CDs + Vinyl:
Lauren Alaina – Road Less Traveled CD (Mercury Nashville)
New album from the country star. The title track is a triumphant anthem written with Meghan Trainor and Jesse Frasure, Lauren’s empowering message of embracing your own individuality is made even more poignant by her impressive vocals.
ALO – Love Songs CDEP (Brushfire)
In honor of Tour D’Amour XI, a fresh four-song studio-recorded EP featuring covers of some of ALO’s favorite love songs.
Annihilator – Triple Threat 2xCD/2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray (UDR)
A double and triple-disc collection of Annihilator’s music presented in a variety of scenarios: The main CD comprises a set of Annihilator’s classics performed acoustically; the second CD features the band’s vicious set from the 2016 Bang Your Head Festival; while the Blu-ray and DVD adds hi-res audio and visual content featuring a mini documentary and more.
Au Champ Des Morts – Dans La Joie CD (Debumur Morti)
Au Champ Des Morts unveils an extremely assertive personality, forged in analog sound and integrity, deeply rooted solid musical foundations including post black metal, old school black metal, early hard rock and cold wave. “The music surges with driving strength, trailing fire and black smoke, propelled by piston-like percussion and a penetrating, emotionally affecting melody that’s dark as night — with a bleak aura that’s made even more desperate by the scalding intensity of the vocals.” — No Clean Singing
Beheaded – Beast Incarnate CD/LP (Unique Leader)
Death metal from Fgura, Malta.
Belle Biv DeVoe – Three Stripes CD (E1)
New album from the R&B group. Includes the single “One More Try” featuring Boyz II Men.
Betraying The Martyrs – Resiliant CD (Sumerian)
French deathcore.
Debashish Bhattacharya – Hawaii To Calcutta: A Tribute To Tau Moe CD (Riverboat)
The story of the Hawaiian slide guitar’s arrival in India is every historian’s dream – a twisting tale of great wonder and subtle mystery. Hawaii To Calcutta: A Tribute To Tau Moe is Pandit Debashish Bhattcharya’s dedication to Tau Moe, veritable musical folk legend and one of the first to introduce the instrument to India’s enthusiastic shores.
Theo Bleckmann – Elegy CD (ECM)
The German-born New Yorker, after appearing on two ECM albums by Meredith Monk and another by Julia Hülsmann, makes his striking label debut as a leader with Elegy. This album showcases Bleckmann as a composer as much as a singer, with several instrumental pieces voiced by what he calls his ambient band of kindred-spirit guitarist Ben Monder, keyboardist Shai Maestro and the subtle rhythm team of Chris Tordini and John Hollenbeck.
Deni Bonet – Bright Shiny Objects CD (Zip)
Quirky, melodic, violin-based pop-rock.
Julie Byrne – Not Even Happiness CD/LP (Ba Da Bing)
New release from the singer/songwriter. Sometimes it can take years to find your calling. Not so for Julie Byrne, whose power of lyrical expression and musical nous seems inborn. Her second album, Not Even Happiness, has evolved at its own pace. It spans recollections of bustling roadside diners, the stars over the high desert, the aching weariness of change, the wildflowers of the California coast, and the irresolvable mysteries of love.
Brent Cash – The New High CD/LP (Marina)
“Brent Cash is a pop mastermind like they used to make ‘em, building songs with an almost symphonic level of lush detail. He even plays all the instruments himself (apart from the strings). As you can imagine, all that takes time, so The New High is his first album in five years, but it’s well worth the wait if you like Van Dyke Parks-esque vintage super-pop.” – Norman UK
Chicago – Chicago II: Steven Wilson Remix CD (Rhino)
For the first time, a stereo remix from the 16-track multi-track tapes made it possible for Steven Wilson to bring out elements that were muffled or submerged in the mix. The result is a new stereo version of 1970’s Chicago II that boasts clearness, punch and definition that it didn’t have before.
Guy Clark – Live From Austin TX [Reissue/2007] CD+DVD/2xLP (New West)
Guy Clark’s 1989 performance is a career-spanning retrospective of legendary proportions featuring classics such as, “Desperados Waiting For A Train,” “Texas 1947” and “Homegrown Tomatoes.” Remastered and pressed onto 180gm vinyl, this title is also being made available on a CD+DVD combo in redesigned packaging with 5.1 surround sound.
Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound CD/LP+MP3 (Carpark)
Dylan Baldi maintains simple, admirable standards in quality. “A thing I like to do with all of my records is drive around with them,” the 25-year-old Cloud Nothings frontman says. “In high school, I would listen to music for hours like that: just driving through the suburbs of Cleveland. And if it sounds good to me in that context and I can think of high school me listening to it and saying, ‘That’s okay,’ I feel good about the record. This is the one that’s felt best.” “This” is Life Without Sound, the radiant, far-far-better-than-okay fourth full-length his rock outfit has recorded since he began writing and releasing songs on his own under the Cloud Nothings alias in 2008. You can hear it in the aerodynamic guitar pop of album tracks “Modern Act,” and feel it in the devastating wisdom of “Internal World,” a lullaby-like howler that dwells on “the fact that being yourself can be uncomfortable and even potentially dangerous at times.” “Generally, it seems like my work has been about finding my place in the world,” Baldi says. “But there was a point in which I realized that you can be missing something important in your life, a part you didn’t realize you were missing until it’s there—hence the title. This record is like my version of new age music,” he adds. “It’s supposed to be inspiring.” It is. [Limited green marbled color vinyl edition also available.]
John Wesley Coleman III – Microwave Dreams CD/LP (Super Secret)
Ten great songs (much drawn from the singer/songwriter’s own life experiences) ranging from the country-tinged “See You Tomorrow” to the summer-feeling rock ‘n’ roll hits “Hang Tight” and “Shovel”. The other seven songs on Microwave Dreams range in pace and brevity somewhere between those songs. Each is just as strong, each as independent, yet each is also part of an overall narrative that highlights an artist’s recognition of his own increasing maturity and real life responsibility, while maintaining just the right amount of his ironic and funny personal reputation.
Vivian Cook – The Long Shot CD (Omnivore)
When you see Vivian Cook play live you’ll hear a woman with a voice you won’t forget, backed by a killer rock ‘n’ roll band. Her lyrics and melodies would have you believe she’s twice her age of 25. That’s because she’s lived a lot of life in those short years. She grew up in Palo Alto, CA, and graduated from Georgetown University with degrees in Theatre and Theology. Vivian then moved to Los Angeles to record The Long Shot, named after the subject of the e-mail Vivian sent to gold record producer R. Walt Vincent asking if he would like to work with her. About those songs, Vivian says, “My songs are mainly about my friends. I figured out a long time ago that they’re my most valuable asset, that I wouldn’t be me without them. They’re about navigating the stormy waters of adolescence and surviving, which isn’t a given. They’re about getting dealt a winning hand, only to get fuck-all in the next round. And composting, because even shit can be turned into something beautiful.”
Cream – Fresh Cream [Deluxe Edition] 3xCD+Blu-ray-Audio (Polydor)
Fresh Cream is the 1966 debut from the world’s first power trio, featuring the scorching guitar of Eric Clapton and a rhythm section comprised of Bruce and Ginger Baker. It’s a rock & roll album grounded heavily in blues with the fluidity of a jazz band. Classic blues covers comprise half the album, and they take tracks like Willie Dixon’s “Spoonful” and Robert Johnson’s “Four Until Late” and make them their own. This 98 track Deluxe four-CD set features mono and stereo mixes, outtakes and alternate mixes.
Allison Crutchfield – Tourist In This Town CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Merge)
Alabama native Allison Crutchfield has immersed herself in music since her teenage years, forming notable bands such as P.S. Eliot and Bad Banana (both with her twin sister Katie of Waxahatchee). In 2012, she co-founded Swearin’—the band in which she would truly begin to formulate and understand her full potential as a songwriter. Tourist In This Town recorded with Jeff Zeigler, who is known for his work with Kurt Vile, Steve Gunn, and Mary Lattimore, among others. His synthesizer collection and related expertise proved an alluring draw for Crutchfield, who had started incorporating synths into her work when she branched off into a solo career. “This album marked a sonic transition in the way I think about the element of space in music, and I attribute that mainly to Jeff,” says Allison. “His arsenal and knowledge of analog synths, along with his ear for spatial addition and subtraction within a song, really sculpted this album and impacted me artistically forever.” “Tourist In This Town is completely made up of heightened anxiety and became a clearly defined puzzle that I slowly put together over the course of a year,” says Crutchfield. “It’s a record about change—change of scenery, of partner, of band, of home, of friends, of outlook—and how that change can cause a temporary panic but ultimate triumph in most of us.”
Charlie Cunningham – Lines CD/LP (Dumont Dumont)
Taking the percussive qualities of flamenco, British singer/songwriter Charlie Cunningham began to thread his melodies and lyrics together producing his first EP to critical acclaim. His work is laden with delicate flourishes, intricate melodic turns, and moments of stark introspection — songs that are both expansive and intimate.
Denzel Curry – Imperial CD/LP (Loma Vista)
“When rap albums are thrown around as contenders of the year, chances are that you’ll hear Kendrick Lamar, Run The Jewels, Death Grips, Childish Gambino, A Tribe Called Quest or other big names, according to what year we’re in. To Pimp A Butterfly stood head and shoulders above the rest last year, without much competition, but this year we’ve got a lot more options in the running. Denzel Curry is one of the lesser names leading the pack and if anything, one listen of Imperial, and you’ll find yourself rummaging through any and everything that he’s done so far. Infectious and jaw-dropping to say the least.” – Punknews.org
Dead Man Winter – Furnace CD/LP (Gndwire)
Furnace is a highly revealing and deeply personal offering from accomplished singer/songwriter Dave Simonett, who performs under the pseudonym Dead Man Winter (also the lead vocalist and songwriter for Trampled By Turtles). The 10 songs that comprise Furnace reflect a man coming to terms with a painful divorce and the heartbreaking separation from his two children.
Dead Witches – Ouija CD/LP (Heavy Psych Sounds)
“Forming member of Electric Wizard and Ramesses gives Mark Greening all the qualifications needed to set up a truly awe inspiring doom project, so teaming up with Virginia Monti of Psychedelic Witchcraft they finally shed some candlelight over their new gloomy, groovy doom project Dead Witches. Heavy. Purist Heavy” – Norman UK. [Limited purple color vinyl pressing also available.]
Deaf Havana – All These Countless Nights CD (SO Recordings)
Deaf Havana is an English alternative rock band from Hunstanton and King’s Lynn in Norfolk. All These Countless Nights is their fourth album. “In many ways, this album is where the band ties the extremely personal storytelling and classic rock excursions of [previous albums] Old Souls English Hearts (2013) together with the more modern, hard-hitting sound of Fools And Worthless Liars (2011). The result is a listening experience that is truly more than the sum of its parts, one that can be described as that of a band coming into its definitive sound. Where Old Souls occasionally felt a little too on-the-nose in its Springsteen adoration, here the band manages to take the many great elements of that album and give them a more contemporary makeover. “Ashes, Ashes” is easily the best opening track this band has ever produced, beginning with Veck-Gilodi softly leading the listener in over the mellow strumming of an acoustic guitar, before expanding into a thundering stadium-ready chorus: ‘And if we drive away / To the place I love the most / When my lungs collapse and my heart turns black / I’ll give my ashes to the coast.’” – Sputnik Music
Manu Delago – Metromonk CD/LP (Tru Thoughts)
Metromonk is the third solo album from celebrated Hang player, percussionist, producer and composer, Manu Delago. The LP finds this boundary-testing artist distilling and delicately exploring extremes of dynamics and mood; manipulating the Hang in experimental and inventive ways, the many voices and tones of this rare instrument are given top billing among a minimalistic palette of beats and acoustic sources.
