New Releases - 3/29/19

Hitting The Racks

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

Jump to… New Releases Reissues & From The Vaults Compilations, Best Of's & Sundry Collections New on Vinyl Soundtracks Live & in Concert

New Releases

Steve Earle And The Dukes - GUY CD/LP (New West) 

Steve Earle was 19 and had just hitchhiked from San Antonio to Nashville in 1974. Back then if you wanted to be where the best songwriters were, you had to be in there. Guy Clark had moved to Nashville and if you were from Texas, Guy Clark was king. A few years later, Steve would be playing bass guitar in Guy's band and flying high on what would become an indelible friendship of like-minded musicians who bonded in a kinship of stories told through song. In the fall of 2018, Steve and The Dukes went into House Of Blues studio in Nashville and recorded his tribue to Guy Clark, GUY, in six days. "I wanted it to sound live...When you've got a catalog like Guy's and you're only doing sixteen tracks, you know each one is going to be strong." Earle and his current, perhaps best-ever Dukes lineup take on Clark's songs with a spirit of reverent glee and invention. The tunes are all over the place and so is the band, offering max energy on such disparate entries as the bluegrass rave-up "Sis Draper" and the talking blues memoir of "Texas 1947". Earle's raw vocal on the sweet, sad "That Old Time Feeling" is heartbreaking, sounding close enough to the grave as to be doing a duet with his late friend and mentor. [indie exclusive blue vinyl] Get one wristband for each LP or CD purchased. Wristband guarantees you get in for Steve Earle's live in-store performance at Grimey's on Thursday, April 25th, at 6PM.

Son Volt - Union CD/LP (Transmit Sound) 

Jay Farrar channels folk music's enduring legacy of the troubadour on Son Volt's ninth studio album, Union. "There are so many forces driving our country apart," observes Farrar. "What can we do to bring our society back together?" Initially intended to be an entirely political statement, Union morphed into a combination of politically inspired material balanced by a cluster of new songs reflecting the power of love, time and music that sustains us. "While Rome Burns" emphasizes finding unity during times of turmoil while an album highlight, "Devil May Care", offers the distraction we need, an effusive tribute to the fun of playing and creating music. A unique aspect of Union is that eight of the thirteen songs were recorded at places associated with two figures in American history whom Farrar considers important - labor and community organizer Mary Harris "Mother Jones" and iconic folk hero Woody Guthrie. The album features long time band members Mark Spencer (piano, organ, acoustic slide, lap steel, backing vocals) Andrew DuPlantis (bass, backing vocals), returning member Chris Frame (guitar), as well as newest member Mark Patterson on drums and percussion. [Indie-store exclusive color vinyl edition.]

Gob Iron - Death Songs For The Living CD (Transmit Sound) 

Gob Iron (British slang for a harmonica) is a brand-new side project for Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo founder Jay Farrar. Teaming up with his friend (and Varnaline front man) Anders Parker, Farrar has recorded an album of new takes on American folk standards. Also known as the folk process, these are old songs by the likes of Stephen Foster and The Reverend JM Gates which have been given new lyrics or new arrangements in an effort to re-interpret the songs in a fresh way. [Vinyl edition due May 10.]

White Denim - Side Effects CD/LP (City Slang) 

Less than a year after their critically acclaimed last album Performance, the ever-prolific White Denim are back with their eighth record, Side Effects. More in line with the experimental, freewheeling spirit of their fan-favorite record Last Day Of Summer than anything else they've done since, Side Effects is a record that captures the essence of the band's full-throttle live shows. [Limited clear colored vinyl pressing.]

The Maine - You Are OK Dlx CD/LP (8123 Records)
The Maine's 7th studio album. After working with both indie and major labels at the start of their now twelve year career, the band has self-released their last four albums. The last record was released entirely independently without outside distro and sold 14,500 units the first week alone. The new album title is an emblem of what frontman John O'Callaghan tells himself everyday. After a fan reached out to the frontman, O'Callaghan revealed his emotions regarding all of the positive feedback on what the will album stand for and address. "There are no words that can describe the feeling I get when I read something like this," O'Callaghan says in an Instagram post. "I haven't forgotten the days on MySpace, where someone simply replying from California to one of our messages would get me excited. Now, having been allowed the opportunity to take our music around the globe and talk to people of all walks, that excitement and has been multiplied exponentially." We have the deluxe CD (which includes fans' names in the booklet) and limited maroon vinyl with foil "holograph" cover. All sales are strictly limited to one CD and one LP per customer.

Kyle Hamlett Uno - Nowhere Far CD (Cobra Labra)
Kyle Hamlett has fronted Nashville art-rock band lylas for nearly 15 years. On Nowhere Far, his first proper solo album, he invokes the strange chamber of acoustic textures present in early lylas material, yet charged with his current sense of sonic adventure. Acousti-kraut chugs sidle up to fingerstyle drone poems and half remembered reveries. Throughout, Hamlett keeps one eye on the human experience and one eye deeply inward. Mysterious and inquisitive, questions are answered with even stranger questions. Recorded in tandem with Jeremy Ferguson at Battletapes Studios and Jake Davis at Sweetblood Sound, Nowhere Far suggests that sometimes to get the farthest out, one simply has to look inside. Catch Kyle Hamlett Uno this Friday, March 29th for a free, live in-store performance in celebration of the new album on the day it's released. Whisperer will join Kyle for the performance to perform a few songs from his recent album.

