CDs + Vinyl:
xAnti-Nowhere League – Road To Ramtpon [Reissue/2007] CD (Cleopatra)
Reissue of the 2007 album from the raucous UK rabble rousers. Includes new artwork and two bonus tracks. New album due later this year.
Marty Balin – Greatest Love CD (Buckjoy Productions)
New solo album from the Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship songwriter.
Banta – Dark Charms CD (E1)
“Amongst the garage rawk acts and synth-pop duos of Echo Park is a coed collective known as Banta. Led by singer/songwriter Sharaya Mikael, the band channels a vintage soft rock vibe via smooth vocals, acoustic strums, and gentle grooves which often conjure an uncanny Fleetwood Mac likeness” – Free Bike Valet (A Beach City Music Blog). Vinyl edition due April 15.
Michel Benita/Ethics – River Silver CD (ECM)
“Michel Benita is the Algiers-born double-bassist who has been an influential recent collaborator with Andy Sheppard, but though River Silver has a Sheppard-like songlike warmth, it’s a more world-folkish venture. It features the zither-like Japanese koto, atmospheric electronics (from another Sheppard sideman, Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset), and the mellifluous sound of Swiss flugelhornist Matthieu Michel.” – The Guardian
Black Wizard – New Waste CD (Listenable)
The Vancouver, BC riff master’s new album reeks of denim, leather, sweat, booze, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, and attitude. Vinyl version due March 12.
Glen Brown/Various Artists – Dubble Attack: The Original Pantomine Dee-Jay Collection 1972-74 [Reissue/1989] CD/LP (VP)
Glen Brown/Various Artists – Boat To Progress!: The Original Pantomine Vocal Collection 1970-74 [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (VP)
Glen Brown/Various Artists – Check The Winner: The Original Pantomine Instrumental Collection 1970-74 [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (VP)
Glenmore Brown is a reggae singer and producer who ran the Pantomine, Dwyer Records, The Rythm Master, and South East Music labels. Originally released by Greensleeves/Shanachie, these collections have been out-of-print for over 25 years.
Jaimeo Brown Transcendence – Work Songs CD (Motema Music)
Echoes of the past meet visions of the future on Work Songs, the follow-up to Jaimeo Brown Transcendence’s 2013 self-titled debut. From recordings of prisoners in Mississippi to stonemasons in Japan, the album brings renewed life to historical work songs through a mixture of powerfully evocative samples and new recordings. Comprised of drummer/producer Jaimeo Brown and guitarist/producer Chris Sholar, Jaimeo Brown Transcendence deftly weaves together the acoustic and the digital, compellingly connecting jazz and blues with contemporary rock, hip-hop and electronic music.
Basia Bulat – Good Advice CD/LP (Secret City)
Good Advice is the fizzing, phosphorescing new pop LP by songwriter Basia Bulat. Captured and produced by My Morning Jacket leader Jim James in Louisville, KY, it follows on 2013’s Polaris- and Juno-nominated Tall Tall Shadow and two years of tour-dates alongside acts like Sufjan Stevens, Daniel Lanois and Destroyer. Good Advice mixes classic, sterling songwriting with radiant, contemporary sounds – trembling organ, loose drums, lightning-rod electric guitar. These are 10 songs of desire and redemption, lit up with a bottle-rocket of liberated, faintly psychedelic sound. “Basia has something truly unique,” James says, “and her music was a truly extraordinary thing to witness.” Despite a shared love for classic gospel, soul and country, Bulat and James resolved not to make a throwback record.
Buried At Sea – Migration [Reissue/2003] CD/2xLP (War Crime)
Reissue of the debut from Chicago’s cult doom/drone band, Buried At Sea. Features new artwork by vocalist/bassist, Brian Sowell. For fans of Neurosis, Mastodon, Baroness, Eyehategod, etc.
Captain Beefheart – Plastic Factory CD (Go Faster)
Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band had supported Love at the Avalon Ballroom a month before, but they returned on June 17, 1966 as headliners. Then seen as a blues musician with a big voice, rather than the avant-garde experimentalist he would become, Beefheart didn’t disappoint, performing no fewer than four Howlin’ Wolf numbers in amongst a number of other blues covers and a smattering of originals.
Cavanaugh – Time And Materials CD (Mello Music)
Avant-garde MC Open Mike Eagle teams up with Chicago comedy rapper legend Serengeti to create something creatively absurd and socially poignant. “Time & Materials tackles sociological themes that would be sledgehammer-obvious in less-nuanced hands. But the duo draws you in by skimping on or misdirecting details. Serengeti disappears deeper into his lyrical role than Mike does—understandable from an MC who’s been known to do half a live set in the guise of a cranky, bellowing 50-year-old. But for his first full-length production job, Mike sets a tone as raw-nerved and abrasively contemplative as the concept demands.” — Pitchfork
The Coffin Daggers – Aggravatin’ Rhythms CD/LP (Cleopatra)
New York’s premiere instrumental surf punk band returns with a brand new album of catchy grooves and hip-shaking rhythms. (Limited copies available on green vinyl.)
Avishai Cohen – Into The Silence CD (ECM)
On Into The Silence, charismatic Tel Aviv-born trumpeter makes his ECM leader debut in a program of expansive, impressionistic and haunting compositions. Avishai’s tender muted trumpet sets the emotional tone of the music in the album’s opening moments and his gifted cast of musicians explore its implications. Vinyl version due March 4.
Albert Collins & The Icebreakers – Live At Rockpalast 2xCD+DVD (Art Of Groove)
This DVD+2CD is a memorial for this likeable master of the blues.
Robert Cray Band featuring Stevie Ray Vaughan – Old Jam, New Blood: Redux Club, Dallas 1987 CD (All Access)
The live performances by the legendary blues guitarists featured on this CD come from a show played at The Redux Club in Dallas on January 21, 1987, which was broadcast via FM radio station Q102.
Daughtry – It’s Not Over… The Hits So Far CD (RCA)
First greatest hits album from the multi-Platinum rock band. Features two new tracks.
Lee Deweyze – Oil & Water CD (Shanachie)
Lee Dewyze is a singer/songwriter who was the 2010 winner of American Idol. Unlike most American Idol winners, Lee already had a career as a performer prior to winning.
Alex Dezen – Alex Dezen CD (Rock Ridge Music)
Debut solo album from Alex Dezen — the lead singer/songwriter of The Damnwells. “When words alone are not enough, you need to say it in a song,” says Dezen, when asked why he felt now was the right time to write and record his inaugural full-fledged solo album. “And so when I made this record, it was because it had to be made. It was already coming out; I just needed to find some place to put it.” Historically stingy with his use of multiple musical tones, on Alex Dezen, the album’s namesake songsmith manages to marry his sometimes somber, sometimes pithy prose with, for him, a precedent-setting deeper well of rich chords. “Every time that I discover a new chord, I’m kind of like a kid in a candy store. I just kind of go nuts and I want to put it in every song. I definitely expanded the chord vernacular on this record.”
