CDs:
7Seconds – Leave A Light On CD/2xLP (Rise)
It’s been over nine years since their last release. This new 14-song album has elements of all things 7Seconds: fast, melodic, earnest and smart.
Mindi Abair – Wild Heart CD (Heads Up)
Mindi Abair is one of the most recognizable saxophonists on the music scene today. In addition to great solo albums over the years, she has been seen on American Idol as well as joining Aerosmith on their recent US tours. Her new solo album features guest appearances by Booker T, Greg Allman, Joe Perry, Keb Mo and Waddy Wachtel, and others.
Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – Dereconstructed CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Nothing less than pure f**king heaven, Dereconstructed is a collection of careening, road raging, all night partying hits. Informed by a distinctly Southern hoodoo, it is a masterclass in authentic Gulf Coast choogle from members of Dexateens.
Black Anvil – Hail Death CD/2xLP (Relapse)
Third album from the New York-based blackened thrash quartet.
Tommy Bolin & Zephr – Zephr [Reissue/1969] 3xCD (Cleopatra)
Deluxe edition of the 1969 recorded debut of guitar legend Tommy Bolin performing with his first major act, the blues rock outfit Zephyr. Includes two bonus discs of rare live material and studio improvisations.
Michael Bradford – The Long Night CD (Varese)
Michael Bradford is a writer, producer and performer who has worked with artists as diverse as Eurythmics, Ringo Starr, Grant Green, Jem, Stevie Nicks, Tippa Irie, Terence Trent D’Arby, Loretta Lynn and Anita Baker. Music fans from all quarters are already familiar with the eclectic career of one of music’s true “inside men”. As an arranger, composer and musician, he has also created classic music for film, television and radio.
Bury Tomorrow – Runes CD (Nuclear Blast)
New album from the British metalcore band.
Mariah Carey – Me I Am Mariah: The Elusive Chanteuse CD (Def Jam)
Carey’s new album features collaborations with Nas, Miguel, Wale, Eternal, Fabolous and others. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
Cherub – Year Of The Caprese CD/LP (Columbia)
Nashville’s own risqué, electro-pop duo consisting of Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber release their major label debut album.
Ty Citerman –Bop Kaballah CD (Tzadik)
A founding member of the internationally acclaimed punk/jazz/new music ensemble Gutbucket, composer/guitarist Ty Citerman delves deep into his Jewish roots in this brilliant new project for the Tzadik Jewish series. Drawing inspiration from sources as varied as the Beat Generation, medieval Eastern European and Asian music modes and the rich depths of Kabbalistic mysticism, Ty has fashioned an intense and colorful program of modernist music that blends klezmer, nigunim, jazz, rock, classical and more.
Haggai Cohen-Milo – Penguin CD (Tzadik)
Hailing from Israel and currently living in Brooklyn, Haggai Cohen-Milo is a gifted bassist and composer exploring the nexus of jazz and Jewish music. His Tzadik debut features a tight and exciting band of young virtuosos who passionately perform Haggai’s beautiful and lyrical compositions. Brilliant improvisations, poignant melodies and driving rhythms all come together in this exciting program of New Jewish music at its best.
Cradle Of Filth – Total F**king Darkness CD/LP (Shellshock)
Remastered released of the infamous third demo from British extreme metallers, recorded in 1993 and expanded with bonus tracks. Also available for the first time on vinyl.
Crowbar – Symmetry In Black CD (eOne)
The New Orleans sludge metal veterans celebrate their 25th anniversary with the release of a new album. Vinyl version due June 3.
Dead Congregation – Promulgation Of The Fall CD (Profound Lore)
Technical, twisted odes to total death. Their vicious assault of myriad enveloping riffs and an earth-crushing rhythm section invokes the total decimation of all that is pure and sacred.
Jerry David DeCicca – Understanding Land CD/LP (Electric Ragtime)
Understanding Land mixes a slo-mo folk blues with a sense of optimism. Features contributions from double bassist Andy Hamill (Mark Murphy, Tracey Thorn), Will (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) Oldham, Kelley Deal (The Breeders), and Spooner Oldham (Muscle Shoals, Dylan, Neil Young).
Deep Purple – Made In Japan CD/2xCD/2xCD+DVD (Rhino)
Digitally remastered edition of this classic live album from the British hard rock icons, recorded during their first tour of Japan in August 1972. Available in Regular, Deluxe (adds six bonus tracks), and Expanded Deluxe (adds a DVD containing a documentary and rare footage).
Eleh – For Moussavi Atrium CD (Important)
Brand new 38-minute piece written for performance at the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art.
Caro Emerald – The Shocking Miss Emerald CD (Grandmono)
An album of edgy, vivid, romantic and intense songs, all tied together with a ‘40s Parisian haute couture bow.
Eureka California – Crunch CD/LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
“The duo’s second LP, Crunch, is even leaner and scuzzier than its first, a whirlwind of raw riffage and nimble hooks propelled by pummeling drum work. It’s a charming mess, a wild yet über-catchy string of power-pop.” – Flagpole
Eyehategod – Eyehategod CD/LP (Housecore)
Following countless years of personal hardships, studio disasters and times of music industry indecision, New Orleans’ own Eyehategod, with much relief and excitement, are proud to release their brand new full-length. Entirely assembled and financed by the band, the self-titled long player features eleven new tracks.
Fire Retarded – Scroggz Manor CD/LP (Big Neck)
Debut from Bobby Hussy (The Hussy’s) new group. Ten songs of fuzzed-out punk rock that will shock and awe you into submission. Bobby’s guitar adds a surrealistic fuzz feel to the power of these punk rippers that will drag you in and hypnotizes you.
