September Program Titles Released This Week:
Barns Courtney – 404 CD/LP (Capitol)
The title of Barns Courtney’s new album will no doubt be familiar to anyone who’s ever searched for something online and found themselves face to face with nothing. 404 is an album that explores feelings of loss and bereft inspired by life’s habit of throwing up its own error pages. Courtney explores absence, frustration and the never-ending search for something that seemed like it would always be there until one day, suddenly, it wasn’t: his childhood. All in all, 404 is a commentary on his journey from awe struck naivety to the dark realization of adulthood. The big picture, Barns Courtney notes, is “a weird alternative Narnia or Neverland, where all the tropes of your childhood have melted. From Pokémon to Nintendo 64, the core of my being is there: an unorthodox maelstrom of memories condensed down into this bizarre undulating world.” It makes sense that the album sounds like it does. “To start with I wanted to make a punk record or a Rolling Stones album, but what came out was the synth heavy sound of 404,” he says. “To do anything else wouldn’t have worked. It’s a strange amalgamation of influences based on everywhere I’ve been and some places I haven’t.”
Bat For Lashes – Lost Girls CD/LP (Bat For Lashes)
Lost Girls is another brilliant full-length in Natasha Khan’s incredible, acclaimed discography, mixing sounds she’s always loved – heavy bass lines, synth arpeggios, Iranian pop beats, cascading choruses – with some of her finest songwriting to date. It’s an album full of romance, a homage to Los Angeles where the album was recorded, to being a kid in the ‘80s, to films that touched and changed her life. Spanning 10 tracks, Lost Girls sees Khan dreaming up her own fully formed parallel universe, creating an off-kilter coming of age film in which gangs of marauding female bikers roam our streets, teenagers make out on car hoods and a powerful female energy casts spells and leave clues for us to follow. The women of Lost Girls are parallel to one of Khan’s previous female protagonists, the tough, darkness-driven Pearl, from her 2009 lauded album Two Suns. Within the women of Lost Girls and the character Nikki Pink, Khan unfolds elements of herself; within these songs, we do the same. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
Paul Cauthen – Room 41 CD/LP (Lightning Rod)
Written during a stint spent living out of a suitcase in the artist-haven that is the Belmont, Room 41 chronicles Paul Cauthen’s white-knuckle journey to the brink and back, a harrowing experience that landed him in and out of the hospital as he careened between ecstasy and misery more times than he could count. Cauthen has long been a pusher of boundaries (musical and otherwise), and Room 41 is no exception, with electrifying performances that blend old-school country and gritty soul with ‘70s funk and stirring gospel. His lyrics take on biblical proportions as they tackle lust and envy, pride and despair, destruction and redemption, but these songs are no parables. [Limited edition colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Frankie Cosmos – Close It Quietly CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Close It Quietly takes the trademark Frankie Cosmos micro-universe and upends it, spilling outwards into a swirl of references that’s a marked departure from earlier releases, imagining and reimagining motifs and sounds throughout the album. The band’s fourth studio release is a manifestation of their collaborative spirit: Greta Kline and longtime bandmates Lauren Martin (synth), Luke Pyenson (drums), and Alex Bailey (bass) luxuriated in studio time with Gabe Wax, who engineered and co-produced the record with the band. Recording close to home – at Brooklyn’s Figure 8 Studios – grounded the band, and their process was enriched by working closely with Wax, whose intuition and attention to detail made the familiar unfamiliar and allowed the band to reshape their own contexts. On opener “Moonsea”, an unaccompanied Greta begins, “The world is crumbling and I don’t have much to say.” Take that as a wink and a metonym for the whole album, as her signature vocals are joined by Alex’s ascending bassline and Lauren’s eddying synths, invoking a loungey take on Broadcast or Stereolab’s space-disco experimental pop. There’s much more than “not much” to say here, and it’s augmented and expanded by experimentation with synth patches, textures, and other recording nuances courtesy of Wax.
Lower Dens – The Competition CD/LP (Domino)
The Competition, the fourth album from Lower Dens, is a pop album with a concept both emotionally and politically urgent. The title is lead singer/songwriter Jana Hunter’s term for a socio-psychological phenomenon that, in different ways, binds us all. Modern capitalism by nature generates a psychosis that accelerates our insecurities and anxieties to the point of total overload, corroding our intimacies, our communities, and our senses of self. The album draws on influences ranging across decades of Western pop music and chronicles messy, vulnerable humanity at a time of upheaval and chaos – through immersive, four-minute songs meant to give pleasure as much as provoke self-examination. It channels an urgent, restless desire to connect. “My voice is gonna be different when I perform these songs than it was when I recorded them,” Hunter says (Hunter was and is still undergoing a gender transition they had been deferring for many years). “I’m equally terrified of and excited by that, but I always want to be more myself onstage, to reach people.” [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
The Magpie Salute – In Here CDEP/10” (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
The Magpie Salute featuring The Black Crowes alums Rich Robinson, Marc Ford and Sven Pipien as well as John Hogg, Matt Slocum and Joe Magistro release a three-track EP, In Here, which is the title track to their upcoming album High Water II (due October 18.) Rich Robinson produced the EP and wrote the title track. The collection also includes “Lost Boy”, a song Rich co-wrote with Marc Ford and “Passenger,” which Robinson co-wrote with John Hogg. “Lost Boy” features contributions from Alison Krauss, who added vocals and fiddle to the track. Both “In Here” and “Lost Boy” will appear on High Water II. The Magpie Salute worked on High Water II during the same sessions that yielded 2018’s High Water I.
Iggy Pop – Free CD/LP (Concord/Loma Vista)
While it follows the highest charting album of his career (2016’s Post Pop Depression), Free has virtually nothing in common sonically with its predecessor – or with any other Iggy Pop album. On the process that led him and principal players Leron Thomas and Noveller to create this uniquely somber and contemplative entry in the Iggy Pop canon, Iggy says: “This is an album in which other artists speak for me, but I lend my voice. By the end of the tours following Post Pop Depression, I felt sure that I had rid myself of the problem of chronic insecurity that had dogged my life and career for too long. But I also felt drained. And I felt like I wanted to put on shades, turn my back, and walk away. I wanted to be free. I know that’s an illusion, and that freedom is only something you feel, but I have lived my life thus far in the belief that that feeling is all that is worth pursuing; all that you need – not happiness or love necessarily, but the feeling of being free. So this album just kind of happened to me, and I let it happen.” [Limited edition colored vinyl edition also available. Pop will release his new book Til Wrong Feels Right on September 26, which will bring together selected lyrics illustrated with artwork and photos, along with reflections on his career by himself and others.]
Queen/ Béjart – Ballet For Life DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Ballet for Life was a unique collaboration between three cultural brands: Queen, Versace and the visionary choreographer Maurice Béjart, celebrating the life and talents of legendary performers, Freddie Mercury and dancer Jorge Donn, both of whom died of AIDS. Queen + Béjart: Ballet For Life features two programs: the documentary by Lynne Wake and Simon Lupton, and a full 1997 performance of the ballet by the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. The documentary, edited by Emmy Award winner Christopher Bird, tells the story of the creation and success of the ballet featuring the great and the good of both rock and dance, including Brian May, Roger Taylor, Gil Roman, Wayne Sleep and Arlene Phillips. The performance includes incredible archive footage of Freddie Mercury, Maurice Béjart, Queen and Gianni Versace, as well as featuring Versace’s stunning costume designs. The production continues to tour widely but is captured here performing at Théâtre Métropole, Lausanne in June 1997.