Dion – New York Is My Home CD (Instant)
Nearly six decades after his first hit, Dion Dimucci’s real deal voice having lost absolutely nothing, the King of the Bronx teams here with producer/multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Vivino on 10 new tracks, all but two of them co-written by Dion. The one that’s getting most of the buzz is the title track, and rightfully so. A duet with Paul Simon, it’s filled not so much with nostalgic pining as eternal love: for the place, the attitude and and the sense of belonging the city [of New York] offers. Burrowing down into specifics, the Chuck Berry-esque ‘The Apollo King’ is Dion’s homage to first hearing saxophonist Big Al Sears at the local temple of R&B, while ‘Visionary Heart’ could’ve been a lost Doc Pomus composition. And it wouldn’t be Dion without a nod to the blues: his take on Lightnin’ Hopkins’ ‘Katie Mae’ is, all at once, somehow raw, slick, nasty and smooth.” – Mojo
The Donkeys – Midnight Palms CD/LP (Easy Sound)
The Donkeys are a Californian band through and through. A four-piece from San Diego, they’ve spent the past few years developing a close relationship to distinctly homegrown source materials, bridging the gap between the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Buffalo Springfield, and the Grateful Dead.
Flowers – Everybody’s Dying To Meet You CD/LP+MP3 (Kanine)
Over the course of ten intensely thrilling pop songs, singer Rachel Kenedy’s ethereal vocals and Sam Ayres textured guitar is backed by the powerful, metronomic beat of drummer Jordan Hockley. Produced by Brian O’Shaughnessey (The Clientele, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine), the sessions capture the essence of both their dynamic live sound and their distortion-laden home demos. Their musical inspiration from shoegaze, C86 and New Zealand’s Flying Nun label is now evident.
Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus – The Distance CD (ECM)
The Distance represents a grand creative leap for the bassist-composer, as it showcases his texturally rich compositions for the dynamic 18-piece big band he has playfully dubbed Ensemble Kolossus. The project saw some of the most distinctive musicians on the New York scene bonding to realize Formanek’s epic design, as he reimagined what a big-band can be. Channeling sounds from the classic to the modern, he also composed for individual soloists in the Ellingtonian tradition.
The Frights – You Are Going To Hate This CD/LP (Dangerbird)
“The Frights, a San Diego surf-punk band tore up the stage with their enormous energy. Some of their number one fans were crowd diving at every opportunity they had, while singing along to their songs. These guys absolutely rip….” — Grimy Goods. “Swoon-worthy psych guitar riffs rendezvoused with reverb during our hellos. The song then turned 180 degrees and exploded into a raunchy rockabilly tune. Full of raw grit power, Mikey Carnevale’s vocals charged into the backbeat-driven snare before flowing back into those luscious psychedelic riffs.” — Lo Pie. “They drift between drawn-out jangle-pop and sped-up grime-punk riffs, and frontman Mikey Carnevale twists his echoey yells as if Roy Orbison became a surf rat and used an empty metal trashcan as a microphone.” — The Portland Mercury
Red Garland – The Albums Collection Part One: 1956-1959 4xCD (Enlightenment)
Red Garland – The Albums Collection Part Two: 1959-1961 4xCD (Enlightenment)
Red Garland – The Albums Collection Part Three: 1961-1962 4xCD (Enlightenment)
Garland began his musical career studying clarinet and alto saxophone under the tutelage of Buster Prof Smith, who had previously been an early mentor of saxophonist Charlie Parker. Having been drafted into the army in 1941, Garland began to learn piano whilst stationed Fort Huachuca, Arizona, practicing relentlessly until his playing quickly became proficient. By the turn of the 1950s, Garland’s stature as a musician had increased incalculably, having performed with a plethora of jazz greats including Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster and Sonny Stitt, as well as leading his own trio. Garland embarked on without a doubt his most famous collaboration in 1955 when he was invited to join Miles Davis’ band, which at the time also featured Coltrane, Philly Joe Jones and Paul Chambers. Spanning three volumes, The Albums Collection gathers 24 of his albums.
Gehenna – Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die CD/LP (Metal Blade)
13 tracks of dirty and raw street-metal.
Vince Gill – Down To My Last Bad Habit CD (MCA Nashville)
Gill’s first solo album since 2011’s Guitar Slinger includes guest vocals from Little Big Town and Cam.
Holy Grail – Times Of Pride And Peril CD/LP+MP3 (Prosthetic)
Third album from the Los Angeles-based heavy metal warriors.
Steve Jansen & Richard Barbieri – Lumen CD (Kscope)
Released last May on CD – now available on vinyl. A recording from November 1, 1996 of the only Steve Jansen/Richard Barbieri concert ever performed to date. Featuring songs from the duo’s Stone To Flesh and Stories Across Borders albums, Jansen and Barbieri were joined on stage by Mick Karn and Steven Wilson.
James Supercave – Better Strange CD/LP (Fairfax Recordings)
In 2015 Fairfax Recordings band James Supercave made waves combining Sophie Koko Gate’s award winning animation video Half Wet with their single, “Better Strange.” The video, which premiered via Nerdist, is basically “like if ‘90s cartoons did the same drugs that our music is hooked on. Beautiful, bizarre, hilarious” states the band. Nerdist states that based on this first glimpse that there “appears to be an excellent album on the way with Better Strange…” The title track cuts the familiar slam and glam of psych-pop with the odd details that continually throw James Supercave into the uncanny valley of the pop genre: the lurching groove of the bass, the relentless loop of the synth, the shape-shifting timbre of the vocal. “You’re so much better strange. You’re so much better when you make mistakes with me,” urges Supercave in a fit against normalcy. “Better Strange” dares the listener to commit to the mistakes they’ve always wanted to make.
Wynton Kelly – Nine Classic Albums: 1951-1961 4xCD (Enlightenment)
This four-disc set contains undoubtedly the finest recordings of a criminally underrated musician. Kelly single-handedly managed to change what it meant to be a sideman, expertly holding together every band he worked with. This compilation, featuring almost five hours of music in total, is a fitting testament to one of the unsung heroes of jazz.
Lissie – My Wild West CD/LP (Lionboy)
My Wild West is Lissie’s third studio album and is a fitting tribute to her life in California, from her arrival as a fresh-faced singer/songwriter to the present, leaving for the Midwest wiser and more self-assured. Bookended by the songs “Hollywood” and “Ojai,” it brings out the two extremes of the past decade the dashed hopes and heartbreak of the former and the stability, joy and peace of the latter. My Wild West represents both a new beginning and a return to Lissie s Midwestern roots. “Opening with the electric energy of ‘My Wild West Overture’ provides a significant contrast to the gentle piano chords of the slower, steady ‘Hollywood’. This album remains firmly in the same vein as Lissie’s previous work: strong building guitar with a soft western edge. It captures the nomadic, free-spirited style reflected in the album artwork: darkness surrounds her as she walks, one arm shaking her messy blonde hair.” – Qmunicate
Lost Society – Braindead CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Crushing riffs, relentless bass fire and thunderous drum pounding intertwine, creating soundscapes of death and devastation. II continues developing the trio’s punishing hybrid of grindcore, power violence and hardcore punk across fifteen tracks of blistering sonic warfare.
