AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
Frankie & The Witch Fingers – Data Doom CD/LP/Cassette (Ras/Greenway)
There’s long been a growl festering in the West, an earthen rumble fed by tectonic tension, acrid smoke, and sun-parched air. The brew has boiled over lately, a pressure-cooked chaos that can no longer be contained. The growl has grown to a howl… the howl is at the door. Few are as ready to meet the madness head on as Frankie and the Witch Fingers. On their new album Data Doom, the band hurtles the listener headfirst into the wood-chipper of technological dystopia, systemic rot, creeping fascism, the military-industrial profit mill, and a near-constant erosion of humanity that peels away the soul bit by bit. With a fuse lit by these modern-day monstrosities the band seeks to find salvation through a thousand-watt wake-up of rock ‘n’ roll exfoliation. [An indie store exclusive translucent orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Islands – And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs CD/LP (Elf)
If Islands’ last record, (2021’s Islomania) was a Saturday Night Fever dream, then the follow up – 2023’s And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs – is the Sunday Morning comedown. Taking a giant leap forward, replete with addictive hooks at every turn, Dolphins (the ninth record in the catalogue), stands out as the strongest and most articulate Islands record yet. Nick Thorburn and crew manage to tap into both the pain and the joy of living, (sometimes within the very same breath), while musically stripping things down to their simplest element: a bouncing bassline, a snappy kick and snare, or a persistent, hooky guitar line. Though Dolphins is arguably their biggest musical departure (which is saying something, coming from a band that has constantly reinvented their sound from album to album), the DNA of Thorburn’s first band The Unicorns can clearly be heard throughout. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jeff Rosenstock – Hellmode CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
On Jeff Rosenstock’s new album, Hellmode, the spontaneous DIY trailblazer returns with the most confident & cohesive album of his career. Recorded at EastWest Studios with Grammy nominated engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor) and captured live to tape in the same room where albums like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and Toxicity were recorded, Hellmode finds Rosenstock holding nothing back. The studio’s infamous natural tones are juxtaposed with echo chambers used on Pet Sounds, calling to mind the mixture of despair and clear-eyed hope heard throughout the record. It is yet another exciting glimpse into Rosenstock’s powerful and emotionally resonant music, making him one of the most mesmerizing songwriters of the last decade. [A limited-edition neon pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Royal Blood – Back To The Water Below CD/LP (WB)
Royal Blood release their fourth album Back To The Water Below. From the very beginning, Royal Blood’s story has been one of two life-long friends whose shared passion and dedication for writing and performing has led them on a remarkable adventure together – a story that has yet to be repeated and is a feat as rare as it is remarkable. Long before Royal Blood were even formed, they spent years together in various bands playing to half empty bars around Brighton – and only then did they suddenly become a decade-in-the-making overnight success story. One day they were plotting how to recoup the meagre £300 they had spent on their first recording, but within a year they were at the top of UK album charts, storming Glastonbury and winning the BRIT Award for Best British Group. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Sigur Rós – ÁTTA CD/2xLP (BMG)
Following its surprise digital release, Sigur Rós’ first new studio album in ten years, ÁTTA, is their most intimate and emotionally direct record to date. Few bands cut through the noise and distractions of the world to bring you a pure elemental truth or feeling like Sigur Rós. As you hear on ÁTTA, there’s a new compulsion and drive to the band that comes with the new formation of the lineup. Multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson is back in the fold – having left the band in 2012 – to join frontman Jónsi and bassist Georg Holm. Recorded across multiple continents – in the band’s Sundlaugin studio in Iceland, the legendary Abbey Road in the UK, and several studios in the US – ÁTTA leans heavily towards the orchestral, and touches on everything that has made Sigur Rós one of the most ambitious and acclaimed bands of recent times. ÁTTA prominently features the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames, alongside brass performed by longtime Icelandic collaborators Brassgat í Bala.
Yellowcard – Childhood Eyes CD/LP (Equal Vision)
“The year was 2003. Cargo pants were in, camera phones were catching on, and the ultimate “summer” song had just been released: a 3 1/2-minute pop punk track by a band with – of all things – a violin. Yellowcard catapulted into the spotlight with the release of Ocean Avenue but in the 20 years since the band has experienced more than its fair share of ups and downs; magazine covers, radio airplay, TV syncs, lineup changes, even a brief hiatus. So, when they announced their breakup and self-titled album in 2016, it truly seemed that they were closing that chapter of their lives for good. Until Childhood Eyes. From the first playthrough of the band’s Equal Vision Records debut it becomes clear that this isn’t just a reunion; the five song EP is a succinct statement that Yellowcard is back.” – Becky Kovach, Substream Magazine
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
Lathe Of Heaven – Bound By Naked Skies LP (Sacred Bones)
White color vinyl pressing. With little more under their belt than a relentless string of live performances, and a twice pressed (subsequently sold out) self-titled demo, NYC based band Lathe Of Heaven has proved themselves to be a potent and cohesive element amidst the torrent of hardcore punk and synth-driven pop revival currently proliferating throughout the US underground. Formed in 2021, the band features members of noteworthy Brooklyn based projects such as Pawns, People’s Temple, Porvenir Oscuro, Android, Hustlerand more. Though this roster of past and alternate musical endeavors exposes a diverse range of genre and skill sets, Lathe Of Heaven can only be understood as a departure from such influences, exploring a sound entirely of its own.
Local Natives – Hummingbird [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (French Kiss)
L.A. indie rockers Local Natives celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their second album Hummingbird. Praised for its “shimmery songcraft” (The Independent), the album balances poignant lyricism with bright melodies and vivid production; “Local Natives take you to the beach and cry in your umbrella drink,” as Rolling Stone described it at the time. This anniversary edition is pressed on white vinyl and includes three bonus tracks from the Hummingbird sessions, exclusive photos and new artwork.
CDs + Vinyl:
Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons – Kings Of The Asylum CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
After multiple globally acclaimed releases, the third album by legendary Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell and his band comprised of his sons and new singer Joel Peters, features 11 songs to rock out and sing along to on the band’s extensive European Tour from September to November 2023. [A limited-edition purple color vinyl pressing is availalbe.]
Chlara – Love Ya CD/LP (Evosound)
Love Ya is the keenly anticipated fifth album from the British-born Filipina singer/songwriter Chlara, renowned for her passionate, honey-coated vocals and skillful guitar playing. The album is her first featuring all original material since her 2014 debut, Unstoppable, and shows the 29-year-old “Acoustic Songbird” reaching a new level of maturity. It includes twelve new tracks, all self-penned meditations on love and life except for Chlara’s uniquely ethereal reframing of David Bowie’s iconic “Heroes” track. Highlights include the recent singles “I Is The Loneliest Letter” and “Come To Bed”; also ear-catching is the blissful chillout groove “Sunburn” and the sensual bedroom ballad “747,” where Chlara exudes a smoldering eroticism.
