CD + Vinyl:
Aeges – Above & Down Below CD (The Mylene Sheath)
Expanding upon the foundation of the sound that already drew influence from the ‘90s post-hardcore era, Above & Down Below mixes that same heavy edge of Quicksand with the more melodic heavy rock sheen of Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Queens Of The Stone Age. At times it’s as heavy as lead, crushing and lurching hard, while other times it’s melodic and hook-laden; usually you’ll find this contrast within the same song. Vinyl version due October 7.
Edip Akbayram/Dostlar – Nedir Ne Degildir [Reissue/1977] CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
As Turkey’s political factions turned more and more violent in the late 1970s, Buscemi-eyed Edip Akbayram was nearly beaten up by rioting audiences for daring to sing about rural points of view that were naturally critical of Istanbul’s political leaders. This second album of Anatolian psychedelia, originally released in 1977, showed defiance even in its gatefold art, with a drawing of the band members seeming to grow straight out the ground, covered in plant tendrils. Akbayram poached members of Mogollar and Baris Manco’s Kurtalan Ekspres to get the best fuzz breaks and Hammond slams and put ’em straight in your ears. The band also tried out some mixes that pushed the vocals or a particular instrument way up front, and of course long, low, reverberant welcomes from Edip’s echo-covered voice.
Alt-J – This Is All Yours CD/2xLP (Atlantic)
“As with An Awesome Wave, the defining characteristic of This Is All Yours is the band’s almost mechanical approach to its music, which can be in contrast to the visceral intent of its cryptic lyrics. While the music can be unyielding and is always meticulously arranged, words are strung together to create sensual images rather than formal narratives. Though electronics are still a primary force, much of the new album finds the trio exploring its interest in chamber pop and folk.” – The Wall Street Journal
Aphex Twin – Syro CD/3xLP (Warp)
Aphex Twin makes his return on Warp with new album Syro. Richard D. James has been releasing music since the beginning of the ‘90s. His first full-length album, Selected Ambient Works 85-92, came out in 1992 through R&S Records. The first Aphex Twin release on Warp would be 1993’s On EP, which was followed by four studio albums for the label, as well as numerous other EPs. Syro is the first new Aphex Twin album since 2001’s Drukqs.
Marcia Ball – The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man CD (Alligator)
New album from one of America’s best-known and beloved roots artists. “A joyful musical tour of the territory between New Orleans and Austin. Ball’s voice can break your heart with a ballad or break your back with a rocker.” — Boston Herald
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – Cheek To Cheek CD (Interscope)
Cheek To Cheek is a cross-generational project that combines the fire-power of two superstar talents in their respective areas coming together to create something completely fresh and exciting. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. Vinyl version due October 7.
Big & Rich – Gravity CD (B$R LLC)
As Big & Rich, John Rich and Big Kenny Alphin have exerted a definite gravitation pull to the direction modern country music has taken. They are America’s Technicolor cowboys; brothers-in-arms in service to the creed that great music has no boundaries. Individually, John and Big Kenny are first-rate musicians, songwriters, producers, and entertainers.
Louis C.K. – Oh My God CD/2xLP (Vagrant)
The three-time Emmy-winner and longtime HBO favorite takes the stage for his fourth stand-up comedy special. On Oh My God, Louis C.K. discusses such topics as the food chain, animals, divorce, strange anecdotes, broken mortality, murder and mortality.
Christian Bland & The Revelators – The Unseen Green Obscene CD/LP (Reverberation Appreciation Society)
Christian Bland is best known as the guitarist for The Black Angels. His solo project, Christian Bland & The Revelators highlights his signature sound and contributions to one of modern psychedelic rock’s biggest bands, while providing an open canvas to explore different ideas and influences.
Joe Bonamassa – Different Shades Of Blue CD (J&R Adventures)
Different Shades Of Blue is Bonamassa’s first studio album in two years and the first album of his career to feature all original material. The result is a record with more of an experimental edge than previous Bonamassa records. It’s a blues record that explores the outer reaches and the many different sounds that shape the genre.
Bonnie Prince Billy – Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues CD/LP/LP+12”/Cassette (Drag City)
Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues is the 11th new full-length album from the mind, soul and voice of the man that is Bonnie Prince Billy. His first solo record on Drag City in nearly three years, it is a rich and roiling time of life that is captured in a myriad of moments throughout all the songs here. Throughout the album, mythos is in the wind, trysting with truth and the joys of song, of singing and playing in open space; harmonies and acoustic instruments spread in bright stereo sound, accosting in the air between the speakers and going deep, without hesitation into our waiting and needing minds and souls. (Limited copies on vinyl include a bonus 12”.)
David Bowie – Sound + Vision [Reissue/1989] 4xCD (Rykodisc)
This updated reissue of Sound + Vision covers David Bowie’s career from 1969 to 1994 starting with the acoustic demo version of his first hit, “Space Oddity” to the return to his Bromley roots for the soundtrack to Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha Of Suburbia which is often cited as the most underrated piece in the Bowie canon. Sound+Vision is a collection spanning four decades, covering the 21 albums from Space Oddity through to The Buddha Of Suburbia. It s a rich survey of David Bowie’s many musical lives offering a generous helping of hits, an intriguing dip into archives, classic album tracks and long lost B-sides, explosive live recordings, soundtrack recordings and remixes.
Otis Brown III – The Thought Of You CD (Blue Note)
Drummer Otis Brown III – an invaluable sideman with the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Terence Blanchard, Somi, and others – makes his debut. Vinyl version due October 14.
The Bunny Gang – Thrive CD (Hardline Entertainment)
New full-length from Nathen Maxwell, long-time bassist of Flogging Molly, produced by Ryan Hewitt (Sheryl Crow, The Avett Brothers). Vinyl version due October 21.
Burzum – The Ways Of Yore CD (Candlelight)
Previously import-only, The Ways Of Yore is now available domestically. The album follows the ambient and haunting sounds of Burzum’s most recent releases. Inspired by Varg’s extensive knowledge of European history, the album continues his explorative sound and lyrical works. He says, “It is my first step towards something new, which at the same time is as old as the roots of Europe. I try to transport the listener to the days of yore, to make them feel the past that is still alive in their own blood.”
Julian Cassablancas + The Voidz – Tyranny CD (Cult)
New album from the Strokes frontman and his mates. Over the past four years, Julian Casablancas + The Voidz have come together through music connections and friends in NYC and L.A. via their love of beat driven, aggressive and avant-garde music with the power of modern harmonies to make it catchy and powerful. A punk band that can play and style of music, they take pride in their versatility.
Champaign – How ‘Bout Us [Reissue/1981] CD (Funky Town)
A unique collection of Latin influenced, light, breezy, occasionally jazzy songs.
Chancha Via Circuito – Amansara CD/LP (Wonderwheel)
Argentian producer Pedro Canale aka Chancha Via Circuito returns from a three-year sojourn with his long awaited third album, Amansara. Originally coming out of Buenos Aires’s famed digital cumbia scene, Chancha has notoriously broken way outside those boundaries to forge unprecedented mergers between Brazilian rhythms, Paraguayan harp, Andean mysticism and the solitude of Argentinian folklore – all processed through his own futuristic style of post-dubstep.
Charm City Devils – Battles CD (The End)
Third album from the Baltimore-based hard rock outfit. Battles is comprised of equal parts hooks and heart.
Kenny Chesney – The Big Revival CD (Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville)
15th studio album from the country superstar.
Gary Clark Jr. – Gary Clark Jr. Live 2xCD/2xLP (WB)
Clark’s first live album collects his best performances from all over the world. Austin native Gary Clark Jr.’s goal is to make timeless music that’s reflective of his disparate confluence of inspirations, from classic rock and soul, to hip-hop, R&B and punk rock informed by the blues. He must be succeeding, as Spin says, “there truly is nobody else like him around.” Billboard calls him a “game changer,” while Rolling Stone writes, “he is as comfortable wailing on straight blues as he is with simmering soul, shifting easily from funk to a fine Stones-y grind on his electric guitars.”
