New Releases - 2/16/24

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

Blackberry Smoke – Be Right Here CD/LP (3 Legged)

Hailed as "the reigning heavyweight champions of Southern rock" (No Depression), Atlanta- based quintet Blackberry Smoke is back with their eighth studio album, Be Right Here, produced by Dave Cobb. Be Right Here follows 2021's You Hear Georgia, which was the best-selling country and Americana/folk album in the country, entered at #7 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart and #4 on the Billboard Top Albums chart. Released to critical acclaim, No Depression praised the band for being “as much students of singer-songwriter folk and outlaw country as they are of jam-based, chest-pumping rock,” while Guitar World declared "Many try to reproduce that holy grail, golden-era-of-classic-rock sound through their six-string escapades, yet only a handful ultimately succeed. One such band who succeeds in spades is Blackberry Smoke, whose most recent album You Hear Georgia serves up 10 tracks of pure rock ‘n’ roll bliss.” [Indie store exclusive gold vinyl.]

Chromeo – Adult Contemporary CD/2xLP (BMG)

Approaching the 20-year mark of their storied career, Chromeo unveil their sixth studio album, Adult Contemporary. The aptly named LP sees the iconic Canadian duo of Dave 1 (Dave Macklovitch) and P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) exploring what it means to be funky in your 30s and 40s. As the riotous early 2000s era that propelled them to indie superstardom becomes the stuff of legends, the Funklordz approach this new chapter with their groove intact.

Paloma Faith – The Glorification Of Sadness LP (Sin/UK Ochard)

The Glorification Of Sadness" is more than an album about relationships. The celebration of finding your way back after leaving a long-term relationship, being empowered even in your failures, and taking responsibility for your own happiness. It is her most personal album to date, drawing on her own experiences with Paloma acting as the anchor to direct a deeply personal narrative and album. It’s confident. It’s cinematic. It’s empowering. It’s compelling from beginning to end, all powered by the kind of anthems that transformed her into an icon. The single is about finding the confidence of walking away from a relationship and being empowered with your own happiness, its limitless expression of pop allows it to sit comfortably next to Paloma’s many chart successors and then some. [Indie store exclusive clear vinyl.]

Béla Fleck – Rhapsody In Blue CD (Béla Fleck Productions)

The new release from banjo great Béla Fleck expands and explores George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue by paying homage to the legendary composer while redefining an American classic-just in time for its centennial.

Frightwig – We Need To Talk... CD/LP+7” (Label 51)

Recently released on red color vinyl – now available on CD. 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.

Friko – Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here CD/LP (Virgin)

Adding to Chicago’s long lineage of forward-thinking indie rock, Friko transform each song into a moment of collective catharsis. On their full-length debut, vocalist/guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger sustain the combustible energy of their break-out single “Crimson To Chrome”, merging elements of post-punk, chamber-pop and experimental rock, magnifying their music’s exhilarating power with a barrage of spirited ensemble vocals. Poetic, explosive, and sublimely raw in feeling.

Laura Jane Grace – Hole In My Head CD/LP (Hold In My Head) CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Polyvinyl)

In the Summer of 2022, a 10-year journey came to an end in Amsterdam. It's final score, as the curtain closed and the lights came up, was comprised of the orchestrations that preceded and followed the final act: the buzz of a barber's razor, the droning resonance of a tattoo machine, and the brush of electric sound from the surprise gift of a friend. For a decade, a leading figure and frontwoman of post-punk staple band Against Me!, Laura Jane Grace, had been slowly accruing black-laden bodywork by master Japanese tattoo artists Gakkin and Kenji Alucky. Beginning at her feet, Gakkin's freehanded, organic figures and Alucky's high-contrast geometric works had taken the three all over the world together just as it had taken inches all over Laura Jane's figure. Finally, though this artistic exercise in time and tattoo ink came to a head, literally. All songs written & performed by Laura Jane Grace. [Limited-edition hot pink vinyl.]

