New Releases - 11/22/19
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 Holidays Compilations
New Releases
Beck - Hyperspace CD/LP (Capitol)
On the heels of two Grammy-winning albums - Morning Phase, which saw him reunite in the studio with his Sea Change band, and Colors, which he created with Greg Kurstin - Hyperspace brings to fruition Beck's 20-year wish to collaborate with Pharrell Williams. Hyperspace's new dimensions in sound are the result of Beck's most collaborative efforts to date. Seven of the album's 11 tracks - including singles 'Uneventful Days" and "Saw Lightning" - feature co-writing/co-production from Pharrell. "See Through" is co-written/co-produced by frequent collaborator Kurstin, "Stratosphere" features back-up from Chris Martin, the album's title track features guest vocals from Terrell Hines and "Die Waiting" features backing vocals from Sky Ferreira. [Limited edition indie-exclusive vinyl pressing had a production delay. We'll have those as soon as they ship out and you can reserve a copy by placing a special order with us. We have the black vinyl.]
Coldplay - Everyday Life CD/2xLP (Atlantic/Third Man)
Coldplay's eighth studio album and most adventurous offering since 2008's groundbreaking Viva la Vida Or Death And All His Friends. Announced and publicized via cryptic ads in subway stations and random newspapers, Everyday Life is a double-length concept album that is divided into two halves - Sunrise and Sunset - and runs the stylistic gamut from pop and rock to uplifting gospel, hypnotic Afrobeat, field recordings and more. Two songs from the album, "Orphans" and "Arabesque", have been released as a 7" vinyl single courtesy of Third Man. Everyday Life's cover image is based around a 1919 photo of guitarist Jonny Buckland's great-grandfather's band. Ten words that summarize the album: "Ambitious, experimental, multi-cultural, spiritual, life-affirming, contemplative, compassionate, cinematic, inspirational, earnest." - Tinnitist
Leonard Cohen - Thanks For The Dance CD/LP (Legacy/Sony)
At the end, the last dance is truly saved for Leonard Cohen. Before he passed away in 2016, the man with the golden voice asked his son, Adam, to bring to fruition an album the singer had mostly completed. Fulfilling his father's wishes, the younger Cohen recruited members of the National and Arcade Fire, along with various orchestras and choirs, to finish the poet's final work. Produced by Adam, and engineered and mixed by Michael Chaves, Thanks For The Dance is not a commemorative collection of B-sides and outtakes, but an unexpected harvest of nine new songs: exciting and vital, a continuation of the Cohen's legacy. "In composing and arranging the music for his words, we chose his most characteristic musical signatures, in this way keeping him with us," said Adam. "What moves me most about the album is the startled response of those who have heard it."
Harry Nilsson - Losst And Founnd CD/LP (Omnivore)
Superstar vocalist Harry Nilsson was struck down by a heart attack at the age of 52 on January 15, 1994. At the time he was at work on his first album of original material in nearly fifteen years - a project that finally sees the light of day 25 years after his death. Losst And Founnd features nine Nilsson originals as well as covers by Jimmy Webb and Yoko Ono. With musical contributions from an all-star cast of musicians like Van Dyke Parks, Jim Keltner, Webb, and Harry's son, Kiefo, the album features the classic Nilsson melodies that have been his trademark for over 50 years.
David Byrne - American Utopia On Broadway (Original Cast Recording) CD (Nonesuch) [Vinyl edition due December 20.]
Original Cast Recording of the critically acclaimed Broadway production of David Byrne's American Utopia, with music and lyrics by Byrne. The former Talking Heads mastermind shares the spotlight with a diverse ensemble of eleven musical artists from around the globe to deliver "a marvel of staging and motion" (Chicago Tribune) that's a "thought-provoking example of the power of live music" (Forbes). "Dazzling, rapturous and jubilant," exclaims the New York Times of the show. "Byrne puts the central tenet of making contact with a world outside your mind into dynamic, sensory practice onstage." "Gorgeously designed, deliciously fun," says the New Yorker, "backed by a rangy, versatile, exuberant band...Most important, the songs sound great." "Astonishing, " raves Hollywood Reporter. "A knockout celebration of music, dance and song. Pure bliss." "A heady swirl of hope for our anxious times," says Rolling Stone. "The concert-theater-dance spectacle finds solace in human connections...a tonic for our tumultuous times..."