The Louvin Brothers – Collection 1949-62 2xCD (Acrobat)
Ira and Charlie Louvin (they were cousins of country singer/songwriter John D. Loudermilk) were a powerful and distinctive force in country music through the ’50s until their break-up in 1963. This collection comprises their most successful singles, with a dozen country hits, plus material drawn from their other A & B sides and from their themed concept albums for Capitol.
Magrudergrind – II CD/LP+MP3 (Relapse)
One of extreme music’s most distinctive modern acts, Magrudergrind returns after a six-year hiatus with a new album on Relapse.
Amos Milburn – The Best Of The Aladdin Years 1946-57 2xCD (Acrobat)
Amos Milburn was one of the pioneers of piano-based R&B to emerge from Texas in the post-war years to become one of the artists who helped frame the template for rock ‘n’ roll, along the way enjoying a run of memorable hits from 1947 through into the mid-’50s.
Lorrie Morgan – Letting Go … Slow CD (Shanachie)
Letting Go … Slow is Lorrie’s first pure country album in six years.
Peter Murphy – Wild Birds Live Tour 2xCD/2xLP (Cleopatra)
A double live album from former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy recorded during his tour in support of his 2000 best-of compilation Wild Birds.
Myrath – Legacy CD (Nightmare)
Myrath is a rock/metal band from Tunis, Tunisia, a small country well known for it’s resort areas on the Mediterranean coast but certainly not for it’s metal bands, yet in just few years they’ve become a very enjoyed and respected band by the international prog-power community.
Nine Inch Nails feat. David Bowie – We Prick You CD (Video Music, Inc.)
17-track radio broadcast recorded live in Maryland, 1995.
Matt Patershuk – I Was So Fond Of You CD/LP (Idla/Black Hen Music)
Born in Burns Lake, BC, and brought up in Edmonton and other prairie towns across Canada, Matt Patershuk is the real deal. A country man through and through, he wouldn’t waste your time singing about things that don’t matter. Patershuk’s unaffected singing belongs to a different time and his voice reflects a reserve and unspoken toughness that is rarely heard today. His baritone may not be the most delicate voice you’ll ever hear, but it suits his songs so well that you couldn’t imagine him sounding any different.
Pinegrove – Cardinal CD/LP/Cassette (Run For Cover, LLC)
“In the mid-2000s, Pinegrove’s openhearted indie rock could have been huge. Over the course of the Montclair, New Jersey quintet’s five years of existence, frontman Evan Stephens Hall has developed a great many qualities that would have endeared him to alt-minded fans of a different era. A string of EPs and one-offs, compiled in last year’s appropriately titled Everything So Far, demonstrate the 26-year-old songwriter’s tremendous breadth. He writes in long, verbose, image-rich streams of thought that feel like Hold Steady lyrics, mirrors volcanic emotions like the best Arcade Fire songs, pulls economy out of instrumental excess like Broken Social Scene, and even demonstrates a knack for occasional tasteful banjo parts like a nascent Sufjan Stevens. He’s described his band as the ‘midpoint between math rock and Americana,’ or what might result if Phil Elverum, the existentially minded songwriter behind the Microphones and Mount Eerie, started a funk band.” – SPIN (Album Of The Week)
Pony Time – Rumors 2: The Rumors Are True CD/LP (S-S)
“Listening to ‘Time Tells Me’ from Seattle duo Pony Time is akin to playing a Luna album at 78 RPM. Locked grooves, DIY attitude and Velvet guitar fuzz, the lead single from the fortuitous musical coupling of Luke Beetham and Stacy Peck’s fourth album, Rumours 2: The Rumours Are True, pays homage to the sexual pairings of Fleetwood Mac circa Rumours, albeit with septa intact and little relational acrimony following recording at Earwig Studio.” – Bucket Full Of Nails
Radiation City – Synesthetica CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
New album from the Portland, Oregon dream pop quintet, produced by John Vanderslice. “Portland, Oregon, act Radiation City convey this synthy style of dream-pop that takes over your senses. Reminiscent of Portishead and Roxy Music, the band takes bits and pieces of trip-hop and art rock and blends it into an art form that’s truly their own.” — MoTiV
The Record Company – Give It Back To You CD/LP+MP3 (Concord Music Group)
The rock/roots trio of Chris Vos (guitar, lead vocals, harmonica), Alex Stiff (bass, guitar, vocals) and Marc Cazorla (drums, piano, vocals) has already been hailed by L.A. Weekly for making bluesy music that would sound more at home in a sweaty, backwoods Mississippi juke joint, while Time Out Los Angeles has described their sound as reminiscent of some of the best acts of the ‘50s and ‘60s like if John Lee Hooker and the Stooges had a well-behaved love child. The Record Company has developed a reputation as a live act worthy of sharing the stage with B.B. King, Grace Potter, Trombone Shorty, Buddy Guy, Charles Bradley, Robert Randolph, The Wood Brothers, Social Distortion, and Blackberry Smoke with whom they toured the U.K. and across Europe. “Our sound has a lot of early rock n’ roll but with a greater emphasis on the drums and bass,” says Vos. “We aim to make the speakers move with our recordings.”
Steve Reich – Four Organs / Phase Patterns [Reissue/1970] CD/LP (Superior Viaduct)
Steve Reich remains one of the most important figures in 20th century music. As part of the so-called “Big Four” of New York minimalists (along with La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Philip Glass), Reich influenced both the classical world and contemporary pop music. Originally released on Shandar in 1971, Four Organs / Phase Patterns is one of the most highly regarded avant-garde recordings of the past 50 years.
The Residents – The Gingerbread Man [Reissue/1994] CD (Cryptic Corporation)
“The Gingerbread Man is the story or, maybe more accurately, one of the many journeys of an entity that visits the minds of human beings, and spies upon their thoughts. In the center of these personalities, the Gingerbread Man finds each person’s individual ‘brain song,’ an infectious piece of pop music that floats around in their mind. The Gingerbread Man recognizes this ‘brain song’ as a human’s unconscious attempt at creating order in the quagmire of chaos constantly confusing its mental condition. Because of his ultimately detached position, The Gingerbread Man has no real emotional stake in the lives of these people, but they do represent an ongoing sense of amusement for him. In the end he sums up his feelings toward humanity with a brief song of his own. Bonus tracks: instrumental arrangement, edited condensation.”
Herlin Riley – New Direction CD (Mack Avenue)
Herlin Riley’s New Direction sees the New Orleans drummer with a fierce musical intelligence and prodigious skills lead a fine group of outstanding young musicians, including players from Haiti and Jamaica. Veteran guitarist Mark Whitfield and Cuba’s Pedrito Martinez on percussion are Herlin’s special guests.
Sonny Rollins featuring Milt Jackson – Newk And Bags: Studio And Live Recordings 1953-65 CD (Acrobat)
This new Acrobat collection assembles all the extant recordings of the Rollins/Jackson partnership: a 1953 EP session, half an LP featuring Rollins guesting with the MJQ rhythm section taped live in 1958, and a further album side recorded by the full band with both Milt Jackson and Rollins in which they set down a definitive account of the vibes-man’s classic blues Bags’ Groove. Also included is a rare and exciting festival set, taped in Germany in 1965, during which Rollins and Jackson appeared with an all-star rhythm section including legendary Jazz Messenger leader Art Blakey.
