New Releases - 12/8/23
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Arizona – Arizona LP (Fueled By Ramen)
Regarding Arizona’s eponymous album, Zachary Charles explains, "The album is a collection of experiences and memories over the last couple of years. Some are in the present, and others are vignettes of moments before quarantine. It's a snapshot of what the human mind goes through to keep itself sane. Some records are more upbeat and dance-y, which was our way of having fun in a rough season. Others look back at what life was like, how we didn't see what was coming, and thinking about where we are now."
Atreyu – The Beautiful Dark Of Life CD/LP (Spinefarm)
The Beautiful Dark Life is the ninth studio album from Atreyu. Unfurled throughout the year as a series of three EPs, culminating in a surprise album release, Atreyu are taking their audience on a journey through "the seasons of life" and the rollercoaster of human existence. With songs that speak openly and honestly about anxiety, depression, self-belief, love and identity, The Beautiful Dark Life represents Atreyu's most universal and important songwriting to date. Through the expression of deeply personal feelings and emotions, Atreyu is giving a voice to a global audience dealing with the very same issues that the band are laying bare, and who are seeking solace, empathy, escapism, and empowerment through music. [Two color vinyl pressings are available: glow-in-the-dark clear; and red teal & yellow swirl.]
Brigitte Calls Me Baby – This House Is Made Of Corners 12” (ATO)
Translucent pink vinyl. Chicago-based Brigitte Calls Me Baby span genres and eras, merging the lavish romanticism of mid-century pop with the frenetic energy of post-punk, new wave and early-millennium indie-rock. Originally from Southeast Texas, frontman Wes Leavins grew up hearing Roy Orbison at his grandparents' house next door, while his parents’ played albums by The Cars and Tears For Fears, and his friends turned him onto Radiohead and The Strokes.
Burna Boy – Love, Damini 2xLP (Atlantic)
Grammy-award-winning Burna Boy releases his sixth studio album, Love, Damini on vinyl. Named The New York Times' Critics Pick, the 19-track album features collaborations with Ed Sheeran, J Hus, Popcaan, Blxst, Kehlani, J. Balvin, Khalid, Victony and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Love, Damini follows the African Giant's Grammy Award Winning album, Twice As Talland was written as Burna Boy's personal letter to his fans. Each track was inspired by significant life events that have impacted Burna. The record marks his coming of age and captures Burna Boy's new sound as he turns the page on a new musical era.
Michael Franti & Spearhead – Big Big Love 2xLP (Boo Boo Wax)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Michael Franti is a globally recognized musician, humanitarian, activist, and award-winning filmmaker revered for his high-energy live shows, inspiring music, devotion to health and wellness, worldwide philanthropic efforts, and the power of optimism. Michael Franti & Spearhead continue to foster their community both on and off stage with a wish granting non-profit, Do It For The Love, founded by Franti and his wife, Sara. Do It For The Love brings those with life threatening illnesses, veterans, and children with severe challenges to concerts worldwide, fulfilling over 3,300 wishes and touching the lives of over 12,000 people to date. Franti also owns Soulshine Bali, a 32-room top-rated boutique retreat hotel located in Ubud, Bali.
Frightwig – We Need To Talk... LP (Label 51)
Red vinyl pressing. Pioneering feminist punk band Frightwig return with their latest album, We Need To Talk... Since forming in San Francisco in 1983, Frightwig have had two objectives: Spread joy and smash the patriarchy. For 40 years, they have succeeded on both fronts, with a mix of in-your-face hardcore energy and a fearless activist spirit. A formative influence on the Riot Grrrl movement and beyond, the band embrace fellow freaks, sinners, and misfits - and the coven of Frightwig devotees has only grown larger and stronger with time. Produced by Eric Drew Feldmen (PJ Harvey, Pixies, The Residents, Frank Black, OK Go, Captain Beefheart), We Need To Talk... includes a single dedicated to their late but forever-present drummer Cecilia Kuhn who transcended this earthly plane in 2017. [CD version due December 22.]
