CDs + Vinyl:
36 Crazyfists – Time And Trauma CD (Spinefarm)
Seventh album from the Alaskan metalcore band.
Adventures – Supersonic Home CD/LP (Run For Cover)
Supersonic Home, the debut album from Pittsburgh’s resident musical wunderkinds Adventures, is an ambitious blend of powerhouse influences: these ten songs reimagine of the best parts of ‘90s alt-rock and emo and infuse them with the cathartic energy of punk. However, Adventures delivers much more than just the sum of these parts. Throughout pensive, melancholic retreats like “Tension and “Long Hair,” the constant vocal tandem of Reba Meyers and Kimi Hanauer radiates above every infectious pop- rock riffs and the warm, rhythmic backbone of bass and keyboard.
The Allen Brothers – Allen Brothers With Other Country Brother Acts 4xCD (JSP)
Country music has always featured brother acts. The most prolific included the Delmore Brothers, the Blue Sky Boys and the Monroe Brothers. This collection focuses mainly on Austin and Lee Allen. The first three CDs are devoted to them and the fourth deals with their fraternal contemporaries.
The Amazing – Picture You CD/LP (PTKF)
The Amazing inhabits an aural landscape that’s all its own: a panoramic, constantly evolving spectacle marked by layers of intertwining guitars, richly textured keyboards and a rhythm section adept at skewed tempos and a tendency to veer off in unexpected directions. The band’s free flowing, cinematic sound balances focused song structures with unbridled improvisation to create a heady genre smashing exercise in sonic exploration.
And And And – Failure CD (Party Damage)
Winners of Willamette Week’s 2011 Best New Band poll (past finalists have included Menomena, Starf**ker, and Typhoon), And And And finally release what can only be called the follow-up to that year’s blur of output, culminating with the early 2012 Lost EP. They’re known for truly epic live shows with no clear delineation between stage and offstage or audience member and musician. Recorded over ten days in San Diego with Rafter Roberts between skateboarding and drinking sessions, the record is fiery and urgent. It evokes classic grunge-era sounds from the Northwest (think Mudhoney and early Nirvana).
Ernestine Anderson – Swings The Penthouse CD (HighNote)
Here is the great Ernestine Anderson in the full bloom of youth as you may have never heard her before live in front of an appreciative audience. This is the 34-year old Anderson singing with exuberance and spontaneity in the intimate setting of Seattle’s legendary jazz club, The Penthouse. Here she swings and shouts, cajoles and caresses her way through a set list of standards and jazz classics as only she could. These recordings are seeing the first light of commercial release. They have never been issued before in any format.
At The Hollow – What I Hold Most Dear CD (Spinefarm)
Debut album from the Finnish rock band.
Carl Barat And The Jackals – Let It Reign CD/LP (Grand Jury Music)
New album from this band led by Carl Barat, best known as the co-frontman of The Libertines. Features production by Joby J. Ford (The Bronx) and guest musicians, such as Beastie Boys percussionist Alfredo Ortiz.
Jarren Benton – Slow Motion CDEP (Funk Volume)
New release from the Decatur, GA-based rapper.
Sir Richard Bishop – Tangier Sessions CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
New album from the singer/guitarist best known for his work with the Sun City Girls. Tangier Sessions tells the oft-told tale: while traveling abroad, nobleman meets guitar. Guitar is too expensive for nobleman and outraged, he departs. Nobleman quietly returns several days later for guitar but still can’t bring himself to pay the price. Yet nobleman can’t get guitar out of mind (he’s never heard anything like it) — so nobleman buys guitar, then travels the world with it, enchanted, and makes this album while in Tangier.
Blue-Eyed Hawk – Under The Moon CD (Edition)
Taking its name from a line in W. B. Yeats’s poem Under The Moon, Blue-Eyed Hawk is the London-based band that brings together vocalist Lauren Kinsella, trumpeter Laura Jurd, guitarist Alex Roth and drummer Corrie Dick. Their debut album, titled after the same poem, is the sum of a collaborative process that bursts with the youthful energy, vision and integrity of all four members. The resulting music is emotive, lyrical, dark, inspiring and at times unexpected, often conjuring the dreamlike, nature-themed imagery of Yeats’s eponymous poem. Bringing a wide open improv sensibility to its melodic and richly textured original material, Blue-Eyed Hawk creates uniquely eclectic music that traverses art-rock, jazz, minimalist and electronic sound worlds.
The Box Tops – The Original Albums 1967-1969 2xCD (Raven)
This collection highlights the career of Memphis-based combo The Box Tops, combining all four of their original, long-deleted and highly regarded 1960s albums (Letter-Neon Rainbow, Cry Like A Baby, Non Stop, Dimensions). Effectively, the complete Box Tops. One of the finest blue eyed-soul, hit-making groups of the 1960s led by the late, revered cult figure Alex Chilton, the group’s music also encompassed touches of country soul and psych-pop.
Brainticket – Past, Present & Future CD/2xLP (Cleopatra)
Legendary pioneers of Krautrock return with a brand new studio album. Joel Vandroogenbroeck brought on board an exceptionally talented group of musicians including UK Subs guitarist Nicky Garratt, Jürgen Engler of Die Krupps, Jason Willer and Kephera Moon from Nik Turner’s band, and others.
Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth – Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth CD/LP (Neurot)
With a long-held reputation for some of the heaviest music from the Pacific Northwest, Seattle’s legendary Tad Doyle (formerly of Tad, Hog Molly) returns with a new band, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth. This powerful trio of musicians — Tad on guitar/vocals, veteran bass player Peggy Doyle and drummer Dave French (The Annunaki) — bring together their collective and extensive musical histories in punk, hard rock and metal. (CD version features two extra tracks.)
Dewa Budjana – Hasta Karma CD (Moonjune)
Hasta Karma sets a new benchmark for modern progressive jazz excellence in the 21st century. With a vibe and feel more akin to that of a band with decades of experience together, Dewa and his stellar session-mates — the legendary NYC vibraphonist, Joe Locke, and Pat Metheny Unity Group’s rhythm core: the fabulous, articulate young upright bassist, Ben Williams, and the extraordinary maestro drummer, Antonio Sanchez — create superlative atmospheric textures that transport listeners to destinations of soaring altitude.
Bunny Lion – Red [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (Omnian Music Group)
Red features ten grooving Linval Thompson Sound rhythms voiced by Bunny Lion, now confirmed to be Puddy Roots of Kilamanjaro Soundsystem fame. Originally released on London’s Starlight Records in 1979, this is the earliest documented work of the criminally under-recorded Puddy Roots as well as the perfect gateway record for anyone curious about dub, roots reggae or dancehall.
Burning Saviors – Unholy Tales From The North CD (Transubstans Sweden)
Fifth album from the metal band. Pure retro sounding doom.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Commodore Ballroom Vancouver CD (Gonzo)
Continuing with their series of historic Captain Beefheart concert releases, Gonzo Multimedia releases a rare live recording of the Captain and his Magic Band in concert at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver in March of 1973.
Eric Chenaux – Skullsplitter CD/LP+MP3 (Constellation)
Eric Chenaux has emerged as one of the most distinctive, innovative and original voices in what might be called avant-garde balladry, juxtaposing his gorgeously pure and open singing against a guitar sound and style that truly stands alone. Skullsplitter is the impressive new album that confirms Chenaux’s singular aesthetic: genuine, natural, unaffected vocals gliding through slow, smoky melodies while electric and nylon-string guitars are deployed with adventurously experimental, dexterous, semi-improvisational technique and texture.
Chocolate Milk – Action Speaks Louder Than Words [Reissue/1975] CD (Nature Sounds)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1975 album from the soul/R&B act. Originally formed as a four-piece in Memphis, Chocolate Milk released this debut album after relocating to New Orleans to become the house band for legendary producer Allen Toussaint.
The Dagoes – Supreme CD (Sinister Torch)
Active from 1979 to 1983, The Dagoes were the godfathers of Adelaide, Australia’s burgeoning music scene. With a wink and a nudge, they raised the rock & roll roof with their own brand of ‘60s garage, ‘70s bohemian rock and British punk. Sly, crafty pop anthems, a charismatic frontman, analog keyboards and female back-up singers—what else could you want. (45rpm double-vinyl edition TBA.)
