AIMS Marketing Program/ Featured Titles Promoted This Week:
Herb Alpert – 50 CD (Herb Alpert Presents)
Teeming with the good vibes that characterize the trumpeter’s decades-long catalog, 50 is a continuation of the path Alpert has been blazing in the past decade. There is a mix of reimagined classics covered in Alpert’s instantly recognizable style, highlighted by The Chords’ doo-wop classic “Sh- Boom”, Elvis’ “Are You Lonesome Tonight”, “Baubles Bangles And Beads” (famously recorded by Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Wes Montgomery, among others), and more. Plus, there are touching, new original compositions like “Dancing Down 50th Street”. On 50, Herb strikes the delicate balance of honoring the past while keeping his eye set on the future. It’s no wonder he’s still going strong after all this time.
Bright Eyes – Five Dice, All Threes CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Five Dice, All Threes is a record of uncommon intensity and tenderness, communal exorcism and personal excavation. These are, of course, qualities that fans have come to expect from Bright Eyes, nearly three decades into their career. The tight-knit band of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott tends to operate in distinct sweeping movements: each unique in its sound and story but unified by a sense of ambition and ever-growing emotional stakes. Even with this rich history behind them, these new songs exude a visceral thrill like nothing they have attempted before. Oberst has always sung in a voice that conveys a sense of life-or-death gravity. At times throughout Five Dice, All Threes, you may feel worried for him; other times, he may seem like the only one with the clarity to get us out of this mess. On the self-produced album, Bright Eyes embrace the elusive quality that has made them so enduring and influential across generations and genres, bringing their homespun sound from an Omaha bedroom to devoted audiences around the world. [A red/orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Destroy Lonely – Love Lasts Forever CD (Interscope)
Destroy Lonely’s highly anticipated sophomore album, Love Lasts Forever, represents a pivotal moment in Lonely’s career, showcasing his growth as an artist and storyteller with its innovative and genre-defying sound. The album is made up of 22 songs, including features from Don Toliver, Ken Carson and Lil Uzi Vert. [Vinyl version due December 6.]
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey CD/LP (Concord)
Multi-award-winning tenor saxophonist, bandleader and composer Nubya Garcia’s 2024 album, Odyssey follows her critically acclaimed debut album, Source. Odyssey is a majestic feat that blends orchestral arrangements with R&B, jazz and dub. Produced by Garcia and co-produced by kwes, Garcia returns with Joe Armon-Jones (keys), Daniel Casimir (bass), Sam Jones (drums). Featured guests include Esperanza Spalding, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Richie Seivwright.
Hippo Campus – Flood CD/LP/Cassette (Psychic Hotline)
The sentiments on Flood are raw, real, and unguarded, a testament to Hippo Campus dropping preconceptions of how they had to sound after so many failed attempts to re-record these songs. They wiped the slate clean, starting over without beliefs about what Hippo Campus or this record needed to be. Still, sophistication lurks in subtle key and tempo changes, in the almost innate shifts that a band of longtime best friends can tap after so much time spent helping to shape one another’s musical language. Flood doesn’t need to tell you it’s important or interesting; it simply is, just by virtue of how it’s written, built, and rendered, a map of what it’s like to feel everything at once. [An indie store exclusive clear galaxy color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jamie xx – In Waves CD/LP/3xLP (Young)
The long-awaited new album by Jamie xx In Waves is the next chapter in the career of one of the most in demand producers of his generation. With In Waves, Jamie replicates the emotional crescendos and thrilling volatility of an almost mystical night out- one where you return home in the cigarette ash dawn, the specifics of the last eight hours already blurring, but aware that these feelings will remain a crystalline memory. In Waves is a melancholy paradise of bliss, heartbreak, and introspection. The story of a journey where you merge into the divine pulse of shadows, light, and dancefloor rhythms. A strobelight epiphany about the illimitable possibilities and spiritual capacities of humanity. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available. A deluxe triple LP version pressed on white, black and black & white mix color vinyl features the album cut on two discs with a bonus 12” of exclusive tracks is also available.]
My Brightest Diamond – Fight The Real Terror CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
A classically trained vocalist with a self-taught instrumentalist’s spirit, Shara Nova has been releasing spellbinding music as My Brightest Diamond since 2006. Over the years, the band has released five groundbreaking albums, each showcasing a different musical landscape while always centering on Nova’s distinctive voice. Fight The Real Terror was written and recorded in four days during a power outage immediately after the death of Sinead O’Connor. It’s as deep, thought provoking and compelling as its inspiration – a direct call, full of protest music and emotion, stripped back to the raw basics of guitar and vocals. [An orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Nightwish – Yesterwynde CD2x/LP (Nuclear Blast)
There’s a fascinating, but inexplicable feeling that Nightwish has once again been able to find unprecedented nuances, spices and perspectives in their new works – exactly: after a career of nine classic albums. Yesterwynde is an experience that takes time to digest. The gravid ingredients of the songs are easily recognizable, but beneath the surface lies numerous intriguing details and features. The lyrics of Yesterwynde deal with large-sized universal themes: memories, mortality, humanism, time and much more. [A white color vinyl pressing is available.]
xNeon Trees – Sink Your Teeth CD/LP (Round Hill)
As the first album from the band since 2020’s I Can Feel You Forgetting Me, Sink Your Teeth offers an opportunity for longtime fans to return and for new fans to discover the Provo, Utah band for the first time. It also evokes a sense of bite and rawness in the music and lyrics that is compellingly relatable. For frontman, Tyler Glenn, the songs reflect a state of mind felt by many during the pandemic, but it’s not necessarily specific to the past few years. “Losing My Head,” written during 2020’s uncertainty, is about finding yourself again through the chaos. It acknowledges that standing on the edge, the brink of self-discovery, can make you feel more alive. This is a sentiment that Tyler feels ” is critically reverberating in a lot of the culture right now.”
Katy Perry – 143 CD/LP (Capitol)
43 is a party and everyone is invited. Katy Perry has officially launched an exciting new era with the long awaited sixth studio album 143. Katy creates a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message. The result is a sexy, fearless, return to form for the multifaceted musician with an album jam packed with the empowering, sexy, and provocative pop anthems you’ve come to love. This is an album with a lot of heart and a lot of BPM. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including an indie store exclusive blue pressing.]
Porches – Shirt CD/LP (Domino)
Part angsty fantasy, part confessional melodrama, Shirt – the sixth studio album from Porches – is a rock album that oscillates between reality and make-believe to reflect both the innocence of suburban youth and the frayed reality of adulthood. A fusion of chaotic impulses, insatiable desires, and a perpetual yearning, Shirt plays with the tension between one’s person and persona – the weight of your dreams crashing up against your reality. The result is something both familiar and uncanny, an anthemic tribute to this intrinsic duality built on crashing and caressing sounds. Grungy guitars that shine with a menacing glint, drums and bass that punch you warmly in the stomach, interspersed with moments of eerie calmness to create a physical sense of tension and release that resonates with each track. [A pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Seether – The Surface Seems So Far CD/LP (Fantasy)
The Surface Seems So Far is unapologetically aggressive, kicking off with the barn-burning “Judas Mind.” This isn’t to say the album doesn’t have moments of melancholy, like “Regret.” The record takes many twists and turns, emphasizing catchy hooks and driving bombast. Songs like the chunky but atmospheric “Illusion,” the pulsating “Lost All Control,” the dynamic neo-grunge of “Same Mistakes,” and the moving and immersive “Dead On The Vine” are massive additions to the Seether catalog. Seether sounds alternately confident and confessional, full of vitriol and vulnerability. [A white color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Waeve – City Lights CD/LP (Transgressive)
Folk-rock post-punk duo, The Waeve, return with their latest guitar driven romp, City Lights. Graham Coxon (Blur) and Rose Elinor Dougall return with the follow-up to last years acclaimed eponymous debut. Produced by James Ford (Fontaines DC, Arctic Monkeys), the record features both artists on vocal duties in addition to playing a host of instruments including saxophone, keyboards and drums. The Waeve have established themselves as a songwriting partnership to watch and with City Lights they further push the boundaries of their collaborative creativity, using this album to chronicle the evolution of their relationship and forays into parenthood. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Additional Social Media Program Titles:
Daffo – Pest/Crisis Kit LP (Concord)
An essential new voice on the indie-rock scene, 20-year-old singer/songwriter Daffo brings an unexpected beauty to the most uncomfortable of feelings. Featuring “Poor Madeline,” “Good God,” and “all the time,” this LP of the Pest and Crisis Kit EPs brings Daffo’s music to vinyl for the first time.
