CD + Vinyl:
The Abigails – Tundra CD/LP/Cassette (Burger)
Killer satanic outlaw acid country in the vein of Lee Hazlewood, Gun Club, and Country Teasers.
Adrenaline Rush – Adrenaline Rush CD (Frontiers)
Fronted by vocalist Tåve Wanning (formerly part of the teen-pop duo, Peaches), Adrenaline Rush lights up the hard rock scene with a lethal dose of heavy guitars, infectious hooks and full blown rock & roll attitude.
Noel Akchote – Madrigals For Five Guitars CD (Blue Chopsticks)
The polyphonic music of late Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613) still fascinates for its forward-looking chromaticism and its stark, unpredictable shifts in character. His fifth and sixth Books Of Madrigals from 1611 construct a world of their own – a distinctive body of work that has found adherents as diverse as Igor Stravinsky (who orchestrated Gesualdo madrigals in his 1960 Momentum Pro Gesualdo), Werner Herzog (who directed the macabre, fanciful 1995 Gesualdo documentary Death For Five Voices), and now the French guitarist Noel Akchote.
Ashrae Fax – Never Really Been Into It CD/LP (Mexican Summer)
The legacy of North Carolina’s Ashrae Fax seems destined to be appreciated in retrospect, in no small part given to the tremendous power of the group’s 2003 release Static Crash!, reissued twice from its initial CD-R run before appearing on Mexican Summer last year. The goth/ethereal duo of vocalist Renee Mendoza and producer/guitarist Alex Chesney had built a long, strange and mostly undocumented legacy prior to that release, and Never Really Been Into It extends the tale back even further.
Asia – High Voltage CD+DVD (Frontiers)
Recorded July 24, 2010 at the inaugural High Voltage Festival in Victoria Park, London, this live CD+DVD captures Asia, with the original line-up, performing classic material from the ’80s, plus songs from the first two albums of their reunion, Phoenix and Omega.
Avenged Sevenfold – Waking The Fallen: Resurrected 2xCD+DVD/4xLP+DVD (Hopeless)
This expanded version of Avenged Sevenfold’s 2003 album includes a disc of rare demos and live tracks, new artwork, the music video for “Unholy Confessions,” and a 30 minute film featuring the present day band.
The Bad Plus – Inevitable Western CD (Okeh)
The Bad Plus’s tenth studio recording (and first collection of original material since 2012’s Made Possible), Inevitable Western continues the leaderless trio’s committed belief in what they’ve dubbed “avant-garde populism,” the idea that serious music can be as engaging and accessible as it is forward-thinking and provocative.
Jill Barber – Fool’s Gold CD (Outside Music)
Fool’s Gold explores every nook of Jill Barber’s musical history: sultry torch songs, Hank Williams inspired ballads and songs in the vein of the Brill Building, Motown and beyond.
Basement Jaxx – Junto CD/2xCD/2xLP (PIAS America)
Junto is a bold, boisterous, brilliant album full of amazing gust vocal performances, richly layered production and the irresistible sense of groove that has set them apart from the very beginning. Spanish for “together,” the concept behind Junto is one of unity and soulfulness, fusing dance music’s sub-genres into on cohesive multi-flavored confection. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds bonus disc of remixes and three extra non-album tracks.
Bastard Sapling – Instinct Is Forever CD/LP (Gilead Media)
Bastard Sapling has ventured to push their other-worldly black metal creation further into the shattered abyss with their new album, Instinct Is Forever.
Blackwolfgoat – Drone Maintenance CD (Small Stone)
Drone Maintenance is the third full length work of progressive drone conjured by Blackwolfgoat, which is the solo vehicle of guitarist Darryl Shepard (Black Pyramid, The Scimitar, Hackman, Milligram, Roadsaw).
Stefano Bollani/Mark Turner/Bill Frisell/Jesper Bodilsen/Morten Lund – Joy In Spite Of Everything CD (ECM)
Stefano Bollani is an artist of ebullient virtuosity, with uncommon sensitivity and range. The Italian pianist has proved to be at home on ECM improvising solo or leading a trio, as well as engaging in duos with Enrico Rava, Chick Corea and Brazilian bandolim player Hamilton de Holanda.
Brontide – Artery CD/LP (Holy Roar)
Kaleidoscopic in its evolution of sound, shards of R&B and electronica show through the bands trademark math/instrumental rock sound.
The Buffalo Ruckus – Buffalo Ruckus CD/LP (Captain Ruckus Records)
The Buffalo Ruckus’s sound is a compendium of roots, Americana, southern soul, psychedelic postmodern avant-garde experimental country fried rock.
The Bug – Angels & Devils CD/2xLP (Ninja Tune)
Angels & Devils escapes the London cage, drawing on it for influence yet blowing it up into a world-view now seen from Kevin Martin’s new Berlin home. A record that simultaneously draws on London Zoo, completes a triptych cycle which started with his Bug debut Pressure, and fills the spaces between and inserts what was missing previously. Both a year zero re-set and a continuation of what has been. Like the Bowie/Eno classic Low, or Can’s Tago Mago, the album is split into two distinct themes and explorations of light and dark.
Ca$h Out – Let’s Get It CD (E1)
Atlanta Rapper Ca$h first came on the scene in 2012 with the party-rap hit and personal anthem ”Cashin’ Out”. He now presents his debut album, Let’s Get It, which features the now platinum hit.
Cold Specks – Neuroplasticity CD/LP (Mute)
Since the release of her 2012 debut, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion, Cold Specks’ Al Spx has been seen collaborating with the likes of Moby and Swans. Now, the Canadian singer/songwriter is back with her sophomore solo album.
John Coltrane – The Prestige Recordings [Reissue/1991] 16xCD (Concord)
A comprehensive retrospective of John Coltrane’s output for the Prestige label, all recorded over a 32-month period between 1956 and 1958. This 16-disc set, reissued in a compact and sleek new brick packaging, is presented in a rigid lift-off lid box. This package also contains a 32-page booklet, which includes a historical essay from Doug Ramsey and a session-by-session breakdown by Carl Woideck.
Lenny Cooper – The Grind CD (Average Joe’s Entertainment)
The Mud-Digger King returns with his third studio album.
