New Releases - 3/29/24

Hitting The Racks

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

New Releases

Scott H. Biram – The One & Only CD/LP (Bloodshot)

On The One & Only Scott H. Biram showcases the singer's signature unapologetic style. Tracks like "No Man's Land" describe the hazards of growing up poor in a small Texas town, breathing the fumes from oil wells and brush fires. "Inside A Bar" captures the feel of an empty saloon on a slow Monday night. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]

Chastity Belt – Live Laugh Love LP (Suicide Squeeze)

In their decade-plus together, the four-piece-Julia Shapiro (guitar, vocals), Lydia Lund (guitar, vocals), Gretchen Grimm (drums, vocals), and Annie Truscott (bass, vocals)-have created a resonant body of work. Live Laugh Love is a natural continuation. Against the bizarre backdrop of the past few years, Chastity Belt remained a supportive space for the members to grow and experiment, drawing on the ingredients most essential to their process since the beginning: authenticity and levity. [Limited edition cloudy color vinyl.]

Chicano Batman – Notebook Fantasy CD/LP (ATO)

Since forming in 2008, Chicano Batman has followed their own visionary impulses to tremendous heights—a journey that began at local dive bars and recently saw them co-headlining the legendary Hollywood Bowl. In the making of Notebook Fantasy, Chicano Batman worked with producer John Congleton (Erykah Badu, Death Cab For Cutie, St. Vincent) to double down on their hyper-creative tendencies, discovering new dimensions of their prismatic music while infusing the lyrics with an unflinching honesty. [Limited-edition clear vinyl shipped late and will arrive early next week.]

The Church – Eros Zeta And The Perfumed Guitars CD (Easy Action)

Following on the theme from last year's critically acclaimed The Hypnogogue, Eros Zeta And The Perfumed Guitars includes 15 new songs that take the story further. [Limited-edition orange w/ black splatter vinyl is due 5/10.]

CNTS – Thoughts & Prayers CD/LP (Ipecac)

CNTS features members of rock and punk stalwarts, Dead Cross, Retox, and Qui. The band has kicked off Ipecac's 25th Anniversary with and album that's equal parts catharsis and bloodletting, an unapologetic display of rage and sex, of belligerence and contempt, a warm gob of spit in the eye, all done with a sarcastic smile. [Limited edition translucent orange vinyl.]

Coffins – Sinister Oath LP (Relapse)

Japan’s Coffins return with their crushing new full-length album, Sinister Oath. Recorded ahead of the band's 25th anniversary in Tokyo, Sinister Oath further cements Coffins' legacy as one of the most putrid sounding and uncompromising old school death metal bands in the world. [Limited edition oxblood color vinyl.]

Sheryl Crow – Evolution CD/LP (The Valory Music Company)

Nine-time Grammy Award winner and 2023 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Sheryl Crow releases her 11th full length studio album, Evolution. The album comes as a welcomed surprise after Crow publicly stated that she would not release another full-length album after Threads (2018) and kicks off with her lead single “Alarm Clock”, which is perhaps Sheryl Crow’s most radio-friendly pop song since “Soak Up The Sun”. [Limited edition gold vinyl.]

Alejandro Escovedo – Echo Dancing CD/2xLP (Yep Rock)

“This record breathes a second life into these songs,” says Alejandro Escovedo of Echo Dancing, the Americana pioneer’s new album where he reconceptualizes the songs of his storied career. The variety of songs range from his short-lived rock quartet Buick MacKane, rarities from his ‘80s alt-country outfit The True Believers, to the celebrated songs of his solo discography from his debut album all the way to his most recent sprawling masterpiece, The Crossing. At age 73, Escovedo continues to reshape his ever-changing sound and experiment with the boundaries of Americana music. [Limited edition gold vinyl.]

