New Releases - 5/7/21

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

Natalie Bergman – Mercy CD/LP (Third Man)

Self-produced, performed and mixed in near solitude, the Natalie Bergman’s debut album Mercy takes a spellbinding step into Bergman's singular world of sound, spirituality and the search for hope during tragic times. Music and faith have always been at the forefront of the Bergman family, and rather than crawl into a cave of darkness and dread, Natalie decided to spend many days in silence at a monastery in the Chama Valley. It was there she learned she would embark on Mercy, and as she began writing and recording, the collection of songs channeled her cathartic reverence for traditional gospel music - in her words, the true source of rock and roll. It marks the first newly recorded gospel album to be released by Third Man Records. Helmed by Bergman's heavenly voice, the music is steeped in mystic melodies, time-bending tones of psychedelic rock, soul and a spiritual healing that's much-needed in the wake of 2020. [Indie store exclusive opaque blue vinyl.]

Tony Joe White – Smoke From The Chimney CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)

Smoke From The Chimney, the posthumous album by Louisiana swamp rock pioneer Tony Joe White, brings to life previously unknown home recordings by the legendary songwriter and musician. Starting with the album's genesis as an unforeseen trove of demos to the hands of producer Dan Auerbach and legendary session musicians, Smoke From The Chimney captures White's signature style in its purest form and serves as a living testimony to one of the most gifted lyricists and storytellers music has ever known.

The Bamboos – Hard Up CD/2xLP (BMG)

On The Bamboos tenth studio album, Hard Up, the nine piece powerhouse, founded and lead by guitarist, producer and songwriter Lance Ferguson have refined their craft of finding the sweetest spot between Soul and Funk to the finest point yet. The album was recorded at a sprawling country house just outside Melbourne, with the communal studio sessions solidifying their already seemingly telepathic musical interplay.

Mandy Barnett – Every Star Above CD/LP (BMG)

Celebrated torch singer Mandy Barnett presents her eighth studio album. Recorded with a 60- piece orchestra, Every Star Above delivers lush and sparkling selections from Billie Holiday's personally curated 1958 Satin track list, as interpreted by Barnett and legendary jazz maestro and arranger Sammy Nestico (Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Michael Bublé, Barbra Streisand), whose recent passing at age 96 distinguishes the album as his final work.

Bastards Of Soul – Spinnin’ LP (Eastwood Music Group)

Debut full-length LP release from the east Dallas classic R&B disciples. Spinnin’ resonates with the pulse of the southern R&B of the past and creates a joyous vibe with original soul joints rooted in a vintage sound.

Birdy – Young Heart LP (Atlantic)

Five years since Birdy's last studio album Beautiful Lies may seem like a long break but for Birdy, taking time to stop, experience the world, and find out who she really is was a necessary circuit break. Traveling to Nashville – home to the greatest heartache songs ever written – and visiting L.A. – drawing from classic artists Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake – was the perfect way to seek inspiration. These gorgeous surroundings and her collaborators there seemed to know, instinctively, how to draw the words out from Birdy and imbued Young Heart with strokes of the artists who had come before. The songs on the album tussle between light and dark, between that vastness of space and the interior of home. The conflict between wanting to hide away and being compelled to go away, to new places and new experiences play out across the record.

Toumani Diabaté and London Symphony Orchestra – Kôrôlén CD/2xLP (World Circuit)

Kôrôlén is a very special collaboration between two titans in music: Toumani Diabaté, the Grammy-winning Malian kora virtuoso, and the London Symphony Orchestra, renowned worldwide for their performances of orchestral music on record, film and stage. Diabaté, a griot whose musical lineage stretches back generations, is well known as one of the most creative musicians on the African continent and is almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the iconic sound of the kora to worldwide audiences. No stranger to a genre-defying collaboration, he has recorded two Grammy-winning albums alongside desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré, as well as projects with Taj Mahal, Björk, Béla Fleck, Damon Albarn and Afrocubism.

McKinley Dixon – Form My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her LP (Spacebomb)

Richmond, Virginia-based hip-hop/soul/jazz artist McKinley Dixon has always used his music as a tool for healing, exploring, and unpacking the Black experience in order to create stories for others like him. For My Mama And Anyone Who Look Like Her is the culmination of a journey where heartbreak and introspection challenged him to adapt new ways of communicating physically and mentally, as well as across time and space.

