CDs + Vinyl:
a-ha – MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice 2xCD (UMe)
As part of the MTV Unplugged shows, a-ha performed 17 of their songs with completely new arrangements as well as two new premieres and two cover versions on vintage acoustic instruments. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. – Those Who Came Never Before CD/LP (Nod & Smile)
Two side long pieces of otherworldly psych rock. [Limited pink vinyl pressing also available.]
Alvarius B. – With A Beaker On The Burner And An Otter In The Oven, Vol. 3: Heathen Folklore CD/LP (Abduction)
Here donning his Alvarius B. persona, Alan Bishop returns with the third in a recent trilogy of albums, all recorded from 2014-2017 in Egypt with various members of Cairo’s Invisible Hands and the Master Musicians Of Bukakke. Across the three albums, Bishop crafts effortless reconstructions of a century’s worth of folk-rock-blues idioms through his slack acoustic-guitar splutter.
Annihilator – For The Demented CD/LP+MP3 (Neverland Music)
For The Demented captures some feel from Annihilator’s 1985-87 demos mixed with the first four Annihilator records. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Anti-Flag – The American Fall CD/LP (Spinefarm)
“The politics of distraction influences people to lose focus on what makes a positive impact on their lives and the world,” the band explains. “It encourages people to make choices that are not in their best interest and reduces society’s ability to make progressive change. The American Fall is our rejection of this harmful distraction. At this crucial moment in history, we must focus on pushing past the status quo to create a better and more just world. We reject the proliferation of exploitation, racism, bigotry, and socioeconomic injustice that dominate the policies of Donald Trump, just as we renounce the neoliberal status quo that came before him.” [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Brian Auger and The Trinity & Julie Driscoll – Untold Tales Of The Holy Trinity CD (Rockbeat)
In May 1968, Brian Auger and the Trinity & Julie Driscoll were part of an international rock ‘n’ roll disaster. That fiasco created a stash of urgent, commanding recordings, capturing a golden moment that took half a century to reach the wider world.
Kelsea Ballerini – Unapologetically CD (Black River Ent.)
Second studio album by the country music artist. Ballerini received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2017 Grammy Awards.
Pierre Bastien – Mecanoncentric Worlds of Pierre Bastien CD/LP (Discrepant)
Around 1986, French composer and multi-instrumentalist Pierre Bastien started creating and building his own orchestra called Mecanium: an ensemble of musical automatons constructed from meccano parts and activated by electro-motors, that ‘play’ on acoustic instruments from all over the world. On Mecanoncentric Worlds of Pierre Bastien, the Mecanium plays amplified Meccano parts, drums, reeds, rubber bands, paper, nails and flutes whilst Pierre plays kundi, rubber band, prepared trumpet, video loops, nail violin and râbab.
Batushka – Litourgiya CD (Metal Blade)
“I can already hear people crying ‘gimmick’ from miles away, but in all honesty, this mixture of black metal with Orthodox liturgical chants feels very natural and certainly interesting. These mysterious robed figures find a way to blend the already dark and ethereal sounds of booming medieval church choirs with the unholy heaviness of black metal, and make it work.” – The Metal Archives/Encyclopaedia Metallum
Beast In Black – Berseker CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
New album from the Helsinki, Finland-based metal band led by former Battle Beast guitarist and main songwriter Anton Kabanen.
Bibio – Phantom Brickworks CD/LP (Warp)
Deviating from the more pop-eschewing songwriting of his recent releases, Phantom Brickworks showcases Bibio’s immense talents as a musician. Appealing to diehard Bibio fans eager to see him stretch his artistic muscles, as well as fans of artists like Grouper, Olafur Arnalds, Basinski, Nils Frahm, Max Richter, and Johann Johannsson.
Blitzen Trapper – Wild And Reckless CD/LP (LKC Recordings)
Blitzen Trapper’s ninth studio album was born from the stage production that the band spent the better part of a year producing. The half musical, half rock-opera dealt with heroin abuse, desperation, true love and western power structures. The story evoked a bygone era of Portland with this sci-fi love story, featuring a rock ‘n’ roll score that paired unreleased songs with favorites from the band’s catalog.
Tracy Bonham – Modern Burdens CD (Second Motion)
Instead of the aggressive grunge production of Bonham’s 1996 debut release, The Burdens Of Being Upright, 2017 remake Modern Burdens features more experimental, stripped down, often slower versions of the songs. Contributors include Tanya Donelly (of Belly, the Breeders, and Throwing Muses), Kathryn Calder (of the New Pornographers), Rachel Yamagata, Kay Hanley (of Letters To Cleo), Australian pop songstress, Angie Hart, Nicole Atkins and Sadie Dupuis (of the band Speedy Ortiz). [Vinyl edition due November 17.]
Billy Bragg – Bridges Not Walls CD (Cooking Vinyl)
“Known for his particular style of a single instrument paired with his voice in most of his songs, this new offering from Billy Bragg certainly stays true to his recognizable style. The album adheres to the social and political commentary that has driven his music throughout his whole musical career. Each of the songs has its own musical signature and style, it is a compilation album of six songs, four of them singles released over the recent northern summer and an additional two more. Opener ‘The Sleep Of Reason’ has Bragg’s iconic guitar sound paired with his voice, very much in the style people who love Bragg’s old classic songs would recognize. It is my favorite track of this compilation. If you are a fan of Bragg’s music, you will most likely enjoy Bridges Not Walls, if you haven’t heard much of his music before, well, if you like simple pop songs about love, Bragg’s highbrow themes in his lyrics may annoy rather than amuse you. In saying that, all are well written, with his mellow vocals laid over the top of a wide variety of styles. Even though Billy Bragg is never going to cater to everyone’s taste, this is well worth checking out.” – Rogue Incorporated
Lee Brice – Lee Brice CD (Curb)
New album from the country music singer/songwriter.
Brockmann // Bargmann – Licht CD/LP+CD (Bureau B)
Esteemed for their improvisational audacity, hurtling forwards to a motorik beat, there is another side to the Berlin “Krautrock Guerilla” trio Camera which sees them explore landscapes of sound. This is exactly what the two founder members Franz Bargmann (guitar) and Timm Brockmann (keyboards) present their purely instrumental debut album Licht.
Chris Brown – Heartbreak On A Full Moon 2xCD (RCA)
Eighth studio album by the R&B singer. Features appearances from R. Kelly, Jhene Aiko, Dej
Loaf, Lil Yachty, Usher, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Future, Young Thug, Ty Dolla Sign and others.
Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown – Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown CD (Spinefarm)
After carving out a fervent fan base and drawing widespread critical acclaim with their heady, high-voltage brand of guitar-driven rock, shooting from both hip and heart, Nashville’s Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown unleash their self-produced second album mixed by John Fields (Soul Asylum, Paul Westerberg). [Vinyl edition due December 8.]
bvdub – Heartless CD (n5md)
It’s the prolific ambient producer’s fourth full-length for Oakland-based imprint N5md, following A History Of Distance, Born In Tokyo and All Is Forgiven. Heartless is also the first bvdub record that will be available on wax [November 17]. The label says that the album is “far more monolithic” than his previous ambient works but contains the “warm washes of sound below the soulfully angelic vocals that Van Wey often gravitates to.”
Cannibal Corpse – Red Before Black CD/LP (Metal Blade)
Returning with their fourteenth full-length slab, Cannibal Corpse’s monstrous new album Red Before Black serves to not only reiterate this but to once more raise the stakes, making it very clear who sets the standard when it comes to always compelling music that is equally brutal and complex. Moreover, the band have pushed themselves again, ensuring that it stands out from their catalog. [Limited Edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
The Caretaker – Everywhere at the End of Time Stages 1-3 3xCD (History Always Favours The Winners)
James Kirby’s first three volumes (of a six part series) in The Caretaker’s critically adored deep dive into the process of dementia (which has been the theme of the V/Vm legend’s Caretaker project since its inception in the late-‘90s, but hasn’t been as focused or defined until now). The ‘haunted ballroom’ descriptor gets thrown around a lot by the press but in reality, this is just straight-up gorgeous manipulation of early-20th century big band ‘78s ripped through a masterful array of computer audio plug-ins. Features new and exclusive artwork by Ivan Seal on each panel (different from each of the single-volume’s vinyl art). Highly recommended for daydreamers and night drifters. Volumes 4-6 due in 2018.
Martin Carr – New Shapes Of Life CD/LP+CD (Tapete)
New solo album from the former Boo Radleys chief songwriter and lead guitarist. “No one genre dominates proceedings, although a combined soundtrack of the life’s work of the Thin White Duke and a mix of ‘60s and ‘70s soul accompanied the writing of the album. Elements of those clearly had an impact across the eight songs that make up New Shapes Of Life, but there is one notable change for the already initiated. On this occasion, Carr’s trusty guitar was left out in the cold. Instead, he spent much of his time working with samples and seeing what his keyboard was capable of delivering. As a consequence of these various elements, a luxuriant pop sensibility forms the core of this album.” – Clash Music
The Contenders – Laughing With The Reckless CD (Rock Ridge)
Americana/folk rock band The Contenders follow up their 2014 EP Meet The Contenders with their first full length studio album.
Converge – The Dusk In Us CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)
The ninth full-length from the Boston-based heavy-music innovators is both dark and hopeful, abrasive and melodic, devastating and powerfully cathartic.
Daphni – Joli Mai CD (Jiaolong)
Extended versions of the tracks Daphni (aka Caribou, aka Dan Snaith) included on his recent Fabriclive mix plus new track “Vulture.”
DELA & The Aggrolites – Opening Night CD (Stoopid)
Boston born, San Diego resident Daniel ‘DELA’ Delacruz is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and producer. Here he teams up with Los Angeles based ska/reggae/funk ensemble The Aggrolites.
Baxter Dury – Prince Of Tears CD/LP (PIAS)
Intensely personal, yet brutally open, this is Baxter’s fifth album “is full of little fictional snapshots based on actual experiences,” Baxter says. “They’re biographical film soundtracks for an imaginary film about myself, which is fictional. The man singing and speaking it all is unreliable; he can’t see the world properly. Its massively delusional, but because of that it’s also emotionally true.”
Bob Dylan – Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 2xCD/8xCD+DVD/4xLP+2xCD (Sony)
The latest installment in Dylan’s ongoing Bootleg Series, Trouble No More – Vol. 13 / 1979-1981, focuses on the albums Slow Train Coming (1979), Saved (1980) and Shot Of Love (1981) and the legendary live shows from that period. Available in a variety of editions. Standard double-disc and vinyl editions feature 30 highlights from the legendary 1979, 1980 and 1981 tours. Super Deluxe includes a total of 100 previously unreleased live and studio recordings including 14 unreleased songs plus an exclusive DVD of Trouble No More: A Musical Film, a new feature-length film incorporating never-before-seen footage from Dylan’s legendary 1980 tours and a 120-page photo book.
EERA – Reflection Of Youth CD/LP+MP3 (Hereteu/Big Dada)
EERA is the moniker of the Norwegian-born, London-based musician Anna Lena Bruland. Her debut album, Reflection Of Youth, is an album of visceral beauty and blistering honesty. It is a brave, candid and uncompromising record about finding purpose from confusion and strength in your weaknesses. It’s about learning how to work through your problems and take charge of your own life, instead of relying on others to do it for you. Its ten songs were largely composed in the small hours of the night and are arguably best experienced in that context, when soul-searching and introspection come naturally. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
El Búho – Balance CD (Wonderwheel)
Debut album from producer Robin Perkins, aka El Búho. Balance represents a fascination with the rhythms, traditions and sounds of Latin America and modern electronic music and production. The album contains cumbia, Son Jarocho, Andean instrumentation and Afro-Colombian rhythms. [Vinyl edition due December 1.]
Robert Francis – Indian Summer CD/LP (Aeronaut)
Robert Francis is a multi-instrumentalist, Americana singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, CA. As the youngest member of a music-filled household, Robert benefited from a diverse musical climate thanks to his late pianist/producer father, his songwriting sister Juliette Commagere, and his Mexican mother, who sang native ranchera songs around the house.
Aha Gazelle – Trilliam 3 CD (Reach)
Aha Gazelle grew up admiring the wide range of acts native to his hometown of New Orleans. From PJ Morton and Lil Wayne to Jay Electronica and Frank Ocean, the city’s diversity significantly shaped William G. Fields Jr. into the artist he is today. The burgeoning rapper, producer and singer-songwriter learned early on he could excel without having to
conform to stereotypical imagery.
