New Releases - 10/25/19
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
Jump to… New Releases Reissues & From The Vaults New on Vinyl Live & in Concert For the Holidaze… Compilations
New Releases
Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Colorado CD/2xLP+7" (New Elektra)
Neil Young and Crazy Horse return with a brand-new studio album, Colorado, which marks the legendary collaborators' first new music together since 2012's Psychedelic Pill. As with every Young release, the resultant audio fidelity is nothing short of astonishing and sounds as if one is present on the studio floor with the band during the recording. "We believe we have a great Crazy Horse album, one to stand alongside Everybody Know's This Is Nowhere, Rust Never Sleeps, Sleeps With Angels, Psychedelic Pill and all the others, Young said. Colorado is dedicated to the iconic singer/songwriter's late longtime manager Elliot Roberts with Young adding that, "Elliot loved this record. He said, 'It's the songs'." [The three-sided double-vinyl set features etched artwork on Side D plus a bonus 7" vinyl single with two non-album tracks.]
Allison Moorer - Blood CD (Autotelic)
Blood is the first solo album in four years from the Academy, Grammy, Americana and Academy of Country Music award nominated artist. The album serves as a companion piece to her new autobiography, Blood: A Memoir, a detailed account of Moorer and her sister's (Grammy Award winner Shelby Lynne) childhood growing up in a troubled home in Southern Alabama, which ended with the well-documented murder-suicide of her parents in 1986. Much of what the public has known about the tragic event begins and ends there. For years, Moorer had avoided going into the traumatic details of the abuse, alcoholism, intimidation, poverty and neglect that existed prior to the deaths - and for good reasons - which she addresses in the memoir. Moorer also addresses the fact that there was so much more to her family than tragedy, darkness and what people thought they knew. There was love, there was a protective mother, there was the bond of sisterhood and there was music. There was always music. The album Blood serves as a song cycle featuring ten tracks that directly connect to the people, emotions, trauma, and state of mind that are all detailed so eloquently in the memoir. Join us when Allison Moorer plays a free, all ages live set at Grimey's on Tuesday, November 5th, at 6PM.
Guided By Voices - Sweating The Plague CD/LP (GBV Inc.)
Being a fan of Guided by Voices can feel like standing in a ticker-tape parade and reaching out to grab at stray releases as the endless flurry coats your (insert favorite noun here), but it's worth it! Sweating The Plague is the 3rd GBV LP released this year and it may be the best one yet. 12 songs. No snippets. No Fat. No homemade recordings. A full-length classic rock record like they used to make.
Swans - Leaving Meaning. CD/LP+MP3 (Young God)
Leaving Meaning. is Swans fifteenth studio album and the follow up to 2016's The Glowing Man. "Leaving Meaning. is the first Swans album to be released since I dissolved the lineup of musicians that constituted Swans from 2010-2017," says Michael Gira. "Swans is now comprised of a revolving cast of musicians, selected for both their musical and personal character, chosen according to what I intuit best suits the atmosphere in which I'd like to see the songs I've written presented. In collaboration with me, the musicians, through their personality, skill and taste, contribute greatly to the arrangement of the material". Guest artists include The Necks, Anna and Maria von Hausswolff, Baby Dee, Ben Frost, Jeremy and Heather of A Hawk And A Hacksaw and more. [Vinyl edition includes a download card with all extended mixes and additional track.]
Grace Potter - Daylight CD/LP (Fantasy)
Over the course of her acclaimed career, Grace Potter has carved out a flourishing yet unconventional place among the best songwriters and singers in rock and roll. The Waitsfield, Vermont native has released six albums, guested with everyone from Kenny Chesney to The Rolling Stones, created her own music festival (Burlington's Grand Point North) and become one of the most admired live performers in contemporary music. Now, after a four-year hiatus, Grace returns with Daylight.
Van Morrison - Three Chords & The Truth CD/2xLP (Caroline)
Three Chords & The Truth is truly something wonderful - fourteen new original compositions that effortlessly encapsulate the Van Morrison sound and showcase his talents as one of our generation's most celebrated songwriters. His sixth album in just four years, Three Chords & The Truth is further proof that Van Morrison is one of the greatest recording artists of all time and six decades into his career is still a creative force to be reckoned with. The album features contributions from legendary guitarist Jay Berliner and a duet with The Righteous Brothers' Bill Medley ("Fame Will Eat the Soul"). Explaining what it was like to record the album, Van said: "You're just plugging into the feeling of it, more the feeling of it... when they're playing...It's like reading me. So, I think there's more of that connection." The new collection is introduced by the elegant blues ballad" Dark Night Of The Soul".
Ringo Starr - What's My Name CD/LP (UMe)
Ringo's 20th studio album features brand new recordings with special guests Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter, Steve Lukather and Dave Stewart.
Mikal Cronin - Seeker CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Seeker is Mikal Cronin's fourth and finest full-length to date. Recorded live with a crew of close friends and engineer Jason Quever at Palmetto Studios in Los Angeles, it finds Cronin pushing his often-devastating power pop into darker territory. "Fire - specifically its cycle of purging and reseeding the landscape - is a central theme to the record. Death and rebirth," says Mikal. "I was looking for something: answers, direction, peace. I am the seeker." "Lead single 'Show Me' is a song about feeling small in an overwhelming world," adds Cronin. "There's a not-quite-subtle hint of the Heartbreakers in the instrumentation and arrangement, having asked many friends to play or sing. It's one of my favorite songs from the album."
Desert Sessions - Vols. 11 & 12 CD/LP+MP3 (Matador)
In 1997, Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) and a handful of friends retreated to the desert of Joshua Tree, CA in order to isolate themselves from the distractions and comforts of their everyday lives. What began as a casual writing and recording session amongst friends has since become a project of legend. Spanning 12 volumes over the course of two decades, Desert Sessions has featured some of music's most cherished icons stepping out of their comfort zones and collaborating with one another to create some of the most exciting music of their careers. After nearly 16 years since its last entry, the longest-running mix tape in existence returns with two new volumes in its already storied catalog.