CDs + Vinyl:
Gregg Allman – Uncle Sam’s CD (Peach)
Live concert performance from Uncle Sam’s, Hull, MA recorded July 1, 1983.
Herb Alpert – 50 CD (Herb Alpert Presents)
Teeming with the good vibes that characterize the trumpeter’s decades-long catalog, 50 is a continuation of the path Alpert has been blazing in the past decade. There is a mix of reimagined classics covered in Alpert’s instantly recognizable style, highlighted by The Chords’ doo-wop classic “Sh- Boom”, Elvis’ “Are You Lonesome Tonight”, “Baubles Bangles And Beads” (famously recorded by Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Wes Montgomery, among others), and more. Plus, there are touching, new original compositions like “Dancing Down 50th Street”. On 50, Herb strikes the delicate balance of honoring the past while keeping his eye set on the future. It’s no wonder he’s still going strong after all this time.
Phil Alvin – County Fair 2000 [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (Liberation Hall)
Re-released on CD and never before available on vinyl, the former Blasters frontman’s second solo album is a bluesy-rootsy set that has, in the words of NPR, room in [its] melting pot for ragtime, doo-wop, country music, the blues, and lots more.
A$AP Rocky – Don’t Be Dumb CD (RCA)
Multi-hyphenated artist, entrepreneur, actor and fashion icon A$AP Rocky, born Rakim Mayers, has taken the world by storm since his emergence in 2011. In June of 2024, Rocky made his Paris Fashion Week debut with his highly anticipated show “A$AP Rocky: American Sabotage,” where he also announced his long-awaited album Don’t Be Dumb.
Dorothy Ashby – Afro-Harping CD/2xLP (Decca)
Deluxe edition features eight bonus tracks – alternate takes from the surviving four-track session reels, including an explosive rendition of the single, “Soul Vibrations,” extended versions of the title track and “Little Sunflower,” plus two fantastic jazzy readings of “Theme from Valley of the Dolls.” Afro-Harping is the first of a rarefied and outstanding trilogy of soul-jazz albums by Dorothy Ashby. Remastered from the original tapes, Afro-Harping is filled front-to-back with sumptuous and hypnotic grooves. It’s African percussion, soulful orchestrations, in-the-pocket rhythms and Dorothy’s virtuosity take it beyond jazzy mood music and made it a favorite of beat heads and producers.
Black Artist Group – For Peace And Liberty: In Paris Dec 1972 CD/LP (Wewantsounds)
This long-lost performance, recorded at Maison de l’ORTF in optimal conditions just a few months previously, was thought lost until recently unearthed from the vaults of INA (Institut National de l’Audiovisuel). Here the group unleashes an incandescent 35-minute set mixing free improvisation and spiritual jazz with funk grooves. Released in partnership with the band and INA with audio remastered from the original tapes.
Pony Bradshaw – Thus Spoke The Fool CD/LP (Pony Bradshaw)
Prolific wordsmith Pony Bradshaw arrives safely in the arms of vernacular yet again with his newest offering Thus Spoke The Fool – an album full to the brim of well-crafted storytelling and spilling over with his signature emotive sound. Bradshaw brings true meaning to the roots genre with the lines he pens for this new record. [A blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bright Eyes – Five Dice, All Threes CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Five Dice, All Threes is a record of uncommon intensity and tenderness, communal exorcism and personal excavation. These are, of course, qualities that fans have come to expect from Bright Eyes, nearly three decades into their career. The tight-knit band of Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis, and Nate Walcott tends to operate in distinct sweeping movements: each unique in its sound and story but unified by a sense of ambition and ever-growing emotional stakes. Even with this rich history behind them, these new songs exude a visceral thrill like nothing they have attempted before. Oberst has always sung in a voice that conveys a sense of life-or-death gravity. At times throughout Five Dice, All Threes, you may feel worried for him; other times, he may seem like the only one with the clarity to get us out of this mess. On the self-produced album, Bright Eyes embrace the elusive quality that has made them so enduring and influential across generations and genres, bringing their homespun sound from an Omaha bedroom to devoted audiences around the world. [A red/orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Jackson Brown – For Everyman [Reissue/1973] CD/LP (Inside Recordings)
Digitally remastered edition of Jackson Brown’s second album.
Manu Chao – Viva Tu CD/LP (Because Music)
The first album in 17 years by the French Spanish singer/songwriter/musician and former frontman for Mano Negra. [Picture disc and blue color vinyl pressings are available.]
Cher – Forever CD/2xLP (WB)
A brand new, expansive career-spanning compilation of Cher’s remarkable journey. [A clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Clinic Stars – Only Hinting CD/LP (Kranky)
The full-length debut by Detroit duo Giovanna Lenski and Christian Molik aka Clinic Stars both refines and redefines their pitch-perfect fusion of downer-pop balladry and featherweight shoegaze: Only Hinting. Recorded and produced at the band’s home studio, the album was crafted across 2022 and 2023, patiently layering FX and spatial depths to give each song a swirling, subconscious undertow.
Crimson Veil – Hex CD/LP (Reigning Phoenix Music)
Blending death growls with ethereal soundscapes and elements of progressive rock, Crimson Veil have been stunning audiences with their unique take on metal. [A red color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Damned – AD 2022 – Live IN Manchester 2xCD+DVD (earMUSIC)
November 3rd, 2022, saw The Damned performing at the fully packed O2 Apollo in Manchester, UK, delivering an energetic 21-song set drawn from the first two albums, the 1977’s Damned Damned Damned and Music For Pleasure, the only albums to feature the four founding members.
The Defiled – Horror Beyond Horror CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Since clawing their way out of Tokyo’s grim underbelly in 1992, Defiled has carved a bloody swath through the global death metal scene with their bone-crushing aggression and intricate artistry. Cementing their legacy as stalwarts of savagery, their unrelenting assault has remained as visceral as ever. [A green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Dreamless Veil – Every Limb Of The Flood CD/LP (Relapse)
Blackened extreme metal. [A gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
Bob Dylan – The 1974 Recordings 27xCD (Sony Legacy)
Featuring all professionally recorded shows from the artist’s 1974 performances backed by The Band, The 1974 Recordings is as a deluxe box set across 27 CDs. The set offers fans 417 previously-unreleased Bob Dylan live tracks – including 133 recordings newly mixed from 16-track tape, and every single surviving soundboard recording – along with new liner notes by journalist and critic Elizabeth Nelson.
Eclipse – Megalomanium II CD/LP (Frontiers)
Eclipse, the heavy rock powerhouse out of Stockholm, are renowned for their signature sound of massive hooks and stellar musicianship, quickly becoming one of Sweden’s largest heavy rock bands.
FA-5 – FA-5 CD/LP (Mr Bongo)
The fertility of the Cuban music scene in the 1970s was rich and blooming. FA-5’s self-titled album from 1976 is a perfect example of the energy and vitality emanating from the country’s musicians. A unique musical fusion that encompasses Latin rock, funk, soul, disco and Afro-Cuban rhythms to form a diverse and alluring album.
Fleetwood Mac – Mirage Tour ’82 2xCD (WB)
Live recordings from Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage Tour, captured at The Forum in Los Angeles on October 21-22, 1982. Includes the classic Mirage tracks “Gypsy,” “Hold Me,” and “Eyes Of The World,” along with six previously unreleased tracks including “Don’t Stop,” “Dreams,” “Oh Well,” “Landslide,” “Never Going Back Again” and “Sara.”
