CDs + Vinyl:
AMSG – Hostis Universi Generis CD (Profound Lore)
Canada’s A.M.S.G. is one of the strangest and most controversial bands in the scene today, upholding the true ancient spirt of black metal with no compromise whatsoever. Their outsider death-worship Luciferian artistry sets them apart from all others practicing the craft. Elongated, melancholic yet vitriolic, these ritual-like hymns dedicate themselves to rejuvenating the black light. [Vinyl edition due September 9.]
Barb Wire Dolls – Desperate CD (Motörhead Music)
Electrifying rock of this magnitude did not go unnoticed by the elder statesman of the Sunset Strip, the incomparable, irreplaceable Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead. After seeing Barb Wire Dolls live, Lemmy took an immediate interest in the band and placed them under his supportive wing. [Vinyl edition due August 12.]
The Bevis Frond – Any Gas Faster [Reissue/1990] CD/2xLP (Fire America)
The Bevis Frond – New River Head [Reissue/1991] CD/2xLP (Fire America)
The Bevis Frond – London Stone [Reissue/1992] CD/2xLP (Fire America)
Influential British psych-rock/folk back in print on CD and vinyl. “The main strength of the Bevis Frond is the exquisite songwriting, with pithy and poignant lyrics delivered in a very uncompromising English roots accent. Artists such as Teenage Fanclub, Elliott Smith and Mary Lou Lord have covered their songs, while he’s played with Current 93, The Hawklords, Oneida and Arthur Lee of Love, amongst many others — ” The Quietus
Billy Talent – Afraid Of Heights CD/2xCD (The End)
Fifth album from the Canadian alt-rock/punk band. [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a disc of demo versions.]
Bouncing Souls – Simplicity CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
Tenth studio album from the New Jersey punk veterans. “We set out to recapture the spirit of our earlier songs, not over-thought or over-produced. In the studio our goal was to keep it raw and real, the feeling of a band playing live.” [Limited copies pressed on ‘blood red’ color vinyl.]
David Bowie – Earthling [Reissue/1997] CD (Rhino/Parlophone)
Reissue of the 20th studio album by David Bowie, originally released in February 1997. The album showcases an electronica-influenced sound partly inspired by the industrial and drum and bass culture of the 1990s. This was the first album Bowie self-produced since his 1974 album Diamond Dogs. Includes the song “I’m Afraid Of Americans.”
Ben Chatwin – Heat & Entropy CD/LP (Ba Da Bing!)
Ben Chatwin begins his 2016 album with an instrument you’d least expect — a dulcitone. Created in the late 19th century, the keyboard hits tuning forks with felt hammers, sounding like an ornate music box. It serves as the perfect lead in to Heat & Entropy, whose title refers to how introducing heat (energy) and entropy (chaos) into any given system can create life, exploring the blurring lines between man and machine.
Gensu Dean & Denmark Vessey – Whole Food CD/LP (Mello Music)
Gensu Dean has produced for David Banner, Large Professor, Roc Marciano, and more, while Denmark Vessey has had his praises sung by the likes of Earl Sweatshirt. [Limited splatter color vinyl edition also available.]
Death Grips – Bottomless Pit CD/LP (Harvest)
“Bottomless Pit finds Ride (aka Stefan Burnett), producer Flatlander (aka Andy Morin), and drummer Zach Hill in their most cohesive and incendiary form since 2012’s The Money Store. Flatlander obfuscates and annihilates seemingly insurmountable soundscapes with the help of Hill’s passioned and precise drumming, as well as Ride’s occultist and misanthropic rage. All of this is focused through a new lens where the band’s actions no longer dictate their relevance — Death Grips are Death Grips because of what they make, not what they do. Bottomless Pit is Death Grips 2.0, as promised.” – Consequence Of Sound
Jason Derulo – Platinum Hits CD (WB)
Jason Derulo signed to Beluga Heights in 2009 after producing and writing songs for the likes of Birdman, Lil Wayne, Diddy, Danity Kane, Sean Kingston and Cassie. The talented performer has toured with Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas. [Vinyl edition TBA.]
Descendents – Hypercaffium Spazzinate CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
On their first album in 12 years, vocalist Milo Aukerman, drummer Bill Stevenson, guitarist Stephen Egerton, and bassist Karl Alvarez channel an energy just as raw and jittery as in their earliest days—a time when the band was driven by the equally mighty forces of “rejection, food, coffee, girls, fishing, and food.” Hypercaffium Spazzinate began taking shape soon after the Descendents surfaced from extended hiatus for a series of gigs in 2010. With Milo now living in Delaware, Karl and Bill in Colorado, and Stephen in Oklahoma, the album came to life over a three-year period in which the band sent tracks back and forth and occasionally met up in Karl and Bill’s adopted hometown of Fort Collins. “Since the dawn of rock-and-roll every band’s tried to pretend they exist in the age group of 18 to 35, no matter how old they get,” says Karl. “But this band’s very honest about the fact that we’re not teenagers anymore.” “Each time we make a record it’s almost like the first time all over again,” says Bill. “There’s a quote from Ornette Coleman about how the song is the territory, and what you do with the song is the adventure. We’re definitely still going on all these little adventures together.” [CD is available in regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds five bonus tracks. Limited white vinyl pressing also available.]