Foxing – The Albatross CD (Triple Crown)
With The Albatross, St. Louis MO’s Foxing have created an incredibly urgent and cinematic debut album. Gorgeous orchestration and shimmering guitars soar at one moment giving way to fervent vocals and intricate, crashing instrumentation the next. With comparisons ranging from Do Make Say Think, The National, and MeWithoutYou, Foxing aren’t easily pinned down to a genre. Vinyl version due July 1.
Marty Friedman – Inferno CD/LP (Prosthetic)
After first rising to prominence in the influential band Cacophony and via his well-received solo debut Dragon’s Kiss, Friedman joined Megadeth, with whom he soon wrote and recorded the thrash landmark Rust In Peace.
Ben Frost – A U R O R A CD/LP (Mute)
The fifth album from Ben Frost, performed with Greg Fox (ex-Liturgy), Shahzad Ismaily and Thor Harris (Swams) and largely written in Eastern DR Congo, A U R O R A aims directly, through its monolithic construction, at blinding luminescent alchemy; not with benign heavenly beauty but through decimating magnetic force.
John Fullbright – Songs CD/LP (Blue Direct)
Songs is John Fullbright’s follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut, From The Ground Up. The album has its moments of darkness, tracks born from pain and heartbreak, but for a craftsman like Fullbright, there are few greater joys than carving emotion into music, taking a stab at that lofty goal of immortality through song. It makes him and his fans “happy,” and there’s nothing bad about that.
Future Death – Special Victim CD/LP (Bloodmoss)
From swirling, tumultuous outbursts to pummeling destruction, the controlled chaos that is Future Death is unleashed. Stripping everything to the bone, the band’s creative process is heavily linked to impulse as they capture their feelings organically and in the moment while leaving little room for conceptualization.
Galati – Mother CD (Psychonavigation)
New release from the dark ambient artist. “Mother is a diary of a long trip, reporting my personal search for answers and for my own self. It’s about letting go, leaving behind; it means gaining simplicity and innocence. I’ve been observing a metamorphosis in myself, it started in Greenland and went on to far-off lands of Tibet, in the shadow of Mount Everest, the Mother Goddess of the Universe.” – Galati
Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto: 50th Anniversary CD (Verve)
Digitally remastered and expanded 50th Anniversary edition of this landmark, four-time Grammy-winning jazz/bossa nova album. Includes both mono and stereo versions.
Haunted Hearts – Initiation CD/LP (Zoo Music)
Many years dreamt, one cold winter realized, Haunted Hearts is Dee Dee Penny (Dum Dum Girls) and Brandon Welchez (Crocodiles). It is not the melding of two bands; it is a true collaboration.
Hundred Waters – Moon Rang Like A Bell CD/LP (Owsla)
The idiosyncratic Florida synth-drift quartet releases their sophomore album on Skrillex’s own Owsla label.
Indigenous – Time Is Coming CD (Blues Bureau Int’l)
Mato Nanji, longtime frontman of Native American band Indigenous releases his tenth album which stretches Mato’s already established high-caliber musicianship into a hard hitting, guitar driven musical excursion into modern blues rock.
Neil Innes – Recollections Le Ducks Box Set 3xCD+DVD (Creature Music)
Neil Innes, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, has now formed his own label to issue this box set containing the original three-disc Recollections set with a bonus DVD of selected material from the Innes Book Of Records TV series of the late ‘1970s and early ‘80s.
Iron Butterfly – Live At The Galaxy 1967 CD (Cleopatra)
Live document of the early days of the great Iron Butterfly recorded live at the historic Galaxy Club located in the heart of the Sunset Strip during its heyday. Features the original line-up of the band performing tracks from their early singles as well as their debut studio LP Heavy. Vinyl version due June 10.
Kever – Eon Of Cycling Death CD (Dark Decent)
New release from the Israel-based death metal band formerly known as Morbid Tendency.
Kiss – Kiss 40 2xCD (UMe)
To celebrate Kiss’ 40-year recording career and their long-overdue induction to the Rock
And Roll Hall Of Fame, the Kiss 40 compilation features one track from every major album release, live selections and an unreleased demo of “Reputation” from 1977.
Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 – Long Way To The Beginning CD/LP (Knitting Factory Works)
New album from the reigning prince of Afrobeat, co-produced by Grammy winner Robert Glasper. Features appearances from M-1 of Dead Prez, Blitz The Ambassador, and Nneka.
Amy LaVere – Runaway’s Diary CD/LP (Archer)
In the nine years since she release her debut album, Amy LaVere’s music has been called many things: dark and sexy, witty, feisty, breezy, mysterious.
Lillian Axe – One Night In The Temple 2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray (CME)
Performed acoustically in an intimate setting, housed in a Masonic Temple, and filmed in high definition.
Lil Rob – R.I.P. Recordings In Progress CD (Upstairs)
The 11th solo album from the rapper is also his first in five years.
Little Barry – Shadow CD (Tummy Touch)
UK trio Little Barrie returns with their unrivalled blend of rock, blues, garage and soul for their fourth album.
Cher Lloyd – Sorry I’m Late CD (Epic)
Spunky and sweet, multi-Platinum selling Cher Lloyd (X Factor UK finalist), who the New York Times called “the future,” is back with her sophomore album.
Austin Mahone – The Secret CD (Universal Republic)
New album from the teen pop sensation (for those of you who care).
Masked Intruder – M.I. CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Masked Intruder is a pop punk band from Madison, WI.
Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild – Silk Pyramids CD (Thrice Great, LLC)
First national release from the Queens New York MC, whose style is in the vein of the resurgent NY sound personified by Action Bronson. Silk Pyramids was produced by multi-platinum producer Buckwild (Big Pun, Notorious B.I.G., Black Rob, etc.).
Misery Index – The Killing Gods CD (Season Of Mist)
Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Vinyl version due June 10. “On their fifth full-length album, Baltimore’s premiere death-metal crew display symptoms of progression, the nonstop assault of their previous efforts replaced with moments of atmosphere and melancholy.” – Revolver
- – No Guts No Glory CD/2xLP (Sugar Hill)
11th studio album from the jam band. “We wanted the live-in-the-studio feel — that organic push and pull of time changing and all of us reacting. That’s something that a lot of music right now tends to lose…” Available on CD and on vinyl. Vinyl version includes three bonus tracks.
Muyei Power – Sierre Leone in 1970s USA CD/LP (Soundway)
Muyei Power or Orchestre Muyei (muyei means “our country”) was one of the top dance bands of the 1970s in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone In 1970s USA is an album of rock-infused, “Afro” music from a group that traveled the world throughout the mid 1970s. Fusing elements of electric Congolese and Nigerian music with fast, syncopated, uptempo modernized arrangements of traditional music, Muyei Power produced a series of unique single-only releases that have been unavailable for 35 years.
Napolian – Incursio CD/2xLP (Software)
A clandestine labor of love, Incursio was recorded gradually and with great attention over the course of two years. While honing the album’s core, Napolian also contributed his co-production and mixing talents to A$AP Ferg’s Trap Lord and the lead track on Kelela’s equally acclaimed CUT 4 Me mixtape. At its core, Incursio is an instrumental beats record. What the album isn’t though is an egg hunt — no break record samples, no dust, no crates.
Nebraska Bricks – Live In Pain Die In Vain CD (Eulogy)
Nebraska Bricks is a melodic hardcore band from South Florida.
Own Pallet –In Conflict CD/LP (Domino)
In Conflict was written and produced by Pallett, recorded with the core rhythm section of Robbie Gordon and Matt Smith, and features contributions from Brian Eno and The Czech FILMharmonic Orchestra, amongst others. The album is full of love songs more specifically, songs about liminal states and our loved ones locked in battle with them. Pallett was recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score, alongside Arcade Fire for their work on the soundtrack to Spike Jonze’s Her.
Pop Strangers – Fortuna CD/LP (Carpark)
Fortuna, the second full-length from New Zealand trio Popstrangers, trades the grunge revivalism of the band’s previous releases for buoyant hooks and ’60s pop. Eschewing the squalling guitars that propelled their debut album Antipodes for clear-headed production and lush choruses, Popstrangers hit their stride on Fortuna, crystallizing their influences into a succinct record of indie psych that never lingers too long.
Powerman 5000 – Builders Of The Future CD (Universal)
Powerman 5000’s first collection of all new material in nearly five years.
The Ready Set – The Bad & The Better CD (Razor & Tie)
From the first guitar strums of The Bad & The Better’s opening song, “Higher,” which is also the first radio single, it’s almost impossible not to smile and dance along with Witzigreuter’s signature rapid-fire verses and synth-fueled choruses over the album’s 11 songs.
Reuben And The Dark – Funeral Sky CD/LP (Arts & Crafts)
Funeral Sky is the debut album from Reuben And The Dark, the harmonious collection of five multi-instrumentalists led by Calgary’s Reuben Bullock. This suite of eleven carefully crafted songs evokes the full spectrum of the group’s uplifting folk and gripping soul, with depth and seamlessness that bely their youth.
Bruce Robinson/Kelly Willis – Our Year CD/LP (Premium Records)
Willis and Robinson already reign as one of Americana’s coolest couples, and their latest release, Our Year, elevates them closer to the lofty territory once occupied by beloved royals Johnny & June and George & Tammy. Working again in Nashville with producer Brad Jones, they deliver their musical thoughts over 10 outstanding tracks, from formidable originals to well-honed covers including a “knockout” version of the Tom T. Hall-penned “Harper Valley PTA.”
Roll The Tanks – Broke Til Midnight CD/2xLP (Epitaph)
Broke Til Midnight is named for the quartet’s penchant for Thursday night revelry (with The Clash, The Pixies and The Heartbreakers on the jukebox) when the bar tab can’t be paid until the clock strikes 12:00 and the paychecks clear. It’s a transcendent combination that will hit with fans of The Hold Steady, Cold War Kids or Against Me!
Sabaton – Heroes CD (Nuclear Blast)
Sabaton’s latest album is a concept record based on different historical 20th century wars and battles, telling fascinating stories about heroic men and women on their dangerous missions.
Chris Schlarb – Making The Saint CD/LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
“Making The Saint is my third full-length record. I love small records. When I say ‘small record,’ I think of Sandy Bull’s Fantasias For Guitar And Banjo, Bill Evans trio recordings at the Village Vanguard, Fripp & Eno’s No Pussyfooting, or Thelonius Monk’s sublime Solo Monk. Each of these albums is simple. They’re direct. Making The Saint is a small record too. I didn’t belabor it. The recording and mixing came quickly. I followed my instincts. This album is also a spiritual retreat for me; a healthy and necessary separation after so many strong collaborations.” – Chris Schlarb
Scourge – Hate Metal CD (Cogumelo)
Scourge is a band from Brazil that plays a mixture of death, black and war metal.
