Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
ABBA – Voyage CD/LP (Capitol)
The quartet of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid, one of the most successful pop groups of all time, return with Voyage – their first new album in 40 years. The highly anticipated 10-track collection is introduced by the pair of promising singles “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”. “I Still Have Faith In You” is an atmospheric, slow tempo piece that builds dramatically with harmonized choruses and rock guitar accompaniment. “Don’t Shut Me Down” also starts slowly, but soon picks up pace with an infectious beat. Both tracks have the powerful vocals and intelligent lyrics that characterized the group’s songbook in their earlier years together.
AHI – Prospect CD/LP (22nd Sentry)
“Powerfully moving” (NPR) songwriter AHI’s new album Prospect builds on the Toronto musician’s songwriting rooted in the lessons of community, uplift and oneness that he has drawn from years spent backpacking across the world, including extended stays in the Ethiopian Highlands and jungles of Trinidad before pursuing a career in music. Prospect, produced by Grammy Award winner Paul Mabury in Nashville, finds AHI taking a turn inward to reflect on his own identity as well as what he’s seen in his local community. “This universe can often leave us feeling small and insignificant,” says AHI, “but I truly believe that our lives are part of something bigger and more meaningful than we understand. You and I are the prospect, and it’s important to live our lives like they’re worth something because our impact on each other is far more immense than we can ever imagine.”
Brian Fallon – Night Divine CD/LP (Lesser Known)
Night Divine is a series of hymns covered by The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon. This is a project he’s been wanting to create for a long time, inspired by his time singing in the church choir as a child. “This was the first music I’d ever heard and learned,” Fallon said. “It’s one of the earliest musical memories I have. So, the idea has been churning in my head for a long time. Even when I was making rock ‘n’ roll, this was always in the background.” He finally got the opportunity to make the intimate record during lockdown, with background vocals by his mother. The 10-track collection is introduced by the lead single and album opener, “The Virgin Mary Had One Son”. “I heard Odetta sing an incredible live version of ‘Virgin Mary Had One Son’, and it was actually one of the performances that inspired me to learn the piano,” he notes. “Joan Baez sang it back in the sixties too. From those two versions, I put down my own structure with the acoustic guitar and the vocal. The other sonic elements appear and disappear like characters in a play. In the end, everything comes out for one last note.”
Neal Francis – In Plain Sight CD/LP (ATO)
Neal Francis’ sophomore album offers up a body of work both enchanting and painfully self-aware. Recorded entirely on tape and mixed by Grammy Award-winner Dave Fridmann (Spoon, Tame Impala, Flaming Lips), the record spotlights Francis’s refined yet free-spirited piano playing, an instrument he took up at age four. The songs came to life over the course of a tumultuous year spent living in a (possibly) haunted church in Chicago. The result: a portrait of profound upheaval and weary resilience. [A limited-edition indie store excusive color vinyl is available.]
Hard Feelings – Hard Feelings CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)
Hard Feelings is the collaborative project between Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Amy Douglas (DFA, Horse Meat Disco). For all intents and purposes Hard Feelings, their self-titled debut album, is “an opera of sad bangers.” Loosely conceptual without being a full concept album, the material is the ultimate immersive cinematic experience for your feet and ears, seated fluidly at the intersections of new wave and synth-pop inspired pop music and full-on dance majesty.
Curtis Harding – If Word Were Flowers CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Simply calling Curtis Harding a soul man feels reductive. Harding’s voice conveys pain, pleasure, longing, tenderness, sadness and strength-a full gamut of emotions. Today his voice takes on an optimistic lilt with his new album, If Words Were Flowers. If Words Were Flowers is Harding’s first new music since 2018, a follow up to his critically acclaimed Face Your Fears. It features songs like “Hopeful”, where Harding croons with devotion over a classic soul groove, textured with infectious horn playing, background singers and modern psychedelic flourishes. Harding fuels his psychedelic sound with the essence of soul but isn’t bound by it. Instead, his songs convey an eclectic blend of genres leaping from the many musical lives he has lived from following his evangelical Gospel-singing mother on tour around the country as a child to rapping in Atlanta, forming a garage band with The Black Lips’ Cole Alexander to singing back-up for Cee Lo Green. Through these experiences he fully embraces life’s darkest intricacies and conjures dynamic, addictive melodies. [Vinyl edition due December 10.]
Houndmouth – Good For You CD/LP (Dualtone)
Recorded with Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hiss Golden Messenger) and mixed by Jon Ashley (The War On Drugs, B.J. Barham), the fourth full-length album from the Indiana-bred, platinum-selling band marks a return to what Houndmouth does best: “shaggy, swinging, big-screen storytelling” (NPR Music) set to a rustic, home-recorded sound.
People Years – XIV CD (Cornelius Chapel)
People Years is a dream of an amalgamated spitball wadded by the nerdy version of you and made from subterranean and atmospheric particles of bands like Luna, Pavement, Pink Floyd, and LCD Soundsystem, loaded into a straw, and launched into the midnight hair of that Robert Smith-worshipping goth girl named Summer, who sat a few rows in front of you in class. [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Radiohead – Kid A Mnesia 3xCD/3xLP (XL)
Twenty-one years since the release of Radiohead’s seminal albums, Kid A and Amnesiac, comes a combined and expanded triple vinyl disc reissue entitled Kid A Mnesia. The release presents the records together as originally intended, with an additional disc of bonus material – including two original unreleased recordings from the era: the never-before-heard “If You Say The Word” and a previously unreleased studio recording of “Follow Me Around”. “We humbly submit Kid A Mnesia,” notes the band. “It’s a coming of age for Kid A and Amnesiac and it’s joined by a new album, Kid Amnesiae, a memory palace of half-remembered, half-forgotten sessions and unreleased material.” [A limited-edition indie store excusive vinyl is available.]
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – The Future CD (Fantasy)
With the highly anticipated new album The Future, Nathaniel Rateliff once again demonstrates that he is a writer and performer of the highest order. The third full-length from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats showcases his unique observations of our world and people’s ongoing struggle in learning how to better understand each other. “I look at the album overall as a big question,” notes Rateliff. “When I was writing the record we were in the middle of a pandemic and our future looked pretty bleak. I just continue to try to write from a place of hope. Then my own neurosis, and maybe being a libra gets in the way, and I can’t make up my mind. There is this constant back and forth battle in me personally and I am sure that comes out in my writing.” [Limited-edition indie store excusive vinyl pressing due November 12.]
Diana Ross – Thank You CD/2xLP (Verve)
Thank You is Diana Ross’s much-anticipated first studio album since 2006’s covers set I Love You and her first based on new material since 1999’s Every Day Is A New Day. A feelgood celebration of the classic Diana Ross sound with echoes of vintage Motown songwriting, Thank You was recorded in the superstar’s home studio, and promises “a powerful, inclusive musical message of love and togetherness.” Ross co-wrote and collaborated on the 13-song set with such award-winning songwriters and producers as Jack Antonoff, Troy Miller, Triangle Park, Spike Stent, Prince Charlez, Amy Wadge, Neff-U, Freddie Wexler, Jimmy Napes, Tayla Parx, Fred White, and Nathanial Ledgewick.
Snail Mail – Valentine CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Valentine was written and produced by Lindsey Jordan and co-produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee). Written in 2019 – 2020 the album is filled with romance, heartbreak, blood, sweat and tears. The sonic leap forward can be heard from the first moments of the title track – the whispered voice and eerie synths erupting into a full-on stadium-sized adrenaline-rush of a chorus. From there it’s all go – with electronic anthems, baroque FM rockers, smoldering slow-jam R&B, and heart rendering finger-picked ballads. The star of the show however is Lindsey’s voice. Her vocals and words are rawer, deeper, snarlier, and more feeling than ever before. [A limited-edition indie store excusive vinyl is available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles Released This Week:
Parcels – Day/Night 2xCD/2xLP (Because Music)
Parcels has always been a band of extreme light and shade: they’re from surf hotspot Byron Bay in Australia but living in Berlin for years; their sweet-as-honey vocal harmonies rival the Beach Boys, but their live shows can turn into slamming techno rave-ups. The band returns with an ambitious third studio album, Day/Night, a double record huge in scope and sound, whose hopeful messages of perseverance through difficult times are a balm for these uncertain times.
Primus – Green Naugahyde (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 2xLP (ATO/Virgin)
This 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition color vinyl reissue comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with emboss and spot gloss plus updated artwork (new gatefold image, new inner sleeve art, naugahyde texture printed inside gatefold pockets). Originally released in 2011 after a long hiatus, Green Naugahyde reunited Primus with their early drummer Jay Lane and harkened back to their early days (think Frizzle Fry). Green Naugahyde expands on Primus’ incomparable sound, bringing it into the next millennium. It is a cerebral and complex album that is teeming with the band’s signature blend of whimsy and underlying darkness. The trio were described by Rolling Stone at the time as a “tight knotty rhythm team.”
Laura Stevenson – Laura Stevenson LP (Don Giovanni)
On lead track “State”, “I become rage,” Stevenson admits. “A shining example of pure anger.” Then, just when it seems to have passed the point of all reason, something transformative happens: the anger and frustration that have been building bend, turning instead into something “pure and real and sticky and moving and sweet.” The nauseous anxiety (and surprising transformation) of “State” is followed by a collection of songs that move gracefully between genres, something Stevenson has become known for. The album slides from indie-rock anti-anthems like “Don’t Think About Me” and “Sandstorm” to Harry Nilsson-style string-laden ballads, mid-tempo alt-country, and quiet acoustic confessionals. Recently release on CD – now available on vinyl.
