CDs + Vinyl:
Able Tasmans – A Cuppa Tea & A Lye Down [Reissue/1986] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Flying Nun)
Reissue of 1986 debut (vinyl version features a bonus 12″ containing Able Tasmans’ first EP The Tired Sun (1985) and three bonus tracks). Able Tasmans’ songwriting and arrangement crossed lines between baroque and indie pop integrating field recordings and bringing keyboards to the forefront of their music.
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Benzaiten CD/2xLP (Important)
An In C-style homage to the classic Osamu Kitajima record from 1973. Uses the original composition as a departure point for further instrumental explorations.
Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker [Reissue/2000] CD/2xLP (Pax Americana)
Adams’ debut solo album has been in and out of print many times, but is here reissued on his own Pax Am imprint.
Admiral Fallow – Tiny Rewards CD (Nettwerk)
Tiny Rewards follows-up 2012’s critically acclaimed Tree Bursts In Snow, an album that saw the band shed the constraints of nu-folk and swell into a more organic design, blending traditional with electronic, orchestral and indie. This album sees the band continue on the same expansive path.
Alesso – Forever CD (Def Jam)
Alessandro Lindblad, more commonly known as Alesso, is a Grammy-nominated DJ and dance music producer from Stockholm, Sweden. His career quickly gained mainstream recognition for his remixes of Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia and Avicii, as well as his own productions. Forever includes collaborations with Calvin Harris, OneRepublic, Ryan Tedder and more.
Annabel – Having It All CD/LP (Tiny Engines)
On appearances alone, Akron, Ohio’s Annabel could be any modest Midwestern rock band-scrawny, bespectacled, with grins as permanent as their tattoos. A similar innocence might be perceived in their songs, in guitars that jingle and a bass that romps puppy-like, in vocals that compete with the music like a little brother for attention. But subsequent listens will reveal Annabel to be a band whose elements tangle into something complex and complete and. Indeed, Having It All feels orchestral at times, with guitars that intertwine and sometimes collapse into harmonic hums.
Anti Flag – American Spring CD/LP (Spinefarm)
The American Spring album title is likely derived from the Arab Spring — a term to describe the revolutionary wave of recent protests throughout the Middle East. The uprising forced rulers from Egypt, Tunisia, Libia and Yemen out of power, while many other countries were swarmed with legions of protestors. The album feature appearances by Rancid‘s Tim Armstrong on the track “Brandenburg Gate” and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello on “Without End.”
Arcturus – Arcturian CD/LP (Prophecy)
New album from the avant-garde metal band.
The Bad Plus Joshua Redman – The Bad Plus Joshua Redman CD (Nonesuch)
In 2011, The Bad Plus invited saxophonist Joshua Redman to join them for a week of enthusiastically received performances at the Blue Note in New York City. They then played a handful of dates before heading into the studio in 2014 to record their debut album, The Bad Plus Joshua Redman. Seven of the nine tracks on the album are new compositions by the quartet members who, in addition to Reid Anderson and Redman, include The Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer David King. The other two songs on the album, “Dirty Blonde” and “Silence Is the Question,” are new arrangements of Bad Plus favorites.
Best Kissers In The World – Skinned My Heart Broke My Knee CD (American Dust)
Best Kissers In The World – Yellow Brick Roadkill 2xCD (American Dust)
Best Kissers in the World was a beloved early ‘90s Seattle quartet. Frontman Gerald Collier possesses one of the great rock voices of the era with a mind for witty and irreverent lyrics. Combine these with the band’s expert power-pop riffs and hooks and it’s clear why their multitude of diehard fans put them in the lineage of artists such as The Replacements, Joan Jett, and Cheap Trick.
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E Collective – Breathless CD (Blue Note)
Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective set off on a new musical journey with his new album Breathless. An innovative and electric exploration into the fusion of jazz, funk, blues featuring Oscar Seaton on drums, Donald Ramsey on bass, Charles Altura on guitar and Fabian Almazan on keyboard/piano/synths.
Boozie BadAzz – Touch Down 2 Cause Hell CD (Atlantic)
The sixth studio album from the previously incarcerated rapper formerly known as Lil Boosie. The album features guest appearances from Rich Homie Quan on the single “Like A Man,” Webbie on the street single “On That Level,” as well as Chris Brown, Rick Ross, T.I. and Keyshia Cole.
Brideshead – Never Grow Up CD/LP (Shelflife)
New release from the German popsters containing nine newly recorded songs, plus 2014’s single “The Mermaid” and the four gems from the Comeback 10″. Never Grow Up is a dream soundtrack for a serene summer day where ’90s Swedish pop and ’80s jangle mingle in the air. Bask in a bath of jangly guitars, timeless melodies and gentle vocals by a band once called “the best English-vocal band currently around in Germany.”
The Chocolate Watchband – I’m Not Like Everybody Else CD/LP (Cleopatra)
American psychedelic garage rock icons present this collection of underground classics recently recorded to give them an even more ferocious kick.
Shana Cleveland & The Sandcastles – Oh Man, Cover The Ground CD/LP+MP3 (Suicide Squeeze)
Shana Cleveland is a rare artist who seems dismissive of time. She’s been performing with a rotating batch of musicians tagged as The Sandcastles for over six years, and yet Oh Man, Cover The Ground is their first proper album. It would be easy to chalk up the delay behind the debut to a slacker lifestyle—Oh Man, Cover The Ground’s laid-back vibe certainly suggests an extremely casual approach to songcraft. But Cleveland is no slacker. In the years since she first started playing out under her own name, she’s helmed a number of other music projects; most notably her revered Girls In The Garage-inspired band La Luz.
Tyrone Davis – Love & Touch [Reissue/1976] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1976 album with three bonus tracks. Love And Touch was the eighth solo album released by the soul/blues artist, and was also his debut release on Columbia Records.
Jon DeRosa – Black Halo CD (Rocket Girl)
Known for his dreamlike ambient-pop work as Aarktica, DeRosa integrates those signature otherworldly elements into the songs on his second full length, Black Halo, combining a certain kind of occult mysticism with a refined orchestral sound largely informed by his move from Brooklyn to L.A. and his love of ‘60s pop songwriting and orchestration. His striking baritone is more in tune with the Golden Age of crooners, 1950s Nelson Riddle arrangements and 1960s teen love songs.
Sally Dige – Hard To Please CD (Night School)
Consolidating two years of solo work, Hard To Please is the debut album by Canadian polymath Sally Dige. First coming to prominence in the synth-wave scene with an elusive, meta-persona in a blur of homemade costumes, Dige’s world has grown to encompass visual art, theatre and design elements.
Dizz1 – In Sickness & In Health CD (Tru Thoughts)
Melbourne-based turntablist, producer and drum kit expert Dave Norris aka Dizz1, has been active on the world hip-hop stage for some time. Having played Sonar 2010, attended the Red Bull Music Academy in Spain; and performed alongside De La Soul, Mos Def, DJ Vadim, Gaslamp Killer, DJ Krush, and Tokimonsta, he’s earnd his stripes with a hip-hop style that references reggae, jungle and dub.
Jason Eckardt – Subject CD (Tzadik)
Jason Eckardt began as a heavy metal guitarist, and turned to contemporary music after hearing Webern. His music is highly complex and retains the energy and intensity of his heavy metal roots. Challenging and highly virtuosic, his compositional language embraces both uptown and downtown. Tzadik has chosen a program of some of his most extreme and intense works performed by Jack, Ice and the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Kim Erickson – Raven’s Wing CD (BTF)
New release by the folk singer/songwriter. Recorded in Toronto, under the experienced guidance of producer Danny Greenspoon and double bassist Joe Phillips, who created beautiful orchestrations for them, The Raven’s Wing recordings feature some extraordinary arrangements for small string ensemble, masterfully executed by some of Canada’s best players.
Gentlemen Prefer Blood – Used Books And Guns CDLP (No Idea/It’s Alive)
GPB’s third LP hits the mark with smart lyrics, buzz-saw chords, raspy vocals, and an anthemic style that echoes the sound and spirit defined by punk rock of the late ‘70s and early ‘90s.
Rachel Grimes – The Clearing CD (Temporary Residence)
Rachel Grimes is a pianist, composer, and arranger based in Kentucky – most renowned for her work in Rachel’s, the groundbreaking chamber-rock ensemble that introduced an entire generation of underground rock fans to the unexpected similarities and appeal of neoclassical music. Grimes has toured the world as a solo pianist, and as a collaborator with chamber ensembles such as Portland Cello Project, astrïd, Cicada, The Amsterdam Sinfonietta Trio, and Orchestra Kandinskij. Unhurried, at times fleeting, and stretching into the sky, The Clearing is a winding path of transient moments exploring personal memory, relationships, and mystery from a deeply internal place. Vinyl version due July 10.
Guapo – Obscure Knowledge CD/LP (Cuneiform)
Guapo started their life as a heavy bass/drums duo playing post-hardcore, noisy rock, but in the two decades since, they have expanded their instrumentation and their stylistic references to become one of Europe’s most highly respected ‘muscular and modern’ experimental/progressive rock bands.
Giovani Guidi – This Is The Day CD (ECM)
The Giovanni Guidi Trio plays jazz of uncommon originality and reflective depth. On their second ECM album, Italian pianist Guidi, bassist Morgan, and Portuguese drummer Lobo continue the work begun on the 2011 recording City Of Broken Dreams, with pensive, abstract ballads which shimmer with inner tension. Each of the players has a strong sense for the dialectics of sound and silence.
Harmony – Remembrance CDEP (Ulterium)
New six-track EP from the Swedish melodic metal band. The EP contains four re-recorded tracks from their debut album Dreaming Awake as well as two new songs that were recorded at the same time as their latest album Theatre Of Redemption. All tracks feature Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon) on vocals.
D.R. Hooker – Truth [Reissue/1972] CD (PSI)
CD reissue of a rare hard psych/prog album, originally released in an edition of 99 copies in 1972. Truth ranges from pop psych of the highest order in the vein of the Strawberry Alarm Clock, to powerful late ’60s rock with a funky attitude, to thought-provoking singer/songwriter tunes in the vein of Neil Young, Nick Drake, or even Donovan, with alternately lush and sparse arrangements.
