New Releases - 6/4/21
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee LP/CD (Dead Oceans)
From the moment she began writing her new album, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner knew that she wanted to call it Jubilee. After all, a jubilee is a celebration of the passage of time-a festival to usher in the hope of a new era in brilliant technicolor. Zauner's first two albums garnered acclaim for the way they grappled with anguish; Psychopomp was written as her mother underwent cancer treatment, while Soft Sounds From Another Planet took the grief she held from her mother's death and used it as a conduit to explore the cosmos. Now, at the start of a new decade, Japanese Breakfast is ready to fight for happiness, an all-too-scarce resource in our seemingly crumbling world. Jubilee finds Michelle Zauner embracing ambition and, with it, her boldest ideas and songs yet. Inspired by records like Bjork's Homogenic, Zauner delivers bigness throughout - big ideas, big textures, colors, sounds and feelings. At a time when virtually everything feels extreme, Jubilee sets it's sights on maximal joy, imagination, and exhilaration. It is, in Michelle Zauner's words, "a record about fighting to feel. I wanted to re-experience the pure, unadulterated joy of creation... The songs are about recalling the optimism of youth and applying it to adulthood. They're about making difficult choices, fighting ignominious impulses and honoring commitments, confronting the constant struggle we have with ourselves to be better people." Throughout Jubilee, Zauner pours her own life into the universe of each song to tell real stories, and allowing those universes, in turn, to fill in the details. Joy, change, evolution-these things take real time, and real effort. And Japanese Breakfast is here for it.
Tristen - Aquatic Flowers CD (Mama Bird)
Aquatic Flowers, the fourth full-length from Nashville songwriter Tristen, brims with incisive pop-folk tracks ruminating on the ways we attempt to feel in control in a chaotic world, the past that informs us, and how to let go in order to grow. Making rock and roll music in Nashville, the mononymous songwriter has established herself as a prolific and introspective musician over the past decade. With a knack for crafting "hooky arrangements that tickle the ear and won't leave your brain alone" (NPR), she has collaborated with artists like Vanessa Carlton (she co-wrote Carlton's latest album 'Love is an Art') and Jenny Lewis (playing in the 'Voyager' touring band), and opened to critical acclaim for artists ranging from Robyn Hitchcock to Television. Tristen and her husband Buddy Hughen recorded and produced the record in their home studio Tight Squeeze. "I had a real desire to not overcomplicate things for this record, to get really close to what I have given in the past to my demos, which for me is the most inspired time of making something, right in the beginning, feeling it the most at that moment because you just wrote it and it's on your mind." [CD out now. All copies at Grimey’s are signed by Tristen! “Cool Blue” indie exclusive vinyl due 7/02. All vinyl copies will also be signed by Tristen. Available in the shop or in the Grimey’s webstore. You can still preorder a blue vinyl LP as well.]
Cooley / Hood / Isbell - Live At The Shoals Theatre 4xLP/2xCD (Southeastern Records)
On June 15th 2014, Jason Isbell reunited onstage with former Drive-By Truckers bandmates Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley for a special round-style night in Muscle Shoals Music. The setlist includes acoustic versions of Isbell-era Truckers gems including “Heathens,” “Decoration Day” and “Zip City” as well as post-Isbell Truckers tracks like “Space City” and solo Isbell faves such as “Cover Me Up.” The set opens and closes with a pair of classic Hood-sung numbers, 2004′s “Tornadoes” and 2001′s “Let There Be Rock.” Six months from today this legendary set will be released on limited edition colored vinyl and CD exclusively at independent record stores and directly from the artists'. [4 LP set pressed on translucent blue & translucent red colored vinyl. Available in the shop or in the Grimey's webstore.]
Adult Oriented Pop - 06:15 AM LP (Lazy Octopus Records)
Shimmering psychedelic pop duo Adult Oriented Pop (fka AOP) consists of Mattias Gustavsson (Dungen, The Hanged Man, Vårt Solsystem) and Martin Fogelström. Their self-produced debut album ”A NEW BEGINNING” was released 2019 on Lazy Octopus Records to praise from The Line of Best Fit and Brooklyn Vegan. Their sophomore album, '06:15 AM', a fabulously woozy affair, taking classic seventies influences and imbuing them with their own signature brand of dreamy psych-pop. Released on both standard black vinyl and on an indie exclusive yellow.
