September Program Titles Released This Week:
Natasha Bedingfield – Roll With Me CD (We Hear Music)
Pop stardom can warp a performer’s sense of perspective. But singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield, who broke through in 2004 with the international smash “Unwritten”, has maintained a healthy set of priorities. “You can easily lose touch,” Bedingfield says. “Being in the real world is part of being a good songwriter.” She recently sang at the 18th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball to support the organization which works to help individuals out of poverty and homelessness by providing the tools necessary to gain employment. Now she returns with Roll With Me, her fourth studio album and her first in nine years, following 2010’s Strip Me. Roll With Me was produced by multiplatinum producer Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Alicia Keys). “I wanted to make music that moves people and makes them move, says Natasha of the album. It’s bright and bold but in a way that is also raw and honest. Linda Perry says of Natasha and the album, “I wanted to work with Natasha because she is one of the best live performers I have ever seen and has one of the most versatile voices I have ever heard. It was important to both of us to capture the true spirit of who Natasha Bedingfield is and we nailed it.”
Black Belt Eagle Scout – At The Party With My Brown Friends CD/LP (Saddle Creek)
Where Black Belt Eagle Scout’s 2017 debut Mother Of My Children was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of principle singer-songwriter Katherine Paul’s standing as a radical indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship. At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines Black Belt Eagle Scout’s beautifully singular artistic vision. [Limited maroon colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Bon Iver – i,i CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)
“Bon Iver has always been Justin Vernon’s escape route. After retreating to the woods of Wisconsin to record For Emma, Forever Ago, he drew a surrealist roadmap of the United States on Bon Iver, depicting a fantastical world where the lived, the dreamed, and desired coexisted. When this invented land felt oppressive and the anxiety of facing it too overwhelming, Vernon retreated again and burrowed within himself, pulverizing his voice with machines to create 22, A Million, a record that dramatized the fracturing of the self. There’s no more hiding on i,i. Justin Vernon takes the Bon Iver sound and reassembles it like a cubist collage, with his voice right out front. All the familiar elements are here—impressionist swells of sound, impenetrable-yet-tender lyrics, mesmerizing studio tricks—and they are buoyed by Vernon’s supple baritone, the instrument he knows how to manipulate best. Acoustic guitar, horns, and piano return to prominence alongside the jittery electronics and synths that Vernon has lately favored. But the mood he conjures with these elements feels new. These songs don’t swallow you whole with grandeur; they look outward, leaving some room for the rest of the world.” – Pitchfork
Boy Scouts – Free Company CD/LP (ANTI-)
As Boy Scouts, Oakland-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Vick makes the kind of music that hits like good advice from tough emotional truths. Vick’s songs survey the damage that can come from loving other people with curiosity and grace. Her new album Free Company is a stunningly tuneful rumination on heartbreak and loss that is always galloping toward the horizon. Opener “Get Well Soon” reckons with the difficult epiphany that comes when you’ve worked overtime to help someone you love, only to realize they won’t meet you in the middle and help themselves. Her tightest and most cohesive collection of songs, Vick recorded Free Company in a tiny studio her friend Stephen Steinbrink set up inside a rented shipping container – a unique spot that ended up being perfect for her. Steinbrink plays drums, synth, and bass throughout the record in addition to singing backup.
Caravan Palace – Chronologic CD/LP (Le Plan)
Chronologic is Caravan Palace’s fourth studio album. Following on from the huge success of their last studio album with its fusion of hedonistic house and old school jazz, could have seemed quite the task for the band. However, these accomplished musicians are also studio geeks, and the band hunkered for two years in their basement Parisian studio, relentlessly testing new formulae, looking for unanimous approval between themselves before unleashing their work on the public. They did not want to walk the same roads, opened themselves up to the moment, retaining their eagerness to have fun smashing musical barriers and infusing vintage elements in their modern work. Broadening the sonic palette, the early big band feel of previous records now shares the stage with a production firmly rooted in electronic music, and Chronologic introduces new influences ranging from bossa and soul to hip-hop. The result is a record that is joyous, high-spirited and so distinctly Caravan Palace. For the first time, the band has also invited a selection of guest singers to appear in their music, adding to the texture and widening appeal of their sound. [Deluxe white colored vinyl pressing due September 6.]
!!! (Chk Chk Chk) – Wallop CD/LP (Warp)
Doesn’t it seem like everyone’s freaking out lately? !!! know the feeling well. The NYC dance-punk lifers have been chronicling the perpetual meltdown that is American society for nearly 20 years now, from the clattering full-band thrust of their instantly iconic 2003 single “Me And Giuliani Down By The Schoolyard (A True Story)” to the dark disco of 2017’s wonderfully eclectic Shake The Shudder. Their eighth full-length, Wallop, follows in the band’s grand tradition of plugging straight into our collective nervous system and sending funky, rubbery shock waves through the body politic. If you’ve found yourself rubbing your temples while contemplating the collapse of everything around us, !!! are proud to provide the soundtrack to your next nervous breakdown.
Common – Let Love CD (Loma Vista)
Grammy and Academy Award-winning rapper Common’s twelfth studio album Let Love was inspired by his 2019 memoir Let Love Have The Last Word, which left him “charged to go to raw, personal and spiritual places in the music.” Boasting contributions from Leon Bridges, A-Trak, Leikeli47, BJ the Chicago Kid, Jill Scott, Samora Pinderhughes and Jonathan McReynolds, the 11-track collection comes preceded by lead single “Her Love”, featuring guests Daniel Caesar and Dwele over an unreleased beat by the late J Dilla and the Swizz Beatz-assisted “Hercules”. “Production-wise, I knew that the music had to have depth, soul and dimension to it,” Common notes. “I wanted the musicianship and the spirit of what live music brings but it also had to have something raw and basement about it. When my team said, ‘You should do some music revolving around the book,’ I just took that energy and went running into my artistry without focusing on anything else.” [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Jah Cure – Royal Soldier CD/LP (VP)
Jah Cure is a musical adventurer, exploring rhythms, moods and meaning with his latest album Royal Soldier, his first since The Cure in 2015. Jah writes songs about love and consciousness and reality and his music moves between classic roots and smooth R&B and often challenges the boundaries of the reggae genre. The 14-track collection includes the previously released tracks “Telephone Love”, “Risk It All” and “Marijuana” and features guest appearances by Melanie Fiona, Mya, Phyllisia Ross, Popcaan, Damien ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley and Tory Lanez, among others.
Hellsingland Underground – A Hundred Years Is Nothing CD/LP (Wild Kingdom)
Swedish classic-style progressive hippie rockers Hellsingland Underground present their new album A Hundred Years is Nothing. On songs like “The Blessing/The Curse”, “Criminal Summer”, “I Win You Lose I Guess”, and “Pig Farm” the band dig into updated ’60s folk and modern jam rock, a country twang that feels inherited from The Grateful Dead popping up now and again alongside Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and sundry other influences, conjuring (mostly) a bright sound that sends out hopeful vibes in thoughtful arrangements of lap steel, piano, as well as the usual guitar, bass, drums and vocals. [CD edition includes a patch. Two colored vinyl pressings are available: yellow and red with gold splatter.]
