New Releases - 3/15/24

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

21 Savage – American Dream CD/2xLP (Epic)

Nearly six years after his last solo release, 21 Savage returns with the long-awaited new studio album, American Dream. Debuting on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #1 for two weeks in a row, the set continues in the rappers stone faced trap tradition but adding with some new elements including R&B on the track "Prove It" featuring Summer Walker and pop on the Doja Cat collaboration "N.H.I.E." There is no lack of hip-hop prowess though with guest features from Metro Boomin', The Weeknd, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Lil Durk, and more. [Limited-edition purple/black split color vinyl.]

Aborted – Vault Of Horrors CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

With their ability to compose and perform an uncompromising mix of death metal and grindcore, complemented with provocative artwork and merchandise designs, Aborted became an essential pioneer of the extreme metal scene and released 11 successful full-length albums since the mid Nineties. After releasing music and playing worldwide tours for almost 30 years, mastermind Sven de Caluwe and his band still push their musical boundaries and reinvent themselves constantly.

Bas – We Only Talk About Real Sh!t When We're F*cked Up 2xLP (Interscope)

Translucent red colorway. Dreamville rapper and global star, Bas' fourth studio album, We Only Talk About Real Sh!t When We're Fcked Up features a star-studded line up of special guests, Bas has curated an album primed for fans from all across the globe including J. Cole (North Carolina), A$AP Ferg (New York), Adekunle Gold (Nigeria), Amaarae (Ghana), AJ Tracey (London), FKJ (France) and more.

The Black Crowes – Happiness Bastards CD/LP (Silver Arrow)

The Black Crowes are leaving the bullshit of the past. 15 years after their last album of original music, the Robinson Brothers present Happiness Bastards - their 10th studio album. Some may say the project has been several tumultuous years in the making, but it's arriving at just the right time. Call it brotherly love or destiny that brought them back together; the highly anticipated record consecrating the reunion of this legendary band just may be the thing that saves rock & roll. In a time where the art form is buried beneath the corporate sheen of its successors, The Black Crowes are biting back with the angst of words left unsaid penned on paper and electrified by guitar strings, revealing stripped, bare-boned rock & roll. No gloss, no glitter. [Two indie store exclusive editions are available: CD and 180gm clear vinyl.]

Crushed – Extra Life 12” (Ghostly Int’l)

Limited-edition ‘poisonbloom’ vinyl. Los Angeles dream pop duo Crushed sign to Ghostly International with the first vinyl pressing of their 2023 debut EP, paired with remixes from Real Lies and DJ Python. Pulling from Britpop, trip-hop, and electronica, extra life is the band's love letter to '90s radio. Now they've tapped two favorites for their riffs on the sound. Known for mutations of "deep reggaetón," DJ Python leans into the breakbeats and textures of "milksugar" for an even hazier, atmospheric feel. Extra life standout "waterlily" receives a rave-minded edit from Real Lies. The original crossed melancholic lyricism with dreamy drum breaks, and here the London dance duo enhances both, bumping the tempo into the red, adding their signature club prose overtop.

The Dandy Warhols – Rockmaker CD/LP (Sunset Blvd.)

Produced and recorded by the band at their studio/funhouse The Odditorium in Portland, OR, Rockmaker sees the "Bohemian Like You" hitmakers celebrate their 30th year together with a sprinkle of glitter on their grime. Accompanied by guests Debbie Harry, Slash, and Pixies' Frank Black, The Dandy Warhols wrangle paranoia, untangle anxious discontent, and lust after life while the dance grooves go deeper, heady drones get weirder, and riffage fit for bong rips hammers. [Indie store exclusive clear w/ black vinyl.]