The Aislers Set - Looking For A Stranger 7” (Emotional Response)
This 7inch is the first new recordings from Linton, since The Aislers Set 2003's triumphant last gasp "Mission Bells" 12inch on Suicide Squeeze. The A Side is a brand new song recorded by Linton and Stewart (Boyracer etc), on drums and feedback guitar, recorded 2015 in Flagstaff AZ, with all the hooks and melodious trademarks that will flat out guarantee to leave Linton/Aislers fans foaming at the mouth. The flip is a remarkable previously unreleased recording from 2008, (as The Aislers Set), of acoustic beauty and yearning. Accompanying download also features an exclusive Linton and Stewart track, recorded at the same time as "Looking For A Stranger".
Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark LP/CD (Rock Action)
“It's about hopelessness and darkness,” says Aidan Moffat. “But in a fun way.” The Arab Strap frontman is speaking about the band’s 7th studio album and their first since 2005’s The Last Romance . The band who bought you the classic and legendary "The First Big Weekend" return with new music for the first time in 15 years. “It's definitely Arab Strap, but an older and wiser one, and quite probably a better one.” The first track lifted from the new album 'The Turning of Our Bones' saw a much welcome return to form and proved very much that Arab Strap are back from the grave and ready to rave! As the bands Malcolm Middleton told the Guardian newspaper when they profiled the band upon news of their return, “There's no point getting back together to release mediocrity.” [Indie exclusive clear & black vinyl.]
Binker and Moses - Dom Ones LP (Gearbox)
Binker and Moses are tenor saxophonist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd - two of the most exciting young jazz musicians on the thriving London jazz scene. Originally meeting through double bassist/educator Gary Crosby's Tomorrow's Warriors jazz development program, they have played together in various large and small format groups including recording and touring extensively as members of Zara McFarlane's band. Dem Ones is their debut recording as a duo, and has its roots in experiments between soundchecks and gigs while on the road with McFarlane. Over time these initial ideas and jams have become templates for improvisation, and with their echoes of late period Coltrane and Charles Lloyd, are as listenable and memorable as they are full of invention, passion and surprise. All the tracks were performed in the live room at Mark Ronson's Zelig Studio and recorded direct to Gearbox's vintage Studer 1/4" tape machine next door.
Brophy - Wanting & Having CD (self-released)
Known for the complex emotions conveyed in her songs as well as her powerful vocals, Brophy has found herself in the heart of the indie alternative folk scene. She also works at Grimey’s! Check out Brophy.
Cheap Trick - In Another World LP (BMG)
Recently released on CD - now on vinyl. The 20th studio album from the veteran American rockers. Features the singles "The Summer Looks Good on You", "Gimme Some Truth" and "Light Up the Fire". [Indie exclusive blue & white splatter vinyl.]
Chubby and the Gang - Lightning Don’t Strike Twice b/w Life’s Lemons 7” (Partisan Records)
Chubby and the Gang are swinging into spring with two awesome new songs: “Lightning Don’t Strike Twice” and “Life’s Lemons”! This double A-sided 7” has their first new tunes since last year's epic romp, Speed Kills! They continue to make their own hardcore sound that blends high velocity Pub Rock, Blues and Doo Wop. Or you could just call it what it really is: Rock n Roll!!! Limited Edition of 2000.
Cleopatrick - Bummer CD (Nowhere Special Records)
Listening to the story of Canadian duo Cleopatrick is a bit like hearing the plot of the best, most righteously validating coming-of-age film never made. Two friends meet aged four in Hicksville, Nowheretown (real name: Cobourg, Ontario, population 19,000), grow up completely inseparable, form a band and, against numerous obstacles, blossom into a genuine, global underground sensation. Taking the ethos of their New Rock Mafia collective - a group of friends and fellow bands, united in making a more inclusive, equality-driven space in rock music - and imbuing it with the sonic ambition and ferocity of a record designed to be played hard and loud, it's an album about two friends, who've been with each other since the formative first steps that adorn 'BUMMER's heartwarming cover image and made something that's a testament to the power of sticking to your guns.
Mark Collie - Book Of My Blues LP/CD (BFD)
Mark Collie presents the adventures of the Rockabilly Hitman in - "Book Of My Blues", a ground-breaking multi-media Graphic Album. This smokey fifteen song project chronicles the tale of Jessie Wayne Har- din aka the "Rockabilly Hit-man". The audience joins this journey of misadventure as Hardin balances the moral scales of good and evil in the service of rock and roll.
