CDs + Vinyl:
August Burns Red – Phantom Anthem CD (Fearless)
By personally aiming beyond your perceived potential, you can truly grow. That’s been the case every time August Burns Red record an album, and it’s quietly turned the Pennsylvania quintet into a Grammy Award-nominated heavy music torchbearer. When it came time to record their seventh full-length Phantom Anthem with longtime producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland, the game didn’t change. The musicians put their heads down and rallied around the same shared goal, uncorking a barrage of infectious intensity. The group then proceeded to augment and amplify the touchstones of their signature style and Phantom Anthem is the winning result. The musical equivalent of a clenched fist haymaker, the grooves hit harder, the hooks blaze brighter, and the instrumentation ignites even more intricacy. [Vinyl edition due October 13.]
Jeff Beck – Live At The Hollywood Bowl 2xCD+DVD/2xCD+Blu-ray/3xLP+DVD (Eagle Vision)
In the summer of 2016, Jeff Beck celebrated 50 years of his musical career with a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The setlist reached back to his first recordings with The Yardbirds in 1966 and came right up to date with tracks from his most recent album Loud Hailer. Guests include Billy F. Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Hall, Jan Hammer, Beth Hart and Steven Tyler. [Stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray versions also available.]
Jean-Michael Bernard – Plays Lalo Schifrin CD (Varese Sarabande)
Composer, conductor, pianist, and jazz musician Lalo Schifrin is a legend. He has written over 100 film scores including Mission: Impossible, Bullitt, Dirty Harry and Enter The Dragon, earning five Grammys and six Academy Award nominations. For Lalo’s 85th birthday, the French composer and pianist Jean-Michel Bernard assembled an amazing band in Paris and went on a musical adventure through Schifrin’s catalog of classics. Lalo Schifrin himself sits in on piano for three pieces.
The Black Dahlia Murder – Nightbringers CD/LP (Metal Blade)
The Black Dahlia Murder’s eighth album shifts through many moods and effortlessly incorporates various elements of extreme metal. [Limited colored vinyl pressings also available.]
Blis. – No One Loves You CD/LP (Sargent House)
The debut album from Atlanta, GA’s Blis. mosaics their influences – the intricate rock riffs of American Football, Pedro the Lion’s mid-tempo balladry gone awry with crucial aggression, and an indie rock sensibility that has mainstream press publications referencing Modest Mouse and Silversun Pickups.
Blue Hawaii – Tenderness CD/LP (Arbutus)
Blue Hawaii is a duo comprising Raphaelle “Ra” Standell of Braids and Alex “Agor” Kerby. “Björk meets the xx and DJ Koze.”
Jon Boden – Afterglow CD (Hudson)
Debut solo album by the former frontman of progressive folk eleven-piece band Bellowhead. [Vinyl edition due October 13.]
Kane Brown – Kane Brown [Deluxe Edition] CD (RCA)
Deluxe edition of Kane’s 2016 album featuring four bonus tracks, including “Setting The Night On Fire”, a duet with Chris Young.
Carbon Based Lifeforms – Derelicts CD/2xLP (Blood Music)
The legendary ambient unit returns after a six year hiatus with a haunting fifth album.
Carla Bruni – French Touch CD/LP (Verve)
Carla “French Touch” Bruni returns with an exciting collection of some classic hits performed in her signature softer, coffee house style. Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence”, The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You”, and ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” appear.
Joseph Childress – Joseph Childress CD/LP (Empty Cellar)
The tracks on this self-titled album are borne from his adventures throughout the West: working on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, riding trains and living out of his car. His poignant lyrics about loneliness and the western landscape are right at home with a stronger country sound.
Citizen – As You Please CD/LP+MP3 (Run For Cover)
For their third album Citizen looked inward. Pairing up again with longtime producer Will Yip, the band presents twelve songs that fuse aspects of their entire catalog into one neoteric whole. While the cathartic melancholy of their debut Youth and the jarring intensity of 2015’s Everybody Is Going To Heaven are both present, the most welcome addition to Citizen’s arsenal on As You Please is the range of auxiliary instrumentation and sonic experimentation on the album. This is most notable on “In The Middle of it All,” where vocalist Mat Kerekes is sampled singing the song title in a modulated, haunting chorus that echoes throughout the song. The addition of organs and unconventional drum effects on songs like “You Are A Star” and “Medicine” create shifting emphases on tension and frailty, while the huge choruses of songs like opener “Jet” and “I Forgive No One” are reminders that while Citizen dove headfirst into uncharted territory with their new album, the band is still as good as ever at writing emotionally-charged anthems. [Two limited edition colored vinyl pressings are available: clear with black swirl and bone with purple and gold splattered.]
Benjamin Clementine – I Tell A Fly CD (Virgin)
The Mercury-winner has swerved the mainstream and made an avant garde concept album about Aleppo, the refugee crisis and two flies in love. “I Tell A Fly delights in making its listener feel as disorientated and confused as the characters that inhabit its songs: occupants of the Calais jungle, bullied children, residents of Aleppo, migrants struggling off the coast of Sicily. Lovely tunes are briefly dangled in front of you then snatched away. Wildly contrasting pieces of music crash into each other without warning. Lyrics come packed with knotty, repetitious word-games.” – The Guardian [Vinyl edition due December 8.]
Colorama – Some Things Just Take Time CD/LP (Wonderfulsound)
No less than 10 years in the making, Welsh singer-songwriter music producer and multi-instrumentalist Carwyn Ellis has been honing the fittingly-titled Some Things Just Take Time – flavored with the great US tradition of delivering strong narratives through timeless songwriting. The album was produced by Scottish pop legend Edwyn Collins. Further musical expertise was provided by Luther and Cody Dickinson (ex-Black Crowes and North Mississippi Allstars) on guitars, piano and percussion, plus James and Rob Walbourne on guitar, mandolin, dobro and percussion (The Rails, The Pretenders, The Pogues). BJ Cole adds pedal steel guitar and Jason Wilson (The James Hunter 6) plays double bass.
Cults – Offering CD/LP+MP3 (Omnian Music Group)
Four years after Static, Cults return an exciting collection of songs bursting with heart, confidence, shimmering melody and buzzing life.
