October Program Titles Released This Week:
Castlecomer – Castlecomer CD/LP (Concord)
Castlecomer’s self-titled debut is equal parts rock and roll abandon and meticulous pop craftsmanship. Chock full of contagious, arena-ready anthems, the album conjures up its own escapist world of young love and big dreams, all fueled by explosive guitars and hypnotizing grooves. Lead single “All Of The Noise” shimmers as it barrels forward, mixing thoughtful beauty with raw power, while “Move” pairs lead vocalist Bede Kennedy’s silky-smooth vocals with a disco-tinged arrangement that’s pure 1970’s joy. Castlecomer also offers the band a chance to show off the versatility that marks their exhilarating live shows, where punk snarl (“She Knows”) and stripped-back tenderness (“Leaving”) meet undeniable dancefloor jams (“Make Love Make Music”, “If I Could Be Like You”).
Cat Power – Wanderer CD/LP (Domino)
There are few voices more deeply embedded in the iconography and mythology of American indie rock than that of Chan Marshall. Under the musical nom de plume of Cat Power, Marshall has released music for nearly 25 years now and her prowess as a songwriter, a producer, and most notably – as a voice – has only grown more influential with time. Wanderer, Cat Power’s stunning tenth studio album, marks a pivotal moment in both Marshall’s life and her career. In the six years since the release of 2012’s Sun, she has traveled the world, given birth to a child, and parted ways with her previous record label. Even though it was, in many ways, a period of profound upheaval and radical change, those experiences resulted in a record that is arguably the most assured artistic statement of her career. Produced by Marshall and mixed by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck), the album includes appearances by longtime friends and compatriots, as well as guest vocals courtesy of recent tourmate Lana Del Rey. [Limited indie-exclusive clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Eric Church – Desperate Man CD/LP (EMI Nashville)
Country superstar Eric Church introduces his sixth studio album Desperate Man with the single of the same name. The upbeat track, flavored with Church’s usual rock influences, keyboard detail and a singalong motif, was produced by Jay Joyce and written by the singer with fellow artist and Texan music mainstay Ray Wylie Hubbard. Never satisfied with the status quo, Church constantly challenges himself as an artist and that’s certainly the case here. Desperate Man follows-up on the great success and acclaim of 2015’s Mr. Misunderstood, which won the CMA Award for Album of the Year and was certified platinum by the RIAA. “I look forward to seeing you on the road,” Church says. “I’m very proud of this album.”
Echo & The Bunnymen – The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon CD/2xLP+MP3 (BMG)
The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon sees Echo and the Bunnymen, still lead by the indomitable Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant, revisit their peerless back catalog to reinterpret 13 of their most beloved songs with strings and things. Recorded at The Dog House Studios with co-producer Andy Wright, The Bunnymen hand-picked the selection of tracks for the album from their majestic, four-decade spanning archive. McCulloch said of the new versions: “I’m not doing this for anyone else. I’m doing it as it’s important to me to make the songs better. I have to do it.” The first track, “Seven Seas”, was originally a Top 20 hit in 1984, the third single from their fourth studio album Ocean Rain. A couple of brand new tracks – “The Somnambulist” and “How Far?” – also accompany the rearranged classics. [Limited indie-exclusive luminous vinyl pressing also available.]
F**ked Up – Dose Your Dreams CD/2xLP+MP3 (Merge)
“I was sent an unfinished version of Dose Your Dreams so that I might contribute string parts. I couldn’t stop listening to the rough mixes I received. A friend asked me how the record was. I replied, ‘My God, F**ked Up have made their Screamadelica.’ And psych-rock-groove it is. The drums mixed wide, propensity for drones, for delay pedal, for repetition, groove. The politics and aesthetics of hardcore married to an “open format” approach to genre. Elements of doo-wop, krautrock, groove, digital hardcore. ‘None of Your Business Man’ opens the album in familiar enough territory, a sax-assisted exit from an office space. But things get psychedelic very quickly. By the time the title track arrives, Mike Haliechuk is whispering, wah pedals are in full effect, and we’re wearing oversized t-shirts and pinwheeling. ‘Accelerate’, the lyrical centerpiece of the album, storms in like Boredoms on a bullet train and dissolves into a digital nightmare. The album closer, ‘Joy Stops Time’, finds F**ked Up at their most Düsseldorfian, nearly eight minutes of blissful motorik. At the center of it all is Damian Abraham’s scream – a man chained, a man tortured, a true protagonist. The effect is one of an epic, every chapter attempting its own narrative devices, its own genre hybridization – and it works, it works so insanely well.” – Owen Pallett [Limited edition translucent yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party CD/LP (New West)
“Stardust Birthday Party is about human evolution. Specifically, one human’s evolution: mine, Ron Gallo. That’s the name my parents gave me. Hi. At one point, I was a very lost mid-twenties person living in Philadelphia, in a relationship with someone struggling with mental health issues and crippling heroin addiction. I was asleep. I didn’t know how to handle my life. I was also writing songs for Heavy Meta – my frustrated with humanity album. I laugh about it all now, but at the time it all felt like an absolute nightmare. It was the perfect doorway to look inside the place I’d been avoiding forever: myself. Stardust Birthday Party is about what is happening underneath all of this life stuff. My path inward. The details of my path are pointless because everyone’s path is different. It is about me sitting with myself for the first time and confronting the big question WHAT AM I, REALLY? It’s about the love and compassion for all things that enters when you find out you are nothing and everything.” – Ron Gallo
Will Hoge – My American Dream CD/LP (Edlo)
Will Hoge didn’t really need to release a new album in 2018. His most recent, Anchors, came out last August. He’d toured the United States and Europe, and could’ve settled in from there. But there was something he couldn’t stop thinking about: his children. Border police. Political corruption. Anti-intellectualism. Poverty. Gun control. A broken education system. Indifference to others’ suffering. Each of these things weighed on Hoge, and he confronts them all head-on in My American Dream.
Gregory Alan Isakov – Evening Machines CD/LP (Dualtone)
Recorded at a converted barn studio located on Isakov’s three-acre farm in Boulder County, CO, Evening Machines was self-produced and mixed by Tucker Martine (Neko Case, The Decemberists) and Andrew Berlin (Descendants, Rise Against). Since his debut in 2003, Isakov has self-released three full-length studio albums on his independent label, Suitcase Town Music, with over 370,000 in sales, and has toured extensively building a devoted worldwide audience. He has toured with artists including Iron & Wine, Ani DiFranco, Blind Pilot, Passenger, Josh Ritter, Brandi Carlile, and Nathaniel Rateliff, and since his debut with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in November 2013 has performed with symphonies across the country including the Seattle Symphony, the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Madeline Kenney – Perfect Shapes CD/LP+MP3 (Carpark)
In January of 2018, five months after the release of her debut album Night Night At The First Landing, Madeline Kenney traveled from Oakland, CA to the woods outside of Durham, NC to record her sophomore album with a new collaborator, Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner. Perfect Shapes marks Wasner’s first foray into producing another artist’s work and is permeated by the pair’s collaborative spirit. From the delightfully warped percussion on opening track “Overhead” to the burbling synths on the R&B-tinted “The Flavor Of The Fruit Tree” and the left-field trumpet solo in “Your Art”, their rich and inventive ideas echo Yo La Tengo’s everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mentality, as well as the surging soundscapes of Tame Impala and Wye Oak at their most impressionistic. Lead single “Cut Me Off” is a surprise of its own – the most pop-forward song Kenney has written yet. The dazzling arrangements form the perfect backdrop for the complex and open-ended questions at the core of Perfect Shapes – how do you love another when it hurts to do so? What is the physical limit to which one can carry the emotions of others? How does a modern female artist reckon with the expectations demanded of her femininity? Yet for all the notes of doubt and fear that Kenney raises, she delivers each song with confidence and nuance. “Bad Idea” finds her balancing fragility as foil; later, “I Went Home” manages to evoke both frustration and affection in a single breath.