Goodbye June - Community Inn CD/LP (Earache)
This has been available at Grimey's since their in-store on 10/18 - now available everywhere. Goodbye June are three cousins who formed after the death of guitarist Tyler Baker's brother in June (hence the band name), vowing to honor his memory with their soulful and life affirming sound. Having parted ways from major label Interscope after the release of their debut album Magic Valley (2017), Goodbye June's earthy, authentic sound continued to flourish and develop with Community Inn, a set of songs rich in texture, soul and bluesy atmosphere. Fusing hard rock licks with deep Southern blues and gospel swing, in part influenced by the band's strict Pentecostal Church upbringing (a way of life they scorned for a career in rock 'n' roll), the sound competes sonically with the new wave of hard rock acts like Greta Van Fleet, while adding layers of color that references a wide spectrum from Led Zeppelin to Kings Of Leon. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing.]
Old Dominion - Old Dominion CD/LP (Sony Nashville)
Following their ACM "Album of the Year" nomination, and No. 1 debut on Billboard Country Albums chart with their Gold sophomore album Happy Endings, acclaimed 2018 CMA and two-time ACM Group of the Year Old Dominion are releasing their self-titled third studio album. For the first time, the band co-produced the album, alongside longtime collaborator Shane McAnally.
James Blunt - Once Upon A Mind CD/LP (Atlantic)
After flirting with electronica on his last album, Blunt returns to what he does best on Once Upon A Mind - writing classic songs that touch both the heart and the head. Once Upon A Mind sees Blunt collaborating with a variety of producers resulting in a freshness that resonates throughout the eleven-song collection, with highlights including the poignant ballad "Monsters", pop-infused "5 Miles" and the country tinged "Halfway".
Rex Orange County - Pony CD/LP (RCA)
Pony is both simple and smart: five songs laying open the troubles that beset Rex over the last year or so, then five tracks teeing up how he turned things round. Or, as he puts it: "The first half to me is the angry, reflective thing. And the second half is: now I've gotten over it." On "10/10", lead single and album curtain-raiser, there is positivity and uplift, even as there's a bite and edge to the lyrics. while "Face To Face" blooms with kaleidoscopic, multi-tracked vocals and an energetic spring in its step. "Never Had The Balls" features pizzicato strings, birds tweeting and a cracking fuzzy guitar solo, and the closing run of songs includes the Randy Newman-esque "Every Way", a classic piano ballad, and "It Gets Better", glowing with strings and beats. Rex Orange County signs off with his best vocal and affecting, mournful brass on the quietly epic "It's Not The Same Anymore." This title shipped late and should arrive on Friday.
Cigarettes After Sex - Cry CD/LP (Partisan)
Clocking in at nine songs, Cry is a compact collection, but its brevity belies its depth. While the Cigarettes After Sex's sound may be most associated with the romantic pop music of the late '50s and early '60s, Gonzalez pushes into more unexpected sonic territory on the album, reaching back to his childhood in El Paso, TX, to draw subtle melodic influence from '90s Tejano stars like Selena and mainstream pop country artists like Shania Twain. Frontman Greg Gonzalez pushes himself lyrically on the album, too, tackling sex with the graphic frankness of Henry Miller or Leonard Cohen as he renders unabashed, sometimes explicitly erotic scenes with a casual candor. Writing with a filmmaker's eye, he captures tiny moments with a rich, cinematic detail that manages to locate the profound within the mundane. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing.]
Simon Joyner - Pocket Moon CD/LP (Grapefruit)
"For his new album Pocket Moon, Joyner opted to engage in a risky artistic challenge. Instead of leaning on his fertile pool of Omaha musicians (the amorphous Ghosts band), he asked friend and frequent collaborator Michael Krassner to assemble unknown players on his behalf specifically for this recording. He then traveled from his home base to Krassner's '7-Track Shack' studio in Phoenix to record the album, abandoning the literal and figurative comfort zone of old habits and home field advantage. Krassner's wrecking crew is sturdy, versatile, and complementary. Utilizing a wide range of instruments and textures, the band contributes additional nuance to each of the ragged, sublime songs here. The result is another song cycle stylistically unified, dynamic and rich." - James Jackson Toth
Little Scream - Speed Queen CD/LP (Merge)
On her third album, Little Scream offers us a reflection on class and poverty in America. Speed Queen began as bits of prose written while touring Cult Following across North America - observing the slow entropy of the US, ruminating on her own low-income upbringing in a flyover state, and, as she says, "taking it all in from the privileged position of being a new Canadian." The title, which alludes to the opiate crisis, refers to a washing machine. Little Scream says, "When you're struggling, nothing says you've made it more than getting your own washing machine. Speed Queen is about the dream of making it and feeling desperately close but missing it." [Pink marble Peak Vinyl edition.]
Geowulf - My Resignation CD/LP (PAIS America)
On their sophomore album, My Resignation, London-via-Australia dream-pop duo Geowulf has a lot to say. The follow-up to their debut, Great Big Blue, represents an overall holistic growth. Loneliness is discussed at great length with brutal honesty; learning not only to accept it but also to love the space it provides. They also tackle the difficulties navigating the expectations we put upon ourselves and others. Pepper in life's heartbreaks and breakups, and it proves to be a beautiful mess. If teenagers have all the coming-of-age movies and novels to make sense of life's do's and don'ts, My Resignation is for the twenty-somethings.
