CDs + Vinyl:
Banana And The Bunch – Mid-Mountain-Ranch [Reissue/1972] CD (Real Gone Music)
Recorded right after the Youngbloods broke up, and released on their own Raccoon label, 1972’s Mid-Mountain-Ranch was the sole solo album from the band’s multi-instrumentalist Banana aka Lowell Levinger. Except that it wasn’t really a solo album, because the Bunch included Joe Bauer and Michael Kane from Banana’s former outfit. In essence Mid-Mountain-Ranch really was a Youngbloods album sans Jesse Colin Young; and the absence of their former front man allows Banana and his Bunch to stretch out with some bluegrass and jazz licks alongside their patented folk rock sound. It’s something of an early alt-country cult classic.
Lee Bannon – Pattern Of Excel CD/LP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Gone are the rapid-fire breaks and growling basslines of his debut, replaced instead by a considered exploration of ambient soundscapes and drone influences.
Stacy Barthe – BEcoming CD (Motown)
Stacy Barthe transforms her own hurt into songs that uplift the soul. Barthe’s 2015 debut details her experience with suicidal depression, troubles with drinking and 180-pound weight loss. Through the album, Barthe graces storytelling with her powerful vocals and the sophisticated song craft that she first revealed in penning tracks for Katy Perry, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus. BEcoming proves both aching and joyful in its exploration of the complexity of the human condition. Guests include Common and John Legend.
Stiv Bators – Do You Believe In Magyk? CD/LP (Easy Action)
The last ever recordings made by Stiv Bators — issued briefly in France as The Last Race. Features Stiv covering songs by The Ramones, The Young Rascals, The Lollipopp Shoppe plus a song especially penned by Tony James alongside Lords Of The New Church. In depth liner notes by author Nina Antonia with interviews with those who were there.
Beautiful Bodies – Battles CD (Epitaph)
Loud-and-hooky new signing to Epitaph – currently on the road with this Summer’s Vans Warped Tour.
Between The Buried And Me – Coma Ecliptic CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Grandiose, dynamic, heavy, melodic, technically challenging: these are all words that fall equally short when trying to describe Between The Buried And Me’s sonic offerings.
Birth Of Joy – Live At Ubu CD/LP (Long Branch)
Influenced by psychedelia, blues and steaming rock & roll, Birth Of Joy takes you back to the good old times of MC5, The Doors and even Pink Floyd.
Bone Gnawer – Cannibal Crematorium CD (Pulverised)
Sophomore album from the horror ‘n’ gore connoisseurs.
Heather Woods Broderick – Glider CD (Western Vinyl)
Heather Woods Broderick excels at distilling her experiences into a soulful melancholy that’s enduring both for its intimate relatable moments and its persistent sense of mystery. Her uncanny ear for evocative production and gorgeous vocal harmonies serves her well on her new album Glider. Throughout the album, the rich dreamlike atmospheres she creates hint at a darkness looming on the horizon, while the singularity of her ethereal voice always seems to linger long after the music has stopped. As a talented multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Heather has had the opportunity to record and tour with plenty of incredible artists including Horse Feathers, Efterklang, and Sharon Van Etten, which has kept her moving house and traveling around the world for much of the past decade. Vinyl due August 7.
Richard Buckner – The Hill [Reissue/2000] CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
On the 100th anniversary of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, Merge is reissuing the epic it inspired: Richard Buckner’s The Hill. The Hill started in 1996 in an old garage that had been converted to The Ranch Olancha Motel, a dusty place near the mouth of Death Valley, between Lone Pine and Dunmovin, CA. Buckner, who was en route to Tucson, Arizona, to record what would become Devotion & Doubt, stayed a week in a room with no phone, no television, carrying his guitar, a four-track recorder, and a copy of Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. Recorded in Edmonton, Alberta, and Tucson, The Hill converts Spoon River poems to music. (Also available for the first time on vinyl.)
The Cerny Brothers – Sleeping Giant CD/LP (Innercity Jazz)
Buzz Bands L.A. call The Cerny Brothers “a group without any trendy gimmicks, a lead banjo player strumming with the same vigor as if on the electric guitar and simplistic lyrics delivered with strength.” Sleeping Giant was recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Seattle with producers Jerry Streeter and Ryan Hadlock, who are known for their work with Brandi Carlile and The Lumineers. The album signifies a new direction for the band, as the music has turned from an acoustic, folk element to a more electric, American rock sound while still keeping the roots spirit in their earlier work.
Chaos Delivery Machine – Burn Motherf**ker Burn CD/LP+MP3 (Hardline Entertainment)
New album from the punk supergroup featuring Fletcher Dragge of Pennywise, with Jason Page and Justin Thirsk of 98 Mute. Vinyl edition pressed on white opaque wax.
Chaos Magic – Chaos Magic CD (Frontiers)
Think Within Temptation meets Nightwish/Evanescence. Recommended for fans of female-fronted symphonic metal.
Chicago – Chicago: The Studio Albums 2: 1979-2008 10xCD (Rhino)
Limited ten-CD box set. Chicago: The Studio Albums 1979-2008 features 10 of the bands later studio albums, including the seven-times platinum Chicago 17, which includes their worldwide hits, “You’re The Inspiration,” “Hard Habit To Break” and “Stay The Night,” as well as Chicago 16 with the smash, “Hard To Say I’m Sorry.”
Civil Twilight – Story Of An Immigrant CD/LP (Wind-Up)
Third album by the alternative rock quartet from Nashville by way of Cape Town, South Africa. “On their third studio album, Story Of An Immigrant, the quartet make clear that while they haven’t left their South African roots behind, their tastes lie all over the place. Opener ‘Oh Daniel’ is full of clattering drums and rapid-fire guitar lines, while single ‘Holy Dove’ gallops atop a heavy, Muse-esque synth bass. The band even throws in a little vocoder on the anthemic ‘River Child.’” – SPIN
Collabro – Act Two CD (Masterworks)
Sophomore album from the UK’s musical theatre supergroup. Collabro were one of the UK success stories of 2014. Not only did they win Britain’s Got Talent and go on to perform at the Royal Variety Show, they also entered the charts at #1 with their debut album.
Corpo-Mente – Corpo-Mente CD/LP (Blood Music)
Expansive debut album from hyper-experimental operatic French duo.
Cradle Of Filth – Hammer Of The Witches CD (Nuclear Blast)
Eleventh album from the English extreme metal band. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. Vinyl version due July 24.
Sarah Craknell – Red Kite CD/LP (Cherry Red)
New album from the Saint Etienne frontwoman. Musically, Red Kite has a sophisticated, pastoral feel, drawing on classic ‘60s pop with less of a dance music influence than Saint Etienne.
The Dan Band – The Wedding Album CD (Comedy Dynamics)
The Dan Band gets innumerable requests from prospective brides and grooms to be to play their weddings. They are offered compensation ranging from private jets to free beer and pizza, but the band just can’t possibly accept them all. So they have come up with a solution — an album of wedding songs that you can play at your nuptials. Or anytime for that matter. It’s just like having the Dan Band there with you — you can almost smell them. With special guests ranging from Nicole Scherzinger to Rob Thomas to Bridget Everett, it’s a star-packed event that will make you long for your next wedding.
Dimino – Old Habits Die Hard CD (Frontiers)
New album from the rocker best known as lead singer of legendary ‘70s hard rockers Angel.
D.O.A. – Hard Rain Falling CD (Sudden Death)
16th album from the legendary Canadian punk pioneers. Vinyl version due August 21.
Dolan – Kill The Wolf CD (Strange Famous)
Dark, raw, and confrontational, B. Dolan’s new album Kill The Wolf reinforces his status as a complex lyricist and high-powered rhyme spitter, dedicated to his vision and heedless to trends. Staunchly political and fearlessly personal, ” Kill The Wolf” brings the best techniques from B’s catalog into a new era in terms of scale and production value. Guests include Aesop Rock, Buck 65, and Kathleen Stubelek of Circle Takes The Square, as well as old friends Buddy Peace, Alias, and Cecil Otter (of Doomtree). Vinyl version due July 24.
Billy Dolan – Do_Ist CD (Austin Music Distribution)
“Backed by Tortoise drummer John Herndon and Isotope 217 bassist Matt Lux, Bill Dolan (5ive Style, Heroic Doses, Das Boton) channels jazz fusion, African pop, Meters-style funk, and Dead-inspired jams through the fret board of a punk lifer, emerging with a hybrid that’s at once gritty and perfectly executed, surprising and warmly familiar.” – A.V. Club
Datura4 – Demon Blues CD/LP (Alive)
Hailing from Fremantle in Western Australia, Datura4 is the brainchild of Dom Mariani (frontman of legendary Australian garage rockers The Stems and Power Pop favorites DM3) and Greg Hitchcock (former You Am I and one-time New Christs’ guitarist). In 2011 they joined forces combining a shared passion for full-tilt boogie, psychedelic rock and progressive blues.
Lee Dorsey – Yes We Can [Reissue/1970] CD (Fever Dream)
Massive work by Lee Dorsey – recorded years after his classics in the ‘60s, and even funkier overall. Lee’s really cooking on all burners here – working with the production team of Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn, and getting some incredible backing from The Meters – who are at the height of their powers during this period! In a way, the set’s one of the ultimate New Orleans sessions of the ‘70s – a culmination of all the best elements that were percolating together in the ‘60s indie underground, simmered together perfectly in a tighter ‘70s Polygram funk mode. Expanded with bonus tracks.
