December/January Program Titles Released This Week:
Van Morrison – The Prophet Speaks CD/2xLP (Caroline)
The Prophet Speaks follows a recent run of hugely acclaimed records by Van Morrison (Roll With The Punches, Versatile and You’re Driving Me Crazy), each of which has delved deep into the musical styles that have continued to inspire Van Morrison throughout his life – vocal jazz and R&B. Here, Van takes on a series of unarguable classics by the likes of John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke and Solomon Burke (among others) and makes them unmistakably his own. Alongside these reinterpretations are six new Morrison compositions. The Prophet Speaks again finds Van working with the incredible multi-instrumentalist Joey DeFrancesco (the artist co-credited on You’re Driving Me Crazy) and his band (including Dan Wilson on guitar, Michael Ode on drums and Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone). “It was important for me to get back to recording new music as well as doing some of the blues material that has inspired me from the beginning,” Van notes. “Writing songs and making music is what I do, and working with great musicians makes it all the more enjoyable.”
CDs + Vinyl:
88rising – Head In The Clouds CD/LP (88rising Music)
New album from the pioneering music and arts collective. While all 88rising artists have excelled in their solo careers they’ve always operated with a crew mentality and it’s with this collection that they were able to bring that to life. Representing 5 countries in Asia the whole crew – Rich Brian, Joji, Higher Brothers, NIKI, AUGUST08 and Keith Ape – all flew into Los Angeles, CA to record the album for two and a half months creating a chemistry that can be felt throughout.
Anguish – Anguish CD/LP (RareNoise)
The dark, impossibly intense dirges, industrial noise onslaughts and banshee-like free jazz wailing heard throughout Anguish could be an imposing soundtrack for a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future. This powerhouse, inter-generational offering brings together an unlikely gathering of members of the New Jersey-based experimental hip-hop group Dälek (electronic musician and vocalist Will Brooks with guitarist-keyboardist Mike Mare), the Swedish free jazz group Fire! Orchestra (tenor saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, drummer Andreas Werliin) and the classic ’70s German krautrock band Faust (keyboardist and 68-year-old founding member Hans Joachim Irmler).
The Ataris – Silver Turns To Rust CD/LP (Kung Fu)
The first official release of the independently distributed album from the enormously successful and still loved Indiana pop punk band, The Ataris. Originally sold at live shows in 2017, this official release includes four bonus tracks including a raw demo version of the band’s smash hit cover of Don Henley’s “Boys Of Summer”. Available on both CD and special limited edition silver and rust splatter vinyl.
David Axelrod – Earth Rot [Reissue/1970] CD (Now Again)
New audiophile transfer directly from Axelrod’s original EQ’ed master tapes. Earth Rot is visionary composer/arranger/producer David Axelrod’s third album, and the last of his Capitol trilogy. Recorded as a concept album about the decrepit state of the environment in 1970 Los Angeles, and scheduled for release on the first Earth Day, it features choral vocals and marks a departure for Axelrod’s signature sound, which would take on a jazzier feel in the 1970s.
Jason Becker – Triumphant Hearts CD/2xLP (Music Theories)
A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the legendary rock guitar duo Cacophony. A victim of ALS, Jason lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. Triumphant Hearts showcases his gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s-who of six-string gods including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others.
Eraldo Bernocchi – Like A Fire That Consumes All Before It CD/LP (RareNoise)
Multi-instrumentalist and composer Eraldo Bernocchi has created an evocative soundtrack for a new documentary film on American artist Cy Twombly entitled Cy Dear. Bernocchi’s soundtrack is suitably atmospheric, underscoring the life and times of the American painter-sculptor-photographer, whose work influenced a generation of younger artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer, Francesco Clemente and Julian Schnabel.
The Bevis Frond – We’re Your Friends, Man CD/LP+MP3 (Fire)
“Docking alongside the Mothership Frond, with its insignia emblazoned with the legend We’re Your Friends, Man, you can hear a smattering of Hendrixonian guitar wafting through the cavernous recess of this vessel. You can hear a Love-like strum, a melancholy verse/chorus; you can hear proper songs with uplifting guitar salvos releasing the pressure on the thinking man’s pontifications on growing old, putting things in order and the sense of wonder of how we all got here. This is The Bevis Frond’s umpteenth mission, like Dark Star troopers they know the drill and in epic soundtrack proportions they clock in with just under 90 minutes of grown up angst, a semi-autobiographical romp from the director who has an eye for this; nothing short of a genius auteur. To the point, on the money; it’s dramatic, plucking at the heart strings, spilling one liners, milking the past and crafting something completely new.”
Cardi B – Invasion Of Privacy CD/2xLP+MP3 (Atlantic)
Comprised of a contagious mix of street rap, Latin music and R&B buoyed by a stack of famous guest artists like Migos, Chance The Rapper, YG and SZA, the self-made 25-year old Bronx native not only asserts herself as a force to be reckoned with here but proves she’s a perfectly timed modern pop star with staying power in the process.
Carpenters – Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra CD (A&M)
Carpenters With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra showcases the anthemic ballads of Karen and Richard Carpenter with brand new symphonic arrangements composed, produced, and conducted by Richard Carpenter himself. Performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, this fresh orchestration paired with the timeless original vocals is a true reimagining of the signature songs everyone knows and loves. [Vinyl edition due February 8.]