Yeule - Serotonin II CD/LP (Bayonet)
Yeule is the manifested reflection of Nat Ćmiel. An ongoing project since 2012, Yeule's music is as ethereal as it dynamic, reflective of her nomadic upbringing. Though she grew up and attended school in Singapore for most of her life, her family traveled often, developing emotional connections with places far from home that left her searching, unmoored, putting forth a creation that is in constant metamorphosis. Obsessed with tinkering and discovery, she began building her own synths. There is a complex, intuitive, and deeply personal nature to her music making. With a launchpad, keyboard and microphone she morphs her original cinematic classical compositions into electronica. More clues to her process can be found in her other mediums. As a practicing visual artist, her paintings emanate her deep connection to the process of mark making, both visually and sonically. Her first full length, Serotonin II, is the fully realized result of this process, resonating with her "mutable self-expression." She describes this as "the stifling psychological haze turned into perfume." [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Negativland - True False CD/LP (Seeland)
True False is Negativland's full length return to all original music that could be mistaken for actual songs, albeit ones sung by dozens of sampled vocalists who have never met. Who's even in Negativland these days? Didn't half of them die a few years ago? For this album, the band consists of Mark Hosler, David Wills, Peter Conheim, Jon Leidecker, as well as the dearly departed Don Joyce, Richard Lyons and Ian Allen. Containing tapes from the earliest years of the band (including dozens of samples that will be very familiar to regular listeners of their radio program Over The Edge), the team began work in earnest in 2012, folding the decades on top of each other until they finally resembled all the feelings that tomorrow has for today.
Black Marble - Bigger Than Life CD/LP (Sacred Bones)
Minimal synth stylist Black Marble releases his third studio album, Bigger Than Life. "For the album, the Los Angeles transplant has signed to Sacred Bones Records, joining a cast of musicians that includes David Lynch, John Carpenter, and Jim Jarmusch. While his sparse lo-fi pop might sound great behind any of their filmmaking, his music has also drawn comparisons to the work of John Maus, Cold Cave, and other recent champions of 1980s synth pop. On the single 'One Eye Open', he channels the pulsing rhythms of Oppenheimer Analysis, Unovidual, and others on the UK imprint Minimal Wave with the slick precision of years spent tinkering with analog gear. In a press statement, Christ Stewart says the song 'is about the idea of an artist as sort of a sacrificial lamb.' ''One Eye Open' is loosely based on the visual metaphor of a high wire artist in a three ring circus who elicits oohs and aahs from the crowd, but after a while starts to perform with one eye open as they grow restless.'" [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
The Soul Rebels - Poetry In Motion CD/LP (Artistry Music)
New Orleans-bred staple The Soul Rebels return with their first official album in over seven years. [Limited color vinyl pressing. Each LP is autographed!]
Harry Connick Jr. - True Love: A Celebration Of Cole Porter CD/2xLP (Verve)
Comprised exclusively of Cole Porter compositions, True Love highlights Connick's talents as pianist, singer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor, as he breathes new life into popular songs from The Great American Songbook including "Anything Goes" and "You Do Something To Me". "This is the first time I've taken a deep dive into another artist's repertoire, and Cole Porter was my #1 choice for the project. His lyrics are witty and nuanced, and he takes risks as a composer that I find appealing" Connick said. Cole Porter's body of work, composed primarily for Broadway and Hollywood, comprises one of the central chapters in the Great American Songbook. It is not surprising that Porter would appeal to Connick since, like Connick, he wrote both music and lyrics and redefined what it meant to be the complete songwriter. Connick, whose success in several styles of music as well as film, theater and television has similarly reshaped the notion of what it means to be the complete entertainer.
Teebs - Anicca CD/LP (Brainfeeder)
The L.A. electronic music producer's new album features a superb cast of his musical friends including Panda Bear (Animal Collective), Sudan Archives, Ringgo Ancheta aka MNDSGN, Anna Wise, daydream Masi, Former Boy, Pink Siifu and Thomas Stankiewicz.
Fit For An Autopsy - The Sea Of Tragic Beasts CD (Nuclear Blast)
New Jersey six-piece band Fit For An Autopsy deliver their fifth studio album, The Sea Of Tragic Beasts which is introduced by lead single "Mirrors". Producer, guitarist, principal songwriter and co-founder Will Putney comments, "You carry things with you, for better or worse. 'Mirrors' illustrates the darker side of this idea. It's also a testament to how the decisions you make can have a resonating effect on the ones around you. Clearly this song was born out of a personal struggle, but in end it's a reflection on the greater human condition of love and dependency; not being able to release yourself from the darkness around you. Our new record dives head-on into some difficult topics, 'Mirrors' is the tip of the iceberg." [Limited blue and black colored vinyl pressing available 11/01.]
Jinjer - Macro CD (Napalm)
Ukrainian progressive groove metal wrecking machine Jinjer return with their long-awaited new album, Macro, and once again prove why the unique blend of singer Tatiana Shmaylyuk's beautifully aggressive harmonies and vocal hooks and the band's sheer technical brilliance and precision have set them apart from the pack. From the album's opening track "On The Top", which showcases all of their trademark sounds at once, to the superior musicianship and delivery of tracks like "Pausing Death" and "Home Back", to the viciously heavy reggae induced vibe on "Judgement (& Punishment)", Jinjer demonstrate their versatility. [Limited indie store exclusive vinyl pressing available for special order.]
Rings Of Saturn - Gidim CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Alien themed tech-death masters Rings Of Saturn return with their fifth full-length studio album, Gidim. Lucas Mann comments, "We always try to raise the bar with each album made. Gidim is a callback to Rings Of Saturn's roots. The fan favorite parts of Dingir and Lugal Ki En have been considered for inclusion and expansion on Gidim." The album includes guest performances from Dan Watson of Enterprise Earth, Charles Caswell of Berried Alive and Yo Onityan. [Limited indie store exclusive colored vinyl pressing.]
Bad Wolves - N.A.T.I.O.N. CD (Eleven Seven Music)
N.A.T.I.O.N. is the second album from heavy metal supergroup Bad Wolves. The band consists of vocalist Tommy Vext (ex-Divine Heresy, ex-Snot, ex-Westfield Massacre), drummer John Boecklin (ex-DevilDriver), lead guitarist Doc Coyle (ex-God Forbid), rhythm guitarist Chris Cain (ex-Bury Your Dead, ex-For the Fallen Dreams) and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-In This Moment, ex-Scar The Martyr, Vimic). "Taking inspiration from bands such as Pantera and Fear Factory it is easy to see the connections through all their tunes. The heavy drumming, the riffs, the vocals. An epic mix of fist to the air action." - The Weekly Spoon [Vinyl edition due November 8.]