Jessica Ekomane / Laurel Halo - Manifolds / Octavia LP (Portraits GRM)

Entirely computer-generated, Jessica Ekomane's "Manifolds" is a work that explores the multiple possibilities of polyphonic writing, extending it to the "multiphonic" universe where sources and timbres diffract themselves in the listening space. The different voices of the composition no longer follow the traditional parallel trajectories of musical dialogue, but find themselves propelled as if into a particle accelerator, a "collider" freed from all formal rhetoric to reach a state of liberation of energies that is truly confounding. Laurel Halo's "Octavia," a piece for piano and electronics, explores the relationship between melodic motifs and textures in a singular way, intermittent moments of melody, harmony and sound materials connecting and disconnecting, to indicate a series of nets or webs, swaying in and out of one another. These sonic nets gently float, spin and merge, and the effect is one of gently floating over an abyss.

Gouge Away – Deep Sage CD/LP (Deathwish Inc.)

Deep Sage, Gouge Away’s third studio album, started coming together in 2019 during sound checks and in small pockets of downtime between tours. In early 2020, they demoed with Brok Mende in an unassuming storage unit in Orlando. They pulled influence not only from the nostalgia of the bands they grew up listening to but also developed the sense of urgency, noise, and introspective lyrics they felt most represented them. Those demos helped shape the songs into the finished record that Deep Sage would become. The album was recorded with Jack Shirley at Atomic Garden East in March 2023 completely analog and almost entirely live. Unpolished and far from being over-produced, this is what the heart of Gouge Away has always been. [Indie store exclusive black w/ blue vinyl.]

Jonny from Space - back then I didn't but now I do LP (Incienso)

Jonny From Space is the moniker of Miami-based producer, DJ, and co-founder of Impacto, Jonathan Trujillo. After two EPs on Omnidisc and a few more self-released, Incienso presents his debut solo LP, back then I didn't but now I do. Loping drum loops, warbling synth lines, sun-streaked pads and voice amble into the depths of the humid world Jonny's music inhabits, where tempos shift and often float off into the ether altogether. In the words of JFS himself -- this album is "built 2 chill."

Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes – Going Home (Theme From Local Hero) CDEP/12” (BMG)

This is a charitable recording of Mark Knopfler's instrumental, “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)”, produced in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America. The recording features the greatest and most iconic guitarists performing today, alongside an all-star band. Artists: Joan Armatrading, Jeff Beck, Richard Bennett, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Brown, James Burton, Jonathan Cain, Paul Carrack, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Jim Cox, Steve Cropper, Danny Cummings, Duane Eddy, Sam Fender, Guy Fletcher, Peter Frampton, Audley Freed, Vince Gill, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Tony Iommi, John Jorgenson, Mark Knopfler, Joan Jett, Albert Lee, Greg Leisz, Hank Marvin, Brian May, Robbie McIntosh, John McLaughlin, Orianthi, Nile Rodgers, Mike Rutherford, Joe Satriani, John Sebastian, Connor Selby, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr and Zak Starkey, Sting, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Ian Thomas, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Steve Vai, Waddy Wachtel, Joe Louis Walker, Joe Walsh, Ronnie Wood, Glenn Worf and Zucchero. This limited edition 12" is half speed mastered with a laser etched B-side.

Ledisi – Good Life CD (BMG)

Good Life is the 11th album from the Soul/R&B singer/songwriter. Good Life is Ledisi’s first new album since 2020's The Wild Card and includes the singles "I Need to Know", "Sell Me No Dreams", and "Perfect Strangers" (featuring Kenny Lattimore).

Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Be There Tomorrow 2xCD/2xLP (Blue Note)

Charles Lloyd's new studio album features a newly assembled quartet of four distinctive voices with the legendary saxophonist joined by pianist Jason Moran, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Brian Blade. Recorded around Lloyd's 85th birthday concert, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow is a majestic body of work that presents Lloyd originals new and reimagined. The double album finds one of the most significant musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries still at the peak of his powers.

The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis – The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis CD/LP (Impulse!)