Grandaddy – Blu Wav CD/LP (Dangerbird)

With the album title Blu Wav meant to be a literal mash-up of “bluegrass” and “new wave”, the new collection has a distinct feel, a uniform vibe, and a somewhat unexpected sound. It was conceived as Grandaddy maestro Jason Lytle was driving through the Nevada desert, and Patti Page’s "Tennessee Waltz" came across the classic country station on the radio. He was immediately intrigued by the possibilities of what it might sound like to keep the slow sway and sweet, simple lyrics of the bluegrass waltz while adding layers of dense synthesizers and the electronics of new wave. It incorporates the lo-fi lushness and sometimes-psychedelic orchestration Grandaddy is known for with Lytle’s first foray into true country. Seven of its 13 songs are waltzes, and as Lytle notes, “there’s an inordinate amount of pedal steel.” [Indie store exclusive cobalt, ruby red, and pink marble vinyl.]

Health – Rat Wars CD/LP (Loma Vista) CD/LP (UMG)

Health is not only making the heaviest, most genre-obliterating music of their career, they’re documenting just how insane it feels to be alive right now. It’s The Downward Spiral for people with at least two monitors and a vitamin D deficiency. Rat Wars is a definitive statement on the insanity and the insipidness of contemporary life. [Indie store exclusive translucent ruby red vinyl.]

IDLES – Tangk CD/LP (Partisan)

Tangk is the righteous and vibrant fifth album from madcap truth-seekers, IDLES. Pronounced “tank” with a whiff of the “g” - an onomatopoeic reference to the lashing way the band imagined their guitars sounding that has since grown into a sigil for living in love - the record is the band’s most ambitious and striking work yet. A radical sense of defiant empowerment radiates from Tangk, co-produced by Nigel Godrich, Kenny Beats, and IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen. Despite his reputation as an incendiary post-punk sparkplug, frontman Joe Talbot sings almost all the feelings inside these 10 songs with hard-earned soul, offering each lusty vow or solidarity plea as a bona fide pop song—that is, a thing for everyone to pass around and share, communal anthems intended for overcoming our grievance. [Indie store exclusive translucent pink and deluxe translucent yellow vinyl with hologram board are both available.]

Nathalie Joachim – Ki moun ou ye CD/LP (Nonesuch)

Ki moun ou ye is the second album from Grammy-nominated Haitian American singer and composer Nathalie Joachim. Across the record's ten intimate, original songs, Joachim ponders its title's question: "Who are you?" Inspired by the remote Caribbean farmland that her family continues to maintain after seven generations, Ki moun ou ye travels deeper into the Haitian heritage introduced on Joachim's Grammy-nominated 2019 release, Fanm d'Ayiti. Performed in English and Haitian Creole, the work examines the richness of the human voice-an instrument that weaves DNA, ancestry, and identity in a vibrant tapestry of Joachim's voice and intricately sampled vocal textures, underscored by Joachim's flute playing, violin from Yvonne Lam (Eighth Blackbird), and drums by Jason Treuting (Sō Percussion). Ki moun ou ye explores Joachim's personal history while highlighting her voice's role as a tool for survival, healing, preservation of self, fellowship, and an affirmation of freedom.

The Last Dinner Party – Prelude To Ecstasy CD/LP (Island)

Prelude To Ecstasy is a pendulum which swings between the extremes of human emotion - from the ecstasy of passion to the sublimity of pain - and it is this concept which binds our album together. This is an archeology of ourselves; you can exhume our collective and individual experiences and influences from within its fabric. We exorcised guitars for their solos, laid bare confessions directly from diary pages, and summoned an orchestra to bring our vision to life. It is our greatest honor and pride to present this offering to the world, it is everything we are." - The Last Dinner Party

Les Amazones D’Afrique – Musow Danse LP (Real World)

Les Amazones D'Afrique is a creative force that embraces international voices; sweet, strong harmonies that summon the rights of women and girls; and a meltdown of heritage and new gen talent. They were formed in Bamako, Mali, in 2014 by three renowned Malian music stars and social change activists, Mamani Keïta, Oumou Sangaré and Mariam Doumbia, and the collective has since expanded to involve many female artists from across Africa and the diaspora. While their cause - campaigning for gender equality and eradicating ancestral violence - is worthy enough in itself, their musical creative expression is equally powerful. Richly melodic and far-ranging, it blends pan-African styles and collaborative harmonies with gritty, contemporary pop. Musow Danse draws inspiration from hip-hop, trap, and electronic music.