Steve Forbert – Daylight Savings Time CD/LP (Blue Rose Music)
Steve Forbert’s new album features all original material, and a great group of musicians backing him. Joining him on this album are Rob Clores (The Black Crowes) on keyboards and accordion, Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams) on electric guitar, Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) on drums, Byron House (Robert Plant’s Band of Joy) on bass, and Layonne Holmes on backing vocals.
Nelly Furtado – 7 CD/LP (Republic)
New release from the Grammy Award-winning global superstar Nelly Furtado. Her most inspired and personal collection to date, 7 is the culmination of four years of artistic rediscovery. [A silver color vinyl pressing is available.]
Diamanda Galás – Saint Of The Pit [Reissue/1986] CD/LP (Intravenal Sound Op)
Saint Of The Pit, Diamanda Galás’ fifth studio album and the second in her trilogy, The Masque Of the Red Death, is an urgent record. Its theme is essentially passion, in the sense of suffering, although here, and unlike the passion of Christianity, there is little to offer solace. Re-released on Galás’ own Intravenal Sound Operations (ISO) after its initial release on Mute in November 1986, Saint Of The Pit is a masterpiece of witnessing, forged from grief and fury during the HIV-AIDS epidemic.
Galaxie 500 – Uncollected New York ’88-’90 2xCD/2xLP/2xCassette (Silver Current)
A twenty-four-track chronological journey through rarities and outtakes including never-before-heard songs, from the start of their incendiary career to their final studio session. Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90 marks Galaxie 500’s first release of new archival material in nearly thirty years and their most comprehensive collection of unreleased and rare material ever. Produced and engineered by Kramer at Noise New York 1988-1990. Featuring B-sides, outtakes, and non-album material, the compilation also boasts eight never-before-heard cuts. [A silver & purple color vinyl pressing is available.]
Nubya Garcia – Odyssey CD/LP (Concord)
Multi-award-winning tenor saxophonist, bandleader and composer Nubya Garcia’s 2024 album, Odyssey follows her critically acclaimed debut album, Source. Odyssey is a majestic feat that blends orchestral arrangements with R&B, jazz and dub. Produced by Garcia and co-produced by kwes, Garcia returns with Joe Armon-Jones (keys), Daniel Casimir (bass), Sam Jones (drums). Featured guests include Esperanza Spalding, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Richie Seivwright.
Grateful Dead – Duke ’78 3xCD/4xLP (Grateful Dead)
Duke ’78 features the previously unreleased complete show from Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, NC 4/12/78 with original artwork by Matthew Brannon, liner notes by Steve Silberman, and additional notes by Duke University Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Eric Mlyn PhD.
Dave Guy – Ruby CD/LP/Cassette (Big Crown)
Having lent his talents both on stage and in the studio to artists like Amy Winehouse, Lizzo, Pharrell, and Sharon Jones to currently playing every night on The Tonight Show as a member of The Roots, Dave steps out on his own with a jazz record that is both unique and modern. [An indie store exclusive blue smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
JP Harris – JP Harris Is A Trash Fire CD/LP (Bloodshot)
Harris has been steadily elbowing the definitive boundaries of “country music” wider with every album, both sonically and lyrically, and his latest piece of self-described “avant-country” is no exception. [A coke bottle clear vinyl pressing is available.]
Hippo Campus – Flood CD/LP/Cassette (Psychic Hotline)
The sentiments on Flood are raw, real, and unguarded, a testament to Hippo Campus dropping preconceptions of how they had to sound after so many failed attempts to re-record these songs. They wiped the slate clean, starting over without beliefs about what Hippo Campus or this record needed to be. Still, sophistication lurks in subtle key and tempo changes, in the almost innate shifts that a band of longtime best friends can tap after so much time spent helping to shape one another’s musical language. Flood doesn’t need to tell you it’s important or interesting; it simply is, just by virtue of how it’s written, built, and rendered, a map of what it’s like to feel everything at once. [An indie store exclusive clear galaxy color vinyl pressing is available.]
Honeyglaze – Real Deal CD/LP (Fat Possum)
Honeyglaze’s second album, Real Deal, feels like their coming-of-age moment. The band have taken the foundations laid on their debut and focused it into a mammoth record filled with crashing riffs, devastating vocal performances, and nuanced breakdowns, resulting in a mature, complex record grappling with negative relationships, the mundanity of adult life, and identity. [An indie store exclusive gold color vinyl pressing is available.]
Shirley Horn – Great Women Of Song: Shirley Horn CD/LP (Verve)
Shirley Horn’s sensitive vocals and sublime yet powerful piano playing attracted the attention of fellow musicians, including early supporter Miles Davis, and numerous in-the-know fans during her decades-long career. This collection of recordings, made for Verve Records during her late-career resurgence, includes performances with small groups and a string orchestra.
Jamie xx – In Waves CD/LP/3xLP (Young)
The long-awaited new album by Jamie xx In Waves is the next chapter in the career of one of the most in demand producers of his generation. With In Waves, Jamie replicates the emotional crescendos and thrilling volatility of an almost mystical night out- one where you return home in the cigarette ash dawn, the specifics of the last eight hours already blurring, but aware that these feelings will remain a crystalline memory. In Waves is a melancholy paradise of bliss, heartbreak, and introspection. The story of a journey where you merge into the divine pulse of shadows, light, and dancefloor rhythms. A strobelight epiphany about the illimitable possibilities and spiritual capacities of humanity. [An indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is available. A deluxe triple LP version pressed on white, black and black & white mix color vinyl features the album cut on two discs with a bonus 12” of exclusive tracks is also available.]
Jethro Tull – Bursting Out (Live) [Steven Wilson Remix] CD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Breakouts from the Bursting Out (The Inflated Edition) remixed by Steven Wilson re-ordered back to its original running order plus three tracks (including “Heavy Horses” and “Living In The Past”) that were not featured on the original LP release back in 1978 because of time constraints.
Joan As Policewoman – Lemons, Limes and Orchids CD/LP (PIAS America)
Joan As Police Womans’s 12th studio album, Lemons, Limes, and Orchids is a crowning showcase of her voice in all its metamorphic splendor. “I was ready to make an album that truly featured my voice. The basics were recorded like they used to be- with me singing live along with the band. My good friend told me this is the sexiest album I’ve ever made. Honestly, I think she’s right.” The record is a nocturne about love and loss – what else is there? – and a reckoning with our collective disorientation, part hymn to holding on and part benediction of letting go.
Kandodo – Theendisinpsych CD/LP (Rooster)
Named after a Malawian supermarket that he used to shop in back in the late ’80s, Theendisinpsych contains mini-sonic soundscapes that start firmly grounded and then go off into the deepest reaches of space. Along the way, Simon touches on influences as diverse as Kraftwerk, Neu!, Eno, Morricone, Stooges, Loop, and Spacemen 3.
Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe CD/LP (Century Media)
As with it’s predecessor, Kanonenfieber’s second album Die Urkatastrophe is based on factual reports, letters and original documents from the surviving and deceased soldiers from the First World War. Its intent is not to glorify, because there is no glory in war. Everyone loses – their lives, their souls, their humanity. This album is intended to commemorate the countless victims of WWI. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available.]
Kat Von D – My Side Of The Mountain CD/LP (Kat Von D)
Taking the album name from the famous adventure novel My Side of the Mountain, iconoclastic artist Kat Von D explores themes of love and sobriety in her sophomore album release. Created whilst covering her iconic tattoos and finding a new faith to live by, this synthwave, goth, post-punk album was created whilst finding peace amongst the chaos and written from Kat’s own experiences of love, darkness and vulnerability with collaborations from respected songwriters Shep Solomon (Enrique Iglesias, Kelly Clarkson, Natalie Imbruglia) Fernando Garibay (Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Kylie Minogue) and guest vocalist Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy). [An indie store exclusive red vinyl pressing is available.]
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party – Chain Of Light CD/LP (Real World)
At turns heavy and hulkingly powerful, yet agile and pointedly precise, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s vocal not only embodies the tradition of the Sufi qawwali but it is the emotive essence of singing itself. Chain Of Light is an album of previously unheard recordings of the singer and his qawwal party made at Real World Studios in 1990, whilst he was at the height of his vocal capabilities.
