New Releases - 5/31/24

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

Arooj Aftab - Night Reign LP/CD (Verve)

Night Reign is the new album from GRAMMY-winner Arooj Aftab, an ode to the night as her primary source of inspiration and a vivid reflection of the creative community she has fostered in her home of Brooklyn, New York. Featuring nine original compositions, three English-language tracks, and an array of guest artists, Night Reign is a perfumed, public garden of renewal, desire, shelter, and love guided by Aftab's voice - it's reach and intensity complementing the sun's departure. [Indie store exclusive silver vinyl.]

Another Michael - Puck Me Up Turn Me Upside Down LP (Run For Cover)

Helmed by lead singer/songwriter Michael Doherty and producer/bassist Nick Sebastiano-along with signature contributions of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Alenni Davis, drummer Noah Dardaris, and longtime engineer/co-producer/confidante Scoops Dardaris-Pick Me Up, Turn Me Upside Down came to life over three years of intermittent writing and recording sessions that proved unexpectedly fruitful. Following last year's sibling album Wishes to Fulfill, Pick Me Up is a more expansive output, patiently unfolding to reveal an exploratory side that brings new hues into the band's vibrant sound. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]

Bat For Lashes - The Dream of Delphi LP/CD (Decca)

An ode to Natasha's daughter, Delphi. Bat for Lashes is known for her otherworldly albums with lead characters Laura, Daniel and The Bride. For the first time, Natasha writes about her personal experiences and the magical, sometimes melancholy, intimacy of early motherhood. [Indie store exclusive red vinyl.]

Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Nathan Salsburg & Tyler Trotter - Hear the Children Sing the Evidence LP/CD (

Lullabies for children, as performed and sung by Salsburg, Will Oldham & Tyler Trotter, covering Lungfish.

Candy - It’s Inside You LP/CD (Relapse)

Candy returns with It's Inside You. A brazen take on hardcore, metal, and disparate electronics and experimental soundscapes, It's Inside You sees Candy take another step forward with a compelling, extreme, and one-of-a-kind take on the genre. [Limited edition yellow vinyl with splatter.]

Anastasia Coope - Darning Woman LP/CD (Jagjaguwar)

Darning Woman is an intentional, beautiful, sometimes confrontational album that shreds expectations of DIY, bedroom music, and feminine themes. There's a lushness and maternal instinct at play, as Coope connects the dots between physicality, ephemera, and the ultrafeminine. [Limited edition white vinyl.]

Crowded House - Gravity Stairs LP/CD (BMG)

New studio album! Produced by the band with Steven Schram, the 11-track long-player follows 2021's Dreamers are Waiting and is the second with the current line-up of Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mitchell Froom and Neil's sons Elroy and Liam Finn.

Andra Day - Cassandra (Cherith) CD (Warner Records)

Cassandra (Cherith), titled after her birth name and this season of her life, is her most personal body of work to date. In this project, Andra examines every iteration of love: lost, gained, rekindled, interpersonal, and with "God". She sings about her personal experiences with intense love, gut-wrenching heartbreak, death & rebirth, reclamation, and spiritual growth.

Dreamer Boy - Lonestar LP (Harvest)

Lonestar is Dreamer Boy's third full-length album. The indie star and singer-songwriter took his time-two years of searching-and it shows. Moving from Nashville to Los Angeles, Dreamer Boy found his new direction during trips out West, back East, and out again, watching the miles of the country pass by. At it's heart, the record is about finding yourself. It's about building yourself as a person in the turbulence of a breakup, which involves looking back, feeling a little lost, a little heartbroken, a little nostalgic. But, ultimately, there's clarity-you figure out what makes you really yourself, even if it might change.

Ezra Feinberg - Soft Power LP (Tonal Union)

Ezra Feinberg's third album Soft Power sees the composer-guitarist enlist an impressive array of fellow musicians including Mary Lattimore, David Moore (Bing & Ruth), Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, and Robbie Lee.

Habibi - Dreamachine LP/CD (Kill Rock Stars)

Co-founded by Detroit natives Rahill Jamalifard and Lenny Lynch, Habibi got it's start in Brooklyn in 2011, earning early raves every- where from Pitchfork and NME to All Things Considered and The New Yorker, who praised the band for infusing "the Colgate-white glisten of sixties-girl-group pop with an uncensored edge." Dreamachine, Habibi's mesmerizing new record releasing on Kill Rock Stars, marks a major sonic evolution for the band, rising beyond the critically acclaimed five-piece's garage rock roots to arrive at a singular swirl of analog and digital elements that underpin their search for spiritual and physical transcendence. Produced by Tyler Love and longtime collaborator Jay Heiselmann and featuring MGMT multi-instrumentalist James Richard-son, the collection draws on a mix of post-punk, experimental pop, and vintage disco, calling to mind Tom Verlaine, Diana Ross, Kate Bush, and Kim Deal, all filtered through the band's shared love of Middle Eastern psych music. [Limited edition baby blue vinyl.]

