• What's New 1-21-22

  

  Greensky Bluegrass

  Stress Dreams

  Big Blue Zoo Records

  For two decades now, Greensky Bluegrass has been building an empire, brick by brick. Their eighth studio release, Stress Dreams was produced by Dominic Davis (Jack White) and Grammy winning engineer/producer Glenn Brown. It follows their 2019 release, All for Money, which landed on the Top 100 at the Billboard Albums Chart

  

  Penny & Sparrow

  Olly Olly

  I Love You

  Olly Olly is a full-throated embrace of the self from a band that’s committed to leaving no stone unturned in their tireless quest for actualization. The songs here are fearless and introspective, embracing growth and change as they reckon with desire, intimacy, doubt, and regret, and the arrangements are similarly bold and thoughtful, augmenting the duo’s rich, hypnotic chamber folk with electronic flourishes and R&B grooves.

  

  Enterprise Earth

  The Chosen

  MNRK

  Enterprise Earth, a band committed to brutal audio onslaught and proficient excellence, carves out personal meaning from the darkness on The Chosen. Here they conjure self-determination and iconoclastic independence in the deathcore genre, while lead vocalist Dan Watson continues to grow in terms of both delivery and range, bringing his signature heartfelt, emotive lyrics.

  
  Tweet
  
  Read More

• New Release Round-Up 01-21-22

  

  John Mellencamp - Strictly A One-Eyed Jack - Republic
  John Mellencamp's 25th studio album, Strictly A One-Eyed Jack, is released this week on Republic Records. The album was written and produced by Mellencamp, recorded at his Belmont Mall Studios in Indiana, and recorded/mixed by GRAMMY-award winner David Leonard. It features a number of longtime band members including Andy York, Dane Clark, Mike Wanchic, Troye Kinnett, and more. It also features three collaborations with Bruce Springsteen including the landmark duet “Wasted Days.”
  
  

  

  Greensky Bluegrass - Stress Dreams - Big Blue Zoo Records
  For two decades now, Greensky Bluegrass has been building an empire, brick by brick. Their eighth studio release, Stress Dreams was produced by Dominic Davis (Jack White) and Grammy winning engineer/producer Glenn Brown amidst the 2020 pandemic. It follows their 2019 release, All for Money, which landed on the Top 100 at the Billboard Albums Chart, Top 20 at Independent Albums and Current Country Albums, Top 10 at Americana/Folk Albums Top 5 at Heatseekers, and #1 at Bluegrass Albums. Greensky is widely known for their dazzling live performances and relentless touring schedule. As with traditional bluegrass, the band writes about their own contemporary day-to-day happenings, emotions, and experiences in the modern world. Their die-hard fans pack out venues across the country. They travel in droves and sell out multiple-night show runs at iconic venues like Red Rocks and The Ryman.  
  
    

  ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
  
  Years & Years - Night Call
  Billy Talent - Crisis Of Faith
  Ghost - Hunter's Moon [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Blood Red Vinyl Single]
  Keb' Mo' - Good To Be...
  Penny & Sparrow - Olly Olly
  SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE - THE DOOR [Limited Edition Cloudy Teal Vinyl]
  SYML - Sacred Spaces [Limited Edition Gold LP]
  Aoife O'Donovan - Age Of Apathy
  Miles Kane - Change The Show
  Various Artists - Annie Live! Original Soundtrack of the Live Television Event on NBC
  Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself: 25th Anniversary Edition [2LP]
  Boris - W
  Walker Hayes - Country Stuff The Album
  El Camino Acid - Sunset Motel
  Various Artists - Urban Cowboy [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Opaque Blue 2LP]
  Ramones - Rocket To Russia [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Clear LP]
  Quincy Jones - $ (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Mint Green LP]
  Bad Company - Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy: The Very Best Of Bad Company [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Clear 2LP]
  Various Artists - Blade Runner Black Lotus (Original Television Soundtrack)
  Bomba Estereo - Deja
  King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Butterfly 3001 [Indie Exclusive limited Edition 2 LP]
  
  
  & More .....
  

  For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
  
  

  UPCOMING RELEASES

  

  The Weeknd - Dawn FM - XO Records
  Dawn FM is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd. The album is narrated by Jim Carrey, and features guest appearances from Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne. The production was handled by The Weeknd himself alongside Oneohtrix Point Never-who produced the majority of the tracks-as well as Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Calvin Harris, and Swedish House Mafia, among others. The album serves as a follow-up to The Weeknd's fourth studio album, After Hours (2020).
  