Full Of Hell & Nothing – When No Birds Sang CD/LP (Closed Casket Activities)
Ambitious in scope and concept, When No Birds Sang not only showcases the bands' creative highs, but also some of humanity's woeful lows- and they introduce this body of work with "Spend The Grace". An unnerving melody gives way to cathartic growls atop a sparse beat, and guitars buzz beneath gritty vocals only to spiral out into trudging distorted crescendo. [Limited-edition gold vinyl.]
Grieves – The Collections Of Mr. Nice Guy LP (Rhymesayers)
Teal color vinyl. Following the release of his Running Wild album, Grieves let loose a flurry of new music, surprising and delighting fans with fresh new singles each week. He was able to express his growth and hunger in this new work, as the content and production ranged from light-hearted and jazzy to intense and introspective.
H.R. – Let Luv Lead (The Way) LP (Law)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing. H.R. (Human Rights), the iconic frontman of the legendary punk band Bad Brains, delivers a roots reggae album featuring Nick Hexum of 311, Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D., Chali 2na, and Harrison Stafford of Groundation including a reggae cover of the Bad Brains' classic "Attitude".
Halfnoise – City Talk LP (Congrats)
Neon green vinyl. City Talk is the new self-produced album from Zac Farro's Halfnoise.
City Talk arrives via Farro's Nashville artist collective Congrats Records and follows 2019's critically acclaimed Motif LP. Farro, perhaps best known as the drummer of Paramore, has been honing his skills outside of his main gig for years now. He's released a steady flow of Halfnoise music, he's produced and played with Becca Mancari and Elke, he's directed videos for Paramore, Hayley Williams, Elke and Halfnoise and he's a consummate photographer - releasing a photo book in 2020 In Transit and shooting his bands and others, including Local Natives who are currently using Farro's images as their promo shots.
Hiromi & Hiromi’s Sonicwonder – Sonicwonderland LP (Telarc)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Virtuosic pianist/composer Hiromi electrifies audiences with a creative energy that encompasses the boundaries of jazz, classical and pop. With her new band, Hiromi's Sonicwonder, she introduces their debut album, Sonicwonderland. A musical nod to her 2007 band Sonicbloom, the quartet showcases nine original tracks featuring Hiromi on piano/keyboards, Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums and Adam O'Farrill on trumpet.
In This Moment – Godmode LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD – now available on indie store exclusive galaxy blue vinyl. All cultures, religions, and belief systems share one commonality. Life springs forth from a mother. She bears, nurtures, cultivates, raises, and prepares children for the world. Without her, existence ceases. Much like the earth, life grows, thrives, and survives inside of and because of her… Since coming to life in 2005, gold-selling hard rock provocateurs In This Moment have presided over a diehard fan base under the watch of a similar “mother” figure front-woman Maria Brink—joined by co-founder and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, bassist Travis Johnson, guitarist Randy Weitzel, and Kent Dimmel. As millions convened upon the group’s otherworldly and unforgettable concerts, they quietly emerged as a very influential and impactful band.
Kaliii – Toxic Chocolate: Area Codes Edition 12” (Atlantic)
Coming off the success of “Area Codes,” Kaliii returns with the release of her EP, Toxic Chocolate: Area Codes Edition. The original “Area Codes” peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, #5 on the Hot Rap Songs, and #10 on the Hot R/B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. Toxic Chocolate spawned hits like “UonU” (Feat. Yung Bleu) and “Standards”. [Indie store exclusive lemonade color vinyl.]
Michael Nau – Accompany CD/LP (Karma Chief)
Since the mid- 00s, Michael Nau has crafted a catalog of thoughtful, reflective songs as the frontman of indie-rock mainstays Cotton Jones, Page France, and Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread. All 11 tracks on his latest solo effort Accompany come together to paint a beautiful picture. The lyrics invoke the listener's imagination throughout. They're introspective, but vague and open-ended. The indie rock backdrop shows signs of psych-soul influence with dry and punchy drums, lush synth lines, and tastefully verb-soaked vocal production. [Limited-edition powder blue vinyl.]