DAF – Das ist DAF CD/5xLP+7” (Groenland)
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft – better known as DAF – is a myth. This compilation will allow you to experience the music of DAF; the darkest and hardest driving musical imperative ever to come out of Germany. The Das ist DAF box set gathers their classic four records: Die Kleinen Und Die Bösen, Alles Ist Gut, Gold Und Liebe and Fuer Immer as well as a Reworks LP with remixes by Giorgio Moroder, Westbam and Boys Noize among others. Vinyl edition includes a 7” containing two brand new, previously unreleased DAF tracks.
The Darkness – Pinewood Smile CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
“Returning to save our airwaves from mediocre, auto-tuned tweens and that awful, throbby EDM sh*t, Pinewood Smile finds The Darkness in electrifying form, delivering some of the most sharp-witted, infectious, humorous and downright brilliant songs of their career.”
Mélanie De Biasio – Lilies CD/LP+MP3 (PIAS America)
“Her sound is something like Nina Simone channeling Bark Psychosis as she sings the blues over spectral spooky jazz with a post rock sense of ambition.” – Norman UK [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
D33J – Death Valley Oasis CD/LP (Anticon)
Death Valley Oasis is the three years in the making debut LP from WEDIDIT Collective co-founder Djavan Santos aka D33J featuring guest appearances by Baths, Deradoorian, Corbin (FKA Spooky Black) and Shlohmo. D33J explains the album’s lead single: “‘Black Ice’ is a lullaby for those moments of hypnagogia. A blip of self-awareness in a moment of disconnect. The moment of coming to in an altered state and echo chamber of paralysis in a place of paradise.”
Fireball Ministry – Remember The Story CD/LP (Cleopatra)
“The kings of stoner/doom metal reclaim their throne on this epic comeback album.”
Seamus Fogarty – The Curious Hand CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)
New album from the Irish alt-folk and electronica alchemist. Notable players include Leo Abrahams, Emma Smith on a plethora of instruments (violin, clarinet, bass to name a few), Rozi Plain (backing vocals), Aram Zarikian (drums) and Seamus’ brother John Fogarty (accordion).
Liam Gallagher – As You Were CD/LP (WB)
“Always operating in the shadow of his brother Noel, Liam Gallagher had difficulty separating himself from Oasis. Maybe that’s his fault, since he retained nearly the entire lineup of Oasis for Beady Eye, the group he formed after splitting with his sibling in 2009, but that band never gained traction — which had the unfortunate side effect of slowing Liam’s momentum. He pulled the plug on Beady Eye in 2014 and spent a couple of years regrouping, re-emerging in 2017 with As You Were. The very title suggests Gallagher is picking up where Oasis left off, a sentiment that also applied to Beady Eye’s 2011 debut, Different Gear, Still Speeding, but As You Were is clean and focused in a way Liam has never been on his own. Ranging from the icy onslaught of “Wall Of Glass” to the stark swirl of “Chinatown,” this is his best record in nearly a decade, and they add up to an album that illustrates exactly who Liam Gallagher is as an artist.” — Stephen Thomas Erlewine [Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe adds three bonus tracks. Limited edition 180gm white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Vivian Green – VGVI CD (Make Noise LLC)
The Platinum selling singer-songwriter continues to progress six albums into her illustrious career with the aptly titled VGVI –pronounced “vee-gee-six.”
Haemorrhage – We Are The Gore CD/LP (Relapse)
Seventh album from the Spanish goregrind stalwarts.
Dhani Harrison – IN//PARALLEL CD (BMG Rights Management)
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. [Vinyl edition due October 27.]
The Hemopolics – Kiss & Cuddle Torture Volume 1 CD/LP (Shark Free)
Debut album from London outfit The Hempolics. If variety is the spice of life then this album embodies it, taking a heavy reggae roots influence and mashing it with hip-hop, electro, soul, rock and pop to provide an antidote to the attention-deficit generation.
John Lee Hooker – King Of The Boogie 5xCD (Craft Recordings)
100 songs on five CDs spanning the legendary bluesman’s career, covering not only his iconic hits, but also diving deep into his catalog for rare tracks, live recordings and previously unreleased material.
Humming House – Companion CD (Soundly Music, LLC)
“Humming House, consistently shining as an energetic band filled with uplifting, infectious tunes, up the ante on Companion.” Huffington Post [Vinyl edition due October 20.]
Andrew Hung – Realisationship CD/LP (Lex)
Debut solo album from the F**k Buttons co-founder. “Realisationship is album full of dualities. There’s conflict everywhere whether that between two people, one person versus the world or between the two aspects of one person’s character. Rage and bitterness rule on some songs (‘No I Won’t’, ‘Animal’) whilst sorrow and acceptance reign on others (‘Whispers’, ‘Open Your Eyes’). Sonically the album maybe lo-fi in feel but on further inspection it is a dense and rich work with hidden layers appearing over time.” – Louder Than War [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Shawn James & The Shapeshifters – The Gospel According To Shawn James [Reissue/2015] CD/LP (Shawn James Music)
Shawn James – On The Shoulders Of Giants [Reossie2016] CD/LP (Shawn James Music)
Heavy blues rock from Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Simon Joyner – Step Into The Earthquake CD/2xLP (Shrimper)
Things are leaning sh!tty right now, and the characters in Joyner’s songs experience the dissolution of comfort amid anxious concerns regarding our turbulent times.
Kali Masi – Wind Instrument CD (Take This To Heart)
“Kali Masi carved out a sonic space between the urgency of the punk and hardcore bands that were our foundation and the Midwestern Emo breeze that was sweeping through our towns at the time. But, we wanted to be a counterpoint for the evergreen music scene that thrives in Chicago; to move with the current but never float on the surface. To write as many songs as we could in ways that we hadn’t heard before. So, we dug in our heels and started pushing” says singer/guitarist Sam Porter on where their sound for their debut LP Wind Instrument comes from.” [Vinyl edition due November 17.]