Maya Hawke - Chaos Angel LP/CD/Cassette (Mom+Pop)

Third album from musician, songwriter, actor and producer Maya Hawke. Chaos Angel takes the spare, viscerally honest songwriting she has made her name on and goes deeper and bolder. Both her most sonically sophisticated and thematically nuanced collection to date, it feels like a culmination. Hawke reconvened with longtime collaborators Benjamin Lazar Davis and Will Graefe, with Christian Lee Hutson serving as producer.

Marias - Submarine LP/CD (Atlantic)

Sophomore album from Grammy-nominated band The Marías. Submarine represents themes of solitude and exploration for The Marías, delving into the complexities of human emotion and what it means to choose solitude, and the pain and beauty so inextricably interwoven within it. [Indie store exclusive blue vinyl.]

Kameron Marlowe - Keepin’ the Lights On 2xLP/CD (Sony Nashville)

The 16-track collection features previously released singles "Quit You," "Strangers (with Ella Langley)" and "Tennessee Don't Mind." Writers contributing to Keepin' The Lights On include Kendell Marvel, Michael Hardy, Wyatt McCubbin, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi and Charles Kelley, among others."I feel like I discovered a lot about myself while making this record," shares Marlowe. "I got to reflect on a lot of life from when I was a kid to life today. This album explores everything from loss to love, depression to joy, and overcoming the voices in your head telling you you're not good enough. I found myself looking at life through a different lens throughout the process.

John Moreland - Visitor LP/CD (Old Omens)

After an impressive 2010s run of albums that earned him a devoted fanbase, accolades from outlets like The New York Times, Fresh Air, and Pitchfork, and a place in the upper echelon of modern Americana singer-songwriters, John Moreland has already taken two unexpected turns this decade, both of which highlight his fierce artistic independence. First, he released a brilliant and sonically layered folk-electronica meditation on modern alienation, 2022's Birds In The Ceiling, that took some of his fans by surprise. Then, after wrapping up a difficult tour behind that record in November 2022, he stopped working entirely. He took an entire year off from playing shows and didn't use a smartphone for 6 months. "At the end of that year, I was just like 'Nobody call me'. I needed to not do anything for a while and just process," Moreland says. After nearly a decade in the limelight, constantly jostled by the expectations of his audience, the music industry, and anonymous strangers online, he carved out some time to rest, heal, and reflect for the first time. - The result of that unplugged year at home is 2024's Visitor, a folk-rock record that is intimate, immediate, deeply thoughtful, and catchy as hell. [Indie exclusive opaque cream color vinyl.]

Jon Muq - Flying Away LP/CD (Easy Eye Sound)

Ugandan-born, Austin-based Jon Muq's debut, Flying Away, melds African and Western melodies, reflecting his astonishing journey. Produced by Dan Auerbach, the album is infused with themes of resilience and Muq's spontaneous, reflective songwriting captures the essence of his cross-continental life. From busking for children on the streets of Kampala, to cruise ship clubs, to sharing stages with music's biggest stars, Muq now embarks on the grandest voyage of all: releasing his first album. 

Willie Nelson - The Border LP/CD (Sony Legacy)

The Border is legendary country artist Willie Nelson's 75th solo studio record of new material. Produced by Willie's longtime collaborator, Buddy Cannon, The Border features four newly penned tracks by the pair combined with a half dozen tunes from some of their favorite songwriters including two cowritten by Rodney Crowell plus Shawn Camp, Mike Reid and Bobby Tomberlin. Backed by some of Nashville's finest musicians, the album is another instant classic to follow up their last album of new material, A Beautiful Time which won Best Country Album at the 2023 Grammys.

The Neutrals - New Town Dream LP/CD (Slumberland)

Dream... or nightmare? That's the underlying question posed on "New Town Dream," the second LP from Bay Area trio Neutrals, as guitarist/vocalist Allan McNaughton's lyrical narratives expand on the world first built on the band's 2022 EP "Bus Stop Nights," offering snapshots of mundane lived realities in the "New Towns" that proliferated in the UK during the '60s and '70s. "New Town Dream" conceptually voices the psychic tension of that era, of being pushed toward the margins and becoming just another cog in a deeply broken machine.

Finn Rees - Dawn Is A Melody LP/CD (Mr. Bongo)

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping it's hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne's finest talent. Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn's conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes. 

Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin - BRASIL LP (Candid)

Guitarist Ritenour and pianist Grusin began their fervent involvement in Brazilian music half a century ago. And, as boldly demonstrated on BRASIL, their new studio recording in several decades dedicated to the genre, their passion remains unabated. BRASIL is a bracing survey of contemporary Brazilian sounds featuring some of that country's most notable young musicians.