Cold War Kids – This Will All Blow Over In Time 2xCD (Downtown)
Cold War Kids’ first-ever compilation album covers the band’s first 10 years with Downtown Records. 23 tracks including the band’s radio singles as well as deep cuts and rarities never before released, such as the track “Expensive Tastes”. [Vinyl edition due February 8.]
Coldplay – A Head Full Of Dreams: Live In São Paulo/ Live In Buenos Aires 2xCD/2xCD+2xDVD/3xLP+2xDVD (Atlantic)
The Live In Buenos Aires album was recorded on November 15, 2017 – the final night of the A Head Full Of Dreams Tour. The 24-track audio set marks the first time that a Coldplay concert has been released in its entirety. The accompanying two-hour concert film Live In São Paulo was filmed a week earlier on November 8, 2017. The combined live album/live concert film release – also known as “The Butterfly Package” – is completed by the new A Head Full Of Dreams documentary film, which charts Coldplay’s colorful 20 year history. [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Craft – Terror Propaganda [Reissue/2002] CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Originally released in 2002, Craft’s Terror Propaganda saw the cult Swedish black metal band sharpen their knives and deliver one of their most focused albums. Long out of print, the uncompromising Terror Propaganda boasts some of the grimmest and hideous European black metal. On it Craft take influence from the old guard (genre cornerstones such as Bathory and Celtic Frost) and combine these with their own stamp of sonic violence.
Charley Crockett – Lil G.L.’s Blue Bonanza CD (Son Of Davy)
For his second covers album in as many years, Crockett rediscovers some familiar and some forgotten songs that add up to form one entertaining and soulful affair. The 15-track collection features songs originally performed by Hank Williams, Ernest Tubbs, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Roy Acuff, Webb Pierce, and other great heroes of honky tonk. [Vinyl edition due January 18.]
Darkness – First Class Violence CD/LP (Massacre Poland)
Old-school thrash – brutal, fast, uncompromising and mean.
Downpour – Downpour CD (Independent Label Services)
New release by the Massachusetts metal band featuring current and former members of Shadows Fall and Unearth.
Flight – A Leap Through Matter CD/LP (High Roller)
Flight’s overall sound is rooted in classic late 1970s heavy rock, with inspirations drawn from Judas Priest especially, but also from bands such as Di’Anno-era Iron Maiden, Winterhawk, Saxon and other British acts such as Camel and Pink Floyd. [Limited silver colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Generationals – State Dogs: Singles 2017-18 CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Frustrated by the conventional approach of making albums, where new songs might not be released for six months or more after being recorded, Generationals – the duo of Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner – took a more immediate approach by releasing a slew of standalone tracks throughout 2017 and 2018. And now, for the first time, the nine singles the band unveiled digitally (along with an exclusive, previously unreleased tenth song) will receive a physical release as State Dogs: Singles 2017-18. Though the songs on this collection were conceived at various times over the past couple of years, they stand together as a testament to Generationals’ songwriting prowess and ability to craft infectious melodies at any given moment. [Colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Hammock – Universalis CD (Hammock Music)
Nashville’s Hammock follows up 2017’s critically-acclaimed Mysterium with Universalis, the second installment of a planned three-album series. While Mysterium took listeners down a horizontal path that explored themes of death and grief, Universalis begins a vertical, upward movement back into the light. At times, Universalis rediscovers early influences like Low and Red House Painters, while also retaining Mysterium‘s deep ambient, neoclassical style. [Vinyl edition due January 4.]
Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers – The Christmas Swing CD (VizzTone)
The dynamic roots-rocking band releases their first every holiday album – a fun seasonal romp chock full of hooky blues-guitar-fueled gems.
Fred Hersch Trio ’97 – @ The Village Vanguard CD (Palmetto)
A recording of pianist Fred Hersch’s first appearance at the Village Vanguard in July of 1997.
Scott Hirsch – Lost Time Behind The Moon CD/LP (Scissor Tail)
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist/producer Scott Hirsch has recorded a follow up to his critically acclaimed 2016 record, Blue Rider Songs. On Lost Time Behind The Moon, Hirsch chronicles confronting ghosts of the past, acknowledging that darkness rides alongside the light, and avoiding the pitfalls of regret. The record was recorded and produced by Hirsch with the help of Mike Coykendall (M Ward), and features musical guests William Tyler, Mikael Jorgensen (Wilco), Orpheo McCord (Edward Sharpe), Jimmy Calire (America) and Jesse Siebenberg (Lukas Nelson, Supertramp).
Horror Section – Horror Section CD/LP (Eccentric Pop)
Grindhouse cinema-inspired punk rock.
Ice Cube – Everythangs Corrupt CD (Interscope)
10th solo album from the West Coast rapper/actor.
Illa J – John Yancey CD/LP (Jakarta)
John Yancey is the second album the younger brother of J Dilla, Illa J, following Home in 2017. The project is the second collaboration with Los Angeles based producer Calvin Valentine, who once again contributed all of the production for the long player. While Home was largely inspired by Illa’s native city of Detroit, John Yancey now focuses on his time in California.
