CDs + Vinyl:
Absolutely Free – Absolutely Free CD/LP (Lefse)
Absolutely Free is a trio based in Toronto. The group formulates musical experiments based on instrumentation, compositional structure and other formal qualities ubiquitous to popular rock music. Following years of touring and releasing albums with defunct art punk band DD/MM/YYYY, the members of Absolutely Free set out to create a more hypnotic, patient music that integrates analog electronics, African polyrhythms, psychedelia, Bollywood and Krautrock.
Acacia – Coma Witch 2xCD/LP (Rise)
The Acacia Strain are pioneers of the deathcore genre, and for the past 13 years they have been a staple in the metalcore community.
The Aislers Set – How I Learned to Write Backwards [Reissue/2002] CD/LP+MP3 (Slumberland/Suicide Squeeze)
The Aislers Set occupy an enviable place in the pop pantheon. Brimming with drunken romanticism, sharp pop sensibilities, and timeless melodies, The Aislers Set reveled in the history of great pop, spiking their classicist ‘60s-tinged tunes with post-punk energy and originality of bands like the Fire Engines and The June Brides. Every song is a meticulously constructed sound world, where the arrangement and instrumentation sublimely and uncannily bring each tune to completeness. Unfortunately they stopped playing and recording together by 2004 due to life commitments. (Vinyl version pressed on HQ-180gm green wax.)
Edip Akbayram & Dostlar – Nedir Ne Degildir [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
As Turkey’s political factions turned more and more violent in the late 1970s, Buscemi-eyed Edip Akbayram was nearly beaten up by rioting audiences for daring to sing about rural points of view that were naturally critical of Istanbul’s political leaders. This second album of Anatolian psychedelia, originally released in 1977, showed defiance even in its gatefold art, with a drawing of the band members seeming to grow straight out the ground, covered in plant tendrils. Akbayram poached members of Mogollar and Bariş Manço’s Kurtalan Ekspres to get the best fuzz breaks and hammond slams and put ’em straight in your ears. Vinyl comes with exact reproduction of the original gatefold pop-up sleeve.
Tony Allen – Film Of Life CD (Jazz Village)
For his tenth album, Tony Allen, the co-creator of Afrobeat, has pulled out all the stops. At his side are French producers The Jazzbastards and fellow world-class musicians including Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, The Good The Bad & The Queen, Blur). With Film Of Life, Allen has produced an album that has the ring of a true self-portrait, offering an overview of his rich and exemplary career that brings together bebop, Afrobeat jazz and psychedelic pop. Vinyl version due October 27.
The Apartments – The Evening Visits… And Stays For Years CD/2xLP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
Upon release earlier this year overseas, The Evening Visits received strong praise and drew comparisons to a wide range of acts such as Cocteau Twins, Nick Drake and Bob Dylan. This expanded domestic edition includes several bonus tracks and a collection of demos.
Balmorhea – Balmorhea CD (Western Vinyl)
Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-more-ay) is a six-piece instrumental group from Austin, TX. Founded by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller in 2006, the band has produced five full-length albums, including Stranger, which was released in October 2012. Inceptually influenced by the band’s namesake, a tiny West Texas town of 500 people, Balmorhea’s early work reflected motifs of the American Southwest: the folklore of Texas settlers, the emotive proclamations of the mountainous setting, and intimate studies on solitude, nature, and night. Slowly adding more members to the band over the years, including a string section and full percussion, Balmorhea’s rich and layered music continues to be simultaneously concise and complex, uniting a collection of ideas, textures, and sounds into one genre-defying landscape. Vinyl version due October 27.
Bam Spacey – 1998 CD/LP (Ceremony)
After three 12″ releases over the past two years, Swedish producer Bam Spacey returns with his nine-track debut full length. Pulling from the touchstones of Balearic and ambient genres, and seamlessly incorporating house and techno ideas into minimal pop formats, Spacey has delivered his most self-assured and fully realized music to date.
Baptists – Bloodmines CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Bloodmines is a fast, exhilarating album of rage, oozing with genuine raw emotion and punk rock fury. Shards of feedback make way for fast powerful riffs and savage vocals, whilst explosive drumming pumps blood around the band’s beating heart.
Kenny Barron/Dave Holland – The Art Of Conversation CD (Blue Note)
The Art Of Conversation marks the first time bassist/composer Dave Holland and pianist/composer Kenny Barron have recorded their duo performances. 10 compositions of originals and standards that exemplify their individual and combined musical ingenuity.
Francis Bebey – Psychedelic Sanza 1982-1984 CD/2xLP (Born Bad)
Released last week on vinyl – now available on CD. “French label Born Bad with an incredible follow up to their essential African Electronic Music 1975 – 1982, both collecting the music of Cameroonian-in-Paris, writer, sculptor, and sonic explorer, Francis Bebey. This one is accompanied by artwork of the week from Brussels-based Elzo Durt. Elzo coming from a punk/skate background describes his work, which has graced album sleeves, magazine covers, festival posters, and designs for Lacoste & Carrhart, as a ‘cheerfully morbid universe.’ The darkness might seem in contrast with Bebey`s complicated, sometimes frantic, yet always gentle, polyrhythms, but within his compositions there is chant, spell, trance and magic. Invoking ancestors, repelling evil.” – Test Pressing
Bing & Ruth – Tomorrow Was The Golden Age CD (Rvng Intl.)
Tomorrow Was The Golden Age is an album length composition by minimalist ensemble Bing & Ruth. Written and conducted by pianist David Moore, the album is a halcyonic journey to a never-ending place, where music waxes, wanes and drifts imperceptibly from silence to grand, glowing sound. With untethered textures inspired by the indeterminate music of Morton Feldman and later torchbearer Gavin Bryars, Tomorrow Was The Golden Age achieves canon-level quality for instrumental music. Within the piece’s extended passages, Bing & Ruth wander through gradient fields of color, illuminated by a delicate architecture of slowly developing microtonal harmonies, Steve Reich-ian piano lines and the same analog tape delay that launched both Brian Eno‘s Apollo and the greatest dub reggae engineers into the unknown. Vinyl version due October 27.
Maggie Björkland – Shaken CD/LP (Bloodshot)
Björkland is a pedal steel guitarist/singer/composer from Copenhagen, Denmark. She has made a name for herself as an exceptional and stylistically unique musician, combining the tastes and techniques a wide variety of music – country, indie rock, film scores, psychedelia, pop – into a seamless blend of roots music.
The Bots – Pink Palms CD/LP (Fader)
Los Angeles sibling duo The Bots (Mikaiah Lei and Anaiah Lei) present their proper debut full-length, Pink Palms. The album, recorded in L.A. and produced by Justin Warfield, with additional production by the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner, brings together the veracity of garage-punk while paying homage to the American Blues tradition.
Ali Campbell – Silhouette CD/LP (Metropolis)
Silhouette is the new album from Ali Campbell, the legendary voice of UB40, reunited with Astro & Mickey. Recorded in London’s renowned RAK Studios, the album is an inspired mix of freshly-minted new songs and sparkling, reggae-fied cover versions of classics by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Chi-Lites, and others. The title track, “Silhouette,” was originally a 1957 hit for American doo-wop group The Rays, though this new, yearning take owes more to an early 1970s version by the crown prince of reggae, the late Dennis Brown.
The Capitalist Kids – At A Loss CD/LP (It’s Alive)
The Capitalist Kids third album brings the early ‘90s Lookout Records sound of The Mr. T Experience and Green Day into a modern day arena of sociopolitical awareness with catchy results.
Lloyd Cole – Standards CD/LP+MP3 (Omnivore)
Originally released last year overseas, Cole’s new album is available domestically. Recruiting band members from his self-titled debut—including drummer Fred Maher and Matthew Sweet on bass, as well as former Commotion Blair Cowan on keyboards—Standards features ten Cole-penned originals, plus a cover of John Hartford’s “California Earthquake.”
Continental – Millionaires CD (East Grand)
The sophomore album from Rick Barton (Dropkick Murphys) and Co. finds the band really owning their brand of rock/blues/folk.
The Creeps – Eulogies CD/LP (It’s Alive)
Ten tracks of melodic pop punk perfected.
Dads – I’ll Be the Tornado CD/LP (6131)
New album from New Jersey emo two-piece Dads. “If you’re looking for more punk-tastic hits then Dads can service you. And they do. ‘Sunburnt Jet Wings’ and ‘You Hold Back.’ Scott Scharinger’s quick hands on the guitar build such an elaborate portrait for Bradley’s massive drums to lay on. They complement each other so well. Bradley’s agony then follows with his words feeling like barbs stuck in with no chance of ever being removed. It’s heavy content on the lyrical side but it’s also the ideal tapestry for emotional connection to a brilliant indie-emo-punk aesthetic.” – Dying Scene
Diamond District – March On Washington CD (Mello)
In 2009, DMV-based hip-hop artists Oddisee, yU and Uptown XO came together to create In The Ruff, their studio debut as supergroup Diamond District. Now, five years later, the collaborators pick up where they left off. Sophomore full-length March On Washington is a collection of 13 original jams, and features one additional bonus track. Aptly-named debut single “First Step” ignited listener anticipation for the set, which features no guest appearances and is produced entirely by Oddisee. Vinyl version due November 11.
