New Releases - 9/20/19
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
Jump to… New Releases Reissues & From The Vaults New on Vinyl Live & in Concert Compilations DVDs and Bluray
New Releases
Brittany Howard - Jaime CD/LP (ATO)
As the frontwoman and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard has become one of music's most celebrated figures. In between albums and tours with Alabama Shakes, however, Howard grows restless. "To me, there is no time off - I'm a creative person and I need to create, or I just feel weird, not fully human," she says. She's channeled that relentless creativity into her solo debut, Jaime. While Howard admits it was daunting, stepping out alone from her work with Alabama Shakes and revealing so much of herself, it was a necessary step. "I turned 30 and I was like, 'What do I want the rest of my life to look like?'" she recalls. "Do I want to play the same songs until I'm 50 and then retire, or do I do something that's scarier for me? Do I want people to understand me and know me, do I want to tell them my story? I'm very private, but my favorite work is when people are being honest and really doing themselves." Lead track "History Repeats "is as much a personal song as it is a song about us as a human species. Our times of success may propel us forward, but our repeating failures hold us back from evolving into harmony," notes Howard. [Indie store exclusive deluxe 180gm black and white colored vinyl LP pressing also available.]
Hiss Golden Messenger - Terms Of Surrender CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
Songwriter and bandleader M.C. Taylor's music is at once familiar, yet impossible to categorize: Elements from the American songbook-the steady, churning acoustic guitar and mandolin, the gospel emotion, the eerie steel guitar tracings, the bobbing and weaving organ and electric piano-provide the bedrock for Taylor's existential ruminations about parenthood, joy, hope, and loneliness-our delicate, tightrope balance of dark and light-that offer fully engaged contemporary commentary on the present. And then there's an indescribable spirit and movement: Hiss Golden Messenger's music grooves. There's nothing else quite like it.
Andrew Combs - Ideal Man CD/LP (New West)
On his new album, Ideal Man, Andrew Combs worked with producer/engineer Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Benjamin Booker) to achieve a more raw, direct sound. The collection was captured live in Cohen's Brooklyn studio, with compact arrangements fueled by taut, elastic grooves. While Combs may be best known as a singer/songwriter in the classic 1970s Laurel Canyon sense, he demonstrates the true versatility of his work here, often setting the acoustic aside in favor of atmospheric synthesizers and distorted electric guitars. Combs worked with some of his favorite writers on the album, including Dylan LeBlanc, Jeff Trott, Joe Henry, and Kenny Childers, but the stories he tells here are deeply personal and remarkably vulnerable. A sense of danger and violence underlies the entire record, much as it does the entire country, but it only serves to make the moments of beauty and connection here that much more poignant. It's been out here at Grimey's since last week when Andrew played in the shop. Now available to the masses.
Darrin Bradbury - Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs CD/LP (ANTI-)
Darrin Bradbury writes about the way things really are in America - a singular perspective shaped by a natural gift for storytelling, a lingering battle with depression, and a sly sense of humor. A self-described folk satirist who has toured the country for more than a decade, Bradbury collects his oddball observations in Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs. Bradbury recorded the album in just two days in Nashville with producer Kenneth Pattengale of the Milk Carton Kids and backed by musicians Jeremy Ivey, Alex Munoz, and Dillon Napier. Margo Price, a close friend and one of Bradbury's biggest champions, sings harmony on "The Trouble With Time", which captures the sadness, beauty, and wit found throughout Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs. Catch Darrin Bradbury when he plays a free live set in the store on release day for his new album - Friday, Sept 20, at 6PM!
M83 - DSVII CD/2xLP (Mute)
"At first there was this vivid memory of Dungeons And Dragons, this childhood sensation of living in an imaginary world set in a faraway past or a lost future. I wanted to create some music that could be part of this adventure and journey with all its solitary knights, dreamy landscapes, strange animals, forgotten myths and old spells. Originally, the Digital Shades project was supposed to be much more intimate - a collection of B-sides and unused tracks destined for the hardcore fan base. Digital Shades was the name chosen to dissociate it from a proper studio album, although it would be fully part of M83's discography. Digital Shades became an excuse to give a second life to some tracks instead of letting them disappear into the void. I wanted to create a production of ambient music that could evolve throughout the years." - Anthony Gonzalez [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Fitz & The Tantrums - All The Feels CD (New Elektra)
Multi-platinum artists Fitz And The Tantrums have quickly grown from independent upstarts to bonafide hitmakers. The L.A.-based band follows-up their double platinum eponymous 2016 effort and biggest hit to date "HandClap" with their much-anticipated fourth full length, All The Feels. Brimming with imagination, energy, and genre-smashing scope, the modern pop combo is at the top of their game on the album's anthemic singles "All The Feels" and "123456". Frontman Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick says, "So many highs and lows this last year but we'll make it through together. We are so excited to finally share what we've been working so hard on. All The Feels has all the emotions. We hope you love it as much as we do." [Vinyl edition due October 25.]