Sleeping With Sirens – How It Feels To Be Lost CD/LP+MP3 (Sumerian)
It starts at ground zero. By wiping the slate clean and turning the page to the next chapter, Sleeping With Sirens re-center, recalibrate, and realign on their fifth full-length, How It Feels To Be Lost. The gold-certified quintet amplify the impact of their unpredictable fretwork, velvet vocal acrobatics, and hypnotically heavy alternative transmissions without compromise. In essence, the band strips itself to the core and uncovers what it sought all along. Lead single and opener “Leave It All Behind” exudes an undeniable sense of urgency. A buoyant riff seesaws between electronic echoes before converging on a vocal crescendo topped off by a hard-hitting scream and distorted crash. The follow-up “Agree To Disagree” tempers a snaky bass line and a rush of vocals with a bold falsetto-punctuated declaration, “I like the nighttime, better.” Elsewhere, the equally anthemic and addictive “Medicine” confronts Kellin Quinn’s demons head on. The finale “Dying To Believe” extracts comfort from darkness beneath cover of strings and guitars with a “thank you” for the fans and reminder “to see the best in yourselves.” [Limited indie store exclusive white with pink splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Various Artists – Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Beyond the Notes is a revelatory journey behind the scenes of one of the most important labels in the history of jazz – and by extension, that of American Music – Blue Note has been home to groundbreaking legends as well as present-day luminaries. Founded in New York in 1939 by German Jewish refugees, the history of the label goes beyond the landmark recordings, encompassing the pursuit of musical freedom, the conflict between art and commerce and the idea of music as a transformative and revolutionary force. The Swiss filmmaker Sophie Huber gained her filmmaking experience as a member of an award-winning Berlin film collective, for which she co-directed several films before directing her debut feature documentary, the critically acclaimed Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2012. Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes is Sophie’s second documentary.
October Program Titles Released This Week
Black Star Riders – Another State Of Grace CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Black Star Riders are back – with a new album, a new line-up, and what frontman Ricky Warwick calls “a new energy and chemistry.” Fellow founder Scott Gorham describes album number four, Another State Of Grace: “This is the best one we’ve done. There’s sophistication in the writing but some really raw intentions there too. It’s very cool.” The plan for this album was, in Warwick’s words, very simple. “We wanted to make a big, anthemic-sounding record – high-energy rock ‘n’ roll with heavy riffs and great songs. We have that classic rock element and I’m never going to deny that, but I think the band is very relevant when it comes to attitude and energy and what we have to say.” [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Jake Clemons – Eyes On The Horizon CD (BFD)
Our first glimpse into the heart and soul of Jake Clemons came in 2013 with release of his debut EP, Embracing Light. With just a few original songs, this gifted singer and multi-instrumentalist offered a bewitching hint at how much he had to say and the intricate way he said it. Then came his full-length album Fear + Love which allowed a deeper appreciation of what Clemons has to offer. In March, Jake released the timely and important single “Democracy” and now returns with his latest full-length album, Eyes ON The Horizon. Over the years, while crafting his skills writing and recording, Jake’s musical ability evolved to include vocals, guitar, piano, drums and of course, the saxophone. He has graced many stages, performing alongside a variety of artists including The Swell Season, The Roots, Roger Waters and Eddie Vedder (to name a few). He has spent his time between touring the world playing his own music and spending the last seven years as the tenor and baritone saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (stepping in for his Uncle, the late Clarence Clemons.
The Highwomen – The Highwomen CD (New Elektra)
The Highwomen is a new, highly anticipated, collaborative movement formed by Brandi Carlie, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. “Anyone can be a Highwoman,” Belinda Carlile notes. “Itss about banding together, abandoning as much ego as humanly possible, holding one another up and amplifying other women every chance we get. Shoulder to shoulder. One push, one love.” Continually demonstrating the importance of inclusion and collaboration, The Highwomen are joined by several guest musicians, vocalists and songwriters across their eponymous album. The project features Sheryl Crow (background vocals, bass), Yola (vocals, background vocals), Dave Cobb (acoustic/electric guitar), Jason Isbell (acoustic/electric guitar), Phil Hanseroth (bass, background vocals), Tim Hanseroth (guitar, background vocals), Chris Powell (drums) and Peter Levin (piano and keyboards) with songs written by Carlile, Hemby, Morris, Shires, Isbell, the Hanseroth twins, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna, Miranda Lambert and Ray LaMontagne among many others.
Home Free – Dive Bar Saints CD (Home Free)
For the first time, Home Free’s new studio album (and fifth overall) Dive Bar Saints features almost entirely original music. The album offers 12 tracks, 10 of which are original songs. The two covers include Vince Gill’s 1994 hit “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and John Denver’s 1971 classic “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The original music features band members Austin Brown (high tenor) and Tim Foust (bass) as co-writers on several songs. “We’ve been waiting for a special time to release an album like Dive Bar Saints,” Foust shares. “With a couple of us being able to write on it and release it on our own label – we’re so proud of this record.” The new album follows 2017’s Timeless, which hit No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Melanie Martinez – K-12 CD/LP (Atlantic)
K-12 marks singer Melanie Martinez’s long anticipated follow-up to her RIAA platinum certified, 2015 debut album, Cry Baby. Produced by Michael Keenan with the exception of one song produced by Kinetics & One Love (who previously collaborated with Martinez on such hits as “Dollhouse” and “Carousel”), the album serves as a soundtrack companion to an eerily enchanting new musical film, written, directed, and starring Martinez. Shot on location in Budapest, Hungary, K-12 sees Martinez starring as Cry Baby, a strong and sensitive girl who is sent off to a disturbing sleepaway school hidden underneath a grandiose façade. [Limited pink colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Miss June – Bad Luck Party CD/LP (Frenchkiss)
Miss June is what happens when angst matures. Raised in the embers of punk rock, Miss June harness jagged, noisy guitars filtered through the unrivaled stage presence of frontperson Annabel Liddell, unafraid and unapologetic. Described as “some unholy union between Sonic Youth and Le Tigre” the NZ four piece, completed by the music school alumni recruited by Liddell – guitarist Jun Park, bass player Chris Marshall and drummer Tom Leggett – has built a reputation for fierce, formidable and head-spinning live shows. Combining elements of post-punk, no-wave and rock, their Tom Healy (Jen Cloher, Tiny Ruins, Die! Die! Die!) produced debut album, Bad Luck Party sees Miss June still holding close their DIY roots while creating a blistering, reckless sound full of melodic hooks and overdriven riffs that are at once immediately recognizable and yet entirely their own. Featuring lead single “Best Girl”, backed with fan favorite “Twitch”. [Indie store exclusive vinyl pressing also available.]
NRBQ – Turn On, Tune In (Live) CD+DVD/2xLP+DVD (Omnivor)
For over 50 years, each NRBQ performance has been about breaking new ground, and about moving forward and upward. The stage is where their music is born, and where it lives, breathes, develops, and thrives. Turn On, Tune In catches NRBQ on location in two different settings; a 6-track set performed on Sirius/XM’s The Loft, and a 15-song show at WFMU’s Monty Hall in Jersey City, NJ. Both CD and vinyl editions include a bonus DVD featuring the professionally shot Monty Hall performance plus notes from longtime WFMU DJ Bob Brainen detailing the songs and players, while offering insight into the material and the band. Turn On, Tune In captures the spirit of this unique group of individuals on two special occasions featuring first-time live recordings of most of the material and six songs previously unrecorded by NRBQ. Terry Adams (keyboards and vocals) and Scott Ligon (guitar and vocals) consistently exhibit the musical telepathy they’ve developed over twelve years, along with Casey McDonough (bass/vocals), fresh off Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds World Tour, and newest member John Perrin (drums) brings his own hunger and enthusiasm for spontaneity and creativity to the group.
