AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
ALO – Silver Saturdays CD/LP (Brushfire/Republic)
Marking a full circle moment and kicking off a very special 25th anniversary, California rock band ALO return with their first full-length studio LP in eight years and ninth overall. Silver Saturdays isn’t just another album, it’s the rock ‘n’ roll dream made reality. ALO show what happens when a band doesn’t break up and instead enjoys the fruition of their lifelong camaraderie and brotherhood. As such, the music hinges on the near-telepathic cohesion of four master collaborators at the peak of their craft individually and collectively after all this time. The result is ten new original songs, recorded mostly live, that pay direct homage to the journey and the artistic process and further refine ALO’s singular and self-ascribed “jam-pop” genre. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Can’t Swim – Thanks But No Thanks CD/LP (Pure Noise)
“East coast emo rockers Can’t Swim return with their fourth full length Thanks But No Thanks, a well-produced masterclass in storytelling through song. Combining an early 2000s scene ethos and modern values, Can’t Swim spent years jumping between genres from post-hardcore to alt-pop before finding their niche with slightly retro feeling, emo-tinged pop-punk. Evoking bands like Jimmy Eat World, Hawthorne Heights and early Thrice, Can’t Swim’s latest, Thanks But No Thanks, is a refreshingly straightforward and honest album with some unique sonic elements and authentic, relatable lyrics. With a solid combination of playful bangers and powerful, emotional songwriting, Thanks But No Thanks is the culmination of almost a decade of work for Can’t Swim and points towards a bright future for the band.” – Tom Bruce, Noizze [An indie store exclusive black w/ red & white swirl color vinyl pressing is available.]
Drayton Farley – Twenty On High CD/LP (Hargrove/Thirty Tigers)
Alabama native Drayton Farley has as honest a voice as you’re likely to hear in this burgeoning scene of country, folk, roots, and Americana music we’re all wrapped up in. With songs and lyrics pulled from real life experience, there’s a grounded feeling to his stories, a confessional quality that rings true to those who know. His voice fills the room like cigarette smoke, curling into every corner of you, with a fine grit rasp that smooths out every rough edge. It lingers hours, days, after you’ve left the bar – turns of phrase that tumble around your mind, bittersweet and familiar. He sings as deeply about the love he holds as the love he’s lost and there’s something so broken-in and comfortable about that Southern inflection that every song feels like coming home. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Ron Gallo – Foreground Music CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
The title of Ron Gallo’s fourth album, Foreground Music, might also be a suitable name for his own genre. In simplest terms it is the opposite of background music – unavoidable, urgent, in your face – Gallo’s consistent theme is to confront, disrupt and sometimes even confuse people into a sense of awareness. The intention is to steer away from apathy and self-empower by focusing on what we can control and make light of in a world designed to take it away. The guitar is less an instrument and more of a primal noise machine. This record is a challenge to everything and everyone, including his own self, who is holding back the progress of humanity (especially in America) into a more open, empathetic, and collective unit – the words delivered with a punkish tenacity and lining even the heaviest topics with an ever-present sense of humor. It covers the full spectrum of emotion. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Macklemore – BEN CD/2xLP (Bendo LLC)
Multi-platinum and Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore follows-up 2017’s Gemini with his third solo studio album Ben which includes the raw and personal single “Faithful” featuring NLE Choppa. Macklemore said, “I wrote ‘Faithful’ after a 2020 relapse that brought me back to a familiar darkness I naively thought I had escaped. It’s a personal song for me, reflecting on my struggles with addiction. As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be clean, and yet the disease I have is always present, it always follows me. The record explores the presence of addiction in every facet of my life, and how pervasive and insidious it can be.” [An indie store exclusive vinyl edition featuring an alternate cover is available.]
Tanukichan – Gizmo CD/LP+MP3 (Company Records)
When the pandemic hit, Hannah van Loon adopted a dog named Gizmo, who became a much-needed companion while the Bay Area musician wrote her second album as Tanukichan. Aptly named after her new four-legged friend, Gizmo is an exercise in release, whether from situational hindrances – a forced lockdown, for one – or from self-imposed hedonistic coping mechanisms. To channel the more uplifting spirit, van Loon turned to the radio pop-rock of her childhood referencing artists like 311, The Cranberries, and Tom Petty with main collaborator Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bear. Existentialism aside, Gizmo also sees van Loon break out of her sonic comfort zone. Deftones-inspired thrash drums and screeching electric guitars are gracefully contrasted with van Loon’s hypnotic, almost deadpan vocal style, and crystal-clear acoustic guitar.
Kali Uchis – Red Moon In Venus CD/LP (Interscope/Geffen)
Grammy-winning artist Kali Uchis returns for the first time since 2020 with her third studio album, Red Moon In Venus. Uchis went into the recording process intending to create an album that felt timeless, one that can be enjoyed any time and any place and will remain meaningful throughout the years to her and her fans. Red Moon In Venus floats between soul, R&B, pop, música urbana and more experimental textures. The result is an album that, as Uchis has come to perfect throughout her catalog, transcends genre or classification, a pure reflection of her soul. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time CD (Republic)
“Morgan Wallen follows up Dangerous: The Double Album with what can arguably called triple: One Things At A Time, loaded with 36 tracks. One Thing At A Time also includes several guest shots, most notably from Eric Church, who appears on the song ‘Man Made A Bar’. Hardy, a frequent collaborator, features on ‘In The Bible’, and Ernest shows up on ‘Cowgirls’. According to a press release and the track list, the album includes interpolations of the Allman Brothers’ ‘Midnight Rider’ and Young Thug’s ‘Lifestyle’ on the tracks ‘Everything I Love’ and ‘180 (Lifestyle)’, respectively. Songwriters on the album include Miranda Lambert, Ryan Hurd, Travis Denning, and Nicolle Galyon. ‘This record represents the last few years of my life, the highs and the lows,’ Wallen said in a statement. ‘It also brings together the musical influences that have shaped me as an artist – country, alternative and hip-hop.’” – Rolling Stone
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
Harvey Mandel – Who’s Calling CD (Tompkins Square)
Harvey Mandel is among the most innovative guitarists to emerge from the Chicago blues scene of the late 1960s. He was a member of Canned Heat, appearing with them at Woodstock. Who’s Calling is his 16th album as a leader, and his second for Tompkins Square following 2016’s acclaimed comeback, Snake Pit.
Slowthai – Ugly LP (Method/UMG)
Ugly is Slowthai pulling himself apart and exposing his anxieties of the last couple of years, an acronym for U Gotta Love Yourself. This new album may show a side that people haven’t heard before, but he sees it as the fullest picture yet. Recorded in producer Dan Carey’s studio alongside frequent collaborator Kwes Darko, Ugly is a combination of musicians including Jockstrap’s Taylor Skye, Beabadoobee guitarist Jacob Bugden, and on the woozy title track, his friends Fontaines D.C.
CDs + Vinyl:
Acid Arab – ٣ (Trois) CD (Crammed Disc US)
Emerging ten years ago, the mighty French-Algerian collective from Paris continues its’ intoxicating blend of sharp Western electronic music with Eastern sounds and vocals, putting worldwide festivals and club audiences under a spell. Aiming at creating a space for Arab culture in the world of contemporary electronic music, Acid Arab patiently honed their style through their numerous collaborations and their constant travels all around the Mediterranean and beyond. Their third album ٣ (Trois) consists of a collection of serious dancefloor bangers, with sophisticated production and diverse performances by guest vocalists from North Africa, Syria and Turkey. [Vinyl edition due March 24.]
ALO – Silver Saturdays CD/LP (Brushfire/Republic)
Marking a full circle moment and kicking off a very special 25th anniversary, California rock band ALO return with their first full-length studio LP in eight years and ninth overall. Silver Saturdays isn’t just another album, it’s the rock ‘n’ roll dream made reality. ALO show what happens when a band doesn’t break up and instead enjoys the fruition of their lifelong camaraderie and brotherhood. As such, the music hinges on the near-telepathic cohesion of four master collaborators at the peak of their craft individually and collectively after all this time. The result is ten new original songs, recorded mostly live, that pay direct homage to the journey and the artistic process and further refine ALO’s singular and self-ascribed “jam-pop” genre. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Marc Broussard – S.O.S: 4: Blues For Your Soul CD (KTBA Foundation)
For the latest in his S.O.S. (Save Our Soul) series, Marc Broussard has turned to the blues for inspiration. With production by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, this is an album of blues covers (and one original) featuring Lemar Carter, Calvin Turner, Jeff Babko, with guest appearances from JJ Grey, Eric Kranso, Joe and Josh.