CDs + Vinyl:
ABBA – Voyage CD/LP/Cassette (Capitol)
The quartet of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid, one of the most successful pop groups of all time, return with Voyage – their first new album in 40 years. The highly anticipated 10-track collection is introduced by the pair of promising singles “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”. “I Still Have Faith In You” is an atmospheric, slow tempo piece that builds dramatically with harmonized choruses and rock guitar accompaniment. “Don’t Shut Me Down” also starts slowly, but soon picks up pace with an infectious beat. Both tracks have the powerful vocals and intelligent lyrics that characterized the group’s songbook in their earlier years together.
AHI – Prospect CD/LP (22nd Sentry)
“Powerfully moving” (NPR) songwriter AHI’s new album Prospect builds on the Toronto musician’s songwriting rooted in the lessons of community, uplift and oneness that he has drawn from years spent backpacking across the world, including extended stays in the Ethiopian Highlands and jungles of Trinidad before pursuing a career in music. Prospect, produced by Grammy Award winner Paul Mabury in Nashville, finds AHI taking a turn inward to reflect on his own identity as well as what he’s seen in his local community. “This universe can often leave us feeling small and insignificant,” says AHI, “but I truly believe that our lives are part of something bigger and more meaningful than we understand. You and I are the prospect, and it’s important to live our lives like they’re worth something because our impact on each other is far more immense than we can ever imagine.”
Air – 10 000 Hz Legend [Reissue/2001] 2xCD+Blu-ray Audio (Rhino/Parlophone)
Deluxe two CD + Blu-ray 20th anniversary edition. In 2001, iconic French Touch duo and electronic music pioneers Air released their second proper album 10 000 Hz Legend which recalled everything from classic ’70s rock to ’80s synthesizer experiments while still looking forward to a bright shining digital music future. The second CD of this deluxe edition features three live versions from a 2001 a KCRW session and four previously unreleased demo versions. The Blu-ray audio disc contains a Dolby Atmos Mix, a 5.1 surround mix, and PCM stereo mix of the album.
Altareth – Blood CD/LP (Magnetic Eye)
On their debut full-length Blood, Altareth serve their sludgy guitars low and slow, with a slab of fuzz and a side of doom in massive portions. [Two limited-edition color vinyl pressings are available: cool blue marble color and translucent red.]
Barnes & Barnes – Pancake Dream CD/LP+MP3 (Demented Punk)
All-new material by comedy-music icons Barnes & Barnes. The demented duo behind the classic novelty hit “Fish Heads”, (the #1 most requested song of all-time on the Dr. Demento Show) present a new listening experience. “Pancake Dream finds the brothers Barnes at their most hypnotic and avant-garde, creating lyrics and soundscapes that will forever plague my dreams and haunt my every waking moment. Yeah!” – Weird Al Yankovic
Blackwater Holylight – Silence/Motion CD (Riding Easy)
“Empty surrounds all of me.” It’s a poignant line from the third album by Blackwater Holylight that encapsulates the search for self when suddenly everything has changed. There’s a theme of processing vast personal trauma throughout Silence/Motion that eloquently – both lyrically and musically – and simultaneously embodies the crushing emptiness, sorrow, strength and rebuilding of recovering from personal devastation. Curiously, considering the dark times in which it was created, this is the band’s most melodic and catchy music so far. Blackwater Holylight, as the name suggests, is all about contrasts: it’s a fluid convergence of sound that’s heavy, psychedelic, melodic, terrifying and beautiful all at once. Silence/Motion finds the band honing those contrasts, letting ideas and moods fully develop from song to song, rather than filling every song with a full range of their capabilities. It allows the band to go fully prog rock here, and simply stay hushed and intimate there. There’s a new confidence to the band in how seamlessly they wield their stylistic amalgam. [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Bornholm – Apotheosis CD (Napalm)
Seventh studio album from the Hungarian black/Pagan metal outfit.
Bullet For My Valentine – Bullet For My Valentine CD/LP (Spinefarm)
Bullet For My Valentine’s self-titled, seventh album sees the band open a bold new chapter with what is easily their heaviest, fiercest release so far. “I think it’s the most ferocious side of Bullet For My Valentine that I’ve ever known,” adds lead guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget. “It’s time for us to put out a really angry, heavy, aggressive record.” “I wanted to come out guns blazing, fucking middle fingers flying, and just go for the throat,” agrees vocalist/lead guitarist Matt Tuck. “I think this is a far more aggressive, intense part of Bullet For My Valentine. It’s always been there. I’ve just never opened the floodgates on it. I want to take people’s heads off in a metaphorical way.” [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Cancer – Sins Of Mankind [Reissue/1993] CD (Peaceville)
CD reissue of the third album by British death metal band [Vinyl edition due November 26.]
Cannabis Corpse – Tube Of The Resinated CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Reissue of the sophomore album from Richmond, VA’s weed-obsessed death metal maniacs. Not a parody or cover band, but an homage to the greats of the first wave of death metal featuring Land Phil from Municipal Waste alongside his twin brother Josh. “The debut was a cute novelty; Tube Of The Resinated… feels like a real record by a real band. Catchy vocal patterns and groovy riffs yield a solid, headbangable set of old-school death metal” (Invisible Oranges). [A limited-edition picture disc vinyl pressing is also available.]
Christian Death – The Dark Age Renaissance Collection Part 2, The Age Of Innocence Lost 4xCD (Season Of Mist)
Four CD collection from gothic death rock pioneers Christian Death, the final half of their four parts The Dark Age Renaissance Collection series. This special set pulls together their classic albums, Catastrophe Ballet (1984), Ashes (1985), Atrocities (1986), and The Scriptures (1987).
Deana Carter – Did I Shave My Legs For This? (25th Anniversary Edition) CD (Capitol Nashville)
25th Anniversary Edition of the 5x platinum groundbreaking 1996 debut album Did I Shave My Legs For This? from award-winning country singer/songwriter Deana Carter. All songs have been remastered and includes two new tracks. Deana performed and produced new ensemble collaborations of the title track featuring Terri Clark, Sara Evans, Ashley McBryde, and Vince Gill on guitar and the iconic hit single, “Strawberry Wine” featuring Lauren Alaina, Martina McBride, Ashley, Kylie Morgan, and Vince.
Steve Conte – Bronx Cheer CD (Wicked Cool)
New release from the New York-based singer, songwriter and guitarist who has played with the New York Dolls and Michael Monroe. [A limited-edition vinyl picture disc edition is due December 10.]
Crazy Lixx – Street Lethal CD (Frontiers)
Swedish hard rockers Crazy Lixx’s new album, Street Lethal, is chock full of huge choruses, memorable hooks and riffs, and wailing, emotive guitar solos.
Jesse Dayton – Beaumonster CD (Blue Élan)
Jesse Dayton’s Beaumonster is filled with song interpretations that are part-greaser, a whole lotta twang, and quintessentially outlaw country badass. Beaumonster encapsulates a life filled with adventure and lore featuring some of the greatest musicians this world has ever known.
Duel – In Carne Persona CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Fourth full-length album from Texas heavy rockers; nine new heavy riff-soaked tracks from a dungeon in the desert. [Several color vinyl variants (including a picture disc edition) are available.]
The Deli – Spacetime CD/LP/Cassette (Cold Busted)
Austin’s acclaimed hip-hop beatrepreneur The Deli embraces the celestial on his latest album, Spacetime.
Emigrate – Persistence Of Memory CD/LP (Emigrate Productions)
Fourth album from this band led by Rammstein guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is also available.]
Erasure – I Say I Say I Say (2021 Expanded Edition) 2xCD (Mute)
Digitally remastered and expanded double-CD edition in hard back book format. Disc One features the original album, with the six original B-Sides, whilst Disc Two includes 16 tracks including rare and unreleased remixes, BBC recordings, alternate mixes and demos. Originally released in 1994, the band’s sixth album, I Say I Say I Say was produced by Martyn Ware of the Human League and Heaven 17 and their fourth UK number one album. Featuring the hit singles “Always”, “Run To The Sun” and “I Love Saturday”.
Extinction A.D. – Chaos, Collusion, Carnage & Propaganda CDEP (Unique Leader)
New EP from the Long Island-based hardcore/thrash band.
Brian Fallon – Night Divine CD/LP (Lesser Known)
Night Divine is a series of hymns covered by The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon. This is a project he’s been wanting to create for a long time, inspired by his time singing in the church choir as a child. “This was the first music I’d ever heard and learned,” Fallon said. “It’s one of the earliest musical memories I have. So, the idea has been churning in my head for a long time. Even when I was making rock ‘n’ roll, this was always in the background.” He finally got the opportunity to make the intimate record during lockdown, with background vocals by his mother. The 10-track collection is introduced by the lead single and album opener, “The Virgin Mary Had One Son”. “I heard Odetta sing an incredible live version of ‘Virgin Mary Had One Son’, and it was actually one of the performances that inspired me to learn the piano,” he notes. “Joan Baez sang it back in the sixties too. From those two versions, I put down my own structure with the acoustic guitar and the vocal. The other sonic elements appear and disappear like characters in a play. In the end, everything comes out for one last note.”
