Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Drawing inspiration from folk and rock from about ’65 to ’73, and Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks in particular, Fleet Foxes heighten and extend themselves, adding instrumentation (clarinet, music box, pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar, Tibetan singing bowls, vibraphone, etc., along with more traditional instrumentation), with a focus on clear, direct lyrics, and an emphasis on group vocal harmonies. ENTER TO WIN a super limited-edition copy of the new album on white vinyl, and get this nifty old school Dover “break-out-your-color-markers” lithograph, free with purchase of CD or LP.
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two CD (Capitol)
Long awaited eighth album — Hot Sauce Committee Part Two was produced by Beastie Boys and mixed by Philippe Zdar. This album marks Mike “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “Ad Rock” Horovitz and Adam “MCA” Yauch’s first full-length effort since 2007’s Grammy-winning all-instrumental The Mix-Up. Vinyl version due June 21.
Kate & Anna McGarrigle – Tell My Sister 3xCD (Nonesuch)
Triple CD set comprising remastered versions of Kate & Anna McGarrigle’s beloved 1976 self-titled debut, its equally praised 1977 follow-up, Dancer With Bruised Knees; and a collection of previously unreleased songs, including solo and duo demos.
Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side: Recorded Live! New York 1972 CD (IMV Blueline)
This may well be Lou Reed’s best live solo album, recorded December 26, 1972 for a New York Radio show. It showcases titles from his time with Velvet Underground as well as his later solo hits, but above all, it presents tracks from his most successful album, Transformer.
Stevie Nicks – In Your Dreams CD (Reprise)
In Your Dreams is Nicks’ first CD of new material since the release of her Grammy nominated Trouble In Shangri-La ten years ago.
James Pants – James Pants CD/2xLP (Stones Throw)
“One of the most weirdly engaging new wave/dance/experimental records to come out this year, James Pants’ third album features cheap-sounding keyboards, muffled falsetto vocals, buried –but driving — dance-punk beats, ‘70s boogie rock, plucky guitar rhythms and more oddball sound-effects than a Dr. Who episode, and sounds like it was recorded in a shag-carpeted, wood-paneled basement with old analog tape.” — L.A. Times Music Blog
Dave Depper – The Ram Project CD/LP (Jackpot)
Multi-instrumentalist Dave Depper re-imagined Paul McCartney’s Ram, part by part, at home, all by himself, in 30 days. The result is a gorgeous document that both pays homage to the colorfully cinematic McCartney classic and is uniquely Depper’s.
Mick Harvey – Sketches From The Book Of The Dead CD (Mute)
Renowned for his career with The Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Nick Harvey returns with his first fully self-penned album.
CDs:
Pricilla Ahn – When You Grow Up CD (Blue Note)
Produced by Ethan Johns (Ray LaMontagne, Laura Marling, Ryan Adams, The Jayhawks), singer/songwriter Priscilla Ahn’s new album features songwriting collaborations with Sia Furler, Inara George, Eleni Mandell, and Charlie Wadhams, as well as a cover of Benji Hughes frolicsome love call “Vibe So Hot.”
Karrin Allyson – ‘Round Midnight CD (Concord Jazz)
The jazz singer takes on songs from a wide variety of sources, including Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mandel, Thelonious Monk, Stephen Sondheim, and even Charlie Chaplin.
Architecture In Helsinki – Moment Bends CD/LP (Downtown)
New album is equal parts Italia ’82, California ’79 and Melbourne 2011.
Big Scoob – Damn Fool CD (Strange Music)
New release from the Kansas City hip-hop artist and Tech N9ne compadre.
Blind Boys Of Alabama – Take The High Road CD (Saguaro Road)
New album explores the deep connections between traditional country and gospel music. Co-produced by Jamey Johnson, Take The High Road features guest artists Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack and The Oak Ridge Boys.
Brandi Carlile – Live At Benaroya Hall With The Seattle Symphony CD (Columbia)
Culled from two incredible sold-out shows in November 2010 at the prestigious Seattle concert venue, Live At Benaroya Hall features Carlile performing a finely drawn selection of original songs and well-chosen covers accompanied by a full thirty-piece orchestra.
Cat’s Eyes – Cat’s Eyes CD (Downtown)
Cat’s Eyes are a duo formed by Rachel Zeffira, Canadian opera singer and multi-instrumentalist based in London, and Faris Badwan, singer from The Horrors. Cat’s Eyes eponymous debut album is a romantic pop masterpiece fit to dine at the same table as mid-‘60s productions by Phil Spector, Joe Meek or Shadow Morton.