Leonard Cohen – Popular Problems CD (Columbia)
“Leonard Cohen turns 80 on September 21, and he remains cooler than any of us. On his birthday, the poetic rock eminence will follow up his quiet 2012 stunner Old Ideas with a new album called Popular Problems. Cohen produced and co-wrote the LP with the frequent Madonna collaborator Patrick Leonard, who also worked on Old Ideas, and the LP pulls the same trick that Cohen has pulled on his last few albums, pairing up his grave and gravelly voice with weirdly chintzy synth settings” — Stereogum. Vinyl due October 7.
Freddy Cole – Singing The Blues CD (Highnote)
On Singing The Blues, Freddy Cole pays tribute to the people, places and performing spaces that shaped his life and career. Revisiting some of brother Nat’s forays into the blues, Cole also offers a few surprises such as “The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men” and Steve Allen’s “An Old Piano Plays The Blues.” You can always expect something fresh and unique from master song stylist Freddy Cole even when you thought you already knew everything about the blues.
John Coltrane – Offering: Live At Temple University 2xCD/2xLP (Resonance)
Offering: Live At Temple University documents a legendary concert by John Coltrane at Temple University in his hometown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 11, 1966, six weeks after his 40th birthday and nine months before his untimely death. Offering incorporates a look that is contiguous with the graphic identity of Impulse! Records, Coltrane’s exclusive label from 1961 until the end of his life. This is the first officially sanctioned release of an undiscovered, complete Coltrane performance since 2005.
John Wesley Coleman – Love That You Own CD (Burger)
A true rock & roll original slacker pop masterpiece from the heart of Texas. Vinyl version due October 21.
Cruel Hand – The Negatives CD/LP (Hopeless)
Spawned in the lethargic backwoods of the pine tree state, Portland, Maine’s Cruel Hand play equal parts New York hardcore and west coast thrash.
Dan’l Boone – Dan’l Boone CD/LP (Drag City)
Dan’l Boone is Charles Ballas (Formant), Neil Hagerty (Royal Trux, Howling Hex), Nate Young (Wolf Eyes, Regression) and Alex Moskos (Drainolith). Dedicated to experimentation and pushing the music forward, the avant crew worked with electronics, MIDI networks, string and synth bongos, and yes, the over-the-stratosphere guitar heroics and vocals from Hagerty.
Deep Purple – Graz 1975 CD/LP (Eagle Records)
The headline in Austrian newspaper Neue Zeit said it all: “Deep Purple In Graz : Ein lauter Abschied [a loud farewell].” On April 3, 1975 the Mk III line-up of Deep Purple — guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, frontman David Coverdale, bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, keyboard player Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice — played a concert at the Liebenauer ice rink, located on the outskirts of mountain-cradled Graz, Austria’s second largest city after Vienna. Enthused by Purple’s arrival in town, the local press dubbed the concert “das Rockereignis des Jahres [the rock event of the year].”
Dntel – Human Voice CD/CD+Cassette (Leaving Records)
Dntel is Jimmy Tamborello, best known as the producer for the Postal Service as well as Baths and Mia Doi Todd. Human Voice, his seventh full-length as Dntel, is an eight-track LP of sun-drenched, deconstructed pop that follows 2012’s Aimlessness. The title is a nod to the ability of machines to communicate meanings and messages in much the same way as the human voice. (Limited copies feature a bonus cassette, Human Voice Outtakes, which includes a recording of Dntel’s live set from the Leaving Records-curated edition of Boiler Room in L.A.)
The Drums – Encyclopedia CD/2xLP+MP3 (Minor Records)
The Drums music often explores the themes of loss, nostalgia, redemption, vulnerability, and love with critic’s raves embracing both the lyrics and their sonic signature. This time around, they’ve embraced a darker sound while making it as grand and majestic as they please.
Dwarves – The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll CD (Burger)
The Dwarves Invented Rock & Roll is a fierce, compact showing of the band’s core strengths. On one end of the spectrum, the band tears out berserk, drug addled hardcore that rips up the room like their classic Blood, Guts, And Pu**y. But, on the other end, the band focuses on writing pop songs so snappy and sweet it sounds like they just walked out of the sock hop with Frankie Valli.
Empires – Orphan CD/LP (Chop Shop)
Produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Cloud Nothings, The War On Drugs, Explosions In The Sky), Orphan is a collection of songs immersed in classic post punk and indie rock & roll circa 1989-1991, exploring the sonic adventurers and emotional heft of artists such as Roxy Music, Wire, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The guitars are rich and atmospheric, the rhythms subtle and fluid yet more powerful at the same time. Throughout the album, singer Sean Van Vleet’s raw croon rises to match the band’s musicality, conveying anxieties, secrets, and a heartfelt longing for transcendence.
Erasure – Violet Flame CD/2xCD (Mute)
Erasure are back with their 16th studio album, The Violet Flame, an emotionally-charged electro-pop album with euphoric, synth-fuelled melodies that strike instantly into the heart. The theme of transformation and new beginnings is captured in the album s title, a literal spiritual term meaning the transformation of negative energy into positive energy, freedom and forgiveness. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe features the bonus disc Live At Short Circuit, The Roundhouse, London 14/05/11.
Erland & The Carnival – Closing Time CD/LP (Full Time Hobby)
When unassuming young Orkney music-maker Erland Cooper picked up his guitar and travelled the length of the country to play a show in London’s Notting Hill, little did he know that a chance encounter with musical veteran Simon Tong (The Verve, The Good The Bad & The Queen, and Gorillaz) would be the start of a unique songwriting friendship. Together they formed Erland & The Carnival.
Jackie Evancho – Awakening CD (Sony Masterworks)
New album from the Platinum-selling teenage vocal sensation.
The Family Ruin – Dearly Departed CD (KBB Records)
Hailing from York, UK, this electrifying five-piece is a blast of face-melting riffs, thick grooves and rich harmonies, influenced by the modern heights of Avenged Sevenfold and Escape The Fate, and the legendary spirit of Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard.
Goat – Commune CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Second album from the Swedish psychedelic collective known for their intense, ritualistic live shows. Goat’s hypnotic, 2012 debut, World Music, received widespread acclaim and placed in many of that year’s top-ten lists. “They largely stick to the heavy, kinetic, afro-influenced rock that proved such a winning formula, the only obvious developments being that the guitarists seem to be taking more cues from desert-rockers like Tamikrest and Tinariwen, and the songs show an increasing preference for subtlety over immediacy in the hooks department. Yet despite the apparent lack of new ideas here, the undeniable success of this work lies in Goat’s deepening and development of the musical and spiritual themes presented on in World Music.” – The Quietus
Gossling – Harvest Of Gold CD (Nettwerk)
Gossling’s (aka Australia native Helen Croome) debut LP follows the critically lauded EPs that earned her a stellar 2014 set at SXSW where Elle, Esquire and Buzzfeed named her as an artist to watch in 2014. With lush textures and vocal hooks that deftly weaves complex emotional themes throughout, Croome’s gorgeous pop songcraft has already featured on popular television shows, including So You Think You Can Dance, American Horror Story, Nashville, Gossip Girl and Graceland. Vinyl version due October 21.
The Growlers – Chinese Fountain CD/LP+MP3 (Everloving)
The Growlers took the phrase ”Beach Goth” as an apt descriptor of their music. Sunburned and salty, that term perfectly describes their distinctive melding of reverb heavy surf guitar and Bakersfield-style honky tonk with ’80s post-punk.
Hammock – Sleepover Series: Volume 2 2xCD (Hammock Music)
Hammock’s second volume of sleep-themed musical works — over 90 minutes of deep, tranquil lullabies expertly crafted with layers of the Nashville duo’s electric guitars.
