New Releases - 11/12/21
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Aesop Rock x Blockhead – Garbology 2xLP (Rhymesayers)
When Aesop Rock debuted in the late ‘90s with Music For Earthworms and Appleseed, Blockhead was also a part of the process, not only as a producer, but also helping coordinate sales of the CDRs to hungry hip-hop fans. Blockhead and Aesop continued to collaborate, creating an impressive list of songs along the way, including two of Aesop's most popular songs to date; "Daylight" and "None Shall Pass". In recent years, Blockhead has contributed production, as well as remixes, to many of Aesop's solo releases and group projects, and Aesop has made a handful of guest features on Blockhead's solo projects, but in all that time, Aesop and Block have never done a full album together, until now. [Limited edition random color vinyl.]
Damon Albarn – The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows CD/LP/Cassette (Transgressive/Harmonia Mundi USA)
The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows was originally intended as an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland. This last year has seen Albarn return to the music in lockdown and develop the work to 11 tracks which further explore themes of fragility, loss, emergence and rebirth. The result is a panoramic collection of songs with Albarn as storyteller. The album title is taken from a John Clare poem Love And Memory. Albarn says "I have been on my own dark journey while making this record and it led me to believe that a pure source might still exist. "In a career of perpetual musical shifts and exploration, the record uncovers yet more ground, finding expansive orchestral arrangements nestling with intimate melodies, discordance brushing up against infectious majesty, all set to some of Albarn's most arresting vocal performances to date. Much like the beauty and chaos of the natural world it soundtracks, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows vividly documents the emotional ebb and flow of the human condition, in all its extremes, serving as a soul enriching document for our times.
Arkells – Blink Once LP (Virgin)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. This collection of songs prove Arkells continue to push their sound to new heights, with the anthemic Blink Oncepromising to live up to their famous live show.
Richard Ashcroft – Acoustic Hymns, Vol. 1 2xLP (BMG)
Iconic singer-songwriter, and former frontman of The Verve, Richard Ashcroft delivers a new acoustic collection of his classic songs.
Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time CD/LP/Cassette (Mom + Pop)
Courtney Barnett is back with her third studio album, Things Take Time, Take Time, a finely woven collage of snapshots recorded at a time of creative renewal and deeper understanding. The work signals an exciting new chapter for a musician who is operating at the very peak of her powers and it sees her consolidating her place in the storied global lineage of ground-breaking and influential female singer-songwriters. The 10-track collection is yet another assured leap forward for the artist. This is Barnett at her most creative and adventurous – an exquisite look at Courtney's private world, and consequently her most beautiful and intimate record to date, with songs dealing unabashedly with love, renewal, healing and self-discovery. Rolling Stone has already tipped their hat in high praise saying: "It just might be the most personal record yet from an artist who's already given the world plenty of emotional truth." [Limited-edition blue color vinyl.]
Melanie Charles – Y'all Don't (Really) Care About Black Women CD/LP (Impulse!)
With the Verve Remixed project, Y'all Don't (Really) Care About Black Women, Melanie Charles sets out to take this group of songs and breathe new energy into them. Melanie was immediately drawn to the rapturous voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn who inspired her to record arrangements of "God Bless the Child" and "Detour Ahead". This album is a love letter to the unheralded labor of black women. Melanie asks listeners to be accountable to black women as much as they care for their works.
Eric Clapton – The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray/CD+DVD+Blu-ray/2xBlu-ray/(Mercury Studios)
Eric Clapton's The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions captures a unique live performance by the music legend and his stellar band filmed during lockdown earlier in 2021. The Mercury Studios release features Clapton on top form with his longtime bandmates Nathan East (bass and vocals), Steve Gadd (drums), and Chris Stainton (keyboards). They perform acoustic versions of staples from Eric's catalog and other numbers in blues and country styles. The project came about after the enforced cancellation of Clapton's 2021 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Cowdray House was agreed on as a suitable location for a strictly controlled lockdown performance. The only non-participant to view the proceedings was Eric's wife Melia, watching on from the balcony to inspire the title of the recording. [Multiple configurations are available: the Deluxe Edition contains the DVD, Blu-ray and CD packaged in a 40-page 12" x 12" hardback photo book; a stand-alone Ultra 4k UHD + Blu-ray version; a CD+DVD version, and finally a CD+Blu-ray version.]
Brett Eldredge – Mr. Christmas LP (Warner Nashville)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. The aptly titled Mr. Christmasfeatures the classics we all know and love alongside two never-before-heard originals, including the title track "Mr. Christmas" Written by Eldredge and frequent collaborator Ross Copperman, "Mr. Christmas" showcases the celebrated singer/songwriter's "rich, smooth vocals" (Forbes) backed by orchestral strings, a warm big band sound and pops of jingle bells, giving the listener a musical wink and a nod as though from Santa himself.