  

  

  Bad Suns - Apocalypse Whenever - Epitaph
  Bad Suns sound - dreamy '80s pastiche flanked by Stratocasters through cranked Vox amps, pulsing synths, and palpable rhythmic energy - that endeared listeners to the band in the first place, and their fourth LP, Apocalypse Whenever, uses that musical foundation as the jumping-off point for their next evolution. Conceived as "the soundtrack to a movie that doesn't yet exist," the 13-track album, helmed by longtime producer Eric Palmquist (MUTEMATH, Thrice) at his Palmquist Studios and the band's North Hollywood rehearsal spot, is more conceptually rigorous than anything they've ever attempted - but no less compelling or accessible. "We also knew we wanted the album to have a through-line, a story from beginning to end," frontman Christo Bowman explains, so the band did what any good directors would: They assembled a mood board, filtering their neo-noir version of Los Angeles through the dreamlike haziness of author Haruki Murakami, the futuristic flair of Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Blade Runner, and the lifted cinematography of Spike Jonze's HER. These disparate influences don't just offer APOCALYPSE WHENEVER an expanded palette of sonic choices to color Bad Sun's airtight hooks - they help give the songs an emotional complexity that works on a multitude of levels depending on how listeners choose to receive them.
  
  

  

  Eels - Extreme Witchcraft - E Works / PIAS
  Eels have had one of the most consistently acclaimed careers in music. The ever-changing project of principal singer/songwriter E (Mark Oliver Everett), Eels have released thirteen studio albums since their 1996 debut, Beautiful Freak. During the height of the pandemic lockdown in early 2021, E got an out of the blue message from Mark Romanek, director of the first Eels video, "Novocaine For the Soul". It triggered him to reach out to John Parish, who was in between numerous projects and immediately got to work in his HonorSound studio in Bristol and began sending ideas to E. "I'd sneak out of bed at 4 in the morning to hear the latest thing John had sent, and try to add my part to it and get it back to him quickly before my 4 year old son woke up," E says. The resulting album is Extreme Witchcraft.  
  
    

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• What's New 1-14-22

  

  The Lumineers

  Brightside

  Dulatone

  Coming off the success of their darkly cinematic third record III, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites' latest work is their most spontaneous and joyous yet, featuring their ever-more-sophisticated songwriting and arranging and production from longtime producer and friend Simone Felice. Touching on themes of love and American life, the album features the foot-stomping, anthemic, arena-filling sound the band has become beloved for worldwide.

  

  Bonobo

  Fragments

  Ninja Tune

  It’s no surprise that while being Simon Green’s most emotionally intense record, Fragments is also his masterpiece. The album features Jamila Woods, Joji, Kadhja Bonet, Jordan Rakei, O’Flynn and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. Born first out of fragments of ideas and experimentation, the album ultimately was fused together in a burst of creativity fueled by both collaboration and Green’s escape into the wild.

  

  Jamestown Revival

  Young Man

  Jamestown Revival Recordings

  Young Man is their first project without electric guitars, with the emphasis instead on skillful songwriting, flawless harmony, and intricate fingerpicking. Sonically the album draws on inspirations such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, yet there’s also a dusty Western feel, similar to a Guy Clark or Townes Van Zandt album where the detailed backdrop and acoustic arrangements convey the story as eloquently as the lyrics do.

  

  Tkay Maidza

  Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3

  4AD

  ARIA & BET nominated artist, Tkay Maidza has announced the highly anticipated follow up to 2020’s breakout Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2, which earned the #1 Best EP of the Year nod from The Needle Drop. Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3 completes Tkay’s trilogy and will feature another round of eight plush, laid-back songs that effortlessly mix pop, rap, R&B, and reggae.

  

  Elvis Costello

  The Boy Named If

  Capitol

  The Boy Named If is an album of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, stinging guitar solos, and a quick step to the rhythm. Costello says, “The full title of this record is ‘The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories).’ ‘IF’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own.”

  

  Cat Power

  Covers

  Domino

  From Billie Holiday to Iggy Pop, Chan Marshall reaches back to songs that have affected her from childhood to the present, connecting each with a deeply personal memory. Alongside covers of rock-and-roll icons, Marshall brings her inimitable vocal power and elegant arrangements to songs by contemporary artists, capturing the defiance of Dead Man’s Bones’ “Pa Pa Power” and the dreaminess of Lana Del Rey’s “A White Mustang.”

  

  Knocked Looser

  A Tear In The Fabric Of Life

  Pure Noise

  A Tear In The Fabric Of Life is a balancing act: a mid-length EP with grand ambitions and scope, one full of new sonic elements and a cohesive aesthetic that hangs onto the band’s trademark anthemic delivery. The songs speak to each other in a language that’s equal parts Phil Spector and death metal while balancing the tension between technical mastery and catchiness. This is Knocked Loose, distilled, and taking a leap.

