New Releases - 2/2/24
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Britti – Hello, I’m Britti. CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)
A true heiress of the rich musical history of her native New Orleans, Britti is an arresting new voice in her triumphant debut, Hello, I'm Britti. Inspired by musical luminaries from Diana Ross to Dolly Parton and influenced by contemporary legends from Beyoncé to Sade, the album is one of immense gravity and a personal love letter to the place she calls home. Signed, co-written, and produced by Dan Auerbach, the album is fresh and wondrous, with a levee-like hold on her own heritage. [A limited-edition pink/purple swirl color vinyl pressing is en route and will arrive next week.]
Willi Carlisle – Critterland LP (Signature Sounds)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. For folksinger Willi Carlisle, singing is healing. And by singing together, he believes we can begin to reckon with the inevitability of human suffering and grow in love. On Critterland, Carlisle invites audiences to join him: “If we allow ourselves to sing together, there's a release of sadness, maybe even a communal one. And so, for me personally, singing, like the literal act of thinking through suffering, is really freeing,” he says. Rooted in the eclectic world of his live shows, Carlisle's third album was produced by Grammy-nominated Darrell Scott. Critterland is a wild romp through the backwaters of his mind and America, lingering in the odd corners of human nature to visit obscure oddballs, dark secrets and complicated truths about the beauty and pain of life and love.
Ghoul – Noxious Concoctions CD/LP (Tank Crimes)
Creepsylvanian cannibal splatterthrashers Ghoul returns with this five-song EP, Noxious Concoctions. Vicious thrash and death metal. A must have for any Ghoulunatic wondering where the world of Creepsylvania was left at the end of the last hit album, Dungeon Bastards. A real neck wrecker.
Jason Green and The Jerk – Local Jerk b/w I Need Love 12” (DFA)
Mixed and co-produced by James Murphy at DFA Studios in Brooklyn, this release from former Orchid and Panthers singer Jayson Green marks the return of the classic DFA. The A-side is a tight, rollicking party jam with maximum Konk and Loose Joints vibes, while the B-side is a true trip to the unknown.
Vijay Iyer – Compassion CD (ECM)
Pianist-composer Vijay Iyer follows his 2021 ECM disc Uneasy - the first to showcase his trio featuring bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey - with Compassion, another album in league with these two gifted partners. Compassion, Iyer's eighth release as a leader for ECM, continues his drive to explore fresh territory while also referencing his forebears along the way, two of them long associated with the label.
J Mascis – What Do We Do Now CD/LP/Cassette (Sub Pop)
What Do We Do Now is the fifth solo studio LP recorded by J Mascis since 1996. This is obviously not a very aggressive release schedule, but when you figure in the live albums, guest spots, and records done with his various other bands (Dinosaur Jr., The Fog, Heavy Blanket, Witch, Sweet Apple, and so on), well, to paraphrase Lou Reed, "J's week beats your year." What Do We Do Now began to come together during the waning days of the Pandemic. Utilizing his own Bisquiteen Studio, J started working on writing a series of tunes on acoustic with a different dynamic than the stuff he creates for Dino. [Limited-edition translucent purple vinyl.]
Taylor McCall – Mellow War CD/2xLP (Thirty Tigers)
Mellow War is Taylor McCall’s second studio album and first production project. This album was co-produced by Taylor McCall and Sean McConnell. This album features Taylor’s late grandfather during his days in Vietnam on the cover as well as the intro track, “Sinking Sand”, from his days as a pastor. His mother also is singing in the choir. Mellow War explores the balance of good and evil, destruction and healing and the importance of having faith in the darkest of times.
The Paranoid Style – Presents: The Interrogator LP (Bar/None)
From the Dolls-meets-the-devil opening title track to the desperate Sister Lovers-adjacent finale "The Findings", The Interrogator is thirteen vibrant, crackling, scary and hilarious songs which taken together represent nothing less than a thorough and thrilling moral inventory of our decadent and depraved times. Following up and doubling down on the themes of last year's lionized cult favorite For Executive Meeting, Elizabeth Nelson has authored an album as politically potent and pointedly hilarious as antecedents like The Mekons' Rock 'n' Roll and Neil Young's on On The Beach and wed it to the sound of ZZ Top's Eliminator.
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – King Perry LP (!K7)
Conceived, written and recorded during the COVID outbreak, King Perry is Lee Scratch Perry's posthumous album, produced by Daniel Boyle, and featuring guest performances from Greentea Peng, Shaun Ryder, Tricky, Marta, Rose Waite and Fifi Rong. Two tracks were also co- produced with Tricky, who releases Perry's last works on his False Idols label.
Hannah Wicklund – The Prize CD/LP (Label 51)
Hannah Wicklund is a 26-year-old Nashville-based, South Carolina-born rock singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and painter. She self-released her first album which has garnered 10 million Spotify streams. She is supporting Greta Van Fleet on their winter European tour and headlining her own Spring tour in 2024. Hannah recently played at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Festival on the emerging artist stage. [A limited-edition pink color vinyl pressing is available.]
Reissues, Comps, Live Recordings, Vault Excavations...