Endless Boogie – Admonitions 2xLP (No Quarter)
Admonitions was conceived a recorded via time warp between NYC, TX & the Stockholm archipelago. Major growls, Eklow riffs, Sweeney flavors. Mystery players appear as specters in the mirror. 100% guaranteed to drown out paranoid inner dialogue. Onward and inward. This one goes down swinging. [CD version due November 19.]
Faithless – All Blessed [2020] LP (BMG)
The iconic, award-winning Faithless return with their first album in ten years entitled All Blessed. It's an immaculate, love letter to electronic music delivered across twelve highly collaborative and intelligent tracks which perfectly capture the Faithless manifesto of “music with feeling, words with meaning”. Guests include Suli Breaks, Nathan Ball, Caleb Femi, LSK, GAIKA, Jazzie B and Damien Jurado.
Dave Gahan & Soulsavers – Imposter CD/LP (Columbia)
On Imposter, Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahah takes listeners on a personal journey of 12 meticulously chosen reimagined songs from across genres and time periods, including selections from Neil Young, Bob Dylan, PJ Harvey, Charlie Chaplin and Mark Lanegan, amongst others. One would be remiss to refer to Imposter as a cover album. Rather, Imposter is a story of songs, which Dave Gahan & Soulsavers listened to, studied, absorbed, and gave a new life. All of the songs have deep meaning to Dave, making the album a reflection of Dave's life - a story told by others, but in his own distinct voice.
Gov’t Mule – Heavy Load Blues CD/2xLP (Fantasy)
"Woke up singing a dead man's song..." is the opening line from the Warren Haynes original "Heavy Load," a line of imagery that feels like the beginning of dirt. On Heavy Load Blues, the iconic American band puts their unique musical stamp on an incredible collection of blues covers and originals. Haynes, the leader of Gov't Mule, hails from a Southern rock tradition of scruffy virtuosity. Gov't Mule is Warren's show, and the blues is the informing foundation, personal and universal. [A deluxe double-CD edition and a limited-edition indie store exclusive blue smoke color vinyl pressing is available.]
The Grip Weeds – Dig CD (Jem)
Coming off their critically acclaimed tracks on Jem Records Celebrates John Lennon and Brian Wilson, Highland Park, NJ's The Grip Weeds present Dig, an album of rock covers from the mid- ‘60s. [Vinyl edition due December 3.]
Grouper – Shade LP (Kranky)
The 12th full-length by Pacific Northwest artist Liz Harris aka Grouper is a collection of songs spanning fifteen years. She characterizes Shade as an album about respite, and the coast, poetically and literally. How one frames themselves in a landscape, how in turn it frames themselves; memories and experiences carried forward mapping a connection to place-an ode to blue/what lives in shade. Songs touch on loss, flaws, hiding places, love.
Charlie Hickey – Count The Stars 12” (Saddest Factory)
Born in 1999, Charlie Hickey grew up in South Pasadena, just minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. Raised by two singer-songwriter parents, Charlie's second language was music since day one. As early as grade school, he was making sense of the world through songwriting, and by middle school he was writing, recording and performing songs that attracted a community of collaborators and could silence a room. [Limited-edition metallic silver vinyl.]
Devin Hoff – Voices From The Empty Moor (Songs Of Anne Briggs) CD (Kill Rock Stars)
Voices From The Empty Moor seeks to honor the mystery and beauty of Anne Briggs' music while maintaining its own unique perspective, foregrounding powerful emotion and, hopefully, magical transformation. Bassist, composer and arranger Devin Hoff has been intensively studying the music of Anne Briggs for over a decade. Briggs was a leading light of the 1960s English folk scene, a gifted songwriter and improvisor, as well as an amateur musicologist who revived traditional English, Scottish, and Irish Traveler songs with an unpretentious approach that perhaps presaged the rebellion of punk as much as it honored tradition. The arrangements here include collaborations with musician friends that share a fascination with mining specific folk forms for universal and timeless truths; singers Julia Holter, Shannon Lay, Sharon Van Etten and Emmett Kelly; oud player Alejandro Farha; saxophonist Howard Wiley and drummer Jim White. [Limited edition sea foam color vinyl to be released 11/26.]
Holly Humberstone – The Walls Are Way Too Thin CD/LP (Interscope)
The Walls Are Way Too Thin follows Holly's critically acclaimed debut Falling Asleep At The Wheel, which marked the first chapter in the story of a new talent. Holly wants her lyrics to be the ones people could tattoo on themselves and her songs translate some of life's most intense feelings in a way that typical conversations all too often fail to capture, from mental health struggles to the feelings of displacement as you grow out of adolescence. [Limited-edition indie store exclusive clear vinyl.]