Beth Gibbons - Henryk Górecki: Symphony No. 3 CD/CD+DVD/LP+MP3/LP+DVD+MP3 (Domino) 

Performed by Beth Gibbons and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Henryk Górecki: Symphony No. 3 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs) was conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki at The National Opera Grand Theater in Warsaw on November 29th 2014, and was part of an evening of programming that also featured Jonny Greenwood's (Radiohead) 48 Responses To Polymorphia and the world premiere of Bryce Dessner's (The National) Réponse Lutosławski. Following an invitation to collaborate at the concert, Gibbons undertook an intense preparation process, including tackling the challenge of learning the original text (and the emotional weight it carries) without speaking the mother language. Typical to Beth though -the elusive yet iconic frontwoman of one of the most important British bands of the last two decades - the challenge was met and exceeded. Her performance alongside the maestro Krysztof Penderecki has been hailed as triumphant, as you can hear on this release. [Deluxe CD and vinyl editions add a copy of the performance on DVD.]

Mekons - Deserted CD/LP (Bloodshot) 

Emboldened by a sold-out tour and a surge of interest in the States after the release of the documentary Revenge Of The Mekons, Mekons retreated to the fringes of Joshua Tree National Park and popular culture to record their new album Deserted. The long-running, genre-hopping, impossible-to-kill British folk-punk collective summoned the forces of magic, fear and superstition for an album of shifting sand Sturm und Drang. It is at once a distorted howl into the emptiness of space as well as a quiet submission to the shimmering allure of a mirage. The heat and endless horizon can lead to madness or clarity, and while there is relief when the sun goes down you know the deep chill is not far off.

The Strumbellas - Rattlesnake CD/LP (Glassnote) 

Rattlesnake is the fourth studio album from The Strumbellas, a six-piece collective who rocketed to success with the breakthrough hit "Spirits". For the group, which consists of Simon Ward (lead vocals/guitar), David Ritter (keys), Jeremy Drury (percussion), Isabel Ritchie (strings), Jon Hembrey (guitar) and Darryl James (bass), Rattlesnake marks a stylistic turn from their melancholy, introspective releases. While staying true to their roots, the band has delivered an album that elicits the feelings of joy and the promise of hope. "A lot of our music is known for being dark," says Ritter. "I like that people can turn to our music in dark times, but we were interested in seeing whether we could make something a little more hopeful and positive. I think the song has a more positive feel than our previous stuff." Lead single "Salvation" is a decidedly notable pivot towards pop for The Strumbellas, which describes itself as a primarily "country, folky band." But they also explain that they're "pop music junkies," and that their catalog has been edging towards an increasingly accessible sound from the start.

Suzi Quatro - No Control CD/2xLP (SPV/Steamhammer) 

The Queen of rock 'n' roll is back with a wonderfully diverse collection of tracks. "At 68 years old, she sounds absolutely phenomenal. That her new album, No Control, has been released on SPV/Steamhammer - imprints usually associated with the heaviest of metal - is a massive statement. Because from the opening, 'No Soul/No Control', it's clear that Quatro means business here. It's a hard-edged, uncompromising rocker that showcases Quatro's still killer voice." - LA Weekly [Limited colored vinyl pressing includes two bonus tracks.]

Rita Wilson - Halfway To Home CD/LP (Sing It Loud, LLC) 

With her new album, Halfway To Home - the second in a series of three new records - Rita Wilson continues to establish herself as a significant, rising singer-songwriter. Most of the album was recorded in Nashville and co-produced by Wilson and Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Shania Twain). Ron Aniello (Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa) and John Shanks (Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow) also contributed as producers.

George Strait - Honkey Tonk Time Machine CD/LP (MCA Nashville) 

Strait returns to the country music spotlight with his first album of all new material in four years.

Tim Bluhm - Sorta Surviving CD (Blue Rose Music) 

A gentle departure from his usual California-soul sound of The Mother Hips, Sorta Surviving finds vocalis/guitarist Tim Bluhm living out his classic country musical dreams. Produced by Widespread Panic's Dave Schools and anchored by all-star band members Jesse Aycock (guitar, vocals) and Jason Crosby (piano, violin, organ), and Nashville session legends Gene Chrisman (drums) and David Roe (bass), Bluhm's new album was recorded at Cash Cabin Studios in Hendersonville, TN. [vinyl due 4/12]

Garcia Peoples - Natural Facts CD/LP+MP3 (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond) 

Consider Natural Facts by Garcia Peoples to be your heady, friendly reminder that it's alright to let the sunshine in. The second album in less than a year from those lovable New Jersey moptops with the sweet twin guitars, Natural Facts provides a portal to the carefree place that both indie rock and jam bands forgot, and a handy alternative to whatever you may need an alternative from. Danny Arakaki and Tom Malach's guitars remain at centerstage on machine gun shreds like the album-opening "Feel So Great" and the rolling grooves of "High Noon Violence" (which would fit right in with one of David Crosby's early '70s studio supergroups). Natural Facts isn't a throwback, as much as Garcia Peoples sometimes accidentally sound like a band one might stumble into at New York's late Wetlands Preserve in the mid-'90s. Rather, it's a newly emerging conversation, songs and structures and solos and duos drawing from the latest and most right-on musicians to cross Garcia Peeps' collective transom. The classic rock guitarists of yore might be obvious subsequent touchstones, but bend your ear and newer colors emerge, generated from hours and years of talk and music.

O.A.R. - The Mighty CD (Red Music) 

Pop rock band O.A.R. release their new album, The Mighty. The set was produced by friend Gregg Wattenberg and up-and-comer Pom-Pom (Helen Pomerantz) and is the first time O.A.R. has had a female producer. Pomerantz has brought new ideas to the table and blends O.A.R.'s organic sound with modern digital technology. [Vinyl edition due April 19.]