Damon & Naomi – Fortune CD (20/20/20)
New album from the duo best known for their work as two-thirds of Galaxie 500. Fortune is an LP released in tandem with Naomi Yang’s video piece of the same name. She refers to the work as a silent movie, though the visuals are so bound up in the music (and vice versa) that it’s more of a long-form music video, a visual poem set to the metronome of a textural score. The eleven new songs don’t require visual accompaniment — Damon & Naomi have constructed the sequence to communicate through sound alone. Vinyl version due March 17.
Decoder Ensemble – Decoder Ensemble CD (Ahornfelder)
Hamburg’s newest venture of sound, the Decoder Ensemble, performs music from a wide spectrum of contemporary styles, their means spanning from experimental instrumental techniques to groundbreaking electronics.
Raheem DeVaughn – Love Sex & Passion CD (E1)
For his fifth studio album, Love, Sex & Passion, the R&B singer/songwriter wants to take listeners back to the future. As Raheem states: “This album has a very ‘90s throwback feel to it but with a futuristic 2020 spin on it. It’s a little edgy and before its time in places. But this album is my most sophisticated, erotic bedroom joint.”
Divers – Hello Hello CD (Party Damage)
This Portland, Oregon-based band plays dynamic, sweaty music. The indie rockers say they are a punk band. The punk rockers are suspicious that they might be an indie band. The bands that have inspired Divers fall on both sides of the fence, but they all share the same kind of energy.
Steve Earle & The Dukes – Terraplane CD/CD+DVD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Terraplane takes its title from the 1930s Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit model, which also inspired the Robert Johnson song, “Terraplane Blues.” It is Earle’s 16th studio album since the release of his highly influential 1986 debut Guitar Town. As its title suggests, the album is very much a blues record, some of which was written while Earle toured Europe alone for five weeks with just a guitar, a mandolin and a backpack. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a DVD that features a behind-the-scenes mini documentary, an interview, three live acoustic performances and more.
Danny Elfman – Fifty Shades Of Gray [Original Motion Picture Score] CD (Republic)
Elfman’s original score to the obscure film.
The Empath – Trackology CD (Hymen)
The basic conceptual approach of The Empath’s new album was a semi-scientific exploration about the musical capability of more than three thousand units of software synthesizers, effects and plugins he collected in years — a process of testing, utilization and selection. During this drawn-out process, first aural drafts for album tracks occurred besides single soundscapes, loops and effects that were furthermore processed and embedded into Mike Erkau’s regular workflow environment.
Estelle – True Romance CD (BMG Rights Management)
New album from the R&B singer. When Estelle first burst onto the scene in 2008 with the #1 hit song “American Boy” featuring Kanye West, she quickly became an R&B sweetheart. Her first two studio albums Shine and All Of Me came soon after, earning Estelle both critical and pop success.
Evildead – Annihilation Of Civilization [Reissue/1989] CD (End Of The Light)
Evildead – The Underworld [Reissue/1991] CD (End Of The Light)
Remastered digipak reissues of the thrash metal band’s first two albums, each expanded with bonus tracks.
Ex-Cult – Cigarette Machine CD/LP (Castle Face)
New album from the Memphis-based punk band. On the tail of their breakout second LP Midnight Passenger, Ex-Cult delivers a brand new batch of bruisers. Chris Shaw lends a sneering, spitting toughness to the proceedings while the band flays riffs in loose, hairy, mosh-inducing menace behind him, touching on post-punk, psych sprawl and early-‘80s hardcore while remaining beholden to none.
BP Fallon – Live In Texas CD (Saustex Media)
Fallon has spent a lifetime in music as a storied DJ (U2’s Zoo TV Tour), writer, photographer, publicist (Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, T Rex) and manager but has come to the table as a performer only relatively recently. This live album finds BP in fine form and was recorded October 2014 in Austin, TX. Accompanied by Aaron Lee Tasjan on acoustic guitar and joined mid-set by Danny B. Harvey and Joe King Carrasco, BP spins a grand and artfully connected tale that is equal parts poetry, song and history lesson.
William Ryan Fritch – Revisionist CD/LP+MP3 (Lost Tribe Sound)
“In recent years, Oakland-based singer/songwriter and one-man indie rock chamber orchestra William Ryan Fritch has been recording more music than your favorite mixtape rapper. Last spring, he began releasing a collection of 110+ songs in a fashion that is as decadent as the contained music itself: through an ongoing subscription service. Revisionist is intended as the culmination of the series, and high rollers receive it on 140gm vinyl inside a book of paintings. The ballads that make up the album are equal parts melancholic, Americana-flavored pop and percolating, post-minimalist chamber music.” — Pitchfork
Myriam Gendron – Not So Deep As A Well CD/LP (Mama Bird/Feeding Tube)
Released last year via Feeding Tube on vinyl – now available on CD with two bonus tracks. Myriam Gendron makes her living as a copy-editor and book dealer, leading to her discovery of Not So Deep As A Well, an anthology of Dorothy Parker poetry. Parker’s poems hit just the right note and Myriam began putting them to music.
Genesis – Trick Of The Tail [Reissue/1976] CD (Atlantic)
Genesis – Wind & Wuthering [Reissue/1976] CD (Atlantic)
Genesis – & Then There Were Three [Reissue/1978] CD (Atlantic)
Genesis – Duke [Reissue/1980] CD (Atlantic)
Genesis – Abacab [Reissue/1981] CD (Atlantic)
Digitally remastered and remixed in 2008, these reissues feature new stereo mixes of each album’s original tracks (sans bonus tracks).
José González – Vestiges & Claws CD/LP (Mute)
Brand new, long awaited album from José González — his first album in seven years. Since then, González recorded and released albums with his other musical incarnation, Junip a duo made up of González and Tobias Winterkorn. Most recently, González teamed up with Ryan Adams to create a track for Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty released last year. “It was no doubt a conscious decision to work without a producer. I didn’t want this to be too polished, or too ‘in your face.’ Most of all, it’s fun to be in complete control of the artistic aspect. Also, I was inspired by and picked up a lot of tricks from the producers I have worked with in the past. I like to use distortion and let things be a little overdriven, which gives things a warmer sound. Sometimes people complain that my music is too muddled, but I really do not want a modern crisp sound. I’d much rather aim somewhere between Shuggie Otis and Simon & Garfunkel.”
Grooms – Comb The Feelings Through Your Hair CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
Unlike their previous album Infinity Caller (which Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis called “…an exercise in explosion and restraint hallmarked by sweeping guitars, stuttery drums, and cryptic, airy vocals…”) Comb The Feelings Through Your Hair brings the band’s rhythm section to the fore, and Johnson’s trademark guitar stylings often take a backseat to his psychedelic sample-collages and ambient electronics. Fortunately the new approach works, balancing pop structures with masterful experimental production that shifts in tone and color in harmony with Johnson’s tales of acceptance, loneliness, and impotent violence.
Tigran Hamasyan – Mockroot CD (Nonesuch)
New album from pianist Tigran Hamasyan. Mockroot features Hamasyan on piano, voice, keyboards, synths and sound effects, Sam Minaie on electric bass, and Arthur Hnatek on drums and live electronics.
The Juliana Hatfield Three – Whatever, My Love CD (American Laundromat)
Recorded at Nuthouse Recording in Hoboken, NJ and co-produced by Hatfield and Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf, Guided By Voices, Minor Alps), the twelve songs on Whatever, My Love are gorgeous and punk, sleazy and sweet, unsentimental and funny.
Colin Hay – Next Year People CD (Compass)
Colin Hay’s voice and visage are familiar to millions as frontman, songwriter, and vocalist of pop sensation Men At Work (“Down Under,” “Overkill,” “Who Can It Be Now?”). But over the past 15 years he has reinvented himself as a solo artist. Next Year People is full of quizzical, curious, cynical yet openhearted songs with catchy melodic hooks that underscore deeply insightful lyrics. Vinyl version due May 5.
Hecq – Mare Nostrum CD (Hymen)
In August 2013, Ben Lukas Boysen spent some time in Barcelona, making audio recordings of the ninth largest supercomputer in the world. Installed in a former chapel with acres of glass and steel, Europe’s most powerful computer is not only impressive in its performance but also in its appearance. With this album you will get a living proof of Mare Nostrum’s audible skills, captured and processed by Hecq. This release is a fascinating symbiosis of electronic soundscapes and systematic recording where samples of Mare Nostrum’s sound are masterly integrated into four lengthy compositions.