Aaliyah – Aaliyah [Reissue/2001] LP (Blackground)
Aaliyah is the self-titled third and final studio album by the "Queen of Urban Pop", Aaliyah. Originally released in 2001 by Blackground Records, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Cited by critics as one of the best R&B records of its time, the album is a reflection of herself as both a young adult and matured vocalist. Standout tracks include "We Need A Resolution", "More Than A Woman", and "Rock The Boat".
All Time Low – Put Up Or Shut Up [Reissue/2006] LP (Hopeless)
Yellow colorway. Baltimore-alternative/pop rock artist, All Time Low, has achieved a great deal in their career, from #1 radio hits, late night TV performances, gracing magazine covers, touring with bands like Fall Out Boy, Green Day, and Foo Fighters, collaborating with artists like blackbear, to starring in film and TV.
P.P. Arnold – Kafunta [Reissue/1968] CD/LP (Charly)
Digitally remastered edition. The second album that former Ikette P.P. Arnold recorded for the Immediate label. A fine collection of classic covers including “As Tears Go By” by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, a beautiful take of Beach Boy Brian Wilson's “God Only Knows”, superb renditions of John Lennon and Paul McCartney classic's “Yesterday” and “Eleanor Rigby” and the wonderful Bee Gee's classic “To Love Somebody”.
Ray Charles - Now Playing LP (Rhino)
New best-of compilation on color vinyl at a nice price.
Billy Cobham – Spectrum [Reissue/1973] LP (Friday Music)
Spectrum is the 1973 debut solo album by jazz fusion drummer Billy Cobham. The song "Stratus" appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV on the radio station Fusion FM, as well as being the main sample in the Massive Attack hit "Safe from Harm".
Maryann Farra & Satin Soul – Never Gonna Leave You LP (Real Gone Music)
Limited transparent blue, green, and pink swirl color vinyl pressing. What a collection of talent on this rarity from the Brunswick label-production by disco maestro Tony Valor, arrangements by Chi-Soul legend Eugene Record, and mix by the great Tom Moulton. Not to mention instrumental accompaniment from Valor's highly esteemed Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra... no wonder this 1976 release is deemed a stone-cold proto-disco classic across the globe (it's been reissued on CD in Japan multiple times).
The Fray – How To Save A Life [Reissue/2005] LP (Sony Legacy)
The Fray – The Fray [Reissue/2009] LP (Sony Legacy)
How To Save A Life, the debut studio album from Grammy-nominated pop-rock band, The Fray, features hit songs “How To Save A Life”, and “Over My Head (Cable Car)”, The band’s self-titled second album The Fray features hit songs “You Found Me”, “Never Say Never”, and more. The Fray quickly became a number-one selling album that year and cemented the band as a mainstay in the pop-rock scene of the 2000s.
The Gaslight Anthem – The History Books LP (Rich Mahogany)
Black vinyl pressing of 2023 release. Like so many of the most essential rock bands, The Gaslight Anthem have a rare gift for finding glory in the inescapable pain of being alive. On their new album History Books—their first new music in over nine years—the New Jersey-bred four-piece bring their soulful breed of punk to ten thrilling songs exploring everything from mortality to mental illness to the more precarious dimensions of human connection.
Curtis Mayfield - Now Playing LP (Rhino)
New best-of compilation on color vinyl at a nice price.
Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run [Reissue/1973] 2xCD/LP (Capitol)
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 album, Band On The Run, this Deluxe double-CD edition features the original album and a bonus disc of previously unreleased "underdubbed" mixes of the songs. The tracklist on CD1 mirrors the US release which includes the song, "Helen Wheels". Also included is a double-sided, fold-out reproduction of the Linda McCartney Polaroid poster. [A single-disc half-speed mastered vinyl pressing is also available.]
Blue Mitchell – Down With It! [Reissue/1965] LP (Blue Note)
Miami-born trumpeter Blue Mitchell had a soulful, swinging style that was equally at home in jazz, R&B, and funk settings. Mitchell been a sideman on Blue Note sessions led by Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Smith, Jackie McLean and appeared on numerous classics as a member of the Horace Silver Quintet before he began recording his own Blue Note leader albums. For his 1965 date Down With It! the trumpeter reconvened the same dynamic quintet that had recorded his label debut The Thing To Do the year before including his Silver bandmates Junior Cook on tenor saxophone and Gene Taylor on bass along with a 24-year-old Chick Corea on piano and 22-year-old Al Foster on drums. The band comes flying out of the gate on the boogaloo grooved opener "Hi-Heel Sneakers" with other highlights of the set including the high-spirited "March On Selma" and the gorgeous ballad "Alone, Alone, Alone".
Kip Moore – Up All Night [Reissue/2012] LP (MCA Nashville)
Kip Moore's debut studio album, Up All Night, was originally released in 2012 by MCA Nashville. The platinum-certified album includes the #1 single, "Somethin' 'Bout A Truck", plus the Top 10 hits, "Beer Money", and "Hey Pretty Girl". This Deluxe Edition features five bonus live tracks. Now available on vinyl for the first time. Black/gold swirl.
