CDs + Vinyl:
10 Years – (How To Live) As Ghosts CD/LP+MP3 (Mascot)
When guitarist/drummer Brian Vodinh and guitarist Matt Wantland returned to the Knoxville, Tennessee alt-metal/post-grunge band for their eighth album (How To Live) As Ghosts, they burst through their comfort zones to create something new.
112 – Q Mike Slim Daron CD (E1)
New album from the Atlanta R&B group.
45 Grave – Sleep In Safety CD (Real Gone Music)
Formed from putrefying remnants of The Germs, The Consumers, The Bags, The Gun Club, and The Screamers among other L.A. punk outfits, 45 Grave were arguably the first American Goth/deathrock bands. Now available is this expanded version of the band’s sole album, 1983’s Sleep In Safety. [Vinyl edition due November 24.]
All Pigs Must Die – Hostage Animal CD/LP (Southern Lord)
All Pigs Must Die is comprised of some of the most well-seasoned musicians on the eastern seaboard – Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy), Ben Koller (Converge), Matt Woods, and Adam Wentworth (both of Bloodhorse). Their fusion of crust punk, hardcore and metal is more ferocious than ever before thanks to the addition of Trap Them’s Brian Izzi. Distilling aggressive music to its purest tenets, APMD craft songs that pulverize, gnash, and whirl with a punishing delivery.
Appice – Sinister CD/2xLP+CD (Steamhammer)
The first joint studio album by Carmine and Vinny Appice, recorded with the support of a number of prestigious guests. [Limited gatefold colored 180gm vinyl pressing also available.]
Azonic – Prospect Of The Deep CD (Indivisible Music)
Azonic is Blind Idiot God founder Andy Hawkins on guitars and Tim Wyskida (Khanate, BIG) on timpani, concert bass drum and gong. It was recorded with Bill Laswell at BC Studio which was selected for its enormous tracking rooms, which are ideal for the high volume, long tone qualities of this music. [Vinyl edition due December 15.]
Julien Baker – Turn Out The Lights CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
From its opening moments — when her chiming, evocative melody is accompanied by swells of strings — Turn Out The Lights throws open the doors to the world without sacrificing the intimacy that has become a hallmark of Baker’s songs. The album was recorded at the legendary Ardent Studios in her hometown of Memphis, TN, and mixed by Craig Silvey (The National, Arcade Fire). This evolution from Sprained Ankle’s intentionally spare production allows Baker — who is still the album’s sole producer and writer — greater scope and freedom. Strings and woodwinds now shade the corners of her compositions, and she takes to piano rather than guitar on several tracks, pushing the 21-year-old’s work to cinematic heights of intensity. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Battleme – Cult Psychotica CD/LP (El Camino)
What happened to the American psyche? Battleme’s Cult Psychotica explores our tripped-up reality through Matt Drenik’s lens. Written within the first few months of the 2016 election and cut mostly live in a week-long session at Drenik’s Get Loud Studio, Cult Psychotica is a conceptual landscape of heroes and losers, misguided truths and theories, urgent in its delivery and poignant in its critique of the moment. The songs were written in bursts, the lyrics in sequence. Cult Psychotica is an indictment of non-truth – a political album from a writer who has up until now eschewed overt political songwriting. The soaring “Bitch Blues” documents the country in riot while “Testament” embodies the fury of the eternal gathering. Cult Psychotica’s ten songs are an homage to a fluid and sometimes morbid dream that centers around Drenik’s vision of an urban American landscape run by shams and hustles, eventually culminating in the bloom of the “Lowlife.” It’s a reaction to the Trumponian theatre, a timely reflection on our own busted reality.
Big K.R.I.T. – 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time 2xCD (BMG Rights Management)
New album from the Mississippi rapper.
Black Crowes – The Lost Crowes [Reissue/2006] CD (Silver Arrow)
Originally released in 2006, this double-CD set contains a pair of previously unavailable albums recorded by Chris Robinson and the boys – 1993’s Tall (which eventually morphed into Amorica, and 1997’s Band, which was recorded after Three Snakes And One Charm.
Blind Guardian – Battalions Of Fear [Reissue/1988] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Follow The Blind [Reissue/1989] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Tales From The Twilight World [Reissue/1990] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Behind [Reissue/1992] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Follow The Blind [Reissue/1993] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Imaginations From The Other Side [Reissue/1995] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – The Forgotten Tales [Reissue/1996] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Nightfall In Middle Earth [Reissue/1998] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – A Night At The Opera [Reissue/2002] CD (Nuclear Blast America)
Blind Guardian – Live [Reissue/2003] 2xCD (Nuclear Blast America)
German power metal – reissued on CD.
Butcher Babies – Lilith CD/LP (Century Media)
For nearly a decade, Butcher Babies have been crushing stages worldwide with their vicious live performance and explosive energy. Frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, guitarist Henry Flury, bassist Jason Klein and drummer Chase Brickenden juxtapose brutal, aggressive riffs with beautiful melodies that wail with emotional redemption. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Peter Case – On The Way Downtown: Recorded Live On Folk Scene – 1998 CD (Omnivore)
Peter Case has always been a pioneer. Genre-tripping through punk with The Nerves (“Hanging On The Telephone”), new wave/power pop with The Plimsouls (“A Million Miles Away”) and Americana with his Grammy-nominated, self-titled solo debut. It is a career that is still going strong over 40 years later. On The Way Downtown: Recorded Live On Folk Scene captures material from two live performances on the highly influential KPFK (Los Angeles) syndicated radio program in 1998 and 2000. The first half features material from his then, newly released Full Service, No Waiting—an album New York magazine called “stunning.” The latter half contains material from 2000’s Flying Saucer Blues, as well as songs from his earlier releases. Plus, some choice covers appear as well. Both intimate acoustic sets have remained unheard since their original broadcasts.
Kenny Chesney – Live In No Shoes Nation 2xCD (Blue Chair)
New live release from the country music superstar. Includes appearances by his friends,
co-writers and tour-mates, ranging from Eric Church, Mac McAnally, David Lee Murphy, Old Dominion, Grace Potter, Taylor Swift and the Zac Brown Band.
