New Releases for February 24, 2023

AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:

Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance CD (Interscope)

Gracie Abrams’s debut album Good Riddance, produced and co-written by her frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner of The National, finds Abrams documenting her emotional experience with more precision and impact than ever before. As she narrates the end of a fractured relationship and all the confusion, frustration, and longing that come with it, the 23-year-old artist achieves a new level of lyrical honesty and self-possession – an element fully reflected in her quietly captivating vocal work.

Algiers – Shook CD/2xLP+MP3 (Matador)

The world got shook. So, Algiers formed a crew. The band – who have built one of the most exciting catalogs and cult followings of recent years, with 2020’s There Is No Year described as “electrifying and unpredictable” (The Observer) and “precise, thoughtful and powerful” (NME) – gathered a posse of like-minded artists to create their fourth album, Shook. Stacked with guests spanning icons through to future stars, Shook is a lightning rod for an elusive yet universal energy and feeling. A plurality of voices; a spiritual and geographical homecoming; a strategy of communion in a burning world; the story of an end of a relationship; an Atlanta front porch summer party. Ultimately, it’s a 17-track set of the most mind-expanding and thrilling music that you are likely to hear anytime soon.

Gina Birch – I Play Bass Loud CD/LP (Third Man)

As a founding member and one-half of The Raincoats’ core duo since 1977, Gina Birch is a punk icon with a pop sensibility, an art-schooled adventurer who has painted, filmed, and created music by her own rules for over 45 years – using her visual art to tell stories, charging raw recordings with concepts. Her history converges onto her first solo album, I Play My Bass Loud, its title evoking her singular approach to her instrument as well as an ethos. She won’t hang back or play a supporting role. On I Play My Bass Loud, Gina takes center stage. “The album distils my years of musical, political and artistic life with these genre breaking songs” says Gina Birch, “It’s a personal diary using sounds and lyrics, full of fun, rage and storytelling.” [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Bria – Cuntry Covers Vol. 2 CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

As its name suggested, the intimate and sultry Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 was always going to have a follow-up. Led by the brooding vocals of Bria Salmena, Cuntry Covers Vol. 2 is every bit as potent as its predecessor whose noir-inflected alternative country-rock stood in sharp contrast to the singer’s commanding delivery as leader of post-punk revivalists FRIGS. Debuting the project in 2021, the languid, reverb drenched Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 saw her artfully collaborating with multi-instrumentalist Duncan Hay Jennings and reimagining a carefully picked collection of Americana anthems. Vol. 2 pushes the envelope further and harder. Encompassing feverish takes on tracks by Gillian Welch, Paula Cole, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Robert Lester Folsom, Glenn Campbell – by way of Nick Cave – and the late, great Loretta Lynn, Bria’s deliciously dark approach shimmers through these six startling songs. [A limited-edition ‘Loser Edition’ red color vinyl pressing is available.]

Gorillaz – Cracker Island CD/LP (WB)

Gorillaz’s eighth studio album Cracker Island finds the Damon Alborn-led virtual juggernaut joined by special guests Thundercat, Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Tame Impala, Bootie Brown, Bad Bunny, and Beck. The genre-jumping 10-track collection is introduced by the upbeat title cut featuring Thundercat and the more psychedelic-tinged “New Gold” featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. The lore of Gorillaz also continues here: Murdoc, Noodle, Russel, and 2D have relocated to Silver Lake, California as they recruit new members to join ‘The Last Cult’, in search of the one truth to fix the world. Reports from the Golden State indicate that Murdoc is in love with the lady next door. Russel is glued to the TV. Noodle is compiling a handbook of wisdom and knowledge. And 2D is busy being 2D. [An indie store exclusive purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

Insomnium – Anno 1696 CD (Century Media)

Few bands bring together sounds of darkness, melody, and musicality like Finland’s Insomnium. With Anno 1696, the ninth installment in their sonic explorations that include masterworks like Shadows Of The Dying Sun (2014) or Winter’s Gate (2016), Insomnium continues to weave together bitter branches of sound that set the standard for nightmares to come. From the sweeping soundscapes and spare chords that open the record with the track “1696” to the sonic storm cloud and deathly snarl of “White Christ”, the haunting “Godforsaken”, the catchiness of “Lilian” to the album’s epic closer, “The Rapids”, Anno 1696 is a soundtrack of intensity and despair that pulls you in and never let’s go. A tour de force of Finnish melancholy. [Vinyl edition due March 17.]

Lucero – Should’ve Learned By Now CD/LP (Thirty Tigers)

It would be difficult to find a band that is more self-aware than the longtime touring band Lucero. Since forming in Memphis in the late ‘90s, Lucero’s base musical hallmarks have remained like the band’s initial sound established with their first record The Attic Tapes. In the history of their expansive discography, Lucero has evolved and embraced everything from southern rock to Stax-inspired Memphis soul, whilst simultaneously maintaining their distinctive sonic foundations. Years later, dedicated fans of the group still flock to hear the band’s punchy driving rhythms, punk-rooted guitar licks, and lyrics that evoke the whiskey drenched sentimentality of Americana singer-songwriters. For their twelfth record, Should’ve Learned By Now, Lucero drew on a lot of work from their past. Literally. By adapting songs and guitar parts that had been left over from the group’s previous two albums, Lucero was able to construct one of its most comprehensive works to date. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]

Real Friends – There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late CDEP/12” (Pure Noise)

“Having embedded new vocalist Cody Muraro in 2021’s Torn In Two, Real Friends has returned with another set of emotionally-charged pop-punk/pop-rock scorchers. Citing bands such as The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, and Jimmy Eat World as influences behind the writing of There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late, the Illinois group firmly weave those influences into their brand of pop-punk.” – Sean Reid, Punktastic [An indie store exclusive blue w/ purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

U.S. Girls – Bless This Mess CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)

U.S. Girls operates on a uniquely out-of-time wavelength, alternately wronged and rueful, classic but contemporary, bruised vignettes of poetic Americana through a feminist lens. Bless This Mess marks both a divergence from and deepening of Meg Remy’s songbook, more at peace with her restless truths and moods. Long-time collaborator (as well as vocal engineer, multi-instrumentalist, husband, and co-parent) Maximilian Turnbull plays a key role facilitating these fluid muses. As artists and partners their rapport at this point is thoroughly symbiotic, able to tap into subtle veins of humor and heaviness, rhythm, and reverie.

Additional Social Media Program Titles:

Alborosie – For The Culture CD/LP (Greensleeves)

International reggae star Alborosie embarks on his first west coast tour since 2019. For The Culture was released in 2021 on CD and vinyl. This will be his first tour of the US performing songs from the album.

The Police – Around The World DVD+LP (Mercury Studios)

Around The World: Restored & Expanded follows The Police on their first world tour in 1979 and 1980, as they visit six continents building their fanbase show-by-show, country-by-country, song-by-song. In between the performances, the film offers a jovial glimpse of the band as they travel around the world and their visits to local sights. Available here on DVD for the first time, Around The World is presented with restored picture and remastered audio and includes complete performances of four songs featured in the documentary. The never-before-released live audio on the LP format of Around The World: Restored & Expanded offers performances of songs from the first two Police albums, as performed in Japan, Hong Kong, and England. The passion that would soon make them the biggest band in the world is on full display. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Gruff Rhys – The Almond & The Seahorse 2xLP (Rough Trade)

Written and performed by Gruff Rhys for the award-winning independent movie The Almond & The Seahorse, this soundtrack is an encapsulation of what makes both the Welsh music icon and this film captivating and timeless. The Super Furry Animals frontman has created a double album that reflects the charm, melancholy and poignancy of the Rebel Wilson and Charlotte Gainsbourg-starring feature; showcasing the easy warmth and beauty Rhys finds with a piano and guitar, weaved between moving instrumental interludes and a handful of cosmic pop songs for good measure. Perhaps most reminiscent of the opus created by Badly Drawn Boy for the movie About A Boy, the record spans the breadth of Rhys’ songwriting talents.

CDs + Vinyl:

7.H. Target – Yantra Creating CD (Willowtip)

7 H. Target is a band that breaks the standard death metal formula, creating unique all-out aggression combined with abstract and atmospheric forms. The Yantra Creating album is a conceptually new stage in the development of the band, both musically and lyrically, performing a mixture of brutal/slam/tech death metal with Indian influences.

Gracie Abrams – Good Riddance CD (Interscope)

Gracie Abrams’s debut album Good Riddance, produced and co-written by her frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner of The National, finds Abrams documenting her emotional experience with more precision and impact than ever before. As she narrates the end of a fractured relationship and all the confusion, frustration, and longing that come with it, the 23-year-old artist achieves a new level of lyrical honesty and self-possession – an element fully reflected in her quietly captivating vocal work.

Algiers – Shook CD/2xLP+MP3 (Matador)

The world got shook. So, Algiers formed a crew. The band – who have built one of the most exciting catalogs and cult followings of recent years, with 2020’s There Is No Year described as “electrifying and unpredictable” (The Observer) and “precise, thoughtful and powerful” (NME) – gathered a posse of like-minded artists to create their fourth album, Shook. Stacked with guests spanning icons through to future stars, Shook is a lightning rod for an elusive yet universal energy and feeling. A plurality of voices; a spiritual and geographical homecoming; a strategy of communion in a burning world; the story of an end of a relationship; an Atlanta front porch summer party. Ultimately, it’s a 17-track set of the most mind-expanding and thrilling music that you are likely to hear anytime soon.

Dierks Bentley – Gravel & Gold CD/2xLP (Capitol Nashville)

Bentley’s tenth studio album includes 14 songs and features duets with Ashley McBryde and Billy Strings. His latest hit single, “Gold”, is currently rising on the Country charts.

Big Brave – Nature Morte CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)

Big Brave, the elemental ensemble of guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie, guitarist Mathieu Ball, and drummer Tasy Hudson, harness an earthen heaviness composed of distorted and textural drones, austere bombast, and Wattie’s heart-rending voice. Like recent collaborators The Body, Big Brave is at the forefront of reconfiguring the landscape of heavy music. The trio brandish sparseness and density like weapons, cast tense atmospheres with languid tempos and mutate feedback into eruptions of enveloping tempests. Nature Morte sharpens Big Brave’s ferocity and expansive sound into emotional elegies for the disenfranchised, wringing abstracted textures and pure fire into songs of unfathomable mass.