Delicate Steve – This Is Steve CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
“Don’t let the cheesy artwork fool you, Steve is one talented guy. There are few instrumentalists out there who can say they have worked with everyone from David Byrne to Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala to Paul Simon. His latest album is an instrumental tour de force showcasing his musical talents, having played and produced everything himself. Steve has the uncanny ability to pen catchy and memorable instrumental tracks in a way that few can. ‘Tomorrow’ is a mellow slice of southern rock, whilst ‘Nightlife’ boasts hints of funk and reggae. ‘Driving’ drifts by as a wispy folk interlude and the full throttle ‘Cartoon Rock’ sounds like Houses of the Holy era Led Zeppelin on drugs… well, more drugs than normal anyway. This Is Steve plays like a musical resume, detailing his eclectic tastes and diverse talents in a short space of time.” – Bellwood Music
Mark Eitzel – Hey Mr. Ferryman CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Hey Mr. Ferryman is Eitzel’s first full studio album recorded entirely in London. It was made at 355 Studios with Mercury Prize winner Bernard Butler (ex-Suede, McAlmont & Butler), who has produced and/or recorded albums with Tricky, Ben Watt, Bert Jansch, Edwyn Collins, and more. Butler produced Hey Mr Ferryman and played all of the electric guitar, bass, and keyboard parts on the album. It features the vivid melodies long associated with Eitzel’s former band American Music Club—which remains a cult favorite to this day—as well as Butler’s distinctive guitar that serves to complement Eitzel’s expressive vocals. Of that voice, Pitchfork once wrote: “If Leonard Cohen’s voice is a story about the passage of time and Levon Helm’s is a story about losing what is most precious to you, Eitzel’s is about the circuitous roads we take in search of ourselves.” “The songs on this record are about celebrating musicians and music, about misogyny, the long shadow of history, getting one’s head out of one’s ass,” quips Eitzel on the themes of Ferryman. “Also oceans, blood, skies, hearts, gay pioneers, carpenters, weeping women, and how death waits for you even in the happiest place on earth: Las Vegas.”
Emptyset – Borders CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Emptyset is the innovative electronic duo of James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas. The duo composes within a complex set of self-imposed parameters or rule sets and the results of their expeditions on Borders are at once minimal and visceral. Focusing on shifting timbral changes over melody, Emptyset’s work is an exploration of the relationship between rhythm, texture and space. “Borders meets a brutalist aesthetic that’s been going around in British techno for a while now, but Emptyset stand out from that crowd due to the poetry in their reductionism.” — Uncut
John Garcia – Coyote Who Spoke In Tongues CD/LP (Napalm)
Kyuss, Slo-Burn, Unida, Hermano, Vista Chino – desert crooner John Garcia is a stoner rock veteran. His second solo album, The Coyote Who Spoke In Tongues, is a comparatively relaxed and purely acoustic affair.
Gabriel Garzón-Montano – Jardín CD (Stones Throw)
Gabriel Garzón-Montano is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist with a progressive, often breezy, and slightly psychedelic sound firmly rooted in soul and funk. A Brooklyn-born and raised child of immigrant parents, Gabriel’s aesthetic is an extension of his French-Colombian heritage. His influence is a pastiche of Bach sonatas, Cumbia records, and the machine gun funk that echoes up and down Nostrand Ave. He recorded Jardín with his mentor, analog guru Henry Hirsch, at Waterfront Studios in Hudson, NY in 2016. Gabriel tracked drums, bass, guitar, piano, and synthesizers direct to 2-inch tape, adding percussion, digital programming, and several layers of his own vocals to create a lush sonic environment that recalls a contemporary, streetwise Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants. “I wanted to make music that would remind people how beautiful life is – how delicate their hearts are,” says Garzón-Montano. “A garden is full of life, and growth, and beauty. I named the album Jardín hoping for it to create a space for healing when people put it on. I’ve always wanted to make music that is healing, comforting, and funky.”
Rayna Gellert – Workin’s Too Hard CD (StorySound)
On 2012’s Old Light: Songs From My Childhood & Other Gone Worlds, old-time fiddler Rayna Gellert first established herself as a songwriter and vocalist. Workin’s Too Hard, her latest collection of original and traditional songs, carries that promise forward, along a tradition now of her own devising, and demonstrates how deep immersion in our musical past can point the way toward the future of American music.
Brantley Gilbert – The Devil Don’t Sleep CD/2xCD (Valory Music Co.)
“They say art imitates life, and Brantley Gilbert is applying that prophecy to his new album, The Devil Don’t Sleep. The new album reflects Brantley’s life experiences over the past couple of years since the release of his last album, 2014’s Just As I Am. With past hit songs like ‘Country Must Be Country Wide,’ ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,’ ‘Bottoms Up’ and ‘The Weekend’”—the lead single from his new album—Brantley maintains a certain party-boy-rocker style, a sound that fans have come to expect from the Georgia native. ‘We’re staying in that vein,’ said Brantley about his fourth studio album. “I always go back and listen to all my old records and listen through my whole entire catalog—even before I start writing a new record—because a lot of times, like I said, you’ll find some unfinished ideas that may have not fit the last chapter but fit it now’” – Nash Country Daily. [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a bonus disc featuring live and demo recordings. Vinyl edition due April 7.]
The Great Old Ones – EOD: A Tale Of Dark Legacy CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
“Lovecraftian atmosphere in music is a tricky thing to nail down. The number of metal bands attempting to emulate H.P. Lovecraft’s pioneering brand of cosmic horror in aural form seems to increase exponentially from year to year, and while many of them come close, most fall short. Make no mistake: France’s post-black metal outfit The Great Old Ones get Lovecraft, perhaps more than any other band I’ve encountered. Their third outing, EOD: A Tale Of Dark Legacy, is the best product of their vision to date.” – Angry Metal Guy
Merle Haggard – Live From Austin TX CD+DVD/LP (New West)
Reissue of a quintessential title from New West’s Live From Austin, TX performance series. Merle Haggard’s 1985 performance is highlighted by many of his all-time fan-favorite tracks. Pressed on 180gm vinyl and also available as a CD+DVD combo.
Keiji Haino/Jozef Dumoulin/Teun Verbruggen – The Miracles Of Only One Thing CD/LP (Sub Rosa)
Keiji Haino guitar/vocals/flute/gongs, Jozef Dumoulin Fender Rhodes, Teun Verbruggen drums/electronics.
Half Japanese – Hear The Lions Roar CD/LP+MP3 (Fire)
Half Japanese shines like a beacon to those looking beyond rock’s accepted molds. Emerging around 1975 as a brotherly duo, the gradually expanding and shifting outfit has amassed one of modern music’s more unusual yet dependably comforting discographies. After a long hiatus, leader and sole constant member Jad Fair snapped the group back to action in 2014 and they’ve been busy ever since. Hear The Lions Roar is their 16th album. “This is a beautiful album, full of tight three minute tracks. It has the sixties’ sound of The 13th Floor Elevators but with humour and fun. It doesn’t sound old, it sounds right. There are plenty of rackety guitars and keyboards as well as Gilles-Vincent Rieder’s reliable and assertive drumming. Fair also has the voice of a far younger man, a youthful Michael Stipe” – God Is In The TV Zine. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
Ellie Holcomb – Red Sea Road CD (Full Heart Music)
New album from the Christian singer/songwriter. Holcomb is the daughter of Grammy and Dove Award winning producer Brown Bannister (Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman). Ellie has toured with Christian acts such as Third Day, Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Crowder, and others.
Horse Thief – Trials & Truths CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
Two years after their widely feted Bella Union album debut Fear In Bliss, Oklahoma quintet Horse Thief have created another surging, crafted beauty in Trials & Truths. Introduced to Bella Union through the band’s friends/admirers The Flaming Lips, Horse Thief released Fear In Bliss, with Clash Music noting, “punchy riffs and sunshine melodies, lovely harmonies and production” while The Line Of Best Fit heard how, “twinkling guitars and keys sashay around Neal’s tender voice, creating a warm, melodic bath of sound. It’s a thing of beauty.” Trials & Truths’ unified feel still contains many contrasting elements, sounding both panoramic and nuanced, intimate and anthemic and vibrant and contemplative, while frontman Cameron Neal’s lyrics range from the confessional to the metaphorical as he surveys the passing of time. “All the songs have guided me through the writing process and comforted me, which is part of what the whole record is contemplating – making something to comfort someone, to write songs they can relate to. And with this record, the band is in a great place.”
Hour Of Penance – Cast The First Stone CD/LP (Prosthetic)
Technical death metal from Rome. [Limited green color vinyl edition also available.]
Bert Jansch – Live In Australia CD/LP (Earth Recordings)
There is something quite special about a live album—provided you can get over the envy at not having been present (!) It can sound a lot better than the gig itself without the risk of one’s toes being trodden or a shower of a fellow reveler’s beer. Certainly a Bert Jansch gig was a treat however you experienced it, especially when he was at the top of his game, as captured on Live In Australia (recorded at The Continental Café, March 1998). There is a warmth about this recording which echoes that of Live at The 12 Bar, recorded three years before. It’s mostly just Bert and his guitar, with a welcome addition of intuitively placed flourishes of bass and percussion.
Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
Japandroids is a two-piece band from Vancouver, BC., which began in 2006 and consists of Brian King and David Prowse. The duo consists of one guitar, one set of drums, and two vocalizers, yet are maximal in their delivery; a two- piece band sounding like a five-piece band. Like their prior albums Post-Nothing (2009) and Celebration Rock (2012), Near To The Wild Heart Of Life is comprised of eight songs. This is because eight songs is the standard template for a great rock ‘n’ roll album. “Rock ‘n’ roll so often boils down to simple pursuits: the search for love, sex, escape, revenge, satisfaction, or some signifier of freedom and home. But for Brian King and David Prowse of Japandroids, that central pursuit is often majesty itself. Japandroids’ new album is titled Near To The Wild Heart Of Life, so those themes remain in full effect from the opening drum fills of the title track. But the themes here are a bit more expansive: Released four and a half years after Celebration Rock, these eight songs are clearly the product of reflection, upheaval and the soul-searching that so often comes with travel and time off” – NPR. [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]
James Johnston – The Starless Room CD/LP+CD (Clouds Hill)
German record label Clouds Hill present James Johnston’s debut solo album The Starless Room. The Starless Room is vast in its scope – visceral, intimate and instinctive. The Starless Room represents a remarkable distillation of both Johnston’s lyrical obsessions and prodigious, arguably under-acknowledged talent. Suitably, it’s the title track that encapsulates the romantic sweep of the record best, with its star at his most intense and Sebastian Hoffman’s string arrangements at their most ambitious. For James Johnston, however, the greatest pleasure of all is a simple one: the slow tempo of the songs.