  
  Tweet
  
  Read More

• New Release Round-Up 01-14-22

  

  Punch Brothers - Hell on Church Street - Nonesuch
  Hell on Church Street, Punch Brothers’ newest album, out this week on Nonesuch Records, is the band’s reimagining of, and homage to, the late bluegrass great Tony Rice’s landmark solo album Church Street Blues. The record features a collection of songs by Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Bill Monroe, and others. Recorded at Nashville’s Blackbird Studio in November 2020, during a time of great uncertainty, Hell on Church Street was intended as both its own work of art and a gift to Rice, who died that Christmas. Punch Brothers said of Tony Rice and Church Street Blues: “No record (or musician) has had a greater impact on us, and we felt compelled to cover it in its entirety, with the objective of interacting with it in the same spirit of respect-fueled adventure that Tony brought to each of its pre-existing songs.”
  
  

  ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
  
  Cat Power - Covers [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Gold LP] 
  Bonobo - Fragments [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red Marbled 2LP] 
  
  The Lumineers - Brightside [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Oceania LP]
  Underoath - Voyeurist [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Golden Age LP]
  Jeff Tweedy - Chelsea Walls
  The Kernal - Listen To The Blood
  Grace Cummings - Storm Queen
  Elvis Costello & The Imposters - The Boy Named If
  The Wombats - Fix Yourself, Not The World
  Garcia Peoples - Dodging Dues
  Richard Carpenter - Richard Carpenter’s Piano Songbook
  Mary Lattimore - Collected Pieces: 2015-2020
  Jamestown Revival - Young Man
  Killing Joke - Killing Joke (2003) [Limited Edition Translucent Purple 2 LP]
  The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath [Limited Edition White, Gold & Glow In The Dark 3LP]
  Fit For An Autopsy - Oh What The Future Holds
  Skillet - Dominion
  Smoke DZA - A Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Gold LP]
  Smoke DZA & Curren$y - Prestige Worldwide [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Cerulean Marble LP]
  Otis Redding - The Best Of Otis Redding [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Translucent Blue LP]
  The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Translucent Green LP]
  Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Translucent Blue LP]
  Miles Davis & Michel Legrand - Dingo: Selections from the Motion Picture Soundtrack [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Red LP]
  
  
  & More .....
  

  For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
  
  

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• New Release Round-Up 01-07-22

  OUT THIS WEEK
  
  Tom Morello - The Atlas Underground Flood 
  
  
  Sparks - Annette (Unlimited Edition)
  Corrosion Of Conformity - Blind
  Various Artists - Lost In Translation [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition LP]
  David Bowie - Toy (Toy:Box) [6 10in LP Box Set]
  Aretha Franklin - Sparkle [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Crystal Clear LP]
  Various Artists - Juno [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Neon Green LP]
  A-Ha - Hunting High & Low [SYEOR 2022 Limited Edition Green LP]
  Vic Chesnutt - Ghetto Bells: Reissue [Limited Edition Brown and Black Split Color 2LP]
  Sam Cooke - Portrait Of A Legend 1951-1964 [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear LP]
  My Morning Jacket - Okonokos: Deluxe [Colored 4 LP]
  Christine And The Queens - La Vita Nuova EP
  The Tea Party - The Tea Party
  Lonely Guest - Lonely Guest
  
  
  
  & More .....
  

  For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
  
  

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• Now Hear This! - January 2022