Levitation Room – Strange Weather CD/LP (Ras/Greenway)

East Los Angeles quartet Levitation Room’s floaty, cosmic songs are always a trip. Since forming nearly a decade ago, they’ve self-produced dizzying, otherworldly music that’s connected with fellow travelers in the hallucinogenic world of outré rock music. Led by singer and guitarist Julian Porte along with founding members Gabriel Fernandez (lead guitar) and Johnathan Martin (percussion), the band has enchanted live audiences at Desert Daze and on tour with like-minded groups Post Animal and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets. The band’s vivid sound has found them placed on popular playlists like Modern Psychedelia and the legendary super producer’s Danger Mouse Jukebox. Strange Weather’s lyrical narratives—about love in the park, life in the city, and the fact that “The world today is such an illusion”—are appropriately steeped in ’60s sonics and a dreamy, lo-fi atmosphere. It’s spacey, celestial guitar music for escaping into, and “it feels just like heaven.” [Indie store exclusive translucent orange vinyl.]

Molly Lewis – On The Lips CD/LP (Jagjaguwar)

Consider this your invitation to Café Molly, a lounge bar like they don't make them anymore. The lights are low, the martinis are ice cold, the banquettes are velvet, and the stage is set for the electrifying talent of whistler Molly Lewis. After the exotica stylings of The Forgotten Edge EP and the Tropicalia-indebted Mirage EP, Molly wanted to encapsulate the sound of Café Molly for her debut album On The Lips, a dreamy tribute to classic mood music, it conjures up misty visions of classic Hollywood jazz clubs, Italian cinema soundtracks and lingering embraces between lovers. [Limited-edition gold vinyl.]

Jennifer Lopez – This Is Me…Now CD/LP (BMG)

You may think you know the story of Jennifer Lopez, one of the most written about women in the world, but This Is Me…Now shares the real story, a piece of her soul, and she is doing it in her own inimitable style. Jennifer Lopez’s long awaited musical experience This Is Me…Now. Produced by Jennifer Lopez and Rogét Chayed, along with Angel Lopez, Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman, HitBoy, Tay Keith and INK among others, This Is Me…Now effortlessly blends R&B, contemporary pop sounds and hip-hop beats. Her signature vocals, combined with intricately crafted lyrics delve into the highs and lows of life, love, and relationships with unflinching honesty and introspection, making this Jennifer Lopez’s most honest and personal album yet. [The deluxe CD contains a 40-page booklet and 2 out of 20 possible polaroid photos. On limited-edition evergreen color vinyl.]

Tate McRae – Think Later LP (RCA)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Multi-platinum singer/songwriter Tate McRae releases her sophomore album Think Later. Executive produced with hitmaker Ryan Tedder (Taylor Swift, Beyoncé), Think Later is steeped in pop appeal and infectious hooks. Showcasing Tate's boundless vocal talent and evolution as a songwriter, this new body of work explores the all-too-relatable feelings of falling in love and embracing the raw emotions that you experience because of leading with your intuition and heart.

Middle Kids – Faith Crisis Pt 1 CD/LP (Lucky Number)

The lifelong arm wrestle between head and heart sits at the center of Faith Crisis Pt 1, the third album from Sydney's emotive indie rockers Middle Kids. Written at a time of a faith crisis, when songwriter and vocalist Hannah Joy found the structures and systems, she believed in were being tested, the record lays out the painful, frustrating, messy pieces of the logic puzzle that life requires us to complete every day. Produced by Jonathan Gilmore (The 1975, Beabadoobee), Joy and bandmates Tim Fitz and Harry Day masterfully express the sensation of being overwhelmed, swept up and dragged down in songs that exalt and lift you higher. The results grab the listener from the opening bars and don't let go, finding the trio once again taking the bare-bones of indie-rock (guitar, bass, drums) and elevating their songs with astonishing and euphoric vocal performances, scorching production, and an incomparable pop-sensibility. [Two color vinyl pressings are available: indie store exclusive blue & yellow; and translucent yellow.]

Mother Mother – Grief Chapter CD/LP (WB)

Grief Chapter is an album with songs rooted in mortality, grief, and living fearlessly. Tracks like "Nobody Escapes", "To My Heart", and "Head Shrink" are sure to ignite their devoted legion of fans, and undeniable alt-rock anthems "Explode!", "Days", "Normalize", and "The Matrix" will sound at home on festival stages and amphitheaters they'll be headlining in the US next summer. The album was produced by Mother Mother frontman Ryan Guldemond and mixed by the revered Rich Costey. [Indie store exclusive coke bottle green vinyl.]