Ibeyi – Ibeyi CD/LP (XL)
Ibeyi (pronounced “ee-bey-ee”) means “twins” in the language of the Yoruban culture of Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz. The album of the same name, produced by XL Recordings boss Richard Russell, is the story of two sisters: their relationship, their origins, their shared history and their musical chemistry. The twins’ roots are reflected in the polyglot nature of the lyrics — in English, French and Yoruban — and music that combines ritual chants with synths and samplers, jazz vocals with the spellbinding mystery of Bjork and Fever Ray, the traditional with the modern.
Imagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors CD/2xLP (Interscope)
On Smoke + Mirrors, Imagine Dragons use the frenetic energy of life on the road to infuse their music with both raw tension and intense vulnerability. As on their full-length debut Night Visions, the band works with sharply crafted beats and grooves to dream up rhythm-driven rock music that’s artful yet visceral.
In Tall Buildings – Driver CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
In stark contrast to the dense polyrhythms echoed by his former group NOMO’s albums, Driver uses a relatively simple palette to create spacious pop songs, leaving plenty of room for Hall’s often Peter Gabriel-esque vocals to shine. The music is powerful in its restrained simplicity, and a compelling foil to the haunting gravity of his vocal performance. Never rushed, his melodies deliver elliptical lyrics that manage to feel intimate, while retaining a sense of mystery.
Jorma Kaukonen – Ain’t In No Hurry CD (Red House)
Ain’t In No Hurry, Jorma Kaukonen’s third solo record on Red House Records, is a blend of American roots, blues, rockers and Jorma originals including a lost Woody Guthrie lyric that Jorma and producer Larry Campbell put to music.
Harrison Kennedy – This Is From Here CD (Electro-Fi)
Blues Music Award nominee Harrison Kennedy was once best known as a founding member of Holland Dozier Holland’s ‘70s soul super group The Chairmen Of The Board but he’s now equally well known as an original and genuine blues artist.
Elle King – Love Stuff CD (RCA)
Debut album from singer Elle King. Love Stuff follows her acclaimed self-titled EP in 2014. Collaborating with the likes of Mark Ronson, Jacknife Lee, Eg White, and Jeff Bhasker, King delivers a selection of blues and rock & roll-inspired pop tracks. Vinyl version due March 3.
Little Freddie King – Messin’ Around Tha Living Room CD (MadeWright)
Introduced onstage as: The world renowned, hard to kill, pistol-packin’, chicken-pickin’, string-pullin’, show stoppin’, freight train hoppin’, gamecock walkin’, master of electricity, king of gutbucket blues, connoisseur of women, His Royal Highness, Little Freddie King is a key figure in the New Orleans music scene and brings unrivaled enthusiasm, passion and style to his performances.
Klezmerson – Amon: The Book Of Angels Volume 24 CD (Tzadik)
Klezmerson has created one of the most astonishing installments of the entire Angels series — a spectacular reading of Masada material drawing upon the rich tradition of Mexican music from Oaxaca to Veracruz. Touching upon Henry Mancini, Xavier Cugat, psychedelia and so much more, this is without doubt one of the wildest, most creative, flamboyant and masterful readings of Masada material since the Secret Chiefs 3. The work of a maestro in total control of his craft, Amon takes Masada to unimagined places.
Kreng – The Summoner CD/LP+MP3 (Miasmah)
Conjuring up the spirit of Gyorgy Ligeti, the first half of The Summoner is made entirely of Pepijn Caudron’s direction of a dozen string players. Disorienting twists and turns lead into the second half of the album, with haunting organs and smoke-filled chambers preceding an earth-shaking wall of guitars, drums, and bass courtesy of Belgian doom band Amenra.
Letts – Hold Fast CD/LP (Vagrant)
Christian Letts is more commonly known as the guitarist from Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeroes. Letts is releasing his debut solo record, produced by Marcus Mumford. The track “Matches” also features backing vocals from Mumford.
Russel Malone – Love Looks Good On You CD (HighNote)
Malone seems comfortable in a variety of settings, performing with such diverse artists as Diana Krall, Freddie Cole, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Barron, Roy Hargrove, Cyrus Chestnut and Patti Austin. Malone was also a featured performer in Robert Altman’s 1996 film Kansas City.
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Easy Shanking In Boston ’78 CD (Island)
Digitally remastered previously unavailable live set released to coincide with the reggae legend’s 70th birthday year. Easy Skanking In Boston ’78 features a historic live show from Boston’s Music Hall, June 8, 1978. Bob Marley & The Wailers had broken through to the American mainstream by the time they arrived at Boston’s Music Hall for two shows on June 8, 1978. (Also available on DVD and Blu-ray.) Vinyl version due March 31.
The Mavericks – Mono CD (Valory)
The Mavericks are fronted by singer/songwriter Raul Malo, known for his fearless and eclectic musical visions encompassing everything from Buck Owens and Tejano sounds to Dean Martin, Tito Puente, Roy Orbison and Ray Price. With bass player Robert Reynolds, Eddie Perez on guitar, drummer Paul Deakin and keyboard player Jerry Dale McFadden, the group has not only retained the vision they demonstrated on their 1991 self-released album, they’ve expanded on it.
Charles McPherson – The Journey CD (Capri)
Legendary alto saxophonist and Charles Mingus alum Charles McPherson teams up with Keith Oxman, Chip Stephens, Ken Walker and Todd Reid for his latest outing, The Journey. The recording features three originals by McPherson as well as two originals from Oxman and one from pianist Chip Stephens. The rest of the date has bop infused standards by Richard Rogers, Sammy Cahn and Charlie Parker.
Monks – Monk Jam: Live At Cavestomp CD (Rockbeat)
In 1999, the Cavestomp Festival brought the Monks together for their first show since 1967. Music scribe Byron Cooley writing for Spin Magazine called the show “transcendent.” Here is the complete 16-song set.
Ikue Mori – Light In The Shadow CD (Tzadik)
A winner of electronic music awards in Europe and the United States, Ikue Mori is one of the most respected composers working in the growing field of laptop electronics. A dedicated and passionate perfectionist, she has created a completely unique and original sound world unlike any other electronic composer around. Her newest album adds a beautiful melodic twist to her moody, detailed and unique soundscapes and is her most stunning creation to date. Essential listening for anyone interested in electronic music.
Mourn – Mourn CD/LP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
Mourn is a very young quartet formed from the friendship of Jazz Rodríguez Bueno and Carla Pérez Vas- both born in 1996 in El Maresme, Catalonia, Spain. The duo armed themselves with inspiration from PJ Harvey, Patti Smith, Sebadoh and Sleater Kinney and began writing material, which they quickly released on their YouTube channel. Despite being teenagers, earlier this year they came out of the studio (along with drummer Antonio Postius and bassist Leia Rodríguez) with a brilliant treatise of indie rock that has stunned those who have had the opportunity to listen to it.
My Own Holiday – Reason To Bleed CD (Electro Groove)
Hailing from Southern California, My Own Holiday is a two-piece blues/rock band (ala The White Stripes and Black Keys), consisting of Joey Chrisman (vocals/guitar) and Nick Bartolo (drums). Classic without being nostalgic, Reason To Bleed forges a raw rock & roll sound that captures that stripped-down, foot-stompin’, whiskey-drinkin fun that defines the best of American rock music.
Yuga Nagashima – White Sleep CD (Darla)
New album from the electronic/ambient artist. Yuta Nagashima was raised in and currently lives in Tokyo, Japan. He studied creation methods by electronic media at International Academy of Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) and Tokyo University Of The Arts. His interest is creative expression for the postmodern era. His music is made by digital and acoustic instruments and field recordings for Japanese atmosphere, decentralized consciousness and nature forgotten for development.
Marti Nikko & DJ Drez – Dreaming In Sanskrit CD (Black Swan Sounds)
Dreaming In Sanskrit is grounded in Drez’s unmistakably funky signature and gift for sonic construction, but the album is absolutely Nikko-centric. Marti’s enticing, fiercely soft voice permeates a diverse collection of musical styles including dub roots, Indian hymn and Balkan beats.
