April Program Titles Released This Week:
The Cinematic Orchestra – To Believe CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)
Born out of the band’s latest formation, To Believe is a creative partnership between founder Jason Swinscoe and longtime friend and collaborator Dom Smith, along with an extended family of regular bandmates and collaborators. Guided by a communal spirit, the changing members are consistent with their ethos, where no individual ego takes precedence. Guest vocalists include the art-soul singer Moses Sumney, legendary UK rapper Roots Manuva, longtime vocal collaborator Heidi Vogel and many more. To Believe is the product of a long period of gestation, a reflection of the kind of album they wanted to make – the kind of album, that is, they’ve always made: deep, textured, and layered with meaning. With artwork by The Designers Republic and mixed by 15-time Grammy Winner Tom Elmhirst, at the legendary Electric Lady studio built by Jimi Hendrix, it’s a masterful return that stands as their most definitive statement as a group.
The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery CD/LP (Impulse)
The Comet Is Coming – “an improvisational, intergalactic mash-up” (The Guardian) who were shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 2016 – is comprised of King Shabaka (Shabaka Hutchings) on saxophone, Danalogue (Dan Leavers) on keys/synth, and Betamax (Max Hallett) on drums. With their new album, Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery, the trio envisage a 21stCentury take on spiritual jazz that is part Alice Coltrane, part Bladerunner. The trio are nothing short of alchemists, concocting a primordial stew of taut beats, sub-bass, and unhinged sax breaks. They paint pictures of astral planes and neon seas, with driving beats and celestial melodies. Listen to the pulsing “Blood Of The Past”, on which guest vocalist Kate Tempest delivers a state-of-the-universe address that somehow simultaneously summons the spirits of William Blake, Ian Dury, Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, all with wide-eyed awestruck wonder. Or “Summon The Fire”, perhaps their most accessible, riotous, and air-punching moment to date.
The Faint – Egowerk CD/LP (Saddle Creek)
The group that ignited an electro-pop-punk movement is back with an 11-track deep-dive into themes on modern society, the internet, and ego – specifically social media and its dark effects. Opener “Child Asleep” echoes well-loved Faint singles from the Danse Macabre days, with rapid-fire techno beats that sear so hot, your forehead will break into a sweat regardless of proximity to a dance floor. And though the synths should sound familiar to any Faint follower, the song’s monotone message is at once classic and current. It’s been four years since The Faint dropped a proper studio album, and more than two decades since they first tore onto the Midwest scene, alongside area staples Cursive and Bright Eyes, with anxious electro-pop-punk anthems that meshed doomsday themes with thudding dance-floor hooks.
Fallujah – Undying Light CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
California progressive death metallers Fallujah swing upward and venture outward on new album, Undying Light. With new vocalist in Antonio Palermo (also of Underling fame) firmly in position and a no-filler, all-killer songwriting attack, Undying Light isn’t just the follow-up to 2016’s Dreamless, it’s a massive jump forward. Whereas Dreamless wandered intelligently and resonated lithely, new tracks such as “Glass House”, “Ultraviolet”, “Eyes Like The Sun”, and closer “Departure” find Fallujah stripped down, razor-sharp, and emotionally charged. [Limited purple/black splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Foreigner – Live At The Rainbow ’78 DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
On April 27, 1978, after their self-titled debut album had spent a year in the US Top 20, AOR heroes Foreigner played a sold-out show at London’s legendary music venue, the Rainbow Theatre. Opening with “Long, Long Way From Home”, the band’s legion of fans were treated to a magnificent display of musicianship and performance, including the hit singles, “Feels Like The First Time” and “Cold As Ice”, as well as an exclusive preview of two tracks from the upcoming 1978 album, Double Vision.
Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima CD/LP (BMG)
Lux Prima is the first release from iconic Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O and legendary musician-producer Danger Mouse. The two originally met to discuss collaboration in 2007 as mutual admirers, but in 2015, they got serious and made a plan – entering the studio with no sonic parameters and a handful of references – Lux Prima was born. “Title track ‘Lux Prima’ is the first song we wrote for the record,” says O. “After making music for the past twenty years and embarking on making this record with Danger Mouse I knew a couple things: one was that the spirit of collaboration between us was going to be a pure one, and two was that the more I live the less is clear to me. When you create from a blurry place you can go places further than you’ve ever been. I think we both were excited to go far out.” “‘Woman’ came like a bolt out of the blue when we were in the studio,” adds O. “We did a first pass where I was blurting unintelligible words and Danger Mouse and I were like ‘Dang! That was intense. What’s that word I keep saying? Woman.’ The atmosphere was volatile with it being just after the election. A lot of people felt helpless like you do when you’re a scared kid looking for assurance that everything is gonna be alright. I like to write songs that anyone can relate to but this one felt especially for the inner child in me that needed the bullies out there to know you don’t f**k with me. I’m a woman now and I’ll protect that inner girl in me from hell and high water.”
Snarky Puppy – Immigrance CD (Ground Up Music)
Immigrance, the twelfth Snarky Puppy studio album, is all about movement. “The idea here is that everything is fluid, that everything is always moving and that we’re all in a constant state of immigration,” explains Michael League. “Obviously the album’s title is not without political undertones.” Like the Grammy-winning Culcha Vulcha, Immigrance is a studio project, and it features most of the same musicians. And though it shares that project’s ace musicianship and dynamic, kinetic spirit, it is also rawer and moodier than its predecessor. Several of the compositions put a newfound emphasis on delivering simpler, streamlined impact. With Immigrance, Snarky Puppy is essentially practicing what it’s preached all along: People from different places can bring their various strengths and experiences, and that can be beautiful and cohesive. The band itself is a representation of that musical expression. [Vinyl edition due March 22.]
Todd Snider – Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3 CD (Aimless)
After six years of making rock records, Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3’s folk influence marks a departure. The album was inspired by a recurring dream Todd Snider had involving Johnny Cash and was recorded at the legend’s Cash Cabin Studio. Snider has long been recognized as one of his generation’s most gifted and engaging songwriters, so it’s no surprise he has returned with a brilliant set of songs – and make no mistake, Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3 contains some of his best work as a writer. But what really jumps out on the album is Snider’s growth as a musician and vocalist. He plays all the instruments on the record, and his guitar work and harmonica playing are nothing short of exceptional; not only full of feeling, but highly skilled. In regards to his guitar playing on the record, Snider says he wanted to take everything he’s learned over the past 30 years and play the way he used to play really well.
Sontalk – Stay Wild CD/2xLP (Sony Masterworks)
Stay Wild, the debut album from Sontalk, follows the personal trials and triumphs of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joseph LeMay. By way of familial candor and visceral vulnerability, the twelve tracks comprising Stay Wild chronicle LeMay’s journey of self-reflection, discovery, acceptance and ultimately, growth. The lead offering from Stay Wild, “Baby, I’m Gone”, fuses a stark and soulful vocal to sinewy acoustic guitar and a glitchy beat, with LeMay’s haunting voice echoing with powerful passion and plaintive poetry. “I Am A Mountain” serves as a dynamic apex and bookend to the first half of the album. With a loping pace and persistent driving beat, it illustrates the tired longing of the narrator, building to a heartbreaking crescendo that mimics the fallout of a failing relationship. Elsewhere, the album is grounded by LeMay’s powerful vocals and a delicate dissonance of multifarious sonic textures that range from distorted slide guitar transmissions, sequenced beats, vinyl samples and warm electronics.