Crass – Christ The Album [Reissue/1982] 2xCD (Crass)
The fourth release in the Crassical Collection, the Christ The Album reissue includes a second disc featuring the live recording of their June 1981 gig at the 100 Club in London along with other studio tracks, demos, radio broadcasts and cassette recordings.
Dredg – Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy CD (Superball Music)
New album produced by Dan The Automator.
The Dwarves – Are Born Again CD+DVD/LP+MP3+DVD (MVD)
New album from the notorious hardcore punk rockers.
The Fling – When The Madhouses Appear CD/LP (Dangerbird)
An eclectic mix of folk, rock, pop and psychedelic music.
Colt Ford – Every Chance I Get CD (Average Joe’s Entertainment)
Debut album from the country/rock newcomer featuring guests Tim McGraw, Nappy Roots, Charlie Daniels and others.
Galactic – The Other Side Of Midnight: Live In New Orleans CD (Anti)
Recorded at the legendary New Orleans club Tipitina’s with a host of guests, including Big Freedia, Cyril Neville and Trombone Shorty.
Eliza Gilkyson – Roses At The End Of Time CD (Red House)
Once again pushing the boundaries of folk music, Eliza cleverly disguises her sly social commentaries within catchy acoustic ballads, edgy folk rockers and fresh electronic atmospheres that paint a vivid image of life’s struggles and triumphs in a world that she feels is “poised on the edge of moral, economic and environmental bankruptcy.”
Jean-Philippe Goude – Drones CD (Lion Productions)
Goude’s proto-electronica cosmic loops and moog melodies now find themselves coupled with tough prog drumbeats and other elements of rock music.
Steve Hackett – Live Rails 2xCD (Inside Out)
New live album from ex-Genesis guitarist features all the solo classics and some Genesis highlights recorded during his recent European tour.
INXS – Original Sin CD (ATCO)
Twelve INXS hits re-recorded with a slew of guest artists, including: Tricky, Ben Harper, Pat Monahan, Deborah de Corral, Dan Sultan, Nikka Costa, JD Fortune, John Mayer, and others.
Wanda Jackson – Let’s Have A Party: The Very Best Of Wanda Jackson CD (Varese Fontana)
The first new Wanda Jackson hits collection in over a decade, and features her classic original Capitol recordings of “Fujiyama Mama,” “Mean Mean Man,” and “I Gotta Know,” along with her original version of “Let’s Have A Party.”
Jennifer Lopez – Love? CD (Island)
New album from the Latin/pop superstar available in Regular and Deluxe Editions. Deluxe edition adds five bonus tracks.
John Martyn – Heaven & Earth CD (Liaison)
Final studio album from British singer/songwriter John Martyn — who passed away January 29, 2009. He has been described by The Times as “an electrifying guitarist and singer whose music blurred the boundaries between folk, jazz, rock and blues.”
John Mayall – Howlin’ At The Moon CD (Secret)
This compilation of live tracks was recorded in the US and Italy in the early ‘80s, and features performances by John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones) from the reformed Bluesbreakers tour of 1982.
Midnatsol – Metamorphosis Melody CD/CD+DVD (Napalm)
Gothic metal for fans of Leaves’ Eyes, Epica, Theatre Of Tragedy. Deluxe Edition adds a DVD featuring Live At The Metal Female Voices Festival 2009.
Thelonious Monk Trio – Complete 1951-1954 Recordings CD (Essential Jazz Classics)
These were the first recorded versions by Monk of all of his compositions included here. We have here, for instance, Thelonious’ first version of his celebrated “Blue Monk.”
Musiq Soulchild – Musicqinthemagiq CD (Atlantic)
Musiqinthemagiq is being heralded by the Jerry Wonda-produced, Swizz Beatz-featured first single, “Anything,” and features production from some of music’s top producers including Jerry Wonda, The Stereotypes, Element and more.
Tara Nevins – Wood And Stone CD/LP (Sugar Hill)
Fans of Nevins from her 21-year tenure with Donna the Buffalo are familiar with her versatile talents; she shares the vocal and songwriting responsibilities for the band and is a stellar musician on fiddle, guitar, and accordion.
Donnie & Marie Osmond – Donnie & Marie CD (MCA) Donny & Marie Osmond have reunited to record together after 30 years.
