CDs:
Alvarius B – Alvarius B [Reissue/2006] 2xCD (Abduction)
Dark, twisted and apocalyptic w/ith razor twang acoustic guitar and vocal delivery. Includes six bonus tracks, and a booklet with lyrics to all 45 tracks.
The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter CD (Universal)
Produced by Rick Rubin and recorded in North Carolina and Malibu, this new 12-song set follows the group’s 2009 breakthrough release I And Love And You. Vinyl version due next week.
Marco Benevento – TigerFace CD/LP (Royal Potato Family)
New album featuring guest appearances by drummers Matt Chamberlain (Bill Frisell, Pearl Jam), John McEntire (Tortoise, The Sea & The Cake) and Andrew Barr (The Barr Brothers), bassists Dave Dreiwitz (Ween), Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green) and Mike Gordon (Phish), violinist Ali Helnwein (Traction Avenue Chamber Orchestra) and saxophonist Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, Superhuman Happiness).
Billy Talent – Dead Silence CD (Last Gang)
Fifth studio album by Canadian rock band.
Lewis Black – In God We Rust CD (Comedy Central)
A rant-filled, cathartic ride through the issues of our baffling world, from inept politicians and the shortcomings of technology to the absurdity of social media. Also available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray.
Blaqk Audio – Bright Black Heaven CD (Superball Music)
Second studio album by the electro-pop side-project of AFI’s Davey Havok and Jade Puget.
David Byrne & St. Vincent – Love This Giant CD/LP (4AD)
A collaboration in the truest sense of the word, with Byrne and St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) co-writing ten of the album’s twelve tracks, and each artist penning one song individually. Love This Giant centers around an explosive brass band and is propelled by John Congleton’s drum programming.
Calexico – Algiers CD/LP (Anti)
22 years and six albums since forming as a band, Calexico presents their new album Algiers, recognizably classic Calexico but with a style that has been revitalized and reborn by the experience of recording in New Orleans.
Culture – From The Vault CD (Eulogy)
Classic mid/late-‘90s hardcore from Florida, celebrated for, among a handful of others, helping to cultivate the burgeoning metallic hardcore sound that became synonymous with the era.
The Deadfly Ensemble – An Instructional Guide for Aspiring Arsonists CD (Projekt)
A kid-gloved punch-up between artsy post-punk and off-kilter chamber-folk, replete with cinematic arias, tomahawk-wielding war-marches and dreamy, synth-laden vignettes.
DMX – Undisputed CD/CD+DVD (Seven Arts Music)
New Swiz Beatz+co.-produced album featuring guest appearances by Notorious B.I.G., Machine Gun Kelly, Sean Kingston, Adreena Mills, Dani Stevenshon, and Rachel Taylor.
Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Live At Rockpalast 1978 CD (Made In Germany Music)
Includes all the highlights from the legendary 1977 release New Boots & Panties.
Bob Dylan – Tempest CD/2xLP+CD (Columbia)
Featuring ten new and original Bob Dylan songs, the release of Tempest coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the artist’s eponymous debut album, which was released by Columbia in 1962.
The new album, produced by Jack Frost, is the 35th studio set from Bob Dylan, and follows 2009’s Together Through Life. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions.
Nick Edwards – Plekzationz CD/2xLP (Editions Mego)
Draws strength from his formative influences (Cabaret Voltaire, King Tubby, Suicide, Radiophonic Workshop) while striving to carve out his own defiantly raw, lo-fi, analog identity.
English Beat – Live At The Us Festival ’82 & ’83 CD+DVD (Shout Factory)
Contains a DVD featuring both year’s concerts in their entirety, as well as a CD compiling the best performances from each year.
Ex Deo – Caligvla CD (Napalm)
Under the leadership of the charismatic and vocally talented commander Mauriozio Iacono (also the frontman of Kataklysm), Ex Deo once again dedicates the album to the rich history of Ancient Rome and focuses particularly on the brutal and bloodthirsty time of Emperor Caligula.
Fabulous Diamonds – Commercial Music CD/LP (Chapter Music)
The heaviest of transcendental pop.