Kyle Eastwood – Eastwood Symphonic CD (Discograph)
Eastwood Symphonic is a tribute from Kyle Eastwood to his father Clint Eastwood. It takes the form of a contemporary musical walk into the heart of the legendary actor-director’s extraordinary career.
Eclipse – Megalomanium CD/LP (Frontiers)
Eclipse is one of the very few bands who managed to bring their ‘80s influenced slab of melodic hard rock to the masses. They are now back with the release of their ninth studio album aptly entitled Megalomanium: a word that well describes the grandiose sound and plans that the band has for their new music.
Empire State Bastard – Rivers Of Heresy CD/LP (Roadrunner)
Sprawling across the alt-metal landscape, Rivers Of Heresy hits like a full-throttle collab between Siege and Slayer. [A limited-edition green color vinyl pressing is availalbe.]
Peter Frampton – At Royal Albert Hall CD (UMe)
In November 2022, Grammy-winning artist and virtuosic guitar player Peter Frampton performed at the historic Royal Albert Hall in London to a rapturous sold-out crowd. The special evening was filmed, capturing stunning performances of Frampton’s finest songs. This album features nine live performances with his long standing band of Rob Arthur, Adam Lester, Dan Wojciechowski, and Steve Mackey. The release features “Show Me the Way”, “Baby, I Love Your Way”, “Do You Feel Like We Do?” and more.
Frankie & The Witch Fingers – Data Doom CD/LP/Cassette (Ras/Greenway)
There’s long been a growl festering in the West, an earthen rumble fed by tectonic tension, acrid smoke, and sun-parched air. The brew has boiled over lately, a pressure-cooked chaos that can no longer be contained. The growl has grown to a howl… the howl is at the door. Few are as ready to meet the madness head on as Frankie and the Witch Fingers. On their new album Data Doom, the band hurtles the listener headfirst into the wood-chipper of technological dystopia, systemic rot, creeping fascism, the military-industrial profit mill, and a near-constant erosion of humanity that peels away the soul bit by bit. With a fuse lit by these modern-day monstrosities the band seeks to find salvation through a thousand-watt wake-up of rock ‘n’ roll exfoliation. [An indie store exclusive translucent orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
G Flip – Drummer CD/LP (Future Classics)
G Flip is a drummer, singer, songwriter and producer that is cutting through the masses with their rebellious and refreshing sound and identity. Born in Melbourne, the pop/rock non-binary icon returns with their second LP, Drummer. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Gwar – Battle Maximus [Reissue/2013] CD/2xLP (Pit)
The final album of Gwar founder and lead singer Oderus Urungus has been remixed and remastered for this release. It also includes the song “Tammy, The Swine Queen” which is his final recording and has never before been released. The LP includes a limited edition embossed cover with new art throughout including behind the scenes photos from this time period. [A limited-edition blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Mick Harvey / Amanda Acevedo – Phantasmagoria In Blue CD/LP+MP3 (Mute)
Mick Harvey’s new album of duets in collaboration with Mexican artist Amanda Acevedo. The album contains 14 tracks sourced from existing duets, songs that previously were not duets, translations from Spanish and a sprinkling of original compositions. Thematically it explores the perennial themes of mortality, love and mankind’s search for meaning as well as an enthused engagement with the enigmatic and mythical. Harvey and Acevedo met several years ago in Mexico City, but it was during 2020/21 that the project burst into life, as ideas were exchanged across the oceans and through the ether. The resulting collection of songs is lush and sweeping in its emotional content and is full of nourishment for the imagination and the senses. [The vinyl edition includes three bonus tracks.]
H.E.A.T. – Extra Force CD/LP (earMUSIC)
New collection from the Swedish melodic hard rockers containing new studio tracks, unreleased live recordings, and H.E.A.T classics previously sung by Erik Grönwall, now for the first time with original singer Kenny Leckremo on vocals.
Islands – And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs CD/LP (Elf)
If Islands’ last record, (2021’s Islomania) was a Saturday Night Fever dream, then the follow up – 2023’s And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs – is the Sunday Morning comedown. Taking a giant leap forward, replete with addictive hooks at every turn, Dolphins (the ninth record in the catalogue), stands out as the strongest and most articulate Islands record yet. Nick Thorburn and crew manage to tap into both the pain and the joy of living, (sometimes within the very same breath), while musically stripping things down to their simplest element: a bouncing bassline, a snappy kick and snare, or a persistent, hooky guitar line. Though Dolphins is arguably their biggest musical departure (which is saying something, coming from a band that has constantly reinvented their sound from album to album), the DNA of Thorburn’s first band The Unicorns can clearly be heard throughout. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jethro Tull – The Broadsword And The Beast [Reissue/1982] 5xCD+3xDVD/4xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)
The 40th Anniversary Monster Edition is available as a 5xCD+3xDVD set including a 164-page book with interviews with band members, a track-by-track annotation by Ian Anderson, an interview with sleeve illustrator Iain McCaig, an extensive interview with studio and live sound engineer Leigh Mantle, a recreation of the 1982 tour program and touring schedule, and rare photos and memorabilia. A Steven Wilson stereo remix of the album, associated recordings, demo recordings, the original 1981 master mixes and Live In Germany 1982. The 4xLP vinyl set (one a double LP) is packaged in a card slipcase with a 28 page 12”x12” booklet and includes the Steven Wilson remix of the original LP, Double-Edged Sword (Steven Wilson mixes of additional Broadsword recordings dated March 1981 to January 1982) plus The Maison Rouge Demos.
Marduk – Memento Mori CD/LP (Century Media)
New release; the 15th album from the Swedish black metal band. [Limited-edition CD (mediabook) and vinyl (clear w/ black splatter) version are available.]
Coco Montoya – Writing On The Wall CD (Alligator)
A career-defining album bursting with Montoya’s fierce guitar and passion-laden vocals, and the first to feature his long-time road band. 13 tracks of searing blues, soulful R&B and high-energy rock & roll include ten originals, five co-written by Coco, and include guest appearances by Lee Roy Parnell, and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Co-produced by Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) and Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers). [Vinyl edition due September 29.]
The Paper Kites – At The Roadhouse CD/2xLP (Nettwerk)
Australian indie folk-rock band The Paper Kites release their highly anticipated sixth album – At The Roadhouse. The song and production background began when the band created a roadhouse in rural Australia, performing an unannounced month-long residency in the small Victorian town of Campbells Creek, whilst working the record. The atmosphere of the live performance is recreated with pedal steel and crooning vocals and harmonies. [A limited-edition Cadillac blue w/ sunset burst vinyl colorway is available.]
Polaris – Fatalism CD/LP (Sharptone)
The third full length release from the Australian metal band. [A limited-edition clear w/ green, violet & curacao splatter color vinyl pressing is available.]
Primal Fear – Code Red CD (Atomic Fire)
New album from the German power metal band. [An orange color vinyl edition is due October 6.]
