10/1 New Release CDs

Daptone celebrates 20 years of soulful music with the release of The Daptone Super Soul Revue "LIVE at the Apollo". Performed and recorded over three nights in front of a sold-out crowd at The World Famous Theater in Harlem, NY (December 4th - 6th, 2014), this album brings the electrifying performances that helped put Daptone on the map directly to your living room! Featuring live sets from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, Antibalas, The Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, Saun & Starr, The Sugarman 3, as well as our em-cee, Binky Griptite. This album is lovingly dedicated to the memory of our dear friends Sharon, Charles, Naomi, and Cliff.

2021 release. Asking Alexandria is teaming up for the first time with Better Noise Music for their seventh studio album, See What's On the Inside. Asking Alexandria is returning with a revival and a rebirth after spending the winter of 2021 living in the studio, the first time band had spent a period alone together writing and recording in over a decade. The product is the truest album by the band yet.

Brandi Carlile's new album, In These Silent Days, October 2021 via Low Country Sound/Elektra Records. It's the follow-up to her 2018 album By The Way, I Forgive You, and she recorded it at Nashville's RCA Studio A with producers Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. Tim Hanseroth (vocals, bass), Phil Hanseroth (vocals, guitar), Cobb (guitar, percussion), Jennings (piano, organ, synth), Chris Powell (drums, percussion), and Josh Neumann (strings) all appear on the album, and Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius make a guest appearance, adding backing vocals to "You And Me On The Rock."

Rock icon and multi-instrumentalist Roger Taylor introduces his new solo album Outsider. With much of Outsider recorded during lockdown, this new album finds Taylor in a reflective mood, conveying a palpable sense of isolation, concerns over the passing of time, and tellingly dedicated "to all the outsiders, those who feel left on the sidelines". A highly personal project, Outsider's instrumentation is almost entirely performed by Taylor, with his vocals matching the mood-piece atmosphere.

JW Francis burst onto the scene with his critically acclaimed debut ‘We Share a Similar Joy’, with features from DIY and Line of Best Fit to being named Album of The Day on BBC 6 Music. His warm, affable melodies and comforting lyrics earned him fans on both sides of the Atlantic, and now he returns with his sophomore album WANDERKID, a concept album about a wandering anti-hero. WANDERKID hones in on JW’s dreamy soundscapes and explores themes of escapism, whilst still maintaining that sense of comfort and intimacy so beautifully demonstrated in his debut. To celebrate the release, JW is going on a 2,000 mile walking journey across the Eastern United States along the Appalachian Trail. With WANDERKID, JW Francis is further cementing his place as a future stalwart in the alternative New York scene.

To say In Heaven is about conquering grief would be oversimplifying everything Tim Showalter has achieved on the eighth studio album from Strand of Oaks. A stunning, hopeful reflection on love, loss, and enlightenment, In Heaven is a triumph in music making, and a preeminent addition to the Strand of Oaks discography.

In late 2018, Showalter’s wife, Sue, lost her mother in a car accident. Soon after, Stan, the cat they both adored, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Showalter quit drinking so he could take better care of his wife and help rebuild the life they shared. And within months, they decided to pack up and move across the country from Philadelphia to Austin, Texas. It was an irrational decision made at the height of a terrible time, but it’s one that shaped so much of what In Heaven is about.

In Heaven was recorded in October 2020 with Kevin Ratterman at Invisible Creature in Los Angeles. Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket) is featured on guitar throughout the record, while James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins) contributed vocals and guitar for “Easter.” Bo Koster (MMJ, Roger Waters) provided keyboards, Cedric LeMoyne (Alanis Morrissette, Remy Zero) bass, Scott Moore violin, and Ratterman monstrous drums. Showalter also played a lot of synth on this record, which he hasn’t done since 2014’s HEAL. With clean sounds, Jeff Lynne-esque acoustics, and sophisticated songwriting, he approached In Heaven in a more poised and pop-leaning way than his past releases.

“I wanted to strive for something greater than what I thought I was capable of.”

The result is something extraordinary, as Showalter has crafted a poignant narrative that transcends his personal experiences and achieves a universality rooted not only in loss but joy, celebration, and newfound strength. The gorgeous opener “Galacticana” finds him telling us “I don’t want to drag you down,” a reassurance that his intentions lie in uplifting. But there’s a duality present throughout In Heaven that is palpable, as felt on “Easter,” an exuberant pop anthem featuring jaunty guitar and ethereal vocals courtesy of Iha, that both celebrates Showalter’s new life and references his efforts to “stop the boat from sinking.” It’s a powerful sentiment echoed in slow burner “Hurry,” which showcases some exceptional shredding by Broemel, and beyond, as Showalter explores mortality and a heightened sense of his own existence, intensified by a world where he no longer uses alcohol to cope.