DJ Black Low – Uwami LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)

In many ways, DJ Black Low's debut album, Uwami, shows the signs of an artist's first offering in any musical genre. Showcasing fluency in a broad range of styles and stuffing a number of ideas to the record's brim is the 20 year-old producer's attempt to both introduce himself to a wide listenership and stamp a recognizable sound in their minds. In other ways, somewhat out of the young South African producer's control, Uwami goes against the grain. Uwami comes at a time when South African electronic music is being fundamentally disrupted. Amapiano, the electronic music movement which first gained popularity with a small, core group of followers, now dominates the mainstream.

dodie. – Build A Problem CD/LP (SME UK)

"Build A Problem is an album of processing. I build problems – I was the problem that was built. It explores my hugest emotions; from the dark depths of bad brain to the giggly, performative nonchalance of feeling broken," says Dodie. "Build A Problem is full of feeling, full of soaring strings, thick harmonies, honesty, vulnerability and therapy." And on lead single "Cool Girl" she adds that it's a "song about misplaced anger. Stemming from the suppression of communicating your needs in a relationship in order to attempt to be the most chill, cool, and loveable. It's bitter, desperate, frustrated, proud, determined, and unhealthy." [Indie store exclusive black, sage & pistachio vinyl.]

Dreamer Boy – All The Ways We Are Together 2xLP (Slowplay/Harvest)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Wide-eyed Nashville singer-songwriter Dreamer Boy's (aka Nashville's Zach Taylor) new album, All The Ways We Are Together wasn't necessarily written with the turmoil of 2020 in mind, but its ethereal melodies, delicate timbre and empathetic lyrics will surely speak to fans burdened by the state of things. He chose Earth Day as a release date for the album to reflect the global communal spirit he feels with people and our shared environment. On the earnest title track single "All The Ways We Are Together", Taylor explains that: "I wrote it when I was at a low point and the song represents the voice of a friend who is helping you through a hard time. We must lean on one another in this life and remind each other who we are and what matters. I needed to be reminded I couldn't hold the weight on my own shoulders, and that having friends to help bear our burdens is a beautiful part of life." [A limited-edition color vinyl pressing is also available.]

Iceage – Seek Shelter CD/LP+MP3 (Mexican Summer)

With each new release, Elias Bender Ronnenfelt, Jakob Tvilling Pless, Jojan Surrballe Wieth and Dan Kj'r Nielsen refigure the contours of a typical Iceage song. This is especially true of Seek Shelter, their fifth LP. Enrolling Sonic Boom to produce the record and guitarist, Casper Morilla, the album sees Iceage's momentum pushing them in new, expansive directions, exploring a new emotional palette, replete with romantic piano balladry, invocations of patron saints, and a gospel choir. [Limited edition orange vinyl.]

Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall – The Marfa Tapes 2xLP (Sony Music Nashville)

The Marfa Tapes is a collection of beautifully intimate and raw songs written and recorded by Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, and Jon Randall in the tiny, middle-of-nowhere town of Marfa, TX. Barely a dot on the map, Marfa is an eccentric outpost in the midst of a vast expanse of nothingness, the perfect place to lose – or find – yourself. For Lambert, Randall, and Ingram, it's both. Over the past several years, the desolate location has become a songwriting haven for the trio, yielding both massive hits and profound personal growth. When they returned for five days in November 2020 though, they came not to write, but to record, capturing a captivating new album inspired by the stark beauty of west Texas and the deep, lasting bonds the three have forged there. Recorded raw and loose with just a pair of microphones and an acoustic guitar, The Marfa Tapes is a stunning work of audio verité; an intimate, unadorned snapshot of a moment in time fueled by love, trust, and friendship.

Tom Jones – Surrounded By Time CD (S-Curve)

New album from the legendary Welsh vocalist. Co-produced by Ethan Johns and Mark Woodward, Surrounded By Time marks out new territory with a sonic landscape of outstanding musicianship and a vocal delivery that re-imagines a diverse set of songs of personal importance that have impacted the artist throughout a long, unpredictable but undeniably impressive career.