Field Report – Field Report CD (Partisan)
Field Report is the creation of Chris Porterfield, who cut his musical teeth with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and the members of Megafaun in the band DeYarmond Edison. The result is a haunting set of songs that’s crafty, lyrical, and poignant.
Firewater – International Orange CD/LP (Bloodshot)
High-energy Turkish percussion drives jagged guitars and horns on 11 anthems of frustration and hope, movement and transformation.
Grave Digger – Clash Of The Gods CD (Napalm)
Sweeping power metal compositions filled with powerful riffing and catchy choruses.
The Graviators – Evil Deeds CD (Napalm)
The Graviators revitalize the spirit of the 70’s without sounding like a dusty retro band, because the Swedes skillfully give each track their own character.
Jonny Greenwood – The Master OST CD (Nonesuch)
Score by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood to forthcoming film from director Paul Thomas Anderson. Also includes period-era songs by Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, Madisen Beaty, and Helen Forrest.
Neil Halstead – Palindrome Hunches CD/LP (Universal)
Halstead’s third solo album after a storied career with Slowdive and Mojave 3.
Harm – The Nine CD (FrostByte Media Inc.)
Canada’s heavy groove metallers’ sound is teeming with an ever-reaching boldness that’s instantly appealing to the inner rocker in us all.
The Helio Sequence – Negotiations CD/2xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Negotiations grew out of improvisations and abstract sketches influenced by minimalist ambience, and tempered by singer-guitarist Brandon Summers’s and drummer-keyboardist Benjamin Weikel’s meticulous attention to production and arrangement. This collection of shimmering, reverb-heavy songs is a meditation on those inner dialogues (hence, Negotiations) with solitude, memory, misgivings, loss, atonement, acceptance and hope.
Helvetia – Nothing In Rambling CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
Stripped-down, experimental psych — subtle, hazy, and gritty as hell. Features former members of Duster with contributions from members of Dinosaur Jr. and Built To Spill.
Hoobastank – Fight Or Flight CD (Open E Entertainment)
Ten new tracks including first single, “This Is Gonna Hurt.”
Hooded Menace – Effigies Of Evil CD/LP (Relapse)
Finland’s doom/death-lords make their Relapse debut with a brutally ripping new album of slow-paced, down-tuned ultra-heaviness.
Patterson Hood – Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance CD/LP (ATO)
The Drive-By Truckers frontman’s third solo album is an autobiographical affair, with guest appearances from fellow members of Drive-By Truckers, Centro-Matic, Kelly Hogan, and his father David Hood.
Hopewell – Another Music CDEP (Tee Pee)
Blending ”vintage fuzz pedal jams with early space rock and shoegaze” for over a decade, Hopewell’s tumultuous canon is the perfect cinematic bridge between the psychedelia of ‘90s acts like Spiritualized and Mercury Rev and the genre’s newer generation (read: Black Mountain, Serena-Maneesh).
Will Johnson – Scorpio CD/LP (Undertow)
The Centro-matic frontman delivers his first solo album in eight years.
The Knack – Rock & Roll Is Good For You: The Fieger/Averre Demos CD/LP+MP3 (Omnivore)
Pre-Knack demos from the archive of Doug Fieger. 16 previously unissued performances, including the original “Good Girls Don’t” demo from 1975. Available on CD and on clear vinyl.
Chris Knight – Little Victories CD (Drifter’s Church Productions)
Knight’s first album of new material in 4 years, Little Victories is a record of blunt honesty, elegiac truths, and the raw rural poetry of an artist who’s come into his own and intends to stay.
Krar Collective – Ethiopia Super Krar CD/LP (Riverboat)
Krar Collective serve up Ethiopian grooves on their debut — an album rooted in tradition, and soaked with attitude.
Little Big Town – Tornado CD (Capitol)
Fifth studio album from the Grammy-nominated country group.
