Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Animal Collective – Time Skiffs CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)
Time Skiffs‘ nine songs are love letters, distress signals, en plein air observations, and relaxation hymns, the collected transmissions of four people who have grown into relationships and parenthood and adult worry. But they are rendered with Animal Collective’s singular sense of exploratory wonder. Harmonies so rich you want to skydive through their shared air, textures so fascinating you want to decode their sorcery, rhythms so intricate you want to untangle their sources. Here is Animal Collective’s past two decades, still in search of what’s next. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There CD/2xCD/2xLP+MP3/4xLP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Black Country, New Road release the second album, Ants From Up There. Following on almost exactly a year to the day from the release of their acclaimed debut For The First Time, the band have harnessed the momentum from that record and run full pelt into their second, with Ants From Up There managing to strike a skillful balance between feeling like a bold stylistic overhaul of what came before, as well as a natural progression. – For The First Time melded klezmer, post-rock, indie and an often-intense spoken word delivery. On Ants From Up There they have expanded on this unique concoction to create a singular sonic middle ground that traverses classical minimalism, indie-folk, pop, alt rock and a distinct tone that is already unique to the band. [An indie store exclusive autographed blue marbled color double-LP edition including a book is available. The deluxe double-CD and four-LP editions includes bonus live material, a booklet and a sticker.]
Hollis Brown – In The Aftermath CD/LP (Mascot Label Group)
Hollis Brown’s latest album, In The Aftermath, is the deliciously depraved outcome of an all-night rock ‘n’ roll riot. The Queens, New York-based quintet escaped to the Poconos to record with a few handles of whiskey, and, in one 24-hour session, ran down the Stone’s seminal first album of all originals, 1966’s Aftermath. Tracked live in the studio with minimal overdubs, In The Aftermath is potent proof the five-piece group is one of the last great American rock ‘n’ roll bands. The album is the second in a casual homage series. Previously, Hollis Brown issued, Gets Loaded, saluting Velvet Underground’s Loaded. This new album directly follows the band’s most successful release yet, 2019’s Ozone Park, which earned rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Paste Magazine, Pop Matters, Relix, and Goldmine.
Hippo Campus – LP3 CD/LP/Cassette (Grand Jury)
In the years between 2018’s Bambi and LP3, Minneapolis, Hippo Campus has grown up and into itself. Although the five-piece has been friends since middle school and put out several studio releases since its inception, it’s the new record, LP3, that’s the most honest portrait of who Hippo Campus is. It’s also a study in the nuances of growing up – coming to terms with mortality, the confusing journey of sexuality, bottoming out, seeing decisions from the night before in the harsh morning light; finding your identity as a person and as an artist — how that can be a collision of elation and shame, painful and joyful all at once. LP3 marks a sort of ego death – and ultimately feeling okay with that. [An indie store exclusive translucent purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Korn – Requiem CD/LP/Cassette (Loma Vista)
Korn follows-up their critically acclaimed 2019 release, The Nothing, with fourteenth album Requiem. Because of Covid and the inability to play live shows for the first time in the band’s illustrious career, Requiem was conceived out of very different circumstances than the majority of the band’s catalogue. It is an album born of time and the ability to create without pressure. Energized by a new creative process free of time constraints, the band was able to do things with Requiem that the past two decades haven’t always afforded them, such as taking additional time to experiment together or diligently recording to analog tape – processes which unearthed newfound sonic dimension and texture in their music. [Three indie store exclusive versions are available: A CD featuring a patch; a clear vinyl pressing; and a cassette version.]
Night Crickets – A Free Society CD (Omnivore)
Debut release from David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets), Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes) and multi-instrumentalist Darwin Meiners. Iconic and foundational bands in the history of alternative music certainly include Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Violent Femmes. San Francisco born artist Darwin Meiners was a fan of all three. A chance meeting 13 years ago with David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets) grew into a friendship, and Darwin not only became a bandmate, but David J’s manager. After reaching out to Victor DeLorenzo through e-mail, Darwin met the Violent Femmes drummer after the Femmes’ Coachella set in 2013. Soon after the three collaborated on Darwin’s 2014 release Souvenir.
Erin Rae – Lighten Up CD/LP (Good Memory)
Produced by Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, Conor Oberst), Erin Rae’s highly anticipated album Lighten Up is a timeless amalgam of classic pop, cosmic country and indie rock, recorded in 2021 in California’s Topanga Canyon. Three years have passed since the release of her critically acclaimed debut Putting On Airs, which drew high praise from publications from Rolling Stone to NPR Music. She mostly spent her time on the road, performing at Newport Folk and Red Rocks, sharing stages with Iron & Wine, Jason Isbell, Jenny Lewis, Hiss Golden Messenger and Father John Misty, before her touring came to a sharp halt at the start of the pandemic. The solitude of the road and then the pandemic created space for Rae to undergo a sonic and philosophical shift where she found personal catharsis in creating an album that reflected on her newfound lessons of self-acceptance, alongside finding the confidence to offer social commentary on the environment, gender identity and equality.
Venom Prison – Erebos CD/LP (Century Media)
Led by the unique lyrical and vocal talents of Larissa Stupar, Venom Prison’s rise to prominence has been swift and exhilarating. Both 2016 debut album Animus and its 2019 follow-up Samsara received widespread praise from media and fans alike, while the band’s ferocious live shows notched up acres of wide-eyed acclaim. Venom Prison’s third full-length, Erebos, is a giant leap forward and deafening confirmation that they are the real, ground-breaking deal. A thrilling explosion of artful savagery, warped melodies and tumultuous atmospherics, Erebos is a powerful, defining statement from one of the most exciting bands of the modern era. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Billy Bragg – The Million Things That Never Happened LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Billy Bragg returns with his tenth studio album, The Million Things That Never Happened. Featuring 12 soulful country rock gems, it’s not only the first pandemic blues album of our times but also a heartfelt paean to human resilience. All the songs were written by Bragg apart from the final song (“Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained”), which was co-written by Billy’s son Jack Valero. Says Billy on lead single “I Will Be Your Shield”: “To me this is the heart and soul of the album. I’ve concluded that empathy is the currency of music – that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation like that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve all been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, should resonate.” [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Various Artists – The French Dispatch Original Soundtrack 2xLP (Abkco)
Double-vinyl edition. The Franco-centric original soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s latest film The French Dispatch features an original score by Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat and music by Georges Delerue, Grace Jones, Charles Aznavour, and more. The original soundtrack also includes a new version of the French pop hit “Aline”, originally performed by Christophe, recorded by Jarvis Cocker.
CDs + Vinyl:
Abhoria – Abhoria CD (Prosthetic)
Abhoria was created by guitarist Vor (aka, Trevor Portz of Ashen Horde) to satiate his appetite to play classic, aggressive black metal. Recruiting some top-notch players from the L.A. metal underground to join him, he rounded out the band with vocalist Walthrax (ex- Catheter) and bassist Koszmar (Vimana). The band quickly got to work on their debut album with engineer Shane Howard (Vale of Pnath, Martriden, Helleborus), and the result is a black metal album that harks back to the ‘90s black metal scene, but with modern production. While rooted in the more brutal side of black metal, the album blends the requisite blast beats and tremolo picked guitars with many melodic passages, doom-inspired detours and a variety of tempos. [Vinyl edition due April 8.]