Tinariwen – Amadjar CD/2xLP (ANTI-)
“Amadjar” means “the unknown visitor” in the language of Tamashek, the one who seeks hospitality and who’s condemned to an inner exile, within a territory or within himself. The story of Amadjar, the ninth Tinariwen album, was recorded in a natural setting. Bassist Eyadou plays a lot of acoustic guitar; percussionist Said tries his hand at new instruments; Abdallah exhumes songs that he’s never played on stage with Tinariwen. And that violin that appears on several songs and reminds you of the traditional imzad – it’s played by Warren Ellis, the violinist in Nick Cave’s band and one of several western guests on the album. We also hear the mandolin and charango of Micah Nelson (son of the country music giant Willie Nelson, and Neil Young’s guitarist), and the guitars of Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O)))), Cass McCombs and Rodolphe Burger.
CDs + Vinyl:
The Allman Brothers Band – Fillmore West ’71 4xCD (Allman Brothers Band)
Four CD three-night live compilation of Allman Brothers Band concert performance at the Fillmore West in January 1971 plus a bonus track performance of Mountain Jam from the New Orleans Warehouse March 13, 1970.
Altered Blues Band – Ten Thousand Watts CD (Altered Five LLC)
Altered Five Blues Band makes music with a swaggering stomp of bruising, barrelhouse grit. According to Downbeat magazine, frontman Jeff Taylor sings powerfully and Jeff Schroedl’s live-wire guitar reaches the high bar of mixed invention and fluidity. Blues Bytes magazine declares the group features the funkiest rhythm section outside of Memphis.
Kendra Amalie – Intuition CD/LP (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
A sweeping introduction to an artist deep into their practice, Kendra Amalie’s Intuition is a star map to a new and developing sound space. An exploratory and (sometimes) shredding finger-style 12-string guitarist (both acoustic and electric), band leader, synthesist, new media creator, and experimental producer, the Wisconsin-based musician is also a songwriter occupying an ethereal zone between galaxy-brain cosmic transmissions and deep, personal expression.
Daymé Arocena – Sonocardiogram CD/LP (Brownswood)
Backed once again by a killer band of fellow Cuban musicians, the visionary singer, composer and songwriter has stripped everything back to the core. Sonocardiogram is a jazz-tipped record rooted in the rhythms of rumba, she draws on the island’s intertwined rituals of family, music and religion.
Jason Barie – Jason Barie As The Ramblin’ Fiddler Starring In Pieces CD (New Day)
Born in Valrico, Florida, fiddler Jason Barie has been recognized by his peers as one of the most beloved musicians in the bluegrass genre. He has been a member of some of the most popular Bluegrass bands, including stints with legends such as Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top Express, Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Currently, the fiddle-man behind the mask, Jason Barie is a member of Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers.
The Brand New Heavies – TBNH CD/LP (PIAS America)
A heady cocktail of Chic-style funk-pop, sunshine grooves and scorched-soul balladry, TBNH refines, reimagines and ultimately reinvents a winning formula which has won The Brand New Heavies sixteen top 40 hits and three million album sales.
Avishai Cohen/Yonathan Avishai – Playing The Room CD (ECM)
Playing The Room bears testimony to the long musical friendship of Avishai Cohen and Yonathan Avishai who explored jazz as teenagers in Tel Aviv, and have continued to play together over many years. Their first duo album begins with music composed by the trumpeter and by the pianist and concludes with a touching interpretation of Israeli composer Alexander Argov’s cradle song “Shir Eres”. Along the way, Avishai and Yonathan improvise – freely, playfully, soulfully – on themes from jazz tradition. [Vinyl edition due September 27.]
Cognizance – Malignant Dominion CD/LP (Prosthetic)
The Leeds based death-metallers present their debut album. Keeping theatrics to a minimum has yielded a lean, progressive, European extreme metal album that embodies the blueprint of old school death metal and embraces both melody and groove. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Miles Davis – Rubberband CD/2xLP (WB)
Miles Davis shocked the music world in 1985 when he left Columbia Records after 30 years to join Warner Bros. Records. In October of that year, he began recording the album Rubberband in Los Angeles at Ameraycan Studios with producers Randy Hall and Zane Giles. The musical direction Davis was taking during the sessions marked a radical departure, with the inclusion of funk and soul grooves; with plans to feature guest vocalists Al Jarreau and Chaka Khan. Eventually, the album was shelved and Davis went on to record Tutu, leaving the Rubberband songs unheard and untouched for over 30 years. It was finished by the original producers Hall and Giles; with Davis’ nephew, Vince Wilburn, Jr., who played drums on the original sessions for the album in 1985-86.
Death Cab For Cutie – The Blue EP CDEP/12”+MP3 (Atlantic)
New EP release from the eight-times Grammy Award-nominated alt rock band. Along with all new tracks “Kids In ’99” and “Blue Bloods” – produced by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Kurt Vile) – the EP also includes “To The Ground” and “Before The Bombs”, produced by Rich Costey during the recording sessions for the band’s critically acclaimed ninth studio album, Thank You For Today and held for this planned subsequent EP. The fifth track on the project, “Man In Blue”, was self-produced by the band itself. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ana Egge – Is It The Kiss CD (Storysound)
Egge is inspired by the raunchy warmth and laid-back intensity of singers such as Etta James and Ann Peebles, while emulating the strangely sturdy crystalline quality, real and true, of Dolly Parton.
Foscor – Els Sepulcres Blancs CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Otherworldly progressive metal outfit Foscor re-emerges with Els Sepulcres Blancs, their new album, which follows up 2018’s Les Irreals Versions. It sees the Catalan quintet temper the tragic darkness with a triumphant, uplifting sonic edge and heightened dramatic flair.
Future Teens – Break Up Season CD/LP (Triple Crown)
Get your favorite sweatpants on and call your boys Ben and Jerry; it’s officially Breakup Season. Don’t worry, though, because Future Teens will be your guide through all of the ups and downs on their infectious sophomore album. Recorded by the band and mixed by Andy Park (Death Cab For Cutie, K Flay, Noah Gunderson), the 10-track collection follows-up 2017 breakout Hard Feelings and is ushered in by the anthemic sing along singles “Emotional Bachelor” and “Frequent Crier”.
Johnny Gill – Game Changer II CD (Kavalry)
Like a blockbuster Hollywood movie that leaves fans clamoring for more, Johnny Gill delivers his eighth solo studio album, Game Changer II, which serves as the sequel to the highly successful 2014 Game Changer release. The first single from Game Changer II finds Johnny setting things off with a solid traditional R&B message song Soul of a Woman. The poignant song opens a rare window into Johnny’s personal life as it was primarily inspired by his mother, Annie Mae.
Grayscale – Nella Vita CD/LP (Fearless)
Grayscale align nostalgic confessions, ’90s alternative homage, and 21st century playlist-busting ambition on their second full-length, Nella Vita. These twelve tracks urge pensive pondering, rock catharsis, and danceable elation all at once.
Adam Green – Engine Of Paradise CD/LP (30th Century Records)
Adam Green is an artistic polymath – a songwriter, filmmaker, visual artist, and poet. As part of New York’s downtown anti-folk scene at the end of the nineties, Green made up one half of The Moldy Peaches, who later enjoyed mainstream success via the 2007 Grammy-winning Juno soundtrack. As a solo artist, Green has recorded 10 albums, many of which have become cult hits.
Guaxe – Guaxe CD/LP (ORG Music)
Guaxe is a musical duo that was formed spontaneously after the encounter of two Brazilian psych rockers Dino Almeida (Boogarins) and Pedro Bonifrate (Supercordas). Both members have guested on each other’s recordings and had shared the stage at a few festivals together before Supercordas’ dissolution in 2016. Over recent years, Dino has paid Bonifrate and his family many short visits to his home in Paraty in coastal Brazil. During these getaways, the Guaxe album was written and recorded – with 4-track machines, computers, cranky gear, 10-string guitars, children playing, and a rainforest full of lizards all around the house.