Danny Brown - Uknowhatimsayin? CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Uknowhatimsayin? marks a buoyant new chapter in Danny Brown's career, a transitional and celebratory moment. His profile has grown since Atrocity and now armed with a cable TV show and a co-sign from one of rap's icons, he solidifies his positioning as a ubiquitous entertainer, independent rap hero, and one of the essential cultural voices of this era, while still retaining the edgy, maverick style that makes him a fan-favorite. Uknowhatimsayin? was executive produced by Q-Tip, includes guest appearances by Run The Jewels, Blood Orange and Obongjayar, and boasts production by Q-Tip, JPEGMAFIA, Flying Lotus, Paul White and Standing on the Corner. "This is my version of a stand-up comedy album," Brown says. "Most of my close friends now aren't rappers - they're comedians and actors. So, I wanted to create something that mixed humor with music. Something that was funny but not parody."
Lindemann - F & M CD/2xLP (Caroline)
German-Swedish power duo Lindemann - consisting of Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann and Peter Tägtgren, mastermind of metal bands Pain and Hypocrisy - deliver their second album, F & M. It takes a distinct turn from the 2015 debut set Skills In Pills, which was sung entirely in English and went gold in Germany. This time, Till Lindemann sings the lyrics in German as part of an intense, unique composition. F & M was inspired by Till Lindemann's collaboration with the Hamburg Thalia Theatre, in the context of a modern adaptation of Hänsel & Gretel, the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It addresses such subjects as fear, hope, poverty, abundance, cannibalism and death. Five songs from the acclaimed production are augmented with six brand new compositions. [Deluxe CD edition includes two bonus tracks.]
Live Dead '69 - Phantom Ships With Phantom Sails 2xCD (Sunset Blvd)
Featuring original Grateful Dead member Tom Constanten, Live Dead '69 is not a tribute; it is a continuation of the Dead's essential zeitgeist of extemporization and interpretive improvisation spotlighting exquisite selections from Grateful Dead's halcyon repertoires of psychedelic originals, cherished covers and jams. Features nine performances from their annual trek through England, Scotland & Wales.
Pernice Brothers - Spread The Feeling CD/LP (Ashmont)
"Spread The Feeling is the sixth or seventh studio LP by the Pernice Brothers and my 17th or so in general. I recorded a full length Pernice Brothers record a few years back, but ditched it after it was mixed. Scrapping it had everything to do with me not liking the songs. The playing, the recording and mixing were fantastic to my ears. It is a return to some kind of form. That's for other people to decide. This record definitely has the most 'muscle' of all my records. That's not saying much if you compare it to say, Pine Box by the Scud Mountain Boys. The playing is pretty nuts. Liam Jaeger and James Walbourne are two of the finest guitarists out there." - Joe Pernice [Limited red colored vinyl pressing.]
Ben Lee - Quarter Century Classix CD/LP/Cassette (New West)
New covers album from the Australian singer-songwriter. The album comprises his interpretations of early '90s indie rock favorites from artists such as Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Pavement, and Superchunk among others. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage - Bad Wiring CD/LP (Don Giovanni)
Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage (NYC) play a brilliant style of scuzzy urban indie-rock-folk, like a 21st Century mash-up of Sonic Youth, Pete Seeger and R. Crumb.
Pluralone - To Be One With You CD/LP (ORG Music)
Pluralone (pronounced plural one) is the new project from multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Josh Klinghoffer. While Klinghoffer is best known for his current role as guitarist in the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he has played and recorded with a variety of acts, including PJ Harvey, Beck, and Gnarls Barkley, as well as fronting the group Dot Hacker. Pluralone's debut album, To Be One With You, is largely a solo effort on Klinghoffer's part, although it features performances by frequent collaborators such as Flea (RHCP), Jack Irons, Eric Avery (Jane's Addiction), and fellow Dot Hacker members, Eric Gardner and Clint Walsh.