Kehlani – SweetSexySavage CD (Artist Partner Group/Atlantic)
The album artwork for Kehlani’s debut album artwork features the 21-year-old R&B musician in front of a pink cloud backdrop, holding her topless body in a tasteful manner. The clouds seem to follow the trend of similar backgrounds Kehlani has used for her previous EPs, Cloud 19 and the Grammy-nominated, You Should Be Here. “As women we are told that we cannot be multi layered… we are put in boxes… we can’t be all the above… reclaim yourself,” she wrote on Twitter of the album. “We have been hurt, we have inflicted hurt, we have been right, we have been wrong, we’ve been shy AND overly confident. We are women. The name is supposed to challenge you. The name is supposed to make you question… only to let u find your own answer. But really.., it’s me reclaiming myself. Me accepting myself. Good & bad. All the way around. It’s me. Thank you for loving me.”
Garth Knox and The Saltarello Trio – Play Masada Book Two: Leonard (The Book Of Angels 30) CD (Tzadik)
Drawing on his vast experience as viola player of the Arditti Quartet, Ensemble InterContemporain and his close collaboration with many of the today’s leading composers, Garth Knox has become a master of many styles. Presenting a completely new interpretation of the Book of Angels, the beautiful medieval-tinged arrangements produced by Garth Knox and his group capture the folk song quality of Zorn’s compositions with a lovely and intimate ensemble of strings and percussion. Playing viola and viola d’amore, Garth presents these enigmatic compositions in a new and refreshing light. This penultimate installment of the Book Of Angels is also one of the most charmingly beautiful.
Kreator – Gods Of Violence CD/2xLP (Nuclear Blast America)
“On their fourteenth studio album, thrash legends Kreator give us more of the same jackhammer style they built the band’s name on” – Pitchfork. [Limited dark red and black color vinyl pressing also available.]
The Last Badoleros – The Last Bandoleros CDEP (Warner Music Nashville)
Featuring soaring vocal harmonies and top class musicianship, The Last Bandoleros EP gives listeners just a taste of what’s to come from a band Rolling Stone calls “a ferocious Tex-Mex tinged band” with a “sound that’s hard to get out of your head.”
Leimer – Land Of Look Behind [Reissue/1982] CD/LP (Palace Of Lights)
Alan Greenberg, who wrote and directed this film documenting the funeral of Bob Marley, provided K. Leimer with location tapes which were used to originate many of the rhythmic patterns for Land Of Look Behind. A persistent favorite since its original release in 1982, Land Of Look Behind has been remastered by Greg Davis, revealing new detail and depth in the studio and field recordings of this almost-soundtrack for the film. Featuring contributions by Steve Fisk, Kevin Hodges and David and James Keller.
Leopold And His Fiction – Darling Destroyer CD/LP (Native Fiction)
Led by Daniel James Leopold, Austin, TX-based Leopold And His Fiction deliver soul-drenched, bare-bones rock ‘n’ roll that shakes with the power of ‘73-era Stooges while seducing with the R&B of Motown.
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Bootleg Archives Volumes 6-10 5xCD (Crammed Disc/Creature Music)
“Manfred Mann’s Earth Band is one of those obscure and underrated bands of the 80’s… if you missed on all their great concerts during their heyday of the ‘80s especially in north America where they never toured, this set provides a good taste of raw live material. Excellent guitar work, vocals and most of all Manfred’s keyboard work.”
John Mayall – Talk About That CD (Forty Below)
“John Mayall is the influential British bluesman who formed his band The Bluesbreakers in 1963. A great guitarist, harmonica player, singer, songwriter and bandleader he is still going strong after more than fifty years. The band on Talk About That includes Mayall, vocals, Hammond organ, piano, harmonica, and guitar; Rocky Athas, rhythm and lead guitar; Greg Rzab, bass; and Jay Davenport, drums and percussion. The album was recorded in February 2016 at The House of Blues Studios in Encino, CA. Eight of the eleven tracks are new songs written by Mayall. Mayall states that the title track ‘Talk About That’ is a modern bit of funk and a reflection on thoughts that, at the time, were running through his head. Mayall solos on organ. A horn section is added on the New Orleans styled ‘Gimme Some Of That Gumbo’ featuring Ron Dziubla, tenor and baritone sax; Mark Pender, trumpet; and Nick Lane, trombone. This tune with its infectious second line beat is my favorite on this fine album” – Making A Scene. [Vinyl edition due March 3.]
Delbert Mcclinton & Self-Made Men – Prick Of The Litter CD/LP (Hot Shot/Thirty Tigers)
The multi-Grammy Award winning artist is at the top of his game with his 19th studio album. The new offering captures the balance of soulful energy and restraint that the legendary performer has been delivering in his live performances for decades all over the world. On Prick Of The Litter, Delbert incorporates a variety of styles, and as always, just enough to keep him comfortably outside the traditional marketing categories.
Menace Beach – Lemon Memory CD/LP+MP3 (Memphis Industries)
Menace Beach, Leeds, England-based Liza Violet and Ryan Needham, release their new album. “Lemon Memory is, for Menace Beach at least, an exercise in restraint, the fuzz and distortion turned down, big last choruses avoided. Written in Ibiza and recorded in Sheffield with Ross Orton (MIA, Arctic Monkeys, The Fall), Lemon Memory is in part an effort to lift a citrus based curse — trust us, it’s a real thing — Ryan and Liza believe was placed on their house, via the hex-breaking power of music. It’s also the sound of a band finding their own identity, edging closer to some sort of grimy truth.” [Limited yellow color vinyl pressing also available.]
Tift Merritt – Stitch Of The World CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Stitch Of The World, Tift Merritt’s sixth studio album, was written on a friend’s farm in Marfa, Texas, at Merritt’s California cabin, and in New York City in the wake of several major changes in her life. The album was recorded in Los Angeles while Merritt was six months pregnant, after which she relocated to her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. Merritt work-shopped the songs on Stitch Of The World with longtime friend Sam Beam of Iron & Wine after bumping into him in an airport. “With wry, talking-blues affection, she contrasts inexperience and scarred worldliness in ‘Dusty Old Man,’ whose shambling groove gains its shape from drummer Jay Bellerose’s pleasingly capricious outbursts. ‘Heartache Is An Uphill Climb’ starts off more gingerly. Once Merritt’s performance gathers steam, the song turns into a strong-willed, AM soul-pop tune that portrays heartache not as a season to be passively endured so much as one to be slowly, strenuously overcome. In “Wait For Me,” one of three tracks that feature Beam’s harmonies, Merritt sings in cursive, cascading lines of two battered souls determined to treat themselves and each other well in a fresh go-round. Disappointment and desire, regret and equanimity coexist in Merritt’s sensuous meditations. Within them, she gives her listeners room to breathe” – KCRW. [CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions.]
Nick Oliveri – N.O. Hits At All Vol. 1 CD (Heavy Psych Sounds)
“Oliveri is, as everyone reading this knows, no longer in QOTSA (clothed or otherwise) but he is one of rock n roll’s most prolific recorders. Appearing on over 50 releases in his 25 years, some of which have seen the light of day and some have not. Which is where this comes in.
N.O Hits At All aims to collect some of these together and Vol. 1 features six tracks that do just that. ‘Lockdown’ by Komatsu is a real thumper, ‘Anything And Everything’ with Death Acoustic is filthy punk rock done on an acoustic guitar and ‘Revenge’ with Winnebago Deal is 54 seconds of furious rage, which is exactly the kind of thing that used to be on B-sides back in the day.” – Maximum Volume Music
Carla Olson – Rubies And Diamonds CD (Sunset Blvd)
Previously unreleased 1988 debut album sessions. Writers on Rubies And Diamonds included guitarist George Callins and drummer Rick Hemmert of the Textones, Danny Wilde of The Rembrandts, Danny Tate (whose songs have been covered by Tim McGraw, Rick Springfield, the Smithereens, and Jeff Healey), and George Green, who co-wrote some of John Mellencamp’s best including “Hurts So Good.” This set includes bonus tracks featuring Swedish rock star Mikael Rickfords (The Hollies, Bamboo) and Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers).
Once & Future Band – Once & Future Band CD/LP (Castle Face)
The very mid-’70s vibe at work here surpasses pastiche, and crests that lovely anachronistic conceptual peak: a fully realized and meticulously arranged psych record, meant to be listened to from top to bottom, with the lights down low and in a comfy chair perhaps, or while gazing out the window of your life pod. The Dark Side Of The Moon feel, with shades of early Yes’s technicality, a dash of Steely Dan’s vocal prowess and effortless sheen, and some seriously outsized hooks that call to mind the mighty ELO, Le Orme and, yes, even the unsinkable Queen powered on Brian May’s tape echo jet fuel and sequined power cells.
Richard Osborn – Endless CD/LP (Tompkins Square)
First-generation American Primitive guitarist Richard Osborn studied with Robbie Basho in the late ’60s. 40 years later, Osborn finally recorded, appearing on Tompkins Square’s Beyond Berkeley Guitar compilation in 2010. Endless is his first widely available solo guitar album. “He’s a student of mine and he’s better technically than me or Fahey.”—Robbie Basho
P.O.S. – Chill, Dummy CD (Doomtree)
The Minneapolis rapper and founding member of Doomtree, releases his first solo album since 2012’s We Don’t Even Live Here. Chill, Dummy marks the rapper’s return to form following a 2014 kidney transplant. Features Justin Vernon, Astronautalis, Kathleen Hanna, Lizzo, Allan Kingdom, Busdriver and Open Mike Eagle and many others. [Vinyl edition due March 17.]
Tom Paxton – Boat In The Water CD (Pax)
Folk icon and Grammy Lifetime Achievemnt Award winner Tom Paxton’s 63rd recording includes 13 songs, a mix of brand new songs and a few not heard in a very long time.
Piano Magic – Closure CD/LP (Second Language)
“All good things must come to an end. The sort of cult band you’ve either taken for granted, or simply remained oblivious to throughout their lifespan, Piano Magic’s twelfth album will also be their final one, and what a way to bow out. The elegiac grace that coats this aptly-titled record has always clung limpet-like to Glen Johnson’s forever-in-flux collective, demonstrated most beautifully here by the soothing balm of strings on closer ‘I Left You Twice, Not Once,’ as though trying to ease the blow of the final notes we’ll ever hear from a band who deserved more than relative obscurity.” – The Skinny
Priests – Nothing Feels Natural CD/LP (Sister Polygon)
Nothing Feels Naturals expands on Priests’ lo-fi post-punk bona-fides with ideas drawn from pop, R&B, and industrial noise.
Steve Reich + Sō Percussion – Drumming Live CD (Dog W/A Bone)
Drumming Live was recorded live in New York City at (Le) Poisson Rouge in 2013 at the Steve Reich Benefit Concert to support the Aldrich Museum. It features Steve Reich’s Drumming performed by acclaimed Brooklyn based quartet, Sō Percussion, and includes a 3+ minute version of Clapping Music, performed by Steve Reich and Sō Percussion.
Dawn Richard – Infra Red CD/LP+MP3 (Fade To Mind)
New Deluxe edition of this collaborative project from rising R&B star Dawn Richard and highly respected producer Kingdom. Alongside the EPs original four tracks come ten new remixes from Fade To Mind regulars and extended family: Rizzla, Ikonika (Hyperdub), Helix (Night Slugs), Divoli S’vere and more, all available on vinyl and CD for the first time.
Max Richter – Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works CD (Deutsche Grammophon)
The brand new album from Max Richter features music crafted from 2015’s outstanding ballet production Woolf Works, a critically-acclaimed ballet triptych by choreographer Wayne McGregor, inspired by the life and works of English novelist Virginia Woolf. Following the success of Sleep, this album showcases different sides of Max Richter’s vast palette of sounds, Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works shows Max’s passion for both lavish string and piano melodies, but also his virtuoso electronic side.