On their Impulse! debut album, Washington DC's experimental jazz punk trio the Messthetics (guitarist Anthony Pirog with drummer Brendan Canty and Joe Lally of iconic band Fugazi) join forces with acclaimed jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader James Brandon Lewis. Together, they widen the reach of decisive instrumental music through their overlapping of jazz, punk, funk, aggression, and innovation.

Midlife – Chorus LP (Heavenly)

Mildlife is Adam Halliwell, Kevin McDowell, Jim Rindfleish and Tom Shanahan. With no designated leader, the band rolls on intuitive waves. Chorus is the band's ultimate statement of that borderline mystical unity. Chorus is Mildlife's most optimistic record, serving as a sonic testament to the band's unwavering adoration for the beguiling realms of 70s psychedelic and cosmic sounds. Delve deeper, and you'll unearth Polish jazz, Italo disco and a sprinkling of contemporary electronic sounds.

Kacey Musgraves – Deeper Well CD/LP (Interscope)

The music on Deeper Well, the seven-time Grammy winner's fifth album, is almost chimeric. Rolling acoustic guitars, puffy clouds of strings and synth, warm bass punctuation, layered harmonies, moments of Celtic melody and plenty of room on the tracks for Musgraves' silvery vocals. On the bright, almost folky title track, the 30-something songstress surveys her life and priorities, recognizing what feeds her, drains her and even examines the childhood she's left behind on her way to now. Saturn returns, cardinals embody a dead friend, love is given and taken, streets rush by belongings are packed and old chapters deserted, new love blooms, jade bracelets serve as talismans, deep lessons emerge, small details define everything, the woods are a refuge and New York City serves as the same gleaming beacon as Oz. [Two indie store exclusive editions are available: translucent w/ splatter color ‘spilled milk’ vinyl; and a deluxe CD ‘zine’ version with photo cards and lyric book. A cream color vinyl pressing is also available.]

Nothing But Thieves – Dead Club City 2xLP (AWAL)

Nothing But Thieves made a statement return in 2023, marking an innovative new chapter with Dead Club City. A true concept album, the 11-track project showcases the band’s city-sized members-only club ‘Dead Club City’. The album’s tracklist is formed by different characters and story arcs from in and around the city. Is it a shared consciousness? Another planet? The next corporate wasteland? Heaven? Or somewhere else? Using the club as a focal point, it is easy to imagine the real-world meaning behind Dead Club City. Themes such as advertisement, unity, internet culture, the music industry, aging, and politics, as well as escapism and change are highlighted by the alienation or privilege of a members-only club.

The Orient Express – The Orient Express [Reissue/1969] LP (Sundazed Music)

Sitar-laden raga rock-xotica. Light the incense, turn on and tune out to this acid folk blend of electric oud, minitar and melodica - it's genuine organic blend of both Eastern and Western sounds make this band truly sound like no other. Pressed on seaglass blue vinyl.

Angelo Outlaw – Axis Of Time LP (Colemine)

Axis Of Time is the stunning debut album from Philadelphia mallet percussionist and poet Angelo Outlaw. Featuring Eraserhood Sound's signature synth & soul production, Axis Of Time is a dazzling blend of jazz, rare groove, funk, soul and R&B. According to Outlaw, the album is meant to transport the listener to a dream-like state, where space and time slowly fade away and reality is merely a distant memory. Each song sets a unique scene, as the pace of the music swells and sways... from the euphoric highs of lead single "Free My Mind"and uninhibited groove of "Speed Of Light" to the trance-like meditation of "Dreams" and mournful melodies of "Invisible Clock", Angelo and the Eraserhood Sound house band truly go to the cosmos and back. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]

Slow Hollows – Bullhead CD/LP (Danger Collective)

“My grandma calls stubborn people bullheaded, and it always stuck with me: I really relate to that term,” says Slow Hollows’ Austin Feinstein. After all, the 26-year-old Los Angeles songwriter has spent the past decade following his arrow, doggedly reinventing and honing his music across a diverse collection of LPs. 2015’s Atelophobia and 2016’s Romantic both explored the fringes of indie rock, and put Feinstein on Frank Ocean’s radar, who tapped him to sing the chorus of Blonde’s “Self Control.” 2019’s Actors saw the Slow Hollows palette expanding further, incorporating elements of R&B and dance music, and production contributions from Tyler, the Creator (whose records Feinstein has appeared on since 2016). Despite the breakthrough moment, Feinstein and co decided the project had run its course and announced that Slow Hollows was no more. Five years later, and it couldn’t be more fitting that the news of Slow Hollows return would come with his aptly titled fourth album, Bullhead.

