New Releases for March 10, 2015

CDs + Vinyl:

Aero Flynn – Aero Flynn CD/LP (Ooh La La)

“Break out the Justin Vernon family tree! Aero Flynn is the project of Josh Scott, a musician whose old band Amateur Love shared members with Vernon’s old band, DeYarmond Edison, more than a decade ago. (Specifically, the two bands shared future Megafaun members Brad and Phil Cook and Peter Wolf Crier’s Brian Moen.) Scott is revered in the Wisconsin music scene that yielded Bon Iver, Volcano Choir, Field Report, and so many other great bands. And after years in obscurity, he might finally be ready for his spotlight moment.” — Stereogum

Alialujah Choir – Big Picture Show CD/LP+MP3 (Jealous Butcher)

Forming away from the comforts and constraints of their primary bands (Weinland, M. Ward, Norfolk and Western), Alialujah Choir showcases fuller arrangements than their previous self-titled release, expanding their sound where sparse arrangements create an open bed for two, three and four part vocal harmony, while instrumentation ranging from guitar, upright piano, Theremin, and marching drums allow Alialujah Choir to sing their stories in ethereal allure. Features luminaries from Blind Pilot, Hook & Anchor, and Neko Case Band.

Best Girl Athlete – Carve Every Word CD/LP+MP3 (Minty Fresh)

“Based in the cold North in Aberdeen, Scotland, Best Girl Athlete is producing music with a warmth and maturity beyond her 15 years. The singer/songwriter, aka Katie Buchan, has a youthful innocence contrasted sharply with the experience in music she has inherited from her folk-singer father, Charley Buchan, and is quite evidently a number of steps ahead in comparison to musical contemporaries of her age.” — Gigslutz

The Bevis Frond – Inner Marshland [Reissue/1987] CD/2xLP (Cherry Red)

Inner Marshland is the second album from The Bevis frond, aka Nick Saloman. Originally released in 1987, the album has been long out-of-print and features six bonus tracks from the original sessions. Nick Saloman has the ability to write beautiful, honest pop songs and wrap them in swirling psychedelia. Artists such as Teenage Fanclub, Dinosaur Jr and Mary Lou Lord are among The Frond’s many fans and have covered Nick’s songs.

Blackbird Raum – Destroying CD/LP (Silversprocket)

Blackbird Raum’s Destroying is a raging folk/punk record featuring collaborations with Dublin based traditional Irish group Lynched. Recorded to 24 track tape at San Francisco’s legendary Tiny Telephone studio with engineer Jay Pellici (Deerhoof, Om, Sleater-Kinney), Blackbird Raum collage funerary bagpipe whine over ripping fast banjo and mandolin in a folk-orchestral swirl; shouting in dense harmony. Influences of neo-folk, classic Crass records, anarcho-punk, and the Pogues at their most desperate and heard throughout.

Blamstrain – For All The Dreamers In CD/LP (Erotus)

In marked departure from the dubby excellence of previous EP Sunday Dub, Juho Hietala changes up not just his writing process but also overall sound. Whereas previously he’d locked himself into a rigorous writing methodology of time versus restricted sound palette, For All The Dreamers sees Hietala properly letting loose across all manner of influences. The result is wide exploration of sound-with a particular slant on switching between expansive ambient and much heavier percussive led material that spans multiple musical touch points.

The Blues Busters – The Wonder And Glory Of The Blues Busters CD/LP (Secret)

A compilation of early ‘60s tracks by the seminal Jamaican duo. The Blues Busters were the most consistently popular Jamaican male duo of the early 1960s, and were part of the Jamaican party that performed at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. They initially worked on a showboat performing in cabaret shows for tourists in Kingston and on Jamaica’s north coast, but got their big break when they were asked to accompany Sam Cooke on his tour of Jamaica.

The Bright Light Social Hour – Space Is The Place CD/LP+MP3 (French Kiss)

On their second album, the collective’s musical palette has expanded, embracing influences as diverse as deep house icon Frankie Knuckles, dance renegades Disclosure, Motown legends like Marvin Gaye, and Detroit Afro-rock revolutionaries Black Merda.

Broadcast – Work And Non Work [Reissue/1997] CD/LP (Warp)
Broadcast – The Noise Made By People [Reissue/2000] CD/LP (Warp)
Broadcast – Haha Sound [Reissue/2003] CD/LP (Warp)
Broadcast – Tender Buttons [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (Warp)
Broadcast – The Future Crayon [Reissue/2006] CD/2xLP (Warp)
Broadcast With The Focus Group – Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age [Reissue/2009] CD/LP (Warp)

Nearly five years after the death of frontwoman Trish Keenan, Broadcast’s entire back catalog has been reissued by Warp Records. The English electro-pop outfit released three full-lengths during their more than decade-long career, including their 2000 debut, The Noise Made By People, 2003’s Haha Sound and 2005’s Tender Buttons. Warp’s bundle also includes the band’s 1997 and 2006 compilations, Work And Non Work and The Future Crayon, plus Broadcast’s album with the Focus Group.

Luke Bryan – Spring Break … Checkin’ Out CD (Universal Nashville)

The 50th ACM Awards Show co-host and reigning CMA Entertainer Of The Year releases his final Spring Break album,

Will Butler – Policy CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)

Will Butler has been a member of the band Arcade Fire for over 10 years. This is his first release under his own name. Policy is American music—in the tradition of the Violent Femmes, The Breeders, The Modern Lovers, Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, The Magnetic Fields, Ghostface Killah. And John Lennon. Music where the holy fool runs afoul of the casual world. Policy was recorded in one week in Jimi Hendrix’s old living room (upstairs at Electric Lady Studios). Jeremy Gara played drums; other musicians contributed woodwinds and backing vocals. Most everything else was played by Will.

The Callstore – Save No One CD/2xLP (Tallitres)

New album from the French singer/songwriter. “The solo project of Brittany born Simon Bertrand is a refreshingly unique take on folk/rock-pop with a thick French accent and some quite interesting musical backing. Now based in London for fifteen years, Simon has developed a knack for writing infectious and memorable songs with enough cross Channel integration to appeal to many an audience. His style of semi-spoken, sometimes indecipherable drawl is full of intrigue, but sometimes becomes a little too much. As standalone tracks they appear as mini masterpieces, but as a collection the formula could wear a little thin.” – Louder Than War

Code – Mut CD (Agonia)

“Code has gone full prog post-rock for their latest effort Mut, abandoning much of the black metal leanings in favor of the lands occupied by names like Virus and Solstafir.” – Noisy (Vice)

Bob Crewe – The Complete Elektra Recordings 2xCD (Real Gone Music)

Double-CD set containing a pair of albums plus bonus tracks from the music industry legend. A songwriter, producer, singer, entrepreneur, artist and candidate for the title of the “Fifth Season,” Crewe co-wrote and produced most of the Four Seasons greatest hits, and he also guided the careers of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Oliver, and many others. During 1976 and 1977, Crewe was signed to Elektra Records, where he released two remarkably diverse albums. 1976’s Street Talk resurrected The Bob Crewe Generation, best known for the swinging bachelor pad classic “Music To Watch Girls By,” for the disco age. The following year, Crewe emerged as a singer/songwriter with the solo Motivation. Helmed by legendary rock producer Jerry Wexler and famed Muscle Shoals musician Barry Beckett, Motivation was inspired by Carole King’s Tapestry and remains a passionate, spiritual and raw pop statement.

