March Program Titles Released This Week:
Ryan Bingham – American Love Songs CD/2xLP (Axster Bingham)
Ryan Bingham’s sixth studio album, American Love Song, finds the South Texas bred singer/songwriter honing his creativity on two distinct levels, the personal and the cultural. He co-produced it with Charlie Sexton, the superb Austin guitarist who has played for years in Bob Dylan’s touring band. From the opening track – the spry “Jingle And Go”, which recounts his early years as an itinerant open-mic performer working, like the great Texas bluesmen before him, for tips – to the closer, “Blues Lady”, a tribute to Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Bingham’s own late mother, and all the other strong women this country has produced, the album combines autobiographical reflection with a bittersweet celebration of our collective spirit in the face of enduring difficulties.
Hayes Carll – What It Is CD/LP (Dualtone)
On What It Is, Houston, TX troubadour Hayes Carll is leaving the past behind. “I want to dig in so this life doesn’t just pass me by. The more engaged I am the more meaning it all has. I want that to be reflected in the work,” Carll says. What It Is continues the artistic risk-taking initiated by 2016’s Lovers And Leavers; his voice is strong and assured, and his songwriting as truthful as ever. On the rambunctious, fiddle-punctuated, “Times Like These”, he laments political division in America while delivering a rapid-fire plea to “do my labor, love my girl, and help my neighbor, while keeping all my joie de vivre.” Carll’s signature cleverness and aptitude for so-personal-you-might-miss-it political commentary is as strong as ever. The stark, “Fragile Men”, co-written with singer-songwriter Lolo, uses humor and dripping sarcasm to examine his gender’s resistance to change in less than three minutes of string-laden, almost Jacques Brel invoking drama. It’s new musical territory for Carll, and the result is powerful. His voice is strong and resonant on these songs, and it’s thrilling to hear him use it with a new authority. He is alternately commanding and tender, yet always soulful.
Copeland – Blushing CD (Tooth & Nail)
While they began as a rock band, Copeland’s music has explored multiple genres and pulled in various stylistic influences like electronic and symphonic. In the past the musicians have aptly melded these styles, creating a unique amalgam of sounds. This time they wanted to take each sound and style and push it to its logical extreme. “We wanted to take all of the elements that made up our sound in the past and push those elements farther,” Aaron Marsh says. “So, rock becomes more rock than we’ve been in the past. If we’ve taken elements of symphonic tones, let’s now be very symphonic. When we’re being electronic, be very electronic. We wanted to emphasize each element of sound harder, like an exaggerated version of Copeland’s sound. We could be each thing individually by pushing each facet of our art in a more focused way.” “On Your Worst Day” best exemplifies the band’s sonic goals for Blushing, opening as a perfectly orchestrated song led by Aaron’s voice and strings before transforming into a melancholy electronic number. “Night Figures” is an intimate love song, a theme that threads through the album. [Vinyl edition due March 22.]
Robert Ellis – Texas Piano Man CD/LP (New West)
“Hello. I’m Robert Ellis, the Texas Piano Man. I wanted to take a moment to say a few words about this record and what you might expect from it. Texas Piano Man is a collection of songs specifically written for my piano driven rock & roll band from the great state of Texas. Myself and the guys bring these songs to you in the very spirit of Texas itself; loudly, confidently, over the top, larger than life, at times deadly serious and yet always with a wink and a smile. We invite you to come on in, stay a while, and when you leave take with you the spirit of these songs, the spirit of Texas, and the spirit of the Texas Piano Man himself. Adios!”
Avril Lavigne – Head Above Water CD/LP+MP3 (BMG)
Avril Lavigne’s first album in five years, Head Above Water, was written while she was coming out of the darkness surrounding her 2014 Lyme Disease diagnosis. During her battle, she sat behind a piano and sang past the pain, architecting the early framework for the new 12-track journey. 2017 represented a turning point as she slowly but surely recovered strength and started recording again, starting with lead single “Head Above Water”. She details each trial and tribulation from a perspective of triumph and emerges stronger than ever before. You’re hearing the songstress as she was always meant to sound. “This is me and my fight,” she affirms. “This album tells my story.” In this headspace, she hit the studio with a bevy of collaborators, including Stephan Moccio, Chris Baseford, Johan Carlsson, Lauren Christy of The Matrix, Ryan Cabrera, Travis Clark, Bonnie McKee, JR Rotem, Mitch Allan and more. “I really took my time to dig deep. Lyrically I pushed myself to be the best I possibly could and pulled from my experiences. Because I had so much quiet downtime, I was able to stay in the zone and get in touch with myself. I sat at the piano and wrote my life.” [Indie-store exclusive vinyl edition also available.]
The Long Ryders – Psychedelic Country Soul CD/LP (Omnivore)
With a sound reminiscent of the Buffalo Springfield and The Flying Burrito Brothers but with a harder edge, The Long Ryders anticipated the alternative country music of the 1990s by a decade. Featuring 11 new Long Ryders compositions and a tribute cover of the late great Tom Petty’s song “Walls”, Psychedelic Country Soul, their first new album in over 30 years, kicks off with the anthemic “Greenville”, a track which proves the band haven’t lost any of that magic guitar interplay. “Molly Somebody” is an eclectic pop tune that doesn’t neglect any of their country and rock sensibilities, while the likes of “What The Eagle Sees” reflects the energy of early punk and power pop that so informed them in the early days. You can still hear their personal connection with the music of the ‘60s, but as ever The Long Ryders aren’t a band who live in the past.