Anderson East – Delilah CD (New Elektra)
Debut album by the southern blues/rock artist from Athens, Alabama.
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra – The Conny Plank Session CD (Grönland)
Conny Plank had great admiration for Duke Ellington and while he was quite selective with whom he worked with, it was an honor for Conny to have had the chance to do a studio recording with Duke Ellington and his orchestra. The recordings were created in the legendary Rhenus studios in Cologne in 1970. Vinyl version due July 24.
Oliver Englafjord – Myrki Heima CD (Nettwerk)
Previously dubbed the “The New Face of House Music,” Marcus Schössow created the avant-garde concept album secretly over the period of three years. Inspired by his travels around Iceland, the album was crafted in a natural process that leant itself to new creative freedoms for the producer, “An amazing freedom as a producer as you tend to tailor your sound to work on floors, but suddenly you make the best music made for a floor, without even thinking about it,” says Marcus of Myrki Heima’s creative process.
Envy – Atheist’s Cornea CD (Temporary Residence)
First new album in five years from legendary Japanese post-hardcore band. Despite its relative brevity (at 43 minutes it is Envy’s shortest album since their early ‘90s thrash days), Atheist’s Cornea is easily the band’s most progressive work. Beginning with a punishing pummel, holes of light are gradually punched open to reveal an uncanny series of dynamic, emotionally charged epics. Vinyl version due July 24.
Evil Acidhead – In the Name of All That Is Unholy CD/2xLP+CD (Agitated)
Originally released in the late 1980s on cassette only, In The Name of All That Is Unholy is the long overdue reissue of the sole album by Evil Acidhead (aka John McBain of Monster Magnet and Wellwater Conspiracy fame). Fully remastered from the original recordings by McBain himself, In The Name of All That Is Unholy is a jarring mind-expansion of the third eye kind. It’s by no means a whimsy gaze-the album takes your psyche and smashes it into smithereens.
Executive Slacks – The Complete Recordings 1982-1986 CD (Cleopatra)
Complete recorded collection from the groundbreaking Philadelphia proto-industrial trio. The roots of Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and Nine Inch Nails can be found in these 36 tracks, 22 of which are previously unreleased on CD.
EZTV – Calling Out CD/LP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say that EZTV met while trying out for J. Spaceman’s latest US touring line-up of Spiritualized, but it’s not far from the truth. Songwriter Ezra Tenenbaum had been casually working on solo home recordings in the vein of Shoes, Emitt Rhodes and Cleaners For Venus, and, in a desire to round things out, he enlisted bassist Shane O’Connell and drummer Michael Stasiak (formerly of Widowspeak). As it happened, the trio’s first chance to play together was an audition for the American touring version of Spiritualized (they didn’t get the job). But, the trio kept meeting and working, turning Ezra recording as a solo artist into Ezra, Shane and Michael playing as a band; thus, EZTV was formed.
Samantha Fish – Wild Heart CD (Ruf Records)
Third album from the singer/songwriter produced by Luther Dickinson (The North Mississippi Allstars/Black Crowes). Having Samantha on guitars and Luther on various stringed instruments, they rounded out the lineup with Grammy Award-winning Brady Blade (Emmylou Harris/Bob Dylan) on drums. Special guests include Lightnin’ Malcolm (guitar), Sharde Thomas (drums) and Memphis session singers Shontelle Norman-Beatty and Risse Norman. The result is a stunning representation of Americana roots music.
For All Eternity – Metanoia CD (Facedown)
Sydney-based melodic metal core band For All Eternity bring their signature beauty-laced brutality to the Facedown roster.
Four Tet – Morning/Evening CD/LP (Text)
Produced by Kieran Hebden between August 2014 and February 2015, Morning/Evening was created on a laptop computer using the Ableton Live software to control and mix VST synthesizers and manipulations of found audio recordings.
Mulo Francel – The Sax And The Sea CD/LP (Fine)
“You’ve just put the album on. You’ve heard the first few bars of saxophone and now you’re waiting for the band to start. I’m sorry but that’s not going to happen. What you’re listening to are solo melodies.” — Mulo Francel
Ezra Furman – Perpetual Motion People CD/LP (Bella Union)
“Erza Furman’s well-documented struggle with society, sexuality and sadness are fundamental to his lyrical mastery; having described his previous two records as depressive and manic respectively, Perpetual Motion People is intrinsically self-reflective and intimate, without being self-indulgent. Furman’s third attempt has accomplished something many fail to do – he is self-deprecating, but his witty humor allows a glimmer of optimism. An enlightening journey through the mind of an outsider, but an entirely relatable one.” – Clash Music
Lazlo Gardony – Life In Real Time CD (Sunnyside Communication)
Over the past quarter century pianist/composer Laszlo Gardony has gained widespread acclaim for a series of inspired albums documenting his trio and his riveting solo recitals. In a welcome addition to his treasure-laden discography, he delivers his first sextet session, Life In Real Time, a thrilling live album recorded at the Berklee Performance Center at Boston s Berklee College of Music (where most of the ensemble is on faculty).
Ghostface Killah -12 Reasons To Die [Reissue/2013] 2xCD (Linear Labs)
Ghostface Killah -12 Reasons To Die II 2xCD/LP (Linear Labs)
Ghostface Killah -12 Reasons To Die II: Instrumentals LP (Linear Labs)
To up the ante this time around, Ghostface has added a very important lyrical companion to the mix: Raekwon. The chemistry that was cemented two decades ago on Rae’s classic Only Built For Cuban Linx is a strong as ever, clearly heard on five out of the album’s 13 songs. And on the topic of chemistry, executive producer and Wu-Tang patriarch The RZA returns to II as the story’s narrator. Where the first installment of Twelve Reasons To Die was based in 1960s Italy –detailing the machinations of the feared DeLuca crime family – II inhabits the grimy streets of mid-1970s New York City. (CD versions of both volumes each include a disc of instrumentals.)
Glowsun – Beyond The Wall Of Time CD (Napalm)
Enormous atmospheric compositions with pure rock riffs and psychedelic melodies.
Gorgoroth – Instinctus Bestialis CD (Soulseller)
Tenth album from the black metal veterans.
Gossamer – Automaton CD/LP+MP3 (Innovative Leisure)
Gossamer is Evan Reiner—the producer, guitarist, synthesizer scientist and urban-spelunking field recorder whose full-length debut Automaton dissolves the genre-breaking electronica of Autechre, Gas, and Boards Of Canada into a bottomless sea of found sound and ambient atmosphere.
Paul Hardcastle – Chill Lounge CD (Trippin’ & Rhythm)
Never one to stray too far from the studio, Paul Hardcastle again emerges from sequester with an all new collective of tunes purposed to provide escapism from the day to day, helping chip off the rough edges, providing a canvas of groovy ambient vibes assembled as only he can.
Hey Mother Death – Highway CD/LP (Paper Bag)
Hey Mother Death is the meeting of Laurence Strelka and Denma. Their music is spontaneously composed and recorded. They recorded Highway to vintage tape and mixed it with Bill Skibbe at the Key Club Recording Studio in Michigan, on Sly Stone’s Flickinger console from There’s A Riot Going On. It is a dubwise, spoken word album embedded with deep soul and cinematic overtones. The hard-earned four tracks on Highway are rich in analog warmth; they lay heavy in the tape, pulsing along at an easy pace. Sensual threats are whispered. Guitars weep. Bass and drums stay steady.
Hunter Hunted – Ready For You CD (RCA)
Hunter Hunted are the L.A.-based indie duo comprised of Michael Garner (keyboards, ukulele, vocals) and Dan Chang (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals). Ready For You is their debut album.
Jah Cure – The Cure CD/LP (VP)
Seventh album from the influential reggae act, with hits in the ‘real roots’ and Caribbean pop formats.
James P. Johnson – Collection 1921-49 2xCD (Fabulous)
James P. Johnson was one of the greatest and most important jazz pianists in the history of the genre, largely responsible for originating what became the stride piano style, and having a profound influence on contemporaries and later luminaries such as Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. He was one of the earliest recording artists in jazz, making piano rolls before 1920, and then becoming a star in Harlem in the early ’20s. He was a successful composer as well as musician, writing songs for Broadway shows like Running Wild, including the musical landmark that encapsulated the Roaring Twenties’ The Charleston.
Khemmis – Absolution CD (20 Buck Spin)
Often within the scope of a single song, Khemmis veers effortlessly between the crushing heaviness of Southern sludge and the somber melodicism of traditional doom, cohesively weaving the disparate styles into their own immediately recognizable form. The band incorporates dual vocals, sometimes harsh, but mostly via a stunningly smooth classic doom/heavy rock style that even adamant fans of Pete Stahl and Wino will applaud. Vinyl version due August 21.
Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee & Friends – Next Cut! CD (Pressure Sounds)
Next Cut features a plethora of outtakes alternate mixes and slipped down the back of the sofa gems. A fine album that gives you a listen to the studio banter and a small talk that permeated Kingston’s music scene. Vinyl version due July 24.