Chrissie Hynde & The Valve Bone Woe Ensemble – Valve Bone Woe CD/LP/7×7” (BMG)
The amazing Chrissie Hynde displays yet another volte face in her incredible career with the release of her new album, Valve Bone Woe. The record features 14 tracks written by a stunning array of classic songwriters and innovators, including Brian Wilson, Frank Sinatra, Hoagy Carmichael, Charlie Mingus, John Coltrane, Nick Drake, Ray Davies and Rodgers and Hammerstein. [Deluxe 7” vinyl box set edition also available.]
Jax Jones – Snacks CD/2xLP (Interscope)
Jax Jones releases the full album version of his project Snacks following viral singles ‘Instruction” featuring Demi Lovato, “All Day And Night” with Martin Solveig and Madison Beer, and “You Don’t Know Me”. The album includes six new tracks, alongside recently-released summer anthem “Harder” with Bebe Rexha.
Kindness – Something Like A War CD/LP (Female Energy)
Kindness returns with their third full length album – a culmination of years spent collaborating with the likes of Robyn, Jazmine Sullivan, Seinabo Sey and Cosima among many others. Guest vocal features include Robyn, Jazmine Sullivan, Seinabo Sey, Bahamadia, Cosima, Nadia Nair and Alexandria among others.
Henrik Lindstrand – Nattresan CD/LP (One Little Indian)
Revered Swedish musician and contemporary classical composer Henrik Lindstrand returns with a brand new solo album, the brooding and euphonious Nattresan. For his second album, Henrik has returned to his roots, embracing the instrument he’s played since the age of just three – the piano.
The McNamarr Project – Holla & Moan CD (Barhool)
The McNamarr Project combines two powerhouse voices – John McNamara & Andrea Marr – together in a debut album that is inspired by and baptized in the unmistakably lush sounds of Stax and Motown.
The Messthetics – Anthropocosmic Nest CD/LP (Discord)
Anthropocosmic Nest is the second full-length by Washington, D.C.’s The Messthetics, who are Anthony Pirog (Low Ways Quartet), Joe Lally (Fugazi) and Brendan Canty (Fugazi, Deathfix).
Moon Boots – Bimini Road CD/LP (Anjuna Beats)
Moon Boots a.k.a Pete Dougherty returns with his second studio album. An ambitious and evocative follow-up to his acclaimed debut First Landing, Bimini Road combines delectable club-ready grooves with soulful songcraft into a seamlessly organic whole. Inspired by notions of mysterious lost civilizations, ancient magic utopias and the sci-fi landscapes of the mind, Bimini Road is a joyously celebratory listen that builds off “the deep textures and funky melodies” (Mixmag) of First Landing, a disco house masterpiece supported by KCRW, Annie Mac and others.
Moonchild – Little Ghost CD/LP (E1)
Little Ghost marks the fourth full length LP from the Los Angeles, CA alternative R&B trio Moonchild. Written, produced, recorded, and mixed by the band, Moonchild are multi-instrumentalists Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, and Max Bryk.
Necronautical – Apotheosis CD/LP (Spinefarm/Candlelight)
Necronautical was initially formed as a recording only project in 2014 by founders Naut, Carcarrion and Anchorite. The trio recorded, produced and released their debut album Black Sea Misanthropy in 2014, which quickly established Necronautical as one of the most promising and unique projects in the UK’s flourishing black metal scene. Apotheosis is their latest and third album overall.
Omophagia – 646965 CD (Unique Leader)
The follow up to their sickeningly ferocious album In The Name Of Chaos, which Dead Rhetoric called “intense, visceral, and sure to leave your head spinning after the first play-through,” 646965 sees Omophagia pushing their brand of sonic devastation to new levels of technicality, ruthless extremity, and mosh pit inducing songwriting power. [Vinyl edition due September 27.]
Paul & The Tall Trees – So Long CD/LP (Big Crown)
Paul Schalda is a poet, perhaps a bit of a tortured soul, a hopeless romantic, and a guy from Staten Island. That last bit might not make sense to people who aren’t from New York. His music seems to embody the unexpected overlap of The Band’s Americana, Ian MacKaye’s unhinged emotion, Otis Redding’s raw soul, and the doo-wop melodies his father, Bill Schalda Sr. (a member of Brooklyn vocal group, The Montereys). [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Sandro Perri – Soft Landing CD/LP (Constellation)
While Perri is rightly celebrated as one of the most singular producers in contemporary music (Boomkat) for his widely varied electronic work, his foundations as a guitarist have always anchored his ‘solo’ albums in one form or another. On Soft Landing, Perri’s guitar playing is at the smoothly, expressively rambling heart of these tunes – while his recording and mixing acumen as a (self) producer is also on brilliant display.
Ras Kass – Soul On Ice 2 CD/LP (Mello Music)
It’s been nearly a quarter century since Soul On Ice and they still can’t handle the truth. In fact, the intervening decades since Ras Kass dropped his classic debut have only validated the poisonous and panoramic vision of the waterproof MC, who was immediately hailed as the West Coast’s answer to Nas. And with the nature of the threat growing more real by the minute, there couldn’t be a more necessary time for Soul On Ice 2.
Enrico Rava/Joe Lovano – Roma CD (ECM)
Enrico Rava, the doyen of Italian jazz, joined forces with Joe Lovano, masterful US tenorist of Sicilian heritage, for a brief tour in November 2018. On this album, recorded live at Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica, the two masters lead a spirited quintet that includes lyrical pianist Giovanni Guidi, dynamic drummer Gerald Cleaver and virtuosic bassist Dezron Douglas (making his ECM debut here). Well-loved tunes by the two bandleaders form the core of the program, including Enrico’s intricate “Interiors” and “Secrets” and Joe’s vigorous Texas blues “Forth Worth”, which recalls the energies of Ornette Coleman and Dewey Redman. The album concludes with an extended and powerful medley that roams across the history of modern jazz as it gathers together Lovano’s “Drum Song”, John Coltrane’s “Spiritual” and the standard tune “Over The Rainbow”.
Rheostatics – Here Come The Wolves CD (Six Shooter)
On Here Come The Wolves, you’ll find Rheostatics trusting their complicated formula, a signature multiplicity of songwriters, artistic instincts and concerns. Produced by Chris Stringer with mixing contributions by Chris Walla, Michael Phillip Wojewoda and Gus Van Go, over twelve songs Here Come The Wolves unfurls like a cross-section of the band’s cumulative experience, individual and collective.
Rise Twain – Rise Twain CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Rise Twain is a Philadelphia-based project helmed by Brett William Kull (Echolyn/Francis Dunnery’s New Progressives) and J.D. Beck (The Scenic Route). Offering material that ranges from anthemic to plaintive and grand to intimate, the forward-thinking duo have created a truly mesmeric debut release. [Vinyl edition due September 13.]
Roam – Smile Wide CD/LP (Hopeless)
Third album from the UK based pop-punk outfit. Coke bottle green colored vinyl pressing.
Conrad Schnitzler – Conditions Of The Gas Giant CD/LP (Bureau B)
Conditions of the Gas Giant reflected the atmosphere they associated with the music, clouds of manifold colors, whirling nervously above a gaseous planet. A methane and helium tryst in sonic form – fireworks, pyrotechnics for the eyes, like the surface of Jupiter, just as Schnitzler’s tracks are pyrotechnics for the ears.
Senses Fail – From The Depths Of Dreams CDEP/12” (Pure Noise)
A re-recording of Senses Fail’s breakout debut EP, originally released in 2002.
Sister Hazel – Earth CD (Croakin’ Poet)
The fourth and final installment of platinum-selling band Sister Hazel’s rocking southern/country EP compilation series Elements.
Sneaker Pimps – Becoming Remixed [Reissue/1997] CD (One Little Indian)
CD reissue of the 1997 remix album from the British trip-hop trio. Becoming Remixed features drastic reinterpretations of the original Sneaker Pimps versions. Includes remixes by Reprazent (Roni Size, Krust, Die), Armand Van Helden, Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown, Matt “Jam” Lamont, Si Brad, Miles Hollway, Elliot Eastwick, Paul Oakenfold, Steve Osborne and others.