Robbie Robertson - Sinematic CD/2xLP (UMe)
Sinematic is an enthralling set of songs that explore the darker corridors of human nature. The 13-song collection is his first since 2011's How To Become Clairvoyant and themes sprang from his recent film scoring for Martin Scorsese's organized crime pic, The Irishman and his forthcoming documentary Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson And The Band. The album features guest stars Van Morrison, Glen Hansard, and many more.
Liam Gallagher - Why Me? Why Not. CD/LP (WB)
Liam Gallagher's second solo album is a clear upgrade on 2017's all-conquering debut As You Were but not a radical departure. Liam explains: "I wrote some songs on my own for the last album, but this time it's all co-writes. Reason being is I want it to be even better than As You Were. I know my strengths and I know my limitations. I'm an ok songwriter, but I'm a great singer and frontman. I want the second album to be a step-up because the hardest thing to do is to make something the same, only better. So that's what we've done." The album showcases an edgy and hard tone similar to Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul from 2008, as previewed on songs like "Shockwave" and "One of Us". [Deluxe CD edition includes three bonus tracks. Indie store exclusive vinyl edition shipped late. Hope to have it on Friday]
Keane - Cause And Effect CD/LP (Island)
Cause And Effect, the long-awaited follow-up to 2012's Strangeland, sees the much-acclaimed English alternative-rock outfit Keane returning after a five-year hiatus. The birth of this new album came as something of a surprise even to the band. Produced by David Kosten, the 11-track offering is informed by ageing, but also in the depth of friendship between Tom Chaplin and Tim Rice-Oxley. Chaplin had released two successful solo albums but missed his old sparring partner Rice-Oxley. [Deluxe CD edition includes five bonus tracks.]
blink-182 - NINE CD/LP (Columbia)
blink-182's eighth studio album, NINE follows-up 2016's California, the Grammy-nominated veteran pop punk trio's first with guitarist/singer Matt Skiba after the departure of founding singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge. "I think we're taking everything that we've done in the past and building on it. Which is what we want to always be doing," Mark Hoppus notes. "I think it's a good combination of fast punk rock stuff, modern production, and taking a lot of risks and experimentation." The band-described "anything goes" 15-track affair is introduced by the singles "Happy Days", "Generational Divide", "Blame It On My Youth" and "Darkside".
Twen - Awestruck CD/LP (Frenchkiss)
What's a touring band without a record? Born in the Boston DIY scene and then quickly shoving off to Nashville, the psych inspired indie-rock four-piece has not stopped touring since their formation. Lead by vocalist Jane Fitzsimmons and guitarist Ian Jones, the band have racked up a touring schedule that few groups could muster without the aid of a debut album. Disregarding music industry order-of-operations, Twen defied the mold through their Twen Live cassette release in 2017. Recorded from their first performance (ever) in a Boston basement, the five-song EP is their only recorded music prior to Awestruck. Twen will rock the shop when they play a free, all ages in-store at Grimey's on Saturday, Sept 28th, at 12noon!
David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights - Bobbie's A Girl CD/LP+MP3 (Merge)
David Kilgour's 11th solo album, Bobbie's A Girl, is a quieter affair than fans may associate with the pioneers of New Zealand indie rock. Largely missing the jangly distortion of Kilgour's other work, the album's ten songs exude a hazy warmth, with a light psychedelia that recalls the '60s outfits like The Byrds and The Velvet Underground.
Vivian Girls - Memory CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls [Reissue/2008] LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Vivian Girls broke up after a final show in 2014 but have recently announced that they're coming back in a big way. They've got a new album, a series of tour dates, and colored vinyl reissues of their first two albums. The lineup of Cassie Ramone, Katy Goodman, and Al Koehler are back for the new album, Memory. The swirling noise Brooklynites once again captured their raw, fun edge - as the influence of '60s girl groups, The Ramones as well as surf and indie pop. To go with the new album, we've got vinyl reissues of their first two LPs.
Chastity Belt - Chastity Belt LP (Hardly Art)
With the luxury of spending several weeks in the studio with Jay Som's Melina Duterte, Chastity Belt was able to experiment on their fourth record. The new self-titled collection is the work of the band playing "old songs, and trying new things on top of it," like adding more dynamic harmonies and violin. Lydia Lund, Gretchen Grimm, and Julia Shapiro all share lead vocals on different tracks on the album as well. The result is their most sonically developed and nuanced record yet; one that's not only a product of, but a series of reflections on what it means to take what you need and to understand yourself better. Chastity Belt. Many of Chastity Belt's signature dynamics, from the silly to the sincere, have read as feminist gestures: the cool slut DGAF-iness, the shrugging off of the "women in rock" press gargle, the fundamentally punk act of creating music on your own as a woman, and being lyrically forthright. The band has tapped into a deeper tradition of women making art on their terms: the act of self-preservation in favor of the long game. Loser edition vinyl shipped late and will arrive early next week.