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Lose CD/LP (Barsuk)
“Wanna wake up wanting to listen to records / But those old feelings elude me / I raise a toast to the rock n’ roll ghost,” sings Cymbals Eat Guitars frontman Joseph D’Agostino on the hyper-adrenalized “XR,” which sounds like a Tonight’s The Night outtake recorded at triple speed, with its braying harmonica and spitfire vocal delivery. It’s the track that perhaps best captures the spirit of the band’s third LP, Lose, one of coping with abject loss and grief by rediscovering what you’ve always loved, as difficult as it may be — the redemptive power of music.
Miles Davis – Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings 195101956 [Reissue/1993] 8xCD (Concord)
A comprehensive retrospective of Miles Davis’ entire output for the Prestige label, this 8-disc set, reissued in a compact and sleek new brick packaging, is presented in a rigid lift-off lid box. The set contains the 17 recording sessions made between early 1951 and late 1956 by the extraordinary trumpeter, leader, composer, and perpetual catalyst.
Dwarves – The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll CD/Cassette (Burger)\
The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll is a fierce, compact showing of the band’s core strengths. On one end of the spectrum, the band tears out berserk, drug addled hardcore that rips up the room like their classic Blood, Guts, And Pu**y. But, on the other end, the band focuses on writing pop songs so snappy and sweet it sounds like they just walked out of the sock hop with Frankie Valli.
Dry The River – Alarms In The Heart CD/LP (Transgressive)
“Stylistically, much like Shallow Bed, Alarms In The Heart further showcases Dry The River’s skill in building quaint, folk hymnals into a chest-thumping choruses and elegant Baroque pop songs into impassioned cascading showstoppers. Yet even from Liddle’s first quavering notes of the opening title track, it’s evident Dry The River has upped the ante on its operatic flourish.” – Soundcheck WNYC
Elephant Stone – Three Poisons CD/LP (Hidden Pony)
Montreal’s Elephant Stone was formed in 2009 by sitarist/bassist Rishi Dhir. As one of the most highly sought out sitar players in the international psych scene, he has recorded, performed and toured with Beck, The Black Angels, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Horrors, and many more.
Famous Last Words – Council Of The Dead CD (InVogue)
Famous Last Words is a post-hardcore band from Petoskey, MI.
Fenech-Soler – Rituals CD (So Recordings)
Fenech-Soler became a mainstay on music blogs around the time of their 2010 debut album, thanks to a series of superb singles, a Groove Armada collab (‘Paper Romance’) and remixes for the likes of Everything Everything and Marina & The Diamonds. And then they were quiet. Two years of writing and recording (everywhere from northern Italy to Massive Attack’s studio in Bristol) took place, and their long-awaited second album is now here, complete with contributions from LCD Soundsystem’s Tim Goldsworthy and rising Swedish producer Style Of Eye.
Floating Action – Body Questions CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Seth Kauffman is Floating Action. Hailing from the small town of Black Mountain, NC Kauffman channels the collective creative energy that has been birthed and transferred between the mountains of the Swannanoa Valley. For his sixth proper studio album Kauffman holed up in his own tiny studio and took from his experiences working with luminaries such as Dan Auerbach and Jim James.
Frnkiero And The Cellabration – Stomachaches CD (Workhorse Music)
Solo release from My Chemical Romance’s former guitarist Frank Iero.
Full Force – With Love From Our Friends CD (Sony Legacy)
Inspired by Quincy Jones’ Back On The Block classic, With Love From Our Friends is a self-described “True Skool All-Star Project” featuring stellar contributions from fans, friends and longtime associates like Tisha Campbell-Martin, Faith Evans, Sheila E, Samantha Fox, Raphael Saadiq, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shanté, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Regina Belle, Cece Peniston, UTFO, Tevin Campbell, Cheryl Pepsii Riley, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Flavor Flav, Shanice, Howard Hewett, Force MDs, Blair Underwood, Vivica A. Fox and many more.
Lowell George – Thanks I’ll Eat It Here [Reissue/1979] CD (Friday Music)
Thanks I’ll Eat It Here finds Lowell George groovin’ back to the earlier boogie and New Orleans rock and R&B feel found on his earlier Little Feat albums. Released a very short time before his untimely death, the album included his brilliant “20 Million Things,” a funk infused Little Feat revisit with “Two Trains,” plus several inspiring collaborations with notable friends like Van Dyke Parks and Little Feat’s Fred Tackett, as well as significant cover versions like Allen Toussaint’s What Do You Want The Girl To Do, and two bonus tracks never issued on original LP version.
Ariana Grande – My Everything CD (Universal Republic)
Ariana Grande’s sophomore album follows the success of her double platinum single, “Problem” feat. Iggy Azalia. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
The Griswolds – Be Impressive CD/LP (Wind-Up)
This four-piece indie rock from Sydney, Australia was thrown into the spotlight immediately after they found instant success in early 2012. The band has been a blog favorite and their album Be Impressive was produced by Tony Hoffer (The Kooks, Beck, M83, Ladyhawke).
Trevor Hall – Chapter Of The Forest CD (Vanguard)
The 12 songs on Chapter Of The Forest were born during a yearlong sabbatical where Hall returned to his beloved India, Nepal, Vermont, and Maine, and spent that time in deep reflection and spiritual connection embracing life-altering events.
Robin Hitchcock – The Man Upstairs CD/LP+CD+MP3 (Yep Roc)
Modern standards like The Doors’ “The Crystal Ship” and The Psychedelic Furs’ “The Ghost In You” are reimagined as stark and melancholy folk ballads, and then set to powerful effect alongside haunting new songs like the plaintive “Recalling The Truth.”
Bruce Hornsby – Solo Concerts 2xCD (Vanguard)
The double-disc Solo Concerts finds Hornsby in fine form on such classics as “The Valley Road,” “Mandolin Rain,” “Preacher In The Ring,” and many more.
In Sonitus Lux – Thundermoon CD (Stickfigure)
An ever evolving free improv ensemble of musicians, performers, and other artists. Avant-garde, darkly ambient, yet deeply spiritual.
In The Valley Below – The Belt CD (Capitol)
He’s from Memphis, equally steeped in Link Wray and Phil Collins. She’s a small town girl raised in Muskegon, MI, who found her songwriting inspiration while living on a small boat in the West Indies. Jeffrey Jacob and Angela Gail met in Los Angeles, playing guitar and bass, respectively, in a loud, grungy guitar band, but the seeds of In the Valley Below were planted one night at SXSW, when they realized there was something special in the passion and chemistry they shared on-stage.
Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson – Thick As A Brick: Live In Iceland CD (Eagle Records)
Jethro Tull’s famous concept album Thick As A Brick was originally released in 1972 and featured one continuous track spread across two sides of an LP telling the story of a young boy called Gerald Bostock. 40 years later in 2012, Jethro Tull’s founder and leader Ian Anderson created Thick As A Brick 2: Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock?. Following this release Ian Anderson took both albums on the road to perform the complete story of Gerald Bostock and this concert from the tour was filmed in Iceland. Also available on stand-alone Blu-ray.
Johnny Yesterday – Breathe In Breathe Out CD (Psychonavigation)
New release from Gary Kelly AKA Johnny Yesterday. . Musical influences for the album include, Boards Of Canada, Philip Glass, and William Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops.
Kem – Promise To Love CD (CMG)
Fifth studio album from the multi-platinum R&B singer. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds two bonus tracks.
The Kinks – Lola Versus The Powerman & The Moneygoround, Part One [Reissue/1970] 2xCD (Sanctuary)
The first in The Kink’s 50th Anniversary reissue campaign, this double-CD expanded edition of Lola Versus The Powerman comes with mono and stereo mixes as well as unreleased material and alternative versions, all remastered from original tapes by Kinks archivist Andrew Sandoval.
Jeff LaBar – One For The Road CD (Rat Pak)
Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar’s One For The Road was recorded in Nashville, TN with long-time friend and noted engineer Ronnie Honeycutt, and highlights Jeff’s songwriting and guitar playing abilities.
Lewis – Romantic Times [Reissue/1985] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Sourced soon after the re-release of L’Amour, Romantic Times is the 1985 follow-up – a familiar blond posing on the sleeve, a familiar, tortured voice pouring his heart out over languid synths and synthetic waltz beats.
M83 – M83 [Reissue/2001] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Mute)
M83 – Dead Cities Red Seas & Lost Ghosts [Reissue/2003] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Mute)
M83 – Before The Dawn Heals Us [Reissue/2005] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Mute)
M83’s first three albums are back in print on CD and vinyl.
J Mascis – Tied To A Star CD/LP+7”+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Tied To A Star, led by the songs “Every Morning” and “Wide Awake,” was recorded and produced by Mascis and mixed by John Agnello at Bisquiteen in Amherst, MA. The album also features guest appearances from musicians Ken Maiuri (Young @ Heart Chorus), Pall Jenkins (Black Heart Procession), Mark Mulcahy (Miracle Legion) and Chan Marshall (Cat Power). Limited copies also available on pink vinyl with lithograph print.
Merchandise – After The End CD/LP (4AD)
Drawing from too many places to be classified punk, Merchandise certainly has been informed by its ethics, earning all they’ve achieved. Still self-recording and producing their music, this time over a six month period, After The End is a real achievement in showing what bands can achieve on their own.
Method Man – Tical [Reissue/1994] 2xCD/LP (Def Jam)
20th anniversary of the debut solo album of Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man. It was the first Wu-Tang solo album released after the group’s debut, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Similar to all first generation solo Wu-Tang projects, Tical was mainly produced by group member RZA. The album features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang members including RZA, Raekwon, and Inspectah Deck.
Mike Stud – Closer CD (300 Entertainment)
New album from the Rhode Island rapper.
MNDSGN – Yawn Zen CD (Stones Throw)
MNDSGN (pronounced Mind Design) is a prolific beat maker who is an integral part of the L.A. beat scene.
Moiré – Shelter CD/2xLP (Werkdiscs)
The title Shelter describes the listener’s perception and subsequent emotional response to a collection of sounds and motifs. If Moiré’s past releases provided fragments of his overall concept, Shelter highlights his vision in its entirety, bringing themes from his earlier productions together with newer elements to form a complete concept. It finds Moiré experimenting outside traditional patterns to create something unexpected and raw, dynamic yet immediate, inciting us to engage in the experience both on a musical and physical level.
Mono/Poly – Golden Skies CD/LP (Brainfeeder)
Specializing in a kind of beat-driven cosmic soundscape which he describes as “electronic-classical-alchemy music,” Mono/Poly aka Charles Dickerson has drawn on the lessons he’s learned from collaborating on last year’s Thundercat album as well as the Flash Bang Grenada hip-hop project with Busdriver and Nocando, and made a beautifully realized, endlessly expansive record.
Motel Beds – These Are The Days Gone By CD/LP (Misra)
Motel Beds are ever on the rise. The no-frills rock & roll band have otherwise-refined citizens soiling their trousers left and right. They’ve recorded with Kelley Deal (The Breeders, R. Ring) and Beds member Derl Robbins serves as engineer for Guided By Voices. Along with playing music, all five members are also male dancers at Applebee’s on Wilmington Pike in Dayton (Tuesday, lunch shift, 11 AM – 2 PM).
Motörhead – Aftershock (Tour Edition) 2xCD (UDR)
Motörhead’s 2013 album is expanded with a bonus live CD.
Musée Mécanique – From Shores Of Sleep CD (Tender Loving Empire)
Musée Mécanique’s Sean Ogilve was a writing member of Tristeza for many years. Also appearing on the record were a myriad of Portland musicians and friends of the band including Alela Diane, Annalisa Tornfelt (The Decemberists, Black Prairie), Dave Depper (Menomena, Fruit Bats), Doug Jenkins (Portland Cello Project), Dan Hunt (Ages and Ages, Neko Case), and Amanda Lawrence (Loch Lomond) and several others. Vinyl version due September 30.
Music Blues – Things Haven’t Gone Well CD/2xLP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Debut solo album from Stephen Tanner (Harvey Milk) continues on with similar musical touchstones (Melvins, Gore, Earth, ZZ Top, Kiss amd Judas Priest) while forging ahead into a strange, and at times harrowing, unknown. Available on CD and vinyl. Limited vinyl copies pressed on ‘sh*t brown’ wax.