Millencolin – SOS CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Seminal Swedish skate-punk band Millencolin return with their first album in four years and ninth overall. It’s clear the band members are just as unified as they were when they formed Millencolin, roughly 26 years, eight albums and 2,000 live shows ago. “Many Millencolin fans are notorious for having the mentality of ‘I like their old stuff better’, but Millencolin is not the same band they were 25 years ago when they started in their late teens. These are grown men who have important things to say and who have developed their skills, becoming better musicians and lyricists in the process, and SOS reflects this. It is their most social and political album to date, whilst still maintaining the timeless Millencolin tempo, beat and tone.” – Wall Of Sound
J.S. Ondara – Tales Of America CD/LP (Verve)
J.S. Ondara offers a unique take on the American dream on Tales Of America, his debut album. Ondara grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, listening to American alt-rock and making up his own songs for as long as he can remember. After discovering the music of Bob Dylan, he moved to Minneapolis, MN in 2013 to pursue a career in music. There he began making his way in the local music scene, continually writing songs about what he saw, felt and experienced in a place far different from home. From a stockpile he says is hundreds of songs deep, Ondara chose 11 for Tales Of America. They’re captivating tunes built around acoustic guitars and adorned with subtle full-band accompaniment for an openhearted folk-rock feel. He sings in a strong, tuneful voice well-suited to the gorgeous melancholy he expresses on the wistfully lovelorn “Torch Song”, or his steadfast infatuation on “Television Girl”. Ondara sings rueful lyrics in an anguished tone on “Saying Goodbye”, and leaves plenty of room for interpretation on “American Dream”, the first single.
Perfect Son – Cast CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Sometime in 2016, just as the Polish singer/producer Tobiasz Biliński began to find success through the dim and fractured electropop of Coldair, he knew it was time for a radical change. The songs on The Provider, Coldair’s much-lauded second album, had been an exorcism of sorts. Laced with songs about early death, chronic disappointment, and clouded minds, the record was, as he puts it now, his earnest attempt to “get all this old sh*t out.” That mission accomplished, he needed something new, a restart – the unabashedly radiant and unapologetically complex pop of Perfect Son, delivered in 10 perfect shots on Cast. In the past, Biliński’s music has flirted with and explored the darkness, first in a sort of Transatlantic freak-folk and then with the gothic refractions of Coldair. But on Cast, Perfect Son steps boldly into the light without sloughing off emotional weight or depth. With powerful, sweeping production that recalls the best pop beats of Matthew Dear and arcing melodies that conjure the majesty of Shearwater, Perfect Son animates sensations of lust, belonging, and newfound trust with tumescent electronic arrangements that threaten the safety of any sound system.
Boo Ray – Tennessee Alabama Fireworks CD (Soundly Music)
Alt-country/outlaw guitar-slinger Boo Ray delves deeply into the dire state of communication in the modern world with his new record, Tennessee Alabama Fireworks. The album plays like a southern gothic noir, and in his own words, explores the “nitty-gritty, guts and ugly parts of the human experience today.” He is every bit a hard-boiled poet as many of the pioneers that came before him, from the likes of Tony Joe White, Willie Nelson, and Jerry Reed. Boo Ray fervently draws upon the situations and hurdles that make the world such a difficult environment to navigate these days. Continuing the dialogue from 2016’s Sea Of Lights, Boo Ray dives head first into even more vulnerable territory as he wrangles themes of heartache, reopened wounds, loneliness and swallowing his pride. With “A Tune You Can Whistle”, a raucous honky-tonk boogie that is as sincere and hopeful as it is macabre and melancholic, he laments about “one nation under the influence” of computer screens that have cast our humanity into a shroud of anxiety and detachment. Always self-effacing Boo Ray confesses in the middle-8 “If the pain of the pain wasn’t worse than the pain of the change, not a single damned thing’d be different, I’d still be the same.”
Rotting Christ – The Heretics CD/LP/Cassette (Season Of Mist)
“For a band that formed in 1987, had a profound influence on Nordic black metal and continues to innovate—to varying degrees of success—it’s a small wonder that Greek legends Rotting Christ are putting out some of their best material since Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers (or Thy Mighty Contract if you’re too true for school). The Tolis bros—Sakis and Themis—continue to be the heart of Rotting Christ. While the spirited duo has had their ups (Sanctus Diavolos) and downs (Aealo) over the years, on lucky-number-13 The Heretics, Rotting Christ has delivered a true ace—the culmination of the Greeks’ successes, in fact. The record is dark, heavy, mystical, memorable and f**king awesome all the way through.” — Decibel [Limited deluxe CD box edition adds the bonus track “The Sons Of Hell” in a digipak with 24-page booklet, a wristband with an embroidered Rotting Christ logo, a woven patch, and a poster.]
Tedeschi Trucks Band – Signs CD/LP+7” (Fantasy)
Signs is the fourth studio release from Tedeschi Trucks Band and offers another outstanding example of the Grammy-winning 12-piece juggernaut’s ability to expand musical boundaries in ways that only a rare caliber of musician can achieve. A new high-water mark in their recording career, Signs showcases the band at their best – combining inventive musicality and provocative lyrics across eleven original tracks, penned by the group and a few dear friends, running the gamut from uplifting soulful anthems, to bittersweet ballads and driving rock and roll. NPR Music calls lead single “Hard Case” an “upbeat, shuffling instant classic.” [Deluxe indie-store exclusive CD edition also available.]
Various Artists – Sharp Objects (Music From The HBO Series) CD (eOne)
The soundtrack and musical companion to the groundbreaking summer mini-series crime drama Sharp Objects, starring Amy Adams as Camille Preaker, a troubled reporter returning home to an equally troubled assignment. Like the smash limited series and companion soundtrack for HBO’s Big Little Lies the Sharp Objects series benefited greatly from the vision of director Jean-Marc Vallée and the Emmy Award-winning music supervision of Susan Jacobs, all drawn from the original Gillian Flynn novel of the same name. The soundtrack includes songs from Hurray For The Riff Raff, Snoop Dogg, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant, Willie Dixon, Sylvan Esso, and more.