Gina Birch – I Play Bass Loud CD/LP (Third Man)

As a founding member and one-half of The Raincoats’ core duo since 1977, Gina Birch is a punk icon with a pop sensibility, an art-schooled adventurer who has painted, filmed, and created music by her own rules for over 45 years – using her visual art to tell stories, charging raw recordings with concepts. Her history converges onto her first solo album, I Play My Bass Loud, its title evoking her singular approach to her instrument as well as an ethos. She won’t hang back or play a supporting role. On I Play My Bass Loud, Gina takes center stage. “The album distils my years of musical, political and artistic life with these genre breaking songs” says Gina Birch, “It’s a personal diary using sounds and lyrics, full of fun, rage and storytelling.” [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Black Dog – Music For Real Airports CD/3xLP (Dust Science)

Music For Real Airports is a multimedia art project by musicians The Black Dog and interactive artists Human which is presented in art galleries. It is also a new album of music by The Black Dog. It is a response to the reality of occupying the semi-public space of an airport, and a contemporary reply to Brian Eno’s work from the ’70s. Airports are important and revealing. They are dystopian microcosms of a possible future society. The necessity of safety requires that they be systems of human control which only elevate the stress of their transient occupiers. Airports promise travel, exploration and excitement but endlessly break that promise with their stale, tedious pressure. They are intense and overwhelming environments.

Booker T & The M.G.s – Green Onions [Reissue/1972] CD/LP (Atlantic)

2022 marked the 60th Anniversary of this pivotal single and album by pioneering soul/funk house band-turned-international supergroup, who reimagined the soul landscape with their Memphis sound.

Bria – Cuntry Covers Vol. 2 CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

As its name suggested, the intimate and sultry Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 was always going to have a follow-up. Led by the brooding vocals of Bria Salmena, Cuntry Covers Vol. 2 is every bit as potent as its predecessor whose noir-inflected alternative country-rock stood in sharp contrast to the singer’s commanding delivery as leader of post-punk revivalists FRIGS. Debuting the project in 2021, the languid, reverb drenched Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 saw her artfully collaborating with multi-instrumentalist Duncan Hay Jennings and reimagining a carefully picked collection of Americana anthems. Vol. 2 pushes the envelope further and harder. Encompassing feverish takes on tracks by Gillian Welch, Paula Cole, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Robert Lester Folsom, Glenn Campbell – by way of Nick Cave – and the late, great Loretta Lynn, Bria’s deliciously dark approach shimmers through these six startling songs. [A limited-edition ‘Loser Edition’ red color vinyl pressing is available.]

Broken Fate – Fighters & Dreamers CD/LP (Lucky Bob)

New album from the Swiss metal band. For fans of Metallica, Volbeat, Killswitch Engage, Five Finger Death Punch, Nickelback.

Tim Carman Trio – Key Lime CD/LP (Color Red)

Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Key Lime, Tim Carman Trio’s debut LP, is no-frills, timeless, B3 organ trio jazz. Inspired by ‘60s icons like Big John Patton, Jimmy Smith, Brother Jack McDuff, Ben Dixon, Donald Bailey, Roy Haynes, Kenny Burrell, and Grant Green. Tim Carman (drums), Ken Clark (organ), and Steve Fell (guitar) harken back to an age where blues, gospel, jazz, and soul music combined and simmered in barrooms across the country.

Crime And The City Solution – Shine [Reissue/1988] CD/LP (Mute)

Crime And The City Solution – The Bride Ship [Reissue/1989] CD/LP (Mute)

Crime And The City Solution – Paradise Discotheque [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (Mute)

A band out of time, Crime And The City Solution were perennial outsiders who could not rest in their native Australia, and instead found inspiration in the colder climes of London and Berlin. Their mesmeric, expressive music evolved through many incarnations and a great deal of adversity. The first incarnation of the band appeared in 1977/’78, during Australia’s nascent punk scene and re- grouped in London in 1984. After the departure of the Rowland brothers and Epic Soundtracks, the line-up settled upon the making of Shine with singer Simon Bonney, Einstürzende Neubauten’s guitarist Alexander Hacke, DAF’s synth player Chrislo Haas, jazz bassist Thomas Stern, violinist Bronwyn Adams and Bad Seed’s Mick Harvey on drums. [Limited-edition color vinyl pressings are available.]

Dark Embrace – Dark Heavy Metal CD/LP (Massacre)

Dark Heavy Metal is a metal manifesto, aggressive and melodic, triumphant, and convincingwith unique sounding vocals, amazing guitars, fiery drums, and grandeur symphonies.

Death Valley Girls – Islands In The Sky CD/LP (Suicide Squeeze)

For the better part of a decade, LA’s scrappy rock n’ roll mystics Death Valley Girls have used their music as a means of tapping into a communal cosmic energy. On albums like Glow In The Dark (2016), Darkness Rains (2018), and Under The Spell Of Joy (2020) the band challenged the soul-crushing banality of modern society and celebrated “true magical infinite potential” through a collage of scorching proto-punk riffs, earworm melodies, far-out lyrics, and lysergic auxiliary instrumentation. But on their latest album Islands In The Sky, Death Valley Girls’ songwriting mastermind Bonnie Bloomgarden uses the band’s anthemic revelries as a guidebook to spiritual healing and a roadmap for future incarnations of the self. [A neon orange w/ green splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]

Paco de Lucia – Paco de Lucia: The Montreux Years CD/2xLP (BMG)

Live archive release, a collection of Paco de Lucía’s finest live performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival recorded between 1984 to 2012.

Iris DeMent – Workin’ On A World CD (Flariella)

On her transcendent new record, Workin’ On A World, Iris DeMent faces the modern world – as it is right now – with its climate catastrophe, pandemic illness, and epidemic of violence and social injustice – and not only asks us how we can keep working towards a better world, but implores us to love each other, despite our very different ways of seeing.

En Attendant Ana – Principia CD/LP/Cassette (Trouble In Mind)

Parisian quintet en Attendant Ana’s third album Principia is without a doubt their best yet. Bandleader Margaux Bouchaudon’s voice anchors many of the songs on “Principia”. The songs were composed from a place of confusion about the state of the world and their place in it, looking outward and inward for answers. [A limited-edition peach color vinyl pressing is available.]

Kate Fagan – I Don’t Wanna Be Too Cool CD/LP (Captured Tracks)

“In the ’70s, Kate Fagan reveled in the energy of punk and new wave on dance floors in London and New York before drifting to Chicago, where she picked up a bass guitar and invented her own plucky minimalist sound. Her 1980 song ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Too Cool’ became a best-seller at the legendary Wax Trax! Records. This new expanded version of Captured Tracks’ 2016 reissue features four unheard, ahead-of-their-time tunes slathered in precious melodies and rhythms that lean into early house music territory.” – Jen B. Larson, author of Hit Girls: Women Of Punk In The USA, 1975-1983

Sam Gendel – Cookup CD/LP (Nonesuch)

Sam Gendel’s Cookup is a 2023 album comprising interpretations of R&B and soul hits originally released between 1992 and 2004. As with his 2020 album Satin Doll, Gendel recorded Cookup in his native California with his friends and collaborators Gabe Noel and Philippe Melanson; the trio again adopts an approach of simultaneous synchronized sonic construction/deconstruction of the album’s source material, which this time includes songs by Ginuwine, 112, Aaliyah, All-4-One, Soul 4 Real, Beyoncé, Joe, Erykah Badu, Mario, SWV, and Boyz II Men.

Godsmack – Lighting Up The Sky CD/LP (BMG)

Eighth studio album from the multi-platinum Grammy-nominated hard rock band. Co-produced by vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna and Andrew “Mudrock” Murdock (Avenged Sevenfold, Alice Cooper), Lighting Up The Sky is a testament to the band’s powerful storytelling.

Gorillaz – Cracker Island CD/LP (WB)

Gorillaz’s eighth studio album Cracker Island finds the Damon Alborn-led virtual juggernaut joined by special guests Thundercat, Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Tame Impala, Bootie Brown, Bad Bunny, and Beck. The genre-jumping 10-track collection is introduced by the upbeat title cut featuring Thundercat and the more psychedelic-tinged “New Gold” featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. The lore of Gorillaz also continues here: Murdoc, Noodle, Russel, and 2D have relocated to Silver Lake, California as they recruit new members to join ‘The Last Cult’, in search of the one truth to fix the world. Reports from the Golden State indicate that Murdoc is in love with the lady next door. Russel is glued to the TV. Noodle is compiling a handbook of wisdom and knowledge. And 2D is busy being 2D. [An indie store exclusive purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

Erik Hall – Canto Ostinato CD/LP (Western Vinyl)

In the fall of 2021, Simeon ten Holt’s Canto Ostinato was reborn in a ‘solo version for seven keyboards’. During the weeks leading up to the birth of his son Lark, Erik Hall moved methodically among the instruments in his recording studio, conducting a multi-track conversation with himself and the piece’s score. Ten Holt composed Canto Ostinato between 1976 and 1979. The rhythmic motif (ostinato) repeated over its entire length has a limited number of printed notes. It is up to the performers how to play them, for how long, where to place accents, etc. In the score, the composer calls on musicians to interact and evaluate, to fuse sounds and colors into one cohesive musical universe.

John Lee Hooker – Burnin’ [Reissue/1962] CD/LP (Craft Recordings)

The expanded 60th anniversary CD edition of John Lee Hooker’s electrifying blues classic, Burnin’, offers both stereo and newly mixed mono versions of the album. Audio has been remastered from the original analog tapes. The track list features the King of the Boogie’s signature hit, “Boom Boom,” plus a previously unreleased alternate take of “Thelma,” captured during Hooker’s 1961 session. The 180gm vinyl pressing is comprised on the stereo mix and is available in an store exclusive red colorway.