Crowded House - Dreamers Are Waiting LP/CD (BMG)
Iconic band Crowded House led by Neil Finn returns with new music after almost 10 years.
Czarface / MF Doom - Super WHAT? CD/LP
Superhero? Supervillain? Super WHAT? CZARFACE & MF DOOM's newest team-up
record Super What? is, much like the Avengers' arch-enemy Thanos...inevitable (and all-powerful!). The icon MF DOOM unleashes his wizardry and wordplay throughout the record, while CZARFACE (bolstered by the legendary Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck and Esoteric) slash through each of the Czar-Keys' produced tracks as the team raises the bar on their previous LP, Czarface meets Metalface (2018). Featuring golden-age superhero DMC (of RUN-DMC) and Hieroglyphics' leader Del The Funky Homosapien, with art by longtime CZARFACE co-creator Lamour Supreme, this album will bring all the thrills of a cosmic summer blockbuster.
Joao Donato - Jazz Is Dead 007 CD (Jazz Is Dead)
Where’s João Donato? It’s a frequently asked question, referring simultaneously to the physical location and the musical moment he inhabits. A sampling of some of his more descriptive song titles suggests Donato’s comfort with musical hybrids: “Bluchanga,” “Sambolero,” and “Sambongo,” to name just a few. Lacking a formal genre for his style of music, Donato’s is a distinct sound, immediately recognizable from the first few bars of any of his compositions. He was funky back when “funk” was a bad word (listen to either of his 1960s Brazilian LPs, Sambou, Sambou and The New Sound if Brasil, for proof). His compositions are deceptively simple, while his arrangements are harmonically complex, revealing their intricate details upon repeat listening. Today, Donato brings this flavor, now near synonymous with his name, to a new album in the Jazz Is Dead series with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Joāo Donato JID007. “Donato is one of the greatest Brazilian composers from that golden era. His signature style, simple melodies combined with colorful chordal progressions, establishes a new lane for Jazz Is Dead,” explains Younge. “João is one of the most innovative Brazilian jazz composers of the last century. Creating with and learning from this maestro was one of the greatest experiences of my career.”
Four Year Strong - Rise Or Die Trying LP (I Surrender)
Rise or Die Trying is the second studio album from American rock band Four Year Strong. The name "Rise or Die Trying" comes from a lyric to "Go Long Dad", a song from their first album, It's Our Time.
Billy F. Gibbons - Hardware LP/CD (Concord)
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and ZZ Top frontman, Billy F Gibbons, wants to take you on a desert trip. Hardware is Billy's 3rd solo release. He compiled a group of A-listers, including Matt Sorum (drums) and Austin Hanks (guitar), and headed to Pioneertown in the California desert to record the album. Hardware features the guitar prowess and vocals that have made Billy a legend but also shows him stretching his musical landscape past the place where the road ends.
Growing - Diptych LP (Silver Current)
t's not easy to summarize any band whose career has stretched over two decades. In the case of Growing, though, it's all in the name: since 2001, the core duo of Kevin Doria and Joe DeNardo have been making vibrating, explorative experimental music that is in a forever state of evolution. In that time, they have amassed a hard-to-define and influential body of work, and Diptych sees the band operating at the height of their "big amp ambient" powers. It’s a masterclass in slowly undulating ambient drift, and quite possibly the definitive headphone album of the year. Guitars that sound like organs pointed at the heavens are cut with subtly damaged electronic moves, the end result being a record that is at once ecstatic, transportive and gritty. Ambient and new age music have become part of the larger indie vocabulary.
Hildegard - Hildegard LP (Section 1)
Hildegard is the new project from experimental singer-songwriter Helena Deland and multi-instrumentalist and producer Ouri. On their self-titled debut album, Deland's folk background balances against Ouri's world of electronic and dance music. Over eight days in a studio, the Montreal-based musicians discovered an innate creative connection, building and bouncing ideas off of one another, developing an intuitive approach to composition and sound. The resulting record, Hildegard, is wholly it's own. Eight tracks fuse together into a sonic sphere, named for the eight days spent together.
Khruangbin - Purple Label Color 12” (Dead Oceans)
4th in a series of super limited 12” singles. No holds or mail orders.
