CDs + Vinyl:
A-ha – Hunting High & Low [Reissue/1985] CD/4xCD+DVD (Rhino)
Remastered eissue of the Norwegian trio’s 1985 debut album, featuring the hit “Take On Me.” The Super Deluxe five disc (four CDs + DVD) edition includes a 60-page hardback book filled with rare photos and stories about the making of the album. The set also features various B-sides and more than two dozen rare tracks.
Nat Adderly – For Duke And Cannon (Sextet Live At Sweet Basil) CD (Squatty Roo Recordings)
Cornetist Nat Adderley, brother and musical partner of alto sax great Cannonball Adderley, is featured here fourteen years after his brother’s death, but still going strong, live at Greenwich Village’s legendary Sweet Basil. Never replacing his brother, but at very least, two great alto men are needed to fill the master’s shoes: in this case Vincent Herring and Sonny Fortune, who are playing snakes throughout, doing justice to their predecessor.
Air Waves – Parting Glances CD/LP (Western Vinyl)
In 2010 Nicole Schneit aka Air Waves released Dungeon Dots, an album Aquarius Records called “…pretty much perfect pop music.” For her new album Parting Glances, Schneit enlisted friends from Brooklyn’s music community to contribute to the record, including members of Woods, Crystal Stilts, Ava Luna, and Hospitality. Additionally, Jana Hunter of Lower Dens contributes vocals to two songs. The album’s title comes from the 1986 film Parting Glances in which Steve Buscemi portrays a gay man navigating the difficulties of being in a relationship in Reagan-era New York. More than just identifying with the story, Schneit is interested in the in the lasting effect of the parting glances we share with strangers in our everyday encounters.
Alabama – Southern Drawl CD (BMG Recorded Music)
Southern Drawl is the veteran country band’s first collection of original material in 14 years, and a follow-up to 2001’s When It All Goes South.
All Them Witches – Lightning At The Door [Reissue/2014] CD/LP+MP3 (New West)
Reissue of the band’s 2014 release with two bonus tracks “Romany Dagger Remended” and “Surface To Air Whistle.” Nashville-based All Them Witches impress in both their cohesiveness of sound and their obvious drive toward an individual approach. Their blend of blues rocking grooves and heavy psych-derived jamming comes through clearly, they soon became known for their engaging live shows.
Dave Alvin And Phil Alvin – Lost Time CD/LP (Yep Roc)
Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin follow up their previous album, the Grammy nominated Common Ground, with this collection of blues songs from various artists that inspired the Alvin Brothers at a very early age. Common Ground focused exclusively on Big Bill Broonzy songs. With Lost Time the Alvin brothers dig in to the music of James Brown, Leadbelly, Willie Dixon, Blind Boy Fuller and Leroy Carr, among other greats. But they cover four songs by Big Joe Turner, as tribute to the blues legend they met as teens, and who became their friend and mentor.
Annihilator – Suicide Society CD/2xCD/2xLP+MP3 (UDR)
As usual, guitar wizard Jeff Waters Handles all songwriting duties, plays all guitar and bass, engineers, produces, mixes and masters Suicide Society… and Waters is also back commanding lead vocal duties, as he did on the critically acclaimed King Of The Kill (1994) and other Annihilator albums over the years. With Suicide Society, Annihilator goes headfirst into some of the most technically perfect crisp, and crushingly taut, riffs Waters has ever produced. Although Waters’ vocals keep traces of styling from his King Of The Kill album, they now evoke a surprising blend of legends such as Staley Osbourne, Hetfield and Mustaine. CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe features a lenticular cover and is expanded with a bonus disc including commentary on all nine album tracks.
Atreyu – Long Live CD/LP (Spinefarm)
After a three-year hiatus, embers started to glow again for Southern California metal trailblazers Atreyu. They hit the studio with producer Fred Archambault (Avenged Sevenfold) began cutting what would be their sixth album, Long Live (and first since 2009’s Congregation Of The Damned). “From the first ‘go’ uttered by Alex Varkatzas on the title track, Atreyu lets it rip with a brisk pound on the verses. They make no bones they’re still a metalcore act as the breakdowns manifest and Varkatzas volleys his squelchy yelps with drummer and clean singer Brandon Saller. ‘Live To Labor’ thereafter plants down the pedal through its popping verses. As with the opening number, the breakdown arrives at the expected spot and the choruses rain with engulfing harmony.” — Blabbermouth
Baio – The Names CD/LP (Glassnote)
On his own, Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio makes warm, homespun, gently emotive dance-pop. He’s been releasing singles and EPs for a few years, and has now released his first-ever solo album, The Names. The album takes its title from Don DeLillo’s 1982 novel. “The Names is a record that has reverberated through my mind for much of the last five years,” Baio said in a press release. “Its themes began to take shape when I moved from New York to London in 2013.”
Battles – La Di Da Di CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Battles are the Networked Band, or perhaps the-band-as-network. An island chain linked by a unique combination of artistry, experimentation, technology and singular focus. A band that holds computerized loops in their brains, leaves sweat on their machines and whose sonic heartbeat is almost brutally human. Dave Konopka, Ian Williams and John Stanier have turned the tables on themselves this time, confronted their own ideas of what Battles is and here on their third album, have willed an answer to that question into existence. As the name might imply, La Di Da Di is a mushrooming monolith of repetition. Here is an organic techno thrum of nearly infinite loops that refuse to remain consistent. The rhythmic genus of Battles is here as ever; full frontal, heightened and unforgiving the gauntlet through which melody and harmony must pass, assailed at every turn.
[Read more…] about New Releases for September 18, 2015
