New Releases - 3/18/22
Hitting The Racks
Here's your weekly rundown of what's hitting the new release racks at Grimey's
New Releases
All Them Witches – Live On The Internet CD/3xLP (New West)
All Them Witches is known for their loud and lengthy live shows. 2020 found the band releasing their critically acclaimed album, Nothing As The Ideal. An album release from this band would traditionally be followed by a lengthy 18-month tour across the globe. Due to an international pandemic, the band's touring plans were brought to a halt. This did not stop All Them Witches from assembling in a studio to broadcast a live set for their fans. The set was roundly received as an amazing performance and fans immediately inquired as to whether this show would be available outside of the broadcast. Live On The Internet answers this question.
Deborah Allen – The Art Of Dreaming CD (BFD)
The first album in 10 years from the country music star.
April March – In Cinerama CD (Omnivore)
April March has quite the resume: an animator on Pee Wee's Playhouse and for Madonna's "Who's That Girl" video, and collaborating with Brian Wilson, Jack White, LL Cool J, Jonathan Richman, Ronnie Spector, and Bertrand Burgalat. But she also has an acclaimed recording career, heavily influenced by French pop music, making a name for herself in France with her self-produced albums as well as albums with Bertand Burgalat and Aquaserge. Following a quarter century of recording, March unveiled In Cinerama as a vinyl-only release for Record Store Day in 2021. Now, In Cinerama is available on CD with updated artwork, new liner notes (both in English and en Français), printed lyrics, plus two previously unissued bonus tracks ("Goodbye" and "Friends Peculiar")
Jon Batiste – We Are CD (Verve/BMG)
Batiste presents a captivating musical experience to the world rooted in catharsis, joy, freedom, contemplation, and sensuality. It's a love letter to his southern roots and the heritage of Black Music with guest appearances by Mavis Staples, Quincy Jones, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, St Augustine Marching 100, his father Michael Batiste, grandfather David Gauthier and many more. It is a meditation steeped in the sounds of the times with collaborators including POMO (Anderson.Paak), Ricky Reed (Lizzo), Jahaan Sweet (Drake, Eminem) and others. We Are celebrates Black American culture and music while exploring themes of lineage, authenticity, excellence and evolution. This album is about honoring roots and traditions, while looking forward to the future and constantly evolving.
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite – 100 Years Of Blues LP (Alligator)
2020 album now available on vinyl. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica great Musselwhite join forces for a fun and historic collaboration of front porch blues.
Blushing – Possessions LP (Kanine)
Cloudy clear vinyl pressing. Shoegaze lovers rejoice in the sounds coming from Blushing's new album Possessions. With lead single "Blame" featuring Miki Berenyi of the great ‘90s shoegaze, indie pop band Lush and currently of Piroshka, along with Mark Gardener of Ride lending a hand on mixing and mastering, Possessions serves as a 1990s transport. Complete with charismatic vocals, dreamy guitar hooks and swirling bass lines, it is an album filled with dream pop intensity.
The Breathing Process – Labyrinthian 2xLP (Unique Leader)
Released last October on CD – now available on vinyl. Fourth album from the blackened deathcore band. Labyrinthian is a majestic and nightmare fueled journey deep into blackened death metal done how it's supposed to be. Featuring guest vocals from David John Simonich (Signs Of The Swarm), Jamie Graham (Viscera) and a monumental mix and master from Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Rivers Of Nihil).
Bo Burnham – Inside (The Songs) 2xLP (Imperial Distribution)
Recently released on standard black vinyl and cassette – an indie store exclusive coke bottle clear color vinyl pressing is now available. Critically acclaimed soundtrack to Bo Burnham's Netflix musical comedy special Inside. Features all the music from Inside, including "All Eyes On Me", "Welcome To The Internet" and "Bezos I". Shot and performed by Bo Burnham, alone, over the course of a very unusual year. Nominated for six Emmys including best variety series, writing, directing, song, musical direction and editing.
Burial – Antidawn CD/LP+MP3 (Hyperdub)
Recently on vinyl – now available on CD. Antidawn reduces Burial's music to just the vapors. The record explores an interzone between dislocated, patchwork songwriting and eerie, open-world game-space ambience. In the resulting no man's land, lyrics take precedence over song, lonely phrases color the haze, a stark and fragmented structure makes time slow down. Antidawn seems to tell a story of a wintertime city, and something beckoning you to follow it into the night. The result is both comforting and disturbing, producing a quiet and uncanny glow against the cold. Sometimes, as it enters 'a bad place', it takes your breath away. And time just stops.
Charli XCX – Crash LP (Atlantic)
Crash is the fifth studio album by singer and songwriter Charli XCX. Visuals for the album include "femme fatale powers and a multitude of dark spells and curses" as well as signature nods to both cars and car crashes. The release is ushered in by the single "New Shapes", (feat. Caroline Polachek and Christine And The Queens), a huge pop tune which swaps hyper-pop for synth-pop. It's a song built for a night out, and all three vocalists shine on the track. [Indie store exclusive gray vinyl.]
