New Releases - 9/16/22
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
Giulio Aldinucci - Real LP (Karlrecords)
Italian sound artist Giulio Aldinucci returns with his fourth album on Karlrecords: Real is another truly masterfully composed and sound-designed ambient masterpiece and a more than worthy follow-up to the critically acclaimed Borders And Ruins (2017), Disappearing In A Mirror (2018), and Shards Of Distant Times (2020), all of which made it onto many avant-garde-oriented best-of-the-year lists. Aldinucci's massive layers of sound, built from field recordings and an array of electronic gear, blend drone-y ambient with heavenly voices/sacred music that create an atmosphere of a consolatory melancholy -- alien, but with a graspable presence of human souls. In the words of Giulio himself: "Real is a reflection on the endless possibility of sonic transformation, the ability we have to create new realities transmuting the soundscape around us and the inner soundscape inside us, even only by imagining it. A (deep)real experience permeated by dreamy lyricism."
Marina Allen – Centrifics CD/LP+MP3 (Fire)
L.A.-based musician Marina Allen returns with her spectacular debut proper, and follow up to 2021's acclaimed 18 minute mini-opus, Candlepower. Centrifics is a joyful collection of observations and questions about the self, the world, and how they interact. Awe-inspiring reflections accompany mesmerizing melodies while Allen's extraordinary range and depth of singing showcases a wide array of influences from Karen Carpenter to Karen Dalton, from Joanna Newsom to Fiona Apple, from Cate Le Bon to Waxahatchee, via Meredith Monk and the New York avant-garde.
Horace Andy – Midnight Rocker LP+MP3 (On-U Sound)
Horace Andy – Midnight Scorchers LP+MP3 (On-U Sound)
Midnight Rocker has been approached in a similar fashion to the late-career quality that Sherwood coaxed out of Lee "Scratch" Perry with the Rainford and Heavy Rain albums, assembling a crack team of players and spending many months perfecting performance, arrangements, and mixing. The result is 11 remarkable tracks that sparkle with superb musicianship, carefully crafted production, and some truly beautiful vocals from Andy. Midnight Scorchers is both an essential sequel to Midnight Rocker as well as being a powerful album in its own right. [A limited-edition gold color vinyl pressing of Midnight Rocker is available.]
Behemoth – Opvs Contra Natvram CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
In the annals of metal there is no band more synonymous with an unswerving commitment to the single-minded defiance of expectation than Behemoth. Over the course of their remarkable 31-year career, these Polish hellraisers - spearheaded by Adam Darski, aka Nergal - are more than just the architects of their country's legendary extreme metal scene.
The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Carpark)
The third LP from the New Zealand quartet, Expert In A Dying Field, contains 12 jewels of tight, guitar-heavy songs that worm their way into your head, an incandescent collision of power-pop and skuzz. With Expert, The Beths wanted to make an album meant to be experienced live, for both the listeners and themselves. They wanted it to be fun -- to hear, to play -- despite the prickling anxiety throughout the lyrics, the fear of change and struggle to cope. Elizabeth Stokes' songwriting positions her somewhere between being a novelist and a documentarian. The songs collected here are autobiographical, but they're also character sketches of relationships – platonic, familial, romantic – and more importantly, their aftermaths. The shapes and ghosts left in absences. [Limited-edition canary yellow vinyl.]
The Black Angels – The Wilderness Of Mirrors CD/2xLP/Cassette (Partisan)
The best music reflects a wide-screen view of the world back at us, helping distill the universal into something far more personal. Since forming in Austin in 2004, The Black Angels have become standard-bearers for modern psych-rock that does exactly that, which is one of many reasons why the group's new album, Wilderness Of Mirrors, feels so aptly named. Indeed, in the five years since the release of the band's prior album, Death Song, and the two-plus years spent working on Wilderness Of Mirrors, pandemics, political tumult and the ongoing devastation of the environment have provided ample fodder for the Black Angels' signature sonic approach. If the group's members were terrified as they honed new music heading into an election year, they realized they didn't even know how scary things could still get. [Limited-edition clear w/ red & blue vinyl.]
BLACKPINK – Born Pink [Standard CD Boxset – Ver. B / BLACK] CD (Interscope)
After a two-year hiatus, BLACKPINK recently released a new single, "Pink Venom", and now unveil their highly anticipated sophomore effort, Born Pink. It’s been two years since BLACKPINK released their debut studio album, The Album, which featured the Top 40 hits "How You Like That" and "Lovesick Girls" as well as guest appearances from Selena Gomez and Cardi B. The record-breaking album quickly solidified the quartet as K-pop superstars, and they became known as the "biggest girl group in the world." Each Born Pink CD box includes 80-page photobook, envelope, random large photocard (1 of 4), random postcard (1 of 4), random instant films (2 of 8), random selfie photocard (1 of 8), sticker (first press only), and poster (first press only). [There are many variations of the outer packaging. We have the black one.]
Blomfelt & Narby - Peter, Barbara, Beth & Friends LP (Atomnation)
Atomnation marks its 100th release with Peter, Barbara, Beth & Friends, the stunning debut album from Blomfelt & Narby. The immersive nine-track record is a widescreen listen that fuses acoustic and electronic sounds with loose field recordings and tightly programmed drums. Finnish-born Henrik Blomfelt grew up in Gaspar Narby's homeland of Switzerland, but the pair met on the dancefloor of a pool club in Peckham while studying in London. Gaspar's indie pop solo project was rewarded with a broad sweep of tastemaker tips from new music and electronica media alike, while Henrik had co-founded Resolution, an audio-visual collective and event series. The two eventually moved in together, but it's only a couple of years later, when Gaspar visited Henrik's homeland of Finland, that they began making music together. They wrote half of the tracks that appear on the LP there, using an old piano, a cassette recorder found on location, and their laptops. The second half was finished back in London.
Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero 2xLP+MP3 (Century Media)
Released in February on CD – now available on vinyl. Spawned in 2011, Blood Incantation has spent the past decade establishing a reputation for creating powerful atmospheric death metal with progressive elements, while gradually incorporating more psychedelic and ambient components with each new release. Epitomizing their cosmic essence and experimental nature, Timewave Zero reveals an alternate dimension for experiencing the mind-bending songwriting of Blood Incantation´s dense otherworldly sonic landscapes - beyond the limitations of genre and free to travel among the stars. Echoes of Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd, Lustmord, Popol Vuh and Dead Can Dance synthesize in an archaic planetarium soundtrack, taking the listener on a cinematic journey.
Michelle Branch – The Trouble With Fever CD/LP (Nonesuch)
Created during the pandemic lockdown, The Trouble With Fever, co-produced with her husband, Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), is Michelle Branch's fourth solo album and follows her critically acclaimed 2017 release, Hopeless Romantic. The time at home gave Branch the opportunity to stretch herself creatively. She says: "The album began during the 2020 lockdown, while Patrick and I were here at home in Nashville. I didn't realize I was making a record at first – it was more just for our own sanity, getting time together to play music and screw around in the studio."
Butcher Brown – Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey CD (Concord)
Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey, featuring Tennishu and R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND, deconstructs big band jazz and reshapes it in the band's eclectic image. The album sounds nothing like your grandparents' 45s. Randazzo adapted Tennishu's rap beats for Butcher Brown and 10 other Richmond musicians, turning them into bold suites. Tennishu finds new pockets of rhyme amidst party-starting originals, while the ensemble delivers a blend of contemporary genre-smashing injected into the past.
Clutch – Sunrise On Slaughter Beach CD/LP (Weathermaker Music)
Sunrise On Slaughter Beach, Clutch's thirteenth studio album, is a slamming summary of everything that makes the band great and another giant leap forward into career longevity. Featuring new bangers like "Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)", "Nosferatu Madre", "Skeletons On Mars", "Jackhammer Our Names" and "Mercy Brown," the nine track collection was recorded at the The Magpie Cage Recording Studio in Baltimore, Maryland and produced/mixed by Grammy-nominated Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Royal Blood, Pixies) with additional engineering by J Robbins (Jawbreaker, Against Me!, The Sword). [Indie store exclusive magenta vinyl.]
Dailey & Vincent – Let’s Sing Some Country! CD (BMG)
Let’s Sing Some Country! is the first country music album from the award-winning duo comprised of Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent. Produced by Paul Worley (Lady A, The Chicks, Trace Adkins), and with songs written by and the help of Jimmy Fortune, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent and more, Let's Sing Some Country! unleashes another side to the award-winning duo that fans don't often hear.
Death Cab For Cutie – Asphalt Meadows CD/LP+MP3 (Atlantic/Barsuk)
Death Cab For Cutie return on Barsuk Records with their highly anticipated tenth studio album, Asphalt Meadows, which is introduced by lead single "Roman Candles". The band notes that the track "is about the crippling, existential dread that goes hand in hand with living in a nervous city on a dying planet. And that the only way to be in the moment is to let it all go." The follow-up to 2018's Thank You For Today is produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Sharon Van Etten, Wallows). [Indie store exclusive pink vinyl.]
Gloria de Oliveira & Dean Hurley – Oceans Of Time CD/LP+MP3 (Sacred Bones)
Time is a beguiling, indistinct entity... sometimes standing still, sometimes bending back upon itself with premonitions or memories of the future. Growing out of a pen pal style correspondence that took place over the course of a year, separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Gloria de Oliveira and Dean Hurley passed thoughts and music back and forth that would eventually form their collaborative album, Oceans Of Time. The result is an aural tapestry of that exchange: woven from conceptual threads of the celestial within, mortality and the realm beyond stars. [Limited-edition lavender swirl vinyl.]
Electric Callboy – TEKKNO CD (Century Media)
Electric Callboy finally return with their highly anticipated new studio album TEKKNO. With tons of energy and fun on board, the band from Castrop-Rauxel delivers an unprecedentedly fulminant metalcore-firework that is second to none. On 10 incredibly strong tracks, including the already released hit singles "We Got The Moves" and "Pump It", Electric Callboy show, on their undoubtedly best album so far, what they are made of. [A limited-edition clear vinyl pressing is available for special order.]
Fletcher – Girl Of My Dreams CD/LP (Capitol)
Girl Of My Dreams is an up-close look at the moments of heartache, triumph, and deeply transformative experiences on Fletcher's way to self-discovery. The new record expands on the boldly detailed storytelling she's brought to hits like "Undrunk" and "Bitter". This time around, Fletcher reveals her inner world more fully and fearlessly than ever before, embracing the kind of uninhibited honesty that's freeing for both artist and audience.