Idles – Crawler CD (Partisan)
Idles return with their new album Crawler – an album of reflection and healing amid a worldwide pandemic that stretched the planet's collective mental and physical health to the breaking point. Frontman Joe Talbot says, "We want people who've gone through trauma, heartbreak, and loss to feel like they're not alone, and also how it is possible to reclaim joy from those experiences." Idles albums have always been anchored by these overarching themes, but the ability of the band to juxtapose beauty and rage with humor and drama has never felt more satisfying than on Crawler. These stories are vividly brought to life through Idles' most soul-stirring music to date, recorded with co-producers Kenny Beats (Vince Staples, Freddie Gibbs) and Idles guitarist Mark Bowen. There are, of course, numerous moments that will inspire absolute mayhem in a packed concert venue, but there are also fresh textures and experiments that push Idles into thrilling new territory. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing as well as a double-LP 45rpm version in a gatefold sleeve are due November 19.]
LadyCouch - The Future Looks Fine LP (Blackbird Record Label)
While their moniker doesn’t offer any clues, their sound says it all. With an exuberant approach that brings to mind such classic combos as Delaney and Bonnie, Ike and Tina, and Janis Joplin era Big Brother and the Holding Company, they demonstrate a grit and groove firmly entrenched in Rock, Blues, Soul, and classic R&B. Indeed, being an eleven-person outfit, complete with a three-piece horn section in tow, LadyCouch has all the essentials necessary to pack a powerful punch straight from the get-go. Credit is especially due the band’s two lead singers, Keisha Bailey and Allen Thompson, both of whom share a formidable presence at the fore.
Manchester Orchestra – Christmas Songs Vol. 1 CDEP (Loma Vista)
A collection of eight holiday classics reimagined earnestly and passionately by beloved indie rock stalwarts Manchester Orchestra. Familiar, inclusive, and the essence of holiday spirit, regardless of one's beliefs: “Intro”, “Silent Night”, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, White Christmas”, O Holy Night”, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, “Outro”. [A limited-edition red color vinyl edition is due November 19.]
Kylie Minogue – Disco: Guestlist Edition 2xCD/3xLP (BMG)
Disco: Guest List Edition follows the 2020 release of Disco, Kylie Minogue's eighth UK No. 1 album, which saw her make chart history once more as the first female artist to have a UK No. 1 album in five consecutive decades. With this brand-new edition Kylie releases new tracks "A Second to Midnight" (with Years & Years), "Can't Stop Writing Songs About You" (with Gloria Gaynor) and "Kiss Of Life" (with Jessie Ware). These new songs are featured alongside remixes plus established favorites including "Real Groove (Studio 2054 Remix)" with Dua Lipa.
Mirrors – Mirrors CDEP (GroundUp Music LLC)
In August 2020, amid the seemingly insurmountable restrictions of a global pandemic, five unique musical spirits gathered in the stunning countryside of western Portugal to record an album together. Living and working under one roof, Justin Stanton, Gisela João, Michael League, Louis Cato, and Becca Stevens were led by one simple guideline: that each participant must co-write a song with one another. The result is Mirrors: a dynamic and introspective collection of songs that not only serves as a testament to the artists’ versatile talents but also to the power of human connection.
MØL – Diorama LP (Nuclear Blast)
Aarhus (DK) based MØL blend swirling guitars and hissing vocals with the dreamy ambience of shoegaze to form a unique blend of soundscapes and crushing passages. Inspired by bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Drop Nineteens, Lantlôs and Alcest, MØL released their self-titled debut EP back in 2014. Diorama is their new and second album overall. [Limited edition red vinyl.]
NRBQ – Dragnet CD/LP (Omnivore)
NRBQ, one of the greatest, most versatile American bands of the last 50 years, returns with their first full-length release since 2014. In addition to their version of the Dragnet theme, the album contains 10 new, original songs, all of which were written or co-written by the band – including Terry Adams' "Sunflower", which was originally recorded for the 2018 film Change In The Air. Any release of NRBQ music is a cause for celebration, but after nearly a decade since their last full-length studio release, Dragnet brings the band back to the turntables and live venues of America.
One Step Closer – This Place You Know LP (Run For Cover)
Limited-edition white color vinyl pressing. This Place You Know grapples with the weight of themes like isolation, depression, and loss - all amplified by driving bass lines, emphatic guitar riffs and unwavering drumming performed by the band.
Onetwothree – Onetwothree LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Released last week on CD – now available on white color vinyl. Q: What happens when you combine three women bassist singers from 70s/80s Swiss bands? A: a trio-full of sinuous music which reclaims the minimalist sound of the post-punk that they first created themselves.
