CDs + Vinyl:
Abandon Kansas – Alligator CD (BadChristian Music)
Abandon Kansas is a four-piece indie Christian rock outfit from Wichita, Kansas, and Alligator is their first album on the BadChristian label. “‘I Hope God Don’t Mind If We Talk Awhile,’ the record’s first single, embodies the flow of the record, jumpy and honest. Touching on topics of manhood and the struggle of healing old wounds, it’s not an easy one to listen to.” – Jesus Freak Hideout
Abrahama – Reflections In The Bowels Of A Bird CD (Small Stone)
Like the main thread of this heavy odyssey peppered with Hindu mysticism and voodoo convolutions, Abrahama’s sound is hulking and hypnotic, while vocals resound like a distant and irresistible incantation; an appeal that is amped-up by guest appearances from the likes of Ed Mundell (Monster Magnet) and Thomas Bellier (Blaak Heat Shujaa, Spindrift).
After The Fall – Dedication CD (Bridge Nine)
“Albany, New York, quartet After The Fall play the type of melodic hardcore that the world sorely lacks in 2015: It’s impressively speedy and technical, with hooks aplenty and more than enough aggression to get you off of your barstool and up to the front of the stage. But their new album, Dedication, is more than just your average pit-starter; the entire album is dedicated to a fallen bandmate, which results in some seriously heavy lyrics.” — Substream
Steve Aoki – Neon Future II CD (Ultra)
Following the success of last year’s Neon Future I, the international DJ and producer releases the second part of the Neon Future package. Neon Future II comes packed with featured artists including Snoop Lion, Matthew Koma, Linkin Park and many more.
Aqua – In Loving Memory Of Aqua (1982-1988) CD (Spittle)
A collection of tracks recorded between 1982-1988 by the Turin four-piece, a stellar re-discovery from the heyday of the Italian post-punk scene. Their 1985 self-titled mini-album was praised for its melodic, surreal, new wave style that combined goth influences with dream-pop, highly reminiscent of the British scene. RIYL: Echo & The Bunnymen, Bauhaus, The Cure.
Arcturus – Arcturian CD/LP (Prophecy)
Arcturian is the Norwegian metal band’s first album in over a decade.
Banditos – Banditos CD (Bloodshot)
Mixing elements of ’60s blues-fused acid rock, jangly boogie, garage punk scuzz, and doo-wop sweetness, the Banditos recall many, but sound like no one but themselves. Jem is a multi-faceted jewel, from the lush Cocteaus-shiver of “Crocodiles” to the exquisite Eastern climes of “China” and the R&B twist of “Poppy.” What unites all 13 tracks is a beguiling fusion of intimacy and sensuality with something more mysterious and spectral. Vinyl version due May 26.
Bernard & Edith – Jem CD (Bella Union)
Debut album from hotly tipped Manchester-based electronic-pop duo. Vinyl version due May 19.
Jello Biafra – Walk On Jindals Splinters CD/LP (Alternative Tentacles)
The long-rumored, sweat-soaked live album from the night Bill Davis (Dash Rip Rock) and Fred Le Blanc (Cowboy Mouth) dared Jello Biafra to join them during Jazzfest and sing all classic New Orleans soul, rhythm and blues, and (at Jello’s request) garage songs.
Black Devil – Disco Club [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (Anthology Recordings)
Disco Club is a groundbreaking 1978 EP of experimental electronic disco produced by French library music composer Bernard Fèvre and producer Jacky Giordano. The Aphex Twin-backed Rephlex label notably reworked a handful of Disco Club tracks in 2004, however this is the first ever reissue of the EP in its original, intended sequence.
Blanck Mass – Dumb Flesh CD/2xLP (Sacred Bones)
Benjamin John Power’s newest solo offering as Blanck Mass was written, produced and recorded in a number of different locations over the space of a year. It began life in F**k Buttons’ Space Mountain studio, moved into a windowless attic space in Hatch End, North London, then was finished up at Ben’s new home in Edinburgh. The geographical spread of the sessions is reflected in the shifting landscapes of the tracks and the ever changing sound-palette used to realize Dumb Flesh as an expansive body of work. As a work of art, Dumb Flesh is a comment on the flaws of the human form in its current evolutionary state. The frailty of the human body naturally became a resonant and inescapable part of the album’s gestation.
Brass Tacks – Just The Facts: 15th Anniversary Edition CD (Beer City)
Contains the original full length album Just The Facts plus the tracks from The Good Life 7″ as well as the demo track and only recorded version of the song “Just the Facts” for a grand total of 18 blistering, boot- stomping cuts. This reissue has been given the deluxe treatment of a brand new layout including a 24-page booklet filled with lyrics, photos and flyers from the band’s 15 plus year existence.
Tyondai Braxton – HIVE1 CD/LP (Nonesuch)
HIVE1 is the composer’s first fully realized work of purely electronic music since his earlier loop-based music in the early 2000s, and an unmistakable swerve away from Braxton’s signature materials and musical concerns to date. The album draws from the mid-20th century avant-garde, a world inhabited by the likes of Varèse, Xenakis, and Stockhausen — along with the more contemporary examples of Florian Hecker, Carston Nicolai/Raster Noton, and Braxton’s frequent collaborator Ben Vida, who appears as a performer on HIVE1. Where Central Market was scored for a small army of strings, guitars, horns, kazoos, and singers, the music of HIVE1 derives from the abrasive textures and manipulation of organic and synthesized sounds.
Lenny Breau – The Velvet Touch Of Lenny Breau Live! [Reissue/1969] CD (Wounded Bird)
Lenny Breau was an American guitarist and music educator. He possessed the ability to play chords, melody and a baseline simultaneously and blended many styles including jazz, country, classical and flamenco. He approached the guitar like a piano, which opened up lots of possibilities with the instrument and allowed him to do many things which other guitarists deemed impossible.
Canibus & Bronze Nazareth – Time Flies, Life Dies… Phoenix Rise CD (RBC)
For his latest album Canibus called upon Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Bronze Nazareth to steer most of the project’s production. The 17-track album also features guest appearances from Raekwon, Kurupt, Pete Rock, Killah Priest, Craig G and Dizaster.
[Read more…] about New Releases for May 12, 2015