Sonata Arctica – Talviyö CD (Nuclear Blast)
10th studio album from the Finnish melodic metal titans. [Vinyl edition due September 13.]
Status Quo – Backbone CD/LP (earMUSIC/Edel)
“[Status Quo co-founder, lead singer and lead guitarist] Francis Rossi states that the young blood in the band, Ritchie Malone and Leon Cave, has re-energized the group and this album is the sound of a band renewed. The latest version of Quo may be a bit like Trigger’s Broom, however they have swept away the cobwebs and have produced an album worthy of the legacy and undoubtedly the best album the band have produced in many years.” – Get Ready To Rock!
Lindsey Stirling – Artemis CD/LP (BMG)
Titled Artemis after the Greek goddess of the sun and daughter of Zeus, Lindsey Stirling’s new album takes listeners on a journey of tragedy and triumph. Each song sonically represents the upward struggle that Artemis, the hero of our journey, takes to find the light within. After a period of darkness and struggle, Artemis is transformed and eventually able to find the upside of down.
Dudley Taft – Simple Life CD (Bugalo)
Sixth indie solo album from the singer/songwriter/guitarist and producer. Simple Life includes musical assistance from drummers Walfredo Reyes JR. [Santana, Chicago, Steve Winwood], Summer Rain collaborator Mike Taponga, and newcomer Chris Ellison. Kasey Williams laid down the bass [Vinyl edition due September 13.]
Those Pretty Wrongs – Zed For Zulu CD/LP/Cassette (Burger)
Those Pretty Wrongs are Jody Stephens and Luther Russell. It’s a musical partnership borne of a deep and lasting friendship, the roots of which stretch back to the early ’90s, when the two were introduced. As the story goes, nary a note of music was made between them until about five years ago, when they were united in the cause of a documentary about Jody’s alma mater, the legendary Memphis group Big Star.
Throbbing Gristle – D.o.A.: The Third And Final Report Of Throbbing Gristle [Reissue/1978] 2xCD/LP+MP3 (Mute)
Throbbing Gristle – Greatest Hits – Entertainment Through Pain [Reissue/1981] 2xCD/LP (Mute)
Expanded double-CD reissues (colored vinyl editions include the bonus tracks via download). Throbbing Gristle’s innovative working methods are deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of… everything. The band’s subversive dismantling of systems of social control impacted culture well beyond their time. One of the most politically and sonically antagonistic bands of all time, Throbbing Gristle has left an impact on music, culture and the arts that is immeasurable and still felt today.
Ian & Sylvia Tyson – The Lost Tapes 2xCD/2xLP (Stony Plain Music)
Regarded as pioneers of the folk & Americana genre, Ian & Sylvia’s ‘The Lost Tapes’ features over 20 previously unreleased recordings, including many of Ian & Sylvia’s classics, but also enough to have a full CD of recordings of songs never before included on any Ian & Sylvia album.
Various Artists – Alefa Madagascar ! Salegy, Soukous & Soul From The Red Island 1974-1984 CD/2xLP+MP3 (Strut)
Strut continues its essential compilation series of Indian Ocean sounds with Alefa Madagascar, the first compilation to document the unique culture of salegy, soukous and soul on the island during the ’70s and ’80s.
Vitriol – To Bathe From The Throat Of Cowardice CD (Century Media)
Debut full length album from the extreme metal band. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Queen/ Béjart – Ballet For Life DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Ballet for Life was a unique collaboration between three cultural brands: Queen, Versace and the visionary choreographer Maurice Béjart, celebrating the life and talents of legendary performers, Freddie Mercury and dancer Jorge Donn, both of whom died of AIDS. Queen + Béjart: Ballet For Life features two programs: the documentary by Lynne Wake and Simon Lupton, and a full 1997 performance of the ballet by the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. The documentary, edited by Emmy Award winner Christopher Bird, tells the story of the creation and success of the ballet featuring the great and the good of both rock and dance, including Brian May, Roger Taylor, Gil Roman, Wayne Sleep and Arlene Phillips. The performance includes incredible archive footage of Freddie Mercury, Maurice Béjart, Queen and Gianni Versace, as well as featuring Versace’s stunning costume designs. The production continues to tour widely but is captured here performing at Théâtre Métropole, Lausanne in June 1997.
Santana – Santana: Live At The US Festival DVD/Blu-ray (Shout Factory)
From award-winning filmmaker and rockumentarian Glenn Aveni, Santana: Live At US Festival offers a tremendous performance from the legendary Carlos Santana, rivaling his set at Woodstock for its energy, excitement, and inspiring musicianship. Conceived by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and music impresario Bill Graham, the US Festival was held in September 1982.
Various Artists – Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Beyond the Notes is a revelatory journey behind the scenes of one of the most important labels in the history of jazz – and by extension, that of American Music – Blue Note has been home to groundbreaking legends as well as present-day luminaries. Founded in New York in 1939 by German Jewish refugees, the history of the label goes beyond the landmark recordings, encompassing the pursuit of musical freedom, the conflict between art and commerce and the idea of music as a transformative and revolutionary force. The Swiss filmmaker Sophie Huber gained her filmmaking experience as a member of an award-winning Berlin film collective, for which she co-directed several films before directing her debut feature documentary, the critically acclaimed Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2012. Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes is Sophie’s second documentary.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Above The Ruins – Songs Of The Wolf [Reissue/1984] LP (Infinite Fog)
Songs Of The Wolf was released by World Serpent in 1995 but recorded in1984 after Tony Wakeford left Death In June. It is a splendid mix of post-punk, new wave and folk, and bears resemblance to early Death In June and Wakeford’s (then) future project Sol Invictus.
Aldo – Trembling Eyelids 12” (Full Time Hobby)
Aldo has become a staple of the Brazilian live scene, supporting acts such as Caribou and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and last year opening for Radiohead at the Allianz Park Stadium. After a stint writing and recording in an isolated village in the mountains outside of São Paulo, the duo of Andre and Mura produced Trembling Eyelids, a four-track EP infused with the colorful and chaotic nature of São Paulo.
Arctic Monkeys – When The Sun Goes Down b/w Settle For A Draw [Reissue/2007] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys – Teddy Picker b/w Bad Woman [Reissue/2007] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys – Fluorescent Adolescent b/w The Bakery [Reissue/2007] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys – My Propeller b/w Joining The Dots [Reissue/2010] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys – The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala b/w Little Illusion Machine (Wirral Riddler) [Reissue/2011] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See b/w Evil Twin [Reissue/2011] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Arctic Monkeys – Black Treacle b/w You And I [Reissue/2011] 7”+MP3 (Domino)
Long out-of-print 7”s from the 5x Grammy nominees are now back in print.
Zanmari Baré – Voun LP (Buda Musique)
Zanmari Baré is at the forefront of the renaissance in Maloya music.Following in the footsteps of (and frequently collaborating with) Danye?l Waro, Zanmari Baré boils down the 6/8 rhythms of Maloya to their essence: subdued percussion, plaintive vocals, Kayanm (shaker & principal instrument of Maloya) and the bobre – a musical arc similar to the Brazilian berimbau
Bedouin – Time Is Made Of Gold LP (Purple Pyramid)
18 original tracks of Middle East-inspired art rock; a companion album to Alan Davey’s Hawkestrel. Red colored vinyl pressing.