Davy Graham – Folk, Blues & Beyond… [Reissue/1965] CD (Creature Music)
David Michael Gordon “Davey” Graham (originally spelled Davy Graham) (26 November 1940 – 15 December 2008) was born in Leicestershire, to a Guyanese mother and a Scottish father. He learnt to play the piano and harmonica as a child and then took up the classical guitar at the age of 12. As a teenager he was strongly influenced by the folk guitar player Steve Benbow, who had travelled widely and played a guitar style influenced by Moroccan music. Graham was one of the most influential figures in the 1960s British Folk Revival. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Jon Hassell – Dream Theory in Malaya: Fourth World 2 [Reissue/1981] CD/LP+CD (Glitterbeat)
Reissue of Hassell’second Brian Eno/Michael Brook collaboration from 1981. An exotic mix of African & Eastern styles.
Laylah Hathaway – Honestly CD (8th Floor Productions)
Seventh album from the Grammy-winning soul vocalist, the daughter of the legendary Donny Hathaway.
Lee Hazlewood – Forty [Reissue/1969] LP (Light In The Attic)
Lee Hazlewood/Ann-Margaret – The Cowboy & The Lady [Reissue/1969] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Lee Hazlewood – Requiem For An Almost Lady [Reissue/1971] CD/LP (Light In The Attic)
Digitally remastered reissues of three rare(ish) albums by the singer, songwriter and producer (best known for his work with Nancy Sinatra). [Limited vinyl LP pressings housed in deluxe gatefold Stoughton tip-on jackets also available.]
Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band – Adiós Señor Pussycat CD/LP (Violette)
“Formerly of The Pale Fountains and then Shack, the fate which has somehow gathered him is that of a generation’s lost muse, one who can still walk down any UK street like a ghost – a remarkable, if more bitter than sweet status even for a nation that so fiercely keeps its heroes at arm’s length. Adiós Señor Pussycat is the Liverpudlian’s first new work since Shack’s 2006 finale On The Corner Of Miles & Gil (his work with The Strands was re-issued to rapturous acclaim in 2014), one undoubtedly which, after such a long absence, might have a lot riding on it were his avuncular profile much higher. Instead, unburdened by much more than a natural garrulousness and the traces of addictions past, its thirteen songs are a confident, frequently joyous statement as a whole, and fascinating examples of a master songwriter’s craft once unpacked individually.” – Live4Ever
Nick Heyward – Woodland Echoes CDLP (Red River)
Woodland Echoes is the new album from the British singer-songwriter best known as the frontman for Haircut 100 and his solo success in the ’80s and ’90s. It is his first solo album in 18 years. Recordings started in his son Oliver Heyward’s studio, continued in award-winning producer and engineer Ian Shaw’s boat-studio in Key West, Florida and were completed back in the UK at The Who and Oasis’ drummer Zac Starkey’s recording studio. Woodland Echoes was inspired by Florida’s abundant beauty and Nick’s passion for the natural world, making it an album of exceptional warmth and intimacy, that sounds – as he says –“like it should be on vinyl.” Woodland Echoes represents the masterful culmination of the last ten years of Nick Heyward’s solo career, drawing together the strength of his expertly crafted songwriting and gifted lyricism.
James Holden & The Animal Spirits – James Holden & The Animal Spirits CD/2xLP (Border Community)
Electronics guru James Holden and his newly-expanded band The Animal Spirits transport it’s listeners to a magical other world with this third album: a bold new set of synth-led folk-trance standards, fusing elements of psychedelia, krautrock, world, and spiritual jazz with Holden’s usual propulsive melodic vigor.
Mark ‘Porkchop’ Holder – Death & Blues CD/LP (Alive)
Mark “Porkchop” Holder originally turned the blues on its head more than a decade ago as a founding member of punk/blues band Black Diamond Heavies. Death & Blues is the guitar-slinging, harp-shredding bluesman’s sophomore solo album.
Etta James – Chicago Blues Festival 1985 CD/LP (Air Cuts)
Etta James live at the Chicago Blues Festival, Grant Park on June 7th, 1985.
Kansas – Leftoverture Live & Beyond 2xCD (Inside Out U.S.)
New live album from America’s legendary progressive rock band features nineteen songs selected from twelve shows recorded during Kansas’s spring 2017 Leftoverture 40th Anniversary Tour. The set list includes classic hits, deep cuts, new songs from 2016’s studio album The Prelude Implicit and culminates with the band’s sextuple-platinum breakthrough album, 1976’s Leftoverture, performed in its entirety. [Vinyl edition due January 5.]
Kid Rock – Sweet Southern Sugar CD (BMG Rights Management)
10 new studio tracks including “Po-Dunk”, “Greatest Show On Earth” and his current country radio single “Tennessee Mountain Top”.
Ned Ledoux – Sagebrush CD (Powder River)
The country singer’s first full-length studio album pays homage to his musical roots.
Legendary Shack Shakers – After You’ve Gone CD (Last Chance)
The Legendary Shack Shakers, the band Stephen King described as “dynamite” and guitar legend Jeff Beck called “a cross between the Yard Birds and the Sex Pistols,” are back with a new album. With After You’ve Gone, the band channels their swampy rock-n-roll inside of a lo-fi car garage hidden somewhere deep in the underbelly of Atlanta Georgia, and far, far away from the glitz of Music City.
Sondre Lerche – Pleasure CD (Analog Spark)
“For more than a decade, Norwegian-turned-New-Yorker Sondre Lerche explored confessional singer/songwriter reveries, Burt Bacharach-tinted chamber pop and the kitchen-sink gamut of country/blues/psych-folk, much of it with a jazzy undertone. With 2014’s Please, Lerche channeled his inner David Byrne and fully connected with his long simmering love of ’80s synth pop and Brazilian samba on a set of songs that addressed the end of his marriage. Pleasure finds Lerche similarly searching for danceable solutions, once again setting his irresistibly twisted lyric pretzels (“I’ve got so much love to give/So many graves to dig” or “I’m always watching/Call it voyeurism or masochism, a coward’s distance”) to drum machinery, Saturday-night fever sweats and twitchy ‘80s Frankie/Duran2/Soft Cell moves. The beauty of Pleasure’s vintage danceteria lies in its sharp 21st-century focus and Lerche’s consistently reliable songwriting skills, which have proven adaptable to every genre in which he’s dabbled.” – Magnet [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Like Moths To Flames – Dark Divine CD/LP+MP3 (Rise)
Dark Divine employs broader dynamics and an empowering outlook, without sacrificing the group’s signature heaviness, striking a difficult balance many bands fail to execute.