Peggy Lee – Great Women Of Song: Peggy Lee CD/LP (Verve)
Peggy Lee had a wide-ranging and diverse career as a singer, songwriter and actress. Tony Bennett called her “the female Frank Sinatra,” and Frank Sinatra said that she “should be studied by all vocalists.” The focus of this collection is the jazz-oriented recordings Lee made for Decca Records from 1952-56 and includes several tracks from her stellar album, Black Coffee.
Lutalo – The Academy CD/LP/Cassette (Winspear)
Lutalo’s highly visceral folk goes electric on The Academy, the Vermont multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer’s debut LP. On The Academy, Lutalo embraces a literary approach to self-referential songwriting, turning memories from their adolescence into impressionistic folk and rock compositions that are equal parts searing and vulnerable. With their unique baritone and finesse for lyrical world building, Lutalo cuts to the bone-while only just beginning to reveal the depth of their artistry and vision. [A green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Johnny Marr +The Healers – Boomlslang [Reissue/2003] 2xCD (BMG)
Deluxe edition featuring seven bonus tracks. Released in 2003, Boomslang is Johnny Marr’s first solo studio album. After his departure from The Smith in 1987, Marr spent several years with the likes of The Pretenders before recruiting Zak Starkey (drums), Alonza Bevan (Bass) and more to form The Healers in 2000. Recorded at Clear Studios in Manchester, with James Spencer (New Order, The Charlatans), Boomslang is comprised of eleven tracks that combine his signature guitar playing with heavy psychedelic rhythms.
Mayhemic – Toba CD/LP (Sepulchral Voice)
As if the most glorious days of thrash metal never had ceased to exist, Chilean aggressors Mayhemic come up with a debut combining utmost power and speed, intertwined with incredible musicianship and songwriting of sheer brilliance. If you need your white, dirty high tops, skinny jeans and leather jackets as sharp as in the ‘80s, this is the perfect soundtrack to bang your heads to hell.
Paul McCartney – McCartney [Reissue1970] CD (Capitol)
Paul & Linda McCartney – Ram [Reissue1971] CD (Capitol)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Wild Life [Reissue1971] CD (Capitol)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run [Reissue1973] CD (Capitol)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Red Rose Speedway [Reissue1973] CD (Capitol)
SHM-CD (Super High Material) formats feature more clarity, depth and definition of sound. Each includes a booklet with Japanese translations of the lyrics.
Midland – Barely Blue CD (Big Machine)
Grammy-nominated trio Midland return with Barely Blue, an eight-song collection exploring the tides of loneliness and the stoicism of holding one’s own while imbuing an unparalleled sense of vulnerability that breaks down the facade of masculinity and honors the spirit of loving, losing and moving on.
Monolake – Studio CD/LP (Monolake)
“My studio is my shelter, I feel comfortable there, surrounded by wonderful inspiring machines. A small cosy room where ideas emerge, mature, morph, and solidify into their final shape. Studio is the result of spending time in that space. The album’s intention is simple: Presenting a beautiful personal musical journey. The creative process in itself matters to me, the interaction with my instruments, the accidental discoveries, the successful execution of a vision and anything in between.”
Thurston Moore – Flow Critical Lucidity CD/LP/Cassette (Daydream Library)
Thurston returns with his ninth and best solo album Flow Critical Lucidity released via Daydream Library Series. Some of the songs were written and arranged in Europe and the United Kingdom and include lyrical references to their environments and inspired by nature, lucid dreaming, modern dance and Isadora Duncan. [A cream color vinyl pressing is available.]
My Brightest Diamond – Fight The Real Terror CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
A classically trained vocalist with a self-taught instrumentalist’s spirit, Shara Nova has been releasing spellbinding music as My Brightest Diamond since 2006. Over the years, the band has released five groundbreaking albums, each showcasing a different musical landscape while always centering on Nova’s distinctive voice. Fight The Real Terror was written and recorded in four days during a power outage immediately after the death of Sinead O’Connor. It’s as deep, thought provoking and compelling as its inspiration – a direct call, full of protest music and emotion, stripped back to the raw basics of guitar and vocals. [An orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Neon Trees – Sink Your Teeth CD/LP (Round Hill)
As the first album from the band since 2020’s I Can Feel You Forgetting Me, Sink Your Teeth offers an opportunity for longtime fans to return and for new fans to discover the Provo, Utah band for the first time. It also evokes a sense of bite and rawness in the music and lyrics that is compellingly relatable. For frontman, Tyler Glenn, the songs reflect a state of mind felt by many during the pandemic, but it’s not necessarily specific to the past few years. “Losing My Head,” written during 2020’s uncertainty, is about finding yourself again through the chaos. It acknowledges that standing on the edge, the brink of self-discovery, can make you feel more alive. This is a sentiment that Tyler feels ” is critically reverberating in a lot of the culture right now.”
Nightwish – Yesterwynde CD2x/LP (Nuclear Blast)
There’s a fascinating, but inexplicable feeling that Nightwish has once again been able to find unprecedented nuances, spices and perspectives in their new works – exactly: after a career of nine classic albums. Yesterwynde is an experience that takes time to digest. The gravid ingredients of the songs are easily recognizable, but beneath the surface lies numerous intriguing details and features. The lyrics of Yesterwynde deal with large-sized universal themes: memories, mortality, humanism, time and much more. [A white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Molly Nilsson – Un-American Activities CD/LP (Night School)
Un-American Activities is the 11th Studio album by Molly Nilsson. Written and recorded entirely on location in California at the former home of writer, poet and early opponent of the National Socialist regime in 1930s Germany, Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta. An album of experimentation, genre-mashing and, above all, Nilsson’s instantly recognizable melodic skill and empathy, it continues the songwriter’s explorations of power, freedom, oppression and it’s opposing force, a love unbound. [A white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Nonpareils – Rhetoric & Terror CD/LP (Mute)
Nonpareils, aka Aaron Hemphill, presents his second studio album, Rhetoric & Terror. The album follows 2018’s Scented Pictures and finds the Berlin-based artist – previously known as co-founder and co-songwriter of Liars – compelled to write more structured music, with specific parts and intentions that allude to visual imagery and emotional states.
Orion Sun – Orion CD/LP/Cassette (Mom + Pop)
Orion Sun’s new album, Orion, features production by Grammy award-winning producer Nascent (SZA, Brent Faiyaz, Lil Wayne, etc.) and Rodaidh (Don Toliver, Adele, Sampha, etc.) “This album, like all of my albums, is about love. It’s about the pain love brings whether you are with or without love. pain finds you and tells you sweet things like “you will grow from this”, or “you wouldn’t have learned this without knowing me…” Orion Sun
Katy J Pearson – Someday, Now CD/LP (Heavenly)
Coke bottle green colorway. Following 2020’s Return and 2022’s Sound of the Morning, Someday, Now sees Katy J Pearson’s signature acoustic-led, sweetly-voiced singer-songwriter fare transmuted through the desk of electronic producer Nathan Jenkins, aka Bullion.
Katy Perry – 143 CD/LP (Capitol)
43 is a party and everyone is invited. Katy Perry has officially launched an exciting new era with the long awaited sixth studio album 143. Katy creates a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message. The result is a sexy, fearless, return to form for the multifaceted musician with an album jam packed with the empowering, sexy, and provocative pop anthems you’ve come to love. This is an album with a lot of heart and a lot of BPM. [Multiple vinyl colorways are available, including an indie store exclusive blue pressing.]
Sam Phillips – A Boot And A Shoe [Reissue/2004] CD/LP (Omnivore Recordings)
2024 marks the 20th anniversary of A Boot And A Shoe and to commemorate the anniversary, it is being issued for the very first time on vinyl, and reissued on CD, both with new liner notes by Sam. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, now is the time to reintroduce this incredible record, and on the format fans of Sam and Gilmore Girls have been waiting for.
Kate Pierson – Radios & Rainbows CD/LP (Songvest)
Radios & Rainbows includes a writing and performance collaboration with pop star Sia on the song “Every Day Is Halloween.” Kate is an American singer, lyricist, and founding member of the B-52s. She has also collaborated with many other artists including the Ramones, Iggy Pop and R.E.M.