Free Throw - What's Past Is Prologue CD/LP (Triple Crown) 

After two studio albums and nearly seven years as a band, Free Throw is making a significant change to their identity. The group - who has sung openly of personal struggles related to substance abuse and body image - holds nothing back on What's Past Is Prologue, their third full length record. Past releases may have provided small glimpses into Free Throw's history as a band and personal lives outside of music, but What's Past Is Prologue is the group at their most forthcoming. The album's 12 tracks detail the continuing mental health struggles of lead singer Cory Castro and serve as a complete story of what happens when you decide that everything in your life needs to change. As Castro explains, the record is split into two parts. The first half of explores the weight of personal blame, with singles - including the gunning and practically unstoppable "Tail Whip, Struggle" and the limitless, swaying tenderness of "Stay Out Of The Basement" - setting the stage for an impactful finale. As the album nears its conclusion, "Today Is Especially Delicious" provides a tumultuous turning point, with the band tearing through Castro's shouted confession: "Is this what I had planned for my life/I need a hand of some type to pull me up and break this cycle of drinking for breakfast."

Chris Cohen - Chris Cohen CD/LP (Captured Tracks) 

Chris Cohen's songs initially sound easy. They're each tiny jewels that unfurl at a leisurely pace, but dig a little deeper and you'll reach a melancholy core. His previous two albums - 2012's Overgrown Path and 2016's As If Apart - were built from lush, blurry tracks that embedded themselves in your subconscious, like they'd always been there. Chris Cohen, his eponymous third solo album, is a thoughtful, accomplished meditation on life and family, backed by dusky instrumentation influenced by the late evening beauty of Pat Metheny's Falcon And The Snowman soundtrack, and Thomas Dolby's Golden Age Of Wireless. [Indie-store exclusive Coke bottle clear vinyl pressing.]

KÁRYYN - The Quanta Series CD/LP (Mute) 

Born in Alabama. Baptized in Aleppo. Raised in Indiana. KÁRYYN's early life was divided between the USA and Syria, her identity split between middle-eastern and western culture. The first tracks that KÁRYYN has released are installments that make up the Quanta Series and are released in four parts (1, 11, 1:11 and 11:11). Her Syrian-Armenian-American heritage has heavily inspired her songwriting and musical style, particularly evident with her single "Aleppo".

Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? CD/LP (Darkroom/Interscope) 

Debut album from the seventeen-year-old Los Angeles pop songsmith. Due to security concerns from the record label, we are not due to receive our stock on this release until Friday. Hopefully it will arrive... 

Chai - Punk CD/LP (Burger/Otemoyan) 

Chai is an adventure where all-things are pink, a sound that fuses the likings of Basement Jaxx, CSS, and Tom Tom Club, lyrics catered to self-empowerment and re-defining the definition of kawaii or cute, and indescribably fun visuals that'll absorb you whole.

Sean Noonan Pavees Dance - Tan Man's Hat CD/LP (RareNoise) 

A drummer and composer whose music enthusiastically defies category, Sean Noonan prefers the title Rhythmic Storyteller - an apt description for a modern-day sonic griot who spins imaginative yarns in the ancient tradition of wandering minstrels while weaving captivating narrative tapestries via his unique polyrhythmic language. On Tan Man's Hat, the second release by his harmolodic jazz-rock ensemble Pavees Dance, Noonan draws inspiration from the soul to the stars with his stunningly adventurous collaborators: original Can vocalist Malcolm Mooney, bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma (Ornette Coleman's Prime Time), guitarist Ava Mendoza (Unnatural Ways) and keyboardist Alex Marcelo (Yusef Lateef).

Fennesz - Agora CD (Touch) 

Christian Fennesz's first solo album since 2014's Bécs was created in his bedroom, at a time when he was unable to access the studio. Fennesz uses guitar and his computer to create shimmering, swirling electronic sound of enormous range and complex musicality. His lush and luminous compositions resemble sensitive, telescopic recordings of rainforest insect life or natural atmospheric occurrences, an inherent naturalism permeating each piece. He lives and works in Vienna. "Imagine the electric guitar severed from cliché and all of its physical limitations, shaping a bold new musical language." --City Newspaper 

Joshua Redman Quartet - Come What May CD/LP (Nonesuch) 

Joshua Redman Quartet's Come What May is the first album in almost two decades from this group of musicians - the saxophonist and his longtime friends and colleagues pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson - and features seven Redman tunes. Mr. Redman's place is secure as one of the most effusive and engaging tenor saxophonists in straight-ahead jazz, says the New York Times, and the Quartet is well attuned to his language of elastic tenacity.

Jake Najor and The Moment Of Truth - In The Cut CD/LP (The Redwood Music) 

Over the past 20 years, when musicians and producers in Southern California have needed fresh R&B, funk, or hip-hop beats, they've called on drummer Jake Najor. A former bandmember of Breakestra, Incredible Moses Leroy, and The Styletones, Najor has performed or recorded with scores of noteworthy artists, including TV on the Radio, Raphael Saadiq, Kelis, Joss Stone, Big Daddy Kane, de la Soul, Karl Denson, Rodriguez, and Empire of the Sun. While most of Najor's career has been spent contributing percussion in service to the visions of his collaborators, with his debut record, In The Cut, Najor has been the one enlisting players from his musical cohort as well as some cherry-picked, heavy hitters on the L.A. funk/soul scene to flesh out ten tracks of original grooves, ranging from soulful cinematic instrumentals to hard hitting funk jams.

Choosey & Exile - Black Beans CD/2xLP (Dirty Science) 

Between gospel music in church and his grandfather's role in the Latin Jazz scene of Los Angeles, music has always been a factor in Choosey's lineage. With four years passing since his debut Left Field, Choosey makes his long-awaited return with Black Beans, an album conveying the less represented perspective of growing up Afro-Chicano.