CDs + Vinyl:
Anemone – Beat My Distance CD/LP/Cassette (Luminelle Recordings)
Anemone is the brainchild of Soldevila, a Montreal native. Raised in the classical music tradition and formally educated in jazz music, Soldevila came to rock music late, at the tail end of high school, when she discovered krautrock mainstays like Neu! And Can. Traveling as a photographer and filmmaker throughout her early twenties, Soldevila rebelled against her strict musical upbringing, immersing herself into the psychedelic tradition in California, and punk and new wave music in France. The resulting album Beat My Distance is a dreamy psychedelic ride, hopping through genres and moods with exuberance. In the midst of all the swirly shoegaze guitars and krautrock beats, Anemone’s songs are anchored by Soldevila’s voice, always catchy and direct, powerful enough to cut through the mix and carry the song.
Avantasia – Moonglow CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Eighth full-length album by Tobias Sammet’s rock opera project. [Limited picture-disc vinyl pressing also available.]
Bardo Pond – Bardo Pond [Reissue/2010] CD/LP (Fire)
Eight albums and 15 years in, the simply titled Bardo Pond spun the band further into itself. The groove was like a recurring dream, a highly potent squall that had been honed, tempered, polished and caressed. Like that mysterious vision you half remember when you’re awoken unceremoniously. By 2010, Bardo Pond were claustrophobic, creating a stuttering raga interlocked with a compulsive modal sound; something that’s fully exemplified by Cracker Wrist which sounds like something that’s intentionally always just about to happen/and/or spin back in time. [Limited silver colored vinyl LP pressing also available.]
The Beasts – Still Here CD/LP (Bang)
After an extremely emotional final performance with the Beasts of Bourbon, Tex Perkins hit upon the idea of getting all of the band’s members, past and present, into a recording studio with no particular agenda. It was more of a celebratory thing he had in mind than anything else. Sadly, bassist Brian Hooper didn’t make it along as he passed away a week after The Beasts last show. Assembled in Soundpark Studio a couple of weeks later were Charlie Owen, Boris Sujdovic, Tony Pola, Spencer Jones, Kim Salmon, and Tex.
Bellamy Brothers – Over The Moon CD (Bellamy Brothers)
Between filming season two of their hit reality series Honky Tonk Ranch and gearing up for Blake Shelton’s arena tour, the brothers found time to record fourteen new tracks.
Bloodshot Bill – Come And Get Your Love Right Now CD/LP (Goner)
The one-man hurricane known as Bloodshot Bill started in his hometown of Montreal around 1998, with just a guitar and a stomp board. Since then, he’s had over 35 releases throughout Europe and North America. Come Get Your Love Right Now is his seventh album. Dig his unhinged howl, loose-stringed strum, and unique beat.
David Bowie – Let’s Dance [Reissue/1983] CD/LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
David Bowie – Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) 2xCD (Rhino/Parlophone)
David Bowie – Tonight [Reissue/1984] CD/LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
David Bowie – Never Let Me Down [Reissue/1987] CD/LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers, David Bowie’s 15th album Let’s Dance contains three of his most successful singles; the title track as well as “Modern Love” and “China Girl”. Serious Moonlight is a previously unreleased live album recorded in Montreal in 1983. Originally mixed at the time by Bob Clearmountain, the double album captures Bowie on what at that time was his most successful tour. Bowie described his 1984 follow-up album Tonight an effort to retain the new audience that he had recently acquired. His 1987 album, Never Let Me Down, has been remastered and reimagined.
Chicago Odense Ensemble – Chicago Odense Ensemble [Reissue/2011] CD/LP (El Paraiso)
Chicago Odense Ensemble is a unique collaboration that came together in the winter of 2008 while Danish musicians Jonas Munk and Jakob Skøtt stayed in Chicago. Via mutual friends, and a support gig for Isotope 217 in Millenium Park, a studio session was arranged for the two to improvise and lay down ideas with some of Chicago’s finest improvisers, including members of Tortoise and Chicago Underground Collective. Even though Chicago Odense Ensemble is undeniably modern sounding in some ways, it also reaches back to an era in music where the fusion of jazz and rock were still regarded with optimism, and where musical spontaneity and freedom seemed a vehicle for cosmic beauty rather than esoteric formalism.
Crystal Lake – Helix CD (Sharptone)
Formed in Japan in 2002 and initially influenced by mid- ‘90s hardcore bands, Crystal Lake’s style has evolved into a more chaotic, metal sound.
Czarface meets Ghostface – Czarface meets Ghostface CD/LP (Silver Age)
Czarface, a hip-hop and comics force comprised of Wu-Tang Clan General Inspectah Deck, Esoteric and super producer 7L, teams up with Ghostface aka IronMan aka Tony Starks for murderous mayhem. [Instrumentals version also available on cassette.]
Dear Seattle – Don’t Let Go CD/LP (Domestic La La)
Sydney’s melodic, sing along, punk rock band Dear Seattle release their debut album.
Efdemin – New Atlantis CD/2xLP (Ostgut Ton)
Over eight tracks, New Atlantis oscillates between fast, kaleidoscopic techno, multi-layered drones, and acoustic instrumentation, fusing for the first time Phillip Sollmann’s deep dancefloor productions under his Efdemin guise with his sound art and experimental music projects.
Rosie Flores – Simple Case Of The Blues CD (Last Music Company)
Flores lends her soulful voice and fiery guitar to songs by Roy Brown, Wilson Pickett, Heath Wilson, and a spate of new originals. [Vinyl edition due April 12.]
Florida Georgia Line – Can’t Say I Ain’t Country CD/LP (BMX)
New release from the country music duo.
Foreigner – Greatest Hits Of Foreigner In Concert CD (Trigger Productions)
Includes live versions of the AOR band’s finest songs including “Feels Like The First Time”, “Hot Blooded”, “Cold As Ice”, “Urgent” and “Waiting For A Girl Like You” plus a version of “I Want To Know What Love Is” featuring the Shriners Hospital Kids Choir.
Fortunato – MDCXVII CD/LP (Urbnet)
MDCXVII is the Roman numeral equivalent of 1617, the address where Fortunato was born in Toronto’s west end. MDCXVII is a deeply personal album that focuses on Fortunato’s depth of experience in the hip-hop game, and specifically how it has affected his life.