Khun Narin – Khun Narin’s Electric Phin Band CD/LP+MP3 (Innovative Leisure)
Khun Narin’s Electric Phin Band’s membership is always in rotation and spans several generations, from high school kids to men well into their 60s. A standard engagement has the band setting up at the hosting household during the morning rituals, playing several low-key sets from the comfort of plastic lawn chairs occasionally working in a cover version of a foreign classic (The Cranberries “Zombie”) while the beer and whiskey flow freely. After a mid-day banquet, they start up the generator and lead a parade through the community to the local temple, picking up more and more along the way.
New Medicine –Breaking The Model CD (Imagen)
Debut from the Nashville, TN melodic hardcore band. Vinyl version due October 28.
The New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Brill Bruisers is the first new release in four years from the acclaimed supergroup The New Pornographers, who NPR called “virtually peerless in the world of power-pop and indie-rock.” “This is a celebration record,” in the worlds of the lead-singer and main songwriter A.C. Newman, and that describes it perfectly – massively melodic, joyous pop music helmed by the soaring vocals of Neko Case, Dan Bejar and Newman himself.
Ngozi Family – Day Of Judgment [Reissue/1976] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Now-Again)
Proto-punk & garage Zamrock: the celebrated guitarist Paul Ngozi’s essential debut album from 1976. Deluxe vinyl version adds a bonus LP.
Nihilist Spasm Band – No Record [Reissue/1968] CD/LP (Lion Productions)
Reissue of one of the masterworks of late-‘60s noise/weirdo/freak-out music. One of very few indie label releases on Spin Magazine’s list of 100 top counter-cultural music, ahead of legends like Mulatu Astatke, Brigitte Fontaine, Pärson Sound, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra, Harry Partch, and Os Mutantes. Zowie.
Opeth – Royal Blood CD/CD+Blu-ray Audio/LP (WB)
Royal Blood is a mixture of anguished vocals, ferocious drumming and bass that provides intricate detail as well as a rumble of rhythm. The sound is a result of a lineage that stretches from present day heroes Queens Of The Stone Age to the influential Led Zeppelin, and all the way back to early blues pioneers… yet this huge wall of sound emerges from just two members. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a 5.1 Blu-ray audio and two bonus live tracks plus expanded packaging.
Brad Paisley – Moonshine In The Trunk CD (Sony Nashville)
Ninth studio album from the country superstar.
Gemma Ray – Milk For Your Motors CD/LP (Bronzerat)
A self-styled musician/songwriter/producer, Ray skirts somewhere between pop-noir, sideways blues, gothic folk, ‘60s girl-group, and cinematic soundscapes. The Wall Street Journal has described Ray’s music as “An eerie aural kaleidoscope that conjures up thoughts of what an album by Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las produced by David Lynch would have sounded like. Though it echoes with references to mid-’60s melodramatic pop, it’s of the moment and a delight.”
Rentals – Lost In Alphaville CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
The band fronted by ex-Weezer songwriter/bassist Matt Sharp release their first full-length in 15 years. Features appearances by Jessica Wolfe and Holly Laessig (Lucius), Ryen Slegr (Ozma), Lauren Chipman (The Section Quartet) and Patrick Carney (The Black Keys).
Royal Blood – Royal Blood CD/LP (WB)
Featuring their two singles to date – “Little Monster” and “Come On Over” – Royal Blood is a mixture of anguished vocals, ferocious drumming and bass that provides intricate detail as well as a rumble of rhythm. Royal Blood is the result of a lineage that stretches from present day heroes Queens Of The Stone Age to Led Zeppelin, and all the way back to early blues pioneers. Their ferocious attack is the result of just two men – vocalist/bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher.
Rubblebucket – Survival Sounds CD/LP (Communion)
“Rubblebucket hail from Brooklyn and create infectious and eccentric indie-pop. While that description might not seem entirely interesting, given that dance-pop bands from Brooklyn are easier to find than a Starbucks, there’s no denying the quintet’s “Sound Of Erasing.” Serving as the lead single off their upcoming third album, Survival Sounds, the track features Dirty Projectors-esque syncopated vocals and a vibrant horn section, effortlessly united under the banner of punchy and refined pop songwriting.” – Consquence Of Sound
Rustie – Green Language CD/2xLP (Warp)
Rustie returns this summer with Green Language, a development and testament to his true passions and influences, the album is a high energy 40 minutes that showcases Rustie’s signature sound at new found heights. It’s a mediation on everything from grime and hip-hop to sci-fi computer games and even prog rock. The album features guests such as Danny Brown, D Double E and Redinho. The tracks are expansive and inspired by such disparate sounds as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, My Bloody Valentine, trance music and the Glasgow electronic scene Rustie helped mold.
Ty Segal – Manipulator CD/2xLP/Cassette (Drag City)
Mr. Segall’s fifth long-player for Drag City. The clarion call/siren sound of his guitar, the helium-steamed ride of the vocals, track after track, releasing the thought that have been holding us down, all in the name of getting higher on pop songs. Why have one when you can have two? It’s a big world, and Manipulator has only begun to fight. Features Mikal Cronin (bass/string arrangements).
Shovels & Rope – Swimmin’ Time CD/2xLP (Dualtone)
Swimmin’ Time is Shovels & Rope’s follow-up to their acclaimed 2012 album O’ Be Joyful.
State Of Salazar – All The Way CD (Frontiers)
State of Salazar was started in 2010 by five students from the Malmö Academy of Music who wanted to play rock music made for the big arenas. The singer and songwriter, Marcus Nygren, began thinking of the concept of having a band like State Of Salazar in 2009 when he wrote a couple of songs that were not a fit for his metal band, 8-Point Rose. “To find great musicians at the Academy was no problem,” Marcus says in one of the many interviews he has done lately, and all the members of State Of Salazar share a passion for West Coast AOR and similar genres.
Stone Breath – Children Of Hum CD (Hand/Eye)
Six all new songs (paired with six bonus tracks, most previously unreleased) of Stone Breath’s haunted acid folk sounds. Children Of Hum is perhaps the most cohesive and focused album of the band’s long career. Acoustic, hand-made music comprised of two voices, Celtic harp, flute, guitar, bouzouki, and whistles. For fans of The Incredible String Band, COB, Donovan, and Pearls Before Swine.
Billy Talbot Band – On The Road To Spearfish 2xCD (Vapor)
Billy Talbot is best known as a founding member of Crazy Horse. Throughout his decades touring and recording with Neil Young, Talbot has always written and played his own music. On The Road To Spearfish evokes a journey that is at once of this world and mythic. Double-CD includes the five-track EP Unkindness Of Ravens.