Justin Timberlake – Everything I Thought It Was CD/2xLP (RCA)

Everything I Thought It Was is the highly anticipated new album from multi-talented entertainer, recording artist, record producer, songwriter, and actor Justin Timberlake. This is Justin’s sixth studio album, and includes the first single “Selfish,” a pop infused offering driven by its infectious melodies and features the star’s iconic soulful vocals.

Vltimas – Epic CD/LP (Season Of Mist)

Founded in 2015, Vltimas is a death metal powerhouse featuring David Vincent (Morbid Angel), Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (Mayhem) and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy). “Vltimas boasts enviable chemistry. Blasphemer, Mounier, and Vincent were together in the same space when they wrote Epic. That really shows in the result. We imagine that the fact that Blasphemer and Mounier played together with Nader Sadek enhanced their rapport. Mounier’s aggressive drums are spot-on throughout Epic. Vincent’s concrete presence stands in beautiful juxtaposition to the otherworldly feeling of Blasphemer’s riffs. Vincent helps make Epic easily accessible to the metal masses.” – Jillian Drachman, Metal Insider

Tierra Whack – World Wide Whack CD/LP (Interscope)

Tierra Whack is a premiere rapper, musician and visual artist who is returning to the scene after a two-year gap in new releases. With collaborations with artists such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Lil Yachty, Tierra has become a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Her highly anticipated debut album, World Wide Whack, is a follow-up to her critically acclaimed visual EP, Whack World. Tierra collaborated with fellow Philly native, conceptual artist, Alex Da Corte, on the visuals, artwork, and creative elements of this album. [Limited-edition baby blue color vinyl.]

Stephen Wilson Jr. - Søn of Dad 3xLP (Big Loud Records)

At it's core, søn of dad, co-produced by Wilson and Benjamin West, is a tribute to Stephen Wilson Sr., Wilson's father who trained him as a boxer from the age of five and was himself a two-time Indiana State Golden Gloves Champion. Informed by Wilson's wildly diverse background as a boxer, a scientist (he has a degree in microbiology and chemistry from Middle Tennessee State University) and a songwriter, the album is a cathartic and high-energy rock & roll journey that will be released exactly five years to the day his father died.

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

The Amboy Dukes – The Amboy Dukes [Reissue/1967] LP (Sundazed Music)

Green vinyl. A sonic cocktail of acid garage, blues & psych rock from one of Detroit's finest - featuring Ted Nugent.

Andwella – To Dream 3xLP (Numero)

Hold on to your mind! Led by Belfast-born phenom David Lewis, Andwella made three LPs circa 1970 for London's Reflection label, redolent with Cream-y rock workouts, soaring post-Sgt. Pepper psych experimentation, and earthbound laments The Band might've dreamt up at Big Pink. Barely heard back then, they now conjure a popular rock fantasia to challenge the most expertly composed and orchestrated songs of the era. This deluxe set includes meticulous reproductions of the band's three-LP discography, plus an ephemera-packed booklet detailing Lewis's brief moment as a downbeat songwriting visionary at the height of his powers. [Limited edition grey ‘butterfly effect’ vinyl.]

Azymuth – Live At Copacabana Palace LP (LMLR)

Azymuth is a Brazilian jazz-funk group formed in 1973. This set was recorded live at the Golden Room, Copacabana Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, March 1979. Translucent green/blue colorway.