Little Boots – Working Girl CD (Dim Mak)
Dance-pop sensation Little Boots delights with her third LP, Working Girl, produced by Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco, super producer Ariel Rechtshaid, SZA collaborator Patrick Lukens, MNDR’s Pete Wade, and Com Truise. Filled with her signature airy vocals, uplifting melodies and clean interplay between synths and beats, the 13-song album pulls at the parameters of pop but remains true to its indie dance core. Vinyl version due August 28.
Machinist! – Pronegative CD (Eulogy)
Machinist! plays loud and heavy with a hint of melody mixed in.
Matrixxman – Homesick CD/2xLP+MP3 (Ghostly International)
Matrixxman uses his debut album to evoke visions of future with music made both for the dance floor and the early morning zone-outs that follow. These are the real world applications of Homesick, though Duff comes to it all from an entirely different mindset. “We will have the technological capability to fully map out a human brain in its entirety within 30 years. We will be crossing a Rubicon towards a new phase in human consciousness. I am one person that is prepared to take that step.” Once you emerge on the other side of Homesick, it seems possible that Matrixxman already has.
Nap Eyes – Whine Of The Mystic CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Nova Scotia’s Nap Eyes is the greatest band you’ve never heard, and Whine Of The Mystic is their first full-length album, a brilliant small-batch brew of crooked, literate guitar pop refracted through the gray Halifax rain. Nap Eyes’ keen sonic signature cruises briskly and beautifully along the dog-eared axes of jangle-jaded Oceanic pop music (The Clean, The Verlaines, The Go-Betweens), and through the backpages of Peter Perrett (The Only Ones, England’s Glory), via all things Lou Reed and Modern Lovers, without ever sounding very much like anything else happening today.
Negative Scanner – Negative Scanner CD/LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Debut album from Chicago post-punkers. RIYL: The Wipers, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Fall, Eddy Current Suppression Ring.
Old Ceremony – Sprinter CD/LP+CD (Yep Roc)
New album of rich, haunting Southern gothic pop produced by Mitch Easter (Let’s Active), with musical help from Chris Stamey (dB’s), Mike Mills (R.E.M.) and others.
Owl City – Mobile Orchestra CD (Republic)
No matter where he goes, Owl City mastermind Adam Young is constantly creating music. It doesn’t matter if he’s backstage before a gig or sitting in an airport terminal, the singer/songwriter,/multi-instrumentalist is penning music like a symphony on the go. He nods to that process with his third studio album, aptly titled Mobile Orchestra. Featuring unexpected collaborations with Aloe Blacc, Hanson, Jake Owen and more, the album stems from Adam’s creative ability to forget what he knows, clear the slate and curate an entirely new experience.
Öxxö Xööx – Nämïdäë CD (Blood Music)
“However unpronounceable their name, there’s nothing unnavigable about the French band’s second album (well … aside from the title). Formed around a fictional language (in which Öxxö Xööx means ‘69:’ ‘make love not war’), Öxxö Xööx continues to weave its enchanting Gothic-doom opera with Nämïdäë, a collection of songs swimming in polyphonic, tormented vocals and darkly-ethereal passages.” — Toovia
Tess Parks & Anton Newcombe – I Declare Nothing CD/LP (A. Recordings)
Spine-tingling collaboration between Parks (“Patti Smith on Quaaludes”) and Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre).
Ann Peebles – Straight From The Heart [Reissue/1972] CD (Fat Possum)
Awesome 1972 album of lean and punchy, Memphis soul, originally released on the Hi label.
The Persuasions – We Came To Play [Reissue/1971] CD (Fever Dream)
Retro acapella work from The Persuasions – recorded with a hipster ‘70s sound, and a stripped-down feel that you’d probably have never gotten in the old days. Titles include “Chain Gang,” “Walk On The Wild Side,” “Gypsy Woman,” “Another Night With The Boys,” “Let It Be,” “Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home,” and “The Sun.”
Perturbator – I Am The Night [Reissue/2012] CD (Blood Music)
Remastered reissue of the French retrosynth artist’s 2012 album. Taking cues from long-hailed masters in the genre — director John Carpenter, Goblin, Vangelis — this 21-year-old was weaned on a steady diet of LaserDisc monsterpieces. I Am the Night is Perturbator’s breakthrough sophomore album and is a perfect harkening back to 1970’s slasher films, evoking the true dystopian spirit of classic exploitation cinema.
Phinehas – Till The End CD (Artery)
New album the Christian metal band.
Planes Mistaken For Stars – Mercy [Reissue/2006] CD (Deathwish, Inc.)
Collectively PMFS combined different kinds of musical rebellion: hardcore aggression, punk energy, and gritty rock n roll spirit into their own special noise. Ultimately laying the blueprint for today’s emotional punk rock resurgence. Vinyl version due July 24.
Poet – A Fall To Rise CD (Listen Deep)
Poet is an EDM producer, 3D print artist, technology futurist, filmmaker, and inventor all rolled into one.
Pointed Sticks – Pointed Sticks CD (Sudden Death)
Brand new full-length album from Vancouver’s punk/pop veterans.
Quadro Nuevo – Tango CD/LP (Fine Music)
The European answer to the Argentinean tango.
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Stony Brook College 1970 2xCD/2xLP (Cleopatra)
Double-disc live album from San Francisco psychedelic masters Quicksilver Messenger Service mesmerizing a New York audience with heavy blues jams and extended freakouts. This line-up of the band featured renowned keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, who had previously recorded with The Beatles, The Stones, The Who and more.
R5 – Sometime Last Night CD (Hollywood)
Led by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ross Lynch, R5 came together in 2009 and is comprised of Lynch’s siblings Riker (bass/vocals), Rocky (lead guitar/vocals) and Rydel (keyboard/vocals) and friend Ellington “Ratliff”; (drums/vocals). R5 has rapidly emerged as an exciting new voice in the world of pop rock.
Rolo Tomassi – Grievances CD/LP (Ipecac)
Rolo Tomassi may have been referred to as the north of England’s best kept secret. Far more evolved than the constraints of jazzy noise or synth-screamo, Rolo Tomassi leap confidently from genre to genre. Moments of oddly timed chaos flow comfortably into sanguine prog-rock workouts, otherworldly, alien noises sit happily alongside bass-led doom riffs. Its eclectic stuff without ever sounding disjointed. Their name taken from dialogue in the film L.A. Confidential. The band is best known for their strong DIY ethic, and chaotic style and performances.
Screature – Four Columns CD/LP (S-S)
Four Columns is the second album from Screature, and opens with shimmering guitar and incantation… and then it flies. Chris Orr’s atmospheric guitar is a cool companion to Liz Mahoney’s haunting vocals; Sarah Scherer’s keys swirl to Miranda Vera’s insistent beat; it’s all brought to now by Chris Woodhouse’s excellent production. Call it dark psychedelia or post-punk black, Screature’s Four Columns is a creeping zodiac of sound. The band came to life in 2008, in a dark corner of Sacramento, California. They spent three years making music in secret, wintering to Rudimentary Peni and Chrome, summering to Music Machine and PiL.
Anoushka Shankar – Home CD (Deutsche Grammophon)
Inspired by her classical upbringing and teaching by her legendary father, Maestro Ravi Shankar this album offers both meditative and virtuoso Indian classical raga for Solo Sitar with ensemble.
Ed Sheeran – 5 5xCDEP (Atlantic)
Five CD box containing a quintet of EPs from the hit-making British singer/songwriter originally released separately in the UK. The five EPs contained in this set feature a total of 33 songs — both studio and live — many of which can only be found on these releases.
Smack – Helsinki 1986 CD (Cleopatra)
Previously unreleased, hi-energy concert from the legendary Finnish glam-punk band who were a major influence on Guns N’ Roses. Contains all of their hits including Run Rabbit Run later covered by Nirvana.
Spraynard – Mable CD/LP (Jade Tree)
Mable is the modern pop/punk golden boys’ next stop forward after a brief hiatus will delight old fans and new.
Statik Selektah – Lucky 7 CD (Duck Down)
New album from the Boston Rapper. Lucky 7 includes appearances by Hannibal Buress, Action Bronson, Royce Da 5’9, Bun B, Sean Price, Styles P and more.
Stereo Total – Yéyé Existentialiste CD/2xLP (Blow Up)
Yéyé Existentialiste is an essential compilation of the recording highlights of one of the world’s greatest exponents of lo-fi pop: Stereo Total. This album is the first ‘best of’ to fully cover the band’s 20 years of releases with all the tracks being fully remastered. Stereo Total is the Berlin based French-German duo Françoise Cactus and Brezel Göring, whose playful eclectic music incorporates anything from new wave, pop electronic, ‘60s French pop mashed up with trashy garage punk rock and disco to form the band’s distinctive sound.
Stray Cats – Live At Rockpalast 2xCD (Made In Germany Music)
Impressive footage of this time includes two performances in Germany: one in 1981 in Cologne and one in 1983 at the Loreley that were recorded by WDR. Both concerts also underline how rapidly Stray Cats’ career progressed. Between both recordings were full worlds. In 1981 they were young rockers and by 1983 they had become full-fledged rock stars and known as tender teddy boys in part of the scene. Also available on stand-alone DVD.
Strength Through Suffering – Setting Things Straight CD (Eulogy)
Strength Through Suffering is a heavy hardcore band from Long Island, NY. With influences ranging from hardcore to metal to hip-hop, Strength Through Suffering combines heavy music with amazing breakdowns. For fans of Hatebreed, Slayer and Madball.