Jon Fratelli – Bright Night Flowers CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
New solo album from the multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and frontman from The Fratellis.
Golden Daze – Simpatico CD/LP (Autumn Tone)
“We’ve been fans of the psych-folk-pop of Golden Daze for a few years now, so I’m stoked to hear/see that they’ve announced a new LP and shared the beautiful ‘Blue Bell’ with us. This go round it seems that the duo of Ben Schwab and Jacob Loeb have toned down the psych a bit and explored the quiet folk route. There’s this utter wistfulness/nostalgic quality to this song and the video; the two gentlemen of the group sit a-la Simon & Garfunkel with their guitars, their voices just barely whispers. The song builds layer on layer to its end and I’m completely smitten with hearing the track grow.” – Austin Town Hall
India.Arie – Worthy CD (BMG Rights Management)
Eighth album from the veteran Grammy winning R&B singer.
Insane Clown Posse – Fearless Fred Fury CD (Psychopathic)
Fifteenth studio album by the hip-hop duo.
Kaleikr – Heart Of Lead CD (Debemur Morti Productions)
“Lose your mind to Iceland’s latest extreme metal masters, Kaleikr.” – Metal Hammer
Kel Assouf – Black Tenere CD/LP (Glitterbeat)
Kel Assouf’s musical journey has flowed seamlessly from the well-spring created by Ishumar desert rock pioneers Tinariwen – that Haroun first encountered as a young musician in Niger – towards sonic horizons that include the rock classicism and the club beats and astral ambiance of European electronic music. On Black Tenere, the band pushes these different textures and influences towards a persuasive, raw-edged crescendo.
Chaka Khan – Hello Happiness CD (Island)
Hello Happiness, Chaka Khan’s twelfth studio album, is her first new material since 2007’s Funk This. Khan stated that she did not stop making music following the release of Funk This, but simply stopped releasing material, and also needed time to recover following the death of Prince in 2016, which she has since said made her rethink herself and admit herself into rehab for her addiction to prescription drugs. [ Vinyl edition due March 1.]
Ladytron – Ladytron CD/LP (Ladytron Music)
Electronic pop quartet Ladytron return with the release of their first new album in seven years. Ladytron is full of catchy hooks, rousing riffs, sweeping melodies, and thick textured harmonies. Thirteen songs that explore the disquiet of our times.
Lazerbeak – Luther CD/LP (Doomtree)
Aaron Mader, known professionally as Lazerbeak, is a Minneapolis-based artist and producer. Luther is Beak’s first solo album in six years, and also marks the first solo music he’s created since becoming a father of three. The record consists of seven slow-building instrumentals, largely influenced and inspired by a slow dive into mindfulness, meditation, and self-care over the past several years.
Megadeth – The World Needs A Hero [Reissue/2001] CD/LP (Sanctuary)
Megadeth – The System Has Failed [Reissue/2004] CD/LP (Sanctuary)
Newly remastered editions of thrash metal band’s ninth and tenth albums.
Methyl Ethel – Triage CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)
Methyl Ethel has always been an expression of the subconscious. Born in the heat of the Australian summer, the early recordings were built from the ground up in various bedrooms and friends’ studios; the same spaces Jake Webb returned to for Triage, the third album in a triptych he started with Oh Inhuman Spectacle (2015) and continued with Everything Is Forgotten (2017), which was named Best Independent Album by AIR, the Australian Independent Record Labels Association. Triage is like experiencing youth as a fever dream. Drawing from experiences that have been erased with time.
Mono Mind – Mind Control CD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
A set of 16 (additional two on vinyl) vintage pop, electronica and ambient music songs.
Noctorum – The Afterlife CD/LP (Schoolkids)
Noctorum is guitarist/singer-songwriter Marty Willson-Piper (The Church) and producer Dare Mason. This collaboration has an eclectic focus, making the quiet loud and vice-versa, singing words that might be spoken and playing indoor instruments that should be heard outside. It has to be imagined to exist. Afterlife is their fourth album.
One OK Rock – Eye Of The Storm CD (Fueled By Ramen)
Ninth studio album by the Japanese rock band.
Oscar G – For The Culture CD (Nervous)
As house music continues to grow in popularity around the world, Oscar G’s reputation as one of the most respected purveyors of the genre continues to rise as well. For The Culture features 12 original recordings that musically expand the boundaries of what fans typically expect while at the same time retain the tribal house based, thick and layered percussive house elements that he’s known for from America’s club mecca’s of Miami and New York to Europe, Asia and beyond.
Lee Harvey Osmond – Mohawk CD/LP (Latent)
When Tom Wilson created the moniker Lee Harvey Osmond he wasn’t entirely certain if this was a new stage name or merely a provocative handle for the musician/artist collective assembled by producer Michael Timmins to record a collection of Tom Wilson songs that would become A Quiet Evil. This was the first of four albums bearing the featured artist Lee Harvey Osmond. The Folk Sinner was next, followed by the break through Beautiful Scars. It was during this time between releasing Beautiful Scars and recording Kings And Kings with Blackie and The Rodeo Kings that Wilson went public with his recent discovery. He was not exactly the person he thought he was.
Piroshka – Brickbat CD/LP (Bella Union)
Piroshka is a new chapter from former Lush vocalist/guitarist Miki Berenyi, former Moose guitarist KJ ”Moose” McKillop, Modern English bassist Mick Conroy and former Elastica drummer Justin Welch. The quartet’s thrilling debut album, Brickbat, is named after the word for a missile, which nails the record’s heavyweight lyrics if not the music’s gorgeous, bittersweet and euphoric pop. Think of Brickbat as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The name Piroshka is taken from the Hungarian take on Little Red Riding Hood. Though Brickbat kicks off with a squeal of feedback, the album is far from a proper punk record, with as much sublime delicacy as physical force. They bring guitars to the fore but also electronic flourishes in all manner of spaces.