Serpentine Path – Emanations CD/LP (Relapse)
Emanations is the sophomore album from NYC doom super group Serpentine Path. Their 2012 self-titled debut was a boldly grim statement of unforgiving misanthropy that referenced both the filthy riffs of Autopsy and the stoney doom of Sleep.
Shaliek – Blood Sweat Tears CD (Pendulum)
Though he’s young, 11-year industry veteran and Bronx, NY native Shaliek wants to make music that is soulful, inspirational and impacts change. The singer/songwriter’s sense of history is as vast as his vocal range. Influenced by legends like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Michael Jackson, the soulful singer made a name for himself early on, performing to sold-out crowds at the world famous Apollo Theater when he was only 15.
Paul Shapiro – Shofarot Verses CD (Tzadik)
Blending soul and R&B with the Jewish tradition, Paul Shapiro’s fourth release is another romp in the wild and wooly world of rhythm and Jews, this time featuring a tight touring quartet performing Paul’s original compositions in the Jewish bag.
Some Ember – Some Ember CD (Dream)
Cold synthesizers and harsh industrial beats dominate the A-side, while swirling drone and organic percussion characterize the unique second half. Vinyl version due June 10.
Soulsavers – Light The Dead Sea CD+DVD (Mute)
Deluxe version of the band’s 2012 album, expanded with a DVD featuring an interview, live performance in L.A., and more.
Spanish Gold – South Of Nowhere CD/LP (BMG Rights)
The debut album from the newly formed band featuring former Hacienda guitarist/vocalist Dante Schwebel.
They Might Be Giants – Idlewild CD/LP (Idlewild Recordings)
While Idlewild is neither a “best of” nor a “rarities” set, it is an ultra-vivid illustration of the band’s prodigious output and singular musical vision. From the spare, folkie chug of “Words Are Like,” which originally appeared as part of TMBG’s internet-only collaboration with eMusic back in the dot.com era glory days of 2001, to the propulsive, dance floor groove of “You’re On Fire” from 2013’s Nanobots release, the scope of Idlewild is as wide as it is beguiling.
Trash Talk – No Peace CD (Odd Future)
No Peace is music for the sake of aggression. Recorded in New York City, this is the closest Trash Talk has come to capturing the chaos on wax. Legendary hip-hop producer Alchemist contributes two filthy beats that Trash Talk drag through the gutter, knuckles up. It sounds like bone shards swirling in a hurricane.
Sharon Van Etten – Are We There CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)
Sharon Van Etten writes from free-flowing emotional honesty and vulnerability, creating a bond with the listener that few contemporary musicians can match. Are We There is a self-produced album of exceptional intimacy, sublime generosity, and immense breadth. Features appearances from Dave Hartley and Adam Granduciel (War On Drugs), Jonathan Meiberg (Shearwater), Jana Hunter (Lower Dens), Peter Broderick, Mackenzie Scott (Torres), Stuart Bogie, Jacob C. Morris and Mickey Freeze.
Avery Sunshine –The Sunroom CD (Shanachie)
R&B diva Avery Sunshine has been an underground sensation, wowing audiences from coast to coast. The Sunroom features 13 Avery originals overflowing with her unmatched warmth and exuberance.
Vanhelgd – Relics Of Sulphur Salvation CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
The eight complex and memorable songs on Relics Of Sulphur Salvation strike with an urgent ferocity not seen in other so-called “boundary-pushing” or “progressive” releases in recent memory. This is death metal from the guts, played with relentless and nuanced savagery. Vanhelgd’s natural skill for crafting monumental death metal songs suggests early At The Gates, Entombed, and even elements of My Dying Bride.
Various Artists – Of Factory New York CD/2xLP (Factory Benelux)
Factory Benelux and New Order present Of Factory New York, a benefit album released to assist Michael Shamberg, who ran the NYC office of Factory Records during the celebrated label’s ‘80s heyday. Features tracks by A Certain Ration, Cabaret Voltaire, New Order, Konk, Section 25, Streetlife, and others.
Various Artists – Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray (Stone’s Throw)
Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton features original music by Madlib and exclusive interviews with Peanut Butter Wolf, Kanye West, Common, Mike D, ? uestlove, Talib Kweli, Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Ariel Pink, Flying Lotus, Geoff Barrow, A-Trak, J Rocc, Dam-Funk, Mayer Hawthorne, and other members of the Stones Throw Family. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton is produced and directed by Jeff Broadway, who also produced Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story, which tells the tragic tale of Morphine front man Mark Sandman.
Various Artists – The Sound Of Siam Volume 2: Molam & Luk Thung 1970-1982 CD/2xLP (Soundway)
Soundway’s second foray into South East Asia is focused on Northeast Thailand, the epicenter of Molam and Luk Thung Isan music. Hypnotic phin and khaen riffs, pulsing, electrified country rhythms and heartfelt vocals punctuate another journey into the lesser-known reaches of 1970s Thai music.
Verma – Sunrunner CD/LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
The swirling, layered loops of Johnny Caluya’s guitar mesh seamlessly with the interstellar drones and throbs ebbing from Whitney Johnson’s Acetone, but the real secret weapon of Sunrunner lies in the rhythm section of bassist Rob Goerke and drummer Zach Corn’s locked-tight grooves that pulse steadily and subtly like all great rhythm sections are supposed to, providing a rubbery backbone that supports the album. (Limited quantities pressed on mixed color vinyl.)