Venom Prison – Samsara CD/LP (Prosthetic)
Rising death metal band Venom Prison returns with their blistering second album, Samsara. Named after the Buddhist concept of being reborn into a never-ending cycle of suffering, the album is as abrasive as we have come to expect from this UK based five-piece; as frenetic as their 2016 debut Animus but more confidently delivered. Samsara is also more aggressive, unashamed of dynamics. It recognizes that “in order to feel impact you must have suspense,” comments guitarist, Ash Gray. “To feel the hate and aggression behind low-ended discord you must feel the relief of layered melodic swells,” adds fellow guitarist Ben Thomas. With this approach, Samsara is a contrasting and confrontational offer that does not hold back. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
CDs + Vinyl:
The Alarm – Strength 1985-1986 2xCD/LP (Twenty First Century)
The Alarm’s most iconic and best-selling album, Strength, is now reissued on double CD. The first CD features the original 1985 US album pressing along with singles and B-sides. All tracks have been remastered from the original master tapes. The second CD features 22 previously unreleased album session recordings including outtake versions. All additional and unreleased tracks on the CD are exclusive to the format.
Finn Andrews – Once Piece At A Time CD/LP (Nettwerk)
British/New Zealand musician, and lead singer and songwriter of The Veils, Finn Andrews reveals his most personal songwriting to date with the release of his first solo material. The resulting songs are some of the most profound and intimate pieces of work Andrews’ has done. Recorded at The Lab in Auckland, and co-produced by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins), not only do the songs’ subject matter expose more of his life than before, Andrews also admits that their arrangements allowed for less to hide behind, showcasing his voice in a different way.
Angel Du$t – Pretty Buff CD/LP (Roadrunner)
Named an Artist To Watch: 17 Alternative & Indie Breakouts for 2019 by Billboard, Angel Du$t are leaders for the shifting zeitgeist into punk circles, stacking hooks and harmonies over unorthodox acoustic guitars, beds of hand percussion, and the occasional saxophone. “Angel Du$t’s ripping hardcore seems to have emerged even more melodic…hurling forward with layers of percussion and a chunking acoustic guitar.” – Stereogum
Lucas Arruda – Onda Nova CD/LP (Favorite)
Arruda’s music is filled with a fusion of style, mixing influences and elements from his Latin musical background, with his genuine admiration for jazz, soul, pop, and funk music. Onda Nova mixes blue-eyed soul, pop, soul, and Brazilian styles together, and influenced by the path of legendary Brazilian producer Lincoln Olivetti, who recorded some of the biggest stars of Brazilian music (Marcos Valle, Jorge Ben, Tim Maia).
Dave Bickler – Darklight CD/LP (Deko Music)
A collection of songs very personal to Dave and including a backing band consisting of drummer Ryan Hoyle (Collective Soul, Paul Rodgers), bassist Brad Smith (Blind Melon), and guitarist Stephen DeAcutis (Corey Glover, Appice Brothers). Dave Bickler started his musical career as lead singer of 1970s rock group Jamestown Massacre (Billboard Top 100 song “Summer Sun”) but is best known as the vocalist for Survivor. [Limited grey colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Blaqk Audio – Only Things We Love CD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
New album by Blaqk Audio by the electronic alter ego of AFI’s Davey Havok and Jade Puget. The futurepop elements of Blaqk Audio have a greater representation on this album than they did on the last. Synthpop and electropop still make up most of the record, yet these tracks have a uniquely modern feel. [Limited edition picture disc vinyl pressing also available.]
Bouncing Souls – Crucial Moments CDEP/12” (Rise)
You can count the number of bands who’ve stayed together for 30 years on two hands, and you can use just one to count those who’ve consistently released quality material for the duration of those three decades. The Bouncing Souls are a part of this esteemed category, and in keeping with their D.I.Y. punk roots, they’ve done it without a major label or corporate radio. With their new EP Crucial Moments, they show just why they’ve become one of the most respected and appreciated punk bands of all time.
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Brian Jonestown Massacre CD/LP (A. Records)
The non-stop Brian Jonestown Massacre machine rolls into 2019 with the release of their eighteenth full-length album, just seven months after 2018’s Something Else. The self-titled 9-track effort features Sara Neidorf on drums, Heike Rädeker (LeVent) on bass, Hákon Aðalsteinsson (BJM/Third Sound/Gunman & The Holy Ghost) on guitar and Newcombe on multiple instruments. Also making a guest vocal appearance on “Tombes Oubliées” is Friederike Bienert who has sung on previous BJM albums. [Limited 180gm clear vinyl in superb deluxe packaging also available.]
BTS – Fake Love/Airplane Pt 2 CDEP+Book (UMe)
BTS – Fake Love/Airplane Pt 2 (Making Of Documentary) CDEP+DVD (UMe)
BTS – Fake Love/Airplane Pt 2 (Videos) CDEP+DVD (UMe)
Brand new Japanese versions of the smash songs by the K-pop boy band, “Fake Love” and “Airplane Pt.2”, as well as a remix of “Fake Love (Japanese Version)” and “Idol (Stadium Remix)”.
Dewa Budjana – Mahandini CD/LP (Moonjune)
With a list of collaborations that sums up the who is who of contemporary progressive rock and jazz scene (Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Vinnie Colaiuta, Antonio Sanchez, Chad Wackerman, Gary Husband, Tony Levin, Billy Sheehan, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Haslip, Dave Carpenter, Reggie Hamilton, Ben Williams, Joe Locke, Larry Goldings, Janis Siegel, Dwiki Dharmawan, Ron Thal ‘Bumblefoot’, Guthrie Govan, Tim Garland, Bob Mintzer and many others), the Indonesian guitarist and progressive fusion maestro continues his fearless sound travels.
BUS – Never Decide CD/LP (Riding Easy)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. From the opening notes of Never Decide, the new album by Athens, Greece quartet Bus The Unknown Secretary (aka BUS), one knows it’s going to be a wild funhouse ride. It doesn’t sound like just four people; it sounds like a mob of wild-eyed lunatics on the expressway to your skull.
Cocoa Tea – Music Is Our Business CD/LP (VP)
Music Is our Business is a premium blend of the very best of the Jamaican reggae/dancehall singer, songwriter, and DJ’s non-album sides recorded for Bobby Digital alongside a gold leaf selection of previously unreleased nuggets.
Nat King Cole – Ultimate Nat King Cole CD (Capitol)
New career spanning collection celebrating Nat King Cole’s 100th birthday, featuring his most well-loved signature songs, including “Unforgettable”, “L-O-V-E”, “Mona Lisa” and featuring a newly recorded duet of “The Girl from Ipanema” duet with Grammy-winning artist Gregory Porter. [Vinyl edition due June 14.]
Contrarian – Their Worm Never Dies CD/LP (Willowtip)
Rooted in early 90’s progressive death metal, but with an unrelenting forward-thinking approach, Contrarian return with their third full length release.
