August Program Titles Released This Week:
BJ The Chicago Kid – 1123 CD/LP (Motown)
Soul music legend-in-the-making Bryan James Sledge aka BJ The Chicago Kid returns with the modern yet deeply moving 1123 which follows-up his Grammy-nominated 2016 major label debut In My Mind. “Worryin’ Bout Me”, “Time Today” and “Close” are all sonically stellar examples of what listeners can expect to hear on the star-studded affair, which boasts features from Offset, Anderson .Paak, J.I.D, Rick Ross and Afrojack, and includes production from Cool & Dre, Danja, Dre Harris and longtime collaborator, Jarris “J.Mo” Mozee. With melodies galore and an elastic voice that sounds like a sample, BJ The Chicago Kid is one of the most explosive, yet mature, soulful artists/writers of our young generation.
Dude York – Falling CD/LP (Hardly Art)
“There are two ways things can fall,” says Dude York’s Claire England. “They can fall and be ruined, or they can fall gently like a feather and be fine.” On Falling, the Seattle trio explores that sentiment – evoked by the broken cake on the album cover and the soft confetti on the inside sleeve – through impossibly catchy and emotive songs that investigate the ways you can fall in and out of relationships, and sometimes fall back together. Recorded at Different Fur Studios in San Francisco with producer Patrick Brown, Falling finds Dude York sounding bigger and more fully-realized than ever with hits that would feel perfectly at home sandwiched between Jimmy Eat World and Third Eye Blind in early 2000s alt-rock radio rotation, while somehow still sounding utterly their own.
Delbert McClinton and Self-Made Men + Dana – Tall, Dark, & Handsome CD/LP (Hot Shot)
“Roots music visionary” (Rolling Stone) Delbert McClinton returns with the swaggering and swingin’ new album, Tall, Dark, & Handsome. Featuring 14 new, original new songs – all written or co-written by Delbert – the album dives deep into the blues, Americana and beyond, bursting with horns, fiddle, accordion, blazing guitar work, back-up singers and McClinton’s charismatic rasp, proving Lyle Lovett’s claim that “if we could all sing like we want to, we’d all sound like Delbert McClinton.” Tall, Dark & Handsome features Delbert’s band the Self-Made Men + Dana: Dana Robbins (saxophone), Jack Bruno (drums), Mike Joyce (bass), Bob Britt (guitar), James Pennebaker (guitar), Kevin McKendree (keyboards), Dennis Wage (keyboards). It’s evident from the first downbeat that McClinton and company had a blast making the record, shining a raucous light on the swinging, jazzy virtues of Texas blues.
Sugar Ray – Little Yachty CD (BMG)
“With so many nineties trends storming back into the zeitgeist—tiny sunglasses, low-rise jeans, Newt Gingrich—maybe we should have seen another Sugar Ray album coming. But we didn’t. And, to be fair, neither did lead singer Mark McGrath. The album is called Little Yachty as a nod to the rapper Lil Yachty and a signal that Sugar Ray has fully pivoted into yacht rock. It is both Sugar Ray’s first album in ten years and their first release since losing two original members of the band, who were around for the ‘Fly’ and ‘Every Morning’ days. McGrath has a sense of humor, both about the forthcoming album—which he’s just happy to have had an opportunity to make—and his old persona. ‘If there’s a bigger douche look in the nineties than the highlights, I don’t know,’ he says. ‘And I’m responsible for it.’” – GQ
Thy Art Is Murder – Human Target CD/LP (Nuclear Blast America)
Privatized prisons enforce police states, where nonviolent offenders languish for decades. Pharmaceuticals numb the mind. Social media distracts the spirit. All while the very planet lurches toward an inevitable climate disaster that will extinguish humanity. Against this backdrop of postmodern dystopia, chaos, and confusion, arrives Human Target, the earth-scorching fifth album from extreme metal titans Thy Art Is Murder. Australia’s most brutally alarming cultural export since George Miller’s Mad Max franchise makes music that serves as a loud last gasp against the ever-encroaching void. It’s a blazing light of nihilistic despondency before the final darkness. Fusing authentic crushing death metal with blackened fury and flashes of knuckle-dragging stomp, Thy Art Is Murder exorcise the pangs of mortality and the pains of socio-political trauma. [Limited black and brown colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Violent Femmes – Hotel Last Resort CD/LP (PIAS America)
Violent Femmes’ tenth studio album, Hotel Last Resort resides among the groundbreaking band’s finest work, simultaneously refining and redefining their one-of-a-kind take on American music, mingling front porch folk, post punk, spiritual jazz, country blues, avant garde minimalism and golden age rock ‘n’ roll into something still altogether their own. Founded and fronted of course by singer/ guitarist Gordon Gano and acoustic bass guitarist Brian Ritchie, the Milwaukee-born combo remains as warm, wise and weird as ever before, with such new favorites as “Another Chorus” and “Everlasting You” continuing to mine the vast range of ideas, melodic complexity and organic sonic craftsmanship that has characterized the band’s body of work since their landmark self-titled 1983 debut. [Limited indie-store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Above & Beyond – Flow State CD (Anjuna Beats)
Above & Beyond present the yoga and mindfulness-inspired ambient album, Flow State, a 49-minute panoramic journey of ambient compositions and warm, neo-classical soundscapes that offer moments of meditative calm in these busy and often overwhelming times. [Vinyl edition due August 16.]
The Accused – Murder In Montana CD (Pig)
Archival live set recorded in 1983. The Accused blast through more than a half-hour of gritty, pissed-off three-chord-punk songs; all while poking, instigating and shouting at the crowd of bewildered rednecks. [Vinyl edition due August 2.]
Miller Anderson Band & Friends – Live At Herzberg Festival CD/LP (Herzberg)
2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, and Miller Anderson is one of the last surviving musicians to perform there on August 16, 1969.
The Anderson Council – Worlds Collide CD/LP (Jem)
“Psych pop at its best!”
Balls Gone Wild – High Roller CD/LP+CD (Metalville)
“This is the punk and hard rock sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s with a fresh wind in the here and now. The smell of beer is in the air and it sounds like the result of an extramarital affair between Motörhead and AC/DC.”