Pairing smart, imaginative lyrics and striking arrangements, tracks like “Carbon” and its magnificent violin stand out, as does “Sister Saturn” with its funky, sinuous groove, and the sublime “Horses at Night,” which features one of Showalter’s most exquisite melodies to date. There’s also a discernible current running through In Heaven of homage to some notable losses in music—John Prine, Jeff Buckley, and Jimi Hendrix all play a part—for In Heaven is about moving beyond sadness or anger to a state of gratitude that we ever had these people to begin with. And while every song provides some clue to Showalter’s personal heaven, the jubilant “Jimi and Stan” says it all, wherein Hendrix and his beloved cat Stan are hanging out, going to shows, and looking at stars together.

And as our musical odyssey ends in the warm embrace of “Under Heaven,” the weight of everything Showalter has manifested—the beauty, and the sadness, and the immensity of it all—hits with tremendous impact. But any sense of hopelessness or melancholy yields to a different feeling entirely, just as he intended. Perhaps we’re feeling stronger, more prepared for something. Or maybe it’s just a reminder: call your parents, text your friends, hug your pets. Listen to your favorite records. And think about what it means to be alive. 

Asleep At The Wheel is celebrating their 50th Anniversary with the release of Half A Hundred Years. The nineteen tracks feature original band members, current band members and guest artists. The special guest artists are Lyle Lovett, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris. Tracks 1 - 11 are new songs featuring the original band members. Tracks 12 -16 are old songs featuring the current band members and Asleep At The Wheel alumni. Tracks 17 - 19 are songs from the vaults that have never been released and track 14 features the current and the two previous female band members.

Etheridge stumbled upon these decades old songs/demos years ago while gathering materials for a retrospective box set. As she went through the songs, it brought her back to the start of her career and how they just weren't right for that particular time or album. Some of the tracks were written before she had even come out and never felt comfortable releasing them, but knew they would be perfect for the box set. In 2013, the singer found herself back at Henson Studios in Los Angeles with her original band (Fritz Lewak, John Shanks, Kevin McCormick) and would give these songs a new life. Shortly after she finished the records, she would part ways with her label and the box set was shelved. Melissa would begin working on new material and once again, those songs were set aside. That is, until 2020 when she was sorting through old files to share with fans on Etheridge TV's Friday Night Time Machine show. The time was finally right. Fans will finally get a deeper glimpse to who Melissa was then.

Austin indie folk duo make their Grand Jury debut with True Love. Recorded over winter 2020 in LA with Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Bon Iver, etc.). This album is about growth and nostalgia. Both band members got married. One had a kid. They’ve found themselves individually away from the band, but settling into their most creatively fertile moment as a duo. Artwork by Bradley Pinkerton (Harry Styles, The Weeknd, etc.).

2021 release, the sophomore album from platinum-certified singer, songwriter, and producer Jeremy Zucker.

Originally released in 2005 by Blackground Records, Libra is the sixth studio album by R&B superstar Toni Braxton, and marks her first release with the label. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold shortly after it's release. Featuring the Scott Storch produced single, "Please," the album marks a well-received return to form for Braxton, with a mix of impressive ballads and uptempo material, rich in serene and mellow tunes.

On December 4th 1970, Neil Young played two legendary solo acoustic shows at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The 23 songs in this set (2 LP & 2 CD) have been mixed from the original ¼ inch tapes by Young and Niko Bolas. This is the early show which has never been bootlegged or circulated, and is the first release in Neil’s new “Official Bootleg Series”.

The Specials, who enjoyed a triumphant 2019 with the release of the critically acclaimed Encore — their first #1 album, coming 40 years after they exploded onto the music scene and launched the 2 Tone movement — make a very timely return with the release of their new album, Protest Songs 1924-2012, through Island Records. The album features 12 singular takes on specially chosen protest songs across an almost 100-year span and shows The Specials are still pissed off.

Flying Lotus follows the release of his sweeping epic Flamagra and his Producer of the Year Grammy nomination for Thundercat's It Is What It Is, with an expansive original soundtrack for Netflix's new anime series, Yasuke.

Flying Lotus is the executive producer & composer of Yasuke, which retells the story of feudal Japan's first African samurai who served with Oda Nobunaga. The series is directed by LeSean Thomas, stars Lakeith Stanfield and features Takeshi Koike as its lead designer.