Dead Witches – Final Exorcism CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
UK occult doom unit Dead Witches is the brainchild of Electric Wizard founding member Mark Greening. [Limited deluxe colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Deafkids – Metaprogramação CD/LP (Neurot)
While their previous release, Configuração do Lamento, captured the group as they delved deep into their own musical world of diverse and discordant characteristics, Metaprogramação takes this blend to entirely new extremes: songs melt and dissolve into one another, electronic pulses blend into powerful rhythmic and percussive fabrics, all weaving a future-primitive psychic scenario. Difficult to describe or pigeonhole-yet, all the elements which characterize the band’s punk and aggressive aesthetic are present (even if in unpredictable and surprising ways): barrages of delay and noise, wailing guitars, dancing frenzied rhythms, all culminating in a wild psychedelic journey.
Dream Theater – Distance Over Time 2xCD+DVD+Blu-ray (Century Media)
Deluxe edition includes bonus instrumental CD plus DVD with 5.1 mix and Blu-ray with 5.1 mix plus bonus material. Dream Theater return to their roots combining heavy progressive music with epic melodies on their 14th album, Distance Over Time.
Craig Duncan – Bluegrass Sinatra: A Bluegrass Instrumental Tribute To Frank Sinatra CD (Green Hill)
Craig Duncan’s talents on violin, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, guitar, bass, and viola can be heard on numerous Nashville recordings. A graduate of Appalachian State University and Tennessee State University, Craig is a member of the North American Fiddler’s Hall of Fame and Who’s Who in Music and Musicians. He’s written 30+ music instruction publications for Mel Bay Public.
Alton Ellis – Treasure Isle 1966-1968 CD/LP (Kingston Sounds)
Alton Ellis is one the finest soulful voices to come out of the Jamaican rocksteady scene.
Eternal Odyssey – Awakening CD (Combat)
New release from this new musical project featuring brothers Kent (vocals, guitars, bass) and Brent Smedley (drums/Iced Earth). Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, Eternal Odyssey is a melodic hard rock band crafted from soaring vocals, blistering guitars, thunderous drums, and masterfully crafted songscapes.
Alexis Evans – I’ve Come A Long Way CD (Record Kicks)
From Bordeaux rolls in Alexis Evans, the next big thing of the French deep soul scene. [Vinyl edition due April 26.]
Gil Evans Orchestra – Hidden Treasures, Volume One: Monday Nights CD/LP (Deko Music)
Gil’s sons, trumpeter Miles Evans and his brother Noah Evans keep his flame alive with Hidden Treasures, a new trilogy of recordings of which Monday Nights is the first. The concept here is to feature compositions that the Orchestra played live in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Miles Evans wrote and arranged the album track “LL Funk” in which Kenwood Dennard (Dizzy Gillespie, Brand X, etc…) drives the music with a powerful funk beat, with Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones, Sting, Herbie Hancock, etc…) on bass. Special guests’ solos abound with keyboardist Paul Shaffer (Late Night with David Letterman), Vernon Reid (Living Color) bringing a thick almost heavy metal guitar tip to the track, and the icing on the cake is David Mann (Tower Of Power), who weaves his bluesy, potent alto sax throughout the track.
The Fall – Bend Sinister/The Domesday Pay-Off Triad-Plus! [Reissue/1986/1987] CD/LP (Beggars Banquet)
Bend Sinister is The Fall’s ninth studio album and it was originally released in 1986. It was the last of three albums in a row produced by John Leckie and was named after a dystopian novel by Vladimir Nabokov. “Part musical hypnotist, part ranting mad- man, Smith was a singular figure in post-punk. His Mancunian accent, dry witticisms and plays on words were one of the Fall’s most constant characteristics. Their songs were odysseys into his ever-verbose psyche, marked by repetitive rhythms and melodies.” – Rolling Stone
Josephine Foster – Faithful Fairy Harmony CD/LP (Fire)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Josephine raises a stained-glass lamp and shepherds us spelunking the depths of spirit in this four-part double album. Following the fame of her voice are choruses of winged entities (and a space shuttle) that ascend and descend a maze of spirituals: ritual prayers, blues laments, vestal hymns and jubilant benedictions.
Jerry Garcia Band – Electric On The Eel 6xCD (ATO)
On August 29, 1987 Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia led both the Jerry Garcia Band and the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band for performances at French’s Camp On The Eel River in Piercy, California. Garcia would bring the JGB back to the scenic venue on June 10, 1989 and on August 10, 1991. The Electric On The Eel six-CD set collects these electric sets.
Glacial Tomb – Glacial Tomb CD/LP (Gilead Media)
Unrelenting, calculated, and intense, each of the seven tracks on Glacial Tomb see the band draw inspiration from death metal at a time where the genre relied on unforgiving sonic brutality as much as it did masterful musicianship.
Gary Hoey – Neon Highway Blues CD/LP (Provogue)
Starting with 2013’s Deja Blues and continuing with 2016’s Dust & Bones, Hoey has tapped into his early musical influences and applied his own feral skills to take the format in a unique direction. He stays in the same lane on his latest endeavor, Neon Highway Blues, steering it’s 11 tracks with the confidence and assuredness of a veteran and the freshness of someone who’s still in the process of discovery and refinement – with the help of famous friends such as Eric Gales, Lance Lopez, Josh Smith and Hoey’s 17-year-old son Ian.
HVOB – Rocco CD/2xLP (PIAS America)
An extended album to counteract a fast-moving world, Rocco is Viennese electronic duo HVOB’s fourth album.
Vijay Iyer/Craig Taborn – The Transitory Poems CD (ECM)
Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn, two of creative music’s most resourceful players, learned to meld and mesh their artistic approaches inside Roscoe Mitchell’s Note Factory ensemble (as documented on Mitchell’s 2007 recording Far Side). Since then, Iyer and Taborn have continued to play concerts together. The Transitory Poems, recorded live at the Franz Liszt Academy, Budapest in March 2018, is their first duo album. A marvel of shared invention, it incorporates pieces offered as tributes to formative influences including pianists Cecil Taylor, Muhal Richard Abrams and Geri Allen, and the painter and sculptor Jack Whitten.
Lauren Jenkins – No Saint CD/LP (Big Machine)
Smoky vocals and gritty candor fill the musical diary and debut collection of memories from Texas born, Carolina raised musician Lauren Jenkins who mesmerizes with her passion and authentic songwriting that blends traditional Country roots with Americana influences.
Just Friends – Nothing But Love CD/LP (Pure Noise)
Combining the brevity of a typical Joyce Manor record with the unabashed personality of Reel Big Fish, Pleasanton, CA octet Just Friends falls somewhere between pop punk and ska without pledging full allegiance to either genre.
Manu Katché – The scOpe CD (Anteprima Production)
Manu Katché went to the Conservatoire but his musical origins are to be found in rock music. Even though the drummer extraordinaire has listened to a lot of jazz music, he hasn’t played that much of it. The case gets even harder to crack when you listen to Katché’s tenth album, The scOpe, where he digs deep into the roots of groove music all the while incorporating the modern sounds of machines.
King Midas Sound – Solitude CD/2xLP (Cosmo Rhythmatic)
Woe is King Midas Sound on Solitude, their crushingly desolate new album. A meditation on loss, narrated by Roger Robisnon and produced by Kevin Martin (The Bug), Solitude sees KMS gut out their sound following the bittersweet shoegaze-dub blooms of their Edition1 collaboration with Fennesz (2015), resulting in a starkly noirish elegy to extinguished romance and love in the end times.
