New Releases - 1/8/21

Hitting The Racks

Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's

New Releases

Barry Gibb – Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers' Songbook, Vol. 1 CD/2xLP (Capitol)

Barry Gibb, the co-creator of the peerless Bee Gees song catalog, is a lifelong fan of country and bluegrass, and has long dreamed of a recording vehicle that would connect him with some of the greatest names in those styles. On Greenfields, Gibb teams with the ever in-demand Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb, in Nashville, to revisit the Gibb brothers' celebrated songbook. He's done so in the company of heavyweights like Alison Krauss, Brandi Carlile, Dolly Parton, Jason Isbell, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Jay Buchanan, Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Tommy Emmanuel. [Double-vinyl pressing features an etched D-side.

Aminé – Limbo LP (Republic)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Rapper/director/innovative artist Aminé moves culture forward for Portland's music scene. Keeping his promise to change perceptions and defy expectations, the project pays homage to his past on tracks like “Shimmy”, and features a selection of high-profile guest artists, including Young Thug on “Compensating”.

Call Me Spinster – Call Me Spinster 12” (Strolling Bones)

Nothing about Call Me Spinster is ordinary. The closer you look at this trio of sisters from Chattanooga, Tennessee, the harder it is to locate something about their sound, background, or energy that delivers predictable results. From their arrangements that employ both pristine vocal harmonies and unorthodox instruments to the streaks of self-aware humor that sneak into their videos and social media presence, Call Me Spinster blurs old-timey traditions with modernized pop fun without ever landing in expected territory. [Red colored vinyl.]

Cocktail Party Effect - Cocktail Party Effect 2xLP (Tectonic)

As Cocktail Party Effect, Eric Baldwin brings his South London roots to Berlin for an all-weekender, under strobe lights. Drawn by his appetite for powerful rhythmical forms and inspired by the likes of Daphne Oram, The Residents, and Captain Beefheart -- Eric takes uses background in sound design, knowledge of hacking VST software and adapted spring reverbs and other hardware, to create a truly unique vision of contemporary electronic music. It sits somewhere between Jeff Mills, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher -- held together by a connective UK bass music spinal cord. A weird but intriguing beast.

El Hardwick - 8 LP (Thirtythree Thirtythree)

El Hardwick's debut album explores an alternative cyberspace at the crossroads of climate and digital justice, spinning a cautionary tale in which technocrats advise a social elite to give up their bodies, upload their minds to a server, and migrate into cyberspace. Channeled through Hardwick's vaporous falsetto, 8 unfolds along two paths: the A-side builds, lush dreamy techno packed with swirling snippets of melody, while the B-side destroys, unspooling into ambient soundscapes. A prominent photographer in the music industry, Hardwick has constantly expanded their talents, from cocurating a zine on shapeshifting and hosting shows of young women photographers, to DJing as Moonbow at queer raves.

Aaron Frazer – Introducing… CD/LP+MP3 (Easy Eye Sounds/Dead Oceans)

Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Aaron Frazer possesses a unique voice that's both contemporary and timeless. On Introducing... - his debut solo album produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach - Aaron melds mid-'60s soul with Auerbach's particular sensibilities ('Over You'), songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron ('Bad News'), and uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop ('Have Mercy'). The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as multi-instrumentalist and co-lead singer of Durand Jones & The Indications.

Melody Gardot – Sunset In The Blue 2xLP (Verve)

Sunset In The Blue is an orchestral celebration of Melody Gardot's jazz roots. She is reunited with the multi-Grammy award winning production team of her platinum-selling album My One And Only Thrill: producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock), arranger and composer Vince Mendoza (Björk, Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello) and the legendary engineer Al Schmitt (Frank Sinatra, Joao Gilberto, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney). An underlying theme of determination to create and evolve her craft has always been present in Melody Gardot's work but never more so than during the production of Sunset In The Blue, despite all obstacles she has assembled a stunning new body of collaborations in this most challenging of times.