Fans Of The Dark – Fans Of The Dark CD (Frontiers)
Swedish band Fans Of The Dark is an exciting new band formed in the summer of 2020 by Freddie Allen, drummer and main songwriter, and lead vocalist Alex Falk. The pair went to high school together in Stockholm, and after a few years reconnected recently with a vision to create a band which would mix the melodies and approach of classic and melodic rock with elements of the great metal music of the ’80s.
Neal Francis – In Plain Sight CD/LP (ATO)
Neal Francis’ sophomore album offers up a body of work both enchanting and painfully self-aware. Recorded entirely on tape and mixed by Grammy Award-winner Dave Fridmann (Spoon, Tame Impala, Flaming Lips), the record spotlights Francis’s refined yet free-spirited piano playing, an instrument he took up at age four. The songs came to life over the course of a tumultuous year spent living in a (possibly) haunted church in Chicago. The result: a portrait of profound upheaval and weary resilience. [A limited-edition indie store excusive red color vinyl is available.]
Garbage – Beautifulgarbage [Reissue/2001] 3xCD/2xLP/3xLP (Geffen)
Deluxe 20th Anniversary edition. Beautifulgarbage saw a slight departure for the band in terms of their sound and delivered four hit singles – “Androgny”, “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)”, “Breaking Up The Girl” and “Shut Your Mouth”. The album itself has been remastered. The Deluxe triple CD edition adds two discs of B-sides and alternate versions with six previously unreleased selections, remixes and unreleased mixes. The Deluxe triple-LP features the remastered album on two discs plus a bonus LP of B-sides.]
Steve Goodman – The Best Of Steve Goodman CD (Omnivore)
New compilation by the late great folk music singer/songwriter.
The Grease Traps – Solid Ground CD/LP (Record Kicks)
Debut album by deep funk & soul outfit.
Green Lung – Black Harvest CD/LP (Svart)
The folk horror-obsessed fivesome has re-emerged from their mulchy catacombs armed with dozens of freshly whittled riffs. [Two limited-edition color vinyl pressings are available: red and green.]
Hanson – Against The World CD (3CG)
The seventh studio album from the sibling trio, Against The World includes the single “Annalie”. The song displays the band’s influences from craftsmen like Paul Simon and the flavors of South African guitar, while the lyrics reflect Memphis and other musical places from which the band draws its inspiration. [An indie store exclusive copper color vinyl pressing is due January 7.]
Hard Feelings – Hard Feelings CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)
Hard Feelings is the collaborative project between Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Amy Douglas (DFA, Horse Meat Disco). For all intents and purposes Hard Feelings, their self-titled debut album, is “an opera of sad bangers.” Loosely conceptual without being a full concept album, the material is the ultimate immersive cinematic experience for your feet and ears, seated fluidly at the intersections of new wave and synth-pop inspired pop music and full-on dance majesty.
Curtis Harding – If Word Were Flowers CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Simply calling Curtis Harding a soul man feels reductive. Harding’s voice conveys pain, pleasure, longing, tenderness, sadness and strength-a full gamut of emotions. Today his voice takes on an optimistic lilt with his new album, If Words Were Flowers. If Words Were Flowers is Harding’s first new music since 2018, a follow up to his critically acclaimed Face Your Fears. It features songs like “Hopeful”, where Harding croons with devotion over a classic soul groove, textured with infectious horn playing, background singers and modern psychedelic flourishes. Harding fuels his psychedelic sound with the essence of soul but isn’t bound by it. Instead, his songs convey an eclectic blend of genres leaping from the many musical lives he has lived from following his evangelical Gospel-singing mother on tour around the country as a child to rapping in Atlanta, forming a garage band with The Black Lips’ Cole Alexander to singing back-up for Cee Lo Green. Through these experiences he fully embraces life’s darkest intricacies and conjures dynamic, addictive melodies. [Vinyl edition due December 10.]
Corey Harris – Insurrection Blues CD (M.C. Records)
Insurrection Blues is the first release by Corey Harris in over three years. Recorded in Italy, this is Corey stripped down, just him, his guitar, and his mesmerizing vocals.
Houndmouth – Good For You CD/LP (Dualtone)
Recorded with Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Hiss Golden Messenger) and mixed by Jon Ashley (The War On Drugs, B.J. Barham), the fourth full-length album from the Indiana-bred, platinum-selling band marks a return to what Houndmouth does best: “shaggy, swinging, big-screen storytelling” (NPR Music) set to a rustic, home-recorded sound.
Billy Idol – Happy Holidays CD/LP (BMG)
A holiday release from the alt-rock/punk icon. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Enrique Iglesias – Final Vol. 1 CD (RCA)
11th album from the Latin singer.
Colin James – Open Road CD (Stony Plain Music)
With a vault full of songs written over the past two years, from the road and in lockdown, it was tough to select just 13 tracks. Colin and co-producer Dave Meszaros set up three full band sessions in Vancouver and remotely through pandemic lockdowns in studios on both sides of the Atlantic. The result is a stunning album that captures the magic that musicians can do when given the time and space.
Jethro Tull – Benefit (The 50th Anniversary Enhanced Edition) 4xCD+2xDVD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Features remixes by Steven Wilson, an abundance of previously unreleased material, packaged within a deluxe hardback book, containing 100 pages of commentary from numerous contributors alongside hordes of images of the band creating and performing their first million-selling 1970 album.
Joan As Policewoman – The Solution Is Restless CD/LP (PIAS America)
The Solution Is Restless is a brand-new collaborative album by Joan As Police Woman, Tony Allen and Dave Okumu. Joan was invited to Africa Express: The Circus in 2019, where Damon Albarn introduced her to Tony Allen for the first time and they played a version of Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”. That same year she was invited to the Africa Express in Waltham Forest, where Damon Albarn came to see her collaborate. They got on so well, that besides it being the seed where this record started to grow, it also led to Joan lending guest vocals to the Gorillaz’s track “Simplicity”, off their 2020 album Song Machine album. Dave Okumu and Joan have known each other for a few years and worked together on Pieces Of A Man: The Gil Scott-Heron Project in March 2016. When Joan and Tony decided to record together, she invited her longtime friend to join from London and they ended up improvising all night in a Parisian studio. Then when the world shut down, she used those recordings to write this new record The Solution Is Restless.
Robbie Lee – Prismatist CD (Relative Pitch)
Robbie Lee is an improviser and sound creator in New York City, performing on an eclectic range of instruments, across the fringes of creative music in many scenes. On Prismatist he plays only two things: sopranino saxophone and tuning forks with live electronics. They are like two currents alternating through the album, a double helix of contrasting extremities. The sopranino, even higher than the soprano saxophone, twists it’s way through disintegrating patterns, with a folk-like tonal element coming through the noise.
Leviathan Project – Sound Of Galaxies CD (Deko)
Leviathan Project is a powerful new metal ensemble, featuring, Bobby Koeble (Death), Matt Nardo (producer), Tk (Britny Fox) and Tim Ripper Owens (guest vox, ex-Judas Priest) exploring the ongoing study of our human condition through music, writings, and visual communication. The result is an aggressive and captivating sound that combines traditional heavy metal with catchy melodies, haunting vocals and other worldly guitars.
Aimee Mann – Queens Of The Summer CD (Super Ego)
New release from the acclaimed singer/songwriter. Queens Of The Summer Hotel contains 15 songs inspired by the book Girl Interrupted, written by Susannah Kaysen. [Vinyl edition due November 21.]
Memoria Avenue – Memoria Avenue CD (Frontiers)
Memoria Avenue is a new melodic rock/AOR band from Norway showcasing an artistic union between guitarist Tor Talle and the awesome new singer Jan Le’ Brandt.
Monolord – Your Time To Shine CD/LP (Relapse)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. New album from the Swedish doom metal band.
Mother Iron Horse – Under The Blood Moon CD (Ripple Music)
Heavy, mesmerizing and utterly good, Mother Iron Horse from Salem, MA, bring the witching hour for your pleasure. [Vinyl edition due December 10.]
NCT 127 – The 3rd Album Repackage ‘Favorite’ [Classic Ver.] CD (Sm Entertainment Co.)
NCT 127’s 3rd repackage album Favorite has three new songs of various genres, including the lead single “Favorite”, “Love On The Floor”, and “Pilot”. The ‘Classic Ver.’ includes a bookmark, a photo card, a postcard, and a pendant card (all random 1 out of 9). It also includes photo book, lyric book, and folded poster.
Omnium Gatherum – Origin CD (Century Media)
New album from the Finnish melodic death metal band [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Order – The Gospel CD (Listenable)
Order was founded in 2013 by Anders Odden, Rene Jansen, Kjetil Manheim and Billy Messiah. The four being respectively responsible for early-stage Norwegian death metal (Cadaver) and the origin of the Norwegian Black metal (Mayhem). In 2014, Jansen sadly passed away, leaving the project unrealized. The remaining members decided to move forward despite the setback. In 2015 Stu Manx (Gluecifer) joined the band and set the band back on its quest to make unpolished raw black metal anno the 21st century. [Vinyl edition due November 26.]
Parcels – Day/Night 2xCD/2xLP (Because Music)
Parcels has always been a band of extreme light and shade: they’re from surf hotspot Byron Bay in Australia but living in Berlin for years; their sweet-as-honey vocal harmonies rival the Beach Boys, but their live shows can turn into slamming techno rave-ups. The band returns with an ambitious third studio album, Day/Night, a double record huge in scope and sound, whose hopeful messages of perseverance through difficult times are a balm for these uncertain times.