Joan Shelley – Like The River Loves The Sea CD/LP (No Quarter)
Joan Shelley’s fifth solo album, Like The River Loves The Sea was recorded at Greenhaus studios in Reykjavik, Iceland with Shelley and James Elkington serving as co-producers. Shelley says of the collection, “Woven into the melodies and rhythms of these songs are fragments of the many musical traditions that comprise what we now call Kentucky music: Irish, British, and African to name a few. The best music would be a conversation with the divine that has seen all of it, or with the oldest trees that have witnessed the whole human story. These songs are partly that conversation, at times through the lens of lovers. They are also a longing cry born of all the dividing; a call across the slowly spreading ocean.” “Primarily, Like The River Loves The Sea is built as a haven for overstimulated heads in uncertain times,” she adds. “The title (which comes from a song by Si Kahn) speaks of the inevitable and at times indifferent nature of love. Whether it be a physical place or an idea, everyone needs a place of comfort. One where we can look out again from that place of calm and see how to best act and to be in an uncertain world.”
Tool – Fear Inoculum CD (RCA)
Fear Inoculum is the long-awaited new album from Tool, and the band’s first new album in 13 years. The limited-edition CD is packaged in a state-of-the-art tri-fold soft pack video brochure featuring a 4” HD rechargeable screen with exclusive video footage, a USB charging cable, a 2-watt speaker and a 36-page insert book. “This is the most intricate and densely-layered album Tool have yet made, but to use the word like “complex” to describe the counting-in-prime-numbers time signatures of Invincible or digital-only track Legion Inoculant would be lazy in the extreme. … An album that pushes and challenges its creators and its audiences in new ways, the finer details of which will probably take another 13 years to fully unwrap and appreciate” (Kerrang!). “As with releases previous, there are wrinkles that will only emerge after the record is lived with and absorbed. But if you’re wondering whether ‘Fear Inoculum’ was worth the wait, then the answer is yes. If you’re wondering whether it’ll touch your heart, soul and spirt, the answer is also so” (NME). “They continue to blur the lines between art, psychedelia, alt metal, and prog rock with undiminished curiosity and skill. … As with previous work, on Fear Inoculum, the band’s songwriting can at times seem like a riddle, daring listeners to lean in and figure out exactly what is going on” (Spin).
Whitney – Forever Turned Around CD/LP/Cassette (Secretly Canadian)
The second LP from Chicago indie rockers Whitney deals with fear, confusion, and substance abuse. Forever Turned Around came together over several sessions across the country. Though Julien Ehrlich is Whitney’s lead singing drummer while Max Kakacek is the lead guitarist, when writing, both transcend their roles to piece together each offering lyrically and compositionally. “The way it ends up working is one of us comes up with a basic idea for a song and the other person serves as the foil to complicate that idea. We ask, ‘What can we change to make it more interesting?'” says Kakacek. Challenging each other is the core of their songwriting partnership. It’s these risks and experiments that make Forever Turned Around a triumph. [Limited forest brown colored vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Acid King – Busse Woods [Reissue/1999] CD/LP (Riding Easy)
Every small town encompasses that one long stretch of forest where kids run to get high, jam out, and just escape. For San Francisco-based stoner metal trio, Acid King vocalist, guitarist, frontwoman, and mastermind Lori Woods, Busse Woods offered such a retreat in her native Illinois as a teenager in the ’70s. This 3,700-acre section of the Cook County Forest Preserve system beckoned her during high school with its buffet of dope, frisbee challenges, and Black Sabbath blaring from numerous trunks well past sundown. Those days left such an imprint on Lori she titled Acid King’s second full-length Busse Woods.
Gregg Allman – Laid Back [Reissue/1973] 2xCD/LP (Mercury)
Gregg Allman – The Greg Allman Tour [Reissue/1974] 2xLP (Mercury)
The masterful debut solo album by Gregg Allman, Laid Back (double-CD edition features 26 bonus tracks), and his long out-of-print live LP The Gregg Allman Tour have both been newly remastered. The pair of releases showcase a remarkable time in Allman’s career when he set off on his own to explore a different side of his artistry where he was fully at the helm. Issued in October 1973, Laid Back appeared a few months after the Allman Brothers Band’s universally admired fourth studio album Brothers And Sisters. Co-produced by Allman along with Johnny Sandlin, the collection of songs was a creative outlet where he was able to assume full control and explore his varying influences, including rhythm and blues and soul music. Exemplified by the album title’s relaxed approach, the songs were a departure from his band’s guitar-heavy sound in favor of gospel-tinged organs, slower tempos and a choir, all of which beautifully buoyed Allman’s soulful, and at times, mournful vocals.
James Carter Organ Trio – James Carter Trio: Live From Newport Jazz CD (Blue Note)
Saxophone master James Carter makes his Blue Note debut with James Carter Organ Trio: Live From Newport Jazz – his first new release since 2011. A soulfully robust dispatch from America’s most storied jazz festival, it’s also a follow-up of sorts to his acclaimed 2000 album Chasin’ The Gypsy that The New Yorker called “an alternately reverent and audacious tribute to the Belgian swing-guitar legend Django Reinhardt. It may be the rambunctious saxophone player’s recorded masterpiece.”
Carter Tutti Void – Triumvirate CD/LP (Conspiracy International)
Containing all new studio recordings, Triumvirate brings legendary industrial music pioneers Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti, and Nik Void’s collaborative partnership as Carter Tutti Void to a conclusion.
Manu Chao – Clandestino/Bloody Border [Reissue/1998] CD/2xLP (Because Music)
Remastered and expanded edition of Manu Chao’s debut album. “The first solo album released by the former frontman of Mano Negra, Clandestino is an enchanting trip through Latin-flavored worldbeat rock, reliant on a potpourri of musical styles from traditional Latin and salsa to dub to rock ‘n’ roll to French pop to experimental rock to techno… Just about every track has odd sampled bits from what sound like pirate radio-station broadcasts (a possible link to the title). There are so many great ideas on this record that it’s difficult to digest in one listen, but multiple plays reveal the great depth of Manu Chao’s artistry.” – AllMusic
Sheryl Crow – Threads CD/2xLP (Valory)
Threads is the nine-time Grammy Award-winner singer-songwriter’s album of collaborations. The set includes “Still The Good Old Days” featuring Joe Walsh, “Redemption Day” featuring Johnny Cash, “Live Wire” featuring Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples, and “Prove You Wrong” featuring Stevie Nicks and Maren Morris. Additional guests include Eric Clapton, Chris Stapleton, Sting, Brandi Carlile, Margo Price, Jason Isbell, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Lucius, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, St. Vincent, Chuck D, Gary Clark Jr., Kris Kristofferson, James Taylor and Andra Day.
Lana Del Rey – NFR! CD/2xLP (Interscope)
Norman F**king Rockwell! is the highly anticipated sixth studio album by Lana Del Rey and follow-up to 2017’s Grammy-nominated Lust For Life. The singer notes that the album is, “in the vein of a Laurel Canyon sound. And its kind of transformed a little bit because there’s some surf elements to some of the songs – it’s not really surfy like Dick Dale but a lot of electric guitar, a little Red Hot Chili Peppers influence in there.”
Dr. John – The Mojo Of Dr. John 2xCD (Sunset Blvd)
The Mojo Of Dr. John features Dr. John’s early singles pre-Atlantic Records and live concert recordings previously unreleased in North American and Japan.
Elaine Elias – Love Stories CD (Concord)
Love Stories gives full display of her mastery and artistry as a vocalist, pianist, composer, arranger and producer. She brings a stellar lineup of some of Brazil’s most sought-after rhythm section players, including Marcus Texiera on guitar and Edu Ribeiro, Rafael Barata, Paulo Braga and Celso Almeida on drums, plus Marc Johnson, her longtime musical partner and co-lyricist, on bass.
Elvenking – Reader Of The Rules – Divination CD/LP (AFM)
New album from the Italian folk power metal band. [Two colored vinyl pressing are available: blue and red.]
