CDs + Vinyl:
Davie Allan & The Arrows – 50th Anniversary CD (Curb)
Davie Allan & The Arrows had their first hit in 1965 with Apache 65, and this album celebrates the 50 years of Davie Allan & The Arrows that followed.
ALO – Tangle Of Time CD/LP (Brushfire)
Jam-packed with freewheeling exuberance and deft songwriting, Tangle Of Time features tracks penned by each of the band’s four members who individually take stock in life, love, and family and combine their musings with a healthy dose of humor. A jubilant collection of songs that evoke the California cool of ‘70s pop/rock while embracing the in-the-moment improv that has propelled the band for almost two decades. Although there is a distinct songwriting voice that can be heard on each track, the band’s collective efforts string the album into an unmistakably ALO offering.
Amateur Best – The Gleaners CD/LP (Brille/PIAS)
Amateur Best is the alias of Birmingham-based “personal pop” musician, songwriter, and producer Joe Flory. Flory has come a long way since his beginnings making major label pop music as Primary 1. Following the release of No Thrills and tours of Europe playing drums with Chilly Gonzales & The Kaiser Quartett, Flory made a move from the bustle of London to his current home in Birmingham in order to hone his songwriting and production talents, perfecting a melodic, crystal clear style of vocal pop. It’s a style that draws on the electronica of Cassius’s Au Reve, the soundtrack work of Michael Nyman, the intricate layering of The Avalanches, and the experimental pop of David Sylvian and Ryuchi Sakamoto.
Aqua Nebula Oscillator – Friday The 13th CD (Cleopatra)
US debut from French funkadelic occult rock band.
Audiotopsy – Natural Causes CD (Napalm)
Former members of Mudvayne, Hellyeah and Skrape have joined to follow old instincts and at the same time create their own unique version of heavy modern sounds with Natural Causes.
Autre Ne Veut – Age Of Transparency CD/LP (Downtown)
“Along with artists like How To Dress Well and Holy Other, Autre Ne Veut makes music that’s sometimes categorized as ‘PBR&B,’ suggesting a point where indie pop (ironically) meets modern R&B. Autre Ne Veut’s Arthur Ashin uses R&B tropes in his music, but rather than soundtrack a romantic moment, the songs instead voice the anxious thoughts that surround love. So while most R&B singers prowl the register somewhere between a pillow-talk purr and a sultry croon, only scaling upward toward a voice-cracking, la petite mort falsetto for emphasis, Ashin has his voice begin on the other side of that crack.” – NPR
Avicii – Stories CD (Island)
Sophomore album from the Swedish DJ featuring guest appearances by Zac Brown Band, Chris Martin and Martin Garrix. Vinyl version due October 30.
Bad Company – Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy: The Very Best Of Bad Company CD (Atlantic)
This 19-track collection spans 1974 and 1982 and features many of group s best-loved songs remastered, including “Can’t Get Enough,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy.”
Bixiga 70 – III CD/LP (Glitterbeat)
There is no doubt that Bixiga 70 is one of the guiding voices of Brazil’s contemporary instrumental music scene and their new album III clearly demonstrates why.
The Black Lillies – Hard To Please CD/LP (Attack Monkey Productions)
The Black Lillies is a band for the ages, not the slick, soulless music that seems to get most of the radio airplay, but rich, rootsy tunes performed with as much heart as technical virtuosity. This commitment to authenticity has earned them accolades from outlets as diverse as Rolling Stone Magazine, who calls them one of the most buzzworthy new acts in country and Americana, and the Wall Street Journal, who praised their rootsy flair… a winsome hybrid traditional enough to appeal to an Opry crowd and expansive enough to ensnare a broader audience.
Black Tambourines – Freedom CD/LP (Easy Action)
Black Tambourines is grounded in the ethos of DIY production and scuzzy, distorted garage-rock, but with ragged grooves and a sun-kissed haze.
Blitzen Trapper – All Across This Land CD/LP+MP3 (Vagrant)
“Touted as a return to the “classic” sound of the band, which man will associate with the 2008 breakthrough Furr, Portland folk-rockers Blitzen Trapper release their eighth album All Across This Land. If ever there was an indication that the record promises to be a return to the sunny, riff-oriented classic rock sounds the band has excelled at for so long, it’s the title track. Tapping into the sun-dappled sounds of early-‘70s blues rock, classic Laurel Canyon rock, and of course the perpetual influence of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, ‘All Across This Land’ is a perfect balm for the dog days of summer, its breezy optimism reflected in the accompanying ‘visualette.’ It’s the kind of track you want to blast in the car with the windows rolled down.” – Pop Matters
Mal Blum – You Look A Lot Like Me CD (Don Giovanni)
In many ways, You Look A Lot Like Me is a mental health record, written when Mal was at a low point, and re-worked and polished at a high one. It turned out to be essential in helping get out of a dark period of depression and Mal Blum hopes others will connect with these songs on a similar, personal level. Vinyl version due October 16.
Joe Bonamassa – Live At Radio City Music Hall CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray (J&R Adventures)
In January 2015, Joe Bonamassa took the iconic Great Stage at Radio City Music Hall for the first time for a sold-out, two-night run that allowed him to fulfill his lifelong dream of performing in one of the world’s most legendary venues.
Born Ruffians – Ruff CD (Yep Roc)
Born Ruffians’ new album Ruff is a collection of scrubbed raw anthems that are defiantly optimistic, imaginatively arranged and performed with a sense of bloodlust. Over four albums, the group has developed a signature aesthetic that encompasses tightly wound, trapezoidal songs frothing over with hooks and wryly cathartic lyrics, garnering favorable comparisons to such quirky pop infiltrators as the Talking Heads, The Pixies and The Strokes. Vinyl version due October 30.
The Bottle Rockets – South Broadway Athletic Club CD/LP (Bloodshot)
The Bottle Rockets brand of populist, Midwestern, brawny rock ‘n’ roll is a sound so effortless, it’s easy to take their craft for granted; a sound so universal, yet unmistakably The Bottle Rockets. They’ve crushed rowdy Friday night crowds, convinced sitting audiences to get on their feet, and pulled weary festival onlookers across muddy fields to the front of the stage. With their 12th album, South Broadway Athletic Club, the quartet gives a master class in capturing the beauty of everyday life, and painting a portrait of ongoing hope.
Holly Bowling – Distillation Of A Dream: Music Of Phish Reimagined 2xCD (The Royal Potato Family)
Holly Bowling is a classically trained pianist who began playing piano at the age of five. There’s one major distinction, however, that separates her from other similarly studied musicians. That is Holly’s devotion to the legendary rock band Phish. Having attended over 300 shows by the Burlington-based quartet, she became obsessed by their famous rendition of “Tweezer” from Lake Tahoe on July 31, 2013. It led Holly to transcribe this 37-minute improvisational masterpiece note-for-note and arrange it for solo piano. The process, both painstaking and fulfilling, inspired her to transform other Phish songs and well-known live jams into solo piano interpretations.
Tamar Braxton – Calling All Lovers CD (Epic)
Tamar Braxton may steal the spotlight with giggle-provoking one-liners on reality shows Braxton Family Values and Tamar & Vince, but her music career is no joke. After bowing at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 2013’s Love And War, the 38-year-old returns with her third studio LP.
Brigitte – Bouche Que Veux-Tu CD (The End)
Brigitte — the platinum-selling female vocalist duo consisting of Aurélie Saada and Sylvie Hoarau — release their second album, A Bouche Que Veux-Tu (“Mouth Of Plenty”). The two singers personify the femme fatale with a unique, unclassified style, subtle whispers, and feline melodies that, when coupled with their often-matching, vintage costumes with high slits and curvy silhouettes, makes them the ultimate irresistible woman.
Childbirth – Women’s Rights CD (Suicide Squeeze)
Childbirth is a “supergroup” in the sense its members are all in other hit bands (Julia Shapiro of Chastity Belt, Bree McKenna of Tacocat, Stacy Peck of Pony Time) and also that they do good for the world while in costume. Their new album, Women’s Rights, is piss-your-pants funny — subject matter includes a trashy friend bringing coke to a baby shower (“Baby Bump”) characteristics that warrant an instant “swipe left” on Tinder (“Siri, Open Tinder”) and dating vapid IT douches (“Tech Bro.”). Vinyl due October 16.
Children Of Bodom – I Worship Chaos CD/CD+DVD (Nuclear Blast)
Ninth studio album by the Finnish melodic death metal band. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a ‘making of the album’ DVD and three cover songs by The Plasmatics, Amorphis and Kenny Loggins. Vinyl version due October 30.
The City – Now That Everything’s Been Said [Reissue/1968] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
We all know the Carole King who wrote some of the biggest hits of the ‘60s, from “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” to “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” via “The Locomotion” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” We also know the singer/songwriter behind Tapestry, the album that launched King as a solo singer in her own right. But in between and not nearly as well known is King’s band, The City, and their album, Now That Everything’s Been Said. Released in 1968, King says of the album “[We] expected it to zoom to the top of the charts within, at most, a few weeks. Individually and together, we optimistically imagined the album’s success as if it had already happened. Danny and Charlie kept telling each other, ‘It’s a great album. The City is gonna be Number 1 with a bullet!’” Listening now, you can feel the threads that lead to Tapestry and to the hugely successful performing career that followed. It’s not so much an oddity in King’s work as the missing link between her two lives.
Clutch – Psychic Warfare CD/LP (Weathermaker)
Clutch frontman Neil Fallon told the Metal Hammer Magazine Show that album title “Psychic Warfare is a lyric from the first track, ‘X-Ray Visions’. It’s about a guy holed up in a motel for unexplained reasons, and he’s under great duress, being attacked by psychically-empowered agents of unknown origin. At least, that’s the back story I have in my head.” According to Fallon, the “X-Ray Visions” lyrical concept was influenced by Philip K. Dick, the science fiction author whose 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (which was the basis for Blade Runner). Neil said: “[Dick’s] general philosophy and questions have always crept into my lyrics, because I share an interest in it. On Earth Rocker, ‘Crucial Velocity’ was definitely a Philip K. Dick song for me. On this record, ‘X-Ray Visions’ certainly is.” (Limited copies pressed on white vinyl.)
Collective Soul – See What You’ve Started By Continuing CD/LP (Vanguard)
The first 20-something years of Collective Soul produced more than a dozen Top 10 songs, nearly two-dozen videos, regular national television appearances, millions of records sold, and songs that hold a firm place in the hearts of all who attended high school in the ’90s (not to mention multiple spots on their portable playlists). And yet, frontman Ed Roland said the 2015 incarnation is the best version of Collective Soul. “I really think Collective Soul has grown,” he said. “If you look at our catalog of music, we’ve always tried little things here and there different. Never too crazy. But I’m proud of the history. I’m proud of the songs. I still think the best is yet to come. I think we’re better musicians. And, honestly, I think we’re a better band,” he continued. “If I could go back 20 years, this is the band I’d have. I mean, it’s good.”