Cloak - The Burning Dawn CD/LP (Season Of Mist)
Cloak is back with The Burning Dawn, a riff-heavy and groove-laden offering that takes the gothic nuances of its predecessor with added urgency in a more aggressive, vehement spirit. Conceptually, the record comes from a place below the surface where the sleepless and sinister dwell and is absorbed by the darkest of dreams and the most primal desires. While rippers like "A Voice In The Night" and "Tempter's Call" deliver a fury of soulful aggression, songs like "Lifeless Silence" and "The Fire, The Faith, The Void" offer a darker, gothic essence, ultimately displaying Cloak's multi-faceted and dynamic musical diversity.
Aephanemer - Prokopton CD/LP (Napalm)
Integrating musical elements from Scandinavian melodic death metal, Slavic traditional music and classical symphonies, Aephanemer bring some freshness to the modern metal scene. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct CD/LP (Nuclear Blast America) For principal songwriter and frontman Neige, Alcest has always been a gateway to the otherworldly, a means of exploring his spirituality. An elemental two-piece, completed by long-serving drummer and creative confidante Winterhalter, their new album Spiritual Instinct finds Neige at his most personal. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Zonal - Wrecked CD/LP (Relapse)
The brainchild of Justin Broadrick (Godflesh/Jesu/JK Flesh) and Kevin Martin (The Bug/King Midas Sound) present their monumental Relapse Records debut. Zonal continues where their previous collaboration Techno Animal left off, and combines a brutal ongoing obsession with beats, bass, dub, drone, noise and riff. Under their new guise, the enigmatic duo pushes the parameters and atmospheres that have earned them critical acclaim further and deeper; Zonal's sound has become ever more corrupted, corroded, slower and lower; with the theme of exploring inner/outer space acts as the gelling agent for this shockingly monolithic sound.
Compilations, Best Of's, and Sundry Collections
Editors - Black Gold - Best Of Editors CD/2xLP (PIAS America)
In continuation of what's been one of the most prolific creative streaks of their 15-year career, Editors release the new best of album Black Gold featuring 13 tracks from their six studio albums, alongside three brand new offerings: "Upside Down", summer festival anthem "Frankenstein" and the gothically dramatic title track "Black Gold". From their Mercury Prize shortlisted debut The Back Room (2005), to No. 1 debuting An End Has A Start (2007), platinum-selling In This Light And On This Evening (2009), sprawling, transitional The Weight Of Your Love (2013), moody, self-produced In Dream and their sixth top-10 album in a row, 2018's explosive Violence (2018), Editors has refused to either stay still or compromise. Black Gold is a chance to reflect on the past 15 years, but it also offers a glimpse into a very exciting future for one of the UK's most enduring and perhaps unexpected musical success stories of this century. [Limited edition white colored vinyl pressing.]
Gary Numan - Replicas: The First Recordings 2xCD/2xLP (Beggars Arkive)
Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle: The First Recording 2xCD/2xLP (Beggars Banquet)
Two special titles to commemorate the legendary albums Gary Numan/Tubeway Army issued in 1979. Each is available on CD and colored vinyl. While both albums have remained in print, these releases concentrate on the early recordings made prior to the completed albums and present their evolution. The tracks have been sequenced as they appeared on the original tapes and the audio has been taken from the high-resolution digital transfers.
Billy Bragg - Best Of Billy Bragg At The BBC 1993-2019 CD (Cooking Vinyl)
Billy Bragg performances at the BBC from the early 80s through to the present. The album, fully remastered and featuring many previously unreleased tracks, includes selected highlights from sessions for John Peel, David Jensen, Janice Long, Phill Jupitus, Bob Harris, Tom Robinson and more, and offers a fascinating chronological perspective on the development of one of the UK's most beloved entertainers. [Vinyl edition due November 15.]
Curt Boettcher & Friends - Looking For The Sun CD/LP (High Moon)
Best known for his groundbreaking contributions to what later became known as sunshine pop, and his hit productions for The Association ("Cherish", "Along Comes Mary"), Curt Boettcher formed the pioneering rock bands The Ballroom and The Millennium, and contributed heavily to classic pop-psych album Sagittarius created and crafted by legendary producer Gary Usher (Beach Boys, Byrds). A Hollywood-based producer and arranger in the Phil Spector mode - whose sessions he participated in - Boettcher was innovative in utilizing the studio as an instrument - an approach that made a lasting impression on a young Brian Wilson.
Toby Keith - Greatest Hits: The Show Dog Years CD (Show Dog Nashville, LLC)
The 2005 launch of his own record label Show Dog Nashville was a vital step in Toby Keith's journey to complete musical freedom, and the Oklahoma country music star is marking the creative control he's enjoyed since with new compilation Greatest Hits: The Show Dog Years. The collection features more than a dozen tracks with four newly recorded songs, including his evocative "Don't Let The Old Man In", featured in Clint Eastwood's 2018 film The Mule, and his current single, "That's Country Bro", which he recently performed live on NBC's Today, the CMT Music Awards and The Voice finale. Two other previously unreleased tracks are "American Ride (Official Remix)", featuring DJ KO, and "Back In The 405", a co-write with Colt Ford that celebrates a hometown girl's return. Live & In Concert...
Joe Bonamassa - Live At The Sydney Opera House CD/2xLP (J&R Adventures/Ingrooves)
Live At The Sydney Opera House is a brand-new live album from "arguably the world's biggest blues guitarist" (Guitar World) Joe Bonamassa featuring recordings from the two-time Grammy-nominated blues king's 2016 performance at one of the world's most legendary venues. This includes previously unreleased versions of tracks from his album Blues Of Desperation. His backing band for his Sydney performance includes Late Night With David Letterman's Anton Fig (percussion), Nashville recording legend Michael Rhodes (bass guitar), Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and member of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Reese Wynans (keyboards), Paulie Cerra (saxophone), and Lee Thornburg (trumpet), with Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto on backing vocals.
For the Holidaze...