  Jacob Bryant Bar Stool Preacher American Roots Records Buy Now After losing his mother in 2010, the budding singer-songwriter battled depression and anxiety, self-medicated with alcohol and cocaine and ultimately suffered a heart attack at the age of 19, but he transformed the pain into passion. As Bryant explains, "Music is healing. As simple as that sounds, the process of creating my art about life experiences I have had is my therapy." Pip Blom Welcome Break Heavenly/PIAS Buy Now Pip Blom's self-assured sophomore release is not afraid to speak out, take lead and instigate a liberated revolution-come-bliss-out. Actively seeking out moments of creative-authenticity, be it via a slightly-out-of-tune guitar or proudly-fuzzed vocals, Welcome Break goes full-circle within its eleven-tracks, resonating with about as much decisive allure as its precursor, but this time with a bit more contemporary chaos to boot. Jelly Roll Ballads of The Broken Broken Bow Buy Now On Ballads, Jelly Roll, the genre-bending singer/songwriter/rapper dives deeper into his current season of life and his growth—personally and sonically, marking the first time he does not rap on any track of the album. Says Jelly, "Pain is an international language—everybody shares it to some degree— being out on the road and meeting fans, I've learned that the more open you are in talking about it, the more people can relate to it." Grace Cummings Storm Queen ATO Buy Now Grace Cummings's second album Storm Queen has its own unruly climate, governed only by the singular force of her devastating vocals. Over the course of 11 feverishly composed folk songs, the Melbourne-based singer/songwriter explores a vast and volatile emotional landscape, approaching each track with both exquisite control and unfettered abandon. John Mellencamp Strictly A One-Eyed Jack Republic Buy Now John Mellencamp's 25th studio album was written and produced by Mellencamp, recorded at his Belmont Mall Studios in Indiana, and recorded/mixed by GRAMMY-award winner David Leonard. It features a number of longtime band members while also featuring three collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, including the landmark duet "Wasted Days." Ed Sheeran = Atlantic Buy Now The fourth installment in Sheeran's symbol album series, =, is Ed's most accomplished work yet. A body of songs that were made over a four-year period following his seminal ÷ album era, thematically, =finds Ed taking stock of his life and the people in it, as he explores the varying degrees of love, loss, resilience and fatherhood, while also processing his reality and career. Brandi Carlile In These Silent Days Elektra Buy Now Inspired by the mining of her own history while writing this year's #1 New York Times Best Selling memoir Broken Horses, In These Silent Days chronicles acceptance, faith, loss and love and channel icons like David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Elton John and Joni Mitchell - the latter two who, by some sort of cosmic alignment of the stars, have turned out to be close friends in addition to being her biggest heroes and inspirations. Mammoth WVH Mammoth WVH Kartel Buy Now Mammoth WVH is the debut, self-titled album of Mammoth WVH – the band created by Wolfgang Van Halen. In addition to writing and singing every song, remarkably Wolfgang plays every instrument. "The name Mammoth is really special to me." says Wolf. "Not only was it the name of Van Halen before it became Van Halen, but my father was also the lead singer. Ever since my dad told me this, I always thought that when I grew up, I'd call my own band Mammoth, because I loved the name so much." ABBA Voyage Capitol Buy Now One of the most successful music groups of all time returns with their first new material from since December of 1982. Accompanying the album will be a concert series that will see singers Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad and instrumentalists/songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus performing digitally via avatars with a live 10-piece band in a purpose-built arena in London in Spring of 2022. Halsey If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power Captiol Buy Now Halsey's fourth studio album If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power is a career-defining body of work. Produced By Trent Reznor And Atticus Ross, the album is a bold concept record that pushes creative boundaries. If I Can't HaveLove follows Manic, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Albums chart. *Available on Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear Orange Vinyl.* Femi Kuti & Made Kuti Legacy+ Partisan Records Buy Now The legendary Afrobeat originator Fela Kuti's legacy spans decades and genres, touching on jazz, pop, funk, hip-hop, rock, and beyond. While this impact can be felt in Nigeria and the entire world, it also greatly affected Fela's sons Femi and Made, both of whom carry his legacy as torchbearers for change. These two albums from Femi and Made, now packaged together as Legacy+, are steeped in the tradition of Afrobeat invented by Fela, while also offering their own unique vision. Low Hey What Sub Pop Buy Now The ten pieces of Hey What—each built around their own instantaneous, undeniable hook—are turbocharged by the vivid textures that surround them. The ineffable, familiar harmonies of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker break through the chaos like a life raft. Layers of distorted sound accrete with each new verse - building, breaking, colossal then restrained, a solemn vow only whispered. Nick Cave Carnage AWAL Buy Now The first studio album from Nick Cave & Warren Ellis outside of the Bad Seeds and their many collaborations, Carnage developed amidst the downtime of a long, anxious, global emergency. Showcasing Cave & Ellis' typical sonic and lyrical adventurism shot through with moments of distilled beauty resonating with an almost defiant sense of hope, Carnage stands as a quintessential record for these uncertain times. Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) An Evening With Silk Sonic Atlantic Buy Now One late-night, mid-tour jam session in 2017 unlocked immediate chemistry between super stars Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. Years later, Bruno called Anderson: "Remember that idea we had? Let's do it." One studio session grew into to a months-long collaboration, culminating the "setlist of doom." The legendary Bootsy Collins (and "special guest host") christened them – and introduced the world to – Silk Sonic. Allison Russell Outside Child Fantasy Buy Now Born and raised in Montreal, Allison Russell imbues her music with the colors of her city – the light, the landscape, the language – but also the trauma that she suffered there. It is a heartbreaking reflection on a childhood no one should have to endure, and at the same time a powerful reclamation – asserted from a place of healing, of motherhood, of partnership – and from a new home made in Nashville. St. Vincent Daddy's Home Loma Vista Buy Now "It's stories of being down and out in downtown NYC. Last night's heels on the morning train. Glamour that's been up for three days straight," says Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent). "The album was inspired by the classic records of the 70's. Stevie, Sly, Stones, Steely Dan, Chords, Groove. The days when sophisticated harmony and rhythm didn't sound heady - they just sounded and felt good. Lots of guitar. But warm sounds, not distortion and chaos. Hopefully a turn nobody will see coming" Yola Stand For Myself Easy Eye Sound Buy Now Stand For Myself, produced by Dan Auerbach, is a sophisticated and diverse sonic mix of symphonic soul and classic pop, tracing an expansive musical thread to Yola's most eclectic musical inspirations. Her inimitable vocals share nuanced stories of allyship, black feminine strength through vulnerability, collective awakening and loving connection from the sexual to the social. For Yola, living is more than merely surviving. Arlo Parks Collapsed in Sunbeams Transgressive/PIAS Buy Now One of the albums of the year from London-based musician and poet Arlo Parks. It's a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding her adolescence and the people that shaped it. Heartbreak, beautiful poetry, betrayal and hope, all inspired by Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, Jim Morrison and Fela Kuti. One listen and you will fall in love, like when you first heard Frank Ocean, King Krule or Lilly Allen. Paul McCartney McCartney III Capitol Buy Now 50 years following the release of his self-titled first solo album McCartney, featuring the artist playing every instrument and writing and recording every song, Paul McCartney released McCartney III. An eclectic collection of spontaneous songs, it's a stripped back, self-produced and, quite literally, solo work marking the opening of a new decade, in the tradition of 1970's McCartney and 1980's McCartney II. Jon Batiste We Are Verve Buy Now We Areis a career-changing album from musician and activist Jon Batiste. 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. Featuring Mavis Staples, Zadie Smith, PJ Morton, Trombone Shorty, Kizzo, Autumn Rowe, Steve Jordan, and many more... One Night In Miami… Various Artists ABKCO Buy Now Tony-award and Grammy-award winner Leslie Odom Jr. Performs Sam Cooke's most celebrated repertoire in the film (directed by Regina King) and on the soundtrack album including "You Send Me," "Chain Gang," "Good Times" and "A Change Is Gonna Come." Apart from his performance of the Sam Cooke material, the soundtrack includes "Speak Now," a powerful original song co-written and performed by Odom. LISTEN HERE LISTEN HERE The Lumineers Brightside Dualtone Buy Now Coming off the success of their darkly cinematic third record III, Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites' latest work is their most spontaneous and joyous yet, featuring their ever-more-sophisticated songwriting and arranging and production from longtime producer and friend Simone Felice. Touching on themes of love and American life, the album features the foot-stomping, anthemic, arena-filling sound the band has become beloved for worldwide. The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a national level organization comprised of the best independent record stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995 with the goal of uniting like minded independent store owners, giving them a more powerful voice in the music industry. The stores that make up CIMS are all very different, but we share the same desires – to be the heart of our communities, to super-serve our customers, to support and develop artists, and to share our love of music. For more information about CIMS and the stores in our organization, please visit cimsmusic.com or find us through social media with the #cimsmusic hashtag. And please remember to always shop local by supporting your neighborhood record store.