Abysmal Dawn – Nightmare Frontier CDEP (Season Of Mist)
During the height of the worldwide apocalyptic dystopia of 2020, Abysmal Dawn persevered and released one of the greatest albums of their career, Phylogenesis. Now, the technical death metal icons are picking up where they left off and unleash a solid four-song EP. The sampler includes an original track, a newly re-recorded version of the 2006 demo “Blacken The Sky”, and two epic cover songs that showcase the band’s musical versatility and limitless talent. [Vinyl edition due February 25.]
Animal Collective – Time Skiffs CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)
Time Skiffs‘ nine songs are love letters, distress signals, en plein air observations, and relaxation hymns, the collected transmissions of four people who have grown into relationships and parenthood and adult worry. But they are rendered with Animal Collective’s singular sense of exploratory wonder. Harmonies so rich you want to skydive through their shared air, textures so fascinating you want to decode their sorcery, rhythms so intricate you want to untangle their sources. Here is Animal Collective’s past two decades, still in search of what’s next. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Artikal Sound System – Welcome To Florida CD/LP (Controlled Substance)
Artikal Sound System is Chris Montague (guitar), Fabian Acuña (bass), Christopher Cope (keys), Adam Kampf (drums), and Logan Rex (vocals). Together their unique sound is edgy and raw with emotion. Working with renowned reggae-rock producer Danny Kalb on Welcome To Florida, the band pushed their edgy sound to explore deeper themes during the making of the new album to yield the most intimate and personal album to date.
As It Is – I Went To Hell And Back CD (Fearless)
I Went To Hell And Back, the new album from the Brighton-based alt-rock group, might have come to life over a two year period where each and every member questioned their life choices and wrestled with a world in a constant throng of chaotic uncertainty, but the band’s fourth album couldn’t sound more excited. The fourteen tracks are powerful, playful and fearlessly chase the unexpected. It’s the sound of a band still having fun – but they had to fight for it.
Bastille – Give Me The Future CD/LP/Cassette (Republic)
Give Me The Future, Bastille’s wildly-ambitious new album, is a tribute to tech times and a glimpse of what could be to come. Exploring both the opportunities of new technology and the dark side of lives lived online, it’s as playful as it is thought-provoking, as dystopian as it is dancefloor-friendly and as electronic as Bastille have ever been. [An indie store exclusive translucent yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Benighted – Carnivore Sublime [Reissue/2014] CD+DVD (Season Of Mist)
Benighted’s 2014 album is Carnivore Sublime is a blistering display of modern extreme death metal, With a relentless vocal onslaught, bulldozer-heavy riffs that swarm the listener, and close-to-inhuman drumming, the album beats you into submission over its 15-tracks. [Vinyl edition due March 4.]
Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There CD/2xCD/2xLP+MP3/4xLP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Black Country, New Road release the second album, Ants From Up There. Following on almost exactly a year to the day from the release of their acclaimed debut For The First Time, the band have harnessed the momentum from that record and run full pelt into their second, with Ants From Up There managing to strike a skillful balance between feeling like a bold stylistic overhaul of what came before, as well as a natural progression. – For The First Time melded klezmer, post-rock, indie and an often-intense spoken word delivery. On Ants From Up There they have expanded on this unique concoction to create a singular sonic middle ground that traverses classical minimalism, indie-folk, pop, alt rock and a distinct tone that is already unique to the band. [An indie store exclusive autographed blue marbled color double-LP edition including a book is available. The deluxe double-CD and four-LP editions includes bonus live material, a booklet and a sticker.]
Hollis Brown – In The Aftermath CD/LP (Mascot Label Group)
Hollis Brown’s latest album, In The Aftermath, is the deliciously depraved outcome of an all-night rock ‘n’ roll riot. The Queens, New York-based quintet escaped to the Poconos to record with a few handles of whiskey, and, in one 24-hour session, ran down the Stone’s seminal first album of all originals, 1966’s Aftermath. Tracked live in the studio with minimal overdubs, In The Aftermath is potent proof the five-piece group is one of the last great American rock ‘n’ roll bands. The album is the second in a casual homage series. Previously, Hollis Brown issued, Gets Loaded, saluting Velvet Underground’s Loaded. This new album directly follows the band’s most successful release yet, 2019’s Ozone Park, which earned rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Paste Magazine, Pop Matters, Relix, and Goldmine.
Bvdub – Violet Oppression CD/2xLP (n5MD)
With Violet Opposition, Van Wey floats the project into murkier waters by adding a layer of overdriven gilding to his trademark sound. This sound is a texturally fibrous take on ambient that Brock has been experimenting with recently. As a result, the Bvdub peaks and valleys you know, and love, are even more arresting with the added grit and brume. Violet Opposition is four achingly impelling tracks, each song taking it’s time to evolve and cradle you in sinewy tones. [A purple and yellow swirl color vinyl pressing is available.]
Cloakroom – Dissolution Wave CD/LP (Relapse)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Cloakroom celebrate their tenth anniversary as a band with their new album, Dissolution Wave. The eight-track collection is a concept – a space western in which an act of theoretical physics – the dissolution wave – wipes out all of humanity’s existing art and abstract thought. In order to keep the world spinning on its axis, songsmiths must fill the ether with their compositions. [A yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Natalie Cole – Unforgettable… With Love [30th Anniversary Edition] CD (Craft Recordings)
Digitally remastered edition including two bonus tracks. Unforgettable… With Love was legendary singer and songwriter Natalie Cole’s biggest selling album. Since its initial release in 1991, it has sold over seven million copies and won Cole seven Grammy Awards. The album’s title track, an interactive duet with her father, would go on to be one of her most memorable recordings. [Vinyl edition due March 25.]
Marshall Crenshaw – #447 [Reissue/1999] CD (MRI Associated)
1999’s #447 served as Crenshaw’s fourth for the independent Razor & Tie imprint and it finds him further refining the masterful pop songwriting. [The vinyl reissue of this album was released last October.]
Dianthus – Realms CD (Deko Music)
For fans of Rush, Evanescence and progressive metal.
The Divine Comedy – Charmed Life: The Best Of The Divine Comedy 3xCD/2xLP (Divine Comedy)
A career-spanning collection of hit singles and fan favorites including “National Express”, “Something For The Weekend”, “Songs Of Love”, “Our Mutual Friend”, “A Lady Of A Certain Age”, “To The Rescue” and “Norman And Norma”. It also features a brand-new track: “The Best Mistakes”. [The three CD edition adds a ‘Super Extra Bonus Album’ full of new and unreleased recordings. A white color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Don Dokken – Solitary [Reissue/2008] CD/LP (Deadline Music)
Reissue of the 2008 solo album from iconic vocalist Don Dokken of the successful, multi-platinum selling heavy metal band Dokken. This acoustic album showcases Dokken’s powerful vocals on a mix of original songs and cover versions.
Joe Ely – Silver City CD (Rack’em)
Joe Ely celebrates the release of his book Bonfire Of Roadmap with the release of Silver City which contains some of Joe’s earliest songs.