Puss N Boots - Dear Santa CDEP (Blue Note)
New Christmas-themed EP from alt-country trio Puss N Boots, comprised of acclaimed singer/songwriter Norah Jones on guitar, singer/bassist Catherine Popper and singer/guitarist Sasha Dobson. Puss N Boots first formed in 2008 as a live band performing around Brooklyn venues. After years of live performances, the trio decided to make a full-length album which resulted in their 2014 Blue Note Records debut No Fools, No Fun. The five-song collection includes four new original tunes plus a live rendition of the Christmas classic "Silent Night". [Vinyl edition due December 20.]
New on Vinyl
Sunn O))) - Pyroclasts LP (Southern Lord)
Meditative sister album to the drone metal band's recent album Live Metal. Produced by legendary engineer Steve Albini.
Various Artists - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood [OST] 2xLP (Sony)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. The soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's latest film features over 20 standout tracks from artists such as Paul Revere & The Raiders, Deep Purple, and Neil Diamond, as well as vintage radio advertisements, creating a true time capsule of a golden era of filmmaking. Superchunk - Acoustic Foolish LP+MP3 (Merge) Acoustic Foolish is a complete re-recording of their classic 1994 album Foolish. Long considered to be one of the most tender and well-received albums in their storied history, the band was interested in re-exploring what the songs mean to them 25 years later.
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Loverboy [Reissue/2002 2xLP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Underground [Reissue/2007] LP+MP3 Mexican Summer)
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Odditties Sodomies Vol. 1 [Reissue/2008] LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)
Ariel Pink's historic run of releases as Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti unfolded in Los Angeles while Ariel was in his early twenties. Born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg in 1978, and raised in the Beverly Glen neighborhood of Beverly Hills, Ariel went to Beverly Hills High School and then UC Santa Cruz for a year before transferring to CalArts, a reputable art school in Valencia just north of Los Angeles. Ariel departed CalArts early however to concentrate on music: he presented his early masterpiece The Doldrums as a senior thesis project and then left without a degree. Following The Doldrums, and its rudimentary predecessor Underground, Ariel Pink released a half-dozen more albums that culminated in Worn Copy, the last album before Arie's five-year hiatus from releasing new music. Ariel Archives tries to reckon with the remarkable volume of outstanding music Ariel Pink made during this time. Underground shipped late and has yet to arrive.
The Body - Remixed 2xLP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
The Body has been consistently releasing the most forward-thinking work in heavy music, both on their own and in collaboration for the last 20 years, collaborating with the likes of Thou, Full Of Hell, Uniform, The Haxan Cloak, The Assembly Of Light Choir, Krieg, Braveyoung, and Vampillia. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, The Body chose to release a special limited double LP of remixes from their previous albums.
Deathprod - Occulting Disk LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Deathprod, a.k.a. Helge Sten, has been deeply embedded in the Oslo music community for decades, but his brooding soundscapes and deliberate process make him seem sometimes like a phantom. Occulting Disk is an anti-fascist ritual. Recorded in Oslo, Reykjavik, Berlin and Los Angeles between 2012 and 2019. Liner notes by Will Oldham.
Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Life Of The Plants 12" (Stones Throw)
The Life Of The Plants EP pairs the iconic dub reggae pioneer's signature voice and lyrics with the modern psychedelic dub sound of Peaking Lights and Ivan Lee.
Ghostface Killah - Ghostface Killahs LP (Music Generation Corp)
Now available on vinyl. After several side projects, GFK returns with his first true solo album in years. He is joined by fellow Wu-Tang members Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, & Masta Killa. Other guests include Harley, Sun God (Ghost's firstborn son), Solomon Childs, Shawn Wigs, and Eamon. Production is handled primarily by Danny Caiazzo. Iron Man Tone continues his onslaught of colorful wordplay, and harsh street realities, as the laser beam vocalist tells it.
Hobo Johnson - The Fall Of Hobo Johnson CD/LP (Reprise)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. The Fall Of Hobo Johnson is comical rapper-rocker-poet Frank Lopes Jr. aka Hobo Johnson's third album. "It is a mix of songs and poems I've had floating around in my head for the last few years," says Lopes Jr. "I'm really proud of it and hope that it makes everyone feel a little less alone and a little more like they want to stay alive." The Fall Of Hobo Johnson is introduced by the unhinged guitar-driven anthem "Typical Story" and the spirited, horn-adorned confessional "Uglykid".
Mr. Muthaf**kin' eXquire - Mr. Muthaf**kin' eXquire LP (Chocolate Rabbit)
Mr. Muthaf**kin' eXquire - the self-titled debut album - is long overdue, arriving over a decade in to the rapper's career and following several strong mixtape and EP releases. The album marks the start of a new phase for eXquire which finds him retaining his trademark potty-mouthed raps whilst introducing a more reflective, thoughtful outlook.
Guilty Simpson & Dixon Hill - Actus Reus LP (Dixon Hill Beats)
The sonic template of this album came from Dixon Hill's lifetime of crate digging, parsing 100's of hours of courtroom audio, and carefully arranged instrumentation. The lyrics are given life in the mind, pen, and voice of a legendary Detroit rap king. Guilty Simpson and Dixon Hill bring an unmatched work ethic to their music, resulting in a tightly packed meta-hardcore rap opus. The record also features a dream collaboration with Lil' Fame of MOP and Kool G Rap. Guilty's lyrics span from grief stricken lamentations to vitriolic attacks tightly packed into 7 bump-worthy tracks on 'Actus Reus'. Instrumentals included on the B side.
Bobby Oroza - This Love Instrumentals LP (Big Crown)
The instrumental version of Bobby's instant classic 2016 debut album. Pressed up on translucent red colored vinyl.
Wun Two & Hubert Daviz - Nosferatu LP (Wun Two)
Limited picture disc vinyl LP pressing. Wun Two remains one of the most envied lo-fi hip-hop producers on the planet. Inspired in part by composers Maurice Jarre and Bernard Herrmann, Wun Two wanted to create a project that didn't emote the somewhat-depressive feelings of certain scores, but an atmosphere of tension and suspense so often associated with Hitchcock and Stephen King novels.