Panda Bear & Sonic Boom - Reset in Dub LP (Domino)
Reset, the acclaimed 2022 collaborative album from Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, has been reimagined by the legendary British dub producer Adrian Sherwood as Reset in Dub. Sherwood created his version of Reset at his On-U Sound Studios with a crew that included such storied musicians as Doug Wimbish and Skip McDonald (Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five).
Luke Schneider - It Is Solved By Walking LP (Centripetal Force)
Luke Schneider is a pedal steel guitarist based in Nashville. An Ohio native, Schneider moved to Tennessee to go to college with dreams of becoming a folk-rock stylist but has recently found his place in the landscape of New Age and pastoral Americana. His well-received debut solo album, Altar of Harmony (Third Man Records), is a collection of ambient compositions created entirely by pedal steel. His work on It Is Solved By Walking continues the recent experimental elevation of the pedal-steel guitar and delves deeper into the worlds of ambient sounds and moods.
Spiritbox – The Fear Of Fear 12” (Rise)
The Fear Of Fear builds on the band's momentum from their massively successful 2021 debut album Eternal Blue, which topped charts and dominated critics' year-end lists. The EP features the previously released standalone single "The Void" along with five tracks for a total of six songs. [CD version due December 15.]
Uncle Lucius – Like It’s The Last One Left CD/LP (Boo Clap)
Second chances are rare in rock 'n' roll. Most bands only get one shot at the brass ring, and once the opportunity passes by, it's gone forever. Maybe that's why Uncle Lucius sounds like a band reborn on Like It's The Last One Left, a cathartic comeback album that reunites the platinum-selling group - and pumps new blood into its roster - after a five-year hiatus. Written and recorded in the band's hometown of Austin, Texas, Like It's The Last One Left isn't just a return to form: it's an expansion, bolstering Uncle Lucius' mix of amped-up Americana and greasy roots-rock with string arrangements, adventurous production, and the sharpest songwriting of the group's career.
Neil Young – Before + After CD/LP/Blu-ray-Audio (Reprise/WB)
Consisting of 13 tracks, Neil Young’s 45th album Before + After features solo acoustic re-recordings of some of his past songs. [Indie store exclusive clear vinyl. Free poster with purchase while supplies last.]
Reissues, Comps, Live Recordings, Vault Excavations...
Fiona Apple – Tidal [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Fiona Apple – When The Pawn… [Reissue/1999] LP (Sony Legacy)
Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine [Reissue/2005] 2xLP (Sony Legacy)
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do [Reissue/1999] LP (Sony Legacy)
180gm vinyl reissues of the singer-songwriter and pianist’s first four albums.
Big Thief – Masterpiece [Reissue/2016] CD/LP+MP3 (4AD)
Masterpiece, Big Thief's debut album, is filled with characters and visceral narratives, songs that pivot in the space of a few words. Adrianne Lenker's voice and guitar playing speak of rich emotional territory with grace and insight. In her words, the record tracks "the masterpiece of existence, which is always folding into itself, people attempting to connect to both shake themselves awake and to shake off the numbness of certain points in their life. The interpretations might be impressionistic or surrealistic, but they're grounded in simple things."
Boygenius – Boygenius [Reissue/2018] LP (Matador)
Yellow vinyl. Boygenius celebrate five years of their iconic debut EP, capping off a triumphant 2023 in support of the record. The trio of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus headlined sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden in NYC and Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles this past October.