The Host – IX CD (Nuclear Blast)

New project featuring Paradise Lost vocalist Nick Holmes and guitarist Greg Mackintosh. [An ocean blue w/ black color vinyl pressing is due March 10.]

Ill Sugi – ZYPressen CD/LP (Urbnet)

Ill Sugi has been DJ’ing in Tokyo since 2006, and has gained international popularity, particularly throughout Europe and North America. In addition to working with prominent artists in Japan, such as Budamunk on the 2016 release Spirit Of The Golden Era. Ill Sugi has released beat releases on Cold Busted, Radio Juicy, and Jazzy Sport and collaborated with the likes of Bugseed and San Francisco’s Dregs One. ZYPressen is a ten-track instrumental album featuring his signature laid back and dreamy rhythmic sounds.

Insomnium – Anno 1696 CD (Century Media)

Few bands bring together sounds of darkness, melody, and musicality like Finland’s Insomnium. With Anno 1696, the ninth installment in their sonic explorations that include masterworks like Shadows Of The Dying Sun (2014) or Winter’s Gate (2016), Insomnium continues to weave together bitter branches of sound that set the standard for nightmares to come. From the sweeping soundscapes and spare chords that open the record with the track “1696” to the sonic storm cloud and deathly snarl of “White Christ”, the haunting “Godforsaken”, the catchiness of “Lilian” to the album’s epic closer, “The Rapids”, Anno 1696 is a soundtrack of intensity and despair that pulls you in and never let’s go. A tour de force of Finnish melancholy. [Vinyl edition due March 17.]

Italia 90 – Living Human Treasure CD (Brace Yourself Records/Republic Of Music)

Italia 90 release their debut album Living Human Treasure. The London based four-piece has released a number of singles and EPs since their breakthrough and have steadily built a cult following. They’ve received critical acclaim from publications such as DIY Magazine and The Quietus, as well as extensive coverage at BBC 6music. [Vinyl edition TBD.]

Thomas Köner – Daikan [Reissue/2002] CD/2xLP

The Earth is burning, covering all environments in ashes. Smoke comes to us from computers-from social networks accelerating the spread of burnt effects, damaging our ability to feel and respond to what the planet strives to express. We need to cool down. Thomas Köner’s music can help change the pace of our perceptions. In Daikan – a Japanese term meaning “the coldest” or “the coldest part of the year” – the ear stretches until touching the depth of time that persists in the ice; a sonic drama offers the slowness thanks to which the skin of perceptions can reconstitute themselves; icequakes awaken listeners to the frozen life without scaring them.

Adam Lambert – High Drama CD (BMG)

Renowned for re-imagining songs from American Idol to his stirring viral hit with Cher’s “Believe”, Adam Lambert – the Grammy-nominated pop icon, LGBTQ trailblazer and Queen front man – brings you High Drama, a wonderfully diverse collection of covers with a twist, held together by Adam’s once-in-a-generation voice and trademark flair. Songs range from the more recent, Pink’s “My Attic”, Billie Eilish’s “Getting Older”, an epic rock re-imagining of Lana Del Rey’s “West Coast”, to the beautiful interpretation of Noel Coward’s classic “Mad About The Boy”. Two more standout tracks are the atmospheric take on Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World”, and a gloriously camp, glam rock version of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero”. [Vinyl edition due March 31.]

Logic – College Park CD/Cassette (BMG)

New album from the Maryland-based rapper. Features guest appearances from RZA, Redman, Joey Bada$$, Norah Jones, Bun B, Lil Keke, Statik Selektah, Seth MacFarlane, and more. [Vinyl edition due June 16.]

Loki’s Folly – Sisu CD/LP (Kitten Robot)

Loki’s Folly is an indie-punk trio comprised of two young sisters and a brother from South Minneapolis who like to play loud music that makes them happy. For a three-piece outfit, they make a very big sound that is all their own.

The Lowest Of The Low – AGITPOP [Reissue/2019] CD (Sonic Envy)

The Lowest Of The Low – Taverns And Places [Reissue/2021] CD (Sonic Envy)

AGITPOP is the fifth album released by Canadian band, Lowest Of The Low. The record is very much a product of its time; a collection of protest songs that speak to what’s going on in the world. Taverns And Palaces is a double live album featuring two eleven-song sets that span the entire catalogue of the band’s thirty-year career. [Vinyl editions due March 10.]

Lucero – Should’ve Learned By Now CD/LP (Thirty Tigers)

It would be difficult to find a band that is more self-aware than the longtime touring band Lucero. Since forming in Memphis in the late ‘90s, Lucero’s base musical hallmarks have remained like the band’s initial sound established with their first record The Attic Tapes. In the history of their expansive discography, Lucero has evolved and embraced everything from southern rock to Stax-inspired Memphis soul, whilst simultaneously maintaining their distinctive sonic foundations. Years later, dedicated fans of the group still flock to hear the band’s punchy driving rhythms, punk-rooted guitar licks, and lyrics that evoke the whiskey drenched sentimentality of Americana singer-songwriters. For their twelfth record, Should’ve Learned By Now, Lucero drew on a lot of work from their past. Literally. By adapting songs and guitar parts that had been left over from the group’s previous two albums, Lucero was able to construct one of its most comprehensive works to date. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]

Lynch Mob – Rebel [Reissue/2015] CD/LP (Deadline Music)

The muscular sixth album from George Lynch’s long-running hard rock project gets revamped for a new era of metal mayhem. [Several vinyl colorways are available.]

Madness – The Dangermen Sessions [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (Union Square)

Released last September on vinyl – now available on CD. The Dangermen Sessions is the eighth studio album from Madness. Originally released in August 2005, the album consists of cover versions of reggae and ska tracks such as Prince Buster’s “Girl Why Don’t You” and Desmond Dekker and the Aces “Israelites”, alongside ska covers of tracks including The Supremes “You Keep Me Hanging On” and The Kinks “Lola”.

Maerzfeld – Alles Anders CD/LP (Metalville)

New album from the German group originally started as Rammstein tribute band. [A limited-edition ‘fan box’ edition includes the album on CD, a bandana, sticker, sunglasses, and autograph card is available. Also available: red vinyl colorway.]

Christian McBride’s New Jawn – Prime CD/2xLP (Brother Mister Productions)

Christian McBride’s New Jawn – trumpeter Josh Evans (Jackie McLean, Cedar Walton, Rasheid Ali), saxophonist and bass clarinetist Marcus Strickland (Roy Haynes, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Chris Dave, Bilal, Robert Glasper), and drummer Nasheet Waits (Jason Moran, Joe Lovano, John Medeski) – is back with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Prime, the follow-up from McBride’s Grammy nominated Philly-centric named group. Featuring original compositions from each band member as well as fresh takes on songs from Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman and Larry Young, this group offers an exhilarating space of exploration for McBride to stretch his veteran wings.

Miss Grit – Follow The Cyborg CD/LP+MP3 (Mute)

Follow The Cyborg, the debut album from Korean American musician Miss Grit, moves towards deeper electronic sound and is a sonic leap forward for the artist, occupying a world of chaotic electronic experimentation and stirring electric guitars. [A limited-edition smokey marble color vinyl pressing is available.]

Motörhead – Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic [Reissue/2015] 2xCD/2xLP (Motörhead Music)

Motörhead the iconic godfathers of heavy metal, released their 23rd (and final) studio album Bad Magic in 2015. Instantly hailed as one of the best the beloved trio had recorded in many years, Bad Magic: Seriously Bad Magic enjoys a bonus-packed refresh, adding two previously unreleased tracks from those furious sessions – “Bullet in Your Brain” and “Greedy Bastards” – as well as a snarling, fangs-out live performance from that subsequent tour at the giant Fuji Rock Festival in Japan in 2015. Fans will also get “War, Love, Death and Injustice”, an audio interview with Lemmy conducted by Motörhead expert Robert Kiewik during the tour.

Naughty By Nature – 19 Naughty III [Reissue/1993] CD/2xLP (Tommy Boy)

Despite being an excellent debut album, Naughty By Nature was pegged as a one-hit wonder by some; after all, they’d never duplicate the inescapably catchy “O.P.P.”. But when 19 Naughty III was released on February 23, 1993, with the lead single “Hip Hop Hooray”, the group proved that they could recreate that magic. Celebrating its 30th Anniversary, the album has been certified platinum and “Hip Hop Hooray” has become a hip hop anthem.

The Necks – Travel CD/2xLP (Northern Spy)

Travel, the 19th studio album by Australian improvisational trio The Necks, documents their recent practice of starting each day in the studio with a 20-minute trio improvisation. The recordings offer some of their most ecstatic and captivating music cut to tape. As bassist Lloyd Swanton puts it: “It’s a really nice communal activity to bring us together in focus each day, and some lovely music has resulted from it. ” Although a straight “live” improvisation has never been recorded in the studio by the band, these tracks (save for some light overdubs/post-production) feel closest to what they’ve been doing live for more than 30 years now.

Okonski – Magnolia CD/LP (Colemine)

The studio at 122 West Loveland Avenue was not an unfamiliar space for Steve Okonski, the leader of his eponymous trio Okonski. Ever since the Colemine label set up shop in Loveland, Ohio it has been a host to several groups passing through town, including Durand Jones and the Indications who all of this trio’s members have connections to. After setting aside some time in winter of 2020, Okonski, trained initially as a classical pianist, invited Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery and Aaron Frazer to work on an album that was initially planned to be beat driven and fully composed trio instrumentals. Magnolia was composed from the heart and from the spirit of those in the studio those late nights in Loveland. It is the culmination of an emotional and artistic release that was not afforded or recognized before the band sat at their instruments, and because of that it is introspective, meditative, spiritual, and new. [A limited-edition cream swirl vinyl pressing is available.]