Lasso – The Sound Of Lasso CD (Mello Music)
John Coltrane once claimed that you could play a shoestring if you’re sincere, so imagine what a sincere, gifted, and unremittingly devoted artist can do with a drum machine, piano, and 13 musicians at his disposal. With The Sound Of Lasso, the Michigan composer, The Lasso, has turned these intangible emotions into lush wordless symphonies. It’s a sound that’s capable of channeling both the beauty of a frozen great lake and the warmth of a tropical savannah; it’s psychedelic and eerily comforting, chameleonic but unmistakably the vision of a laser-focused mind. A melodic cauldron of lo-fi instrumental hip-hop, face melting beat music, tribal funk, future jazz, and Boards Of Canada-style IDM blasted into the frigid unknown. [Vinyl edition due April 12.]
Louisiana Red – At Onkel Pö’s Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1977 CD/2xLP (Jazzline)
Lousiana Red was one of the most famous blues guitarists, known for his unique style. Accompanied only by his guitar and his mouth-organ, Red took the stage on June 14, 1977 at Onkel Pö’s Carnegie Hall for a legendary set.
Lowlife – Downer Edn CD/LP (Goner)
The whole five band years = a lifetime biz trope is justified, if not negated, by the second album from Sydney’s Low Life. Arriving with an aura of anticipation, Downer Edn (read: Edition) feels like a collective document of the band’s timeline since their unforgettable debut Dogging – an album which made enough of a mark on the punk landscape in 2014 to justify a reissue on London’s Alter in 2017. Recorded over two years and mixed in 2018 by Mikey Young (Total Control / Eddy Current Suppression Ring), Downer Edn sees the core trio of Mitch Tolman, Cristian O’Sullivan and Greg Alfaro expand their ranks to a five piece.
Stephen Malkmus – Groove Denied CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Following hot on the heels of 2018’s Sparkle Hard comes Groove Denied, the rejected album Stephen has been telling everyone about. Groove Denied was written in Berlin and Oregon between Malkmus’ soundtrack to the Netflix series Flaked and Sparkle Hard. It finds Stephen in a playful, exploratory mode – recorded by himself in Oregon; Malkmus plays bass, organ, drum machines, a Roland 2080 and a Memorymoog alongside other instruments interspersed with loops and vocal effects. His first album as a solo artist since 2001, Groove Denied is a fine companion to Sparkle Hard, echoing the experimentation (Auto-Tune, genre-dabbling) found there.
Matmos – Plastic Anniversary CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Matmos’ new album, Plastic Anniversary, was created using only plastic. Highlighting the crises of convenience, the duo makes music from our refuse. True to form, Matmos have assembled a promiscuous array of examples of this sturdy-yet-ersatz family of materials: dominos, styrofoam coolers, police riot shields, polyethylene waste containers, PVC panpipes, pinpricks of bubble wrap, pills, silicone gel breast implants and most horrifically synthetic human fat. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dominic Miller – Absinthe CD (ECM)
With Absinthe, his second release for ECM, guitarist Dominic Miller (Sting) has created an album colored by a distinct atmosphere. It finds the guitarist fronting a quintet that brings his ever-lyrical compositions to textured life as he switches between nylon- and steel-string acoustic guitars. [Vinyl edition due March 29.]
Noisem – Cease To Exist CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
Keeping with the tradition of the most classic grindcore albums, Cease To Exist is an immediately aggressive attack of confrontational energy, pushing the pace with a withering ten tracks over twenty-two minutes.
Normal Brain – Lady Maid [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (We Release Whatever The F**k We Want)
Originally released in 1981, Lady Maid is a testament to the creativity of the early ’80s Japanese electronic and experimental scene, encapsulating a prolific era when audio gear became affordable for musicians to explore sounds in the comfort of their home, free from studio time pressure and major label rules. Entirely imagined and brought to life by an inspired Yukio Fujimoto, the six track opus was conceived with a Korg MS-20, Korg SQ-10, Boss Dr. Rhythm DR-55, and a Texas Instruments Speak & Spell. It’s elegantly minimalist, honest and witty, very playful, cleverly pop, and downright fascinating.
Oz Noy – Booga Looga Loo CD (Abstract Logix)
New York guitar phenom Oz Noy is that rare artist — one who has cultivated his own distinct voice within the context of classic structures. His latest album, Booga Looga Loo reawakens timeless boogaloo meets jazz meets R&B grooves with Noy’s extended, unpredictable harmonic sensibility, stinging phrasing, and deft musical economy.
Anna Öberg – Vafan Har Jag Gjort! CD/LP (Ad Inexplorata)
Swedish electronic music with hints of new wave, industrial and synth pop. Vafan Har Jag Gjort! features a heavy use of analog synthesizers and drum machines from 1972 – 1986, used in tandem with glockenspiel, recorders and voices. Anna sings predominantly in Swedish.
Oozing Wound – High Anxiety CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Chicagos Oozing Wound are a mass of contradictions: weed lovers whose music hits you with its breakneck head banging force. The band deal with nihilism, yet remain addictively fun. Their music is equal parts sludge and thrash, noise and riff-loaded rock. High Anxiety is an unabashed mocking of the madness of modern living, its chemical induced adventures and establishment absurdity, deriding the industrial complex behind established institutions such as NASA while savaging those who deny science. O
Over The Rhine – Love & Revelation CD (Great Speckled Dog)
Critically acclaimed husband and wife duo Over The Rhine celebrates 30 years of making understated yet emotionally-charged music with Love & Revelation. Self-produced and releasing on their own Great Speckled Dog label, Over The Rhine’s first new music in four years finds the beloved duo in a deeply reflective place, contemplating both personal loss and the wavering of Americas collective compass. [Vinyl edition due April 12.]
Ulysses Owens, Jr. – Songs Of Freedom CD (Resilience Music)
First presented under the auspice of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the 1960s are explored through the work of three prolific artists: Joni Mitchell, Abbey Lincoln, and Nina Simone – all of whom have made an indelible mark in music. Each artist expressed freedom in various ways. Joni composed and sung about the freedom of love, Abbey expressed freedom of her individuality and race through her lyricism, and Nina Simone demanded freedom politically through song. The project is under the musical direction of Grammy Award-winning drummer, Ulysses Owens Jr.
Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner – Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner CD/LP (State Fair)
Don’t let the sadness and down-on-their-luck characters on Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner fool you. The release from Dallas singer/songwriter John Pedigo, one half of folkrock duo The O’s, also radiates plenty of hope, joy and exuberant defiance in the face of loss.
Steve Perry –Traces CD/2xLP (Fantasy)
Deluxe expanded CD and vinyl editions of the former Journey vocalist’s 2018 album. Traces is his first solo album in 24 years, following 1994’s For the Love Of Strange Medicine.
Pretty Maids – A Blast From The Past 12xCD (Frontiers)
Pretty Maids is a Danish heavy metal band formed in 1981. The majority of their back-catalog has been collected in this twelve-CD box set.