Nancy Nova – Akiri Non Stop: Complete Derby Recordings 1978-81 CD (Beatball)
A collection of remastered late ‘70s/early ‘80s recordings from the UK new wave disco and avant pop artist. British born singer/actress Nancy Nova had her first release with “No Way” in 1978. Later that year she also recorded the theme song for an Italian T.V. show Akiri Non Stop and even appeared in a few episodes. Its follow-up “Heaven” was her debut into the electronic spacey disco style in her super high pitched warble. Back in the UK she received massive radio play for her single “The Force” which became a huge disco hit.
Oh Land – Earth Sick CD/2xLP (Tusk Or Tooth)
Earth Sick is the fourth album from Danish-born/New York based singer/songwriter Nanna Oland Fabricius aka Oh Land. The album was originally crowd-funded and recorded in Oh Land’s Brooklyn apartment. The album is a mixture of sophisticated electro-pop and thought provoking songwriting.
Orphx – Sonic Groove Releases Pt. 2 CD (Hymen)
Richard Oddie and Christina Sealey — aka Orphx — have been in operation since 1993, creating a catalog of varied productions incorporating musique concrete, industrial, techno and dub. Pulsating hypnotic techno grooves meander over sharp, stripped backbeats, enriched with eerie sound effects while the tightly focused use of distortion and feedback-filled sub bass adds the aggression of Orphx’ earlier industrial and noise oriented releases.
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – So Delicious! CD (Shanachie/Yazoo)
“On the lyrical side, So Delicious! features a heavy helping of Peyton’s crisply tongue-in-cheek songwriting and sense of humor; something that he says he’s always wrestled with. Tracks like the Delta-slide barnburner ‘Raise A Little Hell’ are prime examples of how Peyton manages to convey a decidedly intense sound without taking his songwriting too seriously. But beyond its humor, its fingerpicking or its percussion, So Delicious! is notable for the stamp that will be placed upon it, that of the legendary Yazoo Records. Founded in the 1960s, the label came to prominence by reissuing the original work of legendary blues artists like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Rev. Gary Davis, Skip James and more. Because Yazoo had never been in the business of signing contemporary artists, it was a complete surprise to Peyton when the label’s name reared its head as the band searched for a new home prior to the completion of So Delicious!” – Elmore Magazine. Vinyl version due February 24.
Phosphorescent – Live At The Music Hall 2xCD/3xLP (Dead Oceans)
Recorded over three nights at The Music Hall of Williamsburg in 2013, this live set is a veritable ‘best of’ from a band at the height of their powers. One part cowboy bravado, one part wounded master.
Piero Piccioni – Colpo Rovente: Colonna Sonora [OST] CD (Beatball)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1970 soundtrack housed in a mini LP sleeve and featuring 12 bonus tracks. Colpo Rovente is one of the rarest soundtrack albums in the Italian film music history. This soundtrack stands out from the transitional period into the psychedelic era. Soft-spoken and suave cool jazz, along with hallucinogenic go-go sounds appear throughout the film and soundtrack.
Kate Pierson – Guitars And Microphones CD (Lazy Meadow Music)
Debut solo album from the founding member of B-52s. “Just because Kate Pierson’s releasing a solo album, doesn’t mean she’s going it alone. Guitars And Microphones, Pierson’s first attempt going it alone was executive produced by Sia—with whom Pierson also collaborated on the songwriting. Tim Anderson, who produced Banks’ debut album, Goddess, produced the LP and the Strokes’ Nick Valensi features.” – Out
A Place To Bury Strangers – Transfixation CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
“Transfixation, the new album from Brooklyn fuzz-pedal abusers A Place To Bury Strangers, is the band’s fourth album. Given that these guys like to pride themselves on their face-hurting loudness, it might not be their loudest album. But it might be their toughest. The band has always had some My Bloody Valentine and some Sonic Youth in its DNA. This time around, they seem to have some Suicide and Hawkwind and Motörhead, as well. It’s a dense and heavy and impressive rock album, and it’s well worth your time.” – Stereogum
Verneri Pohjola – Bullhorn CD (Edition)
Bullhorn is the new album by Finnish trumpeter/composer, Verneri Pohjola, his third as leader. Based in Helsinki, the 36 year-old has been in the international spotlight for the past few years and is acknowledged as a jazz star in the making. His distinctive tone, with its deeply affecting purity and lyricism, and highly melodic improvising is embedded in self-penned compositions marked by memorable and imaginative themes that steer clear of any hackneyed notion of Nordic jazz.
Igor Prado Band And Delta Groove All Stars – Way Down South CD (Delta Groove Productions)
The Brazilian ensemble, the Igor Prado Band, has become one of the most popular and in demand blues outfits in South America. Way Down South represents the very best of their frequent collaborations with American blues talent which includes Kim Wilson, Sugaray Rayford, Mud Morganfield, Mitch Kashmar, Rod and Honey Piazza, Junior Watson, Monster Mike Welch, Wallace Coleman, Randy Chortkoff, Omar Coleman and more.
Lawson Rollins – Traveler CD (Infinita)
The guitarist/composer’s new album features two-time Grammy Award winner Mads Tolling (Turtle Island Quartet), Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Scotty Morris, Joshus Levy, Karl Hunter, Grammy Award winner Charlie Bisharat (Shadowfax), percussionist Dave Bryant (Ottmar Liebert + Luna Negra Band), platinum-selling producer Dominic Camardella (Flor Purim, 3rd Force, Ottmar Liebert) and bassist Randy Tico (Jeff Bridges, Benise, Strnuz & Farah).
Sarpanitum – Blessed Be My Brothers CD (Willowtip)
New album from the atmospheric, brutal blackened death-metal band.
Brian Simpson – Out Of A Dream CD (Shanachie)
Both as a solo performer and as the featured keyboardist and music director of the Dave Koz Band, Brian Simpson performs in front of an incredibly large number of smooth jazz fans on a non-stop basis.
Six Organs Of Admittance – Hexadic CD/LP (Drag City)
Designed to free sound and language from rational order and replace calculation with indeterminacy, Ben Chasny’s Hexadic System is a catalyst to extinguish patterns and generate new means of chord progressions and choices. The album brews and boils with an ominously dark tone in a desolate space, dense with energy, guitar overdriven past the point of sanity, slamming drum accents, vocals cutting through in what seems to be comprised of another, as yet unheard, language. This is the majestic dialectic of Hexadic. Features members of Comets On Fire, Badgerlore, and SF psych legend Charlie Saufley.
Slim Thug – Hogg Life: The Beginning CD (Empire Distribution)
Part one of a four part album and documentary series that chronicles the rapper’s career from his early days to the present. Features Z-ro, Propain, Sauce Twins and more.
Skenet – Allting Rullar CD/LP (Subliminal Sounds)
Debut album from Swedish electric folk rock quartet. Arrangements of fiddles, electric guitars, and Mellotrons, among other instrumentation, bring a progressive psych element to the band’s folk rock.
Slowly Rolling Camera – Into The Shadow CD (Edition)
Slowly Rolling Camera formed in Cardiff in 2013 and brought together four wildly talented musicians from diverse backgrounds. The result was a captivating hybrid of influences: trip-hop, jazz, soul, electronic music fused into a new and unique sound.
Sonny And The Sunsets – Talent Night At The Ashram CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Initially envisioned as a film project, each song on Talent Night At The Ashram was originally a short film that, when strung together, formed a feature-length movie. Equal parts Fellini and Os Mutantes, Talent Night At The Ashram is cinematic in its storytelling and kaleidoscopic in its mixing and merging of musical genres. (Vinyl version pressed on red wax.)
Spruckna Knogar – Spruckna Knogar CD/LP (Playwood Productions)
Swedish band Spruckna Knogar plays a fast and hard blend of punk, hardcore and mean metalgroove — like if they were the hyperactive bastard child of Entombed and Cockney Rejects.
Pop Staples – Don’t Lose This CD/LP+MP3 (Anti)
Don’t Lose This was produced by Pops & Mavis Staples with Jeff Tweedy, and features son Spencer on drums and the original Staples Singers vocal lineup.
