CDs + Vinyl:
2Cellos – Celloverse CD/CD+DVD (Portrait/Masterworks)
Third album from the classical/rock duo from Croatia. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe includes a bonus DVD featuring seven videos.
Amason – Sky City CD/LP (Fairfax)
Tagged in the music press as a “Swedish supergroup,” Amason are the collective talents of Pontus Winnberg (Miike Snow), Gustav Ejstes (Dungen), Petter Winnberg (Little Marjorette), Amanda Bergman (Hajen, Idiot Wind), and Nils Tornqvist (Little Marjorette). With lyrics in both their native Swedish and in English, Amason create in the moment, record almost instantaneously, and soon after scan the horizons for a stage, where the music truly comes alive, where they can share their collected collective moments.
Archive – Restriction CD/LP (PIAS America)
“When they first appeared in the late-‘90s, Archive seemed to bridge a surprisingly narrow gap between trip-hop and prog rock, bringing elements of Pink Floydian grandeur to moody club beats. The London collective have never really registered at home, though they are popular in continental Europe, where they seem to be treated as honorary goths, sustaining a cult career that has never been less than interesting. This is their 10th album, on which they shift ever closer to a brand of psych rock that may be their natural bent. Only a penchant for electronic beats, dramatic vocals and cinematic effects hint at their trip hop origins, while the progressive elements have been reduced to introverted shoegazing drones.” – The Telegraph
Ascension – The Dead Of The World CD (Season Of Mist)
“The 2010 debut full-length from the German metal band Ascension was an interesting hybrid of black metal, noise, and spindly guitar work. With The Dead Of The World, Ascension cut back on the more far-flung aspects of their debut in favor of a streamlined sound.” – Pitchfork
Battle Beast – Unholy Savior CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast America)
If you took the decisively ‘80s sound of Lita Ford, added a generous helping of power and symphonic metal, hard rock, and a dash of bubble gum pop, the result would be Battle Beast.
Beat Spacek – Modern Streets CD/2xLP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Beat Spacek is the latest project from UK vocalist/producer Steve Spacek, a man who should really need no introduction. With boundless abilities, his work transcends genre and style — instead focusing more on swing, melody, vibe and atmosphere. From his legendary output with the band Spacek, solo work on the cult Sound In Color imprint and collaborations with the late, great J Dilla to his under-the-radar Black Pocket project with brother dBridge and his most recent work with Mark Pritchard as one half of Africa HiTech, his fearless approach to creation has always been progressive and highly original.
Black Sheep Wall – I’m Going To Kill Myself CD (Season Of Mist)
“This sludge-metal band, having been through more vocalists than it probably remembers, has settled on its sometime bassist Brandon Gillichbauer to front its new offering. BSW have never, in its stop-start history, made a record that’s as good as it is, but this new four-track EP comes close. It’s sometimes plodding and methodical, sometimes a stellar wash of noise.” – Revolver Mag
The Body & Thou – You, Whom I Have Always Hated CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
The Body and Thou are bands with Southern roots that have been pushing the boundaries of heavy metal for over a decade. Both have maintained relentless touring schedules, a dedication to DIY ethics and aesthetics, and a commitment to push their respective brands of extreme music into previously unexplored territories. You, Whom I Have Always Hated is a new collaborative release that showcases both bands’ unique abilities to create music that is emotionally effecting and unrelenting. (CD version adds the 2014 album Released From Love, which was previously only released on vinyl.)
Bosley – The Dirty Dogs Radio Show CD/LP (Bosley Music)
Baltimore’s native son has a hybrid R&B, vintage soul style and performs with his nine-piece band. His blazing, high-energy live performances have been gaining notoriety, including headlining appearances alongside Sharon Jones & The Dapkings.
The Bros. Landreth – Let It Lie CD/LP (Slate Creek)
Twenty-seven years. Four bandmates. Two brothers. One album. Let It Lie, the debut release from Canadian roots-rockers the Bros. Landreth, is proof that there’s strength in numbers. Anchored by the bluesy wail of electric guitars, the swell of B3 organ, and the harmonized swoon of two voices that were born to mesh.
Calabrese – Lust For Sacrilege CD/LP (Spookshow)
Steeped in a hard rock swing, brash punk energy, metallic bombast, and a healthy helping of death rock, these three musicians—Jimmy Calabrese [vocals, bass], Bobby Calabrese [vocals, guitar], and Davey Calabrese [drums]—established a diehard following and garnered immense critical praise outside of the traditional system, emerging as underground luminaries from their native Phoenix, AZ. Available on CD and on white vinyl.
Conduct – Fear & Desire CD/LP (Public Tone)
Taking musical cues from industrial, punk, and German progressive movements, Fear & Desire expounds on the inhumane nature of existence, anxiety, and the impulses behind inaction. Though there are many signifiers in Conduct’s music — be it Art Bears, Hula, or This Heat — they have synthesized a unique and slanted approach to the four-piece rock outfit. Recorded by Steve Albini, featuring guest spots from Tim Midyett.
Corrections House – Writing History In Advance CD (War Crime)
Corrections House (Mike IX Williams of EyeHateGod, Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Bruce Lamont of Bloodiest/Yakuza and Sanford Parker of Minsk) is a mysterious collective of lost souls that embrace the unkind, the diseased, the forgotten, the morose and their lush anti-soundscapes and shadowy verses – both at once hideously beautiful, graceful and terrifying – creeps forth from this, their first live recording.
Jamie Cullum – Interlude CD/LP (Blue Note)
Interlude marks a rare focus upon largely straight-ahead jazz and a return to interpretation from an artist who has made a habit of bending genres, writing original material and bringing new sounds and new listeners to the music. Produced, engineered and mixed by Benedic Lamdin for Nostalgia 77 and featuring guest spots from Laura Mvula and Gregory Porter, the album repertoire choices were inspired by the music and musicians he’s featured on his award-winning UK jazz radio show over the last few years and his own crate digging tendencies.
Death Toll 80k – Harsh Realities CD/LP (Give Praise)
Finland’s finest grindcore maniacs Death Toll 80K would love to destroy your eardrums with these 23 harsh tracks.
Dengue Fever – The Deepest Lake CD (Tuk Tuk)
Dengue Fever is in the vanguard of an emerging global pop sensibility, making music that’s both familiar, yet eerily unique. The Los Angeles sextet blends the rhythms of ‘60s Cambodian pop — heavily influenced by American surf, rock and early psychedelic garage bands — with their own eclectic mix of American and international styles. Vinyl version due February 24.
Dodos – Individ CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
For the Dodos “the best time to make a record is right after you’ve finished one” says vocalist and guitarist Meric Long. Having just wrapped up the sessions for their previous record Carrier, and fired up on the level of comfort achieved with brothers Jay and Ian Pellicci at Tiny Telephone studio, the duo immediately began laying to tape the batch of songs that would result in their latest and sixth record, entitled Individ.
Doomtree – All Hands CD/2xLP+MP3 (Doomtree)
New release from the Minneapolis independent hip-hop collective. The production from Cecil Otter, Lazerbeak, Paper Tiger, and P.O.S. twists through 13 booming tracks, building the raw and epic soundscapes that the group has become well known for, while adding more of-the-moment musical elements and techniques for a genre-spanning effect.
Eastern Midwestern – Zenith CD/LP (Two Syllable)
Eastern Midwestern shoots for the moon, and only most-artfully turns back on itself. Whether it’s the genteel storytelling of the Middle West, or the affected attitude of the jagged Eastern seaboard, this unique foursome of de-facto New Yorkers aims to please even the most discerning ear. They dare you not to hum back a melody, to not swing your arms in grand air guitar gestures, or flail faux-fills down dribbling air-toms. You’ll have no control as your inner-bassist contorts the corners of your mouth into bass face, your under bite leading your head in an approving rock nod.