Flying Lotus' score for Yasuke is an unforgettable titan in his musical canon, drawing enhanced influence from prior instrumental and vocal works alike, while looking towards the future uncompromisingly. The music lies heavily steeped within the legacy of jazz and electronic instrumentation, with select feature appearances by longtime friends and collaborators: Thundercat, Denzel Curry and Niki Randa.

In Pond’s universe nothing stays still for long. Although no one who heard 2019’s “Tasmania” could possibly describe its pulsating psych - pop as straight, Pond wanted to try a more spontaneous way of working for their next record.

Taking a leaf out of krautrock outliers Can’s book, at the start of 2020, Pond embarked on a series of totally off-the-cuff jam sessions from which songs and ideas could be pulled out.

Given the pace at which ideas whizz past your head, it makes for a dizzying listen. Opener Song For Agnes explodes out the speakers like an intergalactic rock opera, running a synapse-tingling gauntlet through bubbling synth pop, 80s hair metal and blissed out saxophone before you know what’s hit you.

It’s an apposite curtain-raiser for an album that can encompass pounding techno (Human Touch), elastic hipped robo-funk (America’s Cup), tripped out motorik (Czech Locomotive) and acres more besides without even topping for breath. Take lead single Pink Lunettes, which opens up thumping like ESG eight hours into a session at Berghain before climbing aboard a gargantuan synthship and disappearing off over the horizon.

Lyrically, too, 9 takes Pond into uncharted territory. Allbrook’s songs here take a more impressionistic tack than before, resulting in both the hilarious one-liners within Human Touch’s gonzoid thrash (sample lyric: “she was jacking a car but she seemed quite nice so I let her use the toilet in my place”) and the social and environmental concerns of blissed out closer Toast, which addressed both last year’s bush fires and the appalling wealth divide in Allbrook’s childhood home in Western Australia.

Above all though, what you get from “9” is a sense of creative abandon and just plain fun. If it was only a fraction as enjoyable to make as it is to listen to then they must have been having a hoot.

Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) is the debut studio album by Polish extreme metallers Behemoth. Originally released in April 1995 by Pagan Records, it has since been re-released through numerous other labels as Behemoth's star has risen with each successive album.

Celebrating 10 years since they first recorded together, Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga returned to the studio for another collaboration featuring the very best of the Cole Porter Songbook. Continuing the musical legacy that began with “Lady Is A Tramp,” followed by the GRAMMY winning album, Cheek To Cheek, this new recording captures the evolution of the singular creative and personal relationship of these two world famous artists. Tony, who turns 95 on August 3, 2021, has spent over 7 decades dedicated to performing the Great American Songbook and Lady Gaga who, with Tony by her side, renewed her love of the popular standard and redefined herself in the process. The album features duets as well as solo performances by both artists accompanied by Tony Bennett’s quartet, The Brian Newman Quintet, along with big band and orchestral arrangements by Marion Evans and Jorge Callandrelli.

2021 release. For fans of Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Arena Rock! Meet Brothers-In-Arms, the brainchild of guitarist/composer Jack Frost, who along with several recruited iconic rock brothers, has made it his mission to prove rock music will never die. The guys unified to take a stand against the doubters and cynics who have claimed that it's simply not possible to resurrect this celebrated music in which so many lasting and fond memories were built around. Banding together, Jack & the Brothers forged ahead with one main goal: To make quality music that would both represent and immortalize the days of the sold-out legendary rock venues, to show the world that rock is not just a thing of the past. Featuring: Jack Frost (Savatage, Lizzy Borden, Seven Witches, Belladonna (Anthrax), Bronx Casket Company, Jean Beauvoir, Aldo Nova), Karl Wilcox (Diamond Head), Alex Jansen (session bass for Hardline), Charlie Calv (Angel, Shotgun Symphony, Bronx Casket Company) Special Guests: Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent), Mick Mahan (Pat Benatar) All-Star Vocalists, Keith St John (Kingdom Come, Montrose, Lynch Mob. Burning Rain), Andrew Freeman (Last in Line, Lynch Mob, Hurricane), Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot, King Kobra), Steve Overland (FM, Overland), Nick Walsh (SlikToxik), Jesse Damon (Silent Rage), Todd Poole (Roxy Blue, Saliva).

