CDs + Vinyl:
Lily Allen – No Shame CD/LP (WB)
English singer-songwriter Lilly Allen returns with her fourth album, No Shame. Working with collaborators Fryars, Mark Ronson, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Burna Boy, P2J and Cass Lowe, Lily says her goal was to make an album that is “as truthful as possible.” Speaking about the sense of catharsis that came with making the record, she adds, “I believe that we as humans work through things by talking about them, and that’s what making music is for me. It’s sharing things that you hope are going to connect with people, not that are going to connect with algorithms.” It includes lead song “Trigger Bang” featuring Giggs, which The Guardian describes as, “a return to the melancholic pop that made her so intriguing.” A departure from the bold, brash lyricism and sun-soaked melodies Lily is known for, “Three” flips perspective in a way only she can, while the hazy, stripped back “Higher” finds the singer as vulnerable as ever.
Ray Barbee – Tiara For Computer CD/LP (Um Yeah Arts)
In the late 1960s, Peter Zinovieff – co-founder of London’s Electronic Music Studios-sold his wife’s diamond tiara to subsidize the world’s first computer in a private residence. At nearly the cost of a house (and taking up almost an entire room), the weighty extravagance was purchased and installed to control one singular process: sequencing sounds. This was the all-or-nothing beginning of EMS, and their enthusiastic exploration of the unknown-synthesized musiclead
directly to the ground-breaking work of artists like Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, and Kraftwerk. In the spirit of that wholehearted approach, Ray Barbee has ventured into uncharted waters with his latest release, Tiara For Computer, a synth-anchored album from a man known for his expressive, solo guitar work.
The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra CD/2xLP (Capitol)
The Beach Boys’ original vocal performances are paired with new symphonic arrangements, recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. Brian Wilson says, “I always knew the vocal arrangements I did back in the 1960s would lend themselves perfectly for a symphony and there is no better one in the world than the Royal Philharmonic. I am both proud and humbled by what they have created using our songs and I hope everyone falls in love with it like I have.”
Beechwood – Inside The Flesh Hotel CD/LP (Alive)
From two-minute pop perfection, to the sound of drug-induced nightmare psychoses, Beechwood’s music hits you where it hurts. Gordon Lawrence (guitar/vocals), Isa Tineo (drums/vocals) and Sid Simons (bass/vocals) are drawing their rock ‘n’ roll line in the dirt.
Dierks Bentley – The Mountain CD/2xLP (Capitol Nashville)
Ninth studio album from the country music superstar. The Mountain is unified by themes of presence and positivity, and ranges in style from textured rock to acoustic folk.
Blue Water Highway – Heartbreak City CD (Agonia)
Blue Water Highway’s 2015 debut, Things We Carry, found lead vocalist Zack Kibodeaux and company blending refined roots rock elements similar to The Avett Brothers and The Lumineers with rich, soulful gospel-tinged harmonies. As a result, they invoke an invigorating sound that has the theatrics of an energetic traveling tent show. They’re able to bring down the lights and slow things down with delicate ballads that can shine the spotlight on Kibodeaux’s powerful lyrics and even more powerful vocal range. [Vinyl edition due June 29.]
Kadhja Bonet – Childqueen CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Kadhja Bonet’s second album, Childqueen, is something of a hero’s quest. In the opening “Procession,” above a muted drummer’s march, an unseen oracle announces to you, the listener: “every morning is a chance to renew, a chance to renew.” This is your first clue, setting you upon a path not to treasure, nor a grail, nor even a long-lost love, but highest of all, what Kadhja has christened the Childqueen, that innermost self that you were truthfully and instinctively before the press of the world came crushing in. As with her 2016 debut The Visitor, the songs on Childqueen are never casual, never ditties. Instead they invite us into a world not wholly our own, a half-mythical atmosphere where past and future meet in a parallel, yet faraway, present. Acting as a sort of diffuse chanteuse, Kadhja’s almost painfully lovely voice achieves what can only be described as ambient song. Particularly in songs like “Delphine” and “Nostalgia,” we hear the jazzier intricacies of the vocal melodies brushed soft at the edges, at times so soft they vaporize into pure mood, or merge with other instruments or with backing vocals that seem emanate from celestial bodies.
Betty Buckley – Hope CD (Palmetto)
Buckley’s eighteenth album features her quartet of musicians including the renowned multi-Grammy-nominated Christian Jacob, Buckley’s long-term pianist, arranger and music director; Oz Noy on guitar; Tony Marino on bass; and Dan Rieser on drums. Highlights include two numbers from the seminal jazz-rock fusion group Steely Dan, including the wry “Any Major Dude Will Tell You” and the scintillating rock groove of “Don’t Take Me Alive.” Several selections originate from Buckley’s favorite singer-songwriters.
Chancha Via Circuito – Bienaventuranza CD/LP (Wonderwheel Recordings)
Chancha Via Circuito is a Buenos Aires native named Pedro Canale. He has released acclaimed albums such as; Rodante, Rio Arriba and Amansara, which catapulted him onto international stages and received praise from Pitchfork to the New York Times. His new album is replete with his signature touches of Andean instruments which blend fluidly with danceable and digestible electronic beats. The album features heavy hitters in the digital cumbia scene, including Mateo Kingman, Kaleema, and Lido Pimienta.
Eric Clapton – Life In 12 Bars 2xCD (UMe)
The Official Soundtrack to the new Eric Clapton documentary Life In 12 Bars (available on DVD and Blu-ray), directed by Oscar-winner Lili Fini Zanuck. The documentary about the legendary 18-time Grammy winner premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before Showtime bought the US TV rights. The 32-track double CD features four previously unreleased songs, and includes tracks by Clapton, Yardbirds, Derek & The Dominoes, Cream, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Blind Faith, The Beatles, Aretha Franklin and Muddy Waters. [Vinyl edition due July 20.]
Dennis Coffey – One Night At Morey’s: 1968 CD (Omnivore)
Previously unissued live set from Detroit in 1968. Includes covers of songs by The Meters, The Beatles, and Charlie Parker. “Dennis Coffey is a guitar legend. The ’70s didn’t slow him down for one second as he struck out on his own and had a million selling hit with ‘Scorpio,’ in 1971.”