Entombed A.D. – Bowels Of Earth CD (Century Media)
Nobody can cheat death. And nobody can cheat at death metal either. Flying the flag for balls-out and murderous death metal since 2014, Entombed A.D. return with one of 2019’s most devastating, deathly statements. [Vinyl edition due September 13.]
Essence Of Datum – Spellcrying Machine CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
The Minsk-based instrumental band synthesize the best of extreme, modern metal into an elegant and articulate whole.
Johnny Farnham – Rose Coloured Glasses: The Early Years 1967-1970 CD (Teensville)
For the first time ever, the beginning of the long-lasting career of Johnny Farnham is chronicled on CD. Rose Coloured Glasses contains highlights of Johnny’s first three years in the recording business. The selection includes tracks from his first three albums as well as single sides.
Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters – Beyond The Blue Door CD/LP (Stony Plain Music)
Multi-Award-Winning Guitarist Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters deliver deep roots on new album Beyond The Blue Door. Earl believes in the power of music to heal the mind and spirit, and that’s quickly evident on the album’s 15 tracks. Special guests on the album include David Bromberg, acoustic guitar and vocals; Kim Wilson, harmonica and vocals; and Greg Piccolo, tenor sax.
Ezra Furman – Twelve Nudes CD/LP (Bella Union)
Furman says Twelve Nudes has two spiritual heroes – the late great punk rock rocker Jay Reatard, and Canadian poet, philosopher and essayist Anne Carson. “She’s one of my top three living writers,” he says. “Anne had these visions, or meditations, to deal with the intense pain in her life, which she calls ‘nudes’, and similarly these songs are meditations on pain and recognizing what’s there if you go digging around in your anger and fear and anxiety. So, my album is called Twelve Nudes.” [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also avialble.]
The Futureheads – Powers CD/LP (Nul)
The Futureheads return with their sixth studio album and first electric guitar release in almost a decade. Recorded and self-produced at Newcastle’s First Avenue Studio, Powers is a record that looks at the balance of power in a personal, political and relational sense” and puts it to some of the most vital, invigorated material the band have made since their first steps.
Goldie – Saturnz Return [Reissue/1997] 2xCD/2xLP (London)
Brave, innovative, experimental and bursting with emotion, the two-disc 150-minute Saturnz Return proved to be one of the boldest and divisive sets in the burgeoning mid-late- ‘90s drum ‘n’ bass scene. [CD reissue includes rare mixes from Optical, MJ Cole, and Grooverider, Gremlinz & Jesta, HLZ, Martyn, DjRUM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Boymerang, and DJ Muggs.]
Robert Gordon & Chris Spedding – Tear Up The House 2xCD (Sunset Blvd)
30 performances spanning over 40 years – ’78, ’80, ’85 & ’15 – Boston, New York, Los Angeles. Together, Gordon and Spedding were an unstoppable combination. Tear Up The House underscores just how powerful Robert’s pipes were and continue to be as he rips through a slew of early Elvis classics and more.
Hesitation Wounds – Chicanery CD/LP (Deathwish Inc)
Hesitation Wounds is a hardcore punk band featuring Jeremy Bolm of Touche Amore, Stephen LaCour (Trap Them), Neeraj Kane (The Hope Conspiracy), and Thomas Cantwell (Gouge Away, Axis).
Hieroglyphics – 3rd Eye Vision [Reissue/1998] CD/3xLP (Hiero Imperium)
CD and vinyl reissue of the first studio album by the hip-hop collective.
HTRK – Venus In Leo CD/LP (Ghostly Int’l)
The fourth album from HTRK, the duo of Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang, arrives five years on from 2014’s Psychic 9-5 Club. While some much-loved HTRK hallmarks remain-the combination of space and intimacy, the unmistakable interplay between Yang’s guitars and effects and Standish’s vocals-Venus In Leo comes with its own sonic palette, marking a new chapter for one of the most distinctive bands of the past decade.
Imperium Dekadenz – When We Are Forgotten CD/LP (Napalm)
The sixth record of the duo from the German melodic death metal bands convinces with dynamic, energetic and organic production.
In Search Of Solace – Enslaved To Tragedy CD (Sharptone)
Heavy music should address even heavier themes. Amidst a barrage of polyrhythmic jackhammer riffing, mind-bending percussion, electronic menace, and hypnotic vocal interplay, In Search Of Solace raise poignant, provocative, and powerful questions.
Olivia Jean – Night Owl CD/LP (Third Man)
Night Owl is exactly what it sounds like: the wee-hour workings of an artist engrossed in a project, pushing against omnipresent forces of fear and judgment to do exactly what she’s always wanted to do and be exactly what she’s known she is. It’s candy-coated and also bittersweet, fully aware and also full-hearted. The album mines the shared spaces between bubblegum, beach pop undercurrents and fuzzed out garage a la B-52s and Dick Dale, lyrically diving headfirst into the frustrations of perfectionism, mental barriers, obsession and modern heartache.
Kandodo 3 – k3 CD/LP (Rooster)
A brand new studio full length from Bristol based sike-o-nauts Kandodo 3, orbiting in the Heads’ realm and led by Heads’ Simon Price, k3 continues their trajectory of outer space excursions. Out of focus, relaxed and expansive vibes fuse together into serpentine rivers of minimalist rhythms and echoed tones, drawing the listener into tunnels of sound and scorched sonic landscapes-it’s one for the headphones at 30,000 feet or late night deserted drives
Kronos Quartet – Terry Riley: Sun Rings CD (Nonesuch)
Commissioned by NASA for the Kronos Quartet and featuring pre-recorded sounds from the plasma around planets, Terry Riley’s Sun Rings is about as close an experience to being in space as it is possible to be. The ten-movement ‘spacescape’, as Riley refers to it, is a multimedia work for quartet and chorus, opening with recorded audio of the static heard from radio emissions in space. These are all triggered by members of the quartet’s hand movements over sensors.
Jesse Malin – Sunset Kids CD/LP (Wicked Cool)
Sunset Kids first took shape at The Hollywood Bowl, when Jesse accepted Lucinda William’s invitation to see her open for what turned out to be Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ final concert. The bittersweet experience inspired one of the new album’s highlights, “Shining Down”, a rainy day jangle about “keeping alive the spirits of the ones we’ve lost.” During that same visit, the idea came about of three-time Grammy-winning Lucinda producing Jesse’s next record.
Mean Jeans – Gigantic Sike CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Since their recent foray into the world of brand marketing, Mean Jeans has been living the life: chugging Mountain Dew, scarfing Totino’s, auditioning for the next Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and generally keeping it real.
múm – Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK [Reissue/1999] 2xCD/3xLP (Morr Music)
Morr Music present a 20th Anniversary Edition of Múm’s classic 1999 debut. Includes a bonus disc of newly commissioned re-works: a note-for-note representation of “Smell Memory” by Kronos Quartet (with additional drums by Múm’s Samuli Kosminen), a gentle reinterpretation of “Random Summer” by acclaimed pianist and composer Hauschka and an otherworldly new version of “Ballad Of The Broken String” recorded by label mate Sóley. The set also includes four remixes produced in the early 2000s by Ruxpin, Bix, µ-Ziq, and Biogen.