Little Axe – London Blues CD/LP (Echo Beach)
“Little Axe, aka Skip MacDonald was schooled in blues, jazz and gospel. He was once a session player in the Sugarhill Records house band. He then went on to work with Adrian Sherwood and experiment with industrial and dub sounds in Tackhead. On his eighth album London Blues, he is ably assisted by Mark Stewart of The Pop Group, Doug Wimbish of Living Colour, Perry Melius from African Head Charge and roots artist Jeb Loy Nichols. The music is the blues but it is eclectically flavored by McDonald’s career to date.” – Norman UK
Little Richard – Here’s Little Richard [Reissue/1957] 2xCD (Craft Recordings)
Little Richard s 1957 debut launched the career of a foundational figure in rock music, and featured some of the artist s best-loved hits, including “Long Tall Sally,” “Ready Teddy,” “Jenny Jenny” and “Tutti-Frutti,” a song which many consider marks the birth of rock ‘n’ roll. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this classic record, this Deluxe double-CD edition includes a slew of demos, outtakes and previously unreleased tracks, as well as new liner notes by music editor and journalist Chris Morris.
Lost Horizons – Ojalá CD/LP (Bella Union)
Currently celebrating 20 years piloting his revered record label Bella Union, former Cocteau Twins’ bassist Simon Raymonde has scaled another personal peak, a new collaboration with drummer Richie Thomas called Lost Horizons. Ojalá incorporates a heady cast of guest singers including Marissa Nadler, former Midlake frontman Tim Smith, Cameron Neal (Horse Thief), Liela Moss (The Duke Spirit), Ghostpoet, Beth Cannon, Hilang Child, Gemma Dunleavy and Phil McDonnell, and Karen Peris of The Innocence Mission. Together, the Lost Horizons ensemble has created an hour of exquisite, expansive and diverse spellcasting, from facets of soul (“Bones,” featuring Cannon, and “Reckless,” featuring Ghostpoet) to dreamier invocations like “She Led Me Away” (featuring Smith) and Ojalá’s lengthiest trip, “The Engine” (featuring Child). There’s the odd louder, faster detour, like “Life Inside A Paradox” (featuring Neal, with Sharon Van Etten on backing vocals), but the dominant mood is a deep, rich melancholia. [Limited colored vinyl and limited picture disc vinyl pressings are also available.]
Maroon 5 – Red Pill Blues CD (Interscope)
Sixth album from three-time Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum band.
Mista Savona – Mista Savona Presents Havana Meets Kingston CD/2xLP (VP)
Producer, arranger and musician Jake Savona (aka Mista Savona) brought together a stellar assortment of Cuban and Jamaican musicians to create this collection of re-interpreted classics and original songs as a soundtrack to an upcoming documentary of the same title. Havana Meets Kingston is a tour through these two historic island nations highlighting the common ground between the two, through rhythm and culture.
Moonspell – 1755 CD/LP (Napalm)
The twelfth record from these Portuguese gothic masters is an orchestral adventure including siren-like choirs with a Wagnerian pomp. Strings, bongos, oriental singing, grand guitars are just a tiny part of this work.
My Enemies And I – Beast Inside CD (Fearless)
Channeling their love for horror and finding solace in the ominous imagery, the ferocious five-piece deliver a brash mixture of monster choruses, rapid-fire riffs, and pummeling percussion.
Nexul – Paradigm Of Chaos CD/LP (Hell’s Headbangers)
Anticipated debut of occult death metal ensemble, Nexul, exorcising hymns that walk the threshold between all-consuming chaos and sheer insanity, between ravaging death magick and the ethereal vibrations both above and especially below: both heeding the boundless powers which drive them while disregarding/disrespecting any notions of ‘tradition.’
Not Waving – Good Luck CD/2xLP (Diagonal)
The London-based Italian artist’s second album for Diagonal is an emotional but fiercely optimistic album of skewed cathartic dance pop written in the midst of these dark and uncertain
Times.
Roy Orbison – A Love So Beautiful: Roy Orbison with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra CD (Sony Legacy)
Elegant and spirited arrangements of Roy’s best original vocal performances with the emotion and world-class musicianship of London’s most beloved orchestra. [Vinyl edition due February 2.]
Ram – Rod CD (Metal Blade)
Fifth album from the metal band.
REO Speedwagon – Hi Infidelity [Reissue/1980] LP (Friday Music)
Audiophile limited colored vinyl anniversary edition.
Bebe Rexha – All Your Fault Pt. 2 CD (WB)
Six new tracks off the pop disruptor’s All Your Fault EP project, including her latest hit single “The Way I Are” featuring hip-hop heavy weight, Lil’ Wayne.The album features collaborations with Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne, Kranium and Florida Georgia Line.
Rone – Mirapolis CD/LP (Infine)
Stepping into Rone’s music is like sleepwalking through a vividly colorful dream, eventually stumbling across a strange, scintillating Megapolis of saturated light and colors: Mirapolis. It’s twelve tracks/districts, each with their own specific planning, pulsate as though animated by their musical mastermind. We find American slam-poet Saul Williams, who happened to be in Paris for a moment and contributes a searing anti-Trump screed; Baxter Dury, who brings an irresistible East London touch to “Switches,” a kind of fan fic that reimagines the Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper” lounging pensive in a club chair; Israeli electronic music muse Noga Erez, who inspired “Waves,” which, despite being recorded remotely, betrays a euphoric partnership; and finally, Kazu Makino, Blonde Redhead’s bewitching singer and multi-instrumentalist, who contributes to the album’s closer, the gauzy “Down for the Cause.”
Saz’iso – At Least Wave Your Handkerchief At Me: The Joys And Sorrows Of Southern Albanian Song CD/LP (Glitterbeat)
“Exponents of unfamiliar styles need all the help they can get, and this virtuoso group from the mountains of southern Albania has deserved celebrity backing. Their debut album was co-produced by Joe Boyd, who has worked with everyone from Nick Drake to Taj Mahal, and engineered by Grammy-winning Jerry Boys, of Buena Vista Social Club fame. Saz’iso play saze, a style that developed when iso-polyphonic a cappella folk songs, with at least two melody lines and drone backing, were matched against violin, clarinet, lute and percussion. The result is music that is unworldly, often melancholy and haunting.” – The Guardian
Scour – Red CD (Housecore)
Scour is a supergroup featuring Pantera’s Philip H. Anselmo, Pig Destroyer’s John Jarvis, and Cattle Decapitation’s Derek Engemann. [Vinyl edition due December 1.]