Quelle Chris - Guns CD (Mello Music Group) 

"Over the years, the Detroit-raised, Brooklyn-based rapper and producer Quelle Chris has become one of the most thoughtful, inventive, bugged-out forces on the rap underground" (Stereogum). Quelle's new album, Guns, features contributions from Jean Grae, Mach-Hommy, Denmark Vessey, and Bilal Salaam, among others. "Guns is an arsenal of both sounds, styles and subjects. At its core it's about things that can be weaponized for good or evil, including ourselves. The words we say, what we fear, how we love, how we live, what we ingest, what we believe in, who we idolize, sh*t like that. Somewhat a sonic study of the question "do 'guns kill people or do people kill people?" I never start an album the same way, but one constant is I try to forget about everything I made before and do something different. Because I'm a fan too and I like hearing new things. I'd say we accomplished that with Guns. My goal with this and all albums is to create pieces people can enjoy, start to finish, for decades to come." - Quelle Chris

Show Me The Body - Dog Whistle CD/LP (Loma Vista) 

"New York hardcore trio Show Me The Body released their impressive debut album Body War back in 2016, followed by their Corpus I mixtape in 2017. The lead single from their sophomore album Dog Whistle 'Camp Orchestra' opens with a gloomy, creeping bassline and delicate riffing. It strays from the sludgy noise SMTB are known for, but the melody builds toward a fiery explosion before you have time to question it, complete with frontman Julian Cashwan Pratt's signature muffled bark. The song was inspired by a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum in Poland. Its title references the Jewish orchestra groups that were formed in concentration camps during World War II" (Stereogum). "This album and our music does not belong to a political party," Show Me The Body said in a statement. "No authority, political movement, or side may claim the function of our music in this society. This album is personal. It is about and for the disenfranchised youth of this city, of this country, and of this earth. It is for our community and anyone who may find shelter within it."

Simple Creatures - Strange Love CD (BMG Rights Management) 

Simple Creatures is a new side project from Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low). [Vinyl edition due May 3.] 

Graduating Life - Grad Life CD (Pure Noise) 

Graduating Life, fronted by Bart Thompson aka Bart Starr and featuring members of Mom Jeans and Just Friends, hails proudly from Fresno, CA. "It is an understatement to say that the band took the dial and turned it up to eleven. A more accurate representation is that they took the dial, ripped it off, and punted it across the stage. Graduating Life sets to outdo themselves in every way possible as compared their first LP." - The Alternative

I Prevail - Trauma CD (Concord) 

"Gold-certified Michigan quartet I Prevail not only redefine themselves on their sophomore offering, Trauma but they also redefine the genre for tomorrow's generation. Brian Burkheiser [clean vocals], Eric Vanlerberghe [harsh vocals], Steve Menoian [lead guitar], and Dylan Bowman [rhythm guitar] are flipping the script and recharging the genre in order to usher it forward. Trauma is uplifting and rocks to a plateau where soundscapes can unpredictably toss and turn between heavy metal, alternative, hip-hop, and electronic moods without any rules and take it to a new level. Vulnerable, vital, and visceral, the 15-track opus illuminates the future-and it's as bright and bold as each anthem is." - Ignite Music.

L.A. Guns - The Devil You Know CD/LP (Frontiers) 

Since their self-titled debut in 1988 through to their 2017 comeback album, The Missing Peace, L.A. Guns, led by Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis, has always delivered solid rock 'n' roll. Hot on the heels of that recent release, the band returns with new slab, The Devil You Know which incorporates influences from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to Kyuss and The Hellacaopters.

Devin Townsend - Empath CD (Inside Out U.S.) 

New release from the guitar great featuring Mike Keneally as music director, Morgan Agren [Mats And Morgan, Frank Zappa, Fredrik Thordendal], Anup Sastry [Monuments, Periphery], Samus Paulicelli [Decripit Birth, Abigail Williams], Chad Kroeger [Nickelback], Anneke van Giersbergen and many more. [Vinyl edition due May 3.]

Yngwie Malmsteen - Blue Lightning CD/2xLP+MP3 (Mascot Label Group) 

Only a few guitarists are known by only their first name. Yngwie is one of them. With Blue Lightning, Yngwie Malmsteen highlights not only his enduring dexterity and diversity, but also pays homage to those from the blues and rock worlds who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long. Anyone who is expecting Malmsteen to copy exactly the way the original versions sound is in for a shock. Because that is not what he has done here. He has masterfully transformed classics like "Smoke On The Water", "Purple Haze" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" into his own inimitable style, and wrote and recorded four new tracks for the album to boot. [Limited blue colored vinyl pressing featuring two bonus tracks also available].

A New Revenge - Enemies & Lovers CD/LP (Golden Robot) 

New album from the supergroup comprised of Tim 'Ripper' Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth and Yngwie Malmsteen), guitarist Keri Kelli (Slash's Snake Pit, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil Band), bass player Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, Whitesnake) and longtime Scorpions drummer James Kottak (also from Montrose, Warrant, Kingdom Come & more).

Rage Of Light - Imploder CD (Napalm) 

The Swiss newcomers embrace extreme metal, growls and hyperblasts as much as they cherish electronica and soaring melodies.

Vltimas - Something Wicked Marches In CD (Season Of Mist) 

Vltimas (pronounced Ultimas), the new band featuring Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen (Mayhem, Aura Noir), David Vincent (Morbid Angel) and Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) -who are responsible for some of the most legendary and groundbreaking death and black metal albums of all time - unleash their powerhouse debut album Something Wicked Marches In. A behemoth of death metal extremity, the nine-track slab sees these titans bring their prodigious talents to bear on a commanding synthesis of their storied histories. Vltimas is nothing short of extreme metal royalty, and Something Wicked Marches In is a forceful statement of intent.

Whitechapel - The Valley CD/LP (Metal Blade) 

Since their 2007 debut, The Somatic Defilement, Whitechapel's output has been mired in darkness, but they have never inhabited blacker territory than on their seventh full-length, The Valley. "Lyrically, emotionally, melody wise, there are not many 'happy' sounding parts on this record," states guitarist Alex Wade. "Our last album, Mark Of The Blade (2016) did not sound exactly 'happy' either, but the majority of those songs did not have much emotion or vibe behind them, they were just straightforward metal songs. These songs have a darker, more melancholic presentation to them." The valley of the title relates to the part of Hardin Valley, west of Knoxville, TN, where vocalist Phil Bozeman grew up. Set against this backdrop, he approaches the hardships of his childhood unflinchingly, building upon everything that came before, making it clear that he has survived that which he was forced to endure and is not afraid to confront it. "It's all about me as a child, and some of it is me looking back on that time from the perspective of now," he explains. [Indie-store exclusive colored vinyl edition.]