December In Red – The Way Out CD (Cavigold)

Evocative of Deftones and A Perfect Circle, December In Red’s delicate mixture of scorching rhythms, airtight riffs, and dynamic vocals instantly intrigues.

Decline Of The I – Rebellion CD (Agonia)

“This second album from the French multi-instrumentalist A.K. features an even more bombastic and experimental taste in post black metal than ever before. Most notably recalling Deathspell Omega at their wackiest, this record also seeks to further intensify the listening experience with an ever growing multitude of twists and turns.” – New Noise Magazine

Jack DeJohnette – Made In Chicago CD (ECM)

Made In Chicago is a live album featuring compositions by Jack, Roscoe, Henry, Muhal and dynamic group improvisation and celebrates a reunion with old friends who came together for a very special concert at Chicago’s Millennium Park in August 2013.

Diagrams – Chromatics CD (Full Time Hobby)

Diagrams is a project by songwriter and producer Sam Genders. His previous album was pretty good fun. Here on Chromatics Gender’s voice sounds a bit like that of an annoying priest who waters everything he says down a bit with a sickly smile and finishes his sentences with “God be with you and your family my dear.” The music is an equally cheery affair; twingle-twangle pop which is fun, gentle and makes you think the world is a bit nicer than you’d previously thought.

Diamond District – March On Washington [Redux] CD/LP (Mello Music)

“March On Washington Redux is a 13-track collection from Uptown XO, yU and Odisee featuring a reworking of their album, March On Washington (released just a few months ago, and including some of their best marathon music) by such producers as Large Professor, Apollo Brown, and Nottz. The lyrics are kept in tact while tracks like ‘Working Weekends’ (remixed by Large Pro) re-captures the mood of these times, and cuts like “Ain’t Over” smooth out the urgency of the original (this one done with a touch of Black Milk).” — XXL

Dick Diver – Melbourne, Florida CD/LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)

The third album from the Australian trio. If Dick Diver weren’t already leading the pack of new-school Australian pop (as their ranks include members of Total Control, UV Race, Lower Plenty, and Boomgates) then Melbourne, Florida is sure to put them in the pole-position. (Limited vinyl copies pressed on golden yellow wax.)

DJ Yoda – Presents Breakfast Of Champions CD (Get Involved)

Buoyed by the wealth of collaborators for his acclaimed second artist album, Chop Suey that dropped in late 2012, Yoda has been busy in the studio creating his first live hip-hop band, Breakfast of Champions. Evoking the golden age of hip-hop, the band features up-and-coming wordsmith Rex Domino, Mouse Outfit MCs Sparkz and Truthos Mufasa, plus a host of musicians chosen by DJ Yoda himself. Vinyl version due March 31.

Dutch Uncles – O Shudder CD/LP (Memphis Industries)

Without loosing any of their esoteric tendencies, O Shudder is easily Dutch Uncles most accessible album yet, with the band finally having alchemized their idiosyncrasies into art-pop perfection. Lead singer Duncan Wallis describes the themes of the record as being more personal and direct than before with reflections on pregnancy, terrorism, school discos, divorce, health scares, sexual dysfunction and job seeking.

Enslaved – In Times CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

In Times is the blackened metal band’s thirteenth full-length release. Recorded in Norway as well as deep in the woods of Valevag, south of Bergen.

Eternal Solstice – Remnants Of Immortality CD (Dark Descent)

New album from the Dutch underground cult death metal unit.

Europe – War Of Kings CD/LP (UDR)

New album from the veteran Swedish rock band. CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus track and is sheathed in a digipak.

Evans The Death – Expect Delays CD/LP (Slumberland)

While retaining the post-punk and ‘90s alt-rock inspired elements that peppered their debut, Expect Delays is more expressive, heavier and more experimental, and the lyrics more nuanced, the sense of despair leavened by sharp wordplay and humor. The unsettling undercurrent of melancholy and hopelessness that pervades the record has its roots in the last three years, spent eking out an existence on the poverty line in Cameron’s Britain. (First pressing on vinyl on two-tone pink swirl wax.)

Evil Invaders – Pulses Of Pleasure CD/LP (Napalm)

Evil invaders merge speed metal with aggressive Exodus-style vocals and fiery guitar solos.

Fences – Lesser Oceans CD/LP+MP3 (Elektra)

Sophomore album from the Seattle band formed by vocalist/guitarist Christopher Mansfield. The band also features guitarist Benjamin Greenspan, bassist/vocalist Lindsey Starr and drummer Elliott Garm Chaffee. The album features production by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, Jacquire King (Of Monsters and Men) and Ryan Lewis.

Force Of Darkness – Darkness Revelation [Reissue/2010] CD/LP (Hell’s Headbangers)

Formed in 2002 in cult metal hotbed Chile, Force Of Darkness have been patiently perfecting their craft across a number of splits and demos, but it was 2010’s Darkness Revelation where the power-trio really came into their own. On one hand, the influences across the album are clear as day — classic Sarcofago, Kreator, Vulcano, and Sodom, all 1986 vintage — but on the other, more important hand, Force Of Darkness know how to blacken the night with absolutely feral execution and immediately memorable songs brimming with everything that makes black/death so timeless.

Grinder – Down For The Living CD (Divebomb)

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the German thrash metal band’s debut album including four bonus tracks and a new essay and archival photos provided by the band members themselves. During the height of the worldwide thrash movement there were several epicenters of activity. While New York and the Bay Area were perhaps the most prominent, Germany’s big three; Sodom, Kreator and Destruction were leading the charge on the European front. However, what some thrash fans may not be aware of is that there was a secondary stratum to that scene which had some phenomenal, albeit lesser known, acts recording some ambitious material. Grinder were one of those bands who released three albums worth of “in your face” thrash/speed metal during their brief existence.