Thousand Foot Krutch – Oxygen: Inhale CD (TFK Music)
New release from the Canadian Christian alt-rock band.
The Unicorns – Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone [Reissue/2003] CD (Caterpillar)
WWCOHWWG? was the third and final full- length album by the Canadian indie rock act The Unicorns, and was originally released in 2003. The album gained wide and immediate praise, with broad critical and commercial acclaim from outlets as diverse at NME, Pitchfork and The Village Voice. Vinyl version due October 7.
Various Artists – Par Hasard: Chance Composition 1913-1951 CD (LTM)
LTM presents a unique collection of avant-garde music by Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes and John Cage, all composed during the first half of the 20th century using chance techniques and operations.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Flamenco Guitar 2xCD (World Music Network)
Considered by many as the most technically demanding of all musical styles to play on guitar, no art from truly expresses the very soul of Spanish culture like flamenco. Bringing together today s flamenco guitar masters, this Rough Guide unravels the mystery of one of the world’s most beautiful musical traditions, and includes a bonus album by Antonio Rey, one of the finest guitarists in flamenco today.
Various Artists – XL Recordings: Pay Close Attention 2xCD/4xLP+DVD (XL)
XL Recordings is a collaborative endeavor, and many people have contributed to its evolution. In the song ”Out Of Space”, Liam Howlett of The Prodigy provided a blueprint when he sampled Kool Keith of Ultramagnetic MC’s rapping these words: “Pay Close Attention.” And whilst XL has never had any outside ownership, Gil Scott-Heron advised me not to even consider XL “independent” because everything is connected. This compilation is an attempt to illustrate some of these connections.
Mirel Wagner – When The Cellar Children See The Light Of Day CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Squeezing the last drop of life from a worn out genre, her acoustic balladry is as far as you’ll get from clichéd coffee house folk, it has more to do with the primeval darkness of Swans than the folksy bonhomie of Bob Dylan. Recorded by electronic music producer Vladislav Delay, who fleshes out Wagner’s sound, adding subtle production touches that give her songs a newfound vastness and gravity while keeping the winning formula that garnered critical acclaim for her self-titled debut.
White Hills – Glitter Glamour Atrocity [Reissue/2007] CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Reissue of White Hills’ second album, originally self-released in 2007. Available on CD and vinyl. First 500 pressed on translucent blue vinyl, remaining copies on black.
Wire – Document And Eyewitness 1979-1980 [Reissue/1981] 2xCD (Pink Flag)
For those unfamiliar with Document And Eyewitness, it really doesn’t do the album justice to describe it simply as a collection of live recordings from three turn-of-the-‘80s Wire gigs. What makes it more than that is the unorthodox nature of the main performance and the way it was presented on record. The centerpiece of the original vinyl release was a recording of the final gig of Wire’s ‘70s phase (albeit one that took place in February 1980). This was a concert at the Electric Ballroom that grew out of the band’s performance art-based residency at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre the previous November. Vinyl version due September 9.
Chelsea Wolfe – The Grime And The Glow [Reissue/2010] CD/LP+MP3 (Sargent House)
Reissue of the singer/songwriter’s debut LP. To simply call Wolfe unique would be an understatement. Even among her peers in the so-called “drone-metal-art-folk” scene she’s an icon, a stand-alone singer/songwriter whose fully-formed aesthetic and haunting timelessness appear almost without effort. (Vinyl pressed on grey with black smoke wax.)
Wytches – Annabel Dream Reader CD/LP (Partisan)
Led by Kristian Bell’s luminous lyricism and feral delivery, Brighton’s The Wytches create a sound that is at once raucous and unruly, yet decorated with authentic emotional clout. Although Bell draws more from singer-songwriters (Elliott Smith, Leonard Cohen) than specific bands, the trio’s debut LP sees them accomplish a dark and heady sound that embraces the black arts and the more extreme limits of rock without being prescriptively macabre. Far from it – all at once they reference surf, grunge, metalcore and spy movie scores, as Bell turns his voice into an instrument in its own right.
X-Drive – Get Your Rock On CD (Frontiers)
New album from the L.A. hard rock band.
The Young – Chrome Cactus CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Taking influence from early ZZ Top, Link Wray, Lungfish and Dead Moon, Chrome Cactus is a ball of power and controlled feedback disguised as ten of the catchiest songs you’ll hear this year. This is far darker than they’ve ever sounded before. The breezy optimism of their earlier albums has been switched out for sinister, creeping dread in both the lyrics and music.
DVD + Blu-ray:
Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson – Thick As A Brick: Live In Iceland CD (Eagle Records)
Jethro Tull’s famous concept album Thick As A Brick was originally released in 1972 and featured one continuous track spread across two sides of an LP telling the story of a young boy called Gerald Bostock. 40 years later in 2012, Jethro Tull’s founder and leader Ian Anderson created Thick As A Brick 2: Whatever Happened To Gerald Bostock?. Following this release Ian Anderson took both albums on the road to perform the complete story of Gerald Bostock and this concert from the tour was filmed in Iceland. 155 minutes.
Metallica – Cliff ‘Em All! [Reissue/1987] DVD (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – A Year And A Half In The Life Of… Part 1 & 2 [Reissue/1992] DVD (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – Cunning Stunts [Reissue/1998] DVD (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – S&M [Reissue/1999] DVD (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – The Videos 1989-2004 [Reissue/2006] DVD (Rhino Blackened)
Back in print on Metallica’s Blackened Recordings.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Action/Adventure – Salesman Of The Year 7” (Bird Dialect)
Contains such a wealth of guitar heroics, anthemic choruses, and screaming lyrical cynicism that this 7″ may as well be 7 miles. This is indie rock made by adults: muscular but subtle, approachable and confounding in equal measure.
Bitchin Bajas – Bitchin Bajas 2xLP/2xCassette (Drag City)
With plenty of room stretched over four sides, Bitchin Bajas use their many methods to attain perfect flow throughout the 76 minutes of this self-titled record. The space found on Bitchin Bajas was located with organ, synthesizer, winds, xylophone and autoharp, employing a 1” 8-track tape machine to the fullest extent. Additional contributions from strings, keys, guitar and field recordings helped make Bitchin Bajas everything that it is.