Kelly Clarkson – Meaning Of Life CD/LP+MP3 (Atlantic)
Meaning Of Life is the album Kelly Clarkson was destined to make, a career defining collection of smart and sensual soul-inspired pop. For her eighth studio effort – and follow-up to 2015’s chart-topping Piece By Piece – Clarkson united a stellar team of top songwriters and producers to collaborate on her Atlantic debut, among them past collaborators Jason Halbert, Jesse Shatkin and Grammy Award-winning Producer of the Year Greg Kurstin as well as first time collaborators Mick Schultz, The Monarch and Nick Ruth among others. As if that weren’t enough, Clarkson is joined by members of the legendary Earth Wind & Fire on album standout “Whole Lotta Woman.” “Love So Soft” sees Clarkson doing what she does best: serving up powerful, seemingly effortless vocals over a catchy tune. “After dabbling in rock and country, it’s nice to see Clarkson dig into the rich potential of this particular vein of jazz R&B. Her voice is as big as ever,” wrote the New York Times while Billboard proclaimed, “‘If ‘Love So Soft’ is any indication, Kelly Clarkson’s Atlantic Records debut, Meaning Of Life, is going to be massive.”
Bootsy Collins – World Wide Funk CD/LP+MP3 (Mascot)
The funk runs deep and rich on Bootsy Collins’ first studio album since 2011’s Tha Funk Capital Of The World. Populated with musical friends old and new, and recorded in his Cincinnati home’s Bootzilla Re-hab studio, World Wide Funk marks both a reckoning and significant reboot, if you will, for the Rhinestone Rock Star Monster of a doll baby baba! Blue-chip rappers like Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, DJ Quik, Dru Down, and Chuck D, along with guitar shedder Buckethead join a Bootsy-curated posse of fresh new artists on a record that embraces everything from the classic P-Funk sound Bootsy pioneered to the closest Collins has ever come to radio-active, boots on the ground friendly fire in a musical-P-rated-adventure. [Limited splattered colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Complete Failure – Crossburner CD (Season Of Mist)
Complete Failure, also known as “ComFail”, is a hardcore/grindcore punk band from Pittsburgh.
The Deep Dark Woods – Yarrow CD/LP (Six Shooter)
The Deep Dark Woods’ newest album was borne in a fever – a scarlet fever, to be medically specific. A disease of the last century is a fitting backdrop for songs that dig bare handed into the loam to unearth the corpses of old English folk and country blues. Yarrow is The Deep Dark Woods reimagined by leadman Ryan Boldt and accompanied by a close-knit group of musicians that includes duo Kacy & Clayton. For nearly ten years they developed an international following with particular success in the Americana realm, nominated alongside Alabama Shakes and Dawes for Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2012 Americana Music Awards.
Delain – Decade Of Delain – Live At Paradiso 2xCD+DVD+Blu-ray/3xLP (Napalm)
The symphonic metal band celebrated its tenth anniversary with an epic live performance at Paradiso.
Dirty Fences – Goodbye Love CD/LP+MP3 (Greenway)
Brooklyn’s Dirty Fences third studio album, Goodbye Love, is the follow-up to 2013’s Too High To Kross and 2015’s Full Tramp. On Goodbye Love, Dirty Fences give a nod to their influences — which include acts like Redd Kross, The MC5, and Johnny Thunders, plus an obsession with early KISS and Motley Crüe through the lens of The Dictators and Ramones — but manage to maintain an identity all their own. The album is packed with plenty of meaty riffs and perfectly-executed harmonies and features a guest appearance from Sheer Mag’s Christina Halladay. The lead single “Teen Angel” pairs an undeniably catchy melody with driving percussion and wailing guitars, and its accompanying video is heavy on the party vibes. [Limited edition green colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ronnie Fauss – Last Of The True CD (Normaltown)
“Last Of The True is a love letter to the artists and genres of music that I hold dear. When we were finished mixing, and I stepped back and listened to the thirteen songs we had recorded for this album, I realized we had touched a wide variety of places – from early ‘70s Laurel Canyon folk-rock, to late 90’s alt-country rock ‘n’ roll, to Copperhead Road-era Steve Earle, to John Prine-inspired folk.”
Hanging Garden – I Am Become CD (Lifeforce)
Heavy, doom-oriented metal from Finland. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Curtis Harding – Face Your Fear CD/LP (ANTI-)
Curtis Harding could best be described as a student of the gritty, sweat-dripping, hip-swinging blues that wafted through the air of the American ’60s. The offspring of a mother who sang gospel, and a retired veteran, he traveled all over the country as a child, singing alongside his parents, learning that music was in fact the great communicator, and that the key was not just in how pretty the notes were, but how if you were honest in what you were singing, you could stir a person on the inside. This is what Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and B. B. King knew. That somehow there was a way to take your experiences, your pain and joy, and give them melody, cause them to live and breathe and massage the hearts and minds of all those who hear.
That is exactly what Harding does on his new album, Face Your Fear. He figures out how to tap into the old soul man of the past without mimicking or bastardizing it, but instead evoking the spirit of the true soul music of yesterday, meshed with the realities of now. Produced by friends Sam Cohen and Danger Mouse, the 12 songs on Face Your Fear convey an eclectic blend of genres leaping from the many musical lives he has lived from following his evangelical Gospel-singing mother on tour as a child in Michigan to rapping in Atlanta, forming a garage band with The Black Lips’ Cole Alexander to singing back-up for Cee Lo Green. [Limited edition clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Heavy Metal Kings – Black God White Devil CD (Enemy Soil)
Rappers Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks) and ILL Bill (Non-Phixion) return with their side-project’s first new album in over six years. [Vinyl edition due November 24.]
Joe Henry – Thrum CD/LP (earMUSIC)
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and Grammy-winning producer Joe Henry releases his fourteenth solo album Thrum. Recorded, as well as mixed, live to tape by Ryan Freeland (Bonnie Raitt, The Milk Carton Kids, Ray LaMontagne) over four days at Hollywood’s legendary United Studios, the album’s eleven spiritually stirring originals feature longtime Henry collaborators Jay Bellerose (drums), Levon Henry (saxophone and all reeds), David Piltch (upright and electric bass), John Smith (guitar; backing vocals), Patrick Warren (piano, keys), as well as a string quartet and Asa Brosius on pedal steel. Thrum is an intricately crafted collection of recordings by one of the most gifted and moving songwriters today.
Hollywood Undead – Five CD/LP+MP3 (BMG Rights)
Fifth studio album by the rap rock band from Los Angeles. Powered by neck-snapping guitars and fast and furious bars, Five’s lead single “California Dreaming” cycles between guttural rapping and quick quips. Everything culminates on the choral chant “We never sleep, in California we’re dreaming.”