Picture This – Mdrn Lv CD/LP (Republic)
Sophomore album from the Irish alt-rock band.
Elvis Presley – The Best of The ’68 Comeback Special CD (Sony Legacy)
A companion album to Elvis All-Star Tribute, NBC’s star-studded special celebrating The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s 1968 television special.
Sean Price & Small Professor – 86 Witness CD (Duck Down Music)
86 Witness features Rock of Heltah Skeltah, scratches by DJ Revolution, Guilty Simpson, Your Old Droog, Reef the Lost Cauze & more. The CD also features a bonus Sean Price EP; a re-issue of his project, Land Of The Crooks, entirely produced by M-Phazes. [Vinyl edition due March 1.]
Pyramaze – Legend Of The Bone Carver [Reissue/2006] CD/LP (Inner Wound)
Expanded reissue of the Danish power metal band’s second album.
Rantanplan – Stay Rudel – Stay Rebel CD/LP (AFM)
The Hamburg-based ska punk band returns with their tenth album.
Ry X – Unfurl CD/LP (Infectious Music)
Between its rippling beats, mellifluous guitars, poised piano and questing vocals, Unfurl does what it’s title suggests: develops as if organically from Ry X’s previous work, blossoming in delicate new directions while holding firm to its roots.
Günter Schickert – Nachtfalter CD/LP (Bureau B)
Recorded during the scorching hot summer of 2018, Nachtfalter shows the pioneer of the echo guitar sounding his very best.
Matthew Shipp Trio – Signature CD (ESP-Disk’ Ltd.)
Matthew Shipp has established himself as the premier jazz pianist of his generation over the course of a three-decade career including many acclaimed albums under his own name plus his prominent tenure in the David S. Ware Quartet and a vast array of collaborations with the likes of Spring Heel Jack, Ivo Perelman, Sabir Mateen, Darius Jones, Joe Morris, Jemeel Moondoc, Mat Walerian, and many more. Signature features Shipp in his primary setting, his piano trio with bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Newman Taylor Baker.
Shook Twins – Some Good Lives CD/LP (Dutch Records)
Throughout fourteen tracks, the duo Shook Twins – identical twin sisters Katelyn Shook (vocals, guitar) and Laurie Shook (banjo, vocals) – pay homage to everyone from a late grandpa and godfather to Bernie Sanders.
Sir Babygirl – Crush On Me CD/Cassette (Father/Daughter)
The pseudonymme of DIY pop diva/producer Kelsie Hogue, Sir Babygirl mixes and matches inspirations as sundry as Charli XCX, Hole, Hey Arnold!, and Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! into unabashedly bubblegum, unashamedly queer pop for a future free of genre boundary and the gender binary.
Stats – Other People’s Lives CD/LP (Memphis Industries)
London dance band Stats release their debut album. Ricocheting between 1970s art rock, ‘80s synth grooves and cosmic disco-pop, the band has already gained plaudits from Lauren Laverne at BBC Radio 6 Music, Elton John at Beats 1 and high praise from The Guardian, The Sunday Times, i-D, DIY Mag, and Q to name but a few.
Sticky Fingers – Yours To Keep CD/LP (Sureshaker)
Australia’s Sticky Fingers is the love child of a fling between Manchester rock and Kingston dub.
SWMRS – Berkeley’s On Fire CD/LP (Fueled By Ramen)
Determined to create something new within the rock genre, Swmrs collaborated with envelope-pushing producer Rich Costey (Muse, Death Cab for Cutie) for two months in the Spring of 2018 for an exercise in grand experimentation. Inspired in equal parts by The Breeders, Rage Against The Machine, and de la Soul, the sonic diversity of Berkeley’s On Fire is indicative of a generation reared on streaming services.
Yann Tiersen – All CD/LP (Mute)
All is the first album to be recorded at Tiersen’s new studio, venue and community center, The Eskal Project, built in an abandoned discotheque on the island of Ushant, a small island positioned in the Celtic sea between Brittany and Cornwall, Tiersen’s home for the past 10 years. The album, mixed by Gareth Jones, continues the themes of environment and a connection to nature first explored on EUSA, incorporating recordings from outside of Brittany, such as the redwood forests of California as well as field recordings from Tempelhof airport in Berlin (on “Tempelhof”), and guest vocalists.
Vanum – Ageless Fire CD/LP (Profound Lore)
Vanum was formed in 2014 as the collaborative project of K. Morgan (Ash Borer) and M. Rekevics (Yellow Eyes, Vorde, Vilkacis). Drawing from the old traditions of the genre, they play elemental and majestic black metal with an unyielding force and passion, showcasing a sharply focused and dynamic sense of composition marked as much by somber patience as arrogant strength.
Various Artists [Maurice Charles] – AOR Global Sound Volume 4 CD/2xLP (Favorite Recordings)
14 rare AOR tracks produced between 1977 and 1986 in various parts of the world.
Various Artists –Kankyō Ongako: Japanese Ambient Environmental & New Age Music 1980-1990 2xCD/3xLP (Light In The Attic)
An unprecedented overview of Japan’s vital minimal, ambient, avant-garde, and new age music. The collection features internationally acclaimed artists such as Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Joe Hisaishi, as well as other pioneers like Hiroshi Yoshimura, Yoshio Ojima and Satoshi Ashikawa, who deserve a place alongside the indisputable giants of these genres.
Doc Watson – Call Me Lucky CD/LP (Red House)
Call Me Lucky features some of Memphis’ finest as well as Dale’s longtime band, His Lone Stars, and includes a horn section on some of the tracks. With nods to the Man In Black and Hank Williams, Watson pays homage to the greats.
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – Suffer On CD/LP/Cassette (Run For Cover, LLC)
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal is the creative persona of Scranton, PA singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Adam McIlwee. Since 2010, he has simultaneously established himself as a singular voice, adeptly combining his natural songwriting instincts with the digital culture enveloping his world. Suffer On is the first Wicca Phase record fully written by McIlwee, utilizing guitars and keyboards to create each song’s core and building upwards from there.