Alan Parsons – The NeverEnding Show: Live In The Netherlands CD+DVD (Frontiers)
This set was recorded live on May 5, 2019 and showcases the performance that Alan Parsons Live Project held at the Tivoli in Utrecht, Netherlands. The band was, as usual, in fine form and fed extra energy by an enthusiastic audience. As an added treat, the album includes a brand-new studio song, “’The NeverEnding Show” which offers a hint of the new studio album that Alan is currently working on for release in 2022. [A stand-alone Blu-ray edition is also available.]
People Years – XIV CD (Cornelius Chapel)
People Years is a dream of an amalgamated spitball wadded by the nerdy version of you and made from subterranean and atmospheric particles of bands like Luna, Pavement, Pink Floyd, and LCD Soundsystem, loaded into a straw, and launched into the midnight hair of that Robert Smith-worshipping goth girl named Summer, who sat a few rows in front of you in class. [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Jim Peterik – Tigress: Women Who Rock The World CD (Frontiers)
“I discovered that I needed to write songs that reflected the female perspective more than the male. It was gratifying when talented women from all over the world, heroes of mine such as Janet Gardner (Vixen), CathyRichardson (Jefferson Starship), Jenniffer Batten, Mindi Abair, Kate French, Kimi Hayes, Chez Kane, Rosa Laricchiuta (Black Rose Maze, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), and so many others gave me the big thumbs up! Up-and-comers likeLindsay Kent, Leslie Hunt, Chloe Lowery, Marine Lacoste, and so many others all added their unique personalities to make this a landmark album in my career.” – Jim Peterik [Vinyl edition due December 10.]
Porcupine Tree – On The Sunday Of Life… [Reissue/1992] CD (Snapper Classics UK)
Porcupine Tree – Signify [Reissue/1996] CD (Snapper Classics UK)
Remastered CD reissues of the British prog rock band’s first and fourth albums.
Pretenders – Pretenders [Reissue/1980] 3xCD (Rhino)
Pretenders – Pretenders II [Reissue/1981] 3xCD (Rhino)
Curated by Chrissie Hynde, Pretenders’ first two albums have been reissued as striking 12” x 12” 3xCD deluxe sets, each featuring a high-quality book with brand-new liner notes by acclaimed journalist Will Hodgkinson. Also includes a myriad of rare and unseen photos of the band. Each contains the original album remastered by Chris Thomas, alongside demos, rarities, and many live performances: a BBC session on The Kid Jensen Show, and performances at The Paris Theatre, London and Paradise Theater in Boston (Pretenders); and live sets from Central Park, New York City in 1980, and The Santa Monica Civic in 1981 (Pretenders II).
Radiohead – Kid A Mnesia 3xCD/3xLP (XL)
Twenty-one years since the release of Radiohead’s seminal albums, Kid A and Amnesiac, comes a combined and expanded triple vinyl disc reissue entitled Kid A Mnesia. The release presents the records together as originally intended, with an additional disc of bonus material – including two original unreleased recordings from the era: the never-before-heard “If You Say The Word” and a previously unreleased studio recording of “Follow Me Around”. “We humbly submit Kid A Mnesia,” notes the band. “It’s a coming of age for Kid A and Amnesiac and it’s joined by a new album, Kid Amnesiae, a memory palace of half-remembered, half-forgotten sessions and unreleased material.” [A limited-edition indie store excusive vinyl is available.]
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – The Future CD (Fantasy)
With the highly anticipated new album The Future, Nathaniel Rateliff once again demonstrates that he is a writer and performer of the highest order. The third full-length from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats showcases his unique observations of our world and people’s ongoing struggle in learning how to better understand each other. “I look at the album overall as a big question,” notes Rateliff. “When I was writing the record we were in the middle of a pandemic and our future looked pretty bleak. I just continue to try to write from a place of hope. Then my own neurosis, and maybe being a libra gets in the way, and I can’t make up my mind. There is this constant back and forth battle in me personally and I am sure that comes out in my writing.” [Limited-edition indie store excusive vinyl pressing due November 12.]
Diana Ross – Thank You CD/2xLP (Verve)
Thank You is Diana Ross’s much-anticipated first studio album since 2006’s covers set I Love You and her first based on new material since 1999’s Every Day Is A New Day. A feelgood celebration of the classic Diana Ross sound with echoes of vintage Motown songwriting, Thank You was recorded in the superstar’s home studio, and promises “a powerful, inclusive musical message of love and togetherness.” Ross co-wrote and collaborated on the 13-song set with such award-winning songwriters and producers as Jack Antonoff, Troy Miller, Triangle Park, Spike Stent, Prince Charlez, Amy Wadge, Neff-U, Freddie Wexler, Jimmy Napes, Tayla Parx, Fred White, and Nathanial Ledgewick.
Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine Of Hell CD (Sargent House)
Emma Ruth Rundle’s new album Engine Of Hell is stark, intimate, and unflinching. For anyone that’s endured trauma and grief, there’s a beautiful solace in hearing Rundle articulate and humanize that pain not only with her words, but with her mysterious language of melody and timbre. The album captures a moment where a masterful songwriter strips away all flourishes and embellishments in order to make every note and word hit with maximum impact, leaving little to hide behind. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is due November 12.]
Sarke – Allsighr CD/LP (Soulseller)
Pioneering extreme Norwegian metal act Sarke return with their long awaited seventh full-length. Sarke continue to exploit their unusual mix of ‘70s rock, ‘80s speed metal and ‘90s black metal, resulting in an album full of heavy-rocking and groovy metal while not forgetting the unique psychedelic, doomy and dwelling passages. [A limited-edition black w/ white color vinyl pressing and a limited CD edition are also available.]
JD Simo – Mind Control CD (Crows Feet)
New release from the Chicago-born/Nashville-based blues guitarist, singer, songwriter.
Skeletoon – The 1.21 Gigowatts Club CD (Scarlet)
New album from the ‘nerd metal band’. The ultimate fusion between power metal and the Back To The Future soundtrack.
Snail Mail – Valentine CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Valentine was written and produced by Lindsey Jordan and co-produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee). Written in 2019 – 2020 the album is filled with romance, heartbreak, blood, sweat and tears. The sonic leap forward can be heard from the first moments of the title track – the whispered voice and eerie synths erupting into a full-on stadium-sized adrenaline-rush of a chorus. From there it’s all go – with electronic anthems, baroque FM rockers, smoldering slow-jam R&B, and heart rendering finger-picked ballads. The star of the show however is Lindsey’s voice. Her vocals and words are rawer, deeper, snarlier, and more feeling than ever before. [A limited-edition indie store excusive vinyl is available.]
Pablo Solo – Solo Sings Simon CD (Think Like A Key)
A collaborative album between legendary songwriter-producer John Simon (Music From The Big Pink, Cheap Thrills) and singer-songwriter Pablo Solo from Cantabria, Spain. Solo brings his raw energy and musicianship to create a strong set of beautiful songs written by Simon throughout his career, including two recent compositions, Irresistible and the poignant One as well as classics like Tannenbaum and King Lear’s Blues. [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Spiritworld – Pagan Rhythms CD (Century Media)
New release from the ‘death western’ band. Pagan Rhythms was produced by Sam Pura (The Story So Far, Self Defense Family) and features studio drumming from Thomas Pridgen of The Mars Volta/Trash Talk fame on half of the record. Former Apiary drummer Adam Elliot sat behind the kit for the other half of the record. [Vinyl edition due November 19.]
Sunless – Ylem CD (Willowtip)
Part two of a trilogy, Ylem builds upon the concept and lyrical theme of the band’s independently released debut album, Urraca, by reinforcing the mysticism of the previous album while exploring new themes of displacement, fear, wonder, and transcendence. With the addition of a new drummer and an evolving approach to songwriting, Sunless further develops their signature sound with increasingly diverse, dense, and technical offerings.
Paul Taylor – And Now This CD (Peak)
New release from the jazz saxophonist.
Carroll Thompson – Hopelessly In Love [Reissue/1981] CD (Sanctuary)
Affectionately dubbed ‘Queen of Lovers Rock’, Carroll Thompson first took the UK’s music scene by storm in 1980 when her classic single, “Simply In Love” propelled her into country’s reggae chart, where it remained in the Top 10 for over four months. The achievement was repeated the following year with the breathtakingly beautiful follow-up, “Hopelessly In Love”, the immense popularity of which spawned the multi-talented performer’s best-selling debut long-player of the same name. This expanded CD reissue includes six bonus tracks, all of which have been unavailable on any format since the early ‘80s. [Vinyl edition due January 7.]
Hana Vu – Public Storage CD/LP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
The emotional chattels of these guitar-driven pop songs are scattered in different boxes, but they all belonged to one person at one point. Being left behind gives these vignettes a tone of brooding introspection. Across Public Storage, Vu excavates an internal universe, loading and unpacking memories, moods, and imagined scenes with agency, charisma, and conviction. [A clear w/ white marbled color vinyl pressing is available.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Alan Parsons – The NeverEnding Show: Live In The Netherlands Blu-ray (Frontiers)
This set was recorded live on May 5, 2019 and showcases the performance that Alan Parsons Live Project held at the Tivoli in Utrecht, Netherlands. The band was, as usual, in fine form and fed extra energy by an enthusiastic audience. As an added treat, the album includes a brand new studio song, “’The NeverEnding Show” which offers a hint of the new studio album that Alan is currently working on for release in 2022.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Ad Infinitum – Chapter II – Legacy LP (Napalm)
Symphonic metal onslaught Ad Infinitum unveil their new opus, Chapter II – Legacy. The unit has built a creative blueprint for themselves, choosing to self-produce their second album independent from any producer influence. Instead, they teamed up with orchestrator Elias Holmlid and Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Amaranthe), who manned the amazing recording (vocals), mix, postproduction and mastering duties. Chapter II – Legacy surprises with a melting pot of different influences and a contrast between super heavy riffs, a sometimes even djent/metalcore-like touches and catchy hook lines and melodies, giving the band’s sophomore album a modern and equally timeless touch without losing their personal signature.