Donald Byrd – New Perspective [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)

A magnificent band featuring Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock and Kenny Burrell helped this trumpet legend create one of his most memorable albums with this 1963 recording. Duke Pearson did the arrangements, and an eight-piece gospel choir helped Byrd reach the spiritual heights he was seeking; the stunning "Cristo Redentor" joins "The Black Disciple", "Elijah", "Chant" and more.

Cake – Pressure Chief [Reissue/2004] LP (Sony Legacy)

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Pressure Chief features key tracks like "Wheels" and the ever popular "No Phone". Outside of being included in a limited-edition Record Store Day box set, this album has never been available on vinyl as a standalone item.

Paula Cole – Lo LP (675)

Paula Cole's Lo, her 11th studio album, is deeply personal and stunning. It marks her first original work in five years, with songs reflecting trust and resilience. As the first woman solely nominated for a Best Producer Grammy, Cole takes the lead in production. The album, recorded live, showcases her long-time band, featuring notable musicians like Jay Bellerose, Ross Gallagher and Chris Bruce and engineered by Mike Piersante. The autobiographies that are the songs of Lo, are the newest Polaroid snapshots of Cole's life.

Miles Davis – Volume 2 [Reissue/1956] LP (Blue Note)

Miles' early Blue Note sessions from 1952-‘54 yielded two later LPs that Blue Note released as part of the 1500 Series. Volume 2 is split between the blazing bebop and beautiful ballads that first made Miles famous: "Well You Needn't", "Lazy Susan", "The Leap," "It Never Entered My Mind", "Donna", alternate takes of "Ray's Idea" and "Tempus Fugit" and more.

Deadmau5 – >album title goes here< 2xLP (Mau5Trap Recordings)

Turquoise blue vinyl. Originally released in 2012, > album title goes here < is the sixth studio album by Canadian electronic music producer and composer Deadmau5. The 13-track album features a handful of Deadmau5’s biggest hits, including but not limited to: “The Veldt” with Chris James, “Professional Griefers” with Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, “Channel 42” with Wolfgang Gartner, “Telemiscommunications” with Imogen Heap, and more.

Grupo Irakere – Teatro Amadeo Roldan Recital [Reissue/1974] CD/LP (Mr Bongo)

Led by Chucho Valdés, son of Cuban pianist and bandleader Bebo Valdés, Grupo Irakere would go on to become of the most influential and successful groups emanating from Cuba in this period. Their debut 'Teatro Amadeo Roldan Recital' is an in-demand and incredible Afro-Cuban, jazz-funk masterpiece originally landing on Cuba's state-owned imprint, Areito.

Joe Henderson – Power To The People [Reissue/1969] LP (Craft Recordings)

Originally released on Milestone in 1969, the hard-bop cult classic Power To The People finds legendary saxophone virtuoso Joe Henderson soaring in the intersection of thematic development and ecstatically pure sound, joined by a titanic rhythm section featuring Mike Lawrence, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette.

The Innocence Mission – Small Planes LP (Therese)

Translucent cobalt blue vinyl. Recorded in the late 1990s, simultaneously with its sister album Birds Of My Neighborhood, Small Planes, by beloved Lancaster, Pennsylvania band The Innocence Mission, is a favorite among listeners of the band and is available for the first time on vinyl. Featured songs include Oh Do Not Fly Away, Today, and Girl on My Left, and the bonus song A Thousand Miles, which the vinyl pressing restores to it's original home in this album.

Keith Jarrett – Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach 2xLP (ECM)

Keith Jarrett's account of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach's Württemberg Sonatas is a revelation. "I'd heard the sonatas played by harpsichordists, and felt there was room for a piano version," says Jarrett today. This outstanding recording, made in 1994 and previously unreleased, finds the pianist attuned to the expressive implications of the sonatas in every moment. The younger Bach's idiosyncrasies: the gentle playfulness of the music, the fondness for subtle and sudden tempo shifts, the extraordinary, rippling invention... all of this is wonderfully delivered. The fluidity of the whole performance has a quality that perhaps could be conveyed only by an artist of great improvisational skills. In Jarrett's hands, CPE's exploration of new compositional forms retains the freshness of discovery.

