New Releases - 2/3/23
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Betty Who – BIG! LP (BMG)
Red color vinyl pressing. If you need to know anything about Australian-American pop trailblazer Betty Who, it's that she is a survivor and an LGBTQ+ icon due to her infectious, always-inclusive artistry. Moving from the rigid major-label machinery to rediscovering her power as an independent artist, Betty Who is primed to kick off her latest, most triumphant chapter on her fourth studio album, BIG!. Betty sings with as much pop exuberance as ever on the most open-hearted and personal work she's ever produced. BIG explores many topics including self-love and acceptance, as well as career perseverance.
The Bis-Quits - The Bis-Quits 2xLP (Oh Boy!)
The first rock band signed to Oh Boy! Records back in 1993 was a “supergroup” of local rockers, including Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack and our own Mike “Grimey” Grimes! Released on CD back in the day, the album finally makes its long overdue debut on “Betty Was Black (Willie Was White)” black and white vinyl, fleshed out with a 4th side of previously unreleased material, alternate and live versions.
Joe Chambers – Dance Kobina CD (Blue Note)
Joe Chambers, Andres Vial, and the Montreal-based musicians on the Dance Kobinahave a shared interest in exploring the deep musical connection between jazz, Latin, and African music. Vial's original composition Dance Kobina, draws specific inspiration from African American, Brazilian, Argentinian, and Central African music. Originally lacking a title, Chambers suggested Dance Kobina as the name for the piece because of its uplifting, dancing quality.
Color Green – Color Green EP 12” (Org Music)
20 minutes of lysergic, countercultural Americana haze where tendrils of weeping steel guitar drip through a latticework of quicksilver guitar leads under dozy stacks of cloudy vocal harmonies. Produced entirely by Kohll, the four track EP was recorded on a Tascam 488 at various locations across the country. In every sonic crack an electrified static pervades like the ghosts of cross-continental radio that once carried the downtempo melancholy of Nashville country ballads to Technicolor streets surrounding Haight Ashbury. Like the cotton comedown after a potent tab of Orange Sunshine, this record is a gentle melter.
James Brandon Lewis – Eye Of I CD/LP+MP3 (ANTI-)
James Brandon Lewis is a New York-based jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His instrumental voice marries the emotional power of gospel and the grit and groove of blues and R&B to the modal and vanguard influences of Albert Ayler and John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins' expressive melodic and tonal discipline. Lewis drew the attention of many improvising artists, most notably the saxophonist and jazz deity Sonny Rollins, who doesn't offer effusive praise very often. Moved by Lewis' deep, spirit-seeking sound, Rollins said "When I listen to you, I listen to Buddha, I listen to Confucius... I listen to the deeper meaning of life. You are keeping the world in balance."
Mt. Oriander – Then The Lightness Leaves And I Become Heavy Again LP (Count Your Lucky Stars)
Orange color vinyl pressing. In 2016, frontman Keith Latinen quit nearly everything music related by dissolving his band Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) after a decade of constant writing and touring. Little by little, the desire to write again trickled though until it finally came flooding back. Latinen picked himself up and began to pour his heart into something new. The end result is the debut solo full length Then The Lightness Leaves And I Become Heavy Again. While the album bears Latinen's hallmark sounds - chimey guitars, intimate drumming, and confessional vocals, it also lauds a more nuanced approach to songwriting.
RAYE – My 21st Century Blues LP (Rachel Keen)
“RAYE’s reintroduction to the music scene has been a fascinating sight to see, especially for those who’ve followed her since her underground, hazy R&B days. Since becoming an independent artist in 2021, the singer has explored her creative freedom one punchy lyric at a time— and it’s worked.” – Adrianne Reece, Elite Daily
Russkaja – Turbo Polka Party LP (Napalm)
New album from the Russian inspired metal band from Vienna, Austria. Theirs is an addictive mix of metal, punk, ska, and polka.