Omni – Souvenir CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

The music of Atlanta trio Omni has always swung fast and hit hard. And Souvenir, their fourth album and second for Sub Pop, packs their biggest punch yet. Following pandemic-induced downtime, they approached the album with lots of pent-up energy. Guitarist Frankie Broyles, singer/bassist Philip Frobos, and drummer Chris Yonker converted their creative fuel and affinity for indie titans like R.E.M., the Cure, and Big Audio Dynamite into sharp, driving songs that land immediately, sporting chopping riffs, staccato beats, and wiry melodies. [Loser Edition silver souvenir swirl vinyl.]

Penelope Scott – Mysteries For Rats / Girl’s Night LP (Alternate Side)

Penelope Scott is a songwriter and producer who absorbs the mania and magnificence of Gen Z life in her expansive, entrancing, and extreme musical vision equally steeped in tender acoustic balladry and hyperpop paroxysms. Here she showcases both sides of her sound on the 2023 double-EP, Girls Night and Mysteries For Rats.

Searows – End Of The World LP (Lroe)

Forest green vinyl. Searows is the moniker of Kentucky-born, Oregon-raised musician Alec Duckart. Duckart's intimate, hushed and compelling debut album 'Guard Dog' was released independently, soon finding an audience that was already sharing snippets of his music via communities on TikTok. With no real anticipation or expectation for where he wanted the music to land, the record was greeted fondly, and received extensive co-signs from the likes of Ethel Cain and Gracie Abrams It's a sound that often feels like Duckart is singing to you, the listener, alone, and as an admirer of the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver, it similarly hits a raw nerve.

Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist – Voir Dire CD/2xLP WB (WB)

Voir Dire, the momentous album by Earl Sweatshirt and Alchemist, undoubtedly represents the long-awaited convergence of two rap titans. Earl's personal and intricately woven wordcraft, along with Alchemist's treasure trove of obscure, captivating samples, combine to create an artistic chemistry that permeates Voir Dire (which translates from French to "Speak Your Truth"). Earl accomplishes just that as he delves into the analysis of specific phases of his life, particularly in the past where his reflections resonate with immense potency, meticulous detail, and profound insight. The album features notable Los Angeles wordsmith Vince Staples on two tracks and esteemed rap artist, MIKE. On Voir Dire, unmatched lyricism and remarkable maturity take center stage, while personal experiences such as new fatherhood emerge and evolve over stripped-down, spacious Alchemist production - culminating in what many consider to be the best rap album of the year.

Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She CD/LP (Loma Vista)

Released last week on CD, vinyl edition – including indie store exclusive blue vinyl – is now available. “The impression left by Wolfe’s [recent] trail of extracurriculars seems a lot like that of an artist making an attempt to put as much distance between herself and where she’d been. Her first album in five years, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She, gives added weight to that idea through songs of shedding one’s skin and setting ablaze the most self-destructive parts of the self. In a statement she described it as summoning “change, growth, and guidance,” and has elsewhere referred to it as a ‘rebirth’, though in doing so she hasn’t embraced a brighter tonal palette or a Canva portfolio full of trite aphorisms. In her saga of self-improvement and a newfound sobriety, Chelsea Wolfe has delivered one of the most stunningly dark albums of her career.” – Jeff Terich, Treblezine

Reissues, Comps, Live Recordings, Vault Excavations...

Codeine & Bedhead – Atmosphere b/w Disorder 7” (Numero)

Twin readings from Joy Division's post-punk gospels, on 7" for the first time. Codeine's 1994 take on "Atmosphere" were the New York slowcore band's final recorded moments, a glum, if not melodic, take on the Salford quartet's requiem to solitude. On the flip, Dallas' Bedhead tackle the opener for Unknown Pleasures, reimagining "Disorder" as jangly indie rock. Housed in an elegant black and silver sleeve, with embossed braille lettering for the visually impaired. [Limited-edition blue vinyl.]