Eisbrecher – Schock CD (Metropolis)
“Strong and forward-driving tracks brimming with synth, powerful drums & guitars, and Wesselsky’s dominating voice.” — Sputnik Music
George Ezra – Wanted On Voyage CD (Sony)
Debut studio album by the English singer/songwriter. Entering the UK Albums Chart at #3, the album features the singles “Did You Hear The Rain?” “Budapest,” and “Cassy O.”
Falloch – This Island, Our Funeral CD (Candlelight)
“Black metal from the United Kingdom typically presents an atmospheric approach rooted in (Celtic) folk and post rock/metal. Last year provided a handful of worthy examples of this trend, with Primordial (Ireland), Saor (Scotland) and Winterfylleth (England) all releasing albums that explored the boundaries within this formula. Falloch seem keen on keeping this style alive into the New Year with their sophomore album This Island, Our Funeral, a record most comparable to Saor from the aforementioned bands. Yet, while these Glaswegians once included Saor mastermind Andy Marshall in their ranks, what is presented on This Island, Our Funeral has a distinctly clean approach that bears a black metal tag solely in a thematic sense. The result is a beautifully painted landscape that utilizes an overly pastel palette.” — Heavy Blog Is Heavy
Jake Xerxes Fussell – Jake Xerxes Fussell CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)
On his self-titled debut album, produced by and featuring William Tyler, the Georgia-bred singer and guitarist — student of Piedmont blues legend Precious Bryant and sideman to Rev. John Wilkins — transmutes ten arcane folk/blues tunes into vibey cosmic laments and crooked riverine rambles. Crack(ed) Nashville session vets Chris Scruggs (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Marty Stuart), Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews), and Hoot Hester (Bill Monroe, Ray Charles) crew the push boat.
Kenny G – Brazilian Nights CD (Concord)
The 14th album from the jazz/pop saxophonist – available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds four bonus live tracks.
Goulgotha – The Deathmass Cloak CD (Dark Descent)
Brutal and haunting old school death metal.
Gov’t Mule Featuring John Scofield – Sco-Mule 2xCD/2xLP (Evil Teen)
In late September of 1999, John Scofield teamed with Gov’t Mule, then featuring original bass player the late Allen Woody, in Georgia for two legendary shows. These shows were recorded with the intention of it being a live release after the studio album Life Before Insanity. After the passing of Woody, and the start of The Deep End project, those plans had been set aside. There are no audience recordings from these shows, so this will be the first time that anyone will be able to hear or relive what took place that night.
Drew Holcomb And The Neighbors – Medicine CD/LP (Magnolia Music)
For Nashville based, Memphis born Drew Holcomb, ”music is medicine” and it seems only fitting that along with his band The Neighbors — wife Ellie (vocals, guitar), Nathan Dugger (guitar, keys) and Rick Brinsfield (bass) — the group celebrates a decade long career with the release of a new album. Recorded over eight days at Joe Pisapia’s Middletree Studios in East Nashville, Medicine was co-produced by Pisapia (Ben Folds, KD Lang, Guster, Josh Rouse) and the band and tackles issues of everyday life including loyalty, hardship, marriage, friendship, alienation and faith.
Hey Rosetta! – Second Sight CD/LP (Sonic)
New album from the ornate East Coast folk rock ensemble. “As usual, Second Sight finds Hey Rosetta! aiming skyward with dramatically soaring rock anthems. This time around, many of the songs emphasize the bouncy, buoyant side of the outfit’s oeuvre, with ‘Soft Offering’ beginning the album on a pop-friendly note and ‘Neon Beyond’ sporting heavy guitar crescendos. That being said, there are still plenty of quieter folksy moments, like the moody ‘What Arrows’ or the slow-burning back-half numbers ‘Alcatraz’ and ‘Trish’s Song.’” – Exclaim
Howlin’ Rain – Mansion Songs CD/LP (Welk)
Mansion Songs marks the much-anticipated return of freewheeling boogie-psych titans Howlin’ Rain. Ethan Miller as frontman/shaman delivers eight new moon-soaked high desert anthems.
The Hues Corporation – Rockin’ Soul/Love Corporation [Reissue/1974/1975] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered twofer containing a pair of albums by the R&B act plus one bonus track. This release includes the #1 chart hit, “Rock The Boat,” and the hits “Rockin’ Soul,” and “Love Corporation.” The group named themselves after the business empire of Howard Hues and they recorded some excellent easy listening disco music in the mid-‘70s, but they are remembered as a one-hit wonder.
Invisible Familiars – Disturbing Wildlife CD/LP (Other Music)
From the mind of Jared Samuel as Invisible Familiars, with guests including Scott Metzger, Ryan Sawyer, Cibo Matto, Nels Cline, and Jolie Holland. Working with the backing band of Sean Lennon, Disturbing Wildlife one for fans of Marc Bolan and T Rex, chilled-out jazzy songwriter numbers, cups of tea and Scrabble.
J.Tex & The Volunteers – Old Ways Vs. New Days CD/LP (Heptown)
Fifth album from the Danish roots rockers. With a firm grip on the banjo and the guitar J.Tex often travels over the sea between Denmark and Sweden, with a sound of Americana, blues and country music. Old Ways Vs. New Days takes a charming journey through a soundscape of violin, bass clarinet, vocals and a brilliant guitar and banjo work.
Danny James – Pear CD/LP+MP3 (Burger)
While Danny James’ Pear beautifully occupies the space of 1970s mellow pop vibes, he also manages to reinvent the concept of retro with Pear.
Jib Kidder – Teaspoon To The Ocean CD/LP (Weird World)
Jib Kidder is the pseudonym of Sean Schuster-Craig. He has spent the last decade exploring a variety of approaches to psychedelic collage. The latest addition to Schuster-Craig’s unique and under-exposed body of work comes in the form of Teaspoon To The Ocean. The eleven acid-country pop songs on this collection combine the cut-up lyrical style of avant garde literary great Gertrude Stein with influences ranging from Lindsay Buckingham to Meat Puppets by way of Roy Orbison, Gary Numan and Indonesian Campursari and Vietnamese slide guitar playing.
Paul Kelly – Presents The Merrisoul Sessions CD (Cen)
A swag of soul-inspired songs and Kelly classics performed by some of the country’s best young talent – as well as by the man himself, of course. Vinyl version due February 24.
Danny Kroha – Angels Watching Over Me CD/LP (Third Man)
As a mainstay on the Detroit music scene and founding member of The Gories, Danny Kroha has consistently pushed himself to reinvention. With his first full-length release under his own name, it may come as an unexpected turn that he’s dealing in classic gospel and folk songs. Playing every instrument himself, the end result is a collection of compelling, timeless traditional songs.
Jorn Lande and Trond Holter – Dracula: Swing Of Death CD (Frontiers)
New collaboration between Norwegian rock stars Jorn Lande and guitarist Trond Holter (aka Teeny of Wig Wam). Dracula is a rock opera concept album about the life of Count Vlad the III, Prince of Wallachia, widely known as Vlad, The Impaler or by his patronymic name Vlad Dracul(a). Musical influences come mostly from Meat Loaf and Queen with the ghost of Alice Cooper thrown in.
Level 10 – Chapter One CD (Frontiers)
Level 10 is a collaboration between American powerhouse singer Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob, Allen Lande) and German producer/bassist Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Sinner). 12 songs performed in a true metal style.