Sunny War – Anarchist Gospel CD/LP (New West)
"I feel like there are two sides of me," says the Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso known as Sunny War. "One of them is very self-destructive, and the other is trying to work with that other half to keep things balanced." That's the central conflict on her fourth album, the eclectic and innovative Anarchist Gospel, which documents a time when it looked like the self-destructive side might win out. Extreme emotions can make that battle more perilous, yet from such trials Sunny has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles, as though she's marshaling all her forces to get her ideas across: ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, rip-roaring rock and roll, even avant-garde studio experiments. She melds them together into a powerful statement of survival, revealing a probing songwriter who indulges no comforting platitudes and a highly innovative guitarist who deploys spidery riffs throughout every song. [Indie store exclusive translucent red vinyl.]
SYML – The Day My Father Died CD (Nettwerk)
SYML's music has a sacred quality. The solo venture of Seattle artist Brian Fennell, its themes tap into the instincts that drive us to places of sanctuary, whether that be a place or person. "It comes back to your identity of being human; throughout time we've shared the same drive," he explains. His own upbringing - interwoven with experiences of abandonment, adoption, loss, grief, and love - is what drives him to question how connections between people shape us as individuals. The Day My Father Died is an exceptional record. Over 15 songs, SYML offers a profound exploration of the ways in which our lives intertwine. Throughout the album, SYML weaves in familiar iconography as a means of examining his feelings towards others, and about himself. [An indie store exclusive color vinyl pressing is available for special order.]
Brit Taylor – Kentucky Blue CD/LP (Cut A Shine/Thirty Tigers)
New album from the country music singer/songwriter. Kentucky Blue was produced by David Ferguson and Sturgill Simpson. “Brit Taylor never got the chance to meet her musical idol, Loretta Lynn. The singer from Eastern Kentucky was never able to tell the legendary country music star how much her music influenced her or the pride she took in coming from the same state she did before she died earlier this month. And it still hurts. ‘I just didn't want to believe it,’ Taylor, 33, told People in a recent interview. ‘I mean, I know that she was older, but she was a legend. You don't think about losing them.’ She pauses. ‘It was a dream of mine to work with her, but I never did. Still, I feel close to Loretta, and I continue to be inspired by her.’ Indeed, Taylor's new single ‘Kentucky Blue’ has much of Lynn's influence all over it, from the sweeping lyrics to the somewhat haunting melody that were created during the darkest days of the pandemic.” – People [Limited edition blue vinyl signed by Brit! Free bandana with purchase while supplies last.]
Tropical F*ck Storm – Submersive Behavior LP (Joyful Noise)
Clear w/ aqua blue smoke color pressing. Over the course of 36 minutes, TFS puts their deranged spin on classics by Jimi Hendrix, Middle Aged in the Middle East in the Middle Ages, Men Men Menstration, Compliments to the Chef, and The Stooges. Guest starring their old kangaroo mates and collaborators Dan Kelly, the Bard of Beenleigh and Aaron Cupples, the Earl of East Gippsland on octopus like strings-man-ship, falsetto and apocalyptic vibes.
Shania Twain – Queen Of Me CD/LP/Cassette (Republic)
Five-time Grammy award winning and multi-platinum selling icon, Shania Twain, returns with the new album, Queen Of Me. Her sixth original full-length effort overall, Queen Of Me is the superstar's most triumphant-feeling body of work; an album about standing in your own power and worshipping yourself. Its lead single "Waking Up Dreaming" was co-written and produced with BTS hitmaker David Stewart. [An indie store exclusive autographed CD edition is available now. Our vinyl order shipped late and will arrive early next week.]
Umphrey's McGee – Asking For A Friend 2xLP (Nothing Too Fancy)
Recorded during the pandemic, David Fricke praised Asking For A Friend as "the best and most emotionally direct album Umphrey's McGee has ever made."
Vundabar – Devil For The Fire LP (Miscellaneous)
Limited red color vinyl pressing. Debut album from the Boston-based indie punk band.