Black Wine – Yell Boss LP (Don Giovanni)
Black Wine is a punk rock trio from New Brunswick, NJ. They unleash a punk/rock/pop sound that’s perfectly suited for banging and stomping with wild abandon. Or contemplating a Swedish existentialist novel.
Terence Blanchard – Flow [2005] 2xLP (Blue Note)
Known for his film scores for movies such as Malcolm X and Mo’ Better Blues, this recording which has been produced by Herbie Hancock shows a different side to the trumpeter.
Blessed State – Head Space LP (Safety Meeting)
Blessed State pull from decades of punk and post-hardcore, a killer style of punk music that mixes equal parts ’80s Revolution Summer style hardcore/punk and post punk.
Body Futures – Brand New Silhouettes LP (Latest Flame)
Mathy power-pop from Milwaukee.
Wendy Carlos – TRON OST [Reissue/1982] 2xLP (Audio Fidelity)
Double-HQ-180 translucent blue vinyl reissue of Carlos’s original score.
Catharsis – Light From A Dead Star II 2xLP (Crimethinc)
This double-LP collection includes the cult horror band’s Passion LP, split LPs with Ghenna and Newborn, as well as the Catharsis song “Absolution,” recorded during their last session but never released.
Cayetana – Nervous Like Me LP (Tiny Engines)
The memorable vocals, the affecting lyrics, the rolling, imaginative bass, and the steady, spiky drums all showcase the remarkable chemistry of three musicians/friends completely in tune with one another. Pulling from elements and influences of indie and folk, Cayetana’s sound is raw and unflinching, imperfect and beautiful. Yes, Cayetana is punk rock.
Charlatan – Local Agent LP+MP3 (Umor Rex)
The fourth album from Brad Rose (Digitalis, The North Sea) is an amalgam of spy and sci-fi techno with touches of abstract dub. Pressed on transparent yellow vinyl with download of entire album plus two remixes.
Como Mamas – Out Of The Wilderness b/w Well, Well, Don’t Worry About Me 7” (Daptone)
The Como Mamas join forces with the boys of the Menahan Street Band to lay bare the funkier side of gospel music.
Deep Purple – Concerto For Group And Orchestra 3xLP (Rhino)
HQ180gm triple-LP set of the British rock royals playing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Detective Instinct – Black Floral LP (Sickroom)
Equal parts home-brewed ‘80s electronica, wonky ‘70s kraut and ramshackle ‘60s psych folk.
Diplo – Random White Dudes Be Everywhere LP (Mad Decent)
Recently released CD – now available on vinyl. Highlighting the evolution of his sound, Diplo has put together a deluxe collection of his most popular singles, never-before-heard remixes and two brand new tracks that feature collaborations with the likes of Waka Flocka Flame, Yellow Claw, Alvaro and others.
Lou Donaldson – Lush Life [Reissue/1967] LP (Blue Note)
Latest in Blue Notes 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign. Released in 1967, Lush Life by jazz saxophonist, Lou Donaldson, features a truly superstar jazz band. Considered an enchanting album, the album includes performances by Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Jerry Dodgion on alto sax and flute, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Pepper Adams on baritone sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Al Harewood on drums.
Electric Würms – Musik, Die Schwer Zu Twerk LP (WB)
Released last week on CD — now available on vinyl. Electric Würms is a prog-rock side project featuring The Flaming Lips’ multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd on vocals, guitars, and keyboards and front man Wayne Coyne on bass and backed by Nashville psychedelic rock band Linear Downfall. Musik, Die Shwer Zu Twerk, will transport the listener into a new kind of transcendental orbit than one might expect from The Lips alone. Purple vinyl.
Eno & Hyde – Highlife LP (Warp)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. At six tracks and 45 minutes, Highlife is the clearest expression yet of the “Reichkuti” (Steve Reich meets Fela Kuti) direction that first brought the Eno/Hyde collaboration into being. And as the polyrhythms and melodies build, swirl and syncopate, the album feels truly alive with the energy of this time in the studio. BNM [8.5] — Pitchfork
Estrogen Highs – Hear Me On The Number Station LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
The New Haven, CT band have always had one foot in the musical waters of New Zealand and the influence of kiwi-pop forefathers, but the band incorporates more of the avant textures of the Xpressway discography this time around.
FKA Twigs – LP1 LP (Young Turks)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. FKA twigs is a London-based producer, singer, songwriter, video director, classically trained ballerina, and choreographer. Although Twigs (as her friends call her) has only officially released two EPs to date – one self-released and one for Young Turks. Currently gracing the covers of both Fader and Dazed magazines, FKA twigs is one of the most exciting new artists around.
Bunji Garland – Differentology LP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Trinidadian soca star. Produced by Trinidad’s Keron ”Sheriff” Thompson, Differentology was originally released in November 2012 on Sheriff Music in anticipation of the plethora of parties, concerts and musical competitions held during Trinidad’s annual pre-Lenten Carnival season.
Germ House – Showing Symptoms LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Dividing time between Las Cruces, NM and Boston, Justin Hubbard and Tara McManus (Mr. Airplane Man and Turpentine Brothers) recorded Showing Symptoms with Matt Rendon (Resonars), providing a deranged amalgam of candidly direct and distinctive melodies drizzled atop ragged, lo-fi punk testimonials. Herein lies the uncomfortable duality of Germ House’s album – a fascinating suite of tunes that are balancing with equal measure both the melodic and discordant.
Great Sabatini – Dog Years LP (Solar Slare)
Great Sabatini tackle an endless array of approaches within the delivery of their well-honed and devastating hooks and vocal styles, of which unavoidable influence from genre superheroes Unsane, The Melvins, The Jesus Lizard etc. are evident.
Gruppo d’Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – Gruppo d’Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza [Reissue/1973] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Considered the first collective of experimental composers, Gruppo d’Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza formed in 1964 in Rome to chase the expressive potential of live improvisation to its furthest reaches. Led by Franco Evangelisti, Gruppo also included Ennio Morricone before he found fame composing soundtracks. Gruppo recorded this eponymous album in 1973. Whether the passages are jarring or soothing, clamorous or silken, the ensemble retains astounding organic coherence. An ultra-rare entry in Gruppo’s formidable discography, Gruppo d’Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza is finally reissued for the first time ever.