Rainbow – Live In Munich 1977 2xCD+DVD (Mercury Studios)
Live In Munich 1977 features Rainbow’s line-up responsible for the Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll album released later that year, including vocalist Ronnie James Dio and drummer Cozy Powell. Ritchie Blackmore had to be smuggled out of Austria after trouble with the police at a gig two nights earlier and was very late arriving in Munich, all of which seemed to inspire both the band and the audience to create a truly remarkable gig.
Rogers & Butler – Studio 3 CD/LP (Think Like A Key)
Named after the iconic Abbey Road studio room where it was recorded, Studio 3 is Rogers & Butler’s vibrant homage to the musical sounds of the ‘60s and ‘70s. From the electrifying opener “Soho Fantasy” to the mind-bending closer “Scarlett Letter”, this album captures the melodic brilliance and raw energy that defined a generation. Blending the swagger of New York rock with the charm of the London music scene, Rogers & Butler’s ear for melody and authentic sound will transport you back to the golden age of British rock.
Seether – The Surface Seems So Far CD/LP (Fantasy)
The Surface Seems So Far is unapologetically aggressive, kicking off with the barn-burning “Judas Mind.” This isn’t to say the album doesn’t have moments of melancholy, like “Regret.” The record takes many twists and turns, emphasizing catchy hooks and driving bombast. Songs like the chunky but atmospheric “Illusion,” the pulsating “Lost All Control,” the dynamic neo-grunge of “Same Mistakes,” and the moving and immersive “Dead On The Vine” are massive additions to the Seether catalog. Seether sounds alternately confident and confessional, full of vitriol and vulnerability. [A white color vinyl pressing is available.]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band – Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 2 CD/LP (Provogue)
The highly anticipated follow-up to Shepherd’s 2023 critically acclaimed, #1 Billboard Blues Chart release – Dirt On My Diamonds 1 – Vol 2 builds upon Shepherd’s legendary repertoire. [A blue color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Soundcarriers – Through Other Reflections CD/LP (Phosphonic)
Channelling Tropicalia, Middle Eastern psychedelic jazz/funk, The French Library sounds of Nino Nardini, and a whole host of lavish obscurities besides, Through Other Reflection delivers another sonic adventure from one of the most unique and distinctive voices of British psychedelia. [A color vinyl pressing is available.]
Sylvia Palth – Last Chance To See CD/LP (Danger Collective)
In 2013, a New Zealand teenager named Daniel Johann Lines quietly uploaded his debut album, Melanchole, to Bandcamp under the moniker Salvia Palth. The LP was a homespun collection full of vulnerable, self-recorded songs about the overwhelming messiness that comes from growing up and figuring out who you are. Despite modest intentions, the record resonated profoundly with millions on platforms like Tumblr and Youtube, maintaining momentum through the TikTok and streaming era. Menchole remains a wildly influential lo-fi release, a moving portrait of youth in turmoil. Over a decade later, Lines returns to the project with a new full-length titled Last Chance To See.
Michael Schenker – My Years With UFO CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)
Michael Schenker returns to his classic years with UFO, revisiting the era that catapulted both him and the British hard rock band to international stardom. Produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss, the new album marks the 50th anniversary of Schenker’s tenure with UFO, spanning from 1972 to 1978. [A green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Skid Row – Live In London CD/2xLP (earMUSIC)
Live In London was recorded in October 2022 at a sold out O2 Forum Kentish Town.
SteelCity – Reverence CD (Frontiers)
Steelcity influences comes from bands like Giant and Tyketto in a punchier way. Their name is derived from the hard-working, blue-collar, Mid-Western town of Youngstown, Ohio.
Mitchell Tenpenny – The 3rd CD/LP (SME Nashville)
Mitchell’s vision for the The 3rd is a testament to his personal growth and artistic evolution. No longer playing games, he has crafted an album that resonates with his own experiences and emotions. This honest and empathetic collection not only showcases his maturity as a man, singer, songwriter, and storyteller but also invites listeners to join him on his creative journey through life and music. – An eclectic mix of songs, styles and genres that are each meaningful and representative of the singer, The 3rd is designed to offer something for everyone.
Toulouse Low Trax – Kiosque Versions CD/LP (Mute)
Parisian-by-choice Detlef Weinrich aka Tolouse Low Trax turns the page again. Always willing for a new episode, notion, impulse, idea, ideal. Searching for some light out there. Now Kiosque Versions, a compilation compiled by himself, featuring seven edits by friends and treasured artists. They renew some rare TLT tunes, as well as hits, that never took the charts by storm.
Keith Urban – High CD/LP (Capitol Nashville)
Four-time Grammy Award-winner and three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year recipient Keith Urban releases his 11th studio album. High showcases Urban’s extraordinary talents as a vocalist, virtuoso guitarist, songwriter, and collaborator.
The Used – Medz CD/LP (Big Noize Music)
After the global success of 2023’s Toxic Positivity, The Used are back with a new batch of B-sides from their latest recording sessions. The album includes eight previously unreleased studio tracks plus, “F*** You” and “People Are Vomit,” two tracks which were previously only released as singles.
Various Artists – Studio One Soul 2 [Reissue/2016] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
New 18th anniversary edition of the long-out-of-print Studio One Soul 2, the long-awaited second volume of one of the largest selling Soul Jazz Records’ Studio One collections. Studio One Soul 2 takes us deep into Jamaica’s long-standing fascination with American Soul and Funk music. Featuring a host of seminal reggae artists who all first established their careers at Studio One before finding worldwide success. [A yellow color vinyl pressing is available.]
Vision Divine – Blood And Angel’s Tears CD/LP (Scarlet)
Glorious and smooth progressive power metal.
The Waeve – City Lights CD/LP (Transgressive)
Folk-rock post-punk duo, The Waeve, return with their latest guitar driven romp, City Lights. Graham Coxon (Blur) and Rose Elinor Dougall return with the follow-up to last years acclaimed eponymous debut. Produced by James Ford (Fontaines DC, Arctic Monkeys), the record features both artists on vocal duties in addition to playing a host of instruments including saxophone, keyboards and drums. The Waeve have established themselves as a songwriting partnership to watch and with City Lights they further push the boundaries of their collaborative creativity, using this album to chronicle the evolution of their relationship and forays into parenthood. [An indie store exclusive orange color vinyl pressing is available.]
Charlotte Wessels – The Obsession CD/2xLP (Napalm)
Debut album by Dutch singer/songwriter Charlotte Wessels (ex-Delain).
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
The Airbourne Toxic Even – Glory LP (Little Tokyo)
The Airborne Toxic Event returns with their seventh studio album and their first since the critically acclaimed 2020 Hollywood Park, the companion album to lead singer Mikel Jollett’s New York Times bestselling memoir Hollywood Park. [An indie store exclusive white colorway is available.]
Timothy Archambault – Onimikìg LP (Ideologic Organ)
Onimikìg [Algonquin]: (n. an.) – thunder. Timothy Archambault’s unaccompanied flute pieces for this album have been inspired by Indigenous brontomancy (divination by thunder). Each piece highlights a different extended flute technique metaphorically related to types of thunder sounds: claps, peals, rolls, rumbles, inversions, and CG (cloud-to-ground).
Aristidez – Uncultured Rhythms LP (Multi Culti)
With an emphasis on the hypnotic power of rhythm, Aristidez channels indigenous influences in subtle fashion, alluding to visionary experience without resorting to pastiche or obvious tropes. There are freaky tribal rhythms but no shaman samples, just expertly produced tracks than reveal an expansive set of electronic influences that range across tempos and decades, from breaky ‘90s rave, ‘80s proto-trance, cult dub, downtempo and more.
Boundaries – Death Is A Little More LP (3Dot Recordings)
Aqua tangerine galaxy vinyl. Boundaries is a five-piece metalcore band based in Hartford, Connecticut. Boundaries’ densely layered and massive sound flaunts everything from fast-picked thrash riffing to the melodic underpinnings of early oughts metalcore.