D Generation – Nothing Is Anywhere CD/LP (MRI/Bastard Basement)
D Generation – Jesse Malin, Danny Sage, Howie Pyro, Richard Bacchus and Michael Wildwood – is widely regarded as one of the most unsung rock ‘n’ roll bands of the past 25 years. Nothing Is Anywhere is their first album in seventeen years, and is a first-or-second-take album, recorded in basements under Avenue A and the Magic Shop in NYC. On the autobiographical “Apocalypse Kids,” D Generation might have summed up their story in four lines: “slip through the cracks like a criminal / lost in a packet full of chemicals / from 7th Street to The New York Times.” “We grew up together as misfits who always turned towards music as an escape and a way out,” says Jesse. “We always had each other.” “Bands should be a gang, a brotherhood,” adds Malin, who began playing music with Danny in Queens at age of 13. “We’ve all known each other forever,” says Sage. “We’re like a weird family that you can never leave, but somehow it all makes sense.”
Eerie – Eerie CD/LP (Tee Pee)
Frightening black metal/hard rock hybrid Eerie delivers a lycanthropic lashing with their self-titled debut. “Don’t be a fink, sink your teeth into this toothsome and gruesome new group, Eerie. This creature feature has our vote for the beast music of the year” — Famous Monsterz. [Limited ‘swamp green’ color vinyl also available.]
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus [Reissue/1971] 2xCD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pictures At An Exhibition [Reissue/1971] 2xCD/LP (BMG Rights Management)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – The Anthology 3xCD (BMG Rights Management)
Latest in the ongoing reissue series of ELP’s back catalog. Emerson, Lake & Palmer were one of the most successful, innovative and ground breaking British groups of the golden age of progressive rock. Produced by Greg Lake, The Anthology gathers 39 tracks from the years 1970 to 1998.
Fantasia – The Definition Of… CD (RCA)
Fifth studio album by the R&B vocalist. Fantasia worked with producers Ron Fair, Brian Kennedy, Neff-U, Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon and GRADES on the album.
Fea – Fea CD/LP (Blackheart)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. Fea’s self-titled full-length was produced by Laura Jane Grace (Against Me!), Lori Barbero (Babes In Toyland) and Alice Bag (The Bags). Fea is a new band from Girl In A Coma’s Jenn Alva and Phanie Diaz a unique riot grrrl resurgence with a Chicana punk edge from San Antonio, TX. The album is a fierce, melodic exploration of societal, cultural, and gender-related issues. Includes a zine featuring exclusive content.
The Foreshadowing – Seven Heads Ten Horns CD (Metal Blade/Cyclone Empire)
New album from the Italian gothic/doom metal band.
Future Generations – Future Generations CD (French Kiss)
It’s been nearly five years since Eddie Gore, Mike Sansevere and Eric Grossman serendipitously first met at Fordham University. Five years since they were admitted into a small, integrated community freshmen dorm that, replete with a built-in practice room and a piano in the foyer, encouraged artistic collaboration. As is natural of strangers in a strange new place, they bonded over a shared interest: in their case, a nerd-like, academic appreciation of all forms of musicianship. On Future Generations, Eddie’s lyrical transfixions reveal a man eager to burst forth from the confines of collegiate ennui, but still pondering the same existential quandaries that unfailingly tend to catch his imagination. And the fuel for such escape comes from a formulaic synthesis of soaring guitar hooks and pulsing synths.
Get Dead – Honesty Lives Elsewhere CD (Fat Wreck Chords)
No shtick. No posturing. Just straight up, from the heart, punk rock. [Vinyl edition due August 19.]
Ghoul – Dungeon Bastards CD/LP (Tankcrimes)
Creepsylvania’s favorite hooded, cannibal splatterthrashers, Ghoul, are back with their fifth studio album. “Ghoul!! This dirty mofo rips!!” — Kirk Hammett. [Limited splatter color vinyl also available.]
Steve Hackett – The Total Experience Live In Liverpool 2xCD+2xDVD (Inside Out Music)
New live recording of prog rock guitarist Steve Hackett’s 2015 Acolyte To Wolflight with Genesis Revisited Tour on its stop in the northwest English city of Liverpool. Comprising incendiary guitar work with majestic melodies and transcendental keys, The Total Experience Live In Liverpool celebrates the 40th anniversary of Hackett’s first solo effort, Voyage Of The Acolyte, and his 2015 solo album, Wolflight, as well as a set list paying tribute to his former band Genesis. Along with the concert film, the accompanying double-DVD includes a half hour behind-the-scenes video featuring interviews with Hackett himself, his band members, the touring crew, and others. [Stand-alone Blu-ray edition also available.]
Gary Hoey – Dust & Bones CD/LP+MP3 (Provogue)
Dust & Bones showcases Gary Hoey’s fender stratocaster-driven fury, alongside open-d-tuned resonator guitars, plugged into half-stacks. The massive sonic attack was essential for paying sincere and appropriate homage to some of Hoey’s influences, including Johnny Winter (“Steamroller”), Robin Trower (“This Time Tomorrow”), and Brian Setzer (“Who’s Your Daddy”), as well as a thrill-a-minute mash up of Robert Johnson meets Led Zeppelin (“Boxcar Blues”). There’s also a classic power ballad (“Coming Home”) where Lita Ford sings a duet with Hoey.