Halsey – Room 93 CDEP (Astralwerks)

“The entire electro-pop genre is currently flourishing. CHVRCHS, BROODS, and obviously Lorde are a few names that have been situating female-led electro-pop in the mainstream, and now, the 20-year-old and New Jersey-born songstress, Halsey, might be joining them. In her debut EP, Room 93, she lays down five phenomenal offerings that could easily propel her into superstardom.” — Hilldilly

Emily Hearn – Hourglass CD/LP (Old Prince)

New album from the singer/songwriter. Hourglass was written with her husband, Michael Harrison and includes collaborations with Ben Rector. Produced by Chad Copelin (Green River Ordinance, Ben Rector). “We fall in or out of love as time moves us. We learn life-changing lessons as time goes on. We decide who we want to be and what we believe as time reveals our priorities. And ultimately, we grow older as time goes by.” — Emily Hearn

Heems – Eat, Pray, Thug CD/LP (Megaforce)

Debut solo album from the former Das Racist MC Himanshu Suri, aka Heems. Eat, Pray, Thug was recorded in Bombay and Brooklyn. It features guitar by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) and Rafiq Bhatia. Hynes, Voidwell, Harry Fraud, and Boody B are among the album’s producers. “[Album track] ‘Sometimes’ is about dualities, identity and the space between spaces. Like so many other people, as a first generation South Asian in the US I often felt like I lived two lives, an Indian one and an American one. I lived, at once, in and between two spaces and outside them as well. On another level, I also often felt like in America I lived in the space between black and white. Dualities are normal though. As fun as rap is, I can’t always feel happy. Sometimes I feel sad too. It also pays homage to hip-hop before me with cadences referencing both Nice and Smooth and Busta Rhymes.” – Heems

Micah P. Hinson – Micah P. Hinson And The Gospel Of Progress [Reissue/2004] CD/2xLP (Talitres)

Remastered version of Hinson’s astonishing, long out-of-print debut LP. Hinson is an American indie rock singer and guitarist who is known for his alternative country/Americana sound which is fused with gospel and blues.

Steve Howe – Anthology 2xCD (Rhino)

New double-CD compilation from guitarist and prog legend Steve Howe. Alongside his work with Yes, Asia and GTR and others, Steve also has an extensive back catalog of 19 studio solo albums. For this anthology, Howe has handpicked 33 tracks drawing primarily from the studio albums he recorded between 1975 and 2011.

I Am Robot And Proud – People Music CD (7e.P.)

New release from Canadian indie electronic musician Shaw-Han Liem aka I Am Robot And Proud. On People Music, Shaw-Han takes the computerized sounds of IARAP and rearranges them for a band of live musicians. Limited Japanese CD pressing in gatefold packaging.

Invisible Force – Satan, Rebellion, Metal CD (Dark Descent)

Obscure Chilean thrash metal..

iVardenspehere – Fable CD (Metropolis)

iVardenspehere, the tribal trance electro outfit headed by Scott Fox, presents Fable. On the new album, Fox, and his cohorts, Jamie Blacker (electronics/drums/vocals) Yann Faussurier (electronics) Sean Malley (drums) Chuck Murphy (drums/vocals) explore all aspects of percussive tribalism, be it in the middle-eastern tinged Messiah, the electronic twitches of Tribes Of The Moth, or the progressive trance influence of Terra Sapian.

Judas Priest – Defenders Of The Faith [30th Anniversary Edition] 3xCD (Sony Legacy)

Digitally remastered and expanded triple-CD edition of this 1984 album by the British metal band. Includes the original album remastered by producer Tom Allom, and a complete live recording from the Defenders tour, recorded at the Long Beach Arena in California, on May 5,
1984.

K.C. & The Sunshine Band – Feeling You! The ‘60s CD (BFD)

Part one of the two-part Feeling You project, featuring covers of songs by Bob Dylan, Ben E. King, The Kinks, The Righteous Brothers, Jackie DeShannon, Aaron Neville and many more.

Le Almeida – Paraleloplasmos CD (Jigsaw Recordings)

New release from the Brazilian musician who performs warm and fuzzy indie rock in the vein of Guided By Voices and Smudge. Perfect for fans of the ’90s indie rock sound.

Betty LaVette – Child Of The Seventies [2006] CD (Real Gone Music)

Reissue of a 22-track collection featuring LaVette’s complete recordings for the Atco and Atlantic labels, which previously came out only in a hard-to-find limited edition.

Least Of These – Mere Image CD (Pando)

Least Of These is an indie/ progressive/rock band from Denton, TX.

Peggy Lee – The Lost Radio Recordings 2xCD (Real Gone Music)

Peggy Lee made her share of appearances on the dial, particularly on her own radio show that, starting in 1951, was broadcast over the CBS network and the Armed Forces Radio Service. But, unlike many of her contemporaries who have had their on-air performances compiled into collections both legitimate and not, Peggy has never really enjoyed a proper retrospective of her radio appearances.

Lieutenant – If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week CD (Dine Alone)

Debut solo release from Nate Mendel, bassist for Foo Fighters and member of both The Fire Theft and Sunny Day Real Estate. The album was produced by Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business) and features a guest appearance from Page Hamilton (Helmet). Vinyl version due April 28.

Donna Lewis – Brand New Day CD (Palmetto)

The Welsh-born singer Donna Lewis is one of those rare artists whose immense success on the pop radio charts disguises an exceptional and serious musicianship and breath of repertoire. Lewis’ new album, Brand New Day, reveals the range of her artistry, and may surprise listeners who know her only for her pop hits.

The Lookouts – Spy Rock Road (And Other Stories) CD (Don Giovanni)

Thirty years ago, long before there was such a thing as Gilman Street, Green Day, or the East Bay pop punk explosion, three guys got together in an off-the-grid hippie wilderness known as Spy Rock, at the heart of Northern California’s legendary Emerald Triangle. They hooked their amps up to their solar panels, made up a couple songs about living on the backside of nowhere, and The Lookouts were born. Features a young Tre Cool (Green Day), Larry Livermore (co-founder of Lookout! Records) and guest appearances by Operation Ivy/Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. Vinyl version due May 19.

Doug MacLeod – Exactly Like This CD (Reference Recordings)

Winner of the 2014 Blues Music Awards’ “Best Acoustic Artist” and “Best Acoustic Album,” Doug MacLeod is a unique, powerful guitarist with a rich and soulful voice.

Madonna – Revel Heart CD/2xCD/2xLP (Interscope)

Madonna’s 13th studio album was recorded in New York, Los Angeles and London with
producers Diplo, Kanye West and Billboard. The album includes the single, “Living For Love” and “Bitch, I’m Madonna” featuring Nicki Minaj. The album features collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Nas, Chance The Rapper and Mike Tyson. Available in Regular, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds five bonus tracks, while the Super Deluxe adds a disc with six additional bonus tracks. (Vinyl version also adds five bonus tracks.)

Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible 20 4xCD+LP (Sony Legacy)

On its release in 1994, in many eyes, The Holy Bible elevated Manic Street Preachers from being a fascinating, yet flawed rock band with more mission statements than melodies, to an immense intellectual colossus with razor sharp, post-punk tunes that stood out from their contemporaries. This limited edition 12” x 12” box contains the original album on HQ-180gm heavyweight vinyl (on vinyl for the first time since a limited run in 1994), plus four CDs and a 40-page book. The CD’s contain the remastered full album, the remastered US version, B-sides, mixes, live and acoustic versions and a previously unreleased version of “Revol.” There is also a live CD of the band’s last performances with guitarist Richey Edwards from the Astoria, December 1994.

Melechesh – Enki CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

Founded by a young guitarist who adopted the alias “Ashmedi” in the city of Jerusalem back in 1993, Melechesh melds raw black metal with Mediterranean drum patterns and guitar scales.

The Midnight Ghost Train – Cold CD/LP (Napalm)
Flowing beards and sweat dripping off the walls: two things that surely do define this Kansas-based trio. So how else could this album sound, if not like roaring amps, swamp-friendly sludge riffs and feisty rawk & roll attitude nestled somewhere between Weedeater and Red Fang? Southern swagger and pure heaviness with soul.