Phil Selway – Let Me Go [OST] CD/LP+MP3 (Bella Union)
Radiohead drummer Philip Selway’s new album is a departure from his two preceding albums (Familial and Weatherhouse). It’s the soundtrack to the film drama Let Me Go, a story about mothers and daughters; about loss and mistrust; about the ramifications of a World War II crime; about secrets, trauma and lingering ghosts. Mirroring the film’s haunted and intimate nature, Selway’s score is grounded in strings and piano, plus guitar, electronics, musical saw, glockenspiel and bowed vibraphone, and the occasional use of bass and drums, creating a paradoxical sense of beauty and unease.
Sepultura – Roots [Reissue/1996] 2xCD/2xLP (Atlantic)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the Brazilian metal band’s 1996 album featuring 17 bonus tracks.
Shamir – Revelations CD/Cassette (Father/Daughter)
“You can sense from his album art alone that Shamir Bailey — who writes and performs melodic outsider pop under his first name — reveals and obfuscates himself in equally cautious measure. Revelations feels like Shamir’s most vulnerable and sure-footed work; its stripped-down, self-produced songs are brimming with self-assurance and confidence, even in the midst of anxiety and heartache. The disco-infused dance sound of Ratchet that built Shamir’s early reputation — and which mostly disappeared on Hope — is absent from Revelations, replaced by strummed electric guitar and a smattering of electronic production. But abandoning the sound that made him famous doesn’t feel like a step back — it’s more of a step inward.
Blake Shelton – Texoma Shore CD (Warner Music Nashville)
Country superstar Blake Shelton remains firmly rooted as a proud Oklahoman with his new album, Texoma Shore. “Lake Texoma has always been a place of great memories, new and old,” said Shelton. “I literally recorded this album here at its shore so it’s full circle to have the love of this place and the love of country music come together here.”
Shredders – Dangerous Jumps CD/LP (Doomtree)
Debut album from the new project consisting of Minnesota hip-hop group Doomtree members Sims, P.O.S, Lazerbeak, and Paper Tiger. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Signs Of The Swarm – The Disfigurement Of Existence CD/LP (Unique Leader)
The Pittsburgh death metal squad unleash their latest full-length.
Slaughtbbath – Contempt, War & Damnation CD (Hell’s Headbangers)
An exceptional compilation of Chilean black-death metal horde, Slaughtbbath, comprising a myriad of infernal hymns displaying the band at the peak of their powers, pulsing with both bestiality and burliness alike, and yet exhibiting a nuanced songwriting nous that is second to none.
Sleeping Romance – Alba CD (Napalm)
Mediterranean symphonic metal.
Sleep On It – Overexposed CD (Equal Vision)
New album from the Chicago pop-punk favorites. [Vinyl edition due November 17.]
Sam Smith – The Thrill Of It All CD/LP/2xLP (Capitol)
Four-time Grammy award-winning English singer/songwriter Sam Smith returns with his highly anticipated sophomore album. The Thrill Of It All finds Smith once again working alongside close friend and long-time collaborator Jimmy Napes plus Timbaland, Malay, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd and Stargate. He also collaborates with the unsigned artist YEBBA on the song “No Peace.” Rolling Stone hailed the album’s first single “Too Good At Goodbyes” as “poignant” and TIME observed, “Cue the swelling violins, gospel chorus and Smith’s inevitable return to dominance.” Vulture said, “Crooning with his trademark soul, Smith packs an emotional punch with his lyrics…It’s been a long wait…but if the rest of his upcoming album is as moving as this new song, it has certainly been worth it.” [Limited Special Edition CD and double-LP featuring four extra tracks are also available.]
Swissivory – Real Dreams 2 CD (Rough Trade)
New album by Switzerland based celebrity DJ and producer Swissivory featuring Snoop Dogg, DMX, Jadakiss, M.O.P., Wiz Khalifa, Keith Murray, Busta Rhymes, Juicy J and more.
U-Men – U-Men 2xCD/3xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
Jack Endino-produced set collecting the entire studio-recorded output of the U-Men, remastered plus 5 unreleased songs. “From 1983 to 1987, the U-Men were the undisputed kings of the Seattle Underground. No one else came close. They ruled a bleak backwater landscape populated by maybe 200 people. They were the only band that could unify the disparate sub-subcultures and get all 200 of those people to fill a room. Anglophilic, dress-dark Goths; neo-psych MDA acolytes; skate punks who sh*t in bathtubs at parties; Mod vigilantes who tormented the homeless with pellet guns; college kids who thought college kids were lame; Industrial Artistes; some random guy with a moustache; and eccentrics who insisted that they couldn’t be pigeonholed: all coalesced around the U-Men.”
Vandenberg’s Moonkings – MKII CD/LP (Mascot)
Four years after Adrian Vandenberg made a spectacular comeback with Vandenberg’s Moonkings the band returns with a sophomore album. Once again the four-piece band manages to create a perfect mix of vintage ‘70s hard rock and current styles of heavy rock.
Grace VanderWaal – Just The Beginning CD (Columbia)
Debut full length album from singer/songwriter phenomenon and champion of America’s Got Talent Season 11.
The Walls Group – The Other Side CD (RCA)
The Walls Group is made up of four of eight children, born in Houston, TX. Being the children of two musicians, these kids could not escape the inevitable – a career in gospel music.
Jessie Ware – Glasshouse CD (Interscope)
The British neo-soul singer follows-up 2014’s critically acclaimed Tough Love and 2012’s Mercury Music Prize-nominated Devotion with her third studio album. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Warhaus – Warhaus CD/LP (PIAS America)
Warhaus is the artistic alter ego and solo recording project of Maarten Devoldere of acclaimed indie act Balthazar. His new self-titled album continues the darkly sensual sound Devoldere has become known for, but many of these songs were written in a much more spontaneous manner, with many recorded as live. Warhaus has drawn numerous comparisons to Leonard Cohen, as well as the likes of Nick Cave and Serge Gainsbourgh, and while those influences can still be heard on this new record, Devoldere also took inspiration from New Orleans legend Dr. John and the writing of Vladimir Nabokov.
Hans Zimmer – Live In Prague 2xCD/4xLP (Eagle Rock)
Live set recorded on May 7th, 2016 in Prague during Hans Zimmer’s hugely successful European concert tour. Hans was accompanied by a band, orchestra and choir, 72 musicians in total, including guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths. [Stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions also available.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Hans Zimmer – Live In Prague DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Rock)
Live set filmed on May 7th, 2016 in Prague during Hans Zimmer’s hugely successful European concert tour. Hans was accompanied by a band, orchestra and choir, 72 musicians in total, including guitarist Johnny Marr of The Smiths.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
3 Doors Down – Away From The Sun [2002] 2xLP (Republic)
First-time vinyl edition of the alt-rock band’s sophomore album.