Jethro Tull – Benefit (Steven Wilson Mix) [Reissue/1970] CD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Jethro Tull – Aqualung (Steven Wilson Mix) [Reissue/1971] CD/LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Digitally remastered and remixed by Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree). Mostly recorded in December 1969 and January 1970, Benefit was the band’s first album to feature keyboards — played by the band’s old school chum John Evan. Released in 1971, Aqualung, despite the band’s disapproval, is regarded as a concept album featuring a central theme of “the distinction between religion and God.”
Eilen Jewell – Sundown Over Ghost Town CD/LP (Signature Sounds)
As hard as it is to categorize Jewell’s music — terms like alt-country, roots-rock, countrynoir, and Americana get used a lot — it’s even harder not to become thoroughly enraptured by the singer/songwriter’s powerful versatility, musical stories, and images. And that gorgeous voice makes you feel like she’s singing just for you, out on the breezy back porch or by a crackling campfire.
Anders Jormin/Lena Willemark/Karin Nakagawa – Trees Of Light CD (ECM)
Anders Jormins new Swedish-Japanese project returns the highly distinctive voice and fiddle of Lena Willemark to ECM (her first appearance on the label in more than a decade), and introduces koto player Karin Nakagawa. In their collaborative music the Japanese classical tradition and the stark, archaic sounds of the koto, allied to Jormin’s muscular bass improvisations, form a unique context for Lena s sung poems, delivered in her native Älvdals-dialect. Traditions and non-idiomatic improvising are cross-referenced, and new paths are opened up.
KC & The Sunshine Band – The Painter [Reissue/1981] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1981 album. The Painter was the eighth studio album by the funk and disco group KC &The Sunshine Band, which was produced by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch. The album became their most pop-focused album with the notable track, the ballad “All Through The Night.”
Kerbside Collection – Trash Or Treasure 2xCD/2xLP (Legere Recordings)
Aussie jazz-funkers Kerbside Collection return with the follow up to their warmly received debut album from 2013. Trash Or Treasure explores wilder textures and tones interspersed with more ‘jazzier’ flavors alongside their gritty sidewalk rare groove. Influenced by the rare funk and simple raw jazz and soul sounds of artists like Placebo (the ‘70s Belgian jazz fusion group), The Menehan Street Band, The Whitefield Brothers, Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee and The Mattson 2, Trash Or Treasure even contains hints of library music with lush tones from added instrumentation like vibraphone, sitar and brass that blend into their dusty ’60s inspired West Coast jazz funk sound.
Gladys Knight And The Pips – Life [Reissue/1985] 2xCD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered and expanded double-CD edition of this 1985 album. Gladys Knight And The Pips were one of the most legendary and influential groups in the history of R&B. Life became their Columbia swansong and the lead single, “My Time,” is featured along with other singles, “Keep Giving Me Love” and “Til I See You Again.”
Patti LaBelle – I’m In Love Again [Reissue/1983] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1983 album. I’m In Love Again was the sixth solo album released by Patti LaBelle. Notable for LaBelle’s first solo Top Ten Hits, “If Only You Knew” and “Love, Need And Want You,” it became LaBelle’s first successful solo album after five previous releases and six years.
Lifehouse – Out Of The Wasteland CD (Ironworks Music)
New album from the alt-rock trio. Out Of The Wasteland is the work of a group that has some history. It was 2001 when Los Angeles-based Lifehouse broke through in a big way when “Hanging By A Moment,” from their debut album No Name Face, spent 20 weeks in the Top Ten and won a Billboard Music Award for ‘Hot 100 Single Of The Year.’
Little Wings – Explains CD/LP (Woodsist)
Latest release from the long-running and eclectic folk artist, with previous releases on K Records, Friends & Relatives, Rad.
Lydia Lunch/Retrovirus – Urge To Kill CD (Widowspeak)
No Wave iconoclast and Big Sexy Noise-queen Lydia Lunch, in conspiracy with Herculean guitarist Weasel Walter (The Flying Luttenbachers), fret-destroying bassist Tim Dahl (Child Abuse) and legendary skinsbasher Bob Bert (Sonic Youth, Pussy Galore) unleash Urge To Kill—the follow up to 2013’s face-melting live recording by this deadly combo called Retrovirus.
Magnolia – Svarta Sagor CD/LP (Transubstans)
New release from the Swedish hard rock band.
Manchester String Quartet – Classic Manchester CD (Cleopatra)
A young foursome of classically trained renegades offer this unique tribute to one of the most vibrant music scenes in British rock history. Contains inventive and haunting string arrangements of compositions by the best known “Madchester” bands such as Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, The Buzzcocks, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Elbow and more.
Branford Marsalis Quartet – Performs Coltrane’s A Love Supreme Live In Amsterdam CD+DVD/LP (OKeh/Sony Masterworks)
Branford Marsalis Quartet performs Coltrane’s A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam. A special reissue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary Coltrane album. The DVD contains the set and rare video material including a conversation with Alice Coltrane and Branford Marsalis.
Maysa – Back 2 Love CD (Shanachie)
Grammy nominee Maysa holds unique status in the world of R&B/jazz. As featured vocalist of the UK supergroup Incognito, core member of Stevie Wonder’s Wonderlove, and of course, through her own albums and concerts, she continues to win fans with her incomparably lush, sensuous vocals.
Rob Mazurek/Exploding Star Orchestra – Galactic Parables: Volume 1 CD/3xLP (Cuneiform)
Composer, cornetist, electronic and acoustic sound specialist and musical director Rob Mazurek leads his largest regular ensemble, the Exploding Star Orchestra through one of his most ambitious recordings.
Mischief Brew – This Is Not For Children CD/LP (Alternative Tentacles)
Fourth album from the Philly anarcho-punk/folk troubadours. These ten songs plow forward, picking up where The Stone Operation left off in 2011, but with less of the chaotic ornamentation that one might classify as “Gypsy-punk” or “pirate folk.” Quite simply, these were written in a South Philly garage with three instruments, and for the most part, that’s all that was needed to complete them. Sure, there’s a little acoustic guitar, violin, junk percussion and even glockenspiel… but at its heart, this is a punk album.
Modestep – London Road CD (Max)
Second studio album by British dubstep and electronic rock band. Modestep is led by brothers, Josh Friend (singer/producer) and Tony Friend (DJ/producer). London Road features guest appearances from Funtcase, Teddy Killerz, Culprate, Partysquard, Trolley Snatcha, Skindred, Rude Kid, Big Narstie, Dialect, Discard, Flowdan, Frisco, and LayZ. Vinyl version due June 2.
Morglbl – Tea Time For Punks CD (Free Electric Sound)
The madcap French jazz metal trio returns with their sixth album. Tea Time For Punks doesn’t deviate from the tried and true Morglbl formula. Take equal parts fusion and crushing metal power chords, then inject a healthy dose of tongue in cheek humor and you’ve got the perfect Morglbl album. The band is often described as Primus meets Steve Vai and Allan Holdsworth, with flavors of Frank Zappa.
Mycale: Gomory – The Book Of Angels Volume 25 CD (Tzadik)
One of the most beautiful of all Book Of Angels ensembles, Mycale is an evocative a cappella vocal quartet featuring four of the most creative voices in New Music. In their second CD release they are tighter than ever and approach the Masada music with a sensitive ear, an open heart and a creative imagination. Using a variety of texts in Portuguese, Berber, Hebrew, French and Spanish, they fashion lush harmonies and strong rhythmic drive to bring Zorn’s lyrical and elusive melodies to life like never before.
Martin Newell – Teatime Assortment CD/2xLP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
Since before he was even able to play an instrument, Martin Newell was messing around with home-recordings. Having grown up in the Far East, Newell returned to his home of England at age 13 with just a little three-inch spool tape-recorder and his first guitar. At age 14 he wrote his first song, not even knowing any chords. His song writing continued through is teens and into his 20s, when he purchased a Sony reel-to-reel recorder and 12 string guitar. It is this early songwriting that led him working with a wide variety of musicians, recording in beautiful studios and forming his many projects such as Cleaners From Venus and Brotherhood Of Lizards. But it was this early songwriting and recording that led him to find that he was happiest when recording by himself, with minimal equipment. As Newell often says, “Actually, I preferred the demos.”
Frank Nitt – Frankie Rothstein CD/LP (Fat Beats)
With Frankie Rothstein, his first album on Fat Beats Records which features production from the likes of J Rocc, J Dilla and DJ Rhettmatic, L.A.-based, Detroit-bred MC Frank Nitt brings his distinguished, decades-long career full-circle, packing his inimitable style and years of industry-hardened grit in with a newfound maturity and growth. From a young age, Frank Nitt was quick to absorb the rich musical history of his native Detroit, forming the rap duo Frank N’ Dank in his teens. Most recently, Nitt released Sunset Blvd., a collaborative full-length with Illa J (younger brother to the late J Dilla) over unreleased Dilla productions and featuring hip-hop heavyweights Common, Talib Kweli and members of De La Soul and the Pharcyde.
Nneka – My Fairy Tales CD/LP (Bushqueen)
My Fairy Tales is a concept album exploring the life and trials of the African diaspora. This project evokes the positive aspects of relationships, the sense of responsibility towards children, the importance of culture, education and identity values. “My travels and time spent in France have influenced me in writing these songs. I did not want to focus only on the suffering of Africans, but on endurance, perseverance and gratitude that are common to all peoples of the world.”
Nocturnal Sunshine – Nocturnal Sunshine CD/LP (I Am Me)
New release from British/Japanese producer/EDM artist Maya Jane Cole aka Nocturnal Sunshine. Maya’s notoriety has grown exponentially since her release back in July of 2013. She has released mix compilations for both DJ Kicks and Fabric, and has an impressive array of A-List remix credits including The xx, Massive Attack, Tricky, Little Dragon, Florence & The Machine, Gorillaz, Bonobo, Ella Fitzgerald, The Orb and others.
Obsequiae – Aria Of Vernal Tombs CD (20 Buck Spin)
Black metal, death metal, traditional heavy metal and Medieval music are all weaved seamlessly together in baroque yet abrasive reverence on Aria, resulting in a remarkably original long-player. Vinyl version due August 7.