Can’t Swim – Thanks But No Thanks CD/LP (Pure Noise)
“East coast emo rockers Can’t Swim return with their fourth full length Thanks But No Thanks, a well-produced masterclass in storytelling through song. Combining an early 2000s scene ethos and modern values, Can’t Swim spent years jumping between genres from post-hardcore to alt-pop before finding their niche with slightly retro feeling, emo-tinged pop-punk. Evoking bands like Jimmy Eat World, Hawthorne Heights and early Thrice, Can’t Swim’s latest, Thanks But No Thanks, is a refreshingly straightforward and honest album with some unique sonic elements and authentic, relatable lyrics. With a solid combination of playful bangers and powerful, emotional songwriting, Thanks But No Thanks is the culmination of almost a decade of work for Can’t Swim and points towards a bright future for the band.” – Tom Bruce, Noizze [An indie store exclusive black w/ red & white swirl color vinyl pressing is available.]
Constant Smiles – Kenneth Anger CD/LP+MP3 (Sacred Bones)
The musical collective Constant Smiles is known for being prolific and their debut album for Sacred Bones records, Paragons, produced by Ben Greenberg, was the third and final album in a trilogy of indie folk masterpieces that all confronted the internal ways we process our struggles with intimacies, addiction and humanity. Over the last half decade the collective has been simultaneously working on a synth music trilogy and their new record Kenneth Anger is the third and final record in the series and has been masterfully brought to life by engineer Jonathan Schenke (Parquet Courts, Liars, Dougie Pool). [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach – The Songs Of Bacharach & Costello CD/2xLP/2xLP+4xCD (UMe)
The Songs Of Bacharach & Costello, compiled by Elvis Costello, brings together all of the published songs that Costello has written with Burt Bacharach and celebrates the three decade songwriting partnership between them. The double-disc set includes the newly remastered album Painted From Memory and six songs from Taken From Life, of which three are newly recorded compositions. [A Super Deluxe box set edition is also available.]
Doolin’ – Circus Boy CD (Compass)
Canada, and another three years locked out of the live performance world they have so ambitiously cultivated, Doolin’, France’s premiere practitioners of Irish and Celtic music, return with a new album entitled Circus Boy. While their 2016 album drew its inspiration from the fusion of traditional Irish music, French chanson, and American roots music, Circus Boy is resolutely more adventurous. [A limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is due March 10.]
Elskavon – Origins CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. On Origins, Chris Bartels takes on the role of singer-songwriter for the first time under his Elskavon moniker, unveiling a voice that wouldn’t sound out of place next to vocal-forward artists like Justin Vernon, Jónsi, or Baths, who master the balance between conventional songcraft and bold, idiosyncratic experimentation. Origins is vast yet intimate, fluttering yet cohesive, tattered yet clean, a little like rainfall during sunlight.
Enslaved – Heimdal CD (Nuclear Blast)
In true Enslaved fashion, the Bergen voyagers’ 16th album, Heimdal, is both a departure and a communion with roots forged over three decades ago in the turbulent birth throes of Norway’s black metal scene. [Vinyl pressing due March 24.]
Drayton Farley – Twenty On High CD/LP (Hargrove/Thirty Tigers)
Alabama native Drayton Farley has as honest a voice as you’re likely to hear in this burgeoning scene of country, folk, roots, and Americana music we’re all wrapped up in. With songs and lyrics pulled from real life experience, there’s a grounded feeling to his stories, a confessional quality that rings true to those who know. His voice fills the room like cigarette smoke, curling into every corner of you, with a fine grit rasp that smooths out every rough edge. It lingers hours, days, after you’ve left the bar – turns of phrase that tumble around your mind, bittersweet and familiar. He sings as deeply about the love he holds as the love he’s lost and there’s something so broken-in and comfortable about that Southern inflection that every song feels like coming home. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
The Kevin Fingier Collective – El Sonido De Fingier Records CD/LP (Acid Jazz)
Fingier Records was established in 2020 as a group label of Acid Jazz Records to showcase the Latin American productions of Argentine producer Kevin Fingier. It has produced a series of sell-out and collectable 7″ singles, with some going for hundreds of pounds on collector sites. This compilation brings these singles together onto one LP, with graphics and photography on a sleeve to match the sound and style of Fingier Records. It features the vocals of Diane Ward, Jo-Ann Hamilton and Gerri Granger, Brazilian singer Jose Dias and Senegalese vocalist/percussionist Abdoulaye Badiane, backed by the all-star Kevin Fingier Collective.
Flipturn – Shadowglow CD/2xLP (Dualtone Music Group)
In the time since 2015, Flipturn has mushroomed to reaches far beyond the walls of the Fernandina Beach garage they first practiced in. Built up by Dillon Basse (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Mitch Fountain (synth), and Devon VonBalson (drums), the band is walking proof that the DIY approach is still alive and well in the modern music world. Growing up and maturing as musicians in a way that can only be done by spending years on the road together, Flipturn is primed to usher in the era of their debut full-length album.
Full Of Hell – Suffocating Hallucination CD/LP (Closed Casket Activities)
Produced by Andrew Nelson (Harms Way, Weekend Nachos, Lurk), Suffocating Hallucination is a blisteringly blissful sonic celebration of disillusionment and grindcore chaos. [An indie store exclusive multicolor yellow w/ blue & black color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ron Gallo – Foreground Music CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
The title of Ron Gallo’s fourth album, Foreground Music, might also be a suitable name for his own genre. In simplest terms it is the opposite of background music – unavoidable, urgent, in your face – Gallo’s consistent theme is to confront, disrupt and sometimes even confuse people into a sense of awareness. The intention is to steer away from apathy and self-empower by focusing on what we can control and make light of in a world designed to take it away. The guitar is less an instrument and more of a primal noise machine. This record is a challenge to everything and everyone, including his own self, who is holding back the progress of humanity (especially in America) into a more open, empathetic, and collective unit – the words delivered with a punkish tenacity and lining even the heaviest topics with an ever-present sense of humor. It covers the full spectrum of emotion. [A limited-edition orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Genesis – BBC Broadcasts 5xCD/3xLP (Atlantic)
An extensive collection of broadcast material from one of the biggest selling recording artists of all time and one of Britain’s most internationally renowned bands. Curated by founder member Tony Banks and the group’s long-time engineer and producer Nick Davis. The set represents the cream of the group’s work recorded by the BBC between 1970 and 1998 and includes contributions from all three of the group’s vocalists: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and Ray Wilson.
Hail The Void – Memento Mori CD/LP (Ripple Music)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. “Heavy, punishing, trippy and cleansing, these Canadians operate on a completely different level.”
Haken – Fauna CD/2xLP (Inside Out U.S.)
New album from the London-based prog metal band. [A limited-edition double-CD featuring a disco of instrumentals and a limited-edition white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Hello Mary – Hello Mary CD/LP (French Kiss)
Hello Mary is a three-piece rock band from NYC comprised of guitarist/ vocalist Helena Straight, bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer and drummer/ vocalist Stella Wave. Melding together elements of indie rock, grunge and shoegaze, Hello Mary delivers lovely vocal harmonies layered over crunchy guitar parts, melodic bass lines, and driving drums that pay homage to the alt-rock scene of the ‘90s. [An indie store exclusive blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Hollow Coves – Wanderlust CDEP/12” (Nettwerk)
Australian indie-folk duo Hollow Coves’ release their debut EP Wanderlust on CD and ‘ocean blue’ color vinyl. It highlights Hollow Coves’ trademark soft lyrics and harmonies embedded deep into the acoustic guitar melodies.
Anders Jormin – Pasado En Claro CD (ECM)
The creative partnership of bassist Anders Jormin and singer/violinist/violist Lena Willemark was first given exposure on ECM in 2004. In 2015, they introduced a new project with koto player Karin Nakagawa on Trees Of Light. Now, with the addition of drummer Jon Fält (Anders’s longtime comrade in the Bobo Stenson Trio) the group has expanded its improvisational range. Many creative ideas are explored on Pasado En Claro, emerging from its juxtaposition of poetry and music.