Superchunk – Come Pick Me Up [Reissue/1999] CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
In March of 1999, Superchunk traveled to Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago to record the tracks that would become Come Pick Me Up. The addition of producer Jim O’Rourke allowed the group to advance their sound with more experimentation, including horn and string accompaniments. Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, and Bob Weston provided the horn section (saxophone, trombone, and trumpet, respectively) while Fred Longberg-Holm and Suzanne Roberts contributed on cello and violin. “It was exciting to work in the big room downstairs at Electrical. For part of our visit we also slept there, in the dark except for lights on all the gear blinking. It snowed a ton the day we got there, and I didn’t go outside for the first five or six days we were there,” Mac recalls. “I read an interview where O’Rourke said we tried to make a two-month record in two weeks or something. I’m sure he’s right—we never wanted to spend the time or money making records the ‘proper’ way, but I like how this record came out, and it has some of my favorite songs of ours on it.”
Johnnie Taylor – Reflections [Reissue/1977] CD (Fever Dream)
An obscure chapter in Johnnie Taylor’s career – recorded between work at Stax and Columbia, with production and arrangements by Don Davis, who was a seminal force in guiding Johnnie’s career. The album’s a relatively strong one – with material that’s a bit rootsier than the Columbia years, but handled with more polish than the bluesy soul of his Stax recordings – and Johnnie’s wonderful as ever in the vocal department, tweaking the songs with care that really makes them sparkle more than they would in the hands of a lesser singer.
Tyrese – The Black Rose CD/CD+DVD (Voltron)
New album from the R&B artist includes guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Black Ty, Chrisette Michelle and Brandy. Available in Regular and deluxe edition. Deluxe adds a DVD.
Unleash The Archers – Time Stands Still CD (Napalm)
Canadian heavy metal with fist-pumping anthemic melodies.
Van Halen – Van Halen II [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (Rhino)
Van Halen – Women And Children First [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (Rhino)
Van Halen – Fair Warning [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (Rhino)
Van Halen – Diver Down [Reissue/1982] CD/LP (Rhino)
Remastered for CD and repressed on HQ-180gm vinyl.
Vardan – Winter Woods CD (Moribund)
A blizzard of chilling misery set in suicidal slow motion: a heaving, humbling mass of brittle-but-overwhelming riffs set to catatonic stun, with forever-echoing layers of chorused guitar rising like shadows amongst the whiteout gloom.
Various Artists – Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone CD (RCA)
Produced by Grammy Award winning jazz musician Robert Glasper, this compilation of contemporary artists covering Nina Simone classics — in support of the film What Happened, Miss Simone? — includes tracks by Usher, Mary J. Blige, Common and Lauryn Hill.
Veruca Salt – Ghost Notes CD (El Camino Media, LLC)
Ghost Notes is the first new album from Veruca Salt featuring all original members since 1997’s certified gold album, Eight Arms To Hold You. Formed in Chicago, IL in 1993, Veruca Salt took the indie-rock world by storm with their first single “Seether” from their debut album, American Thighs. For their first record in almost two decades Ghost Notes, the band enlisted producer Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins/Sunny Day Real Estate/Liz Phair) who also produced their debut release.
What’s Eating Gilbert – That New Sound You’re Looking For CD (Hopeless)
What’s Eating Gilbert is the brainchild of New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert. Their debut album That New Sound You’re Looking For is an ode and throwback to power-pop of yesteryears. Vinyl version due July 17.
White Poppy – Natural Phenomena CD/LP (Not Not Fun)
Crystal Dorval from Vancouver, Canada, has been making healing, distorted rug-gaze music from a coastal mindset all her own since 2011. Natural Phenomena is her second album, and it echoes 2013’s self-titled effort in its isolationist origins, as the record emerged slowly across a nine-month retreat alone on a farm on Vancouver Island: “Some days I would only add one tiny guitar line or keyboard texture and that would be it for the day… it was a long process.” However grueling and gradual the method, what accrued is gold-ten of Dorval’s deepest dreamdives, starry ambient pools and dissolved guitar designs, ghosted through a lens of grey-skied pop. Songs wax and wane across faded rainbows of guitar, sunrise keyboards, looped percussion and vocal ocean-spray. Behind Dorval’s gauze of warm noise glows something pure and newer than new age: “My hope is that these positive feelings will be communicated sonically, or in essence, and will be enriching for listeners.”
Will Stratton – Gray Lodge Wisdom CD/LP (Talitres)
A deeply assured collection of prismatic folk tunes.
Years & Years – Communion CD (Interscope)
With their luminous brand of electro-pop, London-based trio Years & Years layer sweetly smooth vocals over bright and heady beats to create what they call music you can dance and cry to. As winners of the BBC Sound of 2015 Poll (an honor previously granted to such critically praised hitmakers as Sam Smith, Adele, and Ellie Goulding), the group has spent the last few years charming audiences worldwide by merging R&B, deep house, and classic-pop with both elegance and abandon. Vinyl version due August 21.
Yes – Like It Is: Yes At The Mesa Arts Center 2xCD+DVD (Frontiers)
On August 12th 2014, Yes performed two of their most popular and storied albums of their catalog in their entirety, all in one concert: Close To The Edge and Fragile at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, AZ. Also available on stand-alone Blu-ray. Vinyl version due August 21.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Black Veil Brides – Alive And Burning DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
Alive And Burning drops a pin in the band’s career as their first ever recorded live performance, filmed in their home town of Los Angeles during the successful Black Mass Tour, in support of their self titled fourth album at the world famous Wiltern Theatre. The sold out crowd witnessed a career spanning set list featuring classics such as “Knives And Pens” and “Fallen Angels,” as well as current favorites “Faithless” and “In The End.” 82 minutes.
Stray Cats – Live At Rockpalast DVD (Made In Germany Music)
Impressive footage of this time includes two performances in Germany: one in 1981 in Cologne and one in 1983 at the Loreley that were recorded by WDR. Both concerts also underline how rapidly Stray Cats’ career progressed. Between both recordings were full worlds. In 1981 they were young rockers and by 1983 they had become full-fledged rock stars and known as tender teddy boys in part of the scene. 134 minutes.
Yes – Like It Is: Yes At The Mesa Arts Center Blu-ray (Frontiers)
On August 12th 2014, Yes performed two of their most popular and storied albums of their catalog in their entirety, all in one concert: Close To The Edge and Fragile at the Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, AZ.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Abrasive Wheels – When The Punks Go Marching In! [Reissue/1982] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
When The Punks Go Marching In! is the 1982 debut album by punk legends Abrasive Wheels. Hailing from Leeds, the band was seldom out of the independent charts between 1980 and 1984 when they split. 140gm clear vinyl repress.
Barry Adamson – Moss Side Story [Reissue/1989] LP (Mute)
Barry Adamson – Oedipus Schomedipus [Reissue/1996] LP (Mute)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissues of a couple of releases by Barry Adamson (ex-Magazine/Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds). AllMusic: “Adamson’s skill in layering and devising unusual sound textures still qualifies him as one of experimental rock’s more imaginative composers and producers.”
Alchemist – Retarded Alligator Beats LP (ALC)
Retarded Alligator Beats is the next installment of Alchemist’s instrumental LP series, featuring unreleased beats that have not appeared on any other record in any other format. Recorded in the summer of 2013 in Alchemist’s own ALC Laboratories in Santa Monica, Retarded Alligator Beats showcases another dimension of Al’s repertoire, with his production taking center stage aside from a memorable Action Bronson appearance. Hand drawn artwork by Vice Art Director Nick Gazin.
Aziz Ansari – Buried Alive: An Evening Of Bewilderment & Delusion 2xLP (Comedy Central)
Standup comedian Aziz Ansari presents his third standup album, where he shares his uniquely hilarious perspective on fears of adulthood, babies, marriage, and more. Ansari’s look at life on the cusp of 30 years old is smart, unfiltered, and hysterical.
Antlers – A Gaze Into The Abyss LP (Vendetta)
“[Antlers] are proof that punks can play black metal. The music ranges from atmospheric midtempo black metal to the fast stuff. Due to the highly left-wing political background of their ex-bands it seems to be sure, that Antlers is another black metal band which is cool (aka antifascist) plus their music sounds f**king awesome.”—Morbus Blastbeats
The Ballantynes – Dark Drives, Life Signs LP (La-Ti-Da)
Soaked in the tradition of northern soul all-nighters, Vancouver six piece The Ballantynes aim for hip moving party starters and rear view reflections that keep hope, as well as keep the faith on their first full length effort, Dark Drives, Life Sign. A gang of fans, dance floor regulars, and record collectors, The Ballantynes have garnered a reputation for pulling from that passion to deliver a sweat soaked, no-one-left-standing-still live show, and since their first appearance at the tail end of 2011, have supported soul and garage heavies like Lee Fields & The Expressions, Reigning Sound, The Oblivians, King Dude, and Roky Erickson
Count Basie – Basie Jam [Reissue/1975] LP (Concord Jazz)
Recorded December 10, 1973. Count Basie piano & organ, Louie Bellson drums, Ray Brown bass, Irving Ashby guitar, J.J. Johnson trombone, Harry Edison trumpet, Eddie Davis tenor sax, Zoot Sims tenor sax. HQ-180gm.
