New Releases - 3/19/21

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

Arab Strap – As The Days Get Dark CD (Rock Action)

"It's about hopelessness and darkness," says Aidan Moffat. "But in a fun way." The Arab Strap frontman is speaking about the band's seventh studio album and their first since 2005's The Last Romance. The band who bought you the classic and legendary "The First Big Weekend" return with new music for the first time in 15 years. "It's definitely Arab Strap, but an older and wiser one, and quite probably a better one," he adds. As the band's Malcolm Middleton told the Guardian newspaper when they profiled the band upon news of their return, "There's no point getting back together to release mediocrity." [Vinyl edition due April 2.]

Gacha Bakradze - Obscure Languages LP (Lapsus Records)

Hailing from Georgia's capital Tbilisi, Gacha Bakradze is one of the national scene's leading electronic music exports. Obscure Languages is Bakradze's second album for Lapsus, following 2018's superb Word Color, which appeared in several "album of the year" lists for publications such as Pitchfork and XLR8R. Obscure Languages delves into the world of cinematic soundscapes, replete with microscopic details and fragments that showcase a luscious IDM style audio palette, laced with ambient, avant-techno, bass, and sound design.

Jon Batiste – We Are CD/LP (Verve)

We Are represents a completely new sonic chapter for Grammy-nominated artist Jon Batiste. Inviting some of the most esteemed creative minds to assist in birthing the album, he reached the finish line smack in the middle of the first wave of the worldwide pandemic and volatile social unrest. The result is a body of work characterized by the consciousness of Marvin Gaye, the grounded optimism of Stevie Wonder, the iconoclasm of Thelonious Monk and the swagger of Mannie Fresh. We Are is a captivating musical experience rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation and sensuality. It's a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others.

BENEE – Hey u x LP (Republic)

New album from New Zealand's platinum sensation – now available on limited red color vinyl. Fueled by one off-kilter bop after another, Hey u x sounds like the perfect lost Gen X classic made for Gen Z. Blending, bending and breaking genres like only BENEE can, the album boasts an all-star cast of collaborators, including Lily Allen, Grimes, Flo Milli, Gus Dapperton, Mallrat, Kenny Beats, Bakar and Muroki.

Harry Connick Jr. – Alone With My Faith CD (Verve)

New faith-based album from the jazz and pop musician/vocalist.

Chris Cornell – No One Sings Like You Anymore CD/LP (A&M)

A posthumous collection of ten cover songs which Chris Cornell personally selected and sequenced to celebrate artists and songs that inspired him. Recorded by Cornell in 2016, the album, which is his last fully completed studio album, features his renditions of John Lennon's "Watching The Wheels", Ghostland Observatory's "Sad Sad City", Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into The Fire", Carl Hall's "You Don't Know Nothing About Love", Electric Light Orchestra's "Showdown", Terry Reid's "To Be Treated Rite", Lorraine Ellison's "Stay With Me Baby" (originally released for HBO's show Vinyl), "Get It While You Can", popularized by Janis Joplin, “Patience” originally by Guns N' Roses, and a new studio recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U", written by Prince.

Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club CD/LP (Interscope)

Chemtrails Over the Country Club marks Lana Del Rey's sixth studio album and follow-up to 2019's Norman F**king Rockwell. Del Rey spoke about the project in Interview Magazine, "From the top, we knew what Norman was. But with Chemtrails, it was like, ‘Is this new folk? Oh, god, are we going country?’” [Available in the shop and online.]

Steve Earle and The Dukes – J.T. CD/LP (New West)

On August 20, 2020 the world lost an amazing light with the passing of Justin Townes Earle. Justin was a vibrant songwriter who could play the blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll all in the same song. In his short career, Justin released eight albums and one EP that all manage to sound classic and yet inventive. Justin's father, Steve Earle, pays tribute to his son by recording an album of songs written by Justin titled, J.T. The album consists of ten Justin Townes Earle songs as well as one song written by Steve. J.T. features such fan favorites as "Harlem River Blues", "Far Away In Another Town" and "Champagne Corolla" along with lyrically heavy songs like, "The Saint Of Lost Causes" and "Turn Out My Lights". J.T. is a loving tribute to a loved son and beautiful songsmith who left this earth too early. But in his wake, Justin left a wealth of beauty. All proceeds from this release will be put into a trust for Justin's daughter, Etta. [Indie exclusive red vinyl and CD available in the shop and online.]