Whitney Rose – South Texas Suite CD/LP (Six Shooter)
“The latest release from Whitney Rose finds the Canadian native embracing all things Texas with a lovingly compiled short-but-sweet set of songs that beautifully capture the sound, feel and traditions of the Lone Star state.” – Red Guitar Music
Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk – Passage CD/LP (Azure Vista)
“Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk have collaborated before to great effect on their album Epic released in 2010. Ulrich Schnauss is no stranger to the shoegaze crowd given his initial releases such as A Strangely Isolated Place in 2003. He also works inside the genres of electronic and ambient music. His many projects include Tangerine Dream, Engineers, Longview and others. He’s also well known for the many remixes he has done for other artists. Jonas Munk is a master at repetitive modes and phrases, taking what ought to be monotonous and making it entirely interesting and beautiful. He slides from electronic modes of instrumentation to beautiful psychedelic guitar pieces. Together, their collaboration brings a symbiosis to create beautifully constructed compositions.” – Somewherecold
Jimmy Scott – I Go Back Home CD/2xLP (Eden River)
Many of the most talented musicians in the worldwide jazz scene pay tribute to Jimmy Scott on I Go Back Home: Dee Dee Bridgewater, James Moody, Kenny Barron, Peter Erskine, Arturo Sandoval, Joey DeFrancesco, Monica Mancini, Till Brönner, Oscar Castro Neves, Bob Mintzer, John Pisano, Renee Olstead, Gregorie Maret. Also the legendary HBR Studio Symphony Orchestra are performing throughout the album and even the actor Joe Pesci got two songs with Jimmy Scott.
Ty Segall – Ty Segall CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
On the prolific songwriter’s eponymous new album Segall is backed by a full band Emmett Kelly, Mikal Cronin, Charles Moothart and Ben Boye “A clean flow; something real for a world that doesn’t know what it’s holding. Ty keeps us guessing while splashing our collective face with no shortage of astringent tunes of all colors.”
Charlie Sepúlveda & The Turnaround – Mr. EP: A Tribute To Eddie Palmieri CD (HighNote)
Charlie Sepúlveda is trumpeter of power and nuance. On this new recording, Sepúlveda takes on the challenge of preserving culture without being trapped by it. He can take a tried-and-true classic like ‘Besamé Mucho,’ and instead of falling into the routine he completely modernizes it, stripping the tune of his sometime over-emphasized bolero rhythm and makes something completely new and communicative. Here paying tribute to his former boss, Eddie Palmieri, Sepúlveda brings his distinctive style to eight imaginative tracks with Palmieri delivering two solo tracks. This isn’t salsa and it isn’t jazz, and it’s not exactly a fusion of the two but an exciting and imaginative place between them.
Matthew Shipp Trio – Piano Song CD (Thirsty Ear)
“Like The Conduct Of Jazz that precedes it, Piano Song is a trio album featuring Michael Bisio on bass and Newman Taylor Baker on drums. If you find yourself thinking “Oh, piano trio, jazz, I know how this goes,” then you’ve obviously not come across the likes of Matthew Shipp. His approach to the piano isn’t so much tuneful as it is orchestral, pulling melodies out thick, dense harmonies. Having Bisio and Baker along for the ride doesn’t blunt this approach. He could have used this occasion, a final release for a particular label, as an excuse to show off yet another angle of his rare musical intuition, as he did when he celebrated his 50th birthday. But The Conduct Of Jazz and Piano Song seem to suggest a sense of momentum in Shipp’s way of thinking, and he’s riding that train for all that it’s worth.” – Pop Matters
Sinai Vessel – Brokenlegged CD/LP (Tiny Engines)
While Sinai Vessel began as a one-man project for singer/guitarist Caleb Cordes the band actually formed in the aftermath of Profanity, a record helmed by Cordes and executed with a rotating cast of volunteers. Only after the album saw the light of day did the project turn into a more active, concrete group, filled out by drummer Joshua Herron and bassist Daniel Hernandez, both high school classmates of Cordes’ and — perhaps essentially – – fellow natives of the space and communities that so define Sinai Vessel.
Sleater-Kinney – Live In Paris CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)
Live In Paris is the first official record of Sleater-Kinney’s famously blistering stage performance. The thirteen-track album, which features Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss, and touring member Katie Harkin, was captured on March 20th, 2015 at the Paris’s historic La Cigale venue, during the band’s sold-out, international tour in support of their acclaimed eighth album, 2015’s No Cities To Love. Live In Paris includes songs from nearly every Sleater-Kinney album, including No Cities To Love, The Woods, One Beat, The Hot Rock, Dig Me Out, and Call The Doctor. [Limited translucent vinyl pressing also available.]
Sloppy Heads – Useless Smile CD/LP (Shrimper)
“The slow-paced and calming psych-folk track “Always Running” is our first exposure to new Shrimper Records act Sloppy Heads and their debut album Useless Smile. The Brooklyn trio comprises Bill the Drummer (aka V. Stiles), Ariella Stok (aka Starmaiden), and Jimmy Jumpjump (aka Frow #1), but their album also features a lot of playing by producer James McNew of Yo La Tengo/Dump fame.” – Stereogum
Tobin Sprout – The Universe & Me CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Burger)
“Former Guided By Voices multi-instrumentalist Tobin Sprout has lived inside the vast universe of indie rock for most of his adult life, but his sixth solo album deals more with the universe of his own imagination — a sprawling, imperfect place filled with melodic treasures hidden amid waves of glorious distortion. The Universe And Me is the product of a lifetime of knowledge in more ways than one. Its lyrical content explores the gap between childhood and adulthood, alternating between a kind of sweet naivety and a heartbroken understanding of life’s many tragedies. Its production is similarly all over the place, focusing more on feel than on any kind of unified aesthetic. The result is raw, honest, and oftentimes revelatory.” – Consequence Of Sound
Quinn Sullivan – Midnight Highway CD/LP+MP3 (Provogue)
“Quinn Sullivan may also be the most gifted guitar prodigy on the planet, a blues player of jaw-dropping virtuosity and depth who could turn out to be the Clapton of his generation.” — The Washington Post
T.S.O.L. – The Trigger Complex CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
The influential Southern California punk rock pioneers make their awaited return with a new record label and their 11th studio album. “Nearly four decades later, original members Ron Emory, Mike Roche and Jack Grisham have returned to creative heights with one of their most inspired albums in decades with The Trigger Complex. Comprising of thirteen songs, the band’s new record runs the gamut of charging punk anthems to brooding rock songs that will no doubt please listeners. Given the country’s turbulent, divisive political climate it could not be better timing for the return of one of punk’s most important and vocal bands” – Decibel Geek. [Limited clear color vinyl pressing also available.]
Taake – Stidens Hus CD (Karisma)
The traditional three year wait is over, and Hoest has now completed the sixth Taake album. Stridens Hus takes the unique Taake sound and develops it further. Still true to the spirit of the old Norwegian black metal, Hoest breathes new life into the genre by introducing different elements that ensure the sound remains fresh and relevant. Some parts are more groove and rock orientated, whilst some have a distinctly punk attitude.
Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau – Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau 2xCD/2xLP (Nonesuch)
Nonesuch Records labelmates mandolinist/singer Chris Thile and pianist Brad Mehldau, longtime admirers of each other’s work, first toured as a duo in 2013. At the end of 2015, they played a two-night stand at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom before going into the studio to record Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau, a mix of covers and original songs
Throwing Snow – Embers CD/2xLP (Houndstooth)
“At this point, Ross Tones, more commonly known as Throwing Snow, can really do no wrong. Less than a year after his Axioms EP blew us all away, he’s back with a new full-length on Houndstooth. Tones has made a name for himself making some of the most varied and intriguing electronic music currently being produced. Never willing to rest on his laurels however, Embers represents some of his most challenging work to date. That’s by no means a criticism, over the course of the the LP’s 60-minute run time, the album contorts and billows into every shape and sound imaginable. Twisting from floating synths to dark oppressive bass lines to joyously shuffling drum hits and back again, often within a single song. It is a tour de force of complex, captivating electronic music…” – Hyponik. [Limited translucent orange and red color vinyl pressing also available.]
Train – A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat CD (Sony)
A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat is Train’s first album without lead guitarist and founding member Jimmy Stafford. Although he is not on the new album, he is currently still partially involved with the band, as he continues to play with them at some live performances and events. It marks the band’s first new music since their 2014 album Bulletproof Picasso. The album’s first single “Play That Song” borrows the central melody from the 1938 single “Heart And Soul” by Howard Hoagland “Hoagy” Carmichael.
Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark – Live … Texas ’91 CD (Klondike)
Six years before Townes Van Zandt’s untimely death in 1997, his renewed studio activity produced a clutch of new material and re-workings, most of which sadly, still resides on tape. However, recordings such as this, offers fans a valuable opportunity to hear exactly what was going on underneath. His appearance alongside lifelong friend Guy Clark on February 16th, 1991 at the Cactus Café in Austin, Texas, remains one of his most prized performances of the period. This is the entire original KUT 90.5FM broadcast from that show.
Frank Turner – Sleep Is For The Week [Reissue/2007] 2xCD+MP3/2xLP+MP3 (Xtra Mile Recordings)
Tenth anniversary of Turner’s debut album includes a bonus CD featuring six demos and a download code for a full live set from 2006. [Vinyl edition features an etching on the D-side.]
Twiztid – The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s CD/2xLP+MP3 (Majik Ninja Entertainment)
“12 brand new tracks that take you through a journey from rock, to rap, to a horror movie!” [Limited clear vinyl pressing with white and blue smoky swirls also available.]
Colin Vallon / Patrice Moret / Julian Sartorius – Danse CD (ECM)
The Colin Vallon Trio has found its own space in the crowded world of the piano trio by quietly challenging its conventions. On his third ECM album Vallon again leads the group not with virtuosic solo display but by patient outlining of melody and establishing of frameworks in which layered group improvising can take place. [Vinyl edition February 10.]
Various Artists [Matthew Dear] – DJ Kicks CD/2xLP+CD (!K7)
An exciting start for 2017 in the always high-class DJ Kicks series, this time with Texan subversive electronica mastermind Matthew Dear in charge. In addition to three of his own previously unreleased tracks, this mix contains songs by Simian Mobile Disco, ItaloJohnson, and Groovesh, and others, both well-known and underground.
Various Artists – The Men In The Glass Booth: Ground Breaking Re-Edits And Remixes By The Disco Era’s Most Influential DJs 3xCD/5xLP/5xLP (BBE)
Previously unissued versions of classic tracks by pioneering DJs of the disco era, mixed by Al Kent. [Vinyl edition is divided into two five-disc parts (A & B). Part A contains a 40-page coffee table book telling the story of the DJ as remixer and featuring previously unseen vintage photographs.]
Various Artists – Mixed Up Minds Part Twelve: Obscure Rock & Pop From The British Isles 1968-1973 CD (Particles)
The Mixed Up Minds compilation series investigates the overlooked underbelly of British rock and pop from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Part Twelve captures a further glimpse of the verbal rumblings from British suburbia with twenty melodic musings from a variety of unsung wonders whose place in the British pop phenomena is now safely secure.