The Minus 5 – Dungeon Golds CD (Yep Roc)

Dungeon Golds was recorded primarily in the basement (aka The Dungeon) of Scott McCaughey, leader of The Minus 5. These songs are the product of sporadic spare moments of inspiration over the last few years. This collection was artfully curated, by McCaughey, from the extremely limited edition (750 copies) Record Store Day 2014 vinyl only box set, Scott The Hoople In The Dungeon Of Horror. In the process of compiling these tracks, McCaughey could not resist reworking several of these songs. As a result, half the songs are different versions than what appeared on the box set. Guests include, Peter Buck, Jeff Tweedy, Ian McLagan, Jon Moen and Nate Query (The Decemberists), Linda Pitmon, and many others. Vinyl version due March 24.

Mod Sun – Look Up CD/LP (Rostrum)

Debut album from rapper and Minnesota native Mod Sun. Over the last eight years, he has released six mixtapes, three EPs and has collaborated with artists including Schoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle and G-Eazy. Features guests Travis Barker, Riff Raff, MGK & Blackbear, G-Eazy and Dizzy Wright. Also includes his audio book: Did I Ever Wake Up?

Monarchy – Abnocto CD/LP (Hacan Sounds)

New release from the British-based/Australian-born synth pop duo. Monarchy has remixed such acts as Ellie Goulding, Lady Gaga, Kelis, Kylie, OMD, Jamiroquai, Fyfe Dangerfield and more. Over the last five years they have played across the globe, at festivals such as Coachella, Melt, Lovebox, The Big Chill, Low Cost, Arenal Sound, and their own headline shows and club gigs in the US, Spain, Germany, UK, France, Russia.

Motorama – Poverty CD/LP (Talitres)

Heavy ‘80s oriented album by the Russian band Motorama – if you’re a sucker for post-punk genre (Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen) you’ll love this.

Motor Sister – Ride CD/LP (Metal Blade)

“Despite the fact that Anthrax has just completed a three-year-long 30th anniversary celebration complete with a whole slew of milestones, there was something else that Scott Ian has wished for and that wish was granted for the guitarist’s 50th birthday. Ian wanted a reunion of sorts of one of his favorite bands — Mother Superior — and he wanted not just to see it but to be a part of it as well. Going by the name of Motor Sister (in honor of the Mother Superior song ‘Little Motor Sister’) this new found band included Mother Superior front-man Jim Wilson, Joey Vera of Fates Warning and Armored Saint, John Tempesta of White Zombie and The Cult, and wrapped things up with Scott Ian and Pearl Aday as well.” – AXS

Olly Murs – Never Been Better CD (Sony)

New album from the British pop superstar. The new album features riveting guest appearances including a much-buzzed writing pair-up with iconic British artist Paul Weller (formerly of The Jam and Style Council), Demi Lovato on the song “Up,” and Ryan Tedder on the “Seasons,” among others.

Sarah Bethe Nelson – Fast Moving Clouds CD/LP+MP3 (Burger)

Kaleidoscopic rock & roll debut produced by Kelly Stoltz and backed by some of the Bay Area’s best studio musicians.

Danielle Nicole – Danielle Nicole CDEP (Concord)

A 2014 Blues Music Award winner, there’s not a time in her life that soul singer-bassist Danielle Nicole (born Danielle Nicole Schnebelen) doesn’t remember loving to perform. The Kansas City-raised daughter of musicians developed a solid blues foundation touring the world with her brothers, Nick and Kris Schnebelen, in the sibling band Trampled Under Foot, which released Badlands in 2013. Even though her new LP Wolf Den is due later this summer, this six-track EP will give you a taste of what to expect.

No Spill Blood – Heavy Electricity CD/LP+MP3 (Sargent House)

Dublin, Ireland trio No Spill Blood’s ferocious dose of synth-laden aggression, Heavy Electricity comes across with all the brutal heft of underground metal but also with the clever intellect of post-punk bands like Killing Joke and Iceage.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Junk Culture [Reissue/1984] 2xCD (A&M)

OMD’s glistening 1984 album is reissued with 15 rare bonus tracks, including B-sides, original remixes, demos and more.

Ovid’s Withering – Scryers Of The Ibis CD/LP (Unique Leader)

“In all confidence I can say that musically, Scryers Of The Ibis is absolutely flawless. The record strikes the perfect balance between orchestral elements, various usages of electronics, and a metal band that can play their ass off.” – Metal Injection

Art Pepper – Neon Art: Volume Two CD (Omnivore)

The second volume in a series of previously unissued live recordings by jazz saxophonist Art Pepper. Neon Art: Volume Two is drawn from a 1981 concert tour in Japan, features “Mambo Koyama,” “Over The Rainbow” and “Allen’s Alley.”

Psycroptic – Psycroptic CD/LP (Prosthetic)

New album from the Australian technical death metal band.

Joe Pug – Windfall CD/LP (Lightning Rod)

“If I had to compare his songwriting to anyone it would have to be Tom Russell; possibly because some of the themes both writers use is similar, especially the boxing metaphor in ‘Veteran Fighter’ and the allusion to religion on ‘Great Hosannas’ but Pug most certainly has his very own sound and way of writing and I’m possibly falling in love with it already. While the overall sound is dark and brooding; ‘Burn And Shine’ has a pretty dance beat to it and a chorus that Steve Earle has been trying to replicate since his Copperhead Road days and ‘Windfall’ ends on a note of optimism with the jaw dropping ‘If Still It Can’t Be Found’ which features Pat Sansome from Wilco on mellotron. At times Windfall makes for uncomfortable listening; but the effort is well worthwhile and hopefully this album will introduce Joe Pug to a whole world of new fans.” – No Depression

The Rezillos – Zero CD/LP (Metropolis)

New album from the veteran punk band featuring 12 blistering tracks of swaggering punk rock. Touches of everything from Blondie and The B52s to The Cramps are reflected here.

River City Extension – Deliverance CD/LP (Anchor & Hope)

“As they gear up for their fourth release, Deliverance, New Jersey’s own River City Extension are sporting a leaner line-up than on previous efforts. On 2012’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger, the group boasted eight members where now there are four. On the record, nothing is missing from their full-on roots rock sound which has been honed to a nice edge after a year or so on the road” – The Bluegrass Situation. Vinyl version due May 12.

Uli Jon Roth – Scorpions Revisited CD (UDR)

2013 marked the 40th anniversary of Uli’s involvement with the Scorpions and he dedicated the occasion by performing his personal favorite Scorpions songs, which were recorded and live at the hall that The Scorpions used to rehearse in from 1973-1978.

Sankt Otten – Engtanz Depression CD (Denovali)

German instrumental duo Sankt Otten, founded in 1999, consists of Stephan Otten (drums, programming, synthesizer) and Oliver Klemm (guitar, synthesizer, piano). The duo has been releasing albums on Denovali Records since 2009. Their eighth album, Engtanz Depression (“close dance depression”), expresses a significant progression from the preceding album trilogy (Gottes Synthesizer, Sequencer Liebe, Messias Maschine). New drum sounds and acoustic instruments such as harmonium and piano may be found, and some pieces emerged from free improvisations, which is a completely new approach for this band. Vinyl version due April 14.

Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz CD/LP (Spinefarm)

Santa Cruz is full of massive refrains, catchy hook lines and enough fret board witchery to make guitar aficionados drown in their own saliva.

Scarab – Serpents Of The Nile CD (Vicisolom Production)

New release by the death metal band from Cairo, Egypt.

Seaway – All In My Head CDEP (Pure Noise)

Seaway is a five-piece pop-punk band from Oakville, Ontario, comparable to Canadian pop-punk legends Sum 41 and GOB.

Shanti – Shanti [Reissue/1971] CD (Real Gone Music)

Middle Eastern influences make this an outstanding effort of ‘70s psych.

Sheppard – Bombs Away CD (Republic)

Debut full-length album from the superstar Australian group. The album features worldwide chart topper, “Geronimo.”

The Skints – FM CD (Easy Star)

The Skints is a reggae/dub/punk fusion band from London. Vinyl version due March 24.

Skizzy Mars – The Red Balloon Project CD (Artist Partner Group)

“Small-time artist Skizzy Mars leaves a notable impression with The Red Balloon Project. While the public loves the Nicki Minajs of the world, artists like Mars breathe life into the new age of hip-hop. Similar to Drake’s So Far Gone with the combination of originality, first impression, hip-hop and R&B, The Red Balloon Project delivers on every track. From beginning to the end, each song has a concept.” — The Daily Cougar

Jimmy Sommerville – Homage CD (Membran)

New album from the dance/pop vocalist best known for fronting Bronski Beat and The Communards. The euphoric joy of disco has been one consistent thread, which has run through the diverse 30-year career of Somerville. Homage, as the title suggests, pays homage to the disco era.

Soundtrack – The Sound Of Music 50th Anniversary CD (Sony Legacy)

Digitally remastered and expanded 50th Anniversary edition featuring previously unreleased score cues and all vocal performances for the first time on one release. Vinyl version due March 24.

Suicideyear – Dream 727 CD (Software)

Dream 727 combines Suicideyear’s Japan mixtape (2012) and Remembrance (2014) EP together in a joint CD release. Japan features reworked tracks from the original mixtape, an inventive redraftq so as to avoid the ghosts of samples past and pastiche. Like the metalworker who blends porcelain and pewter, Suicideyear’s way of contrasting subtle parts (a chime here, a steel drum there) into a whole are most prominent on Japan. The results are hypnotic and in the flow.

Annalisa Tornfelt – The Number 8 CD/LP+MP3 (Jealous Butcher/Woodphone)

New release from the Alaska-raised musician best known as the singer and fiddle player for Black Prairie. Annalisa Tornfelt grabbed her Black Beauty Arch Kraft guitar and an analog 8-track to record her unadorned, front porch solo album, The Number 8. “I asked Annalisa to play a few fiddle tunes with me, which soon flipped to her picking up a guitar and singing Hank Williams,” says her Black Prairie bandmate, Chris Funk. “It was simple, but it was stunning. It’s those moments when she grabs the all too familiar guitar and sings a song that you realize your bandmate and friend has the unique gift and power to make the weight of the world lift for three minutes.”

Steve Turre – Spiritman CD (Smoke Sessions)

His superbly swinging quintet performs new Turre compositions: “Trayvon’s Blues,” which is an emotional centerpiece of recent Turre performances; “Bu” the rousing opener dedicated to his mentor Art Blakey; “Funky Thing” written very recently for the Saturday Night Live Band; “Nangadef” written for Senegalese percussionist Abdou Mboup, and “Spiritman” with which Turre opened the UN’s International Jazz Day concert in Tokyo in 2014.

Various Artists – Mello Music Group: Persona CD/LP (Mello Music Group)

Persona highlights the indie hip-hop label’s current roster teamed with some of the their personal favorites. Artists featured includes Oddisee, Apollo Brown, yU, L’Orange, Red Pill, Ras Kass, Open Mike Eagle, Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, Quelle Chris, Blockhead, Gift of Gab, Masta Ace and others.

Various Artists – Studio One Jump Up: The Birth Of A Sound CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)

Studio One Jump Up traces the roots of the legendary label as it created the sound of the young independent Jamaican nation going into the early 1960s. Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd used only the finest musicians in Jamaica for these recordings, including those players that would later become known worldwide as The Skatalites, Don Drummond, Roland Alphonso, Ernest Ranglin, Rico Rodriguez, and Cluett Johnson.

Various Artists – Ultra Music Festival 2015 CD (Ultra)

Ultra Music Festival features the world’s best EDM acts, including Hardwell, Deorro, Carnage, Flosstradamus, Kygo and more.

Warsaw Afrobeat Orchestra – Wëndelu CD/LP (Ubiquity)

Following up on their well-received single “Only Now” featuring a remix with label mate Bosq, Warsaw Afrobeat Orchestra deliver a knockout debut album full of heavy Afro and island-inspired tunes. The album title Wëndelu means “Wanderer” in the native African Wolof language and is a fitting name for the album which explores the wide-range of sounds from the African diaspora and infused with their own traditional Polish folk, jazz and rock sensibilities.

Laura Welsh – Soft Control CD (Island)

New album from the British singer/songwriter, who recently appeared on the Fifty Shades Of Gray soundtrack with the cut “Undiscovered.”

Matthew E. White – Fresh Blood CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)

Richmond, Virginia-based singer/songwriter, bandleader, and musical polymath, Matthew E. White has returns with his first full-length album for Domino and the follow-up to the “magical” (Pitchfork) debut Big Inner. Produced by White and Spacebomb partner Trey Pollard, and mixed by Pat Dillett (David Byrne, Nile Rodgers), Fresh Blood marks the next chapter of White’s Richmond, VA-based Spacebomb — an analog studio, record label and production house with in-house strings, horns and a choir at his behest. Fresh Blood is a bracing, beguiling record and a bold advance for White – a record that feels like the brilliant bloom to Big Inner’s striking bud.

Wieman Plays Goem – Trenkel CD (Kvitnu)

Recorded May 2013 at Geluidwerkplaats Extrapool, Nijmegen in preparation for a concert at Studio Trenkel with music by Wieman (Frans de Waard and Roel Meelkop) and images by Marco Douma. Minimalism in it’s best. Forty-two minutes of pure raw techno pulses.

Young Guv – Ripe 4 Luv CD/LP (Slumberland)

Guv sings like Prince into expensive audio-nerd mics over power pop backing tracks that evoke Big Star. (First vinyl pressing on blue wax.)

This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:

The Absentees – Tryin’ To Mess With Me 7” (Ug)

Reissue of The Absentees’ impossibly scarce 7” from 1981 remastered from the original tapes. Pressed on color vinyl.

Antarctigo Vespucci – I’m So Tethered 7” (Asian Man)

Sweet, sweet power-pop hits featuring Jeff Rosenstock of Bomb The Music Industry! And Chris Farren from Fake Problems.