Loscil – Sketches From New Brighton CD/2xLP (Kranky)
This sixth full-length album from Kranky mainstay Loscil (aka Scott Morgan) sees his pulsing compositions gently unfolding in the understated fashion that has become his trademark. He designs a sonic architecture, slowly constructing, making subtle additions and subtractions, until an almost tactile virtual space is formed.
Kathy Mattea – Calling Me Home CD (Sugarhill)
Mattea delves even deeper into her Appalachian heritage with this new set of songs. Co-produced with modern acoustic mastermind Gary Paczosa and featuring liner notes from bestselling author, and Kentucky-born kindred spirit, Barbara Kingsolver.
Dave Matthews Band – Away From The World CD/CD+DVD/2xLP (RCA)
New album, produced by Steve Lillywhite. Available in Regular, Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three live bonus tracks, while the Super Deluxe sports a DVD.
Dan Melchoir – Backward Path CD/LP (Northern Spy)
This is Dan’s first album to feature other musicians since his time with the Broke Revue, and it also marks a change in his songwriting methods, with more heartfelt sentiments being expressed rather than the usual flood of snide non-sequiturs. It is also a quieter album, without much of the “did he mean it to sound like that?” sonic onslaught of last year’s Catbirds & Cardinals.
Miggs – 15th & Hope CD (Elm City)
Fifth album from the Tampa Bay pop-rockers.
Mint Condition – Music At The Speed Of Life CD (Shanachie)
Mint Condition once again delivers their trademark mix of crunching mid tempo funk and romantic ballads.
Neil Morse – Momentum CD (Metal Blade)
Prog elements, hooky pop choruses, intricate vocal weaving, blistering musicianship and beautiful melodies are all present and accounted for.
Nektar – A Spoonful Of Time CD/LP (Cleopatra)
First-ever covers album from prog rock legends.
NOFX – Self Entitled CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Rather than drifting off into a land of forgettable and mindless rehashes of their older material like many other veteran acts, NOFX approached Self Entitled with a reinvigorated virility.
Amada Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra – Theatre Is Evil CD/LP (8 Ft. Records)
Arguably her most pop-influenced album yet, Theatre Is Evil showcases Amanda’s powerful vocals and talented songwriting in ways that might surprise even her most ardent fans. Written over the course of several years, the album offers a collection of sounds and rhythms heavily influenced by the music Palmer grew up listening to — notably ‘80s synth rock and Brit Pop.
William Parker Orchestra – Essence Of Ellington/Live In Milano 2xCD (Aum Fidelity)
The Orchestra interprets selections from the Duke Ellington book, and new William Parker compositions inspired by the essence of Ellington. Over two hours of transformative exuberance and tenderness, is here presented in its entirety.
Pet Shop Boys – Elysium CD/2xLP (Astralwerks)
Elysium features twelve new songs that display a warm, deep electronic sound, and includes orchestral arrangements by Joachim Horsley, Andrew Dawson and Ben Leathers. Backing vocals are provided on many of the tracks by veteran singers Oren, Maxine and Julie Waters (whose long career spans sessions with The Jackson Five to Adele), and singer/songwriter James Fauntleroy.
The Pineapple Thief – All The Wars CD (K-Scope)
New album from the modern prog rockers. Vinyl version due October 30.
Presets – Pacifica CD/LP (Casablanca)
New album from Australian electronic duo.
The Raveonettes – Observator CD/LP (Vice)
“The Raveonettes take a slightly different turn for the torment with their sixth studio release, Observator. This time, the Danish duo’s normally dark lyrics and dingy guitar noise from albums of yore ride quietly in the backseat down a road of desperation and have nots. Sune Rose Wagner says of the record that ‘it’s like a heavenly dream that you slowly realize is actually taking place in hell.’ Agreed. Love can be quite cruel.” — Boweryboogie.com
Residents – Duck Stab [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (Cryptic Corp)
“It was with this album that the Residents perfected, for one brief moment, the dark, mysterious twisted pop song that raised their profile in the experimental music scene and college radio world.” — AllMusic
Residents – Eskimo [Reissue/1979] CD (Cryptic Corp)
“The most rewarding, the most difficult, and the most accomplished of all the Residents’ albums, this was their departure into the field of imaginary ethno-musicography that they had begun on ‘Six Things to a Cycle’ on Fingerprince.” — AllMusic. Vinyl version due October 9.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood – The Magic Door CD/2xLP (Silver Arrow)
The companion album to Big Moon Ritual was recorded in a marathon session earlier this year at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles with producer Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Devendra Banhart, Papercuts) after the band wrapped up a 118-show 2011 tour during which the band road-tested all the material.