Starlito – Black Sheep Don’t Grin CD (Empire Distribution)
Starlito is a TN based rapper. His new album features Kevin Gates, Don Trip, Yo Gotti, and Young Dolph.
Sumac – The Deal CD (Profound Lore)
Sumac is a new duo made up of veterans Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer) and Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists). Bass player Brian Cook (Russian Circles, Botch, These Arms Are Snakes) joins the duo as an auxiliary member on The Deal, the group’s debut album of steamroller crush and methodical, free-range technicality.
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners – Cantina Del Diablo CD (Sin House)
Cantina Del Diablo was recorded live in August 2014 over a few days with long time co-producer Omar Vallejo. The record features eight Taylor originals that have all appeared previously on his other albums, but here the theme is stripped down acoustic. There are no electric instruments on Cantina. With only acoustic guitar, fiddle, cajon, upright bass, trumpets and accordion all the Sinner elements are still present.
Texas – Texas 25 CD (PIAS America)
Scottish chart-toppers Texas celebrate their 25th Anniversary with Texas 25, which contains four brand new songs and highlights from the band’s greatest hits completely re-recorded and re-worked with acclaimed NYC soul outfit Truth & Soul (Amy Winehouse, Adele). Vinyl version due March 3.
Tropics – Rapture CD/LP (Innovative Leisure)
“Tropics is the moniker for super talented electronic artist and multi-instrumentalist (some people just have it all) Chris Ward and in Rapture you will find a chilled-out electronic soul album that simply bursts alive with emotion. It shines through every line, every stripped-back beat, and every glistening harmony.” – The 405
Twin Rivers – Should The Light Go Out CD/LP (Light Organ)
Debut full-length by the indie band produced by Darcy Hancock of Ladyhawk, and Colin Stewart (New Pornographers, Black Mountain, Dan Mangan). RIYL: Alvvays, Best Coast, The War On Drugs, Joanna Gruesome, First Aid Kit.
The Unthanks – Mount The Air CD (Cadiz Music)
Nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and the only British folk representation in The Guardian’s and Uncut’s Best Albums Of The Last Decade, The Unthanks is a family affair for Tyneside sisters Rachel and Becky Unthank, with Rachel married to pianist, producer, arranger and composer, Adrian McNally. Using the traditional and folk music of the North East of England as a starting point, the influence of Steve Reich, Miles Davis, Sufjan Stevens, Robert Wyatt, Antony & The Johnsons, King Crimson and Tom Waits can be heard in the band’s seven albums to date.
Various Artists – Back From The Grave Volume Four [Reissue/1986] CD/LP (Crypt)
Fully remastered, Crypt’s fourth offering in their Back From The Grave series, features total cuts by The Vectors, The Aztex, The Nomads, Rocky & The Riddlers, The Tamrons, The Cyclones, The Bags, Red Beard & The Pirates, They Wyld, plus more.
Various Artists – Imaginational Anthem Vol. 7 CD (Tompkins Square)
Imaginational Anthem Vol. 7 is curated by 20-year-old guitarist Hayden Pedigo, from Amarillo, TX. Hayden has recently been featured in Vogue and The Fader behind his own recent album Five Steps. Hayden’s selection of artists represents a balanced cross-section across the modern solo acoustic guitar spectrum.
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents: Celtic Café CD (Putumayo World Music)
Renowned Irish and Scottish singer/songwriters provide an uplifting musical soundtrack for the cafés of Dublin, Edinburgh and beyond.
War On Women – War On Women CD/LP (Bridge Nine)
War On Women formed in 2010 by several veterans of the Baltimore rock scene, including members of AVEC and Liars Academy. Describing their sound as “thrash rock meets riot grrrl,” War On Women write songs too inventive and too loud to be overshadowed by their equally powerful messages.
Whitehorse – Leave No Bridge Unburned CD/LP (Six Shooter)
Leave No Bridge Unburned sees Whitehorse shaping a bigger, bolder rock sound. Any lingering assumptions that the husband and wife duo is working within the boundaries of a folk duo should be put to rest. The album is a fiery, forceful and finely tuned album that showcases an abundance of guitar slinging, exceptional songwriting and white-hot desire.
Wrinkle Neck Mules – I Never Thought It Would Go This Far CD (Lower 40)
They’ve been ridiculed by Don Imus on live TV, featured in mainstream television commercials, and recorded with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. They flank their rock framework with country instrumentation and bluegrass style singing.
Yabby You – Dead Prophecy: The Strange 3xCD (Shanachie)
Vivian Yabby You Jackson was, along with Lee “Scratch” Perry, Augustus Pablo, King Tubby, Burning Spear and Culture, one of the key creators of the roots reggae style and dub revolution which swept the world in the 1970s and was a catalyst for punk rock, dance music/electronica and hip-hop. This triple-disc set features 56 tracks including 10 previously unreleased and 30 never before released on CD.
John Zorn – Hen To Pan CD (Tzadik)
Hen To Pan is an astonishing collection of three concert music miniatures featuring a tight crew of virtuosos from Zorn’s inner circle.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Easy Shanking In Boston ’78 DVD+CD/Blu-ray+CD (Island)
Digitally remastered previously unavailable live set released to coincide with the reggae legend’s 70th birthday year. Easy Skanking In Boston ’78 features a historic live show from Boston’s Music Hall, June 8, 1978. Bob Marley & The Wailers had broken through to the American mainstream by the time they arrived at Boston’s Music Hall for two shows on June 8, 1978. Also available on stand-alone CD.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Algarnas Tradgard – Framtiden Ar Ett Svavande Skepp Forankrat I Forntiden [Reissue/1971] 2xLP (Subliminal Sounds)
Reissue of 1972 debut — a rare and totally flipped-out psychedelic underground space rock masterpiece from Sweden. Includes additional LP with previously unreleased recordings from the same time period.
Anti-Nowhere League – We Are… The League …Uncut LP (Cleopatra)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Animal and the boys return with brand new and rowdy, re-recordings of The League’s classic debut LP plus bonus tracks.
Antony & Yoko Ono – I Love You Earth 10” (Chimera Music)
One-sided 10” with etched B-side. Antony (of Antony & The Johnsons) interprets two beautiful Yoko Ono covers in the studio, joined by Yoko on a vocal duet on “I Love You Earth,” and Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) on piano. “I’m Going Away Smiling” is stark and haunting.
Axis: Sova – Early Surf LP (God? Records)
Heavy jams for light heads! Visceral fireworks lighting up the hemispheres! Fun times with torch tunes and scorch sounds! Call it what you want — Axis: Sova pulled these songs out of his head like eyeballs, fresh and round, sight damaged, with nerve endings dangling. Scrapping and scrapping the blown out amp waves, from his headphones to yours!
Bjork – Biophilia Live 3xLP+DVD (One Little Indian)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Biophilia Live is a concert film by Nick Fenton and Peter Strickland that captures the human element of Bjork’s multi-disciplinary multimedia project: Biophilia. Recorded live at Bjork’s show at London’s Alexandra Palace in 2013, the film features Bjork and her band performing every song on Biophilia and more using a broad variety of instruments some digital, some traditional and some completely unclassifiable. The film premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival and has appeared at Festivals around the Globe since.
B-Lines – Opening Band LP (Hockey Dad)
Proto-hardcore punk that refuses to be killed by death. These are stupid songs about feeling stupid, being stupid, trying to forget about one’s stupidity and finally embracing the stupidness of it all. Terse blasts of melodic hardcore punk not unlike the sounds of Red Cross and The Descendents.
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band – Juguya LP (Subliminal Frequencies)
Baba Commandant & The Mandingo Band draws inspiration from Fela Kuti/Africa 70, King Sunny Ade, and Moussa Doumbia to craft a modern DIY Afrobeat sound with the ngoni, the traditional instrument of Burkinabe and Malian hunters. (CD version due March 3.)
Carey – Supermoon LP (Jagjaguwar)
Recorded primarily during the perigee-syzygy (also known as the super moon) of August 2014, the Supermoon EP from S. Carey is a study in scale, space, and proximity. These songs are a new and closer look into existing works from both S. Carey’s renowned full-lengths, 2010’s All We Grow and 2014’s Range Of Light. With Supermoon, Carey has broken these songs down to their essential, acoustic parts with his forever humming vocals laid over top, lilting yet percussive piano, and a subtle swath of harmonic strings.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Tender Prey [Reissue/1988] LP+MP3 (Mute)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Let Love In [Reissue/1994] LP+MP3 (Mute)
A fresh pair of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds vinyl reissues for you or your Valentine.