Jonas Munk and Nicklas Sørensen – Always Already Here CD/LP (El Paraiso)
Jonas Munk and Nicklas Sørensen team up for a genre-defying record that explores American minimalism, psychedelia, and electronic music – both vintage and contemporary. On a foundation of interlocking guitar and synthesizer patterns, the duo constructs lengthy pieces that are experimental yet welcoming in nature, precisely executed yet with room for soaring improvisation. Always Already Here pays homage to the masters of classical minimalism (Steve Reich, Terry Riley) and the pioneers of electronic music and kosmische (Brian Eno, Manuel Göttsching), still it doesn’t sound derivative or retrospective.
Mylingar – Döda Själar CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
Savagery in musical form takes a further step toward total sonic annihilation with Döda Själar, the culmination of a bestial trilogy from the eccentric intensity called Mylingar. A tempest of whirlwind-blackened death metal barbarity and animalistic filth, this album is unrelenting in it’s intent to rend flesh from bone and inflict torment. There is no peace here-the guitars and riffs burn through everything like scorched earth with the scraping, gritty bass barreling forward into total massacre.
The Offering – Home CD (Century Media)
Boston’s The Offering is anything but orthodox. Formed in 2015, the high-flying quartet have a way of cleverly suffusing all their influences—from black and death to heavy and modern to thrash and power to nü and hardcore—into their story-like songs. Over time (and across many refinement sessions), The Offering has developed their all-in dynamic into a signature sound.
Parsnip – When The Tree Bears Fruit CD/LP (Trouble In Mind)
An irresistible mix of garage, surf, girl-group gang vocals and bizarro funk, with a carefree attitude that revels in its idiosyncrasies (crazed wah-wah, warped harmonies, unexpected rhythmic shifts, ambient sounds of the sea) without sacrificing any ounce of melodic fervor. [Limited green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Steve Roach – Bloom Ascension CD/LP (Projekt)
The rich melodic and rhythmic symmetry of this kaleidoscopic bloom of interlocking electronic music was created specifically for the canvas of time inherent to the LP format. Bloom Ascension‘s spiraling analog synth/sequencer-driven sound conveys vibrant energy and radiant optimism woven into the core of these living, breathing musical mandalas. This is Steve’s first release conceptualized for LP since Desert Solitaire (1989).
Rodriguez – Cold Fact [Reissue/1970] CD/LP (UMe)
Rodriguez – Coming From Reality [Reissue/1971] CD/LP (UMe)
It’s one of the lost classics of the ‘60s, a psychedelic masterpiece drenched in color and inspired by life, love, poverty, rebellion. The album is Cold Fact, and what’s more intriguing is that its maker, a shadowy figure known as Rodriguez, was for many years, lost too. Over a decade ago now, he was rediscovered working as a day laborer in Detroit, MI. He was unaware that his defining album had become not only a cult classic, but for the people of South Africa, a beacon of revolution. 1971’s Coming From Reality is his second and (to date) final studio album.
Sam Rosenthal with Nick Shadow and Steve Roach – The Gesture Of History CD/LP (Projekt)
Viola-based textural ambient drift from Sam of Black Tape For A Blue Girl with Shadow’s viola, and synths/enhancements from Steve Roach.
Sect – Blood Of The Beasts CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Vegan straight edge outfit Sect unites vocalist Chris Colohan (Cursed, Burning Love, Left For Dead), guitarists James Chang (Catharsis, Undying) and Scott Crouse (Earth Crisis, The Path Of Resistance), bassist Steve Hart (Day Of Suffering), and drummer Andy Hurley (Racetraitor, The Damned Things). The result is a caustic, riotous, belligerent style of vile hardcore fed by a boundless well of socio-political vitriol.
Martin Simpson – Rooted 2xCD/LP (Topic)
Following on from 2017’s unanimously-acclaimed, Trails & Tribulations, comes Martin Simpson’s 21st solo album of folk, blues and Americana. Featuring special guests Dom Flemons, Richard Hawley, John Smith, Nancy Kerr, Andy Cutting and Ben Nicholls. The double-CD package includes a bonus disc of instrumentals.
Snail Mail – Habit CDEP/12” (Matador)
Snail Mail’s debut EP Habit serves as a nascent example of Lindsey Jordan’s extraordinary talent as a songwriter, singer and guitarist. The seven-song disc features the six original 2016 tracks as well as “The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl In The World”, penned by K Records Band Courtney Love and recorded by Snail Mail in 2018, available on record for the first time.
Sons Of Apollo – Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony 3xCD+DVD+Blu-ray (Inside Out U.S.)
New live release from Sons Of Apollo featuring former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Ron Bumblefoot Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force). Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony documents the band’s remarkable one-off performance at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria alongside a full orchestra and choir, playing tracks from their debut album Psychotic Symphony as well as a selection of tracks by legendary bands.
Tarja – In The Raw CD/LP (earMUSIC)
A combination of sophisticated and refined orchestration, choir and Tarja’s classically trained voice with a raw, dark heavy musical core.
Various Artists – Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) 5xCD (Sony Legacy)
“If you write the truth and you’re writing about your life, it’s going to be country. It’ll be country ’cause you’re writing what’s happening. And that’s all a good song is” (Loretta Lynn). Country Music, the eight-part, 16-hour film by Ken Burns, chronicles the creation of a truly American genre of music through the songs and stories of its greatest trailblazers. Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) includes more than 100 timeless classics as heard in the film, including songs by The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many more. This deluxe set includes 68 pages of liner notes and rarely seen archival photos, documents and memorabilia. [Abridged 31-track double vinyl edition due September 13.]
Velvet Negroni – Neon Brown CD/LP (4AD)
Velvet Negroni is the alter-ego of creative polymath Jeremy Nutzman. Raised in an outer suburb of the Twin Cities, Jeremy – a black kid adopted into a white evangelical Christian family – split his formative years between classical piano lessons and late night jam sessions. A duality that permeates every corner of his music, with new album Neon Brown thriving in the borderlands between indie rock and R&B. Since touring with close friend Bon Iver, Nutzman notched writing credits for Kanye West and Kid Cudi ahead of his debut single releases on NYC label b4 in 2018. Now, alongside prolific co-producer Psymun (Young Thug, Juice WLRD, The Weeknd), Nutzman’s new releases transcend the borders between his often polarized influences, bringing R&B slow jams and nods to hometown hero Prince with guitar licks and full band energy.
Visions Of Atlantis – Wanderers CD/LP (Napalm)
New album from the symphonic metal sextet.
Wage War – Pressure CD/LP (Fearless)
Through an unwavering dedication to progression, Wage War sharpen their patented hybrid of heavy pit-starting technicality and hummable hypnotic melodies with each subsequent evolution. Look no further than the aptly titled third full-length from the Florida quintet, Pressure.
Whitney – Forever Turned Around CD/LP/Cassette (Secretly Canadian)
The second LP from Chicago indie rockers Whitney deals with fear, confusion, and substance abuse. Forever Turned Around came together over several sessions across the country. Though Julien Ehrlich is Whitney’s lead singing drummer while Max Kakacek is the lead guitarist, when writing, both transcend their roles to piece together each offering lyrically and compositionally. “The way it ends up working is one of us comes up with a basic idea for a song and the other person serves as the foil to complicate that idea. We ask, ‘What can we change to make it more interesting?'” says Kakacek. Challenging each other is the core of their songwriting partnership. It’s these risks and experiments that make Forever Turned Around a triumph. [Limited forest brown colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Why? – AOKOHIO CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
Yoni Wolf has spent the last two decades traveling the remote sonic terrain where underground hip hop, avant-pop, and psych-rock meet. On AOKOHIO, Yoni Wolf condenses the essential elements of Why? into a stunningly potent musical vision. Co-produced by Wolf and his brother Josiah, the record presents a rich palette of musical voices that emerge and disappear into a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of sound. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Steve Wilson – Hand.Cannot.Erase [Reissue/2015] CD (Kscope)
CD reissue of the fourth studio album from the four-time Grammy nominee and founder member of cult legends, Porcupine Tree.