Kelela – Take Me Apart CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Kelela’s debut album emerges as an epic portrait of an artist spanning the past and future of R&B. In her hands, however, the genre knows no boundaries and so Take Me Apart exists as a singular and fearless addition to a canon of recent classics. From her very earliest work, honesty and vulnerability have been cornerstones of Kelela’s art – even when clad in the armor of the avant-garde electronics she so deftly inhabits – and Take Me Apart sees her double down on both the emotional intensity and resonance of her message as well as the sonic seeking she is renowned for. The timeless, zero-gravity ballad “Better” sees Kelela at her most unadorned – baring her soul to a nameless other over subtly transforming piano and synth textures while first single “LMK” is all staggering club swagger that manages to span the past 20 years of innovative R&B while still exploring another dimension of possibilities. These songs typify the melding of classic song-craft and inventive production approach at the album’s core, but it’s here where things take yet another exhilarating turn. “Truth or Dare” has the brittle snap and vocal twists of a Neptunes track while “Blue Light” sees Kelela weld her sweeping pleas to the warped sonic palette of grime, pointing the way forward to the future of cybernetic soul. [Deluxe vinyl edition also available.]
Mark Kozelek With Ben Boye and Jim White – Mark Kozelek With Ben Boye and Jim White 2xCD (Caldo Verde)
“For such a legendary curmudgeon, Mark Kozelek sure seems to play well with others. Following his collaborative LPs with Jesu’s Justin Broadrick and Parquet Courts’ Sean Yeaton, Mark Kozelek has teamed up with Ben Boye and Xylouris White/Dirty Three’s Jim White for a new album.”
Alex Lahey – I Love You Like A Brother CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
“Emanating originally from Melbourne, Alex Lahey originally went to university to study jazz saxophone. Luckily she realized that this was a terrible waste of time and so embarked on an arts degree and set about making relatable fuzz pop that sounds like Courtney Barnett sandpapered in order to fit onto college radio playlists. Catchy with punch-a-long choruses galore.” – Norman UK [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Gill Landry – Love Rides A Dark Horse CD/LP (ATO)
Following his critically acclaimed, self-titled 2015 debut, Gill Landry’s Love Rides A Dark Horse reflects the better part of a year the singer/songwriter spent picking up the pieces of a failed relationship. Touring and recording alone during this period, he wrote with unflinching honesty about depression and expectation and desire. “Love and hate need each other for either to have meaning and I feel like it’s the same way with people,” says Landry. “I’d like to believe love always wins coming down the stretch – it just might not be the way you envisioned it.” Love Rides A Dark Horse breaks new ground for Landry with contributions from fiddler Ross Holmes (Mumford & Sons, Bruce Hornsby), keyboard player Skylar Wilson (Andrew Combs, Rayland Baxter), and drummer Logan Matheny (Roman Candle, Rosebuds). The songs spill over with gorgeous female harmonies by Klara Soderberg (First Aid Kit), Karen Elson and Odessa. Landry’s own vocals are front and center with the arrangements built around his husky baritone, often calling to mind Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. [Limited red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Lord Of The Lost – Swan Songs II CD/LP (Napalm)
Two parts classical orchestral arrangements and one part gothic rock.
Lunatic Soul – Fractured CD/2xLP (Kscope)
Riverside mainman Mariusz Duda releases the fifth studio album from his Lunatic Soul project. Of the album Mariusz stated, “The main theme of Fractured is coming back to life after a personal tragedy. It’s inspired by what happened in my life in 2016 and by everything that’s happening around us and what’s making us turn away from one another and divide into groups, for better and for worse. Musically it’s the most original album I have ever made.” As well as representing a conceptual development, Duda experimented more with electronics and rhythm on this release taking inspiration from the likes of Massive Attack, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel and David Sylvian. Fractured features the Sinfonietta Consonus Orchestra on two of the most personal tracks, plus saxophonist Marcin Odyniec who first worked with Duda in Riverside.
Marilyn Manson – Heaven Upside Down CD/LP (Loma Vista)
On 10th album Heaven Upside Down, you can’t help but feel that Manson’s glancing back to the past. Throwbacks to numerous stepping stones in Manson’s career are given a punk feel – like the band have holed up in the Tate house again, or been rehearsing live for weeks to recapture the rawness of the Antichrist Superstar days. ‘Revelation #12’ is straight out of the traps with all the mechanical, riffy twitches of yesteryear and a primal howl. ‘We Know Where You F**king Live’ has all the white-hot intensity of ‘Irresponsible Hate Anthem’ or ‘The Reflecting God.’ ‘Say 10’ – originally the title of the record – is a big, snarling anthem that’s built for stages. ‘KILL4ME,’ a film noir snapshot of a messy romance, is the closest relative to The Pale Emperor, along with the title track’s bluesy swagger. The most satisfying marriage of styles is ‘Tattooed In Reverse’ – opening with a punchy, ‘So f**k your Bible and your belt’, it’s a no-f**ks-given glam stomp with the most wickedly tongue-in-cheek pun on the record (‘I’m unstable, I’m not a show horse’), and an electro-goth dancefloor interlude. Ultimately, Heaven Upside Down is a solid album that shows the Double M can still do what he got famous doing: write biting, anti-establishment goth rock full of dark, playful imagery.” – Team Rock
Mapache – Mapache CD/LP (Spiritual Pajamas)
“Close your eyes and imagine the Everly Brothers wearing Tie-Dyed Nudie Suits. Okay, now open them. There’s Mapache.” — Brent Rademaker
Matt Bianco – Gravity CD (Membran)
For their fifteenth album, frontman, vocalist and songwriter Mark Reilly recruited a superb new band featuring Swedish sax- and flute-star Magnus Lindgren and a large chunk of Jamie Cullum’s group. Their mission: reviving and modernizing Matt Bianco’s bossa and jazz roots, while keeping the easygoing swing of former successes, built around the singularly recognizable dry-martini-voice of Mark Reilly.
Demetria McKinney – Officially Yours CD (E1)
An actress of the small screen, big screen, and stage, as well as a contemporary R&B singer, Demetria McKinney was born in Florida but grew up in a military household and moved frequently. After singing in church choirs, she eventually earned a vocal scholarship and studied theater and dance. Though starting in theater, she’s best known for her television role as Janine on U.S. cable network TBS’ sitcom Tyler Perry’s House of Payne from 2006-2012.
