CDs:
Anathema – Distant Satellites CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (K-Scope)
Distant Satellites was recorded at Cederberg Studios andOslo with favored producer Christer-Andre Cederberg. Alongside additional mixing by Steve Wilson, Anathema also brought in the legendary services of Dave Stewart (Porcupine Tree) to create the new album’s extraordinary orchestral arrangements. For fans of Radiohead, Pink Floyd & Sigur Ros. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds 2013’s stunning concert film Universal directed by Lasse Hoile.
Arch Enemy – War Eternal CD/LP (Century Media)
Ninth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band.
The Atlas Moth – The Old Believer CD (Profound Lore)
Chicago, Illinois’s The Atlas Moth has always been hard to categorize. Drawing from myriad influences and styles, their sound is one of the most unique and unusual in today’s American underground—progressive psychedelic metal both crushingly heavy and sublimely beautiful.
Tomas Barfod – Love Me CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)
Love Me is an album that takes Tomas Barfod’s spirit of adventurousness and raises the stakes. Utilizing a supporting cast that includes a string and brass section, and musicians like Here We Go Magic’s Luke Temple and long-term collaborator Nina K. on vocal duties, it’s a multi-layered album that effortlessly pushes and pulls dance and electronic music into a myriad different shapes.
Selwyn Birchwood – Don’t Call No Ambulance CD (Alligator)
The 2013 winner of the International Blues Challenge is an exciting young hotshot singer/songwriter/guitarist from Tampa, FL, and his debut is packed with infectious, original songs that herald the arrival of a dynamic new blues talent.
Andrew Bird – Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of… CD (Virtual Label)
The latest self-released album by Andrew Bird consists of his versions of songs by a band he has loved for many years, The Handsome Family.
Bite – Cliff Diving CD (Hella Mad)
Bite is the perfect name for this group of veterans of the San Francisco underground scene. Their unique style of punk & roll has its roots in old-school punk acts that range from the Cramps to The New York Dolls.
Blacklist Royals – Die Young With Me CD (Varese Sarabande)
Vinyl version due July 8. “Blacklist Royals have been through some tough shit in the past few years, including band member Rob Rufus’ battle with cancer. The band’s new record, Die Young With Me, reflects all that struggle. The record is ragged, raw, and rocking, with tracks like ‘Out In The Dark’ and ‘26 And Gone’ examining the impermanence of life through the eyes of Rob and twin brother Nat Rufus.” – A.V. Club
Bloody Hammers – Under The Sun CD/LP (Napalm)
Dark Occult Rock with a pinch of H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury, Under The Sun is a multilayered album that resembles a classic horror flick from the ‘70s.
Body Count – Manslaughter CD (Sumerian)
Ice-T and cofounder/lead guitarist Ernie C have perfected their mix of thrash, punk and bottom heavy doom across five albums, hitting a zenith with their new album Manslaughter. They embody the monumental SoCal tradition of street born punk bands like Suicidal Tendencies combined with the aggressive aural napalm of Slayer.
Anthony Braxton/Thomas Fujiwara/Tom Rainey – Trio (New Haven) 2013 4xCD (New Braxton House)
Legendary composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton’s first trio recording with two drummers. The group includes Tomas Fujiwara and Tom Rainey, two of New York’s most in-demand drummers.
Clifford Brown – Brownie Speaks: The Complete Blue Note Recordings 3xCD (Blue Note)
Documenting when trumpeter Clifford Brown was on the rise, this new collection covers Brown’s three 10” albums from 1953, recorded with J.J. Johnson (Jay Jay Johnson With Clifford Brown), Lou Donaldson (New Faces New Sounds) and his own sextet (New Star On The Horizon), plus legendary live Birdland recordings headlined by Art Blakey, in which Brown is featured along with Donaldson and pianist Horace Silver.
Captured Spells – Nausea CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
“While still making moody, atmospheric pop, main man Justin Paul Vallesteros goes for a grander sound this time, with songs layered with strings, wind instruments, mellotron and other keyboards.” – Brooklyn Vegan
clipping. – CLPPNG CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Despite clipping.’s insistence that they’re really just making rap— not noise-rap, industrial-rap, or any other mashup genre— their music might be more sonically challenging than that of the punkish rap rockers, lo-fi bedroom producers, and street goth hybridists they’ve been lumped with so far.