The Lone Bellow – Then Came The Morning CD/LP (Descendant)
“Brooklyn folk-rockers the Lone Bellow worked with Aaron Dessner on their upcoming album Then Came The Morning, and some of the National’s dark elegance is present in ‘Fake Roses,’ the second single they’ve shared from the project. The tune’s warm tones and steady pulse also hearken to Arcade Fire’s somber Funeral ballad ‘Une Année Sans Lumière’ or Wilco’s ‘Via Chicago,’ and there’s a weathered grace to the vocal that reminds me of Van Morrison. And at the risk of turning this into nothing more than a long list of influences, the sighing pedal steel and moody twilight atmospherics evoke Justin Townes Earle’s great 2012 release Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now, which is high praise coming from me. (Earle’s album was in my top 10 that year.) Reference points aside, The Lone Bellow have made a fantastic leap here, distancing themselves from the post-Mumford hordes and proving that a certain class of stately indie rock is still capable of sounding fresh and vital.” – Stereogum
Lord Dying – Poisoned Alters CD/LP (Relapse)
“Fusing Crowbar’s booming guitar tone and gruff vocal delivery with High On Fire’s relentless chug and the occasional Pantera groove, Oregon brain-blasters Lord Dying deliver a severe riff thunderstorm on their second album, the follow-up to 2013’s heralded Summon The Faithless.” – Revolver Mag
Lucy Angel – Lucy Angel CD (New Revolution)
Debut album from the new country music trio that consists of mother Kate and daughters, Emily and Lindsay. Tight family harmonies, well-crafted lyrics and infectious grooves are showcased on this 13-track album.
Mad Antony – Sank For Days CD/LP (Phratry)
Mad Anthony has weathered a lot in this last year. While on tour in the summer of 2013, the band was involved in a near-fatal van-accident. Despite the incident, the boys prevailed, playing just over 230 shows by then end of the year, touring from coast to coast within North America, and followed it all up by writing their newest release, Sank For Days — an ode to survival.
Menace Beach – Ratworld CD/LP (Memphis Industries)
Back in the good old of days of 1990, Color Dream games released Menace Beach for the then popular NES games console from Nintendo. Imagine skateboarding through a side-scrolling 8-bit world filled with balloons, clowns and disgruntled dockworkers in search of your cute pixilated girlfriend Bunny. It’s from this slightly surreal, esoteric world that this Leeds indie rock revolving cast of local luminaries, headed by Ryan Needham and Liza Violet, draw their name. Its reference acts as the perfect backdrop to their ‘90s American underground and pre-Britpop indie; colorful, energetic, pop and always surprising.
Chisette Michele – The Lyricists’ Opus CDEP (Rich Hipster)
New EP from the R&B star. The Lyricists’ Opus features the lead single “Together,” written by Chrisette Michele and produced by Justin Lyons. This EP is the follow-up to Michele’s 2013 Grammy nominated album Better.
Milo Greene – Control CD/LP (New Elektra)
New release from the L.A.-based cinematic pop band. Control was recorded with producer Jesse Shatkin (Sia, Foster The People, Ellie Goulding) at his Highland Park, CA home studio. The band also enlisted the help of legendary drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, Atoms For Peace, R.E.M.), who shaped much of the album’s complex rhythmic backdrop while also contributing drums to a number of tracks.
Mogwai – Music Industry 3: Fitness Industry 1 CDEP/12” (Rock Action)
New 6-tracker from late 2014. Remixes of three songs off the Rave Tapes album, plus three exclusive cuts.
Nada Surf – Live In Brussels CD (Barsuk)
Originally released only in the UK and Europe in Spring 2004, this was recorded live in Brussels at the Ancienne Belgique on March 31, 2003, while on tour supporting Let Go.
Ron Nagle – Bad Rice [Reissue/1970] 2xCD (Omnivore Recordings)
Expanded reissue includes alternative mixes and outtakes from the album, along with an entire second disc of period demos drawn from the archives of Ron Nagle, as well as detailed liner notes by longtime Nagle observer Gene Sculatti and many previously unseen photos. A pretty radical departure from his work with first-wave (and decidedly non-psychedelic) San Francisco group the Mystery Trend, keyboardist and singer Ron Nagle unleashed this superb little masterpiece in 1970, which then promptly disappeared without a trace.
Napalm Death – Apex Predator: Easy Meat CD/LP (Century Media)
15th studio album from the grindcore legends. “The tracks thunder away like a stampede of wildebeests, pounding you into oblivion with their tales of anti corporatism and wage slaves (and ground beef?). The album also retains a good degree of the death metal influence found in the band’s previous efforts, and it shows in the catchy, somewhat bouncy nature of a lot of the riffs at work throughout it (‘Stubborn Stains,’ ‘Bloodless Coup,’ etc.).” – Metal Storm
Ne-Yo – Non-Fiction CD (Motown)
The new album from the hitmaker features collaborations with Juicy J, Candice, David Guetta, Jeezy, Charisse Mills, Schoolboy Q and T.I., and Pitbull, and is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds five bonus tracks.
Night Demon – Curse Of The Damned CD/LP (Century Media)
Hailing from the city of Ventura an hour north of Los Angeles, Night Demon is a classic metal trio comprising Jarvis Leatherby on bass and vocals, Brent Woodward on guitar and Dusty Squires on drums. The band unites the three members’ musical inspirations and influences ranging from old-school metal greats such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Riot and Saxon to punk legends The Misfits.
Noveller – Fantastic Planet CD/LP (Fire)
Available on CD and on aqua color vinyl. “Noveller is the solo project of Sarah Lipstate, a supremely gifted guitarist who recently toured as support to St. Vincent, with past credits including a brief stint as a member of riotous party-time alt-rockers Parts & Labor. Fantastic Planet is an album of striking, singular images, then; snapshots that can only develop while the eyes are shut and the ears wide open. I’m not wholly sure of how it’s all done – there are pedals to make almost any sort of sound you like, of course – but I can acknowledge that Noveller is a rare and special artist, obviously talented but taming any and all temptation to go all-out explosive, instead presenting a strange brew of instrumentals both delightfully becalming and playfully boisterous.” – Clash Music
Papa Roach – F.E.A.R. CD/LP (Eleven Seven)
The California rockers release their eighth studio album, F.E.A.R. (“Face Everything And Rise”).
Periphery – Juggernaut: Alpha CD (Sumerian)
Periphery – Juggernaut: Omega CD (Sumerian)
New double-volume concept album from the progressive metal band.
Natalie Prass – Natalie Prass CD (Sony)
New album from the Nashville-based singer/songwriter. While her delicate alto evokes clear benchmarks of influence (see early Rilo Kiley, Feist, Karen Carpenter, etc.) Prass never seems weighed down by the artists she’s absorbed. Instead, she has developed a refreshing guitar-grounded musical vocabulary and a knack for infectious and entrancing tunes. Vinyl version TBA.
Jessica Pratt – On Your Own Love Again CD/LP (Drag City)
“We all want the world to be beautiful. We want scribes and songbirds to tell us so — and sometimes they do & then it is. They point their pens and focus their lens where they will and surprise us to our soul. On Your Own Love Again is a record that does it to us, with songs from a spine-thrilling new place and a gifted young singer with her own musical logic.”
Punch Brothers – The Phosphorescent Blues CD (Nonesuch)
After working with T. Bone Burnett numerous times—most recently on the soundtrack for the Joel and Ethan Coen film Inside Llewyn Davis and the related Town Hall/Showtime concert Another Day, Another Time—Punch Brothers decided to join forces with the multiple Grammy Award–winning producer for their new record. Last summer, the band and Burnett spent a month at Hollywood’s Ocean Way Recording laying down the songs that guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjo player Noam Pikelny, mandolinist and lead singer Chris Thile, and fiddler Gabe Witcher had written during several writing “retreats” last winter and spring. Vinyl version due February 24.
Purple – (409) CD/LP (PIAS America)
Debut album from the Texas party rock group. “Purple’s (409) is a mess of dirty punk, melodic but grit-spewing pop and excitement that culminates into one hell of a great record. Pushing through the tangled web of pop music and has-been or would-be artists, Purple presents itself as a genuine example of a group that detests the droll and predictable, and hits you with a one-two punch of heavy handed rock tunes.” – AXS
Alasdair Roberts – Alasdair Roberts CD/LP (Drag City)
Alasdair Roberts’ 10 songs are sparse, intimate and concise. The focus throughout is on Alasdair’s deft acoustic finger- style guitar and his voice. The songs are variously elliptical and gnomic, direct and personal, romantic and tender. There are occasional guest appearances from fellow Glasgow-dwellers Alex South (clarinet), Donald Lindsay (tin whistle) and singing quartet The Crying Lion (Alex Neilson, Lavinia Blackwall, Harry Campbell, Katy Cooper), always to great dramatic effect.