The Jay Vons - The Word CD/LP (La Castanya)
The gentlemen who enjoy a fine slice, a fine libation, and an even finer haircut are known as The Jay Vons. The Word showcases how this rhythmic tour-de-force blends their love for '60s rock and soul with a deftness born from decades of obsessive record collecting and delivered by countless hours of writing and performing.
Big Band Of Brothers - A Jazz Celebration Of The Allman Brothers Band CD/LP (New West)
A collection of big band jazz interpretations of Allman Brothers classics.
MakeWar - Get It Together CD/LP (Fat Wreck Chords)
Recently released on vinyl - now available on CD. A uniquely fresh eyed and youthful rallying cry, somehow made by seasoned punks, tempered with anger, heartache, a dash of Latinx hardcore rage and a virtuosity that belies their relatively short tenure as a band. A multi-lingual, multi-genre, multigrain slab of fury, beers, tears and what-have-we-here's, Get It Together is one of the most dynamic punk records in years.
Mayhem - Daemon CD+LP+12" (Century Media)
Deluxe box set containing 180gm dark green colored vinyl LP pressing of the album, a 180gm black vinyl 12" containing bonus tracks and an etching, and a CD. Housed in a noble box with linen optic, alternate artwork and golden silk-screen print. Includes 12-page booklet, two red candles with exclusive Mayhem print, cast pewter coin, pin badge, three art prints, and a poster of the original artwork. Take Offense - Keep An Eye Out CD/LP (Pure Noise) Third album from the CA hardcore band.
Compilations, Best Of's, & Sundry Collections
Various Artists - Come On Up To The House: Women Sing Waits CD/LP (Dualtone)
Aimee Mann, Joseph, Patty Griffin, Rosanne Cash, Phoebe Bridgers, Corinne Bailey Rae, Angie McMahon, Courtney Marie Andrews, and more each put their own unique spin on the gravel-voiced songwriter's work.
Various Artists - Pop Ambient 2020 CD/2LP (Kompakt)
Double-LP version includes 44-page art book with the whole distinctive cover-series; includes download. Wolfgang Voigt on the release (September 2019): "What strikes most by putting or listening to 20 years of Pop Ambient in a row is the central theme that holds together the dense aesthetic concept like the pearls of a necklace. But with all of the conceptual unity and resolution, Pop Ambient would not be Kompakt without the break, the friction, the expansion of musical boundaries in between tradition and innovation, in between conspiracy and the openness of the discourse. Pop Ambient music is medicine against illnesses, that you don't even suffer from. It's giving everything, demanding nothing."
Reissues & From The Archives
Jimi Hendrix - Songs For Groovy Children: The Fillmore East Concerts 5xCD (Sony Legacy)
Live archive release. Songs For Groovy Children assembles all four historic debut concerts by Jimi Hendrix's newly assembled Band Of Gypsys at New York's Fillmore East on New Year's Eve 1969 and New Year's Day 1970. Presented in their original performance sequence and encompassing 43 tracks, the set boasts over two dozen tracks that have either never been released commercially. Newly mixed and restored in sequence without edits, fans can finally hear Hendrix, Cox and Miles blast through their genre-defying sets. [Vinyl edition due December 13.]
Grateful Dead - Ready Or Not CD/2xLP (Grateful Dead/WEA)
Live archive release featuring nine unreleased performances from the early '90s, presenting what the next Grateful Dead studio album may have been. Recorded live between 1992 and 1995, Ready Or Not spotlights performance by the final Grateful Dead lineup: Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, and new keyboardist Vince Welnick.
The Chemical Brothers - Surrender 2xCD/3xCD+DVD/4xLP+DVD (Astralwerks)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the third studio album by the English electronic music duo. The double-CD set brings together the original album with a selection of remixes from the period, curated by Tom and Ed. The Super Deluxe edition features an additional disc of remixes as well as a DVD comprised of promo videos and footage from their 2000 Glastonbury performance.