Aksak Maboul – Une Aventure De VV – Songspiel CD (Made To Measure)
In the wake of their acclaimed album Figures (2020), Aksak Maboul took a playful sideways step to create this total work, a 63-minute, continuous suite of fifteen pieces, which could be described as an experimental audio play. The thread running through Une Aventure De VV (Songspiel) is Véronique Vincent’s text, an enigmatic philosophical-poetical tale unfolding through monologues and dialogues, spoken and sung by a series of characters. The music was written & arranged by Marc Hollander and features his characteristic genre-hopping tendencies: strands of electronica, pop, jazz, collage, techno, ambient, improv, krautrock, contemporary classical and systems music are merrily woven together, in the inimitable Aksak Maboul style. The album features appearances by Alig Fodder, Audrey Ginestet & Benjamin Glibert (Aquaserge), Lætitia Sadier (Stereolab), Blaine L. Reininger (Tuxedomoon), Don The Tiger, and the members of AKsak Maboul’s current live line-up. [Vinyl version due March 24.]
Macklemore – BEN CD/2xLP (Bendo LLC)
Multi-platinum and Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore follows-up 2017’s Gemini with his third solo studio album Ben which includes the raw and personal single “Faithful” featuring NLE Choppa. Macklemore said, “I wrote ‘Faithful’ after a 2020 relapse that brought me back to a familiar darkness I naively thought I had escaped. It’s a personal song for me, reflecting on my struggles with addiction. As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be clean, and yet the disease I have is always present, it always follows me. The record explores the presence of addiction in every facet of my life, and how pervasive and insidious it can be.” [An indie store exclusive vinyl edition featuring an alternate cover is available.]
Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest – Olympians CD/LP (Modern Recordings)
Olympians is a collaborative album by multi–Grammy Award-winning composer-conductor Vince Mendoza and the Metropole Orkest of the Netherlands. The powerhouse collaboration highlights nine original compositions written by Mendoza over his 27-year association with the orchestra. It features an extra special guest appearance by Dianne Reeves, singing Mendoza’s buoyant and Brazilian-tinged song “Esperanto” with Lyrics by Kurt Elling, as well as “House Of Reflections”, with lyrics by legendary British singer/songwriter Norma Winstone beautifully interpreted by Cécile McLorin Salvant. Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter is featured on a turbo charged version of “Barcelona”. The recording also features a blistering solo by saxophonist David Binney and extra grooving moments from Weather Report alumnus Alex Acuña on percussion.
Kendra Morris – Babble [Reissue/2016] CD/LP (Karma Chief)
The word “babble” brings two things to mind: A person pouring out their thoughts with reckless abandon, or a gentle sound coming from water cascading over rocks as it flows past. In the case of this reissue from Kendra Morris, Babble is a sublime melding of these two meanings. The original release in 2016 came in the form of a self-released EP. A fan cult favorite: it has now grown to include three additional tracks: “Playing Games”, “Dial Back” and “Ride On”.
NCT 127 – The 4th Album Repackage ‘Ay-Yo’ CD (SM Entertainment Co.)
NCT 127 – The 4th Album Repackage ‘Ay-Yo’ [A Ver.] CD (SM Entertainment Co.)
NCT 127 – The 4th Album Repackage ‘Ay-Yo’ [B Ver.] CD (SM Entertainment Co.)
NCT 127’s 4th full-length repackage ‘Ay-Yo’ release presents three new songs (in addition to the 12 songs from the original album) including the title song “Ay-Yo”. Each version includes a booklet, poster, photos and photocards.
Willie Nelson – I Don’t Know A Thing About Love: The Songs Of Harlan Howard CD (Sony Legacy)
Amongst the nearly 150 albums that Willie Nelson has released, he has several amazing full-album tributes to songwriters from Kris Kristofferson and George Gershwin to Ray Price and Cindy Walker. Adding to that list is a new studio album dedicated to songwriting legend Harlen Howard who has scores of country hits including a number that crossed over to pop and even R&B charts.
Phoenix – Alpha Zulu CD/LP (Glassnote)
CD box set now available. Grammy Award-winning band Phoenix returned in 2022 with Alpha Zulu. The project was recorded during the height of the pandemic in Paris, at the iconic Louvre Museum. The band shares, “Over the last year and a half, we’ve been writing and recording in our hometown of Paris, in a remote corner turned studio of the Decorative Arts Museum in the Palace of the Louvre. Mostly all alone for months, the museum has now reopened and we’re now putting the final touches to our new record and are ready to share its first song, ‘Alpha Zulu’. We hope you like it and can’t wait to play it live…” [An indie store exclusive coke bottle green color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Benoit Pioulard – Eidetic CD/LP+MP3 (Morr Music)
American singer-songwriter, poet, and photographer Thomas Meluch, known musically as Benoît Pioulard, returns with his most structured and vocal release to date. Titled Eidetic, a word denoting the ability to recall mental images with extraordinarily rich precision, the album presents unprecedented clarity and vitality for Benoît Pioulard. To access its thematic ground, Meluch looked inward with an affinity towards the people he loves during a period marked by his move from Seattle to Brooklyn in 2019. The resulting work engages with the universe’s unflinching mortality and, as he says, “the ways it has modified and improved my relationships, especially with family.”
Red Light King – In Our Blood CD/LP (AFM)
New album from the anthemic rock band. [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
Ruel – 4th Wall CD (RCA)
Debut studio album by the Australian singer-songwriter. The title 4th Wall was inspired by scenes from Ruel’s favorite films, primarily The Truman Show and Fight Club. The album imagines Ruel finding out his entire life is a lie, being filmed for someone else’s entertainment.
Kendrick Scott – Corridors CD/LP (Blue Note)
Drummer and composer Kendrick Scott returns with the release of Corridors, his third album for Blue Note Records, and first compositional treatment of trio context: saxophone, bass, and drums. Corridors unveils an exposed rumination from the Houston-born artist and his acclaimed collaborators: saxophonist Walter Smith III and bassist Reuben Rogers. Born during the pandemic lockdown, the record focuses on posing outward questions instead of inward contemplation.
Connor Selby – Connor Selby CD/2xLP (Provogue)
One of the brightest talents on the UK blues scene. He has been voted “Young Artist of the Year” at the UK Blues Awards for the last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). He has an impressive venue checklist, including Wembley Stadium, where he opened for The Who in July 2019 and has since gone on to play Hyde Park, London, on a bill with Pearl Jam, Stereophonics and Johnny Marr in the summer of 2022. [A limited-edition brown color vinyl pressing is available.]
Slade – Nobody’s Fools [Reissue/1979] CD/LP (BMG)
Slade – The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome [Reissue/1983] CD/LP (BMG)
Expanded CD and color vinyl reissues of the sixth and eleventh studio albums by the iconic British rock band. Musically, Nobody’s Fools showed the band dropping their “loud” and “rocky” type songs, as they moved towards a more “American” soul/pop sound. The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome includes the US hit “Run Run Away” which appeared on the repacked Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply.
Stoned Jesus – Father Light CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Since 2009, Stoned Jesus has served as one of Ukraine’s leading forces in heavy rock. Fuzzed-out riffs, driving bass lines, and maximum groove serve as the foundational elements of Stoned Jesus’ sound, augmented by the combination of gentle clean vocals and hook-laden chorus choices, along with an array of ornamental guitar melodies. The cuts on Father Light expand and shift – all the while, the band’s trademark heaviness serves as the guide.
The Stranglers – Feline [Reissue/1983] 2xCD/2xLP (BMG)
Digitally remastered and expanded 40th Anniversary edition of the seventh studio album by The Stranglers, originally released in 1983. Feline drew heavily on two of the dominant musical influences in Europe of the time, by using primarily acoustic guitars and electronic drums as well as Dave Greenfield’s synthesizers. [A limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sunroof – Electronic Music Improvisations, Vol. 2 CD/LP+MP3 (Mute)
The second collection of improvised modular pieces recorded by Sunroof, aka Daniel Miller, the founder and Chairman of Mute, and Gareth Jones, a producer and engineer, notable for working with Depeche Mode, Einstürzende Neubauten, Erasure and Yann Tiersen.
