New Releases - 4/9/21

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

Parker Millsap – Be Here Instead CD/LP (Okrahoma)

The fifth album from Oklahoma-bred singer/songwriter Parker Millsap, Be Here Instead emerged from a wild alchemy of instinct, ingenuity, and joyfully determined rule-breaking. In a departure from the guitar-and-notebook-based approach to songwriting that shaped his earlier work, the Nashville-based artist followed his curiosity to countless other modes of expression, experimenting with everything from piano to effects pedals to old-school drum machines (a fascination partly inspired by the early-'70s innovations of Sly Stone and J.J. Cale). As those explorations deepened and broadened his musical vision, Millsap soon arrived at a body of work touched with both unbridled imagination and lucid insight into the search for presence in a chaotic world. [All copies from Grimey’s are SIGNED by Parker and are available in the shop and online.]

The Blips – The Blips LP (Cornelius Chapel)

The Blips’s self-titled debut album sounds less like a casual experiment than a band that has been playing together for years. With The Blips sharing lead vocals, guitar, and bass duties, this surprisingly cohesive and high energy album ranges from straight-forward garage rock to hit-and-run rockers to pop ballads with massive lead parts and gang vocals.

Cabaret Voltaire – Dekadrone CDEP/2x12” (Mute)

Mute announce the release of three Cabaret Voltaire EPs in 2021: Shadow Of Funk, Dekadrone and BN9Drone. All three were recorded in the sessions for the band's 2020 full length Shadow Of Fear, the band's first studio album in 26 years. Shadow Of Funk's industrial tracks delve deeper into Cabaret Voltaire's arsenal of "vocal samples, harsh rhythms and threatening detonations" (Classic Pop). Dekadrone and BN9Drone are drone pieces of transformation and transportation. If you ever wondered what it would be like to meditate on the moon, well wonder no longer [Limited-edition white color vinyl.]

Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal – Crawl Into The Promised Land b/w The Killing Fields 7” (Blue Note)

Through the pandemic and protests, Rosanne was angry and pained at the state of the nation and wrote "Crawl Into The Promised Land" on 10/20/21 to convey her outrage with a sense of hope. Written with John Leventhal, this record is intended to remind Americans that the new future is here.

Cheap Trick – In Another World CD (BMG)

Produced by longtime associate Julian Raymond, In Another World sees Cheap Trick doing what they do better than anyone - crafting indelible rock ‘n' roll with oversized hooks, mischievous lyrics, and seemingly inexorable energy. Trademark anthems like "Light Up The Fire" and "Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll" are countered by more introspective – but no less exuberant – considerations of times past, present, and unknowable future on such strikingly potent new tracks as "Another World" and "I'll See You Again". [Vinyl due 5/14]

Elephant Micah – Vague Tidings LP (Western Vinyl)

The raw inspiration for Vague Tidings, Elephant Micah's new album, comes from a DIY tour of the 49th state. It was a trip that went off the beaten path – sometimes a bit too far for comfort. Now, over a decade later, listeners find songwriter-producer Joseph O'Connell stationed at a creaky spinet piano, singing about the Alaskan sky. Throughout, his lyrics take a new angle on a pet theme: human encounters with the natural world. Vague Tidings places these encounters in the American west and, at times, in its sci-fi corollary, outer space. Its imagery draws from the allure of Alaska, the idea of Western prosperity, and the human relationship to wilderness more broadly. Often, O'Connell sings about the goal of capturing and commodifying nature. In poetic sketches of resource extraction industries and dark sky tourism, frontier lust runs amok. Pipelines catch fire and stars disappear, all to the tune of a stark, uncanny Americana.

Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi – They're Calling Me Home CD (Nonesuch)

Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops) and Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, who both live in Ireland when they aren't on tour, have been there since March 2020 due to the pandemic. The two expats found themselves drawn to the music of their native and adoptive countries of America, Italy, and Ireland during lockdown. Exploring the emotions brought up by the moment, Giddens and Turrisi decamped to Hellfire, a small studio on a working farm outside of Dublin, to record these songs over six days. The result is They're Calling Me Home, a twelve-track album that speaks of the longing for the comfort of home as well as the metaphorical "call home" of death, which has been a tragic reality for so many during the COVID-19 crisis. The minstrel banjo, accordion and frame drums that have become characteristic of the pair's sound are well represented on the album, but it's the viola and cello banjo combination that captures unexpected emotion and intensity. [Vinyl edition due June 11.]