India Jordan – Watch Out! 12” (Ninja Tune)

India Jordan is tipped as one of the most exciting dance music producers of the moment. For You EP was released in May 2020 and instantly received impressive pick up from the likes of Pitchfork (8.0), NME (5/5), Clash (8/10), The Guardian, Bandcamp, Mixmag, Resident Advisor, Dazed, radio support from KCRW and KEXP and more.

Kardashev – The Baring Of Shadows LP (Metal Blade)

Limited color vinyl pressing. A self-described deathgaze group, Kardashev is for fans of The Contortionist, Rivers of Nihil, Devin Townsend, Alcest - among others. Their mission statement could be described as: Attempting to create the most beautiful, heavy music through themes of love, loss and altruism in the metal spectrum.

Lafawndah - The Fifth Season LP (Latency Recordings)

Inspired by her encounter with author NK Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, Lafawndah both pays homage to and extends further the elemental, emotionally charged myths of Jemisin's books. Inviting a new degree of spontaneity and freedom into her process, Lafawndah's collaborators -- Theon Cross (tuba), Nathaniel Cross (trombone), Valentina Magaletti (percussions), and Nick Weiss (keyboards) -- encircle her confrontational character studies with iridescent, cinematic chamber-bass moves. These are torch songs for when it rains ash, creation ballads for when the earth turns inside out. Ghosts of Art Ensemble of Chicago and Rahsaan Roland Kirk color the air, yet Lafawndah's mastery of pop songcraft, vocal production and razor-honed clarity of purpose cut through. The Fifth Season anchors Lafawndah as a descendent of forebears Brigitte Fontaine and Scott Walker -- a born theatric whose acid humor warps the sub-continental undertow of her emotive storytelling.

Leftover Salmon – Brand New Good Old Days CD/LP (Compass)

Leftover Salmon deliver a feel-good collection of 10 new tracks, dipping their collective musical toes back into the bluegrass stream from which they emerged as a band 30 years ago. The resulting album is a fun, engaging and deeply musical set which showcases the band's musical roots even as they embrace the more progressive elements that made the band one of the principal architects of the jam grass sound several decades ago.

Joe Lovano/Marilyn Crispell/Carmen Castaldi – Garden Of Expression LP (ECM)

Joe Lovano's debut, Trio Tapestry, was one of 2019's most talked-about releases. Their concept is taken to the next level on Garden Of Expression. Lovano is a saxophonist who plays with exceptional sensitivity. Carmen Castaldi's space-conscious approach to drumming further refines his improvisational understanding. The trio is also a wonderful context for Marilyn Crispell's solos and counter melodies.

Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 12” (4AD)

Tkay Maidza is a tour de force on her new EP Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2. Her mastery of sonic versatility takes center stage on the assertive eight tracks that weave from whiplash-inducing spitfire summer anthem and lead single “Shook” to smooth boy-bye manifesto “Don't Call Again (ft. Kari Faux)” to trap-infused “Awake (ft. JPEGMAFIA)”, which was nominated for a 2019 ARIA award and earned a best of the decade nod from The Needle Drop, as well as praise from Pitchfork, The FADER, Dazed, Complex, and others. The release follows 2018's Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1, which established her as one of the most exciting voices in the new guard of hip-hop.

Man On Man – Man On Man CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)

Man On Man (also M.O.M.) is a new gay lover band made up of Joey Holman (Holman) and Roddy Bottum (Faith No More, Imperial Teen, Crickets, Nastie Band). Their self-titled record, Man On Man, is infused with indie-rock distortion and soaked in gay pop confidence while still maintaining the dry acerbic sense of humor they both share. [‘Chic’ white color vinyl.]