Puma Blue – Holy Waters CD/LP (Blue Flowers)
Death nestles like a sweet creature at the heart of Holy Waters, the highly anticipated follow-up to Puma Blue’s 2021 album, In Praise Of Shadows. It’s less a morbid study in mortality, more a chronicle of the graciousness within each repeated cycle of life, death, and rebirth, arriving eventually at a gentle affirmation at the album’s close; “don’t let the dark take you whole.” [A limited-edition transparent blue vinyl colorway is available.]
Repentance – The Process Of Human Demise CD/LP (Noble Demon)
Founded in 2018 by former Soil and Dirge Within guitarist Shaun Glass, Chicago, Illinois -based Repentance is a primal aggressive metal band; laden thick with heavy slabs of groove mesh that bleed intensity. [A limited-edition red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Buddy Rich – Trios CD/LP (Lightyear)
When Buddy Rich and his Killer Force Band were at their peak, Buddy began to feature a trio segment, often twice a night. Buddy would exclusively use brushes rather than sticks, even in his drum solos. Young prodigy pianist Barry Kiener, who soon sadly died of an accidental overdose at the age of 30 (on Buddy’s tour bus), was the magnificent lead instrument. Virtuoso bassist Jon Burr completed the trio on most of the songs.
Jeff Rosenstock – Hellmode CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
On Jeff Rosenstock’s new album, Hellmode, the spontaneous DIY trailblazer returns with the most confident & cohesive album of his career. Recorded at EastWest Studios with Grammy nominated engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor) and captured live to tape in the same room where albums like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and Toxicity were recorded, Hellmode finds Rosenstock holding nothing back. The studio’s infamous natural tones are juxtaposed with echo chambers used on Pet Sounds, calling to mind the mixture of despair and clear-eyed hope heard throughout the record. It is yet another exciting glimpse into Rosenstock’s powerful and emotionally resonant music, making him one of the most mesmerizing songwriters of the last decade. [A limited-edition neon pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Royal Blood – Back To The Water Below CD/LP (WB)
Royal Blood release their fourth album Back To The Water Below. From the very beginning, Royal Blood’s story has been one of two life-long friends whose shared passion and dedication for writing and performing has led them on a remarkable adventure together – a story that has yet to be repeated and is a feat as rare as it is remarkable. Long before Royal Blood were even formed, they spent years together in various bands playing to half empty bars around Brighton – and only then did they suddenly become a decade-in-the-making overnight success story. One day they were plotting how to recoup the meagre £300 they had spent on their first recording, but within a year they were at the top of UK album charts, storming Glastonbury and winning the BRIT Award for Best British Group. [An indie store exclusive clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Saxon – Solid Ball Of Rock [Reissue/1997] CD (BMG)
Saxon – Unleash The Beast [Reissue/1997] CD (BMG)
Saxon – Inner Sanctum [Reissue/2007] CD (BMG)
CD reissues of the tenth, thirteenth, and seventeenth albums by the N.W.O.B.H.M. pioneers.
Sigur Rós – ÁTTA CD/2xLP (BMG)
Following its surprise digital release, Sigur Rós’ first new studio album in ten years, ÁTTA, is their most intimate and emotionally direct record to date. Few bands cut through the noise and distractions of the world to bring you a pure elemental truth or feeling like Sigur Rós. As you hear on ÁTTA, there’s a new compulsion and drive to the band that comes with the new formation of the lineup. Multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson is back in the fold – having left the band in 2012 – to join frontman Jónsi and bassist Georg Holm. Recorded across multiple continents – in the band’s Sundlaugin studio in Iceland, the legendary Abbey Road in the UK, and several studios in the US – ÁTTA leans heavily towards the orchestral, and touches on everything that has made Sigur Rós one of the most ambitious and acclaimed bands of recent times. ÁTTA prominently features the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames, alongside brass performed by longtime Icelandic collaborators Brassgat í Bala.
Slowdive – Everything Is Alive CD/LP/Cassette (Dead Oceans)
Everything Is Alive, Slowdive’s fifth record, is exactly what the title suggests: an exploration into the shimmering nature of life and the universal touch points within it. While there are parts of this record that could sit neatly next to the atmospheric quality of 1995’s Pygmalion, Everything Is Alive also manages to break down the boundaries of what’s come before it. Spanning psychedelic soundscapes, pulsating ‘80s electronic elements and John Cale inspired journeys, the album lands immediately as something made for the future. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Small Million – Passenger (Passenger) CD/LP (Tender Loving Empire)
Flowing from the collaboration of longtime creative partners Ryan Linder and Malachi Graham, Portland-based indie pop outfit Small Million welds deeply affecting sonic production to smart lyrics about intuition and inhibition, losing control and ending up in unexpected places, being willing to f*** up, bodies hurt and bodies joyful. The effect is both intimate and epic, delicate and fierce. Listen to it to ache, dance to it to heal.
Soen – Memorial CD/LP+MP3 (Silver Lining Music)
Never ones to take the restrained path, on their sixth studio album Memorial, Soen face down the ills and ways of current society with a crisp, wounded venom that betrays their pain, anger and frustrations. Each guitar carries a greater serrated edge, each melody a richer heart, each lyric a soul and spleen venting definitive proclamation. At the same time, Soen’s unique blend of progression, aggression, and beauty shows more maturity than ever before. The dovetail of melodic greatness and face-crushingly heavy guitars and rhythms on Memorial is glorious. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jimmy Somerville – Read My Lips [Reissue/1989] CD/2xLP (London)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition. Jimmy Somerville’s debut solo album Read My Lips is reissued with rarities and new remixes. Originally released in 1989, the album enjoyed Gold Sales and 3 Top 30 hits, as well as Jimmy’s Top 10 cover of Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”. Available on double digipak in vibrant purple cover, the expanded version contains remixes from Gerd Janson, AMYL, Arpeggius and William Orbit; unreleased demos, B-sides and rarities such as “From This Moment On” (from Red, Hot + Blue) and “I Believe In Love” (with Arthur Baker and The Beat Disciples). New liner notes from journalist and author Paul Burston. [Two vinyl colorways are available: blue and clear.]
Speedy Ortiz – Rabbit Rabbit CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Wax Nine)
Rabbit Rabbit is the fourth studio album by Philadelphia-based Speedy Ortiz, and their first since 2018. Co-produced with Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties and recorded in the nearly alien desert landscapes of Joshua Tree’s Rancho de la Luna and El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, Rabbit Rabbit reaffirms Speedy Ortiz’s desire to push themselves politically and musically, vital and surprising as ever. [A limited-edition clear w/ pink, blue & yellow vinyl colorway is available.]
