AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
100 Gecs – 10,000 Gecs CD/LP (Atlantic)
100 Gecs, the duo comprised of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, return with their sophomore album, 10,000 Gecs. Following their breakout debut album 1,000 Gecs, the anticipation of their next body of work has been high and the band’s teases have been plentiful. The new album includes previously released singles “Mememe” which has been described as “an ebullient carnival of ska-inflected verses that bounce off a chorus of thrash guitars and a squiggling synth line” along with the ‘90s alt rock-inspired “Doritos & Fritos”, which The Fader noted is “unlike any other Gecs track before it”. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]
All Time Low – Tell Me I’m Alive CD (Fueled By Ramen)
All Time Low has undeniably carved out their own corner of popular culture. The multi-platinum Maryland pop-punk quartet topped charts, sold out arenas worldwide, and served up a series of instantly irresistible anthems in the process. Their influence remains pervasive: 5 Seconds Of Summer have covered their tunes, Cheat Codes and Pierce The Veil have jumped at the chance to collaborate, and they’ve contributed music to films by visionaries such as Tim Burton and Diablo Cody. Speaking of their impact, Rolling Stone even named So Wrong, It’s Right among its 50 greatest pop punk albums. Tell Me I’m Alive is their ninth album and is preceded by the title track.
Invent Animate – Heavener CD/LP (UNFD)
“Invent Animate has always occupied a strange niche in the metalcore scene in that they are nearly universally praised as royalty in the underground, particularly amongst those who like the djent-y and progressive side of the genre but have been seemingly confined to this box since their inception. Many praised the group’s 2021 EP The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was as the perfect culmination of their sounds and hoped it would be an indication of what would follow; in hindsight, this hope was an underestimate of what the group is capable of, as Heavener is even a sufficient step-up from its already stunning three-track predecessor. The technical prowess is equally impressive and tasteful, the signature ambient textures are lush and beautiful, the songwriting is unpredictable yet digestible and varied, and most importantly, the emotion is absolutely unhinged.” Matt Jones, Boolin Tunes [A limited-edition transparent cream color vinyl pressing is available.]
Kamelot – The Awakening CD/2xLP (Napalm)
Kamelot’s first album in five years, The Awakening shines as a massive and diverse offering mixing symphonic, melodic, and power metal styles, yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band’s history. With crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios, Kamelot’s score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions – from genre star Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) to renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and Grammy nominated, soundtrack-featured cellist Tina Guo. Kamelot’s intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionality than ever on this inspiring, anticipated addition to their legacy. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Julian Lage – The Layers CD/LP (Blue Note)
The Layers is a stunning companion piece to guitarist Julian Lage’s acclaimed 2022 album View With A Room. The collection features six original pieces recorded during the same sessions which found Lage discovering new orchestration possibilities by augmenting his deeply attuned trio of bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of guitar icon Bill Frisell. Intimate and gorgeous, exploratory, and embracing, imbued with vibrant colors and exquisite interplay, The Layers is a welcome additional offering from this meeting of two of modern jazz’s most distinctive voices with one of the music’s most skilled and inventive rhythm sections.
M83 – Fantasy CD/LP+2xMP3 (Mute)
Over the span of two decades, M83 mastermind Anthony Gonzalez has firmly established himself as an artist whose work transcends mere escapism in favor of full-on worldbuilding. Whether it be via his celebrated studio albums, film soundtracks, or compositions for stage productions, Gonzalez has proven that nothing surpasses his ability to perfectly encapsulate a specific time, emotion, or sense of place. Now with the project’s ninth studio album Fantasy, the Platinum selling, Grammy-nominated artist returns with his most personal album to date. Featuring long-time collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Joe Berry, M83’s touring keyboardist and sax player, the album was born out of extended jam sessions that lasted nearly a year. The result is an exuberant, live-sounding record where trademark M83 goosebump moments abound.] An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Now More Than Ever – Creatrix 12” (Creatrix/Thirty Tigers)
All-American Rejects co-founder Tyson Ritter didn’t start Now More Than Ever in 2018 with the expectation it would turn into a real band – but a real band is very much what it has become. In tandem with veteran musicians/songwriters/producers Scott Chesak (All-American Rejects, Panic! At the Disco, Weezer) and Izzy Fontaine (Taking Back Sunday, Tegan & Sara, Glassjaw), Ritter has begun a meaningful and exciting new chapter in his music career with Now More Than Ever’s debut album Creatrix.
U2 – Songs Of Surrender CD/2xLP/4xCD/4xLP (IGA)
Songs Of Surrender delivers 16 new acoustic and reimagined recordings from the U2 catalog, produced and compiled by The Edge, including “One”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, and “Pride (In The Name Of Love) .” “Music allows you to time travel,” explained The Edge, “And we became curious to find out what it would be like to bring our early songs back with us to the present day and give them the benefit, or otherwise, of a 21st century reimagining. What started out as an experiment quickly developed into a personal obsession as so many of our songs yielded to a new interpretation. Intimacy replaced post punk urgency. New tempos, new keys, and in some cases new chords and new lyrics arrived. A great song, it turns out, is kind of indestructible.” [Super Deluxe four-disc CD and vinyl editions – each featuring 40 tracks total – are available. An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
No additional social media titles this week.
CDs + Vinyl:
100 Gecs – 10,000 Gecs CD/LP (Atlantic)
100 Gecs, the duo comprised of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, return with their sophomore album, 10,000 Gecs. Following their breakout debut album 1,000 Gecs, the anticipation of their next body of work has been high and the band’s teases have been plentiful. The new album includes previously released singles “Mememe” which has been described as “an ebullient carnival of ska-inflected verses that bounce off a chorus of thrash guitars and a squiggling synth line” along with the ‘90s alt rock-inspired “Doritos & Fritos”, which The Fader noted is “unlike any other Gecs track before it”. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available.]
All Time Low – Tell Me I’m Alive CD (Fueled By Ramen)
All Time Low has undeniably carved out their own corner of popular culture. The multi-platinum Maryland pop-punk quartet topped charts, sold out arenas worldwide, and served up a series of instantly irresistible anthems in the process. Their influence remains pervasive: 5 Seconds Of Summer have covered their tunes, Cheat Codes and Pierce The Veil have jumped at the chance to collaborate, and they’ve contributed music to films by visionaries such as Tim Burton and Diablo Cody. Speaking of their impact, Rolling Stone even named So Wrong, It’s Right among its 50 greatest pop punk albums. Tell Me I’m Alive is their ninth album and is preceded by the title track.
Artch – Another Return [Reissue/1988] CD/LP (Napalm)
Artch were a little heavier than your stock NWOBHM worship band, but clearly the roots of their sound all lay within that field, and you could probably develop a crush on this if you’re a fan of Dio’s original two Sabbath records, the heavier side of Saxon, or Iron Maiden circa 1980-1984.