Key & Cleary – Love Is The Way 2xCD/2xLP+2xCD (Now Again)
Drum-machine soul, funk, disco and boogie from Buffalo, NY. Love Is The Way collates the breadth of Key & Cleary’s recordings from 1970 until the mid-1980s, both the songs issued on rare 7″ singles and previously unreleased. It presents a conjoined musical vision and tells the story of a duo years ahead of their time, both musically and culturally. Love Is The Way was their ethos – their goal was to enlighten humanity and to bend history in a more loving direction through communion.
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – Live At KEXP! CD/LP (Colemine)
This session was released on vinyl for the first time for RSD 2018, marking the first full KEXP session ever to be pressed on vinyl. Now it’s available once again on black vinyl and CD.
The Lightmen Plus One – Energy Control Center [Reissue/1972] CD (Now Again)
Released earlier this year on vinyl – now available on CD. Drummer, bandleader and activist Bubbha Thomas had toured America with R&B revues, served as a session musician for Peacock and Back Beat Records, and played straight ahead jazz with legends before the political and social upheaval of the late 1960s led him to a path first charted by Coltrane. Energy Control Center, his third LP with his Lightmen band is his masterpiece: deep set, maverick jazz on part with the best Tribe and Strata East titles. This is a highpoint amongst the best of the 1970s jazz underground, a collective voice of resistance to the musical and cultural status quo.
Locksmith – Ali CD (Landmark Ent.)
Coming off the success of No Question (his collaborative album with producer Apollo Brown) Locksmith is back with a new album featuring Jarren Benton, Murs, and Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks).
Love Zombies – Passionfruit/ No Slow Songs (Live At Abbey Road) CD (Independent Label Services)
Love Zombies mix punk rock energy and catchy melodies. Frontman Hollis J has been described as having a stage presence that matches a young Iggy Pop.
LP – Heart To Mouth CD (Vagrant)
LP’s most personal offering to date, Heart To Mouth lives up to its name with the kind of unbridled, unfiltered, and undeniable songcraft that cemented her as a fan favorite. Of the record, she said, “When I get on the mic and start doing melodies, I can feel that direct line from my heart to my mouth. In the past, there was a city full of streets that needed my attention. Now, I feel like I have a major highway to communicate emotion from. Whether they’re sadder songs or big anthems, they all come from the same place.” [Vinyl edition due January 18.]
Mayhem – Grand Declaration Of War [Reissue/2000] CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Mayhem’s Grand Declaration Of War is one of black metal’s most controversial albums. An abrupt shift away from black metal orthodoxy, the 2000 release veered sharply in a progressive and dissonant direction that split the scene asunder. Newly remixed and remastered by Hellhammer and Blasphemer and featuring new art from renowned Polish artist Zbigniew M. Bielak (Ghost, Paradise Lost, Bolzer, Zhrine).
Paul McCartney & Wings – Wild Life [Reissue/1971] 2xCD/3xCD+DVD (Capitol)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Red Rose Speedway [Reissue/1973] 2xCD/3xCD+2xDVD+Blu-ray (Capitol)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Red Rose Speedway (Reconstructed) 2xLP (Capitol)
Paul McCartney presents the eleventh (Wild Life) and twelfth (Red Rose Speedway) classic works from his revered catalogue to be remastered, reissued and expanded across multi-format installments of his Grammy-winning Archive Collection. [The deluxe edition of Wild Life includes 25 bonus audio tracks including rough mixes, original single edits, B-sides, home recordings and other previously unreleased material plus a DVD featuring rare footage of acoustic home videos, rehearsals and more. The deluxe edition of Red Rose Speedway is packed with more rare and previously unseen video footage, including the James Paul McCartney TV Special, interviews and music videos, as well as the never before seen film The Bruce. Red Rose Speedway Reconstructed features two vinyl records including a reconstruction of the originally conceived double album version of Red Rose Speedway, remastered at Abbey Road.]
John Mellencamp – Other People’s Stuff CD (Republic)
John Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 40 years, has seen him transition from pop star to one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of his generation. The self-proclaimed rebel continues his journey as the walking embodiment of passionate and plain-spoken heartland rock with the stirring 10-track collection, Other People’s Stuff featuring covers of singer-songwriter classics. [Vinyl edition due December 21.]
Metal Church – Damned If You Do CD/LP (Rat Pak)
12th studio album from the veteran metal band. [Limited blue & black splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Lido Pimienta – La Papessa CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Lido Pimienta is a Toronto-based, Colombian born interdisciplinary musician and artist curator. She has performed, exhibited, and curated around the world since 2002, exploring the politics of gender, race, motherhood, identity and the construct of the Canadian landscape in the Latin American diaspora and vernacular. Her 2017 Polaris Prize-winning album, La Papessa, charts Pimienta’s evolution into an independent woman and artist who refuses to fit into pre-conceived notions of what a pop Latina artist ought to be. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Redd Kross – Teen Babes From Monsanto [Reissue/1984] CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Redd Kross – Hot Issue [Reissue/2016] CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
CD and limited colored vinyl reissues of Redd Kross’s sophomore album and 2016 rarities collection.
Sharptooth – Clever Girl CD/LP (Pure Noise)
New album from the Baltimore hardcore band.
Skinshape – Filoxiny CD/2xLP (Lewis Ent.)
Skinshape is the project of British musician William Dorey. The sound has roots in many genres but in particular 1960s-2000s funk, soul, reggae, psychedelic rock, Afrobeat and folk.