Bart Crow – The Parade CD (Thirty Tigers)
Myriad spirits haunt Crow’s music — a choir of real American country in the fashion of Merle and Waylon, John Conlee, George Jones and Jerry Jeff Walker, razor-edged rock from Metallica, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, deep-fried Southern soul from Otis Redding and more.
Benjamin Damage – Obsidian CD2xLP+MP3 (50Weapons)
Obsidian is the third album from Benjamin Damage (his second solo long-player) and the end of an era for both himself and Berlin imprint 50Weapons. As the first artist (outside of Modeselektor) to release on the label, it’s apt that he delivers the last album on 50Weapons. Benjamin Damage himself states, “Obsidian is a collection of fragmented memories from all the music I’ve ever liked, distorted and restructured into a full length techno record. A purely personal project and an end of an era with 50Weapons.”
Darkstar – Foam Island CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)
Foam Island, the third studio LP from Darkstar, is a beautiful contemporary electronic pop album, dealing with powerful themes of ambition and hope against the odds in the 21st century. Following collaborations with the likes of Actress, Wild Beasts and Zomby, and taking cues from peers such as Jon Hopkins and Four Tet, it is an ambitious record, buzzing with the energy and excitement of all the possibilities inherent in electronic music in 2015. Yet it is also one which has been shaped by the prevailing social and political climate at this point in time. As such the record is in parts severe and beautiful; combining hard digital rhythms and live percussion with colorful synths treated vocals and enveloping compositions.
Deafheaven – New Bermuda CD/2xLP+MP3 (ANTI)
San Francisco’s Deafheaven found massive critical success when their 2013 album Sunbather was an unexpected crossover hit, earning the band a 92/100 Metacritic score and ending the year as the best reviewed album of 2013. No one could have anticipated a band that drew from equal parts Weakling and My Bloody Valentine ascending to such heights, and that incomprehensibility added to the band’s singularity and allure. Two years later, founding members George Clarke and Kerry McCoy began working on their ANTI debut, New Bermuda, with a new perspective. Says Clarke: “Sunbather yearned for something better. New Bermuda focuses on the idea of false promise, achieving something and wondering if it’s what you really wanted in the first place.” McCoy shares that sentiment: “Sunbather sounds like people who have nothing but are satisfied with life. There’s an uplifting quality to it. But New Bermuda is a very tense record.” McCoy cites death metal demigods Dissection and Morbid Angel, the blackened death pioneers Behemoth, and Cliff Burton-era Metallica as influences on the new album. (Limited copies on clear vinyl.)
Denner/Sherman – Satan’s Tomb CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Classic heavy metal style from Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, the original Danish guitar players of Mercyful Fate’s legendary Melissa and Don’t Break The Oath albums.
Dirty Ghosts – Let It Pretend CD (Last Gang)
“A sharp ear for pop songwriting is evident throughout Let It Pretend in the tight melodies and kick-ass hooks. The ferocity and experimental spirit of Dirty Ghosts’ Metal Moon remains, though, like a spark that jumps from song to song, ensuring that they never go cold or dull. ‘Every time I listen to this record in a car I catch myself speeding,’ Jeremy Gara of Arcade Fire said of the LP. Listening to the record, it’s easy to see how that could be a problem. Opening cut ‘Some Kids’ packs legit grooves; the title track slashes with angular guitars; and ‘Cataract,’ like the strong single that it is, dishes out smoky attitude at every turn. One run through the 10-track effort and you’re likely to find yourself racing down a deserted highway at 3 AM with no intention of turning back around” – Consequence Of Sound. Vinyl version due October 30.
Dog Fashion Disco – Ad Nauseum CD (Rotten)
The eighth and latest record from Baltimore’s devil-children. As with each of it’s predecessors, Ad Nauseaum is a fiery exclamation of cynicism, dark humor and universal truths. It is bullet proof and undeniably sustainable in the eye of it’s own hurricane.
Donato Dozzy – Loud Silence CD/LP (Further)
In April 2015, Donato Dozzy took a set of mouth harps to his parents’ house in the Italian countryside and set about exploring the possibilities of that most basic of instruments. The mouth harp had been calling to Donato Dozzy ever since childhood, and he had begun to see in this peculiar, ancient sound the roots of the music he’d been making and playing in clubs. The Loud Silence is the result of those explorations, an accompanied deep-dive into childhood memory, social history, and the roots of psychedelia.
Eagles Of Death Metal – Zipper Down CD/LP (T-Boy)
EODM aka Jesse Hughes (‘Boots Electric’) and Queens Of The Stone Age’s Joshua Homme (‘Baby Duck’), are back with their first new album in seven years. 11 tracks, including the hot lead single, “Complexity.” Recorded at Pink Duck Studios in Burbank, California, Hughes and Homme co-wrote all of the album’s songs (with the exception of their cover of Duran Duran’s “Save A Prayer”), and performed all of the instruments and vocals themselves. The album is produced by Homme.
Editors – In Dream CD/LP+MP3 (PIAS)
Editors’ fifth album In Dream was recorded in Scotland’s Western Highlands and self-produced by the band, and was mixed in London by Alan Moulder (Arctic Monkeys, My Bloody Valentine). It represents yet another shift in Editors creative world, and features guest vocals by Rachel Goswell (Slowdive). Permeated by atmospheric synths, dance club beats, stately keyboard runs and all manner of glitches and whirrs, along with the traditional guitar, bass, drums, and is an album driven, in frontman Tom Smith’s words, by a desire “to be both pop and experimental.” (Limited copies pressed on gold vinyl.)
Eïs – Bannstein CD/LP (Prophecy)
Dark, menacing black metal with classic Nordic riffs and majestic fury.
Electric Six – Bitch Don’t Let Me Die CD (Metropolis)
Electric Six’s eleventh album is steeped in themes of mortality, death, dis-corporation, and discoloration … all while it tries to convince you it is actually a work of art, and a labor of love.
Elephant9 and Reine Fiske – Silver Mountain CD/2xLP (Rune Grammofon)
Often cited as Norway’s best live band, surely quite rare for an instrumental band, Elephant9 are equally popular in jazz and rock circles. On this, their fourth studio album, Elephant9 once again join forces with Reine Fiske, the Swedish guitarist from Dungen and The Amazing, for an epic slice of mind-blowing modern rock ‘n’ jazz prog psychedelia.
Emilie & Ogden – 10 000 CD/LP (Secret City)
Debut album from Montreal singer/songwriter Emilie Kahn and with her harp, Ogden. “A divinely-picked collection of operatic music — 11 tracks of wistful, easy-to-listen-to but not easy listening folk, including the previously released title track and ‘What Happened.’ Kahn wears her broke heart on her sleeve for much of the album, and her lonesome lyrics shine just as bright as the pretty instrumentation she surrounds them with. These are songs about falling short and losing love and wanting — familiar emotions, but ones that feel right at home among Kahn’s grey tones.” – Stereogum
Essence – Prime CD (Spinefarm)
Essence – originally a Danish foursome with their roots in thrash metal and hatched in the nation’s capital Copenhagen in 2005 – are no newcomers in spite their young age. After 130 or so gigs and two studio albums plus an EP, the quartet now present their first outing on Spinefarm, signaling a new beginning, a new expression between punky rock energy and good old violent thrashing fun.
Express Rising – Fixed Rope CD/LP (Numero)
One-take ambient instrumental travels, composed in strict committee by the trio of Kevin Blagg, William Suran, and Dante Carfagna. Recorded spontaneously in rural Arkansas, bulging sub-woofers lope through fissures of skeletal banjo and pitched down pedal steel, while delicately arranged basins of synth and guitar reverberate, providing a steady stream of granular epiphanies. Utterly faded, yet still possessing crystalline clarity, these twelve songs continually attain summits rarely reached within the span of four-minute transmissions.
Falls – Omaha CD (Verve)
At a time when for most it would be the end of a relationship, for Sydney duo Falls it was just the beginning. Every Wednesday night for almost two years, Falls played at a little hotel in Sydney called the Hollywood. It’s there that they found their sound and where they wrote the songs that would become their debut EP Into The Fire. In this intimate setting, the connection between these two onstage was palpable. Their emotionally fueled live performances drawing rave reviews, with the Sydney Morning Herald noting “their voices sit next to each other like they’ve been pouring from the same pot of tea for years.” Having toured with The Lumineers, Passenger and Of Monsters And Men, Falls are fast developing an impressive live resume which also includes performances at Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, CMJ, Bumbershoot, Loufest, The Americana Music Festival and most recently Austin City Limits. With an unmistakable sound, barefoot collaborators and best friends Falls are gently making a name for themselves.
Fate’s Warning – A Pleasant Shade Of Gray [Reissue/1997] 3xCD+DVD (Metal Blade)
Deluxe reissue of the critically acclaimed 1997 album from the progressive metal legends. The second CD features a live version of the album recorded during the band’s 1998 European tour as well as a sound check recording of “We Only Say Goodbye” and a studio cover version of the Scorpions “In Trance.” The third CD in the package consists of demos from the pre-production and writing sessions for A Pleasant Shade Of Gray. Finally, the DVD portion of the set consists of two complete live performances of the album: the first is a restored and re-edited version of the band’s 1997 VHS release and the second was filmed at The Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, CA in 1998.
Craig Finn – Faith In The Future CD/LP+MP3 (PTKF/Partisan)
At times stark and spare, at other times vibrant and dynamic, Faith In The Future is Finn’s most compelling collection thus far, each song a powerfully alluring and subtly nuanced composition wedded to his distinctive short story narratives, which owe as much to authors such as John Cheever and Raymond Carver as they do any rock influences. Most of the material on Faith In The Future was written several years ago, around the time Finn s mother died, and while none of them directly address that loss, he insists the idea of transcending grief and finding redemption running through the album can be directly traced to that event.
First Division – Overworked & Underpaid CD (Slice Of Spice)
Boom bap hip-hop to the core featuring beats by Marco Polo (executive producer), DJ Premier, Kev Brown, Jake One, The Doppelgangaz, BeatWyze and guest appearances from Prince Po, Rah Digga, Torae, Hannibal Stax, and more.
Fit For An Autopsy – Absolute Hope, Absolute Hell CD/LP (E1)
Thinking man’s metal that doesn’t scrimp on the ferocity.
Fort Lean – Quiet Day CD/LP (Ooh La La)
Fort Lean released two early EPs, earning glowing reviews in The New York Times and shows with HAIM and Future Islands. Now comes Quiet Day, their debut LP on Ooh La La Records. The album is a collision of moods and tones, approachable and ambitious but delivered with a sideways subtlety “The title track rolls along with the force of a steamroller, flattening your mood into the gloomy, gray overtones of hanging out at home during a rainstorm. But alone time doesn’t necessarily have to be depressing, sometimes sitting with your thoughts at home is cathartic in its own hushed way. Clouded by angst and a prominent bassline, I’m also getting early Weezer vibes from how enjoyable their ennui is.” – Stereogum
Sullivan Fortner – Aria CD (Verve/Impulse!)