Natasha Agramma – Heart Of Infinite Change LP (World Galaxy)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Agrama’s debut features include legends both foundational and new, drawing together Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Tony Austin, Vinnie Colaiuta, Mitchell Long, Ruslan Sirota, Ronald Bruner Jr., Doug Webb, and the last recordings of the late and great Austin Peralta
Allah-Las – Covers #1 10” (Mexican Summer)
The first in a series of EPs exploring tunes near and new to the band. For the debut EP in the series features renditions of George Harrison’s “Fish On The Sand,” Kathy Heideman’s “The Earth Won’t Hold Me”, 90s LA cult band Further’s “JO Eleven”, and Television’s “Hard On Love,” an unreleased
song from the band’s Marquee Moon recording sessions.
And So I Watch You From Afar – Endless Shimmering LP (Sargent House)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “[And So I Watch You From Afar] have had a direct effect on making math rock and instrumental music blossom into the modest but fertile scenes that they are in the UK today. Thanks to a myriad of local DIY independent movements and festivals such as ArcTanGent and Strangeforms, a style of music that could easily have just been seen as a small blip in the annals of music history has bloomed into something that can be genuinely regarded as a world-wide recognized movement.” – The Independent
Apples In Stereo – Tone Soul Evolution [Reissue/1997] LP (Yep Roc)
The first of four Apples In Stereo albums that Yep Roc Records will be reissuing on vinyl in late 2017 and early 2018. For the first time ever, the band’s second album, Tone Soul Evolution, is presented with Robert Schneider and Jonathan Wyner’s original intended master. Offering up “plenty of fine pop music, delivered in such a way that is plenty enjoyable” (A.V Club), this is the master Schneider intended for the world to hear and has finally been unearthed for this pressing. This edition comes as a super deluxe gatefold release featuring the artwork of longtime collaborator Steve Keene.
Bolt Thrower – … For Victory [Reissue/1994] LP (Earache)
Full dynamic range vinyl pressing of the highly sought-after LP from British death metal legends.
Boston – Boston [Reissue/1976] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm blue colored vinyl LP pressing in a gatefold sleeve.
Brainticket – Cottonwood Hill [Reissue/1971] LP (Cleopatra)
Limited edition red vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket of the legendary 1971 debut album by Brainticket – widely considered a landmark psychedelic masterpiece.
Breathing Effect – Fisherman Abides LP (Alpha Pup)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Powerful harmonies and vocal cadences glide over dynamic drum grooves and bass lines, extending their personal lives into the DNA of every sound across the new works.
Tracy Bryant – Place For Nothing In Its Place LP (Burger)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Los Angeles based musician Tracy Bryant, as a one of a kind solo artist, is speaking out as an outstanding singer-songwriter who isn’t afraid to dig below the surface. With his work, he is filling the gap between lush pop-arrangements and a genuine, distinctive sound. Imagine a classic singer-songwriter record loaded with the intimacy and grit reminiscent of Alex Chilton or Nikki Sudden.
The Caretaker – Everywhere At The End Of Time Stage 3 LP (History Always Favours The Winners)
Standard limited black vinyl pressing. James Kirby’s first three volumes (of a six part series) in The Caretaker’s critically adored deep dive into the process of dementia (which has been the theme of the V/Vm legend’s Caretaker project since its inception in the late-‘90s, but hasn’t been as focused or defined until now). Volume 3 is the last before the nightmare of uncontrolled cognitive collapse sets in. Highly recommended for daydreamers and night drifters. Volumes 4-6 due in 2018.
Johnny Cash – Unearthed [2003] 9xLP (American Recordings)
Limited nine 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Features a pair of cloth-bound books housed in an LP- sized black cloth slipcase. One book holds the nine LPs, while the other is a gorgeous 60-page coffee table book incorporating Sylvie Simmons’ extensive liner notes, drawn from five days of interviews at Cash’s home in Tennessee as well as Cash and Rubin’s comments on every song on the set, plus a copious selection of photographs from the recording sessions.
Casper Skulls – Mercy Works LP (Dine Alone)
While the rough and ready post-punk and lo-fi early ’90s indie influences present on the band’s debut album, there is a sense of scale on display in their swelling guitar figures and sweeping string arrangements (provided by Toronto musician Paul Erlichman) that is mirrored by the songwriting of dual lead vocalists Melanie St. Pierre and Neil Bednis.
Cigarettes After Sex – Affection 7” (Spanish Prayer)
Cigarettes After Sex is an ambient pop group based out of Brooklyn, NY led by songwriter Greg Gonzalez. Includes the non-album B-side “Keep On Loving You”.
Country Joe & The Fish/The Byrds/Moby Grape – It Crawled Out Of The Vaults Of KSAN: Volume 3: Live At The Avalon Ballroom 1966 – 1968 LP (Go! Bop!)
The It Crawled Out Of The Vaults series of live albums comes from the KSAN radio station vaults and features material recorded and broadcasted at several occasions at either the Filmore Auditorium or the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco during the years 1966 to 1968. Some of the hottest rock bands of the era got captured there on tape.
Deep Purple – A Fire In The Sky: Selected Career Spanning Songs 3xLP (Rhino)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A Fire In The Sky features 20 songs and focuses mainly on the band’s singles. The Deluxe three CD edition dives even deeper into Purple’s past with 40 songs and includes at least one track from every studio album through Now What?!
Desmond Dekker – You Can Get It If You Really Want [Reissue/1970] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited edition black and blue marble colored vinyl LP pressing.
Ian Dury & The Blockheads – New Boots & Panties!! [Reissue/1977] LP (Demon/Edsel)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album by Ian Dury, released in the UK on the legendary Stiff Records.
Electro Hippies – The Only Good Punk… …Is A Dead One [Reissue/1988] LP (Peaceville)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album proper by the British crust punk band.
Entombed – Clandestine [Reissue/1991] LP (Earache)
Vinyl reissue of the second album of crushing Swedish death metal from the originators of the genre.
Fergie – Double Dutchess 2xLP (Dutchess Music/BMG Rights Management)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Second solo album from the Black Eyed Peas member. The album includes collaborations with YG, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and Fergie’s son Axl Jack.
Fozzy – Judas LP (Century Media)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Fozzy has always been about one thing: bringing good times back to rock & roll. Judas is their seventh album.