Marcus King Band – The Carolina Confessions CD/LP (Fantasy/Concord)
At 22 years of age, Marcus King has been a bandleader for a decade and tipped as “music’s next great guitarist” by the Washington Post. But the band’s daring, ambitious new album, Carolina Confessions, marks an artistic leap of another order. Produced and mixed by Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell) and recorded at Nashville’s iconic RCA Studio A, it finds the band’s trademark musicianship buoyed by a new narrative depth, as Marcus delves into heavy themes: absolution, guilt, leaving home, yearning, love and other affairs of the soul. Carolina Confessions features ten brand-new songs, all written by Marcus except for “How Long”, which was co-written with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and veteran songwriter Pat McLaughlin. Whether it’s the searing rock exorcism of “Confessions” or the propulsive road-bound soul of “Where I’m Headed”, Marcus exhibits an almost Southern gothic sensibility in his songs, owning up to failed relationships, portraying his complex connection with his hometown, arraying a sprawling musical firmament in the process.
Andrianne Lenker – abysskiss CD/LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)
Adrianne Lenker has been writing songs since she was ten years old. Her “back story” has been well documented in various interviews and profiles for Big Thief over the last three years. Despite, or more likely because of the constant touring and studio work, the last few years have been some of the most prolific for Lenker as a writer. Songs pop out at soundcheck. They pop out on late night drives between cities. They pop out in green rooms, hotel stairwells, gardens, and kitchens around the world. In the hands of Lenker songwriting is not an old dead craft. It is alive. It is vital. With little regard for standard album cycle practice or the idea of resting at all, Lenker set out to make a document. Songs can be slippery and following a 2+ years on the road with Big Thief, Lenker felt a growing need to document this particular time in her life in an intimate, immediate way. The result is her new album, abysskiss. [Limited glow-in-the-dark vinyl pressing also available.]
Mozzy – Gangland Landlord CD (Mozzy Records)
New release from the Sacramento hip-hop artist. Checking in at 18 songs, Gangland Landlord includes features from ScHoolboy Q, YG, Ty Dolla $ign, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, YFN Lucci, Trae Tha Truth, Yhung T.O., Blac Youngsta, Yo Gotti and many others. “The first single, ‘Not Impressive’, updates Luniz’s airy West Coast rap classic “I Got 5 On It”, leaning on the same eerie synth line but channeling it into a Bay Area stomper complete with a pounding piano riff and jittery snares. In many ways, ‘Not Impressive’ is a Mozzy manifesto: He’s both frigid and warm about a life in the streets, stretched thin trying to find a balance. A hopeful line about watching his daughters ‘blossom’ sits right next to one anxious about spending life in prison; then he also sneers about his cars (‘bought a Maserati truck just to send a message’) and threatens violence. That duality between love and conflict is what makes Mozzy’s rap so poignant, and this newest tale of street survival is among his most potent.” — Pitchfork
Matt Nathanson – Sings His Sad Heart CD (Acrobat)
Whoever thinks that the dog days of summer are for chillin’ by the pool needs to have a chat with San Francisco native son Matt Nathanson. The beloved singer/songwriter, whose live shows are a winning combination of hook-filled pop and stand-up-quality humor, is running hard on all cylinders this season. In early June, the self-confessed Def Leppard “dork” released a tribute EP to the band, recorded with his frequent collaborator, Aaron Tap, at the latter’s L.A. studio. Entitled Pyromattia (get it?), the digital release was followed a few weeks later with a video for a new Nathanson original, “Way Way Back”, and a tease of more new songs to come. In July Nathanson began a summertime tour as opening act for his good friends, O.A.R. His 11th studio album, Sings His Sad Heart, was produced by Butch Walker, Stacey Jones, Amir Salem, and Adam Pallin and features the aforementioned “Way Way Back” and the singles “Used To Be” and “Mine”.
Steve Perry – Traces CD/LP (Fantasy/Concord)
Legendary singer-songwriter and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steve Perry (Journey) makes his long-awaited return with Traces, his first new album in nearly a quarter century. The famed singer introduces the album with lead track “No Erasin’” and reassuringly greets fans with the opening line “I know it’s been a long time comin’.” The track is an emotional homecoming, a familiar welcome from the iconic voice and writer of Journey’s timeless, global hits including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Faithfully”, and “Open Arms”, as well as the significant solo success of “Oh Sherrie” and “Foolish Heart”. Perry says, “Putting 30 years into 10 songs has certainly been an emotional experience for me. I started writing and recording these songs with the creative freedom that I was the only one who would ever hear them. Along the way, I rediscovered my love for music. Each track represents traces of my past, but is also a hopeful look into the future. I invite you to listen with an open heart.”
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Poor Until Payday CD/LP (New West)
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band has built its reputation the long, slow, hard way. After 12 years of playing as many as 300 shows each year, Rev. Peyton, the world’s foremost country blues finger-style picker, along with the biggest little band in the country, has pieced together a new country blues record that was made the right way — two feet on the ground and both hands getting dirty.
Swearin’ – Fall Into The Sun CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Fall Into The Sun is what co-songwriter Allison Crutchfield calls “the adult Swearin’ album.” This can be heard on songs like “Big Change”, where she says goodbye to Philly and the scene that she came up in, or in “Dogpile” where co-songwriter Kyle Gilbride offers the line any aging punk can relate to: “By pure dumb luck I’ve gotten where I’m going.” Where Swearin’ used to pummel through their songs, on Fall Into The Sun, they bask in what this newfound openness offers. It’s most notable on the ambling “Stabilize”, which sees the band throw their weight around in the song’s back half, offering up what’s easily the heaviest riff in their catalog. “I think both me and Allison have gone through huge transitions in our lives. There was a lot on our minds, and it was a super fertile time to put a bunch of songs together,” said Gilbride. It’s true of the material found on Fall Into The Sun, but it’s noticeable in the album’s production as well. Much like the band’s previous albums, Gilbride anchored the recording and producing of the record, but this time around, the band worked to make the process feel more collaborative than ever before. [Limited edition ‘coke bottle’ colored vinyl pressing also available.]