New on Vinyl

Marvin Gaye - You're The Man 2xLP (Motown) 

The first-ever issue of a lost Tamla/Motown album from Marvin Gaye. 15 of the album's 17 tracks make their vinyl debut and three tracks are newly mixed by SaLaAM ReMi. The album also includes a rare long LP version of Marvin Gaye's cancelled Christmas single, as well as an unreleased vault mix of its instrumental B-side, plus tracks arranged by Fonce Mizell, contributions from Bohannon and his band, and new essay by Marvin's biographer, David Ritz. You're The Man was the album originally proposed to follow-up the monumental What's Going On. [CD edition due April 26.]

Frank Zappa - Zappa In New York [Reissue/1977] 3xLP (Zappa Records) 

Frank Zappa played four historic sold-out concerts at The Palladium in New York City the week between Christmas and New Year's. In celebration of its eventual release in 1978, this 40th Anniversary Edition features all-analog mastering of the original album mix, unavailable since first issued.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival [Reissue/1968] LP (Craft Recordings) 

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country [Reissue/1969] LP (Craft Recordings) 

Limited 50th Anniversary 180gm vinyl LP pressings housed in a tip-on jacket replicating the packaging of the original pressing. Half-speed at Abbey Road Studios.

Guided By Voices - 1901 Acid Rock 7" (GBV Inc.) 

Guided By Voices - Umlaut Over The Ozone 7" (GBV Inc.) 

Two limited edition 7" EPs previewing six songs, each from the upcoming Warp And Woof long-player. Recorded at soundchecks, hotel rooms and in the tour van, all dozen songs clocking in at two minutes or under, recalling the spontaneous spirit of 1993-94 EPs Fast Japanese Spin Cycle, Static Airplane Jive and Clown Prince Of The Menthol Trailer.

Beach Slang - MPLS 7" (Quiet Panic/Bridge Nine) 

Since 2014 Beach Slang's brand of punk tinged rock & roll has catapulted them into being one of the most recognizable and exciting names in underground music. Dubbed as a 'thank you' to Minneapolis, MLPS was produced by Goo Goo Dolls bassist Robby Takac and features Beach Slang's take on Bob Mould and Paul Westerberg songs, respectively.

Steven Wilson - Home Invasion: In Concert At The Royal Albert Hall 5xLP (Caroline) 

Home Invasion captures the final night of Wilson's three-night sold-out residency at the Royal Albert Hall, London in March 2018. Each of the five vinyl records come with printed outer sleeves and plain poly-lined inner bags. The set is housed in a rigid slipcase with a deluxe foil-blocking and embossed finish on the cover and spine.

FACS - Lifelike LP (Trouble In Mind) 

Chicago trio FACS was founded in 2017 by former Disappears members Brian Case & Noah Leger, along with their bandmate Jonathan van Herik. After van Herik amicably parted ways with the group just before their debut album Negative Houses's release, Case & Leger recruited longtime friend Alianna Kalaba (Cat Power, We Ragazzi) to play bass. Lifelike is their sophomore release and resides somewhere near the realms of post-punk, art-rock, shoegaze, industrial music and post-rock. [Light blue colored vinyl pressing.]

Andrew Hung - Realisationship Instrumentals LP (Lex) 

Andrew Hung is co-founder of the highly-influential electronic duo F**k Buttons. His production work has included Zun Zun Egui's Shackles Gift and co-writing/ co-producing the critically acclaimed Kidsticks by Beth Orton. In 2016 he soundtracked the multiple-award winning film The Greasy Strangler, and was nominated for Best Soundtrack at the Empire Awards. In 2018 he soundtracked director Jim Hoskins' follow up, An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn starring Aubrey Plaza and Jermaine Clement. His debut solo album, Realisationship was released in 2017.

Jim Jones and The Righteous Mind - CollectiV LP (Masonic) 

"Jim Jones and The Righteous Mind dish out fistfuls of dirty rock 'n' roll with a side order of voodoo and psych." - Uncut

Bhi Bhiman - Peace Of Mind LP (Boocoo Music) 

Bhi Bhiman is an American singer/songwriter and producer. He's garnered critical acclaim and collaborated with creative powerhouses like Boots Riley, Rhiannon Giddens, and the late Chris Cornell. His latest album, Peace Of Mind, features a mix of psychedelic rock, pop and folk topped with a modern/electronic production style.

Joni Void - Mise en Abyme LP (Constellation) 

Mise en Abyme is the second full-length by Joni Void, the avant-electronica project of France/Canada producer Jean Cousin, following his acutely accomplished and acclaimed 2017 debut album Selfless. Consistent with Selfless, the primary materials for the sample-based cut-up songcraft on Mise en Abyme are Cousin's recordings of the voices of various friends. His self-professed body/voice dysmorphia, social dysphoria, and search for the disembodied-yet-emotional transcendent subject, continues to compel the use of other (predominantly non-verbal) voices in the construction of these sublimely affecting electronic-minimalist compositions.

Dome - Dome [Reissue/1980] LP (Editions Mego) 

With the demise of the group Wire in 1980, founder members Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis joined forces to create Dome. With the assistance of engineer Eric Radcliffe and his Blackwing Studio Dome took the ethic of using the studio as a compositional tool and recorded and released three Dome albums on their own label in the space of 12 months: Dome (July 1980), Dome 2 (October 1980), and Dome 3 (October 1981). A final fourth album, Will You Speak This Word: Dome IV was released in May 1983. These albums represent some of the most beautifully stark and above all timeless exercises in studio experimentation from the early 1980s alternative music scene.