Gary Louris - Jump For Joy LP/CD (Sham 2)
Written, performed and produced entirely by Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) himself, Jump For Joy is The Jayhawks founder's first solo release since 2008's Vagabonds and features cover art illustrated by his son, Henry Louris. The breezy debut single "New Normal" reminds us to live in the present and enjoy each moment we have on this earth. "The oldest recording of the bunch," Louris says of the song. "I made this down in my basement studio in Minneapolis in the first decade of the new millennium. I was still learning the art of the digital studio. It is a dip of the toe into that world and is pretty rudimentary, and yet it has that touch of magic. The sounds just work and I wouldn't know how to recreate this if I tried. The highlights for me are the strange vocoder sounds I got, and the crazy solo which was me channeling Robert Fripp. It's a sloppy electronic melange. Lyrically, it's my view on the world and how only when we 'stand still, watch time passing around you' can one truly be here now." [Limited edition white vinyl.]
Night Beats - Outlaw R&B LP/CD (Cooking Vinyl)
Night Beats - the Texas-born brainchild of Danny Lee Blackwell - release their fifth full-length, 'Outlaw R&B'. The album arrives following the 2019 'Myth of A Man' LP (produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and released by Heavenly Recordings) as well as last year's 'That's All You Got' 7". Made during the height of the California wildfires (where Blackwell currently resides), rioting in the streets and a nation in lockdown, the raucous technicolour rock'n'roll of 'Outlaw R&B' is a call to rejoice in some sorely needed post-apocalyptic hedonism. [Indie exclusive bone color vinyl.]
Okute - Okute LP/CD (Chulo)
Spend enough time in Havana and you will bear witness to Rumba, Son, the cadences of Orisha, Palo, and Abakua traditions - Cuban music whose meanings, melodies and rhythms are informed by ancient African undercurrents whispering through the culture's collective unconscious. Okuté, an ensemble of Havana's finest rumberos, brings these constellations of sound to the surface, weaving them into something intuitively it's own. Their self-titled album is as raw and unfiltered as Havana, where lines blur between the sacred and profane, between centuries and even millennia of melodies, rhythms and incantations. These elements straddle the old and new, incorporating unbreakable rhythms with lyrics and melodies strong enough to endure not only the middle passage but backbreaking centuries of slavery followed by struggles for independence.
Liz Phair - Soberish LP/CD (Chrysalis)
Liz Phair brashly but effortlessly drops lyrical nuggets into her melody-driven, lo-fi songs. It makes for a devastating back catalogue; from the peerless Exile In Guyville to Whip-Smart, Whitechocolatespaceegg to the self-titled Liz Phair, each of her records acts as another timely klaxon call for a generation not prepared to sit back nor shut up. It's a career that's heralded her Grammy Award nominations, a spot on Rolling Stone's albums of all-time list, and decades of critical acclaim that has inspired and influenced some of the brightest new faces of yesterday and today, veering from cult icon to mainstream concern. Over a decade since her last record was released, Liz Phair now returns with another bagful of fireworks already fizzing to be let off in the shape of new album Soberish. Liz maintains the sass that propelled her to become such a critical darling, and that innate ear for melody and razor sharp way with words." Hey Lou" is the record's opening gambit, a mischievous ode to Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, and Liz's jaunty lament back into our ears. Welcome back Miss Phair, we've missed you.
Pote - A Tenuous Tale of Her LP (Outlier)
On A Tenuous Tale of Her, Poté (aka Sylvern Mathurin) marks the debut album release for Bonobo's Outlier imprint. A record that's tough, tender and grand all at once, the connections he's built along the way speaks to the variety of his influences: with connections from Lisbon's kuduro-fused Enchufada label, to Benji B and Damon Albarn (who features on single 'Young Lies'), he's built a sound that's packed with ideas and musical touchstones alike. He's received boosts across a wide spectrum of supporters, including Annie Mac, MistaJam, Phil Taggart, Nina Las Vegas, TEED, Pierre Kwenders, Jamz Supernova, Laurent Garnier, and Toddla T. He's been featured in Bonobo's 2019 'fabric presents' mix, featured on 2019 Africa Express album "EGOLI", produced remixes for Little Dragon and Gorillaz, and recently performed on Colors Berlin. Poté's music has always balanced contrasting impulses. On the one hand, there's the rhythmic, celebratory music of his Caribbean upbringing, and on the other, there's his interest in exploratory, emotive songwriting. On this record, he takes that approach in a bolder direction: immersive and atmospheric, it's a platform for those two sides of his music to strike a fresh dialogue.