November Program Titles Released This Week:
Jim James – Uniform Clarity CD/LP (ATO)
New acoustic companion piece to James’ recent album Uniform Distortion. “The idea for Uniform Clarity came from Uniform Distortion,” says James, “an album of intentional chaos/dirt: literal and figurative distortion of lyrics and sound meant to echo and hopefully shed some light on the twisted times and distortion of the truth in which we now live. Uniform Clarity is meant to illuminate the other side – raw and real, but very clear, much like in the early days of recording where all you could hear was the truth because there were no ways to manipulate recordings in the studio. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Unicorn – Laughing Up Your Sleeve CD/2xLP+MP3 (Omnivore)
Unicorn released three exquisite albums in the mid-’70s with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd in the producer’s chair. The albums and the band found a wide audience elusive, even though the group opened for many heavyweights in the day (including Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Billy Joel, Dr. Hook), played with Kate Bush on her first proper demo recordings that landed her a deal with EMI, and were even covered by their producer on his first self-titled solo album, released in 1978. Laughing Up Your Sleeve attempts to correct what may have been a matter of wrong time, wrong place for a band whose music overflows with beautiful melodies, lush arrangements and perfect harmonies. [The vinyl edition release compiles 11 previously unreleased demos (plus 9 more on the accompanying download.]
CDs + Vinyl:
Ashbury Heights – The Victorian Wallflowers CD (Out Of Line)
Three years after The Looking Glass Society, Swedish duo, Ashbury Heights returns with a new album. Purified in sound by Mario Rühlicke (Blutengel), their overall palette has become even more varied and the sounds reveal an astonishing eye for detail. The irresistible glamour of the band continues as well as a subtle wickedness that has transformed it into one of the more exciting electro-pop acts of our time.
Atmosphere – Mi Vida Local CD/2xLP+MP3 (Rhymesayers)
It’s a different world than it was two years ago, when Atmosphere released their last record, Fishing Blues. Their seventh album, Mi Vida Local, reflects the ways in which the world – and their place in it – has changed. The idyllic domesticity of the past few records has morphed into anxiety over keeping loved ones safe during turbulent times. The easygoing collaboration between Ant and Slug has started to feel more like the life-or-death intimacy of two men trapped together on a lifeboat. [Limited vinyl pressing includes a colored 2” featuring two bonus tracks.]
Author & Punisher – Beastland CD/LP (Relapse)
A robotic experimentation in industrial metal, noise, doom and drone, Author & Punisher recalls Nine Inch Nails channeling Godflesh, traversing through dark, uncompromising, and often disturbing soundscapes with occasional detours into rich melodies and splinters of light.
Brant Bjork – Mankind Woman CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
Brant Bjork has spent over a quarter-century at the epicenter of Californian desert rock. From cutting his teeth alongside Fatso Jetson’s Mario Lalli in hardcore punkers De-Con to drumming and composing on Kyuss’ landmark early albums, to propelling the seminal fuzz of Fu Manchu from 1994-2001 while producing other bands, putting together offshoot projects like Ché, embarking on his solo career as a singer, guitarist and bandleader, founding his own record label and more, his history is a winding narrative of relentless, unflinching creativity. Mankind Woman is his thirteenth solo record. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Black Peaks – All That Divides CD/LP (Rise)
UK quartet Black Peaks have been taking both critics and fans by storm with their original blend of riff heavy, prog-infused alternative rock. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Doyle Bramhall II – Shades CD/2xLP (Provogue)
A spellbinding blend of grungy blues, raucous garage rock, transcendent psychedelia, and soothing, soul-stirring ballads that sees Bramhall reaching new heights as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist while responding to his heart’s most urgent commands as a lyricist and arranger.
Brand Of Sacrifice – The Interstice CD (Unique Leader)
Hailing from Toronto and New York, Brand Of Sacrifice are a prime example of genre bending extremity at its absolute finest. Blastbeats and mechanized riffing collides with sitars, whammy pedals and some of the most guttural offerings in recent years through monster vocalist Kyle Anderson. The Interstice shines with unpredictable song structures that are as mind -melting as they are immediately catchy. [Vinyl edition due November 9.]
Jakob Bro Trio – Bay Of Rainbows CD (ECM)
There is no hurry to this music, but there is great depth, observed London Jazz News about Danish guitarist Jakob Bro’s trio with two kindred-spirit Americans: bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Joey Baron. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Bruise – Chief Ritual CD/LP (Unbeaten)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Debut album from the Indiana hardcore band – “a five-piece wrecking crew who traffic sludgy, depressive jams that split the difference between fiery, pit-ready metalcore and depressive sludge metal” (Revolver).
Lindsey Buckingham – Solo Anthology: The Best Of Lindsey Buckingham CD/3xCD (Rhino)
First-ever, comprehensive solo anthology by legendary artist, guitarist, song-writer and 3x Grammy winner – available in single-disc and deluxe triple-CD editions. Buckingham is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and in addition to his prolific and loved work with Fleetwood Mac he is a widely celebrated solo artist. Solo Anthology – The Best of Lindsey Buckinghamincludes album, live and alternate versions from Law And Order, Go Insane, Out Of The Cradle and more, and also incorporates songs from his recent collaborative album with Christine McVie. [Vinyl box set edition due November 23.]
Molly Burch – First Flower CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
Molly Burch burst onto the music scene in 2017 with her debut Please Be Mine – a ten-track ode to unrequited romance written after studying Jazz Vocal Performance in Asheville, NC – and earned immediate praise from critics for her smoky, effortless vocals and bleeding-heart lyrics. A walk-through Burch’s most intimate thoughts – broken friendships, sibling relationships and overwhelming anxiety, First Flower is a bright, beautiful album peppered with moments of triumph with Burch’s voice as strong and dexterous as ever.
Coheed And Cambria – The Unheavenly Creatures Tigers Eye CD/3xLP+MP3 (Roadrunner)
Coheed and Cambria’s newest epic begins a brand-new story arc within the backdrop of The Amory Wars universe, which has been depicted in previous novels and comics. The band explains the concept: “…[W]e begin by seeing two captured criminals (Creature and Colossus) being walked through a ship on their way towards judgment for their crimes. It’s clear any friendship that once existed has not survived, as we see colorful flashbacks of their crimes committed against society, and perhaps, one another.” [Colored triple-vinyl set features a side-F etching.]
Hugh Cornwell – Monster 2xCD/2xLP (Sony)
Former Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell returns to the fray with a new albumr, each track dedicated to Cornwell’s heroes and villains from history, politics and the arts. It’s a diverse gallery, ranging from Lou Reed (“Mr. Leather”) to Mose Allison (“Mosin'”), to ’70s stuntman Evel Knievel (“Pure Evel”), 1940s Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr (“The Most Beautiful Girl In Hollywood”) to Sgt Bilko star Phil Silvers (“Bilko”), Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (“Duce Coochie Man”) and Zimbabwe ex-president Robert Mugabe (“Robert”). Accompanying the album is Restoration, a companion disc of acoustic rerecorded Stranglers classics.
Cursive – Vitriola CD/LP (15 Passenger)
Over the past two decades, Cursive has become known for writing smart, tightly woven concept albums where frontman Tim Kasher turns his unflinching gaze on specific, oftentimes challenging themes, and examines them with an incisively brutal honesty. The band’s remarkable eighth full-length, Vitriola, required a different approach — one less rigidly themed and more responsive as the band struggles with existentialism veering towards nihilism and despair; the ways in which society, much like a writer, creates and destroys; and an oncoming dystopia that feels eerily near at hand.