JD McPherson – Undivided Heart & Soul CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
JD McPherson presents what he calls “A truly romantic garage rock record” with Undivided Heart & Soul. Co-produced with Dan Molad (Lucius) and developed largely in the studio (that studio being the historic RCA Studio B in Nashville), the album carries a sense of immediacy and irreverence. “In writing this record, I threw several handfuls of caution to the wind,” JD explains. “Lyrically, I was allowing myself to be exposed in a way I never have before. Concurrently, maybe as some sort of a self-defense mechanism, the guitars got fuzzier and louder. The first day at RCA was like being in church…by the second day, it was a high school band’s rehearsal space.” Putting the hands of Molad on the wheel of the record, however, ensured that the music didn’t take too many expected turns. “Most folks know us for our take on vintage R&B and early rock ‘n’ roll,” he adds. “The past year, I’ve been digging so much into the heavier, brasher sounds of early rock ‘n’ roll…from bands like The Sonics, Link Wray, and into some early British rock such as The Creation…these influences feature heavily in these songs. The tunes that showed up weren’t exactly always in familiar territory, and… we greeted them as welcome strangers. They have a lot of heart…and that’s what rock ‘n’ roll should always have.”
Mister Heavenly – Boxing The Moonlight CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
“Supergroup” is a title that gets thrown around a lot, but in the case of Mister Heavenly, it’s well-deserved. The trio consists of Ryan Kattner (aka Honus Honus of Man Man), Nicholas Thorburn (The Unicorns, Islands) and Joe Plummer (The Shins, Cold War Kids, Modest Mouse). The band dabbled in love and affection on their first record, 2011’s Out of Love. This time, however, Mister Heavenly are in a scrappy mood, embracing a tougher sound than their previous effort. “We’re always trying to write the perfect little nugget,” Kattner says, that will endure even into the dystopian future that looks more and more likely every day. Or, as he puts it, “When you find that melted jukebox, and that Mister Heavenly record is spinning, you’re going to try your damndest to find a coin to put in it.” [Limited 180gm dark purple colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Moths & Locusts – Intro/Outro CD/LP (MRI Associated)
In terms of her uninhibited approach to the creation of art, the presence and acknowledged influence of the legendary Yoko Ono looms large on the third full-length offering from the Canadian psych-rock trailblazers.
New Politics – Lost In Translation CD (WB)
Fourth full-length from the Danish rockers.
Jerrod Niemann – His Ride CD (Curb)
13 organic country songs, ranging in style from soulful anthem to red-hot party banger, and from lighthearted jam to deeply meaningful ballad.
Kele Okereke – Fatherland CD/LP (The End)
Fatherland is the first album to be released by Kele Okereke under his full name, following two acclaimed solo records as Kele, The Boxer and Trick, and five albums as the frontman of unparalleled British band Bloc Party. Kele recorded the album in Portland and it sees him embracing a much more organic – even classic – sonic palette, and ranges from delicate folk, sumptuous soul and insidious, dub reggae-meets-Weimar cabaret. “I was listening a lot to Elliott Smith’s Either/Or, Pink Moon by Nick Drake, Blue by Joni Mitchell, and the Al Green album, Still In Love With You,” says Kele. “Writing these songs and expressing these words and feelings, it’s something that’s vital for me. I’m recognizing I’m entering into a different part of my life.” Fatherland features collaborations with Years & Years’ Olly Alexander and Corinne Bailey Rae.
ORB – Naturality CD/LP (Castle Face)
An exciting development from under strange Australian lab-lights: ORB re-spawn from last year’s Birth with a further mutated slab of paranoid heavy shred.
The Original Blues Brothers Band – The Last Shade Of Blue Before Black CD (Severn)
In addition to original band members Steve Cropper and Blue Lou Marini, The Last Shade Of Blue Before Black features guests Dr. John, Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy, bluesman Joe Louis Walker, Paul Shaffer, and the legendary Eddie Floyd.
The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Adventures Of Zodd Zundgren CD (Cuneiform)
Palermo revisits the Zappa songbook, filtering Frank through the emotionally charged lens of the polymathic musical wizard Todd Rundgren in a wild and wooly transmogrification.
Playboi Carti – Playboi Carti CD (AWGE/Interscope)
CD edition of the eponymous debut commercial mixtape by the rapper. [Vinyl edition due November 17.]
Primitive Man – Caustic CD/LP (Relapse)
Denver’s nihilistic trio return with their second full-length of soul-crushing blackened doom and noise-ridden claustrophobia.
The Replacements – For Sale: Live At Maxwell’s 1986 2xCD/2xLP (Rhino)
The first official dive into the vaults for The Replacements since the 2008 expanded CD reissues. This live recording from Maxwell’s in 1986 is a relic from the much beloved era of the band with Bob Stinson as the guitarist. The 29-song performance captures the Replacements just a couple weeks removed from their performance on Saturday Night Live, with a set list touches on all five of the band’s albums to that point, plus a few rarities and covers.
Reptaliens – Reptaliens CD/LP+MP3 (Captured Tracks)
Portland, Oregon’s Reptaliens is the husband and wife team of Cole and Bambi Browning. Named in reverence for their interests in cult mentality, transhumanism, and conspiracy theories, Reptaliens quickly evolved from a bedroom-recording project to a full-fledged band that explores fringe pop culture through analog synthesizers, electric guitars, melodic bass lines, and Bambi’s lulling vocals.
ROMES – ROMES CD/LP (Five Seven)
“ROMES blend delicious indie and irresistible pop, with groove-laden R&B and funk. The band meld these with stunning electronics, which nod to the charming swells of Mura Masa amidst a soulful croon reminiscent of Jamiroquai.” – Indie Music Filter
Whitney Rose – Rule 62 CD/LP (Six Shooter)
“A confident collection of songs that touch on the countrypolitan sound of ’50s Nashville while avoiding retro clichés.” — AllMusic
Jesse Royal – Lily Of Da Valley CD (Easy Star)
Recognized by Vogue and Vice for his vital role in the current burgeoning Jamaican reggae scene, Jesse Royal’s Lily Of Da Valley draws reference back to an old church hymn written in the late 1800s. The 28-year old Royal uses his music to push for positive changes, returning to the roots first planted by legends like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jacob Miller, in a pop culture climate that seems to praise and reward narcissistic, material-driven personalities.