ERRA – ERRA CD (UNFD)

Determination and steadfast dedication have defined ERRA's path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant's albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly self-titled ERRA. As their music finds the balance between the crushingly heavy and the headily melodic, its members seek to find harmony between the needs of the individual and the natural flow of this shared reality. ERRA, as a band of brothers and creative force, strive to live in alignment with the present moment. ERRA, the album, represents redemption for the band, who emerged from the creative process with renewed focus, confidence, and certainty of self.

Andrew Farriss – Andrew Farriss LP (BMG)

While the name Andrew Farriss resonates in industry circles alongside his band INXS and the many hits he penned while they topped the charts, he is rightfully considered one of Australia's most prolific songwriters, having written, produced and performed music for acts such as Yothu Yindi, Tom Jones, Tania Kernaghan and Jenny Morris. In recent years, he has been co-writing with some of the biggest names in Nashville, including the likes of Grammy-award winning songwriters Gordon Kennedy and Paul Overstreet, as well as veritable country music songsmiths Frank J Myers, James Dean Hicks and Bruce Wallace to name a few. [Limited edition vinyl LP picture disc pressing.]

Fleet Foxes – Shore CD/2xLP (ANTI-)

Fleet Foxes return with their fourth full-length album Shore, bringing the dark sophistication of 2017's Crack-Up to new heights with a soulful, sun-shined hue and fresh rhythmic vitality. The songs have dark themes of loss and struggle, but contain an uplifting lyrical power and sense of musical joy that remind us we can make it through the toughest of times. The 15-song, 55-minute album was initially inspired by frontman Robin Pecknold's musical heroes such as Arthur Russell, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guebrou and more who, in his experience, celebrated life in the face of death. "I see "shore" as a place of safety on the edge of something uncertain, staring at Whitman's waves reciting ‘death,'" commented Pecknold. "Tempted by the adventure of the unknown at the same time you are relishing the comfort of the stable ground beneath you. This was the mindset I found, the fuel I found, for making this album." [A limited edition indie store exclusive vinyl pressing is also available.]

Kosei Fukuda - Ruten- 2LP (Reiten)

The first of a pair of concept albums from the Japanese sound artist and producer, representing the principle of yin and yang and the eternal cycle of energy. Fukuda's music is marked by the omnipresence of patterns - even the incessant flow of changes is patterned. In this work, Fukuda hints at an idea that a pattern is both an abstract structural quality and a concrete aesthetic value. The music contained here is a complex sonic story about the interlocking meanings of pattern and flow, and it is a meditative exploration of the human experience of this entwinement. The music moves within one universe of downtempo, ambient, and drone, combining the palpable beats (rhythmic pattern) with the atmospheric backgrounds (harmonic flow).

Valerie June – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers CD/LP (Fantasy)

Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Produced by Jack Splash (Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, John Legend) and Valerie June, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers achieves a transcendent effect thanks in no small part to the splendor of its sound, an exquisitely composed tapestry of folk, soul, gospel, country, blues, psychedelia, and time-bending symphonic pop. The result is a selection of songs both ornate and elegant, each moment crafted with a profound awareness of what's most essential in creating enduring beauty. The follow-up to June's widely adored The Order Of Time – a 2017 effort that earned the admiration of Bob Dylan and landed on best-of-the-year lists from the likes of Rolling Stone and the New York Times – The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers is a potent catalyst for that kind of magic. With her spellbinding vocals and infectious sense of wonder, Valerie June gently eases the listener into a far more charmed state of mind, one that quickly restores a powerful feeling of joyful possibility.

Kelsey Karter – Missing Person LP (BMG)

While the fantastically warped wonderland of Kelsey Karter's debut full-length album, Missing Person offers a much-needed escape from the everyday, the sonic world that the L.A.-based Kiwi artist has created serves an even greater purpose, providing a safe space for listeners to discover their own self-acceptance.