Pamela Z – Echolocation [Reissue/1988] LP (Freedom To Spend)
Echolocation is the debut work by Pamela Z, the pioneering Bay Area intermedia performance artist and composer. Recorded, released and distributed on cassette by Pamela in 1988, and a definitive, genre-defying document of her earliest experiments with live voice and delay, this first-time vinyl (‘natural swirl’) edition of the album is remastered from original sources and expanded with liner notes.
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – Shyga! The Sunlight Mound LP (Marathon Artists)
Robin’s egg blue, bright yellow and hot pink splatter color vinyl pressing. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets continue to assert their status as one of Australia's hardest working bands - pandemic be damned.
Lee Ranaldo – In Virus Times 12”+MP3 (Mute)
In Virus Times is an acoustic instrumental piece by Lee Ranaldo. Composed during the pandemic, the side-long track is released as a single-sided 12” with an etching on the B-side.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – The Future LP (Fantasy)
Released last week on CD – a limited-edition indie store exclusive ‘black ice’ color vinyl pressing is now available. With the highly anticipated new album The Future,Nathaniel Rateliff once again demonstrates that he is a writer and performer of the highest order. The third full-length from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats showcases his unique observations of our world and people's ongoing struggle in learning how to better understand each other. "I look at the album overall as a big question," notes Rateliff. "When I was writing the record we were in the middle of a pandemic and our future looked pretty bleak. I just continue to try to write from a place of hope. Then my own neurosis, and maybe being a libra gets in the way, and I can't make up my mind. There is this constant back and forth battle in me personally and I am sure that comes out in my writing."
Rebelution – In The Moment 2xLP (Easy Star)
Recorded remotely in the midst of the pandemic, In The Moment is deliberate and wide-ranging, infusing the quartet's soulful, exhilarating brand of modern reggae with addictive pop hooks, alt-rock grit, and hip-hop grooves. The performances are bold and self-assured, and the production is equally ambitious, drawing on swirling reverb and trippy delay to create an immersive sonic universe that's both futuristic and vintage all at once. [Indie store exclusive ‘aqua blue & olive green in beer’ color vinyl.]
Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine Of Hell LP+MP3 (Sargent House)
Released last week on CD – a limited-edition indie store exclusive white color vinyl pressing is now available. Emma Ruth Rundle's new album Engine Of Hell is stark, intimate, and unflinching. For anyone that's endured trauma and grief, there's a beautiful solace in hearing Rundle articulate and humanize that pain not only with her words, but with her mysterious language of melody and timbre. The album captures a moment where a masterful songwriter strips away all flourishes and embellishments in order to make every note and word hit with maximum impact, leaving little to hide behind.
Jake Shimabukuro – Jake & Friends 2xLP (Music Theories)
Jake & Friends, the second Jake Shimabukuro album with Mascot, sees the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele, the Michael Jordan of his instrument (he has done a "Master Class" like Malcolm Gladwell and Serena Williams) in the company of a multi-generational cast - from Willie Nelson and Bette Midler and Jimmy Buffett to Ziggy Marley and Billy Strings and Willie's son Lukas. Four years in the making, Jake & Friends is loaded with new songs and favorite classics of all genres.
Amanda Shires – For Christmas CD (Silver Knife)
New holiday release from the Americana singer, songwriter, and 400 Unit fiddle player. The 11-track offering feature nine originals and two covers: one of Frank Loesser’s “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” and the other of “Silent Night”. While the latter choice may give off the impression of a generic Christmas album sitting next to the register at Starbucks, Shires’ original “Gone For Christmas” quickly dispels that impression. “‘Gone for Christmas’ is a truth,” Shires said. “You’re going to ask for things for Christmas, so what do you really want? I liked the idea of the outlandish mixed with how you actually feel. We actually feel like, ‘Oh my, I’m so tired of all this sh*t, and I want a different scene.’ But maybe you don’t want really that, but you just want to say extreme things. I was thinking of the ultimate Christmas list, and then at the end, I was thinking about how most of the items on it were impossible.” [Signed CDs available now in the shop or the Grimey’s webstore. Vinyl is due December 17 and all copies from Grimey’s will be signed by Amanda! You can still preorder your vinyl copy here on the webstore.]
Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars + Anderson.Paak with Special Guest Host Bootsy Collins) – An Evening With Silk Sonic CD (Atlantic/WEA)
An Evening With Silk Sonic is a collaborative project featuring Bruno Mars and Anderson. Paak. The seeds of the collaboration were planted in 2017 when the two stars toured together in Europe. One late-night jam session on the road unlocked immediate chemistry. Just before the world slipped into quarantine, Bruno called Anderson: "Remember that idea we had back in 2017? Let's do it." One studio session grew into to a months-long collaboration, culminating the "setlist of doom". Legendary Bootsy Collins christened Silk Sonic and came in as the "special guest host" for An Evening With Silk Sonic, their debut album.