Bananarama – In Stereo CD/LP (BFD)
New release from the veteran British pop duo. For the past three decades, Bananarama’s Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward have been one of pop’s most influential and revered groups. Their hit packed career happened because they were the mold-breakers. Sometimes reminders of pop genius come in the slightest of touches, the subtlest of triggers. In Stereo, their 11th studio album, is full of them.
Laura Barrett – Who Is The Baker? CD (Paper Bag)
Laura Barrett is a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter, best known for incorporating the kalimba into her music. In addition to her solo work, Barrett has also performed as a member of The Hidden Cameras, Henri Fabergé and the Adorables, Woodhands and Sheezer.
B Boys – Dudu CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
New York’s B Boys (Andrew Kerr, Brendon Avalos, Britton Walker) find inspiration in the chaos that surrounds them: the aggressive attitude and sonic lawlessness of the city they live, work, and breathe in every day. Their raw, yet meticulous style is characterized by rhythmic complexity, commanding riffs, and introspective lyrics that are as playful and self-aware as they are cutting. Influenced by The Clash, Wire, and Talking Heads, Dudu finds B Boys picking up where they left off, pondering quotidien grievances while examining the bigger picture.
Benny The Butcher – The Plugs I Met CD (Next/Black Soprano Family)
New full-length from Benny The Butcher, featuring: Pusha T, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Conway The Machine, RJ Payne and more plus beats by Alchemist, Daringer, DJ Shay, and more.
Bloodred Hourglass – Godsend CD/LP (Out Of Line)
Enthralling melodic death metal anthems. [Limited black marble vinyl pressing also available.]
Body Of Light – Time To Kill CD/LP (Dais)
Birthed from Arizona’s regaled Ascetic House collective, Body Of Light is a dark synth-pop outfit comprised of young brothers Andrew and Alexander Jarson. What began as a vehicle for their exploration of noise and sound during their early teens has evolved into an established production over the last decade, as Body Of Light continues to carve out their own style of complex, structured, and moving dancefloor electronics.
CAAMP – By And By CD/LP (Mom + Pop Music)
“We’re in a hammock state of mind with CAAMP. The band was formed in Athens, Ohio by old friends Taylor Meier, who sings and plays guitar, and banjo player Evan Westfall. They later added bass player Matt Vinson. Since the band’s humble beginnings playing for ‘free beer and a couple folks who would enjoy a guitar-banjo tune,’ as Meir says, CAAMP has managed to charm festival-goers and captivate late night crowds across the country.” – NPR
Cable – Take The Stairs To Hell CD/LP (Translation Loss)
Long-running noise/sludge masters Cable return with their first batch of new material in over a decade.
Chats – Get This In Ya !! [Reissue/2017] CDEP/12” (Burger)
Self-proclaimed shed-rock band the Chats were thrust into the spotlight when their song “Smoko” and its accompanying video went viral. Josh Price (guitar), Matt Boggis (drums), and Eamon Sandwith (bass, vocals) founded the band in 2016 on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, Queensland, in high school. The trio cited the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and Black Flag as early influences, and the classically scrappy D.I.Y. sound of punk could be heard across their self-titled debut EP, which appeared in 2016. But it would be their follow-up EP, Get This in Ya !!, that garnered the band attention with the catchy lead single “Smoko” in 2017. [Limited green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Cherubs – Immaculada High CD/LP (Relapse)
Rightfully hailed as the noisiest pop music on the planet by Pitchfork, Austin, TX’s cult noise rock trio Cherubs have been purveyors of sonic bedlam since their inception in 1991. After an unforeseen return to the scene from a two-decade hiatus in 2014, the Cherubs have released their fifth long-player, Immaculada High – 11 songs of signature Cherubs clamor with an added twist of Texas-sized, psychedelic racket.
Chocolate Watch Band – This Is My Voice CD/LP+MP3 (Dirty Water)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. The iconic California psychedelic punk legends are back with a new album. Their sizzling sonics are intact and their penchant for political rebellion is perfect for these times.
Cirkus Prütz – White Jazz CD/LP (Metalville)
Cirkus Prütz take us from their Swedish home without detours to a hot, dim bar in Texas. You hear the first bars and it would not be surprising if at any moment Stevie Ray Vaughan and Billy Gibbons came in the door to join in the jams.
Lloyd Cole – Guesswork CD/LP (earMUSIC)
Recorded (mostly) in his attic studio in Massachusetts, Guesswork was produced by Lloyd Cole and mixed by maverick German producer Olaf Opal, with executive production from Chris Hughes. Lloyd collaborated with three other musicians on Guesswork, most notable of whom are two former bandmates – guitarist Neil Clark and keyboard player Blair Cowan – who found themselves working together on an album with Lloyd for the first time since The Commotions’ swansong Mainstream in 1987. However, anyone expecting a Commotions sound will be on the wrong tack: Guesswork is predominantly an ‘electronic’ album.
Steve Cole – Gratitude CD (Artistry Music)
Gratitude arrives on the heels of a health scare in Steve Cole’s family. The successful battle left the saxophonist feeling rejuvenated, with a renewed sense of hope and faith in his fellow humans. That depth of feeling shines through on the album’s ten tracks, which joyously spotlight Cole’s gift for infectious grooves, soulful melodies, and vibrant pop hooks.
Cuco – Para Mí CD/LP (Interscope)
On October 8, 2018, exactly two years after Cuco and his band played their first live show, they almost died in a nightmarish car accident. The next few months swirled into a punishing blur of canceled tour dates, hospital visits, group therapy, insurance bills and painkillers to alleviate the discomfort of Cuco’s injuries from the crash. Most of the material that would have become his debut album was on his laptop, which had been lost. So, he started again, seeking catharsis and a way out of his trauma. The result is Para Mí, a 13-track album composed in Cuco’s bedroom. “Just being home and working on new music felt like escaping the fact that I just got out of [the accident],” says the Hawthorne, Calif., native born Omar Banos. “I was living with my pain, but also trying to enjoy the time with it.” The album takes the whimsical synth pop and psych influences that defined his three previous projects into new territory, further exploring glimmers of bossa nova, airy piano keys and spiraling, lo-fi interludes. But the biggest shift is in the lyrics, which dig deeper than his bilingual teen-dream anthems have in the past and overflow with profound sorrow in both matters of the heart and healing after his accident.