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah and his Traditional Sound Makers – Vol. 1 LP (Luaka Bop)
Waziri hails from a small part of Edo State in southern Nigeria called Afemailand, known for being a harmonious region where Muslims and Christians live - and dance - together. And there, as a devout Muslim and an exemplar of religious piety, Waziri fuses Etsako/Afemai folk styles with pan-Nigerian highlife and pop to create a sublime vehicle for his Islamic philosophy that gets everyone - Muslims, Christians, whoever - on the dancefloor.
Weezer – SZNZ: Spring LP (Atlantic)
Weezer present one of their most exciting projects to date: SZNZ, a four EP song cycle of sorts. SZNZ: Spring is the first entry in the four-part project.
Weird Al Yankovic – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story CD (Original Soundtrack)
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story stars Daniel Radcliffe as "Weird" Al Yankovic in the unexaggerated true story about the greatest musician of our time. From a conventional upbringing where playing the accordion was a sin, Al rebelled and made his dream of changing the words to world-renowned songs come true. An instant success and sex symbol, Al lives an excessive lifestyle and pursues an infamous romance that nearly destroys him. The Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Original Soundtrack) features 46 tracks - a mix of "Weird Al's" greatest hits (some newly recorded; some classics), a new song "Now You Know", various artists' tracks, interstitial bits from the film, and the film's score from Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson. [Vinyl edition due May 19.]
Reissues, Comps, Live Recordings, & Vault Excavations...
Dorothy Ashby & Frank Weiss – In A Minor Groove [Reissue/1958] LP (Real Gone Music)
Dorothy Ashby was probably the greatest-and certainly the most swinging-jazz harpist of all time, re-purposing an instrument best known for ethereal glissandos into a fully versatile voice in combo settings, capable of providing both instrumental embroidery and rhythmic drive. But she was always fighting an uphill battle in terms of garnering critical and commercial success; both her gender and the exoticism of her instrument often prevented her from being taken seriously among the hidebound environs of late '50s and '60s jazz. But it is that very uniqueness of her sound and station in the jazz world that has made her one of the most collectible musicians of her era, as her music has been sampled and celebrated by modern-day hip hop and world music artists (e.g., Jurassic Five, Bonobo) alike. In A Minor Groove is one of two albums she made in 1958 with flautist/saxophonist Frank Wess, and it is a marvel; backed by fellow Detroit native Herman Wright on bass and the great Roy Haynes on drums.
Brand Nubian – In God We Trust [Reissue/1993] 2xLP+7” (Tommy Boy Music)
In God We Trust is the second album from East Coast hip-hop group Brand Nubian. It was released on February 2, 1993 and is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Lead MC Grand Puba left the group to pursue a solo career in 1991, following the release of their revered debut One For All. DJ Alamo also left to work with Puba, leaving MC's Sadat X and Lord Jamar, who enlisted DJ Sincere to join the group. It was a safe bet that In God We Trust wouldn't have attempted any new jack swing crossovers or tie-dyed imagery. Though the makeover is drastic, it is convincing, with Lord Jamar and Sadat X stepping up with some of the era's fiercest, most intense rhymes and lyrics that were extremely militant reflecting the group's identity adhering to the philosophy of the Nation of Gods and Earths.
Donald Byrd – At The Half Note Cafe, Vol. 1 [Reissue/1961] LP (Blue Note)
In November 1960, trumpeter Donald Byrd brought his quintet into the Half Note Cafe in New York City to record this soulful, swinging and highly enjoyable live set of hard bop featuring Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone), Duke Pearson (piano), Laymon Jackson (bass) and Lex Humphries (drums). Part of Blue Note’s Tone Poet Series featuring all-analog remastering in luxe packaging.
Ray Charles – Ray Charles [Reissue/1957] LP (Atlantic)
Ray Charles Atlantic debut in mono is a must-have. Also known as Hallelujah, I Love Her So, Ray Charles is a compilation of his early singles that helped forge his original fusion of blues, R&B, jazz and pop.