Sullivan Joseph Fortner Jr. is a New Orleans native who has already made a significant foray into the jazz world that belies his young age. While touring with Stefon Harris & Blackout, Christian Scott Quintet, and the Roy Hargrove Quintet, Sullivan completed his Master’s degree in Jazz Performance at Manhattan School of Music under the tutorage of Jason Moran, and Phil Markowitz. Aria is his debut recording.
For Today – Wake CD (Nuclear Blast)
New release from the Christian metalcore band from Sioux City, Iowa.
Kinky Friedman – The Loneliest Man I Ever Met CD (Avenue)
Filled with never-heard-before Kinky originals and covers of such artists as Tom Waits, Warren Zevon, and Willie Nelson, The Loneliest Man I Ever Met is all about Kinky’s ultimate ability to deliver much more than just a funny line or humorous tune.
Garbage – Garbage (Deluxe Edition) [Reissue/1995] 2xCD (Almo Sounds)
Garbage is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut record by releasing a special edition two-CD set of the album remastered from the original analog tapes. Originally released in 1995, Garbage achieved double platinum in multiple territories, reached top 10 charts worldwide, and received three Grammy Award Nominations including Best New Artist. The reissue includes the hits “I’m Only Happy When It Rains” and “Stupid Girl” as well as all G-sides released from 1995-1996.
Bryan Gillig – Cave Trilogy: A Barricade, A Tigress, A Shadow 3xLP (Feeding Tube)
“A few years back, Bryan Gillig was the frontman of the great Turners Falls, MA band, Loudville. Plans were broached for a record, but nothing ever worked out and Loudville quietly devolved into pumice. A while later, Feeding Tube’s Mr. Lee became enamored of a cassette of songs Bryan recorded in his car. Before anything could be done with that, however, Bryan reported back that he had recorded most of his repertoire under a bridge, by the banks of the Connecticut River in Turners. It was a lot of stuff, but it was fucking cool, so here ya go. Bryan’s songs are nearly open-form in spots, and sometimes push against the bounds of known völk traditions. In other places, his approach recalls bits by the early ’70s New England troubadour, Jaime Brockett. There are even points where his attack is reminiscent of Roky Erickson, circa The Holiday Inn Tapes. For an approach as minimal as Gillig’s, he manages a surprising amount of variety on Cave Trilogy. The vibe is akin to being invited to enter a van full of smoke, only to discover that a river runs through it. Quite amazing in a low-key kind of way. The three albums ebb and flow with a rhythm as natural as the watery backdrop for the recording session.”—Byron Coley
Girls Names – My Arms Around A Vision CD/LP (Tough Love)
Girls Names’ third album treads a course between Eno-era Roxy sleaze, Birthday Party dissonance and the repetition of The Fall.
GosT – Behemoth CD/LP (Blood Music)
“Have you ever wondered what an ‘80s rave in a haunted house/slasher film would sound like? GosT operates with a style of what’s called synthwave, but that’s a rather odd name for something that sounds straight from the ‘80s and John Carpenter’s films. (If you haven’t heard the other well-known synthwave group Perturbator yet, get on that pronto.) What’s quite impressive about Behemoth is how it never sounds dated, despite its obvious affinity towards ‘80s sounds and motifs. There’s a slight dubstep feel to some of the heavier sounds, and there’s a clear love of extreme metal hidden beneath the shiny synth work and bombastic bass.” – New Noise Magazine
John Grant – Grey Tickles, Black Pressure CD (Partisan)
Lyrically and musically, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure represents Grant’s most ambitious work, fusing lush strings and electronic influences with his singular wit and brutal candor. The album opens in an unsettling swirl of overlapping male voices repeating 1 Corinthians 13:4 in English and Icelandic before dissolving into fuzz, and closes with the same passage read clearly, this time by a young girl. In between, Grant’s depth and range are vividly present. “Voodoo Doll” is an ode to a depressed lover, drenched in bright synths and pulsing bass lines, while “Guess How I Know” is a bonafide hell-raiser, its snarling guitar licks layered with distortion as Grant sings about a toxic yet irresistible relationship. Title track “Grey Tickles, Black Pressure” blends swelling strings and choral harmonies with Grant’s darkly biting humor, as he tackles his HIV diagnosis with equal parts confusion and clarity (“I’m supposed to believe that there’s some guy who’ll take the pain away / There are children who have cancer, and so all bets are off / ‘Cause I can’t compete with that”). Vinyl due October 23.
Grape St. – Wallpaper CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
New album from Austin’s Grape St. Killer rock ‘n’ roll jams from Curtis O’Mara (formerly of Harlem).
The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble and Levon Eskenian – Komitas CD (ECM)
The Armenian Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble was founded by Levon Eskenian to play ethnographically authentic arrangements of the G.I. Gurdjieff/Thomas de Hartmann piano music. Their debut album on ECM, Music Of G.I. Gurdjieff, was widely acclaimed, and won an Edison Award as Album of the Year in 2012. Now Eskenian and his musicians turn their attention to the music of Vardapet Komitas (1869-1935). Composer, ethnomusicologist, arranger, singer and priest, Komitas is popularly held to be the founder of contemporary music in Armenia, and in his work as a collector he explored the connections that uniquely bind together Armenian sacred and secular music. With their special focus on folk instrumentation and inspired arrangements the Ensemble illuminates the deep roots of Komitas compositions in this program recorded in Lugano in February 2015.
Larry Gus – I Need New Eyes CD (DFA)
2013’s Years Not Living was a masterpiece of composition, pushing sampling to its limits within a conceptual framework provided by Life A User’s Manual, George Perec’s postmodern fiction masterpiece. I Need New Eyes treads familiar sonic ground to Larry Gus’ previous works — but his beatmaker percussion, shill falsetto vocals, and found sounds form a gestalt more concise and clear than ever. The references to literature continue — the title is based on a supposed quote by Proust, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” In spite of the of the heavy conceptual themes, there is a true jubilance to the sonics of the record. Twinkling synths and orchestral stabs mingle with handclaps and a thundering kick drum on All Graphs Explored, while funk guitars and endless layers of percussion and brass build around Larry’s bilingual vocals, climaxing in a double-timed drum solo. This is a record for fans of Caribou, Can, Panda Bear, and self-reflection. Vinyl version due October 16.
Tigran Hamasyan and Grigor G Pahlavuni – Luys i Luso CD (ECM)
Pianist Tigran Hamasyan’s ECM debut is an extraordinary exploration of Armenian sacred music. Hamasyan has selected hymns and sharakans (Armenia’s liturgical songs) as well as chants by Grigor Narekatsi, Nerses Shnorhali, Mesrop Mashtots, Mkhitar Ayrivanetsi, Grigor Pahlavuni, Komitas, and Makar Yekmalyan and arranged this selection for voices and piano. This is music of the 5th to 19th centuries, finding new and dramatic expression through Hamasyan’s improvisational imagination and the committed performances of Armenia’s leading choir. Luys i Luso (‘Light From The Light’) was recorded in Yerevan in October 2014, and produced by Manfred Eicher.
Helvetia – Dromomania CD (Joyful Noise)
Members of Duster, Built To Spill, Love As Laughter evoke the simplicity of ’70s Kinks, combined with a good dose of Captain Beefheart and the randomness of The Residents. Third-wave hardcore influences meld with elements of Neu-like trance rock. Vinyl due November 13.
Hoopdreams – Dark Summer CD/LP (Dymaxion Groove)
New release by this indie band featuring two members of indie psych pop band Nurses. Hoopdreams is the result of three multi-instrumentalists from the Pacific NW loosening their reins on traditional songwriting. Dub-influenced beats, layered vocals spanning multiple octaves of harmony, and mysterious electronic noises are explored to evoke vaguely familiar feelings of nostalgia that rest densely upon the human psyche. (Vinyl is a limited HQ-180gm picture disc.)
IAMX – Metanoia CD (Metropolis)
IAMX is the solo project of Chris Corner, founding member of electro/trip-hop band Sneaker Pimps. Like an electro glam soundtrack to a Jan Svankmajer film, Metanoia mixes Corner’s erotically charged, dynamic vocals with fresh, intricate electronic production, melancholia, and piercing lyrics.
Icarus Line – All Things Under Heaven CD (MRI Associated)
For their eight studio album, The Icarus Line has refined a sound they call ‘American Primitive.’ Recorded in Cardamone’s Studio Valley Recording Company in Burbank, the sessions “were very private and conducive to conjuring,” the frontman describes. “If you are lucky you can capture something before it dies.”
Indian Handcrafts – Creeps CD/LP+MP3 (Sargent)
“The last one was our ‘70s album, this is our ‘80s album,” jokes Indian Handcrafts drummer/vocalists Brandyn James Aikins. Although it’s an offhand generalization, there’s a good deal of accuracy to the jest. Throughout, Creeps pits elements of early Metallica’s dingy denim thrash, Judas Priest’s shiny leather turbo metal, Queens Of The Stone Age’s flannel-flying rock and even Creatures Of The Night-era Kiss’s glossy hard pop alongside the band’s signature amalgam of Death From Above 1979 style futuristic alt-rock and a cross section of blistering punk-sludge hallucinations.
Ironing Board Sam – Super Spirit CD/LP (Big Legal Mess)
“Legendary” (Billboard) soul man Ironing Board Sam—long lost for a time—has completed a comeback to the music world. He has played at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival earlier this year and Lincoln Center Out-Of-Door last year. The artist behind a series of in-demand 45s from that era, Sam was also a regular on 1960s soul TV program Night Train. For Super Spirit, Ironing Board Sam traveled to Producer Bruce Watson’s Dial Back Studio in Water Valley, Mississippi to record with guitarist and co-producer Jimbo Mathus, drummer Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), bassist Stu Cole (Squirrel Nut Zippers). Using Sam’s ‘60s and ‘70s singles as inspiration, Watson chose songs from the repertoires of Ann Peebles, The Gories, Jimbo Mathus, Jack Oblivian, Roy Hawkins, and more.
Janet Jackson – Unbreakable CD (Rhythm Nation/BMG Rights Management)
Jackson’s first new album since 2008’s Discipline features the singles “No Sleeep” (feat. J. Cole) and “The Great Forever,” as well as the Missy Elliott collaboration “Burnitup!” The overall themes of Unbreakable include Janet’s views on where we stand today as individuals and as the inter-related elements of a planet. Some of these relate to her convictions passionately expressed in Rhythm Nation 1814, including the need to bring things out in the open and to have a dialogue. The album also marks the first time Janet Jackson has opened up about her brother Michael and with reflections concerning her youth.
Joe Jackson – Fast Forward CD (Sharp Practice)
Fast Forward features four sets of four songs recorded in four different cities New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Amsterdam each with different supporting musicians, including Bill Frissell, Regina Carter, members of Galactic and Zuco103, and the 14-year old singer Mitchell Sink (from the Broadway musical Matilda). In addition to 14 new Jackson songs, the album features two covers (Television’s “See No Evil” and the classic German song “Good Bye Jonny”).