Reb Fountain – IRIS LP (Flying Nun)
Released last year on CD – now available on vinyl. The perfect extension of her 2020 self-titled record, IRIS elevates Reb Fountain's music to new heights. Reb effortlessly combines pop elements with her trademark noir folk-punk sound; weaving authentic and anthemic tunes that create an instant and indelible impression. Written during lockdown in 2020, Reb has said of the album "Writing a song a day to keep myself grounded and productive during lockdown, IRIS provided me an opportunity to speak my unspoken, to reflect what I have seen and experienced from within and to bear witness." [Limited edition translucent turquoise vinyl.]
Gogol Bordello – Solidaritine CD (Cooking Vinyl)
A handful of "punkier" tracks originally recorded for Gogol Bordello's last album, 2017's Seekers And Finders, serve as the foundation for Solidaritine. The album was produced by Walter Schreifels and features appearances from H.R. of Bad Brains, electrofolk band KAZKA, and Ukrainian poet and novelist Serhiy Zhadan. [Vinyl edition – including an indie store exclusive pressing – due May 26, 2023.]
Goth Babe – Goth Babe LP (Goth Babe Music)
Ghostly blue color vinyl. Having the freedom to be creative, Goth Babe produces music in his newly constructed tiny home on wheels. Goth Babe is living his best life (literally) along the coast and creating music. When everything you own and need is with you, there are endless possibilities of when the next adventure awaits. Traveling from place to place can feel therapeutic, and home is where you make it. Goth Babe's music emphasizes seeking adventure, living fully, and taking the road less traveled.
Gwar – The New Dark Ages LP/Cassette (Pit)
Recently released on CD – now available on black/gold marble color vinyl and cassette. The Scumdogs return with their first album of new material in five years. 14 brand-new songs of destruction and dastardly deeds.
The Harlem Gospel Travelers – Look Up! CD/LP (Colemine)
Things are looking up for The Harlem Gospel Travelers, who return with a new album, a new lineup, and a new lease on life. Produced by Eli Paperboy Reed, Look Up! marks the group's first full-length release as a trio, as well as their first collection of totally original material, and it couldn't have come at a more vital moment. The music still draws deeply on the gospel quartet tradition of the '50s and '60s, of course, but there's a distinctly modern edge to the record, an unmistakable reflection of the tumultuous past few years of pandemic anxiety, political chaos, and social unrest. The songs are bold and resilient, facing down doubt and despair with faith and perseverance, and the performances are explosive and ecstatic, fueled by dazzling vocal arrangements punctuated with gritty bursts of guitar and crunchy rhythm breaks. [Indie store exclusive blue vinyl.]
The HU – Rumble Of Thunder CD (Better Noise)
Hailing from Mongolia, The HU are unlike any other rock band in the world, introducing their new style of music they call "hunnu rock" - from the Mongolian root word for human being, "hu". Their new album, Rumble Of Thunder, connects the world to Mongolian culture and it's unique core values of natural preservation and spiritual connection with the earth. These core values are on full display in the new album along with deeply meaningful lyrics uplift that Mongol people, as the band wishes for prosperity and peace among all. [Vinyl edition due November 25.]
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Copenhagen Dreams LP (Deutsche Grammophon)
Copenhagen Dreams is director Max Kestner's documentary film portrait of Denmark's capital and a tribute to Jóhann Jóhannsson's then place of residence. The soundtrack features music for string quartet, clarinet, celeste, keyboards and electronics and was recorded with some of Jóhann's favorite Icelandic musicians including Academy Award winner Hildur Guðnadóttir.
Samara Joy – Linger Awhile CD (Verve)
Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records for the release of her label debut Linger Awhile. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice "as rich as custard" (The New York Times) and a delivery that is "disarming [and] unhurried" (NPR Fresh Air). The Bronx native took home the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition prize while still in college and made her "glowing, auspicious debut" (NPR) at the 2022 Newport Jazz Festival, earning multiple standing ovations in the process. Linger Awhile finds Samara updating beloved songs with a modern twist, sometimes singing original lyrics using the melodies of famous instrumental solos, a style known as vocalese. [Vinyl edition due November 18.]
Julian Lage – View With A Room CD/LP (Blue Note)
Guitarist Julian Lage ("one of the most dazzling improvisers around" – New York Times) returns with a stunning new album View With A Room, the follow-up to his acclaimed 2021 Blue Note debut Squint, which the Associated Press called "an exuberant, engaging, endlessly inventive exploration of styles." This time Lage expands his versatile trio with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King into a quartet with the addition of fellow guitarist and Blue Note labelmate Bill Frisell. View With A Room presents 10 compelling new original compositions by Lage that explore a wide range of guitar sounds and textures with these two distinctive master guitarists seamlessly blending their unique 6-string styles.
Lang Lang – The Disney Book 2xCD/2xLP (Verve)
The most unforgettable songs from Disney's iconic films, reimagined by the greatest living pianist, Lang Lang's The Disney Book tells the story of a century of magical, joyous entertainment for all. Newly arranged especially for Lang Lang, the album includes solo piano and piano with orchestra performances of beloved hit songs from Snow White, Encanto, Beauty And The Beast, Frozen, Cinderella, Pinocchio and many more, and features special collaborators from across the globe including Andrea Bocelli, Sebastián Yatra and Jon Batiste.