Loretta Lynn – Still Woman Enough CD/LP (Legacy/Sony)

The American music icon's 50th studio album (excluding her ten studio duet collaborations with Conway Twitty), Still Woman Enough celebrates women in country music. From her homage to the originators, Mother Maybelle Carter and the Carter Family (via her cover of "Keep On The Sunny Side") through a new interpretation of her very first single, "I'm A Honky Tonk Girl", Loretta Lynn acknowledges her role in the continuum of American country music while her duets with Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood ("Still Woman Enough"), Margo Price ("One's On The Way") and Tanya Tucker ("You Ain't Woman Enough") find her sharing the musical torch with some of the brightest lights and biggest stars in contemporary pop-country. The album premieres 13 new Loretta Lynn recordings, intimate and electrifying performances of a career-spanning selection of songs illuminating different aspects of her repertoire.

Middle Kids – Today We’re The Greatest CD/LP+MP3 (Domino)

Today We're The Greatest is the Sydney-based rock trio's follow up to their award winning debut album Lost Friends (2018), a record which earned support slots with The War On Drugs, Local Natives and Cold War Kids. Moving away from lyrics of a more conceptual nature, Today We're The Greatest is the uninhibited product of fearless collaboration. Showing a new vulnerability, lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy pulled directly from her own experiences and broke down barriers she had previously set for herself.

Mint Julep – In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep LP (Western Vinyl)

Created slowly over a years-long span that encompassed the recording of 2019's Stray Fantasies, wife and husband duo Hollie and Keith Kenniff deliver In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep, a distinctly hazier chapter of their technicolor pop venture Mint Julep. Where the former album bore a crystalline latticework of defined pop structure, the latter blunts the sharpness and softens the glare, striking a balance between songcraft, and Hollie's solo material, as well as Keith's output as Goldmund. In A Deep And Dreamless Sleep assumes a more aerated form, exuding a heavy fog of shoegaze sensibility, though the infectious pop know-how of its precursor remains firmly intact.

Nashville Ambient Ensemble - Cerulean LP/CD (Centripetal Force)

The Nashville Ambient Ensemble is based, as you may have guessed, in Nashville, Tennessee. Organized and led by electronic composer Michael Hix, the ensemble’s lineup is made up of some of the city’s most creative and innovative artists, including Luke Schneider, Jack Silverman and Diatom Deli, many of whom have been heralded by Bandcamp as being part of an experimental music movement dubbed the “New Weird South.” Cerulean is comprised of six compositions that draw upon the strengths of all the musicians involved, particularly their ability to let space guide their path. This willingness to commit themselves to the margins of sound allows each artist the freedom to explore and develop the ethereal tone and character of each song. The resulting effect is most evident on selections like “Inga” and “Conversion,” as the ensemble’s careful balance of structure and improvisation carries over to the listening experience, transporting the listener to realms of mindful and meditative bliss. The album was recorded by Jeremy Ferguson at Battle Tapes in Nashville and mastered by Taylor Deupree at 12k Mastering. It features cover art by Wendy Walker Silverman. [Limited edition blue vinyl & standard black vinyl as well as CD available in the shop or online.]

New Order – Be A Rebel 12” (Mute)

"Be A Rebel" serves as the first new music to emerge from New Order since 2015's Music Complete. Available 12" vinyl, it also features previously unreleased additional remixes from the band's own Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris. "In tough times we wanted to reach out with a new song," says Sumner. "We can't play live for a while, but music is still something we can all share together. We hope you enjoy it...until we meet again." [Limited color vinyl pressing also available.]

Painted Shield – Painted Shield CD/LP (Loosegroove)

Rather than sounding like a tentative identikit of musical styles, Painted Shield is a brilliantly conceived, bold and cohesive portrait of its creators – chiefly Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, singer-songwriter Mason Jennings and drumming star Matt Chamberlain – and a clear-eyed statement of purpose. Driven by pulse-racing electronic and live drums, bursting with gritty and sometimes psychotic guitars that weave in and out of luxurious keyboard soundscapes, and brimming with glorious melodies that fill the senses and hang on tight, everything about the album – a genre-bending mix of roots rock, electronica and contemporary folk-pop – feels so effortlessly assured.