Joanna Brouk – Sounds Of The Sea LP (Numero)
Seaglass wave color vinyl. Joanna Brouk's most ambitious recording, Sounds Of The Sea, is a concept album full of mystery and eroticism. A conch shell bookends this journey into the deep, going down and down and down further, never reaching bottom. Drawing inspiration from various legends of mermaids and sailors, Brouk weaves circling flutes, vocals, drones, and whale songs to describe a sense of unfathomable longing more clearly than words could ever express. Sounds Of The Sea is a hypnotic and profound achievement by one of new age's greatest composers.
Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined [Reissue/2021] LP (Metal Blade)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing of the fifteenth studio album by the death metal band.
Car Seat Headrest – Faces From The Masquerade 2xLP (Matador)
In March of 2022, Car Seat Headrest brought their "explosive" (Brooklyn Vegan) live show to Brooklyn Steel in New York in support of their 2020 LP Making A Door Less Open. Across three back-to-back nights, the band played revved up versions of tracks spanning their extensive back catalog. Faces From The Masquerade is a collection of recordings from those performances which includes fan favorites "Beach Life-In-Death", "Crows", "Something Soon", and "Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales".
C-Clamp – Dream Backwards LP (Numero)
Percolating in the same watery diner coffee that spawned American Football and Hum, C-Clamp shrugged on and off the '90s slowcore and emo scenes in a hurry. Compiled here are the band's two albums for the venerable Ohio Gold label - Longer Waves and Meander + Return, plus a third LP of singles and compilation tracks, and a meticulously annotated book stuffed with lyrics, photos, flyers, and ephemera from their all-too-brief existence. This one's colder than a Chicago winter-better plug in that space heater. [Limited-edition white w/ blue splatter vinyl.]
Count Basie – Swings The Blues! LP (Candid)
Blue vinyl. Led by musical director Scotty Barnhart, the Count Basie Orchestra keeps Basie's unmistakable style alive and thriving around the world. In the great traction of the Basie Swings albums comes this explosive album of collaborations with some of the greatest living blues and jazz artists, Basie Swings The Blues!. In preparation for these sessions, Barnhart took a pilgrimage to the Mississippi Delta to immerse himself in the land where blues began. The resulting album is a joyful mix of downhome blues with the deep swing and sophistication that only The Count Basie Orchestra can provide. Swings The Blues brings together Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Keb' Mo', Shemekia Copeland, Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite, Betty LaVette, Ledisi, George Benson, and others to bring the blues and swing back together for a set that jumps and jives with an energy not heard since Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker lit up stages in the '40s and '50s.
Jamie Cullum – Twentysomething [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Decca)
To mark the 20th anniversary of Jamie Cullum's most successful album, Twentysomething is available on vinyl for the very first time. It features the original album across three sides with a selection of non-album tracks, and session recordings on the fourth side. Originally released in 2003, Twentysomething was Jamie's first release on the UCJ imprint in the UK and on Verve in the US. On release, respected jazz critic John Fordham (writing in The Guardian) said, “Cullum's virtues are a remarkable relaxation (which makes music-making, even in a sophisticated studio recording, sound like fun to him), a youthful bounce that makes his work engagingly airy and light, and a hipness of timing that marks him out from many of his competitors.”
Denzel Curry – TA1300 [Reissue/2018] LP (Loma Vista)
Limited pink color vinyl pressing of the third studio album by the rapper.
Cymande – Second Time Round [Reissue/1973] LP (Partisan)
Translucent green vinyl. In 1974, with the release of Second Time Round, Cymande solidified their place in music history. As children of the Windrush Generation, they were part of the first wave of innovators and originators of the fledgling Black British music scene. Taking influences from their Guyanese and Jamaican roots, the band fused reggae bass lines, Afro-tinged Nyabinghi percussion, psychedelic rock touches, and American style funk instrumentation into a unique sound they dubbed as “Nyah-rock.” Second Time Around was the follow up to their self-titled debut and firmly planted the band in the ears of an adoring US audience.