Datach’i – Bones CD/LP (Timesig/Planet Mu)
Having broken a decade’s silence with 2016’s System, L.A.-based electronic musician Joseph Fraioli, aka Datach’i, returns with his eighth album Bones. Released on Venetian Snares’ Timesig imprint, Bones features 12 tracks of mind expanding electronica, once again recorded on his custom-built Eurorack modular system.
Death Before Dishonor – Unfinished Business CD/LP (Bridge Nine)
Seamlessly blending hardcore, punk and metal together into a fiery ball of cathartic raw aggression, this hardcore juggernaut is unrelenting from start to finish.
Epica – The Quantum Enigma [Reissue/2014] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
CD reissue of the symphonic metal band’s sixth full-length studio album. The Quantum Enigma is larger than life, expertly mixing devilishly sharp guitars, angelic choruses, evocative synthesizers, mindboggling drum work, and of course, another soaring vocal performance from Simone Simons.
Mikey Erg – Waxbuilt Castles CD/LP (Don Giovanni)
Waxbuilt Castles is the second full-length solo album by New Jerseys Mikey Erg. As the drummer and principal songwriter in The Ergs! And at least a dozen other bands, Erg has as sturdy a set of pop-punk bona fides as you’re likely to find. Waxbuilt Castles is a departure, though. Recorded in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Alex Clute – who performed with Erg in The Chris Gethard Shows house band – it’s a set of songs that takes its central inspiration from the melodicism and craft of 70s pop rock. In their production and arrangement, the songs emulate Erg’s pre-punk musical heroes – ELO, Elvis Costello, Phil Ochs, and especially The Beatles.
Maria Farantouri/Cihan Türko Iu – Beyond The Borders CD (ECM)
The album title is the program in this meeting of remarkable artists brought together to interpret traditional music of Greece, Turkey, Lebanon and Armenia, and to play original songs by Anatolian saz player Cihan Türko lu and lyricist Agathi Dimitroukas. In the spirit of the project, the new songs also bridge traditions and idioms and emphasize the potential of shared expression.
Florist – Emily Alone CD/LP (Double Double Whammy)
Emily Alone is a collection of songs made by Florist songwriter Emily Sprague during a time of great stillness and isolation with the self. An attempt to capture the dark spaces between change and acknowledge their beauty. It is a natural, isolated, and momentary tangent away from the otherwise collaborative project that is Florist, while still maintaining the documentary nature of the band that, like all things, is a mutable entity in this universe. These songs, as they exist now, were born partly out of literal distance from her bandmates on the east coast, and partly out of urgency to translate an emotional moment.
Chris Gantry – Nashlantis CD/LP (Drag City)
Like the outlaw he defines himself as, Chris Gantry doesn’t really fit into any of the classic country singer identities and 50-plus years since he wrote his first and biggest hit, he’s still writing and singing, having lived to tell the tale of his serpentine but ultimately joyful path, a life well lived. Now in his mid- ‘70s, Gantry is still a consummate performer and an inveterate writer; in performance he is a lusty, genial man, grateful to have drunk of his experiences, transcendent and ebullient in the moment of singing it.
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana CD/LP (RCA)
The second collaborative studio album by rapper Freddie Gibbs and record producer Madlib. Entirely produced by Madlib, Bandana is the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2014 album Piñata, and their sixth project as MadGibbs overall. The album features guest appearances from Pusha T, Killer Mike, Anderson Paak, Yasiin Bey, and Black Thought.
Gnostic Trio – The Book Of Beri’ah Vol. 7: Netzach CD (Tzadik)
One of Zorns most beloved and unique 21st century ensembles, the Gnostic Trio features the distinctive guitar of Bill Frisell, the vibraphone of Kenny Wollesen and the ethereal harp stylings of Carol Emanuel. The sounds are soulful and heavenly and for this, their seventh CD together, they perform nine tunes from The Book Beri’ah, the last book of music completing the Masada legacy. Frisell’s magical sonorities dance around harp and vibraphone creating a heavenly improvisational counterpoint.
Andy Grammar – Naïve CD (S-Curve)
Fourth album from the pop singer/songwriter.
Peter Green Splinter Group with Nigel Watson – Hot Foot Powder [Reissue/2000] CD/LP (Madfish UK)
Peter Green is widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists of his generation. His virtuoso blues playing was an integral part of the sound of the original Fleetwood Mac, which he founded in 1967, and his tortured lead placed him on a par with legends such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. In the early ’70’s, Green left the band and he was to spend much of the next three decades in the wilderness, battling a number of health issues. He re-emerged in the late 1990’s performing with the Peter Green Splinter Group, and the second album of his remarkable revival, The Robert Johnson Songbook, is a classic blues record and the first British album to win the prestigious WC Handy Award. Then, following being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Green released his second excursion in the Robert Johnson Songbook – Hot Foot Powder which finds him enlisting the immense talents of such fellow blues giants as Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin, Dr John, Joe Louis Walker and Honey Boy Edward for yet another exhilarating set.
Tubby Hayes Quartet – Grits, Beans And Greens: The Lost Fontana Studio Sessions 1969 CD/LP (Decca/Fontana)
Archive release. Following the discovery of some long-rumored studio master tapes, Decca Records releases a never-before-issued 1969 album by leading British jazz artist Tubby Hayes. By the time of the Grits, Beans And Greens sessions, the London-born Edward ‘Tubby’ Hayes had been a significant name in jazz for many years. He toured and recorded with his own big band, had his own television series and amassed a vast canon of albums from 1955 onwards. He also worked with such American titans as Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington, and was admired by Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and Sonny Rollins.
Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark [Reissue/1992] CD (BMG)
Iron Maiden – X Factor [Reissue/1995] CD (BMG)
Iron Maiden – Virtual XI [Reissue/1998] CD (BMG)
Iron Maiden – Brave New World [Reissue/2000] CD (BMG)
Digitally remastered digipak editions of Iron Maiden’s 9th – 12th albums. [Deluxe edition of Fear In The Dark includes an Eddie figurine and patch.]
Janet Jackson – Control: The Remixes [Reissue/1987] CD/2xLP (A&M)
Control The Remixes combines rare remixes found on the album’s various international versions and is available on CD for the first time in the US.
Javanotti – Jova Beach Party CDEP/12” (Wrasse)
Jova Beach Party is a new EP that takes its name from the long tour that will take Lorenzo around the beaches of Italy where, together with illustrious and internationally renowned guests, he will perform his greatest hits. The EP includes seven new tracks that are ready to make their mark in his repertoire.
Sarathy Korwar – More Arriving CD/LP (Leaf)
Recorded over two and a half years in India and the UK, More Arriving draws on the nascent rap scenes of Mumbai and New Delhi, incorporating spoken word and Korwars own Indian classical and jazz instrumentation. This is a record born of confrontation; one for our confrontational times.
Kryptos – Afterburner CD/LP (AFM)
nce 1998, when Kryptos was formed in Bangalore, India, the three-piece is a synonym for hotshot old school heavy metal with a thrashing twist. Their ferocious fifth album Afterburner features razor sharp riffs, screaming solos and a raging twin guitar attack.
Lacrimas Profundere – Bleeding The Stars CD (SPV)
Comeback album by the German gothic metal rockers. [Vinyl edition due August 2.]
Leisure – Twister CD/LP (Nettwerk)
Twister is the second studio LP from the acclaimed New Zealand quintet Leisure. Produced by the band themselves, the album continues their free form exploration into catchy pop psychedelia, smooth electro-funk and big room modern soul music, all wrapped in shimmering sun-kissed soulful vocals.
Lisel – Angels On The Slope CD/LP (Luminelle Recordings)
With themes of self-exploration and becoming, the songs on Angels On The Slope vibrate with the joy of discovery, delighting in blurring together the organic and the digital, the ordinary and the uncanny. It’s the sound of an artist looking to create a personal ecosystem, one teeming with color and movement, a place all her own.
Sarah Longfield – Collapse/Expand [Reissue/2017] CD (Season Of Mist)
Sarah Longfield – Sum CD (Season Of Mist)
After years of playing the piano and the violin, Sarah Longfield found her true musical calling when she purchased her first 7-string guitar at the age of 13. Her first EPs Zeal (2011) and Par Avion (2012) received high praise from critics and fans alike. In 2012, Longfield formed her own band, The Fine Constant, which was based in Madison, WI and now also performs her solo material with them in live-settings across the entire globe. This progressive band released their debut album, Myriad in 2012 and sophomore full-length, Woven In Light came out in 2015. Sarah was named as one of 15 world’s greatest 7- and 8-string guitarists by Guitar World.
Magic Mumble Jumble – Live At Berg Herzberg Festival CD/LP (Herzberg)
The eight-piece band with an unique blend of jazz, pop, indie and folk around bandleader Paul Istance fit perfectly with their hippie spirit and their “Live-to-Love” attitude at the Burg Herzberg Festival.
Angie McMahon – Salt CD/LP (Dualtone Music Group)
Angie McMahon is an Australian musician who loves honest songwriting and romantic melodies, with songs that ruminate on life, love and takeaway food. Angie loves to write and perform across the full dynamic spectrum, shifting between gravelly intimacy and pounding rock.
Mini Mansions – Guy Walks Into A Bar… CD (Spinefarm)
A record that examines the kind of hip-swaying rock ‘n’ roll you’d find on a dive bar jukebox, Mini Mansions’ third album Guy Walks Into A Bar… sounds happily disaffected by trend, time or place, like the titular joke itself. There are a hundred different kickers to that joke, but this time around the joke is on them. A guy walks into a bar only to face reality. “It started off as a joke because it is a joke,” says Shuman of the title. “It’s a way to start off the story of a relationship that ends up getting much deeper.”
Bobby Messano – Lemonade CD (Fishhead)
Bobby Messano is a legendary guitarist and contemporary blues artist who has released seven solo CDs, placed songs in many TV and cable shows and played on over 50 major label and indie albums. For Lemonade, Messano’s ninth studio album, Bobby joined forces with Bob Malone (John Fogarty) Doug Belote (Eric Clapton) and Carl Dufrene, JR (North Mississippi Allstars).
Mighty Sparrow – The Slave [Reissue/1963] CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Bob Marley has been quoted as saying “When I heard Mighty Sparrow sing ‘The Slave’ I knew what I wanted to do with my music.” The prolific and incendiary Sparrow creates calypso sounds so mighty that they’ve won him multiple titles of Calypso King in his native Trinidad. Recorded almost immediately after cessation of his RCA contract, this first-ever reissue of his 1963 National Record Company album is filled with Sparrow’s iconic singing style, wit, and (at times) scathing and provocative lyrics, including the salty tale of a “Stupid Married Man” and the topical tune of “Kennedy & Khrushchev”. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Justin Moore – Late Nights And Longnecks CD (Valory)
Fifth full-length album from the country artist.
Nebula – Holy Sh*t CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
20 years after their first release To The Center (1999) and eleven years after their last album Heavy Psych (2008), the Los Angeles, CA based psychedelic/stoner rock band is back. [Limited edition transparent splatter black and pink fluorescent vinyl pressing also available.]
NF – The Search CD (NF Real Music)
NF’s fourth LP features hip-hop, pop and cinematic elements, of which are evident in tracks such as “When I Grow Up”, “Returns”, title track “The Search”, and lead single “Time”. [Vinyl edition due September 13.]