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• New Release Round-Up 12-17-21

  

  Frank Zappa - 200 Motels: 50th Anniversary - UMe
  Frank Zappa's "200 Motels" turns 50! In celebration of FZ's famous 1971 "Surrealistic Documentary," Zappa Records, UMe, and MGM are pleased to present the original soundtrack newly remastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, and featuring all original packaging including the booklet and mini-replica movie poster. Pressed on 180-gram heavy vinyl 2 LP by Optimal Media in Germany.
  
  

  

  Kelley Stoltz - Antique Glow: Expanded Edition - Third Man Records.
  Third Man Records is proud to release the 20th anniversary expanded edition of Kelley Stoltz's defining album 'Antique Glow.' Originally self-released in miniscule vinyl-only quantities in 2001, 'Antique Glow' has served not only as a template for the length of Kelley Stoltz's twenty-plus year career, but has also served as a compass for other Anglophile, TASCAM 388 home recording acolytes.  Original copies featured Stoltz's clever, wry and fanciful hand-painted adornments overtop reclaimed thrift store LP jackets, Third Man's release here utilizes some of those original unused images for a die-cut sleeve that ultimately gives the listener six different possible album covers. The songs are by and large masterpieces of bedroom pop magic. From the whispering 'Here Comes the Sun'-adjacent acoustic underpinnings of album opener 'Perpetual Night' through the fuzz-threaded leads of 'Are You Electric?' Stoltz's inspirations are impeccable and clear. Sixties Davies British Invasion through 80's British Bunnymen post-punk, with appropriate off-shoots into West Coast American pop-psych, Velvets-indebted hooliganism and Drake/CSNY acoustic attenuations, the end result is pure joy. On the expanded version, standout tracks previously relegated to an Australian tour-only CD (like the breathlessly cinematic 'Old Pictures') see their first-ever vinyl and digital release while there's an additional 8 songs from the 'Antique Glow'-era seeing their first ever release in any format. The cutting room floor quality here is second-to-none, Stoltz clearly gifted with the curse of writing too many indelible songs, so the newly released 'Too Beck' (originally cast off by Kelley because he thought 'it sounded too much like Beck') and 'Umbrella' stand firm as some of the best, most timeless music Stoltz has ever released... a full two decades after he recorded them! With all instruments and vocals performed by Stoltz, the singularity of vision here is impeccably clear and executed.
  