The Shadows Of Knight – Live 1966 CD/LP (Sundazed)
Besides releasing two classic long-players and many more singles (including the smash, “Gloria”), touring/behaving badly all across America and appearing on TV shows like Upbeat and Where The Action Is, The Shadows of Knight also ruled at suburban Chicago’s hands-down hippest teen club, The Cellar. Over the decades, their Cellar performances have become the stuff of legend. Miraculously, two reels of tape of The Shadows Of Knight live on stage at the Cellar were eventually uncovered. You’re welcome.
Joe Simon – The Chokin’ Kind 2xCD (Nasjon/Airline)
36 newly remastered classic soul tracks from the legendary vocalist.
The Soul Stirrers – Joy In My Soul: The Complete SAR Recordings CD (Abkco)
Digitally remastered archive release containing the complete recorded output of the seminal gospel group on the SAR record label. SAR Records was co-owned by former Soul Stirrer and R&B/soul legend Sam Cooke and former Pilgrim Traveler J.W. Alexander. The recordings span the years 1959 to 1964 and cover the period after their Specialty recordings and up until Sam Cooke’s untimely death.
The Standells – Live On Tour 1966 CD/LP (Sundazed)
The Standells’ amazing string of punkish, tough-guy anthems, like “Dirty Water” and “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White” define the legacy of mid-sixties garage rock like nothing else. With the success of these records came ’66 tours with The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys. Rescued from a professionally recorded concert at the University Of Michigan, The Standells are captured in astonishingly clean sound that rivals their legendary studio recordings. A fine example of vintage ‘60s American garage rock.
Starlings, TN – Preachin’ To The Choir CD (Chicken Ranch)
Starlings, TN deliver their long-awaited album of gospel classics.
Kenn Starr – Square One CD/LP (Mello Music Group)
Kenn Starr sees his career at square one, despite being regarded among the elite of the DMV scene, and being in the inner circle of producers Oddisee and Kev Brown, and having his newest album signed to Mello Music Group. Eight years since his debut, Starr Status, Kenn Starr is baggage free on his sophomore album, Square One.
Jan St. Werner – Miscontinuum Album CD/2xLP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Jan St. Werner has remained one of electronic music’s most innovative and iconoclastic figures for the past two decades, changing the face of the genre several times over as a member of Mouse On Mars and Microstoria. Miscontinuum Album is the third entry in Jan St. Werner’s lauded Fiepblatter Catalogue series, and features contributions from Dylan Carlson (Earth), Markus Popp (Oval), Taigen Kawabe (Bo Ningen), and Kathy Alberici. Miscontinuum Album is a radical convergence of sound exploration and storytelling that has few precedents. It is a dark gothic electronic work whose dense layers reveal more with each listen. (Vinyl version features expanded artwork and bonus tracks.)
Supralunar – A New Hope CD (Dead End Exit)
Debut album from the Swedish hard rockers. A New Hope offers groovy, steamy rock & roll with large doses of ’70s glam completely free from feathers and sequins. It is a perfect blend of hard rock and glam as it was meant to be and not synonymous with umbrella drinks and neon colored spandex, as in the ’80s.
The Supreme Jubilees – It’ll All Be Over [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Digitally remastered edition of this 1980 album from the California-based gospel-soul group. A band of brothers and cousins, the group was founded from two families: brothers Joe and Dave Kingsby plus Dave’s son David Kingsby Jr., and keyboardist Leonard Sanders plus his brothers Phillips (drummer), Tim (bassist), and Melvin (tenor). Released in 1980 on the group’s own S&K (Sanders & Kingsby) label, It’ll All Be Over pinpoints a fatalistic mood exemplified by the title. Its lyrics drawn from the Old Testament, its sound from the church by way of the disco, and it’s a feel captured by the album cover-a low, orange sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. It is, as Jessica Hundley observes in the brand new liner notes, “both apocalyptic and seductive.”
Sweet & Lynch – Only To Rise CD (Frontiers)
Debut album from the duo/band comprised of guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet (of Christian hard rockers Stryper) and guitarist George Lynch (Lynch Mob, ex Dokken) along with bassist James Lomenzo (ex Megadeth, White Lion, Black Label Society) and drummer Brian Tichy (ex Whitesnake).
Tear Out The Heart – Dead, Everywhere CD (Victory)
Sophomore release from the St. Louis metalcore band.
Bjørn Torske – Nedi Myra [Reissue/1997] CD/LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Bjørn Torske – Trobble [Reissue/2001] CD/LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Reissues of two Holy Grails of Norwegian dance music: the first two albums by reclusive cult innovator from beyond the Arctic Circle Bjørn Torske (1997’s Nedi Myra and 2001’s Trobbel). Together with the late Tore “Erot” Kroknes, Bjorn laid the foundation for the disco scene in Norway that gave birth to Prins Thomas, Lindström, Andre Bratten and Todd Terje. Inspired by DJ Harvey, Ron Hardy and Idjut Boys, Bjørn Torske and Erot brough underground disco and house/techno (Chicago/Detroit style) to the country, developing their very own style of tripped out dubby disco with their characteristic weird, humorous and psychedelic twists along the way.
toyGuitar – In This Mess CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
In This Mess is toyGuitar’s debut full-length. From the Bowie-esque twinge of “Human Hyenas,” to an attitude reminiscent of The Stooges on “In My Head,” to the hypnotic vibe of “Roller Coasters,” every track on In This Mess offers something unique without ever losing the album’s pervasive jolt of energy.
Twerps – Range Anxiety CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Formed in Melbourne in late 2008, Twerps enjoyed immediate success, releasing a series of vinyl singles and cassettes on various labels around the world. The release of their 2011 self-titled debut album led to appearances at SXSW and CMJ and tours with Real Estate, Mac DeMarco, and others. Not wanting to wait until 2015 to unleash new songs on present and future fans, Twerps quickly recorded the delightful Underlay EP, which Pitchfork described as “songs fraught with universal, emotionally familiar sentiments.”
Twiztid – The Darkness CD/LP (Majik Ninja)
New release from the Detroit hip-hop duo. During the recording sessions Twiztid would keep the studio pitch black except for six lit candles scattered around the studio floor. They recorded until the early morning for weeks on end. Madrox and Monoxide took it back to their roots, they had the mindset of their first studio album Mostasteless and reinvented the creepy story telling music of their past.
The Valentinos – Lookin’ For A Love: The Complete SAR Recordings CD (Abkco)
The complete recorded output of the R&B/soul group, The Valentinos on the SAR record label, co-founded and co-owned by R&B/soul legend Sam Cooke, who was also the group s producer. The Valentinos comprised the five Womack brothers: Bobby, Cecil, Curtis, Friendly Jr. and Harry. These are amongst the earliest recordings by soul legend Bobby Womack and Cecil Womack, one half of the R&B vocal duo, Womack & Womack (the other half being Linda Cooke, Sam’s daughter). Included on the album are fourteen tracks originally released as singles, three originally unreleased recordings.
Various Artists – Dance Mania: Ghetto Madness CD/2xLP (Strut)
Strut return to the archives of seminal Chicago house label Dance Mania for this compilation. The follow-up to Strut’s Dance Mania label retrospective Hardcore Traxx from early 2014, this new installment places the spotlight on the raw, stripped back, hyper BPMs of ghetto house and the rise of the movement’s fresh generation of stars during the mid-‘90s including DJ Deeon, DJ Funk, Jammin’ Gerald and DJ Milton.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Psychedelic India CD (World Music Network)
Indian music was hugely influential on Western psychedelia and the feeling was mutual. On this mind-expanding Rough Guide, hallucinatory sounds drift in and out of drones and ragas, ranging from the lysergic sitar of Ananda Shankar and trippy Bollywood vibes of the 1970s to more recent concoctions by Sunday Driver and The Bombay Royale.