Marie Davidson – Working Class Woman CD/LP (Ninja Tune)
She still mines the same influences, from Italo Disco, to proto-industrial and electro, but leadens them with a gut-punching weight, making for a record that’s more visceral than any she’s released before. It’s combined with her characteristically-deployed spoken text that carries a more darkly humorous edge than before, making observations on both aspects of club culture as well as more oblique critiques of the modern world. It’s a record poised between dark and light. Industrial heaviness is balanced by Davidson’s words; dark, textured soundscapes are counterweighted by statements or observations which never take themselves too seriously.
Electric Six – Bride Of The Devil CD (Metropolis)
Electric Six return with their fourteenth record and it’s poppy and feel-good, as well as heavy, both sonically and lyrically.
The Four Tops – The Complete ABC/Dunhill Singles 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
With 47 Pop hits and 52 R&B hits to their credit spanning nearly 25 years of recordings, The Four Tops are one of the greatest vocal groups in the history of pop music, hands down. But a big chunk of their hits, the ones they recorded for the ABC/Dunhill label, have been almost entirely unavailable in the CD era. This double-CD collects all 33 rare single sides that the Tops recorded for the ABC/Dunhill label from 1972 through 1978.
Foxtrott – Meditations I-II-III CD/LP (One Little Indian)
Meditations I-II-III sees inimitable Montreal producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Marie-Hélène L. Delorme aka Foxtrott return to form, with rich, off-center sounds, earthy beats and shimmering percussions.
Gazelle Twin – Pastoral CD/LP (Anti-Ghost Moon Ray)
“The Brighton electronic musician’s third LP belongs to a proud tradition of English satire, plumbing the depths of the nation’s psyche and twisting it to wryly discomforting ends.” – Pitchfork
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 4 No. 1: Big Rock Pow Wow ’69 [Reissue/2010] 3xCD (Real Gone Music)
Two complete concerts held at the Seminole Indian reservation in Florida on May 23 and 24, 1969.
Kristin Hersh – Possible Dust Clouds CD/LP (Fire)
Hersh’s tenth studio album is a highly personalized sociopathic gem delivered as a futuristic rewriting of how music works, a melodious breeze with a tail wind of venomous din. Enveloping the juxtaposition of the concept of ‘dark sunshine’, a brooding solo record created with friends to expand her off-kilter sonic vision; a squally, squeaky mix of discordant beauty. Feedback and phasing gyrate from simply strummed normality, imagine Dinosaur Jr and My Bloody Valentine cranking up a Dylan couplet.
High On Fire – Electric Messiah CD/2xLP (E1)
“I had a dream about Lemmy,” says High On Fire’s Matt Pike, explaining the inspiration behind the title of the band’s eighth album Electric Messiah. If there’s one aspect of the band that warrants comparison to Lemmy’s mighty Motörhead, it’s longevity. 2018 sees them celebrating 20 years of thunderous heavy metal, with brothers-in-arms Pike, bassist Jeff Matz, and drummer Des Kensel having been firmly intact for the last dozen years. Along the way the band has forged a distinct identity of towering riffs, a propulsive rhythm section, shredding solos, and lyrics of Hessian poetry. “This is by far the best record I’ve ever made with the High on Fire stamp,” Pike adds.
Ice Nine Kills – The Silver Scream CD (Fearless)
A conceptually driven post-metalcore album with the catchiness and spirit of pop-punk and the fist-pumping anthem power of arena rock, The Silver Scream is 13 songs of horror movie inspired madness. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Kode 9 and Burial – FabricLive 100 CD (Fabric)
Burial and Kode9 are each credited with fostering esoteric, hyperlocal sounds and steering them to global recognition. As such, these tracks reach into obscure corners and across a disorienting range of tempos. This set of four vinyl LPs – produced to accompany the final FabricLive 100 compilation release, features 28 of the 37 tracks on the compilation in their unmixed format. Includes artists from Africa, China, South America, and Japan as well as the Europe and US. Drawing from gqom, juke, and footwork to trance, jungle, and grime, as well as a wealth of material that defies categorization. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born Soundtrack CD/2xLP (Interscope)
Gaga performs original music for the soundtrack to the new remake of A Star Is Born, songs that she wrote with Bradley Cooper and a handful of artists, including Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell and Mark Ronson. All the music is original and was recorded live. Featuring 19 songs in a wide range of musical styles and 15 dialogue tracks, the soundtrack to A Star Is Born follows the musical arc and romantic journey of the movie’s two lead characters and is introduced by “Shallow” and “Maybe It’s Time,” two songs featured in the film’s trailer.
LANY – Malibu Nights CD (Interscope)
Alt-pop trio LANY (short for Los Angeles New York) follow-up their 2017 self-titled debut. Drawing influence from the likes of U2 and Coldplay, the group’s ‘80s drums and synths anchored sound provides the perfect bed for frontman Paul Klein’s affecting lyrics. [Vinyl edition due December 7.]
John Lennon – Imagine: The Ultimate Mixes CD/2xCD/2xLP (Capitol)
John Lennon – Imagine: The Ultimate Collection 4xCD+2xBlu-ray Audio (Capitol)
Digitally remastered, remixed and expanded edition of Lennon’s classic 1971 album. Available in a variety of editions: Single-disc CD adds six tracks; Double-CD and double-vinyl LP features 12 additional tracks; Super deluxe The Ultimate Collection includes four CDs (new stereo mix, outtakes, raw studio recordings, track-by-track) and two Blu-rays (5.1 surround mixes, HD audio, Elements mixes, Elliot Minz audio documentary).
Lawrence – Illusion CD/LP (Dial)
Illusion captures the Berlin-based artist, DJ, and label-owner at home in a suitably deep landscape of sound. Throughout, his involving and human approach to electronic music feels more inviting and more necessary than ever. Rather than the dancefloors across Europe that Lawrence has so fruitfully soundtracked over the past few decades, the sound of Illusion is inspired not only by his endless, constantly unfolding creative process, but a flurry of underground club gigs overseas including Japan and Mexico. In these close spaces, warmth and intimacy generate the atmosphere, and Illusion is naturally blessed with a typically delicate touch that might surprise even long-time devotees of the artist.
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter V 2xCD (Young Money)
“The long-delayed album captures Wayne how we want to remember him: openhearted, word-drunk, and exhilarated by the possibilities of his own voice. Some of these tracks date back years, while others were reportedly finished just weeks ago. That could be a recipe for whiplash, but most of this material is woven together so seamlessly that its provenance is never a distraction. Nicki Minaj gives the most radiant R&B performance of her career on ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, and Kendrick Lamar brings Nicolas Cage-levels of insanity to his ‘Stan’-inspired spotlight turn on ‘Mona Lisa’, breaking out a dozen different voices as he dramatizes the breakdown of jealous boyfriend driven to the edge by his partner’s obsession with Weezy. Neither Wayne nor Kendrick let the song’s high concept get in the way of unbridled, ferocious rapping. On the more of-the-moment end of the spectrum, there’s ‘Don’t Cry’, an XXXTentacion feature that kicks off the album on a misleading, miserablist note, and ‘Let It Fly’, an undistinguished foray into Travis Scott’s boutique trap. The most surprising takeaway from Tha Carter V, it turns out, isn’t that Wayne still has music this vital in him. It’s that after all these years, there’s still more to learn about him.” – Pitchfork
Lydia Lunch – Marchesa CD (Rustblade)
With Marchesa, Lydia Lunch pays homage to the writing and stories of the Marquis de Sade who has always been a great inspiration for her. With this album Lydia transports us into a world of sadism, perversion and pleasure. Accompanying her in this literary voyage there is a background of dissonant sounds, distorted orchestration and ambient noises composed by Stefano Rossello (Bahntier, Ketvector). [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Many Voices Speak – Tank Town CD/LP (Hit City USA)
Featuring the dreamy singing and songwriting of Matilda Mård, Many Voices Speak follows her 2016 debut EP, Away for All Time, with the new album. The majority of Tank Town was written and recorded in a village outside of Avesta, Sweden, where she currently resides. Crafted with producer Petter Nygårdh, the album’s musical compositions elicit similar contemplation – be it the airy simplicity of “Necessaries,” the swelling depth of “I Saw You” or the comforting intimacy of “Chances” – washing over listeners with honest acceptance and romantic absolution.