Herbie Hancock – Dedication [Reissue/1974] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock – Flood [Reissue/1975] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock – Herbie Hancock Trio [Reissue/1977] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock – Tempest In The Coliseum [Reissue/1977] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock – Directstep [Reissue/1979] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock – Five Stars [Reissue/1979] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock – Trio With Ron Carter & Tony Williams [Reissue/1981] CD (Wounded Bird)
Herbie Hancock is a jazz pianist who has played with Miles Davis and made a big splash on the Billboard charts in the 1970s with his numerous jazz albums on Columbia Records. During this same period, Herbie recorded seven albums for Columbia that were released only in Japan.
JP Harris & The Tough Choices – Home Is Where The Hurt Is CD (Cow Island)
Influences include George Jones, Buck Owens and Don Rich, Johnny Paycheck, Motörhead, Del Reeves, Wanda Jackson, Roy Acuff, Tammy Wynette and many others. Vinyl version due October 28.
George Harrison – Wonderwall Music [Reissue/1968] 2xCD (Capitol)
George Harrison – Electronic Sound [Reissue/1969] CD (Capitol)
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass [Reissue/1970] CD (Capitol)
George Harrison – Living In The Material World [Reissue/1973] CD (Capitol)
George Harrison – Dark Horse [Reissue/1974] CD (Capitol)
George Harrison – Extra Texture [Reissue/1975] CD (Capitol)
George Harrison – The Apple Years 6xCD+DVD (Capitol)
In November 1968, George Harrison released Wonderwall Music. A soundtrack to an art film called Wonderwall, this predominantly Indian music collection was the first solo album to be released by a Beatle and also the first album on the newly formed Apple Records. George would continue to release albums on Apple (and EMI) through to 1975’s soul-influenced Extra Texture (Read All About It) touching on experimentalism with Electronic Sound, the magnificent triple album All Things Must Pass, the chart-topping Living In The Material World and the, perhaps, less well-known Dark Horse. The Apple Years box brings all these eclectic albums together in one set that mirrors 2004’s Dark Horse Years box set and contains a perfect bound book with a DVD. (All albums have been remastered by Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks and all will be packaged in high-quality card packs and all albums, apart from All Things Must Pass and Living In The Material World contain newly written notes by Kevin Howlett.)
Johan Hedberg – Paradiset CD (Laborador)
Johan Hedberg of Suburban Kids With Biblical Names’ solo debut is a hard-hearted narration of Stockholm presented in warm, ‘70s tingled arrangement with saxophone, flute, choirs, pianos and melodies that feels as if they’ve always been there. A genuinely personal and time-less pop album that will, softly, knock you all…even if you don’t understand a word of Swedish.
Kim Hiorthøy – Dogs CD/LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Dogs consists of mostly piano and ambiance, with some beats and the occasional synth.
Holy Sons – Fact Facer CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Emil Amos of Om, Grail, Lilacs & Champagne provides a collection of home-recorded atmospheric slow-burners, steeped in ‘70s rock with an experimentalist edge. (First edition on vinyl pressed on translucent purple wax.)
Jennifer Hudson – Jhud CD (RCA)
Third studio album from the Grammy and Academy Award winner. Previously released tracks “Walk It Out” featuring and produced by Timbaland and “I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel)” featuring T.I. and produced by Pharrell appear on the album.
Information Society – _hello world CD (Hakatak)
The first album of new material from the classic lineup of Information Society (Kurt, Paul and James) in over 20 years.
Marketa Irglova – Muna CD (Anti)
Written over the course of a year, and recorded in six months with producer/engineer Sturla Mio Thorisson, Muna utilizes full choral, string and percussion sections, plus guests Rob Bochnik (The Frames), Iranian daf player and vocalist Aida Shahghasemi, and Marketa’s own sister Zuzi on backing vocals. All told, the album’s cast-list runs to some 27 players.
Luke James – Luke James CD (Mercury)
Long awaited 2014 debut album from the R&B sensation. Features guest appearance by Rick Ross on “Options.” Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe edition includes three bonus tracks.
Alex June – Big Bang CD/LP (Lentonia)
Alejandra Felmer, better known by her stage name Alex June, was born in France but raised in Chile. In 2007, she decided to settle down in the French capital in order to study fine art, where she became involved with the underground electro-pop music scene. Influenced by artists like Giorgio Moroder or Kraftwerk, Alex June mixes her diva voice with new minimalist, glam-pop influences like Grimes and Björk.
Cem Karaca – Nem Kaldi? [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (Pharaway Sounds)
Sophisticated and passionate, with flamboyant taste in sunglasses, Cem Karaca led Istanbul’s music fans through a period of violent political turmoil. Karaca reworked traditional folk lyrics with molten electric bass lines that played up both a poet’s broiling righteousness and also his listeners’ common ground with their elders in Turkey’s history.
King Tuff – King Moon Spell CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Black Moon Spell is the new album from L.A.-based rock outfit, King Tuff, who are long adored for their tight, anthemic songs and enigmatic leader, King Tuff (aka Kyle Thomas). Black Moon Spell recalls rock heroes such as Thin Lizzy, T-Rex and Alice Cooper, along with the inimitable blend of punk and power-pop that defined King Tuff’s previous two albums.
Lenny Kravitz – Strut CD/LP (Roxie)
New album from the rock singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist and actor. Kravitz has transcended genre, style, race and class in a 20-year music career, one that revels in the rich influences of ’60s and ’70s soul, rock and funk.
Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler – Slant Of Light CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
First album by duo of Mary Lattimore (harp) and Jeff Zeigler (guitar, synthesizer, production) is a completely unique document blending ancient classical traditions with modern improvisation and electronic performance. (First edition vinyl pressed on white wax.
Sondre Lerche – Please CD (Mona)
Lerche’s new album is brimming with crisp electronic flourishes, bold, economic production, and an infectious new energy and sense of purpose. Vinyl version due October 7.
Jerry Lee Lewis – Knox Phillips Sessions: The Unreleased Recordings CD/2xLP (Saguaro Road)
Features eleven songs that capture one of the true, enduring giants of American music at his best. Lewis played the music that he wanted to record and made every song into a unique expression of his wild, eclectic soul.
The Life & Times – Lost Bees CD (Slimstyle)
The post-punk space rock band present their follow-up to 2012’s No One Loves You Like I Do.
Lights – Little Machines CD (WB)
Third album from the Canadian electro rocker. When Lights first hit the music scene in 2008, she was just a songwriter with a synth and a dream. Her name may have been pluralized but Lights Poxleitner was a one-woman show who played and programmed her own instruments and sang her own lyrics. Vinyl version due October 21.
Lower Plenty – Life/Thrills CD/LP (Mexican Summer)
Life/Thrills is the Melbourne Lower Plenty’s third full-length, and their collective experience (members play in a host of other bands, not limited to Total Control, The UV Race, Exhaustion, Deaf Wish and Dick Diver) will leave you thoroughly unprepared for the beautiful confusion suggested by these ten songs, which seem to have the power of slowing and even stopping time. Suitable comparisons to this music are as disparate as early Cat Power, Arab Strap, the Shrimper roster ca. 1992, the Sun City Girls, and the late-‘60s/early-‘70s output of the Red Crayola.