Ringo Starr - Crooked Boy EP LP/CD (Universal)

Written and produced by Songwriter's Hall Of Famer Linda Perry, Crooked Boy features four brand-new tracks from Ringo Starr with his trademark vocals and legendary drumming.

Swamp Dogg - Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St. LP/CD (Oh Boy)

Not a lot of people talk about the true origins of bluegrass music," says Swamp Dogg, "but it came from Black people. The banjo, the washtub, all that stuff started with African Americans. We were playing it before it even had a name." Blackgrass, Swamp Dogg's remarkable new album, is no history lesson, though. Produced by Ryan Olson (Bon Iver, Poliça) and recorded with an all-star band including Noam Pikelny, Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas, Chris Scruggs, Billy Contreras, and Kenny Vaughan, the collection is a riotous blend of past and present, mixing the sacred and the profane in typical Swamp Dogg fashion as it blurs the lines between folk, roots, country, blues, and soul. The tracklist is an eclectic one-brand new originals and vintage Swamp Dogg classics sit side by side with reimaginings of '70s R&B hits and timeless '50s pop tunes-but the performances are thoroughly cohesive, filtering everything through a progressive Appalachian lens that nods to tradition without ever being bound by it. Special guests like Margo Price, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon, and The Cactus Blossoms all add to the excitement here, but it's ultimately the 81-year-old Swamp Dogg's delivery-sly and playful and full of genuine joy and ache-that steals the show. 

Jimi Tenor + Cold Diamond & Mink Is There Love In Outer Space? LP/CD (Timmion)

"Is There Love In Outer Space?" begs the question with the force of five extended tracks that are guaranteed to blow your mind to the stratosphere. The pieces are loaded with whooshing and glistening synth noises and span from lofi space funk to cinematic soundscapes. The sweetly floating title track is like some of those galactic ballads that rare soul collectors are spending their pensions on. At the other side of the spectrum, album closer 'What Are You Doing?' sounds like Sun Ra sat down at a JBs session, and is straight up meant to get that booty moving. Combined with the raw soul prowess of CD&M, Jimi is able to refine new shades from his already impressive repertoire of talent. Tenor is no stranger in these space ways as he has operated behind the Timmion scenes for years, furnishing several of the label's artists with his flute and reeds artistry.

Richard Thompson - Ship To Shore 2xLP/CD (New West)

When Richard Thompson began writing songs for his latest album, Ship to Shore, the artist was instinctively drawn to his own musical roots, employing them in the service of fashioning a deep and diverse 12-track collection that pulls from various styles, genres and eras, but remains unmistakably Richard Thompson. There's the rumbling, Motown-style rhythm that propels "Trust," and the straightforward riff-rock of "Turnstile Casanova." The drone-y "The Old Pack Mule," an "old man's song" that takes musical cues from 1600s-era European music, and "Life's a Bloody Show," an ode to "snake-oil salesmen and hucksters" that floats on a glammy, cabaret-like melody that's "almost like a parody of a Noël Coward song, or something from Berlin in the 1920s," Thompson says. "I liked the idea of having a strong base to work from and reaching out from there," he says. "And I think of my base as being British traditional music, but there's also Scottish music, there's Irish music. There's jazz and country and classical. As far as I'm concerned, once you establish your base you can reach out anywhere. It'll still be you ringing through, wherever you decide to go musically." [Indie store exclusive yellow marbled vinyl and signed CD.]

Thou - Umbilical LP/CD (Sacred Bones)

Thou has always been a force of raw energy and unapologetic dissent, defying easy categorization and challenging listeners to confront the complexities of existence. Though often lumped in with New Orleans sludge bands like Eyehategod and Crowbar, Thou transcends genre boundaries, drawing inspiration from a diverse array of influences spanning from '90s proto-grunge icons like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden (all of whom they've covered extensively) to the raw intensity of obscure '90s DIY hardcore punk found on labels like Ebullition, Vermiform, and Crimethinc. Their latest record Umbilical, Thou's first full-length release of original music since their 2018 Sacred Bones debut Magus, is their firmest nod to the latter - a record filled with mosh-ready riffs, heavy breakdowns and scathing vocals. [Limited edition gold vinyl with exclusive 7”.]

Anna Tivel - Living Thing LP (Missing Piece)

Living Thing, the newest full length album from Oregon based songwriter Anna Tivel, is an arcing dive into the existential. Written through the tumultuous eyes of 2020 and recorded in Eau Claire, WI in profound collaboration with long time friend and producer Shane Leonard, these are songs of struggle and aliveness expressed with great joy.