Jinjer – King Of Everything CD (Napalm)
Being the Ukraine’s best-kept extreme metal secret, the technically sophisticated four-piece Jinjer represent an incredibly catchy mix of metalcore, djent, hardcore, and groove metal.
Kohti Tuhoa – Rutiinin Orja CD/LP (Southern Lord)
Debut album from the incendiary Helsinki hardcore punk band. “Irresistible pogo beats and pit parts pile on top of each other with reckless abandon, and thick waves of drum rolls provide a dangerous velocity over which Discharge-influenced guitars chug and wail.” – The Gauntlet
Joe Lovano – Classic: Live At Newport CD (Blue Note)
Classic: Live At Newport captures the quartet’s entire six-song set, which opened with the swaggering Lovano blues “Big Ben” and featured songs drawn from the band’s studio albums including two songs written by Hank’s brother Thad Jones (“Don’t Ever Leave Me” and “Kids Are Pretty People”) before closing with a rollicking performance of Oliver Nelson’s “Six And Four” to wild applause.
Lori McKenna – The Bird & The Rifle CD/LP (CN Music)
Produced by Dave Cobb, McKenna’s tenth studio album revels in the routines and events that may seem mundane but are the most important, transcendent moments of our lives. The Bird & The Rifle proves that the worlds of Cobb and McKenna were meant to overlap. The Grammy-winning producer behind albums from Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, and more, Cobb has emerged as a modern master of capturing the grizzled beauty in imperfection.
Mendrugo – More Amor CD/LP+MP3 (Fire America)
Emerging from the shadows of Josephine Foster’s acclaimed Spanish Songs collaborations with The Victor Herrero Band, comes Mendrugo, featuring Josephine and brothers Victor and Jose Luis Herrero, effortlessly bending Andalusian tradition into a wider canvass, bursting with a joyful celebration of indefinable style and song. Led by the infamous Hermanos Herrero — Víctor and José Luis — along with their Foster sister, Josephine, and in the fine company of other notable guests (namely Japanese free wind enthusiast Taku and Asturian folclórica Lorena Alvarez) a gathering of infrequent impossibility.
Modest Mouse – Night On The Sun [Reissue/1999] CD/EP/12” (Glacial Pace)
Originally released as a 700 CD limited run in Japan in 1999, Night On The Sun features alternate versions of tracks that later appeared on The Moon & Antarctica and Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks.
National Park Radio – The Great Divide CD (MRI)
A new modern folk record from the Ozark Mountains, AR based National Park Radio.
Thee Oh Sees – Live In San Francisco CD/2xLP+DVD (Castle Face)
Recently released on vinyl – now available on CD. “Perched in the belfry of The Chapel, we caught thee mighty Oh Sees, alive and in their natural element, with our shutters aflutter and our tapes on a roll.”
Ela Orleans – Circles Of Upper And Lower Hell CD/LP (Night School)
A grand, deep work by the Polish-born, Glasgow-based sound artist and composer. From her beginnings inaugurating a lo-fi, homespun style that has since developed fully into a language uniquely her own, from tentative live outings featuring multiple instruments to a now-masterly command of sound, Orleans has become one of the most consistently surprising musicians of the global underground. The seventh album under her own name, this expansive vision, loosely based on Dante’s Inferno but infused with deep personal experience, incorporates sound art, orchestral textures, synth pop and electronic music to construct a world equally peppered with loss and inspiration.
Owen – The King Of Whys CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)
Owen – the solo musical guise of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mike Kinsella – releases the first work in his two-decade-plus career to be made entirely outside of his beloved Chicago home base. The King Of Whys was produced by S. Carey over 18 days last winter at Justin Vernon’s April Base Studios in Eau Claire, WI. Songs like “The Desperate Act” and “Sleep Is A Myth” remain spare but with a distinctly outward shift in scope, their open-armed sonic range a perfect foil to Kinsella’s evocative explorations of marriage, melancholia, and modern middle age.
Fraught with hurt and wry humor, The King Of Whys is a portrait of a restless artist grappling with doubt and ghosts of the past but searching for meaning through candor, creativity, and an ardent need for emotional release.
Jake Owen – American Love CD/LP (Sony Music Nashville)
Fifth studio album from the country singer/songwriter. Grammy, CMA and ACM winner Chris Stapleton is a co-writer and featured background vocals on “If He Ain’t Gonna Love You”. Hillary Lindsey provides harmonies on “Where I Am” and “When You Love Someone”.
John Prine – In Spite Of Ourselves CD/LP+MP3 (Oh Boy)
The songwriter’s songwriter takes a curious turn with his first studio album since 1995’s Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings with this collection of duets (mostly covers). “On In Spite Of Ourselves, Prine penned only the hysterically coarse title track, opting instead to coo a slew of classic lovin’-and-losin’ country tunes with Iris DeMent, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Connie Smith, Trisha Yearwood, Melba Montgomery, Patty Loveless, Fiona Prine, and Dolores Keane. Given Prine’s ragged-but-right voice, the effect is something akin to casting a grizzled character actor opposite Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. And you know what? It’d probably still be a charming (albeit very different) movie, because romantic comedies, like country duets, are all about chemistry, which is something In Spite Of Ourselves has in excess” – Rolling Stone. [Limited edition numbered 180gm translucent red color vinyl pressing also available.]
Ringworm – Snake Church CD/LP (Relapse)
Legendary Cleveland quintet Ringworm discharge their eighth full-length album — a 12-track, 30-plus minute testament of vicious aggression.