Butthole Surfers – Cream Corn From The Socket Of Davis [Reissue/1985] 12” (Matador)
Butthole Surfers – Locust Abortion Technician [Reissue/1987] 12” (Matador)
Butthole Surfers – Hairway To Steven [Reissue/1987] 12” (Matador)
Vinyl reissues of the experimental rock band’s third EP and third and fourth LPs.
Chalk – Conditions II 12” (Nice Swan)
Fresh from winning ‘Best Live Act’ at NI Music Prize 2023, Chalk relentless ascent continues to gather thrilling pace, with EP lead single The Gate landing on the BBC 6 Music playlist (alongside PJ Harvey, IDLES, Sampha) to kick off 2024, whilst widespread praise throughout the press community (The Independent, NME, DIY, Dork, So Young, The New Cue, Rough Trade, Consequence of Sound) has certainly positioned the trio at the very forefront of the emerging indie elite.
Phil Collins – Both Sides (All The Sides) 5xLP (Rhino)
This deluxe edition contains the remastered full original album, cut at half-speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, and is a compendium of early demo tracks from the recording of the album as well as rarities from the singles originally released on the album – “Both Sides of the Story,” “Everyday” and “We Wait and We Wonder.”
Concrete Winds – Concrete Winds LP (Sepulchral Voice)
Once again, the noise aggressors slit the veil from beyond and step into our world to pillage and hound to death all what was known, predictable, and comfortable in metal music. Their third album is self-titled for mandatory reasons and shows the band furthermore exploring the EXTREME in extreme metal.
Barnes Courtney – Supernatural LP (Virgin)
Red colorway. Barns Courtney’s third album, Supernatural, is a high-flying and nail-biting concept album combining his potent blend of rock’s low rumble, the glitzy showmanship of glam and that ever-distinctive bluesy howl. Drawing influence from Ziggy Stardust and the retrofuturism of the late ’60s fashion world, the album’s narrative centers around a post-apocalyptic cult leader’s terrifying ascent in a fictional dystopia, as well as Courtney’s own hedonistic tendencies.
Daffo – Pest/Crisis Kit LP (Concord)
An essential new voice on the indie-rock scene, 20-year-old singer/songwriter Daffo brings an unexpected beauty to the most uncomfortable of feelings. Featuring “Poor Madeline,” “Good God,” and “all the time,” this LP of the Pest and Crisis Kit EPs brings Daffo’s music to vinyl for the first time.
The Dandy Warhols – …The Dandy Warhols Come Down [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (PIAS America)
Dive into the mesmerizing world of The Dandy Warhols’ classic album, …The Dandy Warhols Come Down, reissued on vibrant yellow vinyl for 2024. Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s distinctive vocals and the band’s hypnotic melodies create a sonic journey that blends alternative rock with dreamy soundscapes, offering an unforgettable auditory experience.
The Defiled – Horror Beyond Horror LP (Season Of Mist)
Translucent green colorway. Since clawing their way out of Tokyo’s grim underbelly in 1992, Defiled has carved a bloody swath through the global death metal scene with their bone-crushing aggression and intricate artistry.
Depeche Mode – Spirit | The 12″ Singles 7×12” (Legacy)
Spirit | The 12″ Singles, a collector’s edition deluxe box set, contains seven 12″ vinyl discs including custom replicas of the original three double 12″ singles from Spirit (Depeche Mode’s 14th studio album): Where’s the Revolution (originally released February 3, 2017, in advance of the album), Going Backwards (released June 23, 2017), and Cover Me (released October 6, 2017). As a bonus for Depeche Mode fans, Spirit | The 12″ Singles premieres a special seventh disc: the first-ever 12″ vinyl pressing of the band’s legendary Highline Sessions, recorded live in New York City on August 3, 2016.
Dialect – Atlas Of Green LP (RVNG Int’l)
Ever-evolving the mythologies and magic of Dialect’s sonic sphere, Andrew PM Hunt returns with Atlas Of Green, elegantly molding unexacting details of memory and mistranslation into the framework of the British musician and composer’s creative pursuit. The album imagines a young musician named Green working in a future dawning era where lost signals and enduring impulses are unearthed from the sediments of technology and time. Across twelve compositions, Atlas of Green is a patchwork of scavenged relics and bygone hues, cast through the iridescent shimmers of a mid-future in flux.
Doomsday Outlaw – Hard Times [Reissue/2018] 2xLP (Justice Brothers)
Translucent red colorway. Sabbath meets Clutch riffing hitched to soulful vocals telling tales of heartbreak and redemption.
Noga Erez – The Vandalist LP (Atlantic)
Taking a sometimes satirical, sometimes confessional look at the contemporary complexity of real and online life, Noga Erez’s third album, The Vandalist, arrives brimful of monster tunes, intricate production, wit, charm and attitude. It also represents a significant leap from 2021’s trailblazing Kids, which saw her profile rise on the back of an outpouring of critical praise and widespread touring, not to mention, among many TV appearances, a stunning, brass-fueled performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. If Kids’ crossover appeal was best summarized by the late Neil Kulkarni, who described it in The Quietus as “emblematic of how rap has now swallowed pop whole”, it’s a real shame he’s not here to hear this follow-up.
Exra Feinberg – Soft Power LP (Tonal Union)
Color vinyl pressing. Ezra Feinberg’s third album Soft Power sees the composer-guitarist enlist an impressive array of fellow musicians including Mary Lattimore, David Moore (Bing & Ruth), Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, and Robbie Lee. Defined by its abundance of melodies, repeating figures and ecstatic improvisations, Soft Power exudes an enlightened and transformative spirit to empower the listener.
Donovan Frankenreiter – Get Outta Your Mind LP (Liquid Tambourine)
For nearly two decades Donavon Frankenreiter has been traveling the globe, first as a professional surfer and now as a musician. Born in Southern California, Donavon spent most of his youth chasing waves, turning pro at the age of 16. These days instead of surfing competitions, it’s concert halls that bring Frankenreiter to town, where he entertains audiences with his unique blend of laid-back grooves, philosophical lyrics and soulful delivery. This year, Frankenreiter is releasing his first studio in 9 years. The album, entitled Get Outta Your Mind, marks the 20-year anniversary of his self-titled debut album.
Roberta Gambarini & Hank Jones – You Are There [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (In & Out Recordings)
One of the most important music figures of the 20th century: the late Benny Carter, cited Roberta as his favorite singer. James Moody, the legendary saxophonist and singer, was Roberta’s mentor and teacher, and introduced her to many of the major venues in the world. In 2005 Roberta recorded the present duet album titled You Are There with the legendary pianist Hank Jones. Mr. Jones, who accompanied most of the celebrated vocalists of the 20th Century such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae and Nat King Cole, declared Roberta Gambarini to be the best singer to emerge in the last 60 years.
The Get Up Kids – Something To Write Home About [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Polyvinyl)
25th anniversary edition, expanded with bonus tracks and pressed on silver color vinyl. Originally released in September of 1999, Something To Write Home About has been established as an important late-millennium rock-and-roll document; a convergence of power pop, alternative rock, and punk, it provided the parameters for emo’s Midwest-centered second wave.
Gene Harris And The Three Sounds – Live At The ‘It Club’ [Reissue/1996] LP (Blue Note)
The Three Sounds were one of the most prolific Blue Note acts. Led by pianist Gene Harris, the trio’s sound had evolved by 1970, with a new line-up featuring bassist Henry Franklin and drummer Carl Burnett. The blues and gospel roots were still there but the rhythm had a funkier edge as heard on the rousing Live At The ‘It Club’ recording.
Jutta Hipp – At The Hickory House Volume 1 [Reissue/1956] LP (Blue Note)
German jazz pianist Jutta Hipp is one of the most intriguing yet little-known figures in Blue Note history. Shortly after moving to NYC in 1956, she recorded the charming live trio album, At The Hickory House, with bassist Peter Ind and drummer Ed Thigpen. Volume 1 presents a set of standards and bebop themes that showcases her hip, lightly-swinging style.