The Severed Limb – Good And Gone CD/LP (Wonderfulsound)
The Severed Limb ais a young six-piece skiffle band from London who write songs influenced by a variety of roots styles.
Shigeto – The New Monday CD/2xLP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
It’s been four years since Zach Saginaw, aka Shigeto, returned home to Michigan from a stint in Brooklyn, NY, and since then, the multi-faceted musician has become a part of the fabric of Detroit’s music scene. While always having a personal approach to his projects, Saginaw’s influences for his third album, The New Monday, are more about the community of Detroit than anything else. The record – named after a weekly DJ event called Monday Is The New Monday that Saginaw does at the unassuming Motor City Wine with a group of friends – aptly features contributions from many other Detroit-based artists like Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade affiliate ZelooperZ (who Saginaw also has a side project with called ZGTO). The New Monday represents a communal effort where solidarity is the key. [Limited black and purple colored vinyl LP pressing also available.]
Aurelia Kaitlyn Smith – The Kid CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
In 2015 Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith released her first widely distributed full-length album, Euclid. Little more than a year later Smith returned with her wonderstruck psychedelic breakthrough EARS to universal praise in the spring of 2016. Pitchfork called EARS “rich and rewarding,” and included it in their list of the top twenty experimental albums of the year, while other outlets including NPR, SPIN, and Rolling Stone sung similar best-of-the-year praises. Also in 2016, Smith toured with fellow sonic-adventurists Animal Collective, and soundtracked Google’s incredible virtual tour series The Hidden Worlds Of The National Parks. Her new album, The Kid, climbs to the peaks of its forerunner and astonishingly continues upward. The Kid aurally maps the emotional realities and spiritual epiphanies of a lifeform through its infancy, societal assimilation, and eventual self-remembrance, conjuring each phase with psychoacoustic eloquence. Here Smith challenges her listeners to entertain new paradigms of listenership by drawing our attention to multiple elements simultaneously, as if—in her words—“listening to two conversations at once.”
Spirit Adrift – Curse Of Conception CD/LP (20 Buck Spin)
From the Metallica-slash-Priest-like opening moments of “Earthbound” to the epic closing of “Onward, Inward,” this band aims sky high with burning focus and peak vigor.
Spotlights – Seismic CD/2xLP (Ipecac)
Spotlights, the Brooklyn-based husband and wife outfit of Mario and Sarah Quintero, release their Ipecac Recordings’ debut, Seismic. “Seismic came out of a reaction to the current state of humanity and the inevitable consequences we will have on this earth and ourselves,” explains Mario. “There’s an odd sense of beauty that comes with destruction, and we tried to capture that musically on this album.” Seismic was produced by Aaron Harris (Isis, Palms) and recorded this spring in Los Angeles. Spotlights’ previous release, Tidals, earned the band a wide sweep of accolades with Clrvynt describing the band’s music as “ultra-dense dream-rock” while Brooklyn Vegan deemed the pair “sludgegazers.” [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Dave Stewart – Nashville Sessions: The Duets CD (Membran)
New set of duets recorded between 2011-2013 by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart featuring Stevie Nicks, Alison Krauss, Colbie Caillat, Joss Stone, Karen Elson, Martina McBride and others.
Strange Ranger – Daymoon CD/LP (Tiny Engines)
Strange Ranger (fka Sioux Falls) is an indie-rock/post-punk band from Montana, now based out of Portland, OR. [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
John Stammers – Waiting Around CD/LP (Wonderfulsound)
An introduction to a new mystical world, Waiting Around fuses the great Brit folk-jazz traditions of Nick Drake, Bert Jansch, Davy Graham, with further-flung sounds of Gene Rains, Eden Ahbez, Moondog and Sun Ra.
Richard Thompson – Acoustic Rarities CD (Beeswing)
A collection of some of the most obscure material in Thompson’s catalogue, including tracks that have never previously been released along with some that have only been heard as cover versions.
Thousand Below – The Love You Let Too Close CD (Rise)
Thousand below combine elements of early 2000s post-hardcore (a la Underoath, Silverstein, etc.) with “their own fresh sound.”
Various Artists [Lone] – Lone: DJ-Kicks CD/2xLP (!K7)
“… a bit like a weird midnight radio show: it’s purposefully all over the place, dreamy and trippy, so you can zone in and out.” Includes tracks by Casino Versus Japan, Heralds Of Change, Camu Tao, Lootpack, Boards Of Canada, Lootpack, Gnork, John Beltran, E. Meyers, Protect-U, Ross From Friends, Drexciya, Balil, Radiohead, and four new Lone productions. Mixed and unmixed versions across a variety of formats available.
Bradley Walker – Blessed: Hymns And Songs Of Faith CD (Spring House)
Known for his unequivocal baritone voice and inspiring story, this International Bluegrass Vocalist of the Year Award winner has recorded some of the songs that led him to become a gospel and country music performer. Joined by musical icons Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, and more, Walker’s straightforward renditions remind us of the joys of the hymnal in that old country church.
The Weather Station – The Weather Station CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)
“Another fervent chapter in The Weather Station’s story, conjuring up the kind of subtle magic that can lend the heaviest of blows. Her exquisite compositions are able to light up whichever room they find themselves despite – or perhaps in spite of – the heavy-heart that seems to drive the whole project forward.” – Gold Flake Paint
Weaves – Wide Open CD/LP+MP3 (Kanine)
Toronto “Band To Watch” (Stereogum) alumni Weaves follow up last year’s self-titled debut with a second album. “The band has described Wide Open as its Americana record, though the songs only bear a passing resemblance to the genre. There’s pedal steel on the title track and a touch of twang on ‘Grass,’ but the songs, in general, flirt across genre lines: bombastic rock, jangly art-pop, freaked-out fuzz. Whereas the songs on the band’s self-titled debut retrofitted pop structures over janky, vertiginous melodies and syncopated rhythms, Wide Open works the other way around: It feels hell-bent on injecting art-rock weirdness into a pop-music mold. Wide Open finds Weaves tightly coiled and finely tuned, anthemic in its own freakishly fun way.” – NPR [Limited colored vinyl pressing also available.]