Agression – Greatest LP (Deadline Music)
Limited edition vinyl pressing of this career retrospective from an influential group of the venerable hardcore punk scene. Features their finest moments ever captured including the punk rock anthems “Salty Leather”, “Slamming At The Club”, “The Keeper” and many more.
Marja Ahti – Still Lives LP+MP3 (Students Of Decay)
Still Lives is the perfect title for this third solo album from Ahti, following two albums on the Hallow Ground label. There’s a stillness here that feels accented by Ahti’s careful processes, as if she’s attempting to amplify motionless, empty atmospheres until they resonate. There’s little forward motion and no rhythm, but Ahti focuses on microscopic detail, sketching out sonic spaces that feel disquieting and oddly visual. Winding electrical drones heave and fade into silence, and gentle, intentional field recordings give us a rope ladder into the real world. Using the most minimal palette of sounds, the Swedish veteran experimental artist illustrates how intimate electronic music can be. That’s a surprising, and incredibly rare talent.
Craig Armstrong – Nocturnes – Music For Two Pianos LP (Modern Recordings)
Recently released on CD – now available on 180gm color vinyl. “The decision to compose for two pianos gave me the ability to write more abstract compositions, blurring the melodies and harmonies to make a diffused sound. Other Nocturnes are purer and focus on delicate melodic fragments, revealing their compositional process as they develop. Each short piece should stand on its own however the atmosphere and intention of each movement work together as a whole. Writing the work, which was composed and recorded at home was in a way therapeutic amidst the pandemic. I would like to think the beauty of the sound and reflectiveness of the music communicates and in turn perhaps might help the listener find some solace in these strange times.”
Ash Ra Tempel – Schwingungen [Reissue/1972] LP (MG.Art/Spalax)
Vinyl reissue of one of the most important German krautrock albums.
Bad Suns – Language & Perspective [Reissue/2014] LP (Vagrant)
Vinyl reissue of the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Bad Suns.
The Black Keys – El Camino (10th Anniversary Edition) 3xLP/5xLP (Nonesuch)
This Deluxe three-LP set contains the original album remastered plus a previously unreleased full live concert. [The Super Deluxe five-LP box set adds a BBC Session Recorded in 2012, the 2011 Electro-Vox Session, a photo book, a limited-edition poster and lithograph, and “new car scent” air freshener.] El Camino was produced by Danger Mouse and The Black Keys and was recorded in the band’s then-new hometown of Nashville during the spring of 2011. The Black Keys won three awards at the 55th annual Grammy Awards for El Camino—Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Album—among other worldwide accolades. In the UK, the band was nominated for a BRIT Award (Best International Group) and an NME Award (Best International Band). The week of release, the band performed on Saturday Night Live, the Colbert Report, and the Late Show with David Letterman, and later that year, went on to perform their first Madison Square Garden show. [The Super Deluxe four CD edition is due December 3.]
Blacktop Mojo – Blacktop Mojo LP (Sand Hill)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A hard-driving Southern rock unit based out of Palestine, Texas, Blacktop Mojo’s fiery blend of post-grunge, classic rock, and metal falls somewhere between Soundgarden, Black Stone Cherry, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Blectum From Blechdom – DeepBone LP (Deathbomb Arc)
Swirling swarms of inhumanly perky voices bounce between your speakers, only taking breaths for the electronics to be equally overcharged. Hyper-melodic glitches and helium-contaminated Broadway arrangements are all interwoven with brocaded beats and elegant fractal architectures, sending an important message: “Brain go crazy now!”
Blondie – Yuletide Throwdown 12” (Capitol)
This 12″ single features “Yuletide Throwdown”, co-written and performed with Fab 5 Freddy, recorded around the time of “Rapture”, and using the same samples. The audio has been remastered from the analog tapes and includes an exclusive remix by Cut Chemist. The rare 1981 holiday flexi-disc has been reissued for the first time on 180gm vinyl and packaged in die-cut bespoke “disco-bag” style sleeve with artwork by New York graffiti artist, Hugo Gyrl. An indie store exclusive hot pink color vinyl pressing is also available.
Bnny – Everything LP (Fire Talk)
Released last week on CD – a limited-edition indie-store exclusive vinyl edition is now available. Everything, the debut album from Chicago quartet Bnny, may as well be a field recording taken from the lone country of grief. Written in sessions that span several years by singer Jess Viscius as she processed the death of her partner, the album is a chronicle of love at its most complex and loss at its most persistent. In the same vein as Sky Blue Sky-era Wilco or the harrowing vulnerability of Tomberlin or Helena Deland, Viscius’ songwriting is evocative and intentional. A longstanding member of the Windy City music scene, the album was produced by Dehd’s Jason Balla, and the sparse arrangements pick apart complicated truths while feeling both timeless and transcendent.
Breathless – Breathless [Reissue/1985] LP (Dying Victim Productions)
Neither strictly traditional metal nor speed metal nor hard rock nor latent NWOBHM, Breathless was a blender of all the tastes of the time, and it’s indeed-breathless rush was sublime in its sheer energy and electricity.
The Brief Encounter – Introducing The Brief Encounter [Reissue/1977] LP (Real Gone Music)
Funkadelic, Isley Bros., O’Jays, Kool & the Gang, pick your favorite ’70s R&B act and this rural North Carolina (!) band measures up with booty-shaking bass and drums, deft wah-wah guitar, beautifully arranged horn charts, and angelic group harmonies employed with equal aplomb to steamy funk workouts and sublime soul balladry.
Carabobina – Carabobina LP (Oversees Artists)
Carabobina is an electronic noise pop duo and the eponymous debut album by Venezuelan-born Alejandra Luciani and Brazilian native Raphael Vaz Costa. Alejandra is an established audio engineer in São Paulo; Raphael is from Ceres – a small town in the hinterland of Goiás – and since 2014 he’s seen a frantic pace of touring and recording with his band Boogarins.
The Courettes – Back In Mono LP (Damaged Goods)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Brazilian/Danish garage rock duo.
Link Davis – Laissez Les Bon-Ta-Ru-La (Let The Good Times Roll) 10”+CD (Bear Family)
The first high-quality vinyl pressing of recordings by the blues shouting rocker, fiddle and sax player from Northeast Texas. His 1953 rendition of the Cajun anthem “Big Mamou” helped open the door to this often closed and clannish culture.
Desmond Dekker – King Of Ska: Live At Dingwalls LP (Burning Sounds)
Live in concert at Dingwalls in London. Never released on vinyl before, the release commemorates 15 years since Desmond Dekker’s death.
Steve Earle – Townes: The Basics [Reissue/2009] LP (New West)
Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses) – The Low Highway [Reissue/2013] LP (New West)
Steve Earle & The Dukes – Terraplane [Reissue/2015] LP (New West)
Steve Earle & The Dukes – Ghosts Of West Virginia [Reissue/2020] LP (New West)
Limited color vinyl LP pressings.
Electric Light Orchestra Part II – Moment Of Truth [Reissue/1994] LP (Renaissance)
Remastered 180gm vinyl reissue of the second and final album by ELO Part II, originally released in 1994.
Newton Faulkner – Interference (of light) LP (Battenberg Records)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New release from the British singer/songwriter. Four years on from his last studio album, Newton Faulkner has been working throughout lockdown from his recording studio in East London, exploring several new and unexplored styles and musical ideas, using them as the building blocks for this album. Twisting these inside out, he has pushed himself further and further. “Interference (of light) certainly highlights Faulkner’s vocal development throughout and pleasingly tuneful vocal arrangements pepper the whole album.” – AllMusic Magazine
Finale – A Pipe Dream And A Promise LP (Refill)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For the first time on wax, the instrumental version of the critically acclaimed album from Finale that features production from J DIlla, Nottz, Oddisee, Black Milk, and more.
Robben Ford – Pure LP (earMUSIC)
With nine unique tracks, Pure features a pure Robben Ford – a guitar virtuoso who has a tremendous music vocabulary of jazz, blues and rock. The album seamlessly blends a soulful west coast vibe with bluesy hard rock.
Future Kill – Mind Tasters Floor Wasters LP (Big Neck)
Future Kill is the brainchild of Mikey Blackhurst and Kristin Maloney from Brain Bagz fame. Mind Tasters Floor Wasters is their debut album. Recorded during the Circus Fire that was 2020 with a cast of characters too numerous and or depraved to mention, this… album reeks of all the alienation, deception, contempt, add yours here, add yours here and psycho sexualis you could shake a stick or wave a flag at.