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones [Reissue/1983] CD (Island)
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs [Reissue/1985] CD (Island)
Tom Waits – Frank’s Wild Years [Reissue/1987] CD (Island)
2023 Marks forty years since Tom Waits released Swordfishtrombones, ushering in a new and critically acclaimed musical era for Waits and his longtime songwriting and production partner, Brennan. Waits went from ‘70’s-era “bluesy, boozy” wordsmith and melodist with seven albums behind him to sound sculptor, miner of the subconscious, abstract orchestrator, sonic cubist—while retaining his innate lyricism, melodic invention, humanity. Rain Dogs is a kind of mutant, late 20th century musical Canterbury Tales with a shape-shifting band. There are banjos and marimbas and bowed saw and parade drum and howling horns (and Keith Richards and Marc Ribot) on this rollicking, rough-hewn opus – and Waits using his voice in increasingly weird-and-wild ways. Franks Wild Years is Tom Waits’ 10th studio album. Titled for a play of the same name and authored by Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, Franks Wild Years was performed by Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1986. Franks Wild Years is an iteration of the track “Frank’s Wild Years” from Waits’ 1983 album Swordfishtrombones. [180gm vinyl reissues are due September 22.]
Yellowcard – Childhood Eyes CD/LP (Equal Vision)
“The year was 2003. Cargo pants were in, camera phones were catching on, and the ultimate “summer” song had just been released: a 3 1/2-minute pop punk track by a band with – of all things – a violin. Yellowcard catapulted into the spotlight with the release of Ocean Avenue but in the 20 years since the band has experienced more than its fair share of ups and downs; magazine covers, radio airplay, TV syncs, lineup changes, even a brief hiatus. So, when they announced their breakup and self-titled album in 2016, it truly seemed that they were closing that chapter of their lives for good. Until Childhood Eyes. From the first playthrough of the band’s Equal Vision Records debut it becomes clear that this isn’t just a reunion; the five song EP is a succinct statement that Yellowcard is back.” – Becky Kovach, Substream Magazine
Yung Lean – Unknown Death 未知の死2002 [Reissue/2013] CD/LP (Year001)
Yung Lean – Unknown Memory [Reissue/2014] CD/LP (Year001)
Yung Lean – Warlord [Reissue/2016] CD/2xLP (Year001)
Yung Lean – Frost God [Reissue/2016] LP (Year001)
Yung Lean – Stranger [Reissue/2017] CD/2xLP (Year001)
CD and color vinyl reissues are now available. Yung Lean started his career with a sound check. 10 years later, his voice can be heard across the globe. Since emerging as a teenage outsider-artist, he has released four albums and four mixtapes, constantly building momentum with no sign of slowing down. Creatively restless, Yung Lean’s influence spills out from him uncontrollably. He presents captivating abstractions of Scandinavian trance, 2010’s trap and haunting piano ballads under a single moniker, collaborating with artists as diverse as FKA Twigs, Skrillex and Dean Blunt.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Aesop Rock – Skelethon [Reissue/2012] 2xLP+12” (Rhymesayers)
Upon release, Skelethon was praised for its intricate storytelling that expertly balanced abstract imagery with concrete details, and its immersive production incorporating sample-based beats with dusty pianos, distorted guitars, and psychedelic synths. To this day, the album remains a fan favorite and a critical darling, praised for its poignant introspection and razor-sharp wordplay. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, a limited edition 3xLP vinyl package includes a gatefold jacket with revised art layouts, printed sleeves, inserts with full lyrics, two cream & black marble-color vinyl, and a UV printed ultra-clear bonus disc vinyl with four exclusive bonus tracks.
Jacob Aranda – War Planes LP (Speakeasy Studios SF)
Jacob Aranda is a Mexican American Bay Area singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, luthier and member of Bay Area psych-folk group Tarnation. His new album War Planes is his second solo album. Aranda’s first solo full-length album, Great Highway (2018), was described by critics as “timeless” (KWMR), “full of beautiful, mellow countryscapes” (Bay Bridged), and “charming, warm and melancholic, with elements and influences that range from classic country to Southwestern-influenced folk” (Sound Thread).
Asking Alexandria – From Death To Destiny [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Sumerian)
Double splatter color vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. Celebrating 10 years of Asking Alexandria’s album From Death To Destiny; includes the bonus track “Dead”, available for the first time on vinyl.
Jorge Ben – Solta o Pavão [Reissue/19975] LP (Survival Research)
Limited color vinyl LP pressing. Solta o Pavão is a 1975 album by Brazilian artist Jorge Ben.
Bladee – Gluee [Reissue/2014] LP (Year0001)
Bladee – Working On Dying [Reissue/2017] LP (Year0001)
Bladee – Red Light [Reissue/2018] LP (Year0001)
Bladee – Exter [Reissue/2020] LP (Year0001)
Bladee – 333 [Reissue/2020] LP (Year0001)
Color vinyl pressings. Bladee is a Stockholm-based musician, designer and visual artist. Preceded by his reputation as a rap experimentalist, Bladee is a prolific and highly inventive entity with work spanning and intersecting the worlds of music, art and fashion. He began his career as a teenager, trading art and lyrics with close friends. After releasing his first projects, international recognition came quickly and his network of Stockholm innovators soon arrived at the vanguard of a new era in music culture. [A white color vinyl reissue of Eversince is due September 15.]
Blueboy – Singles 1991-1998 2xLP (A Colourful Storm)
“Due to numerous re-issues and releases including live recordings and the Peel Session, there has been a renewed interest in the music we put out; but here, for the first time, is every single A-side and B-side in one place. Thanks for listening.” – Paul Stewart (Blueboy).
Bullant – Late Life Circ 2xLP (PHC Films)
The highly anticipated second solo album from Bullant – aka Joe Walker, lead guitarist for lauded Australian band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Following on from his 2020 solo debut Tyson, Crying, Walker further refines his electronic sound, landing somewhere between techno, dub and house. Incendiary pieces of electronic music that masterfully ascend to the spirit realm to elicit a perfect amount of gurn. Containing tracks that are equally at home on the steroid laden beaches of Ibiza as they are at a house party being played to the last lobotomised dregs circling the bags at 5am. Perfectly crafted – both lush and sparse at the same time – Walker takes the psychedelic, krauty sensibilities of King Gizzard and launches them into an electronic universe.
Canned Heat – Vintage [Reissue/1969] LP (Reel)
180gm orange color vinyl pressing. Recorded in 1966 but not released until 1969 on the Janus label, these are the earliest-known recordings of American blues-rock band Canned Heat, produced here by Johnny Otis. The musicians in this lineup of Canned Heat consists of Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson (guitar harmonica vocals), Stuart Brotman (bass), Henry “Sunflower” Vestine (guitar), Bob “The Bear” Hite (vocals), and either Keith Sawyer (drums), or perhaps his replacement, Frank Cook (drums), who joined circa 1966.
Chaos UK – Kings For A Day (Vinyl Japan Years: 1991-2001) LP (Radiation Reissues)
One of the most legendary and longest lasting of English anarcho-punk acts, Chaos UK was formed in the southwest fishing port town of Portishead, near Bristol, in 1979, their lightning-speed protest anthems leading to top-ranking status internationally, most especially in Japan, where they influenced a range of emerging local hardcore bands. This compilation gathers the best of their Japan singles issued in the 1990s and early-2000s, including the “King For A Day,” “Kanpai”, “Making Half A Killing” and “The Dangerous Study” EPs, as well as bonus tracks culled from the Punk’s Not Dead compilation.