Ariana Grande – Positions LP (Republic)

Released in October of last year, the singer’s sixth studio album Positions is now available as a limited edition Coke-bottle clear vinyl pressing as well as a ‘sonic grey’ color cassette. Grande worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Tommy Brown, Anthony M. Jones, London on da Track, Murda Beatz, the Rascals, Scott Storch, Shea Taylor and Charles Anderson, accompanied by longtime co-writers Victoria Monét and Tayla Parx.

Jane Inc – Number One LP (Telephone Explosion)

Jane Inc is unlike any other project Toronto-based songwriter Carlyn Bezic (Ice Cream, U.S Girls, Darlene Shrug) has been a part of. It's an incubator for experimentation. A one-woman show where Bezic helms every role, guiding the creative process in a way that feels right for her. It's an outlet to escape real-world bummers and forge fantasies, a sonic journey through a complex reality.

Joji – Nectar LP (88Rising)

Nectar is the second studio album by Japanese singer-songwriter Joji. It features the singles “Sanctuary”, “Run”, “Gimme Love” and “Daylight” with Diplo, as well as collaborations with Benee, Lil Yachty, Omar Apollo, Yves Tumor and Rei Brown.

Kadavar - The Isolation Tapes (Premium Edition) LP+CD

The first Kadavar album on their own label Robotor Records, following several releases on Nuclear Blast. Mind-altering songs about isolation, transformation and spiritual growth emerging from Corona lockdown. While Kadavar´s musical development has always been about liberation and pushing boundaries of the retro rock genre, the Isolation Tapes represents a bigger step into a cosmos where the dogma of the classic trio approach is left behind completely. In March 2020, Kadavar were one of the first to offer a live stream show after their world tour was cancelled. A recording of this magnificent lockdown concert is included with this package on CD.

Briston Maroney – Sunflower LP (Atlantic)

Sunflower, Briston Maroney's debut album, is the culmination of the past decade of the now-22-year old's life. "It's all of the things I've been stoked about since I was 12 coming together," the wise-beyond-his-years, Nashville-based singer-songwriter says of the striking album. "It's been a literal and physical relationship with the record as far as coming to a point where I understand what parts of me it represents, what it means to me as a person and what it means for my entire life." [Indie exclusive blue-green vinyl.]

Pat Metheny – Road To The Sun 2xLP (Modern Recordings)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. A collection of two major new works composed by Metheny and performed by five of the world’s leading guitarists, Road To The Sun unveils new facets of an already expansive personal language while obliterating any genre boundaries that stand in its way.

The Orb – Abolition Of The Royal Familia: Guillotine Mixes 2xLP (Cooking Vinyl)

The Orb release a companion piece to their recent studio album Abolition Of The Royal Familia with the gem-packed Guillotine Mixes collection. The new compilation's concept echoes back to 1991's Aubrey Mixes: The Ultraworld Excursions, which is a collection of versions predominantly by people who featured on the original Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld album. Guillotine Mixes features reinterpretations of tracks from a host of familiar faces, most of whom also have credits on Abolition, including Youth, Moody Boys, David Harrow, Andy Falconer, Paul Metamono and Gaudi – collectively providing an expansive journey into dance music; from acid house and Balearic beat to techno and beyond, emphasizing The Orb's club DNA. [Limited edition blue color vinyl.]

The Pink Stones – Introducing… The Pink Stones LP (Normaltown/New West)

The Pink Stones deliver a full serving of Peach State picked country-rock from Athens, Georgia with the release of their debut album, Introducing... The Pink Stones. Mixing elements of classic cosmic country, raucous rock 'n' roll and fresh humor and heartaches, The Pink Stones is authoring a new chapter in the annals of Cosmic American Music. [Several limited-edition color vinyl variants are available.]