MICROCORPS - Xmit LP (Alter)

MICROCORPS is the new project by artist and musician Alex Tucker exploring electronics, cello and voice. This debut release features collaborations with Gazelle Twin, Nik Void, Simon Fisher Turner, and Astrud Steehouder. Tucker's ever-evolving sound world continues to unfold with this collection of harsh realms centered around processed electronic systems, strings, and vocal manipulations, and on XMIT he employs altered voices, sound synthesis and atomized beat constructions. In a move away from previous projects XMIT investigates erasing the self, removing obvious traits of the hand and voice, and allowing a focus on the humanoid rather than the human. Each track is born from a balance between composition and improvisation within set parameters. At each stage audio is heavily processed and then reconfigured. Setting up systems that are non-repeatable, where decisions can be premeditated and intuitive but never the same with each performance, using hardware and instruments outside of the computer to make live stereo takes that have limited room for editing and mixing.

The Mighty Mighty BossToneS – When God Was Great CD (Hellcat)

Ska-punk pioneers The Mighty Mighty BossToneS deliver their eleventh studio record When God Was Great. Co-produced by longtime collaborator Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Dropkick Murphys) and Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong (Transplants, Jimmy Cliff), When God Was Great is the culmination of their extensive and all-embracing career and sees the band bringing back friends, tour mates, and bandmates from the past for a sonic celebration that stresses the power of perseverance and human connection during tumultuous times. The album features 15-tracks that initially arose out of a collective sense of loss.

Van Morrison – Latest Record Project: Volume 1 CD/2xCD/3xLP (BMG)

His 42nd record and his most dynamic and contemporary album in years, Latest Record Project: Volume 1 is a 28-track delve into his ongoing love of blues, R&B, jazz and soul. However much you may love his classic albums, this project proves that he's living in the present, and remains an artist of integrity and distinction. Latest Record Project: Volume 1 is the result of our enforced period of isolation. Unable to tour, Morrison remained busy with constant songwriting, starting ideas on piano, guitar or saxophone. What emerged is a wealth of new material, which shimmers with a directness and vibrancy that comes from working with a rhythm section with whom he shares an immediate, spontaneous. [CD is available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe features book-bound packaging and adds an expanded booklet.]

Myd – Born A Loser 2xLP (Because Music)

Myd is a French DJ, musician and producer, known for working with and remixing artists like Kanye West, Theophilus London, and Dua Lipa. The former founding member of supergroup Club Cheval will release his anticipated debut album, Born A Loser. A drunken round of jazzercise, a lazy float in the kiddie pool, your weird uncle gyrating under disco lights. It is a soundtrack to life's strange delights, including special guests Mac DeMarco, Bakar and more.

Grace Pettis – Working Woman CD (MPress/Sono Recording Group)

Working Woman includes guest contributions from Indigo Girls, Ruthie Foster, the Watson Twins and Dar Williams, and ambitiously features an all-female and non-binary band. Recorded in 3 days in Nashville, the album's powerful songs span styles from rocking alt-country to neo-folk, raising up the voices of women everywhere with swagger and soul.

Rag’n’Bone Man – Life By Misadventure 2xLP+MP3 (Columbia)

The bulk of Life By Misadventure was produced and recorded by Grammy Award-winning producer and multi- instrumentalist Mike Elizondo (Eminem, 50 Cent, Fiona Apple, Alanis Morissette), and was recorded purposefully like a live album, so the sound is real and 100% human. Musicians on the album include long time collaborators Ben Jackson-Cook (keyboards, co-songwriter and co-producer of the album), Bill Banwell (bass, and co-songwriter) and Desri Ramus (backing vocals), who are joined by drummer Daru Jones (Lazaretto-Jack White) and guitarist Wendy Melvoin who joined Prince's Revolution at the age of 19. Together these musicians have made an album full of joy and immediacy, something all too rare these days of autotune and countless overdubs.

Real Estate - Half a Human 12" (Domino Recording Co)

Half a Human is a collection of six songs created between two different worlds. While the architecture of each was constructed during sessions for 2020's The Main Thing, the tracks came to life when the band began trading the material back and forth remotely throughout the pandemic. They found new ways of working together as they further explored the emotional landscapes they’ve been perfecting for more than a decade, and in taking stock of themselves and the uncertainty of their future, Half a Human helped them arrive at a new thesis statement for the band.