Channel One Soundsystem – Down In The Dub Vaults 2xLP (VP)
Greensleeves Records, the legendary UK label, has teamed up with the ‘Roots Defenders of Notting Hill Carnival’, Channel One Soundsystem to head Down In The Dub Vaults. The enigmatic selector Mikey Dread has been let loose in the Greensleeves archives, curating a serious set of roots & dub gems that have featured over the years on Channel One’s unique hand built Soundsystem. Revered Jamaican vocalists such as the Wailing Souls, Michael Prophet, Linval Thompson, Hugh Mundell and many more feature on this collection plus on the second disc we enter the echo chamber with their dub counterparts from the likes of Sly & Robbie, Scientist, Augustus Pablo, and The Rockers All-Stars et al to complete the listening experience.
Cinematic Orchestra – Man With A Movie Camera [Reissue/2003] 2xLP+MP3 (Ninja Tune)
Double gray color vinyl pressing. Housed in a rigid tip-on foiled, embossed and debossed gatefold jacket with new liner notes and updated artwork. Black paper inners and unseen session photography presented on a 12″ double sided art card insert. Man With A Movie Camera is a 2003 soundtrack album by The Cinematic Orchestra, originally released in 2003. The album contains re-workings and thematic reprises of some of the music from the band’s previous album, 2002’s Every Day, including the track “Man With A Movie Camera” and an instrumental version of “All Things to All Men” entitled “All Things”.
Codeine – What About The Lonely? [Reissue/2013] LP (Numero)
Following on the somnambulant heels of When I See The Sun, Numero’s massive, near-complete Codeine overview, comes What About The Lonely?, an eight-track LP recorded at the group’s live zenith. Captured direct from the mixing board at a stop on Codeine’s November 1993 swing through the Midwest, opening for Mazzy Star, this document finds Stephen Immerwahr, John Engle, and Doug Scharin running through their hits at Chicago’s notorious Lounge Ax for a crowd of chatty 120 Minutes fans. Gastr Del Sol’s David Grubbs adds his guitar to two songs, slinking on and off the 24-inch stage with little fanfare, but leaving his signature indelibly on the performance. [A limited-edition opaque green colorway is available.]
Ornette Coleman – Tomorrow Is The Question! [Reissue/1959] LP (Craft Recordings)
Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series presents this 180gm LP edition of Ornette Coleman’s second album Tomorrow Is The Question!. First released in 1959 and recorded by legendary engineer Roy DuNann, the album also features Don Cherry, Percy Heath, Shelly Manne and Red Mitchell. This new edition features all-analog mastering from the original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman and is pressed at QRP and presented in a tip-on jacket.
Converge – The Dusk In Us [Reissue/2017] 2xLP (Deathwish Inc.)
The ninth full-length from the Boston-based heavy-music innovators-vocalist Jacob Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist Nate Newton, and drummer Ben Koller – The Dusk In Us proves to be both dark and hopeful, abrasive and melodic, devastating and powerfully cathartic.
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash [Reissue/1969] LP (Atlantic)
The first release from the folk-rock supergroup was a wild success, bringing together members of Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and The Hollies in Crosby, Stills, and Nash after a meeting at a Laurel Canyon party. Their self-titled debut, featuring the famous cover photo by Henry Diltz, features their trademark harmonies and guitar work, as well as memorable classics from “Marrakesh Express” to “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”, “Helplessly Hoping” to “Wooden Ships”, all of which became canon of the folk-rock foundation that drove the cultural sea change out of Lauren Canyon in the latter half of the ‘60s.
Culture – Harder Than The Rest [Reissue/1978] LP (High Note)
Vinyl LP pressing of this 1978 album from the reggae group.
Decapitated – Nihility [Reissue/2002] LP (Earache)
The ferocious follow-up to Winds Of Creation, Nihility is the album that rightly lives up to the hype as one of the most precise and punctuating death metal albums of recent times. A high-end, pulsating production lends extra weight to the technical virtuosity on display throughout Nihility, making the stop/start tightness that is fast becoming Decapitated’s signature touch really stand out.
Eloy – Echoes From The Past LP (Drakkar)
Red color vinyl pressing. Twentieth studio album of the German art/progressive rock band.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – The Ultimate Collection 2xLP (BMG)
Pressed on crystal clear vinyl, The Ultimate Collection ties together all of ELP’s ballads, rock anthems and prog madness.
The Exploited – Live Lewd Lust [Reissue/1989] LP (Radiation Reissues)
Full “UK-82”-styled live action from The Exploited. Recorded at the peak of their power between 1981 and 1985 in Leeds, Glasgow, Hamburg, Liubliana, and New York City. New, revised artwork featuring an exclusive photo by Alison Braun.
Pierre-Alain Dahan – Continental [Reissue/1972] LP (Be With)
Pierre-Alain Dahan et Mat Camison – Rythmiques [Reissue/1973] LP (Be With)
Pierre-Alain Dahan et Slim Pezin – Neo Rythmiques [Reissue/1976] LP (Be With)
Pierre-Alain Dahan’s continental pop sound is of those library albums with something for everyone. Breaks? Check. Fuzz guitar? Check. Slower, jazzy stuff? Double check.
ford. – Guiding Hand LP (Foreign Family Collective)
The creative process can be a difficult one, especially for artists who are constantly questioning themselves and their work. Luc Bradford, better known as ford., has grappled with this issue while writing his third album, Guiding Hand. The title of the album, ‘Guiding Hand,’ is a symbolic visual representation of the unseen force that helped Luc Bradford, better known as ford., push through the various struggles that came throughout the writing experience. This force represents the collective human spirit, the gentle momentum of positivity that coaxes us forward when we feel we can’t move at all. Luc drew on these influences throughout the creative process, using it to pull him through writer’s block and moments of doubt.
Gentle Giant – in’terview [Reissue/1976] LP (Alucard)
Steven Wilson remix. i’nterview is the eighth studio album of Gentle Giant and was released April 23rd, 1976. Stylistically it continued in the vein of their preceding album, Free Hand released the year before. i’nterview further displays the eclectic and versatile nature of the band, from reggae influenced grooves to ethereal a cappella vocal passages and furiously complex rockers. [A limited-edition blue colorway is available.]
Ian Gillian & Tony Iommi – WhoCares [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (earMUSIC)
This legendary collaboration between two music titans – Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) – is finally back on vinyl. This 180gm white vinyl pressing gives the record a premium look and feel, while the refreshed artwork adds a new touch to this timeless classic. With the tracks “Out Of My Mind” and “Holy Water”, WhoCares showcases the raw power and energy that both Gillan and Iommi are known for, together with their guest musicians none other than Jason Newsted (Ex-Metallica), Jon Lord, Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) and Linde Lindström (HIM) supporting the two rock legends. In addition, this collection features classics, rarities, unreleased recordings, collaborations, new mixes and forgotten songs by Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi.