Dougie Poole – The Rainbow Wheel Of Death CD/LP (Wharf Cat)

Today Dougie Poole announced his upcoming record The Rainbow Wheel Of Death. The album, Poole’s third, is more realized than any of his other records to date. Recorded straight to tape Dougie approached this record as it came to him, naturally, with his vocals and the lyrics at the forefront. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

Real Friends – There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late CDEP/12” (Pure Noise)

“Having embedded new vocalist Cody Muraro in 2021’s Torn In Two, Real Friends has returned with another set of emotionally-charged pop-punk/pop-rock scorchers. Citing bands such as The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, and Jimmy Eat World as influences behind the writing of There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late, the Illinois group firmly weave those influences into their brand of pop-punk.” – Sean Reid, Punktastic [An indie store exclusive blue w/ purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

Roxanne – Stereo Typical CD/LP (Rat Pak)

Coming off the heels of their sophomore release Radio Silence, Stereo Typical marks Roxanne’s third studio album and showcases 10 all new rock tracks that clearly shows a band building on its established foundation while incorporating new and exciting elements. Featuring appearances by King’s X front man dUg Pinnick (“Only A Call Away”), Jeff Scott Soto (“Keep On Keepin’ On”) and guitar legend Paul Gilbert (“Looks Like Rain”), Stereo Typical delivers a tasteful palette of musical colors and solid musicianship.

Shame – Food For Worms CD/LP (Dead Oceans)

If Songs Of Praise was fuelled by pint-sloshing teenage vitriol, then Drunk Tank Pink delved into a different kind of intensity. Wading into uncharted musical waters, emboldened by their wit and earned cynicism, they created something with the abandon of a band who had nothing to lose. Having forced their way through their second album’s identity crisis, they arrive, finally, at a place of hard-won maturity. Enter: Food For Worms, which Steen declares to be “the Lamborghini of shame records.” It marks a sonic departure from anything they’ve done before, abandoning their post-punk beginnings for more eclectic influences, drawing from the tense atmospherics of Merchandise, the sharp yet uncomplicated lyrics of Lou Reed and the more melodic works of ‘90s German band, Blumfeld. [A translucent purple color vinyl pressing is available.]

Archie Shepp – Yasmina, A Black Woman [Reissue/1969] CD/LP (Charly)

Yasmina, A Black Woman is a jazz album by Archie Shepp, recorded in 1969 in Paris. It features musicians from the Art Ensemble of Chicago. The first track, giving its title to the album, is a long free jazz piece by an 11-piece orchestra; in it, the references to Africa that Shepp had experimented with only a few weeks earlier in Algiers are to be found in the use of African percussion instruments, or the African incantations sung by Shepp himself at the beginning of the track. The other two pieces, a homage to Sonny Rollins written by trombonist Grachan Moncur III and a standard, played by a more traditional quintet and quartet respectively, are more reminiscent of the hard bop genre, although the fiery playing of the musicians, notably Shepp himself, gives them a definite avant-garde edge.

The Shootouts – The Shootouts CD/LP (The Shootouts)

The Shootouts continues to follow the Americana band’s mission statement of embracing the various roots of country music while filtering it through the lense of a band from Northeast Ohio. It features special guests Asleep At The Wheel, Raul Malo, Jim Lauderdale, Buddy Miller, and Marty Stuart. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]

Siena Root – Revelation CD (Atomic Fire)

“Dynamic root rock experience” is the term that Siena Root uses to describe its music, and it is exactly this experience what makes the Swedes’ album “Revelation” so attractive for the listener: an uncompromising mixture of mesmerizing rhythms, heavy riffs, beautiful solos and emotional vocals.

Small Faces – There Are But Four Small Faces [Reissue/1967] 2xCD/LP (Charly)

Small Faces – Small Faces [Reissue/1967] 2xCD/LP (Charly)

Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nutgone Flake [Reissue/1968] 2xCD/LP (Charly)

In the period from 1966 to 1968 the English rock band Small Faces released three studio albums and after the reunion two studio albums in the period 1977 to 1978. [A limited-edition single-disc color vinyl pressing of There Are But Four Small Faces and Small Faces is available.]

Steel Panther – On The Prowl CD/LP/Cassette (Steel Panther Inc.)

From the opening synth intro of “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)” to the thunderous outro of “Sleeping On The Rollaway”, Steel Panther is back with the infectious riffs, pounding drums, unforgettable vocals alongside the witty humor that has earned them a global audience. Songs like “On Your Instagram”, “Magical Vagina” and “One Pump Chump” are sure to fit in on the biggest live stages next to the band’s most memorable songs. [An indie store exclusive autographed vinyl edition is available.]

Tarja – Best Of: Living The Dream 2xCD+Blu-ray/2xLP/3xCD+4xLP+Blu-ray (earMUSIC)

Best Of Tarja: Living The Dream contains the Nightwish lead vocalist’s personal favorite rock tracks from her six studio albums: My Winter Storm, What Lies Beneath, Colours In The Dark, The Brightest Void, The Shadow Self and, In The Raw. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available as well as a deluxe box set featuring four picture disc vinyl LPs, three CDs, Blu-ray, six art prints, two posters, and art print signed by Tarja.]

U.S. Girls – Bless This Mess CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)

U.S. Girls operates on a uniquely out-of-time wavelength, alternately wronged and rueful, classic but contemporary, bruised vignettes of poetic Americana through a feminist lens. Bless This Mess marks both a divergence from and deepening of Meg Remy’s songbook, more at peace with her restless truths and moods. Long-time collaborator (as well as vocal engineer, multi-instrumentalist, husband, and co-parent) Maximilian Turnbull plays a key role facilitating these fluid muses. As artists and partners their rapport at this point is thoroughly symbiotic, able to tap into subtle veins of humor and heaviness, rhythm, and reverie.

Various Artists – The Best Of Wattstax CD (Craft Recordings)

Various Artists – The Complete Concert 6xCD (Craft Recordings)

Various Artists – Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection 12xCD (Craft Recordings)

The Best of Wattstax celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic Wattstax event by bringing together twenty of the best performances from the 1972 L.A. Memorial Coliseum event. Hand-picked by Stax Records the album features live performances from legendary artists including Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, The Bar-Kays, Kim Weston, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Albert King, Eddie Floyd and more. Wattstax: The Complete Concert features the full Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum show with speeches and other talk from the stage across six CDs. The twelve-CD Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection features 31 previously unreleased tracks, with material from the Summit Club and other additional recordings. The 76-page, full-color book in the set also features an introduction by Wattstax creator Al Bell, plus new essays by Rob Bowman and A. Scott Galloway.

The Vogues – At Co & Ce – The Complete Singles & More CD (Omnivore)

Now here for the first time, the A- and B-sides to all eight original Vogues singles from 1965-1967 have been collected on The Vogues At Co & Ce – The Complete Singles & More. This compilation marks the CD debut of material that has been unavailable for nearly 60 years. In addition to those singles, the set also includes seven tracks from 1996’s out-of-print You’re The One: The Best Of The Vogues (The Co & Ce Sessions), featuring songs written by P.F. Sloan/Steve Barri, Roger Christian/Barry Mann/Cynthia Weill, and Don & Dick Addrisi.

Rick Wakeman – A Gallery Of The Imagination CD/2xLP/CD+2xLP+DVD (Madfish)

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman releases his new concept album, A Gallery Of The Imagination. The conception of the album began at the age of five. Rick’s childhood piano teacher, Mrs. Symes, taught him that musicians with instruments are like artists with paint; something that Rick carried through his life, creating sonic paintings through his composition. Just as you might find a vast array of styles in an art gallery, Wakeman presents a plethora of musical aesthetics throughout the record. Inspired by the menagerie he created; Rick recalled the advice of his beloved teacher & has presented these tracks as pictures in a gallery. [A limited-edition silver color vinyl pressing and a deluxe box set edition is available.]

Eleri Ward – Keep A Tender Distance CD (Ghostlight)

Eleri Ward is a New York City-based actor, singer, and musician. In early 2021, she recorded, produced, and released her first full-length indie-folk Sondheim album A Perfect Little Death to much critical acclaim. Now Eleri is back with her second album of indie-folk Sondheim covers, Keep A Tender Distance. The album “captures in her performances the vast, unquenchable longing at the heart of the master’s work.” – The New York Times

Wax Tailor – Fishing For Accidents CD/LP (Lab’oratoire)

After the dark The Shadow Of Their Suns released in 2021, Wax Tailor takes us with Fishing For Accidents, on a brighter and more colorful side without ever betraying his universe and his convictions. A multi-recidivist talent scout, he gathers around him a prestigious cast ranging from hip hop (Mick Jenkins, Mr. Lif, Kuf Knotz, Lojii, Napoleon Da Legend, Ill Conscious, Voice Monet, David Bars, Mattic) to the indie rock scene (Jennifer Charles, singer of the legendary band Elysian Fields and Victoria Bigelow). With one eye on the past and the other on the horizon, Wax Tailor instills the incandescence of an organic sound and distills his art of sound anachronism in a wide gap between nostalgia and modernity that has made him one of the leaders of the international electro hip hop scene for over 20 years.

Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) [Reissue/2013] CD (Snapper)

The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) is the third solo album by British musician Steven Wilson, originally released in 2013. Each track on the album is based on a story of the supernatural. Alan Parsons, who had previously been involved in the creation of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon was responsible for engineering the album. [Vinyl reissue due March 17.]

The Yardbirds – The Best Of The Yardbirds LP (Charly)

The Yardbirds blend of blues, rock and psychedelia paved the way for heavy rock. The definitive introduction to one of the UK’s most successful and influential groups of the ‘60s. This comprehensive band overview draws on the hugley important Giorgio Gomelsky recordings that defined the sound of The Yardbirds during their pivotal period 1963 through 1966. The distinctive and groundbreaking blues style of Eric Clapton features on half these tracks, whilst Jeff Beck and his pioneering brand of swaggering, ear-bending, psychedelic rock takes lead guitar duties on the rest. [A limited-edition translucent blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Mui Zyu – Rotten Bun For An Eggless Century CD/LP (Father/Daughter)

As Mui Zyu, Hong Kong British artist Eva Liu navigates the tricky territory of ever-changing identity, merging fantasy and folklore to create a stage for self-acceptance and deliverance. On her debut full-length Rotten Bun For An Eggless Century, Liu utilizes chopped-up soundscapes, delicate industrial ambience and sweet pop melodies to introduce a character-a guide-who can be stretched across worlds to offer the catharsis of patience, perseverance and understanding.