Shemekia Copeland – Uncivil War LP (Alligator)
Copeland’s 2020 album Uncivil War is now available on vinyl. Celebrated blues, R&B and Americana vocal powerhouse delivers the eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2018's America's Child, winner of the Blues Music Award for Album Of The Year. The new album is again produced by Will Kimbrough and features guest performances and/or songwriting by Kimbrough, Jason Isbell, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Orphan Brigade, Steve Cropper, Duane Eddy and Shawn Mullins. Uncivil War finds Shemekia blazing an exhilarating roots music trail, with many of the songs reflecting the spirit of our turbulent times.
Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt - Made Out of Sound LP (Palilalia)
Sadly, many will hear Chris Corsano & Bill Orcutt's latest LP, Made Out of Sound, as 'not-jazz,' though it would be more aptly described as 'not-not-jazz.' In a better world, it would warrant above-the-fold reviews in Downbeat, or an appearance on David Sanborn's late-night show (if someone would only give it back to him). More likely, we can hope for a haiku review on Byron Coley's Twitter timeline to sufficiently connect the various improvised terrains trodden by this long-time duo -- but if you've been able to listen past the overmodulated icepick fidelity of Harry Pussy, it should surprise you not an iota that Orcutt's style is rooted as much in the fractal melodies of Trane and Taylor as it is in Delta syrup or Tin Pan Alley glitz. As for Corsano, well, it may seem daft to call this particular record 'jazz' (because duh, it has a drummer), but to me Corsano is beyond jazz, almost beyond music, his ambidextrous, octopoid technique grappling many stylistic levers and spraying a torrent of light from every direction. With the help of Corsano, Orcutt has managed to slither even further out of the noise/improv pigeonhole lazy listeners/writers keep trying to shove him into.
Dark Funeral – We Are The Apocalypse CD (Century Media)
Approaching nearly 30 years since the beginning of their journey as one of Swedish black metal's most genuine and unvarnished exemplars, Dark Funeral continue to reach for new heights to bring audiences into its otherworldly and unholy visions on the band's seventh full-length album, We Are The Apocalypse. The new record, which was written almost entirely during the Coronavirus pandemic, sees the Satanic vanguards deliver their most aggressive and expansive songs to date.
Datassette - Sentinel EP 12" (Lapsus Records)
Described by his peers as a keystone in ambient-electro, British producer Datassette is a bastion of the underground and one of alternative electronic music's most exceptional and enigmatic talents. On his new EP for Lapsus Records, Datassette uses a combination of powerful vintage hardware and the latest generation of digital techniques, continually redefining his sound while dodging any pigeonholing. This new four-track EP sees him fuse dub, electro, braindance, ambient, experimental electronica, and even abstract hip-hop into a complex and compelling style all his own.
Ecko Bazz – Mmaso LP (Hakuna Kulala)
Since the appearance of his cult breakthrough debut Tuli Banyo released in 2018, Ugandan conscious rapper and MC Ecko Bazz has challenged perceptions of East Africa's burgeoning rap scene. His style is hard to categorize blending elements of grime, dancehall, and US hip-hop and twisting politicized lyrics in Luganda that explore violence, religion, drug abuse or the poverty in the Ugandan slums.
E-L-R – Vexier CD/LP (Prophecy)
E-L-R's sophomore full-length Vexier oscillates elegantly between velvet darkness and flaring bursts of high energy. The style of the Swiss has been dubbed 'doomgaze' and 'post-metal' and both terms apply loosely to the trio's meandering, down-tempo doom-epics. E-L-R's hypnotic phrases that are constantly varied and warped in repeating loops are reminiscent of shamanic rituals imbued with psychedelic colors. [Limited-edition dark green splatter vinyl.]
Erra – Erra 2xLP (UNFD)
Determination and steadfast dedication have defined Erra's path, forging a unique connection with an ever-growing audience, without the advantages of traditional recognition. Monumental riffs and enchanting melodies litter the cerebral, immersive soundscapes powering each of the progressive metal merchant's albums, culminating in a career-defining fifth, boldly self-titled Erra. As their music finds the balance between the crushingly heavy and the headily melodic, its members seek to find harmony between the needs of the individual and the natural flow of this shared reality. [Limited-edition indie store exclusive translucent w/ blue & black deluxe vinyl.]
Friends Of Hell – Friends Of Hell CD/LP (Rise Above)
Brainchild of former Electric Wizard bassist, Tas Danazodlou, Friends Of Hell also features the enigmatic talents of former Reverend Bizarre vocalist Albert Witchfinder.
Gang Of Youths – angel in realtime. 2xLP (WB)
Recently released on CD – a limited-edition white color pressing and an indie store exclusive pink color vinyl pressing are now available. Gang Of Youth's new music fuses their knack of soaring melodies, indelible hooks, and dynamic rock uplifts with a love of neoclassical, minimalist composers, and experimental sampling. They're embarking on the most vital phase of their career so far. Although the album is eclectic – influences range from American minimalism and contemporary classical, to drawing upon the legacy of Britain's alternative/indie scenes, from drum ‘n' bass to the most transcendent moments of Britpop – it's equally rooted in David Le'aupepe's Samoan heritage, with most tracks featuring samples from David Fanshawe's recordings of indigenous music from the Polynesian islands and the wider South Pacific.