Ray Charles – Ray Sings, Basie Swings [Reissue/2006] 2xLP (Tangerine)
Ray Sings, Basie Swings is an album that mixes previously unreleased Ray Charles vocal performances from 1973 with newly recorded instrumental tracks by the contemporary Count Basie Orchestra.
Arthur Conley – Sweet Soul Music [Reissue/1967] LP (Atlantic)
This mono version of Arthur Conley's soul classic was produced by none other than the King of Soul® Otis Redding. It features Conley's iconic title track, as well as Redding-penned or co-penned songs including "Wholesale Love", "I'm A Lonely Stranger", "Let Nothing Separate Us", and "Where You Lead Me" as well as a curated selection of contemporary soul standards.
Discovery – LP [Reissue/2009] LP (Matsor Projects)
Deluxe vinyl LP pressing. Includes bonus track. Originally released on XL in 2009, Discovery is the collaborative synth pop project from Rostam Batmanglij (founding member and producer of Vampire Weekend) and Wes Miles (lead singer / songwriter of Ra Ra Riot). LP features guest appearances from Ezra Koenig and Angel Deradoorian and is reissued for the first time in five years on limited edition vinyl (including an indie store exclusive orange color pressing), with an unlisted bonus track that was not on the XL pressing.
Everly Brothers – All-Time Greatest Hits [Reissue/1990] LP (Curb)
The Everly Brothers All-Time Greatest Hits doesn't skimp on the big radio hits including "Bye Bye Love", "All I Have To Do Is Dream", "Wake Up Little Susie", and "Cathy's Clown".
The Fisk Jubilee Singers – Celebrating Fisk! The 150th Anniversary Album [Reissue/2020] LP (Curb)
2020 release. Includes guest appearances from CeCe Winans, Keb' Mo, Lee Ann Womack, The Fairfield Four, Ruby Amanfu, Rod McGaha, Jimmy Hall, Rodney Atkins and others. The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an American a cappella ensemble that performs Negro spirituals originally sung by slaves prior to the Civil War. The first group of Singers arranged the music and took it on the road beginning in 1871 introducing the public to a new genre that remains a vibrant musical tradition today. On November 16, 1871, a group of unknown singers - all but two former slaves and many still in their teens - arrived at Oberlin College in Ohio to perform before a national convention of ministers. After a few standard ballads the chorus sang spirituals and other songs associated with slavery. It was one of the first public performances of the secret music African Americans sang in the fields and behind closed doors for generations.
Grandmaster Flash – Grandmaster Flash Presents: Salsoul Jam 2000 [Reissue/1997] 2xLP (Salsoul)
Double vinyl pressing of this 1997 compilation produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash.
Grateful Dead – Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 1 – Fall ’79 2xCD (Real Gone Music)
You live life long enough, you learn that the only thing that doesn't change is that things change, and of all the bands in the rock and roll pantheon, the one that embraced change the most-even welcomed it-is indisputably The Grateful Dead. No other group experienced the same personnel turnover or carved out such a wide stylistic swath of repertoire during its 30-year career. And on Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 1– Fall '79, the Dead once again employs its unique brand of musical jiu-jitsu to emerge stronger than ever.
Robyn Hitchcock – Robyn Hitchcock [Reissue/2017] LP (Yep Roc)
Limited green color vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket. Robyn Hitchcock is the follow up to 2014's critically acclaimed The Man Upstairs. The 2017 record was recorded in Nashville, Robyn's new home base in the US, and was produced by Robyn and Brendan Benson (The Raconteurs). This is the first time Robyn has made a full band album in the studio since 2008 and the record features a lot of key players, including Gillian Welch, Emma Swift, Pat Sansone (Wilco, The Autumn Defense), and Grant-Lee Phillips. The psych-rock influence is a callback to his days with The Soft Boys and his early solo albums.