Various Artists – Where Southern Soul Began: 2 1955-1962 2xCD (History Of Soul)
Volume 2 showcases many more artists who contributed to the birth of the genre. The songs come from all parts of the south of the US: from New Orleans via Miami and from Mobile, Alabama to Memphis and Nashville. Many of these then unsung heroes such as Ted Taylor, Joe Tex, Otis Redding and William Bell, went on to have highly successful careers, and this set gives a valuable insight into the music they were making before the big hits started coming. Other artists featured are more obscure as they made only a few recordings before fading from view. Yet singers such as Steve Dixon, George Hughley and Prince Conley made just as valid a contribution to the beginnings of southern soul. The music here combines elements of country, R&B, doo-wop, gospel and blues, and retains the ability to move listeners some 50 years on with its emotional intensity and musical power.
Various Artists – Witchcraft In The Air: Detroit Soul Volume One 1957-1962 2xCD (History Of Soul)
Not just another early Detroit Soul compilation. This is the cream of that transitional, pre-Hitsville era, when Detroit’s labels, artists and producers were putting out popular, black dance music that they hoped might get noticed and sell enough to make them rich and famous.
Venom – From The Very Depths CD (Spinefarm)
14th album from the extreme/black metal pioneers.
Visigoth – The Revenant King CD (Metal Blade)
Visigoth plays heavy metal that hearkens back to the golden age of ironclad riffwork and powerful vocals. They pay tribute to the titans of steel that left their mark on the history of the genre, and their earth-shaking sound echoes with a deep reverence for their roots
Voices – London CD (Candlelight)
Sophomore album from the UK blackened death metal outfit.
Jim White Vs. The Packway Handle Band – Take It Like A Man CD/LP (Yep Roc)
When Athens, GA outfit The Packway Handle Band sought Jim White out to produce an album, the quintet learned he had a massive stash of bluegrass songs just waiting to be sprung on the world — and they would make the perfect slingshot.
Charlie Wilson – Forever Charlie CD (RCA)
New album from the R&B veteran and former Gap Band member.
Johnny Winter – Gangster Of Love: The Essential Early Years 2xCD (Nasjon/Airline)
This double-CD archive collection from the late guitar great contains 36 tracks of newly remastered, original early recordings, including rarities and B-sides with original issued singles recorded 1960-1967.
Wynd Chymes – Pretty Girls Everywhere [Reissue/1983] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1983 album by the R&B group including two bonus tracks. The album was produced by Larry Graham and includes the chart hit, “Pretty Girls, Everywhere.” Liner Notes by Alex Henderson.
Xibalba – Tierra Y Libertad CD/LP (Southern Lord)
New album from the California death metalheads. “A vicious mid-tempo hardcore monster.” – Noisey (Vice)
Zs – Xe CD (Northern Spy)
Zs is devoid of genre and unclassifiable. Since 2000, founder Sam Hillmer has remained its purveying constant, and with the addition of loose-limbed, meditative percussionist Greg Fox (Liturgy, Guardian Alien, Man Forever), and virtuosic avant-classical guitarist and composer Patrick Higgins, the band has found its epochal lineup. The trio’s vision is crystallized on Xe, Zs’ first full-length featuring the new trio, and first proper since 2010’s New Slaves. Vinyl version due February 10.
Zomba Prison Project – I Have No Everything Here CD (Six Degrees)
In the summer of 2013, Grammy-winning producer, Ian Brennan (Tinariwen, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, TV on the Radio) and his wife, Italian photographer and filmmaker, Marilena Delli, traveled to the border of Malawi and Mozambique specifically to document and record the music of prisoners at the maximum-security prison in Zomba. Music provides one of the only outlets for the prisoners. Despite (or perhaps because of) the conditions they were recorded under, the performances that Brennan documented for this album are filled with a shocking stark beauty, with themes ranging from anger, despair, redemption and hope.
Zun Zun Egui – Shackles Gift CD (Bella Union)
Math in the back seat, math in the front; math as a party in the USA; math as punk rock. Zun Zun Egui have all possible points of contention covered, using their intricate, overly technical guitar riffage and perfectly calculated percussion to provide counsel on a record that’s otherwise loose, loud and proud. Vinyl version due February 3.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
1349 – Beyond The Apocalypse [Reissue/2004] LP (Back On Black)
Double grey vinyl reissue of the legendary second studio album by Norwegian black metal band 1349. A nasty, harsh, brutally skullcrushing blast of Scandinavian death metal/black metal that lacks even the slightest trace of subtlety.
American Wrestlers – I Can Do No Wrong b/w The Rest Of You 7” (Fat Possum)
A stripped back approach to garage-rock that focuses on melody and avoids the all-too-common desire to drench everything in layer-upon-layer of fuzz.
Aquadolls – Stoked On You LP+MP3 (Burger)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Sun-kissed teen dream beach pop.
Art Of Burning Water – Living Is For Giving, Dying Is For Getting LP (SuperFi)
Art Of Burning Water refuse to die despite being one of the most frowned upon bunch of noise making tw*ts of the past 10 years. There is no machine behind this band and the UK ‘underground’ rock circle jerk has never approved them or championed them and they do not have friends in high places but DO have high friends. For fans of: Keelhaul, Rorschach, Voivod, Amebix, Godflesh and Motörhead.
Avichi – Catharsis Absolute LP (New Density)
Multi-instrumentalist Andrew Markuszewski (aka Aamonael), one of the founding members of the popular and notorious Nachtmystium, currently plays in blackened sludge metal abomination Lord Mantis. But Avichi is his solo outlet to show that he is one of the premier visionaries in today’s black metal scene. Recommended for fans of Leviathan, Negative Plane, Lurker Of Chalice, Deathspell Omega, Katharsis and early Nachtmystium.
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Mosaic [Reissue/1961] LP (Blue Note)
An explosive session from an expanded edition of the Jazz Messengers – recorded at a key point when Art Blakey moved the group up to six members instead of five! Although bigger than the group on most Jazz Messenger Blue Notes, the sextet have an energy that’s almost tighter – a sense of poise, focus, and vision that’s not just driven by Blakey’s drum kit alone – but by the kind of unique magic that only happens during rare groupings in classic jazz. Part of Blue Note’s ongoing 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Carpathian Forest – Defending The Throne Of Evil [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Back On Black)
Carpathian Forest – F**k You All !!!! – Caput Tuum In Ano Est [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Back On Black)
Defending The Throne Of Evil is the fourth studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Carpathian Forest. The sonority of the album is largely different from other Carpathian Forest albums, being their more melodic up to that point; relying heavily on symphonic interludes, saxophones and synthesizers, it is loosely reminiscent of symphonic black metal. F**k You All is their fifth album and followed in 2006.
Chandos – Rats In Your Bed LP (Carpark)
Rats In Your Bed’s short but sweet song structures mix Chandos’ pop sensibility with dread and urgency, creating a tense energy that gives the group a sound they feel they can call their own. The Boston-based group honed its craft in the local house show scene bands like Speedy Ortiz, Grass Is Green, and Guerilla Toss also call home.
Cloudkicker – Live With Intronaut LP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. During an off-date of Cloudkicker’s inaugural tour, in which Intronaut served as his backing band, the skilled musicians headed to Fathom Tree studio in Texas for a live-to-tape recording of their set.
John Wesley Coleman And The Gaylords – Radio/Aliens 7” (Spacecase)
John Wesley Coleman goes punk, Texas style. Lo-fi and impromptu, this 7”carries on where Wes’ stellar debut Steal My Mind left off—just weirder and faster. Mixed color vinyl.
Corrosion Of Conformity – Blind [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (Prosthetic)
Corrosion Of Conformity – Deliverance [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Prosthetic)
Limited edition color vinyl reissues of two COC classics. The reissue of Blind includes three bonus tracks from Columbia’s 1995 re-release of the album.
The Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette [Reissue/1979] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
The Damned – The Chiswick Singles & Another Thing LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Deluxe vinyl editions now available. Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. The Chiswick Singles includes A- and B-sides from the group’s output for the Chiswick label, specifically from the albums Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) and The Black Album (1980).
Dr. Feelgood – Brilleaux [Reissue/1986] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Dr. Feelgood – Classic [Reissue/1987] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Deluxe vinyl editions now available. Lee Brilleaux invested in the groundbreaking British independent label Stiff when it was being launched in the mid-’70s, so it is sort of appropriate that Dr. Feelgood eventually recorded for the label. The only trouble is, it wasn’t in 1976, when Stiff and Feelgood were at their peak; it was in 1986, as Stiff was sliding toward bankruptcy and Feelgood were far from their popular heyday.
Drgn King – Baltimore Crush LP (Bar/None)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On Drgn King’s second album, the band tells the story of growing up in Baltimore. The songs revolve around a community of disenfranchised kids looking for kicks while trying to make a world they can call their own. An underground punk scene in a church basement flourishes until drug abuse and other mayhem derails their DIY dream. Baltimore Crush trips through time, revisiting rock & roll ghosts, churning in the undertow of the present and imagining worlds to come.
Elephant Micah – Where In Our Woods LP (Western Vinyl)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. For the past 14 years, Elephant Micah’s Joseph O’Connell has quietly self-released his music, sometimes collaborating with the psych-folk imprint Time-Lag Records or other very small labels. Despite the project’s almost secretive status, Elephant Micah has repeatedly caught the attention of NPR, and has been championed by an impressive cohort of like-minded artists including Jason Molina, Hiss Golden Messenger, Dark Dark Dark, and Hurray For The Riff Raff.
Emmy The Great – S LP (Bella Union)
Emmy’s latest creation. Recording was split between L.A. with Ludwig Goransson (Haim, Childish Gambino) and London with Dave McCracken (Oh Land, Beyonce). Mixed by MIA’s MD Neil Comber. Wild Beasts’ Tom Fleming joins Emmy for lead track “Swimming Pool,” a haunting siren-song that submerges us in an affluent montage, replete with rippling keys and dream-laden bass.
Enter Shikari – The Mindsweep LP (Hopeless)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On The Mindsweep you can hear the band display some of their rawest, angriest vocals as well as some of the most dulcet and delicate. Melody and aggression will always be an important side of what they do, but with this album there was also a concerted effort to concentrate on texture. Alongside the core of our guitar, bass, drums, electronics set-up, there’s new instrumentation and orchestration, including woodwind, brass and strings.
Expo 70 – July 18, 2004 LP/Cassette (Sonic Meditations)
July 18, 2004, Expo 70’s first official recording, gets the 10th anniversary reissue treatment. Re-mastered by Scott Colburn and now available for the first time on vinyl and cassette with brand new artwork. This Expo 70 classic was originally only released as a CDr. The album was recorded on July 18, 2004 live and direct to reel-to-reel at Infrasonic Sound Studios in Los Angeles. The music performed was purely improvisational.
The Fall – Yarbles LP (Plasmatic Media)
Highlights of a Fall gig recorded live at King Georges Hall Blackburn on 22nd September 2002.
Fenn – Carrion Skies 2xLP (Code666)
Fourth LP from the British prog rockers.
Ff – Ffeeling LP (300mics)
Ffeeling is the debut album from Ff, the duo of White Hills members Dave W and Antronhy.
The album features fuzzed-out tones, squealing synths, pulsating beats and outlandish vocals. Imagine bit-crushed disco filtered through Asmus Tietchens-esque experimentation that pulls your body towards the dance floor.
Blaze Foley – Sittin’ By The Road LP (Elite)
Limited vinyl LP pressing of the earliest recordings by exceptional Texan folk artist Blaze Foley. Recorded on reel-to-reel in the late-‘70s by the artist himself, the songs show the raw talent of his straight and genuine songwriting. Born in Arkansas, Foley was shot to death way before his time, under circumstances still to be fully clarified. As a homeless, he traveled the streets of the Texan cities to share his music with people in nightclubs and bars. The companion and close friend of Townes Van Zandt always stood up for the weak, which eventually cost his life.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Frankie Said 2xLP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
The very best of Frankie Goes To Hollywood on double-LP.
Mike & Cara Gangloff – Black Ribbon Of Death, Silver Thread of Life LP+MP3 (MIE Music)
Brand new LP from Mike Gangloff (Black Twig Pickers, Pelt) and his wife Cara Gangloff. “The third in a series of loosely connected melodic investigations released by Mike Gangloff over the past two years. All three were recorded around the Gangloff home in rural Floyd County, Virginia, and were engineered by Joseph Dejarnette (Carolina Chocolate Drops, Bruce Greene, Curtis Eller). And all three feature the far-reaching improvisation familiar from Gangloff’s work with the old-time string band Black Twig Pickers and the acoustic-drone outfit, Pelt. Taken together, they form a musical triptych.” — Adam Frost
Gazer – Fake Bulbs/Phone Commercial 12” (Phratry)
Postpunk at a hardcore tempo.
Half Japanese – Volume Two: 1987-1999 3xLP (Fire)
This triple-LP box set includes some of the band’s most acclaimed albums (Music To Strip By, Charmed Life and The Band That Would Be King), new liner notes from David Fair and several new pieces of art from Jad Fair. All albums restored to their original track listings but with a download of a treasure trove of bonus material.
Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
A lyrical masterpiece from the mid-60’s. Freddie Hubbard and Herbie trade lines on extended compositions, as Herbie shows the world that he’s more than just a soul jazz player by coming up with some of the most spiritual work of his career. Of course, that doesn’t displace the treasure that is the original version of “Cantaloupe Island”, the one that’s been sampled by US3, but the album also includes lots of other nice moody tracks like “Oliloqui Valley” and “The Egg.” Part of Blue Note’s ongoing 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra – Sirens Of Song LP (Rhino)
Sirens Of Song is the follow up to 2012’s The Golden Age Of Song, with one major difference, this album is “girls-only.” It features a who’s who of both classic and contemporary female artists including Joss Stone, Laura Muvula, Eartha Kitt, Rumer, Kylie and Emeli Sande. The songs are instantly recognizable and have become staples for any discerning music lover; with tracks like Percy Sledge’s “Lost Mind” covered by Rumer, Stevie Wonders’ “I Wish” covered by Mel C and the Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” covered by Kylie. In addition to these covers there are some new songs written by Jools in his own inimitable style.
In This Moment – Black Widow 2xLP (Atlantic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth album from the Los Angeles metallers.
Jakob – Sines 2xLP (The Mylene Sheath)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Eight years after an explorative post-rock storm that saw them tour the world, Jakob are back. In an emerging swell, Sines is a bold and splendorous return to the world stage after an extended pause.
King Crimson – Live At The Orpheum LP (Discipline Global Music)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Comprised of 41 minutes of material by the newest incarnation of the band fronted by the line-up’s formidable three-drummer setup, Live At The Orpheum has been mixed from 24bit multi-track performances recorded at the band’s two concerts at the Los Angeles venue. Featuring a mixture of new and old King Crimson material — some being performed live for the first time — the album makes an ideal recorded debut for the septet.
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – The Third LP (Sunday Best)
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis return with their new album, three years on since their hugely acclaimed Smoking In Heaven. An early fan, Mick Jones of The Clash, was keen to get involved as producer and spent four months rehearsing in their home for the new album. On The Third they embrace a spread of influences from blues to disco. Limited edition white vinyl version. CD and black vinyl versions due March 31.
Kreig – Transient LP+7” (Init)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. US black metal with punk, post-punk, doom, and experimental influences. Guest appearances from Dwid Hellion (Integrity) and Thurston Moore.
Magik Markers – Volodor Dance LP (Latitudes)
Volodor Dance contains four frantic pieces of primitive expressionism recorded live to tape with no overdubs or retakes. Three of the songs are deeply instinctive and rattle & holler along the free rock tradition, while the fourth is an energetic assault on a three-chord punk rawk song.