Colin Hay – Now And The Evermore CD (Compass)
Possessing one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices on the planet, former Men At Work frontman Colin Hay faces down struggle, loss and the existential questions about mortality on Now And The Evermore, his first collection of new material since the 2016 release of Fierce Mercy. [An indie store exclusive silver color vinyl pressing and a limited-edition blue color vinyl are available for special order.]
Hot Water Music – Feel The Void CD (Equal Vision)
Recorded at Black Bear Studios in Gainesville, FL, Feel The Void marks the return of producer Brian McTernan, who worked with the band on 2001's A Flight And A Crash, 2002's Caution and 2004's The New What Next, often thought of as Hot Water Music's classic period. From the moment the dark, portentous intensity of "Another Breath" kicks the record off, it's clear that this is a band at the peak of their powers. McTernan's involvement was incredibly instrumental in channeling that spirit and energy - the intense urgency of "Killing Time”, "Newtown Scraper" and "Scratch On", the nervous but positive emotional energy of "Hearts Stay Full" and the title track, the soaring chorus of "The Weeds", the surging, powerful roar of closer "Lock Up".
Ray Wylie Hubbard – Co-Starring Too CD/LP (Big Machine)
Rogue. Poet. Rocker. Texas Texture. Ray Wylie Hubbard made such a mark with Co-Starring, his first major label outing with an all-star lineup of his vast network of friends, the always shape-shifting songwriter decided once was not enough. So, the louche beacon of cool went even wider and deeper into his coterie of confidantes, emerging with Co-Starring Too. The second set features a surprisingly eclectic and Texas-centric collection - Willie Nelson, The Bluebonnets, Band Of Heathens, The Last Bandoleros and Steve Earle, plus a Red Dirt collab with Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers and Cross Canadian Ragweed's Cody Canada. [Limited-edition translucent green vinyl.]
Samara Joy – Samara Joy LP (Whirlwind Recordings)
Released last August on CD – now available on violet & black color vinyl. Samara Joy is a singing star in the ascendancy. The young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she’s joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy’s reputation as one of America’s most promising young jazz vocalists.
Mattiel – Georgia Gothic CD/LP (ATO)
Red-leather-clad and pitchfork-wielding in a playful nod to Grant Wood's celebrated painting of 1930, Mattiel's Mattiel Brown and Jonah Swilley proffer songs which ponder the American everyday of the 2020s as they serve up an album tasting more like home than ever before. Georgia Gothic, a magic third in Mattiel's run of full-length albums, was shaped by time spent together on the road touring the first two albums - it is this newfound sense of intimacy between Mattiel's members that enabled the writing of Georgia Gothic not as two separate musicians, but rather as one creative entity. And it is precisely the forging of Mattiel's distinct musical identity that Georgia Gothic signals; its members guiding each other ever-homewards not just in a geographical or sonic sense, but spiritually, too. [Limited edition red vinyl.]
Brad Mehldau – Jacob’s Ladder CD (Nonesuch)
Brad Mehldau's new album Jacob's Ladder features new music that reflects on scripture and the search for God through music inspired by the prog rock Mehldau loved as a young adolescent, which was his gateway to the fusion that eventually led to his discovery of jazz. Featured musicians on the album include Mehldau's label mates Chris Thile and Cécile McLorin Salvant, as well as Mark Guiliana, Becca Stevens, Joel Frahm, and others. [Vinyl edition due June 4.]
Midlake – For The Sake Of Bethel Woods CD/LP (ATO)
Loss and hope, isolation and communion, the cessation and renewal of purpose. Timeless and salient, these themes echo throughout the fifth album from Midlake, their first since Antiphon in 2013. Produced to layered, loving perfection by John Congleton, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods is an album of immersive warmth and mystery from a band of ardent seekers, one of our generation's finest: a band once feared lost themselves by fans, perhaps, but here revivified with freshness and constancy of intent. . [Indie store exclusive crystal-clear vinyl pressing as well as a deluxe 180gm translucent aqua color vinyl pressing with gatefold foil jacket, custom inner sleeves and an 8.5" x 11" lithograph signed by the band.]
M Ross Perkins - E Pluribus M Ross LP (Karma Chief)
Like some kind of time-hopping wizard with preternatural melodic sensibilities, M Ross Perkins is back with his sophomore full-length, E Pluribus M Ross. The album, his first for Colemine/Karma Chief Records, is another masterclass in home recording with 12 shimmering slices of purely perfect psychedelic pop. [Indie exclusive clear vinyl.]
Slaegt – Goddess LP (Century Media)
Danish black metallers Slaegt is one the most vital and exciting bands to come out of the Scandinavian metal scene. New album Goddess features 6 songs/40 minutes of atmospheric musical darkness in high energy execution.