Various Artists – Roll Columbia: Woody Guthrie’s 26 Northwest Songs 2xCD (Smithsonian Folkways)
For fans of Woody Guthrie, Roll Columbia is a trove of new discoveries, and a celebration of his genius and lasting contributions to both the history and musical traditions of the Pacific Northwest. In 1941, the Bonneville Power Administration commissioned Guthrie to write 26 songs that would help promote to the public the construction of dams and hydroelectric power plants along the Columbia River. 75 years later, present-day artists with ties to the Pacific Northwest who have been influenced by this fruitful time in Guthrie’s career have gathered together to record their own interpretations of the songs. Roll Columbia is the first and only complete collection of these songs, including nine never before recorded, such as “Eleckatricity And All” and “Portland Town To Klamath Falls,” as well as classic Guthrie tunes “Pastures Of Plenty” and “Hard Travelin’.”
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Hillbilly Blues CD (Rough Guide)
A diverse selection of tracks which highlights how early white country musicians were heavily influenced by the blues. Includes tracks by early country music pioneers Jimmie Rodgers, Charlie Poole and Dock Boggs. The album has been lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques.
Various Artists – Studio One Rocksteady Volume 2: The Soul Of Young Jamaica CD/2xLP (Soul Jazz)
Soul Jazz Records’ new journey into the mighty vaults of Clement Dodd’s Studio One steps once more into the fertile musical environment of Jamaican music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, from the sweet harmony vocals of seminal 1960s rocksteady right up to the nascent birth of reggae and roots music at the start of the 1970s. While ska at the start of the 1960s had taken American rhythm and blues as its main influence, rocksteady focused on the emergence of American soul music – with Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, John Holt & The Paragons, Carlton & The Shoes showing a particular fascination with the close harmonies of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions and other US soul acts. Here The Heptones even feature with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.”
Slyford Walker – Lamb’s Bread [Reissue/1988] CD/LP (Greensleeves)
Sylford Walker’s killer debut album, recorded in 1978 but not fully released till 10 years later.Produced by Glen Brown and mixed by King Tubby. Includes roots classics as “Lamb’s Bread” “Chant Down Babylon” and the awesome “Deuteronomy.” [CD version contains Welton Irie’s 1977 album Ghettoman Corner as extra tracks.]
Wiley – Godfather CD (Wiley)
“It’s an unmissable return to root, with a frankly starving Wiley flanked by practically everyone – Frisco, Devlin, Jamakabi, Manga, Footsie, Flowdan, Pres T, Ghetts, Ice Kid, a.o. – all demanding your attention over fierce AF production from a mix of veteran producers – JME, Scratchy, Rude Kid, Maniac, Dot Rotten – and a sharp-shooting yung squad; Darq E Freaker, Preditah, Swifta Beater, Morfius, Teeza. At seventeen tracks and just under an hour long, Godfather is quantitatively substantial. And the quality? It’s got that in buckets; a firmest balance of OG grime aggression, gyal tunes and bubbling club trax that lends itself to earbuds, German whips and raves alike.” – Music Is My Sanctuary
Xandria – Theater Of Dimensions CD/2xCD (Napalm)
New album from the German symphonic metal stalwarts. Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a disc featuring 5 bonus tracks.
Zos Kia/Coil – Transparent [Reissue/1983] CD/2xLP+MP3 (Cold Spring)
The entire Transparent recordings released for the first time, completely remastered from the unedited tapes. Zos Kia was formed by John Gosling (Mekon), John Balance (Coil) and Min—with guest Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson (Throbbing Gristle). Their one and only album, Transparent, was released on August 23rd, 1983 in a cassette only edition on the now defunct Austria label Nekrophile. They were the first released recordings of both Coil and Zos Kia.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Arcade Fire – The Reflektor Tapes 2xDVD/2xBlu-ray (Eagle Vision)
The Reflektor Tapes is a documentary about the making of Arcade Fire’s hugely successful 2013 studio album, directed by Kahlil Joseph (who also directed Beyonce’s Lemonade). This documentary captures recording sessions, live performances and the band’s time in Haiti, a country with which they have a long-standing relationship. The second disc in the set features Arcade Fire’s full length live concert from Earl’s Court in London on June 6th, 2014 during the Reflektor tour.
The Man Who Fell To Earth – 2xDVD+Blu-ray (Lion’s Gate)
Collector’s edition of the 1976 David Bowie-starring cult classic with three discs, a 72-page booklet, collectible art, new interviews and more.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Advent – Pain & Suffering LP (Bridge 9)
Brutally heavy, metal-infused hardcore. [CD edition due February 3.]
Alkaline Trio – From Here To Infirmary [Reissue/2001] LP (Vagrant)
Alkaline Trio – Good Mourning [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Vagrant)
Alkaline Trio – Crimson [Reissue/2005] LP (Vagrant)
180gm vinyl reissues of Alkaline Trio’s third, fourth and fifth albums are now available.
Amon Amarth – Once Sent From The Golden Hall [Reissue/1998] LP (Metal Blade)
Amon Amarth – The Avenger [Reissue/1999] LP (Metal Blade)
Vinyl reissues of the death metal band’s second and third albums.
Animal Collective – Here Comes The Indian [Reissue/2003] LP (My Animal Home)
At the beginning there were two of them — Avey Tare and Panda Bear — banging drums and tweaking synths in their bedrooms, singing strange and sometimes heartbreaking songs about imaginary friends and childhood pets. Carried along by washes of squalling feedback, the music was noisy, and it was weird, but it was, at heart, pop music. This was the start of Animal Collective. For fifteen years Dave Porter (Tare), Noah Lennox (Bear), Brian “Geologist” Weitz and Josh “Deakin” Dibb have been rewriting the musical map, their line-up and aesthetic shifting with each astonishing release as they continue their pursuit of a new psychedelia. Here Comes The Indian was the first album to use the name Animal Collective and the first release on their Paw Tracks label. [Hollindagain vinyl reissue due March 3.]
Annie Anxiety – Soul Possession [Reissue/1984] LP (Dais)
Employing the expertise of legendary dub producer Adrian Sherwood to realize this vision, Annie pulled together members of Crass, Flux of Pink Indians, Family Fodder, African Head Charge, London Underground and Art Interface to record her groundbreaking dub industrial masterpiece. Upon its initial release by the unofficial Crass off-shoot label Corpus Christi in 1984, Soul Possession started the avalanche of activity that would include dozens of releases and collaborations with Nurse With Wound, Coil, Current 93, Baby Dee, Swans and Marc Almond.
The Ape – Give In LP (Bang!)
The Ape is Tex Perkins’s (The Beasts Of Bourbon, The Butcher Shop, The Cruel Sea, The Dark Horses, etc.) new project. On this occasion, Mr. Perkins delivers six long tracks with darker sounds and more anxious atmospheres, taking this project into a new stage of music. The Ape has the unique stamp and signature of Tex Perkins and features members of Magic Dirt, among other Australian recognized musicians.
Ariel Pink & Weyes Blood – Myths 002 12” (Mexican Summer)
Weyes Blood and Ariel Pink join forces on Myths 002 for the second installment of Mexican Summer’s collaboration series. Composed and captured in Marfa, Texas during the annual Marfa Myths music and arts festival, the four songs of Myths 002 capture musicians at play—two distinct voices in pop music inexplicably, effortlessly folding into harmony.
Arkona – Lunaris LP (Debemur Morti)
Released late last year on CD – now available on vinyl. Consolidating and updating the earthen grandiosity perfected on classic 1996 debut Imperium, Arkona has created the perfect synthesis of forward-reaching pagan black metal, dark neo-classical melodicism, corrupted romanticism and raging existential power.
Auroch – Mute Books LP (Profound Lore)
Released last autumn on CD – now available on vinyl. Vancouver, BC-based Auroch have gained recognition as one of Canada’s most active death metal bands.
Banteay Ampil Band – Cambodian Liberation Songs [Reissue/1983] LP (Akuphone)
Cambodian Liberation Songs is a painful call from forgotten resistance fighters—it is a captivating and moving record. It works as a witness of Cambodian history, bringing to the world the breathless voice of the members of the resistance from the Banteay Ampil Band. Released in 1983, Cambodian Liberation Songs is a mysterious and overwhelming record. As a genuine piece of history, this “call from sorrow and fierce passion” makes use of a whole range of Cambodian music, from folk to rock, to express sufferings and complaints.
Kostas Bezos And The White Birds – Kostas Bezos And The White Birds LP+CD (Olvido/Mississippi)
The first-ever compilation of “Xabagies”, the nearly forgotten Hawaiian-influenced music of 1930s Greece, focused on the compositions of Kostas Bezos and his ensemble The White Birdsfa. A world-class slide guitarist, political cartoonist, and sleepless Bohemian, Kostas Bezos created some of the most unique music of any era: surrealist guitar portraits blurring Athens and Honolulu, haunting tropical serenades, wild acoustic orchestras, and heartbreaking steel guitar duets. This LP includes a 28-page booklet with extensive notes by Tony Klein and Dimitri Kourtis, unpublished photographs, lyrics, obituaries, and a bonus CD containing 18 additional tracks. Mastered from original 78s by Michael Graves.
Biosphere – Cirque [Reissue/2000] 3xLP (Biophon)
Triple-vinyl reissue of the Norwegian electronic musician’s first album for the polarizing Touch label – expanded with six bonus tracks. “Cirque is a perfectly constructed 47-minute sequence: cold clarity up against real depth of field, synth cycles dissolving into sudden moments of sonic revelation that sound like a waking dream.” — MOJO
Black Mecha – I.M. Mentalizing LP (Profound Lore)
Black Mecha is the very strange, minimalist electronic project of Wold mastermind Fortress Crookedjaw. A theory of mind/aural operation inspires these raw sound waves, directed by the electric musical poetry of Internal Masonry, supplemented with sci-fi driven surreal and minimalist analogue patterns. I.M. Mentalizing presents audio realms of glitchy system mental warfare through spazzed robotic thought inducement mechanisms, churned out by penetrating ever-scanning inner lasers.
Blank Spots – Blank Spots LP (Green Recordings)
The debut album from San Francisco street-punk band Blank Spots. Led by Andrew Boak of legendary 1980s New Zealand punk band No Tag, this dynamic three-piece outfit have tuned up sixteen cylinders of driving punk rock ‘n’ roll action. Pressed on green vinyl.
Blind Melon – Soup [Reissue/1995] LP (Analog Sparks)
Limited edition audiophile pressing. Cut from the original stereo tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed and plated at RTI. Housed in a Stoughton deluxe gatefold old style tip-on jacket with original insert. Soup is the second studio album by rock band Blind Melon, released on August 15, 1995, eight weeks before vocalist Shannon Hoon’s fatal drug overdose.
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Open Minds Now Close 12” (A. Recordings)
The second of three singles from the forthcoming album Don’t Get Lost. Limited 180gm white vinyl.
James Brown – Mr. Dynamite [Reissue/1962] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
Vinyl reissue of James Brown’s Mr. Dynamite, originally released as Good, Good, Twistin’ With James Brown in 1962, and known alternatively through different issues as Shout And Shimmy (1963), and Excitement Mr. Dynamite (1964), and a myriad other titles.
