New Releases - 1/10/25
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Early James – Medium Raw CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)
Early James' new album, Medium Raw, produced by Dan Auerbach, is his most compelling work yet. The album blends blues, rock and folk with an unfiltered edge, capturing Early James' soulful storytelling and powerful vocals. An endlessly gifted lyricist, he weaves dark, emotional narratives with a sardonic wit, showcasing his ability to craft poignant, vivid imagery juxtaposed with wry humor. A must-listen for fans of authentic Americana, promising a gripping, unforgettable listening experience.
Franz Ferdinand – The Human Fear CD/LP (Domino)
The Human Fear is the sixth studio album from Franz Ferdinand. Produced with Mark Ralph, who previously worked with the band on their 2013 album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, the album showcases Franz at their most immediate, upbeat and life-affirming, unashamedly going for the pop-jugular in classic Franz style. Recorded at AYR studios in Scotland, the 11 songs on The Human Fear all allude to some deep-set human fears and how overcoming and accepting these fears drives and defines our lives. [Indie store exclusive white vinyl.]
Jade Bird – Burn The Hard Drive 12” (Glassnote)
For Jade Bird, the end of her relationship gathered pace and crashed into reality in 2022 and became the driving force behind her new EP. Created with Mura Masa (Alex Crossan), Burn The Hard Drive is a short but powerful collection of songs that paint the various stages of grief that come with the end of a relationship in devastatingly astute but carefully optimistic strokes. The EP features singles “You’ve Fallen In Love Again,” and the album’s title track “Burn The Hard Drive,” which earned praise from The New York Times, Brooklyn Vegan, Exclaim!, The Line of Best Fit, DIY Mag, and more. The EP is now available on 12” vinyl with a striking B-side etching and specialty die-cut jacket.
Malia – One Grass Skirt To London CD/LP (MPS)
With her new studio album "One Grass Skirt To London" Malia presents a life's story filled with tracks from her youth and important moments throughout her life. One Grass Skirt To London is an 8,200-kilometer journey from Malawi to London, where the singer emigrated to as a teenager. Not only was it a geographical and temporal journey but also a musical one. Though most of all, it was a sentimental one, since the 14 songs carefully chosen for this album are so precious to her because of the memories they contain. Almost all are taken from film soundtracks, from "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy to "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun, you find "Pure Imagination" from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as "Here On My Own" from Fame. All of them possess a unique power to evoke an emotion through their music that has shaped her identity, helped overcome trials, and bloom as an artist.
Ringo Starr – Look Up CD/LP (Lost Highway)
Ringo Starr releases a brand-new country music album, Look Up, produced and co-written by T Bone Burnett via Lost Highway Records. This stunning collection features 11 original songs, recorded this year in Nashville and Los Angeles. This album features Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Lucius, Larkin Poe, and Alison Krauss.
Vienna Vienna – Wonderland CD/LP (Pulse)
For his debut EP Wonderland, Vienna Vienna teamed up with Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz through a partnership with his legendary label DCD2 and Pulse Records. The EP explores Vienna Vienna’s journey with self-acceptance and queerness while growing up “equally deeply Christian and very devout.” It takes the listener through all his highs and lows, imbued with the smiling snark of ‘00s pop-punk, the glamor and glitter of queer pop and the earnestness of soft-rock ballads. [Indie store exclusive red vinyl.]
Reissues, Comps, Live Recordings, Vault Excavations...
Hayes Carll – Little Rock [Reissue/2005] CD/LP (Hwy 87)
Hayes Carll displays an outlaw's attitude and a poet's soul. This is the kind of music many claim to make but few rarely achieve. Little Rock, his second album, was recorded in Nashville with producer R. S. Field (Billy Joe Shaver, Allison Moorer, Webb W.). [A brown color vinyl pressing is available.]
Rosanne Cash – The Essential Collection 2xCD (Thirty Tigers)
Beginning in the 1970s and continuing to the present day, Cash has staked out a distinctive place in American music. Her songs have drawn on rockabilly rhythms, the truth-telling of folk-rock songwriters, West Coast country-rock energy, new wave flash and deeply rooted country music. A four-time Grammy winner, her hits include "Seven Year Ache," "Blue Moon with Heartache," "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," "It Hasn't Happened Yet," "Tennessee Flat Top Box, "No Memories Hangin' Round" and "Never Be You," among others. Throughout her career, she has maintained an unwavering artistic spirit and vision. In 2021, Cash became the first female composer to receive the MacDowell Medal, awarded since 1960 to an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to American culture. The Essential Collection creates a space, one in which Cash controls the stories she tells, the masks she wears, the light shed. These two discs represent over 40 years of work- of songwriting, singing, and collaboration, and of struggle, loss, renewal, insecurity, power, longing, and curiosity.
Cave In – Jupiter [Reissue/2000] 2xCD/LP (Relapse)
The 25th anniversary reissue of Cave In’s monumental Jupiter. Named one of the best metal albums of the decade by Decibel Magazine, Jupiter marks a significant shift in Cave In’s musical direction that sees the band embark on a post-hardcore space odyssey. Perhaps the finest record of Cave In’s storied career, Jupiter sounds as fresh and as vital as ever. Jupiter is available as a standalone LP (neo violet colorway), as well as a deluxe 2xCD, both remastered by James Plotkin. The 2xCD includes the full album alongside a special live set recorded for broadcast on Boston’s legendary rock radio station WBCN in October of 2000.
Childish Gambino – Atavista 2xLP (RCA)
For years, Childish Gambino’s Atavista hid in plain sight. When he released an unfinished version of the record on March 15, 2020, it spent just 12 hours on his website before he pulled it down. Reappearing on streaming a week later as 3.15.20, the project brought up almost as many questions as sparkling neo-soul anthems, which still sounded slicker than the average as raw cuts titled after timestamps.
Megan Moroney – Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine) 2xLP (Columbia)
Translucent blue color vinyl pressing with white swirls and text. Country phenomenon Megan Moroney is the rare artist to earn icon status soon after breaking onto the scene. The Georgia-bred singer/songwriter kicks off the latest era of her formidable career with her critically acclaimed sophomore album Am I Okay?
Various Artists – Behind The Counter With Ian Rankin 2xLP (Rough Trade Shop)
Features Joy Division, Scritti Politti, Magazine, The Cure, Simple Minds, Isaac Hayes, Brian Eno, King Creosote, Throbbing Gristle and More. Rough Trade Shops presents Behind The Counter With Ian Rankin, the second instalment in a compilation series inviting artists to curate mixes of the music that has most influenced them, sourced from records sold on the Rough Trade shop floor.