Jeremy Ferrara – Darkness IS A Bright Sound LP (American Standard)

On Darkness Is A Bright Sound, produced by Luke Temple (Adrianne Lenker, Hand Habits), we get the full band effort we've been craving from Ferrara. The resulting album benefits from Temple's near imperceptible, complimentary bass and synth, and blows in like the breeze. The disarming title track opens the album to find Ferrara at work, tenderly demonstrating that "nothing is truly defined," and if we - or the world - are ever able to be defined, it will be by many sides, many things, not one. With our focus shifted, our balance found, it's easy to follow Ferrara into Darkness Is A Bright Sound.

Larry Fleet – Earned it 2xLP (Big Loud)

Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Tennessee-born troubadour Larry Fleet grew up on a stack of records spanning Merle Haggard, Otis Redding, Willie Nelson, and Marvin Gaye. A thoughtful songwriter with a knack for a one-liner, an ear for a sturdy hook, and a powerhouse voice that strikes like a match, Fleet was working blue-collar jobs to make ends meet long before landing his recording contract with Big Loud Records.

Sue Foley – One Guitar Woman CD/LP (Stony Plain)

Three-time Blues Foundation Traditional Female Artist award winner, Sue Foley's new album One Guitar Woman is a heartfelt tribute to the female pioneers of the guitar - including Memphis Minnie, Lydia Mendoza, Maybelle Carter, Ida Presti, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The album showcases the dexterity of Foley's acoustic nylon string guitar skills as she expands on her blues playing into other genres like Piedmont fingerpicking, traditional country, flamenco and classical.

Frail Body – Artificial Bouquet CD/LP (Deathwish Inc.)

Frail Body is a three-piece band from Rockford, IL. Artificial Bouquet is an eleven-song album by Frail Body. Produced, engineered, and recorded by Pete Grossmann at Bricktop Recording, and mastered by Jack Shirley at The Atomic Garden (Deafheaven, Joyce Manor, Loma Prieta). Artificial Bouquet establishes Frail Body as leaders within the modern "screamo" movement. A shining example that the once dormant sub-genre continues to evolve and thrive for all the world to see. [Indie store exclusive beer/red cornetto vinyl pressing.]

Jeremiah Fraites – Piano Piano 2 LP (Dualtone Music Group)

Two years after his #1 classical crossover hit Piano Piano, cofounder of The Lumineers and multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Fraites is back with a breath-taking follow up record Piano Piano 2. With arguably bolder and more genre-bending instrumentation, Piano Piano 2 features a stunning vocal performance by Grammy-nominated folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov on a reimagined orchestral cover of the Radiohead classic "No Surprises".

Gglum – The Garden Dream CD/LP/Cassette (Secretly Canadian)

As she's gotten older, Ella Smoker has found that her subconscious has been trying to tell her "some pretty wacky stuff". Thoughts will come to the 21-year-old singer-songwriter in dreams, or as she writes lyrics in studio sessions, words floating onto the page before she's really had a moment to realise what they are. "As soon as we start making the music, my brain sort of turns off," she explains. "I'll be sitting there, writing all this stuff that feels like a load of nonsense, and a month later, I'll look back and be like 'oh'. It all comes from a place I didn't even realize was there." In learning how to open up to herself, Gglum ended up finding a kindred spirit in producer Karma Kid (Maisie Peters, Shygirl, Connie Constance), pushing past her natural bedroom-pop introversion to find joy in the process of collaboration. [Limited edition translucent orange vinyl.] 

Home Free – Crazy(er) Life CD (Home Free)

Home Free is an American country a cappella group of five vocalists: Austin Brown, Rob Lundquist, Adam Rupp, Tim Foust, and Adam Chance. Starting as a show group, they toured with approximately 200 shows a year across the United States. Crazy(er) Life is their new album.

Sean Ono Lennon – Asterisms CD (Tzadik)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Tzadik is proud to present Asterisms, a beautiful and exploratory instrumental project by Sean Ono Lennon, one of the most creative and versatile musician/composer/producer/songwriters working today. Sean has written countless songs, composed film scores, produced, and performed on dozens of albums-and here he steps out as the leader of an all-star band of Downtown luminaries. Years in the making, the music is powerful, trippy, and intensely imaginative, blending rock, electronics, jazz, and more into an exciting new musical soundscape.