Trisha Yearwood – Let’s Be Frank CD/LP (Gwendolyn)
New release from the country vocalist and TV cooking show host. Let’s Be Frank is her tribute to Frank Sinatra, recorded in four days at Capitol records using Sinatra’s vintage microphone and a 55-piece orchestra.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Bohemian Rhapsody DVD/Blu-ray (20th Century Fox)
Bohemian Rhapsody is an enthralling celebration of Queen, their music, and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and convention to become one of history’s most beloved entertainers. Following Queen’s meteoric rise, their revolutionary sound and Freddie’s solo career, the film also chronicles the band’s reunion, and one of the greatest performances in rock history.
Little Steven and The Disciples Of Soul – Soulfire Live! Blu-ray (UMe)
Soulfire Live includes Little Steven and the Disciples Of Soul’s complete Cavern Club concert alongside video performances of each song on the 3-CD set, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage. In addition, the Blu-ray edition includes a documentary about the Cavern Club.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Reverse Of Rebirth In Universe LP (Riot Season)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Sacred And Inviolable Phase Shift LP (Bam Bam)
Reverse Of Rebirth In Universe sees the band return to their old label Riot Season for the first time since 2012’s IAO Chant From The Melting Paraiso Underground Freak Out. Long-time fans will recognize some of the song titles, but the songs themselves have been reworked and transformed far away from their original versions. Sacred And Inviolable Phase Shift is in another league from the others. There’s a distinct Canterbury/Gong/Can feel about it, with everything that you’d hope from AMT.
Alcest – Shelter [Reissue/2014] LP (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissue of the fourth album by the contemporary shoegazers. Features a guest appearance from Slowdive’s Neil Halstead.
Alchemist – French Blend Parts 1 & 2 LP (Alc)
Limited clear vinyl LP pressing. Veteran rap producer The Alchemist spent a few weeks cranking out instrumental projects full of sampled Francophone funk. The two collections are full of the sort of textured, psychedelic, prismatic beats that have been Alc’s specialty lately.
Antimatter – Leaving Eden [Reissue/2007] LP (Prophecy)
Antimatter – Fear Of A Unique Identity [Reissue/2012] LP (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissues of the fourth and fifth albums from the UK electronic/metal band.
Arcturus – Arcturian 2xLP+CD (Prophecy)
Deluxe vinyl reissue of the Norwegian avant-garde metal band’s fifth album.
Blockhead – Free Sweatpants LP (Backwoodz Studioz)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A mixtape-esque album that pairs Blockhead’s narrative-driven solo aesthetic with a team of rappers that thrive in Blockhead’s layered, melodic sound. Aesop Rock, Tree, Breezly Brewin, Open Mike Eagle, Homeboy Sandman, Armand Hammer, Vic Spencer, Hemlock Ernst, MarQ Spekt, and Billy Woods round out the guest list.
Susan Christie – Paint A Lady [Reissue/2006] LP (Finder’s Keepers)
A mythical and misplaced masterpiece of lost soft rock and acidic folk funk by a one-hit wonderer lost in the wilderness for four decades. From the producer of Margo Guryan, writer behind Wool, Gerry Mulligan collaborator, Tarantino sound tracker, and Wendy & Bonnie confidant, Paint A Lady now emerges from folkloric obscurity. Within certain record collecting circles, especially those who gather under the umbrella that covers fragile niches like acid folk and soft rock, it’s difficult to imagine a time when the legendary Susan Christie album didn’t exist.
Eric Church – Chief Red [Reissue/2011] LP (Capitol Nashville)
Limited 180gm red vinyl LP pressing.
Crone – Gehenna [Reissue/2014] LP (Prophecy)
Crone is the musical collaboration between sG (Secrets Of The Moon) and drummer/guitarist Markus Renzenbrink (Embedded) by which the two explore their wide tastes in rock music and have found a means of intense, sometimes even enthralling expression characterized by haunting melodies.
Deathlist – A Canyon LP (Xray)
Deathlist songwriter Jenny Logan has crafted an incredibly dark post-punk sound with lyrics processing trauma and complex family relationships in crushing detail – so much so that her bandcamp page describes the genre as grief punk. Deathlist’s newest full-length album, A Canyon, isn’t as easy to categorize. While it isn’t a drastic departure sonically (there’s still plenty of angular guitars and an ever-present gothic punk bass drive), it finds Logan exploring new concepts of rebirth, change, and how the past shapes identity.
Empyrium – A Wintersunset… [Reissue/1996] LP (Prophecy)
Empyrium – Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays [Reissue/1999] LP (Prophecy)
Empyrium – Weiland [Reissue/2002] LP (Prophecy)
Empyrium – The Turn Of The Tides [Reissue/2014] LP (Prophecy)
Empyrium’s first two albums were a mixture of folk, doom and black metal, followed by two acoustic neofolk albums.
Farsot – Insects [Reissue/2011] LP (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissue of the sophomore album from the German black metal band.
Flitz & Suppe – Ijin LP+MP3 (Beat Jazz Int’l)
Cologne’s Flitz & Suppe delivers 13 mellow tracks on Ijin with features by Kupla and Leavv.
Good Shade – Way Out LP (Dirtnap)
Fourth studio full-length by the Columbus, Ohio punk/pop project. Way Out primarily focuses on deteriorating mental health and increased social anxiety. True to the nature of the project, the album features a rock and roll combination of fast paced melodic pop punk and dark, cynical weirdness.
Françoise Hardy – Live In The Sixties LP (Air Cuts)
A collections of live performances originally broadcast on French Radio Europe 1’s Musicorama Special, between 1963 and 1965.
Juliana Hatfield – Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John LP (American Laundromat)
Limited edition pink/purple splash colored vinyl repress with alternate cover. Juliana takes on 14 Olivia Newton-John classics and deep cuts to honor one of her childhood heroes.