McCaslin – Blow. CD/LP (Motema Music)
As the bandleader on David Bowie’s Blackstar, saxophonist Donny McCaslin collaborated with the Starman to carry forward his penchant for reinvention. For Blow. — a daring fusion of vibrant electronica, and bombastic art-rock due this fall — McCaslin applied that mindset to his own work, pushing his music in a bold new direction. Propulsive and improvisational alternative music combines with a heady blend of powerhouse vocals, saxophone, flute, keyboards, Wurlitzer, electric bass and pummeling drums that captures McCaslin’s core roots while also bringing in more recent influences such as Radiohead and Bon Iver. Sun Kil Moon also provides a riveting spoken word track.
MewithoutYou – [Untitled] Album CD/LP (Run For Cover)
For eighteen years, Philadelphia’s MewithoutYou has been a banner name for fans across genres because of their kinetic and truly original style. On their latest [Untitled] Album, the band continues to create the same intensity that has captivated fans for almost two decades. While elements of the band’s signature sound still remain, there are new aspects at work. Lead single “Julia (or, ‘Holy To the LORD’ on the Bells of Horses)” is an explosive slow-burner. Marked by a soaring guitar refrain that echoes throughout the first verse, vocalist Aaron Weiss’ other-worldly lyrics are sung rather than shouted through his renown spoken-word style. As a whole the record moves like seasons – songs shift between chaos and intimacy, frailty and strength, cacophony and harmony with expert navigation.
Monuments – Phronesis CD (Century Media)
New album from the UK prog metal band. For fans of Meshuggah, Karnivool, Periphery. [Vinyl edition due October 19.]
Moonshine Bandits – Goldrush CD (MSB Entertainment)
Backwoods bravado, patriot’s pride, country soul, keg-thumping beats – these are the qualities that Moonshine Bandits have championed since they began burning up the California club circuit back in 2003.
Mueller-Roedelius – Imagori II CD/LP (Grönland)
Imagori II is a continuation of Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Cluster, Harmonia) and Christoph H. Müller’s collaborative efforts. The pair released their debut album Imagori on Grönland Records in 2015. Roedelius’s soundscapes joined Müller’s electronic productions and beats and they entered into a dynamic symbiosis that gave rise to music that, instead of uniting two worlds, created a new one. That process continues seamlessly here.
Wolfgang Muthspiel, Ambrose Akinmusire, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, Eric Harland – Where The River Goes CD (ECM)
Where The River Goes carries the story forward from Wolfgang Muthspiel’s highly-acclaimed Rising Grace recording of 2016, reuniting the Austrian guitarist with Brad Mehldau, Ambrose Akinmusire and Larry Grenadier, heavy talents all, and bringing in the great Eric Harland on drums. Much more than an “all-star” gathering, the group plays as an ensemble with its own distinct identity, evident both in the interpretation of Muthspiel’s pieces and in the collective playing. The album, recorded at Studios La Buissonne in February 2018, and produced by Manfred Eicher, features six compositions by Muthspiel and one by Mehldau, plus group improvisation. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Phosphorescent – C’est La Vie CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Matthew Houck’s first new Phosphorescent release in five years chronicles a life-altering period which saw him fall in love, start a family, leave New York for Nashville, and build a studio from the ground up. With a focus on translating these profound experiences to music as intuitively as he could, Houck pushes the boundaries of what a Phosphorescent record can sound like, balancing the earthy and the incandescent, the troubled and the serene, creating his own musical cosmos in the process. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Seasick Steve – Can U Cook? CD (BMG)
Can U Cook? finds Seasick Steve mixing up all of his much-loved ingredients to deliver a good ol’ mix of boogie, blues, rock, Americana and folk-music. “Just seems there’s all kinds of sunshine and colors on this record,” Steve notes. “Maybe it’s because we made most of it down in Key West, Florida?…It was made down south, way down south, as far south as you can go and still have your boots in America.” [Vinyl edition due October 26.]
Joe Simon – Step By Step: The Complete Pop Hits 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
Joe Simon is one of the premiere R&B voices of all time. Over a career spanning five decades, “The Mouth of the South” has racked up 35 Billboard pop hits and 50 R&B hits, exploring an encyclopedia of R&B genres ranging from gospel to doo wop, country-soul, the ’70s sound of Philadelphia, Blaxploitation, disco, and a subsequent return to Simon’s spiritual side. The Complete Pop Hits presents all 35 of Simon’s pop smashes.
A Storm Of Light – Anthroscene CD/2xLP (Translation Loss)
The brain child of Josh Graham (Neurosis, Red Sparowes, and Battle of Mice), A Storm Of Light’s fifth album, Anthroscene, is steeped in a deeply introspective sociopolitical outlook that takes you through a you-are-here era of planetary extinction in which we currently live. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Joe Strummer – 001 2xCD/3xLP+12”/2xCD+3xLP+12”+7”+Cassette/4xLP (Ignition)
Punk pioneer, singer, songwriter, recording artist, activist, musical and political inspiration for a generation and mighty diamond Joe Strummer was the most charismatic and passionate frontman to emerge from the punk explosion of the late ’70s. After Joe’s untimely death in December 2002 it was discovered that he had been an archivist of his own work, having barns full of writings and tapes stored in his back garden. Featuring 32-tracks, Joe Strummer 001 is the first compilation to span Strummer’s career outside of his recordings with The Clash collecting fan favorites from his recordings with the 101ers and The Mescaleros, his solo albums, soundtrack work plus an album of 12 unreleased songs. Available in Regular, Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions.
Sugar Ray – Greatest Hits CD (Razor & Tie)
Compiles Sugar Ray’s classic singles (“Someday”, “Fly”, “Every Morning”, “When It’s Over”), as well as other hits chosen by the band, including a cover of Joe Jackson’s “Is She Really Going Out With Him” off their 2005 album In The Pursuit Of Leisure. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
Tall Heights – Pretty Colors For Your Actions CD/LP (Sony Masterworks)
Pretty Colors For Your Actions finds the Boston, MA duo exploring a range of musical influences and emotions. The 11-track album is underpinned by Tall Heights’ signature melodies, layered and shaped with live instrumentation and contemporary production. “We’ve always been influenced by the electronic instrumentation of drum machines and synthesizers, but we approached this album with a renewed respect to the breadth of human performance.” [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Tantric – Mercury Retrograde CD (Pavement Ent)
Seventh studio album by Louisville, KY rockers.