Soundtrack – Mary Poppins Returns CD (Walt Disney)
Original soundtrack to Disney’s highly-anticipated Mary Poppins sequel.
Spose – We All Got Lost CD (Preposterously Dank)
Maine rapper and producer Spose fully embraces his alternative rock roots on his ninth album which features production from Decap, God.Damn.Chan, and several others and guest appearances from rappers Chris Webby and Grieves as well as the menagerie of local talent from his native Maine.
Richard Swift – The Hex CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
Richard Swift believed in and sought real beauty. And so, even at its most caustic and sardonic, his masterpiece swan song The Hex is beautiful. Conceived in pieces over the last several years and completed just the month before his passing, The Hex is the grand statement Swift acolytes have been a-wishin-and-a-hopin’ for all these years. After a career of sticking some of his finest songs on EPs and 45s, here are all his powers coalescing into a single, long-player statement. [The Novelist / Walking Without Effort double-vinyl reissue is also available this week.]
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra – Glorious CD/LP (Nacional)
TSPO’s new album continues on with their unique mix of ska, jazz, funk, rock and soul.
Various Artists – Feelin’ Right Saturday Night – The Ric & Ron Anthology CD/2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Recently released on vinyl for RSDBF – now available on CD. Feelin’ Right Saturday Night – The Ric & Ron Anthology commemorates the 60th anniversary of pioneering New Orleans R&B label Ric Records, and its sister label Ron Records. The Ric and Ron labels occupy a unique place in the history of New Orleans rhythm and blues. Operating for only four years, between 1958 and 1962, these sister imprints document a unique and transitory sound in New Orleans music, between the eras of the hit-making producers and songwriters Dave Bartholomew in the 1950s (Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis) and Allen Toussaint in the 1960s and 1970s (Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, the Meters).
Various Artists – Norman Granz: The Founder 4xCD (Verve)
Norman Granz created the Verve label around the voice of Ella Fitzgerald. His roster included an amazing list of jazz artists in addition to Ella: Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan, Art Tatum, Mel Torme, Count Basie, Bud Powell, Lester Young, Herb Ellis, Oscar Peterson and many more. This four-CD collection surveys the studio, live, and jam session recordings that Granz made over his career at Verve.
Various Artists – Studio One Lovers Rock CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)
A fantastic selection featuring all-star legendary Studio One vocalists – Alton Ellis, Marcia Griffiths, The Heptones, Horace Andy, Freddie McGregor, Sugar Minott – alongside a host of classic and super-rare Lovers Rock cuts all of which Clement Dodd recorded at the Brentford Road studio. Lovers Rock brought together many elements and here you will find sweet harmonies, late-60s rocksteady, ’70s soul covers, disco mixes, recuts and new rhythms – which all fit together in a timeless twilight of love & harmony.
VNV Nation – Noire CD/LP (Metropolis)
VNV Nation blends poetic, thoughtful lyrics with a vast repertoire of melodic dance beats & anthemic electronic, haunting ballads & post-classical soundtrack pieces. Noire is a cinematic exploration of contrast, dark & light.
Brett Young – Ticket To L.A. CD/LP (BMX)
Brett Young has captured the hearts of fans everywhere through his honest lyrics and West Coast-meets-Southern sound, aptly dubbed “Caliville” style. Ticket To L.A. follows-up his breakout 2017 self-titled debut and its four No. 1 hits “Sleep Without You”, “In Case You Didn’t Know”, “Like I Loved You” and “Mercy”.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ [Reissue/2003] LP (Aftermath)
Urban Legends and Marvel Comics have collaborated to bring together the mighty, epic worlds of comics and hip-hop with an ongoing exclusive album series that will feature variant covers for select collector’s editions of some of the record label’s most legendary hip-hop releases. [Limited red colored vinyl edition also available.]
’68 – Summertime Blues 10” (Cooking Vinyl)
Before there was Black Sabbath, there was Blue Cheer’s debut album Vincebus Eruptum in 1968. Some people will argue that Blue Cheer is the genesis of heavy metal and was only popularized by Black Sabbath, but that point remains contested. Vincebus Eruptum contained a cover of Eddie Cochran’s 1958 song “Summertime Blues”, though it was given a much heavier sound. Now ’68, the duo fronted by ex-The Chariot frontman and guitar Josh Scogin, has released an even heavier cover of the tune. [Limited colored vinyl pressings also available.]
Ziggy Alberts – Laps Around The Sun LP (Alberts & Co. Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ziggy Alberts is a coastal folk, singer/songwriter, free surfer and environmental enthusiast from the East Coast of Australia. Byron Bay, New South Wales.
Art Brut – Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out! LP (Alcopop)
“After a seven-year absence, a band whose quest for rock ’n’ roll fame always mixed a piss-take with genuine aspiration return in charmingly humbled fashion.” – Pitchfork
Ashes Of Ares – Well Of Souls 2xLP (Roar! Rock Of Angels)
Standard black vinyl pressing of the second album from the power metal band comprised of Iced Earth alumni Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales.
Bauhaus – Best Of Bauhaus | Crackle [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Beggars Banquet)
Celebrating 40 years of Bauhaus, Beggars Banquet offer up a colored double vinyl reissue of the band’s 1998 Best Of Bauhaus | Crackle which presents a 16-track selection of their finest works from across their revered catalog including fan favorites, covers, non-album singles and alternate versions. [Limited colored vinyl pressing available.]