Waylon Jennings – Live From Austin TX 84 LP (New West)
Limited yellow splatter color vinyl pressing. Looking back, why did it take ten years to finally lure Waylon Jennings to the Austin City Limits stage for his first performance? Like everything else about the man, he did things his own way - when he was damn good and ready. Maybe it had something to do with that other Texas singer, that Red-Headed Stranger who shook things up in Austin and country music in general. Waylon wasn't sure what the fuss was all about (as he sang, "It don't matter who's in Austin, Bob Wills is STILL the King!." – Terry Lickonia, Austin City Limits
Korn – Requiem Mass CDEP/12” (Loma Vista)
A selection of songs from Korn's latest album Requiem captured live as part of an intimate ceremony in February 2022 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California. The five-track set includes renditions of songs such as "Start The Healing" and "Worst Is On Its Way". The Requiem Mass show was attended by 300 fans wearing appropriate black funeral attire and was streamed online. [Vinyl edition features an etched B-side. A limited-edition blue color pressing is available.]
Las Robertas – Love Is The Answer LP (Kanine)
Red color vinyl pressing. Love Is The Answer is a compilation of songs about love towards the universe, individual freedom and of hope in a time where the world seems ever closer to being consumed in chaos. It contains a pop edge while still combing shoegaze and psych rock influences.
The Lumineers – The Lumineers – 10th Anniversary Edition 2xLP (Dualtone Music Group)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition featuring six tracks previously unreleased on vinyl, new liner notes, and all-new packaging with exclusive behind the scenes photos. The Lumineers' breakout debut album captured hearts of fans and critics worldwide in 2012, leading to two Grammy-award nominations and a #2 Billboard chart peak. It features the hit singles "Ho Hey" "Stubborn Love" and "Submarines".
Mayhem – Live In Leipzig [Reissue/1993] LP (Peaceville)
Live In Leipzig is a live album by the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. It was recorded at the Eiskeller club in Leipzig, Germany on November 26, 1990, but not released until 1993.
Mom Jeans. – Best Buds [Reissue/2016] LP (Counter Intuitive)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing. Released in July 2016, Best Buds is the debut album from the California based band Mom Jeans. The album mainly deals with past relationships, loss, and depression. The generally upbeat arrangements give way to the much sadder, angstier lyrics typical of emo.
Nada Surf – Cycle Through LP (Barsuk)
Previously released solely on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive, Cycle Throughfeatures three tracks that were left off 2020's Never Not Together and an orchestra-backed, choir-brimmed version of "Looking For You", "Just Wait" received an extended short-film revamp and three additional versions of "So Much Love" are also included, in Spanish, French and acoustic.
Omnium Gatherum – Steal The Light [Reissue/2002] 12” (Svart)
First-time vinyl edition of the Finnish melodic death metal band’s debut EP. [Limited-edition clear vinyl.]
Ozzy Osbourne – Patient Number 9 2xLP (Epic)
Limited-edition black vinyl variant with alternate Todd McFarlane cover + Patient Number 9 comic book. Patient Number 9 is Ozzy Osbourne's thirteenth solo studio album and a continuation from 2020's Ordinary Man. This 13-track project running nearly over an hour long has the most legendary guests ever on an Ozzy release. Three tracks alone – "Patient Number 9", "Degradation Rules", and "One Of Those Days" – feature Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) respectively, not to mention Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Zakk Wylde (Ozzy's longstanding guitarist from the late ‘80s) as well as the late Taylor Hawkins – on what was to be his final recorded performance.
Oscar Peterson Trio – Night Train [Reissue/1963] LP (Verve)
Limited 180gm vinyl pressing in deluxe gatefold jacket. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, this vinyl reissue presents the complete original album Night Train, one of the many masterpieces recorded by the classic Oscar Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen. Featuring several Duke Ellington compositions, the LP also includes the earliest version of Peterson's anthemic "Hymn To Freedom".