White Buffalo – Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights CD/LP (Unison Music Group)
Since releasing his first album in 2002, White Buffalo’s big-voiced frontman, Jake Smith, has explored the grey area between genres, carving out a sound rooted in dark folk, countrified soul, cinematic storytelling and roadhouse-worthy rock.
Whitesnake – Whitesnake [30th Anniversary Edition] CD/2xCD/4xCD+DVD/2xLP (Rhino)
Newly remastered version of Whitesnake’s multi-million selling 1987 album. Available in Regular, Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions. Deluxe is expanded with a selection of unreleased bonus recordings, while the Super Deluxe 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.
Wild Ones – Mirror Touch CD/LP (Topshelf)
Wild Ones’ Mirror Touch explores spaces of isolation, loneliness and how it feels when the line between self and other becomes blurred. The record title refers to the condition “Mirror Touch Synesthesia” and the physiological experience of empathy. How can you know yourself, when in public you become everyone else? The songs explore the quest to maintain artistic self-integrity in an industry that seeks to homogenize. Solitary in their process of collaboration, Thomas Himes and Nick Vicario produce the music, while Danielle Sullivan crafts lyrics and melodies, their attempt at self-preservation against the ever-changing expectations of what music should or should not be. Combining their style of upbeat melodies with a backdrop of darker lyrical themes, an inquiry into their artistic process ultimately reflects a balance between earnest head nods to their favorite sounds with a fierce loyalty to their own sense of self.
Wolf Parade – Cry Cry Cry CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Sub Pop)
The soaring choruses, rousing anthems, sprawling guitars and chaotic keys that make up Wolf Parade are on proud display over the course of Cry Cry Cry, the band’s thunderous first album in seven years. That unique combination of sounds and influences, spearheaded by electric co-frontmen Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner—a complex yet relatable, energetic brew of glam, prog, synth-rock, and satisfying discomfort—helped define 2000s indie rock with three critically celebrated albums, and propelled a growing Wolf Parade fandom even after the band went on a indefinite hiatus. Compared to their last album, 2010’s relatively sparse rocker Expo 86, Cry Cry Cry is more deliberate in its arrangements and embrace of the studio process, as evidenced by songs like “Valley Boy,” a Bowie-inflected anthem for which Spencer wrote lyrics after Leonard Cohen died the day before the 2016 election. “You’re Dreaming,” also influenced by the election and the spinning shock that followed, is driving, urgent power pop that draws from artists like Tom Petty and what Dan calls one of his “default languages” for writing music. The swirly, synth-heavy crescendo of “Artificial Life” takes on the struggle of artists and at-risk communities. The album carries a sense of uprising that is not unrelated to Wolf Parade’s renewed determination to drive the band forward in uncertain times.
Jamila Woods – HEAVN CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)
Jamila Woods’s cultural lineage – from her love of Lucille Clifton’s poetry to letters from her grandmother and the late ’80s post-punk of The Cure – helped structure the progressive, delicate and minimalist soul of HEAVN. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Jerry Yester – Pass Your Light Around CD (Omnivore)
In the ‘60s and ‘70s, it was not rare to see Jerry Yester’s name on classic albums. Whether producing acts like The Association, The Turtles, Tim Buckley or Tom Waits, or hearing him in bands like The Modern Folk Quartet, Rosebud, The Lovin’ Spoonful or with Judy Henske on the (now) classic Farewell Aldebaran – aside from a pair of 1967 singles, there wasn’t a Jerry Yester “solo album” from that period, as he was so busy creating music with and for other artists. Pass Your Light Around collects the songs recorded in various studios throughout the 1970s (and even one dating back as far as 1964 from his Bleeker Street apartment). The songs were written with poet/ lyricist and Tim Buckley collaborator Larry Beckett (who he got to know while producing Buckley’s Goodbye And Hello and Happy Sad), and feature performances by Yester, Rosebud bandmates David Vaught and John Seiter, future Lone Justice member Don Heffington, and even Laurel Masse from The Manhattan Transfer among others.
Zaius – Of Adoration CD/LP (Prosthetic)
This Chicago-based four-piece instrumental group formed in 2010 and explore a lighter, more melodic side of the members’ musical tastes without abandoning the metal tendencies that come natural to them. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing also available.]
DVDs + Blu-ray:
Jeff Beck – Live At The Hollywood Bowl DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
In the summer of 2016, Jeff Beck celebrated 50 years of his musical career with a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The set list reached back to his first recordings with The Yardbirds in 1966 and came right up to date with tracks from his most recent album Loud Hailer. Guests include Billy F. Gibbons, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Hall, Jan Hammer, Beth Hart and Steven Tyler.
This Week’s Vinyl Exclusives:
Aesop Rock – Bushwick [Score] LP (Lakeshore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Underground hip-hop pioneer Aesop Rock’s original score to the film Bushwick, his first ever film score, is a mind-bending collection of instrumental tracks which provide an exhilarating beat-heavy backdrop to the Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott directed thriller.
Amadou & Mariam – La Confusion LP (Because Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Eighth full-length album from acclaimed Malian musical duo.
Charles Bernstein – Cujo [Score/1983] LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited edition black and brown “St. Bernard” colored vinyl LP pressing.
Black Pistol Fire – Deadbeat Grafitti LP (Rifle Bird Music)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Drawing inspiration from blues, R&B and rock greats such as Led Zeppelin, Chuck Berry, Nirvana, Buddy Holly and Muddy Waters, Austin, TX band Black Pistol Fire’s gritty and dynamic performances are fueled by undeniable musicianship.
Black Stone Cherry – Black To Blues LP+MP3 (Mascot)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Six blues-classics originally written and/or performed by legendary musicians like Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Booker T. Jones, Albert King and Freddy King.
Blood Ritual – Black Grimoire [Reissue/2005] LP (Moribund)
Limited picture disc vinyl pressing of the 2005 album from the Portland-based death metal band.
Blue In Green – Break Of Dawn LP (Cold Busted)
Recently released on CD – now available on blue colored vinyl. A downtempo soiree of hip-hop and jazz styles.
Catacombs – In The Depths Of R’lyeh [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Moribund)
Double picture disc vinyl LP pressing of the 2006 album from the doom/death metal band.