Jerry Garcia/John Kahn – GarciaLive Volume 14: January 27th, 1986 The Ritz LP (ATO)
GarciaLive Volume 14 showcases a buoyant acoustic performance from Jerry Garcia and longtime friend/bassist John Kahn during the middle of a rare duo tour. Recorded on January 27, 1986, at The Ritz in New York City, Garcia and Kahn deliver two exquisite sets featuring Grateful Dead favorites (“Ripple”, “Friend Of The Devil”, “Dire Wolf”, and “Bird Song”, among others), spirited takes on Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and “Simple Twist of Fate”, and more from Garcia’s songbook.
Glaxo Babies – Dreams Interrupted 2xLP (Lantern)
A definitive compilation of Glaxo Babies’ first period career. Glaxo Babies was one of the most exciting British post-punk band of the era. Raised in Bristol – altogether with such local influential acts like Maximum Joy, The Transmitters and obviously The Pop Group – Glaxo Babies formed in late 1977. Their aggro mix of in your face lyrics and groovy bassline led to a unique formula, with both their feet in the post-punk scene and the uprising black jazz crossover. The so-called white funk was the plat du jour, even if the band soon achieved a straight and original personality.
Gustaf – Audio Drag For Ego Slobs LP (Royal Mountain)
Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf has built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk five-piece rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s hardest working… and most reliably fun bands (Brooklyn Vegan), and early excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite having released no recorded music and barely having an online presence.
Tigran Hamasyan – A Fable [Reissue/2011] LP (Verve)
A Fable is Tigran Hamasyan’s first solo album after having recorded three previous albums as a leader. Released in 2011, it was hailed for the rare maturity of a young musician to deliver such a landmark recording. Well-known for the way he fuses potent jazz improvisation with the rich folkloric music of his native Armenia, Tigran once again borrowed from the rich tradition he inherited and made a giant step with A Fable.
Claire Hamill – Stage Door Johnnies [Reissue/1974] LP (Renaissance)
Claire Hamill – Abracadabra [Reissue/1975] LP (Renaissance)
180gm vinyl reissues of the English singer-songwriter’s third and fourth albums.
Hand Habits – Fun House LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl (standard edition). Hand Habits, the project of Los Angeles-based musician Meg Duffy is back with their ambitious new album Fun House. Produced by Sasami Ashworth (SASAMI) and engineered by Kyle Thomas (King Tuff), the record was not intended as a reaction to the pandemic, but it was very much the result of taking a difficult, if much-needed, moment of pause. Emboldened by going into therapy and coaxed by Ashworth to push the songs into unexpected new shapes, the resulting music is more acutely personal and stylistically adventurous than anything you’ve heard from Hand Habits before. The push/pull of styles, paired with songs that move deftly between the present and past, give the record a wildly diverse, hall of mirrors quality that befits its name. Where previous Hand Habits records could be insular affairs, Fun House feels ebullient, lush, a fully realized conversation. [A translucent red color vinyl pressing is now available. A black & blue indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing as well as cassette edition are due November 19.]
Hawthorne Heights – The Rain Just Follows Me LP (Pure Noise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl (standard edition and a limited-edition indie store exclusive red color pressing). The Rain Just Follows Me stands as some of Hawthorne Heights frontman JT Woodruff’s most resonant writing to date, as he unravels themes of both physical and emotional distance as well as personal identity – anxieties so exacerbated by the last year that it’s incredible the album was completed before the pandemic hit. (“There’s so many undertones of what would happen over the next 16 months,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t know if that makes us the emo Nostradamus or what.”) Most of all, The Rain Just Follows Me is quintessentially Hawthorne Heights. It’s who they’ve always been – they just needed to push down the heartache and strife long enough to rediscover those intangible characteristics.
Richie Hawtin – Acid King 12” (From Our Minds)
Working under his own name and under monikers like Plastikman, Richie Hawtin has left an indelible mark on techno over the past 30 years, releasing a plethora of game-changing minimal, dub, ambient and more in that time. “Acid Kings” is a hypnotic, thundering acid cut. The EP leads with a Full Tilt version, and features four alternate versions, including a F.U.S.E. Bass Dub, as well as a Bonus Beats mix and a Vox mix, allowing for creative on-the-fly mixing and remixing in true Hawtin style.
Lou Hayter – Private Sunshine LP (Skint)
Effortlessly hopscotching between vintage acid and ‘80s R&B, insouciant Francophone pop and twinkling electro house, Lou Hayter delivers something at once utterly unique and defiantly timeless with her much anticipated debut solo LP.
Dave Holland – Another Land LP (Edition)
Limited edition color vinyl pressing. Bassist/composer Dave Holland has never stopped evolving, reinventing his concept and approach with each new project while constantly honing his instantly identifiable voice. From the electric whirlwind of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew-era band to the elegant flamenco of his collaboration with Spanish guitar legend Pepe Habichuela; accompanying the great vocalist Betty Carter in her last years to forging a new sound with the pioneering avant-garde quartet Circle alongside Chick Corea, Anthony Braxton, and Barry Altschul; standing alongside legends like Stan Getz, Hank Jones, Roy Haynes, and Sam Rivers to providing early opportunities to now-leading players like Chris Potter, Kevin and Robin Eubanks, or Steve Coleman; Holland has been at the forefront of jazz in many of its forms since his earliest days. He returns here with a power-packed set and a new all-star trio of jazz heavyweights including superstar guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drumming prodigy Obed Calvaire. The funky, rocky, powerful Another Land finds the writing credits spread between the three artists.
Catherine Howe – What A Beautiful Place [Reissue/1971] LP (Numero)
This recorded autobiography of Catherine Howe, age 20, briefly appeared in 1971. Too young for memoirs, most artists have barely established any sort of musical competence by the age of legal adulthood, let alone compositions matching the maturity and complexity of Howe’s. What A Beautiful Place, however, is a prodigious effort wrought from the melancholy ruminations of post-adolescence. The album’s twelve songs unfold like a classic bildungsroman, beginning in the smoke-stained industrial county of Yorkshire, transformed by the electrified creative landscape of mid-century London, and retiring to the warm pastoral bliss of the county of Dorset on England’s southern coast.
Ishmael Ensemble – Visions Of Light LP (Republic Of Music)
The driving, uninhibited performances of Stephen Mullins (guitar) and Rory O’Gorman (drums), along with Jake Spurgeon’s agile synth work, lay the foundation for saxophonist Pete Cunningham to deliver his most confident and direct saxophone performances to date.
Wanda Jackson – Encore LP (Big Machine)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Wanda Jackson’s sonic farewell, Encore, was produced and conceptualized with Kenny Laguna and Joan Jett with the belief that the ethos Wanda pioneered has lived in Jett’s modern version of self-expression that has been taboo for women in music. Wanda’s 32nd album is a final chapter amplifying a career that’s ignited others too, from The Cramps to Amy Winehouse, Adele to Jack White. Marked by Wanda’s incandescent swagger and effervescence, Encore is an in-your-face sonic experience that walks listeners through the rockabilly, country and even punk colors of one of music’s most thrilling vocalists.
Jaklin – Jaklin [Reissue/1969] LP (Morgan Blue Town)
180gm vinyl reissue of 1969 psychedelic blues classic.
Bert Jansch – Ornament Tree [Reissue/1990] LP (Earth Recordings)
A companion piece to 1966’s Jack Orion, The Ornament Tree gets newly reissued with liner notes from Colin Harper, who wrote the biography of Bert and the new folk Revival, Dazzling Stranger. Bert’s eighteenth studio album comprises Scottish and Irish traditional songs. Filled with ballads like the title song and instrumentals “The Rocky Road To Dublin” and “Lady Fair”. Tradition is threaded throughout with the accompaniment of Celtic fiddles, flutes and bodhran. It features performances from Maggie Boyle, Peter Boyle, Steve Tilston and Michael Klein. It’s been over thirty years since The Ornament Tree’s initial release, here Jansch continues to prove his importance in contemporary folk with this timeless and invigorating offering.
Billy Joel – The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1 9xLP (Sony Legacy)
The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1 boxset is comprised of Billy Joel’s first six studio albums and two live albums, including previously unreleased Live at The Great American Music Hall. These titles are presented in recreations of their original packaging and accompanied by a 50-page book featuring rarely seen photos and memorabilia from this chapter of Billy Joel’s recording career along with an essay by Anthony DeCurtis. Albums included: Cold Spring Harbor (1971), Piano Man (1973), Streetlife Serenade (1974), Turnstiles (1976), The Stranger (1977), 52nd Street (1978), Songs In The Attic (1981), and Live At The Great American Music Hall (1975).
John’s Children – There’s An Eye In The Sky LP (Easy Action)
Limited-edition white color vinyl compilation. This mod pop art combo was known for their outrageous live concert performances and were removed from a tour with The Who in Germany in 1967 when they out-Who’d The Who.
Joseph – Trio Sessions Vol. 2 LP (ATO)
Limited clear smoke colored vinyl pressing. Trio Sessions Vol. 2 is a collection of stripped-down acoustic versions of classic Joseph songs from “Come In Close” (from their self-released debut), to “White Flag” (their breakout hit) to “Good Luck, Kid” (off their most recent album). Highlighting Allison, Meegan, and Natalie Closner’s incredible harmonies and powerful voices, the set is a must-have for any Joseph fan and serves as a great introduction for those new to the band.
Keitzer – Where The Light Ends LP (Give Praise)
Germany’s Ketizer deliver a death-crust, metal, grind onslaught. Mixed/random color vinyl pressing.