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

Omar Apollo - Friends LP (Roonis)

Friends is the second EP by American singer-songwriter Omar Apollo, originally released in 2019. On the project, the first-generation Mexican-American singer fluidly channels elements of jazz, R&B, funk, alternative, soul and pop music through his own lens, cementing his stance as one of 2019's breakout stars.

ARS Nova - ARS Nova LP (Sundazed)

Formed in New York City in 1967 by two former students from the Mannes College musical conservatory, Wyatt Day (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Jon Pierson (trombone, vocals) and Maury Baker (drums). The line-up was expanded by the addition of Jonathan Raskin (bass, backing vocals, guitar) and Giovanni Papalia (lead guitar). After spending some time rehearsing in rural Vermont, the band added Bill Folwell to their ranks on double bass and trumpet. Coming to the attention of manager Arthur Gorson (who also managed Phil Ochs and Judy Collins) the band secured an audition for Jac Holzman's Elektra label and secured a contract soon after. The band's self-titled debut album was recorded at Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles and was produced by Paul Rothchild (noted for his work with The Doors, Love et al). The ARS NOVA album was certainly ground-breaking for its use of unconventional instrumentation and for taking influences from the worlds of rock, ethnic and classical music. One fan of the album was Roy Wood of British band The Move (who would record a cover of ARS Nova's Fields of People on their 1970 album Shazam!) 

Balance & Composure - The Things We Think We’re Missing [Live at Studio 4] LP/CD (Run For Cover)

To celebrate the 10 Year anniversary of their album The Things We Think We're Missing, Balance and Composure teamed up with longtime collaborator Will Yip to track the record live for a one-time livestream event in late 2023. That performance has been pressed to vinyl & is now available in a one-time vinyl pressing.

Jessie Baylin - Strawberry Wind LP (New West)

New deluxe reissue of Jessie Baylin’s children’s LP. "Strawberry Wind, produced by Richard Swift (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Foxygen, The Shins) not only delivers on a promise to create an honest album for kids and parents, but it represents what Baylin calls the “beautiful divide,” of juggling family life with her creative life, a difficult task by any measure. “The divide in me is easy to feel because I invest 100% of myself into my family and often the creative get’s put to the side,” she explained, “so when I decided to begin writing for this album it just poured out of me.” And, now singer/songwriter Jessie Baylin is sharing that creative outpouring on her debut children’s album, Strawberry Wind.

Have A Nice Life - Voids 2xLP (Flenser)

Long-awaited official release of this decade-old, collection of outtakes and demos from Have A Nice Life’s debut album Deathconsciousness.

John Lee Hooker - The Cream 2xLP (Culture Factory)

New reissue of this double vinyl live set from John Lee Hooker, recorded in 1977.

Cyndi Lauper - Let the Canary Sing LP (Sony Legacy)

Let The Canary Sing is a career-spanning collection following Lauper’s career starting from her days in Blue Angel, to her breakout single, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” to the iconic pop stardom that followed. With hits, “True Colors,” “I Drove All Night,” and more, this collection is a staple for any Cyndi Lauper fan.

Lucius - Wildewoman (The New Recordings) LP/CD (Fantasy)

Produced and mixed by Dan Molad, Wildewoman (The New Recordings) re-imagines and expands Lucius' sparkling debut album, enhancing it's instrumentation and deepening these remarkable songs. The new, 13-track set features friends Marcus Mumford on "Go Home (The New Recording)," and Devon Gilfillian on "Tempest (The New Recording)." The CD and vinyl version also features close friend and collaborator Brandi Carlile on the previously unreleased fan favorite "Housewarming (The New Recording)." [Limited edition green vinyl.]

Nomeansno - Wrong LP (Alternative Tentacles)

At last, one of the all-time bat legends, Nomeansno has returned to Alternative Tentacles Records. The entire catalog no less, starting with their most beloved album, Wrong. Using the original all-analog master, from the original mother, as engineered by George Horn, John Wright, and Jello Biafra.

R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction LP/CD (Capitol)

R.E.M.'s third studio album, Fables of the Reconstruction, was originally released in 1985 and features such classics as "Driver 8," "Can't Get There From Here," and "Life And How To Live It." The gold-certified record has been faithfully restored on vinyl.

The Softies - Holiday In Rhode Island LP (K Records)

Listening to The Softies feels like peeking into a diary, with no personal detail spared. Holiday in Rhode Island, their third album, presents the most accessible means inside the humble honesty of the emotive universe of Rose Melberg (Tiger Trap, Gaze, Go Sailor) and Jen Sbragia (All Girl Summer Fun Band).

Alan Vega - Insurrection 2xLP/CD (In the Red)

In The Red Records is proud to announce a previously unreleased new album by Brooklyn-born master of minimalism Alan Vega, Insurrection. The eleven songs here showcase the unparalleled vision and uncompromising force from one of the most influential artists of all time.