Biff Bang Pow – Waterbomb [2003] LP (Poppy Disc)
The original Creation band, led by Creation Records founders Alan McGee and Dick Green through a dizzying range of styles in their time, from psychedelia to the further shores of Neil Young, with a line-up that at various times included Andrew Innes, Joe Foster, Ed Ball, Phillip King and many other reprobates who should have been in jail long ago.
Scott H. Biram – The Dirty Old One Man Band [2005] LP (Bloodshot)
Scott H. Biram – Graveyard Shift [2006] LP (Bloodshot)
First time on vinyl. “Biram’s music is country, but it’s marinated in the blues, metal, punk, boogie and maybe battery acid. His tunes unspool like the terrifying, arm-flapping, sweat drenched apocalyptic visions of an insane preacher… the perfect soundtrack for driving down that lost highway at 99 miles per hour.” — Texas Music Monthly
Black Milk – If There’s A Hell Below [Instrumentals) 2xLP (Computer Ugly)
Previously released on RSD 2015 — double LP features the previously unreleased instrumentals showcasing the versatility and impact of Black Milk’s production.
Blackboard Jungle – I Like It Alot [Reissue/1991] LP (Cleopatra)
Reissue of the classic 1991 album by one of the Sunset Strip’s biggest cult acts, produced by Faster Pussycat’s Brent Muscat and pressed onto HQ-180gm vinyl.
Bosse-De-Nage – All Fours LP (The Flenser)
Recently released on CD by Profound Lore – now available on vinyl. New release from the Bay Area extreme metal band — an intriguing mix of visceral black metal and classic early-’90s indie rock/screamo.
Broken Talent – Rules No One LP (Florida’s Dying)
Broken Talent was kind of like Miami’s Flipper. Rules No One consists of 14 tracks compiling the Blood Slut 7″, and various tracks off of their cassette releases on T.P.O.S. All recorded between 1984-1985, and includes liner notes from the band’s bass player Malcolm Tent.
Clifford Brown – Warm! LP (Jazz Wax)
The multiple studio recording sessions Brown made during his brief career show both his prolific capacity and the high respect his fellow musicians and the recording industry had for his talents and reliability. Even Charlie Parker expressed his enthusiasm to Brownie after hearing him play. “The name of Clifford Brown will always remain synonymous with the very essence of musical and moral maturity,” wrote Quincy Jones in Down Beat magazine in 1956, the week after Brown died in a car accident at the age of twenty-five. “This name,” continued Jones, “will stand as a symbol of the ideals every young jazz musician should strive to attain. This name also represents a musician who had intelligent understanding and awareness of social, moral, and economic problems which constantly confuse the jazz musician, sometimes to the point of hopeless rebellion.”
Joshua Burkett – Gold Cosmos [Reissue/2001] LP (Feeding Tube)
A brilliant and unique alloy, wearing the fingerprints of a vast array of outsider artists who created their own weird universes under the guise of “folk music” — from Dave Bixby to Dana Westover, Perry Leopold, Ed Askew. Features performances by Dredd Foole, Matt Valentine, Ben Chasny, and Chris Corsano.
Café Del Mundo – In Passion: Live At Theaterhaus Stuttgart LP (Fine Music)
Two extraordinary guitarists play their own version of flamenco, mixed with jazz, in a live setting.
Cathedral – In Memoriam [Reissue/1999] LP (Rise Above)
“When doom stalwarts Cathedral threw in the towel back in 2013, they left behind a legacy of crunching tunes and hard rocking grooves. It had been 24 years since their formation, and their morbid tales originated with a self-published tape bearing the title In Memorium. This four-track demo featured the vocal talents of ex-Napalm Death frontman Lee Dorrian, as well as Acid Reign’s Gaz Jennings on guitars, both of whom would helm Cathedral until its final breath. In 1999 the debut was repackaged as In Memoriam, on Dorrian’s own Rise Above Records, adding five live cuts from the band’s early days. With Cathedral now a thing of the past, this 25th-anniversary reissue is fitting both in name and content, providing another gaze towards where it all began” – The Metal Observer. CD version due July 24.
Chicago – Chicago II [Reissue/1970] 2xLP (Friday Music)
Chicago II was the second chapter in a long line of multiplatinum smash albums for Chicago which begun in 1969. HQ-180gm gatefold.
Alice Coltrane – Universal Consciousness [Reissue/1971] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Vinyl reissue of Cotrane’s fifth album, originally released on Impulse! in 1971. While her previous albums pushed the limits of spiritual free jazz and featured much of her late husband’s band, Universal Consciousness expands the harpist/pianist’s compositional palette with organ and strings (working with Ornette Coleman).
Crippled Black Phoenix – I, Vigilante [2010] 2xLP (Kscope)
Kscope 2010’s critically acclaimed album from progressive/post-rock group Crippled Black Phoenix sees its first ever vinyl release. I, Vigilante is now available as double LP, with three sides of music and a fourth side featuring a cover artwork etching on HQ-180gm black vinyl.
Cut Up – Forensic Nightmares LP (Metal Blade)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Cut Up was founded by drummer Tobias Gustafsson and vocalist/bassist Erik Rundqvist in early 2014. After disbanding Vomitory by the end of 2013 after 24 years of death metal duty, the two felt it obvious to continue creating death metal together. Very soon, guitarist Anders Bertilsson and guitarist/vocalist Andreas Bjornson were recruited and Cut Up was complete.
Dada Plan – The Madness Hides LP (Kingfisher Bluez)
The follow-up to last year’s A Dada Plan Is Free, shows Vancouver’s Dada Plan at the top of their game. Jazzy, dystopian, psychedelic pop. Features a silk-screened cover in black or red. “futurist-psychedelia [mixed] with roots-jazz.”—Noisey
Dalis Car – InGladAloneness [2012] LP (Kscope)
Kscope, over the next 12 months are due to be releasing a series of Mick Karn records, probably best known for his work with Japan. The campaign begins with this reissue of a 2012 five-track EP he did with Dalis Car — his band with Peter Murphy from Bauhaus.
Dead Prez – Let’s Get Free [Reissue/2000] 2xLP (Get On Down)
Double-LP reissue of Dead Prez’s 2000 debut — a welcome return to provocative and often radically political rhetoric that hearkened back to hip-hop forebears including The Coup, Public Enemy, and KRS-One.
Christobal Tapia De Veer – Utopia [2013] 2xLP (Silva Screen)
One of the most critically acclaimed scores of 2013, Utopia Series One’s soundtrack is now issued on HQ-180gm yellow vinyl for the third time. Previously only 800 of these have been pressed. The score features instruments ranging from a rare Chilean trutruka recorded in Borough tube station to the percussion sounds of a rhino turd from Zimbabwe. This one of the most eclectic and innovative scores in a long while and was specially mastered for vinyl.
Della Mae – Della Mae LP (Rounder)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With an approach that’s steeped in tradition yet firmly rooted in the present, Della Mae draws from a well of influences to create vibrantly original music that conveys their expansive musical vision with timeless lyrical truths and a contemporary sensibility all their own, placing them alongside such young acts as the Avett Brothers, Punch Brothers, the Lumineers, and Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Die Antwoord – Ten$ion [Reissue/2012] LP (Downtown)
Die Antwoord lead vocalist Ninja (born Watkin Tudor Jones) was a part of the South African hip-hop scene for many years, fronting such acts as The Original Evergreens, Max Normal, F**knrad and The Constructus Corporation. He is known for adopting different stage personas. In the case of Die Antwoord his persona is Ninja: a hyper violent character who is very different from his previous incarnations. Die Antwoord’s sophomore album Ten$ion is back in print on vinyl.
Dishrags – Three (1978-79) 12” (Supreme Echo)
Formed in 1976, the Dishrags may very well have been the first all women punk rock group in North America. This LP features 14 previously unreleased recordings plus their first three-song single, two songs recorded for a compilation and more.
Dokken – Dream Warriors (Theme From A Nightmare On Elm Street 3) b/w Into The Fire [Reissue/1973] 7” (One Way Static)
Theme song from Wes Craven’s 1987 classic A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors composed and performed by pop/hair metal band Dokken.
Download – Microscopic [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Artoffact)
Download’s 1995 EP has been expanded with a rare remix of “Attalal (Virtual Flower)” and pressed on red vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. Also includes the Biosphere remix of “Attalal” and vocals by Genesis P. Orridge on “Omniman (Remix).”
Kevin Drumm – Back Room LP (Monotype)
Analog electronic noise that covers the range of Drumm’s often-brutal compositions.
The Electric Flag (an American Music Band) – The Trip LP+MP3 (Curb)
Legendary director Roger Corman, known for his B-movies for the American International Pictures, had filmed 1967’s The Trip about an LSD trip. The filming was done during a 17-day period in and around Sunset Strip in Los Angeles and starred Peter Fonda, Susan Strasberg, Bruce Dern, Salli Sachse and Dennie Hopper. Gram Parson’s International Submarine Band was originally suggested to record the soundtrack but Corman did not feel that Parson’s group’s music fit the movie. Peter Fonda suggested Bloomfield’s band, which did not yet have a name. The recording was done over a ten-day period for Sidewalk Records, owned by Mike Curb, which had distribution through Capitol Records. The movie was released and the soundtrack followed a short time later. It was a landmark album that broke barriers, and featured a mixed racial group that played a unique blend of blues, rock, classical and avant-garde music—the first rock band to have horns (ahead of Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears) and the first to feature a Moog synthesizer. Since the band did not have a name, the group was credited as The American Music Band.