Sonny Vincent – Cyanide Consomme CD/LP (Big Neck)
Sonny Vincent is an American punk rock icon. Active since the mid-‘70s with the Testors, touring as Maureen Tucker’s and Sterling Morrison’s guitarist, his new album is 14 songs of pure punk barn burners. If you think time has slowed Sonny’s songwriting, you are sadly mistaken. These are songs with hooks and melodies that make you want to get up and dance. “He’s able to perfectly capture the swinging sloppiness of blues rock and fit it into the angry energy of punk. He does it so well that you can’t pick out which parts are punk or which parts are rock and roll.” — Punk News
Watter – This World CD/LP (Temporary Residence)
Watter is a trio made up of close friends and collaborators whose collective pedigree reads like a desert island list of must-haves in experimental rock musicians. Multi-instrumentalists Zak Riles (Grails) and Tyler Trotter are anchored by legendary drummer Britt Walford (Slint, Evergreen) over six genre-defying pieces of monolithic mood music. For Riles and Trotter, it’s a chance to dig deeper into the sandbox in which Grails have sculpted many mercurial masterpieces in recent years.
Neil Young – A Letter Home CD/LP/2xLP+CD+DVD+7×6” (Reprise/Third Man)
An unheard collection of rediscovered songs from the past recorded on ancient electro-mechanical technology captures and unleashes the essence of something that could have been gone forever. (A Deluxe double-LP vinyl version is also available, which includes a copy on CD, a DVD, and seven clear 6” vinyl singles.)
John Zorn – Live At The Hall Of Mirrors CD (Tzadik)
A fabulous CD of music for piano trio featuring the incredible Stephen Gosling performing an exactly notated virtuosic piano part that pushes the envelope of what is possible with a piano, and the dynamic rhythm section of longtime Zorn associate Greg Cohen and the exhilarating percussionist Tyshawn Sorey.
Vinyl:
Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Check ‘Em Before You Wreck ‘Em! LP (Rise Above)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Shovell somehow carry on the lineage of the truly golden age of British heavy rock whose dog sh!t stained road was paved by the likes of Budgie, Sabbath, early Motörhead, Quo, Lizzy, The Groundhogs, Stray etc. Chuck in a healthy chunk of US and Aussie proto metallurgists Sir Lord Baltimore, Dust, Bang, The Litter and Buffalo, as well as a healthy Vertigo ‘Swirl’ of dew picked mushrooms bad trip psych.
Lily Allen – Sheezus 2xLP (WB)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Lily Allen’s third studio album was produced by Greg Kurstin, Shellback and Dj Dahl, and features the singles “Hard Out Here” and “Air Balloon.”
Blu – Good To Be Home 2xLP (Nature Sound)
Recently relelased on CD – now available on vinyl. Los Angeles lyricist Blu returns with Good to Be Home, a brand new solo album. Unlike previous Blu releases that have leaked online and later been repackaged in physical form, this album contains 20 tracks of brand new, previously unheard material.
Bolt Thrower – War Master [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (Earache)
Vinyl reissue of the classic third album from the masters of pure battlefield influenced death metal. Pressed on red/silver splattered white wax with etching on Side Four.
Buffalo Killers – Heavy Reverie LP (Sun Pedal)
Buffalo Killers hailing from Ohio deliver hook heavy homegrown rock & roll. Lead by songwriting brothers Zachary and Andrew Gabbard, the band has drawn the attention of the likes of Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes who said that Buffalo Killers were “One of the best f**king rock & roll bands in the world” and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, who produced their sophomore effort Let It Ride.
Cheap Girls – Famous Graves LP (Xtra Mile)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “For the past seven years, Michigan’s Cheap Girls have been consistently churning out infectious, melodic rock and roll records, and their latest effort is no exception.” – Under The Radar
Cherry Ghost – Herd Runners LP (Heavenly)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For the last couple of years, Simon Aldred has been in a state of willful musical schizophrenia. Since 2007, Bolton-born Aldred has – to all intents – been Cherry Ghost, a band known for perfecting a kind of widescreen North Western country soul. Yet the third Cherry Ghost album Herd Runners arrives after an extensive period in which Aldred’s own music been pulled in multiple different directions.
Condello –Phase 1 [Reissue/1968] LP (Sundazed)
Reissue of bandleader Mike Condello’s (Hub Cap & The Wheels) 1968 psychedelic masterwork. Features a young Bill Spooner (pre-Tubes) on guitar. HQ-180gm mono.
Cretin Stompers – Looking Forward To Being Attacked LP (HoZac)
Just like a Xenomorph wrapping its way around your head right before that inevitable lobotomy, Cretin Stompers’ infectious oozing pop slime will find its way into any of your exposed orifices. A dynamic explosion of space punk filtered through a clogged toilet of remarkable pop hooks and impeccable melodic surges that hit such wavering heights, you just might need some orange slices to keep your eyes on the road.
Sandy Denny & The Strawbs – All Our Own Work [Reissue/1973] 2xLP (Numero)
All Our Own Work hit the marketplace midway through 1973 in a cheap sleeve with brief, offhand notes from Cousins and fell out of print by the end of the decade. This 2014 vinyl issue collects the original 12-track album, plus a series of outtakes from the Vanløse Bio sessions previously unavailable on vinyl.
Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell [Reissue/1981] LP (Rhino)
Depeche Mode – Playing The Angel [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Rhino)
Depeche Mode – Exciter [Reissue/2001] LP (Rhino)
The last in the recent series of Depeche Mode vinyl LP reissues. Each comes in a gatefold sleeve with heavyweight HQ-180gm black audiophile vinyl, all containing inserts and liner notes.
