Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Will Johnson – El Capitan CD/LP (Keeled Scales)
Will Johnson’s new album El Capitan features Will on acoustic guitar with contributions from Britton, Thor Harris, and Lindsey Verrill of Little Mazarn. “These things started years ago at a friend’s dining room table in Oregon,” Will shares. “They built up on desert drives, in hotel bathrooms, in casino bars, and on trail runs. They mortared together into something sensible (to me) over time. Some songs are quite old, and some are pandemic-new. It feels like we’re at the mercy of nature now more than ever, and the quiet of this time seemed right enough to make this record. [A limited indie store exclusive colored vinyl pressing is available.]
Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Barry Gibb – Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook, Vol. 1 CD/2xLP (Capitol)
Barry Gibb, the co-creator of the peerless Bee Gees song catalog, is a lifelong fan of country and bluegrass, and has long dreamed of a recording vehicle that would connect him with some of the greatest names in those styles. On Greenfields, Gibb teams with the ever in-demand Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, in Nashville, to revisit the Gibb brothers’ celebrated songbook. He’s done so in the company of heavyweights like Alison Krauss, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Jason Isbell, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Jay Buchanan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Tommy Emmanuel. [Double-vinyl pressing features an etched D-side.
CDs + Vinyl:
Dame Shirley Bassey – I Owe It All To You CD (Decca)
Deluxe edition CD with expanded booklet featuring archived material & career highlights. One of Britain’s successful female artists releases a ‘grand finale’ album that includes new material written specifically for the world-renowned singer, plus tracks handpicked by Bassey to reflect her incredible career.
Blue Öyster Cult – Live ’83 CD (Real Gone Music)
For the first time on CD, the band’s complete July 24, 1983 concert at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, CA. Originally recorded for radio broadcast, this has been long regarded as one of the best- sounding BÖC bootlegs.
Lewis Capaldi – Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent: Finale 2xCD (Capitol)
Lewis Capaldi’s critically acclaimed debut album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent is coming to its finale as a double-CD which includes the Deluxe Edition as well as 12 additional live recordings of the original album tracks.
The Dirty Nil – F**k Art CD (Dine Alone)
F**k Art melts down all of The Dirty Nil’s favorite ingredients – classic-rock heroism, pop-punk horsepower, ‘80s indie scrappiness, ‘90s alterna-crunch, speed-metal adrenaline – into a radiant, chromatic solution they can then mold and harden into unpredictable shapes. [Vinyl edition due January 29.]
Cleveland Eaton – Plenty Good Eaton [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (Real Gone Music)
The jazz world lost a true legend when bassist Cleveland Eaton passed away in the summer of 2020. This 1975 album is one of the real gems in the hallowed Black Jazz label catalog.
Aaron Frazer – Introducing… CD/LP+MP3 (Easy Eye Sounds/Dead Oceans)
Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Aaron Frazer possesses a unique voice that’s both contemporary and timeless. On Introducing… – his debut solo album produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach – Aaron melds mid-’60s soul with Auerbach’s particular sensibilities (‘Over You’), songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron (‘Bad News’), and uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop (‘Have Mercy’). The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as multi-instrumentalist and co-lead singer of Durand Jones & The Indications.
Frozen Soul – Crypt Of Ice CD/LP (Century Media)
Frozen Soul has already been tipped by the likes of Brooklyn Vegan and Invisible Oranges as a band to look out for. Given the hookiness and a sense of production that balances raw and real with a punchy modern metal clarity, this is a band that can break from the deathly rank and also become a favorite of fans of volume-dealers ranging from Hatebreed to Napalm Death to the Melvins. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Barry Gibb – Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook, Vol. 1 CD/2xLP (Capitol)
Barry Gibb, the co-creator of the peerless Bee Gees song catalog, is a lifelong fan of country and bluegrass, and has long dreamed of a recording vehicle that would connect him with some of the greatest names in those styles. On Greenfields, Gibb teams with the ever in-demand Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, in Nashville, to revisit the Gibb brothers’ celebrated songbook. He’s done so in the company of heavyweights like Alison Krauss, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Jason Isbell, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Jay Buchanan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Tommy Emmanuel. [Double-vinyl pressing features an etched D-side.