Gavin Harrison – Sanity & Gravity [Reissue/1997] CD/LP (Kscope)
Digitally remastered 25th anniversary edition of Gavin Harrison’s debut album Sanity & Gravity. Gavin Harrison has established himself as one of the most revered drummers in the progressive rock scene in recent years. As a member of Pineapple Thief, Porcupine Tree and King Crimson at one time or another, as well as guesting on numerous acclaimed recordings, he has secured a reputation as one of the most thrilling drummers around.
(hed) p.e. – Califas Worldwide CD (Suburban Noize)
New compilation from the rap rock band. Formed in 1994, the band is known for its eclectic genre-crossing style, predominately in the fusion of gangsta rap and punk rock it has termed “G-punk”, but also for its reggae-fused music.
Heir Apparent – Graceful Inheritance [Reissue/1986] CD (Napalm)
CD reissue of the 1986 album from the power metal band.
Hippo Campus – LP3 CD/LP/Cassette (Grand Jury)
In the years between 2018’s Bambi and LP3, Minneapolis, Hippo Campus has grown up and into itself. Although the five-piece has been friends since middle school and put out several studio releases since its inception, it’s the new record, LP3, that’s the most honest portrait of who Hippo Campus is. It’s also a study in the nuances of growing up – coming to terms with mortality, the confusing journey of sexuality, bottoming out, seeing decisions from the night before in the harsh morning light; finding your identity as a person and as an artist — how that can be a collision of elation and shame, painful and joyful all at once. LP3 marks a sort of ego death – and ultimately feeling okay with that. [An indie store exclusive translucent purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Jazz Butcher – The Highest In The Land CD/LP (Tapete)
It’s not often that an artist gets to do a Bowie by consciously carving their personal epitaph into the grooves of their final LP. The Highest In The Land is that rarity of an album, and it could not have been made by a more brilliantly poetic and fearlessly sarcastic writer than Pat Fish, also known as The Jazz Butcher. There are many existentially charged moments on a record whose songs were written throughout the last seven years of Fish’s life before his death on October 2021, aged 63.
Mason Jennings – Real Heart CD (Loosegroove Inc.)
New release produced by Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam. “I’m very excited to be working with Loosegroove Records and to have had Regan Hagar and Stone Gossard produce this album. We made the unabashed folk record that I have been wanting to make for years. Kind of a love letter to the acoustic guitar and to musical intimacy. It was recorded in Minnesota and Seattle and features some rich and wonderful instrumentation including horns and strings. The cover art is a woven wall hanging that my wife Josie made that is hanging on our lake house wall. That sets the tone: warmth, home, and intimacy. Hope you enjoy!” – Mason Jennings [Vinyl edition due June 3.]
Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene 2xCD+Blu-ray Audio (Inside Out U.S.)
Limited-edition deluxe double-CD/5.1 Blu-ray audio artbook edition with bonus demo material Jethro Tull return with its first album of all-new music for 22 years. Evoking Biblical writings in a wholly different way from the now 51-year-old Aqualung, The Zealot Gene – in the making since 2017 – is a darker album for darker times. Ian Anderson elaborates, “While I have a spot of genuine fondness for the pomp and fairytale story-telling of the Holy Book, I still feel the need to question and draw sometimes unholy parallels from the text. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly rear their heads throughout, but are punctuated with elements of love, respect, and tenderness.” Music born of emotional necessity put together by a band with nothing to prove, The Zealot Gene is a worthy addition to a peerless catalogue.
Noah Kahan – I Was / I Am CD (Republic)
Critically acclaimed Vermont singer-songwriter Noah Kahan releases his sophomore album. Noah has quietly emerged as a homegrown phenomenon with a combination of vivid and powerful songwriting.
Korn – Requiem CD/LP/Cassette (Loma Vista)
Korn follows-up their critically acclaimed 2019 release, The Nothing, with fourteenth album Requiem. Because of Covid and the inability to play live shows for the first time in the band’s illustrious career, Requiem was conceived out of very different circumstances than the majority of the band’s catalogue. It is an album born of time and the ability to create without pressure. Energized by a new creative process free of time constraints, the band was able to do things with Requiem that the past two decades haven’t always afforded them, such as taking additional time to experiment together or diligently recording to analog tape – processes which unearthed newfound sonic dimension and texture in their music. [Three indie store exclusive versions are available: A CD featuring a patch; a clear vinyl pressing; and a cassette version.]
Eric Krasno – Always CD/LP (Provogue)
For nearly two decades, Eric Krasno has been an omnipresent figure in popular music. We’ve heard his virtuosic, innovative guitar playing with Soulive and Lettuce (both of which he co-founded), seen him onstage supporting the likes of the Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer and The Roots, watched him take home multiple Grammy Awards, and benefited from his deft, behind-the-scenes work as a producer and songwriter for everyone from Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks, and 50 Cent to Talib Kweli, Aaron Neville, and Allen Stone. Eric’s new solo album Always sees him venture into an elaborate mix of blues, funk, rock and soul – a sunny, funky and laid-back album combining the vibe of 1970s Laurel Canyon, swaths of Hammond B3 organ, a rhythm section that appear to be joined at the hip, and of course that punchy Eric Krasno guitar sound. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Cate Le Bon – Pompeii CD/LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Pompeii, Cate Le Bon’s sixth full-length studio album and the follow up to 2019’s Mercury-nominated Reward, bears a storied title summoning apocalypse, but the metaphor eclipses any “dissection of immediacy,” says Le Bon. Sonically minimal in parts, it’s lyrics jog between self-reflection and direct address. Written primarily on bass and composed entirely alone in an “uninterrupted vacuum,” Le Bon plays every instrument (except drums and saxophones) and recorded the album largely by herself with long-term collaborator and co-producer Samur Khouja in Cardiff, Wales To leverage visionary control, Le Bon invented twisted types of discipline into her absurdist decision making. [An indie store exclusive yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mark Lockheart – Dreamers CD (Edition)
Dreamers is the new project from the legendary British saxophonist and composer Mark Lockheart featuring Elliot Galvin (Dinosaur, Elliot Galvin Trio), Tom Herbert (Polar Bear, The Invisible) and Dave Smith (Robert Plant). Stylistically free and psychedelic in nature, the release of Dreamers signals a new trajectory for the musician who has already featured on a wide ranging and diverse catalogue of albums including Radiohead’s Kid A.
Lynch Mob – Smoke & Mirrors CD/LP (Deadline Music)
Deluxe reissue of the 2009 studio album from metal guitar god George Lynch and his band of virtuosos. This is the group’s fifth album that saw them reunite with original vocalist Oni Logan who joins Thin Lizzy’s Marco Mendoza on bass and Brides Of Destruction drummer Scot Coogan. Includes a bonus track, the instrumental mix of the epic “We Will Remain!”
Maule – Maule CD (Gates Of Hell)
On their self-titled album, Vancouver’s Maule reinvigorate the sounds of the early 1980s with a fresh, energetic twist. [Vinyl edition TBD.]