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band – Dance Songs For Hard Times CD/LP (Family Owned)

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band are the greatest front-porch blues band in the world. They are led by Reverend Peyton, who most consider to be the premier finger picker playing today. He has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David "Honeyboy" Edwards. Playing as many as 300 shows each year, the band has one of the most dedicated followings out there. Their fans and more are sure to eat up the band's latest offering, Dance Songs For Hard Times, a country blues record that was made the right way – two feet on the ground and both hands getting dirty. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is available plus free air freshener with purchase while supplies last!]

Show Me The Body – Survive 10” (Loma Vista)

Classic hard core with a modern vision.

Silver Synthetic – Silver Synthetic CD/LP (Third Man)

In the midst of the thick New Orleans summer of 2017, Chris Lyons of garage punks Bottomfeeders found himself sitting on a small batch of songs that didn't quite fit the fuzzed-out pileups of that band. The new songs were more chiming, driving but relaxed, full of little corners begging to be filled with classic pop harmonies and wayward country licks. He called in his trusted confidants: Bottomfeeders drummer and longtime musical partner Lucas Bogner – the two started playing music together at the tender age of 15 – plus bassist Pete Campanelli, and Kunal Prakash (Jeff The Brotherhood) dug the songs and signed on, and the quartet started playing in earnest, hunkering down in the practice space. By the time the band played its first gig in late 2018 at the opening of Nola's ManRay Records, the songs had multiplied and the members of the newly christened Silver Synthetic had become genuine rock & roll craftsmen. In a world that doesn't seem capable of swaying, Silver Synthetic's self-titled debut shakes and boogies. [Limited edition indie store exclusive sunrise swirl vinyl.]

Philippe Cohen Solal and Mike Lindsay – Outsider LP (Ya Basta)

An album of ten astonishing pop songs, inspired by America's most celebrated Outsider artist Henry Darger, whose lyrics written over 50 years ago, have been set to music for the first time and brought into the present day.

Spirit Of The Beehive – Entertainment, Death CD/LP+MP3 (Saddle Creek)

Spirit of the Beehive's fourth album, Entertainment, Death signals new chapters for the band on multiple fronts, being the first to feature their new three-piece lineup, as well as the first to be entirely self-recorded and produced. Guitarist/vocalist Zack Schwartz and bassist/vocalist Rivka Ravede are now joined by new member Corey Wichlin, a multi-instrumentalist who relocated from Chicago to the band's home territory of Philadelphia. Though Entertainment, Death doesn't cohere in a single, unifying theme, the band samples old obscure commercials throughout, many of which guided the process of writing a song instead of serving as an appendage. Schwartz describes his songwriting process as a stream-of-consciousness, while Ravede asserts that she doesn't typically write vocal parts with any specific intention in mind [Limited-edition maroon vinyl.]

Taylor Swift – Fearless (Taylor’s Version) 2xCD (Republic)

2008’s Fearless was an album full of magic and curiosity, the bliss and devastation of youth. It was the diary of the adventures and explorations of a teenage girl who was learning tiny lessons with every new crack in the facade of her fairytale ending she'd been shown in the movies. This new re-recorded version is called Fearless (Taylor's Version) includes 26 songs total, with six unreleased tracks.

Veronica Swift – This Bitter Earth LP (Mack Avenue)

This Bitter Earth takes on the song-cycle characteristics of such classic LPs as Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love, and Mary J. Blige's My Life. Accompanied by a team of kindred spirts that includes pianist Emmet Cohen, guitarist Armand Hirschand, flutist Aaron Johnson, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Bryan Carter, Swift curates material that covers multiple genres, including jazz, American musicals, vintage R&B and contemporary rock. [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]

Nick Waterhouse – Promenade Blue CD/LP+MP3 (Innovative Leisure)

In Nick's musical and lyrical world, blue is a refraction of his life and memories – shadowing a deep, spiritual San Francisco that fostered his musical vocabulary but has now been stamped out irrevocably; evoking the endless tours, marathon recording sessions, and highs and lows of success he's experienced in his decade-long career; conjuring romances that were doomed, loves that lingered, and hope for future days of parity and partnership; summoning spirits of people who have gone but permeate his mind forever. That's the world of Promenade Blue – one that is vivid and magnetic, buoyed by both light and density due to Nick's newfound collaboration with producer Paul Butler (Michael Kiwanuka, Devendra Banhart).