DJ Quik – The Midnight Life CD (Mad Science)
The Midnight Life is the ninth studio album for DJ Quik. The album features: Dom Kennedy, El Debarge, Suga Free, Bishop Lamont, Mack 10 and others. Quik has produced records for Jay-Z, Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Ludacris, and more.
Kevin Drumm – Trouble CD (Editions Mego)
Trouble sits as one of the quietest in the noise/drone producer’s entire catalog – a single continuous 54-minute excursion into the netherworld of the audio spectrum. Trouble is neither ambient nor drone, but a more complex investigation into the deep recesses of sound.
Chris Duarte – Lucky 13 CD (Blues Bureau Int’l)
Chris Duarte recordings have always been rooted firmly in the blues with a rock & roll edge. Lucky 13 continues in the tradition of contemporary blues-rock with bursts of fusion, pop, and heavy psychedelia throughout.
Dystopia – Human = Garbage [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (Tank Crimes)
Expanded reissue of the crust/doom metal band’s 1994 (which was also the band’s first release their own Life Is Abuse and Misanthropic Records labels).
Electric Six – Human Zoo CD/LP (Metropolis)
The concept of the Human Zoo has existed in art and literature for centuries, thus Electric Six recognizes and accepts it is not breaking new conceptual ground by naming its tenth studio album Human Zoo. From the opening track, ”Karate Lips,” the album takes the listener into a teenage karate tournament for girls as refereed by Def Leppard.
Elliphant – One More CDEP (TEN/Kemosabe)
The reigning queens of hipster-pop Elliphant and MØ join forces on the buzzed-about title track of a new EP. Synth-heavy and sinister yet incredibly melodic with an urban slant.
Excepter – Familiar CD/2xLP (Blast First Petite)
First new studio album since 2010’s Presidence (Paw Tracks). An audio-enhanced continuation of their trademark creepy-crawled odd leg disco, Familiar is layered with LaLa’s cosmic sighs and John Fell Ryan’s atonal, lysergic lyric-poem chants. Vinyl version presents the complete album with the addition of a second disc dedicated to the memory of Clare Amory. Three sides of music; Side D etched.
Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out CD/CD+DVD (Nuclear Blast)
Tenth studio album from the veteran thrash metal band – available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus DVD. Vinyl version due November 24.
Eyelids – 854 CD/LP (Jealous Butcher)
Principal songwriters John Moen and Chris Slusarenko (Boston Spaceships, Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Stephen Malkmus, Damien Jurado) have turned inwards to their loves of New Zealand/Flying Nun guitar buzz, their teenage L.A. Paisley Underground obsessions, haunts of early Athens and all things beautiful, lopsided and rock.
Piers Faccini & Vincent Segal – Songs Of Time Lost CD (Six Degrees)
Piers Faccini and Vincent Segal met in Paris in the late 1980s and have been friends ever since. Songs Of Time Lost is their first joint album. Using voice, guitar and cello – and in a variety of languages from English to Neapolitan dialect and Creole – the album brings together original compositions, traditional songs and some covers.
Favorite Weapon – Sixty Saragossa CD (Rise)
Hance Alligood was the lead vocalist of Woe, Is Me. He is back and revitalized with his new project, Favorite Weapon.
Fit For A King – Slave To Nothing CD (Solid State)
New album from the metalcore band. Vinyl version due November 10.
Florida Georgia Line – Anything Goes CD (Republic)
Anything Goes is the 2014 follow up to Florida Georgia Line’s debut Here’s To The Good Times.
Fly Golden Eagle – Quartz CD/LP (ATO)
Fly Golden Eagle has been going strong for over five years. Starting with Ben Trimble first playing shows solo with a boombox and tape-recordings, it has since evolved into a full-fledged band, Richard Harper, Mitch Jones and Matt Shaw flesh out the foursome. The band’s debut psych-funk release, Swagger, had them on tour with Alabama Shakes, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Dr. Dog, Arctic Monkeys, Clear Plastic Masks and Chrome Pony.
Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean CD (Nettwerk)
During the creative cycle of writing for her latest, Indian Ocean, in profound synchronicity, Frazey Ford received and invitation to record in Memphis with Al Green’s iconic back up band. The resulting album is a masterwork soul album with Frazey’s smoulderingly urgent vocals, emotionally raw lyrics, and muddy-road folk effortlessly melting into the elegant earthiness of soul music’s finest musicians. Vinyl version due December 2.
Sallie Ford – Slap Back CD/LP (Vanguard)
The latest from alt-roots upstart Sallie Ford, Slap Back features an all-girl band and is bursting with the femme-punk spirit of Kim Deal, Joan Jett, and Debbie Harry.
Foxygen – Foxygen…And Star Power 2xCD/2xLP (Jagjaguwar)
Foxygen…And Star Power is a new double album from Foxygen. “A gaggle of guest stars. Roman-numeraled musical suites. Vocals recorded on a shoddy tape machine at The Beverly Hills Hotel and Chateau Marmont. A svelte 82-minute run time of psych-ward folk, cartoon fantasia, songs that morph into each other, weaving in and out of the head like UFO radio transmission skullkrush music. ADHD star power underground revolution. Soft-rock indulgences, D&D doomrock and paranoid bathroom rompers. Process is the point. A kaleidoscoping view. Blasphemy even the gods smile one. Rock & roll for the skull.”
The Game – Blood Moon: Year Of The Wolf CD (eOne)
The Game enlists an all star team of talent to be featured on the new album, including Too $hort, Problem, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz, Soulja Boy, T.I., Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla $ign, Chris Brown, French Montana, Tyga, Bobby Schmurda, Freddie Gibbs and more. Production on the album is handled by Boi 1da, DJ Mustard, Nottz, Amadeus, League Of Starz, The Mekanics, Ocean And Nova, and more.
Girl Tears – Tension CD/LP (Slinderlyn)
This L.A.-based punk trio blaze through 12 catchy tracks, complete with hooks and no nonsense sentiments, all in land speed record breaking time.
Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire CD/LP (Daymare/Avalanche)
Justin K Brodrick’s first Godflesh release since 2001’s Hymns. Minimal, brutal, dissonant, driven by machines yet paradoxically dominated by organic & harsh down tuned guitars & bass, clean dub inflected vocals offset against harsh raging minimal shouts, & this is not to forget the worship of the omnipresent groove.
Greylag – Greylag CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
New album from the Portland folk rock trio. “Deep underneath their acoustic strumming and boot-stomping beats is heartfelt songwriting that’s seen more revisions than a dozen hands can count. The three men craft songs that lay comfortably between Band Of Horses and Fleet Foxes on songs like “Yours to Shake” and “Another.” Thanks to help from producer Phil Ek, they’re able to sonically match both bands’ roundedness, too” – Under The Gun Review. (Vinyl version pressed on gold wax.)
Grinder Blues – Grinder Blues CD (Megaforce)
The powerhouse trio teams King’s X legend dUg Pinnick with two gritty, hard rocking roots music MVPs, Jabo Bihlman on guitar and vocals and Scot Little Bihlman on drums, percussion and vocals. Their self-titled debut’s 10 original, high-voltage songs sizzle with daredevil virtuosity and rock with unrestrained energy, blasting a sound minted in the urban canyons of Chicago and the swamps of rural Louisiana during the 1950s into the present thanks to rumbling guitars, freight train rhythms and bass legend dUg Pinnick’s virtuoso licks and elegantly gritty rock & soul voice.
Sammy Hagar With Vic Johnson – Lite Roast CD (Mailboat)
“I realize that when I played my songs acoustically it made me sing different. It brought a new light to the lyrics that I’d written throughout my career,” says Sammy Hagar. For the first time in his career, Sammy Hagar releases an acoustic album of some of his well-known songs. Featuring 11 tracks, Sammy is joined by longtime band guitarist of the Waboritas, Vic Johnson, on guitar and vocals.
Hi Ho Silver, Away! – Chore CD/LP (It’s Alive)
Chore is an incredibly catchy melodic slant that exists despite the lack of any standard verse/chorus song structure or rhyming patterns. Deeply personal lyrical content delivered by urgent and pained vocals. Guitar fills the comforting airy space in every song with clear and determined intention. Bass rhythms alter between slow and steady and franticly spastic
Neil Holyoak – Rags Across The Sun CD/LP+MP3 (Epitonic)
Neil Holyoak is a Canadian-American musician, based in Montreal, originally from Los Angeles. His recent songwriting is influenced by Townes Van Zandt, French symbolist poetry, and the acoustic blues music of Mali. Lately he has been playing surrealist country songs with a band consisting of Tamara Sandor (bass & voice), Lewis Handford (drums), Michael Begin (pedal steel), and occasionally solo songs backed up by Tamara on vocals. “He’s another one for 2014 to put on your radar, evoking the ghost of Bon Iver, the soul of James Vincent McMorrow & the autumn chill of S. Carey.”— BBC.