Dance Gavin Dance – Artificial Selection CD/LP (Rise)
Dance Gavin Dance’s unique blend of screamo, funk and experimental music makes their sound easily recognizable to many and is what has won them loyal fans around the world. After seven full-lengths, an EP and a live album, the band returns with a new album. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Jesse Dayton – The Outsider CD/LP (Blue Elan)
The Outsider was recorded in Atlanta, Denver, Nashville and Austin during a non-stop touring cycle and mixed by Grammy Award winning engineer/producer Vance Powell (who has worked with the likes of Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Jack White). All the influences are there; the George Jones-inspired singing on “Changin’ My Ways”, the Outlaw country twang of Waylon and Jerry Reed on “Belly Of The Beast”, the angst and energy of The Clash and X on the hillbilly protest song “Charlottesville”, and the deep east Texas blues and Cajun rockabilly of “May Have To Do It (But I Don’t Have To Like It)” and “Hurtin’ Behind The Pine Curtain”.
Matt Dorrien – In The Key Of Grey CD/LP (Mama Bird)
The essential elements to Matt Dorrien’s rollicking, Tin Pan Alley-inspired new record are as follows: piano, Nilsson, whiskey, heartbreak, Randy Newman, old phonographs, and New Orleans brass bands. A big, swinging pean to loneliness and the golden age of pop songwriting, In the Key of Grey is the sound of East Village piano bars long past closing.
Ana Egge – White Tiger CD/LP+MP3 (Storysound)
White Tiger, Ana Egge’s tenth album, has nine originals and one cover (John Hartford), and so amply displays her singularly articulate and affecting honesty and sensitivity. She grew up with parents who “dropped out,” choosing to raise four girls in a lovingly cobbled together combination of a small farmhouse on the North Dakota plains, a bus on the California Coast, and a hot springs commune in rural New Mexico. Given her unconventional upraising, it’s not surprising that Ana has since been plotting her own journey, confident, fearless, and uncompromising. As Lucinda Williams said, “Listen to her lyrics. Ana is the folk Nina Simone.” According to Shawn Colvin, “Ana has the rare gift of being so eloquent and simple that she takes your breath away. I just love her.”
Exmortus – Sound Of Steel CD/LP (Prosthetic)
A visceral call to arms via a maelstrom of thrashing, neo-classical, blackened death.
Fickle Friends – You Are Someone Else CD/2xLP (Interscope)
Blessed with the same dedication to writing quirky anthems on their own terms as The 1975, the brittle icy synth flourishes of Chvrches and a new era indie pop it girl in singer Natti Shiner, Fickle Friends have established themselves as the essential new British indie-pop band of 2018. You Are Someone Else is an irresistible debut, effortlessly capturing both the joy and uncertainty of growing up a 2017 millennial.
Flasher – Constant Image CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
Recorded in 2017 at Rare Book Room in Brooklyn, NY, Flasher’s debut Constant Image was produced by Nicolas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Deerhunter, War On Drugs) and crackles with invention. This isn’t the sound of a band finding their feet, it’s the rare sound of three people who know exactly what they want to achieve from the start. From their hometown of Washington, DC, with its rich history of idiosyncratic underground music, Flasher has emerged at the forefront of a vibrant musical present. The band is helping to define a new generation of music in the city set apart from Dischord or any other storied DC past. First single “Pressure” gives you a perfect example of what to expect. It’s a song that zeroes in on feelings of mania and alienation but is buoyed by a darting B-52s swagger. There’s weight and lightness here. It’s not often a debut album arrives in so complete a form but when it does you know you’ve got something special on your hands. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Sullivan Fortner – Moments Preserved CD (Impulse!)
Three years after the release of Sullivan Fortner’s charming Impulse! Records debut, Aria, the 31-year-old New Orleans-bred pianist and composer returns with his enchanting sophomore effort which finds him leading a sterling trio with bassist Ameen Saleem and drummer Jeremy “Bean” Clemons.
The Get Up Kids – Kicker CDEP/12”+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
The four-song Kicker EP is the newest addition to The Get Up Kids’ catalog of influential EPs (such as 1997’s Woodson and 1999’s Red Letter Day), as well as their first new release since 2011’s LP There Are Rules. While the band’s early releases were written when the band members were entering their 20s, Kicker sees them in their 40s, and the songs show a perspective that can only be learned from experience.
Ghost – Opvs Eponymous [Reissue/2010] CD (Rise Above)
A daringly beautiful combination of Satanic rock music with an almost unthinkable pop sensibility, 2010’s Opvs Eponymous is where it all began for the beautifully dark global phenomena. Litanies of sexually pulsating heavy rock music and romantic lyrics, which glorify and glamorize the disgusting and sacrilegious. [Vinyl reissue due July 27.]
John Hassell – Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) CD/LP+MP3 (Ndeya)
The first new album in nine years by a musical visionary and hugely influential figure in new music. Forty years since its creation, Jon Hassell’s Fourth World aesthetic remains a powerful influence on modern electronic music. Continuing his lifelong exploration of the possibilities of recombination and musical gene-splicing, fragments of performance are sampled, looped, overdubbed and re-arranged into beguiling unexpected shapes. Hassell applies the painterly technique of ‘pentimento’ to the arrangements, teasing out texture by the overlaying of sound upon sound, or a carefully timed reveal of the delicate bones pinning the frame of a track together.
Howlin Rain – The Alligator Bride CD/LP (Silver Current)
Oakland, California’s Howlin Rain return with their fourth album of swampy, ragged, unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll.
Kiefer – Happysad CD/LP+MP3 (Stones Throw)
Kiefer is a constant in Mndsgn’s live trio, has shared the stage with Moses Sumney and Terrace Martin, and has lent production talents to the likes of Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak. He began playing piano as a child and producing beats at around age 12, moving from San Diego to L.A. to study under renowned jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell at UCLA’s Jazz Studies program. There, he started thinking about the synergy between the jazz piano he studied and the beats he created outside of school. While his peers were performing over live instrumentation, Kiefer produced electronic beats free from sampled melodies or drum breaks.