Helrunar/Árstíðir Lífsins – Fragments – A Mythological Excavation [Reissue/2013] LP (Prophecy)
Apart from being a collaborative effort by Helrunar und Árstíðir Lífsins, who each recorded one song of epic length exclusively for this split release, Fragments – A Mythological Excavation also testifies to the friendship between the labels of both bands, Prophecy Productions and Ván Records.
Holiday Flyer – Try Not To Worry [Reissue/1995] LP+MP3 (Darla)
Holiday Flyer – The Rainbow Confection [Reissue/1997] LP+MP3 (Darla)
Holiday Flyer was a Roseville, California-based indie pop band formed in June 1993 by siblings John and Katie Conley. They disbanded in October 2002, devoting more time to their other projects: The California Oranges and the Sinking Ships, respectively [Accompanying downloads feature bonus tracks.]
Holiday Gunfire – Holiday Gunfire LP+MP3 (Cornelius Chapel)
With razor sharp hooks and shoe gaze solos, Holiday Gunfire is polished and politely unapologetic, fortuitous and melodic. Limited green swirl colored vinyl LP pressing.
Homeshake – Helium LP (Sinderlyn)
Over his first three albums, Homeshake’s Peter Sagar followed his own idiosyncratic vision, a journey that’s taken him from sturdy guitar-based indie-pop to a bleary-eyed take on lo-fi R&B. Now, with Helium, Sagar is putting down roots in aesthetic territory all his own.
Hot Water Music – A Flight And A Crash [Reissue/2001] LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Hot Water Music – Caution [Reissue/2002] LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressings. A Flight And A Crash is a sonic exploration of the pain and triumph of life with an energy and emotion seldom heard. With some of the most intricate yet hard-driving rhythms the band has ever produced, this album pulls at your gut, head and heart all at the same time. It’s easy to see why Magnet magazine called them “the best punk band on the planet” at the time. With a unique blend of heartfelt punk, guttural rock, and explorative neo-hardcore, Hot Water Music shirks categorization on follow-up Caution.
Insanity Alert – 666-Pack LP (Season Of Mist)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A ripping and relentless 21-track maelstrom, 666-Pack delivers everything great about thrash in spades. Ultra-catchy riffs, vicious vocals, awesome gang vocals and more are packed into short, sharp stabs of crossover metal excellence. 666-Pack brings the classic spirit of speed metal’s salad days back with savage metal precision.
Jewel – Pieces Of You [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Expanded vinyl edition of the singer/songwriter’s 1995 breakthrough album. Features five songs not included on the original CD release.
Josef K – Sorry For Laughing [Reissue/1981] LP+CD (Les Disques Du Crépuscule)
Josef K – The Only Fun In Town [Reissue/1981] 2xLP (Les Disques Du Crépuscule)
Deluxe vinyl reissues of the legendary first two (and only) albums by the cult Scottish guitar group.
Kay Bee & Kzyboost – We Came 2 Bring You Da Funk LP (The Sleepers RecordZ)
From a formidable connection between Pasadena and Osaka Kay Bee & Kzyboost bring us the funk in a new wonderful way. Talkbox, voices, synths, leads, guitars and strong groovy bass lines under the big influence of modern funk and P-Funk.
Lantlôs – .neon [Reissue/2010] LP (Prophecy)
Lantlôs – Agape [Reissue/2011] LP (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissues of the German experimental black metal duo’s second and third albums.
Les Discrets – Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées [Reissue/2010] LP (Prophecy)
Les Discrets – Ariettes Oubliées… [Reissue/2012] LP (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissues of the French atmospheric metal band’s first two albums.
LowCityRain – LowCityRain [Reissue/2013] LP (Prophecy)
Markus Siegenhort’s (Lantlôs) main inspiration for LowCityRain came from post-punk and new wave bands such as The Cure and Killing Joke along with more contemporary dreampop and chillwave bands such as M83 and Washed Out.
Lucille Firs – Another Land LP (Requiem Pour Twister)
Those familiar with the sound and style of the DIY scene in Chicago’s Logan Square may be surprised to find out that it was the birthplace of psych pop quintet Lucille Furs. You might hear the Zombies for their kind of haunting and contemplative quality, the Kinks kind-of casual criticism, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band for their distant romantic quality, Temples, Love, Diane Coffee, Charles Bradley or Chicago’s own Post Animal, Jude Shuma and Whitney. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mofak – Drunk Of Funk LP (The Sleepers RecordZ)
Mofak’s touch has directly influenced a big part of the European modern funk movement.
Negură Bunget – Gînd A-Prins [Reissue/2013] 7” (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissue of the Romanian avant-garde black metal band’s 2013 7” single.
Newcleus – Jam On It Remixes 12” (Neon Finger)
Remixes of the Newcleus classic “Jam On It” by two modern funk totems, Brian Ellis and Beath, and two electro totems, Alek Stark and DJ Overdose.
Nhor – Within The Darkness Between The Starlight [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Prophecy)
Since 2009, the British music project Nhor has created its own unparalleled dreamlike world which is defined by the three dimensions of music, literature, and visual art.
Pinegrove – Skylit 2xLP (Pinegrove)
“Completed in 2017 and shelved for almost a year, Pinegrove’s third record is smaller, softer, and closer to the chest. Recorded and produced by Hall and guitarist Sam Skinner at a house in upstate New York, Skylight focuses on atmosphere and abstraction. While Cardinal was defined by anthemic eruptions of longing, these 11 songs move patiently and often disregard verse-chorus song structures in favor of loose vignettes.” – Pitchfork [Includes an acoustic version of the album. CD edition due March 8.]
Q-Unique – The Mechanic LP (Capital Q Music)
Limited orange-colored vinyl LP pressing. Arsonists alumni Q-Unique can always be counted on to bring through the amped-up mic skills. The Mechanic is the Brooklyn MC’s fourth solo project.