Esther Rose – How Many Times LP (Father/Daughter)

With the integrity of Dean Johnson, Faustina Masigat, and Kiki Cavazos serving as primary influences, Rose expands her alt-country sound into a blossoming world of folk pop, rustic americana, and tender harmonies. A collection of complete takes recorded live to tape with rich instrumentation, soul-tugging hooks, and resonating vocal melodies, How Many Times carries you into the room in which it was made. [Limited edition opaque white vinyl.]

Shai Maestro – Human LP (ECM)

Pianist Shai Maestro's 2021 album, Human, magnifies his outgoing band (fellow Israeli Ofri Nehemya/drums and Jorge Roeder/bass) becomes a quartet with inspired addition of trumpeter Philip Dizack. Shai is well-matched by Dizack's quick alert improvising. Near the end of a programme comprised mostly of Maestro originals in a range of temperaments, is their own take on Duke Ellington's “In A Sentimental Mood”, while Shai's Hank and Charlie pays tribute to the late Hank Jones and Charlie Haden.

Squid – Bright Green Field CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)

Formed in Brighton, Squid is the brainchild of: Louis Borlase (guitars & vocals), Ollie Judge (drums & lead vocals), Arthur Leadbetter (keyboards, strings, percussion), Laurie Nankivell (bass & brass) and Anton Pearson (guitars & vocals). The band is in a constant, energetic state of evolution, reflected in the intense and infectious spectrum of sound contained in their propulsive songs. Bright Green Field is a joyous and emphatic coming of age record that's agitated, discordant, groove-locked and flowing, amplified through dystopian Britain, science fiction and cyberspace – a reflection of the tumultuous world we live in. [Limited edition green vinyl.]

Andy Stott - Never the Right Time 2xLP (Modern Love)

Following the club-oriented It Should Be Us (2019), Never the Right Time finds Stott in moodier form, and once again features vocalist and collaborator Alison Skidmore from previous acclaimed releases such as Luxury Problems (2012) and Faith in Strangers (2014). After major personal upheaval in early 2020, months of withdrawal eventually triggered renewed curiosity and a different approach. Stott began to record hours of raw material - slow horns, sibilance, delayed drums, wandering flutes - in pursuit of a sound that was human in all its awkward asymmetry. The songs here are desolate, melancholy, defiant, beautiful -- often all at once. The sounds echoed music around Stott during those months: Prince, Gavin Bryars, A.R. Kane, Bohren & der Club of Gore, Robert Turman, Cindy Lee, Leila, Catherine Christer Hennix, Junior Boys, László Hortobágyi, Nídia, Prefab Sprout -- the unusual, the familiar. These are songs fueled by nostalgia and soul searching, but all hold true to a vision of music making as a form of renewal and reinvention.

TEKE :: TEKE – Shirushi CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)

On their debut album Shirushi, TEKE :: TEKE blend classic Japanese balladry, surf rock, psychedelia, and more to produce a set of songs that play like soundtracks to a wildly eccentric epic film saga. From the spiritual tale of "Yoru Ni" to the stomping adventure ride of "Kala Kala" and the doomed romance of "Dobugawa", the Montreal-based seven-piece find a mystic cohesion. By tearing apart roaring punk guitar riffs, folk instrumentation, poetic Japanese lyrics, and big band energy, Shirushi builds a dazzling mosaic of styles and eras. After initially forming as a tribute band for Japanese guitar legend Takeshi Terauchi, TEKE :: TEKE learned that they had to tear up their surf-tinged covers and build something new. Since then, they have expanded their already wide scope into a dazzling journey through classic Japanese balladry and Brazilian psychedelia alike. Fusing everything from traditional Japanese instrumentation to punk guitar, TEKE :: TEKE has created their own musical universe - one that's continuously expanding. [Limited edition red vinyl.]

Alfie Templeman – Forever Isn’t Long Enough LP (Chess Club)

Alfie Templeman, at just 18, is a rising international indie-pop star who writes, self-produces and performs his songs with a maturity far beyond his years. This boy wunderkind already has four EPs to his name and an encyclopedic knowledge of music history that some veteran artists would envy.

Travis Tritt – Set In Stone CD (Big Noise Music Group)

With the release of Set In Stone, his first new studio album in more than a decade, Travis Tritt embarks on the next chapter of his stellar career. Armed with his distinctive voice, insightful songwriting, and an outlaw edge, Tritt returns to the signature sound that has served him well for more than three decades. Produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile), Set In Stone is a rebellious tour de force, and the return of one of country music's legendary superstars.