Aaron Lewis – The Hill CD/LP (Valory)

Aaron Lewis grew up in Springfield, Vermont, listening to his grandparents' Country 8-track tapes. Those roots inspired the multi-platinum STAIND founder to return to his origins for the No. 1 Billboard Country Album debuts Town Line and Sinner, as well as Billboard's No. 1 Hot Country Song debut "Am I The Only One". Lewis has put a traditionalist brand on his outlier country, and with his new album The Hill, the 15 million-selling workingman's star offers his most personal and unplugged collection to date. [Limited edition coke bottle green vinyl.]

Kelly Moran – Moves In The Field CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)

New York-based composer and producer Kelly Moran's intricate, experimental pieces transcend the piano's more traditional and classically imposed school of thought. On her new album Moves In The Field, Moran augments her pianistic abilities to superhuman levels to create a new strain of her singular experimental piano compositions. Hypnotic and emotive, the coming project solidifies Moran's role as one of the leading contemporary composers for the piano, constantly pushing the instrument's creative and sonic boundaries in the realms of classical and electronic music. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]

PawPaw Rod – Triple EP LP (Godmode)

Color vinyl pressing. PawPaw Rod is Rodney Hulsey, a singer and rapper hailing from Oklahoma City. Rod debuted at the end of 2020 with Hit Em Where It Hurts, which blends ‘60s soul with the cadence of hip-hop - like a woozier Bill Withers or Gil Scott-Heron. The record quickly found its way to the top of global viral charts and in an Apple commercial too, with not much information out there about Rod except that he was a Capricorn who loved cowboy boots. Another PawPaw Rod EP, released in summer of 2023 on L.A.'s Godmode (Channel Tres, Yaeji, JPEGMAFIA), intended to fill in the gaps.

Ratboys – The Window 2xLP+MP3 (Topshelf)

Double pink and blue color vinyl pressing. Ratboys have been recording and releasing music for over a decade, but their newest album, The Window, marks the first time they'd ever traveled outside their home base of Chicago to make a record, journeying to the Hall of Justice Recording Studio in Seattle to work with producer Chris Walla. The sessions with Walla (Death Cab For Cutie, Tegan and Sara, Foxing) struck the perfect balance between preparation and experimentation, injecting new life into the band's style of soft-hearted Midwestern indie rock with an ever so subtle Americana twist.

Ride – Interplay CD/2xLP/Cassette (Wichita Recordings)

Everything feels like it has been leading to Interplay, Ride's seventh album, the third since their 2015 reunion. It’s the sound of the group connecting all the dots, taking the frenzied guitar attacks, hypnotic grooves, and dreamy melodic hooks of their early work, and setting it to a more expansive sonic template, one that takes in synth flourishes, psychedelic folk, electronic beats, and noir-pop soundscapes. Interplay flows from start to finish, at times urgent and formidable, at others wistful and melancholic. It's the sound of a great British band hitting a second peak. It’s a record about perseverance, about sticking together, about finding a way forward. Nine years after coming back together, Ride keeps rewriting their story. [Indie store exclusive blue vinyl.]

The Secret Sisters – Mind, Man, Medicine CD/LP (New West Recordings)

Grammy-nominated duo The Secret Sisters, made up of siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle, release their anticipated new album, Mind, Man, Medicine. Produced by The Secret Sisters, John Paul White and Ben Tanner (St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Lera Lynn), and recorded mainly at Muscle Shoals’ historic Fame Studios, Mind, Man, Medicine provides an intimate look into the lives of Laura and Lydia these last few years. Across these 11 tracks, including a collaboration with Ray LaMontagne (“All The Ways”), the sisters gracefully detail where they are now - a place of peace and calm - and the personal growth and experiences that led them there. [Several limited-edition versions are available, including autographed CD and an indie store exclusive opaque jade green vinyl pressing.]

serpentwithfeet – GRIP CD/LP (Secretly Canadian)

serpentwithfeet, the Baltimore born singer-songwriter, is taking natural steps as a versatile talent from chapter to chapter in his career. His third album GRIP is the result of these latest steps. GRIP finds its home on the dance floor of Black gay clubs and the intimate moments that happen there and afterward, no matter the location. It explores the small moments of physical touch and how they occur. Whether it be a grip around the waist or the face, serpentwithfeet manages to explore all angles. [Limited-edition clear vinyl.]