Celldöd – Puls Disco LP (Suction)
Celldöd strips EBM down to its core, eliminating vocals and any superfluous details. Celldöd offers a raw, minimal, and purist vision of EBM; hardware tracks recorded live to tape using just a handful of machines. Celldöd’s bare bones dance cuts are dirty and primitive, but manage to steer clear of retro trappings, sounding fresh and contemporary. Despite being driven by Nitzer Ebb-style basslines and militant electronic percussion, you can also hear the squelch and funk of vintage acid house and proto-techno in Celldöd, giving Pulsdisco the same techno/EBM crossover appeal of artists such as Silent Servant, Adam X and Terrence Fixmer.
Chicago – September 13, 1969 LP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition vinyl pressing of ne of the most astonishing live bands of their era, Chicago, tearing up the stage on a cool night in September 1969 at the Toronto Rock N Roll Revival.
Coma In Algiers – Happy Forever LP (A Wicked Company)
Somewhere between Flipper, Watery Love, and the internecine savagery of No Neck Blues Band frenching Cop Shoot Cop (with two or three guitars instead of none). 300 hand-numbered copies written with a silver glow sharpie purchased from the Duane Reade across the street.
Dark Dark Dark – Floodtide 2xLP+MP3 (Blackbird Media)
There’s always been a cinematic tone to Dark Dark Dark’s music, be it through the immersive sense of atmosphere much of the instrumentation and vocals instill, or the image-strewn lyrics and sense of place that can transport the listener to another world. It makes perfect sense that they would end up in the world of cinema. However, this is not simply a film score commission. The group’s involvement with Floodtide runs much deeper, as the film was written and directed by former band member Todd Chandler, and features the band both as characters and performers. This is the original soundtrack to the feature film, on etched vinyl with art by Michael Gaughan. Includes HD download of the entire film and score.
D.R.I. – Greatest Hits LP (Cleopatra)
The very best tracks from everyone’s favorite Imbeciles, those legends of hardcore thrash metal, D.R.I. issue on special limited edition clear vinyl.
Fishboy – Albatross [Reissue/2007] LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Fishboy – NOM [Reissue/2007] LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Fishboy – An Elephant [2014] LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
The Denton, TX band’s 2007 cult-classic-long-titled-power-twee-rock-opera Albatross: How We Failed To Save The Lone Star State With The Power Of Rock And Roll is back in print on vinyl (along with two other titles). Described by songwriter Eric Michener as “a rock opera about how myself, the band, and the ghost of Buddy Holly attempt to save Texas by going on a tour/crime spree in order to perform all 8,030 of the songs I’ve written in my sleep since I was in the womb,” the album was praised upon its release by AllMusic, Paste, Tinymixtapes, the Stranger, KEXP and 75orless (who describe the record as “Tullycraft and Crayon team up and wrestle Apples In Stereo to the ground while singing songs about writing songs”). The follow up EP NOM takes Albatross-era songs and mixes them up with guest performances by members of Shearwater, Okkerville River, and Bill Callahan’s Band. An Elephant is an album and wordless graphic novel about the ghost of Topsy, the elephant who was publicly electrocuted by Thomas Edison in 1903, and her attempts to avenge her death and pass into the afterlife.
Frankie & The Witch Fingers – Frankie & The Witch Fingers LP (Permanent Records)
L.A. via Indiana psychsters are equal parts droning lysergic guitar work and propulsive rhythm chops. For fans of Cosmonauts, Spacemen 3, Ty Segall, Apache Dropout, Wand.
B.C. Gilbert/G. Lewis – 3R4 [Reissue/1980] LP (Superior Viaduct)
B.C. Gilbert/G. Lewis – Ends With The Sea [Reissue/1981] 7” (Superior Viaduct)
In 1980, after three relentlessly creative albums, the members of Wire were at an impasse, unsure of how to push themselves any further as a four-piece rock band. While frontman Colin Newman spent the band’s hiatus mining Wire’s knack for intelligent and contorted pop songs, guitarist Bruce Gilbert and bassist/vocalist Graham Lewis joined forces for a series of experimental projects (Dome, Cupol, etc.) where the primary motivating concept was “studio as instrument.” 3R4, the duo’s only LP under the B.C. Gilbert/G. Lewis moniker and the very second album to be released on 4AD, eschews melody and structure in favor of ambient-noise soundscapes, metallic textures and tense moods.
The Grannies – Ballsier LP (Saustex Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from Bay Area cross-dressing, geriatric superstars. Lead singer Bjorn Toulouse wails hard won lessons about dodgy friends, gentrification and love to the chaos while producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, The Gits, Valiant Thor) aptly synthesizes the bands well-fermented bile and grungy, virulent twin-guitar attack.
Grant Lee Buffalo – Mighty Joe Moon [Reissue/1994] LP (Plain)
Mighty Joe Moon the 1994 sophomore effort by Grant Lee Buffalo found the band hitting their artistic stride with their distinctive Americana/alternative rock fusion and the evocative, wide screen song writing of singer/guitarist/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. HQ-180gm.
Gruppo Di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza – Eronia [1971] LP (Holidays)
A series of haunting improvisations — each one inspired by the effects of a different drug — made of whirling electronic glitches, skronky horns, pounded piano, funky drums, and weird tape experiments. The best drone/spaced-/drugged-out free music performed by the legendary ensemble of Ennio Morricone, Mario Bertoncini, Egisto Macchi, Bruno Battisti D’Amario, Franco Evangelisti, and Walter Bianchi.
Guster – Evermotion LP (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Produced by Richard Swift (The Shins, Foxygen, Stereolab), Evermotion bulldozes inhibitions, propelling the band to a harder-charging, more freewheeling sound as heard on lead single, “Simple Machine.” Packed with tight hooks, muscular guitar riffs, clanging percussion and surprisingly dark lyrics, the new album features adventurous turns on slide guitars, brassy trumpets and a glockenspiel, with sax and trombone accompaniment.
Hexis/This Gift Is A Curse – This Gift Is A Curse/Hexis 7” (King Of The Monsters)
The bleak, avant-garde black metal-meets-hardcore approach of Denmark’s Hexis is paried with the aural assault of technical hardcore via black sludge from Sweden’s This Gift Is A Curse.
Hey Colossus – In Black And Gold LP (Rocket Recordings)
Emerging in a haze of demented riff science and booze-addled abandon, London-based tinnitus machine Hey Colossus have carved out a notable niche for themselves in the British underground’s murkier quarters. They’ve dished out a formidable array of wax over the last decade, specializing in a primordial barrage of abject noise from overheated amp stacks. Yet for all the grit and gnarl of their output thus far, it’s seemingly only been a warm-up for their latest opus, which sees their monstrous assault finely honed into an album as beguiling as it is bulldozing.
Huckle – Upon A Once Time [Reissue/1974] LP (Mapachie)
Huckle – Wild Blue Yonder [Reissue/1976] LP (Mapachie)
First-time reissue of two albums from the Canadian hippy-folker. A pair of cosmic-psych folk rock masterpieces.
Inflatable Boy Clams – Inflatable Boy Clams [Reissue/1981] 2×7” (Superior Viaduct)
San Francisco provocateurs Inflatable Boy Clams recorded one of the greatest all-female art punk records ever made, a wrongfully obscure five-song double 7” EP that has garnered a cult following ever since its initial release on Subterranean Records in 1981. While the music blends simple instrumentation and captivating, quirky lyrics, the artwork looks like an early Rough Trade single, complete with a posh Winogrand-esque photo of the group. This first-time reissue comes from the original master tapes. Recommended for fans of Kleenex/LiLiPUT, Raincoats and Bush Tetras.
Iron Butterfly – Live In Copenhagen 1971 2xLP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition double-LP of a vintage live album that features Iron Butterfly in their final performance with then up-and-coming prog act Yes, who jump onstage for a live farewell jam session at the close of the show.