Charlie Parker – Long Lost Bird Live Afro-Cubop Recordings CD (Rockbeat)
A historic summit meeting of jazz took place on various evenings throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s from New York to Los Angeles. Recorded live featuring the scorching Latin rhythms of Charlie Parker joined by Dizzy Gillespie, Frank “Machete” Grillo and Art Blakey to name a few. In this series of blazing solos against the background of some of the best Afro CuBop repertoire of that period, Bird achieved “Escape Velocity.”
Ray Parker Jr. And Raydio – Two Places At The Same Time [Reissue/1980] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this 1980 release including one bonus track. Ray Parker Jr. And Raydio’s Two Places At The Same Time was a nice combination of funk grooves and quiet storm ballads. This is a solid R&B effort that holds up well today.
Gary Peacock Trio – Now This CD (ECM)
In the realm of the piano trio the bar is set high, and creative bassist Gary Peacock has helped raise it in the groups of Bill Evans, Paul Bley and Keith Jarrett. Now This is an album with the bassists current trio, recorded last summer in Oslo. Marc Copland and Joey Baron each contribute tunes, and the group also tackles Scott La Faros Glorias Step. In this band, roles are very evenly shared, and this is an optimum context in which to appreciate the melodic invention of Peacocks bass playing.
Robert Pollard – Faulty Superheroes CD/LP (GBV Inc.)
Faulty Superheroes has a tossed-off, effortless magnificence for which the rash of indie-whatevers trailing in his wake from Bee Thousand to the present constantly strive, and fail to achieve. The constant sense of surprise, of wonder, of discovery that one routinely finds in superbly structured instant bomp classics like “Faster The Great” is not something that can be taught, or learned, or imparted, or copied. Pollard largely abandoned the four-track 20 years ago and still gets tagged as “lo-fi,” which is a word that makes even less sense now in the days of digital recording than it did then in the days of occasionally tape-hiss smothered coulda-shoulda-been hits. Are there bum notes here and there? Recording-accidents-on-purpose left in like crushed empty beer cans strewn around the miniature, glimmering pop/rock/psych/prog construction sites left standing in the wake of each finished/unfinished songs? You betcha.
Porcupine Tree – Anesthetize 2xCD+DVD (Kscope)
Originally released in 2010 as a DVD/Blu Ray, Anesthetize captures Porcupine Tree at the peak of their prog powers at the 013 Tilburg, Holland in October 2008.
The Primevals – Eternal Hotfire [Reissue/1985] CD (Boutique)
The Primevals – Sound Hole + Live At The Rex [Reissue/1986] 2xCD (Boutique)
Formed in Glasgow in 1983 by lead singer and songwriter Michael Rooney, the brooding five-piece combined hi-octane, revved-up garage rock with a dusting of blues, R&B and even jazz influences. Eternal Hotfire was originally issued on highly regarded French imprint New Rose, then home to The Cramps, Tav Falco, Johnny Thunders, The Saints and a host of others.
Pyramaze – Disciples Of The Sun CD/LP (Inner Wound Recordings)
The melodic metal band returns with their fourth album.
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Fillmore Auditorium – February 5, 1967 CD/LP (Cleopatra)
One of the very earliest known live recordings by psychedelic jam band legends. Features the rare Jim Murphy-led five-piece line-up laying down the acid blues grooves the band would follow throughout their career with tracks such as “Suzy Q,” “Smokestack Lightnin’,” “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” and more.
Buddy Rich – Birdland CD (Lightyear)
Previously unreleased live album featuring Buddy Rich and his Killer Force Band at the peak of their performing years. This rare, and all original production was recorded with Buddy’s permission by bandmate Alan Gauvin, who has also now mixed and edited the project together. Buddy Rich was an intimidating figure — or at least some of his peers thought so — because of the man’s relentless musicianship. The intensity of the drums within the songs was off the charts. You can easily see how it could scare other musicians. Vinyl version due June 26.
Rosy Maze – Marker Starling CD/LP (Tin Angel)
“Marker Starling’s Rosy Maze is an airy dream steeped in more than enough hazy nostalgia to draw listeners into its swirl. Marker Starling is the newest alias of Toronto music scene veteran Chris A. Cummings, who fans may recognize as the man behind Mantler. Rosy Maze is the product of fifteen years worth of writing. Rosy Maze is an album for daydreamers – the audio equivalent of a flickering home video of childhood summer days.” – Gray Owl Point
Adam Shaikh – Basswalla CD (Black Swan Sounds)
Reflecting his South Asian heritage and a fascination with electronic music that began in high school, Basswalla is the result of Canadian musician Adham Shaikh’s 25 years of creating original electronic music. In India, the suffix “walla” indicates mastery in a particular discipline. Its use in the album title refers to Adham’s pioneering work in the “global bass” style — urban-flavored, electronic, bass-centric music featuring ethnic sounds. The title also nods to Adham’s return to his Indian roots in both method and material.
Steve Smith And Vital Information – Viewpoint CD (Varese Sarabande)
Viewpoint combines elements from drummer Steve Smith’s other bands: Buddy’s Buddies, a Buddy Rich alumni group playing smaller versions of familiar Buddy Rich charts; and Jazz Legacy, focused on classic songs by great jazz drummers like Art Blakey, Tony Williams and Elvin Jones. Viewpoint combines all of this into one dynamic and versatile band featuring Steve Smith, Baron Browne, Andy Fusco, Mark Soskin and Vinny Valentino.
Snarky Puppy/Metropole Orkest – Sylva CD+DVD/2xLP (Impulse!)
Sylva marks the first time instrumental collective Snarky Puppy has joined forces with an orchestra. Specifically, Metropole Orkest is known for past work with artists like Elvis Costello, Tori Amos and John Scofield. Snarky Puppy recorded the album in front of a live audience over a period of two nights in a room transformed into a forest landscape made of metal and wood sculpted by Dutch craftsmen. The 300-person audience sat amongst the audience listening to the recording through headphones. Includes a “making of” DVD that features performances of all six songs with the Metropole Orkest in Rotterdam, Holland.
Dele Sosimi – You No Fit Touch Am CD/LP (Wah Wah)
The first full-length album in almost a decade from vocalist, keyboard player, Fela Kuti collaborator and Afrobeat legend, Dele Sosimi. You No Fit Touch Am represents where Dele is today – something of an untouchable force in the music scene that he has always been such a vital part of. The title is an uncompromising message that this man means business, and with his mammoth Afrobeat orchestra on board that is definitely the case. Recorded at the Fish Market Studios in North-West London by Benedic Lamdin (aka Nostalgia 77) the album provides a musical representation of Dele’s strong socio- political opinions, as well as delivering classic songwriting that could have come straight out of 1970s Lagos.
So Stressed – The Unlawful Trade Of Greco-Roman Art CD/LP+MP3 (Honor Press)
So Stressed initially began in Sacramento, CA as a largely improvisational noise project that included the band’s three members (Morgan Fox, Andrew Garcia and Kenneth Draper). Over time, the lineup was refined and their sound coalesced into what’s heard on Unlawful Trade, a technically meticulous but anxiety ridden and sometimes terrifying cry which calls to mind everything from Q And Not U to No Trend and The Minutemen. At times, Fox’s lyrics bring to mind the emotional distress and social reservation seen in Wire and Wall Of Voodoo.
Soundtrack – Songs Of Aloha CD (Sony Legacy)
Curated by Academy Award-winning writer/director Cameron Crowe Songs Of Aloha serves as the soundtrack companion to Crowe’s 2015 film, Aloha. The 19-track collection gathers Crowe’s always wide-ranging musical selections, spanning artists such as Beck, David Crosby, Fleetwood Mac, and The Blue Nile, contemporary singer/songwriters like Kurt Vile, Josh Ritter, and The Tallest Man On Earth, new acts including Radical Face and Evening Hymns, and ambient/electronic musicians Vancouver Sleep Clinic and Jonsi & Alex-who contributed two brand-new compositions to the soundtrack.
Spiro – Welcome Joy And Welcome Sorrow CD (Real World)
“With their previous album, Kaleidophonica, Spiro proved that they are true English originals, with a style perhaps best described as experimental folk-influenced acoustic music. This Bristol four-piece play violin, mandolin, accordion, piano, guitar and cello, and create elaborate and carefully crafted instrumental pieces that mix sturdy, folk-influenced melodies with the repeated riffs of systems music, but with no improvisation or solos. This new set follows the same highly individual approach, though with even greater confidence and less reliance on traditional themes.” – The Guardian
Allen Stone – Radius CD (Capitol)
On his third full-length album, singer/songwriter Allen Stone proves himself deeply devoted to making uncompromisingly soulful music that transcends all pop convention. Radius was created in collaboration with Swedish soul singer/songwriter/phenom Magnus Tingsek and blends everything from edgy soul-pop and earthy folk-rock to throwback R&B and Parliament-inspired funk.
Summer Camp – Bad Love CD/LP (PIAS America)
“On its third album, Bad Love, the London-based duo Summer Camp gives itself all the more to the throes of electro-pop.” – A.V. Club
Swans – Filth [Reissue/1983] 3xCD (Young God)
Expanded reissue package constitutes a definitive picture of Swans in the years 1982-1983/4. Disc One feature the Swans’ original debut LP Filth from 1983, with the line up of M.Gira, Norman Westberg, Roli Mosimann, Harry Crosby, and Jonathan Kane. Also features versions of “Strip/Burn,” “Heatsheet,” “Blackout,” “Clay Man,” “Stay Here,” and “Weakling,” all recorded live. Disc Two includes Body To Body material comprised of various studio outtakes and live recordings 1982-85, with a nine-minute version of “Raping A Slave,” recorded live in Berlin, 1984 (originally released with Filth on YGD-11) while Disc Three features the Debut 12” EP #1, originally released in 1982, plus additional live performances from NYC and London.