Honour – Àlàáfíà LP (Pan)
Multi-color pressing. Honour’s debut album is a ligament stretching from Lagos to London and to New York, curling across the diaspora and brushing the darker hues of blues, hip-hop, free jazz, ambient, gospel with Christian mythology and Yoruba folklore. Ascinematic as it is painterly, Àlàáfíà is a meditation on themes of life, death and love that pulls inspiration from the unexpected poetic profundity of casual conversations, field recordings, literature, ephemera, or personal archives. The result is an impressionistic vision in Black and Blur that both exhausts and implicates language-substantiating a mythos proposed by Fred Moten that sublimates boundaries between everywhere and nowhere; history and the present; the individual and the universal. Àlàáfíà delineates a gothic landscape cut by overdriven beats, swooping orchestral blasts, choral bursts and ear- splitting fuzz, where the fleshly and spiritual realms commune.
Michael Hurley – Blue Hills LP (Mississippi)
A sustained feeling of loss & need for redemption haunts this record. It ain’t easy listening, but then what worth a damn is? Includes insert with Michael’s notes on the songs and some artwork.
Karen O & Danger Mouse – Lux Prima [Reissue/2019] LP (30th Century)
Icons Karen O and Danger Mouse released their debut album as a duo, Lux Prima five years ago. “Title track ‘Lux Prima’ is the first song we wrote for the record,” says O. “After making music for the past twenty years and embarking on making this record with Danger Mouse I knew a couple things: one was that the spirit of collaboration between us was going to be a pure one, and two was that the more I live the less is clear to me. When you create from a blurry place you can go places further than you’ve ever been. I think we both were excited to go far out.”
Jaz Karis – Safe Flight LP (MNRK)
The 26-year-old south London singer and songwriter has been making waves with her silky voice and lyrical, candid pen since her first EP back in 2017, building herself up steadily over the years. Featuring appearances from the likes of Mahalia, Juls, Reekado Banks, June Freedom, Tone Stith and more. Accordingly, Safe Flight spans a breadth of sonics: slinky Afrobeats, gleaming R&B, warm gospel, shimmering flecks of pop, hip-hop, jazz and amapiano, all woven through with the glowing thread of Jaz’s signature soulful feeling.
Brenda Lee – Greatest Hits LP (MCA Nashville)
Brenda Lee’s Greatest Hits features 15 tracks remastered on vinyl from the original production tapes. It highlights the music icon’s top songs, including her first #1 single, “I’m Sorry”, “Sweet Nothin’s” and the #1 hit, “I Want To Be Wanted”. Eleven of the tracks featured in this collection reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Le Prince Harry – A Long Way Down LP (Teenage Menopause)
After 5 years of discretion – almost absence – A Long Way Down propels us to the unthinkable frontiers of electronic punk, lo-fi EBM and garage new-beat.
The Lijadu Sisters – Horizon Unlimited [Reissue/1979] LP (Numero)
The Lijadu Sisters’ Horizon Unlimited is the insurgent Afrofunk their second cousin Fela strived to create. Soulful, psychedelic, feminist, and revolutionary music already known worldwide, finally available again after a decade with The Lijadus’ approval and deep involvement. “The Nigerian twins who fought the elite with funk” – The Guardian [A green color vinyl pressing is available.]
Low Hum – Room To Breathe [Reissue/2019] LP (Last Gang)
Orange crush colorway. Low Hum, the kaleidoscopic creation of artist Collin Desha, lives in a Lo-fi meets Hi-fi futurism: blending heavy fuzzed-out riffs, oceanic tranquility, and pop sensibilities, juxtaposed alongside melodious synths and honeyed, harmonious vocals. Room To Breathe explores uncharted sonic territories in a journey through psychedelic soundscapes.
Mayday Parade – A Lesson In Romantics [Reissue/2007] LP (Craft Recordings)
Coke bottle clear. A Lesson In Romantics is the 2007 debut album from the rock band, Mayday Parade. Upon its original release, the album hit #8 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and has since been certified gold. The album features the singles, “When I Get Home, You’re So Dead,” and the recently platinum-certified hit, “Jamie All Over.”
MO3 – Legend LP (H$M)
Gold colorway. Legend is the second posthumous album from revered Dallas rapper, singer & songwriter, MO3, and follow up to the 2021 posthumous release, Shottaz 4Eva.
Mötley Crüe – The Dirt Soundtrack 2xLP (BMG)
This 2xLP set on black vinyl features music from the Netflix film The Dirt and includes 14 classics, plus four new songs recorded for the soundtrack.
My Morning Jacket – Tennessee Fire [Reissue/1999] 3xLP (Darla)
New colorway. Darla Records is happy to offer a deluxe, expanded edition of The Tennessee Fire, the debut album by My Morning Jacket with 16 previously unreleased bonus tracks selected from the archives by Jim James.
Kankawa Nagarra – Wirlmarni LP (Mississippi)
Aboriginal Australian blues, country, and gospel by the great Kankawa Nagarra, Queen of the Bandaral Ngadu Delta. These intimate recordings introduce the world outside Australia to Kankawa Nagarra, a beloved Walmatjarri Elder, teacher, human rights advocate, and environmental activist. [A transparent red color vinyl pressing is available.]
Keanu Nelson – Wilurarrakutu LP (Mississippi)
Wilurarrakutu is the brilliant debut from Papunya-based artist Keanu Nelson, an intimate exercise in musical storytelling and reflection. The album’s eight tracks, sung in both Papunya Luritja and English, are verses of prose and poetry pulled directly from Nelson’s notebooks and set to minimalist, DIY electronic arrangements. [A color vinyl pressing is available.]
Oneness Of Juju – Space Jungle Luv [Reissue/1976] LP (Strut)
Classic cosmic soul / jazz album from 1976 from the Black Fire catalogue.
Or: la– Trusting Theta LP (fabric Originals)
Trusting Theta draws inspiration from Irish and Greek mythology. It features collaborations with Eliza Rose, Mary Lake and fellow Derry-born artist SOAK. Trusting Theta is the debut studio album by Or: la. The LP follows EP’s on Hotflush Recordings and fabric Originals.
Alix Perez – Entanglements 2xLP (1985 Music)
This eagerly anticipated project showcases his innovative approach to the drum & bass genre, blending soulful melodies, intricate rhythms, and atmospheric soundscapes. Known for his ability to push the boundaries of electronic music, Alix Perez has once again delivered an album that resonates with both long-time fans and new listeners. Entanglements features a collection of tracks that seamlessly intertwine elements of hip hop, R&B, and ambient with the driving beats and deep basslines characteristic of drum & bass.
Perfume Genius – Too Bright [Reissue/2014] LP (Matador)
Crystal clear vinyl pressing. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Perfume Genius’ critically acclaimed album Too Bright, originally released by Matador on September 23, 2014. The third record by Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) marked a significant departure from the artist’s earlier work with its bold, avant-garde sound and introspective lyrics.
Photay – Windswept LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Photay is the alias of L.A.-based composer, drummer, DJ, producer, and musical polymath Evan Shornstein. His compositions have the feeling of handmade electronica, fashioned from organic material and powered by positive intention. On his latest album, Windswept, he again creates textural, beat-driven sound collages inspired as much by tech-house, downtempo, and IDM as they are inspired by the natural world.
Prince Jammy – Kamikazi Dub [Reissue/1979] LP (Jamdung)
Kamikazi Dub by Prince Jammy is undoubtedly one of the most beloved albums by dub music lovers.
Chappell Roan – The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess [Anniversary Edition] LP/Cassette (Island)
Peach color vinyl pressing. Bold pop hooks, sex positivity, honest songwriting and a heavy dose of glitter make up the world of Chappell Roan, the next multi-faceted force in pop music. A technicolor celebration of self-discovery and transformation, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess tracks Chappell’s cinematic journey of falling in queer love for the first time, while embracing all the messy and imperfect moments in-between.