Hotel Books – Equivalency CD/LP+MP3 (Invogue/Hassle)
Hailing from Porterville, CA, Hotel Books revolves around the spoken-word poetry and lyricism of Cam Smith. Delivering intense, cathartic words over ambient musical soundscapes tinged with indie rock and post-hardcore, Smith uses his high octane vocal delivery as a platform for stories of pain, struggle, and the overall triumph he has found in faith and Love. Smith uses Hotel Books as a vessel to deliver his personal story, collaborating with stellar musicians to bring his words to musical life. “I’m Almost Happy Here” plumbs the depths of despair, fear and regret but looks to hope. There’s a haunting melody prevailing through Vocalist Cam Smith’s lilting but impassioned delivery and flow. “Celebration” is a satirical look at the artistic process and outside pressures and influences musicians might come up against along their music-making way. [Limited cloudy clear with orange crush colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Hundred Waters – Communicating CD/LP (Owsla)
The L.A.-based trio – comprised of vocalist Nicole Miglis, producer Trayer Tryon and drummer Zach Tetreault – return with their long-awaited new full-length. At the core of the album is the relationship between band members Nicole Miglis and Trayer Tryon, whose relationship catalyzed the band in 2012. The album raises questions of romantic and non-romantic love, self-realization, growing apart, and finding understanding.
Siv Jakobsen – The Nordic Mellow CD/LP (The Nordic Mellow)
Siv Jakobsen’s music is beautifully mellow, much like diary-entries – filled with unfiltered thoughts and reflections. With references to Damien Rice and Ane Brun, listening to her music is like being a fly on the wall while she sings you her secrets.
Norah Jones – Day Breaks 2xCD/2xLP (Blue Note)
Jones returned to the piano and her roots for her sixth solo album, 2016’s Day Breaks, which is described as a kindred spirit to her multi-platinum breakthrough Come Away With Me. Guests on the album include legendary jazz musicians saxophonist Wayne Shorter, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, and drummer Brian Blade. This Deluxe edition includes nine songs recorded live in New York City during her album release shows at the Sheen Center’s Loreto Theater in October 2016. [180gm vinyl edition with silver foil cover also available.]
Katla – Moourastin CD/2xLP (Prophecy)
Katla is an Icelandic band featuring ex-Sólstafir drummer and visual artist Guðmundur Óli
Pálmason and singer/multi-instrumentalist Einar Thorberg Guðmundsson (Fortíð, Potentiam). Named in tribute to one of Iceland’s greatest active volcanos, Katla creates powerful, panoramic music where shimmering guitars, crushing melodies and atmospheric density meet dark, entrancing power.
Kimock – Satellite City CD/LP (MRI Associated)
Satellite City represents a remarkable evolution for Steve Kimock, long known as a brilliant psychedelic improvisational guitarist. Building on a realm of creativity unleashed by his recent solo album, Last Danger of Frost, he assembled Kimock the band featuring his son John Morgan Kimock on drums, his life-long bass-playing partner Bobby Vega, and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Leslie Mendelson. Together they have catalyzed an incandescent level of song composition that explores a variety of territories.
Kirlian Camera – Sky Collapse CDEP/12” (Dependent)
A collaboration of two of the most distinguished names in dark electronic world, as Kirlian Camera work with Swedish electronic icons Covenant on the A-side version of the track “Sky Collapse”, which is also a duet between singer Elena Alice Fossi and Covenant’s Eskil Simonsson.
Lankum – Between Earth And Sky CD/LP (Rough Trade)
A quartet of punks turned traditionalists, Lankum bring the energy of their hardcore roots into the Celtic folk mode, bringing passion, politics, noise, and drone to a genre where the change is very welcome. Defying genre conventions despite their use of fiddle, concertina, and pipes – relying equally on traditional “traveler’s songs” and soulful, fiery originals – Lankum are sharply original. A protest band with impeccable chops and brilliant songwriting, Lankum are truly and fiercely in answer to and a balm for our current era of political and social unrest. “Seamlessly weaves together a punk energy, slow boil neo-folk darkness, and plenty of real old-time Dublin street grit into one beautiful whole.” – No Depression
Left Behind – Blessed By The Burn CD (Unbeaten)
West Virginia’s Left Behind follow-up their 2016 debut Seeing Hell, which found the group augmenting their brand of hardcore with sludge and thrash influences, with their second album Blessed By The Burn. [Vinyl edition due November 17.]
Terra Lightfoot – New Mistake CD/LP (Sonic Unyon)
Last year when first approaching Terra Lightfoot‘s music, I said, “get ready to adore Terra Lightfoot, a roots rocker with a powerful voice and a badass Gibson SG that she plays with consummate ease. Yep, she could be your new rock ‘n’ roll hero. Drawing from rock, soul, and blues, Lightfoot is a monster talent that will be gracing the world’s largest festival stages in no time.” True to those sentiments, Lightfoot is back in 2017 with a new album New Mistakes chock full of soulful rock ‘n’ roll, mega SG riffs, and songs highlighting Lightfoot’s broad musical range. New Mistakes is Lightfoot’s most accomplished music yet, with a tracklist full of variety in tempos and moods, a carefully constructed and produced set of material that highlights Lightfoot’s rapid development as an artist.
Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts – Milano CD/LP (Columbia)
New album from Emmy nominated Italian composer, producer and artist, Daniele Luppi, along with New York rock band Parquet Courts. A concept album, Milano is complete with songs that are fictionalized stories about misfits, fashionistas, outcasts and junkies in mid-1980s Milan. Daniele teamed up with Parquet Courts and Yeah Yeah Yeah’s vocalist, Karen O, to help deliver his vision of an emerging youth culture struggling to be heard amidst the rapid gentrification of old Milan.
John Maus – Screen Memories CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
John Maus is a truly enigmatic musician. Broadly cut from the synth pop cloth, he’s fashioned the frosty minimalism of its fabric into a cloak of infinite meaning, genuine grace and absurdist humor over the course of three defining albums since 2006. His music is a highly mutable affair, whilst often described as retro-futurist on behalf of the ‘80s drum machines and synth sounds employed, John’s music is more personal than the nostalgic re-tread implied. There’s a cinematic quality to his songs, with pathos conjured through propelling bass-lines, trailing arpeggios and of course his deeply resonant vocal. Screen Memories was written, recorded, and engineered by Maus over the last few years in his home in Minnesota, known genially as the Funny Farm. Through the whole album Maus has an undeniable talent in grasping the mettle of each song, reaching within and building up a sincere core, before teasing out the edges in acknowledgement to the very ridiculousness of its existence. Rather than creating these songs through an enjoyment of the process Maus considers himself more in the role of someone discovering them buried just beneath the surface.
Ministry – Live Necronomicon 2xCD/2xLP (Cleopatra)
A vintage live album from industrial legends. Includes blistering performances of “Thieves,” “So What,” “The Missing” and many more fan favorites plus a special guest appearance from Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra.
Mirror Queen – Verdigris CD/LP (Tee Pee)
The NYC volume dealers return with a masterclass of riff-driven melodic hard rock. Featuring additional guitars from Swans six-stringer Norman Westberg, Verdigris is a rock monolith, all dark delight and sinister pleasure that demands headbanging and fists raised to the sky.