Meatwave – Brother LP (Brace Yourself)
New mini album from the Chicago-based punk/pop trio. Brother is a raw, under-two-minute romp that is both claustrophobic and restless. It is joined here by six other slices of crucial pop-punk, including the vicious, swaggering Sham King. Limited 45 rpm red vinyl LP pressing.
Menace Ruine – Venus Armata 2xLP (Sige)
Released last year on CD via Profound Lore – now available on vinyl. Menace Ruine is the Canadian duo of S. De La Moth and Geneviève Beaulieu who have been known to create some of the most alluring and mesmerizing music within the experimental/ambient/noise scene by seamlessly mixing elements from industrial music, classic goth and darkwave, martial ambient, noise, black metal, and neo-folk into a wondrous sonic amalgam that puts them within a realm all unto their own. Venus Armata is Menace Ruine’s fifth album.
Monster Rally & Jay Stone – Foreign Pedestrians LP (Gold Robot)
Foreign Pedestrians is the first collaborative album between L.A.-based exotic-beatsmith Monster Rally and Jay Stone, a thought-provoking emcee out of Oakland. The album’s production focuses heavily on Monster Rally’s “global haze” sound combined with funk and jazz elements. Stone has the unique lyrical ability to seamlessly bounce around these unconventional beats.
Jason Moran – Soundtrack To Human Emotion [1999] LP (Blue Note)
Jason Moran’s debut recording as a leader, Soundtrack to Human Motion, finds the Houston-born pianist in the company of Greg Osby (saxophone), Eric Harland (drums), Stefon Harris (vibraphone) and Lonnie Plaxico (bass), and was released on the Blue Note label in 1999 to great critical acclaim with Ben Ratliff of The New York Times naming it the “Best Album Of The Year” and the Jazz Journalists Association awarding it “Best Debut Recording.” Part of Blue Note’s ongoing 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Nasum – Inhale/Exhale [Reissue/1998] LP (Relapse)
Nasum – Human 2.0 [Reissue/2000] LP (Relapse)
Nasum – Shift [Reissue/2004] LP (Relapse)
Vinyl reissues of three of the Swedish grindcore band’s albums.
Nattefrost – Homeland LP (Sireena)
With its mixture of orchestral electronic music and vintage electronics with a lot of arpeggio sequences and melodic themes, Homeland should appeal to the fans of the old school electronic synth stuff but also to the fans of orchestral soundtracks.
Nomeansno – Jubilation (Tour EP 2) [Reissue/2010] LP+MP3 (Wrong)
Featuring the unique combination of guitars, drums, bass and singing, this highly sought after prize flew off the band’s merch tables during the band’s 2010-2011 tours.
NRBQ – Interstellar [Reissue/2003] 10” (Sundazed)
Interstellar finds the revered fivesome latching onto the out-there New Thing jazz pioneered by intergalactic heroes Sun Ra & His Arkestra — and riding the music to universes beyond the beyond.
Phil Ochs – A Hero Of The Game: Historic 1965 New York Radio Broadcast LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Although he is remembered best as one of the stalwarts of the 1960’s Protest movement, Phil Ochs preferred to call himself a “topical” singer or a “singing journalist.” During this December 1965 radio broadcast, Phil plays just one already-released song. Several of the numbers included would remain unreleased for many years before finally being issued on retrospective collections.
Ok Vancouver Ok – Influences LP (Kingfisher Bluez)
The new album from Pacific Northwest DIY indie rockers Ok Vancouver Ok sees them paying tribute to a worthy cast of their influences with a set of nine songs, each one inspired by a favorite artist. Singer Jeff Johnson is a dead ringer for Calvin Johnson on lead off track “Building A Way” and indeed this album would sound right at home on K Records’ ’90s roster.
Om – Live LP (Outer Battery)
Inspired by those classic ’70s bootlegs, Al Cisneros, who besides his work with Om has been laying down the low end with Sleep since day one, wanted to capture the raw live feel of Om’s 2013 European tour on vinyl. Housed in a plain white sleeve with a paste on wraparound cover, Om Live harkens back to the days when you rifled through the back bins of your local record store searching for the latest import releases from Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Gold vinyl.
Oorutaichi – Drifting My Folklore [2007] LP (Streamline)
Unleash your inner caffeine-addicted Zipper model in the privacy of your own abode, now given added lustre thanks to the premiere vinyl release of Oorutaichi’s Drifting My Folklore. Remember the time you tried to imagine your cat reversing a balloon landing so you could both escape? When you first realized that vaporwave and black MIDI had broken Trevor Horn’s glasses on the cover of Adventures In Modern Recording? Recreate and synthesize all these experiences and more in 3D with Oorutaichi’s primary colored musical blocks.
Optic Nest – Entertainment [2010] LP (Moptaco Dics)
Optic Nest – Ride On Silver [2013] LP (Moptaco Dics)
Optic Nest is Daniel Fagerström of the Skull Defekts. Optic Nest’s sounds spring from a musical web born out of the late 60’s obscure electronic pop music, through the ’70s San Francisco psychedelia and British 80th century industrial music.
Paper Chase – Hide The Kitchen Knives [Reissue/2002] LP (Southern)
Reissue of this 2002 release by the Dallas, TX-based alt-rock band led by John Congleton. Hide The Kitchen Knives was the band’s debut release for Southern Records. Guitars all over the shop, hard ass drumming and an infatuation with the weird and macabre.
Ann Peebles – The Handwriting Is On The Wall [Reissue/1978] LP (Fat Possum)
Originally released on Hi Records, The Handwriting On The Wall boasts some high-powered funk backdrops, but for the most part the album finds Peebles taking on a set of straight-ahead soul numbers.
Pig Heart Transplant – For Mass Consumption LP/Cassette (Iron Lung)
Pig Heart Transplant is the alter ego of Jon Kortland, one half of surgical powerviolence duo Iron Lung. Like that group, Pig Heart Transplant delivers both a vicious beating and violent outcome. However, the operating methodology is an entirely different animal: slow, churning, industrial, electronic, painfully percussive, a bureaucratic nightmare of state power with gears grinding the individual into a hallow shell.
Pinkshinyultrablast – Everything Else Matters LP (Shelflife)
Pinkshinyultrablast is a five-piece band from St. Petersburg, Russia. Hailing from a city more synonymous with the State Conservatory rather than a gang of shoegaze addicts, they’ve been compared to Lush. But this is no mere throwback tribute — due to their sharp, icy electronics and ability to subvert the genre, bringing something new to the table. They possess not only the spirit of late 80s/early 90s British bands like Ride, but also machine-made sounds of the same era from Sabres Of Paradise or Global Communication, not to mention wider vibrations like Cluster, Popul Vuh, Terry Riley & Philip Glass. Cloudy amber glitter vinyl.
Plastic Palace People – From The Host Of Late-Comers LP (Streamline)
From The Host of Late-Comers represents the latest challenge manifested by Plastic Palace People, the duo of Jim O’Rourke and Christoph Heemann.
Nathaniel Rateliff – Closer LP (Mod y Vi)
“Singer/songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff spends his time straddled between musical ley lines. When he performs with Night Sweats, his sound gears more toward fiery, horn-driven soul music. Under his own name, however, the Colorado native reflects inward, cultivating a brand of rich and contemplative folk. Before Night Sweats drop its latest LP this spring, Rateliff goes solo with the release of the Closer EP.” – Consequence Of Sound
Ricked Wicky – Mobility b/w Imminent Fall From Grace 7” (GBV Inc.)
Ricked Wicky – Piss Face b/w Temporarily Inane 7” (GBV Inc.)
Ricked Wicky – Death Metal Kid b/w Hopefully Not In The Fall 7” (GBV Inc.)
Extremely limited singles from new Robert Pollard group in advance of their full length. Each features a non-LP B-side.