Laufey – Everything I Know About Love LP (Laufey LLC)
Raised between Reykjavík and Washington, DC, Icelandic Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey makes music that is the byproduct of rich cultural heritages and mixed musical influences. Inspired in part by her mother, a classical violinist, Laufey took up piano and cello early on. But it wasn't until deep diving into her father's record collection, consisting of jazz artists Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, that she launched into her musical journey. Through free-form scatting and reposeful vocal styling, Laufey transforms her heartfelt truths into a revived classic-sound for contemporary audiences to resonate with.
Little Big Town – Mr. Sun CD/2xLP (Capitol Nashvilee)
Mr. Sun is the 10th studio album from Little Big Town and features their single, "Hell Yeah." [Limited-edition translucent baby blue vinyl.]
The London Suede – Autofiction CD/LP (BMG)
As The London Suede began work on the songs that would become their ninth studio album Autofiction, they decided to go back to the basics. Autofiction was recorded live at Konk studios in North London with long-time collaborator, Ed Buller. Brett Anderson said, "Autofiction is our punk record. No whistles and bells. Just the five of us in a room with all the glitches and f-ups revealed; the band themselves exposed in all their primal mess." Lead single "She Still Leads Me On" is the track that reconfigured what the album could be. A beautiful song written from Brett to his late mother. As its title suggests, Autofiction is one of Anderson's most personal records yet. Reflecting on the process of writing acclaimed works of memoir Coal Black Mornings and Afternoons With The Blinds Drawn helped Brett get a newfound perspective on himself as a performer and singer in the public eye, much of which has bled into the lyricism of Autofiction. [Indie store exclusive gray vinyl.]
Daniele Luppi / Greg Gonzalez – Charm Of Pleasure 12” (Slowplay)
Los Angeles-based artist, Daniele Luppi and Cigarettes After Sex's Greg Gonzalez release their collaborative project, Charm Of Pleasure. The five-track EP takes both artists into new creative terrain, blending their elegant songwriting and dream-pop excellence into a fresh sound that nevertheless complements their respective catalogs.
The Mars Volta – The Mars Volta CD/LP (Clouds Hill)
Breaking a decade of omertà, The Mars Volta reawaken from their lengthy hiatus with an eponymous album that radically reshapes their paradigm. A year after La Realidad De Los Sueños, a luxurious 18LP boxset compiling their back catalogue, sold out its 5,000 print run in under 24 hours – the duo are back, accompanied this time by founder bassist Eva Gardner, drummer Willy Rodriguez Quiñones and keyboard-player Marcel Rodríguez-López. The record shakes loose some of The Mars Volta's long-standing shibboleths and the dizzying, abrasive prog stylings of earlier albums absent. Instead, The Mars Volta pulses with subtle brilliance, Caribbean rhythms underpinning sophisticated, turbulent songcraft. This is The Mars Volta at their most mature, most concise, most focused.
Rhett Miller – The Misfit CD/LP (ATO)
The Misfit, the latest full-length from Old 97's frontman Rhett Miller, exists in an enchanted dimension all its own. With its elegant blurring of psychedelia, dream-pop, electronic-leaning indie-rock, the Texas-bred singer/songwriter's ninth solo effort emerged from a charmed collaboration with Hudson Valley neighbor Sam Cohen (Danger Mouse, Kevin Morby). Miller grounds each track with the vulnerable songwriting and unaffected vocal presence he's brought to the Old 97's for the last three decades. [Limited edition translucent blue vinyl.]
Miloe – Gaps LP (Loma Vista)
The story of Miloe begins in the pews of a church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Miloe's family would congregate every Sunday and community and rhythm entwined. On his new release, Gaps, Miloe set out with the intention of bridging the funk rock inclinations of Minneapolis with the ebullient Congolese sounds of his upbringing. Across six tracks, Miloe stays heavily syncopated and expertly textured and makes you want to dance with its infectious energy.
Marcus Mumford – Marcus Mumford CD/LP (Capitol/Island)
Mumford & Sons leader Marcus Mumford releases his debut solo album (self-titled) produced by Blake Mills (Alabama Shakes, Jim James) and featuring contributions from Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Clairo, and Monica Martin. "In January 2021, facing demons I danced with for a long time in isolation, I wrote a song called ‘Cannibal'," Mumford's notes. "I took it to my friend Blake Mills, and we began the process of making the album, dear to my heart, called (self-titled)." The 10-song collection includes the lead tracks "Cannibal", "Grace" and "Better Off High". [Indie store exclusive translucent red vinyl.]
Mura Masa – Demon Time CD/LP (Interscope)
Demon Time signals a deeper period of reflection for Mura Masa. From its whispered introduction - "it's demon time" - to its messy finish, Demon Time is a journey into the unknowns of the night and the quiet revelations you might stumble across along the way. There is a sense throughout of taking guests (and genres) into unfamiliar places and Mura Masa blurring the boundaries of the artist/producer dynamic into something more curatorial.
The Murlocs – Rapscallion CD/LP (ATO)
Hailing from Melbourne, ‘60s tinged psych-rock punks The Murlocs deliver their brand-new studio album, Rapscallion. Strapped with fuzzy guitar licks, feverish bass and psychedelic brightness, the 12-track collection is a coming-of-age novel in an album form. The wildly squalid odyssey populated by an outrageous cast of misfit characters – teenage vagabonds and small-time criminals, junkyard dwellers and truck-stop transients – is partly inspired by frontman Ambrose Kenny-Smith's own adolescence as a nomadic skate kid. Their most magnificently heavy work yet, the result is an endlessly enthralling album equally steeped in danger and delirium and the wide-eyed romanticism of youth.