Reissues & From The Archives

Ambré – Pulp 2xLP (Roc Nation)

Limited double orange/gold and grey/blue color vinyl pressing. The Director's Cut of 2019’s Pulp is an extended version of the project. Ambré has described it as sonically being what she envisions her movies would look like. “Soft-spoken and incredibly shy, New Orleans-native Ambré Perkins, known mononymously as Ambré, is on “a whole journey of me figuring out myself.” Thankfully, the self-taught musician uses ten silky tracks to say exactly how she feels—on Pulp.” – Essence

Laurie Anderson – Big Science [Reissue/1982] LP (Nonesuch)

Laurie Anderson's 1982 debut album, Big Science, returns to vinyl for the first time in 30 years. In the early 1980s, Anderson was already respected as a conceptual artist and composer, adept at employing gear both high-tech and homemade in her often violin-based pieces, and she was a familiar figure in the cross-pollinating, Lower Manhattan music-visual art-performance circles from which Philip Glass and David Byrne also emerged.

The B-52's ‎– The B-52's [Reissue/1979] LP (WB)

When the B-52's self-titled album landed, there was nothing quite like their quirky blend of new wave and '60s kitsch. The 1979 release, cut with producer (and Island Records founder) Chris Blackwell at his studio in The Bahamas, features such energetic originals as "Planet Claire" and that crustacean classic, "Rock Lobster," which became the band's first hit single. The Athens, GA quintet - Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, Ricky Wilson and Keith Strickland – knew how to throw a party, and this platinum-selling album remains as catchy as it is campy. The band went on to even greater success in the ensuing years, but they were never better than on The B-52's, which is reissued here on vinyl.

Tom Brock ‎– I Love You More And More [Reissue/1974] LP (Mr. Bongo)

Vinyl reissue of a soul masterpiece from 1974.

Female Species – Tale Of My Lost Love LP (Numero)

This is the story of two sisters who nurtured a dream for half a century and never let it die. Vicki and Ronni Gossett launched their musical career as teenagers in Whittier, California in 1966. They called themselves the Female Species. Members came and went; their base of operations moved to Las Vegas, back to L.A., and over to Nashville. Along the way their sound transformed from garage rock to lounge to country-pop, the only constant being an innate mastery of hooks and harmony. These ladies had it. Tale Of My Lost Love is the whole story from beginning to end of two sisters who gave everything to their dream, yet never made a single record... until now. Sometimes great music just isn't enough to break through - until it is.

Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac Live [Reissue/1980] 2xLP+3xCD+7” (Rhino)

Super deluxe edition includes double vinyl pressing, three CDs, and one 7” vinyl single. Includes a newly remastered version of the classic double live album with more than an hour of unreleased live music, plus unreleased demos for “Fireflies” and “One More Night” on 7” vinyl.

Blaze Foley – Live At The Austin Outhouse LP (End Of An Ear)

Live At The Austin Outhouse captures Blaze Foley, Austin's legendary singer-songwriter, at his final appearance at the iconic Austin Outhouse venue. Recorded over two nights in 1989 just days before his tragic murder, these twelve tracks are available on vinyl for the first time. The set reveals Blaze to be as talented and soulful as his friends and running buddies Townes Van Zandt and Lucinda Williams.

Ace Frehley – Greatest Hits Live [Reissue/2006] LP (Megaforce)

Greatest Hits Live contains ten live tracks and two studio recordings. Tracks 1-6, 8 and 10 were recorded in London, England. Tracks 7 and 9 were recorded in Chicago, Illinois. The final two studio recordings were outtakes from Frehley's previous greatest hits compilation, Loaded Deck.