Hoodie Allen – People Keep Talking CD (HAD/Hoodie Allen LLC)
Pulling inspiration from the likes of Justin Timberlake’s Future Sex/Love Sound and the throwback vibes of Mark Ronson, the production and melodies on People Keep Talking showcase 14 tracks of consistently catchy flows and feel-good beats. Highlights on the album include the whimsically catchy “Movie,” the anti-ex anthem “Dumb For You,” the fun, yet empowering “Act My Age” and the smooth, R&B-infused, “Won’t Mind.”
Hospital Job – The Believer CD/LP (It’s Alive)
A melody-heavy, power-driven pop punk album that rides the line between the contemporary mid west pop punk sound and indie rock style of decades past. At times it charges full force into your gut with relentless hooks, at others it infects on a more cerebral level with unexpected twists, turns, repeats and breaks.
House Of Lightning – Lightworker CD (Translation Loss)
From the mad genius mind of Henry Wilson (Floor) comes and almost uncategorizable yet positively spiritual incorporation of heavy metal, thrash, a bite of math, a sprinkle of prog, a pinch of 1984 and a dash of 5150.
Hal Hutchinson – Wreckage Installations & Metalworks CD (Crucial Blast)
Few contemporary noise artists have explored the sonic qualities of scrap metal to the extent that Hal Hutchinson has with his Factory Of Metal Sound aesthetic. The dense, brutally forceful metalscapes Hutchinson crafts follow a tradition of metal manipulation previously examined by Japanese noisician K2 and Canadian artist Alan Bloor (aka Knurl), but Hutchinson employs a unique approach to assembling and layering his recordings of chains, pipes, sheet metal, metal barrels, and other metallic objects being smashed and dragged and beaten.
Inter Arma – The Cavern CD/LP (Relapse)
The new album from Richmond, VA genre-destroying metallers shifts from Americana laced extreme metal to doom to stoner rock to prog, often within a single song.
Itasca – Unmoored By The Wind CD/LP (New Images)
New release from folk guitarist and songwriter Kayla Cohen aka Itasca. Where 2012’s Grace Riders On The Road reveled in homemade intimacy, Unmoored By The Wind opens to the world, reaching a timeless, near-baroque yearning; each of these 11 tracks burns with a unique vision. At once soft-spoken and virtuosic, Cohen’s mesmerizing finger-picking lays gauzy groundwork for vocal work more than ever before, though, Cohen’s confident singing is laid bare; vocals ride on top of arrangements, taking their rightful place in the forefront. The effect is arresting, while at the same time staying true to the seductive ghostliness that has come to characterize her sound.
Jessie J – Sweet Talker CD (Republic)
“Further training her sights on America, Jessie J has constructed Sweet Talker to fit a gap somewhere between Beyoncé and Pink. The latter is conjured up in ‘Masterpiece’ and ‘Said Too Much,’ which are heavy with pop-rock melodrama and strength-from-within ruminating; elsewhere, the brash R&B of ‘Burnin’ Up’ (listen for guest 2 Chainz being thoroughly upstaged) and ‘Seal Me With A Kiss’ (featuring De La Soul, who utter the word “bloke” as if it’s in a foreign language) will win over US radio programmers” – The Guardian. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund – Trust Fund/Joanna Gruesome LP/Cassette (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Their side of the split sees the Gruesomes (as they’re affectionately known by their massive legion of Japanese fans) stretching out sonically and emotionally. “Coffee Implosion” opens with the Big Black like abrasiveness before sweetly stomping all over the room. And “Satan (Desire Edition)” an alternate version of their album closer could fill a cathedral with its spiritual emptiness. Trust Fund isn’t nearly as well known, for now. But these kids bring all kinds of Flying Nun-ish mid-fi guitar pop with hints of bands like Swearin’, Sourpatch, and Big Soda seeping through.
Jawbreaker – 24 Hour Revenge Therapy [Reissue/1994] CD/LP+MP3 (Blackball)
One of the most popular and successful underground bands of the early-/mid-‘90s, California’s Jawbreaker melded raw vocals, a driving rhythm section and grinding guitar with complex song structures and literary lyrics, forging a distinctive style that has since, along with singer/guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach’s subsequent band Jets to Brazil, influenced a generation of independent music.
Olivia Jean – Bathtub Love Killings CD/LP (Third Man)
Bathtub Love Killings is the debut solo LP from the Olivia Jean, the multi-instrumentalist who cut her teeth in the Third Man stable backing folks as varied as Karen Elson, Wanda Jackson and Jack White in addition to fronting the much-loved Black Belles. Jean has accrued a lifetime of experience in a few short years, from highlight performances on The Colbert Report, Conan, Late Show With David Letterman and the Grand Old Opry stage to having one of her songs used as the theme for the television series Elvira s Movie Macabre.
Darius Jones – Oversoul Manual CD (Aum Fidelity)
The Oversoul Manual is an a cappella work comprised of 15 pieces performed by his vocal quartet, The Elizabeth-Caroline Unit (featuring the great vocal talents of Amirtha Kidambi, Sarah Martin, Jean-Carla Rodea, and Kristin Slipp). “One of the most impressive and unique voices of our time.” — All About Jazz
Cem Karaca – Nem Kaldi? [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
Cem Karaca announces his intent to slay all enemies of Istanbul’s leftist counterculture with stompin’ prog keyboards. Sophisticated and passionate, with flamboyant taste in sunglasses, Cem Karaca led Istanbul’s music fans through a period of violent political turmoil. Karaca reworked traditional folk lyrics with molten electric bass lines that played up both a poet’s broiling righteousness and also his listeners’ common ground with their elders in Turkey’s history. 1975’s Nem Kaldi? gathers more ‘60s-’70s singles that lead the listener through Karaca’s own musical history, skipping across various collaborations. Sink deeper into the intrigue both musical and otherwise as fractious personnel changes and real-life assassins multiply, yet the double-time drums and badass synthesizer schwings pound on.
Kayo Dot – Coffins On Io CD (The Flenser)
Led by founding member Toby Driver (Secret Chiefs 3), Kayo Dot emerged in 2002 from the ashes of Boston, MA, metal group Maudlin Of The Well. Since then, Driver has led Kayo Dot through lineup changes and stylistic shifts: from traditional metal, to atmospheric, avant-garde metal; and now with their new album Coffins on Io, to the bats-in-your-belfry hard rock of Sisters Of Mercy intersecting with Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Scritti Politti and early Roxy Music. Vinyl version due October 21.
Kele – Trick CD/LP (Lilac/Kobalt)
“Based off the strength of Kele Okereke’s first two singles – ‘Coasting’ and ‘Doubt’ – in anticipation of Trick, his sophomore solo outing apart from his boys in Bloc Party, one could surmise that Kele has been doing a wonderful job keeping up-to-date with the trends in the UK’s ever-evolving club scene. Trick, with its Burial-like tendencies and progressive electronic motifs, already seems like it blows away 2010’s The Boxer.” – Pretty Much Amazing
Kindness – Otherness CD/LP (Female Energy/Mom + Pop)
The second full-length solo release for Adam Bainbridge features guest appearances from Ade, Devonté Hynes, Kelela, M.Anifest, Robyn, and Tawiah. “Bainbridge reveals himself here not as an exhaustingly pseudy hipster but rather a songwriter of singular depth and emotion.” – Q Magazine
KMFDM – Our Time Will Come CD/LP (Metropolis)
KMFDM has always been able to bend the lines between techno innovation, punk snarl, and metal aggression, and now dance beats and crunching guitars will carry you through the manifesto that is Our Time Will Come.
Jennifer Knapp – Set Me Free CD (Righteous Babe)
While her transition away from Christian music and public coming out as a lesbian have made her a lightning rod for controversy, Set Me Free is a mainstream folk-rock album full not of anger but of love, with intimate arrangements providing the backdrop for stories of romance, friendship, and faith.
Mary Lambert – Heart On My Sleeve CD (Capitol)
New album from the singer/songwriter best known for composing and singing the hook on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ marriage equality anthem “Same Love.” Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
Last Ex – Last Ex CD/LP+MP3 (Constellation)
Last Ex is a new instrumental rock ensemble led by Simon Trottier and Olivier Fairfield, long active in Quebec’s experimental/punk scene, though perhaps best known as core members of Timber Timbre, which spawned the Last Ex project. With its combination of assured lyricism, cinematic guitars, dusky analog atmospherics and taut percussion, this is an instrumental rock album of superb compositional and melodic sensibility, balancing expressiveness and restraint, atmosphere and detail, bound by a highly original approach to production.
The Legendary Pink Dots – Asylum [Reissue/1985] CD (Jnana)
Digitally remastered edition of the post-apocalyptic goth band’s 1985 album includes one bonus track. The CD comes in a gatefold card sleeve with an eight-page booklet featuring new liner notes by Edward Ka-Spel as well as the only two photos of the group’s first lineup.
Little Big League – Tropical Jinx CD/LP (Run For Cover)
From the very start of Little Big League’s LP Tropical Jinx, it’s clear that there is nothing little about the band or their second full-length album. In fact, there is an unmistakable depth in these ten indie rock gems that makes each song fulfilling in a dozen different ways. The brutally honest lyrics of guitarist/vocalist Michelle Zauner are one of the album’s undeniable high points: The confessions and confrontations about dealing with family life, relationships and personal failures are both relatable and cathartic.