Tanukichan – Gizmo CD/LP+MP3 (Company Records)
When the pandemic hit, Hannah van Loon adopted a dog named Gizmo, who became a much-needed companion while the Bay Area musician wrote her second album as Tanukichan. Aptly named after her new four-legged friend, Gizmo is an exercise in release, whether from situational hindrances – a forced lockdown, for one – or from self-imposed hedonistic coping mechanisms. To channel the more uplifting spirit, van Loon turned to the radio pop-rock of her childhood referencing artists like 311, The Cranberries, and Tom Petty with main collaborator Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bear. Existentialism aside, Gizmo also sees van Loon break out of her sonic comfort zone. Deftones-inspired thrash drums and screeching electric guitars are gracefully contrasted with van Loon’s hypnotic, almost deadpan vocal style, and crystal-clear acoustic guitar.
Tragedy – I Am Woman CD/LP (Napalm)
Blabbermouth hails Tragedy as “immensely talented… incredibly dynamic, nuanced and layered.” Flipping the script on sleaze rock tropes, with I Am Woman, Tragedy take their place as allies paying tribute to the most powerful force in their lives – celebrating womanhood in all forms on 14 newly-recorded, reinvented anthems of palpable power and fearless fun.
Trench Dogs – Stockholmaina CD (Wild Kingdom)
Swedish glam punk/rock ‘n’ rollers Trench Dogs deliver melodic riffs and hooky sing- along choruses. [A yellow color vinyl pressing is due March 10.]
Twiztid – Mutant, Vol. 2 [Reissue/2005] CD (Majik Ninja)
Twiztid 25th Anniversary reissue. Mutant is the fifth album by Twiztid. Released on July 26, 2005, it is the second half of the Man’s Myth/Mutant double album, released one month after its companion album, Man’s Myth.
Kali Uchis – Red Moon In Venus CD/LP (Interscope/Geffen)
Grammy-winning artist Kali Uchis returns for the first time since 2020 with her third studio album, Red Moon In Venus. Uchis went into the recording process intending to create an album that felt timeless, one that can be enjoyed any time and any place and will remain meaningful throughout the years to her and her fans. Red Moon In Venus floats between soul, R&B, pop, música urbana and more experimental textures. The result is an album that, as Uchis has come to perfect throughout her catalog, transcends genre or classification, a pure reflection of her soul. [An indie store exclusive red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time CD (Republic)
“Morgan Wallen follows up Dangerous: The Double Album with what can arguably called triple: One Things At A Time, loaded with 36 tracks. One Thing At A Time also includes several guest shots, most notably from Eric Church, who appears on the song ‘Man Made A Bar’. Hardy, a frequent collaborator, features on ‘In The Bible’, and Ernest shows up on ‘Cowgirls’. According to a press release and the track list, the album includes interpolations of the Allman Brothers’ ‘Midnight Rider’ and Young Thug’s ‘Lifestyle’ on the tracks ‘Everything I Love’ and ‘180 (Lifestyle)’, respectively. Songwriters on the album include Miranda Lambert, Ryan Hurd, Travis Denning, and Nicolle Galyon. ‘This record represents the last few years of my life, the highs and the lows,’ Wallen said in a statement. ‘It also brings together the musical influences that have shaped me as an artist – country, alternative and hip-hop.’” – Rolling Stone
Mimi Webb – Amelia CD/LP (Epic)
Inspired by the likes of Amy Winehouse and Sam Smith, Mimi Webb started writing songs of her own at 13-years-old in diaries before eventually learning guitar. Describing her debut album, Amelia, Mimi says “The album is named Amelia, my full first name, as there are two sides of me that I want people to get to know. There’s Amelia, the girl from the UK countryside who loves to be at home with her family, friends, and dogs; and Mimi, the pop artist who loves to be up on stage traveling the world. It was important for me to capture this duality with songs written for both of those girls, and I’m excited for you all to get to know them!”
Witch Ripper – The Flight After The Fall CD/LP (Magnetic Eye)
Witch Ripper has created a loving pastiche of the legendary pulp science fiction stories of old. The story told on their sophomore full-length, The Flight After The Fall, has all those tasty ingredients: a mad professor, his dying wife, cryogenic chambers, a black hole as well as themes of love, failure, loss, and acceptance. Musically, Witch Ripper has packed The Flight After The Fall with as much aggression and barely tamed electricity as anybody knowing them would expect, but there are also fleetly intricate guitar interplay, touches of subtle synth, and cosmic atmospherics as well as unshakably catchy clean vocal hooks. [A limited-edition translucent blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Worst Party Ever – Dartland CD/LP (No Sleep)
Dartland is the debut full-length record from Seattle’s indie rock darlings Worst Party Ever. Primary songwriter Andrew Schenumen finds solace in Dartland, his first full collection of songs in the project’s five-year existence. It’s the band’s most mature material to date, both musically and aesthetically. Their first release working with producer/engineer Tyler Floyd finds a full, complex sound, partnered with relentlessly emotionally driven lyrics.
Xiu Xiu – Ignore Grief CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Xiu Xiu has spent twenty years grappling with how to process, to be empathetic towards, to disobey and to reorganize horror. Ignore Grief is a record of halves. Angela Seo sings on half of the record. Jamie Stewart sings on half of the record. Half of it is real. Half of it is imaginary. The real songs attempt to turn the worst life has offered to five people the band is connected with into some kind of desperate shape that does something, anything, other than grind and brutalize their hearts and memory within these stunningly horrendous experiences. The imaginary songs are an expansion and abstract exploration of the early rock and roll “Teen Tragedy” genre as jumping off point to decontaminate the band’s own overwhelming emotions in knowing and living with what has happened to these five people. [A limited-edition silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Frank Zappa – Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich 3xCD (Zappa Records)
Zappa ’80: Mudd Club/Munich combines two historic performances from the 1980 spring/summer tour. The first is a set at FZ’s favorite NYC nightclub, the famous Mudd Club, presented from a hi-res transfer of the original master tape. The second, from Olympiahalle in Munich, is the first-ever direct-to-digital live stereo recording of Zappa. Mastered by Bernie Grundman in 2022, with photography and memoir from George Alper, and liner notes from Arthur Barrow, Steve Vai & ‘Vaultmeister’ Joe Travers. [Vinyl edition due March 31.]
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Bing Austria & The Flippin’ Soul Stompers – Rosas Epektos [Reissue/2017] LP (Fun In The Church)
Is it possible to combine John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Oxmo Puccino and Duke Ellington? With Inner Songs, Olivier Temime does just that, in the continuity of a cosmopolitan jazz lineage that is both hybrid and powerful.
The Bottle Rockets – 24 Hours A Day [Reissue/1997] LP (Real Gone Music)
Color vinyl pressing. Bottle Rockets leader Brian Henneman worked as Uncle Tupelo’s guitar tech for a couple of years before forming an alt-country band that rivalled his former bosses. Released in Atlantic in 1997, 24 Hours A Day represented The Bottle Rockets’ chance at the big time; it’s their sole major label release, and they pulled out all the stops, hiring former Del Lord Eric “Roscoe” Ambel to produce and revisiting “Indianapolis”, the song that got Henneman a record deal back in the early ’90s. Alas, the record failed to break through commercially yet is a wonderful example of hard-driving, honest, tuneful, rock ‘n’ roll.
Bill Callahan – Tyilaer 2xLP (Drag City)
From the beautiful to the jarring, intrepid explorer Callahan charts a passage through all kinds of territory, pitting dreams of dreams against dreams of reality. When he makes it back to us, his old friends ‘n acquaintances, we are reminded how much of a world it can be out there – and in here as well, where we live every day.
Ozan Ata Canani – Alle Menschen Dieser Erde [Reissue/2018] 7” (Fun In The Church)
Ozan Ata Canani – Warte Mein Land, Warte [Reissue/2021] LP (Fun In The Church)
Ata Canani meets Munich krautrock band Karaba, who are part of the Embryo-Family. Anatolien kraut rock with remix by Niklas Wandt on the flip side.