'Buena Vista Social Club' is both the name given to this extraordinary group of musicians and the album, recorded in just seven days in 1996 in Havana's 1950s vintage EGREM studios. It was clear from the atmosphere of the recording sessions that something very special was taking place. However, no one could have predicted that Buena Vista Social Club would become a worldwide phenomenon - awarded a Grammy in 1997 and, at 8 million copies, outselling any other record in the same genre. The acclaim of the original album has elevated the artists (including Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González & Omara Portuondo) to superstar status, inspired an award-winning film by Wim Wenders, and has contributed to popularising Cuba's rich musical heritage. Produced by Ry Cooder for World Circuit, the timeless quality of the music and the sheer verve of the veteran performers have ensured that this will go down as one of the landmark recordings of the 20th century. To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the album's recording, producer Ry Cooder and World Circuit's Nick Gold have gone back to the original tapes and into the archive to produce this Deluxe Remaster package, featuring previously unheard tracks from the original 1996 recording sessions, previously unseen photos, and new liner notes.

Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie is the film adaptation of the hit musical. Jamie New is 16 and doesn't quite fit in - instead of pursuing a "real" career he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure: he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mom and his amazing friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies, and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

Following nearly two years of global touring in support of their adventurous and acclaimed album, The Wilderness (2016), Explosions In The Sky paused on the future to reflect on the past. Celebrating their 20th year as a band with a pair of remastered reissues of early beloved classics – How Strange, Innocence(2000) and The Rescue (2005) – they embarked on a memorable series of anniversary concerts in 2019. It was around then that Explosions In The Sky was approached to craft the score to a new documentary about a place with which, as native Texans, they were very familiar: Big Bend National Park.

That documentary, Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas, premiered on PBS in the United States as well as on a variety of networks in other countries in early 2021. The hour-long film intimately follows the lives of native animals amid expansive aerial views of the iconic desert landscape that makes up one of the grandest natural wonders in the world. The band set these sights to an inspired, melodic, and meaningful blend of acoustic guitar, slide guitar, strings, piano, bells, and drums that feels as alive and diverse--and vast and lonely--as the place it depicts.

Big Bend (An Original Soundtrack for Public Television) takes that mesmerizing score and recontextualizes it as a stand alone album. Those brief cues have been expanded and transformed into a thoughtful, gorgeous full-length album that recalls some of the band’s most magical and memorable moments from their storied history.

Big Bend: The Wild Frontier of Texas is a film that explores the past and present of the vast, complicated landscape that still holds countless mysteries yet to be uncovered. In Big Bend (An Original Soundtrack for Public Television), Explosions In The Sky pursue a similar approach to their own past and present, and find inspiration in all that has yet to be discovered.

Complete, previously unreleased performance by the Grateful Dead. Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction, with mastering by Jeffrey Norman, Produced for release by David Lemieux.

One of the shortest-lived iterations of the Grateful Dead was the band that existed December 1971 through March 1972. Jerry, Bob, Phil, Bill, Pigpen, and Keith formed a formidable version of the Dead that only played a few shows together before Donna Jean joined as vocalist, and before Pigpen would depart the stage for good in June 1972. What this sextet lacked in quantity of shows it made up for with creativeness, power, and inspiration. When Pigpen rejoined the Dead on December 1, 1971, after a few months off during which Keith had joined as piano player, the band was now an unstoppably powerful live juggernaut it hadn't been since the height of the Primal Dead era in late 1968-1969. Widely considered one of the best shows from the Pigpen-Keith era of the Grateful Dead, December 10, 1971 in St. Louis has it all: Pigpen singing lead on four songs including an 18 minute version of Good Lovin' and a very rare performance of Run Rudolph Run; a deep dive into the Dead's psychedelic recent past with a monster version of The Other One; plus plenty of the new material from earlier in 1971 like Bertha, Loser, Sugaree, and Playing In The Band. They also hit upon much of the music that would appear the following year on Europe '72, such as Jack Straw, Tennessee Jed, Mr. Charlie, and One More Saturday Night. And no Dead show of this vintage would be complete without the "hits": Truckin', Sugar Magnolia, and Casey Jones all make appearances. This is truly one of the deepest, most dynamic, exciting, and accessible live shows in the entire Grateful Dead canon.

Grateful Dead - Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO (12/10/71) [Live](3CD)

Scumdogs XXX Live! The 30th Anniversary reunion show of the shock rock classic Scumdogs of the Universe. The band plays their breakout album front to back and is joined by guests and members who long ago retired.

2021 release. Brain Candy is the third studio album from Australian duo Hockey Dad.