Kississippi – Sunset Blush CD/LP (Triple Crown)
Philadelphia, PA’s Zoe Reynolds aka Kississippi follows up a pair of indie-folk EPs (I Can Feel You In My Hair Still and We Have No Future, We’re All Doomed) with her more emo-pop leaning full-length debut. “On Kississippi’s debut album, Reynolds combines the singer-songwriter chops she’s always had with a dashing of pop music ideas and arrangements to make a moving record that showcases her musical and personal growth.” – Substream Magazine
The Konsortium – Rogaland CD (Agonia)
The Norwegian black/thrash metal outfit featuring bassist Teloch (Mayhem, ex-Orcustus, ex-Gorgoroth, ex-1349) and drummer Dirge Rep (Orcustus, ex-Enslaved, ex-Aura Noir), release their sophomore studio album.
Lago – Sea Of Duress CD/LP (Unique Leader)
Since their formation in 2010, Phoenix, AZ’s Lago have consistently proven to be one of death metal’s more interesting acts. Equal parts of the old-school, death metal masters Morbid Angel, Immolation, and Deicide collide with a more modern Behemoth or Origin and an over-arching original ear for songwriting to create a sound that Lago call their own; the subtle interplay between melody, atonality, and out-and-out brutality, brilliantly realized.
Lykke Li – So Sad So Sexy CD (RCA)
“It’s rare that an album title can summarize the essence of a musician, but ‘so sad so sexy’ has been Lykke Li’s MO since the release of her debut album Youth Novels in 2008. However, this time round, instead of dinky indie songs that contain a twee frailty, Li dives right into a pool of Tumblr-stylised depression that echoes within a spacious electronic soundscape, leaving us with nothing else to do but doggy-paddle behind her in support. In the sad pop and R&B era of Drake, The Weeknd, Lana Del Rey and SZA, Lykke Li has long worn the crown, and her fourth album plays into the self-inflicted misery of dead-end relationships and blind devotion, all the while owning the title of a Bad Woman.” – The Irish Times
Lil Scrappy – Confident CD (X-Ray)
New album from ATL rapper and Lil Jon protégé.
Johnny Mathis – Close To You/Love Story [Expanded Edition/Reissue/1970/1971] CD (Real Gone Music
Johnny Mathis – You’ve Got A Friend [Expanded Edition/Reissue/1971] CD (Real Gone Music)
The Voice of Romance kicked off the ‘70s with a series of albums that found him reinventing the day’s chart hits in inimitably lush fashion.
Dave Matthews – Come Tomorrow CD (RCA)
The Dave Matthews Band’s long-awaited ninth studio album Come Tomorrow serves as their first since 2012’s Away From The World. Working between tours at studios in Seattle, Los Angeles and Charlottesville, DMB chose to record with several different producers, including John Alagia, Mark Batson, Rob Cavallo and Rob Evans. Brandi Carlile harmonizes with Matthews on the shimmering title track which finds hope in our youth and the impact they will have on the world while fan favorite “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)” has been hailed by Rolling Stone as an “understated plea for compassion and tolerance.” The cover art for Come Tomorrow is by Béatrice Coron, who creates narrative allegories in silhouette to render archetypal stories. [Vinyl edition due June 29.]
Megadeth – Killing Is My Business. And Business Is Good – Final Kill CD/2xLP (Century Media)
Digitally remastered, remixed and retooled edition of the metal band’s 1985 debut album. This is a remix of the entire record by Mark Lewis (Trivium, Devil Driver, Whitechapel) that restores previously unheard parts and performances and restores the album to Dave Mustaine’s intended vision. [Limited translucent red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Mitra Sumara – Tahdig CD (Persian Cardinal)
Debut release from New York City’s only Farsi Funk group showcasing ’60s and ’70s Iranian pop and funk songs, spun with updated beats, modern production, and psychedelic touches.
Ne-Yo – Good Man CD (Motown)
The three-time Grammy-winning R&B artist with returns with his seventh studio album.
CoCo O’Connor – This Ol’ War CD/LP (Satarah)
“I was too rebellious for the industry”, Coco O’Connor admits of her years spent in Nashville, a period when the blossoming songwriter felt that she didn’t fit into the stubborn confines of the city’s legendary music scene. So, she headed out West, to a region where free spirit and eccentricity reigned. Along with producer Parker Carson, CoCo went against the grain of Nashville to let the songs of This Ol’ War breathe over the course of five months. CoCo and Parker created a record that mimics the careful, smooth-like-honey process of country and blues long past.
Poptone – Poptone CD/2xLP (Cleopatra)
Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins, founding members of Bauhaus, Love & Rockets, and Tones On Tail, and joined by Diva Dompe, play their classic tracks. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Posthuman Abomination – Transcending Embodiment CD (Comatose Music)
Bringing together current and ex- members of Devangelic, Natrium, Pit of Toxic Slime and Vomit the Soul (to name a few), Posthuman Abomination is an elite unit of twisted, bludgeoning, blasting, technical death metal destruction.
Erin Rae – Putting On Airs CD/LP (Raw Heart/Single Lock)
Growing up in Jackson, TN, Erin Rae got an early introduction to folk music at home. Her mom and dad were both part-time musicians, playing their own brand of American roots music at churches, county fairs and coffee shops in west Tennessee. Starting as early as five years old, she would join them for a song or two. Two decades later, she’s still spending her time onstage – this time as the main act. Now Rae – whose genre-fusing mix of traditional folk, indie-rock, and 1960s psych-rock production has landed her collaborations with artists like Margo Price and Andrew Combs – returns with her sophomore album, Putting On Airs. Recorded at The Refuge, a beautiful, historic Franciscan monastery-turned-creative space on Wisconsin’s Fox River, the record – which NPR’s Ann Powers says, “is going to bewitch and enlighten the nation” – continues the tradition of songwriting by Rae that is deeply personal, and universally relatable.
Gruff Rhys – Babelsberg CD/LP (Rough Trade)
Fifth album from the Welsh singer-songwriter. Lean and laser focused, Babelsberg is a playful ten-song set recorded in a feverish three-day burst of activity early in 2016 and features orchestral scores by Swansea-based composer Stephen McNeff and the incredible work of the 72-piece BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The result is something close to perfection; a place where Gruff found himself “in service to the song and the emotion above anything else” (Mojo).