Grant-Lee Phillips – Ladies’ Love Oracle [Reissue/2000] LP (Yep Roc)
"Ladies' Love Oracle is me in the raw, me in the dark, me in the basement. Sometimes a sketch says more than a mural" is what singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Grant-Lee Phillips said back in 1999 about his forthcoming debut solo record. Recorded over the course of three days in the basement studio of Jon Brion (the Grammy-winning producer of Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann and many more), Ladies' Love Oracle was released following the dissolution of Grant Lee Buffalo, the widely celebrated trio that first brought Phillips to national prominence. The album was met with critical acclaim upon release, with AllMusic declaring that "Phillips joins the gilded ranks of Bob Mould, Mark Eitzel, and Kristin Hersh - songwriters who have flourished alone in the wakes of their respective bands." For the 25th anniversary of Ladies' Love Oracle, the album is being released on vinyl for the first time. The album has been remastered for vinyl by Mike Westbrook and is pressed on translucent orange color vinyl.
Phish – Round Room [Reissue/2002] 2xLP (Jemp)
Double 180gm split color vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. Round Room was recorded at The Barn in Vermont by Bryce Goggin during four days over two weekends in October 2002. The songs were written mainly by Trey Anastasio and Tom Marshall, with the title track and "Mock Song" by Mike Gordon. The Round Room sessions were initially intended as rehearsals for the band's upcoming end-of-hiatus New Year’s Eve show at Madison Square Garden, giving the recording a loose, live feel with several extended tracks like "Pebbles And Marbles", "Seven Below", "Walls Of The Cave", and "Waves".
Rainbow Kitten Surprise – Seven + Mary [Reissue/2013] LP (RKS Recordings LLC)
Rainbow Kitten Surprise – RKS [Reissue/2015] LP (RKS Recordings LLC)
Vinyl reissues of the first two albums by the genre-defying, Nashville-based quintet.
Sixpence None The Richer – Sixpence None The Richer (Deluxe Anniversary Edition) 2xLP (Curb)
Sixpence None The Richer exploded on to the pop charts in 1999 on the strength of "Kiss Me," an utterly irresistible slice of swoony guitar pop that, once heard, is impossible to shake loose from the brain and could well turn out to be this generation's "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "There She Goes".
Soundtrack – The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes CD/LP (Geffen)
The official soundtrack to the highly anticipated new film in the Hunger Games saga. The soundtrack was executive-produced by nine-time Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson) and features "Can't Catch Me Now", written and performed by Olivia Rodrigo. [Limited-edition orange vinyl.]
Sun Ra – A Fireside Chat With Lucifer [Reissue/1983] LP (Modern Harmonic)
Yellow colorway. An F-bomb saturated hip-hop call and response club cut...from Sun Ra?! While the most renowned track in this omniversal opus is the atomic expletive-filled repartee "Nuclear War," there is so much more to this dark mysterious journey through the mind of Sun Ra. The sprawling, suite-like 20-minute title track sustains a lyrical edge despite an open framework and textures, which encourage sonorities to surface and emerge from the band as if there was no human intention behind them. In opposition to "Nuclear War," Ra's organ playing here was built less on bombast and sonic terror than it is on whispers, stutters, shivers, and swells. Fireside Chat offers a wide stylistic array, as was the artist's intent, reflecting his eclectic, seemingly irreconcilable approach to compositional extremes. With Sun Ra you get everything... except predictability.
Various Artists – Eccentric Soul: The Shoestring Label LP (Numero)
Operating in a basement studio at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, pipeline man Howard Neal and his appropriately named Shoestring label was Alton, Illinois’ answer to a question no one asked. Pressed in minuscule numbers and barely outside the 62002 zip code, the singles by The James Family, Jimmie Green, Pete & Cheez, and Carletta Sue are prime examples of cosmic midwestern disco in search of a break. This heavy weight 10-song LP is housed in a tip-on sleeve and includes an essay and imagery that complete the picture of this pure expression of small-town soul. [An opaque dark green colorway is available.]
The Vaselines – The Way Of The Vaselines [Reissue/1992] LP (Sub Pop)
Loser Edition on crystal clear vinyl. The Vaselines have long been celebrated by musicians and music enthusiasts across genres and across the globe, including super-fan Kurt Cobain. Emerging in the mid-eighties under the wing of The Pastels's Stephen McRobbie, The Vaselines came to define the sly wit and irresistible pop hooks of the era's Scottish indie scene.
The Who – Quadrophenia [Reissue/1973] 2xLP (Geffen)
The Who – The Who By Numbers [Reissue/1975] LP (Geffen)
180gm half-speed masters. Quadrophenia is the sixthth studio album by The Who, released in October 1973. The band's second rock opera is often regarded by many as their best album. Delve into the intricate story of Jimmy, a mod coming to terms with life head on. The Who By Numbers is their seventh studio album produced by Glynn Johns and released in October 1975. A powerhouse record the album reached Top 10 on both side of the Atlantic. It contains the standout tracks "Slip Kid", "Substitute" and "Squeeze Box". [Quadrophenia shipped late and will arrive next week. By Numbers is here now.]
Zapp & Roger - Now Playing LP (Rhino)
New best-of compilation on color vinyl at a nice price.