BKO – Mali Foli Coura LP (Buda Musique)
Mali, Niger & Algeria are producing some of the planet’s most vital rock music – BKO are “immensely rough & tough” (Rolling Stone), “a fierce modern take on traditional Malian music” (Songlines). Blending the sounds of the rural djelingoni with the urban donsongoni, BKO combine the Bamana and Mande Griot traditions with a percussive, over-driven aesthetic that pulls them into a more experimental realm, producing an urgent sound that is just at home in the bars of Bamako as in the forward-thinking clubs outside of their home country.
Black Sabbath – The Black Sabbath Collection 1970-1978 9xLP+7” (WB)
Contains the albums Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970), Master Of Reality (1971), Vol 4 (1972), Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973), Sabotage (1975), Technical Ecstasy (1976), Never Say Die! (1978), and Monomania (The Black Sabbath mono singles compilation LP) plus the 7” single “Evil Woman (Don’t Play Your Games With Me)” b/w “Wicked World”.
Bound In Fear – The Hand Of Violence LP (Unique Leader)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Debut album from the Farnham, UK downtempo/deathcore group. Unrelentingly vicious, lyrically bleak, and musically crushing – The Hand Of Violence sees Bound In Fear establishing themselves as one of the most extreme voices in UK deathcore.
Buke And Gass – Riposte [Reissue/2010] LP (Glassnote)
Vinyl reissue of debut album from the instrument-building, genre defying duo of Buke And Gass, whose music is loud yet folky, polyrhythmic yet melodic.
Bumcello – Monster Talk LP (Buda Musique)
New album from French drum and cello duo Vincent Segal & Cyril Atef – frequent collaborators with French star -M- and winners of the Victoire de la Musique prize in 2006.Vincent Segal has recorded with musicians from across many different styles including Blackalicious, Elvis Costello, Carlinhos Brown and Sting.
Donald Byrd – Chant LP (Blue Note)
Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams had a formidable partnership throughout the early 1960s, making a series of highly regarded hard bop albums. Yet somehow this masterful quintet session from April 1961 (which also features Herbie Hancock, sounding exceptionally fine on his very first Blue Note recording session) remained unreleased for nearly 20 years.
Alex Carole – Carole Cinema LP (Changes Music)
This is a journey inward. It’s about closing the eyes to the world and taking the deep plunge into the great subconscious by the means of rock ‘n’ roll. When reality fades a certain darkness sets in. As the eyes adjust the light slowly comes creeping in through the cracks. The mind is a theatre, the brain a silver screen.
Caravan Palace – Chronologic LP (Le Plan)
Released last week on CD –deluxe white colored vinyl pressing now available. Chronologic is Caravan Palace’s fourth studio album. Following on from the huge success of their last studio album with its fusion of hedonistic house and old school jazz, could have seemed quite the task for the band. However, these accomplished musicians are also studio geeks, and the band hunkered for two years in their basement Parisian studio, relentlessly testing new formulae, looking for unanimous approval between themselves before unleashing their work on the public. They did not want to walk the same roads, opened themselves up to the moment, retaining their eagerness to have fun smashing musical barriers and infusing vintage elements in their modern work. Broadening the sonic palette, the early big band feel of previous records now shares the stage with a production firmly rooted in electronic music, and Chronologic introduces new influences ranging from bossa and soul to hip-hop. The result is a record that is joyous, high-spirited and so distinctly Caravan Palace. For the first time, the band has also invited a selection of guest singers to appear in their music, adding to the texture and widening appeal of their sound.
A Certain Ratio – Dirty Boy b/w Shack Up 7” (Mute)
A Certain Ratio continue their 40th anniversary celebrations with a brand new remix of Dirty Boy from fellow Mancunian Chris Massey. The track, described by Mixmag as “for those who like their disco with a bit of a bite” is joined on this new EP by classic and long unavailable remixes of “Shack Up” as well as another new remix of “Dirty Boy” by Paul Dering.
Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volumes 1 & 2 2xLP (Concord)
Regarded by many critics as Ray Charles’s best studio albums, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volumes 1 & 2 is a landmark album in American music. The album’s integration of soul and country music bent racial barriers in popular music, amid the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the process of recording the album, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to exercise complete artistic control over his own recording career.
Ry Cooder – Chávez Ravine [Reissue/2005] LP (Nonesuch)
Vinyl reissue of the twelfth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is his first conceptual and historical album which tells the story of Chávez Ravine, a Mexican-American community demolished in the 1950s in order to build public housing. The housing was never built. Ultimately the Brooklyn Dodgers built a stadium on the site as part of their move to Los Angeles. Chávez Ravine was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 2006.
Dawes – North Hills [Reissue/2009] 2xLP+7” (ATO)
Limited double translucent red colored vinyl including bonus 7” vinyl single. Housed in a gatefold jacket with gold foil stamp and expanded artwork plus an original 2009 promotional poster. North Hills is the debut studio album by Americana band Dawes, originally released on August 18, 2009. Upon its release in 2009, Rolling Stone hailed Dawes as The most promising purveyors of new-school country folk.
Death – Live In L.A. (Death & Raw) [Reissue/2001] 2xLP (Relapse)
Death’s Live In L.A. (Death & Raw) double-LP is a testament to the band’s legacy and sees the legendary Chuck Schuldiner and Co. At the height of their collective powers.
Dego – Too Much LP (2000 Black)
A strong and distinct genre-defying mix of soul, two step, funk, jazz, boogie and R&B, and dance.
Bob Dylan – Infidels [Reissue/1983] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Bob Dylan – Real Live [Reissue/1984] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Bob Dylan – Down In The Groove [Reissue/1988] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Bob Dylan – Under The Blood Red Sky [Reissue/1990] LP+MP3 (Sony Legacy)
Vinyl reissues of Bob Dylan’s 22nd, 25th, and 27th studio albums along with his 1984 live album.
Fanna-Fi-Allah Sufi Qawwali – Muraqaba LP (Buda Musique)
Although now based in California, Canadian/American group Fanna-Fi-Allah are stars in Pakistan and India, playing packed out concerts at Sufi gatherings and shrines. Created in 2001 by Tahir Hussain Faridi, the group was the first to integrate a female tabla player (Aminah Chishti) into their line-up and broke taboos by being allowed to perform in some of the sanctuaries of the great Sufi saints in Pakistan, spaces normally not open to women. Their first international release features three long, hypnotic praise songs, underpinned by virtuoso tabla playing and ecstatic vocals.
Flor – Ley Lines Opaque LP (Fueled By Ramen)
Sophomore album from the CA alt-pop band.
The Frogs – It’s Only Right And Natural… [Reissue/1989] LP (The End Of All Music)
In 1980, two brothers from Milwaukee named Jimmy and Dennis Flemion (d. 2012) formed a band called The Frogs. Eight years, a few thousand dollars, and a self-titled debut album later, they took a call from Gerard Cosloy of Homestead Records. Cosloy wanted to sign The Frogs, but he wasn’t interested in their album. Instead, the then frontman of Big Black, Steve Albini, had passed him a tape of The Frogs’ brilliantly funny, mostly improvised and home-recorded songs about things like child abduction and homosexuality, and Cosloy wanted to put those out instead. 1989’s gay supremacy record It’s Only Right And Natural… won The Frogs the patronage of some of the biggest stars (Kurt Cobain, Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Eddie Vedder) in what people, at the time, had no qualms calling alternative rock (Vice). The band were chosen by Animal Collective to perform the long out of print album in its entirety at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival they curated in May 2011.
Asnake Gebreyes – Ahadu [Reissue/1988] LP (Buda Musique)
Born in 1963, Singer Asnake Gebreyes released a series of sought-after cassette-only recordings in Addis Ababa in the 80s before going on to become one of Ethiopia’s biggest stars. Ahadu combines classic Ethio Jazz sounds with a harder, funky approach.
Girl In Red – Beginnings LP (Marie Ulven)
Girl In Red is the project of Marie Ulven, 20, hailing from Horten, Norway. The New York Times has quoted Marie as one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music, with a laser-like melodic instinct that verges on the primal and lyrics that capture the sweat of real life. Limited red colored vinyl pressing.