Red Fang - Arrows LP/CD (Relapse)
RED FANG return with their highly anticipated new album, Arrows! Their first album in four years, everyone's favorite beer-crushing, zombie-killing, air-guitar-contest-judging metal heroes are back in action, doing what they do best- AND MORE. [Indie exclusive neon yellow with heavy neon magenta splatter vinyl.]
Rise Against - Nowhere Generation 2xLP/CD (Loma Vista)
On their new album, Nowhere Generation, Rise Against draws a line in the sand with it's blazing and aggressive punk rock, with lyrics that shine a spotlight on younger generations social and economic struggles in pursuit of The American Dream. [Deluxe Edition comes with spinning wheel gatefold jacket with die-cut front cover, 12 page booklet, bonus 7" single featuring two "Nowhere Session" versions of album standouts "Nowhere Generation" + "Broken Dreams, Inc". Black & White Smoke LP. LP/7”.]
Rostam - Changephobia LP (Matsor Projects)
Changephobia is the 2nd full-length solo record from Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer, and composer Rostam Batmanglij. An adventurous new direction for Rostam, the songs collected on Changephobia are deeply personal, yet universal for anyone who has ever experienced doubt. In addition to being a founding member of the seminal New York Indie Rock Band, Vampire Weekend, Rostam has been described as "one of the great pop and indie-rock producers of his generation." Rostam has produced & co-written critically heralded recent albums by Clairo and Haim, as well as singles from Maggie Rogers, Solange, Charli XCX, Frank Ocean, Santigold and others. [Limited edition crystal clear vinyl.]
Satsang - All. Right. Now. LP (Side One Dummy)
Written and recorded during an extended hiatus from the road, Satsang's extraordinary new album, 'All. Right. Now.,' finds frontman Drew McManus reconnecting with his Montana roots and exploring a whole new palette of sounds and textures, drawing on classic country and modern Americana to forge a joyful, rustic collection all about letting go and living in the moment.
Sweet - Isolation Boulevard LP (Prudential Records)
The Sweet is a British rock band with a pedigree of hits including "Fox on The Run," "Ballroom Blitz," "Action," and "Love is Like Oxygen." New album Isolation Boulevard is a reworking of many of the original tracks from their golden era 1975 effort Desolation Boulevard including the dynamic lead single "Set Me Free," written by original guitarist and producer Andy Scott who has led the band since 1985 maintaining the high standards set more than 50 years ago when The Sweet first burst onto the music scene. Isolation Boulevard was recorded between lockdowns in September/October 2020.
Chris Thile - Laysongs LP/CD (Nonesuch)
Laysongs is his first truly solo album: just Thile, his voice, and his mandolin, on new recordings of six original songs and three covers, all of which contextualize and banter with his ideas about spirituality. Recorded in a converted upstate New York church during the pandemic, Laysongs' centerpiece is the three-part "Salt (in the Wounds) of the Earth," which was inspired by C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. The album also features a song Thile wrote about Dionysus; a performance of the fourth movement of Béla Bartók's Sonata for Solo Violin; "God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot" based on Buffy Sainte-Marie's adaptation of a Leonard Cohen poem; a cover of bluegrass legend Hazel Dickens' "Won't You Come and Sing for Me;" and an original instrumental loosely modeled after the Prelude from J.S. Bach's Partita for Solo Violin in E Major.
Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend LP (RCA)
Blue Weekend is the highly anticipated third album from one of Britain’s most revered bands, Wolf Alice. Blue Weekend is the follow-up to the band’s 2017 Mercury Prize-winning album Visions of a Life. Personal storytelling is at the core of Blue Weekend, an album that sees Wolf Alice embrace a newfound boldness and vulnerability in equal measure.
Adrian Younge - The American Negro LP (Jazz Is Dead)
Recently released on CD - now on vinyl. The American Negro is an unapologetic critique, detailing the systemic and malevolent psychology that afflicts people of color. This project dissects the chemistry behind blind racism, using music as the medium to restore dignity and self-worth to my people. It should be evident that any examination of black music is an examination of the relationship between black and white America. This relationship has shaped the cultural evolution of the world and its negative roots run deep into our psyche. Featuring various special guests performing over a deeply soulful, elaborate orchestration, The American Negro reinvents the black native tongue through this album and it’s attendant short film (TAN) and 4-part podcast (invisible Blackness).
Reissues, Compilations, Live Recordings & Vault Excavations...