Alla Xul Elu - The Almighty 2xLP (Majik Ninja) 

Sophomore album from the Ohio underground horrorcore hip-hop group comprised of three masked men: Alla Xul Elu's Billy Obey, Joe Black and Lee Carver.

Wilma Vrita - Burd LP (Bad Taste) 

Wilma Vritra have landed with Burd, a trans-Atlantic collaboration between London based artist Wilma Archer and L.A. based rapper Pyramid Vritra. Their debut LP serves as an ode to these chaotic times, navigating seamlessly through genre and self-preservation.

MED Featuring Guilty Simpson - Child Of The Jungle LP (Bang Yahead Ent.) 

J Dilla's protege Guilty Simpson first collaborated with Madlib's protege MED on the hard hitting "Jungle Love" track off J Dilla's The Shining. They continued to reunite on several tracks after, and now offer Child Of The Jungle. Features an all-star production lineup including Madlib, Nottz, Black Milk, MNDSGN, Karriem Riggins, 14KT, Exile and Apollo Brown.

Rupa - Disco Jazz [Reissue/1982] LP (Numero) 

Barely disco and hardly jazz, Rupa Biswas' 1982 LP is the halfway point between Bollywood and Balearic. Tracked in Calgary's Living Room Studios with a crack team of Indian and Canadian studio rats alike, Disco Jazz is a perfect fusion of East and West. Sarod and synthesizer intricately weave around one another for 37 transcendent minutes, culminating in the viral hit Aaj Shanibar. Remastered from original analogue source material and issued with permission and blessing of the producers and performers.

Akira Ishikawa - Back To Rhythm [Reissue/1978] LP (Mr. Bongo) 

Vinyl reissue of an ultra-rare jazz-funk/fusion album by Japanese drummer Akira Ishikawa. Includes excellent cover versions of The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, B.T.Express, Stevie Wonder, Average White Band, Incredible Bongo Band and Fela Kuti.

Joe Lovano/Marilyn Crispell/Carmen Castaldi - Trio Tapestry LP (ECM) 

Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. The great saxophonist Joe Lovano has appeared on a number of ECM recordings over the last four decades, including much-loved albums with Paul Motian, Steve Kuhn and John Abercrombie. Trio Tapestry is his first as a leader for the label, introducing a wonderful new group and music of flowing lyricism, delicate texture, and inspired interplay. Dominic Miller - Absinthe LP (ECM) Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. With Absinthe, his second release for ECM, guitarist Dominic Miller (Sting) has created an album colored by a distinct atmosphere. It finds the guitarist fronting a quintet that brings his ever-lyrical compositions to textured life as he switches between nylon- and steel-string acoustic guitars.

Julius Eastman - Crazy N***er LP (Blume) 
Julius Eastman - Evil N***er/Gay Guerrilla LP (Blume)
Julius Eastman was a gay Afro-American composer who rocked the cerebral world of process music with his explosions of free improvisation. These extended pieces for four pianos, all written around 1980, have never before been available on vinyl. All three works generate their epic soundscapes through adamantly restated patterns and interlocking canons, not fragmenting, but preaching urgent truths. To quote the brilliant Mary Jane Leach: "He wrote what can be categorized as minimal music, but also wrote 'post-minimal' music -- before minimal music was fully established." His pieces straddle both styles of minimal music; rhythmic/pulse-driven music (Steve Reich and Philip Glass) and spectral drone music (La Monte Young and Phill Niblock). There is a flexibility that lends an organic feel to his music, a muscularity missing in a lot of other music from that time; with the re-emergence of this powerful music, a missing gap in the history of contemporary music has been filled.

Kilchhofer/Anklin - Moto Perpetuo LP (Marionette)
Michael Anklin is a Switzerland-based drummer and percussionist, and Kilchhofer uses his modular synthesizer to process voltages from Anklin's playing, embracing a fluid concept of time where the rhythmic pulse constantly shifts. The duo draw inspiration mainly from their rural surroundings and mountain landscapes where natural overtones and stumbling rhythms navigate through high plateaus and velds to stony ravines and wooden trails -- on a never ending quest for an 'ur-klang'; a primordial, ancestral music. Anklin's live drumming influences delicate feedback patches on Kilchhofer's synth, where dry and transient heavy percussion and synthesizer sounds erupt into a feral electroacoustic instrument. 

Abul Mogard - And We Are Passing Through Silently 2xLP (Houndstooth)
The sublime first survey of reworks by cult synthesist Abul Mogard. Rounding up divine renderings of songs by Aïsha Devi, Penelope Trappes, and nick nicely (heralded by luminaries of the US underground Ariel Pink and John Maus), the album culminates with Brian Eno's collaboration with Irish avant-folk band Fovea Hex. Houndstooth have long been admirers of Abul Mogard's beautifully stately, romantic melancholia. And We Are Passing Through Silently offers another tantalizing window onto one of modern synth music's rarest spirits. A must for fans of Alessandro Cortini, Fennesz, Gas. 

Kate Nash - My Best Friend Is You [Reissue/2010] LP (Geffen) 

First-time vinyl edition of the second studio album by singer-songwriter Kate Nash, originally released in 2010.

Eli Young Band - This Is Eli Young Band: Greatest Hits 2xLP (Valory) 

Best-of collection from the country band comprised of Mike Eli (lead vocals, guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), and Chris Thompson (drums). The band has charted eight times on the Billboard country charts, with three of their singles having reached #1.

Royal Trux - Accelerator [Reissue/ 1998] LP (Fat Possum) 

1998's Accelerator captures Royal Trux - Neil Hagerty and Jennifer Herrema - at their most high-octane rock and roll direct.