Life - A Picture Of Good Health CD/LP (PIAS America)
Produced by Luke Smith (Foals) and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (Parquet Courts), with A Picture Of Good Health Life hone a bigger and more focused sound whilst also channeling the lyrical content inwards. Whereas the band's debut album Popular Music was broadly political, the new album takes a more personal approach with beguilingly honest and brave lyrics that are bold in both sound and feeling, whilst also retaining the core DNA of their previous material. Mez says, "A Picture Of Good Health is not a collage of work but rather a snapshot of time; our time and the time of those around us. It's political, but in a personal way. It's a body of work that explores and examines the bands inner selves through a precise period; a period that has brought pain, loneliness, blood, guts, single parenthood, depression and the need for survival and love. It is the sense and need for belonging that is the resounding end note!"
Zac Brown - The Owl CD (BMG)
The sixth studio album by country music band Zac Brown Band, The Owl is the follow-up to their 2017 album Welcome Home. On The Owl, the band worked with pop and EDM writers and producers such as Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Ryan Tedder, and Skrillex. The album also includes a collaboration with Brandi Carlile. [Vinyl edition due October 11.]
Charley Crockett - The Valley And Other Autobiographical Tunes CD/LP (Son Of Davy)
Charley Crockett's been running nearly his entire life, but with the title track to his sixth album, The Valley, the Texas songwriter looks back at where he came from. "The Valley" chronicles his hard upbringing on the south Texas border, but it also distills the essence of Crockett's fierce and restless independence. Recorded just a week before he went under the knife for life-saving open heart surgery, The Valley (And Other Autobiographical Tunes) stirs with an introspection and urgency to tell his story. It's a story of an artist searching for his place in the world, absorbing the sounds of the country; it's a story of exile and promise. Crockett expresses that, "...life is the valley, and everybody has to walk through it, often times alone. I hope that you can hear the sounds of my life in these recordings. They've come to mean more to me than any I've offered up in my 35 years."
The Shelters - Jupiter Sidecar CD/LP (WB)
The Shelters fan a fresh flame with classic fuel on their second full-length, Jupiter Sidecar. Ebbing and flowing between rock 'n' roll roots, surf swagger, synth swells, and unassuming pop ambition, the Los Angeles-based group thread it all together with catchy melodic hooks and handcrafted instrumentation. This approach quietly cemented them as a fan and critical favorite following the release of their self-titled full-length, The Shelters in 2016. Produced by none other than the late Tom Petty, the debut garnered widespread praise with Paste noting, "The band's sound successfully marries elements of '70s and '80s rock and roll with a modern flair." However, The Shelters faced their biggest challenge in the wake of Petty's tragic passing. Petty wasn't just the band's producer, he was the initial catalyst for The Shelters' union as a band, encouraging them to hone their songwriting skill and offering his home studio for their near-daily use.
Gerry Beckley - Five Mile Road CD/LP (Blue Élan)
Gerry Beckley, the gifted singer, songwriter, performer and co-founder of legendary band America, releases a new solo album. As America prepares to celebrate its half-century anniversary, Beckley's journey still shimmers with a melodic melancholy that makes his music as familiar as it is iconic.
Samantha Fish - Kill Or Be Kind CD/LP (Rounder/Concord)
Genre-bending guitarist, singer, and songwriter Samantha Fish offers up the edgy roots music album Kill Or Be Kind. Boasting eleven original songs ranging from the electric cigar box stomp of "Bulletproof" to the sweet Memphis R&B of "Trying Not To Fall in Love With You", the album is sure to establish Fish as a potent force in roots music. The Kansas City-born-and-bred musician flirts with tradition but pushes genre boundaries to create a sound that's distinctly her own: "She Don't Live Here Anymore", co-written by Parker Millsap, features a Memphis soul underpinning with a sustained vibrato guitar sound that edges toward country. "Love Your Lies" persuasively straddles punk, rockabilly, and soul; while "You Got It Bad (Better Than You Ever Had)" is a classic blues rocker, thick with layered guitars and a cigar box solo. She shows off her range with the sweetly wistful "Dream Girl" and the cathartic, blues-saturated "Farewell My Fair Weather".
Pieta Brown - Freeway CD/LP (Righteous Babe)
Recorded at Justin Vernon's April Base studio and co-produced by Bon Iver drummer and acclaimed solo artist S. Carey, Pieta Brown's lush new album, Freeway, is an utterly mesmerizing collection, a delicate yet forceful reckoning with change that's marked by the push and pull of unabashed intimacy and a slow-burning intensity.