Don Cherry – Hear & Now [Reissue/1977] LP (Real Gone Music)
Don Cherry was an American jazz trumpeter. He is the father of Nena Cherry. Cherry was also a pioneer in world fusion music in the 1960s & 1970s. Hear & Now was recorded in 1976 and released on the Atlantic label the following year.
Chiiild – Better Luck In The Next Life LP (4th & Broadway)
Better Luck In The Next Life is an in-depth exploration of creative freedom and personal equilibrium. From a sonic and visual standpoint, the album is a journey towards truth of self, reality, and community. In the pursuit of fulfillment, the road becomes murky. Truth becomes distorted. What happens when we leave home and roam away from the comforts we’ve come to know? How do we face the unknown? Are we searching for the truth behind our fabricated reality or are we waiting to die? How do we return home?
Chisel – Set You Free [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Numero)
In late 1996 Chisel decamped from their native D.C. to Brooklyn’s Rare Book Room. The power trio of Ted Leo, Chris Norborg, and John Dugan teamed with engineer Nicolas Vernhes and came away with Set You Free, a remarkable, but largely overlooked, classic of the era. Originally issued on the venerable Gern Blandsten imprint, the album presaged the turn of the century ’60s rock revival, providing a counterpoint to second-wave emo. This deluxe 25th anniversary remastered edition supplements the original’s 17-song track list with five period alternates and rarities, plus a booklet of lyrics, photos, and an essay by Jes Skolnik. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is available.]
Cordae – From A Birds Eye View LP (Atlantic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Two-time Grammy Award-nominated rapper Cordae is proud to announce the release of his hugely anticipated sophomore album. The 14-track album release is celebrated by the premiere of the brand-new singles, “Chronicles (Feat. H. E. R. & Lil Durk)”, and “Today (Feat. Gunna)”. From A Birds Eye View sees Cordae collaborating with heavy weight names across a variety of genres such as Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, Freddie Gibbs, Eminem, H. E. R., Lil Durk, Gunna, Ant Clemons and Roddy Ricch. Deeply inspired by a life-changing trip to Africa, enduring the loss of a friend gone too soon, and evolving as an artist and a man, From A Birds Eye View sees Cordae telling these stories and more through technicolor imagery, nimble rhymes, and fast evolving wisdom.
Lee-Ann Curren – Who Knows? LP (Archipel)
Produced by Pierre Loustaunau aka “Petit Fantôme”, the Franco-American artist Lee-Ann Curren comes back with a sensual and colorful mini-album, navigating between shoegaze, country, pop and futuristic R&B. Parallel stories, soft melancholy, where analog roughness meets digital sharpness. Each track illustrates Lee-Ann’s own duality, always looking for the right balance between her Californian and Basque roots, a pro surfer and a musician life. [CD version due March 31.]
Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis with Shirley Scott – Cookin’ With Jaws And The Queen 4xLP (Craft Recordings)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Released to celebrate tenor jazz saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’ centennial, Cookin’ With Jaws And The Queen showcases the influential soul-jazz partnership of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and organist Shirley Scott. Bringing together the Prestige albums Smokin’ and Cookbook, Vol. 1-3.
Delacave – Everytime Is Moonrising LP (Teenage Menopause)
Delacave started making music in a very intimate space, a bedroom, discovering and gathering all the imagination necessary for their slow gestation to initiate their brand of gloomwave. For their fourth album Everytime Is Moonrising, Liliane Chansard and Seb Normal intermingle their melodies even more, their harmonies sound and dissonance, and their voices adjust. Feverishness becomes strength. The different elements are linked in a blurred gap between colored impressionism and black baroque. They take us on a journey through the great nowhere on disparate grounds where the efforts that cannot be avoided are never in vain. The strength of lack, the wisdom of emptiness and loss, and the intensity of friendships and discoveries never perish and are always renewed.
De La Soul – 3 Feet High And Rising [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (Chrysalis)
3 Feet High And Rising is the debut studio album by hip-hop trio de la Soul and was released on March 3, 1989. It marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. Critically, as well as commercially, the album was a success. It contains the singles, “Me Myself and I”, “The Magic Number”, “Buddy”, and “Eye Know”. [Aside from standard black, two colorways are available: yellow and magenta.]
The Doobie Brothers – Toulouse Street [Reissue/1972] LP (Friday Music)
Toulouse Street is the second studio album by The Doobie Brothers, originally released in 1972. It is the band’s first album with bassist Tiran Porter and second with drummer Michael Hossack to augment existing drummer John Hartman, putting in place their trademark twin-drummer sound. Toulouse Street is the name of a street in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Julius Eastman – Two Extended Pieces For Four Pianos [Reissue/2021] 2xLP (Sub Rosa)
Four Pianos (1979-80): It is recognized today that these tutelary pieces for four pianos are among the most powerful in contemporary music, their impact is almost unparalleled. After the historical version recorded forty years ago, this one, featuring four of the greatest European performers, is now regaining its full power. High level recordings too.
Emarosa – Sting LP (Out Of Line)
Recently released on CD – now available on yellow color vinyl. Sixth studio album from the Kentucky indie rock band. Sting is an ambitious step towards the ‘80s influenced pop sound that we have been dipping our toes in for years now.
Envy – Seimei 10” (Temporary Residence)
Purple color vinyl pressing. New EP from the Japanese hardcore/post-hardcore/screamo band.
eve6 – Hyper Relevisation LP (Velocity)
“eve6 isn’t a very good band. They got lucky and had like a hit and a half like twenty years ago and sold some records but who cares. They’ve had all the terminally predictable ups and downs of every other band that’s been chewed up and spit out by the machine. Their new shit is good, but no one will listen or care. eve6 doesn’t really like music and often thinks it’s just a distraction for the dull of mind. eve6 thinks music industry people are the worst people in the world and this includes label people, lawyers, publicists, managers, radio program directors, music supervisors etc. Thanks for taking the time away from your fake slack job to read this.” – eve6
Fazerdaze – Break! 12” (Section 1)
Embracing the cathartic power of plugging in her guitar and harking back to her love of bands like Blur and Nirvana, the new EP from Fazerdaze is an air-punch purge in musical form, marking an important reintroduction to an essential artist of our times.
Five Finger Death Punch – A Decade Of Destruction [Reissue/2017] 2xLP (Prospect Park)
Five Finger Death Punch – A Decade Of Destruction Vol. 2 [Reissue/2020] 2xLP (Prospect Park)
Color vinyl reissues (crimson red and cobalt blue, respectively) of Five Finger Death Punch’s two compliation albums.
Roberta Flack – First Take [Reissue/1969] LP (Atlantic)
Limited silver color vinyl pressing. The breakthrough debut by the iconic mistress of pop, jazz, soul, R&B, blues is unparalleled in the years since in its genre blending, emotional power, and raw impact. Recorded over 10 hours in 1969 during the turmoil of the late ‘60s in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King, and before the general realization of the cultural shift that would become embodied in Woodstock, First Take is the work of a woman who was known as a child prodigy and would later earn the title of genius.
Aretha Franklin – Lady Soul [Reissue/1968] LP (Atlantic)
Limited silver color vinyl pressing. Lady Soul is a landmark statement of female empowerment and inspired vocal performance. Featuring massive hits such as “Chain of Fools”, “(You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman”, “(Sweet, Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone”, and “Ain’t No Way”, Lady Soul topped the R & B charts and reached #2 on the Billboard 200.
Frizzy P & Mr Cole – Dramadome 2×12” (Dramadome)
The reference of this double EP is well known to hip hop fans: it’s 1985 – Dougy Fresh and Slick Rick released the track “La Di da Di”, which became a classic of the genre and one of the most sampled tracks in its history. The track, which sounds like a catchphrase, is a perfect description of the singer’s rhythmic and melodic flow, which effortlessly flows over Mr Cole’s warm, organic beats. The symbiosis is almost perfect. Tinged with heady refrains, the EP can be listened to without moderation. The mix is based on the remix of the track “It’s a boy” by the Large Professor released in 1994. Slick Rick’s nonchalant and calm tone inspires the duo to mix the vocals lightly – a desire to harmonize all the elements of the EP for a fluid and almost uninterrupted listening experience from start to finish.