Mapei – Hey Hey CD/LP (Downtown)
“On her full-length debut Hey Hey, rapper turned pop singer Mapei leaves no avenue unexplored in her search for sonically irresistible ingredients. ‘Don’t Wait,’ the massive hit from 2013’s Don’t Wait EP, features finger snaps, a chorus shouting ‘Hey!’ and affirmative lyrics about the power of love between friends. ‘Come On Baby’ opens with spangled brass and builds into a frenetic techno swirl. A theremin layered over acoustic guitar gives way to a few seconds of synthesizer before swinging into funk and big beat in ‘Things You Don’t Know About.’ Mapei and producer Magnus Lidehäll (who has also produced Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, and Katy Perry) drench Hey Hey in happy-making combinations, without reaching saturation or losing individual flavors to a rush of sugar. Every influence on display is well-studied and deployed effectively, and over it all dances Mapei’s accessible, soaring voice, propelled by genuine charisma and heart.” – NPR
Imelda May – Tribal CD/2xLP (Verve)
Ireland’s reigning queen of rockabilly is back with a brand new album.
MCB – MCB [Reissue/1983] CD (Razor & Tie)
MCB are Aaron Mills and Jeryl Bright who were also members of the group Cameo, and had collaborated in the past with music heavyweights of Ramsey Lewis, Donald Byrd and Kevin Toney. This release became MCB’s only album and was originally released on Epic Records in 1983. They were joined by Belinda Woods (from the group Brainstorm) on vocals and the Phoenix Horns (Don Myrick on sax, Rhamlee Davis on trumpet, Louis Satterfield on trombone and Mike Harris on trumpet).
John Mellencamp – Plain Spoken CD/LP (Motown/Universal)
Plain Spoken is the first album from Mellencamp since 2010 s critically acclaimed, No Better Than This, and was once again produced by T Bone Burnett.
Takako Minekawa & Dustin Wong – Savage Imagination CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Second collaborative album is a collection indebted to, but transcending, a long history of Japanese pop music, using strange and unusual sounds to create music that is optimistic and upbeat to its core.
Jason Moran – All Rise: A Joyful Elegy For Fats Waller CD (Blue Note)
All Rise: A Joyful Elegy For Fats Waller, is a collaboration with the vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello that recasts the music of the legendary jazz entertainer Fats Waller as a modern dance party. The album, which was produced by Ndegeocello and Blue Note Records president Don Was, is the ninth in a formidable catalog that Moran has been building on Blue Note since 1999. Vinyl version due October 7.
Mr Twin Sister – Mr Twin Sister CD/LP (Twin Group)
“The Band Formerly Known as Twin Sister return with a new album that possesses a distinctly nocturnal vibe. Mr Twin Sister is a 37-minute tribute to the way night allows people to discover who they are and who they want to be.” [8.1] — Pitchfork
Matty Mullins – Matty Mullins CD (Rise)
The debut solo album from Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire.
Nadja – Truth Becomes Death [Reissue/2005] CD (Alien8)
Reissue of the debut proper full-length from this Toronto-based ambient doom metal monster fronted by musician and writer Aidan Baker. Three massive tracks of epic, droning, doom, thundering riffs, and plodding cacophony. For fans of Sunn O))) and Isis.
Neulore – Animal Evolve CD/LP (Chop Shop)
Don’t let the ‘modern folk’ tag fool you. Anchored by tribal drums and electric guitars, Neulore’s songs are better suited for the arena than the campfire. The music swells and swoons, with tense verses that break into epic, open-armed choruses. It’s a sound that tells a story, much like classic folk music… but it does so with gang vocals, synthesizers and the anthemic sweep of rock & roll.
New Horizons – Something New/Gonna Have Big Fun [Reissue/1983/1984] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
One of the more obscure ‘80s funk acts from Dayton, New Horizons nonetheless benefited from the assistance of the Troutman family (Roger, Larry, Robert, and Terry) and a deal with Columbia. The release combines the Thomas brothers Something New and Gonna Have Big Fun, both of which were recorded at Troutman Sound Labs and bear the unmistakable Zapp/Troutman synth-funk stamp. Roger took these funky band of brothers, and crafted a well-produced record full of funk/R&B and smooth soul, as one would expect from the funkmeister himself.
No Bragging Rights – The Concrete Flower CD/LP (Pure Noise)
No Bragging Rights is one of the most exciting bands in the West Coast hardcore/melodic punk rock scene. In the last year, the band has supported Everytime I Die, Stray From The Path and was a part of the 2013 Vans Warped Tour.
Pentatonix – PTX, Vol. III CDEP (RCA)
This third installment of the group’s wildly successful EP series continues to mix global pop and indie hits with original tracks, showcasing the quintet’s eclectic taste and otherworldly talent. The EP includes a surprise featured guest, as well as a song performed entirely in French.
Perfume Genius – Too Bright CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
Over the course of two astonishing albums, Perfume Genius, aka Seattle native Mike Hadreas, cemented his place as a singer/songwriter of rare frankness, creating songs that, while achingly emotional, offered empathy and hope, rather than any judgment or handwringing. Sparse, gorgeous and with Hadreas quavering vocals often only accompanied by piano, they were uncommonly beautiful tales of a life lived on the dark side scarred, brutalized, yet ultimately, slowly but surely reclaimed.
Prince Fatty Meets Nostalgia 77 – Kingdom Of Dub CD (Strut)
The legendary reggae producer Prince Fatty reworks the funk and jazz specialists Nostalgia 77 catalogue in a dub style.
Chuck Prophet – Night Surfer CD (Yep Roc)
Of his new album, Night Surfer, Prophet comments, “This record is loosely conceptual but universal all the same. It’s all about a path forward, about looking around and imagining where we’ll be in 20 years if we just follow that path. And of course, you’ll find a persistent anxiety throughout; we live, after all, in anxious times. As John Murry told me after a first listen, ‘It brings a tear to the eye and blood to the johnson.’” So yeah, a new record, new sound. It’s got it’s own groove with in your face guitars that snake and harmonize. They jangle too, thanks in no small part to special guest Peter Buck.” Vinyl version due October 21.
Pugwash – A Rose In A Garden Of Weeds: A Preamble Through The History Of Pugwash CD (Omnivore)
Pugwash’s mix of The Beach Boys meets ELO meets XTC has made them favorites in not only their homeland of Ireland, but across the UK. The band’s albums have thus far only been available outside of North America, and have now slipped out of print. A Rose In A Garden Of Weeds features 17 tracks drawn from 1999’s Almond Tea As Served By… through 2011’s The Olympus Sound (which was nominated for the Choice Music Prize, presented to the best album from Ireland.)
Purling Hiss – Weirdon CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
Full-tilt with tunes, aggro riffs, feedback peals, stoned soul-searching, pop turnarounds and magisterial portraits of the go-nowhere lifestyle in abstract, Weirdon is also a new-phase Purling Hiss album, using the songwriting and guitar style of Mike Polizze to come up with a quicksilver sound touched on only briefly on previous records. Replete with handclaps, pounding pianos, tambourines and vocal effects, but steeped in guitar roar, Purling Hiss streamlines up nicely, serving the new songs and directions of Weirdon while still slamming down hard on your ears like they like to do.
S – Cool Choices CD/LP (Hardly Art)
S is the long-running solo project of Jenn Ghetto (Carissa’s Wierd). After many months of trying to get their schedules aligned, the band ended up in the studio with Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie), at The Hall Of Justice in Seattle. As he was setting up Ghetto’s guitar amp combo and pulling gadgets off the shelves and microphones out of boxes he said to her, “This is how you make a Van Halen record.” And then they made Cool Choices. “Cool Choices is the breakup album of the year. Ghetto’s expressive whisper-sing outlines the aftermath of a failed relationship with radical vulnerability in lyrics that use achingly personal details to create universally cathartic songs. At the core of its broken heart, Cool Choices is a pop album. Ghetto tenderly walks us through a tried-and-true topic—lost love—in a way that feels genuinely fresh and revelatory.” – The Stranger
Laetitia Sadier – Something Shines CD/LP (Drag City)
New solo album from the Stereolab frontwoman. “Laetitia Sadier’s solo material is essentially the same thing as a Stereolab album. With Stereolab now finished it is hard to get that updated ‘60s French pop vibe from anywhere else. Her solo work has continued the effort meeting a small niche in the music world. Besides her voice which continues to be rather affecting she has appeared in increasingly unusual places (ending up on a Tyler the Creator track, etc.). Hopefully at some point she begins to grow her audience.” – beachsloth.blogspot.com
Silva – Ocean View CD (Six Degrees)
With his sophomore album, Ocean View, Silva is builds on his unique blend of catchy electronic pop built on a Brazilian foundation. “I love dream pop and ambient,” Silva says, “and I try to mix it in my music.”