Neal Francis - Changes CD/LP/Cassette (Colemine)
After years of dishonest living-consumed by drugs, alcohol, and addiction-such sincerity is jarring from the 30-year-old Chicago-based musician. Liberated from a self-destructive past and born anew in sobriety, Francis has captured an inspired collection of songs steeped in New Orleans rhythms, Chicago blues, and early '70s rock 'n' roll. "This is the new Allen Toussaint or Dr. John record you've been looking for. Highly recommended" --Doyle from Grimey's [Limited gold colored vinyl pressing.]
Sir Was - Holding On To A Dream CD/LP (Memphis Industries)
The new album from Joel Wästberg a.k.a sir Was is a mesmerizing twisting of genres - from classic soul and old-school hip-hop, to beautifully fresh pop structures.
Sequoyah Murray - Before You Begin CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
"A striking set of visionary soul/pop that recalls contemporaries such as MorMor and Sampha, yet his magnetic baritone voice and unpredictable productions also find strong inspiration in the outsider pop works of Arthur Russell." - KEXP
Mid-Air Thief - Crumbling CD (Topshelf)
Although sung almost entirely in Korean, Mid-Air Thief's cult-acclaimed 2018 album Crumbling exhibits a distinct universality, merging disparate sounds and styles into a cohesive, electronic-infused folk amalgam that tactfully blurs the lines between organic and synthetic. Listeners are led through enrapturing passages of swirling melodies underscored with eloquent plucks, strums, and bursts of bubbly glitches. Vinyl due in October.
Stone Irr - Performance CD/LP/Cassette (Darling)
Stone Irr's new, second album Performance is equal parts heart-on-the- sleeve Midwestern indie and warm, West Coast pop, reflecting the artist's Indiana upbringing and recent move to Los Angeles.
One Eleven Heavy - Desire Path CD/LP (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond)
One Eleven Heavy's brilliant second album Desire Path is a wry, occasionally biting, but always joyful celebration of human endurance and the ability to overcome. Nick Mitchell Maiato's album opener, "Chickenshit", deals with lazy acquiescence to attention-seekers. Pianist-cum-drummer Hans Chew's first songwriting contribution to the band, "Fickle Wind", externalizes the band's raison d'etre by questioning society's drive toward constant change. Meanwhile James Toth fires off image-laden witticisms about the unnecessary difficulty of human interaction in "Too Much, Too Much", mocking fashion-conscious Marxists at the same time as he laughs at his own 'cacti-withering row(s) with (his) old man.' The musicianship is a step up from their raggedy, but already accomplished, debut, too. Desire Path is laced with lush three-part vocal harmonies and two-part harmonized guitar licks, recalling those classic Allman Bros runs at the same time as it recalls timeless classics by Hendrix, The Stones and, of course, The Dead.
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein - Spheres CD+DVD-Audio (Lakeshore)
Double-disc stereo CD + 5.1 surround sound DVD. Spheres is a celestially immersive experience focusing on the human connection with the cosmos featuring music composed and performed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein (S U R V I V E, Stranger Things).
Fly Pan Am - C'est ça CD/LP+MP3 (Constellation)
C'est ça marks the return of Montréal avant-rock quartet Fly Pan Am, who released an acclaimed series of albums in Constellation's early years, from 1999-2004. The band's unique and heady collision of motorik repetition, shoegaze maximalism, punk skronk, tape- and electronic-based interventions and audio sabotage, garnered them a cult following among fans of audaciously deconstructed post-rock. C'est ça is a brilliant return to form - an album of renewed vitality and experimentation where rock structures underpinned by J.S. Truchy's trademark rapid- fire bass and Félix Morel's disciplined, ascetic drumming are submerged beneath waves of processed guitar by Roger Tellier-Craig and Jonathan Parant, with fluorescent noise treatments and sonic vandalisms wrought by all four.
Nahawa Doumbia - La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol. 1 CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
Nahawa Doumbia is one of Mali's defining vocalists of the last four decades. Her work journeys through progressive stages of musical evolution and sonic vogues, making it hard to summarize or even comprehend. She's played a part in popular music since the late '70s, as her version of Wassoulou music developed from vocalsand-guitar duo into full-scale touring bands packing a bombastic, electrified punch.
Skyzoo & Pete Rock - Retropolitan CD (Mello Music Group)
Retropolitan includes 12-tracks, all produced by Pete Rock, with features from Styles P, Benny The Butcher, Conway, Westside Gunn, Elzhi, and Raheem DeVaughn. It is more than an album of beats & rhymes. It's two generations of legendary native New Yorkers putting it down and pulling no punches. Skyzoo & Pete Rock use this album to create a love letter and a wakeup call to the city, as they have witnessed its culture stripped away layer-by-layer.