Rotting Christ – Rituals CD/LP/Cassette (Season Of Mist)
Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus track. “For almost 30 years, Greek extreme metallers Rotting Christ have blazed a trail for the black metal genre to follow. From their primitive early material through to 2012’s epic Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, their pioneering spirit has been a flame of inspiration in an increasingly reductive genre. Now the renowned band return with new album Rituals, a diverse collection of new songs influenced by rites and myths from all around the globe. Rituals highlights their unique power and magic, and is the darkest and most personal-sounding Rotting Christ album to date. As Rituals illustrates, there is a reason that Rotting Christ are an international heavy metal institution.” – Blabbermouth
Klaus Schulze/Pete Namlook – The Dark Side Of The Moog Vol. 1-4 5xCD (Made In Germany Music)
The first edition in a series of reissues of the The Dark Side Of The Moog series by German electronic pioneers Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook (aka Peter Kuhlmann) including bonus material and new liner notes. The first box in the series contains Volumes 1-4 and the ‘best of’ album The Evolution Of The Dark Side Of The Moog.
Silver Snakes – Saboteur CD/LP (Evil Ink)
Third studio release from from the L.A. underground rock band.
Skin, Flesh & Bones – Dub In Blood [Reissue/1976] CD/LP (Pressure Sounds)
Pressure Sounds return with more from Phil Pratt’s Sunshot vaults. This time it is the rare dub album Dub In Blood aka The Best Dub Album In The World when issued in the UK. Recorded and mixed at Channel One by Ernest Hookim and Ossie Hibbert circa 1976 (except track 12, which is a Black Ark thing) this is genuine mid- ‘70s Jamaican dub/roots music.
Snarky Puppy – Family Dinner Volume Two CD+DVD (Ground Up)
This album is the second in the Family Dinner series; which began with 2014’s Grammy Award-winning album, Family Dinner Volume One. Family Dinner Volume Two includes both the audio album and a companion DVD that features footage of the recording process, artist interviews and behind-the-scenes b-roll. Recorded in New Orleans, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of of the album will be donated to the charity organization Roots Of Music. As their website states, “Roots Of Music empowers the youth of New Orleans through music education, academic support, and mentorship while preserving and promoting the unique musical and cultural heritage of our city.”
J.D. Souther – Black Rose [Reissue/1976] CD (Omnivore)
J.D. Souther – Home By Dawn [Reissue/1984] CD (Omnivore)
After his impressive debut, J.D. Souther worked with Chris Hillman (Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers) and Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco) in the short lived Souther/Hillman/Furay Band. But, at that same time, his songwriting reputation grew, as friends and colleagues took his material to commercial heights. Five years after John David Souther, Black Rose appeared. Beautifully helmed by Peter Asher, the album was not only full of incredible songs, but a who’s who of musicians including Lowell George (Little Feat), Joe Walsh, Waddy Wachtel, Jim Keltner, Andrew Gold, Russ Kunkel, Donald Byrd, and Stanley Clarke—with David Crosby, Art Garfunkel, Don Henley and Glen Frey adding their voices. Home By Dawn is Souther’s only album of the ‘80s. Both reissue add bonus tracks including unissued live performances and demos.
Spacin’ – Total Freedom CD (Agitated)
Total Freedom is the long-overdue long-form platter from Philadelphia’s Spacin’, low-key torchbearers of both John Sinclair’s bold program and the “less is more” aesthetic (often much more) exemplified by Lou’s time with Morrison and Tucker and Cale. Guitarist and vocalist Jason Killinger blazes the path and lead guitarist Paul Sukeena and bassist Sean Hamilton vamp on economical electric chugs while drummer Eva Killinger reprises her role as thee undisputed master of basement motorik. Vinyl version due March 25.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – 1978 Roxy Night: The Classic Los Angeles Broadcast 3xCD (Leftfield Media)
Often flagged by fans as the “best gig Bruce & The E Street Band ever played,” although perhaps this a judgment benefiting from the fact that, as with four other shows from the legendary Darkness Tour in 1978, it was broadcast on FM radio (and so tapes and other formats have changed hands routinely ever since). The sound is superb while rather awful versions of the same show are in circulation.
Jo Stafford – The Jo Stafford Collection 1939-62 4xCD (Acrobat)
This 103-track set is not simply a hits package, but provides an insightful trawl across the first quarter-century of a career that spanned five decades.
Statik Kxng – Statik Kxng CD (Penalty Ent. LLC)
Producer, DJ and radio personality Statik Selektah and lyrical wordsmith and one-quarter of rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, Kxng Crooked (Crooked I of Slaugh-terhouse) collaborate on their first full length project.
Steely Dan – Doing It In California: The 1974 Broadcast Collection CD (Sutra)
Partly because of Donald Fagen’s reluctance to sing onstage, partly due to he and Walter Becker’s perfectionism, and partly because the pairs’ compositions and arrangements were so complex — requiring all manner of studio hardware to reproduce — Steely Dan played very few live concerts during their early career, indeed by the middle of 1974 they had given up touring entirely. The one album they did promote on the road however was Pretzel Logic, released earlier that year. The tour started on March 9th, and this CD features the complete second show played by the group, at the University Of California the following night.
Lacey Sturm – Life Screams CD/LP (Followspot)
Sturm’s debut solo album following her 2013 departure from Flyleaf is a self-produced collection of urgent, anthemic and lyrically-timely rock.
The Suffers – The Suffers CD/LP (Rhyme & Reason)
The Suffers are here to shake up the notion that they’re another soul revival band. Just as much influenced by classic rock & roll, country, Latin and Southern hip-hop as they are the Stax/Volt or Muscle Shoals era, The Suffers are bringing a fresh approach to what they have coined Gulf Coast Soul.
Eliot Sumner – Information CD (Cherrytree)
“If the name doesn’t exactly sound familiar, there’s no mistaking that furrowed brow — Eliot Sumner is the youngest daughter of Sting (née Gordon Sumner) and his second wife, Trudie Styler. On her solo debut, Information, the 25-year-old singer/songwriter is quick to establish her own identity while staying true to her family’s unrestrained creative spirit. She assertively lays her husky, androgynous voice over the insistent synthesizer rhythms of songs like ‘Firewood,’ ‘After Dark’ and the soaring ‘I Followed You Home,’ all of which have an elegant, instant appeal. There are shades of her father’s work too, especially on the tracks ‘Species’ and ‘Dead Arms And Dead Legs,’ which sounds like an outtake from Regatta de Blanc. And why not? When everyone else with Fender Precision bass is trying so hard to capture that magic, it helps to have a direct line.” – SF Gate
Rokia Traoré – Né So CD (Nonesuch)
Rokia Traoré’s sixth album, Né So (Home) features 10 original songs and a cover of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” and was produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Tracy Chapman).
Frank Turner – Ten For Ten CD (Xtra Mile Recordings)
On Ten For Ten, the English folk singer/songwriter has hand-picked 10 tracks previously unavailable on physical releases, including “Old Flames” featuring Billy The Kid, the original demo of “The Ballad Of Me & My Friends” and “Atlanta Curse.”