Trisha Yearwood – Every Girl CD/LP (Gwendolyn)
Every Girl is Yearwood’s first country music studio album since 2007’s Heaven, Heartache And The Power Of Love. The album consists of songs composed mostly by female songwriters.
Mikey Young – You Feelin’ Me? CD/LP (Castleface)
You Feelin’ Me? is the armored nucleus of sound and vision; it carries you along on it’s lumbering back, it tosses you through space and pulls you down a hole… a trip indeed! Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring) can do no wrong in our eyes and he has held the door open for you again (a gentleman, as always). Listen up, the higher power music hour has cracked their mighty knuckles and laid down some deep trips for you to view the city swaying and swarming like a field of grass flecked with insect transport.
Frank Zappa – Orchestral Favorites – 40th Anniversary 3xCD/LP (UMe)
When Frank Zappa’s Orchestral Favorites was eventually released in 1979 as part of fulfilling his contract with his contentious former label, the album was dumped into the world along with several other titles without the legendary musician’s permission or quality control. It did not include liner notes or credits and the artwork and audio wasn’t approved by Zappa who publicly criticized it as not being up to his standards. As a result of not receiving any promotion, it was quickly relegated to the bargain bin shortly after its release. Four decades later, in celebration of the long-beleaguered album’s 40th anniversary, the Zappa Family Trust is righting this wrong and presenting Orchestral Favorites with the audiophile detail and respect it deserves to commemorate the historical event that took place at UCLA’s Royce Hall in September 1975 where the compositions were recorded. [The three-CD deluxe edition adds a recording of a previously unreleased two-hour concert.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Rocketman DVD/Blu-ray (Paramount)
Rocketman is a one-of-a-kind musical celebration set to Elton John’s most beloved songs. Discover how a shy, smalltown boy becomes one of the most iconic figures in rock & roll.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Another Sky – Life Was Coming In Through The Blinds LP (Missing Piece)
Life Was Coming In Through The Blinds is UK band Another Sky’s first ever physical release and this 12″ vinyl edition also includes their debut EP Forget Yourself. A stunning body of work setting the band firmly within their own creative lane, the four-track release focuses on resilience and celebration in the darkest of times, loosely inspired by The Wisdom Of No Escape by Pema Chodron.
Anti-Nowhere League – So What Tour 1982 Live! LP (Cleopatra)
The vinyl companion to the DVD/CD set of We Are The League documentary film based on the incredible career of UK punk legends Anti-Nowhere League. Contains recently discovered live recordings of the band during its 1982 tour at three different venues (Derby, Bradford & Lyceum) in support of their debut album. Red colored vinyl pressing.
An Autumn For Crippled Children – Lost [Reissue/2010] LP (Prosthetic)
An Autumn For Crippled Children – Only The Ocean Knows [Reissue/2012] LP (Prosthetic)
An Autumn For Crippled Children – Try Not To Destroy Everything You Love [Reissue/2015] LP (Prosthetic)
An Autumn For Crippled Children – Long Goodbye [Reissue/2015] LP (Prosthetic)
An Autumn For Crippled Children – Withered Dreams: Singles 2013-2017 LP (Prosthetic)
An Autumn For Crippled Children is an iconic yet mysterious Dutch ensemble that weaves emotionally gripping, sonically gorgeous tapestries that canvass black metal, doom, and post-rock.
BCUC – The Healing LP (Buda Musique)
Third album from South African sensations BCUC featuring guest appearances from Femi Kuti and Saul Williams.
Ben Babbitt – Paris Window (Original Score) LP (Not Not Fun)
Director Amanda Kramer’s prompts for composer Ben Babbitt’s soundtrack to her enigmatic film Paris Window read like magnetic fridge poetry – warped ambient bumper muzak tension – but the results skew closer to some hypnagogic contemporary noir: lulling, low-lit, and laced with lingering dread. Electronics, strings, and percussion swoon and seethe in heady mirages of dreams and delirium, romance and menace.
Bendigo Fletcher – Terminally Wild/Sleeping Pad LP (Soul Step)
Leading with a heady psych-folk Americana blend, those who are fans of Fleet Foxes, Dr. Dog, and Band of Horses will love their sound. Bendigo Fletcher are known for their honest songwriting and full lush harmonies. It’s a perfect record to enjoy a cup of coffee to or unwind after a long day.
Beirut – Gulag Orkestar [Reissue/2006] LP+MP3 (Pompeii)
Beirut – Flying Club Cup [Reissue/2007] LP+MP3 (Pompeii)
Beirut – The Rip Tide [Reissue/20011] LP+MP3 (Pompeii)
Beirut is an American band which was originally the solo musical project of Santa Fe native Zachary Francis Condon, and later expanded into a band. The band’s first performances were in New York, in May 2006, to support the release of their debut album, Gulag Orkestar. Beirut’s music combines elements of indie-rock and world music. Their first three albums are back in-print on vinyl.
Black Rainbows – Hawkdope [Reissue/2015] LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Black Rainbows – Stellar Prophecy [Reissue/2016] LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Since the release of their debut album, Twilight In The Desert in 2007, Roma rockers Black Rainbows have become one of the most essential acts in Europe’s heavy underground. Their 2015 and 2016 albums have been repressed on colored vinyl.
Blueboy – If Wishes Were Horses [Reissue/1992] LP (A Colourful Storm)
Presented for the first time on vinyl since its release in 1992, the recording by Keith Girdler, Gemma Townley, Paul Stewart, Lloyd Armstrong, and Mark Andes is immortalized in Sarah Records’ history as an evergreen of indie-pop and modern DIY. … “The sort of feelings that rarely escape from the Sarah daydream factory” wrote NME at the time. This long-overdue reissue is presented with the original artwork faithfully restored by Sarah Records’ own Matt Haynes.
Bluke – Sense The Urgency LP (Ropeadope)
Back in the early 2000s, Ninja Tune’s heyday, the unlikely duo of label mates BluRum13 (One Self) and Luke Vibert (Wagon Christ, Plug, Kerrier District,…) quietly formed across genres and geography. Their first album, Smell The Urgency, was a playfully intellectual romp through the minds of two geniuses of rap and production respectfully. The album was shelved for reasons unknown, only to be resurrected by fans 13 years later and released on limited edition vinyl by Lille’s Besides Records. The re-release prompted a reunion, and just one year later, Bluke returns with a second album even more revelatory than the first. True to both artists’ extensive experience and discography, Sense The Urgency showcases the depth of talent unique to each.
Bodywash – Comforter LP (Luminelle)
Comforter is the perfect insomniac’s record, a late-night album of emotional extremes, from the enveloping warmth of shoegaze to the stark electronics of ‘90s trip-hop and IDM. Guitars blur in and out, melodies vanish and appear, synths blinking like lights in a fog.
Brainticket – Zurich 1983 LP (Purple Pyramid)
Green vinyl release of an ultra-rare 1983 concert performance by the electronic pioneers.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy/Bryce Dressner/Eighth Blackbird – When We Are Inhuman LP (37D03D)
Bonnie “Prince” Billy, the National’s Bryce Dessner, and the contemporary classical outfit Eighth Blackbird have teamed up for a new album. When We Are Inhuman includes Eighth Blackbird’s new arrangements of Will Oldham songs, a live performance of Julius Eastman’s “Stay on It”, and movements from Bryce Dessner’s Murder Ballades.