Killy - Light Path 8 CD/LP+MP3 (Epic)
New release from Toronto-based rapper. Light Path 8 comes less than a year after Killstreak, which made relative waves on the Canadian music charts. The title is inspired by Killy's interest in the concept of numerology and the discovery of his life path number, which he cleverly repurposed as a light path for this project. [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]
Herb Alpert - Over The Rainbow CD (Herb Alpert Presents)
On his latest album, Over The Rainbow, Herb Alpert began the same way he has done for all of his albums over the years: searching for great melodies. That search has resulted in the prolific trumpeter's latest offering, a collection of 11 classics and one brand new, original track. That original song, "Skinny Dip", opens the album with a quirky, fun vibe before things move on to recognizable tunes from the great American songbook, which are included for various reasons close to Herb's heart. And whether it's a tribute to Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt on "All Love", Bill Withers on "Ain't No Sunshine", or the great Louis Armstrong on "What A Wonderful World", there is always a deeper connection and meaning for Herb on every cover selected for this album, making it one of the most personal projects he has ever worked on.
As I Lay Dying - Shaped By Fire CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)
Shaped By Fire is infamous metalcore outfit As I Lay Dying's first record since 2012's Awakened and vocalist Tim Lambesis' controversial release from prison in 2016 after being convicted in a murder-for-hire plot to kill his estranged wife. The 12-track collection is preceded by the singles "My Own Grave", "Redefined" and the title cut, "Shaped By Fire". "We are tremendously grateful to have found positive resolve from the worst moments of our history. The previous chapter of our journey was one of pervasive hurt and pain. Subsequent years found us on varied paths-all of which slowly led towards resolutions of growth, healing, and reconciliation. As I Lay Dying's collective purpose is to share a message of hope for everyone through the empowering outlet of music, and we are humbled by the overwhelming support we have received from family, friends, and fans so far. [Limited colored vinyl pressing due 10/25.]
Monolord - No Comfort CD/2xLP (Relapse)
The Swedish power trio channel the most exciting elements of driving rock and crushing stoner sludge to produce one of 2019's most gripping and heavy albums.
Exhorder - Mourn The Southern Skies CD (Nuclear Blast)
"Never" is a word that has come up many times throughout the existence of Louisiana's pace-setting thrash/hardcore pioneers, Exhorder. After two short-lived reformation periods following the 1993 breakup of the band, Exhorder returned to the stage in 2018. In addition to their long-awaited live return, which won over any skeptics and proved Exhorder indeed was back, the band has forged a new album, Mourn The Southern Skies. While finally encapsulating the live sound that the band had built its legendary reputation with, Mourn The Southern Skies is an intoxicating concoction of old school thrashers and groovers blended with a modern, mature Exhorder.
Coffins - Beyond The Circular Demise CD/LP (Relapse)
Japan's Coffins return with their 5th full-length album. Beyond The Circular Demise encompasses all the death and doom that has defined their career as the underground's torchbearers for over 20 years. No frills, no trends, no fashion; this is Coffins at their most unforgiving and uncompromising. Bone crushing riffs are set against pounding war drums, while hallowed screams preach fire and brimstone.
Live & in Concert
Toto - 40 Tours Around The Sun 2xCD/3xLP (Eagle)
Toto's 40-year celebration brings them to Amsterdam, where they thrill the crowd with a selection of classics, new songs and rarely played deep cuts. The set bridges those 40 years right at the open, with their newest rocker "Alone" opening the set, leading right into the instantly familiar piano and guitar intro of "Hold The Line" from their 1978 debut. Deep cuts, including "Lion", "Lea" and "Dune (Desert Theme)" are included, along with their classics "Africa" and "Rosanna".
New on Vinyl
Thee Oh Sees - Face Stabber LP (Castle Face)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Face Stabber is Soundcloud hip-hop reversed, a far-flung nemesis of contemporary country and flaccid algorithmic pop-barf. No songs about money or love are floating in the ether. Just memories, echoes, foggy blurs, blip-blop goes the scope, heavy funk, dystopia-punk canons, long jams, bloated solos dribbling down your caved-in chest. Human cattle like a beef avalanche, right on your burned-out face hole. For fans of fried prog burn-out, squished old-school drool, double drums, lead weight bass, wizard keys (now with poison), old-ass guitar and horrible words with daft meanings.
The Allman Brothers Band - Bear's Sonic Journals: Fillmore East, February 1970 LP (The Allman Brothers Band)
Captured over three nights in February 1970 when the Allmans opened for the Grateful Dead for the first time, these shows were recorded by Owsley Stanley aka Bear, the Dead's pioneering soundman, whose Sonic Journal recordings are sought after for their purity and uncanny ability to place the listener in the venue.
Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska [Reissue/1998] 2xLP (Run Out Groove)
Indie folk/pop singer-songwriter Josh Rouse has been lauded for his special talents - creating little slices of heaven with words and music that have captured the hearts and minds of both critics and fans. Over a storied career, from the engaging debut Dressed Up Like Nebraska, through his 'golden era' with 1972 and Nashville, and right down to the 2011 Latin-bossa nova-tinged release ...and the Long Vacations, Rouse has created a series of unique, and distinctive records, filled with sparkling melodies and enchanting lyrics.