Seapony – Falling CD/LP (Hardly Art)
Falling is complex yet simple pop music to fall in or out of love to. It was recorded by Danny Rowland at Seapony HQ in Seattle, WA and mixed at Dub Narcotic in Olympia, WA by Bob Schwenkler, and mastered by Kramer (Galaxy 500, Daniel Johnston, etc.).
Sea Wolf – Old World Romance CD/LP (Dangerbird)
Inspired by classic California authors such as John Steinbeck and Jack London, Sea Wolf is named for Jack London’s 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf. Old World Romance is Sea Wolf’s third full-length album and is an upbeat, pop/folk journey.
Pete Seeger – Live At Mandel Hall 1957 2xCD (Chrome Dreams)
Double-disc set captures one of the earliest Pete Seeger performances on tape.
Serpentine Path – Serpentine Path CD/LP (Relapse)
Features a pedigree that boasts all three members of New York’s cult doom band Unearthly Trance plus founding Electric Wizard and Ramesses bassist/guitarist Tim Bagshaw.
Snowblink – Inner Classics CD/LP (Arts & Crafts)
Written in a cottage on Lake Erie in winter, an attic studio in Toronto in the early spring, and a guest house in Malibu, CA in the summer while listening to a live feed of whales singing off the coast of Maui, Inner Classics represents singer/songwriter Daniela Gesundheit’s first body of work since moving to Canada. For fans of: Feist, Timber Timbre, Jenny Lewis, Arcade Fire.
Solos – Beast Of Both Worlds CD/LP (Joyful Noise)
New band from Spencer Seim (Hella).
Svolk – Nights Under The Round Table CD (Napalm)
The Norwegians riff enthusiastically over the entire album without showing any signs of slowing down.
S.Y.P.H. – 4 [Reissue/1981] CD/LP (Made In Germany Music)
Reissue of a German avant-garde/punk classic from 1981. Co-produced by Holger Czukay (Can) it was the counterpart of the Czukay album On The Way To The Peak Of Norms, in which all the members of S.Y.P.H. also took part.
The Time Jumpers – The Time Jumpers CD (Rounder)
Featuring Vince Gill, The Time Jumpers play country music — real country music — at a time when few do, revitalizing classics and adding new songs to the swing and honky-tonk repertoire. Vinyl version due next week.
TOY – TOY CD/2xLP (Cooperative Music)
TOY is a Korg Delta led five-piece formed in 2010. RIYL: Low, Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine.
Turbo Fruits – Butter CD/LP+MP3 (Serpents & Snakes)
Recorded in eight days in Austin, TX with Spoon’s Jim Eno at his Public Hi-Fi studio, Butter is a spastic, slab of fun-filled fury, thrashing it’s way through punk, surf, and power-pop. Vinyl version pressed on yellow wax.
Mika Vainio – FE304 – Magnetite CD (Touch)
In contrast to the dark vistas of Vainio’s (Pan Sonic) most recent releases, this oscillates between the two poles of silence and noise.
Various Artists – Spirit Of Talk Talk 2xCD (Fierce Panda)
Double-disc tribute featuring Zelienople, S Carey, Joan As Police Woman, Recoil, Do Make Say Think, Zero 7, Nils Frahm/Peter Broderick, Lights, Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire), Duncan Sheik, White Lies, Goldheart Assembly, and King Creosote.
Stephen Wade – Banjo Diary: Lessons From Tradition CD (Smithsonian Folkways)
Inspired by past banjo masters of frailing and of two and three-finger styles, Stephen Wade, accompanied by Mike Craver, Russ Hooper, Danny Knicely, James Leva, and Zan McLeod, mines new creative possibilities with pump organ, piano, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, Dobro, and bass.