Rejjie Snow – Baw Baw Black Sheep LP (Honeymoon/+1 Rec.)
Lifting hip-hop up to a psychedelic realm, Rejjie Snow raps in technicolor, painting in broad strokes with hypnotic hooks, artfully crafted bars, and otherworldly production.
Springtime – Springtime LP (Joyful Noise)
Released last November on CD – now available on clear vinyl. Gareth Liddiard (Tropical F*** Storm / The Drones), Jim White (Dirty Three / Xylouris White) and Chris Abrahams (The Necks) are Springtime - a new endeavor that is as much a tonal experiment as it is a meditation on modern-day absurdity. Springtime's self-titled debut combines free jazz, poignant lyricism crafted alongside renowned Irish poet Ian Duhig, and improvisation to craft austere portraits of a world paralyzed by shellshock.
Towa Tei - LP (WRWTFWW Records)
The new album from legendary Deee-Lite member Towa Tei, celebrating the 30th year of his career. Available on (orange) vinyl for the first time outside of Japan. The album features Japanese music icons Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi (Yellow Magic Orchestra), Yasuaki Shimizu (Kakashi), fellow METAFIVE colleagues Tomohiko Gondo and Yoshinori Sunahara, HANA, Wataru Iga, Shunji Mori, Hidefumi Ino, and more. Poppy, catchy, dancey, and very funky, Towa Tei's tenth solo album is 100% a delirious ride and a testament to the Deee-Lite member's ever-expanding creativity, combining simplicity and experimentalism in the most feel-good ways. Indoor, outdoor, and every day of the year, this one will make you dance and smile! This release is a collaboration between legendary Japanese label Nippon Columbia/Better Days and WRWTFWW Records.
Maylee Todd – Maloo LP (Stones Throw)
Limited clear vinyl LP pressing. Maylee Todd's debut album Maloo is a concept record revolving around a fictional world where empathy, mental health and creativity are the core elements for survival. The album's themes will be bolstered by additional video content created by Maylee herself, including a VR video, original music videos, animated videos, a Graphic Novel Origin Story for socials and NFT platforms, and digital fashion designed and modelled by Maylee.
Steve Vai – Inviolate LP (Mascot Label Group)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Vai's newest and 10th solo album, Inviolate, is a nine-song opus that pushes the boundaries of instrumental guitar music. For the recording, Vai invented not just a new guitar, but also a new guitar-playing technique. "An inviolate inspiration is one that comes to you completely pure," Vai explains. "It appears almost in its completeness, and there's a recognition of it as being right for you - perfectly right for you. There's no excuses in it. There's no fantasy in it. There's just a recognition of 'yes.' And then you capture that in a way that's authentic to your unique creativity. Hopefully, that's what I've done with this record."
Various Artists – Songs For Tres LP (Sacred Bones)
Clear vinyl pressing. On the tribute album Songs For Tres, Psychic Ills band members come together to commemorate the late Tres Warren who passed away just as the world turned upside down in March of 2020. Isolated, feeling helpless and lost by the death of her musical soul mate and collaborator of 18 years, bassist Elizabeth Hart found making music to be her only outlet in a time where people were unable to be physically together to mourn. So, she reached out to Adam Amram, Jon Catfish DeLorme and Brent Cordero, the main players in the Ills line up since the release of their last full length album Inner Journey Out (2016), to ask if they would embark on this cathartic journey with her. This was a different kind of production endeavor for Hart driven solely by "the aching need and urgency" to do something to honor her friend.
Bella White – Just Like Leaving LP (Rounder)
Released last July on CD – now available on vinyl. Just Like Leaving bears a powerful authenticity that prompted Rolling Stone to praise White's songwriting as sublime Appalachian heartbreak. In sculpting the album's sparse but lushly detailed sound, White worked with a lineup of musicians she encountered through years of making the rounds at roots-music festivals, including Reed Stutz on mandolin/vocals; Julian Pinelli on fiddle/vocals, and Robert Alan Mackie on bass.
Hailey Whitters – Raised CD/2xLP (Big Loud)
Following up her critically acclaimed album, The Dream, Hailey Whitters returns with her new 17-track-record, Raised. Showcasing the heart and soul of small-town America with Whitters' eventual journey to Nashville, Raised is the roots behind the wings of The Dream. [Limited-edition crystal-clear vinyl.]
Adrian Younge/Ali Shaheed Muhammad – Jazz Is Dead 3: Marcos Valle LP (Jazz Is Dead)
The third release from Jazz Is Dead pays tribute to Marcos Valle, one of the greatest and most important composers, arrangers, writers, and performers in Brazilian history. A jack of all trades, Valle has produced works in many musical styles, including bossa nova, samba, and fusions of rock, soul, jazz, and more. Composed and produced by Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad and recorded in the Linear Labs analog studio.