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel CD/LP (Silver Arrow)
When the Chris Robinson Brotherhood headed into the studio to begin recording their fourth album, Any Way You Love, We Know How You Feel, no one knew just what to expect. These would be the band’s first recordings with new drummer Tony Leone (Ollabelle, Levon Helm), their first since the departure of founding bassist Mark “Muddy” Dutton,” and their first time producing themselves. But as anybody who’s been following the CRB can attest, this is a band that thrives on the unexpected. “Instead of seeing these things as challenges, we started to see them as something exciting,” explains Robinson. “It was an opportunity to see where our expression could take us. Some people get really uptight when they’re making records, but for us, the looser it gets the better. It’s all about taking our intuition and following it to where our ideas can really manifest themselves. This turned out to be the most spontaneous record I’ve ever been a part of.” Not coincidentally, Robinson also cites it as perhaps the best recording experience of his life. The band relocated to northern California for the sessions, recording on the side of a mountain overlooking the foggy Pacific Ocean and channeling the natural majesty and melancholic weather of their surroundings into the album’s eight, epic, immersive tracks.
Mykal Rose – Rasta State CD/LP (VP)
On Rasta State Mykal’s state of the nation lyrics are perfectly wedded to a crucial set of made to measure rhythms from King Jammy, a return to reggae music with a message.
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family – Love Remains CD (Capitol Nashville)
New release from Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott & The Scott Family. The collection of 13 songs features Hillary’s mom Linda Davis, father Lang Scott and little sister Rylee Scott, all produced by Ricky Skaggs.
September Mourning – Volume II CD (Sumerian)
If Marilyn Manson and X-Men‘s Storm had a kid, it would be September Mourning.
Joseph C. Smith’s Orchestra – Songs Of The Night: Dance Recordings By Joseph C. Smith Orchestra, 1916-1925 2xCD (Archeophone)
It took a violin virtuoso leading the band at an upscale New York hotel to turn the world of dance records upside down. Eschewing the cold, impersonal arrangements of military bands, Joseph C. Smith brought a warmth and intimacy to the soundtrack of the 1910s dance craze — always with taste and discipline. He reinvigorated the waltz, helped standardize the fox trot, incorporated vocal refrains, and introduced many future classics. Featuring 47 tracks recorded between 1916 and 1925, these two CDs and 32-page booklet tell the story of Smith’s career and the innovations he pioneered.
Rett Smith – Obscuro CDEP (Inkind Music)
Rett Smith’s distinct musicality conjures up hard luck blues, outlaw country, 1960s garage, and early rock n’ roll. He writes storyteller songs that he sings with a honeyed drawl that’s both paternal and penetrating. His aesthetic draws from a heritage of ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s country and blues artists passed down by his father that includes such artists as Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, Reverend Gary Davis, and Buddy Guy.
Soundtrack – Game Of Thrones Season 6 CD (Watertower Music)
Original music composed by Ramin Djawadi for the sixth season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. [Vinyl edition due September 30.]
Soundtrack – Star Trek Beyond CD (Varese Sarabande)
Music by Michael Giacchino (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Jurrassic Park reboot).
Thank You Scientist – Stranger Heads Prevail CD/2xLP+MP3 (Evil Ink)
Thank You Scientist is a prog rock band from Montclair, NJ. [Limited copies pressed on green vinyl.]
True Neutral Crew – Soft Rules 2xCD (Deathbomb Arc)
Debut album from True Neutral Crew, an experimental hip-hop collective that pulls together musicians from Deathbomb Arc’s extensive roster. This double disc set includes both of TNC’s early mixtapes as well as their one-off tracks. “…a supergroup that aims to weird out any musical purist that dare stand tall. Their specialty is just mixing hip-hop with experimental punk in ways you would have never imagined.”—Afropunk
Valient Thorr – Old Salt CD/LP+MP3 (Napalm)
Valient Thorr is a wild ass rock ‘n’ roll band said to hail from inside of the planet Venus.
Various Artists – Cold Waves Of Color 3 CD (Color Tapes)
Released on vinyl last February — now available on CD. The third volume in this essential series of the 1980s UK cassette underground scene. The majority of these tracks from these UK garage cold wave bands used mostly synthesizer, drum machines and sequencers such as EMS VCS3, Minimoog, Korg MS-20, Roland Juno 6, SH-09, TR-808—so you know how they could sound. These machines today are part of the history of the development of electronic music in the UK.
Various Artists – Quiero Creedence CD (Concord)
With John Fogerty’s autobiography released late last year, the legacy of Creedence Clearwater Revival remains, and it’s worth noting that their influence ran far and deep beyond American rock fans alone. Nowhere is that more apparent than on Quiero Creedence. This Latin-inspired, multilingual tribute album to Creedence Clearwater Revival includes covers of the band’s greatest songs by some of the world’s most popular Latin artists, including: Juan Gabriel, Bunbury, Andrés Calamaro, Enjambre, Los Enanitos Verdes, Juanes, Los Lonely Boys, Ozomatli, La Marisoul from La Santa Cecilia, El Tri, Diamante Eléctrico, Los Lobos, as well as Billy Gibbons. As these names indicate, the set (the title of which translates as “I Want Creedence”) spans a variety of genres and decades.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To Blues Women CD (World Music Network)
From the classic blues of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey to female country blues pioneers Memphis Minnie and Geeshie Wiley, this Rough Guide explores the hugely significant and often overlooked role that women have played in the story of the blues. Includes selections from both the urban and rural female blues singers who played a pivotal role in the development of the genre.