Herbie Hancock – Speak Like A Child [Reissue/1968] LP (Blue Note)
Latest in Blue Notes 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign. Originally released in 1968, Speak Like A Child is Herbie Hancock’s sixth Blue Note album. Featuring Ron Carter on bass, Mickey Roker on drums, Peter Phillips on bass trombone, Jerry Dodgion on alto flute and Thad Jones on flugelhorn.
Hombre Malo/Softly Major – Split 7” (Wallace)
Vinyl-only split featuring two of the greatest Norweigian sludge metal bands going.
Human Future/We Never Learned To Live – Split 7” (Holy Roar)
Two extremely cathartic, noisy groups from England team up for a killer split.
Etta James – Rocks The House [Reissue/1963] LP (Jackpot)
Recorded in 1963 at the New Era Club in Nashville, James is captured at her performance peak. The foundation for her reputation as a fiery no-holds-barred performer was firmly established in this recording. Her powerful version of “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” will shake you. Her impassioned version of “All I Could Do Is Cry,” will break you. Includes three bonus tracks. Blue vinyl.
Kamp! – Baltimore EP 12” (Cascine)
Stylish synth pop, fluidly melding modern versions of angular new wave and international disco.
King Buzzo – This Machine Kills Artists LP (Ipecac)
Recently released on CD – now released on vinyl. Debut solo release from Buzz Osbourne, legendary frontman and mastermind of the Melvins.
Koo Koo Kangaroo – Whoopty Whoop LP (Asian Man)
Songs about fanny packs and pizza might sound trivial, but once you hear the groove it will hook you in immediately, and the body will follow suit with dance moves you never knew you had.
Lark’s Tongue – Narrow 2xLP (Bird Dialect)
Transmutes shadows into sound across the dark expanse, sculpting elegiac hymns to dreams just over the horizon. Bound rhythmically to the charge, the band negotiates unspoken truths over a palette of harmony and distortion – its melodies trace the path to understanding.
Late Bloomer – Things Change LP (Tor Johnson)
A masterly crafted effort that molds punk, hardcore, garage, shoegaze and grunge into 38 fluid minutes of energetic and thoughtful guitar-based indie rock.
Gordon Lightfoot – Gord’s Lord [Reissue/1975] 2xLP (Friday Music)
HQ-180gm reissue featuring all of Lightfoots definitive classics, including “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Early Morning Rain,” “Summer Side Of Life” and “Carefree Highway.”
Liturgy – Renihilation [Reissue/2009] LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Vinyl reissue of 2009 debut. First 500 on white vinyl, remaining copies on black.
Lydia Lunch & Rowland S. Howard – Shotgun Wedding [Reissue/1991] LP (1972)
High priestess of macabre rock and assaultive poetics with impeccable taste in collaborators, Lydia Lunch first joined forces with guitarist and songwriter Rowland S. Howard in the early ’80s in Europe. The duo improvised clamorous live séances as an opening act before Howard’s sets with the revered Australian post-punk act The Birthday Party. The fortuitous meeting spawned 1982’s Some Velvet Morning EP, and Howard guested on Lunch’s excellent 1987 album, Honeymoon In Red, but the pair’s next true collaboration took until 1991, when they travelled to Memphis to create Shotgun Wedding with producer JG Thirlwell (Foetus, Coil).
Joe Manning/Joan Shelley – Outside, Stay Soutside 7”+MP3 (Karate Body)
New split single from Joe Manning (King’s Daughters & Sons) and Joan Shelley (June Brides, Nathan Salsburg, Maiden Radio). “(Manning’s) deep voice is rugged and weary, an uncommon beauty unafraid of exposure and judgment” — Louisville Courier-Journal. “Shelley’s beautiful voice sounds like it belongs to a lost talent from the folk revival of the early ‘60s, and unlike so many women singing similar material, Shelley doesn’t weigh down her lines with florid ornamentation – she shapes her melodies with precision & clarity.” — Chicago Reader
Matchess – Seraphastra LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Originally released on an extremely limited cassette by the Digitalis label, Seraphastra makes a welcome debut to the vinyl format. Matchess is the solo project of Whitney Johnson, singer and keyboardist for Chicago band Verma. Johnson’s minimalist sensibility owes as much to the Berlin school as it does to early industrial and minimal synth pioneers like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire. Matchess places Johnson in league with counterparts like Zola Jesus and Liz Harris (Grouper), carrying the torch of female experimental and electronic musicians in the 21st century.
Metallica – Master Of Puppets [Reissue/1986] LP (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – Metallica [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – Load [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – Re-load [Reissue/1997 2xLP (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – Garage, Inc. [Reissue/1998] 3xLP (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – S&M [Reissue/1999] 3xLP (Rhino Blackened)
Metallica – St. Anger [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Rhino Blackened)
Back in print on Metallica’s Blackened Recordings.
Thelonious Monk – Genius Of Modern Music Volume Two [Reissue/1956] LP (Blue Note)
Latest in Blue Notes 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign. The second volume in this two-disc series displays Thelonious Monk coming into his own fully as a leader.
The Mutual Understanding – In Wonderland [Reissue/1968] LP (Beatball)
For many born after 1968, the group vocal and orchestra sound of The Mutual Understanding’s In Wonderland may seem like the product of another dimension. Despite releasing a handful of recordings, The Mutual Understanding was not a group in the traditional sense, but rather a connected collective of Toronto, Ontario-based producers, arrangers, session musicians, and singers, brought together to create musical magic. In Wonderland is an album that harkens back to a gentler and more innocent time. It also represents the birth of the Canadian music business as well as the role of advertising and television in music.
Negative Scanner – Ambitious People/Evening News b/w R.I.P. 7”+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
“Ambitious People” launches off the A-Side, wasting no time rocketing to the anthemic chorus reminiscent of savage early Mekons carousing with The Feelies. The B-side lets the dueling guitars ebb & flow rather than bludgeon, bringing to mind the effortless, slash & burn tension exuded by Northwest punk originators The Wipers by way of modern-day DIY heroes like Tyvek or Eddy Current Supression Ring. Mixed color vinyl.
Sinead O’Connor – I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss LP (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Indicative of where Sinead is in life, I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss is passionate and direct, yet with an overarching fragility; her voice is a weapon, as powerful as it is tender.