Night Crickets – A Free Society CD (Omnivore)
Debut release from David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets), Victor DeLorenzo (Violent Femmes) and multi-instrumentalist Darwin Meiners. Iconic and foundational bands in the history of alternative music certainly include Bauhaus, Love And Rockets, and Violent Femmes. San Francisco born artist Darwin Meiners was a fan of all three. A chance meeting 13 years ago with David J (Bauhaus, Love And Rockets) grew into a friendship, and Darwin not only became a bandmate, but David J’s manager. After reaching out to Victor DeLorenzo through e-mail, Darwin met the Violent Femmes drummer after the Femmes’ Coachella set in 2013. Soon after the three collaborated on Darwin’s 2014 release Souvenir.
MF Robots – Break The Wall CD/3xLP (BBE)
Effortlessly dismantling the barriers between R&B, soul, funk, disco and jazz sounds, MF Robots present long player Break The Wall. Astonishing musicianship, pristine production and top-tier songwriting, Break The Wall immediately calls to mind those iconic American rhythm sections of the ‘70s and ‘80s. The music is energizing, uplifting and the potent result of a highly accomplished musical partnership maturing, growing and hitting their stride together in lockstep.
Mitski – Laurel Hell CD/LP+MP3 (Dead Oceans)
With Laurel Hell, Mitski cements her reputation as an artist in possession of such power – capable of using her talent to perform the alchemy that turns our most savage and alienated experiences into the very elixir that cures them. [A limited-edition opaque red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Molybaron – Mutiny CD/LP (Inside Out U.S.)
Formed in Paris, December 2014, by Dublin-born singer/guitarist Gary Kelly and Parisian guitarist Steven Andre, Molybaron has swiftly become one of the most talked-about bands in the modern metal scene. With a sound that encompasses everything from state-of-the-art tech-grooves and anthemic metal to multi-layered atmospherics and giant, muscular hard rock riffs beyond, the band’s eccentric flair always sets them apart from the rest.
Nebula – Atomic Ritual [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Nebula – Apollo [Reissue/2006] CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
CD and vinyl reissues of the stoner rock band’s third and fourth albums. [Several color vinyl variants are available.]
The Ocean – Phanerozoic Live 2xCD+DVD/3xLP (Pelagic)
The Berliners present an unusual live album that is a testimony of strange times: their Phanerozoic concept album performed live in its entirety at a time when no shows were happening anywhere in the world.
Orphaned Land – 30 Years Of Oriental Metal 8xCD (Century Media)
Formed in Israel in 1991, these self-proclaimed ‘Oriental metal’ artisans have spent the last 30 years working tirelessly to use their creative endeavors to spread a positive and peaceful message. Over the course of six conceptually deep and musically ingenious albums, Orphaned Land has been true to their word, uniting fans across the Middle East and beyond, regardless of nation, face or faith. This 8xCD box set features six full-length studio albums and two bonus CDs. The box set also includes a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity.
Partner Look – By The Book CD/LP (Trouble In Mind)
Partners, sisters and friends. Partner Look is a Melbourne-based band made up of German sisters Ambrin (Cool Sounds) and Anila Hasnain (Studio Magic), who are joined by their partners Dainis Lacey (Cool Sounds) and Lachlan Denton (The Ocean Party). The members also share a history of friendship and musical bonds. By The Book – the band’s debut – is a twelve-track charmer that swoons and smirks with a scrappy, yet sophisticated take on sparkling indie pop. [A limited-edition baby blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Osaka Popstar – Osaka Popstar And The American Legends Of Punk [Reissue/2006] CD (Misfits Records)
15th Anniversary expanded edition of the critically acclaimed debut album by Osaka Popstar featuring members of The Misfits, Ramones, Black Flag, The Voidoids, a guest appearance by indie music icon Daniel Johnston and more.
Prince – For You [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Prince [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince & The Revolution – Around The World In A Day [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Dirty Mind [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Controversy [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – 1999 [Reissue/1982] CD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Sign O The Times [Reissue/1987] 2xCD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Lovesexy [Reissue/1988] CD (Sony Legacy)
Prince – The Hits 1 [Reissue/1993] CD (Sony Legacy)
Prince – The Hits 2 [Reissue/1993] CD (Sony Legacy)
Prince – Come [Reissue/1994] CD (Sony Legacy)
Prince – The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale [Reissue/1999] CD (Sony Legacy)
CD and vinyl reissues of a wealth of classic albums by the R&B, funk, soul, and rock icon.
Erin Rae – Lighten Up CD/LP (Good Memory)
Produced by Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, Conor Oberst), Erin Rae’s highly anticipated album Lighten Up is a timeless amalgam of classic pop, cosmic country and indie rock, recorded in 2021 in California’s Topanga Canyon. Three years have passed since the release of her critically acclaimed debut Putting On Airs, which drew high praise from publications from Rolling Stone to NPR Music. She mostly spent her time on the road, performing at Newport Folk and Red Rocks, sharing stages with Iron & Wine, Jason Isbell, Jenny Lewis, Hiss Golden Messenger and Father John Misty, before her touring came to a sharp halt at the start of the pandemic. The solitude of the road and then the pandemic created space for Rae to undergo a sonic and philosophical shift where she found personal catharsis in creating an album that reflected on her newfound lessons of self-acceptance, alongside finding the confidence to offer social commentary on the environment, gender identity and equality.
The Rave-Ups – Tomorrow CD (Omnivore)
The Rave-Ups return with first new album since 1990. The band’s three previous albums—1985’s independently released Town + Country, along with 1987’s The Book Of Your Regrets and 1990’s Chance—established the group as one of the pioneers of the cowpunk genre that eventually transformed into Americana, following in the footsteps of L.A.-bred country-rock groups from The Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds through contemporaries like X, The Blasters, and Rank + File.
Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory CD (MNRK)
Rolo Tomassi is a British progressive metal band from Sheffield. The group is known for their sonic and energetic live performances, as well as their stark and consistent artistic aesthetic. [Vinyl edition due February 25.]
Saga – House Of Cards [Reissue/2001] CD (earMUSIC)
Saga – Marathon [Reissue/2003] CD (earMUSIC)
CD reissues of the veteran prog metal band’s fourteenth and fifteenth studio albums.
Sarcasm – Stellar Stream Obscured CD/LP (Napalm)
Sarcasm has had a storied career. Originally formed in Sweden in 1987, Sarcasm would release blistering death metal throughout the early and mid- ‘90s. After a short-lived reunion in 1997, they would come back into the fold in 2015 with a new re-designed version of their lineup. Now they return with their new full-length album Stellar Stream Obscured.
Saxon – Carpe Diem CD/LP (Militia Guard Music)
New album from the seminal British heavy metal band.
Scarlet Rebels – See Through Blue CD/LP (Earache)
New album from the Welsh rockers. Scarlet Rebel’s sound is as broad as their ambition. The five-piece fuse the rocket-powered energy of classic hard rock bands such as Guns N’ Roses and Aerosmith with the vital modern edge of alt-rock giants like the Foo Fighters.
B.J. Thomas – In Remembrance: Love Songs And Lost Treasures CD (Omnivore)
Born in Oklahoma, raised in Texas, and beloved the world over, B.J. Thomas enjoyed a career that spanned six decades and over 70 million records sold. This set includes 18 songs – 13 of which were previously unreleased.