Locust – After The Rain CD/LP (Editions Mego)
Mark Van Hoen and Louis Sherman step away from the abstracted forms of previous works, presenting a more melodic/harmonic proposition.
Christian Lopez Band – Pilot CD (Blaster)
With one foot planted in the folksy, fiery twang of modern-day Americana and the other inching toward the rootsy rock & roll of early Sun Records hits, Christian Lopez is the sort of singer/songwriter who builds a bridge between the new and the old…and places his own music directly in the middle.
Raul Malo – Around The World Live CD (Fantasy)
Live album from the acclaimed singer/songwriter and former frontman for The Mavericks. The concert features Raul supported by an orchestra.
Loscil/Fieldhead – Fury & Hecla CD (Gizeh)
Although not a collaboration in the strictest sense, sounds were shared by each artist, allowing for a sort of aural infusion between the compositions.
Rob Mazurek – Return Of The Tides CD/2xLP (Cuneiform)
Chicago-based composer, improviser and multi-media artist Rob Mazurek has drawn inspiration from a multitude of audio and visual styles and sources over the past three decades. Augmenting his cornet playing with computer programming, electronics and an assortment of keyboards, Mazurek’s broad electro-acoustic palette defies simple categorization.
Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness – Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness CD (10 Spot/Vanguard)
Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness is the latest project from the Jack’s Mannequin/Something Corporate leader. Features the single “Cecilia And The Satellite.” Vinyl version due November 4.
Meatbodies – Meatbodies CD/LP (In the Red)
Debut from this band lead by Chad Ubovich of Fuzz and Mikal Cronin’s band. Loud, fast, wild – you’ve heard this all before but you haven’t because the Meatbodies are brand new and they’re going to dominate your eyes and ears and give you a bangover like you’ve never had before. While both of his other bands have kept him busy over the past few years, his mind was always on his own songs.
Meiko – Dear You CD (Fantasy)
The third full-length album from the famed singer/songwriter Meiko takes on a decidedly darker tone than her previous outings, creating a sparse soundscape that beautifully underscores her highly confessional tone and uniquely personal vocals.
The Melvins – Hold It In CD (Ipecac)
Hold It In is The Melvins’ first studio album as a quartet since 2010’s The Bride Screams Murder. Joining Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover for the 12-song outing are Butthole Surfers’ guitar player Paul Leary and bass player JD Pinkus. “Hold It In is a refreshing piece of fiction in a boring world of fact and bullsh*t” said Osborne. “Paul is one of the best guitar players I have ever heard and Pinkus has an outside the box type of approach to both guitar and bass that you just have to let it ride. I can’t believe this actually happened. I’m thrilled.”
Menace Ruine – Venus Armata CD (Profound Lore)
Fifth album from the Canadian dark ambient/experimental duo. Venus Armata is a trance-inducing mix of martial ambient, industrial, noise, classic goth, and neo-folk. Recommended for fans of Death In June, Prurient, Haxan Cloak, Pharmakon, The Body.
Hailu Mergia And The Walias – Tche Belew [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
The acclaimed and highly sought-after LP by Hailu Mergia And The Walias, Tche Belew, an album of instrumentals released in 1977, is perhaps the most seminal recording released in the aftermath of the 1974 revolution. The story of the Walias band is a critical chapter in Ethiopian popular music, taking place during a period of music industry flux and political complexity in the country. Hailu Mergia, a keyboardist and arranger diligently working the nightclub scene in Addis Ababa, formed the Walias in the early 1970s with a core group of musicians assembled from prior working bands.
Milky Chance – Sadnecessary CD/LP+MP3 (Republic)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Hailing from Kassel, Germany, Clemens & Phillip have been making music together since meeting in an 11th grade music class. The group describes their music as a “singer/songwriter spirit mixed with electronic beats. Somehow, it’s always a little bit melancholy, but there’s a positive spin.”
Kevin Morby – Still Life CD/LP+MP3 (Woodsist)
Still Life is the second solo album from Woods/Babies member Kevin Morby. The album’s title has several meanings. On the surface, it refers to Morby’s change in lifestyle that came with moving to Los Angeles from New York in August of 2013. But he also admits that the title is ironic. The songs were written during yet another period of tour and travel for Morby, as he spent almost all of 2013 on the road with Woods (with whom Morby parted ways amicably last year), The Babies (who are currently on hiatus) and as a solo artist. The album reflects both this time in transit and the quiet confines of his new home in Montecito Heights.
Museum Of Love – Museum Of Love CD/LP (DFA)
Museum Of Love is the musical project of Pat Mahoney (founding member of LCD Soundsystem) and Dennis McNany (Jee Day). Longtime friends in New York, McNany and Mahoney found a similar sensibility and a shared vocabulary for interpreting surroundings, something that began with their remix of “Battles My Machines” featuring Gary Numan and extended into their creation of a full-length record together.
Nico & Vinz – Black Star Elephant CD (WB)
Debut album from the African-Norwegian duo. Nico & Vinz are the artists behind “Am I Wrong,” the uplifting keep-on-dreaming song that went to #1 in multiple countries. Black Star Elephant features 13 tracks and seven interludes that pay homage to their parents’ nationalities.
Obliterations – Poison Everything CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Comprised of current and ex-members of Black Mountain, Saviours and Night Horse, Obliterations deliver a blazing blend of Poison Idea, Discharge, and Black Flag, set to a live show that willfully incites and encourages one’s aggressive tendencies to shine.
Occultation – Silence In The Ancestral House CD (Profound Lore)
Featuring Negative Plane guitarist E.M., Occultation crafts one of the strangest and most distinct sounds in dark metal today. With a distinct mix of prog, classic metal and ’80s goth, the Brooklyn, NY, trio’s sound is singular and intriguing.
OK Go – Hungry Ghosts CD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
OK Go’s fourth full-length LP in a 15-year career encompassing viral videos, Muppet collaborations, Grammys and a break-up with their major label, is a DIY release made with longtime cohort Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, MGMT, Weezer) and new producer Tony Hoffer (Phoenix, Beck). “This exuberant musical foursome has spent years honing their unique concoction of creative fantasy sounds, mixing quick-witted lyricism with playful melodies,” says Kick Kick Snare.
onYou – Ultimatum Photon A Sole CD/LP (Captcha)
Ultimatum Phonton A Sole is a very heady, ethereal and tribal record that veers to the darkside with mantric vocals, heavy guitar shredding and dual drumming. Skillfully traversing a massive ascent to the peak of the aside, summiting this album features onYou at the top of their game. Heads will tremble when this batch of psych gets mainlined.
Ozzy Osbourne – Memoirs Of A Madman CD/2xLP (Epic/Legacy)
Memoirs Of A Madman serves as a career-spanning compilation and features 17 of Osbourne’s greatest hits, remastered. Stand alone double-DVD version also available. (Vinyl version is available on HQ-180gm black wax, and as a picture-disc.)
Shuggie Otis – Live In Williamsburg CD (Cleopatra)
The first ever live album from the great R&B/blues guitar legend Shuggie Otis, recorded just last year at The Music Hall Of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York on Shuggie’s extremely well-received comeback tour.
Erlend Øye – Legao CD/LP (Bubbles)
New solo album from the Kings Of Convenience, Whitest Boy Alive member. Arranged and recorded with Icelandic reggae band Hjálmar.
Pharmakon – Bestial Burden CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
A harrowing collection of deeply personal industrial noise tracks, each one brimming with struggle and weighted with the intensity of Margaret Chardiet’s internal conflict.
Pig Destroyer – Mass & Volume CDEP (Relapse)
Two epic songs of crushing misanthropic doom recorded during the final hours of the Phantom Limb (2007) sessions.
Angaleena Presley – American Middle Class CD (Thirty Tigers)
If there’s a pedigree for a modern country music star, then Angaleena Presley fits all of the criteria: a coal miner’s daughter; native Beauty, Kentucky; a direct descendent of the original feuding McCoy’s; a one-time single mother; a graduate of both the school of hard knocks and college; a former cashier at both Wal-Mart and Winn-Dixie. Perhaps best of all the member of Platinum-selling Pistol Annies (with Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe) says she “doesn’t know how to not tell the truth.” Awesome.
The Primitives – Spin-O-Rama CD/LP (Elefant Spain)
New album from the classic British guitar pop band. Time hasn’t passed for this group, whose sound is just as fresh as ever and whose contagious melodies take us back to the end of the ’80s and beginning of the ’90s.
Revocation – Deathless CD/LP (Metal Blade)
New album from the Bostonian thrashers.
Rings Of Saturn – Lugal Ki En CD/LP (Unique Leader)
New album from Bay Area technical death metallers and self-proclaimed masters of “aliencore.”
Rosetta – Flies To Flame CD (Translation Loss)
New opus from Philadelphia’s reigning astral-kings of space-rock-metal.
Sanctuary – The Year The Sun Died CD/LP (Century Media)
Sanctuary offered something fresh sounding in the muddled world of ‘80s thrash. Almost 25 years later, they pick up where they left off, progressing and pushing the boundaries of metal.
Scar Symmetry – Singularity (Phase 1: Neo Humanity) CD (Nuclear Blast America)
The first part of a concept album trilogy from the Swedish melodic death metal band.