Jethro Tull – The Château D'Hérouville Sessions 2xLP (Rhino/Parlophone)

What seemed to be an ideal choice of a residential studio near Paris, turned into a nightmare. The resultant aborted recordings, wittily dubbed "The Chateau D'isaster," remained unreleased for many years. This 2xLP set contains the original 16 tracks mixed by Steven Wilson and a fourth side showing how a handful of recordings did get used on subsequent albums.

The Long Winters - The Worst You Can Do Is Harm LP (Barsuk)
The Long Winters - When I Pretend to Fall 2xLP (Barsuk)
The Long Winters - Ultimatum LP (Barsuk)
The Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed LP (Barsuk)

Indie store exclusive vinyl reissues of the complete catalog by this acclaimed Seattle-based indie band.

Shelly Manne & His Men – At The Black Hawk Vol 1 [Reisseu/1960] LP (Craft Recordings)

Recorded live at the Black Hawk, San Francisco in September 1959, At The Blackhawk Vol. 1 is the first of four volumes released in 1960. Featuring six cuts, Shelly Manne (drums) is joined by Joe Gordon (trumpet), Richie Kamuca (tenor sax), Victor Feldman (piano) and Monty Budwig (bass).

Charles Mingus – Incarnations CD/LP (Candid)

The music Charles Mingus and his group recorded during his landmark 1960 sessions for Candid Records produced three of the most revered jazz albums of the era. Incarnations is a new masterpiece thoughtfully assembled from rare and unreleased material from those sessions that stands proudly in the Mingus canon of masterworks. All but one of the tracks here are from the November 11th, 1960, sessions Mingus and producer Nate Hentoff put together.

Justin Moore – Greatest Hits LP (Valory)

Red smoke vinyl. Defying pure, traditional country, Justin Moore has been one of the genre’s most consistent hitmakers for more than a decade. His first-ever Greatest Hits package showcases 14 tracks, from career-defining songs like "Small Town USA" and "The Ones That Didn't Make It Back Home" to live favorites like "Bait A Hoot" and "You Look Like I Need A Drink".

Muna – Saves The World [Reissue/2019] LP (Sony Legacy)

Muna's sophomore album, Saves The World has been reissued on vinyl due to popular demand. The album delivers the alt-pop anthems fans know and love including hits like "Number One Fan" and "Stayaway". Rolling Stone called it a "mastery of pop songcraft" and Pitchfork named it "pristine pop."

MUTE - Direct Cuts (Redux) 12" (Running Back)

Originally released in 2003 as Running Back's second outing, Direct Cuts is still a remarkable release in the catalogue. This timeless master class in heartfelt and understated deep house has been carefully rescued from the original DAT tapes, re-edited by Gerd Janson and remastered by Lopazz. Influenced in equal parts by the still towering Prescription Underground and the New York singularity that was a young Bobby Konders, Mute managed to create a sound of his own. Marked by live arrangements, bedroom studio aesthetics, a love for dub music and a tempo that was more boogie than techno, it has not lost an inch of its charm. A proposition that probably led Leon Vynehall to pick the hypnotic "Never" for his Fabric mix.

Marissa Nadler / Happy Rhodes – Where Do I Go 7” (Numero)

Ethereal dream gloom from a voice so unique they had to create an entirely new genre to contain all four octaves. Mixing classical music with synthesizer and acoustic guitar, Happy Rhodes' "ecto pop" never quite broke outside upstate New York, but that didn't stop gothic-Americana queen Marissa Nadler from reinterpreting "Where Do I Go" in 2018. Both the original and cover have been paired here, housed in an elegant black and silver sleeve, with embossed braille lettering for the visually impaired. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]

Phish – The Spectrum ’97 (Live, December 2 & 3, 1997) 6xCD (Jemp)

The Spectrum '97 is a two-show complete audio box set recorded live 12/2/97 + 12/3/97 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA - a legendary sports and music arena that hosted Phish nine times between December 1995 and November 2003. Capturing the band at this classic venue during their Fall Tour '97 apex, The Spectrum '97 celebrates a standout two-night run across 33 songs and features a Soundcheck Bonus. The classic run of shows is mixed from the band's multitracks and mastered.