Yusuf - Back To Earth [Reissue/1978] CD/LP (BMG)
In 1978, after having sold millions of records and become one of the biggest international artists of the 1970s, Cat Stevens decided to step out of the rock star spotlight and walk away. That year, he released his final album as Cat Stevens, and didn't release another Western pop album until An Other Cup in 2006 under his Muslim name Yusuf.
Saves The Day - Through Being Cool: TBC20 [Reissue/1999] CD/LP (Equal Vision)
20th anniversary vinyl reissue of the second album by Saves the Day. It has a more melodic sound than their first album, Can't Slow Down, which was a more punk/hardcore driven record.
Antoinette Konan - Antoinette Konan [Reissue/1986] CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
It makes sense that Antoinette Konan's eponymous album features nothing more than her ahoko on the cover. The deceptively simple traditional percussion instrument transformed Ivory Coast's Baoulé music scene when Konan deployed it against a roaring electrified backdrop of synth, bass guitar and drum machines. Released in 1986, the album is a veritable UFO of instrumental force and contemporary pop sensibility landing in a boiling pot of diverse, creative characters inhabiting Abidjan, Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire).
For the Holidaze...
Idina Menzel - Christmas: A Season Of Love CD/2xLP (SRV Label Co./Decca)
Timed to coincide with the release of Disney's Frozen 2, which includes Menzel's unforgettable voice in the title role of Elsa, the Tony Award-winner drops an album of traditional and brand-new holiday songs. Christmas: A Season Of Love features Ariana Grande ("A Hand For Mrs. Claus"), Billy Porter ("I Got My Love To Keep Me Warm"), Josh Gad ("We Wish You The Merriest") and her husband, Aaron Lohr ("I'll Be Home For Christmas"). Menzel goes it alone on "Sleigh Ride", "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", "Christmas Just Ain't Christmas", "We Need A Little Christmas", "O Holy Night/Ave Maria", "Winter Wonderland/Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", "Walker's 3rd Hanukkah", "Ocho Kandelikas", "Christmas Time Is Here", "At This Table", "Caroling, Caroling", "Auld Lang Syne" and the Rent classic "Seasons Of Love".
Various Artists - Hanukkah+ CD (Verve Forecast)
Adam Sandler gets some competition in the Hanukkah music world. Haim, Jack Black, the Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and other prominent artists have recorded songs for the new compilation Hanukkah+. The album also features contributions from folk singer Loudon Wainwright III, Adam Green (of the band Moldy Peaches), Alex Frankel (of the electronic group Holy Ghost and a founder of the Jewish deli Frankel's in Brooklyn) and more. [Vinyl edition due December 13.]
Various Artists - This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 3 CD (Republic)
Jack Johnson delivers the latest in a trilogy of holiday albums from his Brushfire Records label. This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 3 features both original and classic holiday songs from Johnson and friends, including G. Love, Bahamas, Mason Jennings, Zach Rogue of Rogue Wave, Zach Gill, Paula Fuga and others. The artists on the album are longtime Brushfire musicians and label alumni, comprising a group of friends, hand-picked by Johnson, who have toured, collaborated and created music throughout his stellar career. As Johnson says: "It's always nice to get together with old friends to create some new music and spread a little holiday cheer!"
New on Vinyl
Old Crow Medicine Show - Live At The Ryman LP (Old Crow Medicine Show)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Honoring the history and traditions of the legendary venue, Live From The Ryman captures the raucous energy of Old Crow Medicine Show's performances, recorded throughout their many headlining shows on the hallowed ground of Nashville's Mother Church. Featuring guest appearances by Lee Oskar, Margo Price, Charlie Worsham and Molly Tuttle, the 11-track collection incorporates a mix of covers and originals including traditionals like "CC Rider", "'Will The Circle Be Unbroken" and "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man", to go along with OCMS classics like "Take 'Em Away", "Sweet Amarillo" and "Wagon Wheel".
Queens Of The Stone Age - R [Reissue/2000] LP (Interscope)
Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Interscope)
Limited 180gm vinyl reissues of QOTSA's second and third albums.