Friendship – Hatred LP (Southern Lord)
Southern Lord has teamed up with their cohorts at Japanese label Daymare Recordings for the vinyl release of Hatred, the unrelenting debut LP by Japan’s mysterious Friendship. While Friendship’s identity remains an enigma, those who have encountered their antagonistic, loud, and murky sonic world, can testify to the sheer power of the auditory torture the band creates.
Gunn-Truscinski Duo – Bay Head LP (Three Lobed)
It’s an anomaly to make a record created out of the pleasure and desire of simply making music together. A record with no commercial aspirational location. Bay Head, the new duo record from John Truscinski (drums, synths) and Steve Gunn (guitars), makes it look easy, carving out a space where none existed before with assurance, resonating beautiful along the way. There’s a quality of timelessness to it without being nostalgic that is impossible to manufacture. It comes from their years of playing together based on a formula of chemistry. While Bay Head is the third record the duo has recorded together, John has played drums and helped shape the songs and the sound on all Steve’s more song-configured albums. Their bond is tight, unique, and effective.
Jefferson Airplane – It Crawled Out Of The Vaults Of KSAN: Volume 2: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium 1966 – 1968 LP (Go! Bop!)
It Crawled Out Of The Vaults Of KSAN 1966-1968 – Volume 2 – awesome underground live material from one of the psychedelic rock pioneers.
Azar Lawrence – Bridge Into The New Age [Reissue/1974] LP (Friday Music)
Fusion jazz saxophonist Azar Lawrence’s 1974 album – back in-print on vinyl.
Legendary Pink Dots – From Here You’ll Watch The World Go By LP (Rustlblade)
Finally available on vinyl is one of The Legendary Pink Dots most beloved albums, From Here You’ll Watch The World Go By. Moving from noir jazz and grand psychedelic ballads to sophisticated space rock textures, the charismatic voice of Edward Ka-Spel floats and teases as only his can. Includes unreleased songs.
Low Estate – Covert Cult Of Death LP (The Flenser)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Low Estate is serious music played by men inclined to laugh themselves to death. The title of their debut album is taken from the book The Insanity Of Normality by Swiss-German psychologist Arno Gruen, whose argument that evil is the result of self-hatred and self-betrayal forms the backbone of the group’s thematic approach. With backgrounds in classic metal, hardcore, and noise rock, the band has forged an imposing and caustic sound with a wry sense of humor, not reliant on blastbeats or atmospherics.
Matt Mays – Once Upon A Hell Of A Time… 2xLP (Sonic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Halifax, NS singer-songwriter’s sixth studio album straddles the melodramatic and the melancholy. It tells the story of a man in search of love, coping with loss and looking for something more. The follow-up to JUNO Award-winning Coyote (2012), Once Upon A Hell Of A Time…’s recording spans five years and a handful of locales; starting with the L.A. studio once owned by Elliott Smith and with sessions at The Farm Studios in Vancouver, The Sonic Temple in Halifax, The Boiler Room in New York and Breakglass Studios in Montreal along the way. The bulk of the album was recorded with co-producer Loel Campbell (Wintersleep) during an intense two-month period in Montreal during the summer of 2016. “This is a snapshot of four or five years of my life that were pretty wild, and pretty lost, and pretty free – in certain ways – and I kind of felt like I was coming to the end of a bit of a chapter,” says Matt. “It was a f**king wild ride of emotions and late nights and all the feels. Kind of the record I’ve always wanted to make.”
The Monkees – Headquarters [Reissue/1967] LP (Friday Music)
Audiophile clear vinyl pressing.
Marilyn Monroe – Essential Masters LP (Stardust)
Limited edition pink vinyl LP pressing. Includes full topless pinup cover.
Nahko – My Name Is Bear LP (SideOneDummy)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nahko’s (Medicine For The People) first solo album under his name. Spanning his formative years as an emerging artist travelling through the wild landscapes of Alaska, Hawaii and Louisiana, My Name Is Bear is a collection of deeply personal songs that tell the tales of Nahko’s awakening as an artist.
Null + Void – Cryosleep LP (HFN)
After releasing records and touring with his synthesizer-driven Kap10Kurt outfit, the Swiss-born New Yorker focused on working in the studio with a long list of major acts like The Kills and Moby, while also writing several original songs together with Dave Gahan for the latest two Depeche Mode albums. But now Kurt Uenala re-emerges as a solo artist under the name Null + Void, with his debut full-length Cryosleep and displays the full range of his outstanding abilities.
Victor Rice – Smoke LP+MP3 (Easy Star)
A breezy and compelling instrumental release that succeeds in combining Brazilian samba with Jamaican rock steady.
Rock Candy Funk Party – The Groove Cubed 2xLP+MP3 (J&R Adventures)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rock Candy Funk Party are: Tal Bergman (producer/drums), Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Ron DeJesus (guitar), and Mike Merritt (bass). On The Groove Cubed, they have added two fabulous vocalists to the mix – Ty Taylor (Vintage Trouble) and Mahalia Barnes – which is a first for them. The new album delivers a lavish soundscape that incorporates a plethora of genres, from dance and electronica, to funk and jazz and everything in between.
Jesse Royal – Lily Of Da Valley LP (Easy Star)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Reggae has long been about the message of the lyrics as much as a catchy melody. On the new album Lily Of Da Valley, Jesse Royal shows that he can give healthy doses of both catchy melodies and thought-provoking lyrics.
Sløtface – Try Not To Freak Out LP+MP3 (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On their debut album, this Norwegian four-piece delivers political punk wrapped in pop packaging. Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.
SOJA – Poetry In Motion LP (ATO)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Internationally acclaimed Washington D.C. 8-piece SOJA release their new album Poetry In Motion. SOJA’s core sound – an uplifting meld of reggae, go-go, D.C. hardcore, Latin, rock, and hip-hop – is as tight and compelling as it’s ever been in the group’s 20-year history, but now the group digs deeper on its message of finding peace and understanding in the world caught in tribulation. For the band, having fun and social awareness can, and should, co-exist. “More” is a Bob Marley-influenced manifesto to fight greed by being content with what you got and “Bad News” looks for hope in tragic headlines.
Street Sects – Rat Jacket LP (The Flenser)
Still maintaining their sample-based foundation, the Austin duo’s post-industrial sound is enriched with experimental melodic and organic instrumentation. The record deals with loyalty, trust, betrayal, paranoia, and the sadness and regret that comes with the acceptance of our own selfish nature.