Mystic AM - Cardamom & Laudanum 2xLP (Astral Industries)
Emerging from a thick spiraling haze is the debut album from Mystic AM, a new project from Rod Modell and label founder Ario Farahani. Conceived as an immersive fictional soundtrack piece, the release tells the story of a traveler, some centuries ago, and the rather intense metaphysical experience he unexpectedly stumbles into whilst taking shelter on a hot desert night at Zein-o-Din Caravanserai, near Yazd in Persia. Dusk envelopes the vast barren landscape as the protagonist enters the ribat, treasures of woven silks, ornaments, and exotic spices glint under the flickering oil lamps, swirls of perfumed vapor dance mesmerizingly in the darkness. As the music unfolds, the events of the passing day quickly melt away, and the unsuspecting traveler is plunged into an otherworldly dimension. Utilizing an extensive collection of old Iranian records as source material, the album is an intoxicating mise-en-scéne of whispering melodies, undulating rhythms, and atmospheric sound details. Textures seep into one another in washes of color, and hallmarks of classical Persian sounds filter through -- the slow stroll of the scintillating runs of santoor, and solitary lines drifting out of the kamancheh. Bridging the realms of the real and the imaginary, the collaboration signals the first contribution to Mystic AM's enigmatic concept.
Ondara – Spanish Villager No: 3 CD/LP (Verve)
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ondara returns with his third studio effort, Spanish Villager No: 3. The namesake behind the album is The Spanish Villager - a mysterious character with a potent message who has proven to be a versatile guy: he's the subject of a short story Ondara wrote and turned into a graphic novel, and now a new album. He explains, "Each song on the new album is an exploration into the world and the mind of The Spanish Villager. Some of them paint a picture of specific scenes from the story while others delve into his psychology. Following the disappearance of SV in the narrative, copies of a newspaper titled The SV Times start appearing in random places in Minneapolis where he is thought to be hiding out." The album features contributions from Taylor Goldsmith and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes, Sebastian Steinberg, Tim Kuhl and Jeremy Stacey.
Pop Smoke – Faith 2xLP (Victor)
Faith delivers a star-studded set featuring Pharrell, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Pusha T, 21 Savage, and more! It also features "Demeanor," a collaboration with pop powerhouse Dua Lipa. Faith is the follow-up to his posthumous debut, Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon. Released in 2021, it has become the longest running #1 Hip Hop/R&B Album since 1990.
Leann Rimes – God’s Work LP (Thirty Tigers)
Powerhouse vocalist LeAnn Rimes' new album God's Work features an eclectic group of accomplished artists that bring a genre-bending sound to the album, including Mickey Guyton, Ziggy Marley, Aloe Blacc, Ben Harper, Ledisi, Sheila E., Robert Randolph, and more. Written and produced by Rimes and her longtime collaborator Darrell Brown, God's Work has been nearly three years in the making and puts Rimes' breathtaking vocals on full display. The track listing includes a mix of ethereal, rhythmic, and brutally honest songs that take each listener on their own unique journey, exploring the duality of life and recognizing the light and the dark that we all encounter. Rimes made a commitment to highlight females in the creation of the album, from the mixing to the recording and mastering, allowing her to fully immerse herself in the vulnerability of the lyrics and sound.
Rina Sawayama – Hold The Girl CD/LP (Dirty Hit)
Following up from her critically acclaimed debut, Sawayama, Rina Sawayama's highly-anticipated new record, Hold The Girl, sees Rina once again juxtapose intimate storytelling with arena-sized songs, creating another ambitious and original album to excite fans and critics alike. A bold and honest statement of Rina's personal evolution, Hold The Girl finds Sawayama coming to terms with her own past and the jubilation of turning to the future. [Indie store exclusive translucent red vinyl.]
Smith/Kotzen – Better Days …And Nights CD (BMG)
New release from iconic musicians Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen (The Winery Dogs) featuring live and studio recordings. The album includes five previously unreleased live tracks from their Trans-Atlantic 22 Tour plus the four studio tracks featured on the sold-out Better Days vinyl EP.
Starcrawler – She Said CD/LP (Big Machine)
Starcrawler is a rock band for a new generation. With two studio albums under their belts, their upward trajectory continues to roll full steam ahead with the release of their new album, She Said. Best known for their explosive live shows, the five-piece band leans into their own epic vision of a contemporary Hollywood Babylon - morphing into a modern day take on L.A. legends X, with a sprinkle of The Go-Go's, a smattering of The Distillers, and The Rolling Stones sleaze thrown in for good measure. [Limited-edition pink vinyl.]
Ringo Starr – EP3 CDEP (UMe)
Cleverly named EP3, Ringo Starr's third EP includes four new tracks featuring longtime collaborators Steve Lukather, Linda Perry, Dave Koz, Jose Antonio Rodriguez and Bruce Sugar. EP3 is filled with Ringo's instantly recognizable vocals, feel-good lyrics and easy-breezy melodies.
Sumerlands – Dreamkiller CD/LP (Relapse)
Sumerlands has returned from the astral plane with their hotly anticipated album, Dreamkiller. The Ultimate Sin inspired haze of the first album has been turbocharged with bigger hooks, Jan Hammer worthy synths, and forays into Badlands gone doom. But although doom crackles at the edges of Dreamkiller, this is metal forged with the melodrama of the Scorpions, the emotional heft of Foreigner, and Dokken with an extra dose of depression. [Indie store exclusive mustard yellow vinyl.]