Ciccone Youth – Whitey Album [Reissue/1988] CD (Goofin’)
CD reissue of quintessential 1988 Top-40 tribute album by Sonic Youth’s 1988 alter ego.
Hollie Cook – Twice CD/LP (Mr. Bongo)
Hollie Cook the daughter of Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. Produced by Prince Fatty, Twice sees Hollie’s obvious love of reggae joined by other influences including Bond-like strings, Brazilian percussion, dark disco and shades of Giorgio Moroder.
Cowboy Mouth – Go! CD (Elm City)
New album from the alt-rock band. As frontman Fred LeBlanc says, ”If The Neville Brothers and The Clash had a baby, it would be Cowboy Mouth.”
Craft Spells – Nausea CD/LP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
After a dormant period following the release of the Gallery EP in 2012, Craft Spells’ Justin Vallesteros is back with the gorgeously ambitious Nausea. It’s Craft Spells’ second proper full length LP, and first since 2010’s critically acclaimed Idle Labor. Since last on the radar, Justin moved to San Francisco to find a niche in the Bay Area music scene. This proved difficult within the regarded garage rock scene and insular DJ night crowds currently dominating the area’s music community.
Marilyn Crispell – Destiny CD (OkkaDisk)
Fred Anderson on the alto saxophone, Hamid Drake on drums and percussion with Marilyn Crispell on piano, all recorded live at the Hot House in Chicago, IL during The Women of New Music Festival on April 8, 1994.
Dub Club Vs. The Lions – This Generation Dub CD (Stone’s Throw)
Inspired by reggae, sound system culture and the myriad of musical styles influenced by Jamaican music old and new, The Lions’ sound is firmly placed in soul music. Their debut This Generation was critically acclaimed in 2012. Eight tracks from that album are now reworked and dubbed straight to tape by Dub Club founder and producer Tom Chasteen.
Dub Thompson – 9 Songs CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
This young SoCal-based band’s musical influences travel from the Midwestern malaise of Big Black and Pere Ubu, to Kraut pioneers Can and Kraftwerk, while bowing to the British belligerence of The Fall and This Heat.
Kyle Bobby Dunn – Kyle Bobby Dunn & The Infinite Sadness 2xCD/3xLP (Students Of Decay)
Latest from revered Canadian ambient composer is undoubtedly his most focused and emotionally charged work thus far, a rich, expansive collection of slowly unfurling beauty that stretches out over the course of more than two hours. His trademark guitar swells and slow-moving loops feel clearer and have a renewed sense of purpose and poise.
Dust Bolt – Awake The Riot CD/2xLP (Napalm)
Sophomore album from the German thrash metallers.
Equilibrium – Erdentempel CD (Nuclear Blast)
Fourth album by the German folk metal band.
First Aid Kit – Stay Gold CD/2xLP (Columbia)
“Klara and Johanna Söderberg, the Swedish sisters who make up the duo First Aid Kit, learned to love American-heartland alt-roots music when they first heard Bright Eyes. In making their new album Stay Gold, the duo went to the source, traveling to Omaha and working with Bright Eyes producer and Monsters Of Folk member Mike Mogis. (They also sing backup on Conor Oberst’s new album Upside Down Mountain.)” – Stereogum
The Fresh & Onlys – House Of Spirits CD (Mexican Summer)
With surreal nightmares, glistening pop tempered by sinister undertones and even unsettling experimentalism, The Fresh & Onlys’ fifth album is the San Francisco quartet’s most focused and most experimental yet. The material gestated during vocalist Tim Cohen’s isolated stay on an Arizonan horse ranch where he documented dreams in a bedside notebook. The resultant songs are by turns pristine, feverish, and bizarre, as they returned to Lucky Cat Studios in San Francisco with Phil Manley to recast the textures, leaps of logic and evocative character of Cohen’s dreams into songs. Vinyl version due June 24.