Bob Seger – Ride Out CD/LP (Capitol)
New album from Mr. Robert Clark Seger. “I feel really good about this record,” says Seger. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks.
Set It Off – Duality CD (Equal Vision)
Set It Off displays a more refined pop sound on Duality, offering the perfect blend of bright sing-alongs, inspiring anthems, and sinister breakup ballads.
Stars – No One Is Lost CD/2xLP (ATO)
“Whether playing string-infused melancholia or insistent dance-floor fodder, Stars’ members infuse their songs with the weariness and wisdom of someone who understands the realities behind our worst fears. Knowledge of death and disappointment and war lies barely concealed beneath even the most effervescent exterior of a Stars song. Still, there’s brightness — even cheer — to No One Is Lost, the Montreal band’s seventh album. Stars recorded it within earshot of a since-closed discotheque, and it shows: Singers Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell are both uniquely skilled at interrogating the loneliness that can fuel even the most raucous nightlife pursuits” – NPR. (Vinyl version pressed on neon color wax.)
The Swon Brothers – The Swon Brothers CD (Sony Nashville)
Honored with the Rising Star award by the Oklahoma Music Hall Of Fame, the Muskogee, OK, natives first hit the national radar charming fans with their incredible sibling harmonies and fun-loving personalities as finalists on Team Blake in Season 4 of NBC’s The Voice.
Today Is The Day – Animal Mother CD/LP (Southern Lord)
For two-and-a-half decades, TITD has woven Steve Austin’s prophetic observations and noise-soaked chaos through a psychedelic, unique and unmatched battery of heavy styles.
Useless Eaters – Bleeding Moon CD (Castle Face)
Seth Sutton has been ripping the shit out of terse Telecaster-sharp riffs and Devo-indebted angular rhythms with Useless Eaters since the dude was 18 years old. A young protégé of Jay Reatard, Sutton’s home-fried concoctions are sharp, corrosive mini-masterpieces that drive you to flick cigarettes and push strangers. Psycho-sexual, serrated vocals; thin, acidic guitars; rubbery bass and hot-to-tape traps lather the whole disc. Vinyl version due October 27.
U2 – Songs Of Innocence CD/2xCD/2xLP (Island)
A kind of musical autobiography, the eleven new songs chart their earliest influences from ‘70s rock and punk to early ‘80s electronica and soul. Songs Of Innocence was recorded in Dublin, London, New York and Los Angeles and is produced by Danger Mouse, along with Paul Epworth, Ryan Tedder, Declan Gaffney and Flood. The album closes with “The Troubles” featuring the distinctive vocals of Swedish indie singer-songwriter Lykke Li. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a five-track bonus CD. Vinyl version features the album across three sides of white wax with the bonus cut “Sleep Like A Baby Tonight (Alternative Perspective Mix By Tchad Blake)” on Side D.
Various Artists – American Avant-Garde in the 20th Century 2xCD (LTM)
Commencing with early pioneers Charles Ives and George Antheil (including the celebrated, Futuristic Ballet Mechanique of 1924), this chronological double disc collection also includes pieces by emigre arrivals in the New World such as Leo Ornstein, Dane Rudhyar and Edgard Varese, as well homegrown composers including Henry Cowell, Carl Ruggles and Roger Sessions.
Volunteer – Goner 10” (Forge Again)
Former members of Traitors, Forstella Ford, Gasoline Fight. RIYL: Unsane, The Melvins, Young Widow, Helmet, Jesus Lizard.
Walter TV – Appetite CD/LP (Sinderlyn)
The debut from Mac DeMarco’s back up band is full of outer space frenetic sounds.
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Unraveling CD/LP (FatCat)
Brimming with emotion and passion, this musically strong and assured album sees the unique and identifiable Jetpacks sound now grown and fully galvanized. Many of the lyrics within conjure the notion of a conflicted protagonist struggling to keep their life on course, while battling a creeping sense of uncertainty and impending doom. Unravelling is a captivating ride of tense excitement, pounding rhythm, huge walls of cavernous guitar and hyperborean beauty, all kept in check by the band’s gifted song writing skills.
Wild Beasts – Present Tense [Special Edition] 2xCD (Domino)
This special edition of Wild Beasts’ latest album Present Tense comes with a nine-track bonus disc of remixes, including the previously shared ones from The Field and Lone. Gleaming and sparkling with the most intense of 1980s and 1990s electronic sound rethought and retooled with exquisite detail for the 21st century, Present Tense doesn’t sound like any boys-with-guitars band you’ve ever heard.
Jen Wood – Wilderness CD/LP (New Granada/Radar Light)
Wilderness, the new album from indie songstress Jen Wood, is a powerful collection of 10 piano-based pop songs that showcase a refreshingly bolder and more vibrant voice, one that hasn’t been heard on her previous albums. Wilderness is rich in swells of beautiful soundscapes, gritty electronic melodies, and a haunting timbre that slowly moves throughout. “Lead single ‘Run With The Wild Ones’ is a sweeping, shoot-for-the-rafters sort of song that smartly blends electronic and organic elements in a way that reminds me of Band Of Horses gone chiptune. All that bombast is in service of Wood’s sentimental story about embracing a lifestyle that once seemed compatible with her feminist background. ” – Stereogum
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Lamb Of God – As The Palaces Burn 2xDVD (Epic)
As The Palaces Burn is a feature- length documentary that originally sought to follow Lamb Of God and their fans throughout the world, to demonstrate how music ties us together when we can’t find any other common bond. However, during the filming process in 2012, the story abruptly took a dramatic turn, bringing the band into a Kafkaesque nightmare, when lead singer Randy Blythe was arrested on charges of manslaughter, blamed for the death of one of their young fans in the Czech Republic.
Ozzy Osbourne – Memoirs Of A Madman 2xDVD (Epic/Legacy)
Memoirs Of A Madman is a definitive visual double-disc DVD that includes classic music videos along with unreleased and out-of-print live performances, plus interviews from his solo career and more. 270 minutes.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Lydia Ainsworth – Right From Real LP (Artutus)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Like a fever dream of Julia Holter merging with Grimes, Lydia Ainsworth’s future visions weave neoclassical flourishes and enchanted melody-mangles into cool ‘80s sound-beds.” — Dazed
Astral Social Club – Fountain Transmitter Medications LP+CD (VHF)
A boggling and super-fun 100+ minutes from Neil Campbell’s project delivers the head-on collision of classic UK electronic styles, electric grit and the future.
Ausmuteants – Order Of Operation LP (Goner)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Order Of Operation is nasty and free of juvenile bullsh!t, but still 100% Australian, and opens with guitarist Shaun Connor’s forehead and thigh-slapping musical and lyrical debut, “Freedom of Information.” From there, songs range from balls-to-the-wall punkers (“Felix Tried To Kill Himself,” “Boiling Point”), well-considered workouts (“Family Time,” “Tunnel Vision”) and unguarded tenderness (“Wrong,” “Looney Bin”).
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Atmos 2xLP (Kranky)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. A Winged Victory For The Sullen’s second full-length album sees the duo introduce flurries of electronics, harp and modular synthesizers to their sound in the follow up to the 2011 self-titled album. Composed for Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance Company (UK), which provided them with the inspiration to expand their sound palette into more electronic territory, whilst keeping their signature chamber sound, resulting in a very unique release. “An immersive, & inevitably cinematic, ambient gem.” — Mojo
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – Cheek To Cheek LP (Interscope)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Cheek To Cheek is a cross-generational project that combines the fire-power of two superstar talents in their respective areas coming together to create something completely fresh and exciting.
James Brown – Love Power Peace 3xLP (Sundazed)
James Brown’s magnum opus Love Power Peace is the sound of the Godfather and his youngblood J.B.’s (including Bootsy and Catfish Collins) electrifying a crazed Parisian audience on March 8, 1971. Sequenced and mixed by Brown himself for a planned triple album, the set was shelved when key band members departed before it could be issued. Here, for the first time, are the sides as intended, exactly as delivered by James Brown Productions to his label in 1971—a triple-LP set with each disc mastered from the original mixdown reels.
Otis Brown III – The Thought Of You 2xLP (Blue Note)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Drummer Otis Brown III – an invaluable sideman with the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Terence Blanchard, Somi, and others – makes his debut.
Bugskull – Collapsed View LP (Digitalis)
A whimsical summer excursion through jaded forests and crystalline tides, mutating gamelan-esque electronics into an ocean-side romp.
Cages – Vivipary LP (Black Dots)
Cages has existed in one form or another for a decade, growing into a cohesive and undefinable act. “Avant-garde post-noise” or “experimental neo-folk,” we’re not so sure. In lieu of descriptive precision, this music that verges on unclassifiable. Recorded in 2012 and lying dormant until now, Vivipary is the band’s defining output to date. As instrumentally alluring as it is aggressive, vocally haunting, and engaging, this record is an all-consuming listening experience.
Cancers – Fatten The Leeches LP (Dead Broke)
Debut album from this alt-rock band featuring former members of Unfun and Dead Dog. Fatten The Leeches was produced by Jack Endino.