Gone Is Gone – If Everything Happens For A Reason…Then Nothing Really Matters At All CD/LP (Clouds Hill)
“We didn’t think about the logistics. We just cared about getting like-minded people working on something to see through our vision,” says Gone Is Gone. The process of this new release started at Bedrock Studios in Los Angeles with the idea of not setting up the traditional band instrumentation but to plug in modular synths, a ton of effects and one guitar. Gone Is Gone would jam together and build upon pieces with no real beginning or end. They just wanted interesting sounds and vibes. After the Bedrock session the ideas were brought back to their individual studios and placed in folders of parts that worked together. That was the beginning of this group of songs.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 4: Cal Expo ’93 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
The Cal Expo Amphitheatre at the State Fairgrounds in Sacramento became one of the homes-away-from-home (but not too far away from home!) for The Grateful Dead during their later years, and they always played well there, inspired perhaps by the good old-fashioned (and increasingly rare) General Admission policy towards seating coupled with a grassy infield for dancing. So, when the Dead settled in for a three-night run from May 25-27 in 1993, anticipation was high, but what occurred exceeded even the wildest expectations of the most devout Dead Head.
Hilang Child – Every Mover CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
“The greatest thing about being a musician is experiencing it with other people,” says Ed Riman, the Brighton-based Eurasian singer, songwriter and soundscapist who records as Hilang Child. “Whether that’s playing with others, creating together, sharing a vision, whatever, I just think in all aspects it’s a totally elevated experience when you’re not alone.” Proof rings out with force and feeling on Hilang Child’s superlative second album, Every Mover. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Will Johnson – El Capitan CD/LP (Keeled Scales)
Will Johnson’s new album El Capitan features Will on acoustic guitar with contributions from Britton, Thor Harris, and Lindsey Verrill of Little Mazarn. “These things started years ago at a friend’s dining room table in Oregon,” Will shares. “They built up on desert drives, in hotel bathrooms, in casino bars, and on trail runs. They mortared together into something sensible (to me) over time. Some songs are quite old, and some are pandemic-new. It feels like we’re at the mercy of nature now more than ever, and the quiet of this time seemed right enough to make this record. [A limited indie store exclusive colored vinyl pressing is available.]
Magnum – Dance Of The Black Tattoo CD/2xLP (Steamhammer)
14-track compilation album by the British rock band. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Monsta X – Fatal Love CD (Starship Entertainment)
Deluxe edition of the third Korean-language studio album by the South Korean boy group. Includes a120 page photobook, sticker, and photocard.
Passenger – Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted CD (Nettwerk)
The majority of Passenger’s new album Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted were written when multi-award winning, platinum-selling English singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg was newly single. Rosenberg explains, “I chose the album title because a lot of the songs are about drinking and the emotions felt around it,” he explains. There are personal references Rosenberg adds, “I’ve recently gone through a break-up, which is always a rough time but can actually be very inspiring too. I spent a few months going out and drinking too much which was fun and heartbreaking and awful all at once. Some of the material is personal and some of it is about other people, either people I’ve met or fictional characters. That’s always been a Passenger thing: sad stories about people drenched in disappointment with that sense of what could have been.” [Deluxe CD edition also available. Vinyl edition due January 15.]
Joe Pernice – Could It Be Magic CD/LP (Ashmont)
“Barry Manilow’s music is a part of anyone and everyone who was anywhere near a radio in the ‘70s and ‘80s and the decades since. I’m not saying I was a big fan, growing up. But Manilow was the sonic, floral wallpaper of the era, as ubiquitous as the airwaves on which it sailed. Back then, I hadn’t yet picked up on Frank Sinatra’s ring-a-ding, either, but both artists were already linchpins of the American songbook. Of Manilow, Sinatra once said, He’s next.”
Rave The Reqviem – Stigmata Itch CD (Out Of Line)
Fourth album from the Swedish metal pioneers.
Skyway Man – The World Only Ends When You Die CD (Mama Bird)
James Wallace – singer, songwriter and producer behind Skyway Man – presents The World Only Ends When You Die, a spinning disc flashing the finest examples of cosmological country and sci-fi gospel blues. The World Only Ends When You Die was conceived as a tragédie lyrique – a cinematic psych-folk opera about a person rendered incapable of coping with an uncertain reality following a near death experience. Under a spell of mixed wisdom by several “trickster guides” hailing from the future, they leap back into the world of the dead only to spend a hero’s journey climbing out, finally returning to the strange American existence of 2020. [Vinyl edition due February 26.]