Ne Obliviscaris – Urn CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
“When you talk about bands that are on the cutting edge of the metal genre, this is a name you should be familiar with. Formed in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, their unique progressive and extreme style has been heralded for its complexity and intensity, as well as moments of beauty that seem to spring up when least expected. The production [on new album Urn] is truly magnificent. Clear and luminous, everything is in its proper place for you to enjoy. This is a complex work of art that has lush layers of sophisticated songwriting with all the refinement and grace that melody can offer, while retaining that hard edge of extreme metal music that we all love.” – Metal Temple
Oz – Transition State CD/LP (AFM)
New album from Finnish heavy metal band. Limited transparent red colored pressing also available.
The Pack A.D. – Dollhouse CD (Cadence Music)
The Pack A.D. aren’t ones to wait. When their songs kick off, you’re immediately met with a one-two punch of searing guitar riffs and pulverizing drums, a signature symbiosis of raucous garage-rock that singer/guitarist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller have perfected over the past decade. With their new release, Dollhouse, the band is eager to follow up last year’s critically-acclaimed Positive Thinking with urgent thoughts on the current climate of the world. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Rachel Platten – Waves CD (Columbia)
New album from multi-platinum, award winning pop star. Waves is a collection of emotive and reflective pop songs, all presented in Rachel Platten’s uniquely inspired way. The first song and video released from the album, “Broken Glass,” is a track TIME raved as “another sharply produced pop jam,” and USA Today hailed as “a shimmering dance track.” That song was followed by “Perfect For You,” a brightly honest yet hopeful track Rachel wrote about every day insecurities she still faces.
Gregory Porter – Nat King Cole & Me CD (Blue Note)
Porter pays tribute to his idol with the help of six-time Grammy-winning arranger Vince Mendoza, the London Studio Orchestra, a core band featuring pianist Christian Sands, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Ulysses Owens, and special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard. [CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. Vinyl edition due December 1.]
Powerman 5000 – New Wave CD (Pavement Ent.)
11th studio album from the hard rockers.
The Professionals – What In The World CD (The End)
Formed by Paul Cook and Steve Jones, The Professionals arrived on the scene in 1979 following the demise of the Sex Pistols, but split just three years later. In 2017, the band spearheaded by Paul Cook, Paul Myers and Tom Spencer are back with the first material under The Professionals name in 35 years with the full blessing of founding member Steve Jones. What In The World boasts ten new tracks and in addition to the core group it features a host of famous guests including Marco Pironni (Adam & The Ants), Billy Duffy (The Cult), Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Phil Collen (Def Leppard), Mick Jones (The Clash) and of course Steve Jones himself. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Saràyah – Feel The Vibe CD (Basin Street)
A young vocalist and artist out of New Orleans, Saràyah carves her own niche in the pop music world by incorporating a polished voice with elements of club/dance music, worldbeat, Caribbean inflections (reflecting her roots performing in New Orleans groups), and R&B to form an Ariana Grande meets Rihanna meets Kehlani sound.
Serenity – Lionheart CD (Napalm)
New album from the Austrian symphonic metal band.
The Seven Fields Of Aphelion – Keep The Ocean Inside CD/2xLP (Rad Cult)
Pittsburgh-based musician and songwriter Maureen ”Maux” Boyle aka The Seven Fields of Aphelion has served as the live keyboardist for both Tobacco and Black Moth Super Rainbow, as well as pursuing other artistic interests including photography and metalsmithing.
Sixx:A.M. – The Heroin Diaries 10th Anniversary Edition CD/CD+DVD (Eleven Seven)
Originally released in 2007, The Heroing Diaries was created as a companion piece to Nikki Sixx’s (Mötley Crüe) book of the same title, which chronicles his severe heroin addiction in 1987. This 10th Anniversary Edition is available in single-disc and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds a DVD featuring a making of the album documentary and music videos. [Vinyl edition due January 26.]
Slaughter Beach, Dog – Birdie CD/LP (Lame-O)
Slaughter Beach, Dog started as a side project for Jake Ewald, one of Modern Baseball’s two singer/songwriters. The band was born out of a case of writer’s block, Jake used the first LP to experiment with writing from the point of view of fictional characters in the fictional town of Slaughter Beach to break off from the ultra-personal technique he’d developed in his main project. Combining writing styles and flowing free between truth and fiction, Birdie takes Jake’s signature mouth-full writing style, adds in some new influences from bands like Wilco, The Weakerthans, Jets To Brazil and Pedro The Lion, and comes out with something completely fresh.
SOJA – Poetry In Motion CD (ATO)
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. [Vinyl edition due November 3.]
Space Captain – All Flowers In Time CD/LP (Tru Thoughts)
The band’s extensive influences range from Thundercat through Amy Winehouse to Bon Iver, but Space Captain are never anything but themselves as this release shows, with an eclectic mix of trumpet outros, sax solos and acoustic e-bowed guitars bound together with dreamy indie-pop melodies for a sweet curve-ball of a finish.
Spectral Voice – Eroded Corridors Of Unbeing CD (Dark Decent)
Debut album of crushing doom-laden death metal from Colorado’s Specral Voice. Featuring members of Blood Incantation. [Vinyl edition due November 10.]
Squeeze – The Knowledge CD (Love Records)
New album from the UK pop veterans.
Stereophonics – Scream Above The Sounds CD/LP (WB/Parlophone)
20 years after their debut Word Gets Around and six No. 1 albums later, Stereophonics release their new album Scream Above The Sounds. Vocalist/guitarist Kelly Jones said of the songwriting process that he began to write, “big, anthemic songs that are rallying against those anxious feelings that have flooded through cities. Every song offers a sense of release. Even when there’s nostalgia, fear or anxiety, they’re still all offering hope and room to maneuver.” Lead single “All In One Night” represents the band’s affection for the melancholy. Set to a consistent mid-paced rhythm which evokes a nocturnal motorway drive, it finds the narrator’s life taking a dramatic turn as night brightens to day. Influenced by the Sebastian Schipper film Victoria, it’s a song that had an unusual genesis – Kelly started it when the band had an unscheduled day’s stay in China before he finished it back home in London. Even the atmospheric call of the chorus was fortuitous, being an adaptation of a vocal exercise he was using.