Mitchell Tenpenny – This Is The Heavy CD (SME Nashville)
Mitchell Tenpenny titled his new album This Is The Heavy because the production packs a punch. “It’s going to be big. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be in your face and drum heavy,” Mitchell said. The project finds its own lane between a little bit country, and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and is without a doubt meant to be turned up.
Turin Breaks – Wide-Eyed Nowhere CD/LP (Cooking Vinyl)
Wide Eyed Nowhere is Turin Brakes’ ninth full studio album, a set of new songs emerging 21 years after their seminal debut. It's no easy feat maintaining an optimistic attitude through the turbulence of the years, but the band found their own method down in deepest Tooting to produce this lean, bittersweet collection. [Indie store exclusive pink vinyl.]
Whitney – SPARK CD/LP+MP3/Cassette (Saddle Creek)
Julien Ehrlich and Max Kakacek could hear the staggering differences in the songs they were writing for their third album as Whitney, SPARK the buoyant drum loops, the effortless falsetto hooks, the coruscant keyboard lines. They suddenly sounded like a band reimagined, their once-ramshackle folk-pop now brimming with unprecedented gusto and sheen. But could they see it, too? So in the ad hoc studio the Chicago duo built in the living room of their rented Portland bungalow, a shared 2020 escape hatch amid breakups and lockdowns, Julien and Max decided to find out. Somewhere between midnight and dawn every night, their brains refracted by the late hour and light psychedelics, they'd play their latest creations while a hardware store disco ball spun overhead and slowed-down music videos from megastars spooled silently on YouTube. [Indie exclusive milky white vinyl.]
Reissues, Compilations, Live Recordings & Vault Excavations...
Aaliyah – Ultimate Aaliyah [Reissue/2005] 3xLP (Blackground)
Ultimate Aaliyah is the second and final compilation album by legendary R&B singer Aaliyah.
Ash – Free All Angels [Reissue/2001] LP (Echo Label Limited)
Splatter color vinyl pressing of the third smash hit album from the Northern Irish rockers. The Owen Morris (Oasis, The Fratellis, The Verve) produced long-player again reached No. 1 in the UK and has since been certified platinum. The punk-rock-pop affair yielded a handful of mega hits including the Ivor Novello winner "Shining Light", the NME single of the year "Burn Baby Burn", "Sometimes", "There's A Star", "Candy" and "Walking Barefoot".
Rick Astley – Whenever You Need Somebody [Reissue/1987] LP (BMG)
Whenever You Need Somebody is the debut studio album by Rick Astley, originally released in 1987. Includes the massive worldwide hit "Never Gonna Give You Up".
The Bled – Found In The Flood [Reissue/2005] LP (Vagrant)
Found In The Flood is the second studio album from Arizona hardcore/punk band The Bled, originally release in August 2005. The album was produced by Mike Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Blink 182, The Starting Line), and was the band's first release after signing with Vagrant Records. The band's guitarist Jeremy Ray Talley recently commented on their time with the label, speaking with Kerrang Magazine: "We signed to Vagrant because it was a label with a great reputation of taking care of their bands and helping them get to the next level, without having to compromise artistic vision," This new pressing is the first since 2014, with two new colorways available and packaged in a hand-numbered outer sleeve.
The Chieftains – Bear’s Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains, San Francisco 1973 & 1976 2xCD/2xLP (Decca)
This never-released-before project from The Owsley Stanley Foundation and Claddagh Records is the last ever by the legendary member of The Chieftains, Paddy Moloney. Bear's Sonic Journals: The Foxhunt, The Chieftains Live In San Francisco 1973 & 1976 was recorded live by legendary soundman Owsley "Bear" Stanley, at Boarding House on 1st October 1973, where The Chieftains appeared at the personal invitation of The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia.
John Coltrane – Blue Train [Reissue/2015] 2xCD/LP/2xLP (Blue Note)
On September 15, 1957, John Coltrane went into Rudy Van Gelder's living room studio in Hackensack, New Jersey and recorded his first great masterpiece: Blue Train. It would be the legendary saxophonist's sole album as a leader for Blue Note, a locomotive five-track album fueled by the bluesy title track that featured a dynamic six-piece band with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. To mark the 65th anniversary of the album's recording, Blue Train is released as part of Blue Note's acclaimed Tone Poet audiophile reissue series: a single LP mono pressing of the original album; and double-CD and double-LP editions which include Blue Train: The Complete Masters, a second disc of alternate and incomplete takes, four of which have never been released before, and none of which have been available previously on vinyl.]
Creedence Clearwater Revival – At The Royal Albert Hall – April 14, 1970 CD/LP/Cassette (Craft Recordings)
For decades, rumors have circulated among Creedence Clearwater Revival's fans about a long-lost recording of their legendary 1970 show at London's Royal Albert Hall. When CCR took the stage for two nights in April of 1970, the band members had reached the height of their international stardom and arrived ready to prove themselves as equals to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Beatles, who had announced their breakup just days before. Their performance – which included hits like "Born On The Bayou", "Proud Mary", "Fortunate Son", and "Bad Moon Rising" – was met with a 15-minute standing ovation and rave next-day reviews in the UK's top publications. After spending roughly 50 years in storage, the original multitrack tapes were meticulously restored and mixed by the Grammy Award-winning team of producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell.