Hildur Guðnadóttir – Chernobyl (Music From The Original TV Series) LP (Deutsche Grammophone)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Original soundtrack to the HBO miniseries based on an untold true story of Chernobyl. Writer, creator and executive producer Craig Mazin began researching the Chernobyl disaster in 2014, using a wide variety of materials, including several books, government reports from inside and outside of the Soviet Union and first-person accounts. The haunting score is by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Icelandic composer, cello player, and singer, who has composed several film scores for films.
Guster – Keep It Together [Reissue/2003] LP (Nettwerk)
Guster is a band whose signature wit, matchless charm and dynamic style continues to chart new sonic and lyrical pathways with each album. 2003’s Keep It Together saw the band return on a new label with prime production courtesy of Ron Aniello (Lifehouse), Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Sleater Kinney) and David Henry.
Hammered Hulls – Hammered Hulls 7” (Dishord)
Hammered Hulls is a brand new band from Washington D.C. made up of some very old connections. Mary Timony (bass) and Alec MacKaye (vocals) grew up in the same Washington neighborhood and have spent the better part of their lives in each other’s somewhat distant orbit. Always aware of each other, but never able to play together. Mark Cisneros (guitar) has been in D.C. for more than a decade. He cut his teeth in Los Angeles listening to both Mary and Alec’s bands, but also a healthy dose of free jazz and garage. Hammered Hulls are rounded out by Chris Wilson (drums), a monstrous drummer with no shortage of love for all three of his bandmates. This single was recorded and mixed in a single day at Inner Ear studios, appropriate home to everyone in the DC scene.
Jazzmeia Horn – Love And Liberation LP (Concord)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Jazzmeia’s 2017 album A Social Call, which earned her a Grammy Award nomination in 2018, was a bold, political statement – a call for change. Love And Liberation is a call to action, starting with the self. Since her first release, she’s been busy on the road, honing her vocal skills to a finely tuned level, writing songs of personal relevance and social message, and perfecting a fearless approach to improvisation.
Juu & G.Jee – New Luk Thung LP (Em)
Juu and his friends update the luk thung genre with keyboards, drum machines, and samples from luk thung classics. Contemporary hip-hop and trap is fused with luk thung and ramwong elements, as well as the traditional Isan/Lao instruments khaen and phin. [CD edition due September 20.]
Kill It Kid – Feet Fall Heavy [Reissue/2011] LP (One Little Indian)
English alternative rockers Kill It Kid originally blended roots, rock and blues led by vocals from both Chris Turpin and Stephanie Ward; their line-up has included slide guitar, fiddle and on rare occasion banjo. Although the band never really saw their music as folk, they were initially linked to the British nu-folk revival. After becoming a four piece, the band’s output, as showcased in 2011’s Feet Fall Heavy – available on vinyl for the first time – was guitar-driven, drum heavy and raw, and drew comparisons to bands like The White Stripes.
Albert King – Big Blues [Reissue/1963] LP (Sundazed)
Standing well over six feet and weighing in at around 250 pounds, it’s no surprise that Albert King earned the nickname The Velvet Bulldozer. Standing on stage with his Gibson Flying V, named Lucy, King cut an imposing visual figure. Still, he made an even bigger impression through his recordings, reaching fans all over the world with his punchy, aggressive guitar playing and his commanding voice. Limited blue colored vinyl pressing.
Freddie King – Freddy King Goes Surfin’ [Reissue/1963] LP (Sundazed)
Limited blue colored vinyl pressing. After Chess Records turned down guitarist/vocalist Freddy King several times for sounding too much like B.B, King, King Records subsidiary Federal hit pay dirt with his single “Hide Away”, the lead track from Freddy King Goes Surfin’.
Kwi Bamba & L’Orchestre De Gama Berema – Kwi Bamba & L’Orchestre De Gama Berema LP (Ouch!)
First international release for a raw and heavy Guinean Jazz session from Maestro Kwi Bamba, leader of the ‘60s State-funded orchestra Nimba Jazz, the precursor to Bembeya Jazz National. The album was recorded in the forested region of Northern Guinea near the border with Ivory Coast direct to minidisc by Frédéric Migeon and covers a variety of styles from Guinea, mainly from the Guerzé and Kpellé traditions.
Lacuna Coil – In A Reverie [Reissue/1999] LP (Century Media)
Vinyl reissue of the debut studio album by the Italian gothic metal band. [New album, Black Anima due October 11.]
LCD Soundsystem – Yeah [Reissue/2003] 12” (DFA)
Vinyl reissue of the second 12” from LCD Soundsystem, packaged in the original artwork from the 2003 UK edition.
Jake E. Lee – Runnin’ With The Devil LP (Deadline Music)
Guitar hero Jake E. Lee (ex-Ozzy Osbourne) releases a collection of cover tunes recorded with vocals by Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes, Warrant’s Jani Lane, Ratt’s Stephen Pearcy, Testament’s Chuck Billy and more. Red colored vinyl pressing.
Jacob Mafuleni, Gary Gritness – Batanidzo LP (Nyami Nyami)
The mbira maestro from Zimbabwe Jacob Mafuleni and his wife Martha Thom on vocals and percussion team up with French electro-funk prodigy Gary Gritness for a fresh and surprising take on traditional Shona music.
Mehr & Sher Ali – Qawwali, The Essence Of Desire LP (Buda Musique)
Qawwali is part of the mystical Sufi tradition of Southern Asia. The term is derived from the Arabic Qaul (meaning speech, creed, or word) and refers both to a musical genre of India and Pakistan and to its performance.
Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf featuring George Clinton – Feed The Wolf LP (Isotopia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Miss Velvet & The Blue Wolf is a dynamic 8-piece New York-based band that brings a vital and original dimension to the contemporary indie rock/funk scene. Fronted by the genre defying powerhouse lead vocalist Miss Velvet and featuring a rhythm and brass section comprised of some of America’s leading studio musicians, the band has been garnering rave reviews for their highly accomplished musicianship and on-stage flair.
Muna – Saves The World LP (RCA)
“Muna’s first record, About U, was confessional, but Saves The World is about them. It’s clear from the opening track to the final fade that the band’s sophomore album is an emotional excavation. The music presses its nose into the mirror of the hardest moments of their lives: drugs, alcohol, heartbreak and suicide. Katie Gavin (lead vocals, production) says this is the most personal project she has ever been a part of.” – NPR
Nakara – Nakara Percussions [Reissue/1984] LP (Komos)
Hypnotic percussion tracks and organic soundscapes drawing on Africa, Asian, Indian & South American traditions, recorded deep in the French countryside in 1984.
Abdallah Oumbadougou – Anou Malane [Reissue/1995] LP (Sahel Sounds)
Tuareg guitar gets the electronic treatment, with a reissue of the cassette by legendary Nigerien composer Abdallah Oumbadougou. Produced in Benin in 1995, Anou Malane is one of the first studio recordings of Tuareg guitar. The genre, known for minimal folk ballads performed on acoustic guitar, is transformed with a full-on 90s swinging groove. [Cassette edition due September 20.]
Michael Orr – Spread Love [Reissue/1985] LP (Tidal Waves Music)
Spread Love was originally released in 1975 on the Detroit based Sunstar label. Largely ignored when it was first issued, it has since gained cult status among soul collectors worldwide. Inspired by the musical vision of Quincy Jones, Michael Orr and bass player Carey Harris assembled a cast of musicians and vocalists to create a timeless masterpiece which effortlessly blends cosmic soul, jazz, funk and gospel influences.
New Tutenkhamen – I Wish You Were Mine LP (Nyami Nyami)
A lost piece of Zimbabwean musical history: the only album from local legends the New Tutenkhamen, combining jazz, soul, folk and township rhythms.
