CDs + Vinyl:
Acid Baby Jesus – Selected Recordings CD/LP (Slovenly)
Representing the primitivism of Athens, Greece, steadily fornicating with the modern humps of the most ancient civilizations hitherto, Acid Baby Jesus has finally assembled a collection of recordings from their past two years on the rotation. The experiments on Selected Recordings were formulated while spending many of those moments on a secluded island in the Mediterranean sea, populated by a(n) (r)evolutionary cast of travelers, all starving for an heady atmosphere and a delicious salad. Many records were played on record players at these assemblages.
Ariel Pink – Pom Pom CD/2xLP (4AD)
Across its 17 tracks and 69 minutes, Pom Pom is unfiltered Ariel Pink, featuring infectious tales of romance, murder, frog princes, and Jell-O. The album sees the L.A. native strike it out alone, returning to the solo moniker he has adopted for well over a decade.
Baby Bash – Ronnie Rey All Day CD (Empire Distribution)
New album from the Mexican-American rapper featuring guest appearances from Paul Wall, Frankie J and Ray J.
Lee Bannon – Caligula Theme Music 2.7.5 CD (Chillectro)
Sac Town based producer, Lee Bannon, follows up his 2012 EP, Caligula Theme Music with the sequel, Caligula Theme Music 2.7.5. Ten mostly instrumental tracks with vocal appearances from Rokamouth, Kirk Knight, Chuck Strangers, Matt Stoops, and more.
Karl Berger – Gently Unfamiliar CD (Tzadik)
One of the most versatile and active proponents of creative music, Karl Berger is a living legend who has been expanding the jazz language since the mid-’60s. A pianist, vibraphonist, composer, arranger, conductor and educator of astounding energy and creativity, Karl has worked with many of the greatest names in new music: Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Anthony Braxton, Bill Laswell and countless others. Following up on his gorgeous 2010 release of solo piano etudes Strangely Familiar, the second CD of Berger’s Tzadik trilogy presents his distinctive piano stylings in a trio format with a sensitive and supportive rhythm section.
Brandt Bjork And The Low Desert Punk Band – Black Power Flower CD (Napalm)
Brandt Bjork, as cult figure of the Palm Desert scene, was founder/drummer of the now defunct stoner-rock legends Kyuss and is a permanent member of Vista Chino (formerly Kyuss Lives!). Now, he is sailing under his own flag, proving once again that his multi-instrumental skills know no creative boundaries. With his excellent occupied Low Desert Punk Band, Bjork lets the scorching heat of Nevada shimmer in his songs. He also scrubs his guitar through all sorts of psychedelic effect pedals and skillfully mixes stoner rock, blues and doom-bonds to a feverish hazy brew.
Black Taxi – Electro Death Grip CD (No Shame)
Most of the songs on Electro Death Grip are danceable pop jams with heavily funked-out guitar lines a-la Nile Rogers and Daft Punk. The tracks are fun and rhythmic, but at the same time, laced with the dark, sarcastic lyrics for which Black Taxi is known. The album is introspective and retrospective in its lyrical content, and futuristic in its production. Moog synths, fat trumpet lines, and jangly tambourines pay their respects to 1970s-era funk and disco records while deep, punchy drum production gives the album an ultra-modern feel.
David Bowie – Nothing Has Changed 3xCD/3xCD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Nothing Has Changed (named after a lyric from the Heathen album opener “Sunday”) compiles tracks from every period of Bowie’s career from his earliest incarnations with “Liza Jane” and “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” right up to James Murphy’s “Hello Steve Reich Mix” of “Love Is Lost” from last year. CD version is available in Regular double-disc and Deluxe triple-disc editions. Vinyl is HQ-180gm.
Nathan Bowles – Nansemond CD/LP+MP3 (Paradise Of Bachelors)
The second solo album from Black Twig Pickers member deploys banjo, percussion, piano, and voice to explore the rugged country between the poles of Appalachian old-time traditions, and ecstatic, minimalist drone. Features Tom Carter.
Brutality – Orchestrated Devastation: Best Of CD/2xLP (Ceremonial)
Nestled beneath the balmy breezes and palm trees of Tampa Bay, Florida, lies the most extensive and far-reaching death metal music scene in North America. It was there in 1986 that the band Brutality came together in their first incarnation. Orchestrated Devastation a compilation of Brutality’s greatest tracks, taken from their three studio releases as well as various demos and EPs, bundled alongside vast retrospective liner notes and band photos.
Burial Hex – The Hierophant CD/LP (Handmade Birds)
The Hierophant is the final Burial Hex album, a project whose closure has been calculated from its inception. Burial Hex is a pioneer of the horror electronics movement and over the past decade has released albums on Cold Spring, Aurora Borealis, Brave Mysteries, Blackest Rainbow, and Turgid Animal. Available on CD and HQ-180gm “ox blood red in milky clear” vinyl.
Buzzcocks – The Way CD/LP/Cassette (1-2-3-4 Go!)
The Way is the follow up to 2006’s Flat – Pack Philosophy LP and is the band’s ninth studio album since their formation in Manchester in 1976. These 10 tracks penned by the group’s long-standing core of Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle were recorded this year in London, and were produced by the band and Dave M. Allen (best known for his production work with The Cure, Depeche Mode and Neneh Cherry). The Way packs the same classic UK pop punk punch they’ve been known for over nearly four decades. Available on CD, cassette and on white vinyl.