Becca Stevens – Wonderbloom CD (Groundup Music Merch)
“Deeply informed by jazz but unbounded by idiomatic boundaries, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Becca Stevens is an x-factor artist who always seems to take music in unexpected directions, whether leading a project or collaborating on someone else’s vision. Over the past 12 years or so she’s cut a brilliant swath across several scenes, contributing to recordings by Taylor Eigsti and Brad Mehldau, Snarky Puppy, Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra, and Billy Childs’ Laura Nyro project, to name just a few who’ve availed themselves of her singular talents. More recently she’s been touring and recording with the resurgent David Crosby in his Lighthouse Band, while creating an ever more detailed body of work as a singer/songwriter. A collection of 14 concise songs that rarely surpass four minutes in length, Wonderbloom expands on themes she explored on 2017’s Regina while bursting into a multitude of new directions, particularly when it comes to rhythmic production. Working with an expansive cast of some 40 musicians, including a large contingent from the Snarky Puppy kennel, Wonderbloom is a densely packed candy store brimming with barely contained emotions, melodic hooks, and sumptuously detailed sonic settings.” – Jazz Times
Strung Like A Horse – Whoa! CD (Transoceanic)
Popular touring act Strung Like A Horse has built a reputation for surprising people with their talent, humor and sense of why not?, with their signature American brand and high energy live shows. Bonnaroo labeled Strung Like A Horse “the Best Band Name”, a moniker chosen in part for the volume of horsehair broken on their bows in their early days.
Sun Ra – Egypt 1971 CD (Strut)
Like countless others, the young Alabamian prodigy Herman Blount had been awed and beguiled by the archaeological discoveries of the early 20th Century around the Nile delta that, once again, thrust ancient Egyptian history and culture into the popular consciousness of the day. Music was Blount’s first and abiding passion but, as a young man, he was also a voracious reader, spending hours in the Magic City’s libraries, poring over tomes documenting world history, Egyptology, poetry and numerous other subjects.
Tempers – Services CD/LP (Dais)
Tempers, comprised of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, have carved out their own niche within dark indie, electronica and synth-pop circles. Their sound is about exploring tonal and emotional tension as much as it is about actual tracks or singular moments. Adrenalizing yet hypnotic landscapes layer mechanical and sensual impulses, as crystalline vocals weave fever dreams of yearning and alienation. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz CD/LP (Year0001)
Since their founding in 2015, Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys has made a name for themselves burning up stages around the world. There’s a little Iggy Pop spit and seethe, a David Yow drunken stumble, and a bite of Nick Cave’s haunted bark. Add a dash of motorik groove, a pinch of postpunk grime, and a dose of no wave howl.
Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album 2xCD/3xLP (Big Loud)
Morgan Wallen’s vast, 30-track double album Dangerous is nearly three years in the making, written largely throughout the chapter of his career that has established him as “the fastest rising young star in country” (Variety). With the project’s arsenal of writers ranging from storytelling titans Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Hillary Lindsey, Rhett Akins and Lee Thomas Miller, to two of Wallen’s biggest musical inspirations Eric Church and Jason Isbell, to his closest musical confidants Hardy, Ernest and Ryan Vojtesak (aka Charlie Handsome), Dangerous: The Double Album further establishes the signature sound crafted by Wallen and producer Joey Moi on his No. 1 Platinum debut If I Know Me.
Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation [Reissue/2010] CD (Island)
Digitally remastered tenth anniversary edition. Reflecting the urgency and claustrophobia of city life, the record dispensed with the acoustic, folky and pastoral influences of Weller’s recent work and introduced more jagged rock styles with angry, urban and metallic influences – Diamond Dogs, Low-period Bowie riffs. Nominated for the 2010 Mercury Music Prize.
Steven Wilson – 12 Things I Forgot 12”+MP3 (Arts & Crafts)
Steven Wilson is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer best known for his acclaimed progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. His five solo albums explore the realms of expansive rock, pop, electronica, and industrial, with an occasional metal and jazz tinge. This is a limited edition physical release of the single 12 Things I Forgot.