TI – Dime Trap CD (Epic)
New album from the rapper featuring guests Sam Hook, Yo Gotti, Young Thug, Victoria Monét, Anderson .Paak, Meek Mill, Jeezy, YFN Lucci, Teyana Taylor and London Jae.
Tokyo Police Club – TPC CD (Dine Alone Music)
Tokyo Police Club return with their first full-length in four years. After putting aside the idea of splitting up and back-burnering their commercial expectations, TPC recaptures the energy of their early years and was built on camaraderie and esprit de corps. Favoring simple rhythms, slower tempos and drive over details, the band felt that there was only one person who could capture this liberation on tape – producer Rob Schnapf, whom the band worked with on 2010’s Champ. [Vinyl edition due November 2.]
TTNG – Animals Acoustic CD/LP (Sargent House)
TTNG’s Animals Acoustic isn’t a simple rebuild that one would normally expect to hear when anticipating an acoustic album. Like the referenced album’s cover, there are multiple color palettes present to create an overall picture that feels less two dimensional and more of a colorful celebration of the layers of music within. Animals Acoustic features musical contributions from TTNG’s friends and contemporaries. Nate Kinsella (Birthmark, American Football, Make Believe) recorded string arrangements found throughout the new release. The Kraken Quartet are featured on some of the band’s fan favorites: “Chinchilla,” “Baboon” and “Gibbon.” Yvette Young of Covet turns “Crocodile” into a delicate piano ballad. The Mivos Quartet, Vicky Tremain and Andy Hume contribute even more depth to an album of reassembled songs.
KT Tunstall – WAX CD/LP (Rostrum)
WAX is the sixth studio effort from Brit Award and Ivor Novello Award-artist KT Tunstall. The album was entirely self/co-written by KT and produced by Nick McCarthy (founding member of multi-million selling band Franz Ferdinand), with co-production from duo MyRiot (London Grammar, Birdy). WAX also features co-writing contributions from her frequent creative collaborator Martin Terefe and Kings Of Leon producer/mentor Angelo Petraglia. KT (guitar, synths and vocals) is flanked on the record by seasoned L.A.-based musician Denny Weston Jnr on drums and longstanding cohort Charlotte Hatherley on guitar among others.
Twenty One Pilots – Trench CD/2xLP+MP3 (Fueled By Ramen)
Trench finds Twenty One Pilots fearlessly reimagining the possibilities of their music through the same candid expression and genuine identity that helped to cement their place as one of the largest bands in the world. The album is introduced by the dub-inspired “Jumpsuit” and reggae rap cut “Nico And The Niners.”
Charlotte Day Wilson – Stone Woman CDEP/10” (E1)
Released last May on vinyl – now available on CD. A Toronto-based singer, songwriter, and producer, Charlotte Day Wilson blends R&B, folk, and jazz in her music.
Windhand – Eternal Return CD/2xLP (Relapse)
Across nine songs and 63 minutes, Eternal Return offers an infectious display of songcraft cloaked in alluring atmosphere, molten fuzz, eerie psychedelia and ethereal vocals. The album was once again produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden) with vivid artwork by Arik Roper (Sleep, High On Fire). Equally informed by heavy, fuzzed-out psych along with the iconic grunge/alternative groups of the ’90s, Windhand have crafted a record brilliant in scope, powerful in execution, and perfect for an era of increasingly blurry yet still heavy borders.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Giant Sand – Good Luck Suckers: The Last Tour 2xDVD (La Huit)
In March 2016, Howe Gelb. the charismatic founder of Giant Sand announced the band’s last tour after thirty years of career and about twenty albums. Thw farewell tour ended in Paris – a memorable concert at the Trabendo. For the show, Gelb was accompanied by a number of musicians who have shared these thirty years by his side, as well as prestige guests.
John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Gimme Some Truth: The Making Of The Imagine Album DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
Two films, which focus on the Imagine era, hand restored frame-by-frame from the original film reels into HD. Their soundtracks have been remixed in glorious 5.1 surround sound and remastered. Includes exclusive bonus content.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The All-American Rejects – The All-American Rejects [Reissue/2002] (SRCvinyl)
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Panic Blooms 2xLP (Rad Cult)
Tyler Childers – Purgatory [Reissue/2017] LP (Hickman Holler/Thirty Tigers)
EL-P – Cancer 4 Cure [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Fat Possum)
Daryl Hall & John Oates – Daryl Hall & John Oates [Reissue/1975] LP (MRI)
Local Natives – Gorilla Manor [Reissue/2009] LP (Frenchkiss)
Modest Mouse – This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Glacial Pace)
Silversun Pickups – Swoon [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Dangerbird)
Soccer Mommy – Clean LP (Fat Possum)
Soundtrack – The Rocky Horror Picture Show [Reissue/1975] LP (Ode Sounds and Visuals INC)
Ten Bands reissue their albums on limited edition pink vinyl, all for one cause. This is the 5th year for the initiative that has raised over $200,000 for Gilda’s Club NYC, an organization that provides community support for both those diagnosed with cancer and their caretakers. It is named after comedian Gilda Radner, who passed away from cancer at the age of 43 in 1989.
Alkaline Trio – From Here To Infirmary [Reissue/2001] LP (Vagrant)
Alkaline Trio – Good Mourning [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Vagrant)
Alkaline Trio – Crimson [Reissue/2005] LP (Vagrant)
Limited red and black split colored vinyl LP pressings. [Limited picture disc pressing also available.]
Avatar – The Black Waltz [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (E1)
The Swedish melodic death metal band’s 2012 debut is available on vinyl for the first time.
Bassnectar – Reflective (Part 3) LP (Amorphous)
The next chapter in the Reflective Series – sonic co-creations born from the exchange of ideas and inspirations, and an exploration of the interplay and ricochet that ensues. Each track has a rich story of collaboration, as ideas bounce back and forth to form these customized versions, remixes, edits, and re-imaginations. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing now available.]
Beak> – >>> LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Long-awaited third album by the acclaimed UK out-rock trio comprised of Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, Robert Plant bassist Billy Fuller and Will Young aka Moon Gangs. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Blaze – Dancehall LP (RCA)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing of the new release from French duo The Blaze. Dancehall is a tribute to the iconic scene, which originated in the 1940’s. The dance hall was created from a desire to simply come together and party, at a time when the only way to listen to your favorite artist was to come together in such a way.
Blood Orange – Negro Swan 2xLP (Domino)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and vocalist Devonte Hynes returns with his fourth album as Blood Orange, Negro Swan. “My newest album is an exploration into my own and many types of black depression, an honest look at the corners of black existence, and the ongoing anxieties of queer/people of color. A reach back into childhood and modern traumas, and the things we do to get through it all. The underlying thread through each piece on the album is the idea of Hope, and the lights we can try to turn on within ourselves with a hopefully positive outcome of helping others out of their darkness.”
Bloodtruth – Martyrium LP (Unique Leader)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Vicious Italian death metal group Bloodtruth unleash their blistering sophomore full length.
James Brown – Black Caesar (Original Soundtrack) [Reissue/1973] LP (Polydor)
James Brown – Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Reissue/1973] LP (Polydor)
Vinyl reissues of a pair of blaxploitation soundtracks from the R&B/soul/funk legend.