The Beatles - The Singles Collection 23x7" (Capitol)
Limited box set containing 23 180gm 7" vinyl singles. From 1962 to 1970, The Beatles released 22 UK singles; of those 44 A and B-side tracks, 29 were not included on the group's British albums at that time. These singles, plus an exclusive new double A-side single for the mid-1990s-issued tracks "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love", are newly cut for vinyl from their original mono and stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios for a new limited edition boxed set. This piece has yet to arrive. We expect it early next week as best we can tell.
The Shins - Waimanalo 7" (Fug Yep Soundation)
Two new original songs. The second release for The Fug Yep Soundation, a record series created in loving memory of Richard Swift.
SRSQ - Temporal Love b/w Unkept 7" (Dais)
SRSQ is the solo project of singer and songwriter Kennedy Ashlyn, the founding member of the bay-area dream pop duo Them Are Us Too. Joined in duet by True Body vocalist Isabel Moreno, "Temporal Love" conjures images of heartbreak and a relationship dissolved - perhaps regrettably. The B-side, "Unkept" presents an almost ceremonial incantation channeling the likes of Lisa Gerrard's finest moments.
Thurston Moore - Pollination b/w Leave Me Alone 7" (Daydream Library)
Thurston Moore - Springwell b/w Leave Me Alone 7" (Daydream Library)
Thurston Moore - Three Graces b/w Leave Me Alone 7" (Daydream Library)
A trio of 7" singles. Each comprises an excerpted moment from the Thurston Moore Group live in 2019, free-mixed and free-created by Wobbly (aka Jon Leidecker). The B-side of each is a special cover of a New Order track.
Hootie & The Blowfish - Imperfect Circle LP (Capitol Nashville)
Previously released on CD - now on vinyl. With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, bassist Dean Felber and drummer Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, Hootie & the Blowfish have sold over 25 million records worldwide to date after their infectious melodies hit the airwaves in 1994 with hits such as "Hold My Hand," "Let Her Cry" and "Only Wanna Be With You." Imperfect Circle, their first album in nearly 15 years, is out now. Free 7" single with purchase while supplies last.
The Dead South - Illusion & Doubt LP (Six Shooter)
The Saskatchewan's 2016 debut album revealed the four hatted, hairy and bearded fellas, with singer Nate Hilts as a focal point. Illusion & Doubt is a perfect fit to the genres folk, neo-folk and bluegrass-folk or even alternative country with a refreshing edge. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing.]
Animal Collective - Ballet Slippers 3xLP (Domino)
Ballet Slippers is a 3 LP live release marking the 10th anniversary of Merriweather Post Pavillion. It features live recordings from multiple shows across the North American 2009 tour, sequenced to feel like a full concert experience complete with song transitions and interludes. Features selections from Merriweather, Fall Be Kind, Feels, and Sung Tongs.
The Shivas - Dark Thoughts LP (Tender Loving Empire)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. For The Shivas, the show has always been the thing. That thing being a bombastic, explosive and thoroughly communal live rock and roll experience where barriers between the performers and their audience seem to dissolve into the sweat and sound. It's the stage - or the basement, or the living room - that's the Portland band's true element. It's their raison d'etre. It's their religion. The album is a defining sonic achievement for the band, which began booking their own tours in high school.
Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science - Waiting Game LP (Motema Music)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Galvanized by seismic changes in the ever-evolving social and political landscape, Grammy Award-winning drummer, producer, activist and educator Terri Lyne Carrington formed her new band, Social Science, to confront a wide spectrum of social justice issues. The band's stunning debut double album, Waiting Game immediately takes its place alongside Carrington's most ambitious and inventive projects, expressing an inclusive and compassionate view of humanity's common bonds through an eclectic program melding jazz, R&B, classic and indie rock, free improvisation, hip-hop and contemporary classical music. Guests include Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Rapsody, Meshell Ndegeocello, Esperanza Spalding, Maimona Youssef, Nicholas Payton, Derrick Hodge and Kokoyi.