George Winston – Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions: A Louisiana Wetlands Benefit CD (Valley)
Grammy Award-winning pianist and multi-platinum selling recording artist George Winston to release his latest solo piano album, Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions: A Louisiana Wetlands Benefit. Integrating his musical passions with those that have greatly influenced him, including various New Orleans piano, jazz, R&B and rock styles, Winston conveys a sense of life through his music, with a sensibility of the seasons and topographies of Mother Earth.
George Winston – Love Will Come – The Music Of Vince Guaraldi Volume 2 [Reissue/2010] CD (Valley)
Deluxe edition. Winston recorded a tribute album in 1996 to jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976), a musician beloved by generations for the compositions he recorded for various Charlie Brown television specials and for his standard “Cast Your Fate To The Wind”. That album was Linus & Lucy The Music Of Vince Guaraldi, and Winston revisits his musical hero a second time with Love Will Come – The Music Of Vince Guaraldi Volume 2, a collection of a wide range of Guaraldi interpretations.
Wooden Shjips – West [Reissue/2011] LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Limited colored vinyl reissue. The overriding theme for the West (as indicated by the title) is the American West, and all of the mythology, romanticism, and idealism that it embodies. The band members grew up on the East Coast, so for a long time the history and literature of the West was an abstraction and a fascination for them. Part of the allure of the West, which is part of the myth, is the concept of Manifest Destiny, the vastness, and the possibilities for reinvention, which is not to say that is what each song is specifically about, but it was very much an undercurrent during the songwriting of the album.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Aleah – Aleah 2xLP (Svart)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New posthumous solo album by Aleah Stanbridge, singer of the Swedish/Finnish band Trees Of Eternity. Aleah passed away in 2016 after a brave fight with cancer. She was just 39 years old when she left this mortal coil, but Aleah’s eternal spirit lives on through her beautiful music, realized in her solo album brought to fruition by her life partner and Swallow The Sun/Trees Of Eternity guitarist, Juha Raivio.
Aminé – Limbo LP (Republic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rapper/director/innovative artist Aminé moves culture forward for Portland’s music scene. Keeping his promise to change perceptions and defy expectations, the project pays homage to his past on tracks like “Shimmy”, and features a selection of high-profile guest artists, including Young Thug on “Compensating”.
Bad Luck. – Cold Bones [Reissue/2014] LP (Tragic Hero)
Bad Luck. was a solo project from Long Island, then they were a band from Florida. While in the Sunshine State, they released Cold Bones in 2014 and Noise in Your Head the following year, two compact yet abrasive pop-punk releases that placed nostalgia and neuroses on the same plane. After those anxieties collapsed a hefty touring schedule and the group’s first taste of the industry ecosystem, Bad Luck. seemingly vanished, kept afloat by a whispering community of fans kept alive by their short discography. Having since returned to their home base and their homegrown mentality, Bad Luck. is looking to add to their short but sweet legacy and score a longer winning streak. Anchored by brothers Dominick and Joe Fox and colored in by a rotating cast of touring friends, Bad Luck.’s second wind offers the same great pop hooks chased with hard-hitting backdrops that originally captured crowds’ hearts.
Beck – Hyperspace [Reissue/2019] 2xLP (Capitol)
Double-vinyl deluxe edition of Beck’s 2019 album, Hyperspace. The L.A. native is partnering up with NASA for visual space missions tied to tracks from the album. Packaged in a holographic jacket; includes new 24-page booklet with AI images and NASA data for each track. The vinyl features two unreleased songs, “Dark Places (Soundscape)” and “I Am The Cosmos (42420)”, plus brand-new 2020 mixes of “Star”, “Hyperspace”, “See Through” and “Die Waiting”.
Black Radical MK2 – Last Will And Testament 12” (Good Find)
A pioneer of the UK hip hop movement, Black Radical MK2 rose to prominence in the late ’80s with his socially conscious recordings aimed at the establishment and the power structure that blighted the black inner cities throughout the UK. A true independent. The crew that he spearheaded Bass Inc. had their own record label threw their own parties and dictated their own future without feeling the need to cower to the major labels of the time. Having released a number of critically acclaimed projects Black Radical completed his final recording entitled the Last Will And Testament.