Various Artists – Rough Guide To Ethiopian Jazz CD (World Music Network)
Swinging Addis is thriving once again, with the distinctive ancient-sounding tones of Ethiopia blending with modern jazz interpretations to create an unmistakable fusion. From the legendary innovators Mulatu Astatke and Getatchew Mekuria to today’s new generation of artists, this Rough Guide celebrates Ethiopian jazz artists have pushed the boundaries of the genre.
Brian Wilson – Brian Wilson and Friends CD+DVD/Blu-ray (BMG Rights Management)
This live set was recorded live in Las Vegas for Chicago television’s Soundstage program, in December 2014. This special originally aired on PBS in April 2015 and was offered as a pledge piece for PBS in DVD and Blu-ray configurations. This is the first time an audio CD has been offered and bonus tracks have been added not included in the original PBS airing. The program features Brian Wilson’s phenomenal touring band (including long-time Beach Boys sidemen Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar) along with special guests Mark Isham, Kacey Musgraves, Nate Ruess (front man of Fun) and She & Him. [Stand-alone Blu-ray edition also available.
Zodiac – Grain Of Soul CD/LP (Napalm)
Fourth full-length album by the riff-laden German rock four-piece.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Steve Hackett – The Total Experience Live In Liverpool Blu-ray (Inside Out Music)
Filmed and recorded during 2015’s Acolyte To Wolflight with Genesis Revisited tour at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Dolby 5.1 surround.
Brian Wilson – Brian Wilson and Friends Blu-ray (BMG Rights Management)
This live set was recorded live in Las Vegas for Chicago Public Television’s Television’s Soundstage program, in December 2014. The program features Brian Wilson’s phenomenal touring band (including long-time Beach Boys sidemen Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar) along with special guests Mark Isham, Kacey Musgraves, Nate Ruess (frontman of fun.) and She & Him.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Horace Andy/Winston Jarrett/The Wailers – The Kingston Rock [Reissue/1974] LP (Dubstore)
Vintage Family Man/Brent Clarke produced album shared between Horace Andy and Winston Jarrett and originally issued in the UK on Clarke’s Atra label circa 1974, now re-issued through Tokyo’s Dub Store Records.
Jherek Bischoff – Cistern LP+CD (Leaf)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Second album by prodigiously talented multi-instrumentalist and composer Jherek Bischoff. Gloriously cinematic, these modern orchestral recordings pull at the heartstrings. It comes hot on the heels of Strung Out In Heaven, a moving string quartet tribute to David Bowie, conceived with Amanda Palmer and featuring the significant talents of Anna Calvi, John Cameron Mitchell and Neil Gaiman. A prolific and divergent collaborator, working with the likes of David Byrne, The Kronos Quartet, Caetano Veloso, Xiu Xiu and Australian star Missy Higgins, the real Bischoff can be difficult to pin down, but Cistern is an intensely personal work.
Blue October – Home LP (Up/Down)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Blue October is the San Marcos, TX-based band known for their shimmering melodies and heart-string pulling lyrics, and boasts one of the more emotionally charged and magnetic frontmen in music today in Justin Furstenfeld. “Justin Furstenfeld is a happy man these days, as chronicled on Blue October’s new album Home. And the singer, who’s gone through the wringer of well-chronicled drug addiction and personal issues (including a fierce child custody battle) over the years is well aware of how unusual a little bit of bonhomie seems. ‘It’s crazy how life happens that way,’ he tells Billboard. ‘Honestly, some people are like, ‘Hey man, what’s up? What are you taking that makes you so positive?’ Honestly I’m not taking anything. I continually am blown away by how good life can be when you just treat it like it’s special.’ Sonically, meanwhile, Home was inspired by drives Furstenfeld made through the desert from west Texas to California while making radio promotion visits for Sway. He refers to the sound as ‘desert rock’ — although not to be confused with something as heavy as, say, Kyuss. ‘The desert was very inspiring,’ Furstenfeld says. ‘I wanted to make the album more about the beat and the bass and the atmosphere and the hook of the vocal than a rock power chord album. It makes me feel like less was more as long as that central beauty was there, as long as the lyric and the meaning was there and the melody was memorable and timeless.’” – Billboard
Body Of Light – Let Me Go LP (Dais)
Formed roughly five years ago in the wasted sands of Tempe, Arizona, electronic dance faction Body Of Light have proven to be a teeming creative force within the present-day electronic landscape. From the archaic drones and abstract measurements of their earliest collections, to their prodigious cinematic pop ballads and darkwave compositions, the two brothers, Alex and Andrew Jarson, are no strangers when it comes to blurring the compositional lines that confine underground music.
Broods – Conscious LP (Capitol)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Conscious is the follow up to Broods’ 2014 debut album, Evergreen, which climbed into the Top 10 of Billboard’s Alternative Albums chart. Joel Little (Lorde, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding), who produced Evergreen, served as executive producer on Conscious, producing many of the tracks. The album features a duet with Tove Lo and a song the band co-wrote with Lorde.