Carla Dal Forno - Look Up Sharp LP (Kallista)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Dal Forno beckons a bold new era in her peerless output pushing her dub-damaged DIY dispatches to the limits of flawless dream-pop.
Samantha Fish - Kill Or Be Kind LP (Rounder/Concord)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. The genre-bending guitarist, singer, and songwriter Samantha Fish offers up a new edgy roots album.
Larry Gus - Subservient LP (DFA)
Larry Gus (real name Panagiotis Melidis) returns to DFA with his fourth release for the label. More pop-oriented than his previous albums, Subservient is a lush combination of crisis funk pop and trad Mediterranean grooves.
Iguana Death Cult - Nude Casino LP+MP3 (Innovative Leisure)
Iguana Death Cult reemerge from their concrete cavern with a ragged and convulsive post-punk attack akin to Devo, The Gun Club, and Richard Hell. Nude Casino sporadically evokes their more hedonistic tendencies, but the album's crisper, more unvarnished sonic makeup illustrates a seething skepticism as a counterbalance. Frontman Jeroen Reek finds himself teetering in demented neurosis between vivid dream states and stark reality.
Hawthorne Heights - Fragile Future [Reissue/2008] LP (Victory)
First-time vinyl pressing. Hawthorne Heights' pivotal 2008 album, Fragile Future was recorded in the wake of the death of bandmate Casey Calvert from an accidental overdose. And although the sound here is still distinctly Hawthorne Heights, the music and the band, had understandably evolved. With their trademark strong melodies and hooks still intact, Hawthorne Heights broadened their sound to emerge with a collection of 12 deliciously genre-free songs. [New album Lost Frequencies due November 8.]
Candy Claws - Ceres & Calypso In The Deep Time [Reissue/2013] LP (Twosyllable)
Vinyl reissue of the landmark third album by the psych-shoegazers. This version is pressed on white vinyl and includes an exclusive poster print featuring new artwork by Ryan Hover and a new poem by lyricist Jenn Morea.
Ka Baird - Respires LP (RVNG Int'l)
The second solo album by Ka Baird blurs the line between word and action, definition and possibility. Spirited yet restrained, bearing it's wildly thrummed heart strings and inner calm alike, Respires ventures toward the unknown, charting the shifting ground of experimental music and the rewards born of risk. Tapping the ecstatic energy and cathartic experience of Baird's live sets, pushing the extremes of psychological and physical release, Respires represents an unquestionable leap for an artist already out on a limb.
Nora Brown - Cinnamon Tree LP (Jalopy)
Nora Brown, at 13 years of age, plays with beauty and depth in the performances captured on her debut album Cinnamon Tree. Produced by legendary musician Alice Gerrard and recorded at Studio 808a, an old farmhouse in Floyd, Virginia, the songs, stories and instrumentals on this record draw the listener in. They are poignant and transformative, challenging listeners to allow this old and outsider music into their present day life, alongside the music on the radio, TV, and front pages of the internet.
Konradsen - Saints And Sebastian Stories LP (Cascine)
Konradsen is the Oslo-based duo of Jenny Marie Sabel and Eirik Vildgren. Together they create pensive pop songs that explore the interior and weave a world uniquely their own. Konradsen's material is simultaneously sparse and full, a layered patchwork of hushed vocals, muted piano, atmospheric electronic productions and ambient folly. Their debut album, Saints And Sebastian Stories, is a collection of arrestingly beautiful piano-based pop songs, underpinned by a loose, hymnal quality, and imbued with a nostalgic warmth.
Lorenzo Feliciati and Michele Rabbia - Antikythera LP (RareNoise)
Italian bassist-producer-arranger Lorenzo Feliciati joins forces with fellow countryman, master drummer Michele Rabbia. Named for an ancient Greek mechanism that was used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendar and astrological purposes, Antikythera traverses a myriad of moods, from graceful and haunting soundscapes to dramatic crescendos to intimate piano trio pieces, while showcasing his remarkable facility on fretted and fretless basses, keyboards, electric guitar and samples.
Mndsgn - NoMaps LP (Mndsgn Limited)
2011's NoMaps traces a transitional period between two coasts, soundtracking Mndsgn's transplant from New Jersey to Los Angeles. The 15 tracks take their own detours, in and out of softsynth compositions, textured loops and hard bops to illustrate relocation and its reflective nature.
GoGo Penguin - Ocean In A Drop (Music For Film) LP (Blue Note)
This five-track EP stems from GoGo Penguin's celebrated live soundtrack for Godfrey Reggio's 1982 cult documentary Koyaanisqatsi. Recorded live, the expansive project carries a sense of poetry; the title nods to a quote from 13th-century Sufi scholar Rumi: "You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop."
Grant Green - Born To Be Blue [Reissue/1962] LP (Blue Note)
Grant Green's 1962 album Born To Be Blue featuring Ike Quebec is often thought of as the sister album to Quebec's classic Blue And Sentimental, which was recorded for Blue Note just three months prior and also showcased the deep chemistry between the soulful guitarist and tenor saxophonist. Quebec's deep, soul-drenched tenor sound matches beautifully with hard bop masters Green and pianist Sonny Clark, along with the tried-and-true rhythm section team of Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.
Tina Brooks - Minor Move [Reissue/1980] LP (Blue Note)
Soulful hard bop tenor-saxophonist Tina Brooks' passionate full sound and forward-looking style, along with his exceptional compositional gifts, made him a powerful force during his prime years. Brooks only led four sessions for Blue Note during his lifetime with the 1958 recorded/1980 released Minor Move being his first. It finds him fronting a first rate hard bop line-up featuring pianist Sonny Clark, trumpeter Lee Morgan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Blakey.
Junior Wells - You're Tuff Enough [Reissue/1968] LP (Cleopatra Blues)
Vinyl reissue of the 1968 album by blues legend Junior Wells that collects his recordings from the Blue Rock label that found Wells experimenting with a funky, James Brown-inspired sound.