Weezer – Van Weezer CD/LP (Atlantic)

Van Weezer is the fifteenth studio album by Weezer. The title is a reference to the band Van Halen, as the album features a focus on heavy guitars and more arena-rock styled songs. Originally slated for release on May 15, 2020, the album was postponed until May of 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [Limited edition indie exclusive Neon Pink vinyl is available.]

Nancy Wilson – You And Me CD (Carry On Music)

Wilson’s new solo album features eight original songs and an interesting mix of covers along with a few guest star appearances. Sammy Hagar duets on Simon & Garfunkel's “The Boxer” and the original “Party At The Angel Ballroom” features a strong rhythm section in Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses and Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters.

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

Alex Chilton and Hi Rhythm Section – Boogie Shoes: Live On Beale Street CD/LP (Omnivore)

Memphis is a city with music in its blood. When Fred Ford, co-founder of the Beale Street Music Festival, was diagnosed with cancer, David Less organized Fredstock, a fund raiser to help with his medical bills. Less contacted Memphis legend Alex Chilton (The Box Tops, Big Star), who was living in New Orleans, to ask him to participate. Alex said he didn't have any musicians to play with in Memphis, so Less suggested the Hi Rhythm Section (the band behind classics from artists including Ann Peebles, Ike & Tina Turner, O. V. Wright, Otis Clay, and Al Green). This 1999 previously unissued live set contains versions of soul classics from The Supremes and Otis Clay, rock numbers from Chuck Berry and Little Richard, and even a cover of the KC & The Sunshine Band title track.

Judy Collins – White Bird – Anthology Of Favorites LP (Cleopatra)

Folk music legend Judy Collins hand-picked this selection of her most treasured recent recordings [Limited-edition white vinyl.]

First Aid Kit ‎– Drunken Trees [Reissue/2008] 12”+MP3 (Wichita)

First Aid Kit ‎– The Big Black & The Blue [Reissue/2010] LP+MP3 (Wichita)

Limited color vinyl reissues of the first studio releases (one EP and one album) by the Swedish folk duo. Their songs often feature harmony vocals and could be described as folk, country or Americana. [Drunken Trees is on limited edition yellow vinyl while The Big Black & The Blue is on limited edition blue vinyl.]

Dexter Gordon ‎– One Flight Up [Reissue/1964] LP (Blue Note)

Dexter Gordon had been living in Europe for several years when he recorded One Flight Up, one of his masterpieces, in Paris in 1964. It's all here: Dexter's magnificently huge sound, Donald Byrd in peak form on trumpet, the sophistication of pianist Kenny Drew, the brilliance of the then-teenaged bass phenom Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and the rock-steady swing of drummer Art Taylor. Reissued as part of The Blue Note Tone Poet Series: all-analog, remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Andrew Hill – Passing Ships LP (Blue Note)

Andrew Hill is one of the most distinctive pianists/composers in jazz. Recorded in 1969, it sat unreleased until 2003 when it was issued on CD thanks to archivist Michael Cuscuna. Hill penned all compositions for an ensemble featuring Woody Shaw, Dizzy Reece, Julian Priester, Joe Farrell, Howard Johnson, Bob Northern, Ron Carter and Lenny White. This is presented for the first time on vinyl. Reissued as part of The Blue Note Tone Poet Series: all-analog, remastered 180gm vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

Iron And Wine – Archive Series Vol. 5: Tallahassee Recordings CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

Archive Series Volume No. 5: Tallahassee is the lost-in-time debut album from Iron And Wine. The collection was recorded over a two-year (1998-99) window during which Iron And Wine's Sam Beam attended Florida State University's College of Motion Picture Arts. Three years later, Iron And Wine would issue The Creek Drank The Cradle and begin a run of records widely praised as being part of a new blueprint in the singer-songwriter genre. Tallahassee doesn't attempt to re-write history but instead aims to document the very first steps in Beam's journey to becoming one of America's most original and distinctive artists. The eleven-song collection was culled from several recordings that had been (mostly) forgotten by Beam himself but had been preserved by former roommate and one-time Iron & Wine member, EJ Holowicki. Tallahassee, with its sparse instrumental canvas and live-in one-room takes, is very much akin to early Iron And Wine releases, The Creek Drank The Cradle, The Sea & The Rhythm, and In The Reins. “Loser Edition” color vinyl pressing available.