Greg Ginn And The Taylor Texas Corrugators – Gumbo And Holy Water CD (SST)
Greg Ginn And The Taylor Texas Corrugators is an instrumental group that comprises many styles. Rock/jazz/country/blues/Latin/electronic/psychedelia all find their way into the mix.
God Macabre – The Winterlong [Reissue/1993] CD/LP (Relapse)
Remastered reissue of a Swedish death metal classic.
Half-Handed Cloud – Flying Scroll Flight Control CD/LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
Half-handed Cloud’s Flying Scroll Flight Control presents Dada interior-architectural songs, in the mode of Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbau, the sound of Robert Rauschenberg’s cardboard combines, interrupted by Futurist noise intoner music of collision. They’re integrated with the radiant flicker of Stan Brakhage’s domestic/personal 1960s art films, the mechanized music of Conlon Nancarrow, Mister Rogers’ avant-garde children’s operas, and the methods of grunge-era home-taping alchemists Eric’s Trip, with scriptures giving voice to the unknown.
Paul Hardcastle – The Jazzmasters VII CD (Trippin N Rhythm)
Urban substructures layered with sexy yet subtle grooves, punctuated with perfectly placed notes and vibrations create the perfect flow of ambience as you depart on this soothing musical journey, a one way ticket to pure pleasure. This is pure ear candy that will provide that rush of sweetness yet is high in nutritional content, satisfying and full flavored.
Hellyeah – Blood For Blood CD/LP (Eleven Seven Music)
“With the acrimonious departure of longtime members Greg Tribbett and Bob Zilla, Hellyeah have discovered new fuel for the fire. Blood For Blood is punchy and vitriolic, full of unforgiving tracks like ‘Soul Killer’ and ‘Say When,’ the latter featuring Vinnie Paul’s most acrobatic drumming since Pantera.” – Revolver Magazine
Hor – Can’t Make It Up CD (SST)
Fifth release from the hardcore/techno/guitar hybrid.
Chrissie Hynde – Stockholm CD/LP (Caroline)
The Pretenders frontwoman’s debut solo album, recorded in Stockholm with guests Neil Young & John McEnroe. Includes “Dark Sunglasses.”
José James – While You Were Sleeping CD/LP (Blue Note)
The influence of Jimi Hendrix can be heard throughout While You Were Sleeping as much as R&B forefathers like Al Green. Special guests include vocalist Becca Stevens who duets with James on her song Dragon, as well as trumpeter Takuya Kuroda who is featured on the cover of Green’s classic “Simply Beautiful” that closes the album.
Killwhitneydead – Suffer My Wrath CD (Tribunal)
New release from the North Carolina-based metalcore band, their first new material since 2007. Entering their twelfth year of existence, Killwhitneydead’s origins are deeply rooted in the early deathcore scene, but on this album, the group steps away from the genre’s stylistic confines, creating something much more alluring.
Lunchbox – Lunchbox Loves You CD/LP (Jigsaw)
This is pure bubblegum pop with lots of Dreampop influences – imagine if Rocketship were covering ’60s AM radio classics to get a feel of where Lunchbox are coming from.
Lust For Youth – International CD/LP+MP3 (Sacred Bones)
International is Hannes Norrvide’s magnum opus, and with Fisher’s production and Rahbek’s co-writing skills, the potential this band has always shown has been fully realized, it is a buoyant synth-pop masterpiece on par with early Depeche Mode. Vinyl version adds remixes (via MP3 download) by Chelsea Wolfe, Helm, Total Control, Silent Servant and Cult Of Youth.
Mars Red Sky – Stranded In Arcadia CD/LP (Listenable)
Mars Red Sky stoke the fire of a voodoo mass with their 70’s old school riffs and their psychedelic groove. Julien Pras, well known for the pop magnificence of his studio session with Calc, was secretly dreaming of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin and was also sharing these musical fantasies with drummer Benoit Busser and noisy bass player Jimmy Kinast. The three of them make a melodic stoner music using heavy reverbs.
Mayday X Murs – Mursday CD (Strange)
New collaboration between L.A. rapper Murs and Mayday, the Miami-based hip-hop band with two lead rappers: Wrekonize and BernzIt.
Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare CD/2xLP (Season Of Mist)
2014 brings the 30th anniversary of the single most notorious important band in the history of black metal; Mayhem. As they enter their 30th year, Mayhem delivers a new full-scale assault of total black metal savagery with Esoteric Warfare.
Night Ranger – High Road CD/CD+DVD (Frontiers)
New album from the AOR mainstays. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe includes one additional track plus a bonus DVD.
O.A.R. – The Rockville LP CD/LP+MP3 (Vanguard)
O.A.R. recorded their eighth studio album The Rockville LP with the hope to encapsulate their live sound. Recorded in Nashville, Maryland and New York City, the album’s name comes from the very city that the band formed in Maryland back in 1996.
Officer! – Dead Unique CD/2xLP (Blackest Ever Black)
Recorded in 1995, Dead Unique is a lost classic of English art-rock, and the crowning achievement in the career of its mercurial creator, Mick Hobbs. Londoner Hobbs’ roots are in the fecund RIO scene of the late ’70s and early 1980s, initially as guitarist in The Work (alongside Bill Gilonis, Rick Wilson and Henry Cow’s Tim Hodgkinson), and subsequent related groupings The Lowest Note, The Lo Yo Yo, and The Momes.
Passenger – Whisper CD/2xLP+MP3 (Nettwerk)
Recorded in Sydney and co-produced by Chris Vallejo, Whispers is comprised of 11 tracks that tell tales – some real, some imagined – of love, death, growing up and getting old. A master of story telling, Passenger yet again strikes the perfect balance between the heartbreaking and the humorous, all wrapped in beautiful instrumentation, creating a sumptuous, symphonic sound. Vinyl version adds a bonus discs featuring acoustic tracks.
The Phantom Band – Strange Friend CD/LP (Chemikal Underground)
The Phantom Band return after three and a half years with their third album Strange Friend. The album doesn’t have one firm concept at its root but several, infused with multiple meanings it reflects the constant percolation of voices within the Scottish six-piece, all jostling for their say.
Quantic – Magnetica CD/3xLP (Tru Thoughts)
Magnetica is the first studio album from Quantic under his main solo moniker since An Announcement To Answer in 2006. He has, of course, been far from quiet in the intervening years, with releases from many acclaimed side-projects including The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, Quantic & Alice Russell, Flowering Inferno and Ondatrópica, and a host of thrilling shows to match.
Rebelution – Count Me In CD/LP (Easy Star)
New album from the DIY reggae band.
The Rippingtons – Fountain Of Youth CD (eOne)
Rippingtons leader Russ Freeman returns with a collection of guitar driven songs.
Roll The Dice – Until Silence CD/2xLP+CD (Leaf)
Until Silence marks a monumental shift for Roll The Dice. The characteristic framework of piano and synthesizer is reinforced with a newly conscripted string section: dramatic arrangements grind against furnace blasts of static, and phases of unrelenting rhythmic intensity collapse into moments of frayed, fragile beauty. The Stockholm-based duo’s most powerful and nuanced work to date is by turns harrowing and searching, pushing their sound to monolithic, foundation-shuddering heights of ambition and scale.
Say Anything – Hebrews CD (Equal Vision)
Say Anything has been making odd, unclassifiable indie rock music since they were 14 or 15 years old, playing strangely literate and loud rock, characterized by what one might imagine if Larry David fronted a Fugazi cover band with the members of Queen. Not that that’s a stretch or anything. Vinyl version due June 17.
Sole & DJ Pain 1 – Death Drive CD (Black Canyon)
Death Drive is a collision of two distinct worlds: the scorched-earth-of-indie-rap legend Sole and the concrete jungles of certified platinum producer DJ Pain 1. Combining modern pop/rap aesthetics with a political edge reminiscent of hip-hop classics like Fear Of A Black Planet, the duo employs the golden era hip-hop approach of a rapper and DJ without resorting to gimmicks or clichés typical of more formulaic two-turntables-and-a-mic unions.