CHAI – Pink LP (Burger)
Released last March on CD and cassette – now available on vinyl. When you think of all things Pink, a sound that fuses the likings of Basement Jaxx, the Gorillaz, CSS, and Tom Tom Club, with lyrics focused on “women empowerment” and re- defining the definition of “kawaii” or cute in Japanese, you think of CHAI.
- Cole – KOD LP (Interscope)
Released last April on CD – now available on vinyl. Fifth album from the rapper. The title has three meanings–“Kids On Drugs,” “King Overdosed,” and “Killing Our Demons.” KOD explores issues of drug abuse, depression & African-American culture, and features the tracks “ATM” and “The Cut Off”. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
Elysian Spring – Glass Flowers [Reissue/1969] LP (Le Très Jazz Club)
Glass Flowers is an unclassifiable album, overtaking the jazz outlines, recorded by Rainer Bertrams (piano, vibes, flute), Bruce Krasin (saxophone, flute), Lenny Ezbicky (drums), and Jimmy Bridges (bass). Only 500 copies of the record were privately pressed at the time by a group of students which where fans of the band and are highly collectable.
Exploded View – Obey LP (Sacred Bones)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Striking the balance between precise and wild, between unshackled and grounded, grooving and unhinged, has always been Exploded View’s specialty. They have a special knack for making the esoteric feel accessible and crafting pop music out of seemingly raw consciousness. This unique ability to make beautiful music that feels written beyond the veil is at the heart of what makes the band so captivating and powerful, and it’s on full display all over Obey. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway [Reissue/1974] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Genesis – Genesis [Reissue/1983] LP (Atlantic)
Genesis – Invisible Touch [Reissue/1986] LP (Atlantic)
Genesis – We Can’t Dance [Reissue/1991] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Genesis – Calling All Stations [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Atlantic)
Vinyl reissues of Genesis’ final five albums.
The Get Up Kids – Eudora [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Vagrant)
The Get Up Kids – On A Wire [Reissue/2001] LP (Vagrant)
The Get Up Kids – Guilt Show [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Vagrant)
Vinyl reissues now available. The Get Up Kids were a major player in the “second wave” of emo music in the mid-90’s, touring with the likes of Green Day and Weezer. Issued on Vagrant Records in 2001 in the wake of their first two albums Four Minute Mile (1997) and Something to Write Home About (1999).
Gorguts – Colored Sands [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Season Of Mist)
Limited white colored vinyl pressing of the Canadian technical death metal band’s most recent album, 2013’s Colored Sands.
GUNSHIP – Gunship [Reissue/2015] LP (Horsie In The Hedge)
GUNSHIP – Dark All Day (Horsie In The Hedge)
Gunship describe themselves as a neon soaked, late night, sonic getaway drive, dripping with luscious analogue synthesizers, cinematic vocals and cyberpunk values, exploding from the front cover of a dusty plastic VHS case which has lain forgotten since 1984. Dark All Day, the bands sophomore album, sees them build on the success of their 2015 eponymous long player, furthering their reputation as pioneers of the synthwave scene and continuing the ’80s retro revival theme popularized by films and series such as Drive, Stranger Things, Ready Player One and arcade games. [CD versions due October 19.]
Hovvdy – Easy b/w Turns Blue 7” (Saddle Creek)
“Taking inspiration from the original concept behind the founding of Saddle Creek, as an attempt to highlight our home city through music and art, we began the Document 7” Series in 2017. Each release featured in the Document Series is comprised of an exclusive record featuring unreleased music from artists outside of the label’s roster, along with a specially curated zine created by the artist. The fifth installment in the series comes from Austin, Texas based Hovvdy.”
Jade Hairpins – Mother Man b/w Gracefully 12”+MP3 (Merge)
Jade Hairpins are hiding quietly in a tall grove, softly whisking away the mask of dew and doubt, thrilling the needed speakable truths of equality and peace into four beats and cascading melody on their debut. The shapes and names of a world appear… Debut LP due 2019.
Hank Jones Trio – Arigato [Reissue/1977] LP (ORG Music)
Hank Jones has a reputation for being one of the most flexible and dynamic piano players of the jazz genre. His playing on Arigato is a fantastic example of such and gives the listener great insight into the artist’s unparalleled talent. Appearances by Ronnie Bedford on the drums, Jay Leonhart and Richard Davis – both on the bass, and Ray Rivera on guitar help to round out this fantastic album.
Paul Kalkbrenner – Berlin Calling – The Soundtrack [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Bpitch Control)
Paul Kalkbrenner’s eponymous soundtrack to the legendary and unique film hardly needs any introduction. Berlin Calling and its soundtrack catapulted him into prominence as an actor and DJ/producer, spearheading his peers and being at the forefront of electronic music at the time.
King Brothers – Wasteland LP (Hound Gawd)
Wasteland is King Brothers’ first new album since 2010. The Nishinomiya City three-piece combines the sound of the Germs backing Howlin’ Wolf.
King Diamond – The Puppet Master [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Metal Blade)
King Diamond – Give Me Your Soul… Please [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Metal Blade)
Picture-disc vinyl reissues. Over the course of more than thirty years, among innumerable trends, ebbs and flows of the music industry, King Diamond remains as one of the most prolific and important figures in metal.
Mastodon – Once More ‘Round The Sun [Reissue/2014] 2xLP (Reprise)
Double picture disc vinyl LP pressing.
Orbital – Monsters Exist 2xLP (ACP Recordings Ltd.)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. First new album in five years from the British electronic outfit. Monsters Exist is a more classically structured Orbital album than their previous release Wonky, drawing inspiration from the international political landscape all the way back from brothers Paul and Phil’s pre-rave squat-punk roots right up to the volatile tensions and erratic rhetoric of today.
The Paper Kites – On The Train Ride Home / On The Corner Where You Live 2xLP (Nettwerk)
Melbourne, Australia indie-folk quintet The Paper Kites present two full length albums in 2018. On The Train Ride Home, released digitally in April 2018, shines a light on the simple beauty of lead singer Sam Bentley’s songwriting with minimal instrumentation and stripped harmonies. Meanwhile, On The Corner Where You Live calls upon the full band for a more robust album full of fuzzy guitars and more uptempo – yet still moody – melodies. Recommended if you like: The War On Drugs, Phoebe Bridgers, The National, Sharon Van Etten and Julie Byrne.
Richard Reed Parry – Quiet River Of Dust 1 LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A meditative, widescreen musical experience with Beach Boy harmonies and a hypnotic pulse. Layered songs that move in a linear fashion, following a current rather than circular composition. Japanese folk myths, death poems and British folk music are tributaries flowing into a river of avant-garde composition and traditional song craft, written and performed by a member of the Grammy-winning rock band, Arcade Fire. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Pedro The Lion – Achilles Heel [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
Pedro the Lion’s 2004 release is band’s final album to date. Beautifully achieved, Achilles Heel is crafted as a scathing glance into the crosshairs of the American dream, a heartbreaking sketch of husbandhood and ultimately an exploration of faith as told through eleven perfectly textured vignettes. Lyrically, dry wit and melancholy are marbled together, creating relaxed narratives with subtle and often profound depth.