Nina Ryser – Water Giants LP (Dear Life)
Nina Ryser’s music has always inhabited its own world; a singular and cohesive collection of Keyboard-centric home recordings that marry her undeniable pop sensibilities with a truly bizarre dreamlike aesthetic. With a solo career spanning seven releases as well as her work in the highly influential art-punk trio Palberta, Nina’s artistic voice has been a staple in the American underground for over a decade, her distinctive and consistent sound earning a cult following. Her latest effort Water Giants signifies a departure in both sound and artistic practice – her first solo release recorded outside of her home studio, with a myriad of first-time collaborators, it’s Nina’s most lavish and expansive offering to date, honing in on the heartfelt songwriting at the core of her work.
Sade – Love Deluxe [Reissue/1992] LP (Sony Legacy)
Sade – Lover’s Rock [Reissue/2000] LP (Sony Legacy)
Sade – Soldier Of Love [Reissue/2010] LP (Sony Legacy)
Sade’s fourth, fifth and sixth albums, half-speed mastered at Abbey Road Studios.
Sunset Rubdown – Always Happy To Explode LP (Pronounced Kroog)
With Always Happy To Explode, Sunset Rubdown have made something that captures their gratitude and the energy of their joyous (and sometimes difficult) reunion.
Sybris – The First Three Albums 3xLP (Absolutely Kosher)
These Chicago alternative rock titans are finally seeing their whole catalog released on vinyl. “F***-all ’90s guitar jangle… pop-metal stomp… shimmering, stormy shoegaze. Mullenhour (has a) ten-story voice. Sybris’s long songs, tonal contiguity, deliberate pacing, and infectious melodies are… just right. This band (is) so evocative of the thin yet distinct seam between indie and mainstream. ” – Pitchfork
Tanukichan – Circles LP/Cassette (Carpark)
Tanukichan, the musical project of Oakland, CA’s Hannah van Loon, has been a prominent figure in modern shoegaze music since 2016, when she first collaborated with Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi. Together, they released an EP and two full-length albums under Bear’s Company Records, culminating in 2023’s GIZMO. With her new EP Circles, van Loon ventures into new territory by teaming up with a new producer for the first time – Franco Reid.
Andrew Thompson – Early Doors (Compiled By Andrew Thompson) LP (Early Doors)
“Early Doors documents many of my travels, interactions and celebrates the wonderful connections I’ve made through music since 2007. From Glasgow to Sao Paulo and back again, many of the tracks included have been in my life for years at this point and remain obsessions. Some were lying unheard on hard drives, others tucked away in a corner of the internet. They’ve all reached my attention through a combination of lasting friendships, chance encounters and staying curious. After appearing on the occasional mix over the years, it’s a real buzz to share them with you now in a more formal format. Musically you’ll find synths, dub, gay electronics, self-taught piano compositions, improvised jams and intriguing covers.” – Andrew Thomson
Don Toliver – Hardstone Psycho 2xLP (Atlantic)
Hardstone Psycho includes high profile features from Travis Scott, Future & Metro Boomin, Kodak Black alongside such recently released singles as Attitude (Ft. Charlie Wilson & Cash Cobain), Deep In The Water, and Bandit.
Underscores – Wall Socket 2xLP (Mom + Pop)
Director’s cut. “Wallsocket is a loose concept album about the American town of Wallsocket and the people that live in it. I first started making music purely on the computer, so my challenge for this album was writing the songs acoustically first and adding production afterwards. A lot of the themes of the project can be summed up by taking something natural and trying to sterilize it. At the time of writing, I was obsessed with using the ‘horseshoe theory’ in an apolitical context. Where in our lives are we so one thing that we wrap back around and become its opposite? That theory is riddled throughout the album.” – Underscores
Sarah Vaughan – Sassy [Reissue/1956] LP (Verve)
Recorded in 1956 for the EmArcy label, Vaughan joins with Hal Mooney and his orchestra to dive head-first into a collection of iconic ballads and standards. Opening with Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”, Vaughan weaves her way through the set, which showcases her at her best. Rodgers and Hart’s “My Romance” is a notable performance, and the raw emotion in “I’m Afraid the Masquerade Is Over” is palpable.
Winter Solace – The Fall Of Rome [Reissue/2005] LP (Bombworks)
Sunflare color vinyl pressing of the 2005 album by the metalcore band.
Dan + Claudia Zanes – Pieces Of Home LP (Smithsonian Folkways)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Pieces of Home by Dan + Claudia Zanes is a fresh collection of songs for people of all ages: joyful songs to restore the spirit and uplift the soul. These are old and new tunes, performed by old and new friends, rooted in those crucial American and Haitian folk traditions that call family and neighbors to sing together, dance together, and play together. This album is a front-row ticket to a front porch concert – an invitation to sit and stay for a while. With voices raised in beautiful harmony, Dan and Claudia remind us that with the people we love by our side, we can find home wherever we are.
Cassettes:
Galaxie 500 – Uncollected New York ’88-’90 (Silver Current)
A twenty-four-track chronological journey through rarities and outtakes including never-before-heard songs, from the start of their incendiary career to their final studio session. Uncollected Noise New York ’88-’90 marks Galaxie 500’s first release of new archival material in nearly thirty years and their most comprehensive collection of unreleased and rare material ever. Produced and engineered by Kramer at Noise New York 1988-1990. Featuring B-sides, outtakes, and non-album material, the compilation also boasts eight never-before-heard cuts.
Dave Guy – Ruby CD/LP/Cassette (Big Crown)
Having lent his talents both on stage and in the studio to artists like Amy Winehouse, Lizzo, Pharrell, and Sharon Jones to currently playing every night on The Tonight Show as a member of The Roots, Dave steps out on his own with a jazz record that is both unique and modern.
Hippo Campus – Flood CD/LP/Cassette (Psychic Hotline)
The sentiments on Flood are raw, real, and unguarded, a testament to Hippo Campus dropping preconceptions of how they had to sound after so many failed attempts to re-record these songs. They wiped the slate clean, starting over without beliefs about what Hippo Campus or this record needed to be. Still, sophistication lurks in subtle key and tempo changes, in the almost innate shifts that a band of longtime best friends can tap after so much time spent helping to shape one another’s musical language. Flood doesn’t need to tell you it’s important or interesting; it simply is, just by virtue of how it’s written, built, and rendered, a map of what it’s like to feel everything at once.
Lutalo – The Academy (Winspear)
Lutalo’s highly visceral folk goes electric on The Academy, the Vermont multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer’s debut LP. On The Academy, Lutalo embraces a literary approach to self-referential songwriting, turning memories from their adolescence into impressionistic folk and rock compositions that are equal parts searing and vulnerable. With their unique baritone and finesse for lyrical world building, Lutalo cuts to the bone-while only just beginning to reveal the depth of their artistry and vision.
Thurston Moore – Flow Critical Lucidity (Daydream Library)
Thurston returns with his ninth and best solo album Flow Critical Lucidity released via Daydream Library Series. Some of the songs were written and arranged in Europe and the United Kingdom and include lyrical references to their environments and inspired by nature, lucid dreaming, modern dance and Isadora Duncan.
Orion Sun – Orion (Mom + Pop)
Orion Sun’s new album, Orion, features production by Grammy award-winning producer Nascent (SZA, Brent Faiyaz, Lil Wayne, etc.) and Rodaidh (Don Toliver, Adele, Sampha, etc.) “This album, like all of my albums, is about love. It’s about the pain love brings whether you are with or without love. pain finds you and tells you sweet things like “you will grow from this”, or “you wouldn’t have learned this without knowing me…” Orion Sun
Chappell Roan – The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess (Island)
Bold pop hooks, sex positivity, honest songwriting and a heavy dose of glitter make up the world of Chappell Roan, the next multi-faceted force in pop music. A technicolor celebration of self-discovery and transformation, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess tracks Chappell’s cinematic journey of falling in queer love for the first time, while embracing all the messy and imperfect moments in-between.
Tanukichan – Circles (Carpark)
Tanukichan, the musical project of Oakland, CA’s Hannah van Loon, has been a prominent figure in modern shoegaze music since 2016, when she first collaborated with Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi. Together, they released an EP and two full-length albums under Bear’s Company Records, culminating in 2023’s GIZMO. With her new EP Circles, van Loon ventures into new territory by teaming up with a new producer for the first time – Franco Reid.
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