Theory Of A Deadman – Wake Up Call CD (Roadrunner)
Vancouver, Canada’s Theory Of A Deadman has been among the most distinctive and popular bands in hard rock, combining frank, earnest lyricism and extraordinary melodies with massive power and electrifying dynamics. With singer/songwriter Tyler Connolly at the helm, the Vancouver-based band has earned a fervent fan following as well as a long line of multi-format hits, among them the #1 Mainstream Rock breakthrough, “Bad Girlfriend” (found on 2008’s RIAA-platinum-certified Scars & Souvenirs). The sound of their sixth album, Wake Up Call, may come as a surprise to fans as the band is dialing back the heavier rock they are used to recording for a poppier turn thanks to Connolly learning to play the piano. Album track “Rx” tunes in to the inspiration found in writing songs on a piano, taking on the heavy topic of prescription drug use plaguing society, while “PCH” juxtaposes the nostalgia for seemingly endless nights with friends and the bitter realities of life.
Third Culture Kings – Is That Light You Carry? CD/LP (MRI Associated)
Debut record from the new project led by Jan Johansen (Glorybox) and Alap Momin (dälek). Filtering classic vibes through modern interpretation, 3CK reimagine The Velvet Underground or Leonard Cohen as if they had been mixed by King Tubby and Afrika Bambaataa, all the while incorporating influences as diverse as Indian drone, early 80’s synth pads and Miami booty bass.
Ty Dolla $ign – Beach House 3 CD (Atlantic)
R&B lothario and serial collaborator Ty Dolla $ign returns with the third installment of his Beach House series. Twenty tracks in length, Beach House 3 includes features from Jeremih, Damian Marley, Skrillex, Future, Lil Wayne and The-Dream.
The Used – The Canyon CD/LP (Hopeless)
The energetic rock band returns with their seventh album.
Various Artists – All Day Thumbsucker Revisited: The History Of Blue Thumb [Reissue/1995] CD (Verve)
All Day Thumbsucker: The History Of Blue Thumb Records is a compilation celebrating the great music and wild ride of Blue Thumb Records, co-founded by Bob Krasnow and the late Tommy LiPuma, who later became the chairman of Verve. This double-CD set, originally issued in 1995, features 32 tracks by a wide variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, a true representation of the label’s philosophy. The track list has also been updated to include a cut from Buddy Guy as well as the No. 1 hit “How Long (Betcha’ Got A Chick On The Side)” by the Pointer Sisters. The package also includes a 24-page booklet with track-by-track annotations and an essay by Ben Sidran, who was at one time a Blue Thumb artist. Blue Thumb celebrates its 50th Anniversary next year.
Various Artists – The Life & songs Of Kris Kristofferson 2xCD/2xCD+DVD (Blackbird Production)
The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson contains performances from the historic, one-night concert event on March 16, 2016 at the Bridgestone Arena that honored the songs of one of the most beloved musical heroes of our time, considered a true songwriters’ songwriter. The concert film and available audio recordings feature over 20 performances, and finds Kris joined by a multi-generational who’s-who of country greats including Dierks Bentley, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Reba McIntire, Willie Nelson, Jennifer Nettles, Darius Rucker, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack and more.
Various Artists – Paul Major: Feel The Music Vol. 1! CD/LP (Anthology Music)
Paul Major—pioneering record dealer and frontman of the band Endless Boogie—has spent over a half-century immersed in the weirdest albums cast aside by the music industry, honing a world-renowned knowledge of the most unique, rare, and uncannily strange tunes of the rock and roll era. Feel The Music Vol. 1 compiles the fruits of his hard-won expertise, presenting cuts chosen by Paul from the far reaches of psychedelia, lounge, and loner folk: twelve utterly singular takes on musical expression, yielding a somehow cohesive and sublime whole.
Various Artists – Stranger Things – Music From The Netflix Original Series CD (Sony Legacy)
This 30-track compilation album (19 songs and 11 audio clips) includes a range of beloved 1980s hits and classic tracks featured in Stranger Things and the highly-anticipated second season, Stranger Things 2. The album features nineteen songs and eleven audio clips from the show. The vinyl edition will be released later this year. Artists and original hit recordings include Toto (“Africa”), the Bangles (“Hazy Shade Of Winter”), Corey Hart (“Sunglasses At Night”), and more, along with unannounced titles from Season 2.
The Wailin’ Jennys – Fifteen CD/LP (Red House)
Fifteen is the first recording in six years from one of the contemporary folk scene’s most popular group, The Wailin’ Jennys. An entrancing collection of cover songs, it includes tunes by Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, and is their first new music since 2011’s acclaimed album, Bright Morning Stars.
Weezer – Pacific Daydream CD/LP+MP3 (Crush/Atlantic)
Following the release of Weezer (The White Album), the band began working on what they called The Black Album, but as they worked, they found the songs they were writing felt more like reveries from a beach at the end of the world. Instead of forcing a different direction, they began an entirely new album; Pacific Daydream was born. Pacific Daydream – an album full of the melodic mastery and craftsmanship for which Weezer are beloved – is a record that navigates the uncertainty between reality and dreams, blurring the line between the listener knowing if they are daydreaming the world of the album, or if the world of the album is daydreaming them. It’s a record about finding the gray area between the black and the white, about escaping the everyday into the fantasy of what may be just down the line, but also maybe isn’t. It’s an album that sounds like the Beach Boys and The Clash fell in love by the ocean and had one hell of an amazing baby. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Whitesnake – Whitesnake [30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition] 4xCD+DVD (Rhino)
Newly remastered version of Whitesnake’s multi-million selling 1987 album. This Super Deluxe resissue includes unreleased live and studio recordings, classic music videos, concert footage, a 30-minute documentary featuring a new interview with David Coverdale, hardbound book that’s filled with rare and unseen photos from the era, and more. [Single-disc, double-disc, and vinyl editions are also available.]
The Who – Maximum A’s and B’s 5xCD (MCA)
86 tracks from the Brunswick, Reaction, Track and Polydor labels including classic hits and rare B-sides. The set also features the band’s first single as The High Numbers, “Zoot Suit” b/w “I’m The Face.” Five CDs total, in separate wallets, housed in a rigid, lift-off box with a 48 page booklet featuring track by track annotation and period photos.
Winds Of Plague – Blood Of My Enemy CD (E1)
Winds Of Plague’s arresting combination of crushingly heavy aggression, sweeping progressive flourishes, dynamic keyboard-driven accents and a subtle yet unstoppably memorable hint of Active Rock bounce put them in an elite class above the noise of the crowded subgenres of metal. [Vinyl edition due November 24.]
Lee Ann Womack – The Lonely, The Lonesome, & The Gone CD/2xLP (ATO)
Lee Ann Womack’s new album, The Lonely, The Lonesome, & The Gone, mixes the country, soul, gospel and blues of her native East Texas, into an audacious, sharp-edged work of art.