BT’s – Bustin’ Out LP (Southpaw)
“Every song sounds like rock & roll love letter to bad girls in cherry lip gloss.” – Bobby Martinez
Chicago – XI [Reissue/1977] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm vinyl reissue housed in a gatefold sleeve.
Alice Cooper – Last Temptation [Reissue/1994] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm audiophile translucent blue vinyl reissue housed in a gatefold sleeve.
Chick Corea – Three Quartets [Reissue/1981] LP (Stretch)
Vinyl reissue of the 1981 album by the prolific jazz and fusion artist.
Deny The Cross – Alpha Ghoul LP+MP3 (Tank Crimes)
Short, fast and loud. Pure power violence from scene veterans featuring members of Municipal Waste and Spazz. Limited color vinyl pressing.
Despised Icon – The Ills Of Modern Man [Reissue/2007] LP+CD (Century Media)
Despised Icon – Day Of Mourning [2009] LP+CD (Century Media)
Vinyl reissues of the Montreal, Canada death metal band’s third and fourth albums.
The Flexibles – Pink Everything LP (Night School)
Comprised of Richard Youngs, his young son Sorley Youngs and family friend Andrew Paine, The Flexibles are a punk rock band operating within Glasgow city limits, outsiders in an outsider culture. Swirling around the wild, searing guitar playing and cosmically infused songwriting of Sorley, the band’s Pink Everything is a concept album of sorts, on the surface a narrative about space travel, the state of the human race in the modern Acopalyx.
Fort Minor – The Rising Tied [2005] 2xLP (WB)
First-time official vinyl edition. Fort Minor, the side project and solo debut for Mike Shinoda of multi-platinum, Grammy-winning Linkin Park, returns the emcee to his roots-making hip-hop. The Rising Tied, produced by Shinoda, who wrote every track and played nearly every instrument was executive produced by Jay-Z. Featuring guest appearances from Common, the Roots Black Thought, John Legend, Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn, alt-funk rocker Kenna and two acts signed to Linkin Park’s Machine Shop Recordings, Style of Beyond and Holly Brook, The Rising Tied raises the standard for unique, unadulterated hip-hop.
Frankie and The Witch Fingers – Heavy Roller LP (Permanent)
Forged in a cosmic vortex where the psychedelic glory of Revolver, The Velvet Underground, Easter Everywhere, and The Notorious Byrd Brothers still reverberate, Frankie and The Witch Fingers create exhilarating sounds designed to induce a mystical rapture.
Free At Last – Embrace You LP (Triple B)
The last thing that should come to mind, if anything, when hearing the word “Springfield” followed by “Missouri” is that it gave to the world a band, Free At Last, that has written one of the most genuine, unique, and fresh hardcore records of recent times.
Gevurah – Hallelujah! 2xLP (Profound Lore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. One of Canada’s most promising prospects, the enigma known as Gevurah has slowly carved their ritualistic impression on virulent, spiritual black metal sophistication for several years. This vinyl edition includes a 20-minute bonus track.
Luke Gibson – Another Perfect Day [Reissue/1971] LP (Mapache)
Recorded in 1971, Another Perfect Day is Luke Gibson’s first solo album. A veteran of the garage blues group Luke And The Apostles and the psych pop Kensington Market, Gibson now turned his focus inwards to produce one of the best (and most underrated) singer/songwriter albums to be released in Canada in the ‘70s. Another Perfect Day is an unsung gem; sauntering through folk, country, and rock to create a unique and enjoyable salt-of-the-earth experience.
The Green Bananas – The Ape b/w Green Banana 7″ (Agitated)
Australian oddball punks Straight Arrows bring forth a brand new greasy side-project dancefloor workout, direct from the zoo. Not since “The Monkey” and “The Gorilla” has there been such a primitive routine that has electrified the club this thoroughly! Drop it on the turntable, and hit the floor. Then flip it over, and work out over the instrumental.
Derrick Harriott – Rock Steady Party [Reissue/1967] LP (Dubstore)
Classic 1967 rocksteady collection given the lavish reissue treatment. Pretty much every tune is solid rocksteady gold.
PJ Harvey – The Wheel 7” (Vagrant)
Limited 7” vinyl pressing of the first single lifted from her recent album The Hope Six Demolition Project. Etching on Side B.
Niykee Heaton – The Bedroom Tour Playlist LP (Capitol)
Niykee Heaton makes sultry and sizzling pop.
Hole – Live Through This [Reissue/1994] LP (Geffen)
Vinyl reissue of the second studio album by alternative rock band Hole. The title is derived from a quote in the film Gone With The Wind. Considered a contemporary classic, this record was included in Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of ‘500 Greatest Albums Of All Time’. Features production by Sean Slade and Paul Q Kolderie with mixing by Scott Litt and J Mascis.
Lightnin’ Hopkins – Lightnin’s Boogie: Live At The Rising Sun Celebrity Jazz Club 2xLP (Justin Time)
On June 23, 1977, Sam ‘Lightnin’ Hopkins walked onto a small stage in a smoke and whisky filled club in Montreal and proceeded to lay down arguably his last great performance before his death five years later. “Lightnin’s Boogie – Live at The Rising Sun Celebrity Jazz Club” – remastered and available on vinyl for the first time – reveals a master blues man still in full control of his many talents and working the crowd to “Get Up Off O’ Yo’”.