Ice Nine Kills – I Heard They Kill Live 2xLP (Fearless)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Recorded at their Worcester hometown headliner deemed their annual Thanxkilling in November 2019, I Heard They Kill Live features their most popular tracks from The Silver Scream, Every Trick In The Book, and The Predator Becomes The Prey. The album title and artwork pays homage to the classic NOFX I Heard They Suck Live while also featuring all of the horror figures covered in past releases.

Inspector 34 - Love My Life LP (Sad Milk Collective)

Lowell MA's Inspector 34's latest album Love My Life emits faint whiffs from all types of American budget lo-fi records of the past 30 or so years, from Guided by Voices to U.S. Maple. This is junk rock, sludge pop, indie rock for the apocalypse. Influences pop out sharply at times, but dissolve quickly; one minute you think you're in the bridge of an OK Computer B-side, the next you're submerged in a simmering fuzz tunnel with a set of limber guitar chords that titillate like no other this side of the Mississippi, or lost in a jungle of guitar motifs laced with a Sgt. Peppers kaleidoscopic wonderment. Love My Life is a noisy odyssey through a quantum field with mellowing currents of fuzz, coalescing into warm, phosphorescent pockets of self-portraiture.

Will Johnson – El Capitan CD/LP (Keeled Scales)

Will Johnson's new album El Capitan features Will on acoustic guitar with contributions from Britton, Thor Harris, and Lindsey Verrill of Little Mazarn. "These things started years ago at a friend’s dining room table in Oregon," Will shares. "They built up on desert drives, in hotel bathrooms, in casino bars, and on trail runs. They mortared together into something sensible (to me) over time. Some songs are quite old, and some are pandemic-new. It feels like we're at the mercy of nature now more than ever, and the quiet of this time seemed right enough to make this record. [A limited indie store exclusive colored vinyl.]

Kings of the Fucking Sea - In Concert LP/CD (Agitated)

The Kings Of The Fucking Sea are Nashville-based Sara Nelson (bass), Poni Silver (drums), and Chet Weise (guitar,vocals). All three members have toured and released records with critically acclaimed bands such as The Little Killers, The Ettes, and Immortal Lee Country Killers, respectively. The group’s first full length, In Concert, was recorded live on a tascam reel-to-reel at Soft Junk here in Nashville.

Passenger – Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted CD (Nettwerk)

The majority of Passenger's new album Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted were written when multi-award winning, platinum-selling English singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg was newly single. Rosenberg explains, "I chose the album title because a lot of the songs are about drinking and the emotions felt around it," he explains. There are personal references Rosenberg adds, "I've recently gone through a break-up, which is always a rough time but can actually be very inspiring too. I spent a few months going out and drinking too much which was fun and heartbreaking and awful all at once. Some of the material is personal and some of it is about other people, either people I've met or fictional characters. That's always been a Passenger thing: sad stories about people drenched in disappointment with that sense of what could have been." [Deluxe CD edition also available. Vinyl edition due January 15.]

Joe Pernice – Could It Be Magic LP (Ashmont)

“Barry Manilow's music is a part of anyone and everyone who was anywhere near a radio in the ‘70s and ‘80s and the decades since. I'm not saying I was a big fan, growing up. But Manilow was the sonic, floral wallpaper of the era, as ubiquitous as the airwaves on which it sailed. Back then, I hadn't yet picked up on Frank Sinatra's ring-a-ding, either, but both artists were already linchpins of the American songbook. Of Manilow, Sinatra once said, He's next.”

Skyway Man – The World Only Ends When You Die CD (Mama Bird)

James Wallace - singer, songwriter and producer behind Skyway Man - presents The World Only Ends When You Die, a spinning disc flashing the finest examples of cosmological country and sci-fi gospel blues. The World Only Ends When You Die was conceived as a tragédie lyrique - a cinematic psych-folk opera about a person rendered incapable of coping with an uncertain reality following a near death experience. Under a spell of mixed wisdom by several "trickster guides" hailing from the future, they leap back into the world of the dead only to spend a hero's journey climbing out, finally returning to the strange American existence of 2020. [Vinyl edition due February 26.]