Rush – Fly By Night [Reissue/1975] LP (Mercury)
Remastered on HQ-200gm, heavyweight vinyl at legendary Abbey Road Studios using the Direct to Metal Mastering (DMM) audiophile copper plating process, all from original analogue masters. Fly By Night was originally released in 1975 and was the first album to feature drummer Neil Peart, who also became the band’s lyricist.
Sempiternal Dusk – Sempiternal Dusk LP (Dark Descent)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Doom-laden blackened death metal.
Sunil Sharpe – Cadya 12″ EP (Trensmat)
Sunil Sharpe keeps the output count low and the quality high, unleashing swinging darkroom funk on highly select labels such as Blawan & Pariah’s Works The Long Nights. Cadya is a 12″ EP featuring four tracks that contain enough deep kicking electrified thumps to successfully defibrillate the two-day old carcass of a beached whale.
Wayne Shorter – Adam’s Apple [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)
Adam’s Apple by Grammy-Award winner Wayne Shorter was recorded in 1966 and was Shorter’s tenth album. The album includes the first recording of Shorter’s composition “Footprints” which was later recorded by the Miles Davis Quintet. Part of Blue Note’s ongoing 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
The Skull Defekts – Street Metal LP (Diagonal)
Comprising five tracks, including two extended dancefloor hypnotizers, Street Metal captures the mercurial unit of Joachim Nordwall (vocals, guitar, oscillator), Jean-Louis Huhta (percussion, electronics), Daniel Higgs (ghost catcher), Daniel Fagerström (vocals, guitar, synthesizer) and Henrik Rylander (drums, feedback) in a taut flux of psychedelic rock and avant-techno with raids on arcane pop and percussive, tribal minimalism.
Sodom – Til Death Do Us Unite [Reissue/1997] LP (Back On Black)
Til Death Do Us Unite is the eighth album by German thrash metal band Sodom, originally released in 1997.
Damo Suzuki & Mugstar – Start From Zero LP (Important)
The shamanic presence of the legendary Damo Suzuki is immersed in the full-on, intense sound of Mugstar, as they forge forward through the deep space of Kraut/psych.
Sylosis – Dormant Heart LP (Nuclear Blast)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A mixture of intense heavy guitar riffs, breakdowns, thudding rhythm and singer Josh Middleton’s trademark growl.
Cecil Taylor – Unit Structure [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)
One of Cecil’s two Blue Note recordings, and a large group session that includes Eddie Gale, Jimmy Lyons, Ken McIntyre, Henry Grimes, and Andrew Cyrille. The record’s probably one of the most out recordings ever on the label, and tracks are based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes. The tracks are long, and titles include “Steps,” “Enter, Evening,” and “Tales (8 Whisps).” Part of Blue Note’s ongoing 75th Anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Julienne Taylor – A Time For Love LP (Evolution Ltd.)
Julienne’s sweet, pure and simple vocals together with the beautiful ethereal arrangements of songs of love, lost love and heartbreak, make this album immensely listenable from start to finish.
Tomaga – Futura Grotesk – LP+MP3 (Hands In The Dark)
Tomagais two musicians on a quest to deconstruct their normal sonic palette and create a new and unfamiliar sound world. Having played as musicians for years in bands such as The Oscillation, Sh!t N Shine, Neon Neon, Raime, Voice Of Seven Thunders, Luke Roberts and countless others, Tomaga channels multi-instrumentalism into music that is by turns reminiscent of industrial, jazz, psychedelia and minimalism. The two multi-instrumentalists offer us a stunning first experimental work that sounds mature, rich and refreshingly original.
TR3 (Tim Reynolds 3) – Like Some Kind Of Alien Invasion 2xLP (ATO)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. With a musical career spanning more than 35 years, guitarist, sonic innovator, and two-time Grammy nominee Tim Reynolds is known for his masterful command of melody and timing and for his uncanny ability to improvise on any instrument he touches. Having explored most musical styles, from rock, jazz and blues to classical and reggae, Reynolds’ wide-ranging musical versatility is evident each time he picks up his electric or acoustic guitar. It was in the mid-‘80s in Charlottesville, VA, when Reynolds founded his breakthrough electric power trio, TR3 (Tim Reynolds 3), known for their fusion of funk, rock, and jazz.
Scott Tuma – Hard Again/The River [2001/2003] 2xLP (Scissor Tail)
Scott Tuma has earned himself a cult status via his involvement in Souled Amercian — the precursor to Uncle Tupelo, Wilco and Son Volt in the late-‘80s/early-‘90s. Hard Again sees Tuma team with Jim White (Dirty Three, Cat Power) and Michael Krassner (Boxhead Ensemble), while The River is a solo affair. Fans of Dirty Three, David Pajo, or Neil Young’s Dead Man OST will find solace in these ethereal sounds.
Various Artists – King Strings: King Federal Deluxe Guitar Grooves 1949-1962 LP (Sundazed)
Selected from the crown jewels of the rich King-Federal-DeLuxe discography, King Strings features rocking, socking guitar instrumentals from the Cincinnati-based family of labels cut between 1949 and 1962, programmed for power! Fashioned as a vintage King LP from the era and containing a killer line-up of the biggest talents the stable of labels offered, this is the historic various artists collection that should have been issued circa 1962. Includes tracks from John Lee Hooker, Albert King, and Johnny “Guitar” Watson.
Various Artists – SHADYXV 4xLP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. SHADYXV is the 15th release from Shady Records and this collection is split between brand new tracks from Shady Records recording artists including Eminem, Yelawolf, Slaughterhouse, Bad Meets Evil, plus special guests, and greatest hits tracks from Shady Records’ prominent releases.
Various Artists – Trojan Beatles Reggae: The Red Album LP (Secret)
Classic songs by The Beatles done reggae style. Artists include John Holt, The Israelites, The Maytals, Desmond Dekker and more. HQ-180gm vinyl.
Weather Report – Weather Report [Reissue/1971] LP (Friday Music)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissue of the jazz fusion band’s debut album.
Susan Wong – My Live Stories LP (Evolution Ltd.)
My Live Stories was recorded live over two days in the world famous Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, and is described by Susan as her ‘best recording yet.’ With an ensemble of top notch session musicians and a first class recording environment inside a 100 year old converted church Susan performed a selection of her favorite songs from her previous albums along with new songs.
Cassettes:
Expo 70 – July 18, 2004 (Sonic Meditations)
July 18, 2004, Expo 70’s first official recording, gets the 10th anniversary reissue treatment. Re-mastered by Scott Colburn and now available for the first time on vinyl and cassette with brand new artwork. This Expo 70 classic was originally only released as a CDr. The album was recorded on July 18, 2004 live and direct to reel-to-reel at Infrasonic Sound Studios in Los Angeles. The music performed was purely improvisational.
Mind Over Mirrors – The Voice Calling (Immune)
Mind Over Mirrors, the evolving project of Jaime Fennelly and more recently, Haley Fohr of Circuit des Yeux, deploys modest acoustic constituent materials—an Indian pedal harmonium and the human voice—to produce roiling, meditative music that both simulates the swells and troughs of synthesized electronics and conjures the ceaseless rhythms of tidal surges. Includes full download.
Peals – Seltzer (Thrill Jockey)
Peals is the duo of William Cashion (Future Islands) and Bruce Willen (Double Dagger). With Peals, the duo creates intimate ambient music based in improvisation, flipping the bombast of their other groups on its head in pursuit of a more subdued muse. Seltzer is released on cassette only. Includes full download.
Pig Heart Transplant – For Mass Consumption LP/Cassette (Iron Lung)
Pig Heart Transplant is the alter ego of Jon Kortland, one half of surgical powerviolence duo Iron Lung. Like that group, Pig Heart Transplant delivers both a vicious beating and violent outcome. However, the operating methodology is an entirely different animal: slow, churning, industrial, electronic, painfully percussive, a bureaucratic nightmare of state power with gears grinding the individual into a hallow shell.
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