Beth Hart – 37 Days [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Provogue)
Back in 2009 no other recording in her entire career does a better job of capturing Beth Hart’s music live than 37 Days. The entire album was recorded and mixed in only 37 days. It was produced like a live album. All the people who worked on the album respected, trusted, and loved each other: Jon Nichols on guitar, Tom Lilly on bass, and Todd Wolf on drums and percussion. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Beth Hart – My California [Reissue/2010] LP (Provogue)
Beth Hart has been through almost everything. She’s tasted the sweetness of success, topping the Billboard charts, and she has clung on to a bottle laying in the gutter. She has been betrayed by her own mind and she has felt the bliss of mental balance. For periods of time, that is. My California collects stories from her life. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Beth Hart – War In My Mind [Reissue/2019] 2xLP (Provogue)
2018 was an exceptional year for Beth Hart. She played the biggest headline shows of her career including 12,000 screaming fans in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, a sold-out Royal Albert Hall in London and her first solo tour in the USA, which completely sold out. Riding high on this success, she’s back with a stunning brand-new studio album, War In My Mind, on which she has collaborated with Rob Cavallo (Dave Matthews Band, Phil Collins, Green Day, etc.). The album sees Hart at her most passionate and emotive yet with bigger shows and festivals planned than ever. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
John Hartford – Aereo-Plain [Reissue/1971] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited bone white color vinyl pressing. After penning the Glen Campbell mega-hit “Gentle On My Mind” and appearing repeatedly both on Glen’s weekly variety show and on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, John Hartford could have taken the show biz glide path to financial security and ease. Instead, the singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist (and steamboat enthusiast) moved back to Nashville from L.A., signed a contract with Warner Bros., and proceeded to create one of the most influential and groundbreaking albums not just in bluegrass but in modern country music. 1971’s Aereo-Plain assembled a veritable supergroup consisting of fiddler Vassar Clements, dobroist Tut Taylor, guitarist Norman Blake and bassist Randy Scruggs to play a set of mostly original tunes that were unlike anything the staid bluegrass community had ever heard before.
Andrew Hill – Dance With Death [Reissue/1968] LP (Blue Note)
Andrew Hill’s 1968 album Dance With Death stands as one of the most gratifying, though under-recognized, sessions of the brilliant pianist’s discography, featuring his singular compositions performed by a versatile quintet with Charles Tolliver, Joe Farrell, Victor Sproles, and Billy Higgins. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series featuring all-analog remastering in luxe packaging.
Chris Imler – Operation Schönheit LP (Fun In The Church)
Chris Imler has been making his mark on countless Berlin musical affairs since long before the fall of the Wall, with The Golden Showers, Peaches, Oum Shatt, Driver & Driver, Die Türen, Jens Friebe, to name but a few. He has also been performing across Europe as a solo artist for the past decade. In Operation Schönheit (German for “Operation Beauty”), he has recorded his most, well, beautiful album to date.
Ivy – Apartment Life [Reissue/1997] LP (Bar/None)
White color vinyl pressing. “Ivy trades in unabashed pop melodies, a concept so far out it’s in” SPIN. “Ivy put the fizz in cocktail culture” Rolling Stone. Originally released in 1997, Ivy’s second album is a true gem. Apartment Life includes guest stars: Dean Wareham (Luna), Stan Demeski (Luna, Feelies), James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), Chris Collingwood & Jody Porter (Fountains Of Wayne) and Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin (The Blues Brothers).
Skip James – The Complete 1931 Sessions LP (Org Music)
Skip James was a Delta blues artist from Mississippi. Known for his career during the Great Depression and subsequent decades, he was “rediscovered” and became much more widely recognized during the 1960s when he was in very poor health nearing the end of his life. His playing style was primarily in a minor key, featuring complex fingerpicking. After years of being out-of-print, The Complete 1931 Sessions, taken from James’ Paramount recordings, was remastered, and reissued on black vinyl.
Carmell Jones – The Remarkable Carmell Jones [Reissue/1961] LP (Blue Note)
Kansas City-born trumpeter Carmell Jones signed to Pacific Jazz soon after his arrival in Los Angeles in 1960 and began what seemed sure to be a promising recording career with his accurately titled 1961 debut, The Remarkable Carmell Jones, featuring Harold Land, Frank Strazzeri, Gary Peacock, and Leon Pettis. Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series featuring all-analog remastering and luxe packaging.
Daisy Jones & The Six – Aurora LP (Atlantic)
In 1977, Daisy Jones & The Six were on top of the world. Fronted by two charismatic lead singers-Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) and Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin), the band had risen from obscurity to fame. And then, after a sold-out show at Chicago’s Soldier Field, they called it quits. Now, decades later, the band members finally agree to reveal the truth. This is the story of how an iconic band imploded at the height of its powers.
Seu Jorge – Carolina [Reissue/2002] LP (Mr Bongo)
Carolina is the Brazilian virtuoso Seu Jorge’s debut full-length album from 2002. Originally released under the title Samba Esporte Fino, it’s release and subsequent international acclaim dovetailed with Seu Jorge’s ascent into movie stardom. He is probably best known outside of Brazil for his work on Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, in which he played a starring role, and his Portuguese covers of David Bowie records were a highlight of the soundtrack. Having initially found fame thanks to his standout performance as Knockout Ned in the revered movie City Of God, ‘Carolina’ would cement his global fame and launch an illustrious musical career that has earnt him a Grammy nomination.
Hayley Kiyoko – Panorama LP (Atlantic)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. The single “For The Girls” joins Kiyoko’s most recent releases, the catchy, effervescent “Found My Friends” and romantic, hopeful “Chance” all featured on Panorama. Following her 2018 landmark debut album Expectations, Hayley created Panorama with frequent collaborators, Pat Morrissey, and Kill Dave, in addition to new kindred creative spirit and executive producer, Danja (Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears).
Legal Weapon – Death Of Innocence [Reissue/1982] LP (Radiation Reissues)
Pioneering L.A. punk band Legal Weapon was formed in 1980 from the ashes of the Silencers, which Steve Reiner formed with guitarist Brian Hansen, and vocalist Kat Arthur. By the time of this riveting 1982 debut LP, the band had Arthur, Hansen, future Adolescents/Agent Orange bassist Steve Soto, and drummer Charlie Vartanian. Just as Exene Cervenka was a primary draw in X and Penelope Houston in the Avengers, Kat Arthur is the major lure that kept this band outstanding, as Hansen and Soto vary the musical action, keeping their hardcore on the melodic side throughout.
Lemon Demon – Nature Tapes [Handsome Mother LP] LP+MP3 (Oglio)
Limited red, purple, and blue splatter color vinyl pressing. Containing instant classics like “Brodyquest”, “Two Trucks”, “Jaws”, and “Goosebumps”, these eight catchy electropop songs showcase his signature blend of deft humor set to a memorable melody.
Kenny Loggins – At The Movies LP (Sony Legacy)
Red color vinyl pressing. At The Movies collects, for the first time ever, Kenny Loggins’ greatest soundtrack hits on vinyl, including “Footloose”, “Playing With The Boys” (from the Top Gun soundtrack), “Danger Zone” (from the Top Gun soundtrack) and “Nobody’s Fool (Theme From Caddyshack)” plus a newly recorded version of “Playing With The Boys”.
Lostboycrow – Indie Pop LP (Nettwerk)
Released last December on CD – now available on yellow color vinyl. For his latest set of recordings, it felt important to Blair that he make Lostboycrow “feel more like a band,” something Blair had begun to do on Valleyheart but sought to expand when working with Chu. Chris Chu, who performs with POP ETC (formerly known as The Morning Benders), built his career touring with ’00s indie-pop staples like Grizzly Bear, Death Cab For Cutie, Ra Ra Riot, We Are Scientists, and more, so he was the perfect person to produce Indie Pop.
Magon – Enter By The Narrow Gate LP (December Square)
After playing all over Europe and soaking up new experiences and influences, Magon’s second album is born. Entirely recorded and produced and produced by Magon himself, the album follows the release of Out In The Dark in 2019. Hour After Hour turns our attention to the versatile side of the Parisian-Israeli Parisian, the approach of the singer/songwriter being more audacious and introspective. His style is more confident, subverting our expectations and transforming sounds in a fascinating way, he unleashes himself and rebels against the pre-established to give free rein to a fantastic compilation of garage and psychedelia.