Grandaddy – Sumday Twunny 4xLP (Dangerbird)
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2003 breakthrough third LP Sumday, Grandaddy releases a limited edition 4xLP box set containing the remastered original Sumday album alongside a complete 4-track demo version of Sumday recorded by Jason Lytle, titled Sumday: The Cassette Demos, and a 13-song set of rarities and B-sides, titled Sumday: Excess Baggage. All the LPs in the boxed set are black vinyl.
Heart Attack Man – The Manson Family [Reissue/2017] LP (Triple Crown)
Heart Attack Man – Fake Blood [Reissue/2019] LP (Triple Crown)
Color vinyl pressings (‘triple button effect’ black & transparent red, and green, respectively). Cleveland’s Heart Attack Man have been making music since 2013, originally starting as an outlet for singer/guitarist Eric Egan. It quickly became a four-piece band that started touring throughout the Midwest, sharing their own brand of rousing, noisy post-hardcore and indie pop gems.
HiM – Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 [Reissue/1999] LP (BMG)
HiM – Razorblade Romance [Reissue/1999] LP (BMG)
HiM – Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights [Reissue/2001] LP (BMG)
HiM – Love Metal [Reissue/2003] LP (BMG)
HiM (originally His Infernal Majesty) was a Finnish rock band founded in 1991 by singer/frontman Ville Valo and bass player Migé Amour. Their first four albums are back in-print on limited-edition vinyl.
Illa J – No Traffic LP (BBE)
Enter the realm of Illa J, the musical force shaking the foundations of the industry. His latest offering, ‘No Traffic’, is a testament to his boundless talent and versatility, showcasing his singing, production, and rapping abilities on 19 tracks written and produced entirely by Illa J himself. Created amidst the chaos of the pandemic, No Traffic serves as a beacon of hope, a roadmap for creatives seeking their path. He enlists the help of Detroit legends Amp Fiddler, Frank n Dank, British soul sensation Harleighblu, and introduces the rising stars of Detroit, Serious, Joz B, Maine Soul, and more, all matching Illa J’s energy and passion on the tracks.
Jack Irons – Dreamer’s Ball/Walnut LP (Org Music)
Dreamer’s Ball/Walnut is the latest release from Jack Irons. This pairing of EPs features 11 new tracks showcasing his virtuosic drumming, accented with synths to create a unique sonic world. These EPs were mixed by Jack with Alain Johannes, and Dreamer’s Ball artwork was done by Danae Irons.
King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard – Live At Red Rocks ’22 12×12” (Reverberation Appreciation Society)
Limited twelve color vinyl box set. Each 12″ is a unique colorway – some neon, some half and half – in a custom photo board inner-sleeve plus a unique hypnotic op art inner label, a 36” x 36” double-sided poster, all housed in a custom soft-touch matte lift off lid box.
Kool Keith – Black Elvis 2 LP (Mellow Music)
Get ready for a mind-bending trip through the hip-hop cosmos with the one and only Kool Keith. Black Elvis is back with his long-awaited sequel. Kool Keith takes his information-age rhymes to a whole new level, with a sound that’s equal parts streets and space. Featuring collaborations with Marc Live, Raaddrr Van, Dynamite, Agallah, and the legendary Ice-T, this album will leave you reeling. Plug in your ethernet and dial up to travel through Kool Keith’s multi-verse. Black Elvis 2 is here. [Two colorways are available: indie store exclusive orange; and blue.]
Lathe Of Heaven – Bound By Naked Skies LP (Sacred Bones)
White color vinyl pressing. With little more under their belt than a relentless string of live performances, and a twice pressed (subsequently sold out) self-titled demo, NYC based band Lathe Of Heaven has proved themselves to be a potent and cohesive element amidst the torrent of hardcore punk and synth-driven pop revival currently proliferating throughout the US underground. Formed in 2021, the band features members of noteworthy Brooklyn based projects such as Pawns, People’s Temple, Porvenir Oscuro, Android, Hustlerand more. Though this roster of past and alternate musical endeavors exposes a diverse range of genre and skill sets, Lathe Of Heaven can only be understood as a departure from such influences, exploring a sound entirely of its own.
Jonatan Leandoer96 – Sugar World LP (Year0001)
Recorded in Denmark alongside Frederik Valentin and Mathias Sarsgaard, Sugar World is the latest album from Jonatan Leandoer96. Leandoer’s inimitable lyricism and delivery find fine company in the velveted arrangements, his poetic musings made residence-ready and primed to draw an audience night after night.
Gordon Lightfoot – At Royal Albert Hall 2xLP (Linus)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A lifetime spent performing live with his band, Gordon Lightfoot singled out London’s Royal Albert Hall as one of his favorite venues to play and recorded his seventh appearance there in concert on May 24, 2016. In the final weeks prior to his passing on May 1, 2023, Gordon Lightfoot insisted that this live album be released as soon as possible, approving the artwork, and making it clear that no changes were to be made to the recording. The double album set is an unembellished live mix of that night’s performance, without edits, overdubs, remixing or re-sequencing.
Local Natives – Hummingbird [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (French Kiss)
L.A. indie rockers Local Natives celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their second album Hummingbird. Praised for its “shimmery songcraft” (The Independent), the album balances poignant lyricism with bright melodies and vivid production; “Local Natives take you to the beach and cry in your umbrella drink,” as Rolling Stone described it at the time. This anniversary edition is pressed on white vinyl and includes three bonus tracks from the Hummingbird sessions, exclusive photos, and new artwork.
Love Tractor – Around The Bend [Reissue/1983] CD/LP (Propeller Sound)
Celebrate the 40th anniversary remastered edition of Love Tractor’s second album, Around The Bend, (available on CD and limited-edition orange w/ white color vinyl). This special release includes two never-before-heard original mixes. Around The Bend marked the band’s growth and evolution, featuring vocals and experimental elements that enhanced their sound. “Spin Your Partner”, accompanied by a popular MTV video, was a standout track. The “Around the Bend” album was a success for the band both critically and commercially, topping the college charts in 1983.
Midwxst – E3 LP (Geffen)
Limited translucent cobalt blue vinyl pressing. The songs of Midwxst feel like beacons in a tempest – a blend of rap, rock and whatever else he needs to bottle up the exact feeling in his heart. And on his debut album, E3, it is on prime display. Co-executive produced by Midwxst and Sophie Gray, it’s a tightly wound concept record and an intricate painting of love and relationships that Midwxst hopes will guide listeners in a deeper way than anything he’s done before.
Native Nod – This Can’t Exist LP (Numero)
An antidote to the tough-guy hardcore spreading from CBGB’s, emo outliers Native Nod’s unique genre juxtaposition of damaged art-rock, daring/naive songwriting, and raw, poetic vocals have set them apart from the glut of early ’90s post-hardcore. Compiled here are the band’s trio of seminal 7″ EPs for the Gern Blandsten label, with liner notes by Jenn Pelly and scores of unseen photographs and ephemera. [A limited-edition black w/ white colorway is available.]