Cabaret Voltaire – Chance Versus Casualty CD/LP (Mute)
Cabaret Voltaire – 1974-1976 CD/LP (Mute)
Mute are excited to announce the launch of a new campaign of Cabaret Voltaire releases: Chance Versus Casualty is the previously unreleased soundtrack to a 16MM film for two projectors by Babeth Mondini from 1979; 1974-76 is a selection of material recorded by Cabaret Voltaire during the earlier and formative years of their existence. All of the recordings were done in an attic 10 feet by 6, on a domestic reel to reel tape recorder. [Transparent colored vinyl pressings are also available.]
Captain Beyond – Live In Miami – August 19, 1972 LP (Purple Pyramid)
Vintage 1972 concert performance by legendary prog rock supergroup – pressed on limited edition blue colored vinyl.
Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 2xLP (A&M)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Featuring timeless hits and favorites, Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra pairs Karen Carpenters’ original vocal and instrumental tracks with new orchestral arrangements from Richard Carpenter, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) at Abbey Road Studios.
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority [Reissue/1969] 2xLP (Rhino)
Digitally remixed and remastered 50th Anniversary edition. Originally released in 1969, Chicago Transit Authority topped the album chart, was certified double platinum and earned the band a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. The album also has the unique distinction of having stayed on the charts for an amazing three-year run (171 weeks); a record when it was released. [CD edition due September 13.]
Eric Clapton – One More Car, One More Rider [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (WB)
Double-vinyl reissue of the eighth live album by Eric Clapton, recorded over two nights at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, 18 and 19, 2001.
Dillon – The Tails Of Lobsterdamus LP (Full Plate)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Atlanta-based rapper/DJ/chef, Dillon is perhaps best known for his collaborations with acclaimed beatmakers Diamond D (Black Tie Affair), Supa Dave West (Studies In Hunger), Paten Locke (Food Chain) and Batsauce (On Their Way), but that might change when Lobsterdamus washes up. The Tails Of Lobsterdamus is Dillon’s self-produced solo debut, a deep dive into the origin of his bottom-dwelling evil alter-ego, Lobby Dom. Half man, half lobster and 100% jerk, Lobsterdamus was sent to Earth (unwillingly) from his home planet of Lobtropolis on a quest to save humanity from itself.
Eardrum – Deaf Strike LP (Grilchy Party)
This project came to be from a malfunctioning MPC 2500 drum machine. While Eardrum’s go to weaponry was in rehabilitation, he used his secondary equipment, the Roland/BOSS SP series, with limited features to test his skill in beat making. Depending on your ear, you may recognize a few familiar sound throughout the project he purposely chopped to present his approach to the sample he used. Deaf Strike is a very energetic body of work, which is also easy on the ears to play in a relaxed setting.
David Ellefson – Sleeping Giants LP (EMP Label Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A retrospective featuring several new tracks written and recorded by the former Megadeth bassist and his partner, and co-author, Thom Hazaert, who also handles vocal duties, plus a collection of demos, and unreleased material from F5, and additional Ellefson projects.
El Michels Affair – Shimmy Shimmy Ya b/w Incarcerated Scarfaces 7” (Fat Beats)
Back in 2006 El Michels Affair began releasing a slew of brilliant covers of Wu-Tang classics on 7” as part of their acclaimed Shaolin Series, eventually leading to their full length project of Wu-fueled interpretations – Enter The 37th Chamber. Now available for the first time on 7” by popular demand, two more stand-out tracks from the LP.
The Expert – Excursions LP (Cold Busted)
Inspired by golden-era giants like The Rza, Pete Rock, and Large Professor – as well as new school titans Oddisee, Exile, and Eric Lau – The Expert releases a 20-track exploration of smooth instrumental hip-hop for the mind and soul.
Fujiya & Miyagi – Flashback LP+MP3 (Impossible Objects Of Desire)
Standard black vinyl pressing. After the ambitious three EP trilogy Impossible Objects Of Desire in 2017, Fujiya & Miyagi release their seventh full length album. “Flashback started life as our funk record,” says Fujiya & Miyagi’s David Best. “Yet once we got into the production stage our embryonic funk songs moved closer to electro in feel. Although this is our funkiest album to date and the funk is deliberate.”
The Germs – Live At Starwood Dec. 3, 1980 LP (Run Out Groove)
On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood hosted a final show of the reunited Germs, four days before singer Darby Crash’s suicide.
Goo Goo Dolls – Gutterflower [Reissue/2002] LP (WB)
Goo Goo Dolls – Let Love in [Reissue/2006] LP (WB)
Goo Goo Dolls – Something For The Rest Of Us [Reissue/2010] LP (WB)
Goo Goo Dolls – Magnetic [Reissue/2013] LP (WB)
Vinyl reissues of the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth studio albums from the alt-rock band.
Gross Net – Gross Net Means Gross Net LP (Felte)
Belfast-based Gross Net (ex-Girls Names guitarist Philip Quinn) bridges dark electronics, avant garde experimentation, and black humor with his newest album, Gross Net Means Gross Net, where melodies of rapture and unease duel, creating a dizzying anxiety ala the minimal electronic doom of Coil, Bish Bosch-era Scott Walker and the orchestral ambience of Popol Vuh.
Guided By Voices – Half Smiles Of The Decomposed [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Matador)
2004’s Half Smiles Of The Decomposed was intended to be GBV’s swan song, a final album. They would eventually reunite in 2010 for Matador’s 21st birthday celebrations in Las Vegas, but either way, it may well be the strongest set of music the band has ever released for public consumption, and featured Robert Pollard (vocals), Doug Gillard (guitar), Nate Farley (guitar), Chris Slusarenko (bass), and Kevin March (drums). GBV’s final Matador album back in print for the first time since 2008 on red colored vinyl LP as part of the Matador Revisionist History Catalog Campaign.
Guided By Voices – Heavy Like The World b/w Silent Army 7” (GBV Inc.)
“Heavy Like The World” is the subliminally seductive single from the forthcoming Guided by Voices album Sweating The Plague. “Silent Army” is a non-LP B-side.
GZA/Genius – Pro Tools [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Babygrande)
Pro Tools, originally released in 2008, is GZA’s latest solo album to date.
Head Automatica – Decadence [Reissue/2004] LP (Headphone Records)
Head Automatica – Popaganda [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Headphone Records)
Vinyl reissues of the only two albums from the critically acclaimed collaboration of Darryl Palumbo (hardcore’s Glassjaw) and legendary beatmaker/ producer Dan The Automator Nakamura (Handsome Boy Modeling School, Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon). [Limited edition colored vinyl pressings are available.]
Honeyboy Slim & The Bad Habit – Who Put The Jinx? LP (Hayride)
Honeyboy Slim & the Bad Habits deliver their debut – a well-knit rock album of the best cut.
Howlin’ Rain – Under The Wheels: Live From The Coasts Vol. 1 LP (Silver Current)
the first in a new series of limited edition Howlin Rain live albums, intended to be a direct exchange / conversation with fans. A no-rules, anything goes series culled from multi-track live recordings made on the road. Volume 1, Live From The Coasts, leans heavily to the bands more expansive and improvisational side and is the first of a two-part curation of the band’s personal favorites of East Coast and West Coast performances in 2018-19 (Volume 2 and second Live From The Coasts LP due out in Fall 2019.) [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram – Kingfish LP+MP3 (Alligator)
180gm vinyl release of the 20-year-old blues firebrand’s sensational debut.