Of Monsters And Men – Fever Dream CD/LP (Republic)
You think you know the Icelandic band Of Monsters And Men, but you have no idea. Within the first minute of their single “Alligator” you’ll be wondering if this huge anthem is the brainchild of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs fronting Arcade Fire – all thumping drums, brimming guitars and a call-to-arms chorus about taking control. During a day of final mixing at the L.A. studio of their co-producer Rich Costey (Muse, Vampire Weekend, Chvrches), the five-piece gather in stages. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Oh Hiroshima – Oscillation CD/LP (Naplam)
In 2019 the Swedes’ tools are still abstract guitar work, dreamlike vocals and a hint of electronica, and this time around Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna) delivered the final layer in shape of mastering duties. The seven new soundscapes receive their dynamics from soaring guitars and rather dense song structures (quite unusual in terms of post rock).
Particle Kid – Window Rock CD/LP (ORG Music)
Window Rock is an album yearning to find meaning in a morally ambivalent world. Micah Nelson, who records under the name Particle Kid, seeks to achieve this goal via nine new, kaleidoscopic tracks, exploring the mythology of the self, with verve, minimalism and simplicity. Window Rock proves to be Particle Kid’s most outward facing work thus far, with Micah’s reverberant lyricism and melodic scope now grounded by the chemistry of Tony Peluso and Je Smith, the rhythm section of his longtime touring band Insects vs Robots.
Pere Ubu – The Long Goodbye CD/LP (Cherry Red)
Pere Ubu unveil their new album, The Long Goodbye, nearly two years after their previous record for Cherry Red, 20 Years In A Montana Missile Silo. The Long Goodbye is the end of a road. Frontman David Thomas has long talked of their journey to Satisfied City: This wraps up every song and story that Pere Ubu has been telling in different ways for the past forty plus years.
Resavoir – Resavoir CD (International Anthem)
A juicy suite of elegantly-orchestrated lo-fi jazz instrumentals, recalling vintage mod soul like David Axelrod, Piero Umiliani, or Charles Stepney, but doing it like The Avalanches or MF Doom would do. [Vinyl edition due August 16.]
Sanction – Broken Refraction CD (Pure Noise)
Long Island, New York metal/hardcore five-piece Sanction follow-up their 2018 EP The Infringement Of God’s Plan with their Pure Noise Records debut, Broken In Refraction. [Vinyl edition due August 30.]
Eddy Senay – Step By Step [Reissue/1972] CD/LP (Modern Harmonic)
Fuzz-laden psychedelic guitar funk. The Detroit axeman’s second opus brings Senays singular style to a set of indispensable instrumentals chock full of finesse. Eddy is again backed by a crew of masterful musicians, and together they employ a wide range of influences including Latin flows and vivid themes that are befitting of Blaxploitation cinematics. Featuring the oft-sampled fiery funk of Cameo.
Small Crush – Small Crush CD/LP (Asian Man)
Small Crush, the lovesick indie-pop Oakland/East Bay band composed of three high school students and one college Freshman, release their self-titled debut album on Asian Man Records. Chock full of virtuosic lyrical introversion and playful riffs, the 13-track collection is introduced by the breezy lead singles “All I Need” and “Chicken Noodle.” “Dreamy, catchy, twirl in a circle with your hands up good!”
Soundgarden – Live From The Artists Den 2xCD/4xLP/2xCD+Blu-ray+4xLP (UMe)
On February 17, 2013, Soundgarden concluded a sold-out US Winter tour in support of King Animal, their first studio album in over sixteen years, with a special Live From The Artists Den taping at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. Soundgarden mixed new songs with classic radio hits and rarities performed live for the first time, in front of a rapturous crowd. [The limited edition Super Deluxe box features the complete 29-song concert film on Blu-ray featuring more than 30 minutes of bonus interviews, four 180-gram audiophile black LPs in four individual jackets that link together to form one larger image, two CDs, a 40-page photo book, four band member lithos which also link together to form a larger panoramic image, replica artist all-access pass and a replica ticket stub. Stand-alone Blu-ray edition also available.]
Suicide – Suicide [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Dangerous Minds/Mute)
The definitive reissue of Suicide’s genuinely classic and highly influential eponymous debut album. The hardback CD and 140gm red vinyl packages include exclusive photographs and extensive sleeve notes by The Quietus’ John Doran exploring the impact of the band.
Pat Travers – Swing! CD/LP (Purple Pyramid)
Legendary guitarist Pat Travers gets swinging on a set of big band classics from ’40s & ’50s on this unique project. [Limited blue and red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
UBI – Under Bad Influence CD (Strange Music)
With tracks like “Madness” (Remix), “What If?”, “Bitty Betty” and “Lock Load Shoot”, along with features from Tech N9ne, Jarren Benton, The Palmer Squares, Maez301, Godemis, Krizz Kaliko, King Iso, ¡Mayday!, Stevie Stone, M3GA and more, Under Bad Influence is a standout solo debut. UBI, known for his clever wordplay and intricate lyricism, makes Under Bad Influence a showcase for his evolution as an artist.
Various Artists – Punk Goes Acoustic Vol. 3 CD (Fearless)
Features the top and upcoming bands in rock performing acoustic renditions of their hits.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Mali Blues CD/LP (World Music Network)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. From the beating heart of the capital city Bamako to the rich musical soils of Niafunké, Mali has become synonymous with the raw desert blues sound. Featuring the likes of the legendary Tuareg band Tartit as well as Songhai bluesman Samba Touré, this Rough Guide also includes tracks by other unsung heroes, all of whom share the same goal of preserving a culture under serious threat.
Wolves At The Gate – Eclipse CD/2xLP (Solid State)
Wolves At The Gate is a post-hardcore band out of Columbus, Ohio. Since 2008 the band’s reputation has been built on a foundation of lyrical authenticity and sonic evolution – both easily identifiable in their fourth studio release, Eclipse.