Meat Puppets – Lollipop [Reissue 2011] LP (Megaforce)

The highly influential Meat Puppets started as a punk rock band, but established their own unique style, blending punk with country and psychedelic rock. They later gained significant exposure when the Kirkwood brothers served as guest musicians on Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance in 1993. 2011's Lollipop, which celebrates its 10th anniversary here on color vinyl LP, was recorded at Spoon's HiFi Studio's in Austin, TX and finds Cris and Curt flanked by drummer Shandon Sahm, son of Doug Sahm.

Peter Murphy – Holy Smoke [Reissue/1988] LP (Beggars Banquet)

Peter Murphy – Deep [Reissue/1989] LP (Beggars Banquet)

Vinyl reissues of Peter Murphy’s (formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus) second and third solo albums.

New Order – Education Entertainment Recreation (Live) 2xCD/2xCD+Blu-ray/Blu-ray Audio/3xLP (Rhino)

New Order presents a special performance, their only UK show of 2018 (November 9th) at London's Alexandra Palace and the first live show from the band's now established line-up of Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham, and Tom Chapman. Sonically spectacular, spanning 2 hours 20 minutes, the show joyously mixed New Order classics, their latest acclaimed album (2015's Music Complete), and covers of Joy Division's finest.

Tom Petty – Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) 2xLP (WB)

Standard black vinyl pressing. Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions) – the latest offering of Tom Petty music, curated with help from his loving family, bandmates and collaborators – features tracks, which were previously released on the Super Deluxe 9xLP version of 2020's Wildflowers & All The Rest. It gathers 16 studio recordings of alternate takes, long cuts and jam versions of Wildflowers songs as Tom, band members and co-producer Rick Rubin worked to finalize the album in 1994. The release offers fans further deep access into the writing and recording of Wildflowers, as well as realizing the full vision of the project as Tom had always intended. The collection was produced by Tom's longtime engineer and co-producer Ryan Ulyate who listened to 245 reels of 24-track tape, revealing Tom and his collaborators' evolutionary process, and finding the group willing to do whatever it took to discover the essence and magic in the material.

Maggie Rogers – Notes From The Archive: Recordings 2011-2016 2xLP (Debay Sounds)

Limited edition color vinyl pressing. Grammy-nominated producer/songwriter/performer Maggie Rogers releases a special collection of archival music: Notes From The Archives: Recordings 2011-2016. The 16 track collection features newly remastered versions of tracks from Maggie's early albums and six previously unreleased songs.

Various Artists - Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-Field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996) 2CD/2LP (Music from Memory)

Compiled by long-time friends of the label Music from Memory, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history. Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Heisei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in addition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to move fluidly between these genres, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum machines though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility.

Various Artists - Sound Storing Machines: The First 78rpm Records from Japan, 1903-1912 LP (Sublime Frequencies)

The first commercial recordings from Asia were made in Japan in 1903 by Fred Gaisberg, the legendary producer and recording engineer who traveled the world making recordings for the Gramophone Company (later His Masters Voice). It is a miracle what these fragile discs have survived: wars with Russia and China, the fire bombings (and worse) of World War II, modernization, the onslaught of Western media. They document, through a dreamlike haze of surface noise, a Japan that had just barely begun to open its doors to the rest of the world. Including gagaku, shakuhachi, shamisen, storytelling, folksong and more, these recordings are a unique glimpse into an ancient culture and an important document of the beginnings of the recording industry.

Frank Zappa – ZAPPA Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2xLP/5xLP (Zappa Records)

Available as a clear vinyl 34-track double-LP pressing or 180gm vinyl 68-track five-LP box set. With unfettered access to the Zappa Trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Alex Winter's assembly features appearances by Frank's widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank's musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and others. This soundtrack edition is a perfect complement to the film.