Tina Brooks – The Waiting Game [Reissue/1999] LP (Blue Note)
The Waiting Game is the unsung tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks’ final album, recorded in 1961 and released in 1999. Joined here by Johnny Coles (trumpet), Kenny Drew (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Brooks penned five tracks, showcasing his unique compositional talent. Reissued as part of The Blue Note Tone Poet Series: all-analog, remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Donald Byrd – Byrd In Flight [Reissue/1960] LP (Blue Note)
Trumpeter Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley (tenor sax) let listeners know that they are in for an exceptional musical experience on Ghana. For these Byrd In Flight 1960 sessions, he was joined by Jackie McLean (alto sax), Duke Pearson (piano), Doug Watkins/Reggie Workman (bass) & Lex Humphries (drums). Reissued as part of The Blue Note Tone Poet Series: all-analog, remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Call Me Spinster – Call Me Spinster 12” (Strolling Bones)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nothing about Call Me Spinster is ordinary. The closer you look at this trio of sisters from Chattanooga, Tennessee, the harder it is to locate something about their sound, background, or energy that delivers predictable results. From their arrangements that employ both pristine vocal harmonies and unorthodox instruments to the streaks of self-aware humor that sneak into their videos and social media presence, Call Me Spinster blurs old-timey traditions with modernized pop fun without ever landing in expected territory. [Red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Doug Carn/Ali Shaheed Muhammad/Adrian Younge – Jazz Is Dead 5 2xLP (Jazz Is Dead)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Doug’s newest project, his entry in the Jazz Is Dead album series helmed by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, takes his unique and timeless art and places it within the context of a musical culture that has always taken cues from his ‘70s classics. There’s no mistaking the musical mind that created legendary albums like Infant Eyes and Adam’s Apple, but the encounter of that with the distinctive jazz-hip hop-funk-noir that is the Younge/Muhammad/JID trademark creates something worthy of comparison to Carn’s past work but which could only have been made right now. One can detect nods to musical motifs by Carn’s jazz peers that have served as frequent sample fodder, but his compositional and improvisational integrity remain indisputable throughout.
Cavetown – 16/04/16 LP (Triple Crown)
No matter the setting, Cambridge, England singer/songwriter Robin Skinner aka Cavetown’s performances, like his music, are an inspiring celebration of life in all its forms, as fans come from points near and far to laugh, cry and revel in the deep-rooted sense of connectivity found in the songs – as well as the familial, fan-led communities they themselves have created around Cavetown. In just two short years – from his very first, very sold-out solo shows in 2018 to his most recent run of packed full-band performances at venues like Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre, New York City’s Webster Hall and London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire – Skinner has become a dynamic performer capable of commanding rooms or crowds of any size.
Jim Croce – Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits [Reissue/1974] LP (BMG)
This 1974 compilation album, released a year after Croce’s death in an airplane crash, features his #1 hits “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Time In A Bottle”, plus Top 10 hits “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song”, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” and many more.
DVSN – A Muse In Her Feelings LP (OVO Sound/WB)
DVSN (singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85) have turned the page to a new chapter in their career with the release of their fervently anticipated third studio album which is rooted in the tenets of golden-era R&B. A Muse In Her Feelings is a beautifully crafted body of work boasting an all-star cast of collaborators, including the likes of Future, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Popcaan, Buju Banton, Summer Walker, Jessie Reyez, Snoh Aalegra, Ty Dolla $ign and Shantel May.
Elbow – Asleep In The Back [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Polydor)
Elbow – Cast Of Thousands [Reissue/2003] LP (Polydor)
Elbow – Leaders Of The Free World [Reissue/2005] LP (Polydor)
Elbow – Dead In The Boot [Reissue/2012] LP (Polydor)
Elbow – The Takeoff And Landing Of Everything [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (Polydor)
Vinyl reissues of five releases by English rock band.
Future Islands – On The Water [Reissue/2011] LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Limited clear with pink colored vinyl pressing of the third album by the synthpop band. Future Islands. On The Water was recorded in a friend’s house in Elizabeth City, North Carolina between March and May 2011. Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner duets on “The Great Fire”.