The Band Of Heathens – Simple Things CD/LP (Boh)
New album from the Texas rock ‘n’ roll band. “The Band of Heathens are not Pollyannas. They know the light at the end of the tunnel may be a train headed in our direction, ready to run us over. The songs on Simple Things express the courage to keep going even when life seems dark. One doesn’t need to be naïve to appreciate our gifts and be grateful.” – Steve Horowitz, Pop Matters [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Beborn Beton – Darkness Falls Again CD/2xCD/LP (Dependent)
There is more than one way to listen to Beborn Beton’s ninth album Darkness Falls Again: it is possible to just dance and enjoy contemporary synth pop hymns that have a solid musical based in the golden ‘80s with a dash of cool ‘90s influences. Catchy tunes and mature songwriting combine to form a sonic joyride. Yet Beborn Beton also put their finger right on the pulse of our time and speak out against misogyny, sexual discrimination, and environmental destruction. [A deluxe expanded double-CD edition and a limited white color vinyl pressing are available.]
The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker (Live) CD/2xLP (Silver Arrow)
During the 30th Anniversary tour of their breakout album Shake Your Money Maker, The Black Crowes recorded and chose the best performances of each album track.
Black Honey – A Fistful Of Peaches CD/LP (UK Black Honey)
“Formerly using the heaviness of their guitars to incite daydreams, Brighton quartet Black Honey has removed their collective head from the clouds to face the bleakness of real life that was once shrouded in denial. On A Fistful Of Peaches, all that remains from their utopia is said heaviness, now used as a weapon of resistance, raising fists with rewarding anthemics.” – Ben Malkin, Indie Is Not A Genre
Waltel Branco – Meu Balanço [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (Mr Bongo)
Meu Balanço was originally released on CBS Records Brazil in 1975. It is Brazilian big band, orchestrated jazz-funk at its finest. Echoing the library and film productions created in Europe and the USA at the time, it also displays the hallmarks of Waltel’s heritage with distinct threads of Brazilian flavor running throughout. The musicians on the record include under-the-radar players that were the backbone of the Brazilian music industry in the 1970s including Luizão Maia on bass, Edmundo Maciel on trombone and Paulinho Braga on drums. The album flirts between jazz-funk, cinematic library excursions, breaks and beats, easy-listening, and ‘70s cop show instrumentals.
Sarah Borges – Silver City [Reissue/2007] CD/LP (Blue Corn Music)
Reissue of the singer/songwriter’s 2007 debut album. A stunning set of songs exploring American music in all its many aspects. You’ll hear everyone from Hank Williams to The Pixies, but it never sounds forced. Legendary producer Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Uncle Tupelo, Hole, Pixies) pulls it all together into a muscular, rocking sound that has a sometimes surprisingly tender core. Borges’ songwriting range is most impressive in someone so young, and the songs are given ample breathing room by her band, which includes ex-Blood Oranges multi-instrumentalist, Jimmy Ryan.
The Cash Box Kings – Oscar’s Motel CD/LP (Alligator)
The Cash Box Kings return with another enthusiastic celebration of Chicago blues in all its electric forms. Not content to merely pay homage to the past, they mix contemporary authority and old-school authenticity, opening a door into the intoxicating spirit and sounds of 1950s and 1960s Chicago-based blues brought right up to the minute by the original songwriting of singer Oscar Wilson and harmonicist/singer Joe Nosek. Sparked by Wilson’s commanding vocals and Nosek’s blistering harp, Oscar’s Motel brims with raw, unvarnished ensemble playing on hard-driving shuffles, funky workouts and pleading slow blues. [A limited-edition yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Blonde (Soundtrack From The Netflix Film) CD/LP+MP3 (Invada)
Original soundtrack to the 2022 film. Blonde boldly reimagines the life of one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons, Marilyn Monroe. From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, Blonde blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves. Cave and Ellis reflect on the making of the score: “Working with Andrew Dominik is always a challenging, but ultimately mind-blowing experience. Creating the score for this terrifying and complex reimagining of the Marilyn Monroe story was no different and, as always, it was a complete privilege to work with him. The darkest of films with a gorgeous spiritual score.” [Three deluxe vinyl colorways are available: Red, white and pink.]
Billy Childs – The Winds Of Change CD (Mack Avenue)
Five-time Grammy Award-winner Billy Childs assembles an all-star quartet with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Brian Blade. On The Winds Of Change, the critically acclaimed pianist/composer offers five brand new original compositions alongside exhilarating arrangements of Chick Corea’s “Crystal Silence” (originally on Corea’s 1972 ECM recording of the same name with vibraphonist Gary Burton) and Kenny Barron’s “The Black Angel” (originally on trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s 1970 Atlantic recording of the same name) to push the creative boundaries of the group and inspire a collective new sound to pay homage to jazz legends and the artistry.
Cross Country Driver – New Truth CD (Frontiers)
New group formed by Rob Lamothe (Riverdogs), James Harper (Fighting Friday), and Zander Lamothe (Logan Staats Band). Mike Mangini (Dream Theater), Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), Greg Chaisson (Badlands), dUg Pinnick (King’s X), Rhonda Smith (Jeff Beck), Jimmy Wallace (The Wallflowers), KFigg (Extreme) and more.
Daddy Long Legs – Street Sermons CD/LP+MP3 (Yep Roc)
The alternative, punk blues-bashers Daddy Long Legs return with their fourth studio album: Street Sermons. The expansive, new territory that the New York City-based trio cover on Street Sermons is thanks to producer Oakley Munson (The Black Lips). Featuring contributions from legends like John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful and Stiff Records veteran Wreckless Eric, Daddy Long Legs punch a necessary hole in the 21st Century landscape, both sonically and spiritually. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Lucas de Mulder & The New Mastersounds – Feel The Spirit CD/LP (Color Red)
Feel The Spirit finds Lucas de Mulder as the newest bearer of the torch of deep funk and boogaloo guitar work. Produced by Eddie Roberts, bandleader, and guitarist of the international funk group, The New Mastersounds, the album is a direct eulogium to Grant Green’s iconic 1962 record Feelin’ The Spirit.
John Diva & The Rockets Of Love – The Big Easy CD/LP (Steamhammer)
New album from the hair metal heroes. For fans of Steel Panther, Mötley Crüe, Poison, etc.
Drake – Honestly, Nevermind CD (Republic)
Drake / 21 Savage – Her Loss CD (Republic)
Honestly, Nevermind is Drake’s seventh studio album. Producers include longtime collaborators like Noah (40) Shebib, Oliver El-Khatib, and Noel Cadastre, as well as Black Coffee, who has recently worked with David Guetta and Usher. Her Loss is Drake’s collaborative studio album with Atlanta-based rapper 21 Savage. Features a guest appearance from Travis Scott. Includes the single “Circo Loco”.