Urgehal – Aeons In Sodom CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Norwegian black metal. Guests include Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone), Nattefrost (Carpathian Forest), Nag (Tsjuder), Niklas Kvarforth (Shining), Hoest (Taake), and Mannevond (Koldbrann).
Various Artists – The Hit Songs Of Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller 1952-62 2xCD (Acrobat)
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were pivotal figures on the R&B scene of the early ’50s and most especially during the rock ‘n’ roll era of the late ’50s and early ’60s, as they developed and applied their talents as songwriters and producers to provide a string of hits for some of the most important artists of the time. This collection includes some of their hits as performed/popularized by: Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, The Coasters, Big Joe Turner, Ben E. King, Little Richard, and more.
Various Artists – Psych Box 5xCD+7” (Cleopatra)
Includes tracks by Hawkwind, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Iron Butterfly, The Black Angels, The Warlocks, The Deviants, Allah-Las and more. Comes packaged in a 7”x7” box with a bonus vinyl single featuring sides by Jimmy Page and Timothy Leary.
Various Artists – Soundtrack To HBO’s Vinyl CD (Atlantic)
Volume 1 of the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl (which debuted on HBO February 12th) is stuffed with soul, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, with tracks by Otis Redding, The Meters, Edgar Winter, Foghat, Ruth Brown, and more. It also features original music by the critically-acclaimed country singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson (who provides the show’s theme song “Sugar Daddy”) and The Nasty Bits, a group fronted by Mick Jagger’s son James Jagger, who also appears on the show. Meanwhile, David Johansen has re-recorded some jams by New York Dolls.
Various Artists – Still In A Dream: A Story Of Shoegaze 1988-1995 5xCD (Cherry Red)
“This 5xCD box set from Cherry Red offers a compelling look at shoegaze’s prime era. Still In A Dream takes a wide trawl approach to its genre, which has upsides and downsides. As with Rhino’s goth box A Life Less Lived, shoegaze is generously interpreted to include antecedents and formative influences, which bulks up the quality.” [8.0] — Pitchfork
David Vassalotti – Broken Rope CD/LP (Wharf Cat)
Vassalotti, a Florida-based songwriter & performer for critically acclaimed 4AD signees Merchandise (amongst numerous other projects), has used this record as an opportunity to delve further into his own diverse world of personal interests. Broken Rope is a passion project, with Vassalotti handling all of the writing, performing, recording, production, and art design. From lo-fi guitar pop sounds, to elements harsh industrial noise and musique concrete, Vassalotti weaves together a wide array of musical influences with a steady hand. Similarly, the album’s lyrics draw from Portuguese history, Russian folklore, and Spanish poetry.
Villainy – Villainy II: Dim CD/LP (Listenable)
“You’d be forgiven for thinking The Netherlands’ Villainy play stoner metal after taking a look at their logo. Rather, they’re a black metal band whose toured with Shining, Inquisition and Entrails. Still, those thick Roger Dean letters give something away: There’s a whole lot of melody and rock and roll song craft in Villainy’s approach. The band’s sophomore LP, Villainy II: Dim entertains the same guitar hook vs. black metal rasp tug-of-war that Tribulation and Kvelertak do.” – Invisible Oranges
Daevid Allen Weird Quartet – Elevenses CD/LP (Cleopatra)
The final recordings of guitarist/vocalist Daevid Allen Weird, founder and integral member of Soft Machine and Gong. Featuring all new compositions, Elevenses finds Allen mixing styles from throughout his career including blues, Irish folk, ambient and post-punk.
Wynonna & The Big Noise – Wynonna & The Big Noise CD/LP+MP3 (Curb)
Wyonna Judd and her band The Big Noise, led by her husband, producer/drummer Cactus Moser, recorded the majority of their eponymous album in the sanctity of their home studio located on the family farm in Tennessee. Wynonna has described the new album as “vintage yet modern” and a “return to the well.” It’s a rootsy work encompassing country, Americana, blues, soul and rock. Guest songwriters and musicians include Chris Stapleton, Raphael Saadiq, Jason Isbell, Susan Tedeschi, and more.
You Say Party – You Say Party CD/LP (Paper Bag)
New album from the Vancouver, BC dance-punk band (formerly known as You Say Party! We Say Die!). You Say Party is more expansive and experimental than their early DIY dance-punk material, and is their first since the death of drummer Devon Clifford in 2010.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Charles Bradley And Menahan Street Band – Live From The House Of Soul DVD (Daptone)
The first installment of Daptone Records’ new video series, Live From The House Of Soul. Directed by Poull Brien and shot in the backyard of Daptone’s House Of Soul in Bushwick, Brooklyn, featuring Menahan Street Band.
Elvis Costello – Detour Live At Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Featuring Larkin Poe DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
The Detour tour allowed Costello to use a Storytellers style to talk about family, life and his career along with the stories behind such songs as” Watching The Detectives,” “Alison,” “A Good Year For The Roses,” “I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down” and many others. The Detour tour was a solo effort with Costello playing guitar and piano. Joining Costello on a few tracks are Rebecca and Meghan Lovell of Larkin Poe.
The Dicks – From Texas DVD (MVD)
The Dicks started out as an Austin, Texas poster band in 1979 and once formed, took off like a hardcore rocket. The Dicks only released one 45 and two LPs and were the house band at legendary Raul’s Club. Every hardcore punk act that came to Austin demanded The Dicks play with them, from Fear to Black Flag to Dead Kennedys. This is their story told by die-hard lifelong Dicks fans.
UK Subs – Dance & Travel In The Punk Rock Age With The UK Subs DVD (Screen Edge)
“When I started to think about things it was when Charlie told me he was 70 now, and he’d had 50 years on the road already, I thought this sounds like a good story. The beginning few years were captured, and are all out for all to see. I think the story really begins in 1983, which is with Charlie at the helm, stripped of the rest of the band. Then the following year things take off in L.A. big time, showing what the band can do, and going through the gigs how often the line up changes along the way. For Charlie what does not change is the band, he is always there! There a bit of my own stuff here along with other people’s footage, it does make good viewing, particularly some of the interview footage and documentary. I can only hope that these tapes given to me by Charlie Harper, are seen as a testament to a great player. I would say there is another one yet, at least…” — John Bentham, 2015
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Pete Astor – Spilt Milk LP+MP3 (Slumberland)
Spilt Milk is the brand new album from indie auteur Pete Astor, previously of The Loft, The Weather Prophets, and other esteemed acts. It was recorded onto 1/2-inch tape at the home studio of James Hoare of Ultimate Painting, The Proper Ornaments and Veronica Falls, with James playing guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and singing backing vocals. Other contributions came from members of Astor’s live band, with Pam Berry (Black Tambourine, Withered Hand) supplying vocals, Jack Hayter (Hefner) on pedal steel, Alison Cotton (The Left Outsides) on viola, and Robin Christian (Male Bonding) and Susan Milanovic (Feathers) on drums.
Albert Ayler – In Greenwich Village [Reissue/1967] LP (Impulse!)