Allan Rayman – Harry Hard-On LP (Republic)
Harry Hard-On mixes elements of ’80s rock and that familiar ’90s grunge sound Rayman utilized throughout his earlier projects; Courtney EP and Roadhouse 01long-player, with R&B and hip-hop influence present throughout the album.
Rosetta Stone – Adrenaline [Reissue/1993] LP (Cleopatra)
Special limited edition vinyl pressing of a classic darkwave album.
Patti Smith – Radio Ethiopia [Reissue/1976] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissue of the second studio album by the Patti Smith Group. Radio Ethiopia was the follow-up record to Smith’s widely acclaimed debut Horses. In interviews surrounding the album’s release, Smith explained that she chose producer Jack Douglas in hopes of making the album a commercial success.
Social Unrest – SU-2000 [Reissue/1985] LP (New Red Archives)
Limited edition blue vinyl pressing of the debut album by the politically-charged punk rockers.
Cecil Taylor – Silent Tongues: Live At Montreux ’74 [Reissue/1974] LP (ORG Music)
Cecil Taylor’s solo piano set at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974 drew critical acclaim, earning five-star reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide and All Music’s Scott Yanow. The set features Taylor’s five-movement work Silent Tongues, along with two encores.
Te-Amir & Professor H – Circle LP (Common Good)
Circle is a live hip-hop album that’s inspired sonically by the sounds of ‘70s jazz and soul and pays homage to the aesthetic and sample-based grit and color of the beat scene.
Trippie Redd – A Love Letter To You 3 LP (Ten Thousand Project)
Fresh off the release of his video for Topanga and his debut studio album, Life’s A Trip, multi-platinum rapper and singer Trippie Redd releases A Love Letter To You 3. The 16-track album includes features from Juice Wrld, Emani 22, NBA YoungBoy, and Nel-Denarro.
The Vision Bleak – The Kindred Of The Sunset [Reissue/2016] 12” (Prophecy)
Vinyl reissue of the German goth metal band’s 2016 EP.
Volcano – The Island LP (Tee Pee)
Featuring trailblazing musicians from San Diego, CA’s groundbreaking psychedelic scene, including members of Harsh Toke, JOY and Loom, Volcano merges Afro-beat rhythms, electric rock guitar and dance floor grooves to forge a sound that is totally new, yet instantly recognizable.
Warish – Warish LP (Riding Easy)
“Imagine if Incesticide-era Nirvana were crossed with Static Age-era Misfits-sinister low budget horror-rock with a visceral, twisted weirdness and bludgeoning riffs. Some might call it nightmarish, we call it Warish.”
YGT – Sinking Ship LP+MP3 (Youngbloods)
Where the Monet-flavored stylings of their 2016 debut The Watercolors leaned on sun-stained indie inclinations and shadowed self-portraits, Sinking Ship draws closer to Matisse, with a stylistic multiplicity that coalesces into verbose vistas of willowing post-pop. Likened to Lemon Jelly, Bibio, and Goldfrapp, YGT has seen praise from KCRW, XLR8R, NTS Radio, Tiny Mix Tapes, and Vice.
Zhané – Pronounced Jah-Nay [Reissue/1994] LP (Motown)
Vinyl reissue of the debut studio album by the R&B group. Pronounced Jah-Nay features songs produced and co-written by members of hip hop band Naughty by Nature.
Cassettes:
Anemone – Beat My Distance (Luminelle Recordings)
Anemone is the brainchild of Soldevila, a Montreal native. Raised in the classical music tradition and formally educated in jazz music, Soldevila came to rock music late, at the tail end of high school, when she discovered krautrock mainstays like Neu! And Can. Traveling as a photographer and filmmaker throughout her early twenties, Soldevila rebelled against her strict musical upbringing, immersing herself into the psychedelic tradition in California, and punk and new wave music in France. The resulting album Beat My Distance is a dreamy psychedelic ride, hopping through genres and moods with exuberance. In the midst of all the swirly shoegaze guitars and krautrock beats, Anemone’s songs are anchored by Soldevila’s voice, always catchy and direct, powerful enough to cut through the mix and carry the song.
Czarface meets Ghostface – Czarface meets Ghostface Instrumentals (Silver Age)
Czarface, a hip-hop and comics force comprised of Wu-Tang Clan General Inspectah Deck, Esoteric and super producer 7L, teams up with Ghostface aka IronMan aka Tony Starks for murderous mayhem.
Rotting Christ – The Heretics (Season Of Mist)
“For a band that formed in 1987, had a profound influence on Nordic black metal and continues to innovate—to varying degrees of success—it’s a small wonder that Greek legends Rotting Christ are putting out some of their best material since Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers (or Thy Mighty Contract if you’re too true for school). The Tolis bros—Sakis and Themis—continue to be the heart of Rotting Christ. While the spirited duo has had their ups (Sanctus Diavolos) and downs (Aealo) over the years, on lucky-number-13 The Heretics, Rotting Christ has delivered a true ace—the culmination of the Greeks’ successes, in fact. The record is dark, heavy, mystical, memorable and f**king awesome all the way through.” — Decibel
Sir Babygirl – Crush On Me (Father/Daughter)
The pseudonymme of DIY pop diva/producer Kelsie Hogue, Sir Babygirl mixes and matches inspirations as sundry as Charli XCX, Hole, Hey Arnold!, and Tim And Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! into unabashedly bubblegum, unashamedly queer pop for a future free of genre boundary and the gender binary.
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal – Suffer On (Run For Cover, LLC)
Wicca Phase Springs Eternal is the creative persona of Scranton, PA singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Adam McIlwee. Since 2010, he has simultaneously established himself as a singular voice, adeptly combining his natural songwriting instincts with the digital culture enveloping his world. Suffer On is the first Wicca Phase record fully written by McIlwee, utilizing guitars and keyboards to create each song’s core and building upwards from there.
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