Nils Frahm - Encores 3 12"+MP3 (Erased Tapes)
The third and final instalment of his Encores series. Whilst Encores 1 focused on an acoustic pallet of sounds with solo piano and harmonium at the core, and Encores 2 explored more ambient landscapes, now Encores 3 sees Nils expand on the percussive and electronic elements in his work.
Type O Negative - None More Negative [Reissue/2011] 12xLP (Run Out Groove)
Deluxe box set featuring the band's complete studio albums across six double colored vinyl LP sets remastered for maximum fidelity. Features the albums Slow, Deep And Hard (1991), The Origin of Feces (Not Live At Brighton Beach) (1992), Bloody Kisses (1993), October Rust (1996), World Coming Down (1999), and Life Is Killing Me (1999). Features a newly designed and band-approved outer slip case, as well as a fold-out poster, insert with credits and backstage laminate - all exclusive to this set. Pressed on band-approved green and black mixed colored vinyl.
Giant Sand - Recounting The Ballads Of Thin Line Men LP (Fire)
Giant Sand reimagine their 1986 album, Ballad Of A Thin Line Man. All these years on, the latest incarnation of Giant Sand: Howe Gelb (guitars, piano) Tommy Larkins (drums) and Thøger Lund (bass), have dusted off the old vinyl and re-imagined those heady days - they've polished these buried gems, reignited some truculent tirades and rekindled an ageless angst. The revamp re-orders the tracks, drops a couple and adds "Reptillian", a previously lost song hailing from their album's 25th anniversary reissue, a tune that opens proceedings and basks in all its crinkly glory.
Melvins -Maggot & The Bootlicker [Reissue/1999] 2xLP (Ipecac)
20 years ago, in April 1999, Ipecac Records was formed to release Fantômas' debut release (a band featuring Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo, Trevor Dunn and Buzz Osborne from The Melvins). During that time, Buzz said, "We told Greg that if they wanted to start a label then The Melvins would love to be involved. We asked if he would be interested in doing a trilogy of releases within one year and they said no problem." That year The Melvins released The Maggot, The Bootlicker and The Crybaby via Ipecac.
The Districts - The Districts [Reissue/2014] 12" (Fat Possum)
12" vinyl reissue of the 2014 debut EP from the authentic, soulful rockers.
Mermaidens - Look Me In The Eye LP (Flying Nun)
Recently released on CD - now available on vinyl. Hypnotic post-punk trio Mermaidens share a lively nine-track inferno for your mind. Exploring power and control in a confronting new lens, the trio are focused on the gatekeepers and dominators of the world; dissecting their power, one song at a time. [Limited colored vinyl pressing.]
Meg & Dia - Happysad LP (Pure Noise)
Happysad is the album siblings Meg and Dia Frampton thought they'd ever make, but it's one that not only finds their friendship rekindled, but their creative spark reignited, and their musical horizons expanded. The unlikely reunion came about after Dia released her second solo album, Bruises, in 2017. Something about the experience felt off and she felt drawn to the musical past she'd shared with Meg. Unbeknownst to Dia, Meg had also been feeling an urge to regroup with her sister and get the last incarnation of the band back together. The result is an album that, in keeping with its title, treads the line between joy and melancholy, darkness and light. Opener "American" - a song inspired by Meg's spiritual quest to find the truth in life - is a soothing pulse of dreamy electronics that's riddled with existential questions even as it realizes the answers are out of reach.
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Live In Japan [Reissue/2008] 2xLP (ATO)
Vinyl reissue of the second live album by Mexican guitar duo. Live In Japan captures Rodrigo & Gabriela making their live Japanese debut, at Tokyo's Duo club on March 30, 2008.
Beach Bunny - Prom Queen/Cry Baby 12" (Triple Crown)
Chicago's Beach Bunny offers up a vinyl repress of Prom Queen/Crybaby after the initial pressing sold out. The record features their latest and greatest EP, Prom Queen, on the A-side along with 2017's breakout showcase Crybaby on the B-Side along with the single "Sports".
Ari Lennox - Shea Butter Baby LP (J. Cole/Dreamville)
Debut studio album by singer and songwriter Ari Lennox. Shea Butter Baby was executive produced by Dreamville producer Elite. In addition, most of the album was produced by Dreamville's in-house producers J. Cole, Elite, Omen, Ron Gilmore, and Christo, among others.
Goldlink - Diaspora 2xLP (RCA)
Diaspora is the second studio album by rapper Goldlink. It follows the release of his debut album At What Cost (2017), and features guest appearances from Pusha T, Tyler, The Creator, Khalid, Wizkid, Jay Prince, Bibi Bourelly, WSTRN, Jackson Wang, Maleek Berry, Ari PenSmith, Lil Nei and WaveIQ.