Dr. John - Voodoo Hex LP (Cleopatra)
Psychedelic splatter colored vinyl pressing of this anthology from the recently departed king of New Orleans R&B.
Guillermo Portabales - El Carretero [Reissue/1996] LP (World Circuit)
Recently reissued on CD - now available on vinyl. Guillermo Portabales (1911-1970) was a unique performer of the Cuban guajira rhythm, whose influence and popularity has reached far beyond his native Cuba to North and South America and West Africa. His music had a significant influence on the artists who eventually came together as Buena Vista Social Club (a cover of one of his most famous songs "El Carretero" features on the multi-million selling Buena Vista Social Club album), as well as notable Senegalese artists Orchestra Baobab and Cheikh Lô. This collection of his classic '60s recordings was compiled by Nick Gold specifically for release on World Circuit in 1996.
Fitz & The Tantrums - All The Feels LP (New Elektra)
Recently reissued on CD - now available on vinyl. Multi-platinum artists Fitz And The Tantrums have quickly grown from independent upstarts to bonafide hitmakers. The L.A.-based band follows-up their double platinum eponymous 2016 effort and biggest hit to date "HandClap" with their much-anticipated fourth full length, All The Feels. Brimming with imagination, energy, and genre-smashing scope, the modern pop combo is at the top of their game on the album's anthemic singles "All The Feels" and "123456". Frontman Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick says, "So many highs and lows this last year but we'll make it through together. We are so excited to finally share what we've been working so hard on. All The Feels has all the emotions. We hope you love it as much as we do."
Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels - Take A Ride [Reissue/1966] LP (Sundazed)
Motor City legends Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels set unsurpassed standards for balls-out American white-boy R&B. Attacking rock and R&B with a startling, head-on frenzy, the group created a rock-n-soul dynasty still without equal. Take A Ride is the band's breakout 1966 debut. Limited gold colored vinyl.
Scorpions - Crazy World [Reissue/1990] LP (Mercury)
Scorpions - Face The Heat [Reissue/1993] 2xLP (Mercury)
Scorpions - Love Bites [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Mercury)
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressings of the 11th and 12th studio albums and the live set Loves Bites by the German hard rock band.
Brooke White - Calico LP (Nevado Music)
New album from the former American Idol contestant. Calico finds itself in a place that belongs smack dab in the middle of Nashville and Laurel Canyon. [CD edition due November 8.]
Rascal Flatts - Greatest Hits Volume 1 [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (Hollywood)
First time vinyl pressing of the country group's 2008 hits collection.
Gary Allan - Smoke Rings In The Dark [Reissue/1999] LP (MCA Nashville)
20th anniversary vinyl reissue of the country singer-songwriter's third album.
Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun - Tombstone Every Mile LP (Last Music Company)
Vinyl reissue of the rockabilly guitarist's debut album.
Matt Embree - 2019 LP (MDB)
Limited picture disc vinyl pressing. Matt Embree is a singer and guitarist best known as the frontman of the Rx Bandits. Embree has, in the past ten years of his career, established himself as a socially outspoken and musically diverse singer/songwriter/musician. He has contributed to a number of hip-hop, alternative, art, progressive, and psychedelic rock bands and musical groups such as Rx Bandits, The Sound Of Animals Fighting, Dispatch, Apotheke, Pebaluna, and Biceratops, among others.
Zeta Zeta - Dream Hotel LP (Blank Editions)
After his 2017 Blank Editions debut Bird, Daf Lloyd left his London studio to write a dream diary, experiment with hypnosis and make space (rather than time)-oriented music, before temporarily moving to the Russian forest, where he started the construction of the Dream Hotel. The album explores the space experienced in dreams, memories and altered states of consciousness. Dense textures, ethereal tunings and rhythms created with a mix of electronic and analogue instruments guide the listener through deep corridors and reveal doors to hallucinatory environments and other dimensions. Unique performances from guest contributors Ben Vince and Sally Evans lure the unsuspecting guest further into a strange world suspended in broken time.
Amulets - Between Distant and Remote LP (Beacon Sound)
Randall Taylor joins the Beacon Sound roster, gracing the label with his finest work yet. Taylor uses tape loops, guitar, field recordings, and electronic processing to pay homage to the paradox of memory and growth, creating a deeply immersive musical landscape in the process. The album is reflective of the artist's move from Austin, Texas to lush, green Portland in 2018, and also represents a more intentional and layered recording process. Exploring narratives of longing, dislocation, and rediscovery, Between Distant dnd Remote invites you to dive in and break down the boundaries between yourself and the world around you, reaching into the past to deconstruct the present.
Andre Ethier - Croak in the Weeds LP (Telephone Explosion)
The second of a planned trilogy, this latest album from the former Deadly Snakes frontman was created in collaboration with producer Sandro Perri at his Toronto studio, continuing a musical relationship originally established on 2017's Under Grape Leaves, with Croak deconstructing synthetic elements to a point of raw organic beauty. Lyrically, André's approach has shifted to the natural world, focusing heavily on flora and fauna. Almost every track on the 34-minute album references animals, with central characters ranging from pigs to dragons. Regarding trilogies, André opines: 'In the first you establish the tools and build yourself a room, in the sequel you live in the room and imagine what's outside, finally in the third... you escape?' He doesn't know, he has never gone all the way...
Pita - Get On LP (Editions Mego)
Editions Mego head Peter Rehberg's releases have always pushed the very limits of the technology du jour, be it software or, more recently, a complex modular set. Having spearheaded the contemporary electronic sound with his uncompromising explorations of noise, rhythm, and extreme computer music, he has also worked with numerous experimental musicians in collaboration. Following on from his 2016 album Get In, Get On is an unwieldy blend of noise, abstraction, gnarled rhythm, and blurred melody. Both analog and digital tools are deployed as a means of expressing something outside of everyday electronics.