Danny Elfman – Nightbreed [OST/1990] LP (Waxwork)
Waxwork Records and Morgan Creek are proud to present the deluxe LP reissue of Danny Elfman’s score to Clive Barker’s Nightbreed. Long out of print and prohibitively expensive, the original soundtrack release of Nightbreed has become a sought after collectable LP for horror fans and vinyl soundtrack enthusiasts alike. Features remastered audio, incredible full package artwork by Rich Kelly, HQ-180gm color vinyl, and high quality packaging.
The Exploited – Apocalypse Tour 1981 [Reissue/1987] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
The Exploited – On Stage [Reissue/1984] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
The Exploited – Totally Exploited [Reissue/1984] 2xLP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
The Exploited – Dogs Of War Live LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
HQ-180gm deluxe color vinyl reissues.
Folque – Folque [Reissue/1974] LP (Round 2)
On this seminal Norwegian album originally released on Philips in 1974, Folque — inspired by UK peers like Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention and Swedens Kebnekaise — set off to create their own domestic take on progressive folk/rock with Norwegian lyrics. Armed with the traditional Harding Fiddle, dulcimer, mandolins, electric guitars, glorious vocals and a set of songs based on the traditional Norwegian folk music heritage along with some adaptations of traditional English repertoire they created this utterly unique album.
Ford Proco/Coil – Expansion Naranja / Escuacion De Las Estrellas 12” (Mannequin)
Previously unreleased collaboration between Mexican industrial godfathers Ford Proco, formed in 1986, and UK electronic pioneers Peter Christopherson and John Balance aka Coil, recorded in autumn 1999. Apparently Ford Proco members Robert Proco and Wito LaVolt met Christopherson in L.A. on the occasion of a performance by The Orb, and Christopherson later invited them to be extras for Ice-T videos. These tracks feature Christopherson on sax, drums, and effects, and John Balance providing his magnificent voice.
Gel Set – Human Salad LP (Moniker)
This is darkwave at its artistic peak, dispersed in common experience, all the while retaining nuanced affectation and hip moving backing tracks.
Jody Glenham And The Dreamers – RSVP 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
Vancouver’s Jody Glenham returns with two more tracks of sublime Mazzy-Star-esque dream pop. Limited copies on turquoise vinyl.
Rachel Grimes – The Clearing LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rachel Grimes is a pianist, composer, and arranger based in Kentucky – most renowned for her work in Rachel’s, the groundbreaking chamber-rock ensemble that introduced an entire generation of underground rock fans to the unexpected similarities and appeal of neoclassical music. Grimes has toured the world as a solo pianist, and as a collaborator with chamber ensembles such as Portland Cello Project, astrïd, Cicada, The Amsterdam Sinfonietta Trio, and Orchestra Kandinskij. Unhurried, at times fleeting, and stretching into the sky, The Clearing is a winding path of transient moments exploring personal memory, relationships, and mystery from a deeply internal place.
Steve Gunn – Boerum Palace [Reissue/2009] LP+MP3 (Three Lobed)
Boerum Palace is Steve Gunn’s second album, originally released in 2009. The album starts off with a headlong rush into the hypnotic “Mr. Franklin.” Gunn’s fluid playing style, especially as portrayed within this track, provides ample space for the development of infectious musical themes. The track ends in a dexterous duel between Gunn’s guitar and guest Marc Orleans’ (of D. Charles Speer & The Helix, Sunburned Hand Of The Man) vicious pedal steel. The album mixes Gunn’s long-form blues/raga/psych explorations alongside briefer cuts that equally display his songcraft.
Hammer King – Kingdom Of The Hammer King LP (Cruz Del Sur)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Teutonic power metal.
Holy Hum – Appendix A+B 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
Debut 7″ for Korean-Canadian musician Andrew Lee’s newest project. Ambient, meditative pieces that swell with feeling and warmth. Fragments of slowcore, noise, drone, and ambient music throughout. “songs that surge with the warm atmosphere of classical and ambient music, while undertones of frenetic urgency brim just beneath the surface.”—Discorder Magazine
Impellitteri – Venom LP (Ulterium)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Impellitteri is a heavy metal band formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. The band has released numerous albums, which are notable for Chris virtuoso style of playing.
Bert Jansch – Live At The 12 Bar LP+MP3 (Earth Recordings)
Live At The 12 Bar: An Authorised Bootleg is a straight-to-DAT concert recording by the Scottish folk musician, originally released on CD in August 1996.
Joanna Gruesome – Peanut Butter LP+MP3 (Slumberland)
Rival groups will be disappointed to learn that the record is a further experiment in combining hyper melodic pop music with sonic violence. Officials have confirmed that the album contains a record number of hooks, traces of nut and elements of jangle pop, British hardcore punk, atonal music, screaming and drone organs. First pressing on pink vinyl.
Jeff The Brotherhood/Colleen Green – LAMC No. 15: A Dog b/w Hellraiser 7” (Famous Class)
The fifteenth edition in Famous Class’ LAMC split series featuring an unreleased A-side track from one of the label’s favorite band’s, backed with a B-side track from a lesser-known artist handpicked by the A-side group.
Chuck Johnson – Blood Moon Boulder LP+MP3 (Scissor Tail)
On his third album Blood Moon Boulder, Chuck Johnson reaches a compositional peak in a nod to the picturesque naturalism of the American landscape. His precision and tone recall Ry Cooder’s Paris, Texas, and his delivery is a melodic melancholy with an every-note-placed-perfectly aesthetic. “…Music that has both an engaging, rustic familiarity & a hypnotizing tonal richness.” – Chicago Reader
Jule Vera – Friendly Enemies LP (Pure Noise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Jule Vera is a female-fronted alt-rock band from Alabama.
Royce Wood Junior – The Ashen Tang CD/LP (PIAS America)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Royce Wood Junior has played in Jamie Woon’s band, contributed to Kwabs’ album, and done a few sick remixes, but now he’s focusing on his own work. His 12-track LP The Ashen Tang is a lively blend of soul and pop with a funky kick to it and a message we can all relate to. Royce explains, ‘If you fucked up today, midnight will be along soon. Try again tomorrow.’ There are a lot of new acts blending a retro spirit with a modern twist, but few sound as natural as Royce Wood Junior.” – Pigeons And Planes
Kare & The Caveman – Jet Age [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Round 2)
The legacy of Jet Age, originally released in 1997, has been slowly building over the years and is now widely regarded a true Norwegian classic. Led by guitar ace Knut Schreiner (who later became Euroboy of Turbonegro), Kare & The Cavemen burst into the mid-‘90s post-grunge scene with something really different. Inspired by exotica, bargain bin easy listening records, surf movies, Dick Dale and Link Wray, they represented something new and fresh. The instrumental trio however managed to totally transcend any well-dressed retro genre, with sophisticated compositions that betrayed each musician’s young age, hinting to the dark seriousness of post-Pet Sounds Beach Boys and high-flying Wrecking Crew-sessions.
Kone – Yellowstone LP (New Los Angeles)
New Los Angeles label-head and producer Kone returns with this blissed-out odyssey of a long-player exploring the trippier realms of experimental beat-making. Cuts like “Dig Two Graves” and “Wandering” provide the kind of off-center backing tracks that luminary MCs like MF Doom or Earl Sweatshirt could play with. On the other side of the LP, “The Ride” and “Grizzly” find Kone in a less conventional headspace, melding chewy electronics with staggered beats and heady synth motifs. Fluttering between influences of punk, old-school hip-hop and boundless psychedelia, the East Hollywood creative pins down a sound of his own.
Manas – Manas LP (Feeding Tube)
Debut LP from duo of guitarist Tashi Dorji and drummer Thom Nguyen explores lots of improvisational ground, ranging from extreme sideways expansions of sonic textures — with Tashi’s guitar moving decisively outward while Thom’s drums explode in a mostly (but not entirely) parallel plane — to repetitive reflective passages that curl up into a tight ball before achieving escape velocity.
Maniac – Demimonde LP (La-Ti-Da)
Maniac are gentlemen punks from Los Angeles. They are what they call a supergroup, being comprised of ex and current members of bands like Clorox Girls, Cute Lepers, The Girls, Images, L.A. Drugz and Red Dons. Demimonde is their first long player. With echoes of everything from Cheap Trick to early Wire to modern-day greats like The Briefs, Demimonde hits that perfect blend of catchy ’77 punk and jittery new wave.
Ky-Mani Marley – Maestro 2xLP (Konfrontation Muzic LLC)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ky-Mani Marley, son of Jamaican royalty Bob Marley, has a sound that transcends cultural lines and prohibits him from being categorized as only a reggae artist. Single “All The Way” is a lilting reggae love song with a pop leaning vibe it captures the feeling of summer and is an impressive lead-in for his sixth studio album. Maestro includes features from Damian Marley, Matisyahu, Gentleman and Kreesha Turner.