Sarah Silverman – We Are Miracles CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Sarah Silverman We Are Miracles is taken from the acclaimed performer’s Emmy-nominated first headline special for HBO. It was recorded at the famed Largo in Los Angeles.
Skool Boyz – Skool Boyz/This Is The Real Thing [Reissue/1984/1985] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
Though interrupted by a few years, Skool Boyz was a continuation of Flavor. A major break came in 1984 when Columbia Records took them on, debuting with Slip Away — and two superb albums. Their self-produced debut album Skool Boyz had some fine ballads “Nothin Like A Slow Dance,” “Before You Go,” “You Are The Best Thing In My Life,” and some rhythmic up-tempo numbers. Both albums, in part, were initially released on Destiny Records and contained a subsequent CBS album with some new material.
Smashing Pumpkins – Adore [Reissue/1998] CD/6xCD+DVD (Virgin)
More than 15 years after its original release, the Smashing Pumpkins’ Adore is now available as a Super Deluxe set featuring 107 tracks including rarities, demos and outtakes along with a complete 1998 live show video from Atlanta’s Fox Theater. (Single-disc remastered edition also available. Double-vinyl version due October 7.)
Wadada Leo Smith/Jamie Saft/Joe Morris/Balazs Pandi – Red Hill CD/2xLP (RareNoise)
Fueled by the urgent high note blasts and expressive muted trumpet work of avant-garde icon Wadada Leo Smith and underscored by and uncanny group-think of RareNoise stalwarts Jamie Saft (Metallic Taste of Blood, Slobber Pup, Plymouth, The New Standard) on keyboards, Joe Morris (Plymouth, Slobber Pup, One) on upright bass and Balazs Pandi (Obake, Metallic Taste Of Blood, Slobber, Pup, One) on drums, Red Hill is a kind of clarion call for the new avant-garde.
Snootie Wild – Go Mode CD (Epic)
Includes the hit “Yayo” (featuring Yo Gotti) and “She’s A Keeper” (featuring August Alsina).
Marshal Allen Presents Sun Ra & His Arkestra – In The Orbit Of Ra 2xCD (Strut)
Strut and Art Yard join forces for a special release to mark what would have been Sun Ra’s 100th birthday with this new collection curated by the longest serving member of the Arkestra and current bandleader, Marshall Allen. Bringing together Ra highlights from over 25 years of music, the album is the first internationally released compilation to provide an introduction to the music of Sun Ra, curated personally by the Arkestra and mastered from the original tapes. Vinyl version due October 7.
Cody Joe Tillman & The Wicked Truth – Cody Joe Tillman & The Wicked Truth CD (Rock Ridge)
A unique musical fusion of Americana, alt country, funk, blues, jazz and alternative rock.
Trapt – The Acoustic Collection CD (Crash Collide)
Trapt, known for their hits “Headstrong,” “Still Frame,” “Stand Up,” “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight,” release their first-ever acoustic album.
Tweedy – Sukierae CD/2xLP (Anti)
Tweedy, the band, is a collaboration between Jeff Tweedy, best known as the founder of the pioneering Chicago rock band Wilco, and his 18-year-old son and drummer Spencer Tweedy. Sukierae features 20 new songs penned by Jeff, performed by Tweedy father and son along with a host of musical guests.
Tom VandenAvond – Endtimes CD (Hillgrass Bluebilly)
Woodie Guthrie said “a man should know his country like the back of his hand.” Tom VandenAvond is a contemporary ghost with a wisdom in his music that exceeds his years. His sound embodies the nature of solitary travel and the inevitable connections made from a life on the road. He seems to take notes from the Ramblin’ Jack Eliot handbook. A bit of a maverick, he’s also not afraid of the odd, straight job painting signs or slingin’ beer. He is part John Prine and a bit of Mark Twain.
Various Artists – Hyperdub 10.3 CD (Hyperdub)
While Hyperdub 10.1 and 10.2 shone light on the label’s dance floor and songwriting dimensions, this collection champions its beatless and ambient sounds. Inevitably, the tracklist kicks off with the label’s chief protagonist of melancholy, Burial. There’s new material from the likes of Kode9, The Bug, Dean Blunt, Inga Copeland, Lee Gamble, Cooly G, Fatima Al Qadiri, Ikonika, DJ Earl and Junior Boys’ Jeremy Greenspan, while older cuts from King Midas Sound, Darkstar and Laurel Halo also feature. The result is a collection of tunes the labels says is “free of drums and often basslines, leaving only synthesised, sampled or looped textures that often hang like a cloud of gas, or rotate without friction like mini cyclones.”
Vinyl Theatre – Electrogram CD (Fueled By Ramen)
Songs like “Breaking Up My Bones” and “Gold” pulsate with kinetic energy and dancefloor-friendly rhythms, the band’s passionate spirit and positive vibrations shining brightly throughout the eight-song collection.
Wax Witches – Center Of Your Universe CD (Burger)
Insanely catchy pop punk blasts from outer space featuring Alex Wall of Bleeding Knees Club. Vinyl version due October 7.
Whirr – Sway CD/LP+MP3 (Graveface)
New album from the shoegaze outfit featuring Nick Bassett (formerly of Deafheaven). More than any Whirr release to date, Sway creates a definitive sense of immersion, sculpting an environment that breathes you in instantly and breathes you out only when the record snaps into silence.
White Violet – Stay Lost CD/LP+MP3 (Normal Town/New West)
The Athens, GA and Nashville, TN four-piece White Violet present their sophomore effort. A more upbeat sequel to the band’s dreamy and dark debut Hiding, Mingling, the 2014 record was tracked in Kernersville, NC, with master engineer Scott Solter (Centro-Matic, Spoon, Superchunk). What sets Stay Lost apart from previous releases is that this is not the sole brainchild of singer/songwriter Nate Nelson. The eleven songs find a finely honed, battle-worn lineup collectively exploring the wide-open soundscapes that one belonged to Nelson alone.
Mac Wiseman – Songs From My Mother’s Hand CD (Wrinkled Records)
Mac sang these songs with his mother, around a pump organ, and often pored through her notebooks, sang to himself and taught himself guitar chords. He would become one of a handful of musicians who helped create bluegrass music. The notebook songs, with lyrics written in his mother’s handwriting from the radio in the 1930’s, are folk songs, with roots in the British Isles.
Lee Ann Womack – The Way I’m Livin’ CD/LP (Sugar Hill)
First album in seven years from the Grammy-winning country vocalist. The Way I’m Livin’ features the songs of Adam Wright, Chris Knight, Mindy Smith, Buddy Miller, Mando Saenz, Hayes Carll, Neil Young, Bruce Robison and Roger Miller.
Michael Wycoff – Come To My World/On The Line [Reissue/1981/1983] CD (Funky Town Grooves)
While never breaking out as a crossover artist, keyboardist and vocalist Michael Wycoff developed a following as a result of three solid albums he released in the early-‘80s. They were landmark releases for Wycoff and lovers of sophisticated early-‘80s R&B (Luther Vandross, Leon Ware, Patrice Rushen, Lewis own releases, etc.) will find plenty to like beyond the singles.