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation [Reissue/1988] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Goofin’)
Post-punk milestone, back in print on vinyl in its original form. Includes download and poster.
Stagnant Pools – Geist CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Sophomore album release from this Indianapolis-based duo; shoegaze-meets-noise pop comparing to Joy Division, Sonic Youth and the Strokes. Available on CD and clear vinyl with download.
Tesla – Simplicity CD (Tesla Electric Co.)
Simplicity marks a return to the homegrown roots from one of America’s true rock & roll bands.
Testament – Dark Roots Of Thrash CD/CD+DVD (Nuclear Blast)
New live set from the thrash originators, recorded in February 2013 at The Paramount in Long Island, NY, spans 20+ songs from their lengthy history.
This Wild Life – Clouded CD (Epitaph)
This Wild Life is an acoustic duo from Long Beach, CA. Writing songs that mine the same emotional territory as City And Colour, they have created a sound, vibe, and presence that sets them apart from their stripped down peers. Vinyl version due June 24.
Tombs – Savage Gold CD/LP (Relapse)
Tombs’ third album is one of the most anticipated underground metal album of 2014. The band’s sophomore LP Path Of Totality unanimously topped 2011 end of the year metal lists (everyone from Decibel to Pitchfork to NPR, and more, dubbed it their top album of that year). Savage Gold focuses the awesome strength of Tombs’ previous works into one brilliantly dark post-punk and extreme black-metal masterpiece.
Trap Them – Blissf**ker CD/LP (Prosthetic)
45+ minutes of an unrestrained, unmedicated, unapologetic display of depression, desperation and blasphemy.
Walter Trout – The Blues Came Callin’ CD/CD+DVD/LP (Provogue)
Recorded throughout 2013 and early 2014, The Blues Cam Callin’ features 12 new songs including 10 originals. Walter appropriately covers John Mayall for the occasion, as he was a member of the Bluesbreakers. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus DVD.
Alexander Turnquist – Flying Fantasy CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
As an accomplished 12-string guitarist/composer, Alexander Turnquist’s latest full-length Flying Fantasy confirms the idea that out of great hardship can come great art. As he wrote the material for the new album it became clear that his sensitivity had sharpened, his empathy magnified, and his sense of purpose blossomed. The unfortunate circumstances he endured ostensibly forced his metamorphosis from a remarkable guitar player to a truly great composer. Much like the butterflies that adorn the album cover, he seems to have changed form and taken flight.
Umphrey’s McGee – Similar Skin CD/LP (Nothing Too Fancy)
New album from the prog/jam band. “As for the music, Bayliss explains: “In the past, we’ve done the whole melting-pot album, where there’s a rock song, and then there’s a mellow acoustic song, and then there’s a jazz thing, and then there’s a prog thing—just bouncing all over the place. This time, we specifically went in with a song list where, genre-wise, it was all pretty much straight-ahead rock.” – Relix
Uriah Heap – Outsider CD (Frontiers)
Outsider is Uriah Heep’s 24th studio album which follows the untimely passing of bass player Trevor Bolder in May 2013.
Vader – Tibi Et Igni CD (Nuclear Blast)
Tibi Et Igni (a Latin phrase which translates to “For You And Fire”) is the new album from the Polish death metal veterans. Vinyl version due June 17.
Valley Of The Sun – Electric Tallons Of The Thunderhawk CD (Fuzzorama)
Cincinnati, OH natives Valley Of The Sun are a power trio in the truest sense. Originally formed in June of 2010, the band started with the intention of pushing the boundaries of stoner rock in a new direction.
Various Artists [Fatboy Slim] – Fatboy Slim Presents Bem Brasil 2xCD (Astralwerks)
Combining his love for music and soccer, Fatboy Slim delivers a lovingly curated collection of music encapsulating the soundtrack to this year’s World Cup. Bem Brasil (roughly translated as “Very Brazil”) pays homage to Brazilian music and culture both on and off the dance floor.
Various Artists – 1970s Algerian Folk & Pop CD/LP (Sublime Frequencies)
Heavy and psychedelic rock, dark and moody folk-pop and stoic cinematic tracks.