Willie Nelson – Phases And Stages [Reissue/1972] LP (Atlantic)
Phases And Stages is Nelson’s concept album narrating the story of a couple’s divorce, with side one exploring the situation from the woman’s perspective, and side two looking at it from the man’s. Nelson has shared over the years that the songs reflect universal accounts of grief and heartbreak and are not autobiographical. It was also one of the first Nelson albums to feature his own band, and the second Willie Nelson release on Atlantic. Originally recorded in 1972 at Muscle Shoals in Alabama, Nelson and his band revisited it in the studio in Nashville and released it in 1974. It was well received by critics at the time and generally considered a breakthrough album for the genre insofar as concept albums were concerned.
The New Lost City Ramblers – The New Lost City Ramblers With Cousin Emmy [Reissue/1968] LP (Smithsonian Folkways)
During the folk music revival of the 1950s and ’60s, the old-time string band New Lost City Ramblers rekindled traditions of southern mountain music, introducing them to wider audiences. Here John Cohen, Mike Seeger, and Tracy Schwartz provide backing for Cousin Emmy, the skilled banjo player, fiddler, and singer, whose legacy as a country music pioneer is cemented in the memories of those who heard her animated performances onstage and on the radio. This album contains some of her only recorded material, including several of her own compositions along with selections of old-time and bluegrass repertoire.
Graham Parsons – Another Side Of This Life: The Lost Recordings Of Graham Parsons 1965-1966 LP (Sundazed)
Blue color vinyl pressing. 13 previously unheard demo recordings of Gram Parsons, country-rock pioneer and former member of The Byrds and founding member of the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Passion Pit – Gossamer [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (French Kiss)
Double gold color vinyl pressing. Includes two bonus tracks. Evincing both a darker lyrical tone and vivid sense of rhythm and sonic adventure, Gossamer made a spectacular Top 5 debut on the Billboard 200 upon its July 20, 2012, release. The album includes such iconic singles as “Take a Walk”, “I’ll Be Alright”, “Constant Conversations”, and “Carried Away”. Gossamer was met by ecstatic critical applause from high-profile media outlets across the globe, with Pitchfork bestowing “Best New Music” honors upon the album, writing, “Three difficult years in the making, Gossamer is an overwhelming album about being overwhelmed, a bold and ultimately stunning torrent of maximalist musical ideas, repressed anger, and unchecked anxiety.” Rolling Stone later named the collection among its “50 Best Albums of 2012, ” declaring “… It’s high-end dance rock as John Updike might have it.”
Big John Patton – Let ‘Em Roll [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)
Kansas City-born Hammond B3 organ dynamo Big John Patton made a stellar run of soul jazz albums for Blue Note through the 1960s but Let ‘Em Roll stands among his finest with Patton adding vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson to a standard organ trio line-up with guitarist Grant Green and drummer Otis Finch. Part of Blue Note Tone Poet Series, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog tapes.
The Pineapple Thief – Magnolia [Reissue/2010] LP (Kscope)
Vinyl reissue of the tenth studio album by the British progressive rock band.
John Prine – John Prine [Reissue/1971] LP (Atlantic)
Vinyl reissue of the country singer/songwriter legend’s debut Atlantic Album, which was included in Rolling Stone’s list of 500 greatest records of all time. In 2009, Bob Dylan told the Huffington Post that Prine was one of his favorite songwriters of all time, and critics generally agree that his simple song structures support both sarcasm and wry observation and commentary on life that is generally unparalleled.
Public Memory – Elegiac Beat LP (Felte)
Custard yellow colorway. Over the past seven years, Public Memory’s distinctive use of analog synthesizers, electronic beats mixed with organic percussion, lo-fi sound design, and gritty ambience has created a singularly eerie and shadowy world.
Aunty Rayzor – Viral Wreckage LP (Hakuna Kulala)
Clear w/ red colorway. Bisola Olungbenga was just nine years old when she started writing music. Encouraged by her piano playing mom, she would come home from school and compete with her sister, dreaming up verses and choruses for rewards of candy. Since then, Olungbenga has evolved into Aunty Rayzor, one of Nigeria’s most vibrant emerging artists – a cross-genre innovator who blends hip-hop, Afrobeat, R&B and experimental sounds into an energetic portrait of contemporary Lagos. Viral Wreckage is Olungbenga’s debut album and follows the breakout success of her viral 2021 street anthem “Kuku Corona”.
Roddy Ricch – Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial [Reissue/2019] LP (Atlantic)
3x Grammy Award-nominated rapper Roddy Ricch releases his major label debut album. Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial for Atlantic 75. Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial includes iconic features from such superstars as Meek Mill, Ty Dolla $ign, Mustard, and Lil Durk alongside such stellar singles as “Tip Toe (Feat. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie)”, “Start Wit Me (Feat. Gunna)”, and “Big Stepper”.
Wayne Shorter – Schizophrenia [Reissue/1967] LP (Blue Note)
Wayne Shorter’s 1967 album Schizophrenia found the legendary saxophonist at the pinnacle of post-bop with a sextet of like-minded musical explorers including James Spaulding, Curtis Fuller, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Joe Chambers performing Shorter originals like “Tom Thumb”, “Go,” and “Miyako.” Part of Blue Note Tone Poet Series, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog tapes.
Silverstein – This Is How The Wind Shifts [Reissue/2013] LP (Hopeless)
Gold inside clear colorway. Celebrating ten years of the innovative, ground-breaking, and pivotal release, Canada’s punk/hardcore/emo torchbearers, Silverstein, credit This Is How The Wind Shifts for kick starting the second half of their illustrious career. It is a concept album that explores and bends song and album structure.
Sprain – The Lamb As Effigy 2xLP (The Flenser)
Since it’s formation in 2018 by like-minded Calarts students Alex Kent (guitar, vocals), April Gerloff (bass), and Sylvie Simmons (guitar), as well as the recent addition of Clint Dodson (percussionist), Los Angeles-based quartet Sprain has honed its signature flavor of experimentalism to a razor-fine point. Gradually moving from twisting conventions in its early works of minimalist slowcore to now transcending the confines of genre altogether, Sprain’s evolution over the past several years has encouraged the band to embrace a sound true to its muse. With its latest record, The Lamb As Effigy or Three Hundred And Fifty XOXOXOS For A Spark Union With My Darling Divine, the band has translated this intent into an ambitious work that pairs it’s resplendent scale with uncompromising honesty towards the band’s artistic and conceptual essences.
Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth Reissue/2016] LP (Atlantic)
The alt-country understated star’s Grammy-Award winning album features lead single “Brace For Impact (Live A Little)”, a track that also boasts an enigmatic music video which includes, among other visuals, and hot rod coffin, a cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom”, and the orchestral “Breakers Roar”. A respected and celebrated record, it has received a score of 86 from Metacritic signaling “universal acclaim.”