Yes – Songs From Tsongas: Yes 35th Anniversary Concert 3xCD (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
This is the first ever release of Songs From Tsongas on CD. It is taken from Yes’ 35th Anniversary Tour in 2004, the last tour by the band to feature the classic line-up of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White. The concert was recorded at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts and featured a brand new stage set by legendary designer and Yes collaborator Roger Dean. The setlist features tracks from across the band’s career, including an extensive acoustic section in the middle of the show and some tracks that have rarely been performed live. Also available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray.
Young Rebel Set – Crocodile CD (New West)
Young Rebel Set presents Crocodile, a collision of rollicking folk-rock, blue-eyed soul and jaunty ’90s Britpop. It is an exhilarating mix of The Stranglers and The Waterboys with the energy of the Pogues and will probably get matched to those who are fans of Frank Turner. Described as a “folk-inspired record which owes more to Richard Ashcroft that it does Mumford & Sons” by Steve Lamacq of BBC 6Music and “how Bruce Springsteen might have sounded had he been raised in the Middlesbrough area” by Q.
DVD + Blu-ray:
Sting – The Last Ship: Live At The Public Theatre DVD (Cherry Tree)
The Last Ship tells the story of the demise of the shipbuilding industry in 1980s Newcastle which had, for so long, shaped and overshadowed the city, its development, and its community. Inspired by this subject matter, Sting has written more than 40 original songs for the project, some of which will be included in a stage play of the same name. The defining songs featured on the album The Last Ship explore a myriad of universal themes including the complexity of relationships, the passage of time, transgressions, and redemption. 83 minutes.
Yes – Songs From Tsongas: Yes 35th Anniversary Concert 2xDVD/2xBlu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Contains two different concerts from Yes 35th Anniversary Tour in 2004, the last tour by the band to feature the classic line-up of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White. Disc One contains the whole of the concert from the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts, previously spread across two discs. Disc Two contains 70 minutes of highlights from a very different concert on the same tour filmed at Estival in Lugano, Switzerland. Also available on stand-alone CD.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Aaimon – Aaimon LP+MP3 (Artoffact)
Aaimon’s 2013 debut full-length received glowing praise from Sonic Seducer, Exclaim!, I Die: You Die, Auxiliary Magazine, FEARnet, and several others. The vinyl includes a previously unreleased bonus track, “Lethe,” and a digital download.
ABC – The Lexicon Of Love [Reissue/1982] LP (Mercury)
As part of Universal Music’s “Back to Black” re-release series, ABC’s debut receives a HQ-180gm vinyl reissue. Album includes “Poison Arrow,” “The Look Of Love” and more.
American Hi-Fi – Blood & Lemonade LP (Rude Records)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the Boston-based pop/punk band. Featuring the single “Allison” and other notables “Golden State” and “Armageddon Days,” Blood & Lemonade wholly embraces the sound and spirit of classic, balls-to-the-wall guitar rock mixed with the power pop sensibilities that lead to their worldwide smash “Flavor Of The Weak.”
The Amity Affliction – Let The Ocean Take Me LP (Roadrunner)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Urgent, aggressive, and remarkable cathartic, Let The Ocean Take Me pushes the band’s signature post-hardcore approach to new heights of richness and diversity, providing the consummate aural partner to vocalist Joel Birch’s increasingly more potent lyricism.
Angels & Airwaves – We Don’t Need To Whisper 2xLP (Shop Radio Cast)
We Don’t Need to Whisper is the debut studio album by the American rock band Angels & Airwaves. Recorded at Neverpants Ranch in San Diego, California and produced by guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, the album was originally released on May 23, 2006 through Geffen Records. HQ-180gm with D-side etching.
Anjou – Anjou LP (Kranky)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. The culmination of four years writing and editing, Anjou marks the first collaboration between Labradford’s Robert Donne and Mark Nelson since the release of that groupʼs Fixed::Context LP. Combining modular synthesis, Max/MSP programming and live instrumentation, Anjou deftly weaves noise with gentle ambience and melody with texture. Guitar, bass and Steven Hessʼ (Locrian, Fennesz, Pan American) live percussion give the eight pieces immediacy and create a framework for the more abstract sounds of digital and analog synth programming.
Arp – Pulsars e Quasars 12” (Mexican Summer)
In a sense, Arp draws a link to his earlier cosmic synth work, albeit reclaiming and redefining it in a pop songwriting context. The title-track is a lysergic rush, a kaleidoscopic bite of psychedelic anglophile pop. Alexis Georgopoulos’ voice finds a comfortable spot between the narcotic resplendence of George Harrison and the delicacy of Broadcast’s Trish Keenan. The music, meanwhile, opens swathed in phased guitars before building into a prismatic, melodic fuzzed out mass.
Astronauts Etc. – Sadie 12” (Hit City USA)
There is a fragile balance to Astronauts Etc.—an attempt to reconcile contradiction. Harmonious conflict rolls through mastermind Anthony Ferraro’s uniquely soulful compositions with a struggling duality innate in each note. A classically trained pianist with French composer Hector Berlioz tattooed on his arm, Ferraro approaches his songwriting with both a disregard for his 15 years of focused lessons and a respect for the skill those studies have afforded him.
Black Uruhu – Red [Reissue/1981] LP (Island)
“The sophomore release from the third and most successful incarnation of Black Uhuru (singers Don Carlos, Erroll ‘Jay’ Wilson, and Rudolph ‘Garth’ Dennis had come before), Red spotlights the singing talents of then rising star Michael Rose, American-born Sandra ‘Puma’ Jones, and original member Derrick ‘Duckie’ Simpson. Backed by the tight and dancehall-era defining Sly & Robbie band, the trio reels off eight high-quality reggae cuts here, including classics like ‘Youth Of Eglington’ and ‘Sponji Reggae.’” — AllMusic
Boris With Merzbow – Sun Baked Snow Cave [2005] 2xLP (Hydra Head)
Available for the first time on vinyl. The lonesome, mournful void of a strummed acoustic guitar is soon enough smothered by drones and swarms of feedback that intertwine with pulsating, yowling electronics. Two worlds that both harmonize and struggle against each other.
Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey [Reissue/1975] LP (Island)
“Marcus Garvey hit Jamaica like a force ten gale, its legacy so great that in later years many fans mistakenly came to believe it was Burning Spear’s debut album (it wasn’t, two earlier records were released by Studio One). It made an instant hero of Winston Rodney, and the album remains a cornerstone of the entire roots movement.” — AllMusic
Calabrese – Dayglo Necros [2012] LP (Spookshow)
Calabrese – Born With A Scorpion’s Touch 2013 LP (Spookshow)
The Phoenix, AZ punk & roll band’s influences musical influences include The Damned, Alkaline Trio, Black Flag, Black Sabbath, Turbonegro, The Misfits, Green Day, The Hives, White Zombie, AFI, Danzig, and Ramones. Color vinyl.
Cliffs – Saturation LP (We Want Action)
“Considering how rarely Times New Viking plays these days, somebody needed to step up to keep first-rate slapdash scuzz-pop on Columbus stages. Cliffs is getting it done” – Columbus Alive. RIYL: Japandroids, Sebadoh.
Dead Soft – Dead Soft LP (Kingfisher Bluez)
“Fuzzy and hard-hitting in delivery, yet there are sweet melodies and catchy hooks at the heart of the tunes. Some watery, jangling tones that are inevitably overtaken by scorching fuzz.” – Exclaim
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Too Rye Ay [Reissue/1982] LP (Island)
Dexy’s Midnight Runners are best known in America as one of new wave’s ultimate one-hit wonders, thanks to their 1982 number-one smash “Come On Eileen,” a distinctive fusion of ’80s pop, Celtic folk, and blue-eyed soul.
Dillinger Four – Midwestern Songs Of The Americas [Reissue/1998] LP (Hopeless)
Dillinger Four – Versus God [Reissue/2000] LP (Hopeless)
With their dedicated fan base growing to a new generation, the acclaimed midwestern punk group’s first two acclaimed albums have finally been repressed on vinyl.