The album was recorded with her core band of top shelf musicians including bassist Glenn Worf, songwriters and guitarists Wright, Payne and Ethan Ballinger, and drummer Jerry Roe, and was mostly recorded at the legendary Sugar Hill Studios in Houston, TX. (Formerly known as Gold Star and open since 1941, Sugar Hill is one of the oldest continuously run studios in the country and home to seminal early recordings by many artists who had a formative influence on Womack, including George Jones, Willie Nelson and Lightnin’ Hopkins.) Among the album’s three cover songs, Womack recorded a haunting version of George Jones’ “Please Take The Devil Out Of Me” standing on the same gold star linoleum floor where he cut the 1959 original. “I wanted to get out of Nashville, and tap the deep music and vibe of East Texas,” says Womack. “I wanted to make sure this record had a lot of soul in it, because real country music has soul. I wanted to remind people of that.”
Year Of The Cobra – Burn Your Dead CDEP/12” (Magnetic Eye)
Bringing to mind dark and doomy female-fronted outfits like Jucifer, Windhand, and Ruby the Hatchet, power-duo Year of the Cobra prove you don’t need a huge band to produce massive, infectious heaviness.
Yelawolf – Trial By Fire CD (Slumerican/Interscope)
The rapper’s new album features Kid Rock, Travis Barker, Juicy J, Joshua Hedley, Bones Owens, Lee Brice, and Wynonna Judd. Trial By Fire serves as a significant comeback for Yelawolf, who has struggled with some intense ups and downs following the loss of a close friend and canceling his Trial By Fire Tour last year. The rapper was reportedly forced into a psych ward by an ex-manager, where he claims to have “lost everything” at the time, but is now making a big turnaround in his career.
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story – DVD+Blu-ray (MVD Visual
This film by Jon Brewer tells the story of Mick Ronson, one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most influential guitarists, who was the musical genius behind David Bowie’s greatest run of albums. Includes interview footage from Angie Bowie, Rick Wakeman, Glen Matlock, Cherry Vanilla, Ian Hunter, David Stopps and more.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – American Landing: Live At Monterey [Reissue/2007] DVD/Blu-ray (Sony Legacy)
Posthumous live film originally released October 2007 – Hendrix’s performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Eddie Kramer mixed this version featuring 5.1 channel surround sound.
L7 – L7: Pretend We’re Dead DVD+Blu-ray (MVD Visual)
Culled from over 100 hours of vintage home movies taken by the band, never-before-seen performance footage, and candid interviews, L7: Pretend We’re Dead is an engrossing time capsule told from the perspective of the pioneering all-female grunge rock band.
Slipknot – Day Of The Gusano DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle)
Now available on stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray. New live documentary of Slipknot’s first-ever concert in Mexico City in 2015. In addition to concert footage from the gig, the 90-minute documentary also features exclusive interviews with band members.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Alcest – Kodama [Reissue/2016] LP (Prophecy)
Limited vinyl picture-disc pressing of the French post-rock/shoegaze/black metal artist’s latest LP.
Alcest – Souvenirs D’Un Autre Monde [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Prophecy)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing in gatefold jacket. Digitally remastered.
Ashford & Simpson – Solid [Reissue/1984] LP (Capitol)
The R&B duo’s ’70s work had been organic and richly orchestrated, but Solid, by contrast, showed them embracing the synthetic aesthetic that was beginning to define R&B music in the ’80s – a musical landscape dominated by synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines.
Atmosphere – Overcast! [1997] 3xLP (Rhymesayers)
While considered an underground classic, as well as a fan favorite, by many, the Minneapolis hip-hop group’s debut album Overcast! has never been available on vinyl until now. For this special expanded 20-year anniversary vinyl edition, all the original recording sessions were transferred from the reel-to-reel tapes, pressed on triple white color vinyl and packaged in a custom built case-wrapped and debossed jacket.
Beck – Mutations [Reissue/1998] LP+7” (Interscope)
Beck – Modern Guilt [Reissue/2008] LP (Interscope)
Limited vinyl reissues of Beck’s third and eighth albums. Mutations includes a bonus 7”.
Clutch – Jam Room [Reissue/1999] LP (Weathermaker Music)
The second in a series of three Clutch picture disc releases this year.
Chick Corea – The Musician: Live At The Blue Note Jazz Café 3xLP (Concord)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Recorded live at The Blue Note Café in NYC in the Autumn of 2011.
The Crystal Method – Vegas [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Geffen)
Vinyl reissue of the debut studio album by the electronic music duo. Like The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy and others, The Crystal Method are pioneers of the big beat genre.
Cub Sport – Bats LP (Cub Sport)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The second album from the Australian indie outfit. Limited ‘clear with black splatter’ colored vinyl LP pressing.
Bruce Dickinson – Tattooed Millionaire [Reissue/1990] LP (Sanctuary)
Bruce Dickinson – Balls To Picasso [Reissue/1994] LP (Sanctuary)
Bruce Dickinson – Skunkworks [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Sanctuary)
Bruce Dickinson – Accident Of Birth [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Sanctuary)
Bruce Dickinson – The Chemical Wedding [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Sanctuary)
Bruce Dickinson – Tyranny Of Souls [Reissue/2005] LP (Sanctuary)
Bruce Dickinson – Solo Works 1990 – 2005 9xLP (Sanctuary)
The solo catalog (spanning 1990 to 2005) of Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson’s solo catalog on 180gm vinyl for the first time in North America, all cut from the original masters.
DJ Krush – Kiseki 2xLP (Gamma Proforma)
“Released to mark the 25th anniversary of Krush’s solo career, Kiseki is a straight-up rap album, and features an eclectic roster of Japanese MCs. Rino Latina II, who guests on the trap-inflected ‘Dust Stream,’ is an old collaborator from the ’90s, but most of the assembled rappers are considerably younger. They bring an undeniable energy to the proceedings, and Krush responds with some of his grittiest productions since the Strictly Turntablized days.” – The Japan Times
Doll Skin – Manic Pixie Dream Girl LP (Emp. Label Group)
Sophomore album from Phoenix-based female punk band.
Double Ferrari – Double Ferrari LP (Ernest Jenning)
Double Ferrari is an instrumental four-piece band from Athens, GA that explores the vibrational and harmonic capabilities of the electric guitar in a high-energy, uptempo hard rock context.
Bjarte Eike/ Barokksolistene – The Alehouse Sessions LP (Rubicon)
The Alehouse Sessions explores the music heard in 17th Century English taverns, giving audiences a fascinating window into this tumultuous period. The atmosphere of a raucous port city pub in the 1690s is brilliantly evoked by Bjarte Eike and Barokksolistene, whose concerts have been hailed as “irresistible” (The Times), “superb” (The Scotsman) and “fabulously unrestrained” (The Guardian) and “creating the effect of a late night jamming session” (BBC Music Magazine).