During 1967-69 avant-garde innovator Albert Ayler recorded a series of albums for Impulse!. This LP is Ayler’s first Impulse! set. There are two selections apiece from a pair of live appearances with Ayler having a rare outing on alto on the emotional “For John Coltrane” and the more violent “Change Has Come” while backed by cellist Joel Friedman, both Alan Silva and Bill Folwell on basses and drummer Beaver Harris. The other set (with trumpeter Donald Ayler, violinist Michel Sampson, Folwell and Henry Grimes on basses and Harris) has a strong contrast between the simple childlike melodies and the intense solos.
Justin Bieber – My World [2009] LP (Def Jam)
Justin Bieber – My World 2.0 [2010] LP (Def Jam)
Justin Bieber – Believe [Reissue/2012] LP (Def Jam)
Justin Bieber – Journals [2013] 2xLP (Def Jam)
With the exception of Believe (which was limited to 1000 vinyl copies that were pressed for Bieber’s VIP package sold exclusively on the Believe Tour), this is the first time My World, My World 2.0, and Journals have been available on vinyl.
Charles Bukowski – Reads His Poetry LP [Reissue/1980] LP (Real Gone Music)
“This is Charles Bukowski. Well, let me just sit here and drink beer.” Thus begins the September 14, 1972 poetry reading from which this 1980 release on John Fahey’s Takoma label is drawn. This is quintessential Bukowski, from the rude ‘n’ crude drawing that adorns the front cover, to the belches that punctuate the poems. As for the work itself, it’s not really what you’d commonly conceive of as poetry, but rather observations and vignettes drawn from life’s darker side, focusing on perversions, poverty, drunkenness, gambling, and bodily functions. But Bukowski’s bemused air and self-deprecating humor blunt the shock value of the words and emphasize the universality of the themes.
Brandi Carlile – Brandi Carlile [Reissue/2006] LP (Brookvale)
Limited translucent colored vinyl LP pressing, tip on a gatefold jacket featuring original lyrics and liner notes and individually foil stamped. Reaching No. 1 on the US Folk Albums chart in 2005, Brandi Carlile’s critically-acclaimed eponymous debut album finally returns to vinyl just in time for it’s 10th anniversary. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote of Brandi Carlile upon it’s release, “It’s not only a superb debut, it’s a hell of a record by any measure.” Three of the album’s songs – “Tragedy,” “What Can I Say,” and “Throw It All Away” — were featured in the TV drama Grey’s Anatomy, adding to the album’s success.
Cauldron – In Ruin LP (The End)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Toronto’s Cauldron is a three-piece traditional heavy metal band. They were nominated for a Juno award (Canada’s version of the Grammys) and have played Metallica’s Orion festival.
Hubert Clarke Jr. – Al Dente 12”+MP3 (100% Silk)
Impressionistic dub-house devotee Hubert Clark Jr. fluctuates through several deviations of Sydney afterhours circuit specialties on his debut, Al Dente. Alternately wired and unwound, classic and contempo, vibed soul and lean house, the EP threads soft-focus funk into long-form live voyages, naturalist emotion, dance as relaxed delirium.
Alice Coltrane – World Galaxy [Reissue/1972] LP (Impulse!)
Alice Coltrane had become a musical world unto herself by the time she issued World Galaxy, recorded in late 1971. With jazz-rock fusion taking over the mainstream and the terminal avant-garde heading over to Europe, Coltrane stubbornly forged an insistent, ever-evolving brand of spiritual jazz that bore her own signature as much as it did her late husband’s influence.
John Coltrane – Ascension [Reissue/1965] LP (Impulse!)
Trane is joined by Pharoah Sanders, Freddie Hubbard and four other horn players for an explosion of fiery solos and free improvisation on this famous 1965 session. Recorded with three tenors (Trane, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp), two altos (Marion Brown, John Tchicai), two trumpet players (Freddie Hubbard, Dewey Johnson), two bassists (Art Davis, Jimmy Garrison), the lone McCoy Tyner on piano, and Elvin Jones on the drums, this large group is both relentless and soulful simultaneously. Includes “Ascension” in two parts (one per side).
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters 3xLP (Verve)
Easily one of the most important records ever made, John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing that at once compiled all of his innovations from his past, spoke of his current deep spirituality, and also gave a glimpse into the next two and a half years. The quartet — Coltrane, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner — recorded the album in one session on December 9, 1964, at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Coltrane’s home in Dix Hills, Long Island, has been suggested as the site of inspiration for A Love Supreme. Coltrane’s exposure to Ahmadiyya Islam has also been suggested as a source of influence.
Colleen – Everyone Alive Wants Answers [Reissue/2003] LP+CD (Leaf)
Just when you thought this kind of tangled, floating, ambient wash — sometimes with guitars, sometimes without — couldn’t get any better than specific parts of Susumu Yokota’s Sakura and Grinning Cat, Colleen came along with Everyone Alive Wants Answers. Colleen is actually Cecile Schott, a Parisian who wrenches out cobwebbed melodies that are fully fleshed out as frequently as they are stunted and knotted. Her means aren’t all that unique. Comprised of barbed glockenspiels, worn music boxes, humming keyboards, happenstance guitar melodies, soft-focus production, her songs seem meticulously stitched together while nearing the brink of collapse at the same time.
Dead Heavens – Feel Low 7” (Thrill Me)
“Feel Low brings the chunky and heavy elements from the Can cover ‘I’m So Green,’ maximizing the weight and power to make their sound feel like a fifty ton hammer. The guitar lines in the middle break point of the song give it elements of sludge and absolute pure heaviness, enough to satisfy any fan of ultra heavy rock music. In the span of one song, the band can show a myriad of the best elements guitar rock can throw at you.” ––John Hill/Noisey
Lizzy Mercier Descloux – Mambo Nassau [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Lizzy Mercier Descloux – Zulu Rock [Reissue/1984] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Lizzy Mercier Descloux – One For The Soul [Reissue/1986] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Lizzy Mercier Descloux – Suspense [Reissue/1988] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Parisian poet, painter, actor, and prolific self-taught musician, Lizzy Mercier Descloux was a influential character in the late- ‘70s New York underground.
Desert Suns – Desert Suns LP (Ripple Music)
Desert Suns from southern California wreak havoc with their doom-filled, stoned out, sludgy psychedelic debut.
Marvin Gaye – Moods Of Marvin Gaye [Reissue/1966] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston – Take Two [Reissue/1966] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – United [Reissue/1967] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye – In The Groove [Reissue/1968] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – You’re All I Need [Reissue/1968] (Motown)
Marvin Gaye – M.P.G. [Reissue/1969] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Easy [Reissue/1969] LP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye – That’s The Way Love Is [Reissue/1970] LP (Motown)
Classic soul back in print on vinyl.
Charlie Haden – Liberation Music Orchestra [Reissue/1970] LP (Impulse!)
A fascinating reissue that comfortably straddles the lines of jazz, folk, and world music, working up a storm by way of a jazz protest album that points toward the Spanish Civil War in particular and the Vietnam War in passing. Haden leads the charge and contributes material, but the real star here may in fact be Carla Bley, who arranged numbers, wrote several, and contributed typically brilliant piano work.