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry/Mad Professor – Mystic Warrior [Reissue/1989] LP (Ariwa Sounds)
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry/Mad Professor – Mystic Warrior In Dub [Reissue/1989] LP (Ariwa Sounds)
Lee Scratch Perry coughs up impish vocals on a eight-track selection swerving from house-compatible steppers to clattering drum machine workouts. [CD versions due October 19.]
Pestilence – Consuming Impulse [Reissue/1989] LP (Hammerheart)
Pestilence – Spheres [Reissue/1993] LP (Hammerheart)
Pestilence is a Death metal band from Enschede, Overijssel, Netherlands, founded in 1986.
Elvis Presley – Elvis In Person At The International Hotel [Reissue/1970] LP (Friday Music)
Audiophile translucent gold & blue swirl vinyl pressing. After an eight-year absence from live performance, Elvis Presley made his triumphant return to the concert stage in 1969 at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. In Person is a classic live collection that captures the shows which forever cemented the long and famous association between the iconic entertainer and the sparkling desert city.
The Promise Ring – Wood/Water [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (ANTI-)
Vinyl reissue of fifth and final album to date by The Promise Ring. Long-time fans may have been surprised with Wood/Water, as its sound was a departure from the band’s previous releases. The album had a drastic change of pace with a more introspective tone and shimmering atmospheric songs. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Lou Reed – Waltzing Matilda LP (Easy Action)
Third in the series of Lou Reed live concert albums, these two shows in Cleveland, OH on April 26th and San Francisco, CA on March 22nd, are taken from the 1978 Street Hassle tour. Includes the brutal 10 plus minute title cut plus solo classics “Walk on The Wild Side” and “Satellite of Love” and Velvet Underground staples “Sweet Jane” and “Rock N Roll.”
Saves The Day – Stay What You Are LP (Vagrant)
Saves The Day – Ups & Downs: Early Recordings And B-Sides 2xLP (Vagrant)
Saves The Day – Under The Boards [Reissue/2007] LP (Vagrant)
Back in-print on vinyl. New Jersey pop-punks Saves The Day formed in 1997, releasing their debut album Can’t Slow Down in 1998 followed by Through Being Cool in 1999, both on Equal Vision Records. Produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck, Guided By Voices), the band’s third effort Stay What You was dropped in 2001 after a van accident that almost derailed their career and a jump to Vagrant Records. [New album, 9, due October 26.]
Alex Skolnick Trio – Conundrum LP (Palmetto)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Blending the elegance and sophistication of jazz with the conviction of metal, the Alex Skolnick Trio, led by Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick, make their long-awaited return with a new album.
Erika Spring – Scars 12” (Cascine)
New solo EP from Au Revoir Simone and Nice As F**k’s Erika Spring. On Scars she embraces the invisible, channels serenity and encourages listening with all senses, including memory.
Supersuckers – Suck It LP (Acetate)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. With the Supersucker odometer clicking on three decades this very year, the self-proclaimed Greatest Rock n’ Roll Band in the World is marking the occasion with a loud, resounding new album.
Titus Andronicus – Home Alone On Halloween 12”+MP3 (Merge)
With Home Alone On Halloween, noted rock band Titus Andronicus [hereafter +@] celebrate the spookiest of the seasons by staring into the abyss and confronting the bone-chilling terror which lies at the haunted heart of our human experience. The 12” EP spans 31 minutes and features three tracks recorded concurrently with the group’s most recent full-length A Productive Cough, offering an autumnal tableau of dread and decay to complement its LP companion’s springtime visions of rebirth and new possibilities.
The Trews – Civilianaires LP (Cadence Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Nova Scotia-bred, Hamilton, ON-based combo of singer/guitarist Colin MacDonald, guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, bassist Jack Syperek, and drummer Chris Gormley – songwriters all – has won universal acclaim for both their dazzling live performances and wildly accessible songs. With two Gold albums, 17 Top-10 singles on Canadian rock radio and over 25 music industry awards and nominations The Trews have earned their place as one of Canada’s most iconic rock bands.
Tricky – Maxinquaye [Reissue/1995] LP (Island)
180gm vinyl reissue of the 1995 debut album by English rapper and producer.
Various Artists – Hoochie Koo Volume 1 10” (Stag-O-Lee)
The first volume in the Hoochie Koo series, the soundtrack to Berlin’s best club night. Features: The Satintones, Clem Sacco, The Coasters, The Sherwoods, Hoochie Krew, Roger King Mozian, The Latins, and Robot.
Various Artists – Roots Of Salsa Volume 3: Classic Latin Tunes Become Salsa Hits LP+CD (Grosso! Recordings)
“In a nutshell the Roots Of Salsa series is an investigation into early Cuban or Cuban-derived tunes that were either covered by salsa groups later (mid-1960s through today) or were highly influential on the development of salsa over the decades. The main criterion was to pick tracks that sounded adequate for today’s DJ or collectors to play at a gig or on the radio or were sufficiently interesting (or enough of a surprise to fans of the later version) to merit inclusion but were not perhaps the best known or of more recent vintage.” – Pablo E. Yglesias, aka DJBongohead
Various Artists – Shaolin Soul Episode 4 CD/2xLP+CD (Import Label)
Duke Ellington once said that there are two kinds of music: the good one and the bad one. With the compilation series Shaolin Soul one is always certain to be on the right side of the line since its first volume which compiled two dozen tracks sampled by RZA and the Wu-Tang Clan. Following the second episode and a third episodes, the famous curator Uncle O is back to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Shaolin Soul series with 22 tracks among the rarest and finest treats of soul music.
Weedeater – God Luck And Good Speed [Reissue/2007] LP (Season Of Mist)
Limited translucent red colored vinyl reissue. The third album was a high-water mark for the Southern metal band. Produced by Steve Albini (Nirvana, High On Fire), God Luck And Good Speed features more than a few tracks that would go on to become staples of the band’s increasingly fearsome live show. Weedeater oozes thick, incidental drones before hammering into belligerent mid-tempo thrash built primarily around metaphors involving, well, weed. More pragmatic than Sleep and more pummeling than Bongzilla, Weedeater is heavy, fluid, and direct.
Sam Wilkes – Wilkes LP (Leaving)
An integral member of the Los Angeles, CA musical community, Sam Wilkes (Knower, Pratley, Scary Pockets, Jacob Collier, Pomplamoose) showcases his epic and emotional debut steeped in genre fusion and collaboration. Mentored by Patrice Rushen, Leon “Ndugu” Chancler, and the multitude of frequent contemporary collaborators such as Louis Cole, Sam Gendel, and even Chaka Khan – inside the studio and on the stage Wilkes allures with his unmatched training and progressive vision for the future of jazz music innovation.
Jack Wilkins – Windows [Reissue/1973] LP (Wewantsounds)
First-ever reissue Jack Wilkins’s highly sought-after Mainstream Records album Windows, originally released in 1973. Produced by Bob Shad, the album, which is on many want-lists, is especially cult for his rendition of Freddie Hubbard’s classic “Red Clay”, notably sampled by A Tribe Called Quest (on “Sucka Nigga”) and Chance The Rapper. Recorded in 1973 at New York’s Record Plant, this superb session sees guitarist Jack Wilkins in a trio setting accompanied by Mike Moore on bass and young seasoned west coast drummer Bill Goodwin (Gabor Szabo, Gary Burton, Paul Horn, Tom Waits).
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