Stelvio Cipriani – Concorde Affaire ’79 2xLP (Vombis)
Stelvio Cipriani’s soundtrack for Ruggero Deodato’s Concorde Affaire ’79 is a masterpiece, bringing together many diverse styles that the maestro perfected at his prime: propulsive motorik disco funk, epic soaring strings, smooth tropical jazz, ominous atmospheric industrial synthscapes, and more. This limited edition replicates the rare original Japanese release and adds a second LP with 15 bonus tracks, creating a complete and definitive release of Cipriani’s finest hour.
Civilized – Dust And Blood 7” (Youth Attack)
Denver straightedge hardcore band Civilized react violently to their environment with an all-out assault on their eight-song debut EP. This is bare bones hardcore delivered at its highest intensity, with singer Zach Reini’s ferocious delivery leading the offensive in a tour de force of rage and revenge. Those familiar with their Negative Reflection Demo will take note of their amped up aggression and now masterful execution of riffs, breakdowns, and tempo shifts that heretofore stand unparalleled. White vinyl.
Matthew Collings – Silence Is A Rhythm Too [2013] LP+MP3 (Denovali)
Matthew Collings – Splintered Instruments LP+MP3 (Denovali)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Matthew Collings is a Scotland-based composer. Not just a solo recording and live artist, he collaborates regularly with musicians from varying fields, including Dag Rosenqvist from Jasper, TX and Denovali labelmate Talvihorros. He is also responsible for several installations using custom-made software, which have been exhibited at Burning Man Festival in San Francisco and Glasgow’s Centre for Contemporary Arts. HQ-180gm.
Dilly Dally – Candy Mountain b/w Green 7″ (Fat Possum)
“Toronto four-piece Dilly Dally make grungy, aggressive music with accessible but not quite polished melodies, and are led by Katie Monks, a captivating frontwoman who paradoxically sounds both unhinged and lethargic as she slurs and haphazardly throws her voice around.” – Consequence Of Sound
Dasher – Soviet 7” (Suicide Squeeze)
The primitive urgency of early punk certainly pulses throughout Dasher’s catalog, as the deliberate squall of basement hardcore permeates throughout their latest offering.
Death – Symbolic LP (Metal Blade)
Vinyl repress of Death’s 1995 album (which was only in-print on wax for a short time in 2007).
Dr. Octagon – Dr. Octagonecologyst [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Geffen)
Dr. Octagonecologyst is the debut solo album of rapper Keith Thornton who is also known by his aliases as Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis, Dr. Ultra, Crazy Lou, Poppa Large and Kool Keith. Dr. Octagonecologyst introduces the character of Dr. Octagon, a homicidal, extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon. It’s hard to exaggerate the role that Dr. Octagon played in revitalizing underground hip-hop.
Erase Errata – Lost Weekend LP (Under The Sun)
New reunion album from post-punk experimentalists (who have past releases on Blast First, Kill Rock Stars).
Eternal Tapestry – Guru Overload LP+MP3 (Oaken Palace)
The Portland-based psych boulangers dedicate their full-length to the orangutan, with all profits donated to The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. Mastered by James Plotkin, recorded in a private cabin deep in the woods, Guru Overload strikes a balance between the freaked-out A World Out Of Time and the more laid-back Dawn In 2 Dimensions. The smooth flow combines exotic and new sounds with the best of krautrock and psychedelia. Red vinyl.
J Fernandez – Memorize Now 12” (Atelier Ciseaux)
“We’ve already heard singles ‘Cosmic Was’ and ‘Close Your Eyes’ in all their hazy splendor. Chicago baroque pop experimentalist J Fernandez is ready to unveil his new Memorize Now EP in its entirety. The jazzy, psychedelic six-song set feels like a winding voyage around an introvert’s wild imagination, tracing a series of looping pathways colored in many muted shades.” – Stereogum
Fistula – Vermin Prolificus LP (To Live A Lie)
Fistula plays evil, down-tuned sludge metal in the vein of 16 and Cattle Press and have remained active for 15+ years.
Stevie Floyd/Aerial Ruin – Split/Collaboration LP (Devout)
“Stevie Flyod of Dark Castle and Taurus collaborates with Erik Moggridge aka Aerial Ruin) of Old Grandad, Drift On A Curse and thrash metal band Epidemic. The music that they manage to conjure in this release has a distinctive ambient nature. On one hand Stevie Floyd is offering the more experimental vibe on her songs, relying on minimalistic structures and haunting atmospheres, while the Aerial Ruin tracks seem to be existing within the melancholic acoustic territory.”—Cvlt Nation
Function/Vatican Shadow – Games Have Rules 2xLP (Hospital Productions)
Function and Vatican Shadow have combined forces on Games Have Rules for Hospital Productions, simultaneously stripping back each producer’s more prevalent production elements—the dancefloor-focused techno structures of Function; the experimental cassette-roots of Vatican Shadow—to create an album of dynamic electronic ambient music, equal parts rhythmic and atmospheric.
Gang Starr – Daily Operation [Reissue/1992] LP (Virgin)
Guru continued to deliver intellectual hardcore, mixing deft rhymes with serious beatology while Premier mines the jazz vaults, uncovering some seriously dusty grooves, with which he concocts some of the best minimalist hip-hop to ever be committed to wax. This LP is part of the ”Respect The Classics” vinyl reissue series tribute to many of hip-hop’s finest. Packaged with a 3D lenticular cover treatment, giving the timeless cover art multiple layers of depth.
Generacion Suicida – Generacion Suicida LP (Going Underground)
Second 12″ from Generacion Suicida. “This time around the group (from South Central, not East L.A.) brings nine tracks of their sound. This is their sound, not some knock off, not some imitation, not a homage or retro dress up party… this is what the group does best. I’ll save any boring comparisons and you save yours. Jam it up super and see.”
Girls At Our Best – Pleasure [Reissue/1981] LP+12” (Optic Nerve)
Girls At Our Best were one of the finest, most life affirming of a new breed of independent bands who cropped up at the turn of the ’80s. Long-standing fan John Peel once referred to them as one of the few groups that made the period bearable. Limited double transparent yellow with pink red and blue splatter vinyl.
Guerilla Toss – 367 Equalizer LP (Feeding Tube)
367 Equalizer is a one-sided slab of belligerent art damage. The feel of this session is more tempered than that of their wigglesome debut LP, Jeffrey Johnson (as well as their second LP, which shall go nameless). The discordian elements of post-no-wave edge and Brooklyn basement glue party remain, but some of the looser jags have been hauled in and buffed like a fine pair of loafers. This is still definitely the sound of young people, but not in a way that grates on my old man’s sensibilities.
The Gun Club – Mother Juno [Reissue/1987] LP (Bang)
The Gun Club’s album Mother Juno has been remastered for a couple of CD reissues over the years, but it hasn’t been pressed on vinyl since its original release in 1987. Recorded in Berlin, the album was produced by Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. This remastered pressing includes the bonus cuts “Crab Dance” and “Nobody’s City,” which appeared on a 2005 CD reissue but weren’t on the original vinyl edition.
Jimi Hendrix – Rainbow Bridge (Original Motion Picture Sound Track) [Reissue/1971] LP (Sony Legacy)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. In late 1971, Rainbow Bridge premiered signature classics such as “Dolly Dagger” and further outlined the exciting new creative direction in which Hendrix had steered his music. The album was compiled and mixed by Hendrix’s longtime engineer Eddie Kramer and drummer Mitch Mitchell (with assistance on Rainbow Bridge from fellow Electric Lady Studios engineer John Jansen).
Institute – Salt 12” (Sacred Bones)
Institute stands at the center of a thriving punk scene in Austin, TX, and Sacred Bones Records proud to be releasing their Salt EP. We fell in love with this band as soon as we heard those early anarcho punk influenced demos, and then saw a blistering set from them in their hometown earlier this year. The Salt EP is as sharp as the band’s earlier work but suggests longer, more experimental forms and a more incisive lyrical perspective, dealing with topics from existentialism to Brown’s experience as a closeted youth.
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden [Reissue/1980] LP (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – Women In Uniform b/w Invasion [Reissue/1980] 7” (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – Sanctuary [Reissue/1980] 7” (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – Purgatory [Reissue/1981] 7” (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – Killers [Reissue/1981] LP (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – Twilight Zone b/w Wraithchild [Reissue/1981] 7” (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – The Number Of The Beast [Reissue/1982] LP (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills b/w Total Eclipse [Reissue/1982] 7” (Sanctuary)
Iron Maiden – The Number Of The Beast b/w Remember Tomorrow (Live) [Reissue/1982] 7” (Sanctuary)
First batch of HQ-180gm black vinyl reissues of the first eight Iron Maiden albums along with the 7” inch singles of each respective album. More due October 27.
Ivy – Ivy 12” (Katorga Works)
Delivering on the lo-fi promise of their demo, NYC’s Ivy presents their debut 12″, a cleaner and fuller representation of their brand of off-kilter hardcore punk that, no matter how hard they try to play it by-the-books, ends up being terribly unique and truly amazing.
The Jazz Epistles – Verse 1+ [Reissue/1960] LP (Adventures In Sound)
A collection of super-rare South African jazz. Includes selections from the Verse 1 album as well as other rare tracks recorded in 1959-1960.