Any Kind – Other LP (Readymade)

Other is the second full-length release from the Austin/Chicago band. Issued on Brendan Benson’s Readymade Records, the album finds the talented quartet offering up ten more experimental folk-pop gems including the bouncy lead single “My Brother.”

Ashbury – Endless Skies [Reissue/1983] LP (Rockadrome)

Reissue of an enigmatic ‘70s style hard rock private press record buried by the sands of time.

Bathory – The Return… [Reissue/1985] LP (Back On Black/Black Mark)
Bathory – Under The Sign Of The Black Mark [Reissue/1987] LP (Back On Black/Black Mark)
Bathory – Blood Fire Death [Reissue/1988] LP (Back On Black/Black Mark)
Bathory – Jubileum Volume III [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Back On Black/Black Mark)
Bathory – Twilight Of The Gods [Reissue/1991] LP (Back On Black/Black Mark)
Bathory – In Memory Of Quorthon 6xLP (Back On Black/Black Mark)

Bathory was essentially a one-man band, fronted by Quorthon and filled out with an endless string of session players who usually only lasted one album. Based in Sweden, Bathory is widely regarded as a pioneer of the modern black metal sound, and everybody who is anybody in black metal likes to quote Bathory as a big influence. The In Memory Of Quorthon box set contains three double-LPs, including a picture disc repress of the original ‘yellow goat’ pressing of Bathory’s 1984 debut album, plus a 48-page booklet and ‘Goat’ poster.

Jeff Beck – Truth [Reissue/1968] LP (Friday Music)

Noted for his stellar guitar work, pretty much introducing new ways of using technique, distortion and effects to a whole new generation of guitar players, Jeff Beck’s Truth is truly a primer for a ton of rock and blues artists. The original stereo Epic Records album is now mastered impeccably by Joe Reagoso for the first time on audiophile vinyl, enhanced with a first-time gatefold cover featuring original artwork plus a rare photo of the original Jeff Beck Group with Jeff, Rod, Ronnie and Mick.

Brothers Born – Knife Wounds LP+MP3 (Nine Mile)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Brothers Born is Joel Stroetzel (Killswitch Engage) and Michael Wyzik (Storm The Ohio). The project is a big departure from the metal of Stroetzel’s Killswitch Engage or the indie-Americana of Wyzik’s bands, occupying a musical middle ground of sorts.

Bugs And Rats – Bugs And Rats LP+MP3 (Feeding Tube)

“Nine-song pus-rock explosion by this Quincy, MA, trio with guest vocals on a couple of tracks by Kassie Carlson (of Guerilla Toss). The sound has a mega-sludge hunch that will make you feel several sweet reefs to the wind, until you fasten your seatbelt and get ready for the ride. The band’s pace varies from machine-gun rattle to cough-syrup lunge (sometimes within a single song), so you’ll want to make sure your neck is well-braced, too.” – Byron Cooley

Burning Saviours – Unholy Tales From The North LP (Transubstans Sweden)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Pure retro sounding doom.

D’Angelo And The Vanguard – Black Messiah 2xLP+MP3 (RCA)

Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. “Black Messiah is a study in controlled chaos. The nightmarish chorus of ‘1000 Deaths’ arrives late and fierce, as though the band unfurled its crunchy, lumbering vamp just long enough to violently snatch it out from under us. ‘The Charade’’s Minneapolis sound funk rock follows, every bit as bright as the previous track was menacing until you zero in on the threadbare heart-sickness of D and P-Funk affiliate Kendra Foster’s lyrics. Black Messiah pulls together disparate threads few predecessors have had the smarts or audacity to unite. One song might channel Funkadelic, another, the Revolution, but the shiftless mad doctor experimentation and the mannered messiness at the root of it all is unmistakably the Vanguard. Black Messiah is a dictionary of soul, but D’Angelo is the rare classicist able to filter the attributes of the greats in the canon into a sound distinctly his own.” [BNM/9.4] – Pitchfork

Dead Flowers – His Blues LP (Idol)

A full-on aggressive, heavy guitar assault rock.

Desmond Dekker And The Specials – King Of Kings [Reissue/1993] LP (Secret/Sunspot)

Originally released by Trojan Records, King Of Kings features the four original Specials members Neville Staple on toasting, vocals and percussion, Linval Golding on rhythm guitar and vocals, Roddy Radiation on lead guitar and Horace Panter on bass, joined in the studio by the former Selector drummer, Charley Harrington Bembridge. HQ-180gm.

Sophie Dickinson – Cucucanady LP+MP3 (Feeding Tube)

First LP from New England’s favorite dream-harpist. Previously known for her work in the context of Boston’s Whitehaus Family, Cucucanady represents a mind-blowing excursion into the mists of the here-to-fore unknown universe of acorn people, detuned Scottish balladry and backseat sing-along dynamism.

Dogs On Acid – Dogs On Acid 7” (Sabot Productions)

Dogs On Acid is a new indie punk band featuring members of Algernon Cadwallader and Snowing. Deceptively deep songwriting paired with somber yet undeniable hooks.

Ekoplekz – Entropik 12” (Planet Mu)

Featuring two tracks, the Entropik EP sees Ekoplekz stretching his sound towards breaking point, each track extending well past the ten minute mark, slowly evolving yet with a sustained intensity, strength of purpose and emotional impact that ensures that neither outstays their welcome.

Felix K – Tragedy Of The Commons 12” (Blackest Ever Black)

Felix K’s 17-minute Tragedy Of The Commons is a labyrinthine, slow-burning dread epic, beatless but crushingly dynamic, its frail, minimal synth lines wandering lonely amid plate-shifting bass drones and a dense, disorienting assemblage of field recordings. The hulking “Silent Money” is perhaps Felix’s most explicit nod to dub, a slow-motion soundsystem downer, armed with frequencies fit to disinter the dead.

Michael Feuerstack – The Forgettable Truth LP (Forward Music Group)

An edgy and psychedelic album from one of Canada’s best songwriters.

Kim Fowley – Kim Fowley’s Psychedelic Dogs: Detroit Invasion LP (The End Is Here/MVD)

With a core band featuring members of Electric Six, Dirtbombs, Outrageous Cherry, Ramrods, and many more, Fowley recorded this song cycle right out of surgery. Picture disc.

Free Nelson Mandoom Jazz – Awakening Of A Capital LP (Rarenoise)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Following on the strength of their provocative double EP, Shape Of Doomjazz To Come/Saxophone Giganticus, the Scottish free jazz-meets-doom/stoner rock trio Nelson Mandoomjazz performs more crunching anthems on Awakening Of A Capital.

Galactic Cowboy Orchestra – Zombie Mouth LP (Newfolk)

Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Sounds like Bela Fleck meets Rush and goes to breakfast with John Coltrane.