Shannon Lay – Geist LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Recently release on CD – a limited-edition clear w/ orange & green indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is now available. Geist feels like a window – or a mirror – into possibilities of the self and beyond. Shannon Lay’s new album is tender intensity, placeless and ethereal. It exists in the chasms of the present — a world populated by shadow selves, spiritual awakenings, déjà vu, and past lives. “Something sleeps inside us,” Lay insists on the opening track, and that’s the guiding philosophy throughout. A winding, golden, delicate thread of intuition that explores the unknown, the possibility. Its title, Geist, the German word for spirit, is rife with an otherworldly presence, the suggestion of another. The promise that you are never alone. The album is both esoteric and accessible. Songs range from a concise, pared-back cover of Syd Barrett’s tilt-a-whirl-esque “Late Night”, to the meditative Dune-inspired “Rare To Wake”, to the mostly a-cappella “Awaken And Allow”, which channels Lay’s deep Irish roots, a moment of reflection, before a drop happens — its intensity mirroring the anticipation and anxiety that come with taking the first step to accepting change for yourself.
The Legendary Shack Shakers – Cockadoodledeux LP (Alternative Tentacles)
Join those Legendary Shack Shakers as they mark their 25th anniversary as a band on Planet Earth. to celebrate the occasion, they’ve invited former members to help them record an all country & western album. From spaghetti western to bluegrass, western swing to rockabilly, Tex-Mex to country folk, the variety of the genre is on full display. Always ones to respect their history, the Shack Shakers have also included some Kentucky local legends to pick and grin. [CD edition due November 12.]
Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby [2019] 2xLP (J. Cole/Dreamville)
Debut studio album by singer and songwriter Ari Lennox. Shea Butter Baby was executive produced by Dreamville producer Elite. In addition, most of the album was produced by Dreamville’s in-house producers J. Cole, Elite, Omen, Ron Gilmore, and Christo, among others.
Helen Merle – Lilac Time [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Verve)
Helen Merrill’s recording career has spanned six decades. On Lilac Wine, released in 2003, the eminent jazz singer applies her magnificent voice to a collection of songs that she had never previously recorded, except for “Lilac Wine” – a song she first recorded in the ’50s and revisits here. As throughout her long recording career, Merrill is surrounded here by first-rank musicians such as George Mraz (bass), Torrie Zito (piano, keyboard, arrangements) and Lew Soloff (trumpet). Merrill’s singularly swinging style remains as potent and vibrantly spellbinding as ever.
Mingus – Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus [Reissue/1964] LP (Verve)
Limited 180gm vinyl pressing in gatefold jacket. One of the quintessential Charles Mingus recordings regardless of label, Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus finds a mini-big-band playing some of Mingus’ best-known compositions -albeit with new titles. Features Mingus favorites Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin, and Jaki Byard among its all-star cast.
Connan Mockasin – Jassbusters Two LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Jassbusters Two is the second instalment of the soundtrack to Bost’n ‘n’ Dobs’n, the daytime TV miniseries created by Connan Mockasin. Recorded at Gary’s Electric Studio in Brooklyn, New York, Mockasin and his band of imagined music teachers (Nicholas Harsant on bass, Matthew Eccles on drums, and Rory McCarthy, aka Infinite Bisous, on rhythm guitar) freestyled across long live takes, weaving under, over, and straight through each other’s blurry riffs.
Mom Jeans. – Best Buds [Reissue/2016] LP (Counter Intuitive)
Released in July 2016, Best Buds is the debut album from the California based band Mom Jeans. The album mainly deals with past relationships, loss, and depression. The generally upbeat arrangements give way to the much sadder, angstier lyrics typical of emo. [CD edition due November 19.]
Monnone Alone – Stay Soggy LP (Emotional Response)
Marooned at home during Melbourne’s 2020 lockdown, with no bandmates in sight, Mark Monnone had no option but to take matters to his cassette 8-track and set to work on the follow-up to Monnone Alone (the quartet)’s 2019 power pop tour de force Summer Of The Mosquito. The former-Lucksmiths bassist then gave his home-recorded tapes to Gareth Parton (The Go! Team, Foals, Breeders) to mix the whole glorious mess into something worthy of human consumption. The resulting ten tracks on Stay Foggy bounce blindly from glum to whimsical, from blurred to razor-sharp, showcasing Monnone’s disorientated hopes, dreams and lockdown inertia with an off-the-cuff beach party twist.
Stevie R Moore – Freedom Vs Fate 3xLP (Republic Of Music)
If aliens landed and asked about ‘MUSIC’ we would head off to find R Stevie Moore to present to them as a gift. Since the early ‘70s until late yesterday afternoon RSM has been creating albums, songs, spoken word and gonzo masterpieces that would seem more like the output of a prolific record label or that of a small country rather than just one person. Triple album Freedom Vs Fate showcases the man and his many talents.
Mr. Bungle – The Night They Came Home 2xLP (Ipecac)
White color vinyl pressing. This 14-track vinyl double-LP set gathers the audio of Mr. Bungle’s 2020 livestream event, The Night They Came Home. Includes performances of songs from their album, The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo along with cover songs and more. This version of Mr. Bungle is original members Mike Patton, Trey Spruance and Trevor Dunn, joined by Scott Ian of Anthrax and Dave Lombardo of Slayer/Dead Cross.
Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin – $mokebreak 12”+MP3 (Lex)
The $mokebreak EP follows Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin’s critically acclaimed 2020 debut album FlySiifu’s and further explores the musical community they’ve assembled around their imagined FlySiifu’s record store. Now FlySiifu welcome their friends Fousheé, Chuck Strangers, ZelooperZ, MAVI, YUNGMORPHEUS, Koncept Jack$on, Big Kahuna OG, 3wayslim and Peso Gordon into the store and onto the mic, with beats provided by Black Noi$e, Ahwlee, Budgie, Ohbliv, Graymatter, ewonee, and iiye.
Sim Nagai – Erotica XL LP (Cold Busted)
Sim Nagai specializes in imagined journeys to faraway places. The Belgian beat-maker finds inspiration from where he’s traveled as well as those places he’s yet to visit. Sim finds a connection with the ’50s music genre of ‘exotica,’ a vintage flavor which aimed to sonically transport it’s listeners to distant locales. Erotica XL’s 13 tracks convey rhythmic excursions to leisurely destinations – where palm trees shimmer in the wind and colorful birds fill the sky.
Negativland – No Brain 7” (Seeland)
Four songs in just under nine minutes: what do they have in common? They’ve got No Brain, and they’re the new vinyl EP from your grandparents in Negativland. Each track juxtaposes the voices of media experts from the ancient ’90s with voices culled from the modern landscape of Social Media-from the users still operating under the old rules, to the rationalizations of tech CEOs who invented the software that’s eaten them.
New Age Doom & Lee “Scratch” Perry – Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Guide To The Universe LP (We Are Busy Bodies)
New Age Doom follows up its critically acclaimed 2020 drone metal opus Himalayan Dream Techno with a serendipitous LP featuring the dub legend Lee “Scratch” Perry as lead vocalist. With its central themes of experimentation and dreaming, the album takes listeners on a sonic trip through a genre-defying blend of drone, jazz, stoner rock, noise and (of course) dub.
Palace – So Long Forever [Reissue/2016] LP (Fiction)
Limited ‘Martian red’ color vinyl. Five-year anniversary and reissue of the debut album from London’s Palace. Woozy, reverb-driven, indie-rock that has drawn comparisons to Maccabees, Radiohead, The National, and Foals.
Phew – New Decade LP (Mute)
Recently released on CD – now available on limited-edition clear vinyl. Renowned avant-garde artist Phew returns with a new album, New Decade. Working within the medium of voice and analog electronics, New Decade‘s six tracks define Phew as a master of her craft – fusing her ghostly vocals with intense droning textures and clamorous guitar feedback. New Decade is a stark and haunted album, populated by voices that intone empty pleasantries in English and Japanese or manifest as wordless shrieks and groans, against a backdrop of fractured, dubbed-out electronics.
Primus – Green Naugahyde (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) 2xLP (ATO/Virgin)
This 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition color vinyl reissue comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with emboss and spot gloss plus updated artwork (new gatefold image, new inner sleeve art, naugahyde texture printed inside gatefold pockets). Originally released in 2011 after a long hiatus, Green Naugahyde reunited Primus with their early drummer Jay Lane and harkened back to their early days (think Frizzle Fry). Green Naugahyde expands on Primus’ incomparable sound, bringing it into the next millennium. It is a cerebral and complex album that is teeming with the band’s signature blend of whimsy and underlying darkness. The trio were described by Rolling Stone at the time as a “tight knotty rhythm team.”
The Reggae Specials – Beatles Reggae [Reissue/2010] LP (Burning Sounds)
180gm pressing. As Beatlemania approached its peak, Jamaican music was undergoing a transition that started with ska, and then morphed into rocksteady, before assuming its ultimate form as reggae. Inevitably these cultures collided, with artists such as the Paragons and Marcia Griffiths establishing a tradition of creating dynamic reggae covers of the Beatles’ hits that continues to this day. Issued for the first time on vinyl, Beatles Reggae extends this lineage, as some of Britain’s black belt reggae musicians set out on a series of version excursions that include some of the Fab Four’s best loved bittersweet cuts.