Sweet John Bloom – Weird Prayer CD/LP (Tiny Engines)
“Cambridge, MA indie rockers Sweet John Bloom (ex-Daniel Striped Tiger, Four Eyes, Lost Twin) have a sound that recalls Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr or your late ’80s/early ’90s band of choice. But while they may wear their influences on their sleeves, they know how to craft a good hook better than a lot of bands who do the same thing.” – Brooklyn Vegan
Textones – Midnight Mission [Reissue/1984] CD (Omnivore)
Textones – Cedar Creek [Reissue/1987] CD (Omnivore)
Taking the early ’80s L.A. club scene by storm, The Textones released an EP in the UK and a single in the US. But it was after singer/guitarist Carla Olson added guitarist George Callins, multi-instrumentalist Tom Junior Morgan, bassist Joe Read, and former Dwight Twilley Band member Phil Seymour on drums to the line-up that the magic truly happened. The Textones’ debut album, Midnight Mission, encompassed everything they’d done, and took it a step further.
Thee Oh Sees = Mutilator Defeated At Last CD/LP (Castle Face)
New album from the San Francisco-based garage rockers. Here we have nine muscular tunes primed to pummel. Last year’s Drop was more schizophrenic, ranging from heavy to whimsical and back; Mutilator Defeated At Last has more in common with the monolithic hugeness of Floating Coffin. Synths and acoustic guitars wind throughout the album like veins of gold through granite. Any and all that stands in its way will be devoured and assimilated.
Thee Tsunamis – Saturday Night Sweetheart CD/LP (Magnetic South Recordings)
More street-grit than surfside, Thee Tsunamis are a rock ‘n’ roll joyride with Tura Satana at the wheel. On their debut full-length Saturday Night Sweetheart, the trio blends girl-group bubblegum with feral punk, hugging every hairpin turn of Kim Fowley’s twisted, trashbucket heart along the way. With jagged harmonies over fuzz-crusted pop hooks, theirs is the sound of Brill Building teen-sploitation with bloodier results.
Them Are Us Too – Remain CD/LP (Dais)
Emerging quietly from the California Bay Area through their limited edition demos and intimate performances over the last two years, Them Are Us Too have gained a cult following within independent music circles as a young, new take on the revered “4AD sound” of dreamy goth-pop anthems. With a nod to ‘80s shoegaze sensibilities, Them Are Us Too creates songs about tragedy and loves-lost that draws devoted listeners to their nostalgic and innocent sound.
This Is The Kit – Bashed Out CD (Brassland)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. “Bashed Out digs into the mud, muck, and sh!t of life, acquiescing to the dirty violence of existence with a clear-eyed sort of courage. Stables sings and plays guitar, trumpet, percussion and banjo throughout the record, but you’ll especially notice the way she handles a banjo, turning an often hackneyed sound into a thing of delicacy.” – Stereogum
Henry Threadgill & Zooid – In For A Penny, In For A Pound CD (Pi Recordings)
The latest installment in saxophonist/ flutist/composer Henry Threadgill’s ongoing exploration of his singular system for integrating composition with group improvisation. The music for his band Zooid, his main music-making vehicle for the past fourteen years and the longest running band of his illustrious forty plus-year career, is no less than his attempt to completely deconstruct standard jazz form, steering the improvisatory language towards an entirely new system based on preconceived series of intervals. His compositions create a polyphonic platform that encourages each musician to improvise with an ear for counterpoint and, in the process, creating striking new harmonies.
Turbowolf – Two Hands CD (Spinefarm)
“Turbowolf are undoubtedly one of 2010’s most interesting emerging acts. Their crazy mix of punk, heavy metal and stoner rock with touches of neo-psychedelia, found on the excellent self-titled debut, helped them break into the British underground scene and subsequently all over Europe. Relentless touring and most probably the fear of avoiding a sophomore slump have constantly delayed the release of a sequel. Four years later, after steadily unveiling a number of singles, Two Hands finally sees the light of day. Nevertheless, it was worth the wait, as this effort is just as essential as its predecessor” – Sputnik Music. Vinyl version due June 23.
Underground Railroad To Candyland – The People Are Home CD/LP/Cassette (Recess)
Featuring members of FYP, Toys That Kill, and Stoned At Heart, jangly guitar leads and buoyant, carefree vocals carry the melodies over a springy, surf-influenced rhythm section, which string together this beastly opus of lo-fi pop-punk gems.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)
On Multi-Love, Unknown Mortal Orchestra frontman and multi-instrumentalist Ruban Nielson reflects on relationships: airy, humid longing, loss, the geometry of desire that occurs when three people align. Where Nielson addressed the pain of being alone on II, Multi-Love takes on the complications of being together. Multi-Love adds dimensions to the band’s already kaleidoscopic approach, with Nielson exploring a newfound appreciation for synthesizers. The new songs channel the spirit of psych innovators without ignoring the last 40 years of music, forming a flowing, cohesive whole that reflects restless creativity. Cosmic escapes and disco rhythms speak to developing new vocabulary, while Nielson’s vocals reach powerful new heights. (For you collectors: limited copies were pressed on pink vinyl.)
Vaccines – English Graffiti CD/LP+CD (Columbia)
The British alt-rock band’s first album in three years was produced David Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT) and Cole MGN (Ariel Pink, Beck). “Just about everything here is utterly catchy, making English Graffiti feel like a truly transitional moment for The Vaccines. Why else write a song like the ropey, sun-dappled ‘(All Afternoon) In Love,’ which could have been performed by Leo Sayer or Air Supply in a different time? There’s more to this transformation than the group lets on, and the answers are hidden throughout this pleasant, surprising, melancholy album.” — NPR
Valet – Nature CD/LP (Kranky)
Recorded at home over the course of a year, Nature evolved as a collaboration between Honey Owens, Rafael Fauria, and drummer/bassist/keyboardist Mark Burden. The album finds the trio crafting enveloping layers of guitars, synthesizers, and reverb to create a shimmering, wide-open sound. It’s a restrained, direct style, but tying it all together is a lulling, dreamy melodic sense that is distinctively Valet. At the center stands Owens’ ethereal voice, which has transitioned from evoking trippy fantasies to creating space for honest contemplation.
Vardan – Despicable Broken Hope CD (Moribund)
Chronologically the 20th album in the one-man band’s vast discography, Vardan’s latest sees the selfsame main man take his melancholic black metal art down more melodic roads.
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents: Afro-Caribbean Party CD (Putumayo World Music)
Africa meets the Caribbean on this festive musical celebration, featuring: Asere, Michael Blaise, Clinton Fearon, Famara, Fred Ferguson, Kali, Chispa Labori, Lakou Mizik, Ska Cubano, and Wesli.
Various Artists – Remembering Mountains: Unheard Songs By Karen Dalton CD/LP (Tompkins Square)
Karen Dalton (1937-1993) recorded two studio albums during her lifetime, neither of which contains any songs she wrote. By the good graces of legendary guitarist Peter Walker, who oversees Karen’s Estate, we are gifted with these lost lyrics, now given voice by other great women of song, including: Sharon Van Etten, Patty Griffin, Diana Cluck, Julia Holter, Lucinda Williams, Marissa Nadler, Laurel Halo, Larkin Grimm, Isobel Campbell, Tara Jane O’Neil, and Josephine Foster.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To East Coast Blues CD (World Music Network)
The East Coast blues is a style born in the Piedmont region of the US, which lies between the Appalachian Mountains and the coastal plain, running from Richmond, Virginia, southwards through the Carolinas and Georgia to Atlanta. Often referred to as the Piedmont blues, it is very different in style from the harder and intense sounding Mississippi Delta blues and was pioneered by some of the greatest blues guitarists that ever lived. Their unique approach to the instrument was primarily influenced by the ragtime traditions of the early twentieth century, as well as string band, banjo and other forms of minstrel/medicine show music.
Victor Wainwright & The Wildroots – Boom Town CD (Blind Pig)
Wainwright, one of the most dynamic and exciting keyboard performers on the roots music scene, is known for his high-octane boogie piano, big soul sounds, powerhouse blues, roots rock ‘n’ roll, and a voice that recalls Dr. John and Leon Russell.
White Manna – Pan CD/LP+MP3 (Captcha)
Pan ebbs and flows like the Pacific tides, leaning heavily on Stooges-esque Raw Power, then expands the atmosphere in the manner of Hawkwind’s Silver Machine. Living on the remote coast of the north coast of California, the trees, beaches, and open spaces where the band dwells are all an integral part of their approach to music.
Dizzy Wright – The Growing Process CD (Funk Volume)
“Led by the peace-promoting and uplifting single ‘I Can Tell You Need It’ featuring Bay Area rhymer Berner and ‘God Bless America’ featuring Big K.R.I.T., Tech N9ne, and Chel’le, The Growing Process is already shaping up to showcase more of mature, lyrically conscious rhymes.” – The Boom Box
Yes – Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two 14xCD (Atlantic)
Yes – Progeny: Highlights From Seventy-Two 2xCD/3xLP (Atlantic)
Live archive box set from the prog rock legends. Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two is a 14-disc set that holds every note from all seven shows, recorded in the fall of 1972 as the band’s tour jumped from Canada to North Carolina, and then Georgia and Tennessee, before their last stop in New York at Nassau Coliseum on November 20th. This was Yes’ first tour with drummer Alan White, who’s been with the band ever since. He replaced Bill Bruford, who recorded Close To The Edge before leaving to join King Crimson. White only had three days to learn the band’s live show before his first night on stage with Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards). (Progeny: Hightlights contains highlights from the 14-CD box set.)
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Abstracter – Wound Empire LP (Vendetta)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For forty-two minutes of uncontrolled hostility, Abstracter rips through four titanic ten minute-long surges of darkness-fueled anger, unleashing an almost unbearable barrage of sonic devastation on the listener and snaking and winding their way down a path of complete and dismal destruction in which crust, doom metal, sludge, black metal, noise and psychedelia twist and collide into a daunting sonic downfall.
After The Fall – Dedication LP (Bridge Nine)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Albany, New York, quartet After The Fall play the type of melodic hardcore that the world sorely lacks in 2015: It’s impressively speedy and technical, with hooks aplenty and more than enough aggression to get you off of your barstool and up to the front of the stage. But their new album, Dedication, is more than just your average pit-starter; the entire album is dedicated to a fallen bandmate, which results in some seriously heavy lyrics.” — Substream
A-Ha – Hunting High And Low [Reissue/1985] LP (Rhino)
A-Ha – Scoundrel Days [Reissue/1986] LP (Rhino)
HQ-180gm reissue of reissue of the Norwegian pop group’s (“Take On Me”) first two albums.