Deerhoof - The Man, The King, The Girl [Reissue/1997] LP (Polyvinyl)
Deerhoof - Holdypaws [Reissue/1999] LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Deerhoof - Halfbird [Reissue/2001] LP (Joyful Noise)
To celebrate their 25th anniversary of being a band, Deerhoof reissue three of their earliest records on vinyl for the first time via three labels that have supported the group throughout their career. Pitchfork once called Deerhoof the best band in the world.
The Pop Group - Y [Reissue/1979] 2xLP/4xLP (Mute)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Half-speed mastered at Abbey Road. The Pop Group's Y regularly appears in 'Greatest Album' lists - such as #35 on Pitchfork's Greatest Albums of the 70's, The Wire's 100 Most Important Records Ever Made, and Uncut Magazine's 100 Greatest Debut Albums. The Pop Group went on to release two further singles, "We Are All Prostitutes" and "Where There Is A Will" (Split single with the Slits), and one further studio album, For How Much Do We Tolerate Mass Murder, before splitting up in 1981. ['Definitive Edition' four-LP box set adds the early mixes compilation Alien Blood and Y Live.
Super Fury Animals - Guerrilla [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (BMG)
20th anniversary reissue completely remastered from original master tapes. Double LP on heavyweight vinyl with pop-up gatefold. CD edition features over 25 bonus tracks including second disc of previously unreleased material. Both feature foreword by Alan McGee (Creation Records founder), sleevenotes by Ric Rawlins, and previously unseen concept art drawings by Pete Fowler.
They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants LP (Idlewild)
They Might Be Giants' first album, often called the pink album, is celebrating its 33 1/3 birthday, hence this fully remastered 180gm opaque pink vinyl reissue.
Richard Buckner - Dents And Shells [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Merge)
Dents and Shells is the first LP that Richard Buckner made for Merge Records, in 2004. By the time the album was recorded in Austin, TX and Tucson, AZ, with the help of Butthole Surfers' drummer King Coffey and other Austin locals, he'd been a touring musician and released over a half dozen records. With no fixed home base a decade deep into his career, he was still a roamer.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Against The Wind [Reissue/1980] LP (Capitol)
Vinyl reissue of the 11th studio album by the rock singer/songwriter Bob Seger and his fourth with the Silver Bullet Band.
Mark Knopfler - The Princess Bride [Reissue/1987] LP (WB)
Limited clear vinyl pressing of the Mark Knopfler produced soundtrack to the beloved 1987 romantic fantasy/action/adventure/comedy film.
Fleetwood Mac - Before The Beginning 1968-1970 Rare Live & Demo Sessions 3xLP (Sony)
Released last week on CD - now available on vinyl. Recently discovered live recordings from 1968 and 1970 of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Not much is known about them. Discovered un-labelled and by pure luck in the US, their era has been authenticated by experts of the band's blues origins. The recordings were found in incredibly good condition considering they have been untouched for over 40 years; they have been restored and provide a vital insight into the very earliest incarnation of one of the world's biggest bands. This one's running late too.
Ohio Players - Observations In Time [Reissue/1969] LP (Goldenlane)
The 1969 debut album by the R&B legends reissued on vinyl with the original artwork and detailed liner notes.
Optimistics - Optimistics [Reissue/1970] LP (Be With)
A reissue of Optimistics' self-titled album, originally released in 1970. This is some serious top-shelf material out of Baltimore and a certified masterclass in sweet symphonic soul Its every bit as essential as The Chi-Lites, The Delfonics, and The Moments yet nowhere near as known.
Don Laka - I Wanna Be Myself LP (Cultures of Soul)
Expressive soul over funky synth-laden grooves, using a range of cutting-edge instrumentation of the mid '80s. A classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Don Laka began his career in the '70s and then joined the seminal jazz outfit Sakhile in the early '80s. In making his debut solo record, Laka began to experiment with synthesizers such as the Juno and the Prophet 5, and recorded much of the record with a Fairlight synth at Downtown Studios in Johannesburg, the only Fairlight in South Africa at the time.
