CDs + Vinyl:
Davie Allan & The Arrows – 50th Anniversary CD (Curb)
Davie Allan & The Arrows had their first hit in 1965 with Apache 65, and this album celebrates the 50 years of Davie Allan & The Arrows that followed.
ALO – Tangle Of Time CD/LP (Brushfire)
Jam-packed with freewheeling exuberance and deft songwriting, Tangle Of Time features tracks penned by each of the band’s four members who individually take stock in life, love, and family and combine their musings with a healthy dose of humor. A jubilant collection of songs that evoke the California cool of ‘70s pop/rock while embracing the in-the-moment improv that has propelled the band for almost two decades. Although there is a distinct songwriting voice that can be heard on each track, the band’s collective efforts string the album into an unmistakably ALO offering.
Amateur Best – The Gleaners CD/LP (Brille/PIAS)
Amateur Best is the alias of Birmingham-based “personal pop” musician, songwriter, and producer Joe Flory. Flory has come a long way since his beginnings making major label pop music as Primary 1. Following the release of No Thrills and tours of Europe playing drums with Chilly Gonzales & The Kaiser Quartett, Flory made a move from the bustle of London to his current home in Birmingham in order to hone his songwriting and production talents, perfecting a melodic, crystal clear style of vocal pop. It’s a style that draws on the electronica of Cassius’s Au Reve, the soundtrack work of Michael Nyman, the intricate layering of The Avalanches, and the experimental pop of David Sylvian and Ryuchi Sakamoto.
Aqua Nebula Oscillator – Friday The 13th CD (Cleopatra)
US debut from French funkadelic occult rock band.
Audiotopsy – Natural Causes CD (Napalm)
Former members of Mudvayne, Hellyeah and Skrape have joined to follow old instincts and at the same time create their own unique version of heavy modern sounds with Natural Causes.
Autre Ne Veut – Age Of Transparency CD/LP (Downtown)
“Along with artists like How To Dress Well and Holy Other, Autre Ne Veut makes music that’s sometimes categorized as ‘PBR&B,’ suggesting a point where indie pop (ironically) meets modern R&B. Autre Ne Veut’s Arthur Ashin uses R&B tropes in his music, but rather than soundtrack a romantic moment, the songs instead voice the anxious thoughts that surround love. So while most R&B singers prowl the register somewhere between a pillow-talk purr and a sultry croon, only scaling upward toward a voice-cracking, la petite mort falsetto for emphasis, Ashin has his voice begin on the other side of that crack.” – NPR
Avicii – Stories CD (Island)
Sophomore album from the Swedish DJ featuring guest appearances by Zac Brown Band, Chris Martin and Martin Garrix. Vinyl version due October 30.
Bad Company – Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy: The Very Best Of Bad Company CD (Atlantic)
This 19-track collection spans 1974 and 1982 and features many of group s best-loved songs remastered, including “Can’t Get Enough,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy.”
Bixiga 70 – III CD/LP (Glitterbeat)
There is no doubt that Bixiga 70 is one of the guiding voices of Brazil’s contemporary instrumental music scene and their new album III clearly demonstrates why.
The Black Lillies – Hard To Please CD/LP (Attack Monkey Productions)
The Black Lillies is a band for the ages, not the slick, soulless music that seems to get most of the radio airplay, but rich, rootsy tunes performed with as much heart as technical virtuosity. This commitment to authenticity has earned them accolades from outlets as diverse as Rolling Stone Magazine, who calls them one of the most buzzworthy new acts in country and Americana, and the Wall Street Journal, who praised their rootsy flair… a winsome hybrid traditional enough to appeal to an Opry crowd and expansive enough to ensnare a broader audience.
Black Tambourines – Freedom CD/LP (Easy Action)
Black Tambourines is grounded in the ethos of DIY production and scuzzy, distorted garage-rock, but with ragged grooves and a sun-kissed haze.
Blitzen Trapper – All Across This Land CD/LP+MP3 (Vagrant)
“Touted as a return to the “classic” sound of the band, which man will associate with the 2008 breakthrough Furr, Portland folk-rockers Blitzen Trapper release their eighth album All Across This Land. If ever there was an indication that the record promises to be a return to the sunny, riff-oriented classic rock sounds the band has excelled at for so long, it’s the title track. Tapping into the sun-dappled sounds of early-‘70s blues rock, classic Laurel Canyon rock, and of course the perpetual influence of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, ‘All Across This Land’ is a perfect balm for the dog days of summer, its breezy optimism reflected in the accompanying ‘visualette.’ It’s the kind of track you want to blast in the car with the windows rolled down.” – Pop Matters
Mal Blum – You Look A Lot Like Me CD (Don Giovanni)
In many ways, You Look A Lot Like Me is a mental health record, written when Mal was at a low point, and re-worked and polished at a high one. It turned out to be essential in helping get out of a dark period of depression and Mal Blum hopes others will connect with these songs on a similar, personal level. Vinyl version due October 16.
[Read more…] about New Releases for October 2, 2015