    

  ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
  
  Bo Burnham - INSIDE (The Songs)
  Elbow - Flying Dream 1 [Indie Exclusive limited Edition Green LP]
  Brian Wilson - At My Piano
  Amanda Shires - For Christmas
  Eddie Vedder - Long Way [Limited Edition Vinyl Single]
  FUZZ - LEVITATION Sessions [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Green with Heavy Purple Splatter LP]
  Lin-Manuel Miranda, Germaine Franco, Encanto - Cast - Encanto (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  Demi Lovato - Dancing With The Devil...The Art of Starting Over
  NCT - The 3rd Album 'Universe' [Photobook Ver.]
  SING 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Illusory Walls [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Clear 2LP]
  Ween - At the Cat's Cradle, 1992
  Stubbs The Zombie: The Soundtrack [Indie Exclusive Black/Green Splatter LP]
  The Zoo - Presents Chocolate Moose [RSD Essential Indie Colorway Spearmint Green LP]
  Federal Duck - Federal Duck [RSD Essential Indie Colorway Orange LP]
  Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon III: The Chosen
  Logic - Bobby Tarantino III
  Morgan Wallen - Dangerous: The Double Album [Double Cassette]
  
  
  & More .....
  

  For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
  
  

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• SAVE THE DATE!

  

  We're looking forward to the 15th annual celebration of the brick-and-mortar record store, the people inside those walls, and the music, art and entertainment you take home from them. We can't wait for Record Store Day, the party that's become the Largest Single Day Music Event In The World. Record Store Day is April 23, 2022

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• What's New 12-10-21

  

  Common

  Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2

  Loma Vista

  The continuation of Common's movement music, Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2 recognizes there is much work to be done while acknowledging progress and starting to live our dreams. As Common puts it, "Something kept telling me to focus on the good and the things I wanted to see in the world. Music is one of the things that gives me hope and happiness." *Limited Edition Indie Exclusive Signed CD*

  

  Green Day

  BBC Sessions

  Warner

  Between1994 to 2001, Green Day would visit the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in London four times and record live sessions for Radio 1’s “Evening Show” and its popular DJ Steve Lamacq. This compilation documents those sessions, and includes many of the band’s hits including “When I Come Around”, “Basket Case”, “Brain Stew/Jaded” and “Minority”. *Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Milky Clear 2x Vinyl*

  

  Neil Young & Crazy Horse

  Barn

  Republic

  This musical family has played together for a half century, yet they continue creating elegant romantic acoustic ballads, powerhouse electric rockers and insightful rollicking tunes that stick with you. Neil and Crazy Horse fans have long shouted for “more barn” and here it is… 10 new songs that capture the wild, rock and roll spirit, the idiosyncratic raw sound and the lyrical beauty that epitomizes a classic NYCH collaboration.

  

  Aeon Station

  Observatory

  Sub Pop

  Longtime Wrens member Kevin Whelan's first solo album draws heavily from the perseverance of the soul, resulting in an infectious and inspiring sonic uplift -- the kind of overpowering songwriting that will reaffirm your belief in life itself. If you're familiar with Whelan's past work, these ten tracks bear a certain and unmistakable familiarity, but also mark an exciting new chapter as he steps out with more vulnerability than ever before.

  

  Loney Hutchins

  Buried Loot: Demos from the House of Cash and Outlaw Era, ’73 - ’78

  Appalachia Record Co.

  This archival project compiles previously unheard recordings from 80-plus hours of tape saved through the years by Appalachian music great Loney Hutchins. In addition to his vast catalog of traditional country music, there are songs never before heard by Hazel Smith and Helen Carter, as well as Johnny Cash penned tunes recorded for the first time. It’s an extraordinary time capsule from an amazing era of creativity in country music.

  
  Tweet
  
  Read More

• New Release Round-Up 12-10-21

  

  Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Barn - Reprise
  Barn, the new Neil Young & Crazy Horse album was recorded in a remote, restored, 19th century log barn. This musical family has played together for a half century, yet they continue creating new music. Neil and the Horse fans have long shouted for “more barn” and here it is… 10 new songs that capture the wild, rock and roll spirit, the idiosyncratic raw sound and the lyrical beauty that epitomizes a classic NYCH collaboration. The last song appeared on the last morning and was recorded just an hour later during a pounding hailstorm and during the full moon. The album was recorded this summer over a handful of days. The ten new songs encompass all that Neil Young with Crazy Horse are known for, beautiful romantic acoustic ballads, powerhouse electric rockers and insightful rollicking tunes that stick with you. Niko Bolas was parked adjacent to the barn, in an exquisite analog mobile recording truck, Le Mobile ready to capture and mix the album on the spot. 
  