Curtis Amy - Katanga LP (Blue Note)
Recorded in 1963, Katanga! Is the last of 6 albums from saxophonist Curtis Amy recorded for Pacific Jazz in the early '60s. This remarkable session includes trumpeter Dupree Bolton, guitarist Ray Crawford, pianist Jack Wilson, bassist Victor Gaskin, and drummer Doug Sides on this gem of an album. [Tone Poet series 180-gram vinyl remastered from original analog tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed at RTI.]
Bad Brains - Into The Future LP (Megaforce)
Considered to be the "holy grail" of punk rock, Bad Brains stand as one of the definitive American punk groups on par with the likes of the Sex Pistols, Black Flag, The Ramones and The Clash. Their long awaited 2012 album, Into The Future marked their first since 2007's Build A Nation and featured the classic lineup of H.R., Darryl Jenifer, Dr. Know and Earl Hudson. It served as a true return to form for a band that helped define American punk and hardcore music. "This album takes us back to self-produced record shines with Bad Brains' true sense of freedom and musical experimentation, with blends of soulful backgrounds meshed with blistering hardcore and metal riffs, with classic dub," exclaimed Jenifer while Dr. Know called Into The Future "the purest Bad Brains recordings since the ROIR cassette." [Indie exclusive alternate album cover with art by Shepard Fairey.]
Luis Bacalov - Le Strega In Amore OST LP (Decca)
Original soundtrack to the motion picture. The music of the Argentine-born composer Luis Enriquez Bacalov plays a fundamental role in this obscure film. Thanks to it's exotic Afro-Cuban patterns, including vibraphones, double basses, congas, percussion of all kinds, enigmatic flutes and elegant jazz vocalisms delivered by the unmistakable voice of Nora Orlandi.
The Beths - Future Me Hates Me LP (Carpark)
New reissue of this now-classic LP from Australia’s The Beths. [Cloudy grape color vinyl.]
Binker and Moses - Escape The Flames 2xLP (Gearbox)
As a label that specializes in archive releases, Gearbox Records gets a special buzz out of unearthing musical gems and putting them out in their resplendent vinyl glory. And this is no exception! They're over the moon to present a previously-unreleased live performance of Binker and Moses on double LP, titled Escape The Flames. Those who know the duo will appreciate that every Binker and Moses performance is distinct in itself, characterized by mutual spontaneity and the tireless interrogation of the infinite. This 6-track recording, taken from their Journey to the Mountain of Forever album launch at Total Refreshment Centre back in 2017, is a whole new interpretation of the studio album.
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Witch Doctor LP (Blue Note)
Recorded in 1961, but not released until 1967, The Witch Doctor features one of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' all-time great line-ups: Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. Shorter and Morgan each contribute two tunes, with Timmons penning one. Highlights include Morgan's spectacular 6/8 modal piece "Afrique" and Shorter's minor masterpiece "Those Who Sit And Wait." Bobby Timmons brings the deep soul goods on his composition "A Little Busy," and the album closes with a fleet-footed romp through Clifford Jordan's tune "Lost And Found." [Tone Poet 180-gram audiophile vinyl pressed at RTI.]
Tim Buckley - Bear’s Sonic Journals: Merry-Go-Round At The Carousel CD (Owsley Stanley)
This is the most important Tim Buckley release since Dream Letter, featuring a singular performance with a jazz-rock lineup that calls to mind Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Buckley, father of Jeff Buckley, made his mark with his Southern California folk-rock sound and four-octave vocal range. But this rich weave of accessible, warm, improvisational music reveals Buckley in a light never before captured on tape, including two newly discovered songs (“Blues, Love” and “The Lonely Life”), early drafts of Buckley classics, and a stunning cover of Fred Neil’s “Merry-Go-Round.” Recorded by the Grateful Dead’s legendary soundman Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the infamous LSD chemist, this is one of the treasures of his Sonic Journal archive. Buckley’s performance is incredible and Bear’s thumbprint on the sonics is part of the magic!
Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority 2xLP (Friday Music)
The story of Chicago starts with the band itself, one of the most diversified, motivated and individually talented lineups ever assembled. Chicago was founded in 1967 by Walt Parazaider (woodwinds), James Pankow (trombone), Lee Loughnane (trumpet), Roert Lamm (keyboards/lead vocals), Terry Kath (guitar/lead vocals), and Danny Seraphine (drums). They called themselves The Big Thing and added bassist-lead vocalist Peter Cetera before working with their original producer-manager James William Guercio, subsequently becoming known as Chicago Transit Authority. Unlike any record before or since, the ensemble's self-titled 1969 debut release is an ambitious mix of free-form rock and horn-influenced jazz, the first of three double LPs that would start a peerless career. [Limited edition 180-gram red vinyl.]