Trouble – Psalm 9 [Reissue/1984] LP (Napalm)
Trouble – The Skull [Reissue/1985] CD/LP (Napalm)
Trouble – Trouble [Reissue/1990] CD/LP (Napalm)
Trouble – Manic Frustration [Reissue/1992] CD/LP (Napalm)
At their peak, Trouble were the perfect combination of Black Sabbath meets The Beatles.
Various Artists – Pop Ambient 2022 CD/LP (Kompakt)
The who’s who of Pop Ambient is once again at work, led for the first time by the highly trafficked Californian duo Blank Gloss, whose debut album Melt this year was certified by The Guardian as nothing less than “heart aching beauty”. Yui Onodera’s “Chrome” as well as “Kari”, a cooperation of Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth, could also be imagined in the score of Denis Villeneuve’s new film version of Dune – however, colleague Hans Zimmer managed that quite well without the three. After such wonderful and stylish contributions by Reich & Würden, Triola and Thomas Fehlmann, the ear then lingers a bit longer on the ghostly “Weiht” by Morgen Wurde feat. Maria Estrella, a track like a temple of sound, a deep electronic immersion in a Japanese onsen. In this sea of immeasurable time, you could sink forever, but with the tracks of Andrew Thomas, Thore Pfeiffer and Max Würden & Pepo Galán the journey slowly comes to an end.
Venom Prison – Erebos CD/LP (Century Media)
Led by the unique lyrical and vocal talents of Larissa Stupar, Venom Prison’s rise to prominence has been swift and exhilarating. Both 2016 debut album Animus and its 2019 follow-up Samsara received widespread praise from media and fans alike, while the band’s ferocious live shows notched up acres of wide-eyed acclaim. Venom Prison’s third full-length, Erebos, is a giant leap forward and deafening confirmation that they are the real, ground-breaking deal. A thrilling explosion of artful savagery, warped melodies and tumultuous atmospherics, Erebos is a powerful, defining statement from one of the most exciting bands of the modern era. [An indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is available.]
Vildhjarta – Måsstaden (forte) CD/LP (Century Media)
Vildhjarta – Thousands Of Evils (forte) CD/LP (Century Media)
Remixed and remastered versions of the Swedish progressive metal band’s 2011 and 2013 albums. With a decade between releases, Vildhjarta remain as inscrutable and as close to anonymity as a band can be. Their down-tuned, staccato riffs and pulverizing grooves are the sound of music stripped to its essence. Formed in 2005 in Hudiksvall, Sweden, Vildhjarta has become an institution of omission. [Limited-edition color vinyl pressings are also available.]
Wiegedood – There’s Always Blood At The End Of The Road CD/2xLP (Century Media)
As the world circles the abyss at gathering speed, Wiegedood have returned to provide a perfectly vicious soundtrack. Formed in 2014, the Belgian trio has built an unassailable reputation as purveyors of visceral and bleak black metal in its purest and most destructive form.
Wild Rivers – Sidelines CD/LP (Nettwerk)
Indie trio Wild Rivers (Khalid Yassein, Devan Glover, and Andrew Oliver) has a gift for penning introspective lyrics and genre-fluid melodies that transmit wisdom beyond their years. Their anticipated full-length album, Sidelines – co-produced by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Sharon van Etten) and Wild Rivers and recorded in Connecticut, Los Angeles and Khalid and Devan’s college town of Kingston, Ontario (where the two originally met and began making music together) – touches on coming-of-age themes and embracing the unknown. [A limited-edition bone color vinyl pressing is available.]
Wovenhand – Silver Sash CD/LP (Glitterhouse)
Wovenhand’s new album shows David Eugene Edwards and his band in finest form once again. Silver Sash is the first sign of life by David Eugene Edwards since the critically acclaimed Star Treament in 2016. The album is the first Wovenhand opus completely written in cooperation with Chuck French, who is also known as a guitarist for aggressive Emocore outfit Planes Mistaken For Stars. Both know each other for ages. Finally, they found the time to write this astonishing album.
Yeule – Glitch Princess CD/LP (Bayonet)
Glitch Princess opens a channel to the in-between spaces: error messages and broken computer code where soothing un-melodies rest comfortably among the jagged edges of feedback loops. Video game scores, experimental shoegaze sounds, and ethereal whispers come together to build an underworld with the occasional erratic dance beat to guide users deeper into the fever dream. Yeule invites us to transcend into a post-human world where expression is no longer bound by identity, but rather we are free to assemble ourselves along lines of affinity. [A limited-edition ‘antifreeze green’ color vinyl pressing is available.]
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Ryan Adams – Big Colors LP+7” (Pax Americana)
Released last summer on CD – a limited-edition 180gm red color vinyl pressing + bonus 7″ single is now available. “Big Colors is the soundtrack to a movie from 1984 that exists only in my soul. It’s a cliché inside a watercolor painting of neon blue smoke rising off summer streets in the night. It’s the most New York California album I could cut loose from my musical soul, and for me as both a guitar player and songwriter, this is the zenith point dream time. While I won’t be able to match this album for its depth and broad color forms in the future, this is the sound of my soul and a door to a place I’ll be returning to again. The treasures in our past are the shamanic visions of the future when the destination is dream zone 3000. This is that. I’m only dreaming in Big Colors now.” – Ryan Adams
Apes – Lullabies For Eternal Sleep LP (Translation Loss)
Québec, Canada’s Apes present their newest offering of crushing death-tinged grindcore.
Avenged Sevenfold – Waking The Fallen [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Hopeless)
Avenged Sevenfold – Avenged Sevenfold [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Hopeless)
Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Hopeless)
Color vinyl reissues of the metalcore band’s second, fourth and fifth albums.
Bhleg – Draumr Ást [Reissue/2014] LP (Nordvis)
First-time vinyl edition of the Swedish black metal band’s debut album.
Billy Bragg – The Million Things That Never Happened LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Billy Bragg returns with his tenth studio album, The Million Things That Never Happened. Featuring 12 soulful country rock gems, it’s not only the first pandemic blues album of our times but also a heartfelt paean to human resilience. All the songs were written by Bragg apart from the final song (“Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained”), which was co-written by Billy’s son Jack Valero. Says Billy on lead single “I Will Be Your Shield”: “To me this is the heart and soul of the album. I’ve concluded that empathy is the currency of music – that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation like that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve all been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, should resonate.” [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bread – The Best Of Bread [Reissue/1973] LP (Friday)
Limited 180gm gold color vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. The Best Of Bread is a multi-platinum compilation album by the band Bread released in 1973 by Elektra Records. The original album contains 12 songs that were first released between 1969 and 1972.
Cavetown – 16/04/16 [Reissue/2016] LP (Many Hats Dist.)
Limited edition bone color vinyl pressing. Cavetown gained popularity on YouTube for his frequent ukulele covers of popular songs, as well as original content.
Ceptic Frog – Ceptic Frog LP (Lion Productions)
Ultra-rare rehearsal sessions from 1969 by this South African heavy psych/acid rock band, mastered from a tape transfer – and yet still doom-laden, dark, heavy, and as messy as can be, in all the right ways. Influences from heavy bands of the time, such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Steppenwolf are noticeable, with proto-doom and psych/funk undercurrents.