Melody Gardot – Sunset In The Blue 2xLP (Verve)
Sunset In The Blue is an orchestral celebration of Melody Gardot’s jazz roots. She is reunited with the multi-Grammy award winning production team of her platinum-selling album My One And Only Thrill: producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock), arranger and composer Vince Mendoza (Björk, Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello) and the legendary engineer Al Schmitt (Frank Sinatra, Joao Gilberto, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney). An underlying theme of determination to create and evolve her craft has always been present in Melody Gardot’s work but never more so than during the production of Sunset In The Blue, despite all obstacles she has assembled a stunning new body of collaborations in this most challenging of times.
Ghetto Kumbé – Ghetto Kumbé LP (ZZK)
Raised on Colombia’s Caribbean coast and united by its capital, Bogota, Ghetto Kumbé combine the rich musical heritage of their home, to invoke the spirit of digital rumba in audiences all over the world. The secret behind their irresistible electronic sound lies in their powerful percussion base; Caribbean house beats and traditional afro-Colombian rhythms inherited from West Africa.
Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump [Reissue/2000] LP (Dangerbird)
Grandaddy was an American indie pop band formed in Modesto, California in 1992 by singer/guitarist/keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch. Although a noisy, lo-fi approach characterized early self-released recordings like 1994’s Complex Party Come Along Theories, the band’s sound expanded exponentially with the 1995 additions of guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden. Originally released in 2000, The Sophtware Slump is Grandaddy’s critically acclaimed second studio release built around a concept concerned with the pitfalls of modern technology.
Margo Guryan – Take A Picture [Reissue/1968] LP (Sundazed)
Mono vinyl reissue of the 1968 album by singer-songwriter Margo Guryan. It is to date her sole album release.
The Hold Steady – Heaven Is Whenever [Reissue/2010] LP (Vagrant)
“I’ve always had a hard time thinking about Heaven is Whenever, as it wasn’t a ton of fun to make. But 10 years later, going over these songs for this reissue, I’ve taken on a great new appreciation for this collection. With some distance, I see that we were trying to get somewhere else, and that this was a necessary transition record. The songs are weary, but with a dark humor. Upon review I think this might be the funniest Hold Steady LP, although it’s sometimes hard to tell because it doesn’t convey the same ecstatic joy as some of the earlier records.”
Homeboy Sandman– Don’t Feed The Monster LP (Mello Music Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Having grown up in Queens, New York, hip-hop was part of everything in life. This deep-rooted connection to the culture is evident when listening to his style of rhyming- bold, classic and deeply respectful. On Don’t Feed The Monster, he pulls back any pretense to show his most honest truth – a process that he needed both artistically and spiritually. Album producer (and guest vocalist) Quelle Chris has been one of the most talked about and celebrated hip-hop artists on the planet these last few years. Both producing and rapping, Quelle has released critically acclaimed albums like Guns, Innocent Country 2, and Everything’s Fine with his collaborator/wife Jean Grae. “There’s a certain mystic/magical power in words, sounds, rhythms, etc. It’s rare to come across a brother/artist like Sandman,” he says when asked about his new album with Homeboy Sandman.
Hundredth – Somewhere Nowhere 2xLP (Diggers Factory)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina act Hundredth return with the synth-pop release Somewhere Nowhere which comes introduced by the dreamy lead single “Bottle It Up”. Recorded in San Francisco with engineer Sam Pura, frontman Chadwick Johnson explains, “We wanted to push the boundaries of what Hundredth could be while resonating with our fans in a new way. The goal is still to make the music that we want to hear, but now we’re just more influenced by things outside of guitar. I also couldn’t play a lot of these chords or create the same atmospheres on just a guitar. I can create more emotion or more complex arrangements when I use a digital piano or synth.”
Ice Nine Kills – I Heard They Kill Live 2xLP (Fearless)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Recorded at their Worcester hometown headliner deemed their annual Thanxkilling in November 2019, I Heard They Kill Live features their most popular tracks from The Silver Scream, Every Trick In The Book, and The Predator Becomes The Prey. The album title and artwork pays homage to the classic NOFX I Heard They Suck Live while also featuring all of the horror figures covered in past releases.
Lanterns On The Lake – The Realist EP 12”+MP3 (Bella Union)
New release from the Mercury Prize nominees. The Realist is the follow-up to their 2020 album Spook The Herd.