Shabazz Palaces – Exotic Birds Of Prey CD/LP (Sub Pop)
Shabazz Palaces – Robed In Rareness CD/LP (Sub Pop)

Two new mini albums. Shabazz Palaces is masterminded by Ishmael Butler (Digable Planets), whose relentless drive to reimagine hip-hop - even as he enjoys his fifth decade on Earth - remains undiminished. When Robed In Rareness hit digital platforms in 2023, NPR Music called it "enchanting and subversive, " while Pitchfork observed that "the futurism of Shabazz Palaces has always been interwoven with the past and present, their songs scintillating tapestries of old-school shit talk, proggy psychedelia, and melodic flossing. Robed In Rareness is draped in this multiplicity as Butler and a team of close collaborators swagger across eras of rap." [Several “Loser Edition” vinyl colorways are available: translucent white and ruby red, respectively]. 

Shadow Show – Fantasy Now! LP+MP3 (Little Cloud)

Detroit's own Shadow Show is an uncompromising power trio that combines elements of ‘60s garage-psychedelia into a 21st century modern pop-art incarnation. Sleek and spellbinding, the music sweeps you up into frenetic grooves and dazzling harmonies. Their music pushes the boundaries of what can be, yet remains deeply rooted in the raw, untouchable Detroit sound.

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers – Revelations CD/LP (Abeyance)

Revelations is the most assured Sarah Shook and the Disarmers record yet because it so pointedly captures the gamut of the human experience: anger, sadness, confusion, love, and acceptance. It’s a document of Shook at the top of their game and a reflection of their own journey not just as a writer but as a person. “I’m a firm believer that if you are an artist, and you want to make better art, a big part of that isn't just exercising your musical skills, it’s growing as a human being,” says Shook. “So, every time I make a record, I want to be able to listen to it and look back on who I was then. I want to see this arc and this evolution. That's really f**king important to me.” [Indie store exclusive translucent orange w/ black swirl vinyl.]

Sum 41 – Heaven :X: Hell 2xCD/2xLP (Rise)

The final album from Canadian punk rock legends Sum 41. Spanning two discs and 20 tracks, the album features the singles “Landmines” and “Rise Up”. Since their inception in 1996, Sum 41 has been relentless, unapologetic, and unconcerned with musical boundaries. Their musical style has been described as an "eclectic meld of raucous punk-rock, thunderous heavy metal and straightforward rock" and that's certainly the case with their final album Heaven :X: Hell. [Indie store exclusive blue splatter vinyl.]

Thee Sacred Souls – The Instrumentals LP (Penrose)

Limited red color vinyl pressing. Introducing the Instrumental album for Thee Sacred Soulsʼs critically acclaimed, self-titled debut, featuring instrumental versions of their hit singles, "Can I Call You Rose?", "Weak For Your Love", and "Future Lover".

Yot Club – Rufus CD/LP (Alternate Side)

Ryan Kaiser has already made a name for himself creating daydreamy, sun-blasted, Polaroid-pop as Yot Club. With his second full-length, Rufus, Kaiser is expanding his sonic palette and challenging his own established modes of music making by letting collaborators in. The record includes co-writes with the likes of Tommy English (Carly Rae Jepsen, Kacey Musgraves), and singer Charli Adams, with Patrick Wimberly (formerly one-half of Chairlift) on mixing duties, and the result is a collection of songs that sounds bolder and brighter. From the shimmering surf-pop of opener “Stuntman” to the minor chord angst and quiet-loud-quiet pulse of "New Day", to The Strokesian swoon of album closer "Lazy Eyes", Kaiser lo-fi hooks have a new cinematic scope. It continues Kaiser's coming of age - looking back, picking it all apart, trying to work it all out, and constantly pushing forward. [Limited edition color vinyl.]