Jeremy Fisher – The Lemon Squeeze CD (Hidden Pony)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Lemon Squeeze is Jeremy Fisher’s sixth studio album and the first album written entirely on piano. It is fun, upbeat and sonically diverse. Stylistically he references music from Randy Newman to Billy Joel, with maybe a little Queen and CSNY in between. There are some true-to form rootsy, acoustic-based tracks that you have come to expect from Jeremy, an intimate piano ballad or two, some lush string arrangements and even a track that might be described as a mini rock opera.
French For Rabbits – Goat b/w The Other Side 7” (Lefse)
Haunting dream-pop from New Zealand.
Fripp & Eno – Evening Star 3xLP (Discipline Global)
Fripp & Eno – No Pussyfooting 3xLP (Discipline Global)
HQ-200gm vinyl reissues of two minimal electronic classics, remastered from newly cut masters approved by the artists.
Godflesh – Godflesh [Reissue/1988] 2xLP (Earache)
Pressed in a double gatefold format showcasing three sides of groundbreaking industrial metal music. Along with two bonus tracks, this reissue is pressed on white marbled clear wax with an etching on Side Four.
Grant Green – Idle Moments [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
New in this year’s Blue Note vinyl reissue series. “This languid, seductive gem may well be Grant Green’s greatest moment on record. Right from the opening bars of the classic title cut, Idle Moments is immediately ingratiating and accessible, featuring some of Green’s most stylish straight jazz playing.” – AllMusic
The Human Beinz With The Mammals – Nobody But Me [Reissue/1967] LP (Rockbeat)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Human Beinz were a rock band from Youngstown Ohio who are most famous for their soul rock tune ”Nobody But Me” which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. The tune has been featured in many films (The Departed, Kill Bill) and television (The Office). This album, originally released on the Gateway label, features 5 tunes from the Human Beinz along with six songs from Pittsburgh based band The Mammals.
J.C. Satan – Italian Summer b/w I Don’t Feel Like Dancing 7”+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
Already a cult sensation in their hometown of Bordeaux, French band J.C. Satan’s new single marks their debut for Trouble In Mind, and picks up right where their 2012 album Faraway Land left off, enveloping the listener in the band’s black-robed, denim-decked coven of noise. Mixed color vinyl.
Wilko Johnson And Roger Daltrey – Going Back Home LP (Chess/Hip-O)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Wilko Johnson, legendary guitarist with Dr. Feelgood, and Roger Daltrey of The Who release a joint album featuring 11 tracks, ten of which are Wilko originals from both his Dr. Feelgood days and solo years, whilst the sole cover on the album is a version of Bob Dylan’s Highway ’61 Revisited classic “Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window.”
Joseph – Stoned Age Man [Reissue/1969] LP (Sundazed)
“Rooted in the steamy back roads of Texas and deep-fried at a Memphis recording studio, Joseph’s Stoned Age Man was served up like a sizzling hot rattlesnake appetizer slathered in fuzz-blooz grease in 1969. Brandishing his guitar like a Cro-Magnon’s club, Joseph mixes his fuzzy licks with meat-grinder vocals as he loudly ruminates of fattened snakes, fish heads, mountains, cavemen and gumbo in the maddest peyote hallucination Alley Oop never had. HQ-180gm mono.
Alan Licht & Brian Chase – We Thought We Could Do Anything LP (New Images)
Drummer Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Man Forever) and guitarist Alan Licht (Lee Ranaldo & The Dust, The Blue Humans, Love Child, Run On, etc.) are a real-deal pairing; each has a longstanding involvement in underground rock, minimalism, experimental music, and free improvisation.
Madlib – Shades Of Blue [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Blue Note)
New in this year’s Blue Note vinyl reissue series. Shades Of Blue features Madlib interpreting and remixing Blue Note classics such as Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and Gene Harris’ “The Look of Slim” (remixed here as “Slim’s Return”).
Man – Carousel Of Sound 7” (HoZac)
Panicky/riveting/down-sizing guitar crunch merges with the heavy dose of anxiety-riddled bass throb, over-worked, stress-wrenched drumming, all slathered in ‘workplace harassment’-style vocals.
Meat Wave – Meat Wave LP (Hawthorne St.)
Loud, melodic punk – always urgent, sometimes psychedelic, but never happy.
Hank Mobley – Soul Station [Reissue/1960] LP (Blue Note)
New in this year’s Blue Note vinyl reissue series. “Often overlooked, perhaps because he wasn’t a great innovator in jazz but merely a stellar performer, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was at the peak of his powers on Soul Station. Recorded with a superstar quartet including Art Blakey on drums, Paul Chambers on bass, and Wynton Kelly on piano, it was the first album since Mobley’s 1955 debut to feature him as a leader without any other accompanying horns.” – AllMusic
Mary Monday & The Bitches – I Gave My Punk Jacket To Rickie 7” (HoZac)
One of the greatest west coast punk singles of the first wave is back in print and ready to smash your party right in your face. Former stripper Mary Monday had a life shrouded in mystery, and conflicting reports in the historic documentation as to the band and Mary’s origins are still baffling punkologists to this day, including her mysterious death a few years after this single’s release. This is a classic piece of ‘70s SF punk history, as well as one of the most memorable singles of the era that has sadly slipped through the cracks.
Mordecai – Neil’s Generator LP (Richie Records)
If the previous LP College Rock formed a friendly union between noisy Swell Maps-ian clatter, post-garage Fall prickliness, and the all-American DIY basement joy of Mike Rep/Tommy Jay, Neil’s Generator embodies the same kind of loose, ragged glory perpetrated by the Meat Puppets, Rayne, Dead Moon, and the Velvets staring into a cracked and filthy mirror.