DVD + Blu-ray:

The Police – Around The World DVD+LP (Mercury Studios)

Around The World: Restored & Expanded follows The Police on their first world tour in 1979 and 1980, as they visit six continents building their fanbase show-by-show, country-by-country, song-by-song. In between the performances, the film offers a jovial glimpse of the band as they travel around the world and their visits to local sights. Available here on DVD for the first time, Around The World is presented with restored picture and remastered audio and includes complete performances of four songs featured in the documentary. The never-before-released live audio on the LP format of Around The World: Restored & Expanded offers performances of songs from the first two Police albums, as performed in Japan, Hong Kong, and England. The passion that would soon make them the biggest band in the world is on full display. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

222 – Song For Joni LP (Studio Mule)

A pure journey inward into the headspace of an artist, that reveals his gaze at the earthly zones he walks in: Song For Joni, the new album by Japanese musician Shunji Mori, brings pure natural music full of artificial nuances who create in conversation with analogue tones a new kind of musical nature, loaded with vibrant seasons, unknown to us, the unwise humans. Moreover, the album is a fine continuation of Japan’s rich ambient leaning music traditions, carrying them into Lorren Connor’s-like pending guitar galaxies.

5 Seconds Of Summer – 5SOS5 2xLP (BMG)

White color vinyl pressing of the 2022 release from Australian pop-rock band.

a-ha – Hunting High And Low 6xLP (BMG)

This new six-LP vinyl edition offers the same audio content as the four CDs in the 2015/2019 sets, bringing an amazing array of demos, alternates, and remixes to vinyl for the very first time. The audio is the 2015 remasters. It comes with a 64-page booklet featuring extensive sleeve notes and photography.

Isabelle Antena – en Cavale [Reissue/1986] LP (Numero)

After Belgian electro-samba wunderkinds Antena split at the end of 1985, singer Isabelle Antena immediately shed her cold wave crown for a sophisticated pop princess tiara. On 1986’s Martin Hayles-produced en Cavale, echos of Madonna and city pop abound, with a lipstick stain of L80s Euro dance and spilled cosmopolitan’s worth of bossa nova stirred in for good measure. This elegant second chapter of a French pop diva has been expanded to include Antena’s shelved Island Records demo, adjacent B-sides, and rarities, plus an expansive essay and previously unpublished photographs. [A silver colorway is available.]

Ash – Nu-Clear Sounds [Reissue/1998] LP (Echo Label Limited)

Nu-Clear Sounds is the second studio album by Northern Irish rock band Ash, originally released in 1998. A garage rock record, the New York Dolls, the Rolling Stones and the Velvet Underground inspired the album.

Asia – Fantasia, Live In Tokyo 2007 3xLP (BMG)

The classic reunion album, Fantasia, Live In Tokyo 2007 features the original lineup of Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton.

Autechre – Confield [Reissue/2001] 2xLP+MP3 (Warp)

Autechre – Draft 7.30 [Reissue/2003] 2xLP+MP3 (Warp)

Vinyl reissues of the sixth and seventh albums from the pioneering English electronic/IDM duo.

The Bad Plus – The Bad Plus LP (Edition)

Released last September on CD – now available on vinyl. Twenty-one years after making their landmark debut as a genre exploding piano-bass-drums trio, the always adventurous group have reinvented themselves as a dynamic quartet.

Banshee – Fairy Metal LP (Deathbomb Arc)

Banshee’s heaviest material to date, Fairy Metal, takes cues from folk metal, black metal, and power metal while expanding on the lyrical themes she has explored over the last four years, all through a high fantasy lens.

Nessa Barrett – Young Forever LP (WB)

Released last October on CD – now available on pink color vinyl. Fueled by a haunting pop soundscape, Nessa Barrett’s debut album Young Forever showcases dramatic vocals and emotional anthems. Never one to shy away from the tough issues, Nessa has only become more dedicated to using her platform as a source of healing. That’s evident with every passing track, including “Madhouse” and “Die First”, and it’s something she’s clearly intent on continuing to explore to craft her legacy.

Blue Moon Marquee – Scream, Holler & Howl LP (Blue Moon Marquee)

Released last September on CD – now available on red color vinyl. Scream, Holler & Howl shines a bright spotlight on the prodigious talents of A.W. Cardinal (vocals and guitar) and Jasmine Colette (upright bass/vocals), along with several high-profile special guests that include Duke Robillard’s guitar, Darcy Phillips’ piano and a three-piece horn section. For more than nine years Blue Moon Marquee has been writing and performing music influenced by anything that swings, jumps, dances or grooves across Europe, the US, and their native Canada.

The Bonedaddys – Archaeology 12” (SSMG)

Recently unearthed recordings of The Bonedaddys’ live sessions from 1985. Theirs is a signature marriage of African and Caribbean rhythms to the grit and heart of the 1980s music scene. Two colorways are available.

David Bowie – A Divine Symmetry 7” (Rhino/Parlophone)

This release brings together early mixes of Hunky Dory tracks originally featured on the BOWPROMO album in 1971 along with new alternative Ken Scott mixes to create an alternative version of the Hunky Dory album and also featuring the session outtake “Bombers” in the track listing.

Irving Bush – Trumpet And Drum [Reissue/2020] LP (SSMG)

Lovingly crafted to vinyl from the original 1975 master tapes, Trumpet And Drum is a collection of American patriotic standards played, as the name suggests purely by a duo of trumpet and drum. Irving Bush was a well-known trumpet player throughout the recording studios, sound stages and concert halls of Los Angeles.

Chancha Via Circuito – La Estrella LP (Wonderwheel)

Argentinian artist Chancha Via Circuito (aka Pedro Canale) releases his fifth full length, La Estrella. Cutting his teeth early at Buenos Aires’s legendary ZZK digital cumbia parties, the Chancha moniker became known worldwide as the originator of the cumbia-inspired electronic music that takes cues from environmental sounds and South American folkloric traditions. Pedro’s musical progeny include names such as Nicola Cruz, El Búho, Dengue Dengue Dengue, King Coya and many more.

Eric Church – The Outsiders [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (EMI Nashville)

Blue color vinyl pressing. The Outsiders was originally released in February 2014 and reached #1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts. It went on to be the best-selling country album of 2014 and the tenth best-selling album (all-genres) in 2014.

Climax – Climax [Reissue/1972] LP (Reel)

180gm coconut color vinyl pressing. As a somewhat overlooked gem of early ‘70s ballad rock, Los Angeles-based soft rockers Climax boast some of the biggest breakout hits of their time. Fronted here by the illustrious Sonny Geraci this album features 1972 hit “Precious And Few” amongst a number of other arcane classics.

The Cult – Love [Reissue/1985] LP (Beggars Banquet)

The Cult is fronted by Ian Astbury on vocals and Billy Duffy on guitar. Their music and albums at this point need no introduction as they have cemented themselves over the years since they began in 1983, as one of the greatest rock bands around. Love is the Cult’s second album, originally released in 1985. [An indie store exclusive red colorway is available.]

Tha Dangla – Straight Max’n [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (NBN)

Vinyl reissue of a G-Funk gem by San Francisco rapper Tha Dangla.

The Desert Rose Band – The Desert Rose Band [Reissue/1987] LP (Curb)

The Desert Rose Band’s eponymous debut demonstrated that Chris Hillman’s new band could continue his country-rock tradition effortlessly. Throughout the record, the Desert Rose Band turns in tight performances, highlighted by brief, tasteful instrumental solos, and yearning vocals.

DJ Khaled – God Did 2xLP (Epic)

Released last August on CD – now available on vinyl. DJ Khaled’s God Did features an A-list cohort of friends. For the first time ever, he collaborates with Dr. Dre and The ICU in addition to joining forces with Eminem, Future, Kanye West, SZA, 21 Savage, Lil Wayne, Lil Durk, Roddy Ricch, Travis Scott, Latto, City Girls, Kodak Black, Quavo, Takeoff, Gunna, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Buju Banton, Skillibeng, Capelton, Fridayy, Don Toliver, Jadakiss, Nardo Wick, Vory, John Legend, and the late Juice WRLD. He also reunites with Drake, JAY-Z, and Rick Ross, while his sons Asahd and Aalam guest and co-Executive Produce once more.

Drumetrics – Phuzzle 12” (Drumetrics)

Introducing a fuzzed-out EP inspired by heavy-syncopated and minimal instrument layered library records from the early 1970s. Intentionally composed for producers and DJs to utilize open single solo instruments sprinkled throughout the EP. The theme is to find those open sounds and sync them together as they have the same tempo. Creating a puzzle for you to solve and complete.

Electric Wizard – Dopethrone [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Rise Above Limited)

Double vinyl LP pressing. Dopethrone is a doom metal album by the British band Electric Wizard, originally released in 2000.

Dennis Farnon – Cavendish Series Vol. 3 7” (KingUnderground)

Dennis Farnon – Cavendish Series Vol. 4 7” (KingUnderground)

KingUnderground presents a stunning collection of eight releases pressed onto 7″ vinyl from the Cavendish Music catalogue. Paying homage to the genre of Library Music, furthering its exposure to a new generation of listeners. Library Music experienced its heyday in the ‘60s and ‘70s, as thousands of instrumental tracks were produced by musicians and composers for the purpose of placements in radio, television, and film. This rich piece of European music history would go on to inform genres to come and speak heavily to the jazz, funk, and hip-hop communities of the future.

Glenn Ferris Italian Quintet – Animal Love [Reissue/2018] 2xLP (SSMG)

The voyage is all at once beautiful, warm, wild, charming, aggressive, provocative, inviting, and mesmerizing. Its rhythms are eclectic, its tones are joyful, its beats are embodied, and its improvisation is nothing short of exhilarating.

The Field – Official 1996/1997 Sessions LP (Hip-Hop Enterprise)

The Field (later known as The Killin’ Field) was a duo out of Roxbury, Boston (also the home of Ed O.G.). They started out in the early ‘90s but didn’t release their first release until 1996, the tape-only Official Heavyweights EP. In 1997 they dropped another tape-only release with Big East Vol. 1 which is impossible to find these days.