Blackboxred – Salt In My Eyes LP (Butler)
This is one boy/girl duo who aren’t dealing in cute and cuddly lo-fi. Fast, furious, and possessing more attitude in their smudged eyeliner than should be legal.
Black Oath – Behold The Abyss LP (High Roller)
Recently released on CD – now available on pink colored vinyl. Black Oath was formed in 2006 by A. Th (vocals, bass, guitar) with the intention to perform obscure and dark heavy metal, inspired by the traditional masters like Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Celtic Frost and Venom. Being Italian, A. Th was also influenced by home grown acts such as Black Hole, Death SS, Paul Chain, Goblin and prog rock, too.
Boreen – Lovely LP (Good Cheer)
The Portland band’s third album splits the difference between lofi bedroom pop and canonical indie rock like Wilco. “Starts out as dreamy bedroom pop but evolves into something much more expansive.” – Brooklyn Vegan
Kev Brown – Brown Album: Black Album Remixes LP (KB)
Before releasing his now classic LP, 2005’s I Do What I Do, Kev was making an impact with his work for Jazzy Jeff’s Touch Of Jazz, however it was the Brown Album that made Kev a household name. He was ahead of the curve, remixing and releasing the project before any other producer tried their hand at what was far from a simple task. They say pressure busts pipes, but it also makes diamonds, and that’s what Kev had in his hands by the time he was done.
Busdriver – Electricity Is On Our Side LP (Temporary Whatever)
Drawing from memory and community roots, the 10th album from rap innovator Busdriver plays out like an ode to modern folk art via the act’s characteristically warped take on the world’s leading pop music: hip-hop.
Cher – Believe [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (WB)
20th anniversary first-time vinyl pressing of Cher’s 1998 quadruple platinum-selling album, remastered.
Color TV – Color TV LP (Deranged)
After concocting a batch of 7-inch singles that leaked from various Twin Cities basements, here is the debut LP from Color TV – speedy punk rock that slaps with tight bursts of melody and quirk, filled with the sardonic musings of living in the sci-fi dystopian hellscape that is the now. Heavily influenced by early UK punk and USHC with subtle underpinnings of bands like Sparks and Ultravox, this is punk music clearly made by lifers obsessed with the underground counter-culture.
John Coltrane – 1963: New Directions 5xLP (Impulse)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 1963: New Directions features material from Trane’s recordings during 1963, from the albums Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, Dear Old Stockholm, Newport ‘63 and Live at Birdland. 1963 came to be regarded as a point of transition between his previous jazz masterpieces and the genre-expanding music he went on to create.
Crack Cloud – Crack Cloud LP (Deranged)
Crack Cloud is a mixed-media collective based out of Vancouver, BC. Modeled around harm reduction philosophy, the collective operates as a rehabilitative outlet for a revolving cast of multi-disciplinary artists across Canada. They sound like no other band going at the moment, delivering rhythmic art/post-punk that could be compared to early Gang Of Four and Wire.
Sheryl Crow – Live At The Capitol Theatre – 2017 Be Myself Tour 2xLP (Cleopatra)
Includes phenomenal performances of Crow’s best-loved songs from old favorites “All I Wanna Do”, “If It Makes You Happy”, and “Strong Enough” to the newer hits “Soak Up The Sun”, “The First Cut Is The Deepest”, and more.
D.I. – Richard Hung Himself [Reissue/2007] LP (Cleopatra)
A career retrospective from the kings of the OC punk underground, D.I., featuring “Richard Hung Himself” and “Johnny’s Got A Problem” plus several excellent cover tunes.
The Dirty Heads – Any Port In A Storm [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Five Seven Music)
In 2008, Orange County, CA quintet Dirty Heads emerged with the fan favorite full-length debut, Any Port In A Storm. The signature single “Lay Me Down” achieved an RIAA gold certification and clinched No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Chart for 11 weeks – a record run for that year.
Dividing Line – Turn My Back On The World LP (New Age)
Forming in 2017, The Dividing Line play fast, unashamed straight edge hardcore blending the raw aggression of ’80s era hardcore punk and moral defiance of early ’00s straight edge.
Donovan – Wear Your Love Like Heaven [Reissue/1967] LP (Sundazed)
Colored vinyl LP pressing. Donovan’s 1967 release Wear Your Love Like Heaven is one of his brightest and most upbeat albums. Presented in it pristine original mono mix, this definitive LP edition boasts one of Donovan’s most memorable cover designs, featuring a haunting infrared photograph of the artist by noted photographer Karl Ferris.
Drug Control – Pure Sight LP (New Age Records)
Formed in 2014, Drug Control’s biggest mission has been to put San Diego straight edge on the map. At a time when California’s hardcore scene seems to pale in comparison to its East Coast contingent, Drug Conrol has been slowly cultivating a scene with such bands as Fury, Discrepancy and Step 4 Change.
Eisregen – Fegefeuer LP (Massacre Poland)
13th album from the German extreme metal legends.
Eminem – Kamikaze LP (Aftermath)
Limited olive green colored vinyl LP pressing of Eminem’s tenth album. Guest appearances from Joyner Lucas, Royce da 5’9, Jessie Reyez, and uncredited vocals by Justin Vernon. Eminem, credited as Slim Shady, and Dr. Dre served as executive producers, while production for individual tracks comes from a variety of musicians.