Pallbearer – Foundations Of Burden CD (Profound Lore)
“Doom outfit Pallbearer’s ascension as one of metal’s crossover acts started with 2012’s Sorrow And Extinction, and with the release of their brilliant second album, it’s easy to imagine them gaining even more popularity. Foundations finds a band firing on all cylinders and surpassing what already seemed like a watermark for the genre.” [BNM 8.6] – Pitchfork
Pelican – Arktika 2xLP (Oblique)
Vinyl-only live album recorded earlier this year in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Bud Powell – The Amazing Bud Powell [Reissue/1951] LP (Blue Note)
Latest in Blue Notes 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign. Released in 1951, The Amazing Bud Powell is considered one of Bud Powell’s most important recordings.
Ptarmigan – Ptarmigan [Reissue/1974] LP (Lion Productions)
Rated by many as the best ‘folk/progressive’ and/or ‘folk/psych’ album ever made.
Rough Hands – Nothing’s Changed 7” (Holy Roar)
New single from this unbridled, energetic hardcore band incorporating textural elements and inspriation from darker, more brooding sources.
Sectu – Nefarious LP (Vicisolom Production)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Swedish metal band.
Wayne Shorter – Juju [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
Latest in Blue Notes 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign. Released in 1964, JuJu is Wayne Shorter’s fifth album.
Sianspheric – The Owl 7” (Noyes)
Born of the saturnine winters and mind-numbing process of aging, Sianspheric exists in a space generally occupied by black matter, making sounds because otherwise the silence would overwhelm.
Souls Of Mischief – There Is Only Now LP/Cassette (Linear Labs)
Souls Of Mischief – There Is Only Now LP/Cassette (Instrumental) (Linear Labs)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl (regular and picture disc) and cassette. The sixth album from legendary hip-hop group Souls Of Mischief is a unique cinematic ’90s crime tale of love, loss, and revenge. A conceptual collaboration with producer Adrian Younge and the first release on his freshly launched Linear Labs Records label, There Is Only Now gets its inspiration from a near fatal incident involving group members A-Plus, Opio, Tajai, and Phesto early in their careers. Set in 1994, the album serves as a bookend to two decades of music since the release of their seminal debut album, ’93 Til Infinity. There Is Only Now sees the souls of Mischief crew members trading bars with a cast of hip-hop and soul luminaire.
Superdrag – Head Trip In Every Key [1998] 2xLP (Side One Dummy)
For the first time ever, Superdrag’s critically-acclaimed 1998 album is now available on clear vinyl.
Transmontane – Ville Fantome LP (Sickroom)
Poetic, darkly earnest lyrics form the core of the material, as he plays guitar simultaneously through two amplifiers, each set to a different, complementary tone.
Vanhelga – Längtan 2xLP (Carnal)
New album from the Swedish black metal band.
Various Artists – Decadubs 3 12” (Hyperdub)
Vinyl-only companion-piece to Hyperdub 10.2. Features new cuts from Kode 9, Cooly G, Morgan Zarate featuring Eska and Ghostface Killah, Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland, DVA featuring Zaki Ibrahim, and a re-versioned and re-voiced contribution by Ikonika with Dam Funk.
Wand – Ganglion Reef LP (God? Records)
With the release of Wand’s Ganglian Reef, God? continues to highlight the expansive sounds of new music currently altering minds from east of west to west of east. Recorded by Ty Segall, the fluctuating gravity of their sound achieves total Wand-hood by jamming senses, sounds and vibes through the circuits of your loving mind.
Chelsea Wolfe – Apokalypsis [Reissue/2011] LP (Sargent House)
Vinyl reissue of Wolfe’s second album. To simply call Wolfe unique would be an understatement. Even among her peers in the so-called “drone-metal-art-folk” scene she’s an icon, a stand-alone singer/songwriter whose fully formed aesthetic and haunting timelessness appear almost without effort.
Zeek Sheck – Joinus 2xLP (Resipiscent)
Zeek Sheck’s sound is singular, unmistakable: sleep talking, skidding drums, 64th note woodwinds at full tilt, cult chorales, resplendent horns, and escape-velocity dance anthems.
- – Sunchaser LP (Dais)
The third album from NYC post-punk outfit adds guitarist Scott Kiernan and bassist Lee Lichtsinn. RIYL: Silk Flowers, Joy Division, Suicide.
Cassettes:
The Abigails – Tundra CD/LP/Cassette (Burger)
Killer satanic outlaw acid country from Warren Thomas formerly of The Growlers and Grand Elegance. Sophomore album in the vein of Lee Hazlewood, Gun Club, and Country Teasers.
Bitchin Bajas – Bitchin Bajas (Drag City)
Double-cassette version. With plenty of room stretched over four sides, Bitchin Bajas use their many methods to attain perfect flow throughout the 76 minutes of this self-titled record. The space found on Bitchin Bajas was located with organ, synthesizer, winds, xylophone and autoharp, employing a 1” 8-track tape machine to the fullest extent. Additional contributions from strings, keys, guitar and field recordings helped make the album everything that it is. Features cassette-only bonus track “Relaxation Mixes” – which fills the entire second cassette and is not included on the double-LP version.
Ty Segal – Manipulator (Drag City)
Mr. Segall’s fifth long-player for Drag City. The clarion call/siren sound of his guitar, the helium-steamed ride of the vocals, track after track, releasing the thought that have been holding us down, all in the name of getting higher on pop songs. Why have one when you can have two? It’s a big world, and Manipulator has only begun to fight. Features Mikal Cronin (bass/string arrangements).
Souls Of Mischief – There Is Only Now (Linear Labs)
Souls Of Mischief – There Is Only Now (Instrumental) (Linear Labs)
The sixth album from legendary hip-hop group Souls Of Mischief is a unique cinematic ’90s crime tale of love, loss, and revenge. A conceptual collaboration with producer Adrian Younge and the first release on his freshly launched Linear Labs Records label, There Is Only Now gets its inspiration from a near fatal incident involving group members A-Plus, Opio, Tajai, and Phesto early in their careers. Set in 1994, the album serves as a bookend to two decades of music since the release of their seminal debut album, ’93 Til Infinity. There Is Only Now sees the souls of Mischief crew members trading bars with a cast of hip-hop and soul luminaire.
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