Valentina Goncharova – Recordings Vol. 1: 1987 – 1991 2xLP (Shukai)

Historically informed violin player, prize-winning street musician, new age experimentalist, chamber ensemble performer and conservatoire deviant. The career of Valentina Goncharova shares parallels with those associated with the broader new music movement of the 20th century and the dissemination of home recording technologies.

Florida Georgia Line – Greatest Hits 2xLP (BMLG)

Sky blue color vinyl pressing. Opening a new era of anything-goes expression, Florida Georgia Line spent 10 years as one of country’s most influential acts and their first Greatest Hits package shows how. With 18 tracks (including three previously unreleased) of tailgate-dropping party anthems and tender ballads.

Sam Gendel – blueblue LP (Leaving)

blueblue is the 2022 full-length from multi-instrumentalist and all-around vibe wizard, Sam Gendel. The record is a concise, tightly wound song suite whose 14 tracks each correspond to a pattern within sashiko, a traditional style of Japanese embroidery. This conceit remains playfully ambiguous – to what extent, if at all, is Kagome (籠目, woven bamboo) meant to evoke the pattern of the same name, for example? But there is an intuitive sense, throughout blueblue, that Gendel has, in this instance, narrowed his focus. To say that blueblue feels richly textural might be a little on-the-nose, thematically, but alas… it does. There is an intimacy, a humility, and a strength at play here that typifies the work of a master craftsman. Only an artist could make it sound so effortless.

Goatwhore – Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven LP (Metal Blade)

The first new music from Goatwhore since 2017, Angels Hung From The Arches Of Heaven is 47 minutes of their trademark blend of death, black, thrash and sludge metal delivered with breathless intensity and an unrepentant bloodlust. Featuring beasts such as the savage “Born Of Satan’s Flesh” that thrashes along relentlessly and drips with evil, the old school crossover flavored “Death From Above” with its guttural chorus, and the epic, chilling title track that is as haunting as it is heavy they cover a lot of sonic territory, everything having that signature Goatwhore feel while constantly doing something a little different.

Vince Guaraldi – Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus [Reissue/1962] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)

This deluxe triple-LP set greatly expands Vince Guaraldi Trio’s landmark achievement, Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus, which includes the Grammy-winning hit, “Cast Your Fate To The Wind”, that reached #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. It features 16 bonus tracks including alternate takes and previously unreleased music along with new liner notes.

Hammers Of Misfortune – Overtaker LP (Cruz Del Sur Music)

John Cobbett brings back Hammers Of Misfortune for ten songs of virulent thrash tangling with 1970s progressive rock.

Hiero – Soil 12” (Someothaship)

Soil is the wavy debut EP from the Jamaican-born, Maryland resident, Hiero. The nine-track effort takes the listener on a hazy, lo-fi journey that feels as effortless as it does sublime. Featuring guest appearances from the fast-rising, West London-based emcee, Lord Apex, as well as former XXL Freshmen and Interscope Records’ recording artist, Charles Hamilton-whom Hiero produces for – Soil is an all-around underground gem.

Holy Hive – Harping [Reissue/2019] 12” (Big Crown)

The backbone for Holy Hive’s Harping is the accomplished harpist Mary Lattimore, who gives her learned heartfelt accompaniment to every song. There are guest vocals from one of their favorite songwriters Sasami on two tracks and a cast of lively characters assemble to add their lines – Dave Guy on Trumpet, Nick Movshon on bass, Katie Jacoby and Kristine Kruta on Strings, Leon Michels on Vibes, and finally Jens Jungkurth, Chris Connors, and Alex Deturk as sound sculptors. [An indie store exclusive turquoise color vinyl pressing is available.]

IDK – Is He Real [Reissue/2019] LP (Atlantic)

IDK – Usee4yourself [Reissue/2021] LP (Atlantic)

IDK – Simple. [Reissue/2022] LP (Atlantic)

Three albums from the Maryland rapper are now available on vinyl courtesy of Atlantic.

Ahmad Jamal – Live At Oil Can Harry’s [Reissue/1976] LP (Reel)

Recorded Live At Oil Can Harry’s is a live album by US jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, featuring four pieces recorded at Oil Can Harry’s (a nightclub in Vancouver) on August 13, 1976. It gives listeners an excellent example of the playing of pianist Ahmad Jamal in the mid-1970s. His group (comprised of guitarist Calvin Keys, bassist John Heard, drummer Frank Gant and Seldon Newton on conga) was temporarily larger than usual, and Jamal stretches out on three originals (including “Effendi”) and a lengthy remake of his biggest hit, “Poinciana”.

JoyCut – TheBluWave 2xLP (Pillowcase)

An interweaving of orchestral saturations and sound expansions steeped in narrative rhythmic landscapes and moving passages that quietly aim at lightness, and liberation from this civilization. There is a great amount of the East, Africa; there is absence and the sublime, and yet the depth of these ideological abysses is not intimidating, on the contrary, it asks us to peek inside, to get closer. Research through a musical language that once started from rock and psychedelia has evolved and has sought and found peaks in the instrumental, contemporary, and modern classical fields. [CD version due March 3.]

Ke$ha – Animal [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)

Ke$ha – Cannibal [Reissue/2010] LP (Sony Legacy)

Ke$ha – Warrior [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)

Expanded vinyl reissues of the electro pop singer/songwriter’s first two albums and 2010 EP Cannibal.

Ben E. King – Don’t Play That Song [Reissue/1962] LP (Atlantic)

The mono version of this 1962 collection featured five hits including “Stand By Me”, “Ecstasy”, “First Taste Of Love”, “Here Comes The Night”, and the title track, “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” and showcases the talents of the unforgettable king. Younger fans might recognize “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” as sampled in de la Soul’s “A Little Bit Of Soap” or KRS-One’s “Bring It Back”.

Kirlian Camera – The Desert Inside / Drifting 2xLP (Dependent)

The two classic Kirlian Camera EPs The Desert Inside (1997) and Drifting (1998) are in many aspects close to each other and by some even regarded as ‘twins’. They represent the final phase of the Italian electro-pioneers just before the amazing Elena Alice Fossi became the band’s permanent vocalist, but already revealing a fully matured and confident level of composition and sound. For the first time, The Desert Inside and Drifting are made available on vinyl in the shape of one album, which features a complete visual reimagination with a new artwork and layout. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]

Gladys Knight And The Pips – Gladys Knight And The Pips [Reissue/1965] LP (Charly)

Released in 1965, this is Gladys Knight And The Pips’ first and only studio album for Maxx Records. Gladys and this family foursome signed with Larry Maxwell’s label in 1964, and after several successful singles, Maxwell was responsible for taking the group to Motown. Pressed here for the first time in almost six decades; 12 soul sides full of grace and grit.

Lay Llamas & Juju – Flag The Breeze LP (Backwards)

This mini-LP is figured out like a sort of radio tuning listening session among FM stations and mysterious shortwaves transmissions. The tracks come out like from a hazy dimension and then melt again with alien lo-fi sounds from the unknown. Luminous and peaceful psych pop melodies meet exotic and ritual percussions recalling a strange surfer’s tribe on the beach around a campfire. A cosmic kraut sonic trip through the solar system to reach a Verne-sque underwater jungle. Here it talks about universal flags made of breeze, nocturnal burning, mixtures and potions for unknown fevers, and ancient sleeping plants.

Madness – The Liberty Of Norton Folgate [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Union Square)

Expanded double-LP edition. The Liberty Of Norton Folgate is the ninth studio album from Madness and widely considered to be their magnum opus. Originally released in May 2009, and taking nearly three years to make, the record was the first with the full band since 1999’s Wonderful and was developed as a concept album about the band’s hometown. The 10-minute long title track tells the history of a part of East London (Norton Folgate, near Spitalfields) which, for a period, remained free from the Crown’s ruling and was therefore referred to as a ‘liberty’, where normal rules of city life did not apply. The album finds the band in full creative flow, with song after song showcasing the maturity and depth of their songwriting prowess.

Vusi Mahlasela / Norman Zulu / Jive Connection – Face To Face [Reissue/2021] LP (Strut)

Strut revives a lost recording from the archives with this 2002 collaboration between acclaimed South African folk singer Vusi Mahlasela, singer songwriter Norman Zulu and Swedish jazz / soul collective Jive Connection.

The Mars Volta – De-Loused In The Comatorium [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Clouds Hill)

The Mars Volta – Frances The Mute [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Clouds Hill)

Vinyl reissues of the first two albums by the post At The Drive-In prog rock band featuring producer/guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala.

McC – The Dying Option LP (Vernal Wov)

Released last year on CD and cassette – now available on vinyl. An album best described as rock music from the world of dreams.

Memoriam – To The End [Reissue/2021] LP (Reaper Entertainment)

Marking the beginning of a second trilogy of albums, To The End serves as something of a prologue to the UK death metal band’s first three LPs.

Nas – Magic LP (Mass Appeal)

Limited green and black color vinyl pressing. Produced by Nas’ longtime collaborator Hit-Boy, Nas shares Magic, the transcendent nine-track album including “Wave Gods” ft. A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier. Magic follows the August 2021 release of Grammy nominated album, King’s Disease II.

Neutral Milk Hotel – The Collected Works Of Neutral Milk Hotel 4xLP+2×10”+3×7”+MP3 (Merge)

Neutral Milk Hotel – On Avery Island [Reissue/1996] 2xLP+MP3 (Merge)

Limited box set contains two-LP versions of the albums In The Aeroplane Over The Sea and On Avery Island (both in gatefold jackets – On Avery Island is also available separately), picture disc vinyl pressing of Live At Jittery Joe’s, two 10″ vinyl EPs, three 7″ vinyl singles, and two folded posters plus other inserts. The two full-length records that Jeff Mangum made as Neutral Milk Hotel sound both in and out of time. Like translations of a shared subconscious, 1996’s On Avery Island and 1998’s In the Aeroplane Over The Sea give voice to the perennial spirit of youthful epiphany, of beginning to see the world clearly, to process and express it- no matter when you encounter them. With lo-fi indie rock, accordion, singing saw, tape collages, the so-called “zanzithophone” and beyond, Neutral Milk Hotel created an eternal entry into their Elephant 6 scene and an enduring feeling of possibility.