Jay Dee – Come On In Love [Reissue/1974] CD (Real Gone Music)
A lost classic of ‘70s soul. With production by Barry White, and seven of its nine songs written or co-written by the Walrus of Love, you’d think that this one-off release from Jay Dee was in reality all but a solo album from White. While Come On In Love sports the trademark lush orchestration (with arrangements by Gene Page) and funky rhythms that made Barry White a superstar during the ‘70s, the artist Jay Dee was, if not an equal partner, a worthy frontman.
The Jokers – Hurricane CD/LP (Steamhammer US)
“Ever felt so immersed into a tool of escapism where you don’t want to listen or watch anything else…at all? This is what Hurricane, the third studio album brought to you by British hard rock quartet The Jokers, gives to you. It’s a perfect hard rock record with joyous melodies infused with beautifully harmonized vocals and fluid guitar riffs.” – Metal Temple
SK Kakraba – Songs Of Paapieye CD (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
SK Kakraba is master of the gyil, Ghanaian xylophone made of 14 wooden slats strung across calabash gourd resonators. The buzzy rattle emitted with each note comes from the silk walls of spiders’ egg sacs stretched across holes in the gourds, called paapieye in Lobi language. The gyil’s earthy sound can be heard in parts of Upper West and Northern Regions of Ghana, as well as Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and beyond, where it goes by other names. The characteristic buzzing timbre might sound odd to foreign ears. But this distortion is just one of the beautifying sensibilities crucial to SK’s gyil music, which he learned as a child from elders in his Lobi community in the far northwest reaches of Ghana. Vinyl version due October 16.
Emily Kinney – This Is War CD (Independent Label Services, Inc.)
Emily Kinney is an actor and songwriter best known for her role as Beth on The Walking Dead. Her musical talents were prominently featured on the show, notably on a moving cover of Tom Waits’ “Hold On.” This Is War is her first album of original compositions.
Kylesa – Exhausting Fire CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Seventh album from the Savannah, Georgia groove metal outfit. Exhausting Fire provides a crowning example of the positive output that comes at the hands of Kylesa’s incendiary and powerful yet nuanced and colorful framework. Following on the heels of the challenging Ultraviolet (2013) and keeping this band’s tradition of artistic broad jumps that they have exhibited since forming in 2001, Exhausting Fire hurls even more rulebook pages out the tour van window. Kylesa further explore and incorporate psychedelic rock, new wave, space-age twangy Americana, ’80s goth and death rock into their pitch-thick DIY punk/metal roots. (Also available on limited color vinyl.)
Le Rex – Wild Man CD (Cuneiform)
Le Rex is a quintet from Switzerland consisting of two saxophonists, trombone, tuba and drums. The idea behind Le Rex was to create a very versatile, flexible, uncomplicated (therefore no electricity, no amplifiers) combo to highlight the musician’s common interests in music: groove, creativity, energy without lack of detail, exciting solos, openness combined with tight ensemble playing.
Loma Prieta – Self Portrait CD (Deathwish)
“Out of nowhere a couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon Loma Prieta’s song ‘Love.’ It starts with a few strummed chords that quickly give way to a snarling voice, guitars so fuzzed-out they bleed together into a pulse of noise, and heavy, urgent percussion. But in the midst of this, a thread of melody held strong, small and wiry, underneath the din. It struck me in a way a lot of heavy music does, and some cursory research revealed that Jack Shirley — a producer who is infamous in some circles for producing Deafheaven’s, similarly heavy and melodic Sunbather — was also behind the boards here. Even though I just discovered them, Loma Prieta are well-known in the Bay Area, and ‘Love’ is the lead single off the group’s fifth full-length album, Self Portrait” – Stereogum. Vinyl version due November 13.
The Lonely Wild – Chasing White Light CD (E1)
It’s difficult to write about death in a way that isn t morose or dispiriting. The subject, long turned over by artists of all kinds, is inherently sad. But on Chasing White Light, The Lonely Wild reflects on death in a way that is both accepting and uplifting. The album, which follows the Los Angeles group’s 2013 effort The Sun As It Comes, was born last year as frontman Andrew Carroll was faced with the death of his wife’s grandmother.
Malevolent Creation – Dead Man’s Path CD (Century Media)
Twelfth album from the Florida death metal veterans. Vinyl due October 16.
Matisyahu – Live At Stubbs Vol. III CD (Razor & Tie)
Recorded in March 2015, in two stripped-back, sit-down shows, Live At Stubbs Vol. III features new arrangements of Matisyahu’s early cuts from his first album, Shake Off The Dust… Arise, along with a selection of later favorites up through Akeda.
Keiko Matsui – Live In Tokyo CD+DVD (Shanachie)
For the very first time, the magic of Keiko Matsui’s live concert performance has been captured in this exciting CD/DVD. The iconic keyboardist/composer has been wowing audiences around the world. Billed as the “Soul Quest Tour,” Keiko’s dynamic performances have been filling concert halls and garnering standing ovations and rave reviews. On this magical night in Tokyo, fellow smooth jazz superstars Kirk Whalum, Chuck Loeb, and Tom Braxton joined Keiko.
Paul McCartney – Tug Of War [Reissue/1982] 2xCD/3xCD+DVD/2xLP (MPL/UMG)
Paul McCartney – Pipes Of Peace [Reissue/1983] 2xCD/2xCD+DVD/2xLP (MPL/UMG)
Tug Of War, originally released in 1982, is the third solo album by Paul McCartney. The album was produced by George Martin and includes numerous guest musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Carl Perkins, and Ringo Starr. McCartney’s fourth album, Pipes Of Peace, was also was
produced by George Martin and includes the hit single “Say Say Say,” a duet with Michael Jackson that stayed at #1 on the US Chart for 6 weeks. Both albums have been remastered at Abbey Road Studios as part of the ongoing Paul McCartney Archive Collection. Each features a bonus disc of previously unreleased and rare tracks. Deluxe editions of each are also available. Deluxe edition of Tug Of War adds the 2015 remix of the entire album as a third disc. Both feature a DVD of music videos, behind the scenes footage, and previously unreleased home videos as well as a 112-page essay book. Lastly, a limited Super Deluxe edition of Tug Of War is presented in expanded, acrylic slipcase packaging. Vinyl versions are HQ-180gm double-LP.
Jono McCleery – If Music Presents: Pagodes CD (Ninja Tune)
New album from the Rotterdam-based singer/songwriter, whose work has been compared to that of Miles Davis, Massive Attack, John Martyn, Fink, and Radiohead wrapped into one exquisitely produced sound. Vinyl version due October 16.
Mercury Rev – The Light In You CD/LP (Bella Union/PIAS)
The Light In You is Mercury Rev’s first new album since 2008’s Snowflake Midnight. Frontman Jonathan Donahue addressed the gap between albums in a press release: “It was one of those otherworldly life sequences, when everything you think is solid turns molten, but also, when something is worth saying, it can take a long time to say it, rather than just blurt it out.” On the title, Donahue said, “You can go as deep as you want with the title, on a metaphorical, spiritual level, or just poetic license. It’s the beacon that shines and allows us to see ourselves – and then there’s the music between Grasshopper and I, which is how we reflect each other. The arc of the album, lyrically, is someone who’s gone through an incredible period of turbulence, sadness and uncertainty, and as the album progresses, a light appears on the water.”
Monika – Secret In The Dark CD/LP (Other Music)
A blend of organic ‘70s-styled left field disco, ‘80s art-pop, and much more, Secret In The Dark is a distinctly New York album with a breezy Mediterranean heart. It’s soulful, arty, and a ton of fun.
Moon Taxi – Daybreaker CD/LP+MP3 (12th South Records, LLC)
Described as indie-progressive rock and alt-pop, Moon Taxi has enjoyed an upward trajectory into widespread popularity, particularly following the release of 2013’s Mountains Beaches Cities. Daybreaker is a result of a close collaboration between Moon Taxi and producer Jacquire King, who has previously worked with Tom Waits, Modest Mouse and Kings Of Leon.
Barbara Morganstern – Doppelstern CD/LP (Monika)
Dopplestern by German musician Barbara Morgenstern takes well written songs and sprinkles them with the stardust of krautrock, electronica and the danceability of pop music. Dopplestern is the seventh studio album by Morgenstern and follows 2012’s Sweet Silence. It is as awesome in the truest sense, like a sky full of stars. Collaborators include: T.Raumschmiere, Hauschka, Gudrun Gut, Justus Köhncke, Corey Dargel, Lucrecia Dalt, Julia Kent, Coppé, Tonia Reeh, Richard Davis, and Jacaszek.
Moving Panoramas – One CD/LP+MP3 (Modern Outsider)
Moving Panoramas is an all-gal dreamgaze trio from Austin, TX, comprised of Leslie Sisson (The Wooden Birds, Matt Pond PA), Rozie Castoe and Karen Skloss (Black Forrest Fire). One is the band’s debut album. “Simplicity is the biggest governing influence on Moving Panoramas. The Austin trio understands how to leave space for the listener. You instinctively lean into the sparseness, trying to tease out what makes the songs tick. One kicks off with not a bang so much as a spark, lighting the fire that burns slow and steady. The title-track opener takes its cues from bands like Galaxie 500, Low, or Cocteau Twins, delivering hooks through harmonies, atmosphere, and Sisson’s snaking guitar lines. The biggest draw, though, isn’t musical; it’s universal. ‘One is how we all came in / One is how we all will go / We all know one is the number we all fear the most,’ sings Sisson. The ingredients and the sentiment might be simple, but the outcome is disarmingly complex.” – NPR
Ms. John Soda – Loom CD (Morr Music)
A lot has changed since Ms. John Soda released their first 7” single in 1998, since Micha Acher (The Notwist, Tied & Tickled Trio, Alien Ensemble) joined Stefanie Boehm (Couch) and completed the creative nucleus of this band; day-to-day life indeed feels different in 2015, but the basic chemistry, the intricate balance of electronic and analog molecules that orbit this nucleus and thus, the resulting mood and vibe: they’re still recognizable, still undeniably Ms. John Soda.
Matt Nathanson – Show Me Your Fangs CD/LP (Vanguard)
Matt Nathanson’s new album Show Me Your Fangs his tenth studio recording delves deeper and further into the complexities and observations of everyday life than any of his previous albums. Songs such as “Giants,” “Bill Murray,” “Adrenaline,” “Washington State Fight Song,” and the title track tell vivid stories touching on the overall theme of self-identity and how we choose to reveal ourselves. These vignettes are all offered wrapped in richer, musical textures with Nathanson’s signature seductive hooks. In as much as these songs have a solemn message, leave it to Nathanson to offer the perfect counter balance with the sultry ‘70s soul groove of single “Gold In The Summertime.”
New Years Day – Malevolence CD (Another Record Co.)