    

  

  Green Day - BBC Sessions - Warner Records
  Between 1994 to 2001, Green Day would visit the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios in London four times and record live sessions for Radio 1’s “Evening Show” and its popular DJ Steve Lamacq. This compilation documents those sessions, and includes many of the band’s hits including “When I Come Around”, “Basket Case”, “Brain Stew/Jaded” and “Minority”.
  
    

  

  The Band - Cahoots: 50th Anniversary Edition - Capitol
  The Band celebrates the 50th Anniversary of their fourth studio album Cahoots with an all-new remix and remaster by Bob Clearmountain. The Super Deluxe Box includes the new stereo mix, bonus tracks and a previously unreleased bootleg concert at Olympia Theatre, Paris 1971, on 2 CDs. Also included, is a surround-sound Blu-ray, a 180g half-speed master LP, a 7" single, booklet, all-new liner notes and collectable lithographs.
  
  

  

  Brian Wilson - At My Piano - DECCA
  Genius, icon, trailblazer - he revolutionized music as head of the Beach Boys. Now, legend Brian Wilson retraces his steps and reimagines the most iconic songs from his back catalogue into their purest form, him alone at the piano. Featuring God Only Knows, Wouldn't it Be Nice, California Girls, Good Vibrations and many more on solo piano.
  
    

  ALSO OUT THIS WEEK
  
  Common - A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2
  Lady Gaga - Born This Way: The Tenth Anniversary [3LP]
  John Carpenter & Chvrches - Turning The Bones (Chvrches Remix) [Blue/Pink/Clear Marble Swirl 7in Vinyl]
  Rival Sons - Pressure & Time: 10th Anniversary [Indie Exclusive limited Edition Opaque Light Pink LP]
  Les Claypool's Duo De Twang - Four Foot Shack [Golden Nugget Edition 2LP]
  Spoon - Wild/Wild Remix [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Vinyl Single]
  Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation: 10th Anniversary Edition
  Dear Laika - Pluperfect Mind [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
  Four Year Strong - Brain Pain: Deluxe
  Toby Keith - Peso In My Pocket
  Billy Cobb - Zerwee EP [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Blue LP]
  Billy Cobb - Zerwee Pt. 2 [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Blue/White Galaxy LP]
  Steve Earle - Townes [Limited Edition Clear 2LP]
  Superchunk - Endless Summer b/w When I Laugh [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Green Vinyl Single]
  DMX - DMX: The Legacy [2LP]
  Monsta X - The Dreaming
  Various Artists - Licorice Pizza (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red 2LP]
  Dorothy - What's Coming To Me/Rest In Peace [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Vinyl Single]
  Sun Ra - Omniverse [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
  Chuck Prophet - No Other Love [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Red Splatter LP]
  Émoi - Willy's Wonderland (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Orange/Black Swirl LP]
  Freeze - Rabid Reaction [Indie Exclusive limited Edition LP]
  Gladiators - 1983 - THE NIGHTHAWK EP [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Opaque Red Green and Yellow Vinyl]
  Swirlies - They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days In The Glittering World Of The Salons [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition LP]
  Clairo - Sling [Indie Exclusive Limited Edition Black & White Swirl LP]
  The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy [Limited Edition Pink LP]
  Various Artists - West Side Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  
  
  
  & More .....
  

  For more information on these and other releases out this week, check out our New Releases charts by week section.
  
  

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• Now Hear This - December 2021