Andy Stott - It Should be Us 2x12" (Modern Love)
Andy Stott's first release since 2016, It Should Be Us is a double EP of slow and raw productions for the club, following a series of EPs that started with 2011's Passed Me By and We Stay Together. Recorded fast and loose over summer 2019, these eight tracks harness a pure and bare-boned energy, melodies subsumed by drum machines and synths; slow, rugged hedonism. It's all about rhythmic heat and disorientation, pure dance and DJ specials rendered at an unsteady pace, from percolated house and percussive rituals to moody tripped-out burners. There'll be a new Andy Stott album in 2020, but in the meantime... this one's for dancing.
Skegss - My Own Mess LP (Loma Vista)
Limited red colored vinyl pressing of the debut album from the Australian alt-rock trio.
Upset - Upset LP (Lauren)
Upset is a pop punk powerhouse from Los Angeles, CA featuring Ali Koehler (Vivian Girls), Patty Schemel (Hole), Lauren Freeman (Benny the Jet Rodriguez) and Nicole Snyder (Slutever). The band debuted their rst album She's Gone in 2013 on Don Giovanni Records, following up with their eight-song EP, 76, in 2015 on Lauren Records. This is the first record that splits the writing between Ali and Lauren, adding a new dynamic to the band, resulting in an album of solely hits.
Laibach - Party Songs 12" (Mute)
Unpublished tracks from the repertoire of the post-industrial band's North Korea concerts in 2015, immortalized in the documentary Liberation Day, directed by Morten Traavik and Uģis Olte. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Steve Reid - Rhythmatism [Reissue/1976] 2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Drummer and composer extraordinaire Steve Reid's Rhythmatism is one of his deepest and most radical albums of all time and features some of the heaviest jazz players - Arthur Blythe "aka Black Arthur," Charles Tyler, David Wertman and others - joining Reid. The second in a series of stunning independent records he released in the 1970s, Rhythmatism was originally issued in 1976 on Reid's own Mustevic Sound label. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Don Laka - I Wanna Be Myself [Reissue/1984] LP (Cultures Of Soul)
A classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Don Laka began his career in the '70s and then joined the seminal jazz outfit Sakhile in the early '80s. Already an established musician by this time, Laka was at the forefront of exploring the latest synth sounds of the day. Being introduced to synthesizers by Harari's Alec Khaoli, Don soon began experimenting with different synths like the Oberheim, Juno, and Prophet 5 while using a Commodore 64 to sequence them. Constantly striving for the latest sounds, Laka's early explorations culminated in his debut solo album, I Wanna Be Myself.
Benoît Pioulard - Sylva LP+MP3 (Morr Music)
The music on Sylva bears the beauty and strange shapes of nature: desert rock formations and colorful leaves, restless waters and peculiar plants. Meluch's dreamy ambient drones and saturated lo-fi pop embody the impressionist sensation of his visual aesthetic - with this collection sound and vision are merged into an affectionate study of the organic.
Various Artists - Pop Ambient 2001 LP (Kompakt)
Vinyl repress of the inaugural volume of the Pop Ambient series. Beside the constant pushing forward of the so called "Sound Of Cologne" -- minimal techno in the home of Kompakt, there was also a strong faible for ambient sounds. Not only because of the label's origin and its operator's preference for the pop music of the '70s and '80s, there was evolving a variety of ambient music that added the aspect of pop to the confusing diversity of genres during that time: pop in the sense of subculture, of pop art and, first and foremost, in the sense of pop as an attitude. Pop Ambient is a sonic cosmos of attitude for itself and has no fears of contact with adjoining genres nor with kitsch, art or carnival.
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime 2xLP (Kompakt)
Highly sought-after reissue of the 2007 debut album from The Field, aka Axel Willner. The Field joined the Kompakt family in 2005, bringing forward a new fusion of ambient and techno that fed on his adoration for Wolfgang Voigt's classic '90s projects Gas and M:I:5 as well as the shoegazer rock of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine. Called a "techno pop landmark" by Pitchfork, From Here We Go Sublime almost immediately became a cult favorite, starting a trend that continues to this day. The most striking feat of From Here We Go Sublime must be its sonic cohesiveness, debuting a fully-formed artistic vision that -- seven years and three albums later -- hasn't lost any of its luster.