Miles Davis –That’s What Happened: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 1982-1985 3xCD/2xLP (Sony Legacy)
That's What Happened 1982-1985: Bootleg Volume 7 is the next installment in the celebrated, award-winning archival series that began in 2011, shining an in-depth light onto different eras of the legendary career of Miles Davis. In the 1980s, popular music had moved to a smoother, electronic-based sound that traded the steam of previous years for subdued arrangements meant to elicit peace and deep reflection. Miles Davis embraced this era, pulling inspiration from FM radio and an upstart music video channel called MTV. He was searching for the next frontier, letting his creativity roam. This music on The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 captures that exploration and finds Miles beginning to re-emerge in a creative landscape far different than the one he left in 1975. The set collects nearly four hours of unreleased music including two CDs of studio material from 1982 to 1985 plus another CD containing a complete, blistering show of one of Miles' last amazing bands captured live at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal in July 1983. [A double-LP white color ‘highlights’ edition is available on vinyl.]
ohn Denver – Rocky Mountain High [Reissue/1972] LP (Windstar)
Limited blue color vinyl pressing. 50th Anniversary edition. Rocky Mountain High is the sixth studio album by singer-songwriter John Denver, originally in September 1972. It was his first US Top 10 album, propelled by the single "Rocky Mountain High".
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Ella & Louis Again [Reissue/1957] 2xLP (Verve)
The duo that critics have called "a match made in heaven" are in peak form on the sequel to their 1956 debut. Ella's voice - warm and sweet as honey - and Louis' gravelly croon formed a sound built for commercial success. Ella & Louis Again is a key element of what could be considered the most iconic jazz duo of all time. Part of the Verve Acoustic Sounds Series featuring transfers from analog tapes.
Jan & Dean – All-Time Greatest Hits [Reissue/1991] LP (Curb)
First-time vinyl pressing of this hits collection from the surf music duo.
Kinks – Kinks [Reissue/1964] LP (Sanctuary)
Vinyl reissue of the debut album from one of the world’s greatest and most successful rock bands. Kinks features a mixture of popular R&B covers and the band’s own compositions.
Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned [Reissue/2004] LP (Mute)
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned is the latest installment from the Liars' reissue series, where every two months an album from the back catalog is released on limited edition recycled color vinyl. Originally released in 2004, Liars' second album scrutinizes pagan worship rituals with its title alluding to the horrors and injustices of witch-hunts conducted throughout history. Each song is a page from a story that frontman Angus Andrews crafted from his in-depth look into fairy tales and folklore, illustrating a conflict between witches and a scared Christian village. They Were Wrong, So We Drowned was a creative transition and saw the band severing their ties with a scene they inaugurated on their debut album, and had decidedly, outgrown by the second.
Joe Lovano – I’m All For You: Ballad Songbook [Reissue/2003] 2xLP (Blue Note)
Joe Lovano's sublime 2003 album, I'm All For You: Ballad Songbook, found the saxophonist wrapping his ravishing sound around timeless melodies like, "Stella By Starlight," "I Waited For You," and "Like Someone In Love." This elegant set also introduced Lovano's marvelous quartet featuring Hank Jones (piano), George Mraz (bass), and Paul Motian (drums). Part of the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series featuring all-analog mastering by Kevin Gray from the original tapes.
Monster Magnet – 4-Way Diablo CD [Reissue/2007] CD (Napalm)
Recorded in four different studios (Sound City Studios, American Studios, The Sunset Lodge and Hydeaway Studios) throughout 2006-2007, 4-Way Diablo is the seventh offering from legendary riff masters Monster Magnet. Featuring rippers such as "Wall Of Fire", "You're Alive", and a cover of an obscure Rolling Stones song "2000 Lightyears From Home", 4-Way Diablo is a true gem in the Monster Magnet catalog. [Vinyl reissue due September 23.]
Pepper – Kona Town [Reissue/2002] LP (ABG-Volcom LLC)
Limited red, green, and yellow color vinyl pressing. Pepper's sophomore release, Kona Town, is the album that put the band on the map. Featuring classic songs such as "Give It Up", "Stone Love", "Stormtrooper" and "Too Much", Kona Town is 46 minutes of pop/rock/reggae driven by the spirit of aloha and the inspiration of the Hawaiian Islands.
Pink Floyd – Animals CD/LP/CD+LP+Blu-ray (Pink Floyd Records)
The iconic 1977 Pink Floyd album has been remixed for the first time by James Guthrie. Animals is a concept album, focusing on the social-political conditions of mid-1970s Britain, and was a change from the style of the band's earlier work. [The deluxe limited-edition four-disc box set includes a copy of the remastered album on CD and vinyl, as well as DVD and a Blu-ray audio discs featuring a 5.1 surround mix (Dolby Digital @ 640 kbps, 448kbps), stereo (LPCM 24-bit/48 kHz uncompressed), and the 1977 original stereo mix: (24-bit/48 kHz uncompressed). [A stand-alone version of the Blu-ray audio disc is available.]
John Prine – German Afternoons [Reissue/1986] LP (Oh Boy)
Fittingly for a former mailman, John Prine delivered songs that are both literate and personal. The skilled and compassionate storyteller enjoyed widespread critical acclaim in the wake of his groundbreaking eponymous debut and continued to write and perform songs that became central to our American musical heritage for nearly five decades. Among the English language's premier phrase-turners with music relevant to any age, Prine's 1986 release German Afternoons is available on vinyl from Oh Boy Records for the first time since its original pressings. Revisiting the folkier-sound of his early albums, it features contributions from progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival and Marty Stuart and includes a re-recording of his classic cut "Paradise" from his 1971 self-titled debut.