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

Aesop Rock – Daylight [Reissue/2002] LP (Rhymesayers)

Originally released in 2002, Daylight EP was the follow-up to Aesop Rock's critically acclaimed Labor Days album, a cult classic released only six months prior. The EP was built around its titular opening song, "Daylight", one of the standout tracks from Labor Days, and continued expanding upon the range and depth of Aesop's multi-talented gifts for writing and producing. [Limited edition orange w/ blue smoke vinyl.]

Big Boys – Where’s My Towel / Industry Standard [Reissue/1983] LP (Touch & Go)
Big Boys – Lullabies Help The Brain Grow [Reissue/1983] LP (Touch & Go)
Big Boys – No Matter How Long The Line Is At The Cafeteria There's Always A Seat! [Reissue/1985] LP (Touch & Go)

Color vinyl reissues. The Big Boys got their start in the late 1970's Austin punk scene. The band was fronted by the occasionally cross-dressing Randy "Biscuit" Turner, with Tim Kerr on guitar, Chris Gates playing bass, and a series of drummers - the best known of which is Rey Washam (Scratch Acid). Unlike the rest of the early hardcore scene of the day, they weren't afraid to stray away from superfast tempos in favor of some nice white boy skate funk. Beyond the funk tendencies, the band at times played an early brand of post-punk not unlike their contemporaries The Minutemen. Thanks to their inclusion on some of Thrasher magazine's first "skate comps," the Big Boys were hugely popular amongst the new 80's skate punk crowd.

Ron Carter – Where? [Reissue/1961] LP (Craft Recordings)

Bass player Ron Carter's debut album Where? features Eric Dolphy (clarinet, sax, flute) and Mal Waldron (piano). The album was originally released in 1961 having been recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studios in New Jersey.

Creation Rebel – High Above Harlesden 1978-2023 6xCD (On-U Sound)

A crucial anthology of the key albums by the original On-U Sound house band. Conceived by Adrian Sherwood as a dub outfit to make his first album, Creation Rebel evolved to become the live backing band for Prince Far I, produced a string of classic records in the late ‘70s and early 80s, and recently returned from exile in space with a triumphant comeback set.

Creation Rebel – Close Encounters Of The Third World [Reissue/1978] LP+MP3 (On-U Sound)
Creation Rebel – Rebel Vibrations [Reissue/1979] LP+MP3 (On-U Sound)
Creation Rebel – Psychotic Jonkanoo [Reissue/1982] LP+MP3 (On-U Sound)
Creation Rebel – Above Harlesden 1978-2023 6xCD (On-U Sound)

Vinyl reissues of key albums by the original On-U Sound house band. Conceived by Adrian Sherwood as a dub outfit to make his first album, Creation Rebel evolved to become the live backing band for Prince Far I, produced a string of classic records in the late 70s and early 80s, and recently returned from exile in space with a triumphant comeback set.

Deep Purple – Machine Head [Reissue/1972] 3xCD+LP+Blu-ray (Reprise)

Super Deluxe edition of one of defining rock albums of the 20th century, Deep Purple's Machine Head. The original album, remastered, is featured on the LP. The three-CDs feature new stereo by Dweezil Zappa, the 1974 quadraphonic mix, and a newly remastered version of the original album. The Super Deluxe Edition also contains two captivating live performances. The first, recorded on March 9, 1972, at the Paris Theatre in London, captures the group's unrivaled stage presence during the "Machine Head Tour." The second, previously unreleased, was recorded in April 1971 at the Montreux Casino in Switzerland.

Eddie Fisher – The Third Cup [Reissue/1969] LP (Verve)

A singular album from the jazz guitarist - more well-known for his later period funk records - Fisher grooves here with a stripped-down jazz sound and group featuring organ and a second guitarist in Phil Westmoreland. Soul and style prevail, especially on the title track and a transcendent 12-minute take on "The Shadow Of Your Smile".