The Icarus Line – All Tings Under Heaven 2xLP (Agitated)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. All Things Under Heaven packs the kind of swagger, raunch and ascent that would make Iggy Stooge and Sun Ra proud parents.
Gregory Isaacs – Warning [Reissue/1990] LP (Dubstore)
A sombre, controversial masterpiece from the legendary ‘Cool Ruler’. An overlooked classic produced in Waterhouse by King Tubby and unjustly neglected since its original release on the aptly entitled Serious Business label.
Judas Priest – Battle Cry 2xLP+MP3 (Epic)
Released late last March on CD – now available on vinyl. Judas Priest’s tour in support of their 17th studio album overall, Redeemer Of Souls, was one of the most extensive of the group’s entire career — consisting of 130 shows in 33 countries, and offering a setlist that touched upon selections from nearly all of their classic albums. This 15-track CD was recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Germany’s Wacken Festival in front of an audience of 85,000
Willie Lindo – Far And Distant [Reissue/1974] LP (Dubstore)
Celebrated session guitarist, Willie Lindo, steps from behind the scenes and into the spotlight to deliver some top class original compositions and sublime cover versions.
Linkin Park – Road To Revolution Live At Milton Keynes [2008] 2xLP+DVD (WB)
First-time official vinyl edition. Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes is the second live compilation by Linkin Park. It was recorded during the band’s annual Projekt Revolution festival tour at the Milton Keynes National Bowl on June 29, 2008. The concert featured material from all three of the band’s albums, as well as songs from their EP, Collision Course with Jay-Z, and elements from “Reanimation” and Fort Minor’s The Rising Tied.
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Messin’ [Reissue/1973] LP (Creature Music)
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Somewhere In Afrika [Reissue/1983] LP (Creature Music)
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Mann Alive [1998] 2xLP (Creature Music)
After a very successful period in the ‘60s with the pop group named after him and a much less successful intermezzo in jazz with Manfred Mann Chapter Three, the South-African born keyboardist turned towards rock music. In 1971 he formed Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (MMEB).
Mothers – Accessory Cloud b/w Easy As Possible 7” (Grand Jury)
Mothers released their debut album, When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired, in February of this year, but the band has been working together a lot longer than that, which means that there are a lot of stray odds and ends that didn’t fit onto the album but still justify a release.
Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch 2 LP (Reprise)
140gm vinyl pressing now available. Mudcrutch, Tom Petty‘s pre-Heartbreakers Southern rock band, return with their second album, Mudcrutch 2, released eight years after their 2008 debut. Songwriting for Mudcrutch 2 was a shared responsibility, with Petty (who plays bass in the group) penning seven of the record’s cuts and the remainder of the track listing coming courtesy of solo compositions from Mike Campbell, Tom Leadon, Randall Marsh and Benmont Tench.
My Morning Jacket – Okonokos [Reissue/2006] 4xLP (ATO)
Limited four-LP repress of MMJ’s epic 2006 live album. Okonokos was recorded during the band’s fall 2005 Z Tour, over two nights at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California. This is the first My Morning Jacket album for which frontman Jim James does not receive a production credit; he is credited for “concept/story.
Nagamatzu – Above This Noise LP (Dark Entries)
Nagamatzu was the British duo of Andrew Lagowski (Seti, Legion, Terror Against Terror) on synths, guitar, and programming and Stephen Jarvis (Pure Motorised Instinct, Terraform) on synths and bass, formed in 1982 after messing around with old tape machines and drum boxes. Their name comes from a character in JG Ballard‘s Atrocity Exhibition and their music reflects his influence. Above This Noise collects Nagamatzu’s contributions to rare cassette-only compilations Life ’85 (1985), Passions Organiques Vol. 3 (1987), and My Life Is Mine Again (1992), along with six previously unreleased tracks.
New Order – People On The High Line 7”/12″ (Mute)
Fourth single from last year’s Music Complete. [Two editions: 12” white vinyl and a ‘shaped’ 7” picture disc.]
Paul Parrish – The Forest Of My Mind [Reissue/1968] LP (Mapache)
Arranged by Mike Theodore and prolific guitarist Dennis Coffey — who later worked together on Rodriguez’s Cold Fact — 1968’s The Forest Of My Mind is a solid dose of soul-soothing mellow tunes, rich with captivating pastoral odes. The album is a unique synthesis of pop, folk and psychedelic sounds flecked with a touch of Donovan Leitch-like whimsy, all steered into righteous and refined waters by future Motown staff producer Clay McMurray (Gladys Knight & The Pips, David Ruffin, The Temptations, The Four Tops) and aided by the wizened influence of the Motor City’s R&B/soul session-men of the era.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Geffen)
First-time US vinyl pressing. 19 classics including “American Girl,” “Refugee,” “Don’t Come Around Here No More” and many others. The collection also features the singles from Tom Petty’s solo album Full Moon Fever including “Free Fallin,” “I Won’t Back Down” and “Runnin’ Down A Dream.” Rounding out the track listing are “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and a cover of Thunderclap Newman’s “Something In The Air” which were first made available on this hits collection.
Mike Posner – At Night, Alone 2xLP (Island)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Sophomore album from the multi-platinum singer, songwriter and producer, who’s previously had a hand in “Sugar” by Maroon 5, and “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber, as well as co-writing songs for Pharrell, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Nelly, TI, Snoop Dogg, Avicii, Nick Jonas, and more.