Kiss - Kissworld (The Best Of Kiss) LP (Mercury) 

Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Kissworld contains 20 of their best including "Detroit Rock City", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "I Was Made For Loving You", "Christine Sixteen" and many more.

Demon Hunter - War LP (Solid State) 

Demon Hunter - Peace LP (Solid State) 

Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. A pair of new albums from the Christian metal band.

Various Artists - Revenge Of The Nerds: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack[Reissue/1984] LP (Real Gone Music) 

Limited pocket protector brown colored vinyl release.

Reissues & From The Archives

Keith Richards - Talk Is Cheap [Reissue/1988] CD/LP/2xCD+2xLP+2x7" (BMG Rights Management) 

Digitally remastered 30th Anniversary Edition of the rock legend's debut solo album. [A limited red colored vinyl pressing is also available. The Super Deluxe edition is packaged in an exquisite deluxe folio pack and includes a CD and LP of bonus material, two 7" singles, an extensive 80-page hardback book, a tour laminate, lyric sheets, a guitar pick, and posters.]

Uncle Walt's Band - Uncle Walt's Band CD/LP (Omnivore) 

Uncle Walt's Band, originally from Spartanburg, S.C., was an eclectic music trio that moved to Nashville in 1972 and, shortly thereafter, to Austin at the urging of singer/songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey. An attempt at an album with Ramsey at the helm was unsuccessful, so the band headed back to Spartanburg in 1974 to produce their own debut LP, Blame It On The Bossa Nova. The original self-released vinyl edition - 1,000 copies sold through performances and self-promotion - disappeared quickly. Heat was gaining for the band, so they headed back down to Austin with a reissue of the album, simply titled Uncle Walt's Band. While the album gained many fans and followers, it wasn't enough to sustain the band's larger ambitions. "Walter Hyatt, David Ball and Champ Hood have been an inspiration to me ever since the first time I heard Uncle Walt's Band," says Lyle Lovett, a journalism student at Texas A&M University at the time of its original release. "Musically, their finely crafted original compositions reflect diverse influences, while lyrically they demonstrate a sensitive, sophisticated understanding of the dignified South.

Davy Graham - Midnight Man [Reissue/1966] CD/LP (Bread & Wine) 

Davy Graham - Hat [Reissue/1968] CD/LP (Bread & Wine) 

Davy Graham is recognized as an early influential figure on the 1960s British folk scene, where he inspired many famous practitioners of the fingerstyle acoustic guitar such as Bert Jansch, Paul Simon, John Martyn and indeed Jimmy Page. Not one to be categorized Graham could be seen as a true world music artist covering the genres of folk, blues and jazz.

Akiko Yano - Japanese Girl CD/LP (Wewantsounds)
Yano's landmark debut album from 1976. Backed by Little Feat with Lowell George and by top Japanese musicians (including Haruomi Hosono), Japanese Girl is one of the most important Japanese albums of the '70s, mixing pop, rock, and Japanese folk together with Little Feat's superb blend of New Orleans groove. The Japanese side of the album gives a snapshot of the Tokyo music scene of the '70s with many musicians orbiting around Haruomi Hosono. The sessions mix singer-songwriter sensitivity and pop with traditional Japanese sounds and instruments, such as the shinobue transverse flute, the koto string instrument, or the Tsuzumi hand drum.

Jethro Tull - This Was [Reissue/1968] CD/LP (Rhino/Parlophone) 

Digitally remastered edition of the Steven Wilson remix of this classic album. Recorded at a cost of £1200, This Was is the only Jethro Tull album with guitarist Mick Abrahams, who was a major influence for the sound and music style of the band's first songs.

Motörhead - Sacrifice [Reissue/1995] CD/LP (BMG Rights Management) 

Motörhead - Overnight Sensation [Reissue/1996] CD/LP (BMG Rights Management) 

Motörhead - Snakebite Love [Reissue/1998] CD/LP (BMG Rights Management)

Motörhead - Everything Louder Than Everyone Else: Live 1998 [Reissue/1999] 2xCD/3xLP (BMG Rights Management) 

Motörhead - We Are Motörhead [Reissue/2000] CD/LP (BMG Rights Management) 

CD and vinyl reissues of Motörhead's 12th, 13th, 15th, and 15th albums, along with their 6th live album, Everything Louder Than Everyone Else: Live 1998.

Iron Maiden - Powerslave [Reissue/1984] CD (Sanctuary) 

Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time [Reissue/1986] CD (Sanctuary) 

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son [Reissue/1988] CD (Sanctuary) 

Iron Maiden - No Prayer For The Dying [Reissue/1990] CD (Sanctuary) 

Four albums from the English heavy metal band, remastered from the original analogue source.

Ohsees - The Cool Death Of Island Raiders [Reissue/2006] CD/LP (Castle Face) Chirping birds, gently lapping tempos and the nascent harmonization of Bridgid Dawson and John Dwyer detail a definitive highlight of their early quiet period of the band. The tree hangs heavy with Patrick Mullins' handiwork, manning the musical saw, drums, and an assortment of homemade electronics. It seemed a bit radical to be so quiet about it, but the tunes are total ear-worms among the assorted drones, cut-up bits of tape noise, and mellow front porch-vibes, and the whole thing hangs together in a lovely hand-made way, helped in no small part by Dave Sitek's production (he would later work on Master's Bedroom as well).

Live & in Concert

Ty Segall - Deforming Lobes CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City) 

Deforming Lobes captures The Freedom Band in fiery flight, igniting a handful of songs from Ty Segall's catalog live at L.A.'s Teragram Ballroom. The band explores everything with unrestrained curiosity and zeal, never losing their collective bond with the audience.