Betty Davis - Nasty Gal LP (Light In The Attic)
the third album from the influential funk/soul vocalist. Betty Davis was riding high in the '70s. A new record label (Island), a series of high profile relationships, and intensely sexualized live performances made her a rising star. It seemed like everything was aligned to take the music world by storm. So Betty and band got back into the studio where she would act as writer, producer, and performer, creating what she thought would be her definitive release. Born Betty Mabry, the singer changed her last name when she married jazz legend Miles Davis. [Limited edition pink vinyl.]
Nils Frahm - Tripping With Nils Frahm CD (Erased Tapes)
When Nils Frahm kicked off his world tour at Funkhaus Berlin in January 2018 to bring his highly acclaimed studio album All Melody to the stage, an ambitious journey was just to begin: Over the next two years, Frahm played more than 180 sold-out performances, including the Sydney Opera House, LA's Disney Hall, the Barbican in London, Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie, and several big festival stages around the globe. Yet the stunning setting of Funkhaus Berlin, renowned for it's vintage grandeur and outstanding acoustics, and also home to Frahm's magnificent studio where All Melody was recorded, had occupied a unique place in the artist's heart.
Michael Giaccino - Music From Zootopia OST pic-disc LP (Walt Disney Records)
Hop into the urban jungle of Zootopia where officer Judy Hopps tackles the big city along with the hustling fox Nick Wilde. Featuring score by Michael Giacchino and "Try Everything" performed by Shakira. [Limited edition picture disc.]
Giant Drag - Lemona / Swan Song LP (self-released)
A remastered reissue of Giant Drag’s Lemona (2004) and Swan Song (2009) EPs, both available for the first time on vinyl. The two EPs are available on one gold LP, limited to 500 copies worldwide.
Indesinence - III LP (Profound Lore)
Repress. While not the most prolific band; this 2015 album is only their third full-length in nearly fifteen years of existence, Indesinence has always stood apart from their peers and followed their own calling. III follows the massive Vessels of Light and Decay (2012) and is the best Indesinence album to date: heavier, more crushing and more atmospheric than anything on their previous two albums. With a guest appearance by Robert Roth of Seattle Cult Rock legends Truly as well as a cover of The Third Bardo's "I'm Five Years Ahead (of My Time)," III is also the band's most varied, diverse and dynamic album yet.
Jens Lekman - When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog LP (Secretly Canadian)
Opaque green vinyl reissue of the 2004 debut LP from Swedish popster Jens Lekman.
Hail Mergia & The Walias - Tezeta LP (Awesome Tapes)
Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV. This "Tezeta" album, the band's second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, it's unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible. Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.
The Mumps - Rock & Roll This, Rack & Roll That: Best Case Scenario You’ve Got The Mumps LP/CD (Omnivore)
The great lost album by the great lost band of the ’70s CBGB scene fronted by the original reality TV star Lance Loud. Mumps were not your ordinary punk rock band. For starters, they had a genuine TV star as their front-man. Lance Loud and his family were chronicled in PBS’ 1973 docuseries, An American Family, widely considered the first “reality TV show,” set in Santa Barbara, California. The show was also where Lance revealed his homosexuality—making him a television pioneer on two counts. Along with his friend, keyboardist Kristian Hoffman, they formed Loud, and performed on The Dick Cavett Show, when Lance’s mother, Pat. Driven by Lance’s fascination of Andy Warhol, the band moved to NYC, were one of the first bands to play at the legendary CBGB, and became regulars at Max’s Kansas City. Warhol became a fan, calling them one of the greatest bands of their time. They even opened for Van Halen at the famed Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood! While their live prowess was never a question, Mumps only released two singles before disbanding, 1977’s “I Like To Be Clean” on BOMP!, and “Rock & Roll This, Rock & Roll That” on Perfect Records the following year. For the first time, a true Mumps “album” exists with the release of Rock & Roll This, Rock & Roll That: Best Case Scenario, You’ve Got Mumps, combining the 5 tracks from those singles with 9 tracks recorded between 1974–1979 compiled by the band’s Hoffman and drummer Paul Rutner.