Lucius – Wildwoman [Reissue/2103] LP (Mom + Pop)
Limited colored vinyl reissue of the second studio album by the Brooklyn indie pop band. Wildwoman was released to mostly positive reviews, drawing numerous comparisons to the girl groups of the 1960s.
Kool and The Gang – Kool and The Gang [Reissue/1970] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited cream colored vinyl pressing of the debut album from the soul/R&B superstars.
Tim Minchin – Apart Together LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “In his first studio album, Minchin mixes bitter barbs and humor with self-introspection – and surprising vulnerability. A Randy Newman-esque portrait of a man at a crossroads.” – The Guardian
Nuclear Assault – Game Over [Reissue/1986] LP (Red Music Legacy)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album from the thrash metal band.
Grant-Lee Phillips – Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff LP (Yep Roc)
Recently released on CD – now available on viny. Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff is a turbulent and highly musical rumination that finds the veteran singer-songwriter at his most inspired. His tenth solo release bears the markings of his prolific output, a melodic prowess and an ear for lyric in everyday conversation. The album is grown from the same rich soil that Phillips’ long career, from Grant Lee Buffalo to his solo work has sprang from. The result is a beautifully human musical tapestry. The warm, live on the floor, instrumental bed is the perfect support for Phillips’ inimitable voice.
Chris Potter – There Is A Tide LP (Edition)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. It’s a year no one will forget, a year in which the global lockdown was shared by all, and yet experienced in a million different ways. For Chris Potter, a musician who has been on the road continuously since the 1990s, whose raison d’etre is playing live, lockdown presented both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s a tribute to his creativity, personal integrity and huge musical talent that Chris was able to take on this challenge and make something unbelievably fresh from the opportunity.
Seether – Disclaimer II [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Seether – Karma & Effect [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Seether – Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Limited colored vinyl reissues of the second, third and fourth albums from the Platinum-selling South African rock band.
Skid Row – Skid Row [Reissue/1989] LP (Friday Music)
Skid Row were unleashed on the world when their self-titled debut album hit shelves in January 1989. Produced by Michael Wagener (Dokken, Great White, White Lion), Skid Row would remain in the Billboard album chart’s Top 10 for three months and would eventually be certified five times platinum.
Teebs – Ardour [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Brainfeeder)
Limited double pink colored vinyl pressing of the debut album by the 23 year old ex-skater, painter and music producer from Chino Hills called Teebs (real name Mtendere Mandowa). The title Ardour means great enthusiasm, love or passion and was a fitting descriptor for his inherently warm, lushly textured beats. It’s an undisputed classic in the Brainfeeder canon and more widely considered an essential chapter in the ever-evolving puzzle of the global beat scene.
Terror – Keepers Of The Faith [Reissue/2010] LP (Century Media)
Vinyl reissue of the fourth studio album by the Los Angeles hardcore punk band.
Oliver Tree – Ugly Is Beautiful LP (Atlantic)
On Ugly Is Beautiful, Oliver Tree takes his millions of followers on an unpredictable roller coaster ride through a cracked world full of comic disaster. Ugly Is Beautiful is the product of all of Oliver’s otherworldly experiences distilled into fourteen songs – the promise of his EPs, Alien Boy and Do You Feel Me? fulfilled. “The truth is, it’s my life’s work,” Oliver says.
Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Vaughan [Reissue/1955] LP (Verve)
Limited 180gm vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. This self-titled album recorded for Emarcy, was later reissued as Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown to denote the involvement of one of the top trumpeters of the day. Vaughan sings nine intimate standards. Brown almost matches her with his bop virtuosity. The band includes Herbie Mann (flute) and Paul Quinichette (tenor).
Cassette:
Pynkie – #37 (House Arrest)
Opening with the rather short but extremely lively and energetic track, “You”, Pynkie sets the tone very well with this one, showcasing her smooth and calming tones throughout. Her instrumental talent is evident too and the song seems to pick up towards the end, leading into the next track very fluently. Speaking of the lead-up, next up is, “Funny Boy”, and it seems as if the New Jersey artist enjoyed creating this number; it has a very happy and melodic feel to it and is typical of her sound, again having a quick and enjoyable energy.
Leave a Reply