Digitally remastered edition. The album title is apt, as this was saxman Rudolph Johnson's second album for the Black Jazz label (and this reissue marks only the second time this 1973 album has been released on vinyl)! But more importantly, the quality of the music it contains renders the more common, Messianic meaning of the phrase 'the second coming' equally applicable. Saxman and bandleader Rudolph Johnson never attained the commercial success of some of his contemporaries, but his fans consider him the rightful heir to John Coltrane's improvisational genius. And with keyboardist Kirk Lightsey in the band for this go-round (we already reissued Johnson's very fine 1971 Black Jazz album Spring Rain), sparks are gonna fly, starting right off with the cookin' album opener 'The Traveler,' which if you close your eyes will definitely bring to mind Coltrane's classic quartet circa the early '60s. Indeed, unlike most of the other releases on the Black Jazz label, The Second Coming barely nods to the fusion and soul jazz trends that were sweeping jazz at the time. Instead, this is expressive, free improvisation at it's best, beautifully recorded by producer Gene Russell and deserving of a much wider audience than it found the first time. Newly remastered and annotated, and, like we said, reissued on vinyl for the first time!

Two CDs. 2021 release. This release marks 30 years since the formation of one of the most enigmatic and aurally captivating bands to grace the dark rock/prog genre, Mnemosynean contains an extensive collection of all of Katatonia's rarities and B-sides, including tracks from the band's numerous EPs, limited special edition bonuses, cover songs, as well as a series of collaborative remixes. The journey of Mnemosynean spans the gothic-soaked experimental epic 'Scarlet Heavens' recorded all the way back in 1994, through to tracks recorded during the sessions for the stellar 2016 opus, The Fall of Hearts.

KK's PRIEST, the band comprised of renowned former Judas Priest guitarist, KK Downing and former vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens, is pleased to announce the release of the debut album SERMONS OF THE SINNER via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records on August 20. SERMONS OF THE SINNER is an incredible collection of future metal classics, sure to be one of the stand-out metal releases of 2021. K.K Downing's genre-defining guitar style helped establish Judas Priest's iconic sound and helped propelled them to one of the top Heavy Metal bands of all-time, earning numerous accolades including a GRAMMY® in 2010 for "Best Metal Performance," a total of five GRAMMY® nominations and multi-platinum and gold releases.With Downing on guitar, KK's PRIEST also features ex-Judas Priest member Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals, who fronted the band for eight years and recorded two studio albums, Jugulator, featuring the GRAMMY® nominated track "Bullet Train," and Demolition, plus two live albums. They are joined by Tony Newton (Voodoo Six) on bass, A.J. Mills (Hostile) on guitar and Sean Elg (DeathRiders/Cage) on drums. Original drummer, Les Binks, unfortunately sustained a wrist injury, but will make special guest live appearances when the band tours. KEY MARKETING POINTSUK, EU & US Marketing & Promotions campaignDebut single 'Hellfire Thunderbolt' released 12 May with videoWorldwide touring planned to be announced soon

The Metallica Blacklist celebrates the 30th anniversary and enduring influence of the iconic Black Album, with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived by the Metallica team: An unprecedented 50+ artists spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique interpretation of their favorite Black Album song. All profits from The Metallica Blacklist will be split evenly between the All Within My Hands Foundation and 50+ charities chosen by the artists who play on the album. All music overseen by executive producer Giles Martin.

 

The four CDs will be housed in 10-panel digipak with a booklet. Artwork by David Turner.

Moral Hygiene comes on the heels of Ministry's acclaimed 2018 album AmeriKKKant (hailed by Loudwire as Jourgensen's own "state of the union" address) that was written as a reaction to Donald J. Trump being elected president-though Jourgensen says this new album is more informational and reflective in tone. "With AmeriKKKant I was in shock that Trump won. I didn't know what to do, but I knew I had to do something. Because I believe if you are a musician or an artist you should be expressing what's going on around you through your art. It's going to happen whether you do it consciously or unconsciously. Moral Hygiene however has progressed even further into a cautionary tale of what will happen if we don't act. There's less rage, but there's more reflection and I bring in some guests to help cement that narrative."

2021 release, the fourth studio album from Poppy.

Deluxe edition of the 2020 holiday album from reggae/dancehall artist Shaggy. This quintessential reggae Christmas themed collection puts a Caribbean twist on traditional Christmas cheer with island-infused holiday songs. Features guest performances from Beenie Man, Joss Stone, Bounty Killer, Junior Reid, Ne-Yo, Romain Virgo, Ritchie Stephens, Conkarah and others. The album includes new, original music as well as a modern reggae cover of the classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," among other holiday favorites.