New Years Day follow in the dark tradition of tragic high-drama and grand theatricality embodied by the hitchhiking ghosts of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, the churning emotional smolder of HIM, iconoclastic bombast of Alice Cooper and the savage flamboyance of Motionless In White. Gothic vampirism, heady fantasy and an adventurous spirit akin to Alice tripping through the looking glass swirl within New Years Day, led by the charismatic thunder of Ashley Costello.
The New Mastersounds – Made For Pleasure CD (The Royal Potato Family)
The New Mastersounds rank among the preeminent modern soul and funk bands of their time. Having started out in Leeds, UK, the quartet tour the globe regularly, bringing their hard-charging, delectably greasy jams to all corners of the globe with a rabid fan base that stretches from New York City to Tokyo, San Francisco to Amsterdam and all points in between.
Night Birds – Mutiny At Muscle Beach CD (Fat Wreck Chords)
An unrepentantly raw blast of punk rock that evokes the spirit of Adolescents, Dead Kennedys, Germs, D.I. and Circle Jerks, while further integrating modern influences and a healthy dose of passionate innovation. Vinyl due October 30.
Oscillator Bug – Busts Of The Million CD/LP (Dymaxion Groove)
This Chicago-based analog synthesizer melting psych pop artist is like a force of nature in the age of climate change: unpredictable. Borrowing from the revolution minded mass hallucinations of ‘60s psych as well as weirdo bedroom pop and several decades with of avant-garde synthesizer experimentalism, Oscillator Bug is a wild, infectious, and occasionally disturbing rendering of 21st century pop music. (Also available on electric yellow and orange splatter translucent vinyl.)
Ann Peebles – Greatest Hits CD (Fat Possum)
A diminutive singer with a powerful voice and an even stronger attitude, Ann Peebles was one of the artists who defined Willie Mitchell’s legendary Memphis soul label Hi Records, along with Al Green and, later, O.V. Wright. Easily the best female singer in the Hi stable, Peebles ranked among the finest deep Southern soul singers of the decade, notching an instant classic with her 1973 hit “I Can’t Stand The Rain.”
Promised Land Sound – For Use And Delight CD/LP (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Nashville’s finest purveyors of febrile root-work psychedelia return with a dizzyingly accomplished second album that highlights an expanded band (including members of the Paperhead and Fly Golden Eagle); bigger, bolder arrangements featuring more and louder guitars, squally strings, and Steve Gunn; and road-ripened songwriting that veers between the frenetic and tender, recalling Jim Ford, The Pretty Things, The Grateful Dead, Dennis Linde, and The Byrds at their most eight-miles-fried.
Pronto – Pronto CD/LP (Slovenly)
Slovenly Recordings presents a new black jewel in the rough from Australia: Melbourne scuzz squad Pronto, and their self-titled LP will steal your purse ‘n’ pills before kicking holes in your speakers. Pronto hits hard from the gate with a rare breed of aggression that mercilessly attacks your better senses with scraping vocal chords, three or less guitar chords and brash, unrelenting rhythmic f**kery.
Queensrÿche – Condition Hüman CD/2xLP (Century Media)
“Throughout its career, Queensrÿche has explored the human condition in its lyrics. The 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime told the fictional story of a junkie who becomes a political assassin in hopes of saving America, only to be betrayed by the revolutionary who promised him redemption. 1994’s deeply introspective Promised Land was fueled by the band’s disillusionment and confusion stemming from feeling unsatisfied after achieving commercial success. 2009’s American Soldier weighed the emotional difficulties experienced by personnel in the armed forces, like isolation, post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt. With such a history behind it, it’s not too surprising that Queensrÿche’s new album, Condition Human examines gritty aspects of the human experience, like enduring love, heartbreak, fury and bewilderment.
Spencer Radcliffe – Looking In CD/Cassette (Run For Cover)
Looking In, recorded in solitude at Queen Mary’s Lighthouse in Chicago, encompasses all corners of Radcliffe’s songwriting style, leaving no part of his sonic map uncovered. Guitars and carefully outlined drums accentuate his pop craft on tracks such as “Mia” and “Yankee.” Traditional songwriting methods come apart naturally elsewhere through tumbling Rhodes piano, modified electronics, and brass in disarray. The one instrument that stitches the album’s atypical patchwork together is Radcliffe’s voice, allowing listeners to draw up their own impressions of his often equivocal work. Vinyl due October 16.
Regis – Manbait CD/2xLP+MP3 (Blackest Ever Black)
Manbait is a survey of Regis’s 2010-’15 productions and remixes for Blackest Ever Black. In addition to three originals (in several different versions) and his celebrated remixes of Raime, Vatican Shadow, Ike Yard, and Dalhous, it features three previously unreleased tracks: a Regis take on a lost song by his own teenage synthesizer-punk group Family Sex, an alternate mix of Tropic Of Cancer’s “Plant Lilies At My Head,” and an edit of his own “Blinding Horses.”
Adam Rudolph and Go: Organic Guitar Orchestra – Turning Towards The Light CD (Cuneiform)
Since the 1970s, composer and master hand drummer Adam Rudolph has been pioneering new sounds in jazz and world music for decades. Rudolph explores the musical forms, languages, instrumentation, and cosmologies of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the African Diaspora, often through large ensembles. His compositions display unusual relationships that culminate into wildly imaginative and unexpected sonic universes. Yusef Lateef, Sam Rivers, Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Foday Musa Suso and Hassan Hakmoun are a few of his many collaborators, who have informed his broad aesthetic.
The Sheepdogs – Future Nostalgia CD/2xLP (Dine Alone)
“The Sheepdogs have always leaned pretty heavily on nostalgia. As if they were born four decades too late, the bearded Saskatoon rockers channel a throwback sound that makes their music slide effortlessly into any classic playlist already featuring acts like The Band, The Guess Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival or Lynyrd Skynyrd. It makes sense then that their fifth album (and the third since winning Rolling Stone’s contest to appear on the cover), is titled Future Nostalgia, as bringing the past into the present and beyond is clearly a key part of their existence. The new album features 18 tracks and incorporates everything from Southern rock to soul.” – CBC Music
Shopping – Why Choose CD (FatCat)
Shopping’s debut album Consumer Complaints drew a flurry of press for their spot on divining of post-punk’s driving force, dubbing them as a “band you need to hear” by NME and “Artist To Watch” by SPIN. The band evokes revered touchstones The Slits, Delta 5, Gang Of Four and ESG, though as Pitchfork reminds, “they never sound particularly dated or like a carbon-copy, a testament to the group’s songwriting abilities.” Rather, they embody the spirit of experimentation, social upheaval, (without becoming didactic) clashing gender politics and ethical change that defined their ‘70s counterparts and still ring true today. Vinyl version due October 16.
The Selector – Subculture CD (DMF/Vocaphone)
The Legendary 2-Tone band releases a new studio album, recorded and produced by Neil Pyzer and mixed by Prince Fatty (Hollie Cook, Lily Allen, Graham Coxon and Gregory Isaacs). Since re-forming a half-decade ago, The Selecter has become increasingly aware that their championing of 2-Tone, ska, reggae and soul is firmly rooted outside of today’s mainstream genres.
Separations – Dream Eater CD (Imagen)
Atlanta quintet Separations strikes a delicate balance between energetic heaviness and melodic hypnosis on their debut full-length.
Sevendust – Kill The Flaw CD (7Bros.)
Kill The Flaw is the eleventh album the alt-metallers. First single and album opener “Thank You” upholds the pillars of Sevendust’s signature style with a buoyant guitar groove, bombastic drums, and soulfully striking refrain.
Shantel – Viva Diaspora CD (Essay Recordings)
Cosmopolitan, globetrotter, paprika bambaataa, constantly in search of new sounds: Shantel gracefully turns pop-cultural clichés and conventionally-accepted genre-definitions upside-down. Viva Diaspora is strongly inspired by the creative anarchy of crisis-ridden Athens, Greece. Viva Diaspora has no intention of jumping onto the crossover-and-remix bandwagon. It is bold, risky, and self-assured; this is how acoustic, traditional, and Mediterranean songs sound today and this is how they can come into their own in a contemporary party context. Vinyl version due November 13.
Troye Sivan – Wild CDEP (Capitol)
A six track showcase of Troye’s musical vision: dark, infectious pop music at its most organic.
Summer Twins – Limbo CD/LP+MP3 (Burger)
Sisters Chelsea and Justine Brown weave together modern pop, ‘50s sock hop melodies and wild ‘60s garage rock, topped with dreamy harmonies and a tinge of sunny psychedelia. “Everyone knows a good indie rock song can be made even better with twee organ sound running through the whole thing,” said Austin Town Hall of single, ‘Demons.’”
Dan Terminus – The Wrath Of Code CD (Blood Music)
The Wrath Of Code “is pure sci-fi/horror retrosynth goodness and it deserves all your attention. If you need a late night pick me up, pop this on and be prepared to enter a pretty incredible world dominated by mental images of flying cars, spaceship battles, lasers flying everywhere, and all those other sci-fi goodies that we hold so dearly. Oh, and you better believe that there are dashes of horror thrown in there as well. As we know, a lot of sci-fi gets pretty terrifying. Just think of Aliens, Robocop, Terminator, etc. There are strong elements of horror in those films and this music captures that pretty damn effectively.” – Bloody Disgusting
Bryson Tiller – Trapsoul CD (RCA)
Louisville, Kentucky’s Bryson Tiller refers to his unique way of seamlessly moving between rap and breezy R&B crooning as “trap soul”—which is also the title of his new major label album.
Trivium – Silence In The Snow CD (Roadrunner)
The Florida metallers return with their seventh album. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds two bonus tracks.
Turkuaz – Digitonium CD (Techne)
Turkuaz is a Brooklyn-based pop-rock nonet that is redefining with their power-funk sound. Their intricately arranged songs are built on thick grooves, driven by a powerhouse rhythm section and interlaced with swirling guitar and synth lines. On top of this rock solid foundation, lyrical jabs and swells that serve as both subject matter and rhythmic reinforcement are delivered by four distinct vocalists, all framed by tight horn lines and punctuated with left hooks and right angles. Digitonium has more of a Peter Gabriel and Talking Heads feel and evokes the best of the ’80’s dance music. Upon close examination, the Dada-esque slurry of words and lyrical imagery reveals Digitonium to be a concept album at its core. Repeated phrases are intertwined throughout, and themes of empowerment and self-actualization, glimpsed in metaphors borrowed from Plato’s cave, a dystopian technological future and the archetypal characters of the myths of Avalon are developed through various tracks.
Erkki-Sven Tüür/Brett Dean/Tõnu Kaljuste/Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir/Tallinn Chamber Orchestra – Gesualdo CD (ECM)
This absorbing project finds Australian composer Brett Dean and Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür drawing inspiration in very different ways from the music, life and times of Carlo Gesualdo, and juxtaposes these reflections with Gesualdo’s own music. Deans Carlo (composed 1997) begins with pure Gesualdo from the 6th Book of Madrigals, then gradually enters a very 20th century sound-world. Through use of both sampled and real-time voices as well as increasingly intense strings Dean paints a hallucinatory picture of the Prince Of Verona’s state of mind as he is driven toward his violent crimes of passion.