Foretoken – Triumphs CD/LP (Prosthetic)
Utilizing traditional narratives of myths, legends, and folklore from a wide range of Western and Middle Eastern origins, Triumphs examines the ignored collateral damage of the cost of victory through these established mythoi. Taking musical inspiration from melodic and tech death metal, as well as power, folk and black metal, Foretoken’s core sound on Triumphs is bolstered by subtle and captivating use of traditionally Scandinavian, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern instruments for atmospheric depth within the album’s 51-minute runtime.
Frightened Rabbit – Pedestrian Verse: 10th Anniversary Edition CD/2xLP (Atlantic)
Scottish indie rockers Frightened Rabbit were among the most acclaimed bands of the 2000s, earning wide-ranging critical applause and a fervent international fan following with their emotionally exhilarating melodies and scathingly frank lyricism. The band’s 2013 acclaimed fourth album Pedestrian Verse served as their first for Atlantic Records and is home to the signature singles “State Hospital” and “The Woodpile.”. In celebration of the cornerstone album’s 10th anniversary, it’s been reissued in an expanded edition with 11 bonus tracks.
GA-20 – Live In Loveland CD/LP (Karma Chief)
Featuring 11 rowdy, blistering performances (including five songs from 2022’s Crackdown, three from their 2019 debut Lonely Soul and three previously unrecorded tracks, Live In Loveland captures GA-20 feeding off the energy of the wall-to-wall crowd and delivering each song with raw emotion and body-shaking force. The set is a mix of band originals and vintage covers, from early electric blues and honky-tonk country to proto rock ‘n’ roll, all performed live with deep feeling and punk energy. [A limited-edition pink swirl color vinyl pressing is available.]
Gideon – More Power. More Pain. CD/LP (Equal Vision)
New album from the Alabama metalcore warriors. More Power. More Pain is a Southern-fried beatdown destined to ignite mosh pits from coast to coast, thanks to thunderously chunky breakdowns with extra grit and girth.
Hanoi Rocks – Oriental Beat – 40th Anniversary Re(al)mix CD/LP (Svart)
Oriental Beat by Hanoi Rocks gets the redux treatment, officially mixed, and revived from the original sessions. Dubbed the Re(al)mix, this 40th anniversary edition was mixed by Petri Majuri at E-Studios in Finland in collaboration with the band. Vocalist Michael Monroe calls this release “the longest and slowest album project ever,” stating that “40 years in the making, it’s not just a remix, but the Re(al)mix supervised and approved by Hanoi Rocks”. Recorded in London, UK in 1981, for 200 pounds a day, Oriental Beat was made during the height of the British punk + new wave movement, when the band was hanging out with everyone from Phil Lynott to the Damned. Oriental Beat is a defining masterpiece made when Hanoi Rocks was about to explode onto the world scene and written at the absolute peak of lead guitarist Andy McCoy’s creativity as a songwriter. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Inspiral Carpets – The Complete Singles CD/2xLP (BMG)
Formed in Oldham in 1980, Inspiral Carpets rose to prominence alongside such bands as The Stone Roses, The Charlatans & The Happy Mondays as part of the Madchester scene in the late ’80s/early ’90s. The Complete Singles features all their biggest hits, including collaborations with Mark E. Smith & John Cooper Clarke plus material from their 2014 self-titled album. [A limited-edition ‘midnight licorice’ color vinyl pressing is available.]
Invent Animate – Heavener CD/LP (UNFD)
“Invent Animate has always occupied a strange niche in the metalcore scene in that they are nearly universally praised as royalty in the underground, particularly amongst those who like the djent-y and progressive side of the genre but have been seemingly confined to this box since their inception. Many praised the group’s 2021 EP The Sun Sleeps, As If It Never Was as the perfect culmination of their sounds and hoped it would be an indication of what would follow; in hindsight, this hope was an underestimate of what the group is capable of, as Heavener is even a sufficient step-up from its already stunning three-track predecessor. The technical prowess is equally impressive and tasteful, the signature ambient textures are lush and beautiful, the songwriting is unpredictable yet digestible and varied, and most importantly, the emotion is absolutely unhinged.” Matt Jones, Boolin Tunes [A limited-edition transparent cream color vinyl pressing is available.]
Kamelot – The Awakening CD/2xLP (Napalm)
Kamelot’s first album in five years, The Awakening shines as a massive and diverse offering mixing symphonic, melodic, and power metal styles, yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band’s history. With crystal clear modern production helmed by the band and longtime producer Sascha Paeth, plus mastering by Jacob Hansen of Hansen Studios, Kamelot’s score-like 13th studio album is accented by guest contributions – from genre star Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) to renowned instrumentalists like violinist Florian Janoske and Grammy nominated, soundtrack-featured cellist Tina Guo. Kamelot’s intense brand of ultramodern gothic and symphonic theatricality is amplified further and with more emotionality than ever on this inspiring, anticipated addition to their legacy. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Kruelty – Untopia CD/LP (Profound Lore)
Formed in Tokyo, Japan in the summer of 2017, Kruelty has emerged as the most notable artist to find that sweet spot where the amalgamation of heavy beatdown hardcore and ’90s American/Scandinavian death/doom metal meet – a blueprint of brutality the band slams and unleashes. Untopia is the ultimate convergence of punishing death metal riffs and mind-blowing breakdowns influenced by Japanese and ’90s East Coast hardcore bands.
Julian Lage – The Layers CD/LP (Blue Note)
The Layers is a stunning companion piece to guitarist Julian Lage’s acclaimed 2022 album View With A Room. The collection features six original pieces recorded during the same sessions which found Lage discovering new orchestration possibilities by augmenting his deeply attuned trio of bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King with the addition of guitar icon Bill Frisell. Intimate and gorgeous, exploratory, and embracing, imbued with vibrant colors and exquisite interplay, The Layers is a welcome additional offering from this meeting of two of modern jazz’s most distinctive voices with one of the music’s most skilled and inventive rhythm sections.
M83 – Fantasy CD/LP+2xMP3 (Mute)
Over the span of two decades, M83 mastermind Anthony Gonzalez has firmly established himself as an artist whose work transcends mere escapism in favor of full-on worldbuilding. Whether it be via his celebrated studio albums, film soundtracks, or compositions for stage productions, Gonzalez has proven that nothing surpasses his ability to perfectly encapsulate a specific time, emotion, or sense of place. Now with the project’s ninth studio album Fantasy, the Platinum selling, Grammy-nominated artist returns with his most personal album to date. Featuring long-time collaborator Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Joe Berry, M83’s touring keyboardist and sax player, the album was born out of extended jam sessions that lasted nearly a year. The result is an exuberant, live-sounding record where trademark M83 goosebump moments abound.] An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Motörhead – Snake Bite Love [Reissue/1998] CD/LP (BMG)
Motörhead – We Are Motörhead [Reissue/2000] CD/LP (BMG)
Originally released on March 10, 1998, Snake Bite Love is Motörhead’s 14th studio album. The album shows the less heavy side of the band, with several tracks that are slower than one might expect from Motörhead. 2000’s We Are Motörhead features a cover of the Sex Pistols song “God Save The Queen” for which the band recorded a video atop an open top London Routemaster bus. The album is indicative of the bands grimy attitude and is tight, blistering, and typical of their long-established sound. [A limited-edition translucent red vinyl colorway of Snake Bite Love is available.]