Jade – In Pursuit [Reissue/1975] LP (Tidal Waves)
Little is known about Jade (Norfolk, Virginia) other than that they released two 45s and a full-length album on the tiny Pesante imprint in the mid- ‘70s. Fast forward to 2019, almost 45 years later, and their In Pursuit album has become one of the holy grails of private pressed funk/soul records.
Jay Som – Anak Ko Orange LP (Polyvinyl)
Recently released on CD and cassette – now available on vinyl. Translating to “my child” in English, Anak Ko, features sweeping, shoegazey guitars (“Superbike”), delicate string & pedal steel arrangements (“Nighttime Drive”, “Get Well”), and incredible production that showcases songwriter, producer, and creative force Melina Duterte’s evolving skills in the studio (“Anak Ko”). Anak Ko presents an exciting glimpse into Duterte’s creative process and solidifies her undeniable progression as one of 2019’s strongest and gifted songwriters.
Jenova 7 – Dusted Jazz Vol. 3 LP (Cold Busted)
Boston beat-maker Jenova 7 returns to Cold Busted for the crucial cut collection Dusted Jazz Vol. 3. A crate-digging vinyl junkie and film school graduate, inspired by the heyday of ’90s trip-hop – and artists like DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, and Portishead – Jenova 7 forged his own sound, eventually ending up on DJ Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz 8.
Joan As Police Woman – Real Life [Reissue/2006] LP (PIAS America)
Joan As Police Woman – To Survive [Reissue/2008] LP (PIAS America)
Joan As Police Woman – Deep Field [Reissue/2011] 2xLP (PIAS America)
Joan Wasser, known by her stage name Joan As Police Woman, is a musician, singer-songwriter and producer. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Antony and the Johnsons, and Those Bastard Souls. Her first, second and fourth albums are back in-print on vinyl.
Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster – Take Heart, Take Care LP (Big Legal Mess)
Kinkel-Schuster isn’t only one of our greatest songwriters; he’s also one of our greatest empaths. This ability to access deceptively simple moments and turn them into epiphanies about kindness and wonder and human communion sets him apart from a world of songwriters whose only interest is the slick image or the well-crafted turn of phrase. His songs are reminiscent of William Eggleston’s photos, in that there’s a whole entire mysterious world under the surface, a story under every rock left unturned and every slash of light, behind every character we meet, every indecisive mother, every haunted figure on the edges of the song, behind every lesson his unnamed narrators impart to us.
K le maestro – Lab Sounds LP (Street Corner Music)
Debut LP from UK by way of the Congo’s young prodigy, K le maestro. Lab Sounds follows last year’s acclaimed remix 45 of Amerie’s 1 Thing. Ranging from gritty grime to sunshine, all the tracks are rooted in heavy drums with a variety of emotions layered in between.
KzyBoost – Callin’ U LP (The Sleepers Recordz)
Hailing from Osaka, Japan, KzyBoost brings forth a diverse and groove-heavy project which employs the uptempo, synth-drenched sensibilities of modern funk, melding it with NuSoul and hip-hop, creating varied soundscapes that can inspire movement on the dance floor or head nods on a dreamy late night cruise.
Leanlani – Fantastic Planet LP (Dome Of Doom)
Rising singer/songwriter and innovative storyteller Lealani presents her debut album.
Parker Louis – All Good Things LP (Soul Step)
Thick Ohio R&B and soul grooves, All Good Things drips with influences from D’Angelo, Sam Cooke, and Raphael Saadiq. Parker Louis brings his buttery smooth vocals paired with bluesy guitar grooves straight to your turntable. It’s a great record to mellow out to. It’s a great record to hold onto your sweet thing to.
Miriam Makeba – Pata Pata [Reissue/1967] CD/LP+MP3 (Strut)
Strut presents an all-time classic of South African music, the definitive remastered edition of Miriam Makeba’s Pata Pata, her album recorded for Reprise in 1966.
Missions – Subcreature LP (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. This impressive collection of addictive bass lines and smooth drum beats are produced and arranged with the proficiency of a polished studio engineer, while the core of Mills’ craftsmanship explores the shaded nuances of seduction and vulnerability. Subcreature is perfectly suited for both late-night dance floors and private listening, with creative subtleties that peek through the hook-laden anthems and hopelessly romantic lyrics.
The Modern Times – Algorhythmic Dance Music LP (Jansen Plateproduksjon)
The Modern Times’ sophomore album Algorhythmic Dance Music sounds like confused Gang Of Four-members arguing with Parquet Courts while The Hives beats them both to the bar. Or something like that.
Dylan Moon – Only The Blues LP (RVNG Int’l)
Broadly speaking, Dylan Moon works in the field of folk music. But from this pasture, he glances pathways to digression; seeking scenic routes and counterintuitive cartography, trusting that even the most aimless trip becomes lucid if the foggy details are documented well enough. On this trip, images spill from Moon, and most of them seem foreboding.
Morrissey – The Best Of Morrissey [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (WB/Parlophone)
Double 180gm vinyl pressing of the 2001 compilation of tracks by the former Smiths vocalist. Features his biggest solo hits including “Everyday Is Like Sunday”, “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get”, “Suedehead”, “Sing Your Life”, and many more.
My Dying Bride – A Map Of All Our Failures [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Prophecy)
My Dying Bride’s epic 2012 voyage, A Map of All Our Failures, distinctively combined sumptuous dual guitar melodies and juggernaut dark metal riffs. The doom-laden croon of vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe recites tragic tales over powerful soundscapes to elicit a deep sense of tragedy and foreboding.
Narnia – Long Live The King [Reissue/1998] LP (Narnia Songs)
Narnia – We Still Believe – Made In Brazil 2xLP (Narnia Songs)
20th anniversary vinyl reissue of the Swedish melodic Christian/rock metal band’s second album Long Live The King and their 2018 live set We Still Believe – Made In Brazil.
Nirvana – Live And Loud [Reissue/1994] 2xLP+MP3 (Geffen)
First-time stand-alone vinyl release of the Nirvana concert Live And Loud from the MTV-shot performance. Filmed on December 13, 1993, at Seattle’s Pier 48 (less than a month after the band’s influential MTV Unplugged In New York show taping), Nirvana: Live And Loud originally aired on MTV on New Year’s Eve in 1993 and issued on DVD in 2013.
Oasis – Definitely Maybe [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Big Brother Recordings)
Limited double silver-colored vinyl pressing of Oasis’ debut studio album. Definitely Maybe helped to spur a revitalization in British pop music in the 1990s and was embraced by critics for its optimistic themes and supposed rejection of the grunge music of the time. The album is regarded as a seminal entry of the Britpop scene, and has appeared in many publications’ list of the greatest albums of all time.
The Offspring – Americana [Reissue/1998] LP (Round Hill)
Vinyl reissue of the punk rock band’s fifth studio album.
Lisa Ono – Brasil [Reissue/2014] LP (Toyoka Sei)
Lisa Ono sings masterpieces of samba & bossa nova. Since the CD debut in 1989, Lisa Ono has been leading Japanese Brazilian music scene, putting her original songs and masterpieces from Brazil and around the world on a pleasant bossa nova rhythm, singing with her refreshing voice. This album is composed of recordings of the masterpieces of Brazilian samba/bossa nova with Rio musicians.
Oz Knozz – Ruff Mix [Reissue/1975] LP (Lion)
Formed in 1969 in Houston, TX, Oz Knozz’s original crew included multi-instrumentalists Jack Alford, Bill Massey and Duane Massey. Alford left the group in 1971 and was replaced by drummer Marty Naul, while the next year the trio was joined by guitarist Richard Heath. The band had also a three-man horn section, which was dropped quite fast, although horns remained a part of the band’s sound, even on their rare and epochal 1975 private press debut Ruff Mix, released on the band’s own Ozone label. Ruff Mix mainly grooves in hard rock territory but has elements of progressive rock, horn rock and pomp rock.