Ann O’aro – Ann O’aro LP (Buda Musique)
Young singer Ann O’Aro confronts her troubled upbringing (including an abusive relationship with her father centered around incest and abuse) through her music, poetry and dance, transforming her personal pain into a universal message of empowerment, underpinned by traditional Maloya rhythms. Emotionally raw lyrics sung in Créole.
Pale Grey Lore – Eschatology LP (Small Stone)
Blending elements of garage psych, space rock, post-punk, and stoner doom, Columbus Ohio’s Pale Grey Lore create focused, hook-driven heavy rock and roll loses no edge for its focus on songwriting. Melodic vocals and subtle harmonies echo alongside molten groove in guitar, bass and drums, taking a time-tested formula and proving it indeed to be timeless. Colored vinyl pressing. [CD edition due September 13.]
Omara Portuondo – Omara Portuondo [Reissue/2000] LP (World Circuit)
A collection of 11 beautiful songs from the leading lady of the Buena Vista Social Club, Omara Portuondo, recorded in Havana with a dream backing band. Orchestrated by Demetrio Muñiz, including Rubén González (piano), ‘Cachaito’ López (bass), ‘Guarjio’ Mirabal (trumpet), and Jesús ‘Aguaje’ Ramos (trombone).
Repulsion – Horrified [Reissue/1989] LP (Relapse)
Limited picture disc pressing. Repulsion is the band that introduced the world to insane blasting drums, bone jarring distorted bass, and the vilest lyrics imaginable. Originally released in Europe in 1989 by members of Carcass on their Necrosis Records label, Horrified is a genre pioneering masterpiece that has influenced almost every band playing death metal, most notably Napalm Death, Carcass, Entombed and Cannibal Corpse.
Stéphane San Juan – Saved By The Drums LP (San Juan)
Second solo album from the acclaimed drummer for Amadou & Mariam and percussionist for Bernard Purdie. Stéphane is currently drummer and percussionist on David Byrne’s world tour. Saved By The Drums combines classic Brazilian melodies and the rhythms of the Orixas.Second
Section 25 – Always Now 5xLP (Factory Benelux)
A deluxe five-disc vinyl box set edition of Always Now, the debut album by cult Factory Records group Section 25, produced by legendary sonic architect Martin Hannett and sleeved by Peter Saville. Recorded as a trio at Pink Floyd’s Britannia Row studio in London in January 1981, Always Now combined austere post-punk rhythm and noise with elements of Can, Krautrock and modern psychedelia.
Sneaker Pimps – Becoming X [Reissue/1996] LP (One Little Indian)
Liam Howe and Chris Corner met as teenagers in the ’80s and formed Sneaker Pimps in Hartlepool in 1994, becoming forerunners of trip-hop. They were joined by Kelli Ali (then known as Kelli Dayton) on vocals, with Ian Pickering writing the lyrics. Their debut album Becoming X went Gold in 1996, spawning the hit singles “Spin Spin Sugar” and “6 Underground”. The album later inspired the remix album Becoming Remixed, featuring a slew of DJ supremos.
Momo “Wandel” Soumah – Matchowé LP (Buda Musique)
Recorded in 1991 and unavailable on vinyl until now, Matchowé is one of the most important Afro jazz sessions recorded – the culmination of Momo Wandel’s lifelong investigation of the intersection between American jazz and the traditional rhythms of Guinea.
Chris Squire/Billy Sherwood – Conspiracy Live LP (Purple Pyramid)
Limited red colored vinyl pressing of this live performance by two giants of prog rock.
Ten Years After – Stonedhenge [Reissue/1969] LP (Sundazed)
Limited purple colored vinyl pressing. Stonedhenge was where Ten Years After really came into their own with originals.
Ali Farka Touré – Savane [Reissue/2006] LP (World Circuit)
First-time vinyl pressing of the last solo album by the legendary Malian blues pioneer. Recorded in Bamako with his specially assembled down-home ngoni group, Savane is Ali’s testament, a powerful reaffirmation of his umbilical link to his Malian musical roots. Acclaimed as his finest album, Savane is both one of the most traditional and seemingly the most blues-drenched of Ali’s recordings.
Ásgeir Trausti – Dýrð Í Dauðaþögn [Reissue/2012] LP (One Little Indian)
Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir’s 2012 debut album Dýrð Í Dauðaþögn, produced by Gudmundur Kristinn Jonsson, immediately recalls the heavenly vocals of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and light electronic touch of British glitch pop sensation James Blake. His Icelandic lyrics however make for an easy distinction, and to non-Icelandic speakers sound as poetic as they really are. The songs are light and airy, inset with Ásgeir’s distinctive melancholic voice their vibrancy elevates them way beyond the folktronica tag.
Stanley Turrentine – Hustlin’ [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
Stanley Turrentine’s 1960s Blue Note output was reliably excellent, but this 1964 session featuring his thick, blues-drenched tenor saxophone backed by organist Shirley Scott, guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Otis Finch, surely ranks with his very best.
Uncured – Epidemic LP (Seek & Strik)
Progressive death/groove metal.
Danyel Waro – Aou Amwin LP (Buda Musique)
Poet and composer Danyel Waro is one of the living heroes of La Réunion and is the foremost voice of Maloya, the rebel blues music of the Indian Ocean.
Watain – Lawless Darkness [Reissue/2010] LP (Season Of Mist)
As any black metal fan knows, Sweden’s Watain have stormed from the hellish pits of the underground onto the covers of the biggest metal magazines worldwide. Combining severe blackness with melodies and beauty of the darkest kind, Watain kept that raw underground spirit burning with their 2010 masterpiece Lawless Darkness.
White Lion – Fight To Survive [Reissue/1985] LP (Deadline Music)
White colored vinyl reissue of the 1985 debut album by the hard rock giants.
Gary Wilson & R. Stevie Moore – Fake News Trending LP (O Genesis)
Released last week on cassette – now available on vinyl. R. Stevie Moore and Gary Wilson have recorded Fake News Trending – their first-ever collaborative album together. The historic and long-awaited collaboration is big and welcome news around the world for fans of both of these DIY/underground music legends.
Yom & The Wonder Rabbis – You Will Never Die! LP (Buda Musique)
Through its trance and it’s carnival-like tendencies, You Will Never Die! is filled with psychedelic accents, metaphysical and cathartic virtues; it is a work that integrates the macabre dimension in the heart of a world that dances.
Zos Kia – 23 3xLP (Infinite Fog)
Vinyl reissue of Zos Kia’s sole album, 1983’s Infinite, along with an hour of previously unreleased material. Zos Kia was formed by John Gosling (Mekon), John Balance (Coil) and Min – with guest Peter ‘Sleazy’ Christopherson (Throbbing Gristle).
Zuhura & Party – Singe Tema: Taarab Special [Reissue/1982] LP (Buda Musique)
A deep Taarab masterpiece from legendary singer Zuhura Swaleh, available for the first time outside Kenya since its original release in 1982.
Cassettes:
Bjork – Debut [Reissue/1993] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Post [Reissue/1995] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Homogenic [Reissue/1997] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Vespertine [Reissue/2001] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Medúlla [Reissue/2004] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Volta [Reissue/2007] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Biopilla [Reissue/2011] (One Little Indian)
Bjork – Utopia [Reissue/2017] (One Little Indian)
Part of the 2019 reissue series of Björk’s entire solo album catalogue on limited edition colored cassettes.
Those Pretty Wrongs – Zed For Zulu (Burger)
Those Pretty Wrongs are Jody Stephens and Luther Russell. It’s a musical partnership borne of a deep and lasting friendship, the roots of which stretch back to the early ’90s, when the two were introduced. As the story goes, nary a note of music was made between them until about five years ago, when they were united in the cause of a documentary about Jody’s alma mater, the legendary Memphis group Big Star.
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