NOFX – Double Album LP (Fat Wreck Chords)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. NOFX dropped Single Album in February 2021, and now the second half of the double album, appropriately titled Double Album, is finally released.

OFF! – First Four EPs [Reissue/2010] LP (Fat Possum)

OFF! – OFF! [Reissue/2012] LP (Fat Possum)

OFF! – Wasted Years [Reissue/2014] LP (Fat Possum)

Vinyl reissues of the first three albums by the band featuring former Black Flag and Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris.

Ohio Players – Honey [Reissue/1975] LP (Friday Rights MGMT)

Limited transparent red color vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. Honey is the seventh studio album by the Ohio Players, originally released in 1975. It is generally regarded as a classic, the band’s best album, and the last great full-length release of their dominant era in the mid-1970s.

Open Mike Eagle – Component System With The Auto Reverse LP (Otherground)

New album from the acclaimed rapper.

Steven Page – Excelsior LP (Idla)

Steven Page is recognized around the world as a top songwriter capable of bringing a tear to the eye and a fall-on-the-floor laugh, often both in the same song. Add to that he is a renowned performer with an iconic and powerful voice and numerous Top 10 songs over a 30-year career as an award-winning musician. Steven has been performing and releasing new, original music for the last decade as a solo artist and touring with the Steven Page Trio. Page’s recently released sixth solo album, Excelsior, is available on deluxe double-LP with etched image on the D side.

Owen Pallett – Has A Good Home [Reissue/2005] LP+MP3 (Domino)

Owen Pallett – He Poos Clouds [Reissue/2006] LP+MP3 (Domino)

Owen Pallett – The Two EPs LP+MP3 (Domino)

A remastered reissue of Owen Pallett’s early catalogue (originally released under the moniker Final Fantasy), including albums Has A Good Home (2005), He Poos Clouds (2006), and the two EPs Spectrum, 14th Century and Plays To Please (both 2008) combined into one 12″ full length release. Pallett has built a reputation on live virtuosity, as violinist for the many local Toronto bands, followed by the wild looped-violin songwriting solo project.

Art Pepper – Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section [Reissue/1957] LP (Craft Recordings)

Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section, originally released in 1957, features Pepper’s legendary sessions with the East Coast rhythm section for Miles Davis’s quintet. Produced by Lester Koenig and engineered by Roy DuNann, this stereo edition features all-analog mastering from the original tapes and is pressed on 180gm vinyl housed in a tip-on jacket.

Phantom Spell – Immortal’s Requiem LP (Cruz Del Sur Music)

The solo project of Seven Sisters’ Kyle McNeill, Phantom Spell recreates the wonderment and awe of 1970s prog rock on its breathtaking debut, Immortal’s Requiem.

The Police – Around The World DVD+LP (Mercury Studios)

Around The World: Restored & Expanded follows The Police on their first world tour in 1979 and 1980, as they visit six continents building their fanbase show-by-show, country-by-country, song-by-song. In between the performances, the film offers a jovial glimpse of the band as they travel around the world and their visits to local sights. Available here on DVD for the first time, Around The World is presented with restored picture and remastered audio and includes complete performances of four songs featured in the documentary. The never-before-released live audio on the LP format of Around The World: Restored & Expanded offers performances of songs from the first two Police albums, as performed in Japan, Hong Kong, and England. The passion that would soon make them the biggest band in the world is on full display. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]

Pretty Sick – Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile LP (Dirty Hit)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Pretty Sick’s debut album, Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile, was produced by indie rock legend Paul Q. Kolderie (Pixies, Hole, Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr.). Across these 12 tracks, vocalist and bassist Sabrina Fuentes grapples with her claustrophobic surroundings and the idea that the environment you exist in can be a matter of life and death.

Prohibited By Law Regiment – Marked For Death [Reissue/1992] LP (Hip-Hop Enterprise)

Prohibited by Law Regiment was a pioneering rap group from Anchorage, AK. They released their debut album Armed And Dangerous in 1990 through Seattle’s Black Emerald Records. They followed it up in 1992 by dropping their sophomore and last album, Marked For Death as the group disbanded soon after.

Pure Adult – II LP (Fat Cat)

II is the debut album from Brooklyn-based experimental rock duo Pure Adult, formed by Jeremy Snyder and Bianca Abarca. At the center of their music is the far-left political ethos and DIY attitude the pair share.

Gruff Rhys – The Almond & The Seahorse 2xLP (Rough Trade)

Written and performed by Gruff Rhys for the award-winning independent movie The Almond & The Seahorse, this soundtrack is an encapsulation of what makes both the Welsh music icon and this film captivating and timeless. The Super Furry Animals frontman has created a double album that reflects the charm, melancholy and poignancy of the Rebel Wilson and Charlotte Gainsbourg-starring feature; showcasing the easy warmth and beauty Rhys finds with a piano and guitar, weaved between moving instrumental interludes and a handful of cosmic pop songs for good measure. Perhaps most reminiscent of the opus created by Badly Drawn Boy for the movie About A Boy, the record spans the breadth of Rhys’ songwriting talents.

Jonathan Richman – Jonathan Sings! [Reissue/1983] LP (Omnivore Recordings)

Putting together a new Modern Lovers in 1980, with Greg Keranen (who played on the early records), drummer Micheal Guardabascio, Ken Forfia, Ellie Marshall, and Beth Harrington. The group toured and recorded through 1981-82, and in 1983 Jonathan Sings! (produced by Peter Bernstein, bassist for the renowned L.A. power pop band The Cretones) appeared on Sire Records. It was worth the wait. The album not only became an immediate fan favorite but placed at #8 in The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics poll, and NME put it at #19 in their Album of the Year list.

Leon Russell – Looking Back [Reissue/1973] LP (Reel)

180gm purple color vinyl pressing. Looking Back is an instrumental album demonstrating Russell’s virtuosity on the harpsichord. Much of the material arose from recording sessions in the mid- ‘60s. By the time this album was released, he was the biggest concert draw of 1973 by Billboard magazine.

Saint Etienne – Good Humor [Reissue/1998] LP (Heavenly)

Limited color vinyl LP pressing. 25th Anniversary edition. Good Humor is the fourth studio album by Saint Etienne, originally released in 1998. The album was a departure for the group, who had been associated with the indie dance genre. Tiger Bay, their previous album, had added many acoustic and orchestral elements but still belonged to the synthpop and dance genres, while Good Humor is more acoustic, having more in common musically with their 1993 hit single “You’re In A Bad Way”.

Phillip Selway – Strange Dance LP+MP3/2xLP+MP3 (Bella Union)

Founding member and drummer for Radiohead, Philip Selway’s third studio album, Strange Dance, sees him using all the craft and learning he has gathered over the last decade of solo work. This rich sonic broadness is constructed with a blend of strings, brass and synthesized sounds backed by a handpicked group of musicians that include Hannah Peel, Adrian Utley, Quinta, Marta Salogni, Valentina Magaletti and Laura Moody. [The limited-edition box set includes a second album LP, Liminal, which is a collection of music from Philip’s film scores available on physical exclusive to this edition. Both LPs are pressed on 140gm eco-mix vinyl. Also included is a 20-page booklet with session photos and lyrics, fourart prints by Stewart Geddes (signed and hand-numbered).]

Sick Of It All – Death To Tyrants [Reissue/2006] LP (Napalm)

Death To Tyrants is the eighth album by American hardcore punk band Sick Of It All, originally released in 2006. On this record, the band introduced a much heavier and stronger sound.

Shane Smith & The Saints – Coast [Reissue/2012] LP (Geronimo West)

Clear w/ gold color vinyl reissue of the debut album by the Austin TX alt-country band. Features appearances by fellow Texas underdogs Aaron Watson and Ryan Engleman.

Hank Snow – Let Me Go Lover: The Country Hits (1950-1962) LP (Acrobat)

Dubbed the “Singing Ranger”, Hank Snow was one of the most revered and successful country artists. An accomplished songwriter with a fine vocal, his influence transcended genre and his timeless travelling tales captured the imagination of everyone from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Emmylou Harris to Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Ray Charles. A true pioneer, the Nova Scotia-born performer became one of Music City’s most travelled ambassadors. This collection, which consists of 16 songs, focuses on the most prolifically successful part of his chart career in the USA.

Sote – Majestic Noise Made In Beautiful Rotten Iran LP (Sub Rosa)

Released last May on CD – now available on vinyl. With this album, Sote conjures magnificent new sound worlds with the power to fascinate and intrigue (The Wire). Majestic Noise Made in Beautiful Rotten Iran is an all-electronic affair, harmonically maximalist, predominantly symphonic-synthetic, requiring active listening. The making of this album was intentionally a very personal process, going into self-therapy territory at times, interpreting the composer’s contemplating mind dealing with tolerance, destruction, compassion, misery, grace and tyranny in an auditory manner. Some pieces function as challengers of musical structural habits, provoking the short attention span culture, others present a problem-solution scenario, collectively via a neoteric noise aesthetic and detailed melodic weaving. Ultimately, the objective was to engineer an assortment of works, awash with euphonic sound vivid in its essence, with a deep focus on various synthesis techniques within a compositional framework.

Soulrocca – In Good Company LP (Beat Art Department)

Boggiedown Base has been a producer and remixer since debuting as part of Die Reimbanditen in 1993. His CV includes productions for Die Coolen Säue/DCS, Albino, Chaoze One, and Die Deutsche Reimachse. In 2005 he met the Backspin-Magazine-DJ DJ 12 Finger Dan and the two formed a production duo. As Soulbrotha, the two produced mainly for and with American artists such as Sadat X from Brand Nubian, DJ Premier from Gangstarr, Large Professor, Big Shug, Blaq Poet, Masta Ace, Beneficience, Cella Dwellas, El Da Sensei, Kev Brown, Edo G and much more. The two met the producer Roccwell from Munich by chance. Through the common love for soul samples, hard drums, the clanking of the E-MU SP-1200, dope raps and spectacular cuts, the idea of a collabo-album came up. In Good Company is a celebration of the classic boom bap sound and comes up with top-class feature guests.