Ella Fitzgerald – Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! [Reissue/1961] LP (Verve)

In contrast to her classic Songbook albums for Verve, this 1961 date captures the essence of Ella Fitzgerald as most people got to see her live - with a swinging quartet. The program is made up mostly of repertoire from the Swing and early Bebop periods with Ella mixing soulful ballads and hard-driving swingers.

Benny Goodman And His Orchestra – The Best Of Benny Goodman And His Orchestra LP (Crub)

Best of compilation featuring some of Goodman's most beloved tracks, such as "Let's Dance", "Stompin' at The Savoy", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and more.

Paris Hilton – Paris [Reissue/2006] LP (Real Gone Music)

Gold w/ black smoke colorway. Not everybody has not one, not two, but twelve producers attached to her debut release. Not everybody has her one and only album pranked by British artist Banksy (who substituted a topless photo for the cover). Nope, not everybody is Paris Hilton, who has lived in the public eye since, well, forever. She first announced plans to make an album in 2003, during her run on the reality TV series The Simple Life. Originally entitled Screwed, and then Paris Is Burning, the record - finally simply entitled Paris - came out in 2006.

Gregory Isaacs – One Man Against The World [Reissue/1988] LP (Kingston Sounds)

Gregory Isaacs, the Cool Ruler as he became known, grew up in the ghetto district of Kingston Jamaica. His influences lay not only in the American singers he heard on the radio such as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, but also local singers such as Alton Ellis, Delroy Wilson, and John Holt.

Knox – The EP’s 12” (Atlantic)

How To Lose A Girl In Seven Songs and I'm So Good At Being Alone on vinyl for the first time. Both EPs included on one orange vinyl LP.

Johnny Lytle – People & Love [Reissue/1973] LP (Craft Recordings)

Available on vinyl for the first time since its original release 50 years ago, the downtempo-funk extravaganza People & Love is a crate-digger's treasure chest, filled with soul-jazz grooves and mesmerizing vibraphone textures laid down by Johnny Lytle, who was touted as "the greatest vibes player in the world" by the big band legend Lionel Hampton.

Majesty Crush – Butterflies Don’t Go Away 2xLP (Numero)

Driven by lust-fueled limerence and drifting far from conformity, Butterflies Don't Go Away capture Majesty Crush's transient, yet subversive mark on the landscape of American shoegaze to come. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]

Palle Mikkelborg / Jakob Bro / Marilyn Mazur – Strands LP (ECM)

"When we walked out on stage it felt like a homecoming," says Jakob Bro of this texturally spacious and emotionally charged live recording from Copenhagen, on which three of the defining protagonists of improvisation in Denmark, leading musicians from three generations of Danish jazz, come together. The concert, in February 2023, was particularly poignant since it marked a return to performance for trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, who delivers some of his most thoughtful playing here. Repertoire, drawn from Jakob Bro's Returnings and Gefion albums is addressed in spontaneous and exploratory spirit and transformed as Marilyn Mazur's subtle percussion language of blossoming gongs and metals and rumbling drums blends with Bro's drifting and rippling washes of sound.

Mom Jeans. / Graduating Life – Mom Jeans. / Graduating Life [Reissue/2017] 7” (Counter Intuitive)

Pink vinyl 7-inch. Originally released in 2017, the Mom Jeans. / Graduating Life split 7" quickly became a staple release of the Counter Intuitive Records catalog. Serving as a follow-up to Mom Jeans massively successful debut LP Best Buds and a precursor to Grad Life's debut LP An Introduction To Rock n Roll, this split captures both bands at a special moment of creativity in their careers. Featuring two tracks from each band that show off the energy, humor, and relatability that made both bands so endearing in the first place.