Kikagaku Moyo – Kikagaku Moyo [2013] LP (Captcha)
Kikagaku Moyo – Mammatus Clouds [2014] LP (Captcha)
The name means Geometric Patterns in Japanese. This Tokyo band started channeling the spirits of the Japanese psychedelic underground in the summer of 2012, quickly developing the sound of ‘60s psychedelia to a breathtaking degree. Their debut album exerts an elemental power. Enlivening their sound with sitars, percussive drums, theremins, wind instruments and ethereal vocals, the band manages to sound powerfully spacious and lazily serene all at once. If you’ve dug bands like Amon Düül, Ghost, Can and the Flower Traveling Band, you should take a chance on Kikagaku Moyo. Pressed on splatter vinyl with 350gm foil stamped, reverse board jackets.
Freddy King – Bossa Nova & Blues [Reissue/1963] LP (Sundazed)
One of the Three Kings of blues guitar along with B.B. and Albert, Texas-born Freddy (Freddie) King influenced everyone from Eric Clapton and Peter Green in the UK to Jerry Garcia and Stevie Ray Vaughan in the States.
Kivel And Woulfe – Kive And Woulfe 12”+MP3 (Apollonian Sound)
Split 12” between Matt Kivel and Tim Woulfe. Four songs from Matt, three from Tim—all seven on the ambient/psychedelic edge of a knife.
Krill/LVL UP/Ovlov/Radiator Hospital – Four-Way Split 7″ (Double Double Whammy/Exploding In Sound)
A fatal-four way of gratifyingly noisy and fervid US slacker-rock.
LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (DFA)
LCD Soundsystem’s third album is back in print on vinyl. Musically inspired by late 1970’s David Bowie, This Is Happening also has artwork that directly references Bowie’s classic 1979 album Lodger.
Low Culture/Needles/ /Pins – Split 7” (Dirtnap)
Two great DIY punk bands together for an amazing split.
Manateees – Sit N Spin LP (Pelican Pow Wow)
Dark times call for dark music. Manateees are one of the most menacing punk bands around. And, their long-awaited debut LP is a brooding, nasty, desperate masterpiece. Manateees lay waste to all sunshine pop and “post-punk” with track after track of rage. This record is a nasty, cruel journey into distain. Loud, proud and mean as sh*t (except for the track about being bathed by owls, which is charming). Previous releases on Goner, Tic Tac Totally, Total Punk and Jackshack. “Like a roll of quarters to the face.”—Maximumrock’n’roll
Mogwai – Come On Die Young [Reissue/1999] 4xLP (Chemikal Underground)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Deluxe edition of Mogwai’s 1999 album expanded with over two hours of bonus material. “Mogwai’s second album, released in 1999, gets a reissue with a bounty of bonus material that includes demos and the Travels In Constants EP. On Come On Die Young, Mogwai went about becoming the most sullen, brooding post-rock band they could possibly be.” [BNR 8.3] – Pitchfork
Murmers – Bound LP (Dead Broke)
First official full length from members of Snuggle, Pipsqueak, No Hi-Fives To Bullsh*t, Black Hole Of Calcutta, Makai, Transient, and others. Mastered by Dave Edwardson of Neurosis.
Ora Iso – Bathcat LP (Ba Da Bing!)
Glorious noise by an Indonesian expat and a Modra guitarist, who traverse abstraction, melody, and fragmentation.
Poison Girls – Hex [Reissue/1979] 12” (Water Wing)
Poison Girls – Chappaquiddick Bridge [Reissue/1980] LP+7” (Water Wing)
Vinyl reissue of the first two releases by Poison Girls, originally released on Crass Records in in 1979 and 1980, recorded by Penny Rimbaud and John Loder. Spat out of the belly of the UK punk scene, the Poison Girls and Crass played 100 shows together in the span of three years, bonding on a conceptual and artistic approach to punk. A truly original debut LP , Chappaquiddick Bridge comes with a one-sided 7” single containing the anthem “Statement.”
Porches – Prism b/w Forgive 7″ (Terrible)
“Porches is Aaron Maine, a New York resident who makes spindly, idiosyncratic homemade pop music and who’s been putting out a steady stream of smaller releases for a minute now. He’s now linked up with Terrible Records, the label that Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor co-founded, to release two new songs on a 7” single. The A-side, ‘Prism,’ is a slippery and insinuating synthpop jam.” – Stereogum
Riff Raff – Neon Icon 2xLP (Mad Decent)
Released early last summer on CD – now available on vinyl. Neon Icon is Riff Raff’s long awaited 2014 debut album through Diplo’s label, Mad Decent. He’s been setting it up for two years. The album features collaborations with Mac Miller, Childish Gambino, Wiz Khalifa and many others.
John Schooley & Walter Daniels – Dead Mall Blues LP (12xU)
Walter Daniels and John Schooley have been shadowy figures in the rock & roll underground for a combined forty years. Daniels was mixing blues with punk rock as far back as 1992 with Austin, Texas combo Jack O’ Fire, alongside the Big Boys’ Tim Kerr. Schooley’s first release as a one man band was a lo-fi cassette recording released on 45 by Goner Records in 1996. Both have been mixing blues and roots music with punk rock and noise ever since. Schooley’s first band The Revelators toured with the now-legendary Oblivians, while Daniels recorded with that same Memphis trio on the Melissa’s Garage Revisited LP.
Slant 6 – Soda Pop Rip Off [Reissue/1993] LP+MP3 (Dischord)
Vinyl reissue of debut full-length from 1993. Red vinyl with download (includes the three songs from the “What Kind Of Monster Are You” single).
Chris Smith – Bad Orchestra [2007] LP (Hermit Hut)
Vinyl reissue of Chris Smith’s 2007 album. A maelstrom of expansive guitar abstractions, sound collage and full-out rocking.
The Smoke Clears – Listen [2013] LP (Further)
Smoke Clears is the new alias of Irish producer John Daly. The glistening IDM of “Star Shine” could be an outtake from Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 1985-1992 (it’s that gorgeous). The beautifully hoarfrost-y “Trace” evokes Seefeel’s forays into fusing shoegaze atmospheres with abstract electronic beat matrices.
Sonic Avenues – Sonic Avenues [Reissue/2009] LP (Dead Broke)
Deluxe edition remastered reissue of Sonic Avenues full length that’s been out of circulation since 2009. Includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks, available only with the LP. The band fembers of several Canadian punk/garage acts such as The Steve Adamyk Band and others.
The Stranger – Bleaklow [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (History Always Favors The Winners)
James Kirby (aka Leyland Kirby/V/Vm/The Caretaker) may be a man of many aliases, disguises, and shadows, but none is as overtly apocalyptic as The Stranger. This remastered vinyl edition of his 2008 album Bleaklow features new artwork by Ivan Seal (who has contributed his singular/unique and deceptively simplistic work to the majority of HAFTW releases).
Joe Jack Talcum – Home Recordings: 1993-99 LP/Cassette (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
For most people the idea of an intimate evening with Joe Jack Talcum playing songs in their living room sounds terrifying given the reputation of his better-known band The Dead Milkmen, but the appearance in 2011 of Home Recordings: 1984-90 revealed a sadder, more intimate side to a songwriter better known for his sense of humor. If that volume worked a kind of ‘Daniel Johnston-esqe’ vein, Home Recordings: 1993-99 contains a cosmos of emotion—from funeral marches to raveups, irreverence to lament—sometimes even in the same song.
Taurus – Life [2012] LP (Devout)
Taurus – No/Thing LP (Devout)
From Portland, Oregon come the ethereal vibrations of Taurus and their 2012 debut Life, an abstractly painted soundscape that can be summed up as subsonic doom metal heavily mixed with psychedelia and drone. No/Thing will also take you on a nightmarish doom/drone audio roller coaster of a journey. Paranoid screams and black mass rumblings will seep through you cranium delivering chilling avant doom/terrorscapes of suffering, agony and torment but where there is torment there is tranquility and No/Thing is a well balanced album exploring both aspects with each track blending together seamlessly.
The Terminals – Singles & Sundries LP (Ba Da Bing!)
A collection of rare ’90s singles from the New Zealand-based indie act. The Terminals are smack in the center of all that is great about New Zealand music. Members of the group have connections to The Renderers, Scorched Earth Policy, The Axemen, The Pin Group and Dadamah, and the list goes on from there. They bridge the gap between the free-form sprawl of their improvising peers and the melodic beauty of Flying Nun’s poppiest groups. The result is a ripcord of rock that sounds vital, intense and fomenting with menace. Collected here for the first time are the singles. Released throughout the 1990s, these songs are the band’s finest moments.
Paul Thorn – Too Blessed To Be Stressed LP (Perpetual Obscurity)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Too Blessed To Be Stressed stakes out new territory for the popular roots-rock songwriter and performer. ”In the past, I’ve told stories that were mostly inspired by my own life,” the former prizefighter and literal son of a preacher man offers. ”This time, I’ve written ten songs that express more universal truths, and I’ve done it with a purpose: to make people feel good.”