River Whyless – Kindness, A Rebel CD/LP (Roll Call)
“River Whyless doesn’t play country, folk or roots rock. Think Paul Simon; think imaginative arrangements with accents of music from around the world…Exceptional songwriting talent and unexpected sounds for something truly singular.” – NPR [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
- Peter Schwalm – How We Fall CD/2xLP (RareNoise)
German composer and multi-instrumentalist Jan-Peter Schwalm returns with a new album, oncue more featuring Eivind Aarset’s guitar and Tim Harries’ bass work. How We Fall presents impressive proof of the power of sound without words and delivers extraordinary sound sculptures.
Serpentwithfeet – Soil CD/LP+MP3 (Secretly Canadian)
Serpentwithfeet (born Josiah Wise) is an experimental R&B/gospel vocalist and performance artist whose growing body of work is rooted in dueling obsessions with the ephemeral and the everlasting key components of his artistic journey from a childhood stint as a choirboy in Baltimore through his time at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied vocal performance before relocating to New York City. His debut album, Soil, is a return to the sensibilities and wide-eyed curiosity of his musical youth before symmetry and sterile soundscapes ruled the roost.
Shannon Shaw – Shannon In Nashville CD/LP (Nonesuch)
Shannon Shaw, the vocalist, bassist, and founder of Shannon & The Clams, strikes out on her own with her first solo album, Shannon In Nashville. In a nod to Dusty Springfield’s 1969 classic Dusty In Memphis, Shaw made her own pilgrimage down South to collaborate with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and a congregation of revered old-school session musicians which have played on notable records by Elvis, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, and Johnny Cash, to name just a few. Shannon In Nashville exudes a self-possessed melancholy that sets the scene for Shaw to comb through a personal history of love lost to time, circumstance, fear or neglect. “I Might Consider” reigns as the most hauntingly beautiful rendition of this recurring theme as it retraces the fading lines of who-did-what-to-who in hopes of a truce. Lyrically reminiscent of Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner’s heart-breaking duet, “Just Someone I Used to Know,” Shannon In Nashville’s kick off song, “Golden Frames,” illustrates the dilemma of dealing with love’s artifacts that torturously outlive the relationship from whence they came.
Claudio Simonetti’s Gobin – Dawn Of The Dead [OST/Reissue/1978] 2xCD (Rustblade)
Reissue of Simonetti’s score to one of the most famous horror movies of all time. The music is a mix of prog and electronic rock full of tension and magic tribalism. Features a bonus disc of remixes and covers. [Vinyl edition due July 20th.]
Jorja Smith – Lost & Found CD/LP (FAMM Limited)
On her debut offering, UK artist Smith’s playfully infectious pop spirit intertwines with her youthful charisma, idiosyncratic storytelling, and informed opinion.
Snail Mail – Lush CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Lindsey Jordan is on the brink of something huge, and she’s only just graduated high school. Her voice rises and falls with electricity throughout Lush, her debut album as Snail Mail, spinning with bold excitement and new beginnings at every turn. Recorded with producer Jake Aron and engineer Johnny Schenke, with contributions from touring bandmates drummer Ray Brown and bassist Alex Bass as well, Lush sounds cinematic, yet still perfectly homemade. Jordan’s most masterful skill is in crafting tension, working with muted melodrama that builds and never quite breaks, stretching out over moody rockers and soft-burning hooks, making for visceral slow-releases that stick under the skin.
Colin Stetson – Hereditary: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack CD/2xLP (Milan)
Colin Stetson (Arrival, La Peur, Outlaws and Angels) has developed an utterly unique voice as a soloist, principally on saxophones and clarinets, his intense technical prowess matched by his exhilarating and emotionally gripping skills as a songwriter. Over the years he has worked extensively live and in studio with a wide range of bands and musicians including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, TV On The Radio, Feist, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Bill Laswell, Evan Parker, The Chemical Brothers, Animal Collective, Hamid Drake, LCD Soundsystem, The National, Angelique Kidjo, Fink, and David Gilmore. Stetson’s unique saxophone compositions were an inspiration for writer-director Ari Aster Aster when he was creating his new horror film, Hereditary.
Sugarland – Bigger CD/LP (Big Machine)
After taking a hiatus to pursue a series of high profile solo projects Grammy Award-winning superstar duo Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush) return with their first album since 2010. Bigger embodies the musical spirit of the band and contains tracks both uptempo and upbeat as well as powerful message songs that address specific issues facing the world.
Svvamp – Svvamp 2 CD/LP (Riding Easy)
Swedish trio Svvamp’s self-titled debut was a breath of fresh air-unpretentious and free, primordial homespun classic rock that landed in the Top 20 Albums of 2016 in the Doom Charts consortium of writers and radio. So, it may be hard to grasp how fully realized the band sounds on Svvamp 2, while still sounding as laid back as their debut. Perhaps it can be partly attributed to the band’s jump from self-recording on a four-channel cassette deck to self-recording on a comparatively expansive six-channel system. Their resulting heavy psych sound bears hints of Cream, Eric Bell-era Thin Lizzy, CCR and Crazy Horse.
Tomb Mold – Manor Of Infinite Forms CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
Bubbling up from the oozing sewers of Toronto like a bizarre insectoid of mutant genotype, death mettalers Tomb Mold return with a new album. [Limited purple colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Tremonti – Dying Machine CD/2xLP (Napalm)
Fourth solo album from Alter Bridge and Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti.
Trillium – Tectonic CD (Frontiers)
Fans of artists like The Dark Element, Tarja, Cellar Darling, Lacuna Coil, and the like will find much to enjoy here. [Vinyl edition due June 29.]
Tsjuder – Throne Of The Goat [Reissue1997] CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
When Tsjuder hit the black metal underground with their first EP, Throne Of The Goat in 1997, the Norwegians quickly established a strong reputation within their scene. The EP’s ultimate rawness and demo character were balanced off with vitriolic fierceness and the spirit of “trueness” that adherents of this style seek for – rather than polished productions and glossy appearance. This edition combines the original EP with a complete re-recording from Tsjuder’s long-running current line-up.
Twisted Pine – Dreams CD (Signature Sounds)
“Heralded as an unconventional Americana string quartet based in Boston, the four versatile members of Twisted Pine have emerged from underneath the covers to reveal their love for the Beatles, Scissor Sisters, the Cranberries and, yes, disco-era Blondie. The result is a charming, refreshing take on oldies but goodies by the figurative twisted sisters and brothers who all lend their voices to this band that includes lead vocalists Kathleen Parks (fiddle) and Rachel Sumner (guitar), mandolinist Dan Bui and bassist Chris Sartori.” – Pop Matters
Kali Uchis – Isolation CD (Interscope)
The American Colombian’s debut album features an impressive cast of featured artists and collaborators. Jorja Smith, Damon Albarn, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, Tyler, The Creator, Bootsy Collins, Steve Lacy, Two Inch Punch, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Thundercat. [Vinyl edition due July 27.]