Steve Reid featuring The Legendary Master Brotherhood – Nova [Reissue/1976] CD/LP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
As a radical jazz artist, Steve Reid played with an extraordinary group of artists Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Lester Bowie and many more. He began his career as a teenager in the 1960s as a drummer at Motown. Reid was born in the South Bronx and grew up in Queens, New York, three blocks away from John Coltrane. In 1969, Reid refused to enlist to the Vietnam war and was arrested as a conscientious objector and given a four-year prison sentence. Upon his release in 1974, he formed the Legendary Master Brotherhood and the independent record label, Mustevic Sound, to release his debut LP Nova. [Limited orange colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Eddie Russ – Fresh Out [Reissue/1974] CD/LP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Eddie Russ was an important figure to emerge from the vibrant underground jazz scene that thrived in Detroit in the early 1970s, existing in the cultural and economic desolation of the city after the departure of Motown in the late 1960s. This scene included the musical collective Tribe (incl. members Wendell Harrison, Marcus Belgrave, Phil Ranelin, Harold McKinney & Doug Hammond) and Kenny Coxs Strata Records. Fresh Out was first released in 1974 on the independent Jazz Masters label. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Jack Savoretti – Singing To Strangers CD/2xLP (BMG Rights Management)
Produced by Cam Blackwood (George Ezra), Singing To Strangers follows Jack Savoretti’s last two gold discs Written In Scars (2014) and Sleep No More (2016). Recorded in Rome at Ennio Morricone’s studio during the long, hot summer of 2018, the album features Jack’s acclaimed live band: guitarists Pedro Vito and Sam Lewis; bassist Sam Davies, drummer Jesper Lind and musical director Nikolai Torp on keys.
Teenage Bottlerocket – Stay Rad! CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Stay Rad features lead single “I Wanna Be A Dog”, a perfect example of the snappy, punchy pop punk that this band has always excelled at.
Vanish – Vanish CD/LP+MP3 (Hopeless)
New Jersey quintet Vanish’s influences range from Chiodos to Senses Fail. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Vile Creature – Preservation Rituals 2015-2018 2xCD (Prosthetic)
CD compilation from engrossing, vitriolic blackened doom duo, Vile Creature. Features their two full-lengths and EP along with an unreleased audio book version of Cast Of Static And Smoke.
Weval – The Weight CD/2xLP (Kompakt)
Weval return with their sophomore album, breaking their pop-mellow, nostalgia-friendly style further out in the open as they arrive at a place where everything felt spontaneous, new and exciting. As a whole, The Weight breathes with that transformative richness, free of limits and rules. Amidst this collection of songs and instrumentals that live by Weval’s singularly positive take on music – one that can lift you up, and make you feel hopeful without being necessarily straight out ‘happy’. The album is a synthesis of the duo’s multi-angle take on electronics: blissed-out, heartening and infinitely free.
Tal Wilkenfeld – Love Remains CD (BMG Rights Management)
Tal Wilkenfeld is a musical marvel; the kind of dynamic young talent whose fresh vision and uncanny intuition puts a whole new perspective on an age-old art form. While many people know Tal as the masterly bassist with Jeff Beck and her high-profile guest appearances with legends from Mick Jagger and Prince to The Allman Bros and Herbie Hancock, music fans are about to discover an entirely new side of Tal as a vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. On her vocal debut album, Love Remains, Tal’s range of talents are on full display, achieving a stunning balance between instrumental prowess and exquisite song craft, quickly captivating the ear and soul. [Vinyl edition due April 26.]
Wretch – Man Or Machine CD (Pure Steel)
Melodic, straight power/thrash metal. [Vinyl edition due March 29.]
X – Los Angeles [Reissue/1980] CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Recently reissued by Fat Possum on vinyl – now available on CD. Four decades after their inception, one thing is clear: X was not only one of the most influential bands to crash out of the punk movement of the late ’70s, but the group’s music continues to be sonically groundbreaking today. [Fat Possum reissues of Wild Gift (1981), Under The Big Black Sun (1982), and More Fun In The New World (1983) are due within the four weeks.
Akiko Yano – Japanese Girl [Reissue/1976] LP (Wewantsounds)
Backed by Little Feat with Lowell George and by top Japanese musicians (including Haruomi Hosono), Japanese Girl is one of the most important Japanese albums of the ’70s, mixing pop, rock, and Japanese folk together with Little Feat’s superb classic sound. [Vinyl edition due March 29.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Foreigner – Live At The Rainbow ’78 DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
On April 27, 1978, after their self-titled debut album had spent a year in the US Top 20, AOR heroes Foreigner played a sold-out show at London’s legendary music venue, the Rainbow Theatre. Opening with “Long, Long Way From Home”, the band’s legion of fans were treated to a magnificent display of musicianship and performance, including the hit singles, “Feels Like The First Time” and “Cold As Ice”, as well as an exclusive preview of two tracks from the upcoming 1978 album, Double Vision.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Aaron Abernathy – Epilogue LP (Aaron Abernathy Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Widely known for his live performances and collaborative efforts with artists including Black Milk, Slum Village, and Foreign Exchange Aaron Abernathy returns with the final installment of a trilogy (following Monologue and Dialogue). Epilogue focuses on restoration after heartbreak, an album that Abernathy has lived through and through and was uncertain about sharing.
The Steve Adamyk Band – Paradise LP (Dirtnap)
Twelve new rippers from Canada’s premiere power-pop/punk crossover group.
AFK & Bludwork – Loyalty N Service LP (100% Silk)
South Cali classmates AFK and Bludwork come from oceans apart – South Korea and Georgia, respectively – but their intertwined friendship and singular musical chemistry are proof that true vibe unions transcend geography. The pair initially bonded over teacher pranks and 420 habits before rendezvousing off campus to link rigs and jam live electronics, eventually culminating in the six smog-smeared low-key bangers comprising their vinyl debut, Loyalty N Service.
Alphaville – Forever Young [Reissue/1984] LP+3xCD+DVD (Atlantic)
Super Deluxe edition includes vinyl LP, three CDS, and one DVD. The vinyl LP includes the remastered version of the album. CD One features the remastered original album, including “Big In Japan”, “Sounds Like A Melody” and “Forever Young”. CD Two presents the original single versions, B-sides and 12 singles. CD Three contains 16 rare demos and alternative versions as well as some of Alphaville’s early compositions in German language. The DVD features the 60-minute documentary Never Grow Up – The Story Of Forever Young, including current interviews with Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd and the original album producers Colin Pearson and Wolfgang Loos among others, as well as the original music videos to “Forever Young”, “Big In Japan”, “The Jet Set” and “Sounds Like A Melody”.
Ankhlejohn – The Yellow House LP (Shaap)
Ankhlejohn’s first solo album under his self-built label Shaap Records is inspired by a landmark food spot in Washington, D.C called the Yellow House. A play on from the Van Ghost album, Ankhlejohn dives from one theme to another with a deeper meaning of where it originates in his reality. From Van Gogh’s painting to the actual breakfast spot where kids, junkies and black families of DC eat while witnessing the beauty and beast of the Northeast side of Washington. More grimey boom bap, more soul and more brag raps.
Antichrist – Forbidden World [Reissue/2011] LP (I Hate Records)
Black vinyl reissue of the Swedish thrash quintet’s debut album.