Jamestown Revival – Utah LP (Republic)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. “Influence-wise, Jamestown Revival is all over the place, incorporating everything from soul (‘Revival’) to Dixie-fried country (‘Wandering Man’), but two influences loom large. One of those is Neil Young, whose sound sneaks into songs like ‘California (Cast Iron Soul)’ and who is even openly acknowledged on ‘Home’ (‘I spent a good time killing time/been a miner for a heart of gold’). Another is the aforementioned Ryan Adams, whose rock & roll ambitions wonderfully colored early records like Heartbreaker and Cold Roses (ignoring, of course, the infamous New York Dolls reference on ‘Beautiful Sorta’). Jamestown Revival hits the nail on the head in that regard, turning out a collection of songs that truly lives up to the country-rock label, confidently toeing the line between genres.” – Pop Matters
June – Dominion LP (Suction)
Dominion is focused on June’s synthwave sound, utilizing hardware step sequencers to sync and control his arsenal of classic drum machines and synthesizers including Roland’s SH-101, TR-606 and Juno-60, and the minimal synth percussion staple, the Korg KR-55. The romanticism and elegance of early ‘80s synth pop is clearly evident, not only in the production and instrumentation of the music, but in the artwork and song titles.
King Woman – Doubt LP/Cassette (The Flenser)
King Woman is fronted by former Whirr vocalist Kristina Esfandiari. The group’s debut Doubt unfurls lugubriously, blossoming into a haunting sprawl of crushing, slo-mo miserablism. Imagine some twisted fusion of PJ Harvey, sunn O))) and Black Sabbath. Churning washes of crumbling distortion and tar-pit riffage drift grimly through billowing clouds of dense, layered thrum; roiling backdrops for Esfandiari’s throaty, bewitching vocals.
L.A. Guns – Boston 1989 LP (Cleopatra)
From the vault of one of L.A.’s more notorious hard rock bands comes this live album, pressed on color vinyl.
Legendary Wings – Do You See LP (Dirtnap)
Alternating bursts of caffeinated punk-pop with mid-tempo jangly numbers, all served up raw and catchy as hell. Think fun, high-energy music, but with enough melancholy in the lyrics to keep this far from the realm of vapid party jams.
Bob Lind – Since There Were Circles [Reissue/1971] LP (Mapache)
Mapache presents very first vinyl reissue of this truly buried treasure of American music originally issued on Capitol. In 1971, a semi-retired songwriter after his ‘60s hits entered at the studio to record a masterpiece of pop/folk with an incredible all-star band that included Gene Clark (The Byrds), Doug Dillard (The Dillards), Carol Kaye and Bernie Leadon. Produced by Doug Weston with beautiful arrangements by Jimmy Bond, this amazing collection of tunes between pop and traditional roots music became his last studio album to date.
Mastery – Valis LP (The Flenser)
As its name and sigil demands, Mastery is a vessel to ascend the partial mind; one impulsive and chaotic, the other of collected illumination. A meditation unto the will subconscious. The solo black metal entity is the product of mastermind Ephemeral Domignostika (Pale Chalice, Pandiscordian Necrogenesis, Horn of Dagoth).
Mirage – Blood For The Return LP (Olde English Spelling Bee)
Mirage is the project of Robin Nydal, a 19-year old Los Angeles native who began putting his recordings on Bandcamp earlier this year. Blood For The Return is the first collection of his songs. He’s been labeled as a “soft-prog impresario” for the scrappy yet highly intricate compositions that weave between solo recordings and collaborations with guest musicians. The instrumentation sidesteps that of the traditional guitar/bass/drums rock band and includes piano, cello, viola, violin, oboe, and timpanis.
M.O.P. – Street Certified LP (Nature Sounds)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Lil Fame and Billy Danze are back with a new album. Executive produced by DJ Premier, Street Certified is full of the raw, unfiltered hip-hop. Features guest appearances by Maino, Busta Rhymes, and Mobb Deep.
Nature – Nature [Reissue/1972] LP (Subliminal Sounds)
Reissue of the 1972 debut from Swedish underground psychedelic hard rock band.
No-Man – Together We’re Stranger [Reissue/2003] LP (Kscope)
No-Man – Schoolyard Ghosts [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Kscope)
Originally released in 2003, Together We’re Stranger saw No-Man (the duo of Tim Bowness and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson) further extending the reach of its panoramic soundscapes and cracked, mournful, ballads. Both vinyl reissues have been expanded with bonus tracks.
No Love – Dogs b/w Wolves 7” (Sorry State)
New single featuring lady-fronted melodic punk like the Avengers meets the Buzzcocks. Forget garage, d-beat, KBD, and all your other retro micro-genres, No Love plays capital “P” Punk.
Occultation – Silence In The Ancestral House LP (20 Buck Spin)
The apparition known in physical form as Occultation materializes with its second full-length LP, Silence In The Ancestral House, expanding on the twisting, malformed post-punk and cast-iron dark doom first revealed through its Three & Seven debut. Under the light of the moon Occultation creeps, crawls and crushes like a many-tentacled abomination using seductive power and hypnotic conjuring on the nine curses contained within. For fans of Negative Plane, early Black Sabbath, Italian doom metal of the ‘80s.
Ono – Machines That Kill People [Reissue/1983] LP (Priority Male)
Ono – Ennui [Reissue/1986] LP (Priority Male)
The legendary experimental group’s debut album, Machines That Kill People, captures their unique mixture of love pulsations from the deep end of odd, no-wave guitar collage clatter, churning and clanging repetition, exuberant freak-flag-flying, and powerful quasi-sermonizing cautiously and passionately delivered by legendary frontman Travis. Their second LP, Ennui, further experiments with atmospherics and sparser compositions. Travis belts out gospel-tinged Beefhart-ian sermons over post-Gristle clatter, filtering traditional hymns through after-war points-of-view, remnants of post-modern abstract punk, and Western world queer counterculture. ONO’s theatrical attributes shine heavily and give noticeable nods to Pere Ubu while also scrambling their influences beyond recognition.
Yoko Ono & John Zorn – Blink 10” (Chimera Music)
One-sided 10” with etched B-side. A wild improvisation by two masters. Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of David Garland’s Spinning On Air radio program, Yoko performed “Blink,” an improvisation with saxophonist John Zorn, live on WNYC at the station’s Greene Space on November 14, 2012. The duo has performed together on just a couple special occasions, and this is the only one to be recorded and released.
Phoenix – United [Reissue/2000] LP (Rhino)
Phoenix – Alphabetical [Reissue/2000] LP (Rhino)
Phoenix – It’s Never Been Like That [Reissue/2006] LP (Rhino)
Vinyl reissue of Phoenix’s first three albums.
Pink Section – Pink Section LP (Superior Viaduct)
Named after San Francisco Chronicle’s pink-hued arts and entertainment guide, Pink Section coalesced at SF Art Institute and performed their first show at the legendary Deaf Club on Valentine’s Day, 1979. These self-taught musicians existed on the fringe (even in the local underground scene), producing an unusual brand of off-kilter post-punk against a backdrop of Dadaist aesthetics. This first-time retrospective LP collects the band’s rare 1979 single, the self-titled EP, unreleased demos and live material.
Jonny Polonski – The Other Side Of Midnight LP (Sound Science Industries)
In 1996 Johnny Polonsky signed a record deal with Rick Rubin. He has worked with Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Maynard James Keenan (Tool), Cedric Bixler (The Mars Volta) and many more. Polonsky’s new record, The Other Side Of Midnight, is 35 minutes of strange and beautiful, melodic, sci-fi bliss written and performed entirely by Jonny.
Aria Prayogi & Fajar Yuskemal – The Raid [OST] LP (Death Waltz)
Fajar Yuskemal and Aria Prayogi’s original score to The Raid. Directed by Gareth Evans, this explosive masterpiece of Indonesian uber-action has already been recognized as one of the greatest action films ever made, but few people know that when it was released in the UK and US, its music was replaced in favor of a score by Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Joseph Trapanese. Quite frankly, the original score kicks its successor’s ass, hard. Pressed on gray vinyl.
Rectal Hygenics – Ultimate Purity LP (Permanent Records)
Second long player from Chicago’s nastiest noise rock misanthropes. For fans of Drunks With Guns, Flipper, Twin Stumps, Rusted Shut, Unholy Two.