UJI – Alborada CD/2xLP (Zzk)
UJI spins a hypnotic spell of sounds on his debut solo release, Alborada, joining the canon of recent producers reimaging world sounds within the realms electronic music – think Auntie Flo, Nicola Cruz, Clap! Clap! And Populous. Yet his music has thoughtful nuance and textural depth, exploring a rich organic palette of sounds that will easily appeal to fans of Nicolas Jaar, Pantha Du Prince and John Talabot too.
Midge Ure – Orchestrated CD/2xLP (BMG)
A collaboration with Ty Unwin, Orchestrated features stunningly re-imagined orchestrated versions of Ultravox hits and Midge Ure classics including rich, lush, filmic soundscape versions of “Vienna,” “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” and “If I Was” plus the new track “Ordinary Man.” Musician, singer-songwriter, producer and activist, Midge Ure has worn many musical hats over the years; however, working on a fully orchestrated album has been a new venture for Midge. “The record took eighteen months to make, but a lifetime of work to achieve,” he remarks.
Various Artists – Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story – The Soundtrack CD/2xLP (Universal)
From his humble beginnings working for Hull City Council to a career in the spotlight, playing alongside David Bowie and taking his place in the Rock Hall of Fame, the 2017 documentary film Beside Bowie provides insight into the life and career-long associations of guitarist extraordinaire Mick Ronson. Working closely with members of Ronson’s family, producer/director Jon Brewer continues his tradition of intimate access and authenticity in chronicling the life and works of this man, a cornerstone of rock. he soundtrack also doubles as Ronson’s first official career retrospective compilation. As well as highlights from Ronson’s solo records, the compilation includes material from his key collaborations with Bowie, Elton John, Ian Hunter, Michael Chapman and Queen.
Various Artists – Frozen: The Broadway Musical CD (Walt Disney)
Original Broadway cast recording of Frozen: The Broadway Musical. The recording expands the Broadway production’s 21-member orchestra to 44 including a 22-person string section.
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes [Reissue/1983] CD/LP (Concord Music Group)
Violent Femmes – Hallowed Ground [Reissue/1984] CD (Concord Music Group)
Violent Femmes – Permanent Record: The Very Best Of Violent Femmes [Reissue/2005] CD (Concord Music Group)
Violent Femmes have released nine studio albums and more than a dozen iconic singles, among them such classics as “American Music,” “Gone Daddy Gone,” “Nightmares, “Add It Up,” and of course, “Blister In The Sun.” Their remarkable three-decade-plus career has earned them cumulative worldwide sales in excess of 10 million, with 1983’s Violent Femmes awarded with RIAA platinum certification eight years after its initial release. [180gm vinyl repress of Violent Femmes also available.]
Vomitor – Pestilence Death CD/LP (Hells Headbangers)
True to its title, Pestilent Death is swarming and virulent, boundless and final. Characteristically, the Aussie hooligans kick into high gear immediately here, and there’s no relenting to their iron-fisted fury. Ancient spells from underground metal’s rich past are corralled and then contorted to Vomitor’s diabolical design, resulting in a trademark sound that’s all their own.
YOB – Our Raw Heart CD/2xLP (Relapse)
From tragedy to triumph, YOB’s eighth full-length recording was conceived amidst dire circumstances that it nearly killed frontman Mike Scheidt. Suffering from an extremely painful and potentially fatal intestinal disease, Scheidt miraculously recovered and reinvigorated the Oregon trio with a new sense of purpose for Our Raw Heart, an album informed by the will to survive. More exposed than ever both physically and emotionally, YOB bleed out seven riveting tracks of enormous volume and pensive, transcendental beauty across 75 minutes of ultimate doom. The riffs are massive, the vocals captivating, and the songwriting sublime.
Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit CD/2xLP/Cassette (Mvka Music)
Creative firebrand Manuel Gagneux returns with the brand-new Zeal & Ardor album – a mix of blues, gospel, and soul with harsher music.
Zuider Zee – Zeenith CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
An early/mid-1970s group that sound like a hybrid between T-Rex and Big Star, might sound like a band that should be universally adored but Memphis’ Zuider Zee have remained something of an untapped curiosity. Comprised entirely of previously unreleased tracks, Zeenith is an album in which sugar-coated glam stomp nestles up alongside Mersey beat and where rousing power pop,
crunchy rock and an undercurrent of pop-peppered psychedelia all merge seamlessly. [Limited red/green/gold swirl colored vinyl pressing also available.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Eric Clapton – Life In 12 Bars DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
Directed by Oscar winner Lili Fini Zanuck, new documentary film Life In 12 Bars contextualizes Eric Clapton’s role in contemporary music and cultural history. Told through his own words, it reflects on his traumatic childhood, his difficult struggle with drugs and alcohol, the loss of his son and how he always found his inner strength and healing in music. It features extensive interviews with Clapton himself, along with his family, friends, musical collaborators, contemporaries and heroes – including late music icons B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Barrett Aston & The Wailers Band – Soul Constitution: Instrumentals & Dubs 1971-1982 2xLP (Dubstore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rare instrumental and dub gems, produced by Bob Marley’s bassist and musical arranger, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, between 1971-82, featuring members of the Wailers band and other stalwart musicians. As the bassist of choice for Bob Marley and the Wailers from 1969 up until Marley’s death, Barrett was instrumental in altering the course of reggae helping to better establish the genre internationally as a member of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Upsetters band, and for a range of noteworthy producers, including Bunny Lee and Keith Hudson, among many others.
Bad Breeding – Abandonment 12” (One Little Indian)
New EP from the UK anarcho punks. A riotous, impassioned statement about the frustration of the UK’s marginalized majority.
Stiv Bators – Disconnected [Reissue/1980] LP (Bomp!)