S U R V I V E – RR7387 Remix Record LP (Relapse)
Remixers include Lena Willikens, Not Waving, Sam Haar and Justin K Broadrick as JK FLESH. For fans of The Haxan Cloak, Zombi, Perturbator, John Carpenter and Trent Reznor.
Thee Conductor – Cotton Tornado LP (Sixgunlover)
Jason Butler’s impressive debut under the moniker Thee Conductor is a swirl of orchestration with both amplified and acoustic instruments, catchy singing, and interesting rhythmic drum patterns. Rounding things out are important embellishments made by the vocal/creative perspectives of Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Kevin Shea, Jana Horn, A. Sinclair, Choctaw Wildfire, Michael Patrick St. Clair and many others.
Various Artists – Rude Boy Scorchers LP (Kingston Sounds)
A set of tunes that the Jamaican rude boys would have been listening to at the sound systems on the lawns and street corners. The compilation not only includes the more obvious rude boy tunes like “Gunmen Coming To Town”, “Dreader Than Dread”, and “Moon Hop”, but also some of the tunes that made the sound systems rock well into the night. Features Derrick Morgan, Lloydie & The Lovebites, Phyllis Wilson, Delroy Wilson, Rico Rodriguez, Honey Boy Martin, The Heptones, Justin Hinds, Lester Sterling, John Holt, The Ethiopians, and Pat Kelly.
Various Artists – Tuff City Records 33 1/3 Anniversary Box: Original Old School Recordings 1982-1986 5×12”+7” (Tuff City)
A celebration of the first four years of the Tuff City label from 1982-1986 – a reissued trove of pure street hip-hop. Contains an all-star cast of old school legends like; Spoonie Gee, Cold Crush Brothers, and the Fearless Four, to producers and mixers like Afrika Bambaataa, Davy DMX, and Russell Simmons. The box includes 32 tracks spread over five 12″s and one 7″ plus a 19-page booklet.
The Wallflowers – Red Letter Days [2002] 2xLP (Interscope)
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of this album’s debut in 2002, pressed on vinyl for the first time. Red Letter Days is the first Wallflowers record that featured Jakob Dylan playing a majority of the lead guitar parts.
Cassettes:
Shamir – Revelations (Father/Daughter)
“You can sense from his album art alone that Shamir Bailey — who writes and performs melodic outsider pop under his first name — reveals and obfuscates himself in equally cautious measure. Revelations feels like Shamir’s most vulnerable and sure-footed work; its stripped-down, self-produced songs are brimming with self-assurance and confidence, even in the midst of anxiety and heartache. The disco-infused dance sound of Ratchet that built Shamir’s early reputation — and which mostly disappeared on Hope — is absent from Revelations, replaced by strummed electric guitar and a smattering of electronic production. But abandoning the sound that made him famous doesn’t feel like a step back — it’s more of a step inward.
Holiday:
The Ames Brothers – There’ll Always Be a Christmas [Reissue/1957] CD (Real Gone Music)
60th Anniversary Deluxe mono edition.
Gene Autrey – A Melody Rich Christmas Party LP (Varese Sarabande)
Gene Autry’s A Melody Ranch Christmas is a special album of iconic and rare Christmas songs performed live on Gene Autry’s popular Melody Ranch radio show. Artists include Gene Autry, the Cass County Boys, the Pinafores, the Gene Autry Blue Jeans, Rosemary Clooney, and Carl Cotner’s Orchestra. You’ll also hear Gene introduce songs, Pat Buttram perform classic comedy, and Johnny Bond thoughtfully reflect on the season.
Percy Faith and His Orchestra – Music Of Christmas [Reissue/1954] CD (Real Gone Music)
Expanded edition – ‘the first real remastering of Music Of Christmas.”
Josh Groban – Noëlx` [Reissue/2007] CD (Reprise)
Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition featuring six bonus tracks including four new recordings.
Chanté Moore – Christmas Back To You CD (CM7)
The Grammy nominated R&B singer/songwriter, TV personality and author delivers her very first Christmas album.
REO Speedwagon – Not So Silent Christmas With REO Speedwagon CD (Rhino)
This reissue of the AOR band’s 2009 Christmas album contains three previously released bonus tracks, and one new track “We Three Kings.”
The Robert Shaw Chorale – Robert Shaw Conducts Christmas Hymns And Carols Volume II [Reissue/1952] CD (Real Gone Music)
Shaw’s second volume of Christmas carols—presented, like on its predecessor, in a series of medleys—perfectly complements the first volume by casting its eye a bit farther afield in search of repertoire suited for the brilliant arrangements of Fred Waring protégé Shaw and his longtime collaborator, Alice Parker.
Connie Smith – Joy To The World [Reissue/1975] CD (Real Gone Music)
First-time CD edition. What do Keith Richards, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, and the late George Jones all have in common? All have counted themselves as fervent fans of Connie Smith. A true singer’s singer, Connie has entertained fans for over fifty years with her singular blend of country-and-western, gospel, and pop.
jazz label, Woodward Avenue, offers no apologies, warnings or explanations for taking control and asserting her will her five-song debut EP.
Lindsey Stirling – Warmer In The Winter LP (Concord)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Critically acclaimed electronic violinist Lindsey Stirling releases her first ever Holiday album. Featuring a variety of special guests including Trombone Shorty and All Time Low, Warmer In The Winter includes cheerful renditions of holiday favorites as well as some compelling new originals. “Prepare yourself for a potpourri of different styles, sounds from all different sides of Christmas music,” Stirling exclaims. “All of which is sprinkled with a good dose of Lindsey pixie dust. If you don’t dance at least three times while listening to this album then you need to take off your Mr. Grinch panties ‘cuz this is dancing material for sure…Almost the entire album was recorded with live instrumentation: a full orchestra and big band players. It’s big!”
The Supremes – Ultimate Merry Christmas 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
50 tracks on two CDs, of which 16 are previously unreleased and 21 are new to CD.
Various Artists – Soul Christmas [Reissue/1968] LP (Run Out Groove)
Limited 180gm colored vinyl LP pressing. Originally released as an Atlantic holiday compilation in 1968 and long out of print on vinyl, Soul Christmas is an 11-track collection of songs featuring Soul legends such as Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Solomon Burke, Joe Tex, Clarence Carter, William Bell, King Curtis, and Booker T & The MGs.
Fred Waring & The Pennsylvanians – ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas/Christmas Time [Reissue/1955) CD (Real Gone Music)
“If there was ever a pair of Christmas albums crying for the twofer treatment, it would be these two 1955 Decca-label albums from Fred Waring and his band, The Pennsylvanians.”
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