Various Artists [Logan Sama] – FabricLive 83 CD (Fabric)
Logan Sama has been at grime’s forefront since the genre’s inception, helping the careers of Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, Skepta and hundreds more. Far from a traditional DJ mix, FabricLive 83 is an intricately curated album featuring contributions from luminaries and future stars of grime. Sixty-six MCs including Novelist, Meridian Dan and Ghetts, to name but a few, lay exclusive acapella bars over twenty-four expertly-mixed, brand new instrumentals from the likes of Wiley, Jme and Preditah. Vinyl version due November 13.
Various Artists – Excavated Shellac: Strings CD/LP (Dust-To-Digital)
Various Artists – Excavated Shellac: Reeds CD/LP (Dust-To-Digital)
Strings compiles mesmerizing performances from the four corners of the world played on stringed instruments and recorded and released on 78 rpm records circa 1920-1950. Featuring fiddles, shamisen, charango, Paraguyan harp, Indian vina, Lebanese oud, Persian violin, Vietnamese moon guitar, and more. The second volume in the Excavated Shellac release series, Reeds examines some of the most intense and hypnotic music set to disc during the early years of international recording, all featuring reed instruments.
Various Artists – Greater Manchester Punk 1977-81 CD/LP (Vinyl Revival)
Fourteen rare and previously unreleased punk and post punk tracks from the more obscure original Manchester bands of the time. The majority supported established acts such as the Buzzcocks and Joy Division and some went on to form legendary bands in later eras (Mike Joyce, The Hoax). In the spirit of the DIY ethos of the punk era, most were recorded in small studios and released in limited pressings and have become a must have for the discerning punk collector. Features tracks from V2, The Reporters, Elti-Fits, Pure Product, The Panik, The Enigma, Steroid Kiddies, The Hoax, The Critics, The Change, Armed Force, The Still, Fast Cars, and The Things.
Various Artists – R&B Hipshakers 4: Bossa Nova & Grits CD/10×7” (Vampisoul)
Fourth volume of the R&B Hipshakers series, featuring rockin’ R&B and early soul from the King and Federal catalogues. A compilation of tracks from 1953 to 1967 by essential artists such as Little Willie John, The 5 Royales, Little Esther, Wynonie Harris, Lula Reed, Freddy King… 20 terrific dance cuts selected by Mr. Fine Wine, from WFMU’s Downtown Soulville. Several titles reissued for the first time. ( The limited edition 7” box version set contains ten singles with replica King/Federal bags and labels.)
Various Artists – Soul Jazz Records Presents: 100% Dynamite! [Reissue/1998] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Digitally remastered expanded edition of Soul Jazz Records’ biggest ever selling release, 100% Dynamite! Ska, Soul, Rocksteady And Funk In Jamaica.
Various Artists – Trevor Jackson Presents: Science Fiction Dancehall Classics 2xCD/3xLP (On-U Sound)
A curated selection of classics, rarities and unreleased tracks from the On-U Sound vaults by DJ and audio/visual artist Trevor Jackson (aka Playgroup/Underdog), renowned for his Metal Dance compilations of industrial-dance on Strut Records, having worked with the like of LCD Soundsystem and Four Tet via his Output Recordings Label.
Wavves – V CD/LP+MP3 (WB)
“It’s fitting that Wavves release their new album, V, in the early days of fall, when lazy day-drunk weekends of summer already feel like a far-off memory. Nathan Williams’ brand of songwriting has followed a familiar pattern over the course of his career. His songs feel giddy, anxious, then elated, and he makes falling hard and fast into relationships and mischief sound worth it, even when it fills you with self-doubt and makes your head hurt. Like all of Wavves’ catalogue, V has a sunny exterior that blinds you from some Williams’ unease, which makes this a ridiculously fun album to listen to. It’s a pick-me-up that soothes the changing seasons and reminds you why life is worth living.” – Stereogum
Allison Weiss – New Love CD/LP+MP3 (SideOneDummy)
New album from Los Angeles (by way of Flowery Branch, Georgia) singer/songwriter Allison Weiss, known for writing folk-inspired pop-punk songs and a DIY ethic. (Limited quantities pressed on pink vinyl.)
Wild Child – Fools CD/LP (Dualtone)
Comprised of Kelsey on violin and vocals, Alexander on ukulele and vocals, Evan Magers on keyboards, Sadie Wolfe on cello, Chris D’Annunzio on bass, Drew Brunetti on drums, and Matt Bradshaw on trumpet, Wild Child has built a sprawling grassroots following on the strength of high-spirited live shows that feel like self-contained joy benders, along with two precocious albums. The group’s third album, Fools, is an ambitious collection of lush pop that takes sad stories and transforms them into an ebullient love letter to the power of music and the art of living with yourself. (Limited copies pressed on turquoise vinyl.)
Wild Throne – Harvest Of Darkness CD (Roadrunner)
“With elements in hardcore, metal, and prog-rock, Wild Throne are really pushing the boundaries of today’s scene.” – Metal Injection
The Winery Dogs – Hot Streak CD (Loud & Proud)
You know what they say: Familiarity breeds creativity. Just witness the aptly named Hot Streak, the supercharged follow-up to the self-titled rabidly rocking 2013 debut of the three-piece musical dynamo known as The Winery Dogs. Hot Streak shows the powerfully pedigreed trio’s initial burst of collective chemistry was no accident, from the sturm und headbang of “Captain Love” to the propulsive uplifting vibe of “The Bridge” to the introspective acoustic harmonic convergence of “Fire.” Vinyl version due November 13.
Witchsorrow – No Light Only Fire CD (Candlelight)
Third album from the UK doom metal band.
The Wood Brothers – Paradise CD/LP (Honey Jar)
Paradise is an album about longing and desire and the ways in which the pursuit of fulfillment can keep it perpetually out of our reach a concept showcased on the album cover in
the image of a mule and carrot. The album is the Wood Brothers most sophisticated work
to date and also their most rocking, with bassist Chris Wood playing electric on tracks for
the first time. Recorded at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye studio in Nashville, Paradise captures
the latest chapter in the ongoing evolution of a band and a family navigating the joy and challenges of a life in music.
Frank Zappa – Masked Turnip Cyclophony CD (United States Dist.)25 rare early ‘60s cuts of pre-Mothers Zappa.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Abominator – Evil Proclaimed LP (Hells Headbangers)
Released last April on CD – now available on vinyl. Legendary black/death heretics Abominator return from suspended animation with their highly-anticipated comeback album.
Alesana – Confessions LP (Revival)
Released last April on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the North Carolina rock & roll veterans.
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – Loon 12” (Erased Tapes)
Loon is a five-track EP that was recorded in autumn 2014 across five days at Nils’s Durton Studio in Berlin, and continues with the ambient sounds of Stare but with the addition of more percussive elements and dub influences. For Loon they wired the Oberheim 4 Voice and a Korg PS3100 to the patch bay/mixing desk and performed live takes. With all four hands on its pots, all mixes were recorded straight onto 2-track ½-inch tape.
Bassnectar – Into The Sun 2xLP (Amorphous)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On Into The Sun, Bassnectar delivers 16 new pieces of amorphous music — a diverse journey through sparkling melodic downtempo to shimmering hype music to mutated indie rock re-cuts to renegade deep house caught in a trap to blistering bass music explosions — plus a continuous mix bonus disc of all original songs and remixes entitled Mixtape 13. Double red and white color vinyl.
David Bowie – Space Oddity b/w Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud [Reissue/1969/1975] 7” (Rhino/Parlophone)
40th Anniversary picture disc. While the original 1969 issue on Philips gave Bowie his first Top 5 hit on the UK singles chart, and the 1973 US re-release reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973, it was the 1975 RCA reissue which furnished Bowie with his first ever UK #1 single.
Jackson Browne/David Lindley – Live At The Main Point 15th August 1973 2xLP (Echoes)
When Jackson Browne released his debut self-titled album in January of 1972, his acutely profound and disarming sincerity won him immediate critical acclaim. The 23-year-old singer/songwriter followed the album with his first promotional tour, stopping on August 15, 1973, at Philadelphia’s Main Point. This appearance, alongside David Lindley, was his second headline performance at the coffee house; his first appearance there was in November 1971, opening for Bonnie Raitt, with subsequent shows alongside Chris Smither and Mike d’Abo in 1972. Echoes is delighted to present the entire WBCN-FM radio broadcast of this exquisite 1973 performance from two of America’s finest songwriters and instrumentalists. Digitally remastered with detailed liner notes and photos.
The Butterscotch Cathedral – The Butterscotch Cathedral LP+MP3 (Trouble In Mind)
The Butterscotch Cathedral is the new psychedelic studio project from Matt Rendon (The Resonars, Lenguas Largas) with Chris Ayers and Jim Waters. Featuring three tracks total (side one is one 18-min sidelong track, and side two contains “Loud Heavy Sun” and the 17-minute suite “Lisa’s Dream”) the project is Rendon’s homage to the great ‘60s & ‘70s concept records from bands like The Who and The Beach Boys, both of whom Rendon cite as an influence.
Cheap Trick – Cheap Trick [Reissue/1977] LP (Epic)
Cheap Trick – Heaven Tonight [Reissue/1978] LP (Epic)
Cheap Trick – The Dream Police [Reissue/1979] LP (Epic)
HQ-180gm reissues of three classic and essential rock ‘n’ roll albums.
Damu The Fudgemunk – How It Should Sound 3 LP (Redefinition Sound)
Damu The Fudgemunk – How It Should Sound 4 LP (Redefinition Sound)
Damu The Fudgemunk – How It Should Sound 5 LP(Redefinition Sound)
This is instrumental hip-hop that stays true to it’s roots whilst building on tradition, the crack and pop of old vinyl nestled contentedly in layered compositions that knock, swing, and groove. Relax and enjoy: perhaps unsurprisingly, it sounds just like it should.
DJ Spinn – Off That Loud 12” (Hyperdub)
Debut EP from one of the founders of Chicago’s Teklife crew.
Dredd Foole – In Quest Of Tense [1994] LP (Feeding Tube)
First vinyl edition of the 1994 debut by Dredd Foole (Dan Ireton) — a masterpiece of weird, improvisation-based electric folk. Echo-soaked, massively-skronked, glossalalic to the point of no return, dealing in a form only previously mastered by Tim Buckley on Lorca and Blue Afternoon.
Family Of The Year – Family Of The Year LP+MP3 (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Recorded in Berlin and back home in Los Angeles, Family Of The Year’s new eponymous album delivers an exciting musical progression with a more electric sound than previous releases. The indie group gained notoriety with “Hero” from 2012’s Loma Vista and its featured appearance in the Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe winning film Boyhood. “With the success of ‘Hero,’ we knew that more people were going to hear the new album. We were all about moving forward and making something new. We didn’t try to make a reactionary record or try to recreate anything we’d done in the past, we just wrote the same way we always have. We went into the studio and recorded songs that were dear to us and pushed ourselves to make something that we love,” stated lead singer/guitarist Joe Keefe.