Wilson Pickett – The Exciting Wilson Pickett [Reissue/1966] LP (Atlantic)
The Exciting Wilson Pickett launched four crossover hit singles (including two #1s) for the artist on its way to landing at #3 on the Billboard R&B charts and #21 on the Popular Albums chart in 1966. The chart-toppers are "In The Midnight Hour", "Land Of A Thousand Dances", "634-5789 (Soulsville, USA)", and "Ninety-Nine And A Half (Won't Do)". The deeper album cuts hold significant appeal as well and include standards "Something You Got", "Barefootin'", and "Mercy Mercy", as well as several original tunes with Memphis soul greats Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, and David Porter.
Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul [Reissue/1965] LP (Atlantic)
By 1965, Otis Redding was already a force to be reckoned with, well on his way to earning his King of Soul® title. Then, he released this collection, which is foundational to any soul vinyl collection. This album includes Otis' soul-searing lament "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)", a cover of The Rolling Stone's "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" that is wholly original, the world's introduction to "Respect" before Aretha made it her own, and Otis' perfect versions of "My Girl", "Wonderful World", and "A Change Is Gonna Come", standards like "Rock Me Baby" and spirituals like "Down In The Valley".
Rex – C [Reissue/1996] 2xLP (Numero)
Rex's seminal 1996 sophomore album C, now on deluxe double vinyl for the first time. Every one of C's 66 minutes is a delightful exploration at the intersection of slowcore and alt-country, weaving heartfelt Americana, stately strings, progged-out rhythms and crashingly heavy climaxes into captivating epics. Remastered from the original analog tapes, C has been given a second life beyond the CD-era and comes housed in a tip-on jacket with restored artwork from guitarist Curtis Harvey. [Limited-edition rose color vinyl.]
The Soul Searchers – Salt Of The Earth [Reissue/1974] LP (Real Gone Music)
“Even if you've never heard this 1974 album, you've heard it. What do we mean? Well, the drum break from the song ‘Ashley's Roachclip’ is probably the single most sampled track in all hip-hop. Everybody, and we mean EVERYBODY, has used it - Run-D.M.C., Eric B. & Rakim, and LL Cool J to name a few (and Public Enemy sampled "Blow Your Whistle" for good measure). And when you throw in the fact that the D.C.-based Soul Searchers were led by the soon-to-be "Godfather of Go-Go" himself, Chuck Brown, you can understand why Salt Of The Earth - which originally came out on the lightly distributed Sussex label-ranks among the most collectible R&B albums of all time. For its first-ever American LP reissue, we've pressed this puppy up on coke clear vinyl.”
Tycho – Dive [Reissue/2011] 2xLP+MP3 (Ghostly Int’l)
Orange/red color vinyl pressing. While his formative years were spent listening to everything from Yes to Photek, Scott Hansen didn't get his hands on an actual guitar or drum machine until he left his native Sacramento for San Francisco in 1995. "Encountering this whole new world at 20 years old was a profound experience," says Hansen, better known by his musical pseudonym Tycho and as the graphic artist ISO50. "At the time, I was just learning the processes of design and music; both felt very similar and have flowed back and forth for me ever since. "Nostalgia is a common thread in my work," says Hansen, "but [Dive] wasn't driven by that idea. I see these songs as arti- facts from a future which might have more in common with our past than our present."
Widespread Panic - Huntsville 1996 5xLP (Widespread Records)
Classic prime-era 'Panic live release finally makes it to vinyl.
Various Artists – Magnolia Record Club Presents: Spotify Singles Vol. 2 LP (Dualtone Music Group)
Limited yellow and evergreen splatter color vinyl pressing. A collection of rare tracks now available for the first time on vinyl. Hear Lizzo and St. Paul & The Broken Bones' incendiary take on Sam Cooke, Japanese Breakfast covering The Cranberries, Jade Bird's "Walk Like An Egyptian", the late great John Prine and The Secret Sisters beautiful rendition of Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You", and more.