The xx – Coexist CD/LP (XL/Young Turks)
“For the most part Coexist’s songs are defined as much by space as by sound. The gaps bring greater emphasis to the spidery guitar lines, the occasional steel pan, the distant icicles of piano, and the voices of Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim. The album’s theme is heartbreak and the intensity with which love catapults one into a private world. A low-key triumph.” — The Guardian
Zs – Score: The Complete Sextet Works 2002-2007 4xCD (Northern Spy)
In celebration of their 10-year anniversary, NYC DIY modern composition combo Zs offer this four-disc retrospective. Throughout 10 years of activity, the band has changed in countless ways without ever changing a fierce commitment to inscrutable aesthetics and execution crafted to provoke reflection and challenge assumption in the consumption of music.
ZZ Top – La Futura CD (Universal)
ZZ Top’s 15th studio album, and their first in nine years. Vinyl version due September 25.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Lewis Black – In God We Rust DVD/Blu-ray (Comedy Central)
A rant-filled, cathartic ride through the issues of our baffling world, from inept politicians and the shortcomings of technology to the absurdity of social media. 79 minutes.
John Cage/Henning Lohne – John Cage: Musicircus 5xDVD (Mode)
Following John Cage’s death in 1992, Cage champions John Kennedy and Charles Wood of new music ensemble Essential Music organized a 3.5 hour “Musicircus” in New York’s Symphony Space. Musicircus is a score which Cage had created to organize simultaneous performances of different music. Kennedy and Wood’s Musicircus consists solely of Cage’s music — 53 Cage compositions in a magical performance by 77 of the best Cage specialists. 510 minutes.
Grateful Dead – Closing Of Winterland 2xDVD (Shout Factory)
Deluxe two-DVD edition of the landmark New Year’s Eve 1978 concert special that marked the end of the famed San Francisco Bay Area venue Winterland. 190 minutes.
Don McLean – American Troubadour DVD (Time Life)
In this authorized documentary, McLean granted unprecedented access and interviews, revealing his personal account of a career spanning over four decades and performing songs that have become integral parts of American pop culture. 187 minutes.
Vinyl:
2 Chainz – Based On A T.R.U. Story LP (Def Jam)
Recently released on CD — now available on vinyl. Debut album from the hip-hop artist who gained attention via several critically-acclaimed mixtapes and collaborations with Kanye West, Drake, and Nicki Minaj.
Trey Anastasio – Scabbard 7” (ATO)
First single from the Phish frontman’s forthcoming album Traveler (due October 16).
John Cage – Shock 2xLP (EM)
Double-vinyl version of EM Records’ John Cage Shock series, compiled from the three CD releases. Performers include: David Tudor, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Kenji Kobayashi, Yoko Ono and John Cage.
The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Virgin/Electrospective)
Vinyl reissue of the duo’s acclaimed 1995 debut.
Otis Clay – I Can’t Take It [Reissue/1977] LP (Fat Possum)
Otis Clay made most of his best-known records in Memphis during the early ’70s, but he’s still universally hailed as Chicago’s deep soul king. In a city filled to overflowing with legendary blues artists, Clay has become the proud standard-bearer for Chicago’s enduring soul tradition.
Crass – Stations Of The Crass [Reissue/1978] LP+MP3 (Crass)
Crass – Christ The Album [Reissue/1982] 2xLP+MP3 (Crass)
Crass – Ten Notes On A Summer’s Day [Reissue/1986] LP+MP3 (Crass)
Punk rock classics back in print on vinyl.
Daft Punk – Daft Club [Reissue/2004] LP (Virgin/Electrospective)
14 track compilation of rare tracks and remixes, including one previously unreleased track.
Ian Drennan – The Wonderful World 2xLP (Underwater People)
Sorrowful, active, and curious. A vast record that can be enjoyed extensively by the emotionally attuned.
Duran Duran – Duran Duran [Reissue/1981] LP (Virgin/Electrospective)
Limited vinyl repress of Duran Duran’s debut album.