Spirit Of The Beehive – Entertainment, Death LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)
Limited maroon color vinyl pressing. Spirit Of The Beehive's fourth album, Entertainment, Death, signals new chapters for the band on multiple fronts, being the first to feature their new three-piece lineup, as well as the first to be entirely self-recorded and produced. Guitarist/vocalist Zack Schwartz and bassist/vocalist Rivka Ravede are now joined by new member Corey Wichlin, a multi-instrumentalist who relocated from Chicago to the band's home territory of Philadelphia. Though Entertainment, Death doesn't cohere in a single, unifying theme, the band samples old obscure commercials throughout, many of which guided the process of writing a song instead of serving as an appendage. Schwartz describes his songwriting process as a stream-of-consciousness, while Ravede asserts that she doesn't typically write vocal parts with any specific intention in mind.
Rod Stewart – The Tears Of Hercules LP (Rhino)
Sir Rod Stewart's rekindled love of songwriting grows even stronger on The Tears Of Hercules. This is Stewart's fourth new album of original songs since 2013 - and his 31st album to date - and for this collection, Stewart wrote nine of the 12 songs, including the first single, “One More Time”. In addition to the new tracks, The Tears Of Hercules includes covers of Marc Jordan, Johnny Cash, and more.
Allen Stone – Apart CD/LP (ATO)
On his new album Apart, Washington-based singer/songwriter Allen Stone reimagines some of his most beloved songs to date, stripping each lavishly arranged track back to the very essence of its creation. Not only an ideal showcase for his powerfully emotive voice, but the album is also a testament to the magic within Stone's artistry: a profound understanding of music's potential to imprint upon our lives, and a commitment to creating the kind of songs that endlessly impart wisdom and comfort and undeniable joy. Featuring 11 songs culled from across Stone's catalog – and one exquisite Bob Marley cover – Apart kicks off with the dreamy rumination of his first break-out hit "Unaware". One of the most breathtaking moments on the album is "Bed I Made", as R&B star Alessia Cara joins him for a duet. [Limited-edition transparent orange vinyl.]
Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor’s Version) 2xCD/4xLP (Republic)
Swift’s re-recording of her 2012 album, Red includes nine unreleased songs from the vault. "Musically and lyrically, Red resembled a heartbroken person. It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, and tortured by memories past. Like trying on pieces of a new life, I went into the studio and experimented with different sounds and collaborators. And I'm not sure if it was pouring my thoughts into this album, hearing thousands of your voices sing the lyrics back to me in passionate solidarity, or if it was simply time, but something was healed along the way... This will be the first time you hear all 30 songs that were meant to go on Red. And hey, one of them is even ten minutes long." – Taylor Swift [We're currently sold out of CDs and expect more next week. Vinyl is available in the shop and in the Grimey's webstore.]
Tangents – Timeslips & Chimeras 2xLP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
The albums Timeslips and Chimeras were created in tandem, with much of the material recorded in one day at Sydney's Free Energy Device Studios in 2018. Timeslips leans towards more literal takes on the studio- improvised material, with Tangents' usual blend of ambiguous post-production treatment. Chimeras expands into more constructed passages of iterated overdubs, lo- fi electric jams, additional studio takes and splintered extracts from the Timeslips sessions, offering more extreme twists, turns and stylistic variation through doomy rock and dub drones, ecstatic superjazz and abstract collages.
Katelyn Tarver – Subject To Change LP (Compliments Only)
On her new album Subject To Change, Katelyn Tarver emerges as the rare kind of artist capable of capturing the most painful truths in impossibly lovely pop songs. With a bracing specificity that strikes every raw nerve, the Glennville, Georgia-born and now Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter documents a turbulent period in her recent past, shedding light on all the grief and confusion and lost sense of self. Infinitely brightened by her radiant voice, the result is the musical equivalent of a brutally honest conversation with a close friend-one that leaves you undeniably rattled but with a renewed clarity and deeper understanding of your own chaotic heart.
They Might Be Giants – Book CD (Idlewild)
Book is a new phase They Might Be Giants album. Featuring "I Broke My Own Rule", "I Lost Thursday", and "I Can't Remember The Dream", Book is billed as a beacon of light amid a pretty unanimously rough period of time with the band's John Linnell describing its songs as "humorously germane to the catastrophe going on around us." [Vinyl and cassette versions due December 3.]
