stellar set of songs on 1971’s equally stirring and soothing The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.
Stanley Turrentine – Up At “Minton’s” [Reissue/1961] 2xLP (Down At Dawn)
A very welcomed reissue of this long out-of-print and hard-to-find Stanley Turrentine live album. Originally released on Blue Note as two separate volumes in 1961, Up At “Minton’s” catches the Stanley Turrentine quintet live at the mythical Minton Club in New York, in 1961, when the tenor saxophonist was leading a super tight quintet featuring Grant Green (guitar), Horace Parlan (piano), George Tucker (bass), and Al Harewood (drums). This is hard swinging soulful jazz at it’s best.
Tuxedo – Tuxedo III LP (Funk On Sight)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Tuxedo, Los Angeles-based recording artist Mayer Hawthorne and Seattle-based producer Jake One, has been steadily making a name for themselves over the past five years, standing at the forefront of a new wave of gangster boogie – one that owes as much to G-funk as P-funk. This is the territory of pre- and post-hydraulic low riders: a mélange of Cali boom-bap, analog synth bass and elegant disco that resonates truth and authenticity in an era where so many are faking the funk.
Wild Honey – Untamed [Reissue/1979] LP (Everland)
Excellent production and musicianship can be witnessed on this 1979 release, while the songs all are on par with the best Donna Summer moments. Music to dance to and to enjoy and explore in depth.
The Word Alive – Empire [Reissue/2009] 12” (Craft Recordings)
Originally released in 2009, the debut EP from Phoenix, AZ’s The Word Alive is packed with raw angst.
X Ambassadors – Orion LP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Sophomore album. Growing up in small-town upstate New York, frontman Sam Harris, his brother Casey, and childhood friend Noah Feldshuh bonded over an obsessive love for punk, rock & roll, soul, and hip-hop that defied the conventions of their peer group.
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Kar Yağar LP (Les Disques Bongo Joe)
Outernational psych-pop sensation Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek deliver their debut album. Kar Yağar (which translates as Snow Falls) has the dynamics of an epic journey through the Anatolian highlands; where deep-rooted folk effortlessly switches to sparkly improvisation or dancy pop tracks.
Adrian Younge – Jack Waterson Instrumentals LP (Linear Labs)
Jack Waterson is the acid that Adrian never took as a kid. The result, as you’d expect, is both colorful and dark; full of sonic and musical surprises.
Your Old Droog – Transportation 2xLP (Nature Sounds)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Acclaimed Ukrainian-American rapper Your Old Droog recently made waves with the unexpected release of It Wasn’t Even Close, an album that drew widespread attention and endless praise after dropping in April with no advance warning. Fresh off this success, your old pal is returning less than two months later with Transportation. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Cassettes:
Missions – Subcreature (Holodeck)
Los Angeles-based electro-pop savant Missions makes his full-length debut with the momentous new Subcreature. Through the use of drum machines, synthesizers and electronic vocals, solo producer Josh Mills adds a rich emotional gradient and a fresh rhythmic step to the archetypal darkwave narrative as Missions. [Vinyl edition due August 9.]
Ty Segall – First Taste (Drag City)
First Taste is an introspective set for Segall after the extroversions of 2018’s Freedom’s Goblin. Lines of struggle wind through the songs as Segall reflects on family, re-encountering pasts, anticipating futures. He skates through oneness, self-esteem, the parents – all the joys of a rain-filled childhood – while reaching outward in the here and now, feeling for a shared pulse.
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