Sandrider + Kinski – Sandrider + Kinski LP+MP3 (Good To Die)
Brand new split LP featuring five unreleased tracks from Seattle heavyweights Sandrider and veteran psych rockers Kinski.
Ty Segall/Black Time – Black Time/Ty Segall [Reissue/2009] LP (Telephone Explosion)
Originally released in 2009, the Ty Segall/Black Time split LP highlights a dichotomy between two vastly different musical climates. Ty Segall plants himself firmly in the California sun with seven unreleased (and reverb-drenched) tracks. Black Time infiltrates their side like a disorienting British fog, stumbling through six songs in a most cacophonous way.
Shopping – Consumer Complaints [Reissue/2013] LP (Fat Cat)
Shopping utilizes propulsive bass lines, primitive disco-not-disco drums and guitar lines sharp as broken glass. The band was formed in 2012 by members Rachel Aggs (guitar), Billy Easter (bass) and Andrew Milk (drums), who’ve all done time in a plethora of notable UK DIY bands including Trash Kit and Wet Dog. They pull from a well of ‘70s post-punk with a voraciousness seldom seen these days, bringing to mind the jagged aggression of Gang Of Four, the voracious yelp of The Slits and the dance inducing thrust of Delta 5 and ESG.
Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (XL)
Vinyl reissue of Sigur Rós’s second (best) album. (Reissue of Von due March 31.)
Sir Lord Von Raven – The Age Of Machines 2xLP (Guitars And Bongos)
Four sides of soulful psych-rock, effervescent boogie and heartbreakingly beautiful, oldies-inspired rock & roll.
Jonny Telefone – Romeo Must Cry LP (Chapter Music)
Perhaps best described as post-apocalyptic R&B. “To know the extent of Jonny Telafone’s derangement, you need a glimpse of the Canberra-to-Melbourne transplant’s live show. He chugs a couple pints, tears off his shirt as if it were his skin, holds his fists up in the air, and proclaims that after the set, all will cease to exist. He evokes not a drawn-out apocalyptic disaster, but an instant Rapture, without the promise of salvation. Everything plays from a backing track but his vocals, each agonizing word strangled and stretched and refusing to come until Telafone forces it out. Beating his pale, hairless chest, just an eyelash away from crying, he comes off like Xiu Xiu without the bloodshed.” — Pitchfork
Nedelle Torrisi – Advice From Paradise LP (Ethereal Sequence)
Nedelle Torrisi is a singer with a voice for the ages and a songwriter who would fit in at the Brill Building. Her most recent album Advice From Paradise is the brainchild of Torrisi and producer Kenny Gilmore, guitarist/keyboardist/drummer/secret-musical-mastermind with Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Gilmore plays most of the instruments on Advice, a labor of love more than two years in the making, cut between tours and other engagements. Let us be clear: this all-heart, no-gimmick album is truly excellent — somewhere between Carole King and Sade.
Various Artists – Back From The Grave Volume Two [Reissue/1983] LP (Crypt)
Fully remastered and in luscious deluxe gatefold edition, Crypt’s second offering in their Back From The Grave series features cuts by The Lyrics, The Canadian Rogues, The Unrelated Segments, The Outsiders, The Mods, The Hatfields, The Reasons Why, Ralph Nielsen & The Chancellors, The Novas, The Mystics, The Children Of Darkness, plus more.
Various Artists – Back From The Grave Volume 6 [Reissue/1985] LP (Crypt)
Fully remastered and in exotic deluxe gatefold edition, Crypt’s sixth offering in their Back From The Grave series, features tracks by: The Shames, Long John & The Silvermen, The Keggs, The Beaux Jeans, The Savoys, The Shames, The Golden Catalinas, Billy & The Kids, The Shandels, The Byrds, plus more.
Various Artists – The Three Blind Mice 45 Box 6xLP (Impex)
Three Blind Mice was a Japanese jazz label set up by producer Takeshi Fujii in 1970. The label focused on Japanese jazz artists and, like Blue Note, was renowned for the quality of its recordings (most of which were recorded by engineer Yoshihiko Kannari) and artwork. This HQ-180gm 45rpm audiophile vinyl collector’s box set contains three of the label’s most sought-after titles (each double-LP): Blow Up by Isao Suzuki Trio, Midnight Sugar and Misty, both by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio.
Alan Watts – This Is It [Reissue/1962] LP (Numero)
Released in 1962, this is an imaginative cacophony of percussion, non-verbal chanting, and free-flowing expression, punctuated occasionally by leisurely passes at a terrestrial piano, marimba, or French horn. It is at once, experimental, intellectual, and experiential. Three years before Ken Kesey’s inaugural Acid Test, this constitutes the first transmission for a tuned-in counterculture of hippies, beats, and psychedelic revolutionaries of all stripes.
Cassettes:
Sir Richard Bishop – Tangier Sessions (Drag City)
New album from the singer/guitarist best known for his work with the Sun City Girls. Tangier Sessions tells the oft-told tale: while traveling abroad, nobleman meets guitar. Guitar is too expensive for nobleman and outraged, he departs. Nobleman quietly returns several days later for guitar but still can’t bring himself to pay the price. Yet nobleman can’t get guitar out of mind (he’s never heard anything like it) — so nobleman buys guitar, then travels the world with it, enchanted, and makes this album while in Tangier.
-bOb- – The Technical Academy Plays –bOb- (Fixture)
Electronic instrumental album originally made in 1991 composed and played completely by algorithmic bots in an Atari computer. Programmer -bOb- wrote a series of bots that functioned as musicians, each with its own virtual instrument and set of limitations. They were taught to read and interpret chord progressions, create a groove, and even respond to the notes that their companion bots played.
Cosby – Mirror Box (100% Silk)
East Coast audio curator Will Creason’s recording alias inevitably exudes a darker resonance in light of recent events, but coincidentally so does his latest sheaf of Cosby cuts, Mirror Box. Inspired by an amalgam of “real and imagined locations” ranging from the Strip District to Surfers Paradise, the album’s six songs stalk starker and steelier circuits than his previous work, from the glassy, paranoid dub of “Mirror Box” to the hollow powder rush of “Gold Coast” to the twitchy trio of bleakly jacking EBM B Side tracks. Each piece is a spiraling ice-slide further inside its own event horizon, cyclical and relentless. Play loud and long after the sun goes down.
King Woman – (The Flenser)
King Woman is fronted by former Whirr vocalist Kristina Esfandiari. The group’s debut Doubt unfurls lugubriously, blossoming into a haunting sprawl of crushing, slo-mo miserablism. Imagine some twisted fusion of PJ Harvey, sunn O))) and Black Sabbath. Churning washes of crumbling distortion and tar-pit riffage drift grimly through billowing clouds of dense, layered thrum; roiling backdrops for Esfandiari’s throaty, bewitching vocals.
Policy – The Republic (100% Silk)
Last summer Francis Hsueh (aka Policy) revisited his childhood neighborhood in Taipei, where his parents settled briefly after fleeing China when the communists seized power in 1949. Despite its legacy of displacement and diaspora, he felt a communion by riding the city’s MRT train through hazily remembered suburbs and landscapes: “The sounds of urban life, of people going someplace, made sense no matter who or where I was.” This “steady thump of movement” led to the creation of The Republic, an essentially unbroken 50-minute piece of music, with each section named after stations along Taipei’s subway.
Potions – Phased (100% Silk)
Recorded primarily using “MIDI technology of decades past” (not for nothing was his debut LP called MIDI Jazz Bass), the album slips and slides through jittery cyborg jazz, disjointed lounge-fusion, siphoned acid, and dubby, dissolved house, a bubbling beaker of fluid synthetic textures. The off-kilter percussion programming gives each piece a pleasingly unstable voltage, skewing the equilibrium in whooshes of phaser and stereo rainstick.
Various Artists – Friends In Low Places: Heavy Vibes Internationale (Eolian Empire)
Fiends In Low Places: Heavy Vibes Internationale is a gnarled calling card, more than 50 minutes of noisy rock, sludge, doom, punk, hardcore, metal, you-name-it from champions of the international heavy underground in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Fifteen bands bash away on fifteen stark, aggressive, noise-laden tunes worked over with smarts and wicked humor on this compilation of exclusive tracks, an eclectic and electric collection of heavy, noisy, weird, outsider, and underground music from around the world.
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