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – Rock ‘N’ Roll With The Modern Lovers CD/LP (Omnivore)
While his desire was for his band to be more of an acoustic/harmony-based endeavor, Jonathan Richman was blindsided when his true debut was overtaken by a compilation of early recordings. Singles like "Roadrunner" and "Pablo Picasso" were in the forefront – but that did not deter Jonathan. After original drummer David Robinson left, (eventually finding success with Hall Of Famers, The Cars), Richman hired D. Sharpe, and the band recorded and released the aptly titled Rock ‘N' Roll With The Modern Lovers. Now, one might wonder how "rock 'n' roll" and album with songs titled "Ice Cream Man", "Dodge Veg-O-Matic", and a version of "Wheels On The Bus" is – but, Greil Marcus called it "the purist rock 'n' roll album I've heard this year." And, due to the UK fascination with the band's perceived debut, "Egyptian Reggae" hit No. 5 on the singles charts. The date is 1977. Revel in where the "real" Jonathan Richman story started, and how it evolves. [Indie store exclusive red vinyl.]
Anoushka Shankar feat. Manu Lelago & Metropole Orkest – Between Us… CD/LP (Leiter Verlag GMBH)
British-Indian American sitar player, producer, film composer and activist Anoushka Shankar shares her first live album since 2001's Live At Carnegie Hall. Between Us... draws upon material from four solo albums, but also features one previously unreleased track. The record sees Anoushka Shankar maintain a long tradition of collaboration which began as a 13-year-old girl, when she started performing sitar alongside her father and teacher Ravi Shankar. Between Us... features Shankar's regular collaborator - and master of the Hang a.k.a. hand pan - Manu Delago alongside Holland's Metropole Orkest, directed by renowned conductor and arranger Jules Buckley. The album was recorded in 2018 during a short run of shows in the Netherlands.
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros – Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years 4xCD/7xLP (BMG)
2022 marks 20 years since the passing of the legendary Joe Strummer. While best known as the frontman for The Clash, between 1999-2002 Strummer produced some of his most exciting work alongside The Mescaleros. Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years is the first comprehensive collection highlighting this intense period of creativity and brings together the albums Rock Art And The X-Ray Style (1999), Global A Go-Go (2001), the posthumous Streetcore (2003), and Vibes Compass, a brand-new compilation of 15 B-sides and rarities, including never before heard tracks like “Ocean of Dreams” (featuring Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols on guitar) and early demos of some of the Mescaleros best-loved tracks.
Taking Back Sunday – Louder Now [Reissue/2006] LP (Craft Recordings)
Louder Now is the third studio album from the platinum-selling rock band Taking Back Sunday. It boasts the hit single "MakeDamnSure", the band's most popular track to this day. Fitting to the album title, this release took on a heavier, darker mood and a bolder array of riffs and choruses than their previous records - a sound embraced by fans and critics alike.
Various Artists – Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol. 1 [Reissue/1966] LP (Craft Recordings)
Chicago/The Blues/Today! Vol. 1 is the first installment of Vanguard Records' definitive three-part series. Recorded in 1965, producer Samuel Charters enlisted nine of the Midwest's best blues artists to record a short set showcasing the electric sound of Chicago Blues. Vol. 1 includes J. B. Hutto, Otis Spann, and Junior Wells with contributions from Buddy Guy. This LP features all-analog mastering from the original stereo tapes.
Various Artists – Beleza Tropical [Reissue/1989] 2xLP (Luaka Bop)
Digitally remastered edition with new notes from David Byrne. "Wow when did this first come out? 1989? Over 30 years ago! I listened to some of the songs yesterday and, well, they hold up, they're truly timeless songs. In my notes at the time, I wrote about the way this music joined musical sophistication with memorable pop melodies and often social and political commentary. Like Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On', this music mixed sensuality with pointed social engagement. I learned that though we often feel like screaming we can also couch our awareness and frustrations in beauty and rhythm-which often makes a more seductive and effective argument than a scream-though a scream can be pretty damn cathartic for sure. But as beautiful as the songs sound their message was pointed enough that some of these artists were jailed and forced into exile. Beauty can be pointed." – David Byrne, 2021.
Various Artists - Pra Quem Sabe Das Coisas LP (Discos Nada)
Originally released in 1973. One of the rarest and most enigmatic LPs in the Brazilian discography, Prá Quem Sabe das Coisas is a collective album that gathered a group of students from São Paulo Law School, supported by the organist/pianist Renato Mendes, one of samba-jazz's most important names. Features Cau, Liliana, Renato Mendes, Marcão, Eulalia, and Vera. According to Disk Union, the label that reissued the album on CD some years ago: "Mysterious acid bossa psychedelic folk masterpiece recorded in 1971 and released in 1973 on a small Brazilian label. Recorded by students of the law school in São Paulo, under the influence of Sgt. Pepper's mixed with bossa nova. It's chaotic, yet delicate and sophisticated. I can't imagine it being composed or recorded by the amateur musicians that they were, except by Renato Mendes, who has been active as a first-class musician since the jazz bossa period and was a Brazilian pioneer recording an album using a Moog synthesizer in 1974. Known among record collectors as a record that attracts not only Brazilian music fans but also psychedelic and acid folk fans."