Jack White – Lazaretto CD/LP+MP3 (Columbia/Third Man)
Jack White’s new album is most notable for the vinyl version, which boasts the following: Two vinyl-only hidden tracks hidden beneath the center labels, one hidden track plays at 78 RPM and one plays at 45 RPM, making it a “three-speed” record; Side A plays from the inside to the outside of the disc; Dual-groove technology (the record plays an electric or acoustic intro for “Just One Drink” depending on where needle is dropped. The grooves meet for the body of the song); Matte finish on Side B, gives the appearance of an un-played 78 RPM record; Both sides end with locked grooves; Vinyl pressed in seldom-used flat-edged format; Dead wax area on Side A contains a hand-etched hologram by Tristan Duke of Infinity Light Science, the first of its kind on a vinyl record; Absolutely zero compression used during recording, mixing and mastering; Features a different running order from the CD/digital version.
The Who – Quadrophenia: Live In London 2xCD/2xCD+DVD+2xBlu-ray (UMe)
In 2012/2013, The Who embarked on the Quadrophenia And More Tour, performing their landmark rock opera in its entirety, marking the 40th anniversary of the original 1973 release of this double-album masterpiece. The critically acclaimed and highly successful tour closed at London’s Wembley Arena. Recorded on July 8, 2013, this set features The Who in peak form, performing Quadrophenia from front to back, in its entirety, plus a special set of some of their all-time greatest hits. Also available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray, and as a Limited Collector’s Edition which includes the high definition Blu-ray and standard DVD of the concert film, both in 5.1 surround sound audio; the double-CD soundtrack of the show; and for the first time, a 5.1 surround sound mix of the entire 1973 album release of Quadrophenia on a Blu-ray audio disc.
Wife – What’s Between CD/LP (Tri Angle)
To many, What’s Between will be viewed simply as the debut solo album by Irish singer songwriter James Kelly, aka Wife, but to fans of the critically acclaimed metal band, Altar Of Plagues, this album marks the return of a much-admired talent.
Wreck & Reference – Want CD/LP (The Flenser)
Since their inception in 2011, California-based heavy experimental duo Wreck And Reference has (de)constructed a manifesto of post-genre misanthropy using only drums, vocals and electronics. A handful of unorthodox and captivating releases have turned heads of critics and fans alike, and live, the band is crushing.
DVD + Blu-ray:
The Who – Quadrophenia: Live In London DVD/Blu-ray (UMe)
In 2012/2013, The Who embarked on the Quadrophenia And More Tour, performing their landmark rock opera in its entirety, marking the 40th anniversary of the original 1973 release of this double-album masterpiece. The critically acclaimed and highly successful tour closed at London’s Wembley Arena. Recorded on July 8, 2013, this set features The Who in peak form, performing Quadrophenia from front to back, in its entirety, plus a special set of some of their all-time greatest hits. 122 minutes.
Vinyl:
Blondie – Blondie 4(0)-Ever: Greatest Hits: Deluxe Redux/Ghosts Of Download LP+DVD (Caroline)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. This deluxe vinyl version adds the Live At CBGB 1977 DVD featuring over 50 minutes of lost footage taken directly from the original videotapes the set was filmed on.
Bo Ningen – III 2xLP (PIAS, America)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Bo Ningen are a group of enlightenment activists from Japan’s psychedelic underground.
Eric Clapton – From The Cradle [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Reprise)
Eric Clapton – Me And Mr. Johnson [Reissue/2004] LP (Reprise)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissues now available.
Clutch –Robot Hive/Exodus 2xLP (Weathermaker Music)
Up until now, Clutch’s Robot Hive/Exodus was never available on vinyl. This double-LP is remastered and comes in a redesigned gatefold package.
Alice Coltrane – A Monastic Trio [Reissue/1968] LP (Superior Viaduct)
A Monastic Trio, created in the year following her husband’s passing, is Coltrane’s first recording as a bandleader and features six original compositions. While John’s spirit can be felt throughout—from the song titles (“Ohnedaruth” was his adopted Hindu name) to the personnel (Jimmy Garrison, Rashied Ali, and Pharoah Sanders were frequent collaborators)—the album showcases Alice’s immense talent for fusing spiritual free jazz and new age with classical, Eastern, post-bop and gospel.