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Big Beat)
Chromeo’s addictive dance-pop sensation finds a deluxe reissue in a lush double 180gm white colored vinyl package. Features a myriad of remixes and rarities.
The Clientele – Music For The Age Of Miracles LP+MP3 (Merge)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Clientele return with Music for the Age of Miracles, their first release of new music since 2010’s Minotaur EP. It seems fitting that a chance meeting with a ghost from the past/future is what led to the first album of new Clientele songs in seven years. Singer and principal songwriter Alasdair MacLean and Anthony Harmer knew one another and played music together in the mid-90s but had lost touch. “I had often wondered what had happened to Anthony since,” says MacLean. “It turned out – he told me – he’d studied the Santoor, an Iranian version of the dulcimer, and over decades become a virtuoso, at least by my standards. He suggested we have a jam together. Ant and I now lived three streets away from each other, it turned out. He started to arrange my songs. He let me write and sing them, and he came up with ideas for how they should sound. This carried on until we had an album. I called up James and Mark and asked them if they wanted to make another Clientele record. They did, and this is it.”
Clutch – Live At The Googolplex LP (Weathermaker Music)
The first in a series of three Clutch picture disc releases the band has planned for 2017. This, the band’s first live collection, was recorded between 2001-2002.
Larry Conklin & Jochen Blum – Jackdaw [Reissue/1980] LP (Tompkins Square)
Originally released in 1980, Larry Conklin & Jochen Blum’s great Seattle private press album, Jackdaw, gets a Tompkins Square vinyl reissue. About half the album is instrumental with Conklin on guitar and Blum on violin and 12-string guitar. Jackdaw brings to mind Fahey, Basho, Hecht, and other great solo guitarists, with mellow, haunting vocals that are worthy of the loner-folk tag.
Deradoorian – Eternal Recurrence LP (Anticon)
The vocalist, multi-instrumentalist’s new album brims with meditative affirmations that mimic cycles, planetary and otherwise. The collection is woven together by structurally abstract “thoughts in sound,” as Deradoorian puts it. It breathes through drones, synthesizers and vocal acrobatics peripherally inspired by the music of Alice Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry.
Drivin N Cryin’ – Mystery Road [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (Island)
With its hard-charging mix of driving rock, country twang and punk rock sneer, Southern rock, Mystery Road quickly became one of the band’s most beloved records when released in 1989. This expanded double vinyl edition features the remastered original album along with nine previously unreleased demos produced by Peter Buck of R.E.M.
Four Year Strong – Rise Or Die Trying [Reissue/2007] LP (I Surrender)
Limited edition pink colored vinyl pressing. Part of this year’s Ten Bands One Cause pink vinyl campaign in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Gilda’s Club NYC. [Limited edition purple colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Ace Frehley – Anomaly Deluxe 2xLP (E1)
Limited double picture disc pressing of the Kiss frontman’s solo album.
The Gun Club – Elvis From Hell 2xLP (Bang)
High-quality rarities compiled on a double album.
Half Japanese – Half Gentlemen Not Beasts [Reissue/1980] 2xLP (Fire)
Half Japanese’s first album Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts is a collection of brothers Jad and David Fair’s earliest home recordings, originally released in 1980 as a homemade three LP box set, and now available for the very first time as a double LP. These songs stretch their DIY, lo-fi ethos to the limits featuring sound experiments cobbled together from guitar noise, electronics and odd effects, whilst throwing in some barely recognizable covers (such as tracks by The Temptations, Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan).
Hard Girls – Floating Now CD/LP (Asian Man)
“A new 12-song dose of [Hard Girls’] driving, melodic indie-punk. Fans of anything from Superchunk’s sugary side to Dillinger Four’s more aggressive stuff will likely find something to dig here.” – Brooklyn Vegan
Heart – Heart [Reissue/1985] LP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissue of Heart’s self-titled eighth studio album which spawned the hits “What About Love”, “Never”, “Nothin’ At All” and “If Looks Could Kill”.
Hiss Golden Messenger – Hallelujah Anyhow LP+MP3 (Merge)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “The stellar Hallelujah Anyhow often feels like a restless fever dream. Taylor’s elegant lyrics scan like stream-of-conscious poetry: Historical nods and ethereal characters (e.g., Jenny Of The Roses, Rhode Island Red) combine with real-life references, giving the songs a mythical quality. Although Hallelujah Anyhow hints at unrest and feeling lost—‘When the poets called for gasoline, I knew my days in the kingdom were numbered,’ Taylor sings at one point—the record’s allusions to finding silver linings are stronger. ‘If it’s up to me, a little love would go a long way,’ Taylor sings on ‘Harder Rain,’ while on ‘Jaw,’ he proclaims, ‘No more dancing like the world’s whipped forever.’ In a further nod to Hallelujah Anyhow’s urgent genesis, Taylor’s mix of alt-country and indie-folk is loose and extroverted. The soul-rock shimmy ‘Domino (Time Will Tell)’ possesses Rolling Stones-esque swagger, courtesy of freewheeling guitars and barnstorming saxophone, while the insistent folk-rock highlight ‘I Am The Song’ boasts repetitive strumming that matches a forceful vocal delivery. Even the songs that hew toward Heart Like A Levee’s stripped-down vibe—the piano-dappled ‘Caledonia, My Love’ and the low-lit folk gem ‘When The Wall Comes Down’—are more elaborate. – A.V. Club
Infernal Legion – Your Prayers Mean Nothing [Reissue/2005] LP (Moribund)
Limited picture disc vinyl LP pressing of the 2005 album from the death metal band.
Kiasmos – Blurred LP (Erased Tapes)
The Icelandic duo return with a new EP featuring remixes from British producer Bonobo and German electronic musician Stimming, taking tracks “Blurred” and “Paused” into different colored realms.
Master P – Ghetto D [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Priority)
Vinyl reissue of the sixth studio album by the gangsta rapper.
Mirah – Sundial LP (Absolute Magnitude/K. Records)
New EP collaboration with musician and composer Jherek Bischoff, who helped Mirah write string quartet arrangements for several songs in her catalog last year.
Monarch – Never Forever 2xLP (Profound Lore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. France’s premiere extreme doom metal band take their singular style of punishing ritualistic amplifier worship toward melancholic territory.