Nico – Marble Index [Reissue/1968] LP+MP3 (Domino)

Remastered from original tapes. Nico's haunting vocals predicted the gothic movement and co-producer and Velvet Underground's band mate John Cale's startingly modern classical production ensured The Marble Index's timeless appeal. The iconic music journalist Lester Bangs wrote, “The Marble Index is the greatest piece of 'avant-garde classical', 'serious' music of the last half of the 20th century so far,” and the New Yorker recently hailed both records as “austere miracles of will and invention.” 

Nico – Desertshore [Reissue/1970] LP+MP3 (Domino)

Digitally remastered edition. 1970's Desertshore, like much of Nico's early work, has grown in stature with the passing of time. Hardly a pop album, the material stands alongside Chelsea Girl as some of her most accessible work, winning fans as diverse as Throbbing Gristle, Morrissey, Marc Almond, and Björk. Audio has been re-mastered from the original tapes.

The Silver Convention – Save Me [Reissue/1975] CD (Omnivore Recordings)

Expanded reissue of the 1975 Eurodisco classic and global sensation. Includes the Grammy-winning #1 hit "Fly Robin Fly", plus "Save Me", and five bonus tracks.

Stereolab - Switched On Volumes 1-5 8xCD (Warp)

Every volume of Stereolab’s self-curated “Switched On” series of singles and rarities collected in one handy CD package over 8 discs. [A single disc sampler Little Pieces of Stereolab (A Switched On Sampler) is also available.]

Stereolab – Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Volume 3) [Reissue/1998] 3xLP+MP3 (Warp)

Aluminum Tunes is a collection of EPs and rarities from Stereolab, released in 1998. It is the third compilation in a series of rarities collections following Switched On and Refried Ectoplasm, and was stickered with the subtitle "Switched On, Volume 3".

Suburban Lawns – Baby [Reissue/1983] 12” (Rubellan Remasters)

Sour apple colorway. After making a splash with their 1979 debut single Gidget Goes To Hell, Suburban Lawns released their 1981 self-titled debut LP, which featured another cult single “Janitor”. The final Suburban Lawns offering was the 1983 5-track EP titled Baby. With the band now paired down to a four-piece, the three tracks on Side 1 continued in the zany style the band had become known for. The best-known track “Flavor Crystals” remains a popular underground favorite today.

Tacocat – NBM [Reissue/2014] LP (Sub Pop)

Tacocat's 2014 Hardly Art debut, NVM, back in print on limited gold vinyl. Like a fluorescent-lit snack-aisle oasis in some desolate interstate road stop, brimming with Skittles and limited-edition Sno Balls, Tacocat's Easter-egg-hued pop-punk-pop is bubblegum-sticky with hooks, bound to brighten up the drabbest stretch of bummer back-road. Recorded at Egg Studios in Seattle, NVM is the whippet-smart album from the world's favorite palindromic band. Text a friend.

Thievery Corporation – Saudade [Reissue/2014] LP (Primary Wave)

Limited transparent light blue color vinyl pressing. 2024 is the 10th Anniversary of Saudade - the seventh studio album from one of the most influential and respected names on the electronic/dance music scene, Thievery Corporation. This is the first record to be completely devoted to their Bossa Nova roots. Each track on Saudade is sung by one of five female vocalists - including LouLou Ghelichkhani, Elin Melgarejo, Karina Zeviani, Natalia Clavier, and Shana Halligan.

Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses [Reissue/1993] CD (Rhino)
Type O Negative – Life Is Killing Me [Reissue/2003] CD (Rhino)

Bloody Kisses is the third studio album by gothic metal band Type O Negative and the last recording with their original lineup. The album further established recurring motifs of the band's music, such as including cover songs recorded in their own unique style, sample-heavy soundscape interludes and lyrics replete with dry, satirical humor. Life Is Killing Me, Type O Negative’s sixth studio album, showcases the band’s signature blend of gothic atmospheres, doom-laden riffs, and darkly humorous lyrics, punctuated by Peter Steele's unmistakable deep vocals. Touching on themes of mortality, despair, and existential angst, Life Is Killing Me is a haunting exploration of the human condition, wrapped in Type O Negative's unique sonic envelope.

Will Orman