Yumi Zouma – Present Tense CD/LP+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
Yumi Zouma, the collaborative long-distance project originally created between friends online, have been self-producing their infectious blend of delicate pop tapestries by way of home recordings since the release of their debut EP in 2014. Composed of vocalist Christie Simpson, bassist / vocalist Josh Burgess, guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Charlie Ryder, and drummer Olivia Campion, Yumi Zouma has returned with Present Tense, the band's fourth and most comprehensive studio album. On Present Tense, Yumi Zouma bolster their sonic palette with an arsenal of live drums, grand pianos, orchestral strings, and woodwinds, to develop a sonic confidence that has grown with the release of 2017's Willowbank and 2020's Truth Or Consequences. [Limited edition clear vinyl.]
Reissues, Compilations, Live Recordings & Vault Excavations...
Mose Allison – I Don’t Worry About A Thing [Reissue/1962] LP (Modern Harmonic)
This classic album, known as the moment Mose hit his stride in transitioning from iconic pianist to iconic beat-esque vocalist, features the first versions of two of his sharpest pieces (“Your Mind Is On Vacation” and the title track), bluish versions of standards, instrumentals, and more. [Limited edition gold vinyl.]
Carola Baer – The Story Of Valerie LP (Concentric Circles)
The discovery of a cassette of Carola Baer's early '90s private home recordings was like finding a needle in a haystack. Made as a one-off mixtape of newly recorded songs, and given to a long-since forgotten recipient, this cassette was found in 2017 at a Goodwill "bins" location in Portland, Oregon. These chaotic, by-the-pound thrift stores contain thousands of unsorted items in constant flux, which are only available for the public to buy for a limited time before they are discarded. The prospect that this obscure relic would be rescued from its untimely fate is nothing short of a miracle. As this tape was the only one in existence, with no back up versions of many of the songs, it's more than likely that this music would have been lost forever. The Story Of Valerie is made up of songs culled from that cassette, with a few additional tracks from the time, and is the first time Carola Baer's solo material has been heard by the public.
Meg Baird and Mary Lattimore – Ghost Forests [Reissue/2018] LP (Three Lobed)
Limited-green color vinyl repress. Ghost Forests musical conversations between Meg Baird and Mary Lattimore are intimate, fluid, effortless and spontaneous. They're filled with the euphoria of creation, and, at times, they articulate hard truths and tangled emotions with an ease only trusted friends can manage. The songs alternate between extended ethereal instrumental excursions, gauzy and dreamy pop, blown-out Bull Of The Woods heavy haze, and modern re-imaginations of epic traditional balladry all while touching on the strange and otherworldly places between these stations. [Limited edition green vinyl.]
Broadcast – BBC Maida Vale Sessions CD/2xLP+MP3 (Warp)
Archive release. Four BBC sessions recorded at the Maida Vale studios between October 1996 and August 2003.
Broadcast – Microtronics – Volumes 1 & 2 CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Archive release. Originally released as tour-only CD EPs in 2003 and 2005, those EPs have been compiled and remastered. Contains 21 instrumental tracks.
Broadcast – Mother Is The Milky Way CD/LP+MP3 (Warp)
Digitally remastered archive release. Mother Is The Milky Way was originally released as a tour only CD in 2009, the album has been remastered.
James Cotton – Mighty Long Time [Reissue/1991] LP (Texas Music Group)
180gm purple color vinyl pressing of the blues harmonica performer’s 1991 album.
Ani DiFranco – Ani DiFranco [Reissue/1990] 2xLP (Righteous Babe)
Originally released in 1990, Ani DiFranco's first album is so revolutionary that the purveyors of status quo install women's music sections in the dusty corner of their stores in order to hide it. Dorm rooms coast to coast transform into audio dub houses where young women with aching arms scratch out handwritten labels and personal letters like "you have to hear this." These quasi-booking agent and pirate distributors work long into the night purchasing greyhound tickets for a certain young Folksinger to come play at their school. Today. Folk and poetry prevail. Vulnerable stories arm themselves as powerful songs on Ani DiFranco's self-titled first solo record.
Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Master Of Puppets - Live In Barcelona (2002) 2xLP+CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Train Of Thought Industrial Demos (2003) 2xLP+CD (Inside Out U.S.)
Dream Theater, the two-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling legends of progressive music, recently launched the Lost Not Forgotten Archives. These releases see the virtuosic quintet's long-standing Ytsejam Records catalogue reissued, alongside some brand-new additions.
Hamid El Shaeri - The SLAM! Years (1983-1988) LP (Habibi Funk)
If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, several come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with the label at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha," which label heads heard while working on selecting tracks for the first Habibi Funk compilation and instantly loved. This compilation pulled from his five albums on the Egyptian label SLAM! finds El Shaeri combining soul, disco, funk, and Arabic pop with the cutting edge of synth technology. Hamid’s distinct sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths, and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one [synthesizer] would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter. He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson.