Maria W Horn - Epistasis LP (Hallow Ground)
Following the success of her 2018 solo debut Kontrapoetik, Swedish composer Maria W Horn returns with Epistasis, her most ambitious record to date, which sees the XKatedral co-founder explore radical approaches to composition that combine avant-garde methods with electronic means. Epistasis is to be understood as an advanced statement by a forward-thinking composer who channels her influences, ranging from black metal to minimal music, through state-of-the-art technology. An exercise in minimalism that combines the subtle gravity of Phill Niblock's work with the visceral theatrics of Anna von Hausswolff's organ pieces.
Mapstation - Present Unmetrics LP (TAL)
Mapstation is the moniker of TAL Label head Stefan Schneider, who has garnered international acclaim as a founding member of To Rococo Rot, as well as for unique collaborations with artists such as Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius, both of Cluster and Harmonia, as well as Jochen Irmler of Faust. The guiding principle of this collection of radically subtle music was to construct direct and nuanced tracks that embody a sense of open-endedness and heterogenous dynamics. Out-of-sync bass arpeggios, infused with uneven rhythms, fractured synth stabs, and intimate melodies, frequently created with a Schlumberg sine wave generator, are continuously engaged with experimentation, both in sound and structure. Features Michael Acher of The Notwist on Sousaphone and Japanese singer Haco.
Don Slepian - New Dawn: New Music for Digital Orchestra LP (Morning Trip)
Slepian's work draws equally from the harmonic terrain he explored while performing with a Javanese gamelan ensemble, as well as his time spent building and modifying electronic audio equipment for studios and fellow musicians. Gravitating towards improvisation and experimentation, Slepian built a breathtaking sound-world that stretched the briefest of moments into an eternity of detail and depth. Originally one of a series self-released cassettes from 1980, New Dawn is an enthralling example of New Age euphoria, and early-electronic experimentation. A Korg PS3100, Mellotron voices, Mellotron flutes, analog tape echo and analog recorder were used to create both pieces, recorded live with no overdubs.
Negative Approach - Tied Down [Reissue/1983] LP (Touch & Go)
Born in 1981 in Detroit, MI, Negative Approach was the undisputed champ of Midwestern hardcore in the early to mid-'80s.
Signs Of The Swarm - Vital Deprivation LP (Unique Leader)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Sophomore album from the deathcore titans. AFI - All Hallow's E.P. [Reissue/1999] 10" (Craft Recordings) Limited 10" vinyl picture disc pressing. The All Hallow's E.P contains three original songs and a cover of the Misfits song "Halloween".
As I Lay Dying - Shaped By Fire LP (Nuclear Blast)
Limited gold/black splatter colored vinyl pressing now available. Shaped By Fire is infamous metalcore outfit As I Lay Dying's first record since 2012's Awakened and vocalist Tim Lambesis' controversial release from prison in 2016 after being convicted in a murder-for-hire plot to kill his estranged wife. The 12-track collection is preceded by the singles "My Own Grave", "Redefined" and the title cut, "Shaped By Fire".
Wednesday 13 - Necrophaze LP (Nuclear Blast)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. The Duke of Spook has returned once more from beyond the grave to unleash Necrophaze, the latest full length offering from the ghouls of Wednesday 13. Heavily influenced by the real life night terror occurrences of Wednesday himself, historical serial killers, and a slew of '80s horror films, the ideas behind Necrophaze are bizarrely familiar, frightening, and a hell of a lot of fun. To top it off guest appearances are made by the likes of Alice Cooper, Cristina Scabbia, Jeff Clayton and Alexi Laiho. [Limited mint green/purple swirl colored vinyl pressing.]
Reissues & From The Archives
The Kinks - Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire [Reissue/1969] 2xCD/4xCD+4x7"/2xLP (Sanctuary)
The hugely well-respected and historically important Kinks seventh studio album by The Kinks celebrates its 50th anniversary. Without doubt, Arthur Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire is one of the greatest rock albums ever made, a near perfect example of Ray Davies' incredible storytelling ability in what was an innovation in 1969: a concept album. Both remastered CD and vinyl editions include singles & BBC mixes as well as Dave Davies solo tracks. The Super Deluxe box set features four CDs comprising 81 tracks in total, five of them unreleased and 28 previously unreleased versions, a 68-page softback book, four 7" singles from the album, and a bespoke metal & enamel Kinks logo pin badge.
Big Star - In Space [Reissue/ 2005] CD/LP (Omnivore)
Big Star formed in 1971, and in their brief four years together, created three albums that consistently make "Best Of All-Time" lists. Eighteen years after officially disbanding, original members Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens joined forces with The Posies' Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow for a live performance, which led to a tour (documented on Live In Memphis), and years of concerts. While the live shows were a joy and surprise, a bigger surprise happened in 2005. After over a decade playing together: a new studio album. In Space featured new twelve tracks (eleven originals and a cover of The Olympics' "Mine Exclusively") recorded where Big Star began, at the classic Ardent Studios. The new line up was creating a new chapter for the band while minding and honoring its past. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours [Reissue/1977] 4xCD (WB)
This expanded four-CD edition of Rumours includes the original album and the B-side "Silver Springs", a dozen unreleased live recordings from the group's '77 world tour, an entire disc filled with unreleased takes from the album's recording sessions, and an additional disc of outtakes.
Motörhead - Bomber [Reissue/1979] 2xCD/3xLP (Sanctuary)
Motörhead - Overkill [Reissue/1979] 2xCD/3xLP (Sanctuary)
Motörhead - 1979 7xLP+7" (Sanctuary)
For Motörhead, 1979 was a vital year that saw the band release two of its heaviest and most definitive albums. The era is given the completist archival treatment, with Overkill and Bomber reissued on CD and on half-speed mastered 180gm vinyl cut from the original master tapes. The 1979 box adds the "No Class" 7", and a Rest Of '79 LP that includes ten B-sides, outtakes, and rare tracks.
Pride & Glory - Pride & Glory [Reissue/1994] CD/LP (E1)
Pride & Glory was a side project for Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde. This was his first self-fronted project, before releasing his first solo-album, Book Of Shadows, in 1996. After that he formed Black Label Society in 1998, which remains his current band.