The Athenians – Steppin’ Out With The Athenians LP (Wah Wah)
The most popular and productive line-up of The Athenians beat group came together in Edinburgh in late 1963 and comprised Rick Alcorn (Bass), Ally Black (Guitar), Keith Henderson (Guitar), Arthur Mackey (Drums) and Ian Orr (Vocals). After a deep delve into the catalogues of Sue, Chess, Atlantic, Motown etc. a pretty sassy outfit became the exponents of some very acceptable R&B/rock. Steppin’ Out With The Athenians compiles the bands’ 45s plus previously unreleased recordings from surviving acetates. If you love bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Yardbirds, bluesmen like Slim Harpo or Lazy Lester and also the soulful sounds of acts like Ike & Tina Turner or Ben E. King this LP is for you.
Deben Bhattacharya – Music On The Desert Road [Reissue/1957] LP (Fantôme Phonographique)
The late Deben Bhattacharya was a noted Bengali record producer, ethnomusicologist, poet, documentarian, radio producer, and all-around renaissance man. In 1955, having worked all possible angles to securing funding Bhattacharya traveled to India to record musicians. The success of this trip allowed him to travel again soon after to the countries of the Middle East. With recordings from Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, as well as India and Pakistan, Music On The Desert Road is one of the best and earliest documents of the diverse and rich musical traditions of the Middle East.
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band [Reissue/1965] LP (Sundazed Music)
Limited red colored vinyl LP pressing. As young blues enthusiasts soaking up the Chicago scene in the early ‘60s, Paul Butterfield, Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield frequently encountered one another in the South Side clubs. Butterfield and Bishop soon took their fandom one step further and formed their own blues combo, hiring away Sam Lay and Jerome Arnold from Howlin’ Wolf’s touring band.
Cannibal Corpse – Hammer Smashed Face [Reissue/1993] 12” (Metal Blade)
The long out-of-print first single by Cannibal Corpse released in 1993 is now available on 12” with a B-side etching.
Chicha Libre – Sonido Amazonico! [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Barbès)
Chicha Libre play a mixture of Latin rhythms, surf music and psychedelic pop inspired by Peruvian music from Lima and the Amazon. The Brooklyn-based band mixes up covers of forgotten Chicha classics with French-tinged originals, re-interpretation of ‘70s pop classics as well as cumbia versions of pieces by Satie and Wagner.
Don Cherry – Brown Rice [Reissue/1975] LP (A&M)
On vinyl in the US for the first time since 1977, this 1975 release includes African, Indian, Arabic and ‘70s era Miles Davis style electric rock fusions. Featuring contributions from former Ornette Coleman bandmates Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins, and liner notes from Stanley Crouch.
Damu The Fudgemunk – Victorious Visions (Dreams & Vibrations Instrumentals) LP (Redefinition)
Almost 40 minutes of quality Instrumental compositions created by one of the genre’s very best producers. Known for his extensive career as a beatsmith, the use of his trademark MPC2000 and the iconic SP1200 in this collection is a standout in his catalog.
The Deli –JazzCat LP (Cold Busted)
Limited turquoise colored vinyl LP pressing. Austin hip-hop beatrepreneur The Deli made serious waves with previous Cold Busted album, Vibes 3. Filled with the smoked-out, laid-back cut-and-paste rhythmology that The Deli is known for, Jazz Cat contains 15 enticing beat compositions.
Devo – Turn Around: B-Sides & More (1978-1984) LP (Run Out Groove)
Limited 180gm colored vinyl LP pressing. Hard-to-find and unique tracks collected from 7” and 12” singles.
Drive By – Back On Da Block [Reissue/2013] 12” (Majik Ninja)
Blaze Ya Dead Homie and Anybody Killa release their 2013 EP on vinyl. Features an etched B-side.
Enuff Z’nuff – Greatest Hits LP (Deadline Music)
Limited edition green and black splatter vinyl pressing of this best of compilation jam packed with the catchiest melodies by one of the most under-appreciated bands of the ’80s.
- Of Audiotreats – Bits & Pieces LP (For The Love Of It)
Nice & smooth instrumental hip-hop album. ‘90s flavor with a Dilla swing and smooth soul & jazz samples are a big part his production style.
Funkadelic & Soul Clap – First Ya Gotta Shake The Gate 12” (Soul Clap)
Soul Clap teams up with the legendary Dr. Funkenstein, George Clinton, for this three track EP including one track featuring Sly Stone on keys.
Future – Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD 2xLP+MP3 (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The seventh full-length album from Atlanta hip-hop superstar and multiplatinum trailblazer. Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD boasts a handful of blockbuster collaborations. “Unicorn Purp” (featuring Young Thug & Gunna) unites three of Atlanta’s most iconoclastic talents on one psyched-out banger. “First Off” (featuring Travis Scott) threads together wildly woozy melodies as these two titans lock into a chaotic call-and-response.
FZPZ – Hidden Personas LP (Darker Than Wax)
FZPZ’s Hidden Personas is a poetic dichotomy of traditional and modern, classical and electronic, cultural and ethnic. It is also an apex of maturity, culture, and inspiration. This new resonance draws influences from ‘70s soul, neo-soul, jazz and even classical.
Don Gere – Werewolves On Wheels [OST/1971] LP (Finders Keepers)
Take a combined hit of two of the most potent strains of toxic cinema, dress it up in ritualistic robes, and make it dance to the beat of a stoned, motoric, country commune soundtrack.
Goblin – Buio Omega (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP (Death Waltz)
Limited green vinyl pressing housed in a gatefold jacket with printed insert. Joe D’Amato’s 1979 gorefest Buio Omega (Beyond The Darkness) concerns a local taxidermist Frank and his dead fiancée, unable to cope with his loss he of course digs up his deceased girlfriend and preserves and stuffs her. Goblin supplied the score to the film; synthesizers soar and drums rattle and the score is a funk filled masterpiece far better than the film probably deserves.
Hot Water Music – The New What Next [Reissue/2004] LP (Epitaph)
Limited colored vinyl LP pressing. In 2019, Hot Water Music celebrates their 25th anniversary as a band and will tour the world performing tracks from their entire catalog. Epitaph Records has repressed three of the band’s albums on colored vinyl including 2001’s A Flight and A Crash, 2002’s Caution, and now, 2004’s The New What Next – Hot Water Music’s third album for Epitaph, and their last before a lengthy hiatus.
In Flames – I, The Mask LP (Eleven Seven Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. At this point, In Flames is less of a band than they are a musical institution in the heavy music world. Since helping create Sweden’s legendary “Gothenburg Sound” three decades ago to their current status as melodic metal monoliths, the act has constantly eschewed trends in order to forge their own musical path. This is ever evident on their thirteenth full-length I, The Mask, which sees them reuniting with multi Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Motörhead, The Used).
Iota – Tales [Reissue/2008] LP (Small Stone)
When Iota’s Tales was first released more than a decade ago, it immediately heralded a change in the scope of heavy rock ‘n’ roll. From the hard punch of it’s opening duo ‘New Mantis’ and ‘We Are The Yithians,’ it departed into three extended cuts that drew together already-classic elements of weighted riffs with a doors-thrown-open sense of space and jammed into scorched-solo psychedelic oblivion. 180gm clear with black swirl pressing.