Peter Gabriel – 1 [Reissue/1977] 2xLP+MP3 (Real World)
Peter Gabriel – 2 [Reissue/1978] 2xLP+MP3 (Real World)
Peter Gabriel – 3 [Reissue/1980] 2xLP+MP3 (Real World)
Peter Gabriel – 4 [Reissue/1982] 2xLP+MP3 (Real World)
Limited numbered double HQ-180gm vinyl LP (half-speed remastered) pressings in gatefold sleeves, including download cards with a choice of hi-res 24-bit/96k or 16-bit/44.1k files.
Judy Garland – Miss Show Business [Reissue/1955] LP (Capitol)
Judy Garland – Judy At Carnegie Hall [Reissue/1961] 2xLP (Capitol)
Judy Garland/Liza Minelli – Live At The London Palladium [Reissue/1965] 2xLP (Capitol)
Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm in 1922. She was renowned for her vocals and attained international stardom which continued throughout a career that spanned more than 40 years as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on concert stages. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award and won a Golden Globe Award as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the remake of A Star Is Born and for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1961 film Judgment At Nuremberg.
Goat Semen – Ego Sum Sathana LP (Hells Headbangers)
Released last April on CD – now available on vinyl. At ground zero of the rebirth and resurgence of South American black/death at the dawn of the new millennium, these Peruvian devils delivered one of the most classic demos ever with their self-titled 2002 demo, which has seen countless re-editions in the past decade. Like a veritable travelogue across the history of South American metal barbarity the past three decades, Ego Sum Sathana surges and gnashes with all the hellfire and hatred the continent’s black/death is world renowned for.
Trevor Hall – Kala 2xLP (Vanguard/Concord Music Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Written in Hawaii and recorded in L.A., Kala marks the final chapter in a trilogy that chronicles Trevor’s spiritual and musical journey over the past few years. “Kala,” which means ‘time’ in Sanskrit, embodies the very essence of time, permeating in each of the album’s tracks.
(Hed)p.e. – Evolution LP (Pavement Music)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. (Hed)p.e. has their sights firmly set on the New World Order and they are using their brand of hardcore to bring it down. While early (Hed)p.e. albums found them mixed up in the rock & roll lifestyle, the group have been reborn to become the voice for a movement that empowers the youth and explores Secret World History, and at the same time promotes unity and political activism. Always pushing the envelope, (Hed)p.e.’s new album Evolution is built on heavy dark riffs and deep, solid grooves.
Horisont – Odyssey 2xLP (Rise Above)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Big of moustache and tight of trouser, Horisont drink from the bottomless wellspring of inspiration that’s been bubbling up through the layers of time since the birth of the blues – or Blue Oyster Cult at the very least. Theirs is a sound that harks back to the dawn of the ‘70s, when a new clutch of heads decided it was time to harsh the ‘60s hippies’ mellow and paint it black; those years when the twin spirit of hard rock and prog rose to redefine sound.
Rolfe Kent – Sideways [OST/2004] LP (Silva Screen)
Multi award-winning film Sideways was the surprise box office hit of 2004 and its story of two disillusioned forty-somethings on a wine infused road trip around California still holds a unique mixture of comedy and pathos. Rolfe Kent’s jazz inflected soundtrack accompanies them on their journey, its subtle lightness of touch the perfect accompaniment to their mid-life crises. Pressed on HQ-180gm burgundy vinyl.
B.B. King – United Western Recorders Hollywood LA, October 1 1972 LP (Hi Hat)
In the early 1970s, B.B. King was basking in the glow of crossover success, with his brand of soulful blues reaching all audiences, not just African-American ones. In this 75-minute radio broadcast from October 1, 1972, his stinging guitar runs through a mix of old and new classics, from his mid-’50s R&B hit “Everyday I Have The Blues” to Leon Russell’s “Hummingbird.”
Mark Lanegan – Houston Publishing Demos 2002 LP (Ipecac)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Houston Publishing Demos 2002 is a 12-track collection of primarily unreleased material. The album represents a unique stage of Lanegan’s solo work as his time with the Screaming Trees came to a close. Randall Jamail of Justice Records helped produce the album. A press release explains that the 12-song effort was, as the title implies, recorded back in 2002. It’s a significant time period for Lanegan, as this roughly lines up with the then-recent breakup of longtime band Screaming Trees. Though Lanegan had prepped solo albums in the early ’90s, a press release notes that these demos were made while “Lanegan was in the early years of his solo offerings.”
Le Club des Chats – Wat, Wat, Wat? 7” (Dymaxion Groove)
An amazing 4-song 7″ picture disc from this French glue wave collective featuring art by singer Maia Rogers.
Sam Lee & Friends – Fade In Time LP (The Nest Collective)
Released in June on CD – now available on vinyl. Nominated for the UK’s Mercury Music Prize for his debut album in 2012, Sam Lee is an outstanding singer and song collector. Lee is a 21st-century artist, collecting new versions of old songs on his iPhone and laptop, but his repertoire is full of history. He is the driving force behind the eclectic, award-winning folk club The Nest Collective, which has brought traditional music to new stages and venues, and founder of a burgeoning song collectors’ movement that inspires a new generation of performers to draw on living source singers. Impassioned and hugely ambitious in scope, The Fade In Time is a major statement from an artist and group extending the borders of their music beyond its national boundaries to encompass Bollywood beats, Polynesian textures and contemporary classical music.
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers – Live In 1967 2xLP (Forty Below)
Released in April on CD – now available on vinyl. In 1967, before there was a Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood were John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. The four musicians were only together for three months, which makes it even more remarkable that a staunch fan from Holland was able to sneak a one channel reel-to-reel tape recorder into five London clubs and capture this exciting glimpse into music history. For almost fifty years these tapes have remained unheard until John recently got them and began restoring them.
Menace Beach – Super Transporterreum LP+MP3 (Memphis Industries)
“A supergroup that features core members Ryan Needham (formerly of Komakino) and Liza Violet (of Department M) as well as a rotating line-up that has included Pulled Apart By Horses and Hookworms, the band’s sound is equally as eclectic, Super Transporterreum melding surf-pop and noisy punk atop a solid garage-rock foundation.” — Stereogum
Miaux – Above The High Rays LP (Feeding Tube)
“Miaux is the operating handle of Belgium’s Mia Price. Most of her prior recordings have been issued by Dennis Tyfus’ Ultra Eczema label, but after catching her set at 2014’s Bruismelk festival, Feeding Tube had to ‘have’ her new record. Unlike other known works, whereon Miaux is a mistress of elaborate keyboard shenanigans that border on the gothic, Above The High Rays brims with music of a very soundtrack-y nature. It mixes Neo-Eastern percussion symbiography with floating swathes of parachute color, all of it presumably birthed from Mia’s hands and keys. It’s easy to imagine a Jodorowksy carnival scene, shot like the opening of Welles’ Touch Of Evil, while this album spins. It is soaked with a haunted, lonely quality that touches the edges of mystery like a torch. Cover art and one side of etchings by Mr. Tyfus, himself. The tears you shed will be your own.”—Byron Coley
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra – Well Soon 10”+MP3/Cassette (Lauren)
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra – Overwhelmed And Underdressed 10”+MP3/Cassette (Lauren)
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra – Cliche Definitions Of Success 7”/Cassette (Lauren)
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra was formed as a loose collective by Walter, songwriter and wannabe cult leader. Being spread among the West Coast hasn’t stopped this band from creating instant classics, and doing lengthy tours that have runs with bands like Modern Baseball. Acoustic guitars, makeshift percussion, and lyrics that remind you how bad things are but for some reason leave you feeling better in the end.
Mocky – Key Change LP+MP3 (Heavy Sheet)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Performer, producer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Dominic Mocky Salole rose to prominence in the Berlin electronic scene of the mid-2000s, releasing three acclaimed solo albums, co-writing and producing classics like Jamie Lidell’s Multiply (2005) and Feist’s The Reminder (2007), and making waves on stage with close collaborators (and fellow Canadians) Peaches, Feist, and Chilly Gonzales. A critical favorite, his 2009 album Saskamodie was described by Pitchfork as an exceptionally musical album — there’s no other word for it — that could fail to seduce only the hardest of hearing, or the hardest of hearts. Key Change documents Mocky’s move from the musical community of Berlin to that of L.A., and reflects the city’s underground jazz and psychedelic scene.
Mono/Poly – Paramatma [2010] 2xLP (Hit & Run)
After two years of toiling, Mono/Poly debuted his first full-length release, Paramatma, in 2010. The album is a mix of dub-step beats, astral soundscapes, Eastern philosophy, metaphysics, and politics. Paramatma has a range of sound that is as cohesive as it is open to experimentation, and the album is less individual tracks and more elements of a musical journey.
Stephan O’Malley – Eternelle Idole 2xLP (Shelter Press)
On his latest release, drone-lord Stephen O’Malley utilizes modular synthesizers and programming as key elements for much of the composition, alongside eerie keyboard and piano phrases, clavichord, guitars, and field recordings. Three-sides of music on white vinyl.
Oingo Boingo – Dead Man’s Party [Reissue/1985] LP (Geffen)
Dead Man’s Party is the fifth album by Oingo Boingo, released in 1985 and produced by Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek. In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the album, it has been reissued on color vinyl, featuring “Weird Science,” which was written specifically for the film of the same name.
Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers – The Original Monster Mash [Reissue/1962] LP (Polydor)
The Original Monster Mash is considered a classic when it comes to Halloween music. It was recorded and released in late 1962, following the success of Pickett’s “Monster Mash” single. Purple vinyl.
Scientist – Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires LP (Dub Mir)
Rids The World Of The Curse Of The Vampires not only ably displays Scientist’s varied approach, but also clocks in as one of his best outings. Scientist keeps things lively with plenty of reverb and echo-treated percussion, ghostly piano parts, video game sound effects, and other wobbly interjections from the mixing board. The record’s expert evocation of the Halloween spirit also includes some fiendishly-voiced intros, the cover art’s cartoon potpourri of horror film characters, and the dubious claim made in the liner notes that Scientist mixed it all at midnight on Friday the 13th.
Shinobu – 10 Thermidor 10”+MP3 (Lauren)
Shinobu is a fantastic band that has been making a mess of indie rock (the Pavement-one, not the boring-dance-music one) for a decade and a half. Their latest release, 10 Thermidor, is an instant classic cloaked in freakouts, anxiety and darkness, simultaneously invigorating and terrifying. Features past/current members of Hard Girls, Bomb The Music Industry, Classics Of Love, Bruce Lee Band, and more.