The Mavericks – In Time (10th Anniversary Deluxe) 2xLP (Valory)
Limited double ‘electric blue with black streaks’ color vinyl pressing. Just in time for the 10th anniversary, The Mavericks’ 2013 studio album, In Time, has been reissued with bonus tracks, including an unreleased recording from the original sessions and a cover of Glen Campbell’s “Gentle On My Mind”. A perfect example of the band’s vibrant and irresistible signature Latin-style Americana, the album garnered critical acclaim, standing the test of time as both a fan favorite and a true classic.
Maverick Sabre – Lonely Are The Brave [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Maverick Sabre)
It’s been 10 years since Maverick Sabre first arrived on the UK scene as a fresh-faced Irish (but Hackney, London born) rapper with a brassy singing voice. Championed by Plan B, his music drew a line between the Irish, American and UK rap scenes he grew up on and the timeless blues and trad Irish music of his family’s heritage. His debut album, Lonely Are The Brave, was a roaring success, arriving at #2 on the UK official album charts and now a certified Gold record.
Mayhem – Live In Jessheim LP (Peaceville)
This first official release of Live In Jessheim concludes Peaceville’s series of the legendary line-up’s four recorded shows. Featuring Euronymous, Dead, Hellhammer and Necrobutcher, this is one of only a handful of recordings featuring the Norwegian black metal quartet in arguably their most influential period, as they forged a sound and darkness entirely of their own, before going on to almost inspire a whole scene single-handedly across a generation.
Memoriam – Rise To Power LP (Reaper Entertainment)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on purple color vinyl. Memoriam need no introduction – they are living legends of old school death metal and arguably one the fastest and most creative band in the genre.
Jackie Mendoza – Galaxia De Emociones LP (ZZK)
With her hypnotizing voice and vivid lyricism, Jackie Mendoza makes fantastical, intimate electro-pop propelled by ukulele-based dance grooves. Having grown up between her birthplace of Chula Vista, California and Tijuana, Mexico, the 29-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist bridges these two worlds with dynamic soundscapes that pull from Latin pop, electronic music, and indie pop. She creates a musical universe that exists beyond strict borders of genre and geography, giving her the space to traverse the vast expanse of her interiority.
Miam Miam Monster – L’Homme Libellule [Reissue/2007] LP (Freaksville)
Miam Monster Miam’s sound is a kaleidoscope of everything you ever heard and loved (or hated!). From Kevin Ayers he borrowed the nonchalant crooning voice, from Todd Rungren the almost mystical melodic sense, from Jonathan Richman the looney poetry, from Sky Saxon and Roky Eriksson the punky urge.
Mndsgn – Rare Pleasure [Reissue/2021] LP (Stones Throw)
Gold color vinyl pressing. As Mndsgn’s first approach to a traditional studio album, Rare Pleasure weaves itself in many forms as the album’s evolving theme, blending root stylings of R&B, soundtrack/theme-music, psychedelia, and jazz into a sonically rich score of self-actualization. The title itself, Rare Pleasure is an appreciation of sharing life, inward reflection, and the gift of joyful catharsis in the face of inevitable discord. As Mndsgn describes it, “We are beings living this human life that’s only going to happen this way once and only once, every moment infused with a magical impermanence, a rarity.”
Moonchild Sanelly – Phases 2xLP (Transgressive)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Moonchild Sanelly is South Africa’s “Queen of Gqom.” From her award-winning debut album Rabualpha!, to her recent collaborations with Beyoncé, Gorillaz, Die Antwoord, Wizkid and Diplo, she is a superstar on her home turf, famed for her ability to write incredible lyrics and stunning melodies. Her electrifying stage energy, infectious voice, killer hooks, and unique style make her one of the most sought after acts today, whilst her outspoken approach to female sexual empowerment makes her one of the most poignant. Forming a sonic foundation that veers between Amapiano, Gqom, grime, pop, house and R&B while showcasing her vocal talents on more downtempo songs, the 19 tracks on Phases, document the varying chapters of a toxic relationship and subsequent freedom.
Morbid Angel – Gateways To Annihilation [Reissue/2000] LP (Earache)
Green color vinyl pressing. Gateways To Annihilation is the sixth studio album by death metal band Morbid Angel. This album saw a change in musical style as the speed-laden intensity of the previous 1998 album Formulas Fatal To The Flesh was abandoned for a slower, more droning style, reminiscent of 1991’s Blessed Are The Sick.
Nas – King’s Disease II [Reissue/2021] 2xLP (Mass Appeal)
Gold color vinyl pressing. Following the Grammy Award winning album, King’s Disease, the king returns to his throne with the second coming, King’s Disease II. The star-studded project offers tacit game on life, love, and loss, uplifting through action and lived experience in a way only Nas can.
Kate NV – Wow LP+MP3 (RVNG Int’l)
Kate Nv’s Wow offers listeners a prismatic shift in perspective and scale, a parallel dimension in which the mundane becomes funny, unfamiliar, and altogether sensational. Turning the contents of her 2020 album Room For The Moon upside down and spilling it across a floor checkered with intrigue and surprise, Kate places sound, object, and ritual under the microscope to magnify the delight hidden in plain sight of everyday life. [An indie store exclusive yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Oberbaum – The Absence Of Misery LP (Freaksville)
First record of the Brussels pianist-singer Lucie Rezsöhazy (Fabiola, Condore, Les Juliens…), Oberbaum is not only a mythical bridge from Berlin, where she lived all her twenties. It is also a joyfully melancholic indie pop, in which her influences are elegantly distilled: Andy Shauf, Julia Jacklin and above all nineties artists like Sparklehorse and Cardigans.
Os Barbapapas – DooWooDooWoo LP (Fun In The Church)
Ready for take-off: Brazilian psychedelic quartet Os Barbapapas release their first record DooWooDooWoo. The result is a wondrous trip propelling us into outer space, to a lyrically unmanned space station where instrumental needles pierce the membrane of our planetary horizon, making way for a holistic psychedelic experience of our world.
Overkill – Taking Over [Reissue/1987] LP (BMG)
Overkill – Under The Influence [Reissue/1988] LP (BMG)
Taking Over is the second studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, originally released in March 1987 through Atlantic and Megaforce Records. The album is Overkill’s last to feature drummer Rat Skates, who left the band later in 1987 and was replaced by Sid Falck. Under The Influence is their third album.
Phew – Our Likeness [Reissue/1992] LP+MP3 (Mute)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Originally released in 1992, Our Likeness is Phew’s second solo album following her self- titled debut. This long out-of-print album saw Phew collaborate with the legendary and peerless Alexander Hacke (hackedepicciotto, Einstruzende Neubauten), Jaki Liebezeit (CAN) and Chrislo Haas (Crime & The City Solution, DAF, Liaisons Dangereuses). After leaving the pioneering Japanese punk band Aunt Sally, she worked with many other innovative artists from around the globe, although this lineup is hard to beat and sounds as great as you’d imagine it would.
Mariá Portugal – Erosão [Reissue/2021] LP (Fun In The Church)
Mariá Portugal is a Brazilian drummer, singer, composer, musical producer, and improviser who has been active in the Brazilian music scene for 20 years. Mariá is currently living in Cologne, Germany. She composes soundtracks for dance, theatre, and cinema.
Rexx Life Raj – The Blue Hour LP (Rexx Life)
Nearly two years after the release of his last full-length offering California Poppy 2, Rexx Life Raj, returns with his latest album The Blue Hour. Guest appearances include Wale, Larry June, Russ, and Fireboy DML.
Riot – Archives Volume 3: 1987 – 1988 2xLP+DVD (Hight Roller)
Third rarities collection from the New York metal band. Includes a pro-shot 70-minute live DVD recorded on August 21, 1988, at Hallettsville Rockfest in Texas.
Rubinho E Mauro Assumpção – Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei [Reissue/1972] LP (Mr Bongo)
This highly sought-after rarity was originally released on the Brazilian label Tapecar Records in 1972 and is the one and only album by the sensational pairing of Rubinho and Mauro Assumpção. Effortlessly blending folk, MPB, funky-psych, rock, and relaxed, swaggering samba, this record ought to be heralded as a true Brazilian classic. However, maybe due to its scarcity and the previous reissue predominantly being only available to the Brazilian market, it has not had a chance to fully shine and find the wider audience it deserves.