  (Optional) This text will appear in the inbox preview, but not the email body. Lucinda Williams Lu's Jukebox Vol. 5: Have Yourself A Rockin' Little Christmas Highway 20 Records Buy Now Have yourself a rockin' little christmas with Lucinda Williams this winter with the 5th installation of Lu's Jukebox— a six-volume series of mostly full-band performances recorded live at Ray Kennedy's Room & Board Studio in Nashville, TN. Each volume features a themed set of songs by other artists (Bob Dylan, Tom Petty), all curated by the multi-Grammy award winner, Williams. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Georgia Blue Southeastern Records Buy Now "On election day 2020, when I saw that there was a good chance the state of Georgia might go blue, I came up with an idea: to record an album of Georgia-related songs as a thank you to the state and donate the money to a Georgia based non-profit organization. I hope you enjoy listening to these recordings as much as we enjoyed making them. Keep listening to good music and fighting the good fight." Geese Projector Partisan Records Buy Now Geese's songs are born from a central ambition: make music by any means necessary. Curiously alien, yet strangely familiar, the band's debut album, Projector, is a product of five teenagers whose love of music touches every part of their lives: their restless anxiety about their futures, and their pent-up frustration with their present-a perspective all too familiar in today's uncertain world. Jason Boland & The Stragglers The Light Saw Me Proud Souls Buy Now Hidden behind the grandeur of its storyline, The Light Saw Me's message is a universal one: everyone and everything is connected by love. In classic Boland fashion, he tackles stories and themes that are integral to his writing beyond his world-class use of metaphors, like who we are, where we're going, and whether love is something that people feel internally or just connected to consciousness and humans' fear of their own mortality. Jeff Parker Forfolks Nonesuch Buy Now Parker's new album of solo guitar works includes interpretations of Thelonious Monk's "Ugly Beauty" and the standard "My Ideal," plus six original compositions including "Four Folks" and "La Jetée" (a tune he recorded with Isotope 217 in 1997 and with Tortoise in 1998). The four totally new original compositions are loop-driven, stratiform works that marry melodic improvisation with electronic textures. Aaliyah Ultimate Aaliyah Empire Buy Now Ultimate Aaliyah is the second and final compilation album by R&B singer Aaliyah. Originally released by Blackground Records in only the UK, Australia, and Japan, the 2005 double album features one disc of Aaliyah's greatest hits and one disc entitled "Are You Feelin' Me?" containing material from soundtracks and featured work with labelmate Timbaland. Bill Charlap Trio Street of Dreams Blue Note Buy Now GRAMMY-winning pianist Bill Charlap returns to Blue Note with a sublime new album featuring his sterling trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington. This stunning new set presents the Great American Songbook alongside songs by great jazz composers including Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, and Kenny Burrell. Bruce Cockburn Greatest Hits 1970 – 2020 True North Records Buy Now The consummate collection curated by Bruce Cockburn himself, presents 30 songs over a double album that defines the acclaimed singer-songwriters' 50 year career. These songs are both the ones that shot to the top of the charts when they were released, and also are the fan favorites most often requested at Bruce's concerts. With over 125 minutes of music, and notes on each song by the artist. Claptone Closer Different Buy Now Featuring pop icons including Barry Manilow, Seal, James Vincent McMorrow, Closer has been three years in the making. The album has been co-produced by Stuart Price, the three-time Grammy-winning electronic musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer known for his work with artists such as Madonna, The Killers, Dua Lipa and Pet Shop Boys. Bria Cuntry Covers Vol. 1 Sub Pop Buy Now Catapulted by a deep sense of dread and confusion in the depths of 2020, Bria Salmena decided to forgo writing her own music. "I wanted to listen for what might reflect my life back to me," she says, "six tracks that could be my mirror." The result is a pointillistic knockout of an EP that weaves a landscape both luscious and a little rogue; showing us exactly what good songs can do.  Andy Shauf Wilds ANTI Buy Now Few artists are storytellers as deft and disarmingly observational as Andy Shauf. The Toronto-based, Saskatchewan-raised musician's songs unfold like short fiction: they're densely layered with colorful characters and a rich emotional depth. Like he's done throughout his career, Shauf wrote, performed, arranged, and produced every song on his new album Wilds at his studio space in the west end of Toronto. LISTEN HERE LISTEN HERE The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) is a national level organization comprised of the best independent record stores in America. CIMS was founded in 1995 with the goal of uniting like minded independent store owners, giving them a more powerful voice in the music industry. The stores that make up CIMS are all very different, but we share the same desires – to be the heart of our communities, to super-serve our customers, to support and develop artists, and to share our love of music. For more information about CIMS and the stores in our organization, please visit cimsmusic.com or find us through social media with the #cimsmusic hashtag. And please remember to always shop local by supporting your neighborhood record store.

  Tweet
  
  Read More

• What's New 12-3-21

  

  Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

  All The Good Times

  Acony

  After a devastating tornado ravaged Nashville in the Spring of 2020 making their studio unusable, immediately followed by a global pandemic shutting down their community and touring livelihood, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were able to find the inspiration to set up recording equipment in their home living room and record 10 performances of some of their favorite songs from the likes of John Prine (“Hello In There”), Bob Dylan (“Abandoned Love”), Norman Blake (“Ginseng Sullivan”), and more.

  

  Ice Nine Kills

  Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2

  Fearless Records

  True to horror franchise tradition, there is always a sequel... Welcome To Horrorwood: The Silver Scream 2 follows in the bloody footsteps of its predecessor, paying tribute to 13 more of the most gruesome tales to ever grace the silver screen. In this latest INK offering, a storyline thrusts the band into a brutal “real world” slaying. The only traces of the crime are 13 songs left behind by the suspected killer.

  
  Tweet
  
  Read More
View All News Articles Follow News Via RSS

Free Stuff

EDDIE VEDDER - Free Buttons & Postcard Set