Tav Falco – Carpet Of Daggers LP (ORG Music)
Cult legend, avant-roots/rock ‘n’ roll raconteur Tav Falco is back first full length studio album since 2015. Cabaret Of Daggers was tracked in Rome with the same ferocious line-up, the unapproachable Panther Burns.
The Fall – Totale’s Turns (It’s Now Or Never) [Reissue/1980] (Superior Viaduct)
Given The Fall’s penchant for iconoclasm, it’s no surprise that they decided to say goodbye to the ’70s with a series of gigs at Northern England’s gruffest halls. The band’s formidable live show was met with even more derision and disorder than customary during these late ’79 and early ’80 performances, and they skillfully amplified such sentiments back at the crowd. Totale’s Turns, The Fall’s first live album, was released on Rough Trade just prior to their pivotal third album, 1980’s Grotesque.
Fanu – Black Label 12” (Metalheadz)
The Finnish breakbeat veteran conjures up a fusion of classic breaks and brutal basslines across two drum & bass tracks.
Aretha Franklin – Atlantic Records 1960s Collection 6xLP (Atlantic)
Studio albums plus one LP of rare studio tracks: I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967), Aretha Arrives (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Aretha Now (1968), and Soul ’69 (1968).
Genius / GZA – Liquid Swords [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Geffen)
Urban Legends and Marvel Comics have collaborated to bring together the mighty, epic worlds of comics and hip-hop with an ongoing exclusive album series that will feature variant covers for select collector’s editions of some of the record label’s most legendary hip-hop releases. [Limited red colored vinyl edition also available.]
Guided By Voices – 100 Dougs 7” (GBV Inc.)
Guided By Voices – Winecork Stonehenge 7” (GBV Inc.)
Two of four new limited edition 7” EPs; Umlaut Over The Özone and 1901 Acid Rock are due in March 2019. All precede the forthcoming double-album Zeppelin Over China (due February 2019).
Lauryn Hill – MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 [Reissue/2002] 2xLP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Lauryn Hill is best known for being a member of The Fugees and for her critically acclaimed solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which won numerous awards, broke several sales records and was listed by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest albums of all time.
The Hold Steady – Stay Positive [Reissue/2880] 3xLP (Vagrant)
10th anniversary reissue on 3xLP triple gatefold with die cut jacket. Cut at 45rpm for audiophiles. Includes original album, rarities, plus three never before released tracks.
Andrew Hung – An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn Original Soundtrack 2xLP+MP3 (Lex)
After soundtracking Jim Hosking’s critically acclaimed 2017 film The Greasy Strangler, and releasing his debut solo album, Andrew Hung returns with the official soundtrack for Jim Hosking’s film An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn. Written by Hosking and David Wike and produced by Park Films, Wigwam Films and Rook Films, An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn tells the story of Lulu Danger (Aubrey Plaza – Ingrid Goes West, Parks and Recreation) as her unsatisfying marriage takes a turn for the worse.
I Don’t Know How But They Found Me – 1981 Extended Play LP (Fearless)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut EP from the two-piece band consisting of Dallon Weekes (ex-Panic! At the Disco) and Ryan Seaman (ex-Falling in Reverse).
Insane Clown Posse – The Terror Wheel [Reissue/1994] LP (Psychopathic)
Insane Clown Posse’s 1994 EP The Terror Wheel, the horrorcore outfit’s second sideshow entry in their Dark Carnival saga, is available on vinyl for the very first time.
Kansas – Point Of No Return [Reissue/1977] LP (Friday Music)
In 1977, Kansas followed up the runaway success of Leftoverture with the even bigger Point Of Know Return which features the million-selling single “Dust In The Wind”.
Angélique Kidjo – Remain In Light LP (Kravenworks)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Global pop star and three-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo has partnered with 2015 Grammy producer of the year Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, The Rolling Stones, Beyoncé) for a full circle re-imagining of Talking Heads’ 1980 landmark album Remain In Light. The album features appearances by Alicia Keys, Questlove, Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Blood Orange, Tony Allen, Angelique’s longtime guitarist Dominic James, and Magatte Sow (percussionist for the Black Panther film score).
Talib Kweli / Styles P – The Seven 12” (Javotti Media)
Legends in their own right, Talib Kweli and Styles P brought their veteran skillsets to the aptly titled collaborative effort, The Seven. Finally seeing a physical release, the seven-song EP with a star studded feature/producer list including Common, Marco Polo, Oh No and Rapsody is available on limited edition splatter vinyl.
LANY – Malibu Nights LP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Alt-pop trio LANY (short for Los Angeles New York) follow-up their 2017 self-titled debut. Drawing influence from the likes of U2 and Coldplay, the group’s ‘80s drums and synths anchored sound provides the perfect bed for frontman Paul Klein’s affecting lyrics.
John Legend – A Legendary Christmas 2xLP+MP3 (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New holiday release from the acclaimed soul artist. A Legendary Christmas was executive-produced by Raphael Saadiq. The album features Esperanza Spalding and Stevie Wonder (playing harmonica on “What Christmas Means To Me”). Includes classic holiday songs as well as new Christmas originals.