Charlie Parker And Miles Davis – Bluebird Legendary Savoy Sessions CD (Essential Jazz Classics)
Contains six sessions by Parker’s vintage 1945-1948 band, featuring two young musicians who were his best and most efficient collaborators (Miles Davis and Max Roach), plus two pianists who left their mark on the evolution of Bop (Bud Powell and John Lewis).
Kelly Price – Kelly CD (My Block)
The vocalist Elton John called “the greatest black singer since Aretha Franklin” returns to her R&B roots.
Gruff Rhys – Hotel Shampoo CD/LP (Wichita)
New solo effort from Super Furry Animals frontman.
Rush – Moving Pictures [Deluxe Edition] CD+Blu-ray (Mercury)
Remastered Deluxe Edition of Rush’s 1981 album.
Sade – The Ultimate Collections 2xCD (Epic)
29-track anthology includes four new, never-before heard songs including a remix of “The Moon And The Sky” (featuring Jay-Z).
Shinedown – Somewhere In The Stratosphere 2xCD+2xDVD (Atlantic)
Somewhere In The Stratosphere is a deluxe 2xCD+2xDVD package that includes audio and video from two full live sets, one acoustic and one electric, from a Washington state concert and their most recent Anything And Everything: An Acoustic Evening With Shinedown tour.
Small Sins – Pot Calls The Kettle Black CD (Arts & Crafts)
Small Sins’ new album is at turns sultry, slinky, and haunting.
Title Fight – Shed CD/LP (Side One Dummy)
Title Fight implements various subgenres that range from old-school hardcore to aggressive punk rock.
Uriah Heep -Into The Wild CD (Frontiers)
Uriah Heep’s 23rd studio album follows the completion of the band’s 40th Anniversary Tour.
Various Artists – Fire/Fury: R&B Story 2xCD (Fuel 2000)
Double CD collection that focuses on two legendary New York labels headed by Bobby Robinson. His Fire and Fury imprints were Harlem’s hottest during the late-1950s and early-‘60s, releasing a solid stream of hits, beginning with Buster Brown’s country/blues throwback “Fannie Mae.”
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents Jazz CD (Putumayo)
A collection of exceptional recordings by jazz legends including Mose Allison, Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Blossom Dearie, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and more.
Loudon Wainwright III – 40 Odd Years 4xCD+DVD (Shout Factory!)
Aptly named career-spanning box set, including a 40-page book, with an essay by renowned journalist/author David Wild and an introduction by filmmaker and box set co-producer Judd Apatow.
Wild Beasts – Smother CD/LP (Domino)
Maintaining the oscillating falsetto and baritone vocals, lyrical wit, and a penchant for seedier topics present in their earlier work, Smother incorporates rich electronic textures and a subtlety of melody not heard before.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Bruce Springsteen – The Promise: The Making Of Darkness On The Edge Of Town DVD/Blu-ray (Columbia)
The ninety-minute documentary combines never-before-seen footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978 including home rehearsals and studio sessions with new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former-manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record.
Vinyl:
Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded [Reissue/1986] 2xLP (Traffic Entertainment)
HQ-180 vinyl reissue of a hip-hop classic.
Chris Bradley – Heart Of Gold b/w In You (I Found Love) 7” (Daptone)
Bradley takes a rock & roll classic and gives it a soul makeover. Backed by the instrumental juggernauts Menahan Street Band, they take Neil Young’s classic and flip it on its head, adding enough horns and groove to transform this track into a bona fide soul standard.
DJ Quik – Book Of David 2xLP (Mad Science)
Recently released on CD — now available on vinyl. “Best New Music” [8.4] — Pitchfork
Incredible String Band – Wee Tam [Reissue/1968] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Incredible String Band – The Big Huge [Reissue/1969] LP (4 Men With Beards)
“One of the most engaging groups to emerge from the esoteric ’60s was the Incredible String Band. Basically the duo of Mike Heron and Robin Williamson, its sound was comprised of haunting Celtic folk melodies augmented by a variety of Middle Eastern and Asian instruments.” — Allmusic
The Jesus And Mary Chain – Automatic [Reissue/1989] LP (Plain)
The Jesus And Mary Chain – Honey’s Dead [Reissue/1992] LP (Plain)
HQ-180 vinyl reissues of JAMC’s third and fourth LPs.
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