Death Angel – Humanicide [Reissue/2019] LP/Cassette (Nuclear Blast)
New clear w/ violet splatter vinyl pressing. Ascending from the depths, the almighty Death Angel returned in 2019 with their energy fueled masterpiece, Humanicide. A return to the wolves alongside a survivalist pack mentality are what fuel the powerful themes erupting from these fresh metal anthems. In a modern capitalist society where selfishness reigns and communal help and survival are things of the past, Death Angel produces sounds and symbols that point out the truths of attempting to exist safely in the present day.
DJ Rashad – Double Cup [Reissue/2013] 2xLP (Partisan)
Limited-edition gold vinyl. In some ways, Double Cup is Rashad’s debut album, but in more significant ways, it represents a lifetime of incubating a remarkable branch of Chicago house music. In a cruel twist of fate, Double Cup is also a testament to how much creative juice we lost when Rashad died tragically on April 26, 2014.
Sue Foley – Live In Austin Vol. 1 LP (Idla)
Recorded live at the legendary Continental Club in Austin, TX, this electrifying album captures all of the grit, sweat and devastating guitar playing that has propelled Sue Foley to the top of the Blues world in 2023. Here, Sue reaches back and delivers first-ever live recordings of some of her early hits, deep covers, and some surprises too. First arriving in Austin in 1991 at the urging of nightclub impresario Clifford Antone, it's in that era of Austin where she cut her teeth amongst infamous Texas guitar slingers like Albert Collins and The Vaughan Brothers. It's all come down to this one hot Friday night in Austin, playing to a packed club. It's real. And it's tough as nails.
Full Of Hell – Garden Of Burning LP (Relapse)
Limited white, black, and silver splatter color vinyl pressing. Full Of Hell returned with their highly anticipated album, Garden Of Burning Apparitions in 2021. The album, a genre-bending blitzkrieg of hardcore, grind and death metal, sees the band expand upon the very elements that have propelled Full Of Hell to the forefront of extreme music over the last decade. Produced by Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Garden Of Burning Apparitions also sees Full Of Hell adding new dimensions to their warp-speed hellscape.
Ghost – If You Have Ghost [Reissue/2013] 12” (Loma Vista)
Ghost – Popestar [Reissue/2016] 12” (Loma Vista)
Ghost – Meliora/Popestar LP+MP3 (Loma Vista)
Ghost's 2013 EP, If You Have Ghost, features four cover songs along with a live recording of "Secular Haze" from Ghost's performance at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY. Available on blue/yellow split color vinyl. The band released the Popestar EP in 2016 to coincide with their US headlining tour of the same name. It features the single "Square Hammer", plus four cover songs. Available on grey smoke color vinyl. [The Meliora/Popestar limited-edition double-LP set features the popular Ghost album Meliora (2015) and the Popestar EP (2016), pressed on blue smoke color vinyl.]
Goose - Live at Radio City Music Hall 12xLP (Goose)
Today, beloved jamband quintet Goose announced the release of a live album in honor of their seminal performances in New York almost one year ago titled, Live at Radio City Music Hall. This landmark album captures the magic of their historic shows at the legendary New York City venue in late June 2022 and features special sit-ins from Trey Anastasio and Father John Misty. [180gram sunburst color vinyl LPs.]
Coleman Hawkins / Ben Webster – Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster [Reissue/1959] LP (Verve)
As critic Nat Hentoff makes clear, Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster were larger than life. Formidable, even forbidding presences, they revealed a depth of feeling in their playing that spoke of their vast life experiences, as great writers or painters speak through their work. Recorded in 1957.
Hum – You’d Prefer An Astronaut [Reissue/1995] 2xLP (Earth Analog)
Hum – Downward Is Heavenward [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Earth Analog)
Hum's sonic universe is a solipsistic world that exists on its own terms, a maelstrom of sensations and colors, a thick metallic vortex of fuzz-toned guitars with a silent core at the center like the eye of a hurricane - equal parts homegrown and high-tech. Hum serves up a cacophony of overlapping harmonics and dense shards of electric guitars providing a counterpoint to Matt Talbott's reflective tales.