Hopewell – Needle In The Camel’s Eye b/w The King And The Canary 7” (Tee Pee)
Features Ride vocalist Mark Gardener on the cover of Brian Eno’s “Needle In The Camel’s Eye.”
Hot Chip – Made In The Dark [Reissue/2008] LP (Virgin/Electrospective)
Made In The Dark is Hot Chip’s third full-length release and the follow up to their critically acclaimed album The Warning.
Kassel Jaeger – Deltas LP (Editions Mego)
Fifth album from French-Swiss artist. Includes pieces commissioned for performance at the Planetarium in Poitiers, France, and another piece commissioned for Ina-GRM’s Retro/Actif at la Gaite Lyrique, Paris.
King Cyst – Real Pus#y LP (Underwater Peoples)
Luka Usmiani has built his songwriting on the shoulders of his heroes from the 1970s Canterbury Scene. Progressive legends Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers provide the backdrop for the whimsical nature of both his tunes and lyrics, and there is a healthy smattering of Syd Barrett that barely bubbles over Usmiani’s pot.
King Tubby – Meets Rockers Downtown 3×10” (Get On Down)
1976 collaboration between producer instrumentalist Augustos Pablo & visionary dub engineer Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock. 3×10″ + 16pg book, housed in full color hinged box secured with a magnetic clasp.
LCD Soundsystem – LCD Soundsystem [Reissue/2005] LP (Virgin/Electrospective)
Vinyl reissue of LCD Soundsystem’s 1995 debut.
Lindstrom – Ra-Ako-St 12” (Smalltown Supersound)
Extended edit backed with a remix by Todd Terje.
Man Or Astro-Man? – Analog Series Vol. 1 7” (Chunklet)
Man Or Astro-Man? return with their first new material in well over a decade. This release jumpstarts a series of singles that will culminate with a full length at the beginning of 2013. Recorded by Steve Albini.
Massive Attack – Blue Lines [Reissue/1992] LP (Virgin/Electrospective)
Massive Attack – Protection [Reissue/1994] LP (Virgin/Electrospective)
Import-only vinyl LP represses of Massive Attack’s first two albums.
My Morning Jacket – Outta My System: Remixez y Friends 12”+MP3 (ATO)
Remixes from Washed Out and Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio). Instrumentals on the B-side.
N. Racker – Flock Toxicant LP (Pre-Cert Home Entertainment)
Full of rumbling gloom, misery and arcane folk mystery, think somewhere between sunn O))), The Haxan Cloak and Morricone/Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza — albeit with a distinctly Northern English slant.
Bernard Parmegiani – L’Oeil Ecoute/Dedans-Dehors LP (Recollection GRM)
Recollection GRM presents two pieces by electronic/acousmatic composer, circa 1970 and 1977.
Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Get On Down)
Has been cited and debated by many as the greatest Wu-Tang solo project to date and remains a bullet point in any discussion involving the greatest “cocaine rap” or “street hop” albums of all time. Limited purple vinyl.
Rolling Stones – Some Girls: Live In Texas ’78 2xLP+DVD (Eagle Rock)
Double-vinyl+DVD reissue of the famed 1978 concert of the Rolling Stones at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, TX, on July 18, 1978.
Thought Broadcast – Emergency Stairway LP (Editions Mego)
Minimal synth and industrial mixed with dingy analog and twisted dub.
Tom Tom Club – Downtown Rockers 2xLP (Nacional)
Tom Tom Club features Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads. This is their first release of new material in more than a decade. Effervescent, energetic and upbeat fusion of hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeat and funk.
Various Artists – Bollywood Steel Guitar 2xLP (Sublime Frequencies)
A superb collection of famous Indian film tunes played with steel guitars. Tracks run through the glory years of Indian film music: 1962-1986.
Muddy Waters/Rolling Stones – Live At The Checkerboard Lounge 1981 LP+DVD (Eagle Rock)
Vinyl+DVD reissue of the famed 1981 concert of the Rolling Stones with Muddy Waters at his Checkerboard Lounge.
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