EPMD – Back In Business [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Def Jam)
Double-vinyl reissue of the fifth album from the hip-hop duo.
For The Win – Heavy Thoughts LP (Victory)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The San Diego metalcore quintet seamlessly blends harmonic vocals and soaring, explosive instrumentals on their sophomore full-length.
Dhani Harrison – IN//PARALLEL 2xLP (BMG Rights Management)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For the first time, Dhani Harrison felt right about creating a solo album after many years of playing in bands. His debut In Parallel proves that it was well worth the wait. Dhani describes IN//PARALLEL as the music he hears in his head; a sprawling, pre- and post-apocalyptic cinematic universe that takes the listener on a journey through his life, the places he’s been, the people who’ve helped him along the way.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – The Jimi Hendrix Experience 4xLP (Sony Legacy)
Limited quadruple 180gm vinyl LP box set. First released in 2000, The Jimi Hendrix Experience presents previously unreleased concert and studio recordings which span the visionary guitarist’s remarkable four year career from 1966-1970. Beginning with the first known recordings of the Jimi Hendrix Experience in October 1966 to the guitarist’s final multi-track recording session at Electric Lady Studios in August 1970, this unique set concentrates on unreleased or commercially
unavailable music. Alternate versions of classics like “Purple Haze,” “Foxy Lady” and “Little Wing” mix with stunning, unheard Hendrix music such as “It’s Too Bad” and “Country Blues.” These recordings – presented in chronological order – trace the meteoric ascent of the greatest guitarist of all time.
Horrific – Your Worst Nightmare [Reissue/2009] LP (Hell’s Headbangers)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on vinyl. A bizarro mix of ‘80s heavy metal, thrash, punk, and death metal.
Horrified – Allure Of The Fallen LP (Shadow Kingdom)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Third album from the UK metal band.
Ice War – Ice War LP (Shadow Kingdom)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Canadian one-man band Ice War deal in one thing – heavy metal. Pitched somewhere between Into Glory Ride-era Manowar and early Manilla Road, this is classic metal with absolutely nothing added or taken away.” – Sentinel Daily
Michael Jackson – Scream 2xLP (Epic)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. 13 all-time electrifying dance classics and fan favorites from The King of Pop. [Collectible glow-in-the-dark vinyl edition also available.]
Julie & The Wrong Guys – Julie & The Wrong Guys LP (Dine Alone)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Juno award-winning songwriter Julie Doiron began her musical journey as a founding member of ’90s East Coast indie-rock icons Eric’s Trip, the first Canadian band signed to Seattle’s famed Sub Pop Records. Meanwhile, The Wrong Guys are made up of Edmonton-born country/punk troubadour Eamon McGrath alongside Mike Peters and Jaye Schwarzer, the rhythm section of Toronto’s metal/hardcore heavyweights Cancer Bats.
Ke$ha – Rainbow LP (RCA)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Kesha’s first new album in five years features Eagles Of Death Metal, Dolly Parton, and more, including a track produced by Ben Folds and artwork designed by Robert Beatty.
Christian Lopez – Red Arrow LP (Blaster)
A native and resident of West Virginia, Lopez’s style has been influenced by a variety of artists ranging from Kris Kristofferson, to the neo-Americana sounds of The Avett Brothers to writers like Jackson Browne and James Taylor. As his style continues to evolve, Lopez’s music comfortably resides in the center of a triangle where country, the Laurel Canyon sound and pop sensibility connect. Red Arrow documents the next page in the journey of an artist with the road wide open ahead of him.
Mastodon – Cold Dark Place 10” (Reprise)
Recently released on CD – now available on limited 10” vinyl picture-disc. Four previously unreleased tracks. Three of the songs – “North Side Star,” “Blue Walsh,” and “Cold Dark Place” – were recorded during the sessions for the band’s 2014 album Once More ‘Round The Sun. The fourth cut, “Toe To Toes,” was recorded during the sessions for their most recent album, 2016’s Emperor Of Sand.”
The Meters – A Message from The Meters: The Complete Josie, Reprise & Warner Bros. Singles 1968-1977 3xCD (Real Gone Music)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. This 40-track set presents the A and B-side of every single that organist Art Neville, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter, Jr., and drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste cut for the Josie, Reprise & Warner Bros. label, virtually their entire singles output save for a few odds ‘n’ ends issued mostly overseas.
Midland – On The Rocks LP (Big Machine)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Made up of singer Mark Wystrach, guitarist Jess Carson and bassist Cameron Duddy, Dripping Springs, TX trio Midland is the embodiment of ’70s California country, all smooth Eagles harmonies and heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics. Their songs are intoxicating country sung with the twang of George Strait. And it’s impossible to resist. Midland – named from a Dwight Yoakam song – excel in setting a mood, transporting the listener to another place and time. This is music made for wide-open skies, endless deserts and wondering where the road is going to take you next. Their full-length debut, On The Rocks, features some of the most traditional-sounding country music to come out of Nashville in a decade. Lead single “Drinkin’ Problem” evokes Gary Stewart – one of Midland’s biggest inspirations, along with Merle Haggard. “Electric Rodeo,” with its plaintive piano, sweeping strings and high-in-the-saddle chorus, is a prime example of the “picture” the band envisions creating. And the majestic “Nothin’ New Under The Neon” sounds like vintage Eddie Rabbit.
Steve Miller – Ultimate Hits 2xLP/4xLP (Capitol)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. One of history’s most important rock bands return with a new collection featuring seminal tracks including “Abracadabra,” “The Joker” and “Take The Money And Run.” [A Deluxe quadruple vinyl version that includes four previously unreleased live tracks, three previously unreleased studio tracks and one previously unreleased demo is also available.]
Ministry – Live At The Warfield 1997 2xLP (Run Out Groove)
Archive live release includes unreleased recordings found in their vault from an incredible live performance at the Warfield in San Francisco, CA, during the band’s Like Swimming tour in 1997.
Alison Moyet – Alf [Reissue/1984] LP (BMG Rights Management)
Alison Moyet – Raindancing [Reissue/1987] LP (BMG Rights Management)
Alison Moyet – Hoodoo [Reissue/1991] LP (BMG Rights Management)
Alison Moyet – Essex [Reissue/1993] LP (BMG Rights Management)
Pop legend and relentless explorer Alison Moyet’s career started as one half of electronic duo Yazoo and her many solo hits that followed established her as one of the UK’s top female recording artists. Her first four solo studio albums are now available on vinyl for the first time in North America.
Naevus – Sun Meditation [1998] LP (Rise Above)
Limited purple colored vinyl pressing of the German doom metal band’s debut album.
Elvis Perkins – Ash Wednesday 2xLP+3 (Mir Image)
10th Anniversary vinyl reissue of Elvis Perkins’ debut album – previously released on XL Recordings.