In Flames – Reroute To Remain [Reissue/200] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
In Flames – Sounds Of A Playground Fading [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
In Flames – Sense Of Purpose (The Mirror Truth Version) [Reissue/2004] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
2023 double-LP remasters on new colorways of the sixth, seventh, and ninth studio albums by the Swedish metal band.
Melvin Jackson – Funky Skull [Reissue/1967] LP (Verve)
On his sole album as a leader, bassist Melvin Jackson - a veteran of the Eddie Harris band (this album includes two Harris originals) - plays with a bow, plucks, and plugs his upright bass into a Maestro G-2 filter box, a Boomerang, an Echoplex, and an Ampeg amp. The result is soulful, psychedelic, and of course, funky - at once one of the grooviest and most avant-garde albums you'll ever hear. The Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.
Bobby Keys – Lover’s Rockin’ – The Lost Album CD/LP (Le Chant Du Monde)
American saxophonist Bobby Keys (1943-2014) was born in Slaton, Lubbock County, Texas. Not knowing how to read music, he learned to play the saxophone on his own. At the age of fourteen, he met Buddy Holly, also from Lubbock, and saxophonist King Curtis. During his teenage years, he accompanied singer Bobby Vee on the Caravan Of Stars tour, organized by television host, Dick Clark. In 1964, he discovered The Rolling Stones during a concert in San Antonio. With trumpeter Jim Price, he was one of the musicians recruited for their 1969 tour. He took part in the recording of several Stones albums, including Let It Bleed in 1969, Sticky Fingers in 1971 and Exile On Main Street in 1972. The famous saxophone chorus on the track, Brown Sugar, is considered his most significant contribution. While most of his career was centered on The Rolling Stones, Keys also played for many artists, including The Who, B. B. King, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Johnny Hallyday and Barbara Streisand.
Mark Lanegan Band – Phantom Radio [Reissue/2014] LP (Vagrant)
Mark Lanegan's chief compositional tool on Phantom Radio was his phone - specifically an app called Funk Box. "I didn't bother to hook up my 909 and 808 this time," he says, "because the app had 'em. I'd write drum parts with it then add music with the synthesizer or the guitar." The album grew organically from these synthetic roots, taking in Mark's ongoing love of Krautrock and also an '80s new wave show on Sirius satellite radio, his favored aural companion as he drives around Los Angeles.
Junior Mance – Junior [Reissue/1959] LP (Verve)
Pianist Junior Mance, a veteran of albums and dates with Dinah Washington and Cannonball Adderley, was offered his own recording date by Norman Granz during a session with Dizzy Gillespie. The result is this 1959 debut album, a bluesy and swinging date with Gillespie's drummer Lex Humphries and bassist Ray Brown. Highlights include the original "Jubilation" and Cole Porter's "Love For Sale". The Verve By Request Series features 180gm vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.
The Mighty Clouds Of Joy – Kickin’ CD (Omnivore)
CD reissue of the R&B/Gospel classic from 1975 with two bonus tracks. Contains the single edit of the #1 Billboard Disco Action single of "Mighty High". Packaging includes new liner notes from Gospel historian Tim Dillenger-Curenton.
Minor Threat – Out Of Step Outtakes 7” (Dischord)
In January 1983, Minor Threat went into Inner Ear Studio for the first time as a five-piece (Brian Baker had moved from bass to second guitar and Steve Hansgen was now playing bass). They had six new songs that would end up being the center piece of what became the Out Of Step 12" EP. The band had also decided to re-record the song "Out Of Step" with some extra language to try to clarify the lyrics, as well as "Cashing In", a tongue-in-cheek song about the DC punk scene which they had only played live once. After much debate, "Cashing In" was added as a hidden track on the original vinyl release though not listed on the cover or label. There was still blank tape on the reel, so they decided to record an instrumental with the working title, "Addams Family" and then recorded new versions of "In My Eyes" and "Filler" to hear what they sounded like with two guitars. "Addams Family" ended up being used as a coda to "Cashing In", but the other two songs were never mixed and largely forgotten for over 35 years until the multitrack tapes were taken into the studio to be digitized in 2021. Surprised by the discovery, Ian and Don Zientara mixed the two songs along with the complete take of "Addams Family". These outtakes are now being released on a 7" to mark the 40th anniversary of the release of Out Of Step. Clear vinyl.