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers – Let Time Ride CD (New Day)
New album from the bluegrass outfit.
Narnia – Ghost Town CD/LP (Narnia Songs)
New album from the veteran Swedish melodic metal band.
Night Demon – Outsider CD/LP (Century Media)
For more than a decade, Night Demon has defiantly flown the flag of traditional heavy metal, unwavering in the face of shifting industry trends and unscarred by global calamities. Even as they spent 2022 touring heavily worldwide in support of their compilation album, Year Of The Demon, the trio continued working tirelessly behind the scenes. The objective? To perfect their first collection of all-new material since 2017’s acclaimed Darkness Remains album. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Doug Paisley – Say What You Like CD/LP (Outside Music)
Doug’s new record, Say What You Like, underscores his prowess as a songwriter, while exploring new sonic terrain with producer Afie Jurvanen (aka Bahamas). Distilled from more than 250 songs penned by Paisley over the last decade, the 11 tracks selected by Jurvanen combine folk, country, and pop sensibilities to showcase his rich sense of melody and remarkable way with words. This is Doug at his best – honest, exposed, searching – comforting in his ability to communicate the universal in the struggles of the individual. [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Phantom Elite – Blue Blood CD (Frontiers)
Phantom Elite is an international metal band fronted by Marina La Torraca (Exit Eden, live vocalist for Avantasia) with guitarist/bassist Max van Esch & drummer Joeri Warmerdam. Produced by the band with former After Forever guitarist/producer Sander Gommans. Modern metal that combines elements of symphonic, progressive, and metalcore into their own unique concoction.
Pop Evil – Skeletons CD/LP (MNRK Heavy)
Pop Evil is the bridge between life-affirming hard rock hit-making and the burgeoning new frontier of genre-bending postmodern playlists. A crowd-pleasing band unafraid to embrace the heaviest and most melodic ends of the spectrum, with a seemingly endless stream of No. 1 hits veering between fist-pumping anthems and timeless power ballads. Pop Evil delivers their most ambitious rebirth yet with a jaw-dropping sixth album.
Redemption – I Am The Storm CD/2xLP (AFM)
New album from Los Angeles-based band Redemption, fronted by charismatic vocalist Tom S. Englund (also Evergrey). Redemption is highly praised in prog- as well as melodic/power metal circles. [Two limited edition vinyl colorways are available: clear blue w/ white marble and translucent yellow.]
RPWL – Crime Scene CD (Gentle Art Of Music)
On the new long player Crime Scene this Bavarian Artrock institution directs its attention to the morbid, the perverse, the evil in good, the abysses of the human behavior spectrum in all its unpredictable diversity, which sometimes comes across as bizarrely disturbing and conclusive, if one tries to fathom it. In six densely atmospheric tracks RPWL have once again embarked on intensive journeys through their own band vita, as well as their own record collections. The effort of comparisons is always such a thing, because after all this is the 19th release of this internationally successful band. [Vinyl edition due April 14.]
Leon Russell – Signature Songs [Reissue/2001] CD/LP (BMG)
A collection of intimate, stripped-down piano and vocal recordings, including takes on his timeless songs “A Song For You”, “Tight Rope”, “Stranger In A Strange Land”, and “Hummingbird”. Originally released in 2001 and long out of print, it is being reissued on CD and pressed for the very first time on vinyl.
Seven Spires – Live At ProgPower USA XXI CD (Frontiers)
Captured in Atlanta, GA at ProgPower USA XXI (June 2022), Live At ProgPower USA XXI sees Seven Spires delivering a potent performance of a selection of tracks from their three studio albums. Part bittersweet melodic metal anthems, part apocalyptic melodic death and black metal, and part romantic classical poets, Seven Spires is an exquisite, tasteful mix of metal genres.
Sordid Blade – Every Battle Has Its Glory CD/LP (Gates Of Hell)
Sordid Blade was formed in 2021 out of Niklas Holm’s desire to create an epic heavy metal band in the vein of Hammerheart-era Bathory, Manilla Road and Warlord. “The epic metal field is growing increasingly crowded, but for those in search of something with an emotional and personal atmosphere, there is no better choice circa 2023 than Sordid Blade.”
Stormwarning – Stormwarning CD (Frontiers)
Stormwarning is a new hard rock act centered on the Argentinian vocalist Santiago Ramonda. For the self-titled debut album, Santiago teamed up with the production team of Sergio Mazul (Semblant) and Marcelo Gelbcke (Landfall), the same duo who oversaw the debut album from the Brazilian heavy metal band Icon Of Sin featuring renowned YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes. Musically, ’80s tinged hard rock.
Ten Years After – A Space In Time [Reissue/1971] 2xCD/2xLP (Chrysalis)
A Space In Time is Ten Years After’s sixth, and bestselling album, and was originally released in August 1971. Featuring their most well-known track “I’d Love To Change The World”, which regularly features in movies and TV shows, saw the band taking a more melodic direction from previous releases and showcased the band at their peak. This new (delayed) 50th Anniversary edition of the album features a brand-new mix by the original producer/engineer, Chris Kimsey (Rolling Stones/Emerson Lake & Palmer/Marillion), using the original 2″ multitrack tapes. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Theory Of A Deadman – Dinosaur CD (Roadrunner)
Theory Of A Deadman’s new 10-track album Dinosaur features their signature wit on “Two Of Us (Stuck)”, a breezy piano-laden breakup bop that takes a hard left from the refrain of the Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers classic “Just The Two Of Us”. Elsewhere on the album is the gritty “Medusa (Stone)” and the aggressive “Get In Line”. Ultimately, Theory Of A Deadman delivers a barrage of rock anthems on Dinosaur.
Emiliana Torrini – Racing The Storm CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
Emiliana Torrini is an Icelandic singer/songwriter whose music embraces elements of folk, electronica, pop/rock, and trip-hop. Her most recent musical endeavors resulted in teaming up with Belgian duo The Colorist Orchestra, who worked on recomposing a number of songs from her back catalogue, taking those reimagined tracks on the road for a number of shows, which resulted in the live album The Colorist & Emiliana Torrini (2018) and lead to this, their first joint record, Racing The Storm.