John Zorn – Tractatus Musico-Philosophicus-Philosophical Investigations from The Invisible Theatre CD (Tzadik)
Drawing inspiration from philosophy, avant-garde cinema, drama and music, Tractatus brings many of Zorn’s lifelong interests together into a stunning new musical universe. Including big band cutups, saxophone fireworks, environmental soundscapes and a rip-roaring game-call-Ketjak, this is Zorn musing alone in the studio harnessing the powers of his twisted imagination and underground musical sensibility. Filled with wit, color and mystery, this bizarre suite is among the weirdest music Zorn has ever created and will appeal to only the most open-minded of listeners. Not for the faint of heart.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Dickey Betts – Ramblin’ Man: The Dickey Betts Band Live At The St. George Theatre Blu-ray (BMG)
Ramblin’ Man Live At The St. George Theatre was recorded on July 21, 2018 and finds Allman Brothers legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dickey Betts performing classics like the title track, “Blue Sky” and “Jessica” at the historic New York venue. In addition to Devon Allman who makes a guest appearance to sing his dad Gregg Allman’s song “Midnight Rider”, Betts is backed here by his former Great Southern bandmates: son Duane Betts (lead guitar), Frankie Lombardi (drums, backup vocals), Mike Kach (keyboards and lead vocals) and Pedro Arevalo (bass); as well as equally talented new additions Damon Fowler (lead/slide guitar and vocals) and Steve Camilleri (drums).
Soundgarden – Live From The Artists Den Blu-ray (UMe)
On February 17, 2013, Soundgarden concluded a sold-out US Winter tour in support of King Animal, their first studio album in over sixteen years, with a special Live From The Artists Den taping at the Wiltern in Los Angeles. Soundgarden mixed new songs with classic radio hits and rarities performed live for the first time, in front of a rapturous crowd.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
75 Dollar Bill – I Was Real LP (Thin Wrist)
75 Dollar Bill is one of the essential groups at the heart of NYC’s underground. Driven by the telepathic union of Che Chen’s microtonal electric guitar and Rick Brown’s odd metered percussion their long-form sound is unmistakable and compelling. On their third album I Was Real, the group expands in bold new directions, embracing brilliant fuller orchestrations, joyous rockers and entrancing new textures.
Allman Brothers Band – American University Washington, D.C. 12/13/70 LP (Allman Brothers Band)
Originally issued in 2002, this archive live release captures the mighty Allman Brothers in December of 1970 performing at Washington D.C.’s American University fresh off a date at the Fillmore East in New York in support of their second album Idlewild South and three months prior to their definitive At Fillmore East recording.
As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise [Reissue/2010] LP (Metal Blade)
Vinyl reissue of the 2010 album from the Southern California metal/hardcore crossover act. Powerless Rise was produced by Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and mixed by legendary producer Colin Richardson. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
David Axelrod – Seriously Deep [Reissue/1975] LP (Get On Down)
Seriously Deep is an obscure release, but also one of David Axlerod’s tightest, and most exploratory ones. Across six tracks, Axelrod and his collective of players dip in and out of bounding jazz-funk, Afro-Latin grooves, cinematic flourishes, psychedelic synth washes, and blaring big band horns.
George Benson – The Other Side Of Abbey Road [Reissue/1969] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. George Benson, influenced by Wes Montgomery, had only just gone from being a well-kept secret to a bright star in the celestial jazz firmament at the time of The Other Side of Abbey Road. His youthful, happy-go-lucky ways may well have led him and his producer Creed Taylor to turn to this important 1970 Beatles covers album and – without great pathos or standing in awe – they put the music through a mincer as it were, adding a large pinch of jazz spice and a good portion of strings and Latin percussion on the way.
Dickey Betts – Ramblin’ Man: The Dickey Betts Band Live At The St. George Theatre LP (BMG)
Ramblin’ Man Live At The St. George Theatre was recorded on July 21, 2018 and finds Allman Brothers legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dickey Betts performing classics like the title track, “Blue Sky” and “Jessica” at the historic New York venue. In addition to Devon Allman who makes a guest appearance to sing his dad Gregg Allman’s song “Midnight Rider”, Betts is backed here by his former Great Southern bandmates: son Duane Betts (lead guitar), Frankie Lombardi (drums, backup vocals), Mike Kach (keyboards and lead vocals) and Pedro Arevalo (bass); as well as equally talented new additions Damon Fowler (lead/slide guitar and vocals) and Steve Camilleri (drums). [Stand-alone Blu-ray edition also available.]
Biffy Clyro – Balance, Not Symmetry [OST] LP (WB)
Balance, Not Symmetry is a soundtrack album by Scottish alternative rock band Biffy Clyro to the film of the same name, co-written by the band’s frontman Simon Neil. Recorded at AIR Studios in England, Monnow Valley Studio in Wales and ICP Studios in Belgium with co-producer Adam Noble.
Brainticket – Psychonaut [Reissue/1972] LP (Purple Pyramid)
Limited edition green colored vinyl reissue of the 1972 album by the experimental Krautrock pioneers.
Brand Of Sacrifice – Godhand LP (Unique Leader)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Interstice, Toronto, ON/Manhattan, NY based brutal death/hardcore group has established themselves as one of the most uniquely thrilling and compositionally adventurous extreme metal acts in the scene today.
Kenny Burrell – Introducing Kenny Burrell [Reissue/1956] LP (Blue Note)
Introducing Kenny Burrell put the jazz world on notice in 1956 that an extraordinary new guitarist was on the scene who combined bebop and the blues with smoky aplomb. Burrell is accompanied on this stellar set of original and standard compositions by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, bebop icon Kenny Clarke on drums along with the percussion sensation from Cuba, Candido. This legendary session launched the career of one of the giants of modern jazz guitar.
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash [Reissue/1969] LP (Atlantic)
Limited burgundy colored vinyl LP pressing. Crosby, Stills & Nash spawned two Top 40 hit singles, “Marrakesh Express” and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”.
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Kar Yağar LP (Bongo Joe)
Over the course of its 12 tracks, the powerful sound of the Bağlama (Turkish lute) and Derya Yıldırım’s stunning vocals, builds and unravels stories together with the guitars, organs, drums, flute and bass. Kar Yağar (which translates as Snow Falls) has the dynamics of an epic journey through the Anatolian highlands; where deep-rooted folk effortlessly switches to sparkly improvisation or dancy pop tracks.