The Specials, who enjoyed a triumphant 2019 with the release of the critically acclaimed Encore — their first #1 album, coming 40 years after they exploded onto the music scene and launched the 2 Tone movement — make a very timely return with the release of their new album, Protest Songs 1924-2012, through Island Records. The album features 12 singular takes on specially chosen protest songs across an almost 100-year span and shows The Specials are still pissed off. Deluxe CD w/ 2 bonus tracks.

Unto Others' vocalist / guitarist Gabriel Franco elaborated on the genesis of STRENGTH sharing, "I wish I could say it came to me like a bolt of lightning, but the record was a process. A challenging process, to write, record and mix. It was 10 months from beginning to end, and the most time I've ever spent on an album. You can decide if that's good or bad. Arthur did a great job giving the record an organic heavy sound and it was a privilege to work with him. What we have at the end is something I am extremely proud of, for better or worse, and a constant reminder to myself that we don't do things because they are easy, we do them because they are hard."

Produced and mixed by Arthur Rizk, STRENGTH was recorded between June 2020 and April 2021 at Redwood Studio in Philadelphia, PA and Falcon Studios in Portland, OR. The forthcoming release marks Unto Others' debut album on Roadrunner Records and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2019 LP Mana. STRENGTH also features the single "When Will Gods Work Be Done" which arrived earlier this summer alongside news of the band's signing. Stereogum praised the single attesting, "Unto Others build and build, showing mastery in setting a scene, stretching tension to its breaking point, and then blowing it to smithereens with panache," while REVOLVER included the track in their weekly "Best New Songs Right Now," round-up. Decibel affirmed "(it) continues right where Mana left off, built around a hard-driving groove, some mean palm-muted riffs, and of course, the baritone bellow of singer/guitarist Gabriel Franco."

Comprised of Gabriel Franco (Vocals / Guitar), Brandon Hill (Bass), Sebastian Silva (Guitar), and Colin Vranizan (Drums), Unto Others formed in Portland, OR in 2017 and quickly made waves out of the Pacific Northwest under their previous band name Idle Hands. Following 2018's Don't Waste Your Time EP, they released their debut full-length album Mana in 2019 to widespread acclaim. Citing their harmonious marriage of goth rock and traditional heavy metal, Stereogum named Unto Others one of the "40 Best New Bands of 2019" noting, "In an alternate reality where the `80s dalliance with both genres took hold into future decades, nearly every song on the band's debut would be a hit." The impact of Mana was immediate earning "Best of 2019" album accolades from Metal Hammer, Decibel Magazine, Invisible Oranges, Treble, Stereogum and Heavy Consequence with the latter observing, "Franco sounds more like Robert Smith than he does Bruce Dickinson, even though one can hear The Cure and Iron Maiden both in his band's sound." Unto Others joined King Diamond and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats on a sold-out coast-to-coast tour across North America in support of Mana and returned in 2020 with the surprise release of Don't Waste Your Time II.

UNTO OTHERS / STRENGTH

Digitally remastered edition. Keyboardist Walter Bishop, Jr. Recorded the second album released by the Black Jazz label, Coral Keys, a masterpiece of Blue Note-style atmospherics infused with '70s soul-jazz. But a mere two years later, Bishop, Jr. #brought a whole new sound and a whole new band into the studio for 1973"s Keeper of My Soul. Contrary to the album title, the name of the band was not The 4th Cycle; instead, as the liner notes put it, the name reflected 'Bishop's composition and improvisational techniques based on the Cycle of 4ths and his various personal musical cycles as performer, student and teacher.' The album also was imbued with a spirituality owed in part to his studies with yogi Parmahansa Yogananda; little wonder, then, that Keeper of My Soul was a more ambitious, electric, and 'out' record than it's predecessor. With the estimable support of flautist/sax man Ronnie Laws, bassist Gerald Brown, and vibraphonist Woody Murray, Bishop explores Keith Jarrett-like free-form passages ('Those Who Chant'), Latin stylings (Kenny Dorham's 'Blue Bossa'), and offers one of the most unusual and funky interpretations of 'Summertime' you'll ever hear. All in remastered sound with liner notes by Pat Thomas.

I'll Meet You Here - Dar Williams - "I'll Meet You Here" on Renew Records/BMG coming Oct 1st. 2021 release, the first album in six years from the acclaimed folk/Americana singer/songwriter.