Waylon Payne - Blue Eyes, the Harlot, the Queer, the Pusher & Me LP (Carnival Recording Company)

A son of country music royalty, a teenaged Baptist preacher turned addict and actor, Payne sings about fathers and sons, faith and addiction, recovery and renewal with devastating clarity. His character-rich collection harks back to a way of telling stories in song that revealed kept secrets and promised mystery. Payne recorded the album primarily at Southern Ground Nashville, a converted century-old church building just off Music Row that once housed Monument Studios. To help realize his musical vision, Payne worked with producers Eric Masse (Miranda Lambert, Rayland Baxter, Robert Ellis) and Frank Liddell (Lambert, Lee Ann Womack, Chris Knight) to assemble a group of musicians that spanned both genres and generations. The resulting album sounds both timeless and out of time. It exists in music’s liminal spaces, the way the late ‘60s and early ‘70s albums of Kris Kristofferson and Bobbie Gentry did in their day.

Pierce With Arrow – Shatter LP (Dais)

The collaborative debut of American minimal techno pioneer Troy Pierce and Colombian audiovisual artist Natalia Escobar aka Poison Arrow was conceived in reverse: first they created a collection of shadowy surrealist videos, then wrote music inspired by them. This inverted process proved remarkably fruitful. Shatter is a simmering, slow-burn noir odyssey inspired by the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus, traversing subtle shades of sleepwalker dub, metallic lament, broken beats, and erotic negative space. [Limited edition silver color vinyl.]

Janet Simpson – Safe Distance CD/LP (Cornelius Chapel/Symphonic)

Safe Distance, the new album from singer, songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Janet Simpson, isn't a concept record, but it does take a journey. From Nashville to Reno (well, almost), to running away from demons, retreating from your troubles, hiding in plain sight, and returning liberated - ready to skip away again while your past looks on with a dropped jaw. But nothing here rambles aimlessly: Simpson's characters long to get free (and succeed) while navigating it all with confident purpose. They are reflective but never middling. They hurt but move to healing - or take the time to care for others. And they don't shy away for a good time - even if they're having too much of one. [Indie exclusive turquoise vinyl.]

Skyway Man – The World Only Ends When You Die LP (Mama Bird)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. James Wallace - singer, songwriter and producer behind Skyway Man - presents The World Only Ends When You Die, a fine example of cosmological country and sci-fi gospel blues. The album was conceived as a tragédie lyrique - a cinematic psych-folk opera about a person rendered incapable of coping with an uncertain reality following a near death experience. Under a spell of mixed wisdom by several "trickster guides" hailing from the future, they leap back into the world of the dead only to spend a hero's journey climbing out, finally returning to the strange American existence of 2020.

Ringo Starr – Zoom In CDEP/12” (UMe)

Ringo’s new five-track EP includes guest contributions from Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Ben Harper, Dave Grohl, Sheryl Crow, Chris Stapleton, Jenny Lewis, Lenny Kravitz, Corinne Bailey Rae, Eric Burton, Yola, Finneas and Benmont Tench.

Sting – Duets CD/2xLP (A&M)

Throughout his long and accomplished career, Sting has collaborated with a musically diverse list of artists – from Algerian Raï singer-songwriter Cheb Mami to rock icon Eric Clapton, to the best-selling R&B artist, Mary J. Blige. Sting collects these beloved musical partnerships in the new album, Duets. The 17-track offering includes some of Sting's most acclaimed collaborations, including his chart-topping single with Mami, "Desert Rose", off his Grammy Award-winning 1999 LP, Brand New Day, and the 1992 hit "It's Probably Me", featuring Clapton. A rendition of Sting's multi-lingual "Fragile" with Julio Iglesias, meanwhile, comes off the Spanish star's 1994 album, Crazy.

Sun Kil Moon – Welcome To Sparks, Nevada CD (Caldo Verde)

“Welcome To Sparks, Nevada is yet another great album from Mark Kozelek under the Sun Kil Moon name. Again, some tracks are very long, and it's not going to be the most accessible listen or the best introduction to Sun Kil Moon's music. But I have to congratulate Mark for writing another challenging record with unpredictable storytelling, and that just seems to continue with every new release of his.” – Album Of The Year

Serj Tankian – Elasticity CDEP (BMG)

Serj Tankian's new solo EP features songs originally conceived for another System Of A Down record, but have now been fully realized as a solo release. [Vinyl edition due April 30.]