Transworld Identity – Seven Worlds CD (Frontiers)
New Finnish/English rock band featuring vocalist Mila Bosa, guitarist Mika “Lamppari” Lamminsivu, keyboardist Juha “Junnu” Kinnunen, bassist Kasperi Kinnunen, and drummer Lacu Lahtinen. T-ID’s music draws inspiration from the core foundations of hard rock music, showcasing that feel-good factor that will get your adrenaline flowing.
Tryglav – The Ritual CD (Extreme Metal Music)
Aggressive, melodic, modern, and emotionally epic black metal. [Vinyl edition due April 14.]
U2 – Songs Of Surrender CD/2xLP/4xCD/4xLP (IGA)
Songs Of Surrender delivers 16 new acoustic and reimagined recordings from the U2 catalog, produced and compiled by The Edge, including “One”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, and “Pride (In The Name Of Love) .” “Music allows you to time travel,” explained The Edge, “And we became curious to find out what it would be like to bring our early songs back with us to the present day and give them the benefit, or otherwise, of a 21st century reimagining. What started out as an experiment quickly developed into a personal obsession as so many of our songs yielded to a new interpretation. Intimacy replaced post punk urgency. New tempos, new keys, and in some cases new chords and new lyrics arrived. A great song, it turns out, is kind of indestructible.” [Super Deluxe four-disc CD and vinyl editions – each featuring 40 tracks total – are available. An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Úlfúð’ – Of Existential Distortion CD/LP (Dark Descent)
Championing their personal blend of black and death metal (with emphasis on the former), Úlfúð’s debut album Of Existential Distortion uniquely captures the desolate vastness of the volcanic wastelands like only Icelanders can. The album is a masterclass in songcraft, showcasing a stunning balance of entrancing atmosphere, haunting melody, and deathless violence.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – V CD/LP+MP3 (Jagjaguwar)
Created between Palm Springs, California and Hilo, Hawai’i, V is the first double album from the Hawaiian-New Zealand singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Ruban Nielson’s Unknown Mortal Orchestra band. Designed to play as one continuous movement and road-tested on dry California freeways, V is the definitive Unknown Mortal Orchestra car record. It’s also the fifth full-length album Ruban has released in twelve years. Across fourteen sun-bleached songs – written solo or with his brother Kody – Ruban draws from the rich traditions of West Coast AOR, yacht rock, weirdo pop and Hawaiian Hapa-haole music. Over a laidback blend of singalong anthems and cinematic instrumentals, he evokes blue skies, afternoons spent lounging by hotel swimming pools and the alluring darkness that lurks below perfect, pristine surfaces. [A limited edition ‘gold nugget’ color vinyl pressing is available.]
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents: Studio One Funk [Reissue/2004] CD/2xLP+MP3/Cassette (Soul Jazz)
18 years on from its original release Studio One Funk remains one of our Studio One releases most in-demand titles. Studio One Funk is made up of rare and unreleased reggae funk from the vaults of Studio One. Since the birth of funk in America, the sound has been an ever-present ingredient in the melting pot of Studio One’s musical output. The music on this release is a combination of originals, US covers and versions of existing Studio One cuts, one of the finest selections of reggae and funk you will ever hear. [A limited-edition transparent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Wingmen – Wingmen CD/LP (Cadiz Music)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. Wingmen, the new band formed in pandemic lockdown isolation by Baz Warne (The Stranglers), Paul Gray (The Damned), Leigh Heggarty (Ruts DC) and Marty Love (Johnny Moped), are excited to finally unleash their studio bound creations with this eponymous release.
Mike Zito / Albert Castiglia – Blood Brothers CD (Sono Recording Group)
Produced by contemporary blues legend Joe Bonamassa, Blood Brothers is a statement of artistic collaboration and friendship. Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia are true blood brothers in life and in the music they create both individually and collectively, joining forces in a collaborative effort of songwriting and performances to create a total listening experience greater than the sum of its parts.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Cannonball Adderly – The Black Messiah – Live In Vienna LP (WHP)
The Adderley brothers, Cannonball and Nat, respectively on alto sax and cornet, and both at the head of a top-flight quintet featuring Mr. George Duke on piano (acoustic and electric), Walter Booker (bass), and Roy McCurdy (drums). Recorded live in Vienna on November 4, 1972, this is a fine example of pure electric jazz-funk of the era.
The Animals – The Best Of The Animals [Reissue/1966] LP (Abkco)
The Best Of The Animals is the first greatest hits collection by the British rock group the Animals. MGM Records originally released the album in February 1966 in the United States. It showcases the Animals’ tough-edged pop hits combined with their more devoted blues and R&B workouts.
As Meninas / Jorginho Telles – Redondo Sambão b/w Brasileiro 7” (Mr Bongo)
The enticing and exotic samba “Redondo Sambão” is pure Brazilian fire. With beautiful female vocal-group arrangements, floating flutes and vibrating rhythms, this song oozes charm. Originally released in 1967 on the Som Maior imprint. “Brasileiro” is taken from Jorginho Telles’ self-titled 1971 album and switches between a hoarse male vocal crooner and a rough and raw psych-guitar, R&B banger.
Atoll – Prepuce 12” (Unique Leader)
Essential listening for fans of Stillbirth, Devourment, Party Cannon and Vulvodynia.
Bruno Berle – No Reino Dos Afetos LP (Far Out Recordings)
Maceió, the capital of Brazil’s Alagoas state on its sprawling east-coast, is home to pastel colored colonial houses, white sand beaches and a brilliant young composer, poet and multi-instrumentalist named Bruno Berle. With a voice of pure gold and a startling sensitivity for heartfelt pop songwriting, on No Reino Dos Afetos (In the Realm of Affections), Berle firmly embraces earnestness, through starry-eyed Brazilian love songs, ambient vignettes, warm, home-cooked beats, and gentle strokes of MPB genius.
Carrion Vael – Abhorrent Obsessions LP (Unique Leader)
The sophomore offering from the death-thrash trailblazers. Melodic death metal collides with furious trash in an essential offering for fans of Alterbeast, The Black Dahlia Murder, At The Gates and Benighted.
Bill Charlap – All Through The Night [Reissue/1998] LP (Anagram Music)
One of the most acclaimed trio albums by New York City-born pianist Bill Charlap. Jazz critic Scott Yanow granted All Through The Night four out of five stars on AllMusic, stating that, “This trio outing by pianist Bill Charlap with Peter and Kenny Washington is a superior modern mainstream set. An enjoyable outing.”
Classless Act – Welcome To The Show LP (Better Noise Music)
Orange w/ black color vinyl pressing of the latest album from the hard rock outfit.
Current Joys – A Different Age [Reissue/2018] LP (Current Joys)
Current Joys – Live At Kilby Court [Reissue/2020] 2xLP (Current Joys)
Hear Current Joys tear through a live set of fan favorites recorded winter of 2020 at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 14-track double LP is the first time one of Current Joys’ visceral live performances has been captured for vinyl. Also available on vinyl: the band’s 2018 album A Different Age.