J.J. Johnson – Themes And Cues For Movies And Television LP (Family Groove)
Previously unreleased cinematic jazz-funk for film & television by Arranger/Composer J.J. Johnson. Funky Moog modulations, car chases, moody library cues and a righteous soul sister preaching universal truths are revealed in these recently discovered recordings.
Quincy Jones – Body Heat [Reissue/1974] LP (LMLR)
Limited red translucent 140gm vinyl LP pressing with original record labels, printed inner sleeves and cardboard jacket with one pocket. The legendary producer/arranger/musician’s 1974 album Body Heat features musical contributions from Dave Grusin, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Hubert Laws, Leon Ware, Minnie Riperton, Max Bennett, Wah Wah Watson and many others.
Jukebox The Ghost – Let Live & Let Ghosts [Reissue/2008] LP+MP3 (Yep Roc)
For the ten-year anniversary of Jukebox The Ghost’s debut album, Yep Roc has given the album the deluxe treatment. Remastered and pressed on colored vinyl with a band poster, the LP also includes a digital download code for the full remastered album along with a download of unreleased session tracks recorded by the band.
Kazahaya – Beats Soul & Life LP (Dinked)
Japan and UK beatmaker Kazahaya possesses an unparalleled penchant for making sublimely melodic compositions with fat beats by sampling that draw inspiration from ‘90s golden era hip-hop. His second album combines a keen appreciation for boom bap hip-hop with soul, jazz, and Brazil.
The Kinks – Word Of Mouth [Reissue/1984] LP (Friday Music)
The rich, warm production on the Kinks’ 1984 release Word Of Mouth is perfectly suited to some of Ray Davies’ finest songs like “Good Day” and “Summer’s Gone”, while “Too Hot” would have sounded right at home on Muswell Hilbillies. For anyone skeptical about the British rock institution’s post-’70s output, this album will serve as a revelation. [Limited 180gm translucent pink & white swirl colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Knickerbockers – Rockin’ With The Knickerbockers [Reissue/2006] LP (Sundazed Music)
Exploding from AM radio speakers everywhere in 1965, The Knickerbockers’ “Lies” is a certified ’60s classic. Much has been made over its sonic similarity to the Beatles, particularly the Lennon-esque lead vocals. Rockin’ With The Knickerbockers features that song along with other hits, rarities, unissued cuts and more.
Willie Lane – Guitar Army Of One LP (Feeding Tube)
Remastered reissue of the second brilliant Willie Lane LP released by Cord-Art, originally available (for a few moments, anyway) in 2012. Guitar Army of One is a bit less folk oriented than its predecessor, Known Quantity, in as much as there’s more electricity and pedals being employed. But Willie’s playing at this time was such a weird hybrid – from quiet country blues passages to blown psychedelic bong-wash in the blink of an eye – that no technique or approach was ruled out. Everything was permitted. Which led to some mind-bending results.
Klaus Layer – Instrumentals From Lost Track LP (Redefinition)
Instrumental version of German beatsmith Klaus Layer’s hard-hitting Lost Track LP. Silver colored vinyl pressing in a monochrome sleeve.
Månegarm – Nattväsen [Reissue/2009] LP (Black Lodge)
Månegarm’s classic album Nattväsen is back in print on vinyl. Packed with pagan battle songs, the album is a milestone in the Viking metal genre.
The Millennium – Begin [Reissue/1968] LP (Sundazed Music)
Limited white colored vinyl pressing. The Millennium looms large in the hearts of fans of the ’60s sunshine pop genre. The studio group was the creation of legendary tunesmith/studio genius Curt Boettcher, who had previously been instrumental in the formation of the fabled ’60s cult acts the Ballroom and Sagittarius. In 1968, Boettcher assembled a group of talented California singers and musicians (including singer/guitarists Lee Mallory, Sandy Salisbury, Joey Stec and Michael Fennelly and Music Machine drummer Ron Edgar) to record the Millennium’s sole album, Begin, an exquisite progressive pop opus combining breezy melodies, ambitious baroque arrangements, stirring psychedelic touches and angelic vocal harmonies.
Mozes And The Firstborn – Dadcore LP (Burger)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Playing a potent mix of sleazy grunge and power pop perfection Mozes and the Firstborn hail from Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Their influences vary from Guided by Voices and Beck to Weezer and Nirvana.
Mr. Green – Last Of The Classic Beats LP (Live From Streets)
Famed hip-hop producer Mr. Green has worked with the likes of Snoop Dogg, A$AP Ferg, Freddie Gibbs, Talib Kwei, KRS-One, Bodega Bamz, Masta Ace, Deniro Farrar, and many more. Last Of The Classic Beats is perfect for MCs, DJs, producers, and all-around music lovers.
Muslimgauze – Azzazin [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Staalplaat)
Tightly focused on a singular palette of monotone drones and swarming electronic buzzes, Azzazin arguably sound like a parallel to early Editions Mego. They’re probably the most minimalist Muslimgauze tracks you’ve heard, and even still he manages to express a fine range of abstracted emotions, from aggressive buzz to tender ambient pieces and spectral concrete prisms. This double-LP reissue adds two unreleased tracks.
New Order – Everythings Gone Green [Reissue/1981] 12” (WB)
Originally released on Factory Benelux in December 1981, this 12” features “Everything’s Gone Green”, which had previously been on the reverse of the band’s second 7” single “Procession” in September 1981, and “Cries And Whispers” and “Mesh” whose titles were flipped on the cover causing confusion amongst fans and compilers ever since.
Omnibus – Omnibus [Reissue/1970] LP (Wah Wah)
New Jersey’s Omnibus formed from the ashes of garage bands from the New Milford area: The Cliffhangers, The Forerunners and The Vandals. They had an amazing psychedelic sound that took all the right elements from West Coast bands like The Doors or The Jefferson Airplane, Bosstown sound acts like Ultimate Spinach or Chicago hipsters like H.P. Lovecraft to produce their very own Made in Milford, N.J. mixture. Strong, dramatic vocals, tons of fuzz guitar and swirling organs built up their magic sound.
Overkill – The Wings Of War 2xLP (Nuclear Blast America)
Limited grey colored vinyl pressing of the pioneering thrash band’s new (and 19th) studio album.
Planet Asia & DJ Concept – Seventy Nine [Reissue/2016] LP (Coalmine Music)
In commemoration of the three-year anniversary of Planet Asia & DJ Concept’s collaborative LP, Seventy Nine, Coalmine Records is pleased to release a special edition repress with a NYC-themed alternate cover, pressed on classic black vinyl. Since debuting nearly 20 years ago, Planet Asia has continued to cement himself as one of the best to ever touch the mic. Seventy Nine is a tightly constructed and ambitious concept album from himself and Long Island producer, DJ Concept.
Benoît Honoré Pioulard and Sean Curtis Patrick – Avocationals LP (Beacon Sound)
Over the course of nine songs Thomas Meluch (aka Benoît Pioulard) and Sean Curtis Patrick use synthesizers, reel-to-reel tape machines, field recordings, guitar, and processed voice to conjure the ghosts of 20th century Great Lakes shipwrecks.
James Place – Still Waves To A Whisper LP (Umor Rex)
Fitting between the dreamworld of hauntological synth music and hypnotic techno functionality, Still Waves To Whisper showcases James Place’s Continuing development of dramatic (and varied) sound worlds.