Alchemist – Israeli Salad 2xLP (ALC)
Originally a batch of beats conceived in 2011 after the Alchemist returned home from a trip to Israel with a bag of records he gathered from numerous small stores and outdoor flea markets, Israeli Salad was initially set to be released as an instrumental project immediately but as beats from it were used on various projects and albums, the end result wound up sitting in a folder unfinished as a work in progress. Limited copies pressed on avocado color vinyl.
Alvarius B. – Chin Spirits 10” (Unrock)
Deep down, heavy, Sun City Girls flavored Dada deluxe; crackling midgets, purist psychedelia; a cocoon of seven colorful, shiny monoliths of essential nonsense, each dirty pearl standing by itself.
Animal Collective – Prospect Hummer [2005] 12” (FatCat)
Animal Collective’s Prospect Hummer EP, previously only available on CD and digitally, is making its way to vinyl almost exactly ten years since its original release on FatCat. Prospect Hummer was the last release to see Animal Collective operating in a largely acoustic singer/songwriter/ freak-folk mode, and three of the EP’s four tracks feature the sweet, distinctive vocals of cult singer/songwriter Vashti Bunyan.
Apostille – Powerless LP (Night School)
Apostille is the solo musical guise of Glaswegian DIY protagonist Michael Kasparis. Initially a creative harbour from his groups Please and The Lowest Form, Apostille has grown into an explosive synth-punk project unafraid of both physicality and emotional leakage.
Apoteosi – Apoteosi [Reissue/1975] LP (BTF)
Apoteosi were a very rare, if not the one and only, progressive voice coming from the Calabria region. Their self-titled LP, released in 1975, therefore in a period of transition for the prog rock genre, is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic LPs and shows how a young and geographically completely ‘out of the loop’ group has been able to create a small jewel. Apoteosi is a work deliciously poised between pastoral and refined moments and darker and crimson moods, with an extremely original approach and that still deserves to be listened to carefully after 40 years.
BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul (Instrumentals) LP (Lex)
Stand-alone vinyl-only instrumental version of Sour Soul, an album inspired by ‘60s and ‘70s music and the recording techniques and production of that era, eschewing sampling in favor of live instrumentation.
Banditos – Banditos LP (Bloodshot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Mixing elements of ’60s blues-fused acid rock, jangly boogie, garage punk scuzz, and doo-wop sweetness, the Banditos recall many, but sound like no one but themselves. Jem is a multi-faceted jewel, from the lush Cocteaus-shiver of “Crocodiles” to the exquisite Eastern climes of “China” and the R&B twist of “Poppy.” What unites all 13 tracks is a beguiling fusion of intimacy and sensuality with something more mysterious and spectral.
William Basinski – The Deluge LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
The Deluge is the deluxe HQ-180gm white vinyl LP companion to his recently released CD Cascade. In Cascade, a single ancient lilting piano tape loop repeats endlessly carrying one along in its tessellating current. In The Deluge, the same loop is processed through a series of feedback loops of different lengths, creating a spiraling crescendo of overtones that eventually fades away to silence. In the denouement, a series of limpid piano loops leads to an urgent orchestral theme that builds and gradually dies.
Be Forest – Earthbeat LP (WWNBB)
“Be Forest are masters of mood, making swoony dreampop informed by the classics but very much in the now. […] If you like Slowdive, ’80s-era 4AD and modern stuff like The xx”—Brooklyn Vegan. “[…] their take on pop-rock is as atmospheric as it is aerobic — sturdy backbeats laden with plentiful reverb, many layers of guitar tremolo, and ethereal coos. Fans of Stereolab, Broadcast, and Little Dragon will probably dig it.”—Stereogum
Black Baron – Abject Sin LP (Bloodmoss)
While on paper the Black Baron’s sound could loosely be described as post-punk — the dreamy, nearly aquatic tones, dazzling riffage, and unabashed lyrical melodrama add dynamic elements to their sound that are typically missing from that of their peers.
Art Blakey – A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1 [Reissue/1954] LP (Blue Note)
A Night At Birdland Vol. 1 is a 1954 release by jazz drummer Art Blakey, and a quintet which featured Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver and Curly Russell. Part of the Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – Ugetsu [Reissue/1963] LP (Original Jazz Classics)
Vinyl reissue of 1963 album, featuring both a young Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard.
Karl Bösmann – Coma LP (Alt. Vinyl)
This German post-industrial electronic innovator works with a “curetronic modular system,” a mopho, and Korg MS-20. Inspired by the awful and yet fascinating process of observing the a close friend’s coma following a motorcycle crash, the album moves through initial hopes of recovery, followed by melancholic hopelessness as time passes. Available in Regular and Deluxe (uber limited box set) editions.
Breag Naofa/Children Of God – Children Of God/Breag Naofa 7” (Vendetta)
Breag Naofa speeds up its crushing post metal/doom with a lil dbeat/crust fury that is all catchy melody and heaviness. Children Of God pounds away viciously as heard on its recent LPs and splits.
Zac Brown Band – The Foundation [2008] LP (Atlantic)
Zac Brown Band – You Get What You Give [2010] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Zac Brown Band – Uncaged [Reissue/2012] LP (Atlantic)
Zac Brown Band’s first two albums are pressed on vinyl for the first time, while their third album gets the reissue treatment.
Buon Vecchio Charlie – Buon Vecchio Charlie LP (BTF)
Buon Vecchio Charlie was formed in Rome in 1970 with a five-piece line-up featuring, along with Calabri, Centofanti and Sangiorgio, bass player Walter Bernardi and percussionist Carlo Visca. After some first demos they would record with the new six-piece line-up the tracks for an album in Suono label’s (of Opus Avantra fame) recording studio near Venice in 1972, with the help of Venetian Power guitarist Claes Cornelius, also an important session man at the time. Despite the good quality, and the interest shown for the band by many producers, the album never saw the light and was shelved until its first CD release in 1990 in a limited pressing. Dominated by the flute, with strong classical influences, like in the opening “Venite Gial Fiume” it’s still an original work, with very interesting moments.
Canned Heat – Stockholm 1973 LP (Cleopatra)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Features the revered post-Alan Wilson Heat line-up including vocalist Bob The Bear Hite, guitar Henry The Sunflower Vestine, drummer Adolfo Fito La Parra, guitarist James Shane, bassist Richard Hite, and keyboardist Ed Beyer.
Xavier Charles/Nikos Veliotis – Kaspian Black LP (Alt. Vinyl)
Former kingpin of the Athens pop/electronic scene and founding member of In Trance 95 uses unorthodox cello techniques, in collaboration with the French improv clarinetist known for vibrating speaker installations, noise and electro-acoustics. The duo balances between extremes of uninhibited cacophony and painstakingly detailed exploration of static floating sounds, powerful attacks and serene atmospheres.
Charles Howl – Sir Vices LP (Ample Play)
Charles Howl is a London-based Brit-psych group with a thrillingly melodic sound. As some of the last children of the ‘80s and with a Britpop upbringing, it’s no wonder Charles Howl has produced an album that sounds like The Modern Lovers channeling The Stone Roses while maintaining its contemporary charm.
Christian Death – Halloween 1981 LP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition purple vinyl reissue of the earliest known recording of this legendary gothic death rock band fronted by the inimitable Rozz Williams performing an entrancing live set on Halloween.
Crobot – Full Moon Howl 10” (Wind-Up)
Blending funk, blues, metal and good old-fashioned rock & roll, Crobot craft endless good time rock that sounds as inspired today as it would have on AOR radio in 1974. Full Moon Howl is a limited edition 10” picture disc featuring new tracks and a live recording.
Crosss – Low LP (Telephone Explosion)
Crosss are back with a dense, ominous and cerebral album that expands on the formula which made Obsidian Spectre such a critical success. Once again, the band straddles the line between metal and psych, with a noticeable shift toward the former.
Miles Davis – Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants [Reissue/1959] LP (Original Jazz Classics)
Vinyl reissue of 1954 session. With Thelonious Monk and three quarters of the Modern Jazz Quartet (Jackson, Heath, and Clarke) as his accomplices, Davis blends sophisticated harmonic knowledge with raw, spontaneous invention to produce extraordinary music.
Miles Davis – Tutu [Reissue/1986] 2xLP (Rhino/WB)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissue paired with a bonus LP of live performances by the Miles Davis Octet at the Nice Jazz Festival in 1986.
The Debts/Dennis Callaci – Split LP (Shrimper/Unread)
The Debts are an ongoing collaboration of scientists and musicians centered on the songs of Dane Sybrant. On this split LP the group explores themes of loss, death, and hope, all within a shifting landscape of tape hiss and raw spirits. Dennis Callaci is in the band Refrigerator, and follows up a collaborative record he recorded with another Omaha native, Simon Joyner a few years back. His five songs run the gamut from acoustic laments, a keyboard/vocal drone and a no-sh!t Scratch Acidesque vocal/drum machine breakdown.
Devil Worshiper – Devil Worshiper LP (Holy Mountain)
Imagine a version of Julio Cort zar’s The Night Face Up where there is no motorcycle crash and no series of dreams about trying to outrun Aztec warriors determined to capture you for human sacrifice. There is still darkness in this story-the darkness of living in post-Reagan America, existential dread, the futility of living one’s dreams and still waking up every day. Devil Worshipper is the dream that swirls and reflects landscapes in chrome as snakes dance in your spine. Blistering solos that wouldn’t be out of place on a Helios Creed or The Mike Gunn LP draw the night sky as a steady, hypnotic rhythm paints the lines dividing the highway out of here.
Diamond Youth – Nothing Matters LP (Topshelf)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Despite the varying musical tastes of each member in Diamond Youth, they all share a very common back catalog of bands that have inspired and defined their developing years as budding artists. From Weezer to Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age to Jimmy Eat World, and all the way back to the Beach Boys, the influence these bands has had on Diamond Youth is ever-apparent in the music they write. The group builds on their ‘90s alt-rock influenced sound with Nothing Matters, recorded at Hurley studios headquarters in Costa Mesa, California with producer Dave Warsop (Beat Union, Suedehead).