Tropical F**k Storm – Deep States LP (Joyful Noise)
Teal color vinyl pressing. The third album from the avant-punk quad-aptly titled Deep States-mines familiar ground as well as new cultural terrains, while digging deeper into the subjective state of contemporary panic.
Lou Turner - Songs for John Venn LP (Centripetal Force Records)
Lou Turner's of Styrofoam Winos has released a solo album, Songs for John Venn, via the Nashville based Centripetal Force Records. It's been described as “quietly imaginative” by NPR and “some kind of low-key masterpiece” by Aquarium Drunkard. This limited edition vinyl pressing is housed in a hand stamped kraft board jacket and includes a lyric sheet.
Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou CD/LP+MP3 (Fingertips)
Vanishing Twin explore new ground on 'Ookii Gekkou' incorporating elements of Afrofunk, outer jazz and avant-garde, all while referencing Sun Ra to Alice Coltrane, Martin Denny to Morricone, Can's Holger Czukay to meditative Gamelan, or The Free Design, to library music of the late '60s and early '70s. Locked into their strangely accessible groove is a history of 'other' sound, a crafted hauntology that evinces something completely new.
Walk The Moon – Heights CD (RCA)
Heights is the fifth studio album by pop rock band Walk The Moon. This is the band's first album as a trio, without bassist Kevin Ray who parted ways with the band in December 2020. [Vinyl edition due December 10.]
Reissues & From The Archives
ADX – Execution [Reissue/1985] LP (Svart)
Reissue of a rare French metal cult album, expanded with ten tracks taken from demo tapes.
All Them Witches – Lightning At The Door [Reissue/2013] LP (New West)
All Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets His Maker [Reissue/2015] LP (New West)
All Them Witches – Sleep Through The War [Reissue/2017] LP (New West)
All Them Witches – ATW [Reissue/2018] LP (New West)
All Them Witches – Nothing As The Ideal [Reissue/2020] LP (New West)
Limited multi color vinyl reissues from the Nashville-based rock band.
Bush Tetras – Rhythm & Paranoia: The Best of Bush Tetras 3xLP (Wharf Cat)
New York City legends the Bush Tetras has been making paranoid, groove-centered post-punk since 1979, when Pat Place left James Chance and The Contortions to found the group with singer Cynthia Sley, bassist Laura Kennedy and drummer Dee Pop. This LP box set features 29 songs across three LPs pressed onto 180gm vinyl and remastered by Carl Saff. Also included is a 46-page book with never-before-seen photos, an original essay on the band by Marc Masters, and micro-essays by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, R&B legend Nona Hendryx, The Clash's Topper Headon, and more. [CD edition due December 10.]
Cage The Elephant - Melophobia LP (RCA)
Cage The Elephant - Tell Me I’m Pretty LP (RCA)
Finally these in-demand Cage The Elephant titles are available again on vinyl as part of the RSD Essentials reissue series, on color vinyl and only available at indie record stores. [Melophobia is clear with white smoky swirls vinyl. Tell Me I’m Pretty is clear with white & blue smoky swirls vinyl.]
Cancer – To The Gory End [Reissue/1990] LP (Peaceville)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on vinyl. To The Gory End is the first album by British death metal band Cancer. The cover artwork was censored in some countries, with only the band's name and album title left on a black background.
The Charlatans UK – A Head Full Of Ideas 2xCD/2xLP (Then)
Available in a variety of configurations, A Head Full Of Ideas sums up The Charlatans UK’s remarkable progress from 1990 Manchester scene hopefuls to one of the UK’s most enduring and best-loved bands.
Don Cherry – The Summer House Sessions 2xLP (Blank Forms)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on vinyl. During the summer of 1968, saxophonist and recording engineer Göran Freese - who later recorded Don Cherry's classic Organic Music Society and Eternal Now LPs - invited Don, members of his two working bands, and a Turkish drummer to his summer house in Kummelnäs, just outside of Stockholm, for a series of rehearsals and jam sessions that put the prior months' workshops into practice. Long relegated to the status of a mysterious footnote in Don's sessionography, tapes from this session, as well as one professionally mixed tape intended for release, were recently found in the vaults of the Swedish Jazz Archive, and the lost Summer House Sessions are finally available over 50 years after they were recorded.
Don Cherry/Nana Vasconcelos – Organic Music Theatre Festival de Chateauvallon 2xLP (Blank Forms)
Recently reissued on CD – now available on vinyl. A life-affirming, multicultural patchwork of borrowed tunes suffused with the hallowed aura of Don's extensive global travels, the performance documents the moment he publicly jettisoned his identity as a jazz musician, and represents the start of his communal mystical period, later crystallized in recordings such as “Organic Music Society”, “Relativity Suite”, “Brown Rice”, and the soundtrack for Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain.