Anne Clark – Synaesthesia – Anne Clark Classics Reworked 2xLP (Flying Dolphin Administration)
2020 turned out to be a very unsettling year for Anne Clark. It was supposed to be a triumphant anniversary of her career including a big birthday and a big tour. It ended up with no tour at all and a cancer diagnosis. Support came in from many artists and musicians and so the idea of a remix project was born.
The Copyrights – Alone In A Dome LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. After a seven-year hiatus, The Copyrights are back in full force with the new full-length, Alone In A Dome. Known for their blistering live shows and power-pop hooks, Fat Wreck Chords is the perfect home for their high-octane sing-along anthems.
Kenny Cox – Clap Clap! The Joyful Noise [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (BBE)
In 1974, Strata Records Inc. was well known in Detroit for their art gallery, live music venue and record label, turning out records by artists like Kenny Cox and Lyman Woodard. The Lyman Woodard Organization’s Saturday Night Special (1975) is perhaps the jewel of the label, but the LP that was to follow – Cox’s unreleased Clap Clap! The Joyful Noise, is at the same time radical and sublime. It’s a visionary work, inspired by both the innocence and zeal of his 3-year-old son, Philip, and the culture of Latin America and Caribbean lands.
Rodney Crowell – Triage LP (RC1)
Limited clear autographed vinyl pressing. Triage offers a rare look inside of the songwriter. This album finds Rodney Crowell introspectively looking for answers and for healing, resulting in what he has called his most personal record yet. This collection of songs was written during the great political, environmental and economic upheaval that has marked recent years. The noise of that chaos encouraged Crowell to look inward for solace and answers. The result is this series of songs that contend with these themes, but approaches them from a place of healing, love and solution. That they are being released while we find ourselves walking through a global pandemic, is a gift of perfect timing.
The Dead Milkmen – Welcome To The End Of The World LP (The Giving Groove)
Welcome To The End Of The World delivers The Dead Milkmen’s trademark twisted humor along with some underlying dark elements that will creep in to your consciousness if you pay close enough attention.
Eric Dolphy – Conversations [Reissue/1963] LP (Sowing)
Conversations is a 1963 album by American jazz multi-instrumentalist, Eric Dolphy first released by the FM label and later reissued by Vee-Jay as The Eric Dolphy Memorial Album the following year.
Dooms Children – Dooms Children LP (Dine Alone)
Central to the enveloping aural experience of Dooms Children is its live-off-the-floor recording and organic production style. The effort was co-produced with musical collaborator Daniel Romano, and features multi-instrumentalist Ian Romano, and Montreal guitarist Patrick Bennett. Since co-founding pioneering post-hardcore outfit Alexisonfire in the early 2000s, the Canadian singer, guitarist, songwriter, and composer has lent his talents to numerous influential and impactful projects. He founded gritty punk outfit Black Lungs, fronts U.K. hardcore heroes Gallows, put fingerprints on recordings by the likes of Anti-Flag, Cancer Bats, and Bedouin Soundclash, and scored a handful of successful feature films and video games. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available.]
Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: The Majesty Demos (1985-1986) 2xLP+CD
Original 1986 demos from Dream Theater’s original days as Majesty. Previously only available on CD through the band’s Ytsejam Records, now remixed and remastered, and available for the first time on vinyl in The Lost Not Forgotten Archives. Featuring a collection of rare tracks, The Majesty Demos captures Dream Theater’s iconic history during their time as students at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. [CD edition due March 4.]
Enslaved – Below The Lights 2xLP (By Norse Music)
Double blue color vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. Enslaved is celebrated 30 years of unprecedented, genre-boundaries altering presence in the extreme metal and prog scenes in 2021. Below The Lights was performed in league with Beyond The Gates Festival at USF Verftet in Bergen, Norway, during a dark day of summer 2020.
Face To Face – No Way Out But Through LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Released last September on CD – now available on vinyl. Face To Face’s new album brims with arena-sized choruses and big guitars.
The Flamingos – Flamingo Serenade LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited powder blue color vinyl to match the tuxedos the group is wearing on the front cover. This 1959 album doesn’t just include the greatest doo wop single of all time, “I Only Have Eyes For You”; it also stakes a fair claim to being the greatest doo wop album of all time.
Chris Forsyth – Rare Dreams (Solar Live 2.27.18) LP (Algorithm Free)
Chris Forsyth – First Flight (Solar Live Vol. 5) LP (Algorithm Free)
Chris Forsyth – First Flight Redux (Harrington Dub) LP (Algorithm Free)
Chris Forsyth – Peoples Motel Band (Solar Live Vol. 3: 9.14.19) LP (Algorithm Free)
On February 27, 2018, Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band (comprised, in this iteration, of long-time SMB bassist Peter Kerlin and Kerlin’s Sunwatchers battery mate Jason Robira on drums) were close to wrapping up an 18-date tour of the EU and UK with a two-set, one hour and 45-minute show at Cafe OTO, London’s premier venue for adventurous music. Highlights of that show are included on Rare Dreams (Solar Live 2.27.18), recorded before a packed house seated mere feet from the band’s amplifiers. First Flight documents about 40 minutes of jams recorded during the third week of Chris Forsyth’s September residency at NYC’s Nublu in fall 2019. On First Flight Redux (Harrington Dub), Forsyth takes a scalpel to the multi-tracks of First Flight remixing the raw material into something else entirely. Recorded September 14, 2019, before a packed and enthusiastic hometown crowd in Philadelphia, Peoples Motel Band catches Chris Forsyth with NY based Garcia Peoples (plus ubiquitous drummer Ryan Jewell) re-imagining songs from Forsyth’s last couple studio albums with improvisatory flair.
Freekbass – Krameria 12” (Color Red)
Limited 180gm pink color vinyl pressing. Following up their 2019 full-length album All The Way This. All The Way That., Freekbass & The Bump Assembly continue to push the limits of their “funk forward” style on Krameria.
The Goo Goo Dolls – Greatest Hits Volume One, The Singles [Reissue/2007] LP (WB)
This 2007 collection includes 12 of the band’s 13 Top 10 Hot AC/Adult Top 40 hits, including “Before It’s Too Late” from the Transformers soundtrack.
Grayscale – Umbra LP (Fearless)
Released last August on CD – now available as a limited marbled vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. In a celestial sense, Umbra is the area of complete darkness in an eclipse. It’s a shadowy interior that would otherwise be surrounded by light. The sound of the record is pop/rock on the outside, but when you listen to the lyrics, the stories on the inner core are sexual, vindictive, and wicked. That’s the concept. It reflects the authenticity of who they are as an East Coast rock band.
Great Lakes – Contenders LP (HHBTM)
Ben Crum doesn’t need to contend for anything; the leader of the long-running Great Lakes proved himself two decades ago on his very first outing. Contenders, the band’s seventh album, finds Crum basking in a keen sense of roots-y psychedelic Americana that recalls the fertile grounds of Upstate New York. Yet the music itself is a warm, sunny soundtrack that recalls road trips across the dusty Midwest and miles and miles of nothing in between. Fans of Built To Spill, My Morning Jacket, Luna, and Deserters Songs-era Mercury Rev will find much to love in Contender’s grooves.