The Dark Alamorte – Lunacrium Thepsis 3xLP (Unique Leader)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Traversing the realms of a genre that has been rehashed and redesigned many times, The Dark Alamorte confronts black metal’s conventional soundscape by weaving in their own brand of ambience and death metal. An ethereal avalanche that will consume you as the ghostly melodies carry the listener into a wave of dissonant bliss accompanied with unrelenting drums and devastating vocals, Lunacrium Thepsis leaves you in what feels like a haunting memory.
The Dark Horses – While We Were Sleeping LP+MP3 (Little Cloud)
2023 sees Dark Horses awaken from their slumber to deliver a pandemic-delayed record of moody, sonic atmospheres with a booster shot of soul. Recorded alongside technical wizard Bob Earland (Radiophonic Workshop), While We Were Sleeping is musically complex and daring -as the album unfolds, Lisa Elle’s vocals trade blows with wiry guitar lines and motorik drums, float over fuzzed-up basslines and dissolve into layers of woozy analogue synths. Clear w/ lime green smoke color vinyl.
Jack DeJohnette – Famous Ballroom, Baltimore 80 LP (WHP)
The so-called Special Edition was one of the most creative and successful coalitions created by Jack DeJohnette at the exact turn between the ’70s and the ’80s. A great combination of young talents such as alto sax genius Arthur Blythe, the hyper energetic tenor sax of Chico Freeman, and the super-solid bass lines of Peter Warren, last but not least the hard swinging drumming of DeJohnette, one of the greatest drummers in jazz history. Recorded live at The Famous Ballroom in Baltimore on May 4, 1980, for an NPR broadcast.
The Dils – Dils Dils Dils [Reissue/1990] LP (Radiation Reissues)
The Dils are one of the most legendary punk bands of all-time. Fronted by brothers Chip and Tony Kinman, the group was as important to the US scene as The Clash and Sex Pistols were to England.
DJ Black Low – Impumelelo 2xLP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
There’s more than a hint of ambition on the double LP sophomore effort from Sam Austin Rabede, the producer known as DJ Black Low. Pretoria, South Africa-born and based, the young man makes amapiano with new ways of expressing this local-turned-global style of dance music. In DJ Black Low’s musical imagination, the songs manage to smoothly vacillate between dreamy and firmly grounded. Adorned with vocalists across most of the twelve tracks, there’s a new dimension to Black Low’s now-signature approach to abstract, angular deconstruction of the rhythmic developments in his songs.
Dojo Cuts featuring Roxy Ray – Pieces 2008 – 2020 LP (Dojo Cuts)
After half a century of constant development, inspiration and hothouse flowerings, certain genres have found their perfect expression – soul-funk is one of them. Dojo Cuts are one perfect expression of this perfect expression. Lean, mean, and heavy (in the true sense) there is not a bass-note or hi hat beat out of place – everything is slave to the groove. Working from, and building upon, the original late ‘60s/early ‘70s Stax/Atlantic template, Dojo Cuts is the undisputed champions of the soul sound. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Dropkick Murphys – Blackout [Reissue/2003] LP (Hellcat)
Translucent red color 20th Anniversary vinyl pressing of the fourth studio album by Dropkick Murphys, originally released in 2003.
Eels – Hombre Lobo [Reissue/2009] LP (E Works)
Eels – End Times [Reissue/2010] LP (E Works)
Eels – Tomorrow Morning [Reissue/2010] LP (E Works)
Limited-edition vinyl reissues of Eels seventh, eighth, and ninth LPs – a trilogy of concept albums.
El Michels Affair & Black Thought – Glorious Game b/w Grateful 7” (Big Crown)
El Michels Affair & Black Thought treat us to an unstoppable new 45; two standout tunes from their forthcoming Glorious Game record (due April 14).
Felt – Gold Mine Trash [Reissue/1987] LP (1972)
Felt – Bubblegum Perfume [Reissue/1990] LP (1972)
Lawrence Hayward knew that he wanted to be a pop star as a teen, and he devised a plan to release ten albums and ten singles over ten years to make that dream come true. A particular and determined individual, he would only be known as Lawrence from that day forward. His hopes for stardom would be pinned on his newly formed band, the succinctly named Felt. Soon signed to Cherry Red Records, Lawrence’s achingly cool vocals and the group’s way with walking melodies brought them underground fame.
The Flaming Lips – Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell [Reissue/2003] LP (WB)
The Flaming Lips – Fight Test [Reissue/2003] LP (WB)
Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell is comprised of seven Yoshimi-era tracks that were included in the six-CD Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 20th Anniversary Box Set released in November 2022. Originally released as CD EP in 2003, it is now being released on vinyl for the first time. It features two versions of the title track (one remixed by Jason Bentley), a remix by The Postal Service of “Do You Realize?”, and four non-album tracks. This limited-edition version is pressed on glow in the dark green vinyl. Fight Test was the third single released from Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots and is now available on pink color vinyl.
The Four Tops – Four Tops Reach Out [Reissue/1967] LP (Anagram Music)
One of the best Four Tops records of the ’60s, Four Tops Reach Out includes the glorious “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”, “Standing In The Shadows Of Love”, and “Bernadette”.
The Get Up Kids – Eudora [Reissue/2001] LP (Vagrant)
Limited green color vinyl pressing. Eudora is a collection of B-sides, rarities, and covers by The Get Up Kids, originally released in 2001. The album contains several cover songs which had been recorded for singles or compilations, by artists such as David Bowie, The Pixies, The Cure, and The Replacements.
Greenflow – I Got’Cha b/w No Other Life Without You 7” (Numero)
Languid yacht-soul from the mind of L.A.-native A.J. Greene and his Greenflow collective. Originally issued as a QCA-custom job in 1977, the group’s lone album appeared after years of performing their brand of Sausalito-friendly, seafood AOR up and down the west coast. The LP’s standout track is “I Got’Cha,” with Greene’s sister Eleanor providing innocent “doo-doo-doo-doo-doos” around funky keys, muted trombone, and come-hither whispers. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is available.]
Gun Club – On Broadway, San Fransicso CA. November 6, 1981 – KUSF FM Broadcast LP (Mind Control)
The Gun Club, live on Broadway in San Francisco, CA on November 6th, 1981. Broadcast by KUSF FM.
Herbie Hancock – Empyrean Isles [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
Pianist Herbie Hancock showcased the full breadth of his artistry on his masterful fourth Blue Note album Empyrean Isles recorded in 1964. The album presented four diverse original compositions including the hit song “Cantaloupe Island” performed a deeply attuned quartet featuring Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums.