Strung Like A Horse – Whoa! CD (Transoceanic)

Popular touring act Strung Like A Horse has built a reputation for surprising people with their talent, humor and sense of why not?, with their signature American brand and high energy live shows. Bonnaroo labeled Strung Like A Horse “the Best Band Name”, a moniker chosen in part for the volume of horsehair broken on their bows in their early days.

Tempers – Services LP (Dais)

Tempers, comprised of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, have carved out their own niche within dark indie, electronica and synth-pop circles. Their sound is about exploring tonal and emotional tension as much as it is about actual tracks or singular moments. Adrenalizing yet hypnotic landscapes layer mechanical and sensual impulses, as crystalline vocals weave fever dreams of yearning and alienation. [Limited clear vinyl.]

Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz LP (Year0001)

Since their founding in 2015, Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys has made a name for themselves burning up stages around the world. There's a little Iggy Pop spit and seethe, a David Yow drunken stumble, and a bite of Nick Cave's haunted bark. Add a dash of motorik groove, a pinch of postpunk grime, and a dose of no wave howl.

Morgan Wallen – Dangerous: The Double Album 2xCD/3xLP (Big Loud)

Morgan Wallen's vast, 30-track double album Dangerous is nearly three years in the making, written largely throughout the chapter of his career that has established him as "the fastest rising young star in country" (Variety). With the project's arsenal of writers ranging from storytelling titans Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Hillary Lindsey, Rhett Akins and Lee Thomas Miller, to two of Wallen's biggest musical inspirations Eric Church and Jason Isbell, to his closest musical confidants Hardy, Ernest and Ryan Vojtesak (aka Charlie Handsome), Dangerous: The Double Album further establishes the signature sound crafted by Wallen and producer Joey Moi on his No. 1 Platinum debut If I Know Me.

Reissues, Compilations, Live Recordings & Vault Excavations...

Tina Brooks ‎– The Waiting Game [Reissue/1999] LP (Blue Note)

The Waiting Game is the unsung tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks' final album, recorded in 1961 and released in 1999. Joined here by Johnny Coles (trumpet), Kenny Drew (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). Brooks penned five tracks, showcasing his unique compositional talent. Reissued as part of The Blue Note Tone Poet Series: all-analog, remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Donald Byrd ‎– Byrd In Flight [Reissue/1960] LP (Blue Note)

Trumpeter Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley (tenor sax) let listeners know that they are in for an exceptional musical experience on Ghana. For these Byrd In Flight 1960 sessions, he was joined by Jackie McLean (alto sax), Duke Pearson (piano), Doug Watkins/Reggie Workman (bass) & Lex Humphries (drums). Reissued as part of The Blue Note Tone Poet Series: all-analog, remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Cleveland Eaton – Plenty Good Eaton [Reissue/1975] CD/LP (Real Gone Music)

The jazz world lost a true legend when bassist Cleveland Eaton passed away in the summer of 2020. This 1975 album is one of the real gems in the hallowed Black Jazz label catalog.

Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 2 No. 4: Cal Expo '93 2xCD (Real Gone Music)

The Cal Expo Amphitheatre at the State Fairgrounds in Sacramento became one of the homes-away-from-home (but not too far away from home!) for The Grateful Dead during their later years, and they always played well there, inspired perhaps by the good old-fashioned (and increasingly rare) General Admission policy towards seating coupled with a grassy infield for dancing. So, when the Dead settled in for a three-night run from May 25-27 in 1993, anticipation was high, but what occurred exceeded even the wildest expectations of the most devout Dead Head.

Kool and The Gang – Kool and The Gang [Reissue/1970] LP (Real Gone Music)

Limited cream colored vinyl pressing of the debut album from the soul/R&B superstars.