John Cage / Christian Wolff – John Cage / Christian Wolff [Reissue/1963] LP (Jeanne Dielman)
This album was an early showcase of both 20th century composer’s experimental chops, and is highly regarded as some of their finest work. Cage’s piece, which spans the whole of the first side, was originally composed in 1960, and like many of his pieces, would never be performed the same way twice. It involves the overlaying of transparencies to create the “score,” while performers manipulate phonographic cartridges in a variety of ways to create amplified sound. To add to the effect, this particular performance is actually the superimposition of four performances. In all, it is a truly groundbreaking piece of 20th century classical. Wolff’s side, while less extreme, is equally innovative, and a window into his particular pointillist vision of music.
Johnny Cash – All Aboard The Blue Train With Johnny Cash [Reissue/1962] LP (ORG Music)
All Aboard The Blue Train With Johnny Cash is a collection of train-themed songs that was originally released by the legendary Sun Record Company in 1962. The album features prime selections of the Man In Black’s recordings between 1955 and 1958, including classic songs like “Hey Porter” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”
Cavern Of Anti-Matter – Blood Drums [Reissue/2013] 3xLP+MP3 (Duophonic)
Vinyl reissue of Cavern Of Anti-Matter’s (the krautrock-inspired band, featuring ex-Stereolab members Tim Gane and Joe Dilworth and synth player Holger Zapf) much sought-after debut album, originally issued as a vinyl-only edition of 500 copies on Berlin label Grautag Records.
Vic Chesnutt – Little [1990] LP (New West)
For the first time, Vic Chesnutt’s seminal debut album has been remastered and pressed on vinyl, complete with five bonus tracks. Originally produced by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, Little was the world’s introduction to Vic. Recorded and mixed in less than 24 hours, the recordings are sparse but potent and offer a glimpse into the mind of the now-revered songwriter who would have a prolific two-decade output. “Little served notice of Chesnutt’s singular gift for finding deep truths in the commonplace, and unfurled his affectionate embrace of the sad and funny foibles that comprise the bulk of our lives.” — No Depression
Stef Chura – Messes LP (Urinal Cake)
Stef Chura is one of Michigan’s DIY VIPs. The rocker has been roving across the Great Lakes State for years now, uprooting at least 20 times while coordinating underground concerts and honing her musical vision all the while. Now all that development is ready to be displayed on Messes, Chura’s full-length debut album. “Dim-lit guitar-pop with moody, twisting vocals” – Impose
John Coltrane – My Favorite Things [Reissue/1961] LP (Jeanne Dielman)
Credit for this album is partially due to Miles Davis, who had somewhat recently purchased Coltrane’s first soprano saxophone. Previously, the soprano saxophone had been little used in jazz. This 1961 album also seems to fully mark Coltrane’s transformation into modal jazz, another Davis influence, and his modal take on the classic standard, “My Favorite Things”, from The Sound Of Music soundtrack (1965), remains one of the more iconic jazz songs in history. Rounded out by three more standards, performed in modal interpretations that completely redefined the meaning of a “standards” album, My Favorite Things is one of the many transcendent jazz albums the legendary John Coltrane is responsible for.
Lol Coxhill – Ear Of Beholder [Reissue/1971] 2xLP (Radiation Deluxe Series)
Ear Of Beholder is one of the most beguiling and adventurous records of the 1970s, which is saying a lot as that is a musical decade marked by groundbreaking creativity. Originally released on John Peel’s Dandelion label, Lol Coxhill’s sprawling double album debut is an avant-garde jazz masterstroke that features Robert Wyatt and much of the Whole World group, Kevin Ayers’ backing band at the time (of which Lol was a member). Ranging from straight-up feedback to re-workings of standards, outdoor recordings to spoken word, improvisation to vaudeville, Ear Of Beholder covers more ground in two LPs than most artists do in a lifetime. Difficult, adventurous listening from one of British jazz’s most brilliant innovators.
Death Fetishist – Clandestine Sacrament LP (Debemur Morti)
Death Fetishist enmesh cascades of swirling, alienating phrases inside claustrophobic songcraft to inspire grim hypnosis. Guesting vocalists D.G. (Mis.yrming) and Doug Moore (Pyrrhon) bring immense guttural and lyrical power, hammering home the violence of self-preservation. Synth orchestration of twisted profundity is provided by Jürgen Bartsch (Bethlehem) and Mories (Gnaw Their Tongues).
Dion – Lovers Who Wander [Reissue/1962] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
Featuring Dion DiMucci’s unforgettable voice, and his classic NYC R&B/doo-wop backing, this is the sound of the Bronx circa 1962. Though one might dismiss Dion as merely teeny-bopper fare, he’s a massively talented songwriter which is reflected by his introspective work from the mid to late ’60s.
Bill Dixon Orchestra – Intents And Purposes [Reissue/1967] LP (Superior Viaduct)
After spending the early ’60s playing in groups with Cecil Taylor and Archie Shepp, trumpeter Bill Dixon recorded his singular and visionary masterpiece in 1967. Intents And Purposes remains not only Dixon’s defining statement as a composer, but also one of the most luminous moments in the history of avant-garde jazz. Combining orchestral timbres with free jazz intensity, Dixon leads a ten-piece ensemble including such heavyweights as Byard Lancaster, Robin Kenyatta, Jimmy Garrison and Reggie Workman. This first-time vinyl reissue is recommended for fans of Art Ensemble of Chicago, Anthony Braxton and Henry Cow.
D.O.A. – Murder [Reissue/1990] LP (Rip Snortin’)
Vinyl reissue of this 1990 album from the Canadian punk band. Murder came out at the height of the band’s fame and mixes in all the right ingredients: ear-splitting guitar riffs, bombastic drumming, humor and lots of “right to the chin” politics.
Driftmachine – Radiations LP+MP3 (Umor Rex)
The fourth album of Driftmachine is not an album in the classical context, it´s a collection of new studio music, with remixes from Shackleton and The Sight Below, and material previously available only in digital formats. Radiations is an excellent showcase of Driftmachine’s sound: obsessive, symmetrical, multilayered; a deep and elegant language based on the shaky, unpredictable foundations of modular synthesis.
Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased 1961-1991) [1991] 5xLP (Sony Legacy)
Released in 1991 to satisfy enormous demand for Dylan’s much-bootlegged unissued material, The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 contains rarities and unreleased works from the sessions for 1962’s eponymous debut Bob Dylan to 1989’s Oh Mercy. Of the tracks, most are session outtakes from recording sessions for Dylan studio albums. The material is spread across five vinyl records, each labeled in the box set as “volumes.”
Esplendor Geométrico – Fungus Cerebri: Selected Tracks From Cassettes 1981-1989 2xLP (Geometrik)
The ’80s are a period particularly appreciated by the followers of this cult band, pioneers of the more rhythmic strain of industrial music. Minimalism, raw and harsh analog electronica, distortion, Arabic sounds, shortwave radio recordings are all typical elements of their style during this first period of Esplendor Geométrico, when they achieved a sound ahead of its time and is still imitated nowadays. Esplendor Geométrico were always very present within the ’80s international scene of underground cassette labels. This double LP is the first one of a series dedicated to this movement in Spain, still fairly unknown despite its activity at the time, with dozens of labels operating from different cities.
Mark Feehan – MFII LP (Richie)
Mark Feehan is a guitarist. In the ’80s he bummed Floridian punks in Broken Talent. In the ’90s he strangled strings and blew minds in Harry Pussy. Currently he is in post no-wave noiseniks Taiwan Housing Project. MF 2 features moments of surprising acoustic beauty bookend perplexing electronic sound pools, buzzing almost-punk, and Germanic vocal narration.
Marcello Giombini – Computer Disco [Reissue/1982] LP (Mondo Groove)
Marcello Giombini was a pioneer of early sequencers and on this cult LP he produced cheesy, cosmic synth pop, with a little bit of Italo disco mixed in.
Billie Holiday – Lady Love [Reissue/1962] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
Though she had been performing professionally since the late 1920s, as a teenager in Harlem during its Renaissance, the immortal Billie Holiday didn’t play a single night on the European continent until 1954. It was in that year that the great journalist and musician Leonard Feather, and a Swedish promoter, organized the Jazz Club U.S.A. tour, named after Feather’s wildly popular radio program. Featuring Red Norvo, Sonny Clark, and more, the centerpiece of Jazz Club U.S.A. was undoubtedly, Lady Day. Recorded at various dates across the tour, Lady Love shows Holiday still had it, despite the turmoil, and drug and alcohol abuse, her voice remained strong, a stunning document of one of America’s greatest treasures on her first ever tour of Europe.
The Holydrug Couple – Soundtrack For Pantanal LP (BYM)
The Holydrug Couple (THC) unleashes their fully-dreamy pop-rock under BYM Records after their acclaimed two records for the NYC based Sacred Bones Records. Conceived to be part of the recently released Moonlust, these original and never released set of songs continues to display the same elaborate and delightful compositions that group together to become the soundtrack of an imaginary film, “one of the best non-existing movies of all time.” Pressed on limited edition white vinyl.
Howlin’ Wolf – Best Of The Sun Records Sessions LP (ORG Music)
Howlin’ Wolf recorded some of his finest work while in Memphis, TN with legendary producer and Sun Records founder, Sam Phillips. This album features the very best of those sessions from 1951 and 1952.
Milt Jackson with John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Lou Donaldson And The Thelonious Monk Quintet Heath – Milt Jackson with John Lewis, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, Lou Donaldson And The Thelonious Monk Quintet [Reissue/1955] LP (Jeanne Dielman)
Vinyl reissue of this compilation of recordings Milt Jackson made with The Modern Jazz Quartet (with Lou Donaldson on saxophone) and The Thelonious Monk Quartet from 1948-1952, originally released in 1955. This release highlights the bebop brilliance of vibraphonist master.
Elmore James and The Broom Dusters – Blues After Hours [Reissue/1960] LP (Rumble)
Compiling singles originally released on the Flair label (a subsidiary of the legendary Modern label, known for making a star out of B.B. King, among others), this 1960 LP was released only two years before the death of electric blues man Elmore James. One of the most important and influential slide guitarists and vocalists of the early electric blues era, James was born and raised in Richland, Mississippi before, like so many other blues legends, ending up in Chicago, performing in the legendary juke joints of the south side. A truly electric performance from one of the finest blues men of the era.
Bert Jansch – Jack Orion [Reissue/1966] LP (Superior Viaduct)
Jack Orion, Bert Jansch’s third album, may have surprised some fans upon its 1966 release, as it features no original compositions by Jansch. While nearly all the eight tracks (four of which include guitarist John Renbourn) are interpretations of traditional folk songs, Jansch’s experimental approach breathes new life into this repertoire through his exploratory use of open tunings and passionate, gritty vocals.
Glenn Jones – This Is The Wind That Blows It Out [2004] LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Glenn Jones’ debut album This Is The Wind That Blows It Out was originally released in 2004 on CD-only by Strange Attractors Audio House. Thrill Jockey is proud to give this timeless classic a first-time vinyl issue. LP is pressed on virgin vinyl and packaged in a heavy stock jacket with inner sleeve including notes and tunings for each song and free download card. Limited red color vinyl pressing also available. “[Jones] continues to push the American primitive tradition into new directions using a narrative style that’s become his trademark.” – Acoustic Guitar
Robert Earl Keen – Live Dinner Reunion 2xLP (Dualtone)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Live album from Robert Earl Keen with special guests celebrating the 20th year anniversary of his most successful album No. 2 Live Dinner. Joining Keen on stage for the historic event were Joe Ely, Cory Morrow, Cody Canada, Cody Braun of Reckless Kelly, Bruce Robison and former college roommate and touring compadre, Lyle Lovett.