Wendell Harrison – Farewell To The Welfare 12” (Now-Again)
Here we have a first-time vinyl reissue of Tribe Records co-founder Wendell Harrison's lost album, recorded in 1975, rumored to exist no more. Mastered from the original tapes and lacquered by Bernie Grundman. Included in an extensive, oversized booklet, Larry Gabriel and Jeff "Chairman" Mao take us through the history of the Tribe, in a compelling story that delves not just into the history of the label and its principals, but into the story of Black American empowerment in the latter half of the 20th Century.
Heaven Shall Burn – Deaf To Our Prayers [Reissue/2006] LP (Century Media)
After the release of Antigone back in 2004, Heaven Shall Burn spent almost every weekend on the road, playing numerous festivals and shows all over Europe including a headlining tour in fall 2004. In autumn 2005, the first and highly successful edition of the Hell On Earth Tour (also featuring As I Lay Dying, Evergreen Terrace, Agents Of Man, End Of Days and Neaera) saw them triumph in the co-headlining position. Upon returning home, the band started working on new material, which later became the band's highly acclaimed album and genre classic Deaf To Our Prayers.
Son House – Forever On My Mind CD/LP (Easy Eye Sound)
This new Son House album of previously unreleased recordings from the legendary "Father Of The Delta Blues" features the never before recorded track, "Forever On My Mind". The album comes from noted blues manager and historian Dick Waterman's archives which were the first upon Son House's 1964 re-discovery. Restored to remarkable clarity by producer Dan Auerbach for Easy Eye Sound, these recordings represent the earliest recordings of House upon his return to the limelight after 20 plus years away. [Indie store exclusive black w/ white fleck color vinyl.]
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound LP (Southeastern/Thirty Tigers)
New reissue. First time on color vinyl. This RSD Essentials edition is pressed to exclusive "black smoke" vinyl in a matte gatefold jacket with a printed innersleeve, and a 22" x 11" insert.
Milt Jackson – Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet [Reissue/1955] LP (Blue Note)
Vibraphonist Milt Jackson was a frequent presence on Blue Note sessions in the bebop era. As part of the fabled 1500 Series begun in 1956, the label issued the 12” compilation Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet which expanded Jackson's 10” LP Wizard Of The Vibes with tracks from 1948 and 1951 dates led by Monk. The album cover was the first designed by Reid Miles. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180gm vinyl at Optimal.
M83 - Saturdays = Youth 2xLP (Mute)
M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. 2xLP (Mute)
Two classic M83 albums reissued in the “RSD Essentials” series. 2008’s Saturdays = Youth is on Autumn Marble vinyl while 2011’s Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is on blue & pink marble vinyl. Limited edition.
The Mars Volta – Landscape Tantrums - Unfinished Original Recordings Of De-Loused In The Comatorium LP (Clouds Hill)
Color vinyl pressing. Lost for two decades, the recent rediscovery of Landscape Tantrums the first attempt at recording the music that would become The Mars Volta's De-Loused In The Comatorium revealed an important and hitherto missing chapter in the group's evolution. Self-recorded by Omar at Burbank's Mad Dog Studios within a head spinning four days, Landscape Tantrums captures De-Loused in somewhat embryonic form, though much of what would make The Mars Volta's debut album such an electrifying, sublime experience was already in place: the fearless invention, the fusion of futurist rock elements and traditions from outside of the rock orthodoxy, the sense of virtuosity working in service of emotional effect.
Moon Duo – Mazes LP (Sacred Bones)
Limited pink color vinyl pressing of the 2011 long-player from psych prodigies Moon Duo. For just over two years now Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips) and Sanae Yamada have been burning up the scene with their propulsive beats and compelling acid washed shows. Formed in San Francisco, the duo recently relocated to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This record, however, was cut in Berlin. Certainly, the most pop-oriented batch of songs the band has ever delivered, Mazes reveals a more accessible vocal delivery and song structure that is sure to appeal to a wide audience not necessarily well-versed in the psych underground.
Ohio Players – Skin Tight [Reissue/1974] LP (Friday Music)
The Ohio Players came into musical prominence in the 1970's as pioneers of street funk and underground R&B. After signing with Mercury Records in 1974 the Ohio Players landed three consecutive platinum albums with Skin Tight, Fire and Honey. Seen as their commercial breakthrough, Skin Tight boasts a fuller production and more prominent horns as exemplified on the hit title cut and fellow single "Jive Turkey".
Carl Perkins – Carl Perkins: The King Of Rockabilly LP (Sun)
Celebrate the golden era of Carl Perkins with Sun Records' 70th Anniversary collection of his remastered hits, The King of Rockabilly. Boasting an alternate version of "Honey Don't", as well as an extended, never-before-released version of "Y.O.U." which features a spoken-word bridge section by Carl Perkins. The album also includes the classic hits "Put Your Cat Clothes On" featuring Jerry Lewis, "Boppin' the Blues", and "All Mama's Children", co-written with Johnny Cash.
Pinetop Perkins – Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie [Reissue/1992] LP (Texas Music Group)
180gm red color vinyl reissue of this classic Antone's Records blues title.