Nones – Midwestern Family Values LP (HoZac)
Originally forged as an exact opposite blueprint of the archetype female-fronted punk group, Nones is a fully-backed female force of contention with one deranged and sufficiently blurred frontman slashing forth and breaking the stereotype into micro shards of glass you will never be able to completely pick out of your fine upholstery. This debut LP is no joy ride, an instant agitator, a tool for stirring up your inner turmoil, a safe place to keep your paranoid thoughts where they can drift around in a contained space.
Oasis – Definitely Maybe 2xLP+MP3 (Big Brother Recordings Ltd.)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Authorized remastered reissue of the now classic debut album from Oasis. Includes the landmark anthems “Rock & Roll Star” and “Slide Away.” Includes 33 bonus tracks via download card.
Oath – Oath LP (Rise Above)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album of heavy metal sorcery.
Panopticon – On The Subject Of Mortality [2011] 2xLP (The Flenser)
Panopticon’s reflective meditation on death is back in print in the format that suits it best: deluxe double-vinyl mastered at 45RPM for ultra-clean, blackened fidelity. Originally released on two split CDs and in a highly limited vinyl edition, the album sold out quickly and now fetches absurd prices on the collectors’ market.
Paper Garden – Paper Garden [Reissue/1969] LP (Sundazed)
With influences of the early Bee Gees and Brill Building pop also shading the proceedings, Paper Garden’s kaleidoscopic essence permeates every note – right down to the ultra-cool color-burst cover likely drawn under a pseudonym by Australian artist Martin Sharp of Disraeli Gears fame. HQ-180gm mono.
Pharoahe Monch – PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder LP (W.A.R. Media LLC)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With his fourth solo LP Pharoahe Monch re-emerges with a new concept project that finds the groundbreaking emcee tackling PTSD. Throughout the duration of the LP, Monch narrates as an independent artist weary from the war against the industry machine and through the struggle of the black male experience in America.
Washington Phillips – What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? [Reissue/2007] LP (Mississippi)
Repress of a compilation of 78s by Washington Phillips – one of the most unique gospel artists of all time – in print again for the first time in over seven years. Phillips played an instrument that was either the dolciola (a now extinct chimney sounding piano) or something entirely homemade. No one knows for sure. He sings with a beautiful voice and his instrument provides a celestial and otherworldly background. Lullabies straight from the spirit world to you.
Prong – Ruining Lives 2xLP (Steamhammer)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. From the first riff-assault of the opener “Turnover,” Ruining Lives takes you on an angst-filled roller coaster ride that marries some very old school, Beg To Differ -elements with post-punk, industrial metal, hardcore thrash, all the while retaining a modern and current feel.
Rats – Rats [Reissue/1980] LP (Mississippi)
Rats – Intermittent Signals Direct [Reissue/1981] LP (Mississippi)
Back in print for the first time in years. Two true punk rock classics from the band featuring members of Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows.
Redman – Whut? Thee Album [Reissue/1992] LP (Def Jam)
Reissue of the debut album from Reggie Noble (who was a close affiliate of EPMD) aka Redman on red vinyl.
The Roots – …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin LP (Def Jam)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. As Black Thought explains, The Root’s 11th studio effort is “another concept album in the spirit of (2011’s) undun, but it’s not just about just one kind of character. We create quite a few different characters in this record. It’s satire, but in that satire it’s an analysis of some of the stereotypes perpetuated in not only the hip-hop community, but in the community. I don’t know if that makes any sense.”
Southern Comfort – Suzanne 7” (HoZac)
Possibly the most visceral bummer punk classic two-sider of 2014, your head won’t be the same after you hear it blasting with the windows open on a warm sunny day.
The Horace Silver Quintet – Song For My Father [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
New in this year’s Blue Note vinyl reissue series – the 1965 album from the jazz pianist.
Three Legged Race – Rope Commercial LP (Underwater Peoples)
The scope of Robert Beatty’s hydra-headed art practice has grown into an extreme articulation of unconfined creativity across multiple disciplines. A founding member of 2000’s noise outfit Hair Police, as well as visionary illustrator and album-art designer for many of this era’s most celebrated underground artists, Robert Beatty records his solo work under the name Three Legged Race. Rope Commercial is the first volume of a planned series of EPs.
Triptykon – Melana Chasmata LP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Second full-length album by the Swiss extreme metal band.
Tweak Bird – Any ‘Ol Way LP+MP3/Cassette (Let’s Pretend)
L.A. duo Ashton & Caleb Bird, aka Tweak Bird, fresh off of collaborations with the Melvins and Big Business, return with their third full length, setting to write an album that, according to the band, “meant something to us. We wanted to voice our opinions and feel comfortable. We believe in peace, marijuana, individual freedoms and not taking ourselves too seriously. This just happened to be what came out.” This is the perfect soundtrack to a movie from the ‘90s that takes place in the ‘70s.
Twenty One Pilots – Vessel LP (Fueled By Ramen)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Twenty One Pilots merge elements of hip-hop, indie rock and punk in a way that’s so seamless, you’ll be rapping along one minute and caught up in a lush orchestral line the next.
McCoy Tyner – The Real McCoy [Reissue/1967] LP (Blue Note)
New in this year’s Blue Note vinyl reissue series. For The Real McCoy, the pianist is teamed with tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Elvin Jones for five of his originals
H. Usui – Sings The Blues LP+CD (VHF)
Solo darkness from remarkably pedigreed but rarely recorded Japanese legend Hiroyuki Usui (Ghost, Fushitsusha, L, Marble Sheep, A-Musik, August Born, etc.), Sings The Blues is raw and gripping, like a darker version of his all-time classic folk-psych work Holy Letters (VHF).