Teenage Halloween – Teenage Halloween LP (Don Giovanni)

Often pinned as a band that has a lot going on,' Teenage Halloween has crafted a sound rooted in abundance. Luke Henderik's rare and universal lyrics, and the precise ear of engineer Evan Bernard, this newest collection of songs is full of surprises that humbly aims to redefine the modern DIY punk scene. Predominantly a queer identifying band, the songs reflect this experience holistically with lyrics that grapple with vulnerability, community, extreme existentialism, mental illness, and gender euphoria.

Teno Afrika – Amapiano Selections CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

The past five years have seen amapiano, South Africa's electronic music movement born in the townships of the country's Gauteng province, evolve from an underground sound to a nationwide mainstream staple. Amapiano Selections, the debut album by DJ and producer Teno Afrika, gives listeners outside the movement's online release economy an insight into the high-burn nature of amapiano that has spawned a distinct typology under its larger umbrella.

Chad VanGaalen – World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener LP+ MP3 (Sub Pop)

2020 was a terrible year for gardening. It was terrible for peppers, it was terrible for tomatoes, it was terrible for the condition of the soul. But Chad VanGaalen somehow raised a garden all the same: carrots and sprouts and broccoli and a revivifying new album, all of them grown at home. He likes to eat directly off the plant, he says – "I get down on my knees and graze. It's nice to feel the vegetables in your face" – and the 13 songs on World's Most Stressed Out Gardener were harvested with just such a spirit: in their raw state, young and vegetal, at the very moment, they were made. What that means is that the Calgary songwriter's new album is a psychedelic bumper crop. A collection of tunes that does away with obsessiveness, the anxiety of perfectionism, in favor of freshness and immediacy – capturing the world as it was met while recording alone at home over a period of years. "Don't overthink it," VanGaalen told himself again and again, despite the push/pull love/hate of his relationship with songwriting. "I'm always trying to get outside of the song – but then I realize I love the song." This is a record that gleams with VanGaalen's musical signatures: found sound, reverb, polychromatic folk music that is by turns cartoonish and hyperphysical – like ultra-magnified footage of a virus or a leaf.

Richard von der Schulenberg (RVDS) - Moods & Dances 2021 LP (Bureau B)

Inspired by the otherworldly exotica and imaginative electronics of library music's golden age, Hamburg's Richard von der Schulenberg conjures palm trees and pyramids, promenades, and portals, all observed from the heart of a Holodeck. Now, whether he's atop Mt. Acid with a molten 303, caressing tender Fender keys through an improvised jazz set or live scoring some stage-based theatrics, Richard's music always offers an immersive experience, but perhaps never more directly than this latest opus. Though Library inspired, and undoubtedly indebted to the hardware in action, this intriguing intergalactic trip is more passionate than a pastiche; playful, poetic and enigmatic in true RVDS fashion.

Morgan Wade – Reckless CD/LP (Ladylike)

Morgan Wade has figured out that when you grow up in Floyd, VA, where bluegrass sustains everyone like the Blue Ridge Mountain air but you hear other sounds like pop and punk in your own head, singing for yourself is the way to become the artist you were always meant to be. Produced by Sadler Vaden – Jason Isbell's longtime guitarist – Wade's debut Reckless is a confident rock 'n' roll record that introduces a young singer-songwriter who is embracing her strengths and quirks as she continues to ask questions about who she is – and who she wants to be. Her voice, a raspy soprano that can soothe liltingly or growl, is on brilliant display. But when Wade began to write her own songs, country radio was dominated by svelte voices like Shania Twain and Faith Hill – and Wade couldn't hear herself in any of them. With Reckless, Wade is ready for her voice to be heard.

Karima Walker – Waking The Dreaming Body LP (Keeled Scales)

Tucson artist Karima Walker has long nurtured a duality within her work as a musician, developing her own sonic language as a sound designer in tandem with her craft as a singer/songwriter. The polarity within her music has never been as articulately explored, or imbued with as much intention, as on her new album, Waking The Dreaming Body. [Indie exclusive gold vinyl.]

Reissues, Compilations, Live Recordings & Vault Excavations...

The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker [Reissue/1990] 3xCD/4xLP (American Recordings)

This expanded Super Deluxe edition includes the original album, remastered; three never-before-heard studio recordings; and two unreleased demos from the band's early incarnation as Mr. Crowe's Garden; B-sides, and a high-energy 14-song unreleased concert recorded in their hometown of Atlanta, GA in December 1990.