Lee Hazlewood - The LHI Years: Singles, Nudes, & Backsides (1968-71) 2xLP (Light in the Attic)

As a true legend of the great American songbook and a rebellious pioneer who left behind a lengthy trail of echo laden pop masterpieces, Lee’s influence continues to reverberate today. Singles, Nudes & Backsides collects the best of Lee's solo songs and duets from his Lee Hazlewood Industries imprint. From acid-folk and country-rock to pop-psych and soul, LHI issued dozens of long forgotten 45s and LPs between 1968 and 1971. Remastered from the original analog tapes. 2021 repress available on black vinyl and on red/gold colored vinyl.

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Live At Knebworth ‘76 CD+DVD/CD+Blu-ray (Eagle Rock)

Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrate their historic Live At Knebworth ‘76 performance with this new multi-format reissue. Originally only available on the 1996 film Freebird… The Movie, this latest installment gives fans the opportunity to enjoy the 1976 performance in its entirety. Live At Knebworth ‘76 chronicles the band's original legendary line-up featuring Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Leon Wilkeson, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, and The Honkettes, and honors those who were lost in the tragic 1977 plane crash. The band performed at the day-long festival with the likes of Todd Rundgren's Utopia and The Rolling Stones, playing to a crowd of over 150,000 people, and effectively stealing the show to create a historic moment for Southern Rock.

Bob Marley – Diamonds Are Forever Vol. 1 2xLP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Bob Marley – Diamonds Are Forever Vol. 2 2xLP (Let Them Eat Vinyl)

Two limited double-LP color vinyl compilations of timeless anthems from the transcendent reggae musician.

Peter Murphy ‎– Should The World Fail To Fall Apart [Reissue/1986] LP (Beggars Banquet)
Peter Murphy ‎– Love Hysteria [Reissue/1988] LP (Beggars Banquet)

Limited-edition color vinyl reissues. Rising up as the Godfather of Goth as the singer of Bauhaus, Murphy began his solo career in 1985, only enhancing his reputation as one of rock's most commanding vocalists.

The Offspring ‎– Conspiracy Of One [Reissue/2000] LP (Round Hill Music)

Vinyl reissue of the sixth studio album by the multi-platinum-selling California punk stars. Includes one new track.

Terry Riley - In C LP (Columbia)

2021 restock. Recorded at 30th Street Studio in New York City, 1968. Credited to Terry Riley and members of the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts in the State University of New York at Buffalo. This is a reissue of the first recording of In C ever released. Instrumentation includes saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, clarinet, flute, viola, trombone, vibraphone, and marimbaphone.

Tones On Tail – Pop [Reissue/1984] LP (Beggars Banquet)

Originally released in 1984, Pop is the only studio album from Tones On Tail, which was a side project of Bauhaus members Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins (pre-Love And Rockets) along with Glenn Campling.

Various Artists – Back To The Future (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP (Geffen)

Released in 1985, Back To The Future has been a staple for fans of classic ‘80s movies. Travel back in time with the iconic soundtrack with songs like “Earth Angel”, “Johnny B. Goode”, and Huey Lewis & The News' “The Power Of Love”.

Various Artists - Virtual Dreams: Ambient Explorations in the House & Techno Age, 1993-1997 3xLP (Music from Memory)

When House and Techno exploded out of America in the mid-1980s, a whole generation was redefined, not only musically but also culturally and chemically speaking. Peaking (literally) with a second ‘Summer of Love’ in 1988, millions of young people across the world would experience the life-changing ups of a brave new world, but with it of course, came the come-downs. Enter the concept of a ‘Chill-out’ room. While early Chill-out rooms lacked a specific sound and often piped in reggae and soul, young Techno and House producers became increasingly interested in developing a futuristic ‘Ambient’ soundtrack to a world beyond the thud of the main room. While the melodies were pretty, the soundscape steered away from the pastoral, dreaming of outer-space and technology as opening up exciting new dimensions, as musicians explored the psychedelic, mind-altering, and transcendental possibilities of electronic and ambient music.