Throwing Muses – Purgatory/Paradise 2xLP/Cassette (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Released last November on CD with an accompanying book of lyrics/essay/artwork, Purgatory/Paradise won the band some of the best reviews of their illustrious career. Coming on the heels of Kristin Hersh’s Rat Girl, a stunning piece of literature, Purgatory/Paradise heralds a creative renaissance from one of the most unique artists in the history of rock. Hersh has always written with a cinematographer’s eye, the epitome of show & tell, and P/P is a masterpiece of detail. Sweaty and noirish, it unfolds like a film.
Tove Lo – Queen Of The Clouds 2xLP (Island)
Highly anticipated debut album from the Swedish songbird. Tove Lo first entered the pop arena earlier this year in March with the release of her critically acclaimed debut EP, Truth Serum, and widely appraised live performances at this 2014’s SXSW in Austin, TX.
United Nations – The Next Four Years LP (Temporary Residence)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Originally conceived as a frenetic side-project founded by members of Thursday, Glassjaw and Converge, United Nations membership and ideology have evolved into a full-time flagship for incendiary chaos. Their line-up overhauled to include members of acclaimed screamo group Pianos Become The Teeth, United Nations have become a perpetual lightning rod for controversy, confusion, and contempt. Blood red vinyl with black oil splatter.
Unwound – No Energy 3xLP (Numero Group)
As a robust rock underground got swallowed alive by the Major Label Industrial Complex, the very autonomous Unwound – Olympia, Washington’s Great Noise Hope – toed the troublesome line between pay check and Check Engine light. Captured in the gaps of a ruthless touring schedule, defining fourth and fifth albums The Future Of What and Repetition were issued in the back-to-back springs of 1995 and ’96. Both find the band severing their post-hardcore roots, for gripping detours into Echoplex, kraut, D&B, and Mingus, as guided by a sun-worn copy of Book Your Own F**kin’ Life.
Ukiah Drag – In The Reaper’s Quarters LP (Wharf Cat)
Recorded in a secularized Lutheran temple off the banks of the Hudson River, Ukiah Drag’s new LP In the Reaper’s Quarters (produced by the almighty Ben Greenberg) is a fine projection of basement rumination finding temptation in the halls of an ex-God. Straddling the church balcony, licking the scum off stained glass, crooked steeples refracting moonlight and blood…There is no erasure of the Satanic ego as the Drag moves onto new spiritual drippings.
Various Artists – Higher Ground 10” (Stag-O-Lee)
Eight wild and gritty gospel tunes with an R&B edge from the late ’50s/early ’60s. Compiled by Duke Jens-O-Matic of Jim Jam Gems fame. First in a new series. Artists include: The Voices Of Jordon, Juanita Johnson & The Gospel Tones, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Sister Wynona Carr, The Happyland Singers,The Chosen Gospel Singers, The Gospelaires, and The Swan Silvertones. Comes in a vintage-style brown 10″ cover (with hole) with a screenprint in gold on the front.
Various Artists – Peru Bravo: Funk Soul & Psych From Peru’s Radical Decade LP (Tiger’s Milk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Peru Bravo tells the whirlwind story of a culture in flux when, during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Lima boasted dozens of young bands full of ideas, spontaneous and unfazed by the instability in Peru. Featuring alternative heroes Traffic Sound and Laghonia alongside a selection of unheralded short-lived groups, Peru Bravo is a funk-fuelled ride through a radical decade.
Various Artists – Tav Falco’s Wild & Exotic World Of Musical Obscurities 2xLP (Stag-O-Lee)
Tav Falco, the Memphis legend (of Panther Burns fame) compiled 25 of his favorite tunes from ’50s rockabilly to tangos, waltzes and other wonderful obscurities. Songs he loves, songs he covered with Panther Burns, songs that influenced him, thus shedding much light upon the music that incessantly ignites Falco’s muse. Artists include: The Johnny Burnette Trio, Don Willis, Bobby Lee, Allen Page, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Jimmy Lloyd, Benny Joy, Alexander Princes, Bachicha Bianco, Anton Karas, Los Indios Tacunau, Carlos Di Sarli, Orchestra Juan D’Arienzo, Osvaldo Pugliese, Elmore James, Bobby Blue Bland, Chet Baker, Fred Buscaglione, Martin Denny, Dion & The Belmonts, Shorty Rogers, Charlie Feathers, and Alex Chilton.
Weed Hounds – Weed Hounds LP (Katorga)
Around five years in the making, Weed Hounds has finally completed their debut full length. This album perfectly captures their phenomenal blend of classic-era shoegaze and ’90s indie-pop ala the legendary Slumberland Records. Unlike a majority of their peers at the time, Weed Hounds was able to create something far more extraordinary than the usual, tepid nu-gaze or faux-twee pop that littered the indie world.
Whatever Brains – SSR-63/SSR-64 2xLP (Sorry State)
The latest in a long line of grand statements reaches new levels of epic. Not a conventional double LP, this is actually two separate EPs packaged as one. SSR-63 is a single 22-minute track spread across both sides of a 12″ EP. A series of linked compositions a la Venom’s “At War With Satan”, SSR-63 chronicles the plight of a Russian family who lived in complete isolation in Siberia for more than 40 years. SSR-64 continues to develop the band’s wide sonic palette, delivering the closest thing to pop that WB has ever created.
Xylouris White – Goats LP (Other Music)
Collaboration between Cretan lutenist George Zylouris and the post-punk Australian drummer Jim White (of the Dirty Three). Produced by Guy Picciotto of Fugazi, Goats brings together these varied and inspired personalities to create something undeniably fresh and new.
Wold – Post Social LP (Death Of Rave)
Released earlier this year on CD – now available on vinyl. One of the most bizarre and polarizing musical entities in extreme music returns with their fifth and most likely final full-length album, completing the circle they started many years ago from the barren wastelands of Saskatchewan, Canada. The five elongated tracks on Postsocial comprise some of the most intriguing work ever from blackened noise terrorists Wold. Residing on the alien fringes of the harsh black metal, noise and experimental realms, the band’s music is an intimidating yet transcendental barrage of unforgiving white noise steeped in occult and esoteric dogma.
Zodiac – Sonic Child LP (Prosthetic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “If you’re a fan of old-school prog rock or classical metal, this is right up your alley.” – Metal Injection
Cassettes:
Harriet Brown – New Era (Feel So Real)
Born in the air of paradise, Harriet Brown has descended from the heavens to join in on the wild rhythms of our Lady Earth. Come partake in his entry to this new world, and witness his paradisiacal sounds and sensual vibes. Synthesizers, drum machines, guitar, and brazen vocals are unified through the mind and body of one man, generating a sound in which the past becomes the future; Harriet Brown is creating a new kind of romantic funk.
Crayon – Brick Factory (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Born in the sleepy college town of Bellingham, Washington and influenced by the Northwest scene that had earlier spawned Beat Happening, Crayon took the burgeoning sound of twee pop and added punk elements. Between 1991–1994 Crayon released a handful of singles and one full-length album, Brick Factory.
Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund – Trust Fund/Joanna Gruesome (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Their side of the split sees the Gruesomes (as they’re affectionately known by their massive legion of Japanese fans) stretching out sonically and emotionally. “Coffee Implosion” opens with the Big Black like abrasiveness before sweetly stomping all over the room. And “Satan (Desire Edition)” an alternate version of their album closer could fill a cathedral with its spiritual emptiness. Trust Fund isn’t nearly as well known, for now. But these kids bring all kinds of Flying Nun-ish mid-fi guitar pop with hints of bands like Swearin’, Sourpatch, and Big Soda seeping through.
Joe Jack Talcum – Home Recordings: 1993-99 (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
For most people the idea of an intimate evening with Joe Jack Talcum playing songs in their living room sounds terrifying given the reputation of his better-known band The Dead Milkmen, but the appearance in 2011 of Home Recordings: 1984-90 revealed a sadder, more intimate side to a songwriter better known for his sense of humor. If that volume worked a kind of ‘Daniel Johnston-esqe’ vein, Home Recordings: 1993-99 contains a cosmos of emotion—from funeral marches to raveups, irreverence to lament—sometimes even in the same song.
Throwing Muses – Purgatory/Paradise (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
Released last November on CD with an accompanying book of lyrics/essay/artwork, Purgatory/Paradise won the band some of the best reviews of their illustrious career. Coming on the heels of Kristin Hersh’s Rat Girl, a stunning piece of literature, Purgatory/Paradise heralds a creative renaissance from one of the most unique artists in the history of rock. Hersh has always written with a cinematographer’s eye, the epitome of show & tell, and P/P is a masterpiece of detail. Sweaty and nourish, it unfolds like a film.
Books:
Rick Lopez – The William Parker Sessionography (AUM Fidelity)
A vast microcosm of one profound jazz musician that reveals a fully illuminated macrocosm of jazz from the early 1970s clear through to June 2014. A fully annotated and generously illustrated record of practically every time that William Parker has ever played a gig, with all and every ensemble, as band member and/or/and leader.
Noise In My Head: Voices From The Ugly Australian Underground (HoZac)
Documents the music, songwriting, aesthetics and struggles of 50 of Australia’s most innovative and significant bands and artists currently at the creative peak of their careers. Extremely personal and revealing interviews with bands like Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Royal Headache, UV Race, HTRK, and My Disco.
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