Boise Cover Band – Unoriginal Artists [Reissue/2006] CD/LP (Ernest Jenning)

In 2002 while Built to Spill was on hiatus, Doug Martsch was inviting various local musician friends to his home studio for improvised jam sessions. Eventually he settled on guitarist John Mullin, long time BTS Soundman Ian Waters on drums and his former Treepeople bandmate Scott Schmaljohn on guitar. The band’s sole album includes covers of David Bowie, Captain Beefheart, The Pretenders and more. [A limited blue color vinyl pressing.]

Eric Church – Carolina [Reissue/2009] LP (EMI Nashville)

Eric Church – Chief [Reissue/2011] LP (EMI Nashville)

Limited clear (Carolina) and blue (Chief) color vinyl reissues of the country star’s second and third albums. [New album, Soul, due April 23.]

David Coverdale – North Winds [Reissue/1978] LP (Eagle)

Limited edition opaque white color vinyl pressing. D David Coverdale's first solo album after his departure from Deep Purple, Whitesnake (which gave his subsequent band its name) hit the UK in May 1977, but he found it hard to get his head into gear to promote it as he'd already cut the follow-up North Winds, a far superior product. Micky Moody was once again the catalyst for the project and Roger Glover was back as producer. Released in the UK in 1978, the ballads sound sincere while the heavier numbers rocked but in a bluesier way than Coverdale's Deep Purple styles. Coverdale gets funky on the lively "Keep On Giving Me Love", eases back with the heartfelt "Time & Again" and album highlight "Only My Soul" and rocks out on "Queen Of Hearts".

Cremation Lily - The Processes and Instruments of Normal People LP (Alter)

Cremation Lily's second album, originally released as a double cassette on his Strange Rules label in 2017, was influenced by the life and atmospheres within British coastal towns. Composed using a rudimentary set-up of synth, drum machine, and two modified Walkmans, CL draws upon a broad range of influences from the underground electronic music spectrum. Noise, tape music and ambient techno are referenced and align in a cohesive collection of tracks, flowing fluidly in sequence. Melancholic synth pads and deep kick drums intersect with crude field recordings and occasional bursts of feedback, evoking an uncertain claustrophobia. More like being pulled under than carried above.

Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (XL)

English rapper/producer Dizzee Rascal's brash, bold debut album, Boy In Da Corner sounded like the future when it won the Mercury Prize in 2003, and it still does today. Often teetering on the brink of either cracking a smile or bursting into tears while delivering his boastful, wistful, and dread-filled rhymes, the hormonally charged voice of East London's Dizzee Rascal is instantly recognizable. It seems as though Dizee was rewriting the UK underground rulebook, slipping from hip hop into to garage with ease. With prototype distorted electronic kid 606 beats, to an array of distorted beats and wobblying basslines, grime was here to stay.

Willie Dunn - Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies: The Willie Dunn Anthology 2xLP (Light in the Attic)

Canadian singer-songwriter Willie Dunn shared truth through song and celluloid. His original composition, “I Pity the Country,” is an unparalleled statement on the greed and hate created by humankind, recorded in 1971 and unfortunately still needed today. With “Charlie,” Willie was the first to deliver the devastating story of Chanie Wenjack and the Canadian residential school system to the music community, nearly 50 years before the much-celebrated Secret Path, yet ignored outside of Indian Country and the folk festival circuit. “He was our Leonard Cohen,” said singer-songwriter Eric Landry about his musical hero. The major difference is that Willie refused to play the Hollywood showbiz game. In talent, he is Cohen, Dylan, and Cash rolled into one, and along with Buffy Sainte-Marie, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, and A. Paul Ortega, brought a new set of perspectives and realities to the folk music tradition. Indie exclusive transparent red vinyl pressing.

The Explorers Club – Rarities Volume 1 LP (Goldstar)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Nashville-based sunshine pop band, The Explorers Club, present the long awaited 11-track collection of Rarities Volume 1 from the vaults, including the long-lost Suites EPs featuring rare covers and early mixes from the Grand Hotel album. These were previously only available via download bundles. Also featured are rare singles previously only available as limited downloads.

Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump ..... On A Wooden Piano LP (Dangerbird)

Modesto, CA's influential indie-rock group Grandaddy celebrates the 20th-anniversary of their classic second LP, 2000's The Sophtware Slump with a brand-new solo piano recording of the album by principal songwriter Jason Lytle. The candid arrangements reveal new layers of meaning embedded in The Sophtware Slump's melancholy and touching vision of the future.

Green Day – Insomniac: 25th Anniversary 2xLP (Reprise)

This 25th anniversary double vinyl reissue includes a bonus LP (with etched B-side) featuring eight rare or never previously released live tracks from the Prague stop of the Insomniac world tour on March 26, 1996 plus cover art printed on prismatic silver foil. The Berkeley pop-punks' 1995 album served as the band's highly anticipated fourth release overall and follow-up to their breakthrough major label debut Dookie from the year prior. With Insomniac the group took everything that was great about its predecessor, i.e. its simplicity, hooks, lack of pretension and disdain for authority, and upped the ante with darker motifs and heavier songs. It resulted in yet another quality collection of uncompromising punk rock with breakneck drumming, pounding bass, catchy riffs and snot-nosed vocals.

Guided By Voices – Propeller [Reissue/1992] LP (Scat)

Propeller was the fifth album by Guided By Voices, and was intended to be the group's last. Released as a limited edition of 500 LPs in 1992, the album featured handmade covers and blank labels to keep expenses as low as possible. Their other albums hadn't sold much, why would this one? Robert Pollard had a family to support and his musical aspirations had not exactly been a boon to their bank account. As fate would have it, the band wound up releasing an album chock full of gems Pollard had stockpiled, and for the first time sounded distinctly like the band that fans have since come to love. Propeller also marks the return of Tobin Sprout to the GBV fold, along with an increased songwriting presence. [Indie exclusive color vinyl.}

Cody Jinks – Adobe Sessions [Reissue/2015] 2xLP (Cody Jinks Music)

"In 2015 a great crop of fresh faces in country and Americana arose on many people's radars," writes Country Perspective. "Hands down one of the best artists to emerge amongst this group was Cody Jinks...[His] 2015 album Adobe Sessions felt like the awaited breaking out of the next big star in the independent country scene. The album is full of traditional country, plenty of steel guitar and ballads on life and love."

Meg Myers – Thank U 4 Taking Me 2 The Disco, I'd Like 2 Go Home Now LP (Sumerian)

Two Meg Myers releases presented in one color vinyl package with gatefold jacket, full color inner sleeve and 5” x 8" card. Side A includes the Thank U 4 Taking Me 2 The Disco EP while Side B features the I'd Like 2 Go Home Now EP. These two EP's are comprised of seven B-sides from sessions from Meg's previous 2018 album Take Me To The Disco plus three new songs, "Grizzly", "I Hope You Cry", (a duet with her friend Morgxn) and "Any Way You Wanna Love", (the lead single from the project).

Sam Smith – Live At Abbey Road Studios LP (Capitol)

To celebrate the release of his latest album Love Goes, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Sam Smith returned to the iconic Abbey Road Studios for a world exclusive livestreamed performance. Serving as his only live performance of 2020, Sam sang tracks old and new including "Stay With Me", "Lay Me Down", as well as treating viewers to the world premiere of new music from his (then) eagerly anticipated third album, Love Goes. Live At Abbey Road Studios also features special guest performances from co-collaborators, including Labrinth, who appears here on the Love Goes title track.

Tanya Tucker – One Night In Tennessee LP (Cleopatra)

Country music legend Tanya Tucker presents a concert album revisiting some of the most magical moments of her storied career. Features live performances of her hit singles "(Without You) What Would I Do With Me", "Soon", and guest appearances by T. Graham Brown and Delbert McClinton. [A limited pink colored vinyl pressing is also available.]

Neil Young – After The Gold Rush (50th Anniversary Edition) LP+7” (Reprise)

Originally released in September 1970, Neil Young's seminal After The Gold Rush has rightly been acknowledged as one of the finest albums ever made. The second of three consecutive masterpieces Young recorded between 1969 and 1972, After The Gold Rush captures the vibes, emotions, and cautious optimism of the era better than any album of its time. This 50th Anniversary Edition features the album pressed on 180gm vinyl plus an exclusive 7" single featuring two versions of album outtake "Wonderin'" and a 12” x 12” litho print.