Gus G. – Quantum Leap LP (AFM)
Clear vinyl pressing of the 2021 album by the guitar virtuoso.
Half Past Two – Half Past Two LP (Jump Up)
Half Past Two pulls inspiration from multiple eras of ska, driving punk rock and shiny alt-pop. They cite such influences as Dance Hall Crashers, Reel Big Fish, Weezer, The Hippos, RX Bandits, and Mad Caddies, and they’re proud to coat their songs with a little sugar. With powerful female lead vocals, these twelve ‘bubblegum ska” tracks have that catchy retro 90’s vibe. Yellow color vinyl with insert.
Harms Way – Isolation – Redux 2xLP (Closed Casket Activities)
Double color vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Disc One features a remaster of Isolation (2011) by Colin Jordan while Disc Two features select tracks remixed and reimagined by Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh), Andrew Nolan (Intensive Care, The Endless Blockade), Dylan Walker (Full of Hell, Sore Dream) and Petbrick (Igor Cavalera and Wayne Adams).
Haxkapell – Eldhymner LP (Nordvis)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. Eldhymner is an album which examines, contemplates, and utilizes the concept of fire. As a source of power, a destroyer, and a bringer of life – this primal and fundamental element takes many forms. An eternal furnace of chaos breeding that which lies beyond, forever tempting the embers of life with the flames of everlasting silence. The beauty of death shines bleakly in the minds of men, though most are too blind to behold its grandeur. Enter the chapel, gaze into the flames, and you shall see.
High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (MNRK)
180gm ‘black ice’ double vinyl reissue of HOF’s sixth studio album. The album’s title (translation: “The Mysteries of The Worm,”) is a nod to a fictional grimoire conceived by the late, great Psycho author Robert Bloch in 1935 and later incorporated into horror master H.P. Lovecraft’s renowned Cthulu Mythos.
Jerusalem – Jerusalem [Reissue/1972] LP (Lion Productions)
Limited purple vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. Includes insert. Heavy UK hard rock album from 1972, produced by Deep Purple’s legendary frontman, Ian Gillan, originally released on the Decca/Deram label.
Don Julian And The Larks – Super Slick [Reissue/1974] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing of one of the holy grails of ‘70s funk/soul.
Lady Gaga – Dawn Of Chromatica LP (Interscope)
Limited clear vinyl pressing. A reinvention of Lady Gaga’s album Chromatica, Dawn Of Chromatica is executive produced by BloodPop® and features new collaborations and remixes of the original album from Ashnikko, Bree Runway, Charli XCX, Chester Lockhart, Clarence Clarity, Coucou Chloe, Doss, Jimmy Edgar, Lil Texas, LSDXOXO, Mood Killer, Mura Masa, Planningtorock, and Shygirl. Many of the collaborative artists were sourced by publicly asking fans who they would like to see on this project.
Koichi Matsukaze Trio – At The Room 427 [Reissue/1976] 2xLP (BBE)
Originally issued in 1976 on the cult ALM label, At The Room 427 is the debut album from one of the most exciting and forward-thinking instrumentalists to emerge in the mid- ‘70s.
Kool And The Gang – Kook And The Gang [Reissue/1970] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited purple color vinyl pressing. The 1970 debut album from Kool and the Gang scored a couple of hits with “The Gangs Back Again” and the title cut, but more importantly, it heralded the arrival of what was to become a juggernaut on the R&B scene. This all-instrumental record is years away from the commercial successes of “Jungle Boogie” and “Celebration”, and a few light years away stylistically, too. Their unique mixture of jazz, funk, and R&B punctuated by those tremendous horn arrangements (and some great drum breaks) debuted at full force.
Lonnie Liston Smith And The Cosmic Echoes – Astral Traveling [Reissue/1973] LP (Real Gone Music)
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes – Cosmic Funk[Reissue/1974] LP (Real Gone Music)
Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes’ groundbreaking albums for the Flying Dutchman label don’t get the attention from jazz fans that they should. In fact, among the many distinguished alumni of Miles Davis’ fusion bands, keyboardist Smith and his cohorts arguably ran with Davis’ stylistic breakthrough the farthest. In five albums stretching over four years, Smith and the Cosmic Echoes stretched the fusion aesthetic to embrace post-bop modal and spiritual jazz, funk, rock, pop, and even the smooth jazz, quiet storm, and crossover genres. And if those latter styles raise your traditionalist hackles, Smith imbued all of his records with integrity, vision, and his unique spacy sensibility; instead of playing it safe or commercial, he fearlessly paved a path for modern jazz musicians to follow (Kamasi Washington, for one, no doubt listened to these records at length).
Lull – Moments [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Cold Spring)
Isolationist, minimal, alienating drone/dark ambient from Mick Harris (Scorn, Fret, ex-Napalm Death). Staggeringly beautiful, glacial sub-bass sounds, deep ambient and thunderous tones, with subtle shifts. Originally released as a 99-track continuous CD in 1998, now presented on vinyl for the first time, Moments is expanded to 100 cuts, with bonus material from the original recording sessions.
Curtis Mayfield – The Very Best Of Curtis Mayfield LP (Rhino)
Vinyl pressing of this collection from the soul/R&B legend.
The Meteors – Hell Train Rollin’ [Reissue/2012] LP (Svarte)
Over more than three decades, The Meteors have been fiercely carrying the banner of pure psychobilly. 2012’s Hell Train Rollin is a hate fueled juggernaut of mean-spirited real rock ‘n’ roll that steamrolls out of the gate and smashes everyone and everything straight in the face. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Montrose – Montrose [Reissue/1973] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm red color vinyl pressing of the self-titled debut studio album by American hard rock band Montrose. The album marks the recording debut of vocalist Sammy Hagar, who would later achieve international success as a solo artist and as a member of Van Halen.
Neck Deep – The Peace And The Panic [Reissue/2017] LP (Hopeless)
Limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing. Neck Deep’s third album – the philosophically entitled The Peace And The Panic – is a meditation on the constant duality of life and the struggles that come with it. It comes blessed with an acknowledgement that seizing the day and having a laugh with your mates is important, but so is the personal growth that comes with pain and existential crisis. Featuring viral hit “December”, introspective pop punk classic “Where Do We Go When We Go”, and reflective pop rock anthem “In Bloom”, The Peace And The Panic sees the band that claimed the title “generic pop punk” transform into anything but generic.
Orbit Culture – Shaman 12” (Seek & Strike LLC)
Released last September on CD – now available on viny. New from the Swedish metal quartet.
Oneohtrix Point Never – Returnal [Reissue/2010] LP (Editions Mego)
Limited clear vinyl pressing. Returnal is the fourth album from Daniel Lopatin’s Oneohtrix Point Never project, after Betrayed In The Octagon (2007), Zones Without People (2009) and Russian Mind (2009). It sees Lopatin fine tune his craft for creation of deep atmospheres and texture even further.