Infinite River – Prequel LP (Birdman)
“Finally, we get some of the finest artistic results of the awful, forced hibernation zones we all were forced to bubble ourselves into during the COVID era. It [Infinite River’s Prequel] sounds like the soundtrack to a space desert film you can’t wait to watch. There are so many of the sounds you already like that might come from guitars and drone elements, but it’s subtly put together here in ways that remove all sense of ego. These are sort of slowed-down post-rock songs, but it’s not overly interested in math, and it is way too cosmic to be post-rock. Sorry we even said ‘post-rock’” – Mike McGonigal
Insomnium – Anno 1696 2xLP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl (including a deluxe pressing). Few bands bring together sounds of darkness, melody, and musicality like Finland’s Insomnium. With Anno 1696, the ninth installment in their sonic explorations that include masterworks like Shadows Of The Dying Sun (2014) or Winter’s Gate (2016), Insomnium continues to weave together bitter branches of sound that set the standard for nightmares to come. From the sweeping soundscapes and spare chords that open the record with the track “1696” to the sonic storm cloud and deathly snarl of “White Christ”, the haunting “Godforsaken”, the catchiness of “Lilian” to the album’s epic closer, “The Rapids”, Anno 1696 is a soundtrack of intensity and despair that pulls you in and never let’s go. A tour de force of Finnish melancholy.
B.B. King – Completely Well [Reissue/1969] LP (Friday Music)
Two colorways are available: silver and gold. 1969 was a very successful year for B. B. King as he was riding all the sales charts with newfound crossover fame thanks to his many years of touring, many television appearances, and making consistently great recordings like his 1969 crossover smash Completely Well. This particular masterwork earned The King Of The Blues a 1971 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance of his super smash hit “The Thrill Is Gone”.
Lantlos – Melting Sun [Reissue/2014] LP (Prophecy)
Yellow color vinyl pressing. A relaxed summer record between post metal and dream rock.
- Leimer – LUYU LP (Palace Of Lights)
“These things happen,” says K. Leimer of LUYU. Listen Until You Understand is a test drive through an obstacle course designed for new instruments, arrangements, juxtapositions, and real-time experiments dedicated to leaving the original impulses untouched and unadorned.” Joined at times by digital percussionist Dolphie Stein, the music throws itself against itself without loyalty to genre or form, mashing granular particles into a tremulous spectrum of soundwalls, transitions, noise, distortions, and the occasional clearing.As close to live improvisation as one can get in a multitrack studio setting, LUYU takes generative techniques and drops them into short-form events by building it’s soundstage in thickets of shifting elements, collapsing phrases, broken signatures, and implied patterns. An outlier in Leimer’s catalog of general stillness and subtle detail, LUYU revels in the bare sound of things usually hidden in the mix.
Lillian Axe – Psychoschizophrenia [Reissue/1993] LP (Globalrock)
Lillian Axe had just began turning people’s head with several hits from 1992’s Poetic Justice in 1992 when grunge wave came sweeping in. The band tried to survive the change by releasing Psychoschizophrenia which incorporated a darker element and deeper essence to the music and lyric department respectively.
Doug McKechnie – San Francisco Moog: 1968-72 Vol. 2 LP (VG+)
The first volume of San Francisco Moog: 1968-72 introduced the world to a trove of recordings from a little-known hinge point in electronic-music history. Vol. 2 brings to light the rest of tapes-and the rest of the story. Vol. 2 captures a wider range of sounds and moods, encompassing austere sonic experiments, early sequenced pulses, and melodic etudes. “Presages both Tangerine Dream’s soundtracks and, in its most grimy moments, acid tracks.” – The Wire
Jeff Mills – Metropolis Metropolis 3xLP (Axis)
Detroit techno icon Jeff Mills has created a new electronic score for Fritz Lang’s 1927 classic film Metropolis. Metropolis Metropolis is Mills’s second soundtrack for the film, with the first, Metropolis, being released in 2000. While the first score focused on creating music for specific scenes in the film, the new album reflects the overall storyline and plot, with Mills choosing to create music that would reflect the overall moods of the film, rather than “pure transcription.”
Moonlight Haze – De Rerum Natura [Reissue/2019] LP (Scarlet)
Moonlight Haze – Lunaris [Reissue/2020] LP (Scarlet)
First-time vinyl pressings of the Italian symphonic power metal band’s first two albums.
Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park (10th Anniversary) LP (Mercury Nashville)
Limited-edition Zoetrope picture disc vinyl pressing. Same Trailer Different Park is the debut studio album by country music artist Kacey Musgraves, originally released in 2013. Musgraves co-wrote all 12 tracks and co-produced the album with Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Neanderthals – The Modern Stone-Age Family [Reissue/1999] LP (Sundazed)
The Neanderthals – The Neanderthals In Space [Reissue/2005] LP (Sundazed)
Limited-edition color vinyl pressings (gray and yellow, respectively). Since first bursting on the rock ‘n’ roll scene in 1994, there has been much speculation about the origins, identity, and the possible hidden agenda of the cave beat combo, The Neanderthals. Were they actual prehistoric hominids brought to modern times through means unknown?
Necromancers – Where The Void Rose LP (Ripple Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Third album from the French horror metalists.
Now More Than Ever – Creatrix 12” (Creatrix/Thirty Tigers)
All-American Rejects co-founder Tyson Ritter didn’t start Now More Than Ever in 2018 with the expectation it would turn into a real band – but a real band is very much what it has become. In tandem with veteran musicians/songwriters/producers Scott Chesak (All-American Rejects, Panic! At the Disco, Weezer) and Izzy Fontaine (Taking Back Sunday, Tegan & Sara, Glassjaw), Ritter has begun a meaningful and exciting new chapter in his music career with Now More Than Ever’s debut album Creatrix.
The Orb – The Dream [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Liquid Sound Design)
The Dream is the eighth studio album by The Orb released in 2007 on Liquid Sound Design Records and is the only Orb album yet to be released on vinyl. This, a translucent green colorway. [CD version due March 24.]
The Outcasts – Self Conscious Over You LP (Radiation Reissues)
The Outcasts – The Singles Collection ’78 – ’85 LP (Radiation Reissues)
Known as the “bad boys of the Ulster punk scene,” Belfast quartet The Outcasts was formed in 1977 by bassist/vocalist Greg Cowan, with brothers Colin and Martin on drums and rhythm guitar, along with Getty Getgood on searing lead. With their debut gig descending to a riot, the group began a long tenure of local notoriety, shifting members and styles as their sound evolved, before imploding in 1985.
Papa Roach – Ego Trip LP (New Noize)
Papa Roach delivers their most diverse album yet, bringing together themes of rock, rap, alternative and pop in a style that is authentically their own, on 2022’s Ego Trip, their 111th full-length album of their 22-year career. Tracks released prior to the album include the hard left turn of “Swerve” featuring Jason Aalon of Fever 333 and Sueco, “Kill The Noise”, the anthemic “Dying To Believe”, and the energetic latest single “Stand Up”. The band continue to veer across traditional boundaries that most bands barely have the nerve to occupy, creating one of the most diverse and fearless discographies in rock music. [Two colorways: Opaque black and indie store exclusive.]