Keith Richards – Run Rudolph Run [Reissue/1978] 12” (BMG)
Limited-edition red color vinyl pressing. Written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie, and most famously performed by Chuck Berry, Keith’s cover of “Run Rudolph Run” was originally released on Rolling Stones Records, with a B-Side of Jimmy Cliffs The Harder They Come. The single was re-released digitally in 2007. This time the song was bundled with a previously unreleased 2003 recording of Pressure Drop with Toots & The Maytals. Arranged and produced by Keith Richards.
Ross From Friends – Tread 2xLP (Brainfeeder)
On Tread, Ross From Friends (aka British producer Felix Clary Weatherall) dials up the intricate and emotive qualities of his production style that have previously led Mixmag to praise his “idiosyncratic dexterity that not only makes your heart ache, but dance right out of your chest”. An artist who demonstrates an ever-increasing mastery of his craft, Tread is a record that is at once sleek and melodic but also eminently danceable, nostalgic but brilliantly modern, with nods to sounds and styles that are not so much reflected but refracted and recontextualized through Clary Weatherall’s lens. Lead single “The Daisy” exemplifies the spirit of the album. A bewitching club track that skips out of the speakers, the peppy two-step drums cozying up to swollen pads that tug on your heart strings. [An indie-store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is also available.]
Suzanne Santo – Yard Sale LP (Suzanne Santo/Soundly Music, LLC)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Suzanne Santo has never been afraid to blur the lines. A tireless creator, she’s built her sound in the grey area between Americana, Southern-gothic soul, and forward-thinking rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a sound that nods to her past – a childhood spent in the Rust Belt; a decade logged as a member of the L.A.-based duo HoneyHoney; the acclaimed solo album, Ruby Red, that launched a new phase of her career in 2017; and the world tour that took her from Greece to Glastonbury as a member of Hozier’s band – while still exploring new territory. With Yard Sale, Santo boldly moves forward, staking her claim once again as an Americana innovator. It’s an album inspired by the past, written by an artist who is only interested in the here-and-now.
Savages – Jazzpercesek LP+MP3 (Beat Jazz Int’l)
The latest release by Budapest-based producer Savages includes features by Dil Maddy, Sakura, Charles Brown and Michael Simmons aka The Professor.
Snarky Puppy – Live At The Royal Albert Hall 3xLP (Groundup Music)
Limited color vinyl LP pressing. In 2012, Snarky Puppy booked their first European tour through Facebook posts, begging people to help find a bar they could play in. Years later, on November 14, 2019, Snarky Puppy recorded their sold-out show from the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London, which serves as their first official live release in almost four years. Featuring an extended line-up of 15 out of their 18 regular members, the record includes many tracks from their recent studio album, Immigrance. Live At The Royal Albert Hall captures an interesting mix of new and old songs, illustrating their musical and artistic progression over the years.
Wayne Snow – Figurine LP (Roche Music)
After three years of work, Nigerian-born neo-soul singer Wayne Snow returns with the new album Figurine. Written between Berlin and Paris, the record is based on a simple question: “Who is the real you?” – and leads Snow to explore renewal, individuality and his origins. Produced by Crayon – an artist signed to Roche Musique – with the participation of jazz guitarist Oscar Jerome on the track “Magnetic”, Snow uses a range of sounds that showcase his songwriting talent.
Sofa T – Yakera LP (Beat Jazz Int’l)
Expect a trip from lo-fi psychedelia to cosmic jazz vibes, always with love for the classic headnod beat.
Spillage – Electric Exorcist [Reissue/1972] LP (Qumran)
Released last week on CD – now available on red color vinyl. Prepare for riffs. Prepare for doom.
Vince Staples – Vince Staples LP (Motown)
Esteemed hip-hop artist Vince Staples has released his self-titled album, produced by Kenny Beats. His first full-length release since 2018’s critically acclaimed FM!, the 10-track LP delves not only into Staples’ upbringing in Long Beach, but his psyche as he learns to cope with his yesterdays and strides toward new tomorrows, picking others up along the way.
Laura Stevenson – Laura Stevenson LP+MP3 (Don Giovanni)
Two vinyl editions are available: Standard and a limited-edition indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing. On lead track “State”, “I become rage,” Stevenson admits. “A shining example of pure anger.” Then, just when it seems to have passed the point of all reason, something transformative happens: the anger and frustration that have been building bend, turning instead into something “pure and real and sticky and moving and sweet.” The nauseous anxiety (and surprising transformation) of “State” is followed by a collection of songs that move gracefully between genres, something Stevenson has become known for. The album slides from indie-rock anti-anthems like “Don’t Think About Me” and “Sandstorm” to Harry Nilsson-style string-laden ballads, mid-tempo alt-country, and quiet acoustic confessionals. Recently release on CD – now available on vinyl.
Syberia – Seeds Of Change [Reissue/2019] LP (Metal Blade)
Limited red color vinyl pressing. Syberia craft intricate and involving post-rock opuses, and they have never sounded more assured than on 2019’s Seeds Of Change. Following in the footsteps of Caspian, Mogwai and Russian Circles, their instrumental works are complex yet instantly accessible, weighty, gorgeously melodic, and always deeply moving.
Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso [Reissue/2014] LP (Psychic Hotline)
Pink color vinyl reissue. Recorded in a little bedroom studio out in Durham, North Carolina, Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn’s debut LP as Sylvan Esso arrived in 2014 at the juncture of pop and experimental. Even now, years later, the LP remains an urgent and fitting introduction to a push-and-pull that would go on to inform the duo’s sound – a thoughtful headiness that also wants you to get out on the dance floor. A blend of analog and digital, Meath and Sanborn were two unexpected puzzle pieces fitting together with singular ease, producing a ten-track LP that was both minimalist and shimmering, with dark undulations rippling beneath the synthy-surface and crystalline quality of Meath’s voice.
Thoughtcrimes – Tapnight [Reissue/2019] LP (Pure Noise)
In 2019, Thoughtcrimes, the Long Island-based hardcore band featuring ex-Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Billy Rymer, released their convulsive debut EP, Tap Night. Now, not only is it finally getting the high-quality vinyl pressing it deserves via new label home Pure Noise, two previously unreleased tracks have been added.
Thy Art Is Murder – Hate [Reissue/2013] LP/Cassette (Nuclear Blast)
Red in clear color vinyl pressing of the 2013 album from the Australian deathcore outfit. [A cassette edition is also available.]
Rokia Traoré – Tchamantché [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Verve)
Tchamantché, meaning point of equilibrium in Bambara, is the fourth album of Mali singer Rokia Traore. Released in 2008, and dedicated to her fellow countryman Ali Farka Touré, the album is a turning point in the singer’s career after she has spent a large part of it revisiting the Malian musical tradition. Tchamantché reveals a unique sound in which electric Gretsch guitar riffs come to mingle with the ancestral sounds of Malian instruments, offering a new setting to her crystalline voice.
Carrie Underwood – My Gift 2xLP (Capitol Nashville)
Double crystal-clear vinyl pressing. This special edition of her Christmas album, My Gift, includes all 11 tracks from the 2020 release as well as three new tracks, including “Favorite Time Of Year”, “All Is Well”, and “Let There Be Peace/Something In The Water” that was performed on her HBO Max special, My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood.
Calvin Valentine – Weed Is Awesome LP (Cream Dream)
Los Angeles by way of Eugene, Oregon’s Calvin Valentine is the definition of self-made, handling most of the facets of his career: production, emceeing and engineering. As a solo artist, he’s released four rap albums and two Instrumental projects. Weed Is Awesome keeps the soul of his instrumental albums alive. The beats for the project were created over a stony weekend, with just the Tracklib samples he picked and his trusty Akai MPC Live 2.
The Velveteers – Nightmare Daydream LP (Easy Eye Sound)
Recently release on CD – now available on vinyl which includes bonus 12” x 24” poster. Nightmare Daydream, the debut album from the formidable rock trio, The Velveteers, is the culmination of the raw power and electric voice of singer/guitarist Demi Demitro with the primal rhythm of two drummers, Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig. Fused with the studio prowess of Grammy Award winning producer, Dan Auerbach, the album is a crushing combination of ‘70s style psychedelia and the hard rock of the California desert.
Vile Creature – Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! LP (Prosthetic)
Limited clear white vinyl pressing of the 2020 release by the vitriolic blackened doom duo. Vile Creature is the epitome of heavy metal. The Canadians are confrontational, abrasive, transgressive, and, above all, loud.
Youth Fountain – Keepsakes & Reminders LP (Pure Noise)
Limited-edition indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing of the Vancouver, BC emo/pop/punk band’s new sophomore album. [CD edition due November 12.]
Cassettes:
ABBA – Voyage (Capitol)
The quartet of Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid, one of the most successful pop groups of all time, return with Voyage – their first new album in 40 years. The highly anticipated 10-track collection is introduced by the pair of promising singles “I Still Have Faith In You” and “Don’t Shut Me Down”. “I Still Have Faith In You” is an atmospheric, slow tempo piece that builds dramatically with harmonized choruses and rock guitar accompaniment. “Don’t Shut Me Down” also starts slowly, but soon picks up pace with an infectious beat. Both tracks have the powerful vocals and intelligent lyrics that characterized the group’s songbook in their earlier years together.
The Deli – Spacetime (Cold Busted)
Austin’s acclaimed hip-hop beatrepreneur The Deli embraces the celestial on his latest album, Spacetime.
Thy Art Is Murder – Hate [Reissue/2013] (Nuclear Blast)
Cassette reissue of the 2013 album from the Australian deathcore outfit.
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