Du Blonde – Welcome Back To Milk LP+MP3 (Mute)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Du Blonde is the artistic reincarnation of the artist, Beth Jeans Houghton, and Welcome Back To Milk is the first album to be released as Du Blonde. Whilst her 2012 album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose was a standalone piece of polymath pop, 25-year-old Houghton, has constantly evolved and reinvented herself – a musical and aesthetic chameleon always playing by her own rules. Much of the forthcoming album, including the first single, “Black Flag” was produced by Bad Seed and Grinderman member Jim Sclavunos, whose previous production credits include The Jim Jones Revue and The Horrors.
The Early November – Imbue LP+CD (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on transparent purple vinyl. Reunion album from the New Jersey emo/pop punk band.
Keith Emerson/Goblin – La Chiesa [OST] [1989] LP (BTF)
A stylistically homogeneous soundtrack, in which classical, rock and electronic sounds are skillfully blended. Emerson, in particular, makes extensive use of a church organ, mindful of his work for Dario Argento’s film Inferno of a few years earlier (1980), while Pignatelli clearly shows his ‘Goblinian’ soul, just updated by about a decade. Given that this is the first-ever vinyl reissue, this release is basically a must-have for the soundtrack collectors, especially in the horror genre, where Italy is synonymous with quality once again. Orange vinyl.
Entrails – Obliteration LP (Metal Blade)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. “When all is lost, as everything and everyone are about to be destroyed, the reek of apocalypse, there will be no future. Inner beliefs might turn vulgar, endless bloodshed, the collapse of everything that one holds dear, the true meaning of senseless obliteration. The fumes of uncontainable conflict spat out of the new album of the recently resurrected Swedish Death Metal band Entrails. As if the early ‘90s never truly faded away, their musical infestation remained true to the days of the great awakening of the genre” – Metal Temple.
Flyying Colours – ROYGBIV 12”+MP3 (Shelflife)
Hailing from a country more synonymous with the beachcombers and the sunshine coast than shoegaze luminaries, Flyying Colours have nonetheless been compared to Lush and Ride, weaving smooth, tactile vocals with coarse textures with finely-crafted songwriting. True to their name, Flyying Colours unashamedly display their influences on ROYGBIV — tone-bending My Bloody Valentine/Swervedriver guitars, ferocious bass hooks and the familiar soft hush of early ‘90s dueting vocals. Added to the mix is their edgy, refreshing pop-mindedness, buoyed by the lush vocal interplay. Limited HQ-180gm ruby color vinyl.
Eric Gales – Good For Sumthin’ [2014] LP (Cleopatra)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Known for his upside-down left-handed playing as well as his deeply expressive, soulful vocals, Gales draws comparisons to both Jimi Hendrix and blues legend Albert King.
Marvin Gaye – Volume One 1961-1965 7xLP (Motown)
Marvin Gaye: 1961-1965 is a collection of his first seven studio albums on HQ-180gm vinyl, and includes: The Soulful Moods Of Marvin Gaye, That Stubborn Kind Of Fellow, When I’m Alone I Cry, Together (with Mary Wells), Hello Broadway, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You, and A Tribute To The Great Nat King Cole. This is the first of three vinyl boxed sets to be released spanning Gaye’s catalog.
Gazpacho – March Of Ghosts [2012] 2xLP (Kscope)
HQ-180gm double-vinyl edition of the prog rock band’s 2012 studio album. Remixed and featuring new gatefold artwork and an etching on the D-side.
Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger – Long Gone [Reissue/2014] 10” (Chimera)
Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger – GOASTT Stories10” (Chimera)
“In 2008, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl started the Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, and though both of the names attached to the project come with an enormous level of celebrity clout, they’ve managed to shirk the spotlight over the years. This is a good thing; by hiding out from the fanfare, GOASTT have kept their particular nostalgic psych-pop alive, unbridled by contemporary trends.” – Stereogum
Paul Giovanni/Gary Carpenter – The Wicker Man [40th Anniversary Edition] LP (Silva Screen)
Limited repressing on white vinyl contrasts beautifully with the artwork, which is printed on reverse board. It does not contain the certificate but does have the stunning original printed inner sleeve. Originally released in 2013 for the 40th anniversary of the cult ’70s horror film, only 500 copies of The Wicker Man 40th Anniversary Edition were pressed on black vinyl which have become highly sought after. The 40th Anniversary Edition has a different track listing to the preceding OST double album, selecting only the songs to make a single LP. Silva Screen commissioned artist Richey Beckett to come up with artwork for the sleeve.
Grant Green – I Want To Hold Your Hand [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
On I Want To Hold Your Hand, Green is backed by Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone), Larry Young (organ) and Elvin Jones (drums). The album features an interesting collection of songs including the John Lennon & Paul McCartney-penned titles track, Cole Porter’s “At Long Last Love,” Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Corcovado (Quiet Nights)” and more. Part of the Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Hard-Ons – Peel Me Like A Egg LP (Wallride)
An unusual Hard-Ons album to be sure, Peel Me Like A Egg is a concise (13 tracks, 30 minutes) explosion of mega-rock riffage, epic black metal, moody and lush pop, new-wave pop and volatile and catchy power-pop.
Headphones – Headphones [Reissue/2005] LP (Suicide Squeeze)
Tenth anniversary reissue on white vinyl. Headphone’s debut is built wholly from synthesizers (no guitars), live drums, and the familiar warmth of David Bazan’s (Pedro The Lion) syrupy vocal delivery. Bazan & co. defy easy assumptions about music made electronically avoiding kitsch and cutesiness, delivering deft arrangements with timeless melodies and uncanny lyrical depth.
High-Functioning Flesh – Definite Structures LP (Dais)
Instinctive EBM laced punk from L.A. Referencing the rack mount synthesis and accented drum machine strikes of ‘80s bands like Portion Control and Nitzer Ebb, HFF main-lined their punk resumes into the reaction causing a signature chemtrail of martial techno-inspired electronic mayhem shredded through a vocally dystopian finality.
Hits – Loose Cannons b/w Big Black Car 7” (Agitated)
“Loose Cannons” kicks out your speaker dust with a sound that can only be from Australia, loud guitars, riffs a-plenty, hi energy rock and roll with killer vocals. And then there’s “Big Black Cars” on the flip, a previously released live version blew peoples’ ears off—this studio version is even more proof that rock and roll action from Australia is superior to all.
Hunting Lodge – Will [Reissue/1983] LP (Dais)
Remastered vinyl reissue of classic 1983 industrial album. Drawing references from Crowley, Nietzsche and G. Gordon Liddy, Hunting Lodge collaged together industrial percussion patterns, live recordings, early sketches and synthesized noise into nine compositions, which also included vocal appearances by Andreas Muller, Francisco Lopez and Masami Akita (Merzbow).
Bobby Hutcherson – Components [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
Components is an album by jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, released on the Blue Note label in 1965. The first side of the LP features compositions by Hutcherson, in a hard bop style, whilst the second side features Joe Chambers’ compositions, more in the avant-garde style. Part of the Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Icky Blossoms – Mask LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Three years on from their Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio) produced debut, Icky Blossoms’ singular brand of mesmerizingly contradictory dance music has evolved. Blending avant-garde elements with catchy and danceable pop, threaded within dark, bass-heavy atmospheres, their songs nod to great music of the past, whilst firmly propelling them into the future. For the new album Icky Blossoms continue with their study of synthesizers and drum machines, finding new focus by exploring the space between their background in basement rock shows and their new-found fluency in electronic music.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll: 33 1/3 Edition 2xLP+MP3 (Blackheart Records)
This double-disc set includes the I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll album plus a second disc of previously unreleased live recordings from New York from 1981.
Elvin Jones – The Ultimate [Reissue/1968] LP (Blue Note)
Part of the Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl reissue campaign. “This is one of Joe Farrell’s finest recordings. Switching between tenor, soprano and flute, Farrell had to be good because he was joined in the pianoless trio by bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones. The group performs two standards, three Garrison originals and one by Farrell; it is a tossup as to who takes honors. Farrell is in consistently creative form but Garrison’s occasional solos and Jones’s polyrhythmic accompaniment are also noteworthy.” — Scott Yanow (AllMusic)
C Joynes – 33 Chatsworth Road 7” (Alt. Vinyl)
Four tunes based on personal field recordings made across Africa and South-East Asia, arranged for solo electric guitar—a preview of an upcoming collaborative album between C Joynes and Dead Rat Orchestra, which features ensemble arrangements of these pieces alongside other material also sourced from field recordings.
Spider John Koerner – Some Old American Folk Songs Like They Used To [Reissue/1974] LP (Nero’s Neptune)
After moving to Denmark in 1972 and abandoning music for a spell, the legendary Spider John Koerner returned to the US in 1974 to record an LP for Dave Ray’s Sweet Jane label. The resulting record is one of the finest of his 50-plus year career. As its title implies, the album displays a conscious move away from the folk blues stylings of earlier recordings and towards an embracement of traditional American folk music. The enduring quality of its songs is evidenced by their continued inclusion on Koerner’s set lists 40 years later.
Mark Kozelek – Rock ‘N’ Roll Singer [2000] LP (Badman)
Debut solo album from Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters songwriter, on vinyl for the first time. Three originals, three completely deconstructed AC/DC covers, and a John Denver remake.
The L.A. Carnival – Would Like To Pose A Question LP (Now Again)
The L.A. Carnival (formerly the Les Smith Soul Band) originally cut this heavy psyche-funk album back in 1970. Featuring bombs such as “Blind Man,” “7 Steps,” “Can You Hum A Tune?,” and Black Man’s March, it’s an epic journey of rediscovery.
Leafcutter John – Resurrection LP (Desire Path)
Sixth solo album from UK-based artist and member of Polar Bear. A panorama of vocals driting over a densely processed terrain of mud-caked percussion and guitar.