Stiv Bators was the man who destroyed Rocket From The Tombs, from which he hijacked half the members to found The Dead Boys. Issued after the break-up of The Dead Boys, and before his albums with The Wanderers and Lords Of The New Church, Disconnected is Bators’ one and only solo album. Recorded in Los Angeles, CA in 1978 and released in 1980, it finds Stiv playing the music he loved while growing up. This is not an album recorded by a has-been former punk idealist; instead it’s a true step forward into another unknown arena packing all the glare and attitude that remained from the last. Limited edition colored vinyl pressing.
Black Sabbath – Supersonic Years: The Seventies Singles Box Set 10×7” (Rhino/WB)
From Black Sabbath’s debut single to their ultimate chart success with “Paranoid” and legendary ban on releasing singles, The Supersonic Years box set documents the band’s run of hit singles during this decade.
Jean-Michel Blais – Dans ma main LP+MP3 (Arts & Crafts)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. At The sophomore release by pianist and composer Jean-Michel Blais is an expansive album of post-classical piano with strands of electronic detail. Blending his conservatory skill and precise pop sensibility with synthetic accompaniment, Blais creates unique environments where the piano’s intimacy can be subtly disrupted at any time. Dans ma main weaves together expressive piano with austere synths in a double-helix of acoustic and electronic arpeggiation, tethering techno, industrial, ambient, and new age music to Blais’ solo piano essence. The album explores an everyday life awash in spirituality, stemming from Blais’ interplay with music as therapy. Compelled by the cathartic air that audiences exude in his pin-drop performances, Blais considers how music has served as a tool of wellness in his own life. From his prior career in special education, to the role classical and ambient music played soothing the Tourettic symptoms he experienced as a child, Jean-Michel’s new compositions subconsciously call upon these periods of his life, reimagining a serenity he had only experienced seated at the piano.
Blink-182 – Buddah [Reissue/1994] LP (Kung Fu)
Limited colored vinyl reissue of the third and final demo by the American rock band. Recorded and released in January 1994 under the name Blink, it was the band’s first recording to be sold and distributed.
Errol Brown & The Revolutionaries – Dub Expressions LP (Dubstore)
“Who knows the work of Sonia Pottinger, owner of High Note and the affiliated labels, Gay Feet and Sky Note? If not, consider this, her masterfully deft and dreamy production for Errol Brown & The Revolutionaries, a damn fine introduction to Jamaica’s greatest female label owner and
producer. Make sure to check for that Nyabinghi and organ groove on ‘Bond Street Rock’ or the wicked simmer of ‘The Gun Court Dub’.”
Donald Byrd – Street Lady [Reissue/1973] LP (LMLR)
Limited green vinyl LP pressing with original record labels, printed inner sleeve, and gatefold jacket with one pocket. Street Lady was originally released by Blue Note label in July 1973, with Larry Mizell returning as producer, following the success of its predecessor. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while remaining a jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd is notable for his influence on the early career of Herbie Hancock.
The Creation – Creation Theory – Four LP Box Set 4xLP (Edsel/Demon)
The Creation was formed in 1966 from beat combo The Mark Four, and was quickly signed to a production deal with Shel Talmy, The Who’s producer. The first release was the urgent “Making Time”, which featured guitarist Eddie Phillips playing his guitar with a violin bow, two years before Jimmy Page started doing so. Whilst very popular in Germany, UK success largely eluded the band, and after a number of non-charting singles and line-up changes (including Ron Wood), the band broke up in 1968 without ever having released an album in the UK. This set includes all of The Creation’s legendary recordings for Shel Talmy (the 2016 stereo mixes appear on LP for the first time), We Are Paintermen replicating the 1966 German LP, the only Creation album released anywhere in the ’60s. How Does It Feel To Feel rounds up the remainder of the ’60s recordings, and the 1987 album Psychedelic Rose and the 1996 Creation Records album Power Surge complete the set.
Daedelus – Of Snowdonia & Something Bells [Reissue/2003/2004] 2xLP (Magical Properties)
Formative album from Daedelus, 2003’s Of Snowdonia (never before issued on vinyl) is Los Angeles’ Beat Scene just burgeoning, with accompanying Something Bells EP (2004) bundled into double vinyl. Additions from an early Busdriver, edIT, Omid, Abstract Rude, among others. The whole LP based around a childhood trip to Wales, is skittering beats, plucked guitar strings, and remnant R&B… all still resonate. Limited double green vinyl LP pressing.
Roger Daltrey – As Long As I Have You LP (Republic)
Released last week on CD – import-only vinyl pressing now available. New release from the legendary front man of The Who — Roger Daltrey’s first solo album since 1992. As Long As I Have You features new tracks and covers of songs originally by Steve Stills, Parliament, Nick Cave, Stevie Wonder and Dusty Springfield. Additionally, Pete Townshend makes a cameo on guitar.
DJ Harrison – Stashboxxx 2xLP (Jewelstone/Ropeadope)
DJ Harrison is Richmond VA-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Devonne Harris. The son of a radio DJ who introduced him to the world of record collecting, Harris grew up with music, progressing from violin, to high school drum-line, to the Jazz Studies program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also continued working with other instruments and developed an interest in sampling. His development as a producer – at first, without a computer or sampler – came first learning to replay samples on the drums, piano, bass or guitar. Known for a soulful, lo-fi sound and for dropping tapes like candy, DJ Harrison’s first full collection of tapes from 2014 is available on vinyl for the very first time.
dvsn – Morning After 2xLP (OVO Sounds)
Released last December on CD – now available on vinyl. “Morning After is a reminiscent album, a testament to the instrumental glories of yesteryear. Callbacks to the R&B staples of dvsn’s youth — the duo’s Paul Jefferies, who calls the group’s instrumental shots, was born in 1985, around when the sound of Morning After began to take over the airwaves — act as this album’s driving force. The glorious wash of Casio keys throughout penultimate track ‘Body Smile,’ by far the most obvious turning back of the clock, is glassy and emotive, a perfect accompaniment to the stripped-bare ballad backbone beneath.” – The Princeton LP
Dwarves – The Dwarves Are Born Again [Reissue/2011] LP (Dwarves/MVD)
Vinyl reissue. “The Dwarves Are Born Again features heroes from throughout the Dwarves saga. Blag the Ripper, HeWhoCanNotBeNamed, Rex Everything, the Fresh Prince of Darkness and a cast of thousands including Vadge Moore and Sgt. Saltpeter from the notorious Blood, Guts and Pussy record return to crush the ears of a desperate public. You get hardcore punk, ear banging pop and everything in between from the long-standing masters of all styles. Damaged rock celebrity cameos mix with twisted phone messages and ear-splitting noise all delivered with the pomp and circumstance that only the mighty Dwarves can deliver.”