Download – LingAM LP+MP3 (Artoffact)
On Download’s 2013 album, LingAM, the duo of cEvin Key (Skinny Puppy) and Phil Western use their impressive repertoire of skills, synthesizers and sequencers to create a transcendent work of experimental electronica. HQ-180gm.
Empress AD – Still Life Moving East LP (The End)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Having taken time to carefully hone their style of the music they love, Empress AD have written an arsenal of songs that veer from an expansive, progressive sound to an aggressive, controlled roar. Citing their influences as Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Mastodon and Opeth, the Berkshire four-piece locked themselves away in a UK studio with experienced New York-based producer, Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Pelican, Old Man Gloom) to craft their debut.
Nico Fidenco – Black Emanuelle [OST] [Reissue/1975] LP (Dagored)
Nico Fidenco – Black Emanuelle: Orient Reportage [OST] [Reissue/1976] LP (Dagored)
The legendary Nico Fidenco’s score for Black Emanuelle is by turns sultry and serious, fun and funky. The sound is sophisticated, groovy and melodically memorable; mixing Latin rhythms – in a continuous sexual tension with the exotic images of the beautiful Laura Gemser – and electronic textures that show the influence of early techno masters such as Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk.
Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac [Reissue/1968] LP (Reprise)
Fleetwood Mac – Mr. Wonderful [Reissue/1968] LP (Reprise)
Fleetwood Mac – The Pious Bird Of Good Omen [Reissue/1969] LP (Reprise)
In 1967 Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie played in the legendary John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, and were given free studio time during which they recorded five songs. Peter Green was so convinced of this band’s musical prowess that he formed it on the spot and named it after the drummer & the bass player. John McVie wasn’t convinced and it forced Fleetwood Mac to find a temporary replacement in Bob Burning. After a short while, however, he was as hooked on the Elmore James influenced British Blues that he left John Mayall to take a risk on a group of unknowns. The rest is history.
Frnkiero & The Cellabration – Stomachaches LP (Workhorse Music Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Solo release from My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero.
Fusión – Top Soul [Reissue/1975] LP (Lion Productions)
Limited HQ-180gm vinyl LP repressing of this impossible-to-find jazz/soul/funk monster by Fusión, issued in Chile in 1975. The album is a fulsome combination of funk, electric jazz, and soul, with Latin roots.
Grandma’s Boyfriend/The Steadys – Split 7” (Dirty Rabbit)
The Steadys are a powerpop four-piece from Tokyo. Often compared to bands such as The Ramones and Buzzcocks, their brand of music combines a punchy (and flawless) rhythm section with catchy guitar lines and vocal harmonies. Grandma’s Boyfriend have been playing together since 2009, cycling through more guitarists than The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their half of the record combines punk and powerpop with Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies to create songs about love and squalor that even your mother would love.
Joanna Gruesome/Trust Fund – Split LP (Happy Happy Birthday To Me)
This split sees the Gruesomes stretching out sonically and emotionally. Trust Fund bring all kinds of Flying Nun-ish mid-fi guitar pop with hints of bands like Swearin’, Sourpatch, and Big Soda seeping through.
Hudson Mowhawke – Chimes 12” (Warp)
A monster moment in Hudson Mohawke sets, the previously unreleased “Chimes” has become a highly anticipated fan favorite. Mastered and louder than ever the tune is part of this four-track EP that also features a hard-style re-edit from “Gammer,” and two completely new tracks that showcase the producer’s great versatility.
Ital – Endgame 12” (Planet Mu)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “The classically-trained polymath Daniel Martin-McCormick is anything but predictable. A veteran of the DC hardcore band Black Eyes, he has worked on experimental electro projects (Mi Ami, Sex Worker) and first started making techno for dance-not-dance label 100% Silk. His output as Ital is murky, spaced-out, exploratory techno. Still, the Brooklyn-based producer remains ambivalent about dance floor functionality, and once enthused to Anthem Magazine about creating music mastered for intimate home-listening, not, as he put it, ‘UK clubs.’” – Resident Adviser
The King Of England – The Last King Of England LP (Sainte Marie)
The Last King Of England is a tale of lost love, broken hearts, and a search for a place called home. It inhabits the place between consciousness and unconsciousness, a dream like space, somewhere unreal. It’s the first solo album by Sacha Alessandro Marcello Berardinelli Galvagna. Written and recorded by Sacha on his laptop, the album reaches beyond the traditional guitar, bass, drum template and blends in instruments from around the world.
Kiss – Paul Stanley [Reissue/1978] LP (Mercury)
Kiss – Gene Simmons [Reissue/1978] LP (Mercury)
Kiss – Ace Frehley [Reissue/1978] LP (Mercury)
Kiss – Peter Criss [Reissue/1978] LP (Mercury)
Kiss – Alive III [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Mercury)
HQ-180gm vinyl represses released to coincide with the band’s 40th Anniversary. Remastered to high definition 192kHz/24-bit audio for maximum fidelity.
Koji – Some Small Way LP (Native Sound)
Before splits with Into It Over it and La Dispute, before his debut full length on Run For Cover Records, there was “Some Small Way,” Koji’s first recorded material with a backing band and a standout release from his still growing catalog.
La Hell Gang – Just What Is Real [Reissue/2010] LP (Bym)
Vinyl reissue of the debut LP from Chile’s La Hell Gang. It’s always interesting to hear non-Americans take on Americanized tropes of rock & roll and see what comes through the cultural sieve. Serious endless hesher jams.
The Miami Dolphins – Becky LP (For Practically Everyone)
The Miami Dolphins is a Minneapolis art/punk noise rock with female vocals—think Melt-Banana, PRE, Ponytail, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 and you’ll be on the right track.
Ennio Morricone – Per Un Pugno Di Dollari/A Fistful Of Dollars [OST] [Reissue/1965] LP (BTF)
Ennio Morricone – Il Mercenario [Reissue/1968] LP (BTF)
Ennio Morricone – Milano Odia: La Polizia Non Puo Sparare [OST] [Reissue/1974] (BTF)
Ennio Morricone – C’era Una Volta Il West/Once Upon A Time In The West [OST] [Reissue/1976] (BTF)
Ennio Morricone – Il Ladrone [Reissue/1980] LP (BTF)
Ennio Morricone – The Link [OST] [Reissue/1984] LP (Dagored)
Assorted vinyl reissues or rare Morricone soundtracks (some on color vinyl).
New Electric Ride – Balloon Age LP+MP3 (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
“New Electric Ride is a British psych-rock band that channel equal parts 1960s grooviness and Brit-rock twee silliness” – PopMatters. Blue vinyl.
The Paragons – The Paragons [Reissue/1981] LP (Island)
“Founded in Brooklyn, NY, the Paragons were a black vocal harmony quintet signed to the New York-based Winley label, which was also home to the Jesters (‘The Wind’). Julius McMichael (lead), Ben Frazier (first tenor), Donald Travis (second tenor), Ricky Jackson (baritone), and Al Brown (bass) had a distinctive sound with McMichael’s high tenor voice as the lead, very much defining this distinctly New York-centered doo wop sound.” – AllMusic
Parquet Courts/Future Punx – LAMC No. 13 7” (Famous Class)
The thirteenth edition in Famous Class’ LAMC split series featuring an unreleased A-side track from one of the label’s favorite band’s, backed with a B-side track from a lesser-known artist handpicked by the A-side group. Features Parquet Courts’ “This Is Happening Now,” backed by Future Punx’s “Spike Train.”