Chicks – The Essential Chicks 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Presenting The Essential Chicks available for the first time on vinyl. Including the hits “Not Ready To Make Nice”, “Landslide”, “Wide Open Spaces” and many more.
The Clean – Tally Ho! b/w Platypus [Reissue/1981] 7”+MP3 (Merge)
The Clean – Boodle Boodle Boodle [Reissue/1981] 12”+MP3 (Merge)
The “Tally Ho!” b/w “Platypus” 7” and the Boodle Boodle Boodle 12” EP, the Dunedin trio's first official recordings as a band, both celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. These reissues have been remastered by Tex Houston with assistance from the Alexander Turnbull Library New Zealand, and The Clean's David Kilgour and Robert Scott oversaw the careful re-creation of the original packaging. [Indie store exclusive color vinyl pressings. Available in the shop and in the Grimey's webstore.]
David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name [Reissue/1971] LP (Atlantic)
50th Anniversary vinyl reissue. If I Could Only Remember My Name is the debut solo record from David Crosby. Recorded in 1970 after the passing of his girlfriend Christine and released in February of 1971, the album explores themes including loss and disorientation. The album features a who's who of contributors from the San Francisco Bay area including Paul Kantner and Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, and Santana, and his cohort from Los Angeles including Graham Nash, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell. The album has attained a cult status over the last 50 years, hailed for its spooky, psychedelic, and truly unique sounds.
The Eagles – Live At The Forum ’76 2xLP (Elektra)
Live At The Forum '76 features ten songs recorded in the Fall of 1976, just prior to the release of Hotel California. The tracks make their vinyl debut, as they were previously only available on CD and digitally as part of 2017's 40th Anniversary Edition of Hotel California. The live music takes up three sides while the D-side features an etching of the artwork.
Jerry Garcia Band – GarciaLive Volume 17: NorCal '76 3xCD (ATO)
GarciaLive Volume 17 features highlights from three Jerry Garcia Band performances captured in their native Northern California during November 1976. Joined by fellow Grateful Dead members Donna Jean & Keith Godchaux along with John Kahn and Ron Tutt, Garcia has gone on record extolling the group's harmonious sound, evident on classics like "Sugaree", "Friend Of The Devil", "Catfish John" and "How Sweet It Is". The three-CD set contains over 2.5 hours of music sourced from original soundboard recordings.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – It’s A Holiday Soul Party [Reissue/2015] LP+MP3 (Daptone)
Limited ‘candy cane’ red color vinyl pressing with new red cover design. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are back to help fans get into the holiday spirit with the critically acclaimed, It's A Holiday Soul Party. Finally, back in print and in its third and final incarnation, this modern classic is now sporting a new, shiny red "old style" jacket and candy cane striped vinyl. Kicking off with "8 Days of Hanukkah" - the band's ode to the festival of light - and rounding out the 11-song set with a festive mix of jubilant originals and reimagined standards, this is the only record you need for your upcoming holiday soirees.
Kid Creole And The Coconuts – Wiseguy [Reissue/1982] CD (Rainman)
Kid Creole And The Coconuts – Doppelganger [Reissue/1983] CD (Rainman)
Kid Creole And The Coconuts – In Praise Of Older Women... And Other Crimes [Reissue/1985] CD (Rainman)
Kid Creole And The Coconuts is an American Latin pop band founded by August Darnell aka Thomas Browder in 1980 in New York City. Fronted by Kid Creole backed by the trio of The Coconuts and also featuring Coati Mundi, they enjoyed most of their success in the ‘80s.
The Legendary Shack Shakers – Cockadoodledeux LP (Alternative Tentacles)
Join those Legendary Shack Shakers as they mark their 25th anniversary as a band on Planet Earth. to celebrate the occasion, they've invited former members to help them record an all country & western album. From spaghetti western to bluegrass, western swing to rockabilly, Tex-Mex to country folk, the variety of the genre is on full display. Always ones to respect their history, the Shack Shakers have also included some Kentucky local legends to pick and grin.
Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell Archives, Volume 2: The Reprise Years 1968-1971 5xCD (Rhino)
Joni Mitchell – Live At Carnegie Hall 1969 3xLP (Rhino)
The tracks on Archives Volume 2 have been sequenced chronologically to follow Mitchell in real time through one of the most creative periods of her career. The collection uncovers several unreleased Mitchell originals, including “Jesus” recorded in 1969 at her friend Jane Lurie's New York apartment in Chelsea, which also served as the setting for the song “Chelsea Morning”. Other highlights include Mitchell's performance at Le Hibou Coffee House in Ottawa on March 19, 1968, that was recorded by Jimi Hendrix and a concert at the Paris Theatre in London on October 29, 1970, that was broadcast on the BBC. The latter includes several songs destined to appear on Blue the following year: “Carey”, “River” and “My Old Man”. In addition, singer-songwriter James Taylor joined Mitchell to perform with her during the second half of the show. [These 2 titles shipped late and will arrive early next week.]