Psalm Zero – Stranger To Violence LP (Profound Lore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Psalm Zero’s unique brand of art-metal has been compared to Godflesh, Katatonia, and Depeche Mode.
Pylon – Pylon Live 2xLP+MP3 (Chunklet)
Back in 1983, Athens, GA legends Pylon had just released Chomp, their second album and toured the country extensively, and played several opening slots for then up-and-comers, U2. Without a hint of explanation, they suddenly quit. This is their final show at the Mad Hatter in Athens, full of a frenzy of minimal disco thud, post-punk guitar scree and deliriously inspired howl.
Ernest Ranglin – Boss Reggae [Reissue/1969] LP (Dubstore)
Boss reggae, but with a strong current of jazz, too – thanks to great guitar lines from the legendary Ernest Ranglin. Ranglin’s gone on to do so much wonderful work in different styles in the decades since this early set – but even at the start, he’s totally amazing – a musician who’s open to guitar sounds and inflections from so many different styles of music, able to bring them all into warm rocksteady rhythms as he steps out in a sweet set of instrumentals.
R.E.M. – Life’s Rich Pageant [Reissue/1986] LP (IRS)
R.E.M. – Dead Letter Office [Reissue/1987] LP (IRS)
R.E.M. – Eponymous [Reissue/1988] LP (IRS)
Limited edition vinyl reissues now available.
The Sisters Of Mercy – Vision Thing Era 4xLP (Elektra)
This box set spotlights The Sisters Of Mercy’s third studio release, Vision Thing, which was originally released in 1990. The set includes the original album plus its 12″ singles, all pressed on 180gm vinyl: More, Doctor Jeep, and When You Don’t See Me. Additional highlights include a non-album B-side, an extended mix, and live recordings.
Soundtrack – The Bourne Identity [OST/2002] LP (Varese Sarabande)
Limited ‘military green’ color vinyl pressing. Score by John Powell.
Soundtrack – Yoga Hosers 10” (Rhino)
Soundtrack to the Kevin Smith comedy pressed on pink vinyl. Four tracks.
Squirrel Nut Zippers – Hot [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Mammoth)
New remastered 180gm vinyl repress includes the bonus track “The Puffer.”
Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling! 12” (RCA)
Limited orange color 12” vinyl pressing of the single from the movie Trolls. Main version and instrumental.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To A World Of Psychedelia LP (World Music Network)
The psychedelic movement of the 1960s imprinted a kaleidoscopic stamp on musical cultures from across the globe — from the Tropicália artists in Brazil to the Afrobeat groups in West Africa and even the legendary Bollywood composers. Selected from albums in the Rough Guide Psychedelic series, this compilation ranges from the vintage Cambodian recordings of the 1960s to the spellbinding grooves of Latin America.
Various Artists – The Rough Guide To South African Jazz LP+MP3 (World Music Network)
Classic tracks from the golden age of the 1960s and 1970s to the new wave of musicians in the twenty years of post-apartheid democracy.
Wipers – Wipers Rarities 2xLP (Bang)
Official vinyl release of what was only previously released as a bootleg CD-R in the early ’90s, based on the original recordings and with new mastering. Two LPs full of Wipers rarities, including their almost impossible-to-find debut single from 1978, “Better Off Dead,” as well as other rarities from B-sides, compilation tracks, and acoustic and electric performances from 1978 to 1990.
Woe – Withdrawal [2015] LP (Restricted Release)
Third studio album from black metal band.
Writhing Squares – In The Void Above LP (Siltbreeze)
Writhing Squares is the inner-city Kosmische skronk perpetrated by Kevin Nickles (Ecstatic Vision) and Daniel Provenzano (Purling Hiss). Hailing from the scenic sewers of South Phila, the duo’s short but sweet resume includes a much-heralded self-released seven-inch and a couple cassette outings, but In The Void Above is the longstanding promissory we’ve all been waiting for them to deliver. Utilizing a formidably small gamut of sounds (reeds, voice, electronics, bass), the result is like a collision of Blurt, Hawkwind (United Artists era) and Uli Trempte’s Spacebox, where the ensuing sonic boom is as vibrant as it is dense.
Yes – Tales From Topographic Oceans [Reissue/1973] 2xLP (Atlantic)
180gm vinyl reissue of Yes’s sixth studio album.
Zhu – Generationwhy 2xLP+MP3 (Sony)
Eagerly anticipated debut album enigmatic vocalist/DJ/producer Steven Zhu, pressed on blue vinyl. Generationwhy includes his Top 5 Dance hit “Working For It” with Skrillex. Zhu has been active since the beginning of 2014, signed to Mind of a Genius Records. Until mid-2014 Zhu remained anonymous, asking to be judged by his music alone.
Cassettes:
Garbage & The Flowers – Blessed Are Thee Who Sail With Shnoolee (Grapefruit)
Limited bonus cassette released in conjunction with The Deep Niche — contains live recordings of unreleased songs from the mid-‘90s, the same time The Deep Niche was recorded.
Owen – The King Of Whys (Polyvinyl)
Owen – the solo musical guise of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mike Kinsella – releases the first work in his two-decade-plus career to be made entirely outside of his beloved Chicago home base. The King Of Whys was produced by S. Carey over 18 days last winter at Justin Vernon’s April Base Studios in Eau Claire, WI.
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