Max Roach – We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite [Reissue/1961] LP (Candid)

An avant-garde masterpiece, a vocal-instrumental suite, a work of collective improvisation, directly addressing the racial and political issues of its day, We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite is one of the most important artistic statements of Civil Rights Movement and one of the most groundbreaking jazz albums of all time.

Nina Simone – Nina’s Back! [Reissue/1985] CD/LP (Verve)

Recorded in 1985 after a break from the studio and time spent living in Barbados and Liberia, this one-of-a-kind album in Nina's catalog features standards as well as original compositions revisited by a rejuvenated Nina. Horns and backups singers join her on "Porgy", "It's Cold Out Here", "You Must Have Another Lover", "For a While", "Touching And Caring", and more.

Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – Live At Action Town Hall, London [Reissue/2012] 2xLP (BMG)

Live At Action Town Hall, London was recorded on November 15, 2002; the concert was a benefit for striking firefighters and would be one of Joe’s last performances (he passed away a month later.) The performance features a three-song reunion with Strummer’s former bandmate from The Clash, Mick Jones, who reunited on stage for the first time in almost twenty years. It would also be their last time on stage together.

Doris Troy – Another Look CD (Omnivore Recordings)

Rare and unissued material from Mama Soul. Many tracks making their CD debut, plus one previously unissued track. Doris Troy took the music world by storm with her 1963 smash "Just One Look". The Hollies, Anne Murray, and Linda Ronstadt would bring it back to the charts, and countless artists including Bryan Ferry, Count Basie, Klaus Nomi, and Harry Nilsson would later put their spin on it as well. In 1969, The Beatles signed her to their label, Apple Records, and an eponymous, star-studded album appeared later that year.

Various Artists – Uptown Top Ranking – Reggae Chartbusters CD/LP (Trojan)

Featuring performances by an array of Jamaican legends, both the 2xLP and CD includes four unforgettable UK chart-toppers, with many of the remaining recordings making the country's Top 20. Overflowing with positive vibes, memorable melodies, and irresistible rhythms, this essential feel-good collection is guaranteed to get feet moving, fill dancefloors, and spread joy any time of the year.

Xiu Xiu – La Forȇt [Reissue/2005] LP (5RC)

Repressed on vinyl for the first time in 15 years. As conceptual as Xiu Xiu's fusion of post-punk, gamelan, synth pop, folk, and noise might seem, the group's music never feels overly cerebral or detached. On the contrary, it's usually brimming over with often contradictory emotions: love, hate, sex, violence, fear, and humor cling together so tightly in Jamie Stewart's songs that they can't be separated. Harsh and beautiful words and sounds remain intertwined on La Forȇt, which ranks among Xiu Xiu's subtlest, and scariest, albums. Color vinyl pressing.

Akiko Yano - To Ki Me Ki LP (Wewantsounds)

Wewantsounds continues its Akiko Yano reissue series with the release of the singer's third studio album To Ki Me Ki, recorded in New York and released in 1978 in Japan. It follows her cult favorite Iroha Ni Konpeitou LP and keeps the similar blend of Japanese pop and New York funk found in the latter. To Ki Me Ki features such musicians as Rick Marotta, Will Lee, and David Spinozza, and also programmer Hideki Matsutake who would soon join the YMO with Akiko. To Ki Me Ki is reissued outside of Japan for the first time, remastered in Tokyo by revered engineer Mitsuo Koike and featuring original artwork by Tsutomu Murakami with four-page color insert and new liner notes by Paul Bowler.