Nirvana – Nevermind (30th Anniversary) 2xCD/LP+7”/5xCD+Blu-ray (Geffen)
Remastered 30th Anniversary edition of Nirvana’s generation-defining sophomore album. Originally released in 1991 and produced by Butch Vig, it was Nirvana's major label debut, as well as the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. The double-CD reissue includes a bonus CD containing live recordings from the Nevermind tour.The (very limited) vinyl reissue includes a bonus 7” single containing "Endless, Nameless" with B-sides "Even In His Youth" and "Aneurysm." The Super Deluxe edition contains adds four complete concerts on the Nevermind Tour from Amsterdam, Melbourne, Tokyo and Del Mar, California. Additionally, a Blu-ray of the complete Live In Amsterdam concert video (newly remastered in HD) is included along with a 40-page hardcover book with unreleased photos. [Free litho with purchase.]
The Pineapple Thief – Nothing But The Truth 2xLP (Kscope)
Nothing But The Truth captures The Pineapple Thief at their very best performing songs from their illustrious catalogue including for the first time live, songs fromVersions Of The Truth.
Elvis Presley – Back In Nashville 4xCD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)
What turned out to be Elvis Presley's final Nashville session brought music that was originally overlooked. The original recordings found their way on the holiday themedElvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas (1971), the gospel He Touched Me(1972), Elvis Now (1972) and Elvis (1973). Yet, to hear this music, a half century after it was recorded - now wiped of overdubs - reveals some of the most compelling singing of Presley's career. There may not be a better set of tracks in his catalog that benefits more from un-dubbing the masters. No longer weighted down, Elvis shines. [The four-CD box set collects 82 tracks; the abridged double-LP gathers 21.]
R.E.M. – New Adventures in Hi-Fi: 25th Anniversary Edition 2xCD/2xLP (Craft Recordings)
Recently released on vinyl - now an expanded reissue is available on CD. First released in September 1996, New Adventures In Hi-Fi endures as one of R.E.M.'s most acclaimed albums and stands as a favorite among band members and fans alike. Recorded at the height of their fame, it is R.E.M.'s final album with drummer and founding member Bill Berry, who left the group amicably the following year. Perhaps most remarkable, however, is that New Adventures in Hi-Fi found the band taking a unique creative approach: writing and recording much of the LP on the road, during their 1995 Monster tour. While writing new material on the road wasn't an unusual feat for R.E.M., New Adventures was unlike anything they had done before. As they embarked on tour, the band sought to create an abstract travelogue documenting every emotion and experience as it happened. [The double-CD edition features 13 B-sides and rarities. A double-CD + Blu-ray version is due November 19.]
Carrie Underwood – Greatest Hits: Decade #1 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Presenting Carrie Underwood's Greatest Hits: Decade #1 available for the first time on vinyl.
Various Artists – Driftless Dreamers In Cuca Country 2xLP (Numero)
Home to Cuca Records and hundreds of Nashville-fantasizing pluckers and singers, Wisconsin's Driftless region was a hotbed of country music in the 1960s. Influenced by old-timey ethnic songs, Bakersfield outlaws, countrypolitan rainbows, and the lonesome twang of every rural route roadhouse, these 17 Driftless Dreamerswashed up at Jim Kirchstein's Sauk City record plant with little more than $100 and a longing. Collected here are the fruits of Cuca's documentary approach to record making, capturing the voices and stories of a culture and glacier in abatement.
Various Artists – RELIEF: A Benefit For The Jazz Foundation Of America's Musicians' Emergency Fund CD/2xLP (Mack Avenue)
RELIEF: A Benefit For The Jazz Foundation Of America's Musicians' Emergency Fundis an all-star compilation of previously unreleased music from Jon Batiste, Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, Hiromi, IRMA and LEO (Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese), Charles Lloyd, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman and Cécile McLorin Salvant. All net proceeds from the album will benefit the Jazz Foundation of America's COVID-19 Musicians' Emergency Fund, which provides direct financial support to musicians in need during a time of uncertainty.
WAR – Greatest Hits 2.0 2xLP (Rhino)
WAR's Greatest Hits 2.0 is the definitive best of WAR and the perfect expansion of the 1976 Greatest Hits album. Featuring selections from the band's origin backing Eric Burdon to hitmakers on their own, this collection captures highlights from 50 years of the original street band. The songs showcase the band's versatility and evolution over the years.