Jean-Luc Ponty – Sunday Walk [Reissue/1967] LP (MPS)
Legendary drummer Kenny Clarke compared Jean-Luc Ponty to Dizzy Gillespie. Fellow violinist Stuff Smith marveled, "He plays violin like Coltrane plays saxophone." Born in 1942, the French violinist transported jazz violin playing into the world of modern jazz. On Frank Zappa's urging, Ponty moved to the States in 1970. Over the next years he toured with Zappa, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Chick Corea's Return To Forever. On the 1967 Sunday Walk the band saunters through two blues, a waltz, and a standard before reaching Suite for Claudia which begins at a blistering pace with Ponty's saxophone-like "brilliance and fire" playing. It then settles into a medium swing groove with Wolfgang Dauner's infectious piano play followed by a smoldering Ponty.
Bud Powell – Time Waits: The Amazing Bud Powell [Reissue/1958] LP (Blue Note)
The fourth volume of The Amazing Bud Powell series, recorded in 1958, found the brilliant bebop piano master in particularly fine form on an ebullient set of his original tunes including "Buster Rides Again", "Monopoly", and "John's Abbey". Powell's inventive solo flights shine in a trio setting with Sam Jones on bass and "Philly" Joe Jones on drums. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180gm vinyl at Optimal.
The Pretty Reckless – Going To Hell [Reissue/2014] LP (Craft Recordings)
Going To Hell is the second studio album from American rock band The Pretty Reckless. Originally released in 2014, the album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, making this the band's first Top 10 album on the chart. [Indie store exclusive ‘purgatory purple’ vinyl.]
Ziad Rahbani - Houdou Nisbi LP (Wewantsounds)
The first ever vinyl release of one of Ziad Rahbani's most beloved albums, Houdou Nisbi, recorded in 1985 and only released on cassette and CD in 1991 by Lebanese label Relax-In. Mixing Arabic music with funk, jazz, boogie and a touch of Brazilian music, it is considered a classic among Oriental groove fans, DJs and collectors around the world. Heavily influenced by Western music, Rahbani brought these influences to traditional Arabic music early on and released a string of key albums in the '70s that have since become cult among DJs and collectors. Featuring such cult tracks as "Rouh Khabbir", a remake of the Crusaders' "Soul Shadow" sung by Rahbani himself, the modern soul of "Bisaraha" and the Brazilian flavored "For Sure", the album is both effortlessly groovy and steeped in Oriental music. Houdou Nisbi, which means "relatively calm", an expression used by news anchors on Lebanese TV to describe the mood during cease-fire in the civil war that went on between 1975 and 1990.
The Raincoats – The Raincoats [Reissue/1979] LP (Kill Rock Stars)
The Raincoats, seminal post-punk band, 'godmothers of grunge' and inspiration to a generation of riot grrrls, formed in the late 1970s when Gina Birch met Ana da Silva, becoming one of the most important underground bands Britain has ever produced. Ana and Gina, along with the various musicians who flowed in and out of the band's many formations, created a sound that, while inspired by punk and rock music that had come before, was uniquely and uncompromisingly powerful and female, and which has held a fascination over all those lucky enough to have stumbled across it.
Keith Richards – Main Offender [Reissue/1992] CD/2 CD/LP/3xLP+2xCD (BMG)
1992 labor of love Main Offender served as the second solo studio album by Keith Richards. Featuring the standout tracks "Wicked As It Seems" and "Eileen", the Rolling Stones founder teamed with Talk Is Cheap collaborator Steve Jordan and added Waddy Wachtel to the mix both in composing and producing Main Offender. Sessions with Richards' group of musician friends known as "The X-Pensive Winos" took place in California and New York City from March to September 1992, with touring in Europe's autumn and early 1993 in North America. [The double-CD mediabook edition adds the previously unreleased album Winos Live In London '92. The Deluxe 5-disc box set (2xCD+3xLP) adds an 84-page book with never-before-seen photos, reproductions of a Main Offender Tour guitar pick, promotional posters, a bumper sticker, handwritten lyric sheets, and more. Limited-edition red color vinyl & 2xCD versions are here. Deluxe version shipped late and will arrive next week.]
Savatage – Hall Of The Mountain King [Reissue/1974] LP+7” (MRI Associated)
Digitally remastered edition of the space rock classic that is generally regarded as the best in band's discography. The lineup of the band was spearheaded by Lemmy Kilminster (later of Motörhead) on guitar and Simon House's monstrous keyboard work. Includes five bonus tracks that did not appear on the original 1974 LP.
Raymond Scott – The Jingle Workshop: Midcentury Musical Miniatures 1951-1965 LP (Modern Harmonic)
Clear vinyl pressing. In addition to being a pioneer of early electronic music, Raymond Scott generated hymns to hunger, odes to pudding and pilsner, and crafted carols for countless other products, elevating the form of advertisement to an art. If Frank Zappa had written music for commercials, it's not hard to think his approach would have been similar.