Little Mix – L M 5 LP (Sony)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The British pop superstars’ fifth album includes an A-list cast of writers and producers including Ed Sheeran, Camille Purcell, Jess Glynne, MNEK and Timbaland.
LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Urban Legends and Marvel Comics have collaborated to bring together the mighty, epic worlds of comics and hip-hop with an ongoing exclusive album series that will feature variant covers for select collector’s editions of some of the record label’s most legendary hip-hop releases. [Limited red colored vinyl edition also available.]
LNDN DRGS / Jay Worthy – AKTIVE LP (GDF)
The slowed samples and house party vibes of Compton rapper Jay Worthy and Vancouver producer Sean House might conjure G-Funk classics of old, but this isn’tt a DeLorean on Daytons. Mentored by the late A$AP Yams, LNDN DRGS have pulled from generations of game to make modern day funk rap all their own.
Los Straitjackets – Complete Christmas Songbook LP+MP3 (Yep Roc)
Compiles the entirety of two Los Straitjackets Christmas albums (2002’s ‘Tis the Season For Los Straitjackets and 2009’s limited edition Yuletide Beat), a limited edition 45 single (2011’s “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” b/w “Silver Bells”), a song from Yep Roc’s 2007 Oh Santa! Compilation, and the live version of “Linus & Lucy” from the band’s 2015 tour with Nick Lowe.
Roc Marciano – Behold A Dark Horse LP (Marci Enterprises)
Sixth full length studio album from legendary emcee/producer Roc Marciano featuring Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Q-Tip, Knowledge The Pirate, and more.
Morrissey – Low In High School [Deluxe Edition] 2xLP (Etienne)
Deluxe expanded vinyl edition of Morrissey’s 2017 album includes his newly recorded cover of The Pretenders’ “Back On The Chain Gang,” five live B-sides from the recording session, three unreleased tracks, a limited edition lithographed photograph of Morrissey, and a rare version of a photo booth portrait taken when the legendary frontman was a student.
Neckbeard Deathcamp – White Nationalism is for Basement Dwelling Losers LP (Prosthetic)
“Neckbeard Deathcamp is an antifascist supersoldier cell on warkrusade through the American wasteland.”
Pardans – Spit And Image LP (Tambourhinocerous)
Eplosive from the outset, Pardans let their intentions known on opening track “Burning House Bedding”. Intense and cohesive instrumentals play question and answer with frontman Gustav Berntsen’s exasperated vocals, chopping, changing, and creating a wonderfully disjointed atmosphere from their unconventional set-up, which includes a tenor saxophone, piano and viola. From lead single “(Hookers With) Hidden Depths”, with its infectious bass line and sax hook that sounds like a twisted soundtrack to a ’40s Noir film set in a smoky New York jazz café, through to “When Come The Rats”, a menacing and heavy eruption of beats and riffs, the album is a 13-track collection of fascinating explorations into melody and rhythm that defy the norm.
Linda Perhacs – Parallelograms [Reissue/1970] LP (Sundazed)
Limited gold colored vinyl LP pressing. If you’ve read any of the hundreds of articles in music mags and on the net about Linda Perhacs’ sole 1970 LP Parallelograms, you’d be tempted to question its reputation. People talk about Parallelograms in much the same way that they talk about Nick Drake’s Island albums, Swaddling Songs by Mellow Candle and Vashti Bunyan’s sole LP for Phillips… as a life-changing musical experience, one that inspires them to create new works of art and to express their deepest emotions despite the risk.
Pere Ubu – Final Solution b/w Cloud 149 [Reissue/1976] 7” (Fire)
This phenomenal single from 1976 kick-started Ohio’s reaction to punk rock. A bleak and morbid worldview that ensured the new wave and the cold war would collide in post punk acrimony.
The Putbacks – The Putbacks LP (Hope Street)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Melbourne’s dirtiest, darkest and heaviest funk rhythm section bring you an album of crunchy post-soul post-jazz mystery cinema instrumentals for your turntable and your sampler.
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Solace LP (Reprise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “There are few artists in the past three years that have exploded and captivated electronic music like RÜFÜS DU SOL. Since the release of their sophomore album Bloom, the trio of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt have gone on to play just about every major festival around the world, every big city multiple times and made them favorites of most big DJs. After the intense touring, they turned the page and took some time to step away and write their new album, Solace. Sonically, [their] albums have managed to bridge a gap between summery house music and a darker, more melodic style of electronic music, and Solace still keeps that same ethos, but leans towards more of the darker, dancefloor vibe. The productions are more complex with more emphasis and care taken towards drums and bass, potentially a byproduct of their years of touring and seeing how certain drops work on crowds.” – Magnet
Scientist – In The Kingdom Of Dub [Reissue/1981] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Vinyl reissue of a dub classic, recorded at the legendary Channel One Studios in Kingston, Jamaica.
Scone Cash Players – Blast Furnace! LP (Mango Hill)
Scone entered the studio on Dunham Street, Brooklyn wearing a blue Adidas jump suit. The studio had just opened. At the helm was his old compadres from The Dap-kings & Menahan Street Band. Namely Tommy Brenneck, Eric Kalb, Homer Steinweiss and Ian Hendrickson-Smith. They make up the Bliss Machine behind Scones’s groove.