Alicia Keys – HERE LP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New (sixth) album from the singer/songwriter. Includes the song “Blended Family (What You Do For Love),” featuring A$AP Rocky. “On this album, I’ve arrived HERE,” Keys says. “A place where I’m willing to truthfully look at myself in the mirror and to also see the reality of who we have become in this world. The good, the ugly, the shadows and the light. I’ve come to realize that in order for us to grow and to understand and accept each other we have to recognize the complexity of ourselves. We have to be able to talk about it and meet each other where we are, HERE.”
Cate LeBon – Rock Pool 12” (Drag City)
Rock Pool spins and swirls the waters with carnival pop, synth, drone and dance, all beamed along the panelectric ray of Cate’s immutable blank stare. Short-and-sweet-play fun of a highly ambiguous nature.
Les Rallizes Dénudés – Live 77 Tachikawa 2xLP (Mono-Tone)
Vinyl a reissue of Les Rallizes Dénudés’s historic performance from 1977 in Tachikawa. This double LP has everything Les Rallizes Dénudés are known for: ear piercing feedback, languid guitar strumming, wild reverberated solos, lurid volume, blasé vocals, and unbelievable intensity, combined for a total sensory assault. Revolutionary and psychedelic, the unlikely meeting of The Velvet Underground and the Japanese Red Army, Les Rallizes Dénudés are among the earliest and most outer Japanese psyche/noise rock ‘n’ roll bands who existed.
Mica Levi – Jackie [OST] LP+MP3 (Milan)
Mournful and eerie with a touch of the surreal, Levi has delivered an unmistakable musical tapestry every bit as iconic as Jackie O herself. The mastered-for-vinyl score comes pressed on 180gm LP and is housed in a heavy stock euro sleeve featuring black-and-white artwork of Jackie.
Abbey Lincoln – Abbey Is Blue [Reissue/1959] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
Abbey Lincoln was perhaps the most talented in a series of jazz singers to quickly follow in the footsteps of Billie Holiday.
Lydia Lunch – Honeymoon In Red [Reissue/1987] LP (Bang!)
A vinyl reissue of this masterpiece by Lydia Lunch, originally recorded in 1982 and released in 1987. Lydia Lunch recorded this album with The Birthday Party as well as other friends and mixed it at legendary B.C. Studio in Brooklyn. Performers include: Rowland S. Howard, Nick Cave, Tracy Pew, Mick Harvey, Genevieve Mcguckin, Thurston Moore and Barry Adamson.
Charles Mingus – The Eldridge Session LP (Doxy)
The great bassist and band leader Charles Mingus cut some of his most exciting and rewarding recordings in 1960. Taped during the apex of Mingus’s creativity, this incredible session showcases such stars as Roy Eldridge on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone, Tommy Flanagan on piano, and Jo Jones on drums. Clear vinyl pressing.
Minor Victories – Orchestral Variations 2xLP (Fat Possum)
The fantastic debut from members of Slowdive, Mogwai and The Editors has been reinterpreted as an orchestral arrangement. Standard black vinyl pressing.
Modern Art – Underwater Kites [1982] LP (Color Tapes)
First time reissue of Modern Art’s 1982 debut cassette album includes three previously unissued tracks from the album session. Welcome to the darkly enchanting minimal synth-pop and psych-tinged world of The Modern Art. As an introduction to the world of Coil and Current 93 collaborator Gary Ramon and his orbiting bandmates, you can’t do better. On Underwater Kites you will find examples of what was going on in England during the pinnacle of the post-punk scene-an inspired time that encouraged young musicians to develop music influenced by the likes of Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and Clock DVA.
Monopol – Weltweit [Reissue/1982] LP (Medical Records)
Inspired by the greats such as Kraftwerk, YMO and Klaus Schulze, Monopol crafted an exquisite collection of pop songs played on a very impressive collection of analog synthesizers, self-builds and drum machines that were considered cutting edge at the time.
Mordecai – Abstract Recipe LP (Richie)
Abstract Recipe is the fourth full-length from Mordecai of the great Upper Plains. Is it punk? Or garage? Post-punk? Indie rock? Blech – it’s a no-frills rock album that oughta perk up the ears of those interested in things like thwarted freedom, advanced mathematics, Lou Reed’s The Blue Mask, bum notes, and staring at the wall.
Morricone Youth – Mad Max LP (Morricone Youth)
Original live re-score composed and performed by Morricone Youth inspired by George Miller’s classic 1979 Australian dystopian action film. Limited transparent gold swirl color vinyl LP pressing.
Mouse On The Keys – Out Of Body LP (Topshelf)
Out Of Body is as dark as it is beautiful and its seamless transmutation between styles and genres is something that mouse on the keys become more confident on with every release. Out Of Body is a journey through the bands emotional and mental condition on both dark and incredibly touching subjects, which evokes feelings of empathy and also attainment.
My Cat Is An Alien & Jean Marc Montera – Union Of The Supreme Light LP (Starlight Furnature Inc.)
Joining Maurizio and Roberto Opalio on their fourth album for Starlight Furniture Co., legendary French-Corsican guitarist and co-founder of Groupe de Recherche et d’Improvisation Musicales brings his noisy lyricism to three long tracks of oddly sensual and animalistic space howl. As their past collaborations attest, My Cat Is An Alien’s self-sustaining biosphere is an environment where the surreal dreamscapes of mavericks and eccentrics flourish. On this live recording, Jean-Marc Montera’s home-made guitar table, objects, and electronics forge metallic ribbons that twitch between the distant clangs of gigantic spores, while Maurizio (on home-made double-bodied string instrument and effects) and Roberto (on alientronics, effects, and modified electronic devices) set worms adrift in a zero-gravity aviary stocked with narcotized satsuma fowl.
Naaahhh – Themes 12” (Blackest Ever Black)
Five tracks of dark-side slither from somewhere under London—sidereal downers for all hardcore ravers. The dread energy of grime and bleep techno distilled into pungent electroacoustic ooze. Paranoid street music meets the cosmic disturbances of musique concrete, the spine-freeze of isolationism and Nurse With Wound/Current 93/Coil’s England’s Hidden Reverse (2003). Staccato string stabs, murmured voices, black holes of reverb and pulverizing, body-numbing bass. Drums optional; Unwanted side-effects include nosebleeds, earaches, stomach cramps, and nausea.
The Nazgûl – De Expugnatione Elfmuth [2002] LP (Zolfo)
Nazgûl was a mysterious two-piece band formed in 1996 in Monreale, a small village right outside of Palermo, Sicily. Their peculiar history and the consequent “cult” status, built within the extreme metal scene, makes them a story all their own. The due was inspired by Tolkien’s literature (Nazgûl is a word from the “Black Speech” used to indicate the nine men corrupted by Sauron, and transformed into his dark and deathless servants) and the first wave of European black metal. De Expugnatione Elfmuth is a wonderful example of folk-black metal.
Nine Pound Shadow – Nine Pound Shadow 12” (Columbia)
New EP from the Bay Area pop duo.
Nuclear Simphony – Lost In Wonderland [Reissue/1980] LP (Zolfo)
Recorded in Berlin in 1988 with engineer Harris Johns (Sodom, Voivod, Kreator), Lost In Wonderland is still considered by many as an unmissable chapter in European thrash metal history, and the absolute masterpiece for this criminally underrated band, whose place is deserved right next to Schizo and Incinerator—the “holy trinity” of the Sicilian ’80s thrash metal scene.
Opeth – Orchid [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Opeth – Morningrise [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Opeth – My Arms, Your Hearse [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Limited 180gm color vinyl reissues of the Swedish prog metal band’s first three albums.
Panda Bear – Young Prayer [Reissue/2004] LP (My Animal Home)
Noah Lennox, aka Panda Bear, aka one-fourth of the founding members of Animal Collective. Young Prayer is his second full length solo album, and was recorded in Panda Bear’s childhood home in 2002 by Deakin and further produced by the mysterious Animal Collective brothers known as Come Winter.
PARTYNEXTDOOR – PX3 2xLP (OVO Sound)
Released last autumn on CD – now available on vinyl. PARTYNEXTDOOR is a 21-year old all-caps producer, songwriter and singer from Mississauga, Ontario, who has some affiliation with Canadian superstar Drake.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Feed The Rats LP (Rocket Recordings)
Channeling the grimy trip hazards of Monster Magnet’s Spine Of God (1991) through a prism of kraut-derived repetition and Part Chimp style bloody-mindedness, the resulting hallucinatory vortex appears constantly on the realm of breaking point. A feverish and demented collision of psych-drone dementia and riff-driven salvation.
Poison Idea – War All The Time [Reissue/1987] LP (TKO)
Long a favorite of diehard Poison Idea fans, War All The Time was a pivotal moment in the punk band’s evolution. With the addition of a second guitarist, and the debut of legendary powerhouse drummer Steve “Thee Slayer Hippie” Handford, this album established the direction Poison Idea would follow into the second decade of their career. Pressed on red vinyl.
Pontiak – Sun On Sun [Reissue/2006] LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Pontiak’s Thrill Jockey debut Sun On Sun is back on vinyl after being sold out for over 8 years. This 2017 re-issue is pressed on virgin vinyl, freshly cut at TruTone Mastering and includes a free download card. “Pontiak could tear the roof off any coliseum with their arena-sized riffs. Hailing from rural Virginia, the Carney brothers — Van, Jennings and Lain — have crafted a long string of albums filled with fuzzy, feedback-laden neo-psych stoner jams” — NPR Music/KEXP
Rank / Xerox – M.Y.T.H. 12” (Adagio830)
Rank / Xerox from San Francisco finally return with four songs of messy post-punk with hidden pop jams and dark guitar scratchers and synth screamers. Distorting messy and catchy at the same time.
Max Roach – We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite [Reissue/1960] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
Max Roach’s 1960 masterwork We Insist! is a suite based on the Civil Rights Movement, and involves variations on the theme of the struggle for African Americans to achieve equality in the United States, a struggle that is still all too relevant. Roach began composing with lyricist Oscar Brown Jr. in 1959, with the initial intention of having the suite performed in 1963, on the 100th anniversary of The Emancipation Proclamation. Featuring the wonderful Abbey Lincoln on vocals, as well as Booker Little, Julian Priester, Coleman Hawkins, Olatunji, and more, We Insist! is a truly stunning album, one that knows no equal from that time or since.
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Plankton [OST] LP (Milan)
Plankton is a unique artistic collaboration between biologist Christian Sardet, artist Shiro Takatani and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2016 at the Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, the three men created an art installation showcasing Sardet’s unbelievable images of microscopic plankton paired with a video installation by Takatani and music composed by Sakamoto. Elegant and astral, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s musical contribution is now available as a standalone release.
The Archie Shepp-Bill Dixon Quartet – The Archie Shepp-Bill Dixon Quartet [Reissue/1962] LP (Jeanne Dielman)
The debut as a leader for both Archie Shepp and Bill Dixon, two formidable members of the free jazz and avant-garde elite. Rounding out the quartet are bassists Reggie Workman and Don Moore, and drummers Paul Cohen and Howard McRae, each on various tracks. While the album undoubtedly swings, this piano-less quartet definitely prefigures the trailblazing free jazz work the two leaders would be involved in for the remainder of the decade, and beyond. An essential piece of early free jazz.