Johnny Hartman – I Just Dropped By To Say Hello [Reissue/1964] LP (Impulse!)
The second Impulse! session for ballad singer Johnny Hartman followed his classic collaboration with John Coltrane. Hartman is heard in peak form throughout these 11 pieces, which include “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning,” “Sleepin’ Bee,” “Stairway To The Stars,” and “Charade.” Tenor saxophonist Illinois Jacquet is on five of the songs, guitarists Kenny Burrell & Jim Hall help out on a few tunes, and Hartman is accompanied by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Elvin Jones.
Iced Earth – Days Of Purgatory [Reissue/1997] 3xLP (Century Media)
Iced Earth – Something Wicked This Way Comes [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Century Media)
Iced Earth – Horror Show [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Century Media)
Latest batch of vinyl reissues of the veteran metal band’s early discography.
Isis – Celestial [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (Robotic Empire)
Isis’s classic debut full-length Celestial highlights the band’s roots in metal and hardcore while displaying the post-rock and ambient experimentation for which they became best known. It was described by Decibel Magazine as “a transitional record between the band’s early work and the post-metal benchmarks such as Oceanic… the elements of the greatness are present, but rawer, more direct.”
Keith Jarrett – Treasure Island [Reissue/1974] LP (Impulse!)
Treasure Island, released in early 1974, was the second of two albums pianist and composer Keith Jarrett recorded for Impulse! Records — the first was Fort Yawuh, issued a year earlier. Cut at Generation Sound Studios in New York City, the band consisted of Jarrett on piano and soprano saxophone, Dewey Redman on tenor, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Paul Motian.
Jurassic 5 – Power In Numbers [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Interscope)
Two years after Jurassic 5’s 2000 album, Quality Control, proved that B-boy-oriented retro-rap doesn’t have to be corny, the group released their third studio album (second on a major label) Power In Numbers. J5’s sophomore major label offering does a good job at extending their sound. Part of UMe’s ongoing Respect The Classics vinyl reissue campaign.
Kid Rock – Devil Without A Cause [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (WB)
Kid Rock – Cocky [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (WB)
Limited edition vinyl reissues now available.
King Dude – Songs Of Flesh & Blood – In The Key Of Light LP (Not Just Religious Music)
Released last June on CD – now available on vinyl. King Dude’s latest full length is not only a spiritual revelation, but also a revelation of the life of the man behind the music. TJ Cowgill’s own recent real life experiences with love, loss, death and violence are illuminated and explored herein, sure to be canonized alongside the rest of his work. “The record mixes driving and distorted anthems like ‘Black Butterfly’ and mescaline-fueled, castanet-clacking Tex-Mex shufflers like ‘Holy Water’ alongside more ruminative pieces like ‘Deal With The Devil,’ a song that has the baritone croak of the Dude contemplating a Faustian move in the name of love” – Exclaim. Transparent blue vinyl.
L.A. Witch – Drive Your Car b/w Ain’t Comin’ Home 7” (ORG Music)
New single from L.A. Witch — often compared to early Gun Club, The Black Angels and Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Yusef Lateef – Psychicemotus [Reissue/1965] LP (Impulse!)
Psychicemotus was originally released in 1965 and features Yusef Lateef on various flutes and tenor saxophone, Georges Arvanitas on piano, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer James Black. And while the Coltrane era of modal and free jazz was in full swing, Lateef always followed his own muse, and continued looking forward while looking back to ancient music. Yusef was a jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer and prominent figure among the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in America, following his conversion to Islam in 1950. Although Lateef’s main instruments were the tenor saxophone and flute, he also played oboe and bassoon, both rare in jazz, and also used a number of non-western instruments such as the bamboo flute, shanai, shofar, xun, arghul and koto. He is known for having been an innovator in the blending of jazz with Eastern music.
Louis C.K. – Live At Madison Square Garden LP (New Wave Dynamics)
Live audio from Louis’ sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden, pressed on a limited vinyl picture disc.
Chris Marker – La Jetée [1962] LP (Superior Viaduct)
First-time release of the soundtrack from La Jetée. This vinyl album features both French and English voiceover narrations, along with organic textures and Trevor Duncan’s impressionistic score. While Marker creates some of the most hauntingly beautiful imagery in cinema, what animates La Jetée’s frozen pictures is its sparse and unsettling soundscape. Whispers, breaths and heartbeats offer an unnerving reminder of bodily rhythms that, inside the film and out, will inevitably cease. Fragments of symphonic music at once capture a love affair and underscore the tragedy awaiting it.
Myrone – Drift Stage Main Theme b/w Exclusive Coupe 7” (Ghost Ramp)
Two tracks from Hugh Myrone’s soundtrack for retro-style arcade racer Drift Stage on a car-shaped vinyl. The full soundtrack for Drift Stage will be released alongside the finished game some time this year.
Gimmer Nicholson – Christopher Idylls LP (Light In The Attic)
Upon first glance, one could be forgiven for wondering which is the artist and which is the title of this album. Memphis’ Larry “Gimmer” Nicholson still remains a great unknown today, despite his having orbited the periphery of the city’s music scene since the early ’60s, playing with artists ranging from Furry Lewis to William Eggleston and influencing a young Chris Bell (Big Star). Fusing classical and folk music, the sound Gimmer created for Christopher Idylls was evocative and unusual, it’s chiming guitars recalling the music of centuries past while also-when recorded in 1968-being quite desperately ahead of its time.
Oaf – Oaf 7” (Deranged)
Evil riffs, raw tones, driving beats and manic vocals mark the self-titled debut 7” from newish Vancouver band Oaf. “… Grimy hardcore punk the way they used to make it and the way it’s supposed to be.” — Beatroute
Mustafa Özkent – Genclik Ile Elele [Reissue/1973] LP (Jackpot)
Limited splattered colored vinyl reissue of a Turkish psych/funk instrumental classic. Originally released in Turkey 1973, Özkent’s masterpiece (creation) of an all instrumental Turkish psychedelic funk album, filled with classic beats and breaks still inspires long-time fans and first time listeners. The funky rhythms, hypnotic percussions, and heavy break beats makes this a holy grail amongst DJ’s and music fans alike.
Thee Oh Sees – Fortress 7” (Castle Face)
Eight-armed, kinetic and racing ahead into distinctly dreamy and proggy territory, these two tracks are cut from nightmare cloth as only John P. Dwyer and Co. can weave, with an emphasis on the tossing and turning. A must-have addendum to Mutilator, and a lovely hors d’oeuvre to whet one’s appetite for another full-length later this year.
Pressing On – No Defeat No Capitulation 12” (Deranged)
Portland’s Pressing On is comprised of members of the late and great Talk Is Poison, as well as From Ashes Rise and the still-going Raw Nerves. Expect nothing less than anthemic and defiant hardcore punk. An undeniable clenched-fist-pumper, No Defeat No Capitulation retains a strong sense of melody in that great Talk Is Poison style but the band defines their own sound.