Vacation Club – Heaven Is Too High LP (Magnetic South)
Vacation Club’s debut full-length will fry you blind with a most pleasant and poisonous cocktail of psych-pop. The Indiana four-piece delivers infectiously poppy bubblegum chewed up and spit out by the agitated and chemical laced mind of misspent Midwestern youth.
Various Artists – Last Kind Words [Reissue/2007] LP (Missississippi)
Repress of the first-ever Mississippi compilation, in print for the first time in over seven years. This collection of early 78s speak to the universal human condition in a profound way, featuring Geechy Wiley, Blind Willie & Kate McTell, The Blue Sky Boys, and many others. No typical blues riffs or boring standards here, just truly unique artists transcending time, space, and culture to bring you a little piece of their souls.
Various Artists – I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore [Reissue/2007] LP (Mississippi)
Back in print for the first time in seven years – one of the releases that cemented the Mississippi aesthetic. This compilation of early American minority music runs the genre gambit between klezmer, calypso, Hawaiian, Cajun, country, Cuban, Greek, and more. Somehow this all fits together nicely and makes for a highly listenable compilation of early 78s. Artists include Wilmouth Houdini, Marika Papagika, The Two Gospel Keys, The Caresser, and more.
Weatherbox – Flies In All Directions 2xLP (Triple Crown)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Flipping through the pages of the band’s history, one encounters some sordid tales: strained friendships, hairs grayed, vans stolen and flipped, a good old-fashioned “cowboy-stomping” and of course, drug-induced psychosis. Since the release of 2007’s seminal American Art, Weatherbox ignored every warning sign the cosmos hurled in their direction and released batch after batch of unique and personal songs.
Winter Drones – Heavy Eyes LP+MP3 (Marshall Teller)
Heavy Eyes is the second outing from Leon Dufficy’s insomniac psych group. Perhaps better-known as the guitarist in Sub Pop’s dream-pop outfit Still Corners and Ecstatic Peace!’s hippie-jam outfit Hush Arbors, here Dufficy churns out half-awake guitar lines combined with fuzzed-out ambient drift, shoegaze swirl and propulsive pop sensibilities.
Worthless – Greener Grass 7” (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
The super-sunny, sweet alone-tone bedroom-doom vibes that have fertilized “Greener Grass” in particular and the Worthless sound in general owe their origin to a definable source: Curtis Godino’s solitary bedroom blast-offs, running riff after riff through the air in hopes of trapping an elusive ghost of a song. Green vinyl.
Cassettes:
Brave Radar – Message Centre (Fixture)
Re-imagining Sun Ra’s harmonies as AM gold, this Montreal-based minimalist pop group find new things under the sun in sub-textural readings of Beach Boys classics.A must for fans of Chris Cohen, The B-52s, Marine Girls, etc.
Dated – Unisex (Manic Static)
Debut EP from this gothy darkwave postpunk trio from Kansas City.
Demon Lover – Spooky Routine (Manic Static)
Spooky Routine is a wheezing insight into a one-of-a-kind atmospheric bubble of analog injections and overlapping lucid dreams. Music genres vomit into each other’s’ mouths, creating a unique sound stemmed from experiments and the multiple instruments, objects, and noises built into every crease of each song.
Earring – Nunn Ones (Manic Static)
Goth-tinged shoegaze with economical pop bend — weirdly pretty, haunting, and melancholic. “Earring’s guitar sounds like it’s constantly in flames, with a vocalist that sound like he could care less that the thing he’s strumming is currently on fire.” — TinyMixtapes
Landmarks – Landmarks (Manic Static)
Killer atmospheric psych rock vibes on this moody, guitar-driven EP.
Quicksails/Headboggle – Mugen: Volume 6 (Hausu Mountain)
Mind-expanding synthesis on the maximal and minimal poles of the spectrum from two veterans of the experimental underground.
Spectrum Control/Carrl – Mugen: Volume 5 (Hausu Mountain)
Dewew Mahood (Plankton Wat and Eternal Tapestry) and Carrl (Charlie Overa) kickstart a second batch of the Mugen Series, which documents two live recordings from solo performers totally free of overdubs. Extended live-looped guitar performances replete with fretboard heroics, concentrative rhythmic beds, and ecstatic leads.
Tweak Bird – Any ‘Ol Way (Let’s Pretend)
L.A. duo Ashton & Caleb Bird, aka Tweak Bird, fresh off of collaborations with the Melvins and Big Business, return with their third full length, setting to write an album that, according to the band, “meant something to us. We wanted to voice our opinions and feel comfortable. We believe in peace, marijuana, individual freedoms and not taking ourselves too seriously. This just happened to be what came out.” This is the perfect soundtrack to a movie from the ‘90s that takes place in the ‘70s.
Various Artists – Manic Static Mix (Manic Static)
Killer comp featuring exclusive tracks from garage & experimental acts like Sic Alps, Running, Broken Water, Magic Milk, Heavy Times, Yves Son Ace, and many, many more.
Witchbeam/Mr. Matthews – Mugen: Volume 8 (Hausu Mountain)
Splits the almighty drone/noise duo Telcut Powers into its respective halves and casts them out into the void for searing sessions of solo synthesis. Mugen: Volume 8 documents live recordings from solo performers totally free of overdubs.
Book:
Mudhoney – The Sound & The Fury From Seattle (Sub Pop)
This is the definitive biography of legendary Seattle band Mudhoney, written by influential British journalist and broadcaster Keith Cameron.
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