Perry Leopold – Christian Lucifer LP (Psi Psychedelic)
Vinyl reissue of Leopold’s second album, created between 1971-1973, following his 1970 acid folk debut, Experiment In Metaphysics. Highly recommended for fans of The Incredible String Band, Dulcimer, Nick Drake, Gowan Ring, Birch Book.
Ludacris – Ludaversal 2xLP (Def Jam)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The ninth album from the rapper features production by Mike Will Made It, David Guetta, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Giorgio Tuinfort, and Da Internz.
Mamaleek – Via Dolorosa LP (The Flenser)
Via Dolorosa is the Bay Area duo’s darkest and most experimental release, incorporating black metal, psychedelia and electronic music. It is also the first Mamaleek record featuring live drums. At once harsh, frightening and beautiful, Via Dolorosa is like an evening at the darkest jazz club as it might appear in the depths of a child’s fever dream.
Harvey Mandel – Games Guitars Play [Reissue/1970] LP (Cleopatra)
Vinyl reissue of the 1970 album by rock ‘n’ roll guitarist Harvey Mandel featuring vocalist Russell DaShiel. Known for his innovative approach to electric guitar playing, Mandel was a professional at 20, and played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, The Rolling Stones, and John Mayall before starting a solo career. Includes the instrumental “Ridin’ High” plus a cover of Horace Silver’s “Senor Blues.”
Mastery – Valis LP (The Flenser)
Valis is the first proper Mastery full-length and the most extreme record The Flenser has ever released. As its name and sigil demands, Mastery is a vessel to ascend the partial mind; one impulsive and chaotic, the other of collected illumination. A meditation unto the will subconscious. The solo black metal entity is the product of mastermind Ephemeral Domignostika (Pale Chalice, Pandiscordian Necrogenesis, Horn of Dagoth). Second pressing with new cover art.
Medeski, Martin & Wood – End Of The World Party (Just In Case) [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Blue Note)
End Of The World Party (Just In Case) is follow-up to 2002’s Uninvisible. Joining keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin and bassist Chris Wood on this album are guitarist Marc Ribot, saxophonist Briggan Krauss and trumpeter Steven Bernstein. Part of the Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Moe. – Fatboy [1992] LP (Fat Boy Records)
First-time pressing on vinyl of Moe.’s first studio album which was originally produced in 1992 but not released on CD until 1999.
Montevideo Blues – Montevideo Blues [Reissue/1972] LP (Lion Productions)
First time vinyl reissue of this 1972 South American Holy Grail — an album full of grooving and edgy rock with native Uruguayan rhythms. Insert packed with photos, detailed history, and bi-lingual lyrics for this important Uruguayan band.
Steve Moore – The Guest 2xLP (Death Waltz)
Death Waltz Recording Company has yet another ace up their sleeve with the soundtrack to one of 2014’s best action films, Adam Wingard’s The Guest, with a musical score by Steve Moore (Zombi). Red vinyl.
Lee Morgan – Search For The New Land [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)
A hard bop set with a group of well-known jazz musicians, Search for the New Land was recorded before The Sidewinder was released and is considered more abstract than its popular predecessor. Part of the Blue Note 75th anniversary vinyl reissue campaign.
Ennio Morricone – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly [Reissue/1967] LP (BTF)
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is neither more nor less than the perfect soundtrack to the most wonderful of western movies, the third and final act of the “Dollar Trilogy” directed by Sergio Leone. A film is not only rated among the best of the genre, but is universally considered among the most successful in the history of cinema. Ennio Morricone, a higher caliber composer to whom each musician usually relates with the simple title of ‘Master’, has here been able to be as meticulous as his friend director, composing a soundtrack that fits brilliantly to the bombastic and epic atmospheres of the film.
The Nice – The Thoughts Of Emerlist Davjack [Reissue/1967] LP (Cleopatra)
Vinyl reissue of the 1967 debut album by the English progressive rock group, considered one of the first albums in the genre.
No More – A Rose Is A Rose [Reissue/1982] LP (Dark Entries)
No More is a band from Kiel, Germany, founded in the summer of 1979. Their music is rooted in early post punk/no wave, as the trio explored musical minimalism and experimented with sequencers, drum synthesizers and rhythm boxes. There were no studios involved in the recording process. This reissue compiles all eight tracks from the mini-LP A Rose Is A Rose, both tracks from the “Suicide Commando” 7” plus three demos from 1982. As a bonus each LP includes the original “Too Late” 7” EP remastered and housed in an exact copy of the original jacket.
Michael O. – Really? 7” (Fruits & Flowers)
An affecting collection of cracked pop hits and tragic ballads by Michael Olivares of Bay Area psych-pop band The Mantles.
Graham Parker And The Rumour – Mystery Glue LP (UMe)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Graham Parker And The Rumour, one of the UK’s pioneering pre-punk bands, returns with a new album, Mystery Glue. Written in Parker’s second home of New York and recorded in just six days in the legendary RAK studios in London, Mystery Glue is a real return to form for this seminal British songwriter and powerhouse band, which features its original lineup of Parker, Bob Andrews, Brinsley Schwarz, Martin Belmont, Andrew Bodnar and Stephen Goulding.
Jimmy Rabbitt And Renegade – Texas Album [1973] LP+MP3 (St. Roch Records)
Jimmy Rabbitt was an outlaw before being an outlaw was cool. Beginning as a deejay in the ’60s, Rabbitt has spun records from coast to coast and all points in-between, kickin’ ass and taking names not only over the airwaves but also in every roadhouse and backroom dive from Dallas to The Apple and, of course, L.A. with the equally dangerous backing band Renegade. These were the guys your mama warned you about. Rabbitt and Renegade were snatched up by Jerry Wexler/Atlantic after hearing them jam and after 40 years of collecting dust the master tapes
Rainbow – Denver 1979 LP (Cleopatra)
Color vinyl pressing of this previously unreleased live album from guitar god Ritchie Blackmore performing with Rainbow on their legendary Down To Earth tour.
Red Red Meat – Bunny Gets Paid [Reissue/1995] 2xLP+MP3 (Jealous Butcher)
“At the time, I felt like we’d made a classic rock record,” Red Red Meat main-man Tim Rutilli (Califone) says. “I was like, ‘This is our Astral Weeks.'” But listening back 20 years later, Rutilli recognizes the band’s ambition, a desire to break songs down to their barest, most primitive elements to “see what survives.” Arguably the band’s most complete album, the record pairs Stones-indebted blues-rock roots with beautiful songs, sounding miles removed from the era’s grunge and radio-friendly alternative rock tropes.
Ruscigan – Viaggio Nel Domani [Reissue/1972] LP (Dagored)
Reissued for the first time since its release in 1972, this is the surprising and confusing opus from Guido Baggiani aka Ruscigan. As a student of legendary avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ruscigan exercises a similar ethos to that of his once-mentor. The record was put together under the roof of Piero Umiliani’s much mythologised Soundworkshop Studios and between them, Umiliani and Baggiani captured a tight and refined breed of left field classical composition. While the record is untamed and chaotic at some points, it is enduringly well executed and clearly laid out as an adventure in music. This limited reissue also comes on clear blue vinyl.
Nathaniel Russell – Sunlight LP (Warm Radio)
Nathaniel Russell (formerly of Birds Of America) draws from the heroes of New Zealand, New York, New Imperial Beach and many other places where an adjective is a proper noun. His clipped phrases and minute melodies come to life in a haze of six-string strumming and slightly narcotic repetition.
Mario Schifano – Dedicato A LP (BTF)
Little known until a few years ago, Dedicato is among the most wanted and expensive Italian album these days. Supported by the pop artist Mario Schifano (who was not a musician, by the way), in the same way that Andy Warhol acted with Velvet Underground, this band from Rome was formed in 1967 and released their first and only album the same year.
The Scientist – High Priest Of Dub [Reissue/1982] LP (Zion’s Gate)
A reissue of this classic period Scientist LP recorded in the early 1980s. Scientist is a dub pioneer and living legend. He is the protege of the great King Tubby. This release features the best songs from the International Heroes Dub album. It has been over 30 years since the original vinyl release. Also this version has two bonus songs from the great album Dub In The Roots Tradition. Remastered for this release to bring you exceptional modern style heavily psychedelic dub at it’s best.
Secrets Of The Sky – Pathway LP (Metal Blade)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Secrets Of The Sky’s expansive, powerhouse style of fusing progressive elements into their crushing doom metal foundation, fashioned by three of the band’s five members each contributing with multiple instruments, layering synth/keys, violins and an array of vocal styles atop the crushing rhythm sections and massive triple guitar attack.
Shopping – Consumer Complaints LP (FatCat)
Brings to mind the jagged aggression of Gang Of Four, the voracious yelp of The Slits and the dance inducing thrust of Delta 5 and ESG.
The Skatalite – The Skatalite [Reissue/1969] LP (Cleopatra)
Faithful reproduction of the original 1969 Treasure Isle collection featuring 12 prime slices of The Skatalites at their finest, featuring the original artwork.
Jonathan Snipes – Starry Eyes [OST] LP (Waxwork)
Composed by Sub-Pop recording artist Jonathan Snipes (Clipping, Room 237), Starry Eyes has been hailed not only as one of the best horror movies of 2014, but one of the best horror films of the last decade. The LP features an incredible 100% analog synth score.
Soundtrack – The Sound Of Music [Reissue/1965] LP (Razor & Tie)
Limited HQ-180gm vinyl LP pressing includes the eight-page booklet that accompanied the original vinyl release. Digitally remastered edition of this classic soundtrack. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards and winner of five, including Best Picture and Best Director, the iconic film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound Of Music stands as the most successful movie musical of all time, enjoying a seven-year run as the highest-grossing film of all time from 1966 to 1972 and remaining a consistent favorite through worldwide television broadcasts and home video releases.
Spires That In The Sunset Rise – Beasts In The Garden LP (Alt. Vinyl)
The seventh full-length record by Midwest visionaries Kathleen Baird and Taralie Peterson uses pedals to loop, layer, pitch bend and reverse their old instruments from their high school days (flute and alto sax, respectively). The duo’s dense, lush soundscapes verge toward the ecstatic, away from their signature darker moods. Baird pushes her voice to the next level with wildly operatic vocals on the fiery track “Schluss” and the discordant, terrifying “White On White.”