Dinosaur L – 24→24 Music [Reissue/1981] 2xLP (Demon/Traffic)
Dinosaur L is an alias donned by Arthur Russell, a man whose contribution to dance music from the late ’70s through the ’80s was formidable but only quietly acknowledged. His innovative and left field dance records were way ahead of what people were used to hearing at the time. A cellist who studied classical and Indian music, he was also involved in the New York downtown avant-garde music scene and produced albums in a more avant-garde/experimental vein as well as trying his own unique approach to pop. This colored double-LP reissue of his lone album as Dinosaur L features the original album plus rare 12″ remixes and edits.
Doyle – Abominator LP (EMP Label Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Abominator is the debut album by the horror punk/heavy metal band Doyle. The band’s founder member is ex-Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein.
Electric Frankenstein – How To Make A Monster [Reissue/1999] LP (Victory)
20th Anniversary edition, completely remastered and includes large fold-out poster. Before the garage rock revival in the early 2000s, bands like Turbonegro and Electric Frankenstein were the original hallmarks of the genre. It’s a highlight reel of punk, garage rock, heavy metal, and hard rock, both hard-nosed and irreverent in its execution.
Steve Forbert – The Magic Tree LP (Blue Rose Music)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. New release from the veteran singer/songwriter – a series of songs gleaned from previously recorded acoustic demos, augmented with new backing tracks.
Robbie Fulks – Country Love Songs [Reissue/1996] LP+MP3 (Bloodshot)
Robbie Fulks’ debut album – now on vinyl for the first time – was the surprise hit of ’96, and at the time served notice that a) Country Music did NOT have to suck b) that he was a top-notch songwriter and performer and c) things in the underground country scene were never going to be the same.
Hallowell – Hallowell LP (Sounds Familyre)
Hallowell is modern sacred music from Vermont by Joseph Pensak, his first project since Come, O Spirit!, Bifrost Arts’ seminal record, which featured vocals by indie rock luminaries Laura Gibson, Damien Jurado, J. Tillman (Father John Misty), David Bazan, Rosie Thomas, Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and more. Hallowell’s debut record was recorded at Studio 150 in Burlington, Vermont with multi-instrumentalist Christopher Hawthorn and over 20 accompanying musicians. All strings were performed by TURNmusic, a Vermont based chamber music collective led and conducted by Anne Decker.
Hibou – Halve LP+MP3 (Barsuk)
Limited pink colored vinyl LP pressing. Amidst an atmosphere of melancholia, Peter Michel has thrown himself into a lifetimes worth of writing, recording and touring belied by his young age. At just 17, the Seattle-based musician toured extensively with dream pop outfit Craft Spells, and most recently met critical acclaim with his personal project, Hibou. In Halve, Hibou’s third full length album, Michel creates a characteristically ethereal record addressing the dichotomies between childhood and adulthood, self and society, authenticity and superficiality.
Andrew Hill – Black Fire [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
Andrew Hill’s Black Fire is both the pianist and composer’s debut and an acknowledged masterpiece of modern post-bop jazz. Featuring a sublime quartet with Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Richard Davis on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums, the music still sounds as fresh today as it did the day it was recorded in November 1963.
Janet Jackson – Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (Virgin)
Janet Jackson – Janet. [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Virgin)
Janet Jackson – Janet. [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Virgin)
Slightly expanded double-vinyl reissues of Janet Jackson’s fourth, fifth and sixth albums.
Bombay S. Jayashri – Shravanam LP (Time Capsul)
A transcendental work of intensely spiritual Indian classical music by celebrated vocalist and composer Bombay S Jayashri.
Job For A Cowboy – Doom [Reissue/2005] LP (Metal Blade)
Job For A Cowboy – Genisis [Reissue/2007] LP (Metal Blade)
Limited colored vinyl pressing. Glendale, AZ extreme metal unit Job For A Cowboy blend stunning musicianship and cutting edge song craft to create the absolute embodiment of modern day extreme music. The powerful quintet known for their intense songs, explosive live performances and forward thinking vision, released their explosive debut recording, the Doom EP in 2005 and debut full-length Genisis in 2007.
Junkie – Fast Times LP (Yippee Ki Yay)
Fast Times is the third full-length and vinyl debut from three-piece surf-punkers, Junkie, consisting of three high school friends, Mark Perez (guitar/vocals), Dan Garcia-Moreno (bass), and Johnathan James (drums). Pink vinyl with a hand-written letter from the band signed by each member. [CD edition due August 16.]
Ron Keel – Fight Like A Band LP (EMP Label Group/Outlaw)
Released last March on CD – now available on vinyl. 11 new original compositions plus a new medley of historic Keel songs. “Ron is one of the most talented rock vocalists of our generation,” asserts EMP label chief Thom Hazaert. “A true gentleman outlaw, and we are honored to have him as part of the EMP family.”
Angelique Kidjo – Celia LP (Verve)
Released in April on CD – now available on vinyl. Angelique Kidjo reflects on an icon of the Americas, celebrated salsa singer Celia Cruz. Over ten tracks, Celia divests itself of the glamour to investigate the African roots of the Cuban-born woman who became the Queen of salsa, a music genre invented in New York by Caribbean immigrants. The album features musical assistance from Tony Allen, Meshell Ndegeocello, David Donatien, Shabaka Hutchings and Sons Of Kemet And The Gangbé Brass Band.
Mantronix – King Of The Beats: Anthology 1985-1988 [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Traffic)
2012 compilation from the pioneering Electronic/Hip Hop duo consisting of Kurtis Mantronik and MC Tee. King Of The Beats combines the best of Mantronix’s work from the early, and arguably, best era of their career (1985-88) into one amazing listening experience.
Ingrid Michaelson – Stranger Songs LP (Cabin 24)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Following seven albums, two platinum singles, countless TV and film syncs and millions of downloads and streams – all released independently on her own Cabin 24 Records – Michaelson found herself at a bit of creative standstill, adrift and seeking inspiration. The pop singer-songwriter found it again in an unexpected place, the throwback sci-fi/horror drama Stranger Things.