Greg Spero – Acoustic [Reissue/2020] LP (SSMG)

Available for the first time on audiophile 180gm vinyl and sourced from the original master tapes, SoundScapes Media Group has released the Acoustic album by keyboardist/composer Greg Spero in collaboration with his Tiny Records label. The album features Makaya McCraven on drums and Matt Ulrey on upright bass.

Stray Cats – Greatest Hits [Reissue/1992] LP (Curb)

Vinyl reissue of the 1992 compilation album from the rockabilly trio led by Brian Setzer.

The Strokes – The Singles – Volume 01 10×7” (Sony Legacy)

The Singles – Volume 01 is a 7” vinyl box set comprised of the 10 original vinyl singles released from the band’s first three studio albums. Utilizing the original singles artwork, the boxset includes standard black 7” pressings of “The Modern Age”, “Hard To Explain”, “Last Nite”, and “Someday”, off of Is This It (2001), “12:51”, “Reptilia”, and “The End Has No End” off of Room On Fire (2003), and “Juicebox”, “Heart In A Cage”, and “You Only Live Once” off of First Impressions Of Earth (2006) with their accompanying B-sides.

Superchunk – Everything Hurts b/w Making A Break 7”+MP3 (Merge)

In 2022, Superchunk released Wild Loneliness, their first album in four years. The collaborative energy of that record carried itself over into two songs that did not make the album, “Everything Hurts” and “Making a Break,” which now comprise a new 7”. Pink color vinyl.

Sure Sure – Spirit Mission LP (Org Music)

Spirit Mission is Sure Sure’s second full length album and the band’s most vulnerable and tender work to date. Written over the past few tumultuous years, the songs on Spirit Mission reflect the band members’ personal feelings and cover a wide range of themes. Breakups, attachment styles, love languages, spiritual fulfillment, nostalgia, anti-capitalist sentiments, and the tale of a funky yet misunderstood scientist who simply wants to dance, are all covered on the album. Sonically, Spirit Mission is a bit of a departure from Sure Sure’s traditional sunny sound, showcasing the band’s darker, psychedelic, and more mysterious side. [An indie store exclusive blue colorway is available.]

Hans Theessink – Pay Day [Reissue/2021] LP (Blue Groove)

“For our duo album Pay Day we went to Pinky’s paradise to record in a relaxed atmosphere in beautiful, inspiring surroundings in the hilly vineyards of southern Styria. Our recording engineer Thomas L”ffler brought in the equipment and set up a makeshift studio, connecting the rooms we were going to use. I really enjoyed singing and playing with Wilson – we had a ball. Wilson and I had picked songs for the session – some old, some new, some borrowed. The songs are bluesy with several excursions to related musical areas – it’s all music to us. We had lots of fun cooking up our special musical stew with all the natural ingredients, spices, and flavors – enjoy!”

They Might Be Giants – John Henry Demos LP+7” (Idlewild Recordings)

They Might Be Giants – My Murdered Remains [Reissue/2018] LP (Idlewild Recordings)

The John Henry Demos is collection of demos from They Might Be Giants’ fifth album, John Henry. The collection consists of full-band studio demos of every song from John Henry presented in album order, except for “Stomp Box” (which did not have a demo recorded). My Murdered Remains is TMBG’s 21^st album, originally released in 2018.

Thumbscrew – Multicolored Midnight 2xLP (Cuneiform)

Released last September on CD – now available on vinyl. Celebrating ten years of work, the all-star collective trio Thumbscrew celebrates by adding new instrumental hues to their already well-established sound on Multicolored Midnight, the group’s seventh album! An album laden with fully realized connections and reflections, Multicolored Midnight also provides tantalizing hints regarding Thumbscrew’s future explorations. Integrating new textures, sounds and concepts, Thumbscrew has turned into an essential all-terrain vehicle for three of improvised music’s most venturesome artists. After a decade of coaxing and inspiring each other, the trio’s musical universe just keeps expanding, and Multicolored Midnight sheds dazzling light on where they’ll be heading next.

Steve Vai – Vai/Gash LP (Favored Nations)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Vai shares, “This record was written and recorded in somewhat of a stream of consciousness in 1991 within perhaps a two-week period as an answer to my desire to have a particular kind of music to listen to when I was riding my Harley Davison Motorcycle with my friends. It’s reminiscent of a certain type of rock music I enjoyed as a teenager in the 1970s. These recordings sat on the shelf for over 30 years and are being released now in 2023.”

Various Artists – Adrian Sherwood Presents: Dub No Frontiers LP (Real World)

Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Dub No Frontiers is inspired by and features female vocalists that Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound label knew from the UK or had met while travelling around the world. Many of the singers said they felt the dub and reggae arena was a bit of a male preserve and a little intimidating even, so Sherwood decided to invite artistes to perform a song of their choice, all in non-English on his rhythm tracks. Vocalists include Likkle Mai, Rita Morar, Kerieva, Neyssatou, and Yehaiyahan.

Various Artists – Wattstax: The Living Word 2xLP (Craft Recordings)

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Wattstax event that took place at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972, Stax Records reissues Wattstax: The Living Word. These two LPs are cut from the original tapes by Chris Muth and feature performances by Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, The Bar-Kays, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Albert King and more.

Various Artists – Pop Ambient 2023 LP (Kompakt)

A contemporary product of relentless capitalism has been a trend called slowness for several years now. To counteract the perceived fast pace of the times in which we live with a little deceleration, sustainability and relaxation, phenomena such as Slow Food, Slow Travel, Slow Fashion or even Slow Cruising, the tourist sailing of the world’s oceans with somewhat smaller cruise ships “away from the mainstream”, have been introduced into the world. That slowness is more than the opposite of speed, that elements, things, sounds that move as if in slow motion unfold a special power, precision, aesthetics, and beauty, doesn’t need to be explained twice to ambient musicians. The 23rd edition of the Pop Ambient compilation, compiled as always by Wolfgang Voigt, is no exception, but instead provides the proof.

Bryce Vine – Carnival [Reissue/2019] LP (Sire/London/Rhino)

Bryce Vine presents a genre-bending, East Coast-meets-West Coast sound all his own, drawn in equal parts from the bass-heavy reality rap influence of his father, the bright, pop sensibility of his mother, and a childhood spent between New York and L.A. His keen blend of laid back, in-the-cut hip-hop and anthemic choruses prompted Entertainment Weekly to praise his “boundary-pushing aesthetic” and TIME to say he “sounds like the definition of cool,” while VIBE asserts, “You can’t put Bryce Vine in a box.” The inspirations for his 2019 major label debut, Carnival, run the gamut of the pop culture zeitgeist, lyrically referencing his favorite sci-fi TV shows, ‘90s nostalgia and commentary on growing up in L.A., while effortlessly fusing the punk spirit of Blink-182 with homages to Tupac and Outkast.

Muddy Waters – The Best Of Muddy Waters 1948 – 1956 LP (Acrobat)

Muddy Waters was one of the most important figures in post-war blues, influencing some of the most significant rock musicians of his era. He was one of the most prominent, in a relatively small coterie of performers, who effectively invented and defined the approach to amplified guitar-based blues, in the hotbed of the genre, Chicago, and much of what has happened since then reflects Muddy’s rich legacy. This 14-track collection, featuring such instantly recognizable numbers as “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man”, “Got My Mojo Working” and “I’m Ready”, offers an entertaining overview of his recordings aimed at the commercial market, especially in the context of an R&B scene which was changing rapidly during a decade and a half of musical evolution and revolution.

Junior Wells – Hoodoo Man Blues [Reissue/1965] LP (Delmark)

Blue color vinyl pressing. One of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to successfully capture the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. The Monday Blues Boys – guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, drummer Billy Warren – join Wells on his harp to create this raw, gutsy, uninhibited sound, yielding melodic memory-makers such as “Snatch It Back And Hold It”, “You Don’t Love Me, Baby”, “Chitlin Con Carne”, and others. Widely hailed as one of Wells’ finest achievements, the album has gone on to be Delmark’s highest-selling release of all time. And little wonder why: If not just Wells, Guy truly dazzles here on the guitar. Every blues lover will confirm this record as prerequisite stuff for Chicago Blues 101.

Koe Wetzel – Hell Paso LP (Columbia)

Hell Paso is the fourth full length album from genre-bending artist Koe Wetzel. The Northeast Texas-born singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer continues to unapologetically trail blaze as the ultimate country rockstar, bulldozing the boundaries between Nashville songcraft, rowdy Texas spirit, and rainswept Seattle hard rock.

Yarni & Give Me Monaco – Parenthesis LP (Emk)

Parenthesis was born out of the creative exchange between Yarni and GMM. The project wasn’t intended to become an album. More so a general swapping of ideas in the hope of composing some music and sharing each other’s experience in their musical fields. What started out as a few unfinished demos became the focal point of reflection. Not that the pandemic became the subject of the record, more so a coincidental catalyst that projected their initial muses to become completed bodies of work. The idea of a Parenthesis casting over the paused pieces became the core concept in which it flourished. Color vinyl.

Cassettes:

En Attendant Ana – Principia (Trouble In Mind)

Parisian quintet en Attendant Ana’s third album Principia is without a doubt their best yet. Bandleader Margaux Bouchaudon’s voice anchors many of the songs on “Principia”. The songs were composed from a place of confusion about the state of the world and their place in it, looking outward and inward for answers.

Logic – College Park (BMG)

New album from the Maryland-based rapper. Features guest appearances from RZA, Redman, Joey Bada$$, Norah Jones, Bun B, Lil Keke, Statik Selektah, Seth MacFarlane, and more.

Steel Panther – On The Prowl (Steel Panther Inc.)

From the opening synth intro of “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)” to the thunderous outro of “Sleeping On The Rollaway”, Steel Panther is back with the infectious riffs, pounding drums, unforgettable vocals alongside the witty humor that has earned them a global audience. Songs like “On Your Instagram”, “Magical Vagina” and “One Pump Chump” are sure to fit in on the biggest live stages next to the band’s most memorable songs.