Chris Stapleton – Traveller 2xLP (Mercury Nashville)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Over the course of his acclaimed career, Stapleton has penned over 170 album cuts, including songs recorded by Adele, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley, and has such notable co-writers as Vince Gill, Peter Frampton and Sheryl Crow among others. “Stapleton’s writing is masterful, but his huge country/blues voice think Gregg Allman by way of the Kentucky coal mines is what will really blow your hair back and make you literally feel every word he sings.” — Rolling Stone
The Stark Reality – Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop [Reissue/1970] 2xLP (Now Again)
Stark Reality’s Discovers Hoagy Carmichael’s Music Shop, a funky, jazzy, fuzz-toned cult classic, consists of very original interpretations of songs written by Hoagy Carmichael. They’ve been sampled by the likes of Large Professor, J-Live, Madlib, and Black Eyed Peas.
The Steel Wheels – Leave Some Things Behind LP (Big Ring)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from roots outfit. On Leave Some Things Behind, co-produced and engineered by Ben Surratt, the four band members are joined on various tracks by roots-music luminary Tim O’Brien, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Sarah Siskind, drummer Travis Whitmore and Hammond B3 player Ethan Ballinger.
Stryper – No More Hell To Pay [2013] 2xLP (Cleopatra)
HW-180gm gram blue vinyl pressing of the eighth album from Stryper, produced by frontman/guitarist Michael Sweet.
Styx – Equinox [Reissue/1975] LP (A&M)
Styx – Crystal Ball [Reissue/1976] LP (A&M)
Styx – The Grand Illusion [Reissue/1977] LP (A&M)
Styx – Pieces Of Eight [Reissue/1978] LP (A&M)
Styx – Cornerstone [Reissue/1979] LP (A&M)
Styx – Paradise Theatre [Reissue/1980] LP (A&M)
Styx – Kilroy Was Here [Reissue/1983] LP (A&M)
Styx – Caught In The Act Live [Reissue/1983] 2xLP (A&M)
HQ-180gm vinyl reissues of the AOR/classic rock band’s A&M discography. (Note: the 9xLP box set collecting each of these reissues — appropriately titled A&M Albums 1975-1984— will be available July 17. But for now you can either snatch up one of these shiny new reissues or hit any used bin for an original, timeworn copy.)
Ufomammut – Ecate LP (Neurot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Seventh album from Italy’s premiere psychedelic sludge export.
Piero Umiliani – L’uomo Nello Spazio [Reissue/1972] LP (Dagored)
In 1972, Piero Umiliani declared, “I have dedicated these compositions to the spaceman, this new, modern Ulysses going adrift on the galaxian oceans”. Reissued for the first time since its release in 1972 via his Omicron label, this clear-blue vinyl holds some of the most high-concept and wildly experimental compositions of all time. By using a range of electronic instruments and production methods, Umiliani’s ode to the intergalactic explorer is nothing short of a masterwork. From the scaling piano arpeggiations of Approdo Lunare to the unidentified flying noises of Stelle Cadenti, this is an artistic triumph like no other. The timeless story of the Man In Space.
Unrest – Imperial F.F.R.R. [Reissue/1992] LP (Teenbeat)
Imperial F.F.R.R. was Unrest’s breakthrough album in 1992. It has withstood the test of time and is now considered an indie-rock classic and one of the best albums of the 1990s. They helped invent the genre along with Pavement and Sebadoh.
Usnea – Usnea [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Vendetta)
Usnea play a style of doom dirge familiar to fans of Samothrace, Buried At Sea, and Main’s Ocean. Their debut LP consists of two sidelong burners of seriously heavy plodding doom, minor tempo and time adjustments, and harrowing vocals.
Various Artists – Saved & Sanctified: Songs Of The Jade Label LP (Numerophon)
The rawest, DIY gospel ever resurrected. Family bands with wailing kids and barely amateur groups sourced from local parishes, infused with reverberations of country and western and deep soul.
The Velvet Underground – Loaded [Reissue/1970] LP (Atlantic Catalog Group)
Reissue of the 1970 Cotillion Records release. Loaded was the final studio album by the band featuring Lou Reed, who had left the group shortly before it was release. The album contains two of the best-known Velvet Underground songs: “Sweet Jane” and “Rock & Roll.”
Vexx – Give And Take 7” (Katorga Works)
Hailing from Olympia, Vexx is heavily indebted to late ’70s American punk with a sound akin to bands like Legal Weapon or the Avengers, but with even more of a rock ‘n’ roll edge than those bands and a vocalist just as soulful and powerful.
Vision Heat – Chosen Themes – Program 1 LP+MP3 (Root Strata)
Laser-guided, hyper-vintage conflation of early-to-mid-’80s-centric production, montage, and style.
VVile – More LP (Dirtcult)
VVhile is duo from Belgrade, Serbia that plays atmospheric, psychedelic, shoegaze reminiscent of early Ride or My Bloody Valentine, all the while remaining rooted in their hardcore roots.
Alan Watts & Jas Walton – Face The Facts: Worlds By Alan Watts 10” (Figure & Ground)
Alan Watts is one of the most important interpreters of Eastern philosophy for his time and ours. If he were alive today, he’d probably subvert social media in the same way he helped to reinvent western culture in his own time. One day, his complete audio recordings will be obligatory for anyone coming of age in the new age. His books and recordings are a treasured artifact of his pervasive effect on our times and a magnet for all those that nearly know of him and dearly need to. His words are as relevant now as they were then. This year, Watts turns 100. We celebrate his centennial with Face The Facts, a four-track EP that takes the recordings of Watts’s early seminar sessions and sets them in time to original music.
Ben Williams – Coming Of Age LP (Concord Jazz)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ben Williams, winner of the 2009 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, releases his second album, Coming Of Age, building upon his musical experiences over the last several years. Since then, Ben has played and toured with a long list of jazz musicians: Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Terence Blanchard, Christian McBride Big Band, Nicholas Payton, Paquito D’Rivera, Cyrus Chestnut, Benny Golson, George Duke, Eric Reed, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roy Hargrove, and Mulgrew Miller and many others. The album features covers of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Lianne La Havas’ “Lost & Found” and includes special guests: Goapele, vocals on “Voice Of Freedom (For Mandela),” Christian Scott (trumpet), Stefon Harris (vibraphonist) and emcee W. Ellington Felton.
Yes – The Yes Album [Reissue/1971] 2xLP (Friday Music)
HQ-180gm 45rpm audiophile vinyl reissue, mastered from the original Atlantic Records tapes by Joe Reagoso (Close To The Edge, Drama, Tales From Topographic Oceans, 90125, Relayer) and housed in a nice box.
ZNR – Barricade 3 [Reissue/1976] 2xLP (Superior Viaduct)
ZNR was the French duo of Hector Zazou and Joseph Racaille (hence, Zazou ‘n’ Racaille) active in the mid to late ’70s. Their 1976 debut, Barricade 3, is an anti-pop masterpiece that truly defies categorization; it makes perfect sense that ZNR appears on the infamous Nurse With Wound list. Featuring an array of seemingly dichotomous instruments (piano, synthesizers, woodwinds, electric guitar and more) as well as genuinely bizarre vocals, the album is composed of 15 odd experiments using a loose framework of analog electronics, avant-garde rock, jazz influences, and post-structuralist work.
Cassettes:
Beth Israel – The Loaner (Dull Tools)
Beth Israel seems to get noisier and more dissonant as their pop sensibility becomes more refined. The Loaner, the band’s third release and second cassette on Dull Tools only re-emphasizes the relative solitude and obscurity that the group exist in. Not unlike the bizarre avant-pop of Tommy Jay or Tronics, homage is paid to a variety of musical traditions, while maintaining a core sound. Acid-casualty sound collage and cinematic baroque trash tie together tunes that some would call “synth punk” but Beth Israel would just call “music.”
Hermeneut – Scattered Works (Walk-In)
Hermeneut exhibits the influence of John Cage, Steve Reich, and Harry Partch. Comparisons to James Plotkin, Organum, Brume, or even early Animal Collective would be appropriate.
Piper Spray – Krolorog (Hausu Mountain)
A hallucinatory hodgepodge of sample manipulation, synth mangling, and beats, building frenetic rhythms around repeating voice samples and tight percussion patterns that speed into the high BPM territories of footwork while exploiting derange tonal palettes and countless layers of electronic input without any clear precedent.
Potions – Light And Dark (Hausu Mountain)
Light And Dark embodies a unique strain of analog performance that conjures a vibe closer to space age lounge music than any subgenre of contemporary dance. Drum patterns clatter through polyrhythmic configurations while melodies unwind in swathes of day-glo activity over labyrinthine chord progressions, locking into memorable harmonic contrasts and moments of pure major key bliss.
TALSounds – All The Way (Hausu Montain)
In her solo work under the TALSounds moniker and as a member of free music trio Good Willsmith, Natalie Chami has explored the infinite potential of improvised performance as a means of personal discovery and catharsis. All The Way collects live-in-the-studio sessions that unfold as slow breathing meditations built from recurring synth figures and choral layers of self-harmonized vocalizations. Blurs incarnations of pop or R&B glimpsed through the lens of improvised ambient performance.
Underground Railroad To Candyland – The People Are Home (Recess)
Featuring members of FYP, Toys That Kill, and Stoned At Heart, jangly guitar leads and buoyant, carefree vocals carry the melodies over a springy, surf-influenced rhythm section, which string together this beastly opus of lo-fi pop-punk gems.
Book:
Ryan Duggan – Dare To Be Stupid: The Poster Art Of Ryan Duggan (HoZac)
The long-awaited and first-ever collection of Ryan Duggan at Drug Factory Press’ poster art from 2006-2014. Duggan’s work is ripe with snark, presented in a rudimentary starkness and ambiguity so effortless, it’s become an institution in a short amount of time. Lavish illustrated posters featuring the likes of Thee Oh Sees, The Black Lips, Obits, Guided By Voices, Ty Segall, Vivian Girls, Pissed Jeans and many more.
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