Odd Man Out – New Voice LP (Pop Wig)
Seattle, Washington’s Odd Man Out (featuring members of Angel Du$t) return with New Voice, a thirteen track rampage of blistering straight-edge hardcore. Serving as the band’s first full-length release on Pop Wig following a promo tape, it was mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Nothing).
Mike Posner – Real Good Kid LP (Island)
Released in January on CD – now available on vinyl. Grammy-nominated, worldwide multi-platinum selling singer-songwriter and producer Mike Posner (“I Took A Pill In Ibiza”, “Cooler Than Me”) releases his long-awaited fourth album.
The Runaways – The Runaways [Reissue/1976] LP (Modern Harmonic)
The Runaways – Queens Of Noise [Reissue/1977] LP (Modern Harmonic)
After snatching a record deal due to the brute strength of a single rehearsal, The Runaways proceeded to change the face (and gender) of rock and roll with the release of their 1976 eponymous debut. Full of tough, snarling tales of misbehavior and anthems of offbeat adolescence, the album established these juvenile idols and remains a source of inspiration for the next generation of rebels. Arriving mere months after their initial assault, The Runaways cranked up the intensity on their dominant second album Queens Of Noise, painting stark pictures of teenage rebellion across a stunning set of originals. [CD reissues due August 9.]
Railroad Earth – The John Denver Letters 7” (Windstar)
Railroad Earth has composed music for lyrics that John Denver wrote but never recorded – “You’ll Be My Lady”, and “Through The Night”.
Patrice Rushen – Remind Me: The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984 3xLP+MP3 (Strut)
The first definitive retrospective of an icon of 1970s and ’80s soul, jazz and disco, Patrice Rushen, covering her peerless 6-year career with Elektra/Asylum from 1978 to 1984.
ScHoolboy Q – CrasH Talk LP (Interscope)
Introspective fifth album CrasH Talk serves as California rapper ScHoolboy Q’s third straight No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart following breakouts Oxymoron (2014) and Blank Face (2016). Mixing anthems with socially conscious numbers, Q teams up here with the likes of Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Ty Dolla $ign and YG, churning out the weary and woozy charting singles “Floating,” “CHopstix”, “CrasH” and “Numb Numb Juice”.
Select Level – Select Level LP (Wax Thematique)
Heads may know Select Level mastermind Andy Sells best as the limber drummer for soulful fusion explorers Afrocop or as the bassist for noisy prog-rockers Nosretep… or maybe even for his stint in electronic brainiacs FCS North, who existed from 1997 to 2007. This talented Seattle multi-instrumentalist has established that he can get weird and far out in various situations. Select Level finds Sells veering off on a tangent into the realm of sleek music geared for dancing and romancing.
Signals Midwest – PIN LP (Lauren)
PIN, the fifth album from Cleveland, Ohio’s Signals Midwest, is an album of change. These six songs fit well with the sounds and themes Signals fans have grown to love over the past decade: thoughtfully melodic and anthemic examinations of moving through life in times good and bad.
Solange – When I Get Home LP (Sony)
Limited clear vinyl pressing. When I Get Home is the latest album from Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and visual artist Solange Knowles. This release represents the next phase in Solange’s evolution as an artist, and is the follow up to her critically acclaimed 2016 album A Seat At The Table.
Soundtrack – The Big Chill [Reissue/1983] LP (Motown)
Vinyl reissue of the original soundtrack to the 1983 motion picture. This movie made Motown hot again and spawned this best-selling soundtrack album. Includes classic tracks from Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Procol Harum, The Miracles, Three Dog Night, and others.
Spring Tigers – Spring Tigers 10” (Bright Antenna)
Debut EP from the Atlanta, Georgia-based indie pop band – originally released in 2009.
Tank – Re-Ignition LP (Deadline Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ripping new studio album from the NWOBHM legends.
Various Artists – Adventure Time: The Complete Series Soundtrack Set 3xLP+10”+CD+Cassette (Mondo)
Over 200 songs spanning the entire Cartoon Network series.
Various Artists – Gilman Street’s Ripoff Tribute To Dookie LP (Asian Man)
To celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Green Day’s landmark 1994 smash Dookie, a bunch of bands from the 924 Gilman Street scene have come together to put their twist on these songs. Gilman Street’s Ripoff comes adorned with a new take on Dookie‘s famous artwork and features contributions from Hotbods, Grumpster, Little Debbie And The Crusaders, Unpopular Opinion, Neverlyn, Sarchasm, Like Roses, Pity Party, Danger Inc., Gnarboots, Get Married, Deseos Primitivos, Corrupted Morals, Rex Means King and Weeny Witch. [Limited vinyl pressing also available.]
Various Artists – Stranger Things: Soundtrack From The Netflix Original Series, Season 3 2xLP+7” (Sony)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. This soundtrack of the series’ Season 3 features 15 classic tracks on two LP’s and the debut of an original cast recording, featured on the 7″ bonus single.
Various Artists – Tribute To Bon Scott LP (Metal Bastard)
Limited red colored vinyl pressing of this tribute collection to arguably the finest rock singer of all time, the late Bon Scott, frontman of the unrivaled Australian rockers AC/DC from 1974 until his tragic death in 1980.
Muddy Waters – Muddy Waters At Newport 1960 [Reissue/1960] LP (Friday Music)
Limited translucent blue audiophile edition. Recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival, Muddy drove the crowd into a frenzy with his famous guitar licks and his Delta growl, truly a thrilling presence on the stage. Featuring an all-star band with the likes of the legendary James Cotton on harp and the masterful Otis Spann on piano, Muddy Waters At Newport 1960 would go on to become one of the most revered albums in modern day Chicago blues history.
Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention – Mothermania (The Best Of The Mothers) [Reissue/1969] LP (Zappa Records)
Assembled by Frank Zappa 50 years ago in response to the multitude of bogus compilations being created by his previous record company, Mothermania contains exclusive mixes and is treated with all analog production from the original 1969 master tapes. 180gm.
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