Palmistry – Afterlife LP (Mixpak)
Palmistry is the project of London-based vocalist, songwriter and producer Benjy Keating, known for his stripped back pop and forward thinking production. His second album Afterlife was written in a heatsick haze in Athens, Greece and the Mixpak Studios in Brooklyn, NY, and further pushes his knack for intimate and heartfelt earworms that grapple with disconnection, devotion and the emotions in between.
Pelt – Pearls From The River [Reissue/2003] LP (VHF)
First-time on vinyl issue the epic 2013 acoustic album from the classic Pelt trio lineup of Jack Rose, Mike Gangloff, and Patrick Best. Recorded in a single March 2003 session in Virginia by Mikel Dimmick, this was a superb distillation of their interests at the time (both alone and together Rose’s first solo records, the emergence of the Black Twigs as a busy working band, etc.).
Pharmakon – Devour LP (Sacred Bones)
Devour marks the fourth full-length record from Margaret Chardiet’s project Pharmakon and her most intense output to date. Like her previous albums, Devour comes with a strong concept that is exorcised throughout the five demolishing tracks on the album, using imagery and language of self-cannibalism as allegory for the self-destructive nature of humans. Each of the five songs echoes a stage of grief associated with this cyclical chamber of self-destruction and the chaos surrounding us that leads us to devour ourselves in an attempt to balance the agony. [Limited black & white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Robert Pollard – Kid Marine [Reissue/1999] LP (GBV Inc.)
Robert Pollard/Doug Gillard – Speak Kindly Of Your Volunteer Fire Department [Reissue/1999] LP (GBV Inc.)
Guided By Voices brings you 20th anniversary vinyl reissues of two early gems from the Fading Captain Series. Originally issued as small vinyl pressings (1000 copies) in 1999, both have been remastered from the original analog tapes.
The Rails – Cancel The Sun LP (Psychonaut Sounds)
There’s something different about The Rails on their brilliant third album. It’s not just the sound of the record, which is harder, tougher and rockier than ever before. Cancel The Sun is melodic and immediate, a record that brings together the musical pasts of Kami Thompson and James Walbourne – her family heritage, as the daughter of Linda and Richard Thompson, and sister of Teddy; his as guitarist for Son Volt, The Pogues and The Pretenders – in a record that sounds like a pure version of themselves.
Raw Soul Express – The Best Kept Secret LP (IMG)
Finally, after so many years you can now experience something quite unique in music by hearing this brand new 35-year-old album for the first time. Raw Soul Express performs a medley of tunes from its newly released second album, which was recorded in the late 1970s.
Revolting Cocks – Live! You Goddamned Son Of A Bitch 2xLP (Cleopatra)
Deluxe gatefold red colored vinyl reissue of the infamous 1987 live album from Al Jourgensen’s buck wild side project with Chris Connelly, Paul Barker and Bill Rieflin. Recorded at the legendary Cabaret Metro in Chicago though it was later re-recorded in Trax Studio for the commercial release in 1988.
Rotting Christ – Κατά Τον Δαίμονα Εαυτού [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Limited colored vinyl pressing. With their eleventh full-length, 2013’s Κατά Τον Δαίμονα Εαυτού, Rotting Christ created a stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Theogonia (2007) and AEALO (2010) albums. The legendary Greek band adds an unmistakable native element to the musical and lyrical concepts while skillfully augmenting the proceedings with female vocals, piano, bagpipes, and horns.
Matt Slocum – Sanctuary LP (Sunnyside)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On Sanctuary, the gifted drummer and composer Matt Slocum continues his long-standing practice of documenting original music and arrangements, eight songlike pieces in total. It’s his fourth recorded encounter with master pianist Gerald Clayton, a friend and musical partner for close to two decades, who stands out among a high-technical-bar generational peer group for applying his nuanced touch and precise articulation to telling stories that blend the dialects and syntaxes of the tradition and the here-and-now.
Soundtrack – Blinded By The Light 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Blinded By The Light brings together 12 essential Bruce Springsteen performances ranging from greatest hits and fan favorites (“Born To Run”, “Dancing In The Dark”, “Hungry Heart”, “Because The Night”) to previously unreleased tracks, including the long-sought-after studio recording of “I’ll Stand By You”. Also, for the first time on album, Blinded By The Light: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack presents two live rarities: the debut live performance of “The River” (from No Nukes ’79 – Madison Square Garden, NYC – September 21, 1979) and an acoustic solo performance of “The Promised Land” (Concert For Valor – The National Mall, Washington DC, November 11, 2014). [CD edition due September 2.]
Sparzanza – Death Is Certain, Life Is Not [Reissue/2012] LP+CD (Black Cult)
Heavyweight vinyl reissue of the Swedish stoner rock band’s 2012 album.
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats – Blood Lust [Reissue/2011] LP (Rise Above Limited)
Vinyl reissue of a doom metal classic. Part of Rise Above Limited’s 30th anniversary reissue campaign.
The Vacant Lots – Exit 12” (A. Records)
The key element of The Vacant Lots’ minimalist, primitive rock and roll songs is their boundless energy, which tears up the psych template with a genuine punk spirit.
Weeping Bong Band – II LP (Feeding Tube)
Bill Meyer described Weeping Bong Band’s music as a collision between Popol Vuh’s Florian Fricke and Hash Jar Tempo (itself a collab between Bardo Pond and Roy Montgomery), and the same mix of drifty Germanic midnights and Bay Area Ballroom sizzle is present on Weeping Bong’s sophomore slab.
Witchcraft – Witchcraft [Reissue/2004] LP (Rise Above Limited)
Witchcraft’s 2004 debut is a record which conjures up the macabre essence of vintage Pentagram and, of course, Black Sabbath, whilst incorporating influences as wide apart as the Jethro Tull-esque folky prog of “Her Sisters They Were Weak” and the bludgeon riffing style of early- ‘70s Bang in “I Want You To Know.” Part of Rise Above Limited’s 30th anniversary reissue campaign.
Wrath – Rage LP (EMP Label Group)
Vinyl edition of the 2018 release from the progressive thrash metal band. Wrath has been compared to groups such as Watchtower, Mekong Delta, Coroner and Hexenhaus.
Wu-Tang Clan – Wu Tang: Of Mics And Men (Music From The Showtime Documentary Series) LP (Mass Appeal)
Wu-Tang: Of Mics And Men features the classic Wu-Tang lyricism and sound that fans of the iconic group have been yearning for. With the docuseries, Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics And Men, setting the tone for the project, the Wu-Tang swordsmen deliver rhymes that harken back to the group’s earlier days. This is the first official Wu-Tang compilation release since Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues in 2017. In addition to the new music, the project’s skits feature never-before heard Wu-Tang Clan stories from footage that didn’t make the documentary’s final cut.
Cassettes:
Whitney – Forever Turned Around (Secretly Canadian)
The second LP from Chicago indie rockers Whitney deals with fear, confusion, and substance abuse.
Gary Wilson & R. Stevie Moore – Fake News Trending (O Genesis)
- Stevie Moore and Gary Wilson have recorded Fake News Trending – their first-ever collaborative album together. The historic and long-awaited collaboration is big and welcome news around the world for fans of both of these DIY/underground music legends. [Vinyl edition due September 6.]
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