Mos Def – The Ecstatic [Reissue/2009] 2xLP (Downtown)
Vinyl reissue of Mos Def’s fourth album. A widespread critical success, The Ecstatic was viewed as a return to form for Mos Def and one of the year’s best albums.
Necro Deathmort – Overland LP (Profound Lore)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. London the duo Necro Deathmort create intriguing and alluring blends of dark ambient, noise, synth driven beats, cinematic soundscapes, and doom-like heavy drone.
Of Montreal – Rune Husk 12”+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Four new songs from prolific songwriter Kevin Barnes. 180gm clear colored vinyl LP pressing.
O’Reillys & The Paddyhats – Seven Hearts – One Soul [2016] LP (Metalville)
O’Reillys & The Paddyhats – Sign Of The Fighter LP (Metalville)
Irish folk punk by way of a German band.
P!NK – Can’t Take Me Home [2000] 2xLP (La Face)
P!NK – M!ssundaztood [2001] 2xLP (La Face)
P!NK – Try This [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (La Face)
Limited double 150gm vinyl LP pressings of P!NK’s first three albums now available.
Runaways – Live In New York 1978 CD (Air Cuts)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Runaways, live at the New York Palladium, on January 7th, 1978. A few months after the release of their third album Waitin’ For The Night (1977), The Runaways started a tour with The Ramones. Their first performance was at the Palladium, New York on January 7, 1978 and it was broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour.
Silkk The Shocker – Made Man [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Priority)
Vinyl reissue of the third studio album from the gangsta rapper.
Nina Simone – Little Girl Blue [Reissue/1958] LP (Analogue Productions)
200gm 45rpm vinyl LP pressing housed in a gatefold sleeve.
Skyzoo – Pedder’s Theme LP (First Generation)
Skyzoo is one of the premier lyrcists from New York. Representing Brooklyn with a storied past from the Duck Down era, he has continued to keep his pen sharp with releasing critically acclaimed solo releases, as well as a collaborative release with fellow MC and on-air personality, Torae.
Sløtface – Try Not To Freak Out LP+MP3 (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On their debut album, Norwegian four-piece Sløtface deliver political punk wrapped in pop packaging. [Limited yellow colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Spandau Ballet – Through The Barricades [Reissue/1986] LP (Sin UK)
By the mid-80s when Spandau Ballet released their fifth album, Through The Barricades, they were global superstars. Although it yielded the three UK hit singles “Fight For Ourselves,” “How Many Lies” and the title cut, the latter would be that band’s final Top 10 marking the end of an era for the group.
Angus & Julia Stone – Snow 2xLP (Nettwerk)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The Sydney-born siblings produced and largely engineered Snow themselves, in Angus’s cottage studio, Belafonte, in the Byron Bay hinterland. “It was quite magical because Angus and I have never spent that much time together, just the two of us,” says Julia. “The last phase of writing and recording was just eight weeks of him and me and the quiet of the land. It was a beautiful time.” Since they began in 2006, Angus & Julia Stone have amassed multi-platinum sales and numerous ARIA awards at home, and won a fan base of millions over tours of the UK, Europe & North America. Limited white colored vinyl pressed to play at 45rpm.
Submerse – Are You Anywhere 2xLP (Project Mooncircle)
The sophomore album from Tokyo based UK native submerse blends early ‘90s slow-jams and instrumental hip-hop wrapped in smooth DX7 keys hybridized with his own unique sound.
Richard Thompson – Acoustic Classics II + Rarities 3xLP (Beeswing)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. On the heels of the success of 2014’s Acoustic Classics, Vol. II features acoustic renderings of classic songs from the Thompson catalog, some previously recorded by other singers, some previously available only in a band format.
U-Roy – Version Galore [Reissue/1971] LP (Get On Down)
U-Roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed The Originator for good reason. Bursting onto the Jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called “toasting,” which in addition to bringing Jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an American vocal style also in its infancy: rapping.
Varials – Pain Again LP (Fearless)
Recently released on CD – now available on colored vinyl. Varials approach heavy music from a different angle altogether on their full-length debut, Pain Again. This mindset expands the possibilities of ‘heavy’ throughout 12 brash, bruising, and brilliant anthems, with the band taking a collective step forward.
Various Artists – Panama! 2: Latin Sounds, Cumbia Tropical and Calypso Funk on the Isthmus 1967-77 2xLP (Soundway)
More of the unique tropical music created in Panama in the fertile decades of the 1960s and ‘70s.
Sonny Boy Williamson – Keep It To Ourselves [Reissue/1963] 2xLP (Analogue Productions)
200gm 45rpm vinyl LP pressing housed in a gatefold sleeve. Gentle, personal blues with brilliant harmonica, accompanied by only Matt Guitar Murphy and Memphis Slim on piano.
Yumi Zouma – Willowbank LP (Cascine)
The gauzy New Zealand indie-poppers released their debut album Yoncalla last year, and have already followed it up.
Cassettes:
Wolf Parade – Cry Cry Cry (Sub Pop)
The soaring choruses, rousing anthems, sprawling guitars and chaotic keys that make up Wolf Parade are on proud display.
Holiday:
Alabama – American Christmas CD (BMG Rights Management)
New holiday release from the country music legends.
Colbie Caillat – Christmas In The Sand [2012] LP (Republic)
Eight traditional popular Holidays songs and four original songs written by Caillat along with other songwriters.
Fantasia – Christmas After Midnight CD (Concord)
Fantasia’s first-ever Christmas recording. [Vinyl edition due November 3.]
Elvis Presley – Christmas with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra CD/LP (Sony Legacy)
The King is paired with England’s beloved orchestra for a new symphonic take on Elvis’ timeless Christmas favorites, with arrangements recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Darius Rucker – Home For The Holidays [2014] LP (Liberty)
A 12-song collection of Christmas songs.
Frank Sinatra – Ultimate Christmas CD/2xLP (UMe)
New Frank Sinatra holiday collection on CD and black 180gm double-LP. 20 Christmas classics from Sinatra’s Capitol and Reprise catalogs.
Gwen Stefani – You Make It Feel Like Christmas CD (Interscope)
First holiday release from Gwen Stefani. [Vinyl edition due October 20.]
Leave a Reply