PC Worship – Social Rust LP (Northern Spy)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Social Rust, PC Worship’s fourth LP to date and Northern Spy Records debut, may very well be the closest this innovative quartet, led by multi-instrumentalist Justin Frye, has gotten to the conventional rock formula. But don’t be alarmed—PC Worship has, by no means, abandoned its inherent avant-gardist roots. In fact, Social Rust portends a familial group hell bent on blending its own vision of fully realized songcraft and contagious melodicism into its trademark chaotic din.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Hypnotic Eye 2xLP (Reprise)
HQ-180gm, double-LP deluxe version. Hypnotic Eye is the 13th studio album from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and the first album from the band in four years. “I knew I wanted to do a rock & roll record,” Petty told Rolling Stone in April. “We hadn’t made a straight hard-rockin’ record, from beginning to end, in a long time.”
Plastic Cloud – Plastic Cloud [Reissue/1968] LP (Lion Productions)
Limited HQ-180gm vinyl LP repressing of this 1968 psych masterpiece. Comes with lyric insert and replica vintage press release. Plastic Cloud recorded, quite simply, one of the greatest underground psychedelic albums ever made: a swirl of gossamer vocals and Tolkien references, swathed in the some of the most relentless fuzz guitar you will ever hear.
Plastix – Konsumier Mich 7” (Danger)
Collects the three tracks by this Viennese female-fronted DIY punk band that originally appeared on the Die Tödliche Dosis compilation (released on Lustgewinn Schallplatten in 1981).
Sloan – Commonwealth 2xLP+MP3+CD (Yep Roc)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Toronto-based rock quartet is perhaps the most truly democratic group in the annals of pop, with Jay Ferguson, Chris Murphy, Patrick Pentland, and Andrew Scott all contributing original compositions to each record, equal partners with equal say over every aspect of their work. Where in the past creative lines have been blurred to create the multi-faceted Sloan sound, Commonwealth sees the four bandmates disassociating ever so slightly to create an old-school double album sequenced with each member staking out a single side as their own artistic dominion.
So Cow – The Long Con LP (Goner)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. So Cow are of the mind that they sound like The Chills or McLusky, but they’ve lost all perspective at this stage so don’t go taking their word for it. Similarly, lyrics telling of joyriding local politicians, John Deacon’s post-Queen level of contentment, and the terror of turning 30 can probably now be interpreted any number of ways.
Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret [Reissue/1981] LP (Mercury)
As part of Universal Music’s “Back to Black” reissue series, Soft Cell’s debut is reissued on HQ-180gm vinyl reissue. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret includes “Tainted Love,” “Sex Dwarf” and more.
Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution [Reissue/1978] LP (Island)
“Steel Pulse’s debut album set the band decisively apart from its British colleagues. This was not, by any stretch of the imagination, either pop-reggae or lovers rock. Nor was it the kind of dreamy Rasta reggae or art-for-art’s sake dub that was popular at the time. Though the subtly jazzy swing that would later become explicit was already informing Steel Pulse’s groove, the band’s first album seemed not at all interested in generating anything like a party atmosphere. Handsworth Revolution is about politics first and religion second, with a quick nod to the dance (‘Sound System’) and another to the herb (‘Macka Splaff’) and not a single love lyric to be found anywhere.” — AllMusic
Suicideyear – Remembrance LP (Software)
Remembrance is the Software Recording Co. debut from Baton Rouge’s Suicideyear (born James Prudhomme). Written and produced between Florida and Louisiana during the summer and fall of 2013, the album recalls those southern US landscapes and Prudhomme’s experiences across eight songs equally intimate, intoxicating and mercurial.
Tears For Fears – The Hurting [Reissue/1983] LP (Mercury)
Vinyl reissue of the ‘80s pop duo’s 1983 debut. “The Hurting would have been a daring debut for a pop-oriented band in any era, but it was an unexpected success in England in 1983, mostly by virtue of its makers’ ability to package an unpleasant subject — the psychologically wretched family histories of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith — in an attractive and sellable musical format. Not that there weren’t a few predecessors, most obviously John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band album — which was also, not coincidentally, inspired by the work of primal scream pioneer Arthur Janov.” — AllMusic
Terry Malts – Insides EP 7” (Slumberland)
A refreshing blast of catchy punk, pop-influenced but also chaotic, noisy, shredding.
Third World – Journey To Addis [Reissue/1978] LP (Island)
“Probably the first and best fusion of reggae and soul music by a reggae group. Third World was looking to sell records worldwide and not just in Jamaica and England, and while the band’s fusion of these genres may have infuriated the die-hard Rasta man, it helped the music reach a larger base. After the opening ‘One Cold Vibe,’ a melodic reggae bouncer, a tepid ‘Cold Sweat’ (not the James Brown tune) has floating rhythms that soften the harsh lyrics.” — AllMusic
Moreno Veloso – Coisa Boa LP (Luaka Bop)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Moreno Veloso, son of Brazilian music icon Caetano Veloso, began singing at the age of three, improving his natural skills while learning how to play classical guitar six years later. Veloso made his songwriting debut in 1982 with “Um Canto de Afoxé Para Bloco do lle,” which is featured on Caetano Veloso’s Cores, Nomes. Moreno Veloso became a Latin percussionist while still a teenager, touring with his father and Gilberto Gil before playing cello for Carlinhos Brown.
Wire – Document And Eyewitness 1979-1980 [Reissue/1981] 2xLP (Pink Flag)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For those unfamiliar with Document And Eyewitness, it really doesn’t do the album justice to describe it simply as a collection of live recordings from three turn-of-the-‘80s Wire gigs. What makes it more than that is the unorthodox nature of the main performance and the way it was presented on record. The centerpiece of the original vinyl release was a recording of the final gig of Wire’s ‘70s phase (albeit one that took place in February 1980). This was a concert at the Electric Ballroom that grew out of the band’s performance art-based residency at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre the previous November.
Yabby U – Jah Jah Way [Reissue/1980] LP (Island)
“Yabby You was born Vivian Jackson in a Kingston ghetto. By the time he was 17, Jackson was so malnourished that he had to be hospitalized. He was eventually left with severe arthritis and crippled legs. While he could not work, he had musical talent and — taking his cues from divine inspiration that he felt came from the sounds of nature around him (and the help of friends) — founded a harmony trio, the Prophets, in 1972.” – AllMusic
Dwight Yoakam – Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., [Reissue/1986] LP+MP3 (WB)
Vinyl repress of the veteran country singer/songwriter’s 1986 debut album. It was the first of three consecutive #1 Billboard Country Albums for Dwight. Three of its tracks rose into the Top 40 of the Hot Country Singles chart in 1986. The album was the first of more than a dozen Yoakam albums featuring his collaboration with record producer-guitarist Pete Anderson.
Cassettes:
Bonnie Prince Billy – Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues (Drag City)
Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues is the 11th new full-length album from the mind, soul and voice of the man that is Bonnie Prince Billy. His first solo record on Drag City in nearly three years, it is a rich and roiling time of life that is captured in a myriad of moments throughout all the songs here. Throughout the album, mythos is in the wind, trysting with truth and the joys of song, of singing and playing in open space; harmonies and acoustic instruments spread in bright stereo sound, accosting in the air between the speakers and going deep, without hesitation into our waiting and needing minds and souls.
Purling Hiss – Weirdon (Drag City)
Full-tilt with tunes, aggro riffs, feedback peals, stoned soul-searching, pop turnarounds and magisterial portraits of the go-nowhere lifestyle in abstract, Weirdon is also a new-phase Purling Hiss album, using the songwriting and guitar style of Mike Polizze to come up with a quicksilver sound touched on only briefly on previous records. Replete with handclaps, pounding pianos, tambourines and vocal effects, but steeped in guitar roar, Purling Hiss streamlines up nicely, serving the new songs and directions of Weirdon while still slamming down hard on your ears like they like to do.
Book:
Danny Bland & Greg Dulli – I Apologize In Advance For All The Awful Things I’m Gonna Do (Sub Pop)
120-page, full color collection of haiku written by Danny Bland, accompanied by photographs by Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli, with calligraphy by Exene Cervenka.
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