Phish – A Live One [1995] 4xLP+MP3 (Jemp)
First-time vinyl edition of Phish’s inaugural live album, originally released in 1995. Limited red/blue colored pressing.
Allison Pierce – Year Of The Rabbit LP (SME Masterworks)
Released in May on CD – now available on vinyl. Allison Pierce is launching the second chapter of her distinguished career with her new album Year Of The Rabbit, an eloquent straight-from-the-heart solo debut. The new album finds Pierce transformed following two decades of recording and performing with her sister Catherine as The Pierces. The first single “Evidence” is presented in classic folk-rock style with a jangling 12-string electric guitar, cantering groove and sultry overdubbed harmonies that frame Pierce’s contemporary retelling of the myth of the Original Sin. The lilting, piquant “Fool Him” explores the travails of would-be lovers who can’t seem to get in sync, while “I Can See For Miles” ponders losing someone, longing for them and looking for them everywhere. Year Of The Rabbit unfurls in distinct, insinuating increments, a product not just of the songs themselves but also Pierce’s ability to fully inhabit them, subtly adapting her vocal inflections from song to song to accommodate the musical atmospheres.
Poison – Look What The Cat Dragged In [Reissue/1986] LP (Friday Music)
Gatefold 180gm vinyl reissue.
Elvis Presley – Golden Records Volume 1 [Reissue/1958] LP (Friday Music)
Limited 180gm vinyl pressing in a gatefold sleeve.
The Proclaimers – This Is The Story [Reissue/1987] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
The Proclaimers – Sunshine On Leith [Reissue/1988] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
The Proclaimers – Hit The Highway [Reissue/1994] LP (Rhino/Parlophone)
Vinyl reissues of The Proclaimers’ first three albums. The Proclaimers is a Scottish band composed of the identical twin brothers Charlie and Craig Reid. They grew up in Edinburgh,
Cornwall and Auchtermuchty. When they lived in Auchtermuchty they attended Bell Baxter High School. After several punk rock bands at school they formed the Proclaimers in 1983. The pair came to public attention when an Inverness-based fan sent their demo to the English band the Housemartins, who were impressed enough to invite the Proclaimers on their 1986 United Kingdom tour.
Quicksand – Manic Compression [Reissue/1995] LP (SRC Vinyl)
Manic Compression would be Quicksand’s last studio album before their first split in October 1995. The band’s heavy metal is distinguished not by hooks but by precision — they grind their riffs into the ground, never alleviating their intensity.
Raspberries – Raspberries [Reissue/1972] LP (Capitol)
Released in April 1972, the sleeve of Raspberries’ eponymous debut showed off the band’s elaborate, bouffant-style hairdos – and the music within was equally opulent. Tunes such as the delicate “Waiting” and the yearning “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” were augmented by discreet, “Yesterday”-style strings, while bassist/vocalist Eric Carmen’s show-stopping “I Can Remember” evolved from fragile, melancholic ballad to barnstorming, Who-esque bombast over the course of eight exhilarating minutes.
Rotting Christ – Passage To Arcturo [Reissue/1991] LP (Peaceville)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album from the influential Greek black metal masters.
Savak – Cut-Ups LP (Ernest Jenning)
Savak includes members of Obits, Holy Fuck, The Cops, Edsel and more. . For those who need references, the band suggests Neu!, The Gun Club, Agent Orange, The Fall, Magazine, Love, Mission of Burma, Gang of Four, The Byrds, Television and dub music, spy movie soundtracks, international folk music, free jazz, spoken word, comedy, food, travel, books, and just trying to sustain humanity in an increasingly hostile world. ”Savak make a potent and pointed agitpop racket…” – Noisey
Sodom – Sodom [Reissue/2006] 2xLP+CD (Steamhammer)
The thrash band’s self-titled 2006 album is back in print on red colored vinyl with an accompanying copy of the CD in a paper sleeve.
Sons Of Truth – A Message From The Ghetto [Reissue/1972] LP (Fantasy/Stax)
The Sons Of Truth crossed religious subject matter with a supremely grooving ‘70s-funk flair and released one masterful album for the Stax subsidiary Gospel Truth.
Stray From The Path – Only Death Is Real LP+MP3 (Sumerian)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On their sixth full-length, Stray From The Path survey the playing field and provide a book of bloody battle notes etched in hardcore energy, metal fire, and hip-hop poetry.
James Taylor – James Taylor [Reissue/1968] LP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissue of Taylor’s debut album (the first recording by a non-British artist released by Apple Records).
Ufomammut – 8 LP (Neurot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Ufomammut’s eighth album is comprised of eight tracks that flow into each other without interruption. This flow can also be seen when you tip eight horizontally, thus it morphs into the lemniscate from algebraic geometry–a plane curve that meets at central point, or more commonly known as the infinity symbol.
The Who – Live At Leeds [Reissue/1970] LP (Geffen)
The Who – Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy [Reissue/1971] LP (Geffen)
Live At Leeds is the only live album that was released while The Who were still actively recording and performing with their best known line-up of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy is a compilation album of 14 singles. Both have been repressed on vinyl.
Widespread Panic – Live From Austin, TX [2000] 2xLP (New West)
This is classic Widespread Panic, including David Schools on bass, John Hermann on keys, Todd Nance on drums and Domingo Ortiz on percussion. One look at this show and it’ll quickly become obvious there was something strange going on in the house that night. Yes, it was Halloween, 2000, and the rabid fans went beyond even their usual hard-core delirium. This was one time the audience almost threatened to steal the show. 180gm vinyl pressing.
Cassettes:
Florist – If Blue Could Be Happiness (Double Double Whammy)
Recently released on vinyl and CD – now available on cassette. “Florist’s new album If Blue Could Be Happiness might be the kind of record to listen to while wandering through a garden in autumn or around a pond at twilight, and there is still something to be said for halting the world to unplug and unravel the tangled cords of today’s technological existence. Luckily for us, we have Florist to turn to when it’s time to face the quiet realities of life.” – Gold Flake Paint
Holiday:
Maxwell, Miranda, Parsley – Catskill Christmas CD (Dangerbired)
A collection of 12 new holiday songs from Holly Miranda, Ambrosia Parsley, and Chris Maxwell.
Leslie Odom Jr. – Simply Christmas CD (S-Curve)
Grammy and Tony Award-winning vocalist Leslie Odom Jr. follows up his hugely successful self-titled jazz debut with a set of newly-reinterpreted holiday classics
Train – Christmas In Tahoe [Reissue/2015] CD (Sunken Forest)
This deluxe version of Train’s 2015 Christmas CD features five additional tracks.
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