Kak - Kak LP (Mad About Guerssen)
Originally released in 1969. A west coast psych classic back on vinyl at last. The lone album by the group known as Kak is a beloved masterpiece, full of the inspiration and promise associated with the California psychedelic dream. The oddly-named, eminently talented quartet from the college town of Davis was together less than a year in total, yet within that short time created a record renowned for powerful performances, solid production values, and the brilliance of its songcraft, with a full playlist of compelling material like "Electric Sailor", "Lemonaide Kid", and "Trieulogy". Kak can stand nobly alongside records like Surrealistic Pillow (1967) or the first Moby Grape album (1967) as one of the most satisfying listens of the late 1960s SF rock renaissance.
Azymuth - Light as a Feather LP (Far Out Recordings)
Azymuth's career-defining album, originally released in 1979 on Milestone Records. Featuring the worldwide disco/fusion hit single "Jazz Carnival", the samba-doido staple "Partido Alto", and the proto-deep house masterpiece "Avenida Das Mangueiras", this album typifies the trio's tireless innovation in the fields of jazz, funk, samba, and cosmic music. The album quickly became one of the best-selling LPs of the year, staying in the UK Top 20 for eight straight weeks with more than half a million copies sold. Light As A Feather marked a maturing of the band as they began to utilize the studio as an instrument itself, embracing numerous innovative mixing and recording techniques as well as pioneering the use of the Big Muff and Dolby System to great effect.
Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie - Bird & Diz [Reissue/1952] LP (Verve)
This 1952 collection is one of bebop's key artefacts and represents two milestones: the only and only time that pianist Thelonious Monk recorded with the dynamic duo, and the last time Gillespie and Parker appeared together in the studio. It also features the red-hot rhythm section of bassist Curly Stewart and drummer Buddy Rich.
Gerry Mulligan/Ben Webster - Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster [Reissue/1960] LP (Verve)
Recorded in two sessions during November and December 1959, this historic summit meeting between the baritone and tenor sax masters produced some classic Mulligan compositions ("The Cat Walk", "Tell Me When") and also unique takes on Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" and "Jule Styne's Sunday".
Floating Spectrum - A Point Between LP+MP3 (Temporary Residence)
Floating Spectrum is the moniker for Taiwan-born, Berlin-based composer and audio technologist, Mei-Fang Liau. Her debut album as Floating Spectrum, A Point Between was crafted from a combination of synthesizers, everyday household objects, and unique software synthesizers made by Liau herself. [Limited clear with dark red streaks colored vinyl pressing also available.]
Various Artists - Magic Carpet: Contemporary Music 1982-1994 (compiled by Jose Manuel) 2xLP (Harmonie Exotic)
The first compilation from the German label Harmonie Exotic. Jose Manuel selected 12 experimental ambient tracks from 1982 to 1994, originating from a variety of countries (Japan, France, Italy, etc.) but all with a common sense of magic and mystery, pairing dream-like melodies and textures with contemporary drum machines. Features D-Day, Roots, Vangelis Katsoulis, Mauro Sabbione & Maria Cinzia Bauci, Human Software, Raphael Toine, International Noise Orchestra, Meo, Manuel Wandji, Astral Dance, Individual Sensitivity, and Büdi Und Gumbls.
Julius Eastman - The N*gger Series 2xLP (Blume)
Limited double-LP bundled version of Crazy N*gger and Evil N*gger/Gay Guerilla. Eastman was a gay Afro-American composer who rocked the cerebral world of process music with his explosions of free improvisation. These extended pieces for four pianos, all written around 1980, have never before been available on vinyl. These works generate their epic soundscapes through adamantly restated patterns and interlocking canons, not fragmenting, but preaching urgent truths. To quote the brilliant Mary Jane Leach: "He wrote what can be categorized as minimal music, but also wrote 'post-minimal' music -- before minimal music was fully established." His pieces straddle both styles of minimal music; rhythmic/pulse-driven music (Steve Reich and Philip Glass) and spectral drone music (La Monte Young and Phill Niblock). There is a flexibility that lends an organic feel to his music, a muscularity missing in a lot of other music from that time; with the re-emergence of this powerful music, a missing gap in the history of contemporary music has been filled.
Grup Dogus - Grup Dogus LP (Ironhand Records)
Grup Dogus (literally meaning "rising") was formed by two brothers Tufan and Muhittin Aydogan, "guest workers" who had emigrated from Turkey to Germany. Organist and vocalist Tufan was given the epithet "Hammond Tufan, the Conqueror of all the Organs" by Anatolian rock legend Baris Manco. Selected tracks from their one-take 1975 cassette release are collected here, raw Anatolian pop made outside the limitations of mainstream labels, with a progressive attitude and flowing energy and groove. These recordings provide a unique take on Anatolian pop originals that were also performed by more widely-known performers, such as Manco, Cem Karaca, and Selda.