Das Damen – 1986: Keeps Me Wild [Reissue/1986] LP (Dromedary)

Originally released on Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace! Imprint in 1986 (and later reissued by SST Records), 1986: Keeps Me Wild remains an earth-scorching touchstone in the downtown NYC underground movement and a milestone recording in the annals of American indie rock. In addition to two never-before-heard demos, it features new contributions from Dez Cadena (Black Flag), Thalia Zedek (Come), Gary Lee Conner (Screaming Trees), and John Robinson (The Fluid).

Joe Henderson – Mode For Joe [Reissue/1966] LP (Blue Note)

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson capped off his run of five sublime 1960s Blue Note leader dates with his 1966 classic Mode For Joe, an album bursting with vigor and vitality that found Henderson expanding his palette with a septet of colorful figures including Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Cedar Walton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums.

John Lee Hooker – I Feel Good [Reissue/1969] LP (Friday Music)

In 1969, John Lee Hooker released a rockin’ blues masterwork I Feel Good featuring his fellow blues greats Lowell Fulson on guitar, Carey Bell on bass and S.P. Leary on drums. Recorded in Paris, France, the historic recording session displays the natural country blues that would continually make John Lee Hooker a favorite with his ever-growing blues and rock audience, Thanks to blues favorites like his brilliant “I Feel Good” and his classic "Roll And Tumble", these tunes really kick the album into overdrive.

Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes – Uganda (Dawn Of African Rock) [Reissue/1972] LP (Mr Bongo)

The respected Japanese jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa was not messing around when he recorded the Uganda (Dawn Of Rock) album with his band the Count Buffaloes. For this offering, originally released in 1972 on Toshiba Records, Akira Ishikawa takes us on a deep tripped-out journey. Uganda (Dawn Of Rock) is a fusion of progressive and psych rock with African percussion workouts, dergy-wah wah blues-funk, and jazzy sensibilities; with different genres morphing and uniting as they progress.

Skip James – The Complete 1931 Sessions [Reissue/2022] LP (Org Music)

Skip James was a Delta blues artist from Mississippi. Known for his career during the Great Depression and subsequent decades, he was "rediscovered" and became much more widely recognized during the 1960's when he was in very poor health nearing the end of his life. His playing style was primarily in a minor key, featuring complex fingerpicking. The compilation is made up of some of the earliest years of James' career, pulling from his historic Paramount sessions, and showcases the astounding talent he possessed from the very beginning. After years of being out of print, a remastered version of The Complete 1931 Sessions has been reissued on transparent blue vinyl, featuring new artwork and liner notes.

Albert King – New Orleans Heat [Reissue/1978] LP (Friday Music)

In 1978, the amazing meeting of two musical giants Albert King and Allen Toussaint was born. The two geniuses got together and recorded one of the grooviest blues and funk albums of all time, New Orleans Heat. As blues were going through a cultural renaissance since the late ‘60s, bluesmen like Albert King were in high demand. rock, blues and urban radio stations and retailers knew a good thing, especially with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint spearheading the project.

Knxwledge – 1988 [Reissue/2020] LP (Stones Throw)

Limited purple and black color vinyl pressing of the Grammy Award-winning beatmaker Knxwledge's album 1988. 1988 is the follow-up to Knxwledge's hugely acclaimed 2015 album Hud Dreems. Knxwledge has collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, Anderson.Paak (as NxWorries), Joey Bada$$, Earl Sweatshirt, and more.

Kronos Quartet – Black Angels [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Nonesuch)

Black Angels is the 1990 album by the string quartet Kronos Quartet. It includes, and was named after, George Crumb's 1970 composition Black Angels, the composition which had inspired David Harrington to found the Kronos Quartet in 1973.

Lake Street Dive – Bad Self Portraits [Reissue/2014] LP (Signature Sounds)

Limited blue color vinyl LP pressing featuring two bonus tracks. When Bad Self Portraits was released in 2014 Rolling Stone deemed Lake Street Dive "The year's best new band" and the album debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Their television performances have included The Late Show With David Letterman, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the Today Show. Over the years, they've captivated massive audiences at such esteemed festivals as Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival, in addition to headlining tours across the globe and sharing stages with acts like Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow.

Lil Peep – Crybaby CD/LP/Cassette (Death Note Music)

Crybaby is the fourth mixtape by rapper Lil Peep, originally released in 2016. [Limited-edition white vinyl.]

Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy [Reissue/1993] LP (Sony Legacy)

Sarah McLachlan's platinum-selling third studio album, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, debuted in 1993 to critical acclaim. Featuring the hit song "Possession", the album showcases McLachlan's introspective lyrics and versatility, while reinforcing her status as one of the music industry's foremost singer-songwriters.

Mystic Tide – Frustration LP (Numero)

A raw-nerved hybrid of elemental Merseybeat, lugubrious surf-noir and sheer sonic assault, the remarkable legacy of Long Island's Mystic Tide has long been venerated within the '60s garage rock pantheon, even if their existential racket only slipped out on a series of painfully rare 45s. Now, the fruit of Joe Docko Jr and friends' cottage industry has been refurbished in best-ever sound, along with fresh insights as to how this singular brand of noise came to be. [Limited-edition green vinyl.]

Six Parts Seven / Goodmorning Valentine – Kissing Distance LP (Suicide Squeeze)

“Six Parts Seven had returned to Ohio after touring out to Washington State, to record Casually Smashed To Pieces. There was down time between the recording and the actual release of that album in January 2007, and we were rehearsing, playing local shows, and collaborating, with most of us involved in other projects to keep the momentum going (Mike w/ Talons, Al w/ Beaten Awake), but the one we all came together over was recording an album with Joey Beltram, the songwriter behind Goodmorning Valentine, a local band we shared players with, a band we deeply admired. The music on Kissing Distance came together over two weekend days.”

Sun Ra – Outer Spaceways Incorporated [Reissue/2014] LP (Org Music)

Sun Ra's Arkestra was at its most radical during this period, alternating simple chants with very outside playing and dense ensembles. Although no precise date is given, these five cuts are thought to have been documented circa 1967-1968 by Sun Ra (piano) and his Arkestra in New York City, where the band was in residence at the time. First released for Record Store Day 2014, the title is now available on gold vinyl.

Techno Animal – The Brotherhood Of The Bomb [Reissue/2001] CD/LP (Relapse)

Relapse Records is proud to announce the reissue of the highly influential Techno Animal (featuring Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, and more,) & Kevin Martin (The Bug)) album, The Brotherhood Of The Bomb. The album was fully remastered by Broadrick and is available on CD - and for the first time ever - on vinyl. Prior to The Brotherhood of the Bomb having even been conceived, Techno Animal had already been championed/released by The Beastie Boys, collaborated with Alec Empire and the then - fledgling Dälek, but still remained in almost total obscurity. Techno Animal had barely found an audience, yet on The Brotherhood Of The Bomb, the duo had definitely found their sound.

Various Artists - Wamono Disco: Nippon Columbia Disco & Boogie Hits 1978-1982 LP (180G)

In the mid-seventies, discotheques were booming in Tokyo and all over Japan. When the Fatback Band topped the 1975 US charts with their infectious “Do The Bus Stop” hit, Japanese label Victor put out the following year the first Japan made Disco tune with “Sexy Bus Stop”, released under the mysterious name Dr. Dragon & Oriental Express, a pseudonym for successful Japanese pop composer Kyohei Tsutsumi. “Sexy Bus Stop” became an instant hit in the country and, taking this opportunity, various Japanese record companies started releasing Disco music. From 1976 until the early 1980s the music was often recorded by skilled studio musicians, rather than by computer input, providing a really solid sound to the dancefloor. Disco music was also spreading into TV series, commercials and anime. From Godiego’s monster hit “The Birth Of The Odyssey - Monkey Magic” to Pink Parachute’s obscure (and excellent!) “Disco Great Tokyo” tune, this selection explores some of the finest Disco and Boogie music released on the legendary Nippon Columbia label in the late seventies and early eighties

Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin’: The Hits 1949-53 LP (Acrobat)

Hank Williams was one of the single most important and influential artists in the history of country music, providing a template for which a host of country stars successfully followed during the decades after his tragically premature death in 1953 at the age of 29. He was a recording artist for just six years, yet he had around thirty-five country chart hits, including eleven No. 1s. His songs have been recorded by, and provided hits for, dozens of artists across just about every genre over the years. This 16-track collection features all Hanks chart toppers alongside the majority of his 2nd place finishes and provides a great snapshot of country music's biggest icon.