The Constantines – Shine A Light [Reissue/2003] LP+7”+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Reissue The Constantines second full-length and first for Sub Pop; an ambitious record combining a steady diet of ‘90s DC rock (like a Joe Strummer fronted Fugazi) with dub-inflected bass, blue-eyed soul, and a punk aesthetic. Includes bonus 7″ featuring tracks from a pair of CD singles from the same era.
Cradle Of Filth – Total F**king Darkness LP (Shellshock)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Remastered released of the infamous third demo from British extreme metallers, recorded in 1993 and expanded with bonus tracks.
Don Caballero – Five Pairs Of Crazy Pants. Wear ‘Em: Early Caballero LP+MP3 (Chunklet)
December 1991. Mere months into their existence, a three-piece Don Caballero drove to the Carnegie Mellon campus and knocked out 11 songs. On this, their earliest-known studio recording, the nascent Pittsburgh titans crank out jams that would appear in different form on early singles and their Touch And Go debut full-length, For Respect. Two songs would never make it onto a proper record and are here for the first time ever. As a special bonus, the band’s second live show is included as an additional download along with the record.
Filipe Felizardo – Sede e Morte LP+MP3 (Three Four)
Filipe Felizardo has a very personal approach of building his music. Building is the right word here, as his music is so intense that it can be compared to sculpture: rough, soft, massive, ethereal, delicate. With one guitar, he uses the sound to create matter and shape it with melodies. Perfectly balanced between fragility and assertion, “Sede e Morte” pays tribute to great guitar players, with reinterpretation of songs by John Fahey, Peter Green &and Jose Afonso.
Dredd Foole And Ben Chasny – Drunk With Insignificance LP (Feeding Tube)
Dredd’s songs have never sounded better, and Ben (Six Organs Of Admittance) pulls an exquisite raft of riffs out of his sombrero.
Julien Gasc – Cerf Biche et Faon LP (Born Bad)
First solo album from Aquaserge member. Lo-fi indie chanson, with moments of abstraction and psych-weirdness, recorded on a four-track cassette recorder.
Imagho & Mocke – Half Quartet 12”+MP3 (Three Four)
Imagho & Mocke is a duo of French guitarists. Imagho is the solo project of JL Prades, while Mocke (Midget, Holden) chimes along on the Fender Jazzmaster. It lies somewhere between jazz, folk, post-rock, electronica and acoustic music. The compositions are mostly based on guitars (electric and acoustic) with electronic arrangements, field recordings and sounds of any kind. Imagho music is often melancholic, melodic and rich sounds, moods and textures.
Michael Jackson – Xscape LP (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Eight never-before-heard tracks executive produced by L.A. Reid, along with other producers including Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins and John McClain.
Leyland Kirby Presents V/Vm – The Death Of Rave (A Partial Flashback) CD/LP (History Always Favors The Winners)
Kirby explains: “The idea for The Death Of Rave was conceived in early 2006 after a visit to the Berghain Club in Berlin. At the time, Berghain was about to explode on the international club scene as a temple. The feeling was in the air that something special was happening. I went and saw a pale shadow of the past. Grim and boring beats, endlessly pounding to an audience who felt they were part of an experience but who lacked cohesion and energy. For me personally, something had died. Be it a spirit, be it an ideal, be it an adventure in sound. Rave and techno felt dead to me. The original The Death Of Rave project was vast, over two-hundred flashbacks, using all of the dancefloor hits from the time and stripping them of energy and spirit, turning them into shadows and ghosts.”