Ben Folds - Live At MySpace CD/LP (Real Gone Music) 

Recorded in 2007, Live At MySpace features Ben Folds in front of a small audience housed in a custom set built in his home studio in Tennessee. He performed songs from his third and latest solo album, Supersunnyspeedgraphic, as well as a couple of tunes from his previous group, Ben Folds Five. [Limited white colored vinyl pressing.]

Betty Carter - The Music Never Stops CD (Blue Engine) 

This live performance at New York's Aaron Davis Hall was recorded in 1992, six years before Carter's untimely passing and during the early days of Jazz At Lincoln Center. The Music Never Stops marks Carter's first posthumous album as well as the artist's first release composed entirely of previously unheard material in 22 years. [Vinyl edition due May 17.]

Journey - Escape & Frontiers - Live In Japan 2xCD+DVD (Eagle Rock Entertainment) 

In February 2017, Journey went to Japan for a special show at Tokyo's Budokan that featured a complete performance of 1981's Escape and 1983's Frontiers at the request of legendary Japanese concert promoter Mr. Udo in honor of his 50th anniversary in the business. "There's a few songs I don't even recall playing, like [the Frontiers track] 'Troubled Child'," Journey guitarist Neal Schon told Rolling Stone at the time. "Digging back into that stuff has been a lot of fun." Live In Japan 2017: Escape + Frontiers features many of Journey's most enduring songs, including "Don't Stop Believin'", "Faithfully", "Separate Ways", and "Open Arms" as well as deep cuts such as "Lay It Down" and "Back Talk" that the band hadn't attempted to perform in decades. [Stand-alone DVD and Blu-ray editions are also available.]

Soundtracks

Nick Zammuto - We The Animals: A Soundtrack By Nick Zammuto CD/2xLP (Temporary Residence) 

We The Animals is the award-winning new film from Jeremiah Zagar (In A Dream). Based on the best-selling novel by Justin Torres, We The Animals is Zagar's first narrative feature. It reunites Zagar with Nick Zammuto, the renowned composer and co-founder of beloved collage-pop pioneers, the Books. Inspired by the film's setting in rural upstate New York - and influenced by the early ambient electronic music that galvanized the Books two decades ago - Zammuto pairs that earthen, wooded isolation with dynamic pulses of customized electronics and sparse, crystalline layers of melodic soft synths. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]

Compilations, Best Of's & Sundry Collections

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back: 1981-2017 CD (Atlantic) 

Music from all eight of Nicks' studio albums are included in the set, from Top 10 hits like "Stand Back" and "Talk To Me" to "The Dealer" from 2014's 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault. Those solo tracks are joined by Nicks' memorable collaborations with other artists, including "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and "Leather And Lace" with Don Henley. [Vinyl edition due June 28.]

John Coltrane - Coltrane '58: Prestige Recordings 5xCD (Craft Recordings) 

This collection celebrates the 60th anniversary of jazz pioneer John Coltrane's 1958 recordings for New York based indie jazz label Prestige Records, presented in a complete chronological sequence. The duration of time covered on this box set may be one calendar year, but the rate at which Coltrane's musical abilities grew-as well as his fanbase-is remarkable. These 37 tracks serve an inspiring listening session revealing all aspects of Coltrane's approach that year. [8xLP vinyl edition due 4/26]

Van Duren - Waiting: The Van Duren Story (Original Documentary Soundtrack) CD/LP (Omnivore) 

Recently released on vinyl - now available on CD. Memphis musician Van Duren had it all going for himself. He was managed and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham (The Rolling Stones) in the 1970s, he was a contemporary of Big Star and was in a post-Big Star band (Baker Street Regulars) with Chris Bell and Jody Stephens, and had made a debut album, Are You Serious?, that had some people comparing him to Paul McCartney. But instead of being the next big thing, he faded into obscurity.

Various Artists - Nigeria 70: No Wahala: Highlife, Afro-Funk, & Juju 1973-1987CD/2xLP (Strut) 

As part of their 20th Anniversary celebrations, Strut present the first new volume in their pioneering Nigeria 70 series in over eight years, bringing together rare highlife, Afro-funk and juju from the '70s and early '80s. Compiled by collector and DJ Duncan Brooker.

Various Artists - Jamaica Jazz From Federal Records: Carib Roots, Jazz, Mento, Latin, Merengue & Rhumba 1960-1968 CD/LP (Dubstore) 

Reaching out to the real roots of the Jamaican '60s musical explosion, this compilation features some of the originators of the genre, including Ernest Ranglin, Lennie Hibbert and Cecil Lloyd.

Various Artists - Soul Jazz Records Presents Bunny Lee: Dreads Enter The Gates With Praise - The Mighty Striker Shoots The Hits! CD/3xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz) 

Soul Jazz Records presents this new collection featuring the heavy '70s roots reggae of Bunny Lee a living legend, one of the last of the great Jamaican record producers who helped shape and define reggae music in the 1970s. Featuring some of the heaviest Jamaican artists including Johnny Clarke, King Tubby, Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo, Tommy McCook, the legendary Aggrovators, The Mighty Diamonds and more, the album is a rollercoaster ride of rare, deep and classic '70s roots, dub and DJ sounds.

Various Artists - Velvet Desert Music 1 CD/LP (Kompakt) 

Curated by one of Cologne's leading figures in electronic music, Jörg Burger (aka The Modernist, The Bionaut), Velvet Desert Music Vol. 1 combines elements of rock, folk, country, surf, krautrock, and psychedelic in contemporary electronic music. The compilation features unreleased music from Matias Aguayo (Terrapin), Sascha Funke & Cosmo Vitelli, Superpitcher, The Modernist, and more. "Just think... from Sergio Leone to David Lynch, from Elvis in his deepest moments to Johnny Cash somewhere between amphetamine backlash and American Recordings, from 'Hollywood Babylon' to 'Hotel California', from Mulholland Drive to Paris, Texas. Served with a pinch of Tago Mago and Pink Floyd at Pompeii."