The Shirelles – Tonight’s The Night [Reissue/1961] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
The Shirelles – Shirelles Sing To Trumpets And Strings [Reissue/1961] LP+MP3 (Cornbread)
The pride of Passaic, New Jersey, The Shirelles were formed in 1957 by four friends from high school. After some early singles with chart success, they released their debut album in 1961, Tonight’s The Night. Blending pop with doo-wop and R&B sensibilities, along with songwriting from the classic team of Goffin/King, Tonight’s The Night is notable for “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, the very first Billboard #1 hit pop single from an African-American girl group.
Sinoath – Research [1995] LP (Zolfo)
A popular name in the tape trading years of thrash metal, Catania, Sicily’s renowned death metal band Sinoath’s first two demos Forged In Blood from 1991 and Still In The Grey Dying from 1993 allowed the band to build a huge legion of fans all over Europe, mainly thanks to their huge use of keyboards and their professional approach to studio recording. Research was their first full length, originally released in 1995 on the small Polyphemus label right before going into a hiatus that lasted many years (their follow up is from 2007), a fact which did not help Sinoath reach the popularity they deserved. A pure gem of melodic old school black/death metal, Research finds this underground group of the Italian extreme metal scene at the peak of their powers.
Sleep – Sleep’s Holy Mountain [Reissue/1992] LP (Earache)
Limited edition “Full Dynamic Range” purple color vinyl pressing of this stoner rock classic.
Sparrow Steeple – Steeple Two LP (Richie)
Lightly swirling wah. Is-it-wrong-or-is-it-right leads. Intermittent odd percussion flourishes. Songs about shrimp rolls to go. Loosey goosey warbling atmosphere turned to 10. This is the world of Sparrow Steeple, comprised of almost all of Philly’s legendary Strapping Fieldhands fronted by noted visual artist Barry Goldberg.
Sum 41 – All Killer No Filler [Reissue/2001] LP (Island)
Formed by four members from rival high school bands in Toronto, Sum 41 developed their fun and funky sound while touring with bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Offspring and Blink 182. Their second album, All Killer No Filler, features punk mixed with metal, hip-hop and rock, and includes the single “Fat Lip.” 150gm.
The Telescopes – The Telescopes [Reissue/1992] LP (Radiation Deluxe)
Vinyl reissue of The Telescopes’s self-titled second album, originally released on Creation in 1992. Formed in 1987, these British shoegaze/space-rock mainstays drew inspiration from the ’60s psych and rock scene, particularly The Velvet Underground, The 13th Floor Elevators, Love, and The Byrds, as well as contemporaries such as My Bloody Valentine, and The Jesus & Mary Chain.
Fred Thomas – Changer LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Following the release of his critically-lauded 2015 album All Are Saved, songwriter/producer Fred Thomas entered a period of enormous transition. He quit his job, got married and moved to Canada, all between multiple tours that ran the spectrum from sold out opening slots to sleeping in the car after empty gigs. At the end of yet another tour he returned to Athens, Georgia, to again work with producer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Mothers) on an album aiming to encapsulate the nonstop changes that had sprung out of this phase of his life. Naturally, this record is named Changer. Limited yellow color vinyl pressing.
Gregg Turner – Chartbusterz LP (Feeding Tube)
Opening track, “Kremlin Dogs,” with stinging lead autoharp by Billy Bill Miller (of Blieb Alien and Cold Sun) should remind everyone how deeply involved Turner was with Roky Erickson’s post-prison revival. Roaring psych puss of the highest order. “The Box,” Turner’s splattery next chapter to the tale begun by the Velvets with “The Gift,” is another chunk of most excellent gore. As is the solid garage grunt of “Look In The Mirror.”
Twin Limb – Haplo LP (Suretone)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Twin Limb is a trio from Louisville, KY formed by Maryliz Bender (drums, vocals), Lacey Guthrie (accordion, vocals), and Kevin Ratterman (sampled sounds, guitar, percussion), who have also served as Jim James’ backup band. Guthrie’s accordion does some very sinister things, underpinning the music with a luxurious darkness that connects folk and psychedelia. It’s the same with the vocals, as Guthrie and Bender wrap their voices one around the other like they’re telling secrets, creating another bridge between the familiar and the disarming. Bender keeps the drums simple and purposeful, often parsing out her beats in short, sharp bursts with a precision that never feels forced. Ratterman is the final wild card, using guitars and samples in unexpected ways that feel both post-punk and experimental. “While some records want to take you to another world or aspect of your being, this novel/album is all about another, picturesque dimension. Although Haplo is loaded with so much human sentiment, that you might find yourself crying from its pretty words and rhythms, i.e. “Sara”, what makes it phenomenal is that it seems from another dimension. In this dimension, magic is not only real, but it enacted by your feelings with light emanating from love and darkness descending from doubt, which is true of one’s spirit.” – Diandra Reviews It All
Uranium Club – All Of Them Naturals LP (Static Shock)
All Of Them Naturals is a fully realized, inclusive world of faux-corporation sponsored surrealist new wave punk music rife with satire and discordance. Robotically tight. Delightfully warped. Ideas as vast as Nebraska’s GMO cornfields and as lethal as the pesticides they spray on them.
Urochromes – Night Bully 7” (Wharf Cat)
Urochromes continue an amazing run with the release of their first fully realized extended player, Night Bully. The A-Side is comprised of three full throttle and perfectly condensed punk songs, while the B-Side charts new territory for the group.
Various Artists – Hillbillies In Hell Vol. 3 LP (Iron Mountain Analogue Research)
More unknown and unheralded Hillbillies and Delinquent Hayseed Balladeers. They croon. They yodel. And the flames leap ever higher. Cut on microscopic or private-press labels and distributed in minuscule amounts, these Tormented Troubadours sing of Satan, His diabolical offspring, the Grim Reaper, sinful trysts, suicide, murder, Devil trains, inebriates, cuckolds and lustful cadavers—all in one handy LP package. 16 timeless testaments of sin, tribulation, cold graves and warm temptations.
Various Artists – Ishq Ke Maare: Sufi Songs From Sindh And Punjab, Pakistan LP (Sublime Frequencies)
A searing assemblage of Islamic Sufi spiritual music from the hinterlands of Sindh and Punjab, this compilation marks Sublime Frequencies’ debut release of field recordings from Pakistan. Recorded and compiled by Arshia Tatima Haq, founder of Discostan—a collective of artists from an imagined federation of states from Beirut to Bangkok via Bombay—this is a rare, unfiltered collection of devotional music ranging from hypnotic solo instrumentals and vocal lamentations to euphoric ensemble qawwalis. Presenting voices that are imperiled in the country’s contemporary political landscape—where renowned singers are assassinated in broad daylight and performance spaces are regularly bombed—this record continues Haq’s ongoing project of engaging complex and controversial Islamic practices and rituals that operate in resistance to religious orthodoxy.
Various Artists – Macondo Revisitado: Roots Of Subtropical Music – Uruguay 1975-1979 LP (Vampisoul)
Macondo Revisitado features a selection of some of the best recordings from Uruguayan independent label Macondo between 1975 and 1979. Artists emulated tropical music styles popular in Caribbean and Central American countries like Cuba (guaguancó, guaracha), Puerto Rico, Panama (bomba, plena, merengue) and Colombia (porro, vallenato, cumbia), but within this process of adaptation and hybridization, elements, procedures and codes spawned a music that possesses its own post-territorial identity and universe.
Various Artists – The Sounds Of Durban Vol. 1 LP (Gqom Oh!)
“Gqom (pronounced Gome) is a blistering variant of South African house which finds its roots in the coastal city of Durban. Like lots of the home-brewed genres of music in South Africa and beyond, a treasure trove of tracks is easily available on the Internet. The 15 tracks that compose Sounds Of Durban Vol. 1 successfully capture the very essence of gqom: the rough-and-tumble vibe, the impressionistic and asymmetrical kickdrums, the hypnotic chanting, and the music’s brash youthfulness.” [8.1] — Pitchfork
Watchout! – Revive The Vibe LP (BYM)
The band goes further into Latin psych adding some heavy riffs that could convert any person into Watchout!’s cult and become part of the fuzz ritual. Songs that go in the Hendrix line end up as an amazing one-shot jam and tunes that follow a classic composition with catchy-mellow choruses that turn into an epic riff.
Cassettes:
Allison Crutchfield – Tourist In This Town (Merge)
Alabama native Allison Crutchfield has immersed herself in music since her teenage years, forming notable bands such as P.S. Eliot and Bad Banana (both with her twin sister Katie of Waxahatchee). In 2012, she co-founded Swearin’—the band in which she would truly begin to formulate and understand her full potential as a songwriter. Tourist In This Town recorded with Jeff Zeigler, who is known for his work with Kurt Vile, Steve Gunn, and Mary Lattimore, among others. His synthesizer collection and related expertise proved an alluring draw for Crutchfield, who had started incorporating synths into her work when she branched off into a solo career.
Ty Segall – Ty Segall (Drag City)
“A clean flow; something real for a world that doesn’t know what it’s holding. Ty keeps us guessing while splashing our collective face with no shortage of astringent tunes of all colors.”
Sleater-Kinney – Live In Paris (Sub Pop)
Live In Paris is the first official record of Sleater-Kinney’s famously blistering stage performance. The thirteen-track album, which features Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss, and touring member Katie Harkin, was captured on March 20th, 2015 at the Paris’s historic La Cigale venue, during the band’s sold-out, international tour in support of their acclaimed eighth album, 2015’s No Cities To Love.
Tobin Sprout – The Universe & Me (Burger)
“Former Guided By Voices multi-instrumentalist Tobin Sprout has lived inside the vast universe of indie rock for most of his adult life, but his sixth solo album deals more with the universe of his own imagination — a sprawling, imperfect place filled with melodic treasures hidden amid waves of glorious distortion. The Universe And Me is the product of a lifetime of knowledge in more ways than one. Its lyrical content explores the gap between childhood and adulthood, alternating between a kind of sweet naivety and a heartbroken understanding of life’s many tragedies. Its production is similarly all over the place, focusing more on feel than on any kind of unified aesthetic. The result is raw, honest, and oftentimes revelatory.” – Consequence Of Sound
Fred Thomas – Changer (Polyvinyl)
Following the release of his critically-lauded 2015 album All Are Saved, songwriter/producer Fred Thomas entered a period of enormous transition. He quit his job, got married and moved to Canada, all between multiple tours that ran the spectrum from sold out opening slots to sleeping in the car after empty gigs. At the end of yet another tour he returned to Athens, Georgia, to again work with producer Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Mothers) on an album aiming to encapsulate the nonstop changes that had sprung out of this phase of his life. Naturally, this record is named Changer.
Various Artists – Sensate Silk (100% Silk)
To commemorate the label’s catalog centennial 100% Silk spread its threads coast to coast and station to station for 11 faded blazers and future classics from a fresh cast of characters spanning Okayama to Berlin, England to Echo Park, Boston to British Columbia. Despite such distances the rhythms run parallel: lithe, low-lit, lush, and lost in sense memory. Sensate Silk swirls 75 minutes of smeared neon house, glitter decadence, skyscraper shuffle, flatliner acid, lovesick loops, mutant pulse, rave reverie, and tactile electronics into an expansive voyage of motion, mood, and meaning. Roster includes: Keita Sano, Cromie, Sage Caswell, Inoue Shirabe, Jack Novin, Donny, Badia, PARC, Helios Mode, Nackt, Westcoast Goddess.
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