Mates Of State – You’re Gonna Make It 12”+MP3 (Barsuk)
“In time for the summer season, Mates Of State return with a pop supreme sampling in the form of the You’re Going To Make It EP. The husband and wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel have shed any rock elements that existed in past singles such as ‘Palomino.’ While they have usually maintained a balanced sound, this EP is mainly a pop endeavor; through swooning synth and wavering melody, Mates Of State have delivered a promising preview of what may be in some future full-length: a smooth, pop showcase.” — In Your Speakers
Mexican Power Authority – Cold Natural Facts 12” (Supreme Echo)
A very rockin’ final LP from one of Canada’s most extraordinary groups to have emerged from the early 1990s. A group which transcended punk, grind, metal, free jazz, hardcore, and noise reforms to deliver the absolutely unexpected: a solid album of heavy melodic rock rooted in doom and punk rock.
Mdou Moctar – Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai [OST] LP (Sahel Sounds)
Rocking soundtrack recording from Rain The Color Blue With A Little Red In It, a revolutionary story of guitars, motorcycles, cellphones—and the music of a new generation. Original compositions from Mdou Moctar from the film about his rise to fame in the city of Agadez. From the raucous heavy psychedelic to the beautiful pentatonic sublime. Includes original compositions and reverb-heavy intermission film score.
Thelonious Monk – The London Collection Volume One LP (ORG Music)
What if you could be a fly on the wall at Thelonious Monk’s final recording sessions as leader? You can. Offering tremendous late-period performances, The London Collection Volume One is nothing but Monk, improvisational, unhinged, and unrestrained. Alternating between established originals and familiar classics, the pianist weaves magic spells on the 88s, savoring pauses between notes, the decay of chords, and a fluid style that feels more welcome than some of his angular playing.
Ennio Morricone – Cosa Avete Fatto a Solange? [OST/1972] LP (Dagored)
One of Morricone’s greatest giallo scores was composed for Massimo Dallamano’s 1972 film Cosa Avete Fatto a Solange? (What Have You Done To Solange?). This complex soundtrack features moody instrumentals, unusual rhythms, and sharp horns, and it includes some surprisingly playful pieces of music as well. This score is one of Morricone’s most experimental and it’s also one of his darkest, which makes it nicely complementary to Dallamano’s deeply disturbing film. This is the first reissue of the complete version, including alternate versions of the tracks. Pressed on clear red vinyl.
Kacey Musgraves – Pageant Material LP (Mercury Nashville)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The sophomore album by the singer/songwriter — the follow-up to 2013’s Same Trailer Different Park. Musgraves co-wrote Pageant Material with an impressive roster of songwriters that includes longtime collaborators Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark, the duo who famously co-penned CMA Song of the Year “Follow Your Arrow” with Musgraves for her debut.
Nervosas – Nervosas LP (Dirtnap)
Second self-titled LP from the hard-touring Ohio dark-punks.
New Riders Of The Purple Sage – The Adventures Of Panama Red [Reissue/1973] LP (Real Gone Music)
If there was ever any doubt that the New Riders Of The Purple Sage were the ultimate hippie country rock band—and having had Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead as early members meant that there wasn’t much—The Adventures Of Panama Red put them to rest. This 1973 album’s loosely connected tall tales of drug culture, complete with underground comic book graphics, ensured that this gatefold record was a long-time dorm room favorite for separating out those stems and seeds.
LUV NY – LUV NY [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Red Apples 45)
The Red Apples 45 collective LUV NY gets the deluxe reissue treatment on double vinyl, featuring the legendary AG & OC of DITC, Kool Keith, Kurious, Dave Dar, Roc Marciano and producer Ray West.
The Passenger – JXPG 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
New 7″ for Vancouver’s leading voice in synth and drone. The Passenger is Jesse Creed’s ongoing project which draws on ambient, drone, acid house and IDM influences. “The two-song release features more of the warm, synth-based soundscapes that fans of the Passenger have come to expect. While JXPG has a gently pulsing rhythm, both tracks are entirely beat-less.”—Exclaim!
Art Pepper – Living Legend [Reissue/1976] LP (Concord Jazz)
Recorded August 9, 1975 at Contemporary’s studio in Los Angeles and featuring Art Pepper on alto sax, Hampton Hawes on piano, Charlie Haden on bass, and Shelly Manne on drums. HQ-180gm.
Jimmy Rabbitt & Renegade – The Texas Album [1973] LP+MP3 (St. Roch Av Recordings)
Jimmy Rabbitt was an outlaw before being an outlaw was cool… Beginning as a DJ in the ’60s, Rabbitt has spun records from coast to coast and all points in-between, kickin’ ass and taking names not only over the airwaves but also in every roadhouse and backroom dive from Dallas to The Apple and, of course, L.A. with the equally dangerous backing band Renegade. These were the guys your mama warned you about. Fate would have it that on one particular evening in 1972 while returning home from a concert, Jerry Wexler stopped to get a slice at a Pizza Parlor in Saugus, CA. Jimmy Rabbitt & Renegade were playing their barn-burning, wild-eyed and country-fried outlaw music in the next room and were offered a recording contract with Atlantic Records on the spot. The master tapes collected dust for over 40 years, unreleased until now.
Martin Rev – Clouds Of Glory [Reissue/1985] LP (Permanent Records)
Haunting second album of minimalist analogue synth experimentation from Sucide’s Martin Rev, never before pressed to vinyl in the States. A killer follow-up to his 1980 debut LP reissued in 2013 by Superior Viaduct.
Sonny Rollins – Dancing In The Dark [Reissue/1987] LP (Concord Jazz)
Recorded and mixed at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA, September 15-25, 1987. Sonny Rollins tenor sax, Clifton Anderson trombone, Mark Soskin keyboards, Jerome Harris electric bass, Marvin Smitty Smith drums. HQ-180gm.
Sonny Rollins – Here’s To The People [1991] LP (Concord Jazz)
First time on vinyl. 1991 by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, originally released on the Milestone label, featuring performances by Rollins with Clifton Anderson, Mark Soskin, Jerome Harris, Bob Cranshaw, Roy Hargrove, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Jordan, and Al Foster.
Rosetta – Quintessential Ephemera 2xLP (War Crime)
New vinyl-only album from Philly’s post-rock/ambient faves. Quintessential Ephemera is their first record as a five-piece with Eric Jernigan (City Of Ships) on guitar/vocals. The album is both existential and deeply hopeful, with an upward force to it that delivers an appropriate counterpoint the darkness and nihilism of their previous release The Anaesthete.
Donald Rubinstein – Martin [OST/1979] LP (Ship To Shore)
Donald Rubinstein’s score to the vampire shocker has been remastered and pressed on to HQ-180gm vinyl. Featuring brand new original artwork from Brandon Schaefer, and exclusive liner notes from composer Donald Rubinstein and star John Amplas.
Michael Sena – Bali High [OST/1981] 2xLP (Anthology Recordings)
Most surf film soundtracks were bootlegged straight from the director’s record collection without much thought given to licensing rights or fees. Director/filmmaker Stephen Spaulding’s original soundtrack to Bali High featured favorites from The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and Santana, but as the subculture grew commercial traction Spaulding had to rethink how to legally sell the film without paying for song rights. For the 1984 re-release Spaulding sought out the help of Kauai based musician and producer Michael Sena to compose an original score that could match the action and vibe of his previous soundtrack. Sena wrote, produced, and recorded the entire album himself in just three months. The resulting 26 tracks lend the film its signature flavor and cover an impressive variation of genres, featuring moments of folk, dubby rock, synthesized disco, tropicalia, jazz fusion, and hyper-tempo power rock.
Frank Sinatra – Come Dance With Me! [Reissue/1959] LP (Capitol)
Frank Sinatra – Come Swing With Me! [Reissue/1961] LP (Capitol)
A pair of bachelor pad reissues from Old Blue Eyes.
Snooty Garbagemen – Snooty Garbagemen LP (12xU)
“Snooty Garbagemen are not actual sanitation workers. They’re three guys from Houston— Tom Triplett (Real Energy, OBN IIIs), Josh Wolf (Real Energy, Secret Prostitutes, Crime Wave), and Manie Chen (Titan Blood)—who named their new band after a Simpsons bit. Their debut LP is out this summer, and on album cut ‘I Can’t Find My Keys,’ they deliver the sort of scuzzy aggression you’d expect from a band who call themselves ‘garbagemen.’” – Pitchfork
Starset – Transmissions [2014] 2xLP (Razor & Tie)
Vinyl version of the band’s debut album with exclusive artwork and an etching on Side D.” Don’t let their Daft Punk appearance fool you – their sound is definitely far from the electronic dubstep club tracks you’d think that they would be producing. They’ve got the untapped potential that rivals that of Framing Hanley (which is ironic because they’re going on tour with them soon), the musicality of an early and less mainstream Linkin Park, and the emotional appeal of Three Days Grace‘s One-X days. While first and foremost they are an alternative rock band, their music consists of epic strings, heavy drums and freakin out-of-this-world guitar riffs, but still adds in a very minuscule hint of electronica for the sake of adding some space-like attributes.” – Mind Equals Blown
Jimmy Sommerville – Homage LP (Membran)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the dance/pop vocalist best known for fronting Bronski Beat and The Communards. The euphoric joy of disco has been one consistent thread, which has run through the diverse 30-year career of Somerville. Homage, as the title suggests, pays homage to the disco era.
Soundtrack – Thunderball [OST/1965] LP (Capitol)
Soundtrack – Her Majesty’s Secret Service [OST/1969] LP (Capitol)
Soundtrack – Diamonds Are Forever [OST/1971] LP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissues of three James Bond film soundtracks, reissued in advance of the next installment in the franchise, Spectre, which is due this fall.