Jill Scott – By Popular Demand LP (Hidden Beach)
11 of Scott’s most popular Hidden Beach songs.
The Secret – Lux Tenebris LP (Southern Lord)
The signature sound of The Secret is pushed to its extreme by further developing the black metal and doom influences reminiscent of Southern Lord mid-2000s catalog, showcasing them as one of Italy’s undeniably darkest bands in existence once again.
Sick Of It All – Wake The Sleeping Dragon LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The godfathers of NYC hardcore make their triumphant return a 17 track banger.
Sinbreed – IV LP (Massacre Poland)
Fast, heavy, catchy and without frills.
Skinshape – Filoxiny LP (Lewis Ent.)
Skinshape is the project of British musician, William Dorey. His sound has roots in many genres, including 1960s – ‘70s funk, soul, reggae, psychedelic rock, Afrobeat and folk.
Spiritual Cramp – Television LP (Deranged)
Combining Sandinista-esque experimentation with modern alternative rock might be something that scares away the leather and spike crowd but that’s only if you’ve been pretending The Clash didn’t write some of the best rock ‘n’ roll songs the world ever knew. A merging of classic UK punk with some modern aesthetics manage to create a sound that is a welcome American take on classic UK punk.
Barbra Streisand – Walls LP (Sony)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Walls is Barbra Streisand’s first album primarily consisting of original songs since 2005 and the first release from the multi-talented star to encompass a unified social theme. It finds Barbra exploring both her concerns and hopes for the future in a collection filled with beautiful melodies and thought-provoking lyrics.
The Struts – Young & Dangerous LP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Sophomore album from the British rockers. The Struts’ influences include Queen, The Darkness, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, The Killers, The Smiths, Oasis, The Libertines, The Strokes, and My Chemical Romance. The band has been described as unabashedly over the top retro-fetishist classic rock, glamorous and dangerous.
Richard Swift – The Novelist / Walking Without Effort [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Secretly Canadian)
Richard Swift’s duo debuts, The Novelist and Walking Without Effort, are fraternal twins wrestling with same Big Questions in opposite ways – one toiling in a cinderblock basement slugging typewriter coffee; one lost on the Pacific Coast Highway, looking again and again for something in a sunset that just ain’t there. One’s wheezing through a crusty gramophone in some Artie Shaw air-conditioned nightmare; one’s gliding on the soft tape of an 8-Track, fat tears welling up behind those outlandish ’70s sunglasses. Taken together, they speak to Swift’s wild, preternatural shapeshifting ability, an auteur’s understanding of mood and place.
Ten Years After – Ten Years After [Reissue/1967] LP (Sundazed)
Ten Years After’s self-titled debut hit the British blues scene with the subtlety and precision of a wrecking ball in 1967, serving notice that what had once been confined to steamy haunts in London was now there for the world to hear. And by the time the band electrified half a million hippies at Woodstock two years later, the world was roaring it’s approval.
This Mortal Coil – It’ll End In Tears [Reissue/1984] LP (4AD)
This Mortal Coil – Filigree & Shadow [Reissue/1986] 2xLP (4AD)
This Mortal Coil – Blood [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (4AD)
Remastered from the original master tapes by band and 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell on 180gm vinyl with re-imagined artwork by Watts-Russell and Vaughan Oliver. The inspiration of Ivo Watts-Russell, This Mortal Coil emerged in the early-80s when the post-punk scene was splintering in exciting new ways and Ivo’s then-fledgling record label 4AD was in the thick of it all. This Mortal Coil were not a band per se, never performing live, rather a collaboration of musicians, with both Ivo and co-producer John Fryer the only constants while the cast rotated.
Experimentation was rife over three albums, they produced a heady mix of original works, musical links and reinterpretations of impeccably curated songs; helping to introduce a new audience to the talents of a previous generation, including Big Star, Tim Buckley, Roy Harper, Spirit, Gene Clark, Dino Valenti, Rain Parade, Emmylou Harris, Syd Barrett and Colin Newman.
Trixie Mattel – Two Birds, One Stone LP (ATO)
Trixie Mattel, winner of Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3, is releasing her pair of critically-acclaimed albums, Two Birds (2017) and One Stone (2018), in one deluxe gatefold colored vinyl package. Marking their first appearance on wax, a full color die-cut sticker sheet, exclusive double-sided 18” x 24” fold out poster, and exclusive interview with Trixie and producer Brandon James Gwinn round out the proceedings.
Various Artists – Fire In The Sky: Rockin’ On (Celebrating 60 Years Of Warner Bros. Records) 2xLP (WB)
Includes Tom Petty, Grateful Dead, Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, Foghat, Jethro Tull, the Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Faces, Van Halen, Montrose, Eric Clapton, Little Feat, Creek the Band, Gary Wright, Todd Rundgren, Prince, Seal, Pretenders, and Fleetwood Mac.
White Ring – Nothing b/w Leprosy 7” (Rocket Girl)
White Ring blend heavy, distorted electronics with eerie, unsettling vocals. Here, White Ring push the boundaries further, subverting genre ideas and mashing them all together, with industrial, metal, rave, chopped and screwed, rap, grunge, neo folk, post punk and new wave all in the mix.
The Wizards – Rise Of The Serpent LP (High Roller)
Limited translucent yellow vinyl LP pressing. New album from the self-proclaimed occult heavy metal warriors.
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