Saigon Kick – Water [Reissue/1993] LP (Real Gone Music)
Another one of those ’90s albums that should have been on vinyl a long time ago. Water includes a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” along with highlights like “I Love You” and “One Step Closer”. It also marks the debuts of guitarist Jason Bieler as lead vocalist and bassist Chris McLernon
Sanguisugabogg – Homicidal Ectasy LP (Century Media)
Clear vinyl pressing. Ohio’s most promising death metal outfit Sanguisugabogg return with their anticipated full-length sophomore album Homicidal Ecstasy. After releasing their critically acclaimed full-length album Tortured Whole in early 2021 the group went above and above by creating a reimagined, violent, more mature, and technical brutal death metal explosion that can withstand any maneuvers.
JD Simo – Songs From The House Of Grease LP (Crows Feet)
This album was cut live in the House Of Grease in June of 2022 between tours. It features the most inspiring performances to date from JD and company on some new tunes and takes on John Coltrane, Mississippi Fred McDowell and Blind Alfred Reed.
Slowthai – Ugly LP (Method/UMG)
Ugly is Slowthai pulling himself apart and exposing his anxieties of the last couple of years, an acronym for U Gotta Love Yourself. This new album may show a side that people haven’t heard before, but he sees it as the fullest picture yet. Recorded in producer Dan Carey’s studio alongside frequent collaborator Kwes Darko, Ugly is a combination of musicians including Jockstrap’s Taylor Skye, Beabadoobee guitarist Jacob Bugden, and on the woozy title track, his friends Fontaines D.C.
Soul Messiah – GOD CMPLX LP (Rhymesayers)
Multicolor purple w/ light blue & orange pressing. On GOD CMPLX, Sol Messiah connects with some of the finest MCs in the game to create an impressive collection of Hip Hop music that’s both innovative and inspiring. Featuring guest performances from KXNG Crooked, Sa-Roc, Evidence, Locksmith, Slug (Atmosphere), Aesop Rock, Murs, Baba Zumbi (Zion I), Che Noir, Lyric Jones and many more, GOD CMPLX is a powerful and engaging project serving as a testament to Sol Messiah’s skills both as a producer as well a visionary.
The South Side Movement – The South Side Movement [Reissue/1973] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited clearwater blue color vinyl pressing. This 1973 gem is another obscure ’70s soul-funk album released on a small independent label that has gone on to become a crate-digging favorite and a huge inspiration to modern-day hip hop artists and beyond.
Dusty Springfield – Dusty In Memphis [Reissue/1969] LP (Atlantic)
Silver color vinyl pressing. Famed (and notoriously curmudgeonly) rock critic Robert Christgau dubbed this the all-time rock-era torch record, and the Library of Congress included it into the national registry. It’s got Dusty’s interpretation of “Son Of A Preacher Man”, plus choice selections written by Goffin and King, Randy Newman, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and more. Pour a glass of wine, turn on the fire, and put Dusty in Memphis on the turntable. Your night is planned.
Sunsleeper – While You Can LP (Rudenetworks SNC)
Released last November on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Salt Lake City indie rockers. While You Can was recorded and produced by Brett Romnes (Oso Oso, Hot Mulligan) and mastered by Will Putney (Counterparts, Knocked Loose). Enlisting heavyweight personnel across scenes and genres underlines what the band views as this album’s mission: to connect with and inspire as many listeners as possible while venturing into their most daring and expansive material to date.
Tove Lo – Dirt Femme LP (Pretty Swede)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated artist Tove Lo releases her fifth studio album, Dirt Femme. The album boasts an impressive lineup of special guests, including SG Lewis (appearing on two tracks), Channel Tres and First Aid Kit. “Tove Lo’s songbook is filled with tracks about using drugs and sex to escape harsher realities and Dirt Femme laces that work with a newfound sense of maturity. Closer ‘How Long’, initially featured on the soundtrack to HBO’s Euphoria, sees her narrator begging for someone else’s relationship to end so she can be inserted in it, creating a track as alluring as it is intentionally selfish. Even the lightweight aphrodisiac banger ‘Pineapple Slice’, which already contains a great line about how she will ‘hold your hand with my thighs’, still makes a point about how men complain about not finding love in the club while women find it all too easily. Even the slick ‘Kick In The Head’ seeks release through pleasure, giving clubgoers something to chew on while coating a dancefloor in sweat.” – Evan Sawdey, Pop Matters
Twin Temple – Twin Temple (Bring You Their Signature Sound… Satanic Doo-Wop) [Reissue/2019] LP (Rise Above)
Green color vinyl pressing. Everybody knows that the Devil has all the best tunes. From Robert Johnson selling his soul at the crossroads to the blood-soaked black metal of Norway, Satan has long loomed large over the music world, striking fear into the hearts of the sanctimonious. But nothing that has gone before will prepare you for the arrival of Twin Temple: Los Angeles’ one and only purveyors of Satanic doo-wop. Devout Satanists and meticulous preservers of rock ‘n’ roll’s ancient, timeless spirit, this black-clad and effortlessly stylish duo has created a sound that blends their Satanic ideology with the irresistible sass and melody of classic ‘50s and ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll. The result is Twin Temple (Bring You Their Signature Sound…Satanic Doo-Wop), a debut album that not only serves to salute the Dark One, but also delivers some of the catchiest and coolest music to emerge from any genre in years.
Watchhouse – Such Jubilee [Reissue/2015] LP (Yep Roc)
Watchhouse – Blindfaller [Reissue/2016] LP (Yep Roc)
Color vinyl reissues (purple and orange, respectively). Lean in to the Watchhouse (formerly known as Mandolin Orange) albums Such Jubilee and Blindfaller, and it’s bound to happen. You’ll suddenly pick up on the power and devastation lurking in their quietude, the doom hiding beneath their unvarnished beauty. You’ll hear the way it magnifies the intimacy at the heart of the North Carolina duo’s music, as if they created their own musical language as they recorded them.
Chip Wickham – Chip 10 LP (Gondwana)
Saxophonist, flautist Chip Wickham takes us to Cloud 10 with his most soulful and lyrical album to date. The jazz musician/producer who divides his time between Spain, UK and the Middle East has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that draw equally on the hard swinging spiritual jazz of Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef and Sahih Shihab, alongside the music of British jazz legends such as Tubby Hayes and Harold McNair and the more contemporary sounds of Jazzanova, Kyoto Jazz Massive and Robert Glasper.
Yaeji – What We Draw [Reissue/2020] LP+MP3 (XL)
Yaeji’s What We Drew is titled intentionally; the project is as much indebted to her own singular creative vision as it is to her network of close-knit collaborators and friends, a team she’s described as a “family business.” What We Drew is Yaeji’s first full-length release, and entirely self-produced, but she’s careful to classify it as a mixtape, which belies the way that these songs came together. “Each track is almost like a snippet of my life, a look into my diary or something, where it’s reflective of how I was specifically feeling during that time.” [New album With A Hammer due April 7.]
Yeat – Lyfë LP (Geffen)
Smoke color vinyl pressing. Featuring deeply personal lead single “Talk” and blistering turn-up anthem “Flawlëss”, a bone-rattling collaboration with hip-hop heavyweight Lil Uzi Vert, Lyfë builds on the momentum of 2022’s 2 Alivë and confirms L.A. rap sensation Yeat’s status as one of the fastest rising stars. The 12-track project showcases the breadth of the 22-year-old’s artistry. The truly one-of-one vocalist speaks the truth on songs like “Can’t Stop This” – a defiant missive aimed at haters and imitators – and lets loose a barrage of vibe-heavy tunes like the BenjiCold-produced “Comë On”.
Cassette:
They Might Be Giants – Flood [Reissue/1990] (Idlewild Recordings)
Flood is the third studio album by alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, originally released in 1990. Flood was the duo’s first album on the major label Elektra Records. It generated three singles: “Birdhouse in Your Soul”, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)”, and “Twisting”. The album is generally considered to be the band’s definitive release, as it is their best-selling and most recognizable album.
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