Jackie Mittoo and The Soul Brothers – Last Train To Skaville [Reissue/2003] 2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Transparent green vinyl. Jackie Mittoo is one of the most important artists in the history of Jamaican music. As a founding member of the legendary Skatalites, as in-house arranger/producer at Studio One and as a solo artist in his own right leading groups such as the soul brothers, sound dimension and soul vendors. These classic and rare recordings were made in the mid- ‘60s at Studio One. The soul brothers bridged the gap between ska and the arrival of rocksteady mixing it all up with funk, jazz, and Latin styles.
Charlie Parker – Now’s The Time: The Genius Of Charlie Parker #3 [Reissue/1957] LP (Verve)
This 1957 release, the third in a series of albums expanding on Bird's 10” Clef releases from the early 1950's, Now's The Time boasts some of Parker's purest recordings and strongest playing, featuring two different quartets. His lyrical and fluid improvisations on cuts like “The Song Is You” and “Laird Baird” are on full display, prime examples of his unmatched genius. This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180gm vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.
Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother / Hakone Aphrodite Japan 1971 CD+Blu-ray (Pink Floyd)
Double-disc package in a 7” sleeve containing the 1970 Atom Heart Mother album on CD and a Blu-ray disc featuring newly discovered film of the performance from over 50 years ago. Originally only released in Japan in 2021, the set contains some unique memorabilia – a special photo book containing many rare, never-seen-before photos, reproductions of the pamphlet, the poster, the concert ticket, and the flier distributed at the event.
Max Roach – Moon Faced And Starry Eyed [Reissue/1960] LP (Verve)
Roach's solid group featuring Ray Bryant, Julian Priester, and Stanley and Tommy Turrentine are joined by the great Abbey Lincoln on vocals for two tracks, "Never Leave Me" and Cole Porter's "I Concentrate On You". A fantastic and often overlooked album, this is the first US reissue since the album's release in 1960. The Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.
Testament – Dark Roots Of Earth [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (Nuclear Blast)
Clear w/ gold & green splatter vinyl. US thrash metal legend Testament has released many thrash metal classics over the years, including 2012's Dark Roots Of Earth.
Toxic Holocaust – Evil Never Dies [Reissue/2003] LP (Tank Crimes)
Yellow w/ black & white splatter vinyl. Joel Grind has spent 20 years taking Toxic Holocaust around the world, building a massive rabid fanbase, and becoming a thrash metal legend.
Various Artists – Discovered & Covered LP (Dualtone Music Group)
A new compilation album which features exceptional artists from the Dualtone label roster covering beloved contemporary and classic songs, plus a rare original by The Lumineers. Hear new recordings like The Dip's whip-smart neo-soul take on Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger", energetic indie-rock upstarts Flipturn's cover of Tears For Fears, Abraham Alexander and Wilder Woods' stirring duet on Sam Cooke's “Bring It On Home To Me”, Langhorne Slim's rollicking ode to the late great Gordon Lightfoot, and more. With each track, these singular artists offer a fresh and innovative interpretation, providing a new take on familiar favorites.
Various Artists – Studio One Roots 2 [Reissue/2005] 2xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Tranparent green vinyl. Studio Roots 2 delves deep into the vaults of the legendary Jamaican Reggae label and features rare and classic roots as well as an unprecedented seven unreleased tracks that up till now had never seen the light of day.