Sonic Youth – In/Out/In CD/LP+MP3 (Three Lobed)
A collection of underheard Sonic rarities from the legendary band's 2000-2010 era, most for the first time on any physical format. Essential for the band's hardcore fans and for enthusiasts of instrumental rock. [Limited-edition indie store exclusive maroon vinyl.]
Týr – A Night At The Nordic House (With The Symphony Orchestra Of The Faroe Islands) 2xLP (Metal Blade)
The Faroe Islands' Týr provide even more irrefutable evidence that they stand at the vanguard of Scandinavian metal. Týr delivers a stunning achievement; a diverse setlist brilliantly performed live with the Symphony Orchestra of the Faroe Islands. This special event was recorded at The Nordic House in Tórshavn, the Faroes on February 8th, 2020.
Various Artists – Life Between Islands - Soundsystem Culture: Black Musical Expression In The UK 1973-2006 2xCD/3xLP+MP3 (Soul Jazz)
Soul Jazz Records' Life Between Islands collection is inspired by the launch of Tate Britain's exhibition of the same name, exploring the links between Caribbean and British art and culture from the 1950s to now. The album focuses on the most important Black British musical styles to emerge out of the distinctly Caribbean world of sound systems, featuring an all-star line-up including Dennis Bovell, Shut Up and Dance, Cymande, Digital Mystikz, Brown Sugar, Funk Masters, Janet Kay, Ragga Twins ' a lightning-rod journey across roots reggae, jungle/drum & bass, jazz-funk, lovers rock, jazz and dubstep.
Various Artists - Strain Crack & Break: Music From The Nurse With Wound List Volume Two (Germany) 2LP (Finders Keepers)
With his ongoing commitment to like-minded archivist label Finders Keepers Records, industrial music pioneer Steven Stapleton further entrusts the label to lift the veil and expose "the right tracks" from his uber-legendary and oft misinterpreted psych/prog/punk peculiarity shopping list known as The Nurse With Wound List. Following the critically lauded first installment and its exclusively French tracklist, the second volume consists of twelve lesser-known German records that played a hugely important part in the initial foundations of the list. This record includes the music that skulked behind krautrock and perhaps refused to polish its backhanded name belt. Elsewhere there's a plethora of German bands made for German audiences as they try and shed second hand flower power Americanisms and feel the benefits of much harder drugs and the realizations of difficult second album budgets. Features Wolfgang Dauner, My Solid Ground, Association PC, Fritz Müller, Exmagma, Anima-Sound, Tomorrow's Gift, Out Of Focus, Brainstorm, Thirsty Moon, Gomorrha, and Brainticket.
Various Artists – Tanamur City LP (Cultures Of Soul)
Compiled by Munir Septiandry of the influential Indonesian DJ collective Midnight Runners, Tanamur City collects some of the high points of the latter part of the revolutionary government of President Suharto – which could be described as a dictatorship - conjuring up a world of humid nights in packed discos, no-holds-barred genre blending, fun, fashion and funkiness of a kind never seen in Southeast Asia... and seen rarely since.
David Wertman & Sun Ensemble – Wide Eye Culture [Reissue/1983] 2xCD/3xLP (Barely Breaking Even)
BBE Music delivers the first ever reissue of jazz bassist David Wertman's rare 1983 Sun Ensemble LP Wide Eye Culture, carefully remastered, and presented as a deluxe expanded edition with 8 bonus tracks.
Young Fathers – Dead [Reissue/2014] LP+MP3 (Big Dada)
Dead, the winner of the UK's 2014 Mercury Prize, is the debut album from Young Fathers. Against a backdrop of creative resurgence in 'indie' rap, Young Fathers make the sort of uncompromisingly leftfield, forward thinking hip-hop that has nothing to do with artiness and everything to do with brilliance, all with grain silo production and genuine pop hooks. Early adopters have included Johnny Marr, Diplo, Ghostpoet, and Alt J.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers – The Mothers 1971 8xCD (Zappa Records)
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mothers Of Invention's '71 line-ups, the complete Fillmore tapes are showcased with every note played over four shows, including the John Lennon/Yoko Ono encore, majority of tracks are newly mixed. Additionally, the full concert from the Rainbow Theatre in London where FZ was infamously pushed off the stage is newly mixed by Eddie Kramer. The box also features a bonus hybrid concert from Harrisburg and Scranton, PA, 1971 and extensive liner notes and packaging.
Frank Zappa & The Mothers – Live At Fillmore East, June 1971 [50th Anniversary] 3xLP (Zappa Records)
Frank Zappa & The Mothers – Live At The Rainbow Theater 3xLP (Zappa Records)
Live At Fillmore East, June 1971 gets expanded for its 50th Anniversary. Featuring the original single LP, newly remastered, with two additional vinyl discs of period-perfect vintage mixes from the vault. Includes the John Lennon and Yoko Ono encore and the original "Billy The Mountain." Live At The Rainbow Theater is the infamous final show of the Flo & Eddie line-up with The Mothers in its entirety. The show was a success until FZ was shockingly pushed off stage by a concert attendee, resulting in grave injuries for FZ causing the cancellation of the tour and ultimately the band.