Myriam Gendron/Dorothy Parker – Not So Deep As A Well LP+MP3 (Feeding Tube)

Limited edition pink swirl vinyl pressing. “This record is beautiful and melancholic and poetic. Myriam Gendron doesn’t try hard to show off meandering singing skills or too sweet arrangements. Melodies falling out of her guitar like glass pearls. Simple fingerpicking miniatures to the poetry of Dorothy Parker.” – Dying For Bad Music

Give – Sonic Bloom LP (Revelation)

Give is a five piece hardcore/punk band from Washington D.C. “Give’s straight forward approach to hardcore/punk harkens back to the late ‘80s/early ‘90s DC revolution summer sound made famous by Washington D.C. and Discord records.” – Manic Compression

Grim Klone – Back On The Street 7” (Brain Transplant)

Three loud crude proto-punk rants by a bunch of stoned hippies from the cultural wasteland of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, circa 1979.

Guerilla Toss – Smack The Brick LP+MP3 (Feeding Tube)

Released last year on CD and cassette – now available on vinyl. “Guerilla Toss are possibly the weirdest punk band in the world – composed of a few Boston-area former jazz students making extremely maximalist art-funk, it’s the kind of thing that shouldn’t work but absolutely does, with frontwoman Kassie Carlson using her best banshee wails and rapid rhythmic chatter as another instrument to compliment the, like, kitchen sink-full of instruments that are already in her band.” – Pretty Much Amazing

He Is Legend – It Hates You [2009] LP (Tragic Hero)

First time on vinyl. If you want nasal-driven vocals or whining of a lost high school relationship, please look elsewhere. RIYL: Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, Pantera, Motörhead.

HIM – Lashes To Ashes Lust To Dust: Vinyl Retrospective 5xLP+USB (The End)

Features a collection of the four essential HIM studio albums encompassing the group’s early catalog, on HQ-180gm vinyl, as well as the band’s debut 1996 EP 666 Ways To Love: Prologue on vinyl for the first time ever. Includes an exclusive ‘heartagram’ logo slipmat, and a USB drive with 37 bonus tracks — 80 tracks in all.

Hookers – It’s Midnight… The Witching Hour LP (Patac)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New full-length from Kentucky’s raging horror-punk metal masters.

A Horrible Death To A Horrible Man – Escape Escape LP (Mighty Music)

Danish sludge/experimental metal.

Hot Nerds – Strategically Placed Bananas LP (Three One G)
On their new album Strategically Placed Bananas, Nathan Joyner and Alia Jyawook only partially embrace the half-serious dance punk anti-aesthetic that marked earlier efforts. Now a trio, Hot Nerds has built up their wheelhouse to include more brutal, tightly wound bursts of digital skronk made whole by raw, close-mic’d drums.

Icecross – Icecross [Reissue/1973] LP (Rockadrome)

Reissue of 1973 Icelandic hard prog rarity that’s been the target of collectors for decades.

Impetuous Ritual – Unholy Congregation Of Hypocritical Ambivalence 2xLP (Profound Lore)

In their brief career, Australia’s Impetuous Ritual has already been recognized as one of the mightiest death metal entities in the underground today, alongside such likeminded acts as Portal (with whom Impetuous Ritual shares two members) and Mitochondrion.

Insults – Insults To Injury 7” (Brain Transplant)

The long lost Insults album — fifteen spastic twitches from 1979 by the prides of Watsonville, CA.

Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders – Playmates LP (Self Portrait)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Three years after the acclaimed Hurtsville and a move from the inner city of Sydney, Australia to the Blue Mountains, Jack Ladder returns with his new album Playmates. The album’s songs are muscular, raw — yet polished to the texture of a skyscraper. The lyrics themselves are haunting; they possess the poetic slur of a black-pupilled vision of romantic despair, love’s unsure footing and a palpable air of Ballardian discord beneath the surface. The songs pulse with life. Synthesizers and drum machines rub shoulders with glam guitars and pedal steel, while above all, Ladder’s granite baritone slashes at love and darkness like a heavy blade. He is a tender, persistent lover; a despairing prince at the battlements. Sharon Van Etten contributes vocals to two tracks.

James And The Ultrasounds – Robot Love LP (Misspent)

James And The Ultrasounds is not necessarily typical of the Memphis garage rock scene, though they do owe plenty to that tradition. Having played bass with influential Grifters duo Dave Shouse and Scott Taylor in The New Mary Jane, as well as with local luminaries Jack Oblivian and John Paul Keith, James Godwin has been a Memphis staple for years.

Rolf Kühn – Perrak And Other Film Music By Rolf Kühn LP+MP3 (All Score Media)

Rolf Kühn’s film score for the 1970 crime film Perrak (aka Hard Women). This production was even more exquisitely produced than his previous Das Gelbe Haus, which resulted in a highly effective, tense thriller. Perrak provided audiences with excellent entertainment, and currently it is still held in a revered cult position amongst professional filmmakers, mainly due to the involved artist’s unwillingness to compromise on quality, and it’s impressively modern production values.

Storm Large – Le Bonheur LP+MP3 (Heinz)

Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. The Pink Martini co-frontwoman’s new album features three smoldering originals alongside inimitable covers of songs by Cole Porter, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Black Sabbath, Jacques Brel, and more. Guests include The Von Trapps, 3 Leg Torso, Holcombe Waller, and Puddles Pity Party. Blood red wax.

Legato Vipers – LV LP (Psychic Handshake)

A scrappy collection of trashcan surf-rock instrumentals. Recorded live off the floor in a mere hour or two, the band’s debut LP brilliantly captures the raw intensity, expert musicianship, and droll performance of their highly touted live show. Pressed to seafoam vinyl and housed in hand-sewn, individually branded pleather jackets.

Machinery Of Joy – On The Verge Of Sleep LP (Target)

Dark Danish electronica.

Man Is The Bastard – Our Earth’s Blood/A Call For Consciousness [Reissue/1993/1994] 10” (Deep Six)

A Call for Consciousness is comprised of five deep, dual bass and drum hook-laden tracks again investigating the properties of bastardization through M.I.T.B.’s specific musical strategy and profound lyrical documentation. Originally released as a split 8″ with Born Against, Side Two of this reissue features side one of the debut 7″ Our Earth’s Blood.

The Metronomes – The Ballad Of The Metronomes 2xLP+7” (Mannequin)

Vinyl reissue of both the legendary Australian minimal synth band’s LPs: Multiple Choice (1980) and Regular Guys (1985) plus the 7” “Saturday Night/Sunday Morning” b/w “A Circuit Like Me.” The group was an integral part of the early electronic music scene in Australia and their releases have become collector’s items in Europe, as they are mostly impossible to find.

Gerhard Narholz – Das Mädchen von Hongkong LP (Black Pearl)

New vinyl issue of the soundtrack to the German B-movie action and crime soundtrack from 1973. The music is between typical library crime music and gangster action cinematic tunes, with very funky grooves, wah-wah guitars, Hammond organ riffs, fat horn stabs and fuzzy guitars and all the elements and ingredients that a gangster movie needs.

Paperhaus – Paperhaus LP (Huge Witch)

Eponymous debut LP from this DC-based psych rock quartet. CD version due April 7.

Portion Control – I Staggered Mentally [Reissue/1982] LP (Dark Entries)

Portion Control was a British electronic and industrial band from South London. They classified their music style as “hard rhythmic electronics” and were a major influence on Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Depeche Mode.