Poppy – Flux LP (Sumerian)
Release last September on CD – two color vinyl editions are available: black & aqua blue galaxy and indie store exclusive clear w/ blue & black. Flux marks yet another artistic leap for the ever-evolving musician, featuring a stream-lined songwriting approach that puts her indelible earworm melodies at the foreground of a kaleidoscopic mosaic of overdriven guitars. Flux was produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen (M83, Air, St. Vincent), who had Poppy and her band record live to tape, resulting in an organic feel that lends a decidedly personal touch to the new set of material.
The Reds, Pinks & Purples – You Might Be Happy Someday LP (Tough Love)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing. Deep amidst San Francisco’s Richmond neighborhood misty air and washed-out pastel blocks, Glenn Donaldson has been diligently creating minor masterpieces with rudimentary home technology for some time now. With The Reds, Pinks & Purples, Donaldson has finally created a vivid reflection of this dreary scene. You Might Be Happy Someday is an oblique strand of SF outer-avenue cloud cover that stretches across the Atlantic to the grey docks of Bristol as captured in Sarah Records’ fetishized insert photos.
Fionn Regan – 100 Acres From Sycamore [Reissue/2011] LP (Heavenly)
Originally released in August of 2011, 100 Acres Of Sycamore is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Fionn Regan. Unlike his 2010 sophomore album, The Shadow Of An Empire, which featured mostly rock songs, 100 Acres Of Sycamore features a string section and has an acoustic aesthetic that more closely resembles to his 2006 debut, The End Of History.
Seether – Vicennial – 2 Decades Of Seether 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. A career-spanning compilation of the RIAA Platinum-selling group’s greatest hits, including 16 #1 original singles, as well as the fan-favorite cover of “Careless Whisper”. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive smoke color vinyl pressing is due April 15.]
Sunn O))) – Metta Benevolence BBC 6Music : Live On The Invitation Of Mary Anne Hobbs 2xLP (Southern Lord)
In late October 2019, following a successful UK tour ending in a sold-out concert at the mythical Roundhouse in London, Sunn O))) entered studio 4 of the BBC Maida Vale on invitation to record a live session for Mary Anne Hobbs to be broadcast on Samhain via her excellent radio show on BBC6. [A maroon color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Temperance Movement – Caught On Stage – Live & Acoustic 2xLP (Earache)
The Temperance Movement is one of Britain’s finest Rock bands of the last 10 years. Formed in London but with a Glaswegian singer, The Temperance Movement is simultaneously anthemic, defiant and cathartic. It bears echoes of the great rock ‘n’ roll icons of the ’60s and ’70s – The Faces and Led Zeppelin, Free and The Rolling Stones. The band has released three studio albums since 2012. This special release Caught On Stage – Live & Acoustic features a collection of rare live tracks recorded from various locations including intimate acoustic live shows, radio sessions with Planet Rock and rehearsal room recordings, compiled with the help of founding member and guitarist Paul Sayer. [CD edition due February 25.]
Third Eye Blind – Our Bande Apart LP (MRI Associated)
Released last September on CD – now available on blue color vinyl. Third Eye Blind follow-up 2019’s Screamer with their seventh studio album, Our Bande Apart. Written and recorded in the last days of the lockdown, lead single “Box Of Bones” concerns itself with the ambivalence and stakes of relationships under pressure. It was the first recording session for the band since before lockdown, and one can hear their exuberance of playing together in the same room again.
Devin Townsend – Devolution Series #2 – Galactic Quarantine 2xLP (Inside Out Music)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Devolution Series #2 – Galactic Quarantine was recorded between July and September 2020 in various places around the world. It was originally streamed on September 5, 2020, on StageIt.com as a replacement show for the COVID affected “Empath Vol 2 European Tour” and various cancelled Summer festivals. The show features Devin Townsend on vocals and guitars, Samus Paulicelli III on drums, Wes Hauch on guitars and Diego Tejeida on keyboards. [A limited-edition indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Stanley Turrentine – Rough & Tumble [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Stanley Turrentine’s 1966 soul jazz classic finds a deep, bluesy groove that doesn’t let up from start to finish. Joining him are trumpeter Blue Mitchell, baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, alto saxophonist James Spaulding, and drummer Mickey Roker. Highlights include soulful covers of Ray Charles’ “What Could I Do Without You,” and “Feeling Good”, which Nina Simone recorded the year before. This reissue is part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series features all-analog, remastered sound.
Various Artists – The French Dispatch Original Soundtrack 2xLP (Abkco)
Double-vinyl edition. The Franco-centric original soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s latest film The French Dispatch features an original score by Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat and music by Georges Delerue, Grace Jones, Charles Aznavour, and more. The original soundtrack also includes a new version of the French pop hit “Aline”, originally performed by Christophe, recorded by Jarvis Cocker.
Vory – Vory [2020] 2xLP (DreamChasers)
Limited double black and yellow color vinyl pressing. With Meek Mill and the DreamChasers team backing him, Vory released his self-titled album in winter 2020. Boasting features from Meek, Landstrip Chip, BEAM and others, the 15-track body of work showcases his relatable lyrics and his genre-bending versatility.
Wiegedood – There’s Always Blood At The End Of The Road 2xLP (Century Media)
As the world circles the abyss at gathering speed, Wiegedood have returned to provide a perfectly vicious soundtrack. Formed in 2014, the Belgian trio have built an unassailable reputation as purveyors of visceral and bleak black metal in it’s purest and most destructive form. Since unveiling their debut album de Doden Hebben Het Goed in 2015, Wiegedood have blazed an unending trail for musical darkness, bolstering their burgeoning notoriety with some of the most apocalyptic live performances in recent memory. They return with their fourth album – There’s Always Blood At The End Of The Road – a ferocious tour-de-force, born of frustration and the ever-burning flame of hatred for the modern world.
Cassettes:
Bastille – Give Me The Future (Republic)
Cobalt blue color vinyl pressing. Give Me The Future, Bastille’s wildly-ambitious new album, is a tribute to tech times and a glimpse of what could be to come. Exploring both the opportunities of new technology and the dark side of lives lived online, it’s as playful as it is thought-provoking, as dystopian as it is dancefloor-friendly and as electronic as Bastille have ever been.
Hippo Campus – LP3 (Grand Jury)
In the years between 2018’s Bambi and LP3, Minneapolis, Hippo Campus has grown up and into itself. Although the five-piece has been friends since middle school and put out several studio releases since its inception, it’s the new record, LP3, that’s the most honest portrait of who Hippo Campus is. It’s also a study in the nuances of growing up – coming to terms with mortality, the confusing journey of sexuality, bottoming out, seeing decisions from the night before in the harsh morning light; finding your identity as a person and as an artist — how that can be a collision of elation and shame, painful and joyful all at once. LP3 marks a sort of ego death – and ultimately feeling okay with that.
Korn – Requiem (Loma Vista)
Korn follows-up their critically acclaimed 2019 release, The Nothing, with fourteenth album Requiem. Because of Covid and the inability to play live shows for the first time in the band’s illustrious career, Requiem was conceived out of very different circumstances than the majority of the band’s catalogue. It is an album born of time and the ability to create without pressure. Energized by a new creative process free of time constraints, the band was able to do things with Requiem that the past two decades haven’t always afforded them, such as taking additional time to experiment together or diligently recording to analog tape – processes which unearthed newfound sonic dimension and texture in their music.
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