Various Artists - Kraut Jazz Futurism 2xLP (Kryptox)
Mathias Modica's Kraut Jazz Futurism compilation is evidence of a new musical wind blowing through Germany -- especially in Berlin. After years of having been the techno capital of the world, the city now is embracing a much wider musical palette, attracting a new generation of sonic adventurists: international jazz musicians as well as German talents. Yet, while other new jazz movements are more influenced by hip hop and R&B, these young German musicians have audibly steeped themselves in their own heritage: Krautrock and electronic music. The majority of the tracks on this compilation were composed exclusively for this release or have only seen a limited release via the artists' own channels. Features Karl Hector & the Malcouns, JJ Whitefield, Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra, and many more.
Land of Light - The World Lies Breathing LP (Melody as Truth)
After a seven-year hiatus since the release of their debut LP on ESP Institute, Kyle Martin and Jonny Nash's Land Of Light return with The World Lies Breathing, their sophomore album for Melody As Truth. The World Lies Breathing reflects the pair's shared development towards spacious, abstract composition crafted from a wide range of contrasting sound sources. Utilizing a combination of acoustic instruments, contact microphones and Martin's self-built modular synthesizer The World Lies Breathing focuses on the space between sounds, conjuring up an organic yet alien landscape that exists on the edge of an unknowable void.
Panic Girl - Cake on Jupiter LP (Modularfield Records)
Combining hardware such as modular synthesizers, the ARP 2600, and a Juno 60 along with field recordings and gentle voicescapes, Panic Girl manages to create an album that blurs the line between electronic composition and naturally organic ambience. Each title captures the listener through hypnotic and mesmerizing means, luring you further down a welcoming abyss where you find yourself situated within the playful terrain littered with scrap book like audio elements. A personal and intimate tour through the mindset of an ambitious daydreamer that dares you to dream with her.
Ruins - Marea/Tide LP+7" (Music from Memory)
A reissue of the lost art record Marea/Tide: Sound And Image Research Volume One by Italian Wave duo Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna aka Ruins. Ciranna and Pizzin first conceived the Sound And Image Research series back in the early '80s, when they were involved in various multimedia projects in art galleries and unique exhibition spaces across Italy. In 1984, the duo came across the works of Italian artist Luigi Viola, a painter whose work was already known internationally and who was active in galleries worldwide. When the opportunity arose for the three to come together it quite naturally led to the creation and production of the album Marea/Tide, both inspired by and evolved in symbiosis with Viola. This repress includes a bonus 7" with four stunning unreleased tracks, and printed insert with updated liner notes.
Still und Dunkel - Abandoned 2xLP (Hallow Ground)
Still und Dunkel is the project of three Switzerland-based artists who visit abandoned and hidden places at night or underground all over the world to collect images and sounds. Drawing explicitly on field recordings from man-made environments, Abandoned queries our very notion of authenticity, naturalness and how they can be (re-)constructed in artistic practice: How can the specific sonic environments of those reservoirs, bunkers, infirmaries, and other sites, as they are reclaimed by nature, be adequately documented, interpreted and turned into art? On the 18-minute lead track, the group weaves subtle bass thumps and nervous ticking together with swaths of noise, invoking club elements to create a compelling and unsettling kind of environmental music.
Nese Karabocek - Yali Yali LP (Pharaway Sounds)
Nese Karaböcek is a popular Arabesque singer and film/TV star from Turkey. She started singing at a very young age and has a vast recording career. Yali Yali is a selection of her grooviest tracks from the '70s, including the massive psych-funk dancefloor bomb title track plus other fabulous examples of Anadolu pop-funk, mixing Turkish melodies and instruments with disco arrangements, Moog keyboards, funky drums... and more!
Atreyu - In Our Wake 2xLP (Spinefarm)
Clear vinyl edition of the metalcore band's 2018 album.