Dino Spiluttini - Heaven LP (Editions Mego)
A work of contemporary church music centrally occupied with the subject of death, the concept for "Heaven" was catalyzed by Spiluttini's discovering his mother's preparations both for her own death and for his. Partly derived from organ recordings made in her local church, the album frequently enlists Arvo Part's compositional method of tintinnabuli. Spiluttini's characteristic uses of gnashing bass, restlessly irregular pacing and serrated distortion return, this time combining with pads, harps, fluttering organs and swooping choirs. Lacking real communal participation or fidelity to hymnal text, this form of church music must come to terms with negation and eternity as dependable threats to generational and spatial distance, to personal struggles with earthly embodiment and to the anxious, hyperactive navigation of identity in late modernity.
Winfried Muhlum-Pyrapheros - Musica Nova Contemplativa LP (Blume)
Originally released in 1970; first ever reissue. This stunning artifact of its era has, until now, remained among the rarest artifacts in the field of cross-disciplinary efforts known as the Artist Record: sonic adventures embarked on by artists primarily dedicated to the visual realm. Droning and tense, subtle melodic elements underpin sheets of tone and atonality, sculpting an incongruous sense of spatial ambience; the concept of Musica Nova Contemplativa drew on a unique, unfixed compositional system created by combining traditional musical notation with mobile and variable elements, expressed graphically as a system of coordinates which leave variation, interpretation, and improvisation up to the performer. This work can now be understood as a lost, freestanding work of musical minimalism, echoing idiomatic roots in Fluxus and the raw temperaments of artists like Tony Conrad and Henry Flynt.
Eye Flys - Context LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey) Eye Flys brings together the minds of four musicians known for their work in some of the most extreme, blistering bands today. The quartet was initially started by Full Of Hell guitarist Spencer Hazard and former Backslider drummer Patrick Forrest as an outlet to play aggressive music with equal intensity that would contrast the breakneck speeds of their other projects.
Corrosion Of Conformity - No Cross No Crown [Reissue/2018] 2xLP/Cassette (Nuclear Blast)
Two new limited colored vinyl pressings: brown & purple and orange & purple. "It's been a dozen years since C.O.C. recorded new material with vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan at the helm. In that time, there have been rumors, whispers and outright allegations that the legendary Southern rock outfit would reunite to blow the doors off the whole damn scene again. In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup Down, Keenan reconnected with the core C.O.C. trio of Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean and Reed Mullin to hit the road hard and write and record the band's highly anticipated tenth album, No Cross No Crown."
Reissues & From The Archives
Smog - Knock Knock CD/Cassette [Reissue/1999] (Drag City)
Drag City presents a 20th anniversary half-speed master vinyl edition of the 1999 Smog classic, Knock Knock. Vinyl has been delayed...
Compilations, Best Of's & Sundry Collections...
Various Artists - Imaginational Anthem Volume Nine: Ryley Walker Presents CD/LP (Tomkins Square)
Tompkins Square's Imaginational Anthem compilation series has introduced the world to many great guitarists. For volume 9, the label recruited Ryley Walker to compile the set. As with past Imaginational Anthem compilations, Volume Nine represents the vanguard of acoustic guitar mastery in 2019. Various Artists - Just Around The Bend: Survival And Revival In Southern Banjo Sounds - Mike Seeger's Last Documentary 2xCD+DVD (Smithsonian Folkways) Mike Seeger, along with his wife Alexia Smith and filmmaker Yasha Aginsky, trekked through the Appalachian Mountains in 2009 to produce this extraordinary glimpse of the vigor and diversity of the region's old-time banjo artistry. When Seeger passed away later that same year, the project took on the added importance of paying tribute to this renowned musician, folklorist, and documentarian of the people. Just Around The Bend: Survival And Revival In Southern Banjo Sounds captures many banjo lineages, styles, and techniques-performed by 19 virtuosic banjo players.
DVDs & Bluray...
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - Living The Dream Tour Blu-ray (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Living The Dream Tour captures Slash and company's incendiary performance on their sold-out 2019 tour in front of a rabid crowd at London's legendary Hammersmith Apollo. The highly charged two-hour set faetures tracks from all four Slash's solo albums, including "Call Of The Wild", "Driving Rain", "By The Sword", "Back From Cali", "Starlight", "World On Fire" and "Anastasia". There's a searing live version of "Shadow Life", as well as "We Are All Gonna Die" and "Doctor Alibi", during which Myles Kennedy switches vocal duties with bassist Todd Kerns. Slash tears up Hammersmith Apollo with staggering solos while dropping giant slabs of riffs with casual ease, delivering the essence of rock 'n' roll in this show. You could see it, hear it and feel it. "Every night is chasing that magic and when it happens, it's euphoric," Slash proclaims. [Limited edition red colored vinyl pressing also available for special order.]