The Master Musicians of Jajouka feat. Bachir Attar - Apocalypse Across the Sky 2xLP (Zehra)

Originally released in 1992; produced by Bill Laswell. No matter if you consider the Master Musicians of Jajouka a "4,000 year-old rock n' roll band" (William S. Burroughs) or even "6,000 years old" (Ornette Coleman) -- without doubt, the music of the ensemble in all its incarnations over the centuries is deeply rooted in Sufi mysticism, paganism, and the cult of the goat-god Boujeloud. This pagan root aside, the music performed in several hour long rituals on traditional instruments like tebel and tariyya (drums), ghaita (a woodwind instrument), lira (flute), and gimbri (stringed instrument) reveals hypnotic, trance-inducing qualities and is considered to have magical and healing properties. In 1991, iconic producer Bill Laswell embarked on a trip to the small village of just 800 inhabitants in the Rif mountains to record the group for his Axiom label -- Apocalypse Across The Sky is, unlike other Laswell projects that bring together different cultures and genres, a pure document of the ensemble, raw and unpolished but exquisitely recorded, and ranks among the essential recordings according to the world music magazine Songlines.

Seether ‎– Disclaimer II [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)

Seether ‎– Karma & Effect [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)

Seether ‎– Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces [Reissue/2007] 2xLP (Craft Recordings)

Limited colored vinyl reissues of the second, third and fourth albums from the Platinum-selling South African rock band.

Teebs – Ardour [Reissue/2010] 2xLP (Brainfeeder)

Limited double pink colored vinyl pressing of the debut album by the 23 year old ex-skater, painter and music producer from Chino Hills called Teebs (real name Mtendere Mandowa). The title Ardour means great enthusiasm, love or passion and was a fitting descriptor for his inherently warm, lushly textured beats. It's an undisputed classic in the Brainfeeder canon and more widely considered an essential chapter in the ever-evolving puzzle of the global beat scene.

Various Artists / Concentric Records - Profile of the Lines LP (Concentric Records)

Concentric Records is a new ambient/cross-genres record label established in 2020 by Simone Merli (Soundwalk Collective) and Luca Calo. Profile Of The Lines opens with a bright and luminous sound exploring at first a narrative, musical dimension, with a moving energy. As a counterpoint, the second half takes listeners into an intimate and interior space, ending the album in the opposite sphere -- calm and ethereal. Each track on the album is produced with a different process, resulting in a wide exploration of landscapes, tonalities and textures, from field recording and found sound manipulation to organically blended textures of percussive and melodic synths. Features veterans such as Vladislav Delay and Pole, as well as up-and-comers like Jake Muir.

Various Artists - Zamaan Ya Sukkar: Exotic Love Songs and Instrumentals from the Egyptian 60's LP (Radio Martiko)

Zamaan Ya Sukkar is a rich musical portrait from the time when Cairo was the vibrant cultural heart of the Middle East and the grandeur of the leading orchestras was incomparable. Unearthed Latin and jazz-tinged tracks will let your mind drift off to the glamorous nightlife of '60s Cairo. Meet some forgotten souls of the Egyptian music scene and cinema world. Sensual voices and Bollywood-like orchestra sounds inflame the senses of the body with an intangible exotic twist! All music is remastered from original 45s produced by Sono Cairo. Features Salim El Baroudi, Sayed Salamah, Abd Al Fattah Mansi, Soad Mohamed, and more. Includes digital download.

Paul Weller ‎– Wake Up The Nation [Reissue/2010] CD (Island)

Digitally remastered tenth anniversary edition. Reflecting the urgency and claustrophobia of city life, the record dispensed with the acoustic, folky and pastoral influences of Weller's recent work and introduced more jagged rock styles with angry, urban and metallic influences - Diamond Dogs, Low-period Bowie riffs. Nominated for the 2010 Mercury Music Prize.