Pierce The Veil – Flair For The Dramatic [Reissue/2007] LP (Equal Vision Records)
Released on June 26, 2007, The Fuentes boys and company have moments when it seems lightening is dying to get out of the bottle. For a pure example of that, wait till just before the minute mark, when these guys rival the gruesome metallic energy, Pantera. Let’s get down to brass tacks, this album is phenomenal at moments.
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – Watchout [Reissue/1966] LP (Anagram Music)
Watchout is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall by Martha & The Vandellas, led by Martha Reeves, one of the most underrated female soul singers ever. It includes the top 10 hit singles, “I’m Ready For Love” and “Jimmy Mack”, as well as the ballad “What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love?”, and was recorded in 1966 by a cross-section of Motown’s leading producers, including Holland/Dozier/Holland, William “Smokey” Robinson and William “Mickey” Stevenson.
Sam Rivers – Fuchsia Swing Song [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
A saxophonist of striking originality, Sam Rivers arrived fully formed on his debut album Fuchsia Swing Song recorded for Blue Note in 1964. Though a strong avant-garde undercurrent flowed through his music, Rivers kept a foot planted firmly in post-bop and the blues on this impressive set of originals including his stunning ballad “Beatrice.”
Kurt Rosenwinkel – Intuit [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Anagram Music)
Philadelphia-born guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel is best known for his multiple recordings on the Verve label. His 1998 LP Intuit marked his second album as a leader and the only one he recorded for the Criss Cross label. A quartet session devoted entirely to standards; it reveals the depth of the guitarist’s expertise in the bop idiom.
Lalo Schifrin – Man On A Swing [OST/Reissue/1974] LP (Wewantsounds)
Lalo Schifrin’s soundtrack for Frank Perry’s thriller Man On A Swing from 1974. Featuring Schifrin’s superb mix of jazz, bossa, groove, and atmospheric soundscape, the soundtrack, recorded in L.A. with the Wrecking Crew’s Emil Richards, Bud Shank, and Howard Roberts, among others, finds the composer at his most inspired. Among which the mind-blowing rhythm track for the title “Radio Source,” featuring a super funk breakbeat.
Smino – Luv 4 Rent 2xLP (Motown)
Recently released on CD – now available on translucent green color vinyl. Luv 4 Rent is the third studio album by Smino. The album includes guest appearances from J. Cole, Doechii, Fatman Scoop, Cruza, Lucky Daye, Phoelix, Cory Henry, Ravyn Lenae, Lil Uzi Vert, and Reggie.
Son Lux – Brighter Wounds [Reissue/2018] LP+MP3 (City Slang)
Limited gold color vinyl pressing. Son Lux is the grand genre-less dream of Los Angeles composer Ryan Lott brought to roiling, vivid life with the help of two New Yorkers, guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang. Each is a writer, producer, and performer with omnivorous taste and a penchant for wild improvisation—a band whose mix of electronic pop, unusual soul, and outright experimentalism feels more inviting than ever on the project’s fifth album, Brighter Wounds. The songs therein leave behind Son Lux’s typically universal themes for deeply personal fare. While making Brighter Wounds, Lott became a father to a baby boy and lost a best friend to cancer.
Steven Sondheim / Sara Bareilles – Into The Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording) LP (Craft Recordings)
Into The Woods (2022 Broadway Cast Recording) – starring multiplatinum-selling, Grammy-winning and Tony Award-nominated artist Sara Bareilles, along with a cast of Broadway superstars – is the album of the smash-hit Broadway revival. Featuring an enchanting score by legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, Into The Woods turns the world of fairy tales upside down and teaches us the responsibility that comes with getting what you want.
Cecil Taylor – The World Of Cecil Taylor [Reissue/1961] LP (Candid)
The World Of Cecil Taylor is an album by Cecil Taylor recorded for the Candid label in October 1960. The album features performances by Taylor with Archie Shepp, Buell Neidlinger and Denis Charles. Some of the tracks the pianist chose to release on this album were improvised, single-take pieces, while others were the result of multiple takes.
Clark Terry – Color Changes [Reissue/1961] LP (Candid)
Color Changes is considered by many to be one of the finest albums by trumpeter and pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, Clark Terry. Rather than have the usual jam session with the stellar sidemen he’d assembled, Terry utilized specific arrangements by Yusef Lateef, Budd Johnson, and Al Cohn for the date. At the time of this recording, he had recently finished a stint with Charles Mingus’ group and one can hear the subtle influence that association had on these sessions.
Various Artists – Space, Energy & Light: Experimental Electronic And Acoustic Soundscapes 1961-88 3xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Soul Jazz Records’ Space, Energy & Light is a collection of music by early electronic and synthesizer pioneers (from 1960s to1970s), mid-1970s proto-new age gurus and 1980s guerrilla D-I-Y cassette-era electronic artists, spanning 30 years.
Randy Weston – Music From The New African Nations Featuring The Highlife [Reissue/1963] LP (Honeypie)
Highlife (full title Music From The New African Nations Featuring The Highlife) is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1963 and originally released on the Colpix label.
The Whispers – Planets Of Life [Reissue/1970] LP (Soulgramma)
Vinyl reissue of the 1970 debut album from the soul/R&B legends.
Steven Wilson – The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Snapper)
The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories) is the third solo album by British musician Steven Wilson, originally released in 2013. Each track on the album is based on a story of the supernatural. Alan Parsons, who had previously been involved in the creation of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon was responsible for engineering the album.
Cassettes:
The Cramps – Allez Vai Marseille (Tape It Dee Dee)
The psycho garage rockers live at Le Flipper, Marseille, 06/03/1981.
The Cure – From A Land Down Under (Tape It Dee Dee)
Rare live recording from the iconic alt-rock band. Recorded in Sydney on 08/17/1981.
The Fall – Live At The Witch Trials [Reissue/1979] (Radiation Tapes)
Live At The Witch Trials is the debut studio album by The Fall, originally released in 1979. It is not, despite its title, a live album and was recorded in a studio in a single day and mixed by producer Bob Sargeant.
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents: Studio One Funk [Reissue/2004] (Soul Jazz)
18 years on from its original release Studio One Funk remains one of our Studio One releases most in-demand titles. Studio One Funk is made up of rare and unreleased reggae funk from the vaults of Studio One. Since the birth of funk in America, the sound has been an ever-present ingredient in the melting pot of Studio One’s musical output. The music on this release is a combination of originals, US covers and versions of existing Studio One cuts, one of the finest selections of reggae and funk you will ever hear.
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