The Fall & Mark E. Smith – Best Of LP (Secret)
Recorded live at King George’s Hall Blackburn on September 22, 2002.
EPMD – Strictly Business [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Capitol)
EPMD – Unfinished Business [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissue of the first two albums by the hip-hop duo. The group’s name is a concatenation of the members’ names E and PMD or an acronym for “Erick and Parrish Making Dollars”, referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon (aka E Double) and Parrish Smith (aka Parrish Mic Doc).
Ghost – Prequelle LP/LP+7” (Spinefarm)
Limited import-only colored vinyl pressings now available. Grammy Award-winning rock band Ghost unleash their highly anticipated fourth sacred psalm.
Great Peacock – Gran Pavo Real LP (Ropeadope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Call it rock, call it alt-country, call it the blues, or call it pop – an important element of this music is its self-reflection. While the songs transform the human condition to a positive assimilation of sounds, the lyrics speak of real life and feelings with a certain lament about the destiny of it all.
GUM – The Underdog LP (Spinning Top)
“It’s a well-known secret at this stage that Kevin Parker masterminded the majority of their studio records and continues to be active in solo projects as well as in POND, but Cameron Avery is a lesser-known Impala cog who released a fantastic record last year and now Jay Watson, drummer with both Tame Impala and POND has released his fourth album under the moniker GUM. Featuring expressive and choppy beats, colorful arrangements, and pop melodies to rival some of the best out there, The Underdog pitches Watson, for the first time, as an artist in his own right.” – Under The Radar
Herbie Hancock/Freddie Hubbard – Takin’ Off/Hub-Tones [Reissue/1962/1962] 2xLP (Vinyl Passion)
Twofer vinyl reissue of Herbie Handcock’s Takin’ Off and Freddie Hubbard’s Hub-Tones, both originally released by Blue Note in 1962.
Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? – From Finland With Love 7” (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? – Bless You Motherf**kers 2xLP (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Debut US releases from Finland’s notorious bubblegum punk sensations. The band name may be a bit of a challenge, but the music is pure unadulterated bliss.
INVSN – Forever Rejected 12” (Dine Alone)
“After the release of Refused’s 2015 album, Freedom, the Swedish punk band’s lead singer Dennis Lyxén returned last year with The Beautiful Stories, an LP from his side project INVSN: a post-punk/synthpop collaboration with longtime collaborator Sara Almgren. Now, INVSN follow last year’s LP with a five-track collection that includes four originals and a cover of one of Lana Del Rey’s not-Radiohead-sounding songs, ‘Love.’ It’s darker, drum-driven, and as Brooklyn Vegan observes, definitely sports some Depeche Mode vibes.” – Stereogum
Jesika Von Rabbit – Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? 7” (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Joshua Tree’s Jesika Von Rabbit re-invents Culture Club’s “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” into a simmering nocturnal ballad.
Madonna – The Immaculate Collection [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Rhino)
Import-only vinyl reissue of Madonna’s first hits collection.
Roc Marciano – RR2: The Bitter Dose 2xLP (Marci Enterprises)
“The Long Island rapper’s latest is a restatement of his core principles, recited in the hallowed style of a religious scripture.” [8.0] – Pitchfork
Hugh Masekela – Presents The Chisa Years 1965-1975 (Rare And Unreleased) 2xLP (BBE)
A 14-track, double-LP compilation album by South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela which consists of rare or forgotten tracks recorded by Stewart Levine and Masekela when they ran their own Chisa Records label. “The compilation focuses on Masekela’s original idea of ‘African American Music.’ From the early experiments of the Zulus (a group featuring M’Bulu) in mixing doo-wop, rhythm & blues and South African gospel and the mbaqanga/’Grazing In The Grass’-style work of the Johannesburg Street Band to the clearly Fela-influenced Ojah (Masekela’s band in the mid-’70s, consisting of players from Ghana and Nigeria) and the ready-for-primetime belting of M’Bulu, each track reveals a multi-pronged effort to find and challenge the notion(s) of how African and American cultural forms could interact.” – Prefix Magazine
Alice Merton – No Roots LP (Mom + Pop Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. At the age of five English/Canadian singer-songwriter Alice Merton started taking classical piano lessons, four years later she was introduced to vocal training. After spending many years being classically trained, Alice discovered the art of songwriting through one of her high school courses in Germany. She then went on to study songwriting and pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer/songwriter. During her studies she started working with various producers. Finding the right producer is like finding a missing puzzle piece, you know it’s there somewhere, but it takes a really long time to find. However, after being introduced to Nicolas Rebscher, a Berlin-based producer, she knew she had found her match. Creating a very analog and organic pop sound, going back to the basics of drum and bass driven music, they combined their individual styles to develop a style of their own. Nicolas Rebscher’s arrangements were the perfect addition to Alice’s melodies, combining the depth and softness in her voice, with his energetic and charismatic sounds.
Moonchild – Voyager LP (Tru Thoughts)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Voyager is the third album from the L.A.-based trio Moonchild – whose candid style of soul and new-school jazz has propelled them onto a swirling, emotionally charged journey of the heart. Moonchild are multi-instrumentalists Amber Navran, Max Bryk, and Andris Mattson. The band cites influences like D Angelo, Hiatus Kaiyote and J. Most as playing a key part in expanding the group’s musical horizons. Limited red colored vinyl pressing.
Mr. Airplane Man – I’m In Love b/w No Place To Go 7” (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
Mr. Airplane Man – Jacaranda Blue LP (Sympathy For The Record Industry)
After a 13-year break legendary two-woman garage blues combo Mr. Airplane Man is back with their sexiest, most sublime, soul-bending grooves yet.
Mr. T Experience – Shards: Pieces Of The Mr. T Experience 1985-1999 Volume One LP (Sounds Rad)
The first of a two-volume collection of rarities, live tracks and outtakes-versions of songs previously scattered on any numerous of B-sides, and compilations.