Earl Sweatshirt – Sick! LP (WB)
“Sick! is my humble offering of 10 songs recorded in the wake of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns. Before the virus I had been working on an album I named after a book I used to read with my mother (The People Could Fly). Once the lockdowns hit, people couldn’t fly anymore. A wise man said art imitates life. People were sick. The People were angry and isolated and restless. I leaned into the chaos because it was apparent that it wasn’t going anywhere. These songs are what happened when I would come up for air. Peace and love to Zelooperz the enigma, The Armand Hammer, and my good friends Alchemist and Black Noi$e. Peace and love to u.” – Earl Sweatshirt [An indie store exclusive light blue colorway is available.]
Taking Meds – Dial M For Meds LP (Smartpunk)
Recorded with producer/engineer Kurt Ballou (The Armed, Joyce Manor, Code Orange), Dial M For Meds finds Sarkis, guitarist Ben Kotin, drummer Noah Linn, and bassist James Palko stuffing every song to the brim with enough earworm melodies to make Bob Mould and Evan Dando proud. The ten tracks are crisp and direct but also pack a punch, and Kotin’s inventive leads are sure to intrigue anyone looking for a new guitar hero. And through it all, Sarkis delivers cynical, hilarious, and deeply human commentary on spending your adulthood in a fickle subculture where you’re chasing the often intangible high of creative pursuits.
Tangerine Dream – Recurring Dreams [Reissue/2019] 2xLP (Kscope)
A fundamental influence on electronic music, Edgar Froese founded Tangerine Dream in West Berlin, 1967. Tangerine Dream laid the foundations for the birth of multiple electronic music genres that include ambient and electronica and exploring artists that are as varied as The Future Sound of London to Porcupine Tree. Fast forward to the modern day where synthesizers and sequencers are seeing a huge resurgence and Tangerine Dream are still at the forefront of an ever-evolving electronic music scene. With Recurring Dreams, the new incarnation of Tangerine Dream pays homage to select classics, such as “Phaedra”, “Stratosfear”, “Tangram” and “Yellowstone Park”. Not only are these recordings re-recorded covers but heartfelt and individual interpretations, featuring new arrangements, new generations of synths and sequencers.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe – Up Above My Head LP (Destination Moon)
Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often referred to as “the godmother of rock and roll” for her pioneering guitar technique, use of distortion/reverb, and a 1963 UK tour with Muddy Waters that has been cited as a huge influence by Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Jeff Beck. Though she reached more widespread notoriety across the world in the ’50s and ’60s thanks to the folk/blues revival and her beloved status among UK blues and rock musicians, it’s her early recordings from the late ’30s and early-to-mid- ’40s that are the most brilliant, visceral, and emotional of her career. This excellent collection compiles 18 of those amazing gospel and R&B sides into one place.
Uriah Heep – Look At Yourself [Reissue/1971] LP (Sanctuary)
Uriah Heep continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of Uriah Heep with the first official picture disc LP release of Look At Yourself.
Viagra Boys – Street Worms [Reissue/2019] LP (Year0001)
This is an album about illusions of realness, the absurdum of existence and the joke of humanity. Street Worms is Viagra Boys debut studio album, a debut that instantly let them occupy their absolute own space in music history. Now on limited vinyl with five additional bonus tracks.
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Nonesuch)
Double sky-blue color pressing. Wilco’s sixth studio album Sky Blue Sky was released in May 2007. It was a critical and commercial success and received a Grammy nomination in 2008 for Best Rock Album. Sky Blue Sky was the band’s highest debut on the US Billboard chart, charting at #4 on. The album was also a top 40 album in numerous countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. Includes the songs “Impossible Germany”, “Hate It Here”, “Either Way”, and “Side With The Seeds”.
Neil Young – Odeon Budokan LP (Reprise)
A live album recorded in 1976 during a tour with Crazy Horse. Side A is Neil Young solo acoustic from Hammersmith Odeon, London; on Side B, Neil is joined by Crazy Horse at The Budokan in Tokyo. 10 amazing performances of classic Neil Young songs, including the rare “Stringman”. This album is included on CD in Neil’s Archives Volume II, but this is the debut release on vinyl.
Cassettes:
Frankie & The Witch Fingers – Data Doom (Ras/Greenway)
There’s long been a growl festering in the West, an earthen rumble fed by tectonic tension, acrid smoke, and sun-parched air. The brew has boiled over lately, a pressure-cooked chaos that can no longer be contained. The growl has grown to a howl… the howl is at the door. Few are as ready to meet the madness head on as Frankie and the Witch Fingers. On their new album Data Doom, the band hurtles the listener headfirst into the wood-chipper of technological dystopia, systemic rot, creeping fascism, the military-industrial profit mill, and a near-constant erosion of humanity that peels away the soul bit by bit. With a fuse lit by these modern-day monstrosities the band seeks to find salvation through a thousand-watt wake-up of rock ‘n’ roll exfoliation. [An indie store exclusive translucent orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jeff Rosenstock – Hellmode (Polyvinyl)
On Jeff Rosenstock’s new album, Hellmode, the spontaneous DIY trailblazer returns with the most confident & cohesive album of his career. Recorded at EastWest Studios with Grammy nominated engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor) and captured live to tape in the same room where albums like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and Toxicity were recorded, Hellmode finds Rosenstock holding nothing back. The studio’s infamous natural tones are juxtaposed with echo chambers used on Pet Sounds, calling to mind the mixture of despair and clear-eyed hope heard throughout the record. It is yet another exciting glimpse into Rosenstock’s powerful and emotionally resonant music, making him one of the most mesmerizing songwriters of the last decade.
Slowdive – Everything Is Alive (Dead Oceans)
Everything Is Alive, Slowdive’s fifth record, is exactly what the title suggests: an exploration into the shimmering nature of life and the universal touch points within it. While there are parts of this record that could sit neatly next to the atmospheric quality of 1995’s Pygmalion, Everything Is Alive also manages to break down the boundaries of what’s come before it. Spanning psychedelic soundscapes, pulsating ‘80s electronic elements and John Cale inspired journeys, the album lands immediately as something made for the future.
Speedy Ortiz – Rabbit Rabbit (Wax Nine)
Rabbit Rabbit is the fourth studio album by Philadelphia-based Speedy Ortiz, and their first since 2018. Co-produced with Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties and recorded in the nearly-alien desert landscapes of Joshua Tree’s Rancho de la Luna and El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, Rabbit Rabbit reaffirms Speedy Ortiz’s desire to push themselves politically and musically, vital and surprising as ever.
Various Artists – Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3: Awesome Mix Vol. 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Hollywood)
Original soundtrack to the 2023 motion picture. It’s time to face the music. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own – a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful. Featuring a stellar line-up of tracks perfect for any hero saving the galaxy.
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