Joe Manning & Joan Shelley – Outside, Stay Outside 7”+MP3 (Karate Body)
“(Manning’s) deep voice is rugged and weary, an uncommon beauty unafraid of exposure and judgment” — Louisville Courier-Journal. “Shelley’s beautiful voice sounds like it belongs to a lost talent from the folk revival of the early ‘60s, and unlike so many women singing similar material, Shelley doesn’t weigh down her lines with florid ornamentation — she shapes her melodies with precision and clarity” — Chicago Reader
Memory Map – The Sky As Well As Space LP (Joyful Noise)
With The Sky As Well As Space, Memory Map continues to flesh out their uniquely guitar-driven blend of indie pop. Using three guitars, a three-piece drum kit, and vocals from all four members, they organically fuse cascading guitar lines, complex rhythms, and layered vocal harmonies into shamelessly accessible guitar pop.
Obsequiae – Suspended In The Brume Of Eos [2011] LP (20 Buck Spin)
Obsequiae crafts meticulous, beautifully harmonic odes to times now passed into legend, conjuring images of a medieval Europe upon which modern life has yet to infringe. Their debut album, Suspended In The Brume Of Eos, harkens back to the pre-wimp-out melodic Scandinavian death metal of the mid 1990s; dark, aggressive, conscious of songcraft foremost and un-intimidated by complexity. New album due later this year.
Rock*A*Teens – A Major Motion Picture 2xLP (Chunklet)
The perfect ‘best of’ collection from the undisputed kings of Cabbagetown! A 22 track, double album of recordings from their first four full-lengths performed live at the Star Bar in 1998 and 1999. “Chris Lopez wrote some of the most eloquent, sardonic, romantic, and, well, basically the best rock & roll songs of the 1990s. His band wrapped them in a florid southern reimagining of 1950s garage rock that always sounded sloppily, scarily out of control and yet dead serious.” — Will Sheff (Okkervil River)
Roy Orbison – Mystery Girl [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In 1989, an era where the charts were dominated by Guns N’ Roses and the New Kids on the Block, the commercial success of Roy Orbison and company was nothing short of impressive. Mystery Girl was a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic and earned Orbison his first platinum award for over one million albums shipped. This HQ-180gm vinyl reissue includes the original album’s track listing on one LP and nine previously unreleased studio and work-tape demos on the second.
Some Ember – Some Ember LP (Dream)
Cold synthesizers and harsh industrial beats dominate the A-side, while swirling drone and organic percussion characterize the unique second half. The exceptional voices of Dylan Travis and Nina Chase balance the record, their melodies anchoring things firmly in the pop realm.
Son Lux – Alternate Worlds 12” (Joyful Noise)
Son Lux’s new EP reimagines four songs from Lanterns, and includes a collaboration with Lorde. These exquisite reinventions traverse unfamiliar terrain within remembered landscapes. Their world is both alien and familiar.
The Specials – More Specials [Reissue/1980] LP+7” (Rhino)
More Specials is the second album by ska band The Specials, released in October 1980. The album expanded the two-tone sound of their self-titled debut to include lounge music and other influences.
Various Artists – Choubi Choubi: Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq Vol. 1 2xLP+7” (Sublime Frequencies)
Originally released in 2005, now on double-LP with four additional tracks not featured in the first CD issue and also featuring a bonus 7” in a picture sleeve. Meticulously compiled by Mark Gergis from his archives of Iraqi cassettes and LPs found in Syria, Europe and the Iraqi neighborhoods of Detroit, Michigan and elsewhere within the diaspora, this unique collection of folk and pop styles displays a wealth of outstanding music that is exclusive to Iraq.
Various Artists – Music From Drinking Buddies (A Film By Joe Swanberg) LP (Jagjaguwar)
Soundtrack to the acclaimed indie film Drinking Buddies, which was written and directed by Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes The Stairs, Alexander The Last, V/H/S). Features tracks from Richard Swift, Cayucas, Richard Youngs, Foxygen, Here We Go Magic, Plants & Animals, Night Beds, The Amazing, Rubblebucket, Barna Howard, and Phedre.
Leslie Winer – Witch LP (Superior Viaduct)
Produced in the twilight of the ’80s in London and originally released on white-label LP with a homemade rubber stamp impression, Witch is the mysterious and powerful debut from poet, artist and musician Leslie Winer. It’s an infectious patchwork of dub beats, tasteful samples and Winer’s sultry blend of spoken word with cool, folksy lullabies that later became popularized by acts such as Massive Attack and Tricky.
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