The Notorious B.I.G. – Greatest Hits [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Rhino)
Import-only vinyl reissue.
Over Gain Optimal Death – More Hearing LP (Creepy Crawl)
A heavy jewel from the underground — expect heavy riffs and loud solos, vocals screaming to be heard above the maelstrom, classic power trio vibes.
Liz Phair – Whip-Smart [Reissue/1994] LP (Capitol)
Liz Phair – Whitechocolatespaceegg [Reissue/1994] 2xLP (Capitol)
Liz Phair – Liz Phair [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissues of the second, third and fourth albums from the singer-songwriter.
Steve Reich – Live/Electric Music [Reissue/1968] LP (Analog Sparks)
Limited edition 50th anniversary reissue of Steve Reich’s first album for Columbia Masterworks. “Where it all began, when Reich was playing around with a tape loop of a revivalist preacher shouting ‘It’s gonna rain!’, playing it back simultaneously on two machines, one running slightly faster than the other. As the two tapes moved out of phase, and eventually back together again, he noticed the teasingly ambiguous range of rhythmic and tonal effects created. It became the basis of a tape piece, and phasing was born.” – The Guardian UK
Paul Simon – The Paul Simon Song Book [Reissue/1965] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Simon & Garfunkel, Dave Grusin – The Graduate (Original Sound Track Recording) [Reissue/1968] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Paul Simon – Hearts And Bones [Reissue/1983] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissues now available. The Paul Simon Songbook is the first solo studio album by Paul Simon. It was recorded in London and released in the UK in 1965 and was supposedly deleted in 1979 at Simon’s request. Simon & Garfunkel’s soundtrack to Mike Nichols’ movie The Graduate features two versions of the acclaimed “Mrs. Robinson”, neither of which is the full version as featured on 1968’s Bookends. The duo split in 1970 at the height of their popularity and Simon began a successful solo career, while Garfunkel teamed with Jim Messina and John Oates for a not-so-successful Runner-Up (Second Best) collaborative album and tour.
Jaden Smith – SYRE 2xLP (Roc Nation)
“SYRE as whole sees Jaden dive deep into the nuances of coming of age, while exploring a wide range of musical styles and also inviting friends to join him on his 70-minute, 17-track journey. Aside from the visibly billed contributions from A$AP Rocky on ‘Breakfast’ and Raury with ‘Falcon’, some of the best features on the album remain unlisted. ‘I really wanted to be like Kanye and work with a bunch of artists,’ Smith admits, and so he pulled from a pool of collaborators he feels closest to. His girlfriend, Odessa Adlon, left her stamp on the ballad ‘Lost Boy,’ while MSFTS’ Harry Hudson appears at the end of ‘E’ and sister Willow is featured on ‘B’.” – Billboard
Stasis – Fromtheoldtothenew [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Peacefrog)
Growing up as a teenager in East London, break-dancing and writing graffiti with B12’s Mike Golding, Steve Pickton’s musical education moved along a familiar path, from hip-hop to electro and onto techno. Schooling himself in music theory and purchasing a sampler, Pickton set about making his own music. His UK take on lush Detroit melodies fused techno, funk, hip-hop, dub, blues and jazz into a dense concoction all of his own.
Thirty Seconds To Mars – America LP (Interscope)
Released in April on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth album from the multi-platinum selling band. “The album is, I think, going to be very surprising to people,” frontman Jared Leto told Rogue Magazine. “There’s quite a lot of different musical styles on the album, it’s a very modern album and a break from the past – we are incredibly excited about it. It has a lot of energy and we’ve spent years working on it, exploring new ideas.”
Various Artists – BMN Ska & Rock Steady: Always Together 1964-1968 LP (Dubstore)
Marvelous music from the BMN label which was operated by Ronnie Nasralla, one of the founding fathers of the Jamaican music business. Includes vital vocals from The Blues Busters and The Maytals, eccentric rock steady from Stephen Chang and one of the first deejay records, “Ska-ing West”, from the legendary Sir Lord Comic.
Tom Waits – Small Change [Reissue/1976] LP (ANTI-)
After signing with Asylum Records in the early 1970s, Tom Waits recorded a series of acclaimed albums whose noir tales about the after-midnight underworld transformed the seedy into the sublime in songs laced with both dark humor and profound longing. Decades and several musical evolutions later, Waits’ Asylum years still hold a special place in the hearts of many fans. Waits’ first seven albums on Asylum have been remastered and are being re-released via Anti-Records. 1976’s Small Change is a masterpiece that contains some of Waits’ best early work. Classic jazz, Tin Pan Alley, and Stephen Foster filtered through Tom’s unique worldview and lyrical genius.
Warrant – Cherry Pie [Reissue/1990] LP (Megaforce)
If you applied a microscope to the early- ‘90s American hard rock scene, looking for one pivotal song that encompassed the period, you’d be hard pressed to get past “Cherry Pie,” a track that was ubiquitous at the time, firmly establishing itself as one of the era’s calling cards. Fast-forward to 2018 where this ‘woman as an object’ anthem couldn’t be more socio-politically dated and completely wrong. On a lighter note, the track ”Train, Train” is a Shorty Medlock & Mickey with the Fla. Plow Hands cover.
We Lost The Sea – The Quietest Place On Earth [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Translation Loss)
Available for the first time on vinyl in North America, The Quietest Place On Earth (2012) finds the Sydney, Australia instrumental band in peak form, showing maturity in songwriting and an unprecedented culmination of styles. “The Quietest Place On Earth takes you on an emotional journey, the soaring post rock slowly raising you high above the earth’s atmosphere in space, where time has no sway, and then bringing you crashing down to the depths of the ocean, where you will feel the weight of We Lost The Sea crushing down upon you.”
Whiplash – Power & Pain [Reissue/1986] LP (Wax Maniax)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album from the New Jersey thrash metal band.
Hank Williams – The Lonesome Sound Of [Reissue/1959] 10” (Bear Family)
10” vinyl reissue. The Lonesome Sound Of Hank Williams was released 6 years after Hank’s death, and was assembled by combining his surviving vocal demos with later-recorded session overdubs.
Cassettes:
Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit (Mvka Music)
Creative firebrand Manuel Gagneux returns with the brand-new Zeal & Ardor album – a mix of blues, gospel, and soul with harsher music.
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