The Relatives – Can’t Feel Nothin’ b/w No Man Is An Island 7” (Ubiquity)
The Temptations-style vocal group is best known by crate-diggers for their 1971 debut single “Don’t Let Me Fall,” which is also the title of a collection, released by Heavy Light Records in 2009, that documents their complete 1970’s output. The psych-funk pioneers reunited in ’09 and have been active ever since, touring the world and releasing their first proper full-length The Electric Word in 2013. Their new record, Goodbye World set to drop in early 2016 is an elegy of sorts, since it showcases the final recordings of The Relatives’ founder and leader Reverend Gean West, who died in February 2015 at the age of 78 in the midst of working on the album. His signature vocals can be heard on the A-side along with his brother Tommie West on top of a slow-rolling, bottom-heavy funk groove. The B-side finds their take on the classic “No Man Is An Island” with haunting guitars and combination of bass-to-falsetto vocals courtesy of their original guitarist Charles Ray “Gypsy” Mitchell.
Pharoah Sanders – Karma [Reissue/1969] LP (Impulse!)
Pharoah Sanders’ third album as a leader is the one that defines him as a musician to the present day. There are only two tracks on Karma, the 32-plus minute “The Creator Has A Master Plan” and the five-and-a-half-minute “Colours.” The band is one of Sanders’ finest, and features vocalist Leon Thomas, drummer Billy Hart, Julius Watkins, James Spaulding, a pre-funk Lonnie Liston Smith, Richard Davis, Reggie Workman on bass, and Nathaniel Bettis on percussion.
The Skiffle Players – Skifflin’ LP (Spiritual Pajamas)
The Skiffle Players is Cass McCombs’ new group along with Neal Casal, Dan Horne, and Beachwood Sparks’ “Farmer” Dave Scher and Aaron Sperske. The band takes a very deliberately old-school approach with Skifflin’: while it isn’t quite straight-up washboard-bass skiffle music, it does sound like it emanates from another time, and features a mixture of originals and old ballads.
Steep Leans – Grips On Heat LP (Ghost Ramp)
Steep Leans is the Boston-based project of Gray Somers and the latest signee to Wavves’ label Ghost Ramp. “Steep Leans balances murky garage-rock and bright guitars for a polished sound that still maintains some sort of rawness. ‘Nightmare City’ features sweet dreamy psych-rock riffs and longing vocals of a rougher tone. It’s the kind of track you blast when you’re driving away from your hometown for the last time, cruising in search for anything bigger, if not better. ‘Navigator In The Night’ is the complementing moody surf-rock tune that would follow next on your runaway road trip playlist. Just when echoing guitar reverb chimes your years, ringing lo-fi feedback and loud drums takes you down a darker turn.” – Stereogum
Stray From The Path – Subliminal Criminals LP+MP3 (Sumerian)
Released last August on CD – now available on vinyl. Stray From The Path is a four piece alternative hardcore band, hailing from Long Island, New York. Colored vinyl pressing.
Sun Ra – Space Is The Place [Reissue/1973] LP (Impulse!)
Space Is The Place provides an excellent introduction to Sun Ra’s vast and free-form jazz catalog. Typical of many Sun Ra recordings, the program is varied; earthbound songs, like the swing number “Images” and Egyptian exotica piece “Discipline,” fit right in with more space-age cuts, like the tumultuous “Sea Of Sounds” and the humorous “Rocket Number Nine.”
Gabor Szabó – Sorcerer [Reissue/1967] LP (Impulse!)
Gabor Szabó’s quintet featuring Jimmy Stewart was one of the guitarist’s very best units. Live performances like this, recorded at Boston’s Jazz Workshop, document some of the excitement the group stirred in 1967-1968. The playing seems inspired, and the interplay within the group is something to behold — even when performing lightweight tunes like “The Beat Goes On.” Szabó was an influential jazz guitarist, famous for mixing jazz, pop-rock and his native Hungarian music. Beginning in 1966 he recorded a well-received span of albums under his own name on the Impulse! label.
Them – The “Angry” Young Them! [Reissue/1965] LP (Sony Legacy)
Them – Them Again [Reissue/1966] LP (Sony Legacy)
The “Angry” Young Them! is the first album from the Northern Irish rock & roll group Them. The album was released in the UK in June 1965. The band’s lead singer and songwriter was Van Morrison. In the U.S., the album was released as Them with partly different tracks. Six of the songs on the album were Morrison originals, including the famous garage band anthem “Gloria.” Them Again followed in 1966, and features the Van Morrison originals “My Lonely Sad Eyes” and “Hey Girl,” which can be seen as precursors to the poetic musings of his later Astral Weeks album, released in 1968.
Total Abuse – Excluded LP (Deranged)
“Sometimes punk is supposed to be gritty and scary. The music itself can often be made too trendy or palatable by squares, but real bands will still rise to the top with great music. That’s what seems to be driving Total Abuse for all this time, who have been putting out records for nine years and keep getting better. Excluded is a record that sounds like the feeling of being not cool enough for punk. Gritty breakdowns and power chords two-step together to gnarled vocals.” – Noisey (Music By Vice)
Wild Throne – Harvest Of Darkness LP (Roadrunner)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. “With elements in hardcore, metal, and prog-rock, Wild Throne are really pushing the boundaries of today’s scene.” – Metal Injection
Amy Winehouse – Frank [Reissue/2003] LP (Republic)
Second repress (within a year) of Amy Winehouse’s debut album, Frank, which was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize upon it’s original release. She also won an Ivor Novello award in 2004 for album opener (and her debut single) “Stronger Than Me.” If you missed out on last August’s reissue, now is your chance to pick up this classic on vinyl.
Cassettes:
Pinegrove – Cardinal (Run For Cover, LLC)
“In the mid-2000s, Pinegrove’s openhearted indie rock could have been huge. Over the course of the Montclair, New Jersey quintet’s five years of existence, frontman Evan Stephens Hall has developed a great many qualities that would have endeared him to alt-minded fans of a different era. A string of EPs and one-offs, compiled in last year’s appropriately titled Everything So Far, demonstrate the 26-year-old songwriter’s tremendous breadth. He writes in long, verbose, image-rich streams of thought that feel like Hold Steady lyrics, mirrors volcanic emotions like the best Arcade Fire songs, pulls economy out of instrumental excess like Broken Social Scene, and even demonstrates a knack for occasional tasteful banjo parts like a nascent Sufjan Stevens. He’s described his band as the ‘midpoint between math rock and Americana,’ or what might result if Phil Elverum, the existentially minded songwriter behind the Microphones and Mount Eerie, started a funk band.” – SPIN (Album Of The Week)
Rotting Christ – Rituals (Season Of Mist)
“For almost 30 years, Greek extreme metallers Rotting Christ have blazed a trail for the black metal genre to follow. From their primitive early material through to 2012’s epic Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, their pioneering spirit has been a flame of inspiration in an increasingly reductive genre. Now the renowned band return with new album Rituals, a diverse collection of new songs influenced by rites and myths from all around the globe. Rituals highlights their unique power and magic, and is the darkest and most personal-sounding Rotting Christ album to date. As Rituals illustrates, there is a reason that Rotting Christ are an international heavy metal institution.” – Blabbermouth
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