Soundtrack – Stand By Me [OST/1986] LP (Friday Music)
This mega movie soundtrack rock classic comes with several hits of the ‘50s era, including “Let The Good Times Roll” by Shirley And Lee and “Come Go With Me” by The Del Vikings, and, of course, the title track by Ben E. King.
Sun Ra And His Mythic Science Arkestra – Paris Tapes: Live At Le Theatre Du Châtelet 1971 LP (Kindred Spirits)
A previously unreleased and highly sought after documentation of a live performance at Le Theatre Du Châtelet in Paris form 1971. The LP features three tracks included on the extensive CD with sleeve notes from Arkestra member Knoel Scott and unpublished photos from the concert by Jorg Becker.
Tyrone Taylor – Totally Tyrone CD (Tuff Going)
Although Jamaican singer Tyrone Taylor recorded in a series of styles and genres rooted in the Caribbean tradition, he remains best known for 1983’s soulful lovers rock ballad “Cottage In Negril.”
Those Pretty Wrongs – Lucky Guy 7”+MP3 (Burger)
Two new tunes from Jody Stephens, original drummer and sole surviving member of Big Star with Luther Russell.
Time Wharp – Time Wharp LP (Astro Nautico)
“Time Wharp is the project of Patrick Loggins, an Atlanta-raised, New York-based electronic producer who’s spent half of the last decade crafting featherweight, jazz-indebted house music in the realm of emotive producers like Baths.” — Stereogum
Tim The Mute – Mushy Peas 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
Tim The Mute’s fifth 7″ for Kingfisher Bluez features six new songs about heartache, death, and peas. “A sort of Willy Wonka of whimsical records, Tim Clapp is constantly dropping treats via his Kingfisher Bluez imprint… The man clearly cares about British culture, too—after declaring his love for Doctor Who cosplay, he’s turned his attention to UK cuisine. Specifically, the green paste known as mushy peas.”—Exclaim!
Titfield Thunderbolt – Titfield Thunderbolt 2×7” (Steady Sounds)
Art damaged free jazz/proto punk, Titfield Thunderbolt were Richmond, Virginia’s answer to The Fugs, The Godz, and Sun Ra. The first 7” is a fully remastered reissue of the lone release from 1971 on the band’s own Diskord label and the second 7” contains two unreleased tracks, one from the original session and one reworked version of an old track.
Toupee – Leg Toucher LP (Moniker)
Placing slow, soft frequencies against frantic, unchained crashes, Toupee carefully extract the supernatural from mundane life, spinning otherworldly punk tales from drowning rhythms and hidden current.
Triton Warrior – Satan’s Train 7” (Supreme Echo)
Vintage Canadian doom from 1972 — a reissue of the long-lost sole 7” by these dark and heavy Black Sabbath worshippers.
The Tuts – The Tuts 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
The Tuts – Time To Move On 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
Quality indiepop with a Libertines influence. “The Tuts are an all-girl punk trio who write melodic, super catchy anthems about love, what it feels like to be a girl, and life’s everyday pressures.”—Rookie
U.K. Subs – Flood Of Lies [Reissue/1983] LP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
At last a ‘proper’ release for the UK Subs sixth official album which reached No.15 in the Indie Chart when first released by Fallout Records in 1983. This reissue includes seven bonus tracks including the Another Typical City and Magic EP’s.
Moggi aka Piero Umiliani – Omaggio ad Einstein LP (Dagored)
Omaggio ad Einstein has a special place among the many albums of electronic music composed by Piero Umiliani. In this homage to the German physicist, Umiliani subverts the rules of space and time in music and creates an album with 23 compositions, all of them less than two minutes long, instead of following the traditional 7-10 tracks usually present in an LP. This is an original and experimental album, with a peculiar and epic catchiness, tied to Piero Umiliani’s masterful use of synthesizers and great experience in the field of soundtracks. The themes of Omaggio ad Einstein take us to sidereal spaces, wandering across the universe with their clear sounds and wonderfully creative titles (“The Celestial Vault,” “Nuclear Valkyries,” “Galactic Abyss”…). This is the first reissue of this album, which was originally released in 1976 by Umiliani’s Omicron label.
United Nations – United Nations [Reissue/2008] LP (Temporary Residence)
Originally released in 2008, United Nations’ eponymous debut album was destined for commercial controversy from the moment it was announced. The anticipation surrounding its release was at a fever pitch as rumors circulated that the enigmatic band’s all-star lineup included members of Thursday, Glassjaw, and Converge. When the album finally dropped, its lawsuitbaiting artwork — essentially the originally cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, with all of the Beatles engulfed in flames — immediately forced at least one major mall retail chain (rhymes with Not Tropic) to destroy all of the several thousands of copies it had ordered. The album’s entire pressing was then recalled, destroyed, and repackaged with artwork presumably less offensive to Sir Paul and Co. The vinyl has been out of print ever since, and that original artwork has become more myth than material.
The Upsetters – Return Of Django [Reissue/1969] 2xLP (Secret)
Classic 1969 album from Lee Perry’s Upsetters reissued on vinyl in the original gatefold sleeve including a bonus 12” single.
Various Artists – Now That’s What I Call DIY! Cult Classics from the Post-Punk Era (1978-1982) 2xLP (Optimo Music)
Four sides spanning 16 UK 7” singles recorded between 1978-1982, compiled by JD Twitch. Includes tracks by Sara Goes Pop, The Distributors, Thomas Leer, The Murphy Federation, The Cro-Tones, Fatal Microbes, The Fakes, and The Prats.
Various Artists – The Wild Angels [OST/1966] LP (Curb)
Soundtrack to Roger Corman’s cult classic movie about a rebel biker gang, often credited as an inspiration for Easy Rider. The score was written by Mike Curb with Davie Allan And The Arrows performing most of the music.
VCSR – Tape #4 LP (Permanent Records)
Never before released archival material from Chicago’s answer to Germany’s ‘70s kosmiche/electronic scene, featuring Bil Vermette.
Westklust – Last Forever LP (Run For Cover)
Last Forever is the perfect introduction to Westkust, Gothenburg, Sweden’s latest indie-pop export. Sharing members and undoubtable influences with fellow hometown post-punks Makthaverskan, Westkust offers a dreamy take on noise-pop with finesse.
White Magic – I’m Hiding My Nightingale LP (Leaving)
White Magic is artist, vocalist, pianist, percussionist and composer Mira Billotte. Performing with accompaniment or solo with hand drum, shruti box, and an array of a cappella songs, White Magic has a wide range of sound, from loud psychedelia to meditative trance, the focus is on the voice with folk, soul and mystic music at its roots.
Winter Break – Winter Break LP (Asian Man/Lauren)
Debut album from these former members of Summer Vacation. Somber yet snotty punk with an introspective bent, and lyrical themes of alienation, personal growth, and the strange experience that is life.
Wish Key – Orient Express/Last Summer [Reissue/1983/1985] 12” (Dark Entries)
Wish Key was an Italo disco group formed by the husband/wife duo of Manilio Cangelli and Lorella Ghilardi in Milan. Their first single “Orient Express” was released in 1983 by Discomagic Records. In 1985 Massimo Berti began recording another single for the Wish Key project. “Last Summer” was recorded with help from Italo producer Sandy Dian.
Chelsea Wolfe – Live At Roadburn LP (Outer Battery)
First time available in North America. This is an extremely limited edition repress of Chelsea Wolfe’s Live At Roadburn LP, just 500 copies available for retail on blue vinyl. Featuring eight tracks from L.A.’s enigmatic folk doom-weaver, Chelsea Wolfe’s appearance at Roadburn in 2012 was the buzzed about set of the festival.
Carolyn Wonderland – Live Texas Trio LP (Bismeaux Productions)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Carolyn’s first-ever live album is a tasteful 12-song set from shows at Antone’s in Austin, Kessler Theater in Dallas and Last Concert Cafe in Houston. Her trio plus guests Guy Forsyth and Shelley King play new original songs, a new co-write with Ruthie Foster and covers of Doug Sahm, Lean Russel and Los Lobos.
Susan Wong – Woman In Love 2xLP (Evolution Ltd.)
Woman In Love bears Susan’s signature sultry enticing vocal with fresh sensuous arrangements, blending elements of acoustic pop, bossa nova, light jazz and flamenco. The HQ-180gm vinyl was cut at half-speed cutting using the original high definition masters.
Yuk – A N A K LP (Leaving)
Anak is the second full-length from Los Angeles-based underground, ambient beat producer Chad Valencia, aka Yuk, a founding member of My Hollow Drum DJ collective.
Zenn Mystery Fogg – Because Of You 7” (Kingfisher Bluez)
Four new songs from Vancouver Island-based garage pop five-piece. “The record mixes reverb-soaked production with sock-hock songwriting, as vintage-sounding pop ditties are filed through murky atmospherics.”—Exclaim!
Cassettes:
Que Pasa – Big Mistake (Austin Music Corporation)
Que Pasa formed in the fall of 2013 with Liz Burrito (enigmatic front woman of Austin punk favorites Dikes Of Holland) on guitar and lead vocals and Ali Copeland on bass. The pair soon added former Strange Boys guitarist Greg Enlow on drums. Enlow was replaced by Gabriel Pastura (Church Shoes) in mid-2014. Ryan Sambol of the Strange Boys makes a cameo appearance on harmonica.
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