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins 2xLP (Polyvinyl)
Of Montreal's seminal record, The Sunlandic Twins, arrived in April of 2005 as the follow-up to their breakthrough album, Satanic Panic in the Attic. To celebrate 15 years since it's illustrious release, we are pleased to present a brand new edition of The Sunlandic Twins on Red and Orange Swirl vinyl complete with a re-designed gatefold jacket interior and 5 additional bonus tracks on side D to round out this superlative 23-song 2xLP.
Poison - Look What The Cat Dragged In LP (Friday Music)
180gm vinyl LP pressing. Enigma Records took a chance on glam metal giants Poison - a leap of faith that paid remarkable dividends. Recorded in just twelve days, the band's 1986 debut, Look What The Cat Dragged In, cost just $23,000 (some of which the band funded themselves), but it peaked at a sensational No. 3 on the Billboard 200, eventually selling four million copies worldwide.
Steve Reid - Nova LP (Soul Jazz)
Soul Jazz Records issues the debut 1976 album from the legendary Steve Reid. As a radical jazz artist, Reid played with an extraordinary group of artists ' including Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Fela Kuti, James Brown, Ornette Coleman, Lester Bowie, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Dionne Warwick, Archie Shepp, Chief Bey, Olatunji, Arthur Blythe, Dextor Gordon, Gary Bartz, Sam Rivers, Leon Thomas, Lonnie Smith and Horace Silver! He started the independent record label, Mustevic Sound, to release his debut LP Nova. [Limited transparent red vinyl.]
Various Artists - Strong Love: Songs of Gay Liberation 1972-1981 LP (Chapter Music)
Originally released on CD in 2012, Chapter's landmark compilation of 70s gay musical pioneers gets a vinyl release for the first time ever - and on pink vinyl to boot! Strong Love explores the first wave of openly gay songwriting, emerging after New York's Stonewall Riots kickstarted the modern gay rights movement in 1969. It took just a few years for the defiant chanting and interlocked arms of early 70s pride marches to reverberate onto record, and Strong Love begins with the earliest known example, 1972's A Gay Song by London hippie collective Everyone Involved. Across 15 tracks, the compilation takes in disarmingly personal folk, uplifting soul, outsider country and dark synth-rock. But tellingly, none of it's songs could be considered well-known.
Various Artists - Opry Unbroken: Empty Room, Full Circle 2xLP (Grand Ol’ Opry)
This project includes memorable performances recorded live from the Opry stage in front of an empty house. For 29 weeks, Saturday night Opry shows continued uninterrupted despite public health orders that temporarily shuttered many other live productions. These performances were made possible because of the devotion of Grand Ole Opry members, featured performers, Opry staff and local health officials who safely worked together to bring comfort to millions around the world. The Opry continued broadcasting through its weekly WSM radio broadcast and launched the Opry Live television broadcast, which was viewed by more than 50 million people from more than 100 countries during the 29-week period. The album features live performances by Opry Members Trace Adkins, Luke Combs, Dailey & Vincent, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Old Crow Medicine Show, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban as well as Rodney Crowell, Dom Flemons, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle. [Double LP includes a Hatch Show Print inside.]
Muddy Waters - At Newport LP (Friday Music)
Great musical events are often born of both positive and negative energies clashing with one another. And so it was at the Newport Festival in 1960, which had already been rocked by violent tumults even before it started. The allures of commerce raised it's ugly head; the Mingus Band wanted their share and named a fee that the organizers were not willing to fulfill. The echo came quickly: Charles Mingus and Max Roach organized their own festival in the near-by Cliff Walk Manor Hotel, and the "Newport Rebels" were born. Tempers escalated during the Saturday night concert and a commotion broke out when masses of drunken teenagers got into a fight with the security personnel. Newport was on the brink of disaster. [180-gram vinyl pressing.]
Whitney - Light Upon The Lake LP (Secretly Canadian)
Opaque red vinyl repressing of the album that put Whitney on the indie rock map.
Hank Williams - Pictures From Life’s Other Side Vols. 2 & 3 CD (BMG)
Carefully curated and assembled 2CD collections of Hank Williams live in-studio performances known as the “Mother’s Best” radio shows, newly restored and remastered to sound better than ever. Three 2CD volumes taken from the 2020 Pictures From Life’s Other Side: The Man and His Music in Rare Recordings and Photos’ 6CD release. Each set includes 2CDs of newly restored and remastered performances from Hank’s Mother’s Best radio transcriptions. Covers feature rare photos of Hank Williams. Compiled by two time Grammy winning producer Cheryl Pawelski.