Mary Puce – The Drought LP (Pan)
Vinyl repress now available. “Frederikke Hoffmeier’s voice is the thread that holds together her apocalyptic mood pieces, a cinematic take on noise that’s driven by dead-eyed focus.” — Pitchfork
Jean Ritchie – Traditional Songs Of Her Kentucky Mountain Family [Reissue/1952] LP (Fantôme Phonographiq)
In the world of American folk music, Jean Ritchie was a truly unique presence. Most of the younger artists of the folk revival of the ’50s and ’60s were middle class urbanites and liberal arts college students who helped rediscover the older traditional artists of the South. Though these two groups intermingled at concerts and the younger artists idolized the true folk artists, Jean Ritchie was an anomaly in that she fit equally in each crowd.
Sam Rivers – Contours [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
Saxophonist and flutist Sam Rivers followed-up his striking debut Fuchsia Swing Song with the tremendous album Contours, which was recorded at Rudy Van Gelder’s Englewood Cliffs, NJ studio in 1965 with a top-flight band featuring Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums.
Russ – Zoo 2xLP+MP3 (Sony)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Russ is known for his recordings that contain hip hop and R&B elements, while combining rapping and singing on the hook. His style has been described by Uproxx as a raspy, hardbody rap flow, and lilting, almost drunken singing voice.
SadatX & El Da Sensei – Present XL LP (Vinyl Digital)
Two golden era legends together on one album and they are bringing back classic New York rap in all his facets. Known from legendary crews Brand Nubian and Artifacts, the two rappers are bringing together jazzy sounds with banging drums, but always spitting punchline and trading bars with R.A. The Rugged Man or SaRoc.
Seahawks – Eyes Of The Moon LP (Cascine)
From their coastal studio in Cornwall, Seahawks deliver a collection of mystic pop, sparkling new age and psychedelic ambience.
The Storm – The Storm [Reissue/1974] LP (Wah Wah)
The Storm hailed from Sevilla and was acclaimed by both audience and press reviewers as one of the best rock bands from Spain. Their eponymous 1974 debut album is full of high energy hard rock that follows the line marked by the big organ outfits of the era: Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster, Bram Stoker, Megatón, and also has a deep classic prog sound.
Dexter Story – Bahir LP (Soundway)
Dexter Story is an artistic spirit in the truest sense of the phrase. From his work as a multi-instrumentalist for acts like the Sa-Ra Creative Partners, to his management role with Snoop Dogg and his turn producing Daymé Arocena’s 2017 album Cubafonia, Story understands the business from every conceivable angle. On Bahir, Story serves Ethiopian jazz tonalities, Tuareg grooves, ekista dance rhythms, Afro-funk, Somalian soul, and forays into more contemporary jazz rhythms. For fans of: Sudan Archives, Kamasi Washington, Laraaji, Carlos Niño, Mark de CliveLowe, Zap Mama, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Josef Leimberg.
Ta-Ku – 25 Nights For Nujabes 2xLP (Jakarta)
Haven risen to prominence as one of Australia’s most in-demand beatmakers, the Perthbased artist has found himself curator of a rapidly expanding, multi-disciplinary creative empire. From early days uploading chopped hip-hop cuts to Soundcloud, the genre-killer’s prodigious credits now include ambitious projects like 50 Days For Dilla, high-profile remixes for Flume, Chet Faker, BANKS, Childish Gambino and Justin Timberlake, as well as a clutch of co-writes, production efforts and countless self-releases. Drawing inspiration from the likes of D’Angelo, James Blake and J Dilla, Ta-Ku fuses modern electronic production with soul and indie undertones.
Tommy Genesis – Tommy Genesis LP (Downtown)
Tommy Genesis, the highly anticipated debut album from rising star Tommy Genesis, features previously released tracks “Tommy” and “100 Bad”, which was featured on HBO’s Insecure, Assassination Nation and remixed by Charli XCX.
The Tough Sh!ts – Burning In Paradise LP (Burger)
Retro-fitted for that classic, catchy, brimming-with-energy vibe that spills over into the audience, The Tough Sh!ts capture a chilled-out yet constantly-on-the-go garage sound. Their playful partying injects enough unfiltered attitude to create a raw edge, balancing things out with that bubbly surfing backdrop – crisp and yet still loose in a way that fits one’s weekend needs.
Yan Tregger – To The Land Of No Return LP (Wah Wah)
Based around the possibilities of the legendary ARP 2600 synthesizer, To The Land Of No Return was an outrageous and nightmarish collection of sound vignettes that pushed the instrument’s capabilities to the limit. Thrilling, uneasy, surreal, spellbinding or just plain spaced out – an album whose theme is the departure of a psychedelic train on a trip with no return to a lost world, leading its only passenger to unreal adventures according to composer’s words. An essential slice of musical lunacy coming from the most experimental fringes of the French library world.
Frank Turner – Poetry Of The Deed [Reissue/2009] LP (Xtra Mile)
Vinyl reissue of the 2009 album from the English folk singer-songwriter, and former vocalist of legendary UK punk band Million Dead. Like an earlier folksinger with roots in the punk movement, Billy Bragg, Turner spits out songs that are at once effortless and heartfelt, filled with venom, self-doubt, and love for the everyday people he meets in the street.
Various Artists – Berghain 09 2×12” (Ostgut Ton)
Since becoming a Berghain resident in 2017, Dominick Fernow’s risk-taking hybrid live/DJ sets as Vatican Shadow have become conduits for infusing techno with contrasting musical ideas — from noise, industrial, and ambient to distorted melodies and rhythms that push the club’s borders in unexpected ways. His Berghain 09 mix features exclusive tracks by Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Virile Games, Los Angeles Death Cult, Ron Morelli, Volvox, JK Flesh, Alberich, Ugandan Methods | Prurient, and Merzbow.
Various Artists – Precocious Noise & Early Electronica 2 2xLP+CD (Sound Miracle)
A compilation for those who are not familiar with the fascinating world of primal electronica, noise, sound design, industrial, avant-garde, tape-music, etc. Audiophile transparent clear vinyl pressing.
Bernard Xolotl – Music By Xolotl [Reissue/1978] LP+7” (Wah Wah)
First-ever vinyl edition of the amazing Music By Xolotl, originally issued only on cassette by Unity Records in 1978. As a teen, Xolotl was introduced to electronic music through the works of musique concrete composers like Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer, although he found the early recordings of Pink Floyd to be more inspirational.
Yellow Eyes – Hammer Of Night [Reissue/2013] LP (Gilead Media)
Originally released in 2013, Hammer Of Night is the second full-lengthfrom New York black metal project Yellow Eyes.
YG – My Krazy Life [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Double blood red colored vinyl LP pressing. YG’s debut album, My Krazy Life, was an instant West Coast Gangsta rap classic.
Tom Zé – Estudando O Samba [Reissue/1976] LP (Mr. Bongo)
Estudando O Samba (or ‘Studying The Samba’) is a post-Tropicalia studio experimentation laiden with layers of hypnotic percussion, effects & samples that deconstructs the ‘samba’ form. Recorded during what was arguably his most creative period. David Byrne found the record in Rio in the late 90’s and included several songs on his Tom Zé collection for Luaka Bop a few years later.
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