Simbiosi – Elements 3×12” (Werkdisc/Ninja Tune)
Triple 12″ release is split into three sections — 14 tracks total. A perfect fit for fans of Actress or Helena Hauff.
Sly5thAve & The Clubcasa Chamber Orchestra – Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe b/w Get Free 7” (Kooyman)
Sly5thAve, the composer, arranger and producer is found re-working classics from Kendrick Lamar and Major Lazer on “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Get Free,” respectively. “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” the cult anthem from Kendrick’s debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, gets a full on, blown-out, orchestral horns revamp, sending Lamar’s original verses and melodies soaring through Sly’s brass and woodwinds.
Soundtrack – Alfred Hitchcock Presents Music To Be Murdered By [Reissue/1958] LP (Capitol)
When Alfred Hitchcock was at the peak of his popularity, thanks to his TV series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, someone came up with the wonderful idea of Hitch narrating an easy-listening album filled with black humor. Hitch provides his usual droll commentary while his musical director, Hollywood veteran Jeff Alexander, conducts creepy arrangements.
Soundtrack – Edward Scissorhands [Reissue/1990] LP (Geffen)
Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 American romantic dark fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The soundtrack is the fourth feature film collaboration between director Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman. In addition to Elfman’s music, three Tom Jones songs also appear.
Soundtrack – Weird Science [Reissue/1985] LP (Geffen)
Weird Science is a 1985 American teen comic science fiction film written and directed by John Hughes. The soundtrack is packed with new wave and post-punk gems from artists like Killing Joke, Wall Of Voodoo, The Lords Of The New Church, Kim Wilde, and OMD, providing the film with a bit of bite. The film’s theme song, “Weird Science,” was performed by Oingo Boingo and written by the band’s frontman Danny Elfman.
The Souljazz Orchestra – Resistance LP (Strut)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Canada’s Afro/Latin/Tropical collective, The Souljazz Orchestra, return with a powerhouse new album that sees the ensemble exploring some new sonic territory.
Sylvain The Librarian – Staff Only No Vikings LP (Dymaxion Groove)
Second release from Marseilles artist Sylvain Chuzeville (former frontman of Ex-Magnolia), incorporating melodica, vintage synths, and a variety of other instruments to create an enticing mix of ambience that all somehow works cohesively thanks to the songwriting brilliance and lack of pretension from the artist himself.
Teenage Time Killers – Greatest Hits Vol. 1 2xLP+CD (Rise)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The long-gestating brainchild of Corrosion Of Conformity founder/drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin, guitarist Mick Murphy (My Ruin, The Birds of Satan, Neanderthal) and producer John “Lou” Lousteau, Teenage Time Killers’ Greatest Hits Vol. 1 is 20 concise seismic shocks created by an all-star line up of punk and metal legends spanning decades. Joining Reed on drums and Mick on guitar on the album’s 20 mostly original tracks and few covers of underground classics (including the Rudimentary Peni deep cut that inspired the project’s title) includes: Jello Biafra, Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear of Foo Fighters, Nick Oliveri, Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Tommy Victor of Prong and Danzig, Lee Ving of Fear, Mike “IX” Williams of Eyehategod, Mullin’s Corrosion Of Conformity band mates Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman, Karl Agell and many more. Black and grey color vinyl.
Peter Tosh – Soon Come LP (Keyhole)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Digitally remastered reissue of 1979 concert featuring “Stepping Razor,” “Legalize It,” “Get Up Stand Up” and more.
Tuxedo – Tuxedo Remixes 12” (Stones Throw)
Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One’s collaborative album Tuxedo gets remixed by Kaytranada (Warp Records), Battlecat (legendary West Coast DJ) and Jean Tonique (France).
Voices From The Lake – Live At Maxxi 2xLP (Editions Mego)
A marvelous, organic live set of hypnotic, ambient techno that proves the outstanding and elegant craftsmanship of the pair’s renowned sonic sculpture work.
Warm Thoughts/The Exquisites – Split 7” (Lauren)
Formerly known as Dad Punchers, Elliot Babin of Touche Amores bedroom project turned band, Warm Thoughts gives us two songs in the style of RVIVR and The Weakerthans on this split with The Exquisites.
Kamasi Washington – The Epic 3xLP+MP3 (Brainfeeder)
“It is probably impossible to discuss Kamasi Washington’s new record—all three impressive hours of it—without copping to at least some awareness of two extra-musical truths. The first of these holds that, as a member of the studio wrecking crew that brought Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly into being, this saxophonist-composer is unusually well poised to secure the attention of listeners who have previously been uninterested in jazz. (This past spring’s celebration of all-things-TPAB was sufficiently strong that Billboard even published a well-reported piece that detailed exactly how Lamar’s album came to feature so many jazz figures, including Washington.)” [8.6/BNM] — Pitchfork
The Muddy Waters Blues Band – Live At Ebbets Field LP (Klondike)
Muddy Waters had only recently completed his Australasia tour, which had begun in late April and finished in Perth on May 11, 1973. He arrived just two days later in Vancouver before performing five dates at the Whiskey A Go Go in Los Angeles. He then made his way into a small downtown Denver nightclub called Ebbet’s Field for five shows. This recording is a milestone in vintage blues: a rare and exclusive performance from Mississippi giants Muddy Waters and B. B. King. Sharing the stage for one night only, this joint appearance from May 30, 1973, is finally available. Long considered to be a classic performance, but lost to time, this inspiring performance is presented in it’s entirety as originally broadcast on FM radio, with digitally remastered sound and background liners.
Byron Westbrook – Precipice LP+MP3 (Root Strata)
This is Westbrook’s first long-playing record under his given name, following years of work as Corridors. Precipice is a collection of approaches to texture, landscape, perception of time, and the potential for sound to generate visual space, expanding upon his immersive, multi-channel, site-specific live experiences.
Westkust – Junk EP 12” (Run For Cover)
Following the release of their debut LP Last Forever earlier this year, Westkust reissues their 2012 EP, Junk, as a limited 12”. These four tracks show off the band’s noisy, fast indie pop style in a looser, less refined fashion than on their full-length, but this raw sound is a reward for any listener. The songwriting of the band’s first release is still fascinatingly intricate: the expertly crafted vocal melodies of Gustav Andersson and Julia Bjernelind are a never-ending delight, only matched by the fuzzy, jangly guitar riffs and groovy bass lines you won’t be able to get out of your head.
Widespread Panic – Street Dogs LP (Vanguard)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Street Dogs is the twelfth studio album from Widespread Panic, and was the first to be entirely recorded live in the studio. The result is the most fun the veteran sextet has had making an album, which is apparent upon first listen. For almost 30 years, Widespread Panic has been known for their masterful improvisational style, but their core has always been built around songwriting. Incorporating a vast range of styles, Panic’s songs run the gamut from compelling narratives to poignant ballads to southern blues to progressive jazz and rock. Street Dogs is a testament to how a veteran band can remain vibrant, relevant and continue to progress.
Wilco – Random Name Generator b/w Bull Black Nova 7” (ANTI)
Limited green and white marble color vinyl single of Wilco’s “Random Name Generator” from Star Wars backed by a live acoustic version of Bull Black Nova. (Vinyl version of Star Wars is due October 13.)
Wiley x Zomby – Step 2001 12” (Big Dada)
British producer Zomby reworks the track “Step 21” from Wiley’s Snakes & Ladders release on Big Dada.
Johnny Winter/James Cotton/Muddy Waters – Boston Music Hal 1977 LP (Echoes)
At a point in time when Johnny Winter had only recently recovered from past addictions and blues giant Muddy Waters faced a decline in his career brought on by illness and the 1975 collapse of Chess Records, it was Steve Paul of Blue Sky who appeared as savior to both musicians. The results of his investment soon paid off and Winter’s childhood dream of playing alongside his hero Muddy Waters came to fruition on Waters’ 1977 comeback album Hard Again, a return to Waters’ original Chicago sound. It’s raw, expressive feel harkened back to his Chess Records days, and the outstanding musicianship and intimate exuberance exceeded all expectations, earning Waters a Grammy. The Hard Again tour combined the respected powerhouse of Waters, Winter, and James Cotton with musicians from the Hard Again sessions. This is the entire WBCN-FM broadcast of a performance at the Boston Music Hall recorded on that tour on February 26, 1977, digitally remastered, with in-depth liner notes and rare photos.
Winter Break – Winter Break 10” (Lauren/Asian Man)
Debut album from these former members of Summer Vacation. Somber yet snotty punk with an introspective bent, and lyrical themes of alienation, personal growth, and the strange experience that is life. Winter Break occupy a sonically unique space that will appeal to fans of both Recess Records and Top Shelf Records-style bands. Co-release with Asian Man Records. “In an era where many bands are reaching back and incorporating a second wave emo feel into their sound, Winter Break’s debut sounds like a forgotten classic from that era.” — Punk News (4.5/5 stars)
Yumi Zouma – Definitive Collection LP (Cacine)
Yumi Zouma’s career spans less than two years, counting a pair of EPs and a cover of Air France’s “It Feels Good To Be Around You” in their catalogue. Each EP has been critically and commercially successful, with the band going to #1 on Hype Machine four consecutive times, touring the world twice and selling-out runs of their vinyl records, often in preorder.
Cassettes:
Grape St. – Wallpaper (Burger)
New album from Austin’s Grape St. Killer rock ‘n’ roll jams from Curtis O’Mara (formerly of Harlem).
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra – Well Soon (Lauren)
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra – Overwhelmed And Underdressed (Lauren)
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra – Cliche Definitions Of Success (Lauren)
Walter Mitty & His Makeshift Orchestra was formed as a loose collective by Walter, songwriter and wannabe cult leader. Being spread among the West Coast hasn’t stopped this band from creating instant classics, and doing lengthy tours that have runs with bands like Modern Baseball. Acoustic guitars, makeshift percussion, and lyrics that remind you how bad things are but for some reason leave you feeling better in the end.
Spencer Radcliffe – Looking In (Run For Cover)
Looking In, recorded in solitude at Queen Mary’s Lighthouse in Chicago, encompasses all corners of Radcliffe’s songwriting style, leaving no part of his sonic map uncovered. Guitars and carefully outlined drums accentuate his pop craft on tracks such as “Mia” and “Yankee.” Traditional songwriting methods come apart naturally elsewhere through tumbling Rhodes piano, modified electronics, and brass in disarray. The one instrument that stitches the album’s atypical patchwork together is Radcliffe’s voice, allowing listeners to draw up their own impressions of his often equivocal work. Vinyl due October 16.
Screeching Weasel – Baby Fat: Act 1 (Lauren)
Act one of a rock opera by none other than Screeching Weasel. Featuring performances by Ben Weasel, Kat Spazzy, Blag Dahlia (Dwarves), Roger Lima, Chris Burrows, Todd Congelliere, Paul Collins, Joe Daiza, Line Dahlman, Zac Damon, Pierre Marche, Mike Hunchback, Poutine, Dave Klein, Chris Gaylor, The Manges, and more.
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