Joshua Radin – Onward & Sideways LP (Glass Bead/Fat Possum)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Onward And Sideways is the sixth album from the singer/songwriter, and includes a new version of “Beautiful Day” featuring vocals by Sheryl Crow.

Joanne Robertson – Black Moon Days LP+MP3 (Feeding Tube)

Robertson’s second LP proceeds from the avant-folk tradition first explored on The Lighter, reminiscent of Sibylle Baier’s deepest darkness, but also includes rougher electric material, with open chord squalls of quiet brutality leavened by sweet vocals and lulling cadences.

San Kazakgascar – First Nation Spy 7” (Lather)

“First Nation Spy” is a spy thriller soundtrack for budding traitors and the flip, “Last Man Standing,” is a slow building, minimalist tribute to the enduring tenacity of the cockroach. “…a heady blend of Middle Eastern influences, droning guitars and chanted vocals, the whole thing sounding like Spacemen 3 jamming with Gong in a sleazy nightclub, very probably as the soundtrack to a cheesy sixties exploitation flick…”—Terrascope UK

Siege – Siege LP (Deep Six)

Kurt Habelt, Henry McNamee, and Rob Williams formed what was to become Siege around 1981. The band didn’t really solidify until they recruited ska saxophonist Kevin Mahoney on vocals in 1983. They were definitely not lacking sonically, however, playing furious music at breakneck speed and pioneering a new style of brutal and nihilistic hardcore. In 1984, Siege went into Radiobeat studios to record a demo with Lou Giordano. The tape made its way through the hardcore punk underground, and clearly made an impression. They called it quits a year or so later.

Shearing Pinx – People LP (Psychic Handshake)

The latest slab of abstract shred from Canada’s preeminent noise rock outfit. Blending shrapnel guitar work, free-jazz drum-pummel, and a new focus on head-banging bass lines, People is a hallmark release from a band that continues to innovate against the multiplying strictures of rock & roll in the age of the internet.

Spin Marvel – Infolding LP (Rarenoise)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Spin Marvel is the brainchild of drummer Martin France, British bassist Tim Harries (once part of Bill Bruford’s Earthworks), and Norwegian sound sculptor/percussionist Terje Evensen, here joined by Norwegian trumpet master Nils Petter Molvaer and additional drummer/ producer Emre Ramazanoglu. Together they create spacious and dramatic soundscapes of profound intensity on the startlingly original Infolding, blending aspects of free jazz, ambient music and electronica in provocative ways.

These Machines Are Winning – KURU LP (Idol)

Sophomore LP from this group that features members of Afghan Whigs, Polyphonic Spree, and Pulsars.

Van Kaye + Ignit – A Slight Delay [Reissue/1981] LP (Dark Entries)

Self-released in 1981, A Slight Delay pairs conceptual sophistication with disarming naïveté in a way that has been difficult to replicate since the formative years of ‘bedroom’ electronic music.

Various Artists – Hypnotic Cajun & Obscure Zydeco Vol. 2 LP (Moi J’connais)

Waltz, two-step, one-step, blues, the record pays tribute to the unique blend of European dances with African rhythms. Each track has been weighed up for its historical as well as for its musical interest. A combination of melodeon and, for the Zydeco side, button accordion, triangle, rub board and fiddles.

Various Artists – I Saved Latin! A Tribute To Wes Anderson 2xLP (American Laundromat)

A collection of artists cover tracks that appeared in Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Life Aquatic, Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and more. Includes covers of songs by the Kinks, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elliot Smith, Nick Drake, Nico, Cat Stevens, Love, John Lennon, The Zombies, Mark Mothersbaugh, among others, as performed by Juliana Hatfield, Kristin Hersh, Margo And The Nuclear So & So’s, Telekinesis, Matt Pond and
more.

Various Artists – Through The Static And Distance: The Songs Of Jason Molina 2xLP+MP3 (Haint/Burst & Bloom)

Tribute to the late Jason Molina with artists such as Thalia Zedek, Marissa Nadler, Paul Watson (Sparklehorse), Black Hare, Sharron Kraus, Jason Anderson, Peter Hess & Eoin Russell, Tiger Saw, Jesse Poe, and many more. Cover art is a Molina original. All proceeds to go directly to Jason Molina’s estate.

Vatican Dagger – Not To Be 7” (Total Punk)

New Orleans’ Vatican Dagger is made up of ex-Necor Hippies Gary Wrong and Roman Gabriel Todd. These three distinct forces combine to make some killer downer punk that is covered in noise, soaked in slime, and here to bum you out.

The Velvet Illusions – The Velvet Illusions LP (Moi J’connais)

Organ and saxophone, unbridled fury, a trip through garage music from acid beats to anti-pot-smokers ballads (!!!), The Velvet Illusions paint a bizarre picture of what American youth in the ‘60s was trying to do. A movement away from tradition, fascination for Afro-American music, emancipation, rapport to drugs, etc.: The record acts as a historical testimony of the late ‘60s about to fall into the next decade with its Vietnam war and disillusionment.

Chris Weisman – The Holy Life That’s Coming LP (NNA Tapes)

Militantly adhering to a limited palette, Weisman’s recordings are all captured and constructed on a four-track cassette recorder, lending to the intimate, homegrown quality of the songs contained within. In the case of The Holy Life That’s Coming in particular, the instrumentation is limited to steel string guitar and voice, with the occasional subtle keyboard accompaniment.

Ben Von Wildenhaus – II LP (Globos)

After more than a decade touring with saturnine heavy-riffers Federation X, Ben Von Wildenhaus turned his attention to a starker, lower, but somehow more menacing sound. With guitar, sine wave generator, and voice, Wildenhaus brings together Egyptian cinema music, Berber desert guitar, American folk melody, and film noir score material for a vivid stroll through evocative historical styles and laconic moods.

Wu-Tang Clan – A Better Tomorrow LP (WB)

Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. The legendary hip-hop supergroup’s first release in seven years also marks their 20th anniversary as a collective. All hands are on deck for A Better Tomorrow: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna.

X (Australia) – X-Spurts: The 1977 Recordings LP (Ugly Pop
X (Australia) – Aspirations [Reissue/1980] LP (Ugly Pop)

Always an outsider band, X (not to be confused with the legendary L.A. punk band with the same name) never quite fit in with the punk scene roiling through Australia at the time, and were shunned by the mainstream music scene. Before their debut LP, X recorded a 1977 demo session that is a brilliant snapshot of the period, and a treasure for anyone with an interest in worldwide first wave punk. X-Spurts seething with desperation and urgency — the sound of early AC/DC meets Pink Flag with everything cranked.

Yumi Zouma – EP II 10” (Cascine)

This enigmatic New Zealand outfit first started showing up on music blogs in spring of 2013. Since then, they’ve become one of the most-blogged artists of the past two years on Hype Machine. Lush, electronic production buoys key tracks and the vocal deliveries are increasingly sophisticated. “Yumi Zouma produces music that is as gorgeous as their name